"I have no idea what's going on here."
Ma Dong-pil's face was the very picture of confusion.
Ju-hwa shook her head. "Let's find out the reason later. For now, it's best to rest."
Ma Dong-pil nodded. In truth, there was no immediate way to find out the reason even if he wanted to.
"How is your body?"
"I'm alright."
It seemed he was indeed better. His face had regained some color, and his limbs moved naturally. However, the swelling on his face hadn't gone down yet. No matter how great his martial arts were, it wasn't a wound that could heal in less than half a day.
"When do you plan to depart?"
"When the young master wakes up."
Right.
Ma Dong-pil looked at the carriage at the rear. The young master was currently inside, taking strange medicine and meditating.
'Sigh.'
This operation was truly full of shameful incidents. If he had known the young master would end up in such a state, he would have given up protecting Ju-hwa and rushed over.
'But...'
He couldn't help but be amazed.
All the martial artists, led by himself, examined the traces of the fierce battle on the hill.
And they were shocked. They knew how advanced the martial arts had to be to leave such marks all over the hill.
It was martial arts that even the captains of the internal battle units couldn't dream of.
No, it was questionable how many martial artists within all the organizations of the internal battle could survive such a fierce battle.
'Could it be that the young master has already reached that realm...'
Ma Dong-pil's face flushed.
'Has he already ascended to that level?'
Transcendence.
People say it easily, but the status of those called transcendental masters is immense.
Even a talented martial artist who practices top-level martial arts diligently for decades might not reach the realm of transcendence without luck.
The very phrase "transcending the peak" proves the difficulty of this realm. The peak means reaching the end, but to transcend even that end?
'Considering the young master's age, this is...'
Seo-ryang was only about twenty-five.
Reaching such a realm in his mid-twenties? It was beyond common sense.
'I'm envious.'
Ma Dong-pil clenched his fist.
'I want to follow.'
He didn't feel jealousy. Seo-ryang wasn't someone to be jealous of, and Ma Dong-pil wasn't the type to feel such emotions.
He was just endlessly envious.
And he wanted to follow. Even if he couldn't catch up, he wanted to reach a point where he could see Seo-ryang's back.
"I don't know much about such relationships."
Startled by the sudden voice, Ma Dong-pil looked at Ju-hwa.
Ju-hwa spoke with her usual expressionless face.
"You look like a man gazing at a woman he loves."
"What do you mean?"
"Weren't you looking at the young master?"
Ma Dong-pil nodded. "That's right."
"......"
"......It's not like that."
"Yes."
"Don't misunderstand. I am..."
"I'm not misunderstanding. It's just a way of speaking."
"......"
"You seem to have a close relationship with the young master."
"It's not even worth calling a relationship. I just worked hard for the young master, and he graciously evaluated me well."
Ju-hwa shook her head. "Whatever it is, you two seem to have a special bond."
"That's not true. Saying that makes me feel too guilty towards the young master. I'm just a sword and shield."
A consistently firm and steadfast person.
Ju-hwa turned her head towards the carriage, following Ma Dong-pil's gaze.
"What kind of person is he?"
"What do you mean?"
"The young master."
"You can't define a person with a few words. Especially someone as extraordinary as him."
Ju-hwa, who had been quietly looking at the carriage, spoke. She thought she had been talking a lot since waking from the inner demon.
"The young master healed my body."
She didn't mention the transaction. She wasn't sure if Ma Dong-pil knew the details, and even if he did, she thought it wasn't something to speak of.
"My body was a mess due to the inner demon. He restored it to normal in less than fifteen days."
"I see."
"That's not all. On the way here, I recovered seventy percent of my martial arts."
"......!"
"Don't misunderstand, it's not entirely my ability. Without the young master's help, it would have been impossible."
"Hmm..."
"You saw it too, right? The scene where the young master dealt with those monsters."
"......Of course."
Even now, thinking about that moment sent chills down his spine.
At the same time, it made him feel warm.
The sight of the young master appearing like a savior at a critical moment and sweeping away the wolves with terrifying martial arts was truly moving.
The relief felt in that moment was something only those who experienced it could understand. The wind of hope that blew in the moment of despair threw a thrilling spark into everyone's hearts.
"I've seen more impressive martial arts. But I've never seen more mysterious martial arts."
Ma Dong-pil shook his head. "Whatever impression you have, evaluating the young master in any way could be disrespectful."
"I know. But still..."
"......"
"I'm envious."
"Envious? Of what?"
"It's nothing."
Ma Dong-pil, who was staring at her, soon turned his head. He didn't want to force someone who didn't want to speak to talk.
A moment of silence.
Ju-hwa broke the silence.
"When do you think he'll wake up?"
"The young master?"
"Yes."
"Well, considering his outstanding abilities, I don't think it will take long. But since his muscles were on the verge of tearing, it might take at least half a day..."
At that moment, a somewhat weak voice came from inside the carriage.
"Half a day, my foot."
Clunk!
The carriage door opened, and Seo-ryang stepped out. Behind him, Geum-ho was following closely.
"Young master!"
The two surprised people quickly approached Seo-ryang.
Seo-ryang's complexion was still pale. His energy was unstable, causing his demonic energy to flicker, and he was staggering due to weakness.
Ma Dong-pil quickly supported him.
"Are you alright?"
"Does this look alright to you, you fool?"
"I'm, I'm sorry!"
Seo-ryang chuckled.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm... fine."
"Huh? What's with your face if you're fine? Did you get rejected or something?"
Flustered, Ma Dong-pil hurriedly shook his head.
"It's, it's not like that!"
"Heh, you're still fun to tease."
"Young master, wouldn't it be better to go back inside and meditate? You still seem unsteady."
"It's fine. This is enough."
"But still..."
"Tsk!"
"......I'm sorry."
"I came out because I can move. Everything's done, so you don't have to worry so much. And move your arm from under my armpit. It's suffocating."
Ma Dong-pil sighed inwardly. He knew how stubborn Seo-ryang could be.
As he let go of the supporting arm, Seo-ryang staggered for a moment.
But only for a moment, as he took a deep breath and steadied himself. Though it was difficult, he didn't seem to have much trouble moving.
"Hey, Chief Ju."
For someone who had been on the brink of death due to severe internal and external injuries, his recovery was too fast. Ju-hwa, who had been staring blankly at Seo-ryang, quickly knelt on one knee.
"Please kill me, young master."
"What are you saying now?"
"We were incompetent and caused you great trouble. We've committed a grave sin."
Seo-ryang shuddered as if he was fed up.
"What trouble did you cause that you're asking to be killed?"
"......Pardon?"
"Stop saying nonsense and get up. Seriously, is it a trait of martial artists to make people's insides noisy?"
Neither of them dared to point out that he was also a martial artist.
"Anyway."
Seo-ryang's face turned cold.
"Where did you dump that guy's body?"
In his heart, he wanted to cut him into pieces and torture him before sending him off. But his body couldn't take it anymore, so he broke his neck immediately. Whatever the reason, he couldn't risk falling into the inner demon again out of anger.
Ma Dong-pil spoke calmly.
"We left it near the red wolf corpses. Just in case, we collected all his belongings, including his clothes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Seo-ryang looked up at the sky.
In the far-off clear sky, a red sunset was burning.
"Good job."
Ma Dong-pil cleared his throat.
At first glance, he seemed relieved, but upon closer inspection, there was an inexplicable bitterness. It seemed his mind was complicated.
"Dong-pil."
"Yes, young master."
"If possible, don't hold grudges against anyone."
"Yes?"
"I'm not saying don't get angry or dislike anyone. Just let go of those feelings quickly and forget them."
Seo-ryang smiled wryly.
"If you hold onto them like I do, life becomes tiring."
"......"
"Well, you can just ignore it. You're a guy with a clear sense of direction."
"No, young master. I'll engrave your words in my bones."
"Yeah, right."
Seo-ryang forced a bright expression and looked around.
"Did you find everything?"
"Yes. And, um, we've also captured a man who seems to be part of the group. Would you like to see him?"
"No need. I've finished my business."
"Understood. Then, can we depart now? I think it would be good to stop by the branch and rest."
"Sure. Let's go have some good food and rest on a soft bed."
Seo-ryang shouted cheerfully.
"Alright, let's head back..."
Suddenly, his expression turned blank.
Ma Dong-pil, who hadn't seen Seo-ryang's face, shouted loudly.
"Chief Ju! It seems we can depart now!"
"Yes."
"All units of the third division, prepare to move! We're heading to the branch!"
"Understood!"
Startled by the loud response, Seo-ryang hurriedly grabbed Ma Dong-pil.
"Dong-pil! Dong-pil!"
"Yes? Is there something you'd like to command?"
"No, it's just that I..."
Before Seo-ryang could finish his sentence, Ma Dong-pil's face hardened.
"Young master!"
"I was just thinking, maybe I still have some business to..."
Suddenly, Seo-ryang's knees buckled.
At the same time, blood trickled from his nose. He had overexerted himself while his body hadn't fully healed.
'What the heck?!'
Ma Dong-pil quickly supported Seo-ryang.
"We must move as quickly as possible."
"Cough! No! It's just..."
"There are skilled doctors on standby at the branch. It would be better to get examined by them."
"You...!"
"Chief Ju! Hurry, hurry and prepare! The young master's condition has worsened!"
Ju-hwa responded swiftly.
"All transport units, get on the carriage! We'll be moving without rest!"
Urgency was written all over Seo-ryang's face. His head was spinning, and his limbs were weak, but that wasn't the important thing right now.
'I need to go to the An Family! Let's stop by the An Family! Please, the An Family!'
Ma Dong-pil laid Seo-ryang inside the carriage.
Seo-ryang's vision gradually darkened.
'I'm not going!!'
Clunk!
The carriage door closed.