Chapter 165: Is This Paradise?

TL: FoodieMonster007

Jin Haryong's sword moved in a continuous series of variations.

Her opponent could not block her dazzling swordsmanship and finally admitted defeat.

"I've lost."

Jin Haryong withdrew the sword from his neck and raised her hand to the crowd.

A roar like thunder erupted.

"Jin Haryong is the best!"

"Amazing, Jin Haryong!"

"The championship belongs to Jin Haryong!"

"Hubei's First Beauty, Jin Haryong!"

But the words she waited for were not among the cheers today. She scanned the crowd of heroes, but Geom Yeon was nowhere to be seen.

Is he badly hurt?

She heard that the young master Geom Yeon served was injured in the quarter-finals. She knew that was likely why he could not come, but she still felt disappointed. She had hoped he would visit during her duel, even for a moment.

But he can't do that when his young master is hurt.

Disappointed, she descended from the dueling stage and found an unexpected person waiting.

"Congratulations on your victory."

It was Cho Sin. Normally, her expression would have hardened at his sight, but for some reason, she treated him gently today.

"Thank you."

"If you win the championship, Miss Jin, I'll hold a celebratory banquet for you."

"I'm grateful for the thought. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for my next duel."

Jin Haryong gave a light clasped hands greeting and left the dueling grounds.

Cho Sin felt she treated him more gently than usual.

Was that guy right?

He claimed to know women well, and just one word of congratulations had changed how she treated him.

This bastard, he's more useful than he looks.

However, that was his delusion.

Jin Haryong treated him comfortably because her grandfather had confirmed yesterday that there would be no arranged marriage. In that case, she no longer needed to be at odds with Cho Sin. After the Young Dragon Tournament ended, she would not have to see his face anyway. She would join an elite unit of the Murim Alliance and start a new chapter in her life.

My friend, I hope your young master gets well soon.

Only then would she hear that welcome voice amidst the crowd's roar.

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk was taking the young master somewhere.

"Aaaaaah! It's too fast!"

Geom Mugeuk carried Seo Daeryong on his back, running with his movement arts. Seo Daeryong could only cling to him and scream.

It was too fast. He was shocked a person could run this fast using movement arts, especially while carrying someone.

Seo Daeryong could not even open his eyes. When he managed to, his surroundings blurred past so quickly he felt dizzy. How could anyone see enough to run like this? He felt he would faint from the anxiety that they would crash into a tree or a rock at any moment.

More surprisingly, his body was perfectly comfortable. He was psychologically terrified and anxious, but Geom Mugeuk's qi enveloped his injured body, protecting it from being jostled during the run.

Is this even possible? Protecting me while running this fast?

He would never have believed it if he had not experienced it himself. Seo Daeryong had been surprised by Geom Mugeuk many times, but it was even more surprising that things like this were still possible. No, there was another surprise. Geom Mugeuk did not even rest while running. Just how vast were his inner arts?

Maybe this is a dream. Did I pass out on the dueling stage and now I'm dreaming? HUK! Don't tell me I'm dead?

Lost in delusions on Geom Mugeuk's back, Seo Daeryong finally arrived at their destination. The two arrived at a rural village far from the Murim Alliance.

"Uwaah! Is this paradise?"

Seo Daeryong stumbled off Geom Mugeuk's back and collapsed. He thought he was going to die from dizziness. He took a deep breath.

"Ah! I feel alive again. This must be paradise. People are meant to live with their feet on the ground."

Seo Daeryong swept back his disheveled hair and looked around. He was inwardly tense. He had set out ready to endure even hellish training, but Geom Mugeuk had said they were going to paradise and brought him to a village like this.

"Let's rest over there for a bit."

A child lay on a wooden platform at the village entrance, reading a book.

Seo Daeryong felt it was strange. Why rush here just to rest on a platform at the village entrance where a child was reading?

Then, something even stranger happened. Geom Mugeuk spoke to the child on the platform.

"Child, go and bring a bottle of wine brewed with insects."

At Geom Mugeuk's words, the child, who had been reading on his stomach, sat up. He yawned and asked.

"Who sent you?"

From this conversation, Seo Daeryong could tell. The words Geom Mugeuk had spoken were some kind of code.

"We're from the Divine Cult."

Seo Daeryong was startled. Geom Mugeuk had just revealed he was from the Demonic Cult, something he had never done before.

The child, however, did not seem surprised, as if he did not know what the Divine Cult was.

"Tell them this isn't official business, it's personal, so they can handle it as they usually do."

"Yes. Please wait."

The child disappeared somewhere. Finally, Seo Daeryong asked Geom Mugeuk.

"Where are we?"

"The entrance to paradise."

"It doesn't look like paradise at all."

"What kind of place is the paradise you're imagining?"

"Well…"

"You just pictured yourself in a room full of beautiful women, drinking wine and enjoying a feast, didn't you?"

Seo Daeryong flinched.

"No, I didn't."

Seo Daeryong's face flushed red as he tried to deny it. It seemed he had imagined an even lewder paradise.

"Listen, mortal! Most places in this world that look like paradise are actually hell. Hohoho."

"Could the enlightened great monk please stop and just call our Director? Ah! I'm asking where we are!"

"You'll know when we get there."

A moment later, the child returned.

"They said to bring you in. Follow me."

Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong followed the child.

Formations lined the winding path. They were the kind that would make you wander endlessly and exit somewhere else if you did not know the exact location of the life gate.

After they passed through the formations, a huge manor appeared.

A plaque hung there.

The Nirvana Dream.

The name used the character for 'wish', not 'manor'. It meant the wish to be reborn in paradise.

"It really is paradise, isn't it?"

"Didn't I tell you we were going to paradise?"

They followed the child inside, where an old woman stood waiting.

She had an extraordinary aura and a straight back that defied the term 'old woman', but bandages wrapped her head and arm, showing she was badly injured.

"You said you're from the Divine Cult?"

"That is correct."

"What's your proof that you're from the Divine Cult?"

Geom Mugeuk released his demonic qi. It was a demonic qi forceful enough for her to believe him.

"Enough! Why are you spewing such unpleasant energy? PTUI! PTUI!"

The old woman brought out salt and sprinkled it on herself. She showed no fear of the Demonic Cult.

"For your age, your level of mastery is quite profound."

"Thank you."

"What was the reason for revealing your identity?"

"Because you would have found out anyway, no matter how I tried to hide it."

"You know that much about me? Then this should be easy. What is it you want?"

Geom Mugeuk looked at Seo Daeryong and said.

"Please make it so this friend of mine wins the Young Dragon Tournament."

Seo Daeryong stared at Geom Mugeuk, astonished.

"If I ask you to make me win, can I actually win?"

"Maybe?"

"What?"

The old woman limped toward the wide-eyed Seo Daeryong.

The old woman held out her hand to Seo Daeryong.

"Hand!"

Her right arm was injured, so she held out her left.

"Ah, my left arm is the one that's injured."

"So, should this old woman offer her injured arm instead?"

"No. I mean, can't we just not shake hands?"

However, the old woman kept her hand extended. The moment Seo Daeryong reluctantly took her arm, she yanked his injured arm up.

"AAAARGH!"

Despite Seo Daeryong's scream, the old woman moved his arm around wildly.

"The arm is attached just fine."

"AAAAAAAAAH! I'm dying!"

"Such a crybaby!"

"I thought I was going to die from the pain!"

"You have the face of someone who's good at faking pain."

Seo Daeryong pouted and looked at Geom Mugeuk. His expression asked who this damn old woman was, but Geom Mugeuk just smiled.

"Try swinging your dao."

"I don't want to."

The old woman slid toward Seo Daeryong, grabbed his arm again, and waved it lightly. Her movements were so fast that Seo Daeryong could not block her.

"Still don't want to? How about now?"

"AAAAAAH! No, I'll do it! Please, spare me! I'll do it!"

The old woman finally let go of his arm.

Seo Daeryong wiped away the tears that had streamed down his face from the pain and drew his dao.

After watching Seo Daeryong's technique for a moment, the old woman shook her head.

"It's difficult. At this rate, you can't beat Jin Haryong."

The old woman was well aware of the Young Dragon Tournament's current situation. She knew the exact skill level of the championship favorite, Jin Haryong, and had grasped Seo Daeryong's skill just by watching him swing his dao.

"We came because it's difficult. Aren't you the one who makes the impossible possible?"

"Well, that depends on how much you're willing to pay. How much can you offer?"

Geom Mugeuk did not haggle. He offered the old woman the five hundred thousand taels he had brought.

"It's five hundred thousand taels."

At that, Seo Daeryong was shocked.

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me you withdrew that money to spend on me?"

"……"

"No. Absolutely not!"

When Geom Mugeuk had withdrawn the money, Seo Daeryong had thought he might spend some of it on him, but he never imagined he would spend all of it.

"It's my money, why are you the one saying no?"

"I just can't accept it. I give up on the path I said I wanted to take. It was all just nonsense. I'm happier as I am. Five hundred thousand taels?"

Seo Daeryong sent a telepathic message.

[And isn't that old woman strange? She's obviously a quack pretending to be mysterious. How can she heal anyone when she's so injured herself? She should take care of her own body… HUK! She just ate a bug!]

Chewing on something, the old woman sat on a rock and massaged her own limbs.

"Detective Seo. Money can be earned anytime, but an opportunity like this won't come again."

"I refuse. Please don't spend such a huge sum on me. Even fifty thousand taels would be a waste."

"Besides, it's money worth spending. It's the cost for a man to become a true martial artist."

"For a man to become a martial artist, he needs will and courage, not five hundred thousand taels."

"Don't feel burdened. Just keep working hard as an investigator. If a situation arises where you can save our Cult from a crisis, then save it. That's all."

"That's even more burdensome!"

"Life becomes tiring if you think too much. You just have to live according to your heart in the moment. You said you wanted to win, right? And I want to make you win. As long as our hearts are aligned, that's all that matters."

Just then, the old woman appeared without a sound and snatched the bank note from Geom Mugeuk's hand.

"I'll accept the treatment."

"No!"

Seo Daeryong stepped forward to snatch the bank note back, but he froze. The old woman merely glanced at him, paralyzing him with her sharp presence.

"How many days until this crybaby's next duel?"

"Seven days."

"Seven days. Time is tight. Let's start immediately."

The old woman limped into the building.

Once they were alone, Seo Daeryong quickly asked.

"Who on earth is that person? Please, tell her to treat her own body!"

"How's your arm?"

"How is it? It hurts more. Huh?"

Seo Daeryong tried moving his injured arm. It moved better than when he had first arrived. The old woman had not been waving his arm around randomly after all.

"Huh? It hurts less."

Then, a surprising name came from Geom Mugeuk's lips.

"That is the Insect Physician."

Seo Daeryong was stunned. It was a name he had heard before.

"She's a real person?"

"……"

A legendary rumor circulated in the murim. It spoke of a divine doctor skilled with insects who could cure any disease and even bring the dead back to life using them. Her medical skills were that outstanding.

There were even rumors that her skills surpassed those of the Demonic Physician of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the Divine Doctor of the Murim Alliance. While that was never proven, one thing was certain. The Insect Physician herself was a master who had reached the pinnacle, so it could be said that among the three, she knew the body of a martial artist best.

"But isn't she the one called the Money-Grubbing Bug because she's obsessed with money?"

"Without her, no one can heal you in such a short time."

"How do you even know this person… Ah, never mind. It's too expensive."

"Strictly speaking, not all of that money is going toward you, so you don't have to feel burdened."

"What? What do you mean by that?"

Just then, the door to the building opened and the Insect Physician shouted.

"What are you doing, not coming in? Time is money, money!"

Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong hurried into the building.

Seo Daeryong stepped inside and his face wrinkled in disgust. Jars of insects were everywhere, and mounted bugs covered the walls. The foul smell made him pinch his nose.

He had to drink whatever medicine she gave him, without knowing what it contained.

"What if it's poison? No, this is definitely poison, poison!"

Seo Daeryong refused to drink, his face filled with desperation.

"Then you'll have the most luxurious death in the world, paid for with the most expensive fee. It will be a death recorded in murim history."

The Insect Physician washed off all the applied ointment and put on a new medicine. He did not know for sure, but it was undoubtedly a medicine extracted from all sorts of insects. She wrapped a new bandage over it, and her wrapping method was completely different from before.

Then, she laid him down on a stone bed that radiated intense heat.

"Get a good long sleep."

Whether it was the medicine's effect or the hot bed, Seo Daeryong could not resist the overwhelming sleepiness.

"Ah, this isn't right… it's not… Director, we're being tricked…"

And just like that, Seo Daeryong fell asleep as if enchanted.

While the treatment continued, Geom Mugeuk observed the insects in the backyard. Hundreds of containers held all kinds of bizarre insects.

The Insect Physician came and stood next to Geom Mugeuk. She looked at an insect in front of them as she spoke.

"That one may not look like much, but its bite carries a poison that kills in minutes. I'm fine since I've developed a resistance, but it would be dangerous for you."

Despite saying it was dangerous, the Insect Physician opened a box and took out the insect. The poisonous bug beat its wings rapidly, eager to fly out. She held the poisonous insect before Geom Mugeuk's face and asked coldly.

"If you came here knowing about me, you must have had a rough idea of the cost. Why did you pay so generously?"