HDCLSSRS Ch 65

Chapter 65 That Which Does Not Change (6)

 

Sniffle.

To his surprise, it wasn’t an enemy—it was a young girl. Frozen in fear, the child stood speechless, unable even to cry. Ma Jincheon hurriedly sheathed his sword.

“You said your name was Ah-yeong, didn’t you? Are you out looking for your doll? Where’s your mother? It’s dangerous to be wandering around alone at this hour!”

“Mister…”

As Ma Jincheon pressed her sharply, the child finally burst into tears. Flustered, he quickly tried to console her.

“Sorry for yelling. You came looking for Mongshil, didn’t you?”

The child gave a small nod.

“Still, you mustn’t wander around alone.”

Missing the doll she always hugged in her sleep, the girl had mustered her courage to come, but the darkness had frightened her, and she clutched his coat tightly. With a helpless smile, Ma Jincheon began searching for the doll alongside her.

But finding a stuffed doll amid the ruins was no easy task. And there was no guarantee it would even be intact. After rummaging through debris for a while, he finally pulled the doll from a pile of dirt.

“Mongshil!”

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to your mother.”

Ma Jincheon lifted the child onto his shoulder. Just as they were about to leave the ruined house, he suddenly sensed a chilling presence from behind and twisted his body.

“Guh!”

A sharp pain struck his waist—he looked down to find a long gash.

“Tch!”

The attacker was the venomous freak he’d seen at the tavern. The fiend had hidden from the Shaolin’s eyes and launched a surprise attack. It had been an assassination meant to sever Ma Jincheon’s life, but he managed to dodge, turning it to naught. Yet while he staggered in pain, the fiend snatched the child from his shoulder.

“Mister!”

“Ah-yeong!”

Clutching the girl under his arm, the venomous freak bolted away in a frenzy.

Ma Jincheon pressed a pressure point near his side to stop the bleeding and gave chase.

“Stop right there!”

They pursued each other deep into the mountains. As the terrain grew steeper, Ma Jincheon’s breathing became increasingly labored. Just as he was about to summon his inner power to catch up—

Stagger!

His vision spun, and moments later, he collapsed to his knees on a bed of fallen leaves.

“Kekeke… Looks like the poison’s kicking in.”

The venomous freak’s murmurs buzzed in his ears as slow footsteps crunched toward him. Ma Jincheon’s fingers twitched around his sword hilt, but no strength came.

“Poison… is it?”

He managed to ask with great effort. The freak crouched beside Ma Jincheon’s head.

“That’s right. A concoction I made myself. Consider it an honor. You’re the first one I’ve tested it on.”

Ma Jincheon couldn’t move a single finger.

“How does it feel? Are your limbs tingling? Any dizziness?”

“Damn you… Get lost.”

“Haha! The dojo master has quite the mouth. Too bad. That poison doesn’t have an antidote yet. Wonder how long you’ll last… Thanks for testing it for me.”

Ma Jincheon lay beneath his feet, consciousness slipping. The freak had always enjoyed toying with prey before killing it outright.

Even amid this chaos, such twisted desires stirred once again.

“Kehkehkeh… What a catch.”

Lowering himself, the freak leered at Ma Jincheon’s face.

He hated the world.

His lord was gone, and now he had to bow to his enemies—while the righteous sect bastards lived peacefully, as if nothing had happened. It made his guts churn.

“Where should I touch you…”

Even now, his heart pounded with excitement at the thought of satisfying his urges.

“Waaaah! Mister!”

“Shut up! Don’t cry!”

Through his fading consciousness, the child’s wailing struck Ma Jincheon’s ears.

With strength born of nowhere, he rose and swung his sword wide.

“Ugh!”

Caught off guard, the freak yelped and fell back, and the child tumbled to the ground in the commotion.

“Run, Ah-yeong! Run!”

The girl hiccuped for a moment, then turned and ran down the mountain.

“Oh no, I’m dying!”

The freak shrieked, thinking he was done for from that blow, and flailed wildly. But soon, he realized the pain was gone.

“…Huh?”

Ma Jincheon’s final strike had only torn his garment and scratched his chest.

“You filthy maggot! How dare you startle me, the great Venomous Freak?!”

He kicked Ma Jincheon, bursting the wound that had been staunched earlier. Blood spilled again. The freak ruthlessly trampled the defenseless man.

In the dimming haze of his mind, Ma Jincheon saw Baek Ryeoil’s face.

Ryeoil-ah.

Despite everything, he was his most precious disciple.

Like a son…

There’s still so much I haven’t taught you…

The boy had grown physically, but not yet into an adult. It had been Ma Jincheon’s duty to help him experience all the good the world had to offer—but he’d failed.

That was his only regret.

“If I had the time, I’d love to observe how you die in slow agony, but…”

The freak’s voice trailed off as he suddenly looked up.

Screeech—

From the shadows, a small light flashed, and a sword shot forward, embedding itself in the freak’s left shoulder with explosive force, slamming him to the ground.

“Ugh… Aaaargh!”

As the freak opened his mouth to scream, a loud boom followed by a figure landing amidst the dust announced a new arrival.

Baek Ryeoil yanked the sword from the freak’s shoulder with a swift pull.

“Guh… Urgh…”

Groaning in pain, the freak scrambled backward. He immediately recognized Baek Ryeoil.

He had seen him before at the ruins while hiding from the Shaolin. Back then, he’d planned to ambush Ma Jincheon—but this man had appeared suddenly, forcing him to retreat.

The man standing tall like a mountain was unlike any other. Every hair on the freak’s body stood on end.

This one’s dangerous.

Shivers ran through him as he hurriedly drew a poison-coated blade. But the tip trembled like a leaf.

If he could just scratch him with it… then maybe…

Baek Ryeoil calmly flicked the blood off his sword and gazed down at the freak.

“Don’t expect a painless death.”

His voice carried no emotion, sending a chill across the freak’s skin like a sharp blade.

The moon behind him cast shadows across Baek Ryeoil’s face, making it unreadable—but the murderous intent was unmistakable.

The freak wondered if he’d even live long enough for the poison to take effect.

Just as Baek Ryeoil stepped forward, a weak hand tugged at his coat hem.

“Poi… Poisoned…”

With those words, Ma Jincheon slumped over.

Baek Ryeoil’s face, which had been cold and unreadable, contorted all at once—pain, fear, and dread flooding in. He quickly tossed aside his sword and turned Ma Jincheon’s body over. Blood gushed from the wound at his side, and crimson organs threatened to spill out.

“Master!”

He hastily pressed pressure points to stop the bleeding, then tore off his wrist guards and wrapped the wound tightly. Blood-soaked hands slipped as he worked. He sensed the freak scurrying away but couldn’t afford to pay it any mind.

“Master! Master!”

He kept calling, as if doing so could tether Ma Jincheon’s soul to his body…

The entire camp was thrown into chaos.

Baek Ryeoil, who had gone in search of his missing teacher, returned with a blood-soaked Ma Jincheon on his back.

A tent was quickly cleared out to lay Ma Jincheon down. Seong Muyeon couldn’t bear to watch and chewed nervously on his fingernail from afar.

I should’ve known this would happen.

He had sensed something was wrong the moment he realized Ma Jincheon was gone. What came next was all too obvious. With poison coursing through his veins, Ma Jincheon wouldn’t last long. In three days, he would be dead…

The Peng brothers watched the tragedy in silence. Even Peng Dohwan held his tongue.

Healers who had rushed in like a storm left just as quickly. None of their expressions were good. It was a look Seong Muyeon had seen before—on the faces of physicians who had examined him.

Shaking their heads. Saying there was no hope.

It was clear Ma Jincheon would not survive.

Seong Muyeon approached the tent with dragging steps. When he pulled aside the curtain at the entrance, he saw Baek Ryeoil’s back turned, seated before the unconscious Ma Jincheon lying pale on the bed.

How had it come to this?

He had thought it would be fine. Baek Ryeoil had arrived. Everything would be okay.

“Master Baek…”

Baek Ryeoil’s broad back flinched violently. He didn’t turn around. Instead, in a voice choked and barely audible, he murmured,

“Leave.”

“But Master Ma…”

“I said go!”

When Seong Muyeon didn’t move, a sharp shout rang out. Baek Ryeoil turned only his eyes to glare at him.