Chapter 24. Wujang Mountain (2)

Seon Junsup was feeling a rare sense of annoyance.

For someone whose emotions had been dulled by the side effects of the zombie transformation technique, this inconvenience was a truly rare emotion.

‘What a hassle.’

In fact, if he compared what he had gained to what he had lost, this matter wasn't all that bad. He had acquired enough wealth to sustain a secluded life for a while, and the iron zombie (鐵屍) he had created this time gave him the confidence that it could handle even a formidable martial arts expert.

‘It’s sufficient as long as it’s not a peak expert.’

He looked at the iron zombie, Taegeuk, which followed him, its bells ringing. The iron zombie, created from the master of Wujang Mountain, was truly a masterpiece of his work.

Unfortunately, there was a slight issue with control, but it was something that could be improved.

‘A member of the Nine Dragons and Seven Peaks, was it?’

They are still doing those childish things. Seon Junsup curled his lips into a sneer.

To a man in his late fifties, the Nine Dragons and Seven Peaks were like children's games.

In fact, a nickname is something bestowed upon a person by others in recognition of their great achievements in the martial world.

The nickname of the Nine Dragons and Seven Peaks, given to the children of families that make a grand "show of respect" to the Martial Alliance every five years, was, to him, an incredibly childish act.

‘What kind of dragon or peak can’t even handle my iron zombie? It’s a waste of a snake and a chicken.’

Seon Junsup looked at his iron zombie with pride.

This iron zombie, which could repel sword qi, wield a thousand catties of force, and neither eat nor sleep for a thousand days, was a monster worthy of the title of a true dragon.

‘But there is a problem.’

He needed to quickly address the flaw that the iron zombie would automatically stop if the bell sound couldn't be heard. That was why he had to deal with the bandits himself.

The iron zombie was carrying a large load as if it were a cotton ball. The mountain villa had a considerable amount of wealth.

If he delayed, the pursuit team from Yungah or the Martial Alliance would find him, so he needed to leave quickly.

‘This time, I’ll go to Dunhuang.’

The thought of a long journey for escape was very inconvenient, but the idea of revenge being close at hand gave him renewed energy. After all, he only needed to endure for two more years.

First, his father. Then, he would convert his brothers and sisters into iron zombies. With 40 iron zombies, he was confident he could completely annihilate the current "corrupt Yungah."

‘I won’t leave a single one of those enemies alive.’

Seon Junsup’s lips curled up slightly.

After completely destroying the Yungah controlled by the Quan family, he would save a few children who hadn’t been tainted by the Quan family and teach them the zombie transformation technique. This way, the "righteous Yungah" could be revived.

Just thinking about it filled him with an indescribable joy. Even the ashes of his dead emotions seemed to hide a spark of life.

Seon Junsup entered the cave where his parents and siblings were hidden and soon arrived in front of the coffins where they were placed. Upon reaching his parents, he bowed deeply.

After a long silence, he stood up again and bowed deeply, saying,

“Father, Mother, it’s almost over. I will surely avenge our wrongs and fulfill our dreams.”

“No, Junsup. It’s not necessary.”

Huh?

Seon Junsup was startled and stood up.

In his field of vision, the lid of the coffin where his father was placed suddenly opened, and someone leaped out.

But it was already too late to do anything.

Seeing the blade flying towards his neck, Seon Junsup could do nothing.

* * *

I wiped the blade and looked at Seon Junsup’s corpse.

He died with his eyes wide open, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

After all, who would have guessed that a blade would suddenly emerge from the coffin where his father was secretly placed?

Wiji Yan stammered, seemingly unable to believe the situation.

“To kill a high-level expert like this...”

Maybe I should write a book on how to easily kill a high-level expert like a cake.

I had finished wiping the blade and looked at the iron zombie, which stood there like a mountain, holding a large load without moving.

“Sit down.”

It didn’t move.

“Sit down, I said.”

It still didn’t move.

“It’s no use. The zombie only responds to its master.”

“Would shaking the bell make it move?”

I pointed to the bell in Seon Junsup’s hand.

“It’s dangerous. If you shake the bell incorrectly, it might attack us, and we’d be in trouble.”

Damn. Should I just leave it here?

It looks useful.

As if reading my thoughts, Wiji Yan shook her head.

“Many people in the martial world end up being labeled as outlaws due to mishandling zombies. Especially this one... Yungah might claim ownership.”

“This was made by someone who fled from Yungah, and the zombie masters are all dead. Isn’t it useless now?”

But Wiji Yan thought differently.

“In the martial world, swords have no eyes, and treasures have no owners. It’s best to leave it to Yungah for peace of mind.”

“...What a waste. After all this effort.”

“Yungah will provide some compensation. That’s how prestigious families maintain their dignity and substance.”

Deciding to give up on the iron zombie, I decided to see if there was anything else worth taking. Searching through Seon Junsup’s body, I found a secret manual called "Nine Earth Techniques." Reading its contents, it turned out to be a manual on the zombie transformation technique.

“Tsk.”

It would have been better if it were a martial arts manual.

Considering Wiji Yan’s warning that taking such items would lead to endless trouble from Yungah, I quietly put it down.

“What can I take and what can’t I take?”

“Anything that seems related to Yungah should be left behind to avoid future trouble.”

“Damn.”

After thoroughly searching the body, I found what looked like an antidote and a few magical tools. I took the antidote and pointed to the rest, asking,

“Should I leave these behind?”

She nodded.

Damn.

Deciding to give up on searching Seon Junsup’s body, I moved on to the coffins. As expected, one of the empty coffins contained a jar filled with an unknown liquid and a bunch of talismans.

They might not be very useful, but they could be sold for money, so I took them.

Next, I searched the load the iron zombie was carrying. Fortunately, there were quite a few things worth taking. It contained small gold bars, money, and food.

And some important manuals.

Four of them.

Qinghong Sword Technique (清红剑法)

Soul-Stealing Evil Spirit Technique (夺命邪魂神功)

Heavenly King Heart Protection Technique (天王护心功)

Iron Flower Body Protection Technique (铁彩护身诀)

Seeing the manuals, my eyes widened, and Wiji Yan extended her hand to check them.

For a moment, I felt a greedy desire, but since these items were related to Yungah, it was best to follow Wiji Yan’s advice and hand them over.

‘In the martial world, swords have no eyes, and treasures have no owners.’

I recalled Wiji Yan’s words from earlier. The thought of being woken up by Yungah’s experts demanding, “Give us our family’s manuals!” was terrifying.

Giving up what needs to be given up is the way to a long life.

Seeing me shake off the temptation, Wiji Yan smiled slightly.

* * *

We gathered the items we had chosen and moved to a new location.

It was... really cold. The temperature was low, and the presence of so many bodies made both my body and mind feel cold.

After gathering the discarded firewood and making a bonfire, my body finally warmed up. Searching through the load, I found some meat and roasted it, filling the cave with the savory smell of pork fat.

Wiji Yan, who had been reading the manuals one by one, finished her long reading and put down the last manual, saying,

“These seem unrelated to Yungah. They were probably obtained by Seon Junsup during his crimes or for research.”

“That’s a relief.”

So, these manuals shouldn’t cause any trouble if I take them.

Eating alone would be too much. I spread out the four manuals and said,

“Let’s split them. Choose one each in the order you want.”

Splitting them equally is the most honest way to share.

However, Wiji Yan smiled and said it was fine.

“I’m content with the martial arts I’ve learned from my family. It’s best if you take them, Cheng Biao.”

...Family.

“Um... I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What exactly is the relationship between you and Pang Xiao?”

“Huh?”

“From what I can tell, you seem to come from a family of some standing... not just a simple bodyguard.”

In martial arts novels, the Wiji family often appears. It’s not as popular now, but that’s what I inferred.

Wiji Yan answered in a low voice,

“Friends. For now...”

“Friends, for now?”

“It’s a long story.”

The bonfire crackled. Wiji Yan looked at the dancing flames, her expression thoughtful and somewhat sad.

Feeling the somber atmosphere, I said without thinking,

“Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s just not a very pleasant story.”

“...”

An uncomfortable silence fell.

Not liking awkward silences, I started my story.

“Speaking of friends...”

“...?”

“It’s an old story. I had a friend I knew for a very long time.”

His name was Guangjun.

“One day, this friend asked to borrow money. He wasn’t the type to ask for such things... Friends don’t do business, but how can you refuse a friend? So, I scraped together and lent it to him.”

It was a million yuan.

To us, it was a huge amount of money.

For both of us.

“From then on, things felt a bit awkward. We had known each other for over ten years, but I started to act more harshly towards him, and he became more submissive towards me.”

“For example?”

“If he was late for a meeting, I’d think, ‘I lent him money, so he can be a bit late!’ Even though I usually couldn’t stand such things, I didn’t scold him. Everything was like that. Naturally, things became awkward, and we met less often.”

“What happened then?”

“After a couple of months, when he paid back the money, the awkwardness ended, and we returned to how we used to be.”

Later, I found out he had used the money as a gift for his brother’s wedding, who had raised him after his parents passed away when he was young.

If he had just asked, I would have given it to him. He was a sentimental and caring guy.

“He told me after he paid it back that the debt made things awkward. He said that in a friendship, a debt can make things incredibly awkward.”

“...”

“I think that’s true. That’s why I decided not to owe debts, at least not among friends.”

“...That’s a good story.”

I offered her a skewer of roasted meat. Wiji Yan took it silently and nibbled on it.

After eating the meat in silence for a while, our silence was broken by Wiji Yan’s story, which started without much structure.

“Do you think friends shouldn’t owe each other debts?”

“They can’t avoid owing each other, but I think it’s purest when there are no debts.”

In life, friends often owe each other, not just money.

Buying a meal can create a debt, and visiting someone in the military can create a debt. If they came to visit, you feel you should visit them too, a kind of emotional debt.

People are social beings, so such debts are inevitable.

We all carry a bit of such debt with each other.

But debts can be obstacles. When they are small, it’s fine, but when they grow, they can interfere with relationships.

That’s why I think debts should be settled promptly, whenever possible.

“...Our family used to be a well-known martial arts family in Hebei.”

I listened intently without responding.