Chapter 26: Learning Martial Arts (1)

I almost covered a week's distance in just four days, occasionally camping along the way. Even I found the speed truly unbelievable.

Of course, it wasn't just because I ran hard.

No matter how well I knew the map, without the markers left by Baek Ryeong-hwa, I wouldn't have been able to come down this quickly.

"There's a marker here."

Courier companies create secret signs to recognize each other in case they get scattered during an accident while on the road. These were the very markers I learned first when I joined Baekun Courier Company.

The sign made by twisting a branch three times indicated the date, direction, and situation. It meant "yesterday's date, straight ahead, bad," which, when interpreted, meant that the marker was left yesterday, we should go straight from here, and the situation of my companion was bad.

"It seems Chief Baek passed through here yesterday... It looks like Miss Pang's condition is not good."

"Is Guiren okay...?"

"For now, she's fine."

It wasn't a "termination" situation, so that was a relief.

"Still, we need to get down as soon as possible. Let's hurry."

In any case, I could only rest after meeting Baek Ryeong-hwa. It was tough, but I urged my heavy feet to move, and soon a large village came into view.

It was Manning County, a place I had visited before when doing zhangzi embroidery. After asking around, I found the largest doctor in the county, and there was Baek Ryeong-hwa.

As soon as she saw us, Baek Ryeong-hwa shed tears.

"You're both safe."

"It's a relief to see you, Chief. Where is Miss Pang?"

Baek Ryeong-hwa pointed with a trembling finger. There, Pang Guiren lay pale and lifeless.

"Her pulse has been very weak since yesterday. The doctor said it's difficult to detoxify..."

Fortunately, it wasn't too late. I took out the antidote from my pocket.

"What is this...?"

"It's expensive."

After hurriedly giving her the antidote, I explained what had happened. When I finished, Baek Ryeong-hwa, with tears in her eyes, smiled in relief.

"If it weren't for you, Mr. Seong, Guiren wouldn't have survived."

Fortunately, after giving her the entire dose, Pang Guiren's pulse quickly returned to normal. The doctor, who came to check her pulse again, confirmed that she was now out of danger, and only then did the tension in my body ease.

"Meeting you, Mr. Seong, was my greatest fortune."

"You flatter me."

Baek Ryeong-hwa, still with tears in her eyes, praised me with a radiant smile.

The long and arduous bandit extermination was finally over. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

***

About a week after arriving in Manning County, as Pang Guiren's condition improved, Baek Ryeong-hwa called me over and said,

"Mr. Seong. We'll return to the branch tomorrow."

"Understood. I'll look into a carriage."

It might seem odd for a martial artist to use a carriage, but Pang Guiren and Wei Zhiyan were in a state where even walking was difficult.

It took Pang Guiren two full days to regain consciousness after taking the antidote. The doctor explained that it was because some time had passed between her poisoning and taking the antidote, and she needed to rest and practice qigong for a while.

At least she was young, so it didn't get any worse than this.

Additionally, Wei Zhiyan collapsed shortly after arriving in Manning County and couldn't get out of bed for several days.

The doctor said that even though the poison was expelled, the toxic energy had caused internal injuries.

The doctor's words that they could have lost their vital energy made Baek Ryeong-hwa sigh in relief for a long time.

The amount of poison wasn't much, and martial artists, who practice internal cultivation, are less likely to lose their vital energy compared to ordinary people. Yet, it showed how deadly Yan Junseop's zombie poison was.

From the perspective of Baekun Courier Company, the situation would have been serious. In a way, I had saved three lives.

"By the way, what will you do with Yan Junseop's body?"

Yan Junseop's body was still in that cold cave, along with the secret manual of the Yan family's zombie technique.

"We need to clean it up. I've already sent a message to the Yan family. We will dispose of the body with their presence."

I wondered why their presence was necessary, but Baek Ryeong-hwa said that this was the best way to avoid unnecessary disputes.

"Still, this incident made me rethink zombies."

"Really?"

"A zombie that can walk in the sunlight, truly remarkable. Moreover, it was very sturdy."

Is that remarkable?

Of course, the fact that a zombie can walk in the sunlight is quite remarkable, considering that until now, zombies in the martial world were useless during the day.

Certainly, there were other issues like the difficulty in precise control and the dignity of the dead, but the biggest weakness of zombies was the time constraint.

There have been many major battles in the martial world, but zombies have never played a significant role, precisely because they couldn't operate in the sunlight.

Being unable to act in the sunlight means giving up all the initiative in war, such as the location and timing of the battlefield, to the enemy.

Many zombie masters have tried to solve this problem, but none have succeeded.

Yan Junseop, who solved it through his own research, was indeed a formidable opponent...

But more than that, the sturdiness and the presence of poison seemed more powerful.

However, Baek Ryeong-hwa's way of thinking surpassed mine.

"If we could mass-produce such zombies, we could drastically reduce the courier company's labor costs."

"..."

"Think about it. They don't eat, don't sleep, don't get paid, and can move goods 24 hours a day..."

Baek Ryeong-hwa's expression became dreamy.

I couldn't bear to watch and left the room.

I hoped that couriers wouldn't lose their jobs to zombies.

***

After the long bandit extermination, when we returned to the branch in Meiyang County, chaos ensued. Thanks to the message sent by Baek Ryeong-hwa, the news had already spread.

Because this was such a big deal, I had to write a report as soon as I arrived, without even having time to rest.

"This is the full account of what happened."

"Indeed. Well done."

Chief Kang took the report and read it carefully. I wondered if I could leave, but Chief Kang spoke.

"Remarkable. According to this report, it was thanks to your ingenuity that Chief and his team overcame the crisis."

"It was just good luck."

"No, it wasn't. Hmm... By the way, this report is really concise and easy to read."

Chief Kang nodded repeatedly as he read the report. The report I submitted summarized the overview, details, and follow-up measures of the incident in a concise and straightforward manner, with detailed information attached as an appendix.

If there had been a template, it would have taken only two hours, but it took me a whole day without one. I need to create a template for the future.

"Good. I've decided. I'll include this report in the additional report to headquarters."

"Really?"

"Yes."

After finishing the report, Chief Kang said this. It was a significant point, as sending a new courier's report to headquarters could be risky.

It meant that my report left a strong impression.

"A well-written report like this is sufficient. And if the content is true, there will be a review for rewards from headquarters soon."

"Rewards? That sounds promising. What kind of reward will it be?"

"Who knows? It's unprecedented for a new courier to achieve such a feat."

I scratched my head, feeling a bit embarrassed. The evaluation from the top is crucial for promotions. In that sense, I was in a very advantageous position, as I had been observed by Baek Ryeong-hwa, a member of the founding family.

"By the way, if you have any requests, let me know. We can't just let this go. If it's something the branch can do, we'll do it."

"Anything is fine?"

"Not anything, but what's possible."

Then I had something in mind.

"In that case, can you give me a long vacation?"

I needed time to practice the martial arts I had obtained.

***

"It's been a while."

"Oh? Senior. It's been a while. Are you feeling better?"

"I'm not fully recovered, but I can move around a bit."

After greeting Chief Kang and leaving the main hall, I met Senior Zuo Junping. He looked a bit unwell, but he downplayed it.

"Still, wouldn't it be better to rest for another month?"

"I can't. The courier business will soon return to normal."

"That makes sense."

Indeed, he was one of the few intermediate couriers in this branch. When the regular courier business returns to normal, he would be an essential part of the team. He couldn't just lie around.

"By the way, I heard you achieved a great feat?"

"Yes."

"If I'm well enough, can you tell me the details?"

I explained the events, adding various reactions, and Senior Zuo Junping exclaimed in admiration.

"If that's true, it was a great feat. Not just Chief Baek, but the entire courier company was in danger."

"It was just good luck."

"Good luck is the best, isn't it?"

After all, there's a saying that even the best skills are useless without luck.

"People in this line of work don't like working with those who have no luck."

Senior Zuo Junping's words were true. Couriers are very superstitious. For example, they never wash their faces on the way back from a courier mission. It's a common belief in dangerous professions.

"Are you going home today?"

"Yes. I've taken a month off."

I requested a month-long vacation when Chief Kang asked for my wishes, as I wanted to practice the martial arts I had obtained.

Of course, it was a paid vacation.

"A month, huh?"

"I want to practice the martial arts thoroughly."

"Martial arts... I see. It seems you're at that stage."

"Really?"

Senior Zuo Junping smiled faintly.

"New couriers always get the martial arts bug after their first mission."

"Is that so?"

"The first mission for new couriers always involves an accident. After experiencing that, they suddenly start practicing martial arts."

"Did you do that, Senior?"

"Of course. I thought I was going to die. In my time..."

I decided to cut the conversation short as it was getting too long.

"By the way, did you memorize the four characters I taught you?"

"Oh, right. Chief called me... I'll take my leave first."

Senior Zuo Junping hurriedly left. I watched his back for a moment, then left, thinking about where to sell scrap metal.

***

When I returned to the shack, I unpacked my luggage first and moved everything to Longmen Inn near the courier company. I wanted to focus solely on practice.

If I stayed in the shack, I would be distracted by daily chores like cooking, washing, and cleaning, which would hinder my practice.

It was more reasonable to stay at an inn where I could delegate all unnecessary tasks, including meals. Besides, I had plenty of money left from the bandit extermination, so it wasn't a waste.

Now, I was in a situation where I could focus solely on practice...

But there was a problem.

"I don't understand anything!"

It was difficult. Too difficult.

It made me wonder if all martial artists were geniuses.

As Wei Zhiyan had said, secret manuals are intentionally made difficult for outsiders to understand.

This wasn't even the original version but a commentary version with explanations.

Moreover, it was a version that Yan Junseop, a martial arts expert and master of zombie techniques, had personally interpreted.

Despite this, it was so difficult that I couldn't understand it at all.

"I can't understand it at all."

I tried to practice the Tianwang Housheng Gong, which Wei Zhiyan had said was a good cultivation method, but it was extremely difficult. I couldn't figure out how to control the flow of qi.

When I practiced the Sanzai Heart Method, the flow of qi was simple, and I only needed to know a few acupoints. I learned them by walking around the medical hall. However, the Tianwang Housheng Gong involved dozens of meridians.

Seeing names like Guangchao and Rendang, I wondered if they were acupoints, spices, or if I was misinterpreting them. I felt suffocated.

I struggled with the first page all morning and finally put the manual down, lying on the inn bed. The characters wouldn't even register in my mind.

"Every day is money..."

But to be stuck on the first page on the first day...

Should I give up, return the vacation, and go back to work at the courier company?

"No. I can't do that."

I shook my head and cleared my mind. No matter what, I couldn't do that.

"At the very least, I need to master the Tiecai Housheng Jue."

I gathered my will and opened the manual for the Tiecai Housheng Jue, determined to practice.