Chapter 173 : Pack of Wolves

Whiiiish...Lee Seowon’s Straight Saber wavered limply in the air. It was a destructive saber art that made anyone watching feel utterly drained.

“This, for now, what matters is swinging it every day. Fortunately, your inner cultivation method develops faster than most, so if you keep at it, it will work out.”

Jin Seong-un said this after lightly pressing Seowon’s wrist to observe his inner state.

His saber art showed no progress, but the dantian, which had been no bigger than a bean at first, had already grown to the size of a jujube in just a single day.

Lee Seowon nodded.

Though it was frustrating that he could not swing his saber with style, simply having inner energy within his body brought about a number of positive effects.

‘So the world was moving so busily all along.’

Since he had begun learning inner cultivation, the scenery around him had started to come into focus.

Of course, it was not that his senses had suddenly sharpened due to a bit of inner energy.

For Seowon, staying up nights without sleep was routine, and skipping meals was nothing unusual. Naturally, his body and mind had always been drained.

His daily life had been so exhausting that he had no energy left to even glance at his surroundings.

But inner energy breathed a faint vitality into his entire body, allowing him to take in sights he had never noticed before.

“Anyway. It’s about time we begin flood restoration. I’ve already spoken before the people, and it’s true that many have suffered damage.”

The plan was to raise the reputation of Guest Dragon and Seong-un Inn, ensuring that the Myriad Gold Manor would not dare touch them for the time being.

The most crucial step was supporting the flood recovery.

Since the disaster had occurred through the malice of Geumun Trading Company—specifically Ha Joo-yeon—Seong-un Inn, though a victim itself, taking the lead in relief would surely move many hearts.

Above all, Jin Seong-un also genuinely felt a slight sense of responsibility.

After all, the only reason Ha Joo-yeon had gone so far was because attacking Jin Seong-un and Seong-un Inn directly had been too risky.

“Let us head to Gamri Prefecture first. They say the damage there is the worst. Ha Joo-yeon opening the sluice gates was one cause, but days of heavy rain have also completely overflowed the river.”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

Just as the two finished preparing to leave the inn, Seomun Ak and Seo Yu-gyeom also appeared, fully geared and tagging along.

“……Why are the two masters coming?”

“Since I’ve overcome my wall, I need to move a bit. No matter how much I am one of the Three Great Chefs of the World, at my core I’m still a martial artist, so I need a chance to melt that realization into myself.”

Recently, Seo Yu-gyeom had been constantly boasting of being one of the “Three Great Chefs of the World.”

Since he had indeed taken third place in a contest where many of the world’s renowned chefs had competed, it was not entirely false.

Still, every time Seomun Ak heard it, something in his stomach twisted.

So he declared,

“As one of the Two Great Inn Waiters of the World, it’s the same for me.”

“……”

Jin Seong-un looked at the two with a dumbfounded expression. If all of them left together, then what would become of the business?

While he was worrying, a voice called from the kitchen.

“It should be fine for a while, so go with ease.”

It was Han Seong-chun. Perhaps because the Bonhwaseo had greatly increased thanks to Lee Seowon’s suggestion, Han Seong-chun had been in excellent spirits lately.

The contest had ended, and with large and small matters recently settled, Yichang had mostly returned to its original state.

In other words, Han Seong-chun and Jang Gwang were more than enough to handle things.

Thus, Han Seong-chun had unwittingly cut off Jin Seong-un’s retreat, and Seo Yu-gyeom and Seomun Ak now looked all the more triumphant.

With no grounds left to oppose, Jin Seong-un finally nodded.

“Let’s go.”

And so the four of them set off together toward Gamri Prefecture. Somehow, all three besides Jin Seong-un seemed in unusually high spirits.

But the closer they drew to Gamri Prefecture, the more those bright expressions faded.

Even Seo Yu-gyeom and Seomun Ak, who constantly bickered with their mouths and fists, had fallen silent with grim faces.

For the situation was far worse than they had imagined.

“Ah, over there…!”

When Lee Seowon pointed to the swollen river, the other three had already leapt toward it.

A donkey was being swept away in the muddy torrent.

Once they pulled it out, they found a saddle frame strapped on its back, designed for carrying cargo.

“No person?”

Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak looked around. They had once before rescued both people and horses being swept away.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, no person was to be seen this time.

The donkey stood trembling in place until Jin Seong-un gently released a trace of Women’s Moon Qi, which finally calmed it enough to leave.

The party resumed walking.

When they entered Gamri Prefecture, where the situation was said to be the worst, the sight was truly devastating.

The fields, of course, were completely submerged.

Considering that this was just before the harvest season, the losses for the common folk were enormous.

What was worse, since the houses and storage sheds in the small villages had not been built sturdy, many had simply been swept away.

Lee Seowon sighed quietly and spoke.

“The harvest is gone, and even after the waters recede, everything will be mud. The autumn sowing in October will also suffer great setbacks.”

It was no trivial matter.

For most commoners who lived hand to mouth, hunger would linger for some time.

Surely some would die of starvation, and disasters always gave rise to malice.

When the world fell into disorder, law and order weakened. Packs of wolves from all over were bound to circle around, looking for scraps to snatch.

Indeed, as the group walked on while glancing around, the villagers eyed the four of them with heavy suspicion.

Lee Seowon continued his explanation.

“When a flood comes, plague often follows. And I’ve heard that sometimes the plagues in human bodies even become materials for martial artists who train in Poison Arts.”

He had only given an example, but it was enough to realize how many in this world thrived on the misfortune of others.

How long had they walked through the village when—

“Oh, isn’t that Seong-un?”

An old man, gaunt with hair white as snow, recognized Jin Seong-un’s group and called out.

Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak widened their eyes at the sight of the elder.

“Divine Physician Elder, what brings you here?”

“Why else? A physician comes to heal the sick.”

It was Shin Ui (Divine Physician), famed as the greatest physician under Heaven.

True to a man who always roamed the world in search of patients, he had come to Gamri Prefecture to treat the plagues caused by the flood.

Compared to ordinary folk—indeed, compared even to most physicians, who shrank back and shook their heads at the mere mention of plague—his alias of “Divine Physician” was anything but undeserved.

As Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak all gazed at him with respect, Lee Seowon’s eyes in particular sparkled like stars.

Having studied all manner of knowledge, Seowon understood better than the others how profound medicine was, and to what heights Shin Ui’s skills had reached.

“And that one? I’ve not seen him before. Is he a patient?”

In his rough, booming tone, Shin Ui asked about Seowon, who appeared pale and frail enough to pass for an invalid.

Seowon bowed politely and replied.

“I am Lee Seowon, now steward of Seong-un Inn. It is an honor to meet Divine Physician Elder.”

“Honor, my ass. Anyway, you’ve all come at the right time.”

When he said this, Jin Seong-un stepped forward and asked,

“Is there something we can do to help?”

“Yeah. Go stomp around the village, make some noise. That good-for-nothing rascal from the Seomun Clan should be good at that.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m saying a bunch of bastards are prowling about, thinking this is their chance.”

“Ah.”

Jin Seong-un immediately understood.

As expected, vermin had gathered to exploit misfortune—some petty thieves taking advantage of the chaos, and in worse cases, scoundrels coaxing starving families to sell off their daughters and sons to vile places.

With a dismissive wave, Shin Ui turned back to stick more needles into another patient’s body, leaving the rest for them to handle.

So the group decided to circle through the village just as he had suggested.

.

.

.

“Hey, doesn’t a Peak Master’s body resist blades?”

“And what’s a fist-user whining about blades for?”

As always, Seomun Ak and Seo Yu-gyeom quarreled.

Since Seo Yu-gyeom had advanced to Peak Master level, the two had an unspoken rule.

They would never use inner energy, fighting only with techniques.

It was their compromise, meant to avoid crossing the line and truly hurting one another.

But in the eyes of onlookers, it was nothing more than a dogfight.

A rather fierce one, at that.

Seo Yu-gyeom and Seomun Ak brawled their way through the village. Of course, this time, they were only putting on an act with a clear purpose.

As Shin Ui had said, several shady figures lurking at the village edge flinched at the commotion and slunk away.

Jin Seong-un committed each of their faces to memory.

“That will do. They’ve withdrawn, so you can sto—”

He stopped mid-sentence, staring at the two.

By now, there was real force in their punches, no longer just an act.

That was how fights between close friends often went.

A few playful exchanges, then one lost his temper, fists grew heavy, and before long, it turned into a real scuffle.

Lee Seowon sidled up to Jin Seong-un and murmured,

“Oh, their acting is rather convincing.”

At that very moment, the two men rolled across the ground, locked in an undignified grapple.

In an instant, they were covered head to toe in mud, and unfortunately, both bore a few scratches across their faces.

Rising to their feet, they glared at each other, breathing hard.

Such was the clash between a Peak Master from a noble clan and a Peak-level assassin turned master.

“……”

Jin Seong-un rubbed his forehead as if stricken with a headache.

Still, results were results. Better to accept what worked.

It was then—

“I don’t want to go to the market.”

“Why? Didn’t they say they’d buy us candied fruit?”

The sudden voices of children drifted over.

Feigning distraction while quietly extending his senses, Jin Seong-un listened closely.

“They said that, but some kids never came back.”

“They must’ve gone to play somewhere. Or gone to work in another village…”

“You idiot. They were sold off. Since there’s no food, the grown-ups sell kids to rich families to cut down mouths to feed.”

“Rich families? Isn’t that good?”

“What’s good about it? You’ll never see your parents again, and you’ll work until you die.”

A silence fell among the children.

Someone kicked a stone; it splashed in the mud before sinking into a puddle.

The children could only watch with bleak expressions.

Not just Jin Seong-un, but even Seo Yu-gyeom and Seomun Ak had become focused on their words.

Drawing close, Seo Yu-gyeom murmured low to Jin Seong-un.

“Seems some truly rotten bastards have latched onto this village.”