Chapter 19 Return

Chapter 19: Return

Whoooosh.

The biting north wind felt like it was freezing my flesh.

It was an intense cold, enough to recall my military service in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, deep in winter.

‘Is this the Frozen Hell?’

Left utterly alone in darkness so thick I couldn’t see an inch ahead, curses rose unbidden from my throat.

Damn it.

Even if I’ve been reincarnated into the martial arts world, a frozen hell? That’s ridiculous.

I went to church back in the modern world, so at least my soul should be sent to the Western world’s afterlife.

‘There’s clearly an extradition treaty in place.’

But there was no way out.

All I could do was sit still and wait for King Songje’s judgment.

Hurry up already.

It’s freezing cold.

By the way, what’s a public defender like in hell?

I wish they had abilities like in the movies.

As I sat there waiting, utterly helpless and dazed.

‘Huh?’

I felt the temperature in hell rise slightly.

Looking around at this strange phenomenon, I saw a tiny sun hanging high in the sky.

‘This is a bit more bearable.’

Thanks to that, the cold eased a little, allowing me to move around.

‘But how long do I have to stay here?’

The sun rising didn’t change anything.

Only a bit of the darkness had lifted; there was still nothing I could do.

Sitting there was all I could manage.

Another endless wait began.

***

Had ten days passed?

Boom.

A huge explosion sounded from somewhere.

‘Huh?’

Quickly lifting my head to look, I saw the sun slowly moving, beginning to devour the cold and darkness.

After a moment.

Finally, when the pitch-black darkness vanished and even the cold disappeared.

A huge sun fell like a meteor.

Boom! Whoosh.

‘Damn it!’

The massive light exploded, engulfing me.

***

“Ugh!”

“Are you conscious?”

“Huff, huff. Wh-who…?”

My vision was blurry, so I squinted and looked.

A familiar face appeared.

It was Taecheongjin of the Moksryongdang.

“You, old geezer?”

Thwack!

A thunderbolt-like punch flew at me, and I felt excruciating pain as if my head would split open.

“Gah!”

“Heh heh, looks like you’ve pulled through, judging by your energy.”

“Pulled through? What… Huh?”

Only then did my senses fully return, and I immediately scanned my surroundings.

I hadn’t died.

And for some reason, this place was Nine Dragon City.

“What the hell happened?”

“That kid carried you over the Joint Mountain Range.”

Following the finger of the Great Blue Immortal, I saw the young sweeper lying face down, asleep.

His clothes were torn in places, and his limbs and face were covered in fresh wounds.

“He arrived at the Hanjungbunta in that state and set you down.”

The rest was roughly sketched out.

From Hanzhong Funta, they must have sent me back to my home sect. How they knew, I don’t know, but Taicheng Zhenren used his divine energy to save me.

He was the one with the deepest internal energy in all of the Nine Dragons Sect.

No matter how close the relationship, one must never forget a favor.

Especially if it’s a life-saving favor, it must be engraved on one’s bones.

“I am grateful for the life-saving favor.”

“No need for formalities now.”

“Master Hyeon Geomja taught that even if one receives a single bucket of water, one must repay the kindness with proper etiquette.”

That was the first lesson Master Hyeon Geomja imparted when he brought me to Nine Dragons Fortress.

Recalling the past, Grandmaster Taecheong looked startled and patted my shoulder.

“You haven’t forgotten your senior brother’s teachings. Well done.”

“How could I forget? He’s like a grandfather to me.”

A warm atmosphere enveloped the room.

“Ahem! Ahem! Aaah! Ahem!”

That is, until Grandmaster Taecheong coughed while staring at the donation box.

***

‘Ten taels…’

In modern terms, that was nearly ten million won.

The unexpected large expense made his stomach churn.

“Life-saving favor? My ass…”

The moment treatment ended, they demanded payment. It hit him anew: this was the martial arts world, where the Hippocratic Oath held no sway.

“This place desperately needs health insurance.”

If only that were the case, he might have gotten away with paying just one nang…

Hearing his mutterings, the healer opened his eyes.

“Are you awake?”

“Oh my?! When did you wake up? How are your internal injuries? Can you move your limbs properly?”

“I just woke up. My internal injuries seem fully healed. My limbs are only slightly stiff, but I can move them properly, so there’s no need to worry.”

After answering her rapid-fire questions, Cheongso finally exhaled a sigh.

“Thankfully, it seems there are no lasting effects.”

To think she carried me across the mountain range on her frail body.

I felt immense gratitude toward Cheongso.

“Thank you, Young Master Cheong.”

“Huh? Oh, it’s fine. I ended up like this trying to save you.”

“Still, crossing the mountain range couldn’t have been easy. The proof is all these wounds, isn’t it?”

“This much heals quickly with medicine. Don’t worry.”

Cheongso waved her hand, declining my thanks.

But how could I let that stand?

Regardless of the cause or how it happened, she had saved my life.

“I will never forget this debt.”

“…If you insist, I have one request.”

“Ask anything. As long as it’s not a loan guarantee, I’ll grant it.”

Of course, an interest-free, unsecured loan was also impossible, but the atmosphere made it awkward to elaborate, so he skipped it.

“Tch, stingy. We’ve been through life and death together, and you can’t even cover a measly debt guarantee?”

This is going to be trouble…

“I have a principle: friends don’t do money deals.”

“Friends?”

At the word “friend,” the cleaning shop owner laughed in surprise.

“Hmm… Friends. That sounds nice.”

Then, she pulled a wooden box from her sleeve and showed it to me.

It was the box that had contained the Blue-Red Twin Pills I received from Jik Hwa-ran earlier.

“The Blue-Red Twin Pills.”

“Yes. I used the Red Pill, and the Blue Pill remains.”

“So, the favor you requested…”

“I want what’s left.”

“Selling just the blue one won’t bring in much money, will it?”

The Blue-Red Twin Pills only work when both pills are taken together.

Taking just one won’t bring any benefits—it might even send you to the threshold of the afterlife.

Like me, who drank the bitter elixir and visited the Frozen Hell.

Of course, it’s not completely worthless.

In modern society’s Hongdangmu Market, a single encounter is traded like earbuds—someone who needs it might show up someday.

It’s just that its value has plummeted to the level of a cheap ginseng root.

But the cleaning service seemed to have a different perspective than mine.

“I’m not asking for it to sell. And do you think I’m some money-crazed woman?”

“Well?”

“…It’s because I need to recreate the Seol-eum Elixir. The one in the Bi-dong is like my great-grandfather’s heirloom. I need to refill it before Father finds out.”

“Can you make an elixir like Seol-eum Elixir with Cheongdan?”

Cheonghongssangdan is also an elixir, but it’s a different grade, shall we say?

The Snow Spirit Elixir was a Tier 1 elixir, treated as supremely precious even at the Blue Family Hospital, the world’s finest general hospital.

The Blue-Red Twin Dan, while produced by the top chemical company, Green Dragon Hall, was a Tier 4 elixir developed for mass production.

“Of course not. But we can skip a few steps.”

“I see. Then let’s do it that way. No, wait. I can’t repay you for saving my life with just that. I’ll help make the Snow-Eyes Elixir too.”

“Really?”

“Even if it was urgent, since you ate the Qing Family’s secret formula, helping seems only natural.”

“Thank you! I was at a loss, but having an ally like this is such a relief!”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Then once you’re better, let’s head to Cheonsan.”

“Huh? Why Cheonsan all of a sudden?”

“Why? Because the eternal snow grass that blooms there is the main ingredient! That’s why I’m saying let’s go!”

“But… Cheonsan is the territory of the Ten Demon Clans…”

“Oh, come on! Last time I saw you, you were fighting just fine. What’s the big deal? And like you said, if the Ten Demon Clan’s minions show up, Prince Jin can just beat them to a pulp! Like this, like this!“

Watching the cleaning crew enthusiastically punching the air, he thought.

Talk is cheap.

***

Over the week-long hospital stay, quite a few people came to visit.

”Team Leader, how are you feeling? “

”I’m dying. You lot. And how come you show up empty-handed when your squad leader’s down?“

The Seventeen Squad members came empty-handed, not even bringing fruit, and then gobbled up everything that was here.

”You’ve worked hard. Really, you’ve worked so hard! I’ll discuss with my squad leaders and have you handle the city gate guard duty until next year, so just focus on getting well. ”

“I will serve you faithfully until I die a hundred deaths!”

The undeserved gift that brought me to tears of gratitude.

Buzzing.

“Alright, alright! The patient needs rest, so please step back!”

The outer courtyard family members, who crowded in too much and were restrained and chased away by the physicians of the Medical Hall.

“An emergency mission out of nowhere? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“Did I ask for this? I only did it because I was ordered to.”

“Honestly, seeing you like this makes my heart skip a beat more than once. Please stop worrying everyone around you!”

Jehwa-ran, who had no heart to be swayed, yet still offered all sorts of advice.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“Sorry, sis. I’ll be discharged soon, so don’t worry too much.”

Myohyang arrived, her face streaked with tears.

And then.

“You look better than I expected.”

“……”

Only when Danun, the one he least wanted to see, showed up did the stream of visitors finally stop.

“Get up. Let’s settle this once and for all, as promised.”

Sure enough, the moment he arrived, he tried to collect his debt. It felt like he might fall into demonic possession any second.

“Can’t you see I’m lying here, wheezing and groaning?”

“A true warrior must fight by summoning their willpower, even when their body is weak. You should know that, being from the Ascension Pavilion.”

Yeah. I never learned anything like that.

Who would even preach mental discipline at the Ascension Pavilion, where most students come from privileged families?

“So you insist on defeating an opponent who’s groaning in pain?”

“If you really want it, I’ll give you a few days’ grace. But I have a mission to undertake soon, so I can’t give you much time.”

“I’ll be visiting the Blue Dragon Hall soon, so please just leave.”

“Understood.”

Absolutely not. Not even if you beat me to death.

After sending off that ultimate adversary, two days passed, and I was finally discharged.

The first thing to do was report back.

I should have done it immediately upon returning from my assignment, but the hospitalization delayed it.

“Gu! Ryong! Squad Leader Jin Mujeon, Seventeen Squad, reporting back after completing the mission!”

Swish.

Bukgung Baek waved his hand dismissively, looking annoyed.

“Can’t you just drop that weird slogan?”

“Hehe, isn’t gathering like this what gives the Outer Court warriors a sense of belonging?”

“Doesn’t really seem like it, though…”

This guy clearly doesn’t understand the importance of rituals.

The old saying that men should serve in the military holds not a shred of falsehood.

Of course, before enlisting, I used to think that was utter nonsense.

“Master, here…”

I handed him the silk wrapping containing the Black Lotus Gauntlets I had borrowed from North Palace Baek earlier.

Without even opening it, he replied.

“What is it?”

“It’s the Black Lotus Gauntlets you lent me earlier. I used them well and brought them back to return them. Ah! I washed them thoroughly, so you needn’t worry about hygiene.”

Hearing my answer, Baek-gong Baek blurted out something unexpected.

“I don’t need them. You keep them.”

“Huh?! What do you mean…?”

“Exactly what I said. I no longer need it, so you may use it.”

An unexpected windfall.

The Black Lotus Gauntlets were the pinnacle of this era’s ironworking technology, forged by refining black iron and white lotus steel down to the size of a fingernail and then joining them together.

Though they weren’t made from precious raw materials like celestial iron or cloud iron, and were thus classified as Tier 3 gear, they were by no means something easily obtained anywhere.

Fearing Baek’s mind might change, I quickly bowed my head.

Given his character, he wouldn’t go back on his word, but such an artifact was like a spare life.

When he offered it, sealing the deal was the wisest course.

Since an actual seal wasn’t possible, at least a verbal agreement was necessary.

“This favor! I shall never forget it, engraved in my bones. And the Black Lotus Armor you bestowed, I shall treasure it as a family heirloom, passing it down to the 27th generation.”

“What? No need for such exaggeration. It’s just an external artifact anyway.”

“No! The Lord’s kindness moves me to tears, so much so that I can scarcely look you in the eye.”

He squeezed his eyes shut desperately, forcing his tear ducts to work. After that effort, a single droplet fell toward the floor.

‘I should carry some saltwater with me.’

You never know when you might need it, like now.

It was a mission that taught him many things.