noveltune Chapter 156:
Chapter 156:
Chapter 156:
Intelligent Strategist
After driving the carriage and occasionally providing physical and mental education to the bandits along the way, they finally reached Haju-hyeon.
Perhaps due to the dangerous nature of the area, many locals eyed the sudden appearance of outsiders with wary glances.
However, Mu-jin was unperturbed and approached an elderly man nearby, pulling out ten coins from his sleeve and offering them as he spoke.
“Excuse me, sir. May I ask you something?”
“Hmm. If it’s something I know, I will tell you.”
“Do you happen to know about So Cheongmun?”
“Of course I do!”
The mention of So Cheongmun lit up the elderly man’s face, even as he accepted the coins with an uneasy expression.
“Ha ha ha. Now I see, you’re looking for So Cheongmun.”
“Yes. Could you tell me its location?”
At Mu-jin’s question, the elderly man gladly provided the location of So Cheongmun.
When Mu-jin returned with the location, Mu-gung asked with a curious expression.
“Why is the old man so happy?”
“That’s because So Cheongmun is one of the rare orthodox factions in this region.”
“There’s an orthodox faction here?”
“There are very few, but it’s not like they don’t exist at all. In remote areas where there are no large demonic sects, occasionally a few such factions are hidden.”
“Operating as an orthodox faction in such a place. That’s impressive.”
“It is indeed. It’s not just an ordinary faction; they sometimes travel to other regions to take in and raise orphaned children.”
In an area almost akin to a lawless zone under the dominion of demonic sects, countless orphans inevitably appeared every year. So Cheongmun was like a modern orphanage or childcare facility that took care of such children.
And the person Mu-jin was looking for, Baek Ga-hwan, was also supposed to be protected there as an orphan, along with his younger sister.
“Ah! So that’s why you came here. To entrust those children.”
Mu-gyeong exclaimed in admiration, recalling the children and women they had rescued from the Gyerim Black Market.
Mu-jin nodded slightly in response to Mu-gyeong’s reaction and headed towards the location of So Cheongmun with his group.
When Mu-jin knocked on the gate adorned with a plaque reading [So Cheongmun], a young martial artist cautiously opened the door and eyed Mu-jin’s group suspiciously.
“I am Kyung-hwan, a disciple of So Cheongmun. What brings you to our sect?”
“We happened to rescue some children, but with nowhere to send them, we heard about So Cheongmun’s benevolent deeds and came here.”
Mu-jin stepped aside, revealing the women and children in the carriage. Kyung-hwan, the disciple, cautiously opened the gate of So Cheongmun.
“Please come in with the children first. I will guide you to our head.”
As the gate was too narrow for the carriage, Mu-jin’s group alighted and entered So Cheongmun with the women and children.
Once everyone was inside, Kyung-hwan closed the gate, and children began to peep out from the various buildings in the estate.
Despite being wary of the sudden visitors, the children’s faces were filled with curiosity.
“Those are the children being cared for by So Cheongmun.”
“Yes. We wish we could help more children, but our resources are limited, which is unfortunate.”
In response to Kyung-hwan’s modest reply, Mu-jin’s group shook their heads.
They were moved by the heartwarming sight, exchanging glances between the children and Kyung-hwan with shining eyes.
Engaged in friendly conversation with Kyung-hwan, they walked towards the room where the head of the sect was located.
“Cough, cough.”
A faint coughing sound made them turn their heads. They saw a boy in his mid-teens holding a young girl who looked about ten years old.
“Cough.”
On closer inspection, the cough came from the young girl in the boy’s arms.
Mu-jin, watching them intently, asked Kyung-hwan with a concerned expression.
“That child has been frail since birth. We have been giving her medicine, but there has been no improvement.”
Kyung-hwan explained with a regretful tone, prompting Mu-jin to ask hopefully.
“May I know the child’s name?”
“She is called Baek Ga-ryeong.”
Kyung-hwan answered, puzzled by the question. Inside, Mu-jin cheered silently.
‘Found them!’
* * *
**So Cheongmun’s Head’s Office**
Inside, Mu-jin saw a pale girl coughing weakly while Baek Gi-hwan was stoking a fire despite the warm weather.
“Ah. I’m sorry. My sister is very ill. It’s not contagious, so you don’t have to worry.”
Baek Gi-hwan said, noticing Mu-jin and Mu-gung belatedly.
“You can rest comfortably. By the way, we have learned about the body and qi while training martial arts. May we check your sister’s pulse?”
At Mu-jin’s question, Baek Gi-hwan looked at his sister Baek Ga-ryeong, who weakly nodded.
Mu-jin and Mu-gung carefully approached Baek Ga-ryeong, and Mu-jin placed his fingers on her left wrist.
Rather than checking her pulse like a doctor, he lightly sent his internal energy to examine her internal condition.
‘As I thought.’
It didn’t take long for Mu-jin to withdraw his fingers.
“Compared to others, she has a very strong yin energy circulating in her body.”
He couldn’t determine her exact constitution.
Although Mu-jin had studied qi and meridians, he wasn’t as knowledgeable as a physician.
However, it was clear that she had a special constitution, and this unique condition was the starting point of the misfortunes that had befallen her and Baek Gi-hwan.
“...Yes. Others who have checked Ga-ryeong’s pulse have often said the same thing.”
Baek Gi-hwan spoke in a bitter tone. Many had identified the problem, but none had found a solution.
He had heard that she needed to take special medicine filled with extreme yang energy or learn ascending martial arts that handled extreme yang energy, but it was almost impossible for an ordinary person to obtain such elixirs or martial arts.
“But while immediate treatment may not be possible, there is a way to calm her body for a while.”
“What... What is it!?”
Baek Gi-hwan asked urgently, startled by Mu-jin’s words, and Mu-jin turned his head to look at Mu-gung, who was observing the situation.
Naturally, Baek Gi-hwan and Baek Ga-ryeong’s gazes also turned to Mu-gung.
Realizing there was no one else around, Mu-gung pointed to himself with a finger.
“...Me?”
“Yes, you. You need to consistently send a weak flow of yang energy through her entire body.”
“Ah...”
Understanding Mu-jin’s intention, Mu-gung placed his palm on Baek Ga-ryeong’s abdomen.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Surprised by the stronger-than-expected coldness emanating from her body, Mu-gung carefully controlled his internal energy.
Gradually, a slight flush of color began to return to Baek Ga-ryeong’s pale face.
* * *
Meanwhile.
As Mu-jin and Mu-gung were treating Baek Ga-ryeong.
In the yard, Mu-yul and Ling-ling were playing with the children, and the children in their mid-teens were chatting with those rescued by Mu-jin’s party.
“...”
However, for some reason, Cheongsu Dojang, who usually played cheerfully with Mu-yul, stood alone with a dark expression.
Quietly watching Mu-yul and Ling-ling play with the children, Cheongsu Dojang slowly raised his hands and looked at them.
“Hyung, is there something on your hands?”
At that moment, one of the young children from So-cheongmun approached and spoke to Cheongsu Dojang.
“...I was just looking at my hands because they seemed a bit dirty.”
“Heheh. If your hands are dirty, you can wash them! I’ll show you where to wash them!”
At the child’s innocent words, a faint smile appeared on Cheongsu Dojang’s troubled face.
“Hmm. Thank you. By the way, can I know our little friend’s name?”
“My name is Mun-hyuk! Hehe. And hyung, you shouldn’t do that!”
“Shouldn’t do what?”
“When asking someone’s name, you should tell them your name first! It’s manners!”
Cheongsu Dojang laughed at the bold words of the young boy and answered.
“Cheongsu. No, my name is Cha Sun-il.”
Cheongsu Dojang quickly gave a pseudonym, remembering that he needed to conceal his identity.
However, the name Cha Sun-il wasn’t a pre-arranged pseudonym agreed upon with the Muja Quartet.
Because, in reality, it was a pseudonym that wasn’t really a pseudonym.