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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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‘What should I do?’
He could simply ignore them.
He had no particular obligation to the Peng Family.
He’d only approached out of basic human decency, unable to leave someone injured.
If they refused his help, he wouldn’t force it.
‘If they’d drawn their swords, it would be a different story.’
But, the three Peng Family martial artists who’d arrived later were merely blocking his path.
They held their hands on the hilts of their sabers, ready to draw, but it was just a warning.
As Namgung-Woo was about to step back, demonstrating he meant no harm, Peng Mu-ho spoke.
“Stand down. He’s not someone you can handle.”
“What?”
“Vice Commander, what do you…?”
Peng Wei and Peng Sa-beon, the two Peng Family martial artists, stared at him in shock.
Peng Mu-ho was renowned for his strength, considered the fifth strongest within the Peng Family and a master of the Peak Realm.
For him to address this young man, barely in his twenties, with such respect… it was enough to turn the Hebei martial world on its head.
But the third martial artist, Peng Wu-chaek, nodded grimly, as if he was confirming his suspicions.
“Vice Commander… was that Qi just now…?”
“Yes. It wasn’t me.”
The Peng Family martial artists had sensed the powerful bursts of Qi from the battle between Namgung-Woo and the Form Snatching Wraith.
That was why they’d hurried ahead, leaving the other martial artists behind.
But they’d mistakenly attributed the Qi to Peng Mu-ho.
Namgung-Woo had channeled his energy with almost perfect efficiency, minimizing any leakage.
The faint ripples of Qi they’d sensed were hardly enough to gauge his true strength.
It was like trying to judge an elephant by touching its tail.
Unaware of this, the Peng Family martial artists naturally assumed their Vice Commander had been fighting at full strength.
And the newcomer’s youth only deepened their misunderstanding.
People tended to operate within the confines of their own understanding.
It was easier to believe that the seasoned master, Peng Mu-ho, had unleashed his full power than to accept the idea of a young man in his twenties being a Transcendent Realm master.
“Even so…”
“He’s a Transcendent Realm master.”
Peng Mu-ho cut them off, his voice firm.
“I saw it myself.”
What more proof did they need?
His words transformed the way the Peng Family martial artists looked at Namgung-Woo.
“Barely past twenty…”
“The Vice Commander’s word is law.”
They lowered their guard.
After entrusting the unconscious Peng Ha-ryeong to the three martial artists, Peng Mu-ho moved with great difficulty, as his body was covered in wounds.
He bowed deeply, not with a martial arts salute, but with a respectful bow befitting an elder greeting a superior.
“Please forgive our rudeness, fellow martial artist. No, given your prowess, I should address you as Grand Master.”
Namgung-Woo was still unaccustomed to such deference from older individuals.
In the martial world, age was a factor, but it came after lineage and strength. His mindset was closer to that of a modern man than a Jianghu warrior.
“There’s no need for apologies. And Grand Master is a bit much.”
“As you wish. I owe you my life. I won’t forget this debt. If you ever visit the Peng Family and mention my name, you’ll be treated as an honored guest.”
Namgung-Woo smiled awkwardly.
First Song Chae-ji, and now Peng Mu-ho.
Perhaps this was the custom among righteous martial artists.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, he changed the subject, noting Peng Mu-ho’s injuries.
“By the way, are you alright? You seem to have suffered severe internal injuries.”
“Heh… Your skills are remarkable. But I’m fine. People in my family are born with strong bodies, and this level of injury is nothing to us. It’s just…”
Worry and regret clouded Peng Mu-ho’s face.
He hung his head but his despair was evident.
“What happened?”
Namgung-Woo had pieced together the events leading up to his arrival from the lingering Qi, but it was just conjecture.
Peng Mu-ho couldn’t bring himself to answer.
“Forgive me, benefactor, but we don’t have time for explanations. We must return to the main house immediately.”
He was desperate to leave, but he forced himself to remain courteous to his savior.
He was consumed by guilt. This was his fault. He’d been too focused on the Red rank designation and the danger of the Wraiths.
While Peng Ha-ryeong, as a direct descendant of the Peng Family, outranked him, he, as the more experienced martial artist, should have made a more prudent decision.
No one had expected a Form Snatching Wraith. But Peng Ha-ryeong, seeing it with her own eyes, had chosen to fight. She’d believed she could defeat one.
But there were two. They’d realized their mistake too late. His distraction had left them both vulnerable to the Wraith’s self-destruction.
If not for the Peng Family’s natural resilience and their generations-refined protective Qi cultivation technique, Peng Ha-ryeong would already be dead.
‘But at this rate… it’s only a matter of time.’
Despite his lingering fatigue, Namgung-Woo used his Ever-Clear Vision to examine them both, his gaze piercing through their bodies like a hawk surveying its prey.
“May I take a look?”
“You… want to examine her?”
“You’re aware of the severity of her condition. Most physicians wouldn’t even attempt to treat her. Do you have another plan?”
“…No. You’re right. We applied some emergency medicine and were planning to return to the main house as quickly as possible.”
They’d sent a message to the main house via carrier pigeon.
If they met halfway between Wuan County and Tianjin, where the Peng Family resided, they could rendezvous within two or three days.
With the medicine and his own innate True Qi, he believed he could sustain her until then…no, that was what he forced himself to believe.
But Namgung-Woo disagreed.
‘She won’t even last the day.’
She’d been unlucky. If she’d had even half her usual True Qi, she might have been able to mitigate the damage. But she’d been nearly depleted.
He didn’t know how much True Qi she normally possessed, but he knew this: without intervention, she would be completely consumed by the demonic Qi.
He could deduce her actions during the explosion just by looking at her.
‘She tried to block it with her right hand. Faster than drawing her saber. The Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, and the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian are tainted with demonic Qi. They’ll need to be severed to prolong her life. Is Peng Mu-ho prepared to do that?’
The three meridians he’d identified all ran through her right arm.
Amputating her right arm, regardless of whether she was right- or left-handed, would destroy her balance, effectively ending her life as a martial artist.
Peng Mu-ho knew this. Any martial artist with decades of experience understood basic medical principles, even without formal training.
He knew that severing her right arm, the most affected limb, and using his own True Qi to purge the demonic Qi from her vital organs was the best course of action.
But he still couldn’t understand.
Why was this young man so willing to help?
It was a ludicrous question, given their desperate situation, but a valid one nonetheless.
He was already their savior. If he hadn’t intervened, they would both be dead.
He’d saved their lives. Did he expect to become a Peng Family son-in-law as a reward? Surely, the Peng Family’s reputation wasn’t enough.
A Transcendent Realm master at his age… he could have his pick of any family, even the Xuanyuan Family, far more powerful than the Pengs.
If he desired power, he could even join the Imperial Court.
With his talent, he could easily become the Martial Overseer, the leader of the Imperial Court’s martial forces.
So why bother helping Peng Ha-ryeong, risking contamination from the Form Snatching Wraith’s demonic Qi?
‘Is it arrogance? Or ignorance?’
Perhaps he believed he was invincible, a young Transcendent Realm master who could do anything. He was mistaken.
While his control of internal energy might be superior, transferring True Qi to someone with a different cultivation method was dangerous, even for a Transcendent Realm master.
Perhaps he didn’t understand the risks. Young people often underestimated dangers they hadn’t experienced firsthand.
And transferring True Qi to someone afflicted with demonic Qi from a Form Snatching Wraith was far more perilous than a typical transfer.
If it was arrogance, it was a problem.
But if it was ignorance, he had a duty to protect his savior.
Though his thoughts raced, the exchange between him and Namgung-Woo was brief.
And Namgung-Woo’s answer dispelled all his worries and anxieties.
“Just because I can.”
That was his honest answer.
He’d received an apology for the Peng Family’s initial hostility.
And Peng Ha-ryeong had been injured while protecting others.
If she’d been a villain, he wouldn’t have intervened.
But she’d acted out of righteousness. And that moved him.
More importantly…
…he had the power to help.
That was all there was to it.
His sincerity resonated in his voice.
He wasn’t expecting a reward.
He simply knew he could help, so he would.
There was no arrogance in his tone, only quiet confidence, reassuring them that there was nothing to worry about.
“If…”
Peng Mu-ho couldn’t refuse this lifeline.
“If you can heal Ha-ryeong… or even just improve her condition…”
Peng Mu-ho’s knees hit the ground. This was the same hero who had once dominated the martial world of Hebei and the Vice Commander of the Northern Sky Division, the Peng Family’s elite fighting force.
“I, Peng Mu-ho, swear to fulfill three requests of yours, even if it costs me my life.”
He owed him his life and Peng Ha-ryeong’s, that was two.
And now, for healing Peng Ha-ryeong, one more.
Three in total.
It was a solemn vow, a testament to his desperation. But Namgung-Woo’s reaction was surprisingly nonchalant.
‘Really…?’
‘But he is weaker than me…’
‘I just want to examine her condition…’
Fortunately, he had the common sense and self-control to keep his thoughts to himself.
“Then let’s see.”
Brushing aside Peng Mu-ho’s vow, he approached Peng Ha-ryeong.
But the objection came from an unexpected source.
While even the Peng Family martial artists remained silent, respecting the conversation between Namgung-Woo and Peng Mu-ho, two voices rose in protest.
“Fellow martial artist, don’t do it!”
“Little brother, think again!”
It was the Yang brothers.
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