It’s dangerous to take this directly to my danjeon.
He began circulating his internal energy to envelop the poison, much like a great river washing away filth. Though he thought of it as ‘washing away,’ the poison itself was now part of that massive river. It was akin to a vicious water snake, which, once in the river, is inevitably just another part of the ecosystem.
Woooong—
After identifying his opponent, he attempted to embrace it. His complexion, which had been shifting wildly, finally began to stabilize, slowly returning to its original milky-white hue.
If I lose my composure, I die.
An elixir is supposed to make you stronger, so why does it always require risking your life? In the wuxia novels I grew up reading, the protagonist would always swallow an elixir bracing for the possibility that their qi and blood might burst from improper absorption. It was the same in ‘Supreme Heavenly Demon.’ The opportunity to gain immense power was not only rare, but seizing it always required sacrificing a part of oneself.
In a way, it was just like an insect’s metamorphosis: the transition from a poisonous larva to a vulnerable pupa, and finally, the emergence with wings. You have to risk your life to gain wings.
Wasn’t my past life just like that? No different at all. Blinded by greed, countless people aimed for greater heights, sacrificing their fortunes, their families, and their friends, only to fail and end up taking their own lives. Thankfully, here, I only need to put my own life up as collateral.
Jin Cheon-hee gave a bitter smile as he continued to circulate his energy.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he finally let out a soft breath and opened his eyes.
‘Woof! Master, I’m hungry!’
The moment Jin Cheon-hee broke his meditative posture, Hwang-gu rushed over to lick his face.
“Alright, alright.”
‘Woof, Arf! Nobody came while you had your eyes closed, Master.’
That’s what I figured, seeing how well-hidden this place is.
The inner core of the Black-Armored Centipede was as incredible as rumors suggested.
Was that half a gapja? With this, Jin Cheon-hee’s internal energy now amounted to one gapja and forty years—a total of one hundred years.
It was safe to say that throughout the history of the Murim, almost no martial artist had ever accumulated internal energy at such a pace.
Well, except for ‘Little Heavenly Demon.’ He’s the protagonist, so he doesn’t count. Still, if we’re only comparing the sheer quantity of internal energy, I must be a cut above him, right? He was certain that, at this specific moment, his own supply of internal energy was overwhelmingly superior.
He rose to his feet and looked down, taking in the scenery. The area below the mountain was clearly visible.
So this is a terrain that’s invisible from the outside, but offers a clear view of the surroundings from within.
On top of that, it was an excellent location for hunting prey. And, just a short distance down the mountain, there were human settlements, making it easy to hunt people as well. It was indeed a decent place for the Black-Armored Centipede to make its lair.
Without drawing his sword, Jin Cheon-hee channeled the Lightning Art into one hand and the Ice Art into the other. It was the stage just before unleashing a palm wind.
But holding the attacks back without releasing them required an immense level of control. A moment later, with a dull pop, a clumsy palm wind sputtered out. He simply couldn’t control the overflowing internal energy.
“Maybe I should train here for a while before I go.”
Unlike the place where he’d learned the Dual Principles Cultivation Art, this spot was a perfect training ground. Besides, there was still plenty of Black-Armored Centipede meat left, and his animal companions certainly wouldn’t stop until they had devoured every last bit.
***
Jin Cheon-hee stretched his arms wide. “I bet this Black-Armored Centipede meat would make some amazing JjaXguri. I wonder if I can whip up something similar…”
‘Woof? What’s JjaXguri, Master?’
‘Chirp! It must be something incredibly delicious!’
‘Scree! Just one bite! I want a bite, too!’
They were already clamoring for it.
Jin Cheon-hee decided to stay and train until he could get his new internal energy under control. That evening, the menu featured Zhongyuan-style Black-Armored Centipede JjaXguri.
“Hey, you three! I think I might have a talent for cooking!”
They stir-fried the leftovers and mixed them with rice.
***
Time flowed on.
“Did you guys get fatter… or just bigger?”
They had finally managed to eat almost all of the massive Black-Armored Centipede.
He had cut up the Black-Armored Centipede‘s carapace and fashioned it into a huoguo, a Chinese-style hot pot. It was light yet durable, and its high heat conductivity made it the perfect cooking vessel. Jin Cheon-hee strapped the new pot to Hwang-gu’s back.
‘Woof! Master, I want to eat more.’
“I’ll use the leftover jerky to make soup.”
Hwang-gu standing before him was now larger than a wolf. His muscles had certainly grown, but his overall round contours remained, making him look less like a wolf and more like a bear. He was reminiscent of those children’s rides back on Earth—the kind you’d find at a large supermarket, where you insert a coin and it plays music while rocking a child back and forth. He was just about that size, and just that stocky.
He could easily carry a child on his back now. His already stumpy legs, typical of a countryside dog, combined with his big, soulful eyes and chubby cheeks, only enhanced the image.
‘Chirp! Breakfast was delicious today, too!’
“I’m glad the spicy kalguksu suits your palate.”
Noe-jin flapped her wings and landed on Jin Cheon-hee’s head. She’d always been hefty, but she felt even heavier now.
“If you’re going to ride on my head, you need to shrink a bit,” Jin Cheon-hee said. “I need to be able to see the sun, you know.”
‘Chirp! Got it!’
At his word, the Heavenly Thunder Hawk, Noe-jin, twisted with a sharp cracking sound. She was essentially using a spiritual beast’s version of a body-shrinking technique. Noe-jin’s form shrank considerably, and her chicks quickly followed suit.
‘Cheep! Mom, hunting is fun!’
‘Cheep! When’s lunch?’
The chicks had also grown quite a bit. According to Noe-jin, Heavenly Thunder Hawka normally raise their young for several years. Thanks to the Black-Armored Centipede meat, however, they were growing much faster than normal.
Still, that’s what she says. The Heavenly Thunder Hawk population is so small that it’s supposedly a rare event for a male and female to even cross paths.
Finally, Jin Cheon-hee gazed at his reflection in a small spring. The face of the boy was nearly gone, replaced by that of a young man. He was well aware that martial artists matured faster than ordinary people. But after absorbing a hundred years of internal energy, his physical foundation itself had been forced to mature.
“Getting stronger is a good thing, I suppose.”
As for the remaining hard shells of the Black-Armored Centipede, he entrusted them to the nearby Cloud-Dragon Escort Agency branch. It was surprising to find a branch of such a major escort agency in a small village like this.
Next up is the White Immortal Ginseng. There are four more elixirs on the list that Yeo Ha-ryoon’s enemies are supposed to get. My own growth rate has exceeded all expectations, and I have the help of Hwang-gu and Noe-jin. With these factors, the plan has changed. Since things have turned out this way, I’m going to devour every single elixir I can get my hands on.
Ha-ryoon, my boy. Your ‘hyung’ is going to eat every last thing your enemies were supposed to get. I truly am the best older brother. How could such an amazing hyung even exist? Jin Cheon-hee marveled at his own magnanimity.
There was another, more urgent reason.
The Blood Cult was stronger than he’d anticipated. No matter what, there was a high probability they would eventually find his trail. When he thought of Dark Lightning Blood Demon who wasn’t some mid-level manager but an active field executive—he knew he had to get stronger, and fast.
And they’re fanatics who don’t hesitate to self-destruct. Even on modern Earth, there were always zealots willing to strap dynamite to their chests for their faith. This world was no different.
Remembering the madness in Dark Lightning Blood Demon’s eyes as he died, his resolve hardened.
Just… please don’t let them use children. In Africa and the Middle East, it wasn’t uncommon for groups to strap bombs to children and send them into enemy territory. Children were weak and naive. If adults brainwashed them, telling them they’d go to heaven for dying, they believed it. They were terrified of dying, but often, they were more terrified of the abuse they’d suffer if they went back. The Murim was no different. Kidnapping children, brainwashing them, and turning them into tools for a cult was a common tactic. If a child ever appeared and tried to self-destruct in front of him, he wasn’t sure his mentality as a former doctor could withstand the trauma.
Maybe I’m just jumping to conclusions. But what if it actually happens?
The only way to stop it, he concluded, was to become stronger.
As Master always said: power simplifies everything.
The government and the Murim ignored each other. The law was distant, but the sword was near. It was an age of barbarism. Humanity was still wandering through hell.
‘Woof? Master, you’re making a weird face.’
“Hm? Oh, I was just thinking about what I need to do next.”
Alright. Let’s do this.
Jin Cheon-hee’s form blurred and vanished. With a full one hundred years of internal energy, amplified by both the Five-Elemental Divine Art and the Wudang Sect’s Dual Principles Cultivation Art, his speed was simply beyond description.
Amazingly, the spiritual beasts kept up with him. Their speed and tracking abilities were flawless.
‘Woof? Aren’t you going to fly?’
‘Chirp! But I like sitting here!’
Noe-jin clung tightly to Jin Cheon-hee, refusing to budge. Her knack for finding the lazy way out was just like a parrot he’d seen on Gat-tube in his past life. Fortunately, Noe-jin wasn’t a “King of Destruction,” so aside from occasionally plucking a few strands of hair, she was harmless.
Jin Cheon-hee stopped at a nearby village to send another message to his master, reporting that he had acquired a hundred years’ worth of internal energy, and sent along another gift. No master would be displeased with a disciple’s rapid growth. A proper master might have even kicked up their heels, telling him to go run even wilder, but Jin Cheon-hee was content to simply ease his master’s worries, even if just a little.
He’s doing alright, I hope…? He was moving so much that he couldn’t receive a reply, but he trusted that his master was fine. The people around him are probably suffering immensely, but that’s fine. That’s just Master being his usual self.
He had also requested that his master at least eat some simple egg porridge, just in case he was trying to subsist on Grain-Abstinence Pill alone. Jin Cheon-hee knew his master well: if asked so earnestly, he would grumble to “stop with the games” but would reluctantly eat it all the same.
Besides, he secretly likes it when I worry about him. He has a surprisingly childish side to him.
After sending the letter and packages via the escort agency, he set off running once more.
The White Immortal Ginseng, one of the four great elixirs, was the ultimate prize. Along the way, Jin Cheon-hee and his companions encountered several bandit strongholds before finally reaching a remote mountain range where all paths seemed to vanish. The legend spoke of a mountain range that, when viewed from above, resembled a crouching tiger. The clue provided a cryptic hint, stating that the ginseng was located “around the tiger’s waist.”
However, such a vague clue proved almost useless. It was a search that should have taken at least a month of dedicated tracking. Despite this, Jin Cheon-hee decided to take a shortcut. He enlisted the help of Noe-jin, who scouted from the air. After a long and arduous search, they finally stumbled upon a mountain range that matched the novel’s description.
Next, he fed Hwang-gu a piece of jerky and gave his command.
“Search this whole area. Find anything that smells remotely like ginseng.”
Jin Cheon-hee let Hwang-gu get a good sniff of some regular ginseng and then set him loose, following close behind.
‘Woof! Master, this!’
“Hm. This is just… regular wild ginseng. We’ll send this to Master for his health.”
They had a few more “false” alarms that still yielded valuable finds. Finally, at the base of a cliff beneath a massive old pine tree, Hwang-gu started barking from within a thick pile of fallen leaves.
‘Woof! Master, this one smells like mushrooms, too! It’s strange!’
Jin Cheon-hee carefully made his way down the cliff.
They say the elixir’s potency drops if the root is damaged. Even if this isn’t the one, it’s fine. It can just be more health supplements for Master.
With one hand, he used a Wind Art to gently scatter the leaves, while his other hand used an Earth Art to stabilize the ground, ensuring it didn’t tremble.
Thanks to the training back at the Black-Armored Centipede’s cave, his one hundred years of internal energy, the Five-Elemental Divine Art, and the Dual Principles Cultivation Art were now in perfect harmony.