The Living Corpse Doctor
The Black Dart Dong Paekyung was the fourth sworn brother of Black Trader Gu Ju-yong and the third guardian of the Black Merchant Gang.
Although his inner power was only about seventy years of cultivation—barely at the entry point of the Peak Realm—that alone was enough to make him an absolute ruler in any remote region.
Yet he chose to remain in the Black Merchant Gang.
It was because of the wealth and glory promised by his elder brother, the gang master Gu Ju-yong.
Gu Ju-yong was a greedy man, but he knew well that in order to gain more, he couldn't simply monopolize everything—he had to keep investing.
Thus, he treated his sworn brothers, the Peak Realm experts, with utmost care.
As a result, with four Peak Realm masters under its banner, the Black Merchant Gang rose to become one of the Eight Great Powers of Guizhou, standing as the undisputed ruler of the southwestern region of Guizhou Province.
The mere fact of having four Peak Realm masters gathered together was an overwhelming force in such a rural land.
Having walked this path alongside Gu Ju-yong, Dong Paekyung understood well how important capturing the Life and Death Monster Doctor was for them.
'A physician who can create elixirs on the level of summoning pills… He's nothing less than a goose that lays golden eggs.'
If they could secure him, it was impossible to imagine just how much wealth they could amass.
And that wealth would surely make the Black Merchant Gang even stronger.
There were, after all, many Peak Realm experts in the world who could be hired—for the right price.
'Like Ya Woonhyang, the Blood-Charming Beauty.'
When he thought of that woman—her martial skills and beauty both unrivaled, serving their gang only because of riches—he couldn't help but salivate.
That was the dream of his elder brother, Gu Ju-yong.
To keep increasing the number of Peak Realm masters they could hire with money, until someday he would not just control the southwest of Guizhou, but the whole province.
Sharing in that dream, Dong Paekyung looked at the Life and Death Monster Doctor now cornered before him and felt as though the dream was already becoming reality.
With a face full of glee, he shouted:
"Quietly surrender, Ma Jonghwan! Then I'll forget about all the trouble you've caused us! I'm a real man, you know. Hahahahaha!"
The gaunt, harsh-faced man known as the Life and Death Monster Doctor, Ma Jonghwan, sneered back.
"You talk of being a manly man while kidnapping others' children just because you crave elixirs? That's the funniest thing I've heard in my entire life! Wahahaha!"
Dong Paekyung stopped laughing.
It irked him that a mere wanderer of the martial world dared to mock him, and even now, cornered as he was, tried to act unfazed.
But soon, he smiled coldly again.
He decided to let it slide.
Wasn't it only natural for a man driven to the wall to bluff a little?
As a manly man, he could endure it.
Dong Paekyung strode forward with a hearty laugh.
"Good, good. If it amuses you, I'm glad. Now, will you quietly come with me?"
Ma Jonghwan's eyes blazed like fire as he spat back:
"The only way I'll go with you is as a corpse!"
So saying, he drew a dagger and held it against his own throat, as if ready to stab it through at any moment.
Dong Paekyung was shocked.
He'd rather die than be captured?
That far?!
Panicking, Dong Paekyung quickly stepped back and tried to calm him.
"Wait! Wait, calm yourself, Ma Jonghwan! Let's talk this through!"
"Talk?! With the scum who kidnapped my children for their damned pills? Hahaha! I have no need for words! Get out of my sight, now! Otherwise, all you'll have left to see is my corpse!"
To use his own life as a hostage to force them to back away—what an outrageous demand.
But Dong Paekyung couldn't ignore it.
He understood just as well as Gu Ju-yong how invaluable Ma Jonghwan was.
Of course, he couldn't let Ma Jonghwan realize that fact. So he tried intimidation instead.
Gritting his teeth, Dong Paekyung shouted:
"Then go ahead and die! If you're not afraid of what will happen to your children once you're gone! Do you think your life is so precious?!"
Ma Jonghwan gave a bitter laugh and replied:
"Precious indeed! Precisely because I can make Life and Death Pills—that's why you're doing all this, isn't it?! I'll say it again: leave my sight immediately! Otherwise, your scheme to exploit my Life and Death Pills ends here and now!"
Dong Paekyung gaped.
How did he know…?
The man was all too aware of his own worth.
Then Ma Jonghwan roared:
"I'll count to ten! If you're not gone by then, you'll be staring at my corpse! One!"
"Wa–wait! Ma Jonghwan! Let's talk more—!"
"Two!"
Dong Paekyung grew flustered.
He thought he had him cornered, but now what was this situation?
He couldn't let him die, but neither could he truly back off.
"Three!"
His impatience grew.
There wasn't even enough time to think.
"Four!"
Just then—
Someone came running up from behind, shouting:
"Third Guardian!"
Already on edge, Dong Paekyung snapped furiously at the interruption.
"What is it?! Can't you see this is critical?!"
But then his eyes widened.
The lower-ranked warrior running toward him was covered head to toe in blood.
"A–ambush! We're under ambush!"
"What?! Ambush?!"
Even so, Ma Jonghwan did not stop counting.
"Five!"
The staggering warrior collapsed in front of them—at the same time Ma Jonghwan's voice rang out again.
"Six!"
Dong Paekyung, in a hurry, glanced back at Ma Jonghwan.
At that very instant—
A chilling sensation pricked the back of his neck.
Not knowing what it was, he instinctively hurled himself aside.
Three flashing projectiles whizzed past, grazing his collar.
Shuack!
Cold sweat broke out.
The "collapsed" warrior had suddenly sprung to life.
"Y–you?!"
The man grinned slyly, then, without a trace of his feigned weakness, unleashed dazzling sword techniques at the surrounding guards and lunged toward Ma Jonghwan.
Shuak!
"Gaaaah!"
"Guhh!"
As sword-light burst forth like a vision, four nearby guards coughed blood and fell.
Through the spray of blood, the man was already charging straight at Ma Jonghwan.
Dong Paekyung was stunned, but Ma Jonghwan was equally shaken.
A man he thought was with the Black Merchant Gang had suddenly attacked Dong Paekyung and was now flying at him—he couldn't be sure of the man's true identity.
Could it be a trap?
Just as he thought that and raised his dagger to his throat to shout for him to stop—
A voice whispered in his ear.
— Elder! We've rescued Ma Maengwoon and Ma Yongji!
At those names, Ma Jonghwan involuntarily lost strength in his limbs.
Ma Maengwoon and Ma Yongji—those were the names of his son and daughter.
In that moment, Seonu Jin leapt upon him, wrapped him in his arms, and dashed like lightning toward the cliff.
"Excuse me, Elder!"
The Black Merchant Gang warriors watching were all dumbstruck.
"N–no way?!"
"H–how is that possible?!"
With Ma Jonghwan slung over his shoulder, Seonu Jin was sprinting vertically up the cliff face.
Pababababak!
It was an astounding display of lightness skill.
In the blink of an eye, Seonu Jin had already run halfway up the thirty-zhang-high cliff.
Dong Paekyung, still dazed, clenched his teeth and flung hidden weapons at Seonu Jin's legs.
"You think I'll let you escape?!"
This was the peerless hidden weapon technique that had earned him the nickname Black Dart.
A handful of steel darts shot like lightning toward Seonu Jin's legs.
Shiiik!
But Seonu Jin leapt sideways as if expecting it.
Tak!
Having trained with Seol Poong to sense objects even with his eyes closed, he was already prepared for such attacks—mere hidden weapons held little threat.
Ka-kang! Kang!
The darts clattered uselessly against rock as Seonu Jin began bounding up between crags, side to side, scaling the cliff.
Tak! Tak! Tak!
Like a mountain goat, his movements were impossibly light.
Dong Paekyung, furious, roared:
"Signal the chief! Do not let them escape!"
Then he himself launched up the cliff in pursuit, using both his hidden weapons and lightness skill.
There was no way he could let them slip away before his very eyes.
After reaching the top of the cliff and catching my breath once, I glanced back, then started running again.
As I expected—he really did abandon his men and chase after me. What a slow-witted bastard.
What if I were luring him into a trap? What then?
…Well, not that I was.
Judging by his speed, though, shaking him off wasn't going to be easy.
Just as I started running again, the Life and Death Monster Doctor slung over my shoulder suddenly spoke in a hurried voice.
He must have been holding back until we climbed the cliff, worried he might slow me down.
"Is it true?! Did you really rescue Maengwoon and Yongji?"
It was hard enough to keep my lightness skill running while talking, but I had to say it now.
Winning this elder's trust was the most important thing above all.
So I answered brightly:
"Of course. Wasn't that why you distracted their attention toward yourself—hoping someone would rescue them?"
"Aahh… you truly understood!"
His voice brimmed with emotion.
The worry he had carried for his children, the fear that his judgment might have doomed them—it all poured out in that single voice, now cleansed away.
I could understand well enough.
How anxious he must have been.
Even though he believed there was no other way, he must have agonized countless times afterward.
What if his reckless choice had harmed his children?
And in truth, in my previous life, his plan had failed.
I reassured him again, as he struggled to find words through his gratitude.
"Both of them are perfectly safe. They suffered no harm at all and are resting well. Please don't worry."
"…Thank you. Truly, thank you."
In reality, they had almost been harmed, but I didn't tell him that.
Nor did I acknowledge the trembling voice that came out as though he were on the verge of tears.
For a moment, he overlapped in my mind with my father, who once told me he was proud of me, and my chest grew warm.
But then a voice from behind chilled me to the bone.
"You bastard! Stop right there!"
It was Dong Paekyung's voice.
As expected of a Peak Realm master, his speed was incredible.
Even at a glance, it was clear I wouldn't be able to outpace him while carrying Ma Jonghwan.
I took a short breath and spoke quickly:
"So now, Elder, all that matters is that you escape safely. Do you have any plan in mind?"
But with a weary sigh, he answered heavily:
"I'm ashamed to admit, I have no grand plan. Only this: because of their greed, they will never kill me. And because of that same greed, those who seek Gu Ju-yong's death will surely gather."
Indeed, his judgment was sound.
Even in my past life, the assassination of Gu Ju-yong had succeeded.
Perhaps even without me, he might have escaped somehow just now.
Hm. So if things become desperate, should I abandon the Monster Doctor and flee alone?
Even one-on-one, I had no chance of victory against Dong Paekyung.
If the gap between a second-rate and first-rate fighter was like that between a cat and a lynx, then the gap between a first-rate and a Peak Realm master was like that between a lynx and a tiger.
Even if his specialty was hidden weapons rather than close combat, there was no way I could defeat him head-on.
Dong Paekyung, a Peak Realm master of hidden weapons and lightness skill.
And it was said his darts were laced with the deadly poison ju-sa venom.
As I recalled the information I'd extracted earlier about the Black Dart Dong Paekyung, I suddenly asked the Monster Doctor:
"Elder, do you have it with you?"
"Hm? What do you mean, 'it'?"
Dong Paekyung glared murderously at the fleeing figure.
He had thought he could easily catch the man carrying Ma Jonghwan, but even after half an hour, he couldn't close the distance.
For someone whose specialties were hidden weapons and lightness skill, it was humiliating beyond words.
How could that man run so fast while carrying another person?
He wanted to hurl his darts, but the man kept shielding himself with Ma Jonghwan's body on his back.
And Ma Jonghwan had been stiff as a board since earlier, clearly sealed at his acupoints.
The bastard knew Dong Paekyung couldn't risk killing him.
Grinding his teeth with fury, Dong Paekyung burned with rage.
Unable to catch him, unable to throw his weapons—the situation was maddening.
Then the fleeing man shouted toward him:
"Dong Paekyung! Let's negotiate!"
From his voice, he too sounded exhausted.
So, he was reaching his limit.
With a sly smile, Dong Paekyung shouted back:
"What negotiation?!"
The man answered:
"You want the Life and Death Monster Doctor, don't you?! I only want three pills—no, two! If I can take just two spirit pills, I'll release him and leave quietly! What do you say?!"
Dong Paekyung thought for a moment.
It wasn't a bad deal.
As long as Ma Jonghwan was returned safely, he could keep producing pills. Giving up two was nothing.
Of course, killing the bastard would be best. But if he provoked him and Ma Jonghwan was killed, it would be a disaster.
Besides, since Ma Jonghwan's points were sealed, he wouldn't be able to threaten suicide like before. That meant they could secure him safely.
Yes, it was wiser to negotiate.
Having reached this conclusion, Dong Paekyung replied:
"Fine! Let's do it!"
The man shouted back with delight:
"Then stop where you are! I'll stop too!"
Dong Paekyung gradually slowed, then halted.
The man also stopped and gently set Ma Jonghwan down.
Cautiously eyeing Dong Paekyung, he rifled through Ma Jonghwan's robes and pulled out the spirit pills.
He looked at the five pills wistfully, then tucked only two into his chest.
Dong Paekyung watched like a hawk.
The man slowly stepped back and said:
"Now, I'll leave."
"Fine! Begone at once!"
Dong Paekyung, too, carefully stepped toward the prone Ma Jonghwan.
But he noticed the man kept glancing back at Ma Jonghwan.
Clearly, he had something else in mind.
Sure enough—
Just as it looked like he would withdraw, the man suddenly hurled several hidden weapons at Ma Jonghwan.
"Haaah!"
Whirr!
But Dong Paekyung, half expecting this, dove desperately and shielded Ma Jonghwan.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With both his hands full of darts, he barely managed to deflect all four projectiles.
Compared to his lightness skill, the man's hidden weapon technique wasn't that impressive.
"Hahaha! You dare to show off hidden weapons before me?!"
Having deflected them all, Dong Paekyung laughed loudly and unleashed his own black dart.
It was his ultimate technique, the Black Killing Dart.
Shuack!
The black dart shot like lightning.
Startled, the man frantically raised his sword to block.
Puk!
But the steel dart, empowered with inner force, pierced straight through the sword and into his arm.
Dong Paekyung grinned cruelly.
The dart was laced with deadly poison—he was as good as dead.
But just as he prepared to throw another for the finishing blow—
Puk!
He felt a sharp sting at the back of his neck.
Bewildered, he turned.
To his shock, Ma Jonghwan—who had seemed paralyzed—was grinning savagely, holding open the mouth of a leather pouch.
Two snakes had slithered out and sunk their fangs deep into his neck.
"Y–you…!"
His horrified expression twisted into rage.
Already his vision blurred, bile rising in his throat.
The venom was unimaginably potent.
"You dare—!"
As he forced his numbing hand to move and prepared to hurl a dart at Ma Jonghwan—
Puk!
A blade pierced through his back and burst from his chest.
"Guhh?!"
How…?
It made no sense.
The man had taken his poisoned dart—he should already be dead….
Reeling with disbelief, Dong Paekyung collapsed, lifeless.
Thus perished the Peak Realm master, the Black Dart Dong Paekyung, slain by the first-rate warrior Seonu Jin.