Black and White Martial Emperor

After roughly half an hour, Go Pyeong collapsed, bleeding.

The two of them had wrung a great deal out of him. To be precise, Baek Gungcheon had; Yeon Hojeong merely assisted here and there.

Once he learned the truth, Baek Gungcheon looked utterly stupefied.

“...I was deceived.”

A sour look crossed Yeon Hojeong’s face.

Normally, if someone tricked you, you’d fly into a rage. Baek Gungcheon didn’t. He looked as if the futility had hollowed him out completely.

“Because of me... because of me, Garyeong...”

Baek Garyeong was Baek Gungcheon’s daughter.

A ghost archer of Sun-Piercing Valley may neither marry nor have children. A god is the symbol of perfection; he must not form ties with worldly people.

But it seemed Baek Gungcheon, behind Sun-Piercing Valley’s back, had formed a bond with a woman of the world. Only recently had he learned he had a daughter.

And that his daughter was ill.

He learned of the girl’s existence and illness right in the middle of the competition. That was why Baek Gungcheon had caused this uproar.

Yeon Hojeong opened the box laid on the bed. Inside were several jet-black pellets.

They were the medicine Go Pyeong had given Baek Gungcheon. More precisely, not medicine but poison.

In other words, the fact that Baek Gungcheon had little life left was entirely because of Go Pyeong—or rather, the power behind him.

“You said it was Baek Sogyeong, didn’t you? The one who sent that con man to you.”

“......”

“I didn’t know ‘Yi God’ was such a grand seat that one would resort to that sort of swindle to get it.”

Baek Gungcheon looked up at Yeon Hojeong.

His expression was vacant. His wits seemed gone.

He had been fooled by a con man sent by a rival, endangering not only himself but even his daughter. Even the tempered will of a trained martial artist would struggle to bear it.

Looking down at him in silence, Yeon Hojeong tossed a question.

“How about you?”

“......”

“What matters more—your daughter, or winning the competition?”

For an instant, a fearsome light flashed in Baek Gungcheon’s eyes. For a moment, he seemed a different man.

“I never hoped for Yi God or any such thing! I only wanted, in place of my dead wife, to save my daugh—”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish.

Yeon Hojeong nodded.

“Take me to your daughter.”

“...What?”

“I have to see her condition to know whether she can be saved or not.”

Baek Gungcheon’s eyes went wide.

“W-what? You can save Garyeong?!”

“I didn’t say I can save her. I said I need to see her condition.”

“Are you... a physician?”

“I’m not the one who’ll treat her. And I don’t know if he’ll even come if I call. Still, we should try what can be tried.”

Life returned to Baek Gungcheon’s face.

“T-thank you! If Garyeong’s illness is cured, I’ll give you even my life—!”

“I’ve no use for a life worth only a few coins. Instead, grant me one request.”

“Of course! Of course!”

A faint smile touched Yeon Hojeong’s lips.

“Contract, sealed.”

Baek Garyeong was a girl not yet ten.

After examining Baek Garyeong, Yeon Hojeong realized the child’s condition was quite bad, but not immediately life-threatening.

He went straight to the local Beggars’ Union branch.

“Send your most reputed physician to the Cheongsa House rear court, second floor, north end room. It’s a child. The internal injury is severe—tell him to prepare in advance.”

“Understood.”

“I have to step out briefly—put someone trustworthy with the kid.”

“Don’t worry.”

“And send this letter to the Je Gal Clan. Same urgency. As fast as possible.”

The man he wanted to summon was the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Physician.

A physician on the level of the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Physician isn’t someone just anyone can call. By chance, at Je Gal Ahyeon’s request, he had examined Yeon’s body; this time, too, Yeon intended to somehow beg the favor.

Once the arrangements were made, Yeon Hojeong led Baek Gungcheon out.

“Khak!”

Baek Gungcheon hacked a thin cough. He didn’t spit blood, but his complexion was deathly pale.

Yeon Hojeong exhaled.

“Just give me the location and wait here.”

“I’m finished.”

“......”

“I don’t know how he did this to my body, but I know this much. I’ve not got long to live.”

“...Right.”

“If I’d taken the stuff he gave me, my lifespan would have been whittled down even more. I suppose that’s a small mercy.”

“The pain will be fierce. Whatever that stuff is, the painkilling effect looked exceptional.”

“And it would shorten my life even more.”

“......”

“When I think of the pain my daughter has endured, it doesn’t even rise to the level of an itch. And... I can’t forgive.”

“Baek Sogyeong, was it?”

“If he’d touched only me, perhaps. But he touched my daughter. Baek Sogyeong is mine.”

“That’s your affair. But before that—”

A flash lit Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

“Just guide me as far as where Baek Hyang is.”

“...Understood.”

And so the two raced for Eight Dukes Mountain in Anhui.

FWAAK!

Baek Gungcheon’s body method was astonishing.

Even with his body far from normal, he was as nimble as a bird roaming the azure heavens. It was fast, yet an efficient movement that minimized inner-force consumption.

Baek Gungcheon glanced to the side.

Yeon Hojeong was running with a frown. His breathing was fine, but it seemed hard for him to push any faster.

“Strange.”

“What is?”

He still spoke while executing a rather fast body method. It was possible because Baek Gungcheon’s level in body method was outstanding, and Yeon Hojeong possessed monstrous stamina.

“Your martial arts were extremely combative. Frankly, they didn’t seem one whit inferior even compared to the Nine Dragons Heaven-Breaking Bow.”

“......”

“But your body method is lacking. Are you just running on your inner force?”

Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.

“My stamina’s good enough that I manage.”

“Stamina is finite. A body method is useful.”

“No argument there. I should’ve learned a decent body method or two.”

“Shall I teach you one?”

Inwardly, Yeon Hojeong was taken aback.

“You’ll teach me a body method?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

Baek Gungcheon tilted his head as if the counter-question were stranger.

“Thanks to you, I can call a good physician. I also learned Old Go was a con man. Having received grace, oughtn’t I pay a due price?”

He wasn’t wrong, but...

‘What is with this guy?’

Come to think of it, he hadn’t even known that this Go Pyeong fellow was a con man.

For a master of Baek Gungcheon’s caliber, gauging whether the other party’s words were false or true shouldn’t have been an issue. At the very least, he should have suspected.

And yet he was fooled. Far too easily.

Nor was that all. However despairing he’d been, once you go through something like that, it’s normal not to erase your doubt toward others.

Even so, Baek Gungcheon didn’t doubt Yeon Hojeong. He only expressed boundless gratitude.

On top of that, he even offered to teach him a body method. It’s something you could certainly do for the benefactor who saved your life, and yet still something you might hesitate over.

‘No experience.’

At last Yeon Hojeong understood the reason for Baek Gungcheon’s foolish innocence.

‘He’s hardly ever been out in the world. He’s heard things, but never felt them.’

He’d never been swindled by others, never been attacked for no reason, hadn’t even had someone pick a fight with him.

Transparent, literally. He’d spent his life training martial arts; lacking real social experience, he was like this.

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“I’ll pass.”

“Why?”

“I plan to find a body method that fits my body and learn it. I appreciate the thought, but I’m fine.”

“But...”

“If we truly need to push the pace, tell me. I’m confident in my stamina.”

Baek Gungcheon nodded.

“Understood.”

They ran for who knew how long.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know Baek Hyang?”

“......”

“And not just that. You knew Dragon Tooth Cannon. Dragon Tooth Cannon is one of the secret canons of Nine Dragons Bow—no one outside Sun-Piercing Valley could know it.”

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“That’s hard to tell you.”

“I understand.”

Unexpectedly, Baek Gungcheon said no more. He didn’t want to put his benefactor in a bind.

Watching him, Yeon Hojeong thought,

‘His heart is completely gone.’

His heart had left Sun-Piercing Valley. Otherwise he wouldn’t react like this.

‘Curious.’

It must have been the place he had devoted his life to, yet he folded his heart so coolly. It seemed Sun-Piercing Valley was not such a fine group.

Yeon Hojeong set thoughts of Sun-Piercing Valley aside. What mattered now was Muk Bi—no, Baek Hyang.

A day passed thus.

The two climbed a ridge of Eight Dukes Mountain.

“There.”

The place Baek Gungcheon pointed to was a relatively low peak.

“I don’t know if he’s still there.”

“If he isn’t, then that’s that. Thanks for guiding me.”

“No.”

“And...”

“Say it.”

Yeon Hojeong sighed.

“I understand your circumstances, but you killed men of the Beggars’ Union. And the Beggars’ Union is going to bring the one who’ll treat your daughter.”

“......”

“If your revenge ends and you’re still alive, go and at least apologize.”

Baek Gungcheon nodded.

“If my life lasts until then, I will do so without fail. If I die...”

“I’ll pass it on. But if possible, do it yourself.”

“Thank you.”

Just then—

BOOM! KRRR-ROOOM.

The two turned their eyes toward where the thunderous report had sounded.

They could see several trees shattering to pieces. It was an incredibly long distance, and yet visible even to the eyes of common folk. That was how huge those trees were.

Nor was that all.

KRRR-ROOOM! KRAAACK!

Dozens of killing intents seemed to cross, and then gales spun left and right, smashing trees and rocks alike.

Tremendous destructive power. Archery that leveraged inner force for overwhelming destructive might.

A look of surprise flickered across Baek Gungcheon’s face.

“Nine Dragons Archery!”

FWAAA!

Yeon Hojeong hurtled down the mountain at a terrifying speed.

After a moment’s hesitation, Baek Gungcheon also flung himself after Yeon. Baek Sogyeong might be there.

PAPAPAPAPAK!

Even though he had set off late, he caught up to Yeon Hojeong in a flash. No matter that Yeon didn’t care for body method, the speed made jaws drop.

Then, from Yeon Hojeong’s body, a sun-bright red heat burst forth.

BANG! KA-BOOM! BANG!

Each time he stamped the earth, tremendous blasts boomed. The distance between him and Baek Gungcheon yawned wide again.

Baek Gungcheon’s eyes went wide.

‘That footwork?’

No—stepping method, not body method.

It was the stepping method he’d shown when he killed the Beggars’ Union witness. Within the combat zone, it seemed even faster than Dragon Flies Instant Step.

And to drive forward while chaining such a stepping method—

‘Tremendous inner force. With a stepping method like that, no wonder he refused my body method.’

FWAAK!

Baek Gungcheon, too, increased his speed. In an instant, he was on Yeon Hojeong’s heels.

Then, at a certain moment, Baek Gungcheon overtook Yeon Hojeong. If you chained Blood Wing Sweeps the Heavens, the inner-force drain was extreme; Yeon was pacing his stamina and inner force.

It didn’t matter. The two were already nearly at the battleground.

BOOM! KRA-ZZZZT!

A small boulder seemed to float into the air, then crashed down, smashing several trees.

SWISH!

Baek Gungcheon sprang off the rolling rock and shot up. His movement was as light as a feather.

KWAANG!

Yeon Hojeong shattered the boulder with a brutal fist-force and charged straight up.

Then, from somewhere already out of sight, Baek Gungcheon’s lion’s roar rang out.

“Baek Sogyeong!!”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes blazed.

The Vermilion Bird Qi heating his heart clenched tight all at once.

FLASH!

In a single bound, Yeon Hojeong crossed a little over twenty jang and vaulted onto the ridge.

He gazed over a battlefield laid waste, dozens of giant trees felled.

Baek Gungcheon, loosing a great war bow at terrifying speed.

A middle-aged woman, evading every arrow with astounding dodging skill.

And, tucked away, a woman hiding behind an unbroken giant tree, drawing the horn bowstring.

“Muk Bi!”