After telling Pavilion Lord Hwang to bring the money, I waited for his reaction, thinking, What kind of bullshit will this bastard say to piss me off?

Pavilion Lord Hwang cautiously opened his mouth.

“...It’s not easy to suddenly prepare that much money. But if you give me some time, I can try to—”

I pointed at Pavilion Lord Hwang with my finger but kept my gaze on Moyong Baek.

“Moyong, did you see that?”

“Yes.”

“Look at that bastard’s expression. This is how they always come out. Never once deviates from my expectations.”

I left a warning for Pavilion Lord Hwang.

“Shut your mouth for now.”

“......”

I turned to Moyong Baek.

Taking money from Daobang and grilling Pavilion Lord Hwang was important, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) sure. But right now, I was focused entirely on Moyong Baek. I treated Pavilion Lord Hwang like he didn’t even exist and said to Moyong Baek,

“There’s something I need to tell you seriously.”

Moyong Baek nodded.

“Please speak.”

“What do you think it means when a bastard like that asks for time?”

Moyong Baek replied as if it were obvious.

“He’s trying to buy time to gather whatever skilled fighters he can. Maybe investigate Haomun too, and come up with any excuse not to hand over the money.”

“Exactly.”

Pavilion Lord Hwang tried to speak, so I pointed at him again.

“I said shut it. Don’t open your mouth. Just stare at the dagger stuck in the table. It’s the one most likely to become closest to your body.”

Sweeping my hair back, I spoke to Moyong Baek.

“Life has its traps, Moyong.”

“......”

“In my case, that trap came way too early. All I had left was one inn—and that inn burned to the ground. And by who?”

I pointed at Pavilion Lord Hwang.

“By bastards like that... all because I couldn’t pay tribute on time. As if my property was theirs, they torched it like it was nothing.”

Moyong Baek nodded, signaling he was listening.

“Moyong, is there any logic to this kind of crap?”

“There is not.”

“There isn’t. That’s why I’ve been killing these bastards without any logic either. Caught in the madness you once tried to treat me for.”

“That’s true.”

As I thought about how to express my sincerity, I kept speaking.

“The way I see it... you genuinely find meaning and pride in healing and saving people. You keep a pure heart as a physician. But I’ll say it again—everyone falls into a trap at some point. For you, what do you think the biggest trap would be?”

Moyong Baek thought briefly before answering.

“I’m not sure.”

“Here’s what I think. Because you treat martial artists too, one day... one of them that you save betrays you.”

Moyong Baek smiled faintly.

“Surely that wouldn’t happen? I saved their life.”

I chuckled as well.

“Look at this dog bastard, Pavilion Lord Hwang. Imagine this bastard suffers a serious injury and ends up at your clinic. Let’s say you don’t know who he is. You’d treat him, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then the guy you helped survive—maybe he lusts after some female physician. Or he causes a scandal because of that lust. Or maybe he steals martial arts manuals from your study. Or downs a rare elixir you obtained with great difficulty to treat another patient and runs off with it.”

“......”

“Moyong, look at Pavilion Lord Hwang.”

The moment I said that, Moyong Baek glared at Pavilion Lord Hwang.

“This is the bastard who ate the Hundred-Year Polygonum the escort bureau was transporting, and he has the nerve to act so brazen. If this bastard had been stronger than us, what do you think would’ve happened to you and me?”

Still glaring at Pavilion Lord Hwang, Moyong Baek replied,

“We’d be dead here.”

“Can you honestly say something like what happened to Huayang Escort Bureau won’t happen to you? Look into your own heart. If you treated someone with a pure heart and they repaid you with betrayal, could you stand it? What if you went to confront them and got beaten up because your martial arts weren’t good enough? Would you still be able to live properly after that? Would you still have the will to live?”

Then I looked at Junpyeong, who had been standing there nervously.

“Kneel. Right now is a seriously dangerous moment, Junpyeong.”

“Ah, yes.”

Junpyeong knelt with a startled expression.

Moyong Baek said to me,

“If something like that truly happened... I don’t think I could keep living properly, Munju.”

In fact, that’s exactly what happened to this guy in his previous life.

I nodded.

“Moyong, believe me. I’m not saying you should help me or throw your lot in with Haomun. For your own sake—train your martial arts.”

“......”

“So when you fall into a trap, you can pull yourself out. If you can’t escape, even if you’re alive, you’re not really living. Even if your life continues, you won’t feel any joy. Even if you beat these bastards to death one by one later, all you’ll feel is emptiness—because you can’t return to the days when you were still pure.”

Moyong Baek nodded slowly.

I continued in a calm tone.

“I knew you wanted to go back to the Moyong Clinic after treating Elder Heo. But I dragged you here anyway.”

“That’s alright.”

“Even if you get fed up with my madness someday and leave me or grow distant from Haomun, it doesn’t matter. I just want you to train martial arts for your own sake. Even while you’re saving people and treating them, don’t neglect it. I’m not saying this for Haomun. I’m saying it for you and your clinic. Moyong, this is my small wish.”

Suddenly, I glanced at Pavilion Lord Hwang.

He quietly stepped down from the grand seat and knelt without a word.

“......”

Following the flow of my thoughts, I spoke to him.

“You’ve got some awareness after all. I was just about to throw the dagger. Good timing.”

Pavilion Lord Hwang replied,

“Munju, please spare me.”

Every time this bastard showed this pathetic side, Moyong Baek’s expression only grew darker.

I tapped the dagger on the table with a finger and said to Moyong,

“Look at this pathetic sight. These bastards all have one thing in common—they’re always strong against the weak.”

“Exactly.”

“And those who are strong against the weak are always pathetic before the strong. Moyong.”

“Yes, Munju.”

“Most of the bastards I’ve killed were these kinds of people. You understand?”

Moyong Baek nodded.

“I understand.”

“The ones who charged at me, face bright red with rage—some of them actually lived, if they got lucky.”

The moment I finished, Pavilion Lord Hwang, face pale, said,

“Munju...”

“Don’t interrupt. I’m not done talking.”

“Yes.”

Today was one of those days where I talked a lot. But it was that important of a moment.

“The reason you and I need to get stronger is exactly because of bastards like him. Because even among those stronger than us, there are trash like this. Of course, there are more martial artists stronger than you than there are stronger than me. Meaning—you’re more likely to go through this kind of hell than I am.”

Suddenly, Pavilion Lord Hwang slammed his forehead to the floor.

Thud—the sound echoed through the hall.

His voice came out strained.

“Munju, Teacher Moyong... please spare me. I, Hwang Something-or-other, have acted out of line.”

I turned to Moyong and asked him about the bastard’s fate.

“Moyong, can we trust him?”

Moyong replied,

“He can’t be trusted.”

I watched his face for a moment. Then Moyong gulped and asked me,

“Should I kill him?”

Looking at the firm resolve in his eyes, I replied,

“Moyong...”

“Yes?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll usually be the one doing the killing. But let’s do this a little differently this time. I have an idea.”

“What is it...?”

I looked at him and grinned.

“This time, we make a proper poison.”

“......”

“One only you can detoxify. He was supposed to be dead, but thanks to your excellent skills, he’ll live and be useful. It’s poison that keeps him alive. If he betrays us and doesn’t get the antidote, he’ll just die.”

Moyong Baek’s face brightened.

“Ah.”

“I know your strengths and weaknesses. Just like the poison you gave to Master Yukhap. You can research poison and decide life or death without taking a single life. Then your poison becomes medicine too. You won’t just gain fame as a healer—you won’t be called a poison demon either. A man who can decide life or death with poison and medicine... how about a title like Life-and-Death Physician?”

At last, Moyong Baek smiled and replied,

“How about Life-and-Death Physician of Haomun?”

I nodded.

“That would be an honor for me. But poison and medicine alone aren’t enough. Don’t forget your martial training.”

Moyong Baek nodded.

“Munju, I won’t take martial arts lightly from now on.”

I held out my hand as if telling him to handle Pavilion Lord Hwang.

Then Moyong said to him,

“Pavilion Lord Hwang, get up.”

“Yes.”

“The funds Munju mentioned—prepare every single coin without a single omission.”

“Yes, I absolutely will.”

While gazing firmly at him, Moyong continued,

“While you prepare the funds, I’ll gather ingredients nearby and make the poison and antidote. Though by now, it doesn’t matter if it’s poison or medicine. Either way, it’s the reason you’ll be alive. Understand?”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Then I spoke up to grill him a little.

“Wow, Pavilion Lord Hwang. Got a long life, huh? Just a minute ago you were dancing at the gates of the afterlife.”

He answered with hands politely folded.

“Thank you for sparing me, Munju.”

“The way you’re bowing now... you look like some tragic opera actor. Right, Moyong?”

“That’s true.”

Pavilion Lord Hwang quickly added,

“N-no, not at all. I just remembered something.”

I asked,

“What’d you remember?”

“Well... when the Martial Alliance struck Namgak Gang, I heard a Munju from Haomun accompanied them. I assumed that Munju was much older, so I never imagined you were the same person. But after hearing the conversation... it seems you are that Munju.”

I nodded.

“That’s me.”

“Yes.”

The moment I said “That’s me,” Moyong Baek laughed through his nose.

I asked,

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. It’s just that you say that a lot, so I couldn’t help it.”

The atmosphere suddenly turned warm, and Pavilion Lord Hwang even smiled slightly.

But the moment I saw that smile, I turned dead serious.

“You smiling?”

“N-no.”

“Is something funny?”

“I’m sorry.”

“A guy who just crawled out of death’s pit is already grinning? What a joke. Pathetic.”

I pulled out the flash dagger from the table and waved it at him.

“If you’d interrupted me one more time earlier, you’d be dead.”

“Yes.”

“Dumb bastard. And you really thought I’d give you plenty of time to prepare the money? Wrong. Bring every single nyang Daobang has right now and pile it up in the hall. Execute.”

Pavilion Lord Hwang responded with discipline.

“Execute.”

“You personally give the orders and carry it over yourself. And Junpyeong.”

Still kneeling, Junpyeong answered immediately.

“Yes, Munju.”

“Lay out some drinks and side dishes on the table. We’ll drink while we wait.”

“I’ll prepare them right away.”

I kicked my feet up on the table and leaned the chair back. Just before the chair tipped, I shot a sidelong glance at Pavilion Lord Hwang.

“I wonder how Daobang’s been making its money all this time. Must’ve raked in a fair amount. It wasn’t by honest means, was it? What do you think, Moyong?”

Moyong looked around the hall and replied,

“Probably through shady dealings. What, you think these bastards were farming? Or selling dumplings?”

I kept pushing him, and half-muttered like tossing a pebble into a river,

“There are a lot of bastards like that in Jianghu. All of them are enemies of Haomun.”

Then I leaned back in the rocking chair and closed my eyes for a moment.