It was the time when the surroundings were completely submerged in darkness.
That was when Cho Myung returned to the Hua Family Clinic.
"You rascal! Why are you so late? Did something happen?"
Jeok Yorap asked with a worried face.
Old Man Ban did not say anything, but he was carefully examining Cho Myung from top to bottom.
Hua Yunhui and Seokcheong were also not much different.
"No. I was late because I was finishing digging for herbs."
Cho Myung held up his basket and scratched the back of his head.
"Were there so few herbs today?"
"That's not it..."
"It's not? Then why are you so late?"
Not only Jeok Yorap, who asked again, but everyone's face was full of curiosity.
Cho Myung said in a barely audible voice.
"I'm sorry. I was so focused on training that I forgot I had to dig for herbs."
Everyone had a bewildered face.
Especially Hua Yunhui and Seokcheong.
'He said it was because he was training?'
'Is training that fun?'
Could one be so engrossed in running all over the mountain and punching?
It was a difficult thing for the two to understand.
"From next time, dig for herbs first and then train."
Old Man Ban said.
Hearing that, it seemed like a good method, so Cho Myung nodded vigorously.
"Yes. I will do that."
"Then that's good. Let's have dinner quickly."
Everyone had been so worried about Cho Myung that they had set the table for dinner but had not eaten yet.
Cho Myung said he was sorry once more.
"It's okay. It can happen. From next time, don't forget that there are people waiting."
"Okay."
Cho Myung, who had nodded at Jeok Yorap's words, ate dinner ravenously with everyone.
It was a dinner where the well-stir-fried pork made Cho Myung even happier.
That night.
"Awoong! I'm sleepy... is it happening again?"
Hua Yunhui, who had woken up from sleep, asked.
"If it seems there's something wrong, I'll wake you up, so go back to sleep."
"You must wake me up."
Hua Yunhui lay down again.
Seokcheong was snoring so loudly that the whole room seemed to be shaking, and the two old men, Old Man Ban and Jeok Yorap, were sitting side by side near Cho Myung's bed.
Creak! Creak!
Cho Myung's bones were twisting.
***
Cho Myung, who had woken up in a good mood in the morning, stretched greatly.
When he stretched his two arms, he felt as if a new power was filling his two arms.
"Let's have fun today too!"
Cho Myung, who had shot up from his bed, went to the window and opened it wide.
Cool air rushed in.
When he took a deep breath, he felt refreshed deep in his lungs.
"Grandfather! Master! Wake up!"
Cho Myung's voice rang out.
On the other hand, Jeok Yorap and Old Man Ban, who had not slept properly the previous night, opened their eyes with difficulty.
"Did you sleep well?"
Jeok Yorap asked first.
"Yes. Did you sleep well too, grandfather?"
"Yes."
"Did you sleep well too, master?"
"Yes. I slept well."
"Then I'll get some water for you to wash your face."
Cho Myung, who was running outside.
At this time, Jeok Yorap, who was watching the scene with sleepy eyes, made a face as if he had been hit and called Old Man Ban.
"Big brother."
"What is it?"
"I think we need to buy clothes again."
"......?"
"Myung's clothes."
"What's wrong with Myung's clothes? Are they torn or something...!"
Old Man Ban stopped talking.
And after staring blankly, he turned his gaze to the entrance where Cho Myung had gone out.
"Did they get smaller?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"It seemed to be about half a handspan."
It meant that he had grown about half a handspan taller due to the bone cleansing phenomenon of the previous night.
When he had been watching the previous night, he had been so focused on whether something bad was happening that he had not thought about it, but now that he heard it, it was clear that he would have grown taller and his clothes would have become smaller.
"It seems it's a sign to go and have a drink with you."
"Ah, so that's what it is."
Jeok Yorap smiled.
He was not completely without worry because Cho Myung was growing so rapidly. But since there had been no problems so far, he believed in the miraculousness of the Immortal Demonic Aura.
That was the reason why Old Man Ban could also smile with satisfaction.
Since Cho Myung had opened the entrance and the window wide, the refreshing air that announced the start of the day was pouring in.
The two came down from their beds to wash their faces.
As always, Cho Myung's breakfast was a battle.
He ate ravenously, enough to compete with beggars.
"If I eat like that, will I grow taller too?"
Hua Yunhui suddenly sent a look of envy.
In fact, the statement that a doctor should not gain weight because their body would become dull was half an excuse.
Although he had no greed for food, he was a light eater and could not eat much. That was why he had not grown, not because he had deliberately not eaten much for fear of his body becoming dull.
"Can I get up first?"
Cho Myung, who had already eaten four servings, asked.
"What's the hurry?"
"I want to train quickly."
At Old Man Ban's question, Cho Myung smiled and answered.
He was itching to train, just as he had answered.
It was because he thought he could win against the red-eyed demon if he became just a little stronger.
Although the sticky thread-like thing was a concern, he could just avoid it.
"You rascal, it seems you've taken a liking to training. Go ahead."
When Old Man Ban gave his permission, Cho Myung shot up.
"Then I'll be back."
Cho Myung, who had smiled brightly at everyone, put on the hundred-catty iron armor and the ten-catty vambraces. He took the bamboo container with the fist-sized dumplings and water that Seokcheong had brought, went outside, put it in his basket, and then ran to the mountains.
"You rascal, I don't know if he's training properly."
Jeok Yorap muttered, half worried and half questioning.
"There's nothing to worry about. As long as he has the will to do it, he has a body that can do anything."
Old Man Ban said in a tone that said not to worry at all.
Old Man Ban had no worries about Cho Myung's martial arts progress.
Since he had a body that was too strong to be called a foundation, he was confident that if he just trained as he had written in his martial arts manual from the age of ten, he would be able to fight not only the Ten Orthodox Heavens but also the entire world in the future.
Of course, he was in a state where he did not know that Cho Myung was already doing as written in the martial arts manual.
***
As his master had said, Cho Myung dug for herbs first.
When the basket was full, he ran to the front of a large rock. And he threw thousands of punches at the hard rock.
When the rock burst from his punches, Cho Myung was excited and became even more focused on the Hundred Strikes Art.
After half an hour of that and a lot of punching, he put down his basket and began to run at full speed.
It was to train his footwork.
He ran at full speed through a place where the trees were dense, and while avoiding the obstacles that blocked his way by making sharp turns, he threw punches without realizing it.
At first, he would flinch and his running would stop every time he threw a punch, but as time passed, he gradually became accustomed to it and the moments of flinching became shorter.
Of course, it would take more time for it to become as natural as flowing water.
But even at his current level, it was enough to surprise Old Man Ban.
When it was lunchtime, his stomach was crying out that it was hungry.
"I know! Let's eat!"
A place where not only the Hua Family Clinic but also the land of An could be seen at a glance.
Sitting on a high mountain peak, he took out a fist-sized dumpling and took a big bite, and he couldn't be happier.
Cho Myung stuffed his mouth full of the fist-sized dumpling and looked down at the Hua Family Clinic.
"It's big brother Yunhui!"
Hua Yunhui, who was coming out of Healing Hall and heading to Longevity Hall, was visible.
In the eyes of ordinary people, he looked smaller than an ant, so it was impossible to even tell if there was a person, but Cho Myung could recognize who it was.
So when he ate lunch, he always sat here and looked down at the Hua Family Clinic and the streets of An.
"It's big brother Cheong!"
Where Cho Myung's gaze reached, Seokcheong was visible.
He was coming out of the kitchen with lunch and was walking with hurried steps towards Longevity Hall.
Cho Myung turned his gaze to Longevity Hall.
Then he soon tilted his head.
It was because his grandfather and master were not visible.
He carefully examined the area around Longevity Hall where his gaze reached. But they were nowhere to be seen.
"They must be inside."
No matter how much he focused his eyesight, he could not see inside Longevity Hall.
Cho Myung, after seeing Hua Yunhui and Seokcheong arrive in order and go into Longevity Hall, turned his gaze.
The streets of An were further away.
So even with Cho Myung's eyes, there was a limit.
An alley on one side of the street.
In the alley he always watched, he could see children playing.
After seeing it by chance one day, his gaze naturally went there.
When he first saw it, he had been depressed with envy and a sense of loss at the sight of them playing happily with their friends, unlike him.
Then one day, after seeing the sight of the children running away in all directions, being chased by a not-so-large dog, he had realized the reality that he was different from ordinary children.
'I don't have to run away...'
A small sense of superiority had been born.
And that emotion had fostered his confidence.
'He said that if I just work hard, I can do anything. So I'm going to work really hard.'
Cho Myung knew well what he was training for.
A fight to protect happiness.
It was training to fight someone.
Although he was young, he was clearly aware of that point.
"I have to train again."
Cho Myung shot up from his seat.
It was at that moment.
Two familiar people were visible in the distant streets of An.
Cho Myung focused his eyesight and examined them.
"Huh? It's grandfather and master!"
***
"What do we do if he grows again in a few days?"
Jeok Yorap asked.
"It's embarrassing to ask the head of the family for money again, so we'll have to add some cloth to lengthen it."
"That would work. Anyway, he's a kid who gives us strange worries."
"Having such worries is also happiness."
"Oh-ho! You've really become a master."
"What's so special about a master? If you cherish and teach them like your own child, you're a master."
"I guess so."
It was when the two were walking with pleasant faces.
Suddenly, dozens of strong men rushed over and blocked their way.
The two stopped walking.
And they watched, wondering what was going on.
Soon, the center of the strong men opened to the left and right, and three people approached.
The one in the lead was a middle-aged man with a cold impression.
Battle Ghost, Zuo Gu'e!
It was him.
"Hello."
"Who are you to do this?"
Jeok Yorap asked.
At this time, Old Man Ban was looking at the people standing on both sides of Zuo Gu'e.
It was Yang Gatae and the leader of the Ghost Blade Sect.
Old Man Ban, who had met the two before, realized that they had come for him and turned his gaze to Zuo Gu'e.
"You must have come knowing who I am, who are you?"
"I know the fame of the Fighting Demon well. I am the Battle Ghost."
"Battle Ghost? The fighting ghost in the land of Guizhou?"
"That's right."
"If you are the Battle Ghost of the land of Guizhou, you are not unknown, do you also get involved in such dirty fights?"
"It's a fight with the Fighting Demon, how can it be dirty?"
"The Fighting Demon you want to fight is not here."
"It doesn't matter. Even a sick Fighting Demon is still a Fighting Demon."
"That's right. Even a sick Fighting Demon is still a Fighting Demon. Did you come prepared to die together?"
Old Man Ban's face, which had been speaking nonchalantly, suddenly turned cold.
At that, Zuo Gu'e grinned and spread his arms, and Yang Gatae and the leader of the Ghost Blade Sect, who were on both sides, took a step back.
"Stay back."
Old Man Ban said.
Jeok Yorap took a step back with a heavy face.
Since the fight was unavoidable, he had no choice but to do his best.
"I know that the Fighting Demon senior is skilled in close combat. So I have prepared this."
Zuo Gu'e drew a sword.
It was a sword with a blade half a handspan wide, but its length was so short that it seemed to be barely two handspans.
The longer a weapon is, the more dangerous it is, and the shorter it is, the faster it is.
It seemed he had paid attention to speed in preparation for Old Man Ban's irregular attacks.
"A fight is not done with weapons!"
"That's right. But shouldn't I at least prepare a little? I'm facing the Fighting Demon of the world."
Zuo Gu'e, who was smiling slyly.
Old Man Ban watched such a Zuo Gu'e and then walked with a swagger.
A quick battle!
Since he could not fight for a long time with his physical condition, he had to end it as quickly as possible.
That way, he could save his strength to deal with the small fry.
"The Fighting Demon will shed blood on the sword of the Battle Ghost!"
Zuo Gu'e, who had shouted with great momentum, rushed forward, sweeping the ground.
The distance was narrowed in an instant.
Swish!
A sword that cut through the air.
The shorter a weapon is, the faster it is, but its attack range becomes narrower.
Old Man Ban exploited that weakness.
He leaned his upper body back greatly and then returned to his original position as if bouncing, and approached with a swagger.
At the same time, he threw a punch.
It was a blow that would have crushed Zuo Gu'e's face in an instant.
Thwack!
The air burst.
Zuo Gu'e had avoided it by tilting his upper body and head at the same time.
At that moment, Old Man Ban, who had withdrawn the punch he had thrown, threw the opposite punch.
It was so fast that no opening could be felt.
This time, Zuo Gu'e did not avoid it either.
Spin!
As Zuo Gu'e rotated, the blade aimed for Old Man Ban's waist.
In exchange for landing a punch, his waist was about to be cut.
Old Man Ban frowned and performed his characteristic footwork, taking a step back.
Swish!
Zuo Gu'e's sword cut through the front of his waist.
At the same time, Old Man Ban, who was approaching.
He threw a strong punch at the head of Zuo Gu'e, who was just finishing his rotation.
It was a situation where if it hit properly, that would be the end.
"......!"
Old Man Ban's face was even more distorted.
Zuo Gu'e had already stepped back with a swagger. And he rushed in as if to attack, aiming for the moment when Old Man Ban's thrown punch was withdrawn.
As befitting the title of Battle Ghost, he knew the moments of a fight too well.
'No way!'
Old Man Ban did not avoid it and approached with a swagger, sharply twisting his upper body to the side and at the same time swinging the opposite punch greatly.
Whoosh!
A fierce sound of cutting through the air burst out.
He felt a power that would have shattered his head if he were hit once.
But it was at that moment, Zuo Gu'e's body sank down.
He had quickly lowered his posture to avoid it and then swung his sword at Old Man Ban's lower body like a flash of lightning.
Old Man Ban had no choice but to reflexively step back.
A breathless exchange.
It was a series of fierce and dangerous moments where if one made a mistake, someone's head would be shattered or someone's body would be cut in half.
That's how it looked to the people watching.
But Zuo Gu'e was smiling, and Old Man Ban's face was completely hardened.
Time and stamina.
Those two were on Zuo Gu'e's side.
Old Man Ban, whose breath was being choked and whose whole body's muscles felt like they were about to burst, became impatient.
In the fierce exchange, he had reached the limit of his physical condition.
At this point, there was no other way.
He had no choice but to take the risk.
The moment Old Man Ban's two eyes sank sharply and he rushed in like an angry bull, Zuo Gu'e's eyes shone with a different color.
'Is it now!'
Swish!
The sword moved up and down as if to cut the rushing Old Man Ban.
The moment it was about to cut through the air and split Old Man Ban's head.
Old Man Ban's two feet sharply turned and moved one step to the side.
And a punch that was swung like a flash of lightning.
Thwack!
The punch landed squarely on Zuo Gu'e's chest.
The moment Zuo Gu'e, who had received a heavy shock, staggered.
"......!"
Old Man Ban's face was distorted with bewilderment.
Drip, drip, drip!
Red blood was flowing from Old Man Ban's fist.
(End of Chapter)