It’s not as if I became the Crazy Demon because I frequently consumed elixirs.

My internal energy was always lacking.

Because it had been insufficient from the start, I had no particular dissatisfaction about that deficiency. If you’re born poor, you don’t really feel anything about poverty. In the same way, I always fought fairly well despite having less internal energy than my opponents.

Early on in my forays into Jianghu, I mostly fought masters of the dark path and honed my skills there, and when I later fought orthodox martial artists, I used the methods I had learned from the dark path.

Because my internal energy was lacking, I had no other choice.

Even when I fought the Butcher, I fled. I carried the Beggars’ Sect Leader on my back and ran. That, too, was a kind of habit.

You could say it was the method I chose because I was always the one running away.

If someone like me were to eventually overwhelm his enemies with internal energy... what would happen?

I don’t know.

Because it’s never happened.

Maybe I’d be invincible?

Even though I already had the Heavenly Pearl in my dantian, that didn’t mean I could become invincible overnight. After all, there’s rarely such a thing as sheer luck in life.

Still, if I discovered an elixir like Moon Orchid while at Manjang Gorge, that would be my fortune. Moon Orchid is hard to transport, so it would be better if I just consumed it on the spot.

Of course, elixirs of the ginseng or oil type can be stored and transported, so those would go to Moyong Baek or Yoran.

Since my destination was quite far, I found myself lost in thought even while running.

After running nonstop for five full hours, I arrived in a busy district, fatigued.

I had planned to spend money freely anyway, so I bought a floral-patterned white robe for the cold weather, changed into new shoes to replace my worn ones, and bought a silk wrap.

Come to think of it, are floral robes trending again?

Fashion trends come and go, and since I’m half-mad myself, I’ve always adapted to them well.

I debated whether to enter a shabby inn or a larger one. Since I planned to eat only once a day, I picked the pricier-looking lodging.

Hwanghak Inn.