Chapter 156
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 156
Chapter 156. Visiting the Wudang Sect (3)
I said to Pal-gap.
“Eek! You scared me.”
I wasn't just saying that. I noticed because I was with Pal-gap every day. If it had been someone else, I would never have noticed.
“It seems that you want to stay here a little longer.”
“How did you know?”
“In the secret technique I've been learning lately, there is a way to read a person's thoughts by looking at their facial expressions. It seems that I've mastered that technique well.”
My Master was right.
Pal-gap is Pal-gap after all.
But I'm not someone who has trouble controlling my expressions, so how did he notice?
He really is talented.
“But don't do that again. I don't want you to get hurt because of me.”
“It doesn't hurt at all. The secret technique also teaches how to hit without hurting the opponent.”
Was that also included in the secret technique?
“So, how many days will it take?”
“Three days?”
“I understand.”
At that moment, we heard someone approaching, so we quickly stopped talking.
We heard someone's voice from outside the door.
“The two disciples who injured Pal-gap have come to apologize.”
“Come in.”
Soon, the door opened and two disciples entered the room.
They were the twenty-six disciples who had guided us, all of the same age as Moo-Woon.
They had already apologized earlier, but it seemed that they had come to apologize formally with their instructor.
“We are sorry.”
“We are truly sorry.”
They bowed their heads so low that their heads touched the floor.
“As I said earlier, it was an unavoidable situation. So please don't worry about it.”
I said to the instructor who brought them.
“So please don't punish the two Dao. I beg you.”
I bowed my head to the instructor, who clasped his hands together and said,
“I understand. I will not mention this incident.”
“Thank you.”
At those words, the two disciples' faces brightened. I said to them,
“I have a request for the two masters.”
“Please speak.”
“I am listening.”
“I heard that the place where you two fought today was not the training ground.”
The place where the martial aunt incident occurred today was neither the training ground nor near the training ground.
That is why we passed by there.
If it had been the training ground, we would have avoided it or passed by more carefully.
“You are still young and full of vigor, and you have a strong competitive spirit, so I understand why you crossed swords somewhere other than the training ground.”
My words made their faces red.
“As you continue to fight in the martial arts world, there will be many times when you cause unexpected damage to those around you, just like today. Today, it was just broken wooden swords, but in the future, it could be a stray sword qi.”
“....
”Those are very dangerous to ordinary people who don't know martial arts. Not only will buildings be destroyed, but people will be killed or injured.“
”....
“If your lives are in danger in the future, there will be no choice, but unless that is the case, I kindly ask that you consider the circumstances around you.”
The instructor nodded slightly at my words.
They knew it too.
Martial artists are beings who can destroy their surroundings at any time.
He smiled happily for a moment and gave me a clasped hands greeting.
“You are truly a gentleman. I will guide my disciples so that they do not cause any trouble to civilians, as you have said, and I will stake my honor on it.”
“I am grateful that you listened to my humble request.”
When I bowed with clasped hands, the two disciples also bowed with clasped hands and replied.
“We will keep that in mind.”
“I will also keep that in mind.”
The conversation ended smoothly, and the instructor and the Daoists left the room.
Thanks to Pal-gap, I now had a reason to stay here.
Now I had to think about how to stop the Blood Cult.
There were two options I could think of.
One was to eliminate the Blood Cult, but that was impossible.
I didn't know who they were, and the Wudang Sect had imprisoned them without killing them, so I couldn't kill them without knowing why.
So there is only one option left.
We must prevent the Blood Cult from recovering and escaping.
Of course, the best option is to steal the elixir.
The best option is to prevent the conflict from happening in the first place.
I am a peace-loving person who hates seeing blood.
* * *
Yeoncheon Village.
It was a village located at the foot of Mudaesan Mountain, but no one knew when it was founded.
It was just a village that formed naturally as people gathered one by one.
Like any other village, it was a village where people farmed and gathered wild vegetables. However, for some reason, there were no wild animals near the village.
There were no tigers that came to attack people.
One afternoon.
About fifteen people gathered in a warehouse in the village. Among them was a box.
“So that's what you call Shinryo-Hokushitsu?”
Their leader nodded in response to the question.
Shinryo-Hokushitsu.
It had come into their possession a few days earlier.
.
.
.
They had a purpose for settling in Yeoncheon Village.
It was to rescue their cult leader, who had been imprisoned by the Wudang Sect.
To seize the opportunity, they settled in a place that was not far from the Wudang Sect but not particularly conspicuous.
They knew that the Wudang Sect would not be able to kill their cult leader, so they waited patiently for the right moment.
However, even though it had been over 20 years since their cult leader had been imprisoned, they had not made any significant progress.
While they were feeling frustrated, someone came to them and said,
“I know that you are trying to rescue the Blood Cult Leader.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That you are the remnants of the Blood Cult.”
That was a secret that no one was supposed to know!
They desperately attacked him.
Chang!
Chae-chang!
However, the unidentified opponent easily dodged their attacks and said,
“The Blood Cult Leader's qi center has been destroyed and his limbs have been severed. Even if he is rescued in that state, do you think you can create the world you desire?”
“...”
His words struck a nerve.
In fact, they had been vaguely hoping that everything would work out if they could just rescue the Cult Leader.
But that was impossible.
The destruction of his qi center and severing of his limbs meant that his life as a martial artist was over.
Even if they rescued him in that state, there was nothing they could do.
Unless a miracle happened.
“Shinryouheisoku.”
“...!”
“With that, your cult leader will be able to recover, and your wishes will be granted.”
Shinryoheibokushitsu is an elixir that restores any physical damage to its original state.
Naturally, it is a rare elixir.
That is why they could not easily believe the other party's words that they would give it to them.
“Why would you give it to us?”
“Because I don't like the Wudang Sect.”
“You wouldn't give it to us just because you don't like the Wudang Sect, would you? What do you want in return?”
“It's not a difficult request.”
As expected, there was a price to pay.
“I would like to hear what your request is.”
“One is that you fight as mercilessly as possible. The other is that you accept someone I recommend into your group later.”
“....
”Oh, and I will help you succeed in this endeavor through my man in the Wudang Sect."
They had to rampage anyway in order to rescue the cult leader and take revenge.
It was a win-win situation for them.
On top of that, he was even going to help them!
They readily accepted his offer, and soon after, the person he recommended brought the Shining Spirit Room.
They placed the Shining Blessing in the middle of the warehouse and guarded it closely.
It was safer to guard it openly like this.
With the help of their collaborator, they contacted the imprisoned Blood Cult Leader.
They communicated the progress of their plan through the sound of flutes.
The day was fast approaching.
Then, they heard a commotion outside the door.
“Oh no, the disciples of the Wudang Sect are here!”
“How did they find this place?”
“Come in.”
“Wow! Are those Master Xian and Master Xiao?”
“They are handsome.”
Hearing that, they looked at each other. Their faces were filled with confusion.
“Why?”
“Why are they coming now after not coming all this time?”
“Could they have found out?”
If that were the case, they wouldn't have come so quietly.
Their eyes turned to the shrine in the middle of the room, and they quickly hid it in the corner of the warehouse.
* *
We arrived at Yeoncheon Village.
This was because Heo Yun-gak said that Baekcheon Trading Company's funds were flowing into this place.
However, we couldn't just go there.
Although Pal-gap was pretending to be sick, he was officially bedridden, so unless it was unavoidable, it would be suspicious if I left.
Therefore, I left the inn under the pretext of going to find medicinal herbs for Pal-gap.
According to the information I had gathered beforehand, Yeoncheon Village was closer than I had thought if I went through the mountains.
The Wudang Sect assigned two disciples to accompany me: Gong-ryun Dao, who was my guide, and Gong-jin Dao, who was assigned to assist him.
“Thank you for coming with me, Dao-shifu and Gong-jin Dao-shifu! I am truly grateful.”
“Due to what happened in the main text, Pal-gap Shiju asked us to do so, but we will do what we can to help.”
Unlike me, they were carrying swords.
This was because only members of the Wudang Sect were allowed to carry weapons in the Wudang Sect's territory.
Our weapons were still in the place where Haegamji's weapons were kept.
The guards following me now are Seo Woo and Yeo Eung-am.
The other two were left at the inn to nurse Pal-gap and prepare for any emergencies.
We searched for medicinal herbs in the snow-covered mountains.
“Ah! There are some medicinal herbs over there. These are very good for bruises.”
“Is that so?”
“It was no empty promise when you said we should go to the Eunhae Trading Company to find good medicinal herbs. You are indeed a member of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“You flatter me.”
We continued gathering medicinal herbs and headed in the direction we intended.
Soon, we found a village.
“It's a village.”
“Yes, I heard it's a peaceful and quiet village.”
“That's good. Let's go warm up and get a drink of water.”
We entered the village.
At that moment
“...!”
I covered my mouth.
It was because I could smell the strong stench of blood. At the same time, my inner arts began to move against my will.
Usually, when I encountered black-clad men, I felt disgust, but what I was feeling now was similar yet different.
It was disgusting and filled with the smell of blood.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I'm fine.”
I answered Gong Lun's question while controlling my expression.
I was at my peak, so I was able to endure it, but if I hadn't, I would have vomited.
Why was there such a strong smell of blood?
However, the others who were with me seemed fine.
“It's been a while since we've been climbing mountains, so we may have overdone it a little.”
“I see.”
“We should rest there for a while.”
At that moment, the villagers asked us to stay at their homes, and we accepted their offer.
Drinking warm water in front of the bonfire, I felt a little calmer.
I unconsciously stroked my sleeve and felt something strange.
Where did that guy, Geumryung, go?
I looked around for him and then remembered.
Before entering here, I had asked Geum-ryeong, “Please look for some medicinal herbs here.”
He must have already gone to work.
* * *
At that moment.
Geum-ryeong was exploring the area, sniffing around.
Then, Geum-ryung's nose twitched.
His nose, which was skilled at finding elixirs, had reacted.
In fact, Geum-ryung's nose was specialized in finding “expensive” things. And elixirs were also expensive.
Geum-ryung ran toward the place where his nose had reacted and soon entered a warehouse.
“So when are the Wudang Sect monks leaving?”
“How should I know?”
“They won't stay long.”
“Well, they have to leave for the Zhongnan Sect tomorrow...”
After exchanging a few words, they busily went about their work.
Geum-ryeong didn't miss his chance.
She found something hidden in the warehouse that looked like a yellow fruit.
Geum-ryeong tilted her head and spat something out of her mouth.
It was the fruit she had found on the mountain earlier.
Normally, all fruits fall off in winter, but this fruit was still hanging there.
Eunseoho had warned her that the fruit was poisonous, but Geumryeong wasn't affected by anything poisonous, and besides, the yellow color reminded her of gold, so she had picked it to play with.
She left it there and quietly disappeared, holding the original yellow fruit in her mouth.