Chapter 544
Chapter 544
Chapter 544. Death-Taking Guest (4)
We departed Kaifeng and headed toward the Jegal Family once more.
The contest between the Death-Taking Guest and me was in a state where I held the advantage.
While I had saved a child during the carriage accident at Seeulgyeongga last time, the Death-Taking Guest had not managed to perform any particular righteous deed.
In truth, chances to perform righteous deeds do not come all that often.
If one actively searched for them, there would be opportunities, but with our journey so busy right now, there was no time for that.
The deadline we had set for the contest was until we arrived at the Jegal Family, and there was not much time left before our arrival.
Kaifeng is in the northern part of Henan, and the Jegal Family is on the border between Henan and Hubei.
Perhaps because of that, the Death-Taking Guest looked anxious.
I did not know whether it was an obsession with victory or an obsession with gathering aliases...
I do not know how the Death-Taking Guest came to be obsessed with gathering aliases.
From what I heard last time, it seemed to have begun in a fairly righteous way at first.
“Younger Brother Death-Taking Guest.” (Young Master)
“Did you call me, Hyung-nim?” (Death-Taking Guest)
It does feel nice to hear him call me Hyung-nim.
“You said you are currently searching for your missing Master, correct?” (Young Master)
“Ah, yes. That is right. Hyung-nim.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Is the purpose of your wandering the empire to find your Master? Or is it to gather aliases?” (Young Master)
“O-of course... it is to find my Master.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“But why does it seem as though you are more obsessed with gathering aliases?” (Young Master)
At my words, he scratched his cheek.
“Mm... how should I put it? Finding my Master is my main mission, and gathering aliases is something like a hobby.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“I see.” (Young Master)
I asked him again.
“What do you think would happen if that hobby continued even though it interfered with your main task?” (Young Master)
“......” (Death-Taking Guest)
The Death-Taking Guest could not answer.
Since he has enough sense to think that much, he must be unable to answer readily.
“In that case, there are two solutions.” (Young Master)
“What are they?” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Quit the hobby. Or turn that hobby into your main task.” (Young Master)
“Are you saying that this Death-Taking Guest should either quit gathering aliases, or else put finding Master on the back burner and make my activities as the Death-Taking Guest my main task?” (Death-Taking Guest)
“You understood perfectly. And we have not arrived at the Jegal Family yet, but your speech has become rather casual.” (Young Master)
“...Ahem, ahem. My apologies.” (Death-Taking Guest)
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him, then opened my mouth.
“Not being able to give up your activities as the Death-Taking Guest must mean that your desire to find your Master is not that earnest. And although he is the Master who led you to that level, it must also mean that your feelings toward your Master amount to only that much.” (Young Master)
“......!” (Death-Taking Guest)
The Death-Taking Guest’s eyes wavered.
I stopped there and said no more.
Because he needed time to think for himself.
If I pressed him without giving him time to contemplate himself, it could have the opposite effect.
As we walked along like that, Warrior Seowoo spoke.
“It seems we will have to sleep outdoors tonight.” (Warrior Seowoo)
“I suppose we will.” (Young Master)
There was no suitable lodging along today’s road.
Rather than sleeping in some strange place, finding a proper spot and sleeping outdoors is much more reassuring.
We found a suitable place and made preparations to sleep outdoors, and Palgap lit a fire and began roasting jerky.
If you lightly roast the jerky bought in Kaifeng, it really becomes a delicacy.
I lifted my head and looked at the Death-Taking Guest.
From the moment I had thrown that topic at him earlier until now, he had continued to look as if he were pondering something.
“Younger Brother Death-Taking Guest.” (Young Master)
“Yes. Hyung-nim.” (Death-Taking Guest)
I handed him a skewer with roasted jerky on it and said,
“Thinking is good too, but eating is important as well. When you are hungry, your head does not work properly.” (Young Master)
“Thank you.” (Death-Taking Guest)
He accepted the skewer from me.
And I too took hold of a skewer and began eating.
Thanks to the mushrooms Palgap had gathered separately being stuck here and there between the jerky, the flavor was doubled.
“It’s delicious!” (Young Master)
“It was worth picking these mushrooms since you like them, Young Master.” (Palgap)
The mushrooms Palgap had picked have a texture similar to meat and enhance the flavor of food.
Known also to have fever-reducing effects, these mushrooms, strangely enough, grow only on old willow trees.
And even then, rarely.
So it was curious.
“These mushrooms only grow on willow trees. Was there a grove of willows inside this mountain?” (Young Master)
To gather this many mushrooms, there would have to be five or six old willow trees.
Willow trees mainly grow in wetlands, valleys, and the like.
In other words, there has to be a lot of water nearby.
But the road we had traveled was not so rich in water that a willow grove could form.
“Now that you mention it, it is strange. The place where those willow trees were was not somewhere like a valley, but just a mountain.” (Palgap)
“Is that so?” (Young Master)
A sudden curiosity arose.
“Shall we go take a look?” (Young Master)
And so I brought Palgap and Warrior Seowoo with me and headed to the place where Palgap had picked the mushrooms.
But the Death-Taking Guest followed us.
“Younger Brother Death-Taking Guest, why are you following us instead of resting?” (Young Master)
At my question, he said,
“I became curious as well.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“It seems your worries are over.” (Young Master)
“Well... yes, that is so.” (Death-Taking Guest)
He scratched the back of his neck.
“The thought suddenly occurred to me. If Master saw me like this, he would probably sigh at my immaturity.” (Death-Taking Guest)
He let out a sigh and continued speaking.
“I said that my purpose in wandering this empire was to find Master, but in truth, I had forgotten it. Perhaps I grew tired of searching for Master and, without realizing it, wanted to turn away from it.” (Death-Taking Guest)
There was a mournfulness in his voice.
His activities as the Death-Taking Guest may have stemmed from a desire to escape the pressure and sense of duty that he had to find his Master.
It is difficult.
Looking at him reminded me of Young Master Peng Kangwoon of the Peng Family of Hebei.
He too had wandered the empire in order to find his uncle. In the midst of that, there had also been countless times when his life was threatened.
I heard that now he is a Young Master with high expectations placed on him even within his family.
I hope he grows further and safely succeeds to the position of Clan Head.
Because he is my reliable contractor and ally.
“And so I...” (Death-Taking Guest)
Just then, Palgap pointed to one place.
“That is the very place where I picked the mushrooms.” (Palgap)
It was an ordinary mountain slope.
There was no place where water had pooled, and there was no valley, so it was not a place where a willow grove would form.
And yet there was a grove of willows.
And of a type of willow that greatly loves water, at that.
I approached a willow tree and placed my hand on it.
It was moist.
In other words, it meant that water was very abundant here.
Where in the world is the water?
A sudden thought occurred to me, so I concentrated my qi in my ears.
All sorts of sounds of nature came to me.
The cry of birds.
The sound of leaves brushing in the wind.
And the sound of flowing water.
Water!
I could clearly hear the sound of water flowing.
That meant that water was flowing beneath this ground.
It was nothing special for water to flow underground, but from within it came a sound that should not have been heard.
“Ugh... uuh...” (Unknown Person)
This is the sound of a person groaning, is it not?
“There is a problem.” (Young Master)
At my words, Warrior Seowoo asked,
“What is the matter?” (Warrior Seowoo)
“Water is flowing beneath here. But I can hear someone’s groans mixed in with it.” (Young Master)
“Pardon?” (Warrior Seowoo)
“Could you perhaps have heard wrong?” (Palgap)
At Palgap’s words, I shook my head.
“No, it was far too vivid to say I heard wrong. The sound of someone praying to the heavens for help.” (Young Master)
Having heard something like that, I could not simply pass by.
This would delay our journey a little, but I had a very bad feeling.
And for some reason, I also felt that I absolutely had to save that person.
“What will you do?” (Young Master)
At my question, the Death-Taking Guest answered.
“Did you not say so, Hyung-nim? Not to confuse the order of priorities.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“You remembered.” (Young Master)
Yes, the most important reason is precisely this.
Moreover, I have the ability to save a person, so there is even less reason to hesitate.
I immediately returned to the place where we had been sleeping outdoors and explained the situation to the party.
“I am sorry to make this request of all of you.” (Young Master)
“Not at all.” (Palgap)
“We merely follow our Liege’s command.” (Warrior Changwoon)
Palgap and Warrior Changwoon decided to remain behind to guard the horses and luggage, while the rest began searching thoroughly around the place where I had heard the sound.
If my thoughts were right, there had to be an entrance to a cave somewhere around here.
“Kui?” (Geumnyeong)
Just then, Geumnyeong pricked up his ears and poked his head out from my sleeve.
“Why? What is it?” (Young Master)
“Kui! Ku!” (Geumnyeong)
Hm? He says he has been sensing some kind of aura of money down below since earlier?
“Kui!” (Geumnyeong)
An aura not of expensive objects, but of money...
Putting that aside, since Geumnyeong came forward like this, does that not mean he also knows the passage?
“Geumnyeong, can you perhaps find the way there?” (Young Master)
“Kui? Ku.” (Geumnyeong)
“You do not know the way and only know the location?” (Young Master)
Just as I was about to feel somewhat disappointed, Geumnyeong spoke again.
“Kui! Kui!” (Geumnyeong)
Hm? What am I keeping the Hyeonrodo around for?
The Hyeonrodo?
At Geumnyeong’s words, I unfolded the Hyeonrodo and said,
“But the Hyeonrodo merely tells me the safe path to a destination.” (Young Master)
Crinkle.
At that moment, as if it did not like my words, one corner of the Hyeonrodo crumpled.
Hm?
Wait... the safe path to a destination?
Destination.
Ah, that is right!
It is not only going from here to the Jegal Family; going to save the person asking for help beneath the ground is also going to a destination.
I hurriedly apologized to the Hyeonrodo.
“Sorry, I did not understand your ability properly. I am trying to save someone trapped inside this cave right now. How should I go?” (Young Master)
At that moment, the picture on the map disappeared and another picture appeared.
It was the terrain around the mountain slope where we were.
Soon, a red line began marking the path we had to take.
“Wow, Hyeonrodo! You really do have an amazing ability.” (Young Master)
Although there was no wind, one corner fluttered.
It seemed embarrassed by the praise.
After I memorized the path the Hyeonrodo had shown me, I called the others together.
“I found the way. Follow me.” (Young Master)
And so I took the lead and headed for the entrance the Hyeonrodo had shown me.
“Is this really the right place?” (Death-Taking Guest)
There was a reason the Death-Taking Guest said that.
It was because one large boulder was blocking the front of it.
“Yes.” (Young Master)
I nodded with certainty.
If it was the path the Hyeonrodo had shown me, then it meant this was the safest route.
Warrior Seowoo stepped forward.
“I will open the way.” (Warrior Seowoo)
“Just in case, please be as quiet as possible.” (Young Master)
“Yes.” (Warrior Seowoo)
Warrior Seowoo formed sword qi and began carefully slicing away the boulder.
If he split it all at once, the sound might become too loud, and it could also trigger a landslide.
The pieces of boulder that Warrior Seowoo cut off like that were received by Warrior Ipil and Warrior Myeongjong with their hands and carefully set down.
After making a hole large enough for a person to enter, we looked inside.
A rather spacious-looking cave.
“It is quite dark.” (Death-Taking Guest)
It was a place where light did not enter.
And since the day was slowly darkening now, if we entered, it would be darkness where one could not see an inch ahead.
Of course, it was not as if we could not move just because it was dark.
But it would consume a lot of inner arts, and we would not be able to see as well as we could in the light.
Since recklessly entering a dark place was not a good choice, we needed something that could produce light.
So I rummaged through my pouch and took out a night pearl.
Seeing it, the Death-Taking Guest was startled.
“Gasp! Is that not a night pearl?” (Death-Taking Guest)
“That is right.” (Young Master)
When I then took out several more, he was aghast.
“Gasp!” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Is this your first time seeing a night pearl?” (Young Master)
“N-no, it is not, but is having seven of them not sufficiently shocking?” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Mm, that is true.” (Young Master)
“And the pouch you were keeping them in is also curious.” (Death-Taking Guest)
I chuckled.
“This is a token of interest given to me by someone up above.” (Young Master)
This pouch was an artifact bestowed by the Emperor, and I have been making good use of it.
And I also took out the pouches I had prepared in advance.
They were pouches woven from coarse cloth, with long strings attached.
“If we place the night pearls in this cloth and hang these strings around our necks, both hands should be free.” (Young Master)
“They look fairly good.” (Death-Taking Guest)
We finished our preparations securely like that and entered the space behind the boulder.
Splash, splash.
Seeing the place where water had gathered in abundance, this was clearly where the willows above obtained their water.
Beside us, water forming a small stream was flowing.
We advanced in the direction that water flowed.
It did not look sloped to the eye, but seeing the water flow, there must have been an incline.
We walked carefully and cautiously through the cave.
Since this region has many rocky mountains, such a cave must have formed naturally.
How long did we walk like that?
“......!” (Young Master)
I raised my hand and stopped the party’s steps.
Because I sensed the aura of the Black Path from quite far away.
I had not sensed it from above earlier, but once we entered deeper into the cave, it began to be felt.
The aura of the Black Path in a hidden cave like this?
What in the world is happening here?
Before long, I realized why the Hyeonrodo had guided us this way.
The other path must have someone guarding it and be under strict watch.
If we intruded there, it might be difficult to help the owner of the groans from earlier.
I calmly gave instructions.
“It seems there are dangerous people up ahead. Do not use the night pearls for the time being.” (Young Master)
At my words, the Death-Taking Guest tried to untie the string and return the night pearl.
But I shook my head and took out another pouch, handing it to him.
“It may be used later, so return it after we are safe. This is a pouch made to block light. Wrap the night pearl in this pouch and put it inside your clothes.” (Young Master)
“Understood.” (Death-Taking Guest)
We blocked the light of the night pearls like that and advanced carefully.
Inside, there were several small caves, and iron bars were embedded at the entrance of each cave.
A prison.
We will have to subdue those guarding this place first.
Because there is no way those carrying such a terrible aura of the Black Path are guarding a prison for a good purpose.
Moreover, among them are some whose Black Path aura is mixed with the stench of blood.
I gave instructions to everyone through telepathy.
Then I released my aura and extinguished all at once the fires that had been lighting the cave.
Whoosh!
Fwoosh!
The moment the fires went out, we charged at the ones guarding the prison all at once.