Chapter 42 :

First-Rate Warrior Gathering People (1)

Kang Yuseong, a waiter at Moon Lake Inn, had been spending busy days for the past few weeks.

At first, he was busy because some elixir had appeared at Maling Plateau and murim people had flocked there, and afterward, he was busy because of the people who came to save those who had entered Maling Plateau.

Murim people were more generous than ordinary travelers.

Sometimes they did not take their change, and when they were in a good mood, they even gave tips several times the price of the food.

Of course, if he met a foul-tempered warrior, he could also end up in a dangerous situation where he had to risk his life.

Even so, he could not quit this work because he had to take care of his young younger sisters with the money he earned, and no other job was available to Kang Yuseong, who was still young.

The past few days had been exciting days for Kang Yuseong.

It was because the person who had rescued four thousand warriors from Maling Plateau was staying in the annex of Moon Lake Inn.

In the streets of Yueyang, every drinking party was noisy with that story.

They said that if not for that warrior, all four thousand warriors would have died.

Even while carrying food in the dining hall on the first floor of the inn, whenever stories about that warrior’s exploits came up, Kang Yuseong slowed his steps or needlessly lingered around that table, pretending to tidy things up as he listened without missing a single word.

When he heard that such a warrior was staying at Moon Lake Inn, he had been so happy he could have jumped.

“For someone so great, you are truly unusual.”

While changing the bathwater, he spoke to the warrior, with whom he had grown a little familiar after seeing his face continuously over the past few days.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

The warrior tilted his head as if he did not understand.

“What about me?”

“All the great people of Yueyang want to see you, Warrior. And yet you stay in the annex every day.”

“Ah…”

When the bathwater was poured out, black grime floated around, and strange things like shed skin flowed out with it.

The strange thing was that this was already the third time he had changed the water.

“Because it is troublesome.”

“You received many messages from Yueyang’s famous pleasure houses too, did you not?”

Right now, it was not only warriors and high officials who were looking for this warrior in Yueyang.

The waiter recalled the numerous letters he had delivered.

“Puhaha. A young brat like you knows all sorts of things?”

“Is it not what all warriors who learn martial arts desire—to make their names known and form ties with beauties?”

When he filled the bath again with hot water, the warrior entered the tub and gently scraped his skin with a smooth stone.

Quite mysteriously, the clear water quickly began to turn cloudy.

“Are you envious of me?”

“Of course.”

“How old did you say you were?”

“I am fourteen this year.”

“Do you want to make your name known and form ties with beauties?”

Kang Yuseong shook his head.

“That is not it.”

“Hm? Then why are you envious of me?”

“You have the power to save other people, Warrior. I envy that.”

“…”

The warrior silently continued scraping himself with the smooth stone.

Kang Yuseong poured out his own story without knowing why he was doing so.

“I wish I had the power to protect my young younger sisters. Right now, I am too young and too weak, so it is painful.”

“…How many younger sisters do you have?”

“Three.”

“Yuseong, are you taking care of all three by yourself?”

“…Yes.”

Even as he spoke, Kang Yuseong was surprised at himself.

He had never told even the innkeeper such a story.

Because whenever he told such stories, what usually came back was pity, sympathy, and people blaming him for being foolish.

He especially hated being told to sell his young siblings and find a way to live for himself.

But.

“You are admirable, kid.”

“…!”

The warrior gave a faint smile while scrubbing off the grime.

For some reason, tears began flowing endlessly from Kang Yuseong’s eyes.

“How did you come to make such an admirable resolve?”

“…Ahem, sob. I-I promised my mother.”

“Yes, yes. If a man of this age has precious people, he must care for them even if his own body breaks, or he will be left with regret. …Oh, the water has already become dirty again. Change the water for me.”

“…”

Kang Yuseong was about to burst into loud sobs from emotion, but the warrior’s words suddenly cut off his feelings.

This time as well, black grime and things like shed skin poured out.

It was truly a mysterious body.

Just how many times could he wash and still have that kind of grime come out?

“Do you want to learn martial arts?”

“…Pardon?”

“You said you wanted to become strong. Earning money and studying are also ways to become strong, but still, is that not why you are telling me this? Because you want to learn martial arts?”

“…”

Kang Yuseong’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

Still, he decided to be shameless just this once.

“Yes! It is my dream to become a warrior just like you.”

“A warrior like me…”

After falling into thought for a moment, the warrior tilted his head and said,

“Do you know that I am from the Taeul Sect?”

“Of course. That story is spreading throughout all of Yueyang.”

“You know very well that the Taeul Sect’s martial arts are nothing special, right?”

He knew very well.

That was what people were surprised about these days.

“If you had the chance to enter the Taeul Sect, would you want to?”

“Yes!”

“…I became like this through my own effort and luck, without borrowing the power of martial arts. What I mean is that even if you learn the Taeul Sect’s martial arts, the path for you to become an expert may be distant.”

“…Then can I become like you, Warrior?”

“What?”

“I do not want to become an expert. I want to become like you.”

Splash.

The warrior dropped the smooth stone and groped for it in the water.

“You brat, you are good at saying embarrassing things.”

The warrior said nothing more.

Kang Yuseong also noticed that the warrior did not want further conversation and diligently changed only the hot water.

Then, mysteriously, the amount of grime and shed skin gradually began to decrease.

And when the warrior finished bathing and came out of the tub, Kang Yuseong became dazed after seeing his body.

He had a large frame, tall height, and a big, masculine build, but there was not a single bit of excess flesh visible.

Especially his skin, which did not show even the tiniest blemish, almost like a woman’s.

“Where are my clothes?”

“…Ah, h-here they are.”

Kang Yuseong handed over the newly prepared black martial uniform.

He wore some kind of silver clothing under the martial uniform, then put on the black martial uniform.

On his left arm, he wore a wrist guard decorated with hawk talons, and he carried a black sword.

When he had first entered Moon Lake Inn, he had looked like a wandering warrior with a rough air, but now he looked like a flawless young nobleman with no gaps.

“Take this.”

With that, he held out one gold coin.

It was an amount so enormous that Kang Yuseong could not even imagine receiving it as a tip, but for some reason, he was not greatly happy.

“…Is it not enough?”

“That is not it. I am sad because I think I will not be able to see you anymore.”

“What is there to be sad about? We can see each other at the Taeul Sect.”

“Pardon?”

“You said you wanted to enter the Taeul Sect, did you not? Once you have resolved yourself, hire an escort with that and come to the Taeul Sect with your younger sisters. Otherwise, use that money to take good care of your sisters.”

“…W-Warrior.”

“Ah, of course, the sect master must permit it, but… he probably will.”

The last words were not very reassuring, but Kang Yuseong had no room to care about that.

Breaking the vow he had made after his mother died never to cry again, Kang Yuseong sobbed loudly for quite a while.

#

I had never dreamed I would meet Kang Yuseong at Moon Lake Inn.

Sword Maniac Kang Yuseong, who came from being a waiter, entered a remote mountain valley with a single sword, and claimed the last seat among the Ten Swords Under Heaven with the unique sword art he created.

He looked similar and had the same name, so I had wondered if it might be him, but the moment I heard that he had three younger sisters below him, I could be certain.

‘You are mine.’

I wondered whether I had changed the future of an overwhelmingly great talent too much, but if he had a foundation, he would probably do even better.

“…If he moves his residence to the Taeul Sect, he will not lose his younger sisters. And now he will inherit the true legacy called the Taeul True Scripture, so it is not a bad choice for him either.”

I hypnotized myself like that.

After undergoing transformation through the Mita Divine Water, my whole body felt light enough to fly.

All the impurities that had accumulated inside my body throughout my lifetime had been expelled, and my interior became as clean as that of a newborn child.

On top of that, the Taeul True Scripture opened paths again and changed my body into one suited for it, as if painting a picture on paper.

At first, it felt awkward because my height and body had changed, but only for a moment.

Soon, I realized that my current physical condition was the ideal state for displaying the Taeul True Scripture and the other martial arts of the Taeul Sect.

“I am envious.”

Namgung Seonhwa, who had stopped by to say farewell to me, had clearly sensed the changes in my body even though I had not told her that I had consumed the Mita Divine Water.

Unfortunately, only one person’s worth of Mita Divine Water had come out, and there was not even enough to give to the Taeul Sect’s junior brothers and sisters, let alone Namgung Seonhwa.

“So this is the rumored Martial Bone Body.”

“You know about the Martial Bone Body?”

“Of course. I came looking for the Mita Divine Water to achieve that.”

The Martial Bone Body was one of the special constitutions, like Wang Soso’s Sun Body.

However, unlike other constitutions that one was born with, the Martial Bone Body was a constitution that could only be gained through constant training and enlightenment leading to a complete rebirth, or through the Mita Divine Water.

“You must be disappointed.”

I offered words of comfort, but Namgung Seonhwa did not seem particularly disappointed.

“…Well, since you ate it, it is fine.”

“Pardon?”

“It is nothing. I heard from my elder brother. You agreed to stop by the Namgung Family, right?”

“That is how it turned out.”

“Would you perhaps like to accompany me when taking the regular examination?”

Although the regular examination of the Murim Academy was an individual test, bringing one’s family, bringing helpers, or candidates cooperating with one another were all allowed.

However, those holding important positions in the Murim Alliance, those with martial prowess of first-rate level or higher, and graduates of the Murim Academy were not allowed to participate.

“I think I will participate while leading one or two units of the Azure Dome Corps.”

“…?”

Considering the power of the Namgung Family, even leading at least five units would not be enough.

“There are circumstances within the family.”

“…Ah.”

It seemed the internal division of the Namgung Family from my previous life had already begun.

“Still, I will only bring elite personnel, so I think they will definitely be of help.”

After thinking for a moment, I shook my head.

“I apologize, Lady. I also have something planned for this examination. I think that will be difficult.”

“…I suppose so.”

Namgung Seonhwa nodded as if she understood.

Our farewell greetings were roughly finished, and we had said everything we needed to say, yet Namgung Seonhwa did not leave and needlessly kicked at the empty floor.

“…Um, may I ask you one thing?”

“Please speak.”

“By any chance… with Sister Moran…”

Namgung Seonhwa trailed off with a complicated and subtle expression.

“Did something happen to Lady Seong?”

“…”

Namgung Seonhwa opened and closed her mouth, then shook her head and suddenly clasped her fist and palm together.

“It is nothing. Young Master Jin, thank you so much for this time. Someday, I will definitely repay this favor.”

#

After leaving Moon Lake Inn, I headed first not to Hubei Province, where the Jegal Family was located, but to Nine Dragons Mountain near Southern Peak.

To bring Jegal Cheongi to the Taeul Sect, I first needed money.

Moreover, thanks to this incident, I had unexpectedly obtained a good item, so I no longer needed to go far to search for treasure.

Upon reaching the entrance of Nine Dragons Mountain, I pulled out a map from the library in my mind.

It was the place where Wolhyang, the concubine of the richest man in Yue, was buried, a place Du Cheongang of the Small Elite Squad had regretted being unable to rob until the day he died.

In truth, we had always wondered why Du Cheongang, who came from a thief background, had entered the Murim Alliance at all, and the story behind it was quite a masterpiece.

Du Cheongang, who mainly robbed luxury goods received as bribes by high officials and nobles, once robbed a secret storehouse he thought one of those high officials had hidden for slush funds. But as it turned out, it was the tomb of the Minister of Personnel’s family.

Because he had robbed a tomb belonging to such a family, officials all across the country dropped everything and charged after Du Cheongang like jiangshi, determined to take his head.

As a last resort, Du Cheongang hid his identity and joined the Murim Alliance as a low-ranking warrior to avoid the eyes of the government troops.

After entering the Murim Alliance, Du Cheongang tried to lure people with strong demon-resisting power into robbing Wolhyang’s tomb.

However, Mount Heng Sect, Maosan Sect, Shaolin, or Wudang had no reason to deal with low-ranking warrior Du Cheongang.

In the end, the bastard was dragged into the Great War of Righteousness and Demons while still in the Small Elite Squad without ever robbing Wolhyang’s tomb. Every night, he shed tears and blamed his fate.

“According to Du’s words, it should be around here.”

When I checked behind the waterfall halfway up Nine Dragons Mountain, I saw a narrow entrance between the violently falling streams of water.

It was a natural perilous terrain with not a single place to set foot, as if refusing human access.

I shot the Flying Dragon Claw a little higher, grabbed the line, and jumped in.

Whiririring.

After passing through the waterfall and squeezing my body through the small hole, a large space appeared inside.

When I lit the torch I had prepared, the interior of the cave gradually began to reveal itself.

The cave, which had seemed untouched by human hands, showed more and more artificial traces the deeper I went. At the end of the cave, one side of the cave had been carved like a huge hall.

“I found it.”

The inside of the hall had been decorated as a tomb.

The only problem was that the place where the coffin had been, and the places where the belongings of the deceased had stood in life, were all empty and filled only with spiderwebs.

“The mechanism should be around here.”

Because Du Cheongang had gone on and on about robbing Wolhyang’s tomb whenever he drank, I was able to find the unfamiliar mechanism immediately.

Drrrrrrrrrrrk. Thud. Bang.

As expected, one side of the wall was pushed aside, and the door opened halfway.

Inside the door lay a narrow passage barely wide enough for two people to enter, and the passage was filled with broken arrows and thick spikes protruding from the floor.

“They said everyone could get this far.”

There were already traces of someone passing through the path toward the secret chamber.

I activated the Heavenly Solitary Stride I had obtained at Maling Plateau.

My achievement in it was still only at the first stage, but that alone was enough.

Tukang. Tukang. Tukang.

Shushushushushuk.

After I passed through the secret chamber, the mechanisms activated, spikes sprang up from the floor, and arrows shot out from all directions.

“They said there is none under heaven who can follow it, and it lives up to its name.”

After briefly admiring the divine power of Heavenly Solitary Stride, I turned my body and entered the space. My eyes opened wide.

“Heh.”

Night pearls were embedded in the ceiling like stars, and inside the room, piles of gold, silver, and treasures glittered brilliantly under the light of those night pearls.

I understood why Du Cheongang had lamented whenever he drank.

“It was true.”

As I was examining several pieces of treasure, the pile of skeletons stacked in one corner of the room chilled my mood.

“So most of them were buried here.”

They were clearly human skeletons.

And not just one or two people, but a skull mound made from quite a large number of people.

“It seems quite a few people came here and could not leave.”

Then.

An ominous sound came.

Clank. Clank.

My head turned toward one room on the side of the space.

Clank. Clank.

The reason Du Cheongang had to leave empty-handed despite having countless treasures before his eyes.

Clank. Clank.

—Ehehehehehehehehehehehe.

The reason he had tried to coax priests and monks into robbing this tomb despite suffering all sorts of humiliation in the Murim Alliance.

“Show yourself!”

It was because of the powerful ghost guarding this tomb.

—Is a thief pretending to be the master!!

I had heard the Frenzied Heavenly Roar of the Demonic Cult, but this was my first time hearing a voice so thick with demonic energy.

My mind shook, my heart pounded, and my body began to stiffen.

Clank. Clank.

—How fearless of you to enter this place.

Along with the sound of clashing metal, a woman with beauty so extraordinary it was hard to believe she belonged to the human world slowly walked out, naked except for the splendid gold, silver, and jewels adorning her body.