Chapter 31 - The Second-Rate Warrior Seeking Legends (3)

"Senior Sister suddenly asked if we had any thoughts of going to the Murim Academy. When I asked her for the reason, I found out after hearing that she plans to take the standard exam with you, Eldest Senior Brother."

Saryeon must have been deliberately searching for a way, even knowing it was impossible. Should I call this foolish?

Then, feeling something strange at a certain point in the story, I tilted my head.

"Of course it was an impossible request, but why did you refuse?"

The Murim Academy was the dream gateway desired by all rising stars. It would have been tempting enough for someone like Geumpyo, who had made it to the top four, so it was puzzling that he refused outright.

"Isn't Senior Sister the daughter of the Sect Leader? Even if she wasn't, I didn't think the food at the Murim Academy would go down easily if we sent her into such a deadly place."

"..."

I was left speechless by his words.

They had grown up like siblings, but they weren't actual blood relatives... Seeing how much they cared for each other was so touching and made me so grateful that a multitude of emotions overlapped within me.

"So, please take us with you."

"Please take us with you."

I snapped back to reality and shook my head.

"No. The standard exam isn't as easy a path as you think."

"..."

The Geum-eun-dong Brothers dropped their heads like puppies out in the rain at my firm response.

"However, if the task I'm planning works out well, and you complete all the assignments I give you in the meantime, I will consider it."

"Really?"

"If you're going to give the exact same response, just have one person say it."

The three Geum-eun-dong brothers rejoiced as if they had already been admitted into the Murim Academy.

"Go back and forth to the peak of Mount Hwaun three times every morning."

"Pardon?"

"Why, can you not do it?"

"No! We can do it."

"And from now on, practice the sword formation I teach you fifty times a day. You have half a year. The three of you must be in perfect sync without even seeing, hearing, or speaking to one another."

GULP.

The Geum-eun-dong Brothers swallowed their saliva in unison.

"Of course, you must not skip your classes at Kwaehwa Hall while doing this. Once you complete everything up to Kwaehwa Hall, I will consider it then."

"..."

"The Murim Academy's exam is one where even the rising stars of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans continuously fail and get injured. Fatalities even occur among them. If you do not possess that level of skill, taking you with me is no different from asking me to take the exam while carrying heavy luggage."

The expressions of the three brothers darkened.

"Therefore, you need something greater than the mere goal of wanting to enter the Murim Academy. The resolve to bleed for your brothers and sisters of the Taiyi Sect, and the effort to back up that resolve! If you lack this, you can just stay under Saryeon's and my protection."

At that moment, the youngest, Dongryong, hesitated before speaking.

"Then... aren't you and Senior Sister bleeding for us, Eldest Senior Brother?"

I stroked his head.

"It's fine. That is what I must do as your Eldest Senior Brother. Saryeon will likely feel the same way."

"... I will do it."

Dongryong spoke as if making a firm pledge, followed by Eunho and Geumryong.

"I will do it."

My plan to deliberately assign a difficult task and intimidate them into giving up ended up producing a strange result.

Of course, I don't think these kids can actually accomplish all of it.

Even so, possessing such a mindset was important in itself, so I needed to serve as the destination for their efforts.

"Understood. Then I will look at your progress in half a year and make my decision."

"Yes!"

"Ah, right. And you must keep this a secret from everyone. The elders within the sect would never permit you to take the standard exam."

* * *

I gave my separate greetings to Sect Leader Hong and my father, packed a light bag, and left the Taiyi Sect to head for the Wang Estate.

Since this was a half-year itinerary, I should have packed a lot of luggage, but since I couldn't rent a horse every time I moved, I had no choice but to trust my internal energy and choose to walk.

"Should I have asked for some of the money from selling the Seven-Hued Jewel?"

My first destination was Suzhou.

Using a movement technique made the distance trivial, but there was no way to relieve the accumulating fatigue.

"Do I have to dig up some treasure?"

I knew of a few treasure maps that were not yet known to the world, but the distances were too great.

"Let's move first and think about it."

The Wang Estate was located on a massive plot of land an hour away from the Taiyi Sect.

Because it was a village originally built for people associated with Wangga Manor to live in, the village's structure was vastly different from an ordinary layout.

Especially since this was the headquarters for the businesses operated by Wangga Manor, the Wang Estate even had the nickname 'the village where the lights never go out.'

However, for some reason, the entire Wang Estate felt deserted.

At the Lord of Wangga Manor's mansion located in the center of the Wang Estate, far from people involved in the merchant world wandering around, they had hung up pots to boil soup and hung up meat to roast.

The general manager guiding me spoke.

"The Lord cleared his entire schedule today because he had an important appointment."

"Huh? Then didn't I come here for nothing?"

"Haha, of course not."

While I was debating whether I should immediately turn back or not, the general manager smiled strangely and led me to Wang Geumsan.

"Junior martial artist Jin Sowoon greets you. Have you been well?"

In Wang Geumsan's quarters, not only Wang Geumsan but also his only daughter, Wang Soso, were present.

"Haha, I made a mistake with you back then, but I thought I had smoothed it over at least a little. I suppose not."

"What do you mean? What you have already given me was so massive that I wouldn't even know how to begin paying it back."

"It hasn't been smoothed over. It hasn't."

Wang Soso was covering her mouth and giggling.

I confessed honestly.

"What was your reason for suddenly asking for me? I was almost sold off in exchange for a debt."

"That was because I wanted to repay my debt to you."

"Your attempt to repay a debt almost ruined my life."

"Why would it ruin your life? You would be gaining power you could not easily obtain."

"..."

"Is martial prowess the only power in this world? Financial power can accomplish countless things that martial prowess cannot."

It wasn't exactly wrong. In reality, the biggest obstacles to the Demonic Cult dominating Jianghu were the Three Great Merchants.

After Wang Geumsan disappeared, the remaining Three Great Merchants banded tightly together and refused to succumb to the Demonic Cult's pressure.

Although the Demonic Cult exterminated the merchant families with storm-like momentum, the surviving retainers did not yield and continued to resist.

In the end, nothing in the world functioned without money.

Even the Demonic Cult eventually had to undergo a process of negotiating with the Three Great Merchants, and they remained in Jianghu even after the Murim Alliance disappeared.

"However, you seem to have some sort of conviction and are still walking your own path. So I thought I had made a mistake once again."

"Not at all. Thank you for your concern."

"Are you planning to take the standard exam?"

"!"

He struck with an unexpected comment from an unexpected angle.

Wang Geumsan's eyes were already filled with absolute certainty. As expected, the title of one of the world's Four Great Merchants wasn't given to just anyone.

"What do you mean, Father?"

Wang Soso asked, but Wang Geumsan did not answer and simply stared directly at me.

As I also remained silent, Wang Soso's complexion gradually began to worsen.

"Oppa! That's absurd. Even I, who have stayed home my entire life, know how terrifying the standard exam is."

"Soso. Your father is discussing an important matter right now. Express your personal concerns later."

"..."

Wang Geumsan spoke firmly this time, even to the daughter he cherished so dearly.

Unable to ruin the mood, I answered obediently.

"How did you know?"

"You yielded the 108 Peaks privilege to your junior sister and began making urgent moves with half a year left until the standard exam. Furthermore, at this critical moment when it's uncertain how the Taiyi Sect will awaken again. In that case, there is only one answer, isn't there?"

"..."

Since Wang Geumsan had his own personal intelligence network, he likely didn't deduce this from fragmentary information alone.

However, seeing him predict a person's goal based solely on their individual actions showed that the wealth Wang Geumsan had built was no coincidence.

"Traditionally, there's a saying that the Nine Sects and One Gang deploy a whole squad just to get a single talent into the Murim Academy. In the case of the Five Great Noble Clans, two squads. Even after doing so, it's said that countless examinees still fail to be admitted. The Taiyi Sect doesn't have that kind of capability. What do you plan to do?"

"Originally, the standard exam was designed to be passed by the individual abilities of the examinees."

"Right, and this situation came about as the competition for that exam grew fierce."

"Even so, the grand framework remains unchanged."

"Hm, so you're just going to clash head-on?"

Regret flickered in Wang Geumsan's eyes at my seemingly reckless attitude.

"I might fail. No, I will undoubtedly fail. But trying and failing is different from giving up without trying."

"But isn't the exam too dangerous to just try? That must be why you haven't told anyone either."

"What's important is an unyielding spirit. Even if I fail, if this spirit is carried on, my junior disciples will put in more effort to prepare, and their disciples will put in even more effort to prepare. I believe this is not just an issue of currently entering the Murim Academy, but the path our sect must forge ahead."

At my words, Wang Geumsan shut his mouth tightly as if he had eaten honey. Conversely, Wang Soso's mouth fell wide open in shock.

After a long silence, Wang Geumsan murmured to himself.

"They say a dragon can soar without distinguishing between a small stream and the vast ocean."

Wang Geumsan nodded.

"Whether you take the standard exam or do something else, just make sure to return alive. Even if you lose everything, as long as you have the will to start over, it is not a failure but an experience."

"Thank you."

"I called you here because I felt I could be of some help on your journey."

As Wang Geumsan looked at Wang Soso and nodded, Wang Soso brought over a wooden tray lined with silk from the side.

On the tray rested a silver, finger-sized token and a small pouch.

"This is known as the Silver Wang Token, used by members of our Wangga Manor."

I swallowed hard at Wang Geumsan's words. The Silver Wang Token was virtually a letter of credit used only by the direct descendants of Wangga Manor.

Not only did it grant access to the businesses operated by Wangga Manor, but it was also a sort of guaranteed payment certificate that allowed one to withdraw funds from banks contracted with Wangga Manor.

"Um... I think this is too extravagant an item."

"Hm? What are you thinking? I plan to bill the Taiyi Sect for all the money you spend at the bank."

Wang Geumsan certainly possessed a talent for instantly shattering a person's good mood.

"I'm giving this to you to use the businesses operated by our Wangga Manor. If you're going to be poking around all corners of the world, shouldn't you at least be able to use the stables freely?"

"Ah... I see. Thank you."

I felt immensely grateful, but for some reason, I also felt a tinge of disappointment.

"Ah, right. I'm giving you this because our Soso threw a tantrum insisting I take care of you."

"A-Father. When did I ever throw a tantrum?"

Wang Soso blushed deeply and hung her head.

"I thought she might mature a bit if I sent her to the Taiyi Sect, but she only grew physically. She's still a child. A child."

I widened my eyes upon seeing the slightly opened pouch.

Contrary to my expectation that it would contain copper coins, the bulging coin pouch was filled with gold coins.

"What's wrong, are we still not smoothed over?"

"Pardon? What are you talking about? I have always deeply respected you, Lord Wang."

With the coin pouch safely in my pocket, my tongue rolled smoothly.

Hurrah for the rich.

* * *

In my past life, while mindlessly cramming the materials of the Mantong Bureau's Simhyeon Pavilion into my head, my hand had suddenly stopped.

—Taiyi Sword Emperor.

It was a given that my hand would stop at the appearance of such an unexpected term.

The legendary expert said to have dominated the world with ten thousand swords and forced everyone who stood before his blade to their knees.

This absurd legend was a story people of Jianghu used when mocking the Taiyi Sect, which shared the same name.

Naturally, I couldn't help but freeze when the protagonist of an absurd story, one that not even Taiyi Sect disciples believed, appeared in the deepest part of the Simhyeon Pavilion.

They were the oldest materials even within the Simhyeon Pavilion.

The name of Taiyi had appeared among documents that had been piled up for hundreds of years, their importance no longer even determinable.

—The influence of the Dark Heaven intensified and obscured the Sun.

—The Master of Ten Thousand Swords boldly stood before all people.

—The Ten Thousand Swords forced the Dark Heaven to retreat.

—The Lords of the Sun fear the Ten Thousand Swords will take the place from which the Dark Heaven retreated.

—The Lords of the Sun resolved to separate both the Dark Heaven and the Ten Thousand Swords from the mortal realm.

—Beside Chu's tray. The hell where heaven and earth meet. The Dark Heaven and the Ten Thousand Swords were sealed at its end. Thereafter, the world knew peace.

Back then, these were cryptogram-filled stories from which I couldn't deduce much.

Later, while stuck in the remote mountains and valleys, I reviewed the Simhyeon Pavilion's materials for fun and finally realized the importance of this information.

In the Murim Alliance's code system, the Murim Alliance was generally likened to the Sun.

Conversely, the Demonic Cult was referred to as the Dark Heaven, symbolizing the Heavenly Demon.

If so, who did the Ten Thousand Swords mentioned in this code refer to?

At a glance, it could be seen as a faction boasting ten thousand members, but then it wouldn't align with the concept of being sealed.

After all, the cipher explicitly designated the Master of Ten Thousand Swords.

Upon deciphering the code up to this point, I had shuddered.

"Was the Taiyi Sword Emperor real?"

The Taiyi Sect had entered the 108 Peaks the very moment the Murim Alliance was established.

And for nearly five hundred years, they had never once been excluded from the 108 Peaks.

Such a feat was usually only possible for unique factions like the Gangcheon Sect or the Maoshan Sect, which possessed powerful forces comparable to the Nine Sects and One Gang.

Yet, despite showing almost no progress, the Taiyi Sect had never fallen out of the 108 Peaks for four hundred years.

This was the point where I started thinking that the legend of the Taiyi Sword Emperor might actually be true.

'Perhaps they kept the Taiyi Sect within the 108 Peaks to prepare for the Master of Ten Thousand Swords, who might one day emerge again.'

That is the reason why, with only half a year left before the Murim Academy's standard exam, I am prioritizing my search for the Taiyi Sword Emperor over spiritual elixirs and treasures.

Pinpointing the first location wasn't too difficult.

—Chu's tray.

The word 'tray' is often used to signify a lake.

Saying 'Chu's tray' meant the lake itself held representative status, and thinking of a place named 'Chu' with a representative lake naturally brought to mind the State of Chu from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Ultimately, the correct answer pointed to Hunan Province, home to Dongting Lake.

"But it won't be easy... Of all times, this period should be when Hunan Province is the most chaotic."

Around this time in my past life, Amitabha Holy Water, an incredibly rare spiritual elixir, was discovered in Hunan Province.

This spiritual elixir possessed properties of extreme Yin, radiating a chill so intense that an ordinary person would suffer such severe frostbite from a mere touch that their entire arm would have to be amputated.

However, if a martial artist consumed it using a special method, it possessed the efficacy to grant an effect similar to shedding the mortal body and exchanging bones, while simultaneously unlocking their meridians.

Furthermore, despite its Yin nature, both men and women could consume it, making it a spiritual elixir coveted by anyone who practiced martial arts.

"Thanks to that, a lot of people died too."

No less than five hundred of the people who entered the underground valley of the Demonic Spirit Plateau in search of the Amitabha Holy Water died.

Even considering that a bloodbath always ensued whenever a spiritual elixir appeared in Jianghu, it was an excessive casualty rate.

What's more, the reason this incident became famous nationwide was because those five hundred dead included people from the Namgung Clan, as well as Namgung Seonhwa, the current Patriarch's granddaughter.

That was also the reason why I wouldn't dare attempt it even with sixty years' worth of internal energy.

If even the elites protecting the young lady of the Namgung Clan entered and failed to return alive, how could I guarantee my own survival by entering alone?

"Should I have told them?"

Namgung San suddenly came to mind, but I immediately shook my head.

"Forget it. One wrong step, and I could end up being treated like a shaman."

Saving someone destined to die in the future was something I could only do within the limits of my own actions.

NEIGH!

While I was lost in thought, the horse I rented from the stables snorted as if it wanted to run.

"Do you want to run too? Let's go for an exhilarating ride."

I gripped its reins tightly and turned the horse's head toward Yueyang.

* * *

After arriving in Yueyang, the very first thing I did was stop by a stable operated by Wangga Manor to board my horse.

Because we had run a long distance, the horse was covered in dust and looked quite exhausted. Seeing the horse in such a state, the stable master clicked his tongue.

"Tsk, tsk. What were you in such a rush for to overwork the horse like this?"

"Because my schedule is tight."

"I'm sorry, but I can't swap your horse for another one."

"Ah, I just came to board it..."

"Huh?"

The stable master looked me up and down before clicking his tongue again.

"In that case, wouldn't it be better to try somewhere else? Our stable is famous for being the most expensive in downtown Yueyang."

"Ah, I don't plan on paying."

"What!"

The stable master's eyes turned sharp.

I quickly pulled out the Silver Wang Token I received from Wang Geumsan and showed it to him.

"The Lord told me that if I show this, I can use the facilities freely."

Upon seeing the Silver Wang Token, the stable master's eyes widened, and he hurriedly bowed deeply at the waist.

"A-Aigoo! I-I'm sorry. I failed to recognize an esteemed guest."

Seeing how quickly his attitude shifted, he was definitely someone who would find success in life.

"It's fine. You can stand up."

"... Ah, yes. T-Thank you."

At my sudden shift to informal speech, the stable master's expression twisted into a strange mix of neither laughing nor crying.

"Will I just be taking care of your horse?"

"Ah, by any chance, do you have a room at the stable where I can stay?"

"Pardon?"

My entire body ached from riding without rest for four days. I planned to stay for a few days to relieve my travel fatigue and make preparations.

"..."

"Why? Is it not allowed?"

Originally, I intended to get a room at a guest house, but his initial disregard, assuming I had no money, was so irksome that I decided to stay here instead.

"A-Ah, no. I will escort you myself. Please, come inside."

"Let's go in."

After recovering from my travel fatigue and handling a few matters over three days at the stable operated by Wangga Manor, I left the premises.

Yueyang looked exactly as vibrant as I remembered from my past life.

Countless people wandered the main streets, and many merchants raised their voices in front of their stalls to sell their wares.

I walked past those rather decent-looking shops for quite some time before entering an alleyway slightly set back from the main road.

There, the shops looked to be of lower quality than the proper stores I had seen thus far.

And I stopped in front of a drapery located between those shops.

Mr. Ha's Drapery.

"We have newly arrived cheap martial arts uniforms and robes. Please take a look."

The drapery owner was touting his goods, showing off cheap cotton fabrics.

I approached the owner and spoke.

"I am looking for a special fabric."

"What kind of special fabric are you looking for?"

I looked the owner straight in the eye and whispered lowly.

"I'd like a fabric that is the darkest and deepest."

The owner's expression stiffened for a moment before he quickly corrected it and smiled brightly.

"I happen to have some fabric that just came in from Tibet, but I haven't unpacked it yet. Would you like to come inside?"

"Of course."

Following him inside, a small corridor appeared.

The owner, who was leading the way, stopped briefly in front of a door and blocked my path with an attitude bearing only the bare minimum of courtesy.

"Ah, before that, excuse me, but may I confirm if you have the money?"

"Of course I have plenty, so don't worry."

In an instant, the owner's eyes shifted drastically.

"That is not the correct answer."

He put on a straight face with a voice full of cold intent and drew his sword from his waist, while simultaneously, swords flew in from all directions to form a calyx formation around me.

I casually elaborated.

"I know. But since I don't have a Black Token, I just came inside first."

"Turn back if you don't want to die."

"You solicit customers to sell fabric that won't sell, yet you won't even try to secure a truly important customer?"

The owner scoffed as if he found it ridiculous.

"Because most bastards who say things like that are nobodies."

"I'm going to reach inside my coat for a moment."

I carefully pulled out the Silver Wang Token from my inner pocket and showed it to him.

At that, the owner's eyes shot wide open.

I looked at him and shrugged.

"Is this enough to make me an important customer?"

This place, which appeared to be an ordinary drapery.

Was none other than the Haomun's Yueyang branch.

* * *

The place I was guided to after following the owner was a staircase leading underground at the end of the drapery's corridor.

Following the stairs down, a large room appeared, and inside the windowless space with not a single hole for light to enter, luminous pearls cast their glow instead.

"I failed to recognize an esteemed guest. I ask for your understanding regarding the time it took to verify it."

He was talking about the time it took to send and receive carrier pigeons to verify the authenticity of the Silver Wang Token.

Since it hadn't even been a week since Wangga Manor issued the Silver Wang Token, no matter how few owners there were, it would not have been easy to know its authenticity in advance.

"It might be a stretch to ask for it as compensation, but please give me a Black Token. I feel like I'll be frequenting this place."

"Need you even ask? I will prepare a premium Black Token for you."

Bizarre devices and weapons were placed around the room.

There were artifacts and poisons that could not be easily obtained on the market, mechanical contraptions, and treasured swords that appeared to have been plundered from someone.

"What do you need? We have everything from hidden weapons to spiritual elixirs. If it's not here, we will scour the world to bring it to you."

"I am well aware of the rumors. But what I need right now is information."

"Ah... Information sometimes requires greater value than a treasured sword."

The owner rubbed his palms together once before speaking.

"What kind of information do you desire?"

"Find a place in Hunan Province that fits the name, 'the hell where heaven and earth meet, at its end.'"

Because it was such a simple clue, I expected it to take some time. However...

"The price is twenty taels of gold."

"Eh?"

I tilted my head at his excessively quick response.

At that, the owner also tilted his head.

"Weren't you here to find the Amitabha Holy Water?"