Chapter 46 - A First-Rate Warrior Who Gathers People (5)

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Jin Sowoon of the Taiyi Sect."

"..."

"..."

I clasped my hands and offered a greeting, but the warriors assigned by the noble clan only gave a light nod in return.

"I am Yeongyeong."

However, contrary to the dismissive attitude of the male warriors assigned by the noble clan, a woman standing slightly apart from them lightly clasped her hands.

Unusually, the woman had half of her face covered, including her nose.

While veils that lightly obscured the contours of the face were commonly used, hers looked less like a veil and more like the masks frequently worn by thieves.

Come to think of it, the twin swords resting over her shoulders weren't particularly long either.

"I am going to prepare for the hunt now, if that is alright with you?"

There was no answer, so I nodded and headed toward the village to find the hunters.

"I heard you are not allowed to hire hunters."

One of the warriors who had previously given no answer spoke up.

"I will not be hiring them."

"Then why are you seeking out a hunter?"

"Because I have something to buy from them. Did they say that was forbidden as well?"

The warrior thought for a moment before replying and stepping back.

"They said it did not matter as long as you do not use artifacts or treasures."

Even though the Iron-Clad Black Python was a demonic beast, it was not a particularly terrifying opponent for me in my current state.

Even without the Black Dragon Sword or the Flying Dragon Claw, a single strike of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm would be enough to cleanly blow its head off.

But if I did that, it was fully expected that they would make absurdly forced arguments or, even worse, accuse me of hiding my martial arts.

If they felt cornered, they would probably refuse to release Zhuge Cheongi even if they had to force the issue.

'Considering they locked Zhuge Cheongi in the Golden Jade Prison for eight whole years, they'd easily go that far.'

Instead, I chose a method that would leave Zhuge Jeong completely dumbfounded.

When I found a hunter's house situated on the edge of the village, rabbit and fox pelts were hung up starting right from the yard.

However, perhaps hunting had been poor lately, as the number of pelts was absurdly low compared to the lines strung up.

"It's all because of that damn python."

Spitting as he spoke, a hairy middle-aged man who looked like he could either be a bandit or a hunter grumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"That bastard sweeps through Mount Geummok, Mount Bongnyong, and Mount Hwadong like they're his own front yard, so the other animals are too scared to come out."

The aftermath of the damage caused by the Iron-Clad Black Python was incredibly severe.

"That vile thing is only plundering the mountain villages right now, but at this rate, it might cause a real disaster."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Since the old days, the thing beasts prize the most is human flesh. Don't they say that once a tiger gets a taste of humans, it doesn't even glance at other animals? At this rate, there'll be a string of funerals. Just what the hell are the Zhuge Clan and the Murim Alliance doing? They're always so full of themselves, acting like mighty warriors. Are they going to use their damn martial arts to boil soup?"

At the hunter's words, one of the warriors flinched and tried to lunge forward, but the hunter jumped up without a hint of fear, grabbing a hatchet. Fortunately, another warrior raised a hand to stop him, so a fight did not break out.

"More importantly, have you been catching any wild boars?"

"Those are at least somewhat manageable to catch. The boars can't stand the hunger and inevitably pop out. Even so, it's not very lucrative. When I set traps, that damn python just swallows the boars whole."

"I see. Could I perhaps buy some wild boars?"

"Wild boars?"

"Yes. If possible, I'd like to purchase all the ones the other hunters have caught as well. I will pay three silver taels per boar."

"You'll pay three whole taels for a single wild boar?"

"... Yes, that is the case, but."

I tilted my head and asked.

"Why the sudden change to formal speech?"

"Oh my, what are you saying? How could a lowly one like me dare not use formal speech with a fine lord like yourself?"

I let out a small chuckle at his lightning-fast change in attitude and continued speaking.

"Please spread the word that I will buy every wild boar hunted from today onward. I need around twenty of them. It doesn't matter if they are dead or alive, but they must have been caught within the last day."

"Of course, absolutely. If one person happens to hunt five boars, will you still pay that full price for all of them?"

"For the fifth one, I'll throw in an extra five taels and give you twenty taels total."

"Just leave it to me!"

"Oh, right, do you know any herb gatherers?"

* * *

The place the hunter introduced me to was a thatched cottage at the entrance of Mount Geummok.

Drying herbs were spread out across the yard, and an elderly couple sitting on a wooden bench yelled in anger as soon as they saw us.

"You there!"

The old man pointed his smoking pipe at a warrior's foot.

The warrior's foot was stepping on the herbs laid out on the ground.

"You've ruined those precious herbs, so what are you going to do now!"

Unlike Village Chief Heo, the herb gatherer was unafraid of the sword-wearing warriors and screamed at them fiercely.

"Hah. Good grief. It's not like a little dirt makes them useless. Fine. I just have to compensate you for them, right? How much?"

"You little brat. Shouldn't you apologize first! I don't need your money! Get the hell out of here!"

Just then, something that looked like dried tree bark caught my eye.

"Oh? Isn't this Cheonyakdong?"

"... Huh?"

"I've heard that not only is Cheonyakdong incredibly difficult to harvest, but it's also hard to get it into such a pretty shape. How did you do it?"

"... How do you know about Cheonyakdong?"

"Since I preferred roaming the mountains and fields over studying when I was young, I learned a lot from the nearby elder herb gatherers. Even they said it wasn't easy to dry Cheonyakdong into the shape of hard tree bark like this. Just how did you manage it?"

The old herb gatherer stroked his beard and let out a dry cough.

"Well, that's my secret, so I can't just go around telling people!"

"I suppose so... Hah! Isn't this Haesanja?"

Like that, I brought out the knowledge from the Ten Thousand Herbs Secret Record to soothe the old man's temper.

"Did you used to be a herb gatherer?"

"I actually asked the elder herb gatherers to teach me, but they said I was too slow-witted to learn."

"Exactly. That's right. This line of work isn't something just anyone can do. Anyway, what brings you here? Seeing as you're wearing a sword, you aren't here to learn the trade. Are you here to buy something?"

"That is correct, sir."

And so, I listed out all the medicinal herbs I needed.

"You need five catties of each of those?"

The herb gatherer, who had been putting on airs, looked genuinely shocked for the first time.

"Are you a merchant? We already have a merchant group we do business with."

"Ah, don't worry. I'm strictly just a pushover willing to buy at double the market price."

"...!"

The old man's mouth dropped wide open.

"You'll pay that much?"

"Didn't you say it's been hard to go up the mountain lately because of that python? I should naturally pay you hazard pay."

"Heh heh, are you a member of the Zhuge Clan like those fellows over there? The Zhuge Clan doesn't buy things like this, you know?"

"Then how do they buy them?"

"Hmph! They demand a cheaper price than what we'd get from the merchant groups, claiming it's because they're buying direct from the source."

"Haha, I see. I am not a member of the Zhuge Clan."

"Then?"

"I am a disciple of the Taiyi Sect."

"Hmm, Taiyi, Taiyi. I haven't heard of it before, but just from the name, it gives off the feeling of an upstanding place with solid foundations."

The faces of the Zhuge Clan warriors twisted into vicious scowls, burning bright red.

* * *

On the way back to the village.

"Senior Brother, I will go back and make sure that old man's mouth never spouts words insulting the Zhuge Clan again."

"..."

The Zhuge Clan warriors were in an incredibly foul mood.

I blocked the path of the warrior who looked ready to charge back to the herb gatherer at any moment.

"Did the Supreme Elder order you to interfere with my task?"

"What are you talking about?"

"If not, is it normal for the Zhuge Clan to act so dismissively toward the people around them?"

The older warrior frowned.

"They are people who live off the virtues of the Zhuge Clan. Yet they are ungrateful for that grace. Do you really think such people deserve good treatment?"

"You are severely mistaken. No human can live alone. Just as the Zhuge Clan provides benefits to the people, the people also provide benefits to the Zhuge Clan."

"Hmph. How could they possibly provide any benefit to the Zhuge Clan? Can you prove those words?"

"I was actually just about to do exactly that."

* * *

Zhuge Hyeon-un visited the Golden Jade Prison for the first time in a long while.

It was a place he rarely visited unless it was for a special occasion, mindful of the prying eyes of the Elders' Pavilion and the noble clan members, and especially because Supreme Elder Zhuge Jeong found it displeasing.

"Cheongi. Are you in there?"

A moment later, a clattering sound rang out.

He had undoubtedly been researching and studying something again.

Out of his three children, Cheongi was by far the most fitting talent for the Zhuge Clan.

He had learned to read on his own, preferred books over toys, and skipped meals countless times just to study.

Zhuge Hyeon-un had once thought that Cheongi might be the one to lead the Zhuge Clan in the future.

"Yes, Father. Have you arrived?"

Cheongi's voice could be heard from beyond the door.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes. I have eaten."

"What were you doing?"

"I was studying."

"Studying what?"

"..."

Seeing his inability to answer, it was clear he was studying mechanisms and formations again.

This was what always made Zhuge Hyeon-un feel pitiful toward him.

"Were you researching mechanisms and formations again?"

"... I apologize, Father."

"Do you like them that much?"

"... I believe it is a necessary endeavor."

"Why is that?"

"Qimen arrays require immense wealth to set up, and they are difficult to maintain. However, once mechanisms and formations are installed, they rarely break and are easy to manage."

This was the reason the Zhuge Clan had locked Zhuge Cheongi in the Golden Jade Prison.

It had already been two years. It must have been incredibly suffocating inside, but Zhuge Cheongi was even more stubborn than the elders of the Elders' Pavilion.

"Um, Father."

"What is it?"

"... I heard... that a guest came looking for me."

His voice carried an excitement he couldn't hide.

He must have been unable to conceal his joy at the news that someone had come looking for him, having lived his whole life without being acknowledged by anyone.

"... Phew. You must have heard from Yeongyeong."

"I apologize. I told her not to come."

"It's fine. You won't be able to meet him anyway."

"What?!"

Zhuge Hyeon-un pondered how to break the news before calmly explaining what had happened.

That way, Zhuge Cheongi would be able to give up quickly as well.

"W-What do you mean, Father! The Iron-Clad Black Python?!"

RATTLE! RATTLE!

The door shook violently as if it were about to burst open at any moment.

"Do not worry. That is why I deliberately assigned Yeongyeong to him. If you are to even have a brief conversation with him, he must not die, correct?"

"A-Father. This isn't right. Please, send the warriors at once to help the Great Warrior."

"Did you not hear the conditions earlier? Receiving a warrior's help means he fails the test."

"But..."

"Even if a dangerous situation arises, Yeongyeong will rescue him. So control yourself and stay put."

"Father!"

Leaving behind Zhuge Cheongi, who was calling out to him desperately, Zhuge Hyeon-un headed toward his office.

"Hmm?"

The interior of the noble clan was stirring with quite a bit of commotion.

Warriors were gathering their weapons, and the array masters were packing their tools.

They were also inspecting saddles for the horses and a large parasol meant to block the sun.

"Ah! Patriarch! You were here."

The passing general manager approached him.

"What is going on?"

"The Supreme Elder announced that he will be ascending Mount Geummok tomorrow."

"Mount Geummok?"

"He mentioned that he doubts whether the young man from the Taiyi Sect is properly taking the test."

"What does that mean?"

"The warriors who went out to monitor him reported that the young man wandered around the village for a bit before promptly returning to the guest house to eat and rest."

"Hah..."

"The Supreme Elder said he found it too suspicious, so he intends to mobilize alongside the elders."

Zhuge Hyeon-un let out a bitter smile.

Given that the petty old man had been insulted by the young Jin Sowoon, and the boy was now acting strangely, he undoubtedly couldn't stand his own burning curiosity.

But still, he thought preparing even the array masters was going a bit overboard.

How much was a single array master's ransom worth, yet he was mobilizing them for his own personal excursion?

"He is probably worried that the Iron-Clad Black Python might attack him."

"Pardon?"

Zhuge Hyeon-un said to the general manager.

"Tell him that I will join as well."

"Pardon?"

"I've grown curious myself as to how that young man plans to catch the Iron-Clad Black Python."

* * *

When morning came and I left the guest house, I headed straight to the hunter's home.

I hadn't said anything specifically to the Zhuge Clan people, but before I knew it, they were trailing closely behind me.

"You've arrived?"

"Hah!"

Eight wild boars were already laid out in the hunter's yard.

"You caught all these in just one day?"

"Every hunter in the village scoured the mountain all night just to catch these."

"Incredible. Did anyone happen to catch five of them?"

"Not yet."

"That's a shame."

"Just wait a little longer. I'm planning to catch two more before the day is over."

It seemed this hairy hunter had caught three of the eight boars himself.

"I will look forward to it."

"Oh, and Old Man Kang dropped off the herbs at dawn."

"Are those them?"

"Yes. He said he will bring the rest a little later."

I looked at the herbs piled high in bundles on one side.

"Where do you plan to use all of these?"

"I can borrow your yard, right?"

"As much as you'd like."

* * *

A short while later, the large iron pots I had borrowed from the guest house and the eateries were lined up across the hunter's yard.

I then dumped an entire bundle of herbs into each pot, threw in some firewood, and began to boil the water.

The hunter went back up the mountain to check the traps he'd set the night before, and I gave ten copper coins each to the servers who had brought the pots, having them tend to the fires.

In the meantime, I sliced open the belly of one of the wild boars and removed all of its innards.

"What are you doing?"

The old herb gatherer arrived with the rest of the herbs loaded on a handcart.

"Don't herbs only become potent when you steep them?"

"Even so, who boils herbs so ignorantly like that? Who is even supposed to drink that?"

"It's not for a human to eat."

"Then?"

"The python will eat it."

"What?"

The old herb gatherer's jaw dropped.

"You're going to feed those herbs to that python? Are you out of your mind? That thing is a man-eater."

"Don't misunderstand. I'm feeding it the herbs so I can catch it."

"You're going to catch the python with these?"

"Yes."

After saying so, I drained the water from the fully boiled pots, took out the mushy herbs, and stuffed them full into the emptied belly of the wild boar.

I then sewed the boar's belly shut using silk thread and a needle.

"What is this smell? Is someone sick?"

"Ugh, and what's with those boars?"

"From what I heard, someone promised to pay three silver taels per wild boar yesterday. So all the men in the village have gone up the mountain."

"Looks like all those boars are right here."

Lured by the smell, people began to gather one by one at the hunter's house.

The amusing part was that none of them looked afraid or intimidated when they saw the Zhuge Clan warriors.

Instead, they treated the warriors with disdainful attitudes and dismissive glares.

"They say that man over there is going to catch the python."

When one of the servers tending the fire mentioned it, the murmurs among the crowd grew significantly louder.

"What do you mean? He's going to catch the python?"

"He says doing this will allow him to catch the python."

"Really?"

"Oh, come on, that's a lie. How could he do it alone when even the Zhuge Clan can't step up to it casually?"

The murmuring voices grew louder, and eventually, they began to eye me with suspicious glares.

"Hey there. Is it true you're planning to catch the python?"

"That is correct."

"How?"

"I will show you, so could you give me a hand?"

"... Hmm. What do you need help with?"

The middle-aged man, who had been staring with eyes full of distrust, hesitantly approached.

"All you need to do is stuff the insides of the wild boars with the boiled herbs, just as I did."

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

Still half-doubting, the middle-aged man eventually started helping with the task.

Seeing him, people began to step forward one after another.

"Oh my, if you sew the belly like that, all the herbs will burst out. Step aside."

"Even if you scrape out the guts, you have to leave some flesh. Isn't this meant to be fed to the python?"

"That's exactly right."

As the villagers gradually pitched in to help, freshly hunted wild boars arrived at the same time.

There were live ones among them, as well as dead ones bleeding out.

Just how hard had they hunted? There were a total of twenty-five wild boars in all.

"Please do not kill the live ones, and just separate the dead ones."

I paid for the wild boars on the spot, and also handed out a silver coin to everyone who had helped with the work.

With people gathering and causing a bustling commotion, every villager who had stepped out for work started trickling in one by one.

By the time nearly two hundred people had gathered, someone shouted loudly.

"It's the Zhuge Clan!"

The people, who had been working merrily as if throwing a festival, froze as if the music had been cut off and stared in one direction.

The Zhuge Clan had appeared in resplendent attire, accompanied by both warriors and array masters.

The people cleared a path for them, as if they wanted absolutely nothing to do with them.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I am preparing to catch the python."

"I specifically said you were not allowed the help of others."

"Didn't you say it would not matter as long as I didn't receive help from warriors or hunters?"

"..."

"Don't tell me you are worried that I might actually catch the Iron-Clad Black Python with the help of powerless commoners?"

"Ahem..."

"But what brings you here? If you simply waited, I would have caught it and brought it to you."

"Your actions were far too suspicious, so I came in person to verify them."

"You certainly are full of doubts."

Once the work was complete, I borrowed the village's handcarts and began ascending Mount Geummok with the wild boars.

Not only the Zhuge Clan members, but all the villagers were following right behind me.

"W-What is going on?"

Village Chief Heo and the slash-and-burn farmers, who had settled and lived on Mount Geummok, were absolutely dumbfounded.

"I will now catch the python."

"The python? Has the Zhuge Clan finally stepped up for us?"

Just then, the old herb gatherer barked out a shout.

"What Zhuge Clan? Those lot just came here to watch."

"Then... who?"

"I will catch it."

"Y-You will, Sir Warrior?"

"Yes."

"But Sir Warrior... that python is..."

"It's alright. I already know everything, so you don't need to explain. Could you help me with something instead?"

"H-How can we help?"

"Please evacuate all the people from the village."

"...?"

"Do that, and from this evening onward, you will no longer have to fear being eaten by the python."

* * *

I ushered both the Zhuge Clan members and the villagers out of the slash-and-burn farmers' village.

Inside the empty village, only twenty dead wild boars and five live ones, crying out as they were tied up, remained.

"Shouldn't you step back as well? The Iron-Clad Black Python is an incredibly vicious beast."

When I spoke to Yeongyeong, who was hiding on the roof, her qi wavered for a split second.

"I am under orders from the Patriarch to protect you, Young Master."

"You really don't have to."

Giving a nod, I approached one of the wild boars, grabbed its collar, and slit its throat.

SQUEAAAAL!

Because it hadn't fully died yet, the boar sprayed blood in all directions and let out a piercing scream.

When I proceeded to slit the throats of two more boars, the remaining two started squealing for their lives, and as the noise continued, the forest finally began to shake.

FLAP FLAP FLAP!

A flock of birds flapped their wings and took to the sky.

The massive ancient trees of the forest began to sway slightly.

That rustling motion was gradually heading toward the village.

The reason I deliberately made the slash-and-burn farmers' village its hunting ground was because the beast had already marked this village as a place where prey could be found.

"Come on."

RUMBLE.

The moment a massive tremor could be felt through the tips of my toes, I too deployed the Turtle-Breathing Steps to erase my presence.

A moment later, the Iron-Clad Black Python parted the forest and revealed its massive body.

HIIISSSSS!

It opened a mouth the size of a house and let out a sound that struck my ears and made my head ring. I quickly covered my ears with both hands.

RUMBLE.

A gargantuan body stretching twenty zhang long, and a hardened shell that brutally tore up the ground every time it moved.

The sheer majesty of the Iron-Clad Black Python, which I had only ever heard of in rumors, left me utterly appalled.

'Since they told people to hunt a thing like that with just a single sword, no wonder so many were slaughtered.'

The beast looked around before briefly fixing its gaze exactly on the house where Yeongyeong was hiding. It had sensed her presence.

While I debated whether or not I should step in, the beast thankfully turned its head and slowly began approaching the wild boars.

It then instantly bit into the wild boar that was thrashing in sheer terror at the Iron-Clad Black Python's appearance, killing it and swallowing it whole in a single gulp.

Even though it was a rather sizable wild boar, it vanished without a trace the moment it entered the Iron-Clad Black Python's mouth.

As if the meal hadn't even tickled its stomach, it immediately snapped up the next live boar and a dead boar simultaneously, tossing them into its mouth.

From then on, there was no hesitation. Like a beggar given a banquet feast, the beast began swallowing the wild boars endlessly.

And the moment it turned to head back to its lair...

HIIISSSSS!

The beast hissed out a sound as it began to writhe in agony.

Its throat began to visibly convulse as it tried to regurgitate the boars it had just swallowed.

Without delay, I sprang forward and hurled the heavy rock I had prepared at the beast.

THUD!

Noticing my presence alongside the impact of the rock, it instantly lunged at me.

CRUMBLE! CRASH! CRASH!

Every time the Iron-Clad Black Python violently thrashed about, the flimsily built houses of the slash-and-burn farmers collapsed into dust with dull thuds.

A brief game of cat and mouse ensued, and perhaps realizing it couldn't possibly keep up with the speed of my World-Wandering Divine Steps, it attempted to throw up the boars in its stomach once again.

Immediately changing direction, I unleashed the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist right into its lower jaw.

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

It didn't leave a single scratch on its skin, but it was enough to force its mouth shut.

More time passed as we chased each other, and the beast's movements slowly began to turn sluggish.

HURK! HURK!

It desperately wanted to throw something up but entirely failed to do so.

KEUAAAGH!

Dark red blood gushed violently from between its closed jaws.

It was evidence that the boars it had swallowed whole were slowly dissolving, causing the medicinal herbs inside them to mix and react.

KREEEEAAAGH! KREEEAAAGH!

Every time the beast tried to vomit, I stuck to it tenaciously, completely preventing it from throwing anything up.

A moment later.

THUD.

The colossal body collapsed and ceased to move.

'Now.'

I immediately approached the beast and activated the Jade Dragon Bracelet.

Although it didn't have a core, the beast had lived its life hoarding spiritual energy within its body. Moreover, hadn't the Jade Dragon Bracelet easily neutralized the poison of the Human-Faced Spider? Its spiritual energy and toxic aura would serve as excellent nourishment for me.

Because I lacked the Flying Dragon Claw, I covered my wrist and was absorbing its aura when...

The people who had been watching with bated breath from outside the village began to approach, one by one.

"D-Did he really catch it?"

"H-He caught it that easily?"

"No way, surely not."

Even the people who had been terrified of coming closer saw me resting my hand on the Iron-Clad Black Python and began to gather around.

"It's really dead?"

"The damn python is dead!"

"The python is dead!"

"The warrior really caught the python!"

"The young warrior caught the python all by himself!"

Starting with those who confirmed the Iron-Clad Black Python's death, everyone—whether they were from the main village or the slash-and-burn farmers' settlement—began screaming at the top of their lungs, enough to echo across Mount Geummok.

"WAAAAAAH!"