Chapter 48 - The First-Rate Warrior Peering Into the Darkness

They say that although an alias might feel awkward at first, it grows on you the more you hear it, but I didn't feel much affection for the one attached to me.

Rather, it was an alias that carried a strange annoyance, making me flinch every time I heard it.

I couldn't even focus on the conversation because of that alias. So when Zhuge Cheongi suddenly started calling me 'my liege...,' it was incredibly awkward.

"Young Master Cheongi. Please stand up. Your father is watching."

I said, casting a glance at Zhuge Hyeon-un.

I had barely gotten his permission, but wouldn't Zhuge Hyeon-un suddenly change his mind if he saw his own son volunteering to become the vassal of a third-rate sect's disciple?

"I am fifteen years old. I am no longer a child. My father will respect my wishes."

Seeing Zhuge Cheongi refuse to budge, I silently asked Zhuge Hyeon-un for help.

However, far from looking displeased, Zhuge Hyeon-un was watching with amusement.

Just then, a black figure appeared from thin air, adopting the exact same posture as Cheongi and cupping their fists.

"The Young Master has been thinking about this from the moment he heard that the Great Warrior Black Flame Dragon had arrived. It is not a decision made overnight, so please do not cast him aside."

It was Yeong-yeong, half of her face hidden behind a mask.

With Yeong-yeong's appearance, the atmosphere grew even more difficult.

Perhaps because of my lack of an answer? Anxious, Zhuge Cheongi spoke in an even louder voice.

"If you do not accept me, I will not take a single step out of this Golden Jade Prison!"

"Please accept him!"

"..."

Once Zhuge Cheongi became stubborn, he was absolutely unbending.

He could have walked out of the Golden Jade Prison with just a single word saying he would give up on mechanisms and formations, but he had refused to say it to the bitter end, remaining locked up for eight years in my life before the regression.

"Young Master Cheongi, I have no intention of founding a sect, nor do I plan to run a business or an escort agency. I'll have subordinates if I go to the Murim Alliance, but that's strictly when I'm within the Murim Alliance. Don't you agree?"

"Then... I will follow you to the Murim Alliance as well."

"No, that's not what I mean."

I gently coaxed Zhuge Cheongi.

*'If you keep acting like this, your dad might flip the table,'* I tried to convey.

"Listen to me. How about we just become sworn brothers for now?"

"Excuse me?"

"!"

"!"

Zhuge Cheongi and Yeong-yeong, as well as Zhuge Hyeon-un, widened their eyes.

Wouldn't the Patriarch of the Zhuge Clan find this much understandable?

It was a common occurrence in Jianghu for a disciple of a first-rate sect to become sworn brothers with a disciple of a third-rate sect.

"Y-You mean you'll accept me as your younger brother?"

"We would be sworn brothers."

Zhuge Cheongi's eyes welled up with tears.

"I will serve you with all my heart for the rest of my life, Hyung-nim."

His overly resolute determination made me cast another glance at Zhuge Hyeon-un.

If he wasn't present, I might have rejoiced at gaining top-tier talent.

I stole a glance at him, worried that he might be offended, but...

"Hahaha, excellent. Very good. So there was a method like this. Yes! There ought to be a witness when sworn brotherhood is formed. May I act as that witness?"

"...??"

For whatever reason he found so delightful, Zhuge Hyeon-un continuously burst into hearty laughter and ordered a servant girl to bring alcohol.

We decided not to hold a solemn ceremony like the Oath of the Peach Garden.

After all, friendship depended on how a person acted in the future.

As long as we had enough trust in each other, sharing the cup of brotherhood was enough.

"I look forward to our future together, Hyung-nim."

"I look forward to it too, little brother."

"And if I go to the Taiyi Sect, may I ask a single favor?"

"What is it?"

"I want to employ Yeong-yeong as my escort."

"Yeah. That shouldn't be a problem. A few warriors from the Zhuge Clan will be dispatched with you anyway."

"No, not like that. I want Yeong-yeong to become a true warrior, not a shadow warrior."

"Young Master! I am fine with how things are."

The parts of Yeong-yeong's face not covered by the mask flushed bright red.

It seemed they had spent those long hours talking just between the two of them, comforting each other while listening to their respective dreams.

"I think that requires the Patriarch's permission more than mine, doesn't it?"

Shadow warriors were trained in a manner similar to raising assassins.

In the case of the Five Great Noble Clans, they often directly trained shadow warriors to protect their direct descendants.

"Father. Please allow Yeong-yeong to quit being a shadow warrior."

"..."

"Yeong-yeong's dream is to become a great warrior like Lady Moyong Seol."

Hearing the name Moyong Seol made a corner of my heart ache.

A woman who reached the third rank of the Dragon-Phoenix Summit despite her female body, a lady with a beautiful smile and an even more beautiful heart.

She later achieved such mastery with the sword that she established her own school and was called the Sword Empress. During the Orthodox-Demonic Great War, when the Moyong Noble Clan was annihilated, she was assigned to the Minor Orthodox Unit and became a lifesaver who rescued us time and time again.

'I thought I was fine with it...'

It seemed that my emotions hadn't faded as much as my memories had aged.

While I was briefly lost in sentiment, Zhuge Cheongi continued his words.

"This is something I have thought about for a very long time. I can at least protect my own body, so please grant your permission. Father."

"Patriarch, I am fine. Young Master! At this rate, you might be locked up in the Golden Jade Prison again."

Yeong-yeong and Zhuge Cheongi were refusing to take a single step back for each other's sake.

"..."

The one in an awkward position was Zhuge Hyeon-un.

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhuge Cheongi was a direct descendant of the Zhuge Clan.

Furthermore, a shadow warrior was assigned to him precisely because Zhuge Cheongi had not learned martial arts. If that girl became a regular warrior, there would be no one left to protect him closely.

"Then how about doing it like this?"

When I gently brought it up, Zhuge Hyeon-un looked at me with eyes full of expectation.

"If a shadow warrior was attached to Cheongi because he hasn't learned martial arts, then have her perform shadow duties only until Cheongi can protect himself, and allow her to act as a regular warrior after that."

"Hmm. That's a decent idea. But could Cheongi really do that? He has hated learning martial arts since he was a child."

Zhuge Hyeon-un actually seemed quite pleased with the idea.

At that, Zhuge Cheongi's expression also brightened.

"I will do it, Father. I will make sure to learn martial arts and reach a level where I can protect myself."

"..."

"Very well. If Cheongi reaches the level of a first-rate warrior, I shall permit Yeong-yeong to engage in public activities."

Zhuge Hyeon-un likely thought he had set a fairly high hurdle, but Zhuge Cheongi simply muttered, "That's great," and smiled at Yeong-yeong.

Considering that Zhuge Cheongi started learning martial arts at the late age of twenty-two and still reached the Absolute Peak Realm, it was obvious that this milestone would be reached much sooner than Zhuge Hyeon-un anticipated.

"Young Master."

"Let's achieve our goals together, Yeong-yeong."

"Yes."

Even though Zhuge Cheongi was clearly younger and Yeong-yeong was larger in stature, right now it looked as if their ages were reversed.

* * *

The dispatch procession was put together simply.

The only person being dispatched was Zhuge Cheongi, and since the assets he possessed weren't exactly vast, a single luggage carriage and the carriage Cheongi would ride in were all there was to the procession.

"Are you not coming with me, Hyung-nim?"

"I have remaining business to attend to before I return. Go on ahead. And here, take this."

I handed Cheongi a bundle of bank notes I had set aside.

Checking the amount on the bank notes, Cheongi's eyes widened.

"Five thousand taels of gold?"

"There will be limits to building mechanisms and formations right away, but use this to lay the foundation for now. I'll provide more funds once I return."

For a while, the places that required money were piled as high as a mountain. For that reason alone, I needed to raid a few more secret stashes before the Murim Academy exam began.

"Understood. I will guard this money with my life."

Zhuge Cheongi swore resolutely as he tucked the bank notes into the deepest part of his robes.

"There's no need to lay down your life. To me, you are what's most important."

"... Hyung-nim."

For some reason, tears welled up in Zhuge Cheongi's eyes.

After sending Zhuge Cheongi off first, I cupped my fists toward Zhuge Hyeon-un and Zhuge Jeong, who had come to see me out.

"I am leaving after being greatly indebted to you. If I have committed any discourtesy during my stay, please forgive me with a generous heart."

Zhuge Jeong twisted his beard, seemingly dissatisfied with something.

"When will you come back?"

"Pardon?"

"The slash-and-burn farmers' village. You should come see if those people are living well, shouldn't you?"

I had heard he was going back and forth to the slash-and-burn farmers' village over the past few days; it seemed he had already given his heart to those people. Truly, the more I knew him, the simpler he was.

"I'm not worried since you are taking care of them, Supreme Elder."

"Hmph! Why would I care about them! Next time you happen to pass Mount Yungjung, make sure to stop by."

With that, Zhuge Jeong turned and went back inside.

Watching him, Zhuge Hyeon-un chuckled.

"It seems the Supreme Elder has taken quite a liking to you."

"Isn't it rather that he dislikes me?"

"To those he dislikes, the Supreme Elder only tells them to fare well. He never suggests seeing them again for any reason."

"He truly has a nasty personality."

"Truthfully, I feel the same way. Drop by from time to time to bring me news of my son."

"Understood. Then I will see you again."

* * *

In Dengfeng, Henan Province, lies the secret hideout of the White Horse Mountain Lord, a legend among bandits.

The White Horse Mountain Lord, the Bandit King who had first united the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Forest into a single Green Forest League and dominated all the mountain roads in the world.

The tributes he received from the seventy-two mountain strongholds throughout his life were already an enormous amount, but the treasures he personally plundered were also beyond imagination.

After such a man died, people anticipated what kind of treasures he had left behind, but...

...not a single piece of wealth remained in his hideout.

So, believing that the greedy White Horse Mountain Lord must have hidden his leftover treasures somewhere, people scoured the entire world.

However, even though all the thieves in Jianghu searched the world over, they never found the White Horse Mountain Lord's secret stash.

That secret stash was discovered when Mount Song's Shaolin Sect built a guest pavilion in Dengfeng.

People simply couldn't fathom that a bandit like the White Horse Mountain Lord would build his secret stash near Mount Song, where the Shaolin Sect was located.

"It's my good fortune that the White Horse Mountain Lord loved gold."

The secret stash didn't hold as much as Wolhyang's tomb, but it still yielded enough gold to fill three bundles.

I headed straight to the Haomun branch in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and exchanged all the gold for bank notes.

Amazingly, they once again gave me the full market rate.

"Because you are a person of special interest, Sir Jin Sowoon."

Those were the words of the Zhengzhou Branch Chief, whom I was meeting for the first time.

"Is that so?"

"The Sect Leader asked that you wait a little longer for a reply."

He didn't say what it was about, but I knew very well what he meant.

"Understood."

It didn't matter much as long as the decision was made before the Murim Academy's standard exam began.

After that, I immediately headed to Seoho Peak in Mugang.

There was a deep valley in Seoho Peak, cut through by a stream of water originating from Mount Pyeongjeong.

The core of the Fire Monkey would be discovered here.

This spiritual elixir, considered the absolute best among those that emit Yang energy, was incredibly difficult to acquire.

First, one had to find a Fire Monkey that had lived for a hundred years harboring heat, then catch the beast, and it had to be in a state where it hadn't expelled its core.

For this reason, even if there were spiritual elixirs with similar effects, the core of the Fire Monkey was valued far higher.

But in this valley of Seoho Peak, the core of the Fire Monkey would be found alongside an unidentified corpse.

"Come to think of it, she mentioned that her father went out searching for a Fire Monkey and never returned..."

During the early stages of the Orthodox-Demonic Great War, the Moyong Noble Clan fell partially because they suffered heavy losses by forcefully providing support when other sects failed to back them in time. However, it was also due to the fact that the Minor Patriarch, who was supposed to lead the clan, had vanished at too early an age.

Whenever she endured her hardest nights, the resilient Lady Moyong Seol would quietly talk about her father, over and over again, in a place where no one else was present—except me.

Unlike her, my contributions were not as prominent; the only thing I could do for her was to listen to her repeated stories over and over.

One day, I had asked her.

'I never forget anything, so why do you keep telling me the same story?'

["I want you to remember my vivid memories, Young Master. That way, when my own memory fades, you'll be able to recount it vividly to me."]

And then, when the moment arrived where I could no longer listen to or tell her stories.

'Why didn't I ask first to hear her story?'

*'Why couldn't I have approached her first under the pretense of checking if I had the story right?' * I had regretted it immensely.

"Stop it. I can stop thinking about it. It's a future that will not come to pass now."

The moment I started feeling a strange sensation around my heart, I quickly shook my head and checked the Jianghu Spiritual Elixir Book again in my mental archive.

After pinpointing the exact location in the valley of Seoho Peak.

I jumped down the cliff.

RUSH.

As I descended a certain distance, the sound of a powerful stream of water cascading down began to reach my ears.

I immediately fired the Flying Dragon Claw.

WHIRRR.

With the sound of a small mainspring spinning furiously, the Heavenly Silkworm Thread slowly unspooled, and my speed of descent began to slow down.

As I neared the bottom of the valley, I spotted a fierce torrent flowing through its center.

'One, two, three, four.'

Counting the holes dotting the valley's walls, I settled on one, retracted the Flying Dragon Claw, and kicked off the wall all at once.

THUMP.

It was quite a long distance, but even I felt that my movements were light.

Ever since I learned the Taiyi True Scripture and the World-Traversing Lone Footwork, my movements had been changing at a surprisingly rapid pace.

"There it is."

A small, shallow cave.

Near the entrance lay a dead body.

"I am sorry. But I promise to put it to good use."

I was turning the corpse over and reaching into its robes when a strange feeling washed over me.

"..."

"... S... ave me..."

"!!"

My hair stood on end as the Black Dragon Sword was drawn out on its own.

'He wasn't dead yet?'

Having only ever expected there to be a corpse here, I hadn't assumed the body would be alive; I was pure confusion itself.

'Silence the witness?'

I instantly erased the thought that flashed through my mind.

'Stop it. Does it make any sense to kill a person over a single spiritual elixir?'

It was a shame about the core of the Fire Monkey, but wouldn't he part with at least half if I saved his life? With that calculation in mind, I pulled him slightly outside the cave to check his condition.

Light fell upon his face, revealing his features.

And seeing a familiar face, my head tilted in confusion.

'I've... seen... him... before?'

My memory was so flawless that it couldn't be wrong.

If I had seen it, I would remember it; if I couldn't remember it, then I hadn't seen it.

Yet this man in front of me was giving me the strange feeling of, *'He looks familiar.' *

'Is this even possible?'

Just then, a faint whisper spilled from his cracked throat.

I pressed my ear close to listen, and...

"... Oyong... Clan..."

"What was that?"

"... Moyong..."

It felt like a lightning bolt had struck the back of my head.

Did he just say 'Moyong'?

Looking at the man's face once more, the faces of certain people came to mind.

If one perfectly blended the faces of Lady Moyong Seol and her younger brother Moyong Jaehwa, it would form the exact face of this man.

'Then does that mean the missing Minor Patriarch of the Moyong Noble Clan, Moyong Sangwon, was the owner of the Fire Monkey?'

I didn't even have time to wonder why he was dying here all alone with the core of the Fire Monkey.

I quickly checked his pulse.

"His pulse is too weak. What is this? Is it poison?"

A flickering pulse that felt like it could stop at any second.

I swiftly stripped off his clothes to search for poison marks, only to gasp in shock.

"Demonic qi? Why!"