The Immortal's Call to Tianzhu Peak
It has been a while, Great Hero Wi.
“It has been a while indeed, Taoist Hakun. Have you been keeping well?”
“What would a Taoist have to do? Most of my days are spent reading the scriptures and devoting myself to training.”
Taoist Hakun, whom we had not seen in some time, greeted us with genuine warmth. No doubt it was because we were guests he himself had invited, and the reputation I had built up was working quietly in our favor.
“Young Master Dan and Lady Im, it has been a while for you as well.”
“Hello!”
“It has been a while.”
We exchanged light greetings before following Taoist Hakun straight to the guest hall. He had explained that empty rooms were scarce; if we did not move quickly, they would soon be filled.
“Great Hero Wi, I hear you accomplished a great deal on your way here.”
“It seems I have a knack for stumbling into every kind of trouble. I never imagined I would discover traces of the Demonic Cult in the city where I happened to stay the night.”
“Haha. Had Great Hero Wi not uncovered their schemes, we would have faced a terrible disaster.”
“Exactly. If Uncle hadn’t found it, the Demonic Cult would have built a secret base right in the heart of the righteous sects’ territory.”
Could they please stop praising me? Once or twice was fine, but hearing it from everyone I met was giving me goosebumps all over.
I brushed off the endless compliments with an awkward laugh and changed the subject.
“By the way, Wudang seems to attract a truly varied array of visitors.”
“Wudang simply remains here, guarding its mountain. Yet many come hoping to taste its pure spirit for themselves.”
“Wudang’s spirit… yes, it is certainly worth the journey.”
When a temple this grand sits atop a mountain, anyone would want to visit at least once. Each hall was imposing and impressive to behold, and the peaks and ridges of Wudang Mountain seemed to hang right at the edge of the eaves, giving the whole place the air of a hidden immortal’s retreat.
If one could survive climbing those hellish stairs, it would make for an excellent tourist spot and place of rest.
“From what I know, several rooms remain available. I will secure good ones for you.”
“Even a small one is fine for me…”
“Thank you, Taoist Hakun.”
How badly did she want to show off in front of people?
I cut her off before Hyeryeong could drop another bombshell. Unlike the relatively free atmosphere of Hainan Island, such behavior would cause problems in the Central Plains. Fortunately, Taoist Hakun appeared not to have heard. He simply smiled and responded to my thanks.
“Haha, it is only a small room. Nothing difficult at all. Please, follow me.”
We trailed after Taoist Hakun until we reached the guest quarters where visitors stayed. Inside, people dressed in all manner of clothing were enjoying Wudang in their own ways.
“The guest hall has an excellent location. The view overlooking the base of Wudang Mountain is magnificent…”
“Those who come here usually wish to forget the mundane world for a time and restore their weary hearts and bodies. That is why we placed the visitors’ lodgings where they can take in the full scenery of the mountain at a glance.”
“Now I understand where the phrase ‘Southern Wudang’ comes from.”
“Haha, you flatter me. In any case… this room should suit you.”
I glanced at the rooms Taoist Hakun indicated. They were reasonably spacious, with the notable feature of a smaller room inside the main one. A room within a room?
“This room is…”
“Because so many guests come and go, we divided one chamber into two to prepare for travelers accompanied by women.”
That made sense. With the number of people passing through, handing out two rooms at a time would quickly run out of space. Just the people visible to me now easily numbered over thirty.
“It is a fine room.”
“It is only natural for a place meant to receive guests.”
We set our luggage down, then flipped the sign hanging on the door—the marker that the room was now occupied.
“Now that we have our room, we would like to tour Wudang. Would it be possible to ask for your guidance?”
“You must be hungry first. Shall we have a meal before anything else?”
“That sounds excellent.”
We followed Taoist Hakun directly to the dining hall. It was packed with both Wudang Taoists and visitors from every region, but fortunately there were seats available for us.
“Unlike the secular world, we avoid excessive meat here, so the menu is centered on vegetables. The meal may taste rather plain.”
“Not at all. On the contrary, that is what makes it a delicacy. If we have chosen to forget the secular world for a time, we should forget its cuisine as well.”
I suppose I could simply think of it as temple food.
We waited for the dishes in a relaxed mood, continuing our idle chatter. Most of it was spent satisfying our curiosity about Wudang, but as expected of martial artists, the conversation gradually shifted toward martial arts.
“I never knew such martial arts existed in the Western Regions.”
“We have our own lineages that have cultivated the martial path for nearly fifteen hundred years. The greatest influence came from Daqin—Rome. My own style is only about five hundred years old, so it is still rather new.”
“Daily improvement, as they say. Martial arts are meant to develop with each passing day. How could we possibly separate old styles from new ones?”
“That’s right! I heard the Hainan Thirty-Six Swords has changed greatly since the founding sect leader first created it. New forms were added, some were removed, and the techniques grew far more refined…”
“…Every martial art in the world must have undergone such a process.”
It seemed even Mokgyeong was slowly joining the conversation. The topic of martial arts must have been interesting enough to draw in someone usually so quiet.
“Indeed. For example, our Wudang’s Seven Star Sword—”
“The meal is served. Please enjoy it.”
While we had been chatting, time had slipped away. A cook dressed in Taoist robes, true to Wudang style, laid out the dishes before us. As expected, the table was covered in green.
Dishes that looked healthy at a glance lined the table. At least for a while, my body would not accumulate any turbid energy.
“Let us eat first. There will be plenty of time to discuss martial arts later.”
Following Taoist Hakun’s suggestion, we began our meal.
“It seems we have now seen all of Wudang’s famous sights.”
“It took half a day just to tour the inside of the buildings. As expected of Wudang.”
“Other major sects would likely be much the same.”
Always so modest. I nodded at Taoist Hakun’s words and gazed at the countless peaks visible from the front of the guest hall. Was Taeheo Jinin living on one of them somewhere?
…Would I even be able to find him?
There appeared to be more than twenty peaks visible at a glance.
“Taoist Hakun, thank you for sparing time for us today!”
“Think nothing of it, Lady Im. As a Taoist of Wudang, it is only proper to receive guests who visit our mountain. Then I shall take my leave…”
“Safe travels.”
We saw Taoist Hakun off and returned to the guest hall. Evening meal time had already passed, and everyone was beginning to prepare for sleep. The moment I entered the room, I quietly asked Mokgyeong.
“Mokgyeong, did you happen to feel any gazes on us?”
Even while we were walking around, the back of my head had prickled from time to time.
“…I did feel it occasionally.”
“Gazes?”
Hyeryeong had not noticed. That meant the observers’ targets were clearly narrowed to Mokgyeong and me. It was a little disappointing, but it simply meant she did not possess that level of talent yet.
Reaching the Super Peak realm would already make her one of the most outstanding talents in the martial world.
Were my standards too high?
“Then let us wash up lightly and sleep. We must climb the mountain tomorrow.”
“Yeees~”
“Understood.”
We headed to the well, washed our hands and faces, then returned to the room and laid out the bedding. Hyeryeong went to the adjacent room. Before long she opened the door, poked her head through, and asked.
“Uncle, you won’t peek, right?”
Why did that sound like an invitation to come peek? I let out a sigh and answered.
“I won’t look, so stop worrying. Do I seem like that kind of shameless scoundrel to you?”
“…It would be fine if you were a little shameless.”
“What?”
“Nothing!”
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
I stared at the now-closed door, sighed again, and turned to Mokgyeong. When our eyes met, she tilted her head slightly.
“Benefactor, did you have something to say?”
“…It’s a relief that you’re here, at least.”
If the two of us had been traveling alone, Hyeryeong definitely would have jumped me in the middle of the night.
“Ah, um… thank you.”
It must have been an embarrassing thing to say suddenly. I scratched my head as I watched Mokgyeong turn away.
Ah, forget it. Time to sleep.
“I’ll lie down first. Sleep well.”
“…Yes, Benefactor.”
Her voice was softer than usual as it reached my ears.
Hmm. She was already too beautiful; hearing her speak in that gentle tone was a little distracting…
With that thought, I stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before closing my eyes.
“…What a truly strange fellow.”
“…Hm?”
I opened my eyes at the voice coming from beside my pillow and looked upward. In the darkened room, a faint silhouette shimmered before my eyes.
“A star that appeared so suddenly… and a foreigner at that. The affairs of the world are truly beyond comprehension.”
An eerie presence that seemed both present and absent at the same time.
“…Who are you?”
“It seems you already know who I am.”
The old man, whose appearance perfectly matched the description of immortal bearing and Taoist bones, stroked his long beard like a mountain immortal as he answered.
“…Are you some kind of mountain spirit?”
“Heh. I am merely an old man with nothing better to do.”
Where exactly did he get that idea?
I swallowed the question that nearly escaped and quickly glanced to the side. Mokgyeong was sleeping soundly.
Wait—before that, the state of the room itself felt wrong. The space around us seemed distorted, as if shrouded in haze—
“This is within a dream, so you need not worry about waking the child sleeping beside you.”
“…I see.”
I nodded at his words, rose from the bedding, and faced him directly.
“…What brings you to me?”
“An interesting child has come to Wudang. How could I not come see for myself? To have reached such a realm at an age barely past twenty… yet the scent of blood upon you is very thick.”
…He had guessed my age?
This person was the real thing.
“…It is unavoidable after spending so long on the battlefield.”
“Life rarely flows as we wish. What can one do but follow its current?”
“…That is true.”
“Conversing with a foreigner like this is quite entertaining. It is also remarkable that a child carrying such a grand destiny follows you.”
“Is that so?”
“I cannot divulge the secrets of heaven, so I cannot tell you everything. Besides, dawn is nearly upon us… Let us continue our talk at Tianzhu Peak. Be sure to bring the child beside you as well.”
So I would have to go to Tianzhu Peak.
“…Then I shall see you again, elder.”
“And bring a bottle of good wine when you come.”
With that rather worldly request for someone who looked like an immortal, I awoke from the dream.