Chapter 41
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Isolated Flower Go Board
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The Isolated Flower Go Board was different from the Abandon Small, Take Large one in that there was no hidden life-and-death puzzle embedded in the board itself.
It seemed each Go board had its own unique design.
'But it has a different gimmick.'
One side functioned as a key, the other as a lock.
Yi Ho-chang carefully fitted the protruding and recessed parts on the divided faces of each Go board together.
Then.
Click.
With the sound of the mechanism activating, the lid on one side of the Go board popped open.
The broken inscription now connected seamlessly, revealing its true meaning, and the onlookers erupted in cheers as if they'd been waiting for this moment.
"Wooow!"
"We did it!"
During the Abandon Small, Take Large puzzle, they'd picked a plain Go board from among flashy prizes, so the significance was much the same.
This time, the Isolated Flower probably pointed to Nangyo.
'Finally emerging from isolation to live again.'
And indeed, the lingering regrets holding Nangyo back must have lightened a bit now.
As Yi Ho-chang pondered this, Nangyo spoke to him.
"Hurry and open it."
"Yes, right away."
The lid of the Go board lifted.
A single sheet of paper came into view.
Thinking it might be a map, he quickly picked it up to check.
But it wasn't a map.
Yi Ho-chang slowly read its contents.
"Great... Return... Pill..."
At that moment.
"Wh-what?"
"W-what?"
Hyeon-yong Master's and Nangyo's eyes widened like startled rabbits at Yi Ho-chang's mumbling.
Then Nangyo reached out hastily.
"Wait, hand it over for a sec."
Snatching the paper almost violently, Nangyo began reading, her eyes growing wider than ever before as she blinked in disbelief.
"My goodness in heaven..."
It wasn't a mistake.
This was truly the refining method for the Great Return Pill.
The one said to be lost forever, impossible to recreate.
Hyeon-yong Master, too shocked to speak, closed his eyes and chanted sutras, while Nangyo stared half-dazed.
Watching them, Yi Ho-chang couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself.
'Good thing something came out after all.'
He'd honestly worried it might turn out to be nothing.
But one of the things they'd hoped for most had appeared right before them—what luck.
Still, the most important piece hadn't emerged yet.
Seizing the chaotic moment, Yi Ho-chang opened the lid on the opposite side.
Sure enough, inside was the map to Immortal Assembly Valley.
仙會谷, 十
Glancing at the number on the back, it matched the tenth precept in the Ten Go Precepts sequence.
'Finally!'
The map to Immortal Assembly Valley was safely inside.
This confirmed it to a degree.
Every one of the Ten Go Precepts boards contained pieces of the map to Immortal Assembly Valley.
At that moment, Nangyo, who had been watching Yi Ho-chang, asked.
"What's that?"
"This is..."
Ah, how do I explain this?
Yi Ho-chang hesitated at Nangyo's question.
This was no time to gloss over it, not with everyone watching at such a crucial moment.
Besides, it was a treasure from Shaolin's Go board.
To claim it, he needed legitimate grounds.
After a moment's thought, Yi Ho-chang decided on honesty.
"Teacher, do you remember when I asked why you were inquiring about the Go boards?"
"Of course. You said you were searching because you had a path to follow."
"Yes. This is a map leading to that path."
"A map?"
Nangyo examined it and confirmed it was indeed a map.
Then, spotting the words "Immortal Assembly Valley" on it, she furrowed her brow.
'Immortal Assembly Valley?'
The valley where immortals gathered?
Wasn't that just from legends?
Suddenly, she recalled the joke she'd made to Yi Ho-chang in the underground penance chamber.
'No way?'
This kid really...?
No.
No one could know for sure.
With that, Nangyo folded the map and fell into thought.
Soon, she handed it to Yi Ho-chang.
"You take this."
"Senior Brother?"
Hyeon-yong Master jumped in surprise at the sudden offer of the map.
Nangyo brushed it off casually.
"Relax. This isn't something Shaolin needs. It's right for the kid to have it."
"But what even is..."
At that, Nangyo glanced quietly at Hyeon-yong Master.
It wasn't intimidation.
It was a mental message.
Hyeon-yong Master met Nangyo's gaze, then nodded.
"Understood. That makes sense."
With Hyeon-yong Master agreeing too, Yi Ho-chang tilted his head.
What had she said to change his mind so suddenly?
Whatever it was, thanks to them, he secured the map openly in front of everyone.
Yi Ho-chang bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you both so much."
"No, we should be thanking you. Thanks to you, we've recovered the lost Great Return Pill refining method."
"Indeed, young hero. Thanks to you, Shaolin can finally...!"
Hyeon-yong Master's chest swelled with emotion as he turned back to the refining method paper Nangyo had handed him.
Yes.
Whatever it took, he hoped Shaolin's lineage would rise again through this opportunity.
So, were his affairs at Shaolin finally concluded?
That was when it happened.
"Huh?"
An odd sound suddenly escaped Hyeon-yong Master's lips.
Though the noise was strange, his expression was gravely serious.
The startled Nangyo asked.
"What's wrong?"
"S-Senior Brother... th-this..."
Hyeon-yong Master pointed to the paper with the refining method.
Then, indicating the bottom of the page, he said.
"Th-this... it's only half!"
"Only half?"
The shocked Nangyo snatched it and read through to the end.
She'd only skimmed the top earlier in her excitement, but now she saw it was indeed just half.
"What the hell? Why is it only half?"
"H-ha, haha, hahaha..."
Hyeon-yong Master let out a dazed, hollow laugh.
The other monks' mouths hung open in dismay.
Then, as Nangyo scoured the paper, something suspicious caught her eye.
"This... Hey, Nangjin. Take a look at this."
"This?"
The dazed Hyeon-yong Master slowly shifted his gaze to where Nangyo pointed.
His head tilted further sideways.
"Senior Brother... isn't this the Tang Family of Sacheon's emblem?"
"That's what it looks like to me. But what I'm wondering is why the Tang Family of Sacheon's emblem is stamped on the Great Return Pill refining method."
What were they talking about?
Why was the refining method only half, and why was there a Tang Family emblem on it?
Yi Ho-chang had heard of the Tang Family of Sacheon before.
The hegemons of Sacheon.
Experts in poisons, hidden weapons, and pharmacology.
But why was their emblem there?
As he thought this, Yi Ho-chang's eyes drifted to the inside of the Go board.
"What's this? Is there more...?"
At Yi Ho-chang's words, Nangyo set the refining method aside and peered into the Go board.
"What is it?"
"There, look at that."
Inside was another faded, yellowish letter that blended in due to its worn color.
Nangyo picked it up and read the opening paragraph.
"Disciples of Shaolin, heed this...?"
Her eyes widened as she beckoned Hyeon-yong Master over.
"Nangjin, don't tell me..."
"Th-this... this is Master Dharma's calligraphy, isn't it?"
So this was a letter left by Master Dharma?
The surrounding monks buzzed at the words.
"Truly, Master Dharma has left us his wise insight."
"Oh, Buddha!"
At the mention of Master Dharma's letter, the two hurriedly began reading.
But as they neared the end, Nangyo's hands started trembling.
Her face flushed red.
Unlike Nangyo, however, Hyeon-yong Master sitting beside her seemed deeply moved, wiping tears with his sleeve as he murmured to himself.
"Ah, even from afar, Master Dharma watches over his disciples..."
What was going on with everyone?
Why such contrasting reactions?
Unable to contain his curiosity, Yi Ho-chang asked.
"Master, what happened?"
"Well... The reason the Great Return Pill refining method is only half is that Master Dharma wished to grant enlightenment to Shaolin's descendants."
"...Enlightenment?"
"Yes, it's written here: 'Would it do to hand such a precious record that could save Shaolin so easily? The process of obtaining the Great Return Pill refining method is itself a trial on the path to Buddhahood.'"
At that moment.
"A trial my ass!"
Nangyo bellowed at Hyeon-yong Master's words.
"That damn bald donkey! What trial? What the hell kind of trial is this?!"
"S-Senior Brother! People are watching—mind your words... Surely Master Dharma had his reasons."
"No! Nangjin, does this even make sense? What trial?! You read it yourself! He just lost a betting Go match to that Yakseon and had to give up half the refining method! Argh!"
"C-Calm down!"
"Do I look calm?! Argh!! And what? A promise from the Isolated Flower? To get it back, we have to go to the Tang Family and win another betting Go match? What kind of ghost-forsaken nonsense is this, argh!!"
"S-Senior Brother!"
Nangyo, truly furious, rampaged like a gorilla.
As everyone tried to restrain him, Yi Ho-chang picked up the letter he'd tossed aside and scanned its contents.
'Hmm.'
It was just as Nangyo said.
The letter opened with the grandiose title "Promise of the Isolated Flower," but despite the lofty language, the content boiled down exactly to what Nangyo described.
'In short: Sorry, half the original refining method is with Yakseon, so go fetch it back yourselves.'
The paper even bore what appeared to be seals from Master Dharma and Yakseon.
"Well..."
In that instant, Yi Ho-chang's image of Master Dharma shifted dramatically.
Nangyo, finally sitting back down, grumbled through gritted teeth.
"How do these guys call themselves the Ten Supremes of the Upper Heavens...! Fine job they're doing—more like the Ten Bastards of the Upper Heavens...!"
Yi Ho-chang's ears perked up at that.
'The same Ten Supremes of the Upper Heavens?'
Then perhaps the Tang Family of Sacheon had one of the Ten Go Precepts too?
Just as Giseon had given a Go board to his friend among the Ten Supremes, Master Dharma.
'Hold on, does that mean the Abandon Small, Take Large was from one of the Ten Supremes too?'
If this hypothesis held, he wouldn't need to wonder where to go next.
To verify, finding the owner of the Abandon Small, Take Large board would be surest, but...
How could he track down the owner of a Go board won as a prize from a street vendor's life-and-death puzzle?
'Guess I'll have to visit the Tang Family of Sacheon first.'
Confirming it there would solidify the next destination, and naturally reveal the rest of the Ten Supremes.
Just then, Hyeon-yong Master, catching his breath, spoke to Yu-gyeong.
"Yu-gyeong, it looks like we'll need to head to the Tang Family to retrieve the rest of the refining method."
"Yes, I'll prepare right away."
Yi Ho-chang's ears pricked at their conversation.
'I need to go to the Tang Family too, so since it's like this...'
Going together seemed best.
Even if he went alone claiming it was for the Immortal Assembly Valley map, they probably wouldn't receive him.
All things considered, tagging along with Shaolin made the most sense.
Yi Ho-chang said to Hyeon-yong Master.
"Master, might I join you?"
Go Master Swordsman