Chapter 34: Looking for the Hint (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Looking for the Hint (2)
The Golden Nature Clan.
Centuries ago, they were a renowned lineage, their descendants masters of martial arts, and their clan hosted one of the world's greatest markets.
When the first Gate of Demons manifested upon the world, Yeon Il-Cheon, the Iron Fist and then-Lord of the Golden Nature Clan, played a pivotal role in repelling the demonic invasion.
In that era, the Clan held sway over the global economy, and every single one of the world's Zeniths could trace their lineage back to it.
It seemed their reign would last forever, but their story was destined for an abrupt end.
The Blood Calamity.
The Golden Nature Clan fell in an instant, consumed by a sudden and horrific disaster.
The Blood Demon, leader of the blood cult at the time, unleashed a catastrophe that plunged the world into a bloody morass for years.
Ultimately, the Blood Demon was defeated and the calamity ceased, but not before countless clans were utterly annihilated in the process.
The Golden Nature Clan was among them.
The clan known for producing Zeniths was erased from existence without a single trace.
No one knew the exact details of what the Blood Demon had done, or how such a prestigious clan could be so humiliatingly obliterated.
Little was recorded in the history books, and people generally avoided digging too deeply into the matter.
After all, what good would come from obsessing over a centuries-old disaster?
The main point was this: before their destruction, the Golden Nature Clan had managed to leave one secret behind.
A hidden vault.
The Tang Clan had discovered it in my previous life.
Given its origin from the greatest clan of its age, many assumed the vault held treasures of immense value.
Fierce conflicts erupted over its ownership, and in the end, it fell into the hands of the Gaecheon Clan.
They were tight-lipped about the vault's contents, but their lord, who had been at the Peak realm, suddenly broke through to the Fusion realm shortly after.
But what if the vault was actually empty?
Then it's empty, I suppose.
I didn't necessarily expect to find anything inside, but it was too risky to do nothing.
I wasn't even sure I could locate the vault, and I only had three days.
Thankfully, I'd managed to avoid wasting time at the Military Exhibition, but that didn't mean my schedule was clear.
“…God damn, this place is huge.”
The day before, I'd made an excuse, claiming I was too ashamed to show my face at the event after causing such a scene.
I slipped away at midnight, leaving only a letter for my escorts.
I instructed them to leave the Tang Clan and wait for me in the town we'd previously visited, promising to return in three or four days.
Of course, Muyeon would be furious when he read it, but I had no choice. We'd deal with the fallout later.
Well, to be precise, I decided we would…
After two hours of brisk walking and running, I reached the former location of the Golden Nature Clan, nestled deep within a mountain range.
The site was situated between the territories of the Tang and Gaecheon Clans, which explained their frequent conflicts.
It was a relatively small mountain, but for a single person searching for a hidden vault, it was dauntingly vast.
“ Sigh … I feel like a few days won’t be enough.”
“Right? It’s so huge!”
“I know, isn’t it crazy? How am I supposed to search this area all alone…?”
“I agree! I’m also hungry!”
“Yes… Maybe I should just go back and eat some dumplin-“
…Huh?
I spun towards a voice I knew I shouldn't be hearing. There, standing amidst the foliage, was Wi Seol-Ah.
For some reason, she was covered in leaves.
She tilted her head in confusion as I stared at her, dumbfounded. A leaf stuck to her hair fluttered to the ground with the motion.
“You… You…”
“Yeah?”
“Why are you hereeee!?”
My voice echoed through the mountain valley.
* * *
Dumplings are delicious.
I've always felt that way, even in my previous life. They're inexpensive, yet packed with meat, their skins delightfully soft.
There are smaller varieties, but I've always preferred the larger ones. They're tasty whether hot or cold.
They're delicious in soup, or pan-fried.
Oh, what a perfect food.
I never once thought dumplings could be anything but wonderful.
“Young Master, aren’t you going to eat?”
Except now.
“…You, how did you follow me here?”
After all that effort climbing the mountain, I ended up in the nearest town.
I felt obligated to feed her after she complained of hunger.
My headache grew worse with each dish she emptied.
…How many bowls of noodles is this?
I was only on my third dumpling, but she was on her… fourth… fifth…-
Let’s just stop counting.
I gave up, afraid of the final tally.
“When did you start following me?”
Wi Seol-Ah spoke between voracious bites. “Back then~ nom … I saw you~ nom …”
“Never mind, you can talk after you finish…”
Her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's.
How is she fitting all that in her mouth?
Wi Seol-Ah finally swallowed the massive mouthful.
“I saw the Young Master sneak out in the morning!”
“…How?”
I had carefully avoided the escorts patrolling at dawn, and I'd alternated between walking and running for hours. I'd even used my Qi to boost my speed at times.
Setting aside my failure to detect her…
How in the world did she keep up with me!?
Even I was panting from the exertion due to my poor stamina…
“Young Master, you looked like you were going to die on the way, but I thought it was funny so I kept watching!”
“…Uh yeah, thanks.”
Even with my pitiful amount of Qi and my untrained body, I was still a martial artist who possessed it.
It should have been impossible for an ordinary girl like Wi Seol-Ah to follow me all the way here.
But then how?
I'd seen Wi Seol-Ah get tired from heavy housework, but I'd also seen her carry loads that would strain grown men.
…Wait, maybe that's abnormal in the first place.
Was the future Zenith just built differently from birth?
Even so, this was bizarre.
“You really ran all the way here?”
Wi Seol-Ah looked over her shoulder at my question. I followed her gaze, but there was nothing but empty chairs and our table.
“I just followed you!”
Her response made me massage my temples; my headache was definitely getting worse…
How can I send her back?
There was no guarantee she knew the way, and even if she made it to the Tang Clan, our group might already be gone.
But I couldn't afford to take her back myself.
Sending her back alone was also dangerous given her beauty; I feared something might happen to her. Sichuan wasn't exactly a peaceful region.
Not that I have any right to judge, since I'm the one who ran away.
“But why would you follow me here!? It’s dangerous!”
Wi Seol-Ah flinched at my raised voice.
“I’m sorry… Young Master, you looked like you were going far away… I was anxious, so I followed.”
To be honest, I was being pathetic here.
Even with my meager Qi, I should have sensed Wi Seol-Ah on my trail.
I'd deserve to get stabbed in the back.
Had I let my guard down because the world was currently at peace? I thought I'd been vigilant since entering Sichuan, but apparently, it wasn't enough.
Haa… What can I do? I don’t have a lot of time.
Can I search for the vault with her in tow? That seems like pushing my luck.
I can barely take care of myself; can I really protect Wi Seol-Ah?
…Maybe I should just return to the Tang Clan? I could tell Muyeon I 'coincidentally found some info about the secret vault.'
Though I doubt he'd believe me…
Dammit, what should I do?
Wi Seol-Ah interrupted my spiraling thoughts. “Young Master, why are you here anyway?”
“I’m here to find something.”
“A yummy dumpling?”
“What makes you say dumplings all of a sudden?”
“But the Young Master always eats dumplings.”
“No…? Wait, you’re right.”
I had been eating an awful lot of dumplings lately.
But they are delicious…
I heaved a deep sigh.
Can I really find the vault like this?
The information I had about its location was vague and probably inaccurate.
“A white maple tree in the middle of summer… What kind of nonsense is that?”
The entrance to the vault was supposedly beneath a white maple tree.
That's what the Tang Clan had claimed back then. It sounded ridiculous.
It had been summer when they found it. Maple trees are already rare in summer, let alone a white one?
“Were they lying? Or was the information doctored?”
I had to assume the latter.
The story involved the greatest clan in history; it was possible the details had been altered to sound more like a myth.
I was the fool for believing it and coming all this way.
…Sigh, I'm an idiot.
I was seriously considering giving up and turning back.
Just as my frustration peaked, Wi Seol-Ah spoke up.
“White maple tree?”
“Yeah, a white maple tree… That’s what I’m looking for.”
It would sound just as weird to her.
Now that I thought about it, it was strange that no other clans had ever found such a uniquely described tree.
“A maple tree in the summer? Weird, right?”
“Yeah, it was super pretty when I saw it earlier!”
“…Yeah, I agree-“
Huh?
What did she just say?
“What did you say just now?”
Wi Seol-Ah looked at me, confused by my stunned expression.
“What’s wrong, Young Master?”
“You said you saw it. The white maple tree.”
“Yes.”
“…W-Where did you see it?”
Wi Seol-Ah tilted her head.
“We were looking at it earlier together!”
“Looking at what…?”
“The tree!”
“Me…? With you?”
“Yes!”
Since when?
I went numb, baffled as to how I could have missed it.
Wi Seol-Ah, growing frustrated with my disbelief, reached for one of my dumplings. I slapped her hand away.
“Ow!”
“…You said we saw it together. The tree.”
I asked again, pushing a plate of dumplings toward her as a peace offering.
* * *
-Chirp chirp
Sunset had come and gone, leaving us in darkness.
How had it become night already? We'd only climbed the mountain a few times…
Time flies when you're wasting it.
We were climbing again, and so far, we'd found nothing.
No matter how powerful a martial artist becomes, can anyone truly master time?
Then again, it was greedy of me to think that, considering I'd literally traveled back in time.
“Whew!”
I glanced back at Wi Seol-Ah, who was panting heavily but keeping pace.
Her clothes were dusty and covered in leaves from pushing through thickets and scrambling over rocks.
Despite it all, she wore a bright, cheerful smile.
“What are you so happy about?”
“It’s always fun to go with you, Young Master!”
Maybe I shouldn't have asked.
My heart did a funny little flip, so I turned away from her.
Wi Seol-Ah was keeping up remarkably well, even though the terrain was rough for a girl her age.
…Her stamina is unbelievable.
I guess the bones of a future Zenith are just built different.
“A bit further, and we’ll be at the spot we checked before.”
The midway point on the mountain where Wi Seol-Ah insisted she'd seen the white maple tree during the day.
All I'd seen was a cliff face with ordinary trees and rocks.
What had Wi Seol-Ah seen?
If it led to the vault, braving the mountain at night would be worth it.
Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any demonic presence here.
It was almost unnerving how devoid of life the area felt. I didn't even sense any animals, just the incessant chirping of insects.
Soon, we arrived back at the spot.
Naturally, I still saw nothing special.
“Where are you saying it is?”
“…Hmm?”
Wi Seol-Ah responded to my question with confusion.
“It’s right there!”
I looked where she pointed, but there was nothing.
Just a cliff.
“What are you talking about? I only see a cliff.”
A strange reluctance held me back. I tried to step closer, but my feet refused to move.
“That’s weird…? It’s really there.”
Wi Seol-Ah, seemingly unaffected, walked nonchalantly towards the cliff edge.
“Wait! I told you it’s dangerous!”
Though I shouted, my feet remained rooted to the spot.
Why can't I move!?
Wi Seol-Ah kept pointing at the empty air. She was standing perilously close to the drop; one wrong step and she'd fall.
“…Dammit… Move!”
I gritted my teeth, channeling all my Qi. Heat radiated from my body as I wreathed myself in Fire Qi.
I forced the energy into my paralyzed legs, feeling control slowly return.
The moment I could move, I ignored my fear and lunged forward, grabbing Wi Seol-Ah and pulling her into a tight hug.
“Kya!”
She let out a startled squeal, but I paid no mind.
“Are you crazy!? If you fall here, you’re going to die-“
My scolding died in my throat.
Something was happening.
- Crack
The empty air began to fracture.
Slowly, the cracks spread, forming a distinct pattern.
It looked like…
A Gate of Demons…!?
I frantically pulled out a demon-repelling charm I'd brought for emergencies. It showed no reaction to a nearby gate.
But it worked perfectly last time… So why?
The fissure in the air undeniably resembled an emerging Gate of Demons.
The thought sent chills down my spine. If it was a gate, it was already too late for us to escape.
“I should have just sent her back…”
This was a crisis.
Even if we were miraculously lucky and a low-level green gate appeared, my current strength was insufficient to protect both of us.
Maybe I should push Wi Seol-Ah to safety and try to hold the demons off alone? I needed to act, not just think.
“It’s dangerous here, so quick-“
“See!? Young Master!”
“Huh?”
Wi Seol-Ah was still smiling, utterly unfazed by our predicament.
“I told you I wasn’t lying! See!?”
“What are you talking about!? I told you it’s dangerous!”
Oblivious to my desperation, she simply pointed.
The crack on the cliff face widened, spider-webbing across the void.
What the hell is that?
The web of light pulsed brightly.
I shielded Wi Seol-Ah, bracing for impact.
“Ougffh!”
She made a choked sound as I held her tight.
After about thirty seconds, the light faded. I cautiously opened my eyes.
“…What the hell?”
The sight left me speechless.
Where the cliff edge should have been was now a flat expanse of land.
And in the center stood the giant white maple tree the Tang Clan had described.