Chapter 50: Mount Hua (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: Mount Hua (4)
Ten days had passed since I left the clan for Mount Hua.
If I had to pinpoint one key difference from my trip to Sichuan, it was the complete lack of relaxation on this journey.
“Young Master, are you feeling unwell?”
“Y-Yes, there’s no need to worry.”
The reason was simple: the man currently acting as our coachman was none other than one of the Three Venerables—the Sword Venerable himself.
Why, of all people, did it have to be him driving my carriage when there were others available? Because of him, I’d spent the past ten days in a state of near-fatal discomfort.
To be fair, Wi Seol-Ah’s presence in the same carriage probably contributed to the tension, but the result was the same. I would have honestly preferred to be the one holding the reins.
For fuck’s sake…
“Muyeon, how much longer until we arrive?”
I gazed out the window as I spoke. It was a pointless question.
Muyeon responded with a strained smile. “Young Master… I believe that’s the thirtieth time you’ve asked.”
“…Has it been that many? I had a feeling.”
“To repeat myself, we still have a considerable distance to cover.”
“…Hearing that never fails to depress me.”
This world’s absurdly vast landmass…
As I sighed, Wi Seol-Ah approached me. “Young Master, Young Master.”
“What is it?”
“What’s your favorite kind of dumpling?”
“What kind of question is that? Why ask about my favorite dumpling instead of my favorite food in general?”
“But the Young Master only ever eats dumplings.”
“…”
She wasn’t wrong, so I had no rebuttal.
We’ve really reached the point of discussing my favorite dumpling, huh.
“I like all dumplings.”
“Why?”
“They’re cheap and filling.”
It really was that simple. They were inexpensive, plentiful, and delicious. There were probably many varieties, but I wasn’t picky. As long as they were cheap, filling, and tasted better than ration pills, they were good enough. I’d eaten far worse things than ration pills in my time; anything that qualified as actual food was acceptable.
Wi Seol-Ah tilted her head in confusion. “That’s strange. The servant sisters told me the Young Master used to be very particular about his food…”
“Not anymore.”
I had been picky before. When I was young, I was stubborn and inexplicably insisted on only eating expensive, high-quality fare. It was only later, as I stared death in the face, that I realized how pointless that was.
[Just eat it already, goddammit.]
[Fucking hell, how am I supposed to eat this? Do you really think a centipede’s tail is food?]
[You think I eat it because I want to? I eat it to survive, you idiot.]
[I’m not going to eat it.]
[If you won’t, then give it to me. I’d rather fill my stomach than protect my pride.]
I’ll admit it now—the centipede’s tail didn’t taste all that bad. To be precise, it was better than most things I could scrounge up in that place. I’d drunk beast blood instead of water and consumed poison knowingly, all just to quiet my hunger.
What a shitty memory.
“…I feel sick now.”
The recollection alone was enough to make me nauseous.
Noticing my pallor, Wi Seol-Ah hurriedly pulled something out. It was a yakgwa.
…Why is she offering me a honey pastry instead of medicine?
With a trembling voice, she asked, “Do you… want a bite?”
“…You’re offering me a single bite, not even a whole piece?”
“But… this is my last one.”
In response, I leaned forward and snatched the entire yakgwa with my mouth. I pretended to take just a bite, but ended up devouring the whole thing in one go.
“N-N-Nooooooo!”
Wi Seol-Ah’s scream echoed through the carriage.
In essence, that moment encapsulated the entire past ten days. Utterly pointless.
When night fell, we set up camp as usual. The horses needed rest, and so did we, given the long journey. The escorts lit a campfire and immediately began keeping watch for danger. They were starting their vigil unusually early.
Both Wi Seol-Ah and the Sword Venerable had left the carriage. With the escorts stationed a short distance away, I found myself alone.
Settling into the correct posture, I slowly released my Fire Qi. I felt it spread from my dantian throughout my entire body, empowering me. With every exhalation, a red haze of Qi emanated from my skin.
It was a sign that I was nearing the 4th rank.
When Qi is released from the body for too long, it becomes difficult to control. I could feel mine growing increasingly rough and unwieldy. That was the limitation of the Third Star. Pushing further would risk damaging my body.
Once I broke through to the next rank, this wouldn’t be a problem. But it was my physical body itself that was preventing me from breaking that wall. This damn body of mine.
Impatience drove me to try again and again, but I always met the same barrier.
I feel so impatient, both mentally and circumstantially.
Realizing that rushing would only backfire, I withdrew my Qi. Patience was the most crucial virtue when transcending to a new level.
Yet, my repeated attempts weren’t solely for the sake of breaking through. I also sought to refine my Qi. Little by little, I could strengthen my foundation and purge the impurities. A purer, stronger Qi would facilitate greater growth in the future.
…Sigh.
I found it ironic, thinking like this. I thought I’d left my greed for martial arts in the past. It had only been a few months since I resolved to become just strong enough to protect myself. But after gaining power from that snake, my greed was growing again. It seemed I truly was a martial artist at heart.
As the heat subsided, the quiet of the night became apparent. The chirping of insects filled my ears as I leaned back in my seat, drained from the training. In moments like these, I used to dwell on future plans or past sins—thoughts that only gave me a headache.
But lately, those thoughts haven’t been coming.
It was thanks to the scent of plums that now permeated the carriage. The fragrance even felt a bit dizzying after I withdrew my Qi. If you’re wondering why I’m suddenly mentioning a plum scent, it’s because of the stone I carried in my pocket.
“…Give me a break.”
I smiled wryly at the aroma prickling my nose. It was the treasure given to me by the Second Elder, emitting the scent of plum blossoms. Initially, the cloth wrapping had contained the smell, but for the past few days, the fragrance had been leaking through regardless. I hadn’t thought much of it—it was a treasure, after all—but today was particularly potent.
“How does something like this even exist?”
I carefully retrieved the wrapped stone. Even in my previous life, treasures were considered truly mysterious. This plum-scented stone was no exception. Whether it was the Namgung Clan’s lightning-enveloped sword or the Shaolin Sect’s statue containing an enigmatic light, they were all similar. They defied the laws of nature.
Such objects were called treasures, but explaining their origin remained difficult. We simply accepted that they existed.
After a moment’s observation, I returned the stone to my pocket. If I accidentally broke it while fiddling, I’d have to flee far away from Mount Hua instead of delivering it.
Even after stowing it away, the scent lingered in the carriage.
It’s rare to witness plum blossoms in this season… yet I’m surrounded by their fragrance here. The aroma was so strong I even began to hallucinate plum petals drifting on the air.
I must be exhausted…
I rubbed my eyes, but the phantom petals remained. Convinced I was overly tired, I decided to lie down. It would have been more comfortable to sleep outside, where the camp was surely ready, but I felt unusually weary today.
Yeah, I’ll just close my eyes for a bit and finish training later.
With that thought, I relaxed my body. Just as I was drifting off, a faint, fuzzy voice reached me.
[Who the hell are you…?]
It was the voice of an old man I’d never heard before.
[This child isn’t from Mount Hua, is he?]
Is this a dream? Another nightmare?
[How can an outsider devour all this Qi?]
In my groggy state, the old man sounded furious.
[…My god, what am I seeing… What bloodline do you possess to absorb all of this? You’ll make yourself sick at this rate!]
It felt like someone was tapping my cheek, urging me to wake up. But my exhausted body refused to cooperate.
[…For fuck’s sake…!]
After a prolonged bout of angry muttering, the voice finally faded away as if giving up.
When I finally awoke…
“What the…?”
Absurdly, my Gu Flame Wheel Art had broken through to the Fourth Star.
* * *
The Qi swirling around my hand danced wildly. Just yesterday, it had barely produced a faint heat haze, but now it had transformed completely. This was undeniable proof that my Gu Flame Wheel Art had reached the Fourth Star.
I could only stare dumbfounded at the flame, but this was reality.
“What? What the hell happened…?”
Yesterday, my body had stubbornly refused to advance beyond the Third Star, yet I’d woken up at the Fourth Star. The sheer absurdity left me speechless. While I was happy it had happened, frustration quickly followed because I didn’t understand how.
My physique was unchanged. Yet, my Qi felt strangely calmer. The energy flowing through my body was no longer rough but smooth and fluid. As a result, it placed no strain on my body, and I could control its flow with ease.
Fluid… No matter how I thought about it, that word was utterly incompatible with the nature of the Gu Flame Wheel Art. If I had to compare this Qi to anything, it most closely resembled Mount Hua’s Qi. How could an art known for being as wild as a beast feel similar to Mount Hua’s energy? It was ludicrous.
The biggest issue was that my normally flame-red Qi now looked strangely… lighter.
…How should I put it? I feel like I’ve seen this Qi before.
With trembling hands, I retrieved the stone from my pocket and began unwrapping the cloth.
Please don’t tell me… God, please. Please…
Perhaps because I begged so earnestly, the stone appeared unharmed. Thank goodness. Lately, I’d grown anxious around strange stones, ever since I started involuntarily absorbing the power within them. If I had accidentally drained whatever was inside this one, I’d have had to go into hiding far away from Mount Hua. So, the stone’s intact state was a massive relief.
But as my tension eased, I noticed something odd.
…Does the light seem dimmer?
The radiance that should have illuminated the entire carriage felt fainter than usual.
No, it must be my imagination… It has to be.
“Just to be safe… I shouldn’t keep carrying this on me.”
It would be better to lose the stone than to destroy the treasure with my own hands—
No, either scenario would probably make my life a living hell…?
Dammit, why did I have to be entrusted with this…!
I felt a surge of resentment toward the Second Elder for saddling me with this delivery.
“…It’s fine. As long as I hand it over and play dumb, they won’t notice anything.”
My primary goal here wasn’t the stone, but to bring my little sister back to the clan. As long as that remained unaffected, everything was fine. And if it wasn’t fine, I’d make it fine.
That was what I thought at the time.
“I came here because I was curious about something.”
But I had forgotten one important detail.
“I am Yung Pung of Mount Hua.”
I had truly shitty luck.
…Fuck.