Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Dream Interpretation
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Mu-heun had used a disguise technique to alter his face and physique, appearing as a physician in his mid-thirties. He now had sharp features and a black mustache.
Dang So-so was utterly astonished at his appearance.
“Oh… I knew you were a man of many talents, but I never imagined it was to this extent.”
“Haha, it's just something I picked up along the way. And aren't you, Miss Dang, dressed quite beautifully yourself?”
“Haha, thank you for the compliment.”
Dang So-so replied to his compliment, but what Mu-heun had said before was, frankly, unbelievable.
A disguise technique that could change not only the face but the entire physique. Only a handful of people in the martial world could perform such a divine skill.
For a master of powerful demonic arts to possess such an ability was, in fact, incredibly dangerous. A supreme demonic master with disguise techniques!
The closer Dang So-so looked at Mu-heun, the more miraculous he seemed.
She had heard that a man called the Shapeshifting Immortal was the master of disguise techniques, a skill impossible to learn unless he personally selected and taught talented individuals.
In the end, Dang So-so could only murmur quietly.
“Something you just picked up along the way… Haha.”
Just then, a beautiful woman walked out from behind Mu-heun.
Seol Ha-ryeong.
With white hair that shimmered under the moonlight, she was a beauty whose dazzling presence overwhelmed her surroundings.
It was a fresh shock even to Mu-heun, who had seen countless beauties renowned enough to topple nations in his past life.
‘Heh…’
Adorned with blue gems around her neck and on her ears, she looked like a painting. Appearing gracefully under the bright moonlight, she was truly a beauty under the moon.
Ha-ryeong's face was as clear and transparent as a calm lake, and her eyes, which seemed to hold a cold, snow-capped mountain, had a charm that prevented others from approaching her recklessly.
However, having never once adorned herself beautifully in her life, she seemed a little shy.
“Haha…, have you been waiting long?”
This time, only Dang So-so was participating in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong were going to the Martial Alliance not as martial artists, but as the son and daughter of a prestigious family in the Sichuan capital, hence their different appearances.
Unable to refuse Dang So-so's repeated requests, she had decided to dress up beautifully, like a woman from a noble and renowned family.
Ha-ryeong already had skin as white as snow, and a light dusting of powder enhanced its natural luster. Her lips were tinged with a soft red, making her look like a delicate flower from a greenhouse that had never known hardship.
“Not at all. We just came out.”
The silk dress she wore was simple yet stylish, its soft material draping naturally over her body to create an elegant silhouette.
The color of the dress was a calm blue, which made her white hair and blue eyes appear even more beautiful.
However.
Mu-heun knew that beneath that beauty lay the immense power she possessed.
Tucked inside her sleeve was her weapon, the Frost Fan, ready to be drawn at any moment to unleash her chilling fan techniques.
Unlike her outward beauty, a powerful ice flower bloomed within her.
“Shall we depart now?”
“Yes, let's.”
Under the full moon, two beauties stood looking at Mu-heun. Yet, despite being with two women who could easily be called peerless beauties, Mu-heun was thinking of something else.
‘I pity the young men. If they get caught up in a moment of lust and mess with these two, they'll soon be far removed from the beautiful thing called life. I pity the men who will lose their minds over them and come rushing in the near future.’
“Looks like we might run into some trouble on the way…?”
Then again, what could possibly happen when they were traveling under the name of the Tang Clan? Besides, anyone who would attack them based on their looks alone was likely some third-rate or second-rate riffraff.
Look at their combined strength now: two masters who had reached the state of Ascendance, and one who had reached the state of Enlightenment.
It would be meaningless if a pack of street thugs attacked them, and it wouldn't matter even if a more organized group of forest bandits or river pirates came at them.
Just one of them could easily subdue such foes.
Seol Ha-ryeong, who wielded a wide-ranging ice art capable of freezing an entire lake... If she were to use her fan arts to summon an ice storm, it would be nothing short of a catastrophe.
And what about Dang So-so? The Tang Clan's unique hidden weapon techniques were stealthy yet powerful. Even a supreme master would bid farewell to this world if they underestimated her and let their guard down for even a moment.
If she were to unleash not hidden weapons but a poison mist, anyone less than a supreme master would find it impossible to even approach her, let alone stand nearby.
Having thought that far, Mu-heun let out an empty sigh.
‘Right, I should worry about those who need worrying about. With masters of this caliber traveling…’
However, to prepare for any unforeseen possibilities, Mu-heun instructed Cheon-hyang to report any suspicious movements from the air.
[ Squeeeeaaak! Don't you worry! I'll keep an eye on everything and let you know! ]
[ R-Right... ]
Mu-heun and Cheon-hyang always communicated telepathically, but sometimes the creature chattered so much that he wished he could filter out everything but the important parts.
Just then, a large carriage pulled up in front of them.
Mu-heun asked, puzzled.
“Ah, are we taking a carriage? I thought we would be running, using our lightness techniques.”
“What? Haha. Isn't that obvious? If it were just me, perhaps, but running when we're traveling with the children of a prestigious family who haven't learned martial arts?”
“Ah…”
“Look at our clothes. We can't possibly run in these.”
“Indeed…”
The other two were certainly not dressed for a run through the forest.
“Let's take our time.”
“Understood.”
And so, the three of them began their journey by carriage.
***
On the way from Sichuan to Hubei, they had to pass through a region called Chongqing.
Chongqing was the hometown of Baek Jung-hyeok, Mu-heun's past self. Now, reborn in a new, younger body, Mu-heun had returned.
After entering the Chongqing region, Mu-heun was overcome with a profound sense of nostalgia.
‘This feels… surreal.’
More than half of Chongqing was barren, rocky mountain terrain. However, rivers flowed even in such a landscape—the Yangtze River and various smaller streams.
Passing through the Bishan area, rich in sandstone and limestone, and beyond the isolated, rugged mountain valleys, one would reach the Chongqing Plains, formed by repeated weathering and erosion.
In ancient times, peculiar peaks like sheer cliffs rose from the land, but constant flooding from the Yangtze River had flattened the area over the years. It had become a good place for people to settle.
Before becoming the Divine Doctor, Baek Jung-hyeok was born and raised near the area where the Yangtze River diverged, but he had left Chongqing at such a young age that he had forgotten the exact location.
The one thing he remembered was a temple there called Chipyeongsa.
If he tried to recall his childhood…
Just then.
Mu-heun briefly fell asleep in the carriage.
“Evil… Monster, Grotesque, Ghost, Spirit…, God…”
…muttering some incomprehensible words.
***
‘This place is…’
In the Chongqing Plains, near the fork of the Yangtze River, there was a simple yet warm village.
‘To see the village from my past life, from my childhood… this must be a dream.’
It was a dream he hadn't had in a very long time. Even so, the village before him was so vivid it felt as if he had returned to the past and was watching from the sky above.
Mu-heun felt the warm memories of the time he spent with his parents in the village as a very young child in his past life resurfacing.
In the dream, watching from above… he could see himself and his parents.
***
When the sun reached its zenith, he and his father went to rest in the shade. They had been working in the village's small field since morning and looked a little tired.
His mother brought them a snack, and his father smiled as he handed it to his younger self.
The shimmering reflection of the sun on the Yangtze River flowing beside the field was beautiful. The river provided the village with essential water, so the villagers would often hold rituals in its honor.
His younger self found simple joy in picking flowers and chasing small insects by his parents' side.
‘Yes… it was a simple but peaceful village.’
When evening came, the family would gather for dinner. His parents would tell him stories, sharing the village's traditions and ancient legends.
He couldn't describe how warm those moments were.
The legends always included tales of the nearby Chipyeongsa Temple. They said over 500 Arhats lived there, and because of them, the village would be safe.
‘It was all a lie. The Arhats did protect us, but they couldn't protect everyone.’
Not long after, the village was attacked by a poison fiend from the Unorthodox Sects, and everyone was massacred.
The Arhats and martial artists from Chipyeongsa Temple, located near the village, rushed to help, but only his younger self survived.
***
Mu-heun opened his eyes, which he had closed for a moment.
The memory was hazy, but it seemed he had seen his childhood.
‘My childhood…’
Of course, due to the horrific incident with the poison fiend where all the villagers were annihilated, there were more bad memories than good.
However, he clearly remembered being rescued by the Arhats of the nearby Chipyeongsa Temple and taking shelter there for a while. He still hadn't forgotten the studies and the principles of yin, yang, and the five elements he learned from them.
Despite the Arhats' offer to teach him their arts if he joined the temple, Baek Jung-hyeok had declined and walked the path of a physician, as a human.
‘Hah… back then, I never could have imagined I would learn the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon. Life is truly unpredictable.’
But after the dream, a memory he should not have forgotten surfaced from the fragments of his past.
‘The words the Arhats told me when I left Chipyeongsa…’
Mu-heun tried to recall the memory.
‘Yes, it was about a certain set of books. And those books were…’
In that instant, as if struck by lightning, the name of the books flashed in his mind.
‘Three Books on the Advent of the Chaotic Heavens' Inhuman Beings.’
He remembered the title. The problem, however, was that he couldn't recall the detailed contents.
‘It was definitely… about beings that are not human, but I can't remember. More importantly, did I read those books? Or do I only know of their existence?’
Mu-heun was confused.
Dang So-so and Seol Ha-ryeong watched the confused Mu-heun with curiosity, but he paid them no mind and continued his thoughts.
‘It might be fortunate that we stopped in Chongqing on the way from Sichuan to Hubei. Having this dream at this particular moment might have been fate.’
The village from his childhood, and the Chipyeongsa Temple that had saved it—there might be related books remaining there.
Recalling the past, Mu-heun decided he should visit Chipyeongsa Temple, which had briefly raised him.
Of course, he had heard that all the Arhats had vanished more than fifty years ago. He'd heard through the grapevine that only a few monks remained to manage the temple now.
The Arhats who had saved him were gone, but Mu-heun still felt a sense of gratitude toward Chipyeongsa Temple. How could he forget the grace of having his life saved?
I should stop by, give a donation to the monks, and ask if they know anything about the Three Books on the Advent of the Chaotic Heavens' Inhuman Beings.
Mu-heun opened his mouth.
“Miss Dang, Miss Seol, I have something to say.”
Hearing his words, Seol Ha-ryeong and Dang So-so spoke with expressions that said, "It's about time."
“Honestly, what took you so long to say something?”
“I was about to go crazy wondering what you were thinking.”
“…Excuse me?”