Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Soul-Stealing Immortal (1)
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Mu-heun began to listen to Cheon-hyang's report.
[ Reporting! It seems Dang So-so intends to betray you, Master! ]
“No, no, she was never truly on the same path as me to begin with, so ‘betrayal’ is not the right word.”
[ Whaat!? Aren't they all your subordinates, Master!? Then why do you bring along humans who are so much weaker than you? ]
“Haha, the affairs of humans are not as simple as you think. Never mind that. Why exactly do you say Dang So-so has betrayed me?”
[ I heard Dang So-so talking to herself. She said… Ah! That’s right! She said you were dangerous, Master! And she also said she was sorry! ]
“She thinks I’m dangerous, so she’s planning to do something about it. That’s why she feels sorry.”
[ That’s right! She said that since you’re dangerous, she must inform someone at the Martial Alliance when we arrive so you can be properly investigated. But at the same time, she was conflicted, wondering if it was right to do this to the benefactor who saved the Sichuan Tang Clan! ]
“Hmm… is that so.”
[ Yes! ]
‘As I thought, not only does she not trust me completely, but she also considers me dangerous.’
It was only natural. My origins were with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, an undisputed public enemy of the martial world, while the Sichuan Tang Clan belonged to the Orthodox Sects.
Moreover, the martial prowess I displayed back in Okhwa County, however brief, was at the level of Transcendent Demon. In other words, a level that could be counted on one hand in the entire martial world.
Considering my current martial skill, my background, and even my age, it was perfectly understandable that she would see me as a threat.
I could understand.
However.
The path I now walk is not one where I can afford to understand and accommodate every single person’s circumstances.
It’s not that I couldn’t understand Dang So-so’s feelings, but her intentions were an obstacle to discussing the great work ahead when I reached the Martial Alliance.
How could a sparrow know the ambitions of a phoenix?
‘I’ll have to make my move before she does.’
“Alright. And what about Seol Ha-ryeong?”
[ Ah! That one! She was acting very strange! ]
“Strange?”
[ Yes! It was nighttime, but she didn’t sleep. She just ran off somewhere, concealing her presence as much as possible! ]
“Did you see where she went?”
[ Of course! I am Cheon-hyang! The one and only spiritual owl in the world! ]
“Yes, yes, I know you’re amazing. Now, what happened? Tell me the rest of the story.”
[ Yes! That Seol Ha-ryeong scurried out in the middle of the night and met with some man. It looked like she was delivering something to him. ]
“Delivering something?”
[ Yes! But even though they were close enough for me to hear them talking, I couldn’t hear a single thing. ]
“They must have created a sound barrier with their energy to block the noise.”
[ After talking for a while, Seol Ha-ryeong came back. Then she fell asleep as if nothing had happened! ]
“I see. Good work, Cheon-hyang. You truly are the best.”
[ Kyao! ]
I let Cheon-hyang savor the scents of sweet and various other foods before sending her away. Then, confirming it was still dawn, I completely erased my presence and went outside.
Whooosh.
The wind blew with unusual force.
In a single leap, I landed on the roof of the inn and formed a sword seal with my hand, holding it up to the air. Closing my eyes, I began to distinguish each and every faint scent.
The smell of the wind, the scent of grass carried on it, the aroma of food from the inn, the smell of dew formed by the drop in temperature overnight—from all these, I isolated only the human scents.
‘Not this one, and not this one either.’
I could feel the invisible strands of scent perfectly. I separated them one by one until I finally found it: the scent of Seol Ha-ryeong, who had moved in the middle of the night.
“Thousand-Mile Bewitching Scent.”
After filtering out all other scents, I left only Seol Ha-ryeong’s distinctly. Then, I locked onto her trail and began the pursuit.
This tracking technique was different from before.
It wasn’t about finding the target herself, but the path she had taken. Scents left in the air would be carried away by the wind, but those left on the ground she touched and the grass she brushed past would remain.
I could perceive those lingering traces as if they were clearly visible to my eyes.
After a short pursuit, I finally managed to trace the faint scent left where Seol Ha-ryeong’s feet had touched—a feat possible only at the pinnacle of the tracking arts.
Something only I, who had mastered the Myriad Scents and could distinguish thousands, even tens of thousands of them, could do.
I immediately followed the trail Seol Ha-ryeong had left.
The Hour of the Rabbit had arrived and dawn was breaking, but that was fine. There was still some time before we had to depart. Following Seol Ha-ryeong’s scent led me to the middle of a mountain.
By examining the state of the scents there, I could tell she had stayed in this spot for a long time.
“Now, shall we see what kind of person this was?”
This time, among the scents lingering here, I searched for one that was not Seol Ha-ryeong’s. And…
“Found it.”
The scent was slightly musty, yet carried an air of dignity, suggesting it belonged to an older man.
‘Could this be the Soul-Stealing Immortal I was looking for?’
Before coming here, Mu-heun had considered two possibilities regarding the person Seol Ha-ryeong met.
Seol Ha-ryeong had shown a sudden change in her emotional state ever since entering Hubei Province, and Mu-heun believed it was due to the influence of the Soul-Stealing Prohibition.
If so, the man she met here could be one of two types.
First.
A subordinate of the Soul-Stealing Immortal receiving a report from Seol Ha-ryeong about what had transpired. In that case, the owner of this scent was not the man I was looking for.
Second.
The Soul-Stealing Immortal himself coming to receive the report directly. If so, this scent belonged to the very man I was searching for.
A practitioner of such wicked arts was highly unlikely to trust others, so if the matter was deemed important, he would most likely come himself.
Besides, wasn’t Seol Ha-ryeong one of the top spies sent to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? For a report from such a key figure, he would have wanted to hear it in person.
‘I can’t be certain yet, but it’s highly likely this scent belongs to the Soul-Stealing Immortal.’
I immediately isolated that particular scent and committed it to memory.
I could have followed the scent further from here, but the sun was already up, and delaying any longer might arouse suspicion from Dang So-so or Seol Ha-ryeong.
I quickly returned to the inn, adjusted my clothes, and settled my energy. I was a little late, but I walked outside with a nonchalant expression.
He wore the newly acquired Yin-Yang Twin Dragon Robe over his clothes, and on his wrist was the Butterfly Dream rosary.
The rest of the party was already outside, waiting for me in front of the carriage.
I gave them a bright smile and spoke.
“Did everyone rest well last night?”
Dang So-so gave an awkward smile and replied.
“Yes. Did you rest well too, Sir Baek Mu-heun?”
“Haha, of course I did.”
Seol Ha-ryeong simply bowed her head and said.
“...Yes.”
“Haha, I’m glad to hear it.”
Pae-seon, on the other hand, grumbled.
“Rested well, my ass! You lazy young punk! Couldn’t you get out here earlier? You were never one to oversleep, so what’s with this?”
“Haha, my apologies.”
It struck me once again that Pae-seon, the most ill-tempered of them all, was also the most trustworthy.
“Shall we go, then? I believe we’re not far from the Martial Alliance.”
“Yes.”
And so, the four of them, each having spent the night in their own way, headed once more for Wuhan, the home of the Martial Alliance.
***
Wuhan, known as the capital of Hubei Province, was a city as vast as the capital of Sichuan. Located where the Han River joins the upper reaches of the Yangtze, it was a region where water transport flourished.
At the heart of Wuhan lay a massive lake called East Lake, which was famous for attracting countless poets and scholars.
Just then, Pae-seon spoke up.
“We still have a full two days until the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. Why should we go there right away and rot? Huh? Just thinking about what’s going to happen there is chilling. Since we’re in Wuhan anyway, let’s stop by a famous pavilion.”
Mu-heun agreed with Pae-seon, and Dang So-so and Seol Ha-ryeong also nodded.
And so, before heading to the Martial Alliance, the four of them visited one of Wuhan’s beautiful pavilions—the Yellow Crane Tower, counted among the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan, which had captured the hearts of countless poets and writers.
Upon arriving at the Yellow Crane Tower, Mu-heun couldn’t help but gape in awe.
At first, he had agreed to Pae-seon’s suggestion with the simple intention of taking a short break. But standing before the Yellow Crane Tower, he instantly understood why Pae-seon had been so insistent on visiting.
Massive red pillars soared toward the sky as if to pierce it.
The golden-painted roof gleamed dazzlingly even from a distance.
The lotus flowers in the garden and the songs of the courtesans blended together, easily captivating the hearts of all who witnessed it.
Mu-heun felt that stopping here had been a good decision in many ways.
Because special places always hold the promise of special encounters.
There, they found a room and were leisurely enjoying the atmosphere for the first time in a long while… but something was bothering Pae-seon.
Wherever Mu-heun went, women flocked to him. With an infuriatingly feigned look of trouble, he sent a telepathic message to Pae-seon, who seemed to be glaring at him with a hint of jealousy.
[ Hahaha, this never happened in my past life… There are many good things about being reborn. ]
[ This bastard…! ]
Each time, Pae-seon would threaten the women and chase them away, and eventually, they managed to secure a quiet room. It was quite expensive, but Dang So-so insisted she would pay, telling them not to worry about the cost.
The four of them settled in a secluded spot on the fifth floor of the Yellow Crane Tower, which was truly a prime location.
Mu-heun couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful scenery from the tower. Like countless scholars before him, he was a man who could appreciate poetry, and such a magnificent view made his heart race.
Moreover, having dedicated nearly his entire life to studying even amidst war, he had never had the chance to visit the famous Yellow Crane Tower.
Therefore, Mu-heun was immensely grateful for this calm before the storm, just before entering the Martial Alliance, and he felt thankful to Pae-seon for suggesting it.
“The view of the lake from here and the sound of the courtesans’ lutes are truly beautiful.”
“I was about to appreciate that beauty myself, but someone had to go and ruin the mood.”
Pae-seon shot a barb at him, but as usual, Mu-heun paid it no mind.
Just then, someone approached them.
It was an old man in shabby clothes, his face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. However, Mu-heun, Pae-seon, and Dang So-so could immediately tell that he was a dangerous individual.
Pae-seon instinctively placed a hand on his sword hilt, and Dang So-so slipped her hands into her sleeves. Mu-heun, however, made no move.
‘This scent is…’