Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Night Hunt
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Blue moonlight bathed the late evening.
Rustle— Rustle—
In the pitch-black darkness where it was hard to see ahead, Jeokgeom roamed the forest surrounding Mount Hua.
"Huff, huff."
After running nonstop, he spat out cold breaths that reached his throat and perked up his ears.
The night was quiet all around.
But intermittent insect chirps came with rustling sounds.
"Hoo—"
Bracing his hands on his knees to catch his breath, Jeokgeom quickly scanned the surroundings.
Outstretched branches and leaves completely obscured the already dark landscape.
Jeokgeom hurriedly circulated his Plum Blossom Qi Art inner energy and channeled it into his eyes.
His vision gradually brightened.
'Much better now.'
As faint light seeped through the blackness like moonlight filtering in, he nodded at his clearer sight and focused his eyes harder.
"More importantly, I heard it was around here..."
Scratching the bridge of his nose while looking around, Jeokgeom frowned.
What he sought here was the recent headache plaguing them more and more.
Wolves.
But none were in sight.
Wearing a troubled expression as he scanned the area, Jeokgeom recalled the conversation with Cheonhwi after Hyeondo had left.
—Then go catch a wolf for now.
—...A wolf?
His eyes widened at the sudden command to catch a wolf.
He had wanted training in martial arts, not hunting.
But the response was firm.
—What? Did you think I'd teach you martial arts right away?
—N-No?
—What good is training in martial arts in that state? You couldn't even properly unleash yours from nerves in the spar. What's the point?
—Th-That's true, but what does that have to do with hunting wolves...?
—What you need most right now is real combat experience.
He couldn't grasp how real combat experience related to hunting wolves, but he couldn't ask.
'What are you doing? Hurry up and go.'
Cheonhwi had glared and issued an order close to expulsion.
That was when it happened.
Rustle—
The bushes ahead shook violently, and a wolf soon emerged.
"Finally showed up..."
Jeokgeom's face, lit with joy at finally encountering a wolf, hardened.
The wolf under the blue moonlight looked utterly menacing.
Grrr—
Fierce beastly growls leaked from sharp fangs stained dark red with blood, raw killing intent emanating from the wolf.
'Whoa, can't underestimate it.'
Cold sweat trickled down Jeokgeom's back.
Facing the wolf's eerie killing intent—unlike the mere beast he'd imagined—he tensed up unconsciously.
'It's still just an animal.'
As he tried to pull himself together and swallowed dryly.
Whoosh!
The wolf charged like a shot arrow.
"Hup!"
Clang—
Jeokgeom urgently leaped back, drew his sword from his waist, and swung it.
Clang!
Sparks flew in an instant as the wolf and Jeokgeom clashed. The wolf spun once and landed gracefully on all fours.
In that moment.
"Kuh!"
Jeokgeom groaned and looked down.
His right shoulder: through the torn uniform from the wolf's claws, red blood flowed and dripped to the ground.
'I let my guard down.'
His eyes deepened as he gazed at the deeper wound than expected.
It was a mistake.
If he hadn't tensed up, he could've slashed the wolf without injury.
Then.
"...!"
A thunderbolt struck his mind.
That mistake was just like the one at the Five Mountains Sword Sects gathering where he'd lost.
And he'd repeated it.
In real combat where one slip could cost his life.
"You idiot."
Jeokgeom let out a self-mocking laugh.
He realized why he'd been told to hunt a wolf.
A mind to endure tension and pressure.
To temper his spirit through life-or-death combat.
"Good call asking Martial Uncle for guidance."
Jeokgeom's eyebrows arched wide like a crescent moon as he grasped Cheonhwi's hidden intent.
He then roughly tore his fluttering sleeve and tightly bound his bloodied hand and sword grip together.
And this time, he charged first.
Clang!
Bright sparks flew under the moonlight.
Meanwhile, as Jeokgeom battled the wolf.
Pat pat—
Seollan grimaced while chasing a fleeing white rabbit.
"...Were rabbits always this fast?"
Muttering to herself, she bit her lip.
After nearly half a shichen of tag with the rabbit, she shook her head vigorously and recalled Cheonhwi's order.
—You go catch a rabbit.
—Why a rabbit instead of a wolf for me?
She'd been upset then.
She thought he'd judged wolves too fierce for her and assigned a rabbit instead.
—Why? From the last spar, your footwork was sloppy compared to your swordsmanship.
She shut her mouth at his words. They matched exactly the advice she'd heard from Cheonhyang of the incident.
And not just that.
Cheonhwi's following explanation pierced her heart like an arrow.
—What's important for a martial artist is eyesight and footwork. It's evening now too. To hunt fast rabbits at this hour, you need sharp eyes and quick feet. You get it now, right?
Faced with his iron-clad logic, she blushed and bowed her head.
Even if she hadn't known, she'd sought his guidance.
Yet she'd belittled his efficient method and tried to refuse.
Shame left her at a loss.
But Cheonhwi's next words washed away her shame and crumpled her pride instead.
—Bring it back before dawn.
His tone implied she'd never catch it by dawn, igniting her competitive spirit. She hurried off immediately.
And now.
Flash!
She channeled energy into her soles and hurled her body at the fleeing rabbit.
Dirt scattered everywhere.
Seollan, face in the dirt, frowned upon feeling no sensation in her palms and lifted her head.
Hop— Hop—
Far away, the rabbit hopped in place, looked at her, and seemed to smirk.
Then, eyes met, it fled.
This was the fourth time.
Her face chilled coldly as she watched the rabbit bound away.
The fleeing rabbit suddenly stopped, keeping distance without going far, watching her.
As if toying with her.
"......"
Seollan glared at the rabbit tilting its head at her. A chilling voice escaped her lips.
"......I won't let you escape."
* * *
While the two struggled, Cheonhwi lounged on a rock, humming.
"Hm, hm. Tonight's meat night."
The sole purpose of sending his two disciples hunting was one thing.
He wanted meat.
But fearing resistance to plain hunting, he'd given plausible reasons, and it worked.
"Well, not wrong anyway."
Cheonhwi muttered lowly.
It was true, after all.
Imagining the juices from meat after so long, saliva pooled at his mouth.
"Slurp. When will they come?"
Feeling approaching presences right on cue, Cheonhwi sat up.
Jeokgeom and Seollan, looking utterly exhausted, labored up the mountain path.
"Hah, hah. Martial Uncle!"
"Martial Uncle."
Their voices rang out together.
Looking closely, Jeokgeom was blood-soaked, Seollan dirt-covered.
"We caught it."
"......Caught it."
Having suffered greatly, the bedraggled pair approached Cheonhwi and carefully set down the wolf and rabbit.
Kneeling, Jeokgeom looked up eagerly.
"I realized your intent, Martial Uncle."
He gazed up at Cheonhwi with sparkling eyes of admiration.
'...Just like Guima.'
Facing Jeokgeom's intense gaze, Cheonhwi involuntarily overlapped him with Guima.
'No. Guima's gone now.'
Recalling the one who'd joined the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult idolizing him, he lightly shook his head to dismiss it.
He was now just a past figure, unrelated to his current self.
"Good. If you get it, fine."
Cheonhwi replied offhandedly.
"As expected of Martial Uncle Cheonhwi."
But Jeokgeom even admired that, smiling warmly.
'Good call asking Martial Uncle.'
As Jeokgeom beamed in satisfaction.
"......This niece was lacking."
Seollan apologized too.
She'd initially questioned the order, but now admired and was awed by Cheonhwi's insight.
'Thanks to this, I learned a lot.'
Chasing that annoying rabbit for over a shichen had revealed her shortcomings.
'Who knew footwork was so crucial.'
She'd thought mind arts and swordsmanship paramount in martial arts.
But now, she saw differently.
The importance and efficiency of footwork.
If your swung sword doesn't reach the foe, what's the use of profound energy or superior technique?
Cheonhwi eyed her shining eyes, then the coldly dead wolf and rabbit before them.
'Tch, what? Just one each?'
Cheonhwi's face soured.
He'd expected they might fail, but one each?
He quickly schooled his expression.
'Still, better than nothing.'
Think positive, positive.
Meat was meat.
Compared to the Wall-Grain Pills he'd eaten for nearly a decade delving into the Eternal Life Immortal Dominion Great Law, or the grass after this body—it was a feast.
Recalling the tasteless sludge, a bitter tang lingered in his mouth.
"Ptooey."
Frowning, he spat on the ground and uncrossed his arms.
'If not for the martial manuals in Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion, I'd have tasted this ages ago.'
He could've hunted anytime, but martial ambition trumped appetite, leading him to the pavilion.
Achievement over hunger.
Cheonhwi smacked his lips again.
"Now for the second order."
Startled by the sudden spit, the two snapped to attention at his words.
"Yes."
"Yes."
Hearing them, Cheonhwi hopped lightly off the rock.
They gasped in admiration at his feather-light landing footwork.
Sneer—
Cheonhwi bared his pearly whites.
"Light a fire!"
"Pardon?"
"Pardon?"
They blurted blankly.
Cheonhwi raised one brow at them.
"Deaf? I said light a fire."
F-Fire, sir?"
"Understood!"
Spurred, the dazed pair moved swiftly, gathering firewood and starting a blaze.
An hour later.
Crackle— Crackle—
Over the smoky campfire, wolf and rabbit roasted golden on large branches.
"Hm, hm."
Cheonhwi hummed, staring at them.
'That's the smell!'
As Cheonhwi failed to hide his joy, Jeokgeom and Seollan fidgeted opposite.
While roasting, they nervously scanned around, fearing discovery.
Whoosh—
Even a light breeze made them flinch, exchanging cautious glances.
'Senior Brother.'
'Junior Sister.'
'Senior Brother should speak...'
Pressed by Seollan's eyes, Jeokgeom yielded without a word.
"M-Martial Uncle."
"What?"
Perhaps due to upcoming meat after ages, Cheonhwi's tone was lenient.
"Even if our sect's rules are freer than other Daoist sects, roasting meat at the main peak is a bit much..."
"So?"
Flinch!
Jeokgeom shrank at Cheonhwi's icy interruption.
But Cheonhwi wasn't done.
"Not eat it?"
Sweat beaded on Jeokgeom's forehead as he met Cheonhwi's gaze.
Cheonhwi's cold eyes sank like an abyss, reflecting him.
"Gulp. N-No."
"Quit yapping nonsense and move your hands."
"Understood."
Jeokgeom hurriedly tended the meat.
Soon, fully roasted, the savory aroma spread.
Gulp—
Seollan and Jeokgeom swallowed hard.
After years of grass making them sick, the meat scent hit intensely.
As they dazed from the smell, Cheonhwi grabbed a piece. Biting into the golden meat.
'This is it!'
Juices danced in his mouth.
Beaming, Cheonhwi chewed vigorously, hands speeding up.
Devouring half in one go, he patted his belly laughing.
"Smack, been a while since I splurged."
Picking meat from teeth, he glanced at Jeokgeom and Seollan, smirking.
"What? Hungry? Eat up."
"But Martial Uncle, meat on the peak is still... Gulp."
"Meat on the peak..."
"Don't want it? Fine."
As Cheonhwi snarkily grabbed the rest to toss into the woods.
Grab.
Jeokgeom and Seollan urgently seized his hand.
"B-But tossing it away?"
"Senior Brother's right."
"But you said no? Then toss it. Why leave it?"
Their eyes shook desperately, then they reached for the meat.
And tentatively bit in.
"...!"
"...!"
Chewing and swallowing, their eyes widened round.
Soon, they wolfed down the rest.
Munch munch— Gulp!
Moments later, Cheonhwi approached the satisfied pair rubbing full bellies beside bones and char.
"Tasty, right?"
Jeokgeom and Seollan flinched.
Forgetting in hunger, they'd eaten meat.
Guilt over succumbing gnawed their paling faces when.
"Well then..."
As they trembled and looked up, Cheonhwi's pearly teeth gleamed under blue moonlight, filling their view.
"Now you're accomplices too?"