Chapter 348
Chapter 348
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 348
Chapter Title: Carriage Companions
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning.
After spending the night at an inn under the Cheonha Merchant Group, Cheonhwi spotted Yongju-gae about to board the carriage first and turned on his heel.
'One day was enough yesterday. There's no reason to travel together today, right?'
Recalling the stench that had pierced his nose even with the window open yesterday, Cheonhwi grimaced and headed toward a different carriage.
"Huh?"
Sensing something off, perhaps, Yongju-gae whipped around to look at Cheonhwi.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm trying to ride a different carriage."
"What? A different carriage?"
Yongju-gae furrowed his brow.
"Why not ride together?"
"Is there any reason we have to? We already finished all our talk yesterday anyway."
"But we rode together yesterday."
"Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today."
Cheonhwi stated firmly.
Yongju-gae's face soured.
"......What's the reason?"
"You asking because you don't know?"
In response to the question, Cheonhwi made a face as if asking something obvious.
"Obviously the smell. What else?"
"What? The smell?"
Yongju-gae asked incredulously, then lifted his arm to sniff himself.
"Sniff sniff. What smell is this? It's just that I haven't washed in about ten years."
"Ten years?"
Cheonhwi's expression crumpled.
It was the look of someone who'd heard something they wished they hadn't.
"Let's not ride together from now on."
It was then, as Cheonhwi firmly declared while pinching his nose in disgust.
"In that case, will you ride with me?"
A kindly voice suddenly interjected from behind.
Yongju-gae startled and turned his gaze.
Cheonmu-gong of the Murim Alliance's three great protectors was approaching them with a gentle smile.
"Good morning, Beggar Sect Leader."
"Good morning. Cheonmu-gong."
Unlike usual, Yongju-gae greeted him a bit cautiously.
No matter how much he was the Beggar Sect Leader, Cheonmu-gong held considerable prestige and position in the current Murim Alliance.
"......You plan to ride with this guy?"
"I'd like to, if possible."
Cheonmu-gong nodded.
"Hoho, when else would this old woman have a chance for a private talk with a divine talent shaking the current jianghu?"
"We're meeting for the first time. Wouldn't it be quite uncomfortable traveling together for an extended period?"
"Where are there people comfortable from the first day we meet? We build rapport through conversation and greetings."
"Ahem."
Yongju-gae cleared his throat awkwardly.
It was irrefutable logic.
Cheonmu-gong gazed steadily at Yongju-gae like that, then murmured softly.
"And in this old woman's view, even if it's a one-time mission, it's better for those doing the escorting to build camaraderie rather than keep their distance, don't you think?"
"......"
Yongju-gae scowled.
He couldn't refute the continued sound logic. Seeing Yongju-gae with nothing to say but smack his lips, Cheonmu-gong turned to Cheonhwi.
"What do you think, young hero?"
Cheonhwi met Cheonmu-gong's eyes.
'I wanted to talk anyway.'
Recalling the gaze she'd thrown at him to gauge him before departure, a smile naturally formed.
"You're right."
Cheonmu-gong looked back at Yongju-gae.
"The young hero agrees too."
Yongju-gae glanced back and forth between them, working his mouth, then let out a deep sigh.
"......Fine."
With those words, Yongju-gae shook his head side to side, glared at Cheonhwi with a sulky face, and immediately sent a transmission.
『You really don't want to ride together that badly?』
Cheonhwi grinned at Yongju-gae, whose transmission was full of grumbling.
『Yes.』
『This punk......』
As Yongju-gae trembled with anger at the response, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Get in."
Cheonmu-gong, already aboard the carriage, beckoned Cheonhwi.
Cheonhwi boarded immediately.
"Then we're off."
The coachman, who had been watching their exchange uncertainly, hurried to speak.
The other carriages had already departed long ago, vanishing into the distance.
The coachman cracked the whip.
Crack!
The horses neighed, and the carriage set off.
After jolting lightly for a while, the carriage reached the main road and steadied. As even the minor noise faded, Cheonmu-gong gazed at Cheonhwi and spoke.
"I've heard plenty about you."
Her wrinkled eyes beneath her brows, with their clear black-and-white pupils, took in Cheonhwi.
Suddenly, Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
Cheonmu-gong's voice, warm like speaking to a child, emitted a subtle aura.
A feast of opaque qi.
Unlike the sharp gaze he'd felt before, this enveloped him warmly.
It felt infused with profound mystery.
"At first, I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but it turns out they were all true."
Her voice filled the space.
It was the result of transcendent internal energy cultivation.
Her true form, hidden within the aged appearance, began to reveal itself.
In an instant, the old woman's wrinkles smoothed out.
Not just the wrinkles.
As if time itself rewound, her long white hair turned a deep black like ink, and her hunched back straightened.
The benevolent old woman had transformed into a dignified middle-aged woman.
Then her lips parted.
"In this old woman's long life, you're the first to show such outstanding talent. Even the Eight Demon Gods, who shook the jianghu from their later generation days, hadn't reached that realm at your age."
Her eyes gleamed brilliantly.
The sky-blue aura in her pupils felt almost alien.
Heavenly Communication Eyes.
The supreme ocular technique honed over long years manifested in her eyes.
"Your constitution is already perfected, and the energy you possess pursues pure natural qi. It's like an immortal has descended."
A voice laced with spirit flowed out.
Admiration dotted her words sparingly.
As the sharply piercing Heavenly Communication Eyes delved even deeper into Cheonhwi.
"That's far enough."
A low voice sounded.
Calm and quiet.
Yet it was a transcendent voice that strangely stirred the heart greatly.
The startled woman looked ahead.
And her eyes widened.
'Wasn't I mistaken?'
That gaze from before was there.
Boundless radiance from pitch-black pupils encompassed her.
"What an astonishing ocular technique."
Cheonmu-gong exclaimed in admiration.
"An intriguing ocular and mental technique."
Cheonhwi replied.
His low voice spread softly.
And that was not all.
The gaze he directed at Cheonmu-gong sparkled even more brilliantly than usual.
To an alien degree.
'These eyes, could they be?'
Noticing something unusual, Cheonmu-gong widened her eyes as she looked.
"From what I see, you probably couldn't properly unleash the martial arts you've learned originally, so you stimulated your whole body's acupoints, fine meridians, and muscles with internal energy to overcome physical limits. But because of that, your allotted lifespan seems short now. Ten years at most."
Cheonhwi murmured, piercing through her.
In that instant, Cheonmu-gong's consciousness snapped.
The moment Cheonhwi stared straight at her, it felt like a sharp arrow pierced her head, then her awareness flew away.
A moment later.
"Got something good."
Cheonhwi muttered softly, closing and opening his eyes.
Almost simultaneously with Cheonmu-gong regaining consciousness.
The spirit that had filled his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual gaze.
"That was......"
She raised her head.
"You obtained it just by looking?"
"Yes."
"Heavens."
Cheonmu-gong's mouth fell open.
It was unbelievable.
But soon she shook her head.
Hadn't she witnessed it already?
That it was true.
"......"
Cheonmu-gong gathered her internal energy.
Then her blackened hair gradually turned white again, and her straightened back hunched once more.
Returning to her original old woman form, Cheonmu-gong looked at Cheonhwi and asked.
"What realm have you reached?"
"Figure it out with those eyes."
Cheonhwi retorted with a twisted smile.
"Hoho, that would be difficult."
She shook her head slightly. Then, as if to herself, she murmured softly.
"Looks like there's no place left for this old woman in the jianghu anymore."
A wrinkled smile rose on Cheonmu-gong's whispering lips.
It was an expression of utter joy.
A moment later, she gently closed her eyes.
It had been a long time.
Nearly a century immersed in the jianghu.
Recalling those days, she slowly opened her eyes and spoke.
"Now it's time to depart."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The sun and moon rose and set ten times.
The Murim Alliance Leader's carriage, carrying the Leader, the Military Strategist, and their escorts, pressed southward without rest.
Thanks to that, the group arrived at the village near Impression Valley ahead of schedule and were resting.
Was it because it was a separate annex prepared by the Cheonha Merchant Group?
The grand building had plenty of rooms, enough space for everyone to have their own.
One such room.
Awakening early in the dawn, Cheonhwi sat cross-legged, immersed in deep meditation.
'Cheonmu-gong and Yongcheon-gak, huh......'
Cheonhwi recalled the two people he'd met midway during the journey here.
Cheonmu-gong's martial arts were peculiar.
Revitalizing her body to its prime through internal energy's transformation effect.
By stimulating acupoints and muscles.
'A degraded version of returning to youth, I suppose.'
Cheonhwi dissected the martial art he'd seen then.
The internal energy movement, flow, and all.
He analyzed and broke it all down, stacking it neatly in his mind. Then he thought of Yongcheon-gak, but.
'Tch, nothing to gain.'
He soon smacked his lips and shook his head.
Yongcheon-gak was a quiet man.
Even riding in the carriage together all day, he neither initiated nor responded to talk.
He just silently crossed his arms and stared out the window.
Finishing his thoughts, Cheonhwi undid his cross-legged position and lay back.
Then he yawned.
"Yawn. When are they going to make the agreement?"
Cheonhwi muttered, sprawling on the bed with a bored expression.
It had already been six days since arriving here.
Enough time to feel sick of it.
As if answering Cheonhwi's mutter, footsteps approached from outside.
"Come out."
A knock on the door was followed by Yongju-gae's voice.
"The Evil-Black Alliance has arrived."
At Yongju-gae's following words, Cheonhwi's lips curved up.
Finally, the time had come.
The day to meet the Evil-Black Alliance Leader and their experts directly.
"Coming."
Cheonhwi rose from the bed.
He donned the white long robe hanging to one side and picked up his sword.
The black demonic sword and the copper-red Hwamwol.
The two swords of opposing auras swayed lightly at Cheonhwi's waist.
Cheonhwi exited the room immediately.
Seeing Yongju-gae waiting with a sterner expression than usual, Cheonhwi instead wore an even deeper smile.
"Let's go."