Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Persistent Entreaties
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"Huff... huff..."
Cheonhwi, who had been circulating his qi against the stone wall, frowned at the sight of Shinui, who looked utterly spent from climbing the mountain path.
"How did you know about this place?"
"The Medical Hall Leader told me."
"The Medical Hall Leader?"
Cheonhwi's face twisted sharply.
'He's not helpful at all.'
As Cheonhwi's opinion of the Medical Hall Leader plummeted to rock bottom...
"Hoo... hoo."
Shinui caught his breath slowly before looking at Cheonhwi and speaking with emphasis.
"It would be a tremendous loss if you didn't learn medicine."
Shinui spoke with a serious expression.
"Sometimes there are losses."
Cheonhwi waved his hand dismissively.
It wasn't just once or twice he'd heard that line.
He'd heard it so often he'd stopped counting, to the point where it now made his head spin.
Despite the refusal, Shinui persisted.
"Even the Sect Leader agreed."
That was the problem.
Cheonhwi furrowed his brow.
He'd thought the Sect Leader would refuse, but for some reason, he'd been urging him to learn medicine instead.
"Ah, yeah, yeah. Got it."
Shinui reacted to the positive response.
"Then, what should we start with..."
"I'll learn when I have time."
"...What?"
Cheonhwi undid his cross-legged position and said,
"I need to train in martial arts today."
"Th-then, when will that be done?"
"No idea."
Shinui looked slightly flustered.
"How about learning a bit before you train?"
"After I circulate my qi first."
As Shinui grew flustered by the unexpected rejection...
"Elder."
Princess Sohee and her entourage approached.
Why are they here too?
Falling Goose Peak was generally where the Mount Hua Sect elders resided.
Only esteemed guests visited.
'Now every Tom, Dick, and Harry shows up.'
At that moment, Princess Sohee caught her breath.
Perhaps from climbing such a high peak.
She brushed back her sweat-dampened hair, retied it, and slowly approached Shinui.
"Elder."
"I said I'm not going."
Cheonhwi stared at Shinui with a look of disbelief.
It was just like his conversation with Shinui moments ago.
"Huh?"
Then he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Shinui was completely helpless against Princess Sohee's persistent advances.
"Maybe I should pair those two up?"
Just as he thought it was a good idea...
"Who are you pairing up?"
A voice suddenly came from below.
Looking down, a young girl was gazing up with sparkling eyes.
"Ah!"
She soon turned to those behind her and said,
"Wijin! It's that guy from before!"
Wijin hurried over and bowed politely.
"My apologies. She's still young and doesn't know manners well."
"Young?"
Cheonhwi chuckled.
'Young and doesn't know manners, my ass.'
He didn't believe a word of it.
The girl looked about fourteen or fifteen now, but the martial arts she'd displayed earlier were no joke.
'They just didn't teach her etiquette.'
What she had used was a martial art of the Black Yarn Court.
The imperial family's dirty work.
The Black Yarn Court trained discarded women for espionage and assassination, mainly using honey traps.
That's why, at her age, they prioritized martial arts over etiquette.
'And with that martial art...'
He recalled the technique the girl had used.
The unique martial art performed with silver threads.
'It's the absolute art that only the Black Yarn Court Lord masters.'
Cheonhwi scrutinized Soryeong closely.
'Hmm, so is this girl the next Black Yarn Court Lord? She has skill, but it's incomplete.'
At that moment, their eyes met.
"Huh? What?"
Sensing his gaze, Soryeong lifted her head and smiled innocently.
"Nothing."
Cheonhwi cut off the conversation immediately.
From time immemorial, nothing good ever came from dealings with the imperial family.
'Arrogant bastards living in their own bubble.'
The thought made his head spin.
'They threw that tantrum because I didn't submit.'
He recalled the past.
Once, the imperial family, feeling threatened by the jianghu, sought to borrow the power of the unorthodox sects to reduce their numbers.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult refused.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult served only its Cult Leader.
Serving the emperor of the Central Plains was absurd.
But the other unorthodox sects were not like the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
They wanted to conquer the Central Plains.
Even if it meant serving under the imperial family.
'But why did they attack our cult?'
He shook his head.
He suspected the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's existence irked them, but he couldn't say for sure.
'Well, that's when we showed our power and enjoyed some peace.'
Those were the days he became the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and spread his infamous name.
He crushed the alliance of unorthodox sects that attacked at the imperial family's instigation, forcing them all to seal their doors.
The title he gained then: Absolute Heavenly Demon.
Not just in the unorthodox world, but across the Central Plains, he was hailed as one of the Nine Sovereigns and Eight Emperors.
'But that caused more trouble later.'
The imperial family, unwilling to admit defeat, hounded him relentlessly.
Not openly, but covertly.
'They even cut off trade with merchant groups, causing us quite a bit of hardship at the time.'
The memory made him seethe.
Enough. Forget it.
He calmed his anger.
He was no longer the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Cult Leader.
No more entanglements with the imperial family.
"I didn't know you were a Mount Hua Sect Daoist, young hero... or rather, young master."
Wijin smiled and spoke to him.
As if trying to build rapport. Cheonhwi looked at him and replied softly,
"I wasn't in Daoist robes then."
"No, that's not it..."
Wijin trailed off.
He glanced around before leaning close to Cheonhwi's ear and whispering,
"The meat-eating and drinking..."
"Let's drop that."
"Pardon?"
"Pretend it never happened."
Cheonhwi said confidently.
"You said you were repaying a favor last time?"
"That's true, but..."
"So, let's pretend it didn't happen."
"..."
Wijin's jaw dropped.
He'd expected some excuse or circumstance, but no.
He was boldly saying to bury it.
"Hahaha!"
Wijin burst into hearty laughter at the frankness rare even in the imperial court.
"Understood."
"Ah! And please keep it quiet."
Cheonhwi's gaze turned to Soryeong.
Understanding the implication, Wijin nodded vigorously.
"Don't worry."
Wijin withdrew after that.
As Cheonhwi tried to head back to his shelter...
"Where are you going?"
Shinui followed.
Princess Sohee trailed behind him.
"Please."
"Forget it. This is more important."
Shinui ignored Princess Sohee completely and stuck to Cheonhwi.
"I'll teach you the easy stuff first. Just spare a little time."
Princess Sohee's eyes narrowed as she watched Shinui pleading earnestly with Cheonhwi.
'Why is she staring?'
Just as he noticed her piercing gaze while deep in thought...
"Elder!"
The Medical Hall Leader ran up, waving his hand.
"Didn't you say you'd help at the Medical Hall today?"
Shinui's nose twitched.
"Already?"
"Everyone's waiting now."
Shinui pressed his forehead.
Then he looked at Cheonhwi and said,
"If you want to learn, come to the Medical Hall."
"Sure."
Cheonhwi replied half-heartedly, too annoyed to elaborate, and stared fixedly at the Medical Hall Leader.
"Senior Brother."
"Why call me?"
"Did you tell them where I live?"
The Medical Hall Leader broke into a cold sweat under Cheonhwi's impassive gaze.
"You said you'd help at the Medical Hall if I told you where your junior lives..."
Seeing him avert his eyes, knowing he'd erred, Cheonhwi let it slide.
"I'll tell the Sect Leader."
"...Junior, forgive me just this once."
"Tell the Sect Leader yourself."
"J-Junior!"
The Medical Hall Leader pleaded desperately, but Cheonhwi ignored him and headed to his lodging.
As he descended the mountain path...
He stopped abruptly.
Princess Sohee and her group had been following him since earlier.
"Something you need?"
"Could we talk for a moment?"
Princess Sohee said, looking at Cheonhwi.
"Nothing to talk about."
"Are you interested in Qinghai Province by any chance?"
Cheonhwi chuckled.
Trying to lure me?
He saw through her intent immediately.
Having failed to sway Shinui, she was now trying to recruit his interest—Cheonhwi himself—and take them both.
"No."
Undeterred by the refusal, Princess Sohee pressed on.
"If you come to Qinghai Province, you can enjoy all sorts of delicacies from land and sea, and the finest liquors."
Oh, delicacies and fine liquors?
He wavered for a split second.
But...
'Not enough to go there.'
That wasn't nearly enough to make him want to visit an imperial stronghold like Qinghai Province.
"I'm a Daoist, you know?"
Princess Sohee faltered at the bald-faced lie, spouted without batting an eye.
"But back then..."
"Huh? Me?"
Cheonhwi said innocently.
"When did we ever meet?"
Princess Sohee shut her mouth.
Admitting they'd met here would contradict her earlier words.
As royalty, that would be deeply embarrassing.
'I need another way.'
Reluctantly, she backed off.
"...Understood. We'll head out for today."
With that, she left with her entourage.
"Tch."
Cheonhwi clicked his tongue, narrowing his eyes at their retreating figures.
"Another annoying leech."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short while later, someone awaited Cheonhwi upon his return to his lodging.
"You've returned safely."
It was Hyeoncheong.
"...It's been a while."
He'd just wanted to rest.
"What brings you here?"
Cheonhwi stared up at Hyeoncheong with weary eyes before plopping down.
"Not here for pleasantries, I assume."
"Heh heh, you caught on."
Hyeoncheong smiled wryly.
"I came for your help."
"Help?"
Hyeoncheong didn't beat around the bush.
"Could you assist with the disciples' training?"
"Pardon? Training?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected request...
"I heard the Martial Training Pavilion Lord received your help."
Help?
"Something about a unique external qi art..."
"Ah! The Variant Qi Art?"
"Yes, that one."
"Teach it to you?"
"No, not the Variant Qi Art. I need help with instruction. It's my first time teaching disciples, and I'm running into some difficulties. If you have time, could you assist?"
Teaching, huh.
He might have ignored it usually, but today he felt inclined.
'I've gauged the Plum Blossom Sword Guards' skills roughly, but what about the other disciples?'
His goal: the world's greatest sect.
To achieve that, the disciples' prowess was essential.
'Might as well assess their level.'
After a brief deliberation, he nodded.
"Let's go."