Chapter 36
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Stolen Child Ginseng
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“Th-this…….”
Deep within the cavern.
An elderly man with purely white eyes, devoid of even a hint of black, stared intently at a spot where a single ray of sunlight streamed down.
Bloodshot veins surged in those purely white pupils, lending his appearance a profoundly sinister air.
At the end of the old man’s gaze lay a small hole, scarred as if something had been yanked out from it.
The soil inside had spilled out and dried stark white, clear evidence that a fair amount of time had passed.
How could such a thing happen?
It had been merely a month.
It had vanished in the brief interval he had left the spot unguarded.
He should have left at least one man behind to watch it……
His concern over insufficient manpower had led him to deploy everyone—a grave mistake.
The spirit energy had finally reached perfect maturity, ripe for harvest, yet now only three withered stalks remained in its place.
Thud……
The old man’s knees buckled to the cavern floor.
“Branch Master!”
His subordinates rushed forward with startled expressions to support him, only to flinch and draw back.
The overwhelming killing intent radiating from him, along with the sharp edge it carried, blocked their approach.
“The Child Ginseng……the Child Ginseng that the Young Master must consume…….”
Thick fury laced the old man’s voice as he clutched the dried white soil.
Blood vessels bulged in his wide-open eyes, and tendons protruded starkly from his skinny forearm exposed beyond his sleeve.
Crack, craaack.
The aura intensifying with each passing moment swirled like a vortex, cracking the stone floor and causing pits to form here and there.
Grrrind, grrrrind.
Fissures began spiderwebbing across the cavern walls, and small stone fragments rained down from the ceiling.
“Branch Master, it’s dangerous!”
“…….”
One subordinate cried out unwittingly, then blanched and flattened himself to the ground.
Why apologize? What was so terrifying?
He had merely issued a warning……
Crunch.
With that grinding sound, the cavern’s tremors finally ceased.
He had held it back.
Though he suppressed his rage through superhuman endurance, the old man’s eyes still twitched spasmodically, and rigid muscles clenched along his jawline.
“Br-Branch Master. I only…….”
“…….”
I know.
He had let his anger build up excessive energy.
The vibrations had stopped, but stones continued falling from the ceiling—the entire cavern would collapse soon enough.
But how could this be?
This was a hidden sanctum accessible only through the waterway connected to the base of the waterfall; no one could enter by land or air.
Had they not sensed the faint spirit energy leaking from that tiny ceiling hole, even they might not have found it.
Discovered by stroke of heavenly fortune, yet someone had snatched that fortune away.
The intruder had breached that lengthy waterway—grueling even for skilled divers—devoured the immature Child Ginseng, and fled.
All in the mere month he had been away……
“Branch Master, please forgive…….”
“…….”
At the repeated apologies, the old man furrowed his brow deeply and gazed down impassively with his pale white eyes.
“Noisy fool.”
“Br-Branch…….”
Swoosh! Splaat!
With a light flick of his hand, the pleading subordinate’s head burst like a watermelon.
“Useless wretch, frightened by mere vibrations like these.”
His tone was dry irritation, as if swatting a bug that had bitten him, yet none of the others reacted to the hollow death.
They knew any sign of response would invite the old man’s hand upon themselves.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
The old man rose and headed straight for the water puddle they had exited to enter the cavern.
What point was there in lingering?
The prize they needed was already gone……
The old man and his subordinates plunged back into the water, just as they had come.
Rumble, boom, kwarang!
As if awaiting that moment, the cavern collapsed.
A portion of the rubble crashed into the water, crushing the last man to leap in, but as expected, no one paid it heed.
Pha!
Emerging from the long waterway to the surface, the old man exhaled the breath he had held for so long.
At the base of Mount Huang’s Pagoda Peak stood a massive waterfall.
Surrounding it were densely packed figures clad head to toe in black storm robes, just like those following the old man.
Splash, splash.
Without even catching his breath despite just exiting the water, the old man strode straight toward the shore.
Most astonishing was how white steam billowed from his body the instant he moved, and by the time he fully emerged, his hair and clothes were utterly dry and crisp—precisely as before entering.
The realm of Samadhi True Fire, unattainable without reaching at least the River stage.
Displaying that profound technique so effortlessly, he returned to his prior state and called out softly with narrowed eyes.
“Ma Hwan.”
“Yes, Branch Master!”
“The thief has struck.”
“…….”
“To escape through this long waterway is no mean feat. One must endure over a full geng of time, so the culprit has at least reached the Peak Qi realm. Since he came, traces must remain somewhere. Follow them, and we’ll find him.”
“…….”
“How many men will it take?”
Ma Hwan pondered briefly at the old man’s question before bowing his head in reply.
“Ten from under my command will suffice.”
At Ma Hwan’s response, his subordinates prostrated themselves where they stood.
“Good. With affairs at the Golden Palace unsettled, I must return at once to aid the Young Master. Thus, you take charge and find him.”
“…….”
“If it’s already been digested, slice open the belly, carve out the organs, and retrieve it.”
He uttered the cruel command without hesitation, his voice utterly calm.
“If there is blood kin, execute them all; if allies, annihilate their entire clan. But should you fail…….”
The old man paused, and Ma Hwan, head bowed, swallowed dryly in tension.
“All tied to you will be erased.”
“…….”
Erased.
Ma Hwan knew full well the brutality those words implied.
The converse: all connected to him would die.
This was a man more than capable of it.
In his knowledge, the old man was the world’s cruelest figure, one of the most dreaded among his own people.
“I will surely carry out your command.”
“Move.”
Leaving Ma Hwan and his subordinates prostrated without stirring, the old man and the rest turned and departed.
Moments later, Ma Hwan slowly rose and fixed sharp eyes on Pagoda Peak.
“San.”
“Yes, Squad Leader.”
“Take three and visit the Nine Dragons Stronghold. Ask questions. If they refuse to answer, kill them.”
“Yes!”
“Seung.”
“Yes, Squad Leader.”
“Take three and scour south of Mount Huang. Learn every detail of events at Pagoda Peak over the past month.”
“Yes!”
“If they resist, kill them—but minimize visible casualties until we find our target.”
“Understood.”
After swiftly issuing orders to his two subordinates, Ma Hwan turned his gaze north of Mount Huang.
“I head north. Rendezvous at Gam-eop in three days.”
“Yes!”
With curt replies, the group split into three and leaped off in their respective directions.
Snow-dusted Mount Huang remained serene as ever, yet the murim world began showing signs of turmoil driven by those in the shadows.
Just as countless unrecorded wheels of history ever turned ceaselessly in places beyond people’s eyes……
* * *
“Uncle!”
“…….”
Yu Hyun awoke from a light doze at Nangong Seong’s shout, grimacing as he scratched his ear.
What the hell?
Did that guy’s yelling make my ear itch or something?
Raking his ear with evident annoyance in his eyes, Yu Hyun shot Nangong Seong a sidelong glance.
“Why are you still here?”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you hear? Training starts today.”
“Ah…… Yeah, I heard.”
He had heard that after their lengthy clan head meeting, they decided that.
As Nangong Chang-seon’s disciple, he was to train alongside the Nangong Clan heirs to build a foundation in internal energy.
For Yu Hyun, it was utter nonsense.
He couldn’t very well curse the clueless lot as idiots……
In any case, it was nothing but a waste of his time.
Without using his dantian, he appeared to lack any internal energy to others, but after consuming the Child Ginseng, he had already achieved the first stage of the Spirit Heart Core Method: Spirit Completion.
In terms of internal energy, it matched a Manifest Qi warrior, and if he got serious, he could crush an Intent Qi warrior with ease.
For someone like him, learning the Nangong Clan’s manual to “cultivate” needless internal energy was pure farce.
So he skipped it, ignoring the warriors who came calling several times, until Nangong Seong showed up personally.
“Come on already!”
“…….”
Yu Hyun stared blankly at Nangong Seong, who bellowed with fierce eyes.
Hmm. Still young, huh?
Back then, that glare alone made my legs shake……
Now it just looks kinda cute.
Yu Hyun chuckled at his own silly thought, prompting Nangong Seong—who mistook it for mockery—to scowl deeply.
His uncle Yu Hyun, three years his junior.
An utterly disagreeable fellow.
He had heard of the man’s astonishing talent at the clan head meeting.
Perfect replication of any technique after seeing it once?
If true, it was talent straight out of a novel……
But that was it.
He couldn’t fathom why everyone praised him so highly.
A true warrior trained both external and internal arts evenly.
External arts could advance swiftly through effort or talent even if started late, but internal arts were different.
One must begin as young as possible.
With supple meridians unblocked, diligently pave the path, morning and night drawing in pure qi to cultivate energy.
After puberty hardened the body, even spirit medicines yielded meager results.
From that viewpoint, Yu Hyun was far too late.
Already seventeen.
Sure enough, only faint wisps of internal qi emanated from his body.
Even a peerless manual now wouldn’t lead to supreme realms.
External arts had clear limits, no matter how profound.
Internal energy wasn’t like weeds sprouting after rain……
He might be quick now, but he’d lag behind over time. No promising future as a warrior.
The gap with himself—who started young, aided by medicines, reaching Intent Qi—would yawn vast in mere years.
Hadn’t he seen it already?
Dispersing the energy in that Thunder Fist, yet fainting helplessly once it surged……
Knowing this, why did his grandfather—who had always been strict with him—foam at the mouth praising Yu Hyun?
And why obsess over marrying him to his sister, despite the man’s refusal?
In Nangong Seong’s eyes, it all stemmed from grandfather’s stubborn loyalty to Yu Seong-hwan, or sheer obstinacy.
Thus, Yu Hyun’s current behavior irked him all the more.
A clueless punk from a fine clan, ignorant of heaven and earth.
Notified repeatedly for training, yet here he lounged against a pillar, dozing—infuriating.
“What’re you staring at me like that for?”
“…….”
Yu Hyun tilted his head with a grin.
Whatever Nangong Seong was thinking, to Yu Hyun, this young master before him was simply intriguing.
“Ahem! Come on!”
“Ehh, I said I’m not going.”
“Not going?”
“Obviously. You’re my disciple, right?”
“…….”
“If it were past-you, maybe, but from current-you? Nothing to learn. Unless you’re teaching me.”
“Wh-what?”
“What? Don’t believe it?”
“Th-this punk…… You’ll teach me?”
“…….”
“I called you uncle and showed proper respect, yet how dare you be so arrogant? You think your paltry skills are that impressive!”
Nangong Seong’s face flushed beet red, forgetting decorum as one eye twitched at Yu Hyun’s dismissive words, and he bellowed.
Ah, my disciple. You’re even cuter when pissed.
Anyway, time to get started?
One of his missions upon returning to the past.
Train his six young masters to build strength against future chaos.
Starting with the first he’d met: Nangong Seong.
First things first: establish the hierarchy crystal clear.
Now I’m the master, and you’re the disciple.
“What’s with that look?”
“…….”
“Like you’ll drag me there by force if you have to?”
Nangong Seong’s eyelids twitched nonstop at Yu Hyun’s playful expression and tone.
“Then go ahead, jokka.”
“Jo…… what?”
“What? Calling a jokka a jokka—what’s wrong with that?”
“…….”
Nothing was wrong.
Just the pronunciation……
That lispy sound grated so badly it snapped his barely held reason.