Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Shandong Tai'an: Mount Tai Sect (1)
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"Then, I'll be off."
As I spoke, the three women looked at me and cautiously told me to take care all at once.
They all still looked a bit tired.
Seolha, Yeonhwa, and Sohye, who had matched me so fiercely last night that they collapsed from exhaustion.
Yet even after facing me together, the three of them, I was the one still full of energy.
Well, that's only natural. I could handle ten of them. Though, I suppose it's not fair to compare them to courtesans.
Anyway, I set out from Ink Sword Grove with a light step.
I'd even left the Dark Radiance Sword behind, wearing only a simple set of black martial robes.
You never know when trouble might strike, so I'd left all my luggage behind entirely.
For an ordinary martial artist, that would be absolutely impossible.
Who would ever go anywhere without their cherished weapon? The words "How could you?" would naturally come to mind.
But it didn't matter to me. My sword was in my heart.
Besides, I myself was the sword. So there was no problem traveling this lightly.
It hadn't even been an hour since leaving Chang'an when I stood before a massive entrance.
A grand gate that must have once boasted tremendous majesty. A place where countless people once gazed up in awe.
But now, only the ruined tiles and a half-broken, dangling signboard remained.
And the characters written on that signboard.
Mount Hua. 화산.
The part that read "Sect" 파 afterward had vanished somewhere.
This was no way for a signboard to be.
Anyone who'd even glanced at a single wuxia tale couldn't help but lament at the sight.
I felt the same. Mount Hua Sect always appeared magnificent in every wuxia story I'd seen.
This wasn't how it should look. At least, not by the standards I knew.
I stepped inside.
A haunted ruin long abandoned by humans, turned into a ghost town.
Ravaged by demonic cultists and unorthodox riffraff, not a single spot looked intact.
And battered further by the relentless onslaught of time, even that was now utterly destroyed.
A place where no one could live anymore.
A place incapable of nurturing any dreams or hopes.
It felt a little hollow.
Imagining how grand it must have been in its heyday wasn't hard.
Those who bloomed plum blossoms with their swords amid the rocky peaks of Mount Hua.
But they were gone now. Nothing left behind, no one left behind.
All that remained were their traces. And even those weren't fully intact.
Ah, but there was still one.
The White-Haired Ghost Flower. The last remaining blossom of Mount Hua.
But that woman was no longer a springtime plum flower.
A ghost flower steeped in the stench of blood. A blood flower ghost.
There wasn't any special reason for coming here.
I just wanted to see it. To confirm the devastation with my own eyes.
I slowly scanned each of the dilapidated halls.
Places with nothing left. Ruins indistinguishable from wasteland.
I wandered wherever my feet took me.
Central Peak. East Peak, West Peak. Nothing much to see there.
As I walked toward South Peak, a large hall came into view.
A place marked "Golden Stream Palace."
Stepping inside, I found something a bit peculiar.
A flower vase. That thing in the center of the floor was definitely a flower vase.
With a single branch stuck in it, it had to be.
And up close, I saw a few dried petals scattered around.
Seeing that, I had a pretty good idea what it was.
This was a plum branch. Probably one bursting with plum blossoms when it was placed in that vase.
Who could it have been?
The first person who came to mind was, of course, the White-Haired Ghost Flower.
Mount Hua's last survivor. The woman who became a blood ghost for revenge.
Did she leave it here this spring? It was possible.
But even if not her, someone else might have done it.
There were surely others besides her who would pay respects to the destroyed Mount Hua Sect.
I turned to leave. No need to see more.
It only weighed on my heart unnecessarily. This place had nothing to do with me, yet it left me feeling down.
I started down the mountain but realized there was no need to bother.
So I just shot eastward instead.
No need to stick to roads. Everywhere I went was a path for me.
I cleared my mind and raced on for a good while. Or rather, I was practically flying.
Techniques like Dragon Soaring Through Empty Air or Walking on Air weren't difficult for me. Water Strider? Snow Walker? Same thing.
I just didn't bother because they consumed a lot of true energy.
Right now, I needed to cover long distances efficiently.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, I'd arrived at Green Mountain.
The Green Mountain Sect's master and Namgung Hwi, still safe and sound.
But the atmosphere was chilly. No matter how I looked, it was a sulking woman and an angry man.
Ha. Lovers' quarrel, maybe? It sure seemed like it.
You could tell just by watching.
I didn't know the reason, but their relationship was frosty now, yet basic courtesy toward each other was still there.
It probably wouldn't last long. Once it blew over, they'd grow even closer than before.
That's how it always goes. That's how they strengthen their bond. With each other.
And eventually become lovers.
No need to stick around long. Time to go.
The best part about Green Mountain Sect was that I didn't need to guard it myself.
They'd been protecting their secrets here for a long time already.
So they'd handle things fine. Probably.
I left Green Mountain and took to the air again.
Still heading east. Destination: Mount Tai.
The supreme orthodox sect there. Mount Tai Sect.
I raced through sparsely populated areas, senses alert for presences.
Not hard at all. I was just like a chill northern gust.
The only issue was uncertainty about the exact direction since it was unfamiliar territory.
But winds don't have destinations anyway, do they?
And even if off course, it wouldn't be by much.
Only as the sun began to set did I reach a massive city.
Tai'an. The great city right at the foot of Mount Tai.
A bustling, sizable place. Not quite on Chang'an's level, but impressive.
Normally, I'd head to the finest brothel upon arriving somewhere like this, but not today.
I wasn't here to play. Today was for work.
Mount Tai Sect was so famous I didn't need directions.
As the sun set, just following the sword- or saber-wielding warriors was enough to figure it out.
Tailing them leisurely led me to a gigantic entrance.
A signboard reading "The Supreme Mount Tai Sect of the Realm."
Wow. Impressive. Boldly claiming "supreme under heaven" like that.
The entrance and signboard looked recently made.
Well, Mount Tai Sect hadn't been the orthodox world's top sect for that long.
Anyway, I stood before it, attuning my five senses to observe the situation.
And I quickly understood why so many warriors were flocking here.
A sect isn't just its disciples.
Retainers. Those not formally affiliated but staying as guests.
It was natural for Mount Tai Sect, now the orthodox world's foremost sect.
People not quite disciple material in skill. Or those too old.
Those chasing fame. Those seeking to borrow its prestige. The ambitious.
Such people exist everywhere. And great sects can't neglect them.
That's magnanimity, prestige. The best way to show their capacity.
Of course, not for free.
Retainers must fulfill their duties.
Handling subtle issues or minor tasks the sect can't be bothered with. That's how they earn their keep.
That's what sword-for-hire retainers do. The best way to sell oneself.
Mount Tai Sect had plenty of them. Those entering now were all such folk.
Flocking with their hopes and ambitions.
Retainers, ronin, warriors from minor sects... and so on.
But not all retainers get lavish treatment.
Especially not at a place like Mount Tai Sect, the orthodox pinnacle.
They come in droves like grains of sand. Overflowing manpower.
Of course, Mount Tai Sect can't ignore them entirely. But neither can they pamper everyone.
That's the scene playing out now. Right before my eyes.
Those arriving with puffed-up dreams of fame and fortune.
But most were mediocre at best.
No notable nicknames. Or if they had them, not famous ones.
The Mount Tai Sect disciples receiving them wore stern faces, but not welcoming ones.
Subtle contempt in their expressions, a sense of superiority over these newcomers.
So the ragtag retainers probably didn't feel great from the moment they entered.
And once led to their quarters, it'd worsen.
Dorms for dozens sharing. Far from what they'd imagined.
If they didn't expect that, they were clueless about the world.
If they did and still reacted that way, they were immature.
From Mount Tai Sect's view, such mediocrities were just pebbles underfoot.
Second-raters. Even first-rate at best weren't vital to them.
That's why I had zero intention of going inside.
Am I crazy? What do I lack?
Stepping in would only invite hassle.
Better to watch from out here. What do I lack?
Of course, if I acted sufficiently impressive, I wouldn't be treated like them.
Not all retainers are the same.
Some get special treatment.
Private rooms at least, decent food. They have utility value.
But in that case, I'd rather hit a brothel.
Either way, no reason for me to enter. Just watch like this.
Truth be told, even coming to Mount Tai Sect, I hadn't planned exactly what to do.
I just figured endlessly observing would catch something off sooner or later.
That's why I came here before Black Business Gate.
So I stayed in Tai'an for about two days, inconspicuously watching Mount Tai Sect.
And while nothing unnatural appeared, I did spot one peculiar fellow.