Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Disciple
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Even though I clearly heard Elder Jang's words, I still asked again.
"......Pardon? Disciple?"
I had no choice but to.
For over twenty years since coming of age, I had walked a path that never once crossed with martial arts.
I was twenty-three this year.
In this place, that was already old enough to have married and be holding a child in my arms.
They say there's no set time for learning, but the entry into martial arts was usually around ten years old.
So in my case, it was extremely late.
Moreover, I hadn't even knocked on the door of a sect myself.
A supreme expert had brought it up first, asking if I wanted to become his disciple.
"Yes, disciple."
As he looked at my confused face, Elder Jang slowly nodded.
His eyes held a heavy solemnity.
Though his appearance was closer to an old man past middle age, he possessed a towering stature and sturdy build no different from a young man's.
Between the deep wrinkles carved by time gleamed clear, sharp eyes that seemed at odds with his age.
Elder Jang stroked his long white beard and quietly waited for my answer.
I briefly lowered my gaze to the cart below.
And as I looked at Maban sleeping soundly inside, I suddenly fell into thought.
'Even today, both Maban and I nearly died.'
The powerless situation from moments ago churned wildly through my mind.
I needed a moment to think.
Just a short while.
"Elder Jang, I'm truly sorry, but could I have a little time to consider? It won't take long."
A look of bewilderment slowly spread across his face.
I understood.
To hesitate over a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from a martial arts master.
It must seem utterly unreasonable.
But perhaps because he felt indebted to me, he fortunately responded with leniency.
"Haha, go ahead."
"Thank you."
I rested my chin on my hand and furrowed my brow. Then I slowly organized my thoughts.
Because this could be a turning point in my life.
'Hmm, if I aim to die a natural death, I should at least know how to protect my own body.'
This place was the Central Plains, no different from a lawless zone.
For a powerless commoner like me, getting caught in some incident and dying unjustly wouldn't be strange at all.
'Hmm, in my position, I'd be like a training dummy in a game arena. And......'
Once my self-assessment had settled to some degree.
The newly added trait ability 'Spirit Medicine Map' suddenly came to mind.
I hadn't checked it properly yet, but if it was true to its name, it was likely an ability that revealed locations where spirit medicines were hidden.
If that was the case, it would be a cheat key to rapidly realize the dream I'd held for nearly half a century.
Because spirit medicines were precious items traded for enormous sums in the Central Plains.
Spirit medicines referred to mysterious herbs and drugs with special effects.
They had a wide range of uses, from physical enhancement like stamina recovery to increasing internal energy for martial artists, healing the body, and treating illnesses.
Government herb gatherers or specialists in immortality herbs were the main ones who went out to collect them.
Because spirit medicines grew in harsh environments like treacherous mountains or perilous seas that were hard for human hands to reach.
Often, they were guarded by spiritual beasts or divine creatures.
For that reason, those who went out to gather frequently suffered severe injuries or even lost their lives.
Given the circumstances, spirit medicines had always been regarded as extremely rare from ancient times, worth whatever the seller demanded.
'Come to think of it, the herb gatherer brother who left that hideous Dragon Yang He Shou Wu behind was covered in large and small scars all over his body.'
Even for a herb gatherer brother with such an exceptional physique and stamina, it was no easy task.
How much more for me, who'd spent my life just shaking a ladle.
Even if I knew the locations of spirit medicines, I might end up just staring helplessly like a pie in the picture.
To ensure safety and hasten my dream, martial arts were absolutely necessary.
'Yes, learning martial arts will definitely help.'
My thoughts had organized.
"Elder Jang, it's an honor. I will serve you as my master from now on."
I recalled the Nine Bows Ceremony that often appeared in wuxia novels.
Then, toward Elder Jang, I performed nine deep bows with utmost sincerity.
This etiquette signified the grand prostration used when formally entering discipleship under a master or pledging absolute obedience and loyalty to a supreme being.
Seemingly satisfied with my grand prostration and response, a faint smile rose to the corners of his mouth as he stroked his long white beard.
"However, there is something important I must tell you......"
It would have been perfect if the conversation ended here, but I had to bring up the matter of conditional discipleship.
"Learning martial arts is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I cannot give up my food stall. Because that's my means of livelihood."
Learning martial arts was good, but for me, the most urgent matter was earning money.
"......So, could I learn martial arts only three days out of every ten?"
"Hmm, that's true. I can't cut off someone else's rice bowl."
Fortunately, Elder Jang seemed to hold a lenient heart toward me.
He understood my situation and accepted readily.
"Do that, then."
"Thank you, Elder Jang. No, Ma-Master?"
"Haha, Master. Not bad to the ears."
At the moment we formed the master-disciple bond.
A mountain breeze happened to blow, scattering the fresh yellow petals blooming profusely over the osmanthus tree, as if congratulating our fateful encounter.
After a long day, I finally returned home.
Never had this house felt so welcoming.
The wooden house I lived in was at the foot of the mountain slope.
It was a small place with a main room doubling as a living room, a narrow storage for odds and ends, and an attached kitchen.
In front of the house was a modest yard. At its center stood a large pine tree, as if taken from an ink painting.
Beside it sat an old well, low to the ground. Occasionally, when drawing water, a toad living inside would come up with it.
Entering the main room, I placed Maban on his dedicated attachment cushion in the corner.
Then I flopped onto the floor with a thud.
"Aigoo......"
A groan fit for an old man slipped from my lips.
The fatigue and muscle pain I'd been holding back surged all at once. The spots on my body that had been beaten throbbed painfully.
"Keurk- keurk-"
Maban, exhausted too, let out snores even louder than usual.
If someone outside heard it, they might mistake the owner for me—it was that thunderous.
"Yeah, you must be tired too."
I stared at the stained ceiling for a moment, playing find-the-hidden-picture, then got up.
It was partly because my stomach felt empty, but mainly because surviving the brush with death left me feeling restless.
"Time to show off my skills after a while."
I planned to make something nourishing.
It would be a reward dish for Maban and me, who had survived the edge of life and death.
"For nourishment, nothing beats ginseng chicken soup."
I mainly made Chinese cuisine, but occasionally I cooked dishes from my past life's Korea.
One of them was ginseng chicken soup.
Fortunately, the house had a few live chickens, glutinous rice, whole garlic, and green onions left.
"Hmm, it would be better with some herbal ingredients like ginseng or astragalus."
As I lightly clicked my tongue regretting the lack of medicinal herbs for the soup.
"Ah, right. There's the Spirit Medicine Map."
The new trait ability I hadn't checked yet came to mind.
'Maybe there's some hidden ginseng near the house.' That hope followed inwardly.
"Activate Spirit Medicine Map."
I commanded the status window.
Bang, bang.
At the unexpected status window content, I tilted my head slightly.
"There was a rank?"
Until now, my status window had no rank notation. The reason was that it was below F-rank, not even worth noting.
As the flashy congratulatory message faded, new status windows popped up one by one.
In mid-air, a silk-wrapped scroll and a magnifying glass appeared with a flash of light.
Shururuk-
With the sound effect, the scroll unrolled.
Inside was a map precisely depicting the surrounding terrain, and the magnifying glass began slowly circling in an oval over it.
[Searching for nearby spirit medicines......]
My tightly shut mouth gaped open. It looked exactly like a wuxia version of a map app.
"1km, so the radius expands with rank, I suppose."
The search radius was disappointingly narrow.
My hands, resting at my sides, had unconsciously risen to my waist.
"......!"
Suddenly, the magnifying glass stopped over one spot.
And soon, a golden flag planted itself on the map.
Spirit medicine signal detected
Location: Northeast mountain peak cave
Spirit Medicine Type: Indiscernible at current rank
"A spirit medicine nearby?"
They say it's darkest right under the lamp—the detection was not far away.
Regrettably, at my current rank, it seemed impossible to identify the type.
Which meant I had no choice but to check it with my own eyes.
"What kind could it be......?"
Not knowing the type made my body twist with curiosity.
With my personality, if I didn't resolve it, I'd surely spend the night wide awake.
As if to prove it, my aching body from moments ago felt perfectly fine, like a lie.
"Let's go now."
Fortunately, the place the Spirit Medicine Map indicated was the mountain peak, not far from home.
I hurriedly entered the storage room and grabbed a medicine basket.
Inside, I packed a palm-sized herb shovel, a handle, three or four fire starters, and a torch.
It was mid-afternoon, before dusk had fallen.
Since age ten, I'd roamed these mountains with Maban, playing everywhere as my playground.
So I knew the terrain well enough to draw it with eyes closed.
It wasn't all the way to the cave, but I'd often chopped wood near there.
"This is a piece of cake for me."
I quickly gathered my gear.
I planned to return before sunset.
"Miyaaa-"
I intended to go alone quickly, but Maban, reenergized, woke up.
"Awake? You could sleep more."
Knowing he couldn't understand human speech, I still tossed the words casually.
As expected, not comprehending, Maban yawned long, stretched his front paws, and pushed his hips back fully.
With his red bell jingling, he followed behind me as I climbed the mountain.
"Won't be boring, huh."
"Miyaaa-"
"Yeah, it's ginseng chicken soup we'll share. No point if you just play. Move it."
And so, with Maban, I began ascending the mountain path to gather my first spirit medicine.
For a stranger, reaching the cave would take at least one shichen—two hours.
But I was a local.
Taking familiar shortcuts, I arrived at the cave indicated by the Spirit Medicine Map in half a shichen—one hour.
It was near the end of the ridge.
What first caught my eye was the vines and leaves draping the cave entrance, like someone blindfolded with bangs.
Was it my imagination?
Something like a chill wind brushed past my nape.
I pulled a fire starter from the medicine basket. It was a simple ignition tool with a punk sealed in a bamboo tube to block oxygen.
Hoo, hoo, hoo.
I opened the lid and blew to add oxygen. Then I transferred the ember to the torch I'd brought.
"Shall we go in?"
"Miyaaa-"
I raised the blazing torch high.
Then, with Maban, I slowly stepped into the cave thick with silence.