Chapter 295: Yunhyeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 295: Yunhyeon
“Huhu, you need not worry so.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa erased the drawing with the tip of her toe, then stood up and came over to me.
She naturally wrapped her arms around mine and smiled. It was the kind of smile that crinkled her eyes, one that still took my breath away no matter how many times I saw it.
“In the first place, only a very small number of the highest-ranking members can see the Sacred Fire directly. And it is very rare for them to leave the Demonic Cult. So do not worry too much. I only said it as a precaution, just in case.”
I didn’t let it show, but I breathed an inward sigh of relief at her words.
It wasn’t that I was particularly concerned about the hundreds of thousands of cult members.
No matter how numerous they were, the vast majority were just ordinary people who hadn’t even learned martial arts.
They were like scarecrows who would be helplessly swept away by a single large-scale spell.
But even I, who had grown accustomed to killing, wasn’t confident I could maintain my sanity after killing so many people.
‘...No, perhaps.’
Perhaps I was afraid that I might feel nothing at all, even after slaughtering hundreds of thousands.
High-level magic is a profound mystery, and the human brain, in order to process that mystery, repeatedly evolves to handle the load.
As one's realm grows higher, a mage's mind becomes more resilient, to the point where I no longer feel anything when I kill someone.
I sometimes felt a sense of dissonance at this aspect of myself, but even that was just a fleeting emotional shift.
“Hyun-woo?”
As I was lost in thought, Cheon Yeo-hwa’s voice brushed past my ear.
Seeing the worried look in her eyes, I pulled her into an embrace without a word.
At that, the worries that had filled my mind just moments before felt insignificant.
But the process felt incredibly strange, as if there had been some external intervention.
[Suppressing Tam.]
‘...What?’
Seeing the screen that appeared before me, I immediately opened my inventory and took out the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword.
The blade was slightly drawn from its sheath.
I noticed demonic energy leaking from the gap.
It was a completely different energy from my own ink-black demonic energy.
It was a gloomy aura, so dark it seemed to absorb even the surrounding light. It was so alien it was chilling.
I hurriedly closed the sheath.
The demonic energy vanished like smoke.
[Tam licks its lips.]
I let out a hollow laugh at the new message.
So, being acknowledged as the sword's master wasn't the end of it.
If I had to put it one way, it was more like I had merely met the minimum requirements.
‘...Is it saying it will devour me if I let my guard down for even a moment?’
I instinctively realized that this very moment was a crucial turning point.
As the old saying goes, a dog that bites its master needs a beating.
“Yeo-hwa.”
At my glance, Cheon Yeo-hwa quietly stepped back.
Shing—
I drew the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword from its sheath. Once again, the unidentifiable demonic energy flowed out.
The air instantly grew heavy, and it felt as if something unknown was pressing down on me.
I had no idea why it was suddenly reacting this way, but I knew very well how to discipline it.
Fwoosh!!
Black flames imbued with divine power flared violently.
The aura of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword began to scatter at once.
“...The Sacred Fire?”
The black flames swelled in an instant and swallowed the sword. Then, the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword—no, Tam—began to absorb the black flames.
But it was different from when it had absorbed the bandit's internal energy last time.
It was more like it was being forced to swallow food it hated.
As expected, it seemed weak to divine power.
I smiled triumphantly and stimulated my mana circles.
Kiiiiing—
As the five rings spun ceaselessly, spewing out magic power, the black flames used the power as fuel and burned even more intensely.
At this point, the sword's demonic energy had vanished completely, and only the black flames asserted their presence, carefully avoiding setting the forest ablaze.
How much time passed like that?
[Tam enters a state of slumber.]
Perhaps because it had absorbed the black flames to its limit, the sword's aura had weakened noticeably.
That didn't mean the performance of the sword itself had degraded.
Kiiiiing—
The ink-black Aura still shot out with intensity. In fact, it felt even easier to handle the sword than before.
Woooong!
This time, I purely infused it with Vajra Ki to create a golden Aura. Then I added the black flames.
An Aura imbued with the effect of destroying evil and revealing righteousness, combined with black flames containing divine power.
I had essentially created a foundation that would give me an absolute advantage against undead-type monsters.
The problem, however, was that undead-type monsters weren't the only ones affected.
“...Hyun-woo.”
Seeing Cheon Yeo-hwa’s pale face, I sheathed the sword. It seemed to have a negative effect on those who practiced demonic arts as well.
“...Sorry.”
*
Time passed, and half a day had gone by since we left Seoyu County.
After passing through a dense forest and crossing a rugged mountain range, we arrived at our first destination, Yunhyeon.
Yunhyeon was a town situated along a rather large river called the Danggangu, and its streets were overflowing with merchants.
Even at a glance, it looked more prosperous than Seoyu County.
The passersby were all carrying bundles on their backs or pulling carts and wagons.
Since the Danggangu River provided passage to Xiangyang, as well as Zhengzhou and Kaifeng in Henan, it was only natural for merchants and their guilds to gather here.
We also planned to take a boat from here to Xiangyang.
Of course, we could have traveled on foot, but going by boat was much faster and more comfortable.
Besides, I wanted to try riding a boat.
Not just me; Cheon Yeo-hwa said she had never been on one either.
“The rivers in the Heavenly Mountains are all fast and rough, making them unsuitable for boating.”
“What about when you came from the Heavenly Mountains to Shaanxi? The distance is far, so you must have had to take a boat, right?”
“I gave up on taking boats after I nearly got caught by the pursuit team while hiding on a merchant ship.”
“...”
I silently patted Cheon Yeo-hwa’s shoulder.
Imagining her, covered in wounds, secretly stowing away on a merchant ship, made my heart ache for some reason.
At the same time, anger towards the Heavenly Demonic Cult began to rear its head.
[Tam rejoices at its master's negative emotions.]
What's with you now?
I dismissed the screen before my eyes and headed straight for the docks.
It went without saying, but the boats in this world didn't operate like the public transportation system in Korea.
Since we were essentially boarding a merchant ship, all we could do was pray there was a boat heading to Xiangyang.
The docks we arrived at had dozens of merchant ships moored.
The area was bustling with workers, seemingly in the middle of unloading cargo.
“...Anyway, who should I talk to?”
I was suddenly reminded of the first time I rode the subway.
There were so many lines that it took me quite a while to get used to them.
“Hyun-woo, wouldn't that boat be better?”
“Hm?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa was pointing to the largest boat at the docks.
“It does look the most impressive... but is there a specific reason you chose that one?”
“I heard that small boats rock even in small currents, making the ride unpleasant.”
“...That's true.”
Accepting her reasonable opinion, I approached the merchant ship. Like the other boats, it was in the middle of unloading.
Perhaps because the ship was so large, there looked to be well over fifty workers.
I walked up to a man who was supervising them.
“Hey! How many times do I have to tell you to be careful! If that thing breaks, even your entire year's salary wouldn't be enough to cover it!”
“Hey.”
“What?! Can’t you see I’m bu—”
The gruff-looking man was about to yell at me but stopped when he saw the sword at my waist. He shut his mouth, his eyes darting back and forth.
“...Are you a martial artist, sir?”
“As you can see.”
Even though I was much younger than him and speaking informally, the man’s expression didn’t change as he used honorifics.
Just as I thought. Fists are close, but the law is far away.
“Sorry to interrupt you while you’re working.”
“N-no, not at all. So, what can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for a boat to Xiangyang. Do you happen to know of any?”
“Xiangyang... Our ship is scheduled to head upriver tomorrow, but...”
“Oh, that’s perfect. I’ll pay a handsome fare, so can we travel with you?”
“Hmm...”
The man seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.
“I’ll speak to the guild master. Please come to the docks by Myosi (5 AM to 7 AM) tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
I handed the man a pouch filled with iron coins.
For the record, this wasn't the fare. Knowing this, the man checked the contents and saw me off with a wide grin.
“Negotiations were a success. He said to come by Myosi tomorrow.”
“You did well.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa smiled faintly and linked her arm with mine.
Having secured a boat with ease, we left the docks and headed for an inn we had spotted on our way.
We were lucky enough to get a room, then went back out to the streets to look around the town. Since there were many merchants, there was quite a lot to see.
After sunset, we drank at the most famous Gisaeng House in Yunhyeon, and at night, we returned to the inn and made love.
Naturally, we didn't stop until the sun came up.
“W-wait, let’s rest for a bit... Aahng!!♡”
*
Early the next morning.
The docks were teeming with incredible energy.
I heard that most merchant ships set sail at this time because once the government patrol boats finished their rounds, river pirates would run rampant.
Of course, not every merchant ship could move at this time.
Only those who won a bid for a waterway usage permit at the government-run auction were allowed to sail during this period.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Mak Yangho of the Hwa-wol Merchant Guild, the one in charge of this voyage.”
The Hwa-wol Merchant Guild.
They operated mainly in Henan and Hubei and were a major guild that, despite holding a lower position, was listed among the Ten Great Merchant Guilds of the Central Plains.
“I am Kang Hyun-woo.”
Since I wasn't dealing with rough sailors, I decided to refrain from speaking informally.
“I heard about you from the captain.”
“The captain?”
Was he talking about that man from yesterday?
But he was the captain?
‘...Does a captain usually manage and supervise the workers unloading cargo?’
“Haha, he’s just overflowing with ambition. Thanks to him, the people under him are worked to death.”
Mak Yangho guided Cheon Yeo-hwa and me with a good-natured smile.
His attitude was so friendly it was almost excessive, which made me wonder, but I figured he must have mistaken us for the children of a prestigious noble family.
We were neatly dressed, and Cheon Yeo-hwa was even covering her face with a veil, so it wouldn't be strange for him to misunderstand.
Of course, I felt no need to correct his misunderstanding. If he was going to be considerate on his own, it just made things easier for us.
Once aboard, I handed Mak Yangho a pouch containing the fare.
But he shook his head.
“The fare is not necessary. Instead, could you do me a favor?”
“A favor?”
“...If, by any chance, a problem arises during our journey, I ask that you please lend us your strength.”
“A problem? Are you talking about river pirates?”
“Yes.”
Mak Yangho nodded with a serious expression, but I didn't understand.
“River pirates during the time the government patrol boats are on duty? Does that even make sense?”
“I thought so too, but... according to other merchant guilds, the pirates' rampages have gone too far recently. They say they no longer just let ships pass after collecting a toll, but they plunder all the expensive goods on board. As a result, the price of waterway usage permits has skyrocketed, and guilds that fail to obtain one are forced to continue their journeys on foot.”
If the merchant guilds were traveling on foot, that meant the pirates would have fewer ships to plunder.
“So, you’re saying there’s no telling what the pirates, with their reduced income, might do. Is that it?”
“...Yes.”
I wondered if that made any sense, but then again, these were pirates.
They wouldn't be in their right minds to be pirates in the first place, so it was a plausible story.
“...I understand.”
After a moment of thought, I decided to grant his request.
If lunatics crazy enough to rob a merchant ship while patrol boats were around really did appear, as Mak Yangho said, then we would have to act whether we liked it or not.
In that case, it was better to at least save on the fare.
“Thank you!”
Mak Yangho bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude, then left for another part of the ship, saying he still had work to do.
Not long after, the boat left the docks and began to move towards Xiangyang.
Lying with my head on Cheon Yeo-hwa’s lap, I watched the clouds drift by. Jealous glares from the sailors flew at me from all directions.
“Hyun-woo, your bangs seem a little long.”
“They do?”
Come to think of it, it had been a while since I last cut my hair.
I had just brushed it aside because it was a hassle, but maybe it was time for a trim.
“I could cut it for you, if you wish.”
“...I’ll take you up on that when we get to Xiangyang.”
I was a little worried, but considering Cheon Yeo-hwa’s dexterity, I thought it might be worth letting her try.
‘It’s peaceful, but why do I feel so anxious?’
Honestly, I thought the story about the pirates was just Mak Yangho worrying for nothing.
No matter how bold they were, would they really try to rob a merchant ship while patrol boats were around?
Fortunately, the beginning of the journey was uneventful.
But around Sasi (9 AM to 11 AM), something strange happened.
“What is this?”
The weather suddenly turned cloudy, and a dense mist and fog began to roll in. Thanks to it, even the other merchant ships that had been nearby were no longer visible.
Moreover, our current location was near Seohyeop, an area with many obstacles.
It was the perfect place for pirates to hide.
Just as the sailors' tension reached its peak.
“Stop!!”
Along with a shout imbued with internal energy, five ships emerged from beyond the mist.