Chapter 443
Chapter 443
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 443
Chapter Title: Lingering Attachments (2)
"I'll fix your treasured weapons, so come with me," I said, but Taegong scoffed.
"Hmph. Do you think we're some kids who'll come scampering along if you say you'll buy us drinks at the tavern?"
Ak-gong, standing nearby, seemed to agree.
"Exactly. It's obvious you're scheming to drag us down the mountain."
He let out a hollow chuckle and shot back.
"But since you're being so blatant about it, I'm kinda curious. What are you gonna do with us once you get us there? And how loaded are you, anyway? These look worn out to me—my fishing rod and his seven-string zither—but they're made of ridiculously expensive materials, you know?"
I opened my mouth to cut straight to the chase.
"I'm Eon Yong-un."
A strange silence fell over the mid-slope of North Nether Mountain for a moment.
"……."
"……."
Soon enough, Taegong and Ak-gong burst into giggles.
"Pfft. Puhehehe! Who the hell is that?! This young punk's got some ego on him!"
"Uhahahah! Can't blame him, though. A kid who looks barely past twenty reaches that level of skill? He could go around saying 'I'm me' anywhere! Uhahahah!"
That was when Jang Cheol-han whispered in my ear.
"Ahem. Unlike me, those two have lived completely cut off from the secular world. They never set foot in places like the Beggars' Clan or the Hao Clan, and they don't even glance at newsletters."
"...I see."
"That's why I said I'm relatively sociable for a stubborn hermit."
In other words...
They knew nothing about me.
While I exchanged a few words with Jang Cheol-han, Taegong and Ak-gong started clutching their stomachs in laughter.
"Uahaha!"
"Uhahaha!"
- Puhahaha.
Even Master was among those cracking up.
- Puhaha. Yong-un's met his match today!
'...Whose side are you on, Master?'
- Yours, of course—Eon Yong-un's! Puhahaha!
'…….'
Well, it wasn't all bad.
The hearty laughter had lightened the mood considerably.
In that relaxed atmosphere, I took a calm look at Taegong and Ak-gong.
'Eccentrics of the martial world.'
Eccentrics were those whose temperament and actions strayed beyond ordinary bounds, while prodigies possessed extraordinary talents.
'How many among such people would join the Orthodox Alliance's cause?'
Those who had left the secular world due to mismatched temperaments or circumstances wouldn't easily step back into the jianghu for some pure motive.
'Yet in the original story, Taegong and Ak-gong helped Jeong-hyeon.'
It was a fleeting connection, so their exact motivations for saving him weren't detailed.
But one thing was clear: they opposed the Demonic Cultists, and they had briefly reemerged into the jianghu.
'And among the reclusive martial artists called eccentrics, such people are rare.'
Jang Cheol-han, who was with us now, hadn't budged in the original story no matter what happened in the jianghu.
'If I could bring Taegong and Ak-gong into our fold, that would be ideal...'
I was fully prepared to be the butt of the joke for that.
Repeating to myself in my head, 'At least I've got their attention,' I spoke up again.
"Then do you know of the Taewon Merchant Group?"
Ak-gong replied as if it would be weirder if he didn't.
"Who doesn't know Taewon? Not knowing would make you a spy. Even Yeo Taegong here, who's not originally from the Central Plains, knows it."
"Of course I do."
"That old miser from Shanxi—his wrinkles must be even deeper now, but I wonder if his stingy personality's still the same."
To prove I had the means to repair their treasured weapons, I said,
"He's my great-uncle."
Ak-gong misinterpreted it, narrowing his eyes and snorting.
"Hah. Trying to name-drop your grandfather? Looks like you're just a guy with impressive skills but no substance. Don't you know that when you venture into the jianghu, you have to make your own name with your own strength?"
For the first time, I responded seriously.
"I get that you're not planning to come down the mountain, so there's no need to provoke me like that."
"...Ahem."
"I can't take esteemed elders like you to a treasury to show off accounts. I only mentioned my great-uncle to make it easy to understand that I can indeed repair your weapons. But at this rate, we'll never get anywhere."
Cutting off Ak-gong, I continued.
"Let me be frank. Yes, I climbed North Nether Mountain hoping to invite you both along."
"And?"
"But truthfully, I don't know much about you two. I only heard from Senior Jang here that you have friends. He doesn't know you well either—not through secular courtesies, anyway."
"How can you talk about inviting us when you don't even know us?"
I had my personal convictions.
But I decided against saying anything that couldn't be rationally explained.
"Yes, I don't. And yet I still want to invite you. Signs of chaos are emerging in the jianghu right now. To be honest, I'd love to borrow even the hands of children if I could. But of course, I can't really rely on kids."
With that opener, trusting in the motivations inferred from their past actions, I pressed on.
"This chaos will be determined by how those with power and responsibility act—whether it descends or is averted."
At that point, Ak-gong ostentatiously picked at his ear and said,
"So what do you want us to do about it? We're just people who wake when the sun rises, eat when we're hungry, and sleep when we're tired. The jianghu can go to hell for all we care. We've long abandoned interest in the secular world."
"Doesn't seem like it—you still have lingering attachments, don't you?"
Taegong furrowed his brows at my words.
"We have lingering attachments to the secular world?"
"Yes. Otherwise, why hole up here like this? Most people like Senior Jang at least wander the markets."
"……."
"They don't cut off all contact like you two. So, whether from past mistakes or severed ties, I suspect you both have some form of attachment to the world."
"...And so?"
"That's what I have to say. If you do have lingering attachments, why not step out and take a look around, even if just for a bit? Do you think someone like me could drag masters of your caliber anywhere? Even if I could, forcing you to stay would be impossible."
"Hm."
"Oh, and separately, I really do intend to repair your weapons."
Ak-gong, who had been listening silently, snorted and spoke up.
"Hmph. Maybe I'll just toss this seven-string zither. Come to think of it, that's an attachment too. Thanks for the enlightenment."
His attitude had softened compared to before.
I smirked and spoke again.
"Sure. Anyway, I've booked a room near Hye Min Pavilion. If nothing comes up, I'll be hanging around there. Once you've decided whether to discard the zither or get it fixed, come find me."
"...You slimy-tongued brat, that creepy smile of yours! What's with it? Feels like you're dead certain I'll show up? That's exactly why I won't, you punk!"
* * * Eon Yong-un and Jang Cheol-han left North Nether Mountain.
Left alone, Taegong spoke up.
"What do we do?"
"What do you mean, what? I'm not going! Why are you even asking like you don't know?"
Taegong pondered the returned question.
"...My intentions, huh."
Jang Cheol-han had left saying something interesting had come up, then returned all primped up.
With some young disciple in tow, no less. Taegong and Ak-gong figured they were trying to lure them back to the world.
They'd planned to give them a harsh scolding and send them packing.
But now, they were curious.
About the guy named Eon Yong-un who namedropped without hesitation, and the signs of chaos he mentioned.
"I'm a bit curious, actually."
"So what?"
"If you swallow your pride and head to the secular world, you can instantly verify if that punk's chatter is true or not—and just what kind of guy this Eon Yong-un is."
Taegong wasn't exaggerating.
The old man living under the name Ak-gong, having abandoned his real name, was none other than former Hao Clan Leader Wang Seon-nam.
"Damn liquor. Shouldn't have spilled my youthful tales to you... "
"I shared my own old stories in return, fair and square."
"How do you compare your useless ramblings to mine?"
"Hah, useless? Normally, you couldn't even meet my eyes!"
The man who raised his chin before Wang Seon-nam was Taegong Yeo Chi-su.
"And must you trample on someone's painful scars like that?"
He had been the naval commander of the small island nation of Abpa, far south of even Haenam Province—now a fallen kingdom.
"...Don't twist it—this has nothing to do with going back to the world! Ugh. Unlike you, I could cause confusion among the clan disciples if I show up."
The Hao Clan was of the unorthodox path.
Its ways differed from the orthodox sects.
As leader, Wang Seon-nam had sometimes sacrificed the few for the many, or turned a blind eye to the miserable lives of his subordinates.
Bearing all that karma, he had holed up in North Nether Mountain.
"Who said to reveal you're the Hao Clan Leader? Just use a bit of the Hao network—like any ordinary person gathering info—and check out what you're curious about."
"……."
"You're curious deep down too. Jang showing up all neat, and that Eon Yong-un from the Pearl Eon Family wielding a sword."
"...His martial arts felt suspicious too. Definitely demonic vibes. How's a guy like that mixed in with the orthodox side? Do people even know?"
After agonizing through the night,
Wang Seon-nam and Yeo Chi-su
resolved to venture into the secular world after a very long time.
The very next day, they quietly sought out a Hao Clan branch.
"Welcome! What can I get you?!"
"One bowl of noodles each. Oh, and take a look at this."
"Hmm? Ah, yes. Please wait a moment."
Wang Seon-nam knew the Hao system inside out.
Thus, information on Eon Yong-un swiftly and discreetly reached their hands.
Upon confirming it, both men gaped in unison.
Wang Seon-nam muttered unwittingly.
"This kid really did all that?"
"The order slip said excluding rumors, only verified facts, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Damn, he's the real self-made deal. And you just screwed over your benefactor. Look at the Retreating Ghost Village or the Sichuan stuff."
"You're not uninvolved either. Your homeland, Abpa—wasn't it part of the Silver River Isles? Country's gone, but the people are still there."
"……."
"...That's why ignorance is bliss. What a mess."
* * * The day after returning from North Nether Mountain,
I began volunteer work at Hye Min Pavilion with my younger siblings.
"Get in line!"
Unlike my previous visit, my status had skyrocketed,
and word had spread that I was heeding the Martial Alliance's summons to draw out the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult bastards. Fake patients showed up more to gawk at me than for treatment.
"Invincible Sword!"
"Just let me hold your hand once! I bet it'll cure me right up!"
While those skilled in medicine treated real patients,
someone had to shoo away the fakers.
But ironically, the ones assigned to that duty—Namgung Yun and Woncheol—were making even more noise, adding to the chaos.
'...What the hell's wrong with these guys?'
The culprits were Namgung Yun and Woncheol.
Ever since Namgung Yun returned from Hanjung right after, there'd been a weird tension between them.
By the time they reached Hye Min Pavilion, they were bickering over everything.
"I'll stand to Eon Yong-un's right. We've synced up plenty, and I can react more sharply."
"Hmm. I wasn't at the academy long, but in terms of synergy, I match Little Victory. Not to brag, but I even accompanied him to meet the Evil Sword Young Lord before."
"Ridiculous. That only happened because I wasn't there. And if we're comparing, I..."
Unable to stand it, I flicked their foreheads and glared.
"Did you idiots have a bad breakfast? What's with the morning bullshit? Namgung Yun, what's your problem?"
"...Nothing."
"If it's nothing, stand wherever. And Monk Woncheol."
"...Yes."
"Lately, you're giving off less monk vibes, like Haseong said. Might have to call you just 'Woncheol' outside of monk time soon."
"……."
After a moment,
a commotion erupted from where Cheon Jang-ho was manning the gate.
"I'm here to see Eon Yong-un!"
"This is a clinic—why come here for him?! Can't you read the sign? Patients line up; otherwise, scram! You don't look sick!"
Listening closely, it was Ak-gong and Taegong's voices.
"Damn it, that Eon Yong-un punk really told us to come here! Man, this is frustrating."
"Yeah, call him out for a confrontation. Or Jang Cheol-han, that punk!"