Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Asking for News
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The entire relay inn fell silent as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over it. Those asking about the Righteous-Demonic Great War right now were one of two types.
Either remnants of the Demonic Cult who had fled into the deep mountains to escape the Righteous Alliance's pursuit during the war, or merchants who had wandered foreign lands for years and only recently returned.
Of course, this old man's case was a bit different. That was assuming it was true that he had been trapped on the moon for three whole years before coming back.
"Why do you ask?"
"I've been out of touch for a long time, so I was just curious. There was a massive battle off the Shandong coast about three years ago—what happened after that? Surely you know about the Righteous-Demonic Great War?"
"Well, Shandong is your hometown, so I suppose you'd be curious. The Demonic Cult fell long ago."
"As I thought. What about the Heavenly Demon? It can't be a complete victory if he didn't die."
The air in the room rippled heavily once more as the name Heavenly Demon slipped out.
All eyes turned their way.
Yong Seol-ran felt suffocated.
She had brought him over and seated him here to draw attention away from themselves, but the situation was only pulling more eyes their way.
She steadied her trembling heart and spoke.
"He's gone missing. And there's something you should know, young master."
"What is it?"
"After the Righteous-Demonic Great War ended, operations to wipe out the surviving Demonic Cultists have been underway everywhere. In this climate, casually mentioning the Heavenly Demon's name could get you mistaken for a Demonic Cultist."
"Why is that?"
"Because in the current martial world, the only ones looking for the Heavenly Demon are the scattered Demonic Cultists."
"Didn't you say extermination operations are ongoing? Then shouldn't the Righteous Alliance's experts be hunting the Heavenly Demon too? Why say only Demonic Cultists are searching for him?"
"The Righteous Alliance officially declared the Heavenly Demon dead. Of course, they might be searching unofficially. Admitting he's alive would just rally the rank-and-file Cultists around him again."
"That makes sense. But I'm no Demonic Cultist. And I'll handle my own safety, so don't worry about me. Thanks for the concern."
"You're welcome."
"May I ask one more thing?"
Stop asking. Please, just stop.
Yong Seol-ran now regretted calling him over. Bang Dae-gang and the other escorts watching from nearby felt their hearts tightening.
"What's this time?"
"Among the Heavenly Demon's disciples, there's a seventh one called Gong Cheon-ak—have you heard any rumors about him?"
Yong Seol-ran's heart sank.
'Why is he looking for the Seventh Star Lord?'
She desperately wanted to ask how he knew of the Seventh Star Lord.
But if he was a Demonic Cultist despite his words, asking could put him in grave danger.
Ignoring it was awkward too. Pretending not to know might make some sharp-eyed person in the inn suspect them instead.
"Why do you ask?"
"That bastard took something important from me when I was in a bind, and I don't know what happened to him after."
"You met him personally?"
"Yes. Very briefly."
Yong Seol-ran grew genuinely worried for Heuk Do-san.
Whatever his story, he seemed utterly clueless about recent events in the Central Plains. No matter the case, prying into the Heavenly Demon and his heirs like this brought more trouble than good.
"He's said to have gone missing during the final battle off the Shandong coast. Probably drowned like so many other Demonic Cultists, right?"
Heuk Do-san asked no more.
If she was saying that, then she didn't know. Instead, he asked about others.
"What about Hyeon-gak, the Shaolin renegade monk? Or Dang Yak-ran of the Tang Clan of Sichuan? Heard anything about them?"
"Maybe you should stop now."
Bang Dae-gang finally cut in, unable to hold back.
He swept his gaze over the others in the inn, whose eyes were fixed on them, and continued.
"As the escort leader said, asking around about Demonic Cultists is extremely dangerous. We don't want trouble on your account. We're just simple escorts."
Heuk Do-san could tell they knew nothing. And that they found this talk very uncomfortable.
By then, the meal was nearly over.
A pile of cleanly picked chicken bones had accumulated on one side. Heuk Do-san wiped the grease from his hands roughly on his clothes and said.
"Thanks to you, I ate well."
"You're welcome. As they say, all seas lead east, and it's martial world custom to help those in need first. A single meal isn't much."
Yong Seol-ran said.
"I appreciate the kindness. But I don't believe in free lunches. So I should pay for the meal."
This time, Heuk Do-san lowered his voice significantly.
"Find some excuse right now and get out of this inn."
"What do you...?"
"Not a single person here is a real merchant. They're all martial artists. Even at a glance, they look competent with the sword, and some seem like real experts."
"How do you know?"
"Their sword-handling habits. Ordinary merchants or travelers couldn't place their swords so precisely. And their muscles aren't those of commoners. Fat or thin aside, martial artists all develop their own. But muscles from labor differ from those honed by martial arts."
Yong Seol-ran was startled.
Glancing briefly to read the surroundings was called eye technique. She had honed it for ten grueling years to reach her current level. That knowledge had saved her life multiple times. She prided herself on being superior to anyone here in eye technique.
Yet he had read it. At least her equal, or just shy.
Yong Seol-ran revised her assessment of him upward once more. Meaning he was definitely someone to watch closely.
"I see."
"If I'm not wrong, they seem gathered here targeting your cargo. I don't know what valuables you're carrying, but wouldn't it be best to slip away now?"
"Why do you think they're after our cargo?"
"It's obvious. A bunch of shady types gathered in the inn, and a freshly arrived escort agency's convoy hauling mysterious cargo. Anyone would think that."
"You're right."
"Then figure out how to escape."
"Leaving the inn puts us straight into the desert. If they're after the cargo, what good is fleeing into the desert?"
"It's like saying take the blades one by one instead of all at once. Still dangerous either way, but a bit better."
"I see. But no need. They're not after the cargo, and we don't have it anyway."
This was a lie.
But from Yong Seol-ran's position, she had no choice. If this thunderbolt of a man, Heuk Do-san, was after their goods and testing them, fleeing to the desert would be as good as admitting they had it.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"But why probe me like that while pretending otherwise? You already seemed to know the people here are martial artists. Pure kindness wouldn't require testing me so much."
The warmth faded from Heuk Do-san's face.
Composure vanished from Yong Seol-ran's as well. Goosebumps rose all over her body.
In moments, he had seen through her intent. To someone she'd just met today. No one had ever forced her to focus this intensely in conversation.
'Who the hell is this guy and what does he do?'
Yong Seol-ran raised her evaluation of him to the top. Beyond someone to watch—he was the biggest threat in this entire inn.
'My petty scheming invited a tiger instead.'
"This is embarrassing. Since it's come to this, I'll be honest. About three years ago? There was a skirmish in the Qinling Mountains south of Shaanxi Province. Green Forest bandits who controlled Qinling raided a merchant caravan, and a map came out of one dead merchant's bosom."
"A map?"
"During the Righteous-Demonic Great War, as the Demonic Cult fled in defeat, they loaded all their temple treasures onto one ship. But oddly, after the war, that ship never appeared. Rumors spread that the Cult had buried the treasure elsewhere. Then the treasure map surfaced in Qinling."
'What the hell is this?'
He knew a bit about that treasure.
Hadn't he tried to seize the Demonic Cult's treasure ship during that battle off Shandong?
But the stern had been struck by a meteor shower and exploded, sinking everything to the sea floor. He hadn't seen the treasure himself, but the gaping hole in the stern and the countless scratches on the cabin floor told the story.
He was certain: that day, the ship had been packed with treasure, and it all went down.
"Couldn't the treasure ship have sunk entirely off Shandong?"
"That's the thing. But apparently far more people refuse to believe it."
"And?"
"The rumor spread like wildfire, and martial experts attacked the Qinling bandit stronghold to seize the map."
"Go on."
"The Qinling bandit lair was reduced to rubble overnight. From then on, battles raged between those guarding the map and those trying to take it. Famous experts' names kept coming up. Their reputations convinced doubters in the martial world, drawing even more high-level fighters."
"Not a few must have died."
"It was like a war. Even sects mobilized to hunt the map."
"Martial sects got involved too?"
"They say it could found or topple nations—how could people stay rational?"
It was absurd. The war had ended long ago, yet people still pointed swords at each other.
Maybe war was a monster that never truly ended.
But he decided to ignore it. It had nothing to do with him anyway, and knowing changed nothing.
"The map passed through many experts' hands, vanishing and reappearing repeatedly. Rumors even popped up simultaneously in multiple places. Most turned out false, though."
"I've heard enough of that. Now answer my question. What's the connection between that treasure map and you probing me?"
"About a month ago, the Golden Axe Battle King was killed by someone in Paoketu, north of the Yellow River along the Yinshan Mountains."
"Who the hell is the Golden Axe Battle King?"
"A master who wielded a single axe like a ghost—no match for him north of Shanxi. And he was known as the last to hold the Demonic Cultist's treasure map."
"Someone took the Golden Axe Battle King's map. And now crossing the Evil Wind Desert into Shaanxi. Martial experts heard and flocked here to snatch it back. Right?"
"Yes."
"You suspected me."
"Believe it or not, it started as simple kindness. But talking briefly, you didn't seem ordinary. Curiosity got the better of me. Maybe you knew something..."
"You interested in the treasure map too?"
"Heavens, no. As I said, just curiosity."
"I get it. But I don't even know who the Golden Axe Battle King is, and I've zero interest in the map. First I've heard of it. Satisfied?"
"If I offended you, I apologize."
"Ah, no need. I'm not that petty. Plus, I got a free meal out of it."
"I keep saying, it wasn't for payment. And you've already paid—just don't feel bad."
"What payment? You knew they weren't ordinary merchants, so I haven't paid yet. Anyway, they seem suspicious of you. So one more tip..."
"...?"
"That waiter earlier. Missing the middle finger joint on both hands. Know that?"
"Could've lost them both in kitchen accidents at a young age like his. What's the issue?"
"Kitchen work doesn't build calluses on severed fingertips. Especially not at early twenties. Odds are, he's deeply trained in Earth Shaft. Why would an Earth Shaft master work as a waiter?"
"What...?"
"My guess: someone's already taken over this inn."
"No way...!"
Bang Dae-gang groaned lowly.
Yong Seol-ran urgently asked him.
"What's going on?"
"There was a master infamous in Sichuan called Praying Mantis Hand. He trained a unique Earth Shaft that required cutting off two middle finger joints. They say it resembled a Buddha's mudra, so he's called Avalokitesvara Finger."
"Just that to suspect the waiter is him? That's a stretch."
"I heard the Praying Mantis Hand, hunted by righteous martial artists, defected to the Red Wind Escort Agency."
"...!"
The odds of a Sichuan infamy showing up in Tongman Province were low.
But if he'd joined Red Wind, it changed everything.
Too coincidental.
Bang Dae-gang said lowly.
"Looks like Red Wind has already taken over the inn."
That explained why he'd so strongly opposed crossing the desert. To grab and scrutinize everyone coming to the inn.
The air over the table grew heavy.
The escorts' eyes all turned to Yong Seol-ran. She was at a loss, struck dumb like she'd swallowed honey. First time since the escort mission began.
That's when Heuk Do-san spoke.
"If you don't have the treasure map, no big worry. Still, stay cautious—just in case. No guarantee those who miss it won't target your cargo out of spite. Well, thanks for the meal."
Heuk Do-san gave a light nod and started to rise. That's when the inn door burst open as someone entered.