Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Do Beautiful Things Harbor Thorns?
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Song Myeong-cheon spoke in a calm voice.
"You did well, my disciple. You've worked so hard for this worthless master of yours."
Indeed, Han Ibi's hands and nails were covered in wounds from the desperate struggle on the cliff, utterly drenched in blood.
He said,
"No, Master. It's nothing. This is only natural for a disciple. Hurry, please take this Golden Radiant Herb..."
Song Myeong-cheon burst into laughter again. But his expression soon twisted with regret and pain.
Han Ibi could only stare blankly at him, completely unable to grasp the situation.
Song Myeong-cheon said,
"Heaven... doesn't want me to set foot in this world, it seems. Now... that's enough."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Let's stop here. This is the end. Heaven is just toying with me..."
Han Ibi widened his eyes, unable to make sense of it, and asked,
"Master, did your disciple do something wrong? Please instruct me."
Song Myeong-cheon said with a wistful expression,
"This isn't Golden Radiant Herb."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I'm saying this plant isn't Golden Radiant Herb."
"But it matches the description you gave perfectly..."
At that moment, Han Ibi realized the 'Herbal Encyclopedia' had stayed completely silent.
That hypersensitive thing that reacted even to cheap street herbs...
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
Song Myeong-cheon said,
"This plant is called Severing Glue Grass—a king among poisonous herbs, possessing extreme toxicity."
Han Ibi jumped in shock and said,
"Poisonous herb...? But it's so pretty."
"Hahaha. Exactly. Beautiful things often harbor thorns within, don't they?"
Han Ibi stared dazedly at the plant clutched in his hand—the one that had instantly transformed from Golden Radiant Herb into 'Severing Glue Grass'.
Purple. That intense, vivid hue clawed cruelly at his chest.
"I'm sorry, Master. I'm so sorry..."
Tears welled up in Han Ibi's eyes and finally streamed down his cheeks.
Song Myeong-cheon laughed even more heartily.
"Hahahaha. What do you have to be sorry for? Have you ever owed me a debt? It's just frustrating that I can't repay the favor, but life and death are heaven's to decide..."
Transparent dew gathered in his poignant eyes as well.
"It comes with ties and goes with ties. I'm tired too. So very tired. Now... let's stop. Let's stop... now..."
The sinking sun dyed the cave entrance a bloody red.
A beautiful sight. So achingly beautiful.
Just like the purple of Severing Glue Grass masquerading as Golden Radiant Herb...
Song Myeong-cheon seemed utterly despairing.
Han Ibi was too.
They say taking back after giving is worse than never giving at all...
The flame of unfulfilled desire sputtered out incompletely, leaving even greater agony in its wake.
And lethargy.
Han Ibi didn't go gathering herbs for a full week. Song Myeong-cheon watched him silently without a word.
And so winter arrived.
That day, Han Ibi and Song Myeong-cheon set out once more to collect herbs.
Shaanxi winters weren't as brutal as those in Korea.
But exceptions always exist.
Temperatures had plummeted below freezing for the past week, turning it bitterly cold.
The fabrics of this era were so flimsy; without circulating qi to warm their bodies, it was nearly impossible to endure.
Han Ibi thought,
'Whew. This is bad. With weather this cold, even the existing herbs will freeze solid...'
He resolved to visit the village once to prepare for winter.
Time to see Uncle Hwang Bang and Auntie Jo Jin-suk after so long.
And food... Ah! Proper delicacies! That heavenly taste. Maybe even cook some himself.
That was when it happened.
Something white fluttered into Han Ibi's view.
'Hm? Pollen?'
The fine, dust-like specks gradually increased. Han Ibi held out his palm to catch one.
It melted away smoothly.
It was snow.
Han Ibi said, startled,
"This is snow... snow, right?"
Song Myeong-cheon, gazing up at the sky, replied,
"Yes."
"Does it snow here too?"
"Not common, but it happens now and then."
Winter's barrenness had driven them farther afield.
Song Myeong-cheon said,
"We should head back for today."
"...Yes."
The two turned toward their dwelling. Dark clouds massed ominously on the horizon.
This didn't bode well.
The snowflakes, once like pollen, grew larger and began dumping down in earnest. Soon they poured relentlessly.
Thick flakes reduced visibility to zero.
Han Ibi asked,
"Is it always like this here?"
Song Myeong-cheon merely shook his head.
At first, the flakes melted on contact, leaving faint traces. But they'd crossed a threshold—snow now piled up rapidly.
Crunch, crunch. The two hurried along. The sky grew darker, shrouding everything in twilight gloom.
No camping in this weather. They had to hurry even more.
Song Myeong-cheon said,
"We'll need to use lightness skill."
"Yes, understood."
Song Myeong-cheon took the lead.
His body vanished in an instant.
He moved so swiftly that he left only the barest traces on the snow.
Aigoo... his health wasn't great, yet he pushed himself like this.
Bedridden for days again, no doubt.
"Hurry and follow!"
A shout came from ahead.
'Whoops.'
Han Ibi yelled back and unleashed Zhongli Swift Leopard Step. He circulated his qi, pouring all focus into his legs.
Slip.
He nearly skidded, regaining balance with every ounce of strength before dashing onward.
Song Myeong-cheon called from ahead,
"This terrain is perfect for lightness training. Don't fight the slippery snow—use it."
Aha.
Only then did Han Ibi grasp the intent.
Like sledding or skiing.
The only difference was bare feet enhanced by lightness skill.
With this trick, he could even outpace his usual speed.
Soon Han Ibi's body surged forward just like Song Myeong-cheon's.
This joy. This thrill!
It dwarfed hurtling down a fixed ski slope.
No—more like extreme mountain skiing.
To think this was possible... Han Ibi couldn't help but feel awe toward 'martial arts'.
They traded the lead...
Compared to Song Myeong-cheon's lightness skill, Han Ibi's was nothing special. But this obstacle-ridden course demanded boldness and snap judgments, letting him close the gap with a single mistake-free stretch.
Exhilarating. Utterly exhilarating.
Song Myeong-cheon said,
"Too reckless. Be careful. The terrain here..."
True. The narrow path hugged a sheer drop—plenty dangerous.
"Haha, Master. Got it. I'll be careful enough..."
Slip.
Why had snow piled up right in that gap?
Unaware the snow hid empty air below, Han Ibi plunged his foot deep.
Song Myeong-cheon reached out in alarm, but it was too late.
Balance lost, Han Ibi was sucked over the cliff in an instant.
"Argh!"
His lone scream echoed across the peak as he plummeted down the steep face at terrifying speed.
Snow poured into his mouth by the handful.
Cold. An icy barrage assaulted him.
Snow everywhere—nose, ears, eyes. Every facial orifice overwhelmed.
His body tumbled downward.
Han Ibi slid endlessly toward the depths.
Damn it all.
The crisis sharpened his mind like lightning. Bruised and chilled to the bone, he kept thinking, calculating.
A little farther, and it wouldn't be sliding anymore—he'd plummet straight into the gorge.
He'd learned some martial arts, crude as they were, but the outcome? Obvious without saying.
Even as he tumbled down the snow-swept cliff, he instinctively drew the masked captain's sword from his bosom.
Then thrust it toward the ground.
Clang!
The blade bounced off with a sharp ring. His palm tore open, blood welling up.
He nearly lost his grip on the longsword.
'Thrusting into frozen ground without channeling qi...'
Han Ibi berated himself and circulated qi once more.
He gathered his breath, focused his mind.
And...
'Stab.'
He plunged it deep into the snow-packed frozen earth.
His body lurched backward from momentum.
But he gripped the sword hilt with every shred of strength, resisting the force.
And finally...
'I did it.'
Han Ibi came to a halt on that hellish slide. An endless abyss yawned just inches below his feet.
"Huff. Huff. Huff."
White snow and silence, filled only by Han Ibi's ragged breaths echoing through the deep mountains.
He rose cautiously from his spot, spitting out the snow that had invaded his mouth and coughing.
His legs trembled.
Just a moment slower in judgment...
And he wouldn't be long for this world.
Suddenly, he felt ashamed of his earlier wild, coltish antics.
But something felt off.
The sense that someone—or something—was watching him... Hm?
Han Ibi slowly turned his head to the left.
In the gloom cast by thick clouds, yellow-gleaming eyes caught his sight.
'What the—ghost...?'
Fear gripped him, and he clutched his sword tight.
But...
Just three paces away, something stirred amid the white snowfield.
A deep purple stood out vividly against the pristine white.
A flower. It was unmistakably a flower.
'Another Severing Glue Grass...? Hmph! Not falling for it this time.'
Yet it felt plainer, less garish than Severing Glue Grass's bold hue.
If that purple seemed artificial, this color was utterly natural.
Like the difference between a perfumed courtesan and a pure mountain beauty...
That was when it happened.
A voice echoed from the mountaintop.
"Mae! Mae!"
Master!
"Master, I'm here!"
Han Ibi shouted joyfully and scanned for him.
There—yes.
Song Myeong-cheon was...
"Whoa—!"
Instead of the slippery snow, he descended the cliff by bounding off tree branches.
More precisely, using their springy rebound to leap from one to the next.
Like swimming through the air...
A dazzling scene straight out of a famed wuxia film—one Han Ibi could never attempt.
That was when it happened.
The yellow eyes drew closer.
Right... that thing. What the heck is it...?
It slowly emerged from the shadows.
It was...
"What? Oh man! So cute."
He wasn't particularly into childish toys or anything, but this...
"How is it this adorable? An animal like this lives here?"
An uncle's grin spread across Han Ibi's face unbidden.
And small wonder—the revealed beast was utterly precious.
Fox-sized, with fur whiter than white.
No surprise only its yellow eyes had gleamed in the snow.
Bear...? A bear cub?
The face was definitely bear-like.
But that body—what was it?
The body unmistakably resembled a weasel's.
Bear face, weasel torso. Fox proportions.
That summed up the bizarre beast right before his eyes.
(To be continued in the next chapter)