Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Translator: Penny
Chapter 60
Where Do Fortuitous Encounters Come From? (3)
I decided to go to Tianmen Mountain.
I had briefly considered visiting Hubei when I had business there next, but I ultimately decided to go whenever the opportunity presented itself.
"I'm going out for a bit to get some fresh air."
Given the distance and the uncertainty of what awaited me there, I informed my parents.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Hubei."
"Why are you going to Hubei?"
"While I'm there, I want to visit the Martial Arts Alliance Headquarters and plan my future."
"Good idea. A man should know the vast world."
My father fully trusted me. While my recent transformation played a part, there was a decisive moment that solidified his faith in me.
I told him that the martial artists of the Minor Sword Guard genuinely followed me. My father was greatly pleased.
Father understood that gaining people's trust was far more difficult than improving one's martial arts skills.
At that time, he called me over and repeated the advice he had given me before:
"Always treat those below you with respect."
I felt a pang of regret. If Father had repeatedly given me this counsel around the time I became the Alliance Leader, my previous life might have turned out differently. Instead of authority being paramount in my relationships, something else might have taken its place.
As I was leaving after my visit, Mother followed me and said:
"Lin-yi came while you were away."
"Why did she come?"
"Just to greet me. She said she had a wonderful time with Lin-yi."
She came to see Mother? Through various experiences, I'm gradually sensing Song Hwarin changing.
"What are your true feelings about that child?"
"They remain the same as what I told you before. For now, I'd rather focus on pursuing my own goals rather than marriage."
Of course, my heart might change. Right now, I have too many responsibilities to even consider love, but the human heart is unpredictable.
If I ever fall in love, my heart will give me a sign. It could be with a new woman, or it could still be Song Hwarin. My feelings could change in the future.
I was moved by Song Hwarin's display when she slapped Ma Jeongsu. I sensed loneliness in Chilho as she gazed down into the pond.
Such moments of change are triggered by some 'event'. It doesn't matter whether it's small or large. If it happens at the right time, everything can be completely transformed.
"Are you doing what you truly want these days?"
"Yes."
A parent's desire for their child to find a good partner is likely rooted in a deep concern that their child might live a lonely life and be unhappy.
So, I proudly told my mother:
"Mother, I'm truly very happy these days."
Only then did she smile.
"Good. That's all that matters."
"I'll stop by Song Family Manor before I leave."
"There's no need if it's for my sake."
My mother, trying to ease my burden, smiled back and said:
"No, it's not necessary. I was planning to visit anyway."
I felt grateful that she had come to check on my mother while I was away. I also felt uneasy about Song Ugyeong, who had been frequently meeting Song Hwarin as punishment for beating her up.
"Hahaha! Good to see you."
Song Ugyeong greeted me with great enthusiasm.
If I didn't even pretend to receive the punishment he'd given me, that wouldn't be proper courtesy.
"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Let's go see Lin-yi."
"Understood."
Song Ugyeong practically pushed me out. Seeing how utterly satisfied he looked, I realized I'd made the right decision to come.
Suran led me to where Song Hwarin was.
Her gaze toward me was unfriendly, but that was to be expected, so I pretended not to notice.
As we approached the training ground, Suran stopped.
"If I may be so bold as to say, I'll just say this once."
"Speak."
"Please, never do that again. I beg you."
Her devotion to her Master was plain on her face.
"That will not happen again."
"Thank you."
She greeted me politely. At first glance, it might have seemed curt and rude, but it actually increased my fondness for her. It couldn't have been easy for her to say such things to me.
But she mustered the courage because she cared about Song Hwarin. Isn't the willingness to do awkward things a sign of genuine concern for someone? Seeing Suran by her side made me feel a sense of stability.
Song Hwarin was practicing her Sword Arts on the training ground.
Her slender limbs moved with grace as she executed the Forms. The sight of her, drenched in sweat from her diligent training, was truly pleasing to the eye.
She was practicing the Form I had pointed out to her. She seemed to be studying it intently, perhaps trying to correct her weaknesses.
"Young Master Byeok has arrived," Suran announced.
Hearing this, Song Hwarin paused her training and walked over.
"Here?"
"I'm sorry for interrupting your training."
"It's alright. I was just about to finish anyway."
Her swollen face had mostly subsided, leaving barely a trace of the injury. Was it just my imagination? She seemed even brighter and more spirited than before.
"You came to my house?"
"I visited my mother."
Come to think of it, Song Hwarin had mentioned that her mother died when she was young. In my previous life, I grew up under my mother's care, while she grew up under her father's.
She looked at me and asked, "Would you like to see my form again?"
"Of course."
She demonstrated the same form as before.
"You evaded my attack by moving this way last time. So, I came up with this countermeasure."
She slightly modified her form. It was a clever move that addressed the previous weakness. She had found a fairly decent solution in a relatively short time.
Without drawing my sword, I guided the direction with my hand and extended it straight out.
"What if I attacked like this?"
Song Hwarin let out a short, "Ah!" as she realized that changing the form had introduced a new weakness that hadn't existed before.
"So my solution wasn't the answer after all."
I nodded in agreement.
She smiled and said, "Thank you. I'll rethink this."
I expected her to ask me to teach her how to perfect the form, but she didn't. She wanted to figure it out on her own.
"But what's wrong?"
"Money."
"What?"
I relayed what Song Ugyeong had said during his last visit.
"Oh, and about Father..."
She looked frustrated, as if she couldn't find the right words.
We chatted about various things. Perhaps because we'd grown more comfortable with each other, the conversation flowed smoothly now.
After chatting for about ten minutes, we said our goodbyes.
"You mentioned going to Hubei, right? Have a safe trip."
"Thank you."
As I turned and walked away, I heard her mutter to herself from a distance:
"Next time, don't bring any taels... Just come."
She must have assumed I wouldn't hear, but my keen ears picked up every word clearly.
Pretending not to have heard, I left the place.
Five days later, I arrived at a village near Tianmen Mountain.
Several villages dotted the slopes of Tianmen Mountain, and I had reached the one nestled near Immortal Crane Peak. Though I had visited this place as a young man to spar, it felt as unfamiliar as if I were seeing it for the first time.
I understood why. It wasn't merely because of the passage of time. Even if I had visited ten times back then, it would still have felt strange. Back then, I hadn't truly seen the scenery. It was an era when my eyes were fixed solely on my opponents.
Now, returning here, I was freshly struck by how hurried and anxious I had been back then.
I hadn't accomplished anything on this journey; I had simply come. Yet even this short journey had already begun to teach me.
Yes, let me be patient.
Only by living a different life will I achieve different results.
There was a small inn in the village.
Due to the lack of guests, the master of the inn ran it part-time while working as a farmer.
When I asked the innkeeper, my memory proved correct. Immortal Crane Peak was the main peak of Tianmen Mountain, so steep and treacherous that even herb gatherers rarely ventured up it.
After renting a room, I spent the day purging the lingering effects of the poison and resting deeply.
The next morning, I climbed the mountain at dawn.
What could possibly be hidden in this mountain? What am I searching for?
I decided to climb to the summit first. Based on the contents of the box, I suspected something was hidden along the path to the peak.
The mountain was extremely steep. Even with my martial arts training, the ascent was arduous. Most challenging of all was the complete lack of a discernible path.
I would head down the mountain, thinking this must be the right path, only to find myself descending. Or I would diligently ascend, thinking that must be the right path, only to reach a dead end.
Still, I didn't recklessly fly up the mountain using the Lightness Skill. After all, what I was searching for here wasn't a flag planted at the summit.
On the first day, I climbed the mountain at a leisurely pace. Eventually, unable to find the path to the summit before dark, I descended the mountain.
The next day, I started climbing early in the morning.
Having already gotten lost once yesterday, I was able to ascend the mountain more easily and quickly today.
But after climbing higher than I had yesterday, I lost my way again.
Of course, I could have used the Lightness Skill to bypass this section, but I didn't. Instead, I retraced my steps to a fork in the path and climbed up again in a different direction.
This time, I climbed much higher.
But just like before, the path eventually came to an end. This wasn't the right path either.
Of course, all this effort wasn't in vain. While searching for the path, I had been carefully observing my surroundings.
That night, I drank at an inn.
As the innkeeper brought over some snacks, he asked curiously, "So, what brings you to this small village?"
"I'm trying to climb Immortal Crane Peak."
"Immortal Crane Peak?"
"Yes. My friend kept boasting about the incredible views from Immortal Crane Peak, so I came to see for myself."
"Ah, I see. You're right. Immortal Crane Peak truly possesses breathtaking scenery. It's named for the rock at the summit, which resembles a crane. But the path is so treacherous that most people can't reach the top."
"It was truly arduous," I remarked. "Is there anyone in the village who knows the mountain well?"
"Our village herb gatherer knows it well, but he's currently out gathering herbs on another mountain. He won't return for at least a month."
"I see."
I wasn't disappointed. From the beginning, I intended to find my own way.
"The mountain has been renowned for its treacherous terrain since ancient times. It's said that martial artists from the Martial Arts World used to come here for training. I've even heard of a very famous person who trained here long ago."
My eyes lit up. "Do you know who that was?"
"I heard the story from my grandfather when I was young, but I can't remember the details now. All I recall is that he was an extraordinary martial artist."
"Ah, I see."
At least one thing was certain: the person who left this behind, like the old paper in the box, was someone from long ago.
"Now, take this and gather your strength."
"Thank you."
Listening to the distant hoot of an owl outside the window, I found myself more intoxicated by the rustic charm of the mountain village than by the wine.
Three days later, I finally found the path leading to the summit.
The peak was barren. Instead, a magnificent landscape unfolded before me. Standing atop this dizzying height and gazing down, I felt a profound loneliness, as if I were the sole survivor in the world.
It felt like I had truly become an immortal, but I doubted this was what the paper had intended to convey.
I was immensely pleased with myself for finding the path through my own strength.
Standing atop the mountain, I let out a triumphant shout.
"Haaaaah!"
Not long after beginning my descent, I discovered a small cave.
It was barely wide enough for a person to crawl inside, and its location was so well concealed that one would never find it without scrutinizing the surroundings carefully.
I strained my eyes, but the pitch-black darkness revealed nothing. The thought of entering filled me with dread.
Would venomous snakes slither within? Would poisonous insects swarm about? Or was it simply a den for small animals?
Could this be it? What should I do?
Then, a sudden realization struck me:
No Martial Artist would ever find this cave. Even those skilled in the Lightness Skill wouldn't waste days wandering aimlessly when they could simply use their abilities to traverse the terrain.
A cave that could only be discovered by those who forge their own path.
Could this have been the first test?
Yes, let's go in.
The cave was cramped and narrow. It felt like something might burst out at any moment, and it reeked. Even I hesitated several times, wondering if I should turn back, so I figured no one else would continue deeper. Fortunately, there were no snakes or poisonous insects.
After crawling for a while, the cave gradually widened, and I could finally stand up.
A bright light shone ahead.
With relief, I emerged into the light.
"Huh!"
I was startled. There was barely enough space for a single foot, and below was a sheer cliff.
Looking up, I saw the summit above me. It was the part of the crane's tail that curved backward, and beneath the rock that protruded like a tail, I spotted a small cave.
Even from the summit, it was impossible to see the cave below. Even if I tried to look down, the rock sloped downward, obscuring the view.
The entrance to the cave was visible only from this precarious ledge.
I knew then. The paper in the box had led me to this very cave.
It was truly a difficult place to find. First, I had to find the path up the mountain, then pass through a tiny cave that seemed like it couldn't possibly be the right place. Then, I needed the courage to peer upward from this treacherous ledge, where I could barely place a single foot. Finally, I had to...
I must. I need to overcome this fear of the sheer cliff and throw my body upward.
If I can't grab that entrance, I'll plummet to the bottom of the cliff.
I had to use the Lightness Skill, but it required considerable skill.
I leaped powerfully, soaring upward.
The distance was greater than I thought. I stretched my waist and arms as far as they could go.
Grip.
Hanging onto the cliff, I let out a sigh of relief.
I had barely reached the passage. Slowly, I strengthened my arms and climbed upward. The cave entrance was larger than I'd imagined. At least I could stand upright and walk inside.
After taking a deep breath, I slowly stepped into the cave.