Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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The road to Sichuan was quite long and rugged. Having set out from near Luoyang, we had already covered well over a thousand li, but more than that, the thrill of heading to an unknown land I had never visited before gripped my heart.
Sichuan was also known as the land of Pa-Shu. Since ancient times, the Pa-Shu region had been famous for its treacherous mountains and difficult terrain, making it impossible to traverse freely across plains like in other areas. I realized this the moment we arrived at the first pass.
'Whoa... this is really...'
I let out a silent groan inwardly. Passes were usually man-made structures, but this one was different. It had been built to block a narrow mountain path amid jagged peaks, and crossing it required climbing what felt like a massive mountain. Even horses struggled here.
This pass was so grueling that even seasoned martial artists felt considerable fatigue just reaching it! With its narrow gorge completely sealed off, it truly deserved the name of a natural fortress.
I had originally planned to roughly evade the checkpoint guards and slip over the wall, but I abandoned that idea. Sneaking over such a fortress at night carried too much risk. One wrong move, and we could stir up a huge fuss, complicating things ahead.
"...So you're heading to the Sichuan Tang Clan as part of your wandering warrior training on your master's orders?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Hmm... A kid without proper identification claiming to be a martial artist."
I politely cupped my fists toward the suspicious-looking White Tiger Commander at the pass. Then, sidling closer, I slipped him some silver and said,
"I absolutely must cross—could you perhaps make an exception...?"
"No problem at all! Haha."
A bribe, and I was through. Contrary to my tension, it was so effortless that I was newly impressed by the power of money.
After passing the checkpoint, I headed straight for Chengdu, the provincial capital. The Sichuan Tang Clan had originally been near Shaanxi Province, but after numerous upheavals in history, they had gradually moved outward, establishing themselves firmly in Chengdu as longstanding residents. Though Shaanxi and Sichuan bordered each other, Sichuan was vast, making the trip to Chengdu no small feat.
Tadadak!
I decided to rely on my internal energy and lightness skill to cross the rugged mountains of Pa-Shu. Riding a horse would mean wasting ten times the distance and time winding through tiny paths. I had already studied map-reading techniques and gained plenty of experience to know how to orient myself toward the horizon.
"Ooooooh!!"
I'm falling!
I screamed. Scaling a sheer cliff over six hundred zhang high had gone well, but midway through leaping across the Ten Thousand-Zhang Precipice, I slipped and plummeted into the void. As the river between the gorges rushed up at me, I gritted my teeth, gathered my internal energy, and unleashed it.
Kwaang!
With a massive splash, my body rebounded back into the air. I grabbed the edge of a cliffside rock and climbed back up. My internal energy could have protected me from injury even if I fell, but getting swept away by the river would waste too much time.
It took a full six days and nights to cross those treacherous mountains. At this pace, I would have traversed Shaanxi Province once over, but now I was barely sure if I was even on the right path. The mountains here dwarfed Shaanxi's terrain in height and ferocity.
'Now there's not even a sign of human presence...'
I sat on the midway slope of some nameless wild mountain, sighing. I was still distinguishing directions and pushing westward, but it was an incredibly arduous process. Though dozens of times faster than on horseback, it was still exhausting. Without guardian lion-level internal energy like mine, even peak martial artists wouldn't attempt it.
Midway, hunger struck, so I caught and ate a passing wild boar. The roasted boar was quite tasty. Belly full, I dashed madly through the mountains again.
Tadadak!
'Huh?'
While racing through the rugged mountains, a martial sect's building suddenly loomed in the midst of it all. In this uninhabited spot, curiosity piqued, and I eyed the sect's signboard. It read "Baili Family."
The Baili Family wasn't a famous name in the martial world, as far as I knew. Exhausted from sleepless nights crossing mountains for days, and seeking information, I knocked on their gate.
"Excuse me."
No gatekeeper, apparently—it took a while for a response. Finally, after a long wait, someone cautiously opened the door from inside.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Baek Woong, just passing by. If it's not too much trouble, might I rest here a bit?"
"Hmm."
The man who emerged appeared to be a young man in his mid-to-late twenties. He hesitated, then nodded.
"Alright, stay the night, young hero."
"Thank you."
I followed the young man inside the sect grounds. As we walked, I sensed no other presences besides him, and the entire place was eerily quiet. Puzzled, I tilted my head, and he said bitterly,
"No need to look around—it's just me living here."
"What? How can you live alone in these mountains...?"
"......"
The young man seemed uncomfortable and fell silent before turning to me.
"Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Baili Jeong-un, current head of the Baili Family."
"I'm Baek Woong, out on wandering warrior training."
"A young fellow like you on wandering training... impressive."
Baili Jeong-un seemed amazed that I was traveling alone. Fair enough—a teenager wandering these brutal Sichuan mountains was rare. He assigned me a room and went to prepare food, but I felt awkward sitting idle and offered to help.
In the kitchen, though, there was hardly any food. Just a handful of rice and some wild greens—he seemed about to make do with that. Stunned, I stared at Baili Jeong-un, who sighed.
"Sorry. No money or rice right now..."
"......"
A martial family head, and this poor? He looked gaunt, likely from chronic under-eating over years. His internal energy was profound for his age, letting him endure on little. I said to him,
"You seem to possess considerable martial arts—surely earning money would be easy?"
"Haha... of course. But I avoid entanglements with the world's debts and grudges, living quietly."
"Hmm. Wait a moment, please."
I groaned and dashed out of the Baili Family grounds. After about half a shichen roaming the mountains, I returned with a large wild boar. Tossing it in the kitchen, Baili Jeong-un exclaimed in shock.
"Amazing martial prowess! How, at your age..."
"This one should make a fine meal."
Together, we skinned, dressed, and roasted the boar diligently. It was sizable, so plenty remained after we ate. Satisfied, Baili Jeong-un wiped tears and said,
"Ugh... feels like the first proper meal in nearly a year. Thank you, young hero."
I'd only stopped for a rest spot, weary of sleeping rough, yet here I was hunting another boar. Waving it off, I said to Baili Jeong-un,
"Wouldn't it be better to descend the mountain? Rather than living in such poverty alone..."
From what I could tell, his skills ranked high among first-class experts. Weak compared to my level, sure, but relative. Considering his youth, he was a prodigy. With those skills, earning money was no issue.
"I can't. To honor my father's legacy, I must train more."
"What kind of training?"
Ripping into a boar leg, Baili Jeong-un replied,
"Our Baili Family was once among Sichuan's top great sects. But as our martial arts declined, disciples began leaving, and years ago, even the blood kin sought their own paths and departed... To revive the family, I must refine and perfect our arts."
"I see."
I was intrigued. His skills were advanced for his age—did that mean their foundational arts were lacking? Curiosity stirred, I asked,
"If it's not rude, could we spar briefly?"
"Haha... seems I've sparked a guest's curiosity. Sure."
Baili Jeong-un smiled.
We faced off in the Baili Family courtyard with wooden swords. He said,
"You're the superior—I'll yield three moves."
"Of course."
Pababat!
The spar began, and his sword strikes shot out like arrows. I could tell they carried swift sword principles and unyielding momentum. His flawless three-move assault was undoubtedly first-class expert level.
But that was it. Without even relying on my superior internal energy, I saw all the flaws in his strikes and casually countered with my sword, exploiting them. My body flowed smoothly with Thunder Shadow Step, piercing his openings, leaving him visibly flustered.
In about thirty exchanges, victory was clear—my sword at his throat. Baili Jeong-un sighed.
"I lose."
"Good spar."
As I withdrew my wooden sword, he said,
"You possess tremendous skill beyond your years—like a great sect elder..."
"No, no. More importantly, your martial art's flaw is that the swordsmanship is too straightforward."
"......!!"
Baili Jeong-un trembled. Astonished, he said,
"You saw through it that quickly?!"
"Well, we crossed swords—naturally."
"No, that's not it. Almost no one spots it at a glance."
Placing my wooden sword on the rack, I continued,
"It's a powerful sword style, but lacks variation and feels monotonous, failing to capitalize on its strengths..."
"That's the flaw in our Baili Family's Heavenly Descending Sword... Sigh..."
Baili Jeong-un sighed deeply.
Watching him, I understood the issue.
'Baili Jeong-un's martial talent is exceptional. But his foundational heart method isn't outstanding, and though his sword art is powerful, it's riddled with flaws. He can't advance further, stuck at first-class level.'
At the same time, I marveled inwardly. I used to be such a dullard, struggling painfully with each Thunder God Style practice, yet now I could dissect another sect's art in detail. Proof my decades of toil weren't wasted.
Gazing at him, I said,
"So you're secluded here, researching swordsmanship to improve the Heavenly Descending Swordsmanship?"
"Yes. If I perfect Heavenly Descending Sword and advance our arts, the departed disciples will return."
"That's wrong."
"What?"
I stated firmly,
"The world is vast, experts plentiful. Holed up like a frog in a well, without rivals, obsession with research harms martial growth. You must meet people, study their arts' strengths and weaknesses to evolve yours."
"......!!"
Baili Jeong-un looked struck. I pressed on,
"Clashing arts creates synergy. Heavenly Descending Sword's flaws might find solutions in other sword styles."
I spoke with conviction, thanks to the precedent of Baek Woong's Decision. Wudang's Mysterious Heaven Divine Art's true energy circulation infused with Huashi Family's Huashi One Hundred Eight Needles, refined by Lee Gwang's genius! Such unimaginable combinations existed in martial arts.
"I've thought of that, but I must guard this Baili Family home—I can't descend carelessly."
"People matter more than buildings, don't they?"
"You're speaking too freely."
"If you're the Baili Family head, aren't you the Baili Family itself?"
"......!!"
Baili Jeong-un's face lit with realization. He froze, then tearfully said,
"...Thank you. For awakening this fool."
"Not at all."
That day, I helped Baili Jeong-un clean the buildings before bed. The structures were fine—proof of past glory—making sleep comfortable. I understood his attachment to the grounds, but it wouldn't ensure survival in the martial world. Martial arts mattered, not buildings.
Next day, I washed at a nearby stream and departed. Baili Jeong-un gripped my hand tightly.
"I can't pass on our secret arts, but since you're wandering for training, I have useful info."
"What..."
"I've heard rumors of a hidden expert with tremendous martial arts in Dragon King Valley. It's from my late father, so details are vague, but I'm certain it's authentic, not widespread. Only a select few Sichuan experts associate with him."
"A hidden expert..."
Intrigued, I perked up. Baili Jeong-un chuckled,
"I'll soon pack up and venture into the jianghu. You're a great benefactor."
"I wish you success."
"You too—safe travels."
Parting from Baili Jeong-un, I dashed through the valleys again. The Sichuan Tang Clan was still far off. Atop an nameless rugged peak, arms crossed, I pondered.
'Dongbang Mugeol's final whereabouts were definitely the Sichuan Tang Clan...'
I needed info on Dongbang Mugeol from them. That meant heading to Chengdu, their stronghold. Eyes gleaming, I dashed madly onward.