Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Thunder Dragon Debut
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After obtaining the power of the Millennium Snow Ginseng, I felt like I could fly.
For a martial artist, internal energy was the foundation that allowed one to wield superhuman strength. Having a lot of it typically meant possessing a whole other dimension of skill.
Of course, combat techniques and weapon skills were equally important, but with a solid foundation of internal energy, anything was possible.
'Come to think of it, I wonder how much my lightness skill has improved?'
I glanced up at the cliffside cave about a zhang high.
Normally, it would be proper to exit through the side path from here, but I suddenly wanted to test just how far my lightness skill had progressed.
Moreover, perhaps because I'd been expending energy, my stomach was growling fiercely, and I felt a strong urge to hurry back home.
Originally, when I employed my lightness skill, I could leap precisely five chi.
That was equivalent to jumping the height of an average person, which was impressive in itself, but somehow, I felt like I could do even more now.
Standing before the cliff, I gathered strength in my legs and leaped upward.
Thud!
"Huh! Ya!"
I was startled as I suddenly shot up over a zhang high and soared freely through the air.
Even amid the surprise, my reflexes kicked in, allowing me to swiftly press my hand against the cave wall and grab hold.
Surprisingly, the elasticity of my lightness skill had more than doubled compared to before!
At this level, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there were scarcely any crags or walls I couldn't scale.
As I walked back into the cave, I calmed my racing heart.
'This... this internal energy is even more tremendous than the tales suggested?'
From what I knew, the Millennium Snow Ginseng was a peerless elixir.
Consuming it once was said to grant tremendous internal energy.
Yet I hadn't imagined it would be to this extent, so it was hard to fully grasp.
Now, even simply unleashing a palm technique felt like it would produce world-shaking power.
Swoosh!
"Fast..."
As I raced down the mountain valley like the wind, I could feel my senses entering a whole new realm.
Bounding over treacherous rocks and narrow paths felt utterly effortless and straightforward.
It was as if time itself had slowed, allowing me to leisurely take in the surrounding scenery.
A third eye seemed affixed to the back of my head, letting me vaguely sense what was happening behind me.
Even when my foot suddenly landed on a slippery rock, because I had channeled energy into my soles, there was no sensation of sliding at all.
It felt as though the heavens and earth belonged to me, letting me soar freely like a bird.
If I had trained normally in martial arts, how many years would it have taken to acquire this much internal energy?
Fifty years? A hundred?
What was certain was that I had obtained the Millennium Snow Ginseng through my own hard efforts, and this was the reward.
From here on, all that remained was to wield this power as I desired.
I had a premonition that even if I died, the early stages would be far from grueling.
Perhaps because I traversed the mountains at five times my usual speed, I reached my thatched hut before sunset.
It could shelter from wind and rain, of course, and since I'd repaired it bit by bit over the past three years whenever time allowed, it was now sturdy enough to pass for an ordinary home.
I opened the wooden door, stepped inside, and flopped down onto the straw pile.
"Ow."
In the process, the spot where my fingernail had been torn out throbbed with pain.
If it came into contact with the straw, the wound would surely become infected and ooze pus, so I loosely wrapped it with cloth.
Having all my daily necessities on hand made such moments convenient.
As the pain eased somewhat, I pondered what to do next.
I'd desperately craved power, but now that I had it, there were so many things demanding attention that I felt at a loss.
'I want revenge on the Village Chief. But...'
The first thought that arose was to hire assassins for a hit on the Village Chief who had ordered my death—to exact bloody vengeance.
I'd resolved to do so, but somehow, it didn't feel like something to prioritize now.
While pulverizing the Village Chief with my newfound power would be exhilarating, [what came after]?
In the past, right before dying at the hands of the Black Night Sect assassin squad from the Eight Demonic Sects, the single thought in my mind had been [the world is frightening].
Yes.
The world is frightening.
In my second life, I'd merely threatened the Village Chief.
Yet assassins whom even second-rate warriors couldn't handle had swarmed in droves.
If I now wiped out the Village Chief's entire family and the village, my heart would feel unburdened, but officials would dispatch investigators for the slaughter.
The Plum Blossom Escort Agency or Beggar Clan, who had dealings with the Village Chief, would launch inquiries.
If my identity came to light amid that, a new baleful star would become known in the jianghu, and I might have to battle righteous faction martial artists from every corner without respite.
The world is not lived in alone.
There are rules and order.
Violate them, and fitting punishment follows.
The stronger one's power, the easier it is to disregard those limits, but one must always remain mindful of others' influence.
I had no desire to eradicate the Village Chief's family and spend my life fleeing.
More precisely, I didn't want to place their lives on equal footing with my own future.
If I was to take revenge, I wanted to first secure an unshakeable foundation, solidify it firmly, then crush the Village Chief like an insect.
To achieve that, simply swinging power around to smash things wouldn't suffice.
Even if I acted, to ensure the world's restraints and scrutiny were minimized, I needed commensurate power, status, or fame of my own.
Wealth would serve just as well.
"Haha."
I let out a chuckle.
In truth, I should have contemplated such matters long before seeking out the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
But I was enduring extreme toil and mental strain, scouring thirty peaks one by one—dwelling on such far-flung futures only sapped my strength further.
When wholly absorbed in one task, envisioning future plans becomes difficult.
"Don't overcomplicate it. Let's think about the most 'essential' task first."
Revenge was demoted in priority.
So, what was next most crucial for me?
After much deliberation, I arrived at a conclusion.
"Interpreting the Heavenly Dark Secret Book."
This took precedence.
Rushing about to amass wealth and fame immediately was tempting, but in truth, the Heavenly Dark Secret Book's regression ability held too many enigmas.
Strictly speaking, there had only been two regressions thus far, and even if there were no third, I'd have no regrets.
After all, I knew not a single line of its contents beyond the title.
Regression was a power that, wielded wisely, could allow one to reign as the world's overlord.
Though I couldn't uncover every secret of the Heavenly Dark Secret Book, I felt compelled to at least ascertain the true nature of this regression ability.
To do so, I needed to seek out the world's wisest sage.
Where might the most intelligent person be found?
After deep contemplation, I settled on a destination.
Luoyang.
The world's most populous city, the capital where the Emperor of the continent resided.
I knew little of complexities, but I reasoned that where power and wealth concentrated most densely, the sharpest minds would gather in hordes.
'Hmm. Come to think of it, I need to repay Fabric Shop Owner Song as well.'
He was the one who, upon my first arrival at Mount Huang, kindly fed me a meal and gave me new clothes.
Though he lived in a neighboring village and I hadn't seen him during the ginseng hunt, I was acutely aware of the debt of gratitude I owed.
Part of me considered delivering the money earned from hauling wood to the lumberyard.
But I soon shook my head.
The kindness I'd felt back then wasn't of that magnitude.
I wanted to repay it with something far greater.
Be it favor or grudge, my sentiment was to return more than mere emotion demanded.
No matter what I offered in return, I decided to at least inquire first.
I needed new clothes anyway, so the next day, I wrapped up my thatched hut existence and departed Mount Huang.
Then I sought out Fabric Shop Owner Song.
Fabric Shop Owner Song was still conducting business from the same spot, despite the time elapsed.
I approached him and flashed a smile.
"Hello. It's been a while."
"Uh... remind me who you are..."
"Thanks to that one meal you gave me, I was able to find Sa Gong Escort Agency without issue."
"Ah! The boy from back then!"
He seemed to remember me clearly.
Delighted by that, I chatted idly with Song about this and that.
"Oh, so you've been living as an escort warrior since then."
"Yes."
"But why do you look like a beggar again?"
"I got lost wandering the mountains..."
At that, Song clicked his tongue.
"Sorry, but business has been rough lately, so I can't make you clothes for free..."
"No, no, clothes aren't the issue. I haven't repaid your kindness yet..."
I subtly probed.
"But what's causing the poor business?"
"Nothing much. Clothes always sell well, but the tribute keeps rising, ya know."
He pulled out the long pipe he'd set aside and puffed on it deeply.
Tobacco wasn't particularly good for the body, yet smoking it from such a long stem suggested how vexed he was inside.
Merchants like Song inevitably paid tribute to someone, but it seemed the demands had grown excessive.
"Who do you pay tribute to?"
"What do you take this place for?"
"Mount Huang."
Song tapped the ash from his pipe onto the ground.
"Then it's Yellow Mountain Sect."
"Ah..."
The exchange felt like banter, yet in that instant, I keenly felt the extent of Yellow Mountain Sect's dominance.
There were no fewer than a dozen martial sects around Mount Huang that I knew of, yet the words 'of course, Yellow Mountain Sect' revealed their influence.
"How much tribute are you paying that you're so strapped..."
"Don't even ask. I might earn two taels of silver in a whole month selling and sewing fabric.
Yet those Yellow Mountain Sect bastards always demand one tael. Robbers more brazen than bandits."
"......!!"
That was outright banditry by any measure.
No matter how renowned a righteous sect, as long as they bore the 'righteous' banner, they were supposed to halt tribute at reasonable bounds.
For non-demonic sects, excessive exactions inevitably tarnished the sect's reputation and drew official intervention.
Demonic or unorthodox sects resorted to violence to intimidate away any appeals to authorities.
Thus, puzzled, I ventured.
"Are you the only one paying that much?"
"No. Everyone in this village and the nearby ones pays the same."
"What happens if you can't?"
"You can't make a living here anymore. Yellow Mountain Sect pressures the landlords to evict tenant farmers or sabotages businesses. No recourse."
"......"
I spoke cautiously.
"Can't you report their thuggery to the authorities?"
"Sigh... If that worked, we'd have done it ages ago. Don't you know Yellow Mountain Sect's influence reaches from local magistrates up to the provincial governor?"
Frustrated, Song let out a heavy sigh.
"A complaint might make Yellow Mountain Sect hesitate briefly, but the one who spoke up would surely suffer their retaliation. Who'd willingly bell the cat?"
"I see..."
Yellow Mountain Sect was a righteous faction, yet one that pursued hegemony.
They couldn't act overtly, but crushing a mere commoner was trivially easy.
Even if they donned masks and beat someone senseless with martial arts, no local sect dared oppose Yellow Mountain Sect, leaving no one able to demand justice.
Realizing Yellow Mountain Sect's abuses were worse than I'd imagined, I let out a groan.
'No matter what, they're one of the Nine Great Righteous Sects. This is excessive. Even Point Star Sect's lay disciples, notorious for their bullying, don't go this far. What on earth are they doing?'
At the same time, a realization flashed in my mind: the opportunity to repay the favor had arrived sooner than expected.
Handing over a few silvers to Song paled in comparison to curbing Yellow Mountain Sect's interference—that would truly be appreciated.
Naturally, directly confronting Yellow Mountain Sect would be folly.
Even with the Millennium Snow Ginseng's internal energy, I couldn't match a true peak expert.
I needed to use my wits to resolve this matter.
'Ah! That'll do it!'
A fine idea occurred to me, and I smiled.
Then I said to Song.
"Well... just wait a moment. I expect good news within three days."