Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Subduing Demon Hall
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I set off for Luoyang with Mang Ryang. If it had just been me, I could have easily crossed mountains and rivers using lightness skill, but I had to match his pace, so we decided to travel by horse. On the way to Luoyang, we also planned to stop by Mang Ryang's house for a bit.
Once we arrived at his shack, Mang Ryang busied himself organizing things. It wasn't just packing up his books or personal belongings—he was also reorganizing the informants he'd hidden throughout Jinrang Valley. All this time, he'd been using money earned from fortune-telling and consultations to buy informants and underlings, cleverly building a network. Even stealing the map of the area near the village from the county office had been the work of his subordinates.
I asked Mang Ryang,
"That kind of organization could form its own sect. Why live so shabbily in Jinrang Valley, telling fortunes?"
Mang Ryang waved it off.
"Of course, if I'd formed an information network and operated it openly, I'd be ten times richer than I am now. But information only has value if you have the martial prowess to protect it. If even a mid-tier sect's forces could threaten your life, there's no point in being an information broker."
"Hmm..."
"And I quite liked life in Jinrang Valley. I earned just enough money, read books whenever I wanted, and lounged around when I felt like it."
I wanted to snark about him screwing women whenever the mood struck, but I let it go. Instead, I picked up one of his books and flipped through it as I said,
"Then why live borrowing your master's reputation?"
"Because I have his permission. As long as I don't disgrace his name, it's fine."
"Even so, impersonating him..."
Mang Ryang gave a wry smile.
"My master is magnanimous. Even if I smeared his reputation, he wouldn't care at all. He has almost no interest in worldly affairs. He never cared about fame, but somehow ended up famous anyway."
"Those with real skill stand out wherever they go."
"Anyway, the only one who can help us now is my master, Immortal Mang Ryang. With his help, everything will go smoothly."
I raised a question that had been on my mind.
"By the way, Mang Ryang, why didn't you ever learn martial arts? You worked in the imperial observatory in the palace—you must have had access to martial manuals."
"I did. But martial arts are ultimately about the body, and for a bookworm like me, practicing on the side has its limits. I could build up some internal energy for health, but it wouldn't mean much. Rather than half-heartedly pursuing both scholarly and martial paths, I decided to pour all my energy into my specialty."
Mang Ryang's mindset was refreshing from a martial artist's perspective. He'd had the chance to learn martial arts but saved that time for his studies instead! Still, having seen his genius strategies and wisdom firsthand, I could understand. By relentlessly honing his knowledge and intellect, he'd surpassed mediocre talents by leaps and bounds.
As Mang Ryang tidied the room, he suddenly remembered something and said,
"Oh, don't throw away that poisoned gourd bottle—keep it. It'll definitely come in handy."
"Got it."
"Looks like we're mostly packed. If there's any book you want to read, just tell me—I'll lend it to you."
At his offer, I scanned his study. Memories of those three years cramming my head until it felt like it would burst came flooding back. I hadn't enjoyed studying much back then, but in hindsight, it had become flesh and blood knowledge. Any book Mang Ryang had collected would surely be worth reading. I pulled one from the shelf.
"I'd like to look at this one."
"<Baopuzi>? Are you interested in elixir refinement?"
"Well, they say it holds the secrets to immortality."
The Baopuzi covered elixir refinement, sexual cultivation, dietary therapies, breathing meditations, and the like. It wasn't some secret manual—scholars often owned a copy or two. Mang Ryang chuckled.
"Nine-tenths of the world's so-called elixir refinement is pure scam. Even the imperial court doesn't believe in it anymore."
"Huh? Isn't elixir refinement the art of creating immortality elixirs?"
"The goal is the ultimate golden elixir, but to make it, they usually mix in massive amounts of mercury. Mercury is highly toxic, so people who consume refined elixirs often die of poisoning."
Poisoning death!
The words clashed so starkly with elixir refinement that I was inwardly shocked. Mang Ryang continued,
"True elixir refinement is secretly passed down among a tiny handful of orthodox or unorthodox Taoists. You can't learn it from books like this. That said, the sexual cultivation section in here is useful."
"True elixir refinement? So the golden elixir really exists?"
"Yes. But acquiring it is next to impossible, so just let it go in one ear and out the other."
With that, Mang Ryang handed me another book.
"Read this instead. It's the [Classic of Mountains and Seas]."
"Looks like a picture book."
"Exactly. The strange beasts in it are fascinating—perfect for killing time."
"I'll give it a look."
As he said, it was filled with bizarre place names and monsters. No practical value that I could see, but I decided to read the Classic of Mountains and Seas as Mang Ryang suggested. Having seen a demon beast with my own eyes, I couldn't help but be drawn to it.
Once we'd finished tidying up in Jinrang Valley, we departed for Luoyang and arrived at the city gates in about four or five days. Luoyang was as impressive as ever—the outer walls were lavish and massive from afar, teeming with crowds.
Snort.
The horse whinnied, and Mang Ryang steadied the reins as he said,
"No need to enter the city. Master lives elsewhere."
"Not inside Luoyang?"
"He hates the bustle, so he stays outside. It's for the best—going into Luoyang right now would be incredibly dangerous anyway."
We headed southwest from Luoyang. After about five li, we came to a small village with a shrine to Lü Dongbin.
Lü Dongbin was one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism, a legendary immortal known in the world as the Sword Immortal. His Taoist name was Pure Yang Child, and he was revered not just in folk shamanism but by the Nine Great Sects and all manner of Taoist branches. Legends also told of him slaying dragons and subduing demons with his swordsmanship, making him popular among the common folk.
Mang Ryang dismounted at the shrine and reverently placed his identification token on the altar.
"Your disciple has arrived."
A moment later, the Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin's shrine trembled. The vibration lasted about half an incense stick's time before fading.
Then an unfamiliar voice came from behind.
"Senior Brother, bad timing. Master is out on business."
I turned around.
There stood a young man in his early twenties, with a boyish face. What stood out was that instead of Taoist robes, he wore farmer's clothes, yet he exuded an inexplicable nobility. Spotting him, Mang Ryang looked awkward as he said,
"Junior Brother, I've come on urgent business to see Master."
"Who said otherwise? He's just not here right now."
"......"
The young man called Junior Brother said flatly,
"But leave the Five Flowers Seven Golden Immortal Token where it is. Master said he won't tolerate it being used anymore."
"......!!"
Mang Ryang looked shocked but soon nodded.
"Understood. Then I'll be off."
"Do as you like. I'll go tend my fields."
The young man picked up the sickle from his belt and headed off somewhere. He really seemed like a farmer. Once he was gone, I said to Mang Ryang in bewilderment,
"Farming? Your junior brother is a master sorcerer—why farm?"
Farming was everyday work for commoners. It wasn't bad, of course, but for a disciple of the continent's top sorcerer, Immortal Mang Ryang, to waste his talents like that felt absurd.
"My junior brother farms to be self-sufficient. The locals just see him as an ordinary peasant."
"Ah, so he uses profound sorcery for bumper crops."
"Nope. He doesn't use sorcery at all—just farms normally."
"Is it because he's still in training under Master?"
"Not that either. He got his license long ago and is recognized as a full sorcerer."
As I stared at Mang Ryang, he gave a wry smile.
"That's just how he is. Worldly values mean nothing to my master or junior brother."
"Hmm."
"Anyway, we'll have to wait here in the village for Master for a while."
"When will Immortal Mang Ryang return?"
"No idea. He's so capricious, it could take years..."
Staying in this tiny village felt like a waste of time. The palace would soon start investigating the Brocade Guard's disappearance in earnest, and with time more precious than gold, just waiting around was frustrating. But there was no choice, so I pulled out some silver and booked a long-term stay at an inn.
Mang Ryang said,
"This works out well. Don't you need to review your martial arts? Call it training time."
The Brocade Guards wouldn't catch up right away. I'd cleaned up thoroughly with no witnesses, so they might never uncover the truth, even after years. We were just preparing for the slim chance.
"Fine by me, but... one thing. What should I call you from now on?"
This was important. I'd been casually calling him Mang Ryang, short for Immortal Mang Ryang, but the real one was someone else. When I brought it up, Mang Ryang answered boldly, as if it were a pointless question.
"Just keep calling me Mang Ryang."
"Won't your master or junior brother mind?"
"They don't care about that. And I use the title because they've acknowledged it's fine. No need for you to worry."
A master-disciple relationship that tolerated impersonation!
It was absurd—something no orthodox sect would understand.
"Sigh, whatever. What's your junior brother's name?"
"Cheon Ujin."
"Odd name."
"Don't underestimate him despite appearances. Making an enemy of him is as foolish as challenging a hundred thousand troops."
Unlike his ordinary farmer look, Mang Ryang's junior brother Cheon Ujin seemed to be a formidable figure. No need to stir up trouble, so I took the warning to heart.
From that day, my routine became eating and sleeping idly at the inn, with occasional training. Having paid nearly a year's lodging upfront, the innkeeper fawned over us.
"Handle your business."
With that, Mang Ryang went off to read.
I trained three hours a day, then worked on circulating internal energy to open meridians in my spare time. Mang Ryang read and studied in his own way. Feeling like I'd turn into an illiterate if I didn't read at all, I picked at the Classic of Mountains and Seas I'd borrowed from him.
Still, time dragged, and I spent days staring blankly at the blue sky from my inn room. Repeating the same routine daily made my mind numb. Over ten days had passed already, but Immortal Mang Ryang showed no sign of appearing.
"......"
A strange emotion I'd rarely felt since reincarnating wrapped around me.
Stuffy. Boring.
And tedious.
Time kept slipping by.
A month passed, then two, then three. No sign of the Brocade Guards pursuing us—the world was utterly quiet. Before long, my training slacked off; I practiced forms for just one hour a day, then lounged at the inn or wandered to admire the scenery.
'Something's off about this.'
I'd planned to train harder during the wait to advance my martial realm. But with endless free time and no one bothering me, I couldn't focus. It was the total opposite of my intense sparring and cultivation days as an instructor at the hall.
It took until the six-month mark to realize why.
My willpower isn't exceptional. Without someone pushing me, even firm vows fade into sloppiness. I'd actually been living abnormally diligently until now. Soon, I was half-assing training, rolling around on the inn bed, stuffing myself with dumplings.
One day, Mang Ryang said to me,
"Baek Woong. Haven't you gained weight?"
"......"
He was right. Barely moving except for occasional internal training, I gorged on the inn's chicken, liquor, and dumplings daily. My lower belly protruded proudly, flaunting my indulgence. Flustered, I said,
"Uh... this'll go away if I move a bit."
"Don't get lazy. If you're that bored, go talk to my junior brother."
"Cheon Ujin?"
Mang Ryang's junior brother was tending a small plot by the village stream. Of course, I hadn't tried getting chummy, so we'd treated each other like strangers for half a year.
"Don't you have nothing better to do?"
Fair point.
Bewildered by Mang Ryang suddenly suggesting it, but with nothing else going on, I went to visit.
'I'll bring the Classic of Mountains and Seas.'
Cheon Ujin was digging up potato roots, squatting and hoeing diligently—a perfect picture of a farmer. I greeted him.
"Hello."
Cheon Ujin eyed me and said,
"...Baek Woong, your gut is sticking out."
Why did these brothers keep harping on men's beer bellies? Irritated inwardly, I brushed it off and said,
"Have I ever told you my name? How do you know it?"
"Because you told me."
"What?"
Cheon Ujin smiled.
"You're still dreaming. I've seen enough of your true nature—time to wake up."
Flash!
In the next instant, the scene before my eyes flipped.
I was back at the shrine upon first arriving in the village, standing before the Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin's altar. Mang Ryang had just placed the Five Flowers Seven Golden Immortal Token there, and I watched from behind. It was exactly as it had happened that day, leaving me panicked.
'What?! Did time rewind?'
But no.
A voice came from behind again.
"Enjoy your dream?"
Cheon Ujin approached. Mang Ryang looked baffled, but chills ran down my spine. In Cheon Ujin's hand was the Classic of Mountains and Seas I'd been reading. During those six months, I'd accidentally spilled chicken soup on the cover, and the stain was perfectly replicated.
Only then did I realize.
Illusion sorcery!
In that brief moment, Cheon Ujin had shown me half a year's life through illusion! I could hardly believe I was standing and breathing now. Or was even this instant an illusion?
When had I fallen under the spell?
Entering the shrine? Talking with Mang Ryang? Or while living in the village?
I couldn't even tell when the illusion had started.
'Gasp...'
Even more shocking, my lower belly was genuinely plump with fat—the result of half a year of indolence. The illusion seemed to affect reality itself.
'Scary...!!'
As I reeled from the illusion's power, Cheon Ujin said,
"Senior Brother. I just tested the visitor. You have no sorcery aptitude, so I spared you, but I made this companion live half a year."
"Gasp!"
Mang Ryang was startled. Cheon Ujin had spoken out of nowhere, but he'd sensed nothing amiss.
"It was necessary to keep Master from needless danger. This Baek Woong fellow isn't particularly evil, though."
As I gaped at him in dismay, Cheon Ujin stared back, then pointed his hoe at me.
"You lack the qualifications to meet Master. A strange evil aura clings to you. Until you purge its source, you don't even deserve to enter the village."
Flash.
When I came to, Mang Ryang and I stood outside the village. Neither of us knew what had happened, blinking in confusion. Only after a while did Mang Ryang grasp it and say,
"My junior brother issued an expulsion order."
The Five Flowers Seven Golden Immortal Token was gone from Mang Ryang's hand.
"......"
It was the first time I'd experienced true unorthodox sorcery.
I couldn't trust my senses or perceptions!
I explained everything to Mang Ryang in detail. He shook his head helplessly.
"My junior brother's specialty is illusion sorcery. The half-year you lived was all a delusion crammed into an instant by deceiving your senses."
"But my belly really has fat now."
"That's what makes Cheon Ujin's illusions terrifying. He blurs the line between reality and illusion."
A truly fearsome ability. No amount of martial arts would let you boast before it. With a thought, he could devour a hundred thousand troops in bizarre illusions.
"At this rate, we'll never enter that village in our lifetime."
"'Evil aura source'? What was he talking about?"
"No idea. But for my junior brother to reject us so vehemently, there must be a reason."
That's when a hypothesis flashed through my mind.
'No way...?'
Heavenly Dark Secret Book!
Evil aura could only mean that. It had to be—Cheon Ujin must have sensed its sinister energy. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cast me out so decisively.
But where could I stash the Heavenly Dark Secret Book? It was tied directly to my reincarnation—I couldn't part with it.
'What do I do?'
Mang Ryang sighed deeply.
"Sigh, this is bad."
He had no means to resist a master sorcerer. Sorcery was the realm of supernatural powers, beyond human cunning. Piercing an illusion from the top sorcerer's brilliant disciple was impossible.
"Without entering that village, we're done for. Wasting time here means losing our shot at the Brocade Guards."
The moment of choice had arrived for me.