Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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I left the Shin-dan a month after that.
Crunch.
After walking out from the Shin-dan and covering about thirty paces, I turned to look back—not a trace of the Shin-dan village remained in sight, not even the massive Shin-dan Tree that had stood there. The barrier protecting the Shin-dan Tree concealed its very existence. To pierce that barrier, a master sorcerer of immense power would be required.
The chirping of mountain birds filled the air. The profound silence unique to deep forests enveloped my body.
"......"
I turned my head. As I resumed my steps toward Gaegyeong, my thoughts wandered.
'Over that month, I received instruction from the Twelve Laws Lord on the shortcomings in my martial arts and learned a few more spells...'
The Twelve Laws Lord had sparred with me several times as a test. Though it was one-sided on my end, getting utterly dominated, his body techniques seemed unmatched by anyone. Merely observing them allowed me to spot the flaws in my own Thunder Shadow Step.
After our spars, whenever I asked questions about what puzzled me, he would answer.
I still recalled my conversations with the Twelve Laws Lord.
[Why didn't you try to obtain the Wol-yo?]
[Yes. With the power of the Twelve Laws, it should have been possible.]
[Hmm...]
During our meetings, the Twelve Laws Lord never once removed his puppet mask. There was no way to confirm the peerless beauty that Lee Joo-hee had described. With his dog puppet mask on, arms crossed, he replied.
[Bringing the Wol-yo from Dongyeong here would certainly make things easier for us. But it would unleash the minions of the Evil God to rampage wildly across Dongyeong lands.]
[Does the Wol-yo Heaven-Covering Sword, like the Hae-in, serve to suppress the Evil God?]
[It's not as powerful a barrier as the Shin-dan Tree's, but the Heaven-Covering Sword erects a similar one. That's the reason humans can live on Dongyeong lands.]
[......]
[Why tamper with something that's fulfilling its role perfectly?]
I ended my reminiscence.
'If that's the case, there's no need to seize the Wol-yo right away.'
Moving it clumsily might allow another force like the Demon Horse Hall to emerge in Dongyeong. My task was probably just to locate it for now. But I muttered a concern I hadn't shared even with the Twelve Laws Lord.
"It's strange... Miho clearly bewitched the Dongyeong emperor, so if the Wol-yo Heaven-Covering Sword is truly one of the Seven Essentials, why hasn't she ascended?"
Miho desperately wanted to return to the heavens. The Seven Essentials held the power for it, which was why she relentlessly pursued the Hae-in. If one of Dongyeong's Three Divine Artifacts was the Heaven-Covering Sword, there'd have been no need to come to Goryeo lands and clash with the altar clan. There was definitely some secret surrounding the Wol-yo's location.
To learn about the Wol-yo, I'd need to meet Miho again and ask.
Yet I harbored considerable doubts.
Could I survive meeting Miho again?
Even when we last parted, she seemed to sense that Mangnyang had come to my aid. She might have seen it as half a betrayal. Though her whimsy spared me then, given her volatile temperament, I could be killed by Miho at any moment. Staying away from her was the safest situation for now.
"Whatever... It'll work out somehow."
Shaking off my worries, I set out on the long journey of hundreds of li. With almost everything I needed to do in Goryeo finished, I figured it was time to more seriously hone my medical skills.
Clop clop clop.
It took about three days to reach Gaegyeong from Mount Baekdu. A distance that would take at least a month on foot was nothing given my speed, which surpassed an ordinary human's by tenfold. And that was me going leisurely; if I'd pushed, I might have made it in half a day.
It was when I entered Gaegyeong city and headed to the Hwa Clan residence.
"......!!"
I was startled. A group in white robes waited before the Hwa Clan as if anticipating my arrival. There were about ten of them, all looking like martial artists. The Hwa Clan building stood intact, but passersby avoided even glancing at the white-robed strangers.
'What the hell?!'
I locked eyes with the white-robed man at the front. He appeared exactly my age, a sturdy, handsome young man. Confirming my features, he spoke.
"Are you Baek Woong?"
Something felt ominous. Composing myself, I replied calmly.
"Yes, but who might you be?"
At my confirmation, the white-robed youth suddenly switched from Goryeo speech to Classical Chinese, cupping his fists in salute.
"We've been waiting for your return, Lord Baek Woong. A pleasure to meet you."
His demeanor was polite and refined. I didn't let my guard down, responding in Classical Chinese.
"Are you from the Central Plains?"
"To be precise, we are White Lotus Folk."
White Lotus Folk!
My suspicions confirmed, I let out a groan. No wonder their internal energies felt extraordinarily high, teeming with Peak Experts. Moreover, these white-robed figures, men and women alike, all appeared in their teens or twenties—only one possibility came to mind.
The young elite layer cultivated by the White Lotus Cult using Sacred Lotuses: the White Lotus Folk! They were said to lead the White Lotus Cult, which had devoured forty percent of the Central Plains martial world, crushing countless experts. Dozens had emerged, wielding immense internal energy and the cult's secret arts to easily fell elders of great sects.
I glanced toward the Hwa Clan and said.
"You haven't harmed the Hwa Clan people, I hope?"
The youth chuckled softly.
"We haven't. They're all safe and sound."
"Good to hear."
"We came all the way from the distant Central Plains to have a pleasant conversation with you, Lord Baek Woong."
"A pleasant conversation?"
"Ah, forgive my late introduction. I am Lee Yeosong, leader of the White Lotus Cult's Wind God Squad."
Cupping his fists once more, Lee Yeosong continued.
"Actually, yesterday, the Radiant Divine Physician Hwa Seomyeong, the Hwa Clan head, spoke privately with the Dharma Guardian Lion. We learned that you know the whereabouts of the Black and White Sacred Lotuses. So we've been waiting to escort you to the Lion."
"......!!"
I gritted my teeth.
A White Lotus Cult Dharma Guardian Lion!
One of the world's mightiest martial artists was here. It could even be Han Baekryeong. Or one of the other two Guardians. What was certain: the Guardian wanted to speak with me, and some sinister scheme lurked behind it.
As I fell silent, Lee Yeosong said.
"Please come with us. We'll treat you with utmost respect."
"Wait a moment. I need to confirm with my own eyes that the Hwa Clan folk are unharmed."
"Then please go in. We'll await your return."
The white-robed group parted. I scanned the dozen Wind God Squad members one by one, confirming their terrifying internal energies.
'If I fought these guys head-on, I'd have a nine-in-ten chance of dying...'
Monstrous bunch.
Their energies surpassed even the Kindred Peak Sect elders, and they controlled their auras with perfect calm. Peak Experts gathered here. And if they knew group battles or formations, my current self couldn't handle the Wind God Squad barehanded. No wonder they dared dominate the Central Plains martial world.
I entered the Hwa Clan residence and checked on the people. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed; all were safe. But they seemed anxious, aware of the white-robed group's show of force. Deeper inside, Hwa Seomyeong's direct family sat gathered.
Hwa Seomyeong, his son and daughter-in-law, and granddaughter Hwa Yeongyeong.
The branch family hadn't come.
Under their four gazes, I felt burdened. Still, I first greeted Hwa Seomyeong, seated in a chair.
"I'm sorry for the delay. Your disciple Baek Woong has returned."
"Good... You've arrived. Sit there."
"Yes."
As I sat, a heavy silence fell. Hwa Seomyeong didn't look gravely ill, but his haggard face showed he viewed the situation gravely. Watching me, he spoke.
"Baek Woong. You know White Lotus Cultists are outside."
"The Wind God Squad, they said."
"And yesterday, a black-masked Dharma Guardian Lion visited me. Different from the one who came for the Young Cult Leader before."
"...What business does the White Lotus Cult have with us now?"
I burst out in incredulous anger.
In this life, I'd come straight to Goryeo via Shandong to avoid Central Plains entanglements from the start. I had no memory of crossing paths with the White Lotus Cult. Yet here they were, elite squad and Guardian in tow—unfathomable.
Hwa Seomyeong said.
"It seems... because of the Sacred Lotuses you gave me."
"What?"
"The Lion explained the circumstances. I took the Black and White Sacred Lotus roots from you and sold them in the Central Plains martial world via a method only I know... The White Lotus Cult's merchant guild outbid and bought them. And those roots ended up in the cult."
"......"
I gaped in disbelief.
"The Young Cult Leader was saved by those roots. Once he recovered, the Cult Leader wasted no time deciding to advance into the Central Plains."
"Th-that so."
Flustered, I said.
"But Sacred Lotuses are so abundant in the White Lotus Cult they rot—why did those save the Young Leader?"
Hwa Seomyeong sighed.
"He didn't explain that far. But the Lion said the Hwa Clan had greatly aided the cult and he wished to repay us."
"Repay?"
"He wanted to speak with you first. Then help the Hwa Clan return to the Central Plains, treating us as great benefactors with a century of wealth and honor."
"Hmm..."
Hwa Seomyeong's son, Hwa Taebo, who had listened quietly till then, looked at me. An excellent physician versed in the Hwa Clan's One Hundred Eight Needles and Golden Needles. With earnest voice, he said.
"I've heard from Father how you saved our clan. Please make the right choice again and save us. The Hwa Clan's fate rests in your hands."
"Lord Baek Woong... I beg you."
The pleas from Hwa Seomyeong's son and daughter-in-law were desperate. Their words carried an implicit command: 'Don't say anything foolish; proceed smoothly with the Guardian.' But the fate of the Hwa Clan's dozens of retainers did hinge on me. Meeting Hwa Seomyeong's heavy gaze, I said.
"Master. Could we speak alone?"
"Very well."
Leaving the family, Hwa Seomyeong and I went deeper into the most secluded chamber in the Hwa Clan building—his private sanctum. In the pitch-dark room lit by a single candle, he spoke.
"I... do not trust the White Lotus Cult."
"......"
"They're not purely evil, but they don't easily show mercy to the weak. A martial force that operates on cold calculations. The Lion's sweet talk is likely a trap."
"A trap?"
"Would a Dharma Guardian Lion and one of the cult's four great combat units, the Wind God Squad, come just to invite the Hwa Clan? They're prepared to clash with Gaegyeong's Twelve Laws warriors if needed."
"...Meaning."
"You've caught on. If we refuse, they'll slaughter the Hwa Clan."
I groaned. Hwa Seomyeong was right.
That level of White Lotus force wouldn't yield much to the Twelve Laws in battle. The Wind God Squad was absurdly strong, but the Guardian's power was likely on another level. Annihilating the Hwa Clan and escaping would be trivial.
I said.
"Then why let me return unhindered?"
"They probably want things smooth if possible. For them, better we bite the sweet bait and die isolated on a ship than clash needlessly with the Twelve Laws. And they want to gauge what information you hold."
"Either way, we're dead."
"Yes... My son has dimly realized it too. Taebo's sharp."
Hwa Seomyeong's face was steeped in gloom.
Suddenly, I pitied him. Hwa Seomyeong's once-prosperous life in the Central Plains had been ruined entirely by the White Lotus Cult. Now, for reasons unclear, they threatened to exterminate him—absurd.
After a moment's thought, I said.
"Contacting the Twelve Laws to drive them off is the most realistic option."
"I thought of that. But without proof they've attacked us directly, would the Twelve Laws experts risk their lives against the Central Plains' strongest force, the White Lotus Cult? It's near impossible until they strike first."
"I'll go speak to Jeong Cheol-wook."
"Don't act rashly. They'll slaughter our entire clan at the slightest provocation."
"Then what the hell should we do?"
Hwa Seomyeong slumped against the wall, exhausted.
"I don't know... Feels like a complete dead end. How did it come to this..."
As I opened my mouth to speak—
Creak.
The door suddenly opened, and a figure appeared. Backlit against the dark room stood Hwa Seomyeong's granddaughter, Hwa Yeongyeong. Glaring at me unkindly, she said.
"You really are a blockhead, aren't you?"
"Yeongyeong! What is this?! Get out now..."
Thud.
Hwa Seomyeong, about to scold her, suddenly fainted forward. I rushed to check—he wasn't injured, just fallen into a enchanted sleep. I'd never heard Hwa Yeongyeong could use such advanced spells.
Glaring at her, I said.
"Miho?"
Swish!!
In an instant, Hwa Yeongyeong flipped through the air, transforming into a cute girl's form—the exact human guise of Miho I'd seen before. She'd been disguised as Hwa Yeongyeong, pretending to be clan.
"You blockhead! Why get tangled with the White Lotus Cult?!"
Though Miho scolded me, I shot back.
"What did you do to Yeongyeong?!"
"Don't worry. The girl's sleeping in the storehouse. More importantly, what the hell happened?"
Miho continued irritably. Even for a centuries-old gumiho, this was like a bolt from the blue.
"How do you screw up so bad that a Dharma Guardian Lion shows up to kill you? What a cursed fate you have."
"I'll agree on the cursed fate... but why were you disguised as Yeongyeong?"
Pressed, Miho hesitated before answering.
"Because it's my business. I was going to drag you off since I need you for something."
"Need me for?"
"Later. For now, we solve this mess."
With that, Miho spun around.
"Follow me!"
"Follow where?"
Miho snapped curtly.
"To escape, obviously. What, you wanna fight the White Lotus Folk?"
"Crazy talk... If I run alone, the Hwa Clan gets massacred!"
Clenching my fists, I retorted. Miho smacked her chest in frustration.
"Ugh, you dullard! Instead of just listening, why not think for yourself? You think everything that quack Hwa Clan doctor says is gospel? Do you really believe the White Lotus Cult would make the foolish move of slaughtering the Hwa Clan?"
"......"
"The key here is you. You're the one who leaked the Black and White Sacred Lotuses to the Central Plains. From their view, they gain nothing without capturing you. Am I wrong?"
"N-no."
"So the Hwa Clan are future hostages—they won't kill them right away even if you flee alone. But that old doctor can't be sure of his clan's safety, so he didn't tell you despite thinking of it. Get it now?"
Miho's logic was airtight. I stood stunned.
Indeed, going with the Wind God Squad to meet the Guardian was the worst. He could kill or torture me on a whim. I needed to escape, buy time, and block their next move. A dead end for Hwa Seomyeong, but not for me.
'My judgment clouded by master-disciple loyalty...'
I followed Miho to the back of the building.
"Come out!"
Chanting a spell, Miho summoned—poof—the Forward Ghost and Rear Ghost I'd seen before. She called more paper familiars and said.
"Send these to buy time. Stick close."
"Got it."
Whoooosh.
The Forward and Rear Ghosts, plus paper familiars, lumbered out with heavy thuds. Soon explosions and clashes rang out—the summoned familiars battling the Wind God Squad. Miho leaped over the wall; I followed.
Flash.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Suddenly, a figure blocked Miho and me. Sword blazing with fierce energy—it was Lee Yeosong, the Wind God Squad leader. Miho chuckled mockingly.
"A pup yapping. Fancy a trip to hell?"
"As if... But you won't escape further."
Lee Yeosong thrust his sword at Miho and charged. Miho smirked coldly, summoning nine foxfire strands around her that she unleashed. Caught off-guard, he slashed the flames with his sword aura and retreated.
"Not bad. But die!"
Boom boom boom.
"Argh!"
Miho swung her hand; immense pressure erupted, hurling Lee Yeosong away. She'd summoned some massive invisible form to strike. Bouncing several times, he crashed into a house and lay still.
Miho snorted.
"Hmph! A trash pup barking."
"......"
Awestruck, I stared at Miho.
Lee Yeosong's swordsmanship just now wasn't inferior to mine. In pure swordplay, he was a fresh Ultra-Peak Expert, fit to lead a White Lotus unit. Miho dispatching him instantly proved she was a great yokai worthy of the name.
'Focus for now.'
Following Miho, I cast a concealment spell to mask my presence and aura. Seeing it, Miho giggled.
"Hahaha, you've learned a tiny bit more, huh? The Twelve Laws Lord taught you?"
"Yeah. You're after the Hae-in, but not hitting Mount Baekdu head-on?"
"Hmph... Direct assault on the Shin-dan is impossible. This lady has another way."
"What way?"
Miho said.
"Talk after we leave Gaegyeong. That massive energy's been bugging me."
I glanced back warily.
"Agreed."
The enormous energy Miho and I both sensed—
It writhed dozens of li away, yet potent enough to raise goosebumps here. Likely the qi of the so-called Dharma Guardian Lion. A mere human wielding power that even the great yokai gumiho regarded warily.
============================ Work Afterword ============================
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