Wouldn’t It Be Better Than Dying of Frustration? (3)
After descending Mount Hua and arriving at Huam, Chung Myung’s group headed straight for the Eunha Merchant Guild branch without delay.
Hwang Jong-ui, who had been waiting for them, spoke politely. “Please, this way.”
Baek Cheon gave a wry smile as he looked at the large carriage. “We’re taking this?”
Just seeing the four horses tied to the front of it made him wonder if they really deserved such luxury.
“Isn’t this a little excessive?”
“It isn’t.”
Hwang Jong-ui added with a slightly embarrassed expression, “This happened because of our own inadequacy. If we can help, we should do whatever we can.”
He kept bowing in apology, clearly troubled. This mess had arisen because the Eunha Merchant Guild had failed to carry out the task Mount Hua had entrusted to them.
Of course, it wasn’t really their fault, but they had profited so much from Mount Hua that they couldn’t help feeling awkward. Hwang Mun-yak had also ordered that Mount Hua’s disciples be given every possible convenience for the next stage of their journey.
“Hah. A four-horse carriage, huh? You really did spend some money.”
Chung Myung shrugged.
“But I don’t think this’ll be much use. We’re faster if we just run.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“How is a person supposed to go faster than a horse?”
The brothers’ protests burst out at once, but Chung Myung simply smiled and crushed them underfoot.
“Sure, sure. Don’t worry. There’s nothing people can’t do if they try hard enough!”
“No! You crazy bastard! Use some common sense!”
“Ah, but breaking that common sense is exactly what a martial artist is supposed to do. If you run until your dog feet are sweating, you can go faster than a horse!”
“……He’s really insane.”
At Chung Myung’s words, Hwang Jong-ui let out a laugh.
“Of course, it would be possible if it were you, Chung Myung Daoist. And I doubt it would be too difficult for the other Mount Hua disciples either. Still, it would be better if you conserved some strength on the way. I’ve taken that into account as well.”
“Oh?”
“Along the road to Sichuan, our merchants will be waiting with fresh horses. As soon as the horses get tired, you can switch to new ones and keep going. If you can travel without stopping, wouldn’t that cut the time to Yunnan considerably?”
Baek Cheon, listening quietly, asked in surprise, “You mean with such valuable horses?”
“What use is value if it’s less important than what Mount Hua is doing? Don’t worry. We have the means.”
Baek Cheon hurriedly clasped his hands toward Hwang Jong-ui. “We are truly grateful for the Eunha Merchant Guild’s kindness.”
There was genuine gratitude in his words, and genuine admiration too.
But he had thanked them so quickly because he was worried that the damn Chung Myung would decide to run all the way there, even if it killed him.
“Hnnn.”
See? See that?
He was already puffing his cheeks like he didn’t like the idea. That mouth of his—someone should just seal it shut.
“It wouldn’t be polite to refuse the Eunha Merchant Guild’s kindness, either! We’ll shamelessly accept.”
“You will?”
“Everyone, get on!”
Baek Cheon hurriedly took the lead and practically vaulted into the carriage.
The other disciples followed without even looking back. Chung Myung, too, let out a small, put-upon groan as if he had no choice and climbed aboard.
His eyes swept over everyone in turn.
One by one, as if they had rehearsed it, they all lowered their gazes and studiously avoided his eyes.
“Well…….”
Chung Myung nodded.
“Fine. This might actually be better.”
“……”
He accepted it way too easily……?
What the hell is that bastard plotting now?
Everyone trembled with unease, but Hwang Jong-ui, who didn’t know the situation well, simply smiled at the scene. To anyone who didn’t know better, they would look like nothing more than an affectionate uncle and nephews.
Standing right by the carriage door, Hwang Jong-ui said, sounding regretful, “I was supposed to accompany you myself, but because we need to procure other items besides Purple Wood Grass, it would be difficult for me to travel to Yunnan with you.”
“Ah, of course. It’s not a big deal.”
When Chung Myung waved it off, Hwang Jong-ui smiled as though relieved.
“Instead, someone experienced in trade routes to Yunnan will drive the carriage and escort you. This branch manager.”
“Yes!”
A man stepped forward and bowed his head slightly. “I’m Lee Bo of the Eunha Merchant Guild! I’ll escort you safely to Yunnan.”
“We’re counting on you.”
“Please take care of us.”
Lee Bo smiled as he watched the Mount Hua disciples offer such courteous greetings.
They seem far more proper than what the young guild master said.
Well, they were Daoist cultivators who lived under strict discipline. Maybe this sort of thing was only natural.
Then why had the young guild master told him to be careful around them? “Take good care of them” and “be careful of them” were surely two very different things.
“Then, we’ll be off.”
Carefully closing the carriage door, Lee Bo turned back to Hwang Jong-ui.
“I’ll be on my way, Young Guild Master.”
“I feel bad for putting such a heavy burden on you, Branch Manager. Please give it your all, as if the very survival of the guild depends on it.”
“Of course! Young Guild Master!”
Lee Bo bowed deeply, then climbed onto the carriage. Without delay, he took the reins and set the carriage in motion.
Watching it disappear into the distance, Hwang Jong-ui’s expression gradually grew heavy.
Even if it is Chung Myung Daoist, the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace won’t be an easy place.
He held back the words that threatened to spill out; saying them would do nothing but turn into nagging. Still, he couldn’t help worrying.
* * *
The carriage kept moving without rest.
Just as Hwang Jong-ui had promised, by the time the horses grew tired, fresh ones were waiting along the road. Thanks to that, it was possible to keep switching them out and pressing on again and again.
Of course, that meant they ended up sleeping and eating in the carriage, but no one complained. They all knew how important this journey to Yunnan was for Mount Hua.
“Sasuk. What kind of place is the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace?”
“Hmm.”
At Yoon Jong’s question, Baek Cheon let out a low hum.
“To be honest, I don’t know much about the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace myself. So for now, I’m planning to stop by the Beggars’ Union branch in Sichuan on the way to Yunnan and gather some information.”
“A Beggars’ Union branch?”
“Yes. We’ve established relations with the Beggars’ Union because of this matter in Namyeong, so we should be able to get at least that much information.”
“Ah.”
It really did seem like building a connection with the Beggars’ Union was paying off. If it had been before, they would have suffered trying to find anywhere to ask.
“But from what I hear, even the Beggars’ Union doesn’t have much information about the Beast Palace. It’s been a long time since they stopped interacting with the Central Plains.”
“That makes sense.”
“I’ve heard they mainly use external force, and that, true to the name Beast Palace, they command divine beasts…… but that information is so old now.”
At that moment, Chung Myung, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“It doesn’t matter much what kind of place the Beast Palace is.”
“Huh?”
“Whether those bastards control animals or summon ghosts with money, what matters isn’t who they are. It’s how strong they are.”
“Hmm.”
As if that made some sense, Baek Cheon nodded.
Jo Gul, after glancing at Baek Cheon’s face, spoke carefully. “From what I’ve heard, the Five Outer Palaces are each said to possess power comparable to the Nine Great Sects.”
“I’ve heard that many times too.”
“Then the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace must also……”
“Hard to say.”
Baek Cheon shook his head.
“That evaluation probably wasn’t wrong in the past, but the present can’t be the same as the past. Didn’t the Five Outer Palaces get utterly wrecked when the Demonic Sect rose?”
“Except for the North Sea Ice Palace, that is.”
“Right.”
In the past, the Demonic Sect had not made the Central Plains their first target. Fearing that the orthodox sects of the Central Plains and the outer regions might unite, they had broken the Five Outer Palaces one by one first.
All except the North Sea Ice Palace, which lay to the north of the Central Plains and beyond the Demonic Sect’s reach, had been smashed and forced to their knees.
So many people had died in that process that it seemed unlikely they had recovered their former strength in just a hundred years.
“Then this might be a little easier.”
“That would be nice, but……”
At that moment, Chung Myung, who had been listening to the two of them talk, opened the carriage window and poked his head out.
“Branch Manager Lee Bo!”
“Yes, Chung Myung Daoist!”
“Let’s stop for a meal! A meal!”
“We’ll reach a village soon. Wouldn’t it be better to rest there?”
“Nope. This is better.”
“Yes, understood.”
Lee Bo drew the carriage to the side of the road.
The group all stared at Chung Myung, utterly baffled.
“Why are you stopping the carriage all of a sudden?”
“I’ve got something to do.”
Chung Myung grinned.
“Everyone, get down.”
“……”
Those who had become faintly uneasy merely swallowed hard and looked at him. But Chung Myung only smiled and pointed to the wide-open door.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you getting off?”
“……”
Unsettling.
Something felt seriously unsettling.
Everyone hurriedly gathered their things and climbed down from the carriage. Jo Gul, however, resolutely shoved his own luggage back into the carriage.
Yoon Jong asked quietly, “Why are you leaving your baggage behind?”
“What if that bastard just sends the carriage off? If I leave my baggage here, he can’t do that.”
“……You think if your baggage is in there, he won’t send the carriage away?”
“……”
“Isn’t it more likely that only your baggage will disappear?”
Jo Gul silently picked his luggage up again.
He had once more realized exactly what kind of bastard Chung Myung was.
Once all the Mount Hua disciples had gotten down, Chung Myung tilted his head.
“Why are you carrying your bags off?”
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
When Baek Cheon asked in complete confusion, Chung Myung shrugged.
“I told you. I’m doing what needs to be done.”
“So what is that supposed to……”
“Sasuk.”
Cutting Baek Cheon off, Chung Myung asked back,
“How much help were you in the Sword Tomb?”
At the abrupt question, Baek Cheon’s face stiffened.
“I…….”
Help…… help, huh?
To Chung Myung?
Baek Cheon bit his lip hard. He wanted to deny it a hundred times over, but the answer had already been decided.
“I was dead weight.”
He would have liked nothing better than to deny it. But he knew very well that denying what had already been made obvious would only make him look even more pathetic.
“That’s right.”
He wasn’t trying to humiliate his sashes and martial brothers, but it was the plain truth.
Chung Myung was growing stronger too quickly, and the things he had to do were becoming more and more dangerous. Yet those moving with him still couldn’t keep up.
If it had been the Chung Myung of the past, he would have left them behind and run ahead alone. But not anymore.
After the Sword Tomb, after seeing Yak Seon’s will, Chung Myung had come to understand clearly what he needed to do. There was no meaning in walking a path that didn’t include these people.
“Yunnan might turn out to be even more dangerous than the Sword Tomb. And if Sasuk and the senior brothers are only at this level right now, then your lives will be in danger too.”
Baek Cheon bit his lip slightly.
“It’s not as if we don’t know that. But there’s no way to raise our martial power in such a short time.”
“Why not?”
“Huh……?”
Chung Myung smirked.
“Sasuk already ate the Honwon Dan, didn’t you? If you just digest that energy properly, you’ll get at least twice as strong as you are now.”
Baek Cheon nodded blankly.
Indeed, the power of the Honwon Dan was beyond imagination. Because of it, hadn’t he failed to absorb most of its energy and merely stored it up in his dantian?
The problem was…….
“Even if I work at it, it’ll take at least a few years to make that fully my own. Though I suppose that is still short-term, in a sense.”
“Ah, don’t worry. A month will be enough.”
“……A-a month?”
Baek Cheon’s eyes went wide.
“Really?”
“Have you ever seen me lie?”
“Yes.”
“……”
“……”
There was a slightly awkward silence.
“W-well, that could happen. But not this time.”
“I’d like that too. But exactly how are you supposed to absorb this energy so quickly? Don’t tell me you’re saying you can help?”
Clap.
Chung Myung clapped his hands once.
“That’s exactly it.”
Hope bloomed on Baek Cheon’s face.
He can actually do that?
If anyone else had said this, he would have snorted in disbelief. Baek Cheon knew exactly how difficult it was to interfere with another person’s internal energy.
But the Chung Myung he knew was not someone who lied or boasted when it came to martial arts.
If Chung Myung said he could do it, then he could do it. Hadn’t they experienced that countless times already?
“How? You’re going to help me circulate my energy?”
“Uh…… not exactly. It’s much simpler than that.”
“Something even easier than that!”
This monster of a bastard!
Baek Cheon clenched his fist. If he could just dissolve the internal force trapped in his dantian, he’d become twice as strong in one go. Internal energy was precisely what the Mount Hua disciples lacked most.
But unlike him, who was trembling with excitement, there were two people trembling with unease.
Sasuk, that bastard’s selling snake oil again.
What is he planning this time? Look at that grin, look at it!
Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who had suffered under Chung Myung for longer, could only shake with anxiety. Experience had taught them that whenever that bastard said things like this, the result was always about the same.
“How are you going to do it?”
Completely oblivious to the feelings of the two of them, Baek Cheon asked in excitement.
“It’s not that hard. Just a little painful.”
“I can endure anything! If it means getting stronger.”
“……Really?”
“Huh? What was that?”
“I’m asking if that’s really what you mean.”
“……”
“If it really means getting stronger, you’re prepared to do anything, right?”
Uh……
I think I may have misspoken a little……
Chung Myung grinned and walked toward Baek Cheon.
“That’s right, that’s right. I love that kind of proactive attitude. I was also feeling a little uneasy about beating you up…… but now that you’ve said that, I feel much better.”
He seemed to have just mumbled something strange.
“Sasuk.”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever heard the term Chugong Gwahyeol?”
Chugong Gwahyeol?
“How could I not know it? When energy gathers or gets blocked, you hit or massage it to loosen it…….”
Uh……
But why was he suddenly asking that?
No way. That wasn’t what I was thinking, was it?
……Right?
As Baek Cheon, now unconsciously backing away, retreated, Chung Myung cracked his neck.
With a dry pop.
Then he slowly clenched his fist.
Crack-crackle.
“Sasuk.”
“……”
“This absolutely isn’t because I’m angry at you. No, no! This is entirely beating you out of affection! Only……”
Chung Myung’s eyes glittered.
He raised his fist and shouted,
“I hope you understand that everything in this fist is nothing but love!”
“……”
Baek Cheon looked up at the sky through a hazy gaze.
Primordial Celestial Lord, please take that bastard away.