Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Two Shamans
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Two Shamans
The answer to my question turned out to be more anticlimactic than I expected.
“Probably just coincidence.”
“…Coincidence?”
Gok Il gave a faint smile and nodded as he saw my dumbfounded expression.
“It happens sometimes—very rarely. There are people who are simply born with exceptional spirit ranks, without any prior cause or karma.”
“And those people often display extraordinary qualities that set them apart from others.”
Extraordinary qualities… Was that a compliment?
I forced down the twitching corners of my mouth and asked nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal.
“Like, having some special talent or something?”
I’d expected something simple, like being smart or exceptionally gifted. But Yeon Sa-kyeong’s next words made my body stiffen involuntarily.
“More than that—something truly unusual. Like having exceptional intuition, or awakening to memories of a past life engraved in their soul.”
“…Really? Intuition… okay, maybe. But past lives? Those actually exist?”
I felt a jolt inside but desperately played dumb.
Fortunately, no one seemed to notice my brief flinch, and they continued as if nothing had happened.
“Of course. Among the highest-level shamanic arts, there are those that draw out knowledge or skills from past lives engraved in the soul. Though the preparation is so extensive and complex that the success rate is practically zero.”
“Oh, oooh….”
I nodded and let out a fake gasp of admiration.
Pleased by my reaction, the two elders opened their mouths to say more.
They both turned out to be surprisingly talkative.
Unfortunately, Je-gal Geun-yeong cut them off.
“The conversation’s veered off track. Can we get back to the main point? Right now, finding the Jade-Faced Enchantress is the priority.”
“Ah…. Sorry, Branch Head.”
With Gok Il’s sheepish apology, we returned to the main topic.
But even then, the discussion didn’t progress much.
My original question had been whether there was any other way to track the Jade-Faced Enchantress, and the answer was that there truly wasn’t.
“I taught her every method to block shamanic tracking. There’s no way other than detecting traces of shamanic arts usage.”
Yes, you did a great job.
I sighed inwardly and grumbled at Yeon Sa-kyeong’s words.
After more discussion, we concluded to search Hanku River until tomorrow, and if it was a bust, head to another city.
“Then, see you tomorrow.”
After the meeting ended, Hwa-ryeon and I left the Je-gal family branch and returned to the Heavenly Firmament Merchant Group.
*
In the branch head’s office after Goon Ja-seong and Hwa-ryeon had left.
Unlike the others who had departed, Geun-yeong and Gok Il remained seated.
The reason was that Gok Il had requested a private meeting with Geun-yeong.
“Elder, what did you want to say?”
Having sent the weary Yeon Sa-kyeong to his guest room first, Gok Il fiddled with his beard.
Watching this, Geun-yeong couldn’t relax his tension.
He knew all too well just how formidable the diminutive old man before him truly was.
‘…Or maybe thinking I know him well is my misconception.’
In truth, he didn’t know much about Gok Il.
That he was the longest-serving guest retainer among the many in the Je-gal family.
That while the current family head didn’t care for him, the previous head had often sought his counsel.
That was it—just those two things.
Perhaps his temperament as well.
At the very least, he knew it was rare for Gok Il to request a private audience like this.
“Heh heh heh. Have I made the branch head too tense, old man that I am?”
Gok Il let out a soft chuckle at Geun-yeong’s obviously tense face.
Geun-yeong smiled awkwardly in return, pondering what Gok Il might say. A guess came to mind, so he cautiously asked.
“Could this have something to do with Young Hero Goon?”
“Yes, it does. I was a bit direct, wasn’t I?”
As he’d said himself, both Gok Il and Yeon Sa-kyeong had shown considerable interest in Goon Ja-seong.
Geun-yeong hadn’t fully grasped the talk of spirit ranks and such, but he could tell the two shamans viewed him as special.
“Branch Head, have you looked into Young Hero Goon separately?”
“Not properly yet. I only know what happened after he entered Wuhwan.”
Even without Gok Il asking, Geun-yeong spilled everything he knew about Goon Ja-seong.
Gok Il nodded along or let out small exclamations as he listened.
When the story reached the point where Heavenly Firmament and Goon Ja-seong became entangled, a short groan escaped from between his white beard.
“Hmm. And what happened next?”
“The spar began, and that Cheon-sang bastard was utterly crushed by Young Hero Goon.”
“I see. And the Lake Heaven Pavilion Master…?”
At the question about Cheon-sang’s whereabouts, Je-gal Geun-yeong shrugged.
“The defeat shocked him so badly he’s holed up in his room and won’t come out.”
Raised with the family’s support and fed countless spirit herbs since childhood, Cheon-sang’s internal energy was unmatched in all of Hohuk.
In a world where internal energy level directly equated to strength.
His usual claim of being the top expert after the Ten Supremes held some truth.
But he’d encountered Goon Ja-seong, a warrior who defied the world’s common sense, and suffered a crushing defeat.
The spar, where he was toyed with and beaten almost one-sidedly, delivered an immense shock to someone who had never known defeat.
In the end, even after his body recovered, Cheon-sang remained shut away, unable to shake off the trauma.
“Good heavens…. So that’s what happened.”
After hearing the details, Gok Il let out a brief exclamation and asked quietly.
“Have you reported this to the main family?”
“No, not yet. I’m worried about how the family head might react….”
The family head saw Cheon-sang as the hope and light of the Je-gal family.
Just imagining his response upon learning Cheon-sang’s current state made Geun-yeong dizzy.
“You did well. The family head is rational, but one never knows what might happen.”
“…Is Young Hero Goon that important?”
Sensing from Gok Il’s words and actions that the Je-gal family shouldn’t cross Goon Ja-seong, Geun-yeong asked.
At the question, Gok Il hummed thoughtfully, then looked Geun-yeong straight in the eye and slowly spoke.
“You heard the talk about spirit ranks earlier, right?”
“Yes? Ah, yes. You said Young Hero Goon’s spirit rank is extraordinary. Is this related?”
“Exactly. There’s one thing we didn’t tell Young Hero Goon.”
What Gok Il hadn’t told Goon Ja-seong.
It was that those with high spirit ranks inevitably bring massive changes to the world, whether they like it or not.
“Over the past thousands of years, a few like Young Hero Goon have appeared. And every one of them drastically altered the world.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. A prime example is Grandmaster Dharma of Shaolin.”
Dharma.
At the mention of the founding patriarch of Thousand-Year Shaolin—the root of all martial arts—Geun-yeong’s eyes widened.
“Good heavens….”
“I told Young Hero Goon it was just coincidence, but I see it differently. As heaven’s chosen, selected by fate.”
“Heaven’s… chosen by fate….”
Gok Il quietly implored Geun-yeong, who was dazedly repeating his words.
“I hope the Je-gal family never becomes enemies with Young Hero Goon. But the current family head tends to misinterpret my words, so please persuade him on my behalf, Branch Head.”
“…Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Geun-yeong realized Gok Il’s words were advice to resolve things well with Cheon-sang.
And he began pondering how to handle future matters.
Gok Il watched him with a pleased smile, then quietly slipped out of the office so as not to disturb his contemplation.
*
On the way back to the Heavenly Firmament Merchant Group from the Je-gal family branch.
In the dark night, instead of using a lantern, Hwa-ryeon glanced sideways at Goon Ja-seong’s profile.
“Hm? What?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
But as soon as Goon Ja-seong, who noticed her gaze like a ghost, turned to look, she whipped her eyes away.
Goon Ja-seong frowned at her odd reaction, tilted his head, then shrugged and walked ahead.
Following a step behind, Hwa-ryeon stared at his back.
In truth, ever since leaving the branch head’s office, a single question had taken root in her mind.
- More than that—something truly unusual. Like having exceptional intuition, or awakening to memories of a past life engraved in their soul.
The moment Yeon Sa-kyeong said those words, Goon Ja-seong’s body had stiffened rigidly, if only for a moment.
It bothered Hwa-ryeon—a little. No, a lot.
‘Why did he do that?’
Was it a woman’s intuition? That brief tension felt unusually significant.
It seemed like there was some important reason, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask outright.
So she just kept stealing glances, unable to even properly broach it.
After opening and closing her mouth several times while walking, Hwa-ryeon finally voiced a different question.
“Anyway, what do we do? Searching like this haphazardly, who knows when we’ll catch her.”
“Hm. Might not take that long, actually.”
“Huh? Oh, you mean they’ll target Master Gong the Musician again?”
Ye-ryeong was still staying inside the Heavenly Firmament Merchant Group.
It might not help much against illusions, but she was changing rooms daily to guard against the seductress’s approach.
But at Hwa-ryeon’s words, Goon Ja-seong turned back as if wondering what she was talking about.
“No, I meant you.”
“…You’re still pushing that absurd claim?”
“Absurd? The elders even said it themselves. My high spirit rank gives me exceptional intuition. And my exceptional intuition is screaming it, I tell you?”
“Haa….”
Hwa-ryeon sighed deeply but felt slightly relieved.
‘It was a reaction to the talk of exceptional intuition.’
The truth was a bit different, but unaware of Hwa-ryeon’s thoughts, Goon Ja-seong couldn’t correct her.