Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Finding the Clue
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After spitting out a few more curses, Scholar Cheon kept reading the book, and Mak Jimong watched silently without interrupting.
It was the first time Mak Jimong had seen Scholar Cheon this angry, so he found it surprising.
Before even an hour had passed, Scholar Cheon closed the book.
"Finished already?"
"Yes."
"What's got you so pissed off?"
"Ah, it was just full of useless nonsense, so I got mad wasting my time on it. Sorry for yelling."
"No need to apologize. You scholars can't help your intellectual curiosity, huh? Most of the ones I know are just like you."
"Hahaha..."
Cheon Taesan let out an awkward laugh.
"Let's head out."
"You sure? There's still time left—why not look around more?"
Seeing Mak Jimong now showing consideration for him, Cheon Taesan sensed how much the man had changed.
As Cheon Taesan stared at him intently, Mak Jimong rubbed his face.
"What? Something on my face?"
"No. You're just... really different from before."
"Ah, hahaha. Yeah, even I think so. Sometimes when I'm lying in bed at night, old memories of my stupid behavior pop up, and I bolt upright yelling. Embarrassing as hell."
Mak Jimong said this as he pushed open the door to the annex.
"If it weren't for you, my little brother, I don't even want to think about it. I'd probably still be throwing that tantrum right now."
"I'm glad to see my brother becoming a fine successor to the Righteous Overlord of the Evil Factions."
"Hm, is it me that's good? Or just the idea of being the successor?"
"With a reliable backer like you, isn't it both?"
Mak Jimong slapped Cheon Taesan's back at his words.
"Hahaha. You're right. Oh, and by the way, I'm planning to go into secluded training by the end of today. Thanks to you, I've got a lot to reflect on, so I want to diligently cultivate my martial arts. Father said he'd help a ton, so I should pick it up quick."
"Is that so? Sounds like official successor training."
"With war possibly brewing against the Demonic Cult, Father's thinking of settling on a successor fast."
"As expected of the Righteous Overlord of the Evil Factions. Smart move. Pick one quick, and no rumors will fly."
"This is all thanks to you. If I were still living like a useless wreck, Father and the factions might be in chaos right now."
"You've grown up."
"Heh heh heh, you got me there."
Cheon Taesan thought to himself.
To brush off words like that with a laugh.
Mak Jimong's madness must have stemmed from his inferiority complex, failures, and despair.
Once you give up on the world, people tend to live recklessly.
"Looking forward to our next meeting."
"By then, I'll be stronger than you, little brother."
"Brother, mind if I give you some advice?"
"Of course. I'd listen carefully to advice from anyone else but especially my brother Cheon."
"There's a saying: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Do you want to go fast, brother? Or far?"
Mak Jimong pondered deeply before replying.
"If I were just some lone martial artist, I'd go fast alone. But to take on leading the factions, I need to go far—together."
"Then surround yourself with good people. From what I see, you don't have any around you right now. Keep the flatterers at arm's length and keep the honest advisors close."
Mak Jimong had recently come to his senses and despaired realizing his surroundings were full of sycophants.
That was why he'd tried to take Scholar Cheon as a sworn brother—he had no one reliable.
"I'll keep that in mind and try to gather good people around me."
Grateful for Scholar Cheon's sincere advice just for his sake, Mak Jimong patted his shoulder.
"Thanks."
Cheon Taesan replied with a smile.
He hoped the man would truly grow through his seclusion.
'With the Overlord helping him, he'll probably be unrecognizable next time.'
I hadn't shown it back in the annex, but I was deeply shocked.
After parting with Mak Jimong, only one thought filled my mind.
'Why the hell did that bastard Yeo Eungwon hide the Spirit Mountain Flower there?'
That was it.
When pursued by Mokrimcheon and Jeongilcheon, Moon Yeongsin threw the Spirit Mountain Flower and some treasures into a place no one could access.
'Even I'd say it was the safest spot.'
I shook my head at the thought.
Yeo Eungwon's idea was both ingenious and absurd.
'Of all places, hiding the Spirit Mountain Flower in the Sacheon Tang Family's forbidden grounds.'
That's exactly where I exploded in curses while reading.
'In the Tang Family founder's tomb, no less.'
That was the story.
He'd stolen the Spirit Mountain Flower from Podalab Palace in the western regions and fled into Sacheon.
But with Mokrimcheon and Jeongilcheon's relentless pursuit, he decided to hide it in the Tang Family ancestor's tomb.
'Because the founder's tomb was the best-maintained, it could preserve the Spirit Mountain Flower without rotting for years. Plus, being the founder's, no one approached it.'
The Tang Family founder's tomb was a massive mound, protected since ancient times by poisons bred by the Tang Family to deter grave robbers.
Thus, it became the Tang Family's ultimate forbidden ground.
'To enter without dying from the poisons, you'd need their antidote brew—and Moon Yeongsin had it, so he hid it there.'
No one could sneak in without the antidote.
'That's why the Spirit Mountain Flower hasn't been found all these years—no one enters the Tang founder's tomb, so even after decades, it's undiscovered.'
In another sense, it was the safest storage possible.
'Getting into the Sacheon Tang Family is hard enough—let alone the founder's tomb.'
The Tang Family was reclusive, even building their guesthouse outside like a separate annex.
They didn't let guests inside proper.
They claimed the interior overflowed with poisons that could kill outsiders, but that was just an excuse for their insular nature.
I pondered how to retrieve the Spirit Mountain Flower from the Tang Family as I arrived at a residence in Sammuhyeon.
This was the house Yeoseol and I had renovated from an abandoned place to live in.
Not too big, but with a large courtyard and high stone walls blocking the view inside, it felt cozy and private.
I was startled as I entered the house.
Eunbi was staring at Yeoseol, who sat in the flower bed, with eyes full of fear.
Looking closer, a dead cat lay before Yeoseol, its head severed.
Seeing the dagger in Yeoseol's hand, it was clear she'd killed it.
"Yeoseol."
"Oh? Big brother."
"Why's the cat dead?"
"I killed it."
Her innocent smile as she said it gave me a profound sense of dissonance.
'Has Yeoseol maybe recovered her lost memories?'
Since returning from Hoyeongjang recently, I'd noticed changes in her.
At first, I thought it was just growing pains, but it felt like something more fundamental.
Especially since Yeoseol wasn't ordinary—she had the Ice Sacred Body.
"Did I do something wrong?"
The old Yeoseol never would have asked that.
She wouldn't have killed the cat.
But now, she was showing unfiltered violence.
A cat today—who knows what tomorrow?
"Of course! You can't just kill living things carelessly."
"We kill animals for food, right? So can't I kill cats too?"
I replied firmly.
"The cat wasn't trying to kill you."
"But it bared its teeth at me and hissed. Like it wanted me dead."
Yeoseol had perceived the cat's wariness as a lethal threat.
So I shared a more instructive lesson.
"Yeoseol. Why do you think humans have hands we can use so freely?"
"To eat?"
"That's part of it, but hear me out?"
"Okay."
"I think it's heaven's will—to care for animals inconvenienced without hands, and to protect the weak lives around us."
"Hm. Really?"
"Yeah, that's what big brother thinks."
"If big brother thinks so, then I will too."
As I talked with Yeoseol, I grew convinced she might have another self lurking.
The mature air she'd briefly had was gone.
'Then I need to investigate. If it's a bad memory, better to remove it. I'll need Songran's help for that.'
The Soul-Subduing Divine Eye could probe memories and selves.
I learned its true power from Moon Yeongsin's ancient tome.
It wasn't just soul-subduing.
'That's why Songran trembles in fear.'
Putting everything else aside, right after dinner, I took Yeoseol to the house where Cheongyo and Songran lived.
Cheongyo and Songran welcomed me warmly when I arrived.
They'd just finished dinner and were sipping tea.
Seeing their happy faces, I understood why Cheongyo hadn't returned to Hebi.
'The place where you're happy is where you belong.'
I sat down and said,
"You two look good together."
"Thanks to Scholar Cheon, we can live so peacefully."
"The village is still a mess from the cleanup—everything okay?"
"I actually like the energy. People opening shops, farming—they're all smiling now that their tormentors are gone."
Songran chimed in.
"As you know, merchants get squeezed everywhere by protection fees, management costs, taxes—barely scraping by. Here, just pay taxes and that's it. Peace of mind."
Songran smiled as she added,
"Want to know what the Sammuhyeon folks are saying? That the true county magistrate here is the Scholar Sword God, Scholar Cheon."
Yeoseol beamed and said,
"I even saw someone call big brother 'master' among the villagers."
"Master?"
When I asked, Songran replied,
"You're the landowner here, Scholar Cheon. Some call you 'master' for that."
"Heh heh heh. Well, now."
I laughed heartily, feeling sheepish.
Cheongyo said,
"Isn't it funny? Doing business peacefully in evil faction territory."
"A pond with one catfish means the loaches can't stir up the mud. The catfish eats them if they try."
"That makes sense. But what brings you with Yeoseol?"
"I have something to ask Miss Song."
"Ah, then I'll head to my room."
Assuming Cheongyo knew something about Songran, I said,
"It's fine."
"No, better if I don't know. I'm not a martial artist, after all."
Cheongyo tactfully excused herself, thinking of me.
Once she left, I set up a barrier in the room.
Songran immediately sensed it and nodded at me.
"Something about Yeoseol?"
Songran asked right away.
"Yes. I told you she lost her memories? Lately, it seems they're coming back, but they're... off. Maybe we can remove them if they're bad?"
"I don't have that ability."
As Songran tried to dodge, I spoke up.
"I know the Soul-Subduing Divine Eye can not only subjugate souls but also excise alternate selves or memories."
Songran's eyes widened.
Her veil fluttered—she was clearly flustered.
I'd never mentioned its other powers to her.
"How... how did you know that?"
With things out in the open, I delved deeper to secure her help.
"Truth is, I read Moon Yeongsin's ancient tome."
"..."
"Moon Yeongsin was Yeo Eungwon, from Musangcheon."
"What?"
"Reading his book taught me about the Three Thousand Threads of Fate. And the Soul-Subduing Divine Eye's powers—including counters to its techniques."
"Ah!"
Realizing I knew virtually everything, Songran's veil fluttered wildly, her breathing ragged.