Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: A Different Path
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Two full days had passed since they left the Demonic Cult's Shaanxi branch.
The distance from Zhongnan's territory to Huayin County, where Mount Hua was located, was considerable, but thanks to Neung Un-bi's relentless pace, it didn't take long.
“From here, we must take the mountain path, so let's leave the horses.”
“Of course.”
At Jin San's words, Neung Un-bi, eager to get to Mount Hua and drag the Sword Saint down by the collar, nodded vigorously.
But the others seemed to feel differently.
“Let's get something to eat before we go! Huh?!”
The glutton, clamoring for food.
“My lord… please take care of yourself, even without us.”
Ju Seung, bidding a tearful, temporary farewell.
“You absolutely must not cause any trouble. Understand? Our opponent is Mount Hua. Mount Hua!”
And the nagging Wang Cheon, emphasizing it over and over.
“I get it, so let go of my hand.”
“My lord…”
“Alright! I said I get it! I won't cause any trouble, okay?”
“…My lord.”
“Aish, why are you being so clingy!”
Finally prying off the persistently reluctant Wang Cheon's hand, Neung Un-bi shot off toward Mount Hua like an arrow.
“Hey! I said let's eat! Dammit!”
Unable to bear her hunger, Hyang-i finally resorted to informal speech as she chased after him.
“Haha, my goodness… Is he that eager to see Mount Hua? Hyeon, let us go as well.”
“Yes, Master.”
After bidding farewell to Wang Cheon and Ju Seung, Jin San immediately began his ascent of Mount Hua with Ung Hyeon.
Of course, as Wang Cheon watched them go, his face was filled with nothing but worry.
“Ah… he really can't cause trouble… He can't just go around beating up Daoists because he doesn't like them…”
Watching Wang Cheon mutter incessantly, Ju Seung spoke up quietly.
“Guard Captain, shouldn't we begin as well?”
“Begin what?”
“Our training.”
“…”
“We must become strong enough to never be separated from our lord's side again.”
“Mm, right. Of course, we must. But… what should we start with?”
“Pardon?”
“I vowed to our lord that I'd get stronger, but it's not like you can become powerful in just a few days by training like a madman.”
“That… is true.”
“If only the maid were here with us…”
Wang Cheon frowned, his lips jutting out in a pout.
Training… we have to do it. We have to get stronger.
But how could that be possible in just a day or two?
It was only possible for someone like Neung Un-bi.
His starting line was different from the very beginning. He was the Cult Leader's disciple.
Besides, hadn't they already seen it?
His talent to instantly grasp the state of righteous energy, and even surpass the threshold of insight without anyone teaching him. On top of that, he had private tutoring from Hyang-i, the maid with incredible abilities.
For them, it was impossible.
They had trained for a long time, but they had no idea where or how to even begin.
“Damn it, if we keep wandering through the territory of the Orthodox Faction, things like this will keep happening.”
“Indeed, that's true. It might be different elsewhere… but we're bound to run into Daoists again.”
“That's what I'm saying. Even besides Kunlun, there's Wudang, Kongtong, and Qingcheng…”
“Haa, if it weren't for the Daoists, we could have somehow stayed by our lord's side…”
Just as Wang Cheon and Ju Seung were sighing in turns.
“Ah!”
Wang Cheon suddenly slapped his forehead as an idea struck him.
“There is! There is a way!”
“Pardon?”
“There's a way to resist the Daoists' sacred energy!”
“What?! Is that true? Such a method exists?”
“Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner? We might not be able to get stronger immediately… but we can definitely withstand the sacred energy!”
“What is it, Guard Captain! Tell me quickly!”
“You guys already know it!”
“Pardon…? We already know?”
“Yes! Our lord made us do it too!”
Unlike the bright-faced Wang Cheon, Ju Seung was just confused.
What on earth had their lord made them do?
“Don't you remember?”
“What?”
“How frustrating… When we first came to the Central Plains!”
“The first time… you don't mean?”
“Yes! The Anti-Demonic Chant! He taught it to us too, telling us to suppress our demonic energy!”
“Ah! Then, Guard Captain, you mean?”
“Damn it, he was preparing us for a time like this. And I didn't even realize…”
“I see. Our lord anticipated everything. It's true, now that we're in the Central Plains, there's no guarantee we wouldn't clash with Daoists…”
“Good, it's not too late.”
“You're right.”
“Special training starts today! We'll work hard until our lord returns!”
“Ooh… um.”
Ju Seung, who had been sharing in the joy, suddenly frowned.
“What? Why?”
“Guard Captain… do you, uh, remember the Anti-Demonic Chant?”
“Huh?”
“To be honest, since he didn't emphasize it after that time… and as members of the Demonic Cult, chanting an anti-demonic verse hurt my pride…”
As Ju Seung frowned, Wang Cheon clapped him on the shoulder with a triumphant expression.
“I know it.”
“You do?”
“Have you forgotten who I am?”
“…?”
“I'm the one who's been by our lord's side since he was five, when he became the Cult Leader's disciple.”
“Ah!”
“I was there even when he was playing Daoist at the main fortress! I've heard that measly anti-demonic chant more than ten times a day!”
“I-I see! You must remember it then, Guard Captain.”
“Of course! You bet! I just didn't want to do it, but if I put my mind to it, I could recite it right now without a single mistake!”
“What a relief! A true relief. We'll be able to chant the anti-demonic verse too!”
“Damn right! Just trust me! Mwahahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
As Wang Cheon and Ju Seung looked at each other and began to laugh like madmen, the Crescent Moon Squad stared at them blankly.
Is that… something to be happy about?
That a member of the Demonic Cult could recite an anti-demonic chant…?
Somehow, it felt like the Guard Captain and the Division Commander were becoming more and more like their lord.
“Ahem, but… Guard Captain.”
“Hm?”
Pyeong Su, the leader of the Crescent Moon Squad's First Team, who had been listening quietly, asked cautiously.
“Will the anti-demonic chant alone be enough?”
“Huh?”
“Can we really build resistance to sacred energy just by chanting the verse?”
“…”
“We've never done it before, have we? I'm worried it might just damage our demonic energy…”
Perhaps finding merit in Pyeong Su's words, worried expressions spread across the faces of the Crescent Moon Squad members.
“Pyeong Su!”
“Yes?”
“What do you take me for?”
“…Pardon?”
“You saw our lord, didn't you? Did he look like he was affected by the sacred energy?”
“Well…”
“Then was he as overwhelmingly powerful as the maid? Until recently, he was only slightly stronger than me and Ju Seung.”
“That's… true.”
“The anti-demonic chant is enough. And there's a way to build resistance even faster.”
“What? Faster?”
“Yep!”
Wang Cheon stretched out his finger and pointed toward the town.
“Let's go! To buy Daoist robes.”
“…”
“From now on, we will wear Daoist robes and chant the anti-demonic verse every day to build our resistance to sacred energy!”
Wang Cheon's figure was confident and proud as he led the way to a clothier.
The Crescent Moon Squad followed behind him, their heads bowed low.
Proud members of the Demonic Cult, in Daoist robes, reciting an anti-demonic chant.
Damn it… what was the difference between their lord and the Guard Captain?
They were both impossibly stubborn.
And that day, thirty Daoists checked into an inn and began to chant the anti-demonic verse like madmen.
Anyone who saw them would have mistaken it for the opening of a Daoist academy.
* * *
“Hey, hey! Slow down a bit!”
At Jin San's words, Neung Un-bi finally slowed his pace.
“Hah, haah, my goodness. How can your movement art be so fast?”
“My apologies, Elder Jin San. I was trying to shake off the others.”
Neung Un-bi gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head.
He had used his movement art with all his might, so even for someone like Jin San, it would have been difficult to keep up.
Just because someone is an absolute master doesn't mean their movement arts are exceptional.
Moreover, his training with Hyang-i had elevated his movement art to a new level, so only Hyang-i had been able to match his speed.
And she did so leisurely, right beside him….
“I told you we should eat! What's the rush!”
“…”
Of course, she didn't forget to keep grumbling.
“They'll give us lots of delicious food when we get up there.”
“Mount Hua? Really?”
“Of course. Who do you think Elder Jin San is? He's the highest-ranking person in Zhongnan. Do you think Mount Hua would treat him poorly?”
“Hoh? Is that so? Alright. I'll put up with it for a little while then.”
Seeing Hyang-i's expression brighten instantly at his placating words, Neung Un-bi couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
At times like this, she really seemed like a sixteen-year-old girl, no, a child who knew nothing of the world.
Who would ever think she was such a formidable master?
“H-Hey, you shouldn't say things like that…”
“Why not!”
As Jin San tried to say something, it wasn't Neung Un-bi but Hyang-i who whipped her head around and glared at him.
Her eyes were those of a starving beast.
“Are you saying Mount Hua is going to look down on us?”
“Nonsense! How could Mount Hua look down on me?”
“Then they won't give us much food?”
“Well… they'll probably give us a lot…”
“Is it not tasty?”
“The taste… is fine. Depending on how you look at it…”
“What about Plum Blossom Wine!”
“They'll probably serve it.”
“Then that's fine. Hehe.”
“…”
Jin San sighed at the sight of Hyang-i grinning foolishly again.
“A glutton who only thinks about food in front of a sacred Daoist temple.”
“Shut up, you pig! I should just slit your throat. It might be a temple to you, but not to me!”
“…”
Ung Hyeon made a needless comment and immediately clamped his mouth shut under Hyang-i's icy glare.
Hyang-i's eyes, gleaming with hunger, were indeed frightening.
But Jin San was already worried.
Mount Hua's hospitality wouldn't be too disappointing, but… well, they would find out soon enough.
In any case, it was Neung Un-bi who had brought it up, so it was his problem to handle.
“Now, let's head up.”
“Hm? Why are you going that way?”
“Pardon?”
“There's no path over there.”
“Ah! R-Right.”
The place Neung Un-bi had been heading toward was Snake Valley. The route he had taken to infiltrate Mount Hua undetected.
Realizing the mistake he'd made out of habit, Neung Un-bi scratched his head and laughed.
Wasn't he Neung Un-bi now, not the intruder Cheok Wol-rin? Besides, he was visiting as a guest.
“Come, let's go.”
“Yes.”
Neung Un-bi followed Jin San, slowly ascending Mount Hua.
His path led him not to the distant granite cliffs of the East Peak, nor to the Changong Zhandao of the South Peak.
Of course, even so, how could the path to the summit of Mount Hua, one of the Five Great Mountains, be easy?
The mountain itself was rugged, and the stairs were nearly vertical.
But for martial artists, the mere existence of stairs made it no different from flat ground.
Even the small steps that could barely fit the sole of a foot were no trouble, and the narrow width, just enough for one person, was not a problem.
If anything, it was nice to be able to see all of Mount Hua.
As they reached the mountainside, the path they had traveled was enveloped in clouds.
With the pale peaks of Mount Hua encircling them and a sea of clouds filling the space within, it felt like looking down into a deep well.
A sight he had never seen in the past, a feeling he had never felt.
It was magnificent.
Neung Un-bi paused for a moment to gaze at the grand sculpture crafted by the gods.
“Mount Hua… is incredible.”
“Haha, it is. It's a view I see every time I occasionally climb to the summit… and it never fails to impress me.”
At Neung Un-bi's words, Jin San nodded and enjoyed the scenery with him.
Sometimes, it felt incredibly good to experience such a change.
A life of enjoying things he had never experienced, never had the luxury to enjoy in the past.
It wasn't because the path was different. Whether it was Snake Valley or the sheer cliffs, it was all Mount Hua.
They say even rivers and mountains change in ten years, but Mount Hua probably hadn't changed much from how he'd seen it back then.
He simply hadn't seen it. His past self had no time to spare a glance for the scenery.
Perhaps, it looked and felt different because he was seeing it through the eyes of Neung Un-bi, not Cheok Wol-rin.
The person, the status, the age—they were all different.