Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Third Episode - Companions, Ghost Valley (1)
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Three days into their journey.
In the bustling market of a small village somewhere in Jiangxi Province.
Dang Hwa-seo humbly admitted it.
"…I was wrong."
This companionship was one that never should have happened.
She had ruined everything out of mere pity.
It was only now, facing this stark reality, that she truly realized it.
"Villager!"
Mok Ri-won was a villager.
A primitive from some remote mountain valley, utterly devoid of common sense.
She should have anticipated how someone like him would react in the midst of civilization.
Dang Hwa-seo was certain.
The most wicked phrase in the world was none other than, "Little Sister! What is this?"
"Little Sister! What is this?"
And right on cue, that question came.
She had heard it dozens of times a day for the three days since leaving Xuyang County.
"…Candied hawthorn."
"Candied hawthorn! I know about this one! In volume three of *Tales of the Jianghu Heroes*, the protagonist Shanhyeop trained his Fist Corner Technique with one of these in his mouth!"
"Yes, that must be it."
Dang Hwa-seo let out a deep sigh.
Before her stood Mok Ri-won, eyes sparkling at her.
What followed was no different from before.
"Hey, shopkeeper. Give me one of those candied hawthorns."
"Ooh…!"
If she just put something in his mouth, he'd stay quiet while eating it.
With that thought, she pulled coins from her pouch, and Mok Ri-won cheered loudly.
"Thank you, Little Sister! But why aren't you eating the candied hawthorn?"
"I don't like sweets."
"Hmm…! I see!"
Dang Hwa-seo glanced sideways at Mok Ri-won.
He had already shifted his gaze from her to stare intently at the candied hawthorn.
"If he weren't so handsome…"
She might not even want to look at him.
That thought crossed her mind.
In other words, despite his infuriating behavior, his otherworldly good looks made it forgivable.
"…This is not the time for such thoughts."
Another sigh escaped her.
With the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament still a month away, even riding hard, it would take three weeks to reach the venue in Anhui Province.
They should have passed this village yesterday, but filling Mok Ri-won's curiosity had delayed them until midday today.
At this rate, they might miss the tournament altogether, and her plans would fall apart.
"So sweet! This is the sweetest thing I've ever tasted in my life!"
Mok Ri-won's exclamation rang out.
Lost in thought, Dang Hwa-seo turned to look at him.
"So innocently cheerful."
She couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
What was so exciting about a single candied hawthorn?
"Do you like it?"
"Of course! It's wonderful! Ever since traveling with you, Little Sister, everything is so new—every moment is a joy!"
She flinched.
Dang Hwa-seo shuddered at the sudden words, fanning her flushed face.
"W-what are you saying…."
His face.
That was the problem.
With a face like that saying such things, she couldn't help but become self-conscious.
Dang Hwa-seo, her heart refusing to calm amid thick embarrassment, spoke to Mok Ri-won.
"Enough flattery. We can't waste more time in this market."
"Got it!"
Mok Ri-won crunched down and swallowed the candied hawthorn.
Then he said to her.
"Shall we get horses here?"
"Yes, if we want to go quickly, that's the only way."
"We could run with lightness skill…."
"Why waste energy? And how would you navigate the mountain paths at full speed?"
She pinpointed the issue Mok Ri-won, lacking common sense, hadn't considered.
His lips pressed tightly together.
"Just follow quietly."
Mok Ri-won nodded.
*
Finally, they reached the stable.
Dang Hwa-seo spat out her bewilderment and asked the owner.
"No horses? Not a single one?"
"T-that's right…. The merchant group that passed through the day before yesterday rented every last one…."
"Who in the world would do such a ridiculous thing…!"
"Th-the Heavenly Trade Company…."
She froze.
The stable owner, gauging her reaction, stammered on.
"Th-they offered ten times the market price. They bought up every horse and mule, loaded their goods, and left."
It was absurd.
A merchant group buying every horse in a village at ten times the price, and the village selling them all.
But Dang Hwa-seo couldn't say more.
"Heavenly Trade Company…!"
Because it was the Heavenly Trade Company that had done this unbelievable deed.
"Little Sister, what is the Heavenly Trade Company?"
"The largest merchant group in the Central Plains. Or rather, it rapidly grew over the last fifteen years to become the greatest on the continent."
"They bought all the horses?"
"Yes. We were just unlucky."
Dang Hwa-seo sighed deeply.
Her face was heavily furrowed.
"The worst."
The next village was at least three days away.
And that one was even smaller and poorer—no guarantee of horses there.
If they couldn't get horses here, they'd be stuck, and her plans ruined.
"The merchants will return in about a week. Then I can sell you some…."
"Too late."
"Well, then…."
The stable owner scratched the back of his head and smacked his lips.
He seemed to have no other ideas.
In the heavy silence.
Mok Ri-won glanced between Dang Hwa-seo and the owner, then spoke.
"Then, Little Sister, we take the shortcut."
"Shortcut? You mean there is one?"
Bewilderment rose on Dang Hwa-seo's face.
It was ridiculous that this clueless villager, ignorant of the jianghu, would mention a shortcut she didn't know.
But someone here understood what Mok Ri-won meant.
"Wh-what! You don't mean that valley?!"
The stable owner gasped loudly.
"No! That's Ghost Valley! Enter wrongly, and your life ends there!"
His pale face and words furrowed Dang Hwa-seo's brow.
"There is a path? Tell me more."
The stable owner clamped his mouth shut.
He clearly had no intention of saying another word.
"Ghost Valley?"
Wondering what it meant, Dang Hwa-seo looked to Mok Ri-won.
"Young Hero Mok, what is this shortcut you're talking about?"
Since it was his idea, he must know.
Mok Ri-won grinned.
"Weak Blood Valley!"
He shouted loudly.
The stable owner yelped in terror, and Dang Hwa-seo went blank.
Even then, the ever-bright Mok Ri-won nodded and continued.
"Yes! The valley where the righteous warriors of the orthodox sects fought during the war against the Blood Heaven Cult!"
*
There were a few things about this Central Plains that the ignorant Mok Ri-won knew.
Stories Mok Seon-o had told him about past heroic deeds.
Mok Ri-won still remembered.
A stormy night with thunder rumbling fiercely.
The story Mok Seon-o told to lull seven-year-old him to sleep.
"Weak Blood Valley?"
"Yes, a valley where countless heroes of the white path stood with desperate resolve to block the Blood Heaven Cult. It's in the northern mountains of Jiangxi Province, not far from here. Your little uncle and I were there that day too."
"Little uncle is the Beggar King, right?"
"You remember well."
"Hehe…."
The warm hand ruffling his hair as he smiled.
And Mok Seon-o's playful tone was thrilling.
"Much blood was shed. Weak Blood Valley was the fastest route from Jiangxi to Anhui. If it fell, Anhui might have followed. It was horrific— the common folk living there were all sacrificed by the Blood Heaven Cult, and even the Murim Alliance's experts perished to the Evil Heavenly Blood Ghost's saber arts."
"Wh-what happened then?"
"What do you think…."
Mok Ri-won remembered.
The thunderclap as Mok Seon-o paused dramatically, and the words that followed.
"…Your master slew all the villains."
Mok Seon-o's dashing smile in the lightning-illuminated room.
*
Leaving the stable, they went to a nearby inn. Dang Hwa-seo stared seriously at Mok Ri-won with a hardened expression.
Braised pork belly and bamboo leaf liquor.
Across from her, Mok Ri-won had ordered it immediately upon entering and was devouring it with gusto, grinning.
"Weak Blood Valley."
Dang Hwa-seo knew the place well.
She hadn't realized it was right nearby, but she knew what had happened there and why it was called Ghost Valley.
"How does he know about it?"
Curiosity welled up about how this common-sense-lacking man knew of Weak Blood Valley.
"His master? Likely. Probably a peak expert from that bloody battle."
His martial arts had felt pure and profound.
Suddenly more curious about his master, but Dang Hwa-seo didn't ask.
"This chatterbox hasn't said a word about it."
He was probably hiding his master's identity.
It wasn't uncommon.
Disciples of reclusive masters often moved without revealing origins.
"More importantly now…"
Their path ahead.
Dang Hwa-seo thought of Weak Blood Valley again.
"Passing through it would let us exit Jiangxi quickly."
The terrain was rugged with few rests, but as accomplished martial artists, that didn't apply to her or Mok Ri-won.
The real issue was that.
"Traces of the Blood Heaven Cult linger in Weak Blood Valley."
Untouched since the war, it teemed with corpses and corpse qi.
Rumors said evil spirits dwelled due to the settled yin energy.
"Spirits are nonsense… but the corpse qi is real."
If spirits existed, it wouldn't have been left alone.
Tales of commoners entering and not returning were due to death by corpse qi contamination.
"I'm fine."
The process was gruesome, but she had achieved Invulnerable to All Poisons.
No poison, however vicious, could harm her—it became nourishment.
But the man before her was different.
"Hm? Little Sister, is the food not to your taste?"
"No. Just thinking."
Dang Hwa-seo replied, adjusted her posture, and continued.
"Young Hero Mok, may I ask one thing?"
"What?"
"Did you learn anything about detoxification during training?"
Mok Ri-won blinked.
Then nodded.
"I know how to expel poison with inner energy. Plus, Master gave me a few antidote wines."
He pointed to his bundle and asked in turn.
"But why do you ask?"
"Because of Weak Blood Valley. We should go there."
"Oh!"
Mok Ri-won's voice rose.
The inn's gazes naturally turned to him.
"Ahh…."
A dreamy, infatuated voice from somewhere.
The moment he drew attention, another fell victim to lovesickness.
Dang Hwa-seo ignored it.
She had been shocked at first, but now brushed it off.
With her usual expression, she nodded and spoke.
"Weak Blood Valley likely overflows with corpse qi. Abandoned over twenty years, the rotting aura contaminates the air—passing through risks poisoning. Prepare accordingly."
"Understood! Tonight, I'll push harder with meditative breathing to refine my qi!"
Excited for some reason, Mok Ri-won slurped down the remaining soup, stood abruptly, and headed to the inn's second floor.
His room.
Dang Hwa-seo's eyes narrowed.
"Is he okay?"
Seeing his excitement only heightened her unease.