Chapter 66: The Journey
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66: The Journey
Travel.
It was something I had never even considered.
‘Have I ever actually been on a trip?’
From my first life until now, I had only ever moved forward to achieve my goals. I had never once thought about taking a break.
‘To go on a trip...’
And it wasn't just any trip.
‘An engagement commemorative trip.’
In modern terms, it felt similar to a honeymoon. My mother-in-law was suggesting we leave the freezing North Sea and head to the warm lands of Nanman.
“...But isn't Nanman on the complete opposite side of the world?”
It was an incredibly long distance for a honeymoon. Whenever I had traveled for missions in the past, I used lightness techniques as a substitute for training. If I did that this time...
‘I’d be branded as a man with no sense of romance. This isn't just anything; it’s a honeymoon.’
I set aside the thought of using lightness techniques and decided we would use a carriage.
“That’s right.”
“It’s not that far.”
“If you just keep walking, you’ll be there before you know it.”
The Divine Physician and my mother-in-law spoke simultaneously.
“But...”
“Just go.”
Surprisingly, my father-in-law gave his permission.
“Father-in-law?”
“Didn't you say she hasn't fully recovered yet? She’s a child who never even dreamed of traveling. I want you to take her to many places.”
“For once, you’re actually making sense,” my mother-in-law remarked.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned to Seol Yerin.
“What do you think, Lady Seol?”
“A trip... I would like to go.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“I trust the Divine Physician will guide you well to Nanman.”
“Are—are you really coming with us to Nanman?!”
“...You’re not sending them alone on their engagement trip?”
“They need a guide. We can't just send children out into the martial world alone.”
Just as my mother-in-law and father-in-law were about to start bickering again, Seol Yerin seemed to glance over at Cheon Deung-jin.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, who was constantly mindful of Seol Yerin, followed her gaze and looked at Cheon Deung-jin.
The Young Palace Lord of Potala, whom they had brought from the Potala Palace, had achieved his goal. It appeared he had successfully received the Extreme Yin Qi through Seol Yerin.
The problem was...
‘Do I have to send him back alone?’
If I did that...
—How dare you send my son back alone?
It felt like the Palace Lord of Potala wouldn't let Hyeok Ryeon-yeom off easily.
‘Then... what should I do?’
Ask him to wait until we returned from Nanman? Tell him I’d take him back to Potala Palace then?
...As if he’d actually wait.
It was a dilemma.
“Lady Cheon, why don't you come with us?”
“...Huh?”
“It looks like the Divine Physician is coming along anyway. And if the Captain of the Little Snow Unit is going, it means the Little Snow Unit, who guards me, will follow as well. I think it would be more fun if we all traveled together. And... Lady Cheon, you haven't been able to travel much either, have you?”
Seol Yerin reached out to Cheon Deung-jin first.
“That’s not allowed—”
“Leave them be. Doesn't it remind you of us in the old days?”
My mother-in-law seemed to be saying something to my father-in-law, but I couldn't hear it. The trip to Nanman was being finalized in a whirlwind of confusion.
“Going is one thing. But I need to hear exactly why we are going.”
The trip to Nanman was decided thanks to my mother-in-law, but it was the Divine Physician who had first brought it up. After the meal, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom called the Divine Physician aside. He remembered that the Divine Physician had been after the Dark Yin Myriad Woman Herb.
Seol Yerin was with them.
“Elder, my mother mentioned a granddaughter earlier. Has something happened to her?”
“That is...”
“We’ve decided to help, so please, tell us.”
The Divine Physician, Seong Yi-han, sighed and began to tell them about his granddaughter. He realized he had to come clean now if he wanted Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s help.
“She was poisoned with an extreme poison. I needed a spiritual herb to treat it, and I’ve been wandering from place to place trying to find one that could save her.”
He explained that his wandering had eventually led him all the way to the North Sea.
“It’s surprising that you thought finding a spiritual herb would be faster than creating an antidote.”
“Do you think I haven't tried?”
“So the antidotes didn't work.”
“...I was forced to realize the limits of my medical skills.”
“How did your granddaughter get poisoned in the first place?”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom focused on the cause of the poisoning.
“It was... the Poison Palace.”
From the moment he heard she was poisoned in Nanman, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had suspected the Nanman Poison Palace. Unlike the Potala Palace or the North Sea Ice Palace, the Poison Palace was a place Hyeok Ryeon-geuk had insisted must be brought under their control.
‘The Nanman Poison Palace...’
Even in his previous life, before Hyeok Ryeon-yeom died, Hyeok Ryeon-geuk had already turned the Nanman Poison Palace into a puppet of the Demonic Cult.
“What was your connection to the Poison Palace?”
“There was no connection to speak of.”
The Divine Physician explained that he had been traveling through the Central Plains and the Outlands to give his granddaughter various experiences. He only shared that she had been poisoned by a certain 'poison human' they encountered in Nanman.
“Since then, I have tried everything in my power to treat her, but there has been no improvement.”
“Why did you ask for the Dark Yin Myriad Woman Herb?”
“In an attempt to neutralize the Poison Palace’s toxin, I once fed her a spiritual herb filled with Yang energy during the detoxification process. That only made the poison worse.”
The imbalance between Yin and Yang had begun to widen.
‘In that case, the Dark Yin Myriad Woman Herb should indeed be helpful.’
The next thing to confirm was...
“Who is looking after your granddaughter now?”
“My disciple is with her.”
“...By disciple, do you mean a physician?”
“Indeed.”
“Then it isn't an immediate emergency.”
“We have a bit of time.”
“Good. Then I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“If I treat your granddaughter, what can you do for me?”
“...!”
His mother-in-law had told him to go on a trip to Nanman, but she hadn't ordered him to treat the Divine Physician’s granddaughter. It was a "while you're at it" kind of thing. Therefore, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom could boldly make a demand of the Divine Physician.
What would he give in return for his granddaughter’s life?
“...Is there something you desire?”
“I am asking you, Elder.”
“I am well aware that nothing in this world is free.”
Clatter.
The Divine Physician poured out a pile of command plaques he had been carrying in his robes.
“These are command plaques from those I have treated throughout my life. If you present these, they have sworn to grant any request.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s expression stiffened as he looked at the titles engraved on the plaques.
“The Sword Empress, the Divine Beggar, the Divine Thief... even the Poison Venerable?”
The plaques were engraved with the titles of the Ten Great Masters.
“If you have the Poison Venerable’s command plaque, why didn't you ask him to treat your granddaughter?”
“One has to be able to find him first.”
He had plenty of plaques, but he never knew when or where he might encounter these people. It seemed he hadn't even been able to meet the Poison Venerable.
“Then these might be helpful, or they might not.”
“That is true. However, I believe these plaques are the most precious things I possess, second only to my granddaughter. If you only treat her, I will give them all to you.”
“Knowing my background... are you truly okay with this?”
“To the people of the Jianghu, a man of the Ice Palace and a man of the Demonic Cult are one and the same.”
Indeed, that was likely true.
“Very well.”
Among those numerous plaques were a few that Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had been wanting. Especially...
‘I needed to find the Ten Great Masters anyway, so this worked out well.’
—To find the Ice Emperor’s legacy, that would certainly be the fastest way.
—You believe the Ice Emperor’s tomb is outside the Ice Palace, don't you?
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom nodded at the words of the Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress. A peculiar point he had realized after seeing the Iron Venerable’s secret manual: the root of the Ten Great Masters' martial arts lay with the Ice Emperor. Therefore, it was essential to encounter them.
‘Yes. That’s why I plan to travel to Nanman by way of the martial world this time.’
If he happened to meet one of the Ten Great Masters, he desperately wanted to ask them something.
‘Do you know the martial arts of the Ice Emperor, Seol Cheon-woo?’
If he phrased it like that, there would surely be a reaction.
‘The Ten Great Masters from the Nine Sects and One Clan or the Five Great Clans might not be applicable, though.’
For now, he had to gather as much information as possible. Changseong had clearly stated that protecting the Ice Crystal was becoming difficult. Therefore, time might be running out.
“Thank you for giving these up so readily.”
“I look forward to your guidance on the road.”
“Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go?”
At the Divine Physician’s question, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned to Seol Yerin. After a moment of thought, Seol Yerin answered.
“I... I would like to see Dongting Lake.”
Dongting Lake.
A massive body of water located in northeastern Hunan Province. It was a place famous for its breathtaking scenery. With Seol Yerin’s words, their first destination was set.
“Did you pack everything?”
Preparations began for the long journey with Nanman as the final destination.
“Another long-distance move.”
“They said we aren't going by lightness techniques this time, but taking our time to sightsee.”
“It is the Young Lady’s wish. The Little Snow Unit is her guard. We must follow wherever she goes.”
Weizhi Young answered Baek Mu-yong’s grumbling, and Eun-bin scolded him.
“How many sets of tableware should I pack?”
Seeing Tae Un-seo already thinking about camping outdoors, the three of them shouted simultaneously.
“You don't need to pack any!”
“Everyone seems quite excited.”
“Captain.”
“It’s a trip, not a mission! Even if something big happens during a trip, it’ll be less stressful than a mission!”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom shook his head at Weizhi Young’s words.
“You mustn't forget that we aren't just going to Nanman and back. To be precise, we are making our official entrance into the Jianghu.”
At the mention of "entering the Jianghu," the expressions of the Little Snow Unit stiffened.
“The ones who attacked the engagement ceremony are suspected to be warriors from the League of Four Tyrants and the Martial Alliance. And they failed spectacularly. Can we guarantee there won't be another ambush?”
“...I think I was being careless.”
“We’re sorry.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom chuckled as he saw the members of the Little Snow Unit quickly bow their heads.
“I was just telling you to maintain your tension. Separately, this is a trip, so if there’s anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do, let me know.”
“Is there anywhere you want to go, Young Master?”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom hesitated at Weizhi Young’s question.
“Well...”
It might sound strange coming from someone of the Demonic Cult, but...
‘Maybe the Five Great Mountains.’
Mount Heng, Mount Hua, Mount Song, Mount Tai, and Mount Heng. They were the famous landmarks one had to visit when traveling through the Central Plains. However...
‘Mount Hua and Mount Song would be difficult.’
The Mount Hua Sect was located on Mount Hua in Shaanxi, and the Shaolin Temple, the leader of the Nine Sects and One Clan, was on Mount Song in Henan. If Hyeok Ryeon-yeom tried to climb the Five Great Mountains, it would cause an absolute uproar.
Twitch.
“If you have a place you want to go, please tell me as well.”
Seol Yerin’s ears perked up, as if she had been listening to his conversation with the unit members.
“Oh, I will.”
“Lady Cheon as well.”
“If you are going to see the Yueyang Tower at Dongting Lake... how about also visiting the Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi and the Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei?”
“You want to see the Three Great Towers?”
It felt like the list of places to stop was growing one by one. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned to the Divine Physician.
“Tell us which places are feasible.”
“It would be difficult to pass through Jiangxi on the way to Nanman. However, it should be possible to stop at the Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei first before heading to the Yueyang Tower.”
“Then let’s go with that route.”
“Yes. I believe we can head down through Shaanxi to Hubei, Hunan, and then Guangxi.”
It felt like it was going to be a longer journey than expected. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom stepped outside as he watched Seol Yerin plan the itinerary with Cheon Deung-jin and the Divine Physician.
In a few hours, they would leave the Ice Palace and officially enter the Jianghu. For both Seol Yerin and Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, this trip held a special significance.
‘By the time we return to the Ice Palace...’
I will have become strong enough to not fall behind Hyeok Ryeon-geuk, the future Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.