Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Underground Chamber of Nu Family Manor
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I was beginning to understand, just a little, the absurd story of older brothers trying to kill their younger sibling.
“If their younger brother becomes the crown prince, shouldn't his siblings congratulate him? How can such an outrageous thing happen?”
“What do you find so outrageous?”
“Aren't blood brothers closer than anyone else in the world? When faced with an external threat, they should band together and protect one another. But to try and kill their own brother? Not even beasts would do such a thing!”
Ju Won-ik nodded forlornly.
“You’re right. What you say is true, Yong-je. Not even beasts would do that.”
Seeing his desolate expression, a thought suddenly struck me.
“Brother, has something like today’s incident ever happened before?”
“It has, a few times.”
Ju Won-ik’s face grew even more somber.
“A few times, you say?”
Jeong Chung-ho spoke as if squeezing the words out.
“Exactly thirty-seven times.”
As the captain of the guard, he would know all too well.
“Brother! Is that true?”
I shot to my feet.
Ju Won-ik gave Jeong Chung-ho a reproachful look before nodding his head.
“I haven’t counted, but it’s probably around that many.”
Jeong Chung-ho looked like he wanted to say more, but he fell silent under Ju Won-ik’s gaze.
I sat back down in my chair and took Ju Won-ik’s hands in mine.
“Brother! Please, tell me everything in detail, without hiding a single thing!”
Ju Won-ik looked at me, then gave a heavy nod.
“Alright. I will.”
* * *
After parting with Ju Won-ik, the Flying Dragon once again headed west, sailing up the Yangtze River.
I sent a carrier pigeon with instructions for Jang Ung to investigate the siblings of the current Ming Emperor, Yongle.
And so, for the entire journey to Yueyang, I focused relentlessly on three things.
Practicing my cultivation for half the day.
Meditating on the deck of the Flying Dragon while enjoying the scenery.
Drinking with the crew of the Flying Dragon.
* * *
Through steady cultivation, I extracted thirty years’ worth of Yang Essence from the Fire Dragon Sword and stored it in the Guan Yuan acupoint of my dantian.
The Guan Yuan acupoint already held ten years' worth of Yang Essence, which I had previously extracted from the Fire Dragon Sword and converted into internal energy.
With the addition of thirty more years, it now held forty years of Yang Essence.
The Yang Essence in the Guan Yuan acupoint could be converted into internal energy and used at any time.
So, my current internal energy totaled two hundred and twenty years: one hundred and eighty in the Qi Hai acupoint of my dantian, and forty in the Guan Yuan acupoint.
While cultivating, I occasionally meditated to activate my martial arts. With each session, the time it took shortened little by little, until it took only about ten breaths of meditation to connect with my constant energy circulation.
I also made some progress in understanding the activation of my martial arts. I discovered a clue as to why they weren't constantly active.
I believed it was because of the Yin Essence. I still didn't know the exact reason, but it was clear that the Yin Essence was suppressing the normal function that kept my martial arts active.
The Yin Essence accumulated within me was likely not an inexhaustible spring or a bottomless pot that could be endlessly drawn from. It was a finite ability that would one day run dry.
What was certain was that the Yin Essence in my body was dissolving, albeit very slowly. Depending on my efforts, this dissolved essence could be converted into internal energy, or, over a longer period, the dissolved essence in my Shi Men acupoint would flow into the Qi Hai acupoint and naturally transform into internal energy.
In fact, I had previously converted the dissolved Yin Essence, which had been densely condensed in the center of my Shi Men acupoint, into twenty years of internal energy through constant cultivation.
If I could dissolve all the Yin Essence accumulated in my body in this manner, the obstacle preventing the activation of my martial arts would disappear.
The thought of that day made my heart pound.
* * *
Twenty-three days after leaving Dong-ro Prefecture, we arrived in Yueyang.
Yueyang is located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake.
Our destination was a small island called Pyeongsan, about five li into Dongting Lake from Yueyang.
The small island, about ten li in circumference, had only a single manor built upon it. According to Go Un-hyo, the owner of the manor was also the owner of Pyeongsan.
The Flying Dragon docked at a pier on Pyeongsan, which was nothing more than a single, dilapidated wooden bridge.
On the opposite side of the wooden bridge, a small boat with a hut-like structure was tied up, bobbing on the waves.
Go Un-hyo and I, dressed in clean new clothes, stepped onto the bridge.
“Have a safe trip.”
Chae-gwang saw us off respectfully from the deck.
Ja-un’s injuries were severe, and she still couldn't move freely. If I hadn't used the exceptional healing methods from the Medical Scripture of the Central Heaven, she might have been hovering between life and death by now, or worse.
Go Un-hyo and I left the bridge and walked along a small path toward the manor, which was about thirty zhang ahead.
To the left and right of the manor, wide paddy fields and farmlands stretched out. Behind it was a cozy mountain, and the island as a whole was a pleasant harmony of trees and shrubs.
Go Un-hyo had already explained the details of the manor during our journey.
Nu Family Manor.
Those were the words written on the faded plaque hanging above the main gate. It seems to be called Nu Family Manor because the Blood Shadow Sword Venerable's name is Nu Jong-won.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
Go Un-hyo knocked on the gate, and after a moment, a man in his fifties dressed as a servant, with a kind face, opened it.
“Who is it?”
The servant politely sized us up.
Go Un-hyo smiled warmly.
“Uncle Ma, it’s me.”
“Who….”
“Uncle Ma, have you forgotten me already?”
The servant, Uncle Ma, blinked and stared at Go Un-hyo before his eyes widened in shock.
“Ah! Is that you, Young Master Un-hyo?”
“Yes. Have you been well?”
“Oh my! It’s been so long since I’ve seen your true face, Young Master!”
He was remembering Go Un-hyo as he was at seventeen, when the Blood Shadow Sword Venerable killed the Golden Sword Martial Venerable and brought his disciple to Nu Family Manor.
After that, Gyu-wi, another of the Blood Shadow Sword Venerable’s disciples, grew jealous of Go Un-hyo’s handsome features, drugged him with a mind-altering potion, and mutilated his face. Go Un-hyo had worn a veil to cover his face ever since.
“Please, come in!”
Uncle Ma opened the main gate wide and led us inside.
According to Go Un-hyo, Uncle Ma and his wife managed the manor. In other words, Uncle Ma was the steward.
Inside the gate was a courtyard with a small artificial pond and a pavilion, around which four quaint buildings were peacefully clustered.
As we walked in, Uncle Ma spoke.
“The eldest young master arrived some time ago.”
“!”
Go Un-hyo stopped dead in his tracks.
“Gyu-wi is here?”
“Yes. It’s been about a month.”
Seeing Go Un-hyo’s face twist with rage, Uncle Ma lowered his voice.
“The eldest young master does nothing but drink all day.”
Sensing Go Un-hyo’s overwhelming anger, I placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Un-hyo.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Go Un-hyo understood my meaning and struggled to suppress his fury.
Go Un-hyo and I looked around the manor.
We stopped in front of a stone lantern, three feet high, in a small but dense forest behind the manor.
“Brother, this is it.”
It was a small clearing in the dense woods, with no distinguishing features other than the single stone lantern standing among the trees.
“One day, I happened to witness Nu Jong-won entering an underground stone chamber from this spot.”
Go Un-hyo grasped the stone lantern with both hands and turned it once to the left, then twice to the right. Behind it, a section of the grassy ground rumbled open, parting to the sides.
*Krrrrrr!*
A moment later, a square opening about five feet across was revealed, with a staircase leading down.
“Please, come in.”
Go Un-hyo descended the stairs first, and I followed.
The moment my foot touched the first step, my martial arts activated. My body reacted to the unfamiliar place.
To be honest, I still wasn't very interested in gold or treasure. I was just humoring Go Un-hyo, who seemed so proud and triumphant.
The stairs spiraled downward, and a faint light emanated from the walls below.
“If you pull this, the entrance closes.”
*Krrrrrr!*
Go Un-hyo turned an L-shaped iron rod protruding from the wall, and the entrance closed.
“I came in here two years ago. If Nu Jong-won hasn’t moved anything, it should all still be here. As you’ll see, it’s on a scale that can’t be easily moved.”
On both walls of the descending staircase were large, pearl-like spheres embedded in the stone, emitting a bright, multicolored glow. I later learned they were Luminous Pearls.
We followed the winding stairs down for about seventy yards until we reached the bottom.
There, we found a small, semi-circular plaza. Three corridors branched out from it: one straight ahead and one on each side.
The plaza was empty except for a single stone table.
Go Un-hyo pointed to the corridor on the right.
“I only checked this corridor last time. There are six stone chambers on either side, and they were filled with treasure and gold.”
Go Un-hyo gestured to the right.
“Brother, would you like to see?”
“Let’s.”
As we walked down the right corridor, Go Un-hyo spoke.
“You don’t seem very pleased, even though I told you this place is full of treasure and gold.”
“Do I seem that way?”
“Yes. Don’t you like treasure, Brother?”
“I suppose not.”
“Everyone likes treasure. Why are you different, Brother?”
“My view is that you only need enough money to live on.”
“And how much is that, in terms of amount?”
Go Un-hyo looked extremely curious.
“The salary of a Grand Branch Master of the Dong-ro Grand Branch is about right.”
“How much is your salary, Brother?”
“Four taels of silver.”
“…Is that all?”
“You rascal, were you ever wanting for anything while living at the Dong-ro Grand Branch?”
“No. It was more than enough.”
“That is the power of four silver taels. Understand?”
Go Un-hyo stopped walking and offered a small protest.
“Brother, you’ve mastered many martial arts, haven’t you?”
“I have.”
“And that makes you happy, right?”
“Of course.”
“But if we had a lot of money, couldn't we help those who suffer from poverty, families forced apart, or even those who might lose their lives?”
“You…”
“Besides that, I personally believe that having a lot of money would lead to more good things than bad.”
I had never seen Go Un-hyo talk so much.
He flinched when I looked at him.
“My apologies, Brother.”
I patted his shoulder.
“No. You’ve enlightened me. You’re right.”
“I was feeling a bit down because you seemed completely uninterested in the treasure.”
“Is that so? I’m sorry.”
I put my arm around Go Un-hyo’s shoulder.
“Un-hyo, from now on, if you have something to say to me, don’t hesitate. Speak your mind, just like you did now.”
“I will.”
Go Un-hyo’s face turned red.
He walked about five steps down the right corridor, then stopped and touched the wall with his palm.
“You can’t tell where the entrance is, can you?”
“Is there a stone chamber behind this wall?”
“Yes. Watch.”
*Shing!*
Go Un-hyo suddenly drew the Blood Shadow Sword from his shoulder and plunged it into the wall without hesitation.
*Shhhk!*
I saw that there was a thin slit in the stone wall, half an inch wide and an inch and a half long, and he had plunged the Blood Shadow Sword into it, all the way to the hilt.
*Clack! Thunk!*
When the sword was fully inserted, there was a sound of something clicking into place, then opening.
*Grrrrrrumble!*
A section of the stone wall on the right, about ten feet in diameter, receded slightly before sliding open with a heavy groan.
“Oh!”
My jaw dropped at the incredible mechanism. I was not one to be easily impressed.
“Un-hyo! So this is why you asked for the Blood Shadow Sword!”
“Yes, it is, Brother!”
The Blood Shadow Sword was the key to the stone chamber.