Great Legacy
Cheonun Pavilion's owner clamped his mouth shut for a moment, blinking rapidly. His expression shifted constantly as he gazed down at Cheolgeom, lost in thought.
And then, at last.
The owner's grave gaze turned toward him.
It wasn't the look of a shabby old bookstore keeper, nor that of a swindler itching to rip him off.
"What happened to Nan-sim?"
Right now, it was the piercing stare of a sect leader who wouldn't yield to anyone.
Cheolgeom nodded, easing the man's worries.
"She must've slipped away safely with that guy Chun-bok."
"Thank you. This is the iron coin Nan-sim was supposed to deliver to her lifesaver. If you'd killed her, you wouldn't have bothered bringing it here."
True enough—he wouldn't have pocketed what looked like worthless junk if he didn't know its value.
Still, the man's quick trust felt oddly casual given the tension.
"I could've tortured it out of her."
The owner blinked again, feigning confusion.
"We're just lowly Hao Sect grunts. Not even big shots in the branch. What could anyone gain from torturing the likes of us?"
"You never know."
"You don't strike me as the type with time to waste on maybes."
Cheolgeom's lips quirked up slightly.
What was the point of bantering with the owner?
"Good eye."
"Still, seems like you want something from me."
Cheolgeom nodded.
Why seek out the Hao Sect? Information, obviously.
But now, an unexpected interest had cropped up.
"First off, I'd like to buy that Sam Bong Do."
"Ah, that thing?"
As Cheolgeom pointed it out, the owner chuckled awkwardly, scratching his cheek.
"If you'd taken the iron coin sooner, I wouldn't have haggled. Just take it—consider it a gift."
"You said it was authentic."
"Heh heh heh."
The owner took the Sam Bong Do from the wall, rolled it up, and tied it with string. Then he pulled several more paintings from under the shelf and unrolled them.
They were all Sam Bong Dos, with slight variations.
"……."
"Sam Bong Do is famous around here in Sichuan."
Meaning the place was lousy with cheap fakes.
But none of the others showed bizarre scenes like a Taoist dancing with a sword.
'A real one mixed in with the fakes, huh.'
Lucky break. Or maybe this was what they called a fateful encounter.
Either way, Cheolgeom accepted the proffered painting without protest.
"Thanks."
"No need. After you saved Nan-sim, how could I not?"
"But why's something related to Sam Bong so famous here in Sichuan? Wudang Mountain's a long way off."
"Who knows. Not sure exactly, but there's a legend that Zhang Sanfeng stayed in Sichuan late in life. Believe it or not."
"I see."
Not particularly important, so Cheolgeom brushed off thoughts of Zhang Sanfeng and got to the point.
"Name's Jang U-gil. In Hubei, they call me Cheolgeom."
"Oh! Cheolgeom of Hubei! So you're the man himself!"
The owner's beady eyes widened with delight.
"You know me?"
"Of course! You're pretty famous among our sect folks, even if it's not widespread yet!"
"Me?"
"Yeah! Undefeated in a hundred battles with a single iron sword, unbeatable even with loaded dice. Oh, and I heard a fresh rumor lately."
The owner's gaze turned sly and lecherous, slimy with insinuation.
"What rumor?"
"That if you raise it, no woman can resist—conquered a hundred courtesans in one night? True? What's your secret?"
Cheolgeom nearly choked.
"Ahem. Just bullshit rumors."
"Come on! Share the goods if you've got 'em! I'm begging ya!"
Probably from testing out those Kunlun bedchamber arts.
But he couldn't just spread Kunlun's secrets willy-nilly.
"You gotta be born with it."
"...Ah...."
"Not the point anyway."
"What could be more important than that...."
The owner's face darkened instantly, and he slumped into his chair like a man who'd lost everything.
Why the dramatics from someone his age?
He looked so dejected, Cheolgeom almost felt guilty.
"I need info on the Sichuan situation. I'll pay well."
"Money's no big deal."
"Hoo... Fine. If the info satisfies, I'll teach you a few tricks to make the ladies swoon."
"……!"
Thud. Thud. Tap-tap-tap.
The owner tapped various spots on the wall with trembling fingers.
A bookshelf slid aside with a rumble, revealing stairs descending into the floor.
"This way."
The owner lit a lantern and strode down.
Cheolgeom followed, stepping on the wooden stairs. They creaked but held firm—well-maintained. Even underground, it wasn't dank; someone cared for the place.
"Sit here."
At the bottom, a small office carved from bedrock appeared.
The owner set the lantern on the desk and pulled up a chair.
"Proper introductions. I'm No Cho-san, Hao Sect Sichuan branch leader."
"Pleasure. Jang U-gil, as I said."
"Honor to meet you. Always wanted to. You're a true benefactor, Cheolgeom."
"……."
The lantern flame flickered, casting No Cho-san's shadow dancing wildly on the rough rock walls.
Cheolgeom ignored the man's fervent stare and sat opposite.
"So, what info do you need? I'll tell you everything I know. If not, I'll find out and report back!"
"Hm... First, anything suspicious about the Dang Clan's recent moves?"
"Dang Clan? They're always suspicious. Miracle they still fly the righteous sect flag."
No Cho-san muttered as he rummaged through a stack of papers on the desk.
"Ah, here. They're always up to shady shit, but lately it's been extra bad. Qingcheng and Emei are watching them close."
"How so?"
"Not sure exactly. About a year ago, they started acting weird. Sent guys to check—most came back headless. So now we're hanging back."
He handed over a few documents—records so far.
Cheolgeom skimmed them.
Bits from various members, scattered, but no clear thread even the Hao Sect could pin down.
"Last few months, aggressively hiring mercenaries and stockpiling supplies. But internal info's locked tight. Usually means war prep, or..."
"Or?"
"Some expedition brewing... Need more intel. But digging deeper means more casualties..."
No Cho-san smacked his lips, pondered, then shook his head gravely.
"Sorry. Gonna take time to crack what the Dang Clan's hiding."
At least his subordinates' lives mattered more than pickup tricks.
Seeing No Cho-san's lips smack with regret made Cheolgeom chuckle.
"Jangbo-do."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"What the Dang Clan's hiding. Jangbo-do. Don't know specifics, but solid info."
"From who?"
"The Sa-duk."
The four Dang Clan warriors he'd killed at the inn.
Technically from the warrior killed by Sa-duk, but close enough.
No Cho-san's beady eyes blinked wide, mouth agape.
"So the Sa-duk...?"
Cheolgeom tapped the sword at his waist instead of answering.
No Cho-san nodded vigorously.
"Damn! Undefeated with an iron sword, huh? Didn't know you took down even the Sa-duk! Incredible!"
"Got lucky."
"Nah. Those four mad dogs aren't luck kills. Anyway, Jangbo-do... If it's got the Dang Clan moving like this, no ordinary treasure."
Cheolgeom tossed out the first thing that came to mind as No Cho-san tugged his beard irritably.
"Any ancient manuals left by old masters around Sichuan?"
"Plenty of those. And the Dang Clan? Would they get this cautious over one manual?"
"Might be more than one. Like, since Sam Bong hung out here, maybe his insights. Tempting even for them, right?"
"Ah!"
No Cho-san, with more intel than him, snapped his fingers as something clicked and rummaged a wall shelf.
"Where is it... Ah, here!"
He pulled a dusty tome from the shelf.
Dust billowed in the still underground chamber.
"Cough! Cough! Fuckin' hell, should've dusted this."
Coughing nonstop, No Cho-san flipped through like possessed.
"Yes! That's it!"
He jabbed a finger at a page and shoved it over.
Cheolgeom glanced down, curious.
"Tushin?"
"Yep! Tushin! Should've clicked with Jangbo-do. Getting old, forgetting shit."
"Explain."
"Tushin's Jangbo-do. Old legend around Sichuan."
No Cho-san spun the tale like a grandpa to his grandkid.
Tushin Yi Ul-ryang.
Ancient warrior from Zhang Sanfeng's era. Rose from nothing to conquer the jianghu—a legendary peak master.
Back then, the world split into the righteous Zhang Sanfeng, demonic Heavenly Demon, and demonic Tushin.
Coincidentally, all three retired around the same time, fueling jianghu gossip for ages.
"So you think the Dang Clan got Tushin's Jangbo-do?"
"Yeah. Probably marks his burial spot. His arts didn't pass down. Think about it—rivaled Zhang Sanfeng and Heavenly Demon. Snag that, and they'd be top clan. Top faction even."
No Cho-san nodded with conviction.
Cheolgeom wasn't sold so quick.
"Why Tushin specifically? Sichuan's full of old masters. Could be weapons, elixirs—not insights."
"Fair. But Cheolgeom, think. If just weapons or pills, would they risk beefing with Qingcheng and Emei?"
"Hmm..."
"I'm sure it's a huge gamble for them. High odds, though."
Weapons or pills boost a few individuals.
Tushin's arts? Elevate the whole clan several tiers.
No Cho-san led men; Cheolgeom wandered solo. Different views.
"Plus, Tushin's Jangbo-do rumors have sparked riots here before. Last one about a century ago."
"Could be another bust, then."
"Sure. But feels like too big a bet for the Dang Clan..."
Tushin's Jangbo-do.
More intriguing that he shared an era with Zhang Sanfeng. Maybe another personal fateful encounter like the Sam Bong Do.
'Worth checking if the chance comes.'
Jangbo-do aside, Thousand Face Fox took priority.
No sense getting crushed in a whale fight.
No Cho-san had no specifics beyond her being in Seongdo.
"Alright, Cheolgeom. About that info fee..."
No Cho-san rubbed his hands, eyes gleaming.
'Where's an old fart gonna use it?'
Cheolgeom shook his head and shared a few lady-pleasing techniques in return.
No Cho-san's grin stretched ear-to-ear; his butt fidgeted like he couldn't wait to bolt.
"Night already."
Business done, Cheolgeom stepped out of Cheonun Pavilion.
Time had flown; the sky brimmed with twinkling stars and the Milky Way. Emerging from the stuffy basement made the night sky seem especially stunning. He strolled leisurely, admiring the celestial tapestry as he left the alley.
-Hahaha! Nailed it big time this round!
-Congrats, Brother Kim! Drink's on me!
-Sweet! Hell yeah!
Seongdo's vendor-packed alleys had turned to booze carts and snacks by night.
Drunken revelers' clamor, faint liquor scent tickling the nose, late autumn chill.
Sam Bong Do in hand, his mood was golden.
"Maybe hit a tavern tonight."
-Hiiing!
The drowsy black horse perked up, as if eager for fun.
No point heading to the Dang Clan now—just a nuisance.
He figured on crashing outside tonight and exited the alley.
At the end.
"Hm?"
Three men in green warrior robes awaited him.
Dang Gi-hyeok.
"Business go well?"
Cheolgeom grinned, lightly shaking the Jangbo-do in his hand.
"Satisfied."
"Good. Let's go."
"It's late. Inn's fine for tonight."
Dang Gi-hyeok shook his head.
Smiling, no pressure.
But his words carried weight.
"Come with us. The young miss is waiting."