Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Dream of the Hidden Powerhouse
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"Isn't the water pitcher right there next to you?"
I pointed at the shiny pitcher beside the Young Cult Leader.
"That's just well water. I won't touch anything less than the pure spring water flowing down from the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains."
Then to me...
"Are you telling me to go fetch spring water from the one flowing on this mountain right now?"
"That's right."
I hoped I'd misunderstood him...
But my hopes shattered against his shameless response.
No, don't give up.
Get it together, Seol Cheon-seong! They say even if you enter a tiger's den, you can survive if you stay sharp!
If I used my head right, there might be a way out of this ridiculous demand.
"I don't know the layout of this mountain. I wouldn't even know where to find a spring."
I put on my best pitiful expression for him, like I was putting on a show.
No matter what, he wouldn't send a lost seven-year-old kid wandering the mountain paths, right?
"Perfect. You can learn the paths while fetching the water. And since it's your first time here, I won't scold you no matter when you get back."
He spoke as if he were granting me some great mercy.
I don't want that kind of favor at all!
Shouldn't you come looking for a kid like me who can't even practice swordsmanship if I don't return for a while?
What if I got lost or something?
The Demonic Cult is merciless even to a seven-year-old.
You devil of a Young Cult Leader!
I snatched the empty pitcher with a clatter and stormed out of his quarters.
"If you're sending me on a mountain hike, at least feed me first!"
I muttered my complaints about him under my breath when suddenly a tempting rice ball filled my vision.
"The Young Cult Leader didn't even pack you food? Little ghost kid."
Well, I'm still alive, you know.
Why do you keep calling a living person a ghost?
The one handing me the rice ball was Chae-chae, one of the chili pepper twins.
"Yeah, I'm hungry..."
I'd been stewing in frustration over the devilish Young Cult Leader's cruelty with no one to vent to...
But when Chae-chae spoke up first, a wave of grievance welled up.
"Then eat this at least. I brought an extra just in case."
Seeing my teary face, he fumbled awkwardly and placed the rice ball in my hand.
"...Thanks. Chae-chae... no, Brother Chae-chae is so kind?"
"Brother?"
My fondness for Chae-chae skyrocketed from one rice ball, so I called him by a friendly term.
Anyone who gives you tasty food is a good person, and if they're handsome, they're all big brothers!
Chae-chae looked embarrassed at the unfamiliar term from my mouth but his eyes showed he was pleased.
"Well, if there's a chance, I'll bring some tomorrow too."
"Thanks, Brother Chae-chae."
I took a big bite of the rice ball he'd given me.
When you're hungry, even rice balls taste amazing!
"Don't choke. Sit here and eat slowly."
As I wolfed it down, Chae-chae grabbed my waist and lifted me onto a nearby flat rock.
"That good?"
"Yeah! So good!"
Starving as I was, I polished off the rice ball in seconds.
Now that my belly was full, my brain finally started working again.
And that's when I noticed the empty pitcher I had to fill with spring water from the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
"Brother Chae-chae, is there a big taste difference between well water and the spring water from the mountains?"
"Of course there is. The mountain spring water feels a bit clearer and cooler."
"Can the Young Cult Leader really tell them apart?"
"Someone of his caliber would sense the mountain's essence in the water."
Ugh... that Young Cult Leader has annoyingly sharp senses.
I was planning to pass off well water as spring water if he couldn't tell, but no dice.
Now I had no choice but to hike up and find the spring.
The silver lining? I had someone to ask about the spring's location!
"Brother Chae-chae, do you know where the spring flows from?"
"Did the Young Cult Leader tell you to fetch spring water?"
"Yeah, fill this up."
I held up the pitcher for him to see.
"It's uphill, so it'll be tough... but it's not too far from here."
Not too far? That's welcome news amid the misfortune.
"Could you tell me where it is?"
"Follow the path I'm pointing to all the way up, and you'll hit an uphill section. Stay on the main trail, and the spring will be there. Just scoop from it."
His directions sounded straightforward enough.
If I sit too long, I'll lose the will to move, so better hurry there and back.
"Thanks for telling me. I'll go fetch the water then."
"Ahem, I wanted to go with you, but training starts soon. Come back alive! Little ghost kid!"
As I turned toward the direction he pointed, he called out what might have been encouragement or a curse.
Come back alive, but calls me little ghost kid.
Does he want me to live or die?
I thought it was safe since it's not far, but what's with that...?
Anyway, I decided to believe it was Chae-chae cheering me on to return alive and headed up the mountain path.
"This incline is way too steep!"
The uphill Chae-chae mentioned was so rugged I practically had to crawl.
Is this why he told me to come back alive?
Where on earth has Daddy been living?
Suddenly, I recalled descriptions of him strolling the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains in a single step.
To think I believed someone like that was frail...
What a massive mistake.
I pushed on, newly impressed by Daddy, until I spotted streams of water trickling down from the rocky path in several directions.
If water's flowing, the spring must be nearby, right?
"Great!"
Just follow the streams, and it'll be easier to find!
Forgetting Chae-chae's advice to stick to the main trail, I chased the water like it was a vein of gold.
Then a small cave entrance, just big enough for me to squeeze through, appeared.
"He didn't say the spring was in a cave..."
But the water was definitely flowing out from inside.
'I've come this far—might as well check it out!'
Even if it's not the one Chae-chae meant, it's still mountain spring water flowing down the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. Should be fine, right?
Inside the cave, I heard the drip of water droplets and the rush of a stream.
'Darker than I thought.'
Still, light seeped in from the entrance, and once my eyes adjusted, I could see the interior.
That's when I shouted in delight.
"Found it! The spring!"
There was a spring inside the cave.
A mysterious aura emanated from it, with an unbloomed lotus bud floating on the surface.
"First, let's quench my thirst."
Thirsty from the climb, I cupped some water and drank.
It flowed through my veins, filling me with surging energy.
"Yeah, the taste is definitely different."
It felt like the water alone was giving me strength.
"Young Cult Leader knows his good stuff. If he knew about this, he should've told Daddy too. Hogging it all for himself. Right, lotus bud?"
I vented my complaints about him to the bud while filling the pitcher.
"Found it quick, so let's rest a bit."
I sat by the spring to catch my breath.
'I climbed that hill—my body should be sore all over, but why do I feel fine?'
By now, my limbs should ache, but nothing hurt.
"Maybe I'm like Daddy with steel-like stamina..."
Turns out I'm a hidden powerhouse?
"If you're curious, just test it."
I grabbed a nearby rock the size of my foot and stood in front of it.
"Hiyah!"
With a kiai, I chopped down with my hand.
And simultaneously...
"Aaaah! My hand!"
Gripping my hand, I rolled on the ground in bone-deep pain.
"Ugh, am I really Daddy's daughter? Did they pick me up from somewhere? Shouldn't I shatter a rock like that easily?!"
I soaked my throbbing hand in the spring, sniffling.
Luckily, it wasn't serious—the pain eased just from immersing it.
That's when I noticed the lotus bud floating there.
"Sorry you saw that mess. Here's some water as apology."
Before leaving, I scooped spring water and sprinkled it over the bud.
"Drink up and grow big!"
Maybe it was my imagination, but the lotus bud seemed more vibrant after the water.
"See you next time I fetch water!"
I waved goodbye to the lotus bud and left the cave.
After Cheon-seong left the cave, a brilliant golden light flared in the darkness, forming the shape of a man with golden hair.
Even in the shadows, his golden eyes gleamed sharply.
His body was drenched, as if from the water.
His ruddy lips curved into a sly smile.
"What an amusing little kid."