Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Mount Tai Sword Gate (1)
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After descending the mountain, Ouyang Jue first checked the condition of the treasures he had brought with him.
Five inner cores from a spirit beast that must have originally lived on Mount Mao.
Two or three secret manuals written in the script of an ancient kingdom, and a sword forged from a special metal.
The manuals, in particular, felt extraordinary even from a brief glance, so he had taken extra care with them.
*‘Careful… don't let them get damp.’*
While moving, there had been moments when moisture from rain or sweat threatened to render the manuals useless.
Thus, Ouyang Jue judged it would be better to entrust them to someone else rather than carry them to the Mount Hua Sect himself.
*‘It would be great if there was a branch of the Golden Ring Merchant Guild here.’*
But would his luck really hold out that well?
Unsure, Ouyang Jue wrapped the bundle of dehumidifying paper he had received from the Omniscient One around the manuals.
It was made from cypress trees grown on Mount Mao using a special secret method, making it quite a valuable item.
Could the reason he had so readily given it away truly be simple goodwill?
Ouyang Jue recalled the Omniscient One's final words.
“A friend.”
Despite all the things he hadn't revealed, the man's quiet patience and understanding were deeply appreciated.
He was a friend to whom Ouyang Jue wanted to confess everything, someday, truly someday.
He wanted to share over drinks the countless feelings he had kept bottled up inside.
But at least, not now.
Ouyang Jue reminded himself of the first goal he had set upon leaving Mount Hua.
The war with the old Demonic Cult, and the events of that history.
*‘What series of events led to the Mount Hua Sect's rapid decline?’*
Lost in thought, Ouyang Jue began to organize the basic information.
*‘Mount Hua, Qingcheng, Kongtong, and Kunlun, which were close to the Demonic Cult's sphere of influence, suffered great damage. Yet the Sichuan Tang Clan, which was also attacked by the cult, recovered with strange speed.’*
However, the Sichuan Tang Clan had long reigned supreme in Sichuan.
They were a power that had ruled as regional lords from the very beginning.
If they drew upon their extensive blood ties, their recovery would naturally be swift.
*‘Still, it’s worth investigating….’*
But not right now.
He had no intention of crossing the vast distance from Jiangsu to Sichuan just to clarify a single fact.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Investigating the nearest places first was the wise approach.
Especially if it was a place that had played a direct role in the war against the old Demonic Cult.
Ouyang Jue steeled his heart, which had softened during his time with the Omniscient One.
He then tucked the manuals, wrapped in the dehumidifying paper, into the inner fold of his robes.
*Rustle, rustle. Pat, pat.*
After double-checking to make sure the manuals wouldn't fall out, Ouyang Jue left the mountain path of Mount Mao and headed for the main road.
Here, Ouyang Jue was wary of two things.
First, the fact that he had been out of contact with the Martial Alliance for about a week. Second, the anxiety that a martial artist, any martial artist, might attack him at any time.
The common folk might point fingers, calling him petty and unbecoming of the Plum Blossom Sword Hero.
But Ouyang Jue thought differently.
*‘A martial artist from the unorthodox factions wouldn't just pass me by.’*
Although he had fought alongside Liu Zhangming, he was still a famous figure who had defeated Bai Wun-hwan, the Black Dragon Gang Leader, at a young age.
But how many people would believe that fame and those rumors at face value?
Most would assume the Mount Hua Sect or the Martial Alliance had exaggerated the stories.
Wasn't that why an experienced expert like Eonyang-gun had underestimated Ouyang Jue's skills, dismissing him as insignificant and letting his guard down?
Normally, he would consider this an advantage, but…
Ouyang Jue glanced at the manuals hidden in his robes.
No matter how well they were wrapped in dehumidifying paper and concealed by his robes, if someone suddenly scattered poison, the hard-won manuals might dissolve.
If he fought fiercely against attackers, there was a high chance the manuals could fall out.
It would be wonderful if people who saw the manuals simply left them alone, but that was highly unlikely.
Ouyang Jue let out a faint sigh.
“When I get to Huaiyin County, I should first look for a sect affiliated with the Martial Alliance and a branch of the Golden Ring Merchant Guild.”
The Martial Alliance wasn't an issue, as most orthodox sects were affiliated, but it was questionable whether the Golden Ring Merchant Guild would have a branch in Huaiyin County.
Furthermore, he worried whether they could remain honest even after learning the value of the manuals, the famous sword, and the inner cores he carried.
“...Hmm.”
Just thinking about it was a headache.
He had given Bai Chuan a hint just in case, but knowing this would happen, he wished he had been more explicit.
Scratching the back of his head, Ouyang Jue walked along the road, packed down by horses and wheels, and considered his next destination.
“No matter how high the mountains of the world, how can they compare to Mount Tai?”
The living in Chang'an, the dead on Mount Tai.
Since ancient times, emperors who unified the realm were said to have performed sacred rituals on Mount Tai. Thus, it was known as the greatest of all sacred mountains.
In the past, countless battles were fought to obtain Mount Tai's spiritual energy, and the sects that managed to occupy it fought amongst themselves to become its sole master.
But now, there was only one sect.
A sect that had suffered the most grievous wounds in the fight against the old Demonic Cult, a sect whose martial arts—the very lifeblood of their school—had been scattered to the winds.
The Mount Tai Sword Gate.
* * *
A short while later.
Ouyang Jue was having a hard time at a small Taoist temple in Huaiyin County.
“Are… are you really the Plum Blossom Sword Hero?”
“I already told you I am.”
Ouyang Jue nearly scowled as the man with the goatee kept asking the same question.
Of course, Ouyang Jue understood.
Here was a man whose robes were not just dirty but had the plum blossom emblem crushed and distorted, claiming to be the Plum Blossom Sword Hero.
Moreover, with his robes stuffed full of various items, he must have looked like a common peddler.
Even now, a few warriors standing around the man were giving him suspicious looks.
Even though he was openly wearing Severing Manifestation.
Ouyang Jue seriously considered whether he should demonstrate his Plum Blossom Sword Arts.
“What do I have to show you to make you believe…?”
“I will vouch for his identity.”
Ouyang Jue glanced back at the sudden voice from behind him.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the face.
The warriors who had been eyeing him suspiciously had already stepped back, assuming the posture of divine general statues.
Just then, the man with the goatee cleared his throat.
“My, Guild Master of the Golden Ring, what brings you here?”
“Why else would a merchant travel to a foreign place? For business or an appointment, of course.”
Bai Chuan, wearing his usual leisurely smile, clasped his fist in salute to Ouyang Jue.
At the same time, he shot a discreet glare at the goateed man.
“I have vouched for his identity. Do you intend to just stand there?”
“Th-that’s not it, but.”
As the goateed man shrank back in fear, Bai Chuan's expression softened.
“You can bill the Golden Ring Merchant Guild directly for the cost of sending the carrier pigeon.”
“Yes. Understood.”
As the goateed man scurried away, leaving the warriors behind, Ouyang Jue let out a hearty laugh.
“Have you expanded into Jiangsu since we last met? It can’t be easy for a merchant to exert influence, even in a small temple like this.”
“While you were building your great name, Great Hero, I had no intention of sitting idle myself. I am merely making the most of the opportunity you gave me.”
Responding to Ouyang Jue's subtle compliment with humility, Bai Chuan pointed to a nearby inn.
“Winter has not yet passed, and the air is chilly. Let us go somewhere warm for a cup of tea.”
From his words, Ouyang Jue guessed that Bai Chuan had been waiting here to meet him.
He wondered if Bai Chuan had put a tail on him, but it was unlikely the Golden Ring Merchant Guild had anyone capable of such a feat.
In that case, there was only one answer.
Ouyang Jue muttered as he watched the goateed man, who had already moved some distance away.
“Weren't you a bit too hard on him over such a trivial matter?”
“A man who is master of a temple, yet sells his soul for mere coin, is not worthy of respect.”
As if to say the same applied to the warriors, Bai Chuan scoffed at them in a loud voice.
*Creeak, thud.*
Pushing the door open, Ouyang Jue surveyed the empty inn and let out a dry laugh.
“Isn’t this a bit much?”
“I judged it better than having untrustworthy outsiders eavesdropping, but if you think it excessive, I can….”
“No, it’s fine. If you judged it necessary, Guild Master, then there must have been a reason.”
Ouyang Jue poured Yanghe liquor into a cup and enjoyed its aroma.
He'd had many interesting experiences on Mount Mao, but he had still spent a week living with the smell of earth.
Nothing had brought such pleasure to his senses as this.
A faint smile appeared on Ouyang Jue's face.
“Thank you for preparing such fine liquor, but I will be leaving for another place soon, so I can’t drink.”
“Oh, what a shame.”
“If you’re truly disappointed, give it to Cheol Pung-gae. He'd surely sell his soul for it.”
At those words, Bai Chuan recalled Cheol Pung-gae's face and chuckled.
“As it happens, I was just about to speak of him.”
“Did something happen to Cheol Pung-gae?”
“It’s just that….”
Bai Chuan’s subsequent story could be summarized in a few words.
Not only had contact been lost with the Martial Alliance members who went to Mount Mao, but Ouyang Jue's whereabouts had also become unknown.
So, Nangong Cheon tried to inform the Mount Hua Sect of Ouyang Jue’s status, but Cheol Pung-gae insisted he would search for him personally.
Thus, even if the goateed man sent a carrier pigeon, the Martial Alliance would already know everything.
Having explained the situation so far, Bai Chuan gave a faint smile.
“...So, we sent men to the four counties surrounding Mount Mao and were searching for you, Great Hero. I was just the lucky one.”
“Then is Cheol Pung-gae also nearby?”
“If I send a carrier pigeon, he will be here within two hours. Shall I call for him?”
Ouyang Jue pictured the fuss Cheol Pung-gae would make and shook his head.
“That’s all right. By the way, for the Guild Master to know this much… Cheol Pung-gae must have been quite flustered, running his mouth all over the place.”
At those words, Bai Chuan recalled the situation at the time and twitched his lips.
To be honest, Cheol Pung-gae hadn't been worried about Ouyang Jue out of pure goodwill.
The lines on Bai Chuan's jaw suddenly deepened.
“You, I, and that Beggars' Sect member are all tied together by the black powder. Cheol Pung-gae probably saw you as both an ally and a risk, Great Hero.”
“Well, I understand. If it were me, I would have done the same.”
“Truly befitting of a Great Hero.”
“No need to flatter me so. Didn’t you experience firsthand what kind of person I am that day?”
At Ouyang Jue's blunt, unpretentious words, Bai Chuan quietly sipped his Yanghe liquor.
Unlike Liu Zhangming, who was the epitome of a Taoist, Ouyang Jue was unusually knowledgeable about worldly affairs, and sharp-witted.
He was not above using unsavory methods to achieve his goals.
*‘If it had been Great Hero Liu instead of Great Hero Ouyang during the Zhenzhou Yan Clan incident, he would never have even considered using black powder.’*
In that respect, Bai Chuan regarded Ouyang Jue as a benefactor, but also feared him a little.
On the other hand, he respected him.
Unlike himself, who had been incompetently cast out, Ouyang Jue’s desperate struggles and inner turmoil seemed so very human.
It was different from the tales of heroes told in the marketplaces.
That was the charm of the man named Ouyang Jue.
Having organized his thoughts, Bai Chuan put down the liquor he was sipping and looked at Ouyang Jue.
“I know what kind of person you are, Great Hero.”
“…”
“But I am a man who knows shame. Even if you were a villain, Great Hero, I intend to repay my debt to you. That is the least I can do to show my loyalty.”
“I’m not a villain, though.”
When Ouyang Jue retorted in a flash of anger, Bai Chuan asked slyly.
“So, what can I do for you?”
“I was just about to ask you to transport these.”
*Thud.*
As Ouyang Jue placed the items he had acquired from the dragon's lair on the table, Bai Chuan stared at them intently.
Then, his expression slowly turned to one of astonishment.