Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Mount Tai Sword Gate (2)
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“My goodness! If we could sell all of this, our guild would become one of the wealthiest in all of Zhongyuan.”
Bai Chuan’s voice trembled as he spoke, still unable to believe what he was seeing was real.
It was understandable. A single glance at the swords revealed an incredible level of craftsmanship.
He prided himself on having cultivated a discerning eye over the years, having seen thousands, even tens of thousands of items, but what Ouyang Jue had brought was no ordinary merchandise.
Of all the items he had seen in his entire life, these easily ranked within the top five.
As Bai Chuan snapped his head up, Ouyang Jue let out a soft whistle.
“To safely transport goods of this caliber, there’s no one better suited than the Guild Master.”
“Are you truly entrusting these to me? You would be better off with someone who doesn’t know their value.”
At those words, Ouyang Jue watched Bai Chuan intently before parting his lips.
“Do not test yourself.”
“...”
“If you think I have some hidden motive for entrusting these items to you, you are mistaken. Though I may have my secrets, I don’t engage in such spineless acts as testing the allies I keep by my side.”
Bai Chuan admitted frankly.
“I apologize, Great Warrior.”
“I understand what you’re thinking. It must be a great burden for a man who suddenly vanished to reappear and ask you to transport goods of unknown origin.”
And every single one of them was a treasure that could make a man rich enough to command respect.
Hoping Ouyang Jue might reveal the items’ origin, Bai Chuan listened intently.
But Ouyang Jue could not meet his expectation.
“I cannot tell you under the current circumstances. But one thing is certain.”
“And what is that?”
“That these items now belong to me. If anyone appears during the transport and claims they are theirs, come to me.”
Because such a person would undoubtedly be connected to the Eight Evils.
Ouyang Jue kept that last part to himself and added another warning.
“I will handle it myself so that you are not put in a difficult position. If you try to handle it alone like last time, your entire family could be annihilated.”
“So that is the kind of trouble you were caught up in.”
Bai Chuan instinctively thought of Mount Mao, then quickly erased it from his memory.
It was something he couldn't dare to speculate on until Ouyang Jue himself spoke of it, not to mention it was a scandal involving a member of the Martial Alliance.
If he kept it in mind and let his tongue slip, a rumor could spread that Ouyang Jue had killed a member of the Martial Alliance.
At that point, it wouldn’t just be the survival of the Golden Ring Merchant Guild at stake; they would be swept into a massive vortex.
When Bai Chuan nodded in understanding, Ouyang Jue smiled in satisfaction.
“Then, where should I transport these items?”
To Bai Chuan’s question, Ouyang Jue gave a very simple answer.
“Deliver them directly to the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Understood.”
As Bai Chuan, with a business-like expression, began appraising each item and planning the route, Ouyang Jue quietly rose from his seat.
Honestly, he felt quite sorry.
For a merchant, the origin of their goods was their lifeline, a fundamental principle of trade.
There was a reason why ‘handling goods of unclear origin’ was one of the ways large merchant guilds met their downfall.
In a way, he had unilaterally burdened Bai Chuan.
“...When this is all over, I’ll buy you a grand round of drinks.”
As Ouyang Jue muttered softly and left the inn, Bai Chuan chuckled and replied.
“If that day ever comes.”
* * *
For the next few days, Ouyang Jue walked diligently, keeping his ears open to his surroundings.
No matter how well things had concluded at Mount Mao, a week was enough time for more than ten sects in the martial world to fall and for new ones to be created.
Besides, even with the information he got from Bai Chuan and Cheol Pung-gae, his perspective on what was important differed from theirs, having lived a past life.
Especially now that he knew of the Eight Evils’ existence, Ouyang Jue no longer clung to the events of his past life.
From the moment he saved Ha Jin-ak, the timeline had already deviated significantly.
Expecting history to unfold exactly as it had before, and for the Eight Evils to move in the same way, was something only a fool would do.
Therefore, he had to grasp the changing trends, think, and act immediately.
Until he reached Taian County in Shandong, Ouyang Jue kept his words to a minimum, speaking only when necessary.
He was extremely cautious, worried that rumors of his appearance in Shandong might negatively affect the Mount Hua Sect.
‘I am quite curious to see the Sect Leader’s face when he receives this sudden windfall.’
Wouldn’t he be so stunned he couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or awake?
Ouyang Jue chuckled and entered the mountain path of Mount Tai.
*Swoosh…*
As evening approached, the sunset gradually filled the sky. The resulting orange and red hues pushed against each other, painting the sea of clouds.
‘So that is one of the three sights of Mount Tai.’
Sunrise, sunset, and the sea of clouds.
It was a magnificent view created as clouds coiled around the high peaks of Mount Tai, colored by the sunlight depending on the time of day.
The Omniscient One had said it was a mystical phenomenon created by the Daoist scriptures of Mount Tai.
Ouyang Jue smiled warmly, feeling as though he had seen something precious unexpectedly.
In any case, once he started climbing, he would soon reach the Mount Tai Sword Gate.
‘Normally, there would be disciples at the First Heaven Gate, Middle Heaven Gate, and South Heaven Gate, which would have taken some time…’
As the Mount Tai Sword Gate declined and its members began to scatter, that tradition had slowly faded.
What remained now were the three gates on the path to the summit.
And the fact that among the Five Great Mountains of Zhongyuan, its path was the most well-maintained after Mount Hua and Mount Song.
“...Hoo, hoo.”
Since he had arrived at a mountain after a long while, Ouyang Jue stopped circulating his internal energy and began to climb using only his physical strength.
Unlike his transcendent internal energy, his physical prowess was only slightly superior for his age, hardly at the level of a peak master.
Besides, wasn’t this a climb accompanied by the three sights of Mount Tai?
Every day was busy and arduous. Without these occasional moments of rest, he would quickly become exhausted.
Of course, this meant he would likely arrive at the Mount Tai Sword Gate only after the sun had set.
But that, too, had its pros and cons.
If he arrived too early, they would ask him to leave, as they didn’t welcome guests. If he arrived too late, no one would be awake.
Therefore, Ouyang Jue adjusted his pace appropriately to time his arrival.
But two hours later.
Ouyang Jue had to change his mind.
“I wonder how many months it’s been since we had a guest. It feels like a lifetime.”
“...”
To think the only person at the Mount Tai Sword Gate was a white-haired old man.
As Ouyang Jue’s expression gradually hardened, the old man grinned.
“I know you’re disappointed, but cheer up. I’ll take you to the forbidden area of the Mount Tai Sword Gate!”
At those words, Ouyang Jue’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Of course, of course! Would I lie?”
That night, Ouyang Jue had to spend the entire time with the old man, polishing the altars and tombstones.
* * *
Afterward, Ouyang Jue persistently observed the old man, trying to figure out his position in the Mount Tai Sword Gate and what martial arts he practiced.
However, the old man didn't say a word about the sect, let alone his own name.
The offer on the first day to take him to the forbidden area now seemed like an exceptional anomaly.
Frustrated, Ouyang Jue lost his temper.
“If you were just going to treat me like I don’t exist, why did you ask me to clean the tombstones on the first day?”
“...Well, shall we call it a simple whim?”
When the old man added, "if that makes you feel better," a surge of anger rose within him.
‘To think I came here believing there was truly something to find, something to learn.’
All that was at the Mount Tai Sword Gate was an old man cleaning tombstones and an empty sect.
Ouyang Jue let out a deep sigh.
There was a reason he couldn't bring himself to leave despite this experience.
*...Swish, swish.*
The neatness with which the old man sometimes swept away the unmelted snow was cleaner than any orthodox sword art.
Even though he held a broom with dozens of bristles, for a moment, it felt like a sharply honed blade.
And what about the old man’s movements when walking on the icy path?
Without circulating even a speck of internal energy, he walked freely on the slippery path as if it were flat ground.
It wasn't quite walking on water, but it meant he was a master of footwork and movement techniques.
So why was such an old man guarding the deserted Mount Tai Sword Gate?
Ouyang Jue was so curious that he couldn't decide to descend the mountain.
He had no other leads to investigate besides the Mount Tai Sword Gate.
If he left here, his plan was to go straight to Mount Hua and analyze the manuals with the Sect Leader and the elders.
‘But that way, I won’t learn what happened during the era of the former Demonic Cult.’
That bothered him so much that Ouyang Jue remained at the Mount Tai Sword Gate with the old man.
Another reason was that there was something suspicious about the old man.
‘Where did the sword arts that allowed the Mount Tai Sword Gate to reign as the masters of Mount Tai for so long disappear to? And why does the sect still exist here even after all its disciples have vanished? All these questions point to the old man. And yet…’
The old man himself spent all day cleaning around the Mount Tai Sword Gate and polishing the tombstones.
Why was a martial artist, who at a glance seemed to have achieved a level beyond the peak, doing this?
Ouyang Jue asked with a sense of pity.
“Elder.”
“...?”
“Why are you doing this here?”
“What do you mean, why? I’m here because I hate the bastards outside.”
When the old man answered bluntly and turned his head away, Ouyang Jue chuckled and approached him.
“Who do you hate the most?”
At those words, the old man stopped what he was about to say and stared at Ouyang Jue with a blank expression.
Soon, a killing intent that felt like it was licking his entire body swept past Ouyang Jue.
‘...!’
Was this the stage of sword will?
As Ouyang Jue frowned and circulated his Purple Mist True Energy, the old man’s blank expression softened.
“What, you’re a Mount Hua brat?”
“Ugh. What was that for? Out of the blue.”
“After bothering me for three or four days, you suddenly ask who I hate the most. How am I supposed to answer that?”
The old man smiled coldly.
“Kid, I don’t care who you are. So stop paying attention to me.”
With that, the old man began to sweep each and every step of the stairs leading up to the Mount Tai Sword Gate with his broom.
As if a sect that no one visited had any value.
The old man continued to clear the snow, a faint smile on his face as if that alone was enough.
With the old man’s will being so strong, Ouyang Jue found it difficult to ask anything more.
‘If I press further, I might have to face a life-or-death battle.’
To come all this way only to meet a grumpy old man, with no one to talk to, and a place no one ever visits.
Just as Ouyang Jue clicked his tongue and considered heading down,
The old man’s lips parted slightly.
“Speaking of which, you. Since you’re a Mount Hua brat, do you know someone named Cheol Geum-san?”
“...Pardon?”
At those words, Ouyang Jue froze completely, at a loss for how to respond.
Cheol Geum-san. Who was he?
Wasn’t he the demonic leader who had tried to drive the Mount Hua Sect into complete crisis?
Seeing Ouyang Jue’s face stiffen, the old man’s expression grew worried.
“Don’t tell me that guy... is he unwell somewhere?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Watching the old man’s worried face gradually turn mournful, Ouyang Jue realized he had to answer.
“Elder Cheol Geum-san not only practiced the Asura Demonic Scripture but was also executed for betraying the Mount Hua Sect.”
The moment he heard those words, the old man collapsed to the ground and began to mutter.
“That can’t be. It can’t be true.”
*Drip, drip.*
Hot tears fell onto the pile of snow the old man had swept together.