I thought it was time to head back since we had bought everything we needed.
Not just me, but Hongryeon and Sayoon also had their hands full with bags. It wasn’t easy getting through the crowded areas while carrying those, so we decided to take a little detour. After all, there was plenty to see around here.
“Isn’t it heavy?”
I asked Sayoon, who was walking with a basket full of incense, while smiling. But she just shook her head in response.
“Not at all! I’m a martial artist, you know?!”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
“Hehe, if you had said it was heavy, I would’ve thought you needed more training and would’ve made you do extra back at the dojo.”
Sayoon’s expression stiffened, and I burst out laughing. Hongryeon, watching us, giggled and then looked down the street.
“Oh, look over there.”
“Hmm. Lanterns.”
It was a simple event even in Heavenly Bright Moon.
People made lanterns out of bamboo and paper, wrote their wishes on them, and set them afloat on the river. There wasn’t really any reward; it was just pretty to look at.
It seemed quite a few people had already set their lanterns afloat, as there were many drifting along the river.
“Want to give it a try?”
The price wasn’t steep at all—just a few coins to set one adrift. Hongryeon looked at the lanterns and then glanced at Sayoon. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
“Shall we go then?”
Once we reached the lantern-making area, a burly merchant with a friendly face welcomed us with a smile.
“Welcome! Come on in!”
“We’re just looking to set a lantern each. How much is it?”
“Just five coins each, please!”
While I was calculating, Hongryeon quickly paid the fee. When I turned to look at her, she just winked and flashed a grin, leaving me no choice but to dig into my pockets.
After receiving the payment, the merchant brought out bamboo and paper.
Hongryon started showing Sayoon how to make the lantern, while I also managed to put one together.
It wasn’t difficult, but I guess some skills just can’t be ignored.
“Hmm…”
“It’s rough, but it turned out well.”
“Haha, really? Then…”
As I looked at the paper of my lantern, I picked up a brush. Seeing that, Hongryeon smiled brightly.
“That brush.”
“Oh, this was the one you gave me. I’m using it well.”
“Hahaha, I’m glad to hear that!”
After a round of laughter, Hongryeon immediately started writing something on her lantern. Then she lit it and quickly set it afloat on the river.
“It’s best to keep your wishes a secret!”
It seemed she had done this a few times before, as she knew exactly what to do. While we were making the lanterns, I could hear the merchant calling out to all the guests, and I finally wrote something on my lantern.
I just hope there are no mishaps and I can achieve my goals.
By the time I was done, Sayoon seemed to have finished as well.
Did she have a lot of wishes? The side of her lantern was quite densely written.
“What are you writing so much about?”
“There are so many things I want to achieve!”
“What are they?”
“It’s a secret!”
With a shy smile, Sayoon scratched her head and covered the wish part as she set her lantern afloat on the river. Watching our lanterns sail down the river, I picked up my bags.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Even though we were on the way back, it wasn’t completely empty.
Why on earth was there a bottleneck on this street…?
Must be because it was the exit from the night market. I stood waiting amid the crowd, as the front started to move and people began to sweep past us.
Just as Sayoon, who was standing apart, was about to get swept away, I quickly grabbed her arm.
She grabbed my arm.
Hongryeon also seemed to notice it, as she grabbed Sayoon’s arm almost simultaneously with me.
Is that why? Sayoon stared blankly at both Hongryeon and me, alternating her gaze.
“Surprised, are you? Sorry about that. It seemed like there were too many people around and you might get swept away. Of course, you’ve practiced martial arts, so you should be fine…”
“Oh. No, it’s not that… Thank you so much, Senior Sister. I really appreciate it.”
“What’s there to thank for? Now, let’s go.”
In the meantime, the crowd parted, and we could safely return to the inn.
“Then let’s go inside, rest, and meet here tomorrow morning. If you happen to be hungry…”
Both shook their heads. I also had enough left over that I could probably just sleep.
“Are we heading out right at dawn?”
“Yes. We’re planning to leave immediately after finishing our work… Oh, but if you want to look around a bit more, that’s fine too.”
“How about thinking about that once we get there? Sayoon, is that okay?”
“Hehe. I’ll follow the opinions of Senior Sister and the Innkeeper.”
“No, if there’s something you want to see more, it’s perfectly fine.”
After all, we have plenty of time. Sure, we’ll arrive at dawn, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
“Um. Understood. Thank you.”
After thinking for a moment, Sayoon nodded, and we returned to our room. It was a room on the second floor of the inn.
Since it was similar to my room at the inn, it felt completely comfortable.
Is the inn room a standard size?
“Sleeping here feels a bit weird.”
I checked the backyard under the inn. Probably because it’s a place where many martial artists gather?
In the backyard, several martial artists were already practicing.
It wasn’t serious martial arts training; it was more like simple physical training or meditation.
Alright. Then I guess I should practice a bit before sleeping too.
If I skip out on training just because I’m here, Chaejin will notice like a ghost and make me train double.
*
The room with two beds was quite spacious for the two of us. Especially for those who share the living space in Hongseong.
After washing up in the inn’s bathroom, Hongryeon came out first and saw Sayoon sitting on the bed, meditating, and chuckled.
Her determination not to skip training is impressive.
Glancing out the window, I could see several martial artists practicing in the backyard.
And among them, Yu Wol was practicing Tai Chi.
She’s quite the diligent person.
“Oh! You’ve come out?”
At that moment, Sayoon opened her eyes and spoke. Hongryeon nodded at her and asked as she sat down on the bed.
“Why were you so surprised earlier?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, when I grabbed you earlier.”
“Oh… Did that upset you?”
“Not at all. Still, it made me curious because our youngest seemed surprised. I was worried too. Can I ask why you were so startled? If it’s hard to answer, feel free not to.”
Normally, it’s polite to answer questions from those in higher positions, but Hongseong wasn’t like that.
No matter if it’s the Senior Sister or the youngest, Hongseong felt like family.
Personal secrets could be brushed off with a smile.
So, Hongryeon spoke without hesitation, and Sayoon answered without any burden.
“It’s not that. I just remembered something from the past. As you know, before I met the Master, I was just a wandering orphan, right? And back then, since monsters would appear, we often had to flee… At that time, kids like me, the poor little beggars, were really afraid of being swept away in the crowd.”
“True. While fleeing, you can’t really think about anyone else. If you’re not careful, you could get knocked down and trampled and seriously hurt.”
“If you make a wrong move, you might get swept away, trip, and end up seriously injured.”
“Yes. That’s why we were always envious.”
Kids holding onto their adults’ hands.
Those who found stability amidst the swaying crowd while holding their hands.
“We were envious. Those kids who were safe in the midst of the bustling crowd, clutching onto their families’ hands. We could only envy those kids…”
A sense of longing lingered on Sayoon’s lips, and Hongryeon, who faced her, smiled ruefully.
Family.
Family, huh.
“I just really envied those hands back then… but when the Innkeeper held my hand, it just reminded me of those times… Oh! I didn’t mean to create this kind of atmosphere! I just wanted to say thank you to Senior Sister and the Innkeeper!”
A flustered Sayoon floundered. In response, Hongryeon gently patted her head, and at that touch, Sayoon, unsure of how to react, simply ended up laughing.
*
Is it because I set out early this morning to leisurely enjoy the view?
There weren’t many people climbing Changun Mountain, making it nice for sightseeing.
Sure, there were a few families that seemed to have some money, and a couple of young martial artists that looked like they were new to the Murim world.
But they were all the people encountered on the way up the mountain.
With so few people, it was easy to stop and look around… Glad I came early.
“Oh, look! There’s a pavilion over there.”
“That’s the Chuiwoljeong, where the Eight Immortals’ Chwi-seon Lee Cheol-gwa once drank.”
“Wow. That’s impressive… Oh? What’s that over there?”
“That’s a mark left by the Sword Immortal Yeodong-bin.”
“Wow. So the real Eight Immortals visited this place?”
The immense cliff carved with sword marks confirmed that this location was indeed where the immortals resided.
Honestly, who could leave such a sword mark that crosses the entire cliff with a single strike?
And in Heavenly Bright Moon, traces were found through the now-burned Changun-gwan site, leading to real events connecting to the Eight Immortals. So it seems they really did come here.
“Wow… Do you think Master could do something like that?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t think it would be impossible for them.”
Is it because they’re martial artists? While gazing at the cliff, Hongryeon and Sayoon were having a serious conversation.
They weren’t the only ones. Other young martial artists climbing Changun Mountain were also unable to hold back their admiration while looking at the cliff.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
There was still much to see.
Like the basin made by Jeongli-gwon and the flower garden where Nam Chae-hwa planted flowers.
While going up and observing, Hongryeon couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the signs of destruction scattered around.
“Changun-gwan is a place often visited by righteous sects, and because it was once a place where the Eight Immortals stayed, it’s one of the areas frequently attacked by the demonic sect.”
“Wow…”
“That’s why the Murim Alliance has always insisted on stationing their strong martial artists here, but Changun-gwan strongly opposes it. Even after suffering multiple attacks from the demonic sect, they refuse to change their stance. Look over there, a bit of it has collapsed, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s from when the demonic sect attacked last year. I happened to be here on business that time, so I participated in that battle.”
“But why does Changun-gwan refuse to station martial artists?”
“Well? I’m not really sure…”
“I heard that when Changun-gwan was established, an Immortal said that this is a place to carry on the Dao, thus martial power should not reside here.”
“But you need strength to protect it…”
“That’s the policy, so what can you do? However, the spell techniques of the Taoists at Changun-gwan are quite strong, so they’ve been holding up well without major issues.”
“Well, I managed to endure without too much trouble.”
As Hongryeon said, in the Changwoon Hall where martial artists were scarce, events involving the Demon Sect or Evil Monsters would frequently occur.
But no one seemed to have any complaints about that. These events were repetitive, and the rewards were pretty good if you succeeded.
In fact, some people even stayed here just to wait for these events to come around again.
After all, with the Demon Sect and Evil Monsters being supplied automatically, how could you resist that?
Of course, eventually, the Changwoon Hall couldn’t withstand the attacks of the Evil Monsters and the Demon Sect and ended up burning down.
However, no one had any complaints about that either, since it led to the next event of searching for the treasures of the Eight Immortals.
While I was lost in thought, Hongryeon and Sayoon were chatting and looking around as we finally arrived in front of the Changwoon Hall.
An old but large and tidy temple came into view.
As we passed through the entrance of the temple, a middle-aged female Taoist was welcoming visitors in the middle of a wide courtyard.
“May Amitabha Buddha be with you. I wish for the blessings of the Eight Immortals upon you all. Have you come to pray? Or…”
“I’d like to pray and also receive some treasures…”
“If you want to receive treasures, donations are required.”
She handed us a small jar, and I put some coins inside. After bowing her head slightly, she led us inside.
Once we entered, there was a place adorned with paintings of the Eight Immortals.
Normally, there’d be quite a few people, but for some reason, no one was around since the sun had just risen.
“Haha, so you’ve come to acquire treasures?”
The guiding female Taoist bowed her head to an old Taoist who came out holding some papers.
After letting him know that I was the one seeking treasures, she took Hongryeon and Sayoon, who wanted to pray, to the statues of the Eight Immortals on the opposite side.
“The treasures of the Eight Immortals are meant to fill your needs. If you fill this out and give it to me, I will provide you with the most suitable one.”
Saying this, the old Taoist handed me a piece of paper. Meanwhile, I could faintly hear Sayoon praying earnestly from afar.
Haha. That prayer must be for me, right?
Great. I should hurry and get out of here.
I immediately examined the paper. As expected, the content was almost the same as from Heavenly Bright Moon.
If that’s the case, I should be able to get the treasures I want…
I quickly checked the questions, filled out the answers, and handed it over. The old Taoist smiled brightly and came back with a fan.
“Did you know? Teacher Jongri-gwon, the head of the Eight Immortals, has manufactured countless elixirs and produced many items through alchemy. If you keep this well and set it up, the quality of the things produced near the treasures will improve.”
Awesome. I got what I wanted.
The herbal dishes I planned to make at the inn, the talismans that Changju would create, and the weapons and armor from the new blacksmith.
Although the quality might be negligible compared to the original ones I would get later, a little is better than nothing.
“Are we done here?”
“Yes. Did you pray well?”
“Yep. Sayoon, you did well too, right?”
“Yes!”
“Great. Then should we go down and check out some other places?”
Let’s take our time to explore before too many people arrive.
After a quick tour of the Changwoon Hall, we headed back towards the entrance we came through.
“Ahhh! The Demon Sect is here!! The Demon Sect has appeared!”
“…Wait, what?”
Sigh. It’s just my luck today.
Looks like the repeated event of the Demon Sect’s attack on the Changwoon Hall has started.
“Let’s go.”
What can we do now?
Since it’s come to this, let’s break it and grab some rewards!
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