0085 : Dark Heaven Village
I felt that I had become somewhat familiar with the language of Goryeo after a year and a half. By that time, I had started to take on more responsibilities as a guardian for the Jeong Clan, and I could understand most vocabulary, provided it wasn’t too difficult. I was not only conversing with Lee Joo-hee but was also able to communicate substantially with other people around me.
It could be said that I had almost mastered the Goryeo language by then. Around that time, Jeong Cheol-wook began to assign me various missions as well.
One day, there was a task to escort a maternal uncle (外叔) of the Jeong Clan outside the capital. He was also a powerful noble, but looked at me, a young person from the Central Plains, with some disdain. However, his attitude changed in an instant when two Great Tigers appeared on the mountain path.
“Roar!”
“Wow!”
“It’s a tiger!”
The noble, along with the four guardian warriors accompanying him, was visibly terrified and their legs trembled. Although they had trained in martial arts, that did not mean they would become extraordinary masters overnight. A tiger of that size could easily represent a threat to even first-class experts, and having two of them meant a serious danger.
However, I immediately fixed my gaze on the tigers and suppressed them with my aura.
“Whoosh!”
“Roar…”
The tigers hesitated for a moment and then fled over the mountain. I presumed they were a male and female pair. Nevertheless, the fact that they charged at me despite sensing my qi suggested they were likely very hungry. The Jeong Clan’s maternal uncle was astonished when he saw me repel the tigers with just my gaze.
“Th-that’s impressive!”
I could accept that up to that point, but his next statement left me speechless.
“Now, hurry up and catch that tiger!”
“……”
“What are you waiting for? Go!”
What on earth was he talking about? Why did I have to catch a tiger?
I asked incredulously in the Goryeo language.
“Why would I need to catch a tiger? Weren’t we just heading to Suwon?”
“Forget about the bandits. Your other guardians are enough. Hurry and bring me the tiger.”
“Then, why do I need to catch the tiger? It should be sufficient just to have chased it away, right?”
“Don’t we need to skin it?”
“……”
Now it appeared they had completely forgotten about their recent life-threatening encounter and only cared about acquiring a precious tiger pelt. Tiger skins were expensive luxury goods. However, it was a problem, both morally and practically, to ask an escort to catch a tiger out of the blue. Above all, I was not even a direct servant or subordinate of that maternal uncle.
As I couldn’t hide my displeasure and began to exude a menacing aura, it seemed that the captain of the guardian warriors next to me noticed. He quickly pulled me aside and spoke.
“Baek Woong, I understand you’re upset, but could you please do me a favor? It’s not an impossible task for someone of your skills.”
“Why should I listen to such absurd nonsense? My current master is Jeong Cheol-wook, not this person.”
“Well, that is true, but he is also Wang-suk. As a member of the royal family, his standing is formidable. If you casually disregard his words, it won’t bode well for your future.”
I frowned.
“Setting that aside, those tigers were so hungry that they approached me despite sensing my qi. Do we really need to go catch them? And even if we do, do you think fighting two cornered tigers will be easy? Even mobilizing a hundred soldiers would not guarantee success.”
He looked almost on the verge of tears as he knelt and begged.
“Ugh… I have no argument against that. But please try to understand my position. And a starving tiger might attack another human later. Isn’t this ultimately an act of goodwill?”
“Hmm.”
I felt as if an annoying task had suddenly appeared. Reluctantly, I stated,
“Fine. I’ll try, but don’t expect much. If I bring back the tiger hide or not, linking it to Jeong Cheol-wook’s honor would be something you’ll need to consider.”
At my response, the captain’s face lit up.
“Ah, of course!”
From his perspective, the very idea of me outright defying him would be a fearsome prospect. Whether I succeeded or failed in hunting the tiger, for now, he just needed me to obey the order.
I set off in pursuit of the tiger’s trail towards the hills. However, finding a tiger’s tracks in the hills was not easy, and I soon came to a stop as I followed the footsteps into a dense thicket.
I lacked specialized hunting and tracking skills, so from now on, I would have to rely on my qi perception to comb the entire mountainous area, hoping to encounter a tiger. It was such a bothersome task that I let out a sigh.
“Haah…”
I felt pity for the tiger. Having lived in the wilderness of Mount Huang for many years, I understood that wild animals struggle daily for survival. Tigers were no exception. The agony of searching for food alone in the mountains, fighting against hunger and fear without anyone to help them, was something beyond the comprehension of city-dwelling humans. Hence, the thought of a tiger appearing against its will, despite sensing my immense qi, made me feel sorry for it.
Wouldn’t it be better to let that maternal uncle become the tiger’s prey?
That thought crossed my mind.
As such thoughts crept in, I questioned why I was standing here. Was it truly necessary to wander aimlessly in these mountains, beat a starving tiger to death, and then skin it? However, as the captain of the guardian warriors had pointed out, a hungry tiger could indeed pose a threat to passersby. Reluctantly, I stepped into the thicket.
After wandering through the brush for about two hours while scanning for any signs of the tiger, I caught sight of a large creature moving about. I thought it was a tiger and rushed towards it.
Swish!
“……!!”
But it wasn’t. The moment I saw its form, I screamed,
“Yuk?!”
It looked exactly like the creature I had read about in books. It resembled a cow but lived on a high hill. With a serpent’s tail and wings nestled beneath its armpits, it made a sound akin to a Liuniu (유우). Its name was Yuk, and it supposedly died in winter and resurrected in summer; consuming it was said to cure abscesses.
Before me stood a monster from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, precisely as depicted. Its illustration corresponded so closely to reality that there was no room for doubt.
“Kuuh!”
This creature, resembling a cow with a serpent’s tail and wings, emitted a long cry upon spotting me. However, it showed no intention to attack; it lifted its front paw, stabilized itself against a tree, and began to gnaw at the bark beside it. It appeared the creature had come here to munch on tree bark peacefully.
I had never believed I would see a monster from the Classic of Mountains and Seas in reality. The Classic was essentially a work of fiction fueled by the imagination. But witnessing the Yuk in person almost made me lose my mind. Why, of all places, was I seeing such a creature in this desolate area of Goryeo?
‘Could it be that the tigers have been unable to hunt because of this Yuk?’
The Yuk seemed to be herbivorous, yet it was massive—almost monstrous in size. Standing upright, it could easily overlook the mountain. If such a creature was nearby, it was no wonder the tigers were too distracted by it to hunt properly. I was staring blankly at the Yuk when a voice reached my ears.
“Are you familiar with the Classic of Mountains and Seas, sir?”
It was a human voice. When I turned around, I saw a monk dressed in robes standing there. I scrutinized him and noted that he had considerable internal strength, a master indeed—not someone who would fear a tiger. I spoke to him.
“I am Baek Woong, a guardian warrior of the Jeong Clan in Goryeo. I have come to eliminate starving tigers that may threaten humans.”
“Ah, I see. I am Ji-yool, a monk of the Twelve Righteous (십이율).”
“Do you know about this Yuk?”
“Of course. I came here because of that creature.”
Swish!
As Ji-yool spoke, he threw a prayer bead he was holding towards the Yuk. The Yuk, who had been gnawing at the bark, suddenly contorted in pain upon being hit by the radiant energy emanating from the prayer bead. Soon after, its immense form shrank dramatically, leaving only a small jade behind before vanishing entirely.
I could hardly contain my astonishment at the strange spectacle unfolding before me. This was beyond the realm of martial arts.
“Was that sorcery?”
As Ji-yool picked up the jade, he replied,
“In Taoism, it is referred to as sorcery, but in Buddhism, it’s called spiritual power. I have received word that the balance of heaven and earth has been disrupted, causing the monsters of the Classic to appear everywhere, and I am here to rectify that under the auspices of the Heavenly Terrace Sect.”
Ji-yool seemed to possess proficiency in both martial arts and sorcery. He showed me the jade and said,
“Look at this. This Black Jade is filled with a sinister energy. It is clear evidence that someone has purposely summoned the monsters of the Classic of Mountains and Seas throughout Goryeo.”
“What? Who would do such a thing?”
“I still cannot say for certain. However, during my 300-mile journey from the main temple to here, I have eliminated seven monsters. Chaos may soon descend upon Goryeo.”
“Hmm…”
I let out a sound of contemplation. Although the Yuk I had just seen was not a carnivorous monster, the creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas all possessed the kind of strength that could easily trample wild animals. If such beings were to rampage in human settlements, the consequences would be uncontainable. It seemed that the monk Ji-yool and the Twelve Righteous were trying to handle this turmoil.
Ji-yool then spoke to me.
“I have heard of your reputation as a master from the stories passed down by the monks of the Twelve Righteous. It is said that there is a prodigy in the Jeong Clan with martial skills comparable to that of the leader of the Twelve Righteous, and indeed, the rumors hold true. Quite the opposite, it is I who is impressed by your qi.”
“You’re being too kind.”
“Thus, I wish to seek your assistance. It seems that handling the monsters from the Classic of Mountains and Seas will be difficult for me alone. Would you lend me a hand?”
I shook my head.
“I would like to help, but I am tied to the Jeong Clan and cannot act recklessly outside of my duties.”
“Hmm… That is unfortunate.”
“With your skills, Ji-yool, you should be able to handle the monsters well enough on your own, don’t you think?”
“No. The issue is not with the monsters, but rather with the ability of the sinister mastermind who summoned them. If they are capable of summoning dozens or hundreds of monsters, it is highly likely that I cannot handle it alone.”
I see.
Certainly, as Ji-yool gathers jades and searches for the energy of this mastermind, he will eventually uncover the truth. However, the sorcerer’s skills would certainly be formidable. Thus, Ji-yool was intent on recruiting as many allies as possible.
After pondering for a moment, I asked,
“Are you, by any chance, from Haeinsa?”
“Unfortunately, Haeinsa is affiliated with the Jogye order, so I have no ties to it.”
“I must visit Haeinsa for an important matter; is there any way it can be arranged?”
It seemed that Ji-yool, sensing something in my tone, contemplated for a moment before he spoke.
“The abbot at Haeinsa, Great Master Daejeong, is a close friend of my master, so perhaps he would listen. However, it might be a bit awkward given our differing sects.”
I cut to the chase.
“I have a matter I need to discuss privately with Great Master Daejeong. If you could facilitate an introduction, I will do my utmost to assist you, Ji-yool.”
“Hmm… Very well. It seems we can help each other.”
Once our agreement was settled, I ventured nearby to find a tiger’s cave and subdued a tiger. However, killing it felt off to me, so I captured a couple of wild boars nearby and tossed them to the tigers. Watching the tigers eat the boars with relish, Ji-yool, who stood beside me, frowned.
“Why are you sparing the tiger’s life?”
“It’s my decision. Besides, if they are well-fed, they shouldn’t pose a threat to humans for a while, right?”
“……”
From the tigers’ perspective, I was an alien entity that had suddenly intruded. It didn’t sit right with me to indiscriminately obliterate them simply because they were not beneficial to humans. Furthermore, I didn’t like the idea of doing something nice for my maternal uncle.
Moreover, having given them such a scare, the tigers were unlikely to target humans for now.
Instead of returning to my maternal uncle, I decided to follow Ji-yool. I could always claim it took a long time to capture the tiger. More importantly, the anomalies caused by the monsters from the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the meeting with the abbot of Haeinsa were far more significant.
After all, I had no plans to achieve high status within the Jeong Clan. Jeong Cheol-wook currently held a favorable view of me, making my rise plausible, but my ultimate goal was to uncover clues regarding the Seven Celestial Bodies somewhere in this land of Goryeo. Whether my maternal uncle or Jeong Cheol-wook belittled my inadequacies didn’t matter too much to me.
Ten days passed just like that. Ji-yool and I had reached the vicinity of Songak, hunting the monsters from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Ji-yool utilized his spiritual power to create barriers, helping us sense the monsters. Once detected, we would hunt them down.
[ Kiiyiiik… ]
A monster known as the Seongseong (성성) emitted steam and melted into Black Jade. It appeared to be a rather brutal sight, but since it was an artificially created monster, it was merely returning to its original form. Ji-yool, stuffing the Black Jade into a large pouch, remarked,
“This makes a total of seventeen monsters we’ve hunted…”
“Are you not sensing the energy of the mastermind?”
“Indeed, as I gathered the Black Jade, I was able to discern the source of the sorcery.”
“Where is that?”
“We must head to Seogyeong.”
At those words, I felt a jolt of surprise.
‘Seogyeong!’
According to the report from the Seogung Escort Agency, that was the place where rumors claimed a phoenix had appeared. Noticing my expression, Ji-yool must have guessed my thoughts, for he said,
“It seems you too heard the rumors of the phoenix two years ago.”
“I heard it from an acquaintance.”
“I don’t remember clearly since it was a long time ago, but I understand that there was quite a commotion back then in Seogyeong. Perhaps our destination is related to the malign sorcerer we seek.”
“Hmm.”
I felt a slight unease. I had intended to visit Seogyeong at some point, but why did it have to be so directly connected like this? It was highly likely there was a correlation, as Ji-yool said. Then a thought struck me.
‘Is this fate or destiny?’
I was currently deviating from the set path, acting according to my will. It was an action reliant on fate. However, since it was still a means to my intended destination, one could also call it destiny. The future is always uncertain to an extent.
Ji-yool and I reached Seogyeong approximately twenty days later. If I had been alone, I might have arrived in three to four days, but by taking my time on horseback and adjusting our pace, it ended up taking longer. I also needed to deal with some monsters along the way, so I couldn’t simply use my lightness skill to travel unhindered.
Swish!
Upon arriving at the lodging in Seogyeong, Ji-yool spread out the Black Jade on a large table. He then began to chant a spell.
“Non-birth, non-death. Non-contamination, non-attachment. Non-arrival, non-escape. Non-one, non-two. Non-constant, non-less, non-more…”
Boom!
Moments later, several pieces of Black Jade began to writhe and coalesce into one large piece. This massive Black Jade emanated a powerful and aggressive aura. Ji-yool looked at the jade, struck it with his prayer beads, and shouted,
“Reveal yourself! Malevolent one!”
Swoosh!
At that command, a strange woman appeared before the giant Black Jade. I described her attire as strange because I had never seen clothing like it; she was adorned in a flowing white robe reminiscent of Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams. Moreover, she was a stunningly beautiful woman with a notably ample chest.
That vision vanished a moment later. After confirming the appearance of the malignant entity, Ji-yool let out a sound of contemplation.
“She is a Yin-Yang Master from Dongyeong…”
“A Yin-Yang Master?”
“That woman is a sorceress known as a Yin-Yang Master, affiliated with a sect of shamans active in the eastern land of Dongyeong. They utilize their own unique techniques known as the Yin-Yang Path. However, I have never heard of a female Yin-Yang Master before.”
I listened intently to this unfamiliar information and then asked with my arms crossed,
“Is she strong?”
Ji-yool nodded gravely.
“She is likely very powerful. The magical force emanating from the Black Jade is exceedingly formidable. Someone of her caliber would certainly be among the top sorcerers in Dongyeong.”
“Can we handle this with just the two of us?”
“It might be difficult…”
Under normal circumstances, I would likely charge in and fight without a second thought, believing I could take her down before she could cast any spells. However, having faced death many times before, and sensing an ominous feeling this time, I had become more cautious. After some contemplation, I inquired,
“Have you pinpointed her location?”
“Yes.”
I then suggested the obvious.
“Then let’s summon the experts from the Twelve Righteous and other sorcerers to join us.”
“That is indeed advisable.”
Ji-yool began sending out dispatches to the factions and branches of the Twelve Righteous located in Seogyeong. The message indicated that a sorcerer from Dongyeong was summoning monsters from the Classic of Mountains and Seas to wreak havoc in Goryeo, and it would take about five days to assemble a suppression squad.
The dispatched team consisted of a total of 23 members, including warriors from the Twelve Righteous, sorcerers, and myself. As Ji-yool assumed the role of the leader, he raised his prayer beads high and called out,
“Let us vanquish the enemy!!”
“Uooooh!!”
Watching that scene as an observer, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.
‘Every now and then, I want to get in on a group fight too.’
Perhaps that was why I felt uplifted. Having been on the receiving end of many group attacks, seeing others experience that felt immensely satisfying.
—————————= Author’s Note =————————=
I would appreciate your comments recommending this work in advance!
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
