Open Sect
Next, I headed toward the Open Sect’s Sichuan branch. Miho stood out so much that instead of her stunning beauty, she followed me in the guise of an ordinary girl.
Master of Great Bell looked a bit on edge, perhaps having been burned by me once. Moreover, the disciples of the Open Sect were all glaring at me with fierce expressions. However, I didn’t feel intimidated at all and merely chuckled.
“There’s no need to glare at me like that.”
Master of Great Bell replied nonchalantly,
“I was just looking because you’re too handsome.”
“Haha, that can’t be it.”
I waved my hand dismissively and said,
“If you really wanted to avoid me, you would have moved your base long ago. It seems I am still someone worth doing business with for the Open Sect.”
“Think what you will. We believe you are capable of paying a sufficient price.”
“Thoughts are free.”
I shrugged off our banter and got to the point.
“I have two requests. First, please find the King of Gambling for me.”
“Two hundred taels of silver!”
“That’s quite a steep price.”
While two hundred taels wasn’t that much for me, it felt enormously inflated just for a piece of information. I’d handed over gold bars to the Sichuan Tang Clan for precious information, but that had its merit for earning credit, while this was different. Two hundred taels seemed utterly unreasonable.
“The King of Gambling is currently the hottest topic in the Sichuan Martial World. Besides, his martial arts skills are nothing to scoff at. He possesses mastery over Chasing Techniques, making him quite difficult to track. Considering all that, I think two hundred taels is fair.”
“……”
King of Gambling, Byeok Jisang!
He was the greatest Mahjong player and gambler in the Sichuan Martial World over the last hundred years, and also a martial artist. He had only appeared in the Sichuan Martial World for four to five years, yet he had left divine legends and achievements in countless games. He was even recognized as the potential best gambler worldwide, having defeated gamblers from other regions. The most astonishing thing was that he was just a young man in his twenties or thirties.
As I stood there with my arms crossed, Master of Great Bell continued,
“Many factions are after the King of Gambling, but we’ve refrained from entering the fray of information collection. There’s no personal animosity, and the practical benefits don’t justify the means. However, if Baek Woong asks for help, we will finally take action.”
“You think you can catch up to the information even after jumping in late? Sounds like a bit of deluded confidence.”
Trying to indicate they were just looking to rip me off, Master of Great Bell’s expression turned sour.
“Just because we haven’t pursued it doesn’t mean we couldn’t. Once the Open Sect puts its mind to it, there’s no information in the martial world that can’t be uncovered.”
“Is that so…?”
“What will it be? Will you pay for the request?”
I contemplated for a moment before replying,
“How long will it take to find him?”
“I can’t make any guarantees.”
“I don’t have the luxury of time. Given the hefty fee, I’d like to know the King of Gambling’s whereabouts swiftly.”
My words came from a place of sincerity. I needed the information on the King of Gambling for procedural reasons as I visited the Open Sect, but I couldn’t spend a lifetime searching for him. I wanted to save time and assist Mangnyang with what remained.
With a sigh, Master of Great Bell said,
“I’ll do my best. What’s the second request?”
“I’ve heard that Dongbang Mu-gyeol is heading south through Yunnan. Please track his movements.”
“I’m already aware of that. You’ll need to pay the information fee if you want details right away.”
“So, you were already investigating Dongbang Mu-gyeol, I see.”
“Well, not quite… Anyway, that will also cost you two hundred taels of silver.”
Master of Great Bell suddenly trailed off. I was suspicious about what he was trying to say, but it didn’t seem worth probing. I nodded and retrieved four hundred taels of silver from my pocket, handing them over to him.
“Here you go.”
Accepting the money, Master of Great Bell immediately told me Dongbang Mu-gyeol’s travel route and his suspected current location. He also provided an overall map of Yunnan and briefly explained the geography of the area, which took about a meal’s worth of time.
“He’s already gone as far as Jinghong. We’re currently tracking him.”
“That’s quite far south.”
He was much further south than Kunming, reaching nearly the southernmost point of the Central Plains.
“He’s about to cross into Nanman. For some unknown reason, he’s currently stopped there…”
“Hmm…”
I mulled it over for a moment.
“If I go as far as Jinghong, can I gather more information from the Open Sect?”
“Of course. I’ll inform them in advance.”
“Then…”
Having extracted enough information from Master of Great Bell, I stepped outside. As I did, Miho, who had been silently observing, commented,
“It seems like you’re rushing a bit. How about taking a moment to gather your thoughts?”
“In what way?”
“You’re strangely fixated on Dongbang Mu-gyeol’s actions. You’ve convinced yourself that you must catch up immediately. But is there really such a need?”
I glanced at Miho. She chuckled and continued,
“What’s important isn’t to dog his every move but to discover what his intentions are. Whether Dongbang Mu-gyeol is alive or dead right now doesn’t impact your immediate goal of taking down the Demon Subduing Hall, does it?”
“So, you’re saying there’s no need to chase after him right now?”
“Exactly. Dongbang Mu-gyeol is acting like he has fire on his tail, but his goal is singular. You can simply wait until he returns to the Central Plains to catch him.”
“…”
“Sure, expanding the scope of Body Lightening Technique to as far as Kunming is one option. But that doesn’t mean it will yield much. Is there a real need to rush?”
I grasped Miho’s point and found it rather valid. In the end, what I was after was the information held by Dongbang Mu-gyeol. My intent was to uncover what the White Lotus Sect’s pestilence truly was, and if Dongbang Mu-gyeol were to return to the Central Plains at some point, I could simply meet him then. Besides, I hadn’t even scouted out any powerful masters who could contend with Dongbang Mu-gyeol. I realized I had been hurrying about without clarity.
“Thanks, Miho.”
“Whoops! If you try to grasp at too many things at once, you might end up catching none.”
I nodded in agreement.
“For now, let’s head back to Mangnyang. We need to discuss the things we should do going forward.”
After a brief pause, I presumed I could come back to inquire about the King of Gambling’s whereabouts in the Sichuan capital. Before that, seeking advice from Mangnyang would clarify what steps I should take next.
“Hmm… that’s not necessary.”
Miho’s response was unexpected. I widened my eyes and looked at her. Miho then wore a smug expression as she said,
“Let’s head to Dongyoung instead.”
“What? Why to Dongyoung?”
Miho’s face transformed into a look of mischief. She crossed her arms and stared at me intently.
“Hmph! While you can roam freely thanks to Body Lightening Technique, I can’t. I appreciate your back-to-back wishes in every life, but that just means I have to come through Dongyoung and Goryeo to find you each time. Do you expect me to wander across the entire world like that?”
“Ah…”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to come to Dongyoung, save the route of Body Lightening Technique, and then take me along? That way, both of us would have an easier time.”
I thought Miho had a point. Until now, I had been so caught up with urgent matters and information that I hadn’t considered Miho’s tiring experience of flying across the world every time. I scratched my head in apology.
“Sorry, Miho.”
Miho burst into a hearty laugh.
“AHAHAHA, it’s nothing! By the way, I’d like to check one more thing…”
“What is it?”
“Couldn’t we sneak into the ruins of the Moon Luminary in Ganghwado and snag the Seven Luminaries and then bail?”
“……”
That was certainly a feasible idea. I had already been close to the door leading to the Moon Luminary, so if I used Body Lightening Technique now, I could acquire just the Moon Luminary and run away. But then, I realized why Mangnyang hadn’t mentioned this plan and said,
“What if Izanagi no Mikoto, the guardian of the Moon Luminary, wakes up?”
Let alone my current strength, even the protective creature known for almost taking down a legendary warrior would be too much for me to handle.
“What does it matter if we don’t fight?”
“And what about the people of Goryeo?”
Miho then cast me a somewhat incredulous look.
“Why are we concerned about that? They’ll manage fine on their own.”
“……”
“The key is to find the Seven Luminaries quickly. That way, you can take down the Demon Subduing Hall sooner, right?”
In an instant, I realized Miho‘s value judgment and mindset were completely detached from human logic. She didn’t seem to think it was wrong or that innocent lives might be sacrificed. She just didn’t care whether humans lived or died. This seemed to encapsulate the mentality of a great yokai like Kumiho.
‘But, if I don’t consider the repercussions, it might actually be the best solution…’
More importantly, I had yet to ascertain the true power of the Heavenly Sword of Luminaries. This was a missed opportunity both temporally and experientially. If the Heavenly Sword of Luminaries contained substantial power, it could dramatically shorten the duration of my future reincarnations.
Miho gently placed a finger under my chin and said,
“You seem to take your previous lives seriously, but you should understand that being a reincarnator is your greatest weapon. You don’t need to worry about the Goryeo people. Let’s focus on getting the Seven Luminaries first.”
“……”
Miho’s words were resonant and compelling.
‘There’s an allure to it…’
Yet, I promptly shook my head and stated firmly,
“No, I won’t do that. I can’t irresponsibly unleash such a divine being upon the world.”
Miho shrugged her shoulders.
“Did you get what I meant? The Sea God, an ancient ruler, was forced into retreat by the clans of Goryeo. You surely don’t think we couldn’t manage a guard with lesser rank than Moon Luminary, do you?”
“Somehow, the Twelve Yul might be able to fend it off. But in that chaos, countless commoners would perish.”
“Goodness, what a bother…!! Why do you worry about that?”
As Miho smacked her chest, I looked her firmly in the eye.
“So how does that make me any different from the Demon Subduing Hall?”
“……”
Miho seemed at a loss for words.
“It’s the same. You’d be no different than that sorcerer from Taegyeong Village who committed human sacrifice. You’d be sacrificing others without hesitation to achieve your own goals.”
“That’s… not quite the same. The more power you accumulate through your reincarnations, the easier it becomes to take down the Demon Subduing Hall. To use Mangnyang’s words, that is what they call the Greater Good. It’s a worthy sacrifice for a noble cause.”
“Absolutely not.”
I sighed and opened my heart to Miho, explaining my genuine intentions.
“If I were willing to employ any means necessary, I would have attained double the strength ten years ago. I could have done it mercilessly.”
“Hmm.”
“But if I become just like the Demon Subduing Hall in the process, what would be left for me? And what meaning would there be in bringing down the Demon Subduing Hall? What do I hope to achieve by accumulating power in such a manner?”
Miho appeared serious, as if grasping the essence of my words. I emphasized further,
“I’ve learned much from you and Mangnyang. I’ve come to understand what it means for a person to live with dignity. So, while I may continue to face death, I’ve vowed to uphold one principle.”
“What is that vow?”
The scene from that day still lingered in my thoughts.
I took a deep breath and spoke,
“I will protect my soul before my body.”
On that day when Miho sacrificed herself and I was nearly driven mad by my own powerlessness, I chose to sacrifice my body to safeguard my soul.
Silence fell between us.
Miho’s expression turned to disbelief. She shook her head, unable to comprehend.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No. Thinking about the possibility of it was better than not.”
Miho muttered bitterly,
“Baek Woong. You’ve become a being neither human nor yokai…”
I had no words to respond.
Or rather, I found myself unable to.
Eventually, I took Miho along and used Body Lightening Technique to head to Goryeo’s Uljusi, specifically Dongnae. This was the place I had previously visited while guarding the Jeong family. Nestled at the southeastern edge of the Half Land, it was quite close to Dongyoung. Arriving at the port of Dongnae, as I examined the Goryeo ships, Miho remarked,
“If you hop on a ship right away, you’ll reach Dongyoung in two hours.”
“It’s close.”
“Oh, by the way, can you perform Water Walking Technique?”
I shook my head in response to Miho’s query.
“No, I’m not good at it.”
“Strange. I heard your martial arts are among the most extraordinary in the Central Plains, but you can’t execute techniques like Water Walking or Void Walking?”
I chewed my lip, a bit awkward.
“Water Walking isn’t a technique you automatically acquire as your martial skills rise. To be precise, from that day until now, I’ve been solely focused on mastering weapons, leaving no room to pick up the essentials of Water Walking or Void Walking. I guess it’s due to my lack of talent…”
It made sense that I couldn’t effectively use Water Walking. The harmony between martial arts and lightness skill wasn’t a given. While Ikwang had taught me the Ceaseless Blade techniques, the detailed techniques of Water Walking or Void Walking had been overwhelming for me to learn.
Miho laughed heartily,
“AHA! Then why not ask Ikwang to teach you Water Walking in this life? It’d be quite beneficial, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, that sounds good, but I do have something more pressing.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s a technique called Soul Destroying Step that I still haven’t mastered.”
I explained the Soul Destroying Step and its origins, transmitted to me by Gikho, the disciple of the Bonsin Clan. After pondering this, Miho said,
“Let’s see if we can use my minions to help with that.”
“Who are they?”
Miho chuckled.
“The finest swordsmen serving the Shogunate in Dongyoung!”
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