Chapter 394. We Set Out as if Fleeing.
Yoran’s expression, and that of the Lust Demon returning with him, were quite grave. On top of that, Yoran seemed to have shed tears, which left me dumbfounded.
Thinking about it, he was the Lust Demon’s disciple as well, and judging from the Lust Demon’s serious expression, nagging wouldn’t get through to him, so I simply left them be. In truth, I had a sense of what the atmosphere must have been like.
Yoran looked at Eldest Brother and me, and even in the midst of it all, he smiled.
Left with no choice, I smiled along with him.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Just because.”
“Yoran, sit beside me.”
“Yes.”
“Your masters are thinking of leaving at dawn.”
“Already?”
“When you fight in rugged mountains, you have to get familiar with the mountain beforehand. If you want to win, you must use any means necessary, and that includes examining the terrain and air, the wind and field of vision, and the environment.”
“I’ll remember that. But is Mount Hua far from here?”
“It’s fairly far, but not that far for your masters.”
“Because of lightness skill?”
I smiled as I asked Yoran.
“That’s right. Among your masters, who has the fastest lightness skill?”
“Third Master.”
“Me. If you had to choose the most important martial art?”
“Lightness skill.”
“To make your lightness skill faster?”
“Walk every day, run the places you walk every day, then make your body heavy and run those places again. Each time your internal energy deepens, you must adapt to your strength, so you have to keep repeating it to become faster.”
Watching Yoran recite exactly what I had taught him, I nodded.
“……When you meet an enemy and there’s no chance of victory?”
“Use lightness skill while planning a counterattack. That counterattack does not have to be immediate.”
“When you meet an opponent whose internal energy is deeper than yours?”
“Avoid a contest of internal energy, and to do so, you must not neglect training with weapons.”
In truth, there was no need to go any deeper than that right now. There were times when even weapons couldn’t make up for the gap in internal energy, but that wasn’t something to teach him now. In any case, Yoran remembered everything I had said.
A clever disciple, to put it anew?
If anything, I was hazy on what I had told him.
That made me a master dumber than Yoran.
So I asked Yoran.
“What did Master say was most important?”
Yoran answered.
“You said surviving is more important than victory or defeat.”
“That’s right.”
I had nothing else to do but nod again.
I felt as if I had taught him everything, and at the same time, as if the words I had taught were returning to me.
Surviving is, in most cases, more important than victory or defeat. But in certain cases, there are contests more important than one’s life.
Our journey to Mount Hua was one of those.
With Yoran beside me, I endlessly expanded my thoughts and prepared for the confrontation with the Cult Leader.
My instincts told me……
This fight would be decided by one’s state of mind. I myself did not know the specific reason. It was simply because I had always believed that cause and effect both stemmed from one’s state of mind.
At times like this, martial arts were instead secondary.
During my stay in Ilyang County, in order to defeat the Cult Leader starting from our state of mind, I often looked into my own heart.
The Lust Demon was gazing ahead, and Eldest Brother was strangely silent today as well. Oddly enough, the scenery of Ilyang County was beautiful enough today to leave me satisfied.
“Yoran.”
“Yes.”
“Your masters need to hold a strategy meeting, so go in first. Let this serve as our farewell.”
Yoran rose from his chair, then stood before us and looked at Eldest Brother, me, and the Lust Demon.
It was curious, as though his small eyes were trying to remember us.
There were many difficult things in the world, and maintaining a composed, untroubled expression before a young disciple was quite difficult as well. But as I watched my clever disciple, I couldn’t help but smile.
Yoran stood straight and said.
“Grandmaster, Third Master, Fourth Master. Please return safely.”
“Understood.”
“We’ll return safely.”
“Sleep early. From the hour of Zi to the hour of Mao is when a cultivator’s recovery is fastest.”
After Yoran went inside, the Lust Demon muttered.
“……Talking about recovery to a little disciple—what nonsense did I just spout? So what’s the strategy?”
I kept my gaze fixed ahead as I said.
“There isn’t one. What strategy?”
“I always thought you were a man with a plan.”
“I do have a plan. Training.”
The Lust Demon asked Eldest Brother.
“Master, is this right?”
“It is. Let’s climb Mount Hua and train.”
The Lust Demon looked at me and muttered as if dissatisfied.
“……Lately you haven’t even been circulating your qi. Nor have you been training with the sword. Just what is going on with you?”
I looked at the Lust Demon as well.
“If I obsess only over becoming stronger, I’ll be no different from the Cult Leader. We’ve already confirmed the gap. If we try to grow stronger by the same method, who knows how many more years it will take? While we’re in Ilyang County, let’s just live like people. From the moment we climb Mount Hua, you can think of us as monkeys that train. Until then, let’s live like ordinary people. That’s what makes us different from the Cult Leader.”
When I finished speaking, two carriages were slowly approaching from the front.
“…….”
Of all things, they were the black carriages I had seen before.
There was no way the Cult Leader would come again.
Wondering what on earth was happening, I kept glaring at them, and the two carriages came to a stop in front of Zaha Inn. Only one person got down from a carriage, and as soon as he did, he bowed his head toward us.
When the man raised his head.
He was someone unexpected, so I could not help but be surprised.
“Sambok.”
It was Sambok, who had been the Third Young Master’s guard.
“It has been a long time.”
“What brings you here?”
“I have prepared two carriages to escort you to Mount Hua. Mount Hua is vast, and we do not know which location you will choose. Once I confirm the location and return, the Cult Leader says he will set out as well on a suitable day.”
I nodded.
“Thorough.”
In that case, we could not go to Lotus Peak, where the White-Faced Young Master, Valley Master Yuhua, Lady Iron Fan, and Valley Master Wuxiang would be. I had planned to reunite with them on this trip to Mount Hua, but if we went with the people of the Demonic Cult, we would only expose their location.
“Is the Third Young Master well?”
Sambok stared blankly at me.
“He is alive.”
“Hm?”
“Ever since I was beaten by Lord Munju last time….”
“Did I hit you?”
“Yes.”
I remembered fighting the Butcher, but my memory of hitting the Third Young Master was hazy. Fortunately, Sambok helped me recover that memory.
“He lost many teeth, so eating is rather uncomfortable for him. Afterward, he suffered from qi deviation due to the sense of loss from his defeat, but he is slowly recovering now.”
“How did you end up taking on the role of guide?”
“I received word that Lord Munju had praised me…… and somehow I ended up taking on the assignment.”
Sambok looked around at us and spoke.
“When would you like to depart? There is no need to rush.”
“Let’s leave at dawn tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
In the time I hadn’t seen him, Sambok looked about ten years older, which I found quite astonishing.
“Come here and rest.”
“Yes.”
Sambok spoke to the coachmen.
“You all rest as well.”
Sambok approached and first bowed his head to Eldest Brother once more.
“……Have you been well?”
Eldest Brother nodded, then asked something I had been curious about.
“Have you had it rough? Your demeanor has changed.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“This time, our Family Head also went missing, so there was internal chaos as well.”
At the mention of the Family Head, I told him the cause of the disappearance.
“If the Family Head was a phantom, he died while ambushing me.”
“We actually know the truth. We couldn’t report it as such, so we reported it as a disappearance. The Third Young Master, who is bedridden, has succeeded as the next Family Head. We officially reported to the Cult, withdrew from the succession struggle, and simultaneously negotiated for our entire force to fall under the banner of the Outer Hall, thereby receiving permission. To summarize, that is what happened.”
The Third Young Master’s maternal family belonging to the Outer Hall was tantamount to a demotion.
Only then did I understand why Sambok had become so gaunt.
“Did you step up and sort everything out yourself? The reports to the Cult, the back-and-forth, all of it?”
“Yes. I thought we had to prostrate ourselves immediately to survive, so I moved busily. As this is my first official assignment, the family is finally in a relieved atmosphere. The Third Young Master also said it was for the best.”
It was an extremely calm account, but I was inwardly astonished.
So Sambok had run about frantically on his own and saved the entire family. Eldest Brother also grasped the situation immediately and spoke to Sambok.
“You’ve had a hard time.”
“Yes.”
Sambok hesitated for a moment, then asked me.
“Lord Munju.”
“Yes?”
“But how did you come to challenge the Cult Leader?”
“Is he someone who cannot be challenged?”
“Yes.”
“I think differently. He must have been bored all this time because there was no one to challenge him.”
“Hmm. Please keep thinking about how you can survive on the way to Mount Hua. Running far away is also an option.”
“Why are you worrying about me?”
“I changed my thinking after hearing your words, Lord Munju. And when I changed my thinking, the Third Young Master and the family survived as well. It is worth worrying about.”
“There is no need to worry. By the way, does the Cult roughly know who is ascending Mount Hua?”
Sambok nodded.
“I happened to learn of it, more or less.”
“Tell me.”
“First, the missing Family Head was also in a situation where he had to go to Mount Hua. I told you it was death or disappearance. That means experts from the Eldest Young Master’s maternal side will also participate. I heard that Daegong Yang was killed by Jeon Usa. Jwasa Wi will also participate. Do you know what they have in common?”
“I don’t.”
“The Cult Leader will likely gather those whose deaths would not concern him greatly, and ascend. The strategy of borrowing another’s blade, so to speak. Those who pretended to be recluses, or remained neutral, or watched for an opportunity…… they will be dragged along.”
How absurd……
The Cult Leader had, in effect, entrusted us with internal housecleaning. What made it even more absurd was that he was a man who would not bat an eye even if the cleaners died.
I looked at Eldest Brother.
“Did you expect this?”
“It is so obvious that there is nothing to predict. The Cult Leader does not think of us as weak. Since he lacks experts to take with him as it is, targeting recluses or bystanders is the natural course of action. If so, the strongest expert excluding the Cult Leader is as good as decided.”
“Who is it?”
Sambok answered.
“He is called Ilmajo, and in the past he was Il Daegong who ranked first in the hierarchy. He is the Eldest Young Master’s maternal uncle. He was all the more recognized because he did not covet power or position, but now it seems that very thing has become greater disloyalty, and he has fallen out of favor.”
A snort escaped me.
“I thought he accepted my challenge, but he merely assigned me cleaning duty. Understood. I shall sweep them all away. See you at dawn.”
“Yes.”
I got up first and went inside the inn. If not tonight, I would have to sleep in the carriage or camp until we arrived at Mount Hua. Since a comfortable bed was only available tonight, the most proper course of action was to sleep while clearing my mind of stray thoughts.
* * *
At dawn, we departed from Ilyang County as if fleeing.
We hadn’t committed any particular crime, but it seemed we did so because to a young disciple, a master’s absence is a sin.
Silently, we plowed through the dawn roads by carriage.
Sambok sat together in the carriage I rode, while Eldest Brother and Saekma rode in the other carriage.
The very fact that we were now leaving Ilyang County gave me a strange feeling, so I did not want to speak. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the carriage. I had been unable to meet Moyong Baek and Cha Seongtae, but it couldn’t be helped. If we somehow created a point of contact, the Demonic Cult would exploit it. So not seeing them was better for those two.
As my eyes were closed, I heard Sambok’s voice.
“……Shall we eat while camping? Or would you prefer to stop at an ordinary inn?”
“I prefer inns.”
Silence hung for a moment, then Sambok asked.
“Why?”
“The food tastes vary, and I can observe people. I can try things I have never eaten. Unconditionally stop at inns on the way to Mount Hua. The atmosphere of the food will gradually change as we go. Think of it as a culinary journey. I will cover all the meal costs, including the coachmen’s, so do not worry.”
Since Sambok did not answer, I did not speak either. I was slightly drowsy, but since Sambok could betray me, I could not drift off to sleep.
After traveling in silence for some time……
I heard Sambok’s voice.
“……Lord Munju, are you asleep?”
“……”
“If you wish to flee far away, I shall continue to serve you like this. The western frontier is good, and the great desert is not bad either. In any case, with the Cult Leader’s orders, no cultist will touch Ilyang County.”
I opened my eyes and observed Sambok’s expression.
“Are you sincere?”
“Yes.”
“What about the Third Young Master?”
“Unless he causes some special kind of trouble there, he’s as good as saved now.”
“You should have a rough idea of my temperament, so why make such an absurd proposal?”
Sambok said,
“Because you have no chance of winning against the Cult Leader. It wouldn’t be too late to challenge him after training more in some barren place instead.”
“Aren’t you a cultist?”
“I am.”
“Why would a cultist worry about us?”
“Exactly. You spared my life before, so this is my repayment as someone other than a cultist.”
I nodded.
“I’ll accept the sentiment. Let’s go to Mount Hua.”
Sambok looked outside the carriage, then replied with a troubled expression.
“Understood.”