[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 299

As my fingers skimmed across the spines of the books, the information changed so rapidly it made me dizzy.

Compared to other martial arts books, I had to focus only on the relatively thicker and more durable ones, and from those, I had to pick out the higher-grade martial arts books.

*Ding! Ding!*

Can I really call this the highest-grade library?

Most of the martial arts books here are at least rare-grade or higher.

But the problem is, almost every single one has some kind of flaw, as if perfection doesn’t exist.

If the grade is high, there’s an issue with durability. If both grade and durability are satisfactory, it’s not a complete set, with one or two volumes missing.

“Not this one… Not this one either.”

For anyone else, finding what they wanted among tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of books would have been a hopeless task.

Even the Grand Leader himself said this isn’t a place you can just casually enter, so that says it all.

*Ding!*

───

**[Flame Fire Thousand Explosion Energy Manipulation Technique (炎火千爆氣功)]**

A martial arts book describing the Flame Fire Thousand Explosion Technique

Grade: Unique

Durability: 100%

Author: Hwagumja Gongjin

───

“Oh!”

All that effort of running my fingers across the book spines until they tingled was worth it.

Just in case, I opened it, but I couldn’t understand a single word.

Still, the core content seems intact.

───

*This is a message left for future generations.*

*The Flame Fire Thousand Explosion Technique diverges from conventional martial arts, using energy manipulation techniques blended into the original martial arts as its foundation.*

───

“I have no idea what this is saying.”

Since reading further seemed pointless, I picked up the book and returned to my original spot, where my friends were waiting.

Danpung, staring intently at me, wagged her tail slowly as I placed the book in front of her.

“Can you flip through this one page at a time?”

“Ppiit!”

*Thud. Thud.*

Danpung’s responses are always sharp.

“Alright, let’s get started.”

As Baekseol pressed the record button on the camera she was holding, Danpung began flipping through the martial arts book, one page at a time.

*Flip.*

“Ppiit!”

“Nice!”

*Flip.*

“Ppiit!”

*Tap, tap.*

“Yes!”

When the focus blurred while flipping the pages, she’d throw a soft punch to readjust it.

She’s doing better than I expected.

[00:21:30.458]

The timer I set when I came in is still ticking away at this very moment.

Already, nearly 9 minutes have passed.

“Keep going. I’ll go find one more thing.”

“Yes!”

“Ppiit!”

I thought I could easily handle three or four books with some tricks, but it looks like I might only manage one at this rate.

I need to quickly skim through the book spines with my fingers to find a good martial arts book.

*Rustle.*

*Ding! Ding!*

***

As we walked along the path, Jeon Ho listened intently to the story I was telling.

“They say the Hwanhwan Mansang Library doesn’t let users find martial arts books—it’s the library that chooses the user.”

“That’s just superstition.”

“Is it?”

“Do you even know how many martial arts books are in there? Clearly, someone who’s never been inside heard a rumor and made that up.”

The library was such a mess that finding a proper martial arts book was like plucking stars from the sky.

That kind of talk probably means only the lucky ones stumble upon something.

Still, there’s no smoke without fire.

Someone must have gone in, and that someone must have come out empty-handed.

“This is the VIP room.”

*Rustle.*

Jeon Ho stood in front of the pavilion…

He stops and opens the door.

“Yeah, let’s go in.”

“What are you planning to do in an empty room?”

“Gotta take out the martial arts book I brought.”

“Huh? Martial arts books from the Hwanhwan Mansang Library are prohibited from being taken out. What are you trying to do?”

Even as he sits on the desk chair in the room, Jeon Ho’s nagging pours out.

Since his voice is filled with concern rather than scolding, it doesn’t feel bad.

“It’s not like that, so just sit down.”

“Okay.”

“Baekseol and Danpung did a great job copying it.”

“Exciting!”

“It’s great!”

As he takes out the laptop and other items on the desk, Jeon Ho’s eyes narrow as he watches.

“So that’s why Teacher Danpung was excited. And what’s that? What are you planning to do?”

Given that he’s always causing trouble, Jeon Ho’s gaze starts with suspicion.

“A laptop and a printer. This thing next to it is called a power bank. Think of it as a device that projects what this friend has seen.”

“Such a thing exists? That’s an incredible device.”

As he taps the camera with his hand, Jeon Ho leans in to take a closer look.

“One book was done by Baekseol and Danpung. The other one I did myself. Time was tight, so I barely managed to finish two books.”

“As I’ve said before, if it’s a book containing the enlightenment of a sage, it could take years to master. So, saying you barely managed to bring two books in one sitting isn’t fair.”

“Got it. Enough nagging.”

Click, click.

The video shot by Baekseol and Danpung starts playing on the laptop.

The occasional tapping sound when the focus is off is a bonus.

*Tap tap*

*Whirr-*

Then the focus adjusts.

While Baekseol adjusts the video, Danpung diligently flips through the pages.

*Beep!*

*Flip*

*Beep!*

*Flip*

“Baekseol and Danpung worked hard. Thanks for helping.”

As I pat their heads, they close their eyes tightly.

Danpung looks very happy.

He’s always been the type to want to give something, so it seems he’s pleased to have been able to help me in sync.

“Jeon Ho, do you know a man named Hwagumja Gongjin?”

“Of course I know him. One of the top ten martial artists from two hundred years ago who used extreme martial arts from the Hwarunmun, a single-succession sect…”

Jeon Ho’s eyes suddenly widen as he explains.

“No way?”

*Whirr-*

At the same time, sheets of paper start coming out of the printer.

“Here, read it.”

Jeon Ho hurriedly takes the paper handed to him and reads it with trembling hands.

“Ye, Yeomhwa Cheonpok Gigong!”

“Is that it?”

“It’s the lost Yeomhwa Cheonpok Gigong! It is, but…”

Jeon Ho, who seemed excited, suddenly calms down.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

As I reach out toward Jeon Ho’s head, he seems to ponder for a moment before bowing his head toward me.

“You’ve been through a lot coming here with me. It’s only fair you get something for your efforts.”

“…”

“It’s only natural that I take care of those who follow me.”

Jeon Ho’s hair brushes past my fingers.

In this era, unless you’re a nobleman’s son, men don’t take care of their hair, so it’s rough.

“I have to leave now. It’s a farewell gift.”

As I remove my hand, Jeon Ho silently looks at me.

I should probably give him some shampoo before I go.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…Yes.”

*Clink*

Jeon Ho’s…

Every time a finger moves, a sound echoes on the desk.

There’s no Shin Yi, who always caused trouble, no Rabbit who loved playing in the dirt, and no chatterbox Squirrel.

Click, clack.

“No! My monthly salary! My job…!”

“Jeon Ho. I’ll give you a ton of money, so go get the Undefeated in Combat exchange list. Let’s pull out the pillars of the Murim Alliance.”

A smile forms on Jeon Ho’s lips as he recalls what happened recently.

“He really gave me a lot. I wonder if he’s not greedy or just has big hands…”

It seemed Shin Yi had indeed pulled out a pillar of the Murim Alliance, as he said.

The monthly salary of a successful innkeeper is about half to one silver coin.

One gold coin is worth 50 silver coins, and one silver coin is worth 20 bronze coins.

Therefore, the two gold coins Jeon Ho is fiddling with are equivalent to what an ordinary commoner would save for 170 years without spending a penny.

“Hmm.”

Jeon Ho, continuing his thoughts, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small wooden box.

Click.

Opening the box, a strong, bitter medicinal smell wafts out.

Jeon Ho had experienced this smell before.

Staring at the Summoning Pill, he puts the box back into his pocket and looks at his waist.

A treasured sword he had drawn only once and then kept at his waist.

Shin Yi had left after giving more than Jeon Ho had earned in his entire life.

But now, all Jeon Ho has left is the emptiness of a deserted VIP room.

‘Why should I stay here any longer?’

He has money he couldn’t spend in a lifetime even if he didn’t work.

A martial arts book that any martial artist would dream of.

A spiritual medicine that an ordinary martial artist would never smell in their lifetime.

A finely crafted sword that even the money he earned as a deputy inspector couldn’t buy.

Rustle.

After a brief contemplation, Jeon Ho gets up and opens the door of the VIP room.

There was no hesitation in his actions. In fact, the conclusion had already been reached before the contemplation.

His contemplation was just the time needed to shake off the lingering attachment from the remaining ties.

***

As Jeon Ho steps out of the main gate, a Murim Alliance gatekeeper raises a fist greeting.

“Ah, Deputy Inspector. Have you come because of the commotion?”

“I’m not the deputy inspector anymore.”

“Huh?”

Leaving the bewildered gatekeeper behind, Jeon Ho’s gaze falls on something familiar.

The cause of the commotion the gatekeeper mentioned was the iron horse he had been riding.

“Well, I’ll be.”

In the storage compartment of the iron horse, which Shin Yi seemed to have gifted, were several large oil barrels made of iron.

These were also familiar to Jeon Ho.

To move the heavy iron horse as smoothly as a cloud, it needed oil as fuel.

“Make way. That iron horse is mine.”

Jumping lightly over the gathered crowd, Jeon Ho lands in front of the iron horse and ponders.

Where did Shin Yi go?

Having spent several days together, the answer comes quickly.

Shin Yi is a man of extremes.

And he holds grudges for a very long time.

“When you release the later-stage disciples, send the Northern Martial Artist with them.”

He’s the kind of person who would do things even the self-proclaimed madmen of the Murim wouldn’t do, without a second thought.

A smile forms on Jeon Ho’s lips.

“Northern Capital Royal Palace.”

***

“Should I increase my strength? Or would it be okay to invest in a sub-job? I have a second job as a Supporter, after all.”

“Yes!”

The pouch swayed.

“If not that…”

As I walked, pondering where to use the gold coins I had received from the Murim Alliance, Baekseol, who had been signaling me for a while, licked my cheek.

“You’re here?”

“Yes!”

It hadn’t been long since we left the city, and people in green uniforms began to appear one by one.

“I need to get a sub-weapon too. The iron club my master gave me would blow heads off if I swung it.”

“Great!”

I opened the pouch, and Baekseol slipped right in.

“Danpung.”

“Piiit?”

Danpung, who had been leisurely enjoying the fresh air on my head, brushed my nape with its soft tail.

“Do you want to go inside and play with Baekseol?”

“Pit!”

Danpung slid into the pouch.

Meanwhile, the people in green uniforms had already blocked my way.

—Click, click.

“Whoo—”

Then, something flew in with a sharp sound.

Ping—!

〈Phantom Spirit Bullet Ability〉

Something so thin and sharp that it was barely visible floated in front of my eyes.

It was the ability of my inner armor, which had created a slim opening against Zeus. It was also useful for preventing my clothes from tearing when using the Cloud Technique due to speed.

“Hoho, you’re quite skilled.”

The green-uniformed people parted, and a man walked out from among them.

“Whoo— I was just about to upgrade my specs, and you came at the right time? But if you want to catch me, you shouldn’t throw projectiles.”

“Huh…!”

A man who looked to be in his fifties clicked his tongue.

“And you shouldn’t have eyeballs or balls.”

Thwack!

〈Rotation〉

Crunch!

“Ahhh!!”

The man’s eyes moved rapidly left and right, and he looked at his subordinates, who were clutching their groins and drooling.

“You also need good mental strength.”

Thwack!

〈Mental Collapse〉

“Ughhh…!”

The green-uniformed people began to tear at their hair.

Those with weaker mental strength were already self-harming.

Whoosh—!

When I took out the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the 8-ton heavy iron club gave a satisfying grip.

No matter how many times I swung other things, nothing compared to this.

“Raid conditions are pretty strict, huh?”

“……”

“Saint-type boss mobs are usually like that.”