Chapter 442

Some simple kind of repetitive task, especially one where the worker can clearly track progress, has this captivating charm that pulls people in.

I know, I know, it sounds complicated, but seriously, stuff like needlework or weaving has been a hobby for over four thousand years across both East and West.

In Qing’s hometown, the hobby of fiddling around with screens for manipulation could also be seen as part of that.

The feeling of accomplishment when you finish something is just beyond words.

That’s exactly how Cheon Yu-hak felt as he matched up maps for the Central Plain.

Right before the judgment declared “You worked hard, but it was useless,” he was all pumped.

“What…?”

“Heart Consumption Technique, Breath-Absorbing Method? Oh, you don’t know about the Deadly Murder? It’s the worst demonic art known, so horrific they have it singled out as the worst of the worst, far worse than the teenage demonic arts.”

Hearing Qing say he didn’t know about it was shocking.

If one listened carefully, they would’ve realized that he himself didn’t know what Heart Consumption Technique was.

It’s like in Qing’s hometown, where they say, “Today, we’re going to talk about Heart Consumption Technique, which is absolutely fascinating. You all should be careful, right?” It’s like one of those posts filled with irrelevant pictures and no actual content.

So don’t forget this grudge while gnashing your teeth, it’s the kind of big shame you should pass down through generations.

But Cheon Yu-hak didn’t have time for that.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I slaved away for two months, reducing my sleep, buried in this dim underground room, shaking like a madman after the lecture ended, and now you tell me this?”

“Um, what if the maps aren’t the same?”

“Give that to me!”

With almost a leap akin to a cat, Cheon Yu-hak rushed forward and pulled out the Treasure Map, spreading both out.

“Look at this!”

Flames sparked in his eyes.

“No way, if there was this much detail in the Treasure Map, why didn’t you bring it up before…!”

Cheon Yu-hak glared fiercely at Qing, but then sighed as he saw that innocent face.

“No, it’s not your fault. This map—wow, it’s the same. Just way more detailed.”

“Same map?”

“The detailed one is the original, someone probably copied it. They even had to hide it with a code so they didn’t get caught. Most likely, it was secretly copied and leaked to the Green Forest folks. Haha, two months. Hahaha…”

Cheon Yu-hak staggered and plopped down in a chair like someone who’d been burnt out.

Then he shouted out loud.

“Shut up! Keep that whining down!”

“Is there something you want to ask? You could just hand it over to the authorities and call it a day, right?”

“Let’s… save them…”

“Come on, why bring that up in the first place?”

“I thought you might be curious.”

“Dig into where this Treasure Map came from.”

“They say it was found at an unknown grave near the border.”

“Ugh. What more is there to find out? Just get rid of it, yeah, Deadly Murder, Breath-Absorbing Method.”

Cheon Yu-hak smacked his lips.

“Just imagine if I found the treasure and it turned out to be the secret manual for Breath-Absorbing Method. How exhilarating would that have been? Agh, the energy just poofed away. Can’t leave a demonic beast like Deadly Murder running around…”

“Is Heart Consumption Technique really that dangerous?”

“Absolutely, it’s dangerous. Are you kidding me?”

If we’re talking the classic methods that steal someone’s true energy, we’re looking at those situations involving the “Bursting Conduit” techniques.

But would you just saunter over and extract someone’s energy?

That’s why it’s more of a sharing thing rather than stealing—it’s not about taking but like giving and receiving. So it’s not truly stealing.

Sure, that’s how classic methods work, but most techniques are all about taking.

They can’t straightforwardly take it, so they confuse a person’s mind, steal their spirit, and overwhelm them with pleasure till the energy is drained.

“Suddenly throwing in these techniques?”

“Listen up. Stealing someone’s energy is that hard. But Heart Consumption Technique? No tricks needed, just contacts and bam! It devours everything.”

The very moment you touch someone, they’re drained of energy. It’s not just a matter of losing your energy; the flow of their vital energy is forcibly directed outward.

In other words, it means complete suppression of their energy.

Just touching the body neutralizes your inner strength while simultaneously extracting the true energy.

And it doesn’t even differentiate between skill levels.

Even a total rookie with Heart Consumption Technique could strip the energy of a seasoned master effortlessly.

Of course, master-level warriors are tough as nails, so an amateur trying to take on an elite warrior would likely just get smacked down without chance.

And of course, the owner of the Heart Consumption Technique would further enhance their mastery with the energy they’ve stolen.

“Hey, isn’t that a bit overpowered? Why does such a technique even exist? Doesn’t it sound ridiculous? No weaknesses? Just one touch and you’re done?”

“They say it’s particularly weak amongst the techniques, so don’t go at it solo. That’s why it’s branded as Deadly Murder, the worst demonic art. They claim that the side effects make people go insane, and just touching someone can hurt them while they’re at it. Crazy, right?”

“Insane?”

“The source of a person’s true essence is pretty much tied to their spirit. When mixed with others, how would one keep their sanity? I don’t know since I’ve never absorbed someone’s essence, but it could also be seen as a powerful art that’s being labeled sinister just because of that.”

“Hmm.”

“But it seems like not a single user of the Heart Consumption Technique has come out sane, so maybe that ‘going insane’ part isn’t just a rumor. Or perhaps they’ve gained such immense power that they’ve lost sight of humanity altogether?”

And with that, Cheon Yu-hak stood up straight.

“Therefore, shouldn’t we do something about that vile technique?”

“Huh? Us? Why?”

Cheon Yu-hak snapped back with annoyance.

“Are you serious? The next Merchant Shintu is asking why?! Isn’t it the duty of the Merchant Shintu to rid the world of harmful treasures?”

“Oh, right. I am a Merchant Shintu.”

“Not just yet. I hope this doesn’t bring trouble to my mentors.”

The head scholar of the Hall of Literature is a Merchant Shintu!

And the next high-ranking Merchant Shintu after that!

This shocking news made the Three Villains of Byungju desperately act like they hadn’t heard a thing.

All because they wanted to live.

Of course, their effort just seemed admirable.

If they really wanted to live, they shouldn’t be acting like that.

—-

Upon hearing about leaving for Shandong, Jin Jangmyung’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Are we going to see the ocean?”

“Oh, is that a seaside town?”

Qing didn’t know the geography of the Central Plains, but he at least understood that Shandong Province is by the sea. Still, wasn’t sure if the actual town was on the coast.

Now that he thought about it, Jin Jangmyung was from a seaside place.

Though he wasn’t born by the sea, he’d spent his childhood in a coastal city.

“I hope we can see the ocean. I really want to eat grilled clams.”

Jin Jangmyung said something quite unique for him.

Qing was more into meat than seafood, so to him eating seafood was just ‘if it’s available, great, otherwise whatever.’

But Jin Jangmyung, even if unspoken, likely had been missing all those seafood dishes that can’t be found inland.

Like those grilled clams, for example.

Thinking it might have been a bit inconsiderate.

No wonder he looked absolutely enamored by those scallop earrings.

Qing didn’t see this trip as particularly dangerous.

It would probably just be a matter of wandering around with a map, selling some land, or maybe poking around ancient ruins like some ancient adventurer, John Doe.

Then if they found a secret manual, they’d burn it and call it a day.

“Sure. If it’s not by the beach, we’ll just have to get to one. Let’s go and eat all the grilled clams we can. Hmm. I wonder if there’ll be an all-you-can-eat place in the Central Plains?”

Well, Qing had plenty of gold and silver.

Even if it wasn’t an all-you-can-eat joint, he had enough cash in hand to feast to his heart’s content.

And so, on the night of the seventh month.

Just to clarify, the last day of the lunar month, meaning they left Taiyuan right as the Hall of Literature’s summer break began.

It must have been a sad day for the scholars at the Hall of Literature, who solely sought knowledge while some others were off on vacation.

Anyway, after renting a carriage—

There was some opposition from Cheon Yu-hak about renting a carriage.

He was like, “Why bother renting a carriage when you have good legs?”

“But it’s hot.”

“Doesn’t a carriage make it hotter? Haven’t you ridden in a summer carriage? With all the sides closed, it becomes an oven. It’s so stuffy.”

“You won’t feel hot with me.”

“……?”

Enter Seomun Qing, who is basically a human air conditioner!

The immense output of his transcendent inner strength radiates a delightful chill.

What little space there is inside that carriage would cool down in no time.

“Ah, this is nice! To have such comforts thanks to a good disciple. What a luxury this summer.”

“See? Isn’t it great? But is Jin Jangmyung feeling cold? You seem to be shivering.”

“Not cold at alll!”

Jin Jangmyung snuggled close to Qing, burying his face into the soft cushion of the chair, looking like sheer bliss at first.

But being right in front of the air conditioner was hitting him hard now, and he was feeling a chill and starting to tremble.

Even during summer, he seemed set on keeping cuddled up on Qing’s lap rather than rolling off.

Heading south from Taiyuan down to Henan.

They thought about stopping by Zhengzhou, but everyone had that look of “I just want to stay in the carriage.”

Outside, it was only Qing enjoying the cool breeze, so by a democratic vote, they rushed on ahead.

When they arrived at familiar Kaifeng, they couldn’t believe their eyes.

“Wow. Everyone’s just running around half-naked.”

According to Jin Seol, this summer would see the trend of “single villain” rising up, and they weren’t joking. People were skimpily dressed, barely covering the essentials.

Seems like someone didn’t want their chest to get sunburnt, so they went for sheer fabrics that did the job—what a sight to behold!

Qing couldn’t help but gawk at the women dressed like that while Jin Jangmyung noticed and followed Qing’s gaze, only to feel deflated.

Alas, while there was a little kid in his arms, how inappropriate to be staring like that in front of his master.

But what about the ladies’ density?

Qing quickly picked up on something odd, but now wasn’t the time to gather more people.

If this were a casual outing, he’d want to search for Oki-rin, but given they were on a mission to deal with the Merchant Shintu, that was hardly the case.

So they pressed on past Kaifeng, heading east.

Once in Shandong Province, the blazing sun turned up the heat even more.

They passed through the capital of Jinan, then Zhenggu, Chipai, Qingzhou, Liu Bang, and finally ended up in Naeseo.

Turning south from Naeseo brought them right to their destination, Jigmuk County.

And south of Jigmuk County lay a massive mountain, so without going far from Jigmuk County, they could clearly see its imposing figure.

“Master, that mountain over there is the one, right?”

“Yup, that mountain.”

Qing’s expression soured immediately.

Unlike other mountains in the Central Plain, which towered majestically, this one was wide but not exceptionally tall.

“Uh, do you happen to have a specific location?”

“Treasure hunting usually goes like that. You search until you find it.”

That basically means “I don’t know.”

Qing let out a deep sigh.

Then out of nowhere, he got a strange feeling.

Why were people around here sighing deeply while staring at No Mountain?

Is there some tradition about sighing when looking at No Mountain?

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