Chapter 446

Thanks to Qing’s careful treatment, my leg should move normally.

But if I pressure it too much, the knee will give out, and I’ll crash down spectacularly.

So how will that fella live now?

Will he live like an ordinary person?

Or will he become a wreck, consumed by hatred and a thirst for revenge that he can never fulfill?

Either way, it was quite a rewarding predicament.

Whether by choice or circumstance, he could either straighten out his life and live well, or spend his life in agony, unable to shake off his suffering until death.

The former is beneficial to the world, while the latter pays the price for misdeeds.

However, that Great Hero might rush to tell some school about it.

“You see, these herbalists disguised as scoundrels made me like this! It’s so unfair, please help me get my revenge!”

Wouldn’t that make you pretty mad?

Hmm. Maybe I should have just killed him.

But I’ve got my master, and Jang Myung is here, too.

Ugh, let’s not dwell on the past.

“Hmm. But what should we do now?”

“Oh dear. Aren’t you a bit too relaxed?”

“What’s wrong with being impatient? You know the saying, ‘Hurry and you’ll be beset with calamities’? It’s like ‘The faster you run, the further you’ll have to backtrack,’ you know?”

That saying comes from Confucius, while the other one is from Mencius. They both imply that rushing will ruin your tasks, much like the proverbs from Qing’s homeland.

At this, Cheon Yu-hak scoffs.

“Hmph. You’ve only skimmed through the Hundreds of Schools and Thousand Teachers, and now you think you can write? Well, I guess that’s about the peak of bragging rights in the world of learning at your level.”

Usually, the ones who only skim the surface of their studies are the loudest.

In Qing’s hometown, they’d be labeled as the pinnacle of ignorance, acting all smug with just a basic understanding.

But in front of Cheon Yu-hak, a full-fledged scholar, this is like a chick throwing out a four-character idiom.

What must be going through the Phoenix’s mind?

“So adorable!”

“Wow, even a chick can write characters! Are you a genius? Not going to graduate school?”

“Forget about being just an ordinary scholar; why not aim for being a full-on doctor?”

Cheon Yu-hak couldn’t hide his smile of delight.

“Yeah. But you do have a point. Rushing won’t make treasure flee. But I simply don’t have the leisure to be relaxed.”

“So what should we start with? We can’t just wander around looking for secret manuals scattered on the ground like autumn leaves.”

“Didn’t we say ‘the Divine Mystery points to our destination’? I think we should first look for something resembling a grave or a tower — a high point of some kind.”

Usually, when it comes to a Treasure Map, it indicates the direction the shadow points.

If it’s divine, the shadow is likely to be southeast. And if there’s a formation or mechanism, the entrance might only appear when the shadow is cast just right.

“Then we can assume the grave will be somewhere sunny and high. So we should focus on the northern ridge somewhere. Let’s check for that divine site first.”

“Wow.”

That was quite a payload of info packed into just six characters.

Hearing it, it feels like real treasure hunting, like some kind of adventure? It tickles that instinct that makes your heart race.

Who doesn’t feel a tingle at the thought of treasure hunting, even for nothing special in Qing’s hometown?

So Qing is feeling the rush, too.

It kind of sounds like fun, right?

…Well, I thought so, but um, it’s pretty vast.

Now that I think about it, this isn’t like one of those events where prizes are stacked densely in a small space.

The mountains are wide.

And down at the base, the trees obscure what’s above, so even without the trees, it’s hard to see what’s sticking up.

Of course, the towering peaks are all bare rock, but that just means whoever’s up there is clearly visible.

Who’d want to sneak up and be easily seen atop a naked rocky mountain?

So at first, Qing was craning his neck trying to see if anything was peeking up from the ridge, his eyes all lit up with determination.

“Oh! Jang Myung, can you see this? It’s called Mok Tong, and according to the Huangdi Neijing, it treats all kinds of ailments and can even keep women healthy! It’s especially good for ladies. They even suggest pregnant women brew it!”

Qing is a properly trained healer, albeit briefly.

While he might not know much about rare things, he can at least recognize commonly found herbal remedies.

“What’s that? Looks weird.”

“This is a flower! Inside is a cocoon-like fruit, but oh its taste, whew. Want to give it a try?”

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh.”

At that, Qing pulls out a fruit that looks like a caterpillar cocoon from the oddly open flower petals.

“Here, say ah.”

“Nom. Huh? Oh yuck, bleh, ewwww…”

Without a second thought, Jin Jangmyung chomped down, and with a tomato-red face, kept spitting it out.

That sight only made Qing laugh with glee.

Jin Jangmyung then punched Qing’s shoulder.

“Ugh, that bitter taste just won’t go away!”

“Well, if it had any flavor, you’d eat it like a fruit, right? We’re using it as medication.”

“Stop playing around.”

“Here, try this wild berry. Master, would you like some? It’s not overly sweet, but it’s alright.”

He held out a handful of tiny wild fruit.

“Wait, I told you to pretend to be a herbalist, not to actually harvest herbs!”

“Well, it was visible…”

“Isn’t it because you had your eye to the ground that you saw the herbs? I told you to find a tombstone!”

“But…”

With reluctance, Qing’s gaze drifted back to the towering rock mountain above.

In the Central Plains, those rocky mountains are all jagged, and every peak looks just like a tombstone.

If I kept yapping about “Is that one?” every time I saw one, my lips might get chapped.

Actually, an overload of information is often more effective than controlled information.

People can easily find something interesting in a small set of data, but when it goes on without end, they lose interest in the whole.

“Did you think a master of Demonic Arts would just be lying in plain sight? If it were so, someone would have found it and caused havoc long ago. If the Treasure Map announced all over the world, it wouldn’t have lasted until now!”

Qing pouts at this.

“What? So the Heart Consumption Technique might have been snagged beforehand and might not even exist anymore?”

“Ahem. Hey now. This is all for the good of the world. This hardship will pay off and eventually make the world a better place!”

Though even Cheon Yu-hak doesn’t look too cheerful.

While the path of hardship sprawls out ahead, coming to No Mountain only reveals that it’s far tougher than I thought.

So back to looking for promising areas to rise high, having lunch with fist-sized rice balls, wandering the mountain all day.

As evening approaches, the sky darkens even though the sun hasn’t set just yet.

A thick band of dark clouds signals that it’s preparing to rain heavily.

“Let’s head back for today then. We’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s no need to suffer in the rain and wind. We should call it a day here.”

Originally, the plan was to camp in the mountains while searching for the secret manual, but after barely checking the first ridge, it’s already getting late.

Let’s postpone the search for the secret manual in the mountains until we get deeper in.

Entering and exiting the mountain, encountering enough attention will be inconvenient.

“More than that, let’s ask the herbalists or mountain folks about the terrain and get in there. It’s a mess up here.”

“Hmm.”

At this, Qing’s expression is mixed.

Cheon Yu-hak looks fiercely displeased.

“What’s this? Why do you look so sullen?”

“Well, you seemed like some professional treasure hunter, but turns out you have no plans at all.”

“Hey, do you think I cross paths with Treasure Maps every day? This is more than enough to be professional. What, do you want to just continue searching while getting soaked?”

“Ha ha, not really. Oh, raindrops! Let’s move before it pours down. Um, Jang Myung, think you can fit in this bag? You’re short enough; it should be just fine, right?”

“Why’s that?”

“Just want to wash up and have dinner. Little ones tend to have shorter legs, you know?”

“I’m not short! Everyone always says my legs are long compared to my body!”

“I’m speaking in absolute lengths. A short-legged bird is still short, even if it appears long; and when you get to a stork, if its legs are short, it’s still long.”

At this, Jin Jangmyung’s forehead twitched with irritation.

This isn’t the travel I imagined.

It’s not touching like it was before; it’s just relentless teasing all day long.

Qing, in response, giggles and suddenly squats down, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Been wandering the mountains all day, huh? Mountains really can tire you out, right? We’re used to sleeping outdoors, but you’re not Jang Myung, so don’t push yourself.”

“…Yeah.”

That gentle tone melted all his grievances.

Completely unfair.

I can’t just ignore that, can I?

“Shall we go in now? Oh, what? You can really fit in here? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“Yeah. Surprisingly comfy.”

“Don’t know if it’ll shake though. If it rocks too much, tell me. Though even if you said it, I probably wouldn’t stop.”

“…?”

“Ah, raindrop! Master, hurry! Super big drops are falling!”

At that, Cheon Yu-hak chuckled and dashed off.

With both the current Shintu and aspiring Shintu completely set on running, the speed picks up impressively.

Truth be told, Qing is quite the master of running, already recognized for his lightness by Seomun Sulin before he became an aspiring Shintu.

But since he knew nothing about the terrain, he just followed Cheon Yu-hak blindly and suddenly found his sight clearing out as they burst through the trees.

The humid breeze before the heavy rain sways through the still-green paddies that ripple like waves.

Running through the rows left and right felt refreshing in the late summer, bringing an involuntary smile to his face.

Under darkened skies, the smoke from cooking rice drifted in the distance.

Catching sight of that made his stomach rumble unexpectedly, as a sudden hunger pang hit him.

Wait, isn’t it past dinner time?

Oh dear. But in a village like this, the unwelcoming nature towards outsiders, combined with their wary demeanor, means they won’t readily open up to visitors.

And even if they do let you in, the food would be limited and consist mainly of rice piled high with wilted vegetables and pickled ones. If you give them some silver, they might catch a few chickens, but…

That’s definitely a letdown.

Before he knows it, the entrance to the village is right there.

A structure resembles walls with this giant gate swung wide open, typical of a remote fort-like village.

As Qing was about to set Jin Jangmyung down, he caught a whiff of heavy, even breaths coming from behind him, making him chuckle.

Noticing this, Cheon Yu-hak steps forward and calls out for someone.

“Ahem, hey there, anyone home?”

And then there’s rustling.

The person he called for isn’t showing up, but somehow Jin Jangmyung stirs awake.

“What? You’re awake?”

“Yeah. Are we there already?”

“We’re not there yet. Look there. Doesn’t that seem familiar?”

At that point, he feels the pressure from Jang Myung leaning closely against his back.

Jin Jangmyung’s body turns as he leans towards Qing.

“Oh.”

Back when Jin Jangmyung and those assassin rascals were chasing them, they’d dodged them and encountered this quaint village.

Back then, they were pretending to be ghosts and managed to score a hearty meal.

“Even if it’s cold rice, it was still delish. Right?”

“Yeah. I sometimes think about it.”

“Wow, can you believe that was years ago already? Time really flies, doesn’t it?”

Once a poor wanderer, who made do with dumpling rolls soaked in broth with no filling, he has since become wealthy beyond measure.

Hmm, considering it, that does seem like ages ago.

Nothing’s the same as it was back then.

Except for Jang Myung’s height.

As Qing got lost in memories for a moment…

“What’s that? Herbalists, are they?”

Above the door to the village? The structure was ambiguous, like a blocking gate, a man’s face leans over.

But what’s this gloom I sense?

While Qing raised an eyebrow in confusion, Cheon Yu-hak suddenly smirks, adopting a cunning merchant voice.

“We’ve come through, and with the day fading and the storm clouds thickening, may we trouble you for a night’s rest?”

“That bag looks heavy. Heading back from No Mountain, huh? Come in, come in.”

Huh? A little short on words, aren’t we?

Even in a rural place, you’d expect better hospitality, but they’re acting quite brusque from the get-go?

Is this even etiquette?

As Qing mentally debates, the creak of the hinged gate interrupts, swinging open with a loud screech.

And then…

A rough-looking guy steps out with blood-stained clothes and a dagger ready.

With a sneer, he speaks.

“Well, I’ve been looking for a decent mountain hunter, and here you are knocking at my door, huh?”

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