132 – Martial Realm Nymph #2
The toxin nymph Tairrenol.
Could it be that there were nymphs living in China during the Ming Dynasty?
Considering that Illinois was living in the Americas, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if some nymph was wandering around China during the Ming Dynasty.
“Tairrenol… Nymphs with names ending in ‘ol’ are generally nymphs born in winter…! It is clear that there is a winter nymph…! There is another nymph sister in this world…! I am very curious about where she is…!”
Inoi seemed to have forgotten the purpose of visiting this health center.
She looked very excited and eager at the thought of meeting another nymph sister, while the lady was puffing on her pipe and sighed, as if lamenting deeply.
“The story about Rimwoo is recorded in our family’s secret book. However, even if I wanted to tell you more details, I cannot, as I was expelled from the clan long ago. I broke the taboo of marrying a foreigner.”
The lady had such a past?
It was an amazing story.
“Our outside master, Mr. So Kang-ho, was an international student. Back then, I was just a middle school student, but I shared a very hot and passionate freedom and love with him. Do you want to hear it? Hmm?”
“Inoi has an allergy to memories of the past, so when I hear about it, I just end up dozing off…! Please stop with the past memories…!”
The lady said, “It’s a wonderful dramatic story…” while expressing her regret.
Anyway.
With a puff, the lady sighed again.
“I cut ties with my country and clan and came to Korea, but So-hee is working in China for me. So-hee, can you help her out a bit? Hmm?”
Suhk-.
The lady grabbed my hand.
“Help? So-hee? Me?”
How could I possibly help an S-Rank Awakened from China?
I couldn’t understand it in many ways.
Despite that, the lady continued to talk, tears welling in her eyes.
“You are the only child who came to my daughter’s birthday party! I’ve actually been keeping an eye on you to marry you off as my son-in-law for a long time! Please help our So-hee!”
I tended to help out when someone was having a hard time.
It wasn’t because I was particularly nice or meddlesome; I just felt very uncomfortable if I ignored such requests for help, making it hard to sleep.
This lady from the health center had been a long-time acquaintance of mine.
If I were to ignore her pleas for help, it would surely weigh on my mind for a month, if not several years.
“Is So-hee experiencing some kind of trouble? How am I supposed to help?”
# # #
“So, did you fail? Is that it?”
The leader of the Black Serpent, So So-hee, bowed her head.
There were many people around her with dark shadows cast over their faces.
“Jumsoi. Get me a dish of Carbonara.”
“I’ll have an Americano.”
“Elder! You should have jumped over there! Oh no! We have to play next round!”
“Smartphone games these days are really difficult.”
They were the Alliance.
It could also be called a union that had continued since ancient times.
They were a system and an ideology.
The Martial Realm Alliance of Awakened in China.
When the chaotic atmosphere of those gathered finally settled, a man with a white beard spoke.
“Xiao. I will ask you once more. In the tempest, you returned without any gains, only for the black factions to suffer injuries and retreat. Is the content of this report true?”
“Yes.”
Suhk-.
Xiao Xiao—So So-hee bowed her head deeply.
As she did, people began to whisper around her.
“Are we really supposed to believe this? It certainly seems like there is missing information.”
“This is why we shouldn’t trust the Tang clan. If we had made our precious So-lin an S-Rank Awakened…”
“Whoa, that kid couldn’t even reach the finals of the Yongbong Convention! Our Albrecht of Kunlun, who reached the finals, is the real…”
“That guy was a foreigner! What if we gave our only ‘Mannyeon Ginseng’ to a foreigner, and then he fled back to his homeland!”
The murmurs were filled with resentment, jealousy, and conflict.
It was the leader of the Alliance that quieted them down.
Suhk-.
When the leader raised his hand, the shadows fell silent one by one.
Taking advantage of the stillness, the leader asked.
“Xiao. According to the rumors, you entered that rich rift and met a man while executing a plan, and you were greatly disturbed— is this also false?”
“No, it is false. There was no one in that rift except our Black Serpent.”
“Xiao. You have rejected all the suitors we carefully appointed for you. Namgung’s Yong-sik, Je-gal’s Yong-sik, and even Hwasan’s final obstacle student, you rejected them all.”
“……”
“We thought there might be a man who has already captured your heart. Xiao. No, So-hee. I will ask again. Have you truly not interacted with any man?”
Just as So So-hee was about to keep her mouth shut, someone appeared, clicking in high heels.
She was a woman wearing a purple qipao.
In her hand was a fan, and a phoenix embroidered on it sparkled in gold.
The Poison Bee, Tang So-hae.
Once called the genius female martial artist known as the Phoenix of the Tang Clan in the 21st century.
As an A-Rank Awakened, she smirked at So So-hee.
“If you assign a mission to such an outsider, this is what happens. A girl who is the shame of the Tang Clan! You’re the daughter of a traitor who ran away and married a foreign man!”
Tang So-hae didn’t like So So-hee.
It was because So So-hee was actually half Korean.
‘Her last name isn’t even Tang, it’s So! Why is this girl treated as a member of the Tang Clan!’
Furthermore, it was because So So-hee was the one who had demoted her title “Phoenix” to mean “bee”.
‘The divine object “Mannyeon Ginseng,” which was said to embody ancient mysteries! It should have been me, Tang So-hae, who went to the Yongbong Convention where it was the winning prize! That should have been mine!’
The Yongbong Convention, where the best scions of the Martial Families and Nine-Sided Alliance gathered to hold duels.
So So-hee won there and became the only S-Rank Awakened in the continent with the Mannyeon Ginseng.
Tang So-hae was not happy about this fact.
“Elders of the Alliance. And respected leader. I, Tang So-hae, ask that this mission be entrusted to me. If I successfully bring back that man ‘Haildo,’ then grant me Gungcheongseokyu.”
Gungcheongseokyu.
A legendary liquid said to contain the energy of the earth gathered over a long time.
Some say it is the water where a mysterious fairy washed her hands.
Drinking it allows one to instantly stabilize and transcend the realm known as Internal Energy—Mana.
It was a divine object on par with the Mannyeon Ginseng.
The elders were shocked that Tang So-hae knew the story, which had been kept secret among them, but the leader laughed heartily.
“Haildo, a man who raises Squirrel Beasts, Honey Ants, auspicious Spiders, and an owl like a phoenix? A fellow who tames spirits. Fine, tell me more.”
“Alright. If I succeed in bringing back that man, the secret book that the traitor stole will be returned and kept by our Tang Clan. Understand?”
“The Tang Clan Secret Book.”
A national treasure said to have been personally written by the Grand Master Tairren in ancient times.
Many had been searching for the book that disappeared about twenty years ago, and Tang So-hae was among them.
‘If I could only get my hands on that…!’
# # #
“I was expelled from my clan for marrying a Korean. But I lived well. However, at some point, I fell ill, and this illness could only be cured by the Tang Clan’s medicine…”
So So-hee said she had gone to China to become part of the Tang Clan in order to obtain that medicine.
The reason So So-hee was currently active as an Awakened in China was all due to that ‘medicine.’
“I’ve already lived enough. I don’t need to take the medicine anymore. So I want to save So-hee’s life freely now. If I can safely bring So-hee back to Korea…”
Suhk-.
The lady presented me with a small piece of paper.
It looked like an old book.
“This is the secret book I stole when I left the old clan. If it’s you with your abundant internal energy in this vile world, you should be able to handle it. I will give this to you.”
The Tang Clan Secret Book.
I recalled that the Awakened in China greatly wanted to possess the “Secret Book.”
There was a rumor that reading and following it would raise your Awakened ranking—whether it was true or not was always up for debate.
“It is said to be an extremely excellent book…! This Inoi somehow feels the nymph’s energy from this book…! It must have been written by a nymph…!”
Seeing Inoi take a strong interest in the book, it was clear that it was indeed a valuable item.
“More than that, this Inoi came to find herbs…! If there are any medicinal herbs here, please hand them over to this Inoi…!”
“A medicinal herb, let’s see….”
As Inoi and the lady discussed medicinal herbs, I sneakily opened the book.
What was written on the paper was….
“It’s blank.”
“Right. The way to read that book has only been passed down to the head of the Tang Clan. I left the clan before receiving that teaching.”
It was a wonderful book.
And it was a very tempting story.
If I could use this secret book to enhance my abilities?
I might be able to become the pinnacle itself, surpassing legends.
But what am I supposed to do with it?
“Is it just a matter of bringing So So-hee back?”
“Right. But it won’t be simple. The alliance is reportedly destroying even the Communist Party and is dominating the continent with the logic of power. You will need strong power to subdue them.”
It meant that battle was inevitable.
At that moment, the lady asked me.
“You met So-hee, didn’t you? Then soon, they may come to you first. They might even send you an official invitation. They can be quite arrogant.”
With that feeling, I returned home.
Inoi looked disappointed.
“This Inoi couldn’t find the ‘Typhoon Flower’…! However, I heard good news that it might be growing in the Rimwoo Forest of the Sichuan region of the continent…!”
—Hoo, hoo—.
When I returned home, Kalilnoi greeted me.
On Kalilnoi’s beak was a letter.
It was a vintage letter with a dragon and phoenix embroidered in gold thread on red paper.
The letter read as follows.
“You are formally invited to the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.”
