“Hmph…”
“Haha…”
“Hehe…”
What’s wrong with everyone?
I glanced around at the party looking at me strangely before grabbing a steamed bun and popping it into my mouth.
Mmm. Tasty.
“Every time you go out somewhere, Uncle, you seem to always cause some big incident when you come back…”
I can’t deny that.
“Things like this happen in life. It’s like trouble follows me around.”
“Hmph, Great Hero Wi. Thankfully, at least this time it didn’t get too out of hand.”
…True, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Zhang So-in is deceased. I used the excuse of some favors owed to seal lips with a kiss and absconded with only the secret manual. The bodyguard warriors who failed in their duty would never reveal the truth either unless they were particularly foolish.
All that’s left is to leave the powerful to handle it smoothly.
“Great Hero Wi. Still, if you think something similar might happen again, please let us help.”
“Most of my incidents aren’t exactly minor. Are you sure you want to get involved? I’d be better off handling it by myself.”
“Shouldn’t we help out the one who has been a benefactor and is facing difficulties?”
Your gratitude is appreciated, but… well, honestly, this time also ended with quite messy circumstances.
And there’s no guarantee this won’t happen again.
“That’s right. So next time something happens, please let us know, Uncle! This time, we were completely in the dark, you just glossed over it!”
“Fine, now eat your food.”
And please don’t lean forward like that; I don’t want your chest covered in food.
I forced a calm demeanor, turned my eyes away, and chewed on the bun.
We should soon prepare to leave Red Cliff for Wuhan.
Wuhan is the city where the Martial Alliance is based, right? Isn’t it the most prosperous city in Hubei Province?
Anyway, I heard it’s a place where commerce thrives because the Martial Alliance is located there. The warriors working for the Martial Alliance are excellent customers for merchants.
Other than that, I’ve also heard there aren’t as many troublemakers because the Martial Alliance is nearby.
If you stir up trouble near the Martial Alliance, it’s impossible to avoid them finding out. So I’ve heard it’s a relatively peaceful place compared to others, at least according to Hye-ryeong.
Though she hasn’t personally experienced it.
…But then come to think of it, I remember various characters causing quite a lot of trouble here in the original story.
We’ll worry about that later.
What’s important now isn’t fretting about some future events but figuring out what to do with the secret manual of the Shadowless Divine Dart technique.
I opened and read it already, but I couldn’t understand any of it, so there was no way to practice it. Maybe just selling it at a high price could be the answer but that seems problematic in a lot of ways.
…Maybe it’s better to hand it over to the Hainan Sword Sect in exchange for their help.
It would deepen the bond between us and Hainan Sword Sect, which is a positive. And I could study an appropriate light-stepping technique that suits me—so it’s a win-win, right?
And since it’s said that learning the Shadowless Divine Dart’s technique is not necessary anyway, it wouldn’t be a bad deal for Hainan Sword Sect either.
This discussion should not be held in front of too many people, though.
“Uncle, what are you deep in thought about?”
“…I’m just curious about what will happen next.”
“Being around you feels like I experience ten years’ worth of experience in a single year…”
That’s not entirely wrong, and it’s kind of sad to think about. I sighed and drank some lukewarm tea.
Though alcohol is nice, tea isn’t bad either.
Though I don’t really know proper tea-drinking etiquette, so I’m just drinking it like coffee… Maybe I should learn from Hye-ryeong later since she is elegant when she drinks tea, her active nature notwithstanding.
“Hmph, Hye-ryeong. Isn’t this a fine occasion? The life of a Martial artist is like a fisherman who withstands storms.”
“That’s right. How could the life of a Martial artist be peaceful?”
That’s not wrong.
After all, no warrior survives as long as they keep getting stabbed.
Thus, navigating the perils of martial life is inevitable if one is to remain active within the Martial Realm.
Unless you choose to hole up in some remote mountain valley.
Or join the Order of Daoists or Shaolin and never leave the temple grounds.
“I have something to discuss, but there are too many eyes around so we’ll talk later.”
I tapped my chest a couple of times and refocused on the meal.
For a while, we’ll have to rely on portable rations or fishy-smelling meat, so eating while we can is wise.
“Would you like me to order more, Uncle?”
I shook my head.
“That’s enough.”
Well, I eat a lot, but not that much.
Putting down my chopsticks, I said,
“Let’s prepare to move out soon.”
“Understood, Great Hero Wi.”
It’s time to head to Wuhan.
The Martial Alliance will be our final destination. Once we get there… it’ll probably be different from what it is now. Remembering how it was depicted in the original story, I was filled with anticipation.
———————
“It really is a nice, broad, clean highway going into the big city!”
“…Maybe because if it wasn’t, no one could pass.”
Even Korea has a lot of mountains, but here it’s even worse—mountains as perilous as Seoraksan abound. If the land wasn’t so vast, it might be a place where humans could hardly survive under normal circumstances.
Without light-stepping skills, crossing a single mountain could easily take an entire day.
I want to learn those skills as soon as possible.
Once we reach the Martial Alliance, I should start learning then.
“You found some firewood, huh?”
“Right. Leave it here.”
Hye-ryeong placed the branches she’d collected nearby the fire. Her chest, which had naturally shifted while carrying the wood, returned to its original shape after losing its support.
“Uncle?”
“…Sorry.”
“It’s alright. You’re used to it, aren’t you?”
…Well, how many men can honestly look away from a chest like that?
I sighed, picked a few pieces from the pile of wood Hye-ryeong had set down, and threw them into the fire.
“Uncle, by the way, are we going to join the Martial Alliance?”
“Let’s see how the situation looks.”
“Eh…?”
Looking at me like that won’t change anything.
If I were to simply join, I’d lose any chance of being placed favorably.
Initially, it’s better to align myself within their patronage by contributing merit rather than becoming a formal member of the Martial Alliance. I don’t particularly want to enter another quasi-military setting after already spending a year and a half in the army post-reincarnation.
I need to move freely, quietly disrupting the Evil Sect’s plans, while seeking out opportunities to boost my cultivation.
My goal is to first reach the level of Swordmaster.
With the talents of this body and the spirit medicines available, I can reduce the time taken to reach that level.
I may not have the main character’s caliber of talent, but I still need to somehow shorten my time to advancement.
For that, I need enlightenment.
What exactly did Leader say back then?
Enlightenment is about forging a path no one has walked before, so it can’t be given.
What kind of enlightenment do I need?
Preferably something simple.
“Uncle?”
“Hm? What were we talking about?”
“What are you deep in thought about?”
“I was pondering enlightenment.”
“Oh. It’s necessary for moving to the next level, isn’t it…”
“Are you already at the point where you’re thinking about enlightenment?”
Hye-ryeong looked at me with obvious surprise. That wasn’t unusual. After all, most people acclaimed as experts fail to surpass the peak master level. If I’m already contemplating enlightenment, which is necessary to transcend from peak master to supreme master…
Even Elder Baek, who’s leading our group, is a master-level warrior.
Even renowned masters of prestigious righteous sects find supreme master exceedingly hard to reach.
Of course, the Hainan Sword Sect is weaker compared to the Nine Great Sects, or even the Big Eight—but even so, for a martial artist, achieving supreme mastery is still an unfathomable barrier, even after a lifetime of cultivation.
Without the aid of an elder in a grand sect, it’s almost impossible to reach supreme mastery through self-discipline alone.
“I’m just thinking ahead.”
“Will I ever reach the point of worrying about enlightenment?”
“One day, sure.”
In the original story, the protagonist achieved supreme mastery at a young age, so you’ll likely start worrying about it in the next few years.
“First, though, you have to reach the master level.”
Hye-ryeong suddenly drew her sword, held it vertically with her eyes closed. A few seconds passed before a blue mist covered the blade—an unstable mist, as if it would dissipate at any moment.
“Looks like sea fog.”
“Right?”
She re-sheathed her sword and sat beside me, gazing at the fire.
“I wonder when our seniors will arrive…”
“Hmm.”
They should be back soon since it’s about time.
I looked at Hye-ryeong. Her face looked tired from the day’s journey and reflected beautifully in the firelight. I spoke to her as she blinked sleepily.
“If you’re tired, close your eyes for a bit. I’ll wake you up.”
“I’ll just borrow your shoulder for a moment… Zzz…”
Hye-ryeong leaned against my arm. The smell of the sea drifted into my nose—an oddly addictive scent.
Inhaling that smell, I looked up at the sky.
The twilight sky was painted a beautiful crimson.
Lost in thought, I muttered involuntarily,
“May nothing happen on our way.”
