Chapter 5

Three deep creases appeared between Hong Sa-ryeon’s brows, forming the character cheon.

After Gye Yeon-seung was expelled and a new Hall Master took charge of Busaeng Hall, Gye Cheol-yeong had remained quiet for some time.

Recently, however, he had returned to his usual boastful self.

“Do you know what the Snow Plum Pill is? Even in Mount Hua, it is second only to the Purple Firmament Pill when it comes to increasing internal energy. As for strengthening one’s foundation, it even surpasses Shaolin’s Small Reversion Pill. It is so precious that even Mount Hua’s true disciples rarely receive one.”

Next, he would explain how his father and uncle—a disciple of Mount Hua—had obtained such a valuable pill solely for his sake.

Sa-ryeon did not need to keep listening. She already knew exactly what he would say.

He had repeated the same speech for days. By now, it was engraved in her mind like a martial formula she had never wanted to memorize.

“……Yes. That is truly impressive.”

“Is it not? So, you see……”

She wanted to shout, What do you expect me to do about it, you fool?

Unfortunately, the fool standing before her was the precious son of the family that financially supported the Taeul Sect.

It was not as though Sa-ryeon did not envy him.

She was a martial artist too. Naturally, she longed for a precious spiritual pill.

However, as the Sect Leader’s only daughter, she carried too much responsibility to waste time feeling bitter over what others possessed.

“Senior Sister! What will happen to Senior Brother Jin?”

“Senior Sister! Senior Brother So-un will not leave the sect, will he?”

“Senior Sister! If I eat only two meals a day, will Senior Brother come back?”

The junior disciples, who followed her around like a flock of chicks, were all waiting for the senior brother who had left the sect.

Meanwhile, Jin So-un—who felt more like a troublesome younger brother despite being her senior within the sect—was off doing something somewhere.

Even the Outer Hall Master did not know where he had gone.

‘That hopeless fool.’

Sa-ryeon’s patience with Gye Cheol-yeong and Gye Yeon-seung had already been close to its limit.

Had Jin So-un not stepped forward, she eventually would have.

No.

She should have been the one to act first.

One day, the future of the Taeul Sect would rest on her shoulders.

Gye Cheol-yeong was merely an opportunist who had joined the sect to gain admission to the Murim Academy.

As for the younger disciples, half of them would eventually return home and inherit their family trades. The fortunate ones might find work as armed escorts and consider themselves successful.

There was also Jin So-un, but Sa-ryeon was not shameless enough to force the Taeul Sect’s burden onto him when she knew how bleak its future was.

She had carried that responsibility since childhood.

That was why she blamed herself for not acting sooner.

She had been afraid of Gye Yeon-seung’s martial arts and Gye Yeon-seok’s retaliation.

‘How did he defeat him?’

She still could not understand how Jin So-un had overcome Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Art.

Even more strangely, ever since that incident, he had slipped out of the Taeul Sect every day without being noticed by Gye Yeon-seok, who constantly stormed into the sect looking for trouble.

That was probably intentional as well.

Everyone knew how petty and persistent Gye Yeon-seok could be.

Jin So-un had likely left the sect to keep the man’s retaliation away from the others.

“Senior Sister! Try this!”

“Senior Sister! This meat is delicious!”

The young disciples crowded around Sa-ryeon like a pack of puppies, offering her rice cakes and pieces of meat.

Pulled from her thoughts, Sa-ryeon smiled and gently stroked their heads.

To celebrate the arrival of Mount Hua’s masters at the Gyeryong Merchant Guild, the Taeul Sect had also received enough food to hold a small feast.

Fortunately, Gye Yeon-seok and Gye Yeon-seung were too busy entertaining their guests to visit the sect.

Thanks to that, the disciples could enjoy their meal in peace.

“But where did Senior Brother Jin go? He loves these rice cakes.”

“Senior Sister, may I save this meat for him?”

A young disciple stared at the meat with shining eyes, repeatedly swallowing his saliva.

It had probably been a long time since he had last eaten meat, yet he was still willing to save it for Jin So-un.

Sa-ryeon’s heart ached.

She vigorously ruffled the child’s hair.

“It will spoil before he returns. Do not hold back. Eat it.”

“Then when will Senior Brother Jin come back?”

“He will return soon.”

Pretending that nothing was wrong, Sa-ryeon stole a rice cake and a piece of meat from the children.

‘Where in the world are you, and what are you doing, you hopeless fool?’

“I will give you ten taels of silver.”

I had cursed my perfect memory throughout my previous life, but it was not entirely useless.

It was especially helpful when dealing with shameless merchants who tried to cheat their customers by blaming changes in market prices.

“Hah! What are you talking about? I heard merchants in Zhejiang are desperate to obtain tiger pelts of this quality. The price there starts at thirty taels.”

Zhejiang, especially Hangzhou, was a major center of trade. Its prices influenced the surrounding provinces as well.

Even so, there was no chance a tiger pelt would cost twenty taels more simply because it had crossed a provincial border.

“That would be the price of a properly preserved tiger pelt.”

“Look at it. There is not a single arrow hole in the entire pelt. Offering only ten taels is such an obvious swindle that you could not defend it even before the authorities.”

“Young man, are you blind? Does this look properly preserved to you?”

The merchant spread the tiger pelt out before me.

“What did you do to make it dry and shrivel like this? I am offering ten taels only because I am generous. Anywhere else, you would not receive even half that amount.”

“……”

No matter how deeply I searched my memories, I knew of no way to restore a dried and shriveled pelt.

I accepted my defeat with dignity and took the ten taels.

Obtaining a tiger pelt had not been part of my original plan anyway.

After absorbing the Human-Faced Spider’s inner core, I had been forced to confront a serious problem.

“At this rate, I am unquestionably a demonic practitioner.”

Among the Ten Forbidden Arts declared by the Murim Alliance was the Great Star-Absorbing Art.

Even among those ten, it was separately classified as one of the Four Evil Arts—a demonic technique the Murim Alliance despised above nearly all others.

Judging by the way the Blue Dragon Bracelet absorbed inner cores, its power seemed disturbingly similar to the Great Star-Absorbing Art.

Understanding that ability had become my highest priority.

“As expected, there was no chance a relic belonging to that Blood-Drinking Demon bastard would be ordinary.”

Fortunately—if it could truly be called fortunate—the bracelet did not absorb energy from everything.

It could draw nothing from plants or stones.

Living creatures, however, were different.

It could absorb energy from deer, rabbits, and other beasts.

More precisely, it converted their vitality into true qi and absorbed it into my body.

That alone placed the bracelet’s power on the same level as the Blood-Drinking Demon’s evil art.

If the Murim Alliance discovered it, I would undoubtedly be marked for execution.

Still, I wondered whether there might be some important difference. To find out, I ventured deep into the mountains where a great tiger had recently been sighted and risked my life testing the bracelet.

And thus was born Jin So-un, the Star-Absorbing Young Master.

‘Well done, Jin So-un. You returned thirty years into the past only to obtain a demonic art. Truly magnificent.’

The Blue Dragon Bracelet’s power exceeded even my worst expectations.

The tiger had charged at me so fiercely that I lost control and activated the bracelet.

It drained every trace of vitality and moisture from the beast, leaving behind nothing but a dried husk.

My life was not the only one in danger.

The moment the Murim Alliance learned the truth, Father, the Sect Leader, the Hall Masters, and every disciple of the Taeul Sect would be dragged away and tortured.

The Murim Alliance’s underground prison was infamous for methods so cruel that prisoners confessed even to crimes they had never committed.

The younger disciples would not last three days before claiming that I had taught all of them the Great Star-Absorbing Art.

“If I die again, will I be given another chance?”

Rather than trust such an uncertain hope, I began carefully studying the Blue Dragon Bracelet.

First, it responded fairly well to my will.

I could not allow it to suddenly glow on its own, as it had inside the cave, and draw unwanted attention.

Even that was not enough to reassure me.

The moment I reached the village, I visited a cloth shop and wrapped several layers of dark fabric around my wrist.

There was also one important reason I had not cut off my perfectly healthy left hand.

Whether the bracelet absorbed vitality or internal energy, it converted that power into energy identical to that produced by the Taeul Heart Method.

To be precise, the converted energy was even purer than my own and blended with it almost immediately.

One of the greatest flaws of the Great Star-Absorbing Art was that the different energies it absorbed remained separate inside the practitioner’s body.

The Blue Dragon Bracelet left no such traces.

Unless someone personally witnessed me draining another person’s qi, even examining my dantian would reveal no evidence that I had practiced the Great Star-Absorbing Art.

As long as no one discovered the truth, the bracelet was no different from an extraordinary hidden weapon.

No.

I had simply decided to think of it that way.

The thought of being dragged into the Murim Alliance’s underground prison was far too terrifying to consider.

“Do you sell traps as well?”

“Hm? Did you not come here knowing that? This is the finest hunting-supply shop in Hefei.”

“Then give me traps strong enough to catch tigers and bears.”

“Huh? You intend to hunt them with traps? Their pelts will be damaged, and you will receive a poor price. Even a dried, shriveled pelt like this would be worth more.”

“I have no intention of skinning them.”

“Hmm. Bear gall does sell for a good price these days. How many traps do you need?”

“About thirty.”

“Huh?”

“The beasts I intend to hunt are unusually cunning.”

The Gyeryong Merchant Guild had recently held its grandest banquet in years.

Whatever the true purpose of the visit, the arrival of Mount Hua’s masters provided the guild with an excellent opportunity to advertise its close relationship with the sect.

Notices were posted throughout the surrounding ten li, and free food and wine were offered to anyone who attended.

The merchants who regularly dealt with Gye Yeon-seok found the sight irritating.

A man who had always been stingy with them was suddenly showing off his generosity.

Most of them refused to attend.

The local drunkards, however, were far less selective.

They arrived in groups, dragging their friends along. The lights of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild remained bright throughout the night, and the music never stopped.

The highlight of the banquet was a performance by Wolhyang, the finest courtesan in Hefei.

Even the drunkards who had stubbornly guarded their seats began crowding toward the center of the guild, hoping to catch a glimpse of her famously beautiful face.

“Pay your respects. These gentlemen are among Mount Hua’s finest warriors.”

Gye Yeon-seok puffed out his chest as he introduced the two Mount Hua masters.

Wolhyang slowly lowered her veil and gave them a faint smile.

“My name is Wolhyang.”

Gye Cheol-yeong, seated beside his father, stared at her openly.

Even the Mount Hua masters struggled to keep their expressions calm.

Whenever the flowing fabric of her skirt revealed a glimpse of pale skin, low groans spread through the hall.

While everyone’s attention was fixed entirely on Wolhyang, the Soul-Chasing Guest hid among the flickering lamps and shadows.

Without anyone noticing, he slipped over the wall of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild.

‘Success!’

At last, he could escape his miserable life as a thief.

The Soul-Chasing Guest had been thrown into Jianghu at the age of twenty without ever receiving proper martial instruction.

As he wandered from place to place, he picked up several crude skills from those living on the fringes of society.

Among them, thievery was the skill he excelled at most.

And so, he became a thief.

But it was never the life he had wanted.

Then, by chance, the secret manual of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm fell into his hands.

It was the final supreme art of the Radiant Heaven Divine Sovereign, a legendary master who had supposedly vanished without leaving behind a successor.

Unfortunately, the manual contained only the palm techniques. It did not include the cultivation method needed to build internal energy.

The Radiant Heaven Divine Palm required an enormous amount of internal energy to unleash its legendary power.

To the Soul-Chasing Guest, the manual had been as useless as a horseshoe on a dog.

‘But now, everything is different.’

‘Jianghu will witness the return of the Radiant Heaven Divine Sovereign!’

With the Snow Plum Pill hidden inside his robes and the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm in his possession, he would no longer have to fear anyone.

“Heh heh heh.”

The moment the laugh escaped his lips—

“See? I told you he would come this way.”

“Hah. He really did steal it.”

The sudden voices made the Soul-Chasing Guest’s heart sink.

“……”

He immediately tried to flee using his movement art, but the killing intent surrounding him stretched too far in every direction.

He could not tell which path was safe.

“Usually, this is the part where someone asks, ‘Who are you?’”

“Indeed. He is surprisingly tight-lipped. He might have done well in the Murim Alliance.”

Two men stepped out of the darkness, speaking as casually as though nothing unusual was happening.

A sword was embroidered on their robes, with a cloud pattern beside it.

The Soul-Chasing Guest immediately understood that he could not defeat them.

‘The Diancang Sect.’

His thoughts raced.

Should he offer to share the pill with them?

They had mentioned the Murim Alliance, so perhaps they would not kill him.

Or should he swallow the pill immediately and try to escape?

“Look at him thinking.”

“Listen carefully. Move even a single finger, and I will cut your throat.”

The moment he heard those words, the Soul-Chasing Guest abandoned all thoughts of resisting.

‘It is better to wait for another opportunity than die like a dog here.’

He quickly dropped to his knees.

“This lowly one was blinded by greed and committed a foolish act. Please spare my life.”

He pulled a small wooden box from inside his robes and bowed until his forehead touched the ground.

Once they recovered the Snow Plum Pill, the Murim Alliance would probably imprison him.

Still, if these two wanted the pill for themselves, perhaps they would at least avoid handing him over.

“Is this the Snow Plum Pill?”

“Check it. You cannot trust a thief’s word.”

“Let us see.”

One of the men took the box and opened it.

Pop.

The moment air entered the sealed box, a fresh fragrance spread through the forest.

Even the Soul-Chasing Guest, lying flat on the ground, could smell it.

“It is genuine.”

“Is that so?”

“Great Heroes, this lowly one has something to say.”

“Hm?”

“What if we simply agree that I saw nothing?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know the master of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild to be a greedy and arrogant man who shows no gratitude. Even if you return the Snow Plum Pill, do you truly believe he will reward you?”

The Soul-Chasing Guest cautiously raised his head.

“Would it not be better for the two Great Heroes to keep it instead……?”

“Ha ha! Look at this fellow.”

“Good grief. Just what does he take us for?”

Their words sounded offended, but the glance they exchanged told the Soul-Chasing Guest everything he needed to know.

They intended to keep the pill.

Surely, that meant they would allow him to leave.

“Then this lowly one shall take his leave……”

He tried to stand.

“……?”

For some reason, his legs would not move.

“Did you truly think we would allow a witness to walk away?”

“For a Black Path martial artist, you are surprisingly naive. How did someone like you ever earn the name Soul-Chasing Guest?”

“Damn……”

That was the final word the Soul-Chasing Guest spoke before collapsing.

“Let us dispose of him and leave.”

“Wait. Men like him often hide their most valuable possessions inside their robes. Look at this.”

One of them searched the Soul-Chasing Guest’s clothes and pulled out a secret manual.

“We can examine it later. It will not be long before they discover that the Snow Plum Pill is missing.”

Thud!

The man struck the ground with his palm force, creating a deep hole barely large enough to hold a body.

They kicked the Soul-Chasing Guest’s corpse into it, quickly covered it with earth, and turned to leave.

Rustle.

A sound neither of them had made came from the forest.

“Who is there?”

“Come out, or I will cut off your head.”

A figure soon stepped out from between the trees.

It was a young man who did not look even twenty years old.

“Wh-Who are you?”

The young man tilted his head.

“What about you? What are the two of you doing here at this hour?”

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