Chapter 26: Undersea Plant (1)

Blood Demon.

A giant figure who created the Blood Cult by gathering all kinds of evil people and people from Unorthodox Sects in murim.

As a result, the cult behind the scenes began to attack the Murim Alliance, and even others who were strong had to join hands to resist.

In a fierce battle during the war, the Blood Demon, leader of the cult, was decapitated.

At that time, the Murim Alliance and other sects searched for his blood relatives, but it was never revealed if they found them all. And that is all I knew.

“The Blood Cult leader’s... granddaughter is alive?”

Hae Ack-chun smiled and nodded. Today was a day with a lot of extraordinary happenings. The Blood Demon’s blood is alive.

“You are lucky. You saw such a precious person up close.”

Regardless of luck, I was surprised.

Who would have imagined that she would still be alive after so many sects searched and went after the bloodline of the Blood Demon?

Somehow, I knew this old man wouldn’t have just backed out of a fight.

“Don’t tell your sajaes.”

“Yes.”

“And look for that herb. It is the only thing that can restore your dantian and well-being too.”

The Bloodline of the Blood Demon.

Her safety is essential to the cult. The reason searchers for the herbs are being mobilized also had to be for her.

-Wonhwi. Didn’t I say?

‘What?’

-People should be good at knowing the timing. Find the herb.

Short Sword said, excited.

Right. Perhaps, this was the golden chance that came for me.

Hae Ack-chun ordered the twins to find the herb too. From what I heard, most of the Blood Cult members were also searching for it. Gu Sang-woong, and the Bloody Hand Witch, who were like the heads of this place, scattered everyone all over, saying that this herb had to be found at all costs.

Actually, it was a waste of manpower to search for it together.

-But what are they doing here?

The place I was in was the cave where the South Heavenly Swordsman’s corpse was in. Instead of looking for the herb, I sat in front of a bonfire and cultivated my innate qi.

‘I am cultivating.’

-But what if someone else finds the herb?

‘They cannot find it.’

Short Sword clicked her tongue at my confident voice.

-You better go and find it sooner. Wouldn’t it be unfair if someone else finds it?

‘Even I cannot find it.’

-Why can’t I find it?

‘Right now, the flower buds of the herb are buried, so I cannot find them.’

-What are you even talking about?

‘Wait. It will take three more days to find the herbs, even with the help of all the trainees.’

-You’re the one who returned back in time. How could I have known that?

‘Then wait. Because after all, even that man doesn’t know when the buds of the sagebrush will bloom.’

The sun had to be in the middle of the sky, and then I would have to wait in the cold for a long time before taking it out.

So staying in this warm place was nice. As time passed, the red sun was about to set.

-Are you going to go now?

‘A little more.’

Small lights could be seen at the bottom of the mountain when the sun completely set.

It was light from torches.

Lights were moving here and there. After a while, they all gathered and headed to the main hall of the Six Blood Valley.

‘Done.’

I waited for this time. I went down the mountain with Iron Sword on me.

And when I went down, I could only feel the darkness and no presence.

-This is so creepy. It feels like everyone has withdrawn.

‘Because it is dark.’

-You were waiting for this.

The current weather was too terrible to rely solely on torches to find herbs. The whole area was covered with white snow, so how could they find it in darkness?

Now was the right time, especially with everyone out.

Tat!

It was dark, but I knew where the herb was, so I moved. Although not as good as Hae Ack-chun, I had learned the footwork technique that Iron Sword taught me.

‘I feel good.’

Even the cold wind was making my heart flutter.

I envied the footwork technique when I watched the other warriors use it in my previous life.

The feeling of running so lightly on the ground under the moonlight couldn’t be explained. Though the feeling didn’t last long.

Tak!

A sound rang in my ear. And it was coming from behind me.

-Wonhwi.

‘I know.’

I nodded at the words of Iron Sword. I thought everyone had withdrawn, but it didn’t seem like that.

Someone was following me.

“Phew.”

It seems that I was ready to use my cultivation for the first time outside of training. Warm qi welled up in my chest, leading to the soles of my feet.

The moment it reached my feet, my speed accelerated.

Phat!

I could see the surroundings pass so quickly. I thought it would be difficult to catch me, but the opponent could catch up.

And the sound kept ringing in my ear.

Tak! Tak! Tak!

Who was following me? To be able to catch up with me right now, they had to be a skilled warrior.

‘Iron Sword, can you see who it is?’

I asked the sword which was on my back.

-... Amazing.

‘What?’

-A fat woman is using a footwork technique at a similar speed to you.

‘What?’

At that instant, I thought of the woman I met with the veil on her head during the day. I glanced back with a hopeful thought, and it really was her.

‘Ha!’

Tak! Tak! Tak!

She was so fat that I wondered how she could even move, but she was able to catch up with me. Then she shouted.

“Stop there!”

And she was telling me to stop. This was insane.

It was an unexpected ambush. If I stopped, I would have to give up looking for the herbs.

-Hold on. If she is that fat, she cannot run for long.

Short Sword was right. No matter how great her skills were, it would be difficult to maintain this speed with her body.

If we continued this a little longer, then she would fall behind.

-Wonhwi! Be careful of your back!

Surprised by the cry from Iron Sword, I looked back. At that moment, I saw something shocking.

That fat woman with a veil on her face was gliding on the snow like a hawk?

‘What is she?’

What skill was this?

With the speed she was moving with now, she would catch up right away.

She reached out to me.

‘Tch!’

I had to twist my body to avoid being touched. However, her hand turned red and bent in a strange direction.

Pak!

I hurriedly stopped her with Iron Sword, but her hand was faster. The red hand touched my left shoulder, and my balanced body rolled to the ground.

“Ack!’

Thud!

I had to roll around ten times to stop.

-She is more skilled than you.

She had a subtle expression and said,

“I am not doing it for the merit. I am doing this to save the person I serve. Can I not be greedy?”

The person that she is serving meant the granddaughter of the Blood Cult leader. She must have escorted her all the way here.

I thought I could be closer to Ha Yeon, but I needed the merit all for myself.

“I will save her, so don’t worry.”

“You are being too much.”

Her face turned red, and she bit her lip. And she tried to persuade me.

“Don’t do that, young master. I will give you all the merits in front of Elder Shinui. Then is that fine? “

“You will give the merit to me?”

“Yes. Even if the two of us go and find it, it doesn’t mean that the merit is divided, right? And you know if we are lucky, Elder Shinui will give help to the two of us too.”

I couldn’t be sure of that.

If the two of us found it, wouldn’t that change a lot of things? But I wasn’t going to change my stance just because of this.

“If that happens, then the elder will give me a plaque, and you’ll get one too, then I will give it to you.”

Her words sounded nice. Not one but two plaques which said that Elder Shinui would help me.

This wasn’t such a bad condition.

-Fine. Accept it. She will keep coming after you anyway.

‘Let’s try taking some time.’

She might change her stance if I was too difficult to compromise with.

-Either way, you are already doing that.

People can always turn greedy.

Anyway, I think it would be alright to work with her if her conditions didn’t change. I pretended to be concerned and tapped my chin.

“Phew, I don’t know if Miss Ha can be trusted.”

“Tch. Why do you have so many doubts? How can I make you trust me?”

Just accepting it right away was more suspicious, right?

She had an anxious look. She wanted to get the merit shared.

“I am just saying this, but don’t even think about running away. Even if I look like this, you realize I am faster than the young master, right?”

‘...!’

As soon as I heard that, a good idea struck me.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Miss Ha, how about doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“To have trust in each other, let’s put up something more than the plaque. Isn’t it possible that we may not receive the plaque?”

“Add something more? What is that?”

She narrowed her eyes. It was an anxious look.

“Teach me how to do that horizontal flying thing you did before.”

“Uh?”

I coveted it the moment I saw it. It was a new technique that made her look like a flying hawk.

“Ha!”

Miss Ha Yeon was excited.

Or was I just mistaking the angry steam rising over her head for excitement?

Miss Ha Yeon and I went together to look for the location of the herbs. In the end, she accepted my offer.

‘Do you know how rude it is to ask other people for their martial arts?’

‘I know.’

Which was why I had made the request. If she didn’t accept it, she would have to head back. If she did, she would pass on this mysterious technique to me.

-You aren’t an easy guy.

Short Sword said.

‘Fine. I will teach you. Instead, there are conditions.’

Her condition was simple.

Don’t use any reckless moves using your innate qi. Use it only when it is dangerous. Use it only to kill the opponent.

She seemed like a good person, but a person of an unorthodox sect can never be good.

In the end, she agreed to it. The condition she gave out, I could also accept. After all, a new technique such as that can be considered a trump card.

‘It is a good deal.’

Tak! Tak!

While we were moving, she asked.

“Young master... what happened during the day. You didn’t tell anyone, right?”

It seemed like she was talking about the bathroom incident.

“I was thinking about telling someone since I got one less coin.”

“I am sorry!”

She screamed with her face turning red.

“Well. I was given something better, so I will erase it from my mind.”

“Really?”

“I promise. Hmm, was that the reason you created this plan and came after me?”

“It isn’t! This is important for me!”

Well, she didn’t like being found out.

After all, no woman would want people to know about having jerky in the bathroom.

“Is it still far away?”

“It has to be near soon.”

I heard that it is in between the two mountains. In front of a frozen waterfall...

“Wow!”

Ha Yeon exclaimed. As we entered the place between the mountains, a wide field of snow came into view, and through it, we could see purple flowers sticking out.

The undersea plant.

“We found it. Has the young master been here before?”

She spoke with a bright face. Was it so fun to get merit?

Or was she glad to be able to save the granddaughter of the deceased cult leader?

“Now take it and go...”

-Wonhwi! Move up!

‘...?!’

At the cry from the South Heavenly Iron Sword, I moved ahead. I couldn’t feel anything, so what was he warning me for?

Papak!

“Uk!”

Before I could avoid it and turn my head, someone touched my blood points.

I fell to the front. When I was about to lose consciousness, a hot qi soared through my chest and spread to where the sealed points were.

And then I heard the sound.

Papak!

The sound of a hand-on-hand clash.

“Who are you? Ah!”

And I heard the voice of Ha Yeon.

Fortunately, she seemed to be better than me and could avoid the opponent’s surprise attack.

“Stop there right now!”

Tatatak!

The sound of people running and their footsteps could be heard. It seems like she was being pursued.

Not long after, there were clattering sounds from the sealed points on my back, and my stiff body began to relax.

‘Is this the effect of innate qi?’

I didn’t know that it could solve such issues. Well unknown to all, innate qi had a lot of benefits.

-This isn’t the time to be thinking that. The guys who attacked you took the herbs and ran.

As Short Sword said, some of the grass was torn off. It felt like they followed us both. And the fact that Miss Ha Yeon, who was supposed to be a first-rate warrior, didn’t feel them meant that they were of a higher caliber than her.

-Hurry up! You need the merit!

Short Sword told me, but do I have to pursue them?

-What?

I went before the rest of the plants blooming above the snow.

Five yellow beads were visible from the purple petals. And when I looked at it, I smiled.

‘Because this isn’t a fully grown undersea plant.’

You had to wait a little more for them to grow, you idiots.