Chapter 37
"Miss!"
The first to react to her scream was Liu Yezhi, who had been searching the surroundings with all his might to find her.
Xi Xichang let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Liu Yezhi's voice.
"Old Master."
"Are you alright? You didn't come back for a long time, so I thought something serious had happened."
Liu Yezhi looked around and found the corpse of a terrible monster, and he was able to grasp the situation quickly.
"I'm sorry, Old Master. I got a little lost..."
Actually, she had left for a moment because she felt the need to relieve herself, but seeing Liu Yezhi's expression, it seemed she had caused him to worry.
Xi Xichang cupped her fists at Agong, who was staring at her blankly.
"I'm sorry. It seems I misunderstood."
Although she didn't know where the Mountain Sea Tavern was, it seemed that there was a tavern near this strange place.
But it was strange why the escort agency had set up camp here instead of staying at the tavern.
As Xi Xichang hurriedly cupped her fists, Liu Yezhi also cupped his fists.
Seeing the situation, it seemed that he had been of great help in a matter that involved Xi Xichang's life.
Agong waved his hand as if it were nothing, at their thanks.
"Don't mention it... you are from the merchant guild, right?"
The corpse of the spider that had been hit directly by Agong's Tonglin was miserable to no end.
A puddle of body fluid had formed in the spider's chest, and a green liquid was constantly flowing from its eyes and mouth.
Xi Xichang frowned slightly at the sight of the spider's corpse sprawled on the ground.
If this creature had rushed at her when she was defenseless, she could have been in great danger.
It was clearly not an ordinary beast.
It was said that it was difficult to even scratch the tough hide of the monsters of the Hermit's Valley without using sword qi, but in a single move displayed by Agong, the chest of such a beast had been completely caved in.
And it had died horribly, with its body fluids flowing like water.
Although it was to save her, it was a cruel and powerful strike.
Judging by the cruelty, it seemed that the martial art used by this unknown boy was not that of the righteous path.
'To think that a young boy who is said to be from a tavern would display such martial arts...'
Since it was a forbidden zone of the martial world, it would not be strange if anything happened. Moreover, judging by the mention of a merchant guild, it seemed that the person the escort agency had arranged to meet in the Hermit's Valley was, unbelievably, this boy named Agong.
"Young hero, do you live here by any chance?"
The word 'young hero', which he had never heard before, was ticklish.
"Yes. I'm staying at a place called the Mountain Sea Tavern here."
"If it's not too much to ask, do you also know the entrance to the Hermit's Valley?"
Xi Xichang asked Agong carefully.
"The Hermit's Valley? Why are you looking for it?"
Xi Xichang's and Liu Yezhi's eyes sparkled with joy. This was because they were convinced from Agong's answer that he knew the way.
"Young hero, we are people who have come a long way to enter the Hermit's Valley. Please help us and show us the way to the Hermit's Valley."
"Then... you're not from the merchant guild?"
Xi Xichang, who had received a wary gaze, thought that she had to explain her situation to Agong first.
"Don't misunderstand. The people of the escort agency are not far from here. It's just that we have other business."
A sense of urgency was in Xi Xichang's expression.
"For now, I have my own business."
Agong did not answer that right away. The voice of Old Ancestor Hongjun, who had told him not to bring back a lump, was ringing in his ears.
It was clear that the lump that Old Ancestor Hongjun had mentioned was referring to them.
'He must have really received some kind of divine inspiration.'
Agong, soon feeling a noisy presence, packed his things and moved his feet towards the noisy direction.
Liu Yezhi and Xi Xichang followed such an Agong for now.
"You're safe!"
Huang Feihu and Jin Tianxiang, who had found the safe Xi Xichang, stroked their chests as if it were a relief.
"I'm sorry. I caused you to worry because of me... this young hero is from a place called the Mountain Sea Tavern, and seeing that he was looking for the merchant guild, we came here together."
Xi Xichang, knowing that a big commotion had arisen because of her, gave an apology and then briefly introduced Agong.
Since Huang Feihu had been to and from the Hermit's Valley several times before for trade, he thought that they would probably know each other.
But contrary to her expectation, a sense of bewilderment was in Huang Feihu's expression when he saw Agong.
"Could it be... Old Master Hong?"
Huang Feihu knew that Hongjun, whom he usually met for trade, was a great master.
He had asked Agong carefully, wondering if he had entered the realm of returning to youth and had become a child.
"No! My name is Agong, and I work at the Mountain Sea Tavern."
"Agong... you came from the tavern, which means, instead of Old Master Hong..."
"Yes. The Old Ancestor told me to make the trade and go back."
"I-I see."
Since he seemed too young to be staying in the Hermit's Valley, Huang Feihu could not easily hide his bewilderment, and Jin Tianxiang, who did not know the reason, asked Huang Feihu for an explanation with his eyes.
"The goods?"
Agong handed over the hides of the beasts of the Hermit's Valley that he had brought to Huang Feihu.
Although the quality was a little lower than usual, Huang Feihu, who had confirmed that they were indeed the hides of the beasts of the Hermit's Valley, gave an order and had the escorted goods, which were piled up on the cart, transported.
"Can you take it alone?"
Although Huang Feihu had seen Hongjun lift the cart into the air without even touching it, the opponent was a child.
The cart seemed so heavy that it would take four grown adult men to move it.
"Do I have to take all of this?"
"Yes. Usually..."
Agong sighed and grabbed the handle of the cart.
"No, no matter what, alone...!"
"Heave-ho!"
In common sense, it seemed that it would be difficult for even Agong to move the cart, but Agong lifted the cart without much effort.
"Hah!"
Jin Tianxiang let out a short sigh at the sight of Agong lifting the cart in one go.
He did not seem to have great strength, so it seemed that he was a boy who had undergone considerable training from a young age.
Well, it would be stranger if a boy living in a forbidden zone like this were ordinary.
"By the way, do you visit here around this time?"
"From now on, it won't be me, but this friend who will be in charge."
"My name is Jin Tianxiang."
Jin Tianxiang gave a simple greeting to Agong. He felt the need to get a more detailed explanation from Huang Feihu about the boy, these goods, and this situation.
In any case, if he returned to the escort agency now, he would be the one in charge of this escort mission.
"Please take care of me."
Agong was well aware that they were outsiders connected to the outside of the Hermit's Valley.
If he got to know them, it would surely be of great help when Agong left the Hermit's Valley later.
"Then I have to move before the sun sets..."
"Old Master."
"Yes."
As Agong departed, Xi Xichang exchanged glances with Liu Yezhi.
If they missed Agong now, they might never be able to enter the Hermit's Valley.
Seeing Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi getting ready, Huang Feihu made a complicated expression.
"Are you planning to follow?"
"Yes."
Since they had come this far, suffering, for that reason, it was unlikely that they would change their minds now.
Huang Feihu nodded heavily at Xi Xichang's answer.
"Thank you for your help, Great Hero Huang... If you quit being an escort, please be sure to visit the Qingcheng Sect."
"I'll think about it."
"I will not forget that the Seo Won Escort Agency helped us, even in death. Thank you."
"It's a pity to part like this."
"Then next time..."
Compared to the arduous journey so far, the trade was over in an instant.
Jin Tianxiang, seeing the backs of Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi who were hurriedly chasing Agong, stretched greatly.
"Haa... then let's prepare to go back."
* * *
"Go back."
"Young hero. We must enter the Hermit's Valley no matter what."
Xi Xichang, who had heard well about the dangers of the Hermit's Valley without a guide while passing through the Kunlun Mountains, had no intention of leaving Agong.
One fortunate thing was that since Agong was pulling a large cart, he could not shake them off.
'I'm going crazy...'
Agong, who was pulling the cart, sighed at the sight of Liu Yezhi and Xi Xichang who were sticking close to him and following him.
If he violated the words of Old Ancestor Hongjun, who had told him not to bring back a lump, he would surely be scolded.
'Ah, damn it...'
As Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi did not seem to give up easily, Agong put the cart aside, spread a mat around the lake, and plopped down.
Swoosh!
Seeing Agong who had stopped on his way and had suddenly started fishing, Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi kept their places.
As they did not give up easily, Agong was planning to deliberately spend time here.
[It seems he has no intention of guiding us obediently.]
[Yes, although his identity is unknown, we can never miss this young hero.]
[If we subdue him, won't he listen to us obediently?]
For a moment, Xi Xichang had not thought of that.
But recalling the scene where he had easily avoided her one move near the lake, his skills were by no means to be taken lightly, unlike his appearance.
A clumsy action could rather ruin things.
[No.]
"Young hero."
"It's Agong. Can't you just drop the 'young hero' part?"
"Young hero. My name is Xi Xichang, and this is Liu Yezhi."
"Ah, yes."
"We have a situation where we must enter the Hermit's Valley no matter what. Can you please guide us to the Hermit's Valley?"
"Even if I wanted to, I'm fishing right now..."
"With a fishing rod without even a bait?"
"Do you want to make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"If I catch a fish and put it in my basket, you will go back without bothering me. If I lose, I will guide you to the tavern as you wish."
"We have to go to the Hermit's Valley, not the tavern."
"As far as I know, you have to go through the tavern to enter the Hermit's Valley, so it's the same thing. How about it?"
Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi had clearly seen Agong throw the fishing line without even a hook into the lake without even a bait.
Although Agong's confident attitude was a concern, she did not have many choices.
"Alright."
"It's a promise."
Agong let out a smirk and quickly moved his hands.
As Agong's hand movements, which contained the subtlety of the Heavenly Demon Hand, continued, Liu Yezhi's eyes, who was next to Xi Xichang, widened.
[Miss Xichang. Look at the hand of that young hero holding the fishing rod.]
Even without Liu Yezhi's telepathic message, Xi Xichang felt a slight dizziness as she looked at the Tonglin and the hand that Agong was shaking.
If you looked closely, the afterimages were moving dizzily, and the dizziness did not disappear even if you closed your eyes.
Splash!
As Agong lightly moved his hand, Tonglin was pulled taut, and soon, a carp the size of a forearm shot up into the air.
A desperate voice echoed next to Agong, who was grinning and confident of his victory.
"No!"
Xi Xichang, with a final cry, threw a sword strike at the carp that was being pulled out.
Slice!
The carp that was being pulled out was cut in two in one go and sank to the bottom of the lake, scattering blood.
Seeing Agong who was looking at Xi Xichang in a dumbfounded way, Xi Xichang responded shamelessly with a slightly tired expression.
"You clearly said that you would win if you caught a fish and put it in your basket, right?"
"Where is such an unreasonable thing?"
"Please understand the feeling of having to be shamelessly unreasonable."
Agong, seeing that Xi Xichang showed no sign of backing down, threw Tonglin into the lake again.
As if the carp that had just been cut had become a bait, a new fish was caught on the fishing line as soon as he used the Heavenly Demon Hand.
Slice!
This time too, Xi Xichang threw a sword wind and cut the carp in two in one go.
Agong frowned and threw the fishing line into the lake again.
After about a dozen such tugs-of-war, the sun began to set.
"Gasp... gasp..."
Unlike the calm Agong, Xi Xichang's face was pitiful to see.
Thanks to having thrown a sword wind into the air dozens of times without rest, Xi Xichang's internal energy had hit the bottom, and her stamina had also hit the bottom.
"Why don't you just give up now?"
"Young hero... even if I repeat this for a day, a month, in this spot, I can never back down."
Although Liu Yezhi wanted to help her, Xi Xichang refused.
Brushing back her hair, which was tangled with sweat, Xi Xichang gritted her teeth and composed her posture.
"Why on earth are you being so stubborn?"
"Because I have a situation where I can't back down."
Xi Xichang thought of her younger brother, Xiba, who would be in the main building.
At least the one drop of sweat she was shedding now would be a fertilizer for Xiba's great cause.
No, she would make it so.
Agong felt a small sense of emotion at such a stubborn appearance of Xi Xichang.
"Haa..."
Agong let out a small sigh and reeled in Tonglin.
The sun would soon set, and the Hermit's Valley, where the sun had set, would become even more dangerous, so Agong could not just waste his time here.
"You're very stubborn."
"Then..."
In any case, he would go to the tavern in the end, but if he had shaken them off and gone back, his heart would have been uncomfortable.
"Yes, I lost."
Agong declared his surrender and stood up from his seat.
The tired Xi Xichang, with Liu Yezhi's support, barely followed Agong, but her face was full of hope.
(End of Chapter)