Chapter 63
Chapter 63
“Third Young Master.”
“What?”
Kang Hosan asked Youngho with a face clearly filled with puzzlement.
“Why are you changing clothes right now?”
At present, Youngho and his group were on their way to Hebei on horseback and had stopped by a Branch Hall of the Gold-Blood Hall to regroup.
To Kang Hosan, it was honestly difficult to understand. Hyeon-gang seemed to feel the same, subtly showing agreement.
Youngho let out a scoff as if the question were absurd.
“Hey, the Hwangbo Clan has already discovered our route. Isn’t it obvious we should disguise ourselves?”
“You’ve never really cared about that until now.”
“That’s true. If it were only the Hwangbo Clan that knew.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Kang Hosan still looked as though he had grasped nothing. Youngho shook his head.
“Do you think the Hwangbo Clan’s intelligence network is that impressive?”
“Isn’t it? They’re one of the Five Great Families, after all.”
“It’s impressive, sure. But do you think it’s greater than the Beggars’ Sect or Shaolin?”
“Of course not.”
“Exactly, you idiot. Our route has probably already leaked not only to the Beggars’ Sect but to the Hao Sect as well. That’s why we need to twist our route. So no one can find us.”
“Ah….”
Indeed, once one’s route was exposed, nothing was more troublesome. After all, Youngho was the Flame Dragon, one of the Three Dragons.
Wherever he went, he would draw attention. There was no need to attract even more.
‘And above all, even the Slaughter Heaven Sect has likely read our route, damn it.’
Having finished his thoughts, Youngho looked at the group and spoke.
“Come out naturally. We’re departing again.”
“Will this really prevent our route from being discovered?”
“Yes. The Gold-Blood Hall will handle it. If you still don’t understand, ask Horyeung. He used to be a Unit Leader in the Gold-Blood Hall. And explain it to Chowon too.”
“Hmm… Understood.”
After that, Youngho and his group rode all day for two days straight, heading toward a mountain at the far edge of Hebei.
“You call this the ‘edge of a mountain’? Isn’t this just the middle of nowhere?”
Hyeon-gang said, lightly tapping near his tailbone.
“I’m not a martial artist, so please go easy on me.”
“You learned the mental cultivation method I taught you, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Then stop exaggerating.”
“It’s only been two days since I learned it….”
“Anyway, there should be a small village around here. Try looking for it.”
Casually ignoring Hyeon-gang’s complaints, Youngho began searching the surroundings.
After nearly two shijin, Kang Chowon seemed to discover something and pointed in one direction.
“Third Young Master! It’s a village!”
“Found it. I couldn’t quite remember the exact location, so that’s good.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“A long time ago? I think I have.”
“Why does that sound like a question?”
“My memory’s a bit hazy.”
Soon, Youngho’s group arrived at the village. As he dismounted, he spoke.
“Listen, there’s no inn here, so prepare to camp.”
“What! I need something soft to sleep on!”
Hyeon-gang wailed miserably, clearly exhausted. Youngho merely smiled faintly.
“Do the Circulation and Regulation of Qi like I taught you. You’ll feel better.”
“…You bastard.”
“What was that?”
“I was just wondering if martial artists really feel refreshed just by regulating their qi.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what happens, so hurry up and circulate it.”
“Ugh… This isn’t exactly a safe place.”
“Then rest later.”
We can’t communicate at all! Hyeon-gang wanted to vent his frustration with all his might, but what could he do? His master was Youngho.
He almost felt like telling the entire world about Youngho’s merciless nature.
After briefly looking around inside the village, Youngho spoke.
“Endure just today. We’ll find it soon.”
“So what exactly are we looking for?”
“A spirit creature.”
The moment Youngho said that, the villagers who had been walking about all at once stopped in their tracks and glared at him.
Youngho felt puzzled at the quiet yet unmistakable hostility directed at him.
Of course, the hostility of ordinary commoners amounted to nothing more than piercing stares, but the question remained.
“Is it such a terrible thing that I came to hunt a spirit creature?”
As if that statement were the trigger, a child stepped forward and stood before Youngho.
“Leave right now! Stop bothering Lord White Tiger!”
“Hm?”
White Tiger.
He had come to capture the White Tiger, the most influential among spirit creatures. That was precisely why the commoners’ reaction felt all the more strange.
“By now, it should be called a Calamity Deity.”
At that, a particularly hunched old man stepped forward, pulling the young boy behind him and speaking.
“There is no one here who is called a Calamity Deity. So please, leave this place.”
Though his voice trembled in fear, Youngho’s eyes were not so dull that he could fail to recognize the steadfast conviction contained within it.
Slowly raising both hands, Youngho spoke.
“I surrender. Is there no one who can tell me about the White Tiger?”
No one answered him. There was only the piercing gaze filled with hostility.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t tell me. I already know the location anyway.”
“……!”
The one who showed the greatest agitation was the old man standing before him.
“I just want a little information about the White Tiger. From what I heard, that White Tiger is called a Calamity Deity. That’s why I came here.”
Naturally, no one showed any sign of believing him and only maintained their silence. Youngho turned around and said,
“If you don’t wish to talk, that’s fine. I won’t cause trouble. Just allow us to leave our horses in the stable. Whoever guides us there will receive fifteen nyang of copper as payment.”
It was a large sum for simply showing the way to a stable.
Yet contrary to Youngho’s expectations, the villagers continued to look at him with hostile eyes.
Common people did not stare at martial artists for long. They did not wish to be entangled with them.
Anyone living in the Central Plains was bound by Gratitude and Grudge, but martial artists generally possessed more grudges than gratitude.
Not wanting to be swept up in that, common people never tried to meet a martial artist’s eyes or become involved with them.
“It seems I made more mistakes than I thought. I’ll apologize first. Let’s go.”
There was not even a trace of displeasure on Youngho’s face as he said that.
At his unexpected demeanor, the villagers began whispering among themselves.
“What? Why is he just leaving?”
“Shh! Be quiet, old man. If he’s leaving, that’s good enough.”
Just as the entire village grew restless, the old man called out to Youngho.
“Warrior, may we speak for a moment?”
There was still hesitation in his tone. Youngho looked at him and replied,
“As much as you like.”
“Then please follow me.”
The old man walked slowly and led the group to a certain worn-down house. After examining it briefly, Youngho spoke.
“It’s quite well maintained. It only looks old because it’s been used for a long time.”
“You can tell.”
“I have a decent eye.”
As the old man entered the house, Youngho stopped the others who were about to follow.
“Horyeung. Wait in the yard for a moment. I’ll speak with him alone.”
“Is it something we should not hear?”
“No, you can hear it.”
The highly developed five senses of martial artists could not be hidden even if one tried. Aside from Hyeon-gang, they were all at least First Rate Martial Artists.
Even from the yard, they would be able to hear Youngho and the old man without even concentrating.
“So you said the White Tiger here is not a Calamity Deity?”
“Yes. A Calamity Deity? That is preposterous.”
“I cannot reveal the source, but I’ve heard things too. They say the White Tiger here is a man-eating beast….”
“What are you saying!”
The old man reacted as if personally insulted. Youngho did not hide his puzzlement.
“Why are you protecting it so fiercely? Is that White Tiger some kind of guardian deity of this place?”
“……Do you truly know where Lord White Tiger resides?”
“Yes. I know.”
‘Though I’ll have to search around a bit… but there’s no need to say that.’
At Youngho’s affirmation, the old man let out a sigh, as though something that must never happen was about to occur. He grabbed Youngho’s hand.
“Warrior! I beg you! Lord White Tiger is kind and warm-hearted. Please, do not harm him!”
Youngho’s expression stiffened.
“…What?”
“Please do not harm him! I beg you!”
The old man tried to press his head to the floor in full prostration. Youngho lightly raised him and said,
“Wait. You’re saying the White Tiger is kind and warm-hearted?”
“Yes. So please… he even saved my grandson.”
“What!”
Youngho stared at the old man in disbelief, but no matter how he looked at him, there was no sign of deceit.
“What in the world is happening?”
Muttering to himself briefly, Youngho looked straight into the old man’s eyes again.
“How did the White Tiger save your grandson?”
“On the day I was bedridden with illness, my grandson climbed the mountain to gather medicinal herbs for me. He tripped on a rock and tumbled badly, breaking his arm and leg bones. It was a secluded place, and he could neither descend nor receive help from anyone.”
“And then the White Tiger helped him? Instead of eating him?”
“Yes. Lord White Tiger carried my grandson back to the village. And then he spoke.”
“…Wait. What? It spoke?”
“Yes. His mouth did not move, but he spoke.”
“What are you talking about? Explain in more detail.”
Even among spirit creatures, those that could speak were rare. Even for a White Tiger.
‘That never happened before the Regression. There was never a report that the White Tiger, who was a Calamity Deity, spoke…?’
At the bizarre situation, Youngho frowned.
But the old man seemed to interpret his hardened expression differently.
“Please, I beg you! I will give you all my property! No— I will give you my life!”
“I don’t particularly need your life.”
“I beg you! I will do anything you ask! Lord White Tiger is absolutely not a Calamity Deity! I am not the only one who received help!”
“What?”
One shocking thing after another. The White Tiger had helped people more than once?
“Everyone in this village has received Lord White Tiger’s help.”
At those words, Youngho’s face froze in astonishment.
He looked toward the mountain where the White Tiger resided.
‘What in the world is going on?’
He had undergone Regression. Though the future had changed considerably due to his interference, he had never imagined that even this place would be affected— that the White Tiger, once a Calamity Deity, would become a guardian deity.
Youngho spoke in a calm tone to steady the old man.
“I promise. Unless he harms me first, I will not touch the White Tiger.”