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EP.34 Searching for Biwaegun (2)

Geumcheon Clan.

A clan that operated the foremost trading company in the Central Plains, simultaneously being a martial arts powerhouse centuries ago.

During the period when the Demonic Gate first appeared in the Central Plains, it was well-known that King Gwon Cheolgeum (拳鐵金王) Geum Il-cheon defended against it and offered a cooperation proposal.

The top clan of that age, having produced the strongest martial artist, held the flow of money in the Central Plains.

However, contrary to the expectation that they would stand firm in their position for centuries, the history of the Geumcheon Clan would come to an abrupt end.

Blood Calamity.

The rapid downfall of the Geumcheon Clan was due to the sudden Blood Calamity.

The Blood Demon Zhang Xian from the Blood Heaven Sect caused a riot that swept through the Central Plains with bloodshed.

Of course, in the end, the Blood Demon was defeated and the calamity ended, yet numerous clans and martial sects perished in the process.

The Geumcheon Clan was one of those.

A place hailed as the strongest clan vanished without a trace.

How it came to this, and what the Blood Demon did to cause such a hollow disappearance, remains a mystery.

There might not even be a record of it, and I never really studied that period in detail.

“What’s the point of knowing something from hundreds of years ago?”

What’s important is that it didn’t disappear without a trace.

The Biwaegun, once sought after by the Tang Clan, is the proof of that.

As it was the Biwaegun of the foremost clan back then, many assumed it contained vast amounts of gold and elixirs.

The Gyecheon Sect engaged in a fierce battle over the Biwaegun and ultimately succeeded, although they did not speak about it. Still, seeing their peak martial master suddenly reaching the Transformation Realm could suggest otherwise.

What if there’s nothing inside?

“Then it just doesn’t exist.”

While I believed it wouldn’t be empty, if it turned out so, there was nothing to be done.

Finding it in the first place is already doubtful.

I only have around three days left.

No matter what, I managed to avoid wasting time at the Tangbing Tournament, but that didn’t mean I had plenty of search time.

“…This is disgustingly vast.”

The day before, I had conveniently dodged my appearance at the Tangbing Tournament by claiming I messed up and couldn’t show my face.

For the members of the Gu Clan, I left a letter at dawn and went off.

I’d return in three to four days, so I told them to go ahead and wait in the town we previously visited.

Muyeon would probably despair at this news, but there was no other way. I decided to agree to be scolded together.

Well, that was just my own agreement…

After running and walking for a little over a real-time hour, I arrived at the mountainside where the Geumcheon Clan once existed.

It was strategically located between the Tang Clan and the Gyecheon Sect, so I could understand why they clashed.

Though it might be a small mountain, it was far too vast for a solo search for the Biwaegun.

“Ugh… A few days won’t cut it.”

“Exactly! It’s way too vast!”

“So, am I insane? How am I supposed to search through all this?”

“Right! I’m starving too!”

“Yeah… Might as well just go back and eat some dumplings…”

Huh…?

I turned to look at a voice that definitely shouldn’t be heard.

There stood Wi Seol-Ah, inexplicably covered in a bunch of leaves.

As I stared at her in disbelief, she tilted her head as if to ask why I was looking like that.

Thud.

A leaf fell from Wi Seol-Ah’s hair.

“You… you…”

“Yup?”

“Why are you here!?”

The mountains echoed with my shout.

Dumplings are delicious.

I’ve felt this way since my previous life. They’re cheap but stuffed with meat, and the outer dough is fluffy.

Ah, there are thin and chewy ones too, but I prefer the fluffy kind. Tasty when hot, tasty when cold.

Delicious when soaked in soup, delicious when fried.

What a perfect food.

In my life, I never thought dumplings were bad.

“Are you not eating, Young Master?”

Except for now.

“…How did you even follow me?”

After climbing down from the mountain, I dropped by the nearby village.

Since I was starving, I figured I should at least grab something to eat first.

Seeing the towering piles of dishes as Wi Seol-Ah devoured them made my head spin.

‘…How many bowls of noodles is she eating?’

I had just finished three dumplings, yet she seemed to have consumed… one, two, three… four… huh.

‘Let’s not check anymore.’

Midway through counting, I feared the answer and decided to stop.

“When did you start following me?”

Wi Seol-Ah, who was heartily slurping her noodles, answered my question.

“Earlier, um… when you left….”

“I’m sorry, can I just eat first…”

It felt like my cheeks were going to burst.

How on earth is she holding all that in?

Finally, Wi Seol-Ah swallowed her food.

“I quietly followed you when you left this morning, Young Master!”

“…How?”

Avoiding the gaze of the guards on duty and repetitively walking and running for hours.

She even used a bet midway to keep up.

It’s already shocking I didn’t notice her coming along.

…How did she even manage to keep up?

Even if her stamina was low and she was panting heavily…

“Though Young Master seemed to be dying of exhaustion halfway through! It was fun. I wanted to see!”

“…Oh, thanks.”

No matter how weak my inner strength was and how underdeveloped my physical training is.

I’m a martial artist with a real bet in hand.

In later days, I might be capable, but for now, it isn’t something an ordinary person like Wi Seol-Ah can keep up with.

But how?

Although I’ve never seen her struggle while doing chores.

In fact, she has lifted things that even male servants would find heavy without a hitch.

‘…But still, that seems like a problem.’

Do future top martial artists start differently somehow?

This is just too weird.

“Are you really saying you ran after me?”

At my question, Wi Seol-Ah slightly turned around.

I followed her gaze to check if there was something, but only an empty table and chairs remained.

“There’s nothing there!”

A mood that felt like I shouldn’t go further creeped in.

As I was about to step that way, my feet strangely seized up.

“This is odd… Is it really there?”

Wi Seol-Ah, not feeling anything, casually walked toward the cliff.

“Hey! It’s dangerous!”

I yelled, but my feet wouldn’t move.

Why is this happening…?

Wi Seol-Ah gestures in midair.

She was in a precarious position where just half a step could lead to falling below.

“…Shit… Move!”

Clenching my teeth, I gathered my inner energy.

Whoosh! Heat burst out from my body.

I pulled my Technique of the Flame Wheel with all my might.

With my legs as stiff as stone, I forced my strength into them.

Finally, my body began to obey, and ignoring my hesitation, I dashed and hugged Wi Seol-Ah.

“Eek!”

She let out a short scream of surprise but I didn’t have time to care.

“Are you insane!? If you fall here, you’ll die…”

I was about to scold her for her reckless act when I stopped.

Something felt off.

Crack-Crack!

The air began to fracture.

Slowly, the cracks spread, quickly widening.

This is reminiscent of…

‘Demonic Gate!?’

Quickly rushing to take out the magic scroll I had stashed, just in case.

The scroll remained calm and stable in my hand.

There were no abnormalities in it… so why?

The current phenomenon resembled the Demonic Gate ripping through the air.

Once my thoughts reached this point, chills ran down my spine.

If it really is a Demonic Gate, it would be too late to escape now.

“Looks like I shouldn’t have left it behind…”

The situation grew dire.

Even if I’m lucky enough to be at the green level, I wouldn’t be able to protect Wi Seol-Ah in my current state.

Should I send her away and handle this alone? In an urgent situation, I needed to act before thinking.

“Right now, it’s dangerous so quickly…”

“See! I told you it’s true, Young Master!”

“What?”

In this situation, Wi Seol-Ah was simply smiling.

“It’s not a lie, is it!? Right!?”

“What are you babbling about? This is dangerous.”

Wi Seol-Ah seemed to hear nothing of my urgency as she kept pointing at something.

The cliff’s edge gradually cracked, and now it’s crumbling.

‘What the hell is this?’

Could it be a formation? I had never seen this kind of formation before.

Even more weirdly, could it be crafted to look so real?

Gradually, the light burst forth from the web-like cracks.

I quickly hugged Wi Seol-Ah to shield her from whatever might happen.

“Urgh!”

She made a suffocating sound.

After about 30 seconds, it felt like the light faded, so I slowly opened my eyes.

“…What in the world is this?”

As the light dimmed, the scene before me was beyond comprehension.

Where the cliff was supposed to be, flat land sprawled out, and in the center stood…

A gigantic white maple tree, just as the Tang Clan had described.

 

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