Chapter 269: Before Riding the Storm (1)

If I assessed myself objectively right now, the thing I needed most was internal energy.

Honestly, I considered myself to be among the more outstanding in terms of techniques and enlightenment. My internal energy wasn’t particularly lacking, either.

With the Ren and Du meridians opened and circulating, I could accumulate internal energy while on the move. Given enough time, I would become a formidable master. Others had confirmed this without a shadow of doubt.

‘The problem is that there’s not much time.’

To make matters worse, I didn’t even know how much time I had left. The only certainty was that it wasn’t much—when exactly it would end was anyone’s guess.

So the only thing I could do was prepare as much and as quickly as possible.

Clink. Two scabbards hung at my waist. Myeong, which Uncle had given me, and Zhanlu, which had become my property as a tournament prize.

[Martial King’s Body – Grade 3]

[Price: Eighteen Famous Sword Zhanlu]

I didn’t even know who owned Zhanlu, but it turned out the Qingcheng Sect had been keeping it in secret.

That meant I could purchase the Martial King’s Body I’d been eyeing.

To rapidly accumulate internal energy, one needed a constitution built for it. A sturdy body where surging internal energy could rush through without damaging the meridians. A frame capable of refining and accepting internal energy from within.

In that regard, my physical talents were comparatively lacking. Fifth-grade Heaven Bone—that was the extent of my bodily aptitude.

I left the teahouse and entered a forest where no one was around.

Before offering it to this greedy Martial Talent Shop, I drew Zhanlu. True to its reputation, the dark blue blade was striking. But this wasn’t mine—it was the Martial Talent Shop’s.

“Take care, Zhanlu. See you next time.”

I purchased the Martial King’s Body from the Martial Talent Shop and released my grip on Zhanlu. Instead of falling to the ground, the blade vibrated, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished. No matter how many times I saw it, the magic was astounding.

I rolled my shoulders and clenched, then unclenched my fist. My body didn’t feel different yet. But I knew it had changed profoundly. I no longer doubted the Martial Talent Shop’s abilities.

‘Since it’s related to the body, I’ll feel the changes gradually.’

I didn’t have the luxury of focusing only on my body right now.

The Palace of Heavenly Worship’s inauguration ceremony was next month—right at the start of summer.

With the Emperor and high officials attending, there was no possibility of postponement. Even for those who didn’t practice martial arts, it had to be held on the least sweltering day possible.

“A month and a half left.”

It was too precious a time to spend solely on cultivating martial arts.

I had many tasks I’d been putting off. I wanted to handle at least one of them.

After the Palace of Heavenly Worship opened its doors, who knew when I’d have this kind of freedom again? Time was precious right now.

This time, I had no intention of bringing anyone along. Because the place I was going was not somewhere you could take others.

My destination was Turpan, Xinjiang—the very location of the Demonic Cult’s main stronghold.

—P.S. Lastly, many cult members are eager to meet the Heavenly Lord in person. We humbly request your visit.

That was the postscript at the end of the letter Gwan Seo-ye had left.

It was a postscript that had never changed across every instance I’d received information.

Since they wanted me this badly, I should pay a visit. When would I ever again be greeted with such language as “your visit”?

I’d received my share of hospitality before. But this kind of reverence was something else entirely.

Of course, I wasn’t going just to enjoy being worshipped. I wanted to see for myself who the Demonic Cult members who followed me actually were.

Gwan Seo-ye had said the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult followers were devout and gentle people, but I’d need to see it with my own eyes to truly believe it.

In any case, I had already established cooperation with the Demonic Cult. If they were pursuing a different path from mine, it was better to cut them off quickly.

Since I was the one who had drawn the storm into the Central Plains, it was only fitting that I took responsibility. They called it—he who ties the knot, unties it.

I had informed only Peng Chae-hyang, Namgung Hwi, and my Master and Sect Leader that I was leaving.

Naturally, they were worried about me, but they also acknowledged that there were no suitable masters available to serve as my escort.

At minimum, someone of my Master Cheong-hwa’s caliber would need to accompany me, but that would create a gap in Wudang Mountain’s defenses. The best solution was for me to leave alone while controlling information flow as tightly as possible.

“Come to think of it.”

I looked back. The small village entrance and Wudang Mountain shrouded in clouds lay behind me.

“This is the first time I’ve left without a travel companion.”

Whenever I’d set out on a journey, I’d always had someone to chat with. This time, there was no one. The realization stung slightly, but what could be done?

I filled my eyes with as much of Wudang Mountain and Jun County as I could bear, then turned my back.

Toward Turpan, Xinjiang.

There was nothing to do but press forward.

* * *

When I roughly calculated the distance, Turpan in Xinjiang was approximately eight thousand li from Wudang Mountain.

Before departing, I’d asked my Master, Cheong-hwa. He said a martial artist of my caliber could easily cover eight hundred li a day—provided one didn’t sleep and pushed one’s qinggong to the point of death.

By commoner standards, even two hundred li a day was considerable. If I were to walk at a leisurely pace taking in the scenery, it would take a month and ten days. Factoring in the return trip, if I went that slowly, the Palace of Heavenly Worship’s inauguration would be long over by the time I returned to Wudang Mountain.

“Hah, hah.”

I stepped onto a large tree branch and caught my breath.

This was a race against time. If things went smoothly at the Demonic Cult and I had some time to spare, there were a few other places I wanted to visit.

The only variable I could control was travel time. The more my breath grew labored, the more satisfied I felt.

Normally, when I traveled as a merchant along trade routes, I made it a point to visit every famous landmark and every delicious restaurant along the way.

This was the first time I’d pushed myself this hard on a journey. Coming to this realization again, I reflected on just how much I’d changed.

Since the Ren and Du meridians had opened, I could circulate internal energy while moving, so my body didn’t tire easily. Right now, I had been using qinggong nonstop for two days without sleep, and rather than running short on internal energy, I actually had a surplus.

Normally, depleting internal energy would require time to recover. But being able to replenish it while expending it had fundamentally changed my body’s efficiency.

“I arrived earlier than expected.”

Perhaps that was why. What I’d estimated would take ten days, I’d managed in seven.

“Wow, but what’s with this weather?”

Then again, Turpan was famously the deepest basin in the entire Central Plains. Which meant it was also the hottest place in the Central Plains.

“…I’m sweating.”

I spoke in disbelief.

For a martial artist of my caliber to break a sweat—that indicated truly extreme weather. Normally, martial artists used internal energy to regulate the cold and heat that touched their bodies.

It was already summer, the surroundings were desert, and the terrain was a basin. All the conditions for extreme heat were in place.

Even through my shoes, I could feel the ground scorching the soles of my feet.

Normally, it wouldn’t have been such a problem. But the issue was that I was currently wearing a disguise.

I’d been making excellent use of the disguise techniques I’d learned from Dang Se-ui. This time too, I’d applied chemicals for the disguise, but in this kind of heat, the chemicals could melt and the disguise could be wiped away.

There was a clear reason I’d covered myself in a skin-tight disguise despite this filthy weather. I wanted to see the true state of the Demonic Cult members.

Going as myself and receiving worship was meaningless. How they treated common folk on a daily basis—that was far more important to me.

If anything, it was like a ruler donning plain clothes to secretly tour the common people’s lives.

So I’d worn a disguise, just in case they recognized my face.

“It’s hot, alright.”

Turpan was a small settlement built around a desert oasis. The closer I got to the spring, the more people began to appear, but they looked just like anyone from the Central Plains.

The only difference was that when moving cargo, they used camels instead of horses.

Surprisingly, the people showed little interest in me, an outsider. Usually, the more remote the area, the more curious and wary people were of outsiders. Turpan was an exception.

Could this really be the Demonic Cult’s stronghold?

A woman fetching water, a man training camels, a farmer channeling an irrigation line to a small plot of date palms, a merchant sitting on the ground selling what appeared to be handwoven carpets in the heat.

According to Gwan Seo-ye, they were all cult members.

That was why the Imperial Court had searched exhaustively and still failed to capture them. To an uninformed eye, they’d seem like nothing more than desert dwellers.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh. You’re from the Central Plains?”

I addressed the woman heading out to fetch water. She looked at me and smiled.

“Yes, that’s right. Is it that obvious?”

“People who’ve lived here a long time can tell right away. Your accent is completely different.”

“I suppose so.”

Even to my own ears, her pronunciation and tones had a flavor I’d never heard in the Central Plains.

“So what brings a Central Plains person all the way out to this countryside?”

“Ah, actually, I came because I heard a certain piece of news.”

“News?”

“Yes. I heard the main stronghold of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is here.”

The woman tilted her head. It was a perfectly natural gesture.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—that’s what they call the Demonic Cult, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. I’m someone who wants to join the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

“Haha. You would’ve been in trouble if you’d said that in the Central Plains. But I’m sorry—Turpan isn’t that kind of place. Does this look like a Demonic Cult stronghold to you?”

There wasn’t a hint of evasion in her words. But having heard what Gwan Seo-ye had told me, I pressed on.

“You have the air of a cult member yourself. Please, tell me—I need to be saved.”

Even I thought it was fine acting. But the woman’s face darkened immediately.

“What on earth are you talking about? A madman has wandered in. This is the Empire’s territory. If you keep saying strange things, I’ll report you to the authorities.”

“Oh, there are authorities here too?”

“Did you think the Empire abandoned this place? Listening to you is becoming unpleasant.”

The woman hoisted the water yoke she’d set on the ground back onto her shoulder. She clearly had no interest in entertaining me further.

Her manner was consistent and natural enough that I began to wonder if I’d been mistaken.

What if Gwan Seo-ye had lied to me?

What if she’d only pretended to worship me?

Once the thought took root, anxious doubts fed on each other.

I briefly considered unleashing the Heavenly Demon’s power to compel obedience, but I held back. There was a real chance these were ordinary commoners.

“Ma’am.”

In the end, I chased after her one last time. She turned and glared at me.

“What now?”

“Ah, this isn’t a strange question. I was just wondering if there’s an inn where an outsider like me could stay.”

“Hmph. Finally, a normal question.”

She pointed east with her finger. That was where the buildings were most densely clustered.

“Head that way. You’ll find the center of town.”

“Thank you.”

She walked off, truly done with paying me any attention.

Feeling apologetic for bothering her further, I headed toward the inn. I thought I might have trusted Gwan Seo-ye too easily, and perhaps I should start fresh from here.

Of course, the woman could have been a phenomenal actress. I kept all possibilities open.

It was a small town, so the inn wasn’t hard to find. I threw the door open.

There didn’t seem to be any guests—just a few small groups of men drinking liquor together.

I walked into the inn. When I’d gone in a bit, I heard the door slam shut and lock from behind. It was unmistakably locked from the outside.

“Ha.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

Looking up, the men who’d been drinking without so much as glancing at me were now rushing at me with daggers drawn.

“That woman’s quite the actress.”

I gripped the scabbard of Myeong.