Chapter 337: The Call (1)

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“Good grief, Association Leader. How could you wander around as you please like that?”

As soon as I returned, I received an earful from the Zhongnan Sect Leader, Cho Seo-gi. In fact, heading to northern Xi’an had been my own independent decision, and before departing, I had informed only Myeong-gyeong, Master, and Namgung Hwi.

“Because there was something I needed to investigate.”

“What did you need to investigate that made you go all the way to northern Xi’an and stir up such a noisy commotion?”

“Has news of that spread already?”

“Of course. They are gleefully talking about how the New Justice Association Leader tried to spy on the Mount Hua Sect only to get caught by the elders and driven out.”

I did not think Ro Hwa-un and Gyeong Dae-gang would have spoken to that extent. Judging by character, it seemed the Violet Mist Divine Sword, Gu Jinqing, had spread it like that upon hearing only the fact that I had come and gone.

In truth, it was less a matter of character and more a matter of strategy. Since I was an enemy, it was only natural for him to disparage me like that.

Still, to think it had spread from Mount Hua to Zhongnan in the brief moment it took me to return here. Even though I knew word would travel somewhat quickly since they were situated side by side in Xi’an, it was a flabbergasting speed.

“It’s not easy.”

“What is not easy is your conduct. Do you know how astonished I was when I heard the Association Leader went to northern Xi’an? Gu Jinqing is a wolf that bares its fangs the moment an opening appears. What were you planning to do had you crossed paths with him?”

“Well, now.”

“Utterly reckless.”

I had to spend time placating the irritated Cho Seo-gi.

Since I was the Association Leader anyway, Cho Seo-gi ultimately stepped back, but he still did not forget to advise me to be careful with my movements from now on. Leaving the room, I told him not to worry.

The moment I stepped out of the room, I let out a sigh. Because out in the hallway, Cheong-hwa was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“One mountain after another.”

“Sighing openly right in front of your master. When will you ever fix that habit?”

When Cheong-hwa raised his hand, I looked at him with an upright posture.

“There are many other people around. Please preserve the dignity of the New Justice Association Leader. Ah.”

Despite my earnest request, Cheong-hwa struck my head with the edge of his hand. I looked around, but thankfully no Zhongnan martial artists had witnessed this scene.

“You truly insist on ruining my dignity.”

“You have grown quite a big head.”

“Don’t I have a rather small head? I think your head is bigger, Master…… All right, all right. Put your hand down.”

The vein that had bulged at Cheong-hwa’s temple subsided once more. He was a violent master in any case.

“Right, were there any results?”

Cheong-hwa asked.

“How unexpected. I thought you would scold me just like the Zhongnan Sect Leader.”

“Well, didn’t you inform me before leaving? Besides, your current skill isn’t at the level where you’d die an untimely death on the road, and if you did die, the entire martial world would be turned upside down.”

“Am I that much of a heavyweight?”

“Don’t get cocky. Just answer what you’re asked.”

“There were results.”

“Really? You can tear down the Mount Hua Sect?”

“If you limit the current Mount Hua Sect to what it is now, it will turn out that way.”

“What kind of wordplay is that again?”

“It means a new Mount Hua Sect can take its place.”

Cheong-hwa let out an exclamation.

“You’re not one to make groundless claims, but was it really possible to obtain such results in merely half a day?”

“In the first place, they were divided. I merely went and confirmed that.”

“Is that so? Then we should stay in Xi’an a bit longer.”

“No. We will depart for Gansu immediately.”

Cheong-hwa’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Why? You said you would tear down the Mount Hua Sect.”

“Certain procedures have arisen that need to be followed. Shouldn’t we persuade as many people who can sympathize with us as possible?”

“If they are divided, do you intend to absorb them?”

“Precisely that.”

“Hmph.”

Cheong-hwa gave me a look indicating it was hard to believe, but knowing that I never made empty boasts in these matters, he simply let it pass.

“Fine. Do as you see fit. My head hurts just thinking about such things, so I wouldn’t know.”

“You made a wise decision.”

For now, to persuade the people of Mount Hua, Prince Xian’s power was necessary. What mattered to them was justification and confidence to stand against the current Imperial Court. That was something I, a fellow jianghu martial artist, could never provide no matter how hard I tried to fill

it.

We packed our light luggage and departed for Gansu right away. But looking back, Namgung Hwi alone was carrying all our luggage.

There wasn’t much luggage, and since Namgung Hwi was a martial artist as well, it wouldn’t be a burden, but seeing it made me feel a bit sympathetic.

“Hey, I’ll just carry my own.”

“It is fine. I ought to carry it all.”

“Aren’t you a precious son of the Namgung Clan too?”

“Because I came as the New Justice Association Leader’s attendant right now.”

“Then just carry mine. Don’t carry other people’s.”

Myeong-gyeong and Cheong-hwa flinched. Cheong-hwa belatedly added an excuse.

“Ahem. Disciple. I clearly told Young Master Namgung that I would carry my own luggage. But saying I was the Association Leader’s master, he absolutely refused to let me carry it.”

“Ditto for me. I said I was his Senior Brother.”

Myeong-gyeong chimed in as well. Indeed, Namgung Hwi had a rather upright and stubborn side.

Even when we offered again to share the luggage with Namgung Hwi, he stoutly shook his head. Since there was no heavy luggage in the first place—only dry rations, dried meat, and spare clothes—we decided to just leave it to him.

Even if I had shared that luggage, it wouldn’t have bothered me much, but thanks to Namgung Hwi’s consideration, I was able to concentrate on my thoughts even more.

The topic currently dominating my mind was legitimacy. An opportunity to leap to grade-2 talents.

However, looking at the Legitimacy stat, it was merely fifty.

I had merely planted doubt in their minds and had not properly persuaded them, so I could not complain about that number.

Now I had reached a realm where I could freely immerse myself in thought even while executing lightness skills. It was made possible because channeling internal energy and maintaining lightness skills came as naturally as breathing.

I thought I should conclude this train of thought at least before reaching Gansu. Because dealing with Prince Xian would require all my heart and might, leaving me no leeway to think of other things.

Thus, on the night before our scheduled arrival in Lanzhou where Prince Xian resided, I organized my thoughts one last time in the inn room.

First, the conclusions I reached after pondering from Xi’an until entering Gansu were as follows.

First, the aspect of legitimacy was utterly ambiguous. Unlike money, which could be measured by distinctly physical numbers, the figure of legitimacy could not even be quantified. Therefore, the prevailing theory was that an Immortal was currently watching me or presiding over all of this. If not an Immortal, who else would calculate legitimacy and bestow it upon me?

Could it be that the previous Great Ming Emperor, Zhu Wenjing, was still alive? The expression ‘alive’ was somewhat contradictory for an Immortal, but for me, who judged life and death by the presence or absence of existence, I had no choice but to think that way.

However, the probability that Zhu Wenjing was alive was slim. Strictly speaking, he was an Immortal on my side. There was no reason whatsoever for him to hide his traces by lying to my face.

If so, that meant there was another Immortal. Not knowing the realm of Immortals, it was an ambiguous matter for me to speak on.

Roughly guessing, I wondered if the Immortal who calculated and granted me legitimacy was the very person who designed this Martial Talent Shop in the first place. Who was that Immortal? I had to make contact somehow.

Second, Zhu Wenjing entrusted the emperorship to me. If my money was drained by a mysterious power just like the existing Martial Talent Shop, the same would apply to legitimacy.

Legitimacy should be left to me, who was to become emperor in the future; why should I consume legitimacy and hand it over to someone else?

Just as the Martial Talent Shop held secrets from me, I could no longer trust the Martial Talent Shop completely either. Just as I utilized the Martial Talent Shop, the Martial Talent Shop had utilized me as well. The time had come to be wary of the Martial Talent Shop.

Third, if there were Immortals favorable to me, there would certainly be Immortals favorable to the Imperial Court as well. If humans ascended to become gods, then since the Imperial Court also had an Immortals’ realm, didn’t that mean there were those among them who had ascended to immortality as well? Then what on earth were they doing? I had to find that out.

“From beginning to end, these are not easy problems. Good thing there are only three.”

I deliberately muttered nonsense to refresh my head.

When such daunting tasks piled up, there were two choices a human could make.

First, evade and postpone.

Second, organize things one by one starting from what could be done.

At first glance, the second seemed like a superior method to the first, but because humans were beings consumed both emotionally and physically, the two were mutually complementary.

However, right now I was going to choose the second method. Because I could not endure the curiosity any longer.

“Immortal. Are you watching?”

Unfolding a qi curtain, I looked up at the sky.

Naturally, there was no reaction. It was an expected result. Because there would certainly be Immortals who did not desire the revival of Great Ming as well.

If two Immortals with conflicting objectives were omnipotent, a contradiction would arise.

Zhu Wenjing had said that for an Immortal to interfere in the mortal realm, divine power had to be expended. That interfering in the causality of reality was an exhausting burden even for an Immortal.

However, right now I had to meet an Immortal. There were many doubts that could not be resolved without an Immortal.

“If you do not appear right now, I’ll drop everything about being the Great Ming Emperor and just retire to the countryside.”

Still, there was no response. Had they caught on that I wasn’t serious? Or were they not watching me?

Then another doubt arose: if they were not omnipotent and possessed greed under the name of purpose, how on earth were Immortals different from humans?

Even if Zhu Wenjing had stepped onto the path of eternal extinction for his purpose, did not righteous martial heroes sacrifice their lives without fear for their chivalry as well? Of course, Zhu Wenjing had appeared to transcend the mortal concept of life and death. One thought chased another.

I made several more threats after that, but the Immortal showed no sign of descending. Opening the window, I gazed at the sky, but all was tranquil without incident. Indeed, if an Immortal came running just because a human called, could that be called an Immortal?

Deactivating the qi curtain, I went to the backyard of the inn. Behind the inn was an open lot where laundry was hung out to dry. I intended to polish the Cloud and Rainbow Sword Art a bit there.

As I approached, the sound of blades swinging could be heard as if there were already guests. Astonishingly, in the open lot were all my companions except for me—Cheong-hwa, Myeong-gyeong, and Namgung Hwi. Yet every single one of them had sheathed their swords and was staring at me with ambiguous expressions.

“What is it?”

When I appeared in the backyard, Cheong-hwa asked. I blinked my eyes.

“That is what I was going to ask. What are the three of you doing here? Leaving only me out.”

“Who left you out? Everyone came down on their own. You are the latest one.”

I looked at Namgung Hwi. Namgung Hwi immediately nodded his head. It meant it was not a lie. Cheong-hwa immediately furrowed his brow.

“If your master says so, just accept it; why are you doubting it again?”

“Because I am a ruined sort of person. Anyway, did you come out to get some fresh air?”

“……Indeed. Getting some fresh air.”

However, with my sensitive senses, I had already heard them swinging their swords.

In fact, though everyone had their swords in their sheaths, their faces were flushed and their breath was ragged.

“It seems you were practicing martial arts, so is there any need to hide it?”

At my words, Cheong-hwa’s expression crumpled further.

“Why ask when you already knew?”

“Indeed.”

I chuckled. Namgung Hwi cut in between.

“Not just me, but Senior Boundless Divine Sword and Daoist Myeong-gyeong also never skipped their martial arts training every single time. Lest they become a burden to the Association Leader.”

“Young Master Namgung. You speak of strange things. I merely practiced martial arts for my own personal safety.”

“Ah. We agreed to say it that way, didn’t we.”

“I’m going crazy.”

Cheong-hwa’s already flushed face turned even redder. It seemed they had been continuing their training separately behind my back.

Even so, out of pride, they wouldn’t say it was to protect me. But that alone conveyed their sincerity to me.

“Is that something to be embarrassed about? I can feel the love of my Master and Senior Brother.”

When I spoke in a sly tone, Cheong-hwa and Myeong-gyeong shook their heads simultaneously.

“I didn’t tell him because I was afraid he’d be this triumphant. Young Master Namgung.”

I laughed. Cheong-hwa let out a sigh and said.

“Fine, since we’re out here anyway, let’s trade a bout.”

“Pardon? How could I cross blades with Master?”

“Do not feign modesty. I know full well that your skills have risen greatly.”

I thought it was a joke to brush off the momentary embarrassment, but unexpectedly, Cheong-hwa’s face was serious.

“At least, since I stepped forward as an escort, I cannot be weaker in martial arts than the person I am escorting.”

“You are far stronger, Master. I am still feeble.”

“The humility of a genius is despair to an ordinary man. You should not utter such words carelessly. You’d better boast arrogantly instead.”

I did not know what to do. Before I could say anything, Cheong-hwa drew his sword.

“Let us clash in earnest. Disciple.”

Energy flared from Cheong-hwa’s body. My face also hardened as I gripped my sword hilt. It was the reflexive action of a martial artist responding immediately to killing intent.