Chapter 465: The Place The Snake Can Find (7)
Dudududu—
A group of warhorses are charging across the plain.
"Kiyakhoo!"
"Die, you damned southerners!"
Warriors of a northern grassland tribe, wielding claw-like weapons, rush towards a village in the northern part of Byeokra.
Warriors of the Northern Grasslands.
They, also called 'barbarians' by the three southern nations of Shengzi, Yanguo, and Byeokra, raid and plunder the village with glee before preparing to leave.
Just then,Bo-oong!
The neck of their leader is severed in an instant.
"Uh, uhh."
While they are still dazed, the remaining warriors are also decapitated in a flash and fall from their horses.
Yet the warhorses, unaware that their masters' heads have disappeared, remain standing in place without noticing anything strange.
Kuuung!
Then, from what seemed to be empty air, a large man clad in black attire drops to the ground.
"Another job complete. Aigoo, my whole body aches..."
It's Oh Hyun-seok.
Oh Hyun-seok, as if feeling hot, removes his mask.
"What am I still doing at over a hundred years old...tsk, tsk."
He is 132 years old.
Before falling into this strange world, he was exactly forty-two years old, which means he has lived for an astoundingly long time now.
But something is strange.
Despite being over a hundred years old, Oh Hyun-seok's face hasn't changed at all from when he was in his forties.
Oh Hyun-seok glances back at the ruined village behind him.
'Tsk, if I had arrived just a bit earlier, I could have prevented these needless deaths...'
Clicking his tongue as if tasting something bitter, he smacks the rear of the warhorses that the dead warriors had ridden, scaring them off and driving them away.
It has been ninety years since Oh Hyun-seok fell into this world.
During that time, his assassination skills have improved tremendously, to the point where no one can even sense his presence even if he's standing right there.
Even animals with sharp senses or the warhorses from earlier couldn't detect him at all.
Dudududu...
Once the warhorses disappear from sight, Oh Hyun-seok starts tidying up the ruined village in his own way.
'The war is worsening.'
Oh Hyun-seok sighs.
Nearly thirty years ago, ominous energy began to spread across the continent.
At some point, people no longer hesitated to plunder others, and even the martial sects and cultivator clans, who once pursued righteousness and the orthodox path, rapidly turned toward the devilish path and tyrannical ways.
This trend worsened day by day, so much so that now, no matter where one goes on the continent, people have grown ruthless. Everyone is trying to deceive and steal from one another.
"Just why has the world changed this way...?"
Oh Hyun-seok recalls how, until thirty years ago, this world was still somewhat a good place to live.
Until thirty years ago, everyone had goodwill and a sense of ease in their hearts.
But suddenly, as if possessed, the people of the continent began to act strangely.
It's when Oh Hyun-seok is sighing and collecting the corpses of the village.
Flinch!
Oh Hyun-seok's gaze suddenly turns towards one of the houses.
His sharp senses, honed to the extreme through his assassination skills, picked up a faint sound coming from one of the houses.
He walks into the bloodstained house.
Inside the kitchen, a woman lies dead, bleeding. A man, who seems to have been the father, is dead near the outhouse, clutching a sickle.
Oh Hyun-seok briefly looks at them before opening the door to the outhouse.
From beneath the toilet, he hears the sound of breathing.
Oh Hyun-seok extends his hand down into the pit.
Moments later, he pulls out a small girl.
The girl, who looks about three or four years old, is so terrified that she is covering her own mouth, trembling like an aspen tree as she stares at Oh Hyun-seok.
Oh Hyun-seok gives a bitter smile and says,
"...You're the only survivor of this village, huh."
After taking care of all the corpses in the village, Oh Hyun-seok leaves with the little girl.
"Come with me for now. I'll find a place where you can stay."
With that, Oh Hyun-seok, with the girl in tow, heads toward the capital of Byeokra to collect the reward for beheading the northern warriors.
"Immortal Art, Rain."
Shwaaaaa!
Rain falls.
I stare at the opponent in front of me.
Gwak Am looks up at the sky for a moment and smirks.
"Is this what you call rain?"
Cheok!
Gwak Am claps their hands together and shouts,
"Immortal Art, Rain!"
Kururung!
In an instant, the sky seems to redden, and blood begins to rain from above.
Chiiiii—
The whole world turns red.
At the same time, red salt crystals start growing from the ground.
A battle of Immortal Arts against Gwak Am.
I refuse to back down and raise my hand towards the sky.
"Immortal Art, Clearing (霽)."
Shaaaaa!
At the same time, the clouds part, and the blood rain stops.
But by then, the area is already covered in the salt crystals that Gwak Am has created.
"Immortal Art, Cloudiness (蒙)."
Shaaa—
A foreboding energy bursts forth.
In an instant, the red salt crystals start emitting darkness and grow into coral-like forms, blocking out the sunlight.
In no time, I find myself trapped in a prison of dark coral.
"Immortal Art, Want of Connection (驛)."
Chiiiii!
However, through my Immortal Art, the darkness of the coral crystals begins to fade again.
Through the gap, sunlight gently shines through and illuminates the surroundings.
"Immortal Art, Crossing (克)."
Kiiiiing!
But in the next moment, Gwak Am's Immortal Art presses down on me.
Crack!
The salt crystals begin to vaporize.
The salt transforms into light.
A phenomenon just like the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade!
At the same time, red beams shoot out from the red salt coral crystals, aiming directly at me.
"Immortal Art, Outer Diagram (悔)!"
At that moment, the shape of the Eight Trigrams forms around me, dispersing the red light in all directions.
"Immortal Art, Inner Diagram (貞)."
But in the next moment, another Eight Trigrams created by Gwak Am's Immortal Art infiltrates my outer trigram.
The inner trigram disregards the outer trigram and pulls the beams of light toward me.
Flash!
In the next moment, my whole body feels like it's being scorched, and I collapse on the spot.
"Victory, Am!"
In an instant, the traces of Immortal Arts that had been enveloping me vanish entirely.
Cheongmun Ryeong pats Gwak Am on the shoulder and laughs heartily before approaching me.
"You've improved a lot. You've gotten quite adept at Divination (卜筮)."
"It's thanks to the excellent guidance from Master and Senior Brother."
I bow my head, recalling the sensations from the Immortal Arts I just used.
Over the past 80 years, I've learned a total of four types of Immortal Arts.
The first is Immortal Art Various Omens (庶徵).
It consists of the Rain, Sunlight, Heat, Cold, Wind, and Time that correspond to the Integration stage formulas.
The second is Immortal Art Examination of Doubts (稽疑).
Also known as Divination, it includes Rain (雨), Clearing (霽), Cloudiness (蒙), Want of Connection (驛), Crossing (克), Inner Diagram (貞), and Outer Diagram (悔). It primarily uses attraction forces to rearrange phenomena.
The third Immortal Art is Five Epochs, Three Spirits (五紀三靈).
It involves reading the five constellations and gathering the three spirits to complete the Eight Paths.
The fourth Immortal Art is Eight Paths, One Extreme (八道一極).
This is the completion of the training of Immortal Arts, uniting the Eight Paths and One Extreme to achieve the Nine Palaces and enter 'true' Immortal Arts.
Afterward, by focusing the Five Affairs (五事) on the Five Elements, if one enlightens to the principles of the Ten Heavenly Stems, that is what Cheongmun Ryeong calls the 'final stage' of training.
"Up until now, I've taught you the training method up to the Eight Paths and One Extreme. You've learned everything up to the Immortal Art Examination of Doubts. Although you still lose to Am, you've atleast learned how to use your strength in your own way. You could say you've grasped the basics."
"Thank you."
"In fact, you could say that you've learned everything I have to teach you. The rest of your training can be done on your own, outside, no?"
"...!"
I flinch in surprise and look at Cheongmun Ryeong.
He smirks and says,
"What, did you think I wouldn't know? I've long been aware that you're someone who came from 'outside'."
"...I am sorry for not telling you until now."
"Haha, it's fine."
He laughs heartily and pats me on the shoulder.
"According to old records, there are occasionally people who come from the world of 'outside.' And...there are frequent mentions that people from the 'outside' world do not age, even after decades."
He looks at my face.
"I've heard that people from outside have much longer lifespans than we do and that they age thousands, even tens of thousands, of times slower. You and your fellow companions haven't aged in the 90 years you've been here, so I figured you were from the outside. Also, from the way you sometimes ask questions and the way you speak, it's clear you aren't a person of this world and are someone who must eventually leave."
"...I see."
Indeed, I've been aware that I don't age.
It's not just me; my other comrades also haven't been aging.
They still haven't recovered their memories, so they don't know why, but I have a general idea.
'The lifespan we gained from our cultivation realm outside still applies in this world.'
I'll probably live for millions of years.
The others will likely live for at least a few thousand to tens of thousands of years as well.
Up until now, I've only told Cheongmun Ryeong that I've learned a 'special method,' but it seems I can't keep it hidden any longer.
Currently, I'm still in a mortal body.
But by using Immortal Arts, I can possess the energy of someone at the Qi Building stage.
I've heard that the energy accumulated through Immortal Arts doesn't necessarily extend one's lifespan.
Of course, instead, one can directly extend lifespan through Immortal Arts.
Just like current Cheongmun Ryeong has done.
"Huu, let's sit for a moment. I'm feeling tired."
At Cheongmun Ryeong's words, Gwak Am stomps the ground, creating a seat out of the earth nearby, and sits down attentively to listen.
"As you both know, I am already a dead man."
Thirty years ago.
Cheongmun Ryeong's lifespan had ended.
However, through the use of Immortal Arts, he has been prolonging his life until now.
Solely to continue teaching me.
He speaks.
"Until now, I've resisted the heavenly fate for a while to continue teaching you, but soon I will be leaving. Perhaps in one or two years, I will depart. And...as your teacher, I have a request for both of you before I leave."
Cheongmun Ryeong looks at Gwak Am.
"Am-ah, from the moment you were born into this world, I have taught you words, imparted knowledge, and watched you grow. You are like my own child. You must be aware of this yourself."
"...I know better than anyone."
Gwak Am's voice trembles.
"I know your nature is a bit impatient, and your disposition is rather extreme. Moreover, I know that at some point, your views became increasingly radical. And that...it seemed to have happened after you met someone and heard something. I haven't asked until now, but now I must ask. When, where, and whom did you meet, and what did you hear that caused your disposition to change this much?"
At Cheongmun Ryeong's question, Gwak Am opens and closes their mouth for a moment, then tightly bites their lips.
"...That...just that, I cannot answer. Please forgive me...Please forgive this unworthy disciple..."
Gwak Am trembles as if they are about to burst into tears, bowing their head in front of him.
With a bitter expression, Cheongmun Ryeong speaks.
"...I understand. Then, can you grant me this one request?"
"Please command me."
"I know that when I die, you intend to kill Seo Eun-hyun."
At those words, I glance slightly at Gwak Am.
Even though I noticed from the start that they would often growl at me for no reason, I never thought they would actually intend to kill their junior.
'This lunatic...'
Cheongmun Ryeong continues speaking.
"Can't you refrain from killing him and get along peacefully?"
"..."
Gwak Am does not respond.
It seems they are willing to obey any command from Cheongmun Ryeong, except when it concerns me.
Cheongmun Ryeong sighs and speaks again.
"I understand. As your will is that firm...trying to stop you will only raise your resentment. In that case, let me make one request.
He looks directly into Gwak Am's eyes.
"Grant Seo Eun-hyun a grace period."
"..."
"Enough time for this child to grow strong, enough time to live a full life, enough time to enjoy life, and only face him at the end of that life. Can you give him that long a grace period?"
At those words, Gwak Am bows their head and replies.
"...Understood. I will obey that command."
"...Thank you."
Cheongmun Ryeong nods and then looks at me.
"Eun-hyun."
"Yes, Master."
"You have learned Immortal Arts well up to this point. But...you still haven't completed your own Immortal Art. Isn't that right?"
"...Shamefully, that is true."
"Am-ah, being my first disciple, has already completed their Immortal Art. You too must complete yours in the future."
"...I will give my full effort."
At my words, Cheongmun Ryeong smiles faintly.
"Effort alone won't be enough."
"...Pardon?"
I look up at him, thinking I misheard.
Cheongmun Ryeong laughs heartily.
"Effort alone won't do. You've worked hard for 80 years, but there's a domain that effort alone cannot reach."
"W-What does that...?"
Does that mean I lack talent?
It's when I'm taken aback.
Cheongmun Ryeong laughs again and speaks.
"As it seems you don't fully understand yet, I will give you both a task."
"Yes, Master."
"Please, give us your instruction."
Both Gwak Am and I bow our heads before Cheongmun Ryeong.
"Am-ah, you head east. Eun-hyun, you head west. Each of you will travel for several years separately."
"B-But then, Master, what about you..."
Gwak Am asks in concern, but Cheongmun Ryeong waves his hand with a loud laugh.
"Are you worried about me? Don't worry. I'll be visiting the Demon King of the Heaven-Treading Desert to play some chess. When the time comes for me to die, you will both know when to return."
"...Understood."
"Yes."
Thus, Gwak Am and I part ways in opposite directions before Cheongmun Ryeong.
"...It's complicated. For that person to be leaving..."
My feelings are mixed.
The past 80 years I spent by Cheongmun Ryeong's side learning Immortal Arts flash before my eyes.
'Well, I had expected this since 30 years ago.'
In fact, Cheongmun Ryeong had died 30 years ago.
He is merely holding on through Immortal Arts.
What does it mean to endure death?
It is such a simple thing.
In the cycle I learned cultivation for the first time under Cheongmun Ryeong, when I bowed to him ten times.
At that time, just as I forced my heart to beat and endured death...
Cheongmun Ryeong, too, is currently using Immortal Arts to forcibly stave off death.
'Come to think of it, did surviving beyond my natural lifespan back then also count as a form of Immortal Arts?'
Lost in thought, I use the ground-shrinking technique and arrive at White Lotus Valley in Clear River County.
"I have arrived."
Clear River County, White Lotus Valley.
Inside a small village there, I enter a small tile-roofed house.
"Ah, you've returned?"
Kim Yeon runs up to me and greets me in a low voice.
I also ask in a low voice.
"Is she sleeping right now?"
"Ah, she just woke up. She's still a bit drowsy."
Together with Kim Yeon, I quietly enter the inner room.
There, an elderly woman, gracefully aged, lies in bed wearing a pure white garment.
"Ah...you've come."
She welcomes us warmly.
"It's been a while, Master Seo. Has it been a month?"
"...It's been a year since I last visited. How is your health these days, Miss?"
"Hoho, Miss you say? You embarrass me. Just call me Granny Baek (皤皤)."
[TL: In Korean, it says 파파(皤皤), Pa Pa, which is a way to describe someone with whitening hair.]
"Granny, huh. You look just like you used to."
I chuckle and stroke her hair.
The one who calls herself Granny Baek is none other than Baek Ran.
In other words, she is Buk Hyang-hwa.
"My body isn't what it used to be. But though I don't have much vitality left, maybe it's still circulating well as I'll probably live a few more years before dying."
"...Please don't say such things, Miss."
Baek Ran glances back and forth at me and Kim Yeon with a contented expression.
"...Lately, I've been having a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yes. In the dream, I am young again, living for hundreds of years, and traveling together with you two masters. We create a fleet and conquer the world, gain many comrades, lose them all to a monster in an instant, and move from place to place conducting research...it's a fun dream."
"..."
It seems the dream she speaks of is her life as Buk Hyang-hwa.
I suddenly take Baek Ran's hand and ask.
"By any chance...is that the kind of life you wish for?"
If she desires it, after Baek Ran passes away...
I will do whatever it takes to bring her soul back to the outside.
However, Baek Ran shakes her head.
"It's fine. The life inside that dream was certainly enjoyable, but...there were also moments when it was too difficult. Especially...that dreadful 'bird' I saw again and again in the dream within the dream...I never want to be crushed by that 'bird' again. Huhu..."
"..."
"In any case, thank you for keeping this old woman company, for visiting so often and taking care of me, masters."
With a faint smile, Baek Ran holds my and Kim Yeon's hands.
"They say the older you get, the less you sleep...but this old granny gets sleepier as I age. Haaahm...I'm sorry I can't...properly greet you...like I used to..."
After finishing her words, she smiles faintly and falls asleep just like that.
It seems she has quickly fallen into a deep dream.
"...Hyang-hwa will die in six or seven years."
Kim Yeon says.
She is the comrade who regained her memory after me and Seo Ran.
In these 90 years, the only ones who have regained their awareness and memories are me, Seo Ran, and Kim Yeon.
"When that time comes...will I be able to see her off properly?"
"Well...there is one thing I am sure of."
"What is it?"
I look at the dreaming Baek Ran.
I recall the teachings Cheongmun Ryeong imparted to me.
—Immortal Arts are something anyone can use. It is an authority everyone wields from the moment they are born. Everything, from the act of breathing to the ability to see light, all of it is a form of Immortal Arts. However, most people keep Immortal Arts confined within their bodies, and few bring it out into the world to unfold.
—That's why you must never grow arrogant just because you've learned Immortal Arts. It won't be easy, but always remember. All life in this world carries the Immortal Art called life. Therefore, all life in this world exists for a reason. Every living being has a reason and a purpose for existence, and we call that fate.
As I leave her room, I think to myself.
'Her dream is no ordinary dream.'
It is a dream connected to us, and it is becoming more vivid near us.
If that's the case, perhaps Baek Ran's dream exists to be conveyed to us.
"Someday...when she tells us the conclusion of that dream, she will be able to leave in complete peace."
"...I hope so."
I sit on the low wooden platform and say,
"I've received a command from my master. I've been told to go west and travel for a while."
"Is that so."
"I'm planning to go with our comrades. Will you come?"
Kim Yeon shakes her head at my words.
"I have to take care of Hyang-hwa. I don't think I can go."
"I see...understood."
"Please come back safely. I'll be waiting."
I nod calmly and head towards the storage room.
Inside the storage room, someone is painting and carving.
It is Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Compared to 90 years ago, Jeon Myeong-hoon hasn't aged a bit, but his eyes have become sunken as he draws someone on a canvas.
Around the storage room, there are numerous 'hands' carved from wooden blocks and stones scattered about.
I gaze at the figure being drawn on the canvas.
A woman wearing a yellow robe.
But her face isn't drawn.
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks at me with his sunken eyes and asks.
"Is it Seo Eun-hyun? You've come just in time. I, I can't remember. Just who is she?"
He trembles and speaks in a sobbing voice.
"I, I can't remember who it is. Recently, I've been having dreams. No, they're not dreams. They're memories I had forgotten! But...I can't remember them clearly. What should I do? What should I do?"
I look at Jeon Myeong-hoon bitterly and say.
"...I've been commanded by my master to travel west... Will you come along?"
"If I go with you, will I be able to find this memory?"
I smile bitterly and reply.
"It might help."
"Th-Then I'll go. I'll go! I will!"
In an instant, he tidies up the storage room and starts preparing to follow me.
I leave the storage room and head to the guest room.
There, Kim Young-hoon sits cross-legged, sweating coldly.
In this world, where Qi is scarce, it's difficult to undergo complete transformation. Hence, he looks just the same as he did on Earth, though he hasn't aged.
"Were you heart essence mental sparring again?"
"Hmm, not today. I've been trying to trace the origin of my senses. If I reach that origin, I feel like...I might be able to cut through this entire world."
"..."
'What Immortal Art kind of thing is that?'
I also propose the journey to Kim Young-hoon, and he nods.
"Alright. I've been meaning to visit the country called Penglai Kingdom beyond the west."
"...Sounds good."
I move to the adjacent room and check on Seo Ran.
Like Jeon Myeong-hoon, she is drawing someone on a piece of paper.
Though it's not precise, the person in the drawing seems to be quite beautiful.
I ask her if she wants to join the journey, and she readily agrees.
Since Gwak Am treated her 80 years ago, Seo Ran's seizures have disappeared.
However, since then, she has been endlessly drawing the same woman over and over again.
At first, her drawing skills were poor, and it was hard to recognize the woman she claimed to remember, but recently, the outline has become much clearer.
I leave the house and go to the neighboring house where Oh Hyun-seok resides.
"Hyun-seok Hyung-nim, are you there? Ah, you're here."
I step inside and find Oh Hyun-seok.
"Hyun-seok Hyung-nim, I have a proposal... Hmm, who's that child?"
I ask while looking at a little girl eating with Oh Hyun-seok.
"Ah, she's a child I picked up during my last mission. Her parents were killed in the war. I tried to find her a home that would raise her, but...with war looming over the continent, people's hearts have become unsettled. I've decided to take care of her for a while."
"Hmm...I see. Then, perhaps..."
I make my suggestion to Oh Hyun-seok, and he readily agrees as expected.
"Good. I'll go with you. If we travel to another continent, there might be a place for her to stay."
And so, with Kim Yeon staying behind, my comrades and I set off on our journey towards Penglai Kingdom.
Author's Note: The Salt Mountain episode concludes in the next chapter.
Translator Notes: The Immortal Art Examination of Doubts is based on the Examination of Doubts by Prognostication, in the Great Plan (洪範/Hongfan). Credit to BlueMangoAde. I had no idea lmao.