The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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69
Woo Geom-san Competes for Supremacy
The path down Cheonbaeksan was smooth sailing.
The plank road, built with fifteen years of sweat and tears, had never felt so short. The sheer misery they had endured for so long to create this brief path had been entirely worth it.
After exiting the plank road, the journey became even smoother.
Thanks to that, Woo Geom-san and his party were able to arrive in Guangu County in just two days.
Arriving at the Zhuyang Inn, Baek Wol-sang let out a hollow smile.
“I originally thought it would take three days to come down, but we made it in two.”
They had arrived a full two days earlier than the date promised during their previous trade.
Suddenly, a two-day gap had opened up in their schedule.
Now they had to spend two days here with nothing to do, but not a single person felt upset.
This was because it proved that by using the plank road, one could reach Guangu County in a mere two days.
At this rate, not only the energetic youths but also the elders of the village would be fully capable of utilizing it.
As long as they could reach Guangu County via the plank road in two days, Yunjung Village was no longer a stranded, remote settlement.
In the past, even if they needed essential goods, they had to wait for a trading journey, but now they could come to Guangu County whenever they wished to buy them.
Smiles naturally bloomed on the faces of the young men.
It felt as though all their hard work over the years was finally being rewarded.
Baek Wol-sang looked at Cha Hyeong-o’s parents and spoke.
“I expected a tight arrival, but we made it much earlier than anticipated, leaving us with some spare time. I think we can go to the bride’s house together.”
“Can you really come with us?”
“Yes! We’ll leave behind the bare minimum number of people to guard the tea and go.”
At Baek Wol-sang’s answer, Cha Hyeong-o’s parents broke into wide grins.
A marriage was one of the grandest events in human life.
Naturally, the more people there were to congratulate them, the better. However, because Yunjung Village was located in such a remote area, and the young men coming down with them were already busy selling tea, they had felt guilty asking them to attend.
Yet, completely unexpected, a two-day buffer had been created, allowing the young men to participate.
Baek Wol-sang looked around at the youths and said,
“Well then, we need to choose who will guard the tea…”
The moment Baek Wol-sang finished speaking, everyone either lowered their heads or turned away to avoid his gaze.
If they went to the bride’s house, they could gorge themselves on food and drink to their heart’s content, whereas staying here meant spending hours in sheer boredom.
Right then, Woo Geom-san spoke up.
“I’ll stay behind.”
“Huh? You?”
“Yes! Guarding the tea is something I can easily handle alone. Besides, wouldn’t it look much better if all the other friends attended?”
“That’s true, but are you really going to be alright?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about the tea and just go have a good time.”
At Woo Geom-san’s words, everyone’s expressions instantly brightened.
If anyone else had offered to guard the tea alone, they would have been anxious, but Woo Geom-san was different.
Though Woo Geom-san rarely showed any outward signs of training in front of people, they knew that he was actually an extraordinary expert.
Baek Wol-sang said,
“Then we shall leave the tea in your care and go. We’ll pack plenty of delicious food when we return.”
“Thanks, brother!”
“We’re the ones who should be thankful.”
Patting Woo Geom-san on the shoulder a couple of times, Baek Wol-sang addressed the youths.
“You all heard him, right? Since Geom-san is guarding the storehouse tonight, let’s go to the bride’s house and completely clean out all their food and drink. Let’s show the bride’s family that Hyeong-o has reliable friends and family backing him up.”
“Whoooa!”
“Let’s eat the bride’s house out of house and home!”
Cheers erupted from the young men at Baek Wol-sang’s declaration.
Just then, Nam Mu-rin cautiously spoke to Woo Geom-san.
“Brother, won’t you be lonely by yourself? Should I stay behind too?”
“Forget it! I’ll guard it alone, so you just go and take good care of the older brothers.”
“Hehe!”
At Woo Geom-san’s reply, Nam Mu-rin burst into a laugh, as if he had expected nothing less.
The village youths and Nam Mu-rin left the Zhuyang Inn with an aggressive momentum, looking ready to pull up the very pillars of the bride’s house.
Once they had all cleared out, the Zhuyang Inn suddenly fell into a profound stillness.
Woo Geom-san ordered some food and drink from the waiter and then took a seat by the window where the storehouse was visible.
In truth, he didn’t actually need to watch the storehouse directly like this.
With Woo Geom-san’s current capabilities, he could perceive any disturbance occurring in the storehouse even while asleep.
Nevertheless, the reason Woo Geom-san insisted on sitting where the storehouse was visible was because his mind was just that complicated.
‘Grandpa!’
When he had intentionally massaged Baek Ho-yang’s shoulders with an affectionate touch, he had been shocked beyond measure by how scrawny the old man’s physical condition was.
With only a slight exaggeration, it felt as if nothing but skin and bones remained.
The fact that he had been completely unaware of this until it reached such a state left Woo Geom-san deeply troubled.
“Whew!”
As Woo Geom-san let out a sigh, the waiter arrived with the food and drink he had ordered.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
When Woo Geom-san handed over a single coin as a tip for the service, the waiter beamed broadly and scurried back to the kitchen.
Left entirely alone, Woo Geom-san stared out at the storehouse and poured his own drink.
Trrickle!
The sound of wine filling the cup echoed through the quiet restaurant. However, that tranquil time did not last very long.
As evening set in, a flood of customers began to pour inside.
The food at Zhuyang Inn was quite delicious, so it attracted a large crowd once dinner time arrived.
In an instant, the interior of the inn transformed into a clamorous marketplace.
“Wahahaha!”
“So I told him…”
“Seriously, even exaggerations should have limits.”
The patrons boisterously chatted away while consuming their food and alcohol.
Though he regretted that his solitary time had come to an end, Woo Geom-san didn’t think this kind of atmosphere was bad either.
The sheer volume of noise effectively blew away all his unnecessary thoughts.
Woo Geom-san temporarily put aside his worries for his grandfather and focused on his food and drink.
The food was delicious, but above all, the wine brewed personally by the innkeeper was a masterpiece.
While there were quite a few people in Yunjung Village who were skilled at brewing alcohol, none could match the skill of the Zhuyang Inn’s master.
Hence, whenever Baek Wol-sang and the others came to Zhuyang Inn, they always bought several bottles of this wine. Thanks to that, Woo Geom-san had also been treated to a fair share of it over the past ten years.
Just then, the door of the inn swung open and a new guest stepped inside.
“……”
In that instant, experiencing a bizarre sensation, Woo Geom-san stopped mid-pour and glanced toward the entrance.
It was a middle-aged man dressed in a light sky-blue robe.
With a Hero Headband wrapped around his forehead to keep his hair from falling, the man’s impression was strikingly intense.
Eyebrows that stretched out sharp as sword blades, deep black eyes whose depths were impossible to fathom, a prominent nose, and thick lips all seemed to testify to the man’s formidable experience.
Even the beard covering his philtrum and chin was styled beautifully, naturally evoking admiration from anyone who looked at him.
After surveying the interior of the inn for a brief moment, the man strode directly over to Woo Geom-san’s table.
He politely clasped his hands in a formal martial salute toward Woo Geom-san and spoke.
“As you can see, there are no empty seats left in the inn. If it isn’t a bother, would you allow me to share this table?”
“Please, take a seat,”
Woo Geom-san replied with a nod of his head.
Sitting down at the table, the middle-aged man remarked,
“Thank you!”
“It’s nothing.”
“I checked out all the other inns as well, but perhaps because it’s dinner time, there wasn’t a single vacant seat anywhere.”
“That sounds about right. Guangu County doesn’t have very many inns, so they’re always packed with people.”
“I see. In any case, thank you! My name is Zha Shanha.”
“I am Woo Geom-san.”
The middle-aged man, who had identified himself as Zha Shanha, exchanged formal martial salutes with Woo Geom-san.
Zha Shanha looked down at the food laid out in front of Woo Geom-san and asked,
“Is there any particular dish you would recommend?”
“All the food here is delicious, so you won’t regret whatever you choose. However, if you fail to order this wine, you will absolutely regret it.”
“Is the wine really that exceptional?”
“I have never tasted wine this exquisite anywhere else.”
“Splendid!”
With a satisfied smile, Zha Shanha called over the waiter.
“Bring me a bowl of plain noodles, a plate of steamed dumplings, and a bottle of the exact same wine that man is drinking.”
“Understood, sir!”
The waiter dashed off to the kitchen in a flash.
Woo Geom-san lifted his wine cup alone and observed Zha Shanha.
From Zha Shanha as he sat quietly, a noble and elegant dignity emanated.
He looked like someone born of noble blood who had never experienced a single day of hardship in his life. However, that prejudice vanished like washing away dirt the moment Woo Geom-san looked at the back of Zha Shanha’s hands.
Resting upon the table, the backs of Zha Shanha’s hands were covered in countless scars.
Just how intensely had he trained? Massive calluses, hard as iron nails, were deeply embedded into his flesh, and over them, numerous scars intersected horizontally and vertically, resembling a tightly woven net.
An ordinary martial artist could never condition their fists to that degree through standard training.
To reach such a state, he must have undergone the absolute extremes of cultivation training. Yet, despite that, not a single trace of internal Qi could be felt from him.
It meant he was an expert capable of completely concealing his internal Qi.
An expert who had reached such a level was by no means common.
Ever since Woo Geom-san had first stepped onto the path of martial arts, this was the first time he had ever encountered an expert of Zha Shanha’s caliber.
Woo Geom-san swallowed a quiet groan and emptied his wine cup.
‘Why on earth has an expert who reached this kind of realm come to a place like Guangu County?’
Meanwhile, Zha Shanha was also closely observing Woo Geom-san.
‘He is absolutely no ordinary individual.’
The gaze with which he regarded Woo Geom-san was sank deeper than ever before.
Just as Woo Geom-san had guessed, Zha Shanha had perfected his martial arts through the absolute extremes of bitter training. Because of that, he had internally harbored the confidence that there were virtually no adversaries left for him under Heaven.
In reality, not a single martial artist he had encountered until now had ever been a match for him.
Just as standing atop a high mountain peak allows one to take in all the lower surrounding peaks at a single glance, Zha Shanha could typically gauge an opponent’s level instantly. Yet, bizarrely, he could not fathom Woo Geom-san’s true capability.
Judging by his physical frame and musculature, it was clear that he had trained in martial arts. Yet, strangely, not an ounce of momentum or aura could be felt radiating from him.
Anyone who cultivated internal strength should naturally give off some presence of internal Qi, but absolutely nothing leaked from Woo Geom-san.
‘Could it be that this youth has already surpassed the realm of Fanpu Guizhen just as I have?’
Zha Shanha unconsciously knitted his brows.
A martial artist who reached an extraordinary realm originally boasted an uncommon and magnificent aura, but upon reaching the absolute apex, they conversely returned to looking entirely ordinary.
The realm that Zha Shanha currently occupied was exactly like that.
While he couldn’t hide his hands, which bore the undeniable marks of intense conditioning, it was utterly impossible to discern his true level from his appearance alone, given how perfectly he had reined in his internal Qi.
Zha Shanha considered the possibility that Woo Geom-san might be a master of Fanpu Guizhen, but he immediately dismissed the thought.
It was fundamentally impossible for someone of Woo Geom-san’s age to attain the realm of Fanpu Guizhen. However, he could easily deduce from the youth’s eyes and demeanor that he was no ordinary person.
‘They say the Jianghu is filled with hidden experts as numerous as grains of sand, and it seems that is truly the case.’
Just then, the waiter arrived carrying the ordered food.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
After setting down the plain noodles, steamed dumplings, and wine, the waiter promptly returned to the kitchen.
Zha Shanha paused his thoughts regarding Woo Geom-san and lifted his wine cup.
The moment he knocked back his first cup, an exclamation broke from his lips without him even realizing it.
“This is truly well-crafted wine. I would have deeply regretted it had I not ordered it. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“By the way, is young warrior Woo a native of this area?”
“I have lived around here for a very long time, so I suppose you could call me a local.”
“Meeting you was truly a stroke of good fortune. Thanks to you, I am able to enjoy such a fine vintage.”
“It is Senior Zha who is fortunate; it has nothing to do with any merit of mine. Even if I hadn’t been here, someone else would have recommended this wine to you.”
“That too was only possible because young warrior Woo generously shared his table. Had I left the Zhuyang Inn because I couldn’t find an empty seat, I would never have tasted this delicious wine.”
“You would have been able to find sufficiently good wine at other inns as well. Guangu County is quite famous for the excellent quality of its water, after all.”
It went without saying that good water was essential to brewing delicious alcohol.
The water flowing down from Cheonbaeksan into Guangu County was incredibly clean and pure, making it perfect for brewing wine.
Woo Geom-san took a sip from his cup and questioned Zha Shanha.
“Has Senior Zha traveled here from far away?”
“That is correct!”
“If it isn’t too presumptuous of me, may I ask what brings you to this place?”
At Woo Geom-san’s question, Zha Shanha gazed out the window for a moment.
The silhouette of Cheonbaeksan, upon which darkness had now settled, was faintly visible.
He parted his lips to speak.
“The winds of destiny have guided me to this place.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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