The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 70

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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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70
Woo Geom-san Contends for Hegemony
Zha Shanha stepped out of the Zhuyang Inn with a slightly flushed face.
A satisfied smile hung upon his lips.
That was just how fulfilling his dinner at the Zhuyang Inn had been.
The plain noodles and xiaolongbao were delicious, but above all, the liquor brewed personally by the innkeeper had brought him immense satisfaction.
It was so exceptional that he had even purchased an extra bottle to drink later on his own.
“Splendid!”
He muttered, looking up at the moonlit sky.
While the meal had been gratifying, his greatest harvest of all was meeting a man like Woo Geom-san.
They had shared a brief, casual conversation over their food.
Though only trivial questions and answers had passed between them, within that exchange, Zha Shanha had discerned something extraordinary about Woo Geom-san.
“He possesses a wisdom unbefitting someone residing in such a remote region.”
A peculiar, profound aura was embedded within Woo Geom-san’s words.
Zha Shanha had intentionally spoken in circles a few times to test him, yet the young man had caught the core of the matter instantly.
He was far too wasted a talent to remain in a backwater like this.
If it were possible, Zha Shanha wanted to recruit him, but it was regrettable that his own remaining time was so limited.
Holding the liquor bottle he bought from the Zhuyang Inn, Zha Shanha headed toward the riverbank.
He had previously noticed an elegant pavilion sitting alongside the large river that flowed past the front of Guangu County.
He wished to drink the liquor purchased from the Zhuyang Inn with the moonlight as his side dish.
Fortunately, there was not a single soul at the pavilion, nor even the shadow of a beast.
Thanks to that, Zha Shanha was able to claim the pavilion all to himself.
Leaning back against the pavilion railing, he brought the liquor bottle to his lips.
“Exquisite as expected. I should have bought one more bottle.”
He considered returning to buy another right now but ultimately decided against it.
He knew well that when something was scarce, one had to find contentment in that shortage as well.
“Splendid!”
The moon hanging in the sky enhanced the ambiance, and the river breeze blowing past refreshed his mind and body.
With delicious liquor added to the mix, things could not possibly be any better.
Taking one sip, then another, the liquor bottle was empty before he knew it.
It was at that moment.
As Zha Shanha shook the bottle in regret, a dark shadow appeared soundlessly behind his back.
The dark shadow dropped to one knee before Zha Shanha and spoke.
“Your subordinate, Yeon So-myeong, greets the Lord.”
“My word! Had I known you were coming, I would have bought another bottle of liquor.”
“Do you not usually dislike liquor, My Lord?”
“And yet this particular brew suits my palate perfectly.”
“Where is the establishment? Your subordinate shall go and purchase it.”
“Forget it! It is far cleaner to stop when you still desire a little more. Stand up.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Yeon So-myeong raise his body.
Yeon So-myeong was clad in a black martial arts uniform. Every part of his body exposed outside his clothes was wrapped in black bandages, making it impossible to discern his true appearance.
The only person who knew Yeon So-myeong’s true face was Zha Shanha.
Zha Shanha questioned Yeon So-myeong.
“Have there been any results?”
“I have discovered a trace.”
“Oh? Then the rumor was true?”
Zha Shanha’s eyes gleamed.
“Yes! It appears certain that an old Taoist resides in Yunjung Village on Cheonbaeksan. However, whether he is truly the person the Association Chief is searching for remains unknown.”
“We will know the truth of that once we verify it ourselves.”
Zha Shanha rarely active in the Jianghu.
Because of that, not a single person knew of his existence, save for his subordinates.
He had intended to keep living that way.
However, it seemed destiny had no intention of allowing him to enjoy continued peace.
Circumstances kept pushing him in a direction he did not desire.
Ultimately, he would have to make a choice.
But before that, he wished to settle an old, long-standing grudge.
Whether it concluded for better or for worse.
Thus, he had been searching continuously for one person.
Yet he could hear no news whatsoever of the man he sought, as if he were already dead.
Since so much time had passed, Zha Shanha assumed he had died.
He had thought it was for the best.
The person he was seeking carried that much of a burden.
Then one day, an unexpected piece of information arrived.
It was news that the Chengdu branch of the Tianjin Escort Agency was gathering information regarding some old Taoist.
Ordinarily, it was information he would have overlooked.
There were countless Taoist crowns and Taoists in the Jianghu, and searching for one old Taoist among them was nothing particularly extraordinary.
However, when Zha Shanha heard about the old Taoist that the Chengdu branch was searching for, a spine-chilling sensation struck him like a bolt of lightning.
There was no information other than the phrase ‘old Taoist,’ but instinctively, a thought arose that this might be the very person he was seeking. Therefore, he had blindly traveled all the way to this distant Guangu County.
Yeon So-myeong spoke.
“I have deployed subordinates to locate the place called Yunjung Village, so good news should arrive shortly.”
“I shall wait. I have already waited for over fifteen years, so what difficulty is there in waiting a little longer?”
Zha Shanha flashed a smile.
A breeze blew from the river, cooling the heat.
It was the wind of destiny that had guided him to this place.
***
Woo Geom-san barely slept at all, keeping his eyes open throughout the night.
It was not because he had drunk too much liquor, nor was it because he was tense while guarding the storehouse.
He had only consumed about half a bottle, and even without being tense, he could instantly notice if anyone approached the storehouse.
There was absolutely no reason for him to be unable to sleep.
If there was a reason, there was only one.
‘Zha Shanha! It’s because of that man.’
It was a phenomenon that occurred after his meal with that man.
Something about Zha Shanha had clearly triggered Woo Geom-san’s nerves.
What it was about him that made his nerves stand on end like this, even Woo Geom-san did not know. However, the fact that it kept weighing on his mind meant it wasn’t something to be easily brushed aside.
Woo Geom-san eventually left his room early in the morning.
When he came down to the first-floor restaurant, a group of men swarmed inside.
“Ugh! I’m dying.”
“Exactly, who told you to pour it down like that?”
“Are you talking about someone else? You drank right along with me.”
“Stop making noise and let’s go inside and sleep quickly.”
The men shouting loudly while thoroughly flushed with intoxication were none other than Baek Wol-sang and the young men.
They spotted Woo Geom-san descending from the second floor and brightened up.
“It’s Geom-san.”
“What’s this? Did you come out to greet your brothers?”
Just how much liquor had they consumed? The stench of alcohol wafting from their mouths pierced Woo Geom-san’s nose from quite a distance away.
“Ugh! The smell of liquor. Just how much did you all drink?”
“Don’t even ask, brother! We completely drained all the liquor at the bride’s house.”
The one who answered with a fed-up expression was Nam Mu-rin.
Nam Mu-rin had also drunk, but he had stopped at a reasonable level. However, the other young men had essentially shoved their heads into the liquor jars and chugged.
Thanks to that, every drop of liquor prepared by the bride’s house had run dry. Even so, it was a relief that the bride’s family had enjoyed the rowdiness.
Baek Wol-sang and the young men babbled nonsense in their drunken stupor before returning to their respective rooms.
Nam Mu-rin, who was at least relatively sober, remained alone to have breakfast with Woo Geom-san.
As the piping hot soup entered his stomach, Nam Mu-rin spoke with a look of salvation.
“Ah! This is life.”
“Didn’t you eat a lot at the bride’s house as well?”
“The food at that house was a bit greasy, so I couldn’t eat much.”
“Is that so?”
“Honestly, the food at the Zhuyang Inn is much more delicious.”
Woo Geom-san nodded his head at Nam Mu-rin’s words.
Because the liquor and food of the Zhuyang Inn were things even he acknowledged.
Even Zha Shanha, whom he had met just yesterday, had dined with great satisfaction.
“Mu-rin!”
“Yes! Brother.”
“You look after the storehouse from now on.”
“Understood, brother! You must have suffered all night, so I will take responsibility and guard it from now on.”
“I’m going to step outside for a bit, so let’s trade places when I return.”
“The other brothers should be awake by then anyway, so don’t worry and take care of your business. Those drunkards need to earn their keep too.”
“That would be even better.”
Woo Geom-san smiled faintly as he looked toward the second floor.
They were dead to the world right now, but since they all possessed a strong sense of responsibility, it was certain they would wake up in the afternoon to guard the storehouse.
Trusting Nam Mu-rin and the young men, Woo Geom-san stepped out of the Zhuyang Inn.
Even though it was early morning, the sunlight was scorching.
At the very least, Woo Geom-san felt nothing due to his training in martial arts, but other people were already shedding sweat like rain.
The place Woo Geom-san headed to through the crowds of people was precisely the market.
The reason he sought out the market first was because it was the place most frequented by people coming from the outside.
If Zha Shanha was still staying in Guangu County, the probability of him being at the market was highest.
Conveniently, he also intended to procure the books Baek Ho-yang had requested.
Woo Geom-san began to roam through every nook and cranny of the market.
He searched the entire market from early morning until noon, but he could not find a bookshop, let alone any shadow of Zha Shanha.
“Did he not come to the market?”
Woo Geom-san furrowed his brow.
He hadn’t thought it would be easy to find him, but facing a complete lack of even a trace left him feeling quite at a loss.
Just then, an area caught Woo Geom-san’s eye where old folks were squatting down, selling miscellaneous items.
These were not people who had obtained formal stalls to do business in the bustling streets.
They were elderly folks with nothing better to do, laying out homegrown vegetables or old belongings on the ground to sell cheaply.
If the items sold, they went home early; if they didn’t sell, they remained until sunset before returning home.
Since their appearances at the market were sporadic, on some days there would be no one at all.
Yet for some reason today, quite a few elderly people had come out.
Woo Geom-san walked along the street where the old folks were selling their wares.
When he reached roughly the middle of the street dominated by the elderly, Woo Geom-san’s eyes flashed.
This was because he spotted an old man who had laid out several books to sell.
There were quite a few people on the street, but not a single person cast a glance at the books the old man was selling.
And with good reason, for the books the old man had brought out to sell were extremely tattered, their covers completely worn ragged.
The people of Guangu County were not wealthy enough to spend money on buying such books. Particularly, the people who utilized this kind of market were pressed just to make a living.
There was no way such people would open their purses to buy thoroughly decayed books.
Consequently, the old man was completely excluded from the people’s attention.
Woo Geom-san approached the old man selling the books.
The old man was exceedingly gaunt, and his eyes were deeply sunken, giving him a hollow appearance.
Even a glance suggested he hadn’t eaten properly for several days.
“Are those books put out for sale?”
“That is correct.”
As someone showed interest for the first time, a look of anticipation rose upon the old man’s face.
His livelihood was so destitute that he had brought the books out, but he hadn’t truly anticipated that they would sell.
Yet when someone showed interest like this, he gazed up with the mindset of grasping at straws.
“These are books passed down through generations in my family. The exteriors are entirely ruined like that, but the insides are perfectly intact.”
“May I take a look at them?”
“Please, feel free.”
Receiving the old man’s desperate gaze, Woo Geom-san scanned through the books.
The outer covers were entirely decayed so that even the titles were missing, but the content inside was unexpectedly worth reading.
The first book was the diary of a rogue warrior.
A rogue warrior who had been active in the Jianghu a very long time ago had recorded the events he experienced during twenty years of activity in the Jianghu in a diary format.
Although it was written in terrible handwriting, it wasn’t to the point of being illegible.
The other two books were medical manuals the rogue warrior had accidentally obtained during his activities.
Woo Geom-san, who was scanning through rapidly, was finally able to discern the title of the books from a passage within the medical manuals.
“‘Receiving the Emperor’s command, I compose the Bojebang in order to widely deliver the people.’ Then is the name of this medical manual the Bojebang?”
He would have to examine it in detail later to be certain, but the Bojebang was no ordinary medical manual.
It was divided into upper and lower volumes; the upper volume was tightly packed with medical expertise transmitted from ancient times, while the lower volume dealt with herbs and poisons.
While he couldn’t know the authenticity of the books, they were not items to be treated so carelessly in a market like this.
“I will purchase all of these books. How much are you selling them for?”
“One tael… of silver?”
The old man answered in an unconfident voice.
Because he didn’t know the value of the books, his voice naturally crawled inward.
Observing Woo Geom-san’s reaction, he immediately lowered the price.
“Eight… copper coins is fine as well.”
“This is all the money I have brought out with me right now. I will give it all to you.”
Woo Geom-san searched his breast pocket and discreetly slipped a silver sycee he possessed into the old man’s hand.
It was an item worth at least ten silver taels.
At the heavy sensation felt in his hand, the old man looked at Woo Geom-san in sheer surprise.
“Th-this is far too much.”
“In my view, even this is greatly lacking. However, as this is all I possess right now, please understand.”
“Oh my! You are a benefactor. Thank you!”
The old man quickly tucked the silver sycee into his breast pocket lest anyone should see.
Fortunately, because they had conversed quietly, no one paid them any heed.
The old man, fearing that Woo Geom-san might change his mind and ask for the silver sycee back, quickly departed from the market.
Woo Geom-san smiled as he placed the three books into his breast pocket.
“Grandfather will surely love this.”

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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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