novelraw Chapter 194 : The Truly High-Ranking Person
Chapter 194 : The Truly High-Ranking Person
Chapter 194: The Truly High-Ranking Person
The dawn at Mount Emei was quiet.
A faint mist settled over the mountain peaks, and the eastern sky slowly turned crimson, signaling the arrival of a new day.
Venerable Huiyin stood alone before the Secluded Training Cave that successive Sect Leaders had passed through, gazing at the traces of the fierce battle that had raged through the night.
Her once spotless white robe had been scorched black and torn apart, yet her eyes shone clearer and more serene than before.
With eyes no longer tainted by madness, she quietly looked up at the cluster of stars in the night sky.
At that moment, a familiar set of footsteps stirred her thoughts.
Venerable Huiyul approached, dressed in a worn and tattered Daoist Robe much like her own, the result of a long life spent in flight.
When their gazes met, a strange emotion seemed to drift through the air.
After a short silence, it was Venerable Huiyin who spoke first.
“……You have come.”
The tone sounded as if she were welcoming a child who had finally returned home after a long time away. Hearing it, Venerable Huiyul gave a faint, ambiguous smile.
“Judging by how the surroundings are a complete mess, it seems you fought the Troubleshooter I sent.”
Traces of Sword Flux remained everywhere. Hidden weapons like Poison Needles were embedded throughout the area, and even the marks left by Thunderburst Bombs were unmistakable.
At this point, it would not be an exaggeration to say a war had taken place here.
“So it was your plan to dress black-clad men as women and push them into the Male-Forbidden Sacred Domain?”
Venerable Huiyin asked with a hollow laugh.
“……Of course not. That was their own idea.”
Venerable Huiyul murmured as if recalling the moment, saying that the plan had particularly come from the small, pretty-looking man among them.
“Honestly… it seems they will do anything for a request.”
Their actions were completely different from the other Murim martial artists of the Central Plains, who valued dignity and face above all else. Venerable Huiyin clicked her tongue in disbelief.
“……Yes. Just as the rumors say—they will do anything.”
Even Venerable Huiyul had half doubted when she infiltrated the Emei Sect with them.
But the result had been a complete success.
Before her eyes stood Venerable Huiyin, now looking at her with clear, sane eyes once more.
After mentioning the existence of Dan Mujin, to whom she now owed a great debt, the two women fell into another brief silence.
Again, Venerable Huiyin was the first to move her lips.
“……I am sorry.”
It was a single apology, as though countless unsaid words had been compressed into that one sentence.
Venerable Huiyul quietly gazed at the Sect Leader who had apologized.
Her face was heavy with grief and self-reproach. The sinister aura had vanished, and the gentle Venerable Huiyin of old had returned.
“I heard there were circumstances. And that it wasn’t your true intention… so I decided to understand.”
She explained that she had heard the entire story from the Troubleshooter who had come down to Sichuan.
She even said she would overlook the fact that the Sect Leader had once tried to kill her.
When she added that she hoped they could get along again like before, Venerable Huiyin’s expression grew extremely complicated.
Faced with the generosity of the disciple who had returned despite her wrongdoing, it seemed she had gained a small realization.
“The sacred relic of our sect… I will return it.”
Venerable Huiyul untied the Yitian Interspatial Sword from her waist—the weapon she had borrowed for the Evil-Slaying Campaign and later fled with—and handed it over in its scabbard.
Venerable Huiyin stared at it silently for a moment before gently pushing the scabbard back toward her.
“That will not be necessary. Take it back. You may not have the qualification to reclaim it… but you are more than worthy of possessing it.”
She shook her head and declared that the sacred relic of the Emei Sect belonged to her.
“…….”
Venerable Huiyul’s eyes widened in shock. She alternated between looking at the Yitian Interspatial Sword she had offered and Venerable Huiyin, as if asking whether she was serious.
“But only the Sect Leader may carry the Yitian Interspatial Sword at all times…”
Passing it down meant nearly the same as naming her a candidate for the next Sect Leader.
Venerable Huiyin smiled gracefully and slowly nodded.
“Even in difficult circumstances, you stood firm in your conviction. That alone is enough for me to entrust the Emei Sect to you.”
Upon hearing that, Venerable Huiyul accepted the returned Yitian Interspatial Sword with a deeply moved expression.
“Sect Leader…”
Her eyes reddened slightly, overwhelmed with emotion at being acknowledged.
“However, be careful.”
“…Yes?”
Venerable Huiyul raised her head at the sudden warning.
“There seemed to be a thief who covets that sword.”
Venerable Huiyin warned her that aside from those men, something impure had also infiltrated the Emei Sect.
What should have been a warm story about the leader of a sect falling into darkness and awakening again somehow included a thief.
Although puzzled, Venerable Huiyul nodded.
“And there is one more condition.”
“…Yes. What is it?”
The Emei Sect was one of the prestigious orthodox sects belonging to the Nine Sects One Gang. Naturally, anyone who wished to become Sect Leader had to prove themselves through severe trials as a candidate.
Venerable Huiyul waited with a determined expression, ready to overcome any hardship.
“For a Sect Leader to covet her disciple’s purity—it is utterly absurd. You must correct that taste of yours.”
Venerable Huiyin looked at her with a slightly exasperated gaze, as if that part of her disciple was truly disappointing.
“……Th-that!”
How did she find out when she had kept it a secret?
Unaware that Dan Mujin had whispered it earlier, Venerable Huiyul looked utterly shocked, as though struck by lightning.
When we returned, the streets of Beijing were bustling with unusual excitement.
Apparently, the Imperial Household was preparing a grand banquet, and the merchants of Beijing were busy as a result.
Decorations were appearing throughout the streets, and people’s faces were filled with anticipation.
On top of that, next year would host a grand commemorative celebration for the Emperor of the Central Plains.
At this rate, all of Beijing would be noisy for quite some time.
During such periods, the Imperial Palace released large sums of money to purchase expensive ingredients, materials, and goods. The imperial family also busied themselves seeking gifts to present to the emperor.
For the merchants of Beijing, this was the time to prepare costly items with their eyes burning.
In other words, the biggest sales season of the year.
“Our Eun Hwaran noona should ride this wave too.”
Of course, someone with her uncanny sense for the smell of money would never miss an opportunity like this.
Right now she was probably snapping her golden fan shut while commanding the merchants of the Eunseong Trading Company.
“I should stop by the Eunseong Trading Company after so long.”
I figured I would visit and see my sworn sister’s face.
She would be busy, but whenever I showed up, she always treated me to delicious food.
Though now that the cook had been replaced due to that unfortunate incident, maybe the flavor would be different.
“You’re going to the trading company before our office?”
Ilhong, walking beside me, spoke up.
Now that she had returned to wearing male disguise again, her mood—so elated in Sichuan—seemed slightly deflated.
“That look suits you better.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“It’s just more comfortable because I’m used to it.”
She had grown into quite a mature woman now. Every time she pressed close to me, it caused more than a little trouble. Even knowing I shouldn’t feel that way, my emotions still stirred sometimes.
We had grown up rolling around together since we were young, and there was even an age difference between us (though Ilhong absolutely refused to acknowledge it).
Developing those kinds of feelings wasn’t exactly easy.
“What’s with that relieved expression?!”
She puffed up angrily at my sigh of relief.
Now things felt stable again.
Ignoring her complaints, I lightly patted her back and told her to head toward the Eunseong Trading Company.
“But why are we going there first?”
“Something strange happened during the request. I need to report it.”
She clapped her hands as if remembering.
“Ah, that…”
It was the night when the stars appeared.
Ilhong had already begun to vaguely notice the secret training I had been doing with Hwang Geolgae.
So many strange things had happened over the past few years, and she had experienced them all beside me. As the successor of the Rogues’ Guild, it was only natural she would figure out some of it.
“So… are you going to get beaten up again?”
“Hey now, what kind of thing is that to say, Ilhong?”
Beaten up again? What did she take a seasoned Transcendence Master for?
“This time I’ll hit back.”
A new energy had joined within me.
This time, I finally had a chance to turn the tables.
“This is really strange. What kind of master and disciple only think about beating each other up?”
Ilhong shook her head as if she couldn’t stand it.
But he started it the first time we met.
With my resolve firm, I headed toward the Eunseong Trading Company.
A short while later, on the outskirts of Beijing.
“Captain, rub this on your face.”
Ilhong looked pitifully at my bruised face and handed me an egg.
Apparently, she believed the old saying that rubbing an egg over bruises made them fade faster.
“That damn old man… one day I’m going to defeat him.”
Even though I had reached the Transcendence Realm at this age, I couldn’t afford to grow arrogant.
No matter how high my realm rose, a certain old man kept beating me up whenever he pleased.
If I stopped training, the star in my head would shorten my lifespan.
Between that and him, I had plenty of motivation to keep moving.
“In the end, he admitted he doesn’t know much about the Energy of the Moon either. If that’s the case, I should have just kept it hidden.”
I had risked getting beaten just to report it in case he knew something.
Instead, he scolded me thoroughly—saying he had only ever cultivated the stars, and that while I had good intentions, revealing the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method to Sect Leaders of the Nine Sects One Gang and carrying strange energy was unacceptable.
“But if you hid it and got caught, you’d get beaten even worse.”
“But if you never get caught, there’s no beating at all.”
The old man avoided even contact with the Beggars’ Union, so his access to outside information was limited.
“Hm… when you put it that way, you might be right.”
Ilhong scratched her chin in reluctant agreement.
While chatting like that, we eventually arrived at our familiar Troubleshooter Office.
“Oh? Mujin! You’re finally back!”
The familiar sight of the large broadsword and Jo Harang greeted us. She welcomed us brightly from the courtyard.
“I was so lonely by myself. You said it wouldn’t take this long! What happened?”
Guarding the house and training alone was fine for a day or two.
But once it continued for over a month, each day had felt as long as eternity.
“The job got complicated. Originally, we were supposed to infiltrate the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song… but we ended up infiltrating the Emei Sect too.”
When I mentioned Mount Song and looked at Jo Harang, the memory of Song Ryeong and Beopgwang—those passionate middle-aged men flirting—suddenly flashed in my mind.
But that was better left unsaid for everyone’s sake.
If I told her her master might gain a husband soon, she would run straight to Mount Song.
“Wait, Mujin. The Emei Sect? Men can’t enter there, right? It’s a Male-Forbidden Sacred Domain.”
Her reaction was perfectly logical.
Ilhong and I shrugged.
“For a Troubleshooter, nothing is impossible.”
“We used the Bone-Shrinking Technique and a Human-skin Mask to disguise ourselves as women.”
When we explained how we successfully completed the request like that, Jo Harang made a rather disturbed face.
“Eek… Even if it’s for a request, infiltrating a place full of women in female disguise… that’s something Yin Fiends would do…”
She stroked her chin, clearly troubled as our actions clashed with the upright values of the Purple Star.
Afraid she might start labeling us villains, I quickly changed the subject.
“Your master got confessed to by a monk.”
“Whaaaat?!”
That worked.
When I hinted that someone else besides her master might need to be served when she returned to Mount Song, she jumped.
“I’m kidding.”
“You brat! Want to die?!”
Actually, it was the truth.
But as long as we kept our mouths shut, it would remain a joke.
“Anyway, Harang. Why are you standing in the courtyard doing nothing?”
She didn’t even have a drop of sweat on her.
“I got kicked out.”
“…What?”
What nonsense was that?
Who could possibly kick my employee out of my own office?
Just as I stared suspiciously at the firmly closed office door—
Bang.
“I kicked her out. There were circumstances.”
The door opened, revealing a familiar elderly face.
His expression was slightly cold and stern—perfect for someone working in the Eastern Depot.
It was Cheon Sugong, the closest aide of Princess Peach Blossom.
“Why again?”
I immediately complained.
Last time I had gone through hell stopping a poisoning attempt.
And Hwang Geolgae had scolded me endlessly for getting involved with the Imperial Household again.
Of course, once the Beggars’ Union was allowed into the Imperial Palace, those complaints had stopped.
“Tsk. Too many words. Be quiet and come in alone. A very important person is waiting for you.”
Cheon Sugong beckoned urgently.
Someone so important that even Jo Harang had to be removed from the office.
Could it be that Princess Peach Blossom herself had secretly come here again?
“No matter what happens, do not forget your manners. If you attempt anything improper, you will truly regret it…”
Even Cheon Sugong looked tense.
When I stepped inside, I saw a beautiful mature woman sitting on a chair in the office, dressed in luxurious silk robes.
When our eyes met, she smiled warmly.
“You are being overly cautious, Cheon Sugong.”
Her voice was gentle and full of compassion.
“But this boy is rather unpredictable…”
“Hehe. Still, he is someone the princess herself acknowledged. Surely he would not do such a thing.”
Someone even Cheon Sugong bowed to like that.
At that moment, Cheon Sugong pressed my stiff back down and said:
“Hurry and greet her. This is the noble Imperial Concubine Hwang—mother of Princess Peach Blossom.”
In other words, the woman sitting before me was the princess’s mother.
And the emperor’s wife.
“Oh… my…”
My mouth fell wide open.