novelraw Chapter 45 : Chapter 45
Chapter 45 : Chapter 45
Chapter 45 - If you’re curious, open it yourself
“For now, the five of us will go with you. The rest will join us as soon as they've sorted out their shops and packed their belongings.”
Just five people.
In terms of numbers, it was a pitifully small group.
But considering the individual members of these five, it was no exaggeration to say that their actual strength was over seventy percent of the Diancang Sect's.
Biyoung looked at Eung Gajin's heavily swollen face and gave a cynical smile.
“You were so indecisive about making a decision, but now that you're acting on it, you're quick with the arrangements.”
He cast a wistful gaze towards Diancang Mountain.
“No matter what our lives were like here, our hearts are all at Diancang Mountain.”
“Talking with a face like a steamed bun doesn't make you sound cool at all.”
Although he retorted bluntly, Biyoung's face looked much brighter than yesterday.
“And, there's something we need to make clear before we leave.”
“Hm?”
“Although we haven't had a formal initiation ceremony since our sect became like this, there are still the years we were born and raised. Not just me, but everyone here is older than you. We won't separate the generational ranks, but you should address the junior brothers and sisters here with respect.”
“Ugh. I don't want to.”
Belying the lengthy explanation, Biyoung's answer was short and utterly indifferent.
At that insincere reply, Eung Gajin's face contorted in a flash.
“You arrogant bastard. Do you think you can disregard your elders just because your skills are outstanding?”
“No. That's not it.”
From Biyoung's perspective, it was a laughable situation.
From the viewpoint of his past life, these guys would be his nephew-disciples or of an even lower rank, yet he had to call such greenhorns Senior Brother and Senior Sister?
This was something that even a great man of the world would find hard to accept.
Oh, Sect Leader!
How did our sect end up in this state!
These brats are telling me to call them Senior Brother!
What?
You're saying if I don't like it, I should have come back alive then?
“Damn old man……”
“What?”
“Nothing. Forget it. I'll just do as you want. Eung-ga Senior Brother. Happy now?”
“Pfft!”
Solbo couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing at the words 'Eung-ga Senior Brother'.
Eung Gajin, his face beet red, glared at Solbo and then yelled.
“What do you mean, Eung-ga Senior Brother, you bastard! Can't you say it properly?”
“I can't exactly call you Poop Senior Brother, can I? I'll be sure to call you Eung-ga Senior Brother from now on, so don't worry. I'll address Senior Sister Jeong respectfully from now on too.”
“Why is one Senior Sister Jeong and the other Eung-ga Senior Brother?! What's the standard?!”.
“It’s just my preference.”
“……!”
I want to kill him.
If I could, I would tie him up tightly and beat him all night.
But unfortunately, Eung Gajin didn't have the strength to properly discipline Biyoung.
“Speaking of which, I have something to ask Senior Sister Jeong.”
“………….”
For some reason, there was no reply from Senior Sister Jeong.
When the five men, including Biyoung, turned to look at her wondering what was wrong, Jeong-i's face was flushed redder than ever.
She was currently exercising extreme patience.
To keep herself from bursting into laughter like Solbo.
It seemed the impact of the title 'Eung-ga Senior Brother' was just too great.
“This……!!”
Eung Gajin turned his back as if he couldn't bear to look anymore, and Jeong-i, after squeezing her eyes shut once, barely managed to reply.
“Pl… please speak.”
“Your internal energy is the best among the people here, what's your secret?”
At Biyoung's words, the four men showed various reactions.
One who already knew.
One whose eyes widened as if to say, what are you talking about.
One who, as always, drooped his half-closed eyes expressionlessly.
Jeong-i cautiously opened her mouth.
“Actually… there were guests who came to the Peach Garden Pavilion who gave me gifts.”
“Gifts?”
“Yes. Occasionally, there are people who prepare gifts like that. Since they are people who can willingly pay the expensive fees of the Peach Garden Pavilion, it seems preparing separate gifts wasn't difficult for them.”
“So those gifts were……”
“That's right. Once, someone gave me a Six-Flower Pill as a gift……”
“S-Six-Flower Pill?!”
Biyoung exclaimed in disbelief.
The Six-Flower Pill was a treasure far too valuable to be given as a simple gift.
A name given because six brilliant colors were gathered in a small pill.
Its effects were so outstanding that Biyoung had seen even the elders of prestigious orthodox sects drool at the name of the Six-Flower Pill several times.
“He only told me that it would make my skin beautiful and clear my mind, but I knew that wasn't the original effect of the Six-Flower Pill. So I really couldn't……”
“You couldn't refuse.”
Biyoung showed a mischievous smile.
How many martial artists in this world could refuse if they were offered a Six-Flower Pill?
No, did such a person even exist?
“Yes. I really couldn't refuse. I accepted the Six-Flower Pill the guest gifted me, and after that, a strange rumor started to spread. That I don't accept gifts like jewelry or accessories, but I don't turn down spirit pills.”
“Hah.”
The rest of the story could be easily guessed without asking.
Jeong-i's followers who heard the rumor would have scrambled to find and offer rare spirit medicines.
Although Jeong-i herself gave them nothing in return, following someone sometimes makes irrational things possible.
Besides, the guys who came to the Peach Garden Pavilion were probably rolling in money.
“No matter how much money you have, to think there are people who just give away Six-Flower Pills like they're giving flowers.”
Uma, who seemed to be hearing this story for the first time, had a look of disbelief on his face.
“Some people get into knife fights to get five hundred mun……”
Suddenly, moisture began to well up in Uma's eyes.
Biyoung almost burst out laughing at the sight.
“Now I get it. Senior Sister's internal energy was definitely not at the level of a female swordswoman of her age.”
Jeong-i's long eyelashes blinked a couple of times.
“If you put it that way, Junior Brother Biyoung is the one who is……”
“Me? You can just think of me as an exception.”
Was that something that could be passed off by just calling it an exception?
Jeong-i's slender neck tilted slightly, but Biyoung paid it no mind.
“Do you know what the problem is? Not even thirty percent of the energy from the spirit medicines you've received so far has been absorbed.”
“?”
At those words, everyone stopped walking.
“That can't be right. I've been diligently circulating my energy every time I consumed a spirit medicine……”
“I don't know what kind of energy circulation you learned, but that stuff is all trash.”
At that, Eung Gajin couldn't hold back and stepped forward.
“You thunder-striking brat. That is the cultivation method that the remaining elders painstakingly taught us. Who are you to call it trash?”
“Sorry, but trash is trash.”
Biyoung cut off Eung Gajin's words with a single phrase and grabbed Jeong-i's wrist.
“……!”
In that moment, even Jeong-i's calm pupils swayed like a pendulum.
“Hey punk! What are you doing!”
“Hold on, Eung-ga Senior Brother.”
Eung-ga Senior Brother.
Eung Gajin was about to say something more, but Biyoung's expression was so serious and stern that he couldn't help but shut his mouth.
Biyoung checked Jeong-i's condition for a while and then gave a rotten smile.
“Just as I thought.”
“What… do you mean?”
“The energy from the spirit medicines has accumulated so much that it's clumped together. This kind of thing is hard to undo without a fairly high-level internal art. There must be a lot of nouveau riche here in Simao.”
Biyoung sneered once and then fixed his gaze on Jeong-i.
“When we retake the main mountain, Senior Sister will learn energy cultivation from me for half a shichen every day. No matter how outstanding a spirit medicine is, if you don't use a proper internal energy manual, you can't even use half of half of it. It's a relief that the spirit medicines were of high efficacy, so there's still a lot of energy left. I'll help you absorb all of it.”
The reason Biyoung was able to fully absorb the Heaven-Shaking Divine Pill and the Earth-Drawing Spirit Pill was thanks to his profound internal energy manual.
The manual that could be called the secret art of the Diancang Sect's internal energy method.
The Profound Heaven's True Energy Unification Art would dramatically increase her internal energy.
“Are you saying you will look after me every day to help with the absorption of the spirit medicine?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“No. I just didn't expect you to help me that much……”
“Aren't you already used to the one-sided goodwill of others?”
At Biyoung's somewhat mischievous question, Jeong-i's face flushed red.
‘That brat is really…….’
And at that sight, Uma clicked his tongue.
A brat who still had milk on his lips was cracking jokes like a seasoned rogue from the marketplace.
“I'm doing it because your fundamentals are those of a martial artist to the bone.”
“……!”
“It's better for the Diancang Sect's strength too, so you don't need to thank me or feel sorry.”
After saying that, Biyoung turned his back and walked ahead.
The group of five briefly watched Biyoung's back.
When they first saw him, they thought he was just a childish boy who didn't know the world.
But somehow, at this moment, he felt like an adult carrying a heavy burden.
‘He's not a chameleon. He really has many different sides.’
Just as Eung Gajin was thinking that.
“Eung-ga Senior Brother! What are you doing, not going? Don't tell me you're sulking just because I only took care of Senior Sister Jeong?”
“Who's sulking, you bastard!”
A chameleon, my ass.
An eight-colored bird would be more fitting.
Eung Gajin snorted and stomped forward.
“…….”
And Jeong-i was silently stroking the wrist that Biyoung had grabbed.
***
The man with half-closed eyes, Danseol, looked around once and asked.
“Junior Brother. Why did we come here?”
“Why. Is it uncomfortable? This is the best inn in Yiliang County.”
“The closest town to Diancang Mountain isn't Yiliang County.”
“Senior Brother. When you ask so persistently with those half-closed eyes, it feels like I'm being interrogated.”
Biyoung joked and shrugged his shoulders.
“I stopped by for a moment because of something I requested.”
The six of them, including Biyoung, were gathered in a room at the inn.
As Biyoung had said, it was the best place in Yiliang County, with excellent facilities and delicious food.
The problem was, as Danseol had pointed out, there was no need to be here.
“A requested item?”
“Yeah. It's almost time.”
Knock knock.
As if in answer to Biyoung's words, a knock was heard at the door.
“Come in.”
The person who opened the door and entered was an ordinary middle-aged man in his mid-forties.
In one of the man's hands was a large cloth bundle, which was blunt in the middle and stretched out long on both sides.
He was startled when he saw the people gathered inside, especially Uma's face.
“It's okay. He won't harm you despite his appearance.”
“……Am I some kind of beast from the Beast Palace?”
“You'll scare him more if you glare like that.”
At Biyoung's words, Uma bared his teeth and growled.
The middle-aged man, not wanting to stay here long, got straight to the point.
“Young Master Yi sent this item.”
“If it's from Sedong, there's no need to inspect it separately. Thank you for your trouble.”
The middle-aged man bowed his head and quickly exited the door.
“Biyoung. Who is that person?”
“Eung-ga Senior Brother. Do you happen to know of the Yi Family Clan of Yiliang County?”
Eung Gajin scrunched his face once, then sighed and nodded.
“I've heard of them a few times when I was working at the escort agency. They're said to be a long-established merchant family that has settled here in Yiliang County.”
“That's right. I sent a separate message to the Yi Family Clan earlier. I asked them to send me the item I requested.”
Eung Gajin asked with wide, disbelieving eyes.
“What kind of relationship do you have with the Yi Family Clan to be running such errands? I heard they are a merchant family, but their influence is quite high.”
“Ah. I'm friends with the second son there.”
Friends?
Although he was the second son, the son of the Yi Family Clan was someone who would be selective about the people he befriended.
“Why would such a person associate with a mutt like that…….”
“Hm? What did you say?”
“Ah. Nothing.”
Seeing Biyoung's glaring eyes, Eung Gajin quickly changed the subject.
“Putting that aside, what is this item?”
“If you’re curious, open it yourself.”
Eung Gajin didn't hesitate and untied the knot of the bundle.
The other four, also quite curious, craned their necks to look at the contents.
“Uh……?”
“Th-this is?”
Sparks suddenly flew in the eyes of the five men and women who had been tilting their heads in uncertainty.
“!!!”