The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 75

I separated from my senior brothers and began to run at full speed, carrying Zhongli Hou.

I can feel the grip of Zhongli Hou's hand on my arm getting stronger.

Perhaps because it's the first time in his life he's run at this speed, he seems to be feeling fear.

I kept running, regardless of whether he was scared or not.

The direction is west.

It's to put this guy down in a safe place and at the same time get a little closer to the Eungnam Merchant Guild.

While running, I asked him, "Where is your home? Is it close to here?"

Zhongli Hou, even though he couldn't even open his eyes properly because of the wind, understood my words and shouted, "Dangyang!"

Dangyang is a small city a little west of the center of Hubei Province, and even if you ride a horse to death from here, it will take at least seven or eight days.

So it means that it will take fifteen to twenty days at the speed of ordinary people.

The probability of the Black Society, which doesn't even know if Zhongli Hou is alive or dead, sending people there to threaten his family is not very high.

"Dangyang is quite far from here. Even if the Black Society finds out you're alive, they won't go to your family right away."

"So I'm going to recover my body to some extent and then go far away!"

His tone of voice has changed once again.

Perhaps because he was carried on my back and felt my footwork with his body? He has now started to use extremely polite language.

I was a little disappointed when this guy, who had been pretending to be a martial artist until a little while ago, suddenly changed like this.

Strangely, I don't like guys who are obedient and servile in front of me.

Although this Zhongli Hou was a trashy Unorthodox Faction guy, I liked the determination he showed when he stubbornly resisted me to the end.

Because guys who pretend to be servile can betray you at any time when you turn your back, but guys with determination rarely betray you once you've won their hearts.

"Where should I drop you off? You won't be able to survive in your current condition."

"You can drop me off anywhere. Even if you put me down here now, I will somehow survive."

"What did you say?"

"We've come this far. Didn't you say you had to go to Fangxian quickly? You'll be able to go faster if you leave me!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. This is a life you gave me as a bonus. It can't be helped if I lose my life here, and if I survive, I will definitely come and find my benefactor. From now on, I will never do things like sucking the blood of the common people..."

His words suddenly stopped. It seems he can't speak anymore because he's choked up.

I was so dumbfounded that I almost burst out laughing.

I almost had a qi deviation due to the backflow of my vital energy.

Because if I were to burst out laughing unexpectedly while concentrating on my footwork, my internal energy circulation could get tangled.

'This guy. He wasn't being servile, he was moved by me?'

When I think about why he suddenly became like that, it seems to be from when I started to carry him and run.

He could have killed me, but he saved me, and he could have left me, but he insisted on carrying me and running, and seeing that, he must have felt something.

And I didn't just run leisurely, but I ran with all my might to drop this guy off at a place even a little farther away.

It seems he was moved by my heart that was genuinely trying to save him.

It feels like my nosiness has come full circle and is rewarding me.

"Yes. The words that you will come and find me someday. Never forget them! I'm a person who is clear about my debts and favors. It means that I will receive as much as I have given. Since I saved your life, repay me with your life someday!"

"I understand... Great Hero!"

In the end, the words 'Great Hero' even came out of the guy's mouth.

Although I didn't look back, it seems he was even shedding tears as my neck was wet.

Since I don't like the tears of a man, I deliberately pretended not to know.

After running like that for about an hour.

A village of a considerable size comes into view. The approximate location seems to be about a third of the way to Fangxian, and even if the Black Society guys have a firm grip on this area, it's unlikely that they would search for a low-ranking martial artist all the way here.

I entered the village and went into an inn with few customers.

And while the waiter was taking another customer's order, I unfolded my footwork without being noticed by him, went up to the second floor, and slipped into an empty room and laid Zhongli Hou on the bed.

"G-Great Hero..."

"For now, lie down here. Do you have some money?"

Then Zhongli Hou took out a few silver coins from his bosom and handed them to me.

I was about to take all of them, but then I took only two and put the rest back next to the bed.

"These two will be used to rent this place. Use the rest to go back to your hometown."

"Th-Thank you...!"

"I'll tell the waiter that you passed out from drinking. And I've told him not to worry about this room. Instead, I'll tell him to leave a simple meal in front of the door from tomorrow evening, so eat that, recover, and go back to your hometown. Got it?"

"I understand. I didn't know you would do this much for me. Thank you so much."

"If you're grateful, try to live by helping the powerless even a little more from now on. You don't have to come and find me."

"Great Hero...!"

Admiration was contained in the two eyes that were looking at me.

I didn't say anything to him and just left the room.

I honestly don't know if Zhongli Hou will come and find me someday, or if he will live a good life without doing bad things.

But, I hope he has really changed.

Although it's still a long way off, when the Demonic Cult invades, my strength alone will not be enough to stop them.

So even if it's like this... even if it's a trashy Unorthodox Faction guy, if he has a good heart through this opportunity, and if that person has a good influence on another person...

If even one more person steps up to protect the Central Plains like this, won't it be easier to stop the Demonic Cult guys?

Although I know better than anyone through my past life's experience that humans don't change that easily, I am now in a position where I have to hope that even one more person will be saved and changed rather than killed.

Because in the end, it's a Central Plains where everyone lives together.

As I went down to the first floor, the waiter, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression as I came down from the second floor for the first time, I deliberately shouted, "What. You're not taking customers! Do I have to go up to the second floor myself?"

"I-I'm sorry!"

The waiter approached me, bowing his head as if he had committed a great sin.

Although I felt a little sorry, I said to myself as if I were an angry person, "Hey. You were indifferent to me, so I arbitrarily laid my drunk acquaintance in the innermost room on the second floor. He's a very fierce person, so don't wake him up and make things complicated, just let him rest for a few days. Got it?"

"Ah, you mean room number four, the innermost room?"

"That's none of my business. Just act like there's no one in the room. Don't get on my nerves. Got it?"

"Ah, I understand. Then for meals..."

"Leave a simple meal in front of the room from tomorrow evening. He'll take care of it himself."

"I understand. I will do so."

And the waiter, who wants to say something to me, is hesitating without being able to say it properly.

I can guess why he's doing that.

He probably wants to ask who should pay for the lodging and food.

But, since I'm yelling at him like this, he can't even ask properly.

"Here. Take this. This should be enough for a few days' lodging and food. You don't have to give me the change, you can have it."

With these words, I handed him two silver coins, and the waiter bowed his head so low that it touched the ground and greeted me.

I waved my hand as if I were annoyed and left the inn.

Since two silver taels is enough to stay and eat at an inn like this for a month, probably no one will bother Zhongli Hou now.

After leaving the inn, I was about to unfold my footwork towards the Eungnam Merchant Guild...

"Aish. It's so annoying."

Looking around, I bought some disinfectant and golden sore medicine from a nearby pharmacy, and a set of ordinary clothes that I could wear comfortably from a cloth store, and then I went back to the inn.

Although the waiter tried to acknowledge me, I waved my hand and went up to the second floor and entered the room where Zhongli Hou was.

Perhaps because he had used up a lot of his energy hanging on my back, he was fast asleep, not even knowing that I had come in.

It seems that he won't wake up until tomorrow unless I deliberately wake him up.

I put the medicine and clothes next to him and came out again.

I've given him what he needs right now.

With a slightly lighter heart, I unfolded my footwork again. This time, I'm planning to run straight to the Eungnam Merchant Guild.

***

In less than a full day, I was able to arrive at the Eungnam Merchant Guild.

Although I had run with all my might, I was not exhausted.

Because I had rested for a while on the way, slowed down, and drank water, I had controlled my pace enough.

Although I had returned to the merchant guild, if I didn't have the strength to fight when something happened, there would be no meaning in my coming.

But fortunately, the merchant guild seems to be no different from usual.

It means that nothing special has happened yet.

Of course, there would also be the reason that I had returned from Xiangyang too quickly.

The time when Jin Tae-jin, who had sensed a crisis, would start to take action in any way would probably be after he heard the news that the safe house attack had failed from the Black Society.

But it's highly likely that the Black Society hasn't even figured out that the attack has failed yet.

I first moved secretly so as not to be noticed by others and returned to my quarters.

It's to discuss this matter with my Master without letting anyone know that I've returned.

When I entered my Master's room, my Master, perhaps because he had just returned from an outing, was changing his clothes.

My Master, who made a slightly surprised expression upon seeing me, soon said with a serious face, "What happened? How did you get here so early? What about your senior brothers?"

"Yes. Something happened. There was nothing on the way to Xiangyang, but the Xiangyang safe house was being attacked."

"What did you say? Tell me in detail."

I explained to my Master in a quick and concise manner what had happened in Xiangyang.

For now, I told him the truth about what had happened there, and it was time to tell him that the Baekma Merchant Guild and Jin Tae-jin were the culprits.

"The Black Society? Although they are an Unorthodox Faction, it's unlikely that they would have done such a thing on their own... there's a high possibility that the Baekma Merchant Guild requested it from them. The problem is that there is a spy of the Baekma Merchant Guild in the Eungnam Merchant Guild. According to the information I have separately found out, a large amount of the Eungnam Merchant Guild's secrets have been leaked to the Baekma Merchant Guild recently, and since those secrets are quite important, it must be that a person in a fairly high position within the merchant guild is a spy."

"Uh... how did you?"

To be honest, I was greatly surprised.

My Master, for some reason, already knew what I had only been able to find out by hearing it directly from Zhongli Hou.

"I found out while investigating the Geoungbang that had attacked you. I thought that if a large sum of money like two hundred silver taels were to move without a sound, there was a high possibility that it was a money exchange or a merchant guild. Then I investigated the Baekma Merchant Guild, and I found out that the Baekma Merchant Guild has a close relationship with the Black Society."

"The starting point of everything was the Geoungbang...?"

"Yes. If you hadn't come here alive, I wouldn't have been able to find that connection. This is really strange."

Although my Master said it as if it were just strange, my heart was already pounding.

My existence has become the starting point, and I'm changing the future one step at a time.

Because of my existence, they found out that the Geoungbang had attacked the disciples of the Wudang Sect, and thanks to that, they were able to investigate the connection with the Baekma Merchant Guild.

What if we had been killed by the Geoungbang...? My Master would have had no choice but to watch with his own eyes as the Eungnam Merchant Guild fell into his hands, caught in Jin Tae-jin's conspiracy.

"Master. I think I know who that spy is. And who the culprit who ordered our killing is."

"Who is it?"

"It's Jin Tae-jin. The same Jin Tae-jin we saw at the Wudang Sect with Wang Hyeon-seong."

Astonishment passed over my Master's eyes, and then his face became one of understanding.

He must be feeling a similar emotion to what I felt yesterday.

Because if you put his name in the blank, everything fits.

"Do you know where he is now?"

"I don't know either. I haven't seen his face even once since I came down here..."

Knock, knock—

At that time, someone knocked on my Master's door.

I naturally went into the closet on one side of the room, hid myself, and hid my presence.

My Master, as if he knew what my intention was, nodded and opened the door slightly.

"Who is it at this late hour?"

"Taoist master. I'm sorry for the late hour. You've made a difficult journey from Mount Wudang, and I'm only now greeting you because I was doing outside work. I am Jin Tae-jin, the co-owner of the Eungnam Merchant Guild."

"......!"

Both my Master, who was facing him, and I were surprised.

Because we had never expected that the spy and culprit, Jin Tae-jin, would appear in my Master's room himself.

(End of Chapter)