Chapter 12:A Great Legacy
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner kept his mouth shut for a moment, blinking his eyes. His expression shifted by the second as he stared down at the iron coin, lost in thought.
Then, at last.
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner’s solemn gaze turned toward me.
It was no longer the look of a shabby bookstore owner, nor that of a swindler trying to fleece a mark.
"What happened to Nan-sim?"
His eyes held a gravity that could rival the leader of any sect.
I nodded to ease his worry.
"She managed to escape safely with a man named Chun-bok."
"Thank you. This iron coin is what Nan-sim promised to give to her savior. If you had killed her, you wouldn't have bothered bringing this here."
He was right. If I hadn't known its significance, I wouldn't have bothered keeping a coin that looked worthless.
Still, his willingness to trust me so easily, given the atmosphere, was puzzling.
"You could have found out through torture, you know."
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner blinked, looking as if he didn't understand what I meant.
"We are but lowly members of the Beggar Sect. We don't even hold significant roles within the sect. What could you possibly gain by torturing us?"
"You never know."
"I don't look idle enough to do things that 'might' happen, do I?"
I curled the corners of my lips upward.
What reason was there to trade barbs with the Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner?
"You have a point."
"Still, you must want something from me."
I nodded.
Why would I seek out the Beggar Sect? Information, obviously.
However, I had developed an unexpected interest.
"First, I would like to buy the Sambong Island."
"Ah, that?"
When I pointed to the Sambong Island, the Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile.
"If you had given me the iron coin earlier, you wouldn't have had to waste your energy. Just take it. Think of it as a gift."
"I thought you said it was authentic?"
"Hehehe."
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner took the Sambong Island off the wall, rolled it up, and tied it with a string. Then, he pulled several more paintings from under a shelf and spread them out.
There were slight differences, but they were all Sambong Islands.
"……."
"Sambong Island is famous in Sichuan, you see."
In the end, it meant the place was crawling with cheap forgeries.
However, none of the other Sambong Islands displayed the strange phenomenon of a Taoist performing a sword dance.
'Does this mean there is a genuine piece mixed in with the forgeries?'
Was I lucky? Or was this what they called a predestined encounter?
Regardless, I accepted the Sambong Island the Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner handed me without refusal.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. You saved Nan-sim; surely I can do at least that much."
"But why is a work related to Sambong famous in Sichuan? Wudang Mountain is quite far from here."
"Well. It’s not certain, but there is a legend that Zhang Sanfeng stayed in Sichuan during his final years. Of course, believe it or not as you wish."
"I see."
Since it wasn't particularly important, I quickly brushed off thoughts of Zhang Sanfeng and moved on to the main topic.
"I am Jang U-gil. In Hubei, I am commonly known as the Iron Sword."
"Oh! The Iron Sword of Hubei! So you were the Iron Sword!"
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner widened his small eyes with a look of delight.
"You know of me?"
"Of course! I certainly do! It’s just not widely known yet, but among our members, you, the Iron Sword, are quite the celebrity!"
"Me?"
"That’s right! A hundred battles and a hundred victories with a single iron sword, and a hundred victories even when holding the dice cup! Ah! I heard a new rumor recently."
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner’s gaze suddenly turned lecherous.
It was a filthy, sticky look.
"A new rumor?"
"They say that once you stand it up, you are victorious against any woman... Is it true that you brought down a hundred courtesans in a single night? What on earth is your secret?"
Is that all it was?
"Ahem. That is a baseless rumor."
"Come now! If you have a good secret, let's share it! I’m begging you!"
It seemed the rumor had spread after I tested the Bedchamber Arts.
But could I really go around spreading the secret techniques of Kunlun so carelessly?
"That is something you are born with."
"...Ah..."
"The important thing is not that."
"What could be more important than that..."
In an instant, the Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner’s face turned ashen, and he slumped into his chair.
Why was a man of his age acting like this?
He sat there with a look as if he had lost his country, making me feel unnecessarily sorry for him.
"I need information on the situation in Sichuan. I will pay handsomely for it."
"What does the price of information matter?"
"Sigh... Very well. If the information is satisfactory, I will impart a few secret techniques that your women will surely appreciate."
"……!"
*Clatter!*
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner jumped up from his seat.
He dashed to the entrance and bolted the door shut.
Then, he rushed back, grabbed my wrist, and his eyes began to sparkle with intensity.
"Let’s go inside! I will provide everything I know!"
"...Let's do that."
"Hurry!"
The once dull eyes of the Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner were now burning with passion.
* * *
*Tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap.*
The Azure Cloud Pavilion Owner tapped here and there against the wall with trembling fingers.
With a grinding sound, the bookshelf slid aside, revealing a staircase leading down into the floor.
"This way."
The Owner held up a lantern and strode down the stairs.
I followed, stepping onto the wooden stairs. They creaked, but their condition was not bad. Perhaps because it was well-maintained, it did not feel particularly damp despite being underground.
"Sit here."
Once we reached the bottom, a small office space carved out of the bedrock appeared.
The Owner placed the lantern on the desk and pushed a chair out to sit.
"Let me introduce myself formally. I am No Cho-san, the Hubei Branch Leader of the Beggar Sect."
"Nice to meet you. As I mentioned earlier, I am Jang U-gil."
"The honor is mine. I have truly wanted to meet you. You are a noble benefactor indeed, Iron Sword."
"……."
As the candle inside the lantern flickered, No Cho-san’s shadow danced wildly against the rough rock walls.
Ignoring his burning gaze, I sat on the chair opposite him.
"Now. What information do you need? I will tell you everything I know. If I don't know it, I will find it out and deliver it to you!"
"Hmm... First of all, is there anything suspicious about the recent movements of the Tang Clan?"
"The Tang Clan? Those bastards are always suspicious. It’s a miracle they still hold the title of a righteous sect."
No Cho-san muttered as he rummaged through a stack of documents on one side of the desk.
"Ah, here it is. They are always up to something shady, but recently, it has been particularly severe. It’s gotten to the point where even the Wudang and Emei sects are keeping a close eye on them."
"In what way?"
"I’m not entirely sure. They started showing strange movements about a year ago, and several of the men I sent to investigate lost their heads. That’s why I’ve been keeping a step back and watching lately."
No Cho-san handed me a few documents, likely records of their observations.
I took the papers and read through them lightly.
While the information gathered by his subordinates was scattered, even the Beggar Sect had failed to grasp the core truth behind it all.
"They have been aggressively recruiting mercenaries and gathering supplies for the past few months. Yet, they have kept their internal information strictly controlled. Usually, in cases like this, they are preparing for war, or else..."
"Or else?"
"It looks like they are preparing for an expedition somewhere... I need more information. But to find out this much, the sacrifice of my men has been too great..."
No Cho-san smacked his lips, seemingly lost in thought, before shaking his head heavily.
"I apologize. It seems it will take some time to find out what the Tang Clan is hiding."
I suppose he values the lives of his subordinates more than his techniques for seducing women.
Seeing No Cho-san’s lips twitching with lingering regret, a laugh escaped me.
"The Treasure Map."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"What the Tang Clan is hiding. It’s a treasure map. I don't know what kind of treasure map it is, but it is certain information."
"Who did you hear that from?"
"They called it the Four Poisons."
The four Tang Clan martial artists who lost their lives to me at the inn.
To be precise, it was from the martial artist killed by the Four Poisons, but there wasn't much difference.
No Cho-san blinked his small eyes and opened his mouth slightly.
"Then the Four Poisons are...?"
Instead of answering, I tapped the sword at my waist.
At this, No Cho-san nodded vigorously.
"Ha! They say that if one wields the Iron Sword, they win every battle... I didn't know you were a master capable of killing even the Four Poisons! You are truly remarkable!"
"I was just lucky."
"No. The four mad dogs of the Tang Clan are not the type to be caught by mere luck. Anyway, a treasure map... If the Tang Clan is moving like this, it must be no ordinary treasure..."
Watching No Cho-san begin to nervously pluck at his beard, I threw out a thought that crossed my mind.
"Could it be a secret manual left behind by a master of the previous generation near Sichuan?"
"There are countless such masters. And what kind of family is the Tang Clan? Would they move so cautiously for a mere secret manual?"
"It might not be just a 'mere' secret manual. Well, they say Zhang Sanfeng stayed in Sichuan, so perhaps it’s his insights. Wouldn't that be enough to tempt the Tang Clan?"
"Ah!"
As expected, No Cho-san had more information than I did.
At my words, he slapped his palm as if something had occurred to him and began rummaging through the bookshelf on the wall.
"Where is it? Where did I put that... Ah! Here it is!"
No Cho-san pulled out a dusty, old book from the wall shelf.
Dust billowed up in the airless underground secret room.
"Cough! Cough! Damn it. I really need to clean this place."
No Cho-san kept coughing, yet he began flipping through the book as if possessed.
"That’s it! That’s it! It was here!"
No Cho-san pointed his finger at the book and held it out to me.
Wondering what it was about, I lowered my gaze.
"The Fighting God?"
"Exactly! The Fighting God! I should have thought of it the moment you mentioned a treasure map! I must be getting old to have missed this."
"Explain what you mean."
"The treasure map of the Fighting God. In fact, this has been a legend passed down in the Sichuan region for a long time."
No Cho-san began to unfold what he knew, speaking as gently as a grandfather telling a story to his grandson.
The Fighting God, Yi Eul-ryang.
He was an ancient martial artist who was active during the era of Zhang Sanfeng, a legendary master who conquered the Murim without any proper background.
It is said that at the time, the Murim began to be divided into three: the Righteous Sect’s Zhang Sanfeng, the Demonic Sect’s Heavenly Demon, and the Evil Sect’s Fighting God.
Coincidentally, because all three went into seclusion around the same time, it has been a topic of conversation in the Murim for a long time.
"So you think the Tang Clan has obtained the Fighting God's treasure map?"
"That’s right. To be precise, it would be a map indicating the location where the Fighting God is buried. The Fighting God’s martial arts were never passed down to future generations. Think about it. He is a Fighting God who vied for supremacy with Zhang Sanfeng and the Heavenly Demon. If they obtain that, wouldn't they stand tall as the greatest family—no, the greatest power under heaven?"
No Cho-san nodded with a look of conviction.
On the other hand, I wasn't easily convinced.
"Why specifically the Fighting God? As you said, there are many masters who were active in Sichuan, and it might not be a master's insights, but perhaps a divine weapon or a miraculous medicine."
"That is true, it could be. But Iron Sword, think about it. If it were merely a divine weapon or a miraculous medicine, would the Tang Clan risk enmity with the Wudang and Emei sects to carry this out?"
"Hmm..."
"I am certain the Tang Clan is making a huge gamble. They must have judged that their odds of winning were high."
If it were a divine weapon or a miraculous medicine, the martial prowess of one or a few individuals might increase.
On the other hand, if they could obtain the martial arts of the Fighting God, who held the world under his feet?
Indeed, as No Cho-san said, it would be enough to raise the overall power of the entire Tang Clan by several levels.
Regardless, the old man before me was the head of a branch leading his subordinates.
He saw things from a different perspective than I, who enjoyed traveling the Murim alone.
"Above all, there have been several disturbances in Sichuan because of the rumor that the Fighting God's treasure map had appeared. The last time was about a hundred years ago, I believe."
"Then this time might also be a wild goose chase."
"Of course. In my opinion, the Tang Clan is making too big of a gamble..."
The Fighting God's treasure map.
Actually, the fact that he was a contemporary of Zhang Sanfeng was more interesting than the Fighting God himself. Perhaps, like Sambong Island, there might be a predestined encounter waiting that only I could verify.
'It wouldn't be bad to look into it if I get the chance.'
The treasure map was one thing, but my priority was chasing the Thousand-Faced Fox.
I didn't want to get caught up in a fight between whales and get crushed for no reason.
However, No Cho-san didn't have any specific information other than the fact that the Thousand-Faced Fox was in Chengdu.
"Now then, Iron Sword. How about the payment for the information I promised..."
No Cho-san rubbed his hands together, his eyes sparkling.
'What does an old man want with that?'
I shook my head and, in return, taught him a few techniques that women would like.
No Cho-san, his mouth stretching from ear to ear, was fidgeting in his seat, eager to go somewhere.
* * *
"It’s already night."
I finished my business and came out of the Azure Cloud Pavilion.
Quite some time had passed, and the sky was already filled with twinkling stars and the Milky Way. Perhaps because I had just come up from the murky underground, the night sky looked even more beautiful today. I leisurely admired the masterpiece embroidered across the sky and stepped out of the alley.
-Hahaha! I really hit the jackpot this time!
-Congratulations! Brother Kim! Take a drink from me!
-That’s good! Very good!
The alleys of Chengdu, which were lined with stalls, were now filled with carts selling alcohol and snacks as night fell.
The boisterous voices of drunkards, the subtle scent of alcohol tickling the tip of my nose, and the cool breeze of a late autumn night.
Perhaps because I had even secured the Sambong Island map in one hand, my mood was quite satisfied.
"Shall I have a drink at a tavern tonight?"
-Neigh!
The horse, which had been nodding off as if it had been thinking of playing with the mare, suddenly lifted its head.
In any case, it was too late to go to the Tang Clan now; it would only be a nuisance.
I left the alley, intending to stay outside for the night.
Just as I reached the end of the alley.
"Hmm?"
Three men wearing green martial robes were waiting for me.
"Did you finish your business well?"
It was Dang Gi-hyeok.
I smiled and lightly shook the treasure map in my hand.
"I am satisfied."
"That is a relief. Let’s go."
"It’s late. I don't mind staying at an inn for the night."
Dang Gi-hyeok shook his head.
He had a smiling face, and the atmosphere was not particularly coercive.
However, the words that came from his mouth were not light.
"Let’s go together. The young lady is waiting for you."
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