Chapter 107

Chapter 107
The Reason for the Journey (2)

Leaving Wuhwan behind, the carriage gradually reduced its speed. At this point, the true expedition was getting underway.

“Are you feeling hungry?”

Though his head was spinning with endless thoughts and his appetite was completely gone, Baek So-cheon gave an affirmative nod. Taking even a brief respite sounded appealing.

Yeom Hwa-sin called out to the attendant handling the reins.

“Take us there.”

“Understood, master.”

No specific destination was mentioned, yet the driver grasped the instruction immediately. It was evident that this was their customary resting place whenever travel brought them through these parts.

Before long, the carriage pulled up before a modest roadside tavern named Chunpung, meaning the Spring Breeze. The name matched the mild, gentle drafts of the current season wonderfully, and despite being somewhat isolated, the establishment was bustling with a fair number of visitors.

“It has been quite a while.”

The aged host identified Yeom Hwa-sin right away and offered a genial greeting.

“How have things been with you?”

“The years are catching up to me; every single joint is aching. It is high time I finally retired from the kitchen.”

“You have been repeating that exact claim for well over a decade.”

“Well, this time it is the honest truth.”

“Serve us what you usually make.”

“Coming right up.”

From the casual, familiar rapport, one could instantly tell that the old shopkeeper remained completely oblivious to his customer’s true standing as the supreme master of the Black Heaven Alliance.

“This is an establishment I drop by on occasion. That elder’s cooking is genuinely exceptional.”

Observing this facet of Yeom Hwa-sin proved rather unexpected. One would typically picture someone of his stature dining only upon delicacies prepared by celebrated master chefs, violently throwing pots at their heads whenever a dish failed to meet his standards.

“There are considerably more patrons here than one might anticipate.”

“Do you imagine my palate is the only one capable of discerning good flavor? Word of mouth always manages to travel.”

Never in his wildest thoughts had Baek So-cheon pictured himself seated beside Yeom Hwa-sin, patiently awaiting a meal in a humble countryside tavern. On the other hand, the guests seated nearby could hardly fathom who sat just feet away from them either.

While awaiting their order, fragments of dialogue from a neighboring bench reached their ears.

“Have you caught wind that the Black Heaven Alliance is taking in vast numbers of martial experts right now?”

“A vast number? Just how many are we talking about?”

“They say it is three or even four times their regular intake. The compensation is supposed to be far superior as well. I am seriously weighing the idea of joining up.”

Although they remained within territory under the sway of the righteous path, numerous free-spirited wanderers drifted through the murky neutral space between righteousness and evil. The very same dynamic existed within unorthodox lands.

“Does that not sound perilous? Gathering such immense numbers without warning hardly suggests peace.”

“Still, walking away from an opportunity like this is difficult.”

From the vantage point of the orthodox factions, the Black Heaven Alliance was the ultimate core of villainy. Yet for those drifting within the neutral gray zone, it was simply an employer. A leader’s fundamental doctrine meant little; what truly counted was how fairly one was rewarded.

“Substantial wages imply that you will be dispatched straight into the most lethal situations.”

“Fate is unpredictable in any case. A man might choke to death right over his bowl if fortune turns against him. We might as well seize the chance.”

The fellow’s logic was not without merit. Had they dared speak ill of the Black Heaven’s ruler just then, they would likely have choked on their dinner right on the spot. Fortunately, their discourse shifted toward harmless everyday chatter and bawdy banter.

The Hyun-cheon Pavilion would certainly possess intelligence on this recruitment wave by now, and their countermeasures would already be in motion. Left without an alternative, the Murim Alliance would be compelled to enlist additional martial forces of their own.

This stood as vivid evidence of the way a solitary man’s ambitions could thoroughly destabilize the lives of countless individuals.

Baek So-cheon shifted his gaze toward Yeom Hwa-sin.

“You truly have no intention of abandoning your campaign for war.”

“Abandoning it? Do not ask for something I do not possess. I am merely adhering to the terms I granted you. Exactly one year.”

“You will strictly keep to that vow?”

“Without fail. Nevertheless, once that single year concludes, the gale you must endure will blow far more violently.”

That statement was undeniably accurate, yet ultimately beside the point.

What difference did it make whether catastrophe struck with gentle grace or unrestrained fury? Ruin remained ruin regardless.

As promised, the dishes served by the Spring Breeze fully matched Yeom Hwa-sin’s commendations. Furthermore, the charges were remarkably modest. Reflecting on the proprietor’s generosity relative to the cost, Baek So-cheon resolved that he would visit again should his path cross this area in the future.

“The beasts require a break as well, so let us lodge here until morning. You must sample his breakfast when we wake.”

“Very well.”

Yeom Hwa-sin appeared thoroughly unhurried, as though they were merely traveling for idle recreation.

“Would you care to stretch your legs?”

“I do not mind.”

Together, the two took a quiet stroll down a forested trail stretching behind the tavern.

As they paced forward in mutual quiet, Yeom Hwa-sin brought up an entirely unexpected subject.

“Are you aware of the height my martial cultivation has reached?”

This marked the very first occasion he had ever inquired about the martial path—and concerning his personal progress, no less.

Baek So-cheon provided an unvarnished reply. It was precisely that uncompromising candor that had sustained their peculiar dynamic throughout this duration.

“I suspect you have stepped into the realm of the Geum-gang Bul-goe Ji-che.”

“Just as I suspected! You saw straight through it.”

“A different observer might well overlook it, but having clashed against you with such desperation in the past, how could I? When we encountered one another again back in Jeol-gang Province, the very texture of your flesh seemed altered from before.”

Naturally, he had gained definitive verification through Na-sa-rin, the one responsible for pulling the golem from Yeom Hwa-sin’s frame.

“Entirely correct. I have achieved the Diamond Indestructible Body.”

“What is that sensation like?”

“It defies mere explanation. Picture an absolute conviction that nothing can shatter you, irrespective of what collides with your form. Standard sword auras and even dense sword gangs register as nothing more formidable than the flick of a reed whip.”

“You actually put that to the proof?”

“It was necessary.”

“A condensed sword gang failed to sever your skin?”

“A sword aura merely tingles; a sword gang produces a slight prickle.”

While the phrasing might have carried an air of theatricality, it was by no means an outright falsehood. At this stage, ordinary sword auras or blades of pure sword gang were incapable of parting his flesh.

“Damn it all.”

Baek So-cheon gave voice to his deep vexation without attempting to mask it.

“What has soured your mood?”

“I find myself pitying our alliance leader, who must eventually stand against your might.”

Yeom Hwa-sin let out an amused snort.

“Are you envious? It is high time that spent old relic stepped aside.”

“Do you also experience jealousy?”

“Naturally. To claim that jealousy nurtured my very growth would hardly be an exaggeration.”

“Toward what?”

“Toward everyone and everything. That was precisely the mold into which my father shaped me.”

A subtle shadow of intricate sentiment passed over Yeom Hwa-sin’s features. Every soul carries an unhealed core of bitterness and fury. In his case, that wound bore the face of his sire.

Baek So-cheon paused to consider what his personal emotional vulnerability might be.

Nothing came to the surface.

If anything, that very void tasted bitter, distancing him from raw sentiments—and from the alliance as a whole. Perhaps only by separating himself could he uncover his genuine selfhood.

“Have you ever known jealousy?”

“Well…”

Baek So-cheon deliberated with care.

“I cannot call to mind a single instance.”

“What a dull, empty existence.”

“You are hardly the person who has the right to mock me for that.”

“And why would that be?”

“The conflicts you sparked consumed the entirety of my early years; there was scarcely room to harbor envy amidst the unending turmoil.”

“Ha ha ha! My apologies for that. Still, owing to my actions, did you not become an enduring legend of the jianghu?”

“There is truth in that.”

“Do you fathom why I directed our discussion toward the martial realm?”

“I have no notion.”

Yeom Hwa-sin voiced a sentiment that caught him wholly unprepared.

“I require your assistance.”

Baek So-cheon stood transfixed with astonishment. Such a request had never crossed his imagination.

“I believe I uttered words to this effect once before. There is not a single soul with whom I can converse—neither concerning private sentiments nor my martial cultivation.”

His followers harbored secret desires toward his position of supreme authority. And Yeom Hwa-sin, by his very nature, placed his faith in no one.

“You stand as the sole person with whom I can speak without pretense.”

Baek So-cheon recognized the absolute honesty underlying those words.

“Simply because my internal cultivation has vanished?”

“That serves as the principal foundation, certainly. Yet even had your power remained intact, you would still be the chosen one.”

“Continue.”

“Attaining the Diamond Indestructible Body broadened the horizons of my martial perception as well. From this vantage point, I can faintly discern the subsequent boundary. Should I manage to cross this single threshold…”

“What then?”

“The domain I inhabit will be utterly transformed.”

Right at that heartbeat, Baek So-cheon realized the truth: Yeom Hwa-sin’s advancement might very well have outstripped even his initial estimates.

“You can actively sense the next realm?”

“Indeed. A dense fog still veils the path, yet I know a novel state awaits on the other side.”

Baek So-cheon understood that exact condition with greater intimacy than anyone else alive.

“Even assuming I possess the means to aid you, what makes you think I would?”

“What of Ak So-gun? What of the camaraderie between us?”

“Do not fabricate sentiment. There is no friendship binding us.”

Yeom Hwa-sin held Baek So-cheon’s gaze for a second, then broke into a broad smirk.

“Very well, let us set it aside for now. We have plenty of time ahead.”

“Fair enough.”

With that, Yeom Hwa-sin headed back to retire to his quarters.

Baek So-cheon could now see through to the genuine motivation behind this excursion.

Yeom Hwa-sin was striving to ascend to a higher realm of martial understanding—and he intended to utilize Baek So-cheon’s insights to reach it.

Baek So-cheon recognized that he had run straight into a formidable dilemma.

Having once more relished the master’s cooking in the morning, the carriage rolled out just as the dawn broke.

Their course aimed straight toward the north.

“The snowfall has been sparse throughout the season; it is the ideal time to take in the winter scenery.”

“I have often heard it said that men of our years ought to seek out gentler, warmer regions.”

“That may apply to the elderly fellow running the Spring Breeze, but I remain entirely vigorous. And surely you are the same?”

“Had my dantian remained full of internal power, I might have agreed.”

“Do you genuinely intend to restore it?”

His inflection carried the distinct implication that he held the secret to achieving such a feat.

Perhaps that was no bluff.

Baek So-cheon had previously rebuilt his foundations using the sacred arts of the righteous path.

If such a road had been open to him, why should Yeom Hwa-sin be unable to devise a comparable path? Perhaps he was prepared to orchestrate an equivalent to the Ban Yun-saeng miracle through his own methods.

“Assist me in transcending the boundary you once stood upon, and I will mend your dantian. I will replenish it until it matches the capacity you commanded at your pinnacle—was it not three jia worth?”

It was an astounding proposition.

“Are you speaking in earnest?”

“You would doubt my claims regardless, so I place my very reputation upon the line. Along with our personal connection.”

He seemed to elevate their strange relationship above the weight of his own renowned name. Was this profound sincerity, or merely a masterfully crafted facade? Even should it prove to be an elaborate deception, life sometimes demanded that one play along—or willingly leap into the wager.

“What is your answer?”

“Do you require time to deliberate?”

“Take whatever interval you desire. If there is one thing we do not lack, it is time. Weigh it carefully.”

“I appreciate that.”

The carriage maintained its swift northward pace.

Watching the blur of the passing terrain through the window, Baek So-cheon drifted into profound contemplation.

He would not commit the error of insisting upon regaining his inner power beforehand; adopting such an attitude would place him at an inherent disadvantage within their balance of power.

Assuming he chose to extend his assistance…

What if he flatly refused? Yeom Hwa-sin would hardly execute him on the spot; their parting might even be deceptively polite.

Yet the man’s fascination and favor would dissolve instantly.

Yeom Hwa-sin was far from a magnanimous master; being turned away was an outcome he had never tolerated.

What if he accepted? Should his guidance propel Yeom Hwa-sin into a still higher realm? That was well within the realm of possibility.

Could he offer superficial, half-hearted instruction? Out of the question, considering the lofty heights of Yeom Hwa-sin’s understanding.

Such an endeavor would inevitably demand mutual exchange—which meant Baek So-cheon himself would reap martial insights as well.

A concurrent ascent for both? But who would ultimately derive the greater advantage?

And should Yeom Hwa-sin faithfully uphold his pledge?

What consequences would arise from repairing his power? How would his new internal reserves harmonize with the hidden reservoirs dormant within him?

The forthcoming days remained entirely hidden, their developments beyond prediction.

Whenever backed into such insoluble knots, Baek So-cheon fell back upon a solitary compass: the sharpened survival instincts that had carried him across countless years of peril.

Addressing Yeom Hwa-sin, he declared:

“I agree to your terms.”

“Ha ha ha! Marvelous, truly magnificent!”

Yeom Hwa-sin beamed with delight, carrying the joyous air of one who had already breached his final barrier. Did he possess such absolute faith that Baek So-cheon’s guidance would shatter his cultivation ceiling?

“Ha ha ha, this journey promises to be extraordinary!”

“We are still proceeding with our travel?”

“Of course we are. Did you presume I planned to barricade myself inside some dark cavern to meditate on the martial path? You know as well as I do that at our level of mastery, solitary confinement yields no sudden breakthroughs.”

“What is the alternative, then?”

“We roam the world, indulge our whims, and pursue enlightenment as we wander.”

His sheer might was beyond dispute. Setting aside his personal ethics, when viewed strictly as a seeker of the martial apex, Yeom Hwa-sin outshone every practitioner Baek So-cheon had ever crossed paths with.

Even standing at the absolute summit of existence, his direction never wavered. He comprehended precisely what his subsequent stride ought to be.

He was right. Stone caverns harbored no ultimate truths. True enlightenment had a way of striking amidst unrestrained mirth and vibrant living. The individual who grasped it first would claim the ultimate victory.

“Listen, So-cheon.”

“What is it?”

“My mood is splendid—let us pursue some true entertainment. Have you ever tasted the worldly diversions of the flesh?”

“Whose relentless campaigns left me any leisure to pursue such things?”

“Very well, consider this my amends—I shall introduce you to an exhilarating venue!”

“I must decline.”

“There is no need for such modesty. You will find no charming young assassin here, nor any rigid, suffocating elders breathing down our necks. It is merely men among men.”

Brushing aside Baek So-cheon’s objections without a second thought, Yeom Hwa-sin bellowed out toward the front of the carriage.

“Steer toward that destination! An outing between real men has no place for feminine company.”

“Right away, master!”

The driver understood the meaning behind “that destination” without missing a beat.

Breaking away from its northward track, the carriage wheeled sharply toward the west.