Chapter 12: Meeting the Future Supreme Master of the Martial World (2)

Wild ginseng wasn’t something one could find just by wanting to.

I closely observed where Hae Deokgong was headed.

I believed there had to be a cave wherever he was going.

I made sure to pay attention to that location.

I planned to return there alone and secretly search later.

For two days, I followed Hae Deokgong around but couldn’t find a cave anywhere.

Mo Biyoung and the Two Wook Sword Demons were skeptical at first when I said that my parent was ill.

But now, they believed with unshakable certainty that I was looking for wild ginseng to save my parents. The way I searched even harder than Hae Deokgong didn’t seem like an act.

Whenever we encountered a valley, I would comb through every nook and cranny. When we came upon piles of rocks, I would look between every crevice. I must have looked truly desperate.

After coming down the mountain, we stayed briefly at Hae Deokgong’s thatched hut.

“If you let me know where you’re staying, I’ll send you the ginseng later if I manage to dig it up. You said you’re with the Heavenly Central Sect in Henan, shall I send word there?”

Hae Deokgong spoke to me, who clearly looked disappointed.

‘Damn it! I thought it’d be easy. Even with knowledge of the future, nothing comes easy after all. I was lucky with the Demonic Poison Stoneflower, but the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra is another story.’

“Yes. If you would do that, I’ll make sure to properly thank you.”

Still, I didn’t give up the hope that by searching again, focusing on where Hae Deokgong had gone, I would eventually find the cave.

It was important that I now knew the general area he frequented. Searching for a cave blindly could take years, so this was a stroke of luck.

If I just narrowed down the area I had discovered, I was sure to find the hidden cave.

I looked up at Mount Wudang.

‘But what excuse should I use to come back here later? Should I tell my parents I want to join the Wudang Sect?’

As I was mulling over such thoughts, something suddenly jumped into Hae Cheollyeong’s arms, startling me.

‘What was that?’

What leapt into Hae Cheollyeong’s arms was a small white animal.

‘A white cat!’

I remembered from my past life that Hae Cheollyeong always had that white cat with him.

Though I had never seen it personally, whenever Hae Cheollyeong was mentioned, the white cat was always part of the tale. Some even claimed, absurdly, that the cat knew martial arts and helped Hae Cheollyeong.

That white cat was without a doubt the same one—Hae Cheollyeong’s white cat, who would become the greatest expert under heaven.

Seeing the white cat, I recalled a story I had completely forgotten from my past life.

“The white cat found the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra.”

Until now, I had remembered Hae Deokgong as the one who found it.

The memory had been distorted, having heard it long ago in passing. If I hadn’t seen the cat, the tale wouldn’t have come back to me.

I smiled faintly upon seeing the white cat.

“Excuse me, but would it be alright if I stayed here a few more days to continue searching for ginseng?”

Though I was just a child, I had asked with courtesy, and Hae Deokgong smiled warmly at that.

“That’s fine, but can someone like the Young Master really bear staying in such a shabby place, even for a night?”

Though it was a thatched hut, there were three or four rooms piled with medicinal herbs, so it wasn’t hard to accommodate guests.

“It’s no problem. Ever since I began learning martial arts, I’ve given up on physical comforts.”

Speaking maturely, I bowed politely to Hae Deokgong, which made Mo Biyoung feel a little puzzled inside.

‘Why is the Young Successor being so respectful to that herb gatherer? Even if he knows martial arts, isn’t that going a bit too far?’

Even so, I was still the successor of a mid-tier martial family with over two hundred disciples.

I spent a night at the herb gatherer’s hut, and early the next morning, I woke up and cultivated my family’s martial arts.

I practiced the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword and the Azure Bamboo Sword from beginning to end, losing myself in a meditative trance.

When I performed the sword forms slowly, it wasn’t obvious—but once I gained speed, it felt like a dragon ascending into the heavens.

The Azure Bamboo Sword swayed like bamboo in the wind, producing a clear, resonant sound.

“Whew.”

After finishing the final technique and sheathing my sword, I noticed Hae Deokgong was drawing water from the stream down in the valley.

“Allow me.”

I hadn’t originally been someone who respected elders.

But after living a full life and returning to the past, I had come to appreciate the virtues of life.

My arrogance had faded.

“It’s fine.”

Ignoring his refusal, I took the water jar from Hae Deokgong and poured the water into the kitchen jar myself.

“Will you come with me to the mountain again today?”

“No. I’ll go off on my own today. Mount Wudang’s scenery is quite beautiful—I’d like to soak it in. And if I happen to find ginseng, all the better.”

Since I had my bodyguards, Hae Deokgong wasn’t too concerned.

“Very well, then.”

When I noticed the house was quiet, I asked,

“Cheolryeong isn’t around?”

Just as I said that, Hae Cheollyeong walked in through the gate, holding the white cat.

He looked like he had been chased by something.

“What happened? Did you run into a tiger or something?”

“Ugh, I went hunting this morning with Baekseol, and some people tried to catch her after seeing her. So I ran.”

Hae Deokgong added an explanation.

“Many martial artists climb Mount Wudang, and sometimes they try to catch Baekseol after realizing she’s a spiritual creature. But she’s quick by nature. Looks like she got away again this time.”

However, contrary to Hae Deokgong’s calm words, a group of people came rushing toward the house.

“There it is!”

One of the martial artists shouted upon seeing the white cat in Hae Cheollyeong’s arms.

“Damn, that cat is fast.”

A sharp-tongued girl stepped out from behind five warriors.

Dressed in luxurious silk, she looked to be around eighteen but gave off an air of maturity beyond her age.

“Is that cat yours?”

“Yes.”

When Hae Cheollyeong answered, the girl’s cheek twitched.

She ignored both me and the old man, speaking only what she wanted.

“Sell it to me.”

“Baekseol isn’t for sale. She’s my friend!”

Hae Cheollyeong replied innocently and pulled the white cat closer to his chest.

The girl, who had been feigning politeness, now spoke with irritation.

“I’ll pay a lot. Just sell it.”

I immediately sensed that she hadn’t learned martial arts—someone with inner energy would have an aura about them, even subtly.

Hearing the commotion, the Two Wook Sword Demons and Mo Biyoung came out of the hut.

Even in their presence, the girl showed no fear at all.

Her attire didn’t reveal where she came from.

Her guards wore plain martial robes, making it difficult to determine their affiliation as well.

Most disciples of martial families wore embroidered or dyed clothes to signify their lineage.

Without such clues, she might have been the heir of a wealthy merchant clan.

When she became more insistent, Hae Deokgong stepped forward.

“Miss, I’m sorry, but that creature isn’t for sale. My grandson has been raising it for a long time—it’s like family.”

He spoke gently, but her next words completely disregarded his sentiment.

“If that child is your grandson, then please reason with him. I’ll pay enough for you to buy two houses like this one.”

“Thank you for your kind offer, but neither my grandson nor I have any greed for money. Please don’t take away his joy.”

“Hah! If someone else had seen it, you wouldn’t have gotten a single coin before it was snatched away. You should consider yourself lucky it was me.”

I frowned at her arrogant, dismissive attitude.

But strangely, she wasn’t all that different from how I used to be.

Back then, I lived while looking down on others, receiving everything without knowing hardship. Children of powerful and wealthy families rarely strayed from that mold.

But now, having lived nearly fifty years in my past life, I couldn’t stand seeing someone like that.

“You should sell it while I’m offering money. Otherwise, I’ll just take it.”

She finally resorted to threats.

I couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief,

“Hah… What are you planning to become when you grow up?”

The girl glared at me and snapped,

“What did you just say?”

I stepped forward with a polite bow.

“Miss, didn’t they just say that this is a pet raised over many years? Asking someone to give away what they treasure just because you want it—doesn’t that go against reason?”

“Hmph! I’ve always gotten everything I’ve wanted!”

When I rebuked the rude girl, she pouted, and one of her guards stepped forward, shouting angrily.

“You! Mind your place. Who are you to call my lady a thief?”

The haughty tone of the guard made me smile faintly. I’d seen too many of that type in my previous life. Back then, I bowed my head to people like that.

In the Upper World, connections with martial families were unavoidable. But martial artists often treated merchants like vermin.

Seeing that same behavior again stirred something deep inside me.

‘The disgrace and humiliation I suffered in my past life—once was enough.’

“Who exactly are you people to go around threatening others?”

People like that always had strong backing.

“We are from the Jaegal Clan. And this young lady is the youngest daughter of the clan head.”

My eyes lit up.

‘No wonder even the lowly guard acted so arrogantly.’

The Jaegal Clan was part of the Namwoong Alliance and held influence alongside the Wudang Sect.

The full name of the Namwoong Alliance was the Jiangnan Hero Alliance. Its leading forces were the Wudang Sect, Jaegal Clan, Namgung Clan, and Hengshan Sect, supported by dozens of smaller sects.

Martial society was currently divided regionally into three major alliances.

The Heavenly Central Sect belonged to the Jiangbei Justice Alliance, often called the Northern Justice Alliance.

The Northern Justice Alliance was centered around Shaolin Temple, Huashan Sect, Hwangbo Clan, the Pang Clan of Hebei, and the Mount Song Ak Clan.

The final one was the Four Martial Alliance, officially the Sichuan Martial Alliance.

Its key factions included the Emei Sect, Qingcheng Sect, Tang Clan, Kunlun Sect, Zhongnan Sect, and the Astrology Sect. With its influence extending to border sects, it was considered the most powerful of the three.

With these three alliances dividing Central Plains martial society, plus the demonic factions like Blood Demon Castle, Sacred Heaven Sect, and Hidden Darkness Valley, the current era was known as the Era of Three Orthodoxies and Three Demons.

Currently, the Wudang Sect, Namgung Clan, and Jaegal Clan took turns holding the leadership of the Namwoong Alliance.

‘How odd. For the Jaegal Clan’s daughter to come to Mount Wudang without wearing her family’s emblem—it means she’s hiding something.’

My curiosity stirred again, but I shook my head to push it aside.

I smiled politely and offered a bow.

“To think I’d have the honor of meeting a lady from the Jaegal Clan.”

Mo Biyoung found my smooth words impressive.

She wondered where I had learned to be so brazen.

“Where are you from?” the guard asked, glaring at me.

That irritated the Two Wook Sword Demons. They moved to my sides, exuding a powerful presence. They felt the Jaegal Clan’s guard was being too oppressive to the Young Successor.

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