Chapter 24
I hate Taoists.
Maybe it’s because I was neglected by the Wudang Sect when I was younger.
I just couldn’t bring myself to believe in the teachings of the Tao.
Especially the idea of ascending to immortality.
Honestly, does that even make sense?
Just because you’ve honed your martial arts to the extreme, you become an immortal?
It’s just that you die in style because you’ve reached a high level. How would you know if they became an immortal or not?
Has anyone ever actually met an immortal?
If you believe everything that’s passed down by word of mouth, then even if the neighbour’s dog suddenly died while eating rice cakes, you could claim it ascended to heaven.
It might sound ridiculous coming from someone who has been reincarnated… but I think it’s all superstition.
“Fortune-telling?”
That’s why I found it even more absurd.
I thought it was an important task since Namgung Hyuk gave the order himself, but it turns out he sent me to get my fortune read?
The Lord of the Murim Alliance, obsessed with superstition—what a dark future for the righteous sects.
And the problem is that this man is my father-in-law.
“Oppa. Did you really not know about Master Samahyeong?”
“I only heard that he’s one of the Five Great Eccentrics of the Martial World. I’m not really interested in such rumours…”
“Master Samahyeong’s divine powers are famous. He reads the laws of the heavens, foresees the future, and sees through people’s true selves. Many powerful people seek him out, though he doesn’t meet just anyone.”
Moyong Hye had started calling me ‘Oppa.’
It was the only way I could appease her after she got so upset.
After just one day, she had gotten so used to it that she was calling me ‘Oppa’ naturally, as if she’d practiced in advance.
She even told me to speak casually with her, but for some reason, I felt like I had to resist that.
“Hmmm. So, he’s just like a fortune-teller, right?”
“Fortune-teller? That’s disrespectful to Master Samahyeong!”
Moyong Hye warned me, pressing her finger to her lips as if afraid that Samahyeong might overhear.
But still, isn’t that true?
He reads faces and tells fortunes.
Isn’t that just a really skilled fortune-teller?
“Well, if he’s that great of a man… Will he see me right away if I visit?”
“I’m not sure. From what I’ve heard, you have to pass a test to meet him. The methods are said to be different each time.”
A test, huh.
Could the test be climbing this high mountain?
This is why I hate Taoists.
They always live in remote places and prefer ridiculously high and atmospheric locations.
“Namgung Hyuk must have contacted him in advance.”
It’s already been two hours since I started climbing the mountain.
If I get there only to be told, ‘No appointments, no entry,’ I’ll lose my mind.
“Oppa, look over there. It looks like we’ve arrived!”
Just before reaching the summit of Mount Taebaek, we spotted a Taoist-style building on an unusually flat plateau for a mountain.
Finally, we’d arrived.
I was eager to meet this Samahyeong or whoever he was, so I started walking towards the building.
“A barrier?”
Something felt off.
The closer I got to the building, the more I sensed an unusual energy.
Upon closer inspection, I saw piles of stones arranged at regular intervals in the courtyard in front of the building.
Some were the size of a fist, others the size of an armful, and some were as large as a mountain.
The number of stones in each pile was different, forming some sort of formation.
Snap!
I picked up a stone and threw it. As if it had been hit by electricity, the stone quivered and then shattered.
“Is this the test?”
“It seems like it.”
What a nasty sense of humour.
When they said test, I thought they meant something like a riddle.
But they set up a formation that shatters stones into powder?
As a way to welcome guests, this was zero points.
“Should I just break it?”
My hand instinctively reached for my sword.
I expanded my senses to gauge the density of the formation.
I could easily break this with force, right?
I was gathering my internal energy, partly to show off, when—
“Oppa, you’re not thinking of smashing the formation, are you?”
“…Is that a problem?”
“Of course it is! You can’t destroy a formation meant to be solved. It’s like tearing up the test paper!”
Teacher, I don’t want to take this test.
Can’t I just tear it up?
“You’re lucky I came with you.”
Moyong Hye placed her hand on her chest with a triumphant expression.
“Are you familiar with formations?”
“Of course! Even Jegal Yeong asks for my advice when it comes to formations.”
“Oh, how impressive.”
“…Why does that feel like a forced compliment?”
She looked like she was fishing for praise, so I gave it to her, but Moyong Hye’s reaction wasn’t as pleased as I thought it would be.
I really did think it was impressive.
If someone from the famous Jegal Family, known for their formations, consulted her, she must be really skilled.
“Stick close behind me.”
“Got it.”
“Closer!”
Moyong Hye pulled me by the arm, making me lean towards her. I ended up steadying myself by placing my hand on her shoulder.
“Actually, it’s better if you hold onto my waist!”
“Is that really necessary?”
“You saw what happened to the stone earlier, right? It’s important to minimize any margin of error. When it comes to formations, you must trust the expert completely!”
“……”
She must have her reasons.
Obediently, I followed Moyong Hye’s instructions and wrapped my arms around her waist.
This looked a little awkward.
“H-huh?!”
“Young Lady, are you alright?”
“Yes, y-yes. This is perfect. Please stay like this.”
Moyong Hye answered in an oddly high-pitched voice. Was she really okay?
For some reason, her body was trembling slightly, which made me feel uneasy.
Could she be doing this to get closer to me…?
‘No, after all that chaos yesterday…!’
I had to trust her.
I’d already learned the hard way that doubting her led to trouble.
“Let’s move.”
Her flustered appearance lasted only a moment.
As soon as we reached the edge of the formation, Moyong Hye took on a serious tone and led the way.
Crunch, crunch.
As we took a few steps forward, my vision began to blur like a mirage.
“Close your eyes for a moment. It’ll be much easier that way.”
Following her instructions, I closed my eyes. The nauseous feeling started to subside, but without my vision, it became harder to keep my balance, so I tightened my grip around her.
“Oppa, if you hold me too tightly…”
“Sorry. I can’t see anything.”
“It’s, it’s fine. Hold on tight!”
Moyong Hye clasped her hand tightly over mine, which was around her waist, and continued walking. Every time we took a few steps, I could hear the sound of rocks collapsing—crash, crash—over and over again.
How much time had passed like this?
“Oppa, you can open your eyes now.”
Crash!
With a sound like shattering glass, the formation collapsed.
“Hmm, it seems like the formation was broken, but let’s stay close for a little longer just in case.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Moyong.”
“Ah!”
Even though I had no deep knowledge of formations, I could at least sense that the energy that had surrounded us was now gone.
She was cunning to have pulled off something like this in such a short time.
I couldn’t let my guard down around Moyong Hye.
“Honestly! I did all the work breaking the formation, so can’t you just give me a bit of credit?”
“Don’t act like you’re expecting some kind of reward, Lady Moyong.”
Moyong Hye puffed her cheeks in a mock sulk, hands resting on her sides.
It felt like her personality had become much more lively since I’d last seen her. Was I imagining it?
[Only the man may enter.]
It was then that a deep voice, sounding as though it echoed from a cave, reached my ears. It was probably Samahyeong.
‘Echoing through the Six Harmonies?’
I already knew he was in the building right ahead. Did he really need to use the Echoing Six Harmonies just to make his presence known? Show-off.
“Lady Moyong, I’ll be back shortly.”
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
Following the instructions to enter alone, I left Moyong Hye behind and stepped forward.
***
The inside of the building was plain.
Usually, places like this would be decorated with statues or folding screens, but here, there were only a few bookshelves and a single table. The space felt barren.
“Greetings, elder. My name is Lee Se-woong.”
“You were sent by Namgung Hyuk, correct?”
The old man wasted no time and cut straight to the point.
He didn’t look like the typical Taoist either. Most Taoists would grow out their beards for the sake of appearance, but Samahyeong’s beard was scraggly, and his hair was a mess. You could easily mistake him for someone from the Beggars’ Sect.
“This is why I dislike men who are all looks and no substance.”
“Excuse me?”
“I called you here to see your face, not for you to see mine.”
Was he reading my mind?
I hadn’t said anything, but he already knew.
It seemed he hadn’t earned his reputation as a “true sage” through mere trickery.
“You were going to destroy the formation, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Is the only word you know ‘yes’?”
“I was going to break it.”
He was definitely a Taoist.
Twisting his words around like that.
“That formation is both a test and a diagnosis.”
“What does it diagnose?”
“It reveals what kind of temperament the person who comes to me has.”
A personality test, basically?
“If you recklessly try to destroy the formation, it means you’re hot-tempered. You’re likely to meet an untimely death because you can’t control your anger.”
“And if I dismantle it?”
“Then you’re a coward lacking courage. A real man should be able to crush obstacles before him with a single strike, don’t you think?”
His logic didn’t add up.
Damned if you do, Damned if you don’t.
He just wanted an excuse to scold his guest, didn’t he?
“Everything has its reasons.”
“Then which category do I fall into?”
I neither destroyed the formation nor dismantled it myself.
I was curious to see how Samahyeong would answer.
“Do you take me for a blind fool?”
“Excuse me?”
“Again with the ‘excuse me’! I can’t believe Namgung Hyuk would send such a half-wit to be his son-in-law.”
Namgung Hyuk.
If you were testing my patience, you’ve succeeded.
“If you relied on someone else to break the formation, you’re an idiot who can’t even earn his own meals.”
“……”
“But you relied on a woman’s help.”
Samahyeong studied my face intently as if deep in thought.
“You’re fated to be plagued by women for the rest of your life.”
“Plagued by women…?”
“That has been the case, and it will continue to be so. Until recently, weren’t you struggling to avoid the child of the Namgung family? The girl waiting outside is no different.”
After saying that much, Samahyeong paused to catch his breath before continuing.
“It’s useless. The only way to avoid disaster is to calmly accept it.”
It was a death sentence on my freedom.
—
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