Chapter 18: Chapter 18

The road to Luoyang was anything but smooth.

Whooshhhh—

It had been about ten days since I left Huangshan. Due to the torrential downpour, I was stuck in a remote mountain village, unable to make any progress. I’ve encountered storms like this before, but the problem this time was that the downpour caused the bridges to break and flooded the fords.

With my lightness skill, I might be able to jump over the vast muddy water. But even if I could cross dozens of stretches of muddy water, there were too many terrains that had become like islands within the land. I had to consider the risk of starving to death while getting soaked.

Whooshhh—

Rumble

Lightning struck.

I murmured as I stared at the pouring rain from inside a building.

“Even with acquired fate, one is powerless against nature.”

Even if my internal energy was considerably higher than it is now, there is no solution in situations like this. The inability to cope with even a small portion of nature’s force shows the limitations of human strength. Having lived decades swept by the grandeur of nature, I could only feel awe.

At the moment, my provisions were almost exhausted. Therefore, while staying in this village, I was helping with chores and labor in exchange for food and lodging. Naturally, with my current martial arts skills at the level of a world-class expert, the villagers had no qualms about paying for my services.

Despite the heavy rain, I was moving large logs, repairing the village’s outer wall, and hauling piles of stones. I was doing the work of twenty men all by myself. The villagers seemed to be grateful, considering the number of houses that would have collapsed if not for me.

“How about my daughter, with whom you just had a meal? She’s not bad, right?”

“Haha…”

Even the village chief1 was subtly trying to set me up with his daughter. The daughter seemed like an ordinary country girl, neither particularly beautiful nor ugly. True to the stereotype of a rural girl, she was quite busty, but that didn’t matter much to me. I gave the chief a wry smile and brushed off the idea.

“I’ll be leaving soon. Plus, she deserves better than an ugly guy like me.”

“Hmm… What’s important for a man isn’t appearance. What’s the point of looking like a playboy?”

“I have matters to attend to.”

Swoosh

As the village chief stroked his white beard, he poured me a cup of rice wine. I took a sip, and he spoke.

“By the way, you said you’re going to Luoyang. What for?”

“I’m looking for someone well-versed in all kinds of knowledge and languages.”

“Ahh… If it’s Luoyang, there would be such people.”

Deep in thought, the chief suddenly spoke up.

“Ah! If you’re looking for a wise person, I know one!”

“Who might that be?”

“About 40 li to the west from here lives a Taoist sage known as Mang-ryang. He’s the most spiritually powerful person around here. Maybe he can answer your questions?”

“……”

It’s a name I’ve never heard before.

‘A Taoist?’

Taoists existed at the pinnacle of folk religion. While there are many martial Taoists in sects that pursue enlightenment through orthodox practices, most Taoists in the outside world are ritual Taoists. They offer prognostications of fortune and misfortune, and sometimes even perform medical treatments through mysterious spells and rituals.

A wandering monk like Mang-ryang would probably be one of those ritual Taoists. I don’t necessarily disbelieve in spells or folk religion, but I think they often serve to deceive people. From my days as a mercenary until now, I’ve always found ritual Taoists uncomfortable.

However, I soon changed my mind.

The Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries that I always carry close to my heart, as if it were dearer to me than my life, is surely the epitome of such mysterious arts, isn’t it? One cannot exclude the opportunity to meet such magicians while searching for wise men in the world.

“Is this wandering monk Mang-ryang perhaps a martial artist?”

“No? I’ve met him a few times, but I’ve never heard anything like that. He’s a rather mysterious person, and even the higher-ups around here go to visit him.”

“Hmm…”

“His residence is in Jinrang Valley. Just find your way there. It’s not a hidden place, so you can ask around and arrive there shortly.”

At that moment, my next destination became Jinrang Valley. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the road to Jinrang Valley did not diverge significantly from the road to the west Luoyang, so there was no need to hesitate.

‘Let’s go!’

I set off for Jinrang Valley as soon as the rain stopped. Thanks to a simple map given to me by the village chief, there was no fear of losing my way. The roads were somewhat annoyingly twisted, and many bridges had been destroyed due to the recent downpour.

Upon arriving in Jinrang Valley, a small village was situated at the entrance of the valley-like ridge. Mang-ryang’s home must be nearby.

Asking a passerby in the village about Mang-ryang’s home, he pointed to the top of a distant mountain.

“The wandering monk lives at the top of the mountain. There are stairs, so you’ll arrive within an hour if you go up slowly.”

“Are there many people like me who seek out this wandering monk?”

At this, the young man from the village grinned.

“Haha, well, Hermit Master Mang-ryang is the pride of our village.”

Half excited and half skeptical, I headed towards Hermit Master Mang-ryang’s residence. Whatever the case, the villagers trusted him, and I would like to hear the secrets of the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries from him. Once I understand what the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries is, I’ll be able to live a more enjoyable life.

Whoosh…

Having climbed the stairs for a while and reached the mountaintop, a cottage that seemed to be Mang-ryang’s residence appeared. Clearly, someone was in there; I could see several pairs of shoes. But as I got closer, my expression changed peculiarly.

Strange noises were audible.

“……”

Thump

Thump

Ah… Aaah…

The floor seemed to shake, and from inside, the melodious cries of a woman echoed. What I could see through the window was obviously a man and a woman engaged in an intimate act. They seemed to be passionately changing positions as they went along.

From the intensity of the man’s thrusts and the woman’s high level of response, it certainly wasn’t forced. It was very likely consensual.

‘Is this really Hermit Master Mang-ryang’s house…?’

Thanks to my enhanced inner power, my hearing has become extremely good. I can clearly hear everything, from the splashing liquid sounds to the passionate moans, to the man’s rhythmic thrusts.

Damn it.

They’re doing this in broad daylight!

I’m no eunuch; it’s only natural that my lower half would react. However, I quelled it immediately through sheer will and sighed.

“Haah…”

As I let out a sigh audibly, the man and woman inside hastily separated, as if startled. The woman seemed to be quickly getting dressed, while the man seemed to be tidying up the bedding. It felt like it would be very amusing if I opened the door now, but I held back a laugh and waited, arms crossed.

After a while, the woman fled through the back door, and the man finished his ‘cleanup.’ Only then did the door open. Emerging from within was a Taoist master with a stern expression.

“Heh heh… What brings you here?”

“……”

A musky scent of seminal and love fluids wafted from the room.

Couldn’t you at least have wiped things down a bit before coming out?

‘Ah, forget it.’

Although I strongly wanted to make a fuss, there was no point in doing so to a complete stranger. Besides, this person might be able to answer some pressing questions I have, so I decided to let it slide for now.

“I am Baek-woong, just passing through. Are you, by any chance, Master Mang-ryang?”

The Taoist master, appearing to be in his early to mid-30s with somewhat gaunt features and prominent cheekbones, flushed slightly, and nodded. He seemed much younger than I had expected.

“I am Master Mang-ryang.”

“Good, I’ve found the right person.”

“Heh heh… Let’s sit on that wooden bench over there and talk.”

Master Mang-ryang quickly diverted my attention to a wooden bench set up under a beautiful tree. There was even a board for playing Baduk (‘Go’ chess), signaling that this was a place specifically set up for leisure.

I sat down on the wooden bench and observed Master Mang-ryang intently.

‘I can’t feel any strong energy from him. He doesn’t seem like a martial artist…’

I couldn’t let my guard down. I had heard that there were reclusive masters in the world who could conceal their energy. Moreover, if Master Mang-ryang were an expert in sorcery, letting my guard down could result in a huge mistake.

Interestingly, despite calling himself a Taoist master, he didn’t have a whisk, which is a symbol of Taoist masters. Instead, he had a rope belt tied around his waist. Master Mang-ryang fetched some water from a nearby well and offered it to me.

“You must be tired from climbing the stairs. Have a drink.”

“I’m good.”

“Hmm, is that so…”

As Master Mang-ryang awkwardly drank the water himself, I broached the subject.

“Do you, Master Mang-ryang, happen to be proficient in the languages of the world?”

“Languages…?”

Master Mang-ryang seemed to ponder briefly, then smiled brightly and spoke confidently.

“Yes! You’ve come to the right place. I know not only the central plain language but also the dialects of the Northern Sea, languages of the ethnic minorities to the south of the Yangtze River, and even the celestial language. What do you wish to ask?”

“……”

I couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth or lying. Given his earlier actions, there was a high chance that Master Mang-ryang was a fraud, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and cautiously showed him the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries.

“Hmm? What’s this? Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries?”

*swish*

“Huh…”

As I turned the first page of the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries, Master Mang-ryang took a sharp breath. His eyes clouded over, then suddenly cleared, as if he’d taken some medicine, and he became engrossed in the book. After half a meal’s time had passed without a word, Master Mang-ryang suddenly raised his head.

“Where, where did you get this?”

“Before I answer that, I have a question…”

I eyed Master Mang-ryang suspiciously as I spoke.

“Do you recognize that arcane language? Or do you know about it?”

“Um… give me a moment to gather my thoughts.”

“Go ahead.”

Master Mang-ryang sat with his arms crossed, lost in thought.

Then he spoke.

“No, it won’t do. You go first, then I’ll tell you.”

“Do you think that’s fair?”

Master Mang-ryang vigorously shook his head.

“I can’t help it. I will hear your story first.”

He didn’t seem willing to budge.

Normally, given my nature, I’d feel ridiculous at this point and either threaten him with force or brush him off. At first glance, the wandering monk appeared to be a white-faced scholar with no or weak martial skills.

However, something about his demeanor reassured me.

Typical frauds wouldn’t say such things. They would either dodge the question, get defensive, or demand money for an answer. That’s been my experience with deceptive Taoist monks in the past.

However, the man standing before me, the wandering monk, seemed less interested in scamming me and more in laying the groundwork for some sort of ‘deal.’ That was the strong impression I got, reinforced by my intuition from having interacted with humans for a long time. I hardened my resolve and opened my mouth.

“I obtained it from a certain cave. I’ve been carrying it around ever since.”

“…Is that all?”

“I’ve answered. It’s your turn.”

“Hmm…”

After a long pause, the wandering monk sighed and spoke.

“Sigh… I’ve seen that character only once in my life.”

“Where?”

The wandering monk hesitated before asking, “Before that… what exactly do you do? I’m putting my life on the line here; I’d like to know who you are.”

“As I’ve said before, my name is Baek-woong.”

“That can’t be… You’re undoubtedly a martial arts expert. And not just any expert; you seem to possess profound internal energy. It’s unlikely someone like you is a nobody.”

I tilted my head. Was the wandering monk skilled in martial arts, but hiding it? How did he know I was an expert?

“What makes you say I’m an expert?”

“You climbed the stairs, didn’t you?”

“Everyone climbs stairs.”

The wandering monk chuckled weakly.

“No, I had set up a Web of Clouds Formation, which causes the stairs to branch into multiple paths. You either broke through the formation or your internal energy was too deep to be affected by it… You’re the owner of tremendous internal energy.”

‘…’

Formation!

Realizing the wandering monk spoke with such certainty, it dawned on me that he was a formation master (陣法家). Probably, he usually sets up formations on the path leading to his home to deter any casual visitors. And today, he was busy cavorting with a woman, and I happened to barge in and catch him in the act.

The wandering monk continued to ramble.

‘It’s not a boast, but my Web of Clouds Formation is unparalleled in the Murim. If you passed through it so effortlessly, you must at least be an elder of the Nine Great Schools or a pinnacle expert. Or perhaps even beyond that. I want to know who you are.”

“And what will you do once you know?”

The wandering monk frowned.

“I have to talk while risking my life here, and you can’t even give me that?”

Judging from his constant mentions of risking his life, it seemed like he was risking his life to talk to me. Indeed, he must have felt like walking on a tightrope, being defenseless after his Web of Clouds Formation was broken. Although he appeared calm, I noticed sweat beads forming on his forehead.

Deeming him not a fraud, I decided to speak.

“Once again, I am Baek-woong. I have gained my skills in martial arts and am currently traveling; I have nothing to do with the Nine Great Schools. The reason I sought you out today is solely to uncover the secrets of this Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries.”

“Can you swear it on the heavens and the earth?”

“Absolutely.”

It was only then that hermit master Mang-ryang seemed a bit relieved. He looked around before speaking.

“The first time I encountered the strange characters of this Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries was in Imperial Inner Chamber.”

“What is this Imperial Inner Chamber?”

“It’s a library that only the emperor and Astronomical Bureau officials can access.”

“……!!”

As I stared at hermit master Mang-ryang with wide eyes, he sighed and said, “I am a former official from the Astronomical Bureau . Now, having left the royal court, I live as a wandering monk.”

An astronomer!!

It was a position responsible for divining the prosperity and hardships of a year, praying for the royal family’s prosperity, and even overseeing national Taoist rituals. I didn’t know the details, but they seemed to be specially treated among royal positions, and it was not a job you could get through exams. The reason I knew about astronomers was that Geum Man-jae had once complained that he would be living easy if he were an Astronomical Bureau official.

“Could you also leave a hereditary position?”

“My abilities were lacking. My older brother was far more outstanding, so I was driven out of the capital and ended up living as a monk.”

“Hmm… you’re lucky you’re alive.”

“There have been various incidents.”

The hermit master Mang-ryang spoke with a bitter smile.

“Anyway… I do remember seeing these characters in the Imperial Inner Chamber. If memory serves, the name of the book was Nameless Ritual Sacrifice Rites. That book, like this Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries, was also written in an incomprehensibly strange language.”

“Even though you studied to be an Astronomical Bureau official, you couldn’t interpret it?”

“Impossible.”

I was so surprised by hermit master Mang-ryang’s subsequent words that I was practically flabbergasted.

“Nameless Ritual Sacrifice Rites  and Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries… These two books are not written by humans.”

“What did you say?”

Not written by humans!

What does that even mean?

Who else besides humans could write such a strange and eerie book?

“Believe it or not, I am also an imperial examination graduate, Jinsa and came in third in the exam; a Tamhwa (or Tanhua)2.”

“Really?!”

“Truly.”

Jinsa and Tamhwa.

The significance of these titles was anything but simple.

The term “Jinsa” refers to the final passers of the imperial examination, a test that challenges millions of scholars throughout the Central Plains every year. Those who pass the ‘joint examination’ become Jinsa, earning the privilege to take the ‘imperial examination (jinshi)’ a few months later in the capital, a test that only determines rankings in front of the Emperor.

In the imperial examination (Jinshi), the top scorer is called “Jangwon”3, the second-place scorer is “Bang-an”4, and the third-place scorer is “Tamhwa”5. They are especially favored. Although traditionally the Emperor chooses their rankings, after the Jinshi ends, these top three scorers receive a cup of wine poured by the Emperor himself at a banquet.

This is a treatment not even an Imperial Duke Prince6 or close relative of the Emperor would receive. It signifies the nation’s respect for those coming from a Jinsa background. Naturally, those who receive the cup of wine have an unforgettable point of pride and it becomes a glory that extends through several generations of their family. From among the top ranks of Eul (乙) first-ranks and dozens of others in the upper ranks of 2-rank, the top ranks are summoned to Imperial Academy, while the rest of 2-rank are placed into the Six Ministries, and most of 3-rank typically start their careers in provincial administrative positions.

In other words, the scholar in front of me, hermit master Mang-ryang, is one of the most exceptional geniuses among all the scholars in Central Plains.

Hermit master Mang-ryang said, “I was driven out of the capital because I must protect the secrets of the Astronomical Bureau, as its official. However, I am confident that there are very few among all the scholars of this continent who are more talented than I am. I have studied 16 languages, including languages from the West and Northern regions, and I can speak ten of them fluently. Even I could not find a clue anywhere for the characters of these two books, which are perfect extraterrestrial languages.”

Not our MC’s village chief[↩]

A title for third-ranked in imperial examination.[↩]

Or Zhuangyuan in Chinese[↩]

Bangyan in Chinese[↩]

Tanhua[↩]

A title ‘qinwang’ is usually given to the Emperor’s brothers or uncles[↩]