Chapter 3 – Journey: “Shall I Read Your Fortune?” (2)
The place Cheon-yo headed to was not the main base of the Martial Arts Alliance.
Shanxi Province.
The reason Cheon-yo came here was a single letter given by the Alliance Leader Baek Bul-in when he had visited earlier.
Baek Bul-in had written on the letter the name of the person who could assist Cheon-yo and their location.
Following that information, Cheon-yo arrived in Pingyao, Shanxi Province.
Here was none other than the Shanxi branch of the Martial Arts Alliance. Although much smaller than the main base, it was still an official branch. A vast number of martial artists roamed the streets.
Ssshhh… ssshhh…
The rain poured down.
Cheon-yo walked through it, wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat.
Under the eaves, he noticed a middle-aged man trying to shelter from the rain and approached him.
“Could you give me directions?”
The man glanced at Cheon-yo, bundled up against the rain, and replied,
“Where are you looking for?”
“Do you know where the Un-ga Pharmacy is?”
“No one in this town wouldn’t know the Un-ga Pharmacy. If you follow that street, you’ll reach a main road. Walk straight along it for a short while, and you’ll see a large pharmacy. That’s Un-ga Pharmacy.”
The Un-ga Pharmacy was located on a busy corner. Because many people passed through there, Cheon-yo had no difficulty finding it.
Inside, despite the rainy day, the pharmacy had quite a few people.
Cheon-yo entered and looked around for a particular person.
“The one in green clothing…”
Cheon-yo was looking for the person in green mentioned in Baek Bul-in’s letter. Scanning the room, he noticed only one person fitting the description.
A young boy, somewhat isolated from the customers, organizing herbs.
The boy wore green clothing.
Cheon-yo approached him.
The boy, noticing Cheon-yo, turned and asked,
“Are you looking for something?”
“I’ve come from the north seeking herbs that are sweet and bitter, but not spicy.”
These words, too, came from the letter from Baek Bul-in. It was a code phrase.
If the boy wasn’t the one Baek Bul-in mentioned, he wouldn’t understand it…
The boy nodded.
“Ah, they are just prepared. Please, come inside.”
With that, the boy led the way to a side door. Cheon-yo followed immediately.
Beyond the side door lay a spacious compound.
Various buildings were present, including a warehouse for storing the pharmacy’s herbs. The boy walked silently toward one of them. Cheon-yo followed quietly.
The boy stopped in front of a building inside the compound and said,
“Sir, the guest you’ve been waiting for has arrived.”
At that moment, clatter.
The door flung open, and a man appearing to be in his mid-forties hurried out.
He sized Cheon-yo up from head to toe.
Cheon-yo slowly removed his bamboo hat and met the man’s gaze.
A hint of disappointment slowly spread across the man’s previously excited eyes.
Cheon-yo appeared far too young.
His shabby clothing and remarkable looks mattered little in terms of martial skill.
Cheon-yo read the expression in the man’s eyes.
“Disappointed because I’m not what you expected?”
“Hmph, hmph.”
The man cleared his throat awkwardly at Cheon-yo’s words. Even if this person seemed unremarkable, if he truly was the one he had been waiting for, he couldn’t be dismissed.
He gestured to the boy who had led Cheon-yo there. At the signal, the boy bowed and left.
Cheon-yo asked,
“May I come inside?”
“Of course,” the man nodded.
Cheon-yo ascended the steps and entered the building. Water dripped from his raincoat as he sat in the chair in front of him.
The man opposite him asked,
“Are you truly the one he sent?”
“Yes, if you mean the person the Alliance Leader sent.”
Hearing this, the man was convinced Cheon-yo was indeed the Alliance Leader’s envoy.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Un-hak.”
“Cheon-yo.”
Un-hak thought for a moment upon hearing the name. He had never heard it before.
‘What could the Alliance Leader have been thinking, sending someone like this…?’
Though puzzled, Un-hak was a loyal subordinate of the Alliance Leader. He had no choice but to follow the command.
Cheon-yo then asked,
“Since I was sent here, it seems the Alliance Leader’s granddaughter is at this Shanxi branch.”
Un-hak flinched.
Even without being told, Cheon-yo had identified the core matter.
The Martial Arts Alliance’s secret: Baek Sang-ah, who sealed the Blood Demon Lin, had been quietly brought here.
Un-hak stared at Cheon-yo, surprised.
‘Maybe this isn’t an ordinary man after all…’
After a moment, he replied,
“Yes.”
“So I just need to rescue her?”
“Yes. The Alliance’s leadership plans to imprison the granddaughter in the Ten Thousand Storage Prison. If that happens, you won’t be able to save her. You must act first.”
The Ten Thousand Storage Prison was a prison created by the Martial Arts Alliance.
Known as a living hell, sunlight never reached inside, and a dense evil aura caused illness and decay with prolonged exposure. Once inside, one was said never to see the outside world again.
The Alliance intended to lock up Baek Sang-ah there, fearing the revival of Blood Demon Lin.
Un-hak asked,
“How do you plan to rescue her? How can I help?”
Cheon-yo thought for a moment and said,
“Your task is simple.”
“What is it?”
“Give me the map of the Shanxi branch.”
“And?”
“That’s all.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
Un-hak glanced around at the surrounding area.
“Did you bring companions?”
“Just me.”
“You’re going to rescue her alone?”
“Of course.”
“Are you crazy? The granddaughter is held in the Shanxi branch. Even if it’s not the main base, that place…”
“Even if she were at the main base, it wouldn’t change anything. It would only take longer.”
“You can’t rescue her without confrontation.”
“I know.”
“They’re not third-rate warriors. Even if brought secretly, at worst, over a hundred elite Alliance martial artists would block your path. You’d have to break through them.”
“That’s not difficult for me.”
Cheon-yo’s confident answer left Un-hak astonished.
Was it arrogance? Confidence?
Un-hak shook his head.
“It’s impossible!”
Cheon-yo looked at him calmly.
“What did the Alliance Leader tell you?”
“…To trust you entirely.”
“Exactly. So what you must do: first, provide the map. Second, trust me.”
Grabbing his forehead, Un-hak thought: this is no ordinary stubbornness.
Yet, knowing this, he couldn’t back down. This was the only chance. Fail here, and under increased surveillance, Baek Sang-ah would be locked in the Ten Thousand Storage Prison.
Un-hak sprang to his feet.
“Wait a moment.”
He went to the entrance and shouted with internal energy,
“Gather!”
Not long after, shush-shush-shush!
Fifteen martial artists appeared from all directions, forming a line before Un-hak. Cheon-yo, still seated, watched quietly.
“These are my trusted subordinates. You’ll be safer with help. Let’s go together.”
Standing in the rain, the martial artists looked competent… but Cheon-yo thought:
‘Not enough.’
Numbers alone don’t guarantee advantage. In this mission, mediocre martial artists would only be a burden.
The opponent was the Martial Arts Alliance. These people would only hold me back.
Cheon-yo smirked.
“You don’t trust me, do you?”
“It’s not that, just to be safe.”
Cheon-yo’s gaze shifted from Un-hak to the table in front. One corner was stacked with talismans.
“So many talismans… Do you trust shamans?”
“Why—?”
“Let me read their fortune instead of the shaman.”
He slammed his palm on the table.
Bang!
Something astonishing happened.
Flap!
The dozens of talismans floated into the air, each one separate, suspended.
Cheon-yo waved his hand.
Fweee!
The talismans shot out like blades in all directions.
Wham!
“Ugh!”
Screams erupted. Remarkably, the talismans struck the shoulders of Un-hak’s subordinates without hitting vital points.
Fifteen elite martial artists clutched their bleeding shoulders.
Un-hak stood frozen, dumbfounded by Cheon-yo’s skill.
Cheon-yo stood beside him.
“I’ve read their fate. Unfortunately, they are not destined to accompany me today. Ensure the map reaches me by tonight.”
He lightly tapped Un-hak’s shoulder.
Then, miming pulling his hand back…
Fssh!
The talismans flew off the martial artists’ shoulders.
Cheon-yo descended the steps and walked into the rain.
Plod, plod.
Water mixed with blood splashed around him as he walked. He opened the door to a nearby warehouse and disappeared inside.
After Cheon-yo vanished, Un-hak looked at his injured subordinates and slowly said,
“…Take everyone back and treat their wounds.”
“And the mission…?”
One subordinate cautiously asked. Un-hak, staring at the building Cheon-yo had entered, replied,
“He goes alone.”
