Chapter 26
While Yang-hwi was lost in thought, Jegal Seon finally spoke up.
“Anyway, Brother. I suppose it’s time I explain the reason for my visit to the Baek Clan.”
“Ah, that’s right. You mentioned there was a favor you wanted to ask. Let’s hear it.”
“Would it be all right if I, along with my personal guard, stayed here at Baek Clan for a few months?”
Jegal Seon was planning to conduct a search through Gokyeol Mountain in order to locate Eumhu.
Considering supply logistics and rest, he needed a nearby base of operations.
The Baek Family Estate was the perfect choice.
“Stay as long as you need. There’s no need to even ask.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
“There’s no need for thanks between us.”
Truthfully, Jegal Seon’s request was more of a benefit to the Baek Clan than a burden.
After all, the young lord of the esteemed Jegal Clan was offering to stay as a guest—with an armed escort, no less.
‘Now we don’t have to worry about the Gyojin Sect stirring up trouble.’
And not just them. As long as Jegal Seon was present, no martial sect in Akan-hyeon would dare make a move against the Baek Clan.
It was the perfect opportunity to expand their influence without fear of interference.
“Oh, and there’s one more thing I’d like to ask, Brother.”
“What is it, Brother Seon?”
“Could you assign someone to accompany me—someone who knows the route from here to Gokyeol Mountain, or better yet, someone familiar with the mountain’s geography?”
The moment Jegal Seon finished speaking, Yang-hwi eagerly stepped in.
“I’m glad you brought that up, Uncle. I’ve been tagging along without a defined role—this suits me perfectly. I’ll serve as your guide.”
“Hm? You, Yang-hwi?”
“Yes. As you know, before I became Father’s son, I was a beggar. I’ve slept under the open sky, wandered far and wide, and I know the area around Gokyeol Mountain like the back of my hand.”
This was perfect. As the guide, he’d have a say in setting the direction of the search.
And with the memories of his past life, he’d be able to subtly redirect them if danger loomed ahead.
“In that case, we won’t need to find another guide. I’ll be counting on you, Yang-hwi.”
“And I’ll do my best to serve, Uncle.”
Yang-hwi then turned toward Jegal Seolha and gave her a polite nod.
“Seolha, I look forward to traveling with you.”
…Nod.
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
Yang-hwi blinked in surprise, and even Jegal Seon’s expression shifted with a trace of astonishment.
Jegal Seolha had reacted to Yang-hwi’s words.
For reference, this was the first time she’d responded to anyone other than Jegal Seon since their arrival at Baek Clan.
“Seolha, did you just nod?”
“…”
Perhaps overwhelmed by the sudden attention, Jegal Seolha shyly buried her face into Jegal Seon’s chest.
And just like that, the formation of the team was complete.
A search party assembled to track down one of the ten great martial legends—
Pacheon Eumhu, one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Martial World.
* * *
The next day, the search party set out from the Baek Family Estate, fully prepared.
The team consisted of Yang-hwi, the father-daughter duo Jegal Seon and Jegal Seolha, and ten elite escort warriors.
Rather than riding comfortably, Yang-hwi volunteered to take the reins of the carriage carrying Jegal Seon and Jegal Seolha.
“Yang-hwi, how could I let my brother’s son sit up front like a coachman? Come inside and ride with us,” said Jegal Seon.
“Before being your nephew, I’m part of this expedition as a guide. I believe it’s only right I fulfill that role properly—by holding the reins myself.”
Finding his reasoning sound—and a little admirable—Jegal Seon chuckled.
“Then I shall ride up front as well. Let’s chat on the way and enjoy the road together.”
He insisted, clearly preferring conversation over comfort, but Yang-hwi simply smiled and bowed his head politely.
He already knew that if Jegal Seolha looked tired, Jegal Seon would soon return to the carriage anyway.
“But Uncle,” Yang-hwi asked, “may I ask what led you to suspect that Pacheon Eumhu might be in Gokyeol Mountain?”
“Ah, I suppose it’s time to share that. It’s based on a lead uncovered by our clan’s intelligence branch after great effort.”
Jegal Seon went on to explain the reasoning behind the search:
First: The last official sighting of Pacheon Eumhu was in Nanchang, located in Jiangxi Province.
Second: Reports suggest that toward the end of her trail, she had begun inquiring—through acquaintances—about secluded places to retire in.
And third:
“There are rumors of a dragon nesting in Gokyeol Mountain. They say thunder echoes deep in the mountains whenever it rains.”
Yang-hwi nodded thoughtfully.
“Thunder often comes with rain, so it being loud isn’t particularly strange, but…”
“When considered together with the first and second clues, it does make for a compelling theory.”
After all, Eumhu was the undisputed master of sound-based martial arts.
Unusually intense thunderclaps might be the traces of her powers at work.
“Then… how exactly do you plan to carry out the search?”
“Well…”
Jegal Seon let out a small sigh.
Even for the brilliant young lord of the Jegal Clan, known for their strategies, this mission posed a difficult problem.
‘So even he doesn’t have a clear plan.’
That made sense. They were, after all, searching for one of the Ten Supreme Masters of the Martial World.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
“For now… I plan to comb through the mountain, inch by inch. We’ll look for any sign she may have left behind.”
As expected—no concrete plan.
And to be honest… Uncle’s judgment seems a bit clouded.
Understandable, considering his daughter’s fate might depend on the outcome.
“Uncle, with only ten warriors, Gokyeol Mountain is far too large to search thoroughly.”
“Hmm? How big can a mountain in Jiangxi be, really?”
Jiangxi was mostly flatlands, dotted with rivers and canals. It was a region known for trade and transportation, not towering peaks.
Jegal Seon’s misconception was understandable.
“But it’s called ‘Gokyeol’ for a reason. The terrain is steep, carved with deep ravines.”
The name Gokyeol itself referred to winding, jagged canyons—an indication of just how rugged the landscape was.
For a province like Jiangxi, Gokyeol Mountain was exceptionally large and formidable.
“Huh. I suppose I should’ve brought more men, then.”
“That won’t be necessary, Uncle. In fact… it might be better that you didn’t.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because… we shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking our goal is to find Eumhu.”
For a brief moment, his judgment had faltered—but Jegal Seon was still the heir of the legendary strategist family, the Jegal Clan.
He quickly grasped the meaning behind Yang-hwi’s words.
“Hoo… Thank you, Yang-hwi. I nearly made a grave mistake toward Lady Eumhu.”
“Think nothing of it, Uncle.”
Pacheon Eumhu was known as one who had transcended human limits—one of the ten supreme masters of the martial world, the Heavenly Ten.
And if they went digging through Gokyeol Mountain just to find her?
It wasn’t hard to imagine how Eumhu might react.
After all, no one appreciates someone trespassing over their walls without permission—no matter who they are.
“To begin with, I doubt anyone aside from a fellow member of the Heavenly Ten could find her at all,” Yang-hwi said with a small smile.
“That’s true as well. If we could find her just by searching the mountain, then she wouldn’t be one of the Heavenly Ten in the first place.”
The core of this expedition wasn’t to find Eumhu.
It was to earn her favor.
That meant the usual methods of searching wouldn’t work here.
‘I’ve got nothing in particular in mind either…’
Yang-hwi combed through every memory from his past life, but there was very little he knew about Eumhu.
All he could recall was that roughly twenty years from now, a young martial artist would emerge, claiming to be her disciple.
But that alone confirms something—Eumhu is indeed seeking a disciple.
Their journey was all about asking her to take Jegal Seolha in as her student. In a way, they already possessed the single most important piece of information.
It would be meaningless to find her only for her to say she wasn’t accepting disciples.
“I still can’t think of any concrete methods.”
“Nor can I,” Yang-hwi replied.
As they pondered how to win over Eumhu’s heart, their carriage reached the foot of Gokyeol Mountain.
Seeing how tired Jegal Seolha looked, Jegal Seon gently adjusted her posture, cradling her more comfortably, then turned to Yang-hwi.
“If you know of any inns nearby, let’s stop there. It’ll help Seolha recover from the journey and get some food into us.”
“There’s a village not too far from here, and an inn just ahead near the mountain pass.”
“Then the inn sounds best.”
“Understood.”
About a quarter of an hour passed as they rode through widening mountain paths until a building came into view, a sign swaying overhead.
The Wailing Gorge Inn.
“Uncle, we’ve arrived at the inn.”
Stepping out of the carriage with Seolha in his arms, Jegal Seon glanced up at the sign and muttered:
“‘Wailing Gorge’? That’s quite the name for an inn.”
Inside, a waiter quickly approached to greet them.
“Welcome! Are you here to eat?”
He looked visibly tense—likely unnerved by a group of armed martial artists entering all at once.
Seeing the discomfort, Yang-hwi, reminded of how he used to feel as a beggar when confronted with warriors, stepped forward with a warm smile.
“Hyung-nim, I’ll place the order for our group.”
“H-Hyung-nim? That’s too much, Young Master. I’m just a humble waiter.”
“Come now, the Five Confucian Virtues uphold respect for elders. What’s excessive about calling you Hyung-nim? So, what’s the house specialty?”
Loosening up at Yang-hwi’s friendly tone, the waiter smiled as he replied:
“Well, our dumplings and noodles are what we’re known for. Our cook never cuts corners on the basics.”
“Perfect. Then let’s get one plate of dumplings and one bowl of noodles for every two people.”
Yang-hwi glanced at Jegal Seon, who promptly pulled out a silver tael worth ten standard coins and tossed it over.
“Keep the change.”
“W-Whoa! Thank you so much, Great Master!”
The meal only cost about five silver coins in total, so this was a windfall for the waiter.
But it wasn’t generosity without thought—throughout the meal, Jegal Seon asked the waiter all sorts of questions, listening attentively to every answer.
By the end of it, he muttered with a sigh:
“It seems… finding Lady Eumhu won’t be easy at all.”
The fact that the innkeeper at the mountain pass didn’t know anything meant one thing:
Even if they tried asking around, they weren’t likely to gain anything useful quickly.
“We expected as much from the beginning, didn’t we?”
“Even so, it’s still disappointing.”
Jegal Seon looked down with pity at Jegal Seolha, who sat in his arms nibbling on a dumpling.
Watching the scene quietly, Yang-hwi offered a suggestion.
“In that case, Uncle… what if we tried this instead? What if we offered our sincerity to Eumhu, the way one might offer devout prayers to a divine spirit?”
Once again, Jegal Seon didn’t need any further explanation.
“That’s… not a bad idea at all. First, I’ll have the escorts sweep the area and get rid of any nearby bandits or rogue clans.”
He was already fairly certain that Eumhu was somewhere in the area.
“After that, we’ll climb Gokyeol Mountain every day with Seolha, showing our sincerity by helping the people and praying to her.”
“As the designated guide, I’ll accompany you, Uncle.”
The idea was simple: show true devotion by climbing the mountain with two children.
Whether to move her heart—or at the very least, to make her take notice.
****
Ten days later.
Despite thoroughly clearing out the surrounding dark sects and trekking up the mountain every day, there had been no sign of Eumhu—not even a glimpse.
Today was no different. After a full day of wandering the mountain with Seolha in his arms, Jegal Seon let out a weary sigh.
“Whew… not a word or a trace. I can’t even tell if this is working.”
“Well, they say true devotion begins with a hundred days of prayer. Until we find a better option, we might as well keep trying.”
“You’re right. Let’s head to the inn.”
These days, the group was sleeping at Baek Clan but stopping by the Wailing Gorge Inn daily for their meals.
Even if it was nearby, the round trip took nearly two hours, and it made more sense to eat before heading back.
“Hyung-nim Innkeeper, we’re back for—hm?”
Yang-hwi, who had burst into the inn with his usual cheer, suddenly paused.
Instead of the innkeeper he’d grown friendly with, a girl was manning the front today.
“Are you a friend of Hyung-nim Wangpal? Welcome. He’s not feeling well today and is resting.”
The girl looked around fifteen years old and gave him a polite bow.
It was odd. Usually, inns had boys doing this kind of work.
“Hmm…”
And just as that thought crossed his mind, Yang-hwi realized something.
So… our prayers really did reach her.
Yang-hwi had been born with an extraordinarily rare sensitivity to energy—almost supernatural.
He could estimate a martial artist’s internal energy just by sensing the faint echoes in their dantian.
In fact, his sensitivity went even beyond that.
He could detect even a person’s innate spiritual energy—something that all living beings with a true name possessed.
But right now…
This girl—there’s nothing. I can’t feel a single trace of qi.
That could only mean one thing:
No matter how hard we searched—no matter how many clues or descriptions we followed—we never would have found her.
The reason was simple: every assumption they had about Eumhu’s appearance had been completely wrong.
“In the martial world, they say to beware women, elders… and children.”
And standing before him was someone who embodied all three.
A monster among monsters.
A transcendent master who had reversed the flow of age—
An immortal disguised as a child.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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