Chapter 94
Snow Tiger
With the first snow, a type of evil monster that drags snow along appears, and among the monsters in Heavenly Bright Moon, it’s one of the rarest.
Heavenly Bright Moon has countless evil monsters. However, monsters that can spit out snowflakes are extremely rare.
Speaking of which, the Snow Tiger has shown up around here.
The Snow Tiger, a massive serpent-like monster, not only spits snowflakes but also has a tail of considerable value.
That tail, infused with the power to cause snowfall, has substantial strength and is used as a material when crafting precious equipment.
When making the Hongseong Divine Artifact called Hyunwungap, doesn’t it also require the Snow Tiger’s tail?
Well, this is perfect!
For making Hyunwungap, the required materials are:
A chunk of Seongun Iron, two pieces of Special Grade Guardian Talisman, two chunks of Cheolwi Steel, a bundle of Cheonjam Silk, the skull of a Twin-headed Tiger, and the Snow Tiger’s tail.
Among them, Seongun Iron can be obtained through a secret area, and the skull of the Twin-headed Tiger can be acquired from the owner of the secret area who knows the crafting recipe.
The Special Grade Guardian Talisman can be requested from Changju, and although Cheolwi Steel and Cheonjam Silk are a bit pricey, they can be obtained if you have the money.
In other words, if I can get the Snow Tiger’s tail, Hongseong can recreate the divine artifact.
Of course, if the Snow Tiger appears, rumors will spread, and there will be others eyeing it, but if it’s really scheduled to show up around here, it puts us in a pretty advantageous position.
So, I can’t let this opportunity slip away.
“By any chance, do you, the innkeeper, have any interest in the Snow Tiger?”
“Would say no would be a lie, wouldn’t it?”
“Haha. Then, since Hongseong is nearby, it would be better to ask them for help.”
“I really appreciate your advice.”
Not just empty words, I genuinely mean it. The old man’s event always seems to be a gain, but I didn’t expect him to help out like this.
As I smiled and spoke, the old man merely smiled back and bowed slightly in thanks.
“Would I dare to weigh the significance of a single meal? I’m just doing what I can.”
I feel like I’m about to cry from gratitude.
“Please feel free to drop by next time on your journey without any burden. You don’t have to repay me at all.”
“Haha. If the Primordial Celestial Lord guides me again, we may have fate once more. Infinite Life Buddha…”
He mutters softly as he leaves. Left alone in the backyard, I smile.
Things seem to be going quite well.
The day after the old man’s departure, the courier from the academy delivered several letters.
Among them was one from Sayoon.
I smiled as I unfolded the letter.
“It’s a story I heard before coming to Hongseong. Life is suffering, and people just struggle to escape that suffering.”
When I heard that story, I deeply resonated with it, but recently, I don’t think that’s true anymore.
I think it’s not just about the pain of living.
There’s happiness, joy, and fun too.
Recently, a lot has happened.
I wonder if Mister knew about it. Hmm, maybe he did?
Through the secretive means mentioned in the letter from Mister, I got another clue to create Hyeonun-gab, the treasure of Hongseong Clan.
Is that why? On the day of the Hongseong Clan’s ritual, Master always seemed troubled, but on that day, she didn’t seem as burdened.
Hehe, Mister must have known this situation would happen when he sent the letter, right?
Everyone in Hongseong Clan thinks so.
Perhaps he sends these letters to tell us that life isn’t just gloomy, difficult, and painful.
Lately, some senior sisters have been wildly speculating about Mister’s identity.
Some say it’s a heavenly letter sent by the first leader of Hongseong Clan, who reached a realm of virtue and looked upon us with pity.
Or perhaps it’s a remarkable individual from the past who forged a connection with the previous clan leader during his travels.
No, maybe it’s heaven helping the Hongseong Clan out of compassion.
There are so many opinions that no one can reach a conclusion.
But Mister is still Mister.
No matter who he is, I respect and miss him.
Oh, and something big happened recently. A terrifying group of bandits attacked our Seomhwa Village where the Hongseong Clan is located.
In fact, it turns out they were backed by the fearsome ‘Iron Blood Clan’ that Mister mentioned before.
Was their target indeed our Hongseong Clan?
The fight was fierce and dangerous.
But surprisingly, despite such a battle, no one died!
I’m not sure, but the senior sisters who’ve experienced such battles, as well as the local leader, are saying it’s an incredible outcome.
Many people worked hard to ensure that result.
Especially the Yu Wol Innkeeper from Seomhwa Village, who has helped our Hongseong Clan a lot like Mister, put in a great effort.
Hehe, they seem like a truly wonderful person, just like Mister.
Of course, Master also had a tough time during the process.
But it seems she was really satisfied that no one was sacrificed.
And there’s something else I want to say.
Hehe, it’s a bit embarrassing, but someone has asked me to be their friend.
That someone is Chaeran from Moonjeong.
She’s far more impressive than I am.
Her background, martial arts, beauty… and also her character and wisdom!
Yet, despite all that, she asked to be my friend, and I didn’t know how to respond.
I didn’t know how to respond.
I said let’s be friends the next time we meet… but can I really be friends with that person?
Of course, I’m a disciple of the Sword Saint, and I’m proud to be part of Hongseong… but still…
I’m a little worried.
Hehe. Still, unlike Chaeran, I have a Mister, don’t I? Since I have a Mister who cares for me… I won’t fall behind Chaeran, right?
Next time we meet, I should take the initiative.
And I also want to get a little closer to my Mister.
When will I be able to meet him?
P.S.
It seems that the letter my Mister sent has a subtle fragrance of the Thousand-Day Plum Blossom.
I’m glad to see that you’re using the scented pouch I sent well.
It seems like you’ve almost used it up, so I’m sending you another one.
Oh, and my Master asked if it would be alright to send a separate letter to my Mister. What do you think, Mister?
Did I have a lot to say? As I reread the lengthy letter, I smiled at the box. Inside the box was a scented pouch made of fabric that had recently been purchased by Hongseong.
Now I have two scented pouches!
I carefully packed the sealed pouch and placed it in the safe, biting on the unwrapped one.
Hmm… By the way, I didn’t expect Sayoon and Chaeran to become friends like this.
In Heavenly Bright Moon, Sayoon and Chaeran were almost rivals, so how did they end up as friends?
Of course, Chaeran isn’t a bad person, but…
Oh, could it be because of Hongryeon and Chaejin’s relationship?
Anyway, having friends isn’t a bad thing.
Especially if they are trustworthy and kind people.
And for the Sword Saint to want to send me a letter…
Well, it’s about time the Sword Saint sends a letter directly.
Even if she does, it’s not really a problem, so let’s just say I’ll reply later.
I carefully folded the letter and placed it in the safe.
By the way, should I tell her about the mountain tiger in my reply?
I thought while holding the brush, then shook my head.
I’ll just tell her directly.
-Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and in came Chaejin. Seeing her smiling brightly, I immediately knew why she was here.
“Um… You know?”
“I know.”
It’s training time.
Was it because of the Samagun who attacked Seomhwa Village before?
Training has become a bit more challenging. I had no reason to turn down Chaejin’s suggestion to be prepared since I didn’t know when something might happen.
There was no reason to refuse the suggestion.
After a while of learning, and even mastering the Golden Flow Technique, I was finally able to extricate myself from her grasp.
“But what was that technique from earlier?”
“An old Taoist taught it to me yesterday.”
As Chae was demonstrating Tai Chi, I showcased the Military King Technique. When she seemed puzzled, I wiped the sweat from my brow and spoke.
Unlike me, who was bewildered, she looked relaxed as she grabbed me and sat me down on a long bench in the backyard, leaning slightly forward to gaze at me.
“It’s a technique I’ve never seen before. What kind of technique is it?”
“It’s called the Military King Technique.”
Just as I was about to explain to the curious Chaejin,
“Hello!”
A lively and familiar voice chimed in. Looking over, it was Sayoon.
“Master Sword Saint? What brings you here?”
The ever-unfazed Sword Saint stood there.
It was an unexpected combo, certainly. Sayoon often comes down to the village, but it was rare for the Sword Saint to visit an inn.
Since Chapter 1 had ended, I thought there would be no special meetings, so I was puzzled as Sayoon fumbled through her belongings and pulled out a piece of paper.
“This is a message from Ryuhyun’s residence.”
“Ah, I see. So, Sword Saint, you’re…?”
“I came along to help train Sayoon’s technique. After watching her fight last time, I thought she was quite a skilled martial artist.”
I had heard from Hongryeon that Sayoon’s progress has been rather impressive.
It must have been thanks to the substantial experience she gained from that last big battle…
From my perspective, it wasn’t a bad thing at all.
“So? What is this Military King Technique?”
“Oh. That’s…”
I handed the list Sayoon gave me to the innkeeper. As he gathered the items, Chaejin asked, and both the Sword Saint and Sayoon seemed intrigued and looked at me.
“This is what happened yesterday.”
I recounted how I received the secrets of the Military King Technique from the old Taoist.
And I explained what I knew about the Military King Technique. After a moment of silence, the Sword Saint calmly opened her mouth.
“Do you intend to truly practice the Military King Technique?”
“Yes. I hear it’s a good technique…”
It was quite a valuable technique even in Heavenly Bright Moon. What could possibly be wrong?
As I looked at her, the Sword Saint shook her head and smiled warmly.
“That’s a good thought. Although it’s hard to master, the Military King Technique itself is an excellent method. It will surely suit you well. If you have any uncertainties, I can give you some advice. And…”
“And?”
“Tomorrow. Can you keep your promise?”
A promise.
She was asking if I could accompany her on the streets, right?
“I’ll certainly do that.”