The journey to Huangshan would take about 15 days, assuming I rode a horse. If I walked without any preparation, it would undoubtedly take more than a month. Before heading to Huangshan, I felt the need to exchange the silver ingot I had obtained.
This world isn't so simple that people would bow in admiration just because you show them a silver ingot. The moment I exposed the silver ingot carelessly, all sorts of people would start to swarm around, and soon a battle among martial artists would break out. I needed to hide this silver vault as much as possible while converting the silver ingot into a more manageable form of currency.
'The silver vault is too conspicuous. It would be better to bury it in a suitable place and come back for it later.'
It was about the size of something I could hold in my arms, making it difficult to carry around. As I was entering the deep mountains, a thought suddenly struck me.
'Right! Should I look for the cave where I died in my previous life?'
The cave where I died due to a trap mechanism!
Perhaps the secret treasure (秘寶) inside that cave was the reason I was sent back to the past.
'I need to change my plan.'
The moment this thought crossed my mind, I couldn't afford to delay any longer. First, I visited a nearby village to buy a chisel, a bundle of ropes, and a copper shield. No one knew the geography of this area better than I did, so I could find my way through the rugged forest without getting lost.
I could visit Huangshan later.
First, I needed to uncover the secrets of the cave.
It soon grew dark.
I gathered some dry branches to start a fire and prepared to camp for the night. Unlike three years ago, I had a sleeping bag and sufficient camping equipment, and I could protect myself from the cold with my inner energy. After clearing away some stones and pebbles from the ground, I could lie down and get a good night's sleep.
Crack...
The fire sparked. I warmed myself by the fire and fell into deep thought.
Why was I sent back to the past?
I lost my life to the trap mechanism, but in my final moments, I reached into the box.
I remember that what I grabbed was a book (冊).
Of course, my last memory was hazy, so I couldn't recall what kind of book it was.
'Could it be that picking up that book sent me back to the past?'
There were too many uncertainties. I shook my head and decided to get some sleep. I could think about it after finding the cave.
The next morning, I started searching the mountains. I knew exactly where I had practiced swordsmanship in my previous life. It was a mountain valley that wasn't too rugged, despite being close to some houses. Soon, I found a familiar stream and the flat area where I had built a thatched hut.
Now, I just needed to find the 'cave' nearby. I calmly recalled my memories. It was when I was slowly descending the mountain path, basking in the sunlight rising over the mountains.
"......!!"
I stopped in my tracks. A three-meter-high cliff was cleverly hidden right in front of me, almost causing me to lose my footing. It was probably obscured by thick branches growing between the cliffs.
Glancing down, I saw the cave I had seen before. I clutched my racing heart and set the silver vault down temporarily. Since I needed to climb down the cliff, I drove the chisel into the ground, tied the rope around my body, and slowly descended. Once I found a foothold, I cautiously made my way into the cave, just as I had done before.
The cave was as dark as I remembered. I untied the rope from my body and, as I moved further inside, I felt a light emanating from within.
Whoosh!
"Ugh... as expected..."
I swallowed hard as I saw the same scene I had witnessed before my death. The box, which seemed to be a strange artifact, was bathed in the light of the cave, and the inner space was quite spacious.
'There are trap mechanisms here. The arrows fly at an incredible speed...'
Even with my current abilities, I doubted I could easily avoid them. I watched the box tensely and then pulled out a short knife from my sleeve, throwing it at the box.
Clang!
The short knife struck the box's opening and flew to the side. Since the trap mechanism didn't activate, it seemed to be designed to trigger only when a human body approached. There must be some kind of detection device on the floor or walls, but I couldn't detect it with my abilities. A professional thief or tomb raider would be needed.
"But humans use tools."
I picked up the copper shield I had bought from the village blacksmith. It was more practical to protect my vital points with the copper shield while advancing than to try to dodge the arrows with my agility alone. In front of such trap mechanisms, the pride of a martial arts master was meaningless.
Thud
Clang!
'I did it!'
The arrow bounced off the front of the copper shield. The speed of the arrow was so fast that I could barely see it with my dynamic vision, and there was no way I could dodge it with my current skills. All I could do was block the expected positions where the arrows might be fired with the copper shield.
Arrows fired by trap mechanisms were several times faster than those fired by humans. I sighed in relief and took another step toward the box.
There didn't seem to be any more trap mechanisms. I carefully tapped the lid of the box with the scabbard and then opened it.
Creak...
"......"
I pulled out a book (冊) from inside. For a moment, I thought it might send me back to the past again, but there was no sign of that happening. I sat down and began to examine the book carefully.
The title of the book was "Tian'an Secret Book" (天暗秘書).
'What is this...?'
It was a peculiar name for a secret manual. It wasn't a flashy name like those of demonic arts from a heretical sect, nor did it have the feel of a martial arts manual from a righteous sect. I tilted my head in confusion and turned to the first page, only to be startled.
"What is this?"
Strange language (怪語)!
The page was filled with bizarre characters that looked like nothing I had ever seen before. They were clearly a systematic language, written with great care, but I had never encountered such characters. I had seen Sanskrit and Western scripts during my travels, but these characters were entirely different.
It was clear that I couldn't interpret or read this "Tian'an Secret Book" with my current abilities. However, it seemed to be the book that had sent me back in time.
What should I do with this mysterious book?
I frowned and stared at the book for a long time, but I couldn't come to a conclusion. After pondering for a while, I put the "Tian'an Secret Book" in my sleeve.
"I have no choice but to carry it with me."
In some ways, this book was more important than the silver ingot. I returned to the cave, placed the silver vault and ingot inside, and then came out. With one silver ingot to exchange, I wouldn't have to worry about travel expenses.
I had expected a great adventure, but the cave exploration ended in a rather anticlimactic and disappointing way. Although the mystery wasn't fully resolved, I only risked my life once. All I had was a single book.
However, I had a foreboding feeling.
I believed that this "Tian'an Secret Book" contained a tremendous secret that went beyond a simple martial arts manual.
'I should seek out a great scholar (大學者) later. There must be someone among the wise men (賢者) of the world who can interpret the "Tian'an Secret Book."'
After leaving the cave, I started my journey directly to Huangshan.
It had been a few days since I raided the village chief's house and took the silver ingot, but the bailiffs from the government office didn't seem to suspect me. The wanted notice might not have reached this area yet, but more likely, the village chief hadn't told anyone.
In fact, he couldn't. The only thing I had actually done was kill a few village troublemakers, and there were no witnesses to prove it was me.
Moreover, if the village chief's deal with me became public, it would reveal that he was a wealthy man. Endless wandering martial artists would come looking for more silver ingots, so he couldn't report me to the government and have them chase me.
'I can't be too complacent yet. He might hire a martial arts master to hunt me down...'
But that was just a possibility. Most top-notch and peak masters had high pride and wouldn't accept a commission from a village chief for money. To hire a master who could overwhelm me, it would require as much money as the silver vault I had taken.
In short, I didn't need to fear retaliation from the village chief for now.
Walking to Huangshan seemed too tedious and exhausting, so I borrowed a horse from a relay station along the way. The horse was definitely faster, reducing the distance by three times and making the journey much more comfortable. A few days later, I arrived at the foot of Huangshan and looked up at the mountain from the village below, feeling that my hardships were almost over.
Clippity-clop
Sitting on the horse, I couldn't help but complain. The mist surrounding the mountain peaks made me feel the arduous journey ahead.
'Sigh... But Huangshan is so vast; it won't be an easy task.'
Huangshan.
A famous mountain that was highly regarded even above the Five Great Mountains (五岳) on the continent, known for its breathtaking scenery to the extent that "After seeing the Five Great Mountains, one no longer looks at other mountains; after seeing Huangshan, one no longer looks at the Five Great Mountains."
Moreover, Huangshan consisted of seventy-two peaks (七十二峰), each towering over five hundred meters high. While the Huangshan peaks were relatively well-trodden, there were still many rugged and unexplored areas that required careful exploration.
I would find all seventy-two peaks!
To find the Millennium Snow Ginseng (千年雪蔘), which was said to exist somewhere!
It was a crazy task, but I had no choice. If I hadn't known about the Millennium Snow Ginseng, it wouldn't have mattered, but I was certain from experience that it existed in Huangshan. I also knew three clues to find it.
First,
The Millennium Snow Ginseng does not exist on the outer peaks, the Twenty-Four Peaks (二十四峰).
This is because I heard that the initial discoverer, the young master of the Danmu family, Danmu Xiao, found the Millennium Snow Ginseng in the inner Forty-Eight Scenic Spots (四十八景). The inner area, unlike the outer peaks, is a place with many unexplored scenic spots, which significantly narrows down the search area.
Second,
The Millennium Snow Ginseng does not exist on the peaks around the Huangshan Sect (黃山派).
From what I heard about the Millennium Snow Ginseng dispute, the Huangshan Sect, which was based in Huangshan, only joined the conflict much later. This was because the discovery site was quite far from the Huangshan Sect's base. Excluding the area around the Huangshan Sect's base further narrows down the search area.
Third,
The Millennium Snow Ginseng was found at a place where "white and black lotuses bloom together." Whether this is a metaphor or not, it was the most reliable information, and if I paid attention to this, I was sure to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng soon.
I chuckled and anticipated the upcoming exploration.
'If I exchange one silver ingot at a nearby money exchange, I should get at least a hundred taels... That should be enough for exploration and food expenses. With a generous estimate, I should be able to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng within a year.'
Excluding the area around the Huangshan Sect's base would significantly narrow down the search area. If I thoroughly explored one peak per week, I was confident I could find the Millennium Snow Ginseng within one to two years.
Just as I was feeling hungry and decided to enter a nearby inn for a meal, I had a foreboding feeling.
"Hey, young man! Nice to see you!"
At the inn entrance, a man in a black robe was waving at me with a friendly smile.
'Who is this?'
I had never seen him before and was about to ignore him, but his next words were impossible to ignore.
"What's this... Your name is Bai Xiong (白熊), right? There's a bounty of about five hundred taels on your head. Why don't you just offer your neck?"
Clang!
At that moment, as if on cue, the sound of swords being drawn echoed from the first and second floors of the inn. I sensed that there were at least twenty to thirty warriors.
"......!!"
"Why the long face?"
The black-robed warrior smirked.
"Don't worry. We don't have a taste for torture, so we'll just cut your head off quickly."
That was not a comforting statement at all.
'This... I can't win!'
The moment I saw the level of the warriors surrounding the inn, I felt my body freeze and my mind go blank. Not a single one of them was a third-rate fighter. They were all elite-level warriors, well-trained and formidable. I doubted I could even handle three of them, let alone ten. If they all attacked me at once, I would be skewered and die helplessly.
They are incredibly strong!
The question was why a sect capable of mobilizing such elite warriors would target me. I asked in a trembling voice.
"Who are you...? And who sent you to kill me?"
"Of course, I'll tell you. It's quite uncomfortable to kill a young man like you."
The black-robed warrior, sitting properly, stroked his chin and said.
"We are the Black Night Sect (黑夜門) Assassin Squad (殺手組). Have you heard of us?"
"... The Eight Sects of the Demon Path (魔道八門)!!"
"Ah, you know us."
I screamed in shock.
The Eight Sects of the Demon Path!
They were the eight major sects of the demonic and heretical paths, rivaling the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families in power. Among them, the Black Night Sect specialized in assassination commissions, and its members were known for their exceptional martial arts skills, the best among the Eight Sects of the Demon Path. The Assassin Squad of the Black Night Sect was so terrifying that even righteous sects feared them, making them akin to death itself.
Even if one were a peak master, if they were targeted by the Black Night Sect's Assassin Squad, they would not survive. This rumor had spread throughout the martial world and was widely accepted. I felt my vision darken but clung to my consciousness and asked.
"By the way, I am the leader of the Assassin Squad. Nice to meet you, Bai Xiong."
The black-robed man smiled and introduced himself. It was not a pleasant introduction at all.
"Who sent you?"
The Assassin Squad leader shrugged.
"You should know. There's only one person who has a grudge against you recently."
"The village chief..."
"That's right. The client suffered a significant loss, but he seems determined to avenge himself, even if it means losing all his wealth."
I glanced at him and said,
"If you spare me, I'll give you ten times the money. I'm serious."
The Assassin Squad leader laughed.
"Hahaha... Even if that were true, we can't accept it. If we betrayed our clients for more money, who would trust us and hire us? Use the leftover money as your fare to the afterlife."
As the Assassin Squad leader was about to give the order, I shouted in desperation.
"Then, I have another proposal!"
"What is it?"
"If I defeat you in a one-on-one fight, will you stop pursuing me?"
The Assassin Squad leader would be the strongest among the Assassin Squad, so he wouldn't easily refuse such a proposal. This was also why the Black Night Sect, despite taking assassination commissions, was not attacked by the martial world. They emphasized their status as warriors and did not refuse challenges or duels from other sects.
"Hmm... You have spirit!"
The Assassin Squad members looked at me as if I were a madman. The Assassin Squad leader just smirked, finding it amusing.
"Sure, why not? I was planning to cut your head off myself, so this saves me the trouble."
Swish
The Assassin Squad leader drew the long sword on his back and slowly stood opposite me. The Assassin Squad members surrounded the inn, preventing me from escaping. I clenched my iron sword in one hand and steeled myself.
I must survive.
I must use all the martial arts I've learned to survive today.
I haven't even properly searched for the Millennium Snow Ginseng; I can't die here!
"Shall we begin?"
The Assassin Squad leader laughed and sent his sword flying at me.
Swish Swish Swish!
Thud!
In ten seconds, my sword broke, and I was hit by a palm strike from a distance, sending me flying into the air. I couldn't understand the vast difference in skill.
'What...?'
This feeling is familiar...
Swish Swish Swish
"Go well."
The next moment, I saw the blue light of the sword qi and finally understood. The Assassin Squad leader was a peak master, on par with or even surpassing Master Jin Soo-cheong.
Soon, my head was severed.
Pain and memories flooded my mind as I felt my breath leaving me.