This time, I was confident that I could definitely obtain the Millennium Snow Ginseng. After all, my martial arts had definitely improved since the second time I died, and I had saved money over three years as a bodyguard. Most importantly, I had come to Huangshan without any particular grudges or entanglements. There was no one who could really interfere with me.
Moreover, during my time as a bodyguard at the Sajung Escort Agency, I had gathered a lot of maps and geographical information about Huangshan. I had prepared meticulously over the past three years, to the point where I felt that a failure this time would be a significant psychological blow.
The reason I was so obsessed with eating the Millennium Snow Ginseng was that the moment I possessed it, I would no longer be just a first-rate martial artist but could confidently challenge the peak experts.
Peak experts were not common in this world. I had heard that in the vast Central Plains, with a population of tens of millions, there were fewer than five hundred peak experts. Their martial prowess could change the course of the world, and they were people for whom wealth and fame were trivial. Although many claimed to have seen peak experts, most of these were actually mistaken for first-rate martial artists. It was said that true peak experts were rarer than hundred-year-old ginseng.
How would my life change the moment I gained power?
It was a delightful imagination, even more so than the wait.
To search for the Millennium Snow Ginseng in Huangshan, I first meticulously prepared for the climb and gathered food supplies. I also determined the direction of my search using the map of the inner peaks of Huangshan that I had obtained.
Huangshan has a total of seventy-two peaks, but I only needed to search thirty of them. This was because the twenty-four outer peaks definitely did not have the Millennium Snow Ginseng, and the twelve peaks near the Huangshan Sect had to be excluded. Additionally, the six peaks where the Huangshan Sect was based also had to be excluded, leaving me with thirty peaks to search.
Of course, saying "thirty peaks" was one thing, but each one was a steep mountain over five hundred feet high. Considering that it would take at least a month to thoroughly search one mountain, my journey would take at least three to four years. It might even take ten years.
"Hmph. Even if it takes ten years, so be it. It's a bargain compared to the reward of obtaining the Millennium Snow Ginseng."
I resolved to be resolute. I vowed not to give up no matter what.
I started searching the first peak the day after I arrived at the base of Huangshan. I left my luggage at a nearby inn and began climbing with my mountaineering equipment. I had to explore the mountain, including areas off the beaten path, to thoroughly search it. Naturally, there were far more places untouched by human hands, so the first day required a tremendous amount of time and effort.
By the end of the first day's search, I was quite exhausted and returned to the inn. I wanted to get a good night's sleep, but I couldn't fall asleep. This was because I had spent the whole day searching the mountain and found almost nothing.
"The efficiency is poor. If I keep returning to the inn, my route will be too short."
I needed to explore the inner peaks, not just the outer areas. Walking at least thirty miles a day, returning to the inn would waste a lot of time.
Building a shack or a thatched hut in the mountains would be better.
Starting the next day, I began building a shack at the entrance of the inner peaks of Huangshan. Having built a thatched hut before, it was a relatively easy task. First, I gathered wooden posts to form the foundation, cut them to the right size, and laid them down. Then, I placed materials that could protect against rain and dew on the roof.
Building a thatched hut or a shack alone was an incredibly difficult task, but I had learned a lot from the masons I befriended during my time as a bodyguard. As long as the basic structure was sound, I could build it with my strength and endurance.
It took about four days to complete the thatched hut. I felt like I had been working on it all day. It wasn't particularly well-built, just enough to protect against rain and dew. The floor was covered with rice straw, and there was no heating. I didn't even build a separate kitchen.
But this was good enough. I had endured a lot in my life, so I could gradually improve this base while living here. The most important thing was to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng, so the comfort of my living quarters was a secondary issue.
With my shelter set up, I began my search in earnest. When I needed food, I bought supplies from the village or paid to eat at the inn. If I needed to wash, I used the nearby stream. If I didn't want to spend money, I caught small wild animals. The innkeeper initially thought I was crazy and wanted to report me to the authorities, but he eventually accepted that I just wanted to live in the mountains from a young age.
Two months after starting the search.
I had roughly explored four of the thirty inner peaks of Huangshan. Thoroughly searching four mountains was a very difficult task, but I managed to do it with my internal energy. Strangely, even though I only practiced internal energy for about an hour a day, the daily physical labor seemed to make my internal energy more firmly rooted in my blood vessels.
By then, half of the money I had saved over three years was gone. If this continued, I would be completely broke in a few months, so I had to think about what to do next. After much deliberation, I came to a conclusion.
"I need to work."
I couldn't completely cut ties with the world. I wasn't a natural hunter, and living off the land by hunting wild animals had its limits. Hunting, regardless of martial arts skill, was a physically demanding and arduous process. I needed to find a way to earn money for food.
Fortunately, the innkeeper's suggestion decided what I should do.
"You live in the mountains, right? Cut down trees and bring them to the lumber mill. They'll buy the wood."
The innkeeper was right. The trees in Huangshan were of good quality and had many uses, so there was a separate lumber mill in the village. The mill processed the wood and supplied it to places that needed it. I signed a contract with the mill owner and started cutting trees with an axe the next day.
Cutting trees was easy, but transporting them to the mill was another matter, so I only cut two or three trees at a time. The mill owner was surprised to see me bring such large trees.
When I needed money, I would cut trees for the mill, and the rest of the time, I would practice my internal energy or search Huangshan. I gradually adapted to this mountain life.
A year passed.
I was searching the ninth peak, and I still hadn't seen a trace of the Millennium Snow Ginseng. By progress, I was only about thirty percent done. The search speed was as expected, so I felt relieved.
The innkeeper often spoke to me.
"You seem like a warrior. Why are you living in Huangshan?"
"I just don't like people."
"Hmm, I see..."
The innkeeper clicked his tongue. I just smiled.
Not liking people wasn't entirely wrong. I wanted to avoid being widely known or unnecessarily drawing attention until I found the Millennium Snow Ginseng. Living quietly and working hard until I found it was the best way.
Three months passed.
A heavy rain destroyed my thatched hut. I rebuilt it, this time much larger. I anticipated a long-term stay and found it very cold when the rain and wind hit. This time, I even built a fence to block the wind as much as possible.
Another three months passed.
A cold snap hit the village, ruining the crops. The tenant farmers looked despondent, and the landlords were perplexed, making the village atmosphere tense. As people struggled to survive, I couldn't earn money by bringing wood to the mill. The mill's business was tied to the crops, and as an outsider, I felt awkward earning money. For a month, I had to hunt snakes, wild boars, and deer to survive.
During this time, I made a bow and started using it regularly. Although I could hunt wild animals with a sword or spear due to my martial arts, I found the bow more convenient. It was a wooden bow with stone-tipped arrows, but it had enough killing power, so I used it frequently.
And - exactly two years after entering Huangshan.
I realized I had searched sixteen peaks. It was a bit slower than expected, but I had covered more than half. I bought some alcohol from the village and drank it in my thatched hut.
"Ugh... Damn it..."
This was the first time I drank alcohol in this life. I felt so frustrated that I wanted to get drunk. My mind was still clear, and I grumbled.
"[A place where white and black lotuses bloom together?] Where the hell is that?!"
I had never asked anyone about this only clue, to avoid drawing attention. But mentally, I was hitting a wall with just that one sentence.
My body had fully grown into an adult, and I had a considerable beard. The thought of searching for a few more years made me feel my patience was wearing thin. Falling asleep while mumbling in a drunken state was a miserable feeling.
'No. I need to start asking around. If I search all thirty peaks and find nothing... I won't be able to handle it mentally.'
I decided to stop being overly cautious.
After searching this much, even if someone started looking, my search speed would be faster. I resolved to ask the villagers and nearby villages, even if it meant raising some suspicion. I was also determined to die if necessary.
The first person I asked was the innkeeper.
"Huh? Have you ever seen a black lotus?"
The innkeeper tilted his head. After a moment of thought, he said:
"I think I heard that a monk was growing it!"
"Which monk?"
"I don't know much. I just heard it somewhere."
The next person I asked was the mill owner, one of the closest people to me in the village.
"A black lotus... a monk growing it... I think I've heard of it."
The mill owner thought for a moment and said:
"It's probably the story of Baekhwan Temple. The head monk was growing it, and it became a bit of a sensation. People went to see it, but the black lotus was just black, so they were disappointed and left."
"I see."
"Baekhwan Temple is on Baekhwan Peak."
It seemed the temple was named after the peak.
I felt disappointed that I hadn't asked earlier, but then I thought that asking after living in Huangshan for two years made it less suspicious. If I had asked right after arriving, people would have been more curious about my background.
Indeed, the innkeeper and mill owner didn't seem to care much about my question. There was nothing suspicious about it.
After learning the location of Baekhwan Temple, I headed to Baekhwan Peak. It was one of the fourteen peaks I hadn't searched yet, and the journey was over forty miles, but I walked persistently and arrived at the base of Baekhwan Peak.
Now, I just needed to search Baekhwan Peak.
'Should I meet the head monk of Baekhwan Temple first?'
It would be good to see the black lotus the head monk was growing. I thought and started climbing the steps to Baekhwan Temple. Soon, I met the head monk of Baekhwan Temple. He wasn't a martial artist but a simple old monk.
The head monk was so old that he could have passed for a monk about to enter Nirvana. His shoulders and hands trembled, indicating that he was suffering from old age. If I had arrived a bit later, he might have already passed away.
"Sir... You said you wanted to see the black lotus...?"
"Yes. I heard it's a very unique flower..."
The head monk smiled faintly.
"Unique... it is unique... I brought it from a snow garden..."
Snow garden?!
'No way?'
"I was walking... about ten years ago... and I stumbled into a valley... the snow was so deep... I fell but was unharmed... there was a pond in the snow garden... and a black lotus blooming in it... hehe..."
"So you brought it back?"
The head monk seemed excited as he spoke.
"I brought some lotus seeds... hehe..."
"Where is that snow garden?"
"I don't know... it was very foggy..."
Fog?
"Sir, please come with me. The head monk is not feeling well..."
"Alright."
A monk from Baekhwan Temple led me out. When I asked the monks about the black lotus, they took me to the back of the temple. As expected, black lotuses were blooming there. I gazed at the black lotuses and said:
"There are only black lotuses here."
"Lotuses are usually white, but these are a bit unusual. However, the roots and leaves of these black lotuses are good for the body, so we often eat them."
"I see. Have you tried to find the valley the head monk mentioned?"
"There was no reason to. It's a unique landscape, but Huangshan is vast. There's no need to search for such places one by one."
The monks' expressions suggested they were telling the truth. They were just monks hiding in the mountains, practicing daily. It was a disappointing turn of events, as I had hoped for some martial arts intrigue, but fewer complications were better. I started thinking.
'If I search from Baekhwan Peak, I will definitely find the snow garden. There must be a connection between the snow garden and the Millennium Snow Ginseng!'
My search began again.
This time, I was determined to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng within a year, driven by a strong resolve and perseverance!
I had endured a harsh life with just this goal. Thinking about the hardships of the past few years made me grind my teeth.
I will find it.
I will find it.
I will definitely... eat the Millennium Snow Ginseng!!
"Ah... Ahhhh...!!"
I let out a cheer.
It had been three years and two months since I entered Huangshan. I had been searching from Baekhwan Peak for over a year. While searching the middle of Jangnam Peak, far from Baekhwan Peak, I discovered a strangely twisted cliff formation and cut through the vines and branches to advance.
And now.
Before my eyes was a vast, white snow garden. The unique landscape, formed behind a valley, was a bowl-shaped area where yin energy condensed year-round, making the air above it extremely cold and perpetually wintry. The snow never melted.
I could see the pond the head monk mentioned.
Just as described, it was a place where [white and black lotuses bloomed together].
'Ah... Not yet. Just a little more...!!'
I gritted my teeth, enduring the cold of the snow garden, and pushed through the snow. I cleared the snow around the pond. Then, I discovered a cave where the snow didn't accumulate. It was large enough for two or three people, so I calmly walked in.
Inside the cave, another snow garden spread out. In the center, where sunlight seemed to reflect, was a large object.
It was ginseng, as big as a human arm.
And it had the pattern of a white willow, which I had only heard about.