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chapter 70
The Sword Spirit party headed to Wuhan in Hubei Province alongside the Tianlong Trading Company.
They traveled with heavily loaded carts, porters carrying goods, and guards escorting the trading company, all of whom seemed somewhat tense.
Sword Spirit tilted his head upon seeing their nervousness. There was no particular danger at the moment, nor was the journey particularly difficult or strenuous.
“Being tense is natural in escorting work. You never know when or where something might happen, so you always stay alert,” Tianjing explained when he saw Sword Spirit frown.
“You can think of it like someone being careful when carrying a lot of money, always watching their surroundings.”
Sword Spirit blinked—a habit that appeared whenever he struggled to understand something.
“Haha, Sir, you are so strong that no one would dare steal from you even if you carried a lot of money, but most people aren’t like that. They worry someone might take their money.”
Only then did Sword Spirit understand.
“I haven’t carried large amounts of money before, so I don’t know, but what you say makes sense.”
“But even if you carry a lot, no one would think to steal from you.”
“Of course. What I hate most is having my things taken.”
A faint smile appeared on Sword Spirit’s lips.
—Even if Ghost Grandpa tried to take my things, I wouldn’t forgive him.
This reminded him of when Ghost Master Gu Yeongcheol would play pranks, occasionally hiding Sword Spirit’s belongings. Looking back, Sword Spirit realized it was all done to let him enjoy learning martial arts. Those pranks had also brought him joy.
“But don’t worry this time. We’ll reach Wuhan safely.”
Although transporting goods by boat along the Yangtze from Chongqing would save time and be safer, the Tianlong Trading Company chose to travel by land to Wuhan, as they would need to make several stops along the way to trade.
They arrived in Yichang, Hubei Province, and stayed at the Biaotian Inn. Yichang is the second-largest city in Hubei, developing after Wuhan, and is a port city along the Yangtze River, famous for the Three Gorges.
The Three Gorges of the Yangtze converge from three directions, creating fierce currents and whirlpools once a day, impassable even for experienced boatmen.
Other attractions in Yichang include the natural towers and the Sanyu Cave, as well as White Horse Cave, accessible by small boats.
“Sir, we’ll need to meet some people here for a day or two.”
“That’s fine. Shall I come along?”
“No, it’s okay. Since there’s much to see in Yichang, you could go sightseeing with Seo Gunha.”
“Is that alright?”
“Yichang is a big city. Don’t worry.”
“Alright, then we’ll do that.”
The Biaotian Inn was busy, with many guests. The first floor was a restaurant with twenty tables for four people each, arranged to accommodate more people if needed.
The food was delicious but not something one could eat continuously. Sword Spirit initially enjoyed the dishes, but later preferred simple foods like noodles, stir-fried pork, dumplings, or vegetable salads that didn’t overwhelm the palate.
The party—Sword Spirit, Seo Gunha, Jeok Hwamyeong, and Yoo Akgun—shared a meal, splitting a bottle of wine while listening in on merchants’ conversations, their primary purpose being to gather information.
“Have you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“That strange cries are sometimes heard in White Horse Cave.”
“I’ve heard that too. People who went sightseeing there all heard it once. They say it’s not an animal’s cry.”
“Yes, they say it sounds like a baby crying.”
Sword Spirit narrowed his eyes as he listened.
—Many martial arts exist in the world, and among them, some are extremely dangerous. Some require special caution.
“What do you mean?”
“The first is the Heavenly Demon Grandmaster’s Invincible Divine Skill. Its heavenly force can destroy any existence.”
“So, Grandpa Godok’s martial art is the strongest?”
Godok Maya Cheon Namyeon’s martial arts originated from the Heavenly Demon Grandmaster’s Invincible Divine Skill, a secret unknown to the world. Five hundred years ago, he supposedly had three disciples, but there were actually four. The fourth disciple, Muyeong, passed this skill down to Cheon Namyeon, eventually reaching Godok Maya Cheon Namyeon over centuries.
“The next is the Archangel Grandmaster’s Spirit Control Skill, whose demonic energy cannot be avoided by any being.”
“Yes, Ghost Grandpa told me that. But it doesn’t work on Grandpa Godok.”
Ghost Master Gu Yeongcheol mastered the Archangel Grandmaster’s skill, becoming the eternal master of death, reigning over the martial world.
“The third is the Celestial Martial Grandmaster’s Heavenly Sword Skill. No one could withstand it on both knees; it’s a truly mysterious martial art.”
“Master Jeonmo said that, but Grandpa Godok still stood firmly on his feet.”
The martial arts of the Heavenly Demon Grandmaster, Archangel Grandmaster, and Celestial Martial Grandmaster had been passed down to one person.
“Other dangerous martial arts exist, too. Some make a sound like a baby crying when practiced.”
“A baby’s cry?”
“The Ice White Little Hand Skill. People also call it the White Terror. When mastered, the hands turn transparent and produce a cry like a baby, deceiving opponents. Its danger…”
Sword Spirit recalled what Godok Maya Cheon Namyeon had told him.
“What kind of place is White Horse Cave?” he asked Yoo Akgun, who seemed all-knowing.
“It’s a unique cave, with another cave above it. Inside, the paths are tangled like a labyrinth. Without a guide, it’s almost impossible to navigate.”
“I see.”
“Also, a small lake forms at the entrance, so you must take a boat to enter.”
Sword Spirit wondered if demons might be hiding there.
“Sister.”
“Yes?”
“We have to stay for a day or two. How about going to White Horse Cave together?”
“Really? Shall we go as a pair?”
Seo Gunha looked at Jeok Hwamyeong, secretly hoping Sword Spirit would go with her alone. Her desire was clearly visible on her face.
“Don’t worry, I won’t go.”
“Yoo, while we’re here, follow Master Tianjing discreetly and keep him safe.”
“What about you, Gongja?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t get beaten anywhere.”
“But I’m your guard, Gongja…”
“Do you want to get hit?”
Yoo Akgun, who had ducked his head, glanced at Seo Gunha and smiled awkwardly.
“I won’t go. We don’t have to, so don’t scold me for it.”
“You mean that to me?” Sword Spirit asked.
She shook her head.
“How dare I contradict Gongja?”
“You have to learn the hard way sometimes.”
Yoo Akgun pouted slightly.
“Anyway, protect Master Tianjing well. Don’t get caught. If you make a mistake, I’ll make sure you can neither live nor die.”
Sado Clan’s Chief Martial Artist, Sama Gunseong, had decided to kill those who hadn’t been seen for years under the pretense of secluded training, believing them to be learning dark martial arts.
He sent the Militant Shadow Team, the Sado Clan’s special task force, to eliminate them, but their news stopped coming.
Sama Gunseong, anxiously waiting for news, was visited unexpectedly by someone who brought word of their fate.
“Is this true?” Sama Gunseong asked, surprised.
“Yes. He claimed to be from the Sado Clan’s Militant Shadow Team and was dying while being chased by a mysterious group. Luckily, we found him nearby, but we couldn’t save him.”
Sama Gunseong didn’t fully trust the words of the host of Guishu Mountain, Liang Hagen. Though he could believe the shadow team was defeated, he was suspicious of the spy claims.
Liang Hagen told the story as Sword Spirit instructed but didn’t mention that the ghost master had appeared. He presented it as if he did everything himself, which made the story slightly unnatural.
Sama Gunseong, as the leading figure of the Sado Clan, sensed something off, which made him suspicious.
“They said there might be spies.”
He nodded in agreement.
“Of course, conspirators likely planted one or two spies.”
Although he said this, he thought differently. Only the Sado Clan’s leader, himself, and a few key figures knew about the Militant Shadow Team incident. The spies probably didn’t know.
‘Then someone must be watching the demons. We can track them from there.’
He asked Liang Hagen, “I heard demons appeared in Zhongjing. Any damage?”
“They appeared at the West Gate Estate. Thanks to Master Jeok Hwamyeong and his group, they were all defeated without major trouble. No other reports of demon attacks have been received.”
“Master Jeok Hwamyeong? That young man who cut off Master Hyeontaryeong’s ear? Tell me in detail.”
Rumors of a young man severing a part of Master Hyeontaryeong’s ear spread widely in the martial world. Some exaggerated, but many confirmed it, so people were interested in him.
“So, Gongja…”
White Horse Cave in Yichang is a popular destination. While not grand or luxurious, the fun of riding a boat to its entrance and watching people made it well-visited.
Sword Spirit and Seo Gunha went to White Horse Cave. Though their real purpose was to investigate the baby-like cries, Seo Gunha didn’t know this.
“The place really is crowded,” she remarked.
Stalls lined the path to the cave entrance, selling food for the journey.
“Madam, to enjoy White Horse Cave, you must have a full stomach. Here, try some delicious dumplings,” a vendor said.
Seo Gunha asked the price and bought two dumplings, smiling brightly.
“Here, I’ll hold them,” Sword Spirit said.
They strolled along the entrance, watching people. Most visitors were couples, some holding hands, others arm-in-arm. Seo Gunha gazed at the couples enviously.
At that moment, Sword Spirit took her hand. She was surprised but didn’t dislike it.
“Time to board the boat,” Sword Spirit urged, and she smiled.
They paid and got on. The boat moved steadily, pushed along the lake floor with a long pole.
In moments, they reached the cave entrance.
“Get off to explore, or stay on if you want to go further,” the boatman said.
Sword Spirit helped Seo Gunha off the boat. Ten other people disembarked, all couples.
Inside, people naturally held hands or linked arms. Seo Gunha looked at Sword Spirit, thinking he wouldn’t initiate hand-holding. She linked her arm with his.
“Feels gentle in the cave,” she said.
She smiled at him, and Sword Spirit gently covered her hand with his. She looked pleasantly surprised.
“I used to do this a lot with my master,” she said.
“Really?”
“Sometimes half a day at a time. We lived on Black Darkness Island. Walking around it took half a day. My master would hold my arm and tell me about the world.”
Sword Spirit learned for the first time today that Seo Gunha had lived on Black Darkness Island.
“I’m not used to interacting with people yet, so please understand if I don’t express myself well.”
Seo Gunha realized Sword Spirit had grown up lonely and moved closer to him.
Sword Spirit looked at her.
“Why?”
“My… chest…”
