Chapter 9 Hundred Thousand Great Mountains
The inn was as noisy as ever.
Baekwoon glanced around the interior of the inn, then slid over to a table where a man was sitting.
“Brother Namgoong. I heard you had something to discuss.”
Namgoong Yeon, who was eating his meal with intense focus, didn’t even lift his head as he spoke.
“Why don’t you join me?”
The white noodle dish made with oil, eggs, and milk was unfamiliar to Baekwoon.
“No, thanks. Why do you use strange utensils instead of chopsticks?”
“You have to use this when eating this dish.”
Namgoong Yeon twirled the noodles with a strange, three-pronged utensil.
Every time Baekwoon saw that peculiar utensil and the greasy food, he felt a surge of anger. He couldn’t understand why it bothered him so much.
He held back and continued talking.
“Did you get the information?”
“Of course. Have I ever called you without having information?”
Namgoong Yeon was not an ordinary man. His ability to gather specific information was said to rival even the intelligence of the Beggars’ Sect.
“You must have heard of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains?”
Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. It was a place no warrior could be unaware of.
Especially for Baekwoon, who belonged to the Zhongnan Sect.
“Of course, I have. It’s the base of the Demonic Cult, isn’t it?”
“Hey, it’s not the Demonic Cult. It’s called the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
Baekwoon frowned.
How could someone from the Namgoong family call the Demonic Cult by that name?
For Baekwoon, who was taught the strict doctrines of Zhongnan, it was unthinkable.
“What’s with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? How can you say that with the Namgoong name?”
“Haha. I’ve already fallen out of favor, so what can’t I say?”
Namgoong Yeon downed a bowl of rice wine.
“Ahh, the taste of this wine is superb.”
“Enough, just continue with what you were saying.”
“You asked for information on spiritual creatures, right?”
Animals or plants that possessed a mystical energy.
Absorbing their power allowed one to reach new heights in martial arts much faster than through training alone.
Despite this, warriors had little interest in spiritual creatures.
They dismissed them as mere figments of imagination.
But they were real.
Suddenly appearing in large numbers, warriors were desperately trying to acquire them.
Even the monks of Shaolin were wandering around trying to capture them, so it was no wonder other warriors were doing the same.
Baekwoon was also searching for such a creature.
He had reached a point where he felt he couldn’t progress further through training alone.
“That’s right.”
“I’ve confirmed that there’s a spiritual creature in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.”
Clicking his tongue, Baekwoon thought it was useless information.
The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains were not a place one could enter freely.
Even considering the distance, the groups inhabiting that area made it a daunting place to approach.
“I can’t just storm the Demonic Cult’s base for a single spiritual creature.”
“It’s not just one.”
“You mean there are more?”
Namgoong Yeon nodded lightly and spread out his right hand.
“Five? That’s not enough.”
Namgoong Yeon shook his head.
“Could there be fifty? It’s tempting, but…”
Again, Namgoong Yeon shook his head.
“Five hundred?”
The number Baekwoon uttered was absurd.
“More than five thousand.”
What Namgoong Yeon said was even more absurd.
“There are at least five thousand spiritual creatures.”
Baekwoon silently drank from the rice wine on the table.
“I thought you only drank Shaoxing wine. I must have misjudged you.”
Namgoong Yeon chuckled as he watched Baekwoon wipe the rice wine from his lips.
“Brother Namgoong, I’m not here to joke around.”
“Are you still unsure about me?”
Namgoong Yeon continued in a low voice.
“The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains is a land no one has ever invaded. That’s why the spiritual creatures are gathered there. Humans and spiritual creatures are natural enemies.”
“…If that’s true, won’t the Demonic Cult members take all the spiritual creatures and disrupt the balance of the martial world?”
“If they do, they might. But, Baekwoon, I told you no one has invaded the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.”
“That means…”
“Yes. Even the followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult can’t enter.”
Baekwoon couldn’t understand their actions.
“Why would the Demonic Cult do such a thing?”
“I don’t know the details, but there’s a prophecy.”
“A prophecy?”
“They say a Heavenly Demon will be born in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.”
The Heavenly Demon.
A mythical being worshipped by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Are they leaving those spiritual creatures alone because of some prophecy?”
“That’s the kind of group they are.”
“I still don’t get it.”
Bang.
Baekwoon lightly struck the table.
“No matter how much internal energy a ten-thousand-year-old carp accumulates, it’s still just a carp. The same goes for a gold frog.”
When a carp accumulates enough internal energy to form a core, it is called a ten-thousand-year-old carp. When a toad with strong poison forms a core, it is called a gold frog.
Despite being called spiritual creatures, their inherent power wasn’t that strong.
Namgoong Yeon responded to Baekwoon’s words.
“They’re weak, but why is the internal energy within their cores so powerful? Have you ever thought about that?”
The cores of spiritual creatures were considered supreme treasures.
Acquiring just one was considered a fortuitous encounter, allowing one to break through barriers in their martial arts, a coveted item for anyone valuing martial prowess.
“It’s the limit of a carp and a toad. Even with vast internal energy, if they can’t surpass their limits, they’re just a carp and a toad.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Shouldn’t they be thinking about absorbing the power of those spiritual creatures? Why are they leaving them alone? Are those spiritual creatures considered the gods the Demonic Cult is waiting for?”
“Who knows. There’s even a rumor about such a creature in Mount Hua.”
“If it’s Mount Hua… The one they call the Dragon Man…”
“Don’t say any more.”
Namgoong Yeon warned Baekwoon.
There was a rumor in the marketplace.
A Dragon Man with crimson scales and large wings had joined Mount Hua. A master capable of wielding a grand flame, burning everything in its path, had emerged.
And it was said that uttering his name would bring about the end of the world.
“Are you afraid of mere market rumors?”
“As an information dealer, I have to be cautious of everything from the market. Market swords, market fists.”
“I didn’t know you were afraid of street fighting.”
Namgoong Yeon silently drank more rice wine.
“I still don’t get it. Why leave those spiritual creatures alone…”
“As I said, spiritual creatures are weak because they can’t surpass their limits.”
He tapped the empty rice wine bowl as he spoke with a serious face.
“But what if they undergo a complete transformation?”
“A complete transformation!”
It meant changing one’s bones and being reborn, transforming into a body suitable for martial arts to reach a higher state.
“How can they undergo a complete transformation?”
“They have the conditions. Decades or centuries of accumulated internal energy. And a body that doesn’t match that energy. It’s not strange for them to undergo a transformation.”
Namgoong Yeon grinned, showing his teeth.
“A spiritual creature with vast internal energy breaking through its limits—don’t you find that fascinating?”
“More than five thousand spiritual creatures consuming each other’s power. Every time they hit a wall, they consume a core and are reborn into a new body…”
Baekwoon closed his eyes and imagined it.
The sight of over ten thousand spiritual creatures fighting each other. The scene of each one coveting the other’s core. The image of a green dragon roaring atop a mountain of corpses.
It felt like witnessing solitude.
“It’s a demonic realm.”
“Haha. I’m really curious. Will a being they call the Heavenly Demon truly emerge?”
“…You’re insane.”
Baekwoon clicked his tongue.
He had simply sought information on the location of spiritual creatures but ended up hearing a much bigger story.
The information Namgoong Yeon shared could shake the entire martial world.
“So, what can I do?”
The entire inn fell silent as everyone focused on Namgoong Yeon’s words.
“They haven’t occupied the entire vast Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. There are a few paths only I know.”
Despite being capable of using internal communication, he spoke loudly, hiding his abilities.
So that as many people as possible could hear.
So they could turn their attention to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
Except for Baekwoon, the others were of low skill.
But the rumors they spread would be faster than anything else.
“Now, the first path is…”
Namgoong Yeon’s purpose was to direct the eyes of the Five Great Families and Nine Great Schools, along with other martial artists, towards the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
***
Unaware that it had undergone a complete transformation, the lizard floated quietly on the water.
As if it had mastered the pinnacle of footwork, it had a serious expression with its eyes closed. Or rather, it was covering its eyes with a leaf.
Thunk.
Even when it collided with a dragonfly flying by, it didn’t budge.
It was in a state of selflessness.
Who knows how much time passed, but its body began to sink into the water.
At the same time, the leaf fell away, revealing its red eyes to the world.
Splash!
Water splashed as if a dragon were taking flight, its tail emerging from the water.
The lizard made a satisfied cry upon seeing the fish biting its tail.
“Gekgek!”
This small lizard, unaware of martial arts and combat skills, was simply happy to have secured its immediate food.
Of course, there was the minor issue that the fish was slightly larger than anticipated and had razor-sharp teeth, gnawing on its tail, but it didn’t mind.
“…Gek?”
The green lizard was startled.
It erased the images of spicy fish stew and sashimi from its mind and glared at its opponent.
【Black Piranha LV8】
__________________________
【Black Piranha】
Can grow up to 60cm and is nicknamed the King of Piranhas.
Its bite force surpasses that of most sharks, and it is an extremely aggressive species.
__________________________
Though the lizard had already consumed three cores, it was still at a level where it had to fight a fish to the death.
Nevertheless, it let out a loud roar and charged at the piranha.
“Gekgek!”