Chapter 100. Meeting the Sword Maiden of West Heaven (3)

After about two days, we arrived at Aksan County, and the first place we went to was the inn where that waiter had been. Pacheonbaek was so angry that he was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"That bastard will have to learn how to use chopsticks with his toes from now on!"

"I agree."

I also planned to drill a new hole in his ass, as big as the Wumian Mountain tunnel.

However, when we got there, it was too late.

"He quit?"

"Yes, yes..."

The innkeeper explained with a troubled expression that the waiter had already left the inn and disappeared somewhere long ago.

"He left a few days ago, looking very happy. He said something like 'Life is either luxury or the Yangtze River.'"

"Damn it!"

It was truly infuriating. As I was fuming, Pacheonbaek, who was very angry, asked me,

"Can't you find him through some connections or use your influence?"

"I don't have the money for that..."

I had spent it all on gifts.

In any case, the plan to punish the waiter fell through. I hoped that, like in some movies where people meet again when they miss each other, something similar would happen between me and that guy. I booked the cheapest room.

Besides dealing with the waiter, there was a mountain of other things to do.

'Let's check the Nine Dragon Hall situation first.'

Safety is the most important thing, after all.

Through inquiries, I confirmed the rumors about the Nine Dragon Hall. It seemed that things didn't go well, and it had turned into a mess.

Due to betraying Yan Ying Hall and Sihai Gate, the three sects had entered a state of war. And because they gained nothing from their actions, Mr. Gong was dismissed from his position.

'That guy is finished.'

Losing power in a sect is like a gangster losing all his subordinates. It's like the weather has turned deadly.

I relayed this news to the two of them and said to Jin-ho,

"Revenge is also a form of repayment."

Jin-ho scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

"Now that you mention it, that's how it turned out."

Indeed, the death of Jin-chul was a result of the events involving the Nine Dragon Hall, Sihai Gate, and Yan Ying Hall that day.

Since they killed each other, it was like clearing a stuffy nose without touching it.

'In any case, it's a good outcome.'

Although it was a result of their own self-inflicted goals, it was good that Jin-ho didn't have to take revenge himself.

Thinking about the saying that the price of sin always comes, we concluded the matter and decided to plan our strategy in the cramped inn room.

"I'll go meet the Sword Maiden of West Heaven first."

"Huh? I, I should go with you..."

But I firmly said,

"I'll go first and lay the groundwork."

It was better to check the situation first and then respond tactically. I also planned to lay some groundwork for Pacheonbaek.

"Alright, then do that."

Pacheonbaek, who seemed a bit uncomfortable about meeting the Sword Maiden of West Heaven right away, agreed with my suggestion. I changed into the cleanest clothes I had and headed to the Ami Sect's Aksan branch.

'I hope things go well.'

Although things haven't gone well so far, I thought.

***

When I arrived at the Ami Sect's Aksan branch, the door was wide open, unlike last time.

'It's really big.'

It was indeed worthy of one of the nine major sects. The structure and appearance of the hall were much more magnificent compared to the surrounding buildings.

Inside, people were busy, as if they were handling a backlog of work.

"Is anyone here?"

"What is it?"

When I called out, a young man with a robust build approached. Since the Aksan branch is mostly composed of lay disciples, I also saw male disciples.

"I'm from the Baegun Escort Agency. I have a letter from the Sword Maiden of West Heaven's disciple."

I showed my agency badge and explained the situation, requesting to meet the Sword Maiden of West Heaven. He then brought out a large piece of paper from somewhere and compared the seal on it.

"Hmm... It's the same as the seal from the Sword Maiden of West Heaven's disciple that I've seen before."

The organization was surprisingly systematic, and the security was tight.

'Indeed, history and tradition are not built in vain.'

I was slightly impressed and asked for a meeting with the Sword Maiden of West Heaven.

"Yes. I also have a message to deliver, so I request an audience."

"Understood. Please wait a moment. I'll inform her."

After waiting for a while, about 20 minutes later, he returned and handed me a visitor's badge.

"The Sword Maiden of West Heaven has granted permission. Please wear this and follow me."

I put on the visitor's badge and followed him up to Mount Ami.

I didn't enter the main hall of the Ami Sect, but there was a hermitage halfway up the mountain where the Sword Maiden of West Heaven was staying, he said.

The man who guided me pointed to a small door and said,

"Please go inside and wait."

"Thank you for your guidance."

"You're welcome. Please return the badge when you're done."

Looking around, the scenery was beautiful, and the serene atmosphere was fitting for a practitioner.

'Surely, cultivation would go well here.'

I wished I could stay here for a few months.

I carefully opened the main door and waited in the courtyard. A servant girl approached, bowed, and asked,

"Are you a visitor?"

"Yes, yes..."

I showed her the visitor's badge, and she nodded.

"I've heard about it. This way."

Following the servant girl, I entered the hermitage in the center of the courtyard and sat down. After a while, a woman entered.

"You said you have a letter from my disciple?"

The woman who entered was a graceful and elegant lady, like a blooming orchid.

***

The woman who entered the room looked no older than her late 20s or early 30s, perhaps around my age.

While martial artists age more slowly than ordinary people, even considering that, she was quite young-looking.

'Unbelievable.'

But even aside from her youthful appearance, she was incredibly beautiful. It made me understand why Pacheonbaek had been so infatuated with her. Honestly, she was too heavenly for a guy like Pacheonbaek, who looked like a furry ducon.

'People should have a conscience.'

As I was thinking this, the Sword Maiden of West Heaven tilted her head and opened her pink lips to ask,

"Is there something wrong? I was told you have a letter from my disciple..."

In response to her question, I hurriedly stood up and bowed as respectfully as possible.

"No, it's correct. I greet you, senior. My name is Seong Ra-jun, and I'm from the Baegun Escort Agency. I have a letter from Miss Bukgung. Here, please take the letter."

"Hmm. I see. Thank you."

I carefully showed her the letter, and she took it, unfolded it, and read it several times.

After reading the letter for a while, the Sword Maiden of West Heaven, seemingly overwhelmed by the content, burst into tears.

"Sniff..."

"Are you alright?"

She wiped her eyes with the collar of her robe and said to me,

"I didn't know that child had suffered so much. If I had known, I would have stayed by her side. I didn't know that Cho would torment her so."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven said this with reddened eyes. Sensing that she might burst into tears if left alone, I quickly reassured her.

"Everything is taken care of now. Cho Chasik's arm was cut off, and he was driven away."

"Yes, I see. It also caused a lot of trouble for Brother Pacheon."

Indeed, thinking about the battle with Cho Chasik, Pacheonbaek had suffered a lot. Even fighting someone of a lower level, a life-or-death battle is a matter of life and death.

'One can't be complacent just because of a higher level.'

A battle between experts is like a fight where both can instantly kill each other. The side with the cannon has an advantage, but the side with the gun still has a chance.

If one is complacent due to a slightly higher level, they can die. In that sense, Pacheonbaek, who risked his life in the battle, suffered the most.

"From what I can see, you also went through a lot of trouble... Thank you very much."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven bowed in gratitude. I waved my hand, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's nothing."

"No, it's not. It seems that child has good fortune to meet someone like you. It's truly fortunate."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven said this with a joyful parent's face. I felt a bit awkward and decided to ask about the reason for my visit.

"By the way, can you come to Maeum County? Miss Bukgung is eagerly waiting for you."

Going straight to the point, I asked, and she replied with a troubled expression.

"Hmm. Actually... It's not that easy. Not right now."

I wondered if it was because of Pacheonbaek, so I decided to probe a bit.

"Is it because of Mr. Pacheon's matter? If so..."

"No, it's not that."

She shook her head, which was a somewhat unexpected answer.

"Huh? Then..."

"Brother Pacheon has shown affection for me. He even made a rather awkward confession before."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven said this with a blush, as if recalling it was embarrassing. Indeed, from her perspective, it must have been a real embarrassment.

She regained her composure and said,

"But that won't affect my decisions. At my age, I won't be swayed by such things."

She smiled slightly. Her smile made my heart skip a beat without me realizing it.

'Well, she's not the age to be swayed by such things.'

Although her appearance was very young, the Sword Maiden of West Heaven was in her late 30s, not young at all. She was not the age to be swayed by a mere confession.

I tightened my nerves, which had loosened, and pondered the implications of her words.

'So, what makes it difficult?'

If I had to guess, it could only be the Ami Sect murder case. I cautiously asked her,

"Is it because of the recent tragedy?"

I wondered if there were some political difficulties. She nodded.

"Yes. I'm not sure if you've heard, but there was a tragic incident at the main hall recently."

"Yes, I've heard the rumors."

I nodded, and the Sword Maiden of West Heaven frowned and said,

"But because of that incident, one of my cherished disciples is unjustly accused and imprisoned in the penitence chamber. I can't leave the mountain without rescuing her."

The penitence chamber is a sect's reflection room, more like a prison. Why is it like a prison? Because of the environment.

She is locked in a cave where no light enters, and the only things provided are a handful of wall-gourd pills and a little water each day. The conditions are so harsh that even the Gulag might be more humane.

"How old is the child?"

"She's just twelve."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven said this with a somewhat somber expression.

'At that age, it's hard to endure for long.'

It's a difficult environment even for a normal adult. For a growing child who needs balanced nutrition, it's even more challenging.

"Can you tell me more about the recent tragedy?"

I thought that hearing more details might help. She nodded and began to tell the story.

"Let me explain..."

***

According to the Sword Maiden of West Heaven, the day of the incident was the birthday of Jinjeong Shinni.

'What a unlucky person.'

Although they are lay disciples, internally, birthdays are not much different from usual, but gifts from outside are similar to those of other sects.

Especially Jinjeong Shinni, who has considerable influence in the martial world, received many gifts.

"But that day, she was extremely irritated."

"Why?"

"Because it was very different from last year."

Last year, she received a lot of grand gifts, but this year, the number of gifts was less than half.

'It's because of the Wu Lin Alliance's two-person dispatch incident.'

Due to the incident, her reputation was severely damaged, and it was natural for other martial artists to cut ties.

In the end, the highly irritated Jinjeong Shinni went into her room, and only one servant girl was left to attend to her.

The next morning, when Jinjeong Shinni didn't wake up by the morning prayer time, they checked and found her cold body.

The sect was in chaos, and they searched for the culprit, but there was no significant progress. It was difficult to identify the culprit since she was alone in her room when she died.

During the intense investigation of all sect members, a jar containing arsenic was found in the room of the servant girl who attended Jinjeong Shinni, and the girl was arrested and imprisoned in the penitence chamber without a chance to explain.

After telling this, the Sword Maiden of West Heaven sighed deeply and said,

"But Sun-hwa is not the type to do such a thing. The head sect faction claims that she harbored resentment because Jinjeong Shinni often scolded her, but does that make sense?"

"Indeed, it's hard to see it that way."

I nodded in agreement with her.

A 12-year-old child committing such a large-scale crime was hard to believe. As I said this, the Sword Maiden of West Heaven, slightly agitated, said with a reddened face and a harsh tone,

"Moreover, the poison found in Sun-hwa's room was arsenic. Does any arsenic in the world make a person swell up? What are those spots?"

"Well, that's true."

Arsenic causes vomiting and skin peeling when ingested. The symptoms were clearly different from those of Jinjeong Shinni.

Come to think of it, the symptoms sound familiar.

"Has the type of poison been identified?"

"No. The head sect faction claims that the poison used to kill Jinjeong Shinni is gone, and the arsenic found was a backup, but that's a ridiculous theory."

"Indeed, it seems so."

It was a typical case of forced fitting. Or a political tactic to cover it up quickly. Either way, the head sect faction's argument was logically flawed.

"What does the elder faction say?"

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven frowned and said with a voice filled with anger,

"They are trying to cover it up and move on! They probably colluded with the head sect faction behind the scenes. No one is thinking about that child! How long can that young child endure in the penitence chamber?"

"It's hard for her to endure for long."

I nodded in agreement with the Sword Maiden of West Heaven, who was shouting in frustration. Considering the servant girl's age, the limit would be about ten days at most.

"If we leave it as it is, that child will die unjustly. I must save her. That's why I can't leave Mount Ami until this matter is properly resolved."

I nodded after hearing the Sword Maiden of West Heaven's story.

"I understand your situation."

"I won't let that child die unjustly, even if I have to use some forceful means."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven looked extremely angry. Seeing her, I thought she might cause a lot of trouble, so I tried to calm her down a bit.

"But is it okay for you, the Sword Maiden of West Heaven? Politically speaking."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven was caught between two factions. From what I heard, both factions seemed more interested in benefits than principles, and I was worried about her position if she got involved.

She said nonchalantly,

"I was planning to leave the Ami Sect anyway, regardless of the outcome. That's a good thing."

It was a brave statement that didn't match her appearance. I thought it would be better to respond to the situation as it develops rather than push the matter further at this point.

'At least the letter has been delivered.'

Since the primary task of delivering the letter was completed, it would be better to discuss the next steps with Pacheonbaek and come back.

"Then I'll discuss with my colleagues and come back."

"Understood."

The Sword Maiden of West Heaven nodded and said to me.