Chapter 10

0010 ———————————————-

Millennium Snow Ginseng (千年雪蔘)

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 awe and respect just because I showed them a silver ingot. The moment I carelessly exposed the silver ingot, 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 and convert 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 close to my chest, making it quite difficult to carry around. As I was entering the deep mountains, a thought suddenly struck me.

'Ah, right! Should I look for the cave where I died in my previous life?'

The cave where I was forced to die due to a trap mechanism!

Could it be that the secret treasure (秘寶) inside the cave is 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 navigate the treacherous forest and find my way straight to my destination.

I can go to 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 rocks and pebbles, I could lie down and get a good night's rest.

Crackling...

The fire began to blaze. I basked in the warmth and fell into deep thought.

Why did I come 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). However, my last memory is hazy, so I don't know what kind of book it was.

'Could it be that picking up that book sent me back to the past?'

There are 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, even though there were nearby 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. Right in front of me was a cliff about three zhang high, cleverly hidden so that I almost tripped and fell. The cliff was probably obscured by thick branches.

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 the cliff, I drove the chisel into the ground, tied the rope around my body, and began to descend slowly. Once I found a foothold, I slowly and cautiously entered 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 rare find, 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 doubt I could easily avoid them. Tense, I watched the box and then pulled out a dagger from my sleeve, throwing it at the box.

Clang!

The dagger struck the box's opening and flew to the side. It seemed the trap mechanism only activated 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, a high-level martial artist's pride was meaningless.

Thud

Clang!

'I did it!'

An arrow hit the front of the copper shield and bounced off. The speed of the arrows was so fast that I could barely see them with my dynamic vision, and there was no way I could dodge them with my current skills. All I could do was block the arrows with the copper shield at the expected firing positions.

Arrows from a trap mechanism were several times faster than those shot by a human. I took a deep breath and took another step closer to the box.

There didn't seem to be any more trap mechanisms. I carefully tapped the lid of the box with the edge of my dagger and then opened it.

Creak...

"......"

I pulled out a book (冊) from inside. For a moment, I thought that touching the book might send me back to the past, but nothing happened. 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 the demonic arts of a heretical sect, nor did it have the feel of a martial arts manual from a righteous sect. Tilting my head, I turned to the first page, and I was startled.

"What is this?"

Strange language (怪語)!

The page was filled with bizarre, worm-like characters that I had never seen before. They were clearly a systematic language, but I had never encountered anything like it. I had seen Sanskrit and Western scripts during my travels, but this script was entirely different.

It was clear that I couldn't interpret or read this "Tian'an Secret Book" with my current abilities. However, it seemed certain that this book 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 and felt like I had only obtained 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 find 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 to Huangshan.

It had been a few days since I raided the village chief's house and took the silver ingot, but the constables didn't seem to suspect me. The wanted notice might not have reached this area yet, or more likely, the village chief didn't tell anyone.

In fact, he couldn't. The only thing I actually did 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 authorities.

'I can't be too complacent yet. He might hire a martial artist to hunt me down...'

But that was just a possibility. Most top-notch or peak-level martial artists had high pride and wouldn't accept a commission from a village chief, no matter how much money was offered. To hire a martial artist of that caliber, it would probably 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 travel time 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, feeling that my hardships were almost over.

Clatter

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.

It was a famous mountain, highly regarded even above the Five Great Mountains (五岳). It was said that "after seeing the Five Great Mountains, one doesn't see mountains; after seeing Huangshan, one doesn't see the Five Great Mountains," such was its breathtaking scenery.

Moreover, Huangshan consisted of seventy-two peaks (七十二峰), each towering over five hundred zhang high. While some areas were relatively well-trodden, there were still many rugged and unexplored regions that required careful exploration.

I would find all seventy-two peaks!

To find the Millennium Snow Ginseng (千年雪蔘), which might be anywhere!

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 that it existed in Huangshan. I also had 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 and hidden landscapes, 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 is 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 (白色) and black (黑色) 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 imagined 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 loose 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 martial artists.

"......!!"

"Why the long face?"

The black-robed martial artist chuckled.

"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!'

I immediately assessed the level of the martial artists surrounding the inn and 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 martial artists, 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 without a chance.

They are incredibly strong!

The question was why a sect capable of mobilizing such elite martial artists would be after my head. 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 martial artist, 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 feared that even righteous sects considered them as grim reapers.

Even if one were a peak-level martial artist, if they were targeted by the Black Night Sect's Assassin Squad, they had no chance of survival. This reputation was so widespread and accepted that the Black Night Sect and the Assassin Squad were feared throughout the martial world. I felt my vision go dark but clung to my fading consciousness and asked.

"By the way, I'm 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 must have 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 a client for more money, who would trust us with commissions? 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 likely be the strongest among them, so this proposal would be hard to refuse. One reason the Black Night Sect could take assassination commissions without being attacked by the martial world was that they maintained a facade of martial artists, accepting challenges and duels from other sects.

"Hmm... You've got some spirit!"

Murmurs

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 behead you 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 can't die here without even properly searching for the Millennium Snow Ginseng!

"Shall we begin?"

The Assassin Squad leader laughed and sent his sword flying at me.

Swish Swish Swish!

Swish!

In ten seconds, my sword broke, and I was hit by a palm strike from a distance, flying through the air. I couldn't understand the vast difference in skill.

'What...?'

This feeling is familiar...

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-level martial artist, 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.

'F*ck...'

This was my second death.

============================ Author's Afterword ============================

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