Chapter 8

Upon entering the inner courtyard of the Baegun Escort Agency, the first thing that catches the eye is the four towering pavilions. These pavilions serve as the offices for the four divisions of the Baegun Escort Agency, which can be considered its four pillars. Among them, the Jeokun Pavilion, the largest and most ornate of the four, is used by the Red Cloud Division. Most visitors find this arrangement puzzling. After all, it is unusual that the White Cloud Pavilion, led by Do Jin-woo, the current deputy head and the most trusted colleague of the former head Yu Ho-yeol, does not occupy the largest pavilion. However, those who are aware of the changes in the power structure of the Baegun Escort Agency after Yu Ho-yeol's death do not find this strange. Currently, the leader of the Baegun Escort Agency is Yu Jin-sang, so the second-in-command position naturally belongs to Gwak Joo-san, the head of the Red Cloud Pavilion and Yu Jin-sang's confidant.

At this moment, Gwak Joo-san is slowly descending the stairs leading to the underground of the Red Cloud Pavilion. The underground space, designed in secret to avoid the eyes of the agency's members, is a place whose purpose even Yu Jin-sang, the owner of the Red Cloud Pavilion, does not know.

Thud.

He has now reached the bottom of the stairs. The damp underground is filled with the smell of blood. Faint light from luminous stones embedded in the walls illuminates the interior. White and red ribbons hang from the ceiling, adorned with countless talismans drawn in blood. Bloodstains, whether from animals or humans, are scattered everywhere. The place evokes the image of a shaman's room filled with madness.

Filling the room are mysterious figures with long, eerie coverings over their faces. They are dressed like Taoist priests, but unlike the typical white or blue robes, they wear blood-red Taoist garments. They bow in unison, as if paying respects to a superior.

One of the Taoist priests, standing in the center, steps forward and speaks. "Have you arrived, Deputy Head?" As he lifts the covering from his face, the face of Ha Geom, the deputy head of the Red Cloud Pavilion, is revealed. Gwak Joo-san frowns slightly upon hearing the greeting.

"Ah, still not fully adapted, I see."

Realizing his mistake, Ha Geom scratches the back of his head and replies, "Oops, my mistake. I guess the habits from the sect are still with me. I will be more careful, Head."

Gwak Joo-san nods lightly in response to his apology and continues, "Yu Shin-un, that boy, entered the main archive today."

Ha Geom's eyes briefly flicker with interest before returning to normal. He responds, "Well, it's within the realm of expected behavior. After coming back from the dead, he might have felt a sudden fear."

"I agree. However, ... tsk, the problem is that it doesn't look that way to a novice's eyes."

He has quickly identified the person who has offended his superior. "Yu Jin-sang, that young brat, is bothering you again, isn't he?"

Ha Geom is openly criticizing their master, Yu Jin-sang. What is even more surprising is that Gwak Joo-san does not reprimand him for this.

"Hmph, I've already warned the people working in the archive not to help him at all, but he just won't let go."

"Even with the solid foundation we've given him, he still feels insecure."

"His inherent foolishness can't be changed. ... Well, it is what it is, since we 'chose' him."

Ha Geom nods with a meaningful smile and adds, "Perhaps it's for the best."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If a novice who knows nothing about martial arts picks up any book and ends up suffering from mental derangement, it would be like getting rid of him without lifting a finger, wouldn't it?"

"Hmm, that's certainly a possibility."

Gwak Joo-san gives a sardonic smile in response to Ha Geom's words.

"Still, we need a surefire insurance. How far along is the ritual preparation?"

"I was just about to report that it's all done."

"Good. Then let's proceed tonight!"

"Yes, sir!"

Ha Geom kneels on one knee to accept the order. Gwak Joo-san, looking down at him with satisfaction, speaks in a chilling voice, "Everything is..."

At this, all the Taoist priests in the underground, including Ha Geom, echo in unison, "As the red sky wills."

---

The interior of the main archive resembles a vast library. Tall bookshelves, taller than a person, line the room, each shelf filled with countless martial arts manuals. These include cultivation techniques, sword techniques, defensive techniques, agility techniques, hidden skills, and venom extraction techniques, among others, covering a wide range of martial arts.

The martial arts manuals were acquired through various means. Some were received as tokens of gratitude from clients, some were obtained through lucky victories in battles, and some were donated by retired bodyguards. However, most were purchased during the agency's prosperous times.

The Baegun Escort Agency, not originally a martial arts family, invested a significant portion of its earnings in acquiring martial arts to ensure its survival, as the first head believed that any weak organization would inevitably collapse.

At one point, the main archive was a symbol of the agency's prosperity. However, now that it has declined, the valuable martial arts manuals have long been resold, and even the copies have been leaked and disappeared due to the greed of those who saw the value in them.

Now, the best that remains are manuals that can make one a first-class martial artist.

Suddenly, a whispering voice is heard.

"Oh, is it really okay to leave him like this?"

"What if he suffers from mental derangement?"

"Hey! Absolutely no helping him. If the young master becomes the head, will we be kicked out of the agency?"

"Still, isn't it ridiculous to just pick any book and try to learn martial arts? If it weren't for my family..."

These are the voices of the senior first-class bodyguards who work in the main archive. They are responsible for advising and assisting new third-class bodyguards to avoid injuries from practicing unsuitable martial arts.

Currently, their attention is focused on one man.

Naturally, it is Yu Shin-un.

He bursts into the main archive, his eyes sparkling like a child looking for a fun toy, and begins rummaging through the shelves. He quickly flips through the numerous books, putting them back without any apparent focus.

It goes without saying that choosing martial arts manuals carelessly, as if picking items from a market stall, can lead to disastrous consequences. At best, it could result in failure; at worst, it could lead to death.

However, none of the first-class bodyguards approach him. They have been ordered by Gwak Joo-san not to help Yu Shin-un. Despite feeling guilty about potentially contributing to the young master's downfall, they can only watch from a distance, their eyes filled with worry, thinking of their families waiting at home.

However,

Contrary to their concerns and Gwak Joo-san's plans, Yu Shin-un is effectively finding the martial arts manuals he needs.

He picks up a manual from a shelf and begins to skim through it as usual.

'Let's see what this is.'

At that moment, an opaque window appears before his eyes, invisible to others.

[Black Wolf Assassination Technique]

Grade: First-Class Upper

Attribute: Wanderer/Assassin

A martial arts technique used by He Haishu, a wanderer from Hubei Province who was famous as a traveling assassin.

It has a very fast cultivation speed, but it also accumulates impure energy, leading to the deterioration of major meridians as the practitioner's level increases.

Yu Shin-un clicks his tongue in disappointment.

'Tsk! It's the highest grade among the manuals I've seen so far. But the side effects are too severe because it's an assassin's technique.'

Losing interest, he puts the manual back and immediately picks up a new one to examine.

In fact, Yu Shin-un does not need the help of the first-class bodyguards to gather information about the manuals. The interface system embedded in his soul provides detailed information about the manuals.

To others, it seems like he is skimming through the books, but he is actually using the information window to accurately assess the value of the manuals.

His criteria for choosing a martial arts technique are two-fold:

First, a high grade.

Second, the most stable and pure energy.

Through his understanding of the differences between orthodox, assassin, and demonic martial arts, as described by Wang San, he has identified the following:

Orthodox martial arts follow the natural order, cultivating pure and natural energy slowly but steadily.

Assassin martial arts use impure energy to gain power more quickly, deviating from the natural order.

Demonic martial arts defy all laws to obtain destructive power.

Therefore, he is looking for an orthodox martial art.

The reason for seeking pure energy is simple. Balancing the negative mana and his internal energy, as he has experienced, is not an easy task.

Even with the extraction of a single energy from the Yu Yun Heart Technique, the negative mana caused a significant disturbance. Now, as he tries to accumulate permanent internal energy in his body, the result is predictable. The moment he attempts it, the negative mana will undoubtedly react negatively.

If he were to use an unstable energy technique like an assassin or demonic martial art as a foundation, the risk of a catastrophic reaction would be very high.

Thus, he is looking for a high-grade orthodox martial art.

'If I had more negative mana, this kind of reaction wouldn't happen.'

He cannot shake off his regret.

The difficulty is caused by the stubborn nature of the negative mana. As the amount of internal energy increases, it becomes even more frantic, fearing it will be consumed.

If he had enough negative mana, this problem would not have arisen.

'Where can I find a few more monsters to absorb?'

For a moment, he even misses those terrifying creatures.

However, he cannot dwell on his regrets forever.

He decides to focus on the reality at hand and begins to sift through the manuals again.

Before he knows it, four hours have passed, and night has fallen outside.

'This seems to be the best option.'

Yu Shin-un, wiping the sweat from his forehead, holds a martial arts manual. It is the highest-grade orthodox manual he found after thoroughly searching the main archive.

[Golden Buddha Single-Minded Technique]

Grade: First-Class Supreme

Attribute: Buddhist/Orthodox

A cultivation technique created by Huang Zichu, a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple, by combining his family's martial arts with his own.

While the energy is very pure, as befitting a Shaolin technique, the mixture of two different origins makes it unstable when the energy is released externally.

"Hmm."

As he contemplates the manual, a system message appears before his eyes.

-Do you want to learn the cultivation technique, 'Golden Buddha Single-Minded Technique'?

-(Yes) or (No).

What should he do?

He cannot make a quick decision.

While it is the only first-class supreme martial art, its clear drawback is concerning.

Moreover, the instability when releasing energy externally is a significant issue for Yu Shin-un, who prioritizes stability.

'...There's no other choice, I guess.'

With no other manuals to consider, this is the best option available.

His finger slowly moves toward one of the choices.

Just then,

Creak. Thud.

"Huh?"

A dull impact is felt in his waist. Turning to the side, he sees a cart loaded with books, shaking.

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

A young girl's voice comes from behind the cart. She is small, with wide, frightened eyes, looking at him.

She begins to tremble with fear.

"I, I beg for your forgiveness!"

"What are these books?"

"…What?"

She immediately apologizes again, but Yu Shin-un's attention is elsewhere.

The girl notices his gaze on the books in the cart.

"Ah, these are damaged copies we received as extras when purchasing other martial arts manuals."

Yu Shin-un's eyes light up.

Damaged copies are severely damaged and often discarded. However, this means that the cart is filled with martial arts manuals.

There are still unexplored manuals.

"Guide me."

"…What?"

"You were heading to where these are stored, right? I mean, lead me there."

Martial World Noble Reincarnation