“Did you… arrive, my disciple?”
“I’m back. Master.”
Tang So-yeol’s gaze swept over the Lama Monks behind me. There was a palpable tension in their expressions.
Among the Lama Monks, there was one Peak Expert, one at Peak Stage, and one whose level I couldn’t gauge at all.
They might not be powerless against two Peak Experts, but they must have deemed the situation unusual.
In a major faction, encountering a Peak Expert is common, but the chances of randomly running into one on the street are extremely low.
Thus, just the presence of two Peak Experts alone was enough to heighten the tension.
“Haha, why don’t you sit down and have a cup of tea?”
“…Thank you.”
The Lama Monks were too nervous to even touch their teacups.
However, their faces soon turned pale.
“I’m back, Outcast. Oh? Who are these people?”
“Senior!”
“Honorable Person.”
“Instructor.”
The Peak experts Black Cat, Tang Do-yeon, and Miss Yeo Il-ye had joined us. Okryong was also an Expert.
“…Benefactor.”
“We have no intention of causing harm to the practitioners.”
Our group, who had been exuding momentum in preparation for a clash, relaxed and exited the room.
Nuru Buchi, who was completely outside the situation with plenty of Peak Experts around, wiped his cold sweat and protested.
“Surely, there’s much to discuss regarding various matters.”
“Haha, of course. So… where should we start?”
I tilted my head back, gazing dreamily at the ceiling. Well, I could only see a dirty ceiling indoors, but the atmosphere is key, after all.
“I was born bearing a heavenly curse.”
“Hmm.”
A shocking start always piques curiosity and draws the audience in.
“I became a Sacheon Outcast to become a martial artist who critiques the Martial Arts World. During the day, I sold swords, and at night, I honed my martial arts.”
“Oh…”
“Though it may not compare to the talents of the practitioners here, I was considered to have decent talent in my youth, so I swiftly stepped into the Iryu stage and easily reached the threshold of an Expert. However, that’s where the tragedy began.”
I furrowed my brow like I was expressing my despair from that time, making a sorrowful face.
“To truly ascend to the level of an Expert, I made all sorts of efforts. I chased rumors to seek extraordinary encounters, spent years as an outcast pouring all my earnings into spiritual medicine, and sought out renowned physicians as well. As a result!”
I clenched my fist and trembled.
“I discovered a shocking truth… I was cursed with a constitution that couldn’t ascend to the level of an Expert!”
Nuru Buchi, momentarily pressed by my momentum, cautiously interjected.
“But you are now at Peak Stage.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I beamed and nodded my head enthusiastically.
“By sheer luck as a lowly person, I managed to establish a connection with the Tang Clan, and as a result, I was able to receive treatment from the Poison Doctor, who is renowned as one of the three greatest names in the world! The Poison Doctor improved some aspects of my constitution through spiritual medicine. The symptoms that were obstructing my Qi were resolved with the medicine.”
“Oh… is that so?”
The Lama Monks seemed to become increasingly interested in my story. Well, Ho Cheon-an’s tale is indeed quite fascinating.
Up until now, I had built up a narrative based on real events, so it was time to start mixing in some fabrications.
I resumed speaking in a voice akin to a suffering ascetic.
“After seven long years! I reached the stage of an Expert, but what the Poison Doctor told me was truly despairing. The seven-element attribute! While others might gain one through extraordinary encounters and good fortune, I would need to consume seven spiritual medicines to break through to Peak Stage!”
“Seven…?”
The Lama Monks gaped in astonishment. It was the kind of story that could easily raise doubts about its plausibility, but the three wore expressions that seemed to say, ‘Of course that much spiritual medicine is required to improve one’s constitution.’
They were Lama Monks, certainly aware of how challenging it is to overcome a heavenly curse.
“Do you remember the Miss you saw earlier wearing the veil?”
“Of course, how could I forget that?”
“She too has a special constitution. Born with the energy of the moon, her strong spirit energy draws the attention of men, which led to her enduring a lot of hardships.”
“I see…”
“However, I was unaffected by her energy due to my own special constitution. She happened to encounter me and, not being enchanted by me, remembered me and infiltrated where I worked.”
“Oh, what an incredible occurrence!”
“Yes, indeed. Thanks to the great compassion of the Buddha, we formed an alliance to help each other improve our respective constitutions through the various events we endured together.”
I continued to weave the tale of Ho Cheon-an, the Sacheon Outcast, not as just an outcast but as the Extraordinary Encounter Hunter named Ho Cheon-an.
The simple reason I tell them a fabricated story instead of the truth was that in their minds, Ho Cheon-an needed to be a remarkable adventurer and Extraordinary Encounter Hunter who knew the cure for the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse.
“There was truly a massive cave in the depths of the Tianwang Mountain’s Mist Valley. Inside, there was a gigantic Poisonous Centipede that could easily break a thick tree!”
“What in the world!”
“How astonishing!”
I narrated the extraordinary events I was familiar with from my own experiences, like they were my own.
The tale of the Extraordinary Encounter Hunter Ho Cheon-an’s adventures was gripping enough to hold the attention of the three, their hands gripping tightly in anticipation.
The story of the Extraordinary Encounter Hunter Ho Cheon-an was built on a foundation of truth, adorned with the flesh of fictional adventures.
While I explained how my companions all came together based on truth, it was filled with stories of the various extraordinary encounters I experienced while playing the game called Martial World.
The three dug deep into my words, questioning parts that seemed dubious, but since my lies were based on real events, there were no flaws to exploit. In the end, all the events recounted were drawn from my experiences in the game.
Moreover, I had tangible objects to lend sincerity to my story.
When I showed them the Qichae obtained from the Hidden Realm of the Hyeon Cheon-ja, by the time my tale finished, they completely put aside their doubts and became three eager listeners.
“That’s how I arrived at the city of my final destination.”
“What an incredible adventure you’ve had!”
After the long story, the room fell into a brief lull. As they were listening to various tales, perhaps their favorability towards me increased, as they finally sipped their tea.
“I’ve heard your tale well, Ho Cheon-an the Benefactor. The reason you’ve come to this residence must be to seek extraordinary encounters, and I also understand why so many powerful individuals have gathered here. However, I haven’t heard anything about why there is magic being performed in this Rasa.”
“…Hmm. That’s a different story.”
I took on a serious demeanor again. The Lama Monks had expressions that seemed to say, “What more stories could there possibly be?” but from here, it would once again be a true story.
“Are you aware of the current political situation in the Central Plains?”
The three obviously shook their heads. To get from the city of Sijo to Sacheon, one would need to traverse treacherous mountains. While we could reach the city quickly thanks to the Bicheongmacha, travelers or merchants who heard news from Sacheon would need more time to reach Rasa.
I summarized the incident in the Tang Clan and the conflict between the Sacheon Righteous Faction and the Yunnan Outcast Faction to relay to them.
“Hmm… what a disgraceful affair.”
“We had been maintaining our current activities thanks to the support of the Tang Clan, with whom we have numerous ties, but how could we possibly ask those whose house is in chaos to lend us funds?”
“Indeed, that makes sense.”
“Therefore, we must devise a countermeasure. This magic is that countermeasure.”
I briefly demonstrated a few tricks.
“These marvelous techniques were indeed written in the book I discovered while hunting for extraordinary encounters. They seem to be perfect techniques for outsiders to get close to locals, so I practiced them diligently. I thought that by using this technique to perform, I might be able to cover my traveling expenses and decided to carry out this plan.”
“Hmm… with this many Experts gathered, wouldn’t there be other means of making money?”
I feigned a heavy gaze and looked at the three.
“Normally, when outsiders are involved, it’s often some shady business. I’d rather not resort to profiting from others’ misfortunes.”
“Oh… that was not my intention. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“It’s alright. Have the practitioners’ doubts been alleviated?”
The three fell silent for a moment. No matter what, if they could trust an outsider just based on hearing some tales, then what’s the point of calling them ‘outsiders’ in the first place?
I nodded as if I understood and said,
“You’re welcome to come back anytime until your doubts are resolved. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be performing grand magic in the southern courtyard. I plan to gauge the response for a few days and then sell tickets, but as members of the Podalap Palace, you are always welcome to enter.”
The expressions of the three brightened simultaneously.
…What’s with this passionate reaction?
Could they really just be bored individuals escaping from the palace wanting to see some magic?
No way. Considering the commotion in Rasa, they are likely a scouting team sent from the Podalap Palace.
No way! If they were simply here to see some magic, I’d have to regale them again with the long saga of the Extraordinary Encounter Hunter Ho Cheon-an, which lasted more than an hour, and they wouldn’t be.
“Would you like to see some magic here, perhaps?”
The three looked excited and clasped their hands together.
“Please, we beg you, Benefactor.”
“….”
It seems they really just wanted to see some magic.
Damn it.
