CRS Chapter 15

At Eunho’s bold statement, Yi-ryang widened his eyes and watched Jinyang’s reaction.

However, contrary to expectations, Jinyang looked a bit surprised but soon smiled with satisfaction.

“As expected of Cheonha Merchant Guild’s eldest son, you seem to have deep knowledge in scholarship as well.”

“…?”

Originally, Lü Dongbin was famous for being an immortal with a rigid personality.

There were countless stories of even fellow immortals being severely scolded by Lü Dongbin.

Jinyang was impressed that Eunho had pointed out an aspect that even those well-versed in Taoist scholarship might not easily know.

Setting aside this small misunderstanding about Eunho, Jinyang continued his explanation.

As Jinyang explained various places while passing by, he hesitated in front of one shrine.

“I’m not sure if it’s right to introduce this place to you all. Especially you, Yi-ryang.”

Yi-ryang asked curiously,

“Who is enshrined here that makes you say that?”

“Would you believe it if I told you we have a shrine dedicated to a yokai in our Wudang Sect?”

“What do you mean!?”

Yi-ryang’s expression greatly distorted.

Fundamentally, the ‘Dao sect’ to which Yi-ryang belonged was an organization created by exorcists who banished yokais long ago when the yokai realm and human realm were not yet separated.

Given its roots, he couldn’t help but react strongly to the mention of yokais.

Especially since it was Wudang that had stood at the forefront protecting humans in the era when yokais ran rampant.

For Yi-ryang, it was difficult to accept the idea of Wudang enshrining a demon.

“Let’s go in and see.”

As Jinyang led the way, the two followed.

Inside the shrine was an old scroll painting depicting a figure.

Eunho’s pupils shook greatly as he looked at it.

“A very long time ago, Wudang received great help from a demon. He found and returned to us the lost secret manual of Immortal Jang Sambong, and thanks to that, Wudang has been able to maintain its lineage until now.”

Yi-ryang nodded.

If they had received such help, it was certainly enough to warrant building a shrine.

“At the time, our ancestors asked for his name, but he only said he was an ascended fox spirit. We think he might have been the Immortal Fox who rules over all beasts in the world. Since then, Wudang has abstained from eating meat as a sign of respect for him.”

“What a beautiful story.”

Jinyang explained with a reverent expression, and even Yi-ryang, who had initially harbored antipathy, seemed greatly moved.

Yi-ryang, who had been staring intently at the scroll, tilted his head.

“Although I’m sure this is my first time seeing the Fox Master, he seems somehow familiar…”

No one could see the cold sweat running down Eunho’s spine.

He had just delivered it because Lü Dongbin told him to.

He had even lied about being an ascended fox spirit just for fun.

How could the King of Yokais ascend?

That would never happen even if the celestial realm split in two.

And because of that, they abstain from meat and only eat grass.

Moreover, it was he who had killed that Immortal Jang Sambong.

“Phew.”

Eunho let out a deep sigh.

Thinking of Jang Sambong, he was reminded of her for no reason.

Because of her, he had committed a massacre, which in turn became the catalyst for his reincarnation as a human.

Uncharacteristically, he felt a sense of nostalgia.

It was Yi-ryang who broke Eunho’s rare moment of sentimentality.

“Ah! Why don’t we ask about that pill?”

It was certain that the pill taken from Aso was extraordinary, but they couldn’t know exactly what it was.

“Immortal Jinyang’s cultivation and scholarship are profound, so he might know.”

“A pill, you say? Well, let me take a look. It’s a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but I have knowledge of most ordinary pills.”

At Yi-ryang’s suggestion, Eunho nodded and took out the pill from his bosom.

Upon seeing it, Jinyang spoke with a slightly excited voice.

“This, this is!”

“Do you know what it is?”

“Of course I do! How could I not recognize this? It’s the Extreme Azure Pill^[1], a treasure of our Wudang Sect! It was recently lost during an escort mission, causing quite a commotion. Where did you find it?”

Yi-ryang explained what had happened, and Jinyang laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! I knew you were extraordinary, but to think you single-handedly dealt with Aso like that!”

Jinyang was genuinely impressed.

If true, wasn’t this truly a heaven-sent martial prodigy?

“But…”

Yi-ryang carefully watched Eunho’s reaction as he broached the subject.

“If it originally belongs to Wudang, shouldn’t we return it…”

Yi-ryang’s words were cut short by Eunho’s intense gaze.

“Hoho, it’s alright. We were careless in our management, and besides, isn’t the finder the keeper?”

Though he said this, his eyes dripped with lingering attachment as he looked at the Extreme Azure Pill.

Noticing the deep longing in his eyes, Eunho quickly put the Extreme Azure Pill back into his bosom.

At that moment, a group of young Taoists entered the shrine.

They were faces familiar to both Eunho and Yi-ryang.

It was Myungjin, the second-generation disciple with whom they had a small conflict earlier!

Upon seeing Jinyang, they quickly bowed their heads in greeting.

“Ah, Myungjin. What brings you here so early in the morning? And with your disciples in tow, no less?”

Myungjin, still seemingly displeased with the earlier incident, glanced at Eunho before answering.

“Well… I felt that my martial arts achievements haven’t been up to par lately, so I came to make offerings to the Fox Master.”

Jinyang’s eyes curved mischievously as he looked at them.

“So you wish to see the Fox Master.”

Yi-ryang and Eunho couldn’t understand their conversation.

If one’s martial arts achievements were low, shouldn’t they train? Why come to make offerings at the crack of dawn?

Jinyang seemed to read the questions in their expressions and explained with a gentle smile.

“It’s embarrassing to say, but among the young ones in our Wudang, the Fox Master is the most popular immortal. Although we shouldn’t rank them… Due to the domineering personality and overwhelming martial prowess he showed when he first came to Wudang, he has come to symbolize martial arts along with Lord Lü Dongbin.”

In fact, among the young Taoists of Wudang, there was a rumor that if you made offerings to the Fox Master, he would come and teach you the essence of martial arts.

There was even a precedent. About a hundred years ago, a Taoist who achieved great enlightenment overnight said, ‘I made offerings to the Fox Master, and he came in my dream and taught me the essence of martial arts.’

Hearing this, Eunho was utterly bewildered.

He had no such memory.

They must have accidentally found and eaten some spirit herb on a cliff somewhere.

It was obvious.

Eunho’s gaze turned to the second-generation disciples making offerings.

It felt truly strange to receive offerings to a scroll painting while standing right next to it.

Moreover, they were doing it earnestly. They were even sweating profusely.

Look at those serious expressions!

Somehow, compassion welled up inside him.

Eunho knew better than anyone that no amount of offerings would be of use.

These young ones who should be eating well, sleeping well, and growing healthily,

They come without sleep at the crack of dawn to make offerings.

These poor things who can’t even eat meat for their entire lives because of a joke he casually made.

“Haah…”

Eunho took out the Extreme Azure Pill from his bosom and handed it to Jinyang.

“Returning it… is the right thing to do…”

The two were greatly surprised by this unexpected action. Especially Yi-ryang, who couldn’t hide his suspicious gaze.

‘What kind of trick is this fellow up to now?’

On the other hand, Jinyang’s eyes moistened.

How could one be so deep…

“Huh?”

The Extreme Azure Pill in Eunho’s hand wouldn’t budge.

Even when he pulled with enough force to make his fingertips tingle, it showed no signs of moving.

Only then did Jinyang realize something was odd.

If he could subdue Aso, he must have learned martial arts.

How could this young man’s level not be visible?

His mind was filled with impossible thoughts, but he shook his head hard to dismiss them.

More importantly…

“Now, young man…”

In the end, Eunho released his strength, and the Extreme Azure Pill passed to Jinyang’s hand.

With deep melancholy settling on his face, Eunho trudged away weakly.

“I’m… going to bed…”

Looking at Eunho’s retreating figure, Jinyang’s face bloomed with a bright smile.

“Hahaha! To subjugate the Forest Stronghold and return Wudang’s treasure… Considering his age, even calling him a hero seems insufficient.”

Myungjin, who had been watching them from the corner of his eye while making offerings, was shocked. Had he ever seen the sect leader smile so brightly before?

He hadn’t shown such a smile even in front of Myungjin, the pride of Wudang.

Myungjin gritted his teeth.

And he redoubled his efforts in making offerings.

‘I will surely meet the Fox Master!’

***

Eunho was trudging along like a limp vegetable.

He should have just eaten it the moment he found it.

He had succumbed to a momentary pang of conscience and made a mistake.

What was troubling Eunho now wasn’t simply the fact that he couldn’t eat the Extreme Azure Pill.

Unable to overcome feelings of guilt?

This would have been unthinkable for the Eunho of his previous life. He had felt it for a while, but he was increasingly becoming a true human.

Although it was what he had wanted, losing the identity he had held for over a thousand years wasn’t entirely pleasant.

Well, what could he do about it?

Images of his father, sister, and master flashed through Eunho’s mind in succession.

Still, being human was better.

“Should I go take a look?”

After meeting Jinyang, hearing old stories, and seeing the shrine, memories he had forgotten came flooding back.

The cave that he had opened up, or more accurately, that had been opened during the process of beating everyone up, when he first stormed into Wudang and thrashed everyone from the sect leader to the three great disciples.

Eunho immediately leapt into the air.

“Huh. It’s really here?”

The cave from that time was indeed still there behind Mount Wudang.

The size of the cave was considerable. The entrance alone seemed to be over three zhang high.

A signboard hung above it.

“Absolutely Do Not Enter?”

Monster energy could be felt wafting from deep within the cave.

Feeling yokai energy for the first time in a human body was truly electrifying.

The Wudang Taoists must have tried to purify it through their immortal energy, but it would have been futile.

After all, Eunho’s yokai energy had been that extraordinary.

If it was still wafting like this after hundreds of years, Eunho himself couldn’t imagine how intense it must have been at the time.

Seeing the traces he had left in his previous life made him feel a bit strange.

***

Eunho couldn’t help but frown at the sight he encountered from the morning.

The gazes and actions of the Taoists looking at him were unusual.

“Did you wake up? Here, have a glass of cold water.”

“Oh my! There’s dirt on your trouser hem. Hehe.”

A young Taoist came and dusted off Eunho’s dirt-stained trousers,

And in the glass he was handed, there were even a few pieces of that expensive ice floating.

‘Why, why are they acting so crazy?’

After his previous life, apart from his family, most people harbored hostility or competitiveness towards Eunho.

Such blind goodwill was enough to bewilder even the great Eunho.

In the distance, he could see Yi-ryang approaching, waving his hand cheerfully.

“Junior Ha, are you awake?”

“Yes. But why are these…”

“Hey now, ‘these’? You should be more careful with your words.”

Who would dare refer to Taoists as ‘these’ within Wudang?

“Nevermind that, why are they acting like this?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know.”

Yi-ryang shook his head. The fellow before him seemed to have no idea what a great deed he had done.

“You found the Extreme Azure Pill, didn’t you? The Extreme Azure Pill is a treasure of Wudang comparable even to Shaolin’s Great Return Pill.”

“Ah.”

His stomach started to hurt.

He should have just eaten it after all.

Overnight, Eunho had become a hero who recovered Wudang’s treasure.

It was a well-known fact that martial artists were obsessed with spirit medicines.

Although they were Taoists, they were still martial artists, so they understood.

He could have eaten it secretly, but the fact that he returned it to Wudang touched them deeply.

Everyone except for one person, Myungjin, showed goodwill towards Eunho.

“Hohoho, ‘our’ Junior Ha is awake, eh? You must be hungry, let’s go have some breakfast.”

Jinyang appeared as if he had been waiting for Eunho to show up.

The other Wudang members looked quite surprised.

‘Hasn’t the sect leader been substituting meals with fasting pills for quite some time?’

However, the real surprise was yet to come.

When they arrived at the dining hall,

“M-meat dishes?”

Their eyes nearly popped out.

When was the last time they had seen meat within Wudang Sect? Had there ever been such a time?

The Wudang Taoists rubbed their eyes again and again.

No matter how many times they checked, there were indeed meat dishes.

Although it wasn’t the cooking of a skilled chef, even the clumsily grilled meat was enough to surprise them.

Of course, these dishes were only placed in front of Eunho and Yi-ryang.

When Yi-ryang asked with his eyes what was going on, Jinyang smiled contentedly and proudly as he spoke,

“I thought about it, and it seemed too much to only feed grass to those who aren’t even Wudang Taoists. So I prepared this separately. Although it’s not excellent cuisine, I put in some effort from early morning, so please appreciate the gesture.”

This meant that the sect leader had personally caught and grilled the meat.

Eunho, seated at the table, picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

“Hmm.”

“How is it? Does it taste alright?”

Eunho tilted his head and then put another piece in his mouth.

“Hmmm.”

“Come on, say something.”

As it was Jinyang’s first time grilling meat in his life, he was quite nervous.

The other Taoists also swallowed hard, waiting for Eunho’s response.

“Well, it’s not bad.”

Jinyang’s expression brightened.

“Hoho, that’s a relief.”

For some reason, the other Taoists also nodded.

However, there was a group looking at Eunho with fierce gazes.

“Senior Brother, what do you think?”

“About what?”

When Myungjin, called Senior Brother, answered curtly, his disciple Myungwoo continued,

“I mean, he looks about our age, but to think he took down Aso alone. Wasn’t the leader of Aso a master who had reached the peak? Shouldn’t we try talking to him?”

Myungjin nodded. He understood why his disciples were half in doubt. He himself didn’t like that fact either.

‘Took down Aso alone? How could that be possible?’

Myungjin’s level, said to be unrivaled among his peers, had just barely crossed into first-rate and was at the threshold of the peak realm.

How could someone from a merchant family, not even a martial family, be capable of such a feat?

At that moment, they saw Eunho finishing his meal at an incredible speed and leaving the dining hall.

“I’ll be back.”

With a resolute expression, Myungjin followed after Eunho.

Thump.

When someone grabbed his arm from behind, Eunho turned his head with an annoyed expression.

He had roughly expected it, but it was surprising how accurately it matched his expectations.

“You again?”

Myungjin’s hand gripping Eunho’s arm tightened.

“You claim to have single-handedly dealt with Aso and found the Extreme Azure Pill? Nonsense. Didn’t you actually steal it?”

Eunho silently looked at Myungjin.

He didn’t seem like a naturally bad person.

This is why humans are scary. Once they become twisted, there’s no hope.

Click, click-click.

Eunho lightly cracked his neck and fingers.

“So what? Want me to prove it to you?”

1. 태청단(太靑丹)[↩]