Chapter 301

“Even after that, I continued to wonder whenever I witnessed your extraordinary prowess.”

As Hu Gae recalled his first confrontation with Kwak, Kwak continued.

“Your consummate martial arts, the depth of your inner power, and the maturity of your experience were all more than sufficient for you to reach the next realm. Then one possibility occurred to me—that the problem might lie within your heart.”

“...!”

Kwak offered him a silent bow.

“Forgive me for speaking so presumptuously, Brother. I reasoned that if nothing outside you was holding you back, then perhaps the obstacle was within.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Brother Kwak. You’re exactly right.”

Hu Gae shook his head without the slightest offense.

“It’s all the more startling because I’ve heard those same words from my master countless times. Go on. Tell me whatever you think without holding back.”

Reassured by Hu Gae’s frank response, Kwak continued more freely.

“I had already been considering that possibility. Then, the day before yesterday, I saw you become truly furious for the first time, and something suddenly came to me.”

Hu Gae remembered losing his temper and shouting at Taoist Cheongmu.

“You are usually so carefree and free of desire that you seldom become angry.”

“I appreciate you thinking so highly of me, Brother Kwak, but I’m not entirely without desire.”

“I have never seen you covet anything besides wine and food.”

“Well... that much is true.”

He had been born with precisely the right nature to live as a beggar.

“But I still don’t understand what that has to do with any of this.”

“You were so free of desire that you never truly desired to reach the next realm either.”

“That makes even less sense. You have no idea how badly I wanted to reach it whenever I looked at you.”

“Brother, envy alone cannot carry someone into a higher realm.”

“...”

“Even desperately yearning for it—beyond mere earnestness—is rarely enough, is it not?”

Only then did Hu Gae understand everything that had happened over the past several days.

“Ah! That’s why you deliberately pushed our pace to the limit. You knew I was determined not to lose to Taoist Cheongmu.”

Kwak lowered his head.

“I apologize for treating you so disrespectfully. Nothing creates fiercer desire than pure anger over one’s martial ability, so I dared to try it.”

Hu Gae felt a surge of emotion as he watched Kwak bow in apology.

“...You have nothing to apologize for. No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I knew none of this and merely resented you.”

“...”

“In any case, thank you. Because of the effort you made, I finally reached the realm I had wanted for so long....”

“Brother, I did nothing worthy of your gratitude.”

Kwak firmly shook his head.

“You already had one foot across the threshold. I merely provided a small stimulus.”

“You accomplished what my master failed to do despite all his relentless efforts.”

“...”

Hu Gae’s face broke into a broad smile.

“And that means you cared that much about this elder brother of yours.”

While the two were sharing that heartfelt exchange—

“Waaaaah!”

Taoist Cheongmu came racing up and collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Jin Cheongha arrived soon after and stood there catching her ragged breath.

Cheongmu panted as he spoke to Kwak.

“Little Martial Uncle, you were way, way too fast!”

Feeling guilty for putting Cheongmu and Jin through needless suffering, Kwak said, “I’m sorry, Brother Cheongmu. We’ll slow down from now on.”

“You really mean that?”

“Of course.”

Kwak also addressed Jin, who was regulating her true qi a few steps away from the others.

“Lady Jin, it seems I let my eagerness get the better of me.”

“I’m perfectly fine. But...?”

Jin stared in astonishment at Hu Gae, who was standing beside Kwak without the slightest sign of exhaustion.

“I’ll explain what happened to Brother Hu Gae in due time.”

Kwak intended to satisfy her curiosity later, in private, so Hu Gae would not be embarrassed. Taoist Cheongmu’s shout ruined that plan.

“Urk! What is that smell? Urrk!”

Cheongmu retched repeatedly as he stared at Hu Gae.

“Urrk! It’s coming from Big Beggar!”

Only then did Hu Gae notice the foul stench rising from his own body.

Ugh!

He had apparently been so overcome by the joy of reaching the Flower Realm that he had failed to notice it.

This was nothing like the stale reek of old sweat. It was a rotten, fishy stench of an entirely different order.

This is...!

Hu Gae suddenly realized what had caused the cracking noises he had heard while running.

They had not come from branches breaking outside his body.

The sounds had come from within him.

My body was undergoing a transformation without my even realizing it.

Upon reaching the seamless perfection of the Flower Realm, a martial artist’s physical body was re-formed to match the new realm.

The exact nature of that bodily transformation varied enormously depending on the individual’s inner power and physical condition. One symptom, however, appeared in every case.

During the transformation, the accumulated impurities lodged throughout the body’s major points were expelled.

Hu Gae welcomed the revolting smell coming from his body.

There could be no clearer proof that he had entered the Flower Realm than the sticky filth coating him from head to toe.

Just as the exhilaration of crossing the barrier began to fill him once more, Cheongmu’s voice pierced his ears.

“Little Martial Uncle! I think we really should feed Big Beggar some wild ginseng.”

“...?”

Hu Gae, Kwak, and Jin all turned toward Cheongmu in confusion.

“...?”

“...?”

Pinching his nose shut, Cheongmu hopped several steps backward.

“Running must have been so hard for Big Beggar that he pooped himself.”

“...!”

Hu Gae stared blankly. In the space of a single sentence, he had become a man who had fouled his own clothes.

“Urrk! It still stinks. Urrrk!”

Cheongmu retreated more than ten paces, retched loudly, then called out to him.

“Big Beggar, exactly how much did you poop?”

Hu Gae felt the intoxicating joy of reaching the Flower Realm evaporate in an instant.

Taoist Cheongmu and I truly are incompatible.

Kwak’s party ended the day’s march there. They descended into a valley below the mountain and made camp early.

The only way to stop Cheongmu’s retching was for Hu Gae to wash himself.

Hu Gae hated bathing with a passion, but he could not allow Cheongmu to keep calling him a man who had soiled himself. He obediently plunged into the valley stream.

When he returned to the campsite in a fresh set of clothes, Jin said, “Sub-Branch Master, congratulations from the bottom of my heart on reaching a new realm.”

Hu Gae answered awkwardly, “It happened so suddenly that I still haven’t gathered my wits, but thank you.”

He looked around.

“Where are Brother Kwak and Taoist Cheongmu?”

“They went to gather firewood. And this....”

Jin drew a silk wrapping from inside her sleeve and held it out to him.

“Sister Jin, what is it?”

“...A Demon-Subduing Spirit Pill.”

Hu Gae’s eyes flew wide open.

“The Demon-Subduing Spirit Pill is one of Ghost Night Castle’s spiritual medicines, isn’t it? Why would you give something so precious to me...?”

“I decided long ago that I wanted you to have it. The right opportunity finally presented itself, so I brought it out.”

Jin had apparently been waiting for a moment when the two of them would be alone. Hu Gae shook his head.

“Sister Jin, it seems what happened that night at the Martial Alliance has been weighing on you, but this is unnecessary. I was grateful that you honestly revealed the whole truth that night.”

“I truly want you to accept it. It may fall well short of the Beggar Clan’s Drunken Dog Pill, but now that your body has undergone its transformation, taking it should benefit you greatly.”

“...”

“As your sister, I can’t very well celebrate my brother’s achievement with words alone.”

Warmth spread through Hu Gae’s chest at her earnest expression and words.

“Well, I understand how you feel, Sister Jin, but this gift still seems excessive. I’ve heard it can grant at least half a cycle of inner power. Wouldn’t it be better for you to take it yourself?”

Jin lightly shook her head.

“Like most spiritual medicines, the Demon-Subduing Spirit Pill grants inner power only the first time it is taken. From the second dose onward, it merely has the effect of a Life-Renewing Pill.”

As the Young Castle Lord of Ghost Night Castle, Jin had naturally already taken one.

“Ah! It sounds as though the other two are returning with the firewood. Please, just take it for now.”

Jin placed the silk wrapping in Hu Gae’s hand and quickly rose.

“You both worked hard. Put down the firewood, and I’ll light the campfire.”

Seeing Taoist Cheongmu enter the campsite carrying an armful of firewood, Hu Gae hurriedly tucked the silk wrapping inside his clothes.

Cheongmu had no tact whatsoever. Should he see it and insist that Jin give him one as well, he would place her in an awkward position.

“Sister Jin, I’m better than anyone at starting fires!”

“Then let’s start it together, Taoist Cheongmu.”

“Oh, all right!”

As Cheongmu cheerfully began preparing a fire pit with Jin, Kwak approached Hu Gae.

“Brother, I’m considering chartering a boat once we reach Chang’an.”

“Hm? Chartering a boat...?”

Their planned route was to travel along the Wei River and then proceed upstream along the Yellow River’s main channel, but chartering an entire vessel had not been part of the plan.

“Judging by everything we have seen so far, I don’t believe we need to remain wary of public scrutiny any longer. A private boat would also make it easier for you to perform qi circulation.”

“...!”

Hu Gae flinched and stared at him.

“You knew.”

Kwak nodded.

“Lady Jin sent me a transmitted voice asking that we go as far away as possible while gathering firewood.”

“...!”

—Brother Cheongmu has remarkably sharp ears, does he not?

Hu Gae nodded without the slightest delay at Kwak’s transmitted voice.

Far too sharp.

*****

Over the next four days, Kwak’s party crossed the Qinling Mountains.

As soon as they reached Chang’an, they visited the city’s largest shipping guild and chartered a swift boat.

“Please provide a sturdy vessel capable of making the journey to Baotou City and back. I also want your most experienced boatmen. Allow a generous term of one month when calculating the price.”

Faced with glittering gold coins, the head of the shipping guild bowed over and over.

“Sir, I will provide our sturdiest vessel and boatmen whose skill is beyond question.”

“Most importantly, the boat must have a cabin, even if it is a small one.”

“Understood. I will have it prepared at once.”

“We’ll be eating at the restaurant across the street.”

As they headed toward the restaurant opposite the shipping guild, Hu Gae asked Kwak anxiously, “Brother Kwak, aren’t we being a little too conspicuous?”

“We’ll be leaving Chang’an shortly, so I don’t believe we need to be overly cautious.”

Just as Kwak’s party finished their meal, the head of the shipping guild came to the restaurant personally and escorted them to the docks.

“Have a safe journey.”

With the guild master seeing them off, the swift boat left the docks.

After passing Tong Pass, the Wei River merged with the main channel of the Yellow River, and the current grew rough. Thanks to the experienced boatmen they had hired at a premium, however, the swift boat raced onward without hesitation.

Throughout the journey, Hu Gae remained inside the single-cabin quarters, wholly absorbed in qi circulation.

A few minor incidents occurred. River pirates from small strongholds demanded tolls, and the boat ran onto a sandbar once or twice. Overall, however, the voyage was remarkably smooth.

By the time Baotou City—the gateway to the Gobi Desert—came into view in the distance, Hu Gae finally opened the cabin door and emerged.

“Wow! Big Beggar, it’s been a long time!”

Taoist Cheongmu, whose ears were as sharp as ever, spotted him first and greeted him with delight.