Chapter 124 Journey (2)

Chapter 124 Journey (2)

Wulingyuan was, as always, shrouded in countless mists and clouds.

A rugged terrain untouched by any civilization’s progress.

That place was Zhangjiajie’s Wulingyuan, also called the cradle of ancient martial arts.

Gu Yangji lifted his head.

‘It was once notorious for all sorts of barbaric training methods.’

Even now, martial artists who only brutally mastered external techniques were mocked with questions like, “Are you from Zhangjiajie?”

Having seen many such fools in his past life as a wandering swordsman, relying solely on external techniques, Gu Yangji held no fond impression of Zhangjiajie.

Thus, he asked the Sage of Ten Thousand Treasures with skepticism.

“Surely you didn’t come here to meet some stubborn barbarian?”

“A stubborn barbarian? He ranks among the top five strongest men I’ve ever seen in the martial world.”

Gu Yangji couldn’t help but be astonished by that statement.

If Wutongzi, who had lived for hundreds of years and seen countless martial artists, said so…

Gu Yangji no longer doubted the man said to be in Zhangjiajie. A small glimmer of hope even arose within him.

“Huh… So where is he?”

“The summit of Tianwufeng Peak.”

“Tianwufeng?”

The name sounded familiar, and Gu Yangji tilted his head to one side.

After a moment, a name came to mind.

“Ah! That Tianwufeng!”

“Do you know him?”

“Wei Jintian. I first saw him at the Nine Dragons Tournament and met him again at the Martial Alliance.”

Though they weren’t exactly close friends, this eased Gu Yangjie’s apprehension about the unfamiliar territory.

He even felt a slight sense of superiority.

After all, he had easily defeated Wei Jinchuan at the Nine Dragons Tournament long ago, and hadn’t been particularly impressed by him at the Martial Alliance either.

The fact that he had participated in the Nine Dragon Tournament alone, without a single companion, also made him feel somewhat pitiful.

As a smug look spread across Gu Yangji’s face, Mantongzi gave a strange smile.

“I hope you keep that attitude going.”

“…Why?”

“Nothing. It’ll make the trip worthwhile.”

Just as he finished speaking, Mantong suddenly covered his mouth and laughed. Gu Yangji sensed something was off.

But he couldn’t be afraid without even meeting it.

Instead, the path leading to Tianwufeng felt incredibly narrow, making it feel even more dizzying.

‘Can that bear really pass?’

One wrong move, and the path might collapse, sending them both tumbling a thousand feet down the cliff.

Just as Gu Yangji was about to speak, Mantongzi pulled out a talisman as if to say not to worry.

Thud.

The moment the talisman touched Daewoong’s back, Gu Yangji instinctively realized Daewoong had become lighter.

To be precise, about twenty guan?

Compared to his original weight, it was light as a feather—a difference so vast it was astonishing.

“If a sorcerer like you were to charge into battle… I’d rather not even think about it.”

“That’s why, from the days of the First Emperor of Chu to when Chancellor Zhao ascended the throne, the natural order was always in turmoil.”

Wan Tongzi gave a faint smile.

“Though the Eastern Stranger is still being used as a high priest, at least I have no such ambitions.”

“That’s truly fortunate.”

Part of him felt regret.

A man who disdained the salary of the Great Ming would surely never be satisfied with the Huashan Sect.

‘Perhaps this journey could be an opportunity to find something to keep Mantongzi here.’

Gu Yangjie reaffirmed Man Tongzi’s value and began cautiously traversing the narrow path along the ridge.

CRACK!

The sudden sound made Gu Yangjie yell out in alarm.

“Hey, you bear piglet!”

“Grumble!”

Daewoong expressed his displeasure by waving his front paw.

* * *

Finally, they reached the summit of Cheonmubong Peak.

There was only a single small thatched hut. It wasn’t even a proper martial arts sect; it looked like a mountain village martial family at best.

Gu Yangjeok’s lips trembled.

“You’re not going to tell me this is a joke too, are you?”

“What joke? We found the right place. Isn’t it remarkable they built a house this size atop Wulingyuan in the first place?”

Mantongzi maintained a calm expression.

But even Mantongzi wasn’t untroubled.

They’d only met at Moshan; this was their first encounter at his actual residence.

Not to mention his usual temperament…

Thud!

Suddenly, one panel of the thatched door shattered and flew toward Gu Yangjie.

“……?!”

“Hey, you bastard!”

At that voice, Gu Yangjie’s eyes widened. Half in admiration, half in shock, he glanced sideways at Mantongja.

Then Mantongja’s telepathic voice reached him.

-I said he was strong, not wise.

-This madman……!

Gu Yangji hastily stepped back half a pace, immediately stepping into the Jinjue stance and assuming the Qishu posture.

He then placed his right hand on his hip.

Kwaaak……!

He gripped it like clutching a mountain, leaving just a finger’s width of slack.

“Huuuuu…”

Though the gate was only three steps away, he took a short yet deep breath.

A reckless strike would only lead to internal injuries from the profound energy permeating deep within that gate.

Yet, there wasn’t enough time to activate the Zahajinqi either.

Therefore, without wasting a single breath, with the minimum action required.

He had no choice but to strike briefly using his palm rather than his fist, countering the door’s force to create an opening.

The moment he decided his fist path, Gu Yangji acted concisely and swiftly.

Swish.

Gu Yangji’s figure vanished in an instant, as if dissolving into the thick fog shrouding Tianwufeng Peak.

Yet the next moment, his elbow was already touching the door.

CRASH!

A sound like metal striking metal echoed, and the resulting shockwave scattered the fog.

Moisture soaked his entire robe, dulling Gu Yangji’s breathing.

Loss of tactile sensation and impaired breathing were bothersome hindrances when deploying his fist techniques.

Yet Gu Yangji operated his Purple-Hued True Qi as if he felt no hindrance whatsoever—or rather, as if he had anticipated this very situation.

Kwaaah-

Purple-tinged Zixia Jinqi surged up Gu Yangji’s entire body, soon enveloping his fist.

Gu Yangji’s eyebrows twitched.

“You call me a dog-shit bastard in front of a Huashan Sect master?”

Kwang!

His fist slammed into the door. But it didn’t stop there; Gu Yangji relentlessly pounded his fist.

Boom, boom, boom!

The relentless barrage rendered the mysterious man’s internal energy utterly useless. All that remained was wood dust.

But even that seemed insufficient. Gu Yangji unclenched his fist and unleashed the Great Strength Palm.

Thud!

The Great Strength Palm, forged from the Purple Sea Qi, lashed out through the air, flying toward the spot where the wood dust fragments had come from.

The force contained within each fragment was easily equivalent to over five years of internal energy cultivation.

Each one was practically a lethal dart. But Gu Yangji never let his guard down.

‘I’m just returning the favor for his little stunt.’

No sooner had that thought ended than a deep voice boomed from beyond the thatched cottage.

“Hoo. Not bad.”

A man’s figure stood out sharply within the shadowed interior of the cottage.

His physique evoked that of an ascetic who had devoted his entire life to training.

Gu Yangji frowned, recalling a half-baked martial artist he’d met during his vagabond days who’d only mastered external techniques.

But then he gasped in shock.

Pssst…

Without even extending a hand, without deploying any finger techniques.

All the powder he’d flung as the head of the sect scattered into ash.

‘Only an extreme master of internal energy could pull that off.’

Cold sweat trickled down Gu Yangjeok’s cheek. Unlike before, when he’d held the advantage through his internal energy, this time it was difficult.

He sensed the man’s internal energy was at least a hundredfold greater than his own.

As Gu Yangjeok eyed the man warily, the man grinned and emerged from the thatched cottage.

“Did you take offense to me calling you a bastard? Are you sulking?”

“Sulking? What you said was an insult to the entire Huashan Sect!”

“Damn it.”

The man, who had casually uttered such vulgar words, swept his bangs back with his left hand.

“I heard everything you said since you arrived in Zhangjiajie. What’s that about calling us savages?”

“……!”

Could he possibly possess special divine power like Jin Muwol, able to hear distant voices?

If so, it would be hard to use his words as an excuse to scold him now.

Gu Yangjie spoke with only half-hearted sincerity.

“I’m sorry.”

“Too late.”

The man bared his crimson gums.

A moment later.

Wei Jinchuan appeared, carrying a bundle of firewood.

He burst into furious rage at the sight before him.

“You… you damn master! Is wrecking houses your only job?!”

“It’s my hobby. I’m not the one fixing it anyway, am I?”

As if assuming Wei Jinchen would fix the house anyway, the man chuckled cheerfully, stomping on the wooden debris.

Wei Jinchen’s face twisted.

“Fine, let’s settle this once and for all today! You bastard!”

“Uh… let’s postpone that.”

“Why, scared?!”

The man raised a hand to scratch his cheek.

“No, it’s not that… I have a guest today.”

“A guest?”

“He says he’s met you before?”

At that, Wei Jinchuan wore a sullen expression.

“You know I have no friends. Who else would be stuck here my whole life, except for a few times…”

“Seriously? You’re telling the truth?”

The man pounded his chest, then picked up an object rolling among the debris.

“Come here.”

“If this is a joke, I’ll poison you somehow.”

Wei Jinchuan tossed the firewood carelessly aside and began approaching the man.

But the closer he got, the less that thing looked like an ordinary object.

A chill of dread ran down Wei Jinchuan’s spine.

“…What is it?”

“Oh. I think he said he was a Taoist.”

At those words, Wei Jinchuan immediately bolted.

“Did that bastard of a master finally cause trouble?!”

“Still, his skills were impressive.”

The man’s calm voice only made Wei Jinchuan’s rage boil over.

Who the hell came here and got beaten up by that piece of trash?

It couldn’t have been a weakling.

He wouldn’t treat someone as human unless they had at least minimal qualifications, so it had to be a martial artist at the peak of their power.

‘If word gets out in the martial world that someone beat up a Taoist like that…!’

“That lunatic!” Wei Jinchen muttered curses under his breath as he pushed through the mist.

When he finally got a clear look at the face, his jaw dropped.

“…Gu Yangji?”

“Long time no see.”

Exhausted from overusing his internal energy, Gu Yangji dangled limply from the man’s hand.

* * *

After recovering his strength and helping Wei Jinchen repair the thatched cottage, the mist had already turned orange.

This was Zhangjiajie’s Wulingyuan, always shrouded in rain and fog.

For Gu Yangjie, it was truly regrettable that this was the only way to tell the time.

‘Barbaric bastards.’

Gu Yangjie recalled the man’s martial prowess once more.

The man’s power was beyond imagination, so much so that Gu Yangjie wondered if this was what it felt like to master the Black Dragon martial arts.

There was a reason Man Tongzi boasted of being among the top five.

‘Perhaps he stayed close to find a way to fight the Black Dragon before confronting it.’

Hearing the story from Man Tongzi confirmed it; they had occasionally sparred in Moshan.

The result? Man Tongzi’s crushing defeat.

It was only natural. With a sorcerer’s frail physique, he could never have bested the man.

“He’s strong, huh?”

Man Tongzi’s words came unexpectedly close. Gu Yangjeok nodded.

“A little.”

“For someone who collapsed from exhaustion, you sure have a big mouth.”

“Huh? No, that’s not it.”

A faint smile played on Gu Yangjie’s face.

“He’s the one who should be frustrated.”

Even with his sword tucked at his side, he hadn’t drawn it. He’d even revealed he was from the Huashan Sect, yet he hadn’t displayed his sword techniques.

He only fought for the sake of the Senior Scholar.

Yet, the fact that he still put up a decent fight… that must have stung the man’s pride.

Gu Yangji found himself looking forward to tomorrow.

“He owes me big time for calling me a dog-catcher. He’d better pay me back properly.”

Gu Yangji tended to hold grudges.