Chapter 35: In Search of Vigo. (3)

Bigō in Search of (3)

Slumping down before the tree, I stared blankly up at it.

“What… is this.”

It was baffling enough that the cliff had vanished and a tree had abruptly appeared, but a literal white maple tree?

Not just the leaves, but the entire tree was white.

It even seemed to glow faintly.

Surprisingly, the leaves falling gently from the tree actually held light.

When I carefully picked one up, it crumbled the moment it touched my hand.

“What on earth is going on?”

Could this really be some kind of formation?

Even the Zhuge Clan, masters of formations who collapsed amidst a bloodbath in the past, had no records of using such formations.

Then how should I explain what I just witnessed?

“Young Master! Look at this, isn’t it so pretty!”

‘…But when I picked one up, it crumbled?’

As if playing favorites, the leaves in Wiseura’s arms retained their shape.

I carefully picked up one of the leaves Wiseura was holding.

Sssrrrk.

This time too, it crumbled just the same.

“…What the heck, is it seriously playing favorites?”

This feels unpleasant somehow.

I looked around. Now that I thought about it, the terrain had changed to be much more natural than when it was a cliff.

Is this the real thing, then?

“Whatever the case, it seems like I’ve found the Bigō…”

It was exactly as Dangmun had said back then. It’s really white…

It’s overwhelmingly white.

If you didn’t look closely, the falling leaves looked like snow.

That something this conspicuous could have been hidden for hundreds of years…

How on earth could that be possible?

As far as I know, formations don’t last very long and require continuous periodic checks.

Did someone keep checking on it then?

But that doesn’t seem likely.

“Young Master! There’s something here!”

“…When did you get over there?”

While I was slumped down spacing out, Wiseura was already wandering around, touching the tree.

At Wiseura’s call, I approached the tree and found a staircase going down behind it.

Wait, shouldn’t a Bigō usually be made more secret?

“Given the formation’s level, perhaps they weren’t too worried?”

Perhaps my body involuntarily feeling fear when I tried to approach the cliff was due to that influence.

Then how come Wiseura was unaffected?

She even managed to see the tree, piercing through the formation.

‘Although it’s good that things worked out, how should I explain this?’

I shook my head, trying to clear it.

I needed to focus on the Bigō first.

“For now, it’s dangerous so wait a bit…”

Just as I was about to say that, Wiseura was no longer beside me.

A voice came from down the stairs.

“Young Master! Hurry up and come!”

“…Alright.”

She’s so quick to act.

The headache I felt thanks to her showed no signs of ending.

---

I immediately followed Wiseura down the stairs.

The stairs going down were much narrower than I expected, and I couldn’t tell where they ended.

I hurried down, wondering if I should bring something to light the way, but…

Ironically, the white leaves Wiseura was holding were serving that purpose instead.

The shimmering leaves lit up the surroundings better than expected. Thanks to them, I could descend relatively safely.

The problem is.

‘Just how deep did they make this?’

How far down had we come?

It felt like we’d been descending for a long time, following the leaves’ light, but the stairs still showed no end.

‘Something’s strange.’

‘Is this also part of the formation?’

It felt like that might be possible somehow.

Just look at how they hid that impossibly large white tree and vast land, transforming it into a cliff… it wouldn’t be impossible, would it?

Seeing it like this, it feels like we came in way too unprepared, even without a formation expert.

Since we found the Bigō right before our eyes, it’s because we were too hasty.

They say greed blinds you to everything else, and that was exactly the situation.

I spoke to Wiseura, who was heading down ahead.

“For now, I think we should go back up…”

“Young Master, there’s another path here.”

“What?”

Where?

In front of Wiseura, there were still only stairs.

Stairs that still showed no end.

“Where are you talking about? There are only stairs in front.”

At my words, Wiseura fiddled with the side wall.

When she let go of her arm, the leaves she was holding fell in a shower, but Wiseura didn’t seem to care.

Watching that, I said.

“There’s only a wall, what could possibly be…”

-Kkrrk.

“Huh?”

A sound came from the wall Wiseura was touching, and then, with a sudden burst of dust, a hidden passage appeared.

“Ta-da!”

Seeing the revealed passage, Wiseura puffed out her chest with a triumphant expression.

Although she clearly did something right, she looked somehow annoying.

“See! There’s a path!”

“…Seriously, why is this really here.”

Why is this really here?

A passage discoverable only after descending for a long time, and not easily noticeable at that; you’d need an expert and extensive investigation to find it.

And she just stumbled upon it like this.

…Wiseura, that is.

‘What could possibly be going on?’

Should this also be seen as a matter of talent?

Since she’s material for a divine sword, the world Wiseura sees must be different from mine, but does that difference allow her to see things like this?

I couldn’t know.

As Wiseura was about to barge into the passage, I grabbed her.

“It’s dangerous to go in recklessly. From now on, I’ll go first.”

It felt a bit rich, saying that after letting her lead the way down the stairs.

It felt like it would be truly dangerous from here on.

At my words, Wiseura inexplicably giggled.

Not knowing the reason for her smile, I asked Wiseura.

“…Why are you smiling like that?”

“Young Master is worried about me…!”

“So what?”

“Because I just like it!”

At Wiseura’s words, I felt inexplicably embarrassed and flicked her forehead.

“Ouch! Hey…!! Why’d you hit me…!”

“Because you were annoying.”

“That’s so mean…!”

Entering the passage in the wall, it was bright enough that the leaves weren’t needed, unlike the stairs.

As I walked following the light, I stopped short.

Thinking about it, the things embedded in the wall that were currently providing light.

“Are these… all night-shining pearls?”

Stones emitting a bright light in the pitch-darkness.

Nowadays, they’re so rare that they can’t be easily obtained, no matter how much money one has.

But to have them embedded so casually in the wall?

“Unbelievable… Even if the Geumcheoyeon family had a lot of money, does this make any sense?”

If I took all of this, what would the total value be?

‘…Should I sneakily take some on the way out?’

My conscience pricks me a bit, but then again, shouldn’t I feel guilty?

Anyway, the finder is the owner, right?

Right, besides, I didn’t exactly live my past life overflowing with conscience like some kind of saint, right?

“Young Master?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s move forward for now.”

Putting the night-shining pearls aside for later, I cautiously moved forward.

Wondering if something might jump out, I scanned my surroundings vigilantly, but…

There were no particular threats.

We walked for a long time, though perhaps not as long as we had descended the stairs.

In fact, just as doubts began to creep in, wondering if this passage was a trap and if descending the stairs was the right way…

Finally, the end of the passage came into view.

At the end of the passage stood a huge door, easily twice my height.

I went forward and slowly grasped the jet-black doorknob.

I worried something might happen when I grabbed the knob, but thankfully, it seemed nothing happened.

I pulled with all my might.

Screeeech.

Contrary to my expectation that it would be incredibly heavy, the door opened very easily.

Inside, there was only darkness, matching the door’s color.

It seemed none of the night-shining pearls embedded in the passage were installed in this room.

“It’s too dark…?”

As I stared into the pitch darkness, unable to see the room’s size or if it connected to other passages, something passed beside me.

A white light.

It was none other than the white maple leaf Wiseura had brought.

Was it flying in the wind?

Despite that, it felt like there wasn’t any wind at all.

-…Child.

At the voice that suddenly rang out, I immediately raised my internal energy.

It’s up ahead.

The voice was coming from beyond the darkness.

-…How did you end up here, child.

The maple leaf, fluttering as it flew, stopped in mid-air.

Eventually, just like when I touched it, it crumbled and disappeared.

-You’re not a child of the Geumga family… Then how did you find this place?

A light gradually appeared from beyond the darkness.

It was the same white light the maple leaf had held.

I pulled Wiseura behind me protectively and raised my Guyeomhwaryeongong.

‘This is a bit dangerous, should I run away right now?’

No matter how much I raised my internal energy, I couldn’t sense the presence beyond.

It clearly felt like something was there, but it was only hazy, as if covered in fog.

-…You possess something strange within you.

Along with the words, the light instantly surged towards us.

In the blindingly bright light, I squeezed my eyes shut and protected Wiseura.

When the light subsided and I managed to lift my eyelids…

I gasped at the sight before my eyes.

The room, previously filled with darkness, was now brightly illuminated.

The problem was the source of the light.

It was a high, wide room, easily thirty meters long from floor to ceiling, and in its center, incongruously, there was a snake.

A colossal snake, large enough to fill the room.