episode_0056

Mount Taishan has been called the sacred mountain of the Chinese people since ancient times.

If I were to roughly substitute that into my previous life, I would say it would be something like Mt. Baekdu?

Since Qin Shi Huang, who unified China after about 800 years of division, first held the Fengshen Ceremony, numerous emperors have offered sacrifices to heaven and earth here.

Moreover, since it is also a holy place for Taoism, the towering mountains combined with the mystical background felt quite spiritual.

“How did Nobu end up coming from Sipmandaesan to this distant Taesan? ”

“The vice-principal said it would be fun, too. He said he had never seen a living human-faced person before.”

“Inseok, when you’re about Nobu’s age, do you think it’s easy to cross this central plain from one end to the other? You should also consider that Nobu started from Sipmandaesan. Tsk, how can you be so inconsiderate towards your elders.”

The vice-principal grumbled.

Of course, it’s not at all convincing to pretend to be a child of about ten years old and act like that, but the vice-chairman who had been patting my waist looked up at Mt. Taesan with a sour look on his face.

“So it’s good that you’ve come this far, but when are you going to search that big mountain like a rat to find a hidden spirit? Even if you’re a human-faced landowner, how are you going to find a snake in that wide mountain?”

“That’s what she thinks too.”

My sister clicked her tongue as if to tell me to stop complaining.

Naturally, my gaze and that of the vice-principal turned to my sister.

Then the corners of my sister’s mouth rose just a little.

From my experience of living together, I think that’s the confident expression you have when you have something to believe in.

As I stared at it, wondering if there was something sharp, my sister, who had her hand on my waist, spoke.

“Let’s go into the mountain first. Even if we go in as it is now, Mt. Taesan won’t attract much attention.”

“Don’t other people know that there is a spirit living on that mountain?”

“Isn’t that right? It’s not yet time for Inmyeonjiju to be fully active… …No, there’s no news of such activity yet.”

also.

Although he changed his words as he spoke, he felt something was strange.

As expected, he was a returnee and knew that the human-faced pillar would be discovered later on that mountain.

From the moment he suddenly suggested going to Mt. Taesan to catch the Inmyeonjiju, you can get a rough estimate, but if it’s a future that the regressor knows, it’s certain.

Since they haven’t revealed that fact yet, there must be some unspeakable circumstances.

As I nodded my head out of consideration, the vice-principal grumbled with his mouth sticking out.

“This is it, what’s the difference between looking for Wang Seo-bang in Nanjing and that.”

It was quite impressive to see him prepare to climb the mountain without saying a word, even though he was muttering.

If you tell me to go, I’ll come anyway, so why are you complaining for no reason?

He glanced at the vice-principal once, then jumped out of his sister’s arms.

“Ah.”

My sister had a somewhat regretful expression on her face, and I was also comfortable flying and moving, but it was annoying to try to walk on my own feet.

No matter what, he is still the leader of the Cheonmasin Church in name only.

I’m a little afraid of the repercussions of using someone who will become a Cheonma in a few years as a means of transportation and then being noticed by others.

Even if the parties involved are satisfied with each other, wouldn’t other people be?

The vice-religious leader may just let it go, but it wouldn’t be strange if true demonic followers, who have been poisoned to the bone, burst into rage, saying, “This ungodly man!”

I need to be a little more careful from now on.

“Then let’s go. Do you have any plans?”

“There’s no way she came here without any plans. If it’s a plan, everything is prepared.”

As if she knew it, my sister answered with a soft laugh, and this was her plan.

Taesan is a place with a long history, and there is a sect called Taesanpa near Ok-Hwang-Bong, so it is not strange for martial artists to come and go.

So, climb Mt. Taishan without worrying about what other people think.

And they go deep into the mountains, untouched by human hands and where people live, to search for and hunt spirits.

Then take the inner part.

Easy, right?

It was a plan so simple that it reminded me of a painter with curly hair somewhere, but surprisingly, the vice-principal nodded.

“I see.”

“… … It’s a simpler plan than I thought.”

“Then, what, there are only three people to catch spirits, so why would we make such grand plans? It’s not like we’re going around shouting that we’re here to catch spirits in the neighborhood.”

The vice-principal shrugged.

He added that the original way to catch a spirit is to mobilize a lot of people to chase it down and corner it in a dead end, just like hunting a wild beast.

Even if they are spirits, they are actually just wild animals that have gained special powers, so if you think about it that way, it makes sense.

As I nodded, convinced by the strangely persuasive words, my sister spoke in a soft voice.

“Now that we’re done organizing, let’s go.”

“But where do those Inmyeonjiju and Ssangaksa live? I don’t think they’re going to stir up Mt. Taesan for no reason.”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? I know the general location.”

“That’s why I ask where it is.”

The sister who was walking ahead turned around and answered.

“Wolf and Tiger Valley.”

* * *

Taesan Nanghogok.

As its name suggests, Nanghogok was a huge valley.

Although Taishan is not the largest mountain in the Central Plains, it is a place worthy of the name because of its many steep peaks rising from the vast North China Plain.

The valley, spread out between the huge mountain peaks that are hard to find in the vicinity, was a spectacular sight in itself.

If he had simply come for sightseeing, Yeonjin would have enjoyed the scenery without worry, but coincidentally, his current purpose is not sightseeing but hunting for spirits.

“Eek.”

Thud thud.

Yeonjin, who almost lost her footing on the edge of a cliff, sank to her knees.

It was quite a heart-pounding sight to see the rocks and other debris falling down the thousand-foot cliff.

If you have the proper amount of skill and a good sense of balance, moving up a steep cliff slope is not difficult.

However, if you risk free-falling without any safety devices or nets under your feet, the story is a little different, so even Yeonjin of Cheonha was watching with considerable tension.

“I can’t even see a spider or a spider web.”

It’s been three hours since we arrived at Nanghogok and started searching the valley.

Despite searching for nearly half a day, nothing significant was found.

Light-air techniques such as the Sword of Flight or the Nunggong Heodo, where people fly, are prohibited from being used even in areas with few people, as they are perfect for attracting attention from afar.

Thanks to this, Yu Ye-hyang and Seo Cheon-woo were personally searching the valley area.

Yeonjin climbed the cliff, wondering if there might be a hidden cave at the bottom of the slope, but came back up, clicking her tongue, having failed to recover her principal.

“Did you find something?”

“No, I don’t see any spiders or even webs. No traces.”

“The same goes for Nobu. I can’t even see the human-faced pillar that is bigger than an ox, so how can I find the twin-legged temple? ”

Seo Cheon-woo stuck out his tongue.

“Mt. Taesan is easy to climb because it has a gentle slope, but it is not a small mountain. It seems that the old man let his guard down.”

“But let’s think positively. Rather than searching the entire mountain, it’s better to just search this valley.”

“I never dreamed that the terrain of Nanghogok would be this steep. Why is the valley so steep?”

Seo Cheon-woo muttered and looked around with a blank expression.

There are only steep cliffs everywhere.

Even the transcendent senses of a peerless master who had reached the highest level of magic were unable to detect the presence of a spirit.

“It wasn’t the case that the bull that was being chased for no reason ran here and ended up taking its own life.”

“Huh?”

When Yeonjin asked back as if asking what that meant, Seocheonwoo asked as if he didn’t know.

“Didn’t you know? This is where the bull that started a rebellion during the Tang Dynasty committed suicide.”

“I had no idea. I had been living with a wall built between me and history.”

“Know this to some extent. If you don’t want to be called an ignorant person wherever you go. So, men only know how to act cute and have nothing in their heads… … No, the old man made a slip of the tongue.”

The intellectual level of the orphaned cult members kidnapped by the Demonic Cult is about the same.

Seo Cheon-woo, who quickly realized his mistake, apologized and added a kind explanation.

“Anyway, there was something like that. Just know that there was a salt merchant named Hwangso who started a riot and ran away here and killed himself.”

Yeonjin nodded her head.

It feels like something I learned in history class, but it doesn’t feel like it.

In any case, whether it was a place where such a historical event took place or not, the fact remains that I have been wandering around for nearly half a day and not even a single soul has been seen.

Seo Cheon-woo muttered as he looked around with a blank expression.

“It’s usually a long process to find a spirit, but I might have to stay here for quite some time.”

The situation is one where the Demon King and a skilled swordsman close to him are struggling to get Yeonjin to eat a good elixir.

Yeonjin felt sorry for no reason, hehe, and laughed for no reason.

Yu Ye-hyang, who had been wandering around the opposite ridge for a long time looking for traces of the spirit, stopped walking.

“… … non-motion.”

What is a sinusitis?

As its name suggests, it is a hidden cave.

It is clear that the entrance was not formed naturally, but was created by human hands due to its straight shape.

And at the entrance of the cave where there was no trace of the person, several human bones were scattered.

And then there was the old, huge spider web that almost obscured the entrance.

“Found it.”

It is a place that has hardly been touched by human hands.

It seems that the human-faced pillar has settled in a place artificially created by humans, so we can go in and check the relationship.

The corners of Yu Ye-hyang’s lips curved.