A chill ran all over my body, and goosebumps prickled up on my skin.
“Young master? What’s wrong?”
Palgap, standing beside me, asked, and I rubbed my arm as I answered.
“Nothing, it’s just… Blood Staff Star Monk looked at me and smiled just now.”
“What are you talking about? He’s been dead for five hundred years.”
“R–right. I must’ve imagined it.”
Then Escort Guard Myeong Jong spoke with a worried look.
“You seem overworked these days. Once we get back to Beijing, you should really get some proper rest.”
“I’d like that too.”
I answered with a bitter smile.
Still… did I really imagine it?
I could’ve sworn Blood Staff Star Monk smiled at me. But when I looked back at the remains, the face was the same as before.
No expression at all, just peaceful.
I definitely… saw it.
Could it be because I’m carrying what he left behind, and that smile meant he was entrusting it to me?
Or maybe he was pleased that things had changed from my previous life?
For a moment, I found myself wondering whether Blood Staff Star Monk, despite creating this Sword Tomb himself, had still hoped no one would die because of it.
Since Blood Staff Star Monk’s remains were found in the center, the Murim Alliance and Orthodox Sect side held claim over them.
“What should we do with the remains?”
Just then, someone’s eyes gleamed with greed as he spoke.
“Isn’t it possible there’s something hidden on the body?”
In other words, he wanted to search the remains from top to bottom.
The thought made my stomach turn.
I stole a glance at Elder Gyeong Sanja, and judging by his expression, he seemed inclined to agree.
I let out a sigh inwardly.
I didn’t know why he’d smiled at me, but he had.
I didn’t want to see someone like that have his remains desecrated.
And more than that, wasn’t he the very man who had left behind a book filled with repentance for the Shaolin Temple, along with ten gold ingots?
That meant the place his heart had been turned toward was Shaolin.
So his remains needed to be returned to the Shaolin Temple intact.
I spoke to Elder Gyeong Sanja.
“Elder, I don’t think we should recklessly lay hands on these remains.”
“And why not?”
“Think about all the traps we’ve found so far. Can you say for certain there isn’t one here too?”
“Hmm…”
“Besides, that line over there bothers me.”
I pointed to the words carved into the wall beside the remains.
[I, Hye Jin, will watch from this place.]
“Blood Staff Star Monk’s dharma name was Hye Jin, wasn’t it?”
“That’s what I know as well.”
“Then that means he intended to watch over something from here. The question is – what?”
“Wouldn’t it be the Demonic Cult? He was known to burn with hatred for them while he was alive.”
“Then he should be facing northwest. But he’s looking east.”
“East?”
“If it’s east… Mount Song!”
That was where the Shaolin Temple stood.
“It also means that even in the final moment before he entered nirvana, he couldn’t forget Shaolin.”
“…”
“Buddhist teaching is detachment from possessions. He may have broken the prohibition against killing, but in all other matters, he seems to have followed Buddhist principles strictly. So if this Sword Tomb truly contains nothing at all, isn’t that almost to be expected?”
“That’s true…”
“You’re right.”
“Then what exactly was this Sword Tomb for?”
At someone’s question, I calmly answered.
“Can’t you already guess from the countless traps inside? And to begin with, how did we even come to know this was Blood Staff Star Monk’s Sword Tomb?”
“Well, at the entrance, there was an inscription. It said this was Blood Staff Star Monk’s Sword Tomb. That any brave soul who entered would gain whatever they desired – gold, treasure, secret manuals, anything at all…”
Only then did the people gathered there seem to understand what this place really meant. The Demonic Cult followers, in particular, went pale.
“To lure in the Demonic Cult… and kill even one more of them?”
“…”
Everyone shuddered at the thought of hatred so monstrous it went beyond imagination.
“And he likely believed no Orthodox Sect figure would enter a Sword Tomb at all. That they wouldn’t be tempted by gold, treasure, or secret manuals.”
“…”
At my words, the Murim Alliance and Orthodox Sect people either lowered their heads in shame or stared off into the distance.
By carving those words at the entrance, maybe he had intended to brand even those blinded by greed as evil and kill them too.
Either way, fear and solemn silence spread through the crowd.
Just as I intended.
“At the very least, I want Blood Staff Star Monk’s remains to return to the place he longed for – Shaolin.”
“But didn’t the Shaolin Temple already cast him out for breaking their precepts?”
Come on now. We had such a good atmosphere going – who had to ruin it?
“That’s true. But even now, many people still respect Blood Staff Star Monk. The Shaolin Temple is no different. They still call him a Monk there. I doubt they would ever mistreat him.”
“…”
“And if his remains are carelessly damaged here, and the Shaolin Temple learns of it later… even I can’t say how Shaolin would respond.”
At my words, the Orthodox Sect and Murim Alliance members fell silent.
Looking at Elder Gyeong Sanja, I said,
“You’re the one in charge here, Elder. Please make the decision.”
“Hmm…”
Elder Gyeong Sanja let out a low groan, his face twisted with conflict.
The sweat dripping down his forehead probably wasn’t from the heat.
“Come to think of it, I heard Monk Il Sim, who recently entered the Transcendent Realm, respects Blood Staff Star Monk more than anyone.”
“…I–is that so?”
Elder Gyeong Sanja visibly flinched under the pressure.
Naturally. That was exactly why I said it.
The Shaolin Temple was not a force anyone could afford to ignore.
Otherwise, why would people say that if the Shaolin Temple’s Abbot clapped his hands once, even a mosquito flying over Yunnan would be crushed to death?
After a long moment of thought, Elder Gyeong Sanja finally made his decision.
“Mm… we can’t handle that holy body carelessly. We’ll turn it over to the Shaolin Temple.”
Good.
The excavation continued again, and night fell.
I lay stretched out beside the bonfire in front of the tent.
The excavation was already nearing its end, and we’d even found Blood Staff Star Monk’s remains.
That meant there was nothing left for me to do at the Sword Tomb.
But I still hadn’t finished the Emperor’s command.
That was the whole reason I’d come here in the first place.
Gwon Jik and Gwon Eul from the Embroidered Guard just wouldn’t make a move.
Were they simply that cautious?
Or were they actually innocent?
The Emperor wouldn’t have sent me all the way here for no reason.
Still, the stars really were beautiful tonight.
Was it because the elevation was high and the air was so dry?
People always said you could see the stars clearly in the desert.
And this place really was close to desert land.
That was why water was so scarce here that people brought cartloads of it in every single day.
Ah!
I suddenly shot upright.
Come to think of it, the Guizhou Gwon Family had been in charge of escorting those water shipments!
Which meant they could pass news of what was happening here to someone outside Yanzhi Mountain faster than anyone else.
And that someone could be from the imperial palace.
Or from the Murim Alliance.
Which also meant that depending on who they were reporting to, I could find out where those two Embroidered Guard’s loyalties truly lay.
Let’s see, the time now should be…
At this hour, they’d probably just be heading down toward the base of Yanzhi Mountain.
As I got to my feet, I said to Palgap,
“I’m heading out for a bit. I’ve got something to take care of.”
“Understood.”
I slipped naturally away from the others and ran down the mountain.
I hadn’t gone far before I spotted the laborers pulling the wagons and the men escorting them.
Gwon Jik was among them.
Gwon Eul was probably still back at camp.
He’d need to be there to pass along anything that happened during the night.
Hiding my presence, I followed them from behind.
The wagons eventually stopped near a stream.
It was one of the waterways feeding into the Yellow River, more than enough to use as drinking water.
While the laborers filled containers and loaded them onto the wagons, the warriors kept a tight watch over the area.
After looking around, Gwon Jik gave an order to the warriors.
“Stay sharp. I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gwon Jik left the stream and headed toward a thick patch of woods.
I concealed my presence as much as possible and followed after him.
When he stopped and lingered in the forest, someone approached him.
Who is that?
To move that secretly without catching anyone else’s eye… that was no ordinary skill.
But I couldn’t sense any trace of Unorthodox Sect Qi from him.
I focused my hearing.
“You came?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Blood Staff Star Monk’s holy body was discovered today in the Sword Tomb.”
“I see. Anything else?”
“And it looks like the excavation will be finished soon.”
“Any sign that something might turn up?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Then what should I report to those above?”
“Tell them there’s no need to waste any more attention on this place. It seems the legendary object that person is searching for isn’t here.”
“I understand.”
With that, the man vanished, and Gwon Jik quietly muttered to himself.
“Why they’re searching so desperately for that object… Even if they found it, it’s not like it would put them on the throne.”
Then he left the dense forest and returned to the stream.
“…”
Meanwhile, I had no choice but to wear a grim expression because of what I’d just heard.
I hadn’t misheard that, had I?
I’m pretty sure he just said throne.
And when someone spoke of the throne, they meant the Emperor’s seat – the imperial throne itself.
Could it be that the reason the Emperor ordered me to watch those Embroidered Guard had nothing to do with the Murim Alliance after all?
Now that I thought about it, the Emperor had only told me to keep an eye on them. He never actually said who they might be siding with.
There was a reason they hadn’t done anything suspicious until now.
They’d had no need to.
Whew… I almost ended up chasing the wrong lead.
The moment I realized Gwon Jik wasn’t loyal to the Emperor – no, that he was loyal to someone aiming for the Emperor’s throne – a new question naturally came to mind.
Then who exactly is Gwon Jik loyal to?
And what was that ‘object’ he just mentioned?
I soon shook my head and pushed the thought aside.
Whew, there was no point standing here making guesses.
What I needed to do was simple.
Find out who the man was working for – the one who had just taken information from Gwon Jik.
As I quietly followed the mysterious man, I saw him send off a Carrier Pigeon somewhere.
– Geumryeong.
– Kui?
– I need you to do an errand. Can you find out where that Carrier Pigeon is headed and where it lands?
– Kui!
At my request, Geumryeong immediately took off after the Carrier Pigeon.
.
.
.
The next afternoon.
It was time for a break.
I naturally approached Gwon Jik.
Even though he had to be tired from escorting the water transport the night before, he was still working hard at the excavation.
Before, I wouldn’t have thought much of it.
But now it was different.
Because now I knew why.
It was because of the object that might be hidden here.
Last night, Geumryeong found out where the Carrier Pigeon had arrived, but I still hadn’t learned what kind of object they were searching for.
Come to think of it, hadn’t the Emperor said he sent the Embroidered Guard here because of a royal object that might be in this place?
If so, then the Emperor might already know exactly what object they were looking for.
Or maybe they were after a different object altogether.
Either way, I had to at least try to find out.
But how was I supposed to start that conversation?
While I was racking my brain over it, I saw a snake slithering nearby.
Then an idea hit me.
– Geumryeong! Make that snake go near Gwon Jik’s feet!
– Kui!
At my request, Geumryeong hurried toward the snake. The startled thing instantly changed direction and slithered away as fast as it could.
Perfect!
“Watch out over there!”
I shouted a warning at Gwon Jik and threw myself forward.
“What the…?”
Whoosh!
I snatched the snake away and spoke to him.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Strange for a snake to suddenly show up like that.”
“Seriously. I’ve heard the snakes around here are highly venomous, so it’s a good thing you weren’t bitten.”
“Thank you for helping me.”
“It was nothing.”
Then I smoothly kept the conversation going.
“Still, if nothing has turned up after all this, I guess that really means there’s nothing here. I said as much before… but honestly, I thought something might still come out of it.”
“Hoping for something… I doubt you were the only one.”
“Probably not. To be honest, I was hoping a weapon might turn up. Something like that red staff Blood Staff Star Monk was said to use.”
Then I casually asked him,
“Was there anything you were hoping to find too, sir?”
“Hoping for something…”
Whether he had completely lowered his guard around me, or simply wanted to tell someone the secret he’d been carrying, he gave a faint smile and continued.
“I was hoping there might be some kind of object.”
“An object…?”
“Yes. There’s a story that Blood Staff Star Monk once met His Majesty the Emperor while the Emperor was traveling through a forest in plain clothes, and after saving his life, he was given an object as a token of gratitude.”
“There’s a legend like that?”
“It’s not a widely known story. Anyway, since this is Blood Staff Star Monk’s Sword Tomb, I thought that object might be inside…”
“Then what kind of object is it?”
“Ah, it’s a wrapping cloth.”
“What?”
“It’s a red wrapping cloth. They say if you write down the place you want to go on it, it’ll guide you safely there no matter where that place is.”
A red wrapping cloth?
Wasn’t the cloth I found wrapped around the book and letter red?
–TL Notes–
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