Chapter 66

“Now, just who on earth are you…?”

After the battle concluded, Jincheon and Chusam approached Taewoon with expressions full of astonishment, their voices tinged with a hint of wariness.

However, Taewoon had already thought up an excuse for this exact situation.

“Due to certain circumstances, I had decided not to involve myself in the affairs of the Central Plains for a while… but it would be improper to simply stand by and watch those who have helped me fall into crisis. I apologize for concealing my origins.”

“D-don’t say such things! If it weren’t for you, everyone would have surely suffered a great ordeal. You are practically the savior of the One Shadow Escort Agency! If you wish to hide your identity and live quietly, I will provide as much help as I can. Would you be willing to stay at the agency and act as an Escort, as you are now? Of course, I will ensure you are treated generously.”

“If that is the case, I will gratefully accept.”

The agency had nearly faced a great crisis, but for Taewoon, it served as an appropriate opportunity to elevate his social standing.

From now on, his range of movement would widen, and by building relationships with the key figures of the agency, he would be able to get his hands on a wider variety of information.

Though there had been many twists and turns, this could be considered a fairly smooth start.

‘But on the other hand…’

Despite spending over a week here, he had yet to discover a single element that would bring him closer to the core of the Theater.

He began to think that perhaps, as he had initially expected, the struggle in this ‘Heavenly Secret Manual’ Theater might become an unprecedented war of attrition.

‘…’

【Secret Manual – Star Absorption Great Technique】

▶ Upon reading, the user can acquire the formulas and Heart’s Attainment of the Star Absorption Great Technique.

【A Handful of Blessing – Fortuitous Encounter】

▶ Once per Cycle, the user can twist fate to encounter a necessary Fortuitous Encounter.

Reconfirming the single book and the single blessing tucked inside his clothes, Taewoon quietly mapped out his future steps in his mind.

“Reorganize the carriages! Hurry and move to the next destination!”

Joining the members of the agency who were swiftly cleaning up, Taewoon set out on the road once more.

Regardless, for now, he simply continued to move forward.

“Impressive… to possess Internal Energy that pure.”

“Rumor has it that the Sect Leader personally took an interest in her and brought her here. Of course she would be overflowing with talent.”

“Anyway, things are going to get noisy from now on.”

Yerin, who had entered the Theater as a member of the Wudang Sect Secular Disciples—specifically as a member of the Taechung Martial Arts Hall—was quickly recognized for her talent and rose to become a true disciple of the Wudang Sect.

This was partly because Yerin had achieved significant growth as a Hunter, but the primary reason was the effect of the Void Clear Stone Milk she had obtained as a Special Prize.

‘That was almost a disaster.’

In truth, as soon as Yerin entered the Theater, she had consumed the Void Clear Stone Milk without much hesitation.

Because it was given as a physical object, it was extremely difficult to store, and she couldn’t rule out the possibility of someone stealing it.

But the sheer amount of Latent Power that surged in an instant!

If the Void Clear Stone Milk hadn’t been a spiritual medicine so pure that it could heal a sick person with no connection to Martial Arts, she truly would have suffered a great calamity.

“Yerin, are you there?”

“Ah, yes! Master!”

Contrary to the various rumors spreading within the Wudang Sect, the first person to actually recognize Yerin’s talent was the Chief Elder, Hwi Gyeom.

Word spread among the Elders, and it soon reached the Sect Leader, leading to the current situation.

“…Tsk. To think she’s fawning over Elder Tae without any sense of dignity.”

“I don’t care. I am simply doing what I must.”

The internal gaze toward Yerin wasn’t exactly kind, but what could she do? Yerin had a goal far more important than playing games with generations like third-generation or second-generation disciples; for that, she had to grow into an influential figure in the Central Plains as quickly as possible.

Ignoring them, Yerin followed Elder Tae, and soon a dignified old man dressed in a splendid Taoist robe appeared before her.

“The Council of Elders has given their permission. Starting today, you will learn the High-Level Martial Arts that only those in appropriate positions within the sect are permitted to learn.”

“Pardon?”

“Now that the clouds of war are gathering over the Martial World of the Central Plains, discovering a natural talent like you outside the main mountain must be the protection of our ancestors. This would be impossible under normal circumstances, so recognize the weight of this and strive tirelessly.”

I… I don’t think my talent is quite at that level…

Yerin hesitated to accept with a troubled expression, but soon, as if she had no choice, she bowed her head in acceptance.

After all, she wasn’t in a position to be so leisurely that she could turn down an opportunity that rolled right into her lap.

‘…’

That evening, after finishing her day’s training and returning to her room, Yerin collapsed her tired body and fell deep into thought once more.

‘I wonder if Taewoon oppa is doing okay?’

A month had already passed since she entered this ‘Heavenly Secret Manual’ Theater.

She had sent letters to the One Shadow Escort Agency, where she presumed Taewoon was staying, but she couldn’t be certain they were being delivered properly.

‘In the end, I have no choice but to wait for now…’

Since they had designated Hubei, where Wudang is located, as their meeting place, it was far better than leaving room for them to miss each other.

And for Yerin, she desperately hoped that Taewoon would find her as soon as possible.

‘I have to convey the truth somehow…’

▶【A Word of Advice: Martial Arts Novel(?)】

The single line of message Yerin had received the moment she entered the Theater.

Taewoon and Yerin had predicted the general genre and content of the Theater through the provided information, but in reality, it was as if all of that had been flatly denied.

And after receiving that advice, Yerin began to feel a vague sense of anxiety regarding the essence of this Theater.

‘Heavenly Secret Manual, a secret manual descended from beyond the heavens.’

She couldn’t deduce the detailed contents at present, but one thing was certain.

It was the fact that it would bring a massive Calamity upon the vast Martial World of the Central Plains.

“Brother Woon, would you like to stop by a tavern later?”

“I don’t know, if I have time.”

Two months had passed since entering the Heavenly Secret Manual Theater.

During that time, Taewoon had gained the complete trust of Escort Leader Lee Chusam and the elder Jincheon, and he had solidified his position as a senior Escort of the One Shadow Escort Agency.

He had grown close to his colleagues and even gained juniors, so there was no discomfort in his daily life, but honestly, various thoughts were starting to shake his mind.

‘Damn it, I didn’t think there would be this little progress…’

While living as an Escort, he had been able to grasp the stories of the entire Central Plains and the relationships between factions in detail, but none of it contained core information.

In a situation where he couldn’t even find a clue for a strategy, let alone an opportunity to learn a plausible Martial Art, he could hardly be certain if staying here was the right choice.

‘No, maybe I’ve already missed the opportunity.’

Since the One Shadow Escort Agency was given as a Starting Point, there must be clues to be obtained here.

However, Taewoon had no way of knowing when they would appear, or if they had already passed him by.

Thus, after much deliberation, Taewoon decided to embark on a new adventure.

‘I’ll stop by Hubei first to exchange information with Yerin, then decide on my future plans.’

That night, leaving only a single letter for Chusam and Jincheon, Taewoon left the agency he had grown fond of.

Since he had already given them a heads-up that he might leave at any time, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

Now was the time to set foot on a new journey once again.

“Have you heard the rumors?”

“They say the Evil Sect and Dark Path bastards have been running rampant across the Central Plains recently. Be extra cautious while on your trade route.”

“Good heavens, I wonder what’s becoming of the world…”

The information Taewoon had painstakingly collected while staying at the agency could be divided into three categories.

First, regarding the Heavenly Secret Manual, the title of the Theater; second, regarding the current state of the Central Plains; and third, regarding the secret manual of the Star Absorption Great Technique he obtained as a Special Prize.

‘…’

Regarding the Heavenly Secret Manual, he couldn’t find any significant clues, but he was able to obtain testimonies from various places that the movements of the Evil Sect and Dark Path groups were unusual, just as the rumors in the marketplaces suggested.

Perhaps the clouds of war were slowly gathering over the current Martial World.

‘…In that sense, this thing is also quite troublesome to handle.’

The Star Absorption Great Technique is a sinister demonic art known for absorbing the opponent’s Internal Energy and True Qi.

Because it was given as a book, Taewoon had to pray that no one would discover it while keeping the manual attached to his body at all times.

‘I can’t just blindly learn it either…’

Since it is a demonic art that disturbs the user’s mind and body, he didn’t know what side effects would follow if he trained in it.

Of course, the Theater allows one to obtain new opportunities in emergencies, but what if the backlash carried over to the next Cycle?

Ultimately, for the current Taewoon, it was an object that could only be described as a white elephant.

“…You’ve arrived?”

As he headed toward the appointed location, Jain, who was now dressed quite convincingly as a person of the Central Plains, welcomed Taewoon with a bright expression.

In Jain’s case, he had been acting independently of the agency and exchanging information with Taewoon; this was their first meeting in exactly a month and two weeks.

“I think it’s time. I’m planning to leave the agency.”

“I see. I suspected that might be the case…”

“Did you dig up any useful information?”

“There are still no clues regarding the Heavenly Secret Manual. However, while traveling around the Zhao region, I did obtain one piece of information that caught my attention.”

Jain paused for a moment, organizing the details in his head before continuing.

“I heard that a Martial Artist from the Evil Path Alliance, who has recently started making a name for himself, uses a mysterious Martial Art that no one has ever seen or heard of. It is said to be so aberrant that it has become a hot topic among witnesses.”

“A mysterious Martial Art?”

“Yes. The possibility is low, but couldn’t it perhaps be related to the Heavenly Secret Manual?”

It was certainly a rumor worth noting. Two months had passed since entering the Theater; it wouldn’t be strange if some event were to occur now.

“Then it would be best to head toward Hubei and gather information related to that.”

“I agree. It would also be better to start interacting with Ms. Yerin soon.”

In truth, if he had achieved proper results, he would have left to find Yerin long ago, but because time had dragged on aimlessly, the period had only lengthened.

And so, Taewoon and Jain finally took their first step on the journey toward Hubei.

Desperately hoping that, at the very least, some kind of result had come from her side.