"There you are!"
Un Am approached Chung Myung with an urgent look upon his face.
"Sasuk, I greet you."
Jo Gul and Chung Myung bowed their heads and offered greetings.
"Right."
Un Am slightly nodded his head and then looked at Chung Myung.
"Chung Myung."
"Yes, Sasuk."
"I think you should head to our main mountain."
"… Huh?"
Our main mountain?
Mount Hua?
'No, does he think going to Mount Hua is that easy?'
What kind of errand is he asking about? Even birds could die ascending Mount Hua!
Where did their consciences go!
"Mount Hua?"
"Yes."
Chung Myung turned his head to the side with a sullen face. Jo Gul swiftly avoided his gaze.
"No, there are so many vigorous and strong sahyungs, why me…?"
"Aren't you the youngest?"
"Because I am the youngest, my legs are thin, and my footwork is weak."
"You also aren't doing anything here."
"…"
Ah.
He didn't like working, so he decided to clean this place instead. Who would have known it would backfire like this.
"Ugh."
Chung Myung sighed deeply.
Now he was turned into an errand boy. How did the Plum Blossom Sword Saint Chung Myung end up like this?
"So, what's the errand?"
"You need to deliver a letter to the sect leader."
"Sorry?"
A letter?
He wanted to ask more but questioning a sasuk and fretting over every detail wasn't polite. It hurts their pride if someone young, like Chung Myung, questions them.
"Yes. I will go."
"Good. Normally, it would be fine to just wait until someone is returning and let them deliver it, but the businesses here are quite chaotic and it's a fairly urgent matter. I hope you understand."
Shit.
He has such a good personality.
Chung Myung would have torn their snout off if it had been a third-class disciple issuing this request.
Un Am pulled out a letter and gave it to Chung Myung.
"This is the one."
"Yes."
Also, Un Am kindly explained what the letter was, in case Chung Myung was curious about it.
"This is a letter from Eunha merchant guild, so treat it with respect."
"Uh? Eunha?"
Jo Gul quietly explained.
"That's the merchant association that Elder Hwang is a member of."
"Eh?"
Chung Myung was shocked.
Un Am continued to explain while ignoring Chung Myung's shock.
"This letter was sent to the sect leader because of an emergency. I happened to be in Hua-Um, so I was able to intercept it early. Otherwise, it would take another two days for it to be delivered along with the other goods to Mount Hua. So, you will have to take this and deliver it to the sect leader immediately."
"Yes, I get it."
"It's urgent, so don't delay and leave right away."
"Yes!"
Jo Gul, who watched Chung Myung take the letter into his hands, unwittingly reached his arm out as Chung Myung dashed away towards the mountain.
"That… that!"
Then, he mumbled with anxious eyes.
"Couldn't we send anyone else but him with that?"
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"N-Nothing at all. Sasuk."
Jo Gul quickly said. But his eyes didn't leave Chung Myung's back.
'I'm probably just feeling too sensitive.'
But ominous premonitions were rarely wrong.
"Hmm."
Chung Myung, who was climbing Mount Hua, took the letter in his hands.
"Hmmmm."
'So, this is a letter from Elder Hwang of the great Eunha Merchants, right?'
'No, since Elder Hwang is battling illness on his deathbed, this must be a letter from his subordinates.'
"Ah… really."
Chung Myung sighed.
"Morally, it isn't right for a Taoist to open letters meant for other people and pry into their private matters; but isn't this letter addressed to Mount Hua where Taoists are plentiful? Whether sect leader or disciple, it should be fine for me to peek inside since we're all family on Mount Hua. Isn't that right, Sahyung?"
-What shit are you spewing!
"… however, my sahyung is dead, so it doesn't matter."
Chung Myung always touched others' stuff.
With Mount Hua's businesses as they are, it seems like they will remain a mess unless Elder Hwang steps in to help make things easier. But with this situation… Was there some kind of emergency in the guild?
Something must have happened to Elder Hwang.
How could he know for sure if he doesn't peek inside, though?
Chung Myung took a close look at the letter.
An inscription on the surface clearly stated, 'For the eyes of the Great Mount Hua Sect leader only.'
So, they say no one other than the sect leader should open it.
"It's okay. It's fine. To be honest, even if the sect leader was here, he would have told me what it says anyway."
If other people were around to hear him, they would have pulled their hair out yelling at him; unfortunately, no one was around.
"Let's see,"
A letter sealed securely with a wax stamp. No matter how carefully it was torn, marks were bound to be seen.
But it wasn't very difficult for Chung Myung, who had plenty of experience raiding other peoples' property.
"Well, that's a good thing."
Shhh!
A sharp qi rose from Chung Myung's fingertips and accurately separated the boundaries between paper and wax. Then, as if it had never been waxed from the beginning, only a complete envelope remained.
Chung Myung opened the envelope, took out the letter inside, and began to read it.
"Let's see…."
Chung Myung crossed his legs and scanned the contents.
Chung Myung's face distorted. Chung Myung fought back an urge to crush the letter, neatly folded it instead, and pushed it back into the envelope with trembling hands.
He took a deep breath.
"Phew!"
After taking several deep breaths, he calmed his raging mind.
"Isn't this that damned Demon Flower?"
Demon Flower.
Literally a demon's flower.
Chung Myung clenched his teeth.
"There's no way ordinary physicians can cure this!"
Because these were the symptoms of that flower.
On the surface, the symptoms are similar to being severely poisoned. Therefore, people would spend their time searching for an antidote.
However, the Demon Flower is a poison that occurs when a particular technique of the Demonic sect is used.
The reason why Chung Myung couldn't be calm was simple.
'Demonic bastards!'
Those bastards, who he thought had been eradicated, were alive and working behind the scenes!
'No! No! No!'
Chung Myung slapped his cheeks to calm himself.
"The one I killed was their Heavenly Demon. I didn't kill all the demonic bastards."
It was natural for the remnants of the Demonic Sect to be alive. Didn't they say the demonic sect remnants had rushed over to Mount Hua after their Heavenly Demon was killed?
There must have been some who survived the war and grew up. There would have been even more hiding out in the Hundred-Thousand Mountains. It's no wonder they're still around.
The problem wasn't them being alive but them plotting something.
A blazing fire ignited within Chung Myung's eyes.
"I don't get it; do they still hold any grudges against Mount Hua?"
Why does everything they do damage Mount Hua?
There were so many people in this world, yet, why did they have to touch Elder Hwang?
"Ah! My head hurts!"
Chung Myung took a deep breath.
'Nothing else can be done.'
He would have to go and see it for himself.
It wasn't possible to say with certainty based on what was written. Chung Myung would have to see it with his own eyes.
Furthermore…
"Reward! A huge reward!"
At the end of the letter, what was written shone in Chung Myung's eyes.
According to Jo Gul, only the best of the best could join the Eunha guild, and Elder Hwang was famous even in the guild. A massive reward from such a place, he couldn't even imagine how much it would end up being.
"I can't miss this!"
Chung Myung's heart skipped a beat.
Nearly a hundred years have passed, so not many would know of the Demon Flower.
If they hadn't waged war a hundred years ago, not even Chung Myung would know of it. There was no way they could imagine that these symptoms came from a demonic technique.
Anyone who could recognize these symptoms died in the hands of Heavenly Demon and the other Demonic Sect disciples on the day Chung Myung died.
But the world doesn't know.
'Those who survived that fateful day might know.'
If they were alive, they would have been a sect leader. But it didn't seem like there were any survivors. But if they'd survived, would they have passed the knowledge on? What if one of the others receiving this letter actually has a cure?
"I must have lost it! I can't even imagine it!"
Chung Myung's eyes flared in excitement.
Who could try and snatch away one of Chung Myung's opportunities? …Was he really shamelessly targeting patients? But this was money… no, Chung Myung must solve this dying man's illness for the sake of morality!
"I'm busy."
Chung Myung grabbed the letter and placed the seal back on it. Then melted the wax a little to fix it and moved to the top.
"Let's give this to them first."
That way, even if Chung Myung resolved the situation, the sect leader would have some understanding of the current situation.
Hyun Jong seemed to have close ties to the guild.
The letter read thusly.
Sect leader. The long winter is over, and spring is coming. By the time this arrives, the spring plum blossoms will be in full bloom, even where the sect leader resides.
The beautiful view of Mount Hua, which I visited with my father, is still etched into my memories. I am full of desire to revisit it some time, but it is a pity that circumstances do not permit me.
Unfortunately, I am ashamed to be writing to you like this in hopes of a request. I am contacting you because my father's condition keeps worsening with the passage of each day.
As you know, my father has been in bed since last year as his health began failing. Considering his age, it was understandable. But strangely, in recent days, other symptoms started to appear instead of the usual signs of old age.
Father is currently unconscious and unable to move. His body is dyed red, and a black light or something ominous circulates on his forehead while his heart beats erratically.
We, the Eunha Guild, invited various people to check on my father's condition, but no one made a proper diagnosis.
So, as if grasping at straws, I'm trying to find some clue about this illness by sending these letters out to anyone I know is capable. If you know anything about my father's symptoms, we would appreciate it if you could contact us back in any way.
I promise to give a massive reward in the name of Eunha Guild to those who provide information that would help improve my father's health.
Waiting for a reply.
Hwang Jongi, the minor Lord of Eunha Guild.