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Yu Jinsan found himself immobilized for a moment.
The shocking discussion he had overheard at the guesthouse left him stunned.
Known for their neutrality, the Byeok family clan, larger than the Yu family and boasting numerous distinguished warriors, had encountered a similar fate.
It was scarcely feasible to write off their plight as a simple coincidence.
‘Just how many forces in the martial arts world could extinguish the Byeok clan without anyone noticing? And they kidnapped a child…?’
Adding this incident to his calculation, the perpetrator’s list started to narrow down.
However, determining their goal was becoming increasingly complex.
He wished to embark on a search for evidence within the Byeok family, but it was inherently fraught with danger.
‘There’s no need to take unnecessary risks at this point.’
He had to prioritize his own survival until his transformation was entirely complete.
Unhesitatingly turning his back as though there wasn’t a concern in the world, Yu Jinsan quickened his steps. This was due to the gradually increasing number of people throwing suspicious glances his way.
His odd appearance—an elderly man donning a bamboo hat, wielding a large cane, and carrying a child on his back—was bound to draw attention.
In no time, he had left the village, continuing his journey to the north.
His granddaughter displayed remarkable calm throughout the journey, which buoyed his spirits. She seemed to find great joy in surveying the surroundings.
As the child on his back drifted into slumber, he journeyed deeper into the mountains at a steady pace.
They had arrived at Yangju Mountain.
While walking aimlessly, he stumbled upon an unexpected discovery.
‘Who on earth would choose to inhabit such an isolated place?’
The site comprised an unoccupied dwelling, apparently untouched for roughly ten years.
A small wooden house, accompanied by a kitchen and a hut in the yard, constituted the property.
The sight of this deserted place brought a sense of relief to Yu Jinsan.
Deep down, he had hoped to find a shrine abandoned by monks, but he did not anticipate discovering a place like this.
“Heh. To think there’s a place like this tucked away here.”
After confirming that no one was occupying the place, he opened the door.
He noticed a guqin instrument that was hung on the wall for decoration. Many pieces of dusty furniture were left behind.
It was then that he discovered a jade box sitting on top of an empty cabinet. Directly falling on the surface, there was this dew that seemed to carry a soothing fragrance.
He carefully opened it, revealing a few weapons inside.
‘Flying needle? Does this mean the people who lived here before were warriors?’
One couldn’t use a flying needle without internal qi, which meant that it was an assassin weapon that only highly skilled individuals could handle.
He speculated that the previous occupant might have been a formidable warrior.
‘Flying needles and dagger…’
It seemed odd, but he couldn’t afford to be picky at this moment. Just then, his granddaughter began to cry.
“Uwaaa.”
He felt a wet sensation on his back.
Yu Jinsan sighed and removed the cloth from his back.
“… you pooped.”
He expertly changed the child’s underwear then began collecting firewood.
It was to start a fire.
After a long soak in warm water for both him and his granddaughter, he finally started to feel rejuvenated.
“Grapa!”
Yu Seol also seemed to be in high spirits. She waved her hands, beaming brightly.
“Oh my, there’s plenty of fire. Let’s enjoy a warm sleep.”
The concept of heating a room using a furnace seemed to be unique to the eastern regions. It later spread slowly to the central plains and was adopted by the people there.
Yu Jinsan, with his vast experience, immediately recognized this and appreciated his luck.
Feeling lighter, he settled down in the room with his granddaughter.
Their only option was to crouch next to the fire and sleep.
Lying on the warm floor for the first time in ages, he began to feel the accumulated fatigue melt away.
“Oh my, this feels so nice, so invigorating.”
The numbing pain in his back muscles began to heal slowly.
Yu Jinsan turned his head to the side, making eye contact with Yu Seol, who cooed in response.
“Hmmm.”
He couldn’t help but smile.
His granddaughter, who was sleeping in a warm place for the first time in a long while, fell asleep quickly.
‘I never thought such small things could bring me joy.’
If he were to choose the happiest moment in his life, he would not overlook this one.
Exhausted, Yu Jinsan also fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
He slept soundly, only managing to open his eyes at dawn.
It was the most restful sleep he had had since the incident occurred. He craved more rest, but he couldn’t afford it. Shouldn’t he start preparing breakfast for the child?
As he quietly made porridge, his thoughts began to wander.
‘My daughter-in-law must have struggled a lot.’
Managing all household tasks alone couldn’t have been easy for her.
He felt deep regret that he never expressed enough affection for them.
Lost in thought, he finished cooking the pumpkin porridge just as his granddaughter woke up.
“Now, try repeating this. Hung. Ry.”
“Hury.”
Her little coo mirrored happiness.
Yu Jinsan blew on the baby’s food and fed her the porridge little by little.
The action brought forth an uncontrollable bout of laughter.
‘If my sons had seen this, they would have immediately turned away.’
Wasn’t he treated as the most respected member of the family?
He would have never envisioned this scene in the past.
Remembering old memories, his eyes turned red as he thought of his brutally murdered family members.
Yu Seol was watching him with wide-open eyes.
He couldn’t afford to cry in front of his granddaughter.
“Grandpa isn’t crying. Have you finished eating?”
When he offered the leaf to the child, she closed her mouth and turned her head away.
It appeared that she was full.
Yu Jinsan scooped the remaining porridge into his mouth. Then he wrapped his granddaughter in the blanket and went out.
Upon opening the small door of the kitchen, he found various farming tools.
After taking the pitchfork and sickle, he stepped outside and surveyed his surroundings.
A verdant weed field nearby caught his attention. Due to its proximity to a well, the land looked fertile, making it ideal for growing vegetables.
“I guess I should plant vegetables here to feed Seol.”
Although he spoke with confidence, he felt a sense of unease.
Farming requires extensive physical strength. If he hadn’t built up their stamina beforehand, it would have been a task he wouldn’t dare tackle.
Puak! Puak!
With every thrust of the pitchfork, the ground gave way, and the weeds were uprooted.
Leveling the land was the most imminent task.
His energy was abundant at first, so it didn’t require much effort. But as time passed, he started feeling pain in his back.
“Ah, my back! Oh my!”
At that moment, Yu Seol’s cooing could be heard from behind.
“Oooo paaak.”
She was repeating every word her grandpa said.
Though her learning capabilities were known to be impressive, her level of brilliance was certainly extraordinary.
‘I must be careful with my words.’
Yu Jinsan hummed a tune while tilling the field.
He could feel his granddaughter laughing on his back.
Her mood seemed to improve. Her tiny legs kicked the air excitedly.
Absorbed in his humming, he dedicated himself to farming, oblivious to the passage of time.
It took five days to prepare the garden and sow the seeds.
During that time, he experienced two more bouts of pain, but he bore it for the sake of Yu Seol.
As the days passed, the once-abandoned house began to feel quite homely.
The same daily routine was repeated over and over again until, before he knew it, he had found a rhythm of calmness.
“I think I should provide my granddaughter with some boiled meat today.”
Taking advantage of the child’s slumber, he picked up his spear and ventured through the mountains, seeking traces of any animals.
It was hunting time.
‘There has to be an elk around.’
The feces hadn’t hardened yet, and they still retained heat. Hence, the animal couldn’t have gone far.
At the very least, even if he couldn’t catch it, he could corner it.
If it intruded on the cultivated land, there was a risk of the crops being destroyed.
He continued moving, scanning his surroundings for any signs.
Tree branches were scratched by the elk’s horns. It was the telltale sign of the creature.
While he was wandering about, suddenly, Yu Jinsan froze.
‘Who’s there? Were there other people on this mountain?’
He had clearly heard someone speaking.
He had assumed the mountain was deserted, but evidently, that was not the case.
He stealthily approached the source of the sound. The elk was no longer his concern.
“Why are you guys so late? Where are the others?”
“Don’t speak. We only intended to intimidate him, but he retaliated, and I was taken aback.”
“Where is the opponent?”
“As it turns out, they were from the escort service, Wei-kang.”
“So, they’re the escort service supported by the Wudang sect, right? Were they attempting to extort them?”
“I’m not completely sure. They were waving a flag. I should have paid attention to the writing on it. Anyway, since two Taoists were involved, I assumed it would backfire on them.”
Their affiliations were clear without having to see them in person.
After all, the only other inhabitants of this mountain had to be bandits.
Yu Jinsan, who was covertly observing, was struck with a throbbing headache.
But he still decided to eavesdrop a bit longer. The conversation was still ongoing among the bandits.
“Explain in detail. What exactly happened?”
“Fortunately, the support group arrived on time, and we emerged victorious. All the traitors were eliminated… We managed to kill one Taoist, just barely, but half of us sacrificed our lives for it. He was among the first class disciples of the Wudang sect.”
“…”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You killed one of the Wudang sect’s disciples… then did the other one manage to escape?”
“Yes. Their skills were inferior. Had we pursued him, I’m not sure what would have become of us.”
“Phew…. As I thought, I should have accompanied you. Because when you handle matters like this, I inevitably end up dealing with the tough consequences.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? I put my life on the line, yet you act as if I’ve only caused trouble?”
The bandit, with a bandana tied around his head, furrowed his brows and grumbled.
“You thickhead! We’re all in deep trouble now!”
“…Why?”
“Phew. Let’s go and talk. We need to return to the base immediately and inform the leader.”
The bandits grouped together and hastily disappeared.
After they left, Yu Jinsan clicked his tongue and continued on his way.
“Wherever I go, there seems to always be an idiot present.”
Large sects often received offerings and were backed by smaller clans.
The Wei-kang escort service was a force that benefited from the support of these sects. It appeared that this time, a couple of Wudang disciples accompanied them.
The bandits slaughtered one to ensure his silence, even though it resulted in heavy losses.
The Wudang sect was a prominent sect that formed a significant part of the Murim Alliance.
And there was no way they would turn a blind eye to such an event.
‘There is undoubtedly trouble in the future.’
Soon, scouts would be dispatched to find and eliminate the bandits. Eventually, the other warriors of Wudang would seek to gain experience by dealing with the bandits.
To forestall any escalating conflict between them, it was crucial for him to keep the bandits away from the shelter.
Yu Jinsan hastily made his way to the house and cautiously opened the door.
Yu Seol was sleeping peacefully on her side, drool trickling down from the corner of her mouth.
‘I think it would be a good idea to use this first.’
What he reached for was the spare red baby blanket he had bought.
He took the blanket and gently stroked his granddaughter’s head once.
Fortunately, she was so tired that she showed no signs of waking up. With utmost care, he left the house and ventured into the deep mountains, tearing the blanket into small pieces.
It was approximately 200 feet from the house.
From there, he began to tie cloth pieces to branches at regular intervals.
‘From now on, this is our territory. If anyone intrudes, I will not let them go.’
He had to finish all this work before his granddaughter woke up, so he hastened as much as possible.
And when the task was nearly complete, he spotted a group of bandits roaming around.
“The leader seems furious. It would be wise to avoid him for now.”
“Tsk. That’s your fault. Meddling with the Wudang sect like an idiot.”
“What else can I do? You saw it all, didn’t you?”
Then he noticed a piece of red cloth tied to a tree branch.
At that time, Yu Jinsan began to approach from a distance.
“Let’s start with the introductions. I am a newcomer in this area.”
The bandits exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions laced with confusion.
“I suppose your children abandoned you?”
“He doesn’t seem to have all his wits about him. It must have been hard on the kids to take care of him.”
“What should we do? We can’t let an intruder off that easily, can we?”
“By the looks of it, he’s just a poor old man. Let’s leave him be.”
The two murmured something to each other and approached Yu Jinsan.
“Old man, this mountain is the territory of the Black Mountain Blade. If you don’t want trouble, leave.”
“And leave quickly. You don’t know when I might change my mind.”
Backing down was not an option for Yu Jinsan. He needed a stable place to raise his granddaughter.
And where else could he find a place better than this one?
“Hehehe. A mountain is part of nature, so how can it have an owner of its own? Anyway, this land has been marked, so we should not invade each other’s territory. I really don’t want to see blood spilled here, so go tell your leader.”
All the bandits sighed at this.
“Yes, then I will go and pass on the message.”
“I get it. It isn’t as if we can do anything else.”
Yu Jinsan smiled and nodded.
However, contradicting their words, their bodies radiated a completely different killing intent.
“You thought I would respond like that?”
“This crazy old man really has crossed all limits. We gave you a fair chance, though.”
Their two blades were filled with qi.
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