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Chapter 4: Underwater cave)

Chapter 4: Underwater cave)

Yu Jeong-mok went to meetings held regularly..

“It'll probably be about a second later. Don't go.”

“Please come back, Master..”

Joo Seo-cheon greeted Yoo Jeong-mok off politely..

‘Okay, today is today..’

Four days is enough.

Not only did he know the location of the underwater cave, but he also knew where the Susui Shingwa grew up..

You may be a little tired, but you may come back to Volcanic Wave in three days instead of four..

Joo Seo-cheon secretly left Hwasanpa exactly two o'clock after Yu Jeong-mok descended the mountain..

‘Thanks to the lay disciples, especially those little kids, sneaking out like this isn't that difficult..’

Most disciples of lay families are the children of wealthy merchants or children of noble families of high-ranking nobles..

The younger ones among them are mostly not very patient and feel frustrated by communal life and rules..

Whenever I get the chance, I try to think of a way to run away, but the most common thing is, 

The method was to sneak out by digging a hole under an old wall in a remote area of ​​the volcano..

Usually, through this hole, he would go out and engage in deviant acts, such as drinking alcohol and hugging women, and then return..

For your information, the volcanic wave was actually well aware of this secret(?) passage, but they just ignored it and pretended not to see it..

In any case, lay disciples usually finish their training and leave after about a year at the shortest or three years at the most..

I'm leaving soon, but it's more troublesome to not tolerate this and then get into trouble out of spite..

Especially if you were of a high status or paid a lot of money, even if you were a lay disciple, you could not treat them harshly..

So, we left the passage alone, but because we were concerned about possible intrusion from the outside, we secretly deployed an expert to monitor it..

In other words, it was an open secret that only the parties involved knew and all disciples within the sect knew..

Disciples of the main temple also used this passage from time to time, but not very often..

Unlike lay disciples who were relatively free from their teacher, Bonsan disciples showed their teacher's discernment..

For Joo Seocheon, there were not many days like today..

Almost once a year.

There are five years left, but there is no time to spare..

You must go out whenever you have the chance..

For your information, there is no need to worry about morning routine or Nakan Hell..

In the beginning, when you have to pay attention to it, you blush and check whether or not you are missing something, but after a year or so and you get used to the round trip to the Fallen Hell, you don't even care that much..

This is because there are so many disciples who pass through Nagaan Hell every day with the goal of reaching the training center..

The only time I pay attention to details is when I'm really young and haven't really started yet..

* * *

Ju Seo-cheon descended through a secret passage with some lay disciples to avoid being noticed..

Not only Yu Jeong-mok but also quite a few other senior figures attended the regular meeting, so many disciples secretly came out..

Thanks to that, I wasn't stopped by the experts who were expected to be nearby..

What I brought with me were a few necessities, such as Byeokgokdan, and a few pocket money that I had saved since I was young..

“Ha, how long has it been since this?!”

As soon as Joo Seocheon descended, he smiled brightly and took a deep breath..

Indeed, it was the first time I smelled the air outside a volcano in a long time..

Before returning, it was very rare for me to come down because I had work to do after I became the Elder of Hwasan..

After returning, I was not forced to go outside, so of course I couldn't even go near the front gate..

“It's cold.”

Phew.

When I open my mouth, white breath comes out..

I looked back and saw Dongmae..

“Ugh, having to go swimming in this cold..”

Joo Seocheon trembled as if he was disgusted..

After all, it's winter.

The timing was the worst.

After adjusting the appearance of his winter clothing, Ju Seo-cheon rechecked his pockets for money and other items..

Next, we launched a light attack toward the north, where Hwaeum is located..

‘Dark scent table)!’

In addition to plum blossom fists and plum blossom qigong, Ju Seo-cheon also practiced other martial arts in secret, avoiding people's eyes..

One of them is Amhyangpyo, a representative view of Hwasan..

Originally, you had to be thirteen or fourteen to learn, but for Joo Seocheon now, age is meaningless..

He already knew the martial arts of the Hwasan faction, even the martial arts that were only allowed to long-time scholars..

It took a full day to reach the chord..

“gasp, damn it.”

It's good to learn light attack, but unfortunately, light attack requires more internal energy than sword or footwork..

Joo Seo-cheon had the most inner strength among his peers, but that didn't mean he was capable of performing light attacks all day long..

I was really tired and tired, but I didn't stop walking because time was limited..

Thanks to that, I arrived within the expected time frame..

“Still, I was lucky that I didn't encounter any thieves..”

Shaanxi was a stronghold for the Huashan faction and the Jongnan faction among the nine factions, and was considered to have excellent security..

Of course, it's excellent, but it's not perfect..

Since there are no bandits or thieves, I deliberately disguised myself to show that I had nothing..

I could have dealt with up to five on my own, but I had to be careful with anything more than that because I didn't have enough stamina or strength..

So, for Joo Seo-cheon, this was a bit of a gamble..

Anyway, as soon as Ju Seo-cheon arrived in Hwaeum, he took some rest, bought some food at Jeojat Street, and immediately left the village..

If you get caught in a fight, you'll only waste your stamina..

Children are often looked down on, and they are easy targets for robbers, so they deliberately do not eat in the guest room..

There are a lot of inconveniences when you're young..

Rapid growth was desperately needed, even if only by a day..

“From the warm-up exercise.”

The destination was not that difficult to find..

The path to the underwater cave itself is easy to remember, located in a remote location, and the path is not that complicated, so I didn't get lost..

“Ha, I really don't want to go in..”

You can get to the underwater cave through Jamyeong (潛泳) without having to learn water skills..

An ordinary person would suffocate and risk his or her life, but an exception is made in the case of an unmanned person whose cardiopulmonary capacity is several times greater..

Even children who were not adults were able to go..

The reason this place has not been discovered for a long time is because it is a really remote place. There is nothing nearby, so there is no way for an unmanned person to suddenly sneak into the cave..

The ronin who discovered this place twenty years later lost consciousness after falling into the river and was lucky enough to end up in an underwater cave..

“one two. one two.”

After Joo Seocheon sufficiently relaxed his muscles through warm-up exercises, he took out his belongings from his arms and hid them nearby..

No one would come to this remote place, but we made a hole and covered it with dirt in case wild animals took it..

“Please don't freeze and fall behind.!”

with a plop!

Joo Seocheon jumped into the river..

The water rose upward and fell, causing a great stir..

‘Six times!’

As soon as I dived, I couldn't help but swear..

The coldness starts from the toes and spreads all the way to the head..

It wasn't just cold, it was sore and painful to the core..

Isn't this what it feels like to be naked outside in the middle of winter, wash your body with cold water, and rub ice on your skin?.

Not long after acquiring it, Joo Seocheon deeply regretted it..

‘I should have prepared my mind a little more.!’

I want to go back right now!

Joo Seocheon held back his feelings..

If I go back like this, I'll end up experiencing the pain twice..

Nothing changes.

Above all, you cannot dive indefinitely..

There is a limit to your stamina, and you may already have exhausted yourself significantly in just one dive, making it even more difficult to try again..

‘Come to your senses, you idiot.!’

I got another chance to live, but I can't seem to let go of my nature..

Even before his return, he wasn't that great of a great person..

When things got hard, I was busy making excuses and giving up..

‘If I can save Master through this much pain, it's fine.!

Even if I fall into hell, I will save you.!’

I opened my eyes and clenched my teeth..

The only person I could call family my whole life..

The teacher who saved him as an orphan and taught him martial arts..

And he is a precious person who loved and smiled kindly at his foolish and stupid student from beginning to end..

Joo Seo-cheon recalled Yoo Jeong-mok's smile and gained strength for his sleep..

* * *

Water droplets fell on the surface of the water.

Bubbly.

The calm surface of the water suddenly began to boil, and a black shadow rose across the surface at high speed..

“Puha!”

As soon as Joo Seocheon raised his head above the water, he took a deep breath..

Water went in too, but it didn't matter..

“Cough, Cough!”

Joo Seocheon coughed up a lot of water and took a deep breath of cool air into his lungs..

crackle crackle!

It was the sound of Joo Seocheon trembling and chattering his teeth..

His complexion was as pale as a corpse..

“Geez, I almost fell, I almost fell.……”

Joo Seocheon couldn't speak properly and stuttered..

I jumped out of the water and lay down on the floor to catch my breath without even checking my surroundings..

Fortunately, I didn't get lost on the way to the underwater cave..

The air wasn't as short as I thought and it was worth holding on to..

But the water was colder than expected.

This cold was so much worse than I could have imagined, it was terrible..

“This, this, this, I'm going to freeze..”

Joo Seocheon pinched his cheek to keep from falling asleep and then massaged his numb body with his hands..

And immediately, through the fortune-telling ceremony, I expelled the cold and raised the heat as much as possible..

It seemed to be working, as Joo Seocheon's senses gradually returned to their original state..

“ha ……”

Joo Seocheon relaxed his lotus position and opened his closed eyes..

‘I can't believe I'm so weak!’

I looked down on the child's body and inner strength too much..

It was harder to endure than I thought..

It seemed like he thought simply because he remembered nothing at all when he came before the regression..

‘There isn't much time. Let’s quickly retrieve the guardian deity and return..’

It was still crazy cold, but not cold enough to kill me..

Joo Seocheon got up from his seat and walked straight along the cave..

Step by step.

The quiet cave was filled with echoes of Joo Seocheon’s footsteps..

‘Well, I was worried about the darkness, but I'm glad there's moss..’

Although it wasn't very bright, faintly luminous moss grew here and there on the rocks, lighting up the path..

If there wasn't this moss, you would have had to walk carefully, leaning against the cave wall..

If I raised my inner energy and increased my eye power, I would have been able to see ahead, but I had to leave some inner energy to return to the ground..

By the time the time was up to about a fraction of the time,.

The space for two people to pass gradually widened, and at the end of the road, a cavity appeared that could accommodate about a hundred people..

The cavity was also filled with a lot of moss, just like the place we had passed, and the soft light gathered together and boasted a considerable brightness..

“Found it… … Inhale!”

Joo Seo-cheon made a sound with joy and then took a deep breath..

Then he lowered his body and covered his mouth with his palm..

‘how……!’

The place we arrived at was the underwater cave of our memories..

The first moss I saw was glowing green and there was so much that it covered the entire cavity..

Next was, as expected, a huge tree so majestic that it would make your mouth drop..

Countless branches grew long and intricately, filling the ceiling and walls with moss..

Unlike the outside, the leaves were not green, but light blue in color..

The body boasted an incredible thickness that made it seem like it was probably a thousand years old..

Lastly, the roots that support the tree also cover the entire floor like branches..

underwater tree)!

As the name suggests, it is a tree that grows even in water..

What's even more surprising is that it can grow well even without sunlight..

The aquatic tree is one of the rarest plants, and there are only a few of them in the entire Central Plains..

But the reason Joo Seocheon was so surprised was not because he saw the underwater tree..

But that doesn't mean we couldn't find Susu Shingwa..

Twenty years later, just as the ronin had excitedly talked about, blue colored fruit was seen rolling on the ground..

But there was just one thing that was different.

There was something I didn't know before the regression..

‘What on earth is that?!’

It was a snake.

Although it was not large enough to fill a cavity like an aquatic snake, it was still outside the normal size range..

First of all, the length was unusual at first glance. Although I'm not sure of the exact length, it looked like it was about five feet long..

Not only was the length long, but the girth was also great. If you roughly estimate it, it was about three feet long..

‘spirit!’

Animals or plants with magical energy and abilities are called spirit creatures..

Aquatic trees also belong to spiritual creatures..

For plants, it's not that dangerous..

Usually, if a plant is dangerous, it is classified as a poisonous substance..

But the danger to animals is serious..

Even though they are animals, they are just as smart as humans, and their strength is so great that even masters are a threat..

‘If you're that big……’

Joo Seocheon spent a lot of time alone in his past life, so he read a lot of books..

Among them, I had a relatively detailed knowledge of spiritual objects..

‘Damn, this is a spirit creature that has lived for at least a few hundred years..’

In particular, snakes are classified as dangerous as wild animals..

When most snakes become spirit creatures, not only their speed and strength but also their scales become so hard that, in severe cases, they can even repel swords..

The scariest thing of all is the poison hidden in the fangs..

‘It seems like he's sleeping now……’

Just a little while ago, I cursed the fact that it was winter hundreds of times..

But not now.

I was thankful that it was winter..

Snakes, whether they are spirits or not, hibernate in the winter..

Thanks to that, he was able to survive without being discovered..

‘If you fight, no, if you wake up, you die..’

A spirit creature of that level can only be defeated if the power of several peak and transcendent experts is mobilized..

It is difficult to use unless it is a weapon with more absolute cutting power than any other famous sword or strong energy, which is a sign of fireworks..

In other words, unless you have at least the martial arts skills you had before returning, attacking that snake is an act of suicide..

‘Twenty years later, something like that existed... … There's no way you heard it.

Because it wouldn't have actually happened.’

That soft-spoken ronin would surely be proud of having survived such a snake..

But the fact that I didn't hear about it means that it's clear that the snake didn't exist twenty years later..

I don't know why.

Before that, it may have been hunted by other spirits or hidden creatures, or it may have become an Imoogi..

But not now.

Twenty years ago, that snake was hibernating in this underwater cave..

I was terribly unlucky..

‘Should I run away??’

Spiritual things are not spiritual things for nothing..

If you get close, you may feel a presence and wake up..

Then you really die.

‘But it's a waste to come this far and go back..’

I lifted my head slightly and checked the underwater tree..

Under a huge tree that could only be described as overwhelming, I saw fruit..

fruit colored with water.

It's definitely too late.

I looked at the branches, roots, and other things, but the only thing that seemed to be a sujushin fruit was the one rolling on the ground..

‘That's clear.’

I know it well because the ronin talks excitedly about the guardian deity..

‘but……’

Right next to it was the head of a giant snake with its eyes closed and in a deep sleep..

I can't even dare to approach you..

‘……’

Joo Seocheon rolled his eyes and was lost in thought..

Are you leaving here?.

Or are you moving forward?.

The worry didn't last long.

Joo Seocheon lowered himself and hid his presence as much as possible..

Then, like a turtle, he moved forward slowly..

‘Master!’

There's a chance next year, but I can't guarantee there won't be snakes then either..

If you continue to make this your home until you are fourteen, it will be over..

Yoo Jeong-mok dies according to history..

That anxiety and fear gave Joo Seocheon courage..

Joo Seo-cheon carefully approached the Susu Shingwa, forgetting to breathe..

Exciting! Exciting!

It's a heart sound that I normally don't pay attention to..

Right now, it sounded unusually loud, like lightning striking..

Joo Seo-cheon quietly moved while watching the snake..

‘I don't want to regret it later.’

I have already regretted it many times in the past..

I still can't forget that anger and resentment..

‘uh?’

As I approached the front, I could see Susu Shingwa relatively clearly..

It was a fruit that could fit in the palm of your hand..

But there was something different from when I saw it from afar..

‘not one but two?’

I couldn't see it because there was a slope right behind me..

But as I got closer, I saw another Suryeo Shingwa..

‘What kind of windfall is this?!’

It was so frustrating that I almost burst out laughing..

Twenty years later, the ronin revealed that he had taken only one Susu Shingwa..

If I had to guess, the rest of the fruit might have been destroyed by the snake in front of me as it left later..

‘Okay, calm down. calmly’

I bent down and stretched out my hand..

I held him in my arms so that he wouldn't make a sound or roll away..

Susuisin and Hana were recovered safely..

And I carefully placed the other one in my arms so as not to make any noise..

‘done!’

I held back my laughter and joy and straightened my back..

The snake sleeping next to me still didn't move..

Joo Seocheon cheered inwardly and turned his back..

And at that moment, Joo Seocheon froze..

New love

Between the half-opened eyes, golden eyes were visible..

Ju Seo-cheon's absent-minded appearance was reflected in his vertically split pupils..

“ ……”

I even forgot to breathe.

No, I stopped thinking..

The snake stared at Ju Seocheon with its eyes slightly open..

It was not the intent to kill, nor the will to wander in search of prey..

As if there were no emotions, it was as cold as the river flowing to the ground beyond the cavity..

something fell on my head.

It's water.

At least it wasn't water spilled by a snake..

It was a drop of water falling from the ceiling..

Make eye contact with a snake.

What I saw in those eyes was a nine-year-old child.

And it was satiety and laziness..

The snake blinked its eyes, which were not fully open, several times, then turned its head to the side as if it had lost interest..

The whole cavity shook slightly as I turned my head to the side, as if it had a lot of weight..

that was the end.

I don't know if the snake has gone back to sleep or is trying to sleep..

Because I couldn't see your face.

Joo Seocheon, who was as frozen as ice, stayed still and then walked again..

I don't know how long it took.

My mind went completely white..

The thoughts themselves did not connect.

He was holding the Susu Shingwa in his hand without losing sight of it..

Joo Seocheon went back the way he came..

He didn't run or walk fast.

I walked slowly at regular intervals, as if I was taking a walk, and slowly dipped my body beneath the surface of the water..

Sigh

head rose above the water.

was a child.

Hey, Joo Seocheon came outside..

The sun was clearly high in the sky when I went into hiding earlier..

But now the sun was setting and the sky was turning red, and I thought the color was very beautiful..

Unlike before, Joo Seocheon came up to the ground quietly and muttered with a sad look on his face..

“wrapped……”

* * *

Joo Seo-cheon safely retrieved the Susu Shingwa and returned to Hwasan Sect before lunch..

It was exactly the third day..

Yu Jeong-mok returned from the meeting around dinner time..

A few days later, Joo Seocheon was worried..

‘How do I give this to Master??’

In the volcanic sect, there is no such thing as a fault like Susuisin..

First of all, the appearance is unusual..

It is a normal fruit in size, but its color is light blue..

Even at a glance, I could see that it was not normal..

‘Phew. It's too dangerous not to mention that it's an elixir in the first place..’

Just because it's an elixir doesn't mean it's over..

Special care must be taken when taking elixirs that are powerful and possess enormous energy, such as Susuisingwa..

If you take it without any preparation, you may be surprised by the energy that suddenly enters your body..

If you panic, it can lead to loss of control, and in the worst case, your internal energy may run out of control and you may fall into a state of madness..

‘that… that..’

No matter what you say, you can't avoid suspicion..

To buy an elixir like this, it would cost at least a thousand gold, and it makes no sense to pick it up on the side of the road..

Also, as a disciple of a political sect, you can't say you stole it from someone, right?.

I don't have that kind of skill in the first place..

Joo Seocheon sighed and groaned, unable to do either this or that..

“Do you have any concerns??”

It wasn't long before Yu Jeong-mok noticed his disciple's worries..

“Sir, Master!”

“For the past few days, your face has been full of worry and worry..

If you can't solve your problem even after trying it alone, sometimes it's not a bad idea to get help from people around you..”

Yu Jeong-mok stroked Joo Seo-cheon's head as always..

“Okay.”

Joo Seocheon looks like a child on the outside, but is an old man on the inside..

In terms of age, experience, and martial arts enlightenment, he is several levels higher than Yu Jeong-mok..

But strangely enough, regardless of whether I had regressed or not, I really felt like I had become a child when I stood in front of Yu Jeong-mok..

Also, it has always been very difficult to hide something in front of Yoo Jeong-mok..

After returning to other people, I shamelessly told lies to avoid unnecessary suspicion and to avoid being noticed..

The acting was so top-notch that everyone was easily fooled..

Except for the one person in front of me, Yu Jeong-mok..

‘Yes, I can't help it even if I'm suspected and questioned..’

Joo Seocheon swallowed his saliva as if he had made up his mind..

‘If it's to save Master,……’

If the period of taking the elixir was until today,?

When I thought of that, a shiver ran down my spine..

Of course, that might be overthinking it..

On the other hand, Joo Seo-cheon also wondered if his worries were excessive..

But the question of ‘what if’ really bothered me..

Joo Seo-cheon mustered up courage and took out the Suryeongsingwa from his arms..

“Master, could you please take this??”

“what is that?”

“It's an elixir.”

Joo Seocheon answered without a moment of hesitation..

‘under’

I was so dumbfounded that I burst out laughing..

A child of only nine years old complained for several days as if he needed to poop, and then suddenly took out an elixir..

Then he told me to take it all the time..

Anyone would be dumbfounded.

“her……”

Yu Jeong-mok shed a sigh of relief..

The straight gaze was directed to the water-colored fruit that Ju Seo-cheon held in his hand..

a moment of silence.

And the one who broke the silence was Yu Jeong-mok..