Chapter 324 : Records of Wanghu (1)

Chapter 324: Records of Wanghu (1)

Swaaahhh!

Just when they thought dark clouds were gathering, the sudden downpour caught the Muhwa Corps off guard. They quickly looked for shelter from the rain.

“Damn it! Of all times, it had to be a downpour now!”

Rain wasn’t a major obstacle for a martial artist, but for those engaged in battle, it could be a serious hindrance.

That was because continuing to circulate qi to maintain body temperature during a fight could cost a martial artist the small amount of energy that might be the difference between life and death.

So even martial artists didn’t recklessly walk around soaking wet.

“There’s a cave over there where we can take shelter.”

One of the Muhwa Corps warriors had gone ahead on reconnaissance and returned to guide them to a cave. Yong Hwarin sighed inwardly at how eerily the situation mirrored his previous life.

‘How cleverly it aligns with my past life. Back then, I stayed in a small hut used by hunters during their expeditions. The rain didn’t stop, so I had no choice but to spend the night there. That’s what saved me. In the end, the ones who caused the bloodshed at the Jinyang Inn were Soh Yonghwa’s group. All because of the Records of Wanghu.’

“It seems like the rain will stop soon. Let’s rest here a moment before moving on,” said Chouhui as she brushed the rain off her shoulders.

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“Miss Cho, this rain will continue until late tonight.”

“What do you mean? How do you know that, Young Master Yong? How can you know when the rain will stop?”

She asked, puzzled, and Yong Hwarin made up an excuse.

“Dark clouds continue to gather. That means it won’t let up within the next two hours.”

Chouhui looked up at the sky.

Just as Yong Hwarin had said, the sky was steadily filling with dark clouds.

“If we delay here, we won’t be able to find the Records of Wanghu.”

“Muhwa Corps’ tracking unit is secretly tailing Soh Yonghwa’s group, so don’t worry too much. We’ll leave once the rain stops.”

“Will Soh Yonghwa’s group push through this rain? Or will they find shelter somewhere?”

“In that case, they’ll likely press on.”

Chouhui looked at Yong Hwarin.

As a woman, Chouhui didn’t want to force a march through the rain if she could help it.

She wasn’t yet a martial artist to her very core.

But she realized something from Yong Hwarin’s words.

Soh Yonghwa would never even consider this rain as an obstacle. Getting the Records of Wanghu as quickly as possible would be far more important.

Realizing that, Chouhui nodded.

“Do as you see fit, Young Master Yong. Since I’ve entrusted the Muhwa Corps to you, you don’t need my permission for every decision.”

Chouhui respected Yong Hwarin’s sharp decision-making.

“It will be tough, but we’ll force a march through this rain. And conserve your qi for the upcoming battle. Aside from movement arts, refrain from using any techniques that consume qi.”

At Yong Hwarin’s words, the warriors of the Muhwa Corps nodded.

“Let’s go!”

As Yong Hwarin took the lead, the Muhwa Corps followed close behind.

After arriving in Jinyang, the Muhwa Corps soon reunited with the tracking unit.

“Where did they go?”

The tracking unit members were all wearing masks, making it impossible to see their faces.

When Chouhui asked, one of them responded.

“Apologies. We chased them all the way to Jinyang, but we lost them once they entered the marketplace. It seems they noticed our pursuit.”

“It’s nearly impossible to tail people like Soh Yonghwa to the end.”

Yong Hwarin could tell that their stealth techniques must have been exceptional to have made it this far.

“Ah, what should we do now?”

Chouhui was flustered, not having considered the possibility that the tracking unit might lose Soh Yonghwa’s group.

To prepare for such a moment, Yong Hwarin had told Dang Cheolgi to apply the Thousand-League Tracking Scent on the Sect Leader of Northern Ocean Gate when he joined Soh Yonghwa’s group.

Dang Cheolgi had brushed against the man’s shoulder and secretly sprayed it on his clothing.

“When I met Soh Yonghwa, Master Dang secretly applied Thousand-League Tracking Scent on the Sect Leader of Northern Ocean Gate. We should be able to follow that scent.”

However, even the Thousand-League Tracking Scent was useless in the rain.

If it weren’t for the memories of his past life, Yong Hwarin might not have been able to locate Soh Yonghwa’s group.

Had someone else said such a thing, it would have been suspicious, but because it was Yong Hwarin, no one doubted him.

He was already a martial artist who had reached a level they couldn’t comprehend.

They knew the scent couldn’t be detected in this rain, and yet they believed Yong Hwarin’s words.

“Then from now on, you will lead the pursuit, Vice Captain.”

At Chouhui’s words, Yong Hwarin smirked.

Though everyone wore masks, the warriors of the Muhwa Corps more or less knew who was who.

The masks were simply a measure to hide their identities from outsiders.

Calling him ‘Vice Captain’ now to conceal Yong Hwarin’s identity was almost laughable.

“Understood. Everyone, follow me. From this point on, you will follow my orders unconditionally. That way, we can avoid unnecessary trouble.”

Yong Hwarin gave the warning because many renowned martial artists were part of the Muhwa Corps, and disobeying his orders could create issues.

“Yes, sir.”

Yong Hwarin ran toward the direction where the Jinyang Inn was located.

“The scent is coming from this direction.”

Yong Hwarin headed toward the Jinyang Inn, deep in thought.

‘Where could the Sect Leader of Northern Ocean Gate have hidden the Records of Wanghu?’

In my previous life, I only knew that the Blood Incident had occurred at Jinyang Inn, but I didn’t know where the Records of Wanghu were hidden.

If I didn’t know where they were hidden, arriving before Soh Yonghwa’s group would be meaningless.

Facing the Jinyang Inn, I spoke to the Muhwa Corps.

“The Thousand-League Tracking Scent leads into that inn. There’s no doubt that Soh Yonghwa’s group is staying there. If we all move at once from here, we’ll draw attention, so let’s spread out.”

I divided the warriors of the Muhwa Corps into groups of three and positioned them around Jinyang Inn.

“And since entering alone would raise suspicion, I’ll disguise myself as a couple and enter the inn.”

It was still raining in a light, steady drizzle. As soon as I said that, several female warriors of the Muhwa Corps cast their eyes toward me.

Among the twenty or so people, there were five presumed to be women, and as all their gazes converged on me, I felt uncomfortable. I had made up the excuse of pretending to be a couple solely for Mae Yeongyeong’s sake.

It was to keep her close and protect her.

Because if she were to accidentally confront experts like Soh Yonghwa, she wouldn’t survive.

I scanned the female warriors’ eyes and pointed to Mae Yeongyeong.

“I’ll share a room at the inn with her.”

When I pointed at Mae Yeongyeong, the other female warriors looked puzzled.

In particular, Chouhui looked deeply disappointed and asked,

“Agent No. 212 of the Muhwa Corps has the lowest cultivation among the women here.”

I had already prepared an excuse.

“That’s precisely why I chose her. Soh Yonghwa’s group will be keeping watch on anyone entering or exiting the inn. If someone with the aura of a First-rate or higher entered, they’d become alert. That could lead to our identities being exposed. But she has the air of an average martial artist—someone you’d find commonly at an inn. They won’t be on guard. They wouldn’t think the Muhwa Corps would send someone below First-rate after them.”

No one had any rebuttal, so they all stayed silent.

In truth, even the other warriors of the Muhwa Corps questioned how Mae Yeongyeong had joined with her level of skill.

Still, the warriors of the Muhwa Corps were known in the Murim and skilled enough to challenge Omugwan.

They were all high-level experts above First-rate, whereas Mae Yeongyeong clearly fell below that level.

At best, she barely surpassed Second-rate.

In truth, Mae Yeongyeong’s acceptance into the Muhwa Corps hadn’t been due to her martial arts.

She was adept in mechanical formations and possessed medical skills that rivaled a physician’s, which was why the Muhwa Corps accepted her.

Even in her previous life, Mae Yeongyeong had a strong yearning for the Murim, so much so that she had found her own martial arts instructor to learn martial arts. But when she hit her limits, she turned to studying mechanical formations and medicine, striving to become someone indispensable in the Murim.

“I understand. Then Agent No. 212 of the Muhwa Corps, please enter the inn with the Vice Captain.”

Chouhui couldn’t deny my reasoning once she heard it and had no choice but to agree.

“Understood.”

The disappointed looks from the other female warriors made me feel awkward.

“If I blow a long whistle twice to prepare for any unforeseen situation, all of you must come to the inn. Until then, no one should do anything but keep watch. Do not approach. Soh Yonghwa possesses unfathomable martial prowess—if you get too close, he’ll detect our presence.”

“Understood.”

The Muhwa Corps dispersed into teams of three.

Chouhui spoke to Mae Yeongyeong.

“Agent No. 212 of the Muhwa Corps, don’t be a burden to the Vice Captain.”

Leaving those cryptic words behind, she vanished, and I turned to Mae Yeongyeong.

“Please remove your mask.”

When Mae Yeongyeong removed her mask, I feigned surprise.

“You’re…”

“Do you recognize me?”

“I remember. So we meet again.”

Mae Yeongyeong felt a strange sensation.

When I remembered her and recognized her, she felt inexplicably happy.

Why such a small thing brought her such joy, she didn’t know.

“From now on, we must pretend to be a married couple while staying at the inn and look for the manuscript. If our behavior is awkward, it will attract attention. We must act completely naturally. Like an ordinary married couple, so we must be careful how we speak and act.”

“Understood.”

I felt pleased by the thought of pretending to be a couple with someone I had once liked. Even if I never formed a special bond with Mae Yeongyeong, I still wanted to savor this reunion with her.

I took out the Face-Concealing Mask from my robe and covered my face.

It was fortunate that I had kept the mask I used when posing as Tang Cheolgi’s friend.

“A typical scholarly face.”

“By contrast, Miss Mae’s face is so beautiful it throws off the balance.”

When I complimented her, Mae Yeongyeong blushed.

“Let’s go.”

Mae Yeongyeong and I walked toward Jinyang Inn.