Chapter 39 – Mountain Tiger

Chapter 39 – Mountain Tiger

“Mister.”

A youthful voice woke him early in the morning.

San-ho, still full of sleep, mumbled in a low voice as he responded.

“Yeah… Na-rim, you woke up early…”

“I'm bored.”

“Must be nice…”

“Misterrr.”

The name of the girl who hopped onto the edge of the bed while dragging her words was Choo Na-rim.

She was the only daughter of Choo Young-rak and the very child he had encountered on the streets of Sogu Village. The one who had chilled San-ho's spine by suddenly asking, 'Are you alone?'

“Ugh, Na-rim. I'm going to break…”

As if she was extremely bored, the girl collapsed face down on top of San-ho, who was covered in a blanket.

San-ho had temporarily stayed in Sogu Village to resolve the tiger attack incident. However, because there was no tavern operating in the village, he temporarily stayed at Choo Young-rak's house.

San-ho was unable to withstand Choo Na-rim's momentum as she used his body as a slide to climb up and down, and eventually sat up disheveledly.

Yawn.

Stretching his arms, San-ho yawned softly.

“Mister. Is it true that you're going to catch a tiger?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmm, then~ will Yeon-ji come back too?”

“Who is Yeon-ji?”

“Na-rim's friend. Yeon-ji's family moved away because they were scared of the tiger.”

“She's my best friend.” San-ho fell silent for a moment at the child's chattering voice.

'Ah…'

There were repeated tiger attacks, and the village was growing increasingly desolate.

In the end, it was said that some residents even closed their businesses entirely and left the village. It seemed the same was true for the family of that friend named Yeon-ji.

“Isn't Na-rim scared of the tiger?”

“Tiger… Are tigers scary? What do they look like?”

Choo Na-rim asked with eyes full of curiosity. After choosing an appropriate answer for a moment, San-ho said with a bright smile.

“It looks like a very big cat. You don't have to be scared at all.”

“But everyone said they're scary.”

“It's fine. Mister will scold it.”

“Wow. Really? Mister is the best!”

San-ho looked at Choo Na-rim, who let out a small shriek, with warm eyes, thinking that if he had married at the right time in his past life, wouldn't he have had a daughter just about this age. Looking at the small child, he felt like he could understand the heart of Family Head Paeng, who was famous for being a doting father.

“By the way, Na-rim. Do you remember when you first saw me on the road?”

“Yeees.”

“Why did you ask if I was alone back then? I've been curious all this time.”

“Mmm, Mom and Dad said the mountain is dangerous… but since Mister was going that way, I asked. Because it's even more dangerous to be alone.”

A pang.

'A six-year-old is worrying about me right now? When the atmosphere in the village is already so grim? Oh my…'

San-ho was deeply moved by the innocent child's words.

'This is righteousness, this is it.'

Don't worry, Na-rim. Mister will catch the super big cat for you!

The child's face, smiling brightly, felt warm.

***

“Choo Na-rim. Come down here, quickly.”

“Nooo, I don't want to.”

“Do you want to get scolded by Mom? Come here right now!”

“I don't want to!”

Screaming loudly, Choo Na-rim tightly hugged San-ho's neck.

Perhaps glad to see a stranger after a long time, Choo Na-rim refused to leave San-ho's side. Even now, as they sat together for a meal, she had abandoned her own chair and was sitting on San-ho's lap.

“Did Mom tell you that it's okay to go to just anyone like that, or not?”

“He's not just anyone! Mister is handsome.”

“What? This girl is…”

Oh. What kind of conversation was this? San-ho, who was reading the room between the mother and daughter, spoke with an embarrassed face.

“Um, ma'am. It's fine. You can just leave her be.”

“No, but still… won't you be uncomfortable?”

“It's only for a moment anyway. It's fine.”

The woman who had turned pale and vanished like the wind with the child, Mae So-hyun reluctantly nodded.

San-ho wiped the rice grains stuck here and there on the child's cheek and scooped up a large spoonful of rice.

His eyes instantly widened.

“Wow. Did you make all of this yourself? Your cooking skills are amazing. It's really delicious.”

“Oh my…”

Mae So-hyun, blushing like a young girl, smiled, slightly covering her mouth.

“Everything is delicious, but especially this stir-fried vegetable dish is truly amazing. A basic dish like this is the hardest to pull off.”

“Oh, it's nothing. Young hero, please try this as well. This chicken dish too.”

As if any remaining discomfort had vanished in an instant at the continuous praise, Mae So-hyun kept offering him food.

In fact, her older brother was a fairly famous cook. Her family had been told for generations that their culinary touch was superb, hoho. With her modest boasting added, the meal was beyond reproach.

And next to them.

“………”

Choo Young-rak, looking somewhat lonely and desolate, smacked his lips.

Looking at the table in front of him, which had somehow become empty.

'Something is definitely wrong…'

Smack.

Today was particularly lonely. So lonely.

Just then, Mae So-hyun, who had not taken her eyes off San-ho, asked in a worried voice.

“By the way, Young Hero. Are you really… going to climb the mountain?”

“Yes, since I've been treated to such a delicious meal, I must earn my keep.”

“Oh, really.”

Mae So-hyun wore a pleasant smile.

“But still. It seems far too dangerous for the young hero.”

“Come now, dear. Stop it. Although the young hero looks young, I saw with my own eyes that his martial prowess is no ordinary matter.”

Choo Young-rak, who supported San-ho from the side, asked inquisitively.

“By the way, which sect's martial artist is the young hero?”

'Ah. There it is. The expected question.'

Before embarking on his journey through the Jianghu, San-ho had completed his preparations to hide his identity. Among them was a script for the question 'Who are you and where did you come from?', so he responded slyly without panic.

“Ah, my art is passed down through a single lineage ; I serve a single master.”

Single lineage transmission.

A master transmitting martial arts to only a single disciple. This method of succession is mainly chosen when the martial arts are excessively dangerous, depend heavily on physical constitution, or the very existence of the sect is a secret.

And another thing.

'There's also no better excuse when I want to keep where I came from a secret.'

Of course, even if there were at least four masters' faces that came to mind right now, it was fine as long as he didn't get caught, wasn't it?

At those words, Choo Young-rak nodded.

“Oh, I thought it was a mysterious martial art. So that was it.”

“Haha…”

Judging by his expression, Choo Young-rak definitely did not remember the situation at that time.

'Um. Let's not mention that I knocked him out with a stone.'

San-ho smiled slightly awkwardly and finished the rest of his rice.

***

After the meal.

While sorting out the location of the accidents with Choo Young-rak, San-ho examined the map and asked.

“So the accidents occurred from Mount Baekma to Mount Samwang , correct?”

“Yes. Be especially careful in the mountain range connecting the two. That's where the accidents are most frequent.”

“Hmm…”

“I'll mark the path on the map, so please stay safe…”

“Pardon?”

Cutting Choo Young-rak off, San-ho asked back with wide eyes.

“Are you planning to send me alone? It's dangerous.”

“…Huh?”

What was this about?

Choo Young-rak tilted his head with a slightly bewildered expression.

“You must go with me.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. You're even wearing tiger skin clothes, Mister.”

What on earth did that have to do with anything?

Unable to keep up with the situation and conversation, Choo Young-rak asked with a face full of confusion.

“Why does that…?”

“Won't the tiger be offended when it sees that?”

…Huh?

“Then won't we find it quickly?”

………Huh?

“What do you think, Mister?”

………

He didn't know about the 'what,' but he knew he had to run away.

“I will give, no… I'll give you the clothes, so I'll…”

“Mmm, it's fine. Keep wearing them. So that you stand out well.”

“Shall we go then?” Smiling brightly, San-ho pushed Choo Young-rak outside.

Choo Young-rak, who instantly became as pitiable as a cow being led to a slaughterhouse, set out on the road with a pale face.

While hoping that San-ho was a much grander person than expected.

Thus, passing the path connected to Sogu Village, the two arrived at the clearing where they had first met.

Once they crossed the small hill connected to the path, it would immediately be Mount Baekma.

Gulp.

Swallowing dry saliva at the foot of the hill, Choo Young-rak spoke.

“Will it really be alright?”

“Ah, well… Surely I won't die.”

San-ho shrugged his shoulders along with Tang Hae-soo's line, which had become familiar to him before he knew it.

Rustle.

On the path where the sound of leaves scattering in the wind was heard, San-ho took a step without hesitation and crossed the hill in an instant.

“You said you've lived in this village your whole life, right? Then you must have visited this mountain very often too, Mister?”

“Of course. Before things turned out like this, I climbed the mountain every day.”

Climbing the mountain with Choo Young-rak, San-ho looked around.

“Great. I'll have to trust only you, Mister.”

“…Don't trust me too much. By the way, what should we find? Footprints?”

“No.”

“Then?”

On the path they had climbed to find traces of the tiger, Choo Young-rak, who knew the paths animals traveled on Mount Baekma like the back of his hand, asked, and San-ho shook his head.

“From now on, we're going to play spot-the-difference.”

“Huh? What is that?”

To the puzzled question, San-ho responded while scanning the surroundings.

“In this mountain that you've seen your whole life, Mister, there will definitely be parts that are different from before. For example, if a rock that used to be there is gone, or a clearing that didn't exist has appeared… things like that. We just need to find those.”

“…Aren't we looking for the tiger?”

San-ho raised the corners of his mouth and grinned.

“We must catch the changgui. Then the tiger will naturally be caught.”

Since there was a legend that a changgui, a victim of a tiger attack, would live forever as a slave to the tiger and guide its way.

“You can do it, right?”

Choo Young-rak nodded.

“If it's that sort of thing, leave it to me. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

Recalling his past memories as vividly as possible, he began to search the mountain together with San-ho.

Time passed quickly.

At the moment the two were moving back and forth along the slopes of the mountain foot.

“Hmm…”

Choo Young-rak, who could not take his eyes off one spot, tilted his head with a sound of doubt.

“Why? Is there something there?”

“I think there was originally a cave over there. But it's not like a tree or something, so a cave couldn't have just disappeared, could it? That's really strange. Did I make a mistake?”

“Ah.”

“Huh?”

“Just a moment.”

Raising a hand to Choo Young-rak, San-ho closed his eyes.

Having mastered the Union of Heaven and Man Art, San-ho could feel the flow of qi more keenly.

If his thoughts were correct…

Just then, San-ho, who was spreading his sensory range to his surroundings, snapped his eyes open.

Then, he turned to Choo Young-rak and spoke.

“Hmm. It was nothing. Mister. I'll quickly look around by myself, so please head down to the village.”

“Huh? So suddenly?”

“Yes. It's better to check up to the vicinity of Mount Samwang today.”

“Then let us go together.”

“Oh. You're too slow, Mister. It's faster for me to go alone.”

Go quickly, hurry. San-ho practically pushed Choo Young-rak's back, sending him back to the village.

Choo Young-rak, with a dubious expression, gradually drifted further away.

Confirming that, San-ho stopped waving his hand, turned around with a somber expression.

“Phew…”

The place where the cave in Choo Young-rak's memory was located.

If something that was originally there could not be seen, it was highly likely that someone had intentionally hidden it.

'Well… shall we open it up?'

San-ho focused his mind once more.

In all things of heaven and earth, qi flows naturally, like the wind blowing or water running.

However, what was faintly felt here was an artificial flow of qi. In other words, someone had deployed an formation art here to hide what was originally present.

'My guess was right.'

Neither the work of a tiger nor the work of a normal person.

Although the villagers considered it the work of a changgui, San-ho thought of a different entity.

Specifically, martial artists.

There was plenty of ground to think so.

Four martial artists suffering a tiger attack all at once.

The areas torn by claws rotting with poison.

And most importantly, the corpse that still had claw marks left exactly as they were, enough to make everyone think of a tiger. Was this not a method that would only be used by an entity that did not view humans as food? For example, a human.

'An Illusion Array … Whoever it is, they are quite skilled.'

It was an formation art utilizing Illusion Stones .

In fact, an Illusion Array that deceived human senses was nearly impossible to find. Although he could feel the flow of qi, the trace was extremely faint, and even in a situation where the location was already known like this, unraveling the formation art was very difficult.

However.

'I am a talent recognized by the Craftsmanship Hall Leader.'

San-ho had already mastered not only the Union of Heaven and Man Art, but also the complex mechanism formations and formation arts of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

After about seven and a half minutes.

Looking at the randomly placed Illusion Stones and the surrounding terrain, he gave a small nod.

“Found it.”

What followed was in an instant.

Tap. Swish!

At the same time he grasped the Illusion Array, San-ho dismantled them.

Shaaaa.

Before long, like fog clearing, the scenery that had cluttered his vision began to disappear.

Finally, the formation art was dismantled, and the things hidden there revealed themselves.

“…So the changgui wasn't in the underworld, but in the living world?”

The dark entrance of a cave visible between bizarre rocks and stones. In front of it, two huts were spaciously situated.

San-ho leaped lightly into the scenery.

'Hmm.'

It was at that moment.

In an instant, a vivid killing intent enveloped the surroundings of San-ho. An aura sticky like mud that choked the windpipe.

“I wondered who dared to dismantle this seat's formation art, but…”

“A mere brat has walked in.”

“Giggle, the scent of blood will drift through the Ghost Evil Valley .”

“I will capture him!”

Though their forms did not appear, voices emitting a menacing aura rang out simultaneously.

There were four owners of the voices.

“Who are you, you bastard who stepped before this seat without fear?”

“Me? Hmm…”

Unfittingly for the situation, San-ho dragged out the end of his words.

“The master of the changgui?”

“…What?”

At the same time, one corner of his mouth curled up.

“Roar.”

San-ho (Mountain Tiger).

The tiger, smiling chillingly, was baring its sharp teeth.