roccoschili Chapter 282 : He Became an Experienced Inn Waiter
Chapter 282 : He Became an Experienced Inn Waiter
As Jin Seong-un wore a troubled expression, Noble Enchantress smiled gently and said,“Inheritance only continues when value exists. Back then, although the Women’s Moon Heart Method was incomplete, its value was more than sufficient.”
Jin Seong-un could not help but agree.
The more experience he gained within Murim, the more he realized just how supreme Noble Enchantress’s Women’s Moon Qi truly was.
Noble Enchantress continued.
“However, its form may have changed. So much time has passed, after all. I cannot demand that you absolutely find it.”
Even Noble Enchantress herself considered it a reckless request.
The possibility that the lineage had endured for two thousand five hundred years until the present was ultimately nothing more than hope, expectation, and speculation.
Thus, Noble Enchantress clarified her request further.
“If they exist, and if you happen to encounter them, then pass it on. I do not care whether my name is used as a symbol of a villainess. I merely wish to preach the enlightenment I was unable to teach in the form of an Internal Arts Method.”
Jin Seong-un pondered Noble Enchantress’s request.
He could feel the sorrow and resentment she must have buried and endured over those long ages.
“I will do so. If possible, I will actively search for those who inherited your lineage, Master.”
Having received a peerless divine art like the Women’s Moon Heart Method, it was only proper to search the entire world in return if necessary.
At his core, Jin Seong-un was still a merchant. At the very least, one should repay the value of what one had received.
As Noble Enchantress smiled and nodded, Jin Seong-un asked with slight uncertainty,
“Ahem... but do we at least have any clues?”
“I do not know.”
“......”
Jin Seong-un smacked his lips.
At that moment, the Sword Immortal—who had already finished polishing not only the Go board but even the Go stones until they gleamed—casually spoke.
“Search the records.”
“The records?”
“No matter how deeply they hid themselves, the Women’s Moon Heart Method is not something that could easily remain concealed. The name and descriptions may have changed with each era, but somewhere, traces must remain.”
Jin Seong-un fell into serious contemplation. The Sword Immortal’s words certainly made sense.
If someone had healed people with mysterious energy or punished Demon Lords, then perhaps such deeds had been recorded by a sect or clan of that era.
Perhaps among the mysterious hidden sects said to occasionally appear throughout history, there had been those who inherited the lineage of Women’s Moon Qi.
After pondering deeply, Jin Seong-un asked,
“Master, where does the root of the Women’s Moon Heart Method originate from? If it is among the ancient Nine Sects, perhaps clues remain within their old texts.”
Of course, gaining access to the ancient records of the Nine Sects would be difficult, but perhaps sects like the Wudang Sect or Kunlun Sect might grant him permission if he asked.
However, for some reason, Noble Enchantress hesitated to answer.
As Jin Seong-un looked puzzled—
Noble Enchantress spoke somewhat shyly.
“The Nine Sects. Sects rooted in Buddhism and Daoism. As you said, Seong-un, their histories are long. However... I am older than the founders of those two religions.”
“...Pardon?”
“The Women’s Moon Heart Method is not something like Buddhism or Daoism. It was merely cultivation seeking to understand the principles of existence. And throughout history, there were countless cultivators like myself. Among them, two men who achieved solitary enlightenment—Shakyamuni and Laozi—later founded religious orders.”
Jin Seong-un blankly blinked his eyes.
Whenever the topic of age arose, Noble Enchantress became strangely embarrassed, yet the things she shyly spoke of were truths heavy enough to touch the very foundation of the world.
“Of course, there existed countless enlightened Buddhas and immortals even before my era. However, Laozi and Shakyamuni were simply the two men who expressed and preached those truths in language people could understand. Therefore, it would be difficult for the name of the Women’s Moon Heart Method to exist within the ancient texts of those religions.”
By the time Buddhism and Daoism took shape as organized religions, the name of the Women’s Moon Heart Method would have already vanished from history.
Which also meant that if Noble Enchantress had not had her body stolen by the Nine-Tailed Fox and had instead completed her enlightenment through cultivation, then perhaps Buddhism, Daoism, and the Noble Enchantress Cult might all exist side by side in the present era.
Noble Enchantress blushed faintly as she said,
“...N-Noble Enchantress Cult sounds rather strange, does it not? If I absolutely had to name it, perhaps Women’s Moon Cult would be more appropriate.”
Jin Seong-un stared blankly at Noble Enchantress once more after she casually read even his thoughts.
He truly could not comprehend what sort of existence he had entered into a transaction with.
Noble Enchantress continued.
“As I have repeatedly said, there is no need to force yourself to find them. Nor must this become your highest priority. I simply wish for you to pass it on if you happen to encounter them. And if you do not... then you may spread the Women’s Moon Heart Method to the world yourself.”
Jin Seong-un imagined himself as the Cult Leader of the Women’s Moon Cult.
The entire world praised the Women’s Moon Heart Method, while people from all under heaven flocked to learn it.
He sat upon the seat of the Cult Leader, gazing down upon them while preaching enlightenment...
And for some reason, various forces would inevitably begin envying and suppressing it one by one...
As always, it would naturally become labeled as a heresy or fraudulent cult...
‘The Heavenly Demon Cult?’
Jin Seong-un sincerely hoped that the inheritors truly existed.
The life of a Cult Leader was far too distant from the life he desired.
“I will definitely... find them.”
Noble Enchantress curled her lips upward softly as though finding him adorable.
“There is no need to worry so much. Judging by the path you walk, Seong-un, it seems you will meet nearly everyone beneath the heavens even without trying. If the inheritors exist, then you will inevitably meet them.”
Though Noble Enchantress spoke only to encourage him, goosebumps spread across Jin Seong-un’s back.
Things were already overwhelming enough. Exactly how many more people would he end up entangled with in the future?
Noble Enchantress continued.
“If the Women’s Moon Heart Method has survived in any form until now, then you will surely recognize it. You have learned the original source itself. There are no parents who fail to recognize their own children.”
Jin Seong-un merely wanted to live quietly in Yichang while running an inn, yet suddenly the truths and origins of the world were crashing toward him like an overwhelming flood.
At that moment, the Divine Thief, who had somehow already returned after being blasted away earlier, spoke.
“It was better back when you emptied your mind and simply stole things, wasn’t it? Even now, why not shout at these people that they’ve gone too far and just quit? Forget all of this and come steal the world together with me.”
The Divine Thief could say such things because he had already fulfilled his own lingering regrets.
Around then, the Blood Demon—who had shown no interest in the conversation until now—suddenly turned his head and stared directly at Jin Seong-un.
The moment their eyes met, Jin Seong-un flinched unusually hard.
“...I cannot do that. I intend to keep all the promises I made to my masters.”
At those words, the Blood Demon simply turned his head back toward the sky once more.
For some reason, Jin Seong-un let out a sigh of relief.
After greeting the Martial Gods, he finally left the Martial God Realm.
---
Jin Seong-un sat inside the inn office for quite some time, staring out the window while deep in thought.
First, assuming Noble Enchantress’s belief was correct—that the inheritors of the Women’s Moon Heart Method had hidden their identities for over two thousand five hundred years, or perhaps no longer even knew their own origins—
Then there was a high possibility they were connected to the Nine Sects somehow. Those sects were practically the history of martial arts itself.
In that case, would he have to investigate every one of the Nine Sects individually? And what if he still failed to find anything after checking them all?
He would then have to search every small and medium-sized sect, every hidden expert, and every secret faction beneath the heavens.
Perhaps they might not even exist in the form of martial artists anymore.
“Still, it is not something that must be resolved urgently...”
Fortunately, Noble Enchantress had placed no deadline upon him.
And if two thousand five hundred years had already passed, then a mere few decades in the current era likely would not change much.
Jin Seong-un decided to relax his mind.
After all, rushing would solve nothing.
Feeling somewhat lighter, he leaned deeply into his chair.
Recently, major incidents like the affairs involving the Myriad Gold Manor and the Imperial Palace had continuously occurred, leaving his mind somewhat exhausted.
Just as he was beginning to enjoy this rare moment of rest—
“Wahaha! Young Hero Jin! I have arrived!”
A booming voice rang out from outside.
It was Dragon Seizer—or rather, Hwamyeong of the Mount Hua Sect.
The title of Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes was gradually fading from people’s memories now.
Jin Seong-un leaned his head out the window.
Hwamyeong was energetically waving two plum blossom wine bottles painted with plum blossoms. Beside him stood Tang So-yeon, Baek Sang, and Baek Seol as well.
“...Good to see you.”
And thus, Jin Seong-un’s period of rest ended swiftly and decisively.
---
When Jin Seong-un descended to the first floor, the inn members were already welcoming the familiar guests.
Of course, Seo Yu-gyeom, Seomun Ak, and Moyong Hyeon cared nothing for the people themselves and only stared at the plum blossom wine.
At this point, even Jin Seong-un had become curious. Even Elder White Cloud Sword, a notorious drunkard, had praised Hwamyeong’s plum blossom wine as one of the Ten Great Wines beneath the heavens.
Upon spotting Jin Seong-un, Hwamyeong grinned and held out the plum blossom wine.
“Did I not promise before? That once I had some free time, I would bring the plum blossom wine I brewed myself.”
Hwamyeong placed over a dozen bottles of plum blossom wine onto the table one by one.
Meanwhile, Tang So-yeon pulled out a dagger and gestured toward Seo Yu-gyeom.
“Shall we have another match after so long?”
“Sounds good.”
Seo Yu-gyeom and Tang So-yeon disappeared toward the backyard.
At some point, the two had started competing in hidden weapon techniques every time they met. Both Deathshroud and the Tang Clan were groups utterly devoted to hidden weapons.
As always, Baek Sang maintained his dignity as he clasped his fists politely toward Jin Seong-un.
“Young Hero Jin, it is good to see you. Have you been well?”
“I have. There were a few minor problems, but overall things were manageable.”
By “minor problems,” he meant incidents such as His Majesty the Emperor pretending to collapse for no reason, or the Murim Alliance Leader debating whether to kill or spare Divine Slaughter, Shadowless.
This time, Baek Seol smiled brightly as she spoke.
It seemed she had grown more comfortable here than before, her shyness now mixed with a playful tone.
“We got kicked out.”
“?”
Jin Seong-un blinked.
Why did disciples and children of the Orthodox Faction always get kicked out of somewhere? And why did they always end up coming to Seong-un Inn afterward?
Baek Seol continued.
“My brother and I got caught secretly eating meat and were kicked out, while Young Hero Hwamyeong got kicked out of the Murim Alliance after slacking off and making excuses like, ‘Young Hero Jin will solve it anyway once things get serious.’”
“......”
“And Miss Tang got kicked out after seeing a Poison Demon kill people with Fasting Pills and losing her will to continue practicing Poison Arts. But do such Poison Demons really exist?”
Jin Seong-un pressed a hand to his forehead.
Baek Seol clearly did not know, but the story about the Fasting Pills was almost certainly referring to the incident during the attack on the Baek Li Clan.
Without a doubt, Young Hero Hwamyeong must have bragged about it to Miss Tang.
As for the two Daoists from the Wudang Sect becoming obsessed with meat—it was entirely because Chef Seo had continuously fed them meat and alcohol while they worked at Seong-un Inn.
In the end, every single reason these people had been expelled from their sects and clans was deeply connected to Seong-un Inn.
Never before had Jin Seong-un felt the weight and truth of Karmic Retribution so heavily.
“...So then. Do you have anywhere to go?”
“We do.”
Baek Seol answered confidently.
Jin Seong-un looked surprised, but Baek Seol immediately spoke as though his question itself was strange.
“Which rooms will we be using? We’ll pay for them through sacred labor.”
A Daoist of the Wudang Sect had just declared that she would pay through sacred labor.
Baek Seol even looked strangely excited.
She had always missed those days at Seong-un Inn when she cooked during the day and trained at night.
Baek Sang, meanwhile, stared at Seomun Ak with envy and jealousy for some reason. In the past, the two had competed fiercely for the title of greatest inn waiter.
Seomun Ak snorted with laughter.
“That won’t work anymore.”
Seomun Ak was now an undeniably experienced professional.
Moyong Hyeon stayed silent as though he wanted no part in this childish competition, but upon noticing the dirty table, he unconsciously grabbed the rag hanging from his waist and wiped it down.
“......”
Moyong Hyeon had also become an experienced inn waiter.
As Jin Seong-un felt increasingly suffocated watching the inn grow stranger by the day, Lee Seowon emerged after organizing the account books.
His eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at everyone.
“Excellent inn waiters and chefs have arrived. Wonderful. Since things have turned out this way, let us conquer the Murim world once and for all—no, let us conquer every inn beneath the heavens.”
Ever since the incident involving the Myriad Gold Manor, Lee Seowon had become overflowing with enthusiasm.