## Chapter 597 – 597. The Ascent To Luminous Heights
The atmosphere among the caravan guards, including the head guard Seok Ji-don, had changed.
Seok Ji-don, who had always been so serious, became friendly with the porters. He increased their rest time and catered to their needs. On the other hand, he ordered the guards to do all sorts of chores.
The guards were treated worse than the porters.
Seok Ji-don openly tormented the guards.
However, the guards did not complain and followed his orders. All three guards wrote down Seok Ji-don’s name. If they had rebelled against Seok Ji-don here, they could have been singled out as the one who wrote his name.
‘If that happens, my days as a guard are over. That bastard Seok Ji-don is a martial artist too. He won’t just strip me naked.’
The three guards were not on good terms. They were the ones who had betrayed their superior, Seok Ji-don. There was no way they would think fondly of each other as colleagues. Rather, they would see each other as rivals.
The guards also started to treat the porters well. They didn’t give orders unless it was absolutely necessary, and they didn’t nag. Occasionally, when they stopped at an inn along the way, they would treat the porters to a bottle of alcohol.
Of course, it wasn’t free.
The porters had to listen to the guards’ excuses and laments. And also their voices slandering their colleagues.
“You guys probably don’t know. How petty Guard Hwang Bi-geon is. I’ve worked with him for almost five years, and I’ve never been treated well once. And I heard this in passing… Guard Hwang Bi-geon is said to be from the streets. You know, those gangs that threaten innocent people with force and extort money. Don’t get close to Guard Hwang Bi-geon. Old habits die hard… He might be after your possessions.”
“It seems Guard Yeong-tan was talking nonsense earlier. There was a big incident in the past because Guard Yeong-tan lied. The bureau chief was merciful and didn’t kick him out… He’s not someone you want to be close to. Eight out of ten words that come out of his mouth are lies, so don’t pay attention to him.”
The guards were fiercely playing politics. Treating the porters well was also a kind of request for them to take their side.
I chuckled inwardly as I watched their struggles.
“Yujin, why are the guards suddenly acting like that?”
The innocent Seong Ji-gon tilted his head and asked me. I pulled him to a corner and explained the situation.
“…Uh, you were the one who killed Go Du-mak wearing a mask. But they don’t seem to hold any grudge against you…?”
“Because I’m stronger than them. There aren’t many weak people who hold a grudge against the strong. They know very well that there’s no chance of revenge succeeding.”
“Head Guard Seok is looking for the one who wrote his name, right? To get revenge?”
“That’s right. He has to take revenge on those weaker than him.”
“But actually, all the guards wrote down Head Guard Seok’s name…”
“The guards don’t know that. They probably think someone betrayed them. But what’s important now is not that. It’s that they can’t get caught for writing Head Guard Seok’s name if they want to survive.”
“Can’t they just apologize honestly?”
“Don’t be stupid. He’s someone who tried to kill him. Would you forgive him if you were him?”
“…I wouldn’t.”
“Hehe. We just have to eat our rice cakes and watch those guys. There won’t be a dull moment until we get back. Well, one of them might not even make it back and die.”
“I’m a little disappointed. Weren’t they colleagues who had worked together for years?”
“Ji-gon, the Jianghu is colder than you think. You can’t easily trust someone just because they’re a colleague. Even family members stab each other in the back in the Jianghu. There aren’t many relationships as good as yours and mine.”
“Hmm…”
“Hehe. And if I stir up some discord between the guards here, there might even be a fight. Should I try it?”
“Isn’t stirring up discord dangerous?”
“You just have to do it carefully. If not…”
I grinned and explained my plan. Seong Ji-gon looked at me in shock and shook his head.
“Yujin, you’re a really scary guy.”
“It’s something anyone could think of.”
Night fell.
The transport group immediately set up camp and went to sleep when it got dark. The night outside the city was the time of monsters, so they tried not to move unless it was very urgent.
I secretly left the barracks at night. Using the Illusiter, I made myself invisible and suppressed my presence as much as possible, then entered the guards’ barracks and left a note.
‘They don’t even sleep together, probably because their relationship is so bad.’
The note said that another guard had reported him to Seok Ji-don as the culprit. A typical case of sowing discord. However, the guards wouldn’t be able to ignore this, because they had actually written Seok Ji-don’s name.
‘The atmosphere will be even more tense tomorrow.’
•••
The atmosphere between the guards had reached its peak. They frowned at each other even when they just made eye contact, and they exuded killing intent. The unrelated porters were also on edge and kept their mouths shut because the atmosphere was so bad.
The head guard, Seok Ji-don, had no intention of mediating the guards’ relationship.
The transport group continued forward with a tense atmosphere.
“The scenery is nice. We’ll rest here.”
The transport group stopped for a moment on top of a cliff.
I looked around quickly.
‘This is the place from the original story! It’s here!’
I took Seong Ji-gon and approached the largest tree nearby.
“Yujin, why did you come here?”
“Because there’s a fortuitous encounter here.”
“What?! Really?!”
Seong Ji-gon, surprised, looked around. But all he could see were cliffs and vegetation.
“Are you kidding me? This kind of joke isn’t funny. I’m already having a hard time these days.”
“Why are you being so dramatic? I know you’re having a hard time because you can’t get a girlfriend anyway. And fortuitous encounters are usually hidden. Like this.”
I took out a dagger and stabbed it into the tree trunk. I could feel that the inside was hollow. When I tore off a part of the tree trunk, I saw three blooming flowers inside.
“Flowers are growing inside the tree?!”
“Wood-Infesting Flowers. Even though they look like that, they’re a spiritual medicine that contains the energy of fire.”
It was a spiritual medicine that bloomed inside a tree, sucking up the tree’s life force and spiritual energy.
“I only need one. You can have the other two.”
“C-Can I really eat this?! You’re the one who found it!”
“We’re brothers. And you’re weaker than me. If you’re too weak, it’ll be a problem for me. I don’t plan on taking care of you for the rest of my life. Eat two and get stronger.”
“Yujin…!”
Seong Ji-gon looked touched.
In this world, spiritual medicines were treasures among treasures. It was common for an entire village to be wiped out because of spiritual medicines, and they were rarely given even to one’s own children.
“Things like this can cause trouble if you keep them, so you should take them right away. Eat them here.”
“Here? But the rest time will be over soon?”
“Well, we’ll probably have to stay here for about two hours?”
“What are you talking about?”
I pointed to the sky.
A huge bird with blue feathers was flying in the sky.
The Azure Light Bird.
It was a spiritual creature that could only be dealt with by someone who had reached at least the Third Stage.
“That’s flying in the sky, so we can’t move recklessly. Especially since Seok Ji-don is so cautious.”
“The Azure Light Bird! Isn’t that monster going to attack us?!”
“Why would it? From the Azure Light Bird’s perspective, we’re just pebbles rolling around. If we don’t bother it, it’ll just pass by. Hurry up and eat the Wood-Infesting Flowers and digest them.”
I sat cross-legged on the ground.
Originally, I would have used the Ascent to Luminous Heights to strengthen the Wood-Infesting Flowers before consuming them, like the protagonist in the original story. But right now, the Ascent to Luminous Heights was strengthening my weapon and armor, Stormbreaker. Since I didn’t know when the strengthening would be finished, I couldn’t just wait.
‘I’m stronger than the original protagonist. And I can get more spiritual medicines later.’
I grabbed the Wood-Infesting Flower and shoved it into my mouth. It tasted bitter. I looked to the side and saw Seong Ji-gon nervously consuming the Wood-Infesting Flower.
‘And I have the Heavenly Star System.’
I used the Heavenly Origin Qi Art to control the fire energy of the Wood-Infesting Flower. The efficiency of the Heavenly Origin Qi Art was better than when I used it in the real world.
It might be because this world was specialized for martial arts. Or it might be the influence of the Heavenly Star System. Personally, I thought it was the latter.
After absorbing the energy of the Wood-Infesting Flower for a while, I felt an invisible wall crumble.
『Congratulations! You have reached the First Stage of the Will Manifestation Realm!』
『As a reward, you will receive 30 Heavenly Jades and a Wisdom Pill.』
I exhaled. My body was full of energy.
‘I have 31 Heavenly Jades now. I need 69 more to reach VIP 1.’
『Wisdom Pill
A spiritual medicine that helps when reaching the Will Manifestation Realm.』
It was a spiritual medicine that was of no help to me, who had already reached the Will Manifestation Realm.
‘I can give this to Seong Ji-gon later.’
I got up from my seat. Seong Ji-gon was still sitting cross-legged, diligently absorbing the energy of the spiritual medicine.
‘Seong Ji-gon. I need this guy to become useful quickly so things will be easier.’
Seong Ji-gon got up from his seat just before we were about to leave. His face was full of joy.
“How is it? Did you advance in your cultivation?”
“Yeah! I’m now at the Eighth Stage of the Foundation Realm! It’s all thanks to you! What about you, Yujin?”
“I reached the Will Manifestation Realm.”
“Wow! Really?! Congratulations! Wow! To reach the Will Manifestation Realm at that age! If other people knew, they’d be shocked!”
“I’m going to keep it a secret for now. You keep your mouth shut too.”
“Why? If you tell the sect, you can get better support.”
“If you’re too outstanding, there will be people who are suspicious and jealous.”
“I guess… Okay. I won’t tell anyone, as you wish.”
The transport group set off again.
•••
One of the guards,
Hwang Bi-geon, caused trouble.
During the rest time, in front of everyone, he reported Guard Yeong-tan to Seok Ji-don.
“Head Guard Seok! It was Yeong-tan who wrote Head Guard Seok’s name back then! Yeong-tan incited us to write Head Guard Seok’s name!”
“Guard Hwang’s words are all true!”
Guard Jang Oh-guk supported Hwang Bi-geon’s words.
I immediately realized. The two of them had colluded.
“T-These crazy bastards! Head Guard Seok! They’re spouting nonsense! They’re framing me by colluding with each other! I never wrote Head Guard Seok’s name! I can swear on my dantian!”
Seok Ji-don clenched his fist tightly. He didn’t trust any of the guards.
“There is definitely someone among you who is lying to me. Maybe all of you are lying.”
Thud!
Hwang Bi-geon and Jang Oh-guk knelt on the ground.
“Head Guard Seok! Our words are all true! There’s also a witness!”
“A witness?”
“When we were writing the names on the paper… One of the porters behind us saw Yeong-tan writing Head Guard Seok’s name!”
“That’s nonsense! It’s all nonsense! Head Guard Seok!”
“Quiet. Yeong-tan. I warn you, it’s better for you to keep your mouth shut until I allow you to speak. The witness that Hwang Bi-geon is talking about, come forward.”
“T-That’s me!”
One of the porters stepped forward nervously. He immediately knelt down and said,
“Guard Yeong-tan wrote Head Guard Seok’s name on the paper! I, I saw it clearly!”
It was perjury.
It was clear that Hwang Bi-geon had bribed the porter. He must have given him a lot of money or guaranteed his future.
Seok Ji-don’s eyes turned to Yeong-tan.
“Yeong-tan. There’s even a witness. Do you have anything to say?”
Yeong-tan knelt in front of Seok Ji-don and bowed his head.
“It’s all, all lies! Those crazy bastards are deceiving Head Guard Seok!”
“Then who is the real culprit?”
“It’s Hwang Bi-geon! Hwang Bi-geon wrote Head Guard Seok’s name!”
“What’s the evidence?”
“There’s a witness! One of the porters saw it!”
“Ha… Your words contradict each other. If all of you wrote my name, then I would have died instead of Go Du-mak back then. Ha… Who is that witness? Come forward.”
However, none of the porters stepped forward.
Yeong-tan’s face turned pale. It seemed that Yeong-tan had also recruited a porter, but the porter had read the changing atmosphere and betrayed Yeong-tan.
“No-sik! What are you doing! Why aren’t you coming out! Head Guard Seok! That guy, that guy is the witness!”
“N-No! I don’t know anything about this!”
“Y-You bastard!!”
Yeong-tan roared. Killing intent poured out relentlessly.
Seok Ji-don’s eyes turned cold.
“It seems like a conclusion has been reached. Hwang Bi-geon, Jang Oh-guk. Capture him.”
“Yes!”
Yeong-tan struggled with his sword, but he couldn’t handle the two who were attacking him at the same time.
“Head Guard Seok! It wasn’t me! This is a frame-up! Head Guard Seok!!”
“You’ve lied before and caused trouble. I can’t trust your words anymore. Taking you in as a guard is the biggest mistake of my life. Now I’ll get rid of that mistake with my own hands.”
“Aaaaargh! Seok Ji-don!!”
Yeong-tan’s head fell to the ground.
The culprit was dead.
This matter was officially over here.
However, the relationship between Seok Ji-don and the guards was still cold. Seok Ji-don also had a brain, so he would think that Yeong-tan might not be the culprit.
‘Hehe. Seok Ji-don, you pathetic bastard. If it were me, I would have killed them all a long time ago. Then the culprit would be among them.’
Their relationship was already over, so there was no way it would go back to normal.
