Chapter 89 : Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Garden of Joy

“I’m sorry.”

Chwipung-gae was fundamentally an ill-tempered and stubborn old man.

Such old men were usually stiff-necked, but Chwipung-gae bowed his head before me without hesitation.

I hadn't heard the reason yet, but I could tell it was a serious matter.

“What is it?”

Chwipung-gae was embodying the words ‘ashamed’ with his whole body.

“Tell me.”

“…There are none, they say.”

“None of what?”

“The Emerald Rescue Pill.”

“…”

“I’m sorry.”

Chwipung-gae bowed his head again.

It wasn't that Chwipung-gae was an old man with a flexible neck, unlike his temperament, but that the weight of the faith he held in his heart was so heavy that it made his head light.

“Hmm.”

It was a problem I hadn't even thought of.

-You will have to obtain all five of the Five Great Elixirs of Murim.

The Healing Sage's message lingered in my head, and it seemed my grand plan was going awry from the start.

But it was still too early to despair.

“Tell me in detail.”

“I will.”

Chwipung-gae’s clear explanation followed.

As expected of a seasoned information broker, his ability to convey information was close to perfect.

There was some information that was close to being a secret in between, but Chwipung-gae's speech was unhesitating.

It meant that the sense of debt he felt towards me was immense, and it was proof that his faith was alive.

And if I were to summarize all of Chwipung-gae's explanations…

“There aren’t enough spiritual medicines to use as ingredients?”

This was it.

“That’s right.”

“So that was the problem.”

Chwipung-gae nodded his head heavily.

I understood his feelings.

He had concluded that he couldn't grant my request because spiritual medicines were not something that could be easily obtained.

“I’ll look for a way.”

It was a big problem, but it was not a big problem.

It was because a good piece of information had come to mind.

It was information that did not exist in the present, but that information was well stored in my memory.

The time had come again for Myeong-gae's arrangements, which directly refuted the saying 'too much is as bad as too little,' to shine.

My Myeong-gae days.

I lived my life denying the social stereotype that beggars were lazy with my whole body.

First, I fulfilled my duty as a member of the Beggar’s Gang.

The duty of a member of the Beggar’s Gang was to faithfully carry out the assigned branch work and to be affable to the senior beggars.

Unlike its shabby appearance, the Beggar’s Gang was a place with a rather systematic organizational structure. It was an undeniable truth, as it was able to smoothly manage up to a hundred thousand members.

I knew that what was needed for rapid promotion in a systematically structured organization was a good reputation within the organization.

Furthermore, a good reputation would also lead to the acquisition of high-quality information.

Naturally, being faithful to the duty of a beggar became my first task.

During my White-Robed Beggar days, I always supplied food with the essence of begging that I learned from Chwipung-gae to fill the bellies of the senior beggars.

After tying a knot, I diligently went around to gather information and also shared it with them.

When I had three knots, I prided myself on having excellently managed the beggars of the branch.

Since the information of the Beggar’s Gang was as important to share internally as it was to gather from the outside, a smooth interpersonal relationship through social life was an essential virtue, and I did it excellently.

Even with just this, it could be said that I had spent quite full and busy days, contrary to the common perception that beggars were lazy.

If I were to describe myself at that time, it would be as a model member of the Beggar’s Gang or a model beggar.

But that was not all of my daily routine.

I pursued a lot of information beyond what was assigned to me. It was to prepare for the regression that was already foreseen.

Information whose statute of limitations had already passed was the highest quality information for me, so it was a series of days where I collected and organized information in duplicate.

I memorized the habitats of spiritual medicines and mastered the contents of all sorts of treasure maps.

In particular, I could pride myself on being the only crazy beggar who had memorized the entire Thousand Immortals of the Jianghu records, a treasure of the Beggar’s Gang.

In the midst of that, I did not neglect my martial arts training.

Myeong-gae had reached the Peak Realm around the age of twenty-three, when he had three knots, with only the first half of the Dancheon Sword Art.

Compared to my current realm, it was a faint realm like a firefly before the sun, but objectively speaking, it was at a level where I would be invited to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

It was an achievement I had carved out on my own without the help of the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art or spiritual medicines, so it went without saying that the effort was immense.

People are like that.

When you're busy, time flies.

And when you live in the fast-flowing time, a lot of memories evaporate.

It was the same principle as the scenery captured in the eyes while taking a walk and the scenery captured in the eyes while performing a movement technique being quite different.

Even in the midst of that, there were a few memories that remained vivid in my mind.

-Sir Myeong-gae! The Garden of Joy has been discovered!

One of them was the discovery of the Garden of Joy, in the year when I was twenty-three and had just gotten my third knot.

***

After Myeong-gae became a Three-Knot Branch Leader and Chwipung-gae, who had missed the Yin Blood Divine Demon, ascended to the position of a Seven-Knot Elder.

It was an event that had happened in the summer when Myeong-gae was twenty-three.

Considering that Dancheon Myeong and Chwipung-gae of this life had killed the Yin Blood Divine Demon around the start of winter when he was twenty-two, it could be said that in terms of time, it was an event that happened about half a year later.

“Sir Myeong-gae! I’ve obtained new information!”

A One-Knot Beggar came running to the branch, out of breath, and called me.

“New information? What is it this time?”

As a Three-Knot Branch Leader, who could be called the foundation of the Beggar’s Gang, I asked indifferently in a beggar-like manner.

I swear it wasn't dereliction of duty. It would be right to say that it was because, befitting a group of beggars, a lot of useless information also gathered in the Beggar’s Gang.

I, a seasoned beggar, knew all too well that reacting to the One-Knot Beggar's fuss every time would only make my hungry stomach hungrier.

Therefore, I had no great expectations.

“They say the Garden of Joy has been discovered.”

This time, I was wrong.

“What?”

At the One-Knot Beggar's report, I shot up from my listless state. It was because the information the One-Knot Beggar had brought was a real catch.

Garden of Joy.

It was a term that referred to a secret place, rarely found in the Jianghu Murim, where spiritual medicines grew in abundance.

At that time, I didn't know about the existence of the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art, but even so, the existence of the Garden of Joy was something that made my ears perk up.

It was even more so because it was a time when I had started to diligently gather information in preparation for after my regression.

Not just one or two of the precious spiritual medicines, but a whole bunch. If I just picked up a few from there and sold them, I would become a very wealthy man.

At my intense reaction, the One-Knot Beggar quickly made a voluntary confession.

“Of course, the Murim Alliance has already swept up all the spiritual medicines there. Hehe.”

“I suppose so.”

I had guessed as much.

Usually, the fact that such information had reached a One-Knot Beggar was the same as the fact that everyone in the Jianghu Murim already knew the information.

Since I had also been a One-Knot Beggar, it was something I couldn't not know.

However, my face lit up.

Although the One-Knot Beggar had spoken embarrassedly, this was exactly the kind of information I wanted.

“Let’s go.”

I quickly got ready.

For a beggar, getting ready was synonymous with getting up.

A Garden of Joy, for a matter of this level, it was right to move myself.

For a happy regression life.

At my appearance, the One-Knot Beggar's expression became sullen.

“Do we really have to go all the way there? There’s nothing left. Isn’t it a place that the comrades of the Jianghu have swept through like a cloud, hoping to pick up even a speck of dust?”

Thwack!

“Ack!”

My begging bowl struck the One-Knot Beggar's forehead. It could be said to be a truly natural beggar's form.

“You punk, didn’t I tell you not to be careless when dealing with information?”

Of course, the reason I was trying to go there myself was not because of some sense of duty as a member of the Beggar’s Gang, as I had said myself.

It was to go there myself and learn the geography.

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

“Let’s go.”

“Now?”

“Then?”

As the begging bowl was slowly lifted again, the One-Knot Beggar quickly led the way.

“Can’t we just go!”

Following the guidance of the still-sullen One-Knot Beggar, I set out on a long journey.

It was a move that was possible because I had risen to the Three-Knot rank, where my movements were free.

Time passed, and after the two beggars had become peddlers and crossed the Central Plains for a while.

“Is this it?”

“Probably?”

The place where the Garden of Joy was discovered was truly a place where the words 'deep mountains and secluded valleys' were not an exaggeration.

It was also a sacred space, full of spirituality, even to me who was only at the Peak Realm at the time.

“There’s nothing here.”

“I told you there was nothing.”

That was right.

There was really nothing there.

In the place where the comrades of the Jianghu, led by the Murim Alliance, had ransacked everything and left, only the lush nature remained.

“This is good.”

“Are you crazy?”

“You punk?”

“Hic!”

I was about to hit the One-Knot Beggar's head with my begging bowl but stopped myself.

I had memorized the path to the Garden of Joy and confirmed its scale.

It was because I was sufficiently satisfied.

.

.

.

“I’m sorry.”

Breaking my reverie, the Seven-Knot Elder Chwipung-gae, who had achieved his revenge, repeatedly apologized to me.

In truth, it wasn't a problem he should be sorry for.

It was understandable that Chwipung-gae didn't know about the lack of stock of the Emerald Rescue Pill, which even I, who had regressed, did not know.

“I have something to ask.”

“Speak.”

Chwipung-gae, who was on the verge of losing his faith, had become a kind old beggar who answered questions with all his heart.

“Can you make the Emerald Rescue Pill if you have the ingredients?”

“They say they can.”

Chwipung-gae replied as if he had anticipated my question.

That was a relief.

The Beggar’s Gang had not lost the alchemy art of the Emerald Rescue Pill.

They just didn't have the ingredients.

Since the ingredients themselves were spiritual medicines, it was true that they were rare, but it was a lamentable thing that an organization that had risen to the seat of the glorious Nine Sects One Gang could not procure those ingredients.

No, in fact, it might be right to think of it positively.

It would mean that the Beggar’s Gang was not accumulating wealth with its fame and power, but was still living for righteousness and chivalry. It was because that was the Beggar’s Gang I loved.

“Can you tell me the ingredients needed to make the Emerald Rescue Pill?”

Chwipung-gae grinned at my question.

“I’ve already gotten permission for that too.”

Chwipung-gae must have predicted that I would come out like this.

Since his insight had grasped my character and read my temperament, I would have to be careful in all matters before the seasoned old beggar.

In fact, getting permission would not have been difficult.

It was because what was important in making an elixir was not the list of ingredients, but the 'alchemy art,' which referred to the detailed mixing ratio of the ingredients and special processes.

Even for the Great Cycle Pill, which was called the best elixir under heaven, those who knew, knew what ingredients were used.

It was because even Shaolin could not procure all those ingredients on its own.

However, no one had been able to create even a Small Cycle Pill, let alone a Great Cycle Pill.

It was because they did not know the secret alchemy art of Shaolin.

Similarly, even if I knew the list of ingredients, it would be a long shot for me to make the Emerald Rescue Pill, so there would be no hesitation in telling me.

Chwipung-gae recited the list.

“Purple Spirit Fruit, Thousand-Year-Old Fleeceflower Root, Dragon Spirit Fungus, Full Sun Grass…”

The list of spiritual medicines went on for a while longer.

“Hmm.”

“A bit much, isn’t it?”

“Is that the full list?”

“No. I only recited the ones that are lacking.”

Chwipung-gae, who had prepared for the unexpected even in that situation, was a model of a seasoned beggar.

“Amazing.”

They were all the names of formidable spiritual medicines.

Compared to what I had taken for the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art, they might be lacking, but they were all spiritual medicines that were at a level to be ranked right below them.

As expected, they were ingredients worthy of the name Emerald Rescue Pill, one of the Five Great Elixirs of Murim.

“Can you get them?”

I didn't immediately answer Chwipung-gae's subtle question.

“…I’ll have to try.”

I deliberately acted and answered slowly.

It was a stepping stone for future moves.

I knew the location of the Garden of Joy that was still sleeping.

Unlike when I found it in my Myeong-gae days, the secret place would be full of spiritual medicines.

However, I couldn't just rashly say, 'I know the location of the Garden of Joy.'

Before that, various preliminary work would be necessary.