Chapter p2-87: TCF Part 2 - Why are you there? (2)
<Why are you there? (2)>
Ron looked confused.
"Gae-il?"
Ron had not heard about the name since he was not with them when they met the Emperor. Raon quickly flew over to Ron.
"Grandpa Ron! The Emperor called our human Ga-"
Raon was cut off.
"Team leader! Let's choose new names."
Cale covered Raon's mouth with his hand as he urged Sui Khan to talk.
Cale slightly frowned after seeing the benign wrinkles appear on Ron's eyes. He then frowned significantly after seeing the look on the oddly excited Sui Khan's face.
Sui Khan didn't care as he leisurely picked up a tea cup.
"I thought about the names once. I know names that would be fitting for this world."
"...Let's hear them."
Cale felt unsettled but decided to hear it first. Sui Khan seemed slightly entertained as he spoke without any hesitation.
"Okay, little Han can continue to be Choi Han."
Beacrox looked at Choi Han with an odd gaze but Choi Han didn't know and just nodded his head.
"Toonka can be Du Kang. Last name Du, first name Kang."
'Oh.'
Cale thought that this was decent. It seemed fitting because it sounded like the name of a bandit boss.
"Hooo! Du Kang! It sounds strong! I like it. Kahahahahah!"
Toonka liked it as well. Sui Khan looked at the Molan duo the moment Cale was about to smile with satisfaction.
"Mr. Ron, your name will be Moan On. Last name Moan, first name On. Mr. Beacrox will be Moan Bi Roh. Similarly, last name Moan, first name Bi Roh."
He then added on.
"I made it as similar to your original name as possible."
'Mm.'
It wasn't bad.
"Little Raon will remain Raon Miru."
"Great! My name is great and mighty!"
"That's right. Lee Soo Hyuk for me."
Cale turned toward Sui Khan. Cale, who was looking at the guy who called himself Lee Soo Hyuk, soon noticed Lee Soo Hyuk's gaze turn toward him.
"Cale will be Kim-"
Kim. Cale wondered if the team leader was going to say Kim Rok Soo when he heard that last name. He thought that it would be a bit weird to be called Kim Rok Soo here.
"Kim Gae-il."
However, Cale scowled after hearing what Lee Soo Hyuk said.
"I don't like it! I don't like Gae-il for some reason!"
Raon fiercely opposed it. He continuously shook his head side to side.
"Haha!"
Sui Khan laughed before commenting toward Cale who could not stop scowling.
"Yes, yes. Kim Gae-il was a joke. Since he is Cale Henituse..."
Lee Soo Hyuk looked at Cale and asked.
"How is Kim Hae-il?"
There was no explanation that followed. However, Cale felt as if he could tell the meaning behind that name.
It was the combination of Kim Rok Soo and Cale Henituse.
Cale silently fell into thought.
"Great! Hae-il! It is a thousand million times better than Gae-il!"
Cale nodded his head as if he couldn't win since Raon was so happy about it.
"Whatever you want. They are just aliases we are going to use here anyway."
Honestly speaking, the name didn't matter.
However, Sui Khan seemed to have had a reason behind the name.
"Cale, it seems like a name suited for the equipment you brought as well."
Cale thought about the cape he brought with him.
< Cape of the Sun (Rank: Divine) >
It was the item that the Xiaolen world had given to him as a reward.
'It was the cape of the first person from Xiaolen to become a god, wasn't it?'
Cale did not have any plans to use this item yet.
'Things might become quite awkward if I use this the wrong way.'
That was why he had to be very discreet about how he used it. In addition to this item, Cale had borrowed the rewards that the others, including Eruhaben, had received.
He was planning on using them depending on the situation.
'Being overgeared is the answer when your body is weak.'
Cale gulped after suddenly thinking of a concern.
'The Super Rock and the cheapskate are quiet.'
The two chatty bastards of the ancient powers were quiet.
They did not respond no matter how many times he called out to them.
It was probably because their powers were sealed.
'...But I can still use a decent amount of the Super Rock's power.'
Cale questioned that but did not have the time to think about that for a long time.
He had a lot of things to do.
"Raon, did you look at the map?"
"I memorized the whole thing!"
Cale nonchalantly petted the proudly talking Raon's head before looking at the map.
He too had already memorized the whole thing.
It was not just the map.
"Young master-nim, should I clean up these books?"
"Yeah. Put them away."
Cale had recorded the numerous books on top of the table as well.
'It's the same.'
The ancient powers that Cale Henituse had gathered...
Those powers had been sealed based on the destructive force of each power, but...
The powers that Kim Rok Soo had earned remained the same.
From Record to Instant, all of them remained the same.
"Young master-nim, then will we be moving as quietly as possible?"
Cale nodded his head at Ron's benignly asked question.
"Yes. I plan on teleporting to a forest that doesn't have a lot of foot traffic as well. This is a world without magic so we need to make sure we don't get caught."
"I will be going invisible as well!"
Raon then hesitated before clenching Cale's long sleeves.
"Human."
"What is it?"
"You see..."
Raon, for whom acting timid like this was rare, pulled something out of his spatial pocket bag. It was a wooden board.
'Hmm?'
There were cool Eastern yongs drawn on the board.
"Human, Central Plains said that the Dragons here look like this. Do I need to look like this as well?"
His chubby cheeks seemed weak.
However, he was still warily looking at Cale.
Raon could see Cale, who had been looking at the wooden board, look away without any hesitation and comment nonchalantly.
"You don't need to."
He was going to be invisible anyway.
Whether it was an Eastern yong or a fantasy Dragon...
'His tummy is going to be just as chubby.'
"You just do whatever you want to do."
Yes, it wasn't that different.
It was at that moment.
Boom!
Cale flinched and turned his head after hearing a loud noise.
Raon had both front paws clenched as he slammed down on the table.
It must have been made of expensive wood as the table did not break yet.
However, Raon continued to slam down on it. His wings continuously fluttered as if he was excited about something.
Boom! Boom!
"Great! Human, that is great! I am the great and mighty Raon Miru! I am cool just as I am!"
Boom! Boom!
'You're not cool though...' Cale wanted to respond to Raon, but... He just held back.
Raon seemed to be getting stronger and stronger by the day.
'What a vicious Dragon.
How strong will he be when he becomes an adult?' A single hit from Raon's tail might be enough to send Cale to the Gate to the Afterlife.
He got chills at that vicious thought and looked away from Raon.
"......."
He made eye contact with Lee Soo Hyuk, who smirked and commented.
"Shall we head out as soon as we are ready, young master Kim?"
"Pfft." Cale scoffed and then responded.
"We shall. Noble Warrior Lee."
* * *
There was a famous mountain that came to mind when talking about the Anhui Province.
Huángshān.
It was a place that was said to be as dangerous as it was beautiful.
A lot of people were currently stealthily gathering at Huángshān.
Neither the commoners nor the regular martial artists knew about this.
However, anybody in the know was gathering at Huángshān.
In a forest slightly away from Huángshān...
A path existed here because merchants went through here in the past. However... Not many people traveled through here now because a quicker path was created elsewhere.
In a flat area slightly away from that path...
Paaaaat!
A black light flashed before a couple people appeared.
"Eek!"
Chief Eunuch Wi clutched his heart. He was slightly dizzy.
"You must be nauseous because it was your first time."
Chief Eunuch Wi flinched and raised his head after sensing a gently supporting hand.
"...Noble Warrior Choi."
It was the swordsman who had introduced himself as Choi Han.
Chief Eunuch Wi thanked him as he stood up and looked around.
"Ho. How surprising."
He heard a familiar voice gasp in admiration next to him.
"A yong truly is a yong. I didn't know they could use such mysterious powers."
Fist King Mok Hyeon. He gasped before looking at Raon.
"I, Raon Miru, am great and mighty!"
Raon puffed up his chubby tummy and fluttered his wings. Mok Hyeon looked at him and had a faint smile on his face. Raon spoke with a slightly concerned voice at that moment.
"Hey gramps! Are you sure that your granddaughter is okay?"
The Fist King's great-granddaughter, Mok Hee, was completely stiff next to him, unable to hide her anxiety.
Moving with Mok Hee in the group... That was the Fist King's condition for being a part of Cale's group.
'For such a power to exist......!'
Mok Hee, one of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, was shocked, no, this was beyond shock. She was astonished that they had moved instantly from inside the Moonflower Palace and arrived in a forest near Huángshān.
Mok Hyeon gently looked at his granddaughter.
Mok Hee had grown up with the Fist King, Mok Hyeon, since she lost her parents at a young age. He wanted to let his granddaughter, who did not have a chance to make friends in her life and only focused on martial arts, learn about the world.
Unfortunately, the Imperial Palace was the world to Mok Hee, and, as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she could not easily come out to see the world.
Mok Hyeon thought that this was his fault. That was why he used this mission as an excuse to show Mok Hee the world, and if possible, he wanted her to realize that there were multiple paths.
'Furthermore, seeing strong people around her age would be an experience as well.'
Starting with the person who gave the alias of Kim Hae-il, Choi Han, Lee Soo Hyuk, and even Moan Bi Roh... The three people around her age were strong and seeing them would help Mok Hee grow stronger as well.
'Of course, in safe situations.'
Mok Hyeon was planning on creating that safe situation for her.
He was strong enough to have the title of King.
'These people are strong as well.'
Mok Hyeon asked Mok Hee a question.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, Grandfather."
Mok Hee's complexion looked better now as she nodded her head. However, she could not help but be tense. Mok Hyeon did not ask about that tension and turned away.
"Noble Warrior Wi."
The grim reaper and Chief Eunuch Wi were chatting there.
"Yes, young master Kim."
They had decided that they would always use the titles in order to not make any mistakes despite nobody being around them.
"You said that there is a small village if we go a little farther from here?"
"Yes sir. It is a village near Huángshān. It is usually used to greet travelers so issues related to that frequently pop up there.
As it was a famous mountain, there were probably a lot of tourists coming to see it.
There were also many Taoists or martial artists who stayed a few years in the rough Huángshān to train their dao.
As a result, although it was not enough to be called a city, a small village where a lot of people gathered was created.
"We should be able to go there and stay a day in an inn."
Chief Eunuch Wi stepped in after Cale set their destination.
Although he was a eunuch, he had a lot of work on the outside and was wise about the area as a member of the Eastern Depot.
"I will escort you, young master-nim."
"Yes sir. Let's go as quickly as possible."
Chief Eunuch Wi slightly bowed at Cale's comment.
"Yes sir. Once we get there, we will find a child who is a member of the Eastern Depot. We should be able to hear any related information from him."
At least one informant of the Imperial family was hidden in places where martial artists gathered in large numbers.
This was something that became even more thorough since the current Emperor ascended the throne.
''The Emperor is a great worker.'
Cale had that thought as he motioned to Raon with his eyes.
"I got it, human!"
Black smoke appeared around Raon.
The moment the three people from the Central Plains focused on him, the smoke soon reached the others.
Swoooooooosh-
Mok Hee looked at the wind gathering around her ankles.
"Don't waste your precious internal ki. Let's have a smooth trip there."
Cale then patted Chief Eunuch Wi's shoulder.
Chief Eunuch Wi was shocked after looking at his ankles before he gulped and shot forward.
"Ho."
He gasped.
His body was moving so quickly
His speed had changed despite not using qinggong.
Cale followed behind him. His group moved as if they were familiar with this kind of situation.
The granddaughter of the House of Mok hesitated for a moment before following behind the others.
Shhhhhhh-
Cale heard Raon's voice in his mind as he listened to the sound of leaves snarling.
- I brought enough highest-grade magic stones to last a year if used in Roan! I can use a lot of magic! Hehe!
'That's right. You brought a lot.'
Honestly speaking, Cale could have used the Sound of the Wind. Most of the Sound of the Wind was not sealed and could be used.
'But just in case.'
If he used his sealed powers here, he might not be able to use them when he actually needed them. He might end up coughing up blood and fainting if he used his powers like that.
The Central Plains. He did not want to faint in this Wuxia world. He didn't know what might happen while he was unconscious.
'There are plenty of bastards who abduct people to experiment on them.'
There were always bastards who used grotesque death arts in wuxia novels.
Of course, similar people existed in fantasy worlds.
Shhhhhhhh-
Cale brushed aside such uncomfortable thoughts and increased his speed a bit.
"Cale-nim."
He heard Choi Han's voice at that moment.
Lee Soo Hyuk commented after him as well.
"Would it be best just to go like this?"
The moment Cale looked at Choi Han with an odd gaze... Chief Eunuch Wi, who was in the front, spoke in a strong voice.
"...There is the sound of fighting nearby."
"Aha."
Cale realized it.
'What a cliché.'
A famous wuxia novel cliché.
The sound of fighting you hear as you are walking.
'In these situations, one of the parties in the fight always has either important core information or position.'
Cale gently commented to Chief Eunuch Wi, who had slowed down to speak to Cale.
"Why don't we cautiously take a look as we go? It might be a situation where innocent people are in danger. How could we ignore them and pass by?"
"...Shall we do that?"
Chief Eunuch Wi responded as if he was a bit shocked or found this to be unexpected, but... His face seemed quite bright.
Lee Soo Hyuk nodded his head at that moment.
"As expected of our young master Kim Hae-il."
It was the first time in a long time since Cale completely ignored the team leader's comment.