Chapter 78: Grass Flower Hall
The Golden Needle Phantom collected the needles that had been embedded in Yi-gang’s body. He had placed needles throughout the body’s acupuncture points to improve blood circulation and boost vital energy, and indeed, the effects were remarkable.
Yi-gang stood up, feeling significantly lighter.
He then turned to look at the newly entered person before looking back at the Forest Lord.
“Who is this person?”
“A lad named Jin Mu.”
The man Forest Lord had summoned was indeed a cheerful one, fitting the nickname “cheerful man.”
Broad-shouldered and robustly built, with distinctly defined facial features and a stylishly moderate beard. Above all, his bright white healthy teeth were revealed when he grinned broadly.
“Haha, so you are Yi-gang. Pleased to meet you, I’m Jin Mu.”
“Yes, nice to meet you too.”
Jin Mu was not his real name but a Taoist name.
If “Jin” referred to the Jin line, then Jin Mu must be a second-generation disciple of the Azure Forest. Unlike Jin Ri-yeon, whose surname just happened to be Jin and had not yet received a Taoist name.
Considering his older appearance among the second-generation disciples and the fact that he had been given a Taoist name…
“Jin Mu is the great disciple of the second-generation disciples.”
Yi-gang also arrived at the same conclusion.
Jin Mu laughed, displaying modesty.
“Forest Lord, leading? Haha. I’m just a disciple with many shortcomings.”
Yi-gang slightly opened his mouth.
He seemed to have heard of Azure Forest’s great disciple Jin Mu before. Probably, he was the one who participated in the Dragon and Phoenix Conference before Jin Ri-yeon.
He had heard that Jin Mu was outstanding in martial arts, and indeed, his aura was far from ordinary. His eyes, reflecting years of experience, and his amiable composure were noteworthy.
“I’m still in my 20s.”
It was an unexpected comment as nobody had asked. Yet, Yi-gang was inadvertently surprised.
“I-I see.”
“A bit older looking, huh? Uhaha.”
Jin Mu was a man prone to laughter. Unlike his uncle Baek Jin-tae, his laughter was genuine and clear.
How could a second-generation disciple like him assist Yi-gang? This question was soon answered by Forest Lord.
“The second test is not simple. It is divided into three hurdles. It will be difficult for you to prepare alone, so Jin Mu will help you.”
It seemed a bit leisurely for a great disciple to not train or work but instead help a new disciple. Yi-gang was skeptical, but he nodded in agreement.
“I will assist you until then. Hoho.”
Jin Mu casually slung an arm over Yi-gang’s shoulder. Of course, Yi-gang naturally stepped aside.
“Then, I’m in your hands.”
“You’re not very sociable, are you?”
Jin Mu, smacking his lips, followed Yi-gang as he bowed to Forest Lord.
Forest Lord smiled lightly and nodded his head.
Just as Yi-gang and Jin Mu were about to leave, Forest Lord added:
“You don’t need to worry too much about your ranking in the exam.”
“Excuse me?”
“The essence of the first-flower promotion test is to determine whether you are qualified to embellish flowers…”
Forest Lord did not elaborate further. Preferring to speak in riddles seemed to be a common trait among the old martial masters.
「If he’s going to speak, he should do it properly, how frustrating.」
‘…’
Of course, not all old martial masters were like that.
The Immortal Divine Sword, not fond of the Azure Forest Lord, grumbled whenever there was a chance.
「That young whelp indulging in riddles…」
It was fortunate that Forest Lord, who was laughing like a divine hermit, could not hear these words.
Yi-gang walked alongside Jin Mu.
Jin Mu, while leading Yi-gang, peppered him with various questions.
“You’ve really won over the heart of Academy Head. You must be quite intelligent.”
“Well, I just worked hard.”
“You are modest too.”
Jin Mu smiled mischievously. Yi-gang suddenly felt uneasy about something.
“By the way, should I call you Senior Jin Mu?”
As a third-generation disciple, he would have to address Jin Mu as “Senior.” However, since he was not yet a third-generation disciple, he found it difficult to decide on a proper title. Jin Mu laughed heartily for some reason.
“Let’s think about the title later.”
“…Yes.”
Perhaps he meant until Yi-gang officially became a disciple.
“Until then, call me ‘brother.’”
“‘Brother’…?”
“How does ‘Brother Jin Mu’ sound?”
Yi-gang fell silent for a moment. He was still a boy with only fuzz on his body, unlike Jin Mu, who, despite being in his 20s, had a bushy beard.
“If you’re not married, everyone’s a ‘brother,’ right? Uhahaha.”
“That’s right, brother.”
When Yi-gang casually called him ‘brother,’ Jin Mu’s eyes widened.
“You look delicate but have a bold side.”
“That’s an overstatement.”
Mentally, Yi-gang was probably older than Jin Mu. He felt no shyness about using the term ‘brother.’
“Where are we going, though?”
“Ah, I didn’t tell you. It’s Grass Flower Hall.”
“Grass Flower Hall?”
Grass Flower Hall was a place that dealt with various elixirs. Being a major source of income for the Azure Forest, it was larger than other buildings and housed many masters of light footwork.
While it would be a place Yi-gang would like due to the numerous elixirs and spiritual herbs, it was curious why they were specifically going there.
“The second test, the martial arts test, is actually much more important than the first test. The points are higher too.”
“That makes sense. The Azure Forest is a martial arts sect, after all.”
“Evaluating martial arts correctly is never easy.”
Thinking about it, that was true. The simplest method would be to judge the level of martial arts through sparring, but it seemed it wouldn’t be that straightforward.
“Light footwork, sword and hand-to-hand techniques, and internal energy cultivation. These three will be tested in different ways. We’re taking you to Grass Flower Hall for the test of light footwork, which is the first.”
“The first stage is…”
Yi-gang grasped the general situation from Jin Mu’s explanation.
“Is it about digging up spiritual herbs?”
“Yes. Wow, you catch on fast. Grass Flower Hall is indeed where the masters of light footwork gather. To traverse rough mountains, one must be light.”
The image of martial masters with herb baskets tied around their waists, collectively climbing mountains, was very much a reality.
“On the day of the test, third-generation disciples will search for spiritual herbs in designated areas. The score will be based on the grade and quantity of the herbs collected.”
“So we’re going to Grass Flower Hall to see what kind of spiritual herbs are there.”
Jin Mu ruffled Yi-gang’s hair as if to say he did well.
“Right, just be careful.”
“Careful?”
“You’ll see when you get there.”
Yi-gang understood why Jin Mu said that as soon as he entered Grass Flower Hall.
Yi-gang closed his eyes tightly.
A clear and fragrant scent wafted to his nose. It was a pleasant aroma that seemed to clear his blocked nose.
It was the fragrance emitted by all the various spiritual herbs and elixirs collected in Grass Flower Hall.
Gulp—
His mouth filled with saliva involuntarily, and he swallowed.
Yi-gang had now reached a level where he enjoyed the taste of elixirs. The taste of wild ginseng was a superb combination of sweet and bitter, while the internal elixirs had a delicious umami flavor.
For Yi-gang, who preferred elixirs over the finest delicacies, Grass Flower Hall was a place where he naturally felt at ease.
“Get out—!”
That would have been the case if it weren’t for the person shouting orders like that.
“Hey Su-nam, calm down.”
“I said get out! You can’t be here right now!”
“Why is this kid like this, really.”
“Great Senior Brother, are you pretending not to know!”
Yeop Su-nam, a second-generation disciple responsible for storing spiritual herbs under the stewardship of the Grass Flower Hall Head. He screamed as if he saw the Grim Reaper upon seeing Yi-gang.
“If the Grass Flower Hall Head sees him here, he’ll go berserk!”
He pointed at Yi-gang as if he were some kind of monster.
“Why would the Grass Flower Hall Head dislike this kid so much? Look at him, he’s so cute with his handsome face.”
“His pale face looks like a ghost.”
“Didn’t you hear about how other first-generation disciples adore him? Did you not hear about the Academy Head, Wisdom Sword Pavilion Master, and Bright Sun Pavilion Master fighting to take him?”
“Don’t play dumb, Great Brother. You know it all.”
Jin Mu scratched his chin. He too knew why Grass Flower Hall Head disliked Yi-gang.
“Yi-gang, right. You know too, right? You’ve done something.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“What, you don’t know?”
Yeop Su-nam took a moment to catch his breath, seeming like he had been suffocating.
“Sigh, let’s calm down. I need to be calm too.”
“I’ve only seen the Grass Flower Hall Head once. Why does he dislike me?”
“That’s obvious. Think about the conditions you set when you joined with Grand Library Master and Forest Lord.”
Yi-gang pondered deeply. The conditions he had demanded upon joining with Grand Library Master Yu Jeong-shin and Forest Lord Im Gi-hak.
There were several, but one particularly difficult negotiation stood out. It was about receiving elixirs above the standard every three months…
“Ah.”
“Don’t just ‘ah’! Because of that, our entire plan for the year was ruined. You alone consume as much elixir as would be supplied to a small martial arts sect. How does that make sense!”
Unbeknownst to Yi-gang, his request had a butterfly effect, severely impacting Grass Flower Hall.
The Grass Flower Hall Head had laughed it off when Red-White Tuber Fleeceflower was taken away by Yi-gang.
But the idea of having to supply elixirs every three months made him furiously anxious.
Superior elixirs were hard to come by and expensive. To make up for the amount allocated to Yi-gang, the Grass Flower Hall martial artists had to work even harder.
“That’s why the Grass Flower Hall Head is working us to the bone, barely letting us sleep…”
It was only natural for Yeop Su-nam to react that way after such hardship.
Yi-gang pondered for a moment, then made the most apologetic expression he could.
“I’m really sorry about this. I’ll always be grateful when I use the elixirs.”
“Are you… are you mocking me now?”
It’s a fact that a person’s true intentions don’t always get conveyed properly.
Jin Mu quickly stepped in front of Yeop Su-nam.
“We can’t help it. It’s an order from Forest Lord.”
“Forest Lord…?”
“Yes. He said to bring this kid to Grass Flower Hall and show him various spiritual herbs. He also needs to take the first-flower promotion test. That’s necessary so that…”
Jin Mu whispered something into Yeop Su-nam’s ear. Yeop Su-nam’s eyes flickered.
“Then… I guess there’s no helping it.”
“Yeah, there’s no helping it.”
“Just wait here for a moment.”
Yeop Su-nam hurried out of the room. He didn’t forget to turn back and say one more thing as he left, “Don’t touch anything at all!”
After he disappeared, Jin Mu let out a forced laugh.
“Anyone would think we’re here to steal spiritual herbs.”
“Indeed.”
Yi-gang, wiping his drooling mouth, saw Jin Mu’s expression turn anxious.
And then, Yeop Su-nam quickly returned. He was carrying a large wooden box.
“These are the spiritual herb samples from Spirit Spring Valley.”
Spirit Spring Valley was the location where the light footwork test was held. It was the most spiritually powerful place in Mount Heng, where the Azure Forest was located, according to Feng Shui geomancy.
Due to its concave geography, it was shrouded in mist all year round, creating the perfect environment for spiritual herbs to thrive.
It was a special place where spiritual herbs were harvested only during the first-flower promotion test period.
“We had our test at a different place, not in Spirit Spring Valley, so the herbs growing there now must be thriving.”
With that, Yeop Su-nam opened the box.
“Wow.”
Yi-gang couldn’t help but marvel.
The box unfolded left and right. There were three large sections, each containing dozens of smaller compartments.
Each compartment held an extraordinary spiritual herb.
“Is collecting these herbs the test?”
“Yes, there are 99 in total. They get rarer and more precious from left to right.”
“But…”
The compartment furthest to the right among the 99 was empty, indicating it was meant for the most precious herb with the highest score.
“This compartment is empty?”
“That’s where the Three-Element Sacred Flower should be… Forget it. Just don’t worry about it.”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Yi-gang kept asking Yeop Su-nam, who smirked.
“The Three-Element Sacred Flower last blossomed and was found almost 60 years ago. It’s surely somewhere, but now it’s only passed down through oral tradition.”
Yeop Su-nam described the appearance of the Three-Element Sacred Flower. Yi-gang listened intently, looking like he was trying to memorize it.
“Dreaming is free, but it would be better to memorize the other samples.”
Yi-gang quietly examined the other samples. The spiritual herbs looked as fresh as if they had just been harvested, though the exact preservation method was unclear.
“This sample box is practically a treasure of the Grass Flower Hall Head. I manage it every day with utmost care.”
It seemed a special technique was used for its maintenance.
As Yi-gang looked over the hundred or so spiritual herbs, one particular herb caught his eye.
It was a flower emitting a faint blue light.
“What flower is this?”
“That’s the Ghost Soul Herb.”
“It’s pretty, but the name is quite eerie.”
“It was named that because ghosts are said to like it.”
Yi-gang looked up. It was an interesting story.
“Ghosts? Liking spiritual herbs?”
“Yes, it’s a beneficial herb for people, but ghosts particularly like it. It’s said to be hard to collect because ghosts eat it as soon as it blooms.”
“How can a ghost eat a living flower?”
“How would I know?”
Yeop Su-nam just shrugged his shoulders.
Yi-gang became curious. Unbeknownst to them, right next to him was a ghost that didn’t exist.
「Why would I eat flowers? What’s tasty about them?」
‘Right?’
「These Azure Forest guys also have their silly beliefs. Hehehe.」
The Immortal Divine Sword snickered. Just as he reached out to touch the Ghost Soul Herb…
Someone burst into the room.
“S-Senior Brother Yeop! The Grass Flower Hall Head has returned.”
“What?”
At that moment, the Immortal Divine Sword’s fingertips touched the Ghost Soul Herb.
「Uhhhhhh!」
The Immortal Divine Sword let out a strange moan. His translucent body suddenly glowed brightly.
「Sp-spiritual energy!」
It was as if the Immortal Divine Sword had entered a hot spring in midwinter, his expression completely relaxed.
Tsst tsst tsst tsst-
And then, the Ghost Soul Herb that the Immortal Divine Sword touched withered and dried up in an instant.
This happened in the very brief moment when Yeop Su-nam and Jin Mu’s attention was diverted towards the door.
Yi-gang quickly closed the box.
Yeop Su-nam looked at Yi-gang with a tense expression.
“The Grass Flower Hall Head is here, but since it’s an order from Forest Lord, it should be fine… Wait, have you already seen them all?”
Yi-gang bowed respectfully.
“I have checked them all. I will take my leave now.”
“Huh? You memorized them all that quickly? There are 99 spiritual herbs.”
“This should be enough.”
Jin Mu burst out laughing in front of the astonished Su-nam.
“This kid is extremely smart. Don’t worry.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then it’s fine. Alright, take care.”
Baek Yi-gang left the room trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.
「Whew.」
The face of the following Immortal Divine Sword shone especially brightly.
「Let’s make sure to find that Ghost Soul Herb, too.」
‘Did you enjoy the meal?’
「It was fantastic.」
The voice was immensely satisfied. Yi-gang quickened his pace, smacking his lips.
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