Chapter 5: A monk who loves alcohol, women, and meat.

“Wh- Who on earth?”

“The Tang Clan and Emei.”

The Tang Clan is a member of the Five Great Families. And Emei is a member of the same Nine Great Sects.

They should be allied forces, not rivals of Qingcheng.

“They’re both orthodox sects, aren’t they?”

“That’s a very naive way of thinking. In the face of overwhelming interests, reputation means nothing. Which is better for them, for the interests of Sichuan to be divided among three major sects, or for them to be divided among two major sects? It goes without saying.”

A sneer crossed Number Seventeen’s lips.

The atmosphere became slightly heavy.

But the fact that this place was the former site of the Qingcheng Sect was not a bad thing.

In fact, it was a good thing.

Because the quality of the fixed events would improve.

○Ahhhhhhhhh-

I barely managed to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out of me.

The fixed spawn locations of the first sect that I had seen hundreds of times in the game flashed through my mind.

Martial arts manuals in the underground secret chamber, tier 2 spiritual herbs in the north valley, spiritual spring water in the east cave…

Each one was like a gold mine.

In particular, there was something else that made my heart pound.

The location where the secret manuals of the destroyed rival sect were hidden.

Normally, it would have been just a secret manual of some mediocre black-hearted sect, but this place was different.

Most likely, there would be Qingcheng martial arts.

Calm down, calm down. It’s not time yet.

I suppressed the excitement in my heart and composed my expression.

I have to be faithful to my role as a docile s*ave for now.

After becoming an official disciple, that’s when I should slowly look for opportunities.

“By the way, where are we going?”

I blurted out anything to calm my mind.

“To the place where your master is.”

As we climbed the irregular stone steps, the path to the center of Cheonsalgok opened up.

Buildings with black tiled roofs lined the left and right, and narrow alleys ran between them.

Number Seventeen turned into the alley on the right, passed through the central plaza, and stopped in front of a building located to the north.

A two-story building, larger than the other buildings, appeared before my eyes.

The tiled roof was old, but there were traces of clean repairs, and a black flag, the symbol of Cheonsalgok, fluttered in front of the gate.

Compared to the other buildings around it, it was clear that this was the residence of a fairly important figure within Cheonsalgok.

“Let’s go in.”

Number Seventeen approached the old gate. The gate opened with the sound of creaking wooden floors, and at that moment, an unexpected voice came.

“Oh, isn’t that Number Seventeen?”

I looked towards the side of the gate where I heard the woman’s voice.

It was a woman dressed similarly to Number Seventeen, with a face that was still beautiful despite the signs of age.

“Greetings to Master Number Four.”

Number Seventeen’s attitude changed 180 degrees. Her usual confident and haughty appearance was nowhere to be seen as she bowed deeply.

“There’s no need to greet each other like that between us. We’re both top-class assassins of the same level.”

There was gentleness in the voice of the woman called Number Four. But the moment she crossed her arms, I felt a chilling pressure that made my spine tingle.

“But if Master Number Four hadn’t taught me martial arts, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Number Seventeen’s posture was filled with deep respect for her teacher.

“Even if it wasn’t me, you would have quickly become top-class anyway. But what business do you have at our drunk monk’s house?”

“I have something to sell to him.”

As she said this, Number Seventeen glanced at my face. It seemed that Number Four had realized what the thing she was talking about was as her sharp eyes scanned me up and down.

During the brief silence, I felt a slight tension under her gaze.

“Oh… Where did you get an item like that again?”

“I found it at an auction house I went to in case there were any martial arts manuals.”

Number Four looked me up and down for a moment, then nodded as if satisfied.

A smile spread across her lips.

“You were lucky. Come in.”

I carefully crossed the low threshold and spoke to Number Four. My voice trembled slightly.

“A- Are you perhaps the person who will become my master, Number Four?”

“Not a master, but a mistress…”

“Ah, because you’re a woman.”

When I answered naively, the corners of Number Four’s lips lifted slightly.

“That’s not what I meant.”

I tilted my head at the playfulness and unknown meaning in her voice.

Number Four took the lead and entered the dark hallway.

I frowned at the pungent smell that stung my nose. The identity of what I thought was a subtle fragrance was…

“Ugh… the smell of alcohol.”

“That damn drunkard is at it again from broad daylight…”

Annoyance was evident in Number Four’s voice.

A drunkard… Is there a monk here? But what is this smell of alcohol? Or maybe a guest?

My mind was confused.

When I entered the inner room, an unexpected sight unfolded.

Soju bottles were rolling around on the old wooden floor, and in the middle of them, a man was fast asleep.

“Snore… Snore…”

It was a man who looked about 35 or close to 40 years old.

His long hair, which was unlike a man’s, was scattered on the floor, but the face visible beneath it was clearly handsome. Right now, he was snoring and deeply asleep.

None of it was anything like the appearance of a monk.

“He’s drunk a lot from broad daylight.”

Number Four sighed and nudged the man’s side with her toe.

She didn’t kick him hard, but it was a movement clearly filled with dissatisfaction.

“Snore… zzz… zzz…”

Since there was no response, this time she poked his side a little harder with her toe.

The intensity of the poke to his side gradually increased.

But the man was still snoring and asleep.

Whether Number Four’s patience had reached its limit, this time she properly kicked his side with her instep.

“Oh, this wife of mine is trying to catch her husband!”

Finally, the man stirred and rubbed his eyes.

The man rubbed his eyes and muttered.

So this person doesn’t seem to be a monk.

No matter how chaotic the world is, there was no way that a monk would have long hair, be a drinker, and even have a wife.

“Are those two a couple? And where is the monk…”

At that moment, the man who had been lying down suddenly stood up.

“A couple, my a*s! I belong to the Buddhist community!”

And he shouted at me.

Surprised, I took a step back.

The man who stood up from among the soju bottles had a blurry gaze like a ghost.

What was even more shocking was his identity.

To think that the man who seemed so far from being a monk was a real monk.

Besides, I thought he had just said things like ‘wife’ and ‘husband’…

I looked at Number Seventeen, but she already had a calm expression as if she was used to it.

Number Four looked down at him with cold eyes.

“What Buddhist, when you acted like an animal last night?”

“That’s… that’s because of the alcohol…”

The drunk monk’s voice gradually became smaller.

His face was already as red as a persimmon.

“Alcohol? Ha! Was there ever a day when you didn’t drink, you bastard?”

Number Four said mockingly.

“This wife of mine can’t say enough to her husband who is like the sky.”

Perhaps because of the alcohol, his voice had a slight tremor mixed in.

“What sky, when heaven and earth are turned upside down.”

‘Still, you shouldn’t treat me like that, considering you’re living thanks to me.’

The drunk monk said, swaying his body. His long hair danced in the air.

“Anyway, you useless husband, snap out of it. It’s a harmonious body with bonelessness that you were singing about.”

Number Four pointed at me and said.

“A… A harmonious body with bonelessness?”

The drunk monk’s lips trembled.

Then, suddenly, it looked like his drunkenness was completely gone as if he had been doused with ice water.

The way he vigorously rubbed his eyes and regained his senses was like magic.

“Is it real?”

His footsteps approaching me were surprisingly steady.

Was this really the person who had been drunk just a moment ago? He circled around me.

He touched my forearms and patted my shoulders as if he was appraising a precious treasure.

Suddenly, his palms collided and made a ‘clap’ sound. I flinched my shoulders without realizing it at the sound.

“It’s certain! It’s certain… This guy is the disciple I’ve been looking for!”

Like this… Could such a sloppy person really teach martial arts?

The man’s alcohol-scented breath bothered me.

“This child is not yet Guhyeong-nim’s disciple. He is a s*ave I purchased by paying money.”

Number Seventeen said calmly.

It seemed Guhyeong was the Drunk Monk’s name

Guhyeong straightened his posture and said.

“What do you want?”

“Give me three elixirs of summoning.”

Number Seventeen said firmly.

Guhyeong’s body trembled.

“Ugh… I don’t have them. I used them all!”

His eyes shook 불안하게.

“Stop pretending.”

“What pretending, I really don’t have them!”

“I know very well that you have a stash of elixirs of summoning.”

“Can’t you pay the value with something else? For example…”

Guhyeong tried to negotiate, but it was no use.

“Then I’ll just take this child back. Let’s go.”

Number Seventeen grabbed my shoulder. Her grip had strength in it. It hurt a little.

“Okay, I’ll give it to you, I’ll give it to you! I’ll give you the elixirs of summoning! Give me that child!”

He really has elixirs of summoning?!

I doubted my ears.

As a veteran player who had spent thousands of hours on Wind and Cloud Martial Arts, the name was too familiar.

Actually, I knew it even before the game. Because it was such a famous elixir in martial arts novels.

“Elixirs of summoning… Could it be the elixirs of summoning that I know?”

My voice trembled.

“Ahem… That’s right. Even the top masters risk their lives to get just one.”

Guhyeong’s movements came into my eyes.

Perhaps because of the alcohol, his body was staggering, but the fingertips searching the old drawers were sharp. He took out a key from deep in the drawer, then removed the drawer.

What was revealed before my eyes was a huge stone box embedded in the wall. When the key went into the hole, a heavy metallic sound rang out.

“Thud…”

The box opened with the sound. A subtle fragrance emanated from inside.

“Here it is. Take it.”

Number Seventeen carefully examined the elixir that Guhyeong held out.

The elixir, contained in a transparent glass bottle, had a reddish glow. The energy contained in the medicinal ingredients gently spread out.

“Now this child is Guhyeong-nim’s disciple.”

She said, taking her hand off my shoulder. The deal was thus easily concluded.

“How… How do you have elixirs of summoning?”

I asked in a trembling voice, looking at the red elixir.

“It’s simple. Because I’m a survivor of the Shaolin.”

I looked at the man who would be my master again.

Unlike his disheveled appearance soaked in alcohol, this person’s identity was…

He was a disciple of Shaolin.

Shaolin Sect, the leader of the Nine Great Sects, Shaolin Sect!

My small heart pounded fiercely.

Then I’ll learn Shaolin martial arts too??!

The thought of finding and learning Qingcheng martial arts flew away in an instant.