Chapter 70 : Brand Removal (2)

Chapter 70: Brand Removal (2)

Wide roads and towering buildings.

In the Central Plains, even a three-story pavilion was considered tall.

Occasionally, there were structures over five stories, but those were rare sights.

However, this place was built on a different scale.

Though the architecture and signboards bore a resemblance to those of the Central Plains, the sheer size set them apart.

Five-story buildings were the norm, and there were many that rose beyond ten.

‘Now I really am like a person of the Central Plains.’

Jang Woo-hyun chuckled at himself for being so surprised.

Compared to Earth, this was nothing.

He used to live among countless buildings that stretched dozens of stories into the sky, yet here he was, amazed by something so relatively small. His own reaction amused him.

It had been nearly ten years since he fell into the world of martial arts.

At this point, his memories and experiences aligned more closely with the Central Plains than with Earth.

Still smiling, he looked around.

Truthfully, it wasn’t just the buildings or the scale of the city that astonished him.

No matter who from Earth was brought here, they’d be more shocked by the people in front of them than by the size of the buildings or the city.

It wasn’t only humans.

There were beastfolk, and even races he had never seen before.

‘Are they even human?’

Some had multiple joints or extra arms.

Some breathed fire as they exhaled.

Others walked around with holes through their chests—not wounds, but holes that seemed natural, as if they were born that way.

Their appearances were closer to monsters than humans.

The entire city was filled with such beings.

The Middle Heaven Realm.

A place where transcendent beings gathered, and where numerous other races coexisted in a vast world.

Today, Jang Woo-hyun finally got a proper look at the true face of the Middle Heaven Realm.

He continued to look around curiously as he walked behind Gwak Yu-chan and Pung So-bong.

“Since we’re here, let’s grab something to eat.”

“Weren’t we here to meet someone?”

“They don’t live in this city. We were going to pass through anyway, so I figured we might as well stop. Besides, I wanted to show you around since you’ve been cooped up in the Martial Hall.”

Saying that, Gwak Yu-chan took the lead and headed toward what looked like an inn.

Seeing the table filled with a rich assortment of dishes, Jang Woo-hyun felt hunger for the first time in a while.

Ever since he had become an absolute master, the amount of food he consumed had drastically decreased.

Even when staying at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, he only took a few wall-penetrating pills or drank some water.

He hadn’t eaten a proper meal in ages.

He thought he had lost his appetite entirely, but as soon as he saw the food laid out before him, hunger came rushing back as if that idea had been a lie all along.

“Go ahead and eat. Even if you’ve become an ascendant, you may not be too tied to appetite, but food in the Middle Heaven is of a different caliber than that of the Lower Realm. You’ll find it worth eating.”

Whether Pung So-bong was lying or not, Jang Woo-hyun eagerly dug into the food.

Some dishes and ingredients were completely new to him, while others were similar to those in the Central Plains.

The difference was that everything tasted far better than what he’d had in the Central Plains.

He ate with a frenzy like someone who hadn’t eaten in days.

After subsisting on bland, flavorless food for weight control, this sudden onslaught of rich, flavorful dishes overwhelmed his taste buds.

Pung So-bong, who had been eating slowly, set down his chopsticks in awe at Jang Woo-hyun’s devouring speed.

“You really should’ve brought him out sooner.”

“…Y-Yeah. I guess I’ve been a bit neglectful.”

Gwak Yu-chan nodded sheepishly, acknowledging his mistake.

Who could argue after seeing this sight?

As they watched Jang Woo-hyun scarfing down food, someone approached their group.

“Uncle Pung? Hall Master Gwak?”

“Huh? Cho-su!”

The two men greeted the newcomer with smiles, suggesting familiarity. Jang Woo-hyun, still chewing, paused and looked at the man who had approached.

‘Cho-su?’

That was the same name as the supervisor they met at the Demon Extermination Sect. But the appearance was completely different.

A young man with a slim frame.

He wasn’t human. His skin was pale as if powdered, and there was a third eye between his brows.

He was missing an arm, but it didn’t look unnatural. His balance was unaffected.

It was as if he had never had that arm to begin with.

‘But why does he look familiar?’

He was sure he had never seen him before. He’d never seen anyone with such features in the Central Plains.

Yet strangely, this Cho-su looked familiar—as if Jang Woo-hyun had seen him somewhere before.

“This is Cho-su. And this is Jang Woo-hyun, a friend who recently ascended. And this is Son I-rang, a well-known healer.”

“Nice to meet you.”

As Jang Woo-hyun and Son I-rang stood and bowed, Cho-su raised his hand in a light wave.

Though it might have seemed rude to someone meeting for the first time, Jang Woo-hyun felt the gesture was natural and said nothing.

“Good timing. We were about to head to your place.”

“My place? Is there something you need?”

“I’ll explain on the way. We can leave now, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

As Jang Woo-hyun brushed off his hands and stood up, the rest followed him out of the inn.

Cho-su disappeared briefly, saying he’d bring his horse, and soon returned.

The horse had white fur, a red mane and tail, and golden eyes.

Even at a glance, it was no ordinary steed.

“Take this with you.”

Pung So-bong tied two small jars to the back of the horse and said it was a gift.

With the jars loaded, Cho-su led the way.

Since they were in the city, they couldn’t move too fast, and the group followed at a walking pace.

Watching Cho-su from behind, Jang Woo-hyun felt something tickling the edge of his memory.

‘What is it?’

He was sure he had seen this somewhere before, but he couldn’t remember clearly.

Three eyes, one arm. And a white horse.

‘What was it?’

As he thought deeply, a memory suddenly surfaced in Jang Woo-hyun’s mind.

[…They have three eyes divided into Yin and Yang and only one arm. These people, though one-armed, are skilled in crafting all manner of wondrous tools. They capture birds…

…The carriages they make are said to fly through the skies, and all kinds of…]

‘Ah!’

He finally remembered why Cho-su looked familiar.

Just before his ascension, he had read the Classic of Mountains and Seas in an inn.

In it, an illustration matched Cho-su’s appearance perfectly.

“Gi-gweong-guk!”

The name burst from Jang Woo-hyun’s mouth. At the sound, Cho-su turned around.

“What? You must’ve seen some kind of record in the Lower Realm?”

At the mention of Gi-gweong-guk, Cho-su immediately understood that Jang Woo-hyun was an ascendant.

“…It was written in a book called The Classic of Mountains and Seas.”

“The Classic of Mountains and Seas? That wasn’t originally a book… Someone must’ve compiled only the necessary parts into one. Our people are sometimes called people of Gi-gweong-guk, but more commonly referred to as Gigi-in—people of strange skills.”

“You know about The Classic of Mountains and Seas?”

“Not in detail, just the gist. It’s not really a book. It’s more like a body of knowledge or energy, I guess? Those who acquire the Classic of Mountains and Seas gain new knowledge. With that knowledge, they can command monsters or obtain special powers. Occasionally, some in the Lower Realm gain access to it. Seems like someone from your world wrote down a part of that knowledge as a book. And it looks like our tribe was included in that part.”

“Ah…”

So there were traces left in the Lower Realm. It wasn’t completely devoid of clues.

Though not directly about the Middle Heaven Realm, someone had clearly known of this new world and left behind that information.

Jang Woo-hyun asked a few more questions, and the conversation among the four continued.

As they talked about monsters and the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the group eventually found themselves on a quieter road and increased their speed, exiting the city.

They continued riding until they arrived at a manor situated at the base of a mountain, a short distance away from the city.

“This is our place. It's temporary, though.”

For something supposedly temporary, the scale was impressive.

The visible wall alone stretched over twenty jang.

As they followed Cho-su through the main gate, Jang Woo-hyun saw a scene he had never witnessed before.

“Huh?”

It suddenly felt like the genre had changed.

In a large courtyard-like space, metallic dolls were busily moving about, crafting something, while mechanical bees made of metal flew overhead, carrying what appeared to be materials.

‘What is this?’

It had been written in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, too—people of Gi-gweong-guk were known for their mysterious tools and exceptional craftsmanship.

It was said their flying chariots could soar through the sky, but this went beyond imagination.

“Those are automaton puppets controlled by Gigi-in. They can’t handle complex tasks, but they can follow simple commands.”

At Pung So-bong’s explanation, Jang Woo-hyun gave a small nod. It wasn’t easy adapting to such a sudden genre shift.

Crossing the open space, the group moved further inside and entered a large building.

“Is Cho-yul inside?”

“He’s out.”

Pung So-bong and Gwak Yu-chan, familiar with the place, casually walked in as they looked around for someone.

“Don’t be annoying, just wait!”

Along with the sound of hammering, a gruff voice rang out.

Hearing it, Gwak Yu-chan and Pung So-bong plopped down onto chairs and tables scattered around.

Cho-su told Jang Woo-hyun and Son I-rang to sit on the chairs off to the side. Then he looked around, brought over a kettle, and poured them tea.

While waiting, Jang Woo-hyun passed the time looking at the piles of metal and strange equipment around him. Most of it was new to him, making it fun to observe.

After about half a shichen, the work seemed to be finished, and a man—whom Pung So-bong had called Cho-yul—emerged from inside.

One of his arms was a finely crafted mechanical arm.

“What brings you all here?”

The man, who wore a black beard, bore a strong resemblance to Cho-su. If Cho-su aged further, he’d probably look exactly like this man.

“We need a bit of help.”

“What kind of help?”

“This friend here needs your assistance.”

Cho-yul’s gaze turned to Jang Woo-hyun.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cho-yul.”

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

“Alright, Warrior Jang. What seems to be the issue that brought you here?”

“You can speak comfortably. I have a brand left by a monster on my shoulder. The healing arts haven’t worked, so I came seeking another method.”

“A brand?”

Cho-yul furrowed his brow slightly and looked over at Pung So-bong and Gwak Yu-chan.

Both nodded in affirmation to Jang Woo-hyun’s words.

“Undo the concealment, would you?”

“Yes.”

Son I-rang stepped next to Jang Woo-hyun and lifted the spell concealing the brand on his shoulder.

The concealment spell was nearly expired anyway.

“Hmm… Warrior Jang. Since you said to speak comfortably, I’ll do so. I’ll need to take a closer look—are you alright with that?”

Jang Woo-hyun nodded in agreement.

“Then, just a moment.”

The third eye between Cho-yul’s brows turned golden.

As the golden gaze settled on Jang Woo-hyun’s left shoulder, Cho-yul’s expression twisted.

“No way…”

Through the third eye, which revealed what could not be seen and made one understand what could not be known, he saw a wild wind surging within.

And beyond that wind, he sensed the power of some being.

He tried to examine it more closely but withdrew his gaze. Looking further would be dangerous.

When he opened his eyes again, the golden light had vanished.

“You’re not an ordinary guy—just who are you?”

“It’s Great Sage of the Flowing Wind.”

Pung So-bong answered from the side, and Cho-yul’s head whipped around.

“You’re kidding… He branded you while you’re still in the Transcendent Realm?”

Even Cho-su, listening nearby, widened his eyes in shock.

Great Sage of the Flowing Wind, Mihuwang.

One of the Seven Great Beasts—no, now one of the Six Great Beasts.

A monster with deep ties to Gi-gweong-guk.

The greatest artisan of Gi-gweong-guk, their king, had once forged a weapon for Great Sage of the Flowing Wind himself.

“Is that even possible?”

There were countless warriors in the Middle Heaven Realm.

Why would that monster leave a brand on someone still in the Transcendent Realm?

“This friend only ascended recently. He was branded in the Lower Realm.”

“What? In the Lower Realm?”

At those words, Cho-yul’s face twisted into disbelief.