It was the largest place in Sichuan and located at the entrance of it, was the tea house.
Although it didn’t have water bodies surrounding it like in Yueyang, Daru still was a splendid sight with the flowers around in full bloom.
Dan Woo-hyun and Dan Somi were sitting there with the table in front of them and fragrant tea.
“This is wonderful.”
Dan Woo-hyun looked around the place. This was a good thing but what was shocking was that no one was inside this tea house.
It was like the entire place had been rented out. No, not just feeling, it was rented out.
“I’m glad you like it, I wasn’t so sure about your tastes.”
Jiyak smiled.
Although they had met many people while living in Hunan, she couldn’t understand Dan Somi’s father, Dan Woo-hyun, and it was particularly because of his blank look, but even more so was because his nature was said to be a bit unpredictable.
“Woah… such a place in Sichuan.”
Dan Somi drank the tea that she didn’t even know the fragrance of. It tasted bland to her, but since it was expensive, it felt like she had to drink it.
“Huh! This is the most famous tea house in Sichuan. I came here only for Somi.”
“But why is no one here? If it is famous, shouldn’t there be many people?”
Jiyak looked mildly annoyed. Before coming here, she had sent someone to kick out all the guests and they had to spend a lot of money to rent out this tea house so that no one would come in.
That is why it seems like the business isn’t doing too well.
“Ah… there is no one today. Normally you will have to wait for a long time in line….”
“I see….”
Dan Somi nodded and agreed.
It didn’t seem like Jiyak was lying and although she was sweating, she thought it had to be because the weather was a little warm today.
“But, why are you in Sichuan?”
“Hmm…why are you here? It is a dangerous place.”
Jiyak frowned at the question and asked.
Sichuan was the territory of the Justice Faction and it was the place where the forces of the Eight Great Families including Qingcheng, Emei, and the Sichuan Tang family stayed.
If we looked closely at that, it was no exaggeration to say that there was no safer place than here in the Central Plains.
But not now.
The Eight Great Families stepped out of the Murim Alliance and formed their own alliance, along with the Qingcheng and Emei Sects, although it was wrong of them to do so. So the three forces constantly collided at any given chance and there was evil all around.
Between those who followed the Nine Great Sects and those who followed the Eight Great Families, their fights never ceased.
“Picnic with Dad! Hehe, let us go more often!”
“Th-that must be nice…”
Jiyak glanced at Dan Woo-hyun and let out an awkward smile. Just looking at him sitting there, drinking tea with no expression, made her uncomfortable.
“Agh… that guy there…?”
Dan Somi had an awkward smile. There, along with the guards from earlier, the boy was kneeling with both hands up with a bucket of water in each one.
And his arms were already shaking.
Jiyak smiled.
“It’s fine. All of that is Murim training. He does this many times a day.”
“Ugh… It seems tough.”
Dan Somi nodded, sweating. No matter how she looked at this, it was punishment. Even the way those people looked at Jiyak was one of fear.
She wondered just what all this was.
“But what happened in Sichuan? It doesn’t seem like you came alone.”
Dan Woo-hyun looked at Jiyak.
There was no doubt that she was the same age as Dan Somi, and even though she was a child she had this cold look.
Euk!
Jiyak groaned.
In Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes, it felt like he wasn’t just reading the boy and the guards, but even the ones in the shadows.
“That… you know, Mister. Jiyak didn’t come here to do anything bad.”
“I know.”
‘Then please stop looking at me like that.’
She wanted to say that, but she held back.
It was more difficult than facing her father or her uncle.
“Actually, I… am going on a treasure hunt….”
“A treasure hunt?”
Jiyak hesitated and took something out of her arms and handed it to him. When he slowly opened it, it was a huge map.
It was pointing to somewhere in Sichuan.
“I found it at my uncle’s house! There must be something great in there!”
Jiyak clapped her hands. She slapped the table and stood up. Dan Woo-hyun smiled at the look of adventurousness and studied the map on the table.
It certainly pointed to somewhere in Sichuan.
No, to be precise, it was a messily drawn image of something near Sichuan.
“Did you come all the way from Hunan to look for this?”
“I-I did… I followed Father on his journey.”
Jiyak turned her head and mumbled.
It was true that she gave up following her father. But seeing that the map was in the hands of a child meant that she wanted to find it without anyone else knowing.
When Dan Woo-hyun laughed at this in bemusement, Jiyak bowed her head.
“But… But if it is me then, I can find it on my own.”
“And accidents can happen.”
Dan Woo-hyun looked at her gently.
He could understand this feeling.
Since the place where they were going to was a journey of Sichuan, she thought about finding it and making her father happy.
The reality is that the heads of the family, both past and present, have always neglected their kids.
And this child seemed fairly grown-up because of that, but they were clearly still a child.
“I will help you!”
That was when Dan Somi approached and held Jiyak’s hand. Somi’s eyes were shining brightly, and they were thinking of helping.
Even if he tried to stop her now, it seemed like she wouldn’t listen.
Dan Woo-hyun carefully examined the map. A past incident had surfaced to him right then.
Dan Woo-hyun slowly turned his head and looked at the captain of the guards who was raising his hand.
“There is someone I need to bring along….”
“What do you mean?”
Jang Sam-tae, who was called in, tilted his head, unable to understand. The two kids were following him. And the eyes of the one called Jiyak were shining.
Jang Sam-tae’s bald head piqued this little kid’s curiosity.
“I asked if this was yours.”
Jang Sam-tae looked at Dan Woo-hyun, who had suddenly dragged him into something he didn’t understand.
However, since he couldn’t remember what he had done wrong now, he just looked at the map and thought about it.
Soon, memories of his past rose in his mind.
“Not like this! I am being honest! Believe me! Is this the real one?!”
He shook his head, shocked.
The two adults lowered their heads then, and the sight of the bald head moving around was funny to them.
“Then is it from your group?”
“No! Not at all! It has nothing to do with us!”
He knew very well that if something happened because of this map, then not just the monks, but he himself would be devastated too.
Actually, because of what happened last time, it was surprising that he was still alive.
“Ugh… I don’t know what, but… It seems quite well made. And seems to have been around for a while?”
Jang Sam-tae looked at the map.
It was old enough to crumble if handled roughly. Although the paper quality wasn’t good in the first place, the biggest reason would be the passage of time.
“I have seen quite a few maps, but I have never seen one this old. I think it is easily around two to three hundred years old. Where did you get this?”
Jang Sam-tae looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a puzzled look. Until the morning, they had left with the intention of going for a walk, and now they found another child called Jiyak looking for treasure with a map.
Maybe this person was luckier than Dan Somi!
“At my uncle’s home…”
“No way…! How great is your uncle’s house to maintain this in such good condition?”
“Ah… Haha…”
Jiyak hesitated and avoided eye contact.
There must be one or two things in that house which were hundreds of years old. Moreover, he didn’t understand how they managed to store it.
Even if one used all ten fingers on both hands, it wouldn’t even be enough to count the number of people that had died there.
“Where does it point to?”
“How do I know?”
Jang Sam-tae was wide-eyed.
It wasn’t like he was the one who made it; they didn’t even give him time to check it out.
If they wanted a brain that would pretend to be kind and provide answers, then they should have brought Zhuge Yun from Hunan and not him.
“Useless…”
Jang Sam-tae clenched his fists.
Although it was only for a moment, he felt incredibly incensed. If that had happened, then his head would have fallen off, so he held back.
“Ahem! Then does the Manor Lord know?”
“Well…”
Dan Woo-hyun just looked at the map.
The shape of Sichuan was drawn there. They couldn’t tell if it was forest or mountains that was being pointed to since the drawing was so chaotic.
And that was when…
Clack!
“Ah!?”
Dan Somi reached out for the teacup and made a small sound.
She stretched her hand out and spilled the tea. The table was soaked with it in an instant and before they could react, the map was soaked.
At that moment, the map’s form began to change gradually. A strange pattern began to form on the blackened side of the map which was once like a messy drawing, and revealed clear markings now.
“Th-this… is?”
Jang Sam-tae widned his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the mark at the top.
It seemed as if it was pointing to a mountain, but he had no idea what it was.
It looked like a vicious ghost devouring Asura.
What it showed them was that although it was drawn using brush and ink, all the lines turned red once the water seeped in.
It looked so creepy that their hair stood on ends.
Even the two kids who were looking at it were sick of it.
Dan Woo-hyun looked at it quietly and said,
“Let me have this.”
