"I think I heard that some monk was raising it!"
"A monk? Who?"
"I'm not really sure. I think I just heard it in passing."
The one asking the question in detail was the lumber mill owner. Along with the innkeeper, he was essentially the person I was closest to in the area beneath Mount Huangshan.
"A black lotus, huh… A monk raising it… I think I might've heard something like that too."
The lumber mill owner spoke after thinking for a moment.
"It's probably something to do with Baekhwan Temple. There was a brief rumor that the head monk there was raising it, and people went to go see it. But that black lotus… it was just black in color and nothing special, so people ended up disappointed and left."
"I see."
"Baekhwan Temple is on Mount Baekhwan."
It seemed the temple was named after the mountain itself.
I felt a little foolish for not asking about this sooner, thinking how easily I could have found a lead. But then again, considering it had already been two years since I started living around Huangshan, no one really suspected anything.
If I had asked such questions shortly after arriving, someone might have started taking an interest in my whereabouts.
Indeed, the innkeeper and the lumber mill owner answered my questions without giving it a second thought. There really wasn't anything suspicious to arouse doubt.
After learning where Baekhwan Temple was, I headed to Mount Baekhwan. It was one of the 14 peaks I hadn't yet searched. Just getting there was over 40 li (about 16 km), but I pushed through with determination and arrived at the base of Mount Baekhwan.
Now I just needed to begin investigating it.
'Should I meet the head monk of Baekhwan Temple first?'
It seemed like a good idea to take a look at the black lotus said to be raised by the head monk. With that thought, I climbed the steps toward Baekhwan Temple and was soon able to meet the head monk.
He wasn't someone who had learned martial arts, just a simple elderly monk.
The head monk looked old enough that it wouldn't be surprising if he passed away any day. His head and hands trembled, as if he was afflicted with old age. If I had come any later, he might've already passed on.
"You… wish to see… the black lotus…?"
"Yes. I heard it's quite a rare flower…"
The head monk gave a faint smile.
"Rare… yes, it is… That flower came from Seolwon …"
Looking for it.
Seolwon!!
'No way…?!'
"About ten years ago… I was walking along a trail… and I slipped into a valley… The snow was so deep… that even though I fell… I wasn't hurt… In that Seolwon, there was a pond… and in that pond bloomed a lotus… but it was pitch black… truly…"
"You brought it from there?"
The head monk of Baekhwan Temple seemed excited as he spoke.
"I took… a few lotus seeds… that's all…"
"Where exactly is this Seolwon?"
"I don't really… know… It's always covered in heavy fog…"
Fog?
"Sir, please come with me now. The head monk is unwell…"
"Understood."
A monk practicing at Baekhwan Temple gently led me out. When I asked them about the black lotus, they took me behind the temple. Sure enough, as I'd heard, black lotuses were blooming there.
I gazed at them for a while and said,
"So there are only black lotuses here."
"Normally, lotuses are white, so yes, it's quite unusual. But the roots and leaves of these black lotuses are good for the body, so we often eat them."
"I see… Have you ever tried to find the valley the head monk mentioned?"
"There was no reason to. It's a mysterious place, but Mount Huangshan is vast. It's impossible to search every inch of it just for that."
Judging by the monks' expressions, they were telling the truth. These were just monks secluded in the mountains, focused on daily meditation.
I had expected some secret martial world involvement, so it was a bit of an anticlimax. Still, the fewer complications, the better. It was a relief in some ways.
"If I keep searching around Baekhwan Peak, I'll definitely find that Seolwon. Seolwon and the Millennium Snow Ginseng must be connected!"
My search began anew.
This time, I was driven by a powerful will and determination to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng within a year—no matter what!
That determination alone was what had kept me going through my harsh life. Especially when I thought about how much I'd suffered living in the mountains these past few years, it gave me chills.
I will find it.
I will eat… the Millennium Snow Ginseng!!
"Uaaah… dammit…!!"
I shouted with joy.
Today marked 3 years and 2 months since I first entered Mount Huangshan, and it had been well over a year since I restarted my search from Baekhwan Peak. While searching along the mid-slope of Jangnam Peak, which was quite a distance from Baekhwan Peak, I discovered a strange cliff formation that was oddly twisted and bent. I pushed forward, cutting through vines and branches.
And now…
In front of my eyes stretched a vast, snow-white field — Seolwon.
The unusual terrain behind the valley formed a bowl-like shape that collected Yin energy year-round. Because of that, the air above was sharply colder, creating a perpetual winter climate. The snow here never melted.
And just as the head monk had said —
I saw the pond,
with both white and black lotuses blooming side by side.
'Th… There it is… just a little further…!'
Clenching my teeth, I endured the cold of the snowfield and pressed on, pushing snow away as I moved. I swept through the snowy field around the pond.
Then, I found something unusual — a cave where no snow had accumulated. It was large enough for two or three people to enter, so I calmly stepped inside.
At the deepest part of the cave, yet another snowy field unfolded.
And right in the center — where sunlight shone down as if being reflected —
stood something massive.
As thick as a human forearm — its shape unmistakable —
a wild ginseng (sansam).
And not just any wild ginseng — on its surface were patterns resembling white willow branches.
"UaaaAAAHHHHHH!!"
I let out a scream that was almost a cry.
Then I collapsed onto my knees, slapping the snow.
"I FOUNNNNND ITTTTT!!!"
Three years and two months.
More precisely — six years since I began my second life —
and I had finally found my goal:
the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
***
A while later, as my excitement cooled, the next problem came to me — how to consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
I knew very well that you couldn't just eat a divine medicine carelessly.
"If it were something you could just eat like a snack, there wouldn't have been such fierce battles over it…"
A miraculous herb like this is not something one can simply consume.
Among the legendary medicines discovered or created in the last hundred years, perhaps only the Great Pill of Shaolin could be considered comparable in potency.
A divine medicine is something that contains the purest, most extreme essence of nature's energy . It's essentially a concentrated mass of immense energy.
If I consumed the Millennium Snow Ginseng without proper preparation, I would undoubtedly suffer fatal consequences —
My solar meridian could swell uncontrollably,
my danjeon (energy center) and lower abdomen could overheat,
and eventually, the energy flowing through my body's meridians would explode, killing me.
The energy contained in this ginseng was overwhelming Yin energy .
To consume this kind of energy, accumulated over decades or even centuries, I would need…
I, too, must possess extreme Yin energy within me to handle it properly.
However, such cultivation can only be found in places like Beihai , and fundamentally, my current technique — Thunder Dragon Inner Energy — is one of intense Yang force.
Can I receive it purely with the same type of energy?
Or should I use strong Yang energy to preserve my life, while gradually integrating the Yin energy?
The only option available to me is the latter.
Of course, there's reason to doubt whether my current internal energy is truly sufficient to survive the consumption of the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
It's likely that I've reached the level of a first-rate martial artist, but I still pale in comparison to the elite masters who participated in the battle over the ginseng.
To survive after consuming the ginseng, I would need meticulous preparation and absolute focus.
"Let me think… What exactly happened during the Millennium Snow Ginseng conflict? There must be some clue…"
***
The battle over the Millennium Snow Ginseng began when Danmok So, the heir of the Danmok Clan, went on a journey.
Along the way, he encountered the Five Dragons — promising young talents from the righteous sects — and became friends with them. Together, they began exploring Mount Huangshan.
During their journey, they happened to discover the Millennium Snow Ginseng, and a heated argument and clash broke out on the spot.
As a result, Danmok So shook them off and fled with the ginseng, and the Five Dragons began pursuing him.
Soon, experts from the Huangshan Sect nearby got involved, and eventually, even masters from the Zhongnan Sect and the Huashan Sect rushed in from afar to snatch the ginseng.
Even the demonic sects and dark path warriors came swarming in like flies trying to capture Danmok So.
He was lucky to survive — though he lost an arm, it's said he managed to escape and offered the ginseng as tribute to the leader of the Righteous Alliance , who saved his life.
In the end, it was a classic case of "everyone cooked the porridge, but someone else ate it."
***
"Wait a second… something's not right. He escaped from here?"
A strange doubt surfaced in my mind, and I lifted my head.
The Seolwon (Snow Garden) I'm standing in is not an open terrain you can escape from easily. The cave stretches out behind a waterfall for over ten jang (30+ meters), and beyond that, it turns into a hidden cliffside.
There is a narrow path that leads down along the valley's edge, but against opponents like the Five Dragons, trying to flee through there would be as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.
Just one person blocking the way would make it impossible to pass, and a pursuer could easily drive a sword into your back on that terrain.
I began to suspect that there was more to the story between Danmok So and the Five Dragons — and that the so-called righteous sects had shown their true colors in a bloody, brutal free-for-all that day.
In any case, I had to make a choice now.
Should I consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng here and now,
or should I take it with me and find a safer place to consider my options?
"Take it out of here? Ridiculous. Just eat it right here."
Without hesitation, I chose to consume it on the spot.
When something this precious is in your hands, you can't afford to risk losing it — not to theft, not to misfortune.
Besides, reaching this place had already been a life-risking gamble.
All I could do now was trust my body and spirit and take one more leap.
A single drop of sweat slid down my forehead.
I swallowed hard and pulled out the Millennium Snow Ginseng, holding it in one hand.
As expected of a legendary elixir, just holding it was enough to let a chill seep into my hand. A refreshing aroma wafted up to my nose, and I felt a strange sensation — as if the insides of my body were being cleansed.
"W-Wait, let's… regain some strength first."
I shook my head.
Now that I was finally about to eat it, fear crept in. I realized that I had expended a considerable amount of stamina just getting here. The more strength I had going into this, the better my chances of surviving — so it was clear I needed to rest and recover for a moment.
I took out a bundle of dried meat and beans from my coat and ate a light meal.
I had brought along some dried jerky, tied to my waist, but I deliberately avoided eating it.
Only a madman would eat meat right before taking a divine elixir.
"Still… I am kind of hungry…"
I smacked my lips, feeling a bit unsatisfied — and then I spotted the lotuses in the pond.
Lotus flowers, leaves, and roots are all edible and well-known as nourishing foods. If I lightly boiled them, they might make a good health supplement.
Didn't the monks at Baekhwan Temple say they regularly ate the black lotus?
If so, it probably wasn't harmful to the body.
Thinking that, I walked to the pond and began harvesting the lotuses.
I picked one black lotus and one white lotus, cut the leaves and roots, and set them aside.
Then, I built a small fire, drew pond water, and poured it into a pot to boil.
Once it was hot enough, I poured out the boiling water into the snow to cool it slightly and then trimmed the ingredients.
Steam rose gently as the lotus and leaves cooked, and the aroma was excellent.
I compared the taste of the black and white lotus — both were subtle, clean, and satisfying.
"I'm full."
Satisfied, I leaned lightly against the rock and lay down.
I would rest just a little more… then I would eat the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
"…Huh?"
At that moment, I felt something strange.
While lying still, I suddenly sensed a hot energy slowly rising from my danjeon (energy center).
It wasn't just heat — it was like a furnace, like molten metal ready to melt my organs!
A violent pain surged through me — as if my heart might catch fire if I stayed like this.
I quickly sat up, jolted by the pain.
"Huff! Huff! Kugh…!"
Damn it… What the hell is happening?!
In a panic, I activated my Thunder Dragon Inner Energy and sat down in a meditative position, focusing with all my might.
As I circulated the energy using the Grand Heavenly Cycle , the searing Yang energy that had surged up to the crown of my head calmed slightly, and the intense pain throughout my body eased.
Bubble, bubble…
"K-Kugh!!"
The next moment, I coughed up blood.
Although I managed to suppress the energy for a moment, the overwhelming Yang energy still rampaged through my body like a mad beast.
Even amidst this horrifying pain, with my mind barely conscious, I tried desperately to understand what was happening to me.
Then, without realizing it, a thought flashed through my mind.
A divine medicine… Divine medicines live in harmony… They coexist… They must support each other to survive… No way—!!
I was stunned.
White Lotus (Baekryeon) and Black Lotus (Hokryeon)!
No one had paid attention to them,
but they too must have been divine-grade medicines!
Divine medicines have a nature where Yin and Yang energy must complement each other to survive.
So it made perfect sense that these lotus flowers, imbued with extreme Yang energy, had grown alongside the Millennium Snow Ginseng, which was bursting with extreme Yin energy.
"But… but the monks who said they ate the black lotus didn't seem to suffer any ill effects…?"
Was it because they ate both the white and black lotuses together?!
Indeed — what I had done was something almost no one would ever think to do.
Even if someone found this place later and saw the flowers, they probably wouldn't eat both types.
But if you eat only one, the latent Yang energy doesn't activate.
Only when both are consumed together do they release a power comparable to the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
Crack.
Pop. Pop pop.
I could feel my veins bulging all over my body.
I was desperately trying to suppress the energy using Thunder Dragon Inner Energy,
but it was far beyond my control.
If it continued, my heart would rupture first,
followed by my internal organs bursting like overinflated balloons.
I instinctively knew I had less than half a shichen (around an hour) left.
"If it's come to this… I have no choice!"
I shut my eyes tightly and grabbed the Millennium Snow Ginseng in my hand.
Without hesitation, I shoved it into my mouth and started chewing.
Crunch. Crunch.
A refreshing chill flowed down my throat.
And just as I felt the remnants of the ginseng reach my stomach—
KABOOOM!!
"UAAAAHHHHHHH!!"