Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Where Should I Put My Eyes in a Situation Like This?
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The Hundred-Li Clan was the unchallenged hegemon of Chang'an, an absolute power.
But expand the view to the entire Shaanxi region, and they fell quite short.
After all, weren't there the Nine Great Sects like Mount Hua and Jongnam?
The Hundred-Li Clan didn't even qualify among the Five Great Families, let alone the Ten Great Families of the world.
So they had plenty of regrets.
They might have played kings in Chang'an for decades, but the moment they stepped outside, they had to watch their step around famous sects and clans.
Pride wouldn't even let them send their kids as disciples to Mount Hua or Jongnam.
Their martial arts had stagnated as a result, with no path upward in sight.
That was why they were staking everything on the visit from Azure Sword Forest's leader, Azure Heaven Sword Lord Kang Yubaek.
"Miss! Miss! Oh no, how could you leave behind a sword like it's some duplicate?!"
The moment Kang Baeka removed her veil and revealed her true identity...
The whole scene froze as if time itself had stopped.
No one could even blink; they were all turned to ice.
Then, from far off, a woman came running, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Oh dear! Miss, your sword! How could you leave this behind?!"
She seemed to be Kang Baeka's maidservant.
"And who are these people? They see our miss and don't even dismount? Are they all out of their minds?"
The maidservant put her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at Baek Ri Kyung-jun and the others, snorting in outrage.
Then, finally...
"What are you all doing? Our miss is being disrespected right now!"
Who was she even talking to?
But before I could even process the question...
Something unbelievable happened.
Shiiiiiiek!
Shasha shasha shak!
No fewer than fifty swordsmen.
Every one radiating an overwhelming aura, masters whose presence made them untouchable.
They descended around Kang Baeka from all directions, moving with lightness skills so absurd it was like they were flying through the sky.
Baek Ri Kyung-jun's face had long since drained of color.
The Hundred-Li Sword Demon Squad was no different.
Frozen like statues of their ancestors, yet trembling from head to toe.
Step by step.
An old man approached Kang Baeka.
Immense.
Truly immense—an aura beyond anything I'd ever seen in my life, something I couldn't even have imagined.
Azure Heaven Sword Lord?
No, that didn't seem right.
"Baeka, how about we head straight to Chang'an now?"
"Sure."
"What about these people? If they've upset you, I'll give them a suitable scolding."
"No need. They didn't know any better. Let's go, Sword Hero Grandpa."
"Alright then."
I heard it. Everyone heard it.
"Sword Hero Grandpa."
Breaking Heaven Sword Hero Sima Hu of Azure Sword Forest.
A living legend of the martial world, who had roamed countless battlefields alongside Azure Heaven Sword Lord in his youth, cutting down enemies beyond number.
His name alone was enough to eclipse a clan like the Hundred-Li a hundred times over.
And sure enough...
Baek Ri Kyung-jun, already scared half to death, leaped from his horse in a panic.
He bowed deeply toward Kang Baeka, cupping his fists in respect.
As he did, every member of the Hundred-Li Sword Demon Squad dismounted and bowed as well.
"I... I failed to recognize the Azure Sword Forest's precious pearl and was rude beyond measure. Please forgive me!"
Baek Ri Kyung-jun bowed low, trembling as he begged forgiveness.
But Kang Baeka merely gave him the briefest glance.
She turned to Breaking Heaven Sword Hero instead.
"Where's the carriage?"
"Coming now."
Soon, a carriage and dozens of horses arrived.
The Azure Sword Forest swordsmen mounted up, and Kang Baeka boarded the carriage... then paused?
She looked back.
"What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"
Me?
Why me?
I don't want to go.
I'm scared right now.
"You said you'd escort me all the way to Chang'an, right? Get on."
If I didn't, something would probably get cut off.
Swallowing my tears, I had to climb into the carriage.
This wasn't just pounding.
It was thundering.
I worried the sound of my heart might reach her ears.
Inside the carriage, it was just Kang Baeka and me.
She sat facing forward; I faced backward.
Meaning we were sitting face-to-face.
My heart was racing like it might explode.
Not because of her beauty.
Though she was beautiful enough to seem unreal.
Even looking at her felt like a lie.
But the reason my heart was pounding like this...
Was awkwardness.
Nerves.
And honestly, a bit of fear.
Wasn't she from a completely different world than me?
And now we were sitting face-to-face like this.
She'd been staring straight at me the whole time.
What was I supposed to do?
How do you handle your gaze in a situation like this?
Should I meet her eyes?
Or look down a little?
Whoa!
That would mean staring at her chest!
What am I supposed to do?
You'd know if you'd ever been with a woman!
"Don't be disappointed."
"Pardon?"
Disappointed?
What disappointment?
"It's not that Young Hero Jin lacks qi sense detection skills. It's that our Azure Sword Forest swordsmen's concealment techniques are exceptional."
Ah!
The earlier transmission.
When she asked if I sensed anyone following.
Was she testing me?
Gauging my martial realm and qi sense level?
A brief silence followed.
The awkwardness was killing me.
One of the Four Great Beauties or whatever—I wanted to jump out of the carriage.
"Why did you grab the sword?"
What kind of question was that?
Was this another test?
What should I say?
"Uh... well... to uphold justice and righteousness in the martial world... defeat evil and help those in need..."
Wrong!
I'd given the wrong answer.
Kang Baeka's expression said it all.
Icy cold.
What was I supposed to do?
What was the right answer?
"Truth is... I wanted to save my village."
"Your village?"
Hm?
What was that?
She looked interested.
"It's called Martial Mystery Village. Originally Martial Mystery Village, but now no one lives there—not even a single dog—so it's Dogless Village..."
I wondered if I should keep talking about my village.
But surprisingly, Kang Baeka seemed genuinely intrigued by the story.
So, from the Nine Heavens War God era to now, I kept sharing... even through the awkwardness.
"Pfft. That's a fun story. Nine Heavens War God's village."
"I'm grateful if you found it entertaining, miss."
"You know, places claiming to be where the Nine Heavens War God or Heaven's Strongest War God or Invincible Sword God lived? If you searched the whole world, you'd find thousands."
"But our village really..."
"We're here. Get out. And take this. Nine liang of silver."
The commission was complete.
Shaanxi's Chang'an.
Hundred-Li Clan's front plaza.
The crowd was so massive, I wondered if Chang'an even had this many people.
Truly overwhelming.
And when we got out of the carriage...
Every single gaze locked onto Kang Baeka.
Musicians prepared by the Hundred-Li Clan and Chang'an's martial world struck up a fanfare.
Red silk carpeted her path, petals swirling in the air.
Amid the throng, she was welcomed by the Hundred-Li Clan head and Chang'an's martial elders.
Me?
I couldn't follow her.
Her commission was only escort to Chang'an.
I no longer had the right or reason to stay by her side.
I could only watch from afar, like everyone else.
She didn't spare me another glance.
"We've prepared a grand feast for Young Lady Kang, but you want to see the children right away?"
"Yes. I'd prefer that if possible."
"Of course. Thousands of children have been waiting since days ago to become Azure Sword Forest disciples. So you'll really see them immediately?"
"Yes. Oh, and no need for martial demonstrations."
"Pardon? Without seeing their martial arts, how will you judge their talent... Ah! I've overstepped. So what should we do?"
"Just have them walk past me. Slowly, as they normally would."
"Ah... Yes. We'll do that."
Azure Sword Divine Eye.
Especially the Divine Eye among them.
The Hundred-Li Clan head and Chang'an's elders were skeptical.
No matter how sharp Kang Baeka's insight, how could she judge talent without seeing a single form?
But no one dared object.
She wasn't just Azure Heaven Sword Lord's granddaughter—she was his proxy.
A lavish, massive stage prepared by the Hundred-Li Clan and Chang'an's martial world.
Tens of thousands watching.
Kang Baeka in the seat of honor.
Azure Sword Forest masters to her left.
Hundred-Li Clan head and Chang'an elders to her right.
Though Azure Heaven Sword Lord himself hadn't come...
People flooded in from Chang'an and beyond.
To prove their skills, become Azure Sword Forest disciples, forge ties.
Thus, over three thousand children and youths had entered the disciple selection.
As per Kang Baeka's word, no chance for martial displays.
Instead, they all walked boldly past Kang Baeka, the Azure Sword Forest masters, and Chang'an's elders.
Some normally.
Some quickly.
Some, eager to stand out, used odd footwork.
Inspecting each one's martial arts would have taken days.
But a brief walk past meant checking three thousand didn't take long.
"These are all the prepared children. If any caught Young Lady Kang's eye, we can call them back for a martial display."
"No need. That's enough. So we're done?"
"Actually, one is missing... My son went to wipe out the vicious bandit gang stirring up trouble in Chang'an lately, so he hasn't returned."
"Young Hero Baek Ri Kyung-jun?"
"Ah! You know my son's name?"
"We ran into him on the way here."
"Then, what did you think of my son, Young Lady Kang?"
Kang Baeka shook her head instead of answering.
Clearly a no, but the clan head seemed unwilling to accept it.
His face held not disappointment, but a desperate grasp at hope.
After that...
Kang Baeka fell silent for a long time.
Staring straight ahead at the massive crowd.
Despite the Azure Sword Forest masters and Hundred-Li Clan with Chang'an folk dying of curiosity.
Despite the tens of thousands watching with bated breath and curiosity.
Kang Baeka remained lost in thought for ages.
Then, at last...
"In my view, the one talent suited to Azure Sword Forest..."
The arena buzzed with tens of thousands.
But the moment Kang Baeka broke her long silence...
It fell utterly still, like a lie.
All eyes focused on her.
And she continued.
"All are excellent, but only one can walk with Azure Sword Forest's will."
Who?
Who was it?
Just one out of three thousand kids and youths.
The chosen one was set for life.
Instant reversal of fate.
Not just me—tens of thousands there thought the same.
Then.
Kang Baeka shot to her feet.
She strode forward, then plunged into the packed crowd, walking on.
The masses parted like water before her.
Her relentless steps showed no sign of stopping... Ah!
They finally did.
But why...?
Why stop in front of me?
"Young Hero Jin Muhyeon. Will you come to Azure Sword Forest with me?"