Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Neighbor Uncle's True Identity
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To the Azure Sword Forest... with you?
Together?
Kang Baeka's proposal.
It stunned the tens of thousands gathered there.
But no one was more shocked than me.
A life-changing reversal.
The dream of striking it rich had come true.
Me, becoming a disciple of the Azure Sword Forest... Wait a second!
Then who'll take care of our village's cattle?
"Miss Kang! Hold on! Just wait a moment!"
The Hundred-Li Clan Lord, along with the luminaries of Chang'an's martial world, rushed over with faces drained of color.
They were so shocked and flustered they couldn't hide their bewilderment at all.
"Miss Kang. This man..."
The Hundred-Li Clan Lord started to speak urgently to Kang Baeka but then turned his gaze to me.
His eyes were utterly different from when he looked at her—pure murder, the desire to tear me apart plain as day.
"Who are you?"
"Jin Muhyeon, affiliated with the Western Rogue Market."
"A... rogue?"
"Yes, Hero Baekri."
The Hundred-Li Clan Lord had passed beyond rage into utter desolation.
Soon enough, he gave up even trying to speak to me and turned back to Kang Baeka.
"Miss Kang. Did you hear that? A rogue. A rogue. Not one who wields the sword for justice and chivalry, but one who does all sorts of dirty work for coin. You're still saying you'll take him to the Azure Sword Forest?"
Gone was his initial politeness; now the Hundred-Li Clan Lord was venting his fury.
The Azure Sword Forest experts moved to step forward, but Kang Baeka raised a hand slightly to stop them.
Her face was ice-cold.
"Are you saying you doubt my eyes right now?"
Kang Baeka's chilling words.
But the Hundred-Li Clan Lord was too worked up.
"I've heard countless tales of your keen insight, Miss Kang. But it's not always right, is it?"
There was bite to his words.
Said nicely, but twisted a bit, it could sound like:
'What insight could a young girl like you really have?'
"Then test it."
"Test it? How?"
Before the Hundred-Li Clan Lord finished speaking.
Kang Baeka stretched out her hand, pointing to one side.
All eyes snapped there instantly.
And there, huddled in the crowd like a rat, watching the scene, was Hundred-Li Kyungjun.
Caught in the sudden spotlight, he floundered in panic.
The Hundred-Li Clan Lord's face twisted in fury for a moment.
But only a moment.
"Come here."
Hundred-Li Kyungjun approached.
The Hundred-Li Clan Lord asked Kang Baeka again.
"How do you mean to test my son? Surely not by having him cross swords with that rogue?"
"Yes."
"What?!"
The Hundred-Li Clan Lord was stunned.
No, enraged.
But Kang Baeka had no intention of backing down.
"If, by some chance, Hero Hundred-Li Kyungjun wins, I'll invite him as a formal disciple of the Azure Sword Forest. If you don't want entry, my grandfather will offer the Ascending Heaven Sword Arts manual he gave me for my seventeenth birthday as compensation."
An outrageous proposal.
For the Hundred-Li Clan, it was one worth staking their future on.
Before Kang Baeka even finished, the Clan Lord's eyes were spinning, proving it.
"Miss Kang! Your words just now... are they true?"
Not the Clan Lord.
Hundred-Li Kyungjun himself asked, voice thick with excitement.
"I swear it on my grandfather's name."
And so, the duel between Hundred-Li Kyungjun and me was set.
No one asked my opinion.
Or so I thought.
"Hero Jin Muhyeon."
Kang Baeka called to me.
As she did, all eyes turned back to me.
So I...
Wanted to shout, 'I forfeit this duel.'
But I didn't have the guts to let those words past my throat.
"Yes, Miss Kang."
"If Hero Jin wins the duel, I'll give you a manual from our Azure Sword Forest that's just what you need."
Hey!
Why say that out loud?
Slip it to me quietly later!
After you leave, people will come hunting me every night to cut my throat and steal the manual!
Of course.
Those words rising to my throat stayed stuck there too.
"Wooooaaah!"
"Wooooaaah!"
A moment later, thunderous cheers erupted.
As Kyungjun and I climbed onto the stage prepared for Azure Sword Forest disciple selection, the crowd roared for this unexpected showdown.
But then.
"Big bro! Win this!"
"We believe in you, bro!"
"Our big bro's the best! He's gonna win for sure!"
Those guys.
Sadaegi, Juokga, and Makdaechil.
Most rogues had gone to wipe out the Lowborn Blade, but not these three.
Outnumbered but undaunted, they cheered themselves hoarse from the crowd.
Touched me to tears.
Ah!
I wanna go home.
That Hundred-Li Kyungjun punk.
When he first stepped onto the stage, he even smirked, looking down on me.
I thought that was my one opening.
But soon.
His expression changed.
Probably got some transmission from his old man.
That punk.
He's staking his life on this duel.
What do I do?
Will the five-thousand-year-old ginseng do anything?
He's probably eaten stuff like that for breakfast since he was a kid.
Not to mention regular doses of honey-bee pollen from his clan lord dad and the elders.
The biggest problem's his martial arts.
Among rogues, the late forms of the 32 Rogue Arts are impressive.
But against a true prestigious clan like the Hundred-Li, incomparable from the start.
This duel.
No way I can win... Ah!
It's starting.
Shiiiiiik!
The punk flew straight at me.
Fast.
Strong.
No openings visi... visi... Huh?
Shouldn't see any.
Why can I see them?
Don't let your guard down!
It's a feint tactic for sure.
Showing openings on purpose, to counter when I go for them.
Not falling for it!
32 Rogue Arts late sequence, sixth form: Heavenly Gang Wall Flow!
The ultimate defense form.
Pumpf pumf!
Pumpf pumf!
In the blink of an eye, over twenty strikes rained down.
I blocked them all.
His sword's infused qi was so overwhelming, massive explosions erupted.
My hand gripping the Azure Stream Sword couldn't handle the force, went numb... What?
Should be numb.
Why isn't it?
"You bastard!"
Shiiiiiik!
Pumpf pumf pumf!
Pumf pumf!
Another ultimate defense.
32 Rogue Arts late sequence, ninth form: Nine Heavens Ring Wall!
Pumpf pumf!
Pumf pumf pumf!
Blocked again.
Perfectly this time too.
Man, that punk.
What's up?
These openings I've been seeing since earlier.
Really baiting me in?
But they're too huge for that.
Pumf pumf!
Shiiik!
Pumpf pumf pumf!
In an instant, over a hundred exchanges flew by.
He attacked like a storm; I blocked it all.
And I realized.
This punk... too easy?
True story.
Weak.
Pathetically so.
At best, on par with the Wind Thunder Silver Spear or Night Moon White Spear from that recent Phoenix Heaven Manor scrap in Hanjung.
Back then, I was at the second form of the late 32 Rogue Arts.
Now, third form.
Plus, my internal energy's grown by half a jang.
Shak shak shak!
Pumpf pumf!
Pumf pumf!
Ah!
Guess I can stop defending now?
No, never should've just defended to begin with.
Wait, hold up!
Is this punk waiting for one last big hit?
Those few massive openings he's shown from the start, his weak spots.
Waiting for me to strike there?
Then attacking now would be dangerous.
But can't just keep defending forever.
Screw it!
Don't know.
Just once.
Really just once, poke at it.
The form I'm most confident in from the late sequence.
Against an absolute master, focus all power into one swift, mighty strike.
32 Rogue Arts late sequence, second form: Heaven-Severing Flash!
Shiiik!
Kwaaaaang!
"Arrrgh!"
Kudangtangtang.
The punk... flew.
Far off, five jang away, tumbling a dozen rolls before collapsing.
"Woooaaah! Big bro won!"
"Big bro's the best!"
"Romantic Sword Rogue Jin Muhyeon is our big bro! Woooaaah!"
Sadaegi, Juokga, and Makdaechil whooped it up.
The crowd roared too.
Can't believe it.
That I won.
"Hundred-Li Clan Lord."
"Miss... Miss Kang..."
The duel ended.
I really won.
The unconscious Hundred-Li Kyungjun was carried off on a stretcher by his clan warriors back to the Hundred-Li Clan.
"My apologies. I doubted your insight, Miss Kang."
"So you acknowledge it?"
"Of course. Your insight has truly reached divine—"
"No. Him. Romantic Sword Rogue Hero Jin Muhyeon."
The Clan Lord's gaze landed on me.
His eyes, his expression.
Bitter, mixed with myriad emotions.
Yet he nodded and said to Kang Baeka.
"I... acknowledge him."
Even the Hundred-Li Clan Lord acknowledged me.
No one in Chang'an could deny me now.
Ah!
What a day!
Then.
Kang Baeka, already dazzlingly beautiful.
Now smiling brighter than the sun as she approached me.
A manual clutched in her hand.
Finally, a day like this for me!
Not rogue arts, but the world-renowned Azure Sword Forest techniques... Huh?
"Uh... Miss Kang. This is..."
"Right. Just what Hero Jin needs. The Complete Basics of Voice Transmission. Study it hard."
Oh... damn it!!!
Me.
Almost hit a girl just now.
Yesterday was like a dream.
The crowd's cheers.
The radiant smile from one of the Four Great Beauties aimed at me.
Even congratulations from my rogue comrades back from wiping out the Lowborn Blade.
Oh, right!
That Lowborn Blade boss who fled, the self-proclaimed Lowborn Heavenly King.
Azure Sword Forest elites were everywhere then.
Kang Baeka could've ended him if she wanted.
Turns out, the so-called Lowborn Heavenly King was already sent to the afterlife by those elites—not for banditry, but for daring to hold a blade to Kang Baeka's throat.
Anyway, last night.
We drank like fish amid my rogue pals' celebrations till late.
That's when Kang Baeka showed up and suggested going to the Azure Sword Forest together.
So I...
'Sorry, Miss Kang. Can't leave the village—nobody to tend the cattle. Gotta stay.'
Drunken nonsense... Ah!!!
So she went back to the Azure Sword Forest.
Fine.
Probably just a dream.
Still hungover too.
Better head home quick.
Head's spinning... Who're these guys now?
"Bro! We wanna be villagers of Mystery Village too. Take us in!"
Makdaechil, Juokga, Sadaegi.
These punks came prepared, bags packed, blocking my way back to Mystery Village.
"Outta nowhere?"
"Yes, bro! Take us! We heard you took in O Makeong, Wang Dal, and the Yin-Yang Monk as villagers! We can't lag behind your own blood brothers. Please, bro!"
Ah!
What a handful.
Hungover head killing me... Wait!
"Hey, you lot."
"Yes, bro!"
"Can you piss people off good? Make even Buddha rage, curse, and swing fists?"
"Huh, bro! Didn't you know?"
"Know what?"
"That's our specialty: extortion, threats, enraging folks!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes, bro!"
"Alright then. One job. Nail it, and I won't just make you villagers—I'll take you as real little bros."
"Anything you say!"
"There's a hidden master in our village. Get him to reveal his arts and swing at you..."
Plan's perfect.
Soon, Sadaegi, Juokga, and Makdaechil will swagger into our village.
I'm hiding, watching.
They'll wander, "accidentally" bump into the neighbor uncle.
Start trouble.
Uncle doesn't know I'm in the village.
I've been using utmost concealment arts since arriving.
Those three will push uncle's patience to the brink.
He's human too—once he checks no one's around and rage boils over, one punch at least, right?
One hit's enough.
From that, I gauge his level.
Uncle's a good guy, sure.
But villagers can't hide their true nature from the chief, right?
Curious as hell what uncle really is.
Wanna rush out, confirm, ask a ton.
Hurry up, kids.
Dying to know uncle's level... Huh?
"Search the village top to bottom!"
"Yes, sir!"
What's this?
Fifty men?
No, around sixty.
All armed martial artists... No!
Roques!
Why rogues here?
And all unfamiliar faces.
Not from our Chang'an bunch.
Oh!
Juokga, Sadaegi, Makdaechil too.
But they're bleeding rivers, unconscious, dragged by the punks.
Hold up!
In the middle there, that guy.
"Rogue King hero! One villager here!"
"Drag him over!"
"Yes, sir!"
Rogue King?
Rogue King?
Then the Tragic Rogue King Go Taebo, one of the Four Great Rogue Kings who just hit Chang'an?
Why's he in our village?
"You a villager here?"
"What of it?"
"Then you know about the Nine Heavens War God well?"
"I've only settled here a few months, heard whispers but nothing detailed..."
"Cut his throat!"
"Yes, sir!"
What kind of psycho is this!
Killing folks willy-nilly?
Neighbor uncle's in danger.
What now?
Even if I jump out, can't face Tragic Rogue King Go Taebo!
He's on another level entirely!
Even the Three Absolutes Rogue Ha Jeokhan of the Western Rogue Market would need a few exchanges.
Let alone the fifty-sixty top-tier and first-rate rogues he brought.
"Kill him now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Fuck this!
He's really gonna do it?
What to do?
Uncle dies alone?
Or I join and we both bite it?
That's the question... Huh?
"Hold!"
Shiiik!
The instant a rogue swung for uncle's neck.
Neighbor uncle bellowed 'Hold!'
And whipped out the sickle from his waist, raising it high.
In that moment, from uncle...
An immense.
Truly unimaginable, monstrous aura exploded forth.
Finally!
Uncle's about to reveal his hidden martial arts.