Chapter 11: The Bet (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: The Bet (1)
From that day forward, Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon stopped making me climb down the cliff for food or hanging me from ropes over the precipice.
It was a massive relief.
He gave orders to Bloody Unit Leader Gu Sang-ung, who periodically brought Life Preservation Pills, to also provide beef jerky and Fasting Pills. Thanks to that, an environment was created where I could focus entirely on my training.
However, recognizing that cliff climbing was excellent for tempering the physical body, I still spent about four hours a day scaling the rock face.
After about six days, I informed Haeakcheon that I had sensed my Innate True Qi and had begun circulating the heart method engraved on the floor.
In reality, I was already practicing the first stage of the Life Bright Divine Art.
However, I intended to hide sixty percent of my full strength.
We were currently in the cave containing the remains of the deceased Namcheon Sword Guest, Ho Jongdae.
"Familiarize yourself with these."
Haeakcheon handed me two martial arts manuals.
One was a manual for the Myeongnyun Divine Art, a martial art derived from the Wheel Turning Temple, a sect that had vanished from the South-Western Regions decades ago.
The other, surprisingly, was the manual for the Life Bright Sword Technique.
'The thief?'
The Namcheon Iron Sword erupted in fury upon seeing it. According to him, the Namcheon Sword Guest’s residence had once been ransacked, and the hidden manual for the Life Bright Sword Technique had been stolen.
The culprit had been Haeakcheon.
The Lesser Conversation Sword was right. Just how badly did he want to win to resort to stealing his rival's secret manual?
Internally, I had wondered how I was supposed to compete when the only thing in the cave was an incomplete heart method, but now that question was answered.
'He said those things because he had this.'
It seemed I was destined to learn the Life Bright Sword Technique one way or another.
"Regrettably, even I do not know the energy circulation method of this skeleton fellow. However, this Myeongnyun Divine Art is a fairly balanced method of energy cultivation, so you should be able to digest most martial arts without much difficulty."
"…But isn't it still incomplete?"
"I am passing down the same Myeongnyun Divine Art to those young brats anyway, so don't you dare complain about it being incomplete or unfair."
Surprisingly, he was taking care to ensure the duel was as equal as possible.
Even so, a difference was bound to exist. Since he had stolen the Life Bright Sword Technique manual, he would have used it to supplement his own martial arts.
'Cheap old man.'
The Namcheon Iron Sword reassured me.
'Why?'
Apparently, the Namcheon Sword Guest had further developed the sword technique after the manual was stolen. If that was the case, there was no problem at all.
The Namcheon Iron Sword spoke with a voice brimming with fighting spirit. As expected, he was reliable. Since my future depended on this duel, I had to win no matter what.
And I also needed to obtain that old man's body lightening method.
*
A month passed.
The sky was stained with the colors of the setting sun.
As the days grew colder, the sun set earlier and earlier. Every ten days, around the hour of the Rooster, the Bloody Unit Leader would bring food and Life Preservation Pills, so I had to return early to receive them.
Usually, it was the Bloody Unit Leader or Female Great Leader Hae Ok-seon who came leading the cultists, but today, an unexpected guest arrived.
"Blood Tax! Blood Tax! Blood-Blood Tax! Great Leader Oh Chung greets the Venerable One!"
A familiar voice echoed from outside the cave. It was Great Leader Oh.
I nodded in agreement with the Lesser Conversation Sword. I didn't want to face him if possible, but Haeakcheon hadn't returned yet. And receiving the food and pills was my responsibility in the first place.
'What?'
'If he were that easy to fool, I would have done it already.'
The man was a Great Leader in his own right. An Advanced Warrior wearing a blue belt was a first-rate master. At this distance, he likely already sensed that I was the only one inside the cave.
Sighing, I left the Namcheon Iron Sword behind just in case and stepped outside.
"Intermediate Training Disciple So Woon-hwi greets the Great Leader."
As I offered a fist-and-palm salute, Great Leader Oh gave me a greasy smile.
"It seems you're doing quite well acting as the elder's servant."
He really seemed to dislike me. Even after all this time, he was still incredibly prickly.
'That's the plan.'
Whether Great Leader Oh liked me or not, his mission today was to deliver food and pills. He had no reason to linger here.
"The Venerable Elder will be late. You may leave the food and pills with me."
With those words, I reached out toward the person Great Leader Oh had brought along. Usually, the people the Bloody Unit Leader or Hae Ok-seon brought were formal Blood Cult warriors, but this boy looked like a training disciple. At a glance, he seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen.
"No, I cannot do that."
"Pardon?"
"I must see the Venerable Elder myself."
"……"
As expected, he was being difficult. This meant he intended to plant himself here and wait. His expression made it clear he had an ulterior motive.
Fine, let him.
"You cannot enter the cave. You are aware of this, yes?"
With that, I performed another salute and turned to head back inside.
"Stop right there."
Great Leader Oh called out to me. As I thought, his target wasn't Haeakcheon, but me. I stopped and turned around, only to see the smile vanish from his face.
"There is no need for you to go back inside."
"…What do you mean by that?"
"I don't know how you got lucky enough to avoid my eyes and become the elder's servant, but you cannot escape my grasp."
He was incredibly persistent. If he had put this much effort into earning merits or practicing martial arts, he would have been highly successful by now.
"I believe the Blood Wolf Great Leader already verified everything back then."
"Nonsense! I don't know how you convinced the Blood Wolf Great Leader, but not a single person in Yul Rang-hyeon recalls seeing your maternal grandfather."
That was obvious. My mother, who was from elsewhere, had told me my grandfather died when she was young. I had only fabricated that story to make the pieces fit.
I replied with a thin smile.
"My grandfather had to hide his origins. Why would he carelessly show his face to the villagers?"
Great Leader Oh glared at me as if he wanted to tear me apart, his irritation peaking.
"Of course you'd say that. Fine. But your leisure ends here."
"Why have you been acting like this since you arrived?"
"From this moment on, this boy will assist the elder in your place."
The training disciple gave a slight, mocking tilt of his head. It was obvious the bratty-looking kid was giving a half-hearted greeting.
In any case, the purpose of bringing the training disciple was revealed. He had brought a replacement so he could drag me back. Rather than just stopping my training, he was determined to keep me under his constant surveillance.
"It will be difficult for him."
"Difficult? The elder will be satisfied with this one."
Seeing him speak with such confidence, it seemed this wasn't just any ordinary training disciple. Even so, nothing would change.
"He will not be satisfied."
"Hmph! Once I tell him your background is suspicious and offer this replacement, do you think the elder will insist on keeping you?"
For a moment, I almost laughed. I understood why he acted this way since he didn't know the circumstances, but this fool, Great Leader Oh, didn't know that crazy old man at all.
I wanted to mock him, but provoking him further would only create more trouble, so I replied in an accepting tone.
"I understand. Whatever the conclusion, I will follow the order."
However, his discomfort had already reached its limit. Great Leader Oh, his face contorted, raised an eyebrow.
"Good. It's a good chance to fix your attitude and show the elder what's what."
"Pardon?"
"Dohyeon, show him the skills of an Advanced Warrior Candidate."
'An Advanced Warrior Candidate?'
This unpleasant-looking brat was an Advanced Warrior Candidate. The reason I hadn't seen him when the ranks were assigned must be because he was in the elite selection group.
"I obey your command."
Crack!
The candidate named Dohyeon cracked his wrists as he approached me. He took a starting stance with clenched fists, looking truly ready for a fight.
Great Leader Oh gave a cruel smirk.
"I will take full responsibility, so make sure to fix his attitude properly."
"Understood."
The boy replied confidently and turned to me.
"I have no personal grudge against you, but I can't miss this opportunity. I hope you can endure a little pain."
The Lesser Conversation Sword seemed more annoyed than I was. Just looking at the boy's expression, it was clear he viewed me as a complete amateur. I suppose it made sense to him; he had been training as an Advanced Warrior Candidate for over three months, while I was an Intermediate Training Disciple who had supposedly spent all my time as a servant.
Whoosh!
The boy lunged at me with a punch. It was the fist-and-kick art known as the Eight Blood Fist, the basic technique learned by Blood Cult warriors. His form was perfect, befitting an Advanced Warrior Candidate.
However...
Slowly...
To me, it looked incredibly slow. I knew I had improved while practicing the second stage of the Life Bright Divine Art, but I hadn't expected an Advanced Warrior Candidate to feel this weak.
Swish!
I lightly twisted my body and dodged his fist. Surprised that I had evaded his first attack, the boy frowned.
"Not bad. But let's see how long that luck—"
Thwack!
"Gah!"
Before he could finish his sentence, my fist slammed into his face like a bolt of lightning. Why did he talk so much during a fight?
Still, I hadn't used any Innate True Qi, so he should be able to withstand—
Thud!
...He couldn't.
The boy took one punch and collapsed, unconscious. It ended so anticlimactically that even I was surprised.
'Why is he so weak?'
It seemed my physical strength had grown immensely from climbing the cliff every day. Even so, I hadn't expected to take down an Advanced Warrior Candidate in a single blow.
"You... you...!"
The look on Great Leader Oh's face was a sight to behold. He seemed utterly dumbfounded that the result was the exact opposite of what he had envisioned. Unable to contain his rage, Great Leader Oh moved to intervene himself.
"You little brat!"
Just as he was about to launch himself forward...
Grab!
"Huh?"
Someone appeared from behind and pressed down on Great Leader Oh's shoulder.
It was Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon.
Great Leader Oh looked profoundly flustered, clearly not expecting him to appear so suddenly.
"Who do you think you are?"
"E-Elder, I am Great Leader Oh Chung, serving under the Bloody Unit Leader."
"A Great Leader? A mere Great Leader dares to cause a ruckus in front of my dwelling?"
Great Leader Oh tried to explain the situation in a hurry.
"Elder, it's not that, it's just..."
"Hmph! What do you mean 'it's not that'?"
Haeakcheon slapped the back of Great Leader Oh's head with his massive palm.
Whack!
"Gwak!"
It looked like a light tap, but with a scream, he was sent flying, landing right in front of me. The monster was truly a monster. He swatted a first-rate master as if he were shooing a fly.
"Uuuugh..."
Great Leader Oh's face was a mess, scraped against the stone floor as he skidded. Looking down at him as he groaned in pain, I spoke with a hint of pity.
"I told you it would be difficult."
I had warned him. You don't mess with a mad dog.