Chapter 73: The Successor of the Beggar's Sect (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: The Successor of the Beggar's Sect (2)
“Th-That just now...”
“Did the sword just fly into his hand?”
“Void Object Retrieval?”
The deck, which had been momentarily silent, didn't just buzz—it erupted.
Everyone on deck looked utterly aghast at the sight of the Namcheon Iron Sword, which had just pierced through the cabin to reach its master.
Hong Gu-ga, the Leader of the Beggar's Sect, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago due to his numerical advantage, now had pupils that shook as if an earthquake were occurring within them.
Taoist Master Do Uk, the Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect, muttered with a stunned expression.
“That is not Void Object Retrieval.”
“What do you mean, Sect Leader?”
The disciples of the Zhongnan Sect asked back, unable to comprehend.
Do Uk spoke in a voice heavy with significance.
“It is the Sword Control Art.”
“...!”
At those words, the crowd erupted once more.
“The—The Sword Control Art!”
“That’s impossible!”
The Sword Control Art.
It was considered the ultimate technique among all methods of handling a blade. Since it was a realm spoken of like a legend among swordsmen, it was only natural for everyone to react this way.
“I have seen many masters in my time, but to reach such a realm of the sword at that age... He truly possesses the martial talent of a monster.”
Well, now.
I had summoned the Namcheon Iron Sword specifically to show off, but the reaction was even better than expected. Everyone was looking at me as if I were a complete freak of nature.
Then again, if a young man who had barely passed twenty had reached the level of mastering the Sword Control Art, anyone would be shocked.
Wolf King Hyeok Cheon-man also spoke to me with a hardened expression.
“...You were hiding your martial prowess, Junior Brother.”
Huh?
Why is he reacting like this? If he put his mind to it, showing this level of divine authority wouldn't be impossible for him. Yet, he spoke as if he were genuinely shaken.
“Why do you say that? Surely you could also—”
“I cannot. Moving an object with True Qi is one thing, but precisely pinpointing a sword left inside a distant cabin and calling it to one's hand is a feat I could not achieve even if I tried.”
Ah!
Now that I thought about it, he was right. Void Object Retrieval itself involves moving objects with True Qi, but that is usually only possible when the object is within one's line of sight.
There was a reason the Wolf King was so surprised.
When Hyeok Cheon-man himself publicly declared that he couldn't perform such a feat, the surrounding reaction grew even more intense.
The one most flustered by this was, naturally, Hong Gu-ga. He must have been relying on the Wolf King more than anyone else.
“Leader, what should we do?”
“Are you really planning to fight that man?”
The Elders and high-ranking beggars surrounding Hong Gu-ga expressed their concern. Their will to fight seemed to have withered away the moment the Zhongnan Sect Leader and the Wolf King praised my display as the Sword Control Art.
Hong Gu-ga gripped his Dog Beating Staff tightly and said, “No matter how strong he is, he is but one man. If we all launch a combined attack...”
Thump! Whoosh!
Before he could even finish his sentence, something else came flying through the hole in the cabin.
It was the Lesser Conversation Sword.
—Why didn't you call me!
I hadn't even summoned it, but it had released its own seal on the Prison Torture and flown out of its own accord. Hey, if you move too, my Innate True Qi will drain faster.
However, the effect was better than I expected.
“Even after seeing this?”
“L-Leader!”
Unintentionally, I had become even more intimidating.
Driven to desperation by his wavering subordinates, Hong Gu-ga looked back and forth between Taoist Master Do Uk and the Wolf King.
“We are about to engage in a decisive battle with the Waterway Stronghold. Do you two intend to just stand by and watch this...?”
I cut him off.
“Leader Hong.”
“What?”
“Is this not a matter between the Beggar's Sect and me? Surely the leader of the great Beggar's Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects and One Union, isn't planning to borrow the strength of the Zhongnan Sect and my Senior Brother—no, the Wolf King—just to deal with a single person like me? For a renowned elder of the martial world, you certainly are thick-skinned.”
At my sarcastic remark, Hong Gu-ga’s face contorted hideously. It seemed I had struck a nerve regarding his pride.
Unable to endure it any longer, Hong Gu-ga screamed at his followers.
“You brat! Fine! Let’s see what you’ve got! Open the Fortress Wall Formation!”
At his command, the hesitating beggars began to link arms, forming a human wall. Ten men formed the front line, with subsequent rows backing them up.
I had heard of this before. It was one of the three great formations of the Orthodox Faction.
Along with the Arhat Formation of Shaolin and the Seven Stars Formation of the Quanzhen Sect, its reputation was legendary. Unlike the other two, it looked simple, but I had heard it was a bizarre formation that concentrated the internal power of many into one to overwhelm an opponent.
“Drive him to the railing!”
At Hong Gu-ga’s shout, the beggars in the Fortress Wall Formation charged at me in unison. With their arms locked tight, they looked as if they wouldn't budge even if one of them died.
However, this formation wasn't without its weaknesses. While it was effective with large numbers, using only thirty men against a master of my level was nothing more than a stalling tactic.
Step, step, step!
Suddenly, I saw someone running behind the formation. It was Hong Geol-gae, the successor of the Beggar's Sect. He was heading toward the cabin.
It seemed he intended to keep me occupied while he went to harm my detained companions.
But what could he do? The moment I summoned the Namcheon Iron Sword...
CRASH!
“W-What?”
At that exact moment, the cabin wall shattered, and someone charged out like a bull. It was the younger twin, Song Woo-hyeon.
Sigh...
I told them to escape when I gave the signal, and he decided to burst straight through the wall where the sword had come from.
He charged forward fiercely and slammed his head into the Fortress Wall Formation.
THUD!
“Aaargh!”
The beggar who took the headbutt directly let out a scream as blood sprayed from his mouth. The front row of the formation buckled and was pushed back.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Hold tight!”
Their locked arms almost came apart, but the beggars on either side grit their teeth and tried to hold on.
—Ooh! The bald guy is pretty good.
Even I didn't know Song Woo-hyeon’s physical strength was this great. My Master had said the boy's potential was something even his older brother, Song Jwa-baek, couldn't match. Was that really true?
“Dammit!”
“Push from the back!”
The rear rows of the formation joined in the struggle. Thirty men were pushing, yet Song Woo-hyeon was holding his ground alone. In terms of external martial arts—or rather, head-butting—he seemed to have reached the pinnacle.
“I’m here too! Hyaaaap!”
Then, Song Jwa-baek threw himself in behind his brother. When the two muscular twins, each a head taller than the average man, exerted their strength together, something incredible happened.
Creeeeeak!
The wooden planks of the deck began to splinter, and the thirty-man formation was actually pushed backward inch by inch. The beggars maintaining the formation were struck with horror.
But did they know? If the twins activated their True Blood Golden Body, their strength would double.
Then, a crisp sound echoed from somewhere.
SLAP!
“Urgh!”
Looking over, I saw Sama Yeong delivering a stinging slap to Hong Geol-gae’s face. Enraged, the successor of the Beggar's Sect lunged at her.
“How dare you!”
She avoided his palm technique with a mysterious footwork method and delivered another slap to his other cheek.
SLAP!
“Kh!”
Furious, Hong Geol-gae unleashed a barrage of palm strikes. However, Sama Yeong dodged them all by simply swaying her upper body, continuing to rain slaps down on him.
Slap-slap-slap-slap-slap!
In an instant, Hong Geol-gae’s cheeks and lips swelled up hideously. With such a gap in their martial prowess, he never stood a chance.
“St-Stop...”
“Shut your mouth. I’m not done yet.”
SLAP!
“Guh!”
Sama Yeong, who had been holding a grudge since the inn, didn't change her expression. With a cold face, she continued to slap him without pause, even as his skin tore and blood splattered.
—She’s scary sometimes.
If I didn't stop her, she was someone who showed no mercy. She wasn't the daughter of one of the Four Great Villains for nothing.
“You brat! Get away from my grandson!”
Hong Gu-ga, who had been at the rear of the formation, finally moved. As expected of a Supreme Peak master, his movement was incredibly fast. Using the Drunken Eight Immortals Step, he weaved through the crowd toward Sama Yeong.
Whoosh!
I stepped in to block his path.
“Your opponent is me, Senior.”
“You bastard!”
Was it out of concern for his grandson? Hong Gu-ga didn't hesitate to swing his Dog Beating Staff at me. The way it curved and flowed in unique patterns—this was clearly the famous Dog Beating Staff Technique of the Beggar's Sect. It truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier art with its diverse variations.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I stood my ground and parried the staff. I didn't use any special forms. I simply adjusted my defense fluidly to match the flow of his staff technique.
“...My god.”
“He’s blocking the Leader of the Beggar's Sect without moving a single step.”
“Is he really at the level of the Eight Great Masters?”
Exclamations of awe rose from all around. Since I was defending with ease, I could hear them clearly. However, Hong Gu-ga was frantic, trying everything to land a hit on me.
I can see it clearly.
Unlike when I faced the Wolf King, Hong Gu-ga’s staff movements were perfectly visible to me. From the flow of his intent to his changing tides, I grasped everything. It might have been because, despite his excellent techniques, the wielder's martial prowess was a level below mine.
“Hyaap!”
While executing a staff move, Hong Gu-ga thrust out his left hand in a Dragon Soaring Strike. It was a subtle move, intended to strike while my eyes were distracted by the flashy staff work.
However, since I still had plenty of strength left, it wasn't an attack I couldn't handle.
But just as he was about to extend his left hand, it suddenly stopped.
—Hehe.
That was because the Lesser Conversation Sword had flown over and stopped right in front of his eyes. As the sword hovered just half an inch away, Hong Gu-ga’s face turned pale. A split second later, and he would have lost an eye.
“Kh!”
Hong Gu-ga tried to create distance by using the Drunken Eight Immortals Step.
—Where do you think you're going!
But the Lesser Conversation Sword refused to be shaken, maintaining its distance right in front of his eyes. Hong Gu-ga’s face turned the color of ash.
—I did good, right? Look at him run.
The sword chattered excitedly in my mind. I hadn't intended for this, but since the sword could move on its own, it had become capable of this kind of independent attack.
Wait, I shouldn't just take this lightly. If I applied this correctly, it would be incredibly useful even against masters stronger than me, like the Wolf King.
Hong Gu-ga, who had been retreating continuously, eventually hit the ship's railing. Any further, and he would fall into the water. The current had become incredibly violent in the meantime. Even for a Supreme Peak master like him, falling into such rapids could be dangerous.
Biting his lip hard, Hong Gu-ga finally declared his surrender.
“Stop... Stop! This old man admits defeat.”
The corners of Jo Seong-won’s mouth stretched all the way to his ears as he watched this scene.
—Ahem. Shall we end it here?
No, stay still for a moment.
—Huh?
I made the Lesser Conversation Sword stay exactly where it was. When the sword didn't retreat despite his surrender, Hong Gu-ga spoke in bewilderment.
“Didn't I say I lost?”
“I am the one who decides when this ends.”
“Wh-What?”
At this, Taoist Master Do Uk of the Zhongnan Sect stepped forward.
“Now, Young Hero So. Leader Hong has admitted defeat. Anything more would be excessive.”
I snorted at his words.
“He didn't just frame my companion as a member of the Blood Cult; he cornered me and detained my friends. Do you really think a single sentence is enough to end this?”
“That is...”
“Regardless of Orthodox or Evil, is it not right for martial artists to settle their grievances clearly?”
My words were logically sound, leaving Do Uk speechless. It was true. If my martial arts had been weak, the outcome would have been very different. Since they had branded us as the Blood Cult—the enemy of the Martial Alliance—they would have ensured the worst possible conclusion for us.
Hong Gu-ga grit his teeth and shouted, “Then what do you want? Do I have to die for this to end!”
“As a fellow member of the Orthodox Faction, how could I be so cold-hearted toward a senior?”
“Then what on earth do you want?”
“I was insulted and treated like a spy for the Blood Cult in front of all these seniors and fellow martial artists, was I not? For the sake of my companions' and my Master's honor, shouldn't I at least take one of your eyes?”
“...!”
Everyone was stunned by my aggressive demand. Hong Gu-ga, the party involved, was even more so.
“Y-You!”
“However! Since you are a senior, how could I not give you a chance?”
At my words, which offered a glimmer of hope, Hong Gu-ga’s face flushed red and purple. As the leader of the Beggar's Sect, his dignity was already in tatters. He barely suppressed his emotions and asked me:
“A chance?”
“I want the truth to be set straight.”
“...Set the truth straight?”
As he looked confused, I walked over to Jo Seong-won. All eyes were fixed on me. I pointed at Jo Seong-won and spoke.
“Did you not say that you gave the position of Successor to your grandson because this friend, your former disciple, lacked talent?”
“...That is correct.”
“Then we shall prove it here and now.”
“Prove it?”
“We have the Elders of the Beggar's Sect here, as well as the Wolf King and the Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect to serve as witnesses.”
“What exactly are you planning to do?”
Hong Gu-ga couldn't hide his unease. I gave him a bright smile and said:
“It’s simple. If we verify his talent here, we’ll know if he’s truly lacking or not, won't we?”
“Are you perhaps...”
“Pass down the Descending Dragon Eighteen Palms and the Dog Beating Staff Technique to this friend.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
If you don't like that, you can give me one of your eyes instead.