Chapter 33: Mangok Village Black Pavilion (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Mangok Village Black Pavilion (3)
“You claim to be the disciple of the Namcheon Sword Guest?”
The old man’s face was contorted with rage.
An unexpected variable had surfaced. Things were not going according to plan.
I increased the distance between myself and the table, keeping a wary eye on the old man in black and the surrounding area.
The moment the old man made his move, the men in black—who had been guarding the stairs and the private rooms of the assembly hall—drew their weapons and closed in.
There were twelve of them in total.
They advanced slowly, step by step, as if tightening a noose. Every single one of them was an expert.
‘Namcheon. Do you know him?’
I asked the sword, just in case, given the old man’s sudden hostility.
At those words, I scrutinized the old man. His face was devoid of a single scar.
‘Is it a human skin mask?’
I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but a variable had definitely been introduced. Judging by the old man’s attitude, he clearly had some history with the Namcheon Sword Guest. However, I couldn’t fathom why that hostility was being directed at me.
“Is it standard practice for an information hub to threaten its customers?”
At my question, the old man shook his head slowly.
“It has been fifteen, no, sixteen years since the Namcheon Sword Guest went missing. And yet you claim to be the disciple of that vanished man?”
Fury vibrated in the old man’s voice.
I couldn’t tell if he was someone favorable to the Namcheon Sword Guest who thought I was a fraud, or if he was an enemy.
Meanwhile, the circle around me tightened.
The Namcheon Iron Sword sounded puzzled.
I felt the same way. From what I knew, they never acted hostiley first unless they were attacked. That was exactly why I had felt safe revealing myself as Namcheon’s disciple.
What should I do?
No matter how much my martial arts had improved, fighting my way out of a place crawling with Evil Faction experts wouldn't be easy.
Flinch!
Suddenly, I felt an intense gaze from somewhere.
Across the second-floor assembly hall, at the entrance of a private room shielded by a bamboo screen, I saw a black shadow. Someone was watching me through the gaps in the bamboo. The sensation was as sinister and slithery as a snake.
‘What is that?’
Just as my guard shot up, a voice echoed in my ear via Sound Transmission.
[Do not react to my transmission.]
It was the old man’s voice.
Though confused by his instruction not to look, I pretended to remain focused on the men surrounding me. I had no idea why he was suddenly sending me a secret message.
Then, the transmission continued.
[Have you ever heard the title ‘Tiger-Subduing Mirror Hand’?]
‘Tiger-Subduing Mirror Hand?’
It was a title I had never heard before. I quickly asked the Namcheon Iron Sword.
‘You know him?’
Yunnan. That was the Namcheon Sword Guest’s hometown. Was the old man trying to determine if I was a real disciple by asking if I knew this person?
If I didn't have the ability to hear the Voice of the Sword, I would never have been able to pass myself off as Namcheon’s successor anywhere. It seemed the man had as many connections as he had fame.
I relayed exactly what the Namcheon Iron Sword told me back to the old man.
[Are you referring to the Great Hero Gwak Gyeong, the Tiger-Subduing Mirror Hand from Bokho County, Yunnan?]
At my transmission, a strange light flickered in the old man’s eyes. Could this resolve the situation?
[I see.]
[Why did you ask?]
[You certainly have the guts befitting a disciple of the Namcheon Sword Guest.]
Contrary to his words, the old man’s expression remained furious. Was he acting?
Then, he sent another transmission.
[But one must choose the right time to be bold.]
[...What do you mean by that?]
[Falcon Warrior Na Yuk-hyeong is in that private room.]
Falcon Warrior Na Yuk-hyeong?
Was that sinister man behind the bamboo screen really Na Yuk-hyeong? I struggled to hide my internal shock.
‘...Falcon Warrior Na Yuk-hyeong is here.’
When people spoke of the greatest masters of the Orthodox and Evil factions, they usually pointed to the Eight Great Masters and the Four Great Villains. However, the Central Plains was vast, and many other experts existed. Even if they were a step or two below those in the Realm of Superhumans, there were masters whose names commanded immense respect.
If the Orthodox Faction had people like Bukyeong Doseong and the Peerless Steel Sword, the Evil Faction had experts like Falcon Warrior Na Yuk-hyeong and Hang Ik of the Great Demon Realm.
He was more dangerous than he was formidable. From what I knew, Na Yuk-hyeong was as perilous as any of the Four Great Villains. His martial arts were one thing, but he was infamous for being cunning and cruel. He was a villain everyone avoided, as very few who earned his grudge ever survived.
‘Why?’
...Damn it.
It was one obstacle after another. Of all people, he had to be someone with a grudge against the Namcheon Sword Guest. No wonder he was radiating such an ominous aura while staring at me from behind that screen. An expert of Na Yuk-hyeong’s caliber was truly dangerous.
Then, the old man shouted at me out loud.
“You claim to be the disciple of the Namcheon Sword Guest? You must take our Black Pavilion for fools!”
Simultaneously, his Sound Transmission told a different story.
[I am still not certain if you are truly his disciple, but I will help you this once.]
I had suspected something was off; the old man was indeed putting on a performance. Fearing that Na Yuk-hyeong might intervene, he was intentionally acting as if I were a fraud.
[Follow my lead.]
[I am grateful for your consideration, Elder.]
There was no reason to refuse help. The old man spoke to me again.
“Do not underestimate our information network. If you confess the truth now, I will ensure the price for deceiving me is kept within reasonable limits.”
Realizing his intent, I cupped my fists and spoke with a troubled expression.
“The information power of the Black Pavilion is truly formidable.”
I raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. Since we had agreed to coordinate, there was no need to cling to my pride.
Two men in black approached and grabbed my arms as if arresting me. When they tried to touch the Namcheon Iron Sword and the Lesser Conversation Sword, I sent a warning laced with killing intent.
[If you lay a single finger on my swords, I will assume your intentions have changed.]
They flinched and led me downstairs without touching the blades.
“Senior Brother!”
As we reached the ground floor, Sama Yeong and Jo Seong-won saw me and tried to step forward in alarm. I quickly sent them a Sound Transmission, briefly explaining the situation and ordering them to play along for a moment.
Thanks to that, I ended up drawing the full attention of every Evil Faction martial artist on the first floor of the Black Pavilion.
The men in black led us to the basement.
‘I didn't know this place existed.’
I remembered coming here about three times before my regression, but I had never been to the basement of the Black Pavilion.
‘The smell of blood.’
As we descended, the metallic scent of blood stung my nose. Even if they were an information organization for the Evil Faction disguised as an inn, the purpose of this basement was far too blatant. From the iron shackles on the walls to the bloodstains everywhere—it was a torture chamber.
Perhaps because of this, Jo Seong-won was visibly tense, his energy rising in preparation for a potential fight.
[My Lord, what on earth is happening?]
[...Stay alert.]
I, too, was circulating my internal power, preparing for anything.
We followed the basement corridor until we reached a wide space roughly the size of the assembly hall above. The old man in black was already waiting there. He must have taken a different path down.
“Release them.”
At the old man’s command, the men in black let go of our arms, bowed slightly, and retreated. I cupped my fists toward the old man.
“Thank you again for your consideration.”
The old man shook his head.
“It is merely a temporary measure. You don’t think that cunning man will be easily deceived, do you?”
I agreed. A man as sly as Falcon Warrior Na Yuk-hyeong wouldn't let go of a suspicion once it took root. The old man’s intervention had been a masterful move.
The old man pointed toward the northeast. There was a passage there, with a faint breeze blowing through like a ventilation shaft.
“If you take that passage, you can exit about half a li away from the Black Pavilion.”
Ah. So there was a secret passage in the basement. It made sense; an organization dealing in information had to be cautious about everything. If we could slip out through there before Na Yuk-hyeong moved, we could escape Mangok Village.
However, the men in black blocked the entrance to the passage.
Shring!
Furthermore, the men behind us drew their swords, positioning themselves between me, Sama Yeong, and Jo Seong-won—as if to prevent them from interfering.
“This isn't what we discussed.”
Sama Yeong’s eyes turned sharp as she reached for her sword, but I raised a hand to stop her. I asked the old man politely.
“I thought you were helping us. What is the meaning of this?”
“The situation was urgent, so I brought you here quickly, but we still need to go through a verification process.”
“Verification?”
“Did I not say it earlier? I am not yet convinced that you are the disciple of the Namcheon Sword Guest.”
Slide.
The old man pulled out a pair of gloves from his robe and put them on. Judging by the silver luster of the material, they were no ordinary items.
‘What?’
‘You said he was an Orthodox person earlier.’
His entire family was massacred? Then it meant the man who had vanished had defected to the Evil Faction. The reason the Namcheon Iron Sword hadn't recognized him immediately was likely because of the human skin mask and perhaps a disguised voice.
The old man, presumably Gwak Gyeong, spoke as he adjusted his gloves.
“In the ten years since the Namcheon Sword Guest vanished, during my time as the Master of this Pavilion, I have encountered six customers who claimed a connection to him.”
‘Hmm...’
It seemed many had tried to deceive him.
“Every single one of them was a pathetic fool looking for his tracks to claim a hidden inheritance or a secret manual.”
“...Do you think I am the same?”
“So far, you seem different from those fools.”
“Then why have you put on the Silver Thread Gloves?”
At my words, the old man’s eyes wavered slightly. He seemed surprised that I recognized the gloves. Of course, it was the Namcheon Iron Sword who had recognized them, but the effect was the same.
“You continue to exceed my expectations.”
With those words, the old man took a Qi Control Stance. He radiated an aura like a pouncing tiger; he was determined to trade blows.
“If you are truly his disciple, you cannot claim to be ignorant of the Life Bright Sword Technique.”
Swish!
The moment he finished speaking, the old man lunged at me. His hand technique was close to a Claw Technique. His hand aimed for my head with tremendous momentum, like a tiger’s paw swinging down to crush a skull.
Shring!
In response, I drew the Namcheon Iron Sword and thrust toward his head instead. The old man shifted his claw and deflected the blade.
Clang!
The collision produced a metallic ring, as if two weapons had struck each other. Just as the sword had said, the gloves themselves were weapons made of black iron and silver.
In that opening, the old man’s left hand swept up toward my chin.
Whoosh!
I leaned my upper body back slightly to evade the strike. In that position, I relaxed my wrist and spun the sword, attempting to slash his left wrist.
Snap!
The old man retracted his hand with lightning speed and unleashed a proper claw technique. His hands tore at my face with savage intensity, like a brave tiger pouncing on its prey.
Ssssh!
My feet glided back as if walking on clouds. It was the Star Name Cloud Step. After creating a distance of four steps to evade the claw, I immediately executed a sword form.
‘Tiger Fang Momentum Sword!’
The first form of the Life Bright Sword Technique. It was a technique designed to suppress an opponent with the fierce momentum of a tiger.
The moment he saw the form, an exclamation escaped the old man’s lips.
“The Life Bright Sword Technique!”
He recognized it instantly. His entire body trembled as if struck by a sudden chill. Having identified the technique, his eyes filled with a fighting spirit that belied his aged appearance, and he unleashed his ultimate technique.
It was the pinnacle of claw techniques, utilizing his entire body. It felt as if dozens of tigers were pouncing simultaneously. The fierce sword forms and claw strikes collided violently, creating sonic booms and blue sparks.
He had excellent eyes. His claws were accurately parrying my sword strikes. He clearly had experience fighting against the Life Bright Sword Technique.
However...
“What?!”
The old man gasped in confusion at the variation in my sword form. I didn't miss the opening. Using a Changing Tide like a flash of lightning, I targeted the weakness in his ultimate technique.
Thud! Thud!
“Urgh!”
Struck in the pressure points of his shoulder and collarbone, he hastily retreated. His experience was limited to the unrefined version of the Life Bright Sword Technique. Even without using the True Life Bright Sword Technique, the refined version was more than enough to gain the upper hand.
“...You stayed your hand.”
The old man said to me. As he noted, I had struck his pressure points but pulled back my strength at the last moment.
“Was this not a duel to prove my identity?”
At my response, a satisfied smile spread across the old man’s face. He then cupped his fists toward me.
“Gwak Gyeong, the Tiger-Subduing Mirror Hand and Master of the Black Pavilion, formally greets the successor of the Namcheon Sword Guest.”
By revealing his identity, he officially acknowledged me as Namcheon’s disciple. I, too, bowed politely.
“Please forgive my rudeness, Elder.”
“I also apologize for any disrespect I may have shown out of caution.”
“What do you mean by...!?”
The old man turned his head, and his expression froze. The men in black who had been blocking the passage entrance were all collapsed on the floor, and Sama Yeong and Jo Seong-won were standing over them.
“Ha!”
The old man couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.