Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Martial Arts (5)
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“There’s backbone in your words? It’s too early for reinstatement procedures, as you well know.”
“Of course.”
“There are a lot of questions from the Shanxi Five Strongholds side. Your return will be decided after carefully assessing the situation.”
“Take your time, it’s fine.”
“Your tone doesn’t match that.”
Under the moonlight, Peng Junyi’s face looked ordinary and kindly.
But not his eyes.
They were different from how he treated the Five Tigers and Danmun at the branch.
The sharpness in his gaze was like a well-honed dagger.
Cheonwi did not avert his eyes.
He answered.
“I figured if I stayed like this, I might end up dead for good.”
“That depends on what you do.”
Peng Junyi did not dismiss Cheonwi’s words.
Cheonwi nodded.
“I understand perfectly.”
Peng Junyi’s smile deepened.
A dangerous aura slowly settled in.
It was a highly refined energy. Killing intent.
Peng Junyi’s question continued.
“What’s that blood smell?”
“There was a problem at the amputation site here. I did some bloodletting.”
“It’s been quite a while, and now?”
“The initial treatment was delayed, I think.”
“Must be because your internal energy is weak. You’ll have to work hard if you want to survive.”
He flung insults casually with a smiling face.
Along with murderous intent.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Cheonwi replied calmly. Peng Junyi continued.
“That look in your eyes isn’t good. Dissatisfaction breeds betrayal. If you want to be of real use, produce results. That comes first.”
Peng Junyi turned his body.
Then, as if by magic, the killing intent vanished.
The Espionage Squad branch chief, confidant of the original poster. A master was a master. His energy flowed freely at will.
He blatantly scanned the dark ridgeline.
“Tch. Dug an escape tunnel, huh.”
He was gauging where the underground cave led. It was like a warning not to entertain foolish thoughts.
Peng Junyi turned back.
“Are you leaving?”
Oho asked.
“I suddenly wondered how you were doing and came to check. But since the man himself doesn’t even think to offer a cup of tea, I suppose I’ll be on my way.”
Peng Junyi opened the door with no latch and stepped outside.
Cheonwi had no intention of stopping him.
“Take care.”
Both Cheonwi and Peng Junyi knew it was a greeting devoid of emotion or meaning.
“Take care of yourselves.”
Peng Junyi left those final words and vanished into the darkness.
Once he was completely gone, Oho frowned and spoke.
“Wondered how we were doing, my ass. He came here ready to kill us if needed.”
“We can hear you.”
Danmun cut off Oho’s words.
“Fuckin’ let him hear. That guy seemed fine at first—why’s he so twisted now?”
“The Unnamed Blade doesn’t sit right with him.”
Cheonwi gave the answer.
“I misjudged you. Over something that trivial, murderous intent toward a comrade?”
“It’s not trivial. If the Unnamed Blade fails, I’m really dead.”
“What?”
“I’m certain now. Information on the Countermeasure Service is leaking outside. Especially the Soyul escape—it’s fatal. I’m clinging to life with the Unnamed Blade. If it fails, they’ll silence me to eliminate loose ends. The branch chief didn’t hide his killing intent. He came to warn me.”
“…….”
Oho and Danmun couldn’t refute Cheonwi’s judgment.
Silencing to eliminate loose ends.
The Espionage Squad could kill its own agents at will. Oho and Danmun knew that well. Depending on the situation, they might be the ones to carry out the order. All three were fully aware of that.
Cheonwi felt a renewed sense of crisis.
His position was no longer what it used to be.
The new identity given from above was simplistic and flimsy.
His name was Daiil, which didn’t even fit, and he was said to be a local martial artist subcontracted by the Songgang Branch for intelligence gathering.
That was it. Careless, with no trace of deliberation. In other words, an identity meant for disposal.
There were two reasons.
Either reinstate him quickly.
Or process him as fully deceased.
For now, it leaned toward the latter.
If Soyul had been recruited by enemy forces, a significant portion of Countermeasure Service intel would have gone with him. If that became malicious rumors spreading through the martial world, the Peng Clan would take a major hit to its reputation.
But the Peng Clan wasn’t just any of the Six Great Clans.
In the event of trouble, they would deny it outright.
Soyul was young.
Information from an immature blood clansman’s deviation could be managed. The Peng Clan of the Six Great Clans had more than enough capacity for that.
The key was whether evidence existed.
Soyul had handled the transcription of martial arts countermeasures. There was no guarantee copied scrolls didn’t exist.
Of course, even that wouldn’t be ironclad proof.
Even if documents breaking specific sects’ martial arts surfaced, it couldn’t conclusively pin it on the Peng Clan.
Vehement denial could cover it up.
That was the extent of Soyul himself.
The problem was the names that could come from Soyul’s mouth.
If Soyul pointed to someone behind the Countermeasure Service, the Peng Clan would have to respond accordingly. It could be the Espionage Squad Leader’s name, or the Peng Clan head’s.
What if they simply admitted it and officially apologized to the martial world?
For an ordinary sect, that wouldn’t be bad.
Studying rival sects’ martial arts wasn’t unusual.
The Peng Clan was different. It had to be.
The Six Great Clans were guardians of the righteous path. The six most honorable families in the martial world. The Peng Clan was said to be the lowest among them.
Lowest meant the most precarious position.
One misstep, and they could lose their Six Great Clans status. Several powerful families eyed that seat: the Jinju Alliance, the Seomun Clan, the Gongson Clan.
Thus, the Peng Clan had to be more cautious, more prudent.
No stains allowed.
They couldn’t acknowledge something like the Countermeasure Service.
False explanations were needed.
Complete dismissal was one method.
Either way, Cheonwi’s existence was a burden to the Peng Clan.
He was the core of the Countermeasure Service, living proof.
Better to keep him dead. In some cases, better to erase him entirely—that much he understood. A blood clansman only had meaning when serving the entire clan.
“Sparring alone won’t cut it.”
Cheonwi thought.
Oho and Danmun were evenly matched, making each other the perfect sparring partners.
But there were clear limits.
Perfect for refining what they already had, but hard to make a big leap.
Someone had to lead them.
Someone at a higher realm was needed.
“If sparring won’t do it?”
“Then grab hold and learn.”
Cheonwi’s life hung on the Unnamed Blade, and on those two.
Depending on how quickly and greatly they achieved, his value would be determined.
If that value outweighed the risks, Cheonwi lived.
Otherwise, even if the clan demanded his death or sent assassins, he’d have no grounds to complain.
Oho and Danmun were sharp.
From Cheonwi’s tone and words, they read his thoughts completely.
“We need a master? Who? The branch chief?”
Oho recoiled.
The Songgang Branch’s top master was indeed Branch Chief Peng Junyi. In this Songgang area, only he could teach them martial arts.
“The branch chief wouldn’t be bad.”
“After hearing that today?”
“That’s why I heard it.”
“What?”
“Peng Junyi must be conflicted too. Killing me on his own authority, when even Wa Emperor Pavilion debates it, would be a huge burden. Issuing an assassination order on a subordinate would stain his career. So he settled for a warning.”
“Even so, didn’t seem like he was rooting for us.”
Danmun, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up.
Cheonwi nodded.
“Seven to three, or eight to two against us. Not that he wants failure, but he sees it as far more likely. Prove the Unnamed Blade’s worth, and Peng Junyi gets credit too. It’s good for him, he just doesn’t expect it.”
“So it’s a race against time.”
Danmun hit the nail on the head.
“Yeah. Before Wa Emperor Pavilion decides to bury it all.”
“Fuckin’ become a master, huh?”
Cheonwi didn’t answer.
Oho hadn’t asked expecting one.
“Cheonwi.”
This time, Danmun looked straight at him and spoke.
“I’ll keep you alive.”
Cheonwi didn’t smile.
Danmun was crazy, but trustworthy in moments like this.
“Hey, don’t act cool, you bastard. Keep me alive? You’re way better at killing.”
“You need to work harder than me, Oho. The most important thing is what decision the Espionage Squad Leader makes. In the end, it comes down to your achievements.”
“Hey, why does it always end up like that?”
“You asking because you don’t know?”
“…Fuck. I’ll do well. I said I will.”
Oho cursed first.
Cheonwi looked back at Oho and Danmun.
Even so, they thought of saving him first, like true friends.
“I’ll look for more ways too.”
Cheonwi concluded like that.
He said it, but inwardly, he felt blocked.
He’d drawn plenty of blood, so he should process the remaining two Water Star Pills.
Somehow, it would work out.
Oho and Danmun had talent.
He entrusted his life to them without hesitation.
He trusted them. With his life on the line.
* * *
“You know Chae Manor?”
“Yes.”
“There’s a small tavern behind the manor.”
“You mean Samsujeong?”
“You know it.”
“Their gate crab stew is delicious.”
“Starting tomorrow, take your men and throw a drunken bash at Samsujeong every day. Make it so noisy that people come out from Chae Manor.”
“Understood.”
“Chae Manor has a lot of hidden wealth. The manor lord Chae Jeong is known as a high Golden Ridge official, but he’ll soon fall from grace. Vault over to the opposite side of Samsujeong, rummage through the inner courtyard, and you’ll find plenty to take.”
“Feint east, strike east!”
“Feint east, strike west.”
“I’ll remember! Feint east, strike west!”
Haewu Sect boss Hwangjo didn’t look very bright.
His eyes were filthy, his expression fierce. He’d made a living dealing with those who fell for such villainous faces. A history of tormenting the weak.
“Spread rumors about the wealth. Tell the Shanghai Guild, Qingpomen, Songgang thugs—everyone. They won’t want to share, but no choice. Chae Manor has private soldiers. If Samsujeong gets rowdy, they’ll bolster the guards in days. Haewu Sect alone can’t pull it off.”
“Got it, I’ll do it!”
Hwangjo was obedient.
His pupils were glazed.
Cheonwi’s voice dominated his mind. This kind of technique was commonly called soul enthrallment. A forbidden art shunned by righteous sects. Cheonwi wielded a spell he’d never learned with utter naturalness.