Chapter 392: Great Expert Gu?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 392: Great Expert Gu?
There was something distinctly odd about the woman's demeanor.
Her robes, embroidered with the Moyong Clan's emblem, the fine ornaments she wore, and the sword at her waist—all pointed to a figure of considerable standing within the clan. Her posture alone marked her as anything but an ordinary martial artist. She was strikingly beautiful, radiating a youthful vitality that made her seem barely past thirty. And yet, something felt fundamentally off.
“Is that any way for a grown man to speak to a child?”
“...”
“If you’re going to age, at least do it properly. Did you mature backwards?”
Her words were coarse and crude, clashing violently with her noble appearance and beauty. She sat with her legs crossed and seemed to be chewing on something…
…What is this vulgar aura I’m sensing?
It felt like I’d just run into a street thug. Her utterly unfitting behavior made me instinctively take a step back. Even the mighty Dao King was rendered speechless. His face reddened with clear anger, yet for some reason, he held his tongue. His reaction suggested he knew exactly who she was.
Who could she be…?
A female master from the Moyong Clan? There couldn't be many candidates; it should be easy to pinpoint. Yet, my mind felt hazy, unable to grasp her identity.
As I struggled to place her, the Lord of Peng finally found his voice. “What do you think you are doing?”
“That’s my line. Just what do you think you’re doing right now?” She threw his words right back at him, blatantly mocking him. The Lord of Peng’s face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
“White Ripple Sword…! Why have you appeared out of nowhere to mock me like this?”
“…!”
She is the White Ripple Sword?
I stared at her in shock. How had I failed to recognize her? She was the only female master martial artist from the Moyong Clan.
The White Ripple Sword, Moyong Biyeon.
A direct descendant of the Moyong bloodline, she was relatively famous throughout the Central Plains. Much of her fame was tied to the title of Sword Queen. In the Central Plains, certain prestigious titles were passed down through generations, forming an unwritten tradition. A prime example was the title of Sword King, currently held by Namgung Jin, the Azure Heavenly Sword King. While he held the title, no one else could claim it.
Of course, a title could be taken. The holder could relinquish it upon retirement, or be challenged for it in combat. But few bothered; it was generally expected that a titleholder would step down after passing their prime. Similarly, the title of Sword Queen, signifying the strongest swordswoman in the Central Plains, was one such hereditary honor. Every female martial artist who wielded a sword inevitably coveted it.
Moyong Biyeon had been one of the foremost candidates to inherit the title after the previous Sword Queen died in an accident, leaving the position vacant. Although she ultimately didn't attain the title, her candidacy alone was proof of her extraordinary talent.
There was a reason I hadn't recognized her immediately.
‘Was she… always like this?’
She was nothing like the woman described in the rumors.
“Mock you? You think this is mockery?”
“If not… then what is it?”
“You should be thanking me, yet here you are spouting nonsense.”
“Pardon?”
Moyong Biyeon was tall for a woman, but she was dwarfed by the Lord of Peng. Despite the vast difference in size, she fearlessly poked a finger into his chest. “I’m saving your clan from embarrassment. You should be grateful.”
“…You…!”
“Are you seriously enjoying bullying a girl who hasn’t even lived a quarter of your life? I really wonder when you’ll grow up. I thought you’d improve after becoming Lord. Tsk, tsk.”
“White Ripple Sword!”
“Stop yelling!”
Moyong Biyeon’s voice completely overpowered the Lord of Peng’s. It was a impressively powerful voice. I instinctively took another step back as I saw the anger burning in her eyes. Even Gu Yeonseo’s shoulders trembled.
No wonder I hadn't recognized her as the White Ripple Sword. The rumors about her weren't too different from those surrounding the current Sword Queen of Mount Hua—a paragon of virtue. She was hailed as one of the few true heroes in the world, one who helped those in danger. Just as the Sword Queen made her name by fighting the True Demon Sect alone, the White Ripple Sword earned her fame by risking her life against the Demon Army.
The story went that she saved a small, nameless village at great personal risk. When asked why she would risk her life for them, she simply replied:
- The food that child made me was delicious.
She said she was grateful that the villagers, who were mere strangers, had treated her with such kindness. That alone was reason enough for her to stake her life. That was the White Ripple Sword I knew, or at least, how I remembered her.
What was she like in my past life?
My memories were faint. I wondered why, and then I recalled—the White Ripple Sword had been barely active at that time. In my previous life, the Moyong Clan had not participated in the great war. Because of that, I had almost no memory of them. After the Snow Phoenix’s death, the Lord of the Moyong Clan, consumed by fury, went on a rampage slaughtering demons. However, it was said he then took Moyong Hi-ah’s body and departed for the Ice Palace. Did Moyong Biyeon leave with them? Perhaps that was why I knew so little about her.
…I’m not sure.
I’d never pondered it deeply, so I couldn't recall much.
Meanwhile, Moyong Biyeon was grinding her teeth, hurling sharp words at the Lord of Peng. “You bastard. Weren’t you the one crawling on the ground, calling me ‘big sis’ and begging for mercy back in the day? Do I look like a joke to you just because I’m wearing a hat?!”
“…Huh?”
It was I who was shocked this time.
Big sis?
…Did that mean Moyong Biyeon was older than the Lord of Peng? That was surprising. Moyong Biyeon looked barely over thirty, while the Lord of Peng appeared to be in his sixties. Did the Lord of Peng go through the aging process all by himself?
“You must have forgotten our past just because you became a Lord. Maybe I should beat you up like in the old days.” As Moyong Biyeon spoke with a sharp smile, the Lord of Peng’s expression darkened.
“White Ripple Sword, you fail to realize that I am holding back out of respect for our past.”
“Holding back? Don’t bother. Draw your sword, Peng. I’ll cut you down along with that rotten tongue of yours today.”
Even facing the Dao King, the Lord of the Peng Clan himself, she didn’t back down an inch. Combat Qi and killing intent intertwined, spreading through the surroundings.
These crazy people… Do they even realize they’re in the middle of a crowded street?
The Lord of Peng smirked, looking down at her. “Don’t you think this behavior will cause trouble for the Lord of Moyong?”
He was threatening her with political consequences—a public confrontation between the White Ripple Sword and the Lord of Peng could severely strain relations between their clans. Yet, Moyong Biyeon’s expression didn’t change. Instead, her smile widened as she raised her hand toward him. She clenched her fist, then casually extended her thin, white middle finger.
“Fuck off.”
“…!”
“Do you think our Lord is afraid of a bastard like you? We wouldn’t have let him become Lord if he was going to be scared by something this trivial. What a load of horseshit you’re spewing.”
Even I felt nervous just watching. At first, she had reminded me of Gu Huibi, but I quickly realized this woman was in a league of her own.
Is this lady really the White Ripple Sword I’ve heard of…?
Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Moyong Biyeon addressed the Lord of Peng, who was grinding his teeth in frustration. “What are you doing? Draw your sword. You asked for this.”
Here were two nobles from major clans about to clash in the street, yet Moyong Biyeon seemed utterly unconcerned with the spectators. It was the Lord of Peng who kept glancing nervously at the onlookers. Moyong Biyeon rested her hand on her sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment. Her Combat Qi thickened with each passing second. In response, the Lord of Peng’s body began to swell with power. The situation was a powder keg ready to explode.
Should I just sneak away?
Nothing good would come from getting involved in this mess. Just as I was scanning for an escape route, the Lord of Peng withdrew his Qi first.
“I won’t forget this mockery, White Ripple Sword…!”
He was retreating.
“Forget it, my ass. How about we settle this right now?”
Despite her taunts, the Lord of Peng simply turned and walked away, conceding defeat. His clansmen followed hurriedly. Seeing them leave, Moyong Biyeon finally relaxed her stance. For now, the crisis had been averted.
As she watched the Lord of Peng depart, Moyong Biyeon muttered under her breath, “Ugh, that dumb bastard. How can someone so big be so childish?”
I found myself nodding unconsciously. He feels different.
My opinion of the Dao King had shifted. Peng Woojin and Peng Ah-hee hadn't given me this impression. For some reason, the Lord of Peng Clan seemed… captive, as if shackled by something.
Could it be his Inner Demons?
It truly seemed as if the Lord of Peng was a prisoner of his own Inner Demons. I recalled the First Elder’s words after meeting Peng Woojin long ago: that the Lord of Peng Clan had been fortunate in his children. I wondered now if that had been meant as an insult.
While I was lost in thought, Moyong Biyeon turned and looked in my direction—more precisely, at Gu Yeonseo.
“Are you okay?”
Gu Yeonseo flinched and immediately straightened her posture, clearly nervous. “Th-Thank you for helping me, Senior… I-I am Gu Yeonseo of the Gu Clan.”
Moyong Biyeon smiled gently, a stark contrast to her earlier ferocity, as if she found Gu Yeonseo adorable. “No need to call me Senior. Just call me sis.”
“H-How could I dare to…! I-I couldn’t possibly…!”
As Gu Yeonseo stammered, her face turning red, Moyong Biyeon simply smiled and patted her head. During this, Moyong Biyeon’s gaze lingered on the Gu Clan emblem displayed on Gu Yeonseo’s chest. There was a strange wistfulness in her eyes.
But why? Why was she looking at it like that?
A moment later, Moyong Biyeon’s expression returned to normal. “You were scared because of that bear of a man, right?”
“N-No…”
“No need to lie. Just think of it as getting unlucky and stepping in shit.”
Gu Yeonseo was too embarrassed to even meet her gaze. For some reason, watching my sworn sister being so flustered was hard to watch. Seeing this, Moyong Biyeon withdrew her hand from Gu Yeonseo’s shoulder.
Just as I was debating whether to formally greet her, Moyong Biyeon’s gaze shifted to me. I hurriedly raised my fist in a polite salute, wondering if she expected such a gesture.
But to my surprise, she addressed me with unexpected formality. “I didn’t interrupt you, did I?”
“Huh…?”
“I stepped in because I was angry, but it looked like you were about to handle it yourself.”
It seemed she had noticed I was preparing to intervene. But why was she being so polite?
“Not at all.”
“No need to be polite. Thank you. It must have been a hassle for you as well.”
I gave a bitter smile. So she noticed the barrier I had set up. I had deployed a sound barrier to contain their conversation, and she had detected it.
“I should be the one thanking you for the assistance, Senior.”
“Hmm?”
Hearing my response, Moyong Biyeon tilted her head, as if she found something odd. Had she noticed something strange about me? But I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. Her expression grew more doubtful before she suddenly started walking toward me. Without warning, she reached for the cloth covering the lower half of my face.
“…!”
I shot my hand out to grab her wrist, but she was faster than I anticipated. With a swift motion, she lifted my face cover, revealing my features to her.
“What are you…!”
I stared at her, insulted and confused by her sudden rudeness, but what I saw stunned me—Moyong Biyeon’s pupils were trembling violently.
I should be the one who’s shocked here. Why is she making that face?
Oblivious to my speechlessness, Moyong Biyeon spoke, her voice filled with profound shock and an odd, wistful longing.
“…Great Expert… Gu?”
“Pardon?”