Chapter 68
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Those Who Caught the Scent (3)
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Jeong Illyong.
He had entered the world of martial arts late, at the age of thirty. Within two years, he made a name for himself in Sichuan and was immediately invited to join the Righteous Heaven Alliance as a master.
The Alliance treated him with the utmost respect, and after a series of successes, he became an Elder of the Alliance at the remarkable age of forty-five.
Throughout the Alliance's history, few had become Elders before the age of fifty. This wasn't just a matter of skill; it also meant his political acumen was exceptionally sharp.
Steadily honing his abilities, he eventually became the Grand Elder at the age of sixty, reigning over all other Elders.
But he had overplayed his hand. The Alliance Leader had long seen through his ambition to turn the leader into a puppet while he himself became the true power.
In the end, due to the Alliance Leader's petty, vicious, and cunning machinations, Jeong Illyong was reduced to a dog who could only obey his master's commands.
This was because the Alliance Leader had been secretly collecting evidence of all the corruption Jeong Illyong had committed over the years.
It was also why the Alliance Leader had allowed him to become the Grand Elder. By leashing Jeong Illyong, he could control all the other Elders.
*That bastard is here?*
Seo Ryang recalled the face of the man who, at the end of his life, had mercilessly hacked off his right leg.
That shrewd old monster never did anything that would put him at a disadvantage. He was a heartless piece of trash who would sell out his own grandchildren if his personal safety was at stake.
That was why he hadn't shown himself even when Seo Ryang was hunted for seven days and nights, covered in countless wounds.
Only after Seo Ryang suffered a fatal wound from his battle with the Flying Demon King did he finally appear and swing his blade.
*To think my leg was severed by a man like that.*
It was as if blades were shooting from Seo Ryang's eyes as he glared at the letter.
*Rumble.*
The forest fell silent before the unconsciously rising killing intent.
*Jeong Illyong…!*
A magnificent physique, clad in immaculate white robes that tolerated not a single blemish. A well-groomed beard that made the moniker "Lord of the Beautiful Beard" seem inadequate.
They hadn't met many times, but he remembered clearly how many wrinkles were on his face. He remembered it all, even the greed and distorted expression that didn't suit his clear eyes.
*Ssssss.*
The cold killing intent became a fiery madness, incinerating his body. It felt as if his hair was turning white with rage.
"…!"
He wanted to tear him limb from limb and feed him to the dogs.
"…ster! …ung Master!"
To hell with escaping, he wanted to grab that bastard and crush him right now. He wanted to unleash every assassination and torture technique he had ever learned.
He wanted to break him so completely that he would beg for death.
*Screech.*
Seo Ryang's eyes grew sharper and sharper, like the slit eyes of a demon.
Just then, a low, heavy voice rang out.
"Young Master!"
Seo Ryang snapped out of it and looked at Ma Dongpil.
Ma Dongpil's face was deathly pale. His forehead was drenched in a cold sweat, and his shoulders were trembling slightly.
"Why are you…?"
In that moment, Seo Ryang realized his mistake. Ma Dongpil had been using all his strength to block the killing intent that was radiating uncontrollably from him.
*Whoosh.*
As Seo Ryang struggled to rein in his killing intent, Ma Dongpil finally let out a sigh of relief.
"My apologies. That was my mistake."
"Haa. It's nothing."
"Are you alright?"
"Of course. Please don't worry."
Though he said that, Ma Dongpil was inwardly stunned.
*He's incredible.*
How could an ant possibly see the talons of a hawk soaring through the sky? And yet, Ma Dongpil had thought he had some grasp of Seo Ryang's abilities.
*I was wrong. Such terrifying…*
He had nearly suffered internal injuries just by enveloping the burning killing intent with his own energy. If that dense killing intent had exploded, he might have been truly wounded.
And there was another thing that surprised him.
*He despises the Righteous Heaven Alliance. Immensely so.*
It was an emotion he hadn't known about for the past year. As a member of the Divine Cult, the headquarters of the demonic martial world, it might seem natural, but the Young Master's hatred seemed to go beyond that.
"Anyone else? Was there any other information?"
"There was nothing. I don't know the reason, but for someone of the Grand Elder's status to be here, it must be no ordinary matter. It seems they're thoroughly controlling the flow of information on their end."
"That makes sense."
It had always been that way. The Alliance Leader, having decided he'd amassed enough power, focused all his efforts not on further expanding his forces, but on securing faster and more accurate intelligence.
In the north, the Righteous Heaven Alliance; in the south, the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon.
The intelligence networks of the two were unrivaled in their respective territories. If one had to compare, the Righteous Heaven Alliance excelled in breadth, while the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon was superior in precision.
*That old man, the Alliance Leader, targeted the Heavenly Demon, the Grand Marshal, and the Great Protector with my final contract.*
That meant he had judged that if he could just dismantle the Divine Cult, he could seize the world. And it also meant he believed he had built up enough power to do so.
*But he failed.*
The Alliance Leader's faith in the King of Slaughter was absolute. He might have genuinely believed that I could assassinate the three key figures of the Divine Cult.
In reality, eliminating just one of them would shake the Divine Cult. And the Righteous Heaven Alliance would never have missed the opening created by the inevitable gap in the Divine Cult's power.
But the job failed.
Because of the sudden escape of Seo Ryang, the man called the King of Slaughter.
*And now, a year later, Jeong Illyong has entered Jiangxi. He certainly wouldn't have come alone.*
Why? What reason does that bastard have for coming to the Jiangxi area?
"Young Master."
"Hm?"
A subtle hint of worry appeared on Ma Dongpil's stoic face.
"Are you alright?"
"…Yes."
Seo Ryang handed the letter back to him.
"When does the transport team depart?"
"They're scheduled to leave tomorrow morning."
They were resting longer than expected before leaving. It seemed they were being considerate of the patient traveling with them.
"I see. You should get some rest too."
"Ah, yes."
Seo Ryang walked away with heavy steps.
Ma Dongpil, who had been staring blankly at his back, called out to him again.
"Young Master."
"What? Is there something else?"
"No. It's just…"
Ma Dongpil smiled and bowed his head. His smile looked quite natural now.
"It is an honor to see you again."
Seo Ryang smiled back.
"It's good to see you too."
*It is good to see him, but this isn't a situation where I can relax and enjoy the reunion.*
Returning to the carriage, Seo Ryang sat silently by the window, lost in thought.
*Jeong Illyong.*
*Thump!*
His heartbeat quickened. The blood coursing through his veins felt thicker.
*You're coming? You bastard?*
His fists trembled. The veins bulging on the back of his hands throbbed as if they would burst.
But that, too, was brief.
*…Damn it.*
His energy suddenly drained away.
He pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling weak.
*Like an idiot… What does it matter if that bastard is nearby or not? Why do I keep getting hung up on him?*
What was my goal? Escape, wasn't it? Freedom?
When I abandoned my past life, I also cast away the name King of Slaughter. No matter how infuriating it is, there's no reason for me to hunt him down and kill him now.
A life away from the martial world. It might still be a muddy mess, but didn't I want to leave for a place where the concept of the *Murim* doesn't exist and live in peace?
I'm trying to leave the Divine Cult for that splendid dream.
Once I leave the Cult, nothing can stop me. I'll visit the safe houses I prepared across the Central Plains, recover my martial arts, grab a hefty sum of money, and disappear beyond the borders.
If I can do that… I can finally live my own life, the one I've yearned for for decades.
*Right. I can't forget my purpose. I can't abandon my dream.*
Life is something that can fall apart with a single misstep, even when you stick to the plan. If I let myself be swayed by a fleeting emotion, a happy life will only drift further away.
I can't act like a fool, like some clueless child.
Jeong Illyong? Frankly, even if the Alliance Leader himself were standing before me, I should be able to ignore him and walk away.
Even if he played a huge part in my death, I just have to bury it and go my own way.
Yes, let's do that. Let's live for my dream, just as I've been doing. If I act rashly now, I'll only regret it later, right?
*Damn it.*
*Thump, thump!*
As time passed, his heart beat stronger. His mind knew this was wrong, but his body reacted first.
*I want to kill him.*
A reddish light seemed to leak from his tightly shut eyes. It felt as if he opened his eyes, he would run out alone to where that man was.
*I want to tear him to pieces and kill him.*
It was as if someone were whispering a deep temptation in his ear.
*Laugh if you want to laugh. Cry if you want to cry.*
*And if you want to kill, then kill.*
*Just live as your heart desires.*
"Hup!"
*Ruuuumble!*
Surging demonic energy. The shadowy demonic energy boiling in his gut threatened to rise up his throat and erupt into the world.
Juhwa's eyes wavered.
"Young Master?!"
He had come in without a word and fallen into thought, and now he was suddenly emitting an unsettling demonic energy. He was somehow suppressing it so it didn't leak out of the carriage, but that would only last for a moment.
Just then, Geumho, who had been sleeping with a soft purr, snapped its eyes open.
*Pat, pat.*
Geumho quickly got up and climbed onto Seo Ryang's lap.
*Hummm.*
At the same time, Seo Ryang's explosive demonic energy calmed down.
"Hah!"
Seo Ryang opened his eyes. The red glow that had filled his pupils was gone.
*Drip.*
The cold sweat running down his forehead was proof of the immense mental energy he had just expended.
"Young Master, are you alright?"
Seo Ryang didn't answer. He didn't have the presence of mind to.
His eyes, looking down at Geumho, trembled.
*Was that you?*
Geumho licked Seo Ryang's nose with its tongue.
*Swoosh.*
A moment later, the demonic energy that had been blazing with anger completely subsided.
"Hoo."
He picked up Geumho and stroked it. Purring contentedly, Geumho fell back asleep.
"Young Master…"
"Chief Steward Ju."
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
"How is your body? Have you tried circulating your energy?"
"I-I'm fine. Every last bit of impure energy has been expelled. It's all thanks to you, Young Master."
"Your wrist."
Juhwa carefully pushed up her sleeve.
Seo Ryang took her pulse.
"Hm, you've definitely improved. With two or three more days of help, you should be able to recover your Lunar Yin Demonic Art."
"Thank you."
"Since we're on the subject, let's resume the treatment."
As he gently set Geumho down, Seo Ryang's eyes were slightly bloodshot.
***
Yeon-i glanced back.
The transport team, which had been moving nonstop for the past nine days, had already reached the vicinity of Jiangxi.
If time had been tight, they wouldn't have been able to travel at such a leisurely pace.
However, Juhwa's condition had improved so much along the way that there was no need to move slowly. That was how they managed to shave a day off the ten-day journey.
Yeon-i bowed her head to Ma Dongpil.
"You've worked hard."
"We still have the return trip. Let's save our farewells for then."
His words were blunt but had a straightforward charm. Yeon-i smiled and looked around.
"It's a relief there aren't many items to take back."
"Is it?"
"Pardon?"
"…Nothing."
A subtle worry crossed Ma Dongpil's face.
Not having many items to take back also meant that what they did have was that much more precious. And treasure always attracts flies.
One might wonder what audacious fool would dare to target the Divine Cult's property, but they couldn't let their guard down until the very end.
"By the way, what's taking the scouting party so long?"
Yeon-i clicked her tongue. The Third Protectorate Squad was solely responsible for escorting the transport team. The scouts were, of course, members chosen from the transport team.
In truth, they were less a scouting party and more an advance team sent to clear the way.
"Given the terrain, it's likely taking them some time."
"But we sent them two days ahead. They're not usually this slow…"
She seemed embarrassed, perhaps thinking the guards from the Hall of Protectors were watching. Yeon-i cleared her throat and looked ahead.
How much time passed like that?
"Hm, is that them coming…?"
In that instant, Yeon-i's eyes widened.
*Paaang!*
Kicking his horse into a gallop, Ma Dongpil instantly closed the distance to the returning scouts.
"Cough!"
"Are you alright? Hey!"
"Th-Third Squad Leader?"
"What happened? Why are there only half of you? And this blood…?"
"It's a disaster! A fight broke out at the rendezvous point!"
"A fight?! Who in the world—!"
"We don't know! We were caught in the aftermath and are retreating! Among the enemies, there's one incredible master…!"
*Creeak.*
The door of the rearmost carriage opened.