Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Those Who Caught the Scent (4)
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*Click.*
The white-bearded old man, Jeong Illyong, closed the box and offered a faint smile.
“Quite impressive.”
“Haha, I'm glad you're satisfied.”
“Hmm? What are you talking about?”
“...?”
“I said it was impressive. I never said I was satisfied.”
The face of Ho Yang, Lord of the Clear Water Sect, hardened slightly.
But only for a moment. He then broke into a wide smile.
“Ah, please wait just a moment. I completely forgot that I had prepared a top-quality rug from the distant Western Regions.”
“Is that so?”
“I will have my subordinates bring it, so please wait a little longer. Would you care for another cup of tea?”
“Very well.”
*What an unnecessarily frank old man.*
Inwardly, he was cursing a storm, but Ho Yang's smile only grew brighter. To survive in the martial world, the skill of hiding one's true feelings was essential.
A moment later, steam began to rise from their teacups once more.
“You must be tired from your long journey. Thank you again for your trouble.”
“Haha, what trouble is there to speak of? I merely sat in a carriage pulled by my subordinates and did a bit of sightseeing.”
“And what did the world look like to you, Great Elder? Did it seem decent enough?”
“The world’s turbidity is nothing new. The weather was rather cold, but it grew warmer the further south we came.”
*That must be because your heart was fluttering at the thought of receiving a bribe.*
Ho Yang smiled brightly.
“The north is certainly cold. While it’s not for wearing, the rug from the Western Regions should be quite helpful when you’re attending to your duties.”
“Haha, how could I take your kindness lightly, Sect Lord? This tea is also no ordinary item.”
“I knew you would recognize it. It is a Dragon Well tea, specially procured to be served to you, Great Elder.”
“West Lake Dragon Well? It is said to be difficult to obtain even for a thousand gold pieces.”
“When a distinguished guest arrives, one must procure it even if it costs ten thousand gold pieces, not just a thousand.”
“Haha.”
“Haha!”
The two men burst into hearty laughter.
One was here to accept a bribe; the other was bowing his head to curry favor.
Though their positions were clearly different, on the surface, they appeared to be nothing more than cheerful friends.
“By the way, how is it? Is this Jiangxi province a good place to live?”
Ho Yang immediately let out a sigh.
“Jiangxi is an inherently fine land, but how can one simply laugh and chat because the land is good? The times being what they are, I am weary from this and that.”
“The times, you say?”
“Isn't that festival of the Demonic Cult followers just around the corner? I don't know the name of that festival that isn't even a festival.”
“You must be referring to the Festival of Papiyas.”
“Ah, yes. That’s it.”
“The Festival of Papiyas is the grandest event for the Demonic Cult. I’ve heard rumors that they’re stirring up trouble everywhere to gather all sorts of rare treasures from various regions.”
“You have no idea. Things are extremely chaotic because of those bandits.”
Jeong Illyong smiled gently. Dressed in white with a neatly trimmed white beard, he looked like a celestial immortal.
“Sect Lord Ho, you must be going through a lot. Now that you’ve passed fifty, it’s about time you wrap things up here and come up north.”
In that instant, Ho Yang felt his eyes light up.
“Would that be possible?”
“The north may be cold, but is it as lonely as a remote mountain village? Living among all sorts of people, you’ll find the north to be a pretty decent place as well.”
“Haha! As I thought, you are the only one who understands my heart, Great Elder.
My mind has been in turmoil and everything has felt tedious lately, so how wonderful would it be to go to a place that could grant me new vigor?”
Ho Yang’s face brightened noticeably. This was not a forced smile, but one of genuine joy.
How many bribes had he offered to enter the main headquarters of the Righteous Heaven Alliance? He must have uprooted several pillars of his sect.
The moment his efforts were about to bear fruit had finally arrived. Of course, he couldn't help but be happy.
A short while later, a servant brought in a red rug, neatly tied with blue silk.
Jeong Illyong glanced at the rug and nodded. He recognized it as the finest quality available from the Western Regions.
“When I return to the headquarters, I will put in a good word with the higher-ups. You have more than enough experience running a sect, but the Alliance is a new environment. I’ll look for a suitable position for you in the inner court.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Great Elder.”
The warrior standing guard behind Jeong Illyong collected the box and the rug.
“Well then, I shall be on my way.”
“Are you returning to the Alliance immediately?”
“No. I came this way to see my mother, whom I haven't been able to visit for several years. I only need to go two hundred li further south.”
A look of concern crossed Ho Yang’s face.
“Who doesn’t know that your martial arts have reached the realm of gods, Great Elder, but please be careful.
I am concerned that those wicked Demonic Cult followers might dare to soil your clothes.”
“Haha, I may be old, but I’m still on active duty. Even if the Cult Leader himself came, I would scold him and chase him away, so Sect Lord Ho, you needn't worry.”
Jeong Illyong glanced at the rug held by the warrior and smiled deeply.
“Well, what could possibly happen?”
***
Having opened all the boxes, the middle-aged man, Oh Gyeonghwa, had a glint in his eyes.
“Hmm.”
The boxes were filled to the brim with goods.
Oh Gyeonghwa was puzzled.
“They're all rare medicinal herbs. Things that are hard to come by even for a thousand gold pieces. But… why would anyone try to acquire these in such large quantities at a time like this?”
The Festival of Papiyas was approaching, but were such items necessary for that festival, which was just a glorified ritual?
*‘They're rare, but not the kind you can make elixirs from. Something smells fishy.’*
Oh Gyeonghwa shrugged.
“Well, I suppose I don’t need to worry about such things.”
The order from above was to strike this target and seize all the goods destined for the Demonic Cult.
It was a mission he didn't like, but since he had already done it, he didn't want to bother with useless thoughts.
Closing all the boxes, he looked around.
“Let's finish up… Tsk, tsk, those beasts are at it again.”
*Splat! Crunch! Crack!*
Dark shadows were viciously tearing at the corpses.
Blood was spattered everywhere, and fragmented bodies that were once human were scattered about. It was a gruesome scene that would make a faint-hearted person pass out immediately.
A look of disgust crossed Oh Gyeonghwa's face.
“They don't know the meaning of moderation. This is why I hate you all. I'll never understand why the Fortress Lord trained with scum like them.”
Just then, Gwak Sa approached his side.
“Reporting.”
“…”
“There are no survivors. All the goods have been recovered, so we just need to burn this place down before we leave.”
“I can see that. Stop with the useless chatter. How are our men?”
“There are three with minor injuries, but no one is seriously wounded or dead.”
Oh Gyeonghwa frowned.
“Three with minor injuries, you say?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You useless freeloaders! How strong could they have been for you to get even minor injuries?”
He was displeased with everything. This mission, the beasts he had to accompany, and his subordinates who got scratched by some pathetic cultists—he hated it all.
What he hated most of all was that there had been no one here skilled enough for a spectacular fight.
*‘The Demonic Cult has really gone downhill. Even if it’s just a transport mission, they sent a whole convoy for what they call rare treasures, yet this is the extent of their forces?’*
The five who had rushed in later were somewhat decent, but that was it. They were skilled enough to be called first-rate, but he could have sent them all to the underworld with a few flicks of his fingers.
“How many did you say they deliberately sent our way?”
“About four or five. They were too far away for an accurate count.”
“You incompetent fool. Enough. Call the men and have them pack all this up. Get ready to leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you.”
“Your command, sir.”
*Slap!*
Gwak Sa fell flat on his backside. The slap to his cheek was so hard that the world spun before his eyes.
“I saw you talking to those beasts earlier.”
“*Cough!*”
“I don't care what you talked about. But you know how much I despise them, don't you?”
“…”
“I hold your leash. If you're a dog, act like one and keep your head down.
Don't get ahead of yourself and contact them, and don't hate anyone without my permission. Just think of yourself as my puppet. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, now go.”
He had been on the verge of exploding with irritation, but venting his anger on this fool who didn't know his place seemed to calm him down considerably.
“Move the goods, and do a final check for any other valuables.”
“As you command.”
Gwak Sa staggered away. The blow hadn't been a simple slap but was imbued with internal energy, so he would likely have trouble even standing properly.
Oh Gyeonghwa snorted.
*‘I'll have to train him well from now on.’*
Though he had vented his frustrations, if handled correctly, the man could be quite useful. Even the Grand Marshal had acknowledged his intellect.
Just then, an unfamiliar sound came from behind him.
“…Ugh.”
Oh Gyeonghwa turned his head. In a corner, the hand of a corpse buried under a collapsed wall trembled.
He casually kicked a stone with his foot.
*Crash! Thud! Rumble!*
Amidst the shattered and scattered stones, a blood-soaked cultist looked up at Oh Gyeonghwa with swollen eyes.
Oh Gyeonghwa grinned.
“Well, well? A tough one, aren’t you? Aren't you the one who was sent flying by my palm strike earlier?”
“You…”
“Green robes… You don't seem to belong to the outer court. Are you from the inner court?”
“*Cough! Kegh!*”
Blood droplets flew out with each ragged cough. He wasn't dead yet, but it was clear he would be soon.
*Woooong.*
For a moment, the cultist’s eyes became clear. It was a final flicker of life.
“…The Demonic God will not let you go.”
Oh Gyeonghwa scoffed.
“You people are truly amusing. How can you worship a Demonic God when there are so many other gods to serve? The Demonic Cult followers are all insane.”
*Squeeze.*
His foot pressed down on the cultist’s neck.
“If you love your Demonic God so much, why don't you all die and go to his side?”
“*Gurgle.*”
“Don't have the courage to die? I'll help you.”
*Crack!*
The cultist’s neck snapped. His wide-open eyes turned a grayish color, and his tongue lolled out, dangling below his chin.
“If the Demonic God you believe in truly exists, then go ahead and beg him in the afterlife. Tell him your heart is filled with resentment and ask him to kill me.”
Oh Gyeonghwa sneered at the dead cultist and turned away.
A moment later, the dark shadows descended upon the dead cultist's body like vultures.
*Crunch! Splat!*
***
Juhwa’s eyes wavered.
“…How horrible.”
Yeon-i’s face turned pale. Ma Dongpil’s expression was grim.
They were looking at a building that had been burnt black. Limbs jutting out from between the broken walls had been gnawed on as if by beasts, their bones exposed.
“What should we do, Chief Administrator?”
“Acting Captain, have your members start clearing the debris here.”
“Understood.”
Yeon-i bowed his head and began issuing orders to the cultists.
Juhwa rolled up her sleeves.
“You should rest, Chief Administrator.”
“No.”
How could she possibly rest after witnessing such a tragedy?
But Yeon-i was genuinely worried. As one of So Yeonsim’s trusted aides alongside Yeonil, he knew Juhwa well.
“Hasn't it been long since you recovered from the demonic deviation? If you overexert yourself now…”
*Crack-crack!*
“...!”
A white frost instantly formed on the stone Juhwa had picked up. It was the result of the concentrated cold energy from her Lunar Yin Demonic Art.
“I’ve already recovered a significant portion of my martial arts. You no longer need to treat me like a patient.”
“…Understood.”
“Let’s begin.”
The transport unit's cultists and Juhwa began clearing the building’s debris. The fifty members of the Third Protectorate Squad fanned out to guard against any potential attacks.
Ma Dongpil, who had been surveying the area, approached the carriage at the rear.
“Young Master.”
“Is that you, Dongpil?”
Ma Dongpil flinched. The Young Master's voice coming from inside the carriage was unsettling for some reason.
“Yes. The cultists who were waiting at the rendezvous point are all…”
“Dongpil.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
*Thunk!*
The carriage door opened, and Seo Ryang stepped out.
He raised his head and looked up at the sky. As he took a deep breath, his eyes grew increasingly bloodshot.
“Go borrow a heavy blade for me.”