Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Winds of Change (4)
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A smile settled on Murong Bi's face.
A completely different expression from the one he wore with his squad members.
"Has Suhyang come?"
In that instant, Murong Suhyang shuddered all over. Hearing that walking disaster of a brother call her name so casually sent goosebumps crawling across her skin.
She swallowed the curse that nearly escaped her lips on instinct and forced a casual tone.
"What are you doing with the night watch warriors at this hour? Rehearsing a dance?"
"Flexibility training."
Murong Suhyang snickered.
"Flexibility? You can split your legs as wide as them?"
Murong Bi's response to her taunting tone was brazen beyond belief.
"Of course not."
Bewilderment spread across the squad members' faces.
Murong Suhyang spoke in utter disbelief as well.
"I knew you were shameless, but I didn't realize it was this bad."
"I can't do it now, but I will later."
"So you're only making the squad members do it?"
"Right now, what's important to me is stamina recovery—not something like flexibility."
"That sounds plausible enough."
"Everyone's circumstances are different. What's crucial for me at the moment isn't for them, just as what they need isn't what I need right now."
An enigmatic profundity lingered in his calm voice.
Murong Suhyang stared silently at her brother for a moment before approaching one of the squad members.
"You remember how every single mess that guy's caused was beyond imagination, right? Don't let him fool you."
"Nngh..."
"But does it really not split that much?"
"Th-this isn't ordinary, miss."
"Is that so?"
Murong Suhyang tilted her head and smoothly split her legs.
The squad members' groans cut off in an instant.
Having perfectly split her legs into a straight line, she casually lifted her upper body. She did it using only the strength in her heels and toes.
Murong Suhyang tilted her head again.
"It's not as hard as I thought."
The squad members stared at her in a daze, their faces flushing beet red.
"Miss, you're a woman, so your flexibility..."
Swish.
"Gaaahhh!"
Murong Bi pinned the squad member's shoulder down and clicked his tongue.
"It works because she's a woman? Then are all the men in the world as stiff as you lot?"
"Th-that's not... grrk."
"Gender, talent, environment—they're all different. The key isn't obsessing over what you can't change. It's knowing your own strengths and building on them."
Murong Suhyang's eyes quivered faintly.
Murong Bi continued.
"And you fool, whining that it hurts because a woman can split wide? Warriors who live by the blade should've done this ages ago—instead of making excuses out of shame."
"I get it, so please, ease up..."
"You're going down fine. What's the problem? Lower more!"
Press.
"Kaaak!"
Surprisingly, the squad member's bamboo hat flattened even further. In the end, it was doable.
Releasing his hand, Murong Bi said with a dissatisfied frown.
"I'd love to switch legs and drag this out another half shichen, but time's almost up. Split as wide as you can for the last half geng."
The squad members' upper bodies swayed like seaweed in the ocean current, their cries filling the air.
Murong Bi turned to Murong Suhyang.
"Did you visit Big Sis?"
Murong Suhyang stared at him without replying.
Murong Bi feigned ignorance and pressed on.
"She looks fine, but she still can't overdo it. The Chief Steward will take good care of her, but we need to handle our share without adding to her worries."
Murong Suhyang smiled coldly.
"It's hilarious hearing that from you."
"Is it?"
"Sis got sick because of you. And now you're pretending to care?"
"Wrong."
"What?"
"Not 'now, belatedly'—but doing it now, even if late."
"...Shameless bastard."
Murong Suhyang whipped around, her robes rustling sharply.
"I don't trust you."
She left those words of distrust in a faintly trembling voice and headed to her quarters.
Watching her retreating back, Murong Bi mused.
'As expected, Flame Blood suits her.'
Her flexibility was impressive, but her resilience stood out even more.
Once she set her mind on something, she seemed the type to charge ahead relentlessly. If she could act decisively despite her overthinking, Flame Blood would be perfect.
'Well, with such exceptional martial talent, anything would suit her.'
With proper guidance, she could master any of the clan's arts.
'Looking forward to it.'
Imagining a grown Murong Suhyang wielding twin blade and sword like a storm across the jianghu already filled him with satisfaction.
'That said, Suhyang isn't entirely wrong.'
He wanted to train alongside them, but he needed to preserve his stamina until tomorrow night.
'Will the Mixed Origin Heart Method be enough? Worst case, I might have to pick up the Mixed Origin One Qi Technique too.'
The Mixed Origin One Qi Technique was top-class, so learning it posed no issue.
But Murong Bi's true ultimate art wasn't one of the clan's.
More precisely, it had become the clan's since he learned it—but no one else had.
'Once I reach Wuji True Qi, I can finally breathe easy.'
Thanks to the Brain Gate Heart Technique's nature, he could operate two arts simultaneously—one being the Three Purities Formula.
Wuji True Qi was the core method of the Three Purities Wuji True Formula, the pinnacle of Daoist martial arts.
'Without Brain Gate, I'd have gone straight for Forbidden Demon.'
Three Purities Formula and Forbidden Demon Formula.
Those two ultimate arts were his true techniques—the ones of the Bright Martial Sovereign, known as the Mad Demon.
'Lifespan shortened, but my insights remain. Perhaps this life, I can master Brain Gate, Three Purities, and Forbidden Demon all together.'
Lost in thought, Murong Bi suddenly turned at the feeling of eyes on him.
The squad members in their splits gazed at him with pitiful eyes.
"Ah, we're not done yet?"
"Huh? Has half a geng passed already?"
"One full geng has!"
Not bad—they hadn't disturbed him while deep in contemplation.
"More training than the next squad isn't bad, right? Should we just keep going another half shichen?"
"We want to stand watch!"
Murong Bi chuckled and beckoned to Gwan-hyeon.
Three squad members relaxed their poses. They groaned in pain but staggered back to their posts, showing decent endurance.
Gwan-hyeon and Jong-hwan immediately split their legs front and back.
Surprisingly, their splits went even wider than before.
Murong Bi gripped their shoulders firmly.
"I'll say it again. It's not about a perfect split. You need to sense your muscles' stretching limits every moment. Hip joints, lumbar, thoracic, cervical, shoulder girdle—once you feel every muscle there, that's when the real training begins."
The Murong House evening grew feverish with an unexpected wave of training enthusiasm.
And after some time passed.
"Young master!"
One of the squad members who had gone out with Jin-gwang rushed in.
"Ten Sword Sect sent people!"
"Who?"
"The sect leader's eldest daughter, Elder Flame Sword, and an escort warrior—three in total!"
A smile spread across Murong Bi's face.
"Good, they're quick."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Wuhan's tavern district buzzed even more boisterously in the evening.
Plenty of drunks, plenty of out-of-towners gawking at the nightless city.
At a glance, it seemed utter chaos—but look again, and it brimmed with vibrant energy. Small wonder the people of Hubei loved Wuhan.
"Noisy."
A hoary man past forty, nearing fifty, plugged his ears with his sleeve.
"This damn street annoys me every time I come."
Lady Hwang Inhwa, her face veiled, spoke calmly.
"We have many businesses on this street, Elder."
"I know. Without these crazy bastards letting loose, we wouldn't make a dime. But what can you do? I just hate bustling streets."
"My apologies. No need for this on my account."
Elder Flame Sword Yi Jeong waved her off.
"What kind of talk is that? For sect matters, of course I step up. If anything, I'm grateful you recommended me, Division Leader Hwang."
A strange excitement lit Yi Jeong's features.
With his explosive temper, he sprouted thorns on his tongue without a daily scrap. Lately bored to death with the Ten Sword Sect's business expansions, this outing felt like a godsend.
Lady Hwang Inhwa thought to herself.
'I hope it doesn't come to that.'
His temper aside, Yi Jeong's skills ranked top three in the sect excluding her father. He was at least a full level stronger than her current self.
'If needed, he'll have to draw his sword and suppress them.'
She didn't want rash swordplay when words might suffice.
In that sense, Yi Jeong was reassuring. No one in Wuhan didn't know him—including the Murong House folk.
His mere presence would exert powerful pressure. Leading the talks would be far easier.
But if they still stiffened their necks?
'Then we'll have to show the gap in strength.'
No actual beheadings.
Just enough to demonstrate the difference. That alone would suffice as a threat.
'Curious thing is Murong Bi's martial arts.'
He wiped out the Black Tiger Gang single-handedly?
She and the other two could manage that easily enough.
'Unlikely, but better proceed assuming he's stronger than me.'
Even so, he couldn't block all three. Handling her, Yi Jeong, and escort Yeong alone would require at least her father's level.
Naturally, no nineteen-year-old youth's skills—however long trained—could surpass her father's.
'Not some meticulously nurtured young expert from a great sect, after all.'
Her thoughts had deepened when—
"...?"
Lady Hwang Inhwa glanced up at the tavern to her left.
"What's wrong, Division Leader Hwang?"
"Something..."
"Hm?"
"Feels like someone's watching us."
Yi Jeong snickered.
"A veil can't hide that beauty. Right now, at least ten guys must be stealing glances at you."
Of course.
But Lady Hwang Inhwa felt an inexplicable unease.
'Am I being too sensitive?'
Come to think of it, she'd been swamped lately, barely sleeping. On top of that, she'd swung her sword through the night under the guise of training.
"Must be me overreacting."
"Don't worry. It's just the Murong House, right? I'll guard you solidly, so go ahead and crush those arrogant bastards."
"Your words alone reassure me."
"Hahaha!"
Yi Jeong's laughter rang out with particular gusto.
Better that way. Otherwise, she might have burst at the sporadic conversations drifting over.
"Never thought Young Lord Murong was such an expert."
"It's not about being an expert. He smashed the Black Tiger Gang alone!"
"Accomplishing what even Ten Sword Sect and Hong Sword Clan couldn't—what a revelation."
"If I had a daughter, I'd seriously consider him as a match."
"Tsk, why else would the Murong young master step up? I'm more bothered by Ten Sword Sect and Hong Sword Clan than his prowess. Something suspicious about it."
Lady Hwang Inhwa's face turned icy.
'Lowly scum.'
They couldn't shout in Wuhan's streets, but every voice dripped with resentment.
'You've forgotten who puts food on your tables.'
No need to treat commoners too well.
Control them just enough to stave off hunger. That way, they learn to fear their masters.
'Go on, yap away. You'll soon remember who rules Wuhan.'
Two geng later.
The group arrived before Murong House.
Before Lady Hwang Inhwa could speak, Yi Jeong kicked the main gate and bellowed.
"We've come from Ten Sword Sect! Open the gate!"
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