Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Winds of Change (5)
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Creak.
The great gate swung open.
"You've come from the Ten Sword Sect?"
A frail, raspy voice.
A chilling scar marred his face, but his back was hunched and his legs shaky. Anyone would see him as an ordinary old man with a disability.
Yi Jeong asked flatly.
"Is the Acting Patriarch inside?"
"She is."
"Take us to her."
Old Man Gwak replied calmly.
"May I have your names from the Ten Sword Sect?"
"Where does this thunderbolt-headed old buzzard get off—"
Fire flared in Yi Jeong's eyes.
At that moment, Lady Hwang Jihwa stepped forward.
"I am Lady Hwang Jihwa, Financial Hall Leader of the Ten Sword Sect. This gentleman is Elder Yi Jeong of the main sect."
The young woman standing behind her clearly looked like a bodyguard, but Old Man Gwak asked once more.
"And the one behind you?"
Yi Jeong bellowed.
"Has senility addled your brain, you old hag? We've given the sect leader's precious daughter's name and the elder's— what more do you want?!"
He looked ready to draw his sword at any second.
Lady Hwang Jihwa raised a hand to stop Yi Jeong.
"Elder."
"......Grh."
"The person behind me is my personal bodyguard. Does that answer your question?"
Old Man Gwak bowed his head politely.
"Please wait just a moment. I'll inform the Acting Patriarch."
Yi Jeong's face suddenly turned icy.
"Wait?"
This time, even Lady Hwang Jihwa didn't intervene.
They had observed the bare minimum of courtesy, after all. Truth be told, it was already crossing the line for some lowly gatekeeper—who wasn't even blood kin—to make people from the Ten Sword Sect wait.
Yi Jeong strode through the gate and jabbed a finger into Old Man Gwak's chest.
"What if I can't wait?"
It was just a finger, but he was an elder of the Ten Sword Sect.
Old Man Gwak was shoved backward and tumbled to the ground. Unconcealed pain twisted his face, but he didn't groan.
Yi Jeong spoke in a chilling tone.
"How dare a withered old wretch like you strut before the great Ten Sword Sect? Do you truly have a death wish?"
Staggering to his feet, Old Man Gwak straightened his back and replied.
"No matter one's status, a guest is a guest. If you arrive unannounced, isn't it proper etiquette for a guest to wait for the host?"
"What?!"
"Would the exalted ones of the Ten Sword Sect, who dominate the Murim world, act this way even when visiting the Nine Great Sects?"
Whoosh!
Killing intent blazed from Yi Jeong's body like fire.
"This mad old fool's flapping his trap."
Yi Jeong's eyes rapidly turned bloodshot with genuine fury.
Lady Hwang Jihwa intervened.
"Elder."
"Don't try to stop me, Hall Leader Hwang."
"We've come to talk."
"You talk, Hall Leader. I need to teach this insolent old man some manners first."
He had come already fuming with excitement. He had no desire to hold back against a mere gatekeeper.
Lady Hwang Jihwa sighed.
"If you must, do it later. We didn't come here to see blood right from the start, did we?"
Yi Jeong glared at Old Man Gwak for a moment, then growled like a beast.
"Thanks to you, Hall Leader, that pathetic neck gets to stay attached a little longer. He should be grateful."
"Please wait outside until I send word."
Thwack!
"Kuh!"
Old Man Gwak collapsed on the spot from a palm strike to his shoulder.
Yi Jeong kicked the fallen man aside and took the lead.
"Let's go."
Lady Hwang Jihwa glanced down at Old Man Gwak.
He clutched his chest in agony, struggling to rise slowly. The pain must have been intense; he couldn't get up easily.
"Old timer."
Lady Hwang Jihwa's voice was calm.
"In the martial world, knowing how to get by is key. In the future, pick your targets before waving your pride around."
Yi Jeong sneered.
"What wisdom for a senile old coot? Never mind him—let's go."
"Very well."
With that, the three entered the outer compound.
Staggering to his feet, Old Man Gwak pursued them.
A moment later.
Thud.
Yi Jeong flung open the inner compound gate without permission, and his eyes fell on the patriarch's quarters a short distance away.
"What a puny little shack."
Even combining the outer and inner compounds, it seemed less than a third of the Ten Sword Sect's outer grounds.
Yi Jeong laughed openly.
"Still, a martial house has to stand guard."
Five warriors stood watch around the patriarch's quarters.
At a glance, their stances were sloppy. Their upper bodies were straight, but their lower bodies wobbled unsteadily. Each had their legs slightly spread, as if they'd been kicked in the groin before. It was the most ridiculous sight imaginable.
Yi Jeong was dumbfounded.
"And they call those swordmasters... without even the basics."
That was when it happened.
"Hm?"
Someone sat cross-legged in front of the guards.
His presence was strangely faint, but once noticed, nothing else registered.
"It's Young Master Murong Bi."
Lady Hwang Jihwa's eyes deepened.
"Cultivating a heart technique?"
Swish.
Murong Bi rose slowly from his cross-legged position.
For some reason, Lady Hwang Jihwa found the motion strangely graceful.
Then, the bodyguard Yeong spoke.
"It's peculiar."
He hadn't uttered a word the entire way here.
Lady Hwang Jihwa and Yi Jeong turned to him.
Yeong's face was hard to see under his bamboo hat, but the surprise in his voice was palpable to both.
"He has no muscle to speak of, yet his movements are remarkably fluid. Not a motion wasted."
Yi Jeong snorted.
"Just from standing up?"
"Merely my impression."
"I know you're a fine bodyguard, but aren't you being overly cautious?"
Yeong said no more.
Snorting, Yi Jeong strode up to the patriarch's quarters.
That was when it happened.
Creak.
Old Man Gwak entered the inner compound, dragging his pained body to catch up somehow.
Yi Jeong glanced back at him with a smirk, then turned to the quarters.
In that instant.
'......?!'
Yi Jeong flinched involuntarily.
Murong Bi was staring right at him. And that gaze was utterly eerie.
Less than ten paces away. Fires burned here and there, but it was still night.
Yet Murong Bi's eyes gleamed with unnatural clarity.
Bluish, perhaps, or stark white. Either way, intensely piercing.
'......'
He nearly swallowed dryly without meaning to.
He didn't know why. Nothing to tense up over beyond the intense stare, yet his body tightened oddly.
And then.
Swish.
Murong Bi's gaze shifted from Yi Jeong to Old Man Gwak.
Only then did Yi Jeong feel the tension ease.
'What was that?'
The needless tension drained away, leaving him irritated.
'I don't like that brat's eyes.'
At that moment, Murong Bi spoke.
"Old Man Gwak."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Escort the guests."
"Yes, sir."
Old Man Gwak bowed to the three.
"Follow me..."
"Follow? As if."
Yi Jeong marched straight toward Murong Bi.
Murong Bi stood calmly with hands behind his back, neither tense nor relaxed.
Stopping a pace away, Yi Jeong declared boldly.
"I am Yi Jeong, the Flame Sword of the Ten Sword Sect! And this is Lady Hwang Jihwa, the sect leader's precious daughter and Financial Hall Leader!"
In this official setting, he gave her the respect due.
"I've come to see the Acting Patriarch. Is she inside?"
"Step aside."
"What?"
Murong Bi nodded toward the side with his chin.
"Park your sword and come forward."
Yi Jeong let out an incredulous laugh.
"You telling me to park my sword...?"
"If you're not here to talk, you're here for blood. Leading with your hot-tempered blade means no need for words—just fight? Or..."
Murong Bi tilted his head slightly, glancing at Lady Hwang Jihwa.
"Did you bring a feral dog to seize control of the conversation?"
"......?!"
"Living so pathetically."
Yi Jeong's face twisted.
"You little shit...!"
"Exactly."
Lady Hwang Jihwa stepped forward.
"Elder Yi Jeong of the Flame Sword is one of our sect's fiercest blades."
With her own admission, Yi Jeong was left speechless.
Lady Hwang Jihwa continued.
"But don't misunderstand. We've come to talk, not to spill blood."
Her voice rang with confidence.
As if saying that if it came to a fight, they'd be the ones bleeding. Composed self-assurance emanated from her.
Tension flickered across the Flower Sword Squad members' faces. It wasn't just anyone—the sect leader's daughter and an elder had come in person.
They were tense enough already, yet the young master was starting a battle of wills right away.
'I-is this really happening?'
'Damn it! One wrong move today and we're dead!'
'Shit, should we bolt now?'
All sorts of frantic thoughts plagued them.
But not one of them fled. That alone showed their spirit was decent.
"You want to talk?"
"Yes."
"Talk's good. Who likes pointless bloodshed?"
"Right."
"Then let's talk."
The corner of Lady Hwang Jihwa's mouth curved up.
"Talk is fine, but we're not here to speak with Young Master Murong."
"You want my sister, then?"
"Yes. Important matters must be handled by the head directly."
"Then turn back."
"Pardon?"
"If you want the head, have your head come. Important talk, right?"
"......?"
"What? Did you inherit the Ten Sword Sect?"
Yi Jeong's face flushed almost black-red.
Were this not an official occasion, he might have drawn his sword a dozen times over.
Lady Hwang Jihwa sneered.
"So you need someone of equal standing for important talks?"
"Smarter than your sister, at least."
He'd abruptly brought up Lady Hwang Inhwa.
Lady Hwang Jihwa faltered involuntarily.
Murong Bi's words were oddly vexing. Smarter than her sister—obvious, yet it grated strangely.
Being compared to Lady Hwang Inhwa at all was insulting enough, but the implication that she was superior in nothing else stung deeply.
'This mad bastard?'
Irritated as she was, Lady Hwang Jihwa didn't show it.
"Equal standing matters, yes."
"Glad you understand."
"Then aren't we at a loss?"
"How so?"
"A lady of the Ten Sword Sect came all this way for the likes of the Murong house's Acting Patriarch. If anything, we've shown you consideration."
Pride swelled on Yi Jeong's face with a smile.
Amid his boiling rage, Lady Hwang Jihwa's retort was immensely satisfying.
A thick smile spread across Murong Bi's face.
"You really think that?"
"Of course. Ask anyone on the streets of Wunan—they'd say the same."
"I see it differently."
"Who cares what Young Master Murong thinks? Don't waste time—fetch the Acting Patriarch..."
"What sect rides on the backs of filthy scum, sucking dry the hard-earned coin of innocent folk, deserves any 'standing'?"
"......?!"
"Draped in fine silk and doused in perfume doesn't mask the stench of trash. Haven't you smelled the rot coming off you?"
"......Hey."
"No wonder, guzzling rotten broth your whole lives—you wouldn't notice your own stink. Especially you, huh? Financial Hall Leader?"
Lady Hwang Jihwa's face hardened.
"Are you insulting me right now?"
"Didn't you start the insults?"
"What did you say?"
The smile vanished from Murong Bi's face.
"A brainless little bitch who hasn't even matured dares demand a private audience with my house's Acting Patriarch. If that's not an insult, what is? A compliment?"