Chapter 14
Chapter 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Section 5. Sometimes Unexpected Guests Arrive (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
14
Senior Brother Mu Kyung recognized Dam Ho and stammered.
“J-Junior Brother. Are you alright?”
“I’ve gotten much better.”
Dam Ho replied in a voice devoid of any emotion. Mu Kyung looked troubled at his junior brother’s cold response.
It wasn’t just Mu Kyung. Most of the Mount Hua Sect disciples gathered in front of the Tranquil Cloud Hall wore the same expression.
No one had visited Dam Ho in the past year. Of course, there were circumstances they couldn’t speak of, but that didn’t erase their guilt toward him.
“How have you been holding up?”
“I’ve been recuperating from my injuries.”
Dam Ho gave a curt reply. Mu Kyung sensed from his flat tone that he didn’t wish to continue the conversation.
“Mm!”
Mu Kyung scratched his head, unable to find anything else to say.
It was then.
“That must make you a disciple of Mount Hua Sect as well.”
A soft voice approached Dam Ho and Mu Kyung. Their gazes turned toward the speaker.
It was a girl who looked a bit younger than Dam Ho. Her refined features, curvaceous figure, deep eyes, and gentle gaze left a strong impression.
Her pure white robes accentuated her delicate beauty.
A puzzled glint appeared in Dam Ho’s eyes. He had never seen her in Mount Hua Sect before.
‘A newly accepted disciple?’
But her response dashed his guess.
“I’m Yeon So-ha, a disciple of Wudang Sect.”
“Wudang Sect?”
“I came to visit Mount Hua with my master. And you?”
“Cheon Gyeong.”
“So you’re a disciple of Mount Hua Sect too?”
“He is indeed a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua Sect.”
Mu Kyung provided the answer.
Yeon So-ha nodded at his words.
“I see. Pleased to meet you, Young Hero Cheon Gyeong.”
Dam Ho gave a slight bow.
In that instant, a spark lit in Yeon So-ha’s eyes. He carried an air subtly different from the Mount Hua Sect Taoists she had seen so far.
Dam Ho looked at Mu Kyung, silently questioning why she was here.
Mu Kyung explained.
“As you can see, people from Wudang Sect have arrived.”
“What for?”
“No idea. They showed up out of nowhere...”
Even Mu Kyung was in the dark.
Dam Ho turned his gaze to Yeon So-ha. She smiled in response.
“It’s not my place to say just yet.”
Her eyes drifted toward the Tranquil Cloud Hall.
Inside, True Man Hyeon Cheon sat facing a Taoist of similar age. Unlike Mount Hua Sect Taoists, he exuded a distinctly different aura. Wearing a Taoist cap and robes emblazoned with the Eight Trigrams, an extraordinary dignity emanated from him.
True Man Hyeon Cheon and the Taoist exchanged smiles as they regarded each other. Yet their smiles seemed somehow stiff.
It was then that True Man Hyeon So entered.
“Sect Leader, you called for me?”
“Come in, Junior Brother.”
Only then did True Man Hyeon Cheon relax his rigid expression and smile.
“What is it?”
“First, greetings. This is True Man Cheong Heo of Wudang Sect.”
“Wudang Sect?”
A look of surprise crossed True Man Hyeon So’s face. But greetings took precedence over questions, so he clasped his hands in salute.
“I am Hyeon So of Mount Hua Sect. True Man Cheong Heo.”
“Pleased to meet you, Dao Friend Hyeon So. This old Daoist is Cheong Heo of Wudang Sect.”
True Man Cheong Heo rose and returned the salute.
“What brings Wudang Sect to our humble sect?”
“Sit first. True Man Cheong Heo will explain.”
At True Man Hyeon Cheon’s words, True Man Hyeon So took his seat.
True Man Hyeon So paid little heed to the affairs of the martial world. Had he been more attuned to them, he wouldn’t have reacted so calmly upon seeing True Man Cheong Heo.
True Man Cheong Heo was the most outstanding warrior Wudang Sect had produced in decades. He was particularly proficient in Wudang swordsmanship, with achievements said to rival the title of Hubei’s Foremost Sword.
True Man Cheong Heo stared intently at True Man Hyeon So’s face. Though his gaze was burdensome, True Man Hyeon So did not avert it.
Suddenly, True Man Cheong Heo smiled.
“Amitabha! The sect leader spoke highly of you, and your inner cultivation is truly remarkable.”
“For a mere scholarly Taoist like me to be called cultivated—such praise is undeserved.”
True Man Hyeon So waved it off. A faint blush colored his clear face, making him look like a shy child.
“One whose virtue is profound is like a newborn babe. Those rich in merit naturally embody childlike innocence.”
A furrow formed between True Man Hyeon Cheon’s brows at True Man Cheong Heo’s words.
‘True Man Cheong Heo of Wudang holds my junior brother in such high regard?’
True Man Cheong Heo was renowned even within Wudang for his prestige. Skilled not only in swordsmanship but also deeply versed in Daoist scriptures, his reputation was profound.
For such a figure to praise True Man Hyeon So so effusively, True Man Hyeon Cheon couldn’t help but regard him anew.
True Man Hyeon So, his face flushed, spoke in a fluster.
“But what brings Wudang Sect to our sect?”
“My apologies for the discourtesy. Truth be told, we seek Mount Hua Sect’s aid.”
“You need our sect’s help?”
“Indeed. Most urgently.”
Suspicion flickered across True Man Hyeon So’s face.
Both Wudang and Mount Hua were among the Nine Great Sects. Yet the disparity in their current prosperity was like heaven and earth.
While Wudang basked in its zenith, Mount Hua was only just emerging from decline, poised for resurgence.
In influence and power across the jianghu, Mount Hua paled in comparison. For such a mighty Wudang to seek Mount Hua’s help was baffling.
“What could it be?”
“Well...”
Embarrassment crossed True Man Cheong Heo’s face. True Man Hyeon Cheon answered in his stead.
“Traces of the Demonic Cult have been found.”
“The Demonic Cult?”
True Man Hyeon So’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at True Man Cheong Heo, incredulous.
“It’s true... Hard to believe, I know, but it seems their traces have appeared.”
“What do you mean?”
“A northern escort agency run by one of our sect’s lay disciples was ambushed by mysterious assailants en route and wiped out.”
“Such...”
“All perished save one escort leader named Im Ho-ryeong, who barely survived and sent a messenger pigeon. It read, ‘Attacked by the Demonic Cult’...”
“The Demonic Cult...”
True Man Hyeon So closed his eyes tightly. His eyelids trembled faintly.
That single word ‘Demonic Cult’ carried myriad implications, laced with the terror that now clawed back into his mind.
How could he forget? That name.
Decades ago, the martial world had been drowned in blood by it alone. Countless lives lost, prestigious sects annihilated.
To eradicate the Demonic Cult, the jianghu sects united, enduring over a decade of war before finally exterminating them. The blood and sacrifices defied description.
“Is it truly the Demonic Cult?”
“We must confirm it.”
“What?”
“We can’t proclaim to the world that the Demonic Cult has returned based on a single pigeon message.”
“So we need to verify the truth ourselves?”
“Precisely.”
“But why our sect?”
“We need your help. Shaanxi Province, where you are, is closest to the site of the escort agency’s annihilation.”
“So...”
“We’ve also sent word to Zhongnan Sect. They’ll surely join us.”
“Mm!”
Only then did True Man Hyeon So understand why True Man Cheong Heo had come to Mount Hua in person.
Whether it was truly a Demonic Cult attack remained unknown, but verifying it alone would have been too burdensome for Wudang.
True Man Hyeon Cheon spoke.
“Our sect has accepted Wudang’s request and decided to dispatch disciples.”
“But why me?”
True Man Hyeon So looked puzzled.
Once the sect leader decided, that was final. Mount Hua had many powerful warriors who could surely aid Wudang’s endeavor.
The issue was that he was a scholarly Taoist ignorant of martial arts. He couldn’t fathom why the sect leader had summoned him.
“You must go.”
“What?”
“The war with the Demonic Cult ended over twenty years ago. Few in today’s martial world retain those memories. Even seeing their traces left behind, few can discern if it’s Demonic Cult martial arts.”
“So you’re sending me?”
“Indeed. Though you haven’t trained in martial arts, your knowledge is unmatched, isn’t it? You can still distinguish them, right?”
“Y-Yes...”
How could he forget? He had etched it into his memory while collecting the corpses of his master Cheon Gung-ja and so many others.
The wounds left by Demonic Cult martial arts were still discernible even with eyes closed.
True Man Hyeon Cheon nodded and turned to True Man Cheong Heo.
“Junior Brother Hyeon So is our sect’s scholarly Taoist, tasked with recording and remembering all. With his insight, he can determine if they are truly the Demonic Cult.”
“Fortunate indeed. I thought Mount Hua, having fought them most fiercely, would know them best.”
“Your words are most gracious.”
A cold smile tugged at True Man Hyeon Cheon’s lips. True Man Cheong Heo inwardly winced at the sight.
True Man Hyeon Cheon’s voice grew icy.
“I wonder how your sect’s elders fare?”
“They are... well.”
“Cherish them while they live. Don’t lose them all at once and regret it like us.”
Discomfort flashed across True Man Cheong Heo’s face, but he soon regained his composure.
“I’ll heed the sect leader’s advice.”
“Thank you. For tolerating this rambling old man’s words.”
“How could I? It’s all for our sects.”
“You can depart at dawn tomorrow. I’ll have the dispatched disciples ready by then.”
“Should fighting arise, Wudang will take the vanguard. No need for concern.”
“We are grateful.”
True Man Hyeon Cheon’s gaze shifted to True Man Hyeon So.
“Mu Kyung and Un Kyung will go with you.”
“Mount Hua’s first and later-generation disciples? You’re sending them both? If anything happens to them, Mount Hua has no future.”
“That’s precisely why. To lead Mount Hua, they must overcome such dangers themselves, no?”
“Mm!”
True Man Hyeon So let out a groan at True Man Hyeon Cheon’s resolute reply.
He saw the unyielding determination in True Man Hyeon Cheon’s eyes. Aware of the gaze, True Man Hyeon Cheon smiled.
“Don’t worry overly. With Wudang and Zhongnan together, it’ll be safe.”
“Understood. Then I’ll head down the mountain. And...”
True Man Hyeon So hesitated, trailing off. True Man Hyeon Cheon and True Man Cheong Heo exchanged puzzled looks.
After a moment’s reluctance, True Man Hyeon So finally spoke.
“I’d like to bring my disciple on this mission as well.”