Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Fangtian Lord's Probe
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Yuk Jin-yang gripped his sword hilt tightly. He was glad he'd grabbed the Azure Wave hanging on the wall just in case.
The appearance of the Fangtian Gate, following the Ghost Sword Society, stirred up bewilderment.
Their base was in Shaanxi, specifically in the Hexi Corridor. It was a journey of about five thousand li northwest from Guizhou.
'What could have driven them to traverse such a vast distance to come here?'
Yuk Jin-yang eyed their sinister intentions warily. Martial sects only dispatched their full forces into another group's territory during wartime.
In this case, the key was who the Fangtian Gate was targeting.
It wasn't impossible they'd come to deal with the Ghost Sword Society. For those who lived their lives on the edge of a blade in the martial world, the line between black and white paths was often blurred.
But the Fangtian Gate members' reactions were unexpected.
Traces of panic flickered across their faces. Some exchanged awkward glances with their comrades.
There was no trace of the usual rough, murderous aura of unorthodox sects. They were acting as if this situation was an unforeseen mishap.
From their midst stepped a man clad head to toe in armor. In his hand, he wielded a Fangtian painted halberd, as if he were Lu Bu, the warlord and flying general of the late Han.
His youthful face belied a strange aura.
Though his features seemed boyish, his frame and energy were anything but. He was sturdy and solid, like iron plating wrapped around his entire body. He felt less like a reckless unorthodox junior and more like a seasoned master.
'Rejuvenation?'
The realm where one reversed the years of the flesh after traveling a thousand li. It was a domain few masters ever reached. Thus, Yuk Jin-yang was certain. This man before him was the Fangtian Gate Lord.
Fangtian Gate Lord Ye Hwi.
Descendant of northwestern forces defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang, he was a master versed in all five weapons of the military classics and the eighteen martial arms of the jianghu.
Perhaps sensing their gaze, the Fangtian Gate Lord locked eyes with Yuk Jin-yang for a moment. His eyes narrowed, resembling the predatory stare of a beast sizing up prey.
"Quite an intriguing fellow."
"……."
"You'll go far. It would've been nice to claim your head in this chance encounter, but the timing isn't right. A pity."
He withdrew his gaze and turned to face the Yuk family head directly.
"It's been a while, Yuk family head."
"What makes a pack of desert wolves crawl all the way here? Found something worth scavenging?"
"We're not scavenging—we're hunting. Come to punish those mongrels who dare liken themselves to the Black Woods Seven Fiends."
His pointed words came with a sharp gaze that swept over the group.
"Seeing that you've come all this way, it seems the matter's already settled."
"A hunt worth the Fangtian Gate Lord himself."
A sneer curled at the corners of the Yuk family head's mouth.
"The Ghost Sword Society must've really gotten under your skin. For you to step out personally means the full intent of your Black Woods Seven Fiends lot has gathered. Pathetic rabble like you can't even protect your own."
"That's rich coming from you. I remember the ruthless campaigns you waged to subjugate the rising prestigious families. Even a brute like me from an unorthodox sect was shocked."
The Fangtian Gate Lord replied with feigned innocence and continued.
"Especially when you dealt with the Dokgo family head. What a spectacle. Not content with dismantling all his arts with a single Sword Verdict Finger, you humiliated him by critiquing each stance."
Yuk Jin-yang's eyes widened in surprise.
This was untold history of the jianghu. The Dokgo family, once a peer to the Nangong, had fallen due to the Yuk family head's involvement.
"He even dared call himself Sword Emperor with such meager skill. Because of that, the Dokgo became known as the sword sect defeated by a mere finger jab."
"Enough prattle."
The Yuk family head's lip twisted upward.
"And you've twisted my words. I meant scum like you are all the same—why bother ranking yourselves?"
"Senile old fool."
"That foul tongue of yours has grown even more flippant after rejuvenation. Has your skill with the halberd improved at least? If not, your head rolls today."
"I'll pass on a fight. We're not at full strength. I left most of my arsenal behind, expecting to face riffraff like the Ghost Sword Society leader."
The Fangtian Gate Lord narrowed his eyes and took a deliberate step back. It seemed sincere. No killing intent rose.
"But this is unexpected. What shift in heart brings the old dragon back into the world? I thought your body had reached its limit."
Limit? Yuk Jin-yang startled and glanced at his grandfather.
Thinking back, it was odd. Why hadn't the Yuk family head achieved rejuvenation? He'd attained a level far beyond this Fangtian Gate Lord.
Yet the man's expression remained serene. Perhaps due to the unanticipated reaction, the Fangtian Gate Lord pressed on irritably.
"Why not awaken to the orthodox path and ascend? You should have no lingering attachments to the mortal world."
"Who are you to speak of ascension before me?"
The atmosphere shifted. It sank heavy, like plunging into ocean depths. The Fangtian Gate Lord's face hardened too, like a child who'd crossed a line in jest.
"Have you forgotten who captured and slew the boastful freaks with their spiritual roots—the Strange Heroes, Rebel Sovereigns, Demon Immortals—and ended their era?"
The Fangtian Gate Lord narrowed his eyes.
"Their dying curses from Ghost Valley Wails still haunt you... I even see nightmare spirits and wild sorcerers. No matter how strong you are, one man can't bear it all. Hasn't it made ascension, even rejuvenation, impossible?"
"Curses from those drunken fools? I could handle enough to fill the three realms."
"……Indeed."
The Fangtian Gate Lord let out a short sigh and stepped back.
"This should suffice for our chat. We'll take our leave."
"What reason do I have to let you go?"
"Plenty."
His gaze settled on Yuk Jin-yang again.
"If I charge with mutual destruction in mind, the cost will be shared. I can't defeat you, but I could drag one or two to the afterlife."
Killing intent laced the Fangtian Gate Lord's steady stare. It pierced like a dagger. Yuk Jin-yang nearly drew Azure Wave on instinct.
"And that young man's state looks far from ideal."
Frowning at the mockery, Yuk Jin-yang suddenly sensed something off. His dulled senses, numb from prolonged bedrest, were sharpening.
Yuk Jin-yang let out a scoff.
"Bluffing."
"……What?"
"Using an illusion instead of your true body? You're awfully eager to avoid a fight. The Fangtian name will ring hollow."
"Such insolence."
The Fangtian Gate Lord's brow furrowed, and he tilted his head to glare at the Yuk family head.
"Now I see the resemblance. No wonder you're so arrogant. But I wonder if your skill matches."
"Dogs barking from afar hold no fear."
"Well now... Never thought I'd grow curious about the Yuk family upbringing."
At that moment, the Yuk family head flicked his hand as if swatting a pesky insect. The small gesture carried great force.
Whoosh!
A wave of energy swept forward, obliterating the Fangtian Gate Lord and his disciples blocking the way. As expected, illusions.
Watching them scatter like dust, the Yuk family head murmured quietly.
"I knew from the start it was a ploy to waste time. I merely watched the amusing sight of them fleeing with tails tucked from afar."
—Ah, found out? But next time will be different.
The Six Harmonies Divine Voice echoed from the distance, accompanied by rising dust on the horizon. The Fangtian Gate had toyed with them from the beginning.
Yuk Jin-yang turned to his grandfather and asked cautiously.
"You knew?"
"Yes. They seemed intent on gauging our strength. First sent illusions to test for masters, then planned to reveal themselves if needed."
The response was nonchalant, laced with leisure. The faint energy that had permeated like mist had fully subsided.
"But why not pursue them...?"
"Just as he said."
The Yuk family head stroked his beard and clicked his tongue.
"The Fangtian Gate excels unexpectedly in curses and sorcery. With unknowns at play and our wounded to consider, there were more reasons to avoid battle than engage."
"I see."
"Remember this. The jianghu teems with variables. Especially against demonic heretics, expect no fair fights. Don't rely solely on your own power—always anticipate their tricks."
Yuk Jin-yang nodded readily.
It sounded like nagging, but the underlying concern didn't feel bad.
The paper crumpled in a thick fist. The man in the Embroidered Uniform Guard's flying fish robe pulled a fire starter from his bosom and burned the document.
Around him lay corpses riddled with deep sword wounds, all Haomen disciples disguised as errand boys.
The man clicked his tongue in amazement.
"The Haomen's intelligence network is truly wondrous. How do they learn every detail from a thousand li away?"
"Some clueless official or loose-lipped general blabbed in a brothel. If beggars are the Beggars' Sect's eyes for the Open Gang, courtesans and errand boys rarely escape Haomen's reach. But thanks to them, we save effort, no?"
The woman opposite replied indifferently. She too wore the flying fish robe. The man shrugged.
"True, that's why we always leave some tails. For times like this. Guess I should visit a temple or Taoist shrine soon to pray for their rebirth in paradise."
"Enough. Check the rest."
The man muttered.
"At least Kwak Min survived. No need for General Kwak Young's wrath."
"Yuk Jin-yang."
"Something bothering you? We've had eyes on him for a while."
Especially after the Shandong clash, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's evaluation of Yuk Jin-yang had soared endlessly. He was no longer treated as a mere junior but as a true master.
"Two premises clash here."
The woman keenly pinpointed the gap between testimonies.
"If Yuk Jin-yang slew the Ghost Sword Society leader, why did the Yuk family head go there? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"Who knows. Paths diverged? We figured the first dispatch couldn't handle him, but everyone underestimated."
"I'd agree if it were a Fierce or Jade Card warrior. But with the Four Great Families' head involved, it's different."
The woman stroked her chin.
"Wish we could dig deeper."
"Please hold back. Follow the Yuk family head and what'll you see? Even Beggars' Sect beggars with guts spilling out won't approach him."
"Fine. We'll shelve the Yuk family head for now. Instead, spread rumors about Yuk Jin-yang far and wide. Claim the Ghost Sword Society leader's death is all his doing."
Without waiting for a reply, the woman snatched her subordinate's fire starter and burned the remaining papers. The man asked with a sullen look.
"Wait, for a rising star like the Yuk Clan, shouldn't we tarnish their reputation? Boosting it instead?"
The woman grinned.
"That's how we draw masters to him."
"Ah!"
"Masters hungry for fame or bearing grudges against the Yuk fill the land. Nothing cuts a rising star's bud more efficiently than borrowed knives. Remember that."
"But if he overcomes it all?"
"Then we watch. The birth of a peerless master. But that wouldn't harm the Great Ming's realm either."
The man shook his head at his nonchalant superior but didn't argue, dutifully playing along.
"While we're at it, coin a nickname too. Calling a proper rising star 'Yuk family head's grandson' lacks flair."
"Hmm, shall we? As direct Yuk lineage, he'll be hot-tempered like the family head, and he has ties to Zhejiang. So, Zhejiang Sword Dragon or Zhejiang Ghost Sword..."
"How about Qiantang Sword Lord? Qiantang Lake's legend fits Zhejiang perfectly."
The name of the tyrannical dragon god from tales emerged. Overkill for a junior, but perfect for this scheme.
"Not bad at all."
And the next day, rumors of the Yuk Clan's young master spread.
From Huguang to Henan, then across the Central Plains.