Chapter 320
Chapter 320
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 320
Chapter Title: The Heungsan Trap
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A strange rumor began to circulate within the Murim Alliance.
"That disciple of the Sword Sovereign, the one who became the commander of the Yojin Sword Unit. I heard he’s actually a bit unhinged."
"That's right. They say that when he uses his martial arts, he slashes his opponents with needless cruelty when a simple cut would suffice."
"And I heard he's incredibly selfish. Didn't his subordinates in the Yojin Sword Unit nearly lose their martial arts because of him?"
As the negative rumors continued to spread, the Murim Alliance found itself in a difficult position.
Cheon-geom, in particular, had become a Sword Unit Commander through the special favor of the leadership.
With such unsavory rumors swirling around him, they could no longer turn a blind eye.
The Azure Sky Fan Sword, Baek In-cheong.
He was the head of the Divine Might Division, one of the Seven Great Divisions that constituted the Murim Alliance's greatest fighting force.
Baek In-cheong shared a particularly close bond with the Sword Sovereign. As such, he was well aware of how formidable Cheon-geom's martial prowess was.
That was why, when Cheon-geom expressed his desire to join the Murim Alliance, he had promptly appointed him as the commander of his subordinate Yojin Sword Unit.
"To have a brilliant young talent like Cheon-geom under my command!"
Baek In-cheong had been pleased.
If someone with martial prowess as great as Cheon-geom's joined his ranks, the Divine Might Sword Division would undoubtedly possess the greatest strength among the Seven Great Sword Divisions.
But the outcome had not been good.
Instead, nasty rumors about Cheon-geom had spread, and now the public was even questioning the judgment of the Murim Alliance's leadership.
Finally unable to bear it any longer, he summoned Cheon-geom to his office.
The Azure Sky Pavilion, Baek In-cheong's office.
A middle-aged man with refined features sat before a wide desk.
His face was fair and clean, but his eyes held a stern dignity.
He was the Divine Might Division Head, Baek In-cheong.
And sitting calmly before him was a man of large stature, known as the Golden Divine Eye, Cheon-geom.
"Lately, there have been some unpleasant rumors circulating within the Alliance concerning you."
Baek In-cheong spoke with a solemn expression.
"To find out if they were true, I personally questioned the members of the Yojin Sword Unit."
He shook his head with a deep sigh.
"The members were reluctant to speak… but they ultimately showed that they do not accept you as their commander."
Baek In-cheong wore a deeply troubled expression.
He had, in fact, appointed Cheon-geom as the Yojin Sword Unit's commander against the opposition of several other leaders.
But now that only bad rumors were spreading, his own position had become quite awkward.
"You suddenly came to the Murim Alliance, told me what you had been through, and said you wanted to take on even a small position."
"…"
"And I, out of respect for the elder Sword Sovereign, specially appointed you as the commander of the Yojin Sword Unit. Despite the opposition of many leaders and even the unit members themselves."
Seeing no change in Cheon-geom's expression, Baek In-cheong spoke again, more forcefully.
"But if these nasty rumors continue to spread, there is nothing I can do to help."
Cheon-geom, who had been listening in silence, suddenly brought up an unrelated topic.
"The heir to the Demonic Palace, the Martial Soul Lord, was quite skilled at using such a method in the past."
"Hmm?"
"When opposition and complaints from those around him grew severe, he would achieve an even greater feat to silence them."
The heir of the Demonic Palace, the Martial Soul Lord Bu Eun-seol.
His tales were passed down in the martial world like legends, so Baek In-cheong was well aware of them.
As one of the Ten Demonic Disciples, he had rightfully become the heir to the Demonic Palace, but he was accused of abusing his power.
In response, he suddenly used his vast information network to annihilate the Five Venoms School, which had been kidnapping children.
After that, the figures in the Demonic Palace who had tried to restrict Bu Eun-seol's actions completely vanished.
"It would be right for me to step down as things are. But if I do, I won't be able to repay the grace you've shown me…"
Cheon-geom said with a faint smile.
"Even if I must leave, shouldn't I depart honorably after achieving a great feat?"
"That would be for the best, if possible."
As soon as he received a positive reply, Cheon-geom spoke as if he had been waiting.
"Ultimately, I will take care of the Black Land."
"The Black Land?"
The Black Land was one of the Four Great Vile Lands, a group of heinous Unorthodox Path factions that dominated the Heilongjiang area with their unique martial arts and techniques.
To deal with them would require mobilizing a force on the scale of an entire Murim Alliance division.
"Surely you don't mean for me to go with you?"
"Of course not. I must resolve this myself."
"But aren't the injured unit members still recuperating?"
"I don't need the unit members."
Cheon-geom said confidently.
"I will handle it alone."
For a moment, Baek In-cheong fell silent.
He too was well aware of the extent of Cheon-geom's martial prowess.
But taking care of a massive faction on the scale of the Black Land single-handedly was an impossible feat.
"My friend."
Baek In-cheong sighed and shook his head.
"Simply destroying a sect like that won't turn public opinion around. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Of course. That's why I said 'ultimately' beforehand."
Cheon-geom spoke fluently, as if he had already laid out all his plans.
"It just so happens that a mysterious illness has broken out in the Heungsan region."
"A mysterious illness?"
"Yes. The Heungsan region is home to many weak and sick elderly people."
For the first time, Cheon-geom's expression turned serious.
"My master's All-Encompassing Form is a sword style that can never be performed without a thorough understanding of the human body. My skills are likely better than most physicians."
"Are you saying you'll go to the Heungsan region and act as a doctor?"
"That is correct."
Cheon-geom said with confidence.
"Even if I cannot cure them completely, if I remain there and offer my medical skills until the end, people within the Alliance will see me in a different light."
The two moments when commoners revered martial artists the most were when they were saved from the hands of villains, and when they received medical treatment for their ailments.
Receiving treatment from a physician cost a fortune, and the price of medicine was no small matter either.
To the sick, martial artists were like celestial beings.
They could use their internal energy to instantly help the sick rise to their feet or cure their illnesses completely.
It was just that individuals willing to expend their own precious internal energy to heal others were extremely rare.
"That's not a bad method."
Baek In-cheong swallowed a bitter taste and frowned.
"Even if you manage to quell public opinion that way, what do you intend to do about the complaints from your unit members?"
"Once public opinion improves, the way the unit members see me will change soon enough, won't it?"
"Hm?"
"They praise you for doing a few good deeds, and they tear you down when the results are a little poor. Aren't people all the same?"
Cheon-geom said with a confident expression.
"If I just give it some time, all the criticism up to now will disappear, and I will regain my honor."
Baek In-cheong, who had been listening silently, suppressed his astonishment.
He now realized that Cheon-geom had no intention of resolving the dissatisfaction of his direct subordinates.
'He intends to climb higher. He has no intention of stepping down.'
Mulling over Cheon-geom's words, Baek In-cheong finally understood.
To Cheon-geom, the thoughts of his subordinates were irrelevant. He simply intended to quell the negative rumors, maintain his position as a Murim Alliance Sword Unit Commander, and…
…climb higher by accumulating various achievements.
'The elder Sword Sovereign raised his disciple a little poorly.'
Baek In-cheong sighed inwardly and shook his head.
Instead of imparting such a powerful sword art, the Sword Sovereign should have taught him a little more about the ways of the world.
The martial world was not a place where one could survive just by being smart or having superior martial arts.
The 'martial world experience' that all martial artists spoke of referred to the process of overcoming numerous frustrations and trials.
But Cheon-geom, who had rapidly improved his martial arts due to his outstanding talent, had no such experience whatsoever.
'He's still young… I suppose it can't be helped.'
Cheon-geom was still young.
Not every young person could be as capable and intelligent as the heir of the Demonic Palace.
'I shall have to teach him well from now on.'
Baek In-cheong made an internal resolve.
He would surely guide this capable young man down the right path.
But there was a situation he was not yet aware of…
That Cheon-geom was already thrashing about, deeply ensnared in a trap of Bu Eun-seol's making.
***
The Demon Subjugation Pavilion, conference room.
Bu Eun-seol, Myo Cheon-u, and Yu Un-ryong were seated with very serious expressions.
"It's going according to plan."
Yu Un-ryong said in a firm voice.
"They say a mysterious illness is spreading in the Heungsan region, so he's preparing to tour the area to restore his reputation."
Myo Cheon-u crossed his arms and smirked.
"Hmph. He must be thrilled, since there are so many old people there."
Children and the elderly.
When it came to changing public perception, these two groups offered the most optimal conditions.
Shaking his head, Yu Un-ryong continued.
"His thinking is that he doesn't need to care about those beneath him. He believes it's a problem that can be solved by simply turning public opinion and looking good to the leadership."
"Are the preparations complete?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked, Myo Cheon-u grinned.
"Already finished and on standby."
He then shrugged and said.
"And indeed, the old ones are tougher than they look. Just as you said, they were no ordinary old folks."
Myo Cheon-u continued with a faint smile.
"I suppose to have survived that long, each of them must have an ace up their sleeve."
"By the way, how were you so sure that Cheon-geom would go to Heungsan to prepare for this?"
At Yu Un-ryong's question, Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
"Because it's the easiest and most convenient way to turn public opinion."
Bu Eun-seol stared out the window and murmured as if to himself.
"Winning people's hearts is a difficult task that takes a long time."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the clouds floating in the distant sky and muttered.
"He is skilled in martial arts and is not unintelligent, but he will never grasp that simple truth in his lifetime."
Bu Eun-seol had anticipated all of Cheon-geom's actions.
He knew that Cheon-geom would try to restore his tarnished reputation faster than anyone else.
If he were a person who could understand and consider the feelings of others, he would have taken his time to correct his actions and way of thinking. He would have worked to earn people's trust.
But Bu Eun-seol knew.
Cheon-geom was not the kind of person to do such a thing.
He would simply find the fastest and most effective method he could use immediately.
That was why Bu Eun-seol had deliberately spread the rumor that a mysterious illness had broken out in the Heungsan region.
He then had twenty-five commoners ingest a single Jasodan, a spiritual elixir from the Mount Hua Sect, divided into many small pieces.
The Jasodan was a spiritual elixir of the highest grade, capable of purifying the internal organs and clarifying the ki and blood of a martial artist who consumed it.
However, if a commoner with no internal energy consumed the elixir, its potent medicinal properties would instead cause them to fall ill for no apparent reason.
Bu Eun-seol had spread a mysterious illness with a spiritual elixir, and Cheon-geom had swallowed the bait he had laid.
It was an unparalleled opportunity to restore his honor.
It was also proof that Cheon-geom had no peace of mind.
Because he had to continue tormenting Bu Eun-seol. He was trying to hold onto his position as Sword Unit Commander by any means necessary.
"But will it be alright?"
Yu Un-ryong asked with a worried expression.
"Even if we manage to drag that bastard Cheon-geom down to the bottom, his martial arts are truly formidable."
"Of course."
Bu Eun-seol said with a determined gaze.
"Through this incident, he will undoubtedly fall to his ruin."
And his eyes flashed with a blood-red light, like a flame.
"He will soon pay the price for cruelly murdering Yeong Mun-ho."
***
Murim Alliance, Heungsan region, Yanghyeon Village.
This remote mountain village was home to many old and sick people.
This was because the cave-dwelling inhabitants could not form large villages, and all the young people left for the provincial capital once they came of age.
Thus, the village was mostly inhabited by the elderly or by herb gatherers who made a meager living by collecting medicinal plants.
However, because good medicinal herbs could be found there, it was a place with a fair amount of traffic.
But even that came to a halt when rumors of a mysterious illness began to spread, turning it into a ghost town.
*Whoosh.*
Cheon-geom, who had arrived in the Heungsan region in an instant, began to look around.
Most of the elderly here lived alone, so small houses were built sparsely here and there.
Furthermore, the life signs of the elderly here were faint, and they were also suffering from illness.
Even a master like Cheon-geom found it difficult to sense a person's presence without getting close.
"Hmm."
After looking around, Cheon-geom soon found a nearby house and went inside.
"Is anyone there?"
"Who is it?"
An old man, groaning as he lay in his room, answered faintly.
"I am from the Murim Alliance. I heard there are sick elderly people due to a mysterious illness."
He then said in a powerful voice.
"I, Cheon-geom, the Commander of the Murim Alliance's Yojin Sword Unit, will treat you."
"I have no money."
"There's no need to refuse. I came to treat you for free."
"Umm."
At the word "free," the old man let out a groan.
"Come in."
"Thank you."
With a kind smile, Cheon-geom opened the door and entered abruptly.
The room was extremely small, and an old man lay under a coarse blanket.
Cheon-geom carefully examined the condition of the reclining old man.
"You have a fever, are sweating, and coughing. Your tongue is yellow and dry, and your pulse is rapid… It seems a cold energy has entered your lungs."
Martial arts and medicine were interconnected, as both involved the study of the human body.
In particular, the Sword Sovereign's All-Encompassing Form pursued the most natural movements a human could perform.
Therefore, it was a sword style that could not be mastered without a deep understanding of the human body. His skills were bound to be more distinguished than any ordinary physician's.
"I will treat you by injecting my internal energy."
Opening the meridians with internal energy would speed up the body's natural healing ability.
There were no medicinal herbs nearby and nothing to make medicine with, so he would inject his internal energy to promote natural healing.
'A full recovery would consume a lot of my energy.'
Cheon-geom's eyes narrowed.
As long as the rumor that he had done a good deed spread, that was enough. There was no need to heal him completely.
He deliberately poured out only a tiny amount of internal energy to just alleviate the symptoms.
"How is it?"
Although it was just a little, Cheon-geom's pure internal energy instantly cleared dozens of the old man's acupoints.
But the reclining old man spoke in a low voice.
"For a guy built like a mountain."
Then he suddenly cursed and muttered.
"You damn stingy bastard. Treatment, my ass. You just came to show off."
Sensing something was wrong, Cheon-geom's eyes widened. Just then, a white smoke began to rise from within the hut.
'Energy-Scattering Powder?'
*Flash!*
At that moment, a sharp light shot out from within the smoke, aiming for his neck.
*Clang!*
Cheon-geom's reaction was also unbelievably fast, and he blocked the flash of light in an instant.
"Who are you?"
Cheon-geom waved his hand, instantly dispersing the mist, and threw off the old man's blanket.
But in that time, the old man who had been lying there had vanished without a trace.
He instantly heightened his senses, but he couldn't even feel a living presence within fifty paces.
"Don't tell me, it's him again?"
For a moment, an ominous premonition flashed through Cheon-geom's mind.
He realized that Bu Eun-seol had set a trap to assassinate him.
"But the person just now was definitely an old man."
No matter how one disguised themselves, it was impossible to hide the elasticity of one's skin and organs.
When Cheon-geom had performed a tactile diagnosis, it had definitely been the body of an old man.
"He knew I would come to Heungsan and prepared in advance?"
Infuriated, Cheon-geom clenched his fists.
If Bu Eun-seol had predicted his actions, this entire Heungsan region would naturally be riddled with all sorts of traps.
"So you want me to turn back. To prevent me from restoring my reputation."
But he couldn't do that.
He had boasted to the Divine Might Division Head before coming here. If he returned empty-handed, he would have no justification to remain in the Murim Alliance.
"Fine. I accept your challenge!"
Cheon-geom smiled brightly.
"I just have to break through whatever traps there are."
He was confident.
No matter what kind of assassins were waiting, no matter what kind of traps were set.
Even if a whole horde of old men like the one before attacked him, he was confident he could handle them.
"It's a shame, but I'm not going back, Bu Eun-seol."
He snorted and muttered in a cold voice.
"I'll just continue the treatment, no matter what traps await."
There was no way he could have disguised all the commoners in the Heungsan region as assassins.
Cheon-geom intended to break through the traps and continue his treatments.