Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 38. The Strongest Ronin
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Yuseong already knew that helping with the Shaolin matter brought significant benefits to his sect.
It wasn't enough to unlock a new skill.
But he had played a decisive role in refining the Great Returning Pills after thirty years of effort,
received one Great Returning Pill in return, and become Shaolin's benefactor, experiencing a substantial increase in Divine Power.
'I only spoke with House of Revelry Leader Jeong Yeon once, but it's easy to see why her followers adore her.'
There was one more thing.
Bang Hyeok had tarnished Yuseong's reputation to pressure So-ok.
Yuseong and So-ok had met the House of Revelry Leader together, and that's when something happened that allowed Bang Hyeok to corner her.
If this wasn't properly clarified, people in the world would later form the wrong impression of Yuseong.
He couldn't just let it slide, not if he wanted to restore his honor.
Yuseong gauged the situation based on the information from the coachman.
'Time isn't on my side. With the Leader collapsed and her rival's competitor So-ok imprisoned, things will likely wrap up in a few days.'
Wrapping up the situation meant Bang Hyeok taking control of the House of Revelry, leaving Jeong Yeon and So-ok powerless.
That was the last thing Yuseong wanted.
Going alone to the House of Revelry and demanding to treat the Leader would be suicide.
Even though he was set to join the Murim Alliance, Bang Hyeok wouldn't easily grant an audience without causing trouble.
Not all the Elders had sided with Bang Hyeok yet.
If he arrived with enough force to protect himself, he might get a chance to treat Jeong Yeon with the help of the remaining Elders.
"I need some help."
Yuseong thought of his connections.
Murim Alliance warriors, Beggars' Sect members under Iron Fist Koe, and a few ronin he had treated.
The ronin he was friendly with lacked the skill.
The Beggars' Sect moved in step with the Murim Alliance.
Murim Alliance warriors, needless to say, wouldn't intervene in another sect's internal conflict.
After some deliberation, Yuseong headed to the Murim Alliance to seek advice from Jegal Yeongyeong.
The bond he had built so far warranted at least that much.
***
Demon Subduing Division Leader Jeong Rip's daily routine was monotonous.
He rose early in the morning for meditation and qi circulation, then trained his martial arts in the training grounds.
After lunch, more martial arts training.
In the evening, he ended his day with meditation and contemplation.
His subordinates often asked him.
"Division Leader, doesn't a life of just training feel boring?"
Whenever that happened, Jeong Rip would reflect on his past.
Being born the son of a butcher.
Losing his family to Demonic Cultists as a child.
Gaining a fateful encounter during his days as a ronin.
Joining the Murim Alliance and applying to the Demon Subduing Division.
Finally becoming the Demon Subduing Division Leader and reaching the Transformation Realm.
As Demon Subduing Division Leader, Jeong Rip had devoted himself to raising his martial prowess in preparation for the future war with the Demonic Cult.
He had never found life boring.
He had lived solely for the day he would stand at the forefront as the Murim Alliance's sword in the war against the Demonic Cult.
"What brings you here, White-Clothed Physician?"
While heading to the training grounds, Jeong Rip spotted Yuseong talking with the gatekeepers at the Murim Alliance entrance.
"Ah, Division Leader. I came to consult Chief Strategist Jegal, but they said she's just entered a meeting."
"What's the matter?"
Yuseong hesitated slightly.
Jegal Yeongyeong had just gone into the meeting, so he was thinking of seeking out the White Tiger Division Leader instead.
Every time he came for treatment, the man had repeatedly emphasized to call on him anytime help was needed.
With his wide network from frequent drinking sessions, he might prove useful.
He hadn't expected to run into Jeong Rip, though.
"If you need assistance, and it's not a secret, please tell me. Who knows, I might be able to help."
Yuseong decided to be straightforward.
Jeong Rip didn't seem well-connected, but that could be a misconception.
A master of his caliber might know other masters.
"Honestly, I do need help from a master not affiliated with the Murim Alliance. I want to treat a patient, but I need an escort."
"Is it important?"
Yuseong explained the situation, omitting only Jeong Yeon's senility symptoms.
When he made it clear he wanted to help.
"Please wait here a moment."
Jeong Rip went inside.
Yuseong hoped he might introduce him to a decent master.
But then.
"That's settled. We can talk on the way."
After quite some time, Jeong Rip emerged and said that.
Yuseong followed as Jeong Rip took the lead and asked.
"Are you escorting me to another master? Just give me an introduction letter; I can go myself. You're on duty."
"I'm going personally. I'll ensure the White-Clothed Physician's safety."
"..."
What was this man saying?
It seemed he hadn't understood properly.
Yuseong explained again.
"Division Leader, you won't do. I need someone not from the Murim Alliance. It could lead to accusations of the Alliance bullying another sect without justification."
Jeong Rip shook his head.
"Don't worry. I just resigned from the Murim Alliance on my way out."
"I see... What?!"
To the startled Yuseong, Jeong Rip added a simple explanation.
"I told the Alliance Leader I'm stepping down for personal reasons, so I'm now unaffiliated. Hire me as a ronin, and you won't need to worry about justification."
Though said simply, the process of Jeong Rip's resignation wasn't so straightforward.
He had burst into a meeting in the midst of serious discussions and bluntly declared his intent to leave the Alliance.
Everyone in the meeting room, including the Alliance Leader, had tried to stop him as if grabbing his pant legs.
No one would let a Transformation Realm master quit so easily.
Yuseong was particularly shocked by that part.
"But still, how can someone in the Demon Subduing Division Leader position just quit like that? Don't you find it a waste?"
Jeong Rip honored the position of Demon Subduing Division Leader in the Murim Alliance, but he didn't need to be affiliated to exterminate Demonic Cultists.
"Helping my life benefactor—what's there to waste? And don't worry too much. The Alliance Leader heard me out and approved a temporary leave.
He said I can return after reporting back and some time passes. It's like taking a vacation."
Only then did Yuseong relax.
He had been flustered by Jeong Rip's impulsive action, but he was the most reliable in terms of martial strength among Yuseong's connections.
He truly hadn't expected such reckless behavior.
He had explained needing an escort, but no one would believe the Demon Subduing Division Leader quit the Murim Alliance to serve as a ronin bodyguard.
"You're a Transformation Realm master, so it wouldn't happen, but what if the Alliance Leader hadn't accepted?"
"Then I'd just become a ronin for real. I started as one anyway. At my level, people would come running with money to hire me."
Jeong Rip said this with a faint smile.
A smile he rarely showed.
"You're joking, right?"
"Wasn't it funny?"
Jeong Rip scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"..."
Yuseong had hired a ronin with no talent for jokes.
He was the strongest master among the ronin Yuseong knew.
***
Bang Hyeok's life had gone exceptionally well compared to his childhood.
While scraping by as a pickpocket with no future, he had caught the eye of House of Revelry Leader Jeong Yeon by chance and become her disciple.
Back then, he couldn't fathom why someone like him was chosen, but he later learned the reason.
'I resemble her dead son, they say? But I'm not Master's son. Good. I'll just keep flattering her and inherit the House of Revelry. A pickpocket becoming House of Revelry Leader—that's a success story.'
He wasn't a naturally kind person.
He planned to play along adequately and swallow the House of Revelry whole.
But Jeong Yeon, who had seen it all, wasn't so easy to fool.
Realizing Bang Hyeok's temperament wasn't pure, she gradually withdrew her affection.
"Greet her. This child will be your junior sister from now on."
Before long, Bang Hyeok had been demoted from Jeong Yeon's sole disciple to just one of two.
Jeong Yeon began entrusting more power to So-ok, who astonishingly mirrored her own temperament.
"..."
At this rate, he would end up as the powerless senior brother of the House of Revelry Leader.
Even pretending to be obedient now couldn't win over Jeong Yeon, whose heart had already tilted toward So-ok.
The fortunate part was that Jeong Yeon, who had grown fond of him, still kept him as a disciple.
Bang Hyeok bided his time.
Just like in his childhood, waiting for his target to let their guard down before succeeding as a pickpocket.
Finally, the opportunity arrived.
"It's senility."
His master had aged and begun showing signs of dementia.
Not everyone showed the same symptoms with age, but she spouted nonsense and her memory had deteriorated.
From then on, Bang Hyeok gained the support of Elders who opposed his master and began preparations.
And then.
When his master showed senility symptoms in So-ok's presence, he activated a trap through a servant he had planted in advance.
'Perfect. In a few days, I can eliminate Master and So-ok. Then the House of Revelry is naturally mine. I'll have to take care of the Elders who supported me, but that's minor.'
Next, Bang Hyeok focused on Baek Yuseong.
As the most renowned physician nearby, he was the only one who might treat his master.
Conveniently, he had been with So-ok on the day she fell into the trap.
Raising the possibility of his complicity with So-ok might block him without bloodshed, but it was better to handle it decisively.
"So-ok's confidant met Baek Yuseong? Block him at all costs. Send him far away for a few days if needed. But don't antagonize the Murim Alliance—make sure he doesn't get hurt."
Bang Hyeok ordered his subordinates.
'His connections are predictable anyway. Mostly Murim Alliance ties, and the rest are nobodies. The Alliance won't step in, so use force to stop him. A Peak Realm master or two won't reach Master.'
With Baek Yuseong handled, Bang Hyeok moved to win over the remaining Elders.
But that evening.
"Bang Hyeok, Baek Yuseong has arrived. He's requesting a meeting with the Elders."
"...What have the men I sent been doing? I clearly ordered them to prevent him from getting here."
"We can't identify them—the corpses are too mangled—but Baek Yuseong brought an incredible master. They all rushed to block him and got subdued. We're identifying the accomplice, so please wait just a moment—"
"You idiot! Baek Yuseong is here, and now you want to identify them? What do the Elders say?"
"They want to hear him out."
***
On the way to the House of Revelry, Yuseong directly witnessed Jeong Rip's divine might and felt awe.
'Incredible. So this is the Transformation Realm. Peak Realm masters are no match. Even if I were in perfect condition, at my level back then, I couldn't have resisted at all.'
Suspected House of Revelry Peak Realm masters collapsed, their pressure points sealed, unable to put up any fight.
His movements were so profound that not even one who probed deeply under the deep headscarf recognized Jeong Rip.
Thanks to him, Yuseong arrived safely at the House of Revelry.
"To think the day would come when I hire Jeong Rip as a ronin—it's beyond my station."
"Don't say that. Call on me anytime you need help again. Having quit once, doing it two or three more times will be easier."
Jeong Rip smiled once more.
This joke was enjoyable just to hear.
A short while later.
At the gathering where the Elders and Bang Hyeok met Baek Yuseong.
Yuseong stated the reason for his visit.
"After So-ok and I met the Leader, I heard she collapsed. Let me try treating her, so please allow me to see her."