Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Plum Blossom Sword Venerable, Jin Hong
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A handsome face that could charm any woman.
Long black hair that looked as if painted with ink.
Calm eyes of unfathomable depth.
A man whose presence Mu-heun, who had reached the pinnacle of demonic arts, could not sense until he was right upon him.
A swordsman who stood alone and aloof, observing the world.
Mu-heun could guess who he was.
Some say…
The current era of the martial world is a golden age for martial artists.
They say the number of those who train in martial arts and surpass the second-rate, not to mention the third-rate, is too vast to count. However, among them, those who have entered the ranks of the first-rate are likely fewer than a hundred thousand.
Even a first-rate master could likely handle a horde of common bandits.
But when there are a hundred thousand first-rate masters, they too become common rabble to someone else.
In Mu-heun's eyes, the number of first-rate masters was far too great.
The next stage, peak masters, was estimated to be around ten thousand…
Gossipmongers claim that the number of masters who have reached the transcendent level is close to three thousand.
Furthermore, the elders of the sects say that those who have surpassed the transcendent level to reach the realm of divine entry number around five hundred.
But among them, those who have reached the realm of harmony are likely fewer than a hundred.
Who knows, perhaps in places where masters congregate, powerhouses of the harmony realm might spring up like mushrooms after rain…
However, even if one were to calculate all possibilities, one thing was certain.
It was the fact that there were fewer than ten masters who had surpassed the harmony realm to reach the profound realm.
Even in the Demonic Cult, which boasted of being the strongest single power, officially only the Cult Leader had reached the profound realm.
The five disciples who learned the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon were all masters who had reached the harmony realm. As a price for learning the ultimate martial art, they were fated to die if they lost in the competition, but they were individuals who could temporarily reach the profound realm.
Even if it was just for a moment, being able to wield power comparable to the profound realm was an incredible feat.
However.
No matter how you looked at it, it was not a complete attainment of the profound realm.
I too have reached the profound realm with the aid of various formations and unconventional methods… but it was only for a fleeting moment.
That’s right.
The profound realm is what martial artists so deeply covet, the position that can be called the hegemon of the martial world. It is a state where an individual's martial might can alter the course of the world, and their appearance on a battlefield can turn the tide of war.
It is the supreme realm where a single person can overturn all the sects and factions in a provincial capital, and these are the ones the storytellers in the market streets endlessly talk about—the Five Great Masters of the World.
Currently, those known as the "Absolutes" were in the profound realm.
As far as I know, there was one such person in the Demonic Cult, one in the Unorthodox Sects, and three in the Orthodox martial world.
Truly, a heaven beyond the heavens!
The three absolute venerable ones said to have reached the pinnacle of the current Orthodox martial world. The one who occupied a seat among them was…
The swordsman before my eyes.
The Plum Blossom Sword Venerable.
Jin Hong.
For a moment, Mu-heun's body froze.
This had never happened, not even when he fought Dang Baek-ho, the Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan… The opponent he was facing now was reminiscent of the Cult Leader Cheon Mu-jin, or even his master, the Heavenly Demon, so he couldn't help but be shocked.
The muscles all over his body contracted, his palms began to sweat, and his fingers trembled faintly.
When he defeated Dang Baek-ho, he had been fully prepared. He had already grasped his opponent's methods of attack and characteristics, and he had prepared more than enough tools, formations, and antidotes to face him.
He had entered the battle in a state of perfect readiness. Even so, there had been many dangerous moments. That was how extremely perilous it was to face the head of a clan, to fight a top-tier master of the martial world.
But now, Mu-heun was completely unprepared to fight the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable before him. He had no proper knowledge of his fighting style or traits.
Moreover, his opponent was one of the absolute venerable ones, who far surpassed the likes of Dang Baek-ho…
‘Damn it… What do I do.’
All he knew about the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable was what he had vaguely heard during the war. Naturally, he had no countermeasures like tools or formations prepared to deal with him.
He never expected to run into him in the first place!
‘Calm down. If I clash with him now, I’ll definitely die. This is different from the time with Dang Baek-ho. Besides, this bastard is much stronger than someone like Dang Baek-ho! This is a simple law of nature where the act of clashing leads to the result of death.’
Mu-heun forced a nonchalant laugh and, in a voice he tried his best to keep from trembling, said.
"Heh, haha, you have a sharp eye, sir? I am merely a guest who stopped by for a moment to see Lady Dang Yeon-hwa."
Mu-heun gave a vague answer to Jin Hong's words, sweat trickling down his spine.
It was only natural.
His current identity was the Pavilion Lord of the Dragon Demon Pavilion of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
His opponent was a master of the Orthodox martial world, several levels above Dang Baek-ho.
The Orthodox Sects and the Demonic Cult were mortal enemies.
This was a situation no different from their high-ranking officials meeting.
‘Is he… buying it?’
Just then.
"Is that so…"
Jin Hong stared at Mu-heun with eyes as tranquil as a lake, and Mu-heun felt his breath catch in his throat.
‘Damn it, did he see through it even though I sealed my demonic energy with the Demon Sealing Path!’
Mu-heun desperately tried to recall any information he had on Jin Hong. From what he had heard about Jin Hong in his past life, he was said to be a colder-than-ice killer when it came to those he deemed "evil."
He looked to be close to thirty, but that was deceiving. He was now past forty and approaching fifty. His body, having undergone a complete transformation, just made him look young on the outside.
He was surely a cunning old fox on the inside. This made him even more nervous.
‘But!’
This was the Tang Clan's territory!
Even if he was one of the three venerable ones of the Orthodox martial world, he wouldn't dare to recklessly strike me down after I've declared myself a guest of Dang Yeon-hwa.
Then, Jin Hong opened his mouth.
"I would like to have a word with you for a moment."
"Pardon?"
Mu-heun couldn't believe his ears.
‘This is insane… Does this guy know something? I’ve suppressed my energy as much as possible, but a master of his level must have noticed the demonic energy…’
‘If so, he must know I’m from the Demonic Cult, right? Has he gauged my entire level? Is that why he sees me as a high-ranking official? And he still wants to talk to me? What’s your game, you bastard!’
At that moment, Seol Ha-ryeong spoke up on my behalf.
"Hoho, we are in a position where we must wait for Lady Dang Yeon-hwa, so it is difficult for us to spare time for others. I am sorry, but we must refuse."
‘This is…’
Mu-heun thought Seol Ha-ryeong was being fearless. Was her own level too low to recognize the gap between herself and Jin Hong? Or had her senses returned, and she was trying to fulfill her duty as a spy? Was she trying to hand me over to this guy to be killed?
It probably wasn't that extreme… but it was dangerous. The distance between us and that man was thirty feet, but that was just a physical distance. In reality, we were as good as in the palm of his hand.
Then, Jin Hong spoke.
"I see… What a shame."
With those words, Jin Hong used a movement technique and departed. His movements were so fast that even my eyes, which had reached the pinnacle of demonic arts, couldn't track them precisely… He was certainly a man worthy of the title Plum Blossom Sword Venerable.
Just then, Seol Ha-ryeong also let out a sigh.
"Phew…"
Mu-heun knew the meaning of that sigh, so he patted Seol Ha-ryeong on the back and said.
"You knew how much of a master he was."
"Yes, I didn't know exactly, but I had a rough idea. I knew that even ten of me together couldn't defeat him."
She was indeed a woman with sharp instincts.
Mu-heun, too, felt a sense of relief internally.
"Let's hurry to the reception room. We might have to flee from here if things go south, so let's hurry."
"Understood."
* * *
After entering the reception room, Mu-heun grabbed one of the warriors waiting there and asked.
"Do you know anything about a man named Jin Hong, the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable, who came here?"
The warrior looked at him incredulously, as if he were asking the most obvious question.
"Yes? Ah, yes… Of course."
"Could you explain it to me?"
"Ah, yes."
The warrior recalled Dang Yeon-hwa's order to treat Mu-heun with the utmost courtesy.
‘Tch…’
He answered Mu-heun's questions, but it was clear he was not pleased about giving information to a member of the Demonic Cult who had slaughtered countless warriors of the Tang Clan.
Mu-heun saw through the warrior's reluctance and immediately offered him a silver coin.
"If you give me information, I will give you this silver."
"First, I must tell you a story about him. Jin Hong was born in an ordinary farming village in his youth.
His hometown was said to be a village near the Mount Hua Sect. He said that when spring came, you could see Mount Hua, where beautiful plum blossoms were in full bloom. When the plum blossoms bloomed, the villagers would share hope and joy while looking at the flowers.
But unfortunately, his hometown was invaded by an Unorthodox faction, and Jin Hong's family was killed there."
Upon receiving the silver, the warrior suddenly became very friendly and began to share everything he knew about Jin Hong. Mu-heun placed the silver in the warrior's hand and continued his questions.
The reason Mu-heun was asking so much was not because he was afraid of the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable.
"…A truly common story. Harsh, but a common story that could happen anywhere."
"That's right. Having lost his family, Jin Hong was eventually taken in by the Mount Hua Sect, and that is how he came to enter Mount Hua."
Mu-heun realized that Jin Hong's past was similar to his own. However, what Mu-heun truly wanted to know was not that kind of story.
"Are there any anecdotes that reveal his temperament or sense of justice?"
"His temperament or sense of justice… Let me see…"
For Mu-heun, it wasn't other things but his temperament and sense of justice that were important. It was his first time meeting him, but a powerhouse at the top of the Orthodox martial world was on a level that surpassed Mu-heun's imagination.
If there were transcendent beings that the entire Central Plains martial world had to unite to fight, powerhouses like him would be a great asset.
For the coming future, recruiting the strong was a task that had to be prioritized above all else, so Mu-heun needed to learn even one more thing about the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable.
Just then, the warrior spoke as if he had remembered something.
"Ah, I don't know if this will be helpful, but there is a famous story among his anecdotes."
"What is it? Anything is fine, please tell me."
"It was when Jin Hong was past thirty. A story from a time when no one among the younger generation could match him.
If you descend from Mount Hua and go near Huayin County, you will find the Yellow River that flows through Shaanxi towards Henan. There was a small village there, and one day, river bandits came, killed all the men in the village, and captured all the women and children."
"So, Jin Hong went, killed them, and rescued the women and children?"
"No. He went to the river bandits' fortress alone and asked them why they would commit such acts."
"…?"
"Then, with his overwhelming skill, he subdued all those wicked men and rescued the women and children, but it is said that not a single one of the river bandits died."
"He just subdued them without killing them? I doubt they're the type to come to their senses just from that."
"That's right. It is said that back then, he was a person who gave even the wicked a chance."
Mu-heun felt that Jin Hong was an extraordinary person.
He could have lived with hatred since losing his family to the Unorthodox martial artists… but instead, he tried to understand even the wicked and give them a chance? He must be out of his mind.