Chapter 149
Chapter 149
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Utilizing the Divine Artifact
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mu-heun soon rose from his meditative posture and stood by the window. He then gauged the size of the barrier. A massive, circular barrier enveloped the pavilion.
He unclasped the Butterfly Dream Rosary from his wrist. Then, he roused his internal energy, activating his Object Manipulation Art. He levitated the rosary and sent it flying toward the ceiling of the barrier surrounding the pavilion.
*Whoosh!*
*Clang!*
“Just as I expected.”
*Zzzzzzing*
A hole had appeared in one side of the circular barrier enclosing the pavilion. At the center of that hole was the Butterfly Dream Rosary.
‘Given the situation, it seems the Butterfly Dream Rosary doesn’t outright destroy all barriers or techniques, but rather nullifies any in its immediate vicinity.’
There was a world of difference between shattering formations, techniques, barriers, and soul-stealing arts outright, and simply nullifying any technique that affected the wearer or their surroundings.
‘I’ll have to think carefully about how to use this.’
Wait a minute, would it still work if I took off one of the beads and threw it…?
Mu-heun retrieved the levitating Butterfly Dream Rosary with his Object Manipulation Art. He then fastened it back onto his arm and securely tied Demonic Sealing Papers to his arms, legs, and neck.
‘Heavenly Demon's Shadow Art.’
Next, he suppressed his energy as much as possible and concealed his presence using the shadow art.
*Tap.*
He stepped onto the windowsill.
*Fwoosh!*
And leaped.
In an instant, he was outside the pavilion and beyond the barrier. This time, he flicked a single bead he had removed from the Butterfly Dream Rosary and threw it at the barrier.
And then.
*Clang!*
‘It works!’
A hole appeared in the barrier. What’s more, its size was not much different from when he had thrown the entire rosary.
Mu-heun quickly fixed the single bead in mid-air with his Object Manipulation Art, then surveyed the area outside the barrier.
The Martial Alliance’s Heavenly Dragon Fortress.
A colossal fortress, even at a glance. Its grandeur seemed to surpass even that of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Mu-heun wondered if the imperial palace of the Central Plains looked anything like this.
However, his admiration was short-lived.
No matter how well he concealed his energy with the sealing papers and hid his presence with the shadow art, he couldn't deceive the eyes of masters like the Alliance Leader or the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable.
He couldn't spend much time like this, so he had to hurry.
Mu-heun immediately deployed his Thousand-Li Subtle Fragrance. A faint, unique scent, perceptible only to him, began to spread throughout the Martial Alliance.
Carried by the air and the wind, the scent spread with incredible speed, covering the entire Martial Alliance in less than a moment.
The fragrance drifted beyond the Martial Alliance into the surrounding area. Mu-heun located the spot he had marked earlier in the marketplace.
The scent he had left there remained, and just as he had intended, it was covering something.
The creature that had previously taken the form of a child. The spot where that strange being had been. It wasn't just the location, but the very body odor it had left behind.
Mu-heun focused all his concentration on the Thousand-Li Subtle Fragrance and commanded it.
‘Envelop that scent and bring it to me.’
At his command, the fragrance guarding the scent in the marketplace swept the ground, enveloping the odor, and began to drift toward him.
As he waited for the scent to arrive, Mu-heun scanned other areas.
Just then, he detected a place tinged with the smell of blood. He immediately focused his internal energy into his eyes, enhancing his vision.
That place is…
A place steeped in the scent of blood.
No, had he been mistaken?
The place Mu-heun was observing had a group of martial artists from an Orthodox Sect being guided to their lodgings by the Martial Alliance.
But weren't their swords, sabers, weapons, clothes, and even their hands and bodies stained with the thick scent of blood?
Then again, one couldn't know what deeds even those who claimed to be from the Orthodox Sects committed. Or perhaps they had just returned from a war with the Green Forest bandits or the River Bandits.
In this world of Jianghu, rife with wars and battles, it was unreasonable to suspect something based on the scent of blood alone.
Still, the smell of blood was excessively strong. Mu-heun decided to simply keep an eye on them for now and dismissed any major suspicions.
‘Truth be told, I’m a member of the Demonic Cult who has infiltrated the Martial Alliance. I’m in no position to suspect others. Besides, more and more martial artists are arriving. If I stay like this any longer, I’ll be discovered.’
At that moment, the undulating fragrance arrived. Mu-heun quickly slipped back inside the barrier-protected pavilion.
Once inside his room, Mu-heun took a whiff of the unsettling scent.
This is…
‘This is not the scent of a human.’
Just then, a servant sent by Jang Ryang knocked on Mu-heun’s door.
“I have come to deliver a message from Master Jang Ryang.”
“Come in.”
The servant cautiously opened the door and entered, relaying Jang Ryang’s message.
“You will be able to meet with the Alliance Leader in three days. Until then, you are free to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly or rest comfortably.”
“I understand. Please tell him I received the message.”
“Yes, sir. I shall take my leave.”
After the servant left, Mu-heun pondered with a rather serious expression. He then felt Cheon-hyang enter through the hole in the barrier he had created with the Butterfly Dream Rosary.
Mu-heun listened to Cheon-hyang’s report on its investigation of the Martial Alliance’s vicinity. As he did, his expression grew even more grim.
“What should I do…?”
That night.
After giving Cheon-hyang plenty of food and water, Mu-heun issued its next mission.
“Observe where they go. However, you must only follow from a distance. Do not, under any circumstances, get close.”
[Yes, Master!]
“Also, just in case, I will tie this bead to your ankle.”
[What!? What is this!?]
“This is a divine weapon called the Butterfly Dream. With this, you will be able to escape any barrier or technique.”
[Kkiiiaaaooo! Thank you!]
“Yes. Make sure you are never caught. Just follow them. And report to me immediately if anything happens.”
[Hah!]
***
The next day.
Pae-seon left to join the disciples of his sect, leaving only Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong behind.
Early in the morning, Jang Ryang sent a servant to inform them that since they now had the Martial Alliance's permission, they were free to walk around the fortress as members of the Totua Unit.
Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong, wearing the necklaces Jang Ryang had given them, went out to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. Just as Jang Ryang had said, no one questioned their identity or regarded them with suspicion as they walked through the Martial Alliance.
The passing members of the Alliance simply offered a light bow as a sign of respect.
Ha-ryeong and Mu-heun headed toward the grand martial arts arena prepared by the Alliance to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.
While not as magnificent as the Divine Dragon Assembly held majestically on the summit of the Heavenly Mountains, this place was also quite vast.
Spectator seats were arranged on all four sides around the enormous arena.
‘Is that our spot?’
The seats Jang Ryang had arranged for them offered a clear view of the stage.
The two seats, set apart in a slightly elevated position, were clearly prime spots, providing an excellent view of the fights between the rising generation of the Orthodox Sects.
“Their skills are rather mediocre compared to those at the Divine Dragon Assembly.”
Ha-ryeong spoke as if disappointed by the level of the Orthodox Sects' rising stars, but Mu-heun replied with a gentle smile.
“The participants at the Divine Dragon Assembly were probably at a similar level, or perhaps slightly better. It was just that you and I, Lady Ha-ryeong, were on the stronger side.”
“Is that so…?”
“I believe so.”
“But weren't we staying here to meet the Alliance Leader and propose a collaboration? I don't see why we need to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”
“Haha, a spectacle is always worth watching.”
That was his answer to Ha-ryeong, but Mu-heun had another reason for watching the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.
He had a feeling that a time would come, though he didn't know when, that he would need to elevate the standards of the entire martial world by combining his medical skills, formations, and martial arts.
He couldn't afford to waste his time on just anyone, so he was scouting for talented individuals among the rising stars of the Orthodox Sects.
There were more noteworthy individuals than he had expected.
No matter how powerful the Demonic Cult was, capable of confronting the entire martial world as a single entity, as long as it remained in the Xinjiang region, there was a limit to the talent it could find.
Of course, the level of the rising generation participating in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly wasn't particularly outstanding compared to their counterparts in the Demonic Cult, but their talent was undeniable.
The reason was that those who learned orthodox martial arts placed greater importance on the fundamentals. As a result, they were relatively weaker in their youth.
However, these were individuals who grew stronger the more time they invested and the more they trained.
In contrast, demonic arts allowed one to grow strong quickly, enabling even young disciples to wield powerful techniques.
But unlike orthodox martial arts, where one grew stronger through steady, persistent training, it was difficult to surpass one's limits in demonic arts without some form of enlightenment or real combat.
Furthermore, in the process of surpassing those limits, it was common to become crippled or even die. Thus, growing strong quickly was not necessarily the better path.
Even the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon was a technique where one's Dantian could explode at any moment if extreme balance was not maintained while circulating energy.
And yet.
Yes, despite all that, there were still those who had reached the state of supreme mastery or even divinity. Mu-heun memorized the names of the remarkably talented individuals as they appeared.
Dang So-so, hailed as the genius of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Baek-ryeon, known as the greatest talent of the Huashan Sect.
Man-jeok, called the disciple of the Taiji Sword Emperor from Wudang.
The indomitable twin prodigies of the Shaolin Sect, Ha-gang and Ha-gok.
The Hegemon of the Hebei Peng Clan, Paeng Gang-hyeok.
The Absolute Sword Nine Dragons of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Yeon.
The strategist and genius of the Zhuge Clan, Jegal Hyeok.
The Mountain and Sea Dragon Spear of the Murong Clan, Moyong Hwi.
The Five Beggars of the Beggars' Sect…? That one fights in a peculiar way.
Besides them, strong individuals were numerous among the prestigious sects and clans like Zhongnan, Hainan, Kongtong, Kunlun, the Shandong Ak Clan, the Gong Clan, the Hwa Clan, and the Wi Clan. There were also quite a few outstanding fighters from lesser-known sects.
And… though they had not yet fully bloomed.
Mok-yeong of Qingcheng.
Ha Na-rin of Emei.
There were also individuals who held a deep significance for Mu-heun.
But didn't Jang Ryang, the Soul-Stealing Immortal, also say he was from the Zhuge Clan? To abandon his family name and never mention his clan… what could be his story?
Just then, the martial artists from the sect that had reeked of blood the night before caught Mu-heun's eye.
The Fierce Sword Sect.
Asking around, he learned that although they were affiliated with the Orthodox Sects, they were practically Unorthodox martial artists. That was why there had been reluctance to invite them to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.
The reason they were invited despite this was that they had suddenly made a massive donation to the Martial Alliance while requesting an invitation.
The Martial Alliance's stance was that while the sect's members were known for their brutal conduct when assisting nearby escort agencies or handling other matters, they had never crossed a certain line.
That was why their participation had been approved… and since their martial skills weren't considered particularly exceptional, they hadn't paid them much mind.
‘It seems that here too, a hefty sum of money makes people overlook things.’
However, Mu-heun sensed something was off.
Weren't they said to be fighters whose martial skills were not particularly outstanding?