Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Insight
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Jade Crane and Wei Guo were suspicious of Mu-heun.
‘Does this man truly understand the great cause the Soul-Stealing Immortal speaks of?’
Naturally, such a question arose.
It wasn't as if they fully understood the great cause the Soul-Stealing Immortal spoke of either. However, as the heads of intelligence organizations, they had a general idea from all the reports they received about the various ominous phenomena occurring simultaneously throughout the Central Plains.
Beings that were not human were appearing, treating the Central Plains like a grand experiment. And these were events that couldn't be explained by their common sense.
However, this fact was thoroughly concealed. It would have been impossible if the Beggars' Sect and the Underworld Sect had carelessly sold this information.
In other words, they were organizations that upheld their own sense of justice.
Mu-heun judged them to be trustworthy. The fact that the leaders of the Central Plains' largest intelligence organizations knew about the series of events, yet the information hadn't spread far and wide, was enough to earn a degree of his trust.
They had not sold any information that could bring panic to the Central Plains. They distinguished between information that could be sold and information that shouldn't.
That was the difference between having integrity and not.
The Underworld Sect and the Beggars' Sect had apparently only exchanged this information between themselves, but then judged it impossible to resolve on their own.
While controlling the information, they sought other trustworthy individuals and found the Soul-Stealing Immortal and Du Baek.
In the end, the alliance of those gathered here was forged from a single threat.
‘Hmm….’
However, it was also true that they still lacked trust in one another.
That was why Mu-heun had brought up the top-secret story of the Unrivaled Slaughter of the World.
The Sect Leader of the Beggars' Sect and the Master of the Underworld Sect would both know about this incident, but it was absurd that Mu-heun knew.
Wei Guo and Jade Crane were confused.
Could this man have met the former Sect Leader of the Beggars' Sect?
Given the people gathered here, he wouldn't be telling a lie…
The fact that he had heard this from the former Sect Leader of the Beggars' Sect was not, in itself, a huge deal to them.
What was truly important was that when they connected it to their own intelligence network, what he said didn't add up.
A young upstart from the Demonic Cult, barely past his coming-of-age, meeting Gae-heung and becoming close enough to hear a top-secret story.
Could Master Du Baek have met him and told him?
No, they shouldn't have met yet, right?
Or maybe, the Soul-Stealing Immortal?
But the Soul-Stealing Immortal shouldn't know about it either, right?
If not, then could it really be… Master Gae-heung?
A hole in their information. A discrepancy. Confusion.
It was like a small crack in the dam of trust that is built when hundreds of pieces of information align.
Jade Crane bit his lip.
‘If this man is just bluffing… then there's no problem. But. What if it's true? It would create a major issue with the plausibility of our information.’
Jade Crane pretended to be startled and said.
"Gae-heung? How do you know that name? Even the Soul-Stealing Immortal has never met him!"
"If you're curious how I know, then let's make a deal. Come on, decide. Are we making a deal or not?"
Jade Crane and Wei Guo felt a strange sense of unease.
The plausibility of the information was certainly a huge problem. Those who deal in information have a strong desire to fill in the gaps of what they know.
But who had created this situation? It was Baek Mu-heun. Come to think of it, why did they feel an inexplicable sense of unease when they considered the existence of this man, Baek Mu-heun?
This young man before them. His very existence was something they couldn't comprehend with the common sense they had held until now.
‘A young man from the Demonic Cult knows Master Gae-heung? And he's close enough to know about a top-secret matter? Hah, it's not like he fell from the sky or sprouted from the ground… where did a young man like this suddenly come from?’
It was Wei Guo who had clearly tried to lead the conversation after first meeting Mu-heun.
First, Jade Crane had put on a foolish act to lower his guard, then Wei Guo created a sharp atmosphere to coax the desired information out of the young man.
That was how they had planned for the conversation with Mu-heun to flow.
But….
What was this situation now? Hadn't this young punk completely seized control of the conversation from them?
An unexpected turn. It felt as if they'd been robbed blind in broad daylight.
But, from the moment Mu-heun mentioned the name of the former Beggars' Sect Leader, Gae-heung, and proposed a deal, they were already unable to escape his rhetoric.
Mu-heun observed the reactions of Jade Crane and Wei Guo.
‘Yes, you must be confused.’
Wei Guo let out a low groan.
He couldn't help but admire the flow of events.
‘Insight… is it….’
***
Pa-sun and Un-pyo, who remained in Sichuan to train under Gam Pa-pa.
The two were steadily building their skills through qi cultivation via energy circulation, as Mu-heun had taught them, and sparring to sharpen their combat senses.
Usually, Un-pyo and Pa-sun sparred with each other, and occasionally, when Gam Pa-pa had time, she would guide them in a training match.
Gam Pa-pa's guided training pushed Un-pyo and Pa-sun to their limits. One time, it went on for over six hours, and Pa-sun and Un-pyo only surrendered when their internal energy and stamina were completely depleted, leaving them with no strength to even move.
Each time, they would stabilize their ragged breaths and never forgot to express their gratitude.
"Hah… hah…."
"Th-thank you for the guided training…."
"Hohoho, I had high expectations since you were taken in by Master Mu-heun, and indeed…."
Gam Pa-pa turned away, her back slightly bent and her hands clasped behind her, as she spoke.
"You've exceeded my expectations."
Un-pyo and Pa-sun were momentarily stunned to hear this. They had always felt overshadowed by Gu Yang-baek and Seol Ha-ryeong, never receiving recognition, but now they were being acknowledged by the Branch Leader of the Sichuan Martial Alliance.
"Ugh…. Thank you!"
"Thank you! Gam Pa-pa!"
This was the Sichuan branch of the Martial Alliance, and the two of them were from the Demonic Cult. But not everything in the world was decided by one's origins. A bond forged through trust created something strong that transcended their backgrounds.
"Phew…. Are we really getting stronger?"
"Of course. Is Gam Pa-pa just anyone? She's a master of the Transformation Realm… in other words, the Pinnacle of Demon Arts, a level only a few in our Cult have reached. To her, our level, which is barely at the peak of transcendence, must be as clear as the palm of her hand."
"I suppose you're right."
"Yes, yes. For now, let's clean up the training grounds."
"Right, right."
Un-pyo realized that Gam Pa-pa was, in fact, a powerhouse on par with Gu Pae-seon. And he also knew that her teachings were incredibly valuable.
"Master Un-pyo. Do we really deserve such a luxury?"
"I don't know. Ever since we started following the Lord, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities have been coming one after another."
"It feels like I'm dreaming."
"Let's be grateful. All we need to do is become even a little stronger so we can be of help to the Lord."
"I've been thinking this for a while, but you're quite good at saying the right thing, Master Un-pyo."
"…What do you take me for?"
Pa-sun and Un-pyo had now become close friends who bickered with each other. They sometimes fought, but having left Xinjiang and come all the way to the distant land of Sichuan, they only had each other to rely on. Their camaraderie deepened with each passing day.
As Pa-sun finished his training and returned to his room, he looked up at the sky and recalled the events at Blade Leaf Valley.
‘That day I sincerely pledged my loyalty to the Lord. He told me to develop a sense of camaraderie before accepting Master Un-pyo….’
Thinking back now, Pa-sun felt that everything had unfolded just as Mu-heun had said. And as a result, he felt his life had become much richer.
‘Indeed, the greatest fortune I've ever encountered was meeting the Lord.’
The first time Pa-sun met Mu-heun was when Mu-heun was looking for someone knowledgeable about the martial world through Physician Jang. Pa-sun, his eyes wide at the sight of silver from Mu-heun's sleeve, had told him everything he knew, only to receive double the promised payment.
But now, he no longer needed such silver.
Money? Honor?
Such things were trivial.
Pa-sun steeled his resolve to lay down his life for the lord who had guided him, someone who had been treated as a failure by his own family.
And so, the two men reached the very peak of transcendence. All that was needed now was the enlightenment that could only be gained through real combat.
***
Some time had passed since Mu-heun left Sichuan for Hubei. Around that time, Gam Pa-pa handed Pa-sun and Un-pyo a letter, saying it was from Mu-heun.
[ Assist the Cheonbu Merchant Guild with their trade route to our Cult. ]
The content was simple. The Cheonbu Merchant Guild, located in the Sichuan capital. They were to assist the guild by acting as escorts, as the guild was now in charge of the newly reopened trade between the Divine Cult and the Central Plains.
Just then, Cheon Hwi-san, the son of the Cheonbu Merchant Guild's leader, arrived.
"Have you been well, Masters!"
Un-pyo and Pa-sun were puzzled. They had just received the letter. Why was Cheon Hwi-san visiting now?
"Ah, what brings the young master of the Cheonbu Merchant Guild here?"
"Ah, have you not received the letter yet?"
"…No. We just received it."
"That letter was left by Master Mu-heun before he departed. He asked for it to be delivered once the Cheonbu Merchant Guild was ready to leave for Xinjiang."
"Ah…."
Un-pyo and Pa-sun looked at Gam Pa-pa, bewildered. But Gam Pa-pa just chuckled and nodded.
Only then did Pa-sun and Un-pyo understand.
She hadn't given them the letter right away, waiting for him and Pa-sun to train diligently and grow stronger.
And the reason she delivered it now was because she knew they needed real combat experience to advance from their current level.
‘Haa… My Lord.’
‘How can we ever repay this grace?’
Pa-sun and Un-pyo could feel something welling up in their chests at Mu-heun's thoughtful arrangements.
Gam Pa-pa watched the two of them and chuckled.
‘Those boys….’
She recalled what Mu-heun had said when he left the letter.
-Gam Pa-pa, once those guys have recovered from all their internal and external injuries, please take a look at their martial arts. And when their skills improve a bit, give them this letter so they can accompany the Cheonbu Merchant Guild's caravan.
-Them, on a trade route?
-That's right. A caravan heading to the Divine Cult will be safer with a couple of peak transcendent masters. Besides, those guys are so clueless they could use the experience.
-Understood. I'll deliver it as soon as the caravan is ready.
-…Still, make sure their wounds are fully healed and their skills have improved before you send them. They're so weak, I don't want them getting killed out there….
-Hohoho, of course.
***
-Hubei Wuhan, Martial Alliance Heavenly Dragon Fortress
The first day of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.
In a separate area from the general audience seating, there was a section of luxurious seats set up under a canopy. The VIP section for the elders of great sects and prestigious families.
It was a place specially prepared for the renowned leaders of the Orthodox Sects' martial world.
However, many of the highest seats in the VIP section were now empty, as their occupants had moved shortly after the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly began. Those who had left were mostly the sect leaders of the Nine Sects and One Union or the family heads of the Five Great Families.