Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Son of the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord
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“I heard you went to Blade Leaf Valley and taught those Sichuan Tang Clan bastards a lesson.”
“Haha, not at all. I simply created an herbal medicine to treat the Blade Leaf Demon. He did all the rest.”
“Heh heh, and modest too. So, might we have a word?”
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord glanced at the Heavenly Dance Family Head, Baek Gun-hak.
“Keke, I understand. I’ll excuse myself for a moment. You two have a chat.”
“Hahaha, no, that wasn’t my intention… but thank you, Family Head.”
And so, I was left alone with the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord.
“So, you thwarted the Red Demon Pavilion Lord’s plans?”
“Haha, I merely fought with the Tang Clan.”
“Heh heh, indeed. Are you aware that the Red Demon Pavilion Lord has been detained for colluding with the Tang Clan?”
“Yes, I am.”
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord stroked his long, gray beard and said.
“He’ll be out soon enough. Those with dirty hands are always quick on their feet. You can trust my word on that.”
“Haha. That has nothing to do with me.”
“…The Red Demon Pavilion Lord is a man who easily forgets a favor, but never an grudge.”
“…”
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord’s eyes turned serious as he spoke.
“You are being watched. The fact that I came to see you has likely already reached his ears.”
“Is that so.”
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord studied my face for a moment.
*‘His expression, his eyes—not a single flicker of disturbance.’*
“Heh heh, you’re not flustered at all…”
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord observed me closely and realized something.
*‘The emotion I sense from Young Master Sa is not fear. Is this caution toward me? No… curiosity? This man is…’*
“Hahahahat! Truly, since the Cult Leader, I’ve never seen a tiger quite like you!”
“…”
“You knew that I spied on your duel, and that the Red Demon Pavilion Lord was watching you. Didn’t you? How did you know? Did the Heavenly Dance Family Head tell you?”
“I simply saw it.”
“What?”
*‘He simply saw it? Does that mean it was Young Master Sa himself, and no one else, who noticed the surveillance and identified who was behind it? Hah…’*
“Hahahahaha! Yes, of course. You simply saw it.”
After a hearty laugh, the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord’s gaze became deadly serious.
“The Meng'ao Pavilion and the Red Demon Pavilion have been rivals for hundreds of years.”
“…!”
The five pavilions that supported the Cult Leader's Hall.
The Red Demon Pavilion, the Meng'ao Pavilion, the Taehwang Pavilion, the Gwijoo Pavilion, and the Kyungshin Pavilion.
Until now, the Meng'ao Pavilion had managed trade in the Western Regions, while the Red Demon Pavilion handled trade in Sichuan.
However, the Red Demon Pavilion began to covet the Western Regions managed by the Meng'ao Pavilion, leading to frequent power struggles. As a result, they had fought many wars, large and small, in the Western Regions or Sichuan, hidden from the Cult Leader and other factions of the main cult.
The Bright Heavenly Demon Brigade, upon discovering this, had apparently tried to mediate a reconciliation several times.
But the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord, Bul-wi, and the Red Demon Pavilion Lord, Hwang Cheol-ung, were fundamentally different men. Thus, the Red Demon Pavilion and the Meng'ao Pavilion could never bridge their differences, and their conflict had continued to this day.
“The Cult Leader would never permit a fight within the main cult, so we have always waged our wars beyond the Heavenly Mountains.”
“…”
“There is no one who knows the Red Demon Pavilion’s military strength better than I. That is why I have come personally to warn you.”
“A warning… about what?”
“The Red Demon Pavilion has many powerful units, and I’ve heard that the most dangerous among them recently entered the main cult. A secret unit that no one knows about. From what I’ve gathered, the Red Demon Pavilion bastards seem to call them the Ghost Unit.”
“The Ghost… Unit?”
“Yes, and you will likely face them soon. They are reckless, and since they leave no traces, regardless of the mission's success or failure, they have nothing to fear.”
“Isn’t it natural for a secret unit to leave no traces?”
“This is on a different level than what you’re imagining. If they were to attack and kill you, some of them would surely go to the headquarters of another faction and commit suicide. This time, they would probably come to the Meng'ao Pavilion to do it.”
“Wouldn’t that make it impossible to maintain the unit?”
“That commander of the Ghost Unit is said to be no ordinary man. The members keep dying, but the commander never changes. It seems he’s the one who trains the members as well.”
“I am grateful for you sharing this information. But… Lord Meng'ao.”
“Speak.”
“May I ask why you are telling me this?”
There is no such thing as a favor without a reason. Even if that man was the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord’s son, it was absurd to think he would show me kindness for a child who had long since left home.
For now, I couldn't even fully trust the Meng'ao Pavilion, so I needed to hear his reason.
“Hah, heheh. Very well, since I’ve made up my mind, there’s no reason to hide it.”
So there was something.
“I recently met with the Sun and Moon Divine Maiden and the Cult Leader. The Cult Leader mentioned that he plans to announce you as his sixth disciple before the Divine Dragon Assembly begins.”
“…!”
*‘So that’s what it was.’*
If the Cult Leader had said that, then it all made sense.
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord, Bul-wi.
This man was a force given to me by the Cult Leader.
It was safe to assume he was an ally assigned to me in anticipation of the conflict with the Red Demon Pavilion.
The Cult Leader, Cheon Mu-jin…
The more I thought about him, the more fearsome he seemed.
But that was that, and I had to use what I could.
*‘It would be foolish not to eat what’s being spoon-fed to you.’*
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord likely hadn’t come just to warn me of the Red Demon Pavilion’s attack. Having fought them for so long, he must have a countermeasure prepared.
Having grasped the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord’s true intentions, I spoke.
“You intend to lend me personnel to prepare for the attack.”
“Hah!”
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord expressed his admiration, seemingly satisfied with my deduction.
“Yes, exactly! You truly are a tiger! If the Red Demon Pavilion has the Ghost Unit, do you think the Meng'ao Pavilion wouldn’t have its own? The Meng'ao Pavilion has the Moon Spirit Unit.”
The Moon Spirit… Unit.
No master lends out their strength for free. He must want something in return for the Moon Spirit Unit. For example… information.
The Meng'ao Pavilion Lord probably wanted to know my true skill—the skill that had made a mark in Blade Leaf Valley and earned me the position of the Cult Leader’s sixth disciple—in exchange for lending me the Moon Spirit Unit.
“Thank you. You may hear of my true abilities through the Moon Spirit Unit.”
“Hm? Hah!”
This time, the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord’s admiration was genuine.
“Heh heh. There’s no fooling you. How can a young man be like an old man who’s seen it all?”
I cupped my fist in my hand in a salute to the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord and said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment! Thank you!”
“Indeed. I will visit you often.”
After sending the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord off, the Moon Spirit Unit entered my quarters secretly, disguised as servants.
***
The leader of the Moon Spirit Unit, Geum-ryeong, came to my room.
She wore a maid’s uniform and had her face covered with a cloth, but a closer look at her gait and the muscles of her body would reveal to anyone that she was a warrior.
However, few would look closely at a passing maid, so it would be fine.
“I have come under the orders of Lord Meng'ao.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I look forward to working with you.”
“With us here, you will be safe. Please do not worry.”
“Haha, isn’t it natural to be nervous about an ambush, even when you know it’s coming?”
“…”
Ignoring my banter, Geum-ryeong scanned the surroundings.
At a glance, it seemed like she was surveying the area in preparation for an attack, but I knew who she was looking for.
The man who was once Jang Bong, but had changed his name.
It was Pa-sun.
“I’m looking for Jang Bong… no, Pa-sun.”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Speaking of which, I had much to say about Pa-sun myself.
According to the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord, Pa-sun, or rather Jang Bong, was originally his illegitimate son. The story was predictable. As an illegitimate son, he was likely bullied by the legitimate children…
In the Demonic Cult, where the depth of one's martial arts was one's power and status, how much worse must it have been for an illegitimate son who also lacked talent in martial arts?
In the end, Jang Bong ran away from the Meng'ao Pavilion on his own and ended up living in the Heavenly Dance Family, doing odd jobs.
*‘Sigh… what a pitiful fellow.’*
I had taken such a man in, and with the knowledge of a Divine Doctor and martial arts, I unblocked his meridians and even gave him a suitable martial art. I had done everything I could for him.
*‘The news of his victory against the Azure Dragon Unit’s Leader, the Flowing Water Sword Ho-ryang, must have reached the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord’s ears. Perhaps Pa-sun might even return to the Meng'ao Pavilion in glory.’*
If Pa-sun said he wanted to go, I had no intention of stopping him.
Whatever he did, it would be his own free will.
But why was the leader of the Moon Spirit Unit looking for Pa-sun?
“This doesn’t seem related to the mission. Did you know Pa-sun from before?”
“Yes… we were friends when we were young.”
“Oh… Were you particularly close?”
“W-w-w-what are you—! Don’t be ridiculous!”
What’s with them…
“Why are you getting so worked up…”
“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. He’s coming over there. You should go see your beloved.”
“I-I told you it’s not like that…”
“My apologies. My joke went too far.”
I immediately stopped teasing at Geum-ryeong’s stern expression.
“You’ve returned, my lord.”
“Yes, I just met with the Meng'ao Pavilion Lord. He spoke of you.”
“Ah, that…”
“It might be because I didn’t ask, but I’ll ask now. Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
“I apologize. It’s just… there was so much going on, wasn’t there? I didn’t want to distract you, my lord. I never intended to hide it.”
“Alright, I understand. Your intentions are what matter.”
“By the way, my lord. This person next to you with her face covered by a cloth is…”
“Ah, she said she knows you… This is the leader of the Moon Spirit Unit, Geum-ryeong.”
“Ah…”
Geum-ryeong removed the cloth, revealing her face.
“It’s been a long time, Young Master.”
To hear Geum-ryeong call Pa-sun ‘Young Master’! I barely managed to unclench my cringing fists and said.
“Well then, you two have a chat. I have things to prepare, so if you’ll excuse me.”
“Th-thank you, my lord.”
“Thank you.”
After receiving thanks from Pa-sun and Geum-ryeong, I excused myself.
“Hmm… How refreshing.”
Pa-sun and Geum-ryeong were older than my current body, Baek Mu-heun. It made sense; I had only recently come of age, while Pa-sun and Geum-ryeong were in their thirties.
However, in my past life, I had reached the age of seventy, so such feelings had long since died within me.
Leaving Pa-sun and Geum-ryeong behind, I began to formulate a plan to prepare for the attack in earnest.
*‘There’s nothing to fear if you prepare in advance.’*
With the Red Demon Pavilion Lord currently detained, the Ghost Unit was likely operating under the command of the Vice Pavilion Lord.
*‘An attack by the Ghost Unit… As long as I have the information, not even the Red Demon Pavilion Lord himself could kill me.’*
To make the stage even bigger, I went to my father and the Azure Dragon Unit Leader and informed them of the entire plan.
*‘If I’m going to do this, I might as well go big.’*
“As they say, preparation prevents disaster.”
When I returned after finishing my work, Pa-sun was waiting for me. Seeing him, I said.
“You look like you have something to say.”
“Yes.”
*‘Has the time come…?’*
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Yes.”
I went into the room with Pa-sun and brewed some tea.
It was a chrysanthemum tea with a rich aroma.
“My lord… about that…”
“If you want to return to the Meng'ao Pavilion, that’s fine. Do as you wish.”
“Pardon?”
“What are you so surprised about? Your martial arts are no longer at a level to be dismissed anywhere, and you will grow stronger if you continue to train. If you’re worried about the Divine Dragon Assembly, don’t be. You have the Flowing Water Sword Ho-ryang.”
“My lord…”
“Geum-ryeong, was it? Go and make things work with her.”
“Pardon? My lord, you seem to have gravely misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood?”
“Yes. First, I will not be returning to the Meng'ao Pavilion. If I die, I will die by your side, and if I live, I will live by your side. Please, grant me this one thing.”
“…”
“Second, the Moon Spirit Unit Leader Geum-ryeong and I are not in that kind of relationship. I did once hold some affection for her, but she was strong and I was weak, so we rarely met and grew distant. Then one day, I found out. The reason she liked me.”
“…”
“She liked me because I was weaker than her. So that I would be easy for her to play with.”
What is this now?
“That’s why I was scared of her and ran away. Of course, there were other reasons, but now that we’ve met again like this, I must become stronger than her. My lord, please make me stronger!”
So that was the story…
“Alright, I understand. I will teach you with all my heart.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
It seems I still have a long way to go in matters like these.