Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The Disciples of the Transformation Immortal
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Un-pyo and Pa-sun gathered together, as if on cue, and began to discuss quietly.
“What are the chances that he's Yeok Mu-gi, transformed into our lord?”
“Impossible.”
“Why?”
“There's no way Yeok Mu-gi could defeat our lord and Elder Gu Pae-seon.”
“That... is true.”
But Un-pyo found it strange. It was definitely his lord's face. Even though Pa-sun's words were undeniable... it felt odd.
His intuition told him that the man before him was not his lord.
Just then, a man climbed onto a rock for everyone to see and spoke.
“Listen well. I am Jin Gi-gi, the first disciple of our master, the Transformation Immortal. As you know, we've gathered today to foster cooperation among the disciples. However, as we are all aware, we are practitioners of transformation. To verify that we are all truly martial brothers, I have prepared a simple test. I expect everyone to comply without complaint.”
At that moment, Eum Mu-gi raised his hand and spoke.
“What kind of test is it?”
“It's simple. From this moment on, everyone will assume the same face as me.”
“......!”
“Using your transformation arts, change your face to match mine. Those who do not will be considered spies and killed.”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo were deeply flustered, and Eum Mu-gi, too, was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events that deviated from his plan.
*'It's starting just like this? No. I need to frame Yeok Mu-gi and corner him. Damn it, what do I do?'*
Just then, the man who looked like Mu-heun spoke.
“Simple enough.”
“......!”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun were startled.
*'My... My lord?'*
However, they soon realized it wasn't an empty boast. Mu-heun's face began to contort, his eyes, nose, and mouth shifting their positions. Bones twisted, and muscles contracted and expanded repeatedly until he had transformed into the likeness of Jin Gi-gi, the first disciple of the Transformation Immortal.
Un-pyo and Pa-sun were once again shocked. Their lord knew the art of transformation as well?! Was he truly a peerless genius?!
But this was no time for such thoughts. All the martial artists gathered around them had begun to change their faces and bone structures. In less than a quarter of an hour, the transformations were complete. Everyone now had the face of Jin Gi-gi.
The only way to tell them apart was by the clothes they wore before the change. What was astonishing was that even Paeng Ri-hyeok of the Martial Alliance, who had come with them, had also transformed into Jin Gi-gi.
“W-What in the world...”
*'Martial Alliance investigators know the art of transformation, too?!'*
The martial artists, all now looking like Jin Gi-gi, glanced around and spotted Un-pyo and Pa-sun, who had not transformed. To anyone's eyes, these two were clearly impostors pretending to be disciples of the Transformation Immortal.
“Just as I thought. Some rats have snuck in.”
The martial artists drew their respective weapons. Stranger still, even Paeng Ri-hyeok, who had come with Un-pyo and Pa-sun, drew the sword from his waist and approached them.
Un-pyo's head spun.
*'This is why! I shouldn't have trusted those bastards from the Orthodox Sects!'*
Pa-sun also looked around for an escape route, but enemies surrounded them. Even the man who had looked like Mu-heun made no move.
*'If you're really our lord, please do something!!'*
The first to attack was Eum Mu-gi, impersonating Paeng Ri-hyeok.
“Hah!”
*Clang!*
Un-pyo raised his greatsword, Black Cloud, to block the attack, but that wasn't the end of it. A flood of attacks rained down from all directions.
Eum Mu-gi's goal was to eliminate Un-pyo and Pa-sun before they could say anything about him, so he attacked relentlessly.
Just as Un-pyo and Pa-sun were on the verge of death.
*Kwoong!*
Suddenly, an immense aura descended upon the summit of Mount Bugwang, pressing down on every martial artist present so heavily that even breathing became difficult.
Most of them were masters at or above the peak level, and a few, including the first disciple Jin Gi-gi, had clearly reached the transcendent level. Yet, the colossal aura crushed them all, regardless of their level, leaving everyone speechless.
“How dare you... Even the Transformation Immortal would come to greet me first when visiting this place, yet his disciples speak of killing as if this is your own territory.”
The owner of the immense energy, who emerged from the forest, made cold sweat break out from the pores of everyone gathered on the summit.
He was the secluded Cloud Dragon of the Kunlun Mountains, Gu Pae-seon, also known as the Light-Splitting Immortal.
The aura emanating from Pae-seon, who had conquered the realm of Transformation, overwhelmed everyone present. Without exception, their legs grew weak, and their bodies refused to move as they wished.
And the same was true for Yeok Mu-gi, who was disguised as Mu-heun.
Jin Gi-gi realized the situation had changed in an instant. They were trying to catch the rats that had infiltrated their gathering of martial brothers, but the appearance of an unexpected master now threatened to wipe them all out.
He knew he had to speak up.
“W-Who are you, elder...”
“Tsk, tsk. Is it now considered polite to come to someone's front yard and ask the owner who he is? The martial world isn't what it used to be. Or perhaps I should kill half of you before you'll tell me who you are.”
“......!”
No one there failed to understand his meaning. Pae-seon was the absolute powerhouse of the Kunlun Mountains. In other words, he held absolute power. If he wanted half of them dead, half would die. If he wanted all of them dead, all would die.
Jin Gi-gi immediately dropped to one knee.
*Thud!*
Then, cupping his fist, he said.
“M-My apologies! I and those gathered here are the disciples of the Transformation Immortal. We have gathered today to discuss our future direction.”
“......”
Hearing Jin Gi-gi's words, Pae-seon quietly raised his hand and released his energy.
“Yes, I thought as much. No one move.”
Pa-sun, Un-pyo, Eum Mu-gi, and Yeok Mu-gi were caught by Pae-seon's energy and lifted into the air. The four of them were pinned by an immense pressure, as if held by the invisible hand of a giant, unable to move.
“A-Aether Grasp?!”
Pa-sun, Un-pyo, and Eum Mu-gi had no way of knowing what was happening.
“Even so, I don't know what you all might have done, coming into the area where I live. My subordinate will search your bodies. Cooperate. If you do, I will let you go peacefully.”
“Y-Yes!”
No one present could resist. The reason was that everyone had guessed the old master's identity, as several clues had already come from his own mouth.
*'Front yard.' 'The area where I live.'*
This land on the outskirts of Qinghai was known to all in the martial world as the domain of Kunlun. It was said that the two Cloud Dragons, the absolute masters of Kunlun, were in seclusion, so there was only one person who could display such power.
The secluded Cloud Dragon of Kunlun, the Light-Splitting Immortal, Gu Pae-seon.
One of the absolute powerhouses of the martial world.
To defy his words now meant death.
To a martial artist, it was like a law of nature. The kind of law that states water flows downhill and the sun rises in the east.
Just then, a young man in white robes walked out from the forest. He wore a mask carved from wood. It resembled a dragon, and the aura emanating from his body was truly ominous.
It was the kind of atmosphere one might expect if the Light-Splitting Immortal, Gu Pae-seon, had practiced demonic arts.
At that moment, the man in the wooden dragon mask spoke.
“Then, I will begin the search.”
*Whoosh*
The man in the dragon mask swept over the bodies of everyone on the summit at an incredible speed. His movements were so fast that even the first disciple, Jin Gi-gi, couldn't follow them with his eyes.
“The search is complete.”
At that moment, Un-pyo and Pa-sun realized. They knew the identity of the man in the dragon mask.
*'It's our lord!'*
Pae-seon looked at Mu-heun, nodded, and then spoke.
“Continue what you were doing. But I'm taking these four. Is that all right?”
“O-Of course.”
And so, Mu-heun and Pae-seon took Un-pyo, Pa-sun, Yeok Mu-gi, and Eum Mu-gi and returned to Pae-seon's hideout.
***
Mu-heun, Pae-seon, Un-pyo, and Pa-sun shared what had happened. Of course, Yeok Mu-gi was also present.
“What? You mean it's Eum Mu-gi, not Yeok Mu-gi?”
“Yes, it seems you found the real Eum Mu-gi first.”
“I heard he carries a sword with a red thread tied to it. After catching him, I saw it was him.”
“Hah... I thought he was someone from the Martial Alliance, here to investigate.”
“Then there's no way he could use the art of transformation.”
After finishing his conversation with the others, Mu-heun approached Eum Mu-gi, who was tied to a stone pillar, and spoke.
“So you're that Eum Mu-gi.”
“Th-There seems to be some misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”
“Th-That is...”
*Thump*
Mu-heun placed his hand over Eum Mu-gi's nose and mouth, forcing him to inhale a truth serum concocted from Myriad Fragrances.
“Ugh!”
Sensing that enough of the truth serum had been absorbed, Mu-heun asked again.
“Did you cut off the heads of the wealthy, hang them on their gates, and take all their fortunes?”
“Yes, I did.”
Eum Mu-gi answered with a slack expression.
“Did you drain women of their yin energy, then break their necks and leave them in alleys?”
“Yes, I did.”
The answer to the second question was the same.
“Pa-sun, Un-pyo. Pae-seon and I will handle Eum Mu-gi. Take Yeok Mu-gi, lock him up, and keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, sir!”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo immediately took Yeok Mu-gi and left.
“From now on, I will educate you.”
Mu-heun's expression was slightly distorted, and seeing it, Pae-seon spoke.
“This isn't the first or second time, nor is he the first or second scoundrel of this sort, yet you react the same way every time.”
“I know... I just can't get used to it.”
“By the way, why did you say you were going to search their bodies earlier?”
“They are users of the transformation arts. The Eum Mu-gi and Yeok Mu-gi you see now are of a low level, but the ones gathered there were no ordinary practitioners.”
“And?”
“Using Myriad Fragrances, I've marked each of them with a unique scent. So from now on, no matter what form they take, I'll be the only one who can tell them apart.”
“Hah! Distinguishing people by scent? You can do that now? You never cease to amaze me.”
“I only became able to do it in this life. Even I surprise myself sometimes.”
“Hmm... Right, anyway, we need to use this one to get into Kunlun.”
Thus, Eum Mu-gi underwent a terrible "education" at the hands of Mu-heun and Pae-seon, and they finished their preparations to go to Kunlun as planned.
Just then, Pae-seon, sensing a faint presence, revealed a sharp intent and said.
“Who goes there...”
“Don't apprehend them. It's one of my subordinates.”
“Hah... How many do you have? Tell me in advance. Don't let them get hurt by my hand.”
“There's one more... She's a woman who practices sound arts, so please be careful.”
“Understood.”
Mu-heun left Pae-seon, who was educating Eum Mu-gi, and greeted Yang-baek, who was waiting outside.
“You've arrived.”
“Yes.”
Gu Yang-baek had returned to find Mu-heun.
“Have the men from the Sichuan Tang Clan arrived?”
“Yes.”
“And the item?”
“It's right here.”
Yang-baek handed Mu-heun an object wrapped in cloth from his bosom.
“This is...”
“Yes... It appears to be cordyceps.”
*'Cordyceps... Could one of my disciples have visited Kunlun? No, that can't be. Cordyceps is certainly a fine medicinal herb, but it doesn't have detoxifying properties. My disciples wouldn't be ignorant of that fact.'*
Cordyceps is known to protect the lungs, strengthen the kidneys, stop bleeding, clear phlegm, and suppress coughs.
It also has the clear effect of strengthening a weak constitution and boosting immunity to diseases...
Could it be that the poison has spread to the lungs?
What if the Sichuan clan has already detoxified both Cloud Dragons and sent food good for convalescence?
All my efforts so far would be for nothing.
*'No, that's not it. The Sichuan Tang Clan I know wouldn't do that.'*
There was no point in thinking about it now. The only way was to go and see for myself.
“You've worked hard. For now, please join Lady Ha-ryeong and monitor the situation. I will take care of things in Kunlun first.”
“Yes.”
With a short reply, Yang-baek disappeared in the direction of the northern part of the Kunlun Mountains, where Ha-ryeong was.