Chapter 198
Chapter 198
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Rumors and Shadow Alliances
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Although it had ended in a futile conclusion, the crowds remaining on the Verdant Plains still couldn't shake off the lingering afterglow of the duel.
"What an incredible duel."
"Now I understand why Mount Hua Sect's Plum Blossom Sword Art is called unparalleled in the jianghu."
Their eyes were still hazy.
The waves of plum blossoms that had filled the sky.
And the sword art of the young Taoist who had created those waves was firmly embedded in their minds, refusing to budge.
At the same time, a single sobriquet was etched into their memories.
Cheonhwi.
It was a title none of them had ever heard before, but now it was different.
No, it had to be different.
"Mount Hua has been holding its breath all this time."
"Impressive, truly impressive. For years, other sects and warriors mocked them, yet they silently nurtured a hidden dragon."
"To endure such humiliation."
"Heh! Aren't they Taoists? They probably didn't even care about such insults."
The crowds loved rumors.
Especially a new star appearing in the jianghu, which had been rigidly controlled by the forces of the Three Tyrants of the Nine Provinces?
And emerging from Mount Hua Sect, which had been on the path to ruin but was finally regaining its prestige?
Of course, the gossips wouldn't miss a story that made their mouths water.
"I always thought Mount Hua would soar again! Not just the Divine Sword Taoist of Mount Hua, but the exploits of the Seven Plum Blossom Swords in the current Murim Alliance are dazzling enough to blind the eyes."
"The balance of the Nine Great Sects is going to shift!"
They began spreading the rumors.
Rumors that started as simple stories they'd heard around them quickly ballooned with exaggerated details.
And at the center of those rumors was Cheonhwi...
"Here you are, young master!"
...receiving two pouches of gold nyang.
Cheonhwi tucked the gold pouches given by the merchant into his sleeve and smacked his lips with a 'tch'.
'If only the duel had lasted longer, I could've scraped together even more money.'
Of course, one gold nyang pouch was an enormous sum that most merchants never saw in a lifetime, but after winning it so easily, it somehow felt insufficient.
'Maybe I should've squeezed more out of Division Leader Oh.'
As Cheonhwi let out his regret,
"What greed. Do you have no end to it?"
A voice came from the side.
"A Taoist should know contentment with that much."
Cheon Yi-gae, who had approached unnoticed, scolded Cheonhwi before turning to the merchant.
"Hand over mine too."
"Here you are."
The merchant carefully handed over the pouch.
"Heh heh. Nice and heavy. Good, good."
Cheon Yi-gae grinned broadly upon receiving the hefty pouch, but when his eyes met Cheonhwi's—the one he'd just scolded—he cleared his throat awkwardly with a loud 'ahem'.
"Ahem, ahem. Anyway, we should get out of here first."
As he spoke, Cheon Yi-gae glanced around. Not only those who had bet on Cheonhwi's duel, but others were starting to gather as well.
"Th-that's the young master of Mount Hua Sect who just fought the duel, right?"
"Why is he here?"
"Y-young master!"
Seeing the crowd thickening, Cheonhwi nodded and said,
"That would be best."
Thud.
The two kicked off the ground simultaneously.
"Huh?"
"H-he disappeared?"
Cheon Yi-gae and Cheonhwi, unfolding their movement techniques, quickly put distance between themselves and the Verdant Plains.
A moment later, they arrived at a quiet forest beyond the plains and came to a stop.
"This should be far enough."
Cheon Yi-gae scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes, then scratched his greasy head vigorously.
"Thanks to you stepping into the duel, we've definitely identified the backing of the Soul Dominion Sect."
Cheonhwi's eyes darkened.
The reason he had urgently summoned Cheon Yi-gae was all for this.
No matter how much they tried to hide their identities, they had no choice but to reveal their skills in a duel.
Of course, they would use different martial arts than usual or conceal their internal energy.
But that required leeway. Against a strong opponent, ingrained habits emerged unconsciously.
'And with the Beggars' Sect's information network, they could've identified them just from those fleeting habits.'
And as expected, Cheon Yi-gae seemed to have discerned the origin and source of the martial arts they practiced through the duel.
"Where?"
"The Killing Curtain."
"The Killing Curtain—you mean that assassin sect?"
Cheon Yi-gae said with a grim face,
"Yes. That bastard tried to hide his internal energy, but the martial arts and movements he occasionally displayed were identical to those of the Killing Curtain that I've seen before."
As if recalling that time, his expression soured as he stared into empty space.
"The Killing Curtain... They've lost their minds."
Cheonhwi was dumbfounded.
Assassins abhorred and hid their existence.
Yet here they were, exposing themselves above the surface.
"They must be after something."
"I don't know about that. But they wouldn't move without reason."
Cheon Yi-gae scowled deeply.
"The Killing Curtain's information network rivals even ours in the Beggars' Sect or the Hao Clan."
Assassins needed information more than anyone.
Knowing their target thoroughly allowed clean kills without unnecessary bloodshed.
"Well, then there's nothing more to gain."
Cheonhwi brushed it off cleanly.
Pestering for non-existent info would just waste time.
"What about the others' backings?"
"I couldn't see their martial arts clearly enough to be certain, but the one brought by the Gold Radiance Vice Leader is probably from the Blood Ghost Palace."
"Those guys are ambitious too. They're in the midst of war with Hainan Sect, yet they're reaching all the way to Shaanxi."
The Blood Ghost Palace dominated Guangxi, Guangdong, and vast territories around them. Lately, they had even extended their grasp toward Hainan Island itself.
And now, targeting Shaanxi as well.
Such greed was unheard of.
"...Those madmen are capable of such insanity."
Cheon Yi-gae clicked his tongue.
The Blood Ghost Palace was a den of lunatics.
Its disciples had abandoned their original names and reputations in the jianghu to become blood ghosts.
Nothing they did would be surprising.
"Anyway, that's two of them."
Cheon Yi-gae shook his head.
"I tried to identify the woman who stood in for the Demon Ghost Branch Leader, but I couldn't even guess what martial arts she used. From the ice techniques in the duel, she seems from the North Sea Ice Palace, but..."
Recalling Choran's indescribable ice arts, Cheon Yi-gae scratched his head hard in frustration.
"There's no way those guys entered the Central Plains unscathed."
It was complicated.
For the North Sea Ice Palace in the far north to enter the Central Plains required an arduous journey.
Not only did it take a long time, but they had to breach the Flying Heaven Society.
Yet naming another sect with such formidable ice arts besides the North Sea Ice Palace was nearly impossible.
Hearing this, Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes.
No wonder she unleashed her arts so freely.
The Jade Infant Divine Demonic Qi Art and Lesser Water Demonic Art produced ice without demonic qi, but their power was among the strongest in the Divine Cult.
Unforgettable once seen.
'If even the Beggars' Sect, which trembles at the Divine Cult, doesn't know, it means it hasn't been used in the Central Plains for three hundred years.'
Cheonhwi stroked his chin.
The appearance of a descendant who hadn't emerged in the Central Plains for so long was no ordinary matter.
'Are they really aiming for conquest of the Central Plains?'
Cheonhwi chuckled and dismissed the thought.
'Whatever. I can ask her later.'
Finishing his contemplation, Cheonhwi asked Cheon Yi-gae,
"Any other info?"
"That's all."
"Not much."
Cheon Yi-gae furrowed his brows.
"What more do you expect from there? Most of it's useless exaggeration anyway."
"True enough."
Cheonhwi chuckled and stood up.
Then, with an 'oh', he turned and extended his hand to Cheon Yi-gae.
"Now, hand it over."
"...Hand over what?"
Seeing Cheon Yi-gae furrow his brows as if only just remembering, Cheonhwi grinned.
"Don't play dumb. Hand it over."
"Damn! You still remember that?"
Cheon Yi-gae pouted.
Then he pulled a pouch from his bosom, grumbled, and placed a single silver nyang on his palm.
"Here, take it and scram."
As Cheon Yi-gae tried to put the pouch away again,
"Isn't it two?"
"What are you..."
Cheonhwi stared silently.
Under the mounting subtle pressure,
Cheon Yi-gae finally grimaced and pulled out another silver nyang.
"Here! Take it, take it! You bloodsucking flea! Stealing from an old beggar and satisfied?"
"Yes. Very satisfied."
"You, you..."
Cheon Yi-gae trembled with rage.
"I'll be off then."
Seeing Cheonhwi turn suddenly, the fuming Cheon Yi-gae mumbled,
"...Where to now?"
"Now that we've learned what we need, shouldn't we uproot them completely?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The steps of the defeated New Shenzhou Four Tyrants as they returned from the duel were unbearably heavy.
Especially the darkened expressions of Gold Radiance Vice Leader walking at the front and the Soul Dominion Sect Leader.
"...Damn it."
The Soul Dominion Sect Leader spat curses.
It had been a gamble of a lifetime.
But it collapsed disastrously, vanishing like a handful of dust.
Along with all the reputation and money they'd amassed.
Then Gold Radiance Vice Leader approached.
"What will you do now, Soul Dominion Sect Leader?"
The Soul Dominion Sect Leader gritted his teeth at the calmly murmured words, as if resigned to fate.
"What choice do we have? We have no option but to accept closure of the sect as they demanded."
After the duel, the leaders of Zhongnan and Mount Hua had delivered the ultimatum: closure.
And they had no choice but to accept.
"At least it's fortunate they didn't drive us completely out of Shaanxi."
As Gold Radiance Vice Leader muttered,
"This is quite the mess."
The man brought by Gold Radiance Vice Leader stuck his face between them and smiled.
"All the money and forces we supported, gone in an instant."
Gold Radiance Vice Leader bit his lip.
"It couldn't be helped. There was an expert stronger than us. What could we do?"
"Are you saying another expert should have come instead of me?"
The man leaned in close.
His face inches from Gold Radiance Vice Leader's, breath touching, he smiled even more deeply.
"Strange. From my view, it seems you brought this on yourself with greed. What do you think?"
"That's..."
Suddenly, a blinding flash erupted.
As the startled Soul Dominion Sect Leader beside him looked over,
Slash―
A red line appeared on Gold Radiance Vice Leader's neck.
And soon,
Spurt―
Blood sprayed everywhere as Gold Radiance Vice Leader's head dropped straight down.
"A-aaah!"
"Vice Leader!"
The warriors of Gold Radiance shuddered in terror.
Some tried to flee, but
"If you take even one step from here, you die. You know that."
The man's chilling warning stopped them.
At those words, not just Gold Radiance but even unrelated Soul Dominion members froze like statues, forgetting to breathe.
"H-heup!"
The Soul Dominion Sect Leader gulped dryly.
Something touched his toe. Looking down, Gold Radiance Vice Leader's head had rolled to stare at him.
With eyes unaware of its own death.
Gulp―
His Adam's apple bobbed violently.
He snapped his head up to glare at the man who created this scene.
"Just do as ordered."
The blood-smeared man wore a sticky smile.
"Don't screw things up."
The man wiped his face with his hand.
Blood trailed along his fingers, leaving streaks on his face.
It was a spine-chilling sight.
As Soul Dominion Sect Leader sweated coldly down his back, unable to breathe,
Step.
Jilchal stood before him.
The man smiled at Jilchal.
"You think the same, right?"
"......"
"Cat got your tongue? No, assassins are tight-lipped by nature. Makes sense."
"A-assassin! Heup?!"
Soul Dominion Sect Leader blurted out unwittingly, then hurriedly covered his mouth.
"You know me?"
"Hahaha, what are you talking about?"
The man burst into laughter.
"You think only you know us? Such confidence."
Jilchal's eyes darkened.
The man, pleased at the sight, licked his lips.
"Haha."
Suddenly, he laughed outright.
Releasing the pent-up tension with laughter, he extended his right hand toward Jilchal.
"We both know each other's identities. Shall we join hands?"
Jilchal's eyes flashed beneath his veil as he looked down at the proffered hand.
"What do you mean?"
"Instead of wasting strength scattered about, why not concentrate on one? We don't want more fools like these popping up."
"...That's fair."
Jilchal agreed coldly.
He too disliked the Soul Dominion Sect Leader's reckless actions.
Enough to want to kill him right then.
"But the duel is lost. Pouring more into this is wasteful."
"No, not yet."
The man twisted his lips.
"What Mount Hua and Zhongnan want from the duel defeat is the closure of the New Shenzhou Four Tyrants."
The man's voice was calm.
But the subtle killing intent within made observers deeply uneasy. Some felt their hearts pounding as if about to burst.
"In other words, as long as the New Shenzhou Four Tyrants close their doors, they won't care about the rest."
"More time and money?"
"Hahaha, do we need to?"
The man spread his arms wide.
"The forces and money for a new birth are right here."
Jilchal's eyes widened slightly.
"...Is that what you mean."
Muttering, he turned.
"S-sir?"
Soul Dominion Sect Leader panicked at Jilchal's sudden downward gaze.
The faint killing intent in those indifferent eyes pierced his heart like needles, cold and ruthless.
"I've been wanting to see your blood."
"Wh-what...?"
Stab!
A chilling sound rang out.
Simultaneously, a sharp sword pierced Soul Dominion Sect Leader's chest, protruding from his back.
"Ku, kuhuk! Y-you..."
Soul Dominion Sect Leader reached toward Jilchal, who had stabbed him, but
Thud.
His hands fell limply.
"Useless trash."
Jilchal withdrew the sword.
The body collapsed, and the blade slid free, slick with blood.
Clap! Clap!
The man approached, applauding.
"Consider this a handshake."
"Not to my liking."
Jilchal muttered as he shook the blood from his blade.
"But no other way."
"Hahaha, exactly."
The man laughed heartily.
His bold demeanor made it hard to believe he was the same blood-soaked killer moments ago. The watching warriors of Gold Radiance and Soul Dominion felt a chill pierce their bodies.
"Lucky timing too. I wanted to ally only with you, and conveniently, she vanished."
The man thought of Choran.
Despite gathering info from everywhere, he knew nothing of the woman's identity.
As if she'd dropped from the sky.
"If she were still here, I wouldn't have accepted either."
Jilchal agreed.
To an assassin, information was life.
He had no desire to ally with an unknown like Choran.
"Well then, pleased to work with you."
The man extended his hand again.
Jilchal glanced between the hand and the man's face, then turned away sharply.
"Just a temporary alliance. No need for familiarity."
"Hahaha."
The man chuckled awkwardly, withdrawing his hand.
"Still, wouldn't closeness be better? Your group and ours will be together for quite a while."
"I don't think so."
A sudden voice interjected, making the man and Jilchal snap their heads up.
Cheonhwi sat atop a tree branch.
"Y-you?"
"When did you...!"
Looking down at the startled pair, Cheonhwi bared his white teeth in a grin.
"You'll all die here, so how could it last long? Right?"