Chapter 342
Chapter 342
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 342
Chapter Title: Death Envoy Captain Shim Jo-yeong
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Death Envoy Captain Shim Jo-yeong was the daughter of the Shim family, a martial house in Hubei Province.
It was a family with some tradition, but in Hubei, where the Wudang Sect and Murim Alliance held sway, the Shim family could never wield any real influence.
A martial house skilled in fist and kick techniques.
That was the extent of their reputation.
Dissatisfied with such evaluations from the world, she left the Shim family and boldly headed for the Murim Alliance.
She was sixteen at the time.
Though the Shim family had some fame, she was still just the daughter of a minor martial house, so like any other warrior, she started from the bottom with entry-level missions.
And joining the Murim Alliance completely changed her life as a martial artist.
Her talent had always been exceptional.
Even in the long history of the Shim family, no one could match her aptitude.
Perhaps thanks to that.
Her talents, confined to the small pond of the Shim family amid constant life-or-death battles, were unleashed and exploded in growth all at once.
It was a terrifying manifestation of genius.
Her talent, buried like a seed, bloomed into splendid flowers with the nourishment of real combat experience.
She amassed fame at an astonishing speed. From starting at the bottom, she joined the Death Envoy Corps and eventually claimed the position of captain.
But she was not satisfied with that. No, she couldn't be.
'The family arts have reached their limit.'
Perhaps from roaming the jianghu for so long.
She realized that the Shim family's inherited martial arts had clear limitations.
So, she completely overhauled the Shim family's techniques, reorganizing them by incorporating her battle experience.
To advance her own cultivation and to elevate the Shim family's prestige.
And the result was a resounding success.
She unified the Shim family's Qi Art—which was barely third-rate—along with their messy fist and kick techniques into the sublime Illumination Eclipse Binding Fist.
It had been over three years since she entered.
And on that day, she reached the Pure Blue Furnace Flame realm, preserving her youthful beauty to this day.
That was already more than twenty years ago.
Afterward, she defeated the previous Death Envoy Captain to take the position and made her name even more renowned.
Without a single defeat.
'How long has it been since I was defeated so helplessly?'
It was her first thought upon regaining consciousness.
But she couldn't remember well.
Since reaching the Pure Blue Furnace Flame, she had never lost consciousness.
Perhaps it was only natural.
For a warrior walking the line between life and death, fainting was tantamount to facing death.
'Maybe the first time since that spar with the previous Divine Dragon Captain.'
It was from a distant past.
Back when she had just become Death Envoy Captain and was arrogantly challenging everyone without regard—over ten years ago.
'...It was an exquisite sword.'
She traced in her mind the beautiful trajectory she had seen before blacking out.
Auspicious and bizarre.
Even she, who had seen and faced countless sword paths over long years in the jianghu, was first struck with admiration.
Recalling the red sword path that seemed to summon the sunset, she soon tensed her closed eyelids.
Her eyelids slowly lifted, and the blue sky and sun greeted her opened eyes.
The moment she raised her upper body.
Swish―
A shadow fell over her head.
The Death Envoy Captain looked up.
A person stood above her.
It was Cheonhwi.
"Looks like you're back to your senses."
"Ouch, that hurt so much. I lost."
The Death Envoy Captain chuckled wryly at Cheonhwi's words.
The spar had ended in her defeat.
Cheonhwi responded indifferently to her acknowledgment of the clear fact.
"Then take care of those two for me."
The Death Envoy Captain tilted her head.
But upon looking around, she immediately knew who the "two" were that Cheonhwi meant.
The Flame Demon Captain and Cooperation Guard Captain lay fainted on the ground.
She glanced at them in slight surprise, then turned back to Cheonhwi—and froze.
Cheonhwi was already gone.
"Haha! The Murim Alliance captains look a mess."
The Death Envoy Captain burst into laughter.
They were the four great captains of the Murim Alliance.
That meant every one sprawled here had at least reached the Heavenly Martial Realm.
Yet they had all been overwhelmingly defeated by a Mount Hua Sect Daoist who had barely passed thirty.
"Plum Blossom Divine Hero Cheonhwi..."
Muttering to herself, the Death Envoy Captain recalled him, her eyes gleaming.
With eyes full of greed.
"When was it? I think I heard before that if marriage to the sect leader doesn't work, a union is possible..."
She cast her gaze afar.
Toward the hall where the Extermination Captain resided.
"With my Hye-a, even that guy would fall head over heels, right?"
Recalling Shim So-hye, the Shim family's greatest beauty, she wore a satisfied smile.
Thinking of political marriage—the most common strategy in the jianghu for alliances—she nodded vigorously.
"I need to send a messenger quickly."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Not even a full day had passed before word spread throughout the Murim Alliance that the Flame Demon Captain, Cooperation Guard Captain, Death Envoy Captain, and Extermination Captain Cheonhwi had sparred.
It was a spar between the captains of the four corps—excluding the Divine Dragon Corps—and the recently rising star Extermination Captain, the Plum Blossom Divine Hero. It was only natural.
But the interest quickly faded.
No one except the four knew the results.
The Flame Demon Captain had prepared a training ground no one else could enter.
Four days later, when no one was talking about it anymore.
"Why is she here?"
Beggar King Yongju-gae, who had come to see Cheonhwi, glanced out the window and asked.
Outside was the training ground, and in its center sat the Death Envoy Captain in some unknown chair, watching the Extermination Corps train.
"She's come every day since the spar."
Cheonhwi said nonchalantly.
"You don't chase her away?"
Yongju-gae asked, puzzled.
The Cheonhwi he knew wouldn't welcome outsiders like that.
But he overlooked something.
"Why chase her? She's supervising the training for me."
There were outsiders and then there were useful ones.
Contrary to Yongju-gae's thoughts, Cheonhwi was pleased with the situation.
The Extermination Corps' current training was simple.
Demon Wave and basic stamina drills.
Watching it continuously was grueling. But if he didn't oversee, even the Extermination Corps would slack.
Yet now the Death Envoy Captain was doing it for him.
'They're training hard under her watchful eye. Convenient.'
Cheonhwi, satisfied as he watched her, turned to Yongju-gae.
'Whereas this one...'
Clicking his tongue, Cheonhwi spoke.
"More importantly, why did you come all the way here, Elder?"
"Ahem."
Yongju-gae cleared his throat awkwardly.
He had caught the implication in Cheonhwi's question.
"I have something to discuss."
"Discuss?"
"I heard the Sword Saint came and went."
Yongju-gae's expression turned serious.
But to Cheonhwi, his grave demeanor didn't match his greasy hair and yellowed teeth.
"Heard anything?"
"Why ask me?"
Cheonhwi asked, puzzled.
"If you're curious, go ask him yourself."
It was the straight truth.
But Yongju-gae frowned, displeased.
"Think about it. If I go to the Sword Saint, won't others suspect something's up?"
"By that logic, shouldn't you not come to me either?"
"You've been meeting me for a while. Everyone knows we have a connection, so it's fine."
"That's a shame."
Cheonhwi replied curtly.
"You brat!"
Yongju-gae flared up momentarily, eyes bulging, then sighed.
"So what did that Sword Saint say?"
"Nothing much. Just that he took internal injuries from those 'Hwe' guys or whatever."
Yongju-gae's eyebrow twitched.
"What? Internal injuries?"
It was unexpected.
The Sword Saint's skill ranked at the top even among those who could rival the 'Hwe'.
Internal injuries?
"Apparently the two are moving together?"
At Cheonhwi's question, Yongju-gae looked puzzled.
"Hm? He didn't tell you?"
"Said to ask directly."
"That guy's such a pain..."
Yongju-gae pouted.
He seemed genuinely annoyed.
Seeing that, Cheonhwi decided not to probe their relationship further. He drained the last of his tea and murmured softly.
"The Murim Alliance has been oddly quiet lately."
Yongju-gae nodded.
As Cheonhwi said, a strange atmosphere pervaded the alliance recently.
Normally, upon returning, they'd rush off to new missions without rest.
Especially in wartime against the Evil-Black Alliance.
Yet it was strangely calm.
No one was dispatched, and no new orders came.
This applied to the entire alliance, not just the Extermination Corps.
Most of the Three-Stage Four Corps had returned to recover, with no reports of attacks.
"The Evil-Black Alliance retreated because the Shadowless Society intervened."
Yongju-gae said, furrowing his brow.
Normally, it would be good news.
The enemy retreating mid-war.
But he couldn't hide his unease.
It felt like the calm before the storm.
Seemingly peaceful, yet portending something ominous.
"We'll clash eventually."
Cheonhwi murmured lowly.
The war was already underway.
Even from the Evil-Black Alliance's perspective, they couldn't keep retreating forever, no matter the disadvantage.
"I wonder what they'll do."
Cheonhwi gazed out the window.
In the distance, pitch-black thunderclouds approached the Murim Alliance ever so slowly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thud, thud.
The gate guard looked up at the sudden footsteps and frowned.
A man walked through the thunderclouds.
'What kind of getup is that?'
The guard squinted.
The man had a sinister air.
A flashy earring dangling from his left ear, heavy red makeup around his eyes.
On a manly face, it evoked strong revulsion.
'Who...'
As the guard scrutinized him, he suddenly swallowed.
The approaching man had vanished.
"Ghost...?"
The startled guard muttered, trembling.
"Calling me a ghost? That's harsh."
A voice came from right beside him.
"Gah!"
The guard flinched and reached for his sword in panic.
Click.
A heavy grip clamped his sword sheath.
The man was now pressed close, holding the sheath.
"Why so hasty?"
The man grinned.
His makeup twisted grotesquely into a bizarre smile.
"W-Who are you...?"
"Me?"
The man chuckled at the question.
"Baekun."
"Baekun? Don't tell me..."
The guard paled.
In the jianghu, only one matched that name and appearance.
"Soul Escaper...!"
Baekun whispered his moniker into the guard's ear.
"Hurry inside and tell the Alliance Leader. The Evil-Black Alliance's envoy, Baekun, has personally come to the Murim Alliance."