Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: The Fall of the Four Sounds Sect
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“Ugh, ughhh.”
Galmun let out a stifled groan as he opened his eyes.
Pain surged through his entire body, draining him of all strength.
His blurry vision gradually came into focus, and the surrounding scenery filled his sight.
Blink, blink.
Galmun stared blankly up at the sky before forcing his eyes to sharpen.
‘I... I survived?’
After taking that insane strike?
His jaw had twisted, his neck had twisted, and in the end, even his waist had twisted from that ferocious blow.
He even remembered his body floating away before he lost consciousness...
“...Ow.”
Hm?
He’d been wondering why his body felt so off—his head was turned backward toward his back.
It was a miracle he hadn’t died.
‘C-Crazy. There’s no way a master like that could be in Goseon!’
It was an overwhelming expert. The way he’d leaped across that great distance in an instant, the technique so dominant he couldn’t even perceive it.
A level of master that didn’t exist in Goseon.
As a martial artist who made his living by the blade, he knew such experts were rare.
‘It was planned. Someone definitely orchestrated this!’
Someone was clearly after Goseon.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have flown straight into his sect leader’s quarters!
The natural flow of that entire sequence would’ve been impossible without prior planning.
Or at least, it had to be someone with extensive experience pulling off hits like this!
But were the unorthodox sects unorthodox for nothing?
In the unorthodox world, if you showed fear or weakness, you got devoured on the spot.
His eyes caught the masked figure who had ambushed him.
Galmun spoke as calmly as he could.
“Who are you! Who dares ambush this sect leader!”
The masked man—Namgung Hyeok—scratched his cheek and turned his head.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
“Do you not know who this sect leader is! I am Galmun, Sect Leader of the Four Sounds Sect and wielder of the Four Sounds Sword. I have over five hundred disciples under me—you can’t handle...”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“Around a hundred, wasn’t it?”
“...Uh, huh?”
How did he know?
Galmun gaped at Namgung Hyeok, speechless.
And soon, he understood why.
Smack!
“Gaaack!”
A crisp striking sound rang out, followed by something whooshing over his head.
Boom!
A heavy thud echoed next.
“Arrrgh!”
“Guhh!”
Galmun’s pupils shook wildly at the agonized groans erupting from all directions.
Galmun strained to roll his eyes.
Smack! Crack! Crack!
“Arrrgh!”
“K-Kill him! Kill him!”
“F-Fall back!”
“You bastards! If you don’t wanna die, fall back—fall back, I said!”
The Four Sounds Sect disciples were putting up a desperate resistance(?).
Would they panic like that if a tiger dropped right in the middle of their courtyard?
The terrified faces of the Four Sounds disciples flickered into view amid the swaying torchlight.
Every time the torches shook violently, the disciples leaped back in fright, a pitiful sight.
“Kraha ha ha ha! Out of the way! Move!”
With every swing of the massive brute Tak Hyeok-dong’s arm, Four Sounds disciples went flying in all directions like bursting fireworks.
‘Wh-What?!’
Galmun was stunned. They wouldn’t fly that far even if you hurled rocks at them.
Soon, the Thunder Dragon Squad charged in, sweeping through the Four Sounds disciples.
It was like a tidal wave.
In the wake of the Thunder Dragon Squad’s path lay only the Four Sounds disciples, foaming at the mouth.
Little Beggar struck the jaw of an oncoming Four Sounds disciple with his palm.
Crack!
“Kehek!”
The disciple’s head snapped back as he crumpled to the ground.
‘What the hell am I doing, wearing a mask and brawling in someone else’s courtyard!’
This was the Beggar Clan of the world.
Even if their power had waned, the Beggar Clan’s spirit remained unbroken.
And yet, Beggar Clan disciples—nay, a sub-branch leader at that!
Not only had he scaled someone else’s walls, he was beating up innocent(?) disciples of an unorthodox sect!
No matter how much these unorthodox scum deceived the masses and leeched off the common folk...
“...These guys are real bastards, huh? This is righteousness!”
Thwack! Thwack-thwack!
“Guh! Guhh! Sp-Spare...!”
“Die! Die!”
Little Beggar’s strikes were growing fiercer.
Namgung Hyeok dusted off his hands and grabbed Galmun by the scruff of the neck, hoisting him up.
“G-Guhh!”
“Hey, where’s the warehouse?”
“You... you bastards, I’ll...”
“Unorthodox scum are all the same.”
Namgung Hyeok clicked his tongue and spoke quietly.
“Wanna get beat? Or dipped in water?”
“...Wh-What?!”
“What’s with the backtalk.”
“......”
“Ah, pick quick.”
“...The warehouse is underground here.”
Galmun forced an awkward smile and flicked his finger slightly.
Namgung Hyeok’s eyes gleamed.
“Hey! Beggar! Open the warehouse!”
“Y-Yes!”
Little Beggar reflexively replied and dashed in the direction Galmun indicated.
As he searched for the secret passage to the basement, he lamented.
“How am I supposed to face the investigators now? Forgive me for picking locks in someone else’s...”
“Idiot, you couldn’t even recognize spirit stones—don’t talk about investigators.”
“......”
Little Beggar shut his mouth and silently pried open the warehouse door.
“It’s op—!”
Boom!
Namgung Hyeok kicked the warehouse door open with force and strode inside imposingly.
His fierce gaze swept the interior.
His brows twitched for a moment, then he charged in without looking back.
Little Beggar gaped at the Four Sounds Sect’s secret warehouse.
“Whoa! Is this the kind of wealth a fringe sect can have?!”
It was beyond what a small sect of a hundred disciples should possess.
The over fifty-pyeong warehouse brimmed with silver and gold ingots, treasures of all kinds—his eyes widened inevitably.
‘This is better than some Beggar Clan branches!’
His mouth hung open at the scale of a warehouse unimaginable in beggar life...
Crash!
Namgung Hyeok dove into the mountain of riches like a madman and began rummaging wildly.
Silver and gold ingots flew through the air with every swing of his arms, piling up in the center of the floor.
Thud! Thud!
“Guhh!”
Whether by chance or intent, the flying objects smacked into Galmun’s head one by one.
Ignoring it all, Namgung Hyeok frantically searched for spirit elixirs.
“Nope, nope, nope...”
Bloodshot veins crept into Namgung Hyeok’s eyes.
His hands sped up, his feet darting several times faster as he hunted for items.
Namgung Hyeok whipped through the warehouse like he had clones.
Little Beggar and Namgung Se, following behind, gawked as objects whizzed past.
Namgung Hyeok bellowed from inside the warehouse.
“What’re you doing? Search too!”
“Yes!”
“Got it!”
The group rushed into the warehouse and started digging through the treasures alongside him.
“Damn it!”
Namgung Hyeok scowled, stormed out, grabbed the collar of the prone Galmun, and shook him.
“Hey! Where’d you hide my spirit elixirs!”
“Wh-What spirit elixirs are here?!”
“My spirit elixirs that you thieves stole!”
“Wh-What’re you...”
“You’re lying now, huh?”
“L-Lying?! Spirit elixirs aren’t something you just...”
“That’s why you stole ’em! Right?!”
“I-I really don’t kn—gurgle!”
Namgung Hyeok stared silently at Galmun, who foamed at the mouth and went limp, then released his collar and dusted his hands.
“Not here, huh?”
“Then...?”
“Where’s the next sect?”
“There’s the Iron Dragon Sect...”
“Let’s go!”
Namgung Hyeok turned without another word, but Little Beggar hurriedly called after him.
“Wh-What about all this loot? We leaving it?”
“Look at this beggar eyeing the goods.”
“N-No, I mean, it’d be a shame to...”
Namgung Hyeok waved him off.
“Take it all for now.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Gotta get paid for the trouble.”
“But it’s their stuff...”
“No such thing in unorthodox sects. Finder’s keepers.”
Not the words of a Namgung family disciple, but Little Beggar accepted it.
“Move it all!”
“Haul it!”
“Kraha, got it!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad began carrying out the loot. The others, watching, stuffed sacks and headed topside.
Galmun swallowed his rage, watching the thieves brazenly cart off his wealth.
‘My... my fortune!’
A silent howl.
Loot began piling up against the Four Sounds Sect’s walls.
The moon emerged fully from the clouds, and the treasures gleamed radiantly.
Namgung Hyeok’s face lit with satisfaction at the moonlit riches.
He smiled faintly, then subtly turned his head.
“But what’re those guys?”
People peeking from between the walls and gate flinched and hid.
Dozens of them, holding their breath and stealing glances.
“Villagers, I think. Young Master Namgung.”
Namgung Hyeok nodded at Paeng Jung-hyeok’s words.
“Oh, yeah? Thought they were with us.”
“...Not leaving?”
“Did we commit a crime?”
“But your identities...”
“They only saw masks, whatever.”
“......”
“Chin up. Be proud.”
Wasn’t it kinda criminal...?
“So, what’d you find?”
“Secret ledgers and some jewelry.”
“Keep the jewelry, do what you want with the ledgers. Burn ’em or not.”
Ledgers were useless anyway.
“Hey, frisk those guys too.”
“Yes!”
As Namgung Hyeok rubbed his hands, pondering the loot...
The villagers outside buzzed.
“Wow...”
“Gasp, what’s happening? The Four Sounds Sect crumbling!”
“Shh! What if they hear?”
“It’s heavenly punishment! Heavenly punishment!”
“Those bloodsucking scum finally got what’s coming! Hah, I knew if justice hadn’t forsaken the martial world, a day like this would come! Righteous heroes have come!”
The villagers reacted with awe, sighs, fear, and glee.
“But who are they? If they’re heroes, why the masks...”
“To hide their identities!”
“Ah!”
“See? They’re not killing anyone!”
Rustle rustle!
Pockets being stuffed?
“They must be protecting our property!”
Thud thud thud!
Uh, they’re beating people for peeking?
“Righteous heroes can’t stand injustice!”
“Ah!”
“Right, righteous heroes have finally come to save Goseon.”
The village head shouted.
The villagers were moved.
Watching the sect that had ruled Goseon for a decade collapse overnight felt cleansing.
The village head strode boldly into the Four Sounds Sect.
“Long live the heroes! Long live the heroes!”
“Long live!”
“Hurray!”
Goseon’s villagers poured in, cheering thrice.
Namgung Hyeok and the Namgung family members blinked at the newcomers.
“Heroes?”
What nonsense?
As Namgung Hyeok stared blankly, the village head cried out emotionally.
“You’ve come to protect us! Kraha! Those parasitic bloodsuckers who drained us dry! You’ve come to punish them! I knew this day would come.”
The Namgung group looked baffled.
“We’ll divide this loot fairly among us! We’ll never forget this grace.”
Their eyes turned to Namgung Hyeok.
Namgung Hyeok groaned in pain.
After groaning for a while, he pointed painfully at the loot.
“Uh...”
“Uh?”
“Let’s split it half.”
Huh?
Everyone stared at Namgung Hyeok in daze.
The village head glanced around and nodded.
“Y-Yes, as the heroes say.”
Namgung Hyeok exhaled shortly.
“Phew, did a good deed.”
Yeah, gotta live differently from the past.
Namgung Hyeok eyed the loot bitterly and said wryly.
“Do what you want with the rest.”
He turned lightly and left the scene.
Little Beggar, Paeng Jung-hyeok, Paeng Yeon-hwa, and So Hye-yeon watched his back in bewilderment.
He seemed pretty proud just now?
But half was still a huge haul?
The followers’ reactions were even more ridiculous.
“Whoa, he yielded it.”
“No way!”
“Crazy, the world’s turning upside down!”
That’s how it was for Namgung Hyeok.
Amid the stunned crowd, Namgung Ryong smiled faintly, looking pleased.
His thumb subtly rose.