Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Straight Ahead
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A small village nestled in the mountains under Baek Eun County.
Hidden deep in the valley, the only outsiders who ever visited were from a single merchant caravan that had a standing contract with the village on a regular basis. But lately, the place had been thrown into chaos by a sudden influx of strangers.
It all started with the abrupt arrival of martial artists.
They'd recruited a few local thugs and taken over the village.
And before long, they'd even established a sect called the Silver Sword Sect.
Just as they were building structures and throwing a grand opening ceremony for their new sect, acting all high and mighty...
Heaven's wrath struck, and they all dropped dead.
At first, folks thought it was just a fire. But no.
Every single corpse bore clear sword wounds that screamed the truth of their demise.
The sword marks varied in form, but everyone knew.
There was only one killer.
Otherwise, how could it have ended so quietly, without a soul the wiser?
If there'd been any commotion, even the terrified villagers huddled in their homes would've noticed.
"But they haven't caught the killer?"
Kan In-chang, the Reverse Hyena Owl and investigation team leader dispatched by Rampaging Demon Heaven to uncover the truth, growled irritably.
"W-Well..."
The Reverse Hyena Owl's notoriety was legendary even within Rampaging Demon Heaven.
The martial artist giving the report trembled in fear at his dissatisfied tone.
Perhaps that pitiful sight softened his mood just a fraction.
The Reverse Hyena Owl sheathed his prized sword and prodded the man with the scabbard.
"Forget it. Get lost."
"Pardon?"
"I said scram."
"Yes, sir! Sorry to disturb you!"
The martial artist seized the chance and vanished in a flash.
In truth, the Reverse Hyena Owl had no real intention of hunting down the killer.
It had been plenty of time for them to flee Gansu Province—what was there to catch?
He'd planned to drag in the old woman who'd helped collect the beggar brats' bodies and interrogate her.
'Slippery as a rat.'
Even if she hadn't gone all the way to Nanju, pursuing her into Baek Eun County would give even Rampaging Demon Heaven pause.
Forget the killer for now.
What really concerned the Reverse Hyena Owl was something else.
"How's the silver mine development?"
"We're mobilizing the villagers to push it forward. The problem is those beggar scum from Baek Eun County still poking around. With House Huangbo pressuring their main sect, it looks like they might get serious."
"Doesn't matter. Keep greasing the local officials so they stay out of it. House Huangbo's tied up with Shaanxi anyway—they won't commit full force. Just gut every beggar or Huangbo dog that shows up, no exceptions."
The Beggars' Sect's martial arts were all middling at best.
Only division leaders or higher could wield their techniques decently; anyone below that made you wonder if this was really the Beggars' Sect.
"Alright, time to inspect the silver mine. Gotta skewer a few slackers as an example anyway."
When things weren't going smoothly and frustration built, nothing beat spilling blood.
The Reverse Hyena Owl's lips twisted into a sadistic grin.
Wi Sowol and Hwang Bo-yoon, the duo who'd spent the previous day in Baek Eun County, set out bright and early at dawn.
Considering their ages—fifteen and eighteen—they were remarkably diligent children.
"Where to?"
"Beggars' Sect division."
Unlike the Murim Alliance's intelligence network, beggars needed to beg for a living.
There were wandering beggars who drifted even to remote mountain hamlets, but they were rare.
Still, a village this size was bound to have beggars.
In other words, a Beggars' Sect division outpost.
'I've got info from the Murim Alliance, but...'
Better to double-check with the local Beggars' Sect intelligence.
After all, they were the ones clashing directly with Rampaging Demon Heaven on the front lines.
"Hold up."
"Relax. They won't pay you much mind anyway."
"Really?"
Wi Sowol had swapped her cotton mask for a beak mask.
The beak mask had become the Weird Physician's signature, and with word spreading that he'd taken a disciple, Wi Sowol wearing one was like openly declaring herself his direct apprentice.
The Beggars' Sect would find the Weird Physician's disciple far more intriguing than some runaway from House Huangbo.
And as Wi Sowol predicted, it played out exactly that way.
Upon entering the Baek Eun County Beggars' Sect division, the gang leader—also called the division head—stared straight at Wi Sowol.
"Well, well, another rare traveler graces us."
"You the division head?"
"That's me. You're the Weird Physician's disciple, right?"
"Spot on."
Hwang Bo-yoon's eyes widened like a cow's upon learning Wi Sowol was the Weird Physician's disciple.
'The Weird Physician's disciple? Sowol?'
She'd had no idea.
She knew the girl was an amazing martial artist, but medicine too?
'Come to think of it, she did seem pretty knowledgeable about healing... right?'
That tiny head tilting this way and that, inspecting her after the attack.
'I wondered what she was doing, but was she checking if I was hurt?'
Adorable.
Hwang Bo-yoon barely stifled a chuckle, but she couldn't fully steady her breathing, so the cotton mask Wi Sowol had given her fluttered slightly.
Luckily, the division head showed little interest in Hwang Bo-yoon.
'The Weird Physician's disciple, already with a bodyguard?'
Everyone knew the rootless Weird Physician always traveled with escorts for protection.
It was only natural for his disciple to do the same.
"You're not here to treat patients. What do you want to know?"
"Two questions."
Clink.
Wi Sowol lightly tapped her money pouch, making it jingle.
How much? it implied.
"No money. But I'll heal some folks for you."
"Fight with Rampaging Demon Heaven?"
"Trying to get something for nothing. Heal 'em, and I'll talk."
"...Condition?"
"Broken bones. Typical for martial artists—torn, slashed, fractured. You know the drill."
"Fine. No guarantee of full recovery."
"If we wanted that, we'd have called your master."
With the deal struck, the division head formally introduced himself.
"Baek Eun County Division Head, Pale Soul Pursuer Ha Meng-hun. Two questions—I'll answer straight."
"First: Heard you took in a Ban Clan beggar boy here. Where is he?"
"...We don't sell out family."
"He's family to me."
"Family? Oh, you mean that... uh..."
Ha Meng-hun paused to gather his thoughts.
He knew the rumors: the Weird Physician had taken a disciple, who'd been evacuated to Gansu amid the Shaanxi war.
But why Gansu, not too far from Shaanxi and risky? Now it made sense.
'Jackpot for us.'
Info on the Weird Physician's disciple was valuable.
Her background, a mystery to all, was worth paying for.
"Pretend I didn't hear that question."
"Hey."
"Oi, Squad Leader! Where'd that Ban kid wander off to?"
Ha Meng-hun suddenly summoned one of his division officers, the Squad Leader.
"They took him to headquarters—said he had real talent."
"Who?"
"Who else? The knot-tying elders who call the shots in our sect. Elder Meng of the Knot Binders and Air-Rending Swift Legs took him as a disciple. Even named him—you were there when we discussed it, Division Head."
"Right, right. But the name?"
"Hoped he'd rise high, so Tae from 'great' and Seung from 'ascend'—Ban Tae-seung."
"Yeah, Ban Tae-seung. Been so long, slipped my mind. Anyway, Weird Physician's disciple—your second question?"
It was a blatant cover, but the best Ha Meng-hun could do.
Beggars didn't sell out family.
But Wi Sowol was that family—and she'd offered even bigger intel.
His compromise: pretend an eavesdropper overheard family talk.
Wi Sowol played along, feigning ignorance.
"Not sure if it's exact, but there's a village below what we call Dongbae Mountain. Had a sect called Silver Sword trying to worm into Rampaging Demon Heaven's lower ranks."
"Yeah, I know it."
"What's the situation?"
Ha Meng-hun's face darkened.
His expression said it wasn't good.
"Rampaging Demon Heaven's taken it over. Bribed the officials real nice. You know we clashed blocking their attempt to kidnap Bang Elder."
"Thanks for that."
"Save it. Wasn't for gratitude. Anyway, our forces weren't enough, so we got House Huangbo's help."
Ha Meng-hun clicked his tongue.
"We lost. No deaths yet, but plenty injured. Shaanxi's turning sour for the orthodox sects. Rampaging Demon Heaven's ready to fight House Huangbo too."
Hwang Bo-yoon flinched involuntarily at those words.
A reflexive reaction she couldn't suppress.
She quickly composed herself—Ha Meng-hun didn't notice—but Wi Sowol felt the tension.
"Who's there?"
"Reverse Hyena Owl Kan In-chang. Rampaging Demon Heaven's number six."
Groups of demons inevitably bred strict hierarchies.
Rampaging Demon Heaven was no exception.
They ranked by martial prowess, enforcing iron discipline on rogue fiends.
Number six.
In Gansu's top evil sect, that meant terrifying skill.
Hwang Bo-yoon pictured him in House Huangbo.
'Our sixth strongest? Uncle Huangbo In?'
House Huangbo didn't rank openly, but top martial artists' reputations spread by word of mouth.
She imagined fighting Huangbo In.
'Could I win?'
No telling.
A few days ago, she'd have boasted victory. But after tasting real combat's harsh lessons, win or lose felt uncertain.
"Last question?"
"Later. Patients first."
As they walked a mountain path outside Baek Eun County, Wi Sowol spoke up.
"Rampaging Demon Heaven has three Transcendent Realm masters."
Rampaging Demon Heaven's lord, Fighting Demon King Do Go-hyeok.
The Ferocious King, who fought him three days and nights before yielding.
And number three, formerly number two: Blood Spear Demon Wolf.
Not many compared to other giants.
The Nine Great Sects averaged four or five; Twelve Black Seats three or four; Eight Great Clans two or three.
Three put them at the giants' average—Nine Great Sects, Eight Great Clans, Twelve Black Seats.
But Fighting Demon King and Ferocious King alone weighed as heavy as any major sect.
"Minus those two, Rampaging Demon Heaven's nothing special. Blood Spear Demon Wolf's just filler."
"Hm...?"
Really?
House Huangbo only had two Transcendents.
Grand Elder Thunderclap Huangbo Ryang.
And House Huangbo's leader, her father: Divine Fist Huangbo Geuk.
Gansu Province's top master, his title drawn from the Shaolin classics.
The duel between Do Go-hyeok and Huangbo Geuk at the United Front Battle was still legend in Gansu.
Yet with Ferocious King as a powerhouse second ace and Blood Spear Demon Wolf third, Rampaging Demon Heaven held the edge over House Huangbo.
That's why House Huangbo allied with Hanzhong's Jeonam Clan and Kongtong Sect to check them...
'And she says Rampaging Demon Heaven's nothing?'
Was it vast perspective, or did she not grasp Transcendent Realm yet?
Hwang Bo-yoon suddenly found this girl she'd been starting to understand feel distant.
But.
"Anyway. Without any of those three? Charge straight through—no need to dodge."
She still admired her most.
"Sounds good!"
House Huangbo's daughters didn't stoop to ambushes or cheap tricks.
Hwang Bo-yoon couldn't gauge if she'd beat Huangbo In.
But with Wi Sowol at her side?
'I could take on Dad!'