Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Seizing the Momentum (1)
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The next day, after roughly sorting out the situation and returning.
As promised, while passing on some suitable martial arts to Yeonbaek.
Jeok Hwa-ryeon, who had been spending her days locked in a staring contest with the former Filth Gate Lord So Ye-rin, reported that someone had come looking for me.
"Who did you say just now?"
"Justice Alliance, apparently?"
"Names?"
"Don't know the names, but one guy's skin and bones skinny, and the other's old."
It was a truly vague, grasping-at-clouds description, but Cheongun nodded as if he understood well enough.
And rightly so—the identities of the ones who had come here in this situation were obvious.
The skinny one was probably Jeoksan, one of the Justice Alliance executives, and the old one was Go Hak, one of the Five Elders of the lofty Huashan Sect.
There was no particular reason Cheongun could be so sure of their identities.
It was simply that whenever the Justice Alliance had to deliver a message to a player, those two always came as a pair.
They were the ones he always encountered on the Baekdo Orthodox route in the original story, so he couldn't not know them.
There were probably various reasons they had come all the way here, but most likely it was to pressure and keep tabs on Cheongun while dumping some headache-inducing task on him.
"Hwa-ryeon."
"Yes."
"Where are those two right now?"
"Told them to wait, so probably outside the door?"
"Hmm."
Hwa-ryeon asked slyly.
"Shall I bring them?"
"No need."
"Why?"
Cheongun slowly lowered himself to her eye level to explain.
Guys called executives in the Justice Alliance were people of fairly high standing in the murim, whether by seniority or rank.
There were hardly any in high positions in the murim whose cultivation wasn't advanced.
And the higher the master, the more they could perceive.
Especially demonic arts—they showed in the eyes first thing.
The moment he brought Hwa-ryeon, there was a high chance of an uproar calling her a demon or whatever.
Hwa-ryeon nodded upon hearing the explanation.
"Then who should we send?"
"They're elders from the Justice Alliance, after all. We should treat them accordingly, no?"
At that, Hwa-ryeon's gaze turned toward So Ye-rin, sitting in the corner.
Cheongun's did the same.
So Ye-rin protested.
"Hold on. You're not thinking of ordering this lady to do such menial errands, are you?"
"Escort them politely. Not a word of nonsense."
"I refuse! I have no obligation to guide those stinking orthodox old fogeys..."
"Want me to chase you out with them?"
"......Not particularly, but I'll do it this once for your sake!"
Bam—!
So Ye-rin shot to her feet, huffed indignantly, slammed the door shut, and stormed out.
Hwa-ryeon, who had been watching silently, said she'd return later and left the room.
Cheongun took a sip from his teacup, then leaned back comfortably in his chair.
"The sunlight's nice and warm."
Justice Alliance Herald Jeoksan.
And Go Hak, one of the Justice Alliance's Five Elders.
As they stood quietly at the entrance, an unexpected voice called out.
"Are you the ones looking for the Chief Patrol?"
A woman approached, clicking her tongue.
Her jet-black hair fluttered in the wind, and her purple eyes gleamed coldly.
She had a somewhat vulgar air, but even so, her bewitching beauty and elegance overflowed.
She spat out curtly in an irritated tone.
"Follow me."
"Who might you be?"
"You don't need to know."
"......"
She had a strange dignity about her.
And she was qualified for it.
The two immediately scattered their qi into the air to probe her identity.
It was the way martial artists gauged each other's levels upon meeting—to check if it was safe to act arrogant or not.
But just from the pressure she exuded, Jeoksan already felt dizzy and nauseous.
Of course, Go Hak, an elder of a sect, withstood her pressure just fine, but they were both equally shocked by each other's cultivation all the same.
Go Hak was certain.
That woman was at least a wall-crosser.
It was astonishing. In the murim, it was several times harder for women to reach high levels than men.
From childhood, opportunities to learn martial arts were limited, and most halted training due to marriage and childbirth.
Moreover, women's qi and blood circulation differed innately, and most manuals were written for men, so women practicing them straight led to qi deviation or internal injuries.
During their monthly cycles, qi and blood became unstable, making advanced mind arts risky.
There were sects like the Ami Sect or Jade Maiden Sword Sect that nurtured female masters, but from her aura in her eyes, she didn't seem from such places.
No demonic or evil qi either.
Go Hak realized her identity right away.
He chuckled dryly and immediately cupped his fists in greeting.
"Go Hak of Huashan pays respects to the Filth Gate Lord."
"Enough. Skip the pleasantries."
In terms of pure martial level, Go Hak and So Ye-rin were similar, but the murim had the solemn law of rank and precedence.
Black道 or demonic folk treated might as right, but the white道 orthodox strictly defined and upheld precedence.
Who entered first, what merits they earned, how society viewed them heavily.
They judged like credit raters, determining each warrior's precedence.
Go Hak was an elder of Huashan, the top sword sect in the Central Plains, but So Ye-rin was still the head of a sect.
Thus, strictly speaking, Go Hak should show her respect.
Go Hak chuckled and asked her.
"Why has the Lord herself come for what underlings could have handled?"
"......"
So Ye-rin gritted her teeth at those words.
She couldn't easily admit she had become one of those "underlings" because of some lunatic.
Look even now—the famous Huashan elder couldn't treat her lightly!
Fury surged in her for a moment.
"......Follow me."
So Ye-rin didn't bother replying and just walked off.
Entering inside, what caught their eyes was none other than a boy wielding a fishing rod in the middle of the training ground.
It was Yeonbaek, Cheongun's first disciple, practicing the martial arts Cheongun had taught him.
Seeing it, Jeoksan whispered to Go Hak.
"Elder, did you see?"
"I did. That fishing rod—probably that martial art, right?"
"Yes, looks like the unique art of the Vast Heaven Swordless School."
"What a bizarre martial art."
"Tell me about it. A fishing rod? What kind of unheard-of weird technique is that?"
"Then we can assume that boy is a disciple of the Vast Heaven Swordless School."
"Wouldn't we?"
They proceeded deeper into the Filth Gate.
Things had been off from the start—not just one or two oddities.
The Filth Gate Lord, infamous for never showing her face, had come out personally.
Members of the Darkwood Sect, Bloodline Pavilion, and Myriad Dragon Escort Agency stood guard all over the Filth Gate.
It was utter chaos.
So Ye-rin, leading the way, opened a door.
Inside, they saw Cheongun seated.
At that moment.
"I've brought them, so I'm off."
"Thanks for your trouble, former Filth Gate Lord."
"Tch!"
Whoosh—!
So Ye-rin bolted without looking back.
Go Hak stared blankly at her retreating figure for a moment, then cupped his fists toward Cheongun.
"I'm Go Hak of Huashan."
"Cheongun. Filth Gate Lord."
At those words, Jeoksan standing beside cautiously asked.
"I'm Herald Jeoksan. May I ask the hero directly?"
"Ask away."
"I heard a rumor. That Hero Cheong attacked the Filth Gate."
"Correct."
"And that since it was the Justice Alliance's will, to take grievances to the Justice Alliance..."
"That's true too."
...What kind of madman is this?
Jeoksan swallowed hard.
"The Justice Alliance's cherished principles and greater good must never be used for personal grudges."
"Are you saying the Filth Gate's operation of the Black Tower for assassination commissions, secretly training assassins, and human trafficking of innocent commoners is a 'personal grudge'?"
Jeoksan jumped in shock.
"No, what are you saying, hero! Even if true, there are procedures! Telling them to take it to the Justice Alliance when there were no complaints—fabricating things is unacceptable!"
"Fabricating? I am the Justice Alliance Chief Patrol, the face of the Justice Alliance. I traveled the jianghu handling the Alliance's duties on the Lord's orders—what's the problem? Or do you doubt the Lord's command?"
"That's..."
"Aren't you a white道 orthodox warrior? The murim has solemn laws of precedence, yet you dare instruct the lofty Chief Patrol? Ah, preemptive intimidation? Shall we spar right now?"
"No, I didn't mean..."
"Then what? You don't like me taking the Filth Gate? Strange. All I changed was cutting out their trashy businesses. Ah! Or did you have a special relationship with those businesses? Ah, that's why you're defending them so hard."
"As if! Misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding!"
Jeoksan stepped back.
He'd heard the guy was crazy, but not this unhinged.
Then, Go Hak, who had been listening silently, spoke.
"I'll apologize for the Herald's immaturity. Our real purpose here is separate."
Cheongun gestured for him to speak, and Go Hak sighed.
He'd planned to scold the insolent brat sharply at first, but that thought vanished upon meeting him.
He'd been shocked by So Ye-rin, but this boy's cultivation was even deeper.
He had crossed the wall, but even accounting for that, his inner power's profundity was absurd.
At this level, he controlled all the qi in the surroundings.
Go Hak slowly explained the reason for their visit.
Something about Jinju Yeon Clan, Jiangxi Province, lost contact, signs of Demonic Cult involvement.
The Jinju Yeon Clan was by Dongting Lake in Hunan, so as Chief Patrol, Cheongun should investigate on behalf of the Justice Alliance, or whatever.
As he droned on for a while, Jeoksan, unable to bear it, cautiously interjected.
"Uh, Hero Cheong."
"What?"
"Just one question. What exactly are you doing right now?"
The reason was simple.
Cheongun had been holding a pitch-black fishsword in one hand the whole conversation.
Not only that—he was uselessly emitting inner power nonstop.
The floor shook, objects rattled.
No killing intent, but his inner power was so profound that even breathing felt slightly oppressive.
No, why hold a sword and emit power mid-conversation?
Cheongun's answer was simple.
"No need to mind. Just seizing the momentum."
"......"