Chapter 35
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Gaining the Wandering King
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After the dark sky split apart.
The ominous swarm no longer pursued the three of them.
Once they had gotten some distance away.
“Ugh…”
Geumsan regained consciousness.
“Are you finally awake?”
“Ah…”
His head throbbed as if it would shatter.
Just before he passed out, Geumsan thought he had caught a glimpse of Cheon Muryang’s sword.
“Wh-what happened?”
“Before that, what were you doing there last night?”
The Wandering King’s icy killing intent was directed at Geumsan.
“I’ve told you several times. I was tailing Heuksang. I had to find out where he was keeping the goods.”
“Why?”
A quick glance.
Geumsan’s gaze shifted to Cheon Muryang.
“I thought it would be helpful to the Great Young Lord.”
“…”
The Wandering King felt a pang of awkwardness.
Geumsan’s eyes were not those of a liar.
“I-Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“You should have told me sooner.”
“I-I told you from the very beginning!”
“Hmph.”
The Wandering King’s presence bore down on him.
Geumsan felt wronged.
However, someone else appeared to vent that frustration for him.
*Fwoosh!*
It was Cheon Seonhak, his face contorted in anger.
“…”
Having apparently heard the story, Cheon Seonhak had already entered a battle stance, his aura menacing.
“Well, well.”
Even the Wandering King, who had just finished staunching his wound, had his eyes light up.
An aura that was in no way inferior to Cheon Wigang’s.
“So there’s another sky in the Cheon Family.”
A smile spread across the Wandering King’s lips, unable to hide his competitive spirit.
However, contrary to the Wandering King’s pure admiration, Cheon Seonhak’s brow twitched.
“Are you the Wandering King?”
Knowing the Wandering King as a vicious beast, he was naturally hostile.
“What?”
That was as good as admitting he was the Wandering King.
*Fwoosh!*
Cheon Seonhak’s sky-rending sword flew straight at him.
*Whip!*
Cheon Muryang quickly pulled the still-staggering Geumsan aside, and Cheon Wigang, who had been standing firm as an iron wall, did the same.
“Now wait…”
Watching Cheon Seonhak’s incredibly powerful sword strike approach, the Wandering King laughed in disbelief.
“I’m a patient, you bastards!”
Though injured, the Wandering King was still the Wandering King.
In an instant, he drew his saber and parried Cheon Seonhak’s sword.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding.”
“Are you saying you weren’t the one who called out the Family Head?”
“No, that part’s right.”
“Are you saying you didn’t cross swords with him?”
“That’s also true.”
*Swoosh!*
Cheon Seonhak’s sword was relentless.
There was no room for excuses.
Everything sounded like a mere justification.
“Ha, this is driving me crazy.”
“I told you so. Do you finally understand?”
Geumsan grumbled under his breath.
Hearing this, the Wandering King shot Geumsan a glare.
“Ugh!”
Geumsan shut his mouth.
“So you want to see this through to the end?”
The Wandering King, ignoring his wounds, began to charge toward Cheon Seonhak.
Was it true that a wounded beast was more fearsome?
He began to slowly dominate the space, making it hard to believe he had ever been on the defensive.
“…!”
He was truly the Wandering King.
Cheon Seonhak was not one to be outdone, but he couldn’t bridge the gap in experience.
Slowly, Cheon Seonhak was pushed onto the defensive.
*CRASH!*
Cheon Seonhak’s stance broke.
The moment of decision had arrived.
“There it is!”
The Wandering King’s great saber, like a wolf’s fang, flew toward Cheon Seonhak’s opening.
“That’s enough.”
“…”
Sword and saber.
Saber and sword.
The two interlocking weapons stopped mid-air.
“Heh heh heh.”
The Wandering King’s saber had reached Cheon Seonhak’s neck, but Cheon Seonhak’s sword had not quite reached the Wandering King’s heart.
That subtle difference was a clear one.
“…”
“It was a fine sword.”
“Uncle, I never knew you cared so deeply for Father and me.”
Only after seeing Cheon Muryang chuckle did Cheon Seonhak realize he had truly ‘misunderstood.’
“Hmm…”
For the embarrassed Cheon Seonhak’s sake, Cheon Muryang briefly explained what had happened.
“The Demonic Cult… I didn’t realize they were moving so openly.”
“It means the Cheon Family has become blind enough to not even notice.”
Furthermore.
“It also means there is a… vile group within the family that has joined hands with the Demonic Cult.”
It was clear who that was.
However, the Wandering King, unaware of the inner workings, suddenly asked.
“What? So… the bastards backing Heuksang are indeed part of the Cheon Family?”
“That’s not false.”
Neither Cheon Muryang nor Cheon Wigang denied it.
“But they’ve joined hands with the Demonic Cult, you say.”
“Yes.”
“So… to sum it up.”
“…?”
“The Cheon Family is a total mess?”
The Wandering King’s words were coarse, but not wrong.
“Yes. I admit it.”
So, Cheon Muryang readily admitted it.
“The Cheon Family is a mess.”
“Seems like it.”
“However, that too will soon…”
Cheon Muryang smiled coldly.
“Become a thing of the past.”
“Do you take the Demonic Cult lightly? Do you have any idea how vicious their schemes are?”
The Wandering King shuddered at the mention of the Demonic Cult.
He seemed to have his own history with them, but Cheon Muryang paid it no mind.
“I won’t ask you for help, so you can be on your way now.”
“Hmm… This one’s consistently arrogant, I’ll give him that.”
Despite his grumbling.
The Wandering King couldn't let go of the memory of Cheon Muryang's final sword strike.
Thus, he felt a desire to stay by Cheon Muryang’s side a little longer.
‘I don’t think I can break that kid’s stubbornness…’
The Wandering King pondered something.
Just then, Cheon Wigang’s deep voice was heard.
“Muryang, he is still an elder of the martial world. Show him some respect.”
“…I understand.”
Seeing this, the corners of the Wandering King’s mouth automatically lifted.
‘Aha, there it is.’
The target for persuasion wasn’t Cheon Muryang.
It was Cheon Wigang.
“Ahem. Family Head?”
The Wandering King called out to Cheon Wigang in a voice so awkward it was hard to believe he was the same person who had just been rampaging, brandishing a massive saber.
“Speak.”
“My wounds are a bit severe. Would you allow me to stay at the Cheon Family estate for a short while?”
“…”
Cheon Wigang stared at the Wandering King.
He was trying to discern his intentions.
*Smirk.*
The Wandering King was a man honest with his emotions.
One look at his eyes was enough to see his scheme.
‘It’s Muryang.’
It was an interest in Cheon Muryang.
For that reason, Cheon Wigang was favorably disposed.
A connection with the Wandering King would surely be of great help.
A quick glance.
Cheon Wigang looked at Cheon Muryang.
In that instant, it seemed as if Cheon Muryang’s head subtly nodded.
‘Ah, I see.’
Cheon Wigang nodded his head.
“You may.”
“Father!”
Cheon Muryang protested.
However, Cheon Wigang’s decision was firm.
“We are taking him in as a guest warrior of the family. Do not argue.”
“Ugh.”
Cheon Muryang wore a sour expression.
Watching this, the Wandering King began to tease him, looking pleased with himself.
Cheon Muryang played along appropriately.
‘Just as planned.’
Of course, contrary to his expression, he was laughing inwardly.
All of this was according to Cheon Muryang’s intentions.
‘Wandering King, you’ve taken my bait.’
Though he verbally expressed no interest in the Wandering King, his purpose was to make the man anxious.
‘He must have been intrigued not only by my sword, but by me as well.’
After all, beings like the Wandering King had personalities that couldn't rest until their curiosity was satisfied.
‘It seems to have worked perfectly.’
And so, the Wandering King became a guest warrior of the Cheon Family.
That in itself was enough.
On the surface, it would look as though they had gained the Wandering King.
‘Misconceptions are their own reward.’
They had intended to use the Wandering King.
They must have hoped for a mutually destructive outcome with Cheon Wigang.
However, that had come to nothing, and instead, the Wandering King had been accepted as a guest warrior.
‘A grand failure, is what this is.’
From their perspective, it was a grand failure.
‘But then, does that mean the Wandering King died here in the original future as well?’
There was no way to know.
And so, a question arose.
‘No matter how vicious their trap was… was it enough to kill the Wandering King?’
The Transcendent State was not a realm that just anyone could achieve.
Even among those in the Transcendent State, there were surely differences in superiority, but achieving it was proof in itself that one was among the top masters in the martial world.
It had been a vicious trap, but not one that would drive two such men to their deaths.
‘Could it be… that trap was merely a delaying tactic?’
A chill ran down his spine.
What was it?
Only Cheon Muryang felt a certain sense of dread.
*Swoosh.*
He quietly turned his head to look in the direction of Mount Makgan.
The sky was as clear as if nothing had happened, but to Cheon Muryang, it felt chilling.
‘I see…’
He was certain.
There had been something else, a definite blade meant to kill Cheon Wigang and the Wandering King.
Spotting Cheon Muryang staring blankly toward Mount Makgan, Cheon Wigang casually asked.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Let’s head back.”
“Yes.”
The party returned to the Cheon Family estate.
They had gained the Wandering King as a guest warrior.
* * *
The area around Mount Makgan.
A desolate wind blew.
Following the wind, fragments of the corpses that had attacked Cheon Muryang’s group could be seen below.
“Tsk. I took my time since it’s been a while since my last outing, but it seems I’ve already missed them.”
An old man with white hair, shouldering a saber that glowed with a red light, stared at the remains.
“Fleeting beings.”
*Fwoosh.*
The blowing wind began to turn red, and soon, flames ignited.
*Sizzle!*
“Return to dust.”
The entire sky over Mount Makgan was set ablaze.
The red sky, like a sunset, turned the corpses scattered across Mount Makgan into dust.
By the time all traces had vanished into ash.
*Grrrrk.*
“A pity.”
Expressing his regret.
With the sound of his red-glowing saber scraping the ground, the old man departed from Mount Makgan.
* * *
A few days had passed since their return from Mount Makgan.
*CRASH!*
The violent sound of weapons clashing vibrated through the training grounds.
At the center of it stood the Wandering King.
“Hmph. Too monotonous.”
“Gasp, gasp!”
Three figures, their clothes tattered with dust and sweat, were visible.
Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak, who had realized their own weakness more than anyone, were joined by Woryeong.
“Heh heh heh. I keep telling you… just putting more power into it doesn’t make the sword heavier, you know? And focusing only on speed isn’t what makes a swift sword.”
“Cough!”
The Wandering King was relentless.
Though he wasn’t using his full strength, his fiery temperament meant he didn’t hold back.
“Want to try again? Or will you give up?”
The Wandering King grinned mischievously.
Cheon Muryang watched this and smiled.
‘They’re not the type to give up.’
The three of them did not give up.
Grabbing their trembling legs, they somehow managed to stand and raise their swords.
“Good.”
The Wandering King’s massive saber flew at them once more.
*CRASH!*
The floor of the training ground shattered.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the Wandering King’s presence, no one else had used this training ground for the past few days.
“Hey, go easy on them.”
“Easy? What’s that?”
The three were sent flying.
They rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.
“Never mind.”
Cheon Muryang turned his attention away.
The more they got knocked around like that, the stronger they would become.
‘What’s important is me.’
It was a stroke of luck.
If he had faced all the traps they had prepared, it would not have ended like this.
‘I have to get stronger.’
He felt it to his bones.
‘If I don’t become stronger, it’s all meaningless.’
In the end, the only thing he could trust was his own strength.
‘I must hone it.’
While it was important to embrace various skies, mastering the swordsmanship he had already learned was also crucial.
‘I’ll learn it again from the beginning.’
The foundation was built through his body’s transformation.
However, as a price for that, he had to recalibrate all the balance he had achieved so far.
‘I need to build it more sturdily.’
It was Cheon Muryang’s job to build a foundation so solid that even a skyscraper built upon it wouldn’t shake.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I can stop putting pressure on them.’
He was still no match for the Third Elder, the Grand Elder, and Cheon Jungho.
Also, while he was certain they had joined hands with the Demonic Cult, he needed clear evidence to have a just cause.
‘For now… I should start by cutting off the nearby branches.’
If the root was too difficult.
The branches should be possible, shouldn’t they?
Even as he swung his sword, Cheon Muryang contemplated his next moves.
‘Let’s think about the Cheon Family’s allies in order of influence.’
In Nameless’s memories, those he had considered steadfast allies had remained silent when the Cheon Family teetered on the brink of crisis.
Especially after Cheon Wigang’s death, when those who turned against the Cheon Family began to run rampant, there were definitely some who instead joined them and antagonized the family.
‘I’ll strike them first.’
As it happened, Cheon Muryang, in his capacity as the head of the Inspection Corps, had given them a grace period of fifteen days.
If there were any who still ignored that warning.
‘If it’s certain they will betray us in the future…’
There was no reason to leave them be.
Now was the time to prune the rotten branches.
‘I won’t just take it this time. If you’re going to stab me in the back, I’ll strike you first.’
Cheon Muryang swung his sword.
He must have been smiling without realizing it.
“Seeing that smile, he must be plotting some devious scheme.”
The Wandering King, who was nearby, clicked his tongue.
“Devious?!”
Woryeong, who disliked that remark, shouted with venom.
In truth, it was an outburst of frustration from having failed to land a single attack.
“Heh heh heh. If you don’t like it, come at me.”
“Y-You!”
Filled with rage, Woryeong charged.
Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak were already unconscious.