Chapter 219: Assessing Combat Strength-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 219: Assessing Combat Strength-1
"Keeeee-shhh... Phew... Keeeee-shhh... Phew..."
Sun-woo lay sprawled in the carriage, snoring loudly as he slept.
Despite the carriage's constant jolting, Sun-woo didn't care in the slightest; he had managed to fall into a deep, heavy slumber.
For an entire week, he had been tormented night and day by Ok-ryeong and Madam Tang.
He had spent seven days and nights swinging his cock relentlessly, feeling as if it were being squeezed dry.
It was only natural that sleep would claim him so completely.
"Keeeee-shhh!"
His snoring grew even louder.
`Damn it.`
Meanwhile, Tang Pan, who was driving the carriage, scowled.
The snoring was so loud it drowned out the sound of the galloping horses, battering his eardrums.
If he had his way, he would have turned around and screamed at the man to wake up immediately.
How could someone fall asleep like that right behind the person driving?
It wasn't just a light nap, either. The way he was sprawled out, sleeping so openly, was incredibly irritating.
`Endure... endure... endure!`
Tang Pan suppressed his frustration over and over.
He had a bear of a wife and rabbit-like children waiting for him.
If he were to yell at this man and cause a scene, his entire family might end up on the streets.
Though he was a stranger, this man was the disciple of the Tang Clan Head and the fiancé of Tang Seo-yoon, the Poisonous Beauty.
He couldn't afford to get on the bad side of someone in such a formidable position, even if he couldn't manage to get on his good side.
Tang Pan made a firm vow to buy earplugs the next time they stopped at a village as he continued down the road.
*
How much time had passed?
Suddenly, the carriage ahead signaled by raising a white flag.
Seeing the signal, Tang Pan quickly pulled out a white flag from the set behind him and signaled to the carriage following them.
Then, he pulled on the reins and began to slow down.
A white flag signaled a rest.
Since it was late, it likely meant they were going to set up camp for the night.
"Whoa... whoa!"
Tang Pan slowly calmed the spirited horses and brought the carriage to a complete halt.
"Sun-woo Nim."
After stopping the carriage, Tang Pan turned his head and called out to Sun-woo.
"Keeeee-shhh... Phew... Keeeee-shhh... Phew."
But despite Tang Pan's call, Sun-woo showed no sign of waking.
"Sun-woo Nim!"
Tang Pan shouted again.
He could only rest once Sun-woo left the carriage.
Frustration bubbled up as Sun-woo remained unresponsive no matter how many times he called.
"Mmm... smack smack..."
Even then, Sun-woo was still wandering through his dreams.
`Damn it.`
Tang Pan cursed under his breath.
It felt like nothing was going his way.
"Please wake up!"
Tang Pan called out once more.
He wanted to grab the man by the collar and shake him awake, but that would be incredibly disrespectful to someone who was clearly his superior.
"Please wake up, Sun-woo Nim."
He could do nothing but call his name incessantly.
*
How much longer had it been?
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, there was a loud rapping on the carriage door.
Flash.
Startled by the sound, Sun-woo’s eyes snapped open.
"Please wake up, Sun-woo Nim."
A voice drifted in from outside.
"Who is it!?"
Startled, Sun-woo stared at the carriage door and spoke.
"It is Cheongsu of Qingcheng. Elder Un-jeok-ja is looking for you."
"Elder Un-jeok-ja?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
Sun-woo gave a brief reply and stood up.
Creeeeak.
He opened the carriage door and slowly stepped outside.
`Phew.`
Once Sun-woo was completely out of the carriage, Tang Pan let out a sigh of relief.
He finally felt like he could get some rest.
*
`Oh.`
Sun-woo was slightly impressed as he stepped out.
Campfires were already lit here and there, and a large tent had been erected near the center.
"He is waiting for you in the tent."
Cheongsu, who was standing nearby, spoke to Sun-woo.
"Thanks."
Sun-woo looked at Cheongsu, gave a short reply, and walked toward the tent.
Cheongsu scowled as he watched Sun-woo's retreating back.
He didn't like how Sun-woo had stayed tucked away while everyone else was busy setting up camp.
Of course, given Sun-woo's status, there was no need for him to do such menial chores, but from the perspective of Cheongsu, who was of a similar age and generation, it was hard not to feel resentful.
How could someone so young be so arrogant?
Cheongsu cursed inwardly and moved away.
*
Inside the tent.
Un-jeok-ja sat with a very displeased expression.
No matter how long he waited, there was no sign of Sun-woo.
It was infuriating that such a young fellow would be so late instead of arriving early to pay his respects.
Bulheo Satae and Bulsok Satae, who were sitting beside him, didn't look very pleased either.
To begin with, they were masters of the same generation as the Poison King.
In terms of seniority, Sun-woo was essentially no different from a third-generation disciple compared to them.
The fact that he was constantly late, when he should have been bowing and scraping to show proper etiquette, was naturally irritating.
After some time...
Step, step.
The sound of footsteps approached the tent entrance, and everyone’s eyes turned in that direction.
"I'm sorry. I'm late."
The owner of the footsteps was Sun-woo.
As soon as he entered the tent, he bowed his head slightly and offered an apology.
Looking around, it seemed everyone except him had already gathered.
"Ahem."
Un-jeok-ja let out a loud, dry cough.
It was a clear sign of his extreme displeasure.
"Is being late a hobby of yours, Young Master?"
Bulheo Satae, sitting next to him, spoke in a sarcastic tone.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Sun-woo gave an awkward laugh, feeling guilty.
"Do you find this funny?"
But Bulheo Satae, clearly displeased by his attitude, scolded him.
"Whether it was when we departed or now, how can you be so consistently late?"
"......I'm sorry."
"Is an apology enough? We were originally supposed to stay at an inn tonight, not camp out. But because of your tardiness, the entire schedule has been thrown off!"
"............"
Sun-woo lowered his head slightly without a word.
Everything she said was true.
Sun-woo was also somewhat familiar with the general itinerary.
Under normal circumstances, they would have been sleeping at an inn tonight.
However, because Sun-woo had dawdled before departure, the schedule had been completely disrupted.
It was understandable why Bulheo Satae was so angry.
"How! How can young martial artists these days be so lazy and irresponsible? Back in my day, if we had an appointment, we would arrive an entire Shijin early just to wait for our seniors. I'm not even asking for that much from you. But couldn't you have arrived at least half a Shijin, or even an Il-gak early? How could you..."
Once she started, Bulheo Satae's nagging was relentless. Sun-woo felt his ears going numb.
It was a classic "back in my day" lecture, the likes of which he hadn't heard in a long time.
"Bulheo, that's enough."
Bulsok Satae, who was sitting next to her, cut her off.
She knew all too well how much of a nag Bulheo could be.
If she didn't stop her, the lecture would likely continue all night.
"If we keep this up, the night will pass before we even get to the main point."
"........."
At Bulsok Satae's firm words, Bulheo clamped her mouth shut.
She wanted to argue, but since this wasn't a place with only Emei disciples, she remained silent.
"Young Master Jang, please ensure this doesn't happen again. The search operation is urgent. Individualistic behavior like yours is very problematic."
"Yes..."
Sun-woo replied with a dejected expression.
As she said, the search operation was urgent.
Lives could be lost in a single moment.
It was only natural to be angry when someone was being so leisurely and late.
"Well, we'll leave the scolding at that."
Bulsok cleared the air.
She judged that getting further emotional would be pointless.
"Now, let us begin the meeting in earnest."
Bulsok's eyes gleamed as she continued.
"Young Master Jang, why do you think we've gathered here?"
She looked at Sun-woo as she spoke.
"Hmm... isn't it to coordinate the future schedule?"
Sun-woo thought for a moment before answering.
The general route to the North Sea had been planned.
However, the specific details were lacking, so it seemed they were here to fill those in.
"That's correct, but that's not all."
Bulsok nodded slightly and continued.
"Before we begin the search operation, we intend to assess our combat strength."
"Assess combat strength?"
"The search party currently consists of members from Emei, Qingcheng, and the Tang Clan. There are fifty people in total. However, it's unclear exactly how much power they possess. This is because they were drawn from different groups. Therefore, we intend to use this meeting to confirm our exact combat strength."
Bulsok's eyes shone.
"First, Emei has contributed eighteen people to the search party. Among them, two are Super-Peak experts, and one is a master at the Upper Stage of the Peak Realm. Three are first-class experts, and the rest are all second-class."
"Two Super-Peak experts?"
Un-jeok-ja, hearing this, asked in surprise.
A Super-Peak expert was no small matter.
Weren't they the core strength of a sect, equivalent to an Elder? To hear that two such experts had come was nothing short of astonishing.
"One, as you know, is Bulheo Satae here. In terms of spear techniques, she is a master with few rivals in Sichuan."
Bulsok gestured toward Bulheo as she spoke.
"Then who is the other one?"
Un-jeok-ja asked with a puzzled expression.
One was Bulheo Satae, but who on earth was the other?
He looked at Bulsok just in case, but the aura she gave off seemed far from that of a Super-Peak expert.
"The other is Junior Sister Seol-hyang, over here."
Bulsok pointed to Seol-hyang, who was sitting nearby.
"What!?"
Un-jeok-ja turned his gaze toward Seol-hyang.
His eyes widened to the size of saucers.
No matter how he looked at her, she was a young girl who seemed to have barely passed twenty.
Furthermore, seeing that her head wasn't shaved, she appeared to be a secular disciple who hadn't even taken monastic vows.
And such a child was a Super-Peak expert?!
"That's impossible! How could someone so young have reached the sublime realm of Super-Peak!"
Un-jeok-ja began to deny it vehemently.
It made no sense.
The Super-Peak Realm was not a level one could reach so easily.
It was a supreme state that could only be achieved when the physical concepts of Mind (心), Technique (技), and Body (體) were in perfect harmony with the spiritual concepts of Essence (精), Qi (氣), and God (神).
How could such a young girl have reached such a lofty height?
"It is the truth."
Bulsok simply replied calmly.
She also knew how nonsensical Seol-hyang's achievement seemed.
She could fully understand Un-jeok-ja's reaction.
"Seol-hyang."
She quietly called out.
At her call, Seol-hyang gave a bright smile and slowly released her energy.
Immediately, a brilliant, golden aura began to surge around her body.
Soon, the golden light completely filled the interior of the tent.
At that sight, Un-jeok-ja's jaw dropped, and he stared at her in silence.
Something had come to mind as he looked at her shrouded in golden light.
"..............The Peerless Golden Light Divine Art."
Un-jeok-ja's lips moved slowly.
The strongest martial art of the Emei Sect, which only the Sect Leader is supposed to learn, had revealed itself.
"...How... how can that child know the Peerless Golden Light Divine Art!?"
Un-jeok-ja directed his questioning gaze toward Bulsok.
What was the Peerless Golden Light Divine Art?
Was it not the most powerful technique in Emei history, passed down only to the Sect Leader?
How could a child who hadn't even taken vows be practicing such a technique?
"There are various circumstances."
She dismissed Un-jeok-ja's question with a single sentence.
Seol-hyang's existence was still a top-secret matter.
Even if Qingcheng and the Tang Clan were fellow alliance members, she had no intention of carelessly revealing their internal affairs.
"Hooo."
Un-jeok-ja let out a regretful sigh.
He seemed curious about the circumstances surrounding Seol-hyang.
"Is it confirmed now?"
"Having seen the Peerless Golden Light Divine Art, how could I possibly deny the child's achievement?"
At Bulsok's question, Un-jeok-ja nodded in response.
The Peerless Golden Light Divine Art Seol-hyang displayed boasted an immense pressure.
The achievement of the Peerless Golden Light Divine Art is judged by the brightness of the golden light, and the light she emitted was nothing short of radiant. It was clear proof that she had reached the Super-Peak Realm.
"Now then, please tell us the combat strength of Qingcheng."
Satisfied with his answer, Bulsok nodded and looked at Un-jeok-ja.
At her words, Un-jeok-ja opened his mouth to speak.