Chapter 273: Ready, Action!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 273: Ready, Action!
Under the pretext of hearing the circumstances, I headed to a tent with the 7th Elder of the Mount Hua Sect, the 5th Elder of the Zhongnan Sect, and the Howon-dangju of Shaolin.
Of course, each sect had one more elder-level figure present, but they were all mourning the spirits of their deceased disciples in their own ways.
‘Weren’t the elders supposed to be heading back to their sects?’
It was a little strange, but I decided to just assume they had heard news of the attack and turned back.
Sitting in a chair placed in the center of the tent, I studied the elders’ faces.
The only one I knew among them was the 7th Elder of the Mount Hua Sect.
Hwahyeon Sword, Daoist Hyunseo.
She was Yoo Sowol’s master and, like me, a martial artist who had reached the Transcendent Realm.
She had a few wrinkles around her mouth, but she must have made many a man weep in her youth. Her personality, however, didn’t seem particularly pleasant.
Of course, compared to the others, she was an angel.
Bang!
A table was shattered by an old man’s fist.
“Eight of our sect’s third-generation disciples died because of those murderers.”
A voice thick with rage echoed softly. A violent presence filled the air, drawing everyone’s attention.
He was Yang Wiryang, the 5th Elder of the Zhongnan Sect.
At a glance, he clearly had the disposition of a stubborn old man. In terms of martial arts realm, however, he was half a step ahead of me.
“I will ask you.”
Thud.
The moment Yang Wiryang’s gaze fell on me, I felt a strange pressure.
It was far from a joke; even a martial artist at the Peak Realm would have struggled to lift their head.
‘Is he trying to intimidate me before the interrogation even starts?’
It was so absurd I almost snorted.
Does he think I’m on the same side as the bastards who attacked the disciples?
“What is your true identity? For a young talent not even thirty years old to be on the same level of martial learning as I... This is impossible.”
Emotions on the verge of exploding churned within him. Yang Wiryang’s voice was filled with blatant suspicion.
To be fair, a Transcendent in his early twenties... Even I would have been suspicious.
Of course, Cheon Yeo-hwa was also a Transcendent like me, but that was the result of her genius combined with the unique nature of her demonic arts.
The reason she wasn't on Yang Wiryang's list of suspects was that the aftereffects of the extreme poison suppressed her aura, making her seem like she was only at the very beginning of the Peak Realm.
“Daoist Master, please calm yourself.”
Just then, the Howon-dangju of Shaolin, who had been watching from the side, spoke up.
“I am just as curious about the Young Hero’s identity as you are, but is this not the time to calmly hear the full story?”
As expected of a monk, his voice seemed to carry a profound energy.
I liked that he didn’t immediately pressure me and that he stepped in to mediate.
‘But isn’t an elder of the Zhongnan Sect a Daoist? I’m sure Daoists cultivate themselves just like monks do, so why is that man’s temper so foul? Did he age for nothing?’
In my eyes, Yang Wiryang was clearly fated to die young from high blood pressure.
Or not.
“Ahem... It seems I got a little carried away.”
A strange thing happened.
The foul-tempered Yang Wiryang retracted his aura and calmed down at a single word from the Howon-dangju.
It seemed the monk’s position as Howon-dangju carried considerable weight.
‘Well, in terms of realm alone, that monk is the strongest one here.’
I couldn’t gauge it precisely, but he was probably at the beginning of the Flower Realm.
Considering that the Extreme Demon realm was considered half a step below the Flower Realm, he was undoubtedly more skilled than Ma Paeseon.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was stronger than me.
The reason I struggled against Ma Paeseon was because his Asura Energy could nullify any magic of the 3rd Circle or below.
If not for that, Ma Paeseon would have been turned into a pincushion, unable to cope with the magic assailing him from all directions.
In a real fight, compatibility was just as important as the level of one’s realm.
In that respect, I was stronger than the Howon-dangju.
...Probably?
“Young Hero, we have heard the sequence of events from the surviving third-generation disciples of the Mount Hua Sect. However, we have no way of knowing about the traces of a fierce battle, the bodies of the assailants found not far from here, or the mark on the ground that looks as if it was completely scorched. If you know anything, would you please tell us?”
After finishing his words, the Howon-dangju rose from his seat, gave me a formal cupped fist salute, and bowed his head.
Everyone present couldn’t help but be stunned by the sight.
It was an excessive display of courtesy.
There’s a saying that excessive courtesy is a form of disrespect, but no one rebuked the Howon-dangju.
Because it was also an expression of his desperation.
Frankly, with so many third-generation disciples—the youngest members of their sects—having lost their lives, it was an understandable reaction.
That wasn’t to say the other elders weren’t desperate.
It was simply a matter of prestige.
The pride of an elder from a major sect, one of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, was not something that could be so easily set aside.
A minor slip of the tongue could tarnish the name of their entire sect.
But the Howon-dangju was a good man who knew how to set even that pride aside.
Seeing this, Yang Wiryang subtly averted his gaze. The fact that he could feel shame for his actions suggested he wasn’t a bad person. Just someone who didn’t know how to be honest.
“Kang Hyun-woo, a junior martial artist, greets the seniors of the martial world.”
I rose from my seat and offered a cupped fist salute to the elders.
“First, I wish to express my deepest condolences for this tragic event. To get straight to the point, I was the one who killed the assailants who harmed the third-generation disciples of the Mount Hua, Zhongnan Sect, and Shaolin sects.”
“...Are you saying you dealt with dozens of assassins by yourself?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
The Howon-dangju, who had remained impassive until now, showed a slight tremor in his eyes.
Facing dozens of martial artists alone is difficult, but not impossible.
However, facing dozens of assassins alone is practically impossible.
Assassins are a breed that will use anything from combined attack formations and various hidden weapons to extreme poisons to take down masters stronger than themselves.
Moreover, they don’t fight fair and square. They form an encirclement and relentlessly press their attack, waiting for their prey to collapse from exhaustion.
That is the assassins’ way of hunting.
“I was lucky. If I had been the one being pursued, it wouldn’t have been resolved so easily. The scorched mark on the ground was caused when one of the assassins detonated a Thunderbolt Bomb.”
“A Thunderbolt Bomb... Don’t tell me it was Salmak?!”
I nodded shamelessly.
Salmak.
According to what Cheon Yeo-hwa told me, they are the most infamous group of assassins in the Central Plains.
“That’s absurd! Why would those cursed bastards target our sect’s disciples!”
At the mention of Salmak, Yang Wiryang, who had been quiet for a while, shot up from his seat again.
The aura emanating from him grew even more murderous.
“To be precise, Miss Jin Yeo-hwa here will explain.”
At that moment, Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had been standing behind me the whole time, stepped forward. Dressed neatly, she elegantly offered a cupped fist salute, drawing everyone’s attention.
To be honest, I was a little surprised myself.
She actually looks like a real noble lady when she does that.
“Jin Yeo-hwa of the Guizhou Jin Family greets the elders of the Orthodox Faction.”
“What? The Guizhou Jin Family?!”
Clatter!
Just when I thought he might stay quiet for a bit, Yang Wiryang couldn’t resist jumping up from his seat again.
Is he in charge of reactions?
“The Guizhou Jin Family? Isn’t that the family that suffered the calamity of annihilation two years ago?!”
“...Yes, that is correct.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa nodded, a slightly uncomfortable expression on her face.
“Besides, a Jin? I thought the direct line was wiped out that day—”
“Enough.”
Thud—
A stomp from someone shook the entire tent.
“Yang Wiryang, shut that mouth and sit down.”
A calm yet furious voice rang out. It was the 7th Elder of Mount Hua, Hwahyeon Sword Daoist Hyunseo, who hadn’t said a single word until now.
“...What did you just say to me?”
With Daoist Hyunseo’s warning, the atmosphere in the tent instantly grew tense.
The auras of the two Transcendent martial artists collided, and the air instantly grew heavy.
However, everyone present was a martial artist at or above the Transcendent Realm. No one’s face turned pale.
Instead, there was someone to mediate.
Clap—
With the sound of a clap, a wave of Buddhist energy washed past me.
“Both of you, please calm down. What is this disgraceful behavior?”
The Howon-dangju, who had stepped between the two, was faintly releasing his energy.
Transcendent and Flower Realm. The difference was only one level, but there was an undeniable gap between the two realms.
“Daoist Master Wiryang, please refrain from speaking of the Guizhou Jin Family’s tragedy in front of Miss Jin. Everyone has memories they do not wish to recall.”
“Kh, ahem...”
At the Howon-dangju’s admonishment, Yang Wiryang cleared his throat and approached Cheon Yeo-hwa.
“...This old man has misspoken.”
He didn’t offer a direct apology, but it was clear he was feeling awkward in front of the much younger Cheon Yeo-hwa.
Afterward, the Howon-dangju’s head turned toward Daoist Hyunseo.
“Daoist Master Hyunseo, although Daoist Master Wiryang made a mistake, your reaction was excessive.”
“...”
She said nothing.
But her lack of rebuttal seemed to be her way of acknowledging his point.
‘To think Sowol grew up under a woman like that...’
Yoo Sowol had entered the Mount Hua Sect at a young age and become Daoist Hyunseo’s disciple.
Growing up under such an aggressive woman at a young age, her personality could have easily become twisted, yet the Yoo Sowol I knew was kind to everyone.
Is this proof she’s my woman?
I savored the satisfaction blooming in my chest and smiled inwardly.
“I am fine, so please do not worry. May I continue my explanation?”
Yang Wiryang nodded.
“As you all know, our Guizhou Jin Family was annihilated overnight by an unidentified group. My father and mother, along with all direct and collateral family members, and even our servants, lost their lives. The buildings were engulfed in flames and lost. However, I was able to survive because I had gone out to see the night market with my guard, Young Hero Kang.”
“Heoh... Such heavenly luck...”
“Primordial Heavenly Venerable, Primordial Heavenly Venerable...”
The Howon-dangju and Yang Wiryang each let out a sigh.
Although the Guizhou Jin Family was not part of the Orthodox Faction, they weren’t part of the Evil Faction either. They were a rather famous power that stood between the two.
Of course, all I knew was the brief summary Cheon Yeo-hwa had given me, but I heard they were a place that secretly researched methods to counter demonic arts.
‘Though if the Heavenly Demonic Cult knows about it, it doesn’t seem like much of a secret.’
In any case, thanks to that, they had frequent exchanges with the Orthodox Faction. They also possessed deep knowledge of medicine, treating patients regardless of whether they were from the Orthodox or Evil Factions, and thus maintained good relations with masters from the Evil Faction as well.
That very family had vanished overnight two years ago, at the hands of an unknown group.
“For the past two years, Young Hero Kang and I have wandered the martial world searching for the assailants who attacked my family, and we finally succeeded in uncovering their identity.”
“Don’t tell me...”
“Yes, it was Salmak. Someone had commissioned Salmak to harm our family. It was good that we found that out, but... perhaps because we got too close to the truth, assassins from Salmak began to follow us. Sometimes in the forest, sometimes at an inn, sometimes in a city.”
Drip, drip-drip—
At that moment, tears fell from Cheon Yeo-hwa’s reddened eyes.
“It’s all, it’s all my fault... If I hadn’t insisted on coming to investigate the old temple, the disciples would never have lost their lives to those assassins...”