Chapter 298: Wisdom Phoenix (智鳳)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 298: Wisdom Phoenix (智鳳)
To put it simply, the Jinsuchae bandits’ stronghold was a jackpot.
Of course, with so many physical goods, it was hard to calculate their exact value, but converted to cash, it seemed to be worth at least dozens of gold ingots.
While I was surprised that mere water bandits could amass such a fortune, I searched for the secret space from Ak Muhong's memories.
It was a place where only cash was hidden away in preparation for raids by government forces or the Orthodox Faction. Without having read his memories, it would have been nearly impossible to find.
‘It’s better to sell most of these goods in this world. Too many of them would be worthless if I took them back to Earth.’
On the other hand, there were also items that would be difficult to find even on Earth.
After a rough sort, I returned to the ship.
“Great Hero! You’ve returned!”
“Set sail.”
“Yes, sir!”
The bandits skillfully began to steer the ship out of the cave.
Perhaps because I had promised them a share of the treasure once the job was done, they were all fired up.
‘Are they unusually naive for bandits, or just as stupid as you’d expect?’
It went without saying, but I planned to kill them all once this was over.
Ak Muhong’s memories included the faces of these men, who had slaughtered innocent commoners without a second thought.
“I should take care of that, too.”
I headed to the stern of the ship and looked back at the Jinsuchae stronghold, gathering my magic.
Fwoosh!
A massive fireball, imbued with black flames, brilliantly illuminated the cave. A heat haze shimmered from the scorching heat, and the waves churned violently from the pulse of magic.
[Mega Flare]
BOOOOOM!!!
The fireball soared through the air and exploded upon impact with the stronghold.
The aftermath unleashed a tremendous gust of wind, and the ship began to exit the cave at high speed.
“Wh-what was that!”
“An earthquake?!”
The sail flapped precariously as if it would rip apart at any moment. The bandits who had come up on deck stared blankly at the decimated stronghold.
But that was only for a moment.
“...It’s c-collapsing!”
CRASH!
Unable to withstand the force of the explosion, the cave began to crumble.
Huge rocks fell into the river one after another, creating powerful currents.
The ship rocked as if it would sink at any second.
“A-Above us!!” one of the bandits shouted urgently.
A boulder larger than the ship itself was falling from above.
Thump!
Using the mast as a foothold, I leaped into the air and gripped the hilt of my sword. The pure white scabbard cracked open, revealing the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword.
Kiiiiing!!!
Amidst the violent pulse of energy, an ink-black Aura flared to life.
The aura, imbued with black flames, spread its hegemonic energy in all directions.
Fwoom!
In that instant, the ink-black aura erupted in a brilliant radiance.
A light, different from the one created by the fireball’s explosion, illuminated the cave as I swung the sword toward the rock.
Formless Sword Art: Broad Moon, Flash.
Slice—
A single strike cut through the air, splitting the boulder in two.
The cut was remarkably clean, as if made by an industrial laser.
But I didn’t stop there.
Even split in half, it was still large enough to sink the ship.
Kiiiiing!!
The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword cried out once more, using my Vajra Qi as fuel to create an enormous Aura.
Feeling my dantian rapidly depleting, I swung the sword at the rock again.
Formless Sword Art: Formless Moon, Slash.
Kagagagak!!
Dozens, hundreds of slashes filled the air, and the boulder was instantly shattered into tiny pieces.
I watched the fragments, now smaller than my fist, fall into the river before returning to the ship.
“G-Great Hero! That was incredible!”
“To think you could slice that giant boulder in a single blow! From now on, I’ll call you my big brother!”
“Damn! I knew I could count on you!”
The deck grew rowdy with the excited bandits.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Go steer the ship, unless you want to die.”
“...”
Only then did the bandits scramble back to their posts.
As I sheathed my sword and calmed my energy, Cheon Yeo-hwa approached with a bottle of liquor.
She smiled gently and handed me a cup.
“If that man, the Sword Demon, saw you, he would chase you with fire in his eyes.”
“Sword Demon?”
“There is a man who is mad for the sword.”
Gurgle, gurgle—
I accepted the drink Cheon Yeo-hwa poured for me and reviewed my plans.
In about two hours, we would arrive in Xiangyang.
After that, just as I did in Yunhyeon, I planned to take a boat to Wuhan. Since it was an area heavily guarded by government forces, I wouldn't have to worry about bandits.
‘...The real problem starts after I arrive in Wuhan, though.’
Instead of sighing, I tilted my cup and took out the rosary from my pocket.
It was covered in cracks from the strain of my battle with Wang Chwiong.
Thanks to that, almost all of its divine power had leaked out, and it was now just an ordinary necklace.
Since it was a rosary personally consecrated by a Saint, having it repaired wouldn't do any good.
I fiddled with the rosary, a sense of regret washing over me.
Not only in the fight against Wang Chwiong, but also when I faced the Serpent of Eden in the tower's underground, my life might have been in danger without it.
‘I can’t just ask her to make me another one, can I?’
A dry laugh escaped my lips.
To think of scheming to get an artifact from a Saint, someone even heads of state couldn't approach carelessly.
Sometimes I wondered if I was crazy or just had more guts now.
“The weather’s nice.”
*
CRASH!
“...Is this true?”
As a murderous aura filled the Great Hall, the man prostrated on the floor trembled.
“Y-Yes...! The letter arrived via messenger eagle a quarter of an hour ago...! The body of the Black Crow Sect Leader is also scheduled to arrive within five days...!”
The air in the Great Hall grew heavier.
It was as if gravity itself had intensified.
“...Who did it?”
At the chilling voice, which seemed to be suppressing a rage that had reached its limit, the man trembled all over and barely managed to speak.
“W-We have not yet identified the culprit, but there was a report that a man called the Shadowless Sword killed the Black Crow Sect Leader’s subordinates, the Ghost Hand Twin Swords...”
“Shadowless Sword?”
“Y-Yes! He got into a fight with the Ghost Hand Twin Swords on a street of brothels, and the Shadowless Sword is said to have killed them in a single strike.”
“The Ghost Hand Twin Swords, you say...”
Tap, tap, tap.
The man who had received the report seemed lost in thought for a moment.
A suffocating pressure, a presence that dominated the room just by existing, and a sharp killing intent radiating from his entire body.
He was Goo Yangcheon, the Paehwang, ruler of the vast Evil Faction of the martial world. Aside from the Two Venerables who were in seclusion, he was one of the Three Sovereigns who, it was no exaggeration to say, effectively ruled the Central Plains.
‘To kill the Ghost Hand Twin Swords, who were said to be capable of killing even masters at the peak of their realm, in a single strike... He’s no ordinary man. Where is he from? The Wudang Sect? No, those bastards wouldn't stoop to such a petty trick as hiding their identity.’
He forcibly suppressed the rage that had risen to the top of his head.
The Black Crow Sect Leader was dead.
That fact alone left Goo Yangcheon with no room to vent his anger.
‘Damn it, I’ll have to revise the grand plan.’
The Black Crow Sect Leader was one of the Evil Alliance’s greatest assets.
With him dead, the war against the Murim Alliance would surely face even more opposition.
Most importantly, the Black Dragon Castle Lord would not stand idly by.
Goo Yangcheon’s face contorted at the chain reaction the Black Crow Sect Leader’s death would cause, and he snapped his fingers.
Before long, a man wearing a Crouching Dragon Hat entered the Great Hall.
“I present myself before the ruler of the Central Plains’ martial world.”
It was a statement that would have made the Emperor clutch the back of his neck and raise an army of a million, but no one pointed that out.
“Have you heard the report?”
“Yes, I just heard. It’s a shame. The Black Crow Sect Leader had a difficult personality, but he wasn’t the type to die in a place like that...”
At the man’s words, those who knew of the Black Crow Sect Leader’s atrocities grimaced.
The Black Crow Sect Leader was one of the most notorious villains in the current martial world. He was a man who had made so many enemies that he would have been killed long ago without the protection of the Evil Alliance’s leader.
“What’s the plan?”
“I will try to appease the Black Dragon Castle Lord.”
“Can you do it?”
“I will show you with results.”
Goo Yangcheon gave a rare smile at the man’s confident reply.
“And what about trying to recruit the man called the Shadowless Sword?”
“Recruit him?”
“Circumstantially, it’s certainly possible he killed the Black Crow Sect Leader. However, it’s also true that there is no clear evidence to prove that charge. With our forces weakened by the Black Crow Sect Leader’s death, recruiting the man who killed the Ghost Hand Twin Swords would be a very attractive option. Moreover, he is said to be barely of age. If the Evil Alliance supports him, he could become a valuable asset in a future war.”
“Do you think he will agree?”
“His methods are said to be quite excessive for someone from the Orthodox Faction. Furthermore, he is traveling with a veiled woman, so he must have his own circumstances, don’t you think? If we exploit that opening, I believe there is a high chance of success.”
“Hmm...”
“Of course, we cannot ignore the possibility that he is an escort accompanying a young lady from a prestigious family on her excursion, but that would be fine too, wouldn’t it? We can simply use ‘that’.”
After a moment of consideration, Goo Yangcheon nodded.
“I permit it. However, put the recruitment on hold. The matter of the Black Dragon Castle Lord is the top priority for now.”
“I will obey your command.”
*
I disembarked about ten li (4km) from Xiangyang.
If I had docked at the pier on a bandit ship, I might have been caught by the government forces.
For the record, I gave the bandits a nice burial at the bottom of the river.
May they find peace in the next life.
After skillfully chanting a prayer, I headed toward Xiangyang with Cheon Yeo-hwa.
Perhaps because it was a well-traveled road, there wasn't a single bandit or even a wild animal in sight.
Thanks to that, we were able to reach Xiangyang by noon.
As one of the most prominent cities in Hubei Province, Xiangyang was larger than Seoyu County and Yunhyeon combined.
The streets, bustling with merchants and commoners, were so lively and noisy that anyone could tell it was a major city.
Upon arriving in Xiangyang, Cheon Yeo-hwa and I headed straight for the docks.
Fortunately, it wasn't difficult to find a merchant ship bound for Wuhan. The fare was a bit expensive, but money wasn't an issue.
The schedule was to my liking as well.
We just had to be at the pier by the Hour of the Snake (between 9 and 11 AM) tomorrow.
Perhaps because it was a place free from the threat of bandits, the merchant ship schedules were much more flexible than in Yunhyeon.
“Hmm... what now?”
“How about we find an inn first, then go look around the market?”
“That sounds good.”
When I nodded, Cheon Yeo-hwa wrapped her arm around mine as usual.
Afterward, we walked through the main streets of Xiangyang, looking for a suitable inn.
As expected of a large city, there were rows of expensive and luxurious-looking inns.
The problem was that every single one of them was full.
“What do you mean there are no rooms available?”
“My apologies, sir. The martial arts tournament is about to be held, you see. Many people are heading to Henan Province, so there’s nothing to be done.”
“...A martial arts tournament?”
According to the innkeeper, the Murim Alliance’s biggest event, held once every ten years, was a month away, and people were flocking to the area.
Its official name was the World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.
It was a competition where the most renowned rising talents under the age of thirty from the Orthodox Faction gathered to test their martial prowess against one another.
The results of the tournament would often lead to changes in the titles of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
The tournament was held in Zhengzhou, Henan, where the Murim Alliance headquarters was located.
“What timing...”
We had no choice but to leave and look for another inn.
After some time, we found a decent-looking inn a little ways off the main street.
“...Why are there so many people?”
However, it was drawing attention for a different reason.
A huge crowd had gathered at the entrance, looking to be at least a hundred people.
“Hmm, perhaps a fight broke out? Even in our cult, when a fight started in the marketplace, the elders would sneak out to watch.”
“...Are elders allowed to do that?”
“The Cult Leader would scold them from time to time.”
The Heavenly Demonic Cult. The more I heard about it, the harder it was to see them as a normal group.
After a moment's thought, I let a sliver of my killing intent leak out. The people, reacting instinctively, trembled slightly and dispersed.
Taking advantage of the opening, I entered the inn with Cheon Yeo-hwa.
‘I can’t pass up watching a good fight.’
If you asked nine out of ten people in this world what the most entertaining spectacle was, they would say a street fight.
And fights in inns like this were, nine times out of ten, between a bunch of weaklings.
However, contrary to my expectations, the inside of the inn was quiet.
Instead, everyone, whether they were drinking or eating, kept glancing furtively in one direction.
Snap.
I snapped my fingers, and an inn server, jolted to his senses, hurried over.
“I’m sorry, but we have no seats available right now...”
“I don’t need a seat. Just answer one question for me.”
Clink.
I tossed him a few coins, and the server immediately bowed ninety degrees.
“Please ask, my lord.”
“Why is this place so crowded?”
“Pardon? Ah, it’s because Lady Jegal Hyang is visiting our inn.”
“Jegal Hyang?”
“You don’t know her? Lady Jegal Hyang, the Wisdom Phoenix, eldest daughter of the head of the Jegal Family, who is also one of the Three Phoenixes and the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance?”
“...Wisdom Phoenix?”
Thump.
Just then, someone started walking down the stairs.
Everyone in the inn turned their gaze toward them.