Chapter 34
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: A Blessing in Disguise
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The standard of strength was relative in any era.
Nevertheless, regardless of the age, the title of "Greatest Under Heaven" had always existed.
In the current era, there were four individuals closest to this title.
This was proof that the current era was blessed, and it also meant that the accumulated power of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions was the greatest in history.
“Divine Dragon.”
A title reserved for only one person, bestowed upon the one believed without a doubt to inherit the mantle of Greatest Under Heaven in the next generation.
“They say he’s a dragon whose wings were torn off, forcing him to the ground, but a dragon is a dragon, I see.”
Seo Pung ignored Dang Guyu before him, turning completely to point to one side.
“What is that?”
Where Seo Pung pointed, a countless swarm of poisonous insects, like bees that had discovered honey, had formed a massive tower.
Jegal Biyeon answered.
“It’s Yuseong.”
“Hmm… Is that thing alive?”
“Yuseong doesn’t die easily.”
“Well, if you say so.”
Seo Pung nodded in understanding.
His acceptance was based on three things.
He somewhat believed Jegal Biyeon's words.
And from Seo Pung's perspective, ‘that thing’ didn't look like it would die easily either.
Finally.
‘There’s no way he’d die easily if that old geezer is involved.’
Though publicly praised as a divine healer, the Dang Mandok that Seo Pung knew was a nasty old monster with dozens of serpents coiled up inside him.
‘Perhaps even this state was intended by the old geezer.’
Seo Pung thought so, but the current situation had nothing to do with Dang Mandok.
Dang Mandok’s plan had only extended as far as Seo Pung’s intervention.
For now, Seo Pung lost interest in ‘that thing’.
Dang Guyu, thinking he was being ignored, chuckled sinisterly.
“I wonder where the youngsters these days learn their manners.”
Seo Pung was different from Jegal Biyeon, Ha Yuseong, Namgung Yuya, and Hae Myo.
He was a warrior who had survived for a long time in this harsh martial world, proudly earning his name a place among the Hundred Grandmasters of the Martial World.
To survive in the martial world, one needed more than just outstanding martial arts.
“Have the old folks gone senile these days? Can’t even find their own rice bowls, trying to steal food from kids.”
A sharp tongue that could break an opponent's composure was also essential.
Well, in Seo Pung’s case, he just had a bad personality.
“Hehehe. Don’t get cocky just because you blocked one of my attacks, little one.”
“Do old folks these days enjoy verbal sparring? Ah! You must have gone senile and forgotten how to use your martial arts.”
“Hehehe. If you’re so eager to be punished, I’ll throw you to the insects as food, just like that one!”
“That?”
Seo Pung’s expression was one of genuine surprise.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Dang Guyu acted nonchalant on the outside, but in truth, he was quite tense.
Seo Pung's known skill level was at the bottom of the Hundred Grandmasters of the Martial World.
And the bottom-ranking Hundred Grandmasters could never use blade aura.
To use aura, one had to be at least in the top fifty.
‘Is a dragon truly a dragon?’
Well, he never expected Seo Pung to suddenly appear, but this was still within the realm of possibility.
After all, anyone living in the martial world hid about thirty percent of their true strength.
He did the same, so there was no reason Seo Pung wouldn't.
But the reason for his alarm lay elsewhere.
‘The poison insects haven’t been listening to me for a while now.’
All the poison insects he commanded were now swarming ‘that place’ as if driven by madness.
Among them was the Hundred-Year Centipede he had so dearly raised.
‘This has never happened before. What is going on?’
Still, Dang Guyu was a seasoned warrior who had survived to a ripe old age.
Although he couldn't use his greatest weapon, the poison insects, he always had an ace up his sleeve for such situations.
‘This should be enough.’
What Dang Guyu took from his robes was one of the Tang Family's prides, a hidden weapon: the Soul-Chasing Butterfly.
The moment he saw the butterfly-shaped weapon, Seo Pung's perpetually relaxed expression turned serious.
“Hehehe. You must know of the Soul-Chasing Butterfly.”
Among the many hidden weapons produced by the Tang Family, the Soul-Chasing Butterfly was ranked among the very best.
And Seo Pung knew this better than anyone.
“Yeah. I know it all too well.”
He had just been hit by one a moment ago.
“Then, let me show you hell!”
Dang Guyu flicked his arm.
The Soul-Chasing Butterflies flew through the air.
Their flight resembled that of real butterflies fluttering about.
This was the terror of the Soul-Chasing Butterfly.
Though its speed might be slow, the unpredictable changes in its trajectory made it impossible for the opponent to guess where it would go.
Those who faced the Soul-Chasing Butterfly would flail against its unpredictable movements, suffering wounds all over their bodies until they eventually died.
Furthermore, Dang Guyu's skill with hidden weapons was considered among the best in the Tang Family.
Dang Guyu had thrown a total of ten Soul-Chasing Butterflies.
Each one was fully imbued with aura. They were also coated in a poison he had personally extracted and concocted from his insects.
And he was proud of this poison. Though it might not match the Ten Great Poisons of the Tang Family, it was close.
‘If it even grazes him once, I win.’
Seo Pung remained calm as he watched the ten splendid, fluttering wings approach him.
He looked like a man who had already accepted defeat before the fight even began.
“Yawn!”
And then.
Seo Pung yawned.
“Right. This is what it was originally like.”
—Here I come! Take this! Soul-Chasing Butterfly!
The Soul-Chasing Butterfly that Dang Mandok had thrown at him was nothing like this paltry thing.
It had been too fast to follow with the eye, and its variations were at least ten times more complex than what he was seeing now.
*Step.*
Seo Pung pushed off the ground.
The first butterfly flew in.
As if knowing exactly where it would come from, Seo Pung casually tilted his head back.
The first butterfly passed by his head.
Immediately, the second butterfly attacked.
Seo Pung swung his sword upward, and the second butterfly was split in two.
The sword drew an arc downwards. The third butterfly was sliced apart.
He lunged forward, swinging his sword.
Another butterfly was cut down.
*Slice!*
A butterfly fell from the sky.
A symphony of swordsmanship followed.
*Step.*
When Seo Pung’s feet stopped, all ten butterflies lay on the ground behind him.
And Seo Pung had arrived right in front of Dang Guyu.
“Astonishing.”
To think he would break through so easily.
Dang Guyu was genuinely impressed.
So he gave it his all.
Something he had been preparing since he threw the Soul-Chasing Butterflies.
He thrust his hands forward.
Yama's Insect Poison Palm!
A thick, green poison palm technique shot from both hands, flying toward Seo Pung.
*Slice!*
Seo Pung swung his sword straight up.
“Aaaargh!”
Dang Guyu screamed.
Two hands shot up into the sky.
“You’re loud.”
Seo Pung lightly swung his sword horizontally.
Dang Guyu’s head rolled to the ground.
Despite having won against an elder of the Tang Family of Sichuan and a top-ranking Hundred Grandmaster, Seo Pung turned around as if he’d just dealt with a common bandit and spoke.
“Hah. It’s time for my nap. Everyone, get up so we can complete the mission.”
Namgung Yuya felt like his entire body was about to shatter, yet he immediately stood up and snapped into a sharp, at-attention posture.
He knew Seo Pung was strong.
He was a Grade 1 warrior of the Murim Alliance and one of the Hundred Grandmasters, after all.
‘That’s the bottom of the Hundred Grandmasters?’
Namgung Yuya was from the Namgung Family.
Naturally, the Namgung Family also had Grade 1 warriors, and with a little exaggeration, you could find a Hundred Grandmaster just by turning your head.
‘Don’t give me that crap!’
Namgung Yuya had always been scared of Seo Pung, but from this day forward, he was even more terrified.
This Unit Leader, who usually just slept powerlessly, was at least…
‘On the level of my eldest brother.’
Namgung Yuya’s eldest brother, Namgung Il, was a natural-born genius like Seo Pung. He was said to be the one closest to becoming the next Sword King.
Hae Myo also stood up, his posture rigid with discipline.
He looked at Seo Pung with a slightly different perspective than Namgung Yuya.
‘I have to request a spar with him next time!’
Jegal Biyeon was already up, her gaze fixed on one spot.
“What about Yuseong?”
“Hmm…”
Seo Pung had thought that once he killed Dang Guyu, the owner of the poison insects, they would scatter on their own.
But the insects were still swarming Ha Yuseong.
As he pondered, a hand suddenly shot out from the swarm of insects. *Pow!*
Ha Yuseong emerged.
His clothes were almost completely dissolved by the insects' venom.
Fortunately, the important parts were still covered.
Surprisingly, Ha Yuseong was in much better condition than before.
Seeing Seo Pung, Ha Yuseong opened his mouth.
“Unit Leader, why are you here?”
Seeing the perfectly fine Ha Yuseong, Seo Pung continued.
“Let’s go.”
The reason he came here was to complete the mission.
***
The rest of the journey was surprisingly uneventful.
Who would dare pick a fight when a Unit Leader of the Murim Alliance was present?
Ha Yuseong's party arrived in Sichuan without any trouble.
“You’ve arrived just in time!”
What greeted them after their arduous mission was the Tang Family of Sichuan, in the middle of a grand banquet.
At the sight of the person who came to greet them, the four, excluding Seo Pung, immediately bowed with utmost respect.
“We greet the Grand Patriarch of the Tang Family!”
“Haha! I’m already retired. Just think of me as a neighborhood old man.”
“Yes, sir!”
Only Ha Yuseong responded cheerfully to that.
The other three stared at Ha Yuseong as if he were something extraordinary.
Only Seo Pung narrowed his eyes as if he knew something.
‘If he said that knowing who this man is, my brother is one of a kind. If he said it without knowing, it’s just ignorance.’
Namgung Yuya's thoughts on Ha Yuseong.
‘As expected!’
Hae Myo's thoughts.
‘…’
Jegal Biyeon's thoughts.
Seo Pung opened his mouth.
“Old geezer. You used me to get rid of a traitor.”
Ha Yuseong’s party was startled by Seo Pung's sudden change in tone.
What was more surprising was Dang Mandok’s reaction.
“You rascal! Why are you scowling on such a fine day? At your age, you’ll get wrinkles if you keep that up.”
Dang Mandok was treating Seo Pung as comfortably as if he were his own grandson.
“Here’s the box.”
“Ah! Just throw that anywhere. It’s empty anyway.”
The party members, who had risked their lives to transport the box, were dumbfounded by his words.
Only Seo Pung remained calm, as he had already guessed the true intention of this mission.
Ha Yuseong, seeing Seo Pung's composed reaction, thought, ‘As expected.’
‘Thinking is really not for me.’
A person must wear clothes that fit them.
Ha Yuseong spoke.
“I’m hungry. Can I go eat?”
“Oh dear, I’ve been rude, keeping my guests standing. Come! You must be tired from cleaning up our family’s mess. Go on and eat.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ha Yuseong, once again speaking cheerfully, was the first to run towards the food, devouring it hungrily as if he had been starved for days.
With Ha Yuseong leading the way, the rest of the party hesitated for a moment before finding their own spots and starting to eat voraciously.
Just then, Seo Pung sent a telepathic message to Dang Mandok.
—Old man. This is the last time I’ll be used for your family’s affairs.
Dang Mandok grinned and replied.
—It was a good chance to stretch your muscles after so long, wasn’t it?
Seo Pung, concluding that it was impossible to have a proper conversation with him, tore into the meat placed before him.
Meanwhile, Ha Yuseong was deep in thought as he stuffed his face.
Ever since he was bitten by the poison insects, his body had felt different somehow.
He felt much more comfortable than before.
There was one side effect, though. He got hungry more often, just like a child.
*Nom, nom.*
As expected of a banquet at a great family’s estate, the food is absolutely superb.
Delicious