Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Nine Deaths One Life (10)
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The old man who taught me martial arts wasn't exactly the greatest teacher. He always spoke in short bursts, and figuring out the intent behind his words was always my responsibility as the listener.
Even his physical condition worsened day by day, and a year before he passed away, he could barely move around. I was only six years old back then, yet I had to help with the farm work.
But I never once harbored any resentment. After all, he was my lifesaver, and more importantly, his teachings were the lifeblood and nourishment for me.
[Before taking a life, ponder deeply and ponder once more. But if you've made up your mind that it must be done, then never hesitate.]
I had pondered deeply and pondered again. Was killing truly the right choice? My opponent had already harbored killing intent toward me, while I had to shake off the pursuit while protecting a child.
'No other way. I'll have to go all out and kill him.'
My resolve hardened, unshakable. For the first time in my life, I swung my sword with every ounce of power I possessed. At the same time, a deafening boom rocked the ground violently.
Eventually, the trembling stopped. Birds singing in the mountains scattered with startled cries from the sudden shock. I clicked my tongue as I surveyed the scene before me.
It was my full-powered strike, but disappointingly, the destructive force left much to be desired. In the wuxia novels I loved reading, this kind of description was standard fare.
Especially in the later parts, even the fodder mooks from the Blood Cult were depicted as ferocious enough to upheave mountains. How could I be satisfied with just a shallow crater in the earth?
"Tch, pathetically weak."
I smacked my lips in regret as I sheathed my sword. This would shake off the pursuers for now, but I had no leisure to wander leisurely and waste time.
I extended a hand toward Sua, who had collapsed to the ground. She wore a dazed expression for a moment, but soon snapped out of it and grabbed my hand, standing back up.
"We need to leave before the others catch up."
"Where are you headed?"
"Isn't it obvious? To the Moyong Clan."
"What?! But the Moyong Clan right now..."
"If we sit idly by, Young Lord Moyong Hyeon might really end up dead."
The situation was far more serious than I'd imagined. To drag back the Patriarch's direct bloodline, no less—they'd dispatched an entire unit of martial artists. This didn't sit right.
'Looking back, something felt off from the start. Guess the powder keg finally blew.'
Of course, wuxia had its share of advocating the law of the jungle. But those types were usually from obvious villain groups like the Demonic Cult or Blood Cult.
This wasn't some random riffraff—it was the Patriarch of the Moyong Clan, one of the Five Great Clans upholding the orthodox faction. Yet his actions were so ruthless even the Demonic Cult would weep.
Strict training was fine, but if you didn't meet his standards, you'd go hungry that day. Or he'd isolate you from conversing with other warriors. No wonder Moyong Hyeon had smuggled Sua out.
Of course, I knew full well that charging into the Moyong Clan alone—a mere first-rate like me— was as suicidal as dousing myself in oil and jumping into a burning house.
But if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
So, before fighting, I needed to learn about the enemy first.
Besides, Moyong Hyeon had entrusted Sua to me for his great undertaking. In other words, there were people inside the clan who supported and aided him back then.
Judging by the mess, the plot had likely failed, and he'd suffered a harsh fate. But not everyone would have been captured without a fight. For now, though, I knew too little.
"First, we keep a low profile, gather information, and figure out how things unfolded."
"So, to catch the tiger, we have no choice but to storm its den ourselves. Understood loud and clear. Thanks to you, I can finally breathe a little easier!"
"This is just basic stuff. Now that you get it, let's move."
"Got it!"
We had no time to dawdle here. Sua and I set off immediately. Fortunately, Sua's sharp mind remembered the entire route back perfectly.
I'd packed travel funds too, so we lacked for nothing. True, luxuries like silk or leather were back at the house, but the ample silver I'd tucked away just in case was plenty.
There was no reason at all to waste time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Dragon Hall was the Moyong Clan's premier martial force. Every member without exception had reached the first-rate realm, truly deserving the title of the clan's finest.
Under its command were various smaller units, and among them, the Dragon Vanguard Squad stood head and shoulders above the rest in quality.
Other units had at best their squad leaders as first-rate warriors from the Dragon Hall or equivalent, with the rest being second-rate or even third-rate.
In contrast, the Dragon Vanguard Squad was astonishingly composed entirely of first-rate or near first-rate warriors. It wasn't for nothing they bore the name "Vanguard."
Especially their leader, Squad Leader Moyong Sa—a genius who entered first-rate at thirty. Not quite a prodigy, but certainly a talented one.
"Ugh... where is this?"
"This is the thatched hut where the young lady was staying with the mysterious master."
"At least I avoided sleeping on the dirt floor."
But belying his prestigious title, Moyong Sa groaned in pain as he barely regained consciousness on the humble hut's floor. His cracked lips moved.
"What the hell happened?"
"Well..."
"No, never mind. It's coming back to me."
Forgetting an event like that would be quite the feat. In crude terms, he'd been knocked out cold in one strike without landing a counter. He, the leader of the Dragon Vanguard Squad.
Not that he had room to complain after losing face like that. Moyong Sa ranked among the clan's top warriors. Only a handful could best him in sparring.
He'd even gone toe-to-toe with the Patriarch himself. Until one day the Patriarch suddenly wielded sword qi, the hallmark of the pinnacle realm. But something felt off.
'Sword qi symbolizes the pinnacle. And the Patriarch clearly used it before us. But it lacked depth.'
Elder Moyong Jin, who had reached the pinnacle long ago, possessed an unfathomable ocean-like depth. Yet the Patriarch, also at pinnacle, felt utterly shallow.
Not to mention, even basic internal energy control—easy for any first-rate—was a struggle for him, as if he were constantly suffering internal injuries.
And his habit of hurling abuse and violence at clan members. Just a few years ago, such behavior would have been unthinkable. What had changed him?
'Tch, what's the point of dwelling on it? I can't change the board anyway.'
Whoever leaked the info, Young Lord Moyong Hyeon was subdued by the Patriarch's ambush the moment he returned. Even Elder Moyong Jin couldn't act rashly now.
[If you act on your own, Hyeon will die, Father.]
[Resorting to holding your own son hostage? How did you sink so low into ugliness?!]
[I'll no longer be swayed by empty martial world nonsense. I've finally awakened to the truth.]
The game was already lost. To save his cherished grandson, even the elder who could oppose the Patriarch had no choice but to grit his teeth and stand by.
Moyong Sa wasn't foolish enough to cling to a battle with near-zero odds. That's why he'd grudgingly followed the Patriarch's orders here.
Yet he'd encountered an unexpected boon. Even he, firmly in the clan's upper echelons, hadn't managed a proper counter before going down.
To be precise, in that split second, he'd sensed the attack and erected his protective qi, but a single kick shattered it outright. If it had been a lethal strike?
'I wouldn't be here. Meaning the great hero held back.'
In that fleeting clash, Moyong Sa had distinctly felt it. Just like with the elder—an immeasurable, ocean-deep profundity. From that mysterious old man.
'No idea why, but the mysterious master is aiding the young lord.'
The Patriarch went without saying. Even Elder Moyong Jin, with his grandson hostage, would be forced into a fight. No one could face two pinnacle experts alone.
If they could just rescue the captive Young Lord Moyong Hyeon, the tide would turn in an instant. But only the Patriarch knew his location.
The situation remained dire. Odds at best 30%, no, 20%. Calculating coldly, Moyong Sa smirked and muttered.
"That's enough to stake my life on."
"Pardon?"
“You didn’t blindly give chase in a haze of lust for merit and glory and chose to stay here instead. Guess I can assume you all have your heads screwed on straight?"
Time to flip the board.