Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Lying Monk
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"Miss Dang, what's the matter?"
Seop Dae-gang asked.
The later-generation disciples of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering had formed senior-junior relationships based on age and years in the martial world. The seniors naturally treated the juniors with condescension.
But Seop Dae-gang alone refrained from it. He could not bring himself to condescend to those who would one day become heads of their families or sects simply because he was their senior.
This respectful attitude of Seop Dae-gang's, regardless of age, earned him praise from all. The later-generation disciples of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering followed him even more devotedly and, in fact, recognized him as the de facto leader of the gathering.
"Give me a moment of your time."
Dang Yak-ran approached Yeom Jin-sang and asked.
"I heard that a Heuk Do-san from Dongyeon Port joined under Young Master Pang Do-gwang's command. They say he's quite skilled with an axe."
Yeom Jin-sang was taken aback. During his time fighting as a retainer of the Hebei Pang family, he had never revealed his identity. Naturally, Dang Yak-ran could not have heard such a thing.
At that moment, Dang Yak-ran subtly winked her left eye where no one could see. Yeom Jin-sang snapped to attention.
"That's right. My nickname is Mountain Cleaver Lord. With my humble skills, I led the Sea Dragon Gang."
"You're Ha-gok-sang, the lord of the Sea Dragon Gate?"
"You know me?"
"I might not know you, but I know your axe technique. Back when I was traveling through Dongyeon Port, I had a run-in with someone claiming to be your disciple."
He had never taught his axe technique even to his subordinates. If he did teach them, he only showed the shell, omitting the core.
"I see."
"But why hide it until now? Let me be clear—if you're thinking of escaping this crisis with another lie, I'll kill you right here with my own hands."
"The truth is, I didn't want to die. When I woke up on the sailboat, there were three Demonic Cultists and only two righteous faction members... I committed a grave sin. I'll do anything you command, so please spare my life."
"You say you committed a grave sin, yet you beg to live? According to the strict alliance law, traitors are executed on the spot just like Demonic Cultists. Either way, you won't survive the day."
Dang Yak-ran fired off the remark and turned back to Seop Dae-gang.
"Let me punish him with my own hands."
Dang Yak-ran's heart pounded.
Seop Dae-gang was the finest later-generation expert in the Northern Martial World. Would even he fall for it?
Seop Dae-gang stared at Dang Yak-ran with impassive eyes for a long while before speaking to his subordinates.
"Give them swords."
A duel commenced on the spot.
During her time at the Tang Clan of Sichuan, Dang Yak-ran had learned swordsmanship. But Yeom Jin-sang had mastered the axe technique. A sword is similar to a blade but worlds apart from an axe.
Dang Yak-ran, wielding a real sword for the first time in ages, flew like the wind. Meanwhile, Yeom Jin-sang, forced to swing the sword like an axe, floundered. On top of that, their skill levels differed.
The air flashed with sword light and tore with sharp whistles for some time until Yeom Jin-sang suddenly screamed and retreated.
"Argh!"
A long gash welled up with blood across his left eye. If it had been just a bit deeper, half his face would have been sliced off.
But even this injury would leave him blind in that eye for life.
Clutching his bleeding left eye, Yeom Jin-sang panicked, not knowing what to do.
"Well done."
Dang Yak-ran returned the sword to its owner. Then she turned to Seop Dae-gang and said.
"He's definitely the Mountain Cleaver Lord."
All eyes turned to Seop Dae-gang. Dang Yak-ran had verified Yeom Jin-sang's identity. Moreover, she had punished him by blinding one eye. Of course, it was lenient compared to the alliance law of executing traitors on the spot.
At that moment, footsteps echoed as people rushed into the valley. It was Hong Gong-tap and three of the Soul-Chasing Ten Ghosts, who had gone to pursue Heuk Do-san.
Naturally, they returned empty-handed.
Hong Gong-tap approached Seop Dae-gang and whispered urgently in his ear for a long time. Was it really necessary to be so secretive about something that wasn't a state secret?
But Mo Yong-ak felt no slight. Regardless of the matter's importance, all reports first went through Seop Dae-gang—that was the principle of the Soul-Chasing Ten Ghosts.
Once the report ended, Mo Yong-ak asked.
"What happened?"
"We lost him."
"The Soul-Chasing Ten Ghosts let their target slip away?"
"Do you remember the riverbank where we camped?"
"How could I forget? It was the river fed by melted snow from the Eternal Snow Mountains. The water was like ice—we couldn't even dream of crossing it. But why bring it up?"
"He crossed the river."
"No way. There weren't any trees big enough along the bank to make a raft. You'd have to chop some down from the forest about a hundredzhang away, and there are no vines here to bind logs together. So how...?"
"Not a raft—a boat."
"A boat?"
Mo Yong-ak glanced at Hong Gong-tap at the end of her sentence. Since he had seen it himself, he would know best.
"By the time we arrived, it had already crossed halfway. We only saw the back, so we couldn't be sure, but it was definitely a boat. If I had to describe it, perhaps a Flying Bird Boat covered in white wolf pelt?"
A Flying Bird Boat was a sharply pointed vessel like a reed leaf. Depending on length, it held from one to a dozen people at most. Martial artists used them to attack enemy ships on calm lakes.
But why would a Central Plains martial artist's Flying Bird Boat appear out of nowhere in this remote wilderness?
Mo Yong-ak was dumbfounded.
Hyeon-gak and Dang Yak-ran, however, were different.
'He must have made something again.'
"What now?"
Mo Yong-ak asked again.
"If he crossed the river, he's heading into the snow-covered mountains too. We're going the same way anyway, so we'll catch up soon enough."
"What about them?"
Mo Yong-ak pointed at the terrified Yeom Jin-sang and Gong Cheon-ak, who still hadn't recovered his wits.
"Strip the Blood Wolf's hide and make a litter. Put the Seventh Star Lord on it, and have Yeom Jin-sang pull it. Everyone, hurry."
The Soul-Chasing Ten Ghosts scattered swiftly.
Mo Yong-ak moved to prepare for departure as well. Seop Dae-gang, who had been sitting on a rock until now, slowly stood.
In that instant, his voice transmission echoed in Dang Yak-ran's mind.
[Don't deceive me again.]
'He knew after all.'
Still, thank you. He had pretended not to know even though it was a lie. For Seop Dae-gang, who never retracted a given order, this was highly unusual.
Then Hyeon-gak approached and whispered.
"No need to thank me. I spared him only because we need an ox to drag Gong Cheon-ak around. That demon spawn is miraculously hanging on—give him a few days, and he'll be up demanding food."
"What happened?"
"Hmm? With what?"
"With Young Master Heuk and Miss Bing. You knew, didn't you? Don't try to fool me too."
Hyeon-gak glanced around, confirmed no one was near, and whispered quietly.
"Did you see Heuk brother staring intently at the sleeping young lady right before we left? As if trying to etch her face deep into his memory."
"Me...?"
"That's right."
"Couldn't you have mistaken it for him looking at Senior Mo Yong-ak?"
"Mo Yong-ak? He didn't even glance her way."
"......!"
"And he asked me to look after the young lady. He even had a message for her. Something about a merchant guild a thousand li away..."
"Was it the Fated Thousand-Li Merchant Guild?"
"Exactly. That's the one."
The original phrase was: Fated Thousand-Li Merchant Guild, Unfated Face-to-Face No Meeting.
In essence: 'If there's fate, we'll meet even from a thousand li away; without fate, we won't meet even face to face.'
Hyeon-gak had just lied.
In truth, he knew the phrase left by Heuk Do-san well.
Before leaving the valley, Heuk Do-san had clearly said "Unfated Face-to-Face No Meeting." Meaning their fates ended there.
But Hyeon-gak had changed it to "Fated Thousand-Li Merchant Guild." It could be interpreted as: though parted now by unavoidable circumstances, with fate on our side, we'll surely meet again someday.
Sure enough, Dang Yak-ran's face brightened instantly.
"Is that... true?"
"Namo Amitabha. This monk has never told a lie in his life."
* * *
A small boat made of beast hide touched the shallow riverbank. The man leaped into the water first, then lifted the woman carefully to the dry land so her feet wouldn't get wet.
"Thank you."
"If you're thankful, stop crying."
"You knew?"
"How could I not, with you sniffling the whole way?"
"If you were going to pretend not to notice, why not keep it up?"
"I'll pretend from now on."
"I won't cry anymore."
"That'd be even better."
"Anyway, thank you so much."
"Enough. Take this."
Heuk Do-san drew a dagger and handed it over.
"Why give this to me...?"
"Go peel some birch bark. We're making rope, so get long strips without breaks if possible. As much as you can carry alone. Hurry."
"What for?"
"It's cold. Don't ask—just go quick."
"Got it."
After Bing-seol left, Heuk Do-san began loading stones into the Flying Bird Boat they had ridden.
Half a shichen earlier.
Heuk Do-san, leading Bing-seol out of the forest, had woven long branches and peeled white sandalwood bark into a basket-like frame. He fixed white wolf ribs from the valley to it midway, binding them with more white sandalwood bark.
Finally, he covered it with the white wolf's hide. Since the wolf was huge, placing the head at the prow and tying the front and rear legs upward formed a crude boat.
Then he and Bing-seol boarded and crossed the river. When they were halfway across, Hong Gong-tap burst from the forest with three Soul-Chasing Ten Ghosts.
It was fortunate Seop Dae-gang hadn't come himself. His iron bow could strike even across the river.
'By now, Dang Yak-ran must know.'
He wondered what her face looked like when she learned he'd left. She might have cursed him as the world's worst scum.
'Even so, no choice.'
It was strange. He had never shown it to anyone, but Heuk Do-san had longed for Mo Yong-ak his whole life. After joining the Righteous-Demonic Great War, he had often hoped to encounter her, even by chance.
And there she was, right before his eyes. Yet Mo Yong-ak meant nothing to him now—Dang Yak-ran's face kept surfacing instead. He worried what might happen to her.
Would she ever know his feelings? Probably not. With her lifelong crush Seop Dae-gang appearing, how could she have eyes for him?
Seop Dae-gang was the seventeenth-generation disciple of the Huashan Sect, called along with Shaolin Temple the North Star of the martial world. He was the current inheritor of one of the Three Swords of the World, the Plum Blossom Sword, and the greatest later-generation expert in the Northern Martial World.
In contrast, he was a mere scholar from a backwater academy in Shandong Peninsula. The kind of scholar called the most useless thing in the world alongside a dog that doesn't bark.
"You did well."
"What did I do well?"
He turned at the sudden voice to see Bing-seol standing there, arms full of white sandalwood bark.
"Nothing."
Heuk Do-san took the bark and spread it on the ground. He selected the long, sturdy ones, stripped the tough inner fibers, and tied the ends together.
Bing-seol, watching beside him, began making long strands like him. Once enough were ready, she joined three into one and twisted them into rope.
Soon, a thin, long rope was complete. Finally, he tied one end to the Flying Bird Boat and the other to the stolen spear tip.
With preparations done, he gripped the spear, backed up far, then charged and hurled it with full force.
Whoosh... Thunk!
The spear flew across the river and stabbed precisely into the shallows reaching ankle-deep. It was a perfect spot for one person to enter and pull the rope.
"What was that for?"
"Others need to cross the river too."
"Then they'll chase us."
"That's the point."
"Why?"
"So we don't lose the way."
'My goodness. He's marking the path for those behind. Why didn't I think of that? Not all of them are enemies—Seventh Star Lord is back there too....'
But Bing-seol feigned ignorance and asked.
"What if they catch us?"
"Worried?"
Bing-seol belatedly recalled who she was with. Heuk Do-san. A scholar who joined the war after studying at some port in Shandong.
But now, he was a battle-hardened veteran who read the forest like a map. No one in this forest could catch him. Nowhere was safer than by his side.
Bing-seol smiled brightly and replied.
"Not at all."
"Then let's go."
"Where to?"
"That mountain range."
Heuk Do-san pointed to the massive wall in the distance. Snowy peaks soared dizzyingly toward the sky, gleaming divinely in the sunlight.