Chapter 19: Surviving a Brush with Death (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: Surviving a Brush with Death (2)
A group of martial artists had gathered at the training ground, and the air was thick with the sound of a heated argument.
Judging by their attire, they were Red Room martial artists—masters of at least the Fragrance Lord rank.
"You have your own training grounds, so why are you insisting on practicing here? This area was set aside for us."
One of the Red Room martial artists snorted in response.
"What does it matter who uses which training ground? Masters like us don't just swing around the Three Calamities Sword like you lot. Our blades are infused with internal energy, which makes them dangerous. We need more space. Is it a crime to practice here because our own grounds are too cramped?"
It was a blatant excuse. There were plenty of training grounds available.
Anyone could see they were only doing this to humiliate the lower-tier martial artists.
"If we're showing off our skills, you should be grateful and watch with appreciation. Where do you get off catching an attitude? Honestly."
The way they talked among themselves was like rubbing salt in a wound.
Even as a bystander, I felt a surge of irritation. It was because I was a "small fry" myself. This was the kind of contempt lower-tier martial artists usually had to endure, but it wasn't something easily overcome.
Unless a low-tier martial artist was an enlightened monk, there was no way they could stay calm under such provocation.
I was already struggling with a constant stream of yawns and drowsiness from the sedative I’d taken, so I intended to just walk on by.
But as fate would have it, this Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress was a cursed place for me.
There was no way I could avoid the trouble.
One of them pointed at me and spoke up.
"In the past, we stayed quiet and let you lot run wild because you had Young Hero Eo backing you. But now that there's no one left to carry you, you'd better start listening."
It was an outright threat.
In short, they were saying I was worthless now that I’d lost my internal energy.
That was the reality. In this cold world of Murim, if you didn't possess at least some skill beyond the bottom tier, you weren't even treated like a human being.
"See? Even Young Hero Eo over there is keeping his mouth shut and moving along after hearing that, isn't he?"
The man jerked his chin toward me.
No matter where you go, there are always people who can't stand to see others doing well.
For a moment, I considered relying on the strange power squirming inside me to cause a scene, but I shook my head.
If I tried to act tough based on a power I didn't fully understand yet, I might end up making a fool of myself.
The one who endures is the one who wins, I muttered to myself.
But then, I saw two martial artists entering the training ground and a grin spread across my face.
I whispered toward the bullies, "There are far too many rats in this place."
Did you really think I was the type to flinch at the likes of you, even if you were real masters? I was just pretending to be scared for a second, you idiots.
The two newcomers were none other than Smiling Face Sword and Poison Wolf Ibu.
At a glance, the two of them seemed quite close. They had been fighting to the death when they first met, but it seemed they had bonded in the meantime.
Thinking I could goad these two into teaching those bullies a lesson, I greeted them first.
"It’s been a while."
The two of them walked up to me and clasped their hands in a respectful salute.
"This Gu was moved to admiration upon hearing that Young Hero Eo slew the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon in a single strike."
Smiling Face Sword looked at me with eyes full of respect.
Poison Wolf Ibu was even more enthusiastic.
"This Poison Wolf rushed over the moment I heard of your injuries, but you were still unconscious at the time, so I had to turn back. I am only now able to offer my greetings."
Since these two had personally sparred with me, they had no choice but to show me deference.
Look at this, you bastards.
Seeing Smiling Face Sword and Poison Wolf Ibu bowing their heads to me would surely give them a lot to think about.
When I glanced at the bullies, their faces were indeed filled with regret, clearly wishing they hadn't started trouble.
"Are you here to train?" I asked.
Smiling Face Sword and Poison Wolf Ibu shook their heads.
"No. We are on our way to the martial contest stage."
Huh? I had been so busy shuffling back and forth from the medical hall that I had completely forgotten about the martial contest.
No one had mentioned it to me, and the yin energy from the White Horse Ten Canes occasionally squeezed my internal organs so hard that I didn't have the mental capacity to care about anything else.
Even so, the contest should be nearing its end by now. To think I had completely forgotten.
"The final matches to select the Acting Squad Leaders are scheduled for tomorrow."
Curious, I asked, "Are you two also challenging for the Acting Squad Leader positions?"
The two looked at each other and turned red.
"No. We couldn't make it past the Fragrance Lord rank."
Still, that was an impressive feat. A Fragrance Lord was a position that commanded about fifty subordinates. A Fragrance Lord led five unit leaders, and each unit leader commanded about ten members.
"Congratulations."
I offered my greetings again and then asked them, "Do you know these people?"
Smiling Face Sword looked at the martial artists who had caused the commotion and nodded.
"Yes. They are the ones who were promoted to unit leaders this time."
I nodded.
Just a bunch of low-level runts acting tough.
The bullies were now fidgeting like puppies that needed to go.
You guys are dead meat, I thought to myself.
Just as I was about to subtly goad the two masters against the bullies, Poison Wolf Ibu spoke up.
"Well then, we shall take our leave."
Eh?
"Wait, why?" I asked, my voice rising in surprise.
Poison Wolf Ibu scratched the back of his head with a naive smile.
"We heard that Poison Dragon, one of the Four Dragons of Sichuan, has arrived for tomorrow's Acting Squad Leader contest. We want to catch a glimpse of him, even from a distance."
I let out a hollow laugh at that.
It was because Tang Bin of the Tang Clan, who could be called the greatest beauty in Sichuan, would be coming with him.
Of course, Tang Bin wasn't one of the Four Dragons of Sichuan—that was her brother, Tang Ja-seong. But Tang Bin was a devoted younger sister who followed her brother wherever he went, much like Mok Seon-hwa.
For low-tier martial artists, when else would they get a chance to see one of the Four Dragons of Sichuan, let alone the greatest beauty in the province?
Let me go with you.
The words almost tumbled out of my mouth. If I felt that way, imagine how they felt.
Then, a thought flashed through my mind.
Given that Tang Ja-seong and Tang Bin were here, they likely came to investigate the Blood Witch as well.
After they hastily saluted me again and hurried away, I stared after them blankly.
With my potential saviors vanishing like the wind, I was left high and dry.
Oh boy, what do I do now? I’ve already spat out those insults. I can’t exactly take them back now.
I stole a glance at the bullies. Their expressions had regained their confidence, looking like puppies that had just finished their business.
"Young Hero Eo, you will have to take responsibility for calling us rats!"
The one making the threat had a servile smirk plastered all over his face. He looked like he’d finally caught me.
Wait a minute... looking closely at their faces, they all shared a certain resemblance. They were faces I felt I’d seen somewhere before.
It was strange, as I didn't usually associate with people who had such rodent-like features.
"Have we met before?" I asked the oldest-looking rat-face.
"You don't know? The seven of us are all brothers."
At those words, the face of the "rat" who had passed out after taking my sedative in the medical hall came to mind.
"Young Hero Eo, you certainly did a number on my youngest brother. Shouldn't you pay a similar price? Isn't that what brotherly love is all about?"
With five of them being brothers, the situation was heavily stacked against me.
If I let my spirit waver just because they had the numbers, it was obvious they would only become more aggressive.
There is a rule in fights between low-tier martial artists.
Unlike masters, there is no such thing as mutual respect. The most important thing is to intimidate them first and seize the momentum.
If you tried to be "respectful" in a low-tier brawl, you’d likely end up with a broken nose.
As I’ve emphasized time and again, the internal power of a low-tier fighter is pure spite.
"So, are you saying you want to go a round right here and now?!"
When I took a firm stance, they flinched in surprise.
I glanced around.
The low-tier martial artists who had been arguing with these guys before I arrived were now gathered behind me with their arms crossed, showing no intention of helping.
They were likely fools who thought stepping in would be an insult to me. Or perhaps they were waiting for me to sweep them all away in a single move.
But my heart was feeling the exact opposite.
I looked at them, desperately hoping they would step up, but they just nodded as if telling me to handle it as I saw fit. One guy even gave me a thumbs-up.
However, Eo Ja-seo is not one to be taken down so easily.
I am the legendary lucky bastard who killed the first-rate master, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon. And these fools didn't know that I had the brains and the tongue to manufacture that kind of luck.
The moment they wavered was my chance.
I approached them without hesitation.
The brothers instinctively shuffled backward.
I leaned in and whispered to them.
"Did you think I wouldn't know what you were up to? Is that why you had your youngest brother, who's being treated in the medical hall, spy on me?"
They blinked. Their eyes practically screamed, How does he know that? If that was the case, my bluff was halfway to working.
"Aren't you curious? Where your youngest brother, who should be here by now, actually is?"
"W-w-what do you mean by that?"
Stuttering when flustered—he was exactly like the youngest rat.
"Only a fool would ask that. I'll tell you one thing. Just get out of here if you ever want to see your youngest brother again."
I didn't forget to smile. The highlight of a threat like this is, of course, a wicked grin.
"A-are you serious?"
The big rat blinked, looking terrified. They seemed to believe I was holding their youngest brother hostage.
"You don't believe me?"
I turned around and waved my hand.
In response, the people at the far end of the training ground waved back at me.
"If I give the signal, those people over there will... your youngest brother..."
I intentionally let my voice trail off.
I had simply waved to greet them, and the distant martial artists had waved back, but these fools mistook them for my subordinates who were holding their brother hostage.
"A-alright. We'll leave. Just release our brother."
As they began to retreat submissively, the martial artists behind me spoke in unison.
"As expected of Young Hero Eo. They're leaving quietly now that you've stepped in. They were acting like they were ready for a bloodbath, but they got scared the moment you showed up."
Yeah, they were certainly 'moved' by my fake hostage situation.
Thinking the matter was settled, I watched them leave with a relaxed mind.
Wait.
The brothers suddenly stopped and bowed their heads in unison to a large, burly man.
Then, that man led the five of them back toward me.
Hold on. Earlier, the big rat said they were seven brothers in total.
Even if you counted the one in the medical hall and the five here, that only made six.
That meant this guy was the true eldest brother of the rat clan.
I quickly turned my back and hurried away.
"Stop right there!"
I ignored him and kept walking.
"Eo Ja-seo, stop right there!"
Since he’d called me by name, I couldn't keep going.
As the giant rat slowly walked toward me, the one who had been the "big rat" earlier spoke up.
"Eldest Brother, let's just back off for today."
"Why?"
"That man says he's locked up our youngest."
"What are you talking about? I just came from the medical hall after leaving our youngest in a private room."
Realizing something was up, the giant rat glared at me with murderous eyes and spoke to his brothers.
"I told you to handle this so I wouldn't have to step in, and yet you've been dallying here all this time. You useless idiots."
The giant rat fumed as he looked at me.
Now I saw it. This guy was the one who had egged his brothers on to humiliate me from behind the scenes.
Why is there never anyone to save me at times like this? In wuxia novels, the protagonist always gets rescued in the nick of time. Is it because I'm not the protagonist? Is that it?
Lamenting internally did no good.
I had violated the rule of the Chivalrous Eight Iron Rules about not getting involved in petty disputes, so I deserved what was coming.
In this tense moment, a sudden wave of drowsiness washed over me.
On top of that, the strange power that had subsided for a moment began to spread through my body again, causing a stinging pain.
To be in pain and sleepy at the same time—it was truly maddening.
"Yaaaawn!"
Against my will, I let out a yawn so long it felt like my jaw might unhinge.
After finishing the yawn, which even brought a tiny tear to my eye, the atmosphere around me suddenly turned icy.
In a situation like this, people tended to mistake a yawn for a deliberate insult—a roundabout way of saying you didn't care about your opponent at all.
It wasn't like I could just tell them I was actually sleepy.
"As expected of a master who killed the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon, you certainly have composure to spare."
The giant rat spoke with a greasy smirk.
He had been provoked by my yawn, but seeing how he could suppress his anger, he seemed to have a bit more discipline than his brothers.
I was in too much pain to even respond properly.
The stinging sensation had turned into a gouging pain. And yet, the drowsiness persisted.
The strange internal energy was writhing inside me, and as it hammered against the meridians blocked by the White Horse Ten Canes, it felt like a knife was slicing through me, point by point, along my energy pathways.
"Let's just end this here," I replied, gritting my teeth.
The pain was so intense I barely realized I was speaking informally.
"End this here?"
My mind was beginning to grow hazy from the agony.
"I'm sleepy."
"Sleepy?"
The giant rat's cheek twitched like a snarling mutt.
"An insult to a warrior is the same as death. You must know that I cannot simply back down now."
He took a step back and drew his sword.
The other rat-brothers also fanned out to his left and right, centering themselves around the eldest.
"I have no desire to fight right now. So just go."
I needed to focus my mind to endure the pain, but his constant talking was starting to irritate me.
"Words won't work, I see. I was going to ask for an apology since Young Hero Eo left our youngest half-dead, but it seems that will be difficult. In that case, our debt can only be settled with the sword."
The guy certainly knew how to wag his tongue.
Driven by the pain, I blurted out whatever came to mind.
"Fine, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? So just go. I need to go lie down."
I meant it sincerely, but my words only served to provoke them further.
"Truly arrogant. Do not blame me for what happens next."
Pretending to be a virtuous man until the very end, he leveled his sword at me.
His rat-brothers drew their swords as well.
"Draw your weapon."
In the midst of all this, I realized that if I left that strange power alone, I might literally explode. I focused entirely on how to vent that energy.
I'll vent it through my sword or a stomp.
I concentrated the strange power into my right hand and right foot.
"Ugh...!"
A groan escaped through my clenched teeth.
I was in a frantic state, caught between the desperate need to make a move before they attacked and the urgent necessity of discharging this agonizing, mysterious power.