Chapter 54: Obtaining a Plausible Epithet (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: Obtaining a Plausible Epithet (2)
I caught up with Doyeon, and together we headed toward Yubulsa Temple.
"Fairy Doyeon, do not worry too much. If the Blood Lamas were beaten so badly that they had to flee, it means the masters of the Emei Sect are that much stronger. Besides, the Fire Dragon is there, so there is no reason to fret."
"I am just worried that the Blood Lamas might have reinforcements."
Even though she was a secular disciple, Doyeon held a deep affection for the Emei Sect. I figured it was because she had been taught secret techniques usually reserved only for direct disciples.
After riding for about half an hour, we arrived at Yubulsa Temple. The place already reeked of blood. Dozens of corpses were scattered across the temple grounds. Doyeon rushed toward a middle-aged nun who was chanting sutras over the bodies.
"Senior Sister Hye-sim!"
Doyeon greeted her with her palms pressed together.
"Oh! Is that you, Junior Sister Doyeon? What brings you here?"
The Emei nuns scattered around the area flocked to see Doyeon. She greeted them with a similar bow and answered Hye-sim’s question. Hye-sim’s face, which had been etched with fatigue, brightened at the sight of Doyeon.
"We are coming from an encounter with the Blood Lamas who fled from here."
"Is that so? What happened to those villains?"
"Our Demon Subjugation Group has joined forces, so they will soon be slaughtered."
Doyeon’s eyes grew sorrowful as she noticed Emei disciples among the corpses on the ground.
"Are there many wounded?"
"Much blood is being shed to eliminate these wretches. Amitabha."
Hye-sim closed her eyes and chanted a Buddhist invocation, her voice filled with regret.
"What about Senior Brother Pung-hyeon?"
"My junior brother went to pursue those who fled in the other direction. He should be back soon."
Hye-sim and Doyeon spent a long time exchanging greetings, as it had been a while since they last met. As I stood awkwardly behind Doyeon, Hye-sim finally sensed my presence and asked her.
"And who is this gentleman you’ve brought with you?"
Doyeon called me over as if she had just remembered.
"Senior Sister Hye-sim, this is the leader of the Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress's Demon Subjugation Group, the Silent Star Throwing Sword."
Then she turned to me. "Leader, this is Senior Sister Hye-sim, who looked after me while I was studying at the Emei Sect."
"I am Hye-sim."
"I am Eo Ja-seo."
When Hye-sim pressed her palms together, I responded with a fist-and-palm salute. She didn't react much to my epithet, but upon hearing my name, her eyes flickered with a hint of admiration.
"Oh! So you are the one they call Young Hero Eo, the new hero who has appeared in Sichuan."
I acted as humble as possible. Monks with deep cultivation like her often had the insight to see through hypocrisy in an instant, so I had to be careful. Even when lying, one had to do it with a sincere heart to avoid suspicion.
"I am but a mere student of the martial world; I am far from worthy of such praise. I simply act according to the path of righteousness."
"Indeed! You are just as I heard. You are a great blessing to the martial world of Sichuan. You seem to have a completely different temperament from my junior brother Pung-hyeon, so I think you two might become good friends."
Hye-sim spoke while looking at me with warm eyes. It was then that someone shouted, cutting her off.
"What about me?"
A monk with a booming voice replied as he approached. He had a massive physique that looked like it would burst through his robes, yet his face was quite handsome.
"Are you the Silent Star Throwing Sword, Eo Ja-seo?"
I smiled at his words. Though he spoke roughly, his eyes were clear. Using my "transcendent-level" intuition, I could roughly get a read on this man named Pung-hyeon.
He was likely someone with a soft heart. Considering his rough, loud way of speaking and the fact that he chose the blade over the Emei Sect's superior sword techniques, I suspected he might be intentionally emphasizing his masculinity. Since the Emei Sect was dominated by nuns, this was probably his way of rebelling. He likely built up his physique, practiced the blade—a traditionally male weapon—and spoke crudely to assert himself.
Or not. Whatever.
Usually, people with eyes like that were kind-hearted.
"I am Eo Ja-seo. It is an honor to meet the Fire Dragon, one of the Four Dragons of Sichuan."
At my words, Pung-hyeon stared at me intently.
"Glad to meet you. I’ve heard much of your exploits."
Since I had flattered him, Pung-hyeon’s tone softened. He was about to say something else when Hye-sim interrupted.
"What happened to the Blood Lamas you were pursuing?"
Pung-hyeon answered her. "I executed the ones who fled, but one managed to escape in the end."
"Amitabha."
Hye-sim chanted the invocation and scanned the surroundings. I grumbled inwardly at Pung-hyeon’s words.
Damn it. I followed Doyeon here thinking it was safe, but this is actually a dangerous situation. It’ll be trouble if they ask me to fight with them.
I silently hoped Hye-sim would decide to withdraw.
"We should probably leave this place. That wretch might bring reinforcements."
With so many casualties, it wouldn't be easy to leave Yubulsa Temple quickly, but Hye-sim made a decisive call. She raised her voice so it echoed through the grounds.
"We are leaving this place! Everyone, gather the bodies and support the wounded!"
I applauded Hye-sim’s decision in my mind.
Now that’s a nun with a sense of reality.
Occasionally, there were ignorant martial artists who insisted on fighting to the death no matter what. They acted as if it were some point of pride, but in the world of low-level fighters, that was just called "being a suicidal idiot."
"What is the meaning of this? Are you running away because you're scared? We should stay here and fight them! Where do you think you're going? We have enough strength to wipe them out!"
A young man dressed in black martial robes shouted as he walked toward us.
Look at this brat. How dare he talk back to his elders like that.
Despite the young man’s rudeness, Hye-sim pressed her palms together and spoke calmly.
"Your words are correct, young master. However, to eliminate those villains now would require too many sacrifices on our part."
"So you're saying you're afraid?"
"It is not that. I have made this decision because we must bolster our strength before fighting to minimize casualties. Please, do not be so angry."
Hye-sim answered sincerely, trying to soothe the boy. He looked to be twenty-two or twenty-three at most, yet he was wagging his tongue so recklessly at someone the age of his aunt.
I figured this must be the "young master" the warriors had mentioned. At that age, when one's skills are exceptionally high, they often lose their sense of judgment and delude themselves into thinking they are the best in the world. As the low-level fighters say, it’s the age where one "acts up without knowing their place."
Pung-hyeon stepped forward, his eyes narrowing.
"You speak too boldly, young master. Even if you helped us defeat the Blood Lamas, you should not speak so carelessly."
Well, I suppose if he was skilled enough to kill Blood Lamas, he could afford to be that insolent.
"I have never been taught that retreating without a fight is the way of a warrior. I was taught that a warrior never shows his back."
Pung-hyeon chuckled and replied.
"You must have had a very grand education. However, the gentleman over there killed three of those formidable Blood Luo Living Jiangshi in a single blow, yet he does not let his guard down, nor does he rush into a fight like you. He does this because he values the lives of others more than the act of fighting."
Wow! This big, pretty guy was actually using a provocation strategy on that brat. And he was dragging me into it! I thought he was a nice guy, but he’s a total fox.
However, Pung-hyeon’s provocation worked perfectly on the insolent brat in black. Having heard the rumors, the boy looked at me and spoke.
"Are you that person they call the Great Small Hero, or Small Great Hero, who supposedly killed three Blood Luo Living Jiangshi in one move?"
What an ill-mannered brat. He looks younger than me, yet he’s pointing fingers. His tone made it clear he was annoyed.
"It is just an empty title. I was simply lucky. How could I possibly kill such monsters in a single move?"
When I spoke with humility, the boy snorted.
"I thought as much. Looking at you, you don't seem to have much martial skill anyway."
At his words, Po Zhongyin of the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, who was standing behind me, flared up.
"You speak too boldly for someone so young! Our lord is only speaking humbly; he is a man who has already reached a high realm. You should realize that your own martial arts are too low to perceive his level, rather than questioning him!"
The young man in black looked unimpressed by Po Zhongyin’s outburst.
"Is that so?"
I immediately sensed an aristocratic air about him.
This guy definitely has a legendary master or comes from a background tied to the Nine Great Sects.
Becoming a master at a young age and possessing that bottomless pride were typical traits of such people. Furthermore, his condescending tone even toward the Emei masters proved it. Unless one was insane, who would talk down to Emei masters?
There was no point in getting on the bad side of someone like him. Instead of getting angry, you had to coax them, like scratching an itch. Just like how praise works better than anger when trying to get a child to listen.
"The young hero’s words are not wrong. I am still just a low-level martial artist. I do not possess the skill to slay Blood Lamas in an instant like you. By the way, what is your name?"
The arrogant brat spat it out.
"I am called Jeok Yeong. I don't have an epithet yet. And I cannot reveal my sect."
Nobody asked about your sect. He said what wasn't asked and tilted his chin up. Seeing that, his sect must be somewhere truly impressive. Look at him—he’s practically itching to brag about it.
"But how did you end up here?"
It was a bit suspicious that he had suddenly jumped in to help the Emei masters against the Blood Lamas.
"Since entering the martial world, I haven't encountered any real villains. I heard the Blood Lamas were running rampant in Sichuan, so I came. I happened to be passing by and saw the Emei masters fighting them, so I joined in."
As I listened, I started to get the picture. He was definitely a newcomer to the martial world, traveling around looking for villains to gain fame. When he couldn't find any decent ones, he heard about the Blood Lamas and came to Sichuan. Even martial-artist villains weren't just standing around on every street corner. As the saying goes, you can't even find dog dung when you need it for medicine. He probably just wanted to make a name for himself.
I lost interest in him. Someone like that was like a restless mudskipper, thrashing about for fame; staying near him was a surefire way to get caught up in a mess. I looked away from him and toward Hye-sim.
"Fairy Hye-sim, let us leave this place quickly. We have delayed too long."
When I stepped up to speak, Hye-sim and the other Emei masters gave me grateful looks. Since Jeok Yeong had called it a "retreat," they had found it awkward to suggest leaving again for the sake of their own pride.
But as I always say, timing is everything.
While we were stalled by the argument with Jeok Yeong, the very situation we feared unfolded. Just as we were about to leave the grounds, ten Blood Lamas in red robes entered through the main gate of the temple.
Damn it. It's too late to run.
I shot a resentful look at Jeok Yeong. Because of this brat’s lack of manners, we missed our chance to escape and were now in a life-or-death crisis. Then my gaze shifted to Pung-hyeon. If he hadn't let that one guy escape, there wouldn't be reinforcements, would there? At this point, I resented everyone.
However, Pung-hyeon misunderstood my gaze.
"As expected of Young Hero Eo, the New Dragon of Sichuan."
How many epithets do I have? Where did this "New Dragon of Sichuan" come from? Well, it’s not too bad. Honestly, I’ve always wanted an epithet with the word "Dragon" in it.
In the martial world, one couldn't just make up an epithet with "Dragon." Usually, masters were categorized by their epithets rather than just their realm: Ghost, Dragon, Lord, Marquis, and King, in ascending order of martial prowess.
Currently, the Sword King of the martial world was Taeo-ja, the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect; the Sword Marquis was Du Yang; and the Sword Lord was Namgung In.
While there was only one Sword Lord, Sword Marquis, and Sword King in the entire martial world, the title of Sword Dragon was held by at least one person in every province or sect. Thus, there could be dozens of Sword Dragons. Even so, it was a title one could only obtain by possessing both fame and skill.
Because of this, every five years, the Murim Alliance held a martial arts tournament to determine the "First Dragon." It wasn't open to everyone; only warriors with "Dragon" in their epithet could participate. The title of First Dragon, awarded to the final victor, was highly prestigious and recognized by the elders of the martial world.
Therefore, the fact that "Dragon" was now part of my epithet meant that martial artists finally recognized me as a master. This was why I hadn't included "Dragon" in my self-made epithet, the Silent Star Throwing Sword, until now.