Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: All Jumbled Up (3)
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Those were the words Ho Ye-hwa had spoken when she handed the silver badge to the Shandong Elder and issued what was more like a command disguised as a request.
"Flying Tiger is suspicious. At the very least, it's true that plenty of people are worried about him. How can we trust each other and fight side by side like this?"
"So let's verify it in a way everyone can accept. If it's made crystal clear, won't all this needless uproar come to an end?"
"We're not saying we should just kill him on a whim because he's suspicious. Isn't this the most reasonable approach?"
And so, those were the words the Shandong Elder had relayed after seating Flying Tiger.
"Prove yourself, then. If you insist you're innocent, right here and now, this old man will personally take your head."
The words sounded convincing enough.
The problem lay in that damned method of proof.
"Old man, you're serious? You really think that makes sense?"
"What's so impossible about it? Didn't he stake his own life on it?"
"......"
Flying Tiger looked around at the newcomers in the hall, utterly appalled.
He'd expected Jang-geum and Ho Ye-hwa to show up by now, but he hadn't anticipated that bastard Gon-son tagging along—and in this manner, no less.
Gon-son stared at Flying Tiger with eyes brimming with madness and venom, grinning wickedly.
How would they prove Flying Tiger's innocence?
In truth, it seemed their real goal was to expose him as some monstrous entity, but their method was certainly novel.
Monk Gon-son would use his talisman arts to discern it. The very same monk who'd been brutally beaten by Flying Tiger was stepping up personally.
The talisman in question was called "Divine Eye," meaning an eye capable of seeing ghosts. It was a type of exorcism talisman (Chase Evil Talisman) designed to detect hidden evil spirits and drive them out. Gon-son added that it used rare ingredients, guaranteeing its effectiveness—though he conveniently glossed over who it benefited or how.
It was enough to make one go mad and flop around in rage.
What else could you call it but utter nonsense?
That was Flying Tiger's take, but the Shandong Elder had accepted the proposal for what he saw as a reasonable justification—or at least a pretext.
It all boiled down to staking one's "life and limb" (body and fate) to obey a "divine command" (god's decree).
First, Gon-son revealed the name of the deity he served: Dongyue Taishan Heavenly Immortal Jade Maiden Bixia Yuanzhen Jun (East Peak Mount Tai Heavenly Immortal Jade Maiden Azure Glow Primordial Lord). In the secular world, she was commonly known as Taishan Niangniang (Old Mother of Mount Tai).
Thus, Gon-son declared he would swear before everyone that he would handle the matter fairly and justly, without any nefarious deeds—pledging this to Old Mother Taishan.
There were no exceptions: shamans had to honor oaths sworn before their patron deities. It was a contract with the divine. Failure to comply meant losing one's fundamental shamanic powers, not to mention paying a harsh price for the deception.
This was known as divine punishment.
In short, Gon-son was putting it to Old Mother Taishan as witness.
"Old man, you know Gon-son holds a grudge against me, right?"
"Who doesn't?"
"Then how can he possibly be impartial? What if the god he serves turns out not to be Old Mother Taishan?"
"You think a shaman of his caliber would go around peddling a high deity like Old Mother Taishan? If so, he'd face her displeasure—and the wrath of whatever god he actually believes in."
"...Is that how it works?"
At that moment, Ho Ye-hwa chimed in annoyingly, acting all knowledgeable.
"Precisely. A true shaman would sooner invoke their own parents' names than misuse a deity's. For one who claims to serve the divine to impersonate a proxy from a neighboring pantheon? He'd never bear such karma. That's the same reason Gon-son Monk took offense when I mentioned a god's name before."
It... made sense.
As the saying went, "three men make a tiger"—and this was exactly that.
To Flying Tiger's ears, they were circling him in the center, trading words among themselves, and the nonsense was ripening faster than ever.
And at an alarming speed.
"What, don't have the confidence?"
"Hah! Old man, that's not the issue. Look at that guy's face. Does anything about that scream 'fair'? Is that the face of someone who wants to be impartial?!"
As the Shandong Elder spoke, Flying Tiger bristled—only for Gon-son to step forward with a sinister smile.
"If you're above board, you have nothing to fear. Once I've invoked Old Mother Taishan, I couldn't play dirty even if I wanted to. But do you know why I'm stepping up anyway?"
"......"
"Because I'm convinced you're an impure being. Prove otherwise! I'll acknowledge it and back off."
"You son of a bitch! What does 'above board' even mean? In plain terms, is there anyone here who's lived a sinless life? Why would such a saint be in a place like this? They'd be holed up in some remote mountain valley or temple. Fine, if there's some shameless bastard who can stare at the heavens without a shred of shame, step forward. Let me see that mug!"
Flying Tiger exploded in frustration, glaring around with axe-like eyes, but everyone averted their gazes.
It wasn't so much their consciences at work; as Flying Tiger said, this was a realm where you needed skin thicker than thick to claim it.
The mood seemed to shift slightly in agreement with him. Just as Jang-geum thought, 'Should I close my eyes tight and step up?'—
Gon-son spoke in a clear, ringing voice.
"Regarding the past seven days: anyone who harbored ill intentions toward the Super Assembly and didn't cooperate wholeheartedly. Define 'not above board' that way—does that satisfy you?"
With Gon-son narrowing the conditions, everyone started pushing Flying Tiger's back, claiming it was fair enough now.
Flying Tiger shot back at Gon-son, his voice thick with fury and menace.
"Gon-son, if I pass your test and prove my innocence..."
"Then all suspicious eyes on you vanish. Why? Because you're above board!"
"Heh heh heh! Gon-son, you dare frame me for a crime I didn't commit, corner me like this, and think that's the end of it?"
"...And what then?"
"Shouldn't I expose your true intentions for falsely accusing an innocent man? How about it? Are you willing to undergo my test too?"
"...And if I'm not?"
"Then you have no right to judge me. I've already passed the entry test to be here. Fair's fair, isn't it?"
"......"
It was an unwritten rule of the jianghu.
"If you do something to me, I have every right to do the same to you."
As Flying Tiger pressed him with bloodshot eyes, Gon-son hesitated briefly before bursting into mocking laughter. Then he boldly shouted, "Fine, let's do it!" Seeing that mad glint, Flying Tiger realized the bastard had another trick up his sleeve.
He'd fallen into a trap!
Flying Tiger had doubted whether Gon-son could even perform properly as a shaman.
The day before, he'd ravaged Gon-son's body with powerful thunder energy, scattering fragments throughout. It looked bad enough on the surface, but inside, it should have been far worse.
He ought to be wheezing on his last legs, dead by tomorrow without surprise.
Could someone in that state perform sorcery intact? Especially when he'd implanted thunder energy, which excelled at severing demonic influences?
That was why Flying Tiger suspected Gon-son's bravado was a bluff to lure him into rash action—fleeing or striking first, giving them an excuse to pin a false crime on him.
To test it, Flying Tiger had probed.
But judging by the flow—and especially that final reaction—Gon-son's intent to harm him directly under the guise of using the "Divine Eye" talisman was clear.
The method? Obviously the talisman.
His body was in no shape for finesse. It would be something crude, squeezing out his last reserves...
"No. Maybe he's offering some sacrifice to borrow power for harm. Hmm, if he's willing to endure that much for revenge... Yeah! With that resolve, even if he incurs Old Mother Taishan's curse, lying wouldn't be off the table. His life as a shaman is ruined anyway."
"You're planning to curse me powerfully, aren't you? Or am I wrong, Gon-son?"
Flying Tiger locked eyes with the monk, solidifying his thoughts.
So, what now?
His heart pounded.
Flying Tiger coldly scanned the surroundings. There stood the Shandong Elder, Sama Gul-gi, Bong Yeon-ja, Ho Ye-hwa, and Jang-geum. He nodded and spoke.
"Fine. You've cornered me like this, so I'll accept. I'll prove my innocence first. And this humiliation today? We'll settle that separately."
"......!"
Sama Gul-gi and Jang-geum pouted but said nothing. Flying Tiger could tell: one wanted to make excuses, the other to snark. They'd held back figuring it was all over anyway.
Fuck that.
And so began a short skit-like proof.
They positioned Flying Tiger in the center, the five encircling to prevent escape. Gon-son stood opposite him.
For some, the moment was unpleasant; for others, pure delight.
"How are you feeling?"
Flying Tiger merely glared at Gon-son's question, readying to unleash lightning at any moment.
If things went south, then what?
But who to target first—the Shandong Elder or Jang-geum? It was tricky. The Elder was ideal for a preemptive strike, but hitting him would be tough. Skipping him meant vulnerability if he drew his sword.
Flying Tiger held off deciding, steadying his breath.
Gon-son sneered, then—as promised—swore before Old Mother Taishan in front of everyone.
"Om salba namo sadaya sabaha hum. ...... Thus, I beseech you: reveal the truth."
Gon-son drew out the talisman.
As Flying Tiger predicted, it wasn't some "god's eye" for discerning truth.
Of course, he had no way to appraise it precisely. But weren't there glaringly red, lurid script characters plastered on it—blood-smeared "刀" glyphs, for instance?
His heart pounded.
Flying Tiger widened his eyes, slowly gathering energy. Gon-son laughed, waving the talisman in the air.
"What, going to block this old man's talisman?"
"......"
"If you can, go ahead and try."
With that, Gon-son flicked the talisman— pinched between index and middle fingers—skyward. It ignited on its own, darting erratically like a startled bird, scattering ash as it hovered.
Whoosh.
The people in the hall blanched and scattered. A chilling, damp, spine-tingling aura flooded in.
Swoosh.
Flying Tiger's fierce eyes didn't flinch as the malicious energy shot toward him like an arrow.
And grazed past.
Then came a horrific scream that would chill any listener to the bone.
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