Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Brocade Guard
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The Nameless Sacrificial Scripture depicted this demonic beast?
We both looked at each other in shock. We had plenty to say but couldn't quite find the words.
I spoke first.
"I went to that village right before the fire broke out along the Jingha River. And there, I saw this demonic beast."
"You saw this thing in person? That's absurd..."
"If I didn't see it myself, are you saying I made this up?"
"......"
Mangryang wanted to deny it but couldn't. The odds of me coincidentally drawing something that matched the illustration in the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture were far too low. And it was even less likely that I'd seen the scripture and come here just to tease him.
Mangryang had no choice but to believe me.
"Tell me what happened."
"Very well."
I explained everything to Mangryang in order: the human sacrifice incident, the fanatic believers, and the encounter with the demonic beast. Of course, I had to mention the Hyeoncheon Taoist as well. In the end, it was a tale of my death, but I altered the conclusion to say I'd luckily survived and escaped.
After listening for a long while, Mangryang let out a deep sigh.
"Hah... I can't not believe it, but it's truly hard to accept."
"What do you think?"
I wanted to draw on his wisdom.
"Give me a moment. I need to sort my thoughts."
Rustle.
"Urgh..."
Mangryang said that, then unfolded a paper fan and pressed it to his temple, making a pained expression like an old man desperate for the privy. His face shifted through various expressions as he desperately pondered.
After about half a shichen, he finally spoke to me.
"Baek Woong. So what do you plan to do now?"
"I'm going to join the Brocade Guard this time. If luck is with me, I'll obtain the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture, but even if not, that's fine. There's no need to rush anyway."
"Interesting... I rather like you."
Mangryang muttered something before continuing.
"If my suspicions are correct, that fire near the Jingha River, the human sacrifices, the demonic beast... It all points to a massive conspiracy. One that could potentially shake the entire Central Plains."
"Do you know something?"
"It's not time to discuss it yet. It's just as absurd a matter, and if we're not careful, it could lead to ruin for both of us. Now's not the time for conclusions—we need to rack our brains and gather more clues."
Mangryang's face was more serious than I'd ever seen. When I'd first cooperated with him to obtain the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture, he'd seemed invigorated, like a tonic for his boring life. But now, his expression showed a resolve to stake his life on it.
He must have realized something crucial from my story. He just lacked certainty, so he wasn't blurting it out to me.
A moment later, Mangryang said,
"Do you have any allies in Luoyang?"
"A couple."
The leader of the Grand Sword Sect—one of Luoyang's Twin Gates—might help me. No, as my master's friend, and having exchanged letters to recommend me for the Brocade Guard, our ties were solid. Of course, if things got too dangerous, the Grand Sword Sect might abandon me, but as long as I didn't act suspiciously, I could count on their aid.
Mangryang shook his head.
"A couple won't cut it. I'll come with you."
"What?"
"I'll convince the finest expert I know to assist you from the shadows. Without that, you'll surely die."
"Die? I'm not rushing straight for the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture. I plan to bide my time for years if needed. You're too pessimistic."
Mangryang let out a hollow laugh.
"Haha... It's not about that. Do you grasp what it means for that demonic beast and the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture to be connected? It means the Imperial Family is deeply involved."
"I suspected as much."
"Suspected? Do you even understand the implications?"
I fell silent at Mangryang's words.
"It means the Imperial Family may have already deciphered the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture."
"......!!"
Something had felt off, and that was it! I'd been caught off guard and hadn't thought that far.
"Then surely..."
"Keep your mouth shut."
As I excitedly opened my mouth, Mangryang hurriedly pressed his index finger to my lips.
"Don't speculate wildly anymore. We need solid evidence. Until then, assume every move could lead to death. This is an enormous conspiracy."
"......"
Mangryang was indeed wiser than me. In that brief moment, he'd pierced the heart of the situation and mapped out our path forward.
Various thoughts swirled in my mind, but one thing was clear: the Imperial Family itself could be the enemy. Not just for stealing the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture, but because it might lie at the conspiracy's core.
It was only natural that every step led toward death. Any suspicious behavior from me, and the palace would become my tomb.
That realization sank my previously lighthearted excitement for the journey to Luoyang.
But a moment later, I said,
"If it's that dangerous, do we really need to uncover it?"
"What...?"
Mangryang stared at me in disbelief. I crossed my arms and continued slowly.
"Neither you nor I have a duty to expose this."
"That's..."
"You could stay hidden here without risking death by entering Luoyang, continuing your leisurely life as Elder Mangryang of Jinrang Valley. And I could forgo my greed for the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture and live comfortably as a Brocade Guard. Isn't that right?"
I no longer wanted to die.
I'd only pursued the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture because opportunity knocked, but if immense danger loomed, I had no desire to cling to it. A conservative longing to preserve this hard-won life as a martial artist held me back.
"......"
Mangryang looked dazed for a moment. Then, in a gloomy voice, he said,
"You only know one side and not the other. Do you think I'm doing this out of pity for villagers I've never even seen dying miserably? That I'm risking my life for the justice of the martial world?"
"......"
"Baek Woong. That tragedy you witnessed will one day strike countless innocents. On a scale incomparable to that village's horror. You plan to just flee blindly to luck then? Or become a dog for the powerful and handle their dirty work?"
Mangryang's words were earnest, laced with fervent appeal.
From his perspective, I was the only one who could stop the tragedy.
"No one knows the Imperial Family's nature better than I. Working at the Imperial Observatory let me see it. They treat this world like a mere lid. Whatever they orchestrate will inevitably bring absurd, terrifying calamity. Isn't it obvious we must stop it when we can?"
Mangryang's words were so logical that I was at a loss. They awakened points I hadn't considered. But even so, viewing it through my current life, it didn't immediately resonate.
A moment later, I shook my head.
"I just don't want needless trouble."
"...You're like my master. Disappointing."
Mangryang spat it out bluntly, his face openly displeased.
"If that's how you feel, I have nothing more to say. I've abandoned my Luoyang trip too, so good riddance. Anything else you want to hear?"
I pondered, then asked,
"If you were me five years ago, how would you have stopped that tragedy? Or if I'd come to you for help back then, what would you have done?"
Mangryang smiled coldly.
"If it were me, I'd have sneaked in and poisoned the well."
"Poisoned the well?"
Mangryang nodded.
"Fanatics or whatever, they're human and need water. In a closed space, their sources would be wells, streams, or rivers. But that village was far from the Jingha River and had no internal streams.
That left the well, drawing water from afar via channels. A strong poison in the well would foil their plans easily. Even fanatics could last days on vitality, but without water, they'd wither. No sacrificial victims, no human sacrifice. And since it required mass sacrifices, switching villages would've been tough."
"......!!"
"Plus, those black-clad plotters and flute demon you mentioned are human too—they'd drink the water living there. If luck struck and they keeled over from poison, it'd be pure profit, right?"
I gaped at Mangryang's scheme. My master and I, as martial artists, had only thought of sneaking in for assassination. But his way offered double benefits: neutralizing the fanatic victims while potentially eliminating the perpetrators. All without direct confrontation with the black-clad figures.
"Brilliant."
"Of course, such obsessive maniacs wouldn't abandon plans over mere poison, but that hesitation would've let us report to authorities and spread rumors in the martial world until they retreated. No great martial skill needed."
Mangryang sighed briefly.
"But this is all past events. No point devising countermeasures now—it's done. The villagers went mad, birthed a demonic beast, and got slaughtered. No one can change the past, so what good is saying this now?"
"......"
"And you must remember: if they created that demonic beast, where is it now?"
"Huh...!!"
I gasped.
Come to think of it, where had the demonic beast gone? Places to house and feed such a massive, ferocious thing weren't common. Even if they burned the village to cover tracks, moving with it would've been conspicuous. No rumors of monster sightings meant they'd vanished with it completely undetected.
'Damn it...'
I felt an impulse to heed Mangryang now and probe the palace conspiracy. The thought of that beast lurking somewhere made me want to vomit.
But I held back. Even if Mangryang was right and calamity loomed, trying to stop it meant high odds of death. Rather than risk my life for uncertain justice, I wanted to look away. At least this life, I yearned to live peacefully as a martial artist.
Instead, I changed the subject.
"You mentioned poison earlier—what kind?"
"You said the fanatics retain only basic rationality for daily needs and feel no pain, right? Poisons causing intense agony or stimulating senses would be useless. We need a neurotoxin that halts movement and kills regardless of will. It paralyzes muscles, causes respiratory failure and heart stoppage."
"Do you have this neurotoxin?"
"I can make it. Add special chemicals to snake venom, and it's done in a day. Water-soluble takes a bit longer, but under two days."
He truly possessed vast knowledge. Poison arts were secret techniques passed in rare families like the Sichuan Tang Clan in the martial world, but his voracious reading made him an expert too.
I pondered long, then said,
"Mangryang. If that's the case, how about this?"
"What?"
"I'm not ready to act against the conspiracy as you urge. I have no intention of doing so now."
"Hmm."
"But I desperately want to learn that neurotoxin recipe. In exchange for the information I gain as a Brocade Guard, how about I share it with you? I can't promise to help whatever you do with it, but I will deliver it."
This wouldn't endanger my life. Mangryang seemed disappointed in me now, so he might refuse the recipe. This was my compromise.
"...Fine! Of course I'll teach you."
Mangryang accepted readily. He seemed eager to support even my passive stance. Despite everything, he had a righteous heart.
Fortunately, we had ample time before Luoyang—over seven days. I spent it learning basic poison arts and the special neurotoxin recipe from Mangryang. The vast details required verbatim memorization, keeping me confined to the thatched hut for study.
Simple reasons: for potential past-life use, or if I couldn't reach him in time someday.
'Finally done...'
Transmission ended four days later. Exhausted from all-nighters—me studying, him lecturing nonstop—we collapsed from mental fatigue.
After half a day asleep, Mangryang awoke and saw me off.
"If you ever change your mind, go to Lu Dongbin's shrine five li southwest of Luoyang City. With this token, you can seek aid there if your life is in peril."
The token—a small curved jade—he handed me. I gazed at it.
"Don't visit needlessly, or you'll invite disaster."
"Thanks anyway."
"Take care."
I parted from Mangryang and headed to Luoyang.
I entered Luoyang eight days later, riding through the outer city gate toward the Grand Sword Sect. Being daytime, disciples trained in droves—not as many as Iron Blood Sect, but bustling. Fewer than Iron Blood Sect overall, but their average skill seemed higher.
I approached the Grand Sword Sect's main gate. Guards blocked me.
"Halt. What business at Grand Sword Sect?"
"Baek Woong from Guanzhong Azure Dragon Martial Hall. Please deliver this letter to the Grand Sword Sect Leader."
"Hmm."
They went inside briefly, then returned.
"Follow us."
The guards led me to a tidy reception hall. Its elegant yet refined decor affirmed it as Luoyang's premier martial sect. No ostentation, but the atmosphere revealed the master's character.
Soon, a man entered.
"I've heard the story. You're Baek Woong, instructor at Azure Dragon Martial Hall?"
I rose and bowed.
"Yes. An honor to meet you, Grand Sword Sect Leader."
Indeed.
The mild-mannered middle-aged man before me—in neat white robes—was the pinnacle of Luoyang's martial world, leader of the Twin Gates, possessor of peerless might who defeated a Mount Hua Sect elder in a hundred exchanges.
"Have a seat."
"Yes."
Splash.
A nearby maidservant carefully poured tea for the Grand Sword Sect Leader and me. His refined sipping evoked the Azure Dragon Martial Hall Master—fitting for friends of similar temperament. Both genteel, yet surely ferocious tigers in battle.
The Grand Sword Sect Leader said,
"You've come about the Brocade Guard recommendation?"
"Yes."
"But I swore secrecy, and unfortunately, some disciples overheard. I won't renege, but they want to test your skills."
Expected. Losing a Brocade Guard spot to an outsider instructor would rile anyone. But the Grand Sword Sect Leader's authority and prestige kept them from outright venting on me.
"A spar?"
"Nothing so formal—a friendly bout."
Trouble right away, but anticipated. I nodded confidently.
"Of course."