Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Subduing Demon Hall
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I decided not to mention my achievement in subduing the Azure Horse Fiend.
It was because my mind was filled with the desire to test my martial arts as quickly as possible, without wasting any time.
I also asked that the credit for the subjugation be given to Daoist Hyeoncheon.
"Haha, truly a paragon of righteousness and chivalry!"
Daoist Hyeoncheon praised me with admiration.
But all I could do was give a vague smile.
In any case, it was a fact that I had slaughtered over a hundred people, and the idea that I could be praised for it was laughable.
I kept such thoughts to myself, offered a fist salute to Daoist Hyeoncheon, and departed.
'The blade is quite damaged.'
It was only natural after cutting down over a hundred men.
No matter how much sword energy I layered onto it, the edge had to wear down.
Feeling that the sword's blade was considerably chipped, I stopped by Taekyeong Village again and bought a new one.
I could have just had the blade reground, but since Master Lee Gwang had given me plenty of traveling money, there was no issue in buying a new sword, so I did.
Swinging the new sword through the air improved my mood a bit.
Ta-at!
My steps toward Jowall Village were light.
That was because the dark gloom that had lingered in my heart until now had mostly washed away.
The Cataclysm was gone.
The fact that the Cataclysm—which had brought both intense despair and righteous fury—had not occurred!
It brought a sense of refreshment and liberation.
There was some emptiness from not having stopped it with my own power, but it was still good.
My active involvement in subduing the Azure Horse Fiend might have been to savor that feeling even more.
Could I finally live life on my own terms?
It was inevitable that such thoughts made my heart suddenly buoyant and cheerful.
Of course, I would need to investigate the reason.
Once I arrived in Jowall Village and made contact with the Black Night Sect, I planned to win the martial duel and then go see Mangnyang.
I figured surviving a fight against the Black Night Sect, one of the Eight Demonic Sects, would be ample bragging rights for me.
A few days later, upon arriving in Jowall Village, I recalled the village chief's words.
'He told me to find a rogue named Han Kwang-il in this village, right?'
I knew the best way to find a rogue was to check the taverns or gambling dens.
Since the journey to Jowall Village had tired me out, I decided to unpack at an inn and rest today, then search starting tomorrow.
It was while I was eating dumplings and vegetable dishes I'd ordered at the inn.
Pi-rik! Pi-rik!
"...?!"
I was startled when something white and paper-like suddenly flew in through the inn door.
I nearly slashed it on instinct, but it was a bird made of paper.
The paper bird flapped its wings and landed on the table where I sat.
The paper bird seemed just like a living one.
Then, suddenly, it lost its power and flopped down, reverting to ordinary paper.
Dumbfounded, I watched it for a moment before reaching out and unfolding the paper.
Inside was a letter written in a familiar handwriting.
[Quite some time has passed since I received your first commission.
Have you done enough wandering?
I, Mangnyang, have investigated the treasured sword you brought me extensively.
I believe it's now time to share the information with you, so I'm contacting you via this paper bird.
If you have the time, please come see me.
- Mangnyang]
"..."
I realized this paper bird had been made with some kind of sorcery.
And it was likely Mangnyang's own power that had conjured it.
The Mangnyang I knew had not even the tiniest talent for sorcery, so I couldn't believe he could perform such precise and advanced techniques.
Mangnyang had undoubtedly improved his sorcery abilities over the past three years in some way.
'What should I do?'
I already knew how to contact the Black Night Sect, so if I hurried, I could face them in a duel tomorrow and get results.
But if I lost the duel and couldn't even escape, leading to my death, I'd have to start over from the beginning.
The question was whether I needed to rush the confrontation with the Black Night Sect, taking on that needless risk.
Still, it was true that I desperately wanted to test my current power.
After agonizing over it for a long time, I shook my head.
"No helping it. I'll have to go see him."
I'd sworn not to seek out Mangnyang until I'd built up enough strength, but information on the Seven Luminaries' secret treasure was crucially important right now.
Even if I died for it, I figured it was better to learn it first.
Moreover, I was curious why Mangnyang—who could only use basic formations—could now perform such advanced sorcery, so I had no choice but to go.
With no other option, I decided to head back from Jowall Village to Jinrang Valley where Mangnyang was.
It was practically looping back on a path I'd almost fully traveled, like training a mangy dog.
But there was no helping it, so I dashed along the mountain path for dear life.
Ta-da-da-dak!
"...I'm back again..."
A few days later, I passed through Taekyeong Village again and sighed.
As I rested at the inn in Taekyeong Village, people's gazes felt a bit off.
Wondering why, I looked around, and one of them cautiously approached and asked me.
"By any chance, are you the hero who subdued the Azure Horse Fiend the other day?"
"...?"
"Your features and appearance match so closely... If you are him, our Hua Family would love to host you."
I realized the news of me killing the Azure Horse Fiend had spread.
And the source was likely Daoist Hyeoncheon.
I'd told him to take all the credit, but out of conscience, he must have spread word that I'd been with him.
'Ugh... what an unnecessary thing to do.'
I was flabbergasted by Daoist Hyeoncheon's pointless consideration.
Others would kill for such fame, so why was he giving it to me?
In any case, the current situation wasn't welcome, so I shook my head.
"I'm not that great, and I have a long way to go. See you next time."
"Ah... but..."
That was when it happened.
"Ah! There you are."
I turned my head, and there at the inn entrance stood a cat-like beauty with several attendants.
Seeing the people buzzing, her status was clearly very high.
Since it was a face I knew well, I had no choice but to offer a fist salute and greet her.
"Hello."
"I never imagined you'd be the one to subdue the Azure Horse Fiend. Who knew Baek Woong, the young hero, had such profound martial arts."
"It has nothing to do with me. Lady Hwa Lian."
She was Hwa Lian, the young lady of the Hua Family.
She smiled faintly and said.
"How could it not? Daoist Hyeoncheon of Taijeong Hall has spread the tale of the young hero who fought alongside him throughout the area. Right now, not only the officials but all the locals are talking about you."
"..."
"Even if you're in a hurry, please stop by our Hua Family for at least a day. The Azure Horse Fiend was blocking the village trade routes and causing us major headaches, but thanks to you, young hero, it was resolved. If we don't repay this favor, the world will mock our Hua Family forever, so I earnestly request it."
Hwa Lian's words were polite and refined.
With all the onlookers around, storming off wouldn't look good.
'Ugh... With the rumors spreading like this, they might even learn I'm from the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. If word gets out that I acted recklessly and tarnished the hall's reputation...'
Lee Gwang was currently keeping his distance from me, testing the waters.
He acknowledged me as successor and taught me secret techniques for now, but if he found any major flaws, he could stop and cast me out.
Unlike before, now that I had the goal of growing stronger, bearing the 'honor' was no light matter.
With no choice, I nodded.
"Understood."
I followed Hwa Lian and her attendants to the Hua Family estate.
The Hua Family wasn't called a martial house because its members had no direct ties to the martial world and possessed no hereditary martial arts.
They were a clan that ruled Taekyeong Village purely through wealth.
Shortly after, I met the head of the Hua Family, Hua Jongtaek.
The moment he saw me, he beamed with smiles and welcomed me warmly.
"Oho! Young hero Baek Woong, welcome. I've been eager to meet you."
Around Hua Jongtaek stood over a dozen maids and servants in respectful poses.
It seemed like a display of his own grandeur and prestige, but it only looked laughable to me.
I'd already traveled Luoyang and various places, seeing far more imposing spectacles.
What truly surprised me was that I'd seen Hua Jongtaek's face once before.
'...The mad believer whose head I cut off during my first infiltration.'
The bizarre, mad believer who had a woman's head tucked under one arm!
Back then, there was no reason to distinguish one mad believer from another, but now the memory resurfaced.
Hua Jongtaek, the head of the Hua Family, must have been infected by the madness, turned into a mad believer wandering this estate.
Mistaking my reaction for awe at his presence, Hua Jongtaek laughed heartily.
"Haha! Thanks to you, young hero, the trade routes are open again, saving us great losses. That's at least five hundred taels of silver in profit—how could I not be grateful! I'll treat you to at least half of that in kind."
"Ah... I appreciate the words, but I have urgent business and can't stay long."
"Hmm, that's a pity... Even so, allow our Hua Family to host the young hero for today! Haha!"
"Yes..."
"Someone, escort young hero Baek Woong inside."
As I entered, a lavish banquet was already prepared.
On a table at least eight feet wide, luxurious dishes were piled high enough to break legs.
Not just chicken and duck dishes, goat, and even high-end cuisine I'd seen in Luoyang.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I'd never had such a splendid meal in my life.
"Eat your fill. For today, I specially summoned a famous chef from Luoyang."
"Well, if you insist..."
I sat awkwardly at first, then slowly began eating.
Indeed, made by a skilled chef, each dish was exquisite and delicious.
Having lived poorly on inn food while traveling, I enjoyed it heartily.
As I tore into a chicken leg, Hua Jongtaek spoke up.
"Young hero, you seem quite young—how do you possess such powerful martial arts?"
"Just luck."
"Haha, such excessive humility... Repelling hundreds of bandits under the Azure Horse Fiend isn't something an ordinary person could do."
"It was all Daoist Hyeoncheon's doing."
Munch munch.
I gave suitable excuses and focused on the tasty food.
No reason to refuse a reception like this.
I planned to eat well and leave.
Suddenly remembering something, I asked while holding a duck leg.
"I have a question—have you heard any rumors around here in the past three years of suspicious groups or evil cults?"
Hua Jongtaek tilted his head.
"Hmm... Nothing like that..."
"Nothing unusual at all?"
"Hmm..."
Hua Jongtaek thought seriously, then snapped his fingers as if recalling.
"Ah! Come to think of it, Brocade Guards from the capital stayed here once."
"...!!"
They had been here?!
I set down the duck leg and urgently said.
"Please tell me more about that."
"It was exactly three years ago. Brocade Guards from the palace came out for an investigation and stayed in the village about seven weeks. Couldn't refuse, so we hosted them."
"What investigation?"
"Not sure exactly... Something about searching for ruins, I vaguely heard. No results, so they left."
"What ruins?"
"Not sure. The leader only said a few words to convince me. Seemed like they'd come to this land specifically for it from the start."
Ruins.
I had a feeling it was connected to the Seven Luminaries.
Otherwise, why would the Brocade Guards—operating secretly for sorcerer sacrifices—show themselves openly in a village?
Glad I'd been invited to this meal, I opened my mouth.
"I see. Thank you for telling me."
"Haha... Want to join the Brocade Guards? Most young warriors dream of it."
"Not interested right now."
I brushed it off and shifted to small talk.
After eating with Hua Jongtaek for a bit over an hour, I went to the guest room prepared for me.
Maids had heated bathwater, so I could bathe.
Then, as I lay in the room about to sleep, half a shichen passed.
"...?"
I sensed a slender figure entering the room.
Even in the dark, my developed senses detected it easily.
Wondering what it was, I sat up, and the shadow, now close, touched my chest and said.
"Stay still."
"Lady Hwa Lian?"
It was Hwa Lian's voice.
She seemed to have entered the dark room wearing only thin, ragged cloth.
I knew her voice well, so I felt flustered.
Her intent was obvious, and as she pushed my upper body down and slowly climbed onto the bed, I said.
"I'm just a guest—there's no need for the lady of the house to do this."
Indeed, I wasn't pleased but confused.
Getting entangled in something weird could disrupt my future life plans.
Hwa Lian paused, then spoke in a self-mocking tone.
"I'm no lady. I'm Hua Jongtaek's fifth concubine."
"What?"
"It's not strange for a man of wealth and power to take multiple concubines. I'm just stepping up for occasions like this."
Swoosh...
"Let's enjoy tonight together..."
Hwa Lian's skin gently settled onto mine.
I thought if I let her hands take over now, it would surely be a pleasurable experience.
She was a rare beauty, so this was a good opportunity come my way.
From her words, it was almost certainly at Hua Jongtaek's behest!
But I felt this wasn't right.
So I lightly pushed her shoulder and sat up.
Hwa Lian looked at me with startled eyes, and I said calmly.
"I don't particularly like this sort of thing."
"What do you mean? Even the master allows it..."
"It's not because I'm impotent or crippled."
"Then?"
I said firmly.
"I'm at a point where I need to focus my mind completely on the task ahead— no room to get distracted. And it's hard enough reining in my own laziness. No spare capacity to take someone else into my heart."
"Does that mean I lack charm?"
"No. I just don't want to be unhappy anymore."
I knew what would happen if I connected with Hwa Lian.
It wouldn't end as a one-night fling.
I'd die and reincarnate again in the future, and every time I passed Taekyeong Village, I'd think of her.
And if the Cataclysm repeated, my mental strength would deplete.
The guilt of failing to protect Cataclysm victims would multiply several times.
Ultimately, I was refusing her for extremely selfish reasons.
Hwa Lian didn't know the details but seemed to sense my feelings with a woman's intuition.
She made a somehow sorrowful expression and shook her head.
"You refuse to let anyone into your heart."
"I won't ask you to understand. It's my life."
"Hehe... I want to assert my own life so firmly too."
Leaving a lonely smile, Hwa Lian rose from her seat.
As she left, she said.
"Sorry for disturbing you. Rest well..."
After Hwa Lian left, I cultivated my internal energy a bit more and fell asleep.
A little regrettable, but I decided not to regret my choice.
I'd ruined too many big things by chasing short-term pleasures, so I'd resolved to proceed one careful step at a time.
The next day, I received a gift from Hua Jongtaek.
"This is?"
The gift was a phoenix statue made of silver ingots.
Hwa Jongtaek said with an awkward face.
"You refused Hwa Lian. Feels like I was rude to a noble guest, so I agonized all night and decided to offer a family heirloom."
"A heirloom?"
"Yes. My ancestors acquired it when settling in Taekyeong Village—said to be a treasure from a far eastern land. I cherish this statue, but I want to gift it to seek forgiveness for my rudeness."
"..."
He offers a woman, and when that might seem rude, even a treasure.
At a glance, Hua Jongtaek seemed generous and open-handed, but my long life experience told me otherwise.
If I'd slept with Hwa Lian, he might have used it to bind me to Taekyeong Village by blood ties.
And taking this treasure, he could leverage my rising fame to promote his family.
All calculated moves.
But I decided not to refuse.
Because this heirloom seemed to have a unique origin.
Showing it to Mangnyang might yield unexpected information.
"I'll gladly accept."
"Haha... Safe travels then."
After parting with Hua Jongtaek, I headed straight to Jinrang Valley without delay.
Ta-da-dak!
'Quite some time has passed. It's almost two months since I left the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.'
Master Lee Gwang's deadline was half a year.
Still plenty of time, but I felt inexplicably urgent.
Too many things to do.
Especially, before facing the Black Night Sect, I wanted as much real combat experience as possible.
As I climbed the stairs to Mangnyang's house upon arriving in Jinrang Valley.
Woo-woong—
"...What?!"
I felt the Mangun Formation—which I'd traversed unknowingly like flowing water—shaking unnaturally.
My five senses wavered, illusions flickering everywhere on the stairs.
I calmly circulated my internal energy to neutralize the formation's effects, but I was shocked.
'The Mangun Formation's power has grown several times stronger!'
If I hadn't raised my usable internal energy through training, I'd surely have fallen to the illusions here.
Amazed inwardly, I reached Mangnyang's thatched house.
Whoosh!
"Long time no see, Baek Woong!"
Mangnyang appeared there with the black cloud, as if teleporting.
That wasn't simple black cloud sorcery—it had to be advanced.
Amazed, I said.
"What happened?"
"Hahaha... I must thank you first. I originally could barely use sorcery, but thanks to you, I mastered mid-level spells and stepped into advanced. The paper bird I sent was mid-level sorcery."
Mangnyang brimmed with vigor and bright complexion.
Unlike his previous free-spirited but somehow listless, eerie aura, he looked like life was so enjoyable he could barely stand it.
Curious, I asked.
"What happened? Tell me the details."
"Very well. Sit. I'll explain in detail how I've fulfilled your commission."
Chiring!
As I sat on the platform, Mangnyang drew the treasured sword from his waist.
It was the treasure I'd obtained from the ruins pond in Yellow Mountain, dodging the spider, and entrusted to him three years ago for oracle bone script interpretation.
Mangnyang held the sword horizontally and said.
"You are truly full of mischief."
"What do you mean?"
"Why didn't you tell me internal energy was needed to reveal this oracle bone script? I struggled for ages and ended up training in martial arts against my fate."
Ziiing!
"...!!"
Golden light surged from the sword Mangnyang held, and the engraved oracle bone script emerged.
These characters only appeared with internal energy, proving Mangnyang had built considerable power.
Amazed, I said.
"What martial art did you train in?"
"I trained the Twelve Heavenly Stems Scripture alongside the Supreme Unity Divine Art. Plus elixirs to boost internal energy, shortening the time. So in one year, the script appeared."
"Hmm...!!"
I was astounded.
Mangnyang's internal energy level now surpassed average second- or third-rate warriors, approaching first-class.
Building this much in just three years was extraordinary.
Mangnyang, uninterested in dwelling on it, began explaining the script.
"This oracle bone script was written in the Yin Dynasty era."
Yin!
The ancient state also called Shang.
Sometimes collectively Yin-Shang.
Yin was the last capital of Shang from King Pan Geng to Emperor Xin, nicknamed Yi or Great City Shang.
The 'Shang' in merchant, commerce originates from it.
Shang remnants wandered trading after losing their state.
As I recalled Yin knowledge, Mangnyang continued.
"As you know, Yin was founded by Sage King Tang, who defeated Jie of Xia, the first legendary dynasty's tyrant.
This script dates to Yin founder King Tang's era, and the sword seems forged then too."
"King Tang's era..."
"The script reads as follows:
[We offer sacrifice to Heaven.
We sever turtle's head and limbs, offering to Heaven.
The divine is pleased.
Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, bestow blessings.
Thus received the Water of the Seven Luminaries.] "
I tilted my head, not fully grasping Mangnyang's explanation.
Ancient sword, sacrifice-related—fine, but Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Seven Luminaries? Didn't connect.
But recalling Daoist Hyeoncheon's tale of the Seven Luminaries' secret treasure, it clicked.
As if aiding my thoughts, Mangnyang continued.
"This sword's true name is the divine sword symbolizing the Water Luminary among the Seven Luminaries' secret treasures—"
I widened my eyes at his next words.
"Moye."
============================ Author's Note ============================
Please give favorites, recommendations, and comments~ It gives me strength~