Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Thinking He Was a Wanderer (4)
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Mujin focused more on the information Im Yeon-hong possessed than on her filthy body. Considering the circumstances that kept her from spilling everything easily, he figured she'd bring it out herself.
Kaaaaack!
The woman's agonized scream rang out, but there was no need to worry. He'd sealed her pressure points meticulously to keep her from going far. If someone heard and got the wrong idea, he might end up killing them by mistake. Explaining himself to someone charging in sword-first would be a real pain.
Brrr...!
Im Yeon-hong trembled like a frog exposed to the icy northern winds before finally going limp. As expected, she didn't know much.
Still, she might leak what she'd just witnessed, so he left no evidence behind. Not that anyone could undo the seal and make her talk anyway. He'd already verified that the Beggars' Sect, Nangong family, and Tang Clan couldn't break the Demonic Cult of the Demon God's seals.
Whoosh!
He lifted the corpses into the air with void grasp, then cleanly incinerated them with the Samadhi True Fire. It was better to leave as few traces as possible that could serve as evidence. Imagination could run wild, but the later the truth came out, the better.
'He's merciless even to women!'
'He kills any enemy without fail!'
'Better not mess with him!'
Cheol-ho, Yukchil, and Narin swallowed hard at Mujin's ruthlessness. They'd known he wasn't human-like from the start, but once he marked someone as an enemy, he showed no mercy. After extracting the info, he burned the bodies without a trace.
It was a form of obsession with cleanliness, in a way.
"Mess up the bushes a bit, chop some trees, smash some rocks."
"Yes, sir!"
Cleaning up the bodies wasn't enough. If traces were hard to erase perfectly, smashing everything outright was more effective. It made evidence gathering tough and time-consuming. Plus, it pissed off the enemy, perfect for emotional retaliation.
Cheol-ho, Narin, and Yukchil followed orders without question. They'd learned firsthand that personal opinions didn't matter in front of Mujin. That's why training was key.
Mujin gently laid Jeok Seo-rin and Mu-ae side by side. Their conditions were worsening. Jeok Seo-rin, who'd fought in the bloodbath, was in worse shape than Mu-ae. But internal injuries worried him more than external ones. The sealed poison was spreading.
"What do we do?"
"Draw out the poison first."
"Wouldn't we need to strip them to force the poison out with inner energy?"
"What era do you think this is? You gonna pull that crap?"
"Then how?"
Blood was already trickling from Cheol-ho's nose. It wasn't even dirty talk causing excessive bleeding. This was treatment! What the hell did he imagine all day? Being a guy, he must've been desperate for women.
Hngh.
He lifted the two women into the air with energy projection, then unleashed the Interrogation Blood Seal at the Formless Infinite level. Anyone with ten cycles of energy could perform this common technique.
To treat unfamiliar women without misunderstandings, you had to master this. Touching or undressing them could lead to accusations later, making you a target of scorn. Best to keep clothes on and hands off.
"Essential for married men."
"...?"
Everyone marveled at Mujin's casual detox process. They knew his strength was beyond imagination, but this was too much. Who'd guess he'd use Interrogation Blood Seal like this to avoid suspicion?
Just watching made their own energy drain away. They wondered how much power it took to pull that off.
'Bark if he says bark.'
'Bite if he says bite.'
'Lick if he says lick.'
Their thoughts aligned perfectly. They couldn't imagine Mujin losing. If he did, the continent might end. But even victories weren't exactly good. The more warriors knew of him, the more mental breakdowns there'd be. Watching him made them question why they'd ever bothered with martial arts—deep self-loathing set in.
'When's he gonna leave, though?'
Narin had Heavenly Martial as her last bastion. Mastering it might spare her the master's nagging. Of course, if Heavenly Martial Master found out, he'd grab her by the scruff and collapse.
Tatatat!
Invisible pressure strikes peppered Mu-ae and Jeok Seo-rin, reviving their energy flows and expelling the poison that had invaded their bodies.
-Watch and learn, don't just follow orders.
'It's not all-purpose.'
It looked brute-force, but it was incredibly delicate work. Without the Demon King's precise energy control, detox wouldn't be this fast. Still, he wouldn't claim mastery over all poisons. If the Demonic Cult had gone all-out, he couldn't have undone it.
For that level, you'd need the Tang Clan or Divine Physician.
Dusk was falling.
After wandering in a daze for a while, Jeok Seo-rin and Mu-ae regained consciousness simultaneously. If they'd woken one by one, he'd have to explain twice—perfect timing. He was ready to knock them out again if needed.
Ugh!
They were aware but not fully grasping the situation. Even realizing they were alive was hard. Remembering up to their blackout would make explaining easier.
Mujin waited until they grasped reality. Warriors always checked their bodies upon waking.
'Feels fine?'
'Where are we?'
Jeok Seo-rin and Mu-ae were stunned at how smoothly their inner energy circulated—more naturally than before poisoning. No one had cleared their bodily impurities completely like that.
After checking themselves, they scanned surroundings and each other.
They grasped they'd been saved. No other way their bodies could feel this good.
"Thank you for saving us. Might I ask who you are, benefactor?"
"Kang Mujin of the Pine Tiger Sect's Qingyang Branch."
Mujin's group revealed themselves in turn. Confirming Yukchil as Beggars' Sect eased their suspicions a bit. But Yukchil was too clean and fragrant to fully trust as a beggar. The mismatch bred trust oddly enough.
"Mu-ae of Emei Sect."
"Jeok Seo-rin."
Yukchil shared their identities. Emei's Divine Maiden and Golden Purity Sword—next-gen beauties... warriors to lead Emei. They were renowned for looks in the sect. Maybe that's why fame trailed their skills.
'Pure skill-wise, comparable to Sword Empress, yet no memory means...'
-She died.
Not just Emei leaders, they had continent-shaking potential like Sword Empress. Without poison, the ambush might've failed. Yet Jeok Seo-rin vanished unnamed later.
'Not rushing it, but inevitable? Still...'
-Success means crossing an irreversible river. Now I get why Sichuan didn't unite back then.
Qingcheng, Emei, Tang Clan became blood enemies—that reason surfaced. Smooth Tang Clan plot would've deepened the rift.
'Less targeting me, more diverting eyes?'
-Means they're plotting something.
Next targets assumable, but no answers. Can't survey the whole continent without godhood.
Mujin told Yukchil to contact Beggars' Sect with details. They'd handle it, investigating Qingcheng and Emei too.
"Could you share what happened, Kang benefactor?"
"You know the woman targeting you two. Let's start with the masked man's identity: Qingcheng's Number One Sword."
"Qingcheng's Number One Sword? Why would he...?"
"Later on him. They aimed to fracture Sichuan. You can guess."
They'd suspected Qingcheng warriors, but Tak Gwang-un of the Five Qingcheng Swords? What did that guy lack to pull this?
Jeok Seo-rin and Mu-ae couldn't fathom it. Hard to see as mere alliance-building; shaking Tang Clan? Too speculative. Needed different angle to uncover truth.
They must be backed by someone.
"Can you tell us who's behind them?"
"It's heavy; sure you can handle? Knowing won't change much right away."
"Better than ignorance. Don't want to get hit blind again!"
"Strong resolve."
She looked fragile enough to spare even a fly, but her core was steel. With Emei's push, absolute peak potential. Willpower trumped physique. Few body-reliant hotheads left legacies.
"If I must name it, dark currents. Shadows lurking behind light, awaiting their moment."
Mujin listed Nangong family, Beggars' Sect, human traffickers, Tang Clan. Not just Emei-Qingcheng issue. Severity beyond expectations paled their faces.
"So not just in our sects and Qingcheng?"
"Right. No knowing how many, how deep. Rash moves won't end well."
Not mere Sichuan shake-up. This force could whirl the continent into chaos. They felt despair of drowning in vast darkness.
"No proof, but goal seems martial unification. Revolution rhetoric to sweep old guard—always been types like that."
"Impossible!"
Meanwhile, Mujin casually dropping horrors unnerved them. Wasn't he scared? Knowledge bred terror.
One thing to check first.
"What of Junior Sister Im?"
"Subdued her, but seal triggered unfortunately. Tried saving, but seals are tricky. Sorry."
"No, my needless words burdened you, benefactor."
"Life has hardships and joys. Don't torment yourself over today."
Listening Cheol-ho, Narin, Yukchil itched to speak. Words differed by nuance, but this twisted it entirely. Could've subdued Im without killing, yet he forced the seal and phrased it so. Ashes in afterlife, she'd wail.
'Poor dead girl!'
She deserved death, but Mujin made her pitiable. If intent to save, maybe, but he'd gilded his face triple while killing.
"Wiped out all Qingcheng involved."
"Pardon?"
"Spares trouble for you two. No proof against their words if alive."
Capture didn't guarantee Tak Gwang-un's truth. Worse, they might claim you two framed with Mujin.
"Sect elders will judge wisely."
"Hope so, but doubt they acted alone. Timing your appearances perfectly needs accomplices. Same for Qingcheng."
"...Ah!"
He raised the ignored—or avoided—issue. Syncing timings was tough. Needed coordinated insiders. Tak and Im alone? Doubtful without sect moles.
"How could this... Amitabha!"
Mu-ae and Jeok Seo-rin chanted, calming shocks. Logically, insiders existed, but faith in sects ran deep. Doubting as disciples neared sect betrayal.
"Kang hero, what should we do now?"
"Not Qingcheng's doing."
"What?"
"Ambush by Im Yeon-hong out of jealousy."
They questioned Mujin's proposal. Couldn't end at Im's instigation.
"Why?"
"For your safety."
"We fear no death!"
"Cut tail and done? Uncover truth, root out sect soilers!"
"...Ah!"