Chapter 122
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Thinking He Was a Knight-Errant (5)
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Even if it came out that they were from the Qingcheng Sect, it would be impossible to resolve the issue cleanly. In that case, it was better to settle it as an internal matter.
That way, their side would have to spend time carefully investigating the situation. But they probably wouldn't have the luxury of wasting time on that either. He had told Yukchil to check the movements around the time the incident occurred.
With the Beggars' Sect already sniffing around, the Demonic Cult of the Demon God had no easy means of verification.
"But there's a problem here."
"A problem?"
"The two of you must be able to subdue the Qingcheng First Sword and his cohorts with your strength. Otherwise, it'll be hard to avoid suspicion."
"If we hadn't been poisoned, we could have taken them!"
Jeok Serin burned with resentment, but Mujin crushed it neatly. Ideals and reality were starkly different.
"He came equipped with the Thunderclap Bomb, which is taboo even in Qingcheng. Can you confidently say you could have subdued him without taking any damage?"
"...Haa! No, Hero Kang is right."
She didn't want to admit it, but she had to. Even the Qingcheng First Sword alone was no easy opponent. And with Im Yeonhong aiming for their backs, it didn't add up.
For Mujin, everything had to line up front and back. Even if they grew suspicious, it had to be something they could accept.
"Open your mouths."
"Pardon?"
As their mouths parted in confusion, whoosh! A thick milky-white droplet shot in, slamming harshly against the backs of their throats.
Hack!
They nearly retched at the foreign object sliding down their esophagi, but gasped in shock at the spiritual energy radiating from it.
"It's Azure Clarity Dew. Circulate your qi!"
They hurriedly assumed the cross-legged position and activated the Great Purity Divine Art and Golden Purity Divine Art. As the infiltrating energy was absorbed by their arts, their faint doubts transformed into profound trust.
Hwaaaaa!
The more they circulated, the more their internal energy's quality improved beyond recognition. The circulation was unbelievably swift and pure.
Soon, they realized why.
'My qi and blood are flowing freely!'
'It's real Azure Clarity Dew!'
For them, this was a stroke of fortune rarer than once in a lifetime. They couldn't let it slip away. Pouring all their effort into circulation, they fused their training insights with their power.
Wuuuuung!
The qi flow proceeded without blockage. The ripples of energy were considerable. Mujin regulated the spreading qi waves from all directions, assisting them to cultivate without strain.
'Not bad. Gaining insight in that short time.'
-In terms of potential alone, she rivals the Sword Empress.
Jeok Serin was impressive, but Muae was on a similar level. In purity and solidity of power, Muae edged her out slightly. But in actual combat, Jeok Serin would dominate.
They lost track of time, immersing themselves in cultivation. Fleeting insights from battle merged with the Azure Clarity Dew into perfect unity. It was as if fortunes were pouring down in droves.
Of course, without the preparation and aptitude to receive it, it would be impossible. Those without the basics couldn't maximize even spirit medicines.
Fooo!
The final exhalation released a vortex of qi like a dragon coiling upward, enveloping them from head to toe and permeating their bodies. As the Great Purity Divine Art and Golden Purity Divine Art advanced, a clear, pristine aura swirled around them.
When the pure, compassionate energy of an arhat had been fully absorbed, Jeok Serin and Muae opened their eyes.
Ah!
In Mujin, seated on his chair, they saw the halo of a Buddha. It was a magnanimity and character beyond their wildest imagination. Who else would give away a priceless treasure like Azure Clarity Dew so freely? For a martial artist, coveting power made true giving exceedingly rare.
"Hero Kang, we have received a great grace!"
"We don't know how we could ever repay such an immense favor!"
To them, Mujin was not just a lifesaver but one who had amplified their power—a debt impossible to repay in a lifetime. Yet, a sliver of doubt crept in: what did he want in return?
"I didn't do it expecting repayment. It's for the peace of the jianghu and righteousness. Dark currents are sprouting like poisonous mushrooms everywhere. All I ask is that you two serve your sect and the jianghu."
Haaa!
They sighed deeply, ashamed of their fleeting doubt. To suspect such a great man— they could scarcely face him.
"My virtue is lacking; I doubted Hero Kang's intentions. Henceforth, if Hero Kang commands, I will give my life."
"Hero Kang, call on me anytime, and I'll obey without question! I'll prepare thoroughly until then."
Jeok Serin and Muae gazed at Mujin with the reverence of devotees beholding a Buddha, treating him as a saintly, noble object of worship.
Whoa!
Narim, Cheolho, and Yukchil were floored.
They realized Mujin wasn't just strong in fists. He was a master at winning hearts or beguiling them. Jeok Serin and Muae, bound by conviction and resolve, would now believe Mujin even if he said the sun rose in the west.
"Your words alone are thanks enough. But to you two, the Azure Clarity Dew is nothing. Don't trouble yourselves over it."
Ah!
Their admiration left Narim and the others deflated. Anyone else saying it would sound like empty flattery, but Mujin meant it. He was the type to use Azure Clarity Dew as mouthwash for his daughter—would he care about impressing them?
'Hero Kang? Are all the heroes dead?'
Calling this thug "Hero Kang" made their stomachs turn. They itched to reveal the truth, but his fists were too close.
"I look forward to your exploits."
"Leave it to us, Hero."
"But always proceed with caution."
"Worry not, Hero."
They had nearly plummeted to ruin from a fellow disciple's betrayal. They now knew the jianghu was a world where blades hid behind trust. From this day, they were changed people.
Mujin had won their loyalty, but his mind wasn't at ease.
'Trouble follows me everywhere. Damn it.'
Not just the Five Great Families— even the Nine Great Sects harbored shadows of the Demonic Cult of the Demon God. If time passed like this, even victory in the coming war might not mean total triumph.
'Could it be...?'
-Possibly.
The ones who had stabbed them in the back came to mind.
Tang Sadog marveled at his grandson's rapid progress. It had been true during the tournament when he displayed overwhelming might, but the more he saw, the more astonishing the talent. He absorbed martial arts like sand drinking water.
'I failed to recognize heaven's own timber.'
He had overlooked the treasure right under his nose, searching afar.
Even so, upon returning, he might not have chosen Tang Yeonu as young lord. Before meeting Mujin, he hadn't been blind to the boy's aptitude—he acknowledged the talent. But his temperament was too soft. He lacked the Tang clan's poison heart. Such a mindset couldn't carry the family forward.
'What to do.'
Now, such worries were gone. No trace of softness lingered in his grandson. He was coldly precise like ice. Learning one led to mastering ten—literary genius was baseline.
Papapap!
Each hidden weapon targeted vitals without fail. The concealed techniques foundational to Ten Thousand Plums in a Rainstorm were astounding. Not only that—his grasp of the Heavenly Net Golden Chain Formation was swift. He might even surpass Tang Sadog there.
The Tang clan's hidden weapons and poisons formed the bedrock for true Ten Thousand Plums in a Rainstorm. Only by refining them to the extreme could one unleash it fully.
'He surpasses even Minghu.'
Learning knew no end— but not for Tang Yeonu. Teaching was rewarding, yet bittersweet.
"That's enough for today. Good work."
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Brat, nothing to say to your grandfather?"
"Thank you."
His emotional expression was icy. It felt less like family and more like formal talk. That irked Tang Sadog.
'Cold bastard. Show me half that to him. Sigh~!'
Tang Sadog couldn't voice his honest feelings to his departing grandson. Self-aware of his past actions, the words swirled unspoken in his mouth.
Yet he couldn't solely blame Tang Yeonu's loyalty to Mujin. They needed to maintain that link somehow. Infuriating, but for the current jianghu, Mujin was essential. Only he could sweep away the dark currents and restore the vital spirit of murim... damn it!
'Why him of all people!'
With such power, he should have matching character— each sight stoked rage.
"Come to our house anytime. I'll give you a proper thrashing."
Mujin had invited himself before leaving, but Tang Sadog had hesitated. He couldn't guarantee victory in a rematch. How do you beat a guy who tanks Ten Thousand Plums in a Rainstorm with his body?
'I won't suffer alone.'
He resolved to visit other families' kings when they got plucked. But first, he had to see it.
Tang Yeonu's status in the Tang clan rose daily. Not just as young lord— he earned warriors' respect through skill. Even elders couldn't claim certain victory against his pure martial arts.
And his hidden techniques were ghostly.
A god of death who could kill anyone if he set his mind to it.
They whispered it of Tang Yeonu. Toppling foes expressionlessly, it fit.
Golden-Haired Reaper.
The infamous moniker didn't suit Orthodoxy's saint. He deserved another, but fate was unpredictable.
Finishing a duel mimicking real combat against a squad leader without a drop of sweat, Tang Yeonu left the training ground. Awe filled the warriors' gazes at his back. No longer treated as alien mongrel— he was the genius reopening the Tang glory.
Yet not everyone acknowledged him. As he solidified his place, some grew displeased.
Tang Yeoncheon blocked Tang Yeonu's path to his room. He had secluded himself after tournament defeat.
"The clan acknowledging you won't change your base blood! You're still just a mongrel... Kraaak!"
Tang Yeonu vanished, seizing Tang Yeoncheon's front in an instant.
Kwak!
He grabbed the throat.
"The worm hasn't learned. Still think you're young lord?"
"Let... guk!"
"Say it again."
"I won't... heuk!"
Cold, emotionless blue eyes made Tang Yeoncheon infinitesimally small. He could snap the neck anytime.
"Can't even yap freely now? Expectations on a worm were too high."
Kuuk!
Humiliation boiled in Tang Yeoncheon. He never imagined such treatment— especially from one who once cowered before him.
"You bastard! Release that filthy hand from my son! How dare a mongrel touch him!"
Seeing her son gripped and trembling, light shot from Jegal Suran's eyes. She couldn't tolerate this rootless Western alien touching her boy.
Whish, flop!
Despite Jegal Suran's fury, Tang Yeonu smirked, hurling Tang Yeoncheon before her like discarded luggage.
Brrrr!
Jegal Suran's face twisted pathetically.
As if to say what now?, Tang Yeonu ignored her completely. Her two attendants raged to charge but halted.
"Those who forget their place must die."
His indifferent tone rang like a death god's decree. They shuddered like flies in a web.
Jegal Suran felt it too.
"You dare humiliate me!"
"Perish the thought, Lady."
"You scum! Kneel and beg forgiveness now!"
"I am the Tang young lord. You have no authority to make me kneel."
"...What!"
Surpassing rage, Jegal Suran exuded mad aura. Even murderous pressure didn't faze Tang Yeonu as he turned away.
"Don't you stop!"
Her shrieks fell on deaf ears; his steps didn't falter.
Tang Minghu watched from afar. He knew relations were poor, but not this brazen from his son.
Changed too much.
Cold enough no blood would flow from a needle prick. Tension thick enough for disaster anytime. The old Tang Yeonu would have yielded— now he provoked.
Haa!
The homewrecker came to mind, but Tang Minghu only sighed deeply. Confronting him changes nothing. Worse, he might fear losing the boy's restraint, fretting anxiously.
'What did you do to my son!'