Chapter 224
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Let's Go on a Trip (1)
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The bastard of the world who cut off the patriarch's arm, Wi Ji-hyeon, died that day at the peak of Cheonju Mountain.
However, in the fierce battle, Nangong Heun—the pillar of the righteous faction and a towering figure of the Nangong Family—suffered a grievous injury, losing an arm.
At that moment, a righteous young man passing nearby, the disciple of the Divine Doctor, Geum Sihyeon, provided emergency treatment for the wound.
And that's not all!
He even administered perfectly formulated antidotes to the Nangong Family warriors suffering from excruciating pain, abdominal cramps, and vomiting due to poisoning, saving them from the brink of utter disgrace.
Despite the implicit enmity with the Azure Heaven Society, how could the Nangong Family ignore Geum Sihyeon's selfless devotion and broad magnanimity!
"Brother Geum, you've really got some thick skin."
"Hm? It's the plain truth under heaven."
Nangong Hwi sighed as he looked at that brazen face.
His heart still harbored mixed emotions.
He had stopped the family from straying down the wrong path and shown him—a duel at the pinnacle of swordsmanship that he might never witness again in his lifetime—granting an inexpressible enlightenment.
Thanks to that, his blocked meridians had cleared in an instant, propelling him beyond the Peak realm. With just a bit more effort, he felt he could glimpse the Superlative realm.
But in exchange...
The family's power had clearly declined.
An absolute expert who dominated the world contributed immensely to the balance of power in the martial world.
Someone at the Profound Realm could dispatch a hundred Peak experts as if they were nothing.
The Nangong Family might now embark on a long road of decline.
Thus, the unparalleled genius junior standing before him could, in a way, be considered an enemy of the family.
"Well... I'm sorry it turned out this way, but I couldn't just die, could I?"
"Hm."
Watching this junior scratch the back of his head sheepishly—a sight impossible to hate—Nangong Hwi sighed again.
"Sihyeon."
"Yes, Brother."
"It's tough right now, but... how about crossing swords with me in five years?"
"I'll be looking forward to it."
The two men grinned in unison, without needing to prompt each other.
.
.
.
Trampling over Wi Ji-hyeon's corpse.
The man who was an enemy of the Azure Heaven Society but had somehow been repackaged as a benefactor to the Nangong Family.
The great salesman of the Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, Geum Sihyeon, was today wagging the tip of his tongue among his three extremities.
The true art of business lay in B2B rather than B2C.
Of course, he still had zero interest in that so-called smartphone or whatever. Instant contact just meant instant annoyances.
But.
This new invention not only filled the void of a lost arm.
It allowed real combat training anytime.
And enabled duels with warriors across the Central Plains, regardless of distance.
The Mind-Image Sword Debate device fit Nangong Heun's needs perfectly.
"With this, I can train like it's real combat without worry."
"You've seen the light. Welcome to the canyon of the Mind-Image Sword Debate."
The president of Geumhyeonmun, beaming at his successful bulk order contract, jingled his coins happily.
Nangong Heun, too, smiled contentedly at the thought of honing his combat senses by slaughtering the weakened family fools within the device, reaping their necks like a harvest.
Thus, yesterday's enemy was today's ally.
And today's ally was tomorrow's valued customer.
"These are the latest models just released, so the unit price is a bit steep. Is that alright?"
"Are you talking money in front of the Nangong name right now?"
"Oh."
After tacking on interest for all the physical and mental strain caused by the Azure Heaven Society.
Geum Sihyeon handed over the bill with a grin.
But.
The seat of a prestigious family patriarch wasn't won at the gambling table.
"My right arm's aching. Oh, right—it's gone."
"......"
Geum Sihyeon had no choice but to offer a massive discount as compensation for turning the Nangong Family patriarch into a woman.
Of course, it was still a profitable deal.
* * *
Things had gone...
Far smoother than I'd initially anticipated and prepared for.
Honestly, until we faced off sword-to-sword, I'd pegged him as just another stuck-up old fogey from this world.
Hm, he was a fogey and stuck-up, sure.
But not completely closed-minded.
It was as if the Azure Heaven Society's evil spirit possessing him had ascended to nirvana along with his right arm—conversation actually flowed.
Anyway.
The tightrope walk over thin ice was over.
With the biggest potential enemy neutralized, matching the mad psychos from Mount Hua and my Geum Sihyeon friends' momentum would put us on equal footing.
If I scraped together the old monsters from the Ten Thousand Demon Hall or whatever and tossed them at Mount Hua...
"Hm."
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was the problem.
The kind and good Geum Sihyeon wouldn't entertain such trashy thoughts... This is why demonic arts are scary.
I glanced away from Minimi's sullen expression in the corner where I'd left ally vision-sharing on for once, then quickly closed it.
The great lord of the Ten Thousand Demons, Heavenly Demon Geum Sihyeon, had grown enough to arrest and deport perverts at will!
Still, thanks to that, I could filter out scenes that might worry Luri. Lucky break.
Luri, my baby...
Babies should only see good and proper things...
"You're here."
Better if this gloomy Blood Cult peon stayed out of sight.
"With a heaven-roaming net spread out, how did you manage to hide in Hefei this long?"
Cheon Siu chuckled.
"I came from the Ghost Killer Squad myself."
"Huh, really?"
"Trained under Wi Ji-ryang."
"Hm..."
What.
So this guy's like my senior brother or something?
"Don't worry. I'm long gone from the cult—no intent to pull rank from old ties. Besides, Wi Ji-ryang would jump me the second he saw me."
"Fair point."
Anyway.
I had something to settle with this guy.
He wasn't a complete scum like Hong Sundok, at least—he'd kept his word, not laying a finger on the Nangong people and holding them safely.
So I should return the favor with equal sincerity.
If he'd massacred the Nangong, Nangong Heun would've hunted me down for sure.
"But isn't the Mad Demon your lackey?"
The Blood Cult guy's condition was to keep the supreme evil faction leader from emerging in the martial world.
Well... not a bad deal for me.
"The Mad Demon controls the Evil Trainee Group, sure, but the Evil Trainee Leader isn't necessarily the supreme evil faction leader."
"Hm. Right."
I'd thought he wanted a team kill or something.
"Then who's the supreme evil faction leader?"
"No idea."
"Crazy bastard?"
"He's from the previous generation, like that old monster from the Nangong. How would I know? I just know he exists."
Hm.
Previous generation, huh.
Good. No more guilty conscience.
I reached toward my heart.
And extracted the myriad phenomena.
"Wh-what...?"
Watching Cheon Siu's face twist in shock, I yanked out the fragment of the world embedded near my heart.
"Hm, so the karmic bond looks like this."
"Y-you, you mad fuck...! You filthy cheat! And you call yourself righteous faction? No—Heavenly Demon?!"
When I pulled out and crushed the token of our pact, Cheon Siu's face contorted like a wrathful demon as he threw a fit.
I'd probably react the same if scammed like that.
Well, even so.
"Of course, I do plan to meet the supreme evil faction leader, so don't take it too hard. It's me, after all."
I had no intention of voiding the promise entirely.
That would violate a merchant's code.
The Blood Cult guy glared at me with eyes full of distrust.
"Have you lived getting duped your whole life?"
"If you're gonna meet him, why destroy it...!"
"No room in my heart for some random guy's token."
It's already racing from pretty women.
That's why I spare my dantian so much.
"What a real mad fuck. Sigh, how the hell did a lunatic like you end up in the Central Plains..."
The Blood Cult guy shook his head with a sigh.
I silently tossed him my newly activated smartphone.
Grasping the meaning immediately, Cheon Siu fiddled with it grudgingly, registering his contact.
"So, where is he?"
"Dai Bie Shan."
"Isn't that awfully close to the Martial Alliance for the supreme evil faction leader's hideout?"
Dai Bie Shan sat midway between Henan, Hubei, and Anhui.
Not too far from Hefei—at least that was a relief.
"That's on your skills. ...Keep the promise. Or I'll give your number to Hong Sundok."
"Whoa, damn. Goosebumps."
The scariest threat I'd heard all year.
.
.
.
After watching the Blood Cult guy vanish into a pool of blood, whispering that the rivers would run red.
"Junior?"
I called out to the familiar presence lurking nearby.
And out popped Baek Liyeon, wearing an incredibly complicated expression.
"Looks like you've got no talent for tailing. Gotta step it up. You did take the evil faction arts comprehension course, right?"
"......I did."
Her face screamed volumes left unsaid.
Hm.
Even I had to admit.
Seeing the capable, dashing role model of the righteous faction—nay, a senior like heaven himself—huddled in secret talk with the Blood Cult's head would raise suspicions.
So the answer was total annihilation!
...Nah.
No matter how star-crossed she was, how could I casually open the gates of slaughter without even trying to reform her?
But dumping my entire boring, pretentious side story on a kid with no context? No way. Hm.
"Can I come along too?"
"Hm?"
"To Dai Bie Shan. I want to go with you."
Caught off guard by the unexpected request, I studied Baek Liyeon's complexion.
Er...
Hm.
I don't usually stare at guys' faces, but she looked haggard, gloomy, depressed.
"Did Narin dump you?"
Baek Liyeon's face twisted grotesquely.
Hm, too blunt.
I approached our poor junior, patted her shoulder, and slung an arm around it.
"Sure, whatever. Can't expect you to grasp this senior's great exploits fully. A short trip with my junior sounds fun enough."
I had no hobby of traveling with dudes.
But my wolf-dog schedule was flexible, and times like these were perfect for filling the righteous faction gauge. Lately, I'd been too demonic cult-coded.