Chapter 274: A World of Righteousness and Chivalry: Murim (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 274: A World of Righteousness and Chivalry: Murim (3)
"Aaaaah!"
"Argh!"
Desperate screams echoed through the air.
To those who had only mastered third-rate martial arts at best, Cheon Yu-seong, who was unleashing streams of Sword Force, was nothing short of a natural disaster.
As the situation took a bizarre turn, the remaining martial artists shifted their targets.
"M-Monster! Forget about him and attack the others!"
At someone's shout, the target shifted from Cheon Yu-seong to Jinhyuk.
Whoosh!
Swords and spears rained down directly toward Jinhyuk.
Or rather, they tried to.
Clang!
A clear, ringing sound of clashing metal blocked them.
A blade stopped barely ten centimeters from Jinhyuk's face.
"You bastards. How dare you point your blades at my Lord?"
It was Wolyeong.
Thanks to his reliable subordinate guarding his side, Jinhyuk didn't even have to lift a finger.
"What's with this pretty boy? Is he trying to fight in his place just because they're companions?"
"P-Pretty... boy?"
Sparks flew from Wolyeong's eyes.
Murderous intent.
And it was the kind filled with an absolute obsession to tear the opponent to shreds.
It was already hard enough to tolerate them speaking so insolently to Jinhyuk, who was like the heavens to him, but to insult him as well?
This was crossing the line by a mile.
Since Wolyeong already had a complex about his slender build and delicate, fine-featured appearance, the humiliation he felt right now was beyond imagination.
[Wolyeong activates 'Shadow Extreme Kill'!]
"So what if you're mad, what are you gonna—Aaargh!"
Thud! Thwack! Bam!
Teeth flew out like corn kernels, and a thick mist of blood erupted.
Because Wolyeong had closed the distance so incredibly fast, the man couldn't even finish his sentence.
From all directions—front, back, left, and right.
The skill to repeatedly strike the side where the opponent was losing balance, keeping them upright just to beat them more before they could fall...
...was definitely not human.
"How does he have such monstrous strength with that body...?"
"T-They're monsters."
They weren't even in the same league.
Wolyeong, beating up an adult a full head taller than himself, was the definition of terror.
"Did those words come from this mouth? Or this one? Here? Or here? Huh? Speak up. Ah, you can't speak anymore, can you?"
Crash! Bam! Thud!
Wolyeong swung his fists mercilessly, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
Hmm...
He was so cool-headed and had such a dignified aura when we first met. How did he end up like this?
He must have fallen under a bad influence. The culprit was probably Cheon Yu-seong.
As the saying goes, "He who touches pitch shall be defiled." From now on, I should keep him strictly by my side.
"Damn it! It's no use. Target that brat!"
"Y-Yeah. We can easily handle a single brat like her."
"Surely, even that kid can't be that strong."
The only option left was Alice.
Jinhyuk quietly shook his head.
"No, I think it would be much wiser for you guys to just fight among yourselves and leave us alone..."
He didn't understand why they kept targeting them like rabid colts.
Even hyenas knew to back down before a lion, yet these humans were somehow more ignorant than beasts.
However, even if he warned them, it was already too late.
Now that they had uttered the forbidden word, absolutely no one could stop Alice.
"Fuhuhu. I am not a brat. A brat... I said I am not a brat, you sea anemones! Hey! Seriously, which part of me looks like a brat?!"
The "brat" was absolutely furious.
Rumble, rumble!
The sky dyed crimson due to 'Blood Lord'.
One by one.
Various weapons scattered on the ground began to float into the air.
"Wh-What?"
"Is that... 'T-Telekinesis'?"
"Just how deep is her inner qi?"
They were already foaming at the mouth and on the verge of fainting from just Sword Qi and Sword Force, but to witness Telekinesis—lifting objects purely with inner qi?
Now, to hell with the identity badges; the only thought filling their minds was survival.
"R-Run!"
"Save me!"
"Hieeeek!"
Amidst the hellish chaos that the training ground had become.
Everyone threw away their brass coins and scrambled to crawl out of the training ground.
"The sunset at this hour is quite scenic."
Jinhyuk casually feigned ignorance, looking toward the edge of the training ground.
A black lump quickly slipped out of his slightly opened subspace inventory, but no one was in any state to notice.
* * *
"Th-This is impossible. Grand Steward Tae. Am I... seeing this correctly? We aren't dreaming, are we?"
"I can't believe it either... but it doesn't seem to be a dream."
Insects flew in and out of the wide-open mouths of Jong Muryang and Grand Steward Tae, but they couldn't even bring themselves to shoo them away.
It was only natural.
What was happening in the training ground right now was far too detached from reality.
Boom!
"Aaargh!"
Martial artists were being obliterated in a single blow.
That much was fine.
Wasn't it only natural for people to fail an exam?
The problem was that this entire catastrophe was being wrought by a mere three people.
When the man with a sharp impression and a height of over six feet swung his sword, the terrain and obstacles were completely shredded.
Sword Force.
And it was at an incredibly high level.
The young master who moved through shadows was no slouch either.
His high-speed movement, reminiscent of a master assassin, was difficult for even Jong Muryang to track with his eyes.
And to top it all off, there was even a masked powerhouse whose depth of inner qi was completely unfathomable.
If I... were to fight them, could I defeat even one of them?
Jong Muryang swallowed hard.
It would be impossible.
To be honest, even in a life-or-death duel, his chances of winning didn't seem to exceed forty percent.
Especially the last masked one—she was on an entirely different level compared to the other two.
But.
What was truly terrifying right now was not those three.
That guy...
Jong Muryang's gaze drifted toward Jinhyuk, who was standing quietly with his arms crossed.
He wasn't weak.
I looked down on him because he was just yawning lazily and smiling blankly.
I thought he was merely an attendant playing second fiddle to the others.
It was a complete misunderstanding.
He was by no means weak in energy or lacking inner qi.
It was just that...
...his realm was invisible to me.
A realm that even he, the master of the Cloud-Mist Pavilion and one of the peak-level experts of the Kunlun Sect, could not perceive.
Just how strong was he that, even at this very moment, the other three didn't dare step out of line and obeyed his every command?
Transcendence... No, perhaps he has even broken through that wall.
As his thoughts reached that point, goosebumps erupted all over his body, and his scalp tingled with tension.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded at a frantic pace.
I must recruit him, no matter the cost.
If he could recruit an expert of that caliber, not only the sect leaders of the Kunlun Sect but the entire Murim Alliance would remember the name Jong Muryang, and they would undoubtedly reward his achievement.
His hesitation didn't last long.
"Stop!"
Jong Muryang sprang up from his seat.
"There is no need to continue the exam any further."
"Y-Indeed. The Pavilion Master is correct. What are you all doing? Escort the esteemed heroes at once!"
Grand Steward Tae hurriedly issued orders.
"What should we do with the injured?"
"Why should we care if those fools have broken bones or have to crawl out? Just kick them out. We must welcome our distinguished guests, so make haste!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The martial artists belonging to the pavilion immediately executed the order.
In any case, because the Kunlun Sect's influence here was stronger than even the Imperial Court's under the pretext of defending against the Heavenly Demon Cult, no one dared to question his words.
"Get lost, quickly. Don't fake your injuries unless you want another beating."
The pavilion guards nudged the injured with their wooden staffs.
They looked ready to beat them mercilessly at the slightest provocation.
"P-Please wait a moment. I hurt my leg when I fell, so I can't walk properly..."
"Didn't you say you practiced the Invincible Divine Fist or whatever?"
"Well, the invincibility... sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't..."
"Is that so? Then I'll beat you until it works. Throw them all out!"
"Aaargh!"
"I-I'm going! I'm leaving!"
After a few more sorrowful wails echoed, the bustling training ground was completely emptied.
* * *
The treatment from the Cloud-Mist Pavilion did a complete 180-degree turn.
In the inner quarters, Tieguanyin tea with an exquisite aroma and various refreshments were prepared.
Well, after they had shown their true capabilities, it was only natural for their hosts' eyes to pop.
"..."
"..."
Cheon Yu-seong and Wolyeong, as always, didn't even touch the tea.
"Aren't you guys going to eat?"
"I don't care much for sweet things."
"I am not so starved that I would eat what these Orthodox faction bastards offer."
"Really? This is actually pretty good. It's quite high-quality traditional confectionery."
Jinhyuk shrugged and popped a piece of yakgwa into his mouth.
Those who didn't eat were the ones losing out.
On the other hand, Alice let out continuous exclamations of delight as she devoured all the cookies and honey taffy in the porcelain bowl.
Munch, munch.
"Thish is... munch... delicious. This sweet taste is... munch... to my liking. Make sure to... gulp... prepare plenty of this in the future."
Puffing out her cheeks like a hamster was a bonus.
"No one's going to steal it from you, so eat slowly."
Besides, can you even taste anything when you stuff it all in your mouth at once?
"And maintain some dignity when you eat. You're supposed to be a family head."
"Huh?"
"Look at you. You've got sugar all over your mouth."
Jinhyuk wiped away the white sugar from the corner of Alice's mouth.
"W-What do you think you are doing...?"
Just as Alice's voice was about to turn sharp.
Creak!
Jong Muryang, holding yellow identity badges, opened the door and walked in.
"Thank you for waiting. It seems it took a while to find these, as we rarely have occasion to bring out high-grade identity badges. Here, please take one each."
Jong Muryang handed out the four yellow identity badges one by one.
[You have acquired a Yellow Identity Badge!]
However...
...Jinhyuk, holding the identity badge, wore a strange smile.
What Jong Muryang had handed over was Grade 1.
Not Special Grade.
"I am fairly certain there is a grade higher than this..."
"Ah. You mean the Special Grade badge. Actually, I have something to discuss regarding that. By regulation, to issue a Special Grade badge, we require a certain agreement. Haha."
An awkward laugh escaped him, as if his hidden intentions had been laid bare.
It was obvious what he was going to say, but Jinhyuk took a sip of his tea, feigning ignorance.
Jong Muryang continued.
"Seeing as you don't seem to have an affiliation yet, how about joining Kunlun? Not only will we provide the Special Grade badges, but we also promise treatment befitting your strength."
"Oh? Joining the Kunlun Sect?"
"Yes. This is not an offer we extend to just anyone. After all, the Five Great Families and Nine Sects are places where only descendants of prestigious families with proper roots can enter."
"Wow. Just hearing that is an honor. I never expected you to make such an offer."
"Ahem! Think nothing of it... Is this not all for the greater good? If we can drive out the wicked Demonic Cult, I can easily overlook your background using my authority."
A sly smile played on Jong Muryang's lips.
"Understood. I will think positively of it. I was indeed in need of a reliable backer."
"Oh! A wise choice indeed."
Jong Muryang immediately pulled out another badge from his breast pocket.
It was a 'Special Grade' badge made of platinum.
Once the deal was struck, the atmosphere softened considerably.
However, the warm atmosphere did not last long.
Crash!
"P-Pavilion Master!"
The door burst open with a loud, rattling noise, and a man rushed in, panting heavily.
"What is this commotion? I clearly ordered that no one disturb us during this important meeting!"
"I apologize. But there is something I absolutely must report..."
Catching his breath for a moment, the man urgently delivered his report.
"The treasury has been robbed! The elixirs and countless other treasures have been... completely swept away!"
"Wh-What? The treasury was robbed? S-Surely... that wasn't taken as well, was it?"
"That... the secret manual... has also vanished."
"This cannot be."
Jong Muryang gasped in horror and sprang to his feet.
No matter how battle-hardened the master of the Cloud-Mist Pavilion was, he couldn't help but be utterly shocked this time.
"Oh dear. A thief at a time like this? How unfortunate."
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue.
To think they targeted the exact moment when security was lax due to the exam, and when Jong Muryang was distracted trying to recruit new talent.
Whoever it was, they were undoubtedly meticulous and cold-blooded.
Look at that. Seeing smoke rising in the distance, it looks like they even set a fire.
They will surely face divine punishment.
Indeed. Heaven will surely strike them down with lightning.
"I'm sorry, but I think we'll have to call off joining Kunlun. What we needed was a reliable backer, but we can't quite trust someone whose own backyard gets ransacked."
Jinhyuk coldly drew the line.
Of course, he didn't forget to tuck the Special Grade badges safely away.
"Grrr! Who on earth is it? Did the bastards from the Heavenly Demon Cult invade?!"
"Well..."
The reporting guard hurriedly offered a clue.
"It looks like a young imugi that failed to become a dragon, and it keeps shrieking 'Mosquito!' I don't really know what that means..."
Hmm.
It seemed like it was about time to make a run for it.