Chapter 28
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Sword Fiend Nam Jong (1)
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The moment the sword exploded, the members of the Pleasure Troupe collapsed, vomiting blood.
Their faces were hideously contorted with shock and terror.
“Is everyone alright?”
I asked, sheathing my sword once more.
But no one was able to answer.
Yi Geum-yeong still had his eyes and ears covered, while Ha Hyeol-ran had collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Pyo Il-jeon and Ham Jeong-eun were also unconscious, caught in the illusion.
“Um, Sir Yi?”
“Hah!”
As I placed a hand on Yi Geum-yeong's shoulder, he drew his sword in a flash and attacked.
I caught the blade and twisted, forcing his grip on the hilt to loosen as the sword slipped right out of his hand.
“Kuk! You...! Ah! Young Master Jin! I'm sorry. I thought you were an enemy...”
He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Then he saw his sword in my hand, and the color drained from his face.
“It seems you didn't cover your ears properly. Are you okay? You look pale.”
“Ah, no. I'm fine.”
When I asked while returning his sword, Yi Geum-yeong waved his hands dismissively, insisting it was nothing.
He brushed himself off, got up, and looked around.
Bodies were piled up everywhere.
“F-First... we should wake up the sect leaders.”
“Let's.”
As Yi Geum-yeong suggested, I infused ki into the backs of our unconscious companions to wake them.
Regaining consciousness, they looked utterly shocked at the sight of the fallen assassins around them.
Yi Geum-yeong began to speak to them.
“There are several notorious assassin guilds in Sichuan, but the Nine-Clawed Birds are especially known for their vicious methods...”
* * *
“The Nine-Clawed Birds and the Pleasure Troupe failed?”
Go Yi-hyeon unconsciously snapped the brush he was holding.
The catfish-whiskered man nodded.
“Completely. That pest who's interfering with us, that Jin Je-yong fellow, he's quite something, isn't he?”
The cackling, catfish-whiskered man looked just like a rat.
Go Yi-hyeon's body trembled with rage.
“There was no... down payment, so I suppose I can consider it... money saved? *Grind!*”
Go Yi-hyeon ground his teeth, suppressing his surging anger.
At this rate, he wouldn't be able to face the Bewildering Lady who had commissioned the Soul-Returning Pills.
Besides that, these were the newly perfected Soul-Returning Pills, ready to be released onto the market.
While the previous version was a simple narcotic, the completed Soul-Returning Pill was like a mystical elixir with a charm no martial artist could resist.
“What do you plan to do?”
“What else? I can't just stand by and let this die.”
“The Greenwood Alliance cannot assist you in this matter.”
“Hmph! I have no intention of bringing bandits right to the Qingcheng Sect's doorstep!”
Still, Go Yi-hyeon smacked his lips, seemingly disappointed he couldn't get the Greenwood Alliance's support.
The operation to make money with the pills and turn addicted martial artists into his subordinates was just beginning. Now that the true Soul-Returning Pill was complete, Go Yi-hyeon's only loyal men were a few from the escort agency and the Yangcheong Sect.
“Our opponents are a rural sword school and some minor sects, right?”
“One from the Sinnae Sword School, the leaders of Yichimun and the Aropa Faction, and an unknown warrior has joined them.”
“Right, and that traitor bastard, Jeong-eun.”
Go Yi-hyeon didn't hide his displeasure at the thought of Ham Jeong-eun.
The catfish-whiskered man shrugged and spoke again.
“We can't help you... but you can't just give up the business, can you? Not because of some country bumpkin.”
“Of course not. I'm going to show that brat just how much power having a great sect backing you provides.”
Go Yi-hyeon cleared his documents and rose from his seat.
He opened the window and gazed at Mount Qingcheng, soaring high into the sky.
Behind the Yangcheong Escort Agency stood the Yangcheong Sect, and behind them, the Qingcheng Sect.
* * *
Go Yi-da, the leader of the Yangcheong Sect, hastily prepared to receive an unexpected guest.
The Sword Fiend, Nam Jong.
He was the greatest master of the Qingcheng Sect, an elder a generation above the sect leader himself.
“Been well? I stopped by on my way back from the Namgung Clan.”
The Sword Fiend giggled, waving his hand.
He wore a Daoist robe that was torn in places and covered in dust. Though well past his sixties, aside from his graying hair, his skin was as smooth as a man in his twenties.
Having achieved a state beyond aging, he who had defied the years was undoubtedly the supreme master of the Qingcheng Sect.
“This disciple, Go Yi-da, greets you, Grandmaster. Thanks to you, Elder, I have been well.”
The Sword Fiend waved his hand dismissively at Go Yi-da's words.
“No need for such formalities. I just dropped in on my way back to the main sect.”
“Not at all. As a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, how could I treat you with anything but the utmost respect, Grandmaster? Others would curse me.”
“Should I beat up anyone who curses you?”
“Ah, no, Grandmaster.”
Go Yi-da laughed awkwardly at his childlike demeanor. The Sword Fiend was not only the most senior elder in the Qingcheng Sect but also held a high generational standing throughout the martial world.
Yet he was without pretense. He probably didn't have a single coin in his purse.
All he owned was his Azure River Sword.
The man who had abandoned all but the sword—for that, he was called the Sword Fiend.
“Elder, what did you mean when you said you visited the Namgung Clan?”
The Namgung Clan was home to one of the Twenty-Two Masters Under Heaven, known as the Sword of Completion, the Azure Sky Sword King.
And the Sword Fiend was a supreme master who had not made it into that esteemed group.
Both the Sword Fiend and the Qingcheng Sect had long yearned for a place among the Twenty-Two Masters, so he wondered if he had finally had a match with the Sword King.
“Aish~ It was a wasted trip.”
The Sword Fiend said in a disappointed tone.
The Sword King was the former head of the Namgung Clan and rarely left its grounds.
His mere presence in the clan provided the Namgung with a sense of security equivalent to an army of ten million.
“A wasted trip? Do you mean the Sword King has left the Namgung estate?”
“That's right. And they said he went to Sichuan. Something about mourning the death of an old friend?”
“An old friend? Who would that be?”
Considering the Sword King's age, the friend would be in his sixties or seventies.
He hadn't heard of any master of that age—let alone one the Sword King would call a friend—passing away.
The only person who could be called a friend of the Sword King was the former head of the Tang Clan, but he had passed away more than a decade ago.
“Well, it was a name I'd never heard before. Jin, Jin... what was it again?”
The Sword Fiend scratched his head. He rarely committed things that didn't interest him to memory, so he couldn't recall.
Go Yi-da nodded.
“So, Grandmaster, are you returning to the Qingcheng Sect to find the Sword King?”
“Yes, I was hoping to borrow the sect's resources to find out where that Sword King has gone.”
“In that case, why not use our Yangcheong Escort Agency instead of going all the way to the sect? Our agency travels all over Sichuan, so we should be able to find traces of the Sword King.”
“Oh? Really? Then I'll leave it to you.”
“Yes, I will pass the word to the agency then.”
* * *
“We've finally arrived at the Yangcheong Escort Agency.”
“To be precise, we're in Qingxi County, where the agency is located. Hey, wait! Young Master Jin, where are you going?”
Yi Geum-yeong blocked my path as I tried to head straight for the Yangcheong Escort Agency.
“To the Yangcheong Escort Agency?”
“No, I mean, we fought assassins last night and we're a bit tired. Shouldn't we go when we're fully prepared?”
“Fully prepared?”
I took care of all the assassins, and I was already fully prepared.
My master always said a warrior must be ready to fight at any moment. Whether eating, shitting, or sleeping.
Making preparations every time we fight? Are we some kind of tournament specialists?
“No... *sigh*, it's just that we're mentally exhausted. Of course, you're fine, Young Master Jin, but...”
“Then I'll go alone.”
It was more convenient that way, actually.
I couldn't bring myself to say it, but since I'd never fought in sync with anyone, they were more of a burden than comrades in a fight.
“No! For the honor of the school, you have to take Sir Ham with you. His mind and body are still unsettled from the Pleasure Troupe's attack yesterday.”
“That's true.”
What I wanted wasn't the downfall of the Yangcheong Escort Agency, but to erase my senior brother's connection to the Soul-Returning Pills.
My habit of trying to solve everything easily with my sword was the problem. Even Master told me to think before drawing my sword.
‘Habit is a scary thing.’
“Then shall we rest for today and go to the agency tomorrow?”
“Yes, please.”
“Thank you, Great Hero Jin, Sir Yi.”
Pyo Il-jeon and Ha Hyeol-ran sighed in relief, their faces weary. They seemed truly exhausted.
“Then please contact the Tang Clan. Let them know where we are. I'm going to take a quick look around the town.”
To be precise, I planned to scout the escort agency.
I also hoped that if an opportunity arose, I could shake some information loose about the Soul-Returning Pills.
“Young Master Jin! How will you know where we're staying...!”
I didn't wait for Yi Geum-yeong to finish and started walking.
Finding the inn would be a simple matter of following their ki.
I strolled leisurely through the town and confirmed the agency's location.
‘It's big.’
The town was bustling with people, likely customers coming to drop off or pick up goods.
The largest faction I had seen so far was the Sichuan Tang Clan. The Tang Clan Fortress was a village in itself, making the Tangs less a clan and more a small town.
Because of that, their actual main building wasn't as massive as one might imagine.
“Where should I start looking?”
“Who are you?”
I turned my head at the sudden voice. A gray-haired man stood there, licking a fruit candy.
He wore a shabby, torn Daoist robe; his skin was smooth as a child's, but his hair was half-white.
And his eyes sparkled with mischief.
“I am Jin Je-yong, disciple of the Divine Sword, Master Jin Sang-ho, Elder.”
“Haha! Divine Sword! The Divine Sword! I don't know who gave him that title, but it's a truly arrogant one. So, who did you say you were?”
A presence like a waterfall erupted from the man's body.
“Jin Je-yong, disciple of the Divine Sword, Master Jin Sang-ho.”
“Who calls him that?”
The childlike look in his eyes vanished, replaced by a menacing glint.
I spoke again.
“I do. And soon, everyone will.”
“Haha! You lunatic. I thought I was crazy, but you're even crazier! This is fun, so much fun.”
The man instantly retracted his aura and clapped his hands in delight.
Curiosity and mischief returned to his eyes.
“I'm Nam Jong, the Sword Fiend of Qingcheng. You, become my disciple. You'll be something like the Qingcheng Sect Leader's junior brother. How about it? Pretty amazing, right? Plus, you'll get to learn the martial arts of this Sword Fiend, who is... infinitely close to being one of the Twenty-Two Masters Under Heaven.”
What kind of bullshit is this?
I have only one master.
“Crazy bastard.”
“Hahaha! Of course, a man fit to be my disciple must have such guts. Good, very good. The Mad Sword, disciple of the Sword Fiend. How about we call ourselves the Twin Swords of Fiend and Madness?”
“Old man, for the last time, my master is...”
“Grandmaster!”
Before I could finish, a fat, middle-aged man came running out of the escort agency, panting.
The Sword Fiend saw the man and smiled brightly.
“Yes, did you find him?”
“No, not yet. I'm sorry, Grandmaster. That's not it, I wanted to ask...”
The fat man stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening in shock as he saw me. He shouted.
“Jin Je-yong!”
“Yes, this is my new disciple.”
The Sword Fiend said, pointing at me.
“What?!”
What is this man talking about?
* * *
“The Twenty-Two Masters Under Heaven...”
The Sword Fiend let out a long sigh as he waited at the Yangcheong Escort Agency for news of the Sword King.
It had been nearly sixty years since he first picked up a sword. He had lived his whole life thinking only of the sword, thanks to the support of his sect; it was time to repay them before he departed this world.
‘The Qingcheng Sect has no one among the Twenty-Two Masters Under Heaven.’
The Qingcheng Sect wasn't the only one among the Nine Great Sects, One Union without a member in the group. The Emei Sect had none either.
But with the King of Fists in Shaolin, the King of Palms in Wudang, and the King of Ki in Huashan, there were whispers that the Qingcheng Sect should naturally have one as well.
However, the Sword King belonged not to the Qingcheng Sect, but to the Namgung Clan.
“The Sword King... what difference is there between him and me?”
That was why he had journeyed to the Namgung Clan, seeking a duel with the Sword King.
But the Sword King wasn't there.
Hearing that he had gone to visit a friend's grave, he had returned to Sichuan and had now been waiting a day or two at the Yangcheong Escort Agency for news.
‘If not me, then I must raise a disciple in the next generation who can join the Twenty-Two Masters.’
The Sword Fiend, who had roamed immaturely his whole life, had started to have such thoughts in his later years.
But whether inside the Qingcheng Sect or out, there was no one who caught his eye.
They were all swords that were lacking in some way.
“That is...”
Just then, he saw a young man loitering around the Yangcheong Escort Agency.
He was a single sword, so perfectly refined that he hardly seemed human.