Chapter 91: Another Demonic Energy Absorption Art (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: Another Demonic Energy Absorption Art (1)
Under a clear, brilliant sky, Seok Myeong trekked through the mountain passes, his mind occupied with the search for his third sparring opponent.
Deciding to take a brief rest, he settled into a meditative posture to perform his breathing exercises. The moment he began to circulate his qi, a strange warmth flooded his body, as if he were overflowing with raw power.
A sudden jolt of shock raced through his nerves.
He realized that the internal energy within his dantian had swelled to an unimaginable degree. By his own assessment, the increase was staggering—four full cycles.
Four cycles. Two hundred and forty years of cultivation.
How could such a thing have happened?
"Is something troubling you?" Hyeok-jin asked.
He had noticed Seok Myeong sitting motionless for a long time, looking stunned by the massive surge of internal energy.
"Ah. It was just a brief moment of dizziness," Seok Myeong replied, feigning indifference.
He rose and began to move again, but he still couldn't quite close his mouth in shock. The sheer volume of internal energy he now possessed was overwhelming.
As they resumed their journey, a thought occurred to Seok Myeong. He turned to his companions with a question.
"Have you ever heard of the Cutting Sword Gate?"
"Ah... Lady So-yeon would know more about that than I would." Hyeok-jin scratched his head and looked toward Cheol So-yeon.
She furrowed her brows and spoke. "The Cutting Sword Gate is the representative sect of Shaanxi. They are primarily known for their sword cultivation. Their leader, Jin Hwi-su, is a secular disciple of the Wudang Sect and is widely renowned throughout the Jianghu."
"If he leads a sect that represents an entire province, he must be a formidable master," Seok Myeong remarked.
"Actually, it’s the opposite."
"The opposite?"
Seeing Seok Myeong’s confusion, Cheol So-yeon explained further. "He didn't make a name for himself through his own martial prowess, but rather through his genius for instruction and advice."
"Is that even possible?" Hyeok-jin chimed in, his curiosity piqued.
"It is. You know how some people have a way with words that makes complex things easy to understand? They have a sharp eye and notice the details everyone else overlooks. Jin Hwi-su is one of those people. His eye for martial arts is so exceptional that a following naturally formed around him. The Cutting Sword Gate was established by people who joined him voluntarily."
Hyeok-jin had never heard the name before, but since she claimed the man was famous, he accepted it as truth.
"Then we might be able to receive some guidance from him," Hyeok-jin suggested.
"Of course, but it won't happen immediately."
"Why not?"
Cheol So-yeon continued, "They say he only spars with those he deems worthy. To prove oneself, an outsider must fight and win against a hundred other challengers."
"A hundred people?"
"Yes. Because of that, some are suspicious of his motives. They speak ill of him, claiming he’s a fraud hiding behind a wall of disciples. However, if you look at the caliber of the masters who have actually passed his test, it’s hard not to believe in his reputation."
Surprisingly, Cheol So-yeon—who rarely acknowledged anyone from the Orthodox Faction—held Jin Hwi-su in high regard. This was the influence of Cheol Mu-jin. On days when they rested together on the porch, he would often tell her stories.
“It is a mistake to think one can only learn from the strong, or that there is nothing to learn from the weak,” he had said.
“Why is that, Grandfather?”
“Because people possess something more valuable than martial arts: the wisdom gained from experience and life. A person's worth is not determined by the depth of their cultivation, but by their character and the life they have led. Jin Hwi-su of the Cutting Sword Gate is exactly that kind of person.”
Cheol So-yeon was curious. What exactly had her grandfather seen in the man to praise him so highly?
After a few more questions and answers, the trio continued their diligent trek through the mountains.
*
After three days of camping and walking, they arrived at a nearby marketplace. Since none of them had enjoyed a proper meal in days, they immediately sought out an inn.
The Peace Inn was bustling. Though it was only a single-story building, the interior was vast enough to accommodate over a hundred patrons. Business was clearly thriving.
The floor was packed with round tables, each crowded with four chairs. The layout was so cramped that moving through the room was a chore.
"We have a seat for you. Please, right this way."
A waiter with a youthful face but a significantly protruding belly greeted them. He was a striking sight—dark-skinned, a blue towel tied around his head, and clothes drenched in sweat. He guided Seok Myeong’s group to a small, tucked-away table in the corner.
"Why is it so crowded here?" Hyeok-jin blurted out.
The waiter looked at him as if he were a bit slow. "Is this your first time in these parts?"
"Ah, yes."
"I suppose you didn't know the Cutting Sword Gate is nearby," the waiter explained kindly, wiping the cluttered table with his towel. "Half the people here are on their way to the sect's sparring grounds. Some come to watch, some are just curious. Those duels are quite the spectacle; people travel from all over the region to see them."
He straightened his back and asked, "What can I get you? Since it's your first time, I'll let you know we only serve boiled pork, dumplings, and flour noodles."
"Give us three servings of steamed dumplings and three servings of boiled pork," Hyeok-jin ordered quickly.
While they waited for their food, a group of middle-aged men at the next table began whispering urgently. In the noisy inn, their normal voices would have been drowned out, but because they were trying so hard to be secretive, they caught the attention of Seok Myeong and his companions.
"So, tell me. Did the Samu Alliance really plot a conspiracy this time?"
"That's the rumor. They say they tried to create some kind of monster to throw the Central Plains into chaos."
"Unbelievable. Is such a thing even possible?"
"Apparently so. Fortunately, some heroes who were passing by managed to stop the creature before disaster struck."
As the man—who had various trinkets hanging around his neck—leaked the information, the eyes of his companions began to sparkle.
"Who was it? Who stopped such a monster?"
"They say it was Hyeok Ryeon-mo. Despite the presence of the Namgung and Hebei Peng Families, he supposedly handled the monster alone. The Jianghu is in an uproar over it."
The moment he heard those words, Hyeok-jin’s expression soured. It was agonizing to hear such a blatant lie, and he wondered how the rumor had spread so incorrectly so fast.
"The bear performs the tricks, but the trainer pockets the coin, it seems," Seok Myeong remarked with a chuckle.
Cheol So-yeon glared at him. "Can you really laugh right now? After hearing that?"
"There's nothing to be done. Even if I went out and told the truth, no one would believe me."
"Still... Sigh, forget it. No matter how many times I see it, a person like you..."
It was then that a new voice joined them, accompanied by a loud, boisterous laugh.
"I know. I know that the person who truly took down that Giant Demon was you."
The speaker wore a tattered bamboo hat and even more ragged cotton clothes. Yet, what caught the eye wasn't his disheveled appearance, but his face. While his eyes were full of life and shone with a brilliant light, his skin was covered in thick layers of black grime, obscuring his features and making it impossible to guess his age.
"Who are you?" Hyeok-jin asked, his eyes narrowing.
The man laughed heartily and sat down in the remaining empty seat at their table.
Thud.
"All within the four seas are brothers, are we not? This is fate, so let's share a table."
He was a man whose actions moved faster than his words. Seok Myeong and Hyeok-jin looked at him with troubled expressions, but Cheol So-yeon’s reaction was different. She reached toward her sleeve and glared at him with icy intent.
"Get lost before you have to beg for your life."
It was a chilling warning, yet the man didn't flinch.
"Then I should start begging now, pretty lady of the Golden Martial Association."
"What?"
As Cheol So-yeon’s expression contorted in surprise, Seok Myeong held up a hand to stop her.
"It seems he recognized us and wants to join us," Seok Myeong said.
"Ho-oh, that's right! Having met such famous people, how could I not pull up a chair?"
"This is the first time I've seen you," Seok Myeong noted. "How can you say I'm famous?"
"It's obvious at a glance, isn't it? Those Taoist robes, a companion with a saber at his waist and a sword on his shoulder, and a beautiful lady accompanying you both. Put the pieces together, and it's easy enough to figure out."
He spoke fluently, his information so accurate it was impossible to refute. It was enough to make one suspect he had been investigating them.
Hyeok-jin was the one to break the silence. A wide smile spread across his face as he addressed the man.
"Excuse me, brother... have I really become famous?"
"Of course! The rumors of the 'Wind Lightning Sword' Hyeok-jin are spreading far and wide."
"The Wind Lightning Sword?" Hyeok-jin asked, his smile reaching his ears. The praise was music to his soul.
The man grew even more enthusiastic. "They say the title was given because you wield the saber and sword like wind and lightning. There's also a saying that you're the 'Ghost-Faced Reaper,' because anyone who sees you is sent to the underworld in an instant."
"Ooh-oh-oh!" Hyeok-jin clenched his fists in excitement. The reputation he had long desired was finally taking root.
However, where there is someone to lift the mood, there is always someone to ruin it. Cheol So-yeon promptly shattered his joy.
"He's just like those guys at the other table," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"He's talking as if you did everything by yourself."
Hyeok-jin’s face turned beet red. She was right.
Clack.
Suddenly, Seok Myeong, who had been casually picking at his food, stood up.
"Let's go."
Hyeok-jin and Cheol So-yeon were startled. Seok Myeong wasn't the type to act so abruptly.
"Uh, D-Daehyeop?" the man in the bamboo hat tried to stop him, but Seok Myeong didn't look back. He walked straight out of the inn.
Cheol So-yeon followed immediately. Hyeok-jin looked troubled, glancing between the man and his departing friends before bowing his head.
"Well, then... until next time..."
He hurried out after them, though he didn't forget to snatch up the remaining meat and dumplings on his way.
"Heh."
The man remaining at the table watched them leave, an amused expression crossing his face.
"I wanted to know more, but that's a shame. Well, it wasn't bad for a first meeting." He smiled, looking quite satisfied. The man who had been shaking the Central Plains recently was indeed that man—Seok Myeong. "We shall meet again. Since your destination is the Cutting Sword Gate anyway."
The man belonged to the Beggar Sect—the traditional powerhouse headquartered in Kaifeng that dominated the streets of the realm. He was about to leisurely leave the inn when a hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Customer."
The waiter with the blue towel stood there, his expression cautious but firm.
"What is it?"
"You have to pay."
"Pay?"
"Yes. You ordered all of this." The waiter pointed at the table.
The man looked dumbfounded. After a brief staring contest with the waiter, he finally spoke in a trembling voice.
"I... I have no money."