Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Encounter
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Regardless of my confusion, the transmission of the Heavenly Vault Peerless Swordsmanship proceeded relatively smoothly afterward.
“Quick Sword is exactly what it sounds like—a sword swung at high speed.
You brace your lower body firmly and channel the power from your waist through your shoulders and arms to swing it fast.”
Second Form: Sword Shadows Piercing Heaven.
An attacking stance that swiftly pierces six points on the upper body using the principles of Quick Sword.
“In contrast, Heavy Sword is a heavy blade. You load your entire body weight onto the sword to crush your opponent.”
Third Form: Heavenly Heavy Blockade.
A defensive stance that interrupts the opponent's attack with the weight of Heavy Sword.
Not long after completing the transmission up to the fourth form, Mysterious Heavenly Stormwind, the fifth form was perfected.
At the same time, Namgung Hyun also taught me the essence of Heavenly Wind Swordsmanship.
“Heavenly Wind Swordsmanship emulates the wind that freely soars through the skies, just like its name. It requires judgment to freely switch between feints and real strikes depending on the situation, along with flexible muscles and power.”
“Switching between feints and real strikes…”
As I listened to Namgung Hyun's explanation, the image in my mind gradually took concrete shape.
While developing the sixth form like that, the Namgung family head requested a meeting with me.
Unable to fathom the reason, I tilted my head but complied and headed to the family head's chambers.
What on earth could he want?
Upon arriving at the family head's office, the Namgung family head greeted me warmly and soon revealed the purpose.
“You want me to bring Zhao Yunqi here to the family?”
“Hmm. From the Namgung perspective, he's someone you'd want to kill a hundred times over and still not be satisfied, but he's an important witness to prove this conspiracy, isn't he? Wouldn't it be better to monitor and protect him inside the family rather than leaving him out there?”
“Hmm…”
I fell into brief thought.
I'd kept my ears open even while receiving the Heavenly Vault Peerless Swordsmanship transmission these past few days, so I had a rough idea of the outside situation.
Currently, Tyrant Heaven Fortress's warriors were combing every corner of Hefei in search of Zhao Yunqi.
Go Heung had him well hidden, so he hadn't been found yet, but it was certainly a burden to monitor him alone.
Since even Tyrant Heaven Fortress wouldn't dare storm the Namgung family directly, the family head's suggestion didn't seem like a bad idea.
Having reached a conclusion, I nodded.
“Understood. I'll go bring him now.”
“Thank you, Young Master Goon. From one to ten, it feels like we're only imposing on you. And now even the transmission of Heavenly Vault Peerless Swordsmanship... I will never forget this favor.”
The Namgung family head expressed his sincere gratitude to me.
I gave a slight smile and a bow to the family head before promptly leaving the family grounds toward Azure Sky Relay Station.
*
Upon arriving at Azure Sky Relay Station, it was midday, so there were quite a few customers.
“Excuse me~.”
“Coming through~.”
Dodging the busy servers darting between tables, I made my way inside, where Go Heung was moving about just as frantically.
“Hmm.”
No matter what, I couldn't give up on the code phrase.
Code phrases are romantic, after all.
I approached Go Heung and lowered my voice.
“From Mount Song, here at this…”
“You've come? Come on in.”
“……”
I stared at Go Heung in momentary disappointment—he'd tossed his professional spirit aside due to the relay station's busyness—before meekly heading further inside.
And soon, I felt a sense of unease.
“…What?”
Even expanding my senses yielded no presence.
Flustered, I opened the secret door and went down, and sure enough.
The basement was empty, with no sign of Zhao Yunqi anywhere.
Where the hell did this guy go?
As I looked around in panic, the person who knew the answer descended into the basement just then.
“Phew, busier than usual today. What brings you here, young master?”
“Where's that bastard Zhao Yunqi?”
“Huh? Ah… you've come to pick him up?”
Go Heung, grasping the situation from my flustered face, grinned mischievously.
“This is my secret hideout, sure, but it's not exactly ideal for holding someone. So I handed him off elsewhere.”
“…Handed him off? To who… where?”
“Hmm… I'm a bit tied up right now. Mind waiting a moment? In about half a shichen, the customers will start thinning out, and I'll take you then.”
His relaxed attitude.
No matter who or where he'd entrusted Zhao Yunqi to, I could tell he trusted them.
“…Understood. I'll wait.”
With no choice, I nodded and went back upstairs.
Go Heung handed me a cup of tea wafting a subtle fragrance.
“Here, take this and sit by the window on the second floor. Gawk at the street and draw in some customers with that handsome face of yours.”
“Then I'll end up waiting even longer.”
Grumbling, I still obediently climbed to the second floor of the relay station and sat by the corner window.
*Slurp*
“…This is good.”
Sipping the tea while gazing out the window, I was surprised.
I'd thought it was just fragrant, but the taste was unexpectedly excellent.
Far better than what you'd expect from a front-operation relay station.
Nodding in understanding why there were so many customers, I peered out the window again.
Come to think of it, had I had such a leisurely time since starting my journey?
“It's not been that long, has it?”
Thinking about it, it hadn't even been a fortnight since leaving Goon River County.
Huh. Feels like two or three months already. Amazing.
Shrugging, I took another sip of tea when a commotion erupted outside.
“Kyaaak!”
Wondering what it was, I turned my gaze to the window. A gang of thugs was hurling items from the stall across the street and causing a ruckus.
*Crash! Shatter!*
“N-No, please stop! I beg you!”
A middle-aged woman, apparently the shop owner, clutched at the hem of the gang leader's pants and pleaded.
Her cheek swollen, face tear-streaked.
That was probably the source of the scream from moments ago.
A pitiful sight that would tug at any passerby's heartstrings.
But the leader, true to form, lacked such sentiments and roughly grabbed her by the hair.
“Aaak!”
“Hey, you bitch. That's why you gotta pay your stall fee on time, right?”
“Th-The goods didn't come in on schedule… Just give me a few more days. I'll find some way…”
“How? By selling your body? What lunatic would want a hag like you? Uhahahaha—!”
“Hahaha—!”
The leader roared with mocking laughter as his thugs, who'd been smashing the shop, joined in.
Onlookers frowned at the scene but were too fearful to intervene.
They merely muttered under their breath to vent their frustration.
I pulled out a money pouch from my pocket and channeled internal energy to my ears to enhance my hearing.
-What the hell is the Namgung family doing…!
-How did Hefei turn into a den of thugs like this?
The crowd was saying it was the Namgung family's fault such things were happening.
And behind it all were Tyrant Heaven Fortress's warriors.
-Warriors, can't you warriors stop this outrage?
Amid the crowd watching the thugs' rampage stood Tyrant Heaven Fortress warriors.
Some nearby onlookers pleaded with them to step in, but they responded with indifferent expressions and refusals.
-Hefei is still Namgung family territory. If we intervene here, it'd look like Tyrant Heaven Fortress overstepping in their domain. Naturally, the Namgung family would protest to Tyrant Heaven Fortress. Sorry, but as affiliates, we can't create such a dilemma.
It sounded reasonable at first glance, but subtly shifted blame to the Namgung family.
The intent to direct people's resentment toward them felt blatantly obvious.
They're quite busy stirring things up everywhere.
Clicking my tongue briefly, I turned my gaze back to the shop.
In the meantime, the thugs had gone beyond tossing displayed goods and started demolishing the stall itself.
“In wuxia novels, unorthodox sect guys strut around like that.”
No unorthodox sects, so thugs run wild instead.
Somehow, it left a bitter taste.
A world without unorthodox sects isn't necessarily peaceful.
Whether martial arts exist or not, malice that seeks to trample others doesn't vanish.
Newly aware of the harsh reality opposing the ideal of peace, I counted out iron coins from my pouch.
“One, two, three, four…”
There were six thugs in total.
Matching the number, I prepared six iron coins, picked one up, wedged it between my fingers, and aimed out the window.
My target: the bald guy at the back of the shop.
His shiny pate gleamed even in the shadows, standing out clearly.
Infusing internal energy, I flicked my finger. The iron coin shot straight and struck the bald man's occiput.
*Thwack!*
“Kyawk!”
The bald man toppled with a short yelp.
The other thugs jolted in surprise at their comrade's sudden collapse.
“Wh-What!?”
Seizing the opening from their shock, I continued flicking iron coins to thwack their occiputs.
“Kyawk!”
“Kek!”
“Gek!”
“Kik!”
The thugs crumpled to the ground, each emitting screams as distinctive as their looks.
Suddenly left alone, the gang leader released the woman's hair and frantically scanned his surroundings.
“Wh-Who is it! A ghost?!”
His voice trembled with fear.
From his view, his men had just dropped mysteriously, so assuming ghostly mischief wasn't unreasonable.
“U-Uwaaa—!”
His terror reaching its limit, the gang leader shrieked and tried to flee.
Where do you think you're going? You think I'll miss?
Before the leader could bolt, I launched the last iron coin.
*Thwack!*
“Eh…?”
But a problem arose.
In my haste to hit the fleeing man, the coin's trajectory veered, striking an unintended spot.
To be precise… his groin.
“G-Ggrrrgh…”
Overcome by unimaginable agony, the gang leader foamed at the mouth and collapsed, eyes rolled back.
…Being the leader, I flicked it a bit harder out of spite.
No way it broke… Nah, it couldn't have.
Averting my eyes from the mess I'd made, an unfamiliar voice spoke up.
“Your skill with throwing iron coins is impressive.”