Chapter 80
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Omen
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A young man wearing a hero's turban studded with a red jade on his forehead spoke up.
“I am Heo Yuon. My father is the Grand General.”
The woman continued.
“I am Heo In.”
Grand General Heo Kyung was a powerful minister who gripped the military authority of the Han dynasty.
The son and daughter of such a powerful minister.
Cheon Taesan's group turned their gazes to the other two.
“I am Jo Museng, grandson of the Grand Scholar.”
“I am Jo Im, his granddaughter.”
Those listening to their introductions froze like stones.
Though not from the imperial palace, they wielded even greater power than imperial clansmen.
Grand Scholar Jo Baekhong was a scholar who served as the emperor's advisor and the crown prince's teacher.
Cheon Taesan nodded upon hearing their names.
They were all lay disciples of the Wudang Sect.
That was why it struck him as odd that they had unleashed the Supreme Azure Sword in battle.
Lay disciples who weren't even Taoists wielding the Supreme Azure Sword, an art forbidden to them.
No matter how talented, lay disciples could learn no higher than the Lesser Azure Sword.
But it was a different story for power holders from the imperial court.
They could have accessed advanced sword arts even as lay disciples.
Cheon Taesan asked Heo Yuon.
“Young Master Heo, why do you travel without a single escort guard?”
“We were studying at the Wudang Sect and, on our way home, decided to tour the famous sights of Hunan and Jiangxi. Once we return home, who knows when we'd get another chance to travel.”
It made sense.
Besides, they were all near first-rate experts.
They had nothing to fear.
“Was this the first time you were ambushed?”
“Yes. But who were those who attacked us?”
“We're interrogating them, but they haven't confessed their identities yet. Though I do have my suspicions.”
“Where?”
“We have more captives. We'll interrogate them and find out.”
“Wouldn't it be better to hand them over to the authorities?”
Heo Yuon said.
“They used evil faction martial arts. Yet no one in my group recognizes them. So we need to uncover why they're using evil faction arts to target you young masters. We can't learn that from the authorities.”
Heo Yuon stared piercingly at Cheon Taesan before speaking.
“I want to know too. Why they tried to kill us. Where are you headed?”
Cheon Taesan thought for a moment before replying.
“We were on our way to Hyuncheon Gate. It's where the Evil Faction Supreme Lord resides.”
“Doesn't matter to us. We'll come along.”
Heo Yuon conferred briefly with Jo Museng and nodded.
“My junior brother will join us too.”
True to their government roots, they didn't flinch at heading to an evil faction stronghold.
“You're Wudang lay disciples. Is that alright?”
“We studied at Wudang, but we're not murim folk. We don't draw lines between righteous, evil, or demonic.”
They were lay disciples of Wudang, but they rejected murim values.
It was a mindset possible only because they'd joined as lay disciples for the martial arts.
“Understood. Let's go together then.”
Cheon Taesan set off for Hyuncheon Gate alongside the four Wudang lay disciples.
They mostly passed the time chatting with me.
Perhaps because I was a scholar and the protagonist of Tale Teller, they seemed to regard me with a touch of admiration.
They probably yearned to master martial arts and carve out fame as wandering heroes themselves.
Especially Jo Museng, the grandson of the Grand Scholar—his own erudition led him to debate scholarship with me.
“For a man like Scholar Cheon to forgo office and wander as a vagrant—truly lamentable.”
Impressed by my knowledge, Jo Museng poured forth his words.
“I never aspired to government service.”
“How can a true man not dream of glory and fame?”
I rode in the carriage they'd prepared.
With the coachman dead, one of the Hyuncheon Asura Squad members had taken his place.
I served as their conversation partner.
I was the only one who could for all four of them.
Jo Im, his younger sister—who seemed to possess even higher skill than Jo Museng—asked me.
“But Scholar Cheon, how do you mingle with those evil faction thugs? Aren't you scared? Evil factions and the demonic path have vicious natures, after all.”
It was the usual prejudice about the murim world.
Jo Im's thinking wasn't entirely wrong.
“This official thinks the same.”
As a hanlin scholar, Jo Museng referred to himself as "this official."
“One inevitably gets tainted rubbing shoulders with such vile sorts. I fear an exceptional man like Scholar Cheon might come to harm at their hands.”
Jo Museng held me in high esteem.
I smiled at them.
“Mount Tai has no likes or dislikes. It accepts dirt and stone alike without distinction, thus attaining its towering height. Rivers and seas reject not even the smallest streams, and so they brim with abundance.”
The others nodded, as if it were a fine tale.
But Jo Museng grasped my meaning.
“Indeed, Scholar Cheon. A saying from Han Feizi. I admire his works too—especially his legalism.”
“As do I. Distinguishing between righteous, evil, and demonic breeds prejudice. One cannot unite, only fracture. Demonic path or black alike—if I have need, I'll go anywhere and fulfill my duty.”
“Ah! This official has gained great insight thanks to Scholar Cheon.”
Jo Museng cupped his hands in salute within the cramped carriage.
“You're sacrificing yourself to purify the evil factions.”
He'd interpreted it differently, but I saw no need to correct him.
It would be tricky to explain.
Heo Yuon exclaimed upon hearing Jo Museng's words.
“I wondered why a Murim Alliance scholar traveled with an evil faction crew. So that's your purpose.”
I probed them with various questions to uncover why the Demonic Cult had targeted them.
But they couldn't even guess the reason.
They'd never slain a demonic cultist or quarreled with one.
Then there's only one conclusion. What did the Demonic Cult stand to gain by killing them?
Digging deeper led to another.
If they were killed in evil faction territory using evil faction arts, what problems would arise?
A chill ran down my spine.
One is the son of the Grand General who commands the military. One is the grandson of the Grand Scholar who can sway the emperor and crown prince. If they died here, the evil factions of Jiangxi would clash with the state's armies.
That was the puzzle.
But was that the true intent? What would the Demonic Cult gain? It's not to topple Mok Yeohun. What's the reason?
My thoughts flowed smoothly—then halted abruptly.
A chilling hypothesis had formed.
My gaze instinctively turned to Yuseong, who was being berated by Mak Jinryul.
Maybe... just maybe, he'll be proven right.
Mak Jinryul glared at Yuseong with hooked eyes.
“Why the hell have you changed like this? Huh? Who turned you into this?”
Ever since leaving Hohenjang, Yuseong—who had always obeyed her without question—now ignored or pretended not to hear her. She was fuming.
Even as she snapped at him, Yuseong didn't so much as blink beside her.
The kid who would've cowered before now stood firm.
“Don't tell me you've picked up some nonsense from that damned scholar?”
Yuseong, who'd been silent until then, bristled at that.
“Watch your mouth, senior sister. Calling my brother a ‘guy’? It upsets this little brother. Mind your words.”
“What? What'd you say? You little shit!”
Yuseong stared her down, enunciating each word deliberately.
“Evil Gale Evil Flower lives up to the name. Don't you think it's time you pondered why that's your moniker, senior sister?”
It was escalating.
“You dare talk back to me?”
“I've endured as a fellow disciple so far, but from now on, be careful when you mention me or my brother.”
“You? You dare speak to this senior sister like that?”
Yuseong's eyes turned icy.
“Get your head straight, senior sister! It's time to live right. Didn't you see it at Hohenjang? One wrong step, and you're dead. You're an adult now—time to face the real world.”
Now Yuseong was lecturing her. Mak Jinryul's rage boiled over, and she swung to slap his cheek.
Smack!
Before, he would've clutched his face. This time, he caught her wrist.
“You don't strike a man's face lightly. It shames not just you, senior sister, but your father, the Evil Faction Supreme Lord. Bad parenting.”
Mak Jinryul was so furious she seemed speechless.
Then she whirled on Mak Jimong, snapping bitterly.
“Brother, you just gonna watch this punk?”
Mak Jimong replied with half-lidded eyes.
“What do you want me to do? He's spouting nothing but sound advice.”
“You fallen for that scholar's tricks too, brother?”
“Hey now, Jinryul. Even if you're my sister, I won't stand for you badmouthing Scholar Cheon. He's my sworn brother now. You'd best watch yourself.”
“Wh-what? You're insane. Everyone's lost it.”
Listening to their bickering from outside the carriage, I mulled it over.
I'll need to slip a non-acupoint strike into Mak Jinryul to boost her favor toward me. Otherwise, she'll build real hostility.
Jo Museng watched for a moment before piping up.
“By the way, Scholar Cheon—is the Three Wus Realm real? I heard about it in Tale Teller, but it sounded too outlandish...”
It was natural to think so upon hearing of the Three Wus Realm.
One might assume Tale Teller invented it for entertainment.
“It's truly land I received from the Evil Faction Supreme Lord. There was no such name as Three Wus when I left, so it must have come after.”
I explained how people had come to settle the Three Wus Realm, and they let out exclamations.
Their faces held an odd mix—some awe, perhaps, or the glint of greed.
Cheon Yeoseol holed up in her room for several days, reviewing all the martial arts she knew.
As she delved into the Ice Palace techniques and Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword her brother had taught her, she realized there was nothing left to ponder.
Now I understand it all.
Yeoseol had fully comprehended the Ice Palace martial arts and the Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword.
In less than ten days.
But it didn't feel surprising.
She just had to think, and it imprinted itself naturally on her mind. Nothing difficult about it.
In the midst of her cultivation, Yeoseol received a shock from another quarter.
Each time she sank deep into meditation, a shadow of a different form rose from the depths of her consciousness.
The shadow would lunge like it meant to throttle her, shattering her focus several times.
Once, it even overpowered her, causing her to briefly lose consciousness.
Afterward, she realized new memories had surfaced.
Could this be... the memories I lost?
But something was off.
If these are my lost memories, the shadow should be a child's body. But these memories are of a mature woman's form.
Unlike her still undeveloped chest. It felt utterly alien.
I can't have been a grown woman. So who...?
Lost in thought as she walked, Yeoseol suddenly realized she'd slipped out the Hyuncheon Gate's back entrance and into the bamboo grove.
The thick bamboo scent had drawn her here.
It was her first time leaving Hyuncheon Gate.
With guards at the back gate, she'd scaled the wall to exit.
She'd planned to stay quiet and return soon.
The refreshing breeze carrying the bamboo fragrance tempted her to walk a bit farther.
The back gate bamboo grove was reserved for the sect lord's direct family, so no one else came and went.
Taking this moment alone to gather her thoughts, Yeoseol felt her jumbled memories sorting themselves somewhat.
Are my memories returning?
It was just as she'd strolled the bamboo grove for about half a shichen and turned to head back.