Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Gaining Bonds
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Mok Jimong underwent the sworn brotherhood ceremony with Scholar Cheon right before entering closed-door training.
Scholar Cheon insisted it wasn't necessary, but Mok Jimong pushed so hard for it that they held a modest ritual.
They set up a simple altar, made their vows to the heavens, and formally declared themselves brothers.
That was how the upper ranks of Hyuncheon Sect all learned that Scholar Cheon had become sworn brothers with Mok Jimong.
Ever since arriving at Hyuncheon Sect, Scholar Cheon had only shown his face briefly to the group before getting caught up in one thing after another, unable to even exchange proper greetings.
Nangong Cheolung was deeply worried.
"I'm concerned the Murim Alliance might find some pretext to hassle us just because Master has formed a sworn brotherhood with the successor of an unorthodox sect."
Nangong Hwajun and Nangong Pyo nodded in agreement.
They already faced discrimination for being from a branch family, and forming a sworn brotherhood with the heir of an unorthodox sect could never be an advantage in the orthodox martial world.
The rallying cry of the orthodox world was the extermination of demonic fiends and heretics, after all.
"At least Master is a scholar, so that's a relief. If he were a martial artist, they'd brand him a heretic outright."
"Even so, as a scholar affiliated with the Murim Alliance, there will be repercussions."
"Oh? Lady Yeoseol. Where are you headed?"
When Cheon Yeoseol came to visit Cheongyo and Songran, Nangong Cheolung followed as her escort.
Since they regarded Scholar Cheon as their master, they addressed Yeoseol as "Lady" and showed her respect.
Yeoseol was frustrated that she hadn't even been able to have a proper conversation with her brother now that he had returned to Hyuncheon Sect, so she stormed out.
On top of that, the news of him holding a sworn brotherhood ceremony with a wastrel like Mok Jimong left her dumbfounded.
'Oppa has way too much compassion. How's he supposed to survive in this harsh world if he's that soft-hearted?'
Having learned a bit more about the ways of the world, Yeoseol was genuinely worried about her brother.
'I have to protect him. Oppa's too kind and naive—he's in real danger because of it.'
Lost in thought, Yeoseol murmured without realizing it.
"Kindness should only go as far as protecting yourself. Huh? What was that?"
She panicked when words that weren't her own thoughts came out of her mouth.
"What's wrong?"
As Nangong Cheolung took notice of her, she quickly changed the subject.
"Uncles, I'm heading into the woods for a bit."
Yeoseol used polite speech with these three men alone.
It was her way of showing respect to those who faithfully protected her and her brother and called him "Master."
"Why there?"
Yeoseol pointed to the forest beside the village observatory.
"I've got business to take care of."
"Ah, yes. We'll wait here. Don't go too far."
Yeoseol headed into the woods.
'Am I regaining my memories? Words I didn't even think are coming out of my mouth.'
A frightening thought suddenly struck her.
She worried that her returning memories—or perhaps the shadow's memories—might erase these happy times.
"There's someone over there."
Yeoseol slipped deeper into the woods when a passerby spotted her.
As more people filled the village, it had started to feel like a bustling street.
With activity everywhere, Yeoseol had no choice but to venture further in.
The three men who watched from afar as Yeoseol entered the woods exchanged glances and nodded.
"This might be our last chance. Now that the scholar's here, she won't have a moment alone anymore. This is our opportunity."
The three assassins, having infiltrated Sammu County to scout, had concluded that directly assassinating Scholar Cheon was impossible.
But they couldn't just withdraw empty-handed.
So they chose to take the person closest to Scholar Cheon hostage and use her to kill him.
His cousin Cheon Yeoseol seemed like the perfect target.
Yeoseol found a flat spot to handle her business and stepped into it.
At that moment, she sensed faint killing intent and frowned.
Instinct told her it was directed at her life.
She started to loosen her belt but instead drew the dagger from her bosom.
"I'm in a hurry, so come out already."
At her words, the three masked assassins leaped down from the trees.
The fact that they landed without a sound meant they were no novices.
Even seeing these mysterious masked warriors, Yeoseol felt no fear.
"No screaming? Looks like our little lady's pretty confident in a fight."
Screaming would only complicate things, so she used a pressure point strike first.
"I'm not gonna scream, so don't waste your breath on pointless taunts."
"Heh, you talk like some seasoned martial artist."
"I've been in closed-door training this whole time. I was wondering how far I've come. Lucky me—I've got test subjects right here to check my progress."
"Closed-door training? How long, that you're so cocky?"
"About ten days?"
"What?"
The assassins chuckled in disbelief.
A little girl calling ten days "closed-door training" almost made them feel sorry for her.
She might have learned some martial arts, but it felt like pure bravado.
"Little girl, closed-door training means at least a year. You don't call ten days that."
Another masked assassin spoke up.
"We're just gonna take you with us. Come quietly, and we won't hurt you."
Yeoseol tossed her dagger up and caught it repeatedly, beaming all the while.
The assassins found her playful motion—like juggling an apple—rather endearing.
It reminded them of silly games from their early assassin training.
As Yeoseol kept tossing and catching, she asked,
"Do any of you have a living grandmother?"
One masked figure tentatively raised a hand.
"Me."
"Really? Any with kids or a wife?"
No response.
"None? Okay then, do any bathe once a day?"
"Are you nuts? Who bathes every single day?"
"Not even that?"
"Why are you asking, little miss?"
Yeoseol flashed a bright smile.
"I was looking for a reason to let you live. You two have to die—the one with the grandma gets to go."
"Hah, messing around with you kids must be amusing us."
"Enough. People will come if we drag this out."
One assassin rushed forward to seal Yeoseol's pressure points.
Pfshk!
Yeoseol's dagger plunged precisely into the assassin's chest and withdrew.
The one trying to strike her clutched his chest and collapsed.
He let out a guttural rumble, like a cat drifting off to sleep.
Not a drop of blood spilled from the chest wound.
The area around it had frozen white.
"I hate blood splatter, so I freeze 'em like this."
Muttering like a veteran killer, Yeoseol pointed her dagger at the remaining two.
A chill ran down their spines at the eerie sight.
'Now that I think about it, not only does she feel cold— the air around us actually is. What the hell is this?'
One assassin said,
"She's a master. Don't let your guard down."
This time, both charged at once.
They attacked from both sides in perfect unison.
Yeoseol hurled her dagger.
Thud!
It embedded in one assassin's chest.
The last one swung his sword in fury.
Yeoseol thrust her palm toward the charging assassin.
A long, white spike protruded from her palm.
Moisture in the air had gathered and frozen into an icicle.
Swish!
Using the Ice Palace's Snow Wind Divine Technique, Yeoseol flitted forward like a fluttering flag and struck the assassin's chest.
Crack!
As the long icicle buried into his chest, she pulled her hand away.
The assassin trembled.
"My grandma... she's alive... you said you'd let me go."
Yeoseol grinned wickedly.
"Changed my mind. A filial son like you would just burden her more if you lived. Better off dead."
"Damn... you..."
The assassin blacked out as his body froze solid.
Thump!
Yeoseol handled her business behind where they fell.
Once finished, she called out,
"Uncles! Come here."
She was summoning the Nangong family warriors.
After the Nangong family warriors hauled off the bodies, one person appeared at the scene later.
A veil fluttered gently.
Songran stared intently in the direction Yeoseol had gone.
'I knew Yeoseol was learning martial arts, but I had no idea she was this good.'
Not only had she killed three assassins in the blink of an eye, but she remained utterly calm afterward—that was the real shock.
'She acted just like a battle-hardened master who's slain dozens, hundreds.'
Even Songran couldn't kill one person and stay that composed.
She had been tailing the three assassins, overhearing their plot to abduct Yeoseol, and followed along.
She planned to intervene when they first attacked, but Yeoseol dispatched them so effortlessly that she missed her chance.
And then she witnessed something astonishing.
Yeoseol effortlessly deploying Ice Palace techniques.
The method of forming icicles in her palm for attack was the Ice Palace's Ice Needle Palm.
A technique no one but an Ice Palace expert could perform.
'Yeoseol's connected to the Ice Palace. But were those three questions a coincidence?'
Songran knew martial history well enough to harbor suspicions.
'Just like the Three Questions Martial Lord from a century ago.'
A century prior, the Ice Palace had birthed a martial lord famous for always asking three questions before killing.
'Does he have a living grandmother? Wife and kids? Bathes once a day?'
Anyone meeting those criteria was spared, earning him the moniker Three Questions Martial Lord—Mae Yu Yeon.
Yeoseol might have jokingly asked about grandmothers or family.
But asking about daily baths? Only someone who knew of the Three Questions Martial Lord would think of that.
'She's tied to the Ice Palace and the Three Questions Martial Lord.'
Songran pondered but had no desire to dig deeper.
Scholar Cheon had shown no interest in meddling further even with the Thousand Crane Sword Pavilion matter.
He simply wished to live as a scholar.
'But will things go as planned? The moment you learn martial arts and form enmities and bonds with fellow martial artists, you take on a warrior's fate. Like a shadow that follows you forever.'
Songran gazed at the sky with somber eyes, then turned and walked away.
The Jiangxi Provincial Military Command dispatched troops to Hyuncheon Sect.
It was to escort the Great General's son Heo Yuon and the Grand Scholar's grandson Jo Musaeng.
The Command even mobilized its own officer-experts, from first-rate to peak masters.
Especially wary of Hyuncheon Sect Leader Mok Yeohyeon, they sent the Command's second-in-command, the Deputy Guard Commander, to deliver thanks in person.
"Brother Cheon, come visit the Great General's estate sometime. I'll repay you properly then. You're my lifesaver, but I have nothing to offer right now."
Cheon Taesan, Jo Musaeng, and Heo Yuon had grown close chatting on the way to Hyuncheon Sect, treating each other like friends.
"It was nothing. Don't worry about it."
Jo Musaeng shook his head at Cheon Taesan's words.
"What are you saying? A man doesn't live indebted for his life."
"Hahaha, got it. If I have business there, I'll stop by the Great General's estate."
Heo Yuon brought over the Guard Adjutant and introduced Cheon Taesan.
"This is the man who saved my life. If Brother Cheon ever needs aid, please treat him as you would me. Be sure to relay this to the Commander."
Heo Yuon worried that Cheon Taesan might face backlash in Jiangxi, a region rife with unorthodox sects.
It was his way of looking out for him.
"Understood. I'll keep an eye out."
To build ties with the Jiangxi military, Mok Yeohyeon assigned Hyuncheon Sect warriors as additional escorts.
With the Demonic Cult's recent raid, he wasn't taking chances.
Heo In and Jo Im bid Cheon Taesan farewell and boarded their carriage.
As he watched them depart, Cheon Taesan thought the Demonic Cult had made a grave error.
'If they'd killed them, it might've been different. But since they survived, there'll be serious pressure on the Cult now.'
The Great General's household and the Grand Scholar wouldn't sit idle.
As they left, Yuseong—who had been watching alongside—approached Cheon Taesan.
"Brother, shouldn't we hold a sworn brotherhood ceremony too?"
Having heard about Cheon Taesan and Mok Jimong's ceremony, Yuseong shot him a jealous look.
Cheon Taesan was about to scold him but changed his mind.
'The strongest man in the world might end up as my officially recognized little brother. Only a fool would turn that down.'
Others still saw Yuseong merely as the rumored young leader of the Thunder Dragon Sect, unaware of his potential. But to Cheon Taesan, he looked like he could surpass the unorthodox sects and become the world's greatest master.
If Yuseong had ambition, that is.
Of course, the martial world wasn't won by skill and ambition alone.
"Sure. Why not?"
"Then let's do it here at Hyuncheon Sect instead of heading back."
"Sounds good. Whatever Yuseong wants."
And so, Cheon Taesan unexpectedly found himself with Mok Jimong—the son of the unorthodox organization's top leader—as his sworn older brother, and Yuseong—the future world's greatest master—as his sworn younger brother.