Chapter 119
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Secrets of the Hengshan Sect
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I Rip looked at Dan Ak-seon with surprised eyes.
He never imagined that a boy with such a gentle and mild disposition could express his beliefs with such a firm and resolute attitude.
Moreover, his opponent was an elder of the Hengshan Sect.
To think he had the backbone to retort so refreshingly instead of being intimidated.
It was truly exhilarating.
Hong Jeok-mun felt the same.
It was an occasion to see Dan Ak-seon in a new light.
Cho Ak-ryang, Beom Gye-wi, and even Han Seol-hwa.
There was a good reason why masters, each a grandmaster in their own right, cherished Dan Ak-seon so much.
However…
Yang Il-so's disgraceful behavior wasn't over.
When he ran out of things to say, he began to offer feeble excuses.
“Who among the sects of the righteous path would welcome the bloodline of the Demonic Physician? The very fact that his kin has set foot in the Hengshan Sect is a disgrace and an insult to me. And for such a ridiculous reason.”
Yang Il-so glared at Dan Ak-seon.
“A forbidden place that members of the righteous path cannot enter… Do you really think that makes any sense?”
I Rip could no longer stand by and watch.
“Elder, it seems you are under a great misunderstanding. We did not come here solely because of the joint petition. In fact, that is a secondary issue.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Won-gong Treasured Sword. We came to tell you how to recover your sect's lost sacred artifact.”
At those words, Jin Jo-un and all the other Hengshan disciples could not hide their astonishment.
Yang Il-so, in particular, looked as if he had been struck by lightning.
I Rip turned his head toward Jin Jo-un.
“Do you know of a man named Gwak Yu?”
“Gwak Yu? If it's Gwak Yu…”
Tilting his head at I Rip's question, Jin Jo-un cast his gaze toward Yang Il-so.
It was understandable, as Gwak Yu had been Yang Il-so's disciple.
Perhaps it was because the name of a disciple who had disappeared long ago without a trace was mentioned.
Yang Il-so showed visible signs of panic.
Seeing Yang Il-so's reaction, I Rip could intuitively tell that Ga Du-dal's words were true.
“Sect Leader, were you aware that he was a gambling addict?”
“What? Such a thing…”
Jin Jo-un was greatly flustered, as if hearing it for the first time.
Yang Il-so, standing there with a pale face, belatedly let out an awkward sigh.
“Haa… I did not wish to expose my disciple's transgressions, so I intended to bury the matter myself…”
Seeing Yang Il-so like this, I Rip inwardly scoffed.
But Yang Il-so, unaware of the truth, calmly began to spin his lies.
“It is true that the boy fell into gambling. No matter how much I advised and scolded him, he wouldn't listen. So, rather than let him tarnish our sect, I cast him out with my own hands. He did not go missing. I excommunicated him.”
“No, Senior Brother! How could you decide such a grave matter on your own?”
At Jin Jo-un's surprised words, Yang Il-so let out a dry cough.
“I am ashamed, Sect Leader. However, this was a matter directly related to the honor of our sect, so I, who took him in, had no choice but to make the decision myself.”
I Rip interjected in a low tone.
“Gwak Yu is dead.”
“……!”
I Rip continued speaking to the shocked Jin Jo-un.
“There is a witness who identified his body, but they say they did not see the murderer.”
At those words, Jin Jo-un sighed in lament, while Yang Il-so sighed in relief.
“However, through various circumstances surrounding him, we have been able to surmise the whereabouts of your sect's sacred artifact, the Won-gong Treasured Sword.”
“Is that true?”
I Rip calmly nodded at Jin Jo-un, who asked back with an agitated face.
“Of course.”
I Rip began to speak with a smile.
“Before he died, he apparently leaked the whereabouts of the Won-gong Treasured Sword at a gambling den he frequented. So, we looked into it and found that people connected to him have disappeared. Most of them are either dead or missing.”
“Then how…”
“Fortunately, there was someone who heard what Gwak Yu said at the time.”
At those words, Yang Il-so's face turned pale as he shouted.
“That's impossible!”
As everyone's eyes focused on him, a belatedly flustered Yang Il-so spoke to Jin Jo-un.
“Sect Leader, I hope you will not be swayed by such absurd rumors from the martial world. As you know, such rumors are often distorted and exaggerated, are they not?”
“It is a sacred artifact passed down by our ancestors. Even if it is merely a baseless rumor, isn't it right to verify it?”
At Jin Jo-un's firm attitude, Yang Il-so fell silent.
Since losing the sacred artifact inherited from his master, not a single day had passed without regret. This tormented him more and more as time went on, and recently, he couldn't even sleep properly.
“Actually, I have been working tirelessly to restore the Won-gong Treasured Sword.”
After a sigh, Jin Jo-un continued.
“Although it wouldn't be the one containing our ancestors' will, our sect must have a sacred artifact for future generations.”
That was why he had poured immense funds and effort into acquiring cloud steel, the same material as the Won-gong Treasured Sword.
“Hah… That is remarkable. That cloud steel isn't something one can obtain with money alone.”
At I Rip's exclamation, Jin Jo-un gave a bitter smile.
What was there to say?
If the Qingcheng Sect hadn't suddenly fallen due to certain events… he would have had to pour in so much money that he wouldn't have dared to even approach the Nine Great Sects for the next ten years.
“How could it have been possible with my efforts alone? It must be that our ancestors also pitied our sect's situation.”
“But even if you restore it, won't there still be a problem? I've heard that the secret arts of Hengshan are hidden within the Won-gong Treasured Sword.”
Jin Jo-un smiled and shook his head.
“That is merely a distorted rumor. There is indeed an inscription on the Won-gong Treasured Sword, but it is only advice for future generations, not a key to martial arts.”
At those words, Yang Il-so's expression visibly hardened.
I Rip would not miss such a detail.
“Still, wouldn't it be better to recover the real Won-gong Treasured Sword if possible?”
“What is there to say? If that were possible, I could ask for nothing more.”
As the situation reached this point, Yang Il-so grew anxious.
There was no way to confirm just how much I Rip knew.
Yang Il-so looked at Jin Jo-un with a serious expression.
“The task of finding our sect's sacred artifact must be handled solely by our own strength. If we resolve it with outside help, we will become a laughingstock in the martial world. Besides…”
“Enough. That will be all, Elder Yang.”
The other Hengshan disciples wore surprised expressions at the sight of Jin Jo-un firmly cutting off Yang Il-so.
This was because they were well aware of how much he had yielded to Yang Il-so in the past.
That was why most Hengshan disciples had to be more mindful of Yang Il-so's mood than that of their own Sect Leader.
At first, Yang Il-so was too stunned to speak, but soon he was staring at Jin Jo-un, his face flushing red and purple.
“Sect Leader! To be swayed by the nonsense of someone from another sect and ignore my loyal counsel! How could you do this?”
“Did I not tell you to stop!”
Jin Jo-un's roar erupted.
“An elder of this sect is ignoring my words!”
“……!”
“If you were going to act like this, why did you yield the position of Sect Leader to me in the first place!”
The Hengshan disciples could not hide their flustered expressions at the pair's intense gazes and voices.
And Dan Ak-seon was no different.
This was by no means how one should behave in front of guests.
In the end, Dan Ak-seon stepped forward. Although the matter had started because of I Rip, it was ultimately a problem he had to solve.
“There is no need for you two to argue. I can simply give up on the joint petition.”
I Rip, Hong Jeok-mun, and everyone else looked at Dan Ak-seon in surprise.
However, Dan Ak-seon had his own firm plan.
“Still, since I've come all this way, please allow me to fulfill my duty as a physician. I will just treat a few patients and then leave.”
“Patients?”
Dan Ak-seon smiled quietly at Jin Jo-un, who asked back with a puzzled face.
Then, he raised his hand and pointed.
“The elders over there.”
The faces of the elders pointed out by Dan Ak-seon showed surprise.
It was understandable, as they had no major ailments. But they were left speechless by Dan Ak-seon's following words.
“That man's pupils are different sizes, and his vision has weakened significantly as a result. You've recently experienced blurred vision and dizziness, haven't you?”
“That's just old age, of course…”
“Old age doesn't change the size of your pupils. That phenomenon occurs when your balance is skewed to one side. It can also be the result of repeated unconscious actions, like habits or mannerisms.”
“Such a…”
“May I check your pulse? I think that will help me determine the exact cause.”
After receiving a look from the elder, Jin Jo-un slowly nodded.
Once the Sect Leader's permission was granted, he obediently offered his wrist to Dan Ak-seon.
He closed his eyes and focused on the pulse for a moment.
Dan Ak-seon opened his eyes and nodded.
“You've been subjected to a specific kind of pressure repeatedly for a long time. The flow of blood and qi in your head is slightly imbalanced. I believe you've frequently circulated a special internal energy technique to withstand external pressure, and that seems to be the reason.”
It was the same for the others.
The affected areas were different for each person, but they all had a place where the flow of qi was distorted.
Even the Sect Leader, Jin Jo-un, was the same.
Lastly, Dan Ak-seon tried to check Yang Il-so's pulse as well, but he refused so vehemently that Dan Ak-seon eventually gave up.
Dan Ak-seon, lost in thought, spoke to Jin Jo-un.
“This is a very unusual case. It seems the cause is the same for all four of you.”
“The cause…?”
“Have you ever intensively trained only one part of your body?”
Jin Jo-un shook his head.
As far as he knew, no such martial art existed within the Hengshan Sect.
“Then have you repeatedly entered or stayed for long periods in a place with a peculiar environment? For example, a place like a maze or a formation where you must move only in specific directions.”
At those words, Jin Jo-un and the other elders were startled.
Because there was one such place that Dan Ak-seon had described.
The Cloud Formation Hermitage.
It was where the training chambers were located, where the Sect Leader and elders could enter seclusion to practice their arts.
Dan Ak-seon nodded at Jin Jo-un's explanation.
“It seems I'll have to check it myself. I think I need to know what kind of formation it is to be able to treat you.”
“But that place is…”
Jin Jo-un looked at the elders with a troubled expression.
He could open his own training chamber anytime, but the elders' chambers were an exception.
According to Hengshan Sect tradition, entry to those chambers was only possible with the owner's permission.
While he hesitated, Dan Ak-seon, who was looking around, realized something and asked.
“May I ask one more thing?”
Having said that, Dan Ak-seon hesitated to speak for a long while.
Seeing Dan Ak-seon's troubled expression, Jin Jo-un spoke gently.
“What kind of question is it that you're hesitating so much?”
“I'm being cautious because it might be a rude question.”
“It's alright, go ahead and ask.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded and brought out the question he had been holding back.
“Why are there no elderly people to be seen?”
“……?”
“It's just that compared to the other sects I've visited so far, the elders here seem to be younger.”
“……!”
Jin Jo-un was startled.
He had never imagined that such a question would be asked.
But soon, he let out a sigh and began to speak.
“It is because of our sect's martial arts.”
“Your martial arts?”
“Most of our sect's arts were created with a focus on variation and layering. Therefore, they require an immense consumption of qi.”
One of the elders nodded.
“When you get old and your energy wanes, you can't perform them even if you want to.”
The other elders each added a word.
“Moreover, the method of circulation is tricky. If your qi is disrupted even by mistake, it leads directly to qi deviation. Like a double-edged spear.”
“We pride ourselves that their power is second to none, but they are just as dangerous.”
Dan Ak-seon tilted his head.
“That's very strange.”