Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: A Case of Mistaken Identity
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Damn it! For crying out loud! Gods above, why are you putting me through this trial?!
Jang Sam looked up at the sky, his face aghast.
The clear sky seemed to say, Ive done nothing wrong.
And it was right.
The shitty situation Jang Sam currently faced was solely the fault of that devil, Wi Ji-cheon.
To explain what kind of situation Jang Sam was in
You fiend! Weve finally caught you! The sword of Mount Hua will not forgive you!
Clang!
A group of gallant young martial artists had their swords pointed at Jang Sam.
They looked to be in their mid-twenties.
Despite their relative youth, their auras were formidable.
The young man at the forefront, in particular, had an incredibly profound gaze, and it was clear at a glance that he was more skilled than Jang Sam.
Surprisingly, he was a master nearing the Peak level.
But setting all that aside, what made Jang Sams heart plummet was the insignia embroidered on the young mens robes.
It was a plum blossom.
Their swords also bore the image of a plum blossom.
They were the famous Plum Blossom Swords.
No one who set foot in the martial world could fail to recognize them.
Do the young heroes of Mount Hua have some business with this Jang?
Silence, you fiend! Did you think we wouldnt know youre the Killer Ghost of Xi'an who has harmed countless innocent lives?! Weve finally caught you!
No, you goddamn bastards! Me, a killer ghost?!
Jang Sam barely suppressed the urge to curse and twitched his lips.
As unfair as it was, the young disciples of Mount Hua had their reasons for branding Jang Sam a fiend.
It was because of Wi Ji-cheon.
He left so much demonic energy behind, of course these bastards would be drawn to it! I told you I was worried, you damn devil!!
Right after they left Nanyang, Wi Ji-cheon had dropped a bombshell on him.
-Jang-ga.
-Yes, Young Master.
-What? Are you upset because I called you Jang-ga? I just called a Jang fellow, Jang-ga.
-Not at all. The Young Master is absolutely right. I am indeed a Jang fellow.
That bastard isn't human; he's a devil's spawn. Jang Sam was in the middle of this mental discipline when Wi Ji-cheon spoke again.
-Do you think Ive been too harsh on you?
-Not at all.
Making him a joint guarantor, feeding him poison, working him to the bone in countless ways
Though numerous hardships hed suffered because of Wi Ji-cheon flashed through his mind, Jang Sam shook his head.
He was terrified of what would happen if he answered yes.
Of course, as always, it didnt matter what Jang Sam said.
-No, I think I might have been a little too harsh. Ill give you a gift instead.
-A g-gift? It-its quite all right!
-You dont want to accept it?
-No. I will gratefully accept it if you give it.
As Wi Ji-cheon stared and questioned him, Jang Sam had no choice but to swallow his tears and nod.
He was offering a gift, yet only fear washed over him.
But then.
-Ill help you reach the Peak level.
-!!
Jang Sams eyes wavered.
The Peak level!
A realm he had only dreamed of.
Jang Sam was currently at a mature stage of the First-rate level, but that didnt mean he would reach the Peak level anytime soon.
Even if the gap was paper-thin, countless martial artists failed to cross that wall and never reached the Peak in their entire lives.
-What? You dont want to?
-Not at all! If you can help me reach the Peak, I will serve you as my benefactor for the rest of my life!
He was sincere.
The title of a Peak level master was worth that much.
He could forget all the sorrows he had endured at Wi Ji-cheons hands.
-Good. A resolve like that means youll follow my instructions completely, right?
-Pardon?
-You know better than anyone that you dont have what it takes to reach the Peak. So what must you do to get there? You have to forcibly break your limits.
Wi Ji-cheon continued speaking nonchalantly.
His tone was like that of a doctor saying, This is just a mild cold, so this herbal tonic should be good.
-If you keep hovering between life and death, youll naturally overcome your limits.
-!!
And that was the beginning of Jang Sams hell.
Aaargh! You devil! I swear Ill kill you one day!
Benefactor, his ass.
Only resentment piled up.
What was even more infuriating was
That devil bastard is he just using my training as an excuse to practice on me like a wooden dummy?
He had a strong feeling that was the case!
The more he beat no, instructed Jang Sam, the more refined his movements became.
It was unbelievable, but it was true.
The difference in their levels was so vast that Jang Sam hadnt noticed, but until now, there had been something awkward about Wi Ji-cheons movements.
It was because he hadnt adapted to his younger body.
But by sparring with Jang Sam, he had warmed up and fully adapted to his current form.
I will never forgive you, Wi Ji-cheon!!!
Of course, Wi Ji-cheons guidance wasnt entirely without effect.
No, in fact, it was helping him tremendously.
Jang Sam crossed the threshold of life and death several times a day, forcibly squeezing out his limits as if scraping the bottom of his aptitude.
Thanks to that, he was approaching the Peak level, even if it was at a snails pace.
At this rate, maybe I really can reach the Peak?
Forgetting all the beatings he had taken, a sliver of gratitude began to creep into his mind when disaster struck.
The disciples of Mount Hua, having seen the traces of demonic energy Wi Ji-cheon had left during their spars, had come flocking.
I am not a demonic practitioner!
Silence! How dare you lie?! If you are not a fiend, then who is?! Just looking at you, its clear youre a vicious fiend who has mastered demonic arts!
Dont judge a person by their looks! I was born with this face from my parents!
Jang Sam wanted to cry.
Its not my demonic energy, its that devil Wi Ji-cheons!
If anything, Jang Sam was just the innocent(?) victim who had been thoroughly beaten by that demonic energy.
He wanted to confess the truth right away, but who would believe that the angelic-looking child was such a devil?
What a wretched world.
A hundred out of a hundred people would point to the fierce-looking Jang Sam and call him the demonic practitioner.
Damn it, I cant just get into a brawl with the disciples of Mount Hua. That I, Jang Sam, the hegemon of southern Nanyang, should suffer such humiliation!
Jang Sam may be an absolute tyrant in southern Nanyang, but he was a wise man who knew when to bow his head.
He forced a smile that felt like chewing on dung and was trying to resolve the situation through dialogue.
Oh? Whats going on? Masters from the Mount Hua Sect?
Wi Ji-cheon, who had been nowhere to be seen, suddenly appeared.
He tilted his head with his characteristic bright expression.
The disciples of the Mount Hua Sect urgently shouted.
Young friend! Hes a vicious fiend, stay away from him!
That fiend might target the boy! Everyone, protect him!
From Jang Sams perspective, the reaction was infuriating.
You stupid, blockheaded Taoists! Protect who? And you call yourselves one of the Five Great Daoist Sects of the martial world?! What a waste of the eyes in your heads!
Wi Ji-cheon shook his head.
Masters, I think there has been some misunderstanding. Great Hero Jang Sam over there is with me, and hes not a demonic practitioner.
He is with you? Are you perhaps being threatened by that fiend?
Haha, not at all. Great Hero Jang Sam is a famous hero in Nanyang. If you mention the Hegemon of Southern Nanyang, there isnt a soul on the southern streets who doesnt know him.
The Hegemon of Southern Nanyang that sounds like a rather grand title.
Thats because hes a truly great hero. Even though hes from the underworld, he performs many good deeds and is praised by the people.
Hmm. I see. It seems we were mistaken. Everyone, lower your swords!
Clang!
Although the crisis was averted, Jang Sam couldnt help but feel his insides churning for a different reason.
They hadnt paid him any mind no matter how much he protested, but a few words from Wi Ji-cheon and they immediately acquiesced.
However, there was a reason the Mount Hua disciples were so easily fooled.
Cheongsong gazed at the boy.
His eyes are full of profound spirit. Its hard to find a disciple with such spirit even in our sect.
Cheongsong was the head disciple among the third-generation disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.
A prodigy who carried the sects expectations on his shoulders, he even had the extravagant title of the Little Dragon of Mount Hua.
The moment he saw Wi Ji-cheon, he could tell.
Hes a Vessel of the Dao. And a deep and vast one, incomparable to the likes of me.
If Jang Sam had heard that assessment, he would have screamed, Gouge your eyes out, you blockhead!
He seems to have learned martial arts, but its strange.
Cheongsong tilted his head.
The internal energy he had accumulated seemed meager.
It was at a level lower than even the much younger fourth-generation disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.
And yet, his posture was strangely stable.
Like a martial artist whose body had been steeped in the martial way through long years of training.
Young friend, may I ask what school you belong to?
Im the third son of the Medical Immortal Medical House, a medical sect in Nanyang.
Ah, so youre a physician?
Yes, I just went through the Medical Examination Ceremony and became an apprentice physician. I learned my familys martial arts. I was on my way to Xi'an on an errand for the Medical Alliance branch.
Medical Immortal Medical House.
The name was unfamiliar.
It had once been the Worlds Greatest Medical House, but much time had passed since then.
Because they had left such a massive mark on the world of medicine, they were still talked about among doctors, but not by people in other fields.
Enough time had passed for them to be forgotten by those unacquainted with medicine.
Still, seeing as they have a disciple like him, it must be a fine medical house.
You can know ten things by seeing one.
Such profound spirit wasnt something anyone could possess. To be honest, he was tempted to invite him to join the Mount Hua Sect.
He was sure the boy would be a great physician as well.
Cheongsong spoke to the young friend he had just met with a great deal of favor.
You said youre going to Xi'an? Then you should be careful.
Is something happening in Xi'an?
A fiend of unknown identity has appeared. A terrible murderer who preys on helpless women and children, taking their lives. You could become a target, young friend.
Oh my. How could such a terrible thing happen?
We were chasing that fiend when this incident occurred. We found traces of demonic energy nearby. You said your name was Great Hero Jang? I apologize for what happened earlier.
Im fine.
When a disciple of the great Mount Hua Sect apologizes, what could he do if he wasnt fine?
Jang Sam ground his teeth and forced a smile.
Wait a minute. How did those Mount Hua guys find the demonic energy and get here?
Thinking about it, something was strange.
Wi Ji-cheon, that terrifying devil, making a rookie mistake like leaving traces of demonic energy?
A chill ran down Jang Sams spine.
Could it be that devil deliberately lured the Mount Hua guys here?
He was right.
Wi Ji-cheon was whistling inwardly.
I never thought the Mount Hua guys would take the bait. What a catch.