Chapter 70: Expert
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: Expert
Seol Baek-ho, the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, turned to look at the Chief Officer, Seol Su-hyeok.
“Do you think the kids are enjoying their trip?”
“I’m sure they are, aren’t they?”
“Why are you so curious about that?”
Hong Ye-hwa, the Ice Queen, entered the Palace Lord’s Hall.
“What? Do you miss your daughter already?”
“Well, it’s just that…”
“It hasn’t even been fifteen days since they left.”
“I’m just saying it would be nice if they sent a carrier pigeon or something.”
“I just hope you haven’t made any strange demands of them.”
Strange demands?
He hadn’t even thought about making any.
Come to think of it, he didn’t necessarily have to make demands of Hyeok Ryeon-yeom and Seol Yerin directly.
“Hehe.”
“That look… you’re planning something again, aren’t you?”
Hong Ye-hwa caught on immediately.
“Husband. If you find out anything, you must share it with me, understood?”
He flinched.
“O-Of course.”
That was what he told his wife, but he was already sending a secret voice transmission to Seol Su-hyeok.
—Dispatch a master of stealth who can tail Hyeok Ryeon-yeom and Seol Yerin.
—…Are you serious, My Lord?
—I am dead serious.
The Chief Officer sighed. If the Young Palace Lord ever found out about this…
‘I don’t even want to think about it.’
But orders were orders.
At that same time, in the Demonic Cult.
“This is the rumor currently spreading through the Central Plains.”
—The Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace and the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult are set to be wed.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Hyeok Ryeon-geuk, the eldest son of the Heavenly Demon and the First Young Master, frowned at the report from Byeok Tae-san, the Young Family Head of the Thunder Demon Family.
“It seems the rumors are being exaggerated.”
“So, you’re saying… many people now believe Hyeok Ryeon-yeom will become the Young Cult Leader?”
“No, it’s more that many people are mistaking the Third Young Master for the Young Cult Leader.”
“……The Family Head of the Yayul family said he attended the engagement ceremony, didn’t he?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Did he have anything else to report?”
“No, nothing. He only conveyed that the Third Young Master is doing well.”
Hyeok Ryeon-geuk tilted his head. He found it impossible to believe that Yayul Cheon-woong had met the Third Young Master and had nothing else to say.
“How can that be?”
The heads of the Five Great Demon Families were men who did their utmost to drag down the Cult Leader’s sons. Only by suppressing the Hyeok Ryeon family could a Cult Leader emerge from one of the other Demon Families.
“I can only assume Hyeok Ryeon-yeom did something with the Soft Jade Poison Demon.”
“I’ll have to meet with Yayul Jin.”
He had been curious about how that brat Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was living.
“First Hyeok Ryeon-mu, and now Yayul Cheon-woong.”
Everyone who returned from meeting Hyeok Ryeon-yeom seemed to change, even if only slightly.
“Has the wedding date been set?”
“Not yet.”
“I should deal with him then. What about Hyeok Ryeon-mu?”
“Well… they say he has headed into the Central Plains.”
“What?”
“I’m told Hyeok Ryeon-yeom and the Young Palace Lord of the Ice Palace have set out on a tour of the Central Plains.”
“Is that so?”
Then there was no need to wait.
“Send some of our people into the Central Plains.”
“…Shall I send men from the Thunder Demon Family?”
“Yes. Blow everything up.”
“…How shall we handle the aftermath?”
“I will soon ascend to the position of Young Cult Leader. Will that suffice?”
“Yes, Young Cult Leader.”
Byeok Tae-san, the Young Family Head of the Thunder Demon Family, gave a fist salute.
Unbeknownst to him, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had become the target of many. He was currently finishing his preparations to leave the Yulin Inn.
“You should be going now.”
Yu So-dong, the owner of the Yulin Inn, issued a polite dismissal to the Mount Hua ruffians.
“…Are you sure?”
“Yes. I never imagined you seniors would help me like this.”
Thanks to them, the Yulin Inn had been fully booked for the first time since its founding. It was the result of promoting the inn alongside the members of the Seol family.
The Mount Hua ruffians spoke with sincerity after hearing Yu So-dong’s words.
“We’re sorry.”
They were apologizing for the way they had tormented Yu So-dong in the past.
“…Are you serious?”
These men, who had never uttered an apology in their lives until they were excommunicated, were actually apologizing. Yu So-dong couldn’t believe his ears.
“After working with you, we realized how difficult your job is.”
“…I’ve always known how hard things have been for you seniors as well. That’s why I gave you the money you asked for without saying a word.”
Yu So-dong hadn’t spoken of it, but he knew well that the Mount Hua Sect was in dire straits. Like any prestigious Orthodox sect, the Mount Hua Sect needed money to function. They barely managed to operate on donations and small offerings received in exchange for protecting local shops.
However, at some point, the number of shops relying on Mount Hua began to dwindle, and the offerings decreased along with them.
In the midst of that…
‘There was also what happened with me.’
Yu So-dong recalled the time he was excommunicated. Because of his actions, Mount Hua had faced significant difficulties for a while. He understood the spite and resentment of his seniors, who must have borne the brunt of that damage.
Un-sang hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I hope you know that the reason we came all this way wasn’t just for the money.”
“When we return to Mount Hua, I’ll try to bring up the subject of your reinstatement.”
Yu So-dong shook his head.
“It’s alright.”
His life now wasn’t so bad. If one looked only at the result, the reason Yu So-dong had been excommunicated boiled down to one thing. There were many reasons and circumstances, but in the end, it was because of money. He had no money to pay back Mount Hua, and no opportunity to even lead a normal life.
He was truly grateful that his dantian and meridians hadn't been severed when he was excommunicated.
“I will live my life, and you seniors should live yours.”
“Good grief. Look at them, putting on quite a show for themselves.”
Weizhi Young sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the Mount Hua ruffians converse.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom chuckled at her remark and spoke.
“Well, everyone has their own circumstances. Let’s get ready to head out.”
The others were already in the carriage. All that was left was to depart.
—Keke, come to think of it, didn't you say a few days ago that there would be no reason to fight?
—You should call it an ambush, Master!
An ambush?
Swish—!
Martial artists suddenly burst into the Yulin Inn. Masked men drew their swords, swinging them with the clear intent to kill anyone in sight.
Despite the sudden attack, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom did not panic.
“Flame Connection.”
First, he burned away the masks of the assailants.
“Aaaargh!”
At the sound of the screams, those inside the carriage stepped out.
“We’ll handle the enemies nearby!”
As the masks and the fronts of their black robes caught fire, their faces were revealed, along with the hems of the uniforms they wore underneath. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the attire.
If those are the uniforms…
“Zhongnan?”
The Zhongnan Sect?
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked puzzled. Why on earth would the Zhongnan Sect attack this place?
Just then, he heard the voices of the Mount Hua ruffians.
“S-Stop it!”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned toward the sound and saw the inn being demolished. He quickly scanned the surroundings to assess the situation.
First, the Zhongnan warriors were destroying the inn while fighting the Mount Hua ruffians.
Second, he looked toward Seol Yerin, Cheon Deung-jin, and the Divine Physician. If the attackers were targeting them, they would have gone for one of those three. But no one was rushing toward them.
In that case…
‘Is their goal really just to destroy the inn?’
What was so special about this place?
—Keke, isn't the answer simple? Just look back at the way we came.
At the Sword Venerable’s words, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked back in the direction they had traveled.
Ah, he understood.
The location of this inn occupied the only passage leading north. It was a prime location, a natural fortress. The two sects that dominated Shaanxi were the Zhongnan Sect and the Mount Hua Sect. There was a reason why Zhongnan was attacking Mount Hua’s interests.
“Senior Un-sang!”
Slash—!
A Zhongnan sword lunged toward the Mount Hua disciple. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom called out to the Little Snow Unit.
“Help them.”
“Yes, Captain!”
He wondered if it was right to save Mount Hua from the Zhongnan ambush, but if nothing else, he had to repay Yu So-dong. The innkeeper had helped them rest comfortably for two days.
Whoosh—!
Flames erupted. The soaring sparks began to scorch the Zhongnan warriors. He had already told Seol Yerin not to use her ice arts. If word got out that Ice Palace martial artists had entered the Central Plains, it would likely cause a lot of trouble.
“The flames…”
The fire bloomed. The masked men were being burned.
“Change targets! Deploy the Sword Formation!”
The problem was…
Slash—!
As Tae Un-seo swung his kitchen knife, the limbs of the masked men were severed.
Shuck, shuck!
The daggers thrown by Weizhi Young pierced the throats of the assailants.
Boom!
A great sword sent the masked men flying.
“……”
Yu So-dong’s expression grew increasingly grim. The Yulin Inn was being half-demolished in the chaos.
Byeok Ra-jung, an Elder of the Zhongnan Sect, could not understand the current situation. He had only intended to seize a single inn.
‘I only knew that third-generation disciples of Mount Hua were visiting.’
He never imagined there would be other martial artists among the guests. Furthermore…
‘Every single one of them is an expert!’
To make matters worse, one of them seemed to practice sorcery, as men were collapsing everywhere with their bodies on fire.
“Dammit!”
Realizing they were on the verge of annihilation, he unleashed the Thirty-Six Swords of the World. He targeted the three who were cutting down the Zhongnan disciples.
He swung his sword toward the man wielding the great sword.
Boundless Heaven!
A surging wave of sword strikes began to batter the great sword repeatedly.
“Ugh!”
Baek Mu-yong, startled by the momentum, retreated.
“Warrior Baek!”
Weizhi Young saw this and threw a succession of daggers, but…
Whoosh!
Byeok Ra-jung blew all the daggers away with a gust of sword wind and closed in on her. It was the speed expected of a Zhongnan Elder. At this rate, Weizhi Young’s life was in danger.
Clang!
Screeeech—
‘A kitchen knife?’
Byeok Ra-jung’s sword was blocked by a kitchen knife. However, the knife held by the man with the ghostly eyes…
Hummmm—
…could not withstand the true qi erupting from the sword.
Crack!
As the kitchen knife shattered, Tae Un-seo’s face went blank with shock.
“Die—!”
Just then…
Flutter—
A butterfly landed on the sword.
‘What—?’
Boom!
In an instant, the sword exploded, and Byeok Ra-jung quickly leaped back. A man dressed in black robes had stepped in front of the three. It was the man who had used sorcery to create flames.
“…That is not the kind of martial art a mere guest would possess.”
“And you people don’t look like the type who would wear masks and ambush an inn like this, do you?”
Byeok Ra-jung surveyed the scene. The inn was already a wreck, and the Mount Hua martial artists had retreated, bleeding. The Zhongnan warriors were also facing off behind Byeok Ra-jung.
‘The objective has been achieved.’
The inn was destroyed, but there were too many witnesses to this scene. Moreover, since they had used Zhongnan sword techniques…
‘I must kill them to silence them.’
Otherwise, news of this would spread not only to Mount Hua but throughout the entire martial world. Above all, Mount Hua must not find out. It could reignite the conflict between Zhongnan and Mount Hua, whose relationship was already strained.
“That look in your eyes… it says you need to kill us all, but things have gone wrong.”
“Mount Hua… will not take this lightly!”
Un-sang, the leader of the Mount Hua ruffians who had been struggling to survive, shouted at the masked men.
“…You are rushing to your deaths.”
The battle, which had been in a lull, resumed at Byeok Ra-jung’s word. They still had the advantage in numbers. Byeok Ra-jung judged that if he could just deal with the man using sorcery, he could win this fight.
Just then…
Crack, crack, crack—!
“Aaargh!”
“I-It’s cold.”
“I’m freezing!”
The disciples behind him began to scream.
“Is it… still not over?”
In an instant, dozens of men were transformed into ice statues.
“An expert… who uses ice arts?”
Seol Yerin, tired of waiting in the carriage, had entered the inn.