Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Searching for Clues
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After returning from Shanxi Province, I lived comfortably in Zhengzhou County.
I spent my time accumulating internal energy, sparring with Seong Je, Seong Hwi, and Guyang Su, and meeting with Hwangbo Yeon.
Recently, the one who had improved by leaps and bounds was Seong Hwi.
I had been deliberately harsh in our spars, and the brilliant Seong Hwi used it as nourishment to advance his swordsmanship.
He had already reached the boundary between a first-rate and a peak-level master.
“Hwi.”
I stopped our spar and sat down across from him.
He looked at me, his eyes sparkling.
“From now on, you must be calm when you extend your sword. You need to think about the next move before you execute a technique. Honestly, you don’t need to do that against those weaker than you. But if you face a master a level above, you could be defeated right there.”
“What do you mean by thinking about the next move?”
“I mean you need to anticipate how your opponent will react when you execute a sword technique.”
“That sounds difficult. Until now, I’ve only focused on executing the techniques perfectly to kill my opponent.”
“Exactly. From now on, while it’s important to perfectly master the techniques through physical training, it’s also crucial to conduct virtual duels through meditation. It’s a very difficult task, but give it a try. It will surely help. But you must never lose your confidence. Understand?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Keep trying, and if it doesn't work, come find me again.”
I patted his shoulder in encouragement and stood up.
“If I do that, can I become as strong as you, Young Master?”
“If grueling patience and effort are combined with innate talent and a bit of luck.”
“Whew, that sounds incredibly tough.”
“You were born with talent, so strive and strive again. And if you desire it earnestly, luck will find you.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
Seong Hwi held his sword inverted and gave me a cupped fist salute.
His demeanor was like that of a disciple addressing his master.
After encouraging Seong Hwi to work harder, I was leaving the training grounds when I ran into my brother, Guyang Su.
“Incredible. That kid Seong Hwi is fiercely determined. It’s all thanks to you.”
“And you, brother?”
“I’ve realized I definitely have no talent for martial arts.”
It was unfortunate, but what Guyang Su said was true.
He had now been surpassed even by Seong Hwi.
“But you have the ability to manage the clan.”
“That’s the steward’s job. Hah.”
Guyang Su, with his positive disposition, wasn’t too discouraged.
He had known for a long time that he lacked a natural talent for martial arts.
“The Captain of the Emperor's Sword Guard, Seong Hwi, and I will train the warriors and work to ensure no other factions look down on the Ouyang Clan, so you just manage the main house well. In some ways, that’s more important.”
“Thanks.”
Guyang Su smiled brightly and patted my head.
For a moment, a strange feeling washed over me. ‘What is this?’
I had lived for eighty-two years, but this was a first.
I quickly pushed his hand away.
“Ah, sorry. Our Cheon is all grown up now, I made a mistake. It just reminded me of the old days. When you were this small.”
A faint memory of my parents, who had passed away when I was young, patting my head surfaced.
I thought I had completely forgotten, but I had such memories from my past life after all.
“Are you upset? I said I’m sorry.”
When I remained silent, he apologized again.
“No. It’s okay. I just remembered something from long ago. Something I’d completely forgotten.”
“How old are you to be talking about things being ‘completely forgotten’? You’re a total old man in a kid’s body.”
Guyang Su burst out laughing.
That evening.
After dinner, just as I was about to stand up to circulate my energy, Pure appeared.
Seeing her, I smiled in welcome.
“Sit.”
She sat down gracefully across from me.
“What is it? Is the Demon-Slaying Pavilion offering 500,000 nyang?”
“Were you really expecting that?”
“Just kidding. As if a man like Jo Jin-ryang would ever give that away.”
“You’re very strange, Affectionate. You seem to know Pavilion Master Jo really well. Not in a way that you’ve learned through information, but as if you’ve dealt with him personally.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. So, what’s the matter?”
“An order came down from the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion.”
Pure handed me an envelope she was holding.
I tore open the envelope, calmly read the letter inside, then lifted my head to look at her.
“Pure. What do you think?”
“Before that, I believe we can find a lead on the Dark Blood Heaven Cult by reinvestigating the Black Serpent Tower that you destroyed, Affectionate.”
“The Demon-Dispelling Pavilion doesn’t know I’m Affectionate, do they?”
“Of course not. Secrecy is key here. If an executioner’s identity were to be revealed, the unorthodox factions wouldn’t stand idly by. Many executioners would be assassinated. That’s why not even the heads of the Demon-Dispelling and Demon-Slaying Pavilions try to learn the executioners’ identities.”
As I nodded silently, Pure continued her explanation.
“The Dark Blood Heaven Cult has been supplied with people through human trafficking to continue their vicious experiments. The result is their ability to move even after their demonic acupoints have been struck. There are probably many such incidents still happening.”
“Go on.”
“The Alliance has strengthened its patrols and surveillance with all its might, and thanks to that, reports of human trafficking have drastically decreased.”
“So the bastards are pulling their heads in like turtles and watching. But I doubt they’d give up.”
“Yes. That’s why we’re also checking rural villages periodically.”
“Excellent. By pressuring and tracking them like that, we should be able to identify their movements. By the way, is Strategist Zhuge still in his position?”
“No. He has stepped down from his position as strategist.”
“What do you mean? Zhuge Mun-hyeon stepped down? How on earth is that fool Yang Cheon-rin handling things?”
Only after slamming my fist on the table did I realize my mistake.
“Ah, my mistake. Sorry. The Dark Blood Heaven Cult got me a little worked up.”
A look of intrigue appeared on Pure’s face.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“My apologies. I’ll continue. Sir Zhuge—no, Master Zhuge requested to resign after the former Alliance Leader passed away, saying he wanted to rest. The Alliance Leader told him to take a temporary break, so he should be back within a few months.”
I nodded slowly.
I had been worried the Martial Arts Alliance might fall into disarray, but it seemed Yang Cheon-rin was managing things well.
‘Right. Cheon-rin may not be exceptional in martial arts, but he was always good at administration.’
I nodded slowly.
In truth, Yang Cheon-rin was not weak.
In fact, he was a powerful master, strong enough to be ranked among the top ten masters under heaven.
But in my eyes, he was still lacking.
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
“This could take a long time. And if things go wrong, we could be pursued by them. Please decide carefully.”
“I’ve decided.”
“If we run into major trouble, I won’t be able to help you.”
“You’re just a liaison. The important thing is to relay information to the Alliance. If you have any thought of saving an executioner, or any feelings of guilt, discard them. They will interfere with the mission.”
“You’re so cold. Or should I say ruthless?”
“It’s how I’ve lived.”
“Are you confident?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you confident even if a powerful martial artist appears?”
“Well, if it’s a Transcendent Realm master, I’ll have to run. Even a seasoned Transcendent Peak master with vast internal energy would be tough. As for the rest, they wouldn’t dare face me.”
“Is it possible to escape from a Transcendent Realm master?”
Pure’s eyes widened.
It was common knowledge in the martial world that a Transcendent Peak or a peak-level master could not escape from a Transcendent Realm master.
The gap in their martial prowess was that immense.
Since meeting me, she was experiencing more and more surprises.
“The Transcendent Realm. It’s not that big of a deal. Hmm, it sounds awkward for me, a mere peak-level master, to say this. Anyway, if I’m determined to escape, I can get away. Of course, if he desperately tries to catch me, I’ll also suffer heavy damage, but I’m confident I can escape from him nonetheless.”
“You truly are a peculiar person, Affectionate.”
“Let’s go. Wait. I’ll go say my farewells.”
“Yes.”
I stood up and left the room.
Pure remained seated, unmoving, replaying the conversation we just had.
‘The more I think about it, the stranger it gets. Affectionate definitely knows Pavilion Master Jo, the Alliance Leader, and the Strategist. And he knows them very well. How is that possible? And can a peak-level master really escape from a Transcendent Realm master? Is that even possible?’
Unable to comprehend it, Pure shook her head.
-Pure. Let’s go.
A moment later.
When my voice reached her via sound transmission from outside, Pure, who was sitting gracefully in the room, blurred and vanished.
Soga Village, on the outskirts of Zhengzhou County.
Returning here with Pure, I was filled with a sense of nostalgia.
The streets were still filthy, and ruffians and wastrels loitered about.
Some of them started to hit on Pure.
“Get lost, if you don’t want to die!”
Seeing the killing intent in Pure’s eyes, they fled.
They were thugs who didn’t know the first thing about martial arts.
For people like them, simply circulating a bit of internal energy and revealing one’s killing intent is enough to make them tremble in fear.
As we walked along the road, a red gate came into view.
“That’s the house. But it’s been quite some time. Do you think there will be any clues left?”
“I’ll find them. Affectionate, please watch for enemies outside. Just in case.”
“I will.”
I took the lead, opened the gate, and entered the manor.
Traces of my fight with them were left untouched everywhere.
It seemed they had completely sealed off and abandoned this place.
“Wait a moment. I’ll search the inside.”
As the words left my mouth, my body vanished like smoke.
She stood silently in her spot.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“You’re finished already? It hasn’t even been a short while.”
“A short while is long enough. I’ll be faster from now on. There’s no one inside, so search for clues without worry.”
“Got it.”
She gave a slight nod and slowly made her way inside.
While she searched the interior, I searched the exterior.
I had never done this kind of work before.
But having dealt with the unorthodox factions for a long time, I knew their habits well, so I thought I might find something if I looked calmly.
No matter how cautious they were, if they used this place for a long time, they must have left a trace.
That’s only natural for humans.
The only question was whether one could find that trace or not.
‘If a clue is to be found, Pure will probably be the one to find it.’
The probability of an important clue being inside rather than outside was higher.
We continued our search until evening, but no satisfactory clues turned up.
Blue Moon Inn.
It was getting late, so we stopped at an inn for a meal.
We got a private room to talk comfortably.
“Don’t be too disappointed. Finding clues isn’t an easy task.”
“I’m not disappointed. This is just the beginning. You’re the one who shouldn’t get tired, Affectionate.”
“Wow, so there’s this side to you, Pure?”
“Of course. Perseverance and tenacity. Those are the words that define me. I never give up.”
Contrary to her pretty appearance, she had a strong will.
“Affectionate.”
“Yes?”
“You said you annihilated the Black Serpent Tower, right? Did you get anything from there?”
“A lot. Treasures, gold, silver, elixirs. I sold them all. Oh, and this.”
I untied the Ghost Soul Sword from my waist and handed it to her.
“It’s the sword used by the master of the Black Serpent Tower, Ghost Wolf. It’s a fine sword. Quite useful.”
She examined the Ghost Soul Sword with sharp eyes before returning it to me.
I tied the Ghost Soul Sword back to my waist and asked.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing. I just had a thought, but it seems I was wrong.”
“How are you planning to investigate from now on?”
“We’ll have to tear apart and break down the walls, floors, and ceilings.”
“Good grief. Just hearing about it makes my head spin.”
Searching a large manor in such a way was easier said than done. It was no ordinary task.
“You should get some sleep early. We start bright and early tomorrow.”
“Alright. I’ll be on my best guard duty tomorrow too.”
After finishing our meal, I stood up with her.
The thought of tearing the entire manor apart already gave me a headache.