Chapter 45
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Shandong Yak Clan and Qing Province Bi Clan
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Qing Province Bi Clan.
Just looking at the extraordinary name, one might imagine a prestigious martial family, but strictly speaking, they were a minor house even among mid-sized and small sects.
Qing Province, which once held one of the pillars of the Nine Provinces, was now known as Qingju Prefecture and had devolved into an inner domain.
Moreover, the Bi Clan—which had produced an imperial consort—had forged ties with the imperial house and boasted a deep history, but it was all glory from bygone days.
"Hah... hah..."
A maidservant gasping for breath. The young man relentlessly pressing forward ahead of her was none other than the young lord of the Qing Province Bi Clan.
"C-come with me! Young master!"
"I told you to wait instead of following."
A handsome, tall youth.
Was it due to the uneven ground beneath his feet? His broad shoulders and great height stood out even more, a perfect embodiment of the famed sturdy build of Bi Juseong.
"Take it slow."
Of course, once outside Qing Province, no one would recognize him.
Just like his clan.
Bi Juseong, who had just turned seventeen this year, climbed an anonymous hill.
To be precise, it was a mountain that had lost its name.
His recent days had been relentlessly busy without a single day's break, yet even at this late hour, he sought out traces of his ancestral clan.
"Hngh..."
Accompanied by a single young maidservant.
"Let's rest a bit before going on."
The traces he spoke of were a kind of tradition. Tied to the history of the Qing Province Bi Clan, it carried a tragic tale, and that long history had begun with the Shandong Yak Clan.
The Shandong Yak Clan, renowned for their spear arts.
A family that stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the two hegemon clans of Shandong, boasting exceptional talents.
From that time, they had maintained close ties with the military and preserved their lineage through truly long ages. It was their foundation and their everything.
"I feel alive again. But did it have to be today, young master?"
"No time. Things will get even busier once the gathering starts."
"You should rest before it gets busier. Right on time."
"It's a matter of life and death for the main house."
The clan's fortunes, which had been endlessly declining, had finally found a turning point.
The Later Generation Heroes Gathering.
While the Murim Alliance oversaw the entire event, the Qing Province Bi Clan had been entrusted with an unprecedentedly important duty.
The Murim Alliance hadn't pinned any special expectations on them in assigning this.
Martial artists from every sect in murim.
From detachments, troops, and squads, forces befitting their influence lined up to enter Qingju Prefecture.
With an estimated several thousand in number, no sect could possibly accommodate them all anyway.
'Even the Nine Great Sects and One Gang or the Six Great Clans have limited space for guests.'
In the midst of the intensifying power struggle between the Seo Mun Clan and Hwang Bo Clan—whether expected or not—being selected as the third party was something to be grateful for.
And it was an opportunity that wouldn't come twice.
A chance to spread the family name far and wide, to reverse their plummeting fortunes.
"If it goes well."
Even looking at Qingju Prefecture as a whole, it was unprecedented to accept so many people and goods.
Endless processions naturally brought money in their wake, so no amount of preparation was enough.
"So you're holding the rite for that?"
"Not an official one, but I thought I'd pay respects to the ancestors and plead my case."
The place the two had arrived at was the vast estate once held by the Shandong Yak Clan.
The grand grounds embracing the hill testified to their lost glory, and rather than bury it in the past, the Qing Province Bi Clan held memorial rites here every year.
For visiting this old land on impulse, the pair had come lightly prepared, but these days, even reaching it was no easy task.
Ever since the Yak Clan was exterminated, their lands had become barren wasteland.
The reason not a single blade of grass grew was because they had been branded rebels.
Though they had shed the stigma by producing an imperial consort after the heavens changed, the place remained uninhabitable.
Bone-Melting Powder was that terrifying.
An atrocious poison said not even to leave human bones behind.
The estate, crumbled by the flames of poison, left not even faint traces of its towering halls, and the deeply seeped toxins forbade any living creature from the area.
"They say it's the resentment of the ancestors. They'll surely help us this time."
"Sigh. Young master, you're too gullible for your size."
"What does size have to do with it?"
"You believe things too easily. In the jianghu, they say to beware three kinds: the elderly, children, and women. Innocent as you are, you'd fall for all three."
The girl his age was Bi Juseong's maidservant, bodyguard, and martial artist.
"Can't argue with that."
Her serving in three roles at once perfectly illustrated the Bi Clan's dire straits.
"Still, since this is purely the main house's affair, it's fine."
Yet the young lord and his servant never lost their smiles.
They navigated the treacherous terrain, gauging directions with difficulty, and soon arrived before a tiny stele.
A prayer site so modest it bordered on shabby.
Bi Juseong performed the rites with due respect.
Three sets of three bows.
Having completed the Nine Bows Rite, he fell into contemplation.
His maidservant grew solemn alongside him.
Snap.
She frowned at an unexpected presence.
"Young master..."
It would take far more years for the land to naturally purify itself.
Footsteps in a place even wild beasts avoided were unmistakably human.
"Who goes there!"
Bi Juseong gripped his spear shaft and glared into the shadows.
The full moon shone brightly, but visibility ended at ten paces, and even channeling inner energy to sharpen his sight couldn't extend it further.
"This is no place for outsiders!"
"Who is an outsider is for this old man to say."
He was an elder with a dignified bearing no less imposing than Bi Juseong's.
"If it's no place for outsiders, does that make you an insider, little brother?"
"...I am Bi Juseong. And who might you be, elder, to come here?"
"Qing Province Bi Clan, I see. This old man has no notable name to reveal. What use is the name of a dying geezer? I've come to pay respects to an old friend, so don't be so stiff."
The elder clutching a wine bottle was dressed plainly.
As if questioning his intentions, the two exchanged glances, and with the vigilant maidservant behind him, Bi Juseong nodded.
"It won't take long to catch up with the Yak Clan fellow, so would you wait a moment? I have a few questions myself."
The tension eased from his grip on the spear.
"Very well."
Courteous words as well.
"Fine weather, fine wine."
As expected, the elder didn't take even a full incense stick's time.
"Now then. Where should we start?"
"Speak freely, elder."
Bi Juseong couldn't hide his delight.
"Heh heh, what a friendly lad. Reminds me of the Yak Clan boy's youth. But as that girl said, in the jianghu, you must beware three types."
The maidservant flinched. He had overheard their conversation from the start.
She hadn't sensed him at all earlier. Contrary to his plain garb, he was no ordinary man.
"Ha ha! You're of my grandfather's generation and called me 'little brother' besides."
The long-awaited stroke of luck had been worth the hard journey.
The elder was a martial artist of unfathomable level.
'If we could invite him as a guest elder for the main house, it would be perfect.'
Such a coincidence was rare, and though he didn't know the exact connection to the Yak Clan, the current Qing Province Bi Clan desperately needed even the smallest aid.
"Then, relying on your kindness, let me ask a few things. I hear the Later Generation Heroes Gathering is being held here in Shandong?"
"Yes, that's right. Overly graciously, our clan has been tasked with it. Ah, of course, the Murim Alliance is providing support for the venue and numbers."
"The Murim Alliance?"
"Regrettably, it's beyond even our clan's full power. Ha ha."
"Don't sell yourselves short. When you belittle yourself, others follow suit. The Murim Alliance must have had reasons for entrusting you with this."
"Because of our history."
To be precise, because that's all they had.
A clan clinging to its lineage was perfect for avoiding rumors.
"With the Nine Dragons and Seven Peaks gathering, there's no separate proxy. The responsibility on our house is immense."
"I see. Indeed."
In truth, it was like hanging a signboard, but their role as the foundation of the gathering was undeniable.
"So, presuming on your goodwill, elder, I have a request...?"
Bi Juseong couldn't finish.
Whoosh.
A subtle aura rose around the seemingly ordinary elder, without any prior energy.
A rippling intent like heat haze.
It went beyond impressive—it was unpleasant.
'...Unpleasant?'
He jolted at the involuntary thought, and the softly smiling elder spoke to him.
"A pity. I rather liked this place."
"Elder?"
"Also a shame you're no swordsman."
"Get away! Young master!"
The maidservant, a step back, sensed the elder's malice first.
Snip.
Suddenly, a lock of Bi Juseong's hair was sliced off.
"Good senses, lad. Or is it thanks to that girl?"
"Sword threads?!"
Bi Juseong's shoulders heaved in shock he couldn't contain.
A feat only possible for peak experts at the fifth realm or higher.
Threads as clear as those suggested he had reached the sixth realm.
"Hm, planning to resist? I was going to let you go painlessly out of admiration for your honest nature."
"What are you doing?!"
Bi Juseong aimed his spear tip and urgently signaled with his eyes.
"I told you to beware so many times."
"..."
"A shame you're not the clan head, but no choice."
He couldn't know how much chaos the young lord's absence would cause.
"Crimson Spirit Sword Demon..."
"Enough. Die."
Thud! Tat-tat!
The woman descended the steep mountain without pause, no chance to catch her breath.
'Hah... hah!'
She had to deliver the news as quickly as possible.
While her master bought time, the maidservant who slipped away ran with tears in her eyes.
"Kuh! Hek!"
Cruelly, her body refused to obey.
Her breath rose to her throat, her legs trembled constantly.
Against a mid-realm expert, enduring three exchanges was fortunate.
Bi Juseong's death was all but certain, and her struggle was to make it not in vain.
'Ah...!'
Did they say heaven doesn't betray the diligent?
As if answering her desperate wish, lights flickered in the distance.
Man-made lights.
Yangdo County, where the Yak Clan had been based, had no sect capable of facing a demon, but with official yamen present, she could shake off the gnawing anxiety.
"Where are you rushing off to in such haste?"
She nearly stumbled.
'This quickly?!'
A voice she never wanted to hear again.
Thump!
She finally tumbled to the ground.
"Aaaack!"
Clutching her thigh pierced by finger wind.
Unable to bear the agony, tears finally fell.
She didn't want to show weakness before that loathsome face...
But on the verge of death, what use was pleasing the demon's mood?
"Troublesome. Making these old bones move. Worth it?"
"Wh-what of the young master?"
"That kid had spirit, I'll give him that."
"Y-you... vile fiend!"
"Same here."
The Crimson Spirit Sword Demon clicked his tongue.
He didn't share the peculiar tastes of other fiends, so while slicing vigorous youth held appeal, he had no desire to waste time—it was just annoying.
Swish.
Without waiting, he extended his hand.
His seven sword threads, like extensions of himself.
A peerless weapon that grew sharper the more it drank blood.
Shriek!
It flew silently.
To tear the glaring woman apart.
Halt.
The Crimson Spirit Sword Demon whipped his head around. Turning only his head with his body fixed.
"I tried not to say it, but living this long, this is my first time seeing such utterly clueless camping... I mean night lodging."
"I never told you to follow."
"Both of you, calm down."
The lights the maidservant spotted were still far off.
"If you're just going to complain, head back, Lady Dang."
"Hey, you!"
Yet the approaching voices on foot felt like a ray of light.
"Tch."
To the Crimson Spirit Sword Demon, mere irritation. It was as if another world kept its distance with idle leisure.
Ignoring the maidservant restrained in movement, he silently lunged at the man and woman in his sight.
"Watch out...!"
Before the maidservant's warning reached them.
Bam!
'What?!'
The Crimson Spirit Sword Demon disbelieved the dull sonic boom.
The blood-starved sword threads fell powerless, as if blocked by an invisible wall.
'Missed that bastard's movement?'
From the darkness, the belatedly gleaming eyes belonged to none other than Seo Mun-ha.
"...Well, looks like we found the right spot after all."