Chapter 114: Divine Thief (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Divine Thief (2)
Namgung Jun reflected on the various skills Heo Il had demonstrated so far.
‘The arts Senior Heo has mastered don’t seem like something one could learn on their own. Many aspects required a significant amount of time and experience to truly absorb.’
Only after hearing that Heo Il was a former disciple of the Divine Thief did Namgung Jun understand the depth of experience etched into every technique Heo Il used.
“My heart is pounding. If you can hear it, please pretend you can’t.”
Heo Il’s slightly trembling hand reached out and picked up his liquor flask.
The relaxed smile that always graced his face had vanished completely.
Only after watching Heo Il’s Adam's apple bob several times as he gulped down the liquor did Namgung Jun finally ask, “How did you come to know the Divine Thief?”
Was he recalling those days?
Heo Il's gaze grew hazy as he stared at the distant cluster of pavilions belonging to the Wudang Sect.
“When I woke up, I was in a completely unfamiliar place.”
“Where was it?”
“The Bihyeong Sect. It was a sect where the Divine Thief served as the sect leader. I found out later that he had kidnapped me and locked me in a dungeon.”
He had simply gone to sleep and woken up like any other day.
A shabby, cramped house. His parents and younger siblings. The wooden toy his father had carved for him.
None of the familiar things that had always been by Heo Il's side were there. Everything was foreign.
A shadowed ceiling, iron bars, and children his age huddled together, weeping.
On that day, Heo Il's tiny world collapsed.
“The Divine Thief evaluated the countless children he kidnapped according to his own methods. In the end, ten of us, including myself and Senior Brother Hong Jun, became his disciples.”
Heo Il rolled up his loose sleeves, which had been covering the backs of his hands.
As he did, the numerous scars hidden beneath the fabric were revealed.
A grim tapestry of scars ran from his fingertips all the way up to his shoulders. The shapes and depths were so varied that one could not begin to imagine the pain Heo Il must have endured.
“That was when the real training began. We learned the martial arts of the Bihyeong Sect, along with all the miscellaneous skills needed for thievery.”
Heo Il stared at the dense network of scars covering his right hand.
Every time his progress fell short or he made a mistake, he was punished by the Divine Thief, adding another scar to his body.
It was called punishment, but it was nothing short of torture.
In particular, the Divine Thief took a perverse pleasure in focusing his torture on the hands his disciples used most. He didn't care if his disciples could no longer use their arms properly or if their potential was crippled as a result.
That was the very reason the Divine Thief had chosen ten disciples.
Replacements were plentiful. Even if all ten disciples broke down and failed, he could simply kidnap more children.
It was common for the other disciples to lose the use of their hands or even their arms altogether.
The reason Heo Il managed to survive in the Bihyeong Sect was simple: he was just slightly more talented and a little luckier than the other children.
“Back then, I couldn't even tell day from night. I only felt the passage of time whenever one of my martial brothers died after failing one of the Divine Thief's missions.”
Namgung Jun remained silent, resting the Eternal Righteous Sword on his knees. It was difficult to suppress his anger, but it was also because Heo Il’s profile, seen in the dim light, looked so incredibly pained as he spoke with the help of the alcohol.
“In the end, only Senior Brother Hong Jun and I were left. Only then did the Divine Thief stop the physical punishments and focus on teaching us his skills. After two years of that, we were finally liberated from him.”
“What happened?”
“The Azure Heaven Association raided the Bihyeong Sect. It was a joint mission between the Nether-Fathoming Hall and the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Although the Bihyeong Sect was destroyed, the Divine Thief escaped alone and vanished. In the process, Heo Il and Hong Jun ended up joining the Azure Heaven Association.
“The Divine Thief stole my life, the lives of my martial brothers, and the lives of the children who died in vain without even being chosen. As a survivor of his cruelty, it is only right that I seek revenge.”
Heo Il paused as he brought the flask to his lips for another drink. The gaze Namgung Jun directed at him was incredibly intense.
Letting out a bitter chuckle, Heo Il handed the flask to Namgung Jun.
Namgung Jun accepted it without hesitation.
“I figured I would tell this story someday, but I didn't expect it to be today. It's just another ugly story, the kind you hear all the time in the Jianghu.”
“So that is why you wish to abandon the skills you learned from the Divine Thief.”
“I have no intention of completely denying the skills I've acquired. I’ll use them whenever necessary to perform righteous deeds. However, if I ever face the Divine Thief, I want to defeat him solely with my own sword.”
Heo Il traced the scabbard at his waist with his fingertips.
“Senior Brother Hong Jun called it stubborn and foolish. He said we are lesser martial artists while the Divine Thief is a master. I admit he has a point. But I simply cannot stomach the idea of taking revenge using the martial arts of the man who stole my life.”
Watching Heo Il, who had bowed his head slightly, Namgung Jun gently raised his hand.
Placing it on Heo Il's shoulder, Namgung Jun spoke.
“They wouldn’t think you’re being stubborn or foolish, Senior Heo.”
“And who are ‘they,’ Young Master Namgung?”
“The disciples whose lives were stolen by the Divine Thief, and the young children who died in vain.”
Namgung Jun's voice was filled with conviction.
“You have willingly shouldered the weight of their lives, Senior Heo. Even though it is an incredibly heavy burden.”
Namgung Jun met Heo Il's eyes. His own blue eyes burned with a fierce intensity.
“If anyone dares to mock the righteousness you carry, I will be the first to draw my sword. I will ask them who dares to look down on the path of a chivalrous hero.”
“Haha… I only seek personal revenge. How can that be called righteousness?”
“You have willingly shouldered the lives of others, and though it may seem foolish, you pursue a righteous path. How could you be anything but a chivalrous hero?”
After staring into Namgung Jun's eyes for a long moment, Heo Il threw his head back and burst into laughter. His laughter was a complex sound, laced with emotions that Namgung Jun couldn’t begin to fathom.
Yet, one thing was certain: Heo Il's expression now looked remarkably unburdened.
“Hearing you say that gives me strength, Young Master Namgung.”
Heo Il smiled. It was his usual, easygoing smile.
Seeing the smile that suited Heo Il best, Namgung Jun smiled in return.
“The Divine Thief will definitely show up this time, right?”
“He will. Since he sent a notice, he will surely appear. Though I don’t know if we will cross paths face-to-face.”
At the thought of the Divine Thief, Namgung Jun's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
“They say the most likely targets for the Divine Thief are the secret manuals of the Cloud-Ladder Steps and the Chasing Cloud Red Star. That is why security around the True Martial Pavilion, where the Wudang Sect's secret manuals are kept, will be tightened.”
“The Wudang Sect's assumption makes sense. The Divine Thief was always confident that his own Lightness Movement Art was by no means inferior to those of the Wudang and Kunlun Sects. He wanted to steal their secret manuals himself to prove which was superior.”
Heo Il pondered for a moment before speaking.
“But you know, I wonder if the Cloud-Ladder Steps and the Chasing Cloud Red Star are truly the most valuable secret manuals in the Wudang Sect.”
“What do you mean?”
“Aside from those two, the Wudang Sect possesses several other divine arts and peerless techniques. For instance, the Taiji Wisdom Sword, the Two Ceremonies Divine Art, the Ten Brocades…”
As if recalling the Divine Thief, Heo Il furrowed his brow and continued.
“When infiltrating a place, the Divine Thief loves to steal the most precious item. Because of this, those preparing for his arrival would try to predict his target and set up defenses, only for him to steal something completely unexpected.”
And the true value of the items he stole would only be revealed much later.
“Then, Senior Heo, what do you think the Divine Thief's actual target is?” Namgung Jun asked, having quietly listened to the musings of his former disciple.
“I worry that speaking of it might only scatter our forces or cause unnecessary confusion. I have no real proof, as I’m merely relying on my memories of him.”
“I would still like to hear it.”
At Namgung Jun's prompting, Heo Il cautiously began to speak.
* * *
Members of the Heavenly Sword Hall stationed themselves throughout the Sword Unbinding Pavilion.
Since the Wudang Sect had requested their help in guarding its headquarters, the Heavenly Sword Hall naturally had to pay the most attention to the Sword Unbinding Pavilion. In a way, it was a more critical passage than the main gate of the Wudang Sect.
Of course, some Wudang disciples were also guarding the pavilion, but their skills fell far short of the Wudang Seven Swords.
At the sound of pine needles rustling in the cool breeze, Man Ye-won raised her head.
“Shouldn't we head to the True Martial Pavilion as well? It's not like the Divine Thief will just walk through the Sword Unbinding Pavilion.”
Gong Jun-am, who stood like a stone statue at the top of the steps, replied, “We can leave the True Martial Pavilion to the Wudang disciples. We only need to fulfill our assigned duty.”
“I am grateful to hear you say that. Having the Daoist friends of the Heavenly Sword Hall with us is truly reassuring,” Hyeonsa said with a faint smile, standing beside Gong Jun-am.
The number of Wudang disciples currently guarding the Sword Unbinding Pavilion was small, and except for himself, they were all second-generation disciples. Under such circumstances, the Heavenly Sword Hall's reinforcement was a highly welcome sight.
While conversations murmured around him, Yu Geun-su chose to remain silent. Like a true rookie, he focused entirely on scanning the surroundings with sharp, alert eyes.
“Huh?”
Staring into the pitch-black underbrush that seemed to blend into the darkness, Yu Geun-su suddenly sensed something was wrong.
The faint chirping of insects had abruptly ceased.
“Senior Man.”
Just as Yu Geun-su turned his head to report to Man Ye-won, he saw she was already holding her drawn sword low.
The same went for the other swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall. Before he knew it, every single one of them had their swords drawn.
Everyone in the Heavenly Sword Hall had noticed the anomaly faster than he had.
“We have unexpected night guests.”
“Wall-Repelling Sword. Our sect will hold the center with the Heavenly Dipper Overcast Cloud Formation. Please have the Heavenly Sword Hall guard the flanks and lend us your strength.”
No sooner had Hyeonsa spoken than the scattered Wudang disciples gathered in one place.
“Attack!”
“Don't let them deploy their formation!”
Shouts erupted from the darkness as demonic practitioners lunged out from all directions.
“How dare you!”
“You bastards! Are you a strike force targeting the Wudang Sect's headquarters?!”
The swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall moved in unison, blocking the demonic practitioners. In an instant, battles broke out all over the Sword Unbinding Pavilion.
“Hmm.”
With Lee Se-ha and Namgung Jun absent, the task of commanding the Heavenly Sword Hall fell to Gong Jun-am.
He did not join the fray immediately, choosing instead to calmly observe the battlefield.
‘With all this commotion, it will be much easier for the Divine Thief to make his move.’
Yet, Gong Jun-am was not the least bit anxious.
The master and disciple who had left would surely find a way to stop the Divine Thief. His role right now was not to watch for a thief who could appear from anywhere, but to hold his ground and completely seal off the Sword Unbinding Pavilion.
“Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Gong Jun-am slowly drew the greatsword slung across his back.
“Do not let a single demonic practitioner pass through the Sword Unbinding Pavilion.”
Gripping his greatsword, Gong Jun-am stood as the gatekeeper of the Sword Unbinding Pavilion.