Chapter 85: Rainstorm (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: Rainstorm (1)
A master and disciple set out on a mission, walking side by side.
As he climbed the mountain, Namgung Jun’s breathing deepened. The air, thick with hazy fog, felt exceptionally heavy and solemn.
This was Mount Guhua in Anhui Province.
It was a sacred Buddhist site, known to house over three hundred temples and nearly six thousand Buddhist statues.
Namgung Jun surveyed the mountain’s topography. A thin blanket of fog lay over the ridges that stretched out endlessly, unobstructed.
'This is my first time here.'
Although the Namcheon Palace of his past life had also been located in Anhui Province, he had never had a reason to visit Mount Guhua. There were no notable martial sects here—only monks who devoted themselves purely to Buddhist teachings.
Taking in the scenic beauty, Namgung Jun turned his head.
"It's quite peaceful."
"It would be nice if it could stay this way," Lee Se-ha replied, a sharp edge to her voice.
The reason for her tone was their current mission.
"The Five Beasts of Nanman."
This was the moniker of the martial artists the master and disciple were pursuing. They were expelled disciples of the Nanman Beast Palace, one of the most prominent sects in the far southern Jianghu.
Every time they appeared, the types and numbers of beasts they controlled were different, and their martial arts were entirely unlike those of the Central Plains.
"They usually operate in Guangdong or Guangxi. I have no idea why they suddenly came all the way up to Anhui to cause trouble," she muttered.
"I heard their martial prowess is considerable," Namgung Jun added, "yet they choose to target defenseless monks."
As they climbed Mount Guhua, he recalled the information Lee Se-ha had shared.
'She said twelve monks have already lost their lives.'
That was why they were here. They had come to eliminate the Five Beasts of Nanman, who were hiding somewhere on the mountain and preying on the monks.
"But is it true that they control wild beasts?"
"Yes. The beasts they bring with them differ every time they surface in the Jianghu. It's likely a skill they learned at the Nanman Beast Palace."
When they last appeared three years ago, they were said to have led a pack of over ten wolves. Now, rumor had it they controlled a single giant tiger. This was reliable information, directly verified by the Bright Affinity Pavilion.
"You aren't afraid of beasts, are you? Surprisingly, some martial artists are. I've even heard of supreme experts who are terrified of mere wolves."
"Of course not."
Lee Se-ha continued to probe him playfully, but Namgung Jun brushed it off with a stoic expression.
"Then the rumors that the Five Beasts of Nanman enjoy hunting humans with their beasts must be true."
"Indeed. There have been many victims. Not just commoners, but a fair number of martial artists have fallen prey to them as well."
The Five Beasts of Nanman did not feed their trained beasts separately. They forced them to hunt humans to sate their hunger, and for a specific reason: they modeled their own martial arts after the hunting movements of these wild animals.
Consequently, even though the Five Beasts of Nanman hailed from the same sect, they each used completely different martial arts. Having raised various beasts over the years, they had each extracted the elements they favored, resulting in entirely different forms and stances.
"How troublesome. Martial arts modeled after beasts... and their individual cultivation is by no means low."
The leader of the Five Beasts of Nanman, the Blade Beast, was a supreme expert who had achieved the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown. The other four were all masters who had reached the mature stage of the Peak realm.
"If they had dispatched ordinary members of the Third Cloud, they would have had to send at least five people, myself included," Lee Se-ha said.
She raised her hand and patted Namgung Jun's head. In the past, she could do so easily, but that was no longer the case. Namgung Jun had grown quite tall in a short amount of time. Lee Se-ha had to raise her arm quite high now, but she was pleased, feeling a deep sense of pride at how much her disciple had grown.
"But with you here, Jun, there's no need for that."
Namgung Jun nodded. "Our people just fought a fierce battle in Jiangxi Province. It's better for us to handle this ourselves."
At her disciple's confident reply, the master's smile widened.
"Right? I told them my choice was the correct one."
Namgung Jun nodded again and looked around. Temples built along the winding mountain ridges could be seen here and there. At a glance, there were dozens in sight. Across the entirety of Mount Guhua, there were said to be well over three hundred.
Under these circumstances, it was impossible to know where the Five Beasts of Nanman would appear next to commit their slaughter.
"Hmm."
Looking at the staggering number of temples, the task felt daunting. If the Five Beasts of Nanman hid within one of them, they would be difficult to find without precise information.
"Master, do you have a way to find them?"
"Of course. There is a place that will help us."
Lee Se-ha led the way with brisk, confident strides.
* * *
The master and disciple visited a temple on Mount Guhua. It was a small, unassuming place called Bojeon Temple. An old monk, who appeared to be the Abbot, welcomed them.
"Welcome, patrons."
While a tranquil atmosphere enveloped the temple, Namgung Jun sensed a strange, underlying restlessness. Noticing his gaze, the Abbot turned his eyes toward him.
"The young patron has sharp intuition."
Namgung Jun did not reply, merely bowing his head in silence.
The Abbot guided the master and disciple to the innermost hall, where they sat cross-legged before a Buddhist statue. Like any other pilgrims, they lit incense and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance.
Just then, a large crow landed on the upturned palm of the statue. The tips of its feathers were ash-gray, and its eyes shared the same ashen hue. Perhaps because of the blend of black and gray, the intelligence gleaming in its eyes was exceptionally striking.
Feeling the crow's persistent gaze, Namgung Jun looked away from the statue and met its stare. After a long moment, the crow took flight and soared away.
Watching this in silence, Lee Se-ha quickly stood up, her movements devoid of hesitation.
"Shall we go?"
She stepped out of the temple and looked in the direction the crow had flown. Watching her, the Abbot pressed his palms together.
"Amitabha."
Lee Se-ha bowed her head and left Bojeon Temple. Namgung Jun followed his master, who seemed to be heading aimlessly deep into the mountains.
"Master?"
Despite Namgung Jun's questioning tone, Lee Se-ha entered the forest without hesitation. Soon, he realized where her steps were leading.
He could see the crow flying ahead of them.
Only then did Namgung Jun understand.
'That is no ordinary crow. Is it a spiritual beast?'
Bojeon Temple, which kept such a creature, was likely no ordinary temple either. Although he was curious about its true identity, Namgung Jun decided to focus on the task at hand.
Meanwhile, the crow spread its wings wide against the night sky, soaring above the dense canopy. It was clearly aware of them, checking once or twice to ensure the master and disciple were following before flapping its wings and changing direction.
They traveled deep into Mount Guhua for some time. Eventually, even the once-ubiquitous temples became a rare sight.
The crow, which had been flying silently, opened its beak for the first time.
Caw!
Letting out a loud cry, it flew off.
Swoosh!
At that moment, the branch where the crow had been perched split with a sharp crack. A sudden surge of Sword Qi had sliced through it, aiming for the crow but missing by a hair's breadth.
Drawing her sword, Lee Se-ha leaped into the air and shattered the incoming Sword Qi.
Meanwhile, Namgung Jun dashed straight ahead. He drew his own sword, unleashing a strike that tore through the darkness with a brilliant blue light.
Clang!
He had sliced through the shadows of the forest, yet the metallic ring of clashing weapons erupted. Although he sensed something retreating, Namgung Jun did not pursue, stopping in his tracks.
"Hmm. So that's how it is."
He had sensed a massive presence suddenly closing in from behind.
Twisting at the waist, Namgung Jun executed a fluid, sweeping arc. What he deflected with his Distant-Cloud Layered-Wall Stance was not a weapon.
It was a massive, furry paw.
Protruding from the thick fur were razor-sharp claws that resembled weapons themselves. They were like the tiger claws often used by practitioners of the Demonic and Heretical Paths, but their size and thickness far surpassed any ordinary weapon—large enough to kill a man in a single blow.
As a pungent, wild stench assaulted his senses, Namgung Jun spoke softly.
"Seeing it in person is quite fascinating."
He looked with interest at the face of the giant tiger that had tried to pounce on him. The beast showed no fear of sharpened steel. In its large eyes, which reflected his image, only the raw, untamed wildness of a predator burned.
Although the tiger's long body was half-hidden in the darkness, Namgung Jun's blue-glowing eyes saw it clearly.
"You are quite large."
Its size truly befitted its name. It looked capable of snapping up a full-grown bull and killing it in a single bite. Yet, far from feeling threatened, Namgung Jun was merely intrigued.
To a young swordsman who had harmonized his Essence, Qi, and Spirit and was now aiming for the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Crown, the giant tiger before him was nothing more than an oversized cat.
'In terms of pure strength and speed, it could rival a Peak Expert. And considering the unpredictable nature of a wild beast…'
It would certainly be somewhat troublesome. There was a distinct difference between fighting a human and fighting an animal.
Nevertheless, Namgung Jun gripped his sword once more.
As if it had hunted many martial artists before, the giant tiger opened its jaws with practiced ease, aiming for his sword hand. It knew how to deal with warriors.
Skrrrk!
As Namgung Jun twisted his blade, he forced open the jaws that tried to bite and shatter his sword. At the same time, the tiger's massive right paw swung to crush his temple, but he paid it no mind.
He simply held his sword horizontally and channeled his strength.
"You've clearly eaten quite a few humans."
Along with his low murmur, his sword lunged forward with ferocious momentum.
Splurt!
It happened in an instant.
The giant tiger's jaws were torn clean apart. Its hide was tough and its muscle dense; an ordinary weapon would have struggled to leave even a scratch. Yet, Namgung Jun's sword sliced forward effortlessly, as if cutting through soft clay.
With a single, sweeping strike, the massive carcass fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
It was over in one blow.
Having slaughtered the giant tiger in an instant, Namgung Jun turned his gaze toward the darkness.
"Since I killed it cleanly, its pelt should fetch a handsome price."
A moment later, several voices echoed from the forest.
"You crazy bastard! Do you have any idea how much care we put into raising that beast?"
"Even tearing you limb from limb won't make up for our loss!"
"A single blow… He’s at least a late-stage Peak Expert. Perhaps he's even at the pinnacle of the Peak Stage."
Despite witnessing the strike that had cleaved the giant tiger in two, the group hiding in the darkness did not hesitate to show themselves. Four middle-aged men emerged from the trees. True to the rumors of their expulsion from the Nanman Beast Palace, their appearance was distinctly different from that of the people of the Central Plains.
Namgung Jun took them all in with a single glance.
"Now that your giant tiger is dead, who will you hide behind?"
Murderous intent swirled in the eyes of the Five Beasts of Nanman as they glared at him. Yet, Namgung Jun did not falter in the slightest.
"You look no different from beasts yourselves."
Pitter-patter…
Raindrops began to fall, splashing into the pool of blood spreading from the tiger's carcass. Through the pouring night rain, the murderous glint in the men's eyes grew hazy.
Only Namgung Jun's blue eyes shone with brilliant intensity.