Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Encounter (4)
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Two hours earlier, in Xi'an, between Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan.
“…The participant from the Mount Hua Sect?”
“He has yet to descend the mountain, they say.”
“Hehe, why don't we wait for him there? Brothers?”
There, three martial artists from the Black Dragon Gang were waiting inside an abandoned building.
No, to be precise, there was one more person.
“You, you people… How dare you do this to a disciple of the great Zhongnan Sect!”
“How dare we what?”
*Thwack!*
The Daoist, Nam Il-han, was sent sprawling by a kick from a hunchback with a hideously contorted face.
“Kuhak!”
A sharp groan escaped Nam Il-han’s lips, followed by a trickle of blood.
Bound as he was, he couldn't brace himself to absorb the impact.
All he could do was force down the blood that welled up from his throat.
A derisive chuckle escaped the hunchback's lips.
“Do you really think your bluffs about Zhongnan will work here?”
“S-soon, my senior brother will come down!”
“Your senior brother?”
*Kehehe.*
The hunchback, anticipating Nam Il-han's scream, pulled back the curtain behind him.
*Swoosh.*
“…!”
They say that when a person is truly shocked, they can't even speak.
Nam Il-han mumbled in disbelief, his face a mask of despair.
“Th-this can't be… Senior Brother, like that…”
At his words, the hunchback showed a hint of disappointment.
A twisted smile played on one side of his face, an image of pure villainy that was impossible to forget.
“Can't you give me a more interesting reaction?”
“…?”
“You know, something like 'lift your head,' or 'stop joking around,' or maybe some wailing.”
The hunchback pointed with one hand beyond the drawn curtain.
Seeing it, Nam Il-han was once again forced to recognize reality.
‘He's dead.’
His senior brother, who had said he would watch from behind before leaving, had been caught by these three and was now hanging from a hook.
Worse, his entire body was deathly pale, as if completely drained of blood.
“Uwaaaaah!”
Nam Il-han struggled, oblivious to the ropes tearing at his skin.
It was a struggle brimming with the mix of hatred and sorrow the hunchback so enjoyed.
*Kihe, het.*
Savoring Nam Il-han's cries with satisfaction, the hunchback approached the hanging corpse.
Then, as the hunchback raised his hand.
“Stop!”
Nam Il-han shouted, shaking his head. Teardrops splattered onto the filthy floor.
The hunchback replied.
“What do you think I'm going to do?”
“You're going to desecrate my senior brother's body!”
At that, the hunchback's eyes narrowed into crescent moons.
“That's a good idea.”
The hunchback's nails raked down the senior brother's torso.
*Screeeech!*
Flesh torn by his nails fell away with a splatter of red.
Onto the floor of the abandoned building, thick with foul odors, fell a piece of the man he thought would be his lifelong friend.
Seeing Nam Il-han's bloodshot eyes, the hunchback laughed.
“That's it. That's more fun.”
“I'll… kill you!”
The hunchback covered his mouth in a theatrical gesture, then tapped Nam Il-han's cheek with his hand.
The thick scent of blood pierced deep into Nam Il-han's nostrils.
“How are you going to do that?”
…*Press.*
The hunchback's nail dug into Nam Il-han's cheek.
At the same time, Nam Il-han realized his senses were gradually fading.
“You coward! Is this poison?”
“Young Daoist, there are no rules in strength.”
The hunchback sneered.
“You should blame your weak self. What good will anything else do?”
At his words, Nam Il-han struggled, trying to break free from the ropes.
But it was only an attempt.
The poison—a neurotoxin, to be exact—that had been continuously administered since he left Mount Zhongnan was eating away at his entire body.
“Ugh, uwaaah!”
“My, that's quite a masterpiece of a scream.”
Watching Nam Il-han break out in a cold sweat, the hunchback's face flushed with excitement.
‘How long will this one last?’
Completing the job without any trouble was important.
But testing the poison he and his brothers had created was just as important.
It was even better if the test subject was a Daoist trained in the martial arts of the righteous path.
The hunchback, along with his two other brothers, observed Nam Il-han's reaction.
“Just try to endure for fifteen minutes.”
At least until then, they believed they could easily handle the junior disciple from Mount Hua as well.
***
‘Ah, how convenient that there's no one around to watch. No need to mind my words.’
Ouyang Jue smiled darkly and opened his mouth.
“I asked you who the hell you are.”
At that, the hunchback—Du Jueguang, the youngest of the Three Evils of Shaanxi—shouted.
“And you… Are you really that brat from Mount Hua?”
“Can't you tell just by looking?”
Ouyang Jue scoffed and pointed to his Daoist robes.
“The plum blossoms embroidered on the robes, this dignified posture. Don't I look exactly like a disciple of Mount Hua?”
“Don't lie!”
Du Jueguang couldn't believe it.
What Ouyang Jue had done was not something a greenhorn who had just descended the mountain could attempt.
No, even if he had known the Three Evils of Shaanxi were coming, he couldn't have remained so calm.
Du Jueguang, born a cripple who had survived the world with his wits, knew exactly what Ouyang Jue's actions implied.
‘That man… is no Daoist!’
That vicious smile on Ouyang Jue's face.
It was not a feigned composure, not a fabricated calm.
To Du Jueguang's eyes, Ouyang Jue was a hunting dog.
Not a martial artist raised on a prescribed diet of herbs, but a hunting dog that had survived in the wild.
The Three Evils of Shaanxi, including Du Jueguang, had gained their notoriety by meticulously avoiding such hunting dogs.
If one got close enough to bare its fangs, it meant the end.
Even if they managed to escape a hunting dog, they would never be free again.
‘To think I'd get nervous looking at a mere kid…!’
What would my two older brothers say if they saw me now?
Du Jueguang let out a dry laugh, but couldn't release the tension.
Facing Ouyang Jue, he couldn't hide the look of defeat.
“…You bastard, how long have you known?”
“How long?”
Ouyang Jue drew out Du Jueguang's words, mocking him to his heart's content.
This wasn't Mount Hua, where he had to maintain the dignity of a Daoist.
Jade Sea Mountain, also known as Green Sea Mountain.
The trees were so dense that slash-and-burn farming would easily set the whole mountain ablaze, making it an unsuitable place for bandits to set up a nest.
But it was a place where burying one person would go unnoticed.
Ouyang Jue curled one side of his lip into a smirk.
“Should I say I saw through you since I was in my mother's womb?”
“Hmph, a useless attempt to provoke me!”
“You cripple.”
Ouyang Jue, who had bluntly insulted Du Jueguang's appearance, tapped his own waist.
“Can you even live a normal life? Day and night, must be pretty tough, huh?”
“…”
“Even if you learn martial arts, people around you will just look at you with pity. Is that why you joined the Black Dragon Gang?”
At those words, Du Jueguang was so startled he stammered.
“H-how did you…”
“You idiot. The Black Dragon Gang's insignia is on the hem of your clothes.”
Ouyang Jue shook his head.
“It seems your head is just for decoration.”
“This… this young bastard!”
As Du Jueguang's face turned beet red with shame, Ouyang Jue immediately drew his sword.
He didn't forget to add a sarcastic remark.
“If I bite you, will you bleed persimmon juice?”
“I'll kill you without fail! I, Du Jueguang, will definitely sever your head!”
Du Jueguang?
Ouyang Jue muttered the name 'Du Jueguang' once, then, unable to contain his curiosity, asked.
“Bragging about such a ridiculous title. Is 'Head-Severing Madman' your martial name?”
“Kill!”
“Good grief.”
Ouyang Jue watched the completely enraged Du Jueguang and scratched his cheek.
Then he reversed his grip on the sword, holding the hilt like a hatchet.
“If I smash your head with my sword, does that make me the 'Head-Smashing Dog'?”
I've been a Bloodhound before, so 'Head-Smashing Dog' is nothing.
Ouyang Jue's eyes seemed to darken in an instant as he stared directly at the charging Du Jueguang.
“I swear I'll tear you limb from limb and send the pieces to Mount Hua!”
“That might be difficult.”
After Ouyang Jue's short reply.
*Clang!*
Ouyang Jue and Du Jueguang crossed paths.
***
“…Damn it all.”
The eldest of the Three Evils of Shaanxi, Tu Guang, looked down at the coachman, whose skull was cracked and limbs were twitching.
“It wasn't him.”
Tu Guang then looked in the direction his brothers had scattered.
Attacking together as three would have been safer, but he didn't think he would lose even if he fought alone.
The problem was that this situation itself was not good for the Three Evils of Shaanxi.
‘The higher-ups wanted this handled as discreetly as possible.’
Tu Guang's expression darkened noticeably.
This was not the scenario the Three Evils of Shaanxi and the Black Dragon Gang had hoped for.
‘He acted as if he knew from the very beginning…’
Ouyang Jue, was it?
Rumors had spread far and wide about his poor conduct and frivolous nature, which had earned him numerous disciplinary actions.
A war orphan pushed onto Mount Hua, a disciple who had learned martial arts half-heartedly due to his circumstances.
That was the information they had gathered when they first looked into Ouyang Jue.
They couldn't understand why a prestigious sect like Mount Hua would send such a person to the Nine Dragons Tournament, but they considered it a stroke of luck for themselves.
An easier opponent than Nam Il-han of the Zhongnan Sect, one they could deal with quietly.
But their expectations were spectacularly wrong.
Not long after Ouyang Jue entered the Golden Ring Merchant Guild, three carriages had sped out of the city.
This was undoubtedly Ouyang Jue's plan to divide and conquer.
Tu Guang gazed in the direction the other carriages had disappeared and muttered softly.
“I hope nothing's happened to them…”
Unfortunately, a villain's wish is never granted.
***
“Cough, keuk.”
Having coughed up a basinful of blood, Du Jueguang looked up at Ouyang Jue with weary eyes.
“How could someone like you…”
…have lived so quietly at Mount Hua?
With such skill, how has there been no word of you?
Du Jueguang's questions remained unspoken, festering inside him.
Though not even fifteen minutes had passed since they met, Du Jueguang knew.
He knew how a martial artist like Ouyang Jue dealt with his enemies.
‘He pretends to be indifferent, but he's watching my every word, gesture, and expression. Damn it, how is that a junior disciple?!’
Judging by his actions, it was like facing a seasoned master.
Especially his swordsmanship.
It was not the Immortal Sword taught in Daoist sects, but a Killing Sword, excelling at harming the enemy, that Ouyang Jue knew how to wield.
And it wasn't a superficial understanding; it seemed to hold its own essence.
“I can hear the gears turning in your head from here.”
Anyone watching would think the villain and the Daoist had switched roles.
Looking at Du Jueguang sprawled on the ground and bleeding profusely, Ouyang Jue crouched down and asked.
“You messed with someone else besides me, didn't you?”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Hah, it seems you still haven't grasped the situation.”
*Slice!*
A precise slash from Ouyang Jue's sword sliced off half of Du Jueguang's little finger.
“Kngh… Mmph!”
Du Jueguang swallowed his groan and feigned innocence.
“I-I really don't know anything!”
“'I'? Looks like it's still not enough.”
*Flick.*
Ouyang Jue flicked the blood off his sword and grabbed all the fingers of Du Jueguang's left hand.
“Confess and find the light, or become a cripple in your hand as well. I'll count to three.”
“…”
“One, two…”
Du Jueguang squeezed his eyes shut.
“W-wait! Give me time to think!”
“…Two and a half.”
*Creeak…*
The blade dug deep into the bone, as if it would sever Du Jueguang's four left fingers at any moment.
A pleasant smile remained on Ouyang Jue's face.
Du Jueguang knew full well that this was a method of torture intended to instill fear.
But his nonchalance was different.
Seeing Ouyang Jue look as if he genuinely wanted to cut off his fingers, Du Jueguang screamed.
“Ah, ahhhhk!”
“Two and three-quarters. This is the last chance, you know?”
“I-I'll talk!”
“Good. You're a good hunchback.”
Ouyang Jue removed the sword from Du Jueguang's fingers and sat on a rock with his arms crossed.
“Alright, now spill it.”
“Yes! We are the Three Evils of Shaanxi...”
And so, under Ouyang Jue's coercion, Du Jueguang's story was summarized rather quickly.
The Three Evils of Shaanxi were martial artists from the Black Dragon Gang who had received a secret order to assassinate the junior disciples participating in the Nine Dragons Tournament.
He didn't seem to know anything beyond that.
‘The one called the eldest brother probably knows something. Should I have taken them all on at once?’
Ouyang Jue stroked his chin.
Compared to his prime, there was no proper beard, only the soft feel of peach fuzz.
No matter how profound and deep one's martial arts were, without a body to support them, one could not fight properly.
He revised his thoughts.
‘As I thought, dividing and conquering was the right answer.’
His still-maturing body trembled slightly.
If he had tried to face the Three Evils of Shaanxi simultaneously, that tremble would have become a crack and shattered.
He should be grateful that this battle had given him a better understanding of his current condition.
Ouyang Jue sealed Du Jueguang's pressure points with the tip of his foot, then cast his gaze towards the bushes.
Someone had been hiding and watching them for some time. Moreover, he had met this person once before.
“You there, beggar.”
“…”
“I treated you to a meal last time. Now that you're here, shouldn't you at least say hello? Does the Beggars' Sect not teach such manners?”
At his words, a rustling sound came from the bushes, and a beggar with disheveled hair emerged.
There were a total of three knots on his belt.
While not a branch leader, it was a position in charge of a district.
Ouyang Jue let out a soft whistle.
“Last time you came out without even tying your knots, but today you look quite proper.”
“…Hmph.”
The beggar snorted lightly, but in truth, he was struggling to hide his astonishment.
Sealing pressure points with the tip of his foot.
That wasn't just a matter of technique; it was proof that he had a deep understanding of pressure points and could freely control his internal energy.
In the words of the gossips who love to talk, it was the pinnacle of the first-rate.
It was a state beyond the concept of will and energy intertwining, a level where one could control their ki at will.
Ouyang Jue stared at the beggar for a moment, then pushed Du Jueguang's body, sending it rolling.
“I think you heard everything from over there. Including… my rather harsh words.”
“I just arrived, so I don't know, Young Master.”
Seeing the beggar fidgeting with an awkward tone and trying to avoid eye contact, Ouyang Jue let out a dry laugh.
“Come on. Drop the unbecoming formalities and let's be honest.”
At those words, the beggar revealed his hidden, eccentric nature.
“Fine, I heard it!”
“I assume you have a rough idea of what this hunchback did and what he's after. A three-knot beggar should be pretty sharp.”
“…So?”
“I'm busy with the Nine Dragons Tournament. Beggar, I'd like you to take care of this.”
Hearing this, the beggar's anger began to simmer.
“Doesn't Mount Hua teach you to respect your elders?!”
At the continuous demands mixed with informal speech, the beggar, who had initially looked embarrassed, suddenly yelled.
Ouyang Jue paused for a moment at his words.
That's right.
Unlike his past life, he was now a disciple of Mount Hua.
Belatedly, Ouyang Jue bowed his head slightly.
“I am Ouyang Jue of Mount Hua, Elder Beggar.”
“I'm not that old yet.”
“Oh, is that so? I just assumed, since you were so insistent on formalities.”
*Bubble, bubble.*
Despite the polite facade, Ouyang Jue's continuous stream of sarcastic remarks made the beggar's insides boil.
But Ouyang Jue's next words sent a chill down his spine.
They were words too cruel and cold for a disciple of Mount Hua.
“The temporary base this hunchback just mentioned… I… no, I don't know where it is, but when you find it, please do the same to this man.”
“Do what?”
“What they did to the man from Zhongnan, Nam Il-han.”
A low, muttering voice.
But each word was pronounced with enough precision to be clearly heard.
“Pay this hunchback back in kind, without missing a single minor wound.”
“…You.”
“I will ask for your name after that is done. Oh, and by the way, remember that you owe me for this.”
With those final words, Ouyang Jue vanished as if his business was concluded.
The beggar could only stare blankly at his retreating back.
Was it awe, or was it an aberration?
The beggar himself could not define this feeling.
But there was one fact that Ouyang Jue had overlooked.
***
“That's the guy…”
“The one who took the heads of the Three Evils of Shaanxi as soon as he came down from Mount Hua?”
“…Haa. Benefactor, even if they are villains, it is best to refrain from killing.”
“Even if it was revenge for a fellow Daoist, isn't that too cruel?”
The Daoist who beheaded the Three Evils of Shaanxi, Ouyang Jue.
His name had spread like wildfire throughout the Nine Dragons Tournament.
Each time, Ouyang Jue would complain.
“I didn't kill them!”
He had only cut off a few fingers, but Ouyang Jue had somehow been transformed into a ruthless martial artist who took the lives of villains without hesitation.
Even within the Nine Dragons Tournament, that reputation held strong.
‘Everyone's staring at me. Well, since it's come to this, let's have a look around.’
Ouyang Jue scanned the rookies, gauging their skill level.
“Winning this will be easy.”
At Ouyang Jue's quiet remark, the excitement of the Nine Dragons Tournament surged.