Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Dark Clouds (5)
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Jeok Sa-goeng has been attacked!
As this strange rumor spread, centered around the Mount Hua Sect, countless people made their way to Mount Hua to verify its truth.
It was because the bizarre rumor became entangled with Jo Hun and Ouyang Jue, who had dueled with him, giving rise to all sorts of speculation.
“I heard he was supposed to lose to the Plum Blossom Divine Dragon, but Jeok Sa-goeng didn't follow through, so the elders ambushed him?”
“No way… Well, still…”
“Nonsense! Man, no matter how great the Plum Blossom Divine Dragon is, how could he be a match for Muk Yeon-chang! I couldn't go last time because it was too far, but I have to go and see for myself this time!”
This was what the Beggars' Sect and Jeok Sa-goeng had intended. Unlike the duel, it was a way to draw in martial artists and gossips from even the most distant lands.
Of course, the practitioners of the Mount Hua Sect couldn't hide their displeasure when the false rumors began to circulate.
The complaints against Jeok Sa-goeng were particularly strong.
“To receive help from Senior Brother Ouyang and then spread such strange rumors, tsk tsk.”
“Did he leave the Martial Alliance in his later years only to awaken some twisted desire for fame?”
The murmuring gradually grew loud enough to seep through the narrow cracks of the Plum Blossom Clinic's door.
But Jeok Sa-goeng offered no response.
It was only natural, as the matter was kept a strict secret from anyone below the rank of a second-generation disciple.
“I have done as you wished.”
At Bai Duanxian's words, Jeok Sa-goeng cupped his hands and bowed his head respectfully.
“Thank you very much, Sect Leader. It must have been a truly difficult decision. Thank you for agreeing.”
“I simply wish for the principles of the martial world to be upheld. If the honor of the Mount Hua Sect must be slightly tarnished for that to happen, then so be it.”
As Bai Duanxian replied in a calm voice, a flicker of respect entered Jeok Sa-goeng's eyes.
From what he had heard, Bai Duanxian had endured perilous events for the past three or four years; how did he maintain such a clear mind?
Jeok Sa-goeng envied Bai Duanxian's mental fortitude.
“It is truly a great blessing for the Mount Hua Sect to have you as its leader.”
“A blessing? I am merely fortunate to have come to my senses, albeit late.”
Taking a sip of tea, Bai Duanxian excused himself for a moment and began to peruse the work Song Muk had brought him.
Meanwhile, Jeok Sa-goeng sat cross-legged, quietly observing his own condition and circulating his internal energy to restore his vitality.
He had let it be known that his arm was forcibly reattached, intending to use it as a secret weapon someday.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
“Come in.”
Ouyang Jue appeared as soon as Bai Duanxian finished speaking.
A thin layer of candle wax made the area under his eyes look pale, as if he had not yet recovered his internal energy.
With the help of Cheol Pung-gae added to this, how could anyone suspect?
Ouyang Jue looked so frail that Jeok Sa-goeng bit his lower lip hard.
“Thank you, truly… thank you.”
“It is nothing. I have only done what I must.”
*Cough, cough.*
After a series of dry coughs, Ouyang Jue leaned one shoulder against the doorframe.
“I am not well, Sect Leader. I fear it will be difficult for me to receive guests.”
“…Is that so.”
Bai Duanxian showed a flicker of disappointment, but it couldn't be helped.
Bai Duanxian paused his work and looked back at Ouyang Jue.
“I will give special instructions to the attendees, so no one will visit you. Rest well.”
“Thank you, Sect Leader.”
Ouyang Jue cupped his trembling hands and departed.
…*Thud.*
As the door closed belatedly, Bai Duanxian glanced sideways at Jeok Sa-goeng with a look of disapproval.
“My, a senior master receiving a pressure point sealing from a junior… It's one thing for the new generation to surpass the old, but isn't this a bit much?”
“Hmph, ahem. My apologies.”
Jeok Sa-goeng could say nothing in response.
Nevertheless, Bai Duanxian continued to show his displeasure, and Jeok Sa-goeng felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
* * *
A short while later.
When the rear garden of the Mount Hua Sect filled with people from various places, Bai Duanxian, the elders, and Jeok Sa-goeng made their appearance.
Whether intentional or not.
When Jeok Sa-goeng's right sleeve, which was particularly long, covered his fingers, many martial artists sighed in dismay.
“Such a shame…”
“It seems the fame of Muk Yeon-chang has come to an end!”
Most assumed that Jeok Sa-goeng was covering his right arm to protect his last shred of pride.
However, a few who were particularly close to him rushed over with expressions as if they were about to cry.
“Commander! Are you truly alright?!”
The Vice-Commander of the Black Wind Unit, Seo Mun-yeol.
He was a scoundrel famous for having admired Jeok Sa-goeng in his youth, so much so that he left the military to throw himself into the martial world.
The problem was that his spear skills were exceptional enough to earn him the position of Vice-Commander, and that the Seo Mun Clan kept coming after him.
Thus, he was a figure who was in many ways both a burden and a blessing to the Black Wind Unit.
Jeok Sa-goeng looked at Seo Mun-yeol with a complicated expression before breaking into a grin.
“Yeol, you rascal! I thought you'd be the first to arrive… you're quite late!”
“Hahaha, it's because I had to round up the other guys!”
Seo Mun-yeol pointed to the others with his left hand.
From Ya Wol, who had been the scout of the Black Wind Unit, to Bi Un-yeong, nicknamed 'Wild Boar'.
He had maintained a similar build over the years, so Jeok Sa-goeng playfully poked Bi Un-yeong's belly.
“Didn't you say you were going to lose weight?”
“Commander, this is all muscle!”
At those words, Ya Wol drew a dagger and spun it, while Seo Mun-yeol cackled in a high-pitched voice.
As he did, Seo Mun-yeol's left hand reached for Jeok Sa-goeng.
“By the way, Commander, is your arm alright?”
“Why are your actions faster than your words?”
When Jeok Sa-goeng warned him in a gentle but firm tone, Seo Mun-yeol pouted and withdrew his hand.
“I was just worried, that's all.”
“How is it, living with the Seo Mun Clan?”
“It's hell! It's so frustrating when those foolish blockheads can't do what I do as easily as breathing.”
At his words, the expressions of the martial artists who had been watching them warmly momentarily stiffened.
It was because they suddenly remembered Seo Mun-yeol's title.
So Won-hu.
While his skill in riding horses freely was impressive, the title was given because his talent for mocking opponents was even greater.
If his skills had been lacking, he would have lost his head long ago, but that wasn't the case.
His words and skills were so vicious that if he weren't a member of the Martial Alliance, he might have been considered part of the Unorthodox Faction.
Just then, Jeok Sa-goeng's lips moved.
-You all, has the Martial Alliance contacted you separately for anything?
He had considered revealing from the start that it was the Sword Demon, Gyo Gang-cheon, but it was something he himself had only believed after seeing it with his own two eyes.
Therefore, it was right to first find out if the Martial Alliance was behind it.
For that reason, he had sent the mental message so abruptly, but the three men answered without being flustered.
-Not at all.
-No.
-I was too busy eating.
Though their answers differed slightly, the meaning was clearly 'no'. However, Seo Mun-yeol seemed to have more to say, clicking his tongue.
-But things at the clan are a bit of a mess.
-What do you mean by that?
-It seems the Martial Alliance is trying to seize power or something. Those bastards from the White Cloth Sect raided the base where our clan was stationed, so things are already chaotic.
Seo Mun-yeol's eyes narrowed.
-Don't tell me it was the Martial Alliance that crippled you, Commander?
-To call me a cripple to my face, you rascal!
Jeok Sa-goeng, thinking the mental conversation had gone on too long, immediately laughed out loud.
“Hahaha! It's not flat ground; you need talent to wield a spear on horseback!”
Seo Mun-yeol naturally retorted.
“Talent? I've been shooting a bow from horseback since I was a brat.”
“That's why they call you a monkey!”
“Hey, Commander…!”
While Seo Mun-yeol was sulking, a man appeared, parting the crowd.
Seeing him, Jeok Sa-goeng's face hardened.
The one he had hoped would come, yet deep down, wished would not.
It was none other than Nangong Cheon.
“Have you been well?”
“…Can't you tell by the state I'm in?”
At that, Nangong Cheon let out a sigh of relief.
“Thankfully, you still have the spirit to talk. I thought a man like you would have taken his own life if his arm were severed.”
“It's been a while, yet your words are as harsh as ever.”
As Jeok Sa-goeng forced a smile, Nangong Cheon asked in a cold voice.
“So, who was it that attacked you?”
“…”
“The rumors say it was the Mount Hua Sect, but that can't be right. Isn't this just a scheme to draw public attention? And surely, part of it was to summon me here.”
Indeed, he was right.
Jeok Sa-goeng felt a slight chill run down his spine, realizing Nangong Cheon had seen through it immediately.
But having come this far, he couldn't stop now out of fear.
Jeok Sa-goeng's lips parted slightly.
“The one who did this to my arm was a supreme master who identified himself as one of the Eight Evils.”
“..........!”
The moment he finished speaking, the faces in the crowd were painted with shock and fear.
The Eight Evils, considered mere rumor since the incident at the Shaolin Temple, had tried to harm a representative master of the Martial Alliance!
The sensation of an unprecedented monster licking their skin sent a shiver through the gossips. The martial artists who respected Jeok Sa-goeng also frowned, feeling devastated.
They knew the Eight Evils were strong, but they had never imagined they were powerful enough to defeat even Jeok Sa-goeng.
Does a monster that has lived for hundreds of years, as was revealed at the Shaolin Temple, truly exist? Such words threw the rear garden into chaos.
Just then, Jeok Sa-goeng spoke again.
“Do you know anything about this?”
“Well, if I knew anything, I wouldn't be so frustrated.”
Looking at Nangong Cheon, who answered with a serious expression, Jeok Sa-goeng clenched his left fist tightly.
He had believed Nangong Cheon was involved, but now, face to face, he found he didn't want to suspect him at all.
They had been close friends since their coming of age.
But Jeok Sa-goeng knew.
The dark clouds hung so heavily over the martial world that everyone had to be suspected, and the closer someone was, the more dangerous they were.
Jeok Sa-goeng's lips trembled for a moment before setting in determination.
“You know.”
“…?”
“I believe that you… no, that the Martial Alliance is involved with the Eight Evils.”
At those words, Nangong Cheon's eyes widened like saucers.
At the same time, from a hill above, Ouyang Jue was watching Nangong Cheon and the entire Black Wind Unit.
* * *
Compared to the destructive power of Jeok Sa-goeng's statement, the gathering ended relatively quietly.
Nangong Cheon's face turned beet red as if he had been gravely insulted, and he left a warning that he would not forgive such a remark, even from a close friend.
The Black Wind Unit, on the other hand, maintained calm expressions, having heard about it from Jeok Sa-goeng beforehand.
Ouyang Jue watched them all in turn, not missing a single detail.
He believed that no matter how skilled the member of the Eight Evils was at acting or disguising themselves, they would surely show a crack in a setting like this.
“…Tsk.”
But neither Nangong Cheon nor the Black Wind Unit showed any particular agitation.
If the distance had been a little closer, he would have used the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor, but that too was not feasible.
Doing so would mean missing an even greater opportunity.
‘I am bedridden from healing Jeok Sa-goeng. Therefore…’
A bait big enough to make it worthwhile to risk infiltrating the Mount Hua Sect.
If they could take care of both Jeok Sa-goeng, who knew all the shameful secrets of the Martial Alliance, and Ouyang Jue, who killed the Black Dragon, at the same time, it would be killing two birds with one stone.
Ouyang Jue sensed the night gradually approaching and began to circulate his energy.