Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Pruning (1)
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“A disciple of Mount Hua, Ouyang Jue, requests an audience with the Sect Leader.”
The moment Ouyang Jue finished his terse announcement, Bai Duanxian’s voice came from within.
“Enter.”
Entering the room, Ouyang Jue approached Bai Duanxian, who was standing by the window, looking down at the scenery of Mount Hua.
“There is something I wish to discuss.”
“What is it?”
“Please grant me permission to leave the sect for a short while.”
At the unexpected request, Bai Duanxian’s eyebrow twitched.
“It should still be a long while before you are due to leave the sect. What is the reason?”
“There is something I must investigate outside.”
“Investigate what?”
Ouyang Jue laid out his prepared words.
“I intend to visit the merchant guild that manages Mount Hua’s valuables and finances.”
Bai Duanxian’s expression hardened. It was as good as a polite refusal.
“I wondered what you would say, coming to me so suddenly right after your seclusion ended. If that is all you have to say, then you may leave.”
His voice was firm, leaving no room for discussion.
But Ouyang Jue had no intention of backing down.
“During my seclusion, I reflected on my life thus far. And a question arose. Does the Sect Leader not find it strange?”
Even with just those few words, Bai Duanxian seemed to understand, looking at Ouyang Jue with a new light in his eyes.
He remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
“...You suspect something.”
“Half, no, I am almost certain.”
“Do you have any definite proof?”
At that, Ouyang Jue asked a question of his own, a hint of frustration in his voice.
“Proof, you say?”
“Yes, proof that the merchant guild is committing fraud.”
“That is a matter I can investigate from now on.”
Hearing this, Bai Duanxian chided Ouyang Jue with an expression that said, *I thought so*.
“What do you know of the world of merchants? And traveling the martial world? With your skills, you’d lose your life to mere bandits.”
“I may not know about other things, but I am confident that my skills will not be found lacking.”
“...What did you say?”
Ouyang Jue declared with certainty.
“At my current level, there is no one in this vicinity who can defeat me.”
“Hmph!”
It was a truly arrogant display. Bai Duanxian approached Ouyang Jue with a feigned look of anger.
“Have you grown arrogant over your meager skills? This Sect Leader—no, your master—did not teach you to be so!”
Was he truly worried about his low skill level?
‘Well, all I’ve shown so far is the behavior of a ruffian with skills ranging from third-rate to second-rate. It makes sense he’d think I’d meet an untimely end if I went out there.’
Ouyang Jue lightly clenched and unclenched his right hand.
It was time to show his master the true results of his half-year of training.
“I will show you directly.”
“Insolent pup!”
With a roar, Bai Duanxian channeled a tenth of his power into his left hand and executed a grappling technique.
If he couldn’t even dodge this simple move, his words were nothing but empty arrogance.
If he managed to block it, he planned to offer a word of praise and encourage him to train harder.
But…
“...!”
A completely unexpected result unfolded before Bai Duanxian’s eyes.
‘He dodged my grappling technique in a single step?’
Bai Duanxian couldn’t hide his surprise, letting out an involuntary sound of admiration.
Had his martial arts improved this much during his seclusion?
Despite the situation calling for anger, a wave of pride washed over him.
“Hah...”
“Is this sufficient?”
At those words, Bai Duanxian’s brow furrowed.
“No, not yet!”
The power, now increased from one-tenth to two-tenths, let out a small tearing sound.
*Paaang!*
A current that ripped through the air swirled at Bai Duanxian’s fingertips.
This was not to be dismissed as a simple grappling technique.
A mere graze would tear the skin. While not a killing move, it was more than enough to cause injury.
Ouyang Jue understood Bai Duanxian’s intent and smiled leisurely.
‘I suppose martial artists are natural-born liars.’
The martial world was a place where bowing one’s head in gratitude, vowing to repay a debt, was most often followed by a knife in the back.
It was a grappling technique, yes, but a slightly dangerous one?
Compared to the rest of the martial world, this was nothing. It could even be considered gentle.
As expected of the current Sect Leader. Bai Duanxian was indeed the good man Ouyang Jue remembered him to be.
For a brief moment, Ouyang Jue shed his playful demeanor and circulated his energy with a serious expression.
“Hoo...”
A deep breath flowed into his chest, and the breath squeezed from his lungs coursed through his entire body.
At that moment, the energy in his dantian stirred.
The first to notice the change was Bai Duanxian, who was facing Ouyang Jue.
‘...It wasn’t just five years’ worth of energy?’
Objectively speaking, he was right. The amount of energy was still the same.
But its purity was on a completely different level.
A true energy, nearly pure white, gathered around Ouyang Jue, as if its murky past had never existed.
Exhaling the breath he had held, Ouyang Jue began to push Bai Duanxian’s hand outward.
“...!”
*He pushed me back so easily?*
Bai Duanxian clicked his tongue in admiration at the technique Ouyang Jue displayed.
At the same time, he felt a sense of pride.
“Have you been hiding your skills?”
Since he’d heard this before, Ouyang Jue simply nodded.
“I held no ill intentions.”
“Yes, yes. I have misjudged my own disciple. To think you possessed such outstanding skill.”
But there was one thing he had to ask. Bai Duanxian’s expression hardened.
It felt strange that the skills of Ouyang Jue, whom he had always taught and watched over, had improved so dramatically.
He also wondered why he had matured enough to concern himself with the sect’s affairs.
“What is your reason for finally revealing your true skills?”
“My reason? Is one necessary?”
“...”
The sharp glint in Bai Duanxian’s eyes faded, and he looked at Ouyang Jue with a drained expression.
Paying it no mind, Ouyang Jue recalled Jo Hun, whom he had just met, and the hermitage he had destroyed.
Then he briefly reminisced about an event that had yet to happen.
All of it was misfortune born from poverty.
He was prepared to do anything to prevent it. It was something close to a vow.
“I can no longer stand by and watch. One or two days is all I need. Please let me go.”
“...Jue, you.”
*There’s no telling what you might do.*
Wondering if he should say this aloud, Bai Duanxian stroked his beard from top to bottom.
Seeing the look in Ouyang Jue’s eyes, he knew that trying to stop him would be futile. In that case, he needed a different plan.
Then, he devised a solution.
‘If Zhangming acts as a shield, he should at least be able to prevent Jue’s impulsive actions.’
It was a strategy of spear and shield.
While Ouyang Jue’s current skills were extraordinary, they were still lacking compared to his senior brother, Liu Zhangming.
Moreover, hadn’t Ouyang Jue always followed Liu Zhangming since they were young?
He was worried about Ouyang Jue going alone, but he could trust Liu Zhangming.
Just then, Ouyang Jue beat him to it.
“I will go with Senior Brother Liu.”
“You mean Zhangming?”
“Yes.”
*Like close senior and junior brothers.*
Bai Duanxian smiled with satisfaction.
He was proud that his disciple seemed to have grown in both body and mind during his half-year of seclusion.
“Very well! I grant you both permission to leave!”
“Ah, and there is one more thing I would like to ask.”
“...?”
“Please grant me access to the Plum Blossom Hall.”
At that, Bai Duanxian showed his displeasure.
He was uneasy about Ouyang Jue’s interest in the Plum Blossom Hall.
“Is that not where the scribes who manage our documents reside? It is not a suitable place for a direct disciple of Mount Hua to frequent.”
“That, too, is for something I must investigate.”
Seeing Ouyang Jue’s resolute expression, Bai Duanxian nodded as if he had no choice.
“...Very well. I will speak to the Master of the Plum Blossom Hall beforehand.”
“Thank you.”
Bai Duanxian composed himself and asked Ouyang Jue.
“When do you plan to depart?”
“I intend to leave as early as this evening, during the Hour of the Rooster.”
Ouyang Jue spoke calmly. It was as good as a statement of fact.
“I will return within three days at the latest.”
***
‘There was a time when he said such things.’
Ouyang Jue was looking at Liu Zhangming with a pathetic expression.
They were in a marketplace quite some distance from Mount Hua.
There, a medicine peddler, with a piece of paper inscribed with ‘Indestructible Diamond Body’ stuck to his forehead, was breaking roof tiles.
*Crack!*
“Now, look here! This is the power gained from regularly taking this medicine!”
“Ooh-!”
Being such a rural area, a sizable crowd of passersby had stopped to watch.
The fact that Liu Zhangming was among them made Ouyang Jue let out a sigh.
‘Anyone could tell it’s fake if they looked closely. Has he spent so much time in the mountains practicing swordsmanship that he can’t even spot a swindler?’
Whether he knew of Ouyang Jue’s concerns or not, Liu Zhangming himself was letting out repeated gasps of amazement.
“Jue, look at that! It may not grant an Indestructible Diamond Body, but he’s selling a divine medicine that hardens the body for just one silver tael!”
At those words, Ouyang Jue felt a throbbing in his head.
“I understand you’re amazed because you’ve never seen it before, but…”
“Shouldn’t I buy some just in case?”
*Clink.*
As Liu Zhangming’s hand moved toward his pouch, the medicine peddler’s ears perked up.
“You there, Daoist! You certainly have a keen eye!”
Ouyang Jue replied curtly to that.
“For a mere street vendor selling some strange concoction of snake dung, he talks as if he could rival the Omniscient One.”
“W-What did you say?!”
“Senior Brother, there’s no need to deal with someone like that.”
Liu Zhangming shook his head.
It seemed the world-ignorant Daoist had been completely enchanted by the peddler’s silver tongue.
“He said it hardens the body if you take it regularly. You shouldn’t be so quick to suspect people.”
‘He’s completely clueless...!’
Ouyang Jue sighed again.
There was a reason he was traveling with Liu Zhangming.
It was partly to gain the Sect Leader’s trust, but he also needed the reputation.
A reputation that represented Mount Hua so well that the merchant guild couldn’t refuse him.
And that was Liu Zhangming, currently known as the Plum Cloud Sword of Mount Hua.
‘If I go alone, they’ll surely kick me out.’
For these various reasons and for the symbolism, he had brought Liu Zhangming along.
He had also trusted him a little, since he’d heard he had been outside a few times before.
But the reality was a mess.
“Wow, going out with my junior brother has led me to encounter such a mysterious divine medicine.”
‘...And he says this isn’t his first time out? Then what have you been doing all this time you’ve been outside, Senior Brother?’
Until now, Liu Zhangming, known as one of the rising stars of Mount Hua, had only ever walked the smooth path laid out for him under the guidance of the Sect Leader or the elders.
That was why he couldn’t help but be fascinated by such a peddler’s foolish tricks.
Ouyang Jue swallowed the curses that rose in his throat.
“I’m telling you, that’s not a divine medicine.”
“Then how can that man break a stone into two pieces with his bare hands?”
At that, a shill who seemed to be on the peddler’s side chimed in.
“Hah... even a Daoist from the mountains wants to buy that medicine?”
The shill’s smug expression made Ouyang Jue’s face contort completely.
‘We’re being completely taken for a ride.’
Just as Ouyang Jue was feeling troubled, a voice suddenly came from behind them.
“You scoundrels! How dare you try to swindle Great Hero Liu!”
“What... swindle!?”
Seeing Liu Zhangming startle and hide his money pouch behind his back, Ouyang Jue wore a look of disbelief.
“Why won’t you believe me... but you believe him?”
At that, Liu Zhangming scratched his cheek, averted his gaze, and mumbled softly.
“...I thought maybe you might just be bad-mouthing someone successful, Junior Brother.”
Since that wasn’t entirely untrue, Ouyang Jue clamped his mouth shut.
His behavior as a child had been a bit like that.
He let out an involuntary sigh, but Ouyang Jue quickly corrected his thoughts.
‘I’ll just have to change his perception of me from now on.’
At last, Ouyang Jue’s gaze turned behind him.
“Thank you for stopping my Senior Brother.”
“...”
Standing there was a middle-aged man with a gaunt frame and a perpetually wronged expression that was quite memorable.
He couldn't utter a word, his gaze fixed solely on Liu Zhangming.
Ouyang Jue instantly predicted his next move and frowned.
*Thud!*
And his prediction was not wrong.
“Great Hero Liu!”
His expression suggested he had much to say to Liu Zhangming.
Ouyang Jue shook his head and led the two of them into a nearby tavern.
***
“Jue.”
The moment Liu Zhangming spoke, Ouyang Jue waved his hand in disgust.
“I’d rather go alone than clean up the mess of someone whose name I don’t even know.”
“...If that is truly what you wish.”
At this point, one would expect him to concede and get up, but Liu Zhangming called over the attendant and canceled one of their orders.
Seeing this, Ouyang Jue couldn’t help but snort.
‘To think you were about to use the sect’s money to line that peddler’s pockets!’
“You go on ahead. I need to talk with this man for a bit.”
His tone was utterly resolute, so Ouyang Jue propped his chin on his hand with a sullen expression.
Did he take this as some form of agreement?
—As expected of my junior brother.
A sound transmission from Liu Zhangming, filled with nothing but pride, reached him.
‘We’re already in a hurry, does this person have no sense at all?’
All he needed to do was confirm the crucial evidence he’d seen at the Plum Blossom Hall before leaving Mount Hua.
Ouyang Jue’s gaze shifted to the man sitting opposite Liu Zhangming.
His wronged expression was quite convincing.
A curt remark escaped Ouyang Jue’s lips.
“We don’t have time, so speak quickly.”
—Jue!
Liu Zhangming’s eyes shot up at that, but the man simply bowed his head, looking apologetic.
“To your junior brother as well, I can only say thank you...”
Liu Zhangming offered a gentle smile.
“It is quite all right. Please, speak comfortably.”
“...Thank you.”
The man let out a deep sigh before speaking, then revealed his name.
“My name is Bai Chuan, and I was once a rather successful merchant.”
“Ah, I see.”
As if recalling a painful past, Bai Chuan’s face darkened.
Up to this point, Ouyang Jue had shown no interest.
“But... just ten days ago, I was forced to close my business due to a false accusation.”
“What happened?”
At that question, Bai Chuan swallowed his sorrow.
“The merchant guild framed me. Not only did they treat my perfectly good merchandise as counterfeits, they made it so I couldn't do business anywhere in Shaanxi.”
“...Hmm!”
“Still, a man has to eat, so my wife and I tried to find a way to survive. But...”
Bai Chuan’s words trailed off, and a moment of silence followed.
Ouyang Jue didn’t need to hear the rest to know what had happened.
‘It didn’t end there, did it?’
It was only natural. A merchant guild doesn’t let go of a merchant they’ve decided to cast out so easily.
In most cases, they would ensure the person could never even think of doing business again—the martial world equivalent of severing their limbs and meridians.
Bai Chuan must have gone through a similar process.
Liu Zhangming’s eyes suddenly grew calm.
“What is the name of the merchant guild?”
“It is the Golden Ring Merchant Guild.”
*Thump!*
The moment Bai Chuan finished speaking, Ouyang Jue slammed his palm on the table.
*Clatter!*
The appetizer dish overturned its contents, and the chopsticks flew into the air before scattering across the table.
Liu Zhangming’s expression hardened fearsomely.
“What is this behavior?”
“No, Senior Brother. Don’t you remember?”
Only then did Liu Zhangming recall why they had come all this way, and his expression changed with a soft, “Ah.”
At that moment, Ouyang Jue’s sound transmission reached him.
—I will first get rid of the nearby ears.
—There is an eavesdropper?
To think Ouyang Jue had noticed an uninvited guest that he himself had not.
Liu Zhangming couldn’t help but be impressed.
—Your sensitivity to energy has grown tremendously in the past half-year.
Ouyang Jue did not reply to the transmission, instead looking at Bai Chuan with a joyous face.
‘I was just wondering how to barge in, and now I have a perfect excuse.’
Unable to bear his gaze, Bai Chuan unconsciously scratched the back of his head.
“I really... don’t understand why you’re acting this way.”
“The Golden Ring Merchant Guild, it’s in Shangzhou, is it not?”
At Ouyang Jue’s question, Bai Chuan slapped his knee.
“How did you know?! Don’t tell me you already knew?”
‘First, let’s chase away the uninvited guest.’
Ouyang Jue didn’t answer right away, instead glancing at the attendant who came to deliver the food they had ordered.
But his gaze was incredibly intense, far too much for the attendant to handle.
The All-Wielding Eye.
It was a bizarre art that could exert immense pressure on those of a much lower level, one of the fortunes he had acquired in his past life.
“We’re fine, give it to that beggar over there.”
“...Y-Yes, sir.”
Unaware that his palms had grown damp, the attendant delivered the food to a beggar lying in the corner of the tavern.
No one else in the tavern noticed, but one person did.
Ouyang Jue.
‘Judging by his temples, he seems to be a beggar of at least branch leader rank.’
He must have come to see his senior brother, the famed Plum Cloud Sword. There seemed to be no other meaning to it.
But it was best to give a clear warning at times like this to avoid trouble later.
Ouyang Jue sent a sound transmission to the beggar who had received the food.
—Don’t even think about eavesdropping.
The intention hit its mark perfectly. The beggar stealthily slipped out of the tavern and disappeared somewhere.
Only then did Ouyang Jue speak.
“Could we hear your story in detail?”
The Golden Ring Merchant Guild.
It was the sole merchant guild responsible for the finances of the Mount Hua Sect.
At the same time, Ouyang Jue had discovered something in the Plum Blossom Hall.
‘So they’ve been having fun with our money, have they…?’
A viscous smile, the very kind that had earned him the name Bloodhound, began to spread across his face.