Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Annihilation (2)
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Straightening his robes, Ouyang Jue methodically reviewed the recent events.
The Black Dragon Gang's influence was shrinking, and with the unification of the Taoist sects in Shaanxi, the world's attention was now focused on them...
It was positive, but also negative.
While Mount Hua was steadily reviving, it also hinted that events were diverging from the future Ouyang Jue knew.
In a way, it was a bad thing.
"Well, isn't it for the best?"
But Ouyang Jue accepted it calmly.
He had already drawn a line between this life and his past one.
He hadn't reconnected with his lifelong friend, the Omniscient One, and had taken the Heavenly Escape Sword Arts, which originally belonged to Yeong Heo-ja.
On top of that, he had acquired the divine artifact known as the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor.
He would gather these things, focus on improving his own martial arts, and further revive Mount Hua.
If he continued to live diligently, he should be able to overcome any hardship that came his way.
'...'
Ouyang Jue's gaze suddenly turned behind him.
Toward the small peak above the Mount Hua Sect, the Plum Blossom Infirmary.
There lay an ambiguous victory.
He had succeeded in twisting fate to save his senior-most brother, Ha Jin-ak, from death, but it was only a partial success.
He held onto the hope that he would one day awaken, but when that time came, would he truly be able to rise?
There was no guarantee.
'Even if he does wake up...'
Ouyang Jue shook his head slightly. He had seen such cases in his past life, and his lips tightened into a firm line.
Instead, he scanned the training grounds, where disciples were engrossed in their practice.
"Hah!"
"Hoo..."
A wave of heat washed over the cool autumn breeze. Their sweat-drenched efforts were forging Mount Hua's future.
If only to keep watching this.
"I should go."
Ouyang Jue muttered to himself, tearing his gaze from the training grounds. He tensed the muscles throughout his body.
His body, smaller and less trained than in his past life, was gradually improving.
It was then.
A small hand grabbed the hem of his robe.
"Senior Brother, are you going out again?"
"...Going out? I'm on my way to speak with the Sect Leader."
It was Jo Hun.
He must have overheard something while training, as his face was filled with worry.
It was understandable. Whenever Ouyang Jue went out and returned, Mount Hua would be thrown into an uproar.
In fact, even now, arguments were going back and forth within the sect.
Some argued, "Since when did Mount Hua start playing leader, wearing the crown of a grandmaster?" They insisted that with the martial world's eyes upon them, it was time to return to the ways of nature.
'Nonsense.'
Ouyang Jue couldn't take it well. If the situation allowed, he would have had them investigated.
Disgust, no, it was closer to revulsion.
'To think they'd want to just watch as the Unorthodox Faction tried to kill our senior-most brother and ran rampant over the people of Shaanxi...'
Barely suppressing his murderous intent, Ouyang Jue placed a hand on Jo Hun's head and offered a gentle smile.
*Pat, pat.*
The palm of his hand, calloused and scarred from grueling training, tickled Jo Hun.
"Does this Senior Brother of yours look like someone who gets beaten up everywhere he goes?"
"W-well, no, but."
Seeing Jo Hun hesitate, it was clear he hadn't stopped him on a whim.
Ouyang Jue's voice turned serious.
"Is something worrying you?"
"...I... It's just."
As if suddenly swept up in a torrent of emotions, Jo Hun's eyes began to well up.
"Senior Brother, you're okay, right?"
"..."
The sudden question made Ouyang Jue fall silent, as if he'd taken a blow to the jaw.
'How old is Hun again?'
Ten or eleven at most.
He was too young to be worrying about others, an age where he should still be whining about holding a horse stance.
'He's grown up.'
A bittersweet look entered Ouyang Jue's eyes as he gazed into the past.
The image of their first meeting, when he had chattered innocently about food from the outside world, began to fade.
Then, Ouyang Jue shook off the heavy silence.
"I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Of course. In the entire history of the martial world, there's never been anyone as strong as me at my age."
His arrogant words drew glances from those nearby, but not a single person refuted them.
After all, this was the man who had effortlessly defeated the Iron Bamboo Master, a warrior at the peak of the first-rate.
The only other person to have achieved such martial prowess at the age of eighteen was likely the Hegemon King of the Martial Heavens, Peng Wu-zong.
'...And maybe Senior Brother Liu?'
Even thinking back on it now, Liu Zhangming's dominance over Cheol Geum-san was nothing short of a miracle.
But could it really be called a miracle?
His opponent was a demonic cultivator who had been lurking within Mount Hua for years, perhaps even decades.
For such a person to be caught by Liu Zhangming because of a mere moment of carelessness...
It was absurd.
Cutting off that line of thought, Ouyang Jue gently pushed Jo Hun away.
"So don't worry, just wait for me. Who am I? The Plum Blossom Sword Hero, am I not?"
"Senior Brother Ouyang."
"Ahem, that's enough!"
At Ouyang Jue's gentle scolding, Jo Hun sniffled.
"It's not polite to keep the Sect Leader waiting."
Ouyang Jue looked up toward the hermitage where Bai Duanxian would be.
* * *
"It seems you'll have to go to Wudang."
"...Pardon?"
At the unexpected words, Ouyang Jue blinked his large eyes. Wondering if he had misheard, his posture relaxed slightly.
He hadn't expected Wudang at all, and a disrespectful remark slipped from his lips.
"In the current situation, isn't it more important to stabilize Mount Hua? Why Wudang?"
Frankly, just ensuring stability would be a great long-term benefit.
Since the Golden Ring Merchant Guild was handling the manor in Chang'an, they had grown close to the authorities, which brought considerable additional profits.
And that wasn't all.
As momentum tends to attract people like a swarm of bees, even the Taoist sects near Shaanxi had cautiously shifted their positions.
They were truly becoming the head of the Taoist sects in the northern region.
They barely had enough time to maintain that position and reinforce their foundation, yet he was being told to go to Wudang.
As Ouyang Jue strongly protested, Bai Duanxian cleared his throat lightly.
'Just when I thought he was starting to act more like a Taoist this year...'
Bai Duanxian sighed softly.
It was understandable that he wouldn't get it.
"It seems my explanation was a bit lacking."
"...?"
Bai Duanxian's next words were quite surprising.
"Is that true?"
"How could I, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, lie to my own disciple?"
Bai Duanxian looked at Ouyang Jue with pride and satisfaction.
"It's all because Master Hyeon Geom thinks highly of you, Jue."
"Me?"
"Huhu."
Ouyang Jue gave him a somewhat ambiguous smile.
'Is it really just out of goodwill?'
He thought to himself that it probably wasn't, shaking his head slightly.
What was his connection with Master Hyeon Geom, anyway?
The Nine Dragons Tournament.
He was the one who had asked him to back down a step at the tournament where the Taoist sects of the northern region gathered to compete.
Noticing his strange reaction, Bai Duanxian spoke quietly.
"There's something more to it, isn't there?"
For a moment, Ouyang Jue narrowed his eyes.
Those words confirmed it.
Bai Duanxian knew that Master Hyeon Geom was by no means a magnanimous person.
A smile played on Ouyang Jue's lips.
"You knew?"
"Roughly."
Bai Duanxian wiped his lips with a slightly sheepish hand.
"My eyes and ears are always open, except when I'm sleeping. I just haven't interfered until now, but I know the gist of it."
"...I see."
In that case, things would be simpler.
Ouyang Jue didn't drag it out any longer and briefly recounted what had happened.
About what he had proposed at the Nine Dragons Tournament.
The Bai Duanxian of the past would have been aghast and scolded him for it.
Moreover, it was a lie. Hadn't they twisted the publicly known results of the tournament?
Despite that, Bai Duanxian merely swallowed a groan.
Experience had taught him that this was not the time to argue about who was right or wrong.
"So that's what happened."
As he said this, Bai Duanxian quietly gazed at Ouyang Jue with his aged eyes.
"What do you think of it?"
"..."
At those words, Ouyang Jue also looked at Bai Duanxian.
The difference in their age and rank was so great that he was in a position where he shouldn't even dare to look up.
It was only because he was the successor to Ha Jin-ak.
And thanks to his status as a promising disciple, this private meeting had been granted without any issue.
At least, for now.
To think he was asking such a disciple for his opinion.
Ouyang Jue could read the trust in Bai Duanxian's gaze.
"As the Sect Leader already knows..."
Ouyang Jue began by flattering Bai Duanxian.
"Master Hyeon Geom is fundamentally a Taoist, but he is also one who accepts the trivial matters of the secular world. Furthermore, since the rise of the Ming Dynasty, Wudang has become quite familiar with the authorities."
Bai Duanxian simply nodded, urging him to continue.
"On the surface, he'll pretend not to be, but he is likely very interested in the state of the martial world. He would be especially wary of Shaanxi, where Mount Hua and Zhongnan have gathered, as it is the closest."
"...So the Munsi Faction cannot help but be wary of us."
"Cultivate both nature and life." That is the banner of Wudang, to hone both good things simultaneously.
This was the teaching espoused by the Munsi Faction and the way of the Northern Heavenly Mysterious Warrior God they served.
But to put it bluntly, it meant the Northern and Southern schools were mixed together.
On top of that, their history was short, so the influences of various other Taoist sects still remained.
This meant they couldn't afford to be hostile toward Mount Hua.
Ouyang Jue affirmed it.
"The Sect Leader is correct. Although they are backed by the Ming Dynasty, Wudang's history is still short."
"Then, Jue, what do you think Wudang wants?"
To Bai Duanxian's fundamental question, Ouyang Jue answered concisely.
"They say the greediest are the ones who covet what others have."
"Ah."
A low sigh escaped Bai Duanxian's lips.
It was simple.
It was just that the events he had experienced until now had clouded his vision.
"...I've been worrying too much over nothing."
"You don't have to be so hard on yourself. I would have done the same."
At the consolation from a disciple not yet of age, Bai Duanxian let out a hollow laugh.
Strangely, it didn't feel bad.
Rather, his natural way of consoling him made it seem as if he were accustomed to such situations.
Indeed, Bai Duanxian thought to himself.
'Jue has been through a lot as well.'
Betrayal by those he trusted, the consequences that followed, sorrow, and anger.
That was why he had been suspicious of the hand extended by Wudang.
He had summoned Ouyang Jue separately through Liu Zhangming, thinking there must be some ulterior motive.
A small note of lamentation tinged Bai Duanxian's voice.
"It was just a simple gesture of goodwill, yet I thought there had to be some other meaning. Because of the darkness I've seen recently, I almost suspected Wudang."
At those words, Ouyang Jue gave a mysterious smile.
"But they're still contemptible, all the same."
"That is true."
The conversation paused, and the two—master and disciple—met each other's gaze. Then, they smiled.
Though no words or telepathic messages were exchanged, they could grasp what the other was thinking as if it were in the palm of their hand.
"It seems Wudang is trying to get a piece of the pie."
Ouyang Jue chuckled softly.
"Exactly. It's strange that our fellow Taoists, who have been so quiet until now and never even issued a warning to the Black Dragon Gang, are now extending a hand."
Ouyang Jue's eyes narrowed. A flicker of malice passed through them.
"After we—no, after Mount Hua—turned the Black Dragon Gang's Shaanxi branch in Chang'an into an infirmary and brought peace to the province... if they lend a hand now, it'll spread as a fine tale."
Bai Duanxian picked up the thread nonchalantly.
"On top of that, they'd be helping to judge the Black Dragon Gang, claiming it's for the sake of a fellow Taoist sect, even though it's another sect's business. How wonderful is that? It's no different from the tales of heroes told in the marketplace."
Just as the conversation was about to devolve into slander against Wudang, Bai Duanxian frowned and stopped it.
"But, Jue. If Wudang helps, there is much to be gained, and it will be a great help in cleaning things up later."
...*Grip*.
A small line formed on Ouyang Jue's jaw. He wasn't wrong.
"The support of the current Martial Alliance, you mean?"
"Not just that."
Bai Duanxian's expression turned cold, becoming so impassive it seemed there was no opening to exploit.
He knew, too.
That the Wudang Sect had remained silent until the matter quieted down and the outcome was clear.
But confronting them about it would only lead to awkwardness.
That's why Master Hyeon Geom had made the offer.
*We will help you.*
*We will help you enough to make up for our silence.*
If they ultimately couldn't refuse that help, Bai Duanxian intended to get twice as much out of them.
"If they want to save face, they'll have to help properly."
"The issue of routes, supplies, and safety, then."
At those words, Bai Duanxian's gaze became extremely sharp. He hadn't expected Ouyang Jue to possess such knowledge.
'Jue. Just what are you...?'
But he didn't voice his question, keeping it to himself. He believed the time would come when he would explain everything clearly.
Bai Duanxian nodded.
"As you say, if Wudang gets involved, the authorities will also grant us small conveniences, and the safety of our disciples will be further ensured. Also..."
Remembering that Ouyang Jue's interest had always been focused on martial arts, Bai Duanxian brought up the topic he had prepared.
"I hear that the inspiration and insights that led your martial uncle, Gwak Un-pae, to create his own unique sword style are in Wudang."
"...!"
This came just as he was still thinking about the memory of slaughtering his enemies, breaking through the power of his Radiant Eye for a moment.
Ouyang Jue's posture changed.
"In Wudang?"
"Yes."
Seeing Ouyang Jue's immense interest, Bai Duanxian let a faint smile grace his lips.
"I will make sure to speak firmly with Master Hyeon Geom about this. Go and learn as much as you can."
"Understood, Sect Leader."
Ouyang Jue slowly bowed, stood up, and left the hermitage.
A small flame was kindling within him.
'To think that the true nature of that sword style, which I could only guess at in my past life, was in Wudang!'
The possibility of becoming stronger always sparked his ambition.
Moreover, wasn't it a Mount Hua martial art?
For Ouyang Jue, it was a welcome opportunity to gain another card up his sleeve without resorting to the martial arts of his past life.
Then, Ouyang Jue's expression turned cold.
"Wudang."
The outcome of them helping was good, but he didn't like the process. What an ambiguous situation.
Ouyang Jue looked down at the full view of the Mount Hua Sect.
"Watching their attitude change should be quite entertaining."