Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The Eccentric (4)
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‘A supposed disciple of the righteous faction, asking me to punch him in the jaw.’
Isn't that what some back-alley thug would say?
And he was saying this to a rising star of the Mount Hua Sect, the new top Taoist sect in all of Shaanxi.
Wasn't that a wildly inappropriate request?
Ouyang Jue found it so ridiculous that he laughed.
“You're laughing?”
Whatever he made of that laughter, the Divine Demon Fist's cheek twitched.
Still, Ouyang Jue's smile remained relaxed. The man didn't seem truly angry.
Besides.
“After beating up a disciple of the Beggars' Sect, you seem so proud. Of course I find it amusing.”
It was funny, so he laughed. Was there any need for another reason?
A crack echoed from Ouyang Jue's knuckles. The tips of his fingers. A thrill born in his extremities spread throughout his body.
The fact that an enemy stood before him was enough to heighten his senses.
*Thud.*
Taking a step forward, he thought.
*How should I beat him to straighten him out completely?*
As he pondered this, Ouyang Jue tilted his head slightly to the right. In the next moment, his entire body shot forward.
*Whoosh!*
At the same time, a great gust of wind tore past the Divine Demon Fist's ears.
‘So threatening, even from a distance! I was right to come looking for a fight!’
The Divine Demon Fist instinctively crossed his arms to brace for the attack.
*Scraape!*
The sand scattered haphazardly on the ground parted to either side.
A thunderbolt seemed to crash down between Ouyang Jue and the Divine Demon Fist.
*BOOM!*
“…?!”
A look of utter surprise flashed across the Divine Demon Fist's face.
Fast. Even using the third stage of the Path Towards the Extreme of Light, it was a speed his eyes couldn't follow.
‘This is insane…!’
Along with a pain that felt like the skin was being torn from his palms, half of his body was thrown back.
He glanced down to see Ouyang Jue's leg swinging like a scythe.
It was too late to react. The Divine Demon Fist clenched his teeth and forced his body to spin.
*Crackle!*
Lightning ki erupted from the Divine Demon Fist, instantly enveloping an area a full step around him.
Seeing this, Ouyang Jue was slightly impressed.
“Hoh.”
To not only manifest his internal energy outside his body but also maintain its properties.
The old Divine Demon Fist might have given him some credit for that.
But to put it another way, that was the extent of it.
Ouyang Jue took a deep breath.
“Hoo…”
Then, he seized the Divine Demon Fist's shoulder and pressed down.
At that moment, a savage grin, reminiscent of a battle demon, spread across the Divine Demon Fist's face.
“Haha! You're strong, but you lack experience!”
*Crackle, sizzle!*
A variation of the Path Towards the Extreme of Light: Aegis of the Thunder God.
As if he were wearing armor made of lightning, the lightning ki shrouding his body surged rapidly up Ouyang Jue's arm.
*Fwoosh!*
The Divine Demon Fist's lightning ki was more potent than any Scorching Yang Art, powerful enough to incinerate a person's internal organs in an instant.
No matter how immense his opponent's internal energy might be.
A triumphant expression deepened on the Divine Demon Fist's face.
‘I've got him! I've won!’
The moment the Divine Demon Fist was certain of his victory, Ouyang Jue looked him in the eye and smirked.
I have a feeling I'll be seeing that smirk of his a lot.
Ouyang Jue spoke in an indifferent voice.
“A little tingly.”
He then clenched his fist. Purple Mist True Ki surged from his dantian, instantly enveloping the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor.
Feeling the gauntlet fit snugly over each of his knuckles, Ouyang Jue's lip twitched.
It felt good.
A perfect day to smack the astonished face of his enemy.
Ouyang Jue shouted in a stern and cold voice.
He said it on the assumption that Cheon Yu-gae was somewhere nearby.
“I don't know what wandering fighter you are, but attempting murder in front of Mount Hua is a grave offense! You will have to come with me to the Disciplinary Hall!”
Ouyang Jue bent his left knee forward. Then, at the perfect moment, he lunged.
*BOOM!*
Sand shot up behind him as a heavy pressure surged forward.
“…!?”
Just facing him was enough to make him tense up; the Divine Demon Fist gritted his teeth.
He now had to admit that the man before him might be stronger.
Regret washed over him; he should have taken this seriously from the start.
But it was too late. His opponent had not the slightest intention of holding back.
All he could do was prepare himself.
‘Then again, this is what makes it fun!’
Realizing the impact was coming, the Divine Demon Fist clamped his jaw shut.
“Hup.”
*THWACK!*
A solid thwack echoed as Ouyang Jue's right forearm collided with the Divine Demon Fist's left.
*CLANG!*
The bone-jarring impact made the Divine Demon Fist bite the inside of his lip.
Fighting a strong opponent was thrilling, but the pain was almost unbearable.
“Dammit, that hurts like hell!”
He tensed his wrist, the epicenter of the impact, and the muscles he had trained for twenty years tightened powerfully.
At least, for now, he was okay.
Unable to hide his excitement, the Divine Demon Fist charged forward.
“Kraah!”
One exchange passed in the blink of an eye; five more in the time it took a water droplet to fall from the tip of a leaf.
With each passing moment, the Divine Demon Fist had to revise his assessment of Ouyang Jue.
‘Is he superhuman?’
Surprise turned to respect, and respect soared into awe.
The fact that there was a swordsman who could keep up with his movements came as a great shock to the Divine Demon Fist.
‘Is the martial world filled with people like this?’
The Divine Demon Fist took half a step back to catch his breath. No matter how closely he looked, Ouyang Jue showed no signs of having trained in any special external arts.
And his Purple Mist True Ki was contained entirely within his gauntlets.
‘If I had trained for just five more years, couldn't I have beaten a punk like him?’
The Divine Demon Fist exhaled sharply and charged at Ouyang Jue once more.
*Flicker!*
Lightning ki flowed from his dantian, heating the Divine Demon Fist's entire body.
The Path Towards the Extreme of Light, which enhanced his entire body, and its variation, the Aegis of the Thunder God.
The two martial arts the Divine Demon Fist employed were so profound that no one had ever mastered them.
Indeed, who was the Divine Demon Fist, the greatest eccentric under heaven?
Looking back across the entire martial world, his fame was unmatched among fist masters.
In terms of martial prowess alone, he was among the top ten.
In a martial world full of strange and wondrous individuals, the Divine Demon Fist had defeated countless old masters under the title ‘Thunderclap that Shatters the Heavens.’
‘Well, even so.’
Ouyang Jue's lip curled. The lightning ki emanating from the Divine Demon Fist made the fine hairs on his skin stand on end.
‘Compared to *him*, this guy is just a small fry. He's only moderately crazy; a good beating now might just knock some sense into him.’
A wild man merely impersonating the Divine Demon Fist.
Regardless of what the man himself thought, just as Cheon Yu-gae had said, he was nothing more than a wild man impersonating the Divine Demon Fist.
In the worst-case scenario, he could be captured by a master of the unorthodox factions and have his marrow drained.
Didn't he disappear without a trace in my past life?
‘It wouldn't be a bad idea to form a connection with him and keep an eye on him, or perhaps bring him into the Mount Hua Sect.’
Though some mental reconditioning would be necessary in the process.
Ouyang Jue struck upward with both palms, hitting the Divine Demon Fist's chin.
*CRACK!*
“…Ghk.”
Seeing the Divine Demon Fist stumble, unable to regain his senses, Ouyang Jue let out a small laugh.
“Ready to give up now?”
“No!”
He tried to sound unfazed, but the Divine Demon Fist was in a wretched state.
Minor wounds covered his body.
His clothes were torn beyond recognition.
Even his right thumb—vital for a fist master—was bent to one side.
If it wasn't properly set with a splint, it would cause problems later.
Overcome with despair, the Divine Demon Fist spoke.
“I lost. End it and kill me.”
Ouyang Jue found his words strange.
“Asking a Taoist to kill you… why should I? As I just said, that's a matter for the Disciplinary Hall to decide.”
The Divine Demon Fist winced in pain but spoke in a calm voice.
“Because there is no defeat in the name of the Divine Demon Fist.”
That was the promise he had made with his master, who had left for parts unknown.
“Are you saying you'll take your own life?”
To that, the Divine Demon Fist answered quietly.
“Perhaps.”
“You'd throw your life away over a single loss?”
“Because there was such a promise.”
At the Divine Demon Fist's strangely detached words, Ouyang Jue couldn't hold back his laughter.
“Pu, puhahaha!”
His laughter grew so loud it could have reached Liu Zhangming up on the mountain.
The Divine Demon Fist's face flushed with anger and shame.
“You bastard. Do you intend to trample on the honor of the defeated as well?!”
“Honor or not, isn't this hilarious?”
Ouyang Jue wiped away the tears that had welled in his eyes with a less dusty hand.
Anyone could see he had laughed so hard he cried.
“In the martial world, you should be grateful to survive a defeat, yet you're so eager to throw your life away. It's ridiculous. Do you even know what martial arts I used?”
“...?”
“Immortal Crane Palm. Plum Blossom Elusive Step. And finally, Six Harmonies Fist.”
The first two were fist arts not held in high regard in the Mount Hua Sect, and the last was a technique taught for building the very basics.
Having come all this way to challenge Ouyang Jue, the Divine Demon Fist understood exactly what that meant.
In a way, it was a misfortune.
Just as Cheon Yu-gae had said, he knew nothing of the martial world, yet he understood words that stabbed like daggers as if they were gospel.
As the realization belatedly sank in, the Divine Demon Fist's jaw began to tremble.
“I… lost to such pathetic martial arts?”
“Pathetic? They are still techniques learned by the disciples of Mount Hua.”
“This, this can't be…”
As the Divine Demon Fist clutched his head in despair, Ouyang Jue's expression hardened.
“The martial world is boundless, and the strong are as numerous as stalks of straw. You have taken it far too lightly.”
In truth, he had easily subdued him because he had fought the previous Divine Demon Fist to his heart's content in his past life.
Ouyang Jue put on a stern expression and pressed the Divine Demon Fist.
“This is a good opportunity to cultivate the Dao at Mount Hua. I am even willing to help you personally.”
“B-but… I've already.”
“Lost, so you'll die? Is that what your master would have wanted?”
Ouyang Jue shook his head firmly.
At least, the previous Divine Demon Fist he had known in his past life was not such a man.
He was the type who would rather have his disciple cling to life, even if shamefully, and grow stronger.
Ouyang Jue spoke again with emphasis.
“I don't know who your master is, but it seems he did a poor job of teaching his disciple.”
At those words, the Divine Demon Fist roared.
“You may have won, but how dare you speak ill of my master!”
“Your master is not the problem. You are.”
“…What?”
Ouyang Jue calmly twisted the knife.
“When the victor personally spares your life, you should be thinking of challenging him again later, not dying whenever you feel like it. That's what I find ridiculous.”
“…”
“Pathetic. What was the point of 'impersonating' the Divine Demon Fist?”
Ouyang Jue's lips twisted to one side, his expression turning mocking.
“As I understand it, the Divine Demon Fist has more pride than anyone under heaven. If he survives, he always hunts down the one who put him in danger… For his disciple, don't you give up a little too easily?”
*Grind.*
At those words, the Divine Demon Fist couldn't contain his anger and ground his teeth. But Ouyang Jue remained perfectly composed as he watched.
‘If I just tell him to become a disciple, he'll definitely be suspicious. I have no choice but to provoke his pride and that eccentric temper of his.’
“If you enter the Mount Hua Sect, you'll have plenty of chances to challenge me again. Of course, if that happens, I'll become your Senior or Junior Uncle.”
Ouyang Jue laid out the sweet poison.
“If you join the Mount Hua Sect, I will accept your challenge regardless of rank or generation.”
“Fine!”
*Thump!*
The Divine Demon Fist's eyes seemed to burn with fire.
Ouyang Jue put on a serious expression as if responding to the Divine Demon Fist's competitive spirit, but his inner thoughts were quite different.
‘Now, the martial arts of the Divine Demon Fist will slowly be absorbed under the great tree that is the Mount Hua Sect.’
Entering as a direct disciple meant he would have to learn only the martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect.
As he trained, the arts of the Divine Demon Fist would inevitably start to blend with those of Mount Hua.
The previous Divine Demon Fist was in seclusion, training in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, so there was no one to stop it.
Leading the Divine Demon Fist to the Mount Hua Sect, Ouyang Jue let a satisfied smile slip out.
Their strength had been further reinforced.
* * *
“Jue, where did you bring this gentleman from? He's too old to be accepted as a registered disciple…”
“Well, he has martial arts he learned before joining the mountain, so I think it will be fine, Senior Brother.”
As Ouyang Jue conversed so pleasantly with Liu Zhangming, the Divine Demon Fist shot him a look of disbelief.
-One moment he’s condescending, scolding, cursing, and beating someone up.
-The next, he acts as if it’s perfectly natural to treat people differently.
Ouyang Jue, wanting to speak with Liu Zhangming privately, sent the Divine Demon Fist on an errand.
“I'm thirsty. Go fetch some water. This is an order from your venerable Senior Brother.”
“…Dammit. He can get his own damn water.”
The Divine Demon Fist muttered a string of curses as he left. And only later did he realize.
He had been hooked by Ouyang Jue.
And so, the successor to the man known as the greatest eccentric under heaven joined the Mount Hua Sect.
The problem was, none of the Taoists who knew of his personality were willing to take him in.
Therefore, his name was merely added to the roster, and he was left in a position where he had to call even a seven-year-old boy ‘Senior Brother.’
He was a registered disciple in name only; in reality, his status was lower than that of an initiate.
The Divine Demon Fist clenched his jaw.
‘One wrong move, and I'll be in a position where I have to call that bastard Senior or Junior Uncle.’
Frowning deeply, the Divine Demon Fist wandered around Mount Hua.
‘He didn't even tell me where the well is. That son of a bitch.’
Then he spotted a neatly dressed child and readily approached him.
Unfamiliar with the sect's hierarchy, he spoke casually.
“Hey, kid. Where's the well?”
“Ah… yes! I know! Follow me!”
As expected of a disciple of the sect, even if he was just a child.
The boy climbed the steep slope without any particular sign of difficulty.
As they walked silently toward the well, the boy suddenly asked the Divine Demon Fist a question.
“By the way… are you close with Senior Brother Ouyang?”
“Why ask about that punk?”
For a moment, the boy wondered who would call Ouyang Jue that, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
“It's just… he's the one who allowed me to enter the sect.”
“Is that so.”
Despite the Divine Demon Fist's indifferent response, the boy spoke cheerfully.
“By the way, what's your name?”
The Divine Demon Fist couldn't answer right away. Having lived as the Divine Demon Fist since he was a child, he didn't have a proper name.
But the boy didn't mind and introduced himself.
“I'm Cheong Pung! 'Cheong' for clear, and 'Pung' for wind!”
Cheong Pung, the boy who just a few days ago had begged Ouyang Jue in shabby clothes to be his master, had already become a child capable of a bright smile.
* * *
An hour later.
The Divine Demon Fist, who had returned with a bucket of water on his shoulder, was met with an unexpected outburst.
“You insolent whelp!”
“…Pardon?”
As Liu Zhangming roared with anger, the dumbfounded Divine Demon Fist spat out an irritated reply.
“What did I do to make you so angry all of a sudden?”
“Heh heh.”
While Ouyang Jue snickered at the Divine Demon Fist, Liu Zhangming clenched his fists.
“Pung told me! You…”
“Ah, that kid.”
“Kid?”
At Liu Zhangming's retort, even Ouyang Jue, who had been a bystander, had to wipe the smile off his face.
‘This is bad.’
Liu Zhangming's face turned red with fury.
“How dare you call your Junior Brother a 'kid', no matter how young he is! And calling your Junior Uncle 'that punk'? Is that any way for you to speak?!”
“Does that mean…”
The Divine Demon Fist barely managed to recall the hierarchy Ouyang Jue had mentioned and pointed a finger at Liu Zhangming.
“Are you saying you're my master?”
As the Divine Demon Fist acted insolently once again, Liu Zhangming's eyes widened.
‘Jue insisted that I must take this man as my disciple and guide him, so I accepted, but…’
I'll take this opportunity to teach him the martial arts and etiquette of the Mount Hua Sect properly.
Liu Zhangming grabbed a wooden sword and beckoned to the Divine Demon Fist.
“Follow me to the training grounds at once!”
That was the day it began.
The day the Divine Demon Fist's wails began to echo.