Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Kongtong Sect
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The unorthodox martial artists had barely shaken off the Kongtong Sect Daoists and entered the small village.
Dang Mujin had thought the Kongtong Sect martial artists would immediately follow them into the village, but unexpectedly, the Daoists hesitated outside, unable to enter easily.
He had no idea why they weren't entering such a small village, but it worked out perfectly for Dang Mujin's group. After all, they had business not with the unorthodox martial artists, but with the Kongtong Sect Daoists—and the information broker they had with them, some fellow named Yong Il-seon or whatever.
As Dang Mujin's group approached the Kongtong Sect Daoists at a leisurely pace, the Daoists openly regarded them with caution. Unless one had overwhelming confidence in their own skills, tensing up upon spotting an unfamiliar group was only natural.
Dang Mujin's group had no intention of provoking them, so they stopped at a reasonable distance and simply observed the Daoists.
Two women. Five men. Namgung Myeong offered a simple assessment.
"It's a bit wrong to judge by appearances, but... they don't look too friendly."
"Yeah."
Namgung Myeong didn't believe one could fully gauge a person by looks alone. However, when all seven had poor impressions, that changed things a bit.
Righteous faction martial artists typically evoked a certain image: skin a shade paler than a farmer's, eyes brimming with vitality, faces exuding resolve.
Yet not a single Kongtong Sect martial artist fit that mold. Their features varied, but all had fierce glares, and more than a couple bore large and small scars visible on their skin.
Dang Mujin's group exchanged glances to decide who would take the lead, and soon Hyeon-gong stepped forward.
He knew the most about the Kongtong Sect, was the best at handling people, and the Wudang Sect was of the same Daoist lineage as the Kongtong Sect.
Hyeon-gong lightly cupped his fists in greeting and spoke.
"Greetings. Fellow disciples of the Kongtong Sect."
"Fellow disciples? Which sect are you from?"
Unexpectedly, the one who stepped forward from the Kongtong Sect martial artists was a woman.
She appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Her features differed slightly from those of southern folk, with sharp eyes and a sturdy build for a woman.
Her skill and insight also seemed the highest in the group; she was the only one who appeared to gauge Hyeon-gong's level.
Hyeon-gong spoke calmly.
"I am Hyeon-gong of the Victorious Dragon Sword, from the Wudang Sect. These fellows are friends from Sichuan Province."
The Kongtong Sect Daoists' eyes widened, as if they recognized Hyeon-gong's title.
"The Victorious Dragon Sword! I've heard you're the Wudang Sect's top prodigy."
From their reaction, it seemed the rumor of Hyeon-gong being expelled from the Wudang Sect hadn't spread. Of course, Elder Youngbo wouldn't go around blabbing about it.
The woman spoke to Hyeon-gong while standing straight.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Yagul Dal-eum of the Kongtong Sect. What brings you here?"
Yagul Dal-eum. An unfamiliar surname and name. Something from the northern regions, perhaps.
Hyeon-gong continued smoothly without showing any reaction.
"I've heard there's a man named Yong Il-seon in the Kongtong Sect."
Yagul Dal-eum nodded.
"Yes, there is. He joined the Kongtong Sect around early this year. Has Yong Il-seon caused some kind of trouble?"
"Not exactly. I heard that Daoist Yong might know the whereabouts of the Radiant Glory Sword, so we came looking."
"The Radiant Glory Sword... You're after a big fish. Yong Il-seon might know something. He's got wide connections and an ear for rumors."
The conversation was progressing quickly and smoothly. Hyeon-gong got straight to the point.
"In that case, could you introduce us to Daoist Yong?"
"Hmm. If you could do us a favor first."
"What favor?"
"The rumors of the Victorious Dragon Sword's prowess are impressive, and seeing you in person, you clearly surpass ordinary martial artists by a wide margin. Could you help us flush out those fellows who hid in the village?"
Hyeon-gong's eyebrow twitched upward slightly before settling back.
An ordinary righteous faction martial artist wouldn't demand something in such a situation. Attaching conditions to a minor favor was seen as the act of a petty person.
"There's no tall wall or fence around the village, and with your levels of skill, the villagers shouldn't pose much issue. What's the problem?"
"We're not entirely sure ourselves. But for that group to hide in this village means there's almost certainly someone powerful enough to protect them here. We could take heavy losses if luck turns sour, so we'd like some help to be safe."
Hyeon-gong sized up the Kongtong Sect Daoists' skills.
Yagul Dal-eum and one man could be considered first-rate. The other five were more accurately second-rate.
Just as picking tree fruit is hard for a child but simple for a tall adult, the request from Yagul Dal-eum and the others—whose skills were lacking compared to them—was likely no big deal for Dang Mujin's group.
'The terms aren't too demanding.'
Even so, Hyeon-gong didn't decide alone and looked to Dang Mujin. Dang Mujin nodded, as if reading his intent.
Only then did Hyeon-gong reply.
"Understood. Let's go in together."
*
Dang Mujin's group followed the Kongtong Sect Daoists into the village. Yagul Dal-eum could roughly gauge their skills just from their gait.
He couldn't tell if they had crossed the wall to absolute peak, but all four were definitely above her—that much was clear.
"I'm not sure if my insight is accurate, but Young Hero Hyeon-gong's friends are quite accomplished as well."
Of course, Yi Gyu wasn't included among the friends Yagul Dal-eum mentioned. He stood out as an oddity to anyone.
"Well, we get by decently enough, or so I've heard."
As Hyeon-gong humbly demurred, Dang Mujin looked around.
The villagers watched Dang Mujin's group without a trace of fear.
"I figured they'd taken villagers hostage, but that doesn't seem to be the case."
"They know it'd be a stupid move."
"It's a bit odd, though. If they're hiding in the village anyway, wouldn't taking hostages be better?"
Yagul Dal-eum shook her head and made a throat-slitting gesture with her finger.
"Sure, it might buy them a little more time. But it changes how we handle them. Normally, we take the useful ones and let the small fry go, but if they're rotten enough to take hostages and harm people, there's no reason to let them live."
"You're quite resolute."
"The Kongtong Sect stands at the forefront of defending against the demonic hordes. We have to show resolve to minimize long-term damage."
A subtle pride colored Yagul Dal-eum's voice. Dang Mujin posed a question to her.
"Were you also dragged into the Kongtong Sect by someone else's hand, Lady Yagul?"
To put it bluntly, it meant: Were you forcibly taken?
"That's not the case."
It was a question that could feel offensive, but Yagul Dal-eum smiled brightly and waved it off.
She seemed pleased by the "Lady" address. It wasn't easy for a woman at least ten years their senior to hear such from a young man.
"That's not it. The Bone Reformation Yellow Path Hall... In other words, the role of seeking out those who can be reformed is only for those who come to the Kongtong Sect of their own accord."
"Ah, so you volunteered for the Kongtong Sect yourself. That must not have been an easy choice."
"It was an easy choice for me. My only choice, really. No regrets, of course."
"Could we hear the details?"
Intrigued, Dang Mujin showed interest, and Yagul Dal-eum spoke brightly.
"Even looking across the entire Central Plains martial world, which prestigious righteous sect accepts those who have trained in unorthodox arts or demonic arts? If you want to escape the life of an unorthodox martial artist, the Kongtong Sect is your only option."
Prestigious righteous sects taking in young, talented children and raising them amounted to not accepting the flawed.
And origins were one such flaw. Wasn't the land north of the Central Plains barbarian territory?
Thus, no truly prestigious righteous sect established itself beyond the Central Plains, and the martial arts northern-born folk could learn were limited to unorthodox arts, demonic arts, or crude techniques available in the markets.
Prestigious righteous sects proclaimed reforming evildoers and eradicating demons from their mouths. But they exterminated demons without reforming evildoers. The former was far easier and left no loose ends.
Yagul Dal-eum continued slowly.
"I wasn't dissatisfied with my life at first. But people who train in unorthodox arts have that willful streak, don't they? Before long, my father and younger brother's temperaments twisted strangely, and they got caught up in a knife fight and died. I started feeling anxious that I'd end up the same way."
"That must have been tough on you mentally."
As they walked while listening to Yagul Dal-eum's story, they spotted the unorthodox martial artists who had entered from outside the village gathered in front of a large house.
Among them, one exceptionally tall man was desperately shouting through a crack in the door.
"Isn't this enough already! Just help us this once! With your strength, Elder, you could smash them all with a single punch!"
It seemed the person the unorthodox martial artists trusted was inside the house. The problem was that the homeowner wasn't obliging.
As their negotiations dragged on and impatience grew, the unorthodox martial artists spotted the approaching Kongtong Sect martial artists and paled.
"You idiots! Just tell him we'll give him everything! Whether your skull gets punched through or you're hauled off by the Kongtong Sect, you won't need the money either way!"
Seizing the moment of unease, Yagul Dal-eum coaxed the unorthodox martial artists with a friendly smile.
"Don't be scared—surrender peacefully. Unless your crimes are especially heinous, no one's punching holes in your heads. At worst, one or two out of ten might die, and the rest can go back intact."
Even if it was just one or two out of ten, it was hard to stay calm if you might be one of them. And as was typical of black path and unorthodox martial artists, these men had plenty of guilty deeds weighing on their consciences.
Moreover, as Yagul Dal-eum said, not all survivors returned intact.
There were cases where meridians were severed or dantians crushed.
The unorthodox martial artists shouted.
"Don't lie! We all know what happened to Bonghak last time!"
"He's been recognized as talentless and proudly become a Kongtong Sect martial artist. Your friend discarded his crude arts and is learning the Kongtong Sect's superior techniques. It's not an easy process, but he's satisfied now and training diligently."
The mention of superior martial arts was tempting, but the risks were too high.
"We ain't falling for it! Get lost!"
"Surrender before you get hurt."
As the unorthodox martial artists grew terrified, the man negotiating with the homeowner shoved the sack in his hand through the door crack.
"Fine! We'll give you all of it! Everything! And we'll scrape together extra later! If we all pool it, we can get you thirty or forty taels of gold! Please, help us!"
Only then did the door open, and someone emerged from the house.
The man who came out had an unusually large frame, a gleaming bald head, and skin far darker and more swarthy than most. He appeared to have trained in some special external art.
His skill level looked extraordinary as well—well beyond first-rate, enough to handle seven Kongtong Sect martial artists single-handedly with ease.
'...?'
The issue was that the bald man's appearance oddly reminded him of someone, to an unnatural degree.
As the bald man emerged, the unorthodox martial artists pointed at the Kongtong Sect martial artists with ecstatic expressions.
"You bastards! You're all dead! It's Elder Three-Eyes!"
As if by prior agreement, Dang Mujin's group simultaneously rubbed their chins.