Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Bloodstained
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Of course, no matter how Jinhae resolved himself, that was merely his own mindset.
Dang Mujin could not easily accept Jinhae's extreme actions.
"Killed them because they were unorthodox warriors? Jinhae. Do you even know what kind of people they were?"
"Do I need to know the details?"
For a moment, words failed him.
But Dang Mujin raised his voice even louder.
"What do you think unorthodox warriors are?"
"Those who point their swords at orthodox warriors."
It wasn't entirely wrong. There was always enmity between orthodox and unorthodox warriors.
However, Dang Mujin thought of the Blood Rain Guest, Jang Il-nam.
A man who, simply because he was born with talent in the sword south of the Yangtze, had to endure a lifetime of unwanted existence.
Jang Il-nam had spent most of his life as an unorthodox warrior, yet he was more suited to the orthodox martial world than anyone present.
If Jinhae had spoken even a word with him, would his attitude toward the Dang Hang brothers have been any different?
Dang Mujin let out a deep sigh.
"Jinhae. Not all orthodox warriors are the same, and neither are all unorthodox ones. Don't divide the world into two. Those guys might be a bit unlikeable, but they're villagers accepted as members of Pyeongni Village. They're not demons forged from all sorts of malice like you imagine."
"I don't think you're wrong. But we're in the midst of the great orthodox-unorthodox war right now. We don't have the luxury to nitpick each one."
"You!"
A choked response. As Dang Mujin opened his mouth to speak again, the Qingcheng Sect's Elder Gong stepped between him and Jinhae.
"Jinhae. Stand down immediately! Dang Family Head. I'll discipline this fool harshly, so please calm yourself for now."
With Elder Gong, who was nearly a father figure, showing such courtesy, Dang Mujin couldn't raise his voice further.
Moreover, Dang Mujin read deep bewilderment on Elder Gong's face. An emotion too strong to cover up.
It wasn't just Elder Gong. The Qingcheng Taoists visible over his shoulder were equally flustered.
The Qingcheng Taoists had no intention of antagonizing Dang Mujin.
No one was unaware of how favorable Elder Yeongheo had been toward Dang Mujin and the Dang Family Head. Likewise, the Dang Family Head was a good neighbor to the Qingcheng Sect.
Yet at the same time, the Qingcheng Taoists could understand Jinhae's actions. It had only been a few days since they witnessed Elder Yeongheo's death.
And it wasn't just Elder Yeongheo who had died.
Excluding Elder Yeongheo, more than ten Qingcheng Taoists had met death at the hands of unorthodox warriors or been rendered unable to wield a sword again in the Kongtong Sect just days ago.
It was too short a time to let such sacrifices slide.
The warriors from other sects were in much the same state. The Kongnam Sect Taoists who had watched Ilsun-ja die were no different.
Hyun Gong approached and stood beside Dang Mujin. Frowning slightly at Jinhae, he soon spoke to Dang Mujin.
"This isn't the time to keep arguing, right? Let's cool our heads for a bit."
Dang Mujin scratched his head vigorously. Led by Hyun Gong's hand, he sat down with his friends beside Yu Jingwang.
It was late.
As if mourning the deaths of the Dang Hang brothers, the chirping of grasshoppers grew increasingly noisy.
The sun had already set, so they would have to spend the night somewhere near Pyeongni Village.
Dang Mujin ate lightly and lay down. But even with eyes closed, the corpses of the Dang Hang brothers haunted him.
It didn't seem like he could spend a peaceful night just lying there.
In the end, Dang Mujin rose from his spot and shook off the drowsiness.
The next morning, the group departed Pyeongni Village.
Two low mounds remained there, watching the departing group.
*
As the group moved toward Mount Gireon, Elder Gong approached Dang Mujin and spoke.
"I apologize for yesterday's rudeness."
"It's fine. There's no need for you to apologize, Elder Gong."
Dang Mujin's voice was calm.
Thanks to the night passed, he had sorted his emotions and thoughts.
What now filled Dang Mujin's chest was not anger or frustration, but questions.
"May I ask something?"
"I'll tell you anything I can answer."
Dang Mujin thought for a moment before asking.
"Has Taoist Jinhae's temperament always been so rough?"
"Not at all."
Dang Mujin wasn't meeting Jinhae for the first time.
On the way to Wudang Mountain last year, their group had traveled with Jinhae and shared quite a few conversations.
At that time, Dang Mujin had formed several impressions of Jinhae.
The first that came to mind was Jinhae's upright character. Unlike Dang Mujin and his friends, who had slight crooked or deviant tendencies, Jinhae's nature was straight as an arrow.
But what stuck even more was Jinhae's temperament. For a martial artist, it was somewhat gentle. To the point where one worried if he could ever coldly strike another with his sword.
Elder Gong pondered briefly before adding.
"In my view, Jinhae seems to be feeling pressure."
"You mean trying to fill Elder Yeongheo's vacancy?"
"Something like that. He won't be the next sect leader, but it's likely he'll be the one after. That's a fact."
"But I doubt Elder Yeongheo would have struck a lethal blow into Dang Hang Ssang-gwang's back."
Dang Mujin's attitude was a bit pricklier than usual.
However, Elder Gong considered it fortunate that it was only this much. With a hot-tempered martial artist, they might have parted ways entirely.
"Of course, if Elder Yeongheo were alive, he wouldn't have. But Jinhae must have thought he had to."
"For what reason?"
"A leader needs ability and decisiveness. But right now, Jinhae lacks ability."
Of course, Jinhae wasn't lagging among the later-generation disciples. Excluding Dang Mujin and his friends, he might even be ahead.
However, he was far from the top experts among the Qingcheng Taoists present.
He had barely reached the peak realm in the recent battle—a promising later-generation disciple, nothing more.
Elder Gong said.
"If you have overwhelming ability, you don't need to be decisive in everything. You can solve most issues with your own power, so no need for constant tension. But if someone lacking ability shows weakness, problems arise inevitably."
"I see."
It was a rather cold assessment for talk about his own sect's disciple. Essentially saying he had to bristle like a hedgehog due to lacking ability.
"And there's resentment too. Jinhae's served under the sect leader for ten years. It must feel like losing a father."
Dang Mujin recalled carrying the masked man's corpse through the winter, and the time after burying it.
The period when he hated the world and wanted to burn it all.
If a black-clad figure had appeared before him then, would he have weighed their crimes and judged?
Not at all. Dang Mujin hadn't known or cared what those black-clad men he killed were. Even now.
Walking beside him, Namgung Myeong spoke.
"Jinhae's forcing himself to change. Trying to fit himself into the image he imagines—a future Qingcheng Sect leader."
Coming from Namgung Myeong, it carried even more weight.
Among those present, he was the one who had most similarly felt the burden Jinhae now carried.
Elder Gong nodded slowly in step.
"That may be so. I'm worried he might cause trouble for you all ahead. If it happens, please be forgiving."
Elder Gong expected Dang Mujin or Namgung Myeong to reply something like, "It's fine. Everyone goes through such a phase, so don't worry."
But Namgung Myeong gave a slightly unexpected response.
"It's fine. Rather than the trouble Jinhae causes us, if we cause him even more trouble, it'll resolve itself."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Elder Gong. You know Elder Yeongheo asked us to take good care of Jinhae, right?"
"Yes."
Elder Gong had always been at Elder Yeongheo's side, his closest confidant.
It was only natural he knew most of what Elder Yeongheo had said to Dang Mujin.
"We might have a request involving Jinhae soon. For then, please remember this conversation well."
Not just Elder Gong, but Dang Mujin and Hyun Gong too failed to fully grasp Namgung Myeong's intent.
*
The time Namgung Myeong spoke of came quickly.
After several days of travel, the group reached the foothills of Mount Gireon, which unlike other mountains, had extremely few signs of human presence nearby.
However, they managed to find a house and asked the lone elderly resident various questions.
But the elder gave a disconcerting answer.
"You say they've scattered?"
"Yes. A fleeing band of dozens? There's no place on Mount Gireon for that many to hole up."
Dang Mujin looked up at Mount Gireon. Famous even among Sichuan's encircling peaks for height and ruggedness, it was no less.
Towering summits stretched endlessly, each capped with white snow. And this despite winter long past.
Surely that snow wouldn't melt even in summer.
Contrary to what flatland dwellers or those used to low hills might think, such high mountains weren't climbable just with sturdy legs.
Physical strain and bone-chilling cold were issues, but worse were the cliffs and crevices hidden under snow. Step wrong, and even a martial artist would die inescapably.
Even avoiding nature's traps didn't end it. Humans needed food and water to survive.
On such high mountains, places to obtain water and food were extremely limited.
Even if obtainable, not in quantities for many people, so as the elder said, impossible for a large group to gather in one spot.
Dang Mujin asked the elder.
"By any chance, can you guess where the people who passed ahead might have hidden?"
"I have a few ideas."
"Where?"
The elder glanced at Dang Mujin instead of continuing.
Sensing the mood, Hyun Gong pulled out a thin gold piece the size of a fingernail and handed it over. The elder grinned and resumed.
"There is a path into the depths of Mount Gireon. Not marked specially, but one you can't avoid following whether you want to or not. Still, catching those who hid in Mount Gireon won't be easy."
Hyun Gong pondered taking back the gold piece as he asked.
"Why is that?"
"Because there are many ways out of Mount Gireon. How could you block them all?"
As Hyun Gong reached to reclaim the gold, the elder looked around the group and muttered puzzledly.
"Or not...? Is this enough? Maybe planning to block the exits with just a few per path?"
"We'd need three or four."
Of course, three or four couldn't block dozens of charging unorthodox warriors.
But change the approach, and a solution appears. Maintain distance and track the fleeing unorthodox warriors' traces—possible with just three or four.
"Let me see.... Wait a moment."
The elder muttered while counting heads. After a short time, he nodded.
"That should work somehow. But eight or nine out of ten need to stay outside the mountain. That alright?"
"Yes."
No choices here. They had to confront it, difficult or not.
The orthodox warriors' leaders gathered, selecting all personnel.
With eight or nine left outside, about thirteen could enter Mount Gireon.
The unorthodox would be scattered too, so picking fifteen elites should allow battling them.
Simple plan.
Fifteen enter Mount Gireon to drive out the unorthodox warriors; if any flee, those waiting outside track them.
But restrictions didn't end there. The elder said.
"Mount Gireon's interior splits into three main paths."
"Three paths?"
"Three if considering access to drinking water and food. Ignore that, and paths multiply endlessly.... But you don't want those, right?"
"Correct."
The situation worsened. The fifteen entering had to split into three groups.
"Will it be okay?"
"No choice."
Pondering yielded no new answers. If impossible, retreat and call for aid—but entering first was right.
Now, select the fifteen for Mount Gireon and divide into three.
Selecting fifteen was easy.
Three from the Jeongsang Sect, and Dang Mujin's group of four.
Finally, eight from Qingcheng, Huashan, Kongnam, and Wudang.
Now divide these fifteen into three.
Yu Jingwang spoke first.
"Three from Jeongsang Sect is plenty."
No objections. He was the only transcendent expert here.
Moreover, the two with him from Jeongsang exuded uncommon auras.
Next, Dang Mujin spoke.
"Our four will move together too."
Elder Gong and Elder Seonwoo nodded. Long-time allies moving as one was natural.
Plus, Dang Mujin's group weren't average peak experts.
Hong Geolgae lagged a bit among friends, but compared to ordinary peak experts, he was no slouch.
However, it didn't mean Dang Mujin's four matched Jeongsang's three in reliability.
Elder Seonwoo said.
"Still eight left, so two more with them for balance. Six each. How's that?"
Then Namgung Myeong, who had been quiet, stepped forward shaking his head.
"No. One is enough."
"One...? With whom?"
Elder Seonwoo assumed Namgung Myeong would request the strongest from Huashan, Qingcheng, or Kongnam.
'Me, or aid from Qingcheng's Elder Gong.'
But Namgung Myeong pointed to another.
"I'll move with Jinhae."
"Taoist Jinhae? Will that be alright?"
Jinhae's skill ranked low among peak warriors.
True, his internal energy had increased via Extreme Body Technique, but strength wasn't just about quantity.
Elder Seonwoo advised.
"It's good for Taoist Jinhae to go. But shouldn't you take one or two more?"
"No. It's fine."
Namgung Myeong spoke firmly, so Elder Seonwoo didn't press. He just assumed some plan.
But Elder Gong looked uneasy. He sent a transmission secretly to Namgung Myeong.
*I hope nothing happens to Jinhae.*
Elder Gong worried inwardly. That Dang Mujin's group, harboring grudges from the prior clash, might harm Jinhae.
Namgung Myeong replied via transmission.
*Don't worry. That won't happen.*
*But you seem short on numbers. Wouldn't it be better to take one or two more as Elder Seonwoo said?*
*No. Better to be a bit strained.*
*Strained for whom?*
*For Taoist Jinhae.*
Namgung Myeong gave only puzzling answers.
*
Dang Mujin's group and Jinhae headed into Mount Gireon along the path the elder indicated.
Unlike the snowy upper slopes, the lower mountain was just humid, not particularly cold. Good weather for activity.
After walking some time, Jinhae spoke up.
"Is there a reason you chose to move with me?"
Dang Mujin answered.
"No need to be stiff. On the way to Wudang Mountain before, we weren't so formal."
Jinhae sensed no resentment or grudge in Dang Mujin's voice.
Dang Mujin pitied the dead Dang Hang brothers, but they weren't especially close. Besides, martial artists could die anytime without surprise.
Only then did tension ease slightly from Jinhae's voice.
"Understood. But I don't know why you picked me. There were far more helpful people than me."
With no other Qingcheng Taoists nearby, Jinhae's attitude softened compared to among people. His gentle nature emerged naturally.
Dang Mujin replied indifferently.
"Why? Because Elder Yeongheo entrusted you to us."
Just to keep a promise?
But that seemed odd. Easier for Jinhae to move with other Taoists than mix with Dang Mujin's group.
However, Dang Mujin's group hadn't chosen Jinhae for such a simple reason.
Namgung Myeong said.
"Jinhae. This is your first real life-or-death battle, right?"
"I fought at the Kongtong Sect last time too, so not the first."
"Including that."
"Then yes, first."
"As expected."
Listening, Hyun Gong spoke.
"Jinhae. The pressure you're under lately isn't minor, is it?"
"Pressure like what..."
"I know why you acted so rigid before. You wanted to show more resolve before the Qingcheng Taoists, and that you hadn't forgotten Elder Yeongheo's sacrifice, right?"
Hyun Gong hit the mark.
Jinhae believed he had to exact blood price from unorthodox warriors. He saw it as his role inheriting Elder Yeongheo's will.
Whether it suited him or pleased him didn't matter.
Jinhae countered.
"Are you saying I shouldn't? To shake off grudges and live detached like a true Taoist? I can't do that."
This time, Namgung Myeong replied.
"No. Who said that?"
Namgung Myeong wore a mischievous grin.
Clearly, Jinhae hadn't fully grasped Elder Yeongheo's final teaching.
He seemed to view the last insight imparted as mere powerful technique.
But to Namgung Myeong, what Elder Yeongheo wanted to pass to Jinhae was no mere technique.
*With much time, he might realize it himself. But shortening that time would be good enough.*
After all, theft was about how you steal.
Yet a true grand thief sometimes returns more than stolen.
And Namgung Myeong considered himself the world's greatest thief.
Namgung Myeong approached Jinhae, draping his right arm over Jinhae's shoulder, and said.
"If you're set on a rough path anyway, let's walk one truly drenched in blood."