Chapter 346
Chapter 346
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 346
Chapter Title: Night at Kongtong Mountain
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Dang Mujin asked the Sanggwal Daoist.
"Isn't this the Kongtong Sect Leader, Sanggwal Daoist? What reason brings you to Gyeju instead of Kongtong Mountain?"
"A problem arose, so I left Kongtong Mountain for a time."
Unless something gravely serious had happened, there was no way the Kongtong Sect would abandon Kongtong Mountain and set up in some foreign land. How could it be the Kongtong Sect if its headquarters wasn't on Kongtong Mountain?
The Sanggwal Daoist stared fixedly at Dang Mujin, waiting for the next question.
One more word here, and he'd surely get entangled in a headache of a mess, but the atmosphere forced Dang Mujin to ask anyway.
Dang Mujin reluctantly broached the subject.
"Uh..."
But the Sanggwal Daoist had overlooked one person's presence. There was Hyeon-gong beside Dang Mujin.
Like Dang Mujin, Hyeon-gong sensed that something troublesome was brewing.
However, there was one difference between Hyeon-gong and Dang Mujin. Hyeon-gong's thoughts progressed more concretely than Dang Mujin's, and in that brief gap, he'd already weighed the pros and cons.
'The Kongtong Sect is definitely tangled in something annoying.'
'Solving a tiresome issue naturally comes with a hefty reward.'
'But the high-ranking Sanggwal Daoist is acting so humbly, which bothers me. Even accounting for the difference in skill, he shouldn't be groveling like that.'
'Is he hiding something? He must be in a position where he can't offer proper compensation.'
'The food is mediocre, and the surrounding buildings are small and shabby. The situation is clarifying.'
'The Kongtong Sect is practically done for, isn't it?'
'No need to curry favor with the Sanggwal Daoist.'
Having swiftly finished his judgment, Hyeon-gong took the conversation from Dang Mujin.
"Oh dear. That must weigh heavily on you."
"Yes. Inevitably..."
"But it would be improper for outsiders to pry into the Kongtong Sect's sensitive affairs. I sincerely hope the Sect Leader overcomes these difficulties."
It was fairly polite in tone, but the implication was clear: don't bother us and leave.
The Sanggwal Daoist panicked greatly.
'This isn't what I expected...'
The moment he heard Dang Mujin's group had appeared in Gyeju, the Sanggwal Daoist had immediately invited them, planning to treat them to a meal, explain the Kongtong Sect's plight, and naturally solicit their aid.
But the instant Hyeon-gong opened his mouth, the plan went awry. Far from requesting help, the atmosphere suggested they'd have to send them away without even explaining the situation.
The Sanggwal Daoist desperately racked his brains.
But no ready solution came to mind. He excelled in martial arts but wasn't particularly clever.
Moreover, believing reticence to be a virtue of Daoists, he was sparing with words, which made him even worse at eloquence.
In the end, the Sanggwal Daoist chose a middle path: honesty about everything.
"Please, wait just a moment."
Hyeon-gong replied with a hint of annoyance.
"What is it?"
"It might be an awkward topic during a meal, but... could you listen to my story while eating slowly?"
Hyeon-gong tilted his chin up, sizing up the man called Sanggwal Daoist.
'The Sanggwal Daoist's skill is on the lower end even among peak experts. Around five-and-a-half or six points, at best.'
'With the Kongtong Sect looking nearly ruined, even as Sect Leader, he can't offer more than six points of backing.'
At highest estimate, the Sanggwal Daoist's capacity was twelve points.
The gap with Hyeon-gong was a full six points.
And from Hyeon-gong's experience, when the difference exceeded five points, he could berate the opponent without repercussions.
Ahem, ahem.
Hyeon-gong suddenly cleared his throat, and Dang Mujin was seized by a foreboding instinct.
'No way...?'
In the end, Dang Mujin took the conversation back from Hyeon-gong.
"Listening is no trouble at all. What happened?"
Hyeon-gong wore a displeased expression, but Dang Mujin thoroughly ignored him.
Thanks to that, the Sanggwal Daoist could muddle through and continue.
"As I mentioned earlier, a problem arose at Kongtong Mountain. That's why I left and am staying in Gyeju temporarily. Of course, I plan to return to Kongtong Mountain..."
"What sort of problem, exactly?"
"To cut to the chase: a rebellion has broken out in the Kongtong Sect."
"...A rebellion?"
Not a nation, but a sect having a rebellion? He'd never heard of such a thing.
Yet the Kongtong Sect's circumstances were so peculiar that something clicked.
"Surely demonic cult infiltrators haven't invaded the Kongtong Sect again?"
"No, it's not that. But it's a crisis just as severe. Do you remember Muryangja?"
"Yes."
How could he not? He was Baek Hyanga's master, one of the Six Venerables killed by Yu Jingwang's blade.
The aftermath still left the Jeomchang Sect and Kongtong Sect on awkward terms. And that awkwardness would likely persist.
The Sanggwal Daoist wore a meaningful expression as he whispered.
"Muryangja's remnants have staged a rebellion."
The Sanggwal Daoist gazed at Dang Mujin's group with brimming anticipation.
Since they'd had a hand in Muryangja's death, he assumed they'd eagerly step in this time too.
But Dang Mujin's reaction was lukewarm.
"Ah, yes. I see."
The Sanggwal Daoist checked Dang Mujin's face, but that was the extent of his response.
'...Shouldn't there be a more heated reaction?'
The Sanggwal Daoist had thought Dang Mujin's group intervened in Muryangja and Yu Jingwang's fight out of some special grudge against Muryangja.
But that was a misunderstanding born of the Sanggwal Daoist's ignorance of the full story. Dang Mujin's group got involved only because Muryangja tried to kill Yu Gwan-il and Yu Jingwang.
Even after the death match, Dang Mujin harbored no great ill will toward Muryangja.
Emotions don't form in an instant. Muryangja died before Dang Mujin could even properly nurture resentment.
Moreover, Dang Mujin felt Muryangja had paid for his crimes in full with his life.
Determined to persuade them somehow, the Sanggwal Daoist pressed on.
"You know the Kongtong Sect has endured several major incidents? At that time, as the new Sect Leader, I swore to eradicate every last evil from the unorthodox sects."
"Yes. I know."
Dang Mujin remembered the scene.
The Sanggwal Daoist had carved out the flesh of his own forehead bearing the tattoo forcibly inked by unorthodox warriors.
The large scar still on the Sanggwal Daoist's forehead was from that.
"Some of those who stayed silent then started spouting nonsense. They want to rebuild the Hall of Transformation and guide unorthodox warriors as in the past. Does that even make sense? How long has it been since the Kongtong Sect's lineage nearly ended!"
Fuming, the Sanggwal Daoist's face flushed red as he continued.
"So I told them to cut the crap, and those bastards went ahead and elected their own new Sect Leader!"
"..."
At first glance, one might think larger groups with more at stake would have more infighting.
But reality is always the opposite. The smaller and more precarious the group, and the scarcer the shares to divide, the deeper the rifts. For the precarious Kongtong Sect, internal strife was inevitable.
Of course, Dang Mujin had no desire to get involved.
"It's a tough situation, but we can't offer help."
"How can you say that...!"
The Sanggwal Daoist tried to persuade Dang Mujin firmly, but as their gazes focused, he unwittingly faltered. Dang Mujin's group suddenly felt intimidating.
Even before, their skills far surpassed ordinary later-generation disciples.
But now, it wasn't just that. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say half the top experts of the righteous faction were at Dang Mujin's side.
As the Sanggwal Daoist seemed somewhat calmed, Dang Mujin explained his position.
"If it were an issue with external foes, that'd be one thing, but this is purely internal to the Kongtong Sect. Those occupying Kongtong Mountain want to uphold the sect's traditions, while you, Daoist Sanggwal, insist on not forgetting past enmities. Both sides have valid grounds, so we outsiders can't rashly take one over the other. It's not right for outsiders to meddle in the Kongtong Sect's future."
Dang Mujin's words rang true, point by point. Thus, the Sanggwal Daoist slumped and replied.
"...I see."
The persuasion succeeded. But seeing the Sanggwal Daoist slump, sympathy welled in Dang Mujin's heart.
The Sanggwal Daoist had lost his elder brother, Sangyu Daoist, to unorthodox and demonic cult warriors, endured all sorts of ordeals himself, then taken the helm of the Kongtong Sect to nurse those grudges.
And just as he was starting to accomplish something, the sect split in two. No—more accurately, he was ousted. A truly tumultuous life.
With a mind to at least hear him out, Dang Mujin asked the Sanggwal Daoist.
"By the way, how did the Sect Leader end up driven from Kongtong Mountain? The Kongtong Sect Daoists endured all sorts of trials until recently, so there shouldn't have been many opposing your views. Even if opinions differed, it would be natural for the opposition to split off."
The Sanggwal Daoist mumbled vaguely.
"As you say, their numbers aren't large. But their attainments slightly outstrip ours... Of course, it's not that their talent lags or their effort lacks. The problem is many favored by Muryangja joined them. Raised under Muryangja's favor, they intend to carry on his will."
The story felt a bit tangential. Why bring up skills here?
Hyeon-gong pondered briefly, then guessed the Kongtong Sect's circumstances.
"Perhaps you tried resolving it through a martial duel?"
"..."
The Sanggwal Daoist fell silent. It was far too accurate.
Martial artists often settle issues through duels.
Not just with outsiders, but even within sects, such things happen frequently.
For instance, when two people of similar rank disagree and there's no superior to mediate.
Having become Sect Leader, the Sanggwal Daoist sought to establish his authority by crushing opposition through a duel—and lost. An unforeseen turn.
Hyeon-gong clicked his tongue.
"If you lost the duel, there's nothing for it. Give up."
"But it's unfair. My talent is superior, and I trained harder."
"Then why did you lose?"
"Sangpyeong lucked out with connections and consumed plenty of spirit medicines from childhood. I, on the other hand, lived keeping my distance from such things..."
Apparently, the Daoist who ousted the Sanggwal Daoist was named Sangpyeong.
From what he said, the Kongtong Sect Daoists had died off one after another in recent years, leaving only two peak experts in the sect: Sanggwal Daoist and Sangpyeong Daoist.
With no third peak expert to take sides, it was the perfect setup for conflict.
The Sanggwal Daoist rambled on.
"...I've never even smelled spirit medicines. Still, my skill was superior, but Sangpyeong must have secretly taken some recently—his internal energy brimmed with yin qi, and by a hair's breadth..."
Listening idly, the phrase "yin qi" stood out sharply.
The Kongtong Sect's martial arts brimmed with killing intent and a chilling aura.
But a chilling aura didn't mean yin qi infused the internal energy. Like any Daoist sect, the Kongtong Sect's cultivation methods pursued harmony of yin and yang.
Dang Mujin asked the Sanggwal Daoist.
"Could you elaborate more on this yin qi?"
*
The Sanggwal Daoist didn't seem to know much about the yin qi in Sangpyeong Daoist's martial arts either. He just assumed it came from some potent yin spirit medicine.
However, Dang Mujin's group couldn't shake their suspicions.
Baek Hyanga, Muryangja's disciple. Sangpyeong Daoist, favored by Muryangja. And suspicious yin qi. Too coincidental for anyone.
Dang Mujin's group headed straight for the Kongtong Sect on Kongtong Mountain.
"I'm Dang Mujin from Sichuan Province. Is the Sect Leader perhaps inside?"
When Dang Mujin asked a Daoist guarding the Kongtong Sect's main gate, the Daoist hesitated before replying.
"Please wait a moment."
The Daoist vanished into the Wudang Sect—wait, no, into the Kongtong Sect, then quickly returned.
"The Sect Leader is away at the moment. The Kongtong Sect's situation is complicated, so we're not receiving guests. Please come back later."
"Yes. Understood."
Dang Mujin's group seemed to withdraw obediently, but they hid in a suitable spot a short distance from the gate and began conversing.
"No matter how you look at it, it's suspicious, right?"
To Hong Geolgae's question, Hyeon-gong replied.
"If the Kongtong Sect's situation is complicated, the Sect Leader wouldn't leave headquarters. And it's odd that he went inside to relay the message that the Sect Leader is absent. Nine times out of ten, the Sect Leader told him to brush us off."
The conversation paused briefly.
Nangong Myeong handed out pitch-black masks to his three friends without consultation. Dang Mujin, Hyeon-gong, and Hong Geolgae accepted and donned them without hesitation.
Reflecting on it, Dang Mujin's group had never once refrained from entering when told to stay out.
The question was always the same: enter bare-faced or masked?
Seolhwa spoke in a worried tone.
"You're going to sneak in?"
"Yeah."
"Is that okay?"
"As long as we don't get caught."
Since it involved tricky words, Seolhwa spoke slowly, word by word.
"But it's suspicious. If intruders appear right after they say not to enter, it'll look odd no matter who sees it."
"We won't leave evidence, so it's fine. Suspicion alone won't cause issues."
For suspicion to lead to danger, one of two preconditions was needed.
Leaving evidence, or lacking power.
Dang Mujin's group had neither. They had power and confidence in avoiding traces. They even planned to leave Seolhwa outside to prevent shedding hair.
The group waited until sunset, then vaulted the Kongtong Sect walls as soon as night fell, as if it were the most natural thing.
Nangong Myeong, leaping the wall, looked exceedingly thrilled.
Oddly, Dang Mujin felt an inexplicable excitement too.
'...'
Dang Mujin glanced at Hyeon-gong and Hong Geolgae. Sure enough, they subtly buzzed with thrill too.
'Quiet waters run deep. They're corrupted by Nangong Myeong.'
Dang Mujin took a deep breath to calm himself, then deliberately stirred guilt to nestle in a corner of his heart.
Dang Mujin roamed every nook of the Kongtong Sect with his friends.
Nothing obstructed them.
They had plenty of experience entering the Kongtong Sect, and currently, only one peak expert remained among its warriors. As long as they minded the self-proclaimed Sect Leader Sangpyeong Daoist, detection was unlikely.
The first- and second-rate Daoists didn't sense their presence even as the group passed right behind them.
While combing through the sect, Dang Mujin's group spotted an unusual figure.
A blue-eyed man sat on the veranda, gazing at the stars.
Dang Mujin whispered to his friends.
"Ever heard of a blue-eyed person in the Kongtong Sect?"
Hong Geolgae and Hyeon-gong replied.
"Nope."
"We'd have known during the last righteous-unorthodox war if there was."
Moreover, this blue-eyed man wasn't some bearded fellow from the Great Food Kingdom or Persia.
His hair was yellow like Seolhwa's, eyes blue.
His skill wasn't low either. At least past the peak threshold.
Nangong Myeong poked Dang Mujin's side.
"Hey, your friend over there."
"...Who said he's my friend?"
"Wasn't he? Be friends from now on. World's tough—those in hard spots should stick together."
Ignoring Nangong Myeong's nonsense, Dang Mujin organized his thoughts.
'The Sanggwal Daoist said there's only one peak expert left on Kongtong Mountain now. This blue-eyed guy isn't Sangpyeong Daoist, the claimed Sect Leader.'
His gut told him this blue-eyed man held some key clue.
Dang Mujin said.
"Night's still young. Go out and tell Seolhwa? Or bring her in and ask if she knows this blue-eyed guy?"
But Nangong Myeong chose neither.
Instead, he offered a superior, simpler solution.
"Let's steal him."
His tone pointed like at an object. Dang Mujin asked back.
"...Him?"
"Yeah."
With that reply, Nangong Myeong's form melted into the darkness. A sight Dang Mujin had seen before.
But this stealth was incomparable to previous times.
Even Dang Mujin couldn't pinpoint Nangong Myeong's location. He only vaguely sensed something stirring in the dark.
Then it dawned on Dang Mujin.
Nangong Myeong had learned the stealth and lightness skills the Shadowless Guest displayed during the past righteous-unorthodox war.
Moments later, Nangong Myeong's form gradually materialized behind the star-gazing blue-eyed man.
Though visible, he emitted no presence, so the poor blue-eyed man didn't notice someone behind him.
Nangong Myeong stealthily seized the man's crown and jaw.
"..."
The blue-eyed man startled, but it was too late.
Nangong Myeong vigorously snapped his neck.
Crack.
The blue-eyed man fainted and slumped. Nangong Myeong checked his breathing with a finger under the nose, then hoisted him and returned to the group.
"Let's go."
The group swiftly stole the one blue-eyed man and slipped out of the Kongtong Sect.