Chapter 140: Is This Heavens Arrangement
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Chapter 140 – Is This Heaven’s Arrangement?
<You’re quite surprised, aren’t you?>
When Namgung Heon-rin asked via sound transmission, Cheol Ryu-heun feigned ignorance with an expressionless face and asked aloud in return.
“Did you hear something earlier?”
“Pardon?”
“I told you. With my help, the Namgung Family reconstruction can be achieved more quickly. Since he came to become a Guest Retainer of my sect believing that offer, elixir support is an absolute basic. Did you think I’d only give food and money?”
“Ah…!”
“I intend to make your brother’s potential explode with various elixirs that other sects couldn’t even dream of obtaining, let alone Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng. So put your unnecessary worries aside.”
At that, Namgung Heon-rin’s fondness grew even greater.
“Thank you, Sect Master Cheol.”
“Anything else to say?”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s blunt words, Namgung Heon-rin shook his head with a gentle smile.
“No. Please be on your way. We’ll also be leaving right away.”
“I’ll pass along word about you.”
“Yes. Sect Master Cheol… I’m already looking forward to the day I see my brother’s face again.”
Cheol Ryu-heun made a slight movement that may or may not have been a nod, then lightly tapped Divine Wind’s belly with one foot.
Simultaneously.
PSSSHHHHH-
Divine Wind exhaled breath like fog from his nose and mouth, then immediately exploded a white current from his entire body and galloped fiercely.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE, RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE- CRASH, CRASH, CRASH- CRUNCH, CRUNCH…!
Smashing through trees and boulders alike without regard for whatever blocked the way, Divine Wind vanished into the forest depths in the time it took to blink a few times.
Leaving only hazy dust scattering in the wind.
Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae once again cast dazed gazes and murmured quietly.
“Kwae. That muscular black horse… What on earth is it? It’s clearly a rare creature of the ages at a glance, but…”
“Ha… Indeed… Did it eat elixirs like Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng or something? If our army had a horse like that, we’d go everywhere across these Nine Provinces performing missions, saying the realm is too small…”
Soon, when even the faint sound of hooves in the distance completely disappeared, the two snapped their gazes back to attention and prepared to leave.
At that moment.
TICK, TICK TICK, TICK…
The robed figure’s corpse produced a strange sound.
Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae who had turned to look had their expressions freeze like stone.
‘…!’
Because the appearance of the robed figure, whose breath had ceased, had instantly transformed into that of a dried-up mummy.
An unexpected phenomenon.
Following that.
BUBBLE BUBBLE, BUBBLE BUBBLE…
Countless bubbles formed along the flesh of his entire body, then began to melt away with a disgusting stench.
Thus the corpse quickly became a skeleton.
“What in the…”
In Jeon Kwae’s eyes as he covered his nose, bewilderment and disgust intertwined.
Meanwhile, Namgung Heon-rin approached the skeleton without minding the stench, casting a meaningful gaze.
“This is the first time I’ve seen this.”
“UGH… The smell… My stomach doesn’t feel good.”
While Jeon Kwae grimaced while covering his nose, Namgung Heon-rin’s eyes swept over the skeleton on the ground.
“Hmm, I feel like there’s something else besides the poison pill used to take his life…”
“What? It’s not that his body melted because it was such a strong poison?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
With those words, Namgung Heon-rin crouched down to examine the skeleton closely before rising to his feet.
“Thanks to Sect Master Cheol, we’re fortunate to have discovered this phenomenon. If we had just left, we would have missed this scene that could serve as some kind of clue.”
“Is there anything else you can pick out?”
“I’m thinking that rather than a single deadly poison, it might have been made by combining several.”
“But that’s not an easy thing to do, is it? Poison research is supposedly the most difficult field.”
“Of course it is, but… If the mastermind behind this really is the heterodox sect of the Shiwan Mountains, we shouldn’t rule out any possibility. The combination of various deadly poisons is just one speculation.”
“Wait, that means…”
“Right, I’m saying the phenomenon we just witnessed could be a characteristic of a type of sorcery.”
“Somehow hearing that scares me a bit. If by any chance the heterodox sect is mass-producing such people using sorcery that forcibly controls souls… Ugh, I don’t want to think about it.”
“Some whining for such a big body, ha.”
When Namgung Heon-rin let out a snicker, Jeon Kwae quickly gestured.
“Enough – I’m dying from the smell. Let’s go. The other personnel should be near the assembly point by now. We need to arrive before sunset too.”
“Alright.”
Having answered briefly, Namgung Heon-rin stored in his pocket the paper Cheol Ryu-heun had written, then quickly left that place along with Jeon Kwae.
* * *
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE- RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE-!
As Divine Wind galloped without rest along the road, having already left the mountain area, Cheol Ryu-heun’s eyes suddenly held a peculiar light.
‘A physique rare in martial world history…’
Martial artists possessing Nine Grade Martial Bones had appeared three times: the supreme master Sword Emperor eight hundred years ago, then five hundred years ago, and three hundred years ago.
All three had been owners of the Divine Martial Sword in the past.
That’s why he knew well how to handle it.
But.
There was something curious.
Because Hae Su-yeon, who had accompanied Namgung Sang-rin not long ago, also possessed a very special body.
‘Heavenly Demon Incarnation… Only a woman born with that can wield that red demon sword.’
That was the reason for the peculiar gaze.
Two holders of rare constitutions that had appeared only a few times in martial history had come to White Peak Sword Sect as if drawn by some destiny…
And they weren’t the only ones.
Worker Tae Sa-ja possessed the same rare Blood Star Physique as Helian Ryung, who had made his name as the Martial Hegemon some eighty years ago.
Was this heaven’s arrangement?
Tae Sa-ja’s Blood Star Physique, Hae Su-yeon’s Heavenly Demon Incarnation, and Namgung Sang-rin’s Nine Grade Martial Bones that he’d learned of today – adding to that, himself, who possessed a body unprecedented in all martial history…
‘Well, I dropped hints to that demon sword girl so she understood roughly, so she must have decided to stay at my sect. Recruiting Guest Retainer is going successfully. The owner of the demon sword among the Ten Heavenly Weapons is already at my sect… At this rate, I wonder if the owners of the remaining Ten Heavenly Weapons might also gather one by one. Ha.’
With that, Cheol Ryu-heun wore a faint smile, then spoke toward Divine Wind’s ears as if giving a command.
“Now, let’s practice Treading Snow Without Trace while we go.”
Treading Snow Without Trace – a supreme-level light movement technique said to exert such tremendous subtlety that one leaves no mark even when stepping on snow.
When Cheol Ryu-heun lightly tugged the reins to signal, Divine Wind changed his movement as if understanding it all.
The sound of hooves pounding the ground subsided.
SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH-
Faint sounds, as if feathers were lightly brushing across the ground, repeatedly reached his ears.
Indeed.
Treading Snow Without Trace.
Though not at a perfect level like a supreme master.
“Quite fun, right?”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s casually tossed question, Divine Wind wiggled his ears slightly as if understanding, then continued his swift movement without leaving hoof marks.
In the midst of that, an indifferent voice flowed out.
“The next Guest Retainer will be a dumpling shop owner.”
* * *
Azure Heaven Sword Sect.
An orthodox martial sect that dominated Xiangdong, a major city in the Hunan region.
As the sky began to redden, a young man in his mid-twenties sat alone upon a boulder in a spacious garden.
It was Azure Mark Sword Seol Pan-gyo, the senior disciple of Azure Heaven Sword Sect.
“Ha…”
Soon a sigh leaked from between his lips.
For some reason, some deep shadow seemed to be cast over his handsome face.
‘Cheol Ryu-heun…’
This was the first time he had been defeated so helplessly.
And the opponent being Cheol Ryu-heun, whom he had never once considered a rival – it made him wonder if this was even real.
Suddenly, a figure quietly appeared along a small path in the middle of the garden decorated with rare flowers and plants.
CRUNCH CRUNCH…
A beautiful woman approaching and stopping beside the boulder where Seol Pan-gyo sat, dragging the hem of her skirt.
The second daughter of the Soaring Swallow Sword Sect Master, one of the eight beauties of this region – it was Jade Robe Swallow Lady Mae Yak-bang.
Since she had suffered a great shock to her body from Cheol Ryu-heun’s strike, she had been staying here briefly to tend to herself.
Moon Gleam Sword Wu Yong of Bright Moon Sword Sect and Iron Brush Young Master Wan Ryeom of Six Righteousness Gate had barely recovered and left about half a shichen ago.
Seol Pan-gyo turned his head and asked.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, Young Master Seol… I inadvertently imposed on your hospitality here.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Seol Pan-gyo spoke quietly, bitterness coloring his voice.
“I’ve just come from telling your Sect Master – I mean, Young Master, your father – that I’m about to leave.”
Mae Yak-bang followed up with a casual question.
“What are you going to do from now on?”
“Pardon? What do you…”
“I mean Cheol Ryu-heun, who gave us such great humiliation. Shouldn’t we pay him back?”
Mae Yak-bang spoke with vicious eyes, but Seol Pan-gyo didn’t readily answer and fell silent.
“……”
“You’re not scared, are you? He’s just from that fallen White Peak Sword Sect after all. If our sect and Azure Heaven Sword Sect, Bright Moon Sword Sect, and Six Righteousness Gate pressure them, they’ll probably bow their heads on their own.”
“Well… I don’t know.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“Borrowing the power of each sect’s elders for our affairs doesn’t seem like a good choice.”
“…!”
Mae Yak-bang looked bewildered at the unexpected words.
Seol Pan-gyo didn’t seem to care much.
Because this morning, after having an honest conversation with his teacher and father Blue Sprout Sword Elder Seol Hu-yong, something had greatly moved him.
-Everything you just said is true then.
-Yes… Father.
-You drew your swords first, and Sect Master Cheol simply repaid what ought to be repaid. If so, there should be nothing for you to resent.
-……
-My fault for teaching you wrongly is also great.
-I am… ashamed.
-From now on, discard your sense of privilege and go out into the world.
-Wh-what… does that mean…
-It means don’t rely on the martial reputation of this body who holds one of the Five Martial Paragons seats, or on the prestige of our sect – just go out from the sect as one person and study the way of the martial world.
-…!
-You must reflect and repent that what you have enjoyed routinely until now was absolutely not achieved by your own strength. I’ll give you one year, so go bump around here and there and realize what it truly means to be an orthodox martial artist.
-F-Father…
-Leave by tomorrow. Even if you’re my son, I cannot tolerate one who has stained the reputation of our Azure Heaven Sword Sect. In one year, if I judge that your mindset has not changed, I won’t hesitate to proceed with excommunication.
Recalling those words in his head, Seol Pan-gyo expressed his refusal to Mae Yak-bang.
“Lady Mae, I have no intention of participating in revenge. My sect’s position is the same… Father has already told me not to speak another word about this matter. So do as you wish.”
At that, Mae Yak-bang cast a contemptuous gaze before turning and striding toward the middle gate.
“Hmph, fine. If that’s really your wish, we’ll handle it ourselves, so just stay out like a coward.”
With that, the middle gate slammed BANG shut.
“Haah.”
Left alone, Seol Pan-gyo exhaled a sigh and looked up at the sunset-painted sky, muttering quietly.
“Yes… Once I leave here tomorrow, I should go meet the sword genius of Dark Hall first. To compare my martial path again…”
The sword genius of Dark Hall – that referred to none other than Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin.
* * *
As dusk fell.
Neung Po tidied up the inside of his shop and closed the door.
There didn’t seem to be any more customers, so he planned to go somewhere.
Having packed several bamboo containers filled with dumplings, he walked along the forest path while saying to himself.
‘Hmm… Would my visiting actually be uncomfortable for them?’
Still, he couldn’t help feeling concerned.
His current destination was the residence of the pitiful mother and daughter who had once been captured by the Black Forest Hall thugs and suffered terrible violation.
After walking for a while.
Upon climbing a high hill in the forest, a dilapidated house became visible in the distance.
But at that moment.
“AAAHH!”
A sharp scream echoed through the darkened space.
From the direction of the old house.
It was clearly one of the mother and daughter.
‘Could it be…!’
Neung Po’s expression changed completely, and he stamped the ground with a CRASH before shooting forward like a ray of light.