Chapter 231: Those Who Depart Must Return (1)
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The Hainan Sect provided the Geonjeongdan members and me with identity tokens to use on the mainland. In Haigu, places that manufactured such fake identity documents were highly prosperous.
“Hainan will be of help to you in the future.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“It’s not mere empty talk.”
“Of course. I know.”
We departed from the Hainan Sect under the send-off of Hainan’s Sect Leader and the South Sea Divine Sword.
Not only did the Hainan Sect create the identity tokens, but they also inquired about a ship for us to cross back over to the mainland.
Since it was a ship guaranteed by the Hainan Sect, we could board it with peace of mind. The Hainan Sect had truly done a great deal for us.
We headed to the port of Haigu to board the ship. But to our surprise, someone was already waiting for us in front of the harbor.
A cold-looking man wearing a dark blue shoulder guard. Tang Se-ui, standing next to me, flinched immediately.
He almost attacked him on the spot, but held back because there were commoners all around.
However, the man in front of us walked over to me in a relaxed manner, completely unbothered by Tang Se-ui’s reaction.
“Take me with you.”
“Cold-Blooded Sovereign, do not play tricks,” Tang Se-ui snapped. The members of Geonjeongdan also appeared completely tense.
After all, the Cold-Blooded Sovereign was one of the notorious three peak masters of the Hainan unorthodox sects. It was only natural for them to be on guard.
I raised my hand to stop Tang Se-ui and took a step forward.
“Why should I take you along?”
“There’s no reason not to. My name is Dam Dae-gwang. I look forward to working with you.”
The Cold-Blooded Sovereign Dam Dae-gwang was not just shameless; he was a downright bizarre person. I and the rest of the Geonjeongdan were completely speechless at his audacity.
“Is there a specific reason why you want to accompany us?”
“Yes. I’ve become curious about you.”
“Me? About what?”
“How you attained such profound martial prowess at such a young age, and how you managed to completely subdue that woman from the cult.”
“I don’t think I’m obligated to satisfy your curiosity, though.”
As I spoke, a thought suddenly struck me. Currently, the Cold-Blooded Sovereign was the head of the Hainan unorthodox sects. If he didn’t keep them in check, the unorthodox factions might once again gain power in Hainan.
However, Dam Dae-gwang seemed to have already anticipated that issue.
“I’ve left the Haesurim in the hands of someone trustworthy, so you won’t have to worry about that.”
“That is one thing, but carrying around a public enemy of the martial world is a bit……”
“Seeing you forge fake identity tokens, it seems you people are also fugitives of a sort. What does it matter if you add one more public enemy to your ranks?”
Dam Dae-gwang’s words were surprisingly logical. I stroked my chin, contemplating his words.
“That is true.”
“Right.”
Tang Se-ui was taken aback by how quickly I accepted it.
“My friend. That man is a cruel and ruthless unorthodox bastard. There is absolutely no need to bring someone like him……”
“Is that so? Still, I don’t think he will harm us.”
“You can never know.”
At Tang Se-ui’s warning, Dam Dae-gwang shrugged.
“Isn’t this young man the leader of this group anyway? If the leader has decided, you should follow.”
“Be quiet.”
“I’m not usually one to talk much, but wasting time over trivial matters is pointless. I have no reason to harm you, and if I did, why would I approach you so openly?”
Tang Se-ui was left speechless by Dam Dae-gwang’s reasoning. Personally, I didn’t mind. It was always good to have one more peak master by our side in case of emergencies.
“It looks like we are about to set sail.”
Knowing exactly which ship we were boarding, Dam Dae-gwang naturally climbed aboard first. Tang Se-ui watched his retreating back in utter disbelief.
“Let’s get on board as well.”
“……Fine.”
With a bitter smile from Tang Se-ui, Dam Dae-gwang officially joined our group.
* * *
Myeong-yeop swept the ground in front of the mountain gate. Even if no more guests visited the Wudang Sect, it was the Sect Leader’s strict rule that the front of the gate must always remain spotless.
Originally, they had used a formation that automatically alerted them when someone entered Wudang, but maintaining the formation required money. To save that money, they had resorted to placing a guard on sentry duty once again.
The perception that Wudang Sect had fallen out of favor with the Imperial Court was already so deeply ingrained that no one wanted to request their services or maintain ties with them.
As Myeong-yeop swept, he gazed down the mountain. He felt a presence drawing closer.
“……Huu.”
Myeong-yeop sighed. Those who came were rarely benevolent. Ever since the Wudang Sect had fallen into decline six months ago, most of those who visited did so with malicious intent.
As he kept his eyes fixed down the mountain, heads began to appear. Once their shoulders came into view, their identities became crystal clear.
Myeong-yeop unsheathed his sword and struck the ground. The gale force erupting from his sword cracked the earth and rushed toward them.
The opposing party did not just stand by. One of them stamped his foot in a shock step, instantly dispersing the oncoming gale force.
“Haha. What a hostile greeting.”
“……Heaven’s Will Gate!”
The man from Heaven’s Will Gate looked perfectly composed. With the Namgung Clan currently keeping a low profile, they were the sect expanding their influence most aggressively in Anhui.
“Why on earth do you keep coming here?”
“Didn’t I tell you? We wish to purchase Wudang Mountain.”
“Do you really think such a thing is possible?”
Myeong-yeop’s response was freezing. Wudang Sect’s attitude toward Heaven’s Will Gate could only be hostile.
Heaven’s Will Gate had been relentlessly applying financial pressure on the Wudang Sect. They were buying up all the land in Jun County and its outskirts to establish branches of Heaven’s Will Gate.
Naturally, that was a grave insult and a blatant provocation to another sect. It was an occurrence that would have been absolutely unthinkable when the Wudang Sect was in its prime.
“Why would it be impossible? Everyone in the Central Plains knows that the Wudang Sect is currently reduced to digging up tree bark and grass roots for food.”
“We can simply survive on Fasting Pills. Get lost.”
“Feeding children balls of pine resin mixed with rice flour? That is abuse, plain and simple.”
“That is none of your business.”
“You won’t be able to act so prickly for much longer, though.”
The man from Heaven’s Will Gate spoke triumphantly. Wondering what else he had to say, Myeong-yeop scowled at him.
From behind the Heaven’s Will Gate representative, a short elderly man walked out slowly. Standing barely five feet tall with a tiny frame, one wouldn’t have even noticed he was standing there.
“Guardian Elder, please teach him a lesson.”
The elderly man, addressed as Guardian, didn’t reply and simply stared at Myeong-yeop.
“Child. You are far too young to face this old man. It seems I must call for your master or the Sect Leader.”
“Shut your mouth.”
A vein throbbed on Myeong-yeop’s temple. The condescending tone, looking down on him before they had even crossed blades, was incredibly grating.
The old man nodded, as if he had expected as much.
“I like your spirit. But in the end, a martial artist only knows the truth once their swords have clashed.”
Myeong-yeop attempted to draw his sword. However, the old man did not even permit him that. He fired a finger wind that struck Myeong-yeop’s hand before instantly closing the distance. The speed of the finger wind was far beyond what Myeong-yeop could track.
“Ugh!”
The finger wind struck his hand directly, making a cracking sound that indicated a fractured bone, but Myeong-yeop grit his teeth and drew his sword anyway.
Although a sharp pain shot through his hand with every ounce of strength he applied, the sword formula of the Flowing Cloud Sword Art formed rapidly. It was a swordsmanship he had swung for decades.
“Haha. You are truly struggling with all your might.”
The old man’s mockery brushed past Myeong-yeop’s ears.
Myeong-yeop grit his teeth and executed the Flowing Cloud Sword Art. Flowing Clouds Twin Peaks—two sword qi currents intertwined and flew toward the old man. The old man’s figure blurred and suddenly vanished.
“Where are you looking?”
A mocking voice echoed from behind. It was Shifting Shapes and Swapping Positions, a technique that could only be executed by those whose lightness skills had reached the absolute peak.
Without even having time to turn around, Myeong-yeop twisted his body and rolled forward. A clump of his topknot was cleanly severed.
“A donkey rolling in the mud, indeed.”
Myeong-yeop’s face flushed red. The technique he had just used was the Roll of the Lazy Donkey. It was a technique that orthodox martial artists considered a disgrace, but he had resorted to it out of a desperate need to survive.
“Try that again.”
Appearing behind him once more, the old man stamped his foot toward the fallen Myeong-yeop. Before he could even stand, Myeong-yeop rolled to the opposite side again.
Laughter erupted from the watching Heaven’s Will Gate crowd. The old man seemed to be intentionally forcing him to perform the Roll of the Lazy Donkey.
Myeong-yeop leaped up quickly. The old man closely followed, unleashing a palm strike. A swarm of black palm shadows descended upon him.
Myeong-yeop tried to parry them all, but the palm shadows were too numerous to block. Ultimately, Myeong-yeop suffered a direct hit on his right shoulder, the one holding the sword.
“Kugh!”
He thought it was a light push, but the destructive force was immense. Myeong-yeop was sent flying three yards backward and crashed onto the ground.
Struggling to lift his head, Myeong-yeop glared at the old man.
“……A hand stained pitch black. You are the Ghost Hawk Hand.”
“Has this old man’s name reached all the way to Hubei? What an honor.”
Ghost Hawk Hand. He was the master of the Black Shadow Palm Art, characterized by dark, blackened hands. He was a notorious unorthodox master of Gansu, and it was a mystery how he had ended up aligned with Anhui’s Heaven’s Will Gate.
“Have you no shame?! You, who call yourselves orthodox, bringing a demonic unorthodox master here!”
Myeong-yeop roared at the Heaven’s Will Gate disciples. The man from Heaven’s Will Gate shrugged shamelessly and said,
“Senior Ghost Hawk Hand has turned over a new leaf and decided to live as a righteous man. Please stop your slander.”
“You are absolutely shameless.”
Myeong-yeop coughed, spitting up blood. The inner qi that had penetrated his shoulder was causing severe internal injuries. The Black Shadow Palm Art was famous for its devastating heavy internal strike. Its reputation was well-earned; even a single hit was said to rupture one’s internal organs.
“Keuh!”
Ghost Hawk Hand approached and stepped heavily on the fallen Myeong-yeop’s head. For Myeong-yeop, the humiliation of Wudang Sect’s honor being trampled was far more agonizing than the pain of his skull being crushed.
“Scream. You need to scream so your high-and-mighty martial uncles will come out.”
“It would be faster to just kill me.”
“Then die you shall.”
Ghost Hawk Hand put even more weight into his foot. A sickening grinding sound echoed from Myeong-yeop’s skull. He was already half-unconscious from the excruciating pain.
Before long, Myeong-yeop’s white eyes began to shot with red. His head was fracturing from the inside. Though it was an unbearable agony, Myeong-yeop grit his teeth.
Scream in pain here would only make him a laughingstock for the cowardly members of Heaven’s Will Gate. If that was the case, it was better to die here with his dignity intact.
“It seems you truly wish to die.”
“Uuuugh.”
Myeong-yeop grit his teeth, swallowing his screams back down.
There was still plenty of time left before the guards changed shift, and since he hadn’t rung the bell to signal that intruders had arrived, no reinforcements would come.
Was this how he was going to die? Memories of the times he had spent with his senior and junior brothers flashed through his mind.
Just as his consciousness began to fade, a low, cold voice echoed.
“Take your foot off him. Old man.”
“What?”
Those words had not come from Myeong-yeop. Disbelieving his ears, Ghost Hawk Hand looked toward the source of the voice.
Standing there was a man who had clearly sprinted here at an incredible speed, with leaves and twigs clinging to his martial robes. Yet, at a glance, he looked even younger than Myeong-yeop.
“To hear such words from a mere child. It seems Ghost Hawk Hand has truly grown soft.”
Ghost Hawk Hand let out a hollow laugh.
“And what if I don’t take my foot off?”
Instead of complying, Ghost Hawk Hand pressed down even harder. A sharp crack sounded from Myeong-yeop’s head. By now, Myeong-yeop had practically fainted from the pain.
“Then you will die by my hand.”
The young man’s figure vanished. The Heaven’s Will Gate disciples standing between the young man and Ghost Hawk Hand didn’t even register him passing through.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the young man was already swinging his sword right in front of Ghost Hawk Hand. Terrified by the absurd speed, Ghost Hawk Hand pulled his foot back and leaped backward. A few strands of his white hair fluttered in the air. Had he been even a fraction of a second slower, his throat would have been slit.
“Senior Brother. Are you alright?”
The young man rolled Myeong-yeop over and shook him gently. Myeong-yeop looked up with blurry eyes.
“……What is this? Am I already dead?”
“Pardon?”
“Why is someone who shouldn’t be in this world standing in front of me?”
“Someone who shouldn’t be in this world? Those are rather hurtful words.”
The young man smiled. Focus returned to Myeong-yeop’s eyes, which grew wider and wider as if about to tear.
“You, you……”
“I’m sorry I’m late.”
The identity of the young man was Muk Hui-yeong, who had sprinted here all the way from Guangdong the moment he disembarked from the ship.