Chapter 36: Death Plum Blossom (1)
Sword Blossom, Namgung Yul.
She was currently searching the Yangtze River, leading the special task force of the Namgung Clan’s most elite ‘Purple Moon Special Task Force.’
From the upper reaches of the Qutang Gorge, which consisted of hundreds of waterfalls, to the lower reaches made of a vast silver grass forest.
Namgung Yul and the warriors of the Purple Moon Special Task Force were accelerating their search along a major tributary of the Yangtze River.
Eventually, they were able to encounter a group of refugees.
“We are merchants who used to do business at the wave market.”
The survivors testified in detail about what had happened at the wave market three days ago.
“When the water bandits of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union tried to kill innocent people and steal their wealth, a nameless wanderer saved us.”
Namgung Yul gathered detailed testimonies from the survivors, but surprisingly, there was not much useful information.
This was because most of the survivors had been too terrified and had buried their heads in the ground, seeing almost nothing.
“His skill in using a black spear was truly elusive and supernatural……”
“What are you talking about? It wasn’t a spear, it was a long whip!”
“It wasn’t a whip either. It was a long axe. That’s why every time he swung it, the water bandits’ heads burst apart!”
“Anyway, we were able to live thanks to that old man.”
“Wasn’t it a boy instead of an old man? My head was buried like a chick, so I don’t remember well……”
“Well, I tell you, his height was definitely nine feet!”
“Later, he was swinging a Blue Dragon Crescent Blade while fighting the water bandits of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union, oh my! I thought a heavenly god had descended!”
“Every time he swung his blade, a rumbling crash resounded.”
“His complexion was red as a jujube, and his beard was longer than his body!”
“Aha—after killing all the water bandits, he suddenly departed toward the upper reaches, and his appearance was truly……”
“What are you talking about? After killing all the water bandits, he went down to the lower reaches!”
The descriptions of the ‘nameless wanderer’ conflicted from survivor to survivor.
Namgung Yul pressed her hand to her forehead.
‘Three Calls of the Yellow Springs…… just what kind of person is he?’
Looking at what he did at the Cao Family Manor estate and the Namgung Clan, it was difficult to call him a martial artist who walked the orthodox path.
Yet, he had clearly risked his life to fight the Black Path Gang and saved the people who suffered because of them.
Furthermore, this time he had even rescued innocent citizens from the water bandits of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union.
An individual willing to shed his own blood for matters that should have been handled by the orthodox sects or the government.
In the world, such people were referred to as ‘chivalrous heroes.’
The path Three Calls of the Yellow Springs was currently showing was indeed complex and subtle, crossing back and forth between a villain and a chivalrous hero.
“……”
Namgung Yul caressed her own neck once.
A reddish bruise still remained, giving a stinging sensation.
Suddenly, his voice, which sounded like a growling wolf, flickered in her ears.
‘I will strike your pressure points now. If you struggle, I will cut off your ears.’
‘If anyone tries to interrupt my words in the future, I will first slit this girl’s throat before anything else.’
Recalling the hot breath of that time, Namgung Yul’s ears flushed red.
“……No. He is definitely a villain. He must be. He has to be.”
Namgung Yul kept repeating it to herself as if to convince herself.
At that moment, a young child’s voice was heard from the side.
“He is not a villain.”
Where Namgung Yul turned her head, a girl who looked to be barely six or seven years old was staring with clear, bright eyes.
“The beggar brother is not a villain. He is good.”
“……?”
Namgung Yul merely furrowed her brow slightly, not knowing what the girl’s words meant.
Right then.
“……My Lady. Something is approaching from over there.”
A swordsman of the Purple Moon Special Task Force approached Namgung Yul and whispered.
“?”
Namgung Yul craned her neck toward the other side of the silver grass field.
Rustle, rustle, rustle……
A gust of black wind arose, bending the silver grass.
A group of martial artists clad in black clothes was seen approaching toward this place.
Surprisingly, they were faces she recognized.
“The Martial Alliance?”
Namgung Yul wore a puzzled expression.
Those currently running toward this place using light body techniques were all martial artists of the Martial Alliance.
And the one running at the very front of them now was a face Namgung Yul also knew well.
A Plum Blossom Swordsman of the ‘Mount Hua Sect,’ one of the Fifteen Pillars of the Orthodox Path.
His name, who was also an instructor at the Ascending Heaven Academy of the Martial Alliance, was Bi Mu-geuk.
Eventually, Namgung Yul and Bi Mu-geuk faced each other in the middle of the silver grass field.
Namgung Yul, a student of the Ascending Heaven Academy, greeted Bi Mu-geuk, the instructor, first.
“I greet Daoist Nangwa of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“It has been a long time.”
Daoist Nangwa Bi Mu-geuk accepted Namgung Yul’s greeting in a stiff manner.
He was a man with small eyes, a large and sharp nose, and thin lips, making it difficult to read his inner thoughts from his expression.
The Purple Moon Special Task Force led by Namgung Yul consisted of twelve people.
The martial artists of the Martial Alliance led by Bi Mu-geuk were also twelve people.
Bi Mu-geuk asked Namgung Yul.
“What were you doing here?”
“I am temporarily visiting my family home for the vacation period. However, a personal matter arose that I needed to resolve, and I intended to return to the academy after handling it.”
“I see.”
Nodding his head, Bi Mu-geuk continued.
“We are currently pursuing a public enemy of the martial world.”
“……!”
Namgung Yul’s eyes widened.
Bi Mu-geuk continued to speak as he wiped sweat with his sleeve.
“The location of the villain who raped and murdered his junior sister and fled to join the Demonic Cult has been identified. It is right in this vicinity.”
“You are speaking of the ‘Death Plum Blossom.’”
“Correct. It is originally confidential information, but…… currently, a loophole has appeared in the inescapable net, and we must urgently plug it. Although Wudang promised to lend their strength, we are in a situation where every single hand is desperately needed right now.”
Bi Mu-geuk said to Namgung Yul.
“If conditions allow, could you perhaps lend us a bit of the Namgung Clan’s strength?”
“It is difficult to do so without the permission of my family. Since this is an task ordered by my grandfather……”
“Is that so? Was it ordered by the senior Sword King? Then it cannot be helped.”
Bi Mu-geuk turned his head.
And he said to the tired-looking warriors of the Martial Alliance.
“Since this villain was spawned by Mount Hua, he must be executed by Mount Hua’s hands. We must hurry before the blood of innocent people flows.”
Bi Mu-geuk left those words behind and ran swiftly toward the lower reaches.
At the end of the scabbard hanging from his waist, a cord with six knots was fluttering.
The warriors of the Martial Alliance also ran down the river following Bi Mu-geuk.
Meanwhile, another warrior of the Purple Moon Special Task Force said to Namgung Yul.
“We have to go to the lower reaches anyway. Because the target’s traces lead to the lower reaches, passing through the place where the wave market was held.”
“Mmm.”
Namgung Yul fell into thought.
The pursuit team of the Martial Alliance that just passed is currently chasing the terrifying public enemy of the martial world, the ‘Death Plum Blossom.’
He was a vicious lust demon who had raped and murdered his junior sister from the same sect and tried to defect to the Demonic Cult, a target the Martial Alliance was trying to capture even by deploying an inescapable net.
Namgung Yul asked.
“What is the possibility that the one who slaughtered the Hundred Heads of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union at the wave market a short while ago is the Death Plum Blossom?”
“Wouldn’t it be difficult to say for sure? Since the movements of the two villains overlap to some extent, I don’t think we can know without meeting them in person.”
Synthesizing the opinions of the Purple Moon Special Task Force, Namgung Yul nodded.
“Since the way is the same anyway, let’s follow them. However, if we happen to discover the Death Plum Blossom first, let’s not engage in combat but send a separate message to the Martial Alliance.”
At Namgung Yul’s words, the warriors of the Purple Moon Special Task Force also nodded.
Soon, they began to pursue the warriors of the Martial Alliance who had passed earlier.
The destination was the lower reaches of the Qutang Gorge.
* * *
The lower reaches.
The name of the river flowing here was Li River.
It was one of the countless tributaries flowing into the Yangtze River.
Even the rapidly flowing current showed a greatly softened attitude here.
A water crossing that generously curved, piling up the sediment it had carried in one place.
There was an endlessly unfolding field of silver grass, and soft mud hills rose here and there.
“……”
Chui stood blankly in front of a grave.
Silver grass and weeds grew so excessively that at first glance, one wouldn’t even think of it as a grave.
-Tomb of Wu She (伍奢之墓)-
Only a single gravestone worn down by time indicated who the owner of this grave was.
Trickle-
Chui poured Bamboo Leaf Green liquor into a cup he had obtained from the wave market.
And he laid a piece of thoroughly dried monkfish jerky in front of the grave.
After pulling out all the weeds growing on the grave, Chui bowed twice before it.
And as he sat by the graveside for a while.
Rustle-
The silver grass behind him bent its body once in the wind.
Soon, a man revealed himself.
“……”
Chui did not look back at him, but he was staring intently at Chui.
His disheveled black hair fluttered like a ghost’s, and he wore a tattered gray Buddhist robe as clothing.
Under his right arm, a coarse longsword was hung, but where his left arm should have been, only a sleeve fluttered.
Looking at the Bamboo Leaf Green liquor and the monkfish jerky in front of the grave, the strange man asked.
“Why did they place the grave in a place like this?”
“I do not know.”
Chui answered briefly.
At this, the strange man asked once more, as if puzzled.
“Is it not the grave of someone you know?”
“It is a stranger’s.”
“Then why are you offering a memorial service?”
To his question, Chui still replied briefly.
“It was pitiful that he lay all alone in a place no one visits. That is all.”
“Is that so?”
The strange man blinked his eyes a few times, then walked awkwardly and stood beside Chui.
“Then I shall as well.”
He knelt beside Chui and bowed twice toward the grave.
Soon, the one-armed man looked at the Bamboo Leaf Green liquor and monkfish jerky placed before the grave and said.
“The heart that performs a memorial service for a stranger’s grave is truly righteous. That righteousness must be sufficiently rewarded.”
After finishing his words, he lifted the longsword tied to his waist and offered it to Chui.
“Take it. It is a treasured sword easily worth a hundred gold.”
However, Chui did not even look at the treasured sword he was offering.
“If I were a person who would accept a treasured sword of a hundred gold, I would have cut off your head before that to collect the thousand-gold bounty.”
“……!”
Instantly, the one-armed man’s expression froze stiff.
Chui stared straight at the grave and said.
“Death Plum Blossom, Oh Ja-woon. Draw your sword.”
“……”
The one-armed man was still staring at the grave.
However.
Scree-
The blade of the longsword he was holding merely slid quietly out of the scabbard.
…Thud!
Chui also stared at the grave.
Except his right hand was holding the staff firmly.
At that very moment.
“There are living ones here!”
A shout was heard from the silver grass field beyond the grave.
And soon, numerous footsteps began to be heard.
“Let’s avenge Chief Gongson!”
“Chase down and kill everyone who survived the wave market!”
“It is the order of Lord Thousand Heads! Find the ones who killed the Hundred Heads no matter what!”
“You bastards, we will make you regret provoking the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union even after you die!”
The signal flare sent up by the deceased Gongson Hap had gathered the water bandits of the Twelve Yangtze River Water Bandit Unions.
Unrivaled Spear Ghost