Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 210 - Great Toad of the Eastern Sea (1)

Chapter 210 – Great Toad of the Eastern Sea (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Gakwon of the Shaolin Temple sensed an ominous presence. Martial arts imbued with the Buddhist Dharma fundamentally carried a force that broke evil. Because of that, he was more sensitive than others to sinister qi.

“Let’s stop for a moment.”

Gakwon said it. The rowers halted at once.

The elders of the Zhongnan Sect and the Diancang Sect who were riding with him were also men of notable ability, but Gakwon of Shaolin was Fist Exalt, one of the Eight Exalts.

Whether one judged by the authority of their sect or by personal fame, it was only natural that Gakwon would become the leader of this boat.

Elder Hong Un-yeop, the Jade Mountain Iron Sword of the Diancang Sect, asked the question. He too was one of Diancang’s foremost masters, someone who had reached the transcendent realm.

“What is it, Master?”

“There is a strange aura.”

“A strange aura?”

“It feels like demonic qi, yet also like spiritual qi. It is an ambiguous kind of energy.”

“Does such an aura even exist?”

“This is my first time encountering it as well.”

At Gakwon’s words, tension appeared on the people’s faces.

“Even so, we cannot simply refrain from searching, can we?”

Yeon Ho-san of the Zhongnan Sect cautiously put forth his opinion.

That too was true. They had a duty to search this area. If they fled without even conducting a search merely because of some strange aura they did not understand, then they would make fools of themselves here before the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans.

“…Well, with this many masters gathered here, what could really happen?”

Hong Un-yeop said it. That too was true. Even on this little boat alone there were three transcendent masters and six peak masters. It was enough strength to steamroll several minor sects with ease.

“What do you think, Master?”

Gakwon looked troubled. There were times like this. Times when nothing had actually happened, yet one still felt an odd unease.

If it were up to him, he would have preferred to return at once. But Gakwon too had received the abbot’s order to bring glory to Shaolin’s name.

“Let’s go take a look first. If anything feels wrong, we can pull back.”

After much thought, Gakwon said it. They headed toward the small island to the south. The closer they drew to the island, the more uneasy Gakwon felt, but by now they were riding the tiger and could not dismount.

Gakwon slowly spread out his qi sense. The way to find Longyuan was simple. A sword ranked among the Eighteen Famous Swords would naturally emit an aura of its own. When one current of qi met another, resistance inevitably arose, so one simply had to spread out one’s senses and find where that contact occurred.

“It seems to be an uninhabited island.”

Just as Yeon Ho-san said, the scenery that came into view as they neared the island bore no trace at all of human touch.

Closing his eyes, Gakwon spread out his qi sense. Closing one’s eyes made it easier to focus upon qi.

A master on the level of one of the Eight Exalts could search an island this small with qi sense alone.

“Does your qi sense pick up anything?”

Hong Un-yeop asked. Gakwon shook his head without opening his eyes.

“Nothing.”

“Then it really must be uninhabited.”

“Not merely uninhabited.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Gakwon’s mouth.

“There are no animals either. No birds flying. No insects crawling.”

“Is that even possible?”

“I haven’t searched the entire island yet. Wait just a mo…”

Gakwon stopped speaking. The rowers too sensed something ominous and stopped rowing.

“My qi sense has found something.”

Expectation lit up everyone’s eyes.

“Describe it in detail.”

When one became a master on the level of one of the Eight Exalts, one could sense and describe the shape of things through qi sense alone. That was how finely one felt the resistance against one’s own qi.

“…It seems to be crouching.”

“Crouching?”

“I can feel a pulse for now. It is alive.”

Adjusting his qi sense with delicate care, Gakwon quietly continued observing the unknown something. It seemed to be asleep, releasing calm yet regular waves.

A little more, just a little more. If he pressed his qi sense inward a little further, it felt like he would be able to sketch out its exact shape.

And then the qi sense he had edged closer with stopped short in that instant. The waves had changed.

“…Huh!”

Gakwon was aghast. The qi sense spread by the unknown being had turned and was looking back at him.

‘How could it be this fast…!’

Even with the super-sense possessed only by transcendent masters, tracing back a source within qi spread across an entire island was difficult. Let alone within qi spread by a master on the level of one of the Eight Exalts.

“What is it?”

Seeing Gakwon suddenly suck in a breath with his eyes still closed, the others asked. Gakwon seemed to have no time even to answer. His complexion turned pale at once.

“Abandon the boat.”

That was what Gakwon said after abruptly opening his eyes.

“What do you mean by that?”

“A monster, a monster is coming.”

Gakwon spoke in urgent haste, but hearing the word monster out of nowhere in broad daylight could only feel unreal.

But from Gakwon’s perspective, monster was the only possible word. He had never before seen a force approach so quickly.

And now that the monster had come somewhat nearer, the others too were able to feel its aura.

“What is this…!”

Those aboard the boat were all masters of at least a certain level. None were so dull that they could fail to sense the grotesque quality of the approaching aura.

But there were times like that for anyone. Times when one’s body froze before a sudden catastrophe rushing toward them.

Unable even to move, they simply stared up at the sky.

The unknown something passed beyond the sky and landed in the sea.

Boom!

The instant it landed, an enormous column of water shot up. That spray broke apart into droplets and revealed what had fallen.

The unknown being stood proudly upon the sea and stared fixedly at those on the boat.

“…What exactly is that?”

And all who saw that unknown thing reacted the same way.

“Who are you!”

Gakwon stepped out onto the prow and released his aura. But there was no answer from the unknown being.

“…Answer me. Are you human, or are you beast!”

Gakwon forced the words out boldly, but the trembling and fear in his voice could not be hidden.

Because what stood before him was, exactly as he said, neither human nor beast. Though if one had to choose, it was closer to a beast.

Then the beast that had given no answer moved. The neck of the rower standing at the very rear of the boat flew up into the air.

The beast that had been facing Gakwon at the prow had somehow turned around in the blink of an eye.

The others stared in stunned shock as blood sprayed from the neck of the peak master, a first-generation disciple of the Diancang Sect.

* * *

Cheong-hwa began to truly pick up speed. The headwind was so fierce it felt as though it would strip the skin from our faces.

“Where is Hachido?”

“I don’t know!”

At my answer, Cheong-hwa looked back at me as if I were absurd. Yet his feet still kept moving at high speed.

It was true that I had a good sense of direction, but that only held on land. This was my first time out at sea as well, so there was no way I could know the route. All I was doing was fleeing south. Even so, I had something of a hunch to rely upon.

Boom!

At that moment, far away to the southwest, I saw a column of water rise together with the sound of something like cannon fire exploding.

“There!”

Namgung Ik and Cheong-hwa turned their feet at the same time.

I had heard that treading on duckweed and crossing water required not merely delicate but precise distribution of qi. The fact that they could turn this sharply without sinking only proved what masters they were.

Even so, Su Je-heon was faster. One of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven truly was different. No matter how transcendent Cheong-hwa and Namgung Ik might be, Su Je-heon stood one realm above them. The narrowing distance was unavoidable.

“Damn it, I think we’ll have to fight after all…!”

“Get to that island first!”

A small island came into view at the southwestern edge. It was the direction from which the sound had come.

At the very least, if we set foot on land, both Namgung Hwi and I could contribute something to the fight. Out here on the sea, Namgung Hwi and I were nothing but baggage.

The island was drawing nearer and Su Je-heon was almost upon us when it happened.

“Aaaaagh!”

A bloodcurdling scream came from the nearby shore. It was the kind of terrible scream that forced one to look on reflex.

Together with the sound of compressed air exploding, spray flew violently. But more frightening than that was the enormous and savage aura that could be felt from that direction.

“What is this…?”

“The island, the island!”

I smacked Cheong-hwa’s shoulder again and again, urging him to run. We were already being overtaken. He could not afford to lose concentration.

“Do not speak informally to your master!”

Quick-witted Cheong-hwa immediately bristled at being treated like a beast of burden, but this was no time to argue about that.

Then I felt a huge force behind us. Looking back from where I was slung over his back, I saw sword waves carving through the sea and rushing rapidly toward us.

“Hah!”

Namgung Ik and Cheong-hwa leaped left and right. After that came a hellish period of dodging.

Su Je-heon had come within range and was swinging his sword to unleash wave after wave of sword force at us.

The screams from far off still continued, while sword waves came at us from behind. Just as I had predicted, it had become utter chaos. Though to be fair, I had only expected something roughly chaotic, not this degree of catastrophe.

Boom!

How a man could swing a sword and somehow produce the sound of naval cannon fire was beyond me. Cheong-hwa and Namgung Ik dodged through it all and finally reached the island. This was likely Hachido.

The moment we reached the island, I climbed down from Cheong-hwa’s back, and Namgung Hwi did the same.

Su Je-heon landed on Hachido right after us. None of the other masters who had been pursuing us with him were visible. We and Su Je-heon had simply been too fast, and the rest had fallen behind.

“Alliance Leader, do you truly intend to ruin the righteous martial world like this?”

Cheong-hwa said it. Su Je-heon smiled.

“I am merely acting according to my convictions.”

“Convictions that point blades at your fellow orthodox martial artists. Ridiculous.”

“It is a necessity for the advancement of the martial world. A martial world controlled by the few should now be left behind as a relic of a bygone age.”

“And yet you hold hands with the imperial palace, which is itself a ruling minority. Is that not rather self-contradictory?”

“At times, for the sake of a greater cause, one must bend one’s convictions.”

It was impossible to reason with Su Je-heon at all. The moment he heard that, Cheong-hwa seemed to decide persuasion was hopeless and leveled his sword.

Namgung Ik and Cheong-hwa exchanged glances. Before Su Je-heon’s other masters caught up, they seemed to think that now was their chance. I thought the same.

“Alliance Leader, you are too arrogant. No matter how strong you are, to think you can block both me and the Boundless Divine Sword at once.”

Namgung Ik drew his sword. Su Je-heon gave a soft laugh.

“Elder Namgung, what are you saying? Those trailing behind were only meant to stop your side from escaping.”

At Su Je-heon’s words, our expressions hardened. The meaning was far too obvious.

“Surely you do not mean to face all of us alone?”

“Why not? I’ve never fought in concert with those fellows anyway, so their sword paths would only confuse mine. It is far more convenient for me alone.”

Namgung Ik and Cheong-hwa frowned. Whatever Namgung Hwi and I might be, those two were martial artists who had each built their own name. To be treated so dismissively was bound to be humiliating.

“Do not regret those words!”

Cheong-hwa and Namgung Ik spread out left and right and charged. Even if the other masters had fallen behind, they would catch up in at most a fraction of a moment. We did not have much time left.

Namgung Hwi and I exchanged glances. For now, we intended to provide at least minimal support.

To be honest, I had fought one of the Eight Exalts before, Fighting Exalt. So I had thought Su Je-heon, who stood above that as one of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven, would not be all that different.

But that had been a tremendous misjudgment on my part. Fighting Exalt had held back as much as possible, merely to gauge my martial skill. Once these men truly fought and moved at full strength, Namgung Hwi and I could not even cut into the sword waves they unleashed.

“Kgh!”

Namgung Hwi and I could not even approach the clash of the three transcendent masters. It was difficult enough merely to block the fragments of earth thrown up by their fight.

In the end, Namgung Hwi and I had no choice but to stand back and watch them fight. At times they were little more than afterimages. Come to think of it, this was the first time I had ever seen Master fight at full strength.

“Incredible.”

Even Namgung Hwi clicked his tongue in amazement. No matter how often people called me a genius, I had still been a frog in the well. The truly advanced martial artists were still far beyond me.

Su Je-heon’s words had not been empty boasting. Namgung Hwi and I could barely keep up with even Cheong-hwa’s and Namgung Ik’s movements, yet Su Je-heon was perfectly blocking both of them.

The fight among the three escalated rapidly. Yet astonishingly, while Cheong-hwa’s and Namgung Ik’s expressions hardened, Su Je-heon remained relaxed.

‘So this is one of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven.’

Thinking back on it, Cheong-hwa had only been one of the Eight Exalts in my previous life, not yet in this one. Namgung Ik too was likely a master beneath the level of the Eight Exalts.

I had heard that among masters, even a difference of a single step meant seeing an entirely different world, an unbridgeable gap. That saying seemed perfectly true.

“…Hm?”

Then it happened.

Su Je-heon, Namgung Ik, and Cheong-hwa all stopped at once and looked up into the sky. A small dot was falling from above.

“…What is that?”

Its skin gleamed green. It was far too grotesque to call human, and yet it possessed human features and limbs, making it difficult to call an animal as well.

Thud!

The moment I saw it, I understood.

What it was the shaman who conducted the rite had warned us of so desperately.

What the villagers had tried so frantically to ward off by killing all those animals.

What that grotesque monster was, the sight of which drenched me in cold sweat and set my entire body trembling with fear.

“The Great Toad of the Eastern Sea…”

This monster inspired in me a fear of death even greater than the monstrous human malice called Su Je-heon.