Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 222 - Successor (1)
Chapter 222: Successor (1)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“I suppose you thought I wouldn’t know.”
Gok Pyeong-un said, wearing a triumphant expression as if he had scored a point against me.
“Isn’t the martial art you use the Heavenly King Divine Art, the ultimate technique of the Heavenly King Sect?”
“…”
“It has been modified to be slightly more overbearing, so I almost failed to recognize it at first. But its foundations cannot be hidden.”
It was actually the opposite. The foundation of the Heavenly King Divine Art was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. However, from their perspective, it was only natural to see it that way. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a martial art that had long been lost in this era.
“Ahem.”
I quickly racked my brain.
Of course, rather than them recognizing the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it was much better for them to mistake it for the Heavenly King Divine Art. Although, if that misunderstanding made me famous, it would be quite troublesome.
If word got out that a descendant of the Heavenly King Sect had appeared in the jianghu, the Imperial Court would search for me with fire in their eyes.
“Don’t worry. We will never speak a word of this.”
The Sect Leader of the Hainan Sect spoke softly. He had likely read the worry on my face.
“Did your Sect Master not tell you? The Heavenly King Sect and Hainan have had many exchanges.”
“I was not aware.”
“I see. But still, what a relief. It seems the Heavenly King Sect Leader did not die back then. How is your Sect Master doing?”
I kept my mouth shut. That silence was more than enough of an answer. Both the Hainan Sect Leader and Gok Pyeong-un were temporarily lost for words.
“…That is truly tragic.”
The Sect Leader belatedly opened his mouth.
“I pray for his soul’s rest.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t know the exact relationship between Zhu Mun-hwan and them. However, judging by their genuine sorrow, it was clearly a fact that they had shared a close friendship.
“When the Heavenly King Sect suddenly vanished, we were also greatly shocked. Our sect even hired people to search for him, but he disappeared without a trace. What on earth happened?”
“I don’t know the exact details either. I was taught by the Sect Master in seclusion after the Heavenly King Sect had already vanished.”
“I see. So he wasn’t dead back then.”
For Zhu Mun-hwan, it was a time when dying might have been preferable. He had been captured by the Imperial Court, subjected to all kinds of experiments, suffered intensely, and was ultimately transformed into the monstrous Great Toad of the Eastern Sea to be used as a tool of the Palace.
“The Heavenly King Sect shared some similarities with our sect. That is why our relationship was deep.”
The Sect Leader took off his spectacles, placed them on the desk, and spoke.
“Is that so?”
“Think about it. As you know, the Heavenly King Sect’s martial arts are far too overbearing to be considered orthodox. Our Hainan Sect is the same. Because our martial arts contain too much killing intent to be deemed purely orthodox, we have faced our own share of persecution.”
“So you shared such a commonality. In that case, your relationship with the Tang Clan must be quite good as well.”
“Indeed. The Tang Clan received similar treatment.”
I nodded. Gathering together among outcasts was a time-honored tradition.
“In that sense, having you catch Hainan’s eye is an incredibly joyful event. Hainan had deeply regretted the loss of the Heavenly King Sect’s martial heritage.”
“I see. I am grateful.”
“That is why I say this: Hainan can assist in the revival of the Heavenly King Sect.”
What kind of offer was this? I listened silently.
“Just as people marry to leave their bloodline in the world, the same goes for martial artists. Preserving one’s martial heritage is of utmost importance. Wouldn’t your Sect Master have wished for that as well?”
Hainan’s proposal was extremely generous. It could only be described as true loyalty.
Rebuilding a sect from scratch is no easy task, yet they were offering to help without asking for anything in return.
This was precisely what martial artists called chivalry. I stood up and bowed to express my gratitude.
“It is an incredibly generous offer, but for now, I have something I must do on my own.”
“…Hmm. I see.”
“Of course, I will eventually pass down this ultimate art to future generations. However, the time is not yet right, so I will do so when the time comes.”
Worried they might misunderstand, I added before wrapping up.
“As you can likely guess, the name of the Heavenly King Sect cannot be revealed to the world at present. The revival of the sect will have to wait until those matters are resolved.”
I didn’t mention that the disbandment of the Heavenly King Sect was connected to the Imperial Court. I didn’t want to place a burden on a group that had shown such unconditional goodwill to the Heavenly King Sect.
“I understand. You are being considerate of us.”
The Sect Leader nodded solemnly. Having spent a long time in the jianghu as well, he seemed to have immediately grasped my intent.
“Very well. Is there any way Hainan can assist you right now?”
The Sect Leader spoke. Even though I said I wouldn’t rebuild the sect immediately, he still showed such kindness. This, too, felt like a gift from Zhu Mun-hwan. I expressed my gratitude to the uncle in my heart once again.
“If you would help me, I will gladly accept.”
I said as much and explained what help I needed. Naturally, what I needed most right now was information on the current situation on the mainland.
“Information. Indeed, the mainland is vastly different from before. The Geyu Shipwreck changed so many things.”
“The Geyu Shipwreck?”
“You really must have been cooped up in the mountains.”
The Sect Leader said so and explained the Geyu Shipwreck. Listening to him, the Geyu Shipwreck referred directly to the incident with the Great Toad of the Eastern Sea that I had experienced.
“The Geyu Shipwreck… So many masters died just because a ship was wrecked?”
“I couldn’t understand it either. The Zhoushan Archipelago has many islands where they could have rested along the way. To think so many masters perished just because a ship wrecked… Perhaps they were swept away by violent waves. If the waves are rough, even treading on duckweed and crossing water becomes difficult.”
“…I see.”
The Imperial Court seemed to thoroughly control all information regarding the Great Toad of the Eastern Sea. To think they tried to gloss over it as a mere shipwreck. It was utterly absurd.
“Could you explain a bit more about the Geyu Shipwreck?”
“Even if you ask me to explain, we don’t know much ourselves. The Imperial Court issued a stern warning that they would punish anyone spreading rumors about the Geyu Shipwreck. I heard quite a few people have actually been punished.”
“Is that so?”
“All I know is that the Wudang Sect suffered some hardships.”
My ears perked up. I had wanted to ask about the Wudang Sect anyway, so this was perfect.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I heard there was someone who gathered and led the masters to that sea, and he apparently had deep ties to the Wudang Sect. The Imperial Court pinned the blame for the shipwreck on him. Naturally, the Wudang Sect members must have undergone intense interrogation.”
Furrowing his brow as if in deep thought, the Sect Leader spoke.
“Wudang Sect argued that the young fellow bore no responsibility for the shipwreck, but that was rejected. I heard they have been marked by the Imperial Court and kept under surveillance ever since.”
Hearing that, I felt a bit depressed. Of course, I knew it wasn’t something I should feel guilty about. Still, I couldn’t help but feel sorry that Wudang Sect was suffering hardships seemingly because of me.
I roughly understood the situation. Not just Wudang Sect, but the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company must be facing tremendous hardships as well.
If so, what should I do now? It was time to ponder over that. I couldn’t just rush blindly to Wudang Sect without thinking it through. That would only add to Wudang Sect’s burdens.
I heard many other things as well. While the emergence of forces opposing the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families was interesting, the annihilation of the Hwangbo Clan, one of the Five Great Families, was shocking.
They had vehemently claimed that the Imperial Court was deliberately concealing the truth about the Geyu Shipwreck, and as a result, they were annihilated for treason. For a family of the Five Great Families to vanish so helplessly… it left a heavy feeling in my chest.
“Actually, Hainan is also in a difficult spot because of that. Since the Geyu Shipwreck, many martial artists have fled to Hainan Island to escape the chaotic Central Plains. The Imperial Court has been sending portraits and descriptions, requesting our cooperation.”
“They want you to capture and extradite them?”
“Yes. It feels quite unpleasant. Especially since there are some whose faces we know from traveling to and from the mainland.”
I understood the Sect Leader’s position. Unlike the unorthodox scoundrels I had encountered, they were orthodox practitioners.
If Hainan Sect subdued them and sent them back to the mainland, it would surely leave a bad taste in their mouths.
The thought suddenly occurred to me. What if there was someone I knew among those who had left the Central Plains?
“Sect Leader, by any chance, would it be alright if I assisted Hainan with its affairs?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“As it is, purifying the island of public enemies and unorthodox sects must be difficult enough, and now with orthodox practitioners flocking here, the Hainan Sect’s manpower must be stretched thin.”
“…That is true.”
“I want to be of help to Hainan. Since you have shown me such immense goodwill.”
These words were my honest feelings. Even if I wasn’t a true descendant of the Heavenly King Sect, the goodwill they showed me was genuine.
Of course, my main goal was to find people I knew, but wanting to help Hainan was also a sincere part of my thoughts.
Fortunately, perhaps because the Hainan Sect Leader believed I was a descendant of the Heavenly King Sect, he didn’t doubt my sincerity. Honestly, I would have been suspicious in his shoes, which made me wonder if people from Hainan Island were just simple and honest.
“It is a welcome thing for a master like you to help us. Indeed, since the mainland is chaotic these days, the martial artists coming in are increasing, and their cultivation realms are getting higher.”
“Please don’t thank me. The weight of the goodwill I received is still heavy.”
“Haha, your Sect Master educated you well. Though in his own case, he used to act all special and pompous, which was a bit annoying.”
I laughed at the Sect Leader’s joking remark. I could understand it to some extent, having spent nearly five years with Uncle Zhu Mun-hwan.
Zhu Mun-hwan loved showing off his imperial lineage in daily life. He would emphasize dining etiquette or claim that a different blood flowed in his veins. Of course, such words had absolutely no effect on me, who had inherited the energy of the Heavenly Demon.
“Then I will have a temporary residence prepared for you within our sect.”
“Thank you.”
And so, I became temporarily affiliated with the Hainan Sect’s Sea-Purifying Unit.
I left the Sect Leader’s chamber right away and followed Gok Pyeong-un’s guidance. As we walked, Gok Pyeong-un shared various pieces of information with me.
The first thing I learned was that the leader of the Sea-Purifying Unit was Do Bul-gwang, the Divine Sword of the South Sea. The Divine Sword of the South Sea was a name I knew well. His other title was the Number One Sword of the South Sea. He was truly the supreme master of Hainan Island.
Although he rarely ventured to the mainland and had never fought other sword masters—meaning he wasn’t counted among the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven—his martial prowess was reputed to be fully comparable.
“Then will I be meeting the Unit Leader first?”
“Not right now. He is currently away. You will meet him soon.”
“I see.”
“Is there anything else you are curious about?”
I answered Gok Pyeong-un’s question immediately.
“I would like to familiarize myself with the portraits sent from the Imperial Court first.”
“Ah, yes. You should memorize the faces of the targets. Come this way.”
Gok Pyeong-un entered the pavilion of the Sea-Purifying Unit and handed me a thick bundle of papers.
With this many portraits, it was no wonder the Hainan Sect was short on manpower.
Mixed together were portraits of public enemies sent from the Martial Alliance and treason suspects sent from the Imperial Court.
I quickly scanned through them. And then, I stopped at a certain page.
Just as expected, there was someone I knew.
Actually, there were quite a few of them.
I smiled inwardly. These people would become the bridgeheads for my counterattack.