Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 225 - Successor (4)

Chapter 225: Successor (4)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“I am terribly sorry!”

The squad leader’s misunderstanding was resolved immediately through Tang Se-ui.

Tang Se-ui, the Unit Leader, had verified my identity.

“To think I failed to recognize the Eastern Emperor, the hero of the Geyu Incident… I shall gouge out my own eyes.”

The squad leader expressed his apologies to the point of drawing his sword and attempting to pierce his own eyes.

“It’s alright. It’s only normal that you didn’t recognize me. You’ve never seen me before.”

“No! I, of all people, should have recognized you! I must atone for this sin with death…”

“If you embarrass me one more time, I might actually kill you myself.”

“It would be an honor to be executed by the Eastern Emperor!”

“Sigh.”

Although most of the people here were members of the collateral branches of the Five Great Families, including Hwangbo Un-hyeong, there were also members of the Nine Great Sects.

The very squad leader who had given me trouble was a martial artist of the Zhongnan Sect. His name was Yi Seo-ha of Zhongnan, if I recalled correctly.

“Eastern Emperor, please speak informally to me. I dare not accept formal speech from you.”

“You look like you’re slightly past thirty.”

“Yes, I am thirty-two.”

“I am only twenty-four.”

“What does that matter?”

Yi Seo-ha felt honored to speak with me, acting as if he would lay down his life if I commanded it. In truth, it wasn’t just Yi Seo-ha; every member of the Geonjeong Unit here felt the same way.

To begin with, the collateral members of the Five Great Families already held a high opinion of me due to what had transpired at the Martial Alliance. On top of that, with the sacrifice at Hachido factored in, it seemed they regarded me as the reincarnation of the Jade Emperor.

“You are alive. What a relief, a true relief.”

“I was just lucky.”

I sent Yi Seo-ha off and exchanged greetings with the others. Every member of the Geonjeong Unit wished to greet me, numbering slightly over thirty people in total.

“It is an honor to meet the Eastern Emperor.”

They all called me the Eastern Emperor, explaining that it was a posthumous title bestowed to commemorate my sacrifice in the Eastern Sea. They knew exactly what had occurred during the incident with the Great Toad of the Eastern Sea.

Indeed, one cannot block out the heavens with a single palm. Since there were survivors from back then, how could the Imperial Court hope to deceive everyone by calling it a mere shipwreck?

In any case, those who firmly believed I was dead were overjoyed by my return. Some even shed tears upon seeing me, which made me feel quite overwhelmed.

“I never expected to see you again like this.”

“Indeed.”

After finishing my greetings with the unit members, I finally faced Tang Se-ui.

The Thousand-Poison Scholar, Tang Se-ui. He was someone with whom I had neither shared a strong connection nor felt particularly close.

If anything, we had bumped heads slightly at the Martial Alliance. Yet, Tang Se-ui was incredibly glad to see me and I felt the same, as the bond of having survived the Great Toad of the Eastern Sea together was deep.

“Does Taoist Cheong-hwa know that you are alive?”

“He probably doesn’t.”

“Dear me, you should let him know as soon as possible. He went through a very difficult time.”

“Indeed.”

“It would probably be better to tell him in person rather than sending a letter. I heard all letters sent to the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families—no, now the Four Great Families—are inspected by the Imperial Court.”

I clicked my tongue. The pressure from the Imperial Court was harsher than I thought.

“Are they plotting to completely wipe out the prestigious families?”

“Probably. On the other hand, the Martial Alliance is having the time of their lives.”

Tang Se-ui clicked his tongue.

“The Sichuan Tang Clan has probably sided with the Martial Alliance as well. That is the reason I am here right now.”

“Is that so?”

“The Martial Alliance instigated and supported the collateral lines to overthrow the direct lines. A family rebellion, so to speak.”

“…I see.”

“In fact, they had already noticed the signs, but the direct line was too slow to act.”

That must be why Tang Se-ui expressed a negative view of the collateral lines back then. Well, the relationship between direct and collateral lines was something only members of those families could truly understand.

“Then what about the young clan heir?”

I suddenly thought of Tang Sin-hyeon, the young clan heir who had stuck with me at the Martial Alliance. Tang Se-ui wore a bitter smile.

“I don’t know. When the rebellion broke out in the family, I fled with the Clan Leader, but I don’t know if he was captured or not. In any case, the direct line scattered in all directions back then.”

“I brought up a painful memory for no reason.”

“It is fine. How many of us didn’t suffer back then?”

Tang Se-ui burst into laughter and pulled out a gourd bottle. Uncorking the bottle, he showed me the inside.

Along with the scent of alcohol, a dead, coiled snake lay at the bottom. Interestingly, half of the snake’s body was red and the other half was blue.

“This is wine made from the Blue-Red Snake.”

The Blue-Red Snake. I had heard of it before. It was a venomous snake with a deadly poison capable of paralyzing and killing first-class masters before they could even circulate their qi. To think he would brew wine with it.

“You’ve removed all the poison, right?”

“Haha. What do you take the Tang Clan for? Of course I didn’t remove it all.”

“I didn’t mishear you, did I?”

“You heard correctly. A moderate amount of poison enhances the flavor of the wine.”

Before I could decline, Tang Se-ui filled my cup with the Blue-Red Snake wine. It was clear and transparent, looking completely harmless.

I clinked cups with Tang Se-ui and drank. The snake wine was unexpectedly sweet. As I swallowed the liquid, it left a tingling sensation that made the tip of my tongue quiver slightly.

“Is this tingling sensation the poison?”

“Indeed.”

“This is a true delicacy.”

At first, I thought the notion that poison could enhance flavor was absolute madness, but having tasted it, I understood.

“Yes. It’s a wine that cannot be prepared by anyone who isn’t of the Sichuan Tang Clan. It is only opened for extremely esteemed guests.”

“Thank you.”

“For you, it is only proper to open it.”

I had a rough idea that people who recognized me would be glad, but I hadn’t expected such a grand welcome.

To be honest, I had also harbored a slight fear deep down. I was afraid they might blame me.

Isn’t that how human nature works? The desire to avoid blaming oneself for the misfortunes that have befallen them.

So I thought they might resent me for gathering the masters and launching the ship into the sea, but that wasn’t the case at all. I was truly grateful.

“In any case, I would like to hear your story. What on earth happened? Your aura seems completely different.”

As expected of a master, Tang Se-ui recognized my transformation instantly.

I altered and shared my experiences in a way he could believe.

Something along the lines of obtaining a miraculous encounter inside an underwater cavern. If I mentioned the Great Ming, the Heavenly Demon, or immortals, he would surely think I had lost my mind.

“I see. Indeed, the heavens have not abandoned the orthodox sects just yet.”

“Does the Geonjeong Unit stand for rebuilding the orthodox sects?”

“Yes. You can consider the orthodox sects on the mainland to be almost entirely fractured. Factions that have sided with the Martial Alliance versus those that haven’t. Honestly, those that haven’t are merely the Nine Great Sects excluding Mount Hua and Shaolin, and the Four Great Families excluding the Tang and Jegal Clans. Even if the peak masters representing those sects died, their accumulated martial arts and disciples remain, so they still possess significant influence.”

I tilted my head slightly at Tang Se-ui’s words.

“Did the Shaolin Sect side with them as well?”

“Yes. The Imperial Court prohibited donations to the Nine Great Sects that are rooted in religion. The Shaolin Sect, which relied heavily on alms from Buddhists, naturally suffered a massive blow. It was likely an inevitable choice to feed their disciples. It is disappointing, but not entirely incomprehensible.”

“I see.”

Perhaps because they had fled from the mainland, they were much better informed about mainland news. The quality of information was completely different from what I heard in Hainan.

“What about the Wudang Sect? I heard they are facing hardships.”

“Well, while none of the sects opposing the Martial Alliance have it easy, Wudang is having a particularly difficult time. After all, the Jegal Clan is located in the same Hubei Province.”

I nodded. Unlike the Shaolin Sect, the Jegal Clan had aligned themselves with the Martial Alliance early on.

“I don’t know why, but I heard the number of masters in the Jegal Clan has increased significantly. The Jegal Clan keeps provoking the Wudang Sect to fight over the hegemony of Hubei, while Wudang is currently avoiding it.”

“My mind is in turmoil.”

Tang Se-ui looked at me with pity, as if he understood.

“Of course it is. In that case, are you heading back to the Central Plains?”

“I must. First, I need to let them know that I am alive.”

Tang Se-ui stroked his chin, seemingly contemplating something.

“It will be very difficult if you go now. There are rumors that the Imperial Court is scouring the Eastern Sea to find your corpse and execute it to make an example.”

“How ridiculous.”

“They are madmen. In any case, if they learn that you are alive, they will search for you with fire in their eyes.”

Tang Se-ui’s concern was rational. To think the Imperial Court would obsess over me to this extent. Should I feel honored?

“But I still have to go. I can’t keep hiding forever.”

“That is true.”

Tang Se-ui nodded.

“Then we shall go with you.”

“Excuse me?”

“How can we just watch you go all by yourself? Just as you saved us, allow us the chance to repay our debt of gratitude.”

I was dumbfounded by his unexpected words. Unlike me, they were likely wanted fugitives. The moment they set foot on the mainland, they would become targets.

“Your sudden words are quite baffling.”

“We will definitely be of help. We can minimize the risk of being discovered by the Imperial Court as well. The Tang Clan has deep expertise in the Bone-Shrinking Art. We can have the unit members master it and then wear human-skin masks.”

“You don’t need to go to such lengths…”

Since human-skin masks adhered tightly to the face, they were incredibly uncomfortable and suffocating. Yet, Tang Se-ui’s gaze was unwavering.

“But shouldn’t we ask for the opinions of the unit members first?”

“Every orthodox practitioner saved during the Geyu Incident, including the Geonjeong Unit, is a successor to the spirit of sacrifice you showed. I can confidently state that not a single person would refuse to return to the Central Plains to assist you.”

Tang Se-ui grabbed the mouth of the gourd bottle, gulped it down, and stepped outside the tent. The members of the Geonjeong Unit were training outside.

“Everyone, I have a major announcement.”

They were exceptionally well-trained. At Tang Se-ui’s voice, they halted their training immediately and lined up in perfect rows.

“All of you must know by now that the Eastern Emperor has returned. The Eastern Emperor wishes to head to the Central Plains. But as you know, the Central Plains is currently a very dangerous place for him.”

“Are we going with him?”

“Yes. Is there anyone here who is reluctant?”

At Tang Se-ui’s question, the aligned members shouted in unison without a moment’s hesitation.

“No, sir!”

“It is an honor!”

Tang Se-ui smiled broadly, looking at me through the open tent flap. I stepped out in front of them and quietly gave a martial salute.

The moment the members of the Geonjeong Unit saw my salute, they all bowed their heads and saluted back. The sound of their palms meeting their fists was crisp and disciplined.

“I am grateful.”

“Do not be grateful. This is the honor you rightfully deserve.”

“Even so.”

I looked at the dozens of people standing before me. Some were familiar faces, while others were not. Yet, they all gazed at me with profound respect and affection.

The sacrifice that I had briefly regretted had returned to me as a grand gift. I could feel it. They would surely support me no matter what action I took. That realization filled my heart with a profound sense of fulfillment.