Chapter 235 – An Arrow Already Released (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The Heaven’s Will Gate delegation seemed to have arrived without any prior warning. The Wudang elders of the Cheong generation ushered all the disciples of the Myeong generation, who had been training, into the Gungdo Hall.

It was to prevent any potential conflicts or clashes that might arise from bickering with the Heaven’s Will Gate delegation.

“But shouldn’t I be an exception?”

“Why?”

“The delegation must have come because I killed their Guardian.”

It was Cheong-hwa who was in charge of leading the Myeong generation disciples gathered in the Gungdo Hall. Cheong-hwa seemed to contemplate for a brief moment before nodding.

“Of course you are an exception.”

“Right?”

“While the others might be allowed, you are absolutely not permitted to go out.”

“Pardon?”

As if I were the only one who didn’t understand, the other senior brothers of the Myeong generation all nodded in agreement with Cheong-hwa.

“Indeed, Martial Uncle.”

“We must protect our youngest.”

Myeong-yeop and the other first-generation disciples were in high spirits.

They were currently keeping an ironclad guard to ensure I couldn’t take a single step outside the Gungdo Hall.

I let out a dry cough and decided to resort to a classic method.

“Excuse me, Senior Brothers. I think I need to go to the outhouse……”

Clink.

The moment my words ended, a silver pot fell right in front of me.

Wondering what on earth this was, I stared at Senior Brother Myeong-yeop.

“It is a chamber pot.”

“……”

“Do not even think of sneaking into a room to do your business alone. We will follow you and watch over you.”

“Do you not consider the embarrassment I would suffer?”

“A master of your caliber should easily be able to control his physiological functions. Stop talking nonsense.”

I shut my mouth. After all, his words weren’t wrong.

Still, a chamber pot was a bit too much, wasn’t it?

When I looked at Cheong-hwa with a wronged expression, Cheong-hwa was practically blooming with laughter, even clapping his hands.

“Yes, yes. Well done, well done.”

“……Huu.”

It seemed there was no one on my side here.

“Think about it. What if someone from Heaven’s Will Gate who recognizes your face has come?”

“What are the odds of that? Besides, it would be difficult for them to recognize me. Look at how long my hair has grown.”

I placed my hair, which fell all the way to my waist, on my hand to show him. Of course, Cheong-hwa didn’t even blink.

“If we say no, it means no. The Sect Leader and the senior uncles will handle it.”

“But Heaven’s Will Gate will surely demand that they hand me over.”

“And is the Wudang Sect supposed to just hand you over?”

“Well, no, but……”

Somehow, I felt myself getting cornered in the argument. Had Cheong-hwa and my senior brothers always been this logical? Or maybe muscle had simply taken over my brain.

“Still, I cannot sit by.”

Just as I resolutely attempted to stand, Cheong-hwa suddenly bellowed.

“Pounce!”

At those words, the surrounding Wudang disciples swarmed and collapsed on me. Not only the first-generation disciples but even the third-generation disciples, including Myeong-gyeong, piled onto my prone body. In an instant, I was completely pinned down.

They must have practiced this beforehand. No matter how strong I was, there was no way I could escape with dozens of people dogpiling on me.

“Haa.”

I let out a sigh while pinned flat on the ground. In truth, anticipating this, I had already given a heads-up to a certain someone.

Just as Cheong-hwa said, it was time to trust the Sect Leader and my senior uncle.

* * *

“The Wudang Sect seems strangely lively today.”

“Wudang has always been a lively place.”

“Haha. We all know that hasn’t been the case lately, though.”

Cheong-ui narrowed his eyes. The greasy pig sitting before him was none other than the Heaven’s Will Gate Leader. From the looks of it, he had completely neglected his martial training lately.

Seeing a scoundrel who could easily have his life snuffed out in a single strike act so arrogantly made his decades of refined composure shake.

“Infinite Life Buddha.”

“You Taoists always resort to those words when you have nothing left to say.”

“Did you come all this way just to pick a fight?”

Cheong-ui looked at the people standing behind the Heaven’s Will Gate Leader. A few of them were familiar masters. They were likely experts recruited from the outside to act as Guardians.

In addition to them, there were also youngsters who appeared to be mere disciples. Ironically, while the familiar masters avoided Cheong-ui’s gaze because they knew how powerful he was, it was the young disciples who glared fiercely.

To think that the Sect Leader of Wudang would be subjected to such provocations from mere children. Even if the world had turned upside down, this was far too absurd.

“The ones who picked the fight were you people. Did you not slay our Guardian? Do you have any idea how much wealth we spent to recruit Ghost Hawk Hand?”

“That is none of our concern. Our disciple was persecuted, and we merely responded according to the laws of the martial world. Had Ghost Hawk Hand not tried to kill our disciple first, such a thing would never have occurred.”

“Is the law of the martial world not simply the weak bowing to the strong?”

The Heaven’s Will Gate Leader smiled. Those words made even the highly composed Cheong-ui frown.

“Are you claiming that Heaven’s Will Gate is currently stronger than the Wudang Sect?”

“Why would it not be so?”

“The only reason Wudang is keeping its wings folded right now is to avoid the passing storm. Surely you are aware of that.”

“Since when did martial artists speak with their mouths instead of their swords? Were the Five Great Swordsmen of the Realm all mere empty names?”

Cheong-ui’s fists trembled. For a split second, he almost lost his temper. However, objectively speaking, clashing with Heaven’s Will Gate, which currently enjoyed the backing of the Imperial Court, would only lead to immense difficulties for Wudang. As the Sect Leader, he was forced to make this painful choice.

“What a load of absolute garbage. You piece-of-shit pig who deserves to have his flesh torn apart. By the looks of it, your mother must have been a sow and your father a human to babble such utter nonsense.”

“……?”

It was a stream of vitriol absolutely unthinkable for a meeting between sect leaders.

Not to mention Cheong-ui, even the target of the insults, the Heaven’s Will Gate Leader, couldn’t immediately process that the abuse was directed at him.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the source of the vulgarity. It was Cheong-yu, who had been standing silently behind Cheong-ui.

“W-what did you just say?”

The Heaven’s Will Gate Leader stammered, disbelieving his ears. Cheong-yu replied without a shred of hesitation.

“Should I repeat it for you? I said your mother was a sow……”

“Cheong-yu, that is a bit……”

“……and your father a human. What of it?”

Even though Cheong-hwa tried to stop him halfway, Cheong-yu finished his sentence.

No matter how blunt Cheong-yu usually was and how sharp his personality could be, he was still a highly cultivated Taoist who would never utter such crude language.

The Wudang Taoists themselves were dying to ask what on earth had possessed Cheong-yu.

Cheong-yu’s tirade did not stop there.

“You only managed to put on the title of a sect leader because you rode the wave of the times. Had it been a time of chaos, that body of yours would have been chopped up by starving peasants to be used as chicken feed. Tsk tsk.”

“……Martial Brother.”

Another elder of the Cheong generation spoke in sheer shock.

The Heaven’s Will Gate Leader and his entourage only began to express their rage a beat late. Since they never expected to hear such vulgar insults in the Wudang Sect, they had completely missed the timing to react.

“Can you truly bear the consequences of a full-scale battle with us?”

The Heaven’s Will Gate Leader asked solemnly. Cheong-ui found it utterly absurd.

The only reason Wudang was staying quiet was not because their martial strength was weak, yet Heaven’s Will Gate seemed to be under a massive delusion.

“Wudang does not flee from a fight brought to its door.”

“Very well. Then let us settle it this way. If we win, the Wudang Sect must pack up and leave Wudang Mountain. Whether you establish your sect elsewhere or not, do as you please.”

“And if we win, Heaven’s Will Gate must completely withdraw all its forces from Hubei.”

“Naturally. And I have one more proposal.”

“What is it?”

“I want this clash to be a battle to the death.”

Cheong-ui was temporarily left speechless. While he didn’t believe the disciples of Wudang would lose to those scoundrel bastards, it was still an incredibly heavy burden for him as the Sect Leader. Every single disciple, whether of the Myeong generation or the Cheong generation, was a precious child.

“We accept.”

It was Cheong-yu who answered instead. Cheong-ui whipped his head around to look at him.

“Cheong-yu. What on earth……”

“Are you not going to accept, Sect Leader Senior Brother? We can retreat no further.”

“……”

“Accept it, Senior Brother. The martial world is already in a state of chaos. It is no longer the peaceful martial world of the past.”

Cheong-yu spoke sharply. All the Wudang Taoists fell into a solemn silence at his words.

Because they had no choice but to admit that their bodies had grown complacent to a long-lasting peace.

“Very well.”

Cheong-ui finally nodded. While the disciples were precious, Wudang Sect’s pride was far more important.

There was nothing more shameful for a martial artist than fleeing from death.

“We will send a formal challenge letter shortly.”

The Heaven’s Will Gate Leader stood up, leaning on the table. He threw one final glare at Cheong-yu, who had insulted him.

They departed without even exchanging proper farewells. It was the height of rudeness.

Before long, a loud shout echoed across the quiet Wudang Mountain.

“Let Wudang’s cowards come out and face my blade!”

Just as Cheong-ui was about to rescind his decision, he was startled by the sudden shout.

Cheong-ui and the other elders of the Cheong generation rushed out. When they reached the courtyard, they saw a disciple of Heaven’s Will Gate standing on the cliff above the Three Pureness Hall, shouting.

“What are you doing?!”

“Is something wrong?”

As Cheong-yu roared, the Heaven’s Will Gate Leader merely tilted his head.

“Did we not agree to settle this in a full-scale battle?”

“That is that. But isn’t it common for a sect to request a martial duel when visiting another? Our disciples are filled with noble spirit and wish to experience the blades of the Nine Great Sects. Is there something wrong with that?”

“Do you not know that sparring when emotions are this high is strictly forbidden?”

“Didn’t Elder Cheong-yu say so earlier? The era of peace has passed.”

In other words, Heaven’s Will Gate’s logic was that while the full-scale battle was a separate matter, they wanted to have a quick preview and fight before leaving.

It became clear why they had brought such a large crowd with them.

However, Cheong-ui had already strictly commanded Cheong-hwa and the other Myeong generation disciples not to respond to any provocations.

As long as they followed that command, this situation would pass quietly……

“Ah. Those are very correct words.”

Just then, someone clapped his hands and walked out from below the Three Pureness Hall cliff.

The voice was one that everyone recognized. Though he couldn’t be seen from below the cliff, it was undoubtedly Muk Hui-yeong.

Cheong-yu’s face immediately contorted. He had strictly ordered Cheong-hwa to ensure that whatever occurred, Muk Hui-yeong must absolutely not show himself.

Having escaped somehow, Muk Hui-yeong stamped heavily on the Three Pureness Hall cliff and leaped up onto the platform.

“Gasp!”

And the moment everyone saw Muk Hui-yeong’s face, they gasped in shock.

The elegant Muk Hui-yeong was nowhere to be seen; instead, a fearsome-looking man who looked as though he had spent decades rolling in the underworld had appeared. His intimidating appearance made even the Heaven’s Will Gate members flinch.

Yet it was unmistakably Muk Hui-yeong, both by his voice and the Wudang disciple’s robes he wore.

“Though I don’t know the details, you must have insulted Wudang to no end. We couldn’t let you leave Wudang Mountain in one piece for that alone, so this actually worked out well.”

Muk Hui-yeong spoke without hesitation. His fearsome appearance and dominant aura temporarily left the Heaven’s Will Gate Leader speechless.

“Before our full-scale battle, shall we disciples have a go first?”

Muk Hui-yeong took a step forward. Under his ferocious gaze, the high-spirited Heaven’s Will Gate disciples naturally took a step back.

Realizing they had stepped back, the Heaven’s Will Gate disciples’ faces flushed red. It was no different from admitting they had been dominated by his pressure.

“Fine. Since we are three, let us have exactly three matches.”

The Heaven’s Will Gate members said. Indeed, excluding the older middle-aged men, there were exactly three young men who appeared to be in their twenties.

A sudden informal duel was taking shape right before the full-scale battle.

Cheong-ui realized that the arrow had already been released. If they backed down now, the Wudang Sect would become a laughingstock for the entire martial world.

“I believe it would be best for all of you to step forward at once.”

Suddenly, Muk Hui-yeong spoke with polite demeanor. Just then, the bushes below the Three Pureness Hall cliff rustled, and a crowd of Myeong generation disciples swarmed up onto the platform.

Cheong-ui and the other elders were completely dumbfounded. Looking at this, it was clear that they had been waiting below the cliff all along.

“We declare that all disciples of Wudang are fully prepared to accept the challenge of Heaven’s Will Gate’s disciples!”

The Myeong generation disciples shouted in unison, their voices merging into one powerful roar.

It was the loudest sound heard on Wudang Mountain since the Geyu Month Incident.