Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 133 - See You at the Arena
Chapter 133 – See You at the Arena
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Cho Yu-gyeong looked at the man and slowly spoke.
“…Did you stop by Hainan Island?”
The man nodded readily.
“Yes. The old men of the South Sea Wanderers’ Society Association have all become handfuls of bloody water. They were all decrepit elders, so they didn’t taste very good.”
“Then what did you do with the rest?”
“The rest?”
The man tilted his head as if confused, then let out an exclamation as if remembering.
“Ah…! You mean those scraps?”
He snickered and shook his head.
“Those old men were anyway suffering from delusions. How many outstanding ones could there be among orphans picked up randomly from the streets and taught martial arts? Aside from the elders, they were worthless dregs not worth remembering.”
A demonic light flickered in Cho Yu-gyeong’s eyes.
“Did you kill even the children?”
The man cocked his head sideways.
“Killing the helpless isn’t my taste… but I had no choice if I wanted to keep word from spreading. Do you care about such things?”
Cho Yu-gyeong narrowed his eyes.
“Let’s meet again. I will definitely kill you.”
“I look forward to it.”
The man chuckled and replied, then turned to look at Ju-seong.
“The old men of the Martial Alliance will be coming soon. Well then, let’s meet again. Next time, I’ll definitely chew on your liver.”
Having said his piece, he’d recovered his internal energy somewhere along the way, for he swiftly moved his feet and vanished.
His body techniques and movement arts were both first-rate, and perhaps he’d learned some bizarre concealing art, because his form soon dissolved into the dark night sky.
“Taowu…”
Ju-seong murmured with narrowed eyes.
About half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed, and then a massive form suddenly dropped from the sky.
-Thud.
An eerily quiet landing sound for that bulk. Ju-seong’s eyes widened at the unexpected arrival.
“What brings the Martial Alliance Leader here?”
Blade King Yelu Cho stood in the moonlight, like a great beast revealing its surreal form.
He slowly turned his head to gaze at Ju-seong and asked.
“Who was it?”
“…Pardon?”
“I asked who used demonic arts at this location.”
“That… he said he was a disciple of Taowu, one of the Four Fiends.”
“A Four Fiends lineage…”
The Martial Alliance Leader glanced toward the direction the Taowu disciple had fled, then quietly shook his head.
“Already too late. I came as fast as I could the moment I felt the energy wave.”
Anqing was a large city. The explosion of energy from powerful clashing techniques came near the end of the fight, so even if the Martial Alliance Leader hurried, he couldn’t have made it in time.
The Martial Alliance Leader turned his head to survey the inn through its open door, his brow furrowing.
Scattered limbs and rivers of blood trickling out.
“Does anyone know why that demonic cultivator came here and committed such an act?”
Cho Yu-gyeong stepped forward and explained.
“Suddenly, a large-framed man intruded, spouting nonsense about wanting to have an enjoyable fight. And then he did… that.”
Cho Yu-gyeong lowered his head and trailed off as if too devastated to continue.
It was a realistic act, but to Ju-seong’s eyes, the traces of deception were obvious.
‘This bastard lying through his teeth again.’
Just as Ju-seong was about to step forward to interrogate Cho Yu-gyeong, the Martial Alliance Leader spoke first in a cool voice.
“There’s no need to lie; your background is already suspected by the upper echelon. It seems your former sect, the South Sea Wanderers’ Society Association, was entangled with that demonic cultivator for some reason. The deluded old fossils have probably been slaughtered by him already.”
Cho Yu-gyeong felt cold sweat seeping down his spine.
“How did you know that…”
The Martial Alliance Leader narrowed his eyes and replied.
“The Martial Alliance may lack the manpower to intervene in every jianghu matter, but in terms of intelligence, we’re not inferior to the Eastern Depot.”
“…”
“There have been one or two like you at every Ascending Dragon Assembly. Some the Alliance took in, and those with wicked dispositions were devoured by the Alliance.”
“…Which am I?”
The Martial Alliance Leader answered directly without beating around the bush.
“The higher-ups were generally displeased, but I see you as salvageable. Since your sect is now gone, register anew.”
Cho Yu-gyeong let out a suppressed sigh and raised his fist in salute.
“Thank you.”
The Martial Alliance Leader nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then murmured softly.
“…Is the ancient demonic path rising again?”
“They are the ones behind the Ten Thousand Ears Gang.”
Ju-seong reported bluntly, cutting to the chase. The Martial Alliance Leader already knew of the atrocities the Ten Thousand Barbarians had been committing, so he nodded slightly.
“It was too horrific for just an evil path sect.”
Though the Alliance had been secretly purging them in the northern Yangtze region and they were nearly gone there, the Vital Blood Pills they’d spread were rumored to be spreading through the south these days.
The high command of major evil path sects were supposedly their main customers.
After all, the life force of the middle dantian… true energy… was not easy to increase. It rose even more slowly than the lower dantian’s internal energy.
A pill that could supplement it would naturally have everyone searching with lit eyes.
More importantly, it was essentially an extra life.
They’d reported it to the Imperial Court, but for some unfathomable reason, the response was simply that matters of the martial world should be handled by the martial world.
The Head Eunuch of the Eastern Depot had even reprimanded them for bypassing him to report directly to the Court.
Innocent commoners who didn’t belong to jianghu were being turned into raw materials for pills by the martial world’s wicked seeds.
Yet the Imperial Court dismissed this as a martial world matter and ignored it?
‘Something is going very, very wrong.’
The Martial Alliance Leader gazed up at the dark night sky with a heavy face. Though it was a full moon night, the moon had been swallowed behind clouds.
‘Is there really no other answer?’
Using this opportunity while the Court’s attention was fixed on the north, they would wage total war against the evil path.
“Mad Dragon… No, Ju-seong, was it? Which Ju family heir are you?”
Ju-seong shook his head.
“Not a Ju family. My name means ‘crimson star’ because I was born on a night when the stars were red.”
“Since it’s the same character as the Imperial surname, you should make up any surname to avoid unwanted trouble.”
The Martial Alliance Leader was a man of few words, so if he was giving this advice, it was best to follow it.
Ju-seong lowered his head.
“I will bear it in mind.”
The Martial Alliance Leader sighed lightly and glanced at Ju-seong’s shoulder.
“It’s healed. You must know a skilled physician.”
“Ah, yes.”
Ju-seong absently rubbed his left shoulder. He’d already treated it using White Pig’s powder.
Of course, slicing open his flesh and dripping the powder dissolved in water into it had been painful.
The Martial Alliance Leader looked at Ju-seong and said.
“I don’t know what method you used, but it was fast. In fact, you could have finished the treatment before the Round of 16 match, couldn’t you?”
The question hit the mark, and Ju-seong fell silent. He’d intentionally not fully healed himself before the match to make a fool of Peng Hyeok.
“Deep-scheming.”
Hearing this, Ju-seong had a rather insolent thought.
‘Is he mocking me?’
He was that kind of twisted man.
Was he supposed to just sit still after being wronged?
Quickly heal himself and beat the opponent fair and square on the arena?
Ju-seong was someone whose anger wouldn’t be satisfied by that alone.
“I apologize. I’m the type who repays favors double and grudges tenfold.”
The Martial Alliance Leader tilted his head.
“What are you apologizing for? It was a compliment.”
“Ah… Yes.”
Whether Ju-seong was flustered or not, the Martial Alliance Leader continued in his blunt tone.
“Today’s tragedy too… speak of it when you tell your thoughts as the champion. You’ve received instructions from the Military Affairs Division, I assume?”
He meant that if Ju-seong won the championship, he should publicly reveal the atrocities of the Ten Thousand Ears Gang before the assembled martial artists.
Ju-seong nodded, then asked.
“But does the upper echelon truly believe that I will win the championship?”
The Martial Alliance Leader moved his densely bearded lips before answering curtly.
“I’m saying that should you win, do so.”
Completely eradicate the Ten Thousand Barbarians and unify the south under the orthodox sects… martial world unification.
Not for glory or honor, but only hoping this would be the final Orthodox-Demonic War.
The Court would not easily manipulate a unified martial world, and the demonic cultivators who had been committing atrocities against commoners would lose their footing.
The Martial Alliance Leader examined Ju-seong briefly, then nodded and spoke.
“I’ll be watching your remaining matches. And beggar, I’ve enjoyed your matches as well.”
Red Beggar was startled when the Martial Alliance Leader’s gaze suddenly turned to him. He hastily tidied his grimy collar and raised his fist in salute.
“Thank you.”
“Your next match will be difficult, so prizes or prize money won’t be possible… If you have a personal wish, tell me later.”
Ju-seong was inwardly surprised. This was practically royal treatment. It seemed this taciturn blade-wielder had taken quite a liking to this wine-loving beggar.
Soon the martial artists of the Martial Alliance Leader’s Office came running after him. He turned away without hesitation.
“It’s nothing. Let’s head back. Who was in charge of this district?”
A low-ranking martial artist bowed and answered.
“Yes sir. The head responsible for security in the North Gate slums is Fifth Patrol Squad Leader, Martial Artist Gu Hyeok-su.”
“This much time has passed since the disturbance and he hasn’t shown up. Find out why, and if it’s confirmed to be dereliction of duty, dismiss him. Handle the cleanup properly too.”
“As you command.”
The Martial Alliance Leader and his men vanished again into the dark alley they’d come from. As surreal and silent an exit as their arrival.
Red Beggar, who’d been gaping open-mouthed, finally managed to speak.
“A big shot moved openly, yet it’s this quiet.”
“Predators move without a sound…”
Ju-seong muttered quietly, then turned to ask Cho Yu-gyeong.
“By the way. What exactly are you? Why would the Taowu disciple come looking for you?”
Cho Yu-gyeong glared at Ju-seong and shot back.
“And why were you on your way to the inn where I’m staying? Were you planning to attack?”
Ju-seong snickered.
“I can just beat you to death in the quarterfinals… why would I bother?”
“Maybe you learned tricks from the Peng family folks.”
Ju-seong realized this fierce man from Hainan unexpectedly had a sharp tongue, and changed tactics.
What was better about being a martial artist than a performer was that when words didn’t work, you could pull out your fist without hesitation.
“You look worse off than me right now. What makes you so cocky? Want to have a go? Shall we?”
“What a lunatic…”
“Is there a desperate wish to have your tongue cut out? How about with this? Sorry if the cut area gets infected and you die from it.”
Ju-seong actually rummaged through his clothes and pulled out medical scissors. They were so rusted from disuse that it was concerning.
Cho Yu-gyeong’s eyes wavered before he hastily raised both arms.
“Fine. What do you want to know? Why that demonic cultivator came looking for me?”
When Ju-seong nodded, Cho Yu-gyeong began to explain.
“It seems the old men of my sect, the South Sea Wanderers’ Society Association, were subordinated to that demonic lineage. Since they were worshipping heretical cults and offering children as sacrifices…”
Ju-seong could easily guess the circumstances.
‘They were being used as raw materials for Vital Blood Pills.’
The catalyst for Ju-seong entering jianghu in the first place was connected to that.
His sisters from the acrobatic troupe had been getting kidnapped to the Blood Sword Sect.
The Blood Sword Sect’s young master had been connected to the Ten Thousand Barbarians, supplying young women.
The Ten Thousand Barbarians… no, the Cradle of the Demonic Path behind them… had been perpetrating such acts across all of jianghu.
“The old men of the South Sea Wanderers’ Society Association were people whose minds had worn away from fear of purges and desire for revenge against the Imperial house. They blindly offered children as cult sacrifices… In the end, it was for tribute.”
In this case, the mentally unstable elders had been manipulated or threatened into delivering the vital blood of commoners.
Ju-seong finally understood where the scent of children’s blood on Cho Yu-gyeong’s clothes had come from when they first met.
A peculiar individual indeed.
Even having been in such a twisted environment from childhood, he seemed surprisingly sane.
He’d endured without resistance in the mad sect that sacrificed children, then escaped Hainan Island under the pretext of the Ascending Dragon Assembly.
Having freed just himself should have been enough, yet he was angered when told the Taowu disciple had harmed the children of his sect.
But he wasn’t thinking of rushing to fight immediately… just biding his time, vowing revenge someday.
Survival instinct and venom, humanity and cunning blended together to create a bizarre personality.
Ju-seong gave a small sigh and nodded.
“Take care of yourself. See you at the match.”
Only then did Cho Yu-gyeong confirm that Ju-seong had dropped his hostile attitude, and nodded back.
“See you at the arena.”