Chapter 210 – It’s Been A While

===================

Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

Ju-seong watched as Cho Yu-gyeong elegantly flicked the blood off his blade with a graceful movement.

-THUD-THUD!

Taoist Xiangyun’s blood splattered on the floor, drawing a curve.

“Acting cool as always.”

While Ju-seong grumbled, a woman whose bangs almost entirely covered her face approached Cho Yu-gyeong’s side without a sound.

Ju-seong was startled by her appearance and murmured.

“Wh-what’s this? A ghost?”

The woman quietly held out an oiled cloth to Cho Yu-gyeong, and he nodded wordlessly, using the cloth to wipe his sword.

Though the woman appeared gloomy and eerie with her hair covering her face, her features glimpsed through the strands were quite fine.

Watching the woman retreat with a faint blush on her face, Ju-seong narrowed his eyes.

‘So there’s actually a woman who likes that Cho guy. Unusual taste indeed.’

Ju-seong looked up and assessed Cho Yu-gyeong’s subordinates.

‘Thinking about it…’

Both during the fight and the cleanup afterward, they were clearly no ordinary elite.

That such people followed Cho Yu-gyeong as if they were one body was ultimately proof of Cho Yu-gyeong’s own skill and capability.

Ju-seong teased Cho Yu-gyeong with a smirk.

“My… The future Martial Alliance Leader is here. You’ve grown up, haven’t you?”

Cho Yu-gyeong countered bluntly.

“Have I grown as much as you? What have you been eating to achieve Three Flowers Gathering in such a short time?”

Ju-seong stroked his chin and answered solemnly, as if he were a sage.

“Enlightenment is like a black cat in a dark room. The more you try to catch it, the more it runs away…”

“What are you even saying…”

Cho Yu-gyeong shook his head dismissively. This fellow had saved them in an instant when they were in crisis, yet he didn’t boast or demand reward.

If anything, he was making Cho feel at ease by talking nonsense.

‘I feel like I’m losing to him in character too. Even though he clearly has a foul temper and a narrow mind on the outside…’

Cho Yu-gyeong let out a sigh and asked.

“Our Sixth Combat Squad plans to join other squads to attack the Jarim Gang. What will you do?”

The Jarim Gang was located in the northwest of Jiangxi Province. Since Ju-seong had come straight up from the south, he hadn’t touched them yet.

However, Ju-seong judged that there was no need for him to go there personally.

Ju-seong asked to learn the general front-line situation before heading north.

“Is the Martial Alliance Leader doing well?”

At Ju-seong’s question, Cho Yu-gyeong’s expression turned subtle.

“The Martial Alliance Leader…”

The news of the Chief that Cho Yu-gyeong relayed was shocking.

He had lost an arm in a battle on the Yangtze River. Fortunately, it was only his left arm, but the fact that the Martial Alliance Leader… the face of the Orthodox path… had been crippled was a huge shock to the entire northern jianghu.

“It was someone named… Taowu of the Cradle of the Demonic Path. He’s the master of that fellow you and I encountered in Anqing.”

Ju-seong recalled the man who had handled two exotic sabers like a ghost. If it were the master of that monster, they could certainly take an arm from the Martial Alliance Leader.

“Fortunately, they say he also lost an arm.”

Cho Yu-gyeong nodded at Ju-seong’s words of relief.

“They say it was an earth-shaking duel. The ship that villain was on was half-destroyed and sunk by their fight, and it’s said that the Blade Force they fired at each other left scars on the walls of the Yangtze gorges.”

“Oh…”

Ju-seong murmured with an envious face.

The realm of masters who can crumble mountains and split the seas.

Of course, Ju-seong knew they weren’t literally at that level. If they could really do that, they’d be immortals, not humans.

But to fight in the middle of the wide Yangtze and have missed attacks leave scars on the gorge walls…

‘…Does it not seem as if their battle was engraved upon the scenery itself?’

Ju-seong’s heart pounded.

That was what it meant to be a supreme master.

It wasn’t just about creating Protective Qi, or manipulating Sword Aura, or firing Blade Force.

People and great nature itself remember and record their battle.

Ju-seong murmured determinedly.

“Dammit, that’s incredibly cool. I will definitely become a supreme master as well.”

Watching Ju-seong murmur thus, Cho Yu-gyeong’s feelings were also complex.

He had thought Ju-seong was far below him, yet after being crushed by him at the Ascending Dragon Assembly, his rival had now appeared as a master at the highest tier of jianghu.

Seeing Ju-seong’s pure enthusiasm for strength, Cho Yu-gyeong also felt much.

His own talent was certainly rare, but it didn’t reach Ju-seong’s.

When someone as talented as Ju-seong pushed himself to the death, there was no way for Cho Yu-gyeong to keep up.

‘But even a commoner has their own path.’

Cho Yu-gyeong glanced at the members of the Sixth Combat Squad.

Comrades who were practically family.

Roaming the battlefield with them, he would gain real combat experience.

Cho Yu-gyeong was a beast born from the madness and malice of the Nanhai’s edge. That beast would eventually grow stronger by feeding on blood.

Cho Yu-gyeong gave a brief nod to Ju-seong, bidding farewell.

“We are heading to the Jarim Gang, so you head up to South Zhili and join the Martial Alliance. Let’s reunite the day the Jiangnan jianghu falls into our hands.”

Ju-seong smirked and nodded at Cho Yu-gyeong’s words.

“Does winning the Orthodox-Demonic War mean all the Jiangnan land becomes ours? What ambition indeed.”

In fact, this Orthodox-Demonic War was a critical turning point that would determine the future map of jianghu.

Whichever side won, the victorious camp would be able to monopolize the Central Plains jianghu.

Cho Yu-gyeong murmured at Ju-seong’s departing back with deep eyes.

“I hope we meet again.”

* * *

It was when he was entering Anqing Prefecture and nearing the Martial Alliance that Ju-seong heard ‘that name.’

He was sitting in an inn, disguised as a man with a goatee.

“Ugh, so itchy.”

Ju-seong kept scratching around his chin and philtrum.

In fact, no matter how great the disguise art, it was a method for changing the shape of features or the placement of wrinkles… it was impossible to create hair that wasn’t there.

Thus, the disguise art book Ju-seong had obtained included not only techniques for changing facial structure but also an appendix on how to make fake beards using animal hair, glue, clay, and dye.

‘It’s a good method, but…’

If one’s handiwork was good, an indistinguishable beard could be made, but the problem was that it was incredibly itchy.

Even as he tore into a whole roasted pig hind leg, Ju-seong listened to the conversations in the inn.

Just because the Three Celestial Senses had merged didn’t mean his original hearing, smell, and vision had regressed.

In fact, thanks to his advanced upper dantian capacity, Ju-seong could hear the conversations of everyone in the inn at once without strain.

‘This is Anqing after all… it’s full of the latest jianghu news.’

Ju-seong murmured with satisfaction as he bit into the greasy pork.

Just then, a grating word reached Ju-seong’s ears.

On the second floor, three storytellers who seemed well-versed in jianghu affairs were talking.

“I heard that a man calling himself the ‘Heavenly Demon’ killed Zhejiang’s greatest and is operating as the head of the Jiangnan evil path.”

At one man’s words, another with a thin voice countered.

“Isn’t that just a cheap rumor from the streets? ‘Heavenly Demon’… what an absurdly arrogant alias.”

A man with a deep voice added his thoughts.

“Isn’t Zhejiang’s greatest Ha Sang-mu, the Grand Elder of the Azure Thunder Sect, who is listed among the Ten Greats Under Heaven? My friend… Would a man who could easily be called Jiangnan’s greatest, not just Zhejiang’s, be taken down so easily?”

“Exactly. And without a sound or trace?”

Ha Sang-mu was a man who had achieved an unprecedented level of self-made success in the Jiangnan jianghu.

Starting as a vagabond thug, through fortuitous encounters he reached the peak of jianghu. At fifty, his life was filled with ups and downs and epic stories.

That such a man died a sudden death at the hands of someone unknown was just too…

“Unreasonable.”

Sound of nodding followed.

“Jianghu shouldn’t work that way. Right? If he were to die, at least let it be at the hands of the Twin Instruments, or the Martial Alliance Leader, or someone like that.”

“By the way, where did you hear that news?”

“It’s news from Jiangnan, so it has some credibility, but…”

“Bah, enough! The story of that mysterious dual-saber swordsman who clashed with the Martial Alliance Leader was absurd enough… where did another such supreme master spring from?”

Ju-seong narrowed his eyes and murmured.

‘Heavenly Demon…’

Likely that person was one of the Cradle of the Demonic Path’s Four Venerables.

Then what was his true identity? It likely wasn’t Taowu. That one had lost an arm fighting the Martial Alliance Leader.

Even if the Chief lost his left arm, his main strength was his right, so the loss was relatively small.

But since the other was a martial artist handling dual weapons, that side’s loss was greater.

The Chief was indeed a great master. People estimated him at around fifth among the Ten Greats Under Heaven.

But he wasn’t the absolute strongest under heaven. Ju-seong guessed that someone who merely fought to a draw with the Chief wouldn’t call themselves the Heavenly Demon.

Qiongqi? Taotie?

“…No.”

Ju-seong recalled the events in Guangxi.

He had met the disciple of the Hundun Venerable there, who was practicing extreme Yin martial arts.

When Ju-seong had asked in puzzlement, it turned out there was also a disciple practicing extreme Yang martial arts.

‘Is Hundun the only one among the Four Venerables raising two disciples?’

Then Hundun would be the strongest, and there was a high probability he was the true identity of that ‘Heavenly Demon.’

“Seeing them starting to reveal their true colors, perhaps the real full-scale war begins now.”

The Cradle of the Demonic Path was about to cast off the shroud they’d worn and reveal themselves.

* * *

Two hours later. Ju-seong broke into a cold sweat as he subtly pushed aside the blade held to his throat.

“…Uh, well. It’s been a while.”

“Who are you? If you cannot explain yourself thoroughly, this place shall become your grave.”

The identity of the one staring at Ju-seong with razor-sharp eyes was none other than the Martial Alliance Leader, Yelu Cho.

Ju-seong felt a strange amusement at the Martial Alliance Leader using plain speech rather than talking down to him.

“You remember my voice, don’t you?”

By applying bone-contracting arts, one could even change the structure of the chest and vocal cords to alter the voice. However, Ju-seong’s bone-contracting art had not yet reached such a profound level.

The Martial Alliance Leader narrowed one eye.

He had rushed here in an instant after sensing the aura of an unfamiliar super-peak master suddenly entering the Hezhong area where the Martial Alliance was located.

Ju-seong was inwardly impressed.

‘Certainly, the masters of the Ten Greats are at a level above. How can his qi-sensing be so broad and sensitive even without the Three Celestial Senses?’

The Martial Alliance Leader had appeared like the wind as Ju-seong turned into a secluded alley, pressing a sword to his throat before Ju-seong even had a chance to react.

Ju-seong swallowed hard.

“No, it’s really me, Chief.”

Ju-seong’s face rippled and distorted.

Only after Ju-seong ripped off the fake beard did a face the Martial Alliance Leader recognized appear.

* * *

The two moved to the Martial Alliance Leader’s office to continue their conversation.

“…Remarkable disguise art. That is a rare skill in jianghu.”

The Martial Alliance Leader spoke with a slightly bewildered face.

Disguise art of that level was something only high-ranking agents of the Shadow Pavilion under the Alliance’s Military Affairs Division would learn.

He didn’t know where this fellow had obtained such a thing, but the surprises didn’t end there.

The Chief sheathed his sword, looking incredulous as he spoke.

“…To have achieved Three Flowers Gathering at that age, and with only that much training time.”

“It’s a crazy talent, isn’t it?”

“Mm.”

The Chief stared fixedly at Ju-seong. Ju-seong also observed the Chief. The empty left sleeve looked quite vacant.

‘But, hmm… it’s not entirely empty.’

Instead of the forearm cut off below the elbow, a sharp silver gleam briefly flashed.

Ju-seong smirked.

Even after losing an arm, this man’s fighting spirit didn’t seem to have died at all.

As he was admiring him inwardly, the Chief made a decision.

“Good. I was just agonizing over who to select for the personnel.”

“Eh, pardon?”

The Chief pointed straight at Ju-seong and said firmly.

“Go to Fujian, Ju-seong.”

Fujian Province.

Coincidentally, it was the very place where Ju-seong’s jianghu journey had first begun.