Chapter 44

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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**

When I crossed the South Heaven Gate of the South Rock Palace, Senior Brother Myeong-hun, who had a splint on one arm, welcomed me.

“You have returned.”

“Senior Brother!”

At my surprised appearance, Senior Brother Myeong-hun blushed.

“I have caused worry to my junior brother.”

“Exactly. You should have trained harder usually.”

At Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang’s words, Senior Brother Myeong-hun placed his other hand on the hilt of his sword with a sigh.

Seeing how he remained the same even though he was injured, I let go of my worry.

Seeing my expression, Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang wrapped her arm around my shoulder and spoke.

“I heard the news through the Sea Fog Pavilion. That you did a great thing.”

“Severing the arm of the Red Yang Demonic Immortal. You did something that even Senior Brother Myeong-jin could not have done.”

Senior Brother Myeong-hun also said as he clung to my side.

The news was faster than I thought.

Surely the senior brothers and sisters must have been busy with their own missions as well, but for them to have heard my news meant they had been paying attention. I lowered my head slightly and answered.

“It was a battle of attrition. It would have been difficult without the help of the Beggars’ Sect’s Hall of Rectitude. The Third Young Master of the Tang Clan also helped a lot.”

“The information that came through the Beggars’ Sect’s Hall of Rectitude was a bit different, though.”

“It is the feat of severing the arm of a devil who has reached the Nascent Soul Stage. There is no need to be modest. You have achieved something that anyone in the True Martial Pavilion would find difficult to do. Have pride.”

Just as they said.

The gazes of other units’ senior brothers and sisters in the True Martial Pavilion looking at me had also changed slightly. If they had previously looked at me as a promising junior, now.

“Everyone seems to want to go on missions with you. The rumor spread quickly.”

“A request for a duel might come in before long. Anyone would want to have a duel with a Wudang Sect disciple who defeated the Red Yang Demonic Immortal.”

Just as my senior brother and sister said, they had changed to look at me with slightly more complex gazes. For instance, a senior brother of the Army Breaker Unit mouthed ‘Duel?’ silently, and a senior sister belonging to the Integrity Star Unit gave me a thumbs-up.

I skillfully added mass to the corners of my mouth just as I had learned from Master. It would not do to walk around grinning foolishly and showing a lack of decorum.

Thus, I spoke calmly.

“If the Beggars’ Sect’s Hall of Rectitude and Young Master Tang had not bought me time, I would have fallen to his Zhurong Seal before I could discover his external cultivation weak point.”

“Making allies is also an ability.”

“Look at this fellow. He has the ability to make enemies instead of allies whenever he opens his mouth. Junior Brother Yeon, make sure never to learn from him.”

“…”

In the end, a smile formed on my lowered face.

A feeling quite different from when I dealt with Tang Jong-hyeok of the Tang Clan or Yang So of the Beggars’ Sect. Indeed, the mountain was comfortable.

“Yes, I shall be selective in what I learn from Senior Brother Myeong-hun.”

At my words, a slight sorrow cast over Senior Brother Myeong-hun’s eyes, and at that sight, I giggled while exchanging glances with Senior Sister Yi.

“Go on in quickly. Master is waiting.”

“Yes.”

Meeting the senior brothers and sisters was nice, but.

Reporting on the mission was the priority.

I headed straight for the office of the Greedy Wolf Unit Master.

**

Martial Aunt Hye-won was relatively calm.

“You did something worthy of your moniker.”

The rumor about defeating the Red Yang Demonic Immortal seemed to have spread faster than I expected.

“I am ashamed.”

“So, what about the matter you went for?”

“As a result of verification, the imitation poison of the Tang Clan had entered the Danyang Sect. I discovered the poison in the belongings of the deceased Danyang Sect Leader, as well as in the bodies of some Danyang Sect disciples. The Third Young Master of the Tang Clan confirmed it.”

It was a report that confirmed the suspicions I had held before leaving.

I looked at the nodding Martial Aunt Hye-won and continued my report.

“In addition, the Black Society Alliance was suspected to be the backing force of the Danyang Sect.”

“The Black Society Alliance?”

“Yes.”

“The basis?”

“The martial arts of the Danyang Sect Leader are believed to have originated from the personal martial arts of the Red Yang Demonic Immortal who was with him. Although they fell far short of the Red Yang Demonic Immortal’s level, the Zhurong Seal, the Jin release formulas, and the lineage of gathering internal energy matched. This was a part that corresponded to the information from the Sea Fog Pavilion posted at the Yichang branch.”

The Red Yang Demonic Immortal was a man who had been known to have died after his duel with the Black Society Alliance Leader. For a dead man to have returned to life meant, in the end, that he had not died.

Since it was all too common in the unorthodox path for the defeated to go under the victor, it was rational to think of the Red Yang Demonic Immortal as belonging to the Black Society Alliance.

“In addition, the Beggars’ Sect is chasing after the Red Yang Demonic Immortal. Since the Cloud Sword Hall also decided to investigate the source of the poison through the transaction details obtained from the Danyang Sect, it is considered that a more concrete distribution process of the Tang Clan’s imitation poison will emerge once the information is gathered.”

“Good. You did more than your mission.”

Although she delivered words of praise, her expression was not bright.

I questioned her with my eyes.

Martial Aunt Hye-won thought for a moment and then continued speaking.

“Soon, the Martial Alliance will be convened.”

‘The Martial Alliance?!’

Since it was only when there was a massive calamity in the world that the righteous path’s Martial Alliance was convened.

“Is it because of the Tang Clan’s imitation poison?”

“It is not just that. Not long ago, there was an incident where the spell barrier at the Great Wall was breached by the faction of the Ghost Immortal Valley. Due to that, a report from the Secret Arts Pavilion was submitted stating that the occurrence of Empty Gates in the Central Plains has increased. That is why Shaolin requested the convening of the Martial Alliance first.”

The information I had read at the Yichang branch suddenly came to mind.

– Ouyang Clan’s Iron Cavalry Demon-Repelling Squad slayed large-scale appearing monsters in the Great Wall area. Empty Gates sealed. One of the Eight Doctors of the Ghost Immortal Valley estimated to have been slain. A large number of Dharma-power monks of the Great Virtue class among the Shaolin Temple’s meditative monks dispatched. Estimated to be for the purpose of restoring the Great Wall barrier.

Besides that, the incident where the Mount Heng Sect elder was murdered at the hands of the River of Three Crossings assassin also came to mind.

The encroachment on Hubei’s martial world by the Black Society Alliance was merely an extension of a massive current.

It was clear that the movements of the Six Great Evils were gradually intensifying.

“Once the Martial Alliance is formed, work will proceed in earnest in cooperation with other sects regarding the matters of the Six Great Evils. Until then, devote yourself to training as much as possible.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Since it was exactly what I had hoped for, I immediately cupped my fists and was about to turn and leave. Just then, Martial Aunt Hye-won called and stopped me.

“Baek-jung.”

“Yes?”

“Still, take it easy.”

At her words, I chuckled and replied.

“Yes. I will take it easy.”

**

After finishing my report, I politely turned down the incoming requests for duels and conversations and returned to the Purple Yang Hermitage. It was because I had a lot of things to discuss with Master before training.

Master offered tea first.

Although I hesitated because the color was a bit strange unlike usual.

“It is a Yunnan specialty, so drink it without any complaints.”

Looking at Master’s clenched fist, I put the tea in my mouth without a word of complaint.

The taste was good.

As the teacups were filled and emptied repeatedly, we shared many stories.

From the time Master went out to the Jianghu to the mission I had performed.

Through our conversation, I could tell that the disturbances caused by the Six Great Evils currently occurring were gradually worsening.

From ghost stories that in the border villages in the west of the Empire, all the villagers were found as corpses with all the blood in their bodies drained by the blood ghouls of the Dawn Sky Blood Cult.

To stories such as that the bandits of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest had come to attack escort agencies and merchant groups associated with the Nine Sects and One Association and the Seven Great Families more blatantly across the country.

Then, when the topic of repelling the Ghost Immortal Valley in Yunxi County came up, the subject jumped to Hwan-yang, whom I had brought back.

“You thought about taking in a disciple?”

At Master’s sly and grumpy reaction, I spoke as if making an excuse. After all, it was because the thought ‘it is practically a child raising a child’ which I had held while looking at my nephews and Hwan-yang when I visited the Prince Slope came to mind.

“Even so, I could not just abandon him and leave. He was a child who had lost his parents and most of his villagers. If I had just left him, he would have died nine times out of ten.”

As I poured out excuses rapidly, the corners of Master’s mouth, which had been expressionless the whole time, twitched.

“I was going to praise you for being commendable, but it seems you have a guilty conscience.”

Unlike usual, I reacted to Master’s mischievous joke-like praise. That was natural, as it was about Hwan-yang.

“I merely did as I was taught.”

At my words, Master took a sip of tea and advised.

“Do not burden the kid too much with martial arts achievements.”

“Of course.”

Since it was something that my teacher and I knew better than anyone else, there was no room for disagreement on this part.

Naturally, we moved on to the topic of martial arts.

“Dealing with an external cultivation expert was more tricky than I thought.”

Master had heard about both the incident in Zhushan where the force of my Wind and Thunder Palm was blocked by the breastplate of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest’s Changyou mask, and the bloody battle I fought with the Red Yang Demonic Immortal in Chibi this time. Master immediately gave the answer.

“Learn the internal heavy strikes method.”

For it was an advanced study that bypassed the outer skin and skeleton protected by external cultivation to shake the opponent’s inside.

Immortal Sanfeng, who founded the Wudang Sect, was also famous for being the first to devise this internal heavy strikes method.

Since the birthplace of the internal heavy strikes method was none other than the Wudang Sect to which I belonged, the most famous martial art in the world that applied the internal heavy strikes method was also a martial art of the Wudang Sect.

“Are you telling me to learn the Cloud-Dispelling Divine Palm?”

“Yes.”

Although there were many martial uncles of the Won generation who had mastered the internal heavy strikes method in the Wudang Sect, Master’s main weapon was the sword. That is, since Master had not learned the Cloud-Dispelling Divine Palm.

“Then to whom should I request instruction…”

As I trailed off, Master spoke with a look in his eyes that he had whenever he wanted to tease me.

“The greatest expert of the internal heavy strikes method, excluding the elders of the Eight Disciples, is undoubtedly Senior Brother Sect Leader, but.”

“Immortal Sect Leader must be busy with the affairs of the sect, though.”

At my words, Master nodded his head and muttered softly.

“Senior Brother Sect Leader does have one junior sister.”

“Who is it?”

Instantly, a somewhat pathetic look appeared in Master’s eyes, and.

“Your Unit Master.”

Hearing Master’s words, I became pathetic to myself.

**

“You want to learn the Cloud-Dispelling Palm?”

Upon hearing my request, Martial Aunt Hye-won readily nodded her head.

The other senior brothers and sisters of the Greedy Wolf Unit who had returned from their missions also flocked to the scene where I was receiving instruction from Martial Aunt Hye-won, their eyes shining.

“Little Bringer of Chaos is entering the path of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm?”

“He must have been quite starved of an external cultivation breaker.”

“Little Bringer of Chaos! The vibration of internal energy is important for the Cloud-Dispelling Palm!”

“Vibrating the true qi like sound waves is the key.”

Practicing martial arts and sharing each other’s learnings in a free atmosphere rather than strictness.

This was the strength that differentiated the Wudang Sect from other prestigious righteous sects.

“I wonder how long it will take for him to master a difficult art like the Cloud-Dispelling Palm.”

“A bet?”

“Sure.”

Of course, the young senior brothers sometimes showed behaviors unbecoming of Taoist disciples, but this too was young foolishness, so it was not bad to see.

Martial Aunt Hye-won taught me the basic qi circulation and Jin release formulas.

“The Cloud-Dispelling Palm started from the cloud hands of Tai Chi Chuan. Therefore, the first formula of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm begins with ‘The extremely soft gallops through the extremely hard; that which has no substance enters where there is no space.'”

It meant that just as extremely soft water gallops toward hard rock, formless energy permeates even into places without gaps.

Just as clouds touch a rocky mountain to become rain, and become a river.

The teachings of Taoism touched upon the source of all things in heaven and earth, the nature of qi.

“Now, you are to destroy this rock not through striking, but through the Cloud-Dispelling Palm’s internal heavy strikes method. Read the energy emitted by the rock through the sensitivity of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition, and shake that energy to destroy the inside.”

Following what Martial Aunt Hye-won said, I calmly gathered my internal energy.

“You must utilize the subtle principles of softness overcoming hardness, Junior Brother!”

“Rather than strong force, the attentiveness to read the energy is the life of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm.”

The words of the senior brothers and sisters who gathered to watch my initiation rang in my ears.

Synthesizing those words, I raised the sensitivity of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition. At first, I only felt the weak earth energy flowing out of the rock, but.

‘Hmm?’

As I calmly felt the energy and began to breathe in sync with it, I felt the cycle in which the energy fluctuated.

I once again recalled the words Aunt had spoken and the advice my senior brothers and sisters had given.

‘Shake the energy to destroy the inside. Softness must overcome hardness, and the attentiveness to read the energy is the life?’

The synthesized words began to stimulate a memory regarding a certain phenomenon.

**

Wudang’s True Martial Pavilion Greedy Wolf Unit disciple Myeong-won asked the twin brothers Myeong-heon and Myeong-ryu.

“How long did it take for you to enter the path of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm?”

Entry into the path of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm referred to the time it took to shatter a rock through the internal heavy strikes method that Hye-won spoke of.

For it only had meaning if it was destruction through the internal heavy strikes method.

“Nine days.”

“Nine days.”

As the twins answered simultaneously, Myeong-won nodded his head and spoke.

“Then I shall bet that Junior Brother Yeon will enter the path within twelve double-hours.”

Following Myeong-won’s words, Yo Yeon-myeong, who stood beside him, spoke.

“I say five double-hours.”

“Then I shall go with four double-hours.”

When even Myeong-jin wagered a few copper coins, Myeong-won’s eyes turned toward Myeong-hun and Yi Chae-yang.

“What about you?”

At Myeong-won’s question, Yi Chae-yang spoke as she looked at Yeon Baek-jung, who was standing in front of the rock and concentrating.

“Two double-hours.”

“I shall go with one double-hour.”

By the time Myeong-hun also wagered money, it was around the time Yeon Baek-jung had been concentrating with closed eyes for over half a quarter-hour.

At that moment.

Woong. Woong. Woong. Wooong!

Along with the sound of a swarm of bees flying in.

Kwarrreuk!

The rock in contact with Yeon Baek-jung’s outstretched palm shattered and crumbled down.