WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 17: Betting (1)

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From that day onward, Evil Heaven no longer made me climb down the cliff to fetch food or tied me to a rope and hung me from the cliff.

It was truly a relief.

He instructed Gu SangWoong, the Tyrannical Blood Brigade Leader who periodically brought Antidotes, to bring dried meat and fasting pills as well.

Thanks to that, I had an environment where I could focus solely on training.

However, after realizing that climbing the cliff was good for strengthening my body, I still spent roughly four hours each day doing it.

About six days later, I told Evil Heaven that I had sensed innate life energy and begun circulating the cultivation technique carved into the ground.

Of course, I was actually training in the first level of the Stellar Star Mystic Art.

Still, I intended to conceal sixty percent of my strength.

We were currently in the cave containing the remains of the deceased Southern Heavenly Swordmaster, Hoh JongDae.

“Memorize these.”

Evil Heaven handed me two manuals.

One was a martial arts manual for the Inscribed Wheel Selection Art, a martial art derived from a temple called the Wheel Turning Temple that had vanished from the southwestern region decades ago.

The other was, surprisingly, a manual for the Stellar Star Sword Art.

-I wondered who had stolen it. So that bastard was the culprit after all?

‘Culprit?’

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword flew into a rage upon seeing it.

According to the sword, the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's residence had once been robbed, and the hidden manual for the Stellar Star Sword Art had been stolen then.

The culprit had been Evil Heaven.

-Wow. That crazy old man must have wanted to win badly.

The SoDam Sword was right.

He must have wanted to win desperately to consider stealing his opponent's secret manual.

Until then, I had wondered how he expected me to compete with only the incomplete cultivation technique in this cave. Now I had my answer.

‘So that was why he said that.’

It seemed I had been destined to learn the Stellar Star Sword Art somehow.

“Unfortunately, even I do not know this Skull fellow's circulation method. But the Inscribed Wheel Selection Art is a well-balanced method for circulating Force of ki, so it can readily accommodate most Martial Arts.”

“...But isn't it incomplete?”

“I am teaching those Mule brats the same Inscribed Wheel Selection Art, so do not even mention it being incomplete or disadvantageous.”

Unexpectedly, he was trying to make the match as even as possible.

Even so, there was bound to be a difference.

Since he had stolen the Stellar Star Sword Art manual, he must have improved his own Martial Arts based on it.

‘What a petty old man.’

-You needn't worry, WoonHwi.

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword reassured me.

‘Why?’

-The Stellar Star Sword Art he stole was the original version from before my former master improved it.

Apparently, the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster had developed the sword style further after the manual was stolen.

If so, there was no problem at all.

-I will make sure you win.

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword spoke with fighting spirit overflowing from its voice.

It was reassuring, as expected.

This match would decide my future, so I had to win no matter what.

And I had to obtain that old man's Body-Lightening Technique as well.

* * *

A month passed.

The sky was stained by the sunset.

As the weather grew colder, the sun was setting earlier and earlier.

Every ten days, around the Hour of the Rooster, the Tyrannical Blood Brigade Leader brought food and Antidotes, so I had to return early to receive them.

Usually, the Tyrannical Blood Brigade Leader or Squad Leader Hae OkSeon would lead the cult members here, but an unexpected visitor arrived today.

“Hail the Blood! Hail the Blood! Hail-Hail the Blood! Squad Leader Oh Chung greets the Venerable One.”

A familiar voice rang out from outside the cave.

It was Squad Leader Oh.

-Tsk tsk. An annoying guest has arrived.

I nodded at the SoDam Sword's words.

I preferred not to run into them if possible, but Evil Heaven had not returned yet.

Besides, receiving the food and Antidotes had been my responsibility from the beginning.

-Just pretend to be that old man and fool them.

‘What?’

-Make your voice rough and tell them to leave the food and Antidotes. Won't they just put them down and leave?

‘If they could be fooled that easily, I would have done it already.’

They were a Squad leader, after all.

A high-ranked warrior wearing a blue belt was an Advanced master.

At this distance, they might have already noticed that I was alone in the cave.

With a sigh, I left the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword behind and went outside, just in case.

“Mid-rank training cadet So WoonHwi greets the Squad leader.”

As I gave a fist-and-palm salute, Squad Leader Oh gave a sinister smile.

“Looks like you are serving the Elder well.”

They truly seemed to hate me.

Despite not seeing me for a long time, they were as prickly as ever.

-Give them a suitable excuse and send them away. We do not know when that old man will return.

‘That is what I intend to do.’

Whether Squad Leader Oh liked or disliked me, their task was to carry food and Antidotes here.

They had no reason to remain otherwise.

“The Venerable One will be late. You may give the food and Antidotes to me and leave.”

At those words, I held out a hand toward the person Squad Leader Oh had brought.

Usually, those brought by the Tyrannical Blood Brigade Leader or Hae OkSeon were proper Blood Cult warriors, but this one appeared to be a training cadet.

They looked around sixteen or seventeen at a glance.

“No, that will not do.”

“Pardon?”

“I must see the Venerable One.”

“...”

They were indeed going to be troublesome.

So they intended to sit here and wait.

Their expression made it clear that they had another scheme in mind.

Fine. Let them do as they pleased.

“You know you cannot enter the cave.”

With those words, I gave a fist-and-palm salute and tried to go back inside.

“Stop.”

Squad Leader Oh called out to me.

It seemed their target was not Evil Heaven, but me.

When I stopped and turned around, the smile vanished from their face.

“You will not need to enter either.”

“...What do you mean?”

“I do not know how you got lucky enough to avoid me and become the Elder's servant, but you cannot escape my grasp.”

They really were persistent.

If they had put this much determination into earning merit or training Martial Arts, they would have risen in the ranks by now.

“Blood Wolf Squad Leader proved it then.”

“Nonsense! I do not know how you persuaded Blood Wolf Squad Leader, but not a single person in Luoyang city had seen your maternal grandfather.”

That was only natural.

My mother had said that my maternal grandfather, who came from another region, died when she was young.

Knowing that, I had made up the story to fit.

I smiled and replied,

“My maternal grandfather had to hide his origins. How could he casually show his face to the villagers?”

Perhaps irritated, Squad Leader Oh glared at me as though they wanted to tear me apart.

“You would say that. Fine. But your calmness will soon end.”

“Why have you kept saying such things?”

“From this moment onward, this child will assist the Elder in your place.”

The training cadet gave a strange smile and nodded.

It was obvious from their rude-looking face that the greeting was insincere.

In any event, their reason for bringing the training cadet had become clear.

They intended to bring a replacement and drag me back.

Rather than merely preventing me from receiving cadet training, they were determined to keep me within sight and watch me at all times.

“That will be difficult.”

“Difficult? The Elder will be satisfied with this one.”

Judging by how far they went to say that, this did not seem to be an ordinary training cadet.

Even so, nothing would change.

“He will not be satisfied.”

“Hmph! I will tell him that your origins are unclear. I have already brought someone to replace you. Do you think the Elder will keep you around without question?”

For a moment, I nearly laughed.

I understood why they thought that, since they did not know the situation. But this fool Squad Leader Oh did not understand that crazy old man at all.

I wanted to tease them, but provoking them further would only cause trouble, so I answered in an agreeable voice.

“Understood. Whatever conclusion is reached, I will obey.”

However, their foul mood had already reached its limit.

Squad Leader Oh raised their brows, their face menacing.

“Good. We need to correct your habits and show the Elder our worth.”

“Pardon?”

“Show this brat the abilities of a high-rank training cadet. Do Hyun.”

‘A high-rank training cadet?’

This unpleasant-looking person was a high-rank training cadet.

Since I had not seen them when the grades were assigned, they seemed to be part of the advance group.

“I obey.”

Crack.

The high-rank training cadet called Do Hyun loosened their wrists and approached me.

They clenched their fists and assumed a fighting stance, clearly intending to have a proper fight.

Squad Leader Oh smiled sinisterly.

“I will take responsibility, so correct his habits thoroughly.”

“Understood.”

Do Hyun answered confidently, then said to me,

“I hold no particular grudge against you, but I cannot let this opportunity pass. Even if it hurts a little, I hope you will endure it.”

-How arrogant.

The SoDam Sword seemed more irritated than I was.

Do Hyun's expression clearly treated me as a complete novice.

Then again, they had trained as a high-rank training cadet for over three months, while I was supposedly a mid-rank training cadet who had only waited on someone all this time. It was understandable that they would think so.

Whoosh.

Do Hyun threw a punch at me.

It was the fist-and-kick technique called the eight blood fist, which Blood Cult warriors learned as a basic art.

As expected of a high-rank training cadet, their form was perfect.

However,

Swish.

It seemed far too slow to me.

I knew I had improved while training at the second level of the Stellar Star Mystic Art, but I had not expected a high-rank training cadet to feel so weak.

Smack.

I lightly twisted my body and avoided their punch.

Perhaps surprised that I had evaded the first attack, Do Hyun frowned.

“Not bad. But how long will that luck...”

Thud.

“Urk!”

Before they could finish speaking, my fist struck their face like lightning.

Why did they have so much to say in a fight?

Still, I had not used innate life energy, so they should naturally be able to endure this much...

Thump.

...They could not.

Do Hyun lost consciousness immediately after taking one punch.

It ended so easily that even I was surprised.

‘Why are they so weak?’

-You seem to have gotten stronger.

It appeared that climbing the cliff repeatedly had greatly increased my physical strength.

Still, I had not expected to knock down a high-rank training cadet with a single blow.

“Y-You!”

Squad Leader Oh's expression was a sight to behold.

The result was the exact opposite of what they had wanted, so they seemed dumbfounded.

Unable to contain their anger, Squad Leader Oh tried to act personally.

“You bastard!”

Just as they were about to launch forward,

Smack.

“Wha?”

Someone appeared behind them and pressed down on Squad Leader Oh's shoulder.

It was Bizarre Oddity Evil Heaven.

Apparently not expecting him to appear so suddenly, Squad Leader Oh was deeply flustered.

“Who are you?”

“E-Elder, I am Squad Leader Oh Chung, under the Tyrannical Blood Brigade Leader.”

“Squad leader? A mere Squad leader dares to make a scene in front of my residence?”

Squad Leader Oh hurriedly tried to explain the situation.

“Elder, that is not...”

“Hmph! What do you mean, it is not?”

Evil Heaven struck the back of Squad Leader Oh's head with his massive palm.

Whack.

“Gah!”

It seemed like a light blow, yet they flew through the air and collapsed in front of me with a scream.

A monster truly was a monster.

He had knocked down an Advanced master as though swatting a fly.

“Ugh...”

Squad Leader Oh's face was a mess after sliding across the stone ground.

Looking down at them as they groaned in pain, I spoke as if regretful.

“I told you it would be difficult.”

I had clearly warned them.

One should not provoke a mad dog.

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