WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Episode 26: SaMa Yeong (1)

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Whoooosh!

I had no idea traveling along the Silver Thread would be this fast.

It was far quicker than using a movement skill.

I could already see the end of the valley.

As I headed downstream, even the fierce current gradually became calm.

I could leave the mountain range quickly enough, but I was not sure I could catch up with the retreating column.

- But, Un Hwi. If everyone thinks you're dead, couldn't you leave the Blood Cult?

‘Ah...’

Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's words made me hesitate.

This could be an opportunity.

If I disappeared and lived quietly, it would not be so bad to bid farewell to the Blood Cult like this.

Still, there were several problems.

- What problems?

‘I’ve drawn too much attention.’

My appearance and everything else about me were already widely known within the Blood Cult.

It would be different if Baek Ryeon Ha's side had taken power and Baek HyeHyang's side had fallen, but my current position was highly uncertain.

Even the masked person who had tried to die with me had recognized who I was from Southern Heavenly Steel Sword alone, despite its rust.

- You can fix rust anytime.

‘How am I supposed to fix my face?’

- Hmm. How about finding a Skin Mask?

Skin Masks...

I knew a few specialists in that field.

As Southern Heavenly Steel Sword said, finding and wearing a Skin Mask could be one option.

But I did not want to live in fear like I had before.

- Then what are you going to do?

‘...I have to settle this once and for all.’

Even when I had been in Blood-Nurturing Valley, I had mostly intended to keep my head down.

That way, I could escape easily whenever I wanted.

Although my master, Evil Heaven, had chosen Baek Ryeon Ha, I had intended to say that I might need to consider changing sides whenever it better served my interests.

But things had changed.

- ...Don't tell me you think those people are after you too?

‘That’s right.’

At first, I thought they were only after Baek Ryeon Ha.

But something was strange.

The masked men hired for the job knew me, even though I was neither a Venerable One nor a Blood Star.

Furthermore, Yang Gang Il, the Squad leader who was Baek HyeHyang's Spy, had sprinkled Thousand Li Tracking Scent on me.

- Could that not have been a coincidence?

‘A coincidence? I wonder.’

If that were the case, they should have put the Thousand Li Tracking Scent on Baek Ryeon Ha, even if it carried some risk. Or they should have used it on someone less likely to be discovered.

They were definitely after me.

Whether I meant to or not, I had undoubtedly drawn attention as the disciple of Evil Heaven, the Venerable One known as Bizarre Oddity.

- You have already made your decision.

‘Yes.’

Now that it had come to this, I had to install Baek Ryeon Ha as lord no matter what.

Only by bringing down Baek HyeHyang's side could I escape this danger.

- ...Well, if that is what you think, SoDam Sword and I will follow you completely. But that is not the only way.

‘There is another way?’

- Overwhelming strength can also be a way.

‘Overwhelming strength?’

- Did you not say so before? That everyone fears those who have entered the realm of superhumans, like the Eight Great Masters of the Central Plains and the Four Great Evildoers.

‘...You’re right.’

I let out a faint laugh.

It was true.

If I gained overwhelming strength, I could escape these restraints.

That was also my goal, as the inheritor of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's sword style.

But reaching that point would never be easy, and until then, I needed a safe shelter.

- Un Hwi. Look over there.

At Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's words, I looked ahead.

The valley was nearly at its end downstream, opening onto a bank where it became a small river.

A group of people stood there.

‘Ah.’

They were still quite far away, so I had not sensed them or heard the swords' voices.

It was fortunate that the view had opened up before me. Otherwise, I might have missed them and gone straight there.

Tug! Whirr...!

I poured innate life energy into the Silver Thread and had it pull me back.

Then I clung to the cliff wall.

- Tsk. Is it over now?

SoDam Sword spoke to me bluntly, apparently still upset.

‘Stop sulking.’

- Hmph!

‘We’re out of Blood-Nurturing Valley now. When I get the chance, I’ll have the broken part fixed at a smithy.’

- ...Really?

Fortunately, it gave in easily.

The broken tip must have been bothering it all this time.

Still, this was awkward.

I had spotted them, so they might have seen me traveling along the Silver Thread as well.

- Are they the martial artists who surrounded that mountain?

‘Probably.’

They were quite far away, but none of them wore masks.

It had only been a day, so I had expected they might still be on the mountain. I never imagined they would come all the way down to the lower end of the valley.

- What will you do?

I had to think about it.

Since there was still some distance between us, should I just run away?

But if I ran, I was worried they would blow a Horn Whistle and summon reinforcements.

- They might blow it even now.

Damn.

I had overlooked that.

Then I could not silence them, so it would be better to run at once.

But it was strangely quiet.

I should have heard a Horn Whistle from this distance.

‘What is going on?’

I carefully poked my head out from the cliff and looked toward the bank.

Contrary to what I had expected, the group on the bank was fighting.

I was too far away to see who they were, but one person seemed to be fighting a group of around ten alone.

‘Who could that be?’

- Could they be from the Blood Cult?

‘The Blood Cult?’

- Yes. That mad old man searched for you near the cliff for nearly four hours. Since this is where you would end up if you rode the current downstream, he might have left people here just in case.

‘Hmm.’

That made sense.

If that was true, I was rather touched.

Considering Evil Heaven's recent actions, it seemed entirely possible.

Though he spoke roughly, he seemed to truly think of me as his disciple.

- Then will you help them?

I nodded at Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's words.

If someone had prevented them from blowing a Horn Whistle after seeing me descend the valley, that person might have been sent by Evil Heaven.

- It looks like they are facing a combined attack.

Even from this far away, the situation looked precarious.

The group seemed skilled at combined attacks and had formed something like a Formation Array.

Having made my decision, I pulled SoDam Sword from the cliff wall.

‘I’ll throw you just once more.’

- Ah, I really hate this.

It grumbled, but did not refuse.

Despite what it said, it seemed to have grown accustomed to crossing cliffs by now.

Whoosh!

I threw SoDam Sword toward the opposite cliff.

When it embedded itself in the wall, I launched myself forward and slowly extended the Silver Thread.

Then I leaped toward the opposite bank and landed.

Tap!

The water by the bank was shallow, with stones sticking out here and there, so I used my movement skill to cross them.

As I drew closer to the other side, I began to hear the swords.

Perhaps because all of them wielded swords, my head filled with a clamorous ringing.

This was why too many swords made my head throb.

- It looks like a Sword Formation.

Southern Heavenly Steel Sword informed me.

Their combined attack was a type of Sword Formation.

I had also learned Formation Arrays before my regression, so I knew how troublesome one was to face.

Especially alone.

- That one fights quite well.

As SoDam Sword said, the swordsman in a yellow headscarf trapped within the Sword Formation was holding out remarkably well, weaving through their combined attack with graceful sword art.

‘Sword art?’

The person trapped in the center used a sword.

Few people from Blood-Nurturing Valley used swords.

Moreover, I had never seen anyone there with such a slender build and refined face.

‘Could he not be from the Blood Cult?’

The handsome young man in a yellow headscarf was not even wearing a mask.

I was suddenly confused.

If he was not a Blood Cult warrior, did he have any reason to fight them here?

- I think he is from the Blood Cult.

- Those over there are saying that everyone in the Blood Cult's group has to die.

The ones Southern Heavenly Steel Sword and SoDam Sword referred to were the swords wielded by those people.

When I focused on the sounds as well, the swords' voices became clear.

The words Blood Cult occasionally came through.

‘So he is connected to the Blood Cult.’

- They seem to have noticed you too, Un Hwi.

It would have been stranger if they had not, now that I was this close.

Then there was no helping it.

I would deal with them alongside that young man first.

“Everyone, stand back!”

Tap tap tap tap!

But as I approached, the group attacking the young man in a yellow headscarf hurriedly spread apart.

They watched me with tense expressions.

‘...What is this?’

In contrast, the young man in the yellow headscarf stared at me with sparkling eyes and a look of eager anticipation.

He shouted at me.

“Great Hero! Please help me.”

What was this Great Hero business?

I was wearing a mask. Did he know who I was?

- He doesn't know. That is why he is calling you that.

At that moment, a bearded middle-aged man among the group of swordsmen gave me a fist-and-palm salute with the same tense expression.

Swish!

“...Esteemed one, might you be one of the Four Venerable Ones of your cult?”

He politely asked whether I was one of the Venerable Ones.

I had not opened my Central Dantian, so my aura should not have felt stronger than that of an Advanced master. I had no idea why he was acting like that.

Then the ringing in my head told me.

- This is driving me mad. He was not using Soaring Through the Void, he was hanging from some thin thread.

- Ugh, how frustrating.

- Walking on Air, my ass.

Every sword was calling its owner an idiot.

Listening to them, I understood.

They had seen me cross the air on the Silver Thread and mistaken it for a legendary movement skill such as Soaring Through the Void or Walking on Air.

That was why they believed I was one of the Blood Cult's highest masters, a Venerable One.

‘Oh. Is that so?’

I might be able to use this situation.

I looked at the sword held by the young man in the yellow headscarf.

It was unusual.

A blue line ran along its blade, and its soft glow made it appear to be a treasured sword.

This sword was saying the following as well.

- That kid does not seem to be the Blood Cult master you are looking for. You are wasting your effort for nothing. Tsk, tsk.

It sounded like an old man.

But thanks to what the sword said, I learned that this young man in a yellow headscarf was not from the Blood Cult.

What did it mean by looking for a Blood Cult master?

In any case, I would deal with these people first.

‘Whew.’

I raised my innate life energy.

Then I cautiously sent sound telepathy toward the young man in the yellow headscarf.

[When I give the signal, attack them.]

His eyes brightened at my sound telepathy.

Then he promptly replied through sound telepathy.

[Understood, Great Hero.]

To think I was being called Great Hero, something I had never even heard before my regression.

I knew he was saying it to flatter me, but it still sounded nice.

- You are rather weak to flattery too.

What are you talking about?

I only said it sounded nice.

In any case, I focused my sight as much as possible and silently recited the verse formula for Illusory Mind Eye.

Apart from the bearded middle-aged man and perhaps two others behind him, none of them were especially skilled masters.

I deepened my voice and spoke as imposingly as I could.

“Do those who know who this lord is still dare hold their weapons?”

SoDam Sword cackled at my manner of speaking.

Was it really that awkward?

It did not seem that way to the group of swordsmen.

The bearded middle-aged man spoke.

“...The coalition's martial artists are stationed throughout this area. Even if you are a Venerable One, it will not be easy.”

Though he was frightened, he did not retreat easily.

He had more courage than his appearance suggested.

Then sound telepathy from the young man in the yellow headscarf reached my ears.

[It is a lie. There is no one nearby apart from them. There is another group around three li away, but I smashed their Horn Whistles, so they cannot call them. Hehe.]

His expression made him seem like a loyal dog wagging its tail for praise.

It was certainly useful information.

[Thank you.]

At my sound telepathy, the young man in the yellow headscarf flashed a broad smile, showing his white teeth.

- He seems desperate to make a good impression on you.

I thought so too.

If he was favorably inclined toward the Blood Cult, there was no need to make him an enemy for now.

It would not be too late to find out who he was after dealing with these people.

I raised my voice toward them.

“You are lying.”

“...It is not a lie. Surely you don't intend to alert others with such a rash move...”

“You are clumsy.”

The yellow-clad young man must have been right.

Seeing how shaken they were merely from being pressed, their confidence was clearly a bluff.

The bearded middle-aged man and his group tightened their grips on their swords.

They were too afraid to attack first, but they seemed convinced that a fight could break out at any moment.

Then I said to them.

“Do you think none among you are people this lord planted?”

At my sudden words, the bearded middle-aged man furrowed his brow.

“Even if you are trying to confuse us with such lies...”

“Is that truly so? There must be some among you who recognize me.”

As I spoke, I subtly pointed to my eyes with my thumb.

Some of them unconsciously looked into my eyes.

At that moment, some of my innate life energy was consumed, and the eyes of three people grew unfocused.

The three whose eyes had gone blank ambushed their companions beside them with the swords they held.

Thrust!

“Urk!”

Slash!

“Gah! W-what are you doing?”

One of them succeeded in stabbing a sword into a companion's neck.

It was only possible because they had let down their guard while watching me.

Unfortunately, the other two only managed to cut their companions' arms and legs slightly, as their attacks were avoided.

‘Ha!’

I was startled by the sight.

This was the second stage of Illusory Mind Eye, which I had used intending for even one person to fall for it.

Yet three people had been affected.

‘It can affect several people at once!’

My innate life energy had been consumed as though I had used several techniques in succession.

I had discovered it by chance, but Illusory Mind Eye could affect multiple people at the same time.

In any case, my intention to neutralize the Sword Formation had succeeded.

“Damn it!”

“These bastards were Spies!”

The people affected by Illusory Mind Eye came under suspicion as Spies.

They immediately woke from Illusory Mind Eye at the shouted accusations, but it was already too late to turn things around.

“Die!”

“What are you doing? Why all of a sudden?”

“Do not spout nonsense!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A melee broke out in an instant.

Those with no memory of what had happened were too busy desperately blocking their companions' attacks, while the others believed they were Spies and tried to eliminate them quickly.

“W-what in the world...”

The bearded middle-aged man could not hide his confusion at the sudden situation.

[Now!]

I sent sound telepathy to the young man in the yellow headscarf.

The moment the signal came, he launched himself at the swordsmen fighting in the melee as if he had been waiting.

I also rushed at the bearded middle-aged man and unleashed the first movement of the Stellar Star Sword Art.

‘Tiger Tooth Sword Strike.’

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