WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 37: First Military Advisor (Part 3)
──────
Jang Myeong stared in astonishment at the Go stones in my left hand.
Surely this was enough to settle the contest.
Jang Myeong, the disciple of Gwak HyeongJik, the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary, was highly skilled, but I had displayed skill two levels above theirs.
Gwak HyeongJik looked at me with a furrowed brow.
“Catch this with your hand.”
Gwak HyeongJik flicked a Go stone with a finger.
Whirr!
Since I held the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword in my right hand, I released the Go stones in my left and caught it with that hand.
A glint appeared in Gwak HyeongJik’s eyes.
“You can use your left hand as well.”
“Yes.”
That was one of the differences between me and ordinary martial artists.
I had trained my left hand to use the Eight Light Short Sword Technique and the Shadow-Flashing Flying Dagger Art.
Gwak HyeongJik’s lips twitched.
Was Gwak HyeongJik displeased that I had demonstrated greater ability than their disciple?
Then the corner of Gwak HyeongJik’s mouth suddenly lifted.
“Brother Hoh has raised a fine disciple.”
The tone was no longer as blunt as before.
Rather, it had become warm, as though speaking to an old acquaintance.
“You are not lacking, so there is no need to be ashamed.”
At Gwak HyeongJik’s words, Jang Myeong gave me a fist-and-palm salute and spoke with admiration.
“Your sword art is remarkable. Brother So, this must have been your first time distinguishing Go stones, yet you did better than I did. I am deeply ashamed.”
They accepted the result with grace.
It seemed Jang Myeong had readily acknowledged the gap between our skills.
- Unlike a certain someone.
At the SoDam Sword’s words, that fellow came to mind as well.
Jin Yong, the grandson of Jin Gyun, the Fierce King Tyrant's Road.
He had been unbearably arrogant, drunk on his grandfather’s reputation and his own skill.
Compared to him, Jang Myeong was truly a gentleman.
Gwak HyeongJik spoke to me.
“I apologize for testing you upon our first meeting. I have often seen people tarnish the names of old friends, so I acted discourteously without intending to.”
I answered with respect.
“Not at all. How could I blame Great Hero Gwak, who shares a friendship with my master?”
“Like master, like disciple. You have the same bold spirit.”
Gwak HyeongJik nodded with a satisfied expression.
I was relieved that I had not tarnished the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s honor.
Along with Evil Heaven, Hoh JongDae, the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster, was my master.
How could a disciple disgrace a master’s honor?
“What a pity. I had believed that, at least in raising disciples, this old man surpassed Brother Hoh.”
Gwak HyeongJik regretted losing this indirect contest between disciples.
In truth, Jang Myeong’s skill was exceptional enough to place them among the five greatest rising talents of their generation.
They had simply faced the wrong opponent.
Jang Myeong lowered their head in apology.
“This disciple was inadequate and disgraced Master.”
“There is no absolute superiority. There is always something higher. Take this as a lesson and strive harder.”
“I will bear it in mind. I will never forget.”
Their exchange was a textbook example of a proper master-disciple relationship.
If it had been Evil Heaven, he would have made a huge fuss over his honor being disgraced.
Still, it was as I had expected.
- What was?
‘He wanted to compare his disciple to me.’
Gwak HyeongJik could have tested only me, yet had their own disciple step forward as well.
It was likely to judge who had raised the better successor.
- The Northern Heroic Blade Luminary was often compared to my former master. More than anyone, Gwak HyeongJik regarded my former master as a rival.
A rival.
As the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword said, it was only natural for Gwak HyeongJik to feel competitive.
Thinking about it, it was unfortunate.
Both had been hailed as possible next-generation Eight Great Masters or new Nine Great Masters.
Neither crossed that wall, and both met unfortunate outcomes.
“This advisor should apologize as well.”
JeGal WonMyeong rose from their seat and gave me a respectful fist-and-palm salute.
“Given my position, please forgive my discourtesy in personally verifying you.”
I had expected as much.
Claiming to be the disciple of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster, who had vanished nearly sixteen years ago, meant enduring much suspicion.
Moreover, JeGal WonMyeong was the First Military Advisor of the martial artists' alliance and oversaw all intelligence.
There was all the more reason to remain vigilant.
“I heard that you disappeared for over a year before returning. It is no ordinary matter for a young man whose dantian was destroyed and who was driven from his Clan to appear as the successor of the vanished Southern Heavenly Swordmaster.”
JeGal WonMyeong’s words made me tense inwardly.
As expected, they had gathered basic information about me in that short time.
“Hengshan One Sword vouched for your identity, but I had no choice but to remove even the slightest room for doubt.”
So they had questioned Jo CheongUn, the Hengshan One Sword, as well.
JeGal WonMyeong was not called the First Military Advisor for nothing.
It was fortunate that I had met Hengshan One Sword at the Yiyang So Clan beforehand.
“Not at all. I am simply relieved that this has cleared away your doubts and prevented my master’s honor from being tarnished.”
“I am grateful that you see it that way.”
Once JeGal WonMyeong finished speaking, their gaze shifted to SaMa Yeong.
They truly were meticulous.
Unlike Hengshan One Sword, they did not simply let things pass.
Information about me was easy to obtain, since so much was already known.
But SaMa Yeong was different.
She wore a Skin Mask and had not used her real name, so there was no way for them to know anything about her.
“My name is MaYeong.”
At my signal, SaMa Yeong gave a fist-and-palm salute and introduced herself again.
“If it is not too rude, may I ask how you became a disciple of Great Hero Hoh JongDae?”
“I lived as a medical herb gatherer near Ailao Mountain in Yunnan, and that is how we formed a connection.”
Naturally, I had prepared this identity in advance.
Countless herb gatherers lived near Ailao Mountain, one of the famed mountains.
I had even taken into account that the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s hometown was Yunxian County, so it would be difficult to uncover the truth without dispatching people to search every place personally.
“Hmm. Is that so?”
JeGal WonMyeong stroked their beard.
They were a suspicious sort.
“When Master was unwell, my junior martial brother suffered greatly while caring for him. That is why Master accepted him into the martial lineage.”
“Was the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster seriously ill?”
It had been worthwhile to change the subject.
JeGal WonMyeong showed interest in that instead.
“He has recovered greatly now. There is no need for concern.”
However, upon hearing that he had been unwell, JeGal WonMyeong looked not at me, but at Gwak HyeongJik.
Their Adam’s apples bobbed, as though they were conversing through sound telepathy.
When I looked at them in confusion, JeGal WonMyeong spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“Ha ha ha. Look at us. Guests have arrived, yet we have not even served tea. You must think us terribly inhospitable. Please, sit.”
JeGal WonMyeong gestured toward the empty seats.
They were across from Gwak HyeongJik, the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary.
As SaMa Yeong and I took our seats, attendants entered carrying tea, as though it had been prepared beforehand.
Steam rose from the tea, making it seem they had expected me to pass this test to some extent from the beginning.
‘Hm.’
I suddenly became curious.
Before my regression, Gwak HyeongJik, the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary, had no connection to the martial artists' alliance.
There was no way Gwak HyeongJik had come here merely to verify my identity in such a short time.
- Do you think something has changed again?
‘Perhaps.’
Otherwise, there was no reason for Gwak HyeongJik to be here.
Moreover, since Gwak HyeongJik had even brought a disciple, they might intend to enter Jang Myeong in this Rising Talents Martial Contest.
Then, at JeGal WonMyeong’s gesture, all the bodyguard warriors and attendants in the office left.
Even the entire floor was being cleared.
When I looked puzzled, JeGal WonMyeong spoke.
“You must be wondering why I asked them to leave.”
“...It seems you intend to discuss something that others must not hear.”
JeGal WonMyeong smiled at my words.
“That is right. What we are about to discuss must not be heard by anyone.”
My thoughts grew complicated.
They wished to tell us something no one else could hear.
I understood verifying my identity, but why arrange a secret meeting like this upon our first encounter?
[Deputy Brigade Leader, will this be all right? Could becoming entangled in this interfere with the mission?]
SaMa Yeong’s sound telepathy made sense.
I rose from my seat and gave JeGal WonMyeong a fist-and-palm salute.
“I apologize. If it is such a burdensome matter, this may not be a conversation I should hear...”
“I do not intend to burden you. Why not hear it first? If it turns out to have nothing to do with you, you may leave.”
What could JeGal WonMyeong possibly wish to say?
I could not guess at all.
As though voicing my doubts, Gwak HyeongJik spoke to me.
“It may also concern your master. If you truly wish it, you may leave the office.”
It concerned the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster as well?
Those words made me hesitate.
If I acted as though I had no interest at all, it would only make them more suspicious.
‘Ah...’
So this was how they intended to catch me.
The name of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s disciple had become a shackle around my ankle.
“Very well.”
I sat back down for the moment.
After hearing the question, if I decided it was something I should not become entangled in, I could leave without hesitation.
Once I was seated, JeGal WonMyeong looked between SaMa Yeong and me before asking, “Have you ever heard your master mention fighting someone with one golden eye?”
‘!?’
It was something I had never expected.
I had forgotten about him for a while, yet the Man with the golden eye was being mentioned again.
- Un Hwi.
The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword showed immediate interest.
Of course it did.
That unidentified man had driven its former master to death.
I fell into thought for a moment.
It seemed JeGal WonMyeong and the Northern Shadow Blade Sage knew something. The question was whether I should share information with them.
- It is not as though we have much information anyway.
Not much information? SoDam.
This concerned the man who had killed the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster.
The problem was that I could not reveal that he had been murdered.
- Un Hwi... You need not ask merely because of me. I do not wish for you, my current master, to become entangled with that dangerous man.
The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword’s words made my chest ache.
I had come to think of these two as close as brothers or family. Hearing it worry for me only made me more concerned.
After some deliberation, I decided to reveal part of the truth.
“...I heard about him from Master.”
“As expected!”
Gwak HyeongJik, the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary, reacted strongly.
The First Military Advisor, JeGal WonMyeong, extended a hand as though to calm Gwak HyeongJik.
Then JeGal WonMyeong spoke to me.
“Was it related to your master’s poor health?”
From those words, I could guess why the two had been concerned about the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s health.
It seemed I could work with this without having to create another lie.
“Yes.”
JeGal WonMyeong let out a sigh.
“Ah. So that was indeed the case. It was the same for the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary.”
“The same for the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary? What do you mean?”
At my words, Gwak HyeongJik slightly extended the loose sleeve of their right arm.
Then Gwak HyeongJik spoke heavily.
“That man did this to my arm.”
“Ah!”
So the unfortunate duel had been with the Man with the golden eye.
I had wondered why no one in the martial world knew whom Gwak HyeongJik had fought.
Gwak HyeongJik asked me, “Did your master also search for that man?”
‘...So the reason the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary disappeared from the martial world was that Gwak HyeongJik had been searching for the Man with the golden eye.’
From his question, I inferred as much.
Unfortunately, the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster had lost his life after that duel.
He had not been in any position to search for anyone.
“No.”
Gwak HyeongJik frowned and muttered at my answer.
“Did he accept the result?”
It seemed Gwak HyeongJik had not.
But how had Gwak HyeongJik survived?
From the stories of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster and Han JiSang, the Flying Dagger Assassin King, that man did not seem merciful enough to leave anyone alive.
“Did your master mention anything else about that man?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
“No.”
At my answer, Gwak HyeongJik looked at JeGal WonMyeong with a hardened expression.
JeGal WonMyeong nodded regretfully.
They seemed to have hoped to hear even the slightest clue from me.
But what could I do?
Even the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword, which had witnessed the entire situation, knew nothing.
“May I ask why you are asking?”
JeGal WonMyeong, who had been slowly stroking their beard, opened their mouth.
“What I am about to tell you is classified information known only to Council Elder rank and above within the martial artists' alliance. I tell you because it may concern your master, so please keep it secret.”
“...Understood.”
If it was such a secret, it could only help me, not harm me.
At my answer, JeGal WonMyeong spoke in a heavy voice.
“It seems the Blood Cult will rise again soon.”
‘...What?’
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
