WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 38: The Mysterious Test (1)
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“Are you really not going to report this?”
Jo SeongWon looked at me as if he could not understand.
SaMa Yeong had told the brat, who had been waiting at the lodgings, about what had happened in the First Military Advisor’s office.
After hearing it, Jo SeongWon insisted that we should report it to Evil Heaven outside the city, change our plan, and reclaim the Blood Demon Sword.
That brat. Like me, the Beggars’ Sect disciple had practically become a Blood Cult member.
Still, if the goal was to reclaim the Blood Demon Sword and someone heard that it was being moved elsewhere, anyone would react as he had.
“Deputy Brigade Leader?”
“...”
“What are you doing?”
When I said nothing, Jo SeongWon voiced his frustration.
What else would I be doing?
I was listening to the SoDam Sword tell me about the conversation that had taken place after we left.
I had originally planned to retrieve it myself, but Jang Myeong had brought the SoDam Sword back.
“So, that squinty-eyed fellow, that Short Sword, Brother So's...”
The SoDam Sword chattered excitedly, pleased with itself for having accomplished something.
But thanks to it, I had learned valuable information.
I had nearly walked into a trap.
‘...JeGal WonMyeong.’
They truly were worthy of being the First Military Advisor of the martial artists’ alliance.
I had not expected them to lay a trap like this.
Leaving the SoDam Sword behind to eavesdrop, just in case, had saved me.
Ahem.
The SoDam Sword gave an unnecessary cough, apparently puffed up from the praise.
No matter how intelligent JeGal WonMyeong was, how could they possibly guess that the SoDam Sword had overheard them?
“Right, right.”
As the two of us agreed, the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword said,
“That is all well and good, but would it not have been faster to look through Heavenly Pearl?”
“...”
...That was true.
If I had looked through Heavenly Pearl, there would have been no need to hear it through the SoDam Sword.
I would do that from now on.
“Deputy Brigade Leader?”
I looked at Jo SeongWon, whose face was full of frustration.
Then I told him,
“It is a trap.”
“What?”
“Is it not strange that they would leak such important information to us, who are not even members of the martial artists’ alliance?”
He frowned at my words.
I could not tell him that the SoDam Sword had stayed in the office to eavesdrop, so I needed an explanation he could accept.
Still, now that I roughly understood the circumstances, it was easy enough to piece things together.
But as I explained it to Jo SeongWon and SaMa Yeong, something suddenly occurred to me.
‘...Could they have leaked information to the other side as well?’
“The other side? You mean that vixen?”
With the First Military Advisor’s intelligence network, they had likely spotted many suspicious people besides us.
If so, Baek HyeHyang’s side could not help but be caught up in this as well.
Of course, they would have made thorough preparations, but JeGal WonMyeong might test Baek HyeHyang’s side by dangling bait before them, just as they had before me.
“Then is that not good? It is a chance to deal with them all at once.”
The SoDam Sword had a point.
But there was a problem.
If Baek HyeHyang’s side fell into the trap, the martial artists’ alliance could use it to unite the force of justice even further. They might not simply keep the Blood Demon Sword as a trophy, but take the drastic step of destroying it.
“If we catch that vixen, cannot we unite the Blood Cult even without the Blood Demon Sword?”
The SoDam Sword had followed me around so much that its insight had improved considerably.
That was true, but the worst outcome was also possible.
“What is it?”
It was the loyalty of the forces supporting Baek HyeHyang.
If their loyalty exceeded our expectations, they would try to save Baek HyeHyang somehow. If that happened, the Blood Cult could suffer a devastating blow before it even had the chance to rise again.
Looking at it this way, Baek Ryeon Ha had been right.
From another perspective, Baek HyeHyang’s side and Baek Ryeon Ha’s side were practically one body.
The internal war needed to end before either side suffered a major blow. Only then could the Blood Cult rise again in perfect condition.
“You have had quite an influence.”
Indeed.
In a way, Baek HyeHyang could have taken the Blood Cult into her hands without much trouble. Yet because of me, she too was walking a difficult road, just like Baek Ryeon Ha.
“Tch. I wanted to see that vixen in trouble.”
Was I any different?
It would not benefit me if she were captured and the Blood Cult weakened.
Since I belonged to the Blood Cult, if my identity was unexpectedly exposed, I would lose the shelter that could protect me.
‘They said five days, right?’
“Right.”
If JeGal WonMyeong’s words were true, they would certainly set a trap and wait five days from now.
I would have to make contact with Baek HyeHyang’s side.
At the very least, I needed to tell them this information so they would not fall into the trap.
But how was I supposed to find them?
They would be concealing their identities thoroughly within the city to avoid detection.
* * *
That evening, we left the martial artists’ alliance city.
It was not to find Baek HyeHyang’s side.
We had made a promise to the craftsman at the blacksmith shop.
Since it was not directly related to the martial artists’ alliance, we were free to travel outside the city.
That was why Seo IlJu, Hengshan One Sword’s disciple, had come alone to the Summit Inn for takeaway Dongpo pork after his companions entered the city.
‘Still, it is hard to see YeongYeong.’
Earlier, I had gone to the Hengshan Sect’s lodgings to see YeongYeong.
But she had left for a gathering of disciples from the Nine Great Sects, so I had been unable to meet her.
Then again, even after hearing news about us from Seo IlJu, she had not shown herself. She seemed quite busy.
Swish!
As we entered the village outside the city, SaMa Yeong lightly caught my lapel.
“Deputy Brigade Leadeeer.”
Why was she speaking in that sweet, coquettish nasal voice? Did she want something?
SaMa Yeong said,
“How about we stop by the blacksmith shop, then get some Dongpo pork to take back?”
“Oh! That is a good idea.”
Jo SeongWon enthusiastically joined in.
The Dongpo pork from the Summit Inn tasted good even cold.
Chewy fat, tender meat, and a drink alongside it, it was nothing less than paradise on earth.
My mouth watered, but I hid it and said,
“If that is what everyone wants.”
Jo SeongWon grinned.
“Come on, Deputy Brigade Leader. You are interested too, but you are pretending otherwise.”
This brat.
He was getting more comfortable teasing me.
As long as he did not cross the line, it was more comfortable than being overly formal.
Then SaMa Yeong said,
“Oh? Should we not reserve some before the Dongpo pork runs out? It is already evening.”
“Ah... You are right.”
The Summit Inn’s Dongpo pork was so popular that it was always sold out around evening.
SaMa Yeong said to Jo SeongWon,
“Squad Leader Jo, go ahead and reserve some. The Deputy Brigade Leader and I will visit the blacksmith shop.”
I flinched.
I saw SaMa Yeong’s eyes gleam like a hawk stalking prey.
The corners of her mouth had risen as if she were excited.
Could she be looking for a chance to get me alone?
“Ahem. Miss SaMa, you should go make the reservation this time. We will be back shortly.”
“Yes?”
SaMa Yeong asked in surprise.
Jo SeongWon understood my intention and said to her,
“Ahem. That would be better. If the Deputy Squad Leader makes the reservation and waits for us, we will return quickly.”
Her lips pushed out in a pout as she looked at Jo SeongWon.
It seemed my guess had been correct.
Whenever we were alone lately, she would ask me strange questions like, “What kind of woman do you like, Deputy Brigade Leader?” or, “If you marry someday, would you dislike having a frightening father-in-law?”
It was becoming frightening.
“You would not know what to do even if they handed her to you...”
“Enough!”
The SoDam Sword was about to say something strange.
That little thing had become awfully shameless.
“...Fine. I am short. So, have you added anything to make up for it?”
The SoDam Sword spoke defiantly for the first time in a while.
Sigh. I had noticed that SaMa Yeong subtly showed that she liked me.
All those abrupt remarks pointed to me. Unless someone was a fool, it would be strange not to notice.
It was simply that...
“You do not want a frightening father-in-law.”
“...”
That hit the mark.
Who would dare covet the only daughter of SaMa Chak, the Moon-Evil Sword and one of the Four Great Evildoers?
I was merely one of those ordinary people.
Then the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword joined in.
“Do not worry, Un Hwi. My previous owner once advised a junior martial artist who got into trouble and was getting married, ‘No matter how much a father-in-law hates a son-in-law, would he really kill him?’”
“...”
...Forget it.
Arguing with all of you would only make my head spin.
It was difficult enough just to look after myself. Liking someone, or having someone like me, was a luxury.
“You are not against it, yet you are still putting on airs...”
I told you to stop.
In any case, after sending the sulking SaMa Yeong to the Summit Inn, Jo SeongWon and I headed to blacksmith street.
Most of the blacksmith shops had gone dark as night fell.
Naturally. Work was meant to be done during the day.
‘Let us see.’
I felt a little anticipation.
After I dealt with the Fifth Blood Star’s disciple, the craftsman who awakened had mistaken me for their savior. In repayment, the craftsman offered to grant a request.
I asked whether the SoDam Sword could be made sharper or sturdier. The iron filings produced when the sword broke were cold iron, so the craftsman had promised to melt them down and make something.
Only five swords remained in the censer, so I had come to deal with those as well.
But something was strange.
Jo SeongWon seemed to sense it too.
“I cannot feel any presence inside.”
We hurried inside.
Most of the equipment in the blacksmith shop was gone, along with the Weapons that had hung on the walls.
It looked as though the shop had shut down overnight.
‘What in the world...’
Some traces remained on the floor, but they were only broken blades and useless scraps.
Seeing that all the important tools were gone, it truly seemed that the craftsman had left.
I went into the inner room, where the censer was kept.
‘Ah!’
The five remaining replica Ink-Fresh Swords that had been planted in the censer were gone.
All the other broken swords had been discarded, yet only the replica Ink-Fresh Swords were missing. It was strange.
Jo SeongWon searched the living quarters within and came out, shaking his head.
“There are no clothes either. Looking only at the living quarters, it seems the craftsman left in a hurry. I cannot understand why.”
It was strange.
How could someone who had agreed to meet me the next day suddenly leave?
Besides, even if not because of me, the craftsman had received a commission from Baek HyangMuk, the Head of the alliance.
‘Could the craftsman have been kidnapped?’
I could not rule out that possibility.
But if it were a kidnapping, it was strange that the craftsman had taken every necessary belonging.
“...Could the Head of the alliance have taken the craftsman, Un Hwi?”
The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword had a point.
The other broken blades and cracked swords had all been left behind, while only the five replica Ink-Fresh Swords had been taken.
Perhaps the Head of the alliance had intervened.
‘Hmm...’
But was there any reason to do so?
If the Head of the alliance considered this a confidential matter, they would not have asked a craftsman on blacksmith street to make replica Ink-Fresh Swords in the first place.
Just as I was wondering about it,
“Behind you!”
At the SoDam Sword’s cry, I ducked without even having time to think.
Something passed over my head.
‘!?’
I immediately launched myself forward and turned around.
Jo SeongWon was lying on the floor before the censer as if unconscious, though I had no idea when he had been struck down.
But nobody was around.
I could not even sense a presence, yet the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword said,
“Un Hwi... The bamboo-hatted figure in the black face veil is standing behind you. Can you not sense them?”
‘What?’
A chill ran down my spine.
The figure was right behind me, yet I could not sense a thing.
Such an incredible master had appeared.
Then a voice came from behind me.
“Do not turn around.”
The voice sounded deep, as though it had been deliberately disguised.
It felt as though the figure would stab me instantly if I moved even slightly.
I had never felt such a sharp ki weapon in my life.
“Wh... who are you?”
I asked in a tense voice.
No answer came.
“Un Hwi. That person is looking around.”
‘Looking around?’
I hesitated.
The instant this person decided to kill me, I would be finished.
But I could not simply stand still and wait to die because they told me not to turn around.
‘Hoo.’
There was only one way to escape this situation.
I had to open my Central Dantian and flee from the enemy with all my strength.
But I could not stop thinking about Jo SeongWon.
If I ran, I had no idea whether he would be captured or harmed by this person.
‘Catch them off guard.’
It was all or nothing.
This was right before the martial artists’ alliance, the stronghold of the force of justice.
If I could not escape, I would break through the roof and shout with internal energy in my voice.
My master, Evil Heaven, was not far away.
‘Hup!’
I opened the Central Dantian that I had kept sealed.
Then I drew the SoDam Sword and swung it behind me in one motion.
Something unbelievable happened.
Tap!
Though I could not see what happened, the SoDam Sword was knocked away and embedded in the floor behind me.
The figure had clearly made a move, but I had failed to notice it.
In that instant, I leaped back and drew the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword.
‘!?’
But I could not see my opponent.
“Un Hwi. They are behind you.”
‘Damn it!’
The figure must have moved behind me the moment they deflected the SoDam Sword.
Only now did I truly understand how someone moving at extreme speed could become invisible.
“You do not seem to value your life.”
The voice came from behind me.
There was not a trace of killing intent, yet it made my heart race wildly.
The unidentified figure said,
“With your skill, you cannot see my face. Give up.”
I could not see their face?
At that moment, an idea came to me.
I turned the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword in my hand diagonally so that the flat of the blade faced me.
Then, along with my own face, I saw the figure behind me reflected in it.
‘!?’
The eyes faintly visible through the gap in the black face veil narrowed.
The figure looked at me and spoke.
“You are a child with many petty tricks... Hmm? That sword...”
The voice was puzzled.
I did not miss that moment and spun around.
As my body turned swiftly, the sword technique rose upward, slashing in every direction like a whirlwind.
It was the fourth technique of the Stellar Star Sword Art, Returning Dragon Ascending Sword.
It was the only sword technique that could even deal with an enemy behind me, which was why I had chosen it.
‘Got it.’
As I rose upward, I launched myself toward the roof.
I intended to maintain the sword technique, break through the roof, and shout for help.
Then the sword technique stopped.
‘!!!’
My heart sank.
The bamboo-hatted figure in the black face veil had already followed me into the air and was holding the blade of the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword, where the technique was unfolding, between two fingers.
Then the figure swung it as though flicking it.
“Gah!”
My body was slammed straight into the floor by a profound Force of ki.
Crash!
The wooden planks split as I fell in an undignified, awkward position.
My body felt as though it would break apart, but I endured the pain and sprang up like a spring.
The bamboo-hatted figure in the black face veil stood directly before me.
“U-Un Hwi!”
Perhaps the figure no longer intended to hide their presence. They held the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword and examined it.
Having my sword taken while executing a technique was humiliation beyond humiliation.
Then the bamboo-hatted figure spoke.
“So you are the successor of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster.”
Whether they had recognized me from the sword or the technique, the figure knew who I was.
I carefully asked,
“...Do you know me, Senior?”
“How could I not? I have wanted to see you.”
With those words, the bamboo-hatted figure flicked the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword with a finger.
The sword flew back at tremendous speed, as if it were an arrow, and embedded itself in the floor before me.
Thunk! Tiiing!
The sword trembled violently, yet the floor did not crack.
It was a mystifying display of skill.
From that alone, I knew for certain.
‘...They are stronger than Master.’
This person was a supreme master who far surpassed Evil Heaven, the Bizarre Oddity.
Only twelve people came to mind who possessed such monstrous power.
Then the bamboo-hatted figure said,
“Pick up your sword and come at me.”
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