Damned Transmigration - Chapter 113

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ Damned Transmigration ◈

Chapter 113: Uicheon Sword Sect 1

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All of Uicheon Mountain belonged to the Uicheon Sword Gate. Among its grounds, Sharp Sword Valley was forbidden land that ordinary disciples could not even approach.

The reason it was forbidden was simple. A sect leader was generally expected to be the strongest person in the sect, and maintaining that strength required constant training.

For generations, Sharp Sword Valley had served as the training ground of the Uicheon Sword Gate’s sect leaders. The desolate rocky mountains bore the sword paths of past leaders, while hidden caves contained the insights and writings on martial arts that their predecessors had left for later generations.

Outsiders were absolutely forbidden from entering.

Even within the Uicheon Sword Gate, only the sect leader could come and go freely. Others had to be either the sect leader’s direct disciples, carefully selected after deliberation, or promising juniors the sect was painstakingly raising.

“...”

The current sect leader of the Uicheon Sword Gate, Hundred Swords Gongsun Myeong.

His father, Nine Heavens Wall-Breaking Sword Gongsun Jeol-hu, had died after losing a life-and-death duel against Heavenly Demon Wi Jin-hwa. Gongsun Myeong had led the Uicheon Sword Gate for decades since then.

“Dear heavens.”

This might have been the greatest crisis Gongsun Myeong had faced since becoming sect leader.

“It’s been a while!”

First, Gongsun Myeong carefully took stock of what lay before him.

The surrounding terrain had barely been damaged. No cliffs had collapsed, the ground had not been torn up, and there were no enormous craters.

That was a great relief. The massive cliffs and rocky mountains preserved the sword paths of past sect leaders, with hidden caves scattered throughout.

They were the sect’s great legacy, unchanged by rain, snow, or the passage of time, and meant to be passed down to future generations.

“It’s good to see you!”

The woman smiling brightly in his direction was someone Gongsun Myeong already knew. Unfortunately.

‘If we had never met, would she have gone somewhere else?’

She had the temperament to barge in uninvited even if they were strangers. Perhaps that made this luck rather than misfortune. Being able to have a somewhat normal conversation with that ferocious master was fortunate in itself.

“It has been a while.”

Gongsun Myeong rarely bowed to anyone, but now he loosened his stiff neck and dipped his head slightly.

“Couldn’t you have contacted me before visiting?”

“Did you not receive my message?”

Her smiling face tilted slightly. A message? He had received no letter.

“I only heard that you caused a disturbance near Yonghwa Lake.”

“That was precisely the message I sent! A message from Lorelia herself!”

The moment he heard that, the back of his neck tingled. Gongsun Myeong closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed the anger rising from deep within his chest.

“Did you do that... on purpose?”

“Of course not! What happened at Yonghwa Lake was an unfortunate accident.”

“An accident? From what I heard, you were the one who went on a one-sided rampage...”

“Who told you that?”

“The Iron Twin Beggars of the Beggars’ Sect.”

Those two masters, famed as Guardian Beggars of the Beggars’ Sect, were still recuperating at an inn near Yonghwa Lake. Their external injuries were not serious, but their internal injuries, especially their psychological wounds, were another matter.

Gongsun Myeong understood. When someone fought that woman, Calamity Star, something precious they had painstakingly built along their martial path snapped in an instant. The more confident they were in their own abilities, the worse it was.

Gongsun Myeong himself had broken once in the past and spent months recovering.

“They said Calamity Star beat them up, then dragged them all the way to Yonghwa Lake.”

“Lorelia did not wish to fight. I did not raise my fist first. If those bastard beggars had asked to talk, I would have talked to them. But they raised their fists at me!”

“Yonghwa Lake is... a famous sight in this region. It has remained beautiful in that spot throughout its long history...”

“Don’t attach such great meaning to a lake with neither myths nor even a single legend, just a hole filled with water!”

“Yonghwa Inn was built on land personally chosen by the sect leader four generations ago...”

“What does that have to do with Lorelia?”

Gongsun Myeong closed his eyes again at her immediate retort. Her cheerful voice continued.

“You may claim compensation from the Beggars’ Sect!”

“What money would beggars have?”

“You know as well as I do that even if those bastards look like beggars and go around asking for alms, they are not truly poor. The money their beggar chief has stashed away must be several times what the impoverished Sect of Order possesses!”

“The leader of the Beggars’ Sect is a great hero.”

“Yes! Since he is a great hero, he’ll take responsibility for his beggars’ violent misconduct!”

He was still not convinced.

‘At least she isn’t hitting me...’

Though she could not be persuaded, they were still having a conversation. Relieved by that, Gongsun Myeong looked down at Lorelia’s feet.

Three people who looked like beggars lay there. Fortunately, none of them were dead. Gongsun Myeong examined the three faintly breathing figures and let out a deep sigh.

“If I’m seeing correctly, are they the young Three Heroes who disappeared with you?”

“That’s correct!”

“You know this is Sharp Sword Valley, the forbidden ground of the Uicheon Sword Gate?”

“Of course I do!”

“A forbidden ground is a place one must not enter freely. If an outsider intrudes, it immediately becomes a war with the Uicheon Sword Gate.”

“Do you wish to wage war?”

“No.”

Gongsun Myeong quickly shook his head.

“I only ask that you consider the Uicheon Sword Gate’s reputation and my dignity. There’s no need for you to remain here, is there?”

“That’s right! There’s no need for us to stay here. But isn’t that why you, the sect leader, hurried here? Because we came here?”

Lorelia smiled broadly and raised a hand.

“Please provide us with a place to stay for at least a month, perhaps up to a year! Somewhere outdoors with an open view in every direction, where we won’t run into anyone else! We’ll also need meals and daily necessities!”

“Did it have to be Uicheon Mountain...?”

“This was the closest place to Yonghwa Lake.”

So that was the reason after all. Gongsun Myeong sighed deeply and nodded.

“Are you taking the Three Heroes as disciples?”

“Hahahaha!”

Her smile broke into audible laughter. Lorelia laughed loudly and shook her head.

“Disciples? It’s not like that. Those three have achieved a great deed that leaves the Sect of Order no choice but to repay them with gratitude. I, Lorelia, am simply repaying them on behalf of the sect.”

“So you will not take them as disciples, but you will teach them personally. It seems you saw great potential in the Three Heroes, not merely a great deed.”

“Yes, that’s correct! Are there any young lambs of this generation as renowned as they are?”

“If that is your reason... very well.”

Even if he refused, she was the sort of woman who would force him to agree.

“I will make the preparations today and return. Until then, please promise me you will not destroy Sharp Sword Valley.”

“I promise! And!”

Gongsun Myeong’s face stiffened at that word. He feared she was about to make another absurd demand, but what she said next was entirely unexpected.

“Once a week, I will spar with you as well.”

Gongsun Myeong’s shoulders trembled slightly. Lorelia was not saying this because she wanted it.

He was the one who wished to spar with Calamity Star. He immediately clasped his hands in salute.

“Thank you.”

“But I will not control my strength gently as I do when facing young lambs. Do not let your guard down simply because it is a spar.”

“I will come prepared.”

Gongsun Myeong looked at Lorelia with bright eyes for a moment before speaking.

“When was the last time you saw the Heavenly Demon?”

“Two years ago!”

“How great did you feel the gap between you was?”

“I thought that if I were prepared to die with him, I might be able to take half his life with me. When I actually saw him, the gap was even greater. At that point, I thought I could at least take one of his arms if I were prepared to die alongside him.”

“And now?”

“I made progress over two years of training, but that old man would not have spent those years idling around either.”

“If you wish to kill the Heavenly Demon, I too will offer my life.”

Gongsun Myeong did not know what relationship Calamity Star had with the Heavenly Demon. Yet he knew Calamity Star bore deep hatred and killing intent toward him.

Several decades ago, when news of the previous sect leader’s death arrived.

His father and the sect elders had already expected the defeat in that life-and-death duel, but as a son, he could not simply remain still.

Much younger than he was now, Gongsun Myeong had picked up his sword and prepared to leave the sect to avenge his father. Then Calamity Star, who had come to offer condolences for the sect leader’s death, beat him up so badly that he could not even leave Uicheon Mountain and quietly returned to the sect.

“Not only me. There are several more martial heroes who would offer their lives to kill the Heavenly Demon...”

“What truly must be killed in this world is not the Heavenly Demon, but the Evil God. Do not think of sacrificing your life to kill the Heavenly Demon. If you truly wish to give your life to kill something, kill the Evil God.”

“I am not a priest.”

Gongsun Myeong let out a short sigh and shook his head.

“It was several decades ago that the Evil God changed this world and threw it into chaos.”

Monsters poured out of places called Rifts, Transmigrators crossed over, and fanatics devoted to the Evil God ran rampant through the world.

“But that is all, is it not? Isn’t it the righteous gods’ duty to kill an evil god? By now, I know Transmigrators are not necessarily enemies. As a human, I believe it is more urgent to kill the Heavenly Demon, who may ascend to divine status at any moment, than to meddle in the gods’ conflict.”

Of course, Gongsun Myeong understood the danger posed by cultists who served the Evil God. As the leader of a sect, he remained vigilant so they could not establish themselves in this region.

Yet the existence known as the Evil God felt distant to Gongsun Myeong. There were gods in this world, and just as many religions. Priests borrowed their gods’ power to perform miracles, but gods remained distant beings to humans.

What of the Heavenly Demon? He was human. The Demonic Cult, which worshipped him as a Living God, felt much closer than the sects in Union that served actual gods.

What if, one day, the Heavenly Demon truly ascended to divine status, as the Demonic Cult desired?

Would it not be right to join forces and kill him while he was still human?

“If you truly wish to kill the Heavenly Demon, join forces among yourselves and kill him.”

Lorelia wore a cold smile and shook her head.

“I, Lorelia, do not wish to kill the Heavenly Demon alongside everyone else.”

Two years ago.

The high priest of the Sect of Order had said the one closest to Godslaying was the Heavenly Demon.

Lorelia could not deny those words. Rather, she accepted them even more readily than the high priest had.

The person closest to Godslaying in this world was not Lorelia. It was not the Battle Saint, Zenith, Hyeon-ya, Heavenly Thunder, or the King of the Luminous Wheel.

Even if every other powerful figure were lined up, from the Martial Apex Venerable and mage tower masters to all unknown masters, the one closest to Godslaying would be Heavenly Demon Wi Jin-hwa.

If anything, Lorelia might still be far from Godslaying. To achieve it, she herself had to ascend to divine status.

Her faith, now nothing more than delusion, was holding her back from ascending to divine status.

“I understand.”

If he said any more, this conversation might turn violent.

“Before you leave, hear their greetings.”

As Gongsun Myeong took a step back, Lorelia lightly stamped the ground.

─Thump!

The shock that traveled through the earth struck the three unconscious people squarely in the solar plexus.

“Gasp...!”

Yuri, who had been lying unconscious, shot upright. The senses that had fully opened upon reaching the sixth tier allowed him to regain consciousness immediately, even after a sudden attack.

That was the only advantage he had noticed since yesterday. Reaching the sixth tier from the fifth had not meant Lorelia beat him any less.

If anything, reaching a higher tier meant he could now put up something resembling resistance. His body had also become tougher, so he was beaten more often, and more painfully, than Haryeong and Estor...

“Ughhh...”

“Urgh...”

A little later than Yuri, Haryeong and Estor regained consciousness as well.

It had been one day since they arrived at Sharp Sword Valley.

Yesterday, they had shared the food stored in Subspace.

Then, in the sparring begun under the pretext of aiding digestion, they vomited about half of what they had eaten. The sparring continued until they collapsed unconscious, and their unconsciousness became sleep.

They woke in the morning and were beaten again.

That was all the three remembered. They had lost consciousness, and now they had woken again.

“I want to die.”

When assassins took on dangerous assignments, they prepared a means to commit suicide, such as hiding a Poison Core inside their molars.

Haryeong regretted not having made such preparations. Even when she lived in the Dang Family as a child or first began assassination training in the Salhomun, she had never been as frightened or exhausted as she was now.

“I am happy, happy, so happy...”

Estor muttered his self-hypnosis.

This was a blessing. It was a fortuitous opportunity every martial artist dreamed of. If he overcame this trial, he would definitely grow stronger. After suffering this much, it would be far too unfair if he did not become stronger.

Even the optimistic Estor found it hard to endure without repeating such self-hypnosis.

“...”

Yuri was at least holding on. It was not only because he had already endured Lorelia’s merciless beatings before. The violence in the waiting room had never felt as vividly painful as this.

It felt more real than it did for Haryeong and Estor. Each time those painful fists struck him, he grew a little more accustomed to them.

The senses of the sixth tier, which had not yet fully settled, seemed to be optimizing themselves for this body through sparring with Lorelia.

“...Who are you?”

Yuri steadied his swaying body and looked straight at Gongsun Myeong.

“Huh.”

His face was caked with dried blood. His swollen eyes looked so ridiculous that it was difficult to meet his gaze, but his eyes were deep, and their light was clear.

‘Is this Cloud Dragon?’

Because of the symbolism attached to the title Martial Apex Venerable and various political issues, Gongsun Myeong himself had not been granted that title. Still, Hundred Swords Gongsun Myeong was the swordsman closest to the Martial Apex Venerable.

At the same time, Gongsun Myeong was the leader of the Uicheon Sword Gate.

The Uicheon Sword Gate was one of the foremost large sects among the sword sects of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance. More than a thousand disciples trained under Gongsun Myeong, and every one of them possessed at least the talent of a prodigy.

‘He’s on another level.’

Rumor had it that he was at the same fifth tier as Sword Dragon and Dark Blossom. To Gongsun Myeong, that was not true. Cloud Dragon had already surpassed the fifth tier.

Sixth tier at twenty-two? This was... unprecedented.

The average tier for third-generation disciples around Cloud Dragon’s age was fourth tier. Among all his disciples, none had reached the sixth tier at that age, or even the fifth.

“I am Gongsun Myeong, the leader of the Uicheon Sword Gate.”

Gongsun Myeong could not withdraw his admiring gaze, but he introduced himself first.

“Ah... It is an honor to meet you, Sect Leader.”

The leader of the Uicheon Sword Gate whom Yuri knew from his life as Lee Su-hyeok was the previous one, Nine Heavens Wall-Breaking Sword Gongsun Jeol-hu. Still, Yuri knew what martial arts the Uicheon Sword Gate’s leaders used.

In the game, Gongsun Jeol-hu had been a master of Sword Control who wielded dozens of swords at once.

‘Sword Control...’

It was a representative sword art that used Intent.

Sword Control... Yuri swallowed. He had never seen a master who handled Sword Control properly, so he wanted to experience it at least once.

[Lorelia.]

The external manipulation of force aura infused with Intent was a martial art Yuri was deeply interested in. He had continually attempted it at the Orsia estate, but had never once managed it properly.

[If we are going to remain on Uicheon Mountain, could I receive some instruction from the leader of the Uicheon Sword Gate later?]

Lorelia’s face brightened at the Voice Transmission. She gave Yuri a look as if she found him very praiseworthy, then nodded broadly.

“I have a good idea!”

Lorelia beamed.

“This too is fate, Gongsun Myeong! Why not give Yuri some instruction right now?”

“W-why should I do that?”

Gongsun Myeong stared at Lorelia in surprise. She wanted him to teach an outsider who was not even one of the sect’s disciples?

[No, not right now.]

Yuri hurriedly added, but Lorelia paid him no mind.

“I also wish to see your sword again after so long!”

Before Gongsun Myeong could answer, Lorelia clenched a fist.

“Seeing such an outstanding junior has put me in the mood as well.”