WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ Damned Transmigration ◈

Chapter 135: Seongju 1

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Although it was called a port city, Seongju was inland, just like every other port city they had visited. The sea was nowhere in sight. The only “ships” coming and going from the city were airships.

They had arrived five days ago, but still had not received the goods. Yuri's group had arrived far sooner than Chuk-sin-doo had expected.

Since they would be staying in the city for an indefinite period, they rented an entire annex of an expensive inn.

They spent their days leisurely leaving the inn, checking the post office and Adventurers' Guild to see whether their delivery had arrived, wandering around the city with nothing better to do, then returning to their lodging.

Not only had Yuri spent the past year at the Uicheon Sword Gate without a proper break, he had done nothing but travel since coming down from Uicheon Mountain. These five days in Seongju felt like a vacation compared to those days.

They reminded him of his time in Rutlan.

“Young Hero, the weather is lovely today as well.”

The name Three Heroes was famous.

Now that they had spent a year at the Uicheon Sword Gate after becoming entangled with the Calamity Star, they were even more famous than before. On top of that, the three of them had destroyed the Red Wolf Stronghold, one of the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.

Beginning on their second day in the city, influential people from its renowned sects and martial families had come in a steady procession to greet them.

Their manners and ways of speaking differed, but their meaning was the same. They wanted Yuri and the others to become guests of their sects or families.

Yuri refused every one of them. He would not stupidly say it outright, but if they visited one place, the others would certainly complain about being snubbed.

They planned to leave for Gangyu as soon as they received Chuk-sin-doo's goods. There was no need to get involved.

Even so, some people kept pestering them.

The Beggars' Sect beggars, specifically.

“It is hot out. Where are you headed again? Come sit in the shade with us and talk about the world.”

The moment Yuri stepped onto the street, a foul-smelling man approached him. It was Joo Don-gae, a messenger of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

People said no profession was beneath another, but being a beggar was pushing it.

Meeting one on a day this hot was especially miserable. There was the grimy sweat running down their bodies, the stink, and their matted hair.

“Recently, the tales of you young heroes have been making quite a stir within the Righteous Heavenly Alliance. Of course they have. Among the rising talents of today, ah, no, not merely today. Has there ever been anyone your age who possessed both such skill and such esteem?”

“I do not know much about the old days.”

“There has not! People do not call you the foremost rising talents of all time for nothing. I hear the Chivalry Assembly is scheduled for next year. Naturally, you young heroes will receive invitations, but would it not make a finer picture if you wore a fine official's hat and took a seat in the Alliance rather than attending as guests?”

Joo Don-gae had a reddish face and a stout body, just as his name suggested. Rubbing his plump hands together, he trotted after Yuri.

He looked like an ordinary beggar, but he was a respected expert within the Righteous Heavenly Alliance. He was especially known as one of the finest practitioners of movement arts, with skill far beyond his tier.

That was why he could travel so busily as the Alliance's messenger.

That was a great mystery to Yuri. How could someone that fat be so quick on his feet? In any case, Joo Don-gae was not someone to dismiss merely because he was a beggar.

Still, in the martial world, current strength took precedence over one's sect and seniority.

His opponent was Cloud Dragon, who was expected to claim a seat among the Martial Apex Venerables without question.

Even Joo Don-gae, a senior whom most rising talents would have to greet first and bow to, had no choice but to trot after him and flatter him in a case like this.

“In particular, not only our Beggars' Sect Leader, but even the Alliance Leader wishes to see you young heroes. No, no. Young Hero, specifically.”

The Dang Family led Salmun, one of the Black Dragon Society's six branches. Even without knowing all the details, Haryeong's original family was the Dang Family, and the Dang Family still clung to their blood relation.

Estor's situation was simpler than Haryeong's. The Orsia Family, one of the Pride, was far too large for the Righteous Heavenly Alliance to take under its wing.

But Yuri? He had received instruction from Fist Wolf and the Calamity Star, but he was not their disciple. He possessed outstanding skill and chivalry alike, so the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, an alliance of Righteous Sects, had every reason to try recruiting him.

“I will visit later.”

He had already refused several times. He remembered having this same conversation yesterday.

If Joo Don-gae had not been a messenger of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, Yuri would have raised his fist instead of opening his mouth. No, he was starting to want to raise his fist regardless of whether the man was a messenger.

“Please, Young Hero, save me. If I do not bring you back, the Chief Strategist will punish me!”

The one within the Righteous Heavenly Alliance who had taken particular interest in Cloud Dragon and dispatched Joo Don-gae was Jegal Jun, the Chief Strategist known as the Divine Strategist.

“Later will be too late! Even at this very moment, the bandit vermin calling themselves the Green Forest are tormenting the common people!”

Word that Cloud Dragon had easily broken the Red Wolf Stronghold's formation array had already reached the Righteous Heavenly Alliance through the Jegal Family.

Yuri had refused Jegal Myeong-u's invitation to visit the family after meeting him at Red Wolf Stronghold. Now a Jegal of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was asking to see him instead.

Yuri did not like that.

“If you care so much about the common people, why not send elites from the beginning? Why are you clutching at my trouser leg now?”

At the Righteous Heavenly Alliance's request, the Jegal Family had sent formation mages from its Formation Research Institute to the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.

But the formation mages sent to Red Wolf Stronghold had apparently been mediocre in both ability and strength, and had instead been captured as hostages by the bandits.

Yuri did not know how skilled the formation mages sent to the other strongholds were, but they were probably not vastly better than Jegal Myeong-u, who had been held at Red Wolf Stronghold.

“Tell that Chief Strategist to secure his family's cooperation properly instead of bothering me.”

At first, Yuri had thought the Jegal Family was only halfheartedly carrying out the Righteous Heavenly Alliance's request. But the Alliance's Chief Strategist was also a Jegal. What exactly were they trying to pull?

“Just because they share a surname does not mean they are a close family. It is awkward for me to say this, but the Chief Strategist is from a collateral branch. And the head of the Jegal Family has a certain pride...”

“Ah, so because of an internal power struggle in the family, they put the common people's tears of blood aside?”

“Um... that is not the Righteous Heavenly Alliance's intention.”

“I understand well enough. The current Jegal Family Head, who was luckily born into the direct line, is only halfheartedly following the orders of the Chief Strategist, who comes from a collateral branch. So the Chief Strategist thought he could use me instead of those arrogant Jegals and sent a great hero to fetch me. Is that not it?”

“Th-that is not it. As I said, even the Alliance Leader has great interest in you, Young Hero...”

“Damn it.”

When Yuri raised his fist, Joo Don-gae flinched and hurriedly stepped back.

“Young Hero! I am a messenger of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance!”

“Do I have to come running whenever the Righteous Heavenly Alliance calls?”

“Um... normally, you should...”

A sudden chill swept over him, sealing Joo Don-gae's lips shut.

He had heard that Cloud Dragon had received instruction from the Calamity Star, and the menace carried by his mere presence was terrifying. If he kept pressing the issue, it felt as though Cloud Dragon, young enough to be his nephew, would beat him senseless in the street.

“Let us not meet again.”

Still, unlike the Calamity Star, Cloud Dragon did not immediately throw a punch. The Iron Twin Beggars, who had suffered the Calamity Star's wrath at Yonghwa Lake a year ago, were supposedly still plagued by nightmares of that day.

Joo Don-gae did not want nightmares, so he slowly backed away.

“I-I will see you next time.”

Without waiting for an answer, Joo Don-gae sprang away. Yuri glared at the back of the man's head as he bounced away like a rubber ball, then clicked his tongue and turned around.

“The goods sent by fifth-grade adventurer Yuben have arrived.”

Only on their fifth day in the city did Chuk-sin-doo's delivery arrive. Yuri calmed his excited heart and received the package according to procedure.

Since the item was what it was, the receiving process took a while. The box itself was also a magical item.

“Would you like to inspect the contents?”

“Yes.”

He could take it with him as it was, but one never knew. Yuri decided to inspect the box's contents in a private room.

After carefully checking that the room was properly sealed and that there was no other surveillance, Yuri opened the box.

The moment he saw the old martial arts manual bearing the name Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm, his cheeks twitched into a smile. Yuri immediately sat in a chair in the private room and opened the manual.

In the game, Fist of the Rending Cloud was Unique grade, while Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm was Epic grade. Even judging only by grade, it was a palm art worthy of being called a divine art.

Yet as soon as he read the manual, understanding took shape in his mind. His heightened tier had raised his comprehension as well.

A Great Mage's unique magic would be beyond him, but Yuri had now reached a level where he could enter and attain accomplishment in most martial arts the moment he read their manuals.

‘I cannot immediately realize their ultimate mastery, though.’

Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm was an exceptionally powerful palm art. Even after realizing its ultimate mastery, it would fall short of Sacred Flame Release, which focused on killing in a single strike, in raw power. But it was more versatile.

The power of martial arts that wrapped themselves in force aura like this increased further as one's inner power deepened and one's control improved.

He had only intended to check the contents, but he could not stop. With every page he turned, his eyes grew strained and his head throbbed. He was absorbed, utterly immersed.

In Yuri's mind, each form of Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm broke apart and seeped into him.

Both were unarmed martial arts, but fist arts and palm arts were entirely different. Since the way they struck differed, the circulation of inner power could not help differing as well.

Palm arts thrust and strike with the palm to shake the target. A fist struck and shattered a single point, while a palm art struck a surface.

Before he knew it, Yuri had read the entire Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm manual.

He returned to the beginning. Though he was reading it again, he read more slowly the second time. He was also breaking down and analyzing what he had already accepted.

He finished the second reading.

He returned to the beginning again. The posture he had casually assumed had become a cross-legged meditation posture. The third reading was slower than the second, and each time he read a formula, his breathing naturally followed it.

He finished the third reading.

Yuri let out a long breath and returned to the beginning. The fourth reading differed from the third as well. Whenever a form appeared in his mind as he read, the muscles throughout his body twitched, and inner power surged from his dantian to race through his meridians.

He finished the fourth reading.

His entire body was already soaked with sweat. His wet fringe irritated him, so he casually swept it back. If Haryeong had been beside him right now, she would have scolded him and told him to get a haircut. But Yuri was alone in the private room.

After steadying his breathing and cooling the heat in his body, he began the fifth cycle.

The final reading was not slow. His eyes swiftly read the formulas, his fingers turned the pages without hesitation, and his breathing, muscles, and inner power all kept pace.

When they became one, the inner power surging from his lower dantian pierced through his middle dantian and struck his Upper Dantian with a Boom!

At the same time, an explosion occurred in Yuri's mind. The beginning and end of Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm joined as one.

He did not return to the manual's first page again. Yuri closed his eyes and savored the lingering sensation.

It was an excellent martial art. It deserved to be called a divine art. It was incomparably deeper than Fist of the Rending Cloud or Crimson Stream Kick.

At least, that was true of the original texts.

Just as Yuri had grown stronger, Fist of the Rending Cloud and Crimson Stream Kick had also grown stronger with him. Even Splitting Light Fist, who was said to have first created Fist of the Rending Cloud, would not be able to use it as well as Yuri could now.

‘You are mine.’

There was no longer any need to read the manual. Every formula was already in his head. All that remained was to use the art himself until he reached ultimate mastery.

That did not mean he intended to burn the manual. Haryeong might benefit from learning this palm art as well.

If she could imbue Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm with the poison force aura containing the Intent poison of the Scripture of Reversing Taiji Intent, it would become a poison palm worthy of contending for the best.

Yuri rose to his feet as he evaporated the sweat soaking his body.

He had only read a manual five times while sitting down, yet his entire body ached as though he had exercised fiercely. The ache would soon fade, but it had been quite some time since he had felt this sensation.

“As expected of my big brother.”

Having learned such an excellent palm art, Yuri was increasingly eager to test it. Unfortunately, he had no opponent to try it on, so perhaps he should use Estor once he returned to the inn.

“Thank you. I made good use of it.”

He had arrived before noon, but when he left the private room, the sky outside had turned reddish.

The employee, who had been standing outside and shifting anxiously from foot to foot without daring to knock, clasped their hands in salute at Yuri's greeting.

The moment Yuri left the post office in high spirits, a vile stink assaulted his nose.

“Young Hero!”

It was Joo Don-gae. Yuri had told him they would never meet again, but the man must have ignored him.

‘That pig-beggar bastard.’

Thinking the timing was perfect, Yuri rolled up his sleeves.

Rumble!

In an instant, the red force aura of the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil formed around Yuri's forearm. It was as if rings of flame had been layered around his arm.

“W-wait!”

Sensing the ominous aura, Joo Don-gae leaped back in horror.

“I was waiting here because I have urgent news for you!”

“News? More like your last words.”

The answer he received was murderous. Joo Don-gae alternated between Yuri's arm wrapped in rings of flame and his eyes shining with a chilling light, swallowing hard.

“Star Jade Manor has been surrounded!”

Star Jade Manor was a scenic estate in the quiet outskirts rather than the center of the city. It was where Yuri's group was staying.

“Who surrounded it?”

Yuri asked again, wondering if perhaps the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds had come for revenge, but the answer was unexpected.

“Salmun assassins!”

* * *

“Niece, what the fuck kind of stunt is this?”

Standing with a defiant slant to her body, Haryeong tilted her head and glared at Tang Seo-woo.

“I have decided to take Auntie with me.”

Tang Seo-woo answered with a smile beneath a large parasol held by a rear guard.

This differed from what had happened at Yonghwa Lake a year ago.

The Dark King had told them to leave Haryeong alone. But the siblings Tang Seo-jin and Tang Seo-woo had not obeyed their father's command.

At the time, it had been Tang Seo-woo's stubbornness.

She had failed to obey her father's original order to bring Haryeong back, so she had wanted to seize the chance to drag her back by force if necessary and earn praise.

She paid an unimaginable price for her greed. Because the Calamity Star had suddenly burst in, Tang Mu-seok, Salmun's special-class assassin and the Pursuing-Kill Flying Guest, had become Great Hero Tang Mu-seok of One Good Deed a Day.

At first, Tang Mu-seok had stepped down as a special-class assassin and left Salmun and the Dang Family with the face of a man chewing shit, doing good deeds only because he did not want to die. Now, he did not stop at one good deed a day. He performed good deeds several times a day and constantly shouted about chivalry.

The Dang Family siblings had also been summoned to the main house and scolded. Even now, Tang Seo-woo's knees weakened when she recalled the face of the Dark King, their father, asking why they had done something he had never ordered.

‘If only I had taken that thousand-year-old hag the first time.’

All of this had happened because she had failed to take that thousand-year-old hag in Gwangseo.

If she had only dragged Haryeong away then, Tang Mu-seok would have remained the Pursuing-Kill Flying Guest, and the Dark King would not have looked at Tang Seo-woo with such cold eyes.

The reason Tang Seo-woo had failed to earn praise from the Dark King was entirely because of that thousand-year-old hag.

“You are going through an awful lot of trouble just to take this auntie away.”

Haryeong slightly furrowed her brows and looked around.

There were dozens of first-rate assassins, the elite of Salmun, along with special-class assassins. They had not come to persuade her through conversation this time. They intended to drag her away by force.

“At this point, this auntie is truly puzzled. What reason could justify mobilizing this much force just to take me away?”

“What does the reason matter? The Salmun Lord, the head of the Dang Family, has summoned you.”

“So this is the wish of my snake-like older brother, is it?”

Tang Seo-woo did not answer at once. Her cheek twitched. After glaring at Haryeong for a moment, Tang Seo-woo smiled again.

“Even if half your blood is lowborn, Auntie, you are still a member of the Dang Family. Why not stop being so stubborn and come with us?”

Tang Seo-woo's eyes gleamed a murky green.

“I do not wish to commit the unfilial sin of harming you, Auntie.”

“Perhaps because you were born from that snake-like older brother's seed, your tongue is awfully long.”

Haryeong abruptly thrust out her fist and raised her middle finger.

“Quit talking shit and come at me, fucking niece.”

Footnotes:

Joo Don-gae's name literally means “Vermilion Pig Beggar,” matching the narration's jokes about his reddish face and build.

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