WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 111: The Choice (2)
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‘Enough on my own?’
Ja Muk-hyun forgot even the pain that felt as if his head would split apart. He could only stare at Mumu in disbelief.
Of all the arrogant things he had heard, this was the first to reach such heights.
No matter how he interpreted Mumu's words, they seemed to mean that Mumu believed he could achieve revenge and conquer the realm through his strength alone.
‘How can he say something so outrageous?’
Yet it was strange.
When Mumu said it, it did not sound awkward. Why did it sound as though it might truly be possible?
‘No.’
Ja Muk-hyun wavered for an instant, then rejected the thought.
Even the man called the Martial God had fallen before the combined assault of the Four Immortal Masters. The Mighty Conqueror Council had also ultimately been defeated when the martial world of the force of justice united its strength.
How could one person accomplish that alone?
‘...Is he simply trying to show spirit?’
If that was the case, Mumu certainly possessed more boldness than the other Jade Medallion owners.
But boldness was only boldness.
The current martial world of the force of justice was at the peak of its power. If such a thing could be done alone, they would have already fulfilled the Grand Plan and achieved blood revenge long ago.
Ja Muk-hyun struggled to open his mouth.
“F-future Master... I understand... understand your spirit well enough. But... if you truly wish to lead... the House of the Eight Villains... you must gain... the qualifications... just like the other Jade Medallion owners.”
“Qualifications?”
“All the Jade Medallion owners... are his successors...”
Thud! Crash!
“Urgh.”
As Ja Muk-hyun stammered through the pain, Mumu released the head he had been gripping.
“Explain it properly.”
Ja Muk-hyun landed on his backside, steadied his breathing, and continued.
“...As I said, every Jade Medallion owner has the right to succeed him through their bloodline. But since they cannot acknowledge every one of them as Master, the leaders of the House of the Eight Villains set conditions.”
“Conditions? What are they?”
“They must inherit his martial legacy.”
“Martial legacy?”
“Yes. When he died in the war over seventeen years ago, the succession of his martial arts was severed.”
Mo Il-hwa cut in without realizing it.
“Are you talking about the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's speciality martial arts?”
“...That is correct. His Martial Arts reached the realm of the world's greatest. Even the Four Immortal Masters acknowledged that.”
Ja Muk-hyun spoke with obvious pride, and Mo Il-hwa did not deny it.
He had been the leader of the force of evil, yet he had been called the Martial God. It would not have been an exaggeration to say he had reached the pinnacle of Martial Arts, considering even the Four Immortal Masters had set aside their pride to face him four against one.
‘That makes sense...’
Every martial clan and faction valued the martial legacy of its leader.
The Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic, said to be learned only by Shaolin's abbot, or the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and Dog-Beating Staff Art, the divine arts of the Beggars' Sect leader, were good examples.
They were symbols of their respective martial groups.
If someone was to lead the Mighty Conqueror Council, they naturally had to inherit the martial legacy of the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter, the council's symbol.
Still, there was something strange about this.
“Wait. You said the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's Martial Arts succession was cut off. How are they supposed to inherit it?”
Ja Muk-hyun snorted at Mo Il-hwa's question.
Then he looked in a certain direction.
It was where the Changcheon Martial Archive stood.
“...He may have been their enemy, but he was called the Martial God, and his peerless martial arts were his legacy. Do you think even the Four Immortal Masters would casually destroy and throw them away?”
“Don't tell me...”
“Yes. His divine art secret manual is here.”
The verification was already complete.
Over eight years, Master Heo, Sa Mu-heo, had discovered the truth.
Mo Il-hwa clicked her tongue inwardly at Ja Muk-hyun's confident words.
‘No. Changcheon Martial Academy is keeping something that dangerous?’
The Four Immortal Masters truly were remarkable people.
The very fact that they had chosen to keep such a thing here was bold.
Ignoring her reaction, Ja Muk-hyun continued.
“The House of the Eight Villains will ultimately recognize the one who inherits his martial legacy as the true successor and Master.”
“So I have to inherit it to become Master?”
“That is correct. At present, the two closest to becoming Master are Mu Il and Mui. Among the four Jade Medallion owners, they inherited martial talent closest to his. That is why only those two are called future Master.”
“Martial talent?”
“Not everyone who inherited his blood also inherited his martial talent. Mu Sa and Young Master Mu O did not inherit his martial talent.”
That was why they were not called future Master.
Yet in Ja Muk-hyun's eyes, Mumu already seemed closest to the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter in martial talent alone.
His physical strength had already surpassed the limits of humanity.
‘If...’
What would happen if Mumu learned even the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's speciality martial arts here?
Ja Muk-hyun was certain.
If that happened, the martial world would welcome a new Overlord of Blood and Slaughter.
Mumu had a strong chance of becoming one.
That was why Ja Muk-hyun had abandoned his original loyalty and knelt before Mumu.
‘Still...’
Mumu's determination to become Master was clearly different from that of the other Jade Medallion owners.
Perhaps because he had been raised by a scholar and had ties to force of justice members, his purpose was impure compared to theirs.
He wanted to become Master to protect his adoptive father and those around him.
‘That is not a mindset suited to the leader of the force of evil.’
Ja Muk-hyun disliked that part of him.
Still, there was a way.
What Mumu lacked most right now were hatred and anger.
‘If he does not have them, I only need to awaken them.’
If force of justice members took away the things Mumu treasured, would Mumu still want to protect his adoptive father and those around him as he did now?
All he needed was a trigger. Then Mumu would gain what he lacked.
‘...I will fill what you lack and make you into the complete Overlord of Blood and Slaughter.’
Ja Muk-hyun concealed those dark thoughts.
For now, he had to let Mumu's motivation to become Master remain as it was.
Then Mumu spoke.
“What a bother.”
“What?”
Ja Muk-hyun frowned.
He had gone through the trouble of explaining the qualifications to become Master, and Mumu called it a bother?
As Ja Muk-hyun stared in disbelief, Mumu continued.
“I don't think there's any need to compete over something like that.”
‘Ha!’
Something like that?
They were talking about inheriting the martial legacy of the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter, the man called the greatest in the world.
Mumu truly had no idea of his own worth.
Anger surged through Ja Muk-hyun, but he forced it down and spoke.
“...Inheriting his martial legacy is extremely important. The House of the Eight Villains has already regained its old strength, and its leaders possess martial prowess beyond the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice. You must go through this process to make them submit.”
Mumu silently scratched his head.
Ja Muk-hyun was beginning to grow irritated.
Did this brat truly have any desire to become Master?
“Future Master. If you do not receive their loyalty, then neither his revenge nor conquest of the realm...”
“You're making me say the same thing twice.”
“What?”
“Actually, this works out well. It would be better to simply test whether they'll be loyal or not.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Mumu walked toward the puzzled Ja Muk-hyun.
Remembering his head being grabbed moments earlier, Ja Muk-hyun instinctively stepped back.
Mumu spoke to him.
“I told you. I'm not trying to become Master because I need you all.”
Ja Muk-hyun furrowed his brow at those words, then carefully opened his mouth so as not to provoke Mumu.
“Future Master. Your strength has clearly surpassed the limits of humanity. But even he, who was called the world's greatest...”
Thud!
Before he could finish, Mumu grabbed Ja Muk-hyun and lifted him.
“W-what...”
Then Mumu carefully slung him over his shoulder.
Still baffled, Ja Muk-hyun heard Mumu casually speak to Jin-hyeok and Mo Il-hwa.
“Guys, I'll be back.”
“You'll be back? What do you mean?”
They wondered what he was talking about. At that moment, Mumu bent his knees slightly.
Crack!
The floor beneath his feet split apart and caved in.
Then...
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ceiling shattered as Mumu's body shot upward.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
His speed was so great that he tore through layer after layer of air as he soared into the sky. Ja Muk-hyun, slung over Mumu's shoulder, felt his stomach twist violently.
Even as he protected himself with internal energy, his ears gradually clogged and his eyes began to ache.
Then his eyes could only widen.
‘...What is this?’
For a moment, Ja Muk-hyun doubted his own eyes.
No, it was not doubt. He simply could not believe what he was seeing.
They had risen so high that the walls of Changcheon Martial Academy looked no bigger than his palm, and he could see the entire surrounding region.
A vast stretch of land, countless mountain peaks spread before him, and several branching streams in the distance. They were undoubtedly rivers.
Looking down at it all, he was left speechless.
‘This is insane.’
Was this truly possible?
He had already been shocked when Mumu jumped to a height of over thirty jang.
But this was far beyond that.
‘...He's not human.’
How could a human leap this high through physical strength alone?
Amid that breathtaking sight, Ja Muk-hyun began to grow dizzy from the pressure.
Then Mumu's voice reached him.
“You said Paralysis Blade Estate, right?”
“What?”
“You said you came from the Paralysis Blade Estate. Where is it?”
‘!?’
At Mumu's question, Ja Muk-hyun had a dreadful suspicion.
“Tell me quickly.”
After hesitating, Ja Muk-hyun pointed in a direction.
At that very instant...
Booooom!
‘Ghk!’
Mumu kicked off the empty air.
The air rippled like a massive wave, and Mumu shot through it at terrifying speed toward the direction Ja Muk-hyun had pointed.
* * *
Southeast of Changcheon Martial Academy lay Fujian.
Near its southern region was a place called Hua'an, and not far from it stood a perilous region known as Evil High Crags.
This place was surrounded on all sides by steep stone mountains and ringed with cliffs.
Its terrain made it difficult for ordinary people to enter, and even capable martial artists struggled to make their way inside.
The cliffs remained filled with fog throughout the year. Anyone who stepped in wrongly often failed to emerge, only to be found as a corpse downstream in the gorge.
Since it was such a dangerous place, no one visited it, and it had become a remote, deserted region.
Yet a secret was hidden there.
In the middle of the stone cliffs, in a place enclosed by the gorge, lay the hidden Paralysis Blade Estate, once one of the greatest martial organizations under the Mighty Conqueror Council that had drenched the Central Plains in blood over seventeen years ago.
Alongside Heavenly Kill Valley, the Paralysis Blade Estate was one of the House of the Eight Villains' foremost secondary factions and an elite martial force.
Its strength could rival even Wudang Sect and Mount Hua Sect, the most prosperous of the Nine Great Sects. Its Estate Master, Ja Hyeong-gyeong, possessed martial prowess surpassing the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice.
“Hm.”
At the window of the room where the Estate Master resided, Ja Hyeong-gyeong removed a rolled dispatch from a hawk's ankle and unfolded it to read.
After reading it, Ja Hyeong-gyeong nodded.
A middle-aged figure with a long scar by the mouth stood roughly ten paces behind and asked,
“Has some news arrived?”
Ja Hyeong-gyeong gave a faint smile in response.
“The time is drawing near.”
“What do you mean, the time is drawing near?”
“It seems the future Master at the Imperial Palace has finally found ‘that.’”
The scarred middle-aged figure's shoulders trembled.
They could not hide their excitement.
Clenching a fist, the figure said to Ja Hyeong-gyeong,
“This brings them a step closer to becoming Master. As expected, Estate Master, your prediction was correct.”
“So it was.”
“Then Young Master Baek Seom, who assists them, has also come closer to becoming this estate's successor.”
“It is too soon to know. Muk-hyun's schemes surpass even Baek Seom's.”
The scarred middle-aged figure smiled at Ja Hyeong-gyeong's words.
As Ja Hyeong-gyeong said, both young masters were exceptional.
Whichever one became the successor, the Paralysis Blade Estate would lose nothing.
“The future Master at the academy should fight hard as well. The beginning of the Grand Plan seems to have gone badly off course, so Young Master Muk-hyun must be feeling the weight...”
Booooom!
“Huh?”
A tremendous blast shook the building as though an earthquake had struck.
‘What was that?’
Ja Hyeong-gyeong frowned and hurriedly looked out the window.
Before the tower-like residence building, the ground in the wide clearing had split open for nearly ten jang.
Someone stood in the center.
‘!?’
The scarred middle-aged figure approached the window and spoke with a shocked expression.
“Estate Master, that is...”
They saw someone slung over the shoulder of a muscular, strikingly handsome youth.
That person was none other than Ja Muk-hyun, one of the Paralysis Blade Estate's two young masters.
“Who is that bastard, to dare carry a young master...!”
Whoosh!
“Estate Master?”
Before the figure could finish, Ja Hyeong-gyeong shot through the window.
In an instant, Ja Hyeong-gyeong landed lightly below.
The scarred middle-aged figure bit their lip and followed, jumping out the window.
“An intruder! Surround them!”
“Waaaaah!”
Rumble!
Over a hundred masters of the Paralysis Blade Estate rushed over and surrounded the area.
Ja Hyeong-gyeong looked at the youth carrying Ja Muk-hyun.
The youth soon lowered Ja Muk-hyun to the ground.
Ja Muk-hyun's face had gone deathly pale. Staggering, he bent over and vomited violently onto the ground.
“Bleeugh!”
It was difficult to understand what had happened.
‘...’
One thing was certain.
The instant Ja Hyeong-gyeong saw the youth, an indescribable and unfamiliar sensation rose within.
The youth was only standing still, yet an unknown pressure radiated from him.
Nothing about him should have stimulated Ja Hyeong-gyeong's Ki sense, yet all five senses were strangely warning of danger.
‘...How did he enter this place?’
The Paralysis Blade Estate was hidden within this fog-covered dangerous region. Formation Arrays surrounded the area as well, so no one except members of the Paralysis Blade Estate could enter.
Yet this youth had appeared as if he had dropped straight from the sky.
‘Dropped from the sky?’
Ja Hyeong-gyeong looked at the cracked, caved-in ground where the youth stood, then raised their gaze.
‘What... is this?’
Ja Hyeong-gyeong's eyes shook.
The fog covering the sky had descended in the shape of a vortex, leaving a vast opening above.
Footnotes:
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