WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 41: Interest (3)
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In a secluded forest near Western Wind Residence, hidden from prying eyes, a plaintive melody echoed through the trees.
A nineteen-year-old girl had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the huqin's tune. She was Ma Yeon-hwa, third-ranked among the third-year cadets.
The piece she was listening to was called Xiangyang Morning Pine Melody.
Whenever times were difficult, she often listened to this melody.
Each time, it stirred the sorrow and anger she had forgotten, restoring her will to fight.
-Clench!
Her grip on the two treasured swords, Black Dragon and White Phoenix, gradually tightened.
Then, Xiangyang Morning Pine Melody stopped before it had ended.
Ma Yeon-hwa opened her eyes.
"The piece isn't over yet."
"..."
When no answer came, Ma Yeon-hwa sighed.
The performance stopping halfway meant the man behind her had something to say.
She spoke again.
"If you have something to say, say it."
"Miss."
"Go on."
"You heard about what happened today, didn't you?"
A strange look entered Ma Yeon-hwa's eyes.
She knew what he meant.
Changcheon Martial Academy had been turned upside down that day.
Western Wind Lone Angle, one of the Four Immortal Masters said to stand at the pinnacle of the martial world, had been defeated.
"I know."
The one who had defeated Western Wind Lone Angle was Mumu, the first boy she had taken an interest in after entering the academy.
'...Two of the Four Immortal Masters fell at that child's hands.'
She, too, had been unable to hide her shock upon hearing the news.
Mumu was only seventeen years old.
There had been countless martial artists called geniuses, but not one had come close to the martial world's pinnacle at that age.
Yet two of the Four Immortal Masters had fallen, and Mumu was already being called the new pinnacle of the current martial world within the academy.
Even beyond the academy, if this news spread throughout the martial world, no one would be able to deny it.
'To think he was this strong.'
She had seen Mumu's strength during the arson incident.
At the time, she had thought he was no ordinary person.
She had even considered that she might not be able to defeat him, even if she displayed her true strength.
Now, she was certain.
Even if she restored the main cult's greatest lost Martial Arts, Mumu might be a monster she would struggle to defeat.
The man spoke.
"The situation has become far too unfortunate."
"What do you mean?"
"The martial world of justice is already on the verge of a generational shift, one even stronger than before."
Ma Yeon-hwa could not deny his words.
Over twenty years ago, the Mighty Conqueror Council had cast the main cult into the abyss.
Even the lord, who had been aspiring to reach the wall beyond the wall, had been defeated without enduring even a few moves against the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter.
The main cult had believed the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's era would continue for a long time.
Yet that monstrous being had absurdly been forced to kneel before another formidable power: the Four Immortal Masters.
That opened the era of the force of justice.
'Each of the current Four Immortal Masters has grown into a monster comparable to the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter. Yet even two of them have fallen.'
It was a terrifying generational shift.
At this rate, it was questionable whether the main cult could even be restored properly.
The force of justice was becoming more firmly established than ever.
The man continued.
"The martial world of justice will now revolve around that child, Mumu."
"...I know."
The main cult's restoration was becoming even more distant.
It was enough to make her sigh.
After hesitating for a moment, the man spoke again.
"But perhaps this is an opportunity."
"An opportunity?"
Ma Yeon-hwa furrowed her brow.
What was he talking about?
Seeing her confusion, he said, "From what this subordinate has learned, Mumu is the adopted son taken in by the family of Inspector Censor Yu Jin-sung of the Censorate."
"An adopted son?"
She vaguely remembered hearing that.
Inspector Censor Yu Jin-sung's two younger brothers had entered the academy, and she thought one of them was adopted.
But how was that an opportunity?
"Miss... don't you like that child?"
At the man's unexpected words, Ma Yeon-hwa's face flushed red.
Why bring that up all of a sudden?
"Th-that was just..."
"You don't need to hide it."
The man had seen Ma Yeon-hwa blush several times whenever she spoke of Mumu.
That was a reaction that could only come from a woman who felt affection for a man.
Seeing her like that made him uncomfortable.
Though he had sworn loyalty to her, he had also harbored feelings for her for a long time.
Still, he did not show that discomfort.
In the long run, their paths were completely different. Their fates could never be joined.
But...
'I have to let go of my feelings.'
Only then could the main cult be restored more quickly.
With a bitter expression, he spoke.
"Make that child yours."
"What? W-what are you talking about?"
"Though Inspector Censor Yu Jin-sung graduated from Changcheon Martial Academy, he has chosen the path of an official. Judging from that, their family may not have great ambitions in the martial world."
"S-so what do you expect me to do?"
"...If you make that child yours, Miss, the restoration of the main cult can be greatly accelerated."
Ma Yeon-hwa's eyes trembled at those words.
She knew what he intended by saying this.
Mumu had become close to the current pinnacle of the martial world.
If she could make Mumu her man, not only could the main cult be restored, but they could strategically weaken the martial world of justice by at least thirty percent.
"But for a reason like that..."
"Don't you like him?"
"That..."
"Then you must make that child yours. If he settles completely into the martial world of justice, the restoration of the main cult may become a truly distant prospect."
Ma Yeon-hwa bit her lower lip at his words.
She did not want her pure affection to become twisted like this.
Yet bitterly, he was right.
The moment Mumu fully settled into the force of justice, the main cult would have to face him as its worst enemy.
-Clench!
Her hand tightened further around the scabbard.
'Fine. I have to make that child mine.'
After hesitating, she finally decided to enter the fray.
Whatever the reason, it was better to make him her man than let someone else take him and regret it later.
Despite making her decision, she now had another concern.
'...But how do I make him my man?'
She had never seduced a man or dated one before.
* * *
Interest in Mumu had begun spreading beyond the academy as well.
Once the restrictions on entering and leaving the academy were lifted, the commotion surrounding Mumu spread farther afield.
At Yu Yeop-kyung's family home in Kaifeng, Yu Yeop-kyung and Madam Jang had sent two of their children to the academy and were enjoying a blissful time together.
They had even forgotten the loneliness of their children being away and were spending a peaceful time together for the first time in a while.
Then, early in the morning, a commotion broke out outside, forcing them to wake earlier than intended.
"Master! Madam! A-at the front gate..."
Madam Jang could not hide her concern at the servant's breathless words.
"Dear, don't tell me..."
Yu Yeop-kyung's exile had already painfully forced them apart while both were still alive.
He had once been falsely accused and sent away despite committing no crime, so Madam Jang always prepared herself for such a thing to happen again.
Yu Yeop-kyung shook his head.
"That can't be. I've already received a pardon, so what could happen, Madam?"
Though he tried to reassure his wife, Yu Yeop-kyung's expression was not good.
Matters involving officialdom were difficult to be certain about.
Even though he had retired, his eldest son, Yu Jin-sung, was still serving as an official at the Censorate. There was no telling what might happen.
"I'll go out and see."
"I'll come with you."
"Stay here. Just in case..."
"I'm coming with you."
"...Very well."
Yu Yeop-kyung and Madam Jang got dressed and went outside.
Servants had gathered near the front gate, whispering among themselves.
What could have happened?
With trembling hearts, the couple cautiously stepped outside the gate.
Then...
'!?'
Yu Yeop-kyung and Madam Jang's eyes went wide.
Their home was quite far from the village and usually saw few visitors, yet a long procession of wagons now stood before it.
The wagons were piled high with sacks of rice, firewood, silk, and expensive goods.
"Dear... what is all this?"
"Madam... how would I know?"
Neither of them understood.
Why were all these wagons suddenly gathered in front of their home?
Then the people who spotted them rushed forward.
"Are you Scholar Yu?"
"You are Elder Yu Yeop-kyung, aren't you?"
They all called out for Yu Yeop-kyung at once.
Madam Jang looked at her husband in confusion.
"What did you do?"
Yu Yeop-kyung waved his hands.
"I haven't even left this house since returning from exile. What could I possibly have done?"
He did not know why these people were acting this way either.
But his question was soon answered.
"I am Jang An-woo, Quartermaster of the Gohyeon Sect from Namyang. Our sect leader asks that Young Master Mumu, Scholar Yu's third son, be joined in marriage with their eldest daughter, Go Jeong-suk."
"What?"
Yu Yeop-kyung tilted his head.
They had come this early in the morning and suddenly wanted Mumu to marry someone?
But it was not just the Gohyeon Sect.
"Hey! We from the Songjeong League of Sinhyeon arrived first and have been waiting. What are you talking about? Scholar Yu, Song Geon, the head of our Songjeong League, asks that the heroic Young Master Mumu be joined in marriage with their second daughter, Song Hwa-rang. Those wagons over there are the betrothal gifts sent by our league head."
"Wait a moment. The Unyeong Family arrived before the Songjeong League. Scholar Yu, those wagons are betrothal gifts sent by our family head. They are nothing special, but please accept them. Our family head also asked that your third son, Young Master Mumu, be joined with our..."
"Stop right there! The Hojeong Fist Sect arrived before the Unyeong Family. How dare you try to get ahead of us..."
The people who had gathered soon grew hostile.
Yu Yeop-kyung was left dumbfounded by the sight.
'...What in the world is going on?'
All those wagons and all those people had come because they wanted to arrange an engagement or betrothal with Mumu?
What had that brat done at the academy for this to happen?
Every one of them looked desperate to have Mumu.
Madam Jang was equally flustered.
Even when her eldest son, Yu Jin-sung, had graduated from Changcheon Martial Academy as the Second Graduate and become an Inspector Censor, quite a few matchmakers had come, but never anything like this.
The line of wagons was so long that its end could not be seen.
"Dear... what should we do?"
"Good heavens."
Yu Yeop-kyung could not answer Madam Jang's question.
It was the first time he had faced something like this, and he did not know what to do either.
* * *
Around the middle of the Hour of the Dog, Mumu was in the Special Training Hall northeast of the dormitories, repeatedly squatting and standing with weights added to both ends of his black iron staff.
"Huff. Huff."
This was training to adapt to the weight of the level-ten Ki-Restraining Bracelets.
Their weight had doubled upon reaching level ten, but after a few days, Mumu was gradually adapting to it.
To move even more freely under that weight, he was adding more weight to the black iron staff and pushing himself harder in strength training.
-Whoooosh!
Something strange was happening.
A heat haze rose from Mumu's entire body as he slowly repeated his squats.
It was quite different from when he released the Ki-Restraining Bracelets.
The reason lay in something other than strength training.
'The deep abyss knew the dark... Cross the sea of spirits... The true heart bore a bright seed... Weakness followed no path... The earth revolved, and Heaven came to be...'
Thinking it wasteful to spend his time doing only strength training, Mumu recited the completed verses in his mind throughout his training.
The verses inscribed on the ceiling of the third floor of Changcheon Martial Academy's Underground Martial Archive and the verses given to him by the White-Browed Taoist.
Even to Mumu, who had little understanding of Martial Arts, the two verses seemed like connected passages.
So he recited them together.
Even when he recited the incomplete verses, he had felt his entire body grow warm and his energy increase.
But with the verse formula he had received from the White-Browed Taoist added to them, the speed could not even be compared to before.
-Whoooosh!
The True Heavenly Martial Scripture.
It was the crystallization of insight left behind by an immortal who had achieved ascension through Martial Arts.
Mumu had been reciting it simply as a secret method to control himself, but the True Heavenly Martial Scripture's effects differed completely from those of other divine arts.
It was stimulating not only his Lower Dantian below his navel, but also the Central Dantian at his heart and the Upper Dantian in his brain, promoting their growth all at once.
'Nice. When I recite the verses, I don't get as tired as usual.'
Mumu did not think much of this change.
He was simply satisfied that he did not tire as much while training.
But if other martial artists learned of this, they would be unable to hide their shock.
Ordinary martial artists opened the Central Dantian after surpassing a wall, then opened the Upper Dantian after exceeding even the limits of that wall.
Yet through the ancient insight contained in the True Heavenly Martial Scripture, Mumu was effectively cultivating Delicate Energy Spirit[1] all at once.
It was something even the White-Browed Taoist, who had handed him the latter half of the True Heavenly Martial Scripture, had never anticipated.
* * *
As Mumu focused on his training in the Special Training Hall, someone moved through the darkness with quiet steps toward the hall where he was.
It was Tang So-so.
With a tense expression, Tang So-so moved carefully.
'Before those other women start coveting him, I have to make it clear that he's mine today.'
She had been interested in Mumu from the first moment she saw him, but seeing women constantly gather around him made her realize that taking her time could become a disaster.
It was not as if she could poison every rival to death within the academy.
She had decided that making the first move was the answer.
'Heh. Mumu will fall for me if I look like this, won't he?'
She had put on the prettiest outfit she had been saving and even applied makeup.
Even Mumu would have no choice but to take an interest in how different she looked.
-Rustle!
As she secretly approached the Special Training Hall where Mumu was, she suddenly spotted another shadow and had no choice but to stop.
'Gu Yang Seo-rin?'
It was Gu Yang Seo-rin.
Unlike Tang So-so, Gu Yang Seo-rin was boldly heading toward the Special Training Hall.
As though she had truly made up her mind, she wore clothing thin enough to reveal her skin.
She looked thoroughly seductive.
'Th-that little vixen!'
Flames flickered in Tang So-so's eyes.
What was she trying to do, dressing like that and heading to Mumu's place in the middle of the night?
Yet Gu Yang Seo-rin, who had been confidently making her way there, stopped midway.
It was because someone else had appeared.
'What?'
It was Ma Yeon-hwa, third-ranked among the third-year cadets.
Though not as bold as Gu Yang Seo-rin, Ma Yeon-hwa's bright clothes were unlike her usual attire, making her beautiful enough to draw the gaze of countless men.
Her cleavage was especially prominent. She had clearly gone to great lengths to emphasize it.
Tang So-so looked back and forth between Gu Yang Seo-rin and Ma Yeon-hwa, then glanced at her own chest beneath her chin before clutching her forehead with both hands.
'Damn them...'
[1] Delicate Energy Spirit: A traditional cultivation triad of physical essence, vital energy, and spirit, associated with the lower, central, and upper dantians.
Footnotes:
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