WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 49: Great Dharma Protector (1)
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Heo Mu-sa possessed absolute loyalty as a vessel.
Standing before the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's grave, Heo Mu-sa had looked up at the sky and sworn to avenge the Overlord without fail and with his own hands.
Then something completely unexpected happened.
“I haven't left yet.”
“...”
Heo Mu-sa froze, unable to speak as Mumu stood there with one eyebrow raised.
Why had Mumu not left even at this late hour after slaughtering every vessel?
As Heo Mu-sa stood there flustered, Mumu sighed.
“I saw a faint glow for a moment, then it vanished on its own. I thought something was strange. Were you hiding?”
“You...”
“It has been a while. Should I call you Mu Sa instead of Master?”
Mumu remembered Heo Mu-sa.
He had also heard from the deceased Mu O that, unlike the other vessels, Mu Sa had willingly sought to become a vessel and admired the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter.
“How do you know that...?”
“Mu O told me.”
“Mu O?”
“Yes. That person took over Mu O's body, so Mu O died.”
When Mumu pointed at the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's grave, Heo Mu-sa bit his lip hard.
Heo Mu-sa had wanted more than anything to become that person's vessel, yet never achieved it. Meanwhile, Mu O, whose wishes had differed from Heo Mu-sa's, had met the end Heo Mu-sa desired, as a vessel.
Heo Mu-sa even felt envy.
Mumu clicked his tongue at the sight.
“You envy the strangest things.”
“You don't understand the honor of being born as that person's vessel.”
“You like not even being acknowledged as his own flesh and blood, then getting treated like an object? I truly can't understand it.”
“I never sought your understanding.”
“Yes, I'm sure you didn't.”
-Crunch! Drip...
Blood ran from Heo Mu-sa's bitten lip.
Of course, the wound quickly regenerated through Heo Mu-sa's powerful recovery ability.
Heo Mu-sa's thoughts were a mess. Shouting that vow of revenge without realizing Mumu was still nearby now felt foolish.
“You were playing with me...”
“Not exactly.”
“What?”
“I had another reason, too.”
With that, Mumu pointed somewhere behind him.
It was hidden in the darkness, but upon closer inspection, Heo Mu-sa saw something piled there like a mountain.
Heo Mu-sa's eyes trembled.
“You!”
“My father told me to be thorough in everything I do.”
What Mumu pointed to was the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's inheritance and treasures, all hidden within the secret cave.
Among them were countless secret manuals, including the Crimson Profound Soul-Shifting Art.
With those manuals and treasures, rebuilding the Mighty Conqueror Council and carrying on the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's will would have eventually been possible, even if it took time.
“Y-you can't possibly...”
“I was going to blow this place up because it was troublesome, but I searched through everything one by one in case I accidentally left something behind.”
That was why Mumu had remained.
He intended to deal with everything connected to the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter.
Once those things were gone, rebuilding the Mighty Conqueror Council would become impossible.
No, a second Overlord of Blood and Slaughter would never emerge again.
Heo Mu-sa fell to his knees.
-Thud!
Then Heo Mu-sa pleaded desperately with Mumu.
“P-please! At least leave those untouched.”
“You want me to leave them?”
“Yes. Please show mercy. If those are destroyed, every trace of that person will disappear.”
“That's what I'm trying to do.”
At Mumu's words, Heo Mu-sa shouted in a voice filled with hatred.
“Didn't you inherit that person's blood as well? You were qualified to become that person's vessel, so how can you act like this?”
“Hm.”
Mumu rubbed his chin.
Then he sighed.
“My father was right. When someone with a warped conviction clings to it, there's no reasoning with them.”
“What?”
“If someone like you remains, a second Overlord of Blood and Slaughter will appear, talking about vessels and repeating the same thing all over again.”
“Who do you think you are...?”
“I spoke with you because I considered sparing you as my half-sibling, but I guess there was no need.”
-Swish!
Mumu held out a curled finger toward Heo Mu-sa.
Before the startled Heo Mu-sa could even pull his head back, Mumu flicked his curled finger.
-Snap! Crunch!
The instant Mumu flicked his finger, a fierce blast of wind struck Heo Mu-sa's head and crushed it completely.
-Splurt!
With Heo Mu-sa's head gone, blood erupted from the neck like a fountain. The body staggered, then collapsed to the ground.
Mumu shook his head as he watched, then approached the mountain-like pile of the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter's legacy and treasures.
-Snap!
With another flick of his finger, he generated enough friction to ignite a fire.
-Whoosh!
The flames spread, consuming the inheritance in an instant. Crumbling ash scattered in every direction, and the final remnants rode the wind high into the sky.
The ashes rose so high that it became impossible to tell where they were headed.
* * *
Early morning.
Bosan.
A region in western Yunnan filled with ravines.
Bosan's valleys were more beautiful and scenic than one might expect, drawing many visitors. Yet among them was a place where violent currents made entry difficult.
It was a place ordinary people would find difficult to reach.
“Hoo.”
A white-haired middle-aged man nearing old age exhaled smoke from his pipe.
The long stream of smoke reached the bamboo fishing rod he held in one hand.
-Rooooar!
Any fisherman who saw someone fishing in such violent waters would have laughed, calling it foolish.
Yet the middle-aged man did not care where he fished.
-Twitch!
A subtle tremor.
The white-haired man noticed it and immediately lifted his fishing rod.
At that moment, a powerful fish was pulled from the violent current.
The man stretched out a hand toward it.
-Swoosh!
The flailing fish was drawn into his hand by life energy.
It was Ki telekinesis.
That alone showed he was no ordinary man.
-Tap!
After removing the hook from the fish, the man placed it into a water-filled net basket beside him.
There were already about four other fish inside.
“That should be enough.”
The man murmured to himself and rose.
When he stood, his enormous frame was revealed.
He was a full twelve cheok[1] tall, a build worthy of being called a giant.
There was another unusual feature as well.
The middle-aged man had only one arm. His empty right sleeve fluttered in the wind.
-Tap!
Using Ki telekinesis to seize the basket's handle, the man turned to return to his cave dwelling not far from the ravine.
That was when it happened.
-Flinch!
The man looked up with surprise.
Something was falling rapidly toward him from above.
-Boom!
A figure landed before him, carrying someone under one arm.
The man dropped the net basket and clenched his fist, vigilance surging through him.
Then the person tucked beneath the figure's arm began vomiting.
“Bleurgh!”
“...”
The man frowned.
Who were these people?
As he wondered, the youth who appeared to be around nineteen grumbled in a hoarse voice.
“Damn it... You could've flown slower.”
“I think I flew slowly enough.”
The middle-aged man could not hide his confusion at their exchange.
Had they just said they flew here?
He had assumed they had leaped down from above the ravine.
Then the handsome youth who looked around nineteen lifted his head toward him.
“Ha! They called you a giant, and you really are huge.”
The middle-aged man quietly gathered his life energy and spoke.
“Who are you?”
At the question, the muscular, handsome youth standing calmly beside the vomiting boy scratched his head.
“I'm Mumu.”
“Mumu?”
The middle-aged man's eyes trembled.
He had heard that name before.
Mumu continued.
“Are you Grand Guardian Seo Yong-chu?”
‘!?’
This middle-aged man, with a giant's frame measuring twelve cheok tall, was none other than the Towering Giant Seo Yong-chu, Grand Guardian of the fallen Mighty Conqueror Council.
“Why even ask? Do you think there's anyone besides the Grand Guardian who would have a body this huge and hide out here?”
“We should still make sure.”
“There is a way to make sure. Grand Guardian, lower your guard a little. I'm Mui, one of the Jade Medallion bearers.”
The vomiting youth was none other than Kang Mu-i.
Grand Guardian Seo Yong-chu looked at him with interest.
“Young Master Mui?”
“Yes. I am Mu...”
-Swish!
At that moment, Grand Guardian Seo Yong-chu thrust his left fist toward them.
The motion was simple, yet the fist carried a crushing, tyrannical aura, as though it could destroy everything before it.
Kang Mu-i looked at him in disbelief as Seo Yong-chu seemed ready to throw a punch at any moment.
“What is this supposed to mean?”
“Show me proof.”
“Proof? You think we're impostors or something...?”
“Even if I believe you, the young master beside you called himself Mumu. Yet young master Mumu was thrown from a cliff and killed by the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle.”
“By the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle?”
Kang Mu-i looked at Mumu with startled eyes.
What was that supposed to mean?
Mumu was standing right here, perfectly fine, yet he had been thrown from a cliff by the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle, one of the Four Immortal Masters?
As Kang Mu-i stood there confused, Mumu took something from his robe.
“Will this do?”
The Jade Medallion was marked with a triangle. Mumu turned it over and showed Grand Guardian Seo Yong-chu the inscription on its reverse.
[Martial Nothing]
The reverse side bore Mumu's name.
‘!!!!!’
Grand Guardian Seo Yong-chu stared at it in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Until now, Seo Yong-chu had believed that Mumu died that way.
Mumu looked at him as though he did not understand.
“You just said I was thrown from a cliff and killed by the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle. Could you tell me everything you know?”
“How can this be...?”
“Instead of only being surprised, I'd appreciate it if you explained.”
Seo Yong-chu kept his fist aimed at them as he spoke.
“I cannot believe it. That man said with his own lips that he threw an infant from a cliff.”
“With his own lips?”
It sounded as if Seo Yong-chu had heard it directly from the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle.
Just as Mumu was wondering about that, Seo Yong-chu's wary gaze sharpened, as though he finally understood.
“You were trying to test me.”
“What?”
-Thud!
Grand Guardian Seo Yong-chu dropped to his knees and bowed.
Then he spoke again.
“My lord. Even if you do this, your subordinate has no intention of breaking a promise made man to man. As I said before, if you wish to hear that story from my own mouth, then please kill me instead.”
“...”
Mumu frowned at the incomprehensible words.
Seo Yong-chu continued.
“Do you think I would fail to recognize you simply because you came in another vessel?”
Only then did Mumu understand why Seo Yong-chu was acting this way.
The Grand Guardian seemed to believe that Mumu was the Overlord of Blood and Slaughter, having taken possession of a vessel.
Mumu scratched his head.
“I think you're misunderstanding something.”
“You cannot deceive your subordinate...”
“I'm not deceiving you. Besides, the person you know was completely dealt with yesterday.”
“What?”
What did that mean?
As Seo Yong-chu stood there bewildered, Kang Mu-i clicked his tongue.
“Of course you can't believe it. I was the same.”
“...What are you talking about?”
“It is just as you heard. We aren't vessels for that damned bastard. That bastard and all the bodies he took over as vessels were killed by this guy.”
‘!?’
[1] Cheok, a traditional Korean unit of length. Twelve cheok is roughly 3.6 metres, or 12 feet.
Footnotes:
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