WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 77: The Hidden Card (1)
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-Murmur, murmur!
The dormitory grounds were in complete chaos.
Countless academy warriors and instructors filled the area, along with cadets pouring out of the dormitory buildings, which still bore soot and traces of arson.
It was the greatest incident since Changcheon Martial Academy had been founded.
After all, it had nearly led to a massive disaster.
This had not occurred naturally.
It was a carefully planned act of arson.
Three dorm parents had been found dead in the dorm parent building.
The bodies of the warriors assigned to guard the dormitories and their surroundings had also been discovered nearby, hidden away.
"This is insane..."
"Who would do something like this?"
"Is that why they only found out so late?"
Every one of them had been murdered.
And by masters, no less.
Once the academy administration and instructors learned this, they understood how serious the situation was.
Still, there was one fortunate thing. Despite how thoroughly this crime had been planned, no catastrophe had occurred.
The Fire Demon had gone out before it could consume every dormitory.
The warriors and instructors who had rushed over to extinguish the flames found only soot and dying embers.
"The fire went out on its own?"
"Wasn't smoke billowing into the sky until we arrived?"
"That's what I'm saying."
"There isn't even much wind today. Should they call this heaven's blessing?"
"At least no one died."
"That's true. It's a miracle. A miracle."
The academy instructors considered it a miracle because the investigation had yet to properly begin.
Yet the miracle had only prevented a tragedy among the cadets.
Nothing had truly been resolved.
"Hoo..."
A handsome man watched the countless cadets gathered in the central square of the dormitory grounds and let out a sigh.
It was Kang Mu-i, the second-ranked third-year cadet.
His gaze upon them was icy.
'...Not a single person died?'
Even he had never expected this result.
If the great plan had proceeded normally, more than eighty percent of the cadets should have died in the dormitory fire.
Only then could they shake the force of justice and officialdom to their foundations.
Yet not one person had died.
It was no different from the beginning of the long-prepared great plan going wrong.
'How did the fire go out?'
The outside of the dormitory buildings clearly bore traces of oil, soot, and remaining embers.
The fire should have been enough to burn down the buildings and every cadet inside them, yet it had gone out.
It was too strange to dismiss as a simple miracle.
Kang Mu-i was certain.
'Something unexpected happened.'
He could not yet tell what that variable was.
All he knew was that something they could not afford to overlook had intervened.
-Murmur, murmur!
'Hm?'
At that moment, the area grew restless, and the cadets all turned to look somewhere.
The commotion had become far louder than before.
Kang Mu-i wondered what was happening, then the cadets' voices spread through the crowd like waves and reached his ears.
"Hey, hey. This is huge!"
"The cadets from Northern Heaven Residence and Western Wind Residence caught the people who set fire to the dormitories."
"Really? Cadets caught the culprits? Who did it?"
"I heard it was Senior Gu Yang Seo-rin, Senior Ma Yeon-hwa, and Senior Tang So-so."
"The Western Wind Residence group are second and third-years, but aren't all the Northern Heaven Residence cadets first-years?"
"First-years? Seriously?"
"Yeah, first-years. I heard they were the first ones to chase down the arsonists."
"But can they really call that catching them?"
"I think every culprit is dead."
'All of them are dead?'
-Tap, tap, tap!
Kang Mu-i immediately climbed a tree standing in the square.
He focused his vision and saw the academy administration and instructors gathered along the path leading toward the northwestern side of the square.
At their center stood familiar faces.
Mumu, Yu Jin-hyeok, Hae Ryang, Tang So-so, Gu Yang Seo-rin, and Ma Yeon-hwa.
Kang Mu-i's eyes turned colder when he spotted them.
'...So it was them.'
The unexpected variable.
Around them lay the corpses of masked figures, as well as the bodies of those who had spent years posing as instructors.
What stood out was that almost none of the bodies were intact.
'Those people dealt with brigade leader-level masters?'
Something was strange.
The masked figures were one thing, but those who had posed as instructors were all Master-level warriors.
They were not opponents cadets should have been able to handle.
Kang Mu-i's gaze first went to Mumu.
'He is strong, but he is not yet at a level where he can handle academy instructors or brigade leader-level masters. Then...'
His gaze shifted to the blue-haired girl.
She was none other than...
'Gu Yang Seo-rin.'
If anyone could have done it, it was her, the granddaughter of Western Wind Lone Angle, one of the Four Immortal Masters.
Gu Yang-gyeong, the Western Wind Lone Angle, was said to stand at the pinnacle of poison among the martial artists of the current era. In a sense, Gu Yang-gyeong was the most dangerous of the Four Immortal Masters.
Anyone at the level of the Four Immortal Masters was dangerous, but poison's unique nature made even masters unable to lower their guard.
There had even been a time when Gu Yang-gyeong wiped out six sects in the Western Regions with a single poison in one night.
It was entirely possible.
'The descendant of one of the Four Immortal Masters stopped the beginning of the great plan we prepared? Is this also fate playing a trick on us?'
If that was the case, it was a remarkable coincidence.
Could the ill-fated bond passed down from the previous generation continue into the next?
The corner of Kang Mu-i's lips curled into a sinister smile.
'Still, if they think this is the entirety of the great plan, they are sorely mistaken.'
The fire attack was only a blaze announcing the beginning.
This was not their true hidden card.
* * *
At the same time.
Someone hurried down to the first underground floor of the Changcheon Martial Archive.
It was Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu.
Dan Pil-hu's expression was grim.
'The problem is that ominous feelings always prove right.'
He had been headed toward the burning dormitories, but turned back and went to the residence of Sa Mu-heo, the Formless Ten Fingers and one of the Six Stars of Heaven.
The reason was simple. The report from the watcher he had assigned there had stopped.
Yet the residence was empty.
At that moment, Dan Pil-hu organized the situation with the experience he had gained while serving as an inspector for the Martial Artists' Association, along with his keen insight.
'The moment contact with Secret Agent No. 1 was cut off, a fire broke out in the dormitories. This is not an ordinary fire. It is meant to draw attention away.'
The most important thing at Changcheon Martial Academy was its cadets.
The academy rules also stated that cadets were to take priority over everything else.
With this, the academy's entire focus would naturally turn to the burning dormitories, while attention toward other places would weaken.
'Other than the cadets, what is the most important thing at this academy?'
Only one thing passed through Dan Pil-hu's mind.
The Changcheon Martial Archive.
The hidden third underground floor of the archive, where Changcheon Martial Academy kept its greatest treasure.
'Raise a Clamor in the East, Strike in the West!'
Dan Pil-hu rushed to the Changcheon Martial Archive.
When he reached the first floor, he discovered that every warrior on night duty guarding the place had been killed.
That was why Dan Pil-hu had immediately headed for the first underground floor.
'They said the stench of something rotten was overwhelming.'
Sure enough, this had been the bastard's target all along.
For eight years, Sa Mu-heo had called himself the drinking companion of Hang Yeon, the archive's head manager, and catered to his every whim.
Dan Pil-hu had continued watching Sa Mu-heo with suspicion.
'You underestimated this Vice-Master. Did you think Dan Pil-hu, the lone gambler, would fail to see through your rotten intentions?'
Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu reached the first underground floor of the archive.
The moment he arrived in the underground chamber, he frowned at the stench of blood that assaulted his nose.
The entire chamber had been wrecked.
It looked as though a fierce battle had taken place.
Then someone lying on the ground caught his eye.
It was...
'Elder Hang!'
Hang Yeon, the head manager of the archive.
Dan Pil-hu rushed over to examine him, but could not hide his shock when he felt Hang Yeon's cold skin.
'How can this be?'
His breathing had already stopped.
Hang Yeon had once been one of the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice.
Yet he had lost his life so helplessly.
'Was that bastard's martial prowess far beyond what I expected?'
Aside from Meok Chong-un, Dan Pil-hu had believed none of the Six Stars of Heaven could stand against Hang Yeon.
The result was unexpected.
Still, something was wrong.
Dan Pil-hu frowned as he examined Hang Yeon's wounds.
'These are not finger-art wounds.'
The injuries on Hang Yeon's body had not been inflicted by Sa Mu-heo's speciality martial arts, the Ten-Finger Art.
They were blade wounds.
And the traces of that blade art were very familiar.
Dan Pil-hu swallowed, then pulled back the blood-soaked collar of Hang Yeon's robe.
'!?'
The moment he did, Dan Pil-hu was struck speechless.
'How is this possible?'
He had removed the robe to inspect the blade marks, hoping he was wrong.
Yet they were unmistakably traces of the Martial Flash Blade Art.
It was one of the speciality blade arts that had made him famous throughout the martial world as the Flashing Blade Shadow Guest.
Dan Pil-hu examined the traces around him.
Every blade mark left in the chamber came from forms of the Martial Flash Blade Art.
His mind grew complicated.
The fact that Elder Hang's corpse bore marks not from the bastard's speciality martial arts, the Ten-Finger Art, but from Dan Pil-hu's own blade art, meant only one thing.
'A trap?'
Dan Pil-hu shot to his feet.
At that moment, the sound of many people approaching came from the stairs.
Before long, every manager of the Changcheon Martial Archive, including Lim Jeong, appeared with academy warriors in tow.
"Oh my. Vice-Master?"
It was an absurdly convenient situation.
* * *
At the assembly area of the training halls northeast of the dormitory grounds, academy warriors searching the area for further abnormalities after the arson incident discovered something inside a Special-grade training hall built from Gyeseseok stone.
Everyone who saw it was stunned.
They had found a corpse.
Yet it was not the body of one of the night-duty warriors who had guarded the dormitories.
"...What should they do?"
"This is driving me mad."
"No, how in the world did this happen?"
What could they possibly have found to leave them so flustered?
One of the warriors swallowed dryly and muttered,
"The academy is going to be completely turned upside down."
"Turned upside down? This feels like far more than that."
Even low-ranking guard warriors like them could see that the corpse would lead to something dreadful.
* * *
"Master Mumu!"
"Huh? Dorm Head!"
Do Yang-woon, the dorm head of Northern Heaven Residence, limped over to Mumu with delight.
His eyes held clear respect for Mumu.
Until now, even though he had been learning the Muscle Training School from Mumu, Do Yang-woon had believed his own martial prowess was superior.
That had changed.
He had watched Mumu fly to Northern Heaven Residence and extinguish the fire with a single punch.
"Ha... You're really a monster."
Ki Ma-jin, who had supported Do Yang-woon on the way over, clicked his tongue in amazement.
Who could have imagined that someone who had not even learned Martial Arts would show such incredible ability?
If not for Mumu, this act of arson might have caused a terrible tragedy.
"A monster? Senior, how can you say something so disrespectful to Master Mumu?"
"...That Master business has really become second nature to you."
Ki Ma-jin shook his head as if fed up.
Do Yang-woon did not mind in the slightest.
Rather, because he believed all of this was thanks to Mumu, he raised his hands in a fist-and-palm salute, intending to express his gratitude.
"If not for Master Mumu..."
"Dorm Head."
Mumu hurriedly stopped him.
Then he whispered quietly.
"Please keep it a secret that I put out the dormitory fire."
"What? Why?"
Do Yang-woon asked in confusion.
Mumu had done something more heroic than anyone else. Why would he want to keep it secret?
Mumu scratched his head.
"I just don't want things to become troublesome."
"You do not want things to become troublesome? But with something like this, Master Mumu saved the academy..."
"Shh."
Mumu placed a finger over Do Yang-woon's lips.
"Please just keep it secret."
Of course, this was because of his promise to Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu.
Dan Pil-hu had warned him that revealing all the strength he had hidden could become a matter of public discussion within the academy, so Mumu had no wish to reveal it.
'Ahh. What a noble state of mind. It is exactly as Grandfather said.'
Northern Heaven Fist Hero, Do Yang-woon's grandfather, had always instructed him that righteousness was only natural for one who followed the force of justice.
He had said one should never take pride in it or seek praise from others for doing it.
"You understand the path of a true chivalrous hero. I respect you all the more."
Mumu tilted his head at those words.
He had only asked Do Yang-woon to keep it secret so he could avoid trouble. He had no idea why the path of a chivalrous hero had come up.
Then someone caught Mumu's eye.
It was Hong Hye-ryeong, another descendant of one of the Four Immortal Masters.
'Hoo.'
She had been waiting for Mumu while he explained the course of events to the academy management staff and instructors.
Of course, she had waited like this because she wanted to thank him.
'...Right. He definitely helped me.'
She had originally intended to thank him then.
But Mumu had disappeared in a hurry toward the northwest side of the dormitories the moment he extinguished the fire, so she had missed her chance.
Now that she was about to thank him, she felt oddly embarrassed.
She suddenly remembered Mumu holding her in his arms as they landed.
'Why did that suddenly come to mind?'
Aside from her father, it had been the first time in her life that she had been held by a man.
Perhaps that was why it continued to bother her.
"Oh! Junior Sister Hong."
Do Yang-woon recognized her and greeted her.
"Senior Brother Do."
They had entered the academy in different years, but Southern Blade Imperial Uncle and Northern Heaven Fist Hero had been close enough to found the academy together, so Do Yang-woon and Hong Hye-ryeong knew each other.
"Junior Sister Hong, do you have something to say to Master Mumu?"
"Master Mumu?"
Hong Hye-ryeong furrowed her brow.
She had wondered if she had misheard him earlier, but why was someone of a similar age calling another person master?
Just then, as she stood there puzzled...
"Here she is!"
Academy warriors suddenly rushed toward them and surrounded Hong Hye-ryeong.
Caught in the sudden encirclement, she had no idea what was happening.
Do Yang-woon stepped forward and asked,
"What is the meaning of this?"
The warriors did not answer.
An elegant, beautiful middle-aged woman with her hair pinned up appeared from between them.
Do Yang-woon and Ki Ma-jin's expressions shifted at her arrival.
"Master Yeon Cheong-ha?"
Vast-Edge Radiant Sword Yeon Cheong-ha.
She was one of the Six Stars of Heaven and the chief director of the academy's Discipline Bureau.
It was not often that she appeared within the academy leading warriors like this.
Yeon Cheong-ha approached Hong Hye-ryeong and said,
"Cadet Hong Hye-ryeong. After roll call ended, you obtained an outing pass and went to a Special-grade training hall, correct?"
"What? Yes. Why?"
"I see. In accordance with academy rules, you are under arrest on suspicion of murdering Cadet Young Chun."
'!?'
The people around them stirred at those words.
Young Chun.
He was the third disciple of Shin Ui-gyeom, the Eastern River Sword Sage and one of the Four Immortal Masters.
Footnotes:
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