WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 86: Doubt (2)
──────
Gu Yang Seo-han was dumbfounded.
His twin sister, Gu Yang Seo-rin, had gone even further than Do Yang-woon.
What? Unless I risk my life and throw every poison I have at him, I cannot beat him?
Could there be a greater insult than this?
He had learned poison and leg arts from his grandfather, Gu Yang-gyeong, one of the Four Immortal Masters. The old man had even acknowledged his innate talent for Martial Arts.
Yet she was treating her own older brother like some insignificant nobody.
Ha!
For a moment, he was too stunned to speak.
If he had not cared about appearances, he would have knocked this Mumu brat flat on the spot. But Gu Yang Seo-han was a man who valued his dignity. He was not so easily ruled by emotion that he would be baited by those around him into attacking someone he considered beneath his level.
Still...
These two's attitudes...
They were not trying to mock him. What bothered him was that they spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
[Even a contest with only the slightest chance of reversal can still turn around. If you cannot be certain of erasing an enemy, you must not let your guard down even a little.]
It was something Grandfather had always told him.
There was always an if.
If someone who had not learned Martial Arts had become this much of a topic, then that person had to have some hidden card. That must have been why Seo-rin was saying this.
She must have judged him after seeing him fight up close.
Gu Yang Seo-rin had been with Mumu during the fight with the arsonists last night. She must have seen him fight for herself. That was why she kept saying things like Mumu might catch Grandfather's eye, or that Gu Yang Seo-han would not stand a chance without poison.
I should be cautious for now.
Gu Yang Seo-rin gave a quiet snort at the sight of Gu Yang Seo-han holding back his anger.
As his sister, she knew him better than anyone. Even if it sounded like provocation, bluntly saying it to his face was the best way to make Gu Yang Seo-han stay alert.
Still, I am curious.
The Gu Yang Clan's true strength came from poison.
Even Masters could do little against someone who had reached the Poison Form stage.
Would that overwhelming monstrous strength work against poison as well?
Gu Yang Seo-han opened his mouth.
"Fine. Let us say everything you said is true, Do Yang-woon. Are you saying someone impersonated me and deceived you?"
"Yes. That is what I think too."
"Then that means the bastard stole my Martial Arts..."
"The techniques were not complicated, but they could use the basic movements of your Gu Yang Clan's leg art."
Do Yang-woon had sparred with Gu Yang Seo-han more than once. He was familiar enough with the basic movements of the Western Wind Leg Art to have them memorized.
The Gu Yang Seo-han who had killed himself had actually used the basic movements of the Western Wind Leg Art more effectively than the Gu Yang Seo-han standing before him.
"Anyone could learn the basic movements if they have attended the academy long enough..."
Gu Yang Seo-han frowned.
That meant someone within the academy had studied his leg art over a long period.
"You... Could you not tell that fake who killed himself apart from me at all?"
"We began sparring as soon as he arrived, and I could not hear his voice. That made it even harder to distinguish him."
As Do Yang-woon spoke, Gu Yang Seo-rin idly ran her fingers over her fan and muttered, "Skin Masks."
"What?"
"Could it have been Skin Masks?"
Mumu, who had been quietly listening, asked, "What are Skin Masks?"
"They are masks made from pigskin or human skin, and they look almost exactly like a real face."
Skin Masks.
As Gu Yang Seo-rin said, they were elaborate masks made by processing real skin. Unless the circumstances were unusual, it was difficult to tell whether a face was fake.
Still, they were not without flaws.
Gu Yang Seo-rin asked, "Did that fake's complexion never change? Did he not sweat at all?"
Do Yang-woon’s eyes widened.
"That is right. Now that I think about it, his breathing became labored, but his complexion did not change at all."
"Then that is definitely it. I do not know who they are, but they must have copied this brat's face to make one."
Gu Yang Seo-han gritted his teeth.
"What bastard dared to make a Skin Mask with my face and pull something like this?"
This was not something he could simply overlook.
If the fake Gu Yang Seo-han had killed Do Yang-woon, as Do Yang-woon said, every suspicion would have fallen on him.
Gu Yang Seo-rin looked at her furious brother and said, "I do not think framing you was their goal."
"What?"
"If Do Yang-woon had died by your hand, it would have caused a far bigger problem."
Do Yang-woon nodded in agreement.
"I thought about that too."
"You thought about that? Do not tell me..."
"Yes. If I had truly died, it could have become the trigger for my grandfather and yours to turn against each other."
"......"
Gu Yang Seo-han's expression stiffened.
As Do Yang-woon said, if that had happened, his grandfather, the Northern Heaven Fist Hero, would have moved. To stop him, Gu Yang Seo-han's own grandfather would have had to step in as well.
"Hah... Should I call this fortunate?"
Putting aside who was stronger, Mumu had stopped it.
A disaster that could have become a major incident had been prevented.
Gu Yang Seo-rin clicked her tongue.
"It may have failed for us, but there was a case where it actually succeeded."
"A case where it succeeded?... Do not tell me."
"Young Chun, the Eastern River Sword Sage's disciple."
"Wait... That..."
"Gu Yang Seo-rin is right. Is it not strange that something so similar happened on the same day, at around the same time?"
At Do Yang-woon's words, Gu Yang Seo-han swallowed dryly.
People had already been talking about it nonstop. They said the Eastern River Sword Sage might fly into a rage and storm the academy, or even fight the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle to the death.
Gu Yang Seo-han spoke in a trembling voice.
"Then are you saying the incident with Hong Hye-ryeong, and everything that tried to kill you, happened for the same purpose?"
"It all fits. If that were true, the Four Immortal Masters would have split apart."
"Hah..."
It was the worst possible situation to imagine.
A war between the four great masters said to stand at the peak of the martial world.
It would mean the peace that had lasted seventeen years had been shattered.
"Do Yang-woon. Are you certain Hong Hye-ryeong was caught up in a conspiracy too?"
"Judging from the situation, I am nearly certain. Of course, we need to hear it directly from Senior Sister Hong before we can reach a definite conclusion."
"This is insane."
Enormous things were happening.
If academy cadets had died in the arson incident, it could have led to Changcheon Martial Academy closing down. Yet this was on a scale far harder to compare.
It could shake the entire martial world.
"Do you think it was the same people?"
"Most likely. It would be ridiculous for different people to commit acts this bold separately."
Gu Yang Seo-rin scoffed.
Unless someone was a fool, everything that had happened that night could not possibly have been a series of coincidences. Someone was trying to shake the martial world with Changcheon Martial Academy at its center.
Gu Yang Seo-han looked at Do Yang-woon.
"What are you going to do? This is not something we can keep to ourselves."
"We need to tell someone."
No matter that they were descendants of the Four Immortal Masters, they were still academy cadets.
This was not a situation they could resolve with their own strength.
Do Yang-woon turned around.
"Are you going to the main building right now?"
"No. The Central Discipline Bureau."
"Why the Central Discipline Bureau?"
"Now that we know what happened to us, I want to hear what happened to Senior Sister Hong too. There is always the possibility that things were different."
He believed the Hong Hye-ryeong he knew was not someone who would do such a thing, but he could not rule out the possibility that she had truly made a mistake during the martial match.
If that was the case, it would be a separate incident and difficult for them to involve themselves in.
That was why Do Yang-woon intended to hear what had happened from her directly.
"You are still as meddlesome as ever."
Gu Yang Seo-rin clicked her tongue as she watched him.
Mumu spoke to Do Yang-woon.
"Hee hee. This sounds interesting. I have already become a witness, so can I come too?"
"Oh? Our junior wants to come too?"
"Yes. We are classmates who attend the same lectures, so I should help if someone is in trouble. My father always told me to help the people around me."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Gu Yang Seo-rin pretended to think about it, then latched onto Mumu's arm and pressed herself against him.
"Then I will come too."
Gu Yang Seo-han frowned at the sight of her pressing her chest against Mumu.
* * *
At the same time, in the underground autopsy chamber behind the main building.
The autopsy chamber was surrounded on all sides by walls of ice. Since its temperature was lower than outside, it had been built to preserve bodies for a long time.
Near its entrance stood four guard warriors. Their blood pressure points and chi had apparently been sealed, leaving them frozen in strange poses as their trembling eyes stared at someone.
"Haa..."
Someone sighed and covered their face with a hand.
A tear rolled down a flushed cheek through the gap between their fingers.
"Young Chun... Young Chun... Ahhh."
That person's hand was stroking the pale, naked corpse lying before them.
Blade marks covered the cold body alongside burn wounds. The hand touching it slowly tightened.
Crunch!
Grief gradually turned into rage.
That rage carried killing intent, and an intense light shone from the eyes visible between their fingers.
"I will make them pay the price."
* * *
Late that night, Hong Hye-ryeong stared at the three visitors who had come to see her.
What an utterly mismatched group.
Mumu, Do Yang-woon, dorm head of the Northern Heaven Residence and grandson of the Northern Heaven Fist Hero, and Gu Yang Seo-rin, dorm head of the Western Wind Residence and granddaughter of the Western Wind Lone Angle.
Her suspicions had not yet been cleared. She had spent the entire day being interrogated and writing statements, and she was exhausted and sick of everything.
Then there was this.
Annoying.
Gu Yang Seo-rin had linked arms with Mumu and was acting coy, which bothered her for some reason.
By a woman's intuition, Hong Hye-ryeong could tell Gu Yang Seo-rin was openly trying to seduce Mumu.
Of course, she had no relationship with Mumu.
Even so, it bothered her quite a bit.
Maybe it is because I am exhausted in both body and mind.
Hong Hye-ryeong shook her head and spoke to the three of them.
"Why have you come to see me?"
Do Yang-woon answered.
"Senior Sister Hong. We came because there is something I want to ask you."
"Haa..."
Hong Hye-ryeong let out a deep sigh.
She had heard that phrase all day, from last night until tonight. That was what interrogations were like.
"I am tired."
Do Yang-woon looked sympathetic.
He could tell just by looking at her complexion how exhausted she was. Yet this was something he needed to know.
"I am sorry, Senior Sister Hong. I know you have suffered, but you need to tell us this for us to know that this incident was not a coincidence."
"A coincidence?"
Hong Hye-ryeong's beautiful eyes narrowed.
What could he be planning to ask after saying that?
"What do you mean?"
Do Yang-woon glanced at the two guard warriors in the Discipline Bureau room and lowered his voice.
"Last night, I also..."
He had not even finished speaking.
"Who is it, entering this place without permi..."
A loud crash came from outside the Discipline Bureau room.
It did not last long.
Everything fell silent in an instant.
!?
Everyone immediately turned toward the back.
The two guard warriors also seemed to sense something wrong, and their hands went to the hilts of their swords.
Creeeak!
The door slowly opened, revealing a figure.
It was a man in his late thirties or early forties, dressed in blue martial attire and carrying a large wooden case on his back. Behind the man, whose gaze was cold as ice, stood guard warriors frozen in poses as though they were about to draw their weapons. Their blood pressure points and chi had apparently been sealed.
"Who..."
The two startled guard warriors hurried to draw their swords.
Papak! Papak!
In a flash, the man's hands moved like lightning, sealing both of their blood pressure points and chi at once.
The four of them rose from their seats in alarm.
Do Yang-woon raised his life energy.
"Who are you?"
"Is this an unexpected situation?"
Gu Yang Seo-rin snapped open her fan and assumed a guarded stance.
Hong Hye-ryeong, on the other hand, could not raise her life energy or take a defensive stance because her ki gateways had been sealed due to the accusation of killing a fellow cadet.
Mumu stepped in front of her.
"......"
The man swept his cold gaze over them.
Then...
Pat!
He moved in the blink of an eye.
He was so fast that...
Pak!
"Guhk!"
Bang!
Do Yang-woon was struck in the chest by a Palm Techniques attack and sent flying into the wall.
Gu Yang Seo-rin hurriedly attacked with the sharpened edge of her fan.
Chaeng! Thud!
The man knocked aside her fan with the scabbard he had drawn at some point, then kicked her.
She crossed both arms to block it, but the profound Force of ki behind his kick drove her back into the wall beside Do Yang-woon.
Thud!
"Ugh."
Her eyes shook.
This man was far stronger than the academy's masters.
He was powerful enough to overwhelm two descendants of the Four Immortal Masters at once.
After sending them both flying in an instant, the man issued a sharp warning.
"Brats. Interfere, and you die."
"Cough, cough... W-who the hell are you?"
Already struggling due to the aftereffects of his injury, Do Yang-woon coughed up blood as he shouted at him.
The man scoffed, then glared at Hong Hye-ryeong behind Mumu.
"You will pay the price for killing my junior disciple, daughter of the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle."
!!!!!
Hong Hye-ryeong's eyes shook.
Everyone else was equally shocked.
He had clearly said that she would pay the price for killing his junior disciple.
Then this man was...
"...Martial March Battle Sword, Yeong Ga-dong."
Hong Hye-ryeong muttered in a trembling voice.
Martial March Battle Sword Yeong Ga-dong.
He was the eldest disciple of Shin Ui-gyeom, the Eastern River Sword Sage, Young Chun's senior martial brother, and one of the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice.
Step. Step.
Yeong Ga-dong walked forward, his voice thick with killing intent.
"The girl behind you is the one I have business with. Step aside, and you will not be harmed."
It was exactly what it sounded like, a warning.
If they refused to move and interfered, they should prepare themselves.
Yeong Ga-dong's presence weighed heavily upon the air in the room. It was almost vicious.
Overwhelmed by the pressure, Hong Hye-ryeong grabbed Mumu's sleeve and forced herself to speak.
"Thank you, but please step aside. This is something that person and I need to resolve."
Yeong Ga-dong was far too strong to drag Mumu into this.
Unless it was Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong or Meok Chong-un, leader of the Six Stars of Heaven, this was a master beyond anyone's ability to handle.
Mumu scratched his head and spoke to Yeong Ga-dong.
"If you have business with her, talk to her from there."
"Hoo."
Yeong Ga-dong let out an irritated breath at Mumu's words, then moved forward.
His figure blurred, and he arrived before Mumu in an instant.
"One warning is all you get."
Yeong Ga-dong grabbed Mumu by the throat and tried to hurl him into the wall beside them.
But then...
Kugugugu!
Mumu's neck muscles, like an ancient tree trunk, endured the force.
What kind of muscles are those?
He had tried to subdue Mumu easily because he could sense almost no internal energy, but this was unexpected.
Mumu stared directly at him.
"What warning?"
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
