WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 89: Growth (1)
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‘What is this supposed to mean?’
Ha Ryun had clearly seen the mark with his own eyes.
A Jade Medallion bearing a distinctive design, a triangle inside a circle with two lines drawn across it.
[Remember this mark.]
[What is it?]
[If you ever meet someone carrying a Jade Medallion with this mark, devote your absolute loyalty to them.]
“Loyalty? Could it be?”
[Yes. They are the true leader of the House of the Eight Villains.]
That mark had always been etched into Ha Ryun’s mind, and he had personally confirmed that it was on the Jade Medallion hanging around Mumu’s neck.
Yet the future master had apparently ordered everyone to be especially wary of Mumu. It was a contradiction.
For a moment, Ha Ryun was confused.
‘Could the master still be hiding their identity and thoroughly playing a part?’
But that made even less sense.
Their identities had been concealed from the start because they were in the heart of enemy territory, minimizing the risks. They had to remain unknown to each other so that, even if someone was captured, they could cut off the trail.
‘Something is wrong.’
With that in mind, there had been no reason to keep acting once the Grand Plan was underway. If there were obstacles, they should have been eliminated.
Instead, Mumu had been called one of the people who interfered with the Grand Plan, and someone who needed special caution.
At that moment, the person leaning against the door and turning pages in a book spoke.
“Why did you react like that?”
“Pardon?”
“The moment Yu Mumu was mentioned, your breathing stopped for an instant. You were emotionally shaken. Can you deny it?”
Ha Ryun frowned.
He had been controlling his expression as best he could, yet the person had noticed his agitation from the slight pause in his breathing?
This person was a monster too.
There was a reason Heavenly Kill Valley and Paralysis Blade Estate were considered the greatest among the House of the Eight Villains.
‘Should I tell them?’
Ha Ryun considered it for an instant.
Would it be better to reveal this fact? Or should he first find out what was going on?
He chose the latter.
“...I was not shaken by the mention of Yu Mumu. I was surprised to hear that the future master had personally given an order.”
The person turning pages shifted their gaze toward Ha Ryun, then clicked their tongue.
“You do not know much after being locked away.”
“What do you mean?”
“Master Heo, the one behind the Grand Plan, is imprisoned in Changcheon Martial Academy’s holding cell.”
“What?”
What was that supposed to mean?
The failure of the Grand Plan was one thing, but Master Heo, who had overseen the plan within Changcheon Martial Academy, being imprisoned was practically an emergency.
“Then if Master Heo reveals any secrets...”
“That will not happen. If it came to that, Master Heo would take their own life.”
The person at the door spoke with certainty, as though they had absolute faith in Master Heo.
Still, nothing involving people was ever absolute.
Having changed the subject, Ha Ryun carefully asked, “...Have you personally met the future master?”
The person leaning against the door shut the book.
“Forget it. When the time comes, the master will give you orders personally.”
“But...”
Smack!
Before Ha Ryun could finish, the person had already seized him by the throat.
“Ghk! H-how...?”
“The master seemed willing to overlook it, so I was not going to mention it. Still, I cannot help but suspect that someone used Ja Hyun Powder before the Grand Plan even began. How else could it have failed against not one or two, but five people?”
Ha Ryun’s eyes trembled.
He had thought there might be no problem if he simply kept his mouth shut. Yet the person immediately connected that chain of events to him. Ha Ryun could not help but be stunned by their insight.
“Other than someone from Valley of White Death, where Ja Hyun Powder was made, no one in the House of the Eight Villains can handle it. What do you think?”
Squeeze!
Ha Ryun’s face turned red enough to burst.
Even protecting his throat with life energy, he could barely endure it.
‘W-was the difference between us this great?’
Ha Ryun had expected there to be some gap.
Yet this person’s Martial Arts had already surpassed the realm of an academy cadet. Ha Ryun had heard that Paralysis Blade Estate possessed a prodigy with martial talent that appeared only once every hundred years, but this gap was far too great.
‘At this rate... ngh...’
His breath might be cut off.
Struggling desperately, Ha Ryun forced out the words, “I... I did not...”
“You did not? What a joke. Perhaps you did not intend it. Do you think I would not know that you disobeyed Master Heo’s orders, contacted those people, and got yourself captured?”
They knew even that?
That meant Master Heo trusted this person deeply. Information was usually kept hidden so that the others would not know it.
The person pulled Ha Ryun closer and whispered into his ear.
“Words that cannot be controlled have no value. It does not matter whether you wanted credit or were settling some personal grudge. Thanks to you, the Grand Plan was thrown off course.”
“I... I truly did not... ngh...”
“I would like to execute you at once, but it is unfortunate. We are short even one hand right now, and doing so would not benefit this side.”
Smack!
With that, the person released Ha Ryun’s throat.
Ha Ryun dropped to his knees and coughed.
“Cough, cough...”
“From now on, obey my orders.”
‘!?’
Ha Ryun looked up at the person.
Other than Master Heo and the future master, the House of the Eight Villains was, strictly speaking, made up of equals.
Yet this person was telling him to obey orders?
The person looked down at him with cold eyes.
“Do you have an objection?”
Ha Ryun gritted his teeth.
If he refused to obey, the person looked ready to use the Ja Hyun Powder as an excuse to kill him.
There was no other choice for now.
He had no choice but to bow his head.
“I... will follow your orders.”
In that humiliating situation, Ha Ryun’s heart boiled with rage.
* * *
Mumu sat cross-legged on his bed, memorizing something like a poem inscribed on the ceiling of the third floor of the Underground Martial Archive.
He did not know whether Ha Ryun had been released from the Central Discipline Bureau, so there was no way for him to learn anything right now. All he could do was focus on ki circulation.
“Phew.”
The more he recited the words carved into the shattered black stele, the clearer his mind became. He could also feel the energy within his abdomen taking shape more distinctly.
The rate was more effective than the ki circulation methods of renowned high-level Martial Arts known throughout the world.
While Mumu circulated his ki, Jin-hyeok was practicing a ki circulation formula.
New Sun Flying Scythe Leg.
It was a high-level Martial Arts book Mumu had brought from the first floor of the Underground Martial Archive.
After what had happened last night, Jin-hyeok keenly felt the limits of his Martial Arts.
Even if he tried not to compare himself to others, monsters were everywhere around him.
‘Senior Ma Yeon-hwa... Senior Tang So-so... Senior Gu Yang Seo-rin... Do Yang-woon...’
Every one of them was overwhelmingly strong.
He had realized it clearly while facing the masked figures.
With an ordinary mindset, it would be hard to catch up to them.
‘I have to grow stronger.’
Only then could he protect everyone and avoid holding anyone back.
In that sense, New Sun Flying Scythe Leg could make up for what he lacked, having long hungered for high-level Martial Arts.
‘Do not be impatient.’
It was impossible to catch up in an instant.
They too must have become strong through grueling training. In contrast, he had only just encountered high-level Martial Arts.
‘If I steadily take things one step at a time, I can stand on the same level as them. No, I can surpass them!’
He needed to change his mindset.
Wanting to catch up was not enough. He had to burn with the will to surpass them if he wanted to grow stronger.
‘I can do this, Yu Jin-hyeok. If I work hard, nothing is impossible...’
Then Mumu crossed his mind.
Just as he had gathered his fighting spirit, thinking of Mumu drained his strength.
For some reason, he could not imagine ever catching up to that guy.
‘Is he really human?’
The more Jin-hyeok learned about Mumu, the more Mumu defied common sense.
Monster was the word that suited Mumu best.
Jin-hyeok shook his head.
‘No. Do not think about him.’
It was better to regard Mumu as an entirely separate existence.
Even the descendants of the Four Immortal Masters considered Mumu a monster. Trying to fuel his competitive spirit over Mumu would only leave him more discouraged.
‘Right. Do not pay attention to him. Besides, his strength does not come from Martial Arts. We are in different realms anyway, so there is no point worrying about...’
“Jin-hyeok!”
Mumu called to him.
Jin-hyeok looked at Mumu, puzzled.
“What is it?”
Why was Mumu calling him in the middle of ki circulation?
Mumu’s body trembled, then he broke into a broad grin.
“I think I formed a dantian!”
“...What?”
Jin-hyeok frowned at Mumu’s words.
Mumu had only been doing ki circulation for half a two-hour period, and he had already formed a dantian?
That could not be right.
Jin-hyeok had predicted that Mumu would form one within a few days after seeing his condition, but this was far too fast.
“Come here.”
“Okay.”
Jin-hyeok placed a hand on Mumu’s abdomen and sent life energy into it.
As he examined Mumu’s body, Jin-hyeok’s expression stiffened.
Mumu really had formed a dantian.
But...
‘What is this?’
For a newly formed dantian, it was quite large.
The amount of internal energy in a dantian was judged by the years spent training, but this was not the level of someone who had just formed one. It was closer to someone who had trained for several months, perhaps even half a year.
‘This makes no sense.’
That was only possible if there had been almost no loss of life energy.
The Three breathing techniques were known for their stability, but their effectiveness was naturally lower than that of high-level secret manuals.
How could this be possible?
‘Did this guy really learn the Three breathing techniques?’
Jin-hyeok could not understand it at all.
Mumu spoke excitedly to the stunned Jin-hyeok.
“Right? Right?”
What was Jin-hyeok supposed to say?
It was such an unnaturally fast development that he did not know how to respond.
‘Just what is this guy...?’
Did Mumu defy common sense not only in brute strength, but in Martial Arts training too?
It was truly discouraging.
Jin-hyeok had only just resolved not to be impatient, yet Mumu’s learning speed was absurd.
“Is something wrong?”
Jin-hyeok stared at Mumu, then cleared his throat.
“Ah, no. It formed properly.”
“Hehe. Then I can move on to the next stage now, right?”
“......”
This was troublesome.
Mumu had formed his dantian too quickly, and now he was eager to learn the next stage.
But Martial Arts was a form of study, so one had to be careful while learning. Otherwise, one could suffer a Ki Rampage.
‘Is that why my masters always kept me from getting impatient and held back their praise?’
Seeing Mumu now reminded Jin-hyeok of his masters.
Mumu’s learning speed was absurdly fast, so it seemed best to keep him in check so that he would not become conceited and suffer a Ki Rampage during training.
“Yes. You are ready to move on to the next stage.”
“Yay! What will I learn next?”
“You will learn how to control the internal energy in your dantian, your life energy.”
Mumu’s eyes shone at Jin-hyeok’s words.
He looked excited.
Jin-hyeok shook his head.
“But not today.”
“Huh?”
“You just formed your dantian, so do not be too impatient. Keep circulating your ki today and get used to it first.”
It would be better to calm Mumu’s excitement a little.
Mumu looked disappointed at Jin-hyeok’s words.
Then...
“Ah! Then can I do this?”
“This?”
“You said I could take the Little Return Pill once I successfully formed my dantian.”
“Ah...”
Right.
Jin-hyeok had promised to help Mumu take the Little Return Pill once he formed a dantian.
Footnotes:
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