Memoir of a Regressor - Chapter 49

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

◈ Memoir of a Regressor ◈

Chapter 49: The Truth Behind the Massacre

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They were so disgraceful that I was embarrassed for them.

Generally speaking, if someone drank at a pleasure house, they might keep courtesans company and do whatever else they pleased.

If they paid more than usual, who would have anything to say about it?

It was their business. How they enjoyed themselves while drinking was entirely up to them. It was not that I respected it. I simply did not care.

But.

There had to be a line when they acted under the name of the Asura Sword Sect.

Why did a branch exist in the first place?

Having influence in an area meant protecting the people there. In return, the branch received a fixed portion of money as tribute.

That was all.

Naturally, people might voluntarily offer something in gratitude for that protection. In those cases, there was a choice to accept it or not.

This was different. Failing to protect anyone while exploiting and bleeding them dry under the sect's name was another matter entirely.

If they drank on their own coin, that would be one thing. But these bastards could not even afford their own drinks and went begging from the local martial factions? What kind of joke was that?

I looked at the handle of the staff in my hand. There was a recessed groove there. When I pressed it, thorn-like blades sprang out from various parts of the staff.

I liked it.

I swung it at Jin Geon again as he sat clutching his face.

Thwack!

Once more.

Thwack!

I kept swinging.

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

Flesh was crushed, blood burst forth, and bones shattered.

I brought it down again and again as if I meant to beat him to death. His protective qi had already stopped working. He lay sprawled facedown on the floor, twitching.

After staring at him for a moment, I turned my head.

Wang Mu-tan had rushed outside.

His martial realm was Five Dragons Honoring the Sage.

Clutching his face, he drew a sword from his waist.

“Who the hell are you?! You dare touch members of the Asura Sword Sect and think you will get away with it...”

He stopped halfway through.

The emblem embroidered on my robe.

A white chariot wreathed in crimson flames.

There was no way he did not know what it meant.

“B-Branch Leader...?”

“Who are you calling your Branch Leader?”

“...What?”

“I have never accepted trash like you as a branch member.”

He looked as though he did not understand, but that did not matter.

I had not expected him to.

Silently, I walked over and brought down the staff.

He raised an arm to block it. As befitted a martial artist of Five Dragons Honoring the Sage, his internal energy stopped the staff's blades.

I smiled.

“You blocked it?”

I kicked him.

Struck in the solar plexus, he toppled backward. I brought down the staff again. Like before, he raised an arm wrapped in energy with all his strength, but it was meaningless.

I had raised my own energy as well.

Crack!!

His right wrist shattered.

The way it hung limply made it clear the bones were completely broken. I swung again, this time at his shoulder.

Crack.

He rolled across the floor in agony. I brought the staff down on his waist.

Crack.

Then his thigh. Then the other thigh. Then his shoulder again, his arm, hand, and abdomen.

I swung without pause.

At some point, the noise around us died down.

There were not even any screams.

Only the sounds of flesh being crushed and bones breaking echoed through the room.

Huff.

Breathing heavily, I held the staff out to the side. Un Seok-mun, the Manor Lord of Un Clan Manor standing behind me, hurried over and took it.

“It served me well, but the blades have dulled a little, and too much blood has seeped inside.”

“I-it is fine...”

“It is not fine with me. How much did you pay for that staff?”

“...One hundred taels of silver.”

“One hundred taels of silver. Fine. Send someone to the Three Phoenix Branch by tomorrow. You will be compensated.”

Leaving the stunned Un Seok-mun behind, I gestured to Un Do-hyeon, the Young Manor Lord.

His expression was just as bewildered as Un Seok-mun's as he approached me with trembling steps.

“I will ask again. Will you join the Asura Sword Sect as a branch member?”

“...If I do... what will you do for me?”

I turned and looked down at Un Do-hyeon.

“I will avenge you.”

“...Avenge me?”

“I will thoroughly investigate the death of your sister, Un Mi-rang, the former Branch Leader of the Three Phoenix Branch. I will kill every last person involved.”

Un Do-hyeon swallowed.

“What will you do?”

There was no need for any more discussion.

Un Do-hyeon dropped to his knees.

“Please accept me as a branch member. I will serve you with all my loyalty.”

“Good.”

I had told the Asura Pavilion Master that I would choose the branch members myself.

I had chosen one already.

“I will give you your first order.”

“I accept.”

“We are going to the Three Phoenix Branch. Bring those two bastards.”

“Yes, sir!”

As I started to leave the pleasure house, I stopped.

“Manor Lord Un.”

“...Yes, Branch Leader.”

“Drowning yourself in drink is your freedom, so I have no desire to criticize you for it. But I want to ask you this. Do you intend to live like that for the rest of your life?”

“...”

“I will personally get to the bottom of Un Mi-rang's death, the eldest daughter of your family. It concerns the honor of the Asura Sword Sect as well, so I will kill every bastard connected to it.”

“...Branch Leader...”

“I hear Un Clan Manor is a family full of honor. Would it not be a shame to let it collapse like this?”

“...”

“Reopen your business. Take in people and rebuild your family to what it once was. Understood?”

Tears rolled down Un Seok-mun's cheeks.

That was enough.

Then my gaze shifted to the two men standing there blankly.

They did not seem connected to this pleasure house at all. Their blue martial uniforms were distinctive, though I had never seen them before. I could not possibly know every family in this vast martial world.

“You two, where are you from?”

“C-Cheonggang Sword Gate.”

Cheonggang Sword Gate.

I had certainly never heard of it.

“Did those two borrow drinking money from you as well?”

“...Yes.”

“Good. Go and tell your Gate Master.”

The message was obvious.

“Compile every amount those two borrowed and send it to the Three Phoenix Branch by tomorrow.”

“...What?”

“Do not make me repeat myself. Tell every family those two borrowed from as well. But if anyone inflates the price, I will cut off the head of one member of that family for every extra Silver Tael. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes!”

“That is all. Go.”

* * *

The underground chamber of the Three Phoenix Branch.

I surveyed the scene before me.

Wang Mu-tan and Jin Geon.

The two lay on the floor, bleeding all over. They had been given some treatment to stop the bleeding, but not enough. Their blood soaked the floor.

I sat in a chair and crossed my legs.

“Un Do-hyeon.”

“Yes, Branch Leader.”

“Tell me about those two.”

“Should I tell you where they are from as well?”

“No. I do not care about that.”

“...Understood. I will tell you what I know. First, the two of them have very poor reputations.”

“Because of what happened earlier?”

“...Something like that. To be precise, those two have been oppressing the families of Three Phoenix County for quite a long time.”

“For a long time?”

“Yes. Even when the former Branch Leader was alive, they went around oppressing other families. Once, they were late to a mission because they had been playing around with three women and had their pay cut. Whenever a mission ended, they always went drinking. Of course, those bastards have never once spent their own money.”

“What a spectacle.”

“...It is. The former Branch Leader could not control them either. Even when she punished them or cut their pay, that was all she could do. You said you were not interested in where they came from, but I believe you should know this much.”

Hearing him say that made me curious.

“Go on.”

“The reason the former Branch Leader could not control them was because Elder Neung-don of the Asura Sword Sect backed them.”

“Neung-don?”

“Yes. Elder Neung-don is from the Southern Barbarians, and these two men are from there as well. There is no need to look any farther. In all of Three Phoenix County, there is no one else from the Southern Barbarians besides those two. If Three Phoenix County is like this, the Asura Sword Sect cannot be much different. People from the Southern Barbarians are that rare.”

It was truly strange.

“A great disaster struck the branch, yet the only two survivors came from the same place, and they even have an elder from that same place backing them?”

It might have been an overreaction, but something smelled wrong.

“...Would it not be better to keep them alive for now?”

“Why do you think that?”

“...Because Elder Neung-don is behind them. If those two die, Elder Neung-don likely will not stay quiet.”

I laughed.

“That is not something you need to worry about.”

“...Understood.”

“Come to think of it, I saw a few wild dogs outside on the way here.”

Un Do-hyeon blinked. His face asked why I was suddenly talking about wild dogs.

“The Three Phoenix Branch is so dusty, yet seeing those creatures wander around even there because they cannot find food made my heart ache.”

“...Branch Leader?”

“Go catch five of them.”

Un Do-hyeon did not bother asking why. He went outside and returned with five fierce-looking wild dogs.

I stared at them.

They became docile in an instant.

I spoke to Un Do-hyeon.

“Wake them.”

“Yes.”

Un Do-hyeon walked over and kicked each of the two men lying on the floor. As they struggled back to consciousness, they shouted the moment they saw me.

“B-Branch Leader! This is a misunderstanding!”

I had not touched their throats, so they could still speak. I had struck their faces while avoiding their mouths.

How fortunate that we could have a conversation.

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes! It is a misunderstanding!”

Their whole bodies must have hurt, because they immediately grimaced, but I did not care.

“Whatever misunderstanding you claim there may be, what happened earlier has already settled the matter. I have kept you alive because there is something I want to know.”

“A-Ask us anything. We will tell you everything.”

“Good. Whether you live or die will depend on your answers. Is there anything you can tell me about the tragedy at the branch one month ago?”

I could not help but laugh at their reaction.

Beside me, Un Do-hyeon clenched his teeth.

Their reactions were different, but they pointed in the same direction.

They could not have done otherwise.

At my question, our branch members, Wang Mu-tan and Jin Geon, both clamped their mouths shut.

Even their eyes shook wildly.

When people faced the terror of death, their judgment naturally grew dull. Their thoughts became shallower, and their ability to think was reduced to nothing.

If they had something to hide, they could only react like that.

Under normal circumstances, they would have put on the best act they could.

That was right.

Those two bastards were hiding something about the tragedy at the Three Phoenix Branch.

This had become easier.

I spoke calmly.

“From now on, I will ask you questions one at a time. If you do not answer, I will cut off one of your limbs. Including your head, that gives you five chances. First question. Tell me the names of those involved in the tragedy at the Three Phoenix Branch.”

I counted to five in my head.

The two men answered with silence.

“Un Do-hyeon.”

“Yes, Branch Leader.”

“Go cut off one leg from each of them.”

“Yes, sir!”

With a murderous expression, Un Do-hyeon drew his sword and mercilessly cut off one leg from each man.

Slash, slash.

“Aaargh!”

“Stop!”

Why else would I have brought wild dogs here?

I gave Un Do-hyeon a look. He smiled brightly.

He had clearly understood.

He immediately picked up the two legs and threw them to the wild dogs.

The hungry dogs glanced at me, then began chewing through the legs.

“Now, the second question. It is the same as before. Tell me the names of those involved in the tragedy at the Three Phoenix Branch.”

It seemed Jin Geon, the one with the lower realm, could not overcome his fear.

He quickly spoke.

“There are thirteen martial factions in Jangam County!”

Wang Mu-tan glared at Jin Geon.

I ignored him. At a slight gesture from me, Un Do-hyeon cut off Wang Mu-tan's remaining leg.

Slash.

It was the same process as before.

More importantly, it was not one or two martial factions. There were far too many. I wondered if I had heard him wrong.

“Thirteen martial factions in Jangam County?”

“Yes... Yes. To be precise, a small group led by Pung Bi-chang, the Branch Leader of the Jangam Branch, devised the plan.”

“Every one of those people belongs to one of those thirteen martial factions?”

“Yes... There were Clan Heads, Young Clan Heads, Young Gate Masters, and all sorts of people. If you want a list, I can write it down immediately.”

When I remained silent, Jin Geon shouted desperately.

“Myeong Clan Manor, the Pung Clan, the Han Clan, Jang Clan Manor, Jinaek Sword Gate, Thunder Energy Sword Sect, Nakseong Sword Clan... and more.”

And at their center was Pung Bi-chang, the Branch Leader of the Jangam Branch.

I memorized them.

As if making excuses, Jin Geon shouted with bloodshot eyes.

“The former Branch Leader, Un Mi-rang, was a bitch who discriminated against us!”

Un Do-hyeon flared up, but he was a man who could distinguish right from wrong. His eyes shook violently as he looked at me.

It was clearly rage.

I shook my head, telling him to leave it alone. Un Do-hyeon nodded and only gripped his sword hilt harder.

“I-I will tell you everything. Please, spare me.”

“Good. Tell me all of it.”

Jin Geon began his story.

It began dramatically, but there was not much to it.

In short, those two men had drowned themselves in drink ever since joining the branch. Their habit of chasing women went without saying.

Whenever the branch dealt with missions sent by the Asura Pavilion Master, neither of them was ever properly present.

Of the twenty-one branch members, including the Branch Leader, nineteen always completed the missions. These two joined in the middle or only appeared after everything was over.

There had been times when they participated from the beginning, but their work was so poor that the other branch members always looked at them with disapproval.

The two of them began making a plan.

Their intention was to secretly contact forces in Jangam County and replace everyone at the Three Phoenix Branch. By luck, it worked out perfectly.

“What happened to the Thousand-Mile Divine Thief?”

“...It was not the Thousand-Mile Divine Thief. They were the Young Clan Head of the Pung Clan in Jangam County. We gave them thirty Asura Pills, and they returned to Jangam County with them. Then we pursued them.”

“We?”

People made verbal slips when they were flustered or consumed by fear. From what I had heard, these two had been drunk and holed up in a corner of a Three Phoenix County pleasure house even when the tragedy occurred.

Yet he had said we?

“...Wang Mu-tan and I were there as well.”

“You were there?”

“...”

“I heard the former Branch Leader and three women were raped and killed. You were there?”

“...Yes...”

“Did you take part?”

“...Yes.”

“I see.”

The entire truth had come out.

By common sense, I should keep at least one of these two alive, spare the Thousand-Mile Divine Thief as well, and take them to the Asura Sword Sect to testify.

But.

Would that change anything?

These two had only been able to do such things because they had someone backing them.

That elder bastard, Neung-don or Don-neung or whatever their name was, had protected them.

At this point, there must have been holes in the report, but they had been overlooked. Even the Asura Pavilion Master, the only one who questioned it, had been overpowered by the elders.

Thirteen martial factions from the vast region of Jangam County.

Not one or two, but thirteen. On top of that, the Heaven-Breaking Fist Sect was directly involved.

The elders who wanted stability must have been desperate.

Judging by the result, they had succeeded.

Luck must have been on their side as well.

Dokgo Dan-ya had entered secluded cultivation and only emerged two days ago, so luck had definitely favored them.

I heard Myo Man-ri had been making a fuss about leaving the sword sect and wandering outside. Whether I liked it or not, I could understand this situation in one way or another.

If I reported this to the main sect, a proper investigation would begin, and Dokgo Dan-ya would move as well.

But that was not my way.

I intended to wield absolute influence here.

I did not need anyone else's strength. I was not attached to the Asura Sword Sect yet, and I would handle this my way.

Thirteen martial factions and a branch of the Heaven-Breaking Fist Sect.

I intended to crush them all.

“Un Do-hyeon.”

“...”

“Un Do-hyeon.”

Only after I called him twice did he come back to his senses. He turned to look at me.

Rage so intense that he looked ready to kill the two men immediately poured from his eyes along with tears.

I kept my promises.

Keeping my gaze fixed on Un Do-hyeon, I spoke.

“I will give you two choices. I will cut off your limbs and cripple your dantian. Afterward, you will go to the Asura Sword Sect, be tortured for information, and die. That is the first choice.”

“Y-you said you would spare us!”

“I said I would spare you. I never said the Asura Sword Sect would.”

“W-what does that...”

“The second choice is to die by my hand.”

“...”

“You have not answered, so I will decide for you.”

I looked directly into Un Do-hyeon's eyes.

“Cut off their limbs. Leave their necks untouched.”

“...Thank you!”

“And.”

At my next words, Un Do-hyeon smiled brightly, while the two men fell into despair.

Two hours later.