WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

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◈ The Martial Alliance Rulebook Archives ◈

Chapter 48: The Pursuers (1)

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The Lamp-Extinguishing Executioner's pursuit party briefly postponed its departure due to the sudden arrival of guests.

I remained among them for a while. Whatever Murong Sung had told them about me, they discussed the direction in which the Lamp-Extinguishing Executioner might be hiding without any sign of reluctance.

On my way back to the tent assigned to the White Sword Squad, I noticed Murong Sung's tent. The people dispatched from the Martial Alliance branch appeared to be having a serious discussion with him.

People had finally arrived to take over the practical work and set me free, so I was quite glad. Murong Sung would see things differently.

Unlike the supervisor he had already coordinated with, he would have to establish a new relationship with these people from the beginning.

Of course, he could not have failed to grease the nearby Martial Alliance branch before undertaking something as significant as suppressing bandits. The negotiations probably would not be difficult.

As I organized the matters that needed to be handed over, I caught a strange scent.

I had smelled it once before, but it seemed like something that should not exist in the martial world...

Just as I tried to remember it, someone called out to me from behind.

"Research Officer Yeok!"

It was someone I did not recognize.

"I am a warrior of the Murong Clan. Young Master Murong is looking for you."

Me?

I was rather bewildered. The practical matters would have to be discussed with the newly arrived people anyway, so why was he suddenly looking for me?

"All right. Lead the way."

I tried to keep my expression blank as I followed the Murong Clan warrior.

* * *

The person the Martial Alliance branch had sent as its supposed field commander was Iljik, who bore the epithet Steel-Severing Leg.

True to the epithet, which meant a leg that could sever steel, Iljik was a complete master of leg techniques. The problem was a petty disposition and a cunning nature.

Having once lived as a wandering martial artist between the orthodox and unorthodox sects, Iljik had accumulated no small number of grudges. To avoid a violent death in the night, Iljik relied on the Martial Alliance and came to throw their weight around at a small branch.

Iljik no longer wished to involve themself in dangerous matters like life-and-death duels. Iljik wanted to amass wealth through strength and reputation, or infamy.

However, a mistake made at a pleasure house after drinking several days ago had become a problem. This elder had merely given the youngsters a light scolding, yet their constitutions had been so weak that they ended up bedridden.

Normally, the matter could have been smoothed over with a suitable payment, but one of those youngsters happened to be an official's son.

The branch leader ordered Iljik to remain confined, saying that even Iljik could no longer be excused.

While Iljik was shut away at home, the branch leader suddenly summoned Iljik.

Would Iljik remain confined and proceed with what was effectively retirement, or answer the request to suppress Iron-Steel Stronghold, serve as the field commander, and wash away the disgrace with martial reputation?

In the end, Iljik chose to join the stronghold suppression. It was the result of a decidedly calculating decision.

If the Murong Clan was determined to destroy a mountain stronghold, how could a bandit group without even a Green Forest King hold out?

The Martial Alliance's main headquarters was even providing support. It was a battle they could not lose.

Iljik rejoiced inwardly.

That branch leader bastard had taken plenty from Iljik as well. The branch leader had long wielded Iljik like a sharp blade, extracting various tributes from the nearby merchant groups. It would surely have felt wasteful to simply discard such a useful blade.

That was why the branch leader had included Iljik in a matter where all that was needed was to show up and make up the numbers, thereby burying the incident.

With a light heart, Iljik headed for Iron-Steel Mountain.

What Iljik had not expected was that a field supervisor would still be needed even though people had come down from the main headquarters.

Naturally, the branch leader had sent Iljik while carefully concealing the fact that the person originally responsible for leading the supply convoy had been assassinated.

As a result,

"I-I can't go...! I mustn't go!"

Iljik was clinging pathetically to Murong Sung, begging that the punitive expedition's camp not be left unguarded at a time like this.

* * *

"Young Master Murong, what is going on...?"

I was bewildered. A middle-aged martial artist whose aura suggested considerable skill was practically in tears while clutching at the young master's trouser leg.

Martial artists often valued practical gain over dignity, but it was rare to see someone cast aside all dignity to this extent.

Even elders of major sects or great clans found it difficult not to care about appearances.

Murong Sung spoke in a low voice.

"This person was dispatched from the nearby branch as an acting supervisor. Yet they insist that we must stop pursuing the culprit."

Uh...

It seemed he wanted me to persuade this person. I sighed and addressed Iljik.

"Great Hero, I am Yeok Cheonmyeong. Until your arrival, I was temporarily managing the Martial Alliance's supply convoy. May I ask who you are?"

"You're the manager?! Then help me persuade Young Master Murong!"

The middle-aged martial artist introduced themself as Iljik, Steel-Severing Leg. Iljik's argument was as follows.

Those vicious Iron-Steel Stronghold bastards had sent an assassin to disrupt the Martial Alliance's supply operation. But that could not be the end of the bandits' scheming!

In truth, Iljik's assumptions had been wrong from this point onward.

If the assassin was from the Black Lotus Society, as I suspected, there would be no particular connection between Iron-Steel Stronghold and the assassin. Still, I needed to hear Iljik out for the persuasion to go smoothly, so I pretended to agree.

"Are you saying they have another purpose hidden behind this?"

"Of course! Drawing out the punitive expedition's elite is Iron-Steel Stronghold's real aim!"

If manpower was committed to chasing the assassin, the encirclement around Iron-Steel Stronghold would naturally weaken.

Iljik believed the Iron-Steel Stronghold bandits would exploit that opening, break through the encirclement, and go into hiding.

"We martial artists live prepared to shed blood! But if the Iron-Steel Stronghold bandits hide among civilian homes, innocent commoners will suffer as well! Young Master Murong's righteous anger deserves respect, but now is the time to prevent harm from coming to the people!"

Wow.

Honestly, it was impressive.

If I had not known that Iron-Steel Stronghold had no particular connection to the assassin, or that the Lamp-Extinguishing Executioner had not known about the tracking incense and could therefore be pursued, I would have naturally nodded and thought, 'Oh, that sounds plausible.'

There was one more thing.

I knew something about Iljik.

That did not mean Iljik's martial reputation was notable enough to be recorded in an Anomaly Records Office rulebook.

Peng Juhyeok had taught me that it was best to investigate rumors about nearby Martial Alliance branches before setting out on an assignment.

A branch with a good reputation would pose no issue, but a branch with a bad reputation could attract Anomalies because of the resentment people held toward it.

And Steel-Severing Leg Iljik definitely had a poor reputation.

'Let's see...'

At first, I had thought Iljik was simply someone who had completely abandoned dignity. Listening to what Iljik said, though, that was not entirely the case.

Iljik had presented an argument that the encirclement around Iron-Steel Stronghold had to remain firm to prevent harm from coming to the common people.

If Steel-Severing Leg had only been spouting nonsense, Murong Sung would have ignored Iljik and pushed ahead. But because Iljik held up such a plausible cause as a shield, Murong Sung had asked me, another member of the Martial Alliance, to persuade Iljik.

It was quite ridiculous to see someone who had diligently exploited commoners use them as a shield. At the same time, seeing how much Iljik feared danger sent a chill down my spine.

Steel-Severing Leg was a wandering martial artist. Wandering martial artists who survived for a long time tended to have an exceptional sense for danger.

If Iljik was this wary of the punitive expedition splitting its forces, it was reasonable to assume Iljik had unconsciously sensed some kind of threat.

'Though I don't know exactly what that danger is.'

Still, it was more threatening to me if the culprit safely brought information back to the Black Lotus Society. If the culprit reported that there was a suspicious formation array researcher who appeared to have ties to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I might become a target.

I considered for a moment how to strip away the shield of justification Iljik had raised while cleverly avoiding the danger Iljik had sensed.

"First, allow me to pay my respects to Senior Iljik."

"H-huh?"

* * *

The method I chose was simple. In the martial world, debts and grudges were a justification as powerful as dignity, perhaps even more so.

Iljik could easily suggest abandoning the pursuit because Iljik stood outside that circle of debts and grudges.

Then I only had to draw Iljik inside it.

"Senior Iljik's reputation is well known. You rose from our White Sword Squad to become a field commander of a Martial Alliance branch."

Iljik was an expert who had begun as a wandering martial artist.

In other words, Iljik had passed through the White Sword Squad.

"Uh, yes. Thank you...? But aren't you a researcher..."

"I was also once part of the White Sword Squad."

Iljik's face stiffened. It was almost as if I could hear the inward cry of, 'Damn it!'

"Senior, the assassin has fed on the blood of our White Sword Squad brothers. A wandering martial artist's life may be one of being buffeted from all sides, but Young Master Murong wishes to take up the blade of retribution for those White Sword Squad members. The brothers consider this opportunity as precious as gold."

Though the White Sword Squad members were close, there were not many who were truly close enough to address one another as brothers. Still, it was also true that they wanted revenge.

"If Senior Iljik, as the eldest brother of our White Sword Squad members, were to lend us aid in pursuing the assassin, it would be an enormous help!"

The safety of the common people was important, but so was avenging one's brothers.

Iljik did not have many options here. At most, Iljik could say that a smaller cause should be set aside for a greater one, the safety of the common people.

And an experienced martial artist could always seize one or two justifications without effort.

"Of course, I have heard Senior's wise opinion. It is a perfectly reasonable concern. That is why I have devised a plan."

"What plan?"

"Senior is worried that the encirclement around Iron-Steel Stronghold will be broken. Then why not prepare enough people that those Green Forest men will not even dare to try?"

"No, where would we find such manpower? Besides the Murong Clan's elite, there is no one who can spend time pursuing the assassin..."

Steel-Severing Leg trailed off.

Additional personnel from the Martial Alliance branch had just arrived. They had set out from a departure point entirely different from that of the forces already surrounding Iron-Steel Stronghold, so they had expended little energy.

The justification was sound as well. The Martial Alliance would be stepping forward for the sake of the White Sword Squad members who belonged to it.

Steel-Severing Leg seemed to realize this too, because Iljik could not continue speaking and only hesitated.

I sent Murong Sung a voice transmission.

[Persuade Steel-Severing Leg now. If you offer the condition that Iljik may remain in this camp without joining the pursuit, Iljik will gladly agree to embellish Young Master Murong's accomplishments... more dramatically.]

Murong Sung nodded.

[Then what will you do about pursuing the assassin?]

[I will join the pursuit.]

While speaking with Iljik, I remembered what the smell I had caught before entering Murong Sung's tent had been.

It was an aroma similar to the scent of Fuxi, whom I had encountered during the Taishan Sect's Purification Rite. The smell of fried chicken, which naturally should not exist in this martial world.

Naturally, it was the scent of an Anomaly.

That faint scent happened to be drifting on the wind from the direction the tracking-incense specialists had identified as the Lamp-Extinguishing Executioner's location.

I was certain there was some connection between the fleeing Lamp-Extinguishing Executioner and that strange scent.

Footnotes:

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