WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Satori
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Wanderer of the Martial World ◈
Chapter 29
──────
There were five martial artists from Yang Family Manor.
The arrogant bastard who had checked the wandering martial artists at the gate joined them, making six in total.
A middle-aged man standing a step ahead of the others spoke.
“I am Yang Yeon-ho.”
“That’s the young clan head.”
Ju Daegang added an explanation.
“He’s a first-rate martial artist, the young clan head of Yang Family Manor, and bears the epithet Huangzhou Overlord Sword.”
“He gave himself that name.”
I appreciated Ju Daegang’s extra explanation, but the unfamiliar situation left me feeling slightly odd.
“Today, we depart for Amgok Village. Steel yourselves and obey orders properly. If anyone disobeys, I will have their head on the spot!”
Was he trying to intimidate us?
Whatever the young clan head’s intention, none of the wandering martial artists seemed frightened by his words.
“Hey, see the one on the far left? The handsome one. That’s the younger brother I mentioned.”
I turned my gaze and spotted a martial artist with quite a handsome face.
Perhaps he had been looking our way already. A faint smile crossed his otherwise expressionless face.
“We’ll decide the squads first, then depart!”
“Yes!”
The Yang Family Manor disciples answered the young clan head loudly.
Soon afterward, the man Ju Daegang knew approached us.
“Brother.”
“Hahaha. Right. Introduce yourself. They’re my companions.”
“I am Im Chun-su, a disciple of Yang Family Manor. Brother and I have been like blood brothers since childhood, so I hope we get along.”
He was quite polite for a martial sect disciple.
“I am Hwang Jeong-un.”
“I’m Baek So-ok.”
We introduced ourselves.
“Are you our squad leader?”
“Yes. Of course I am.”
“Hahaha. Right, you should be.”
And so, the job began.
The young clan head’s carriage stood in the middle of the procession, while the rest of the martial artists walked.
Even the Yang Family Manor disciples were walking, making it clear that Yang Family Manor was not a major power.
Martial sect disciples usually rode horses to conserve their stamina.
“I raised this brat when he was little, you know.”
“No, Brother. What are you talking about? Your mother raised me.”
Ju Daegang and Im Chun-su chatted without pause.
From what I gathered, Ju Daegang’s mother had raised Im Chun-su, who had lost his own mother at a young age.
I was not particularly interested, but their chatter made it feel as though I had joined a group again after a long time.
Like when I had been with Yi Pyeong’s group before becoming second-rate.
Baek So-ok seemed to feel much the same, judging from her bright expression.
Of course, I had no intention of letting nostalgia make me careless.
Without lowering my guard around them, I walked on while taking in the scenery.
After about half a day of walking, we arrived at Amgok Village.
The sun was nearly setting.
An orange sunset shone over the small village.
It looked like an ordinary village.
Yet the villagers were emaciated, with lifeless eyes.
They looked even thinner than the villagers I had seen before, making it clear that the Dark Sheep Sect’s exploitation was worse than I had expected.
Leaving the villagers’ unfocused stares behind, we entered a neat estate overlooking the entire village.
The moment we entered, tables filled the courtyard as though it were a feast day, and the smell of food hung heavily in the air.
“Oh! Nephew! You came!”
A tall old man quickly approached from inside and clasped the young clan head’s hands.
“Uncle. It has been a long time.”
“Hahaha. Indeed it has. Is my brother well?”
“...He is well. Where is your disciple, Uncle?”
He sounded rather arrogant for someone speaking to his uncle.
“He’s trying to put his uncle in his place. Rumors say the Lord of Yang Family Manor is gravely ill and hovering near death. If he wants to inherit the position of family head without trouble, he’ll need to suppress his uncle a little. That man is first-rate too.”
Ju Daegang whispered his explanation.
Perhaps because Im Chun-su had gone to stand beside the young clan head, he spoke even more bluntly.
I gave Ju Daegang a sidelong glance.
What was this man’s purpose in feeding me information like this?
Of course, perhaps he was simply talkative.
But I could not think only that.
In the world of wandering martial artists, no one was kind without a purpose.
“Come, come! Everyone, take your seats! Our nephew should sit in the seat of honor.”
“Hmph!”
The young clan head gave a nasal snort and took his seat.
Still, he seemed pleased by his uncle’s treatment, judging from the satisfied expression on his face.
“Come! Bring the food!”
At the Dark Sheep Sect Leader’s shout toward one side, thin women who resembled the villagers brought in the food.
Delicious-smelling dishes and alcohol were placed on the tables, and I began to suspect something.
Why were they treating us so well?
Even the wandering martial artists.
To them, wandering martial artists were merely people whose lives could be bought with money.
They could never be equals.
Not only large martial sects but also the heads of sects controlling small villages like this usually held such thoughts.
“Come! Eat!”
At the Dark Sheep Sect Leader’s words, everyone began eating.
Not only the martial artists led by the young clan head, but every wandering martial artist as well.
I did not move the chopsticks in my hand.
“Brother Hwang, is your stomach upset?”
So-ok asked worriedly.
Then, seeing my expression, her face hardened as though she had sensed something was wrong.
Of course, my thoughts might have been needless worry.
But was ruling out even the smallest possibility not the way a wandering martial artist survived?
“Miss Baek, do not eat. Just pretend to.”
“...Yes.”
Choke!
Ju Daegang, seated beside me, seemed to choke on his food.
“...I’ve eaten a little already.”
“Do as you please.”
I merely turned my gaze toward the young clan head.
Seated in the place of honor, he drank with the Dark Sheep Sect Leader.
Time passed.
Just as I began to wonder whether I had been overly suspicious because nothing had happened...
“Ugh...”
Thud. Crash.
The wandering martial artists, those who appeared to be Third Grade, began dropping one by one, their heads striking the tables.
Those still conscious sprang to their feet, but they could not stand properly and swayed from side to side.
Clang!
“What is the meaning of this? Urgh.”
The young clan head sprang up and drew his sword, but even he, a first-rate martial artist, could not stand properly.
“Hehehe.”
The Dark Sheep Sect Leader had already moved away from the young clan head.
“Don’t worry too much. It isn’t poison. It is Dream-Soul Drug.”
Dream-Soul Drug.
It was similar to sleeping medicine from my past life, but I had heard that it too was made from the Yodan of Yo beasts, just like medicine for internal injuries and wound medicine.
That was why I knew it had a potency difficult to explain scientifically.
So-ok and I exchanged looks, then pretended to collapse.
Ju Daegang beside us did the same.
“You bastard! You dare betray the family?!”
“...Betrayal? What betrayal?”
“W-What did you say?!”
“It has been a long time.”
The head of the Dark Sheep Sect looked toward the village with empty eyes.
“It has been forty years since your father drove me out and sent me to this miserable mountain village. I lived among those ignorant vermin and merely grew old. Hahaha... On top of that, I was never allotted a single spirit pill, making it difficult to raise my realm. What do you think of that?”
“You were punished!”
“Hmph! Was it wrong to try to inherit the position of family head in place of an incapable man, for the family’s sake? Look at it now. Since your father became family head, Yang Family Manor has declined more and more! That means he was unfit to become family head! That is why, today, I have finally acted after enduring for so long.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?!”
“There is no need for long words. I have already heard that my damned brother is wasting away. Now I will take responsibility for the family.”
A common succession struggle.
Whoever became family head or Sect Leader could claim everything belonging to that faction.
Anyone with succession rights could not help but desire it.
“Hmph! You think that will work? Hah!”
As though his earlier staggering had been an act, the young clan head charged forward.
“What?”
Clang! Clang!
The Dark Sheep Sect Leader panicked and repeatedly retreated.
No matter how high one’s realm, martial arts were ultimately performed with a human body.
The more one aged, the weaker one’s martial strength would inevitably become.
“Gah!”
Clang!
A deafening crash rang out, so loud it was hard to believe swords had collided, and the two men opened the distance between them.
“Whew... This will not do.”
The Dark Sheep Sect Leader took an object from his robes.
A rattle bell with a small bell attached.
Ding. Ding.
The clear, yet equally eerie ringing spread through the air.
Goosebumps rose all over my body.
I had heard it before.
In the mountains near Yeongheung County, when I faced the Gersu.
Squeeeal!
A yokai’s roar echoed out, followed by heavy thudding as two bipedal yokai appeared.
Thick hide, fat jiggling beneath it, hooves where hands should have been.
And pig faces with sharp teeth.
Was this what the Bonghui we had been sent to subjugate would look like if it stood on two legs?
“What is this?!”
The young clan head looked around in panic, as though seeking help.
But his subordinates were only writhing on the ground, barely holding onto consciousness.
Squeeeal!
The yokai charged the young clan head.
Clang! Clang!
Loud sounds rang out as his sword struck the yokai’s hooves.
“Bwahahaha!”
The Dark Sheep Sect Leader laughed uproariously behind them.
Those Bonghui were Yo beasts.
Normally, the young clan head, a first-rate martial artist, should have been able to deal with them easily.
Even against two, that would be appropriate for someone who had reached mid first-rate.
Yet he was being pushed back again and again.
Of course, he was under the effects of Dream-Soul Drug, so that might have been natural.
But I knew.
The bipedal form of the Gersu, which resembled those creatures.
They had possessed martial strength equal to Goe beasts.
My mind raced as I considered how to resolve this situation.
I had to run.
Having shown that he could control those yokai, he would never let us live.
I casually glanced toward the entrance.
Since I knew nothing about this estate, that was the only exit I knew.
The walls were rather high, so trying to climb over them and flee had a greater chance of failure.
Fortunately, the humans and yokai fighting inside were not paying attention to us.
I turned my head as naturally as possible to look at So-ok.
She was watching the battle with a tense expression.
Tap.
When I slowly reached out and lightly touched her, she finally looked at me.
I indicated behind us with my eyes, and she gave a slight nod.
Naturally, we could not simply leap up and run.
We had to crawl away, using the many wandering martial artists as cover.
When I moved first, So-ok gradually backed away as well.
Ju Daegang noticed our movement, but he did not move and kept looking straight ahead.
I did not know why he would not follow us.
Nor did I want to know.
After we had crawled for some time...
“You bastards!”
The Dark Sheep Sect Leader shouted.
I hurriedly turned my head and saw him running toward us, stepping on the wandering martial artists’ heads and tables.
It was a rather advanced lightness technique.
I hurriedly rose and drew my straight saber.
Clang!
I deflected the sword thrust aimed at my throat to the side and kicked at his knee with my front foot.
Thud!
As though it had malfunctioned, the small blade that should have stabbed his knee failed to emerge.
“Tch! You and your cheap tricks!”
Even so, the old man staggered slightly after being kicked in the knee.
“Hiya!”
So-ok seized the opening and thrust her sword at him.
Thud!
“Ah!”
But he immediately kicked her in the abdomen, sending her tumbling backward.
Even old, a first-rate martial artist was still first-rate.
The senses of someone capable of performing the Minor Heavenly Cycle were sharper than I had expected.
I pointed my straight saber at him and steadied myself.
Now that we had been discovered, I had to kill him to survive.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
