WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Satori

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◈ Wanderer of the Martial World ◈

Chapter 31

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“Looking for a house?”

“Yes. I think that would be best.”

“Well, you can’t keep living at an inn forever. It’s inconvenient. I know a broker. Want me to introduce you?”

“Oh! Really?”

“Of course. Between us.”

So-ok and Ju Daegang walked along, chatting excitedly.

In truth, I had a rough idea why So-ok was acting that way.

In Huangzhou, we were outsiders.

Outsiders with no connections at that.

If someone harbored bad intentions toward us, they could easily make a move without having to contend with the bulwark of personal connections.

That was one reason wandering martial artists formed groups.

In this world, the mere fact that an acquaintance had been killed was enough justification for revenge. It made people think twice.

“Ah! How about we have a drink after we’re done today? It’s been a while since my last job, so I was planning to eat out with my family.”

“You’re married?”

“Ha ha. Of course I am. You think I’d still be single at my age?”

The faces of Yi Pyeong’s group came to mind.

Not one of them had managed to marry.

“I have a beautiful wife and a daughter as cute as a rabbit. Ha ha ha!”

I looked at his face as I listened to his hearty laughter.

...With that face?

I did not judge people by their appearance, but some things were simply what they were.

I swallowed the thought before it could leave my mouth.

And so, we returned to Huangzhou.

“I’ll leave the payment at the wandering martial artists’ inn, so collect it tomorrow!”

Im Chun-su called out to the wandering martial artists.

Normally, payment was due that same day.

However, since Yang Family Manor’s young clan head had died, everyone seemed willing to accept the delay without protest.

The payment was the price of the wandering martial artists’ lives. They would not dare withhold it carelessly.

If Yang Family Manor failed to pay or tried to cheat them out of the proper amount, every wandering martial artist would refuse their requests from then on.

Honestly, that alone would be fortunate.

No one knew what wandering martial artists nursing a grudge might do in their rootless lives.

The martial artists of sects usually looked down on wandering martial artists, but even they could not ignore what would happen if they failed to pay fair compensation.

“Then I’ll see you in two hours!”

Ju Daegang waved and quickly disappeared.

In the end, we made plans to have dinner with him.

I was still wary of him, but I thought I should at least hear him out.

If he did not harbor evil intentions, becoming his companion would not be a bad choice.

Inside the inn, I paid for hot water. So-ok and I gathered our clothes, went down to the first floor, and entered a small bath shed in the back courtyard.

Steam filled the little shed from the hot water.

How long had it been since I had last bathed?

I had not washed properly since my last bath in Yeongheung County, and anticipation stirred within me.

To guard against anything unexpected, I first inspected the shed before taking off my clothes.

“Gaga.”

Steam rose like fog, slightly obscuring my vision.

We had seen each other naked many times, but her face was still a little red with embarrassment.

Shaaah.

After mixing hot and cold water to a suitable temperature, I slowly poured it over her with a dipper.

“Mm...”

So-ok let out a faint moan as her body relaxed.

I rubbed dried honey locust pods between my hands to make a lather, then washed her.

“I... I’ll do it!”

“It’s all right.”

A faintly mischievous smile naturally formed on my face.

So-ok looked quite cute as she blushed at my teasing.

After we roughly washed each other, we climbed into a tub full of warm water.

Haaah...

So-ok relaxed against my chest, her back resting against me.

I felt the same way.

“I’ll be able to become strong too, right?”

“Of course.”

“...I hope so.”

“You will.”

Perhaps yesterday’s events still weighed on her mind.

“It takes time. If you train steadily without rushing, you will certainly grow stronger.”

“...Yes.”

If what So-ok had said was true, she had plenty of talent for martial arts.

She had developed internal energy after only a few days at Azure Balance Gate.

With qi sense like that, she would grow stronger as time passed.

Of course, without the help of spiritual medicine, I did not know whether she would be able to reach first-rate.

“Still, once we find a house tomorrow, I’ll be able to train properly.”

Ju Daegang had said he would introduce us to a broker, so we should be able to find a house tomorrow.

He had also said he would tell us about a blacksmith’s shop he frequented. I could sell my sword and replace it with a straight saber.

It bothered me that my short boot was broken, but there was nothing to be done about it.

When I had time, I would take it apart and find out why it had broken.

Normally, martial artists used weapons when performing martial arts, so both sides naturally focused most of their attention on the weapons and the upper bodies wielding them.

They watched the lower body and feet only to understand an enemy’s footwork or guard against potential kicking techniques.

That was why attacking with the short blade hidden in my short boot was so effective.

All I had to do was strike fast along the shortest path.

Even first-rate martial artists had fallen for it so far. It was far too effective a method to simply throw away because it was broken.

“Ah!”

So-ok suddenly moaned.

The sound was pleasant to hear, so I kept moving my hand.

When it was time, we left the inn and headed for the meeting place.

So-ok’s pretty face seemed even brighter, while I felt inexplicably tired.

When we arrived in front of the inn Ju Daegang had told us about, I saw him with two other people.

A girl who looked around five was in Ju Daegang’s arms. Beside him stood a beautiful woman in her thirties, speaking warmly with him.

Could she really be his wife?

“Ah, you’re here! Let’s introduce ourselves first. This is my wife, and this little one is my daughter.”

Surprised inwardly that he had been telling the truth, we exchanged introductions.

“I’m Choi Ok-ran.”

“I’m Hwang Jeong-un.”

“I’m Baek So-ok.”

“And this is my daughter. Hyang-a, say hello.”

The child in Ju Daegang’s arms gave a small nod, then shyly buried her face in his chest.

At that point, I set aside some of my suspicions about why he had invited us today.

A beautiful woman could act, but that child was too young for that.

She was probably truly his daughter.

And few madmen would bring their daughter to a place where danger might arise.

“Let’s go in first! The food here is excellent!”

The meal, accompanied by alcohol, continued.

Just as Ju Daegang had said, the food was quite good.

The liquor had gone around several times, and a pleasant buzz had risen in me. The child was already asleep with her head on her mother’s lap.

“I used to have a group.”

Ju Daegang spoke in a serious voice.

“They were men I’d been with since I was Unranked... It had been a long time. We all became Third Grade, and we earned a bit of a name for ourselves in Huangzhou.”

At her husband’s solemn words, his wife only stroked their sleeping daughter’s hair.

“Then I became Second Grade... and I felt the way they looked at me change. Especially when I refused to teach them martial arts. They looked at me like I was a traitor.”

Passing on martial arts.

Even if one shared martial arts, their value did not diminish. Still, it was not something to decide lightly.

“Then one day, I went out alone on a solo job. It was an easy one. Just guarding a merchant caravan.”

At those words, his wife’s face turned a little pale.

“I heard those bastards came to my house. They intended to take my wife and daughter hostage and force me to hand over my martial arts.”

“...”

Treasure bred greed.

That was true even if the treasure belonged to companions one had spent years with.

“If Chun-su had not happened to stop by our house... Hoo... When I returned from the job and heard what had happened, I found every bastard who had escaped Chun-su alive and tore them apart.”

Remembering that time, his eyes gleamed with killing intent.

“After that, I took a break from work. But eventually, I picked up my axe again and headed for the wandering martial artists’ inn. I had to make money, after all.”

It was not easy for wandering martial artists, whose only skill was killing things, to find productive work elsewhere.

“But I kept coming up empty. I couldn’t only take easy jobs. I had to accept jobs like yesterday’s too, but doing them alone without companions was a little frightening.”

There was no fear in his eyes.

Perhaps what he feared was leaving this world before his family did.

“Then I saw you two. That was why I wanted to become your companion.”

“Why us?”

“Well... Honestly, when I first saw you, I thought you were Unranked. You were too young. Still, seeing how confident you were, I only thought you had guts. But you were second-rate.”

“...”

“I simply liked your attitude. You did not get angry at the wandering martial artists talking badly about you behind your back. And at the end, you looked every second-grade martial artist in the eye as you assessed them. That left quite an impression.”

He had known all along.

“So I wanted to do this job with you. And now... I want to become your companion.”

So the kindness he had shown us had been to learn what kind of people we were.

It was not a bad thing.

In any case, I had gained a great deal of information through him, and I had been able to kill the Dark Sheep Sect Leader.

When I looked to the side, So-ok gave a small nod.

She agreed.

“...All right.”

I also agreed to accept him as a companion.

After all, we could not live in Huangzhou without forming ties with anyone.

In that case, Ju Daegang was a fairly good choice. He was local to Huangzhou and had connections with disciples of a martial sect.

More than anything, what I liked most was that he had shown us what he treasured above all else.

He had shown us his family.

That alone meant I could trust him to some extent.

“Ha ha ha! Thank you!”

The mood rose, and the cups began to circulate.

We had a group now.

A group made up of second-grade martial artists, at that.

When we returned to the inn, I carefully laid So-ok, whom I had been carrying on my back, down on the bed.

“Mmm... I want to make it big...”

I covered her with a blanket as she mumbled in her sleep, then sat on the other side of the bed and crossed my legs.

Normally, it was best not to practice an inner-energy method while drunk, but Qi Accumulation should be all right.

Was it because the Yodan had vanished and reappeared, or because of the alcohol?

I was filled with the desire to train.

Inhale... exhale...

As I began Qi Accumulation, true qi flowed in from the Yodan hidden in my clothes.

Several times more internal energy gathered than when I practiced Qi Accumulation without using a Yodan.

Caught up in that satisfaction, I built up a little more internal energy than usual.

That was when the problem began.

My qi suddenly began to move.

I panicked and tried to seize control of it, but it had already slipped beyond my control.

The only thing I could do was adjust its direction.

Cold sweat formed on my skin.

If this went wrong, it would be qi deviation.

The wildly moving internal energy soon began striking at blood acupoints I had not yet opened.

Bang!

A thunderous roar rang through my head, and several blood acupoints shattered at once.

The violent movement filled my mouth with the metallic taste of blood.

Bang! Bang!

I could no longer feel time passing.

My mind and will focused solely on guiding the direction of my internal energy.

Kra-bang!

How much time had passed?

A minute? An hour? A year?

Within that immeasurable span of time, the final blood acupoint shattered.

Whooosh...

My internal energy began circulating in a circle.

The Minor Heavenly Cycle.

Internal energy endlessly circulated within the confines of the Ren and Du vessels.

I had become first-rate.

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