Wanderer of the Martial World - Chapter 34

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Satori

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Wanderer of the Martial World ◈

Chapter 34

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The woman in the portrait.

She was not Seoryeong.

The tension instantly drained from me, and I let out a sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

So-ok noticed my strange behavior, but I only shook my head slightly and focused on the portrait again.

Even in a painting, it was clear that she was a great beauty.

But while Seoryeong was the type of beauty who gave off a pure impression, the woman in this portrait had something more alluring about her.

“Seems the rumor was true.”

“A rumor?”

So-ok asked at Ju Daegang’s words.

“Ah, a while back.”

Bang!

At that moment, the inn door flew open, and a group of martial artists entered.

They wore high-quality martial uniforms of blue cloth, patterned with long white designs.

On the left side of their chests were embroidered the characters Namgung and Heaven-Shaking.

The Heaven-Shaking Unit.

It was where the warriors who failed to enter the Azure Heavens Sword Unit, the Namgung Clan’s main force, belonged.

Even so, as a combat unit of the Namgung Clan, they were said to be capable of wiping out an ordinary martial sect on their own.

Of course, common people compared them to the Azure Heavens Sword Unit and mocked them whenever their name came up over drinks. That did not mean they were weak.

“I am Namgung Pyo, leader of the Heaven-Shaking Unit’s Eighth Squad. Wandering martial artists, gather here.”

He looked a little over thirty.

Since he made no attempt to hide his presence, I could estimate Namgung Pyo’s realm.

He was probably first-rate.

The martial artists standing behind him were all first-rate as well.

In lay martial sects like Azure Balance Gate, or martial sects that were not prestigious, a second-rate martial artist could begin serving as a proper member of the sect. But in the so-called great sects, the standard was first-rate.

And Namgung Pyo, a squad leader, was likely at the upper level of first-rate.

They said that rising from lower first-rate to middle first-rate was harder than reaching first-rate in the first place.

As one’s realm rose, the path of martial arts became ever more arduous and difficult. An upper first-rate realm was not something to take lightly.

“I’ll first divide you up and assign squad leaders. Carriages are waiting outside, so board them as soon as the groups are formed.”

His tone was firm and without embellishment.

“Ah, and who is Hwang Jeong-un?”

I raised my hand.

“Once you get off the carriage, follow me. We’ll wait at the center of our assigned area, then support the location when the whistle sounds.”

“These two are my companions. Can they come with me?”

I pointed to So-ok and Ju Daegang. He nodded.

“Fine.”

His informal tone bothered me a little, but I did not show it.

Warriors from prestigious sects looked down even on the heads of ordinary martial sects. Considering that, casual speech might have been fortunate.

At least, he had not been rude so far.

We were then loaded onto baggage wagons and set off.

Besides So-ok, Ju Daegang, and me, two second-grade wandering martial artists rode in our carriage.

We exchanged brief greetings, but spoke no further.

Before a battle, I did not want to force awkward conversation with strangers.

“But what was that rumor from earlier?”

At So-ok’s question, I kept my eyes on the view outside the carriage and listened closely to Ju Daegang.

“Oh, that?”

Ju Daegang looked around to make sure no Namgung Clan martial artists on horseback were nearby, then lowered his voice.

“A while ago, or not that long ago, anyway, the Namgung Clan’s young clan head died.”

“What? Really?”

So-ok spoke as if she had never heard of it.

I already knew from Gu Deok, but apparently So-ok had not heard.

“Yeah. The rumor was that he died from sex.”

“What?!”

“Shh, shh! Keep your voice down.”

“Ah, okay. But he really died like that?”

“It was just a rumor. Puhahaha. Still, that rumor made Huangzhou awfully lively.”

There were not many forms of entertainment in this era.

Rumors about martial sects, especially prestigious ones, were among people’s favorite drinking topics.

Huangzhou was in Hubei Province, but it bordered Anhui Province, where the Namgung Clan was located. That was why people there could not help taking greater interest in the rumor.

“The reason the rumor spread so much was that, although the young clan head liked women, he was still young. Ah, about Jeong-un’s age. And his realm was high too. He was at the Peak Realm.”

Peak Realm at my age...

I already knew that, but hearing it again now that I had become first-rate made it feel different.

I realized anew just how high a place a prestigious sect occupied, and I felt small.

The pride I had felt after reaching first-rate quickly cooled.

“So everyone found it entertaining. But it was strange, wasn’t it? A Peak Realm martial artist dying from sex. Maybe because of that, another rumor spread.”

“What rumor?”

“That the Namgung young clan head fell victim to a demon practitioner. Supposedly, the demon practitioner was a seductress with a Yang-Harvesting, Yin-Nourishing demonic art.”

“But if he was at the Peak Realm, wouldn’t he have sensed her yokai aura?”

“Come on, she obviously hid it.”

“Ah.”

Just as one could conceal one’s presence, it was said that a demon practitioner could conceal their yokai aura.

Well, otherwise, the demon practitioners I had seen before could not have walked freely through the Central Plains.

“But seeing that portrait today makes me think it might be true.”

“Hmm... It does seem plausible.”

“Right? Rumors like that don’t spread for no reason.”

The carriage reached its destination after half a day.

The Dabie Mountains.

In truth, it was not merely a mountain, but an entire mountain range.

A massive range that formed the boundary between Hubei and Anhui Provinces.

Its dozens of peaks and valleys displayed a rugged, imposing form.

Naturally, even gathering wandering martial artists could not allow them to surround the whole of the Dabie Mountains. They had no choice but to form an encirclement formation around the area where the demon practitioner had entered and cast a net from which nothing could escape.

“All right, everyone, go to your assigned positions!”

“Yes, sir!”

At Namgung Pyo’s command, the members of the Heaven-Shaking Unit’s Eighth Squad led the wandering martial artists up the mountain.

We followed Namgung Pyo as well.

Naturally, Namgung Pyo would rather have moved with his own squad members than with us.

But if he did, there would be no one to control the wandering martial artists. It could not be helped.

They were casting a wide net to trap the target inside it. He must have felt uneasy relying only on wandering martial artists.

Honestly, if no one were watching me, I would have slacked off too.

That was why traveling with Namgung Pyo was not enjoyable.

The thought that I should have accepted only a second-grade commission payment for this job crossed my mind.

After traveling for around two hours, we reached a clearing halfway up the mountain.

“Kyaak!”

A Jubu, a monkey Yo beast with tiger stripes, was playing with a rock in the clearing.

The Namgung Clan likely already knew the locations of the yokai colonies nearby and had chosen a position away from them. But there was nothing they could do about a solitary creature like this.

Whoosh!

The rock the Jubu threw flew toward Namgung Pyo at terrifying speed.

Slash!

Namgung Pyo split the rock in half and immediately charged at the Jubu.

Thunk!

One move.

A sword pierced the Jubu between the eyes. Its gaze went slack, and it collapsed.

Namgung Pyo looked at the Jubu’s corpse as he wiped his sword with a dry cloth.

Then he turned his gaze toward us and met Ju Daegang’s eyes.

“Take out the Yodan and store it. Leave the hide. Take the meat later if you want.”

It was an order.

Ju Daegang’s expression stiffened in an instant, but he could not bring himself to speak.

It was probably not just because of Namgung Pyo’s background.

The ease with which Namgung Pyo had killed a Yo beast must have intimidated him as well.

“I’ll do it.”

I stopped Ju Daegang as he tried to step forward and moved first.

“You? Hmph. Do as you wish.”

How did I look to them right now?

A kind-hearted wandering martial artist who, despite being first-rate, did dirty work in place of his companion?

“I’ll do it.”

“It’s fine.”

I ignored Ju Daegang’s attempt to stop me and stood before the Yo beast.

I took out my dagger, skillfully cut open the Jubu’s chest, removed the Yodan, and slipped it naturally into my pocket.

If Namgung Pyo did not ask for it later, this Yodan would be mine.

Even if he remembered and asked for it, I considered claiming that I had lost it.

This was not a subjugation commission, and I was first-rate myself. I did not think he would search my body over a single Yodan.

The unexpected gain lifted my mood slightly.

After we roughly settled into position and sat on the ground, So-ok asked me a question.

“But is it enough to just stay here?”

“The Azure Heavens Sword Unit is probably searching deeper inside.”

“Ah! The Azure Heavens Sword Unit!”

The Azure Heavens Sword Unit was the Namgung Clan’s elite force.

I glanced at Namgung Pyo and saw his expression harden slightly.

An inferiority complex he could not erase showed clearly on his face.

Even the Azure Heavens Sword Unit was not entirely composed of Peak Realm martial artists.

Only the unit leaders, squad leaders, and a small handful of others were known to be Peak Realm martial artists.

Still, the reason Namgung Pyo could not even become an ordinary member of the Azure Heavens Sword Unit might have been because the Namgung Clan judged his talent lacking, or because he lost out in a political struggle.

After all, there could be no place where people gathered without politics.

Pheee! Pheeeew!

Then the sound of whistles echoed through the mountain.

It was not from the area assigned to us, the Heaven-Shaking Unit’s Eighth Squad.

The whistles came from farther beyond it.

Pheeeew! Pheeeew!

The unceasing whistles told me something was wrong.

“Move!”

Namgung Pyo must have felt it too, because he quickly gave us the order and ran toward the whistles.

So-ok, Ju Daegang, and I exchanged looks, then ran after him.

Naturally, we kept our speed in check.

We had no reason to take the lead, but we could not fall too far behind either.

“Squad Leader!”

“You, follow us too!”

Even the squad members and wandering martial artists we passed joined the group.

Pheeeew! Pheee!

The whistles continued without pause.

As several Heaven-Shaking Unit martial artists and wandering martial artists joined us, we naturally fell back and hid among the wandering martial artists.

Ju Daegang and I were experienced enough to act that way without speaking, and So-ok seemed to follow along after reading the situation.

Pheeeeeew!

Once we had left the area we were guarding and entered the mountain where the whistles rang, one long whistle sounded like a dying cry before abruptly stopping.

After that, no more whistles sounded.

In that unpleasant silence, I sensed something was seriously wrong.

Even so, Namgung Pyo raced toward the last whistle.

The Heaven-Shaking Unit martial artists following him did the same.

Even the wandering martial artists followed them.

Were they emboldened because they were with Namgung Clan martial artists?

Or did they think nothing would happen?

We slowly followed behind them up the hill.

Just as the wandering martial artist ahead looked back at us as though they found us strange,

“Ah!”

So-ok suddenly fell.

Perfect timing.