Wanderer of the Martial World - Chapter 37

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Satori

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◈ Wanderer of the Martial World ◈

Chapter 37

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The Yo, the Goe, the Ma, the Hyung, the Hae, and the Jae.

The classifications used to divide yokai by their strength.

But the Hae and Jae grades were quite different from the rest.

Possessing intelligence beyond that of humans, they did not treat humans with hostility for no reason. According to the records, they had even helped people on many occasions.

The Hyung were intelligent as well, but they still treated humans with hostility no differently from the yokai below them.

That was why Hae- and Jae-grade yokai were instead regarded by humans as sacred beasts.

That was also why the aliases of Dragon and Phoenix were given to the martial world's prominent rising talents.

Among the prodigies who reached the Peak Realm before turning thirty, the Martial Alliance selected Dragons and Phoenixes.

They served as squad leaders in a Martial Alliance unit called the Dragon-Phoenix Unit, leading their respective squads in chivalrous deeds and gaining experience.

When I first heard about it, I thought it sounded like children playing at make-believe. But thinking it over, Dragons and Phoenixes at the Peak Realm, together with their first-rate squad members, made for a force stronger than most martial sects. It was understandable enough.

But how could the martial world be that easy?

No matter how mighty the Dragons and Phoenixes were, the martial world was not a place one could overcome with strength alone.

That was why Dragons and Phoenixes fell into demon practitioners' traps and died, or died after being poisoned by wine someone had laced with poison. They were surrounded by countless dangers.

The vacancies left by those deaths were filled by newly appointed Dragons and Phoenixes from the Martial Alliance.

Of course, it was said to be an unspoken rule that heirs of each martial sect were never appointed as Dragons or Phoenixes.

In other words, the Dragons and Phoenixes were, in a way, no more than tools for the Martial Alliance's propaganda.

The effect was tremendous.

From disciples of prestigious sects to wandering martial artists scraping by at the bottom, there was not a young martial artist who did not admire them.

That was why So-ok's eyes had sparkled when she named the Splendid Phoenix.

Of course, I didn't.

I went up to the second floor.

I would have simply refused if only the Family Head of the Yang Family Manor, who was said to be first-rate, had been there. But the Splendid Phoenix, Na Hye-rin, was also there. She had reached the Peak Realm and, if she survived, would one day become a senior figure in the Martial Alliance.

People could bear deep grudges over the smallest slight. I had no idea when my minor refusal might turn into a blade flying back at me.

I was not particularly afraid of the Yang Family Manor's blade, but a blade wielded by Na Hye-rin could be difficult to handle.

"You may go up."

The martial artist from the Yang Family Manor who had guided us stepped aside at the final landing.

Leaving him behind, we went up and the second floor came into view.

Perhaps they had rented the entire floor. Six men and women sat facing one another around a large table in the otherwise empty room.

One of the women rose and gave me a fist-and-palm salute.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yang Ha-yul, Family Head of the Yang Family Manor."

She was a woman with striking eyes that did not suit her plain appearance.

I returned her salute and gave my name.

"I am Hwang Jeong-un."

"I should have greeted you earlier, but I was late in doing so. Thank you for avenging my father."

She was referring to what had happened in Amgok Village.

The Sect Leader of the Dark Sheep Sect had acted against the Yang Family Manor and killed its young clan head at the time.

He had not killed him directly, but he had been killed by the yokai under his control. There was little difference.

"No. It was only natural."

To be honest, it did rub me the wrong way a little.

If she wished to thank me, was it not proper for her to come to me first?

Even if we were in the same tavern, calling me up here could only feel like a subtle show of disrespect.

Still, I answered with a measure of courtesy.

I had already come this far. There was no need to deliberately make things uncomfortable.

I turned my head and looked at the others sitting there blankly.

Three men and two women.

The woman seated in the very center was probably the Splendid Phoenix.

Her beauty was enough to erase the presence of everyone else, so I recognized her at once.

The Nine Great Sects, One Gang, Five Great Families, and Eight Aristocratic Houses formed the backbone of the Martial Alliance.

There were also the countless martial sects affiliated with it, even if they were not part of its core.

There was a reason only eight Dragons and Phoenixes were selected from that enormous force.

Among the men and women in their twenties who had reached the Peak Realm, they picked only the handsome and beautiful ones.

Humans were naturally influenced by what they saw.

And the foremost thing people considered when judging others was appearance.

That was why there was not a single ugly person among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

Our eyes met, but they treated me as if I were not there.

I had no reason to greet them first, either.

Just as I turned to leave.

"I heard you have reached first-rate. What is the lineage of your martial arts?"

Yang Ha-yul's question flew at me.

My hand tightened without my realizing it, and my mood plummeted.

Of course, I knew.

Asking about the lineage of someone's martial arts was nothing to people like them.

I also knew well that, because treatment differed depending on one's affiliation and background, many people revealed it first even when no one had asked.

In the end, the taboos of wandering martial artists were only taboos among wandering martial artists.

"I learned them by chance."

Still, being offended was being offended.

Without explaining further, I turned and went downstairs.

"They did not even exchange names with us. They are truly arrogant!"

On the way home, So-ok voiced her complaint.

It was a slightly different matter from what had upset me.

There was a strange hint of disappointment on her face.

It seemed she had wanted to greet the Splendid Phoenix, Na Hye-rin.

"Do they look down on us because they are all disciples of prestigious sects?"

Most members of the Dragon-Phoenix Unit really were disciples of prestigious sects.

Even if they were not heirs, they were talents who had received enough support to reach the Peak Realm.

There was no way their respective sects considered them unimportant.

That was why their sects, or other sects with close ties to them, sent disciples as squad members to support them.

Of course, given the nature of the Dragon-Phoenix Unit, those disciples would all be under thirty.

I soothed So-ok as she continued grumbling, and we headed home.

My mood was not very good either, both because the pleasant atmosphere had been ruined and because of Yang Ha-yul's discourtesy.

Then I noticed a large crowd gathered in front of Ju Daegang's house.

They were huddled together and whispering as though they had found an entertaining spectacle.

Though it was dark, the many torches brightly lit the area, making everyone clearly visible.

As I was about to pass by without paying attention, So-ok walked over first and asked one of the onlookers.

"What happened?"

"Hm? Ah. Do you know the wandering martial artist who lives here? Looks like his wife and some bastard bumped bellies. It was discovered today. Over there... Ah, you cannot see properly now because of the people, but those two bastards' corpses are lying over there. I hear he chopped them up with an axe several times. By the way, Miss, what is your name... Ahem."

The middle-aged man explaining tried to ask So-ok's name, but when I stepped beside her, he averted his gaze.

More precisely, he had looked away after seeing the straight saber at my waist.

"Ahem. Ah, it is time for me to head home."

When I continued staring at him, he cleared his throat and left.

I took my eyes off the departing man and looked toward Ju Daegang's house.

The many heads blocked my view, but I was tall enough to see into the courtyard.

Two corpses.

They were probably Im Chun-su and Ju Daegang's wife.

"I hear the husband killed them both and fled right away."

"This is why wandering martial artists are... Tsk, tsk."

"No, the woman who was carrying on with another man is the one at fault. Why are you saying that?"

"That wandering martial artist must have done something to make her go to another man. He probably beat her every day."

"Ahem. Does it have to be that?"

"It is obvious. You should not beat your wife so much, either. The screams that come from your house every day are..."

"What?! Are you saying my wife was doing something with another man? Lately, even when we are doing it, that bitch just lies there staring into space!"

"That is not what I meant!"

"It was you?!"

"Good grief... Forget it. Just forget it."

The middle-aged man fled as though escaping, with his friend chasing after him.

As his friend gave chase, he picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground. It looked like something else might happen over there as well.

Several people followed them in search of a new spectacle.

Thanks to that, my view cleared somewhat and I could see ahead more clearly.

The miserable naked corpses.

Perhaps because they had been hacked with an axe, several parts of their limbs had been severed completely.

I had seen corpses often enough that I did not find them particularly revolting, but they were still people I had known. It left me with an odd feeling.

Even though Ju Daegang had done such a thing, it was unlikely the Yang Family Manor would do anything to So-ok and me.

Every wandering martial artist already knew that our relationship with him had fallen apart.

And the Yang Family Manor did not have a Peak Realm martial artist.

They had built a faction, so they were naturally stronger than us. But even so, they could not act against us carelessly.

"Where do you think his daughter is?"

So-ok asked after Ju Daegang's daughter in a troubled voice.

"Ju Daegang probably took her with him."

"...Phew..."

"Let's go."

I took So-ok and headed home.

The result of surrendering to misguided desire was ultimately ruin.

Did everyone still do it despite knowing that because humans were so vulnerable to desire?

As that unanswerable question rose in my mind, I gave my head a small shake and cast it away.

And so the day came to an end.

The following day passed in training as well.

Most of So-ok's and my daily lives consisted of commissions and training.

We would take a commission, train for several days, then take another commission.

Of course, our current earnings were sufficient. We could spend weeks doing nothing but training instead of just a few days. The reason we did not was the Black Market.

We needed to save money for when the Black Market opened.

After reaching first-rate, my absorption speed for Yodans had increased.

It was a good thing, of course, but the problem was that I had run out of Yodans.

Whenever I trained with my inner-energy method each day, the desire to go out and hunt rose within me.

Unlike when I had been second-rate, I was now first-rate, so my circumstances were better than before.

But it was not safe regardless.

One never knew what could happen in battle.

The danger was not limited to encountering a pack of Yo beasts or a group containing Goe beasts alone.

A single stone rolling on the ground could cause an unnecessary injury. Dodging an enemy's attack could result in a branch stabbing one's eye. That was battle.

And overcoming such circumstances alone would not be easy, even after becoming first-rate.

Since I had no reasonable way to persuade So-ok, taking her hunting with me was utter nonsense.

In the end, I would have to hunt alone.

I decided to wait one more month.

At times, my craving to absorb Yodans created a thirst that felt as though it were burning me, but I suppressed it as best I could.

If the Black Market did not open within a month, I would go hunting.

"Phew..."

After finishing my inner-energy method training, I rose from my seat.

I picked up my saber and went outside to train my saber technique.

Today, I planned to focus more on redirecting So-ok's attacks while sparring with her.

"We meet again."

A voice greeted me the moment I stepped out of the room.