.jpeg){kind=tracking}
Chapter 108: Is It the Same in the Family?
Pung Yeoncho and Tak Gomyung, after their victory in battle, advanced towards the warriors of the Haewon Chamber of Commerce.
The warriors of the Geumseun Chamber of Commerce followed them with vigorous shouts.
Pung Yeoncho and Tak Gomyung advanced with unstoppable force.
Their blades traced similar trajectories.
From bottom to top, in an ascending zigzag: this was the technique of the Flying Dragon Ascension. Then, from top to bottom, with consecutive strikes to the left and right: this was the technique of the Heavenly Dragon Dance.
Each time the two blades swung up and down, they emanated a powerful cutting energy.
There wasn’t a single Wanderer there who could stop the cutting energy manifested in that way.
Swords shattered, and the warriors of the Haewon Chamber of Commerce retreated aimlessly.
Yeon Seolju, astonished by the unbelievable scene, was left speechless.
What she knew of the Flying Dragon Ascension and the Heavenly Dragon Dance was completely different.
"Is that the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship?"
Screech, screech.
Suddenly, Yeon Seolju was pulled out of her astonishment by the nine-ring scythe rapidly approaching.
Instinctively, she used the Flying Dragon Ascension technique to deflect the scythe.
Clang-.
However, instead of bouncing back, the scythe clung even more firmly to her sword with increased force.
Screech, screech-.
The scythe, which had been pushed back with force, stopped just in front of Yeon Seolju’s face.
“Chief Yeon, do you want to continue? It seems the fight is already over.”
“......”
Yeon Seolju gritted her teeth at Ma Sang's words.
He was right.
The warriors of the Haewon Chamber of Commerce were starting to drop their weapons one by one.
Even though it was a battle of thirty against fifty, the result was completely disappointing.
Yeon Seolju, having lost the will to fight, let go of her sword, and Ma Sang slowly backed away.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop where Yeon Jeokha and Old Shim were hiding, observing the fight, Old Shim spoke.
“Hehe, do you feel more at ease now, young master?”
“What’s with that look?”
“I told you they would do well. Birds, when their chicks are ready to fly, push them out of the nest…”
“Push them? Drop them?”
“Well, um, I’ve heard something like that somewhere. Otherwise, they wouldn’t learn to fly. Brothers Pung and Tak will do well. After all, they were the bosses in the mountain camp.”
“I suppose so.”
“I understand that the young master is worried about his brothers, but you can’t follow them and protect them forever, can you? So, why don’t we leave it at that?”
“Why do you talk like a messenger of death? It’s terrifying.”
“Hehe. If that’s how it seemed, I apologize. I’m just worried that the young master is too attached to them.”
“That’s not the case. I simply have nothing else to do now, so I came to observe…”
“Ah, yes, sure.”
Old Shim nodded distractedly.
After spending so much time with him, he began to understand him a little. Although he seemed brash, he was actually quite sensitive, so not everything he said could be taken literally.
“Old Shim.”
“Yes.”
“When I think of my sworn brothers, I hope they all succeed.”
“Yes…”
Yeon Jeokha’s melancholic voice weighed heavily on Old Shim’s heart.
“Is it the same with family?”
“You see, I was an orphan with no one in the world… I don’t know much about family ties.”
“I understand. Not knowing because you’re an orphan… It surprises me to realize that now. I wasn’t wrong when Han Chaeyeon and Ha Sobaek told me you were insensitive. Let’s go.”
Yeon Jeokha leaped into the darkness.
Old Shim, staying momentarily still while reflecting on his words, quickly followed him.
-------------------
Outside Kaifeng, at the Temple of the Earth.
Late at night.
In the central courtyard, a bonfire burned brightly.
An old man and a young man, both looking like beggars, conversed while roasting something over the fire. At times, they focused more on what they were roasting, but judging by the seriousness on their faces, the conversation seemed to be their main purpose.
The young beggar, So Gwanggae, turned over a duck he was roasting and continued speaking.
“The people who helped Pung and Tak were that young man and the old man. Based on our investigation, they were all from Waryong Manor.”
“Waryong Manor? You mean the Waryong Manor of the Moon-Splitting Swordsman?”
“Yes, that young man is Yeon Jeokha, the fourth son of Yeon Muryong. The old man is Old Shim, known as the Old Dao of Nine Heavens. But there was something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“According to witnesses, not only Pung and Tak but also Old Shim, respected Yeon Jeokha.”
“Hmm! If he’s Yeon Muryong’s son, then he has no connection to the Yoomyung Cult.”
Chwi Geol Sinke nodded in satisfaction.
“Indeed, it’s said they even killed a master of the Yoomyung Cult in Nanyang.”
“Killed a master of the Yoomyung Cult?”
Chwi Geol Sinke’s eyes widened in surprise.
Even the Seven Great Sects avoided confronting the Yoomyung Cult. That some Wanderers had killed one of their masters was hard to believe.
“And it wasn’t just any master, but one of the four great generals of the Eunha Manor, Dae Ryeok Gwi.”
“Oh! Dae Ryeok Gwi? Wasn’t he one of the Demon Warriors? Are you saying they killed someone with such formidable skill?”
Chwi Geol Sinke’s voice rose.
Although the Seven Great Sects had officially withdrawn, not everyone did. Some heroes with personal grudges continued to fight against the Yoomyung Cult, but until now, no one had killed one of the Demon Warriors.
“Yes, and it’s said that since then, the Eunha Manor has been searching for them.”
“Ugh! That means they have a full enmity with the Yoomyung Cult. Careful, the meat is burning.”
“Yes.”
So Gwanggae quickly took the duck off the fire and extinguished the flames clinging to the meat. Then he tore off a leg and offered it to Chwi Geol Sinke.
Chwi Geol Sinke blew on the leg and then took a bite.
So Gwanggae also took a piece of meat and began to eat.
The conversation paused as both focused on eating.
After partially filling their stomachs, Chwi Geol Sinke wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“Chas! We should have some liquor…”
“That’s what I was thinking. Lately, I’ve been neglecting begging, so I haven’t been able to get any liquor.”
So Gwanggae scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.
He could get ducks from anywhere, but liquor required money. At this moment, he regretted not having had time to beg.
“Ha! We’ve obtained information more valuable than liquor, so don’t worry.”
“But, Master, all this information we’ve gathered, is it really useful?”
“Of course. Do you know why people bring money to messengers? To get information. We, who have plenty of time, have gathered that information directly.”
“Then, what’s all this for? The Seven Great Sects don’t even consider us a faction. We’ve never received a communication from the Murim…”
“One day, the time will come when we are recognized.”
“And when will that be?”
“Young one, even dung has its use in medicine. Do you think we are less useful than dung?”
“A little better than dung, I suppose.”
So Gwanggae smiled with a mix of irony.
When he thought of the position of the Beggars’ Sect, it was frustrating.
In Yeoju.
At the Eunha Manor.
The residence of Cheok Jingyeong, the Swordsman of Chaos.
Cheok Jingyeong, breathing heavily with anger, slammed the table with his palm.
Bang!
“Useless fools! It’s been days since Dae Ryeok Gwi died in Nanyang! And they still haven’t found the culprits!”
The other three demons present, Umsang-gwi, Moosang-gwi, and Mooyoung-gwi, cringed at Cheok Jingyeong’s shout.
After a while, when Cheok Jingyeong calmed down a bit, Umsang-gwi spoke cautiously.
“We’ve identified the culprits. The old man is Old Shim, and the young man is Yeon Jeokha. But, being Wanderers, they don’t have a fixed residence…”
“Are you saying Daeryeok-gwi was killed by mere Wanderers? A Demon Warrior killed by Wanderers?”
The history of the Yoomyung Cult wasn’t long, but it spanned over thirty years. During that time, many experts had died, but this was the first time a Demon Warrior had been killed.
“But they aren’t mere Wanderers.”
“They’re not mere? What do you mean?”
“Do you remember the Moon-Splitting Swordsman who became famous fighting against Lunar Fairy?”
“You mean Yeon Muryong?”
“Yes, those two are disciples of Waryong Manor, the one he founded.”
“The Waryong Manor that Lunar Fairy destroyed?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it! So, it was the scattered remnants of that faction that did this?”
“That’s right.”
“If they wanted revenge, why didn’t they go after Lunar Fairy? Why attack the Eunha Manor?”
The Seven Great Sects were like independent sects and didn’t meddle in each other’s affairs. That fierce competition for control of the Sacred Artifacts had its consequences.
Moosang-gwi intervened.
“They probably didn’t know anything. No one knew that Dae Ryeok Gwi had gone to Nanyang at the invitation of the Hong Clan.”
“So, it wasn’t a targeted attack on the Eunha Manor?”
“It seems that way.”
“That doesn’t lessen the gravity of the crime of having killed Dae Ryeok Gwi.”
“……”
The three demons hung their heads with embarrassed expressions.
They, too, were desperate to avenge Dae Ryeok Gwi’s death.
But how were they supposed to find Wanderers who roamed aimlessly?
Cheok Jingyeong was equally frustrated.
The culprits had killed one of the Demon Warriors.
It didn’t make sense to order a hunt by the common members of the Yoomyung Cult, so the Demon Warriors had to handle it personally.
Now, only five Demon Warriors remained at the Eunha Manor.
When would they be found?
Finally, Mooyoung-gwi spoke.
“Master, if those guys are disciples of Waryong Manor, shouldn’t they eventually cross paths with the Fairy Cult? We could monitor the surroundings of the Fairy Cult and wait for an opportunity.”
Cheok Jingyeong, with a serious expression, nodded.
He had no other option.
The good thing was that the Fairy Cult wasn’t far away.
“Will there be someone willing to work for us in the Fairy Cult?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll recruit the right person.”
“Do it.”
Cheok Jingyeong sighed.
It was incredible that even the Baekdumagun of the Yoomyung Cult had situations beyond their control. Who would have thought that Wanderers from a defunct faction would cause so much trouble?
----------------
Kaifeng.
At the Haewon Chamber of Commerce.
Yeon Seolju, at the suggestion of Chief Do Buyoung, lived in a guesthouse within the premises. Do Buyoung had obtained protection without spending a cent, and Yeon Seolju had found free lodging and food.
Late at night.
Yeon Seolju, lying in bed, suddenly sat up.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the figures of Pung and Tak, and she couldn’t sleep.
“How did they do it? Why does the same style have different results?”
Curiosity and frustration made her head feel like it was about to explode.
It was said that they met Yeon Jeokha in the mountain camp, no more than three years ago.
“Did they develop cutting energy in just three years?”
If the brothers Pung and Tak were already masters, that could be possible.
But, since they learned from Yeon Jeokha, that possibility was almost nil. In short, Yeon Jeokha had made them so strong in such a short time.
Yeon Seolju wanted to find Yeon Jeokha and ask him.
Is that possible?
She was eager to know what secret of the ancestors she and her brothers were unaware of.
She felt that, with just one word from him, she could advance.
Just one word.
-
(Up to '50' more ch4pt3rs)
Publication of up to 5 weekly ch4pters, thanks.
---