Chapter 89: Why are you there? (4)

'So basically…'

Cale organized his thoughts.

'That old man from the Beggars' Gang, Ho Song Yi or whatever his name is, and that stubborn-looking Dokgo Chang are both trying to save Choi Jung Soo?'

An odd light swirled in Cale's eyes as he slowly opened them again.

– Hey Sui Khan! Our human and innocent Choi Han both have weird gazes now! Ah! Yours is weird too!

Cale did not know what Raon was saying to Sui Khan as he leaned against a tree. He then crossed his arms.

There was a need to watch them a little longer.

It was at that moment.

"Haaaa."

Dokgo Chang let out a laughter-like sigh.

"Senior. I may know nothing of politics and am in the dark about logic because I only focused on swinging my sword, but… I still know how the world runs."

Pss-

There was a quiet sound and the large sword easily pulled out of the ground.

Anger was slowly filling Dokgo Chang's eyes.

"Wasn't it the Nine Sects One Gang who requested that Noble Warrior Choi be recorded as a Public Enemy of the Martial Arts world? Furthermore, I heard that the Beggars' Gang and the Wudang Sect were the first to bring it up."

With the Beggars' Gang being the one gang in the Nine Sects One Gang… The Wudang Sect was one of the nine sects.

They, as well as the Shaolin Sect, were known as the leaders of the Orthodox faction. In addition, they were a sect with a long history that studied the dao along with the Mount Hua Sect and the Kunlun Sect.

'I heard the same thing as Dokgo Chang.'

Cale had also heard that the Beggars' Gang had played a big role in this Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World declaration.

"After doing that, you are telling me that you are going to go save Noble Warrior Choi? With these little twerps tagging along?"

Twerps.

That word made the Beggars' Gang's Young Gang Leader, the monks, and the ascetic scowl.

"Amitabha..."

Of them, an extremely healthy monk was glaring at Dokgo Chang while chanting a Buddhist mantra. As Cale looked toward that person…

Chief Eunuch Wi sent a sound transmission.

– Young master Kim, I have heard that that person is the Shaolin Sect's greatest rising star. His name is Jeong Hye. However, his disposition is extremely hostile for someone who is Buddhist.

It was at that moment.

"Hmph. Uncle, I will stop the twerps."

One of the two young people behind Dokgo Chang, the woman, stepped forward.

Chief Eunuch Wi's sound transmission continued.

– That is the Dokgo Clan's young clan leader, Dokgo Ryeong. She was born with natural talent and her strength is said to rival those of the Seven Dragons and Five Phoenixes. Oh, for your reference, monk Jeong Hye is one of the Seven Dragons.

The Orthodox faction's talented rising stars who would lead the generation in the future…

The most talented of that group were called the Seven Dragons and Five Phoenixes.

'It has nothing to do with me anyway.'

This was information about people that Cale would not have any big involvement with unless he ran into them randomly as he did with these people.

Even now, Elder Ho was important, but Cale had no interest in these youngsters at all.

'Wow.'

However, he was a bit amazed.

'Chief Eunuch Wi is basically an encyclopedia.'

Cale watched the people as if he was a spectator even as he had that thought.

"…Twerps?"

This time, it was the male daoshi whose robe sleeves fluttered as he walked forward.

"I wonder if you know who the true completely clueless twerps are! Who is it that is ignoring the law and using justice and cooperation as excuses?!"

"What? Excuses?"

The young man standing next to young clan leader Dokgo Ryeong got angry and pulled out his sword.

"Hmph."

Monk Jeong Hye snorted.

"Amitabha. Feel free to come at me if you would like, donor."

He was shouting Amitabha and calling them donors while trying to start a fight.

'Wow.'

Cale was amazed.

Martial artists really have a lot of reasons to fight and the field gets set so easily for the fights.

But he felt as if they would still fight very well.

'…Hmm?'

Cale thought of something once he had that thought.

Numerous martial artists were gathering in Huángshān.

'Wouldn't it make things easier if some of them were on our side? Plus, if they are promising rising stars… Wouldn't they be people each sect cares about a lot?'

Cale's eyes sparkled.

'Mm.'

While all of that was going on, the Fist King's great-granddaughter, Mok Hee, took a deep breath in while standing at the back of the group.

This confrontation was so vicious to the point that it felt as if the two sides might launch violent attacks against each other.

The rage from everyone, except Elder Ho, filled the area.

'Huuuuuu.'

Elder Ho realized that he needed to work harder in order to calm this angered confrontation.

'These stupid Martial Arts world bastards! They never try to have a calm conversation! Those stubborn Dokgo Clan people don't even try to calmly listen to what others have to say!'

He had been contemplating it until now.

He wondered if he could say everything since the Imperial family's side was here.

However, he needed to say something because it felt as if people on the same side were about to fight.

But they would not listen just because he decided to talk.

"Uncle! I'll take care of that stupid monk!"

"Heh. What? Amitabha. Please understand that I am teaching a lesson to the donor who has called this smaller vessel a stupid monk." (TL: It's a term used by Buddhist monks. Wuxia is dumb. I hate translating wuxia.)

"You crazy stupid monk! What? Teaching me a lesson?"

It was at that moment.

"Stop."

The extremely riled-up rising stars flinched after hearing Dokgo Chang's voice.

The force behind his voice gave them chills.

It was not just rage but murderous intent.

The force that only someone who had been through numerous moments of life and death could give off made them close their mouths.

'…He's strong.'

Elder Ho, who had calmly been lost in his thoughts, flinched.

'Dokgo Chang has gotten even stronger.'

He might be at an even higher level than the Dokgo patriarch now.

'I need to quickly convince this bastard! Otherwise, there will be blood!'

Elder Ho's mouth urgently opened.

However, before he could say anything…

"Yes. Let's stop."

The moment the calm voice reached his ears…

Silence filled the forest.

"...."

Dokgo Chang got chills all over his body.

He had lived his whole life holding a sword that was heavier than himself.

Many people had asked him if that weight was just baggage and suffocating him, but… He had never felt that way.

He just enjoyed carrying this weight.

Taking a breath while holding this heaviness was when he felt alive. He knew that he was weird for feeling like this.

'…My breath, I felt like I couldn't breathe.'

However, he had truly felt suffocated for a moment.

No, it wasn't that he was really suffocating.

A pressure that was so strong that it made him feel that his whole body was suppressed from all sides.

That pressure had lessened now, but he had never felt a force like this before.

The patriarch?

His master?

He had never felt such a strong force from anybody, this overlord's-

'Yes, I have never felt this aura of an overlord before.'

This force that felt as if it would dominate over everything…

Yet a force that was not violent or urgent.

It just made Dokgo Chang feel as if he had fallen into a lake and his whole body was submerging.

'…Such an aura-'

Dokgo Chang slowly turned his head.

The voice that was so calm to the point it sounded a bit tired…

This force had started from the location of that voice.

The skinny young man wearing the indigo clothes…

The person called young master Kim…

"Elder Ho-nim."

That person called out to the Beggars' Gang's Elder Ho. Dokgo Chang looked toward Elder Ho. There were cold sweats on Elder Ho's forehead.

This guy seemed quite shocked as well.

He became certain at that moment. Dokgo Chang realized that his forehead and his back were covered in cold sweat as well.

This person called young master Kim did not seem worn out at all. In fact, he appeared relaxed.

This person then stopped leaning on the tree and approached them. However, nobody dared to move.

This area was currently his domain.

They were all currently under his omnipotent aura.

It felt as if they would be swallowed by this aura if they moved.

'…The Heavenly Demon. Would the Master of the Martial Arts Alliance feel like this? No, would even they be able to give off such an omnipotent force?'

All sorts of thoughts ran through Dokgo Chang's mind.

Young master Kim placed a hand on Elder Ho's shoulder at that moment.

"Why did the Beggars' Gang lead the charge to declare Choi Jung Soo as a Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World?"

Elder Ho looked at Cale with his still-shaking pupils.

'It wasn't that the Fist King was guarding this young master Kim!'

Elder Ho had clearly seen even the Fist King flinch at young master Kim's aura.

He opened his completely dry mouth.

His voice cracked as he spoke.

"Currently, the Unorthodox faction, the Demon Cult, and even people within the Orthodox faction are trying to capture the Sword Demon, sir."

He was subconsciously speaking respectfully to Cale. Nobody here found that to be weird.

Elder Ho stopped there and let out a short sigh.

At the end of that sigh…

"And they will definitely kill him if they capture him."

Another silence filled the area.

However, Dokgo Chang immediately started speaking, as if to protest.

"…! What do you mean by that?! Kill him?! The ironclad rule is to capture a Grade 3 Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World alive-"

Dokgo Chang's eyes opened wide after saying that.

He did not even feel that the overbearing aura had become weaker as his eyes focused on Elder Ho.

"Then the reason the Beggars' Gang declared him a Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World-"

"You are probably right. We were not aiming to declare him as a Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World but to make sure he was a Grade 3 Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World."

Elder Ho sighed.

"Then at least the people of the Orthodox faction will be unable to kill the Sword Demon. They would be going against the Martial Arts Alliance if they killed him or hid him. And the Unorthodox faction would have to consider a confrontation with the Orthodox faction if they messed with someone who is known as a person who stole the treasure of the Martial Arts Alliance."

"…But didn't the Martial Arts Alliance say that Noble Warrior Choi killed some members of the Alliance as well?"

Dokgo Chang's gaze was full of disbelief.

"I know Noble Warrior Choi. That sir would not kill the innocent."

"…That-"

Elder Ho hesitated. As he stood there without being able to say anything…

"It was the Five Great Clans that did that."

They heard a clear voice.

Cale looked toward the back of Elder Ho's group.

The woman who was dressed as a daoshi calmly spoke.

"In return for declaring him as a Grade 3 Public Enemy of the Martial Arts world, they said that they would choose the reason. They said that they would not agree to declare him a Public Enemy of the Martial Arts World if they could not do that. You know that the Sword Demon does not have a good relationship with the Five Great Clans."

Cale heard a sound transmission in his mind at that moment.

– She is one of the five phoenixes, and currently, she has the most skilled movement technique and foot technique among the Orthodox faction's rising stars. The Kunlun Sect's Eight Great Styles of the Cloud Dragon.

The eight-step foot technique had been given that name because it resembled a dragon flying through the clouds.

– This is daoshi Un Seon, who is expected to have a complete mastery of the Eight Great Styles of the Cloud Dragon. Furthermore, she is said to be one of the top three of the Seven Dragons and Five Phoenixes.

The Kunlun Sect.

If Cale moved as he planned, he should pass by the area of the Kunlun Sect at least once.

Beyond Kunlun… The area known as Xinjiang.

That was the location of the Demon Cult.

The organization that had accepted the Heavenly Demon as a god and only respected the strong.

The Kunlun Sect was the Orthodox faction's defensive wall, the last line of defense against that organization that wanted to unify the Martial Arts World.

That was why Cale, who had to stop by the Orthodox faction, the Unorthodox faction, and then head to the Demon Cult, had no choice but to pass by near Kunlun.

"Elder-nim."

Un Seon slowly walked forward, respectfully greeted the Elder with a fist-to-palm salute, and calmly spoke.

"Please inform Noble Warrior Dokgo of the truth. Furthermore-"

She looked toward Cale and Cale's group behind him.

"Wouldn't it be better to let these sirs be on their way?"

It was at that moment.

"That will be a bit of an issue."

Cale slightly opened the fan in his hand and fanned himself.

It felt quite nice having a breeze brush past his cheek.

Yes, Cale was feeling good right now.

These seemed like people he could put to good use if things went well.

"I will need to hear this as well."

Un Seon avoided Cale's gaze as she spoke.

There were still goosebumps on the back of her hand.

"…Young master, I do not know which respected sir you are, but this is an issue of the Orthodox faction-"

"Choi Jung Soo is my friend. He is my close friend from when we were younger."

Elder Ho and Dokgo Chang's eyes opened wide.

Cale felt good seeing the people, who had been slightly curled up because they were shocked at his Dominating Aura, open their eyes wide while looking at him.

'Yes, we are all on the same side. So please work hard to find Choi Jung Soo on my behalf. I'll take him and run.'

Cale hid his inner thoughts as he spoke.

At that moment…

Rustle.

One person stepped forward.

'Hmm?'

It was Choi Han.

He stood next to Cale and started speaking.

"And I-"

'Could it be?'

Cale's eyes opened wide.

'What is up with him?'

He subconsciously closed the fan and tried to stop Choi Han, but…

"And I am Choi Jung Soo's uncle."

Choi Han said what he wanted to say.

He looked around the temporarily silent area and clenched his fists.

'…These are people trying to save Choi Jung Soo.'

He could not stand still after seeing martial artists who were trying to do that.

There was also one other reason.

'Justification.'

He could see that Cale was trying to rope these people in, although just temporarily, to travel with them.

Then Cale would need to be the center of this group.

Choi Han had that thought and thought that the biggest thing suited for it would be to provide justification.

He made eye contact with Beacrox for a moment, but…

He looked at Elder Ho, Dokgo Chang, and the martial artists as he spoke.

"I may look like this, but I am quite old."

Elder Ho opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally getting the words out.

"…M, metamorphosis?"

Dokgo Chang spoke at the same time.

"R, rejuvenation?"

Choi Han, who didn't really know what these were, just calmly stood there. Choi Han did not know that what he was doing seemed even more profound.

Cale clenched his eyes shut for a moment before opening them back with a relaxed look on his face.

'Yes, this is good. What the hell are you guys going to do when his blood relative is here?'

Cale nonchalantly asked in a nicer tone than earlier.

"By the way, why is the Triumvirate all aiming for Choi Jung Soo?"

A moment later, Cale was finally able to completely understand the situation.

"So…"

So, the current Sword Demon…

"Choi Jung Soo has the Sky Sword martial arts text, the martial arts of the greatest master of the past five hundred years, the Sword Emperor, as well as an elixir, the ten thousand years old snow ginseng?"

'Oh. As expected of Choi Jung Soo.'

Cale thought that this was very much Choi Jung Soo.

– Human, your face is much brighter now!

—

Translator's Comments

Did I mention I hate translating wuxia?