Chapter 319 – Hyeon Won (14)

In martial sects with deep histories, the influence of the Elder Council is typically strong, and the Slaughter Sect was no exception.

The sect leader’s authority had little power in matters not tied to the sect’s interests.

“Whether it’s you or me, life is equally difficult, so shouldn’t our conduct at least be cheerful?”

The teachings of Slaughter Chivalry.

These words deeply resonated with young Kim Seon-hwi. They helped him endure the harsh training imposed by his collateral brother Kim Jon-hwi and his father, the Slaughter Sect Leader.

They were also good for his mother, whom he could only see occasionally.

Kim Seon-hwi’s mother was of humble birth. A lowborn not recognized by the Slaughter Sect elders.

Her background and personal achievements were insignificant. She merely continued her livelihood as a small merchant in the marketplace.

“We cannot let the Slaughter Sect Leader’s bloodline rot in the marketplace.”

The elders of the Slaughter Sect took her son away from her.

She was reduced to seeing her child only once a month after he had just begun to walk, and occasionally found joy in life by clapping and laughing as she listened to the verses from the Book of Songs that her son had memorized.

‘I should memorize the Four Books and Five Classics completely.’

That’s what the young Kim Seon-hwi thought at the time. Mother enjoys the cheerful performances of her educated son.

The boy protected his mother with cheerfulness.

Even on the day he rushed to his mother who had collapsed in the crowd, he laughed while crying as he hastily embraced her.

His honed senses had properly assessed his mother’s condition. Perhaps because he was born to be an assassin, he accepted death straightforwardly and hoped that her passing would be as peaceful as possible.

He felt that her last sight of her son shouldn’t be an ugly crying face.

It was a day with warm sunshine.

“Live a worthy life. You were born precious,” his mother said, holding onto consciousness until Kim Seon-hwi arrived.

He couldn’t discern whether she meant that his status was noble, or that she considered him precious to her.

He couldn’t ask further. She passed away immediately after finishing her words.

Upon investigation, it turned out to be a spontaneous incident.

Some martial ruffian had kicked over his mother’s stall while demanding rent, and a hairpin flew up and pierced her eye.

It was a hairpin that young Kim Seon-hwi had personally ground and polished using Slaughter Sect techniques.

“This is it.”

A hairpin about a palm’s length rotated along Hyeon Won-chang’s knuckles. The bronze tip had no decoration at all.

At a glance, it resembled the large needles rarely used by physicians.

Woooong—

Suddenly, a ghostly wind penetrated the room.

The room was nearly sealed, with everything from the bed to the chairs made of old stone.

“It was a spontaneous incident?”

Lazy Flame Dragon, who was lying with one foot propped on a table, asked blankly. On one side of the bed, Shin So-bin’s slender body lay face down as if dead.

The air around them pulsed with her long breaths.

“Are you saying that a common martial ruffian’s kick carried energy waves? That doesn’t make sense.”

“It was the doing of an elder named Kim Yeon-sang. He arranged for it to happen on the day I was to visit my mother. He wanted to test whether the Slaughter Sect Leader’s illegitimate child had developed the qualities of an assassin according to his expensive teachings. A promising bud would show cold conduct.”

“What did you do?”

“First, I found that martial ruffian and gouged out his eyeballs with my fingers, killing him. The sensation of his eyeballs bursting wasn’t particularly pleasant. After learning the truth, I wondered if I should have punished the real culprit. So…”

Hyeon Won-chang, who had gently gripped the hairpin in one hand, continued slowly.

The two men were conversing calmly without even looking at each other.

“…I also drove my middle finger into Kim Yeon-sang’s eye.”

“Middle finger?”

“It’s an insulting gesture where you make your hand into the shape of the character for ‘mountain.’ In the far southeast, they call it the squid gesture. I heard it’s used as a similar insult in the Western Regions, with quite a long history. You noble aristocrats must be unfamiliar with marketplace behavior.”

“I heard your great tongue was also raised nobly. Anyway, a Slaughter Sect elder was defeated by a youngster’s finger thrust?”

“It was after he had consumed a few drops of diluted empty blue stone oil. There were no restrictions, so a single surprise attack was sufficient. I was already recognized for my talent in executing the first strike. That old man never expected the obedient youngster to suddenly snap. I just seized the opportunity well.”

“So young Kim Seon-hwi was stronger than Great Tongue Sword Hyeon Won-chang.”

“Perhaps in a single exchange. My body was in tatters afterward from being unable to withstand the internal energy backlash, but I definitely took one of that crazy old man’s eyeballs. It cost me three months of recovery.”

“Hmm…? I think there’s a one-eyed elder among your old fogeys.”

“That’s the one.”

Hyeon Won-chang replied. At the same time, Lazy Flame Dragon tilted his head to the side.

“Why is he still alive? Didn’t he kill your direct lineage mother?”

“The family began as gatekeepers of the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb. Common sense doesn’t apply. Rather, I was the one severely punished. For harming a noble person within the sect. Along with my brother Jon-hwi.”

“Kim Jon-hwi? Why your collateral brother?”

“He was already furious before I drove my strike into Kim Yeon-sang. He even fully countered Kim Yeon-sang’s counterattack against me. In any case, that’s why we both received the punishment of six months of closed-door training.”

“What strange turtles. What did your father do?”

“You don’t need to address him so respectfully. My father was thoroughly the Slaughter Sect Leader. He had long abandoned my mother, who wasn’t recognized as a member of this family. While Kim Seon-hwi and Kim Yeon-sang were precious, a partner with whom he had shared affection just once was merely an outsider to the sect.”

“What a stupid person.”

“I agree.”

“Why did you stay attached to such a sect?”

“…I never liked it. It’s just that brother Jon-hwi treated me extremely well. Even that father figure showed affection to his son.”

“No wonder you’ve looked so grim since we heard our mission was in Shanxi.”

Lazy Flame Dragon, who had wiggled his feet a few times, slowly shook his head.

“Great Tongue Sword, Great Tongue Sword. Now I understand why cheerfulness has vanished from your speech and conduct since you set foot in Shanxi. That was the virtue that helped our young squad leader, however inadequately, and now what role remains for you in Radiant Demon Wing?”

There was provocation in his archaic speech pattern. His words continued languidly… “I’ve been watching that Slaughter Chivalry fellow. He seems to want to leave you here. At first, you seemed to reject the idea outright, but your demeanor has become strange since experiencing the Murong family’s net of heaven and earth. And that Slaughter Chivalry character remains consistently gentle.”

“That’s nonsense. My existence only complicates the succession rights of the Slaughter Sect.”

Hyeon Won-chang’s words, spoken with wide eyes, didn’t deter Lazy Flame Dragon.

“This young master has had two friends worthy of being called such, and if I were to mix the one who played emperor with a sword and you, it would become that brotherly figure Kim Jon-hwi. His vessel is unnecessarily broad. He wouldn’t be bound by succession rights when it comes to caring for his younger brother.”

“……”

“I don’t know how many memories you have in this messy land.”

A deeper shadow fell over Lazy Flame Dragon’s sunken eyes. It was because he had narrowed them.

“You must know that our young squad leader relies on you quite a bit. What use are you if you lose your eloquence and loyalty when you can’t even help much with martial arts? Think carefully.”

“Your concerns are unnecessary.”

“I wonder. To me, that Slaughter Chivalry fellow seems more threatening than those stupid elders. Desolate Divine Hero Hyeon Won-chang has grown soft. From what this young master has observed of the martial world, those called ‘heroes’ by the common people tend to be swept along by circumstances and die away from home…”

“You’d better hope my seventy percent restriction is lifted late. It will be difficult for you to speak so carelessly after that.”

Lazy Flame Dragon didn’t answer. He merely smirked and supported his neck with interlocked fingers.

After staring at him blankly for a moment, Hyeon Won-chang slowly opened his mouth.

“How much of your full strength do you have now?”

“I’d estimate about thirty percent. The Murong family’s net of heaven and earth was no ordinary thing.”

Lazy Flame Dragon answered somewhat indifferently.

They had experienced a major incident upon entering Taiyuan.

First, they saw hundreds of martial artists striding about. They were people who had concealed their identities with human skin masks and disguises.

While the branch leader and military were nowhere to be found, these mysterious masters of concealed identity attacked Lazy Flame Dragon’s group.

Lazy Flame Dragon immediately deduced their identity.

Having treated the orthodox Dragon Phoenix Gathering as entertainment since childhood, his discernment was broad.

He instantly saw through the Murong family’s characteristically unpredictable Illusion Sword. Even their attempts to conceal their martial arts couldn’t escape the discerning eye of the Scorching Divine Meridian.

The attackers didn’t care.

They came at them as if it didn’t matter as long as they weren’t publicly exposed.

They were all elite swordsmen rarely seen in the world. Radiant Demon Wing and the Slaughter Sect group were naturally separated.

The three members of Radiant Demon Wing were split off. It seemed to be the attackers’ strategy.

However, Lazy Flame Dragon single-handedly killed nearly twenty of them and managed to regroup his companions.

During this, he even clashed with Murong Qi-huang, who was said to be second only to the family head in the Murong family.

It was a life-or-death situation.

When receiving the Flowing Star Filling Heaven sword technique, he truly almost died.

The Great Example Sword was a figure always mentioned when discussing the action leaders of the Eight Great Clans, and the sword techniques of the Murong family from the extreme frontier were renowned for being both beautiful and deadly.

If he hadn’t fortunately countered with the Radiant Art Bond Fierce Strength, his entire body would have been shredded to pieces.

“Fortunately, that arrogant old man suddenly turned his attention to some ancient text, which was lucky. I nearly died young.”

The young master who was destined to die soon finished his banter and turned his gaze. He was looking toward Shin So-bin, who was in a deep sleep due to having pushed her internal energy to the extreme.

“How long do you think she’ll sleep?”

“How could a novice’s insight surpass a master’s? Don’t ask me what even the Hwangbo Poppy Addict  wouldn’t know.”

“Lift your restriction and then talk back. I don’t know when those Murong fellows will discover this place. Even if the Slaughter Sect’s secret chamber is well-hidden… it was already thoroughly exposed during the chaos at the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb.”

“I need to leave now anyway. This is the final test. Once I receive the elders’ recognition, all the formulas I’ve collected will be completed into a single key.”

“Good luck.”

Lazy Flame Dragon, who had spoken casually, closed his eyes.

Hyeon Won-chang didn’t respond and slowly rose.

After looking alternately at Shin So-bin and Lazy Flame Dragon, he quietly turned and left the room.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

The great city was shrouded in silence.

The government offices were quiet while sword-carrying superhumans roamed the streets.

In this extremely incongruous atmosphere, few commoners could continue their livelihoods normally. They simply hoped for the military and Desolate Fortress swordsmen to appear.

The city gate dividing the inner and outer areas of Taiyuan Prefecture was similarly desolate.

There weren’t many people coming and going.

Only horses, carriages, merchants, and messengers barely passed through.

From the top of a pavilion overlooking all this, the streets appeared even more deserted.

“Your fortune seems quite bright. It seems the imperial dogs have treated you well.”

The voice was extremely gentle. It could be described as soft and gentle.

“I’m still curious. Since all the secret channels were cut off, you must have forcibly opened the scroll… Did you summon some rare spell master?”

The one-eyed old woman, who had wrapped her entire body in a black windbreaker, spoke.

Bamboo Sword Kim Yeon-sang. She was the elder of the main branch who would administer Hyeon Won-chang’s final test.

“Administer the test.”

Hyeon Won-chang said, sensing the presence of Slaughter Sect elders positioned in various places around him.

Supreme masters of the Slaughter Sect had secretly spread throughout the area despite the Murong family.

The situation was unfavorable, and there had been talk of postponing the test, but it proceeded like this due to Slaughter Chivalry Kim Jon-hwi’s strong insistence.

“Yes, I shall.”

Kim Yeon-sang’s eye wrinkles descended in a gentle arc.

Bamboo Sword, an elder of the Slaughter Sect, was a figure who rarely revealed her true feelings.

Even when young Kim Seon-hwi confronted her about his mother’s death, and when she lost an eye to the boy, she responded and fought calmly.

It was the same now.

“You must be able to replicate my assassination technique exactly. Not a single movement can be out of place.”

She spoke in a seemingly warm tone.

“You mean you’ll demonstrate?”

“Yes, wait. Since this is a ceremony unique to our main branch, even our sect leader cannot argue about cooperation and principles.”

She meant that she would kill a victim and then have him copy the method. For a moment, Hyeon Won-chang’s hand near his waist twitched close to the Desolate Sword.

‘Is this old woman really…’… As if guessing his conflict, Kim Yeon-sang, who had raised the corner of her mouth, remained motionless for a while.

Was she trying to maintain the dignity of a Slaughter Sect elder?

She seemed to be looking for a suitable specimen. Like someone deploying the Ghost Listening Technique, she stood still all day.

She continued to stare down at the Taiyuan city gate until the moon waned and the sun began to rise faintly.

After a long time had passed.

Hyeon Won-chang stayed by her side with a “let’s see” attitude. He planned to immediately destroy the test and everything else if she chose someone who wasn’t a widely known evil path martial artist.

Then, just as the nightingale that had arrived on the sunset the day before was returning on the ring of the dawn sun.

“That figure has quite a good bearing. I’ll use him.”

The old woman’s wrinkled finger pointed far away.

It was one of those just passing through the city gate. Among a group of three people, one person was drawing attention despite the deserted street.

A boy whose stride length remained perfectly consistent with each step.

The jet-black hair with sunlight caught in each strand hung down to his shoulder blades. There was a strangely overwhelming aura emanating from his appearance as he wore a plain black robe.

However, because he didn’t possess any particular energy waves, he merely appeared to be of noble birth.

Swish!

In that moment, Kim Yeon-sang’s figure vanished.

“Watch silently.”

Her voice swirled around like invisible smoke.

Hyeon Won-chang truly stood silently.

[TL Note- Someone messed up big time.]