Chapter 10 – Brush with Death(10)
The old man who taught me martial arts wasn’t exactly a good teacher. He always spoke briefly, and it was always my responsibility as the listener to grasp the intentions behind his words.
Moreover, his physical condition deteriorated as days passed, and one year before the old man’s death, even moving around became difficult, so I, who was only 6 years old, had to help with farming as well.
But I never felt discontented even once. After all, he was my lifesaver, and above all, the old man’s teachings were nutrients that became my blood and flesh.
[Before taking a life, think deeply and think once more. However, once you’ve made up your mind, then you must never hesitate.]
I thought deeply and thought again. Is taking a life truly the right thing to do? The opponent already harbored killing intent toward me, while I had to protect a child and shake off the pursuit.
‘There’s no choice, I must kill with all my might.’
My firmly resolved mind no longer wavered. For the first time in my life, I swung my sword with all the power I could muster. Simultaneously, with a loud explosion, the ground shook greatly.
Eventually, the trembling of the earth ceased. Birds that had been singing in the mountains fled with screams at the sudden impact. I clicked my tongue as I looked at the scene before me.
Although it was a technique I swung with all my might, unfortunately, the power was not satisfactory. In the martial arts novels I enjoyed reading, this level of description was just the basics.
Even in the latter parts, even the henchmen of the Blood Sect were described as having such ferocity that they could overturn mountains. How could I be satisfied with just making a small dent in the ground?
“Tsk, pathetically weak.”
With regret, I put my sword away. This would be enough to fend off the beast for now, but I didn’t have the luxury to waste time walking around leisurely.
I extended my hand toward Sua who was sitting down. Though Sua had a blank expression momentarily, she soon came to her senses, grabbed the hand I offered, and stood up again.
“We need to leave quickly before others come after us.”
“Where are you planning to go?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We’re going to the Murong Family.”
“What?! But right now, the Murong Family is…”
“If we stay still like this, Young Master Murong Hyun might really die.”
The situation is much more serious than I thought. It’s not just anyone, but they sent a unit of martial artists to bring back a direct blood relative of the family head. I have a bad feeling.
‘Looking back, something wasn’t quite right from the beginning. I guess it was just a matter of time before something exploded.’
Of course, there are those in martial arts novels who advocate survival of the fittest, but such people are mostly from evil sects like the Demon Cult or Blood Sect that can only be seen as villains.
Not just any random person, but the head of the Murong Family, one of the Five Great Families supporting the Orthodox Sect, is acting so ruthlessly that even the Demon Cult would weep in comparison.
Strict teaching is fine, but making someone go hungry if they don’t meet satisfactory standards, or controlling conversations with other martial artists… It’s no wonder Murong Hyun smuggled Sua away.
Of course, I clearly know that me, a mere first-rate martial artist, charging alone into the Murong Family would be suicidal, like jumping into a burning house covered in oil.
But knowing yourself and knowing your enemy means you’ll never be in peril in a hundred battles.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
Therefore, before fighting, I needed to know about the enemy first.
Moreover, Murong Hyun entrusted Sua to me for his uprising. In other words, there were people inside the family who were willing to support and help Murong Hyun at that time.
Judging by the looks of it, the uprising eventually failed and faced harsh consequences. But that doesn’t mean everyone was captured without putting up a fight. Anyway, I know too little right now.
“First, we need to keep a low profile and gather information to understand how the situation unfolded.”
“So in the end, to catch the tiger, we have to go directly into the tiger’s den. I understand clearly now. Thanks to you, my mind is at ease!”
“This much is basic. Now that you understand, let’s move immediately.”
“Understood!”
Since there was no time to linger in a place like this, Sua and I set off right away. Fortunately, Sua’s sharp mind remembered the exact way back.
And since I had prepared travel expenses, we lacked nothing. Although silk and leather goods were all at home, I had plenty of silver coins tucked away just in case.
There was absolutely no reason to waste time.
◇
The Righteous Dragon Hall was a prominent military organization representing the Murong Family. All the martial artists affiliated with it were without exception first-rate martial artists, truly worthy of being called the family’s elite.
Additionally, the Righteous Dragon Hall had small-scale units under its direct operation. Among them, the Righteous Dragon Vanguard Corps was incomparably superior in quality compared to other units.
While the other units had at most a commander who was a first-rate martial artist affiliated with the Righteous Dragon Hall or equivalent, and the rest were second-rate or even third-rate martial artists.
In contrast, the Righteous Dragon Vanguard Corps was surprisingly a unit composed entirely of first-rate or near first-rate martial artists. It wasn’t for nothing that they were given the name “Vanguard.”
Particularly, Murong Sa, the commander leading the Righteous Dragon Vanguard Corps, had entered the first-rate realm at the age of thirty. Although it might be ambiguous to call him a genius, he could certainly be called a talented individual.
“Ugh… Where is this?” “This is the thatched house where the young lady stayed with the mysterious master.” “Thanks to that, I was able to avoid sleeping on the dirt floor.”
But making those grand titles seem meaningless, Murong Sa regained consciousness on the humble floor of the thatched house, letting out a pain-filled groan. He moved his parched lips.
“What happened?” “Well…” “No, it’s fine. I vaguely remember now.”
It would be difficult to forget such an incident. To put it bluntly, he was knocked out with one strike without putting up a fight. And this was the commander of the Righteous Dragon Vanguard Corps himself.
Although it wasn’t his place to say after losing face by being knocked out with one strike, Murong Sa was among the top martial artists within the Murong Family. Few could defeat him in a duel.
He even competed evenly with the family head. That is, until one day when the family head suddenly wielded sword energy, the symbol of the peak realm. However, there was something dubious about it.
‘Sword energy is the symbol of the peak realm. And the family head definitely used sword energy in front of us. But there was no depth felt from the family head.’
Elder Murong Jin, who had entered the peak realm early, had a depth like the ocean with no visible end. However, the family head, who had entered the same peak realm, had no such feeling at all.
Moreover, wasn’t he struggling greatly with the manipulation of inner power that any first-rate martial artist could do without difficulty? As if he was constantly suffering from internal injuries.
On top of that, he frequently verbally and physically abused family members. Until just a few years ago, this was unimaginable. What on earth made him change like that?
‘Tsk, what’s the point of thinking about it? I can’t change the situation anyway.’
Somehow information was leaked. Young Master Murong Hyun was subdued by the family head’s surprise attack as soon as he returned to the family. Thanks to that, even the Elder couldn’t move freely.
[If you move recklessly, Hyun will die, Father.]
[Have you now stooped so low as to take my own child hostage? How did you become so despicable!!]
[I will no longer dance to the empty words of the martial world. Because I’ve finally realized the truth.]
The situation had completely turned. To save his beloved grandson, the Elder, who was the only one who could stand against the family head, eventually had to grit his teeth and stand by.
Murong Sa was not foolish enough to insist on a fight with almost zero chance of winning. That’s why he had no choice but to follow the family head’s orders and come here.
However, he encountered an unexpected fate here. Even he, who was definitely among the top in the Murong Family, was taken down without even being able to properly counterattack.
More precisely, in that brief moment, he noticed the attack and wrapped his body with protective energy, but it was shattered with just one kick. What if he had swung his blade?
‘I wouldn’t be here. That means the master held back.’
It was a momentary clash, but Murong Sa felt it clearly. Just like the Elder, a depth like the ocean where one could not dare know its end. That’s what he felt from that mysterious old man.
‘For reasons unknown, that mysterious master seems to be helping the young master.’
It goes without saying that the family head, and even Elder Murong Jin, would be forced to fight because his grandson is held hostage. It’s impossible for one person to face two peak masters.
If only they could somehow rescue Young Master Murong Hyun who is held hostage, the situation would reverse instantly, but only the family head knows where Young Master Murong Hyun is imprisoned.
The situation still remained unfavorable. The chances of winning were at most 3 out of 10, no, maybe 2 out of 10. After coldly calculating the odds in this situation, Murong Sa soon chuckled and muttered.
“That’s enough to stake my life on.”
“Pardon?”
“Seeing that you didn’t recklessly pursue for merits and stayed here instead, can I assume that all of you have your heads screwed on straight?”
It’s time to turn the tables.
