Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 112
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 112. Source of Blood Fragrance (1)
“Clan Leader, please calm down.”
“Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”
His bloodshot eyes were filled with tears.
Ho Geom Jin In let out a sigh.
“I express my condolences for your son’s matter.”
Lee Mu Ho, who was about to shout for him to shut up, bit his lips instead. Though his child had died, he couldn’t bring himself to speak harshly to an elder of the Muwang Sect.
At that moment, Jeong Gal Ryun, who had examined Lee Cheong’s corpse, walked over.
“No poison or drugs were detected. The cause of death is definitely a chest penetration wound from a spear.”
“Are you certain?”
“There’s an extremely high probability that he suffered internal injuries from overexerting his qi during the match when he couldn’t find a way out. As you both saw, his footwork became twisted when he desperately attempted a counterattack. The pain from internal injuries caused problems in his martial arts execution.”
“I asked if you’re certain!”
The Muwang Sect was one thing, but the Jeong Gal family was also no small name. Especially since they had direct business relations, such language toward an elder of the Jeong Gal family could be considered rude.
Jeong Gal Ryun understood Lee Mu Ho.
There was no way a parent who directly witnessed their child being stabbed to death by a spear wouldn’t go mad.
“I am certain.”
“You’re really saying it wasn’t poison or drugs?”
Ho Geom Jin In spoke in a much lower voice.
“I understand this clan leader’s feelings, but if poison had been used, we would have noticed it first.”
“…Kheuk.”
Tears streamed down Lee Mu Ho’s face as he collapsed to the floor.
Ho Geom Jin In inwardly smiled bitterly.
‘It must be hard to believe.’
A son who was evaluated as stronger than the eldest son of the Golden Dragon family had died so futilely during a sparring match. That grief would be beyond words.
Even so, asking to check for poison or drug reactions was somewhat excessive.
It was fortunate they had moved the corpse to a place without people, otherwise how would the Bi Chang Sect or other sects view this?
Wiping his bloodstained hands with a towel, Jeong Gal Ryun said.
“I have completed the cause of death examination as requested by the clan leader. If you wish to request additional autopsy, I will convey it to the emergency physicians.”
Additional autopsy meant dissection. It was the act of dissecting the corpse to determine a more accurate cause of death.
Since he couldn’t use the word dissection in front of the parents, he substituted it with additional autopsy.
“This… something is wrong!”
Lee Mu Ho shouted angrily.
“There’s no way our son would lose to such a nobody!”
Jeong Gal Ryun said coldly.
“The opponent’s skill was remarkable.”
“That’s nonsense! You’re saying some descendant of the Bi Chang Sect is better than my son?!”
Ho Geom Jin In interjected.
“Hero Jeong Gal probably doesn’t mean it that way. I know it’s difficult, but please calm down a little.”
“Grr!”
Looking at Lee Mu Ho trembling with rage, it seemed anger was greater than grief.
Jeong Gal Ryun, who had been quietly observing Lee Mu Ho, turned around.
“If you want to request additional autopsy, go find the chief emergency physician.”
Jeong Gal Ryun, who had left the scene somewhat coldly, glanced at the duel stage.
The blood that had been abundant on the duel stage quickly solidified in the cold winter wind. It seemed like it wouldn’t be erased no matter how much they wiped it.
In the spectator seats, people who still hadn’t left were debating about the second match of the main tournament.
‘It was remarkable.’
Jeong Gal Ryun replayed the fight between the two young men.
The confrontation between Lee Cheong, who was extremely confident, and Bang Hyo, who seemed somewhat intimidated.
The fight lasted several times longer than the first match between Moyong Bi and Jin Cheon Gwang.
Until the middle, Lee Cheong definitely dominated. Bang Hyo seemed busy just blocking Lee Cheong’s attacks.
But after the midpoint, Bang Hyo’s full-scale counterattack began, and the flustered Lee Cheong was pushed back and pushed back again before getting excited and unleashing violent attacks.
None of those attacks landed effective hits on Bang Hyo, and eventually Lee Cheong, who had charged in extreme excitement, died with his chest pierced by a spear.
‘Strictly speaking, it’s hard to say Bang Hyo killed him.’
Rather, Bang Hyo seemed greatly shocked by Lee Cheong’s death too.
That was understandable. The final strike was a restraining attack, not one intended to kill.
‘A typical fight between warriors lacking experience.’
Even the best martial arts and greatest talent can fall to a third-rate warrior’s blade work if there’s no combat experience – that’s what fighting is.
This incident was an accident created by the clumsiness of two inexperienced young men.
‘But…’
Something felt unsettling.
‘If what I saw was correct, there was no reason for Bang Hyo to be pushed back so much from the beginning.’
He could have been intimidated by his opponent. It was reasonable to think that as the fight progressed, he gradually felt it was manageable, and that confidence empowered his martial arts execution.
Still, something bothered him.
‘Especially that spear technique.’
The sword form of driving the opponent with twin spears, two short spears, was excellent.
‘It was masterpiece martial arts built and refined over a long time. Did such martial arts exist in the Bi Chang Sect?’
In the world, there are as many who hide themselves as there are those who show off their power.
If the Bi Chang Sect had also been hiding their power for a long time, it could be overlooked.
“Phew.”
Whatever the case, since there was a fatality from the second match of the main tournament, he didn’t feel good as one of the organizers. He wanted to cancel the entire tournament, but with so much at stake, that wouldn’t be possible either.
Even if the Jeong Gal family tried to put on the brakes, the Muwang Sect would push forward.
‘The spectators who came from far away would also be extremely dissatisfied.’
Frankly speaking, people could die even fighting with wooden swords, or bare fists for that matter. Even with rules that end the match when someone becomes unable to fight or admits defeat themselves, casualties are unavoidable.
All the Murim Warriors participating in the sparring matches would be aware of this. The spectators would be no different.
‘They might even be more excited.’
People get excited by stimulation. Since there was a fatality, this tournament would be talked about even more.
The spectators might also secretly expect more shocking fights.
‘The first match might have been the most ideal bout that could be shown in such a tournament.’
The difference in power was clear, and while showing their skills generously, it didn’t end futilely.
Though he inflicted internal injuries on his opponent, if Jin Cheon Gwang had admitted defeat earlier, that wouldn’t have happened. Jin Cheon Gwang must have realized from the very first exchange that his opponent was unbeatable.
‘If he hadn’t withdrawn his fist energy midway, a great disaster would have occurred. He might have died even more horribly than Lee Cheong.’
With many eyes watching and strong pride, he had no choice but to persist to the end, but it resulted in a clean fight.
Jeong Gal Ryun suddenly thought of Moyong Bi.
He wasn’t overconfident but was relaxed, didn’t ignore his opponent but wasn’t nervous either.
Come to think of it, the young man named Moyong Bi was much stranger than the second fight.
‘That was composure that couldn’t be shown at that age. He was like an old veteran who had wandered Jianghu for decades.’
Jeong Gal Ryun was conflicted.
As a member of the Jeong Gal family, comforting Lee Mu Ho was the priority right now. After all, they were connected through business.
Though he didn’t personally like the Gold Flower Trading Company, he wasn’t foolish enough to be unable to separate public and private matters.
Yet Moyong Bi bothered him much more. To the extent that he wanted to go find him right now and have a conversation.
The reason was simple.
‘If my memory isn’t wrong… that was definitely the Alliance Leader’s martial arts.’
Former Martial Alliance Leader Gwangmyeong Mujon Moyong Cheon.
Though the name had now been changed to Ho Yeon Clan, to Jeong Gal Ryun he was always Moyong Cheon.
‘The Ho Yeon family has never shown such martial arts. If the Alliance Leader really was from the Ho Yeon Clan, there’s no way the Ho Yeon family wouldn’t know his martial arts.’
His head was complicated.
The feeling of not knowing which matter to handle first. It was a stuffiness he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“…For now.”
Thinking of his foolish nephew, Jeong Gal Ryun soon steeled his resolve.
“I should have a conversation with that guy.”
* * *
“You came?”
At her younger brother’s indifferent reaction, Moyong Su Jeong couldn’t help but smile.
‘He’s still the same.’
Even though they had been apart for several days, his face was as familiar as if she had seen him just yesterday. But he was also as welcome as if they had been apart for dozens of days.
“Congratulations on your first victory in the main tournament. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“If I got hurt dealing with one immature little snake, that would be the real problem.”
Hearing this sharp way of speaking made her truly feel they had reunited.
“Chief Administrator, you’ve arrived.”
Seok Woong smiled brightly.
“You’ve worked hard, Young Master.”
“Not at all… But why does your face look like that?”
“Pardon?”
“Have you not slept for several days? Your cheeks are completely sunken?”
“Ah, that’s…”
As Seok Woong looked troubled, Kang Geun Cheong spoke awkwardly.
“I was so happy to see him that I kept him drinking for several days.”
“I see.”
Moyong Bi smiled.
“Did you catch up well?”
At the much more gentle reaction than expected, Kang Geun Cheong gained courage.
“There’s still a long way to go! Considering all the years we couldn’t meet, we could drink continuously for three months and ten days…!”
“Are you perhaps an assassin?”
“Wh-what are you saying?”
“If you drink like that, our Chief Administrator will die a sudden death. I understand you’re happy to see him, but please consider the Chief Administrator’s health too.”
“Of course.”
Kang Geun Cheong was in a good mood.
‘Elder Brother has found himself a good place.’
From the family head to the Grand Young Master, even though they weren’t blood relatives, they seemed to care for him like family.
Even if they had gone through difficult times together, it wasn’t easy to show such closeness. Especially the way Moyong Bi looked at Seok Woong was as warm as if he were treating real family.
A more human side than Moyong Su Jeong, who maintained some formality.
‘They must have had their own life together. Perhaps I too was a fool completely bound by preconceptions.’
Then, Seok Woong spoke up.
“By the way, I heard there was a tragedy in the afternoon match.”
The atmosphere became much more subdued.
Rather, Moyong Bi, who had been holed up in his residence doing nothing but meditation, didn’t know about it.
“A tragedy?”
“There was a death.”
Jin Gwang and Jong Hweon, who had followed them in, told him about the match between Bang Hyo and Lee Cheong.
Moyong Bi frowned.
“He suffered a penetrating wound while clumsily trying to counterattack?”
“That’s right. The organizers also announced it that way just a while ago.”
“Hmm.”
Moyong Su Jeong asked.
“Will you be alright?”
“Me? I’ll be fine.”
He said it so calmly that it made her more anxious instead.
“Still, the tournament continues, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
Kang Geun Cheong sighed deeply and said.
“How frustrating. Injuries or deaths during sparring matches are natural for Murim Warriors, but even when such a big incident happened, how could they…”
“They probably don’t think so.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Moyong Bi shook his head.
“I’m not sure about injuries, but they probably don’t think about dying.”
“Why is that?”
“This is a sparring tournament hosted by the Orthodox Martial World, isn’t it? Hero Kang, having wandered the world and overcome all sorts of hardships, would know that incidents can happen anywhere, but would the Late-Stage Experts participating in this tournament think the same?”
In other words, they probably entered with the comfortable thought that they might lose but wouldn’t die.
Kang Geun Cheong was bewildered.
“Still, it’s a match fought with real swords…”
“People filled with confidence can’t imagine the truly worst scenarios.”
Moyong Bi felt bitter.
In fact, he was saying this to himself as well. He had thought he could overcome the demonic energy addiction, but he realized it too late.
Then, he saw the Namgung Sisters and Moyong Su Hyang coming in from far outside the window.
“It’s going to get noisy again.”
Moyong Bi got up from his seat.
“Where are you going? We haven’t seen each other in a long time, so let’s have some tea together, Elder Sister and I.”
“Didn’t someone die? I need to train hard too.”
Moyong Bi’s figure hurrying out the door was as fleeting as a ghost.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————