Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 119
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 119. The Watcher (4)
That was when it happened.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, Hwangbo Seong was sent flying backward.
He quickly straightened his body, but had sustained many sword wounds all over.
Though none were fatal, anyone could see Namgung Gwan had the upper hand.
There were no traces of being hit by fist techniques on Namgung Gwan’s body.
“Speak.”
“Shall we not find a separate place?”
“We can do it here.”
Jeong Gal Ryun fell silent for a moment.
Thump!
The sound of Hwangbo Seong kicking off the ground resembled war drums.
War was being waged both above and below the duel stage.
“Why on earth did you do it? I know my Yeong Geom Jin In to be stubbornly obstinate in a way unbefitting a Taoist Priest, but I didn’t think he was someone who would do something deserving death.”
“It’s become certain.”
“What has?”
“If you don’t properly see your opponent, you can both underestimate and overestimate them.”
“…?”
“It seems you’ve lived your life misjudging many people, Great Hero.”
These weren’t words a young man not yet twenty should say to a renowned martial artist.
However, Jeong Gal Ryun didn’t get angry this time either. He simply became more cautious.
“Are you saying Yeong Geom Jin In had committed a crime deserving death?”
“Who decides what deserves death?”
“…?”
“Many people can decide that. Among them, the one with the greatest right would be the victim, wouldn’t it?”
“What crime on earth did Yeong Geom Jin In commit against you?”
“How could it be just Yeong Geom Jin In?”
Moyong Bi’s eyes deepened.
While keeping his gaze on the duel stage, he was seeing the miserable lives of his past great grand nephews that he couldn’t witness directly.
“Even if we captured and slaughtered all the Muwang Sect bastards, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“…!”
“At least those currently leading the Muwang Sect all have indelible original sins, every single one of them.”
Jeong Gal Ryun unconsciously swallowed.
It didn’t seem like idle talk. From this fog-like ambiguous young man’s voice, an anger he had never seen before was seeping out.
“Tell me. What crimes did they commit?”
“Why should I tell you?”
The form of address changed from Great Hero to you.
Jeong Gal Ryun hurriedly spoke.
“This isn’t a matter that can just be overlooked. It’s not just anyone, but a Taoist Priest of the Muwang Sect who died. If this fact becomes known, not only you but the entire Moyong Family will be in danger.”
“When was there ever a time we weren’t wronged, when we weren’t in danger?”
“What?!”
“Our Great Grand Uncle even had to change his surname. Yet the world didn’t properly look into that part.”
Excluding Guo Lao, this was the first time since falling into the future twenty years later that he shared stories about the Ho Yeon Clan with others.
“That was….”
“I know. Those Ho Yeon Clan bastards must have presented sufficiently credible evidence. The so-called renowned martial artists aren’t fools either, so they wouldn’t have eagerly driven the Moyong Family out to Hubei like cutting out a tumor without good reason. But.”
“….”
“Don’t you think even collective madness has its limits?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“The Moyong Family Estate was a martial family rising like the morning sun. At that time, it was considered the leader of the Seven Great Families, the greatest martial family under heaven that surpassed even the influence of Shaolin and Muwang.”
“….”
“Even I think there must have been quite a lot of people who felt envious.”
Jeong Gal Ryun’s face hardened.
“Are you saying that renowned masters, fearing the Moyong Family Estate’s growing influence, conspired with the Ho Yeon Clan to bring your family to this state?!”
“What would you do if that were true?”
“That’s nonsense! No matter what, to do that to the family of comrades who fought wars together…!”
“That’s what makes it even more outrageous.”
“What, what did you say?”
Killing intent rose in Moyong Bi’s eyes.
Though he didn’t emit any killing aura, it seemed like he could tear a person apart with just his gaze.
Jeong Gal Ryun unconsciously hesitated.
Moyong Bi’s gaze went beyond simple resentment.
Complexity, betrayal, extreme anger, desperate sadness….
It was impossible to think this was the gaze of a young man who was only nineteen.
“Because they were comrades’ families, their atrocities should never be forgiven.”
“That is….”
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“…?”
“Did the Jeong Gal Family truly think the Moyong Family had used the Ho Yeon Clan to seize glory?”
Since that’s how it turned out, they probably didn’t stop it.
Perhaps they thought otherwise.
If so, it was an even more disappointing matter. Though their relationship with the Jeong Gal Family had cooled somewhat due to the emergence of the Sima Family, at least they too were comrades.
“That would be so. I… think so.”
These weren’t easy words to say in front of the person involved.
Moyong Bi nodded.
“Do you know what I found most puzzling about this part?”
Now he was even afraid to ask back.
It felt like glimpsing a great secret of Jianghu. Like learning something he shouldn’t know.
“Why didn’t they seek proof from the Main Family Members, that’s what.”
“Proof?”
“Under the premise that my thinking is correct, the Main Family Members must have felt truly wronged. Wouldn’t they? Some bastards who came out of nowhere suddenly appeared as victims, pointing fingers saying we were a shameless family that used them like slaves and stole their power to regain past glory, so how could they not feel wronged?”
“….”
“Even if their words seemed plausible, they should have sought proof from the Main Family Members. But looking at past events, the Main Family Members were driven to Hubei without any such process at all.”
Jeong Gal Ryun spoke in a somewhat suppressed voice.
“I don’t know exactly how that process went either. But I think there must have been convincing reasons.”
“That’s the problem.”
“What?”
“If there were convincing reasons, whatever they were, everyone should have been imprisoned in Thunder Prison or executed according to alliance law. Since they not only thoroughly exploited an entire family but even used them as slaves.”
“…?!”
“But they drove them out? If they had at least exiled them to the Southernmost Central Plains or Islands beyond the Sea, that might make sense. But what’s this about Hubei?”
Surprise appeared on Jeong Gal Ryun’s face.
He had never thought about such aspects before.
Was it because I wasn’t the person involved? Of course, it had been a life faithful to my daily existence, but looking back, it was certainly a puzzling part.
Enough for anyone to find it strange.
“People are much more complex beings than they appear on the surface. More than you know.”
“….”
“Don’t be buried in familiarity. It’s good to trust people, but blind faith is dangerous.”
A smile spread across Moyong Bi’s face.
Namgung Gwan was steadily pressuring Hwangbo Seong. He neither pressed recklessly nor crushed him with flashy swordsmanship.
A dignified appearance that naturally pressured his opponent.
He was truly a magnificent swordsman.
“If you get betrayed like that, you’ll end up unable to trust anyone later.”
In an instant, Jeong Gal Ryun’s eyes shook as if struck by an earthquake.
‘You bastard, people with eyes like yours always trust others more than necessary. Faith is good, but fanaticism is forbidden. If the object of your fanaticism betrays you later, who will you trust to live?’
‘Does that apply to the Alliance Leader as well?’
‘The more someone kills people like this, the more you shouldn’t be fanatical about them. Don’t trust me, trust your own eyes.’
‘How can I have confidence in my own judgment?’
‘Only I myself can know the proper way to see clearly.’
That was the first and last time they had a proper conversation.
But he said he liked this bastard’s eyes, and his words about needing to trust people properly if you’re going to trust them at all were still vividly remembered.
Excluding his family’s teachings, it was the first time he had listened to another person’s words.
That’s why he thought even more about living while properly evaluating people.
“…Tell me.”
“…”
“What did the Wudang Sect do to you people?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“…”
“Just see for yourself properly. Whether this bastard is trustworthy, or if the Zhuge Family are shameless liars capable of deceiving people.”
Jeong Gal Ryun’s face became complicated.
Moyong Bi, who had been glancing at him, turned his head back to the duel stage and spoke.
“At least there’s one good piece of evidence that can help your eyes see what’s right, isn’t there?”
“…What would that be?”
“The martial arts I displayed against Jin Cheon Gwang – do the Ho Yeon Clan use those?”
“…!!”
“If they haven’t shown you such things until now, those bastards must be living quite comfortably.”
It felt like lightning had struck his head.
That’s right. Methods to find answers existed everywhere.
But why did I only look at people and worry alone?
Jeong Gal Ryun, who had been blankly staring into empty air, soon nodded his head.
“Do you trust me?”
“Not at all.”
“I see.”
Jeong Gal Ryun let out a bitter smile.
“I’ll make a declaration. At least for this matter, I won’t be the first to step forward and inform the Wudang Sect.”
“Is that so?”
“Aren’t you surprised?”
“It’s nothing to be surprised about.”
“Why?”
“You people don’t seem to like the Wudang Sect very much, do you? In this situation, if you can give them a refreshing defeat, wouldn’t that be good for your side too?”
“…Heh heh heh.”
“Don’t talk about trust over a coincidence of interests. I can see right through you.”
“You’re right. The Wudang Sect has been expanding their business too excessively lately. Honestly, we’ve started detecting signs that cross the line of propriety.”
“Those bastards’ character is just like that.”
“But believe this one thing. It’s not easy to make such a choice just to give them a defeat. It could cause great harm to the Main Family if things go wrong.”
It wasn’t wrong.
Jeong Gal Ryun turned around.
“Make some time in the next day or two. I’d like to have a drink with you.”
With those words, Jeong Gal Ryun disappeared from the spot.
Moyong Bi looked back at the sparring match between the two.
Rough panting sounds echoed loudly. Hwangbo Seong was almost completely broken down.
On the other hand, Namgung Gwan only had a little sweat on his forehead and wasn’t disheveled at all.
‘Want to have a drink?’
You bastard, if you’re not going to receive the alcohol I offer with both hands, why should I drink with you?
‘I’ll drink with you if necessary. I still don’t know you well enough.’
Moyong Bi didn’t trust Jeong Gal Ryun.
Therefore, this statement would be a great test for both himself and him.
‘I’ll wait one day. If word still doesn’t get passed along, then I’ll take care of that Sword bastard too.’
He keeps his mouth shut through two sword strikes?
Then I can trust him, at least for a while.
Waaaah!
The crowd’s cheers rang out boisterously across the duel stage. Hwangbo Seong had fallen.
Namgung Gwan, who had brought down Hwangbo Seong without difficulty, sheathed his sword. Even though his opponent hadn’t been easy, his appearance with not even his clothes disheveled was truly stylish.
Namgung Gwan bowed once to the fallen Hwangbo Seong, once to the audience, then turned and walked over.
His bright face, waving his hand while looking this way, seemed like he was greeting the most welcome friend in the world.
Moyong Bi waved back and muttered.
“…I’m done sleeping tonight.”
He had to prepare for possible attackers.
What if the Wudang Sect bastards occupied this place and then targeted me and my great grand nephews?
‘You’ll see a Ma In that hasn’t been discovered yet going on a mad rampage, Mr. Zhuge.’
He had no intention of showing mercy for past connections.
Because my bloodline is ten thousand times more precious than a fleeting connection.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
