Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 121

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 121. The Watcher (6)

 

Though he came alone without attendants, Ho Geom Jin In’s presence was remarkable. Rather, being alone seemed to make his aura stand out even more.

 

The fact that he could display such presence while perfectly concealing his qi was proof of the tremendous martial arts he had accumulated.

 

“Is this the first time we’re meeting like this?”

 

Moyong Bi cupped his fists in greeting.

 

“I am Moyong Bi.”

 

“Yuan Shi Tian Zun. I use the title Ho Geom at Wudang.”

 

Ho Geom Jin In’s face was filled with smiles.

 

“So this is how I get to see the greatest rising star of the Hubei Late-Stage Expert Tournament.”

 

Whatever the reason, he was praising him highly in front of many people.

 

The people at the tavern cheered quietly. The fact that an elder of the Wudang Sect had come alone to meet Moyong Bi meant that Moyong Bi’s status was truly remarkable.

 

Moyong Su Hyang, Jin Gwang and Jong Hweon, and even Seok Woong’s faces showed excitement.

 

They had never expected that an elder of the Nine Sects, called the heaven above heavens, would come personally to see a member of the Moyong Family bloodline.

 

“Kang Geun Cheong pays respects to Ho Geom Jin In.”

 

“The White Brush Swordsman, Master Kang. I’ve heard much about you.”

 

Though he had never met him directly, Kang Geun Cheong was also someone called a renowned master. Ho Geom Jin In showed courtesy to him as well.

 

“There are quite a few distinguished people here. And…”

 

Ho Geom Jin In turned his gaze to Moyong Su Jeong.

 

“I am Moyong Su Jeong, head of the Moyong Family.”

 

“I am called Ho Geom of Wudang. But doesn’t the Family Head have some connection with our sect?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“Hehe, how delightful.”

 

The greeting was much more amicable than expected.

 

“Today I’ve come not as an organizer but as a single Taoist, so I don’t want the atmosphere to become chaotic because of me…”

 

Ho Geom Jin In looked around and continued with an awkward expression.

 

“But it seems impossible.”

 

People burst into loud laughter.

 

He was even making jokes among people who were moderately drunk. The eyes of those looking at Ho Geom Jin In were full of goodwill.

 

Moyong Bi spoke calmly.

 

“Did you come to see me?”

 

“That’s right. Ah, don’t misunderstand. It’s not just you – I’m trying to meet each of the warriors who made it to the finals.”

 

Ah, is that so?

 

“This place seems rather chaotic.”

 

“It would become even more chaotic with me here. Rather than making people uncomfortable, shall we walk to the rear garden?”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

Thus the two men glanced at the others and headed to the rear garden.

 

“Wow, I’m trembling!”

 

Moyong Su Hyang snorted excitedly like an excited wild boar.

 

“This is the first time I’ve seen a Wudang Sect elder so close up. He’s truly incredibly mysterious!”

 

Seok Woong said with a smile.

 

“Isn’t the Wudang Sect the one that discusses the highest levels of Taoism? Moreover, from our position, it’s a sect we can only be grateful to.”

 

“That’s exactly right.”

 

Namgung So So also made a fuss.

 

“I didn’t notice when I saw him from afar, but he’s definitely an extraordinary person. Right, brother?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“Since he said he came to see the finalists, he’ll come to see you later too, brother. Can I be there with you then?”

 

Namgung Gwan smiled bitterly.

 

“Will that person really try to see all the finalists?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“From what I can see, he seems particularly interested in Young Master Moyong.”

 

“Maybe he came to see him first since he fought the first final match?”

 

“If that’s the case, then it’s possible.”

 

Somehow Namgung Gwan’s face didn’t look very comfortable.

 

Jegal Chung Ho asked slyly.

 

“You’re not upset that he didn’t come to see you first, are you?”

 

Thwack!

 

Jegal Chung Ho screamed and rolled around from Jegal Lin’s merciless punch.

 

Namgung Gwan, who was watching the two people heading to the rear garden through the distant window, asked Moyong Su Jeong.

 

“What do you think, Family Head?”

 

“I have no particular thoughts.”

 

She actually seemed that way.

 

But Namgung Gwan could tell. There was a faint tension cast in Moyong Su Jeong’s eyes as she looked at Ho Geom Jin In.

 

‘It wasn’t simply because he was a renowned elder of the Wudang Sect.’

 

Was it thanks to the enlightenment he had gained recently?

 

Whether his intuition had improved compared to before, he was now paying attention to things he would have ignored previously.

 

Namgung Gwan glanced at Seok Woong and Kang Geun Cheong.

 

Kang Geun Cheong looked out the window with an admiring expression, and Seok Woong had a similar look in his eyes.

 

‘No, that’s not it.’

 

Seok Woong didn’t seem to be just admiring and moved either. There was a feeling that he was somehow suspicious.

 

It was a gaze with a similar quality to Moyong Su Jeong’s.

 

‘Maybe I’m just being overly sensitive.’

 

Namgung Gwan tried to hide his anxiety.

 

Thinking about it, there was nothing to be anxious about. What was so strange about an elder of the Wudang Sect, a leader of the martial world, coming to see a young master who had caused a great stir in the Late-Stage Expert Tournament?

 

Even if something did happen, given that they were good-natured people, they could resolve it calmly.

 

Then, Moyong Su Hyang spoke in an ominous voice.

 

“By the way, that pig won’t make any mistakes with the elder, will he?”

 

“Come on, Brother Bi isn’t that kind of person.”

 

“He is that kind of pig. He was strangely rude to adults especially.”

 

“W-was he?”

 

“This is somehow making me anxious.”

 

Namgung Gwan flinched without realizing it.

 

‘It’ll be fine. It has to be fine.’

 

No, it must be fine.

 

* * *

 

“The weather has really gotten cold.”

 

The breath flowing out thickly looked particularly like clouds.

 

“Compared to the northern Central Plains, Hubei’s winter isn’t too bad. But this winter is particularly cold.”

 

“Is that so.”

 

Rustle.

 

The blowing wind made the bare tree branches tremble.

 

Thinking that sight looked like the singing and dancing of drunkards, Ho Geom Jin In opened his mouth.

 

“You’re truly remarkable.”

 

Moyong Bi gave no answer.

 

Ho Geom Jin In also didn’t seem to expect an answer and naturally continued speaking.

 

“I heard that in the preliminaries, you finished everyone off in one strike except for Woon Guk. In fact, there’s analysis that even with Woon Guk, you were just playing along moderately, and if you had been serious, you would have ended it with one blow.”

 

“…”

 

“Especially the amazing martial arts you showed against the Golden Dragon Family’s bloodline is still vivid. The sight of overwhelming that famous late-stage expert with an unremarkable sword form was truly impressive.”

 

Moyong Bi still gave no answer.

 

Ho Geom Jin In stopped walking.

 

The path leading from the rear garden to the thicket. Only the trees groaning wearily in the blowing wind were listening to their conversation.

 

“I’ll ask you straight to the point.”

 

“….”

 

“What martial arts have you learned?”

 

Moyong Bi’s eyes sparkled.

 

“You should know that carelessly trying to discern another’s martial arts is discourteous according to Jianghu etiquette.”

 

Ho Geom Jin In’s eyes narrowed.

 

Despite his gaze, his voice remained calm as before.

 

“Of course I know. In other words, I’m asking despite being discourteous.”

 

“If you know that, then you should understand that it can’t be helped if you don’t get an answer.”

 

This time it was Ho Geom Jin In who fell silent.

 

His gaze as he stared at Moyong Bi grew increasingly intense.

 

There are many ways to suppress a person without using force. Especially when a renowned master of Jianghu wants to pressure a junior who lacks both age and experience.

 

What Ho Geom Jin In chose was silence, and on top of that, he put force into his gaze.

 

A master’s gaze has the power to intimidate people. Especially for internal energy masters who are sensitive to qi, it can be an even more effective method of pressure.

 

However.

 

“Aren’t your eyes getting dry?”

 

“…?”

 

“You haven’t blinked once. You must be good at staring contests.”

 

Ho Geom Jin In’s eyes trembled slightly.

 

Moyong Bi stepped forward and pointed toward the inside of the thicket with his chin.

 

“There’s a place where I encountered Mudang’s Ja Dam Dojang before. Shall we go there?”

 

“Did you meet that child Ja Dam before the sparring match?”

 

From that one statement, he could tell. That Jeong Gal Ryun had kept his promise.

 

A cold smile spread across Moyong Bi’s face.

 

It was a smile Ho Geom Jin In couldn’t see, ten times colder than Hubei’s winter wind.

 

“She suddenly swung her sword.”

 

“Her sword?”

 

“She seemed not to notice my presence. Right after finishing her energy circulation method, I nearly died a senseless death without knowing why.”

 

“Hehe, is that so. I apologize on her behalf. That child is good in every way, but lacks composure.”

 

That’s true.

 

“She also seems to have a loose tongue.”

 

“Why? Did that child make another mistake?”

 

“She just seems that way.”

 

“Hehehe, please understand her. Isn’t she a child with Western Region blood? She’s bound to be different from orthodox Central Plains people like us.”

 

From that one statement, he could understand Ho Geom Jin In’s character.

 

It wasn’t certain if he actually discriminated based on race or region. But he was someone who would easily disparage a person’s reputation, beyond discrimination, if it served his purpose.

 

‘That used to be my specialty.’

 

He thought a Taoist priest shouldn’t be like that, at least normally.

 

“Shall we go in?”

 

“Good.”

 

Shortly after, the two walked along the well-paved path in the thicket.

 

Moyong Bi walked three steps ahead, and Ho Geom Jin In followed behind him.

 

“You have a better build than I saw from afar.”

 

“I’m still thin, though.”

 

“It would be even better if you put on more weight. Apart from that, your bone structure is quite good.”

 

“I don’t have immortal bones, so I probably have no connection with Taoist sects.”

 

“Hehe, a warrior of Jianghu doesn’t necessarily need to form ties with Taoist sects.”

 

Even while conversing, Ho Geom Jin In gradually felt an inexplicable uneasiness.

 

‘What is this? This strange sense of pressure?’

 

He felt strange.

 

Was it because there were no people around? Or was it really just his imagination?

 

Looking at Moyong Bi’s back as he walked ahead, he felt himself gradually shrinking.

 

He hadn’t particularly emanated any energy waves, and even if he had, he was just a late-stage expert. For someone his age to have such martial prowess would be worthy of being called a genius, but by any measure, he wasn’t at the level of a Mudang elder.

 

But why did he feel so uncomfortable?

 

‘This is….’

 

A master’s senses are always accurate.

 

Ho Geom Jin In seriously tried to analyze the reason, but he couldn’t find the answer at all.

 

‘This is really strange.’

 

A trickle of cold sweat ran down Ho Geom Jin In’s nape.

 

Sweat that even the cold winter wind couldn’t cool.

 

With each step he took, the intensity of the pressure seemed to increase.

 

‘This is like….’

 

It felt like a high-ranking person from a Taoist sect was present.

 

No, not just a high-ranking person, but like seeing a distant predecessor sage.

 

Huuuuung.

 

A particularly strong gust of wind sounded like the scolding of ascended predecessor sages.

 

Less than half of a quarter-hour walking on the secluded path in the thicket.

 

Ho Geom Jin In’s face had now turned pale.

 

‘What on earth is this?!’

 

Since entering the thicket, they had only walked without much conversation.

 

Now even his breathing seemed to be disrupted at will. It was a change he couldn’t understand at all.

 

Just as Ho Geom Jin In could no longer bear it and was about to speak.

 

“I don’t believe in the saying that all things return to righteousness.”

 

“…?!”

 

“For those words to be true, even if good people squeeze out blood and pus for now, evil should be punished over time and the good people who squeezed out the pus should achieve victory. But how often does that happen in this world?”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“If that were truly the way of things, there would have to be someone in the heavens watching over our world. People would call such an existence a god.”

 

“….”

 

“I don’t believe in gods. So I only believe in myself.”

 

“….”

 

“So I decided to watch over the world myself.”

 

At the moment when the tension that had been building from who knows when reached its peak.

 

“But Jin In.”

 

“Speak.”

 

“That Kang Won Gong technique, where did you obtain it?”

 

Ho Geom Jin In’s face turned pale.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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