Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 7

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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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#007

Jinmyeong conversed with a beggar in front of the inn, then stood before a large manor at the edge of the market.

The burly guards protecting the manor seemed to have anticipated this, opening the gates without resistance.

“Why did you ask the beggar?”

“A place with lots of money but too stingy to give anything to eat would be a loan shark’s house. A beggar would naturally know that.”

As Ja-gang-cheon realized another thing, Jinmyeong entered the manor.

Unable to see him anymore, Ja-gang-cheon surveyed the surroundings.

“Let’s go over there and watch.”

Ja-gang-cheon grabbed Cheon-gu’s waist and leaped up without giving him time to respond.

In an instant, they reached the roof of a nearby three-story inn, giving them a clear view of the manor’s interior.

“He’s offering something?”

They could see Jinmyeong firmly refusing a pouch offered by an old man in silk clothes. Not stopping there, when Jinmyeong said something, the old man hesitated and stepped back several paces.

“Threatening? Warning? Something like that, I think.”

When Ja-gang-cheon received no response while speaking, he looked to the side.

“Are, are you okay?”

Cheon-gu, his face pale, was leaning against the roof taking deep breaths. He was feeling dizzy from the sudden use of lightness skill.

“I owe you so many favors that my body is about half yours. But if possible, could you handle me a bit more gently?”

“Ah. Sorry…”

“I’m fine now. But it looks like it’s already over?”

The old man was trembling and bowing his head, while Jinmyeong turned around without hesitation and left the manor.

“Let’s go greet him.”

“If you were going to do that, why did you tail him?”

“I tried to watch secretly, but I just got caught.”

“That doesn’t seem like something to say with a smile, friend.”

The target of their surveillance was none other than the White-Robed Sword Jinmyeong. Yet Ja-gang-cheon jumped down from the roof without the slightest regret.

“Hello!”

Jinmyeong wasn’t surprised and stopped walking, making room for Ja-gang-cheon to land.

“Greetings, young brother.”

Though Jinmyeong felt that Ja-gang-cheon’s lightness skill was extraordinary, he didn’t show it and offered a polite greeting.

“You looked cool, so I followed you.”

His honest expression and tone, beyond any need for suspicion, caught Jinmyeong off guard.

“Haha. You flatter me. But your friend seems lacking in lightness skill – shouldn’t you bring him down?”

Smiling, Jinmyeong pointed to Cheon-gu struggling at the edge of the roof.

“Ah! Just a moment!”

Ja-gang-cheon used his lightness skill once more to bring Cheon-gu down. This time, unlike before, he had taken a deep breath in advance, so he could land without dizziness.

“Phew. Hello. I’m Cheon-gu. Let me say upfront that we didn’t follow you with bad intentions.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jinmyeong.”

Ja-gang-cheon, who had waited for their greetings, quickly brought up what he wanted to say.

“Would you like to eat together?”

“I’m sorry. I have an elder I must attend to. He’s probably waiting for me right now.”

It was a polite refusal, so Ja-gang-cheon couldn’t insist further. So he revealed his name as a final greeting.

“My name is Ja-gang-cheon. I’m on my way to Mudang Mountain, so we might meet again.”

“What business takes you to Mudang Mountain?”

“My father is from the Wudang Sect.”

At those words, Jinmyeong’s expression brightened. His genuine pleasure was clearly felt.

‘The son of a lay disciple.’

That’s what Jinmyeong thought.

While the Wudang Sect didn’t officially prohibit marriage, they lived a life of abstinence as a foundation.

Naturally, marriage was one of those things. So hearing about a child, he naturally thought of a lay disciple.

“I’m also heading to Mudang Mountain after finishing my business, so I’ll go ahead and wait.”

“Yes. Then let’s meet at Mudang Mountain.”

Jinmyeong politely bid farewell to the two young boys and left.

“Are all Wudang Sect Taoists like that?”

“It’s my first time seeing a Wudang Sect Taoist in person too. But don’t trust people too easily. You never know what’s inside.”

“Father told me a lot about the Wudang Sect. He said they’re a symbol of the righteous sects that revere chivalry and righteousness.”

“That’s not necessarily always good.”

“What do you mean?”

“Imagine a hundred of your fathers in one place.”

Ja-gang-cheon looked up at the sky and imagined the Wudang Sect with a hundred fathers.

“Ugh! Suffocating!”

Indeed, one father was enough.

***

Merchant guilds and caravans traveling along the main roads.

Their most difficult problem, as always, was sleeping outdoors.

While it was unavoidable when villages were far apart, cost was actually a major factor too.

They couldn’t afford to use inns every time.

So experience in safe outdoor camping was quite an important asset.

The most basic approach was to increase numbers and form groups.

It was a common sight on the main roads for travelers to camp in similar locations.

Ja-gang-cheon, traveling with a cart, wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

Today too, he started a conversation with a family that was moving.

Still finding this place fascinating, he enjoyed talking with people.

“Ah! So you’re going for good reasons!”

“Haha. That’s right. I should stop being a wandering peddler now. I’ll forget my wife and children’s faces trying to feed them.”

The middle-aged man who had been a peddler traveling the country was recognized for his efforts and decided to work for a merchant guild in Hubei Province. That’s why his family was loading their belongings on a cart and going together.

Once the conversation started, the peddler shared various experiences from across the country.

“Wow! So what happened then?”

Since Ja-gang-cheon listened with such engagement, the speaker couldn’t help but get excited.

After talking about life stories for a while, night quickly fell.

The man who had carefully arranged sleeping places for his children and wife smiled and said:

“I’ve wandered the country and talked with strangers I’ve never seen before hundreds of times, but you’re the first person like this. If only you were the right age, I’d want to drink all night with you – that’s my only regret.”

“There might be another chance.”

“Right. No matter how vast the Central Plains, if we keep traveling around, we’ll meet again at least once.”

Since it was time for others to sleep, they ended their conversation too.

Confirming that most people were asleep, Ja-gang-cheon signaled to Cheon-gu with his eyes.

It was to supervise his mental cultivation before sleep.

As always, Cheon-gu went deep into the forest and sat in lotus position.

Holding a qi stone in his hand and beginning to circulate his internal energy, Ja-gang-cheon held his breath and watched the surroundings.

‘Hm?’

But he felt a small presence from the distant forest.

‘A person?’

It was so faint he couldn’t be certain.

‘It seems like they’re deliberately erasing their presence.’

This was the method his parents always used when playing hide-and-seek on the island. Originally hide-and-seek was about chasing with eyes and ears, but after learning internal energy, it changed to finding presence.

When he suppressed his presence, even his parents had trouble finding him. Skills learned by a child for play grew several times faster than those learned out of necessity.

‘Mm. Let me check in a bit.’

Ja-gang-cheon didn’t bother to make the first move and waited for Cheon-gu’s mental cultivation to end.

Even then, the presence remained in that spot, and didn’t move even after bringing Cheon-gu back to the road after his training was finished.

When everyone was asleep, Ja-gang-cheon opened his eyes and went back into the forest.

‘Bandits, perhaps?’

He had heard that bandits appeared even on major roads, but he hadn’t encountered any yet.

As he erased his presence and approached to confirm the other party, he soon heard a voice.

“Have you arrived?”

He flinched for a moment, but the question wasn’t directed at Ja-gang-cheon himself.

The reason the presence hadn’t moved all this time was because it was waiting for someone else.

Ja-gang-cheon crouched down and focused on the sounds.

A voice that seemed to be in his mid-forties greeted first, followed by an old man’s voice mixed with a metallic tone.

“Have those bastards come?”

“They’re not visible yet.”

“What’s the probability they’ll take a different route?”

“This is the fastest route to Mudang Mountain. Considering their companions, there’s no reason to take a different path, leaving the road behind.”

At the mention of Mudang Mountain, Ja-gang-cheon’s expression became serious.

“But are you really planning to go through with it?”

“Why? Are you worried?”

“The opponent is the Wudang Sect. Even if we succeed, the aftermath won’t be trivial.”

At the middle-aged man’s warning, the old man let out a throat-scratching laugh.

“Kekeke. Is there anything here that could get worse?”

As the mockery disappeared from his tone, a chilling killing intent took its place.

“The price for taking what’s mine must be paid. Even if it’s the King of Hell himself, I will definitely collect it.”

At the old man’s murderous warning, the middle-aged man couldn’t say anything.

***

“Mentor. We need to rest for a moment.”

Hearing his disciple’s voice, the middle-aged Jinrin looked back.

He saw a young boy being supported and barely managing to follow. Even though the Jinrin’s disciple was holding his arm, he looked like he would collapse at any moment.

“Jinmyeong. Sit him down over here.”

Jinmyeong seated the mid-teen boy he was supporting by the roadside.

“Now. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.”

At the gentle touch stroking his back, the boy’s breathing calmed down.

“Haa. I’m okay now.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But when will we arrive at Mudang Mountain?”

“Are you eager to get there?”

“Yes. I’m anxious.”

At those words, the Jinrin smiled kindly.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’ve made a promise, I will definitely keep it. You will safely reach Mudang Mountain, receive treatment to remove the poison. And you may stay at Mudang Mountain until you’re safe from the Black-Handed Villain.”

The Jinrin’s words were so calm that they sounded like those things would naturally happen.

The boy looked at the Jinrin speaking those words once more.

Wudang Sect’s Gentle Mountain Man, Unseong Jinrin.

Below his neatly arranged hair that was half mixed with black and white, his eye wrinkles and round eyes gave a playful impression.

Though he had a warm nickname and appearance, he was the most hardline and action-oriented person within the Wudang Sect.

“Thank you.”

“It’s a reward for your courage, so there’s no need to thank me. You have the qualification.”

The boy felt his fatigue lifting at the words that acknowledged him.

“I can go now.”

“Hehe. I’ll find a way, so don’t rush.”

Unseong Jinrin, who had calmed the boy’s urgent heart, spoke to Jinmyeong who was nearby.

“Myeong. We’ll need to get a carrying frame from the next village.”

The movement was slower than expected and the boy was struggling, so there was no other option.

Since the boy had difficulty even riding a horse, carrying him on a frame would be fastest.

It was a method often used when martial artists traveled with ordinary people.

“In the meantime, I’ll carry him on my back.”

Jinmyeong carried the boy on his back without hesitation.

“Thank you so much.”

“It’s not such a difficult task for me, so please don’t worry about it.”

Jinmyeong, who didn’t forget to use respectful language even to the boy, increased his speed following his mentor.

The boy, who had been chattering a lot, closed his mouth when Jinmyeong deployed his lightness skill.

He couldn’t open his eyes because of the wind hitting his face.

As the speed gradually increased and more force went into the hands embracing Jinmyeong,

“Stop!”

The mentor ahead shouted urgently. And before that voice could even fade, tremendous force struck down at Jinmyeong.

“Kuk!”

Jinmyeong threw the boy on his back into the air and twisted his body to turn sideways.

Thud!

What fell where he had just been was a massive axe.

‘Bloodletter Sect!’

An axe with a blue-tinged blade and red handle was unique in the martial arts world.

Without time to be surprised, Jinmyeong had to catch the boy who had gone up and was now falling.

His mentor was already clashing with another opponent.

Jinmyeong leaped toward the falling boy.

“Stupid fool!”

The owner of the Bloodletter Sect.

The Black-Handed Villain’s poison-stained black hand aimed for Jinmyeong’s back as he tried to catch the boy.

Himself and the boy.

It was a situation where one of the two had to die.

Jinmyeong couldn’t bring himself to abandon the boy.

Just as he was about to draw up his maximum internal energy to endure with protective energy,

Whoosh!

A fierce wind came from somewhere and intercepted the Black-Handed Villain’s massive force instead.

Crash!

With an explosive sound, everyone present was sent flying in different directions.

“Ugh! That hurts!”

Ja-gang-cheon frowned as he held his aching shoulder.

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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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