The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 7

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

Surviving in the Martial Realm as a Mage: Episode 7
“Hmm, finally found it.”
“But it’s dangerous to approach any further, Daeju.”
“I suspected as much.”
“Based on the movements and traces we’ve observed from a distance, it appears to be Blood Corpses, Mansizong’s prized creations. And there isn’t just one.”
“That’s what it looks like.”
“I’ve sent word to the Main Family House, so reinforcements should arrive soon. Let’s wait.”
“That’s sound reasoning. A very wise decision, Vice-Commander.”
Watching Song Gwang-sik respond with evident disinterest while keeping his gaze fixed on the valley beyond the mountain.
Na Han-il, the Vice-Commander of the Assassination Squad, swallowed hard and spoke.
“Daeju, if you cause trouble again, it won’t end with a simple reprimand. This time, there’s no younger senior to cover for you.”
“When did that old man receive word? You think he wouldn’t come? Couldn’t sleep at night from curiosity? He must have heard by now that Mansizong and the Blood Cult have clashed. Given his personality, he’d definitely overlook it.”
“….”
“Well, let’s wait a bit longer anyway. We need to get an accurate assessment of the situation.”
The clash between the Blood Cult and Mansizong was nothing short of a shocking scandal in the Kangho Murim.
Both factions were notorious throughout Kangho.
Yet despite their fearsome reputations, the precise scale and background of these organizations remained shrouded in mystery.
‘I only learned now that these two forces aren’t on good terms.’
If this information reached the Martial Arts Alliance?
All the grand strategies employed against Murim’s enemies thus far might need complete revision.
‘Using poison to suppress poison would be the optimal approach.’
Making Mansizong and the Blood Cult destroy each other would be the finest strategy.
Just as Assassination Squad Commander Song Gwang-sik’s thoughts reached that point.
One of the squad members who had moved to observe the Blood Corpses beyond the valley returned.
“Did you get a count?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve confirmed the exact number.”
“How many?”
The squad member lifted his darkly tanned face slightly before lowering it again as he answered.
“There were ten Blood Corpses in total.”
“Hmm, quite a few. With that many Blood Corpses, we’d need at least one of the elders and the Main Family House’s elite combat unit to deploy.”
I had actually considered sneaking over and attempting some clever maneuver.
Song Gwang-sik had been contemplating whether he could somehow attempt to abduct one of the Blood Corpses.
‘No, forget it. This won’t work.’
Regrettably, the plan that existed only in my mind was quickly abandoned.
In fact, aside from myself and the Vice-Commander, the Assassination Squad members present were merely first-rate masters.
If they faced the Blood Corpses head-on with only their strength, they could barely handle a single one.
That’s how formidable the Blood Corpses were as creatures of combat.
They were the crucial strategic weapon that made Mansizong’s dominance felt throughout the world.
“However, there was a child in the cave.”
“A child? The footprints showed no signs of a child. Did they abduct one?”
“Actually, that’s… somewhat strange. It’s possible that child might be a Jiangshi Sorcerer.”
At the Assassination Squad member’s uncertain report, Song Gwang-sik, whose expressionless face was characteristic, paused as if frozen mid-stroke of his chin.
“…Are you joking right now?”
“No, sir. We thoroughly investigated the area around the Blood Jiangshi, and there were no living people except that child, so I reported it. Isn’t that strange?”
“That much is true.”
Chusal Daeju Song Gwang-sik fell into thought for a moment.
A child in the cave?
Considering we haven’t found any footprints so far.
‘That means it was carried here.’
The Blood Jiangshi carried it here?
If that’s the case, couldn’t we assume that creature is the master of the Blood Jiangshi?
It was a simple logical progression, and it held considerable persuasiveness.
“Roughly how old did the child appear to be?”
“Approximately around ten years old. The child even roasted a deer that the Jiangshi brought and ate it.”
It was a persuasive report.
Convincing enough to accept.
But there was a fatal problem.
“You think a child that age could fully control a Blood Jiangshi?”
“…I think it would be difficult.”
The Blood Jiangshi was powerful, certainly.
But its own sense of self was equally strong.
Naturally, it was nearly impossible for a ten-year-old child to perfectly control a Blood Jiangshi.
“Yet you still think that little one is the master?”
“Yes. That’s how it appeared to me.”
“But you’re not certain?”
“Correct. I witnessed him controlling as many as nineteen Jiangshi, yet I still cannot believe it.”
In a way, it was a contradictory report that didn’t quite add up.
But reports from the Assassination Squad typically proceeded this way.
In initial reports, they didn’t filter the content through their own thoughts or judgments.
They simply stated things honestly as they were.
They didn’t arbitrarily filter out things that seemed erroneous to their judgment.
The Assassination Squad members received special training from a very young age to report everything honestly and without embellishment.
“Fine then. Let’s keep watch for now and monitor the situation.”
Thus, the ten Assassination Squad members hid in the darkness and covertly observed the Blood Jiangshi and the Kid.
Their skills were so refined.
Trevallion in the cave genuinely failed to detect them at all.
“The child is moving. That direction is south, where the village is located.”
“As I said before, I have eyes too.”
“What should we do? If we allow the Blood Jiangshi to attack the village as things stand, we likely won’t be able to stop it.”
“Hmm.”
Song Gwang-sik, the Assassination Squad Leader.
He maintained a slightly furrowed expression while deferring his response.
Was he truly considering an assault on the Village?
With that level of force, it might actually be possible.
Each Blood Essence Manifestation exhibited the power of two to three peak masters, after all.
And there were a full nine of these Blood Essence Manifestations.
That Kid was theoretically moving around with the equivalent of thirty peak masters.
With such overwhelming force, even a modest mid-tier sect could be reduced to ash in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
“…It has stopped!”
“The Blood Essence Manifestations are stationed in the Forest, and it moves alone.”
“…I can see that too. So there’s no need to make such a fuss about it.”
Fortunately, the Kid left the Blood Essence Manifestations in the Forest and proceeded alone toward the Official Road, walking into the Village.
As it gradually receded from view, the Kid finally disappeared from sight entirely.
At that point, Song Gwang-sik made his decision.
“Tsk, it seems this is as far as we go. Everyone, return to the Main Family House.”
He issued the order to withdraw.
Yet not a single member of the Assassination Squad concealed in the undergrowth moved.
They merely kept their eyes half-lidded.
Staring intently at their leader, the Assassination Squad Leader.
“What? What is it? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“….”
“Go home and rest. You’re all far too obsessed with work.”
It was then that Na Han-il, the Vice Leader who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth.
“What about you, Leader? Won’t you come with us?”
Song Gwang-sik, the Assassination Squad Leader, flinched slightly at his shoulder.
Then answered in a voice as small as an ant’s, almost in passing.
“I have to stay here. I’m responsible.”
“Then I’ll stay as well.”
“Since when have you been so loyal?”
“If I go back now, the youngest will torment me relentlessly. I’d rather endure a bit more hardship.”
“Ah… so it’s not loyalty, just cleverness? Quite impressive. Want to be the next Assassination Squad Leader?”
“I must decline. You know better than anyone how much the youngest torments people, Leader.”
“…A sharp one. May you live long and prosper.”
The Assassination Squad Leader finally let out a sigh and spoke.
“I’ll handle the close approach alone. The rest of you will serve as liaisons.”
“You cannot go alone. It’s far too dangerous.”
“Besides, I’ve already separated from the Blood Essence Manifestations, and the opponent appears to be merely a Kid of about ten years old. If necessary, I can always flee.”
“The opponent could be a master of the Reverse Flowing Movement technique.”
At the Vice Leader’s brazen rebuttal, Song Gwang-sik exhaled deeply and spoke.
“If we think that way, how do we ever accomplish anything? If you’re going to obstruct me so recklessly, just go back.”
“My apologies.”
Na Han-il recognized that his words had been somewhat forced, and immediately backed down.
“I’ll say it again—I handle close surveillance alone. The rest of you maintain distance. At least for now, at this level. You need to keep at least two hundred zhang away. That’s six hundred meters.”
“Understood.”
Song Gwang-sik moved quickly, recalling the Kid who had disappeared through the City Gate following the Official Road.
“Follow slowly behind me. From now on, we’re executing operation pattern B.”
“We acknowledge your orders, Daeju.”
The Assassination Squad had conducted countless surveillance and tracking operations in this manner.
Several predetermined operations were executed swiftly according to established code signals.
This situation was no different.
One operative conducted active close surveillance.
The rest provided support from a distance, observing that operative.
Thus the Namgung Family Assassination Unit
attached itself as a tail behind Trevallion.
* * *
Trevallion purchased fine clothing from the Fabric Shop and dressed himself impeccably.
Then he proceeded directly toward the Ronin Guild.
The Ronin Guild maintained branches in every city.
Each branch received various commissions from the local area and distributed them accordingly.
The Ronin Guild Branch in Giyang County operated the same way.
The problem was that due to the Ronin Guild’s nature, its discipline wasn’t particularly strict.
Trevallion would soon experience firsthand why that was a problem.
Blocking the entrance to the Ronin Guild,
a scarred Ruffian spat onto the ground with a sharp sound.
The Ruffian, who introduced himself as Jong-chu, stretched his long legs to block Trevallion’s path toward the underground entrance.
“Well, well, a young lord reeking of mother’s milk? This ain’t the place for you.”
A crude yet direct provocation.
Rather than feeling anger at the man’s obvious hostility, Trevallion found the experience oddly refreshing after so long.
‘That’s right. I had become the Kid.’
I had unconsciously forgotten this most crucial fact.
Trevallion stared at the man with his menacing expression, then smiled broadly.
I felt gazes from all directions.
The Ronin Guild’s building was situated in a semi-basement.
Except for stone pillars, it was surrounded by simple wooden palisades,
leaving numerous gaps and open spaces beyond the entrance.
Ruffians crowded throughout these gaps and spaces,
“Whew~ What’s this? The stench of mother’s milk is vibrating all the way here.”
“Did the young lord come running errands for mommy? Or did he lose his way?”
“Tee-hee, judging by those clothes, he must come from quite a wealthy household?”
“Don’t tell me this is some kind of common folk experience challenge?”
They chattered in disarray, their expressions suggesting they were bored and delighted by this unexpected entertainment as they watched Trevallion.
‘Not bad at all.’
This felt perfectly suited for an initiation.
And much like Trevallion’s sentiment.
The Ruffian blocking the entrance began whistling and waving his arms from the sidelines, his excitement clearly rising.
The Ruffian climbed the stairs with confident, sweeping steps, his expression brimming with swagger.
“Hey, can’t you hear what this elder is saying? This place, you little brat, you wouldn’t dare….”
The man who had extended his index finger to push Trevallion’s forehead backward.
Suddenly realized his finger had been engulfed by the Kid’s tiny palm.
‘Huh?’
In that instant.
Crack―
“Ugh? Kha-hack! Y-you crazy bastard!”
Trevallion calmly grasped the man’s finger and twisted it sideways, snapping it cleanly, then ignored the opposite fist coming down at him and struck the man’s right shin with a mana-infused kick.
The man’s right shin shattered under the blow.
Crack―
“Kwaaaaah!”
The Ruffian lost his balance mid-swing and collapsed ungracefully to the ground.
He tumbled down the stairs, flailing like a freshly caught carp.
Trevallion gazed down at the Ruffian for a moment.
Then he slowly approached, brought his lips close to the man’s ear, and spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
“If you make any more noise, I’ll pull out your tongue.”
He threatened him in polite speech using a child’s unbroken voice, untouched by puberty.
And it seemed to work perfectly on his opponent.
“Kuh-uh… uh-uh…!”
It was the kind of definitive tone and expression that only someone capable of translating that threat into immediate action could possess.
The Ruffian desperately stifled his screams, forcibly enduring the pain.
Only then did Trevallion smile with satisfaction and survey his surroundings.
Though the impact was brief.
The countless Ruffians who had been watching this place with anticipation and mischief in their expressions, whistling away, now bore faint traces of terror on their faces.
The expression of someone who had witnessed something they should never have seen head-on.
Confronted with such an absurd spectacle—one that defied belief coming from a mere ten-year-old—the onlookers hastily averted their gaze the moment their eyes met Trevallion’s.
“It seems your reputation was rather poor. No one’s coming to help you?”
“Uh-uh….”
Somehow, the first greeting had gone quite smoothly.
Trevallion smiled and tapped the cheeks of the Ruffian whose fingers and shin were now broken.
Then he stepped over him casually and entered the Wanderer’s Guild Branch with confidence.
The interior of the Giyang County Wanderer’s Guild Branch was quite expansive.
The stone pillars filling every corner reached heights of at least two jang—roughly six meters.
“Welcome, young one. I am Mak Chung, the receptionist of the Giyang County Branch of the Wanderer’s Guild.”
Perhaps it was because I had concluded the initiation ceremony quite dramatically.
Despite wearing the form of a small child.
I received remarkably courteous treatment at the reception desk.
“I’ve come to form a Ronin Guild faction.”
From this point forward, I needed to establish a proper identity.
Just as I took my first steps into Kangho.
Song Gwang-sik, the leader of the Namgung Family Assassination Unit who had been observing me from a distance.
His expression grew increasingly enigmatic.

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