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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Kunlun Sect (1)
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*Clang!*
The sword of the young Daoist from the Kunlun Sect, which had been poised to pierce Mok Jagyeong's throat at any moment, was blocked with astonishing ease.
Jang Hu, the Heavenly Demon's second disciple, had appeared before Mok Jagyeong and parried the attack.
The young Daoist's eyes widened in disbelief at how easily his strike had been deflected.
"The Daoists of Kunlun certainly lack manners."
Jang Hu moved the hand holding his sword.
*Clang!*
The young Daoist hastily retreated from the sudden counterattack.
But Jang Hu didn't stop, immediately thrusting his sword toward the young Daoist.
"Stop!"
Daoist Heoun quickly launched himself forward, extending his sword.
Unleashing the Eight Forms of the Cloud Dragon, Kunlun's renowned movement technique, Daoist Heoun wedged himself between Jang Hu and the young Daoist.
*Clang!*
Jang Hu scowled at Daoist Heoun, who had suddenly appeared and blocked his sword.
"How about you show some restraint?"
"You want to end it like this now? Weren't you the ones who drew your swords first?"
Unlike Daoist Heoun who wanted to stop, Jang Hu seemed to have no intention of backing down.
"It seems he was angered, thinking you were insulting Kunlun."
"…"
"He is still just a child. Can you not let this go?"
At Daoist Heoun's words, Jang Hu let out a smirk.
"He drew his sword out of anger for insulting Kunlun? Then since he insulted our cult, shouldn't I be allowed to draw my sword as well?"
"When did I ever insult the Demonic Cult!"
The young Daoist, who had been pushed back, cried out with an aggrieved expression.
"Will you not be quiet!"
Daoist Heoun roared at the young Daoist.
"But…"
"Enough!"
The young Daoist shut his mouth, his face filled with dissatisfaction.
"Look at that. He doesn't even know what the insult was, does he?"
"Ugh!"
Daoist Heoun glared at the young Daoist before letting out a sigh.
The problem was the young Daoist's cry of "filthy Demonic Cult bastards" before he attacked.
'He doesn't get that angry about being called a demonic person…'
The warriors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult didn't particularly get angry when their martial arts were called demonic arts, or when they themselves were called demonic people.
In fact, they often referred to themselves and their arts as such.
But strangely, they were extremely sensitive to the term "Demonic Cult."
"To think you'd treat the Great Void's New Dragon, who is destined to lead Kunlun in the future, as a child who knows nothing of the world."
Daoist Heoun's face contorted at Mok Jagyeong's sudden comment.
Daoist Haksu, the Great Void's New Dragon.
That was the title of the young Daoist who had attacked Mok Jagyeong just moments ago.
And just as Mok Jagyeong had said, he was the head disciple who would one day lead the Kunlun Sect, and also one of the Fifteen New Dragons of the Righteous Alliance.
"So, do you really wish to continue? Do you truly believe you can face all of Kunlun with just these numbers?"
Daoist Heoun finally sighed and asked back.
He couldn't let Mok Jagyeong lead him around forever.
"Of course, taking on all of Kunlun with this group is impossible, but we can certainly kill everyone here, don't you think?"
"Hmph!"
But it seemed Mok Jagyeong had no intention of backing down either.
A powerful aura began to flow from his body, pressing down on the warriors of the Kunlun Sect.
Under this pressure, the Daoists of the Kunlun Sect reflexively drew their swords.
"Hehe. So, you want a fight after all?"
Gye Buil laughed as he pulled a steel mace from his back.
The Daoists flinched at the sight of the massive blunt weapon.
"Then I'll kill that damn bastard."
Jang Hu shot a savage grin at Daoist Haksu, the Great Void's New Dragon.
He looked ready to pounce at any moment.
As the atmosphere instantly turned murderous, Jinmyeong quietly observed his surroundings.
'Is this normal?'
They suddenly appeared and asked where we were going, and now they've drawn swords and are attacking each other.
And just like that, it feels like a battle is about to break out.
Jinmyeong had to struggle to comprehend the situation.
'Does that mean I have to fight too?'
In any case, this would be his first battle.
But strangely, he didn't feel nervous.
'I have a feeling it'll be okay.'
How should he put it?
He felt that even if a fight broke out, it wouldn't be particularly dangerous.
'I also feel like I want to test it out…'
The Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts he had learned. And the Asura Sword Forms.
He wanted to see just how effective they would be.
'What is this feeling?'
His heart was pounding.
So loudly that he could hear it himself.
'Am I scared?'
His body was trembling.
It would be a lie to say there was no fear.
But along with the fear, he also felt a sense of excitement.
"Stop!"
The situation, where they seemed ready to leap at each other at any moment, was brought to an end by the shout of the Demonic Shadow Brigade Leader, Neung Byeokmun.
"Young Master, your jest went a bit too far."
"Haha. A jest, you say."
Mok Jagyeong simply laughed at Neung Byeokmun's words.
"Daoist. As I said before, we are not going to the Central Plains to wage war."
"Mm."
"If we intended to advance into the Central Plains, would we have moved like this?"
Daoist Heoun also thought that made sense.
If they intended to start a war, they wouldn't have come with such a small force.
And if they were moving to hatch some kind of plot to advance into the Central Plains, they wouldn't have been so conspicuous.
'No, if that were the case, they wouldn't have brought these people.'
The elders of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would not have sent their successors on such a mission.
They had more than enough subordinates for that kind of work.
"Understood. We will stand down."
"Martial Uncle!"
Daoist Haksu cried out in disbelief at Daoist Heoun's words.
"Stand down."
But he had no choice but to retreat upon seeing Daoist Heoun's sharp gaze.
"A wise decision."
"The reason Kunlun is stepping aside is by no means because we are afraid of you."
"We're not such villains. What's there to step aside for?"
Mok Jagyeong's words made Daoist Heoun's face twitch again.
But he wasn't wrong.
"Anyone who heard you would think this is the first time our cult has gone to the Central Plains. We already have many branches there."
"Ahem!"
In the old days, the Kunlun Sect acted as a gatekeeper to prevent the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult from entering the Central Plains, but now there was no need to stop them.
Indeed, just as Mok Jagyeong said, there were already many branches of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the Central Plains, a fact the Righteous Alliance and the Heretical Alliance had come to accept.
Of course, there were those who opposed it, but it was also true that this had prevented wars over the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's expansion into the Central Plains.
"…Be on your way."
The Kunlun Sect was probably the only one this sensitive about the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
To be precise, while everyone else kept a close watch on the cult's movements, few would display such immediate hostility as Kunlun.
"Well then, we'll see you again later."
Mok Jagyeong smiled and bid farewell to the Daoists of the Kunlun Sect.
The Kunlun Daoists glared at the departing group from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but they did not attack them.
"You seem disappointed."
"Disappointed?"
After parting with the Kunlun Daoists and starting to cross the Kunlun Mountains again, Shin Yehyang approached Jinmyeong.
"Yes. It seemed like Young Master Jin was quite disappointed that you didn't get to fight Kunlun."
"Not at all. I don't particularly enjoy fighting."
Shin Yehyang stared at Jinmyeong quietly.
Jinmyeong met her unchanging, expressionless gaze.
"Is that so? Well, I'll take your word for it."
Shin Yehyang nodded.
"But did you know? You were smiling, looking like you were enjoying yourself more than you think."
With that, as if she had nothing more to say, she began to walk ahead.
Jinmyeong watched her back for a moment before bringing a hand to his lips.
'I was smiling?'
But his lips were set in their usual line.
Firmly closed, with no change at all.
'She must have seen it wrong.'
Jinmyeong thought Shin Yehyang must have been mistaken.
'It's true I was looking forward to it, but…'
Yes.
He had to admit it.
He was looking forward to the idea of testing his martial arts.
But he was just as afraid.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't shake the feeling that Shin Yehyang was mistaken.
'Unless my personality has changed…'
Even if he had learned martial arts, he wasn't the type of person who enjoyed fighting for its own sake.
'Unless my personality has changed, that is.'
This was the problem.
A change in personality.
Jinmyeong knew it too.
He was becoming more and more different from the person he was when he lived in the modern world.
'Is my personality changing, or am I just becoming more like the original owner of this body?'
He didn't have many memories, but he wondered if his personality was merging along with the memories that flowed into him.
'Certainly…'
Thinking back, Jinmyeong had killed someone as soon as he woke up in this world.
If he truly had his modern-day personality, he wouldn't have been able to live so nonchalantly until now.
It was impossible for the Jinmyeong from the modern world not to feel guilt over killing.
'No matter how urgent it was, and even though they were trying to kill me, it felt so natural.'
He felt no guilt whatsoever.
He was so calm, as if he were accustomed to killing.
'It might not be a bad thing…'
Having to live in a world like this, modern sensibilities were unnecessary.
So, it wasn't a bad thing that his personality had changed to not be bound by such common sense.
It just felt like he was slowly becoming someone else.
'It'll be fine. It's not like I'll become some kind of murderer, right?'
Jinmyeong tapped the sword hanging at his waist, trying to calm his uneasy heart.
'More importantly, a lot of my questions have been answered.'
Jinmyeong shifted his thoughts to another topic.
'So the group was formed this way to make it look like it was for the young warriors to gain experience.'
His biggest question had been answered.
But Jinmyeong had witnessed something even more interesting.
'He's an interesting man.'
He looked at the back of the Demonic Shadow Brigade Leader, Neung Byeokmun, who was walking at the very front.
He was once again wearing a cold, stern expression.
He didn't say a single unnecessary word to the group.
The only things he had said so far were, "We will camp here for the night," and "We are departing."
'I didn't know he had that side to him.'
He had done everything he could to avoid a fight with the Kunlun Sect.
'That must have been for the mission too.'
Perhaps he, like the others, had wanted to fight the Kunlun Sect.
He was likely the type to find conversing with his body more comfortable than with his mouth.
But the Demonic Shadow Brigade Leader must have been worried about the consequences of a battle with the Kunlun Sect.
'A war with the Kunlun Sect could lead to a fight with the Righteous Alliance.'
That would interfere with their mission.
In any case, thanks to him, the Kunlun Sect had backed down, and they had finally crossed the Kunlun Mountains and entered the Central Plains.
"We will rest after going a little further."
They thought they could rest now that they had crossed the Kunlun Mountains and entered the Central Plains, but Neung Byeokmun seemed to have other plans.
Instead, he quickened his pace.
In the end, they had to move without rest, heading straight for a place called Xining, near Qinghai Lake.
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