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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Kunlun Sect (3)
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'Are they saying that for us to hear?'
Jinmyeong watched the men who were muttering while looking in their direction.
'They look like Taoists from the Kunlun Sect.'
They weren't wearing the robes of the Kunlun Sect.
But he could feel a similar energy from them as the Taoists he had encountered when crossing the Kunlun Mountains.
'They aren't looking this way, but…'
The gazes of the Taoists, dressed in ordinary martial arts attire, were not directed toward them, yet their attention was entirely focused on this spot.
So much so that even Jinmyeong could feel it.
"It seems they meant for us to hear."
Mok Jagyeong said as he put more food into his mouth.
"Indeed, it seems so."
Biyoung also nodded in agreement.
And though Jinmyeong said nothing, he agreed with their assessment.
'They knew who we were. And if they spoke at that volume, they must have meant for us to hear.'
Their voices weren't incredibly loud.
But they weren't whispering, either.
No matter how noisy the inn was with its many patrons, the volume was just loud enough for those present to hear.
"I wonder if they regret letting us go so easily."
At Jinmyeong's words, everyone paused and looked at him.
"Junior Brother, what makes you think so?"
Jinmyeong frowned at Mok Jagyeong's smiling face.
'He's asking even though he already knows.'
Jinmyeong clicked his tongue, but since he couldn't ignore the question, he voiced his thoughts.
"We already knew the Kunlun Sect would be watching us. It would be stranger if they weren't."
As he spoke, Jinmyeong glanced at the Taoists.
"But their words right now are likely meant to provoke us into starting a fight."
If a fight breaks out, it becomes easier for the Kunlun Sect to make an official move.
After all, with just that small number, they could never defeat the people here.
Those men would surely end up dead or seriously injured, and that was what the Kunlun Sect was aiming for.
"That way, they'll finally have a reason to fight."
"But what would they gain from that?"
"Why wouldn't they? They'd get the chance to kill not only the Heavenly Demon's disciples but the entire future of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
Biyoung's expression hardened at Jinmyeong's reply.
"You think the Kunlun Sect alone could kill all of us?"
"Well, our numbers aren't exactly overwhelming. We're fewer than thirty."
That was by no means a large number to face an entire sect, especially one of the Nine Great Sects.
Of course, with the Heavenly Demon's disciples and the successors of the Elders gathered, we were certainly an elite few.
"But from the perspective of the Nine Great Sects, they might not see it that way."
From the Kunlun Sect's point of view, they were a target too good to pass up.
If they could just kill them, they would be stealing the future of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"If they're really desperate, they could even ask the other Great Sects for help."
Of course, it would be a blow to their pride.
To be unable to handle so few people and have to ask for aid from the other Great Sects.
So they probably wouldn't actually request help.
"The important thing isn't whether we can defeat them, or whether they can annihilate us."
What was important to Kunlun was creating a fight with the young martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
And with a pretext that no one could point a finger at.
To achieve that, the cult's martial artists had to be the ones to start the fight.
'They could just deny that they were the ones who provoked us.'
In the end, they were sacrificing their own disciples for the pretext that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult attacked first.
Because they never expected those Taoists to survive an encounter with the people here.
"I-I see."
Biyoung looked at Jinmyeong, a stunned expression on her face.
"I never thought you would think that far ahead, Junior Brother."
Biyoung knew the Kunlun Sect hated the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But she couldn't help but be shocked at the suggestion that they would not hesitate to do something that could lead to war.
Yet, listening to Jinmyeong, she started to think it was indeed possible.
"It's all just speculation, so there's no need to take it too seriously."
"No, after hearing you out, I'm certain that's how we should see it."
Mok Jagyeong nodded with a meaningful smile.
He must have thought the same.
Jinmyeong felt as if Mok Jagyeong had been testing him, asking questions he already knew the answers to.
"Well then, what should we do?"
Mok Jagyeong slowly rose from his seat.
Then, before anyone could stop him, he walked toward the Taoists.
"W-What is it?"
They wore flustered expressions as Mok Jagyeong suddenly approached them.
'What's this? They seem genuinely surprised.'
Watching the Taoists' expressions, Jinmyeong realized something was off.
'If that's an act, they deserve an award for it.'
It seemed they truly hadn't expected Mok Jagyeong to approach them.
'In that case, did they really think we couldn't hear them?'
It appeared they hadn't properly gauged the martial prowess of the people here.
They must have simply followed them to keep an eye on them because they looked like members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
'They should have used telepathy.'
He couldn't understand why they had foolishly spoken aloud and caused this problem.
Seeing this, the Taoists of the Kunlun Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, seemed incredibly sloppy.
"Hm? Weren't you just talking about us? That's why I came over."
"When did we ever speak of you?"
The Taoists exchanged flustered glances at Mok Jagyeong's beaming smile.
"Didn't you call us 'filthy Demonic Cult bastards'? How long are you going to play dumb?"
"W-We did no such thing."
It seemed the Taoists intended to keep feigning ignorance.
But seeing their hands slowly move toward the swords at their waists, Mok Jagyeong's smile deepened.
"I have no desire to cause trouble here in Qinghai, the territory of Kunlun, but I'm not one to let an insult slide."
The Taoists' bodies flinched at the sight of Mok Jagyeong's smile, and in that same instant, he moved.
Swoosh!
Mok Jagyeong's hand shot out toward one of the Taoist's heads.
Splat!
And the head of the Taoist, who failed to react in time, burst apart.
"Dammit!"
The remaining Taoist immediately threw himself toward the inn's exit.
"A-Aaaah!"
"A-A fight!"
The corpse of the Taoist whose head had exploded rolled across the floor, splattering blood everywhere, and the people who saw it began to scatter in a panic.
"Hmm. He's running away."
Mok Jagyeong was unhurried, even as he watched the Taoist flee.
"This could get dangerous if we leave it like this."
He smiled and looked at his companions.
"That man will report directly to Kunlun, and then we'll have no choice but to become their targets."
Just as Jinmyeong had first predicted.
"Ah, that…"
Biyoung glanced back and forth between Jinmyeong and Mok Jagyeong.
Mok Jagyeong was clearly telling Jinmyeong to chase down and kill that Taoist.
"So?"
But contrary to his intentions, Jinmyeong didn't move.
Instead, he was looking at Mok Jagyeong with a similar smile.
"Hmm? Shouldn't you chase him down before we needlessly become Kunlun's targets?"
"From where I'm standing, it looks like you killed someone who didn't need to die, Senior Brother."
"…"
Biyoung flinched at Jinmyeong's informal tone.
"You started this, Senior Brother, so you finish it."
Jinmyeong, as if uninterested, remained in his seat, eating his meal.
"This is better than I expected."
Jinmyeong said, putting a piece of lamb that came with the noodles into his mouth.
Seeing his utterly nonchalant demeanor, Mok Jagyeong's face began to stiffen.
"It seems my junior brother here looks down on his senior."
"It's not that, but you shouldn't push the consequences of your actions onto others. You're not a child."
Jinmyeong looked up at the no-longer-smiling Mok Jagyeong.
"You have to take responsibility for your own actions. You're an adult, after all."
"Junior Brother!"
Mok Jagyeong's hand moved toward Jinmyeong.
It was imbued with the same power that had just burst the Kunlun Taoist's head.
"Senior Brother!"
Biyoung hurriedly moved to block Mok Jagyeong.
Clang!
But it wasn't Biyoung who blocked Mok Jagyeong's attack.
It was Shin Yehyang, who had been eating silently without paying them any mind, who had parried his blow.
"Attacking him so suddenly doesn't seem like a good idea."
"Lady Shin, why do you interfere? This is a matter between us brothers."
Mok Jagyeong tried to push away Shin Yehyang's saber, which had blocked his hand, but her blade didn't budge.
"In my opinion, Young Master Jin's reasoning doesn't seem wrong."
"So, Lady Shin, you think a junior brother who defies his senior is in the right?"
"This isn't a matter of who is right or wrong, is it?"
Mok Jagyeong stared silently at Shin Yehyang.
"As Young Master Jin said, since you started this, Young Master Mok, I believe it's right for you to take responsibility."
After all, it was Mok Jagyeong who had caused this unnecessary trouble.
"Rather, I'd like to know your true intention for killing those men, Young Master Mok."
He could kill them because they insulted him?
That was true.
This was the martial world.
But if, as Jinmyeong said, the Kunlun Sect had truly intended this and was aiming to kill the future of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, then the story changed.
"Young Master Mok, are you truly trying to start a war?"
It was impossible to know if the Kunlun Sect was truly prepared for war, as Jinmyeong had suggested.
It was all just Jinmyeong's speculation.
But right now, Mok Jagyeong seemed to be the one trying to use the Kunlun Sect to start a war.
"And that expression doesn't suit your title, the Laughing Demon."
Mok Jagyeong's face was utterly distorted.
Yet even while looking at his face, which resembled that of a vicious demon, Shin Yehyang maintained her usual composure.
"Haha. I believe you've misunderstood, Lady Shin. Wanting a war? I simply couldn't contain my anger for a moment because they insulted our cult."
Was it because of Shin Yehyang's remark?
Mok Jagyeong's vicious-looking face had, at some point, returned to its usual smiling expression.
"But I am a little disappointed. This is a matter between us brothers, after all, and you interfered, Lady Shin."
"I see. I can certainly see why you would think that. But Young Master Jin is someone who cannot be allowed to die now."
The Vice Cult Leader and Jinmyeong had joined hands.
In other words, the Vice Cult Leader did not want Jinmyeong to die.
Perhaps Shin Yehyang was not only observing Jinmyeong but also protecting him to ensure he didn't die.
"By the way, you have quite an appetite for a situation like this."
"Perhaps he thought you would protect him, my lady."
As if to prove it, despite the situation, Jinmyeong had finished his meal, an empty plate sitting before him.
"I see."
She said that, but she had seen Jinmyeong's sword twitch the moment Mok Jagyeong attacked.
Had she not blocked the attack, Jinmyeong's sword likely would have.
'What a shame. I could have seen it for myself.'
But she had noticed it too late.
She had moved, thinking he had failed to react to Mok Jagyeong's attack, but in reality, he had chosen not to react.
"So, Senior Brother, what will you do now? You caused the problem, so you must have a solution, right?"
Having finished his meal, Jinmyeong calmly asked as he brought a cup of tea to his lips.
At the sight, Mok Jagyeong's eyebrow twitched again.
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