Chapter 86 – Doubt (3)

Disciples like Young Gadong of the East River Blade sect met Young Chun, the youngest of the disciples, about 10 years ago.

The youngest was just 7 years old then, a child.

‘So young.’

[Great sahyung! Great sahyung!]

The cute youngest one would run to them to ask questions. At first, they weren’t used to it.

However, the initiation of this youngest disciple became a vital force for the sect. Everyone liked this boy.

And with their master always out for work, they would practically be teachers for the youngest. Of the senior disciples, Young Gadong taught him the most.

[Dummy. That isn’t how the third form goes, right?]

[Aho!]

[Huh. Don’t make that weird expression! Manage your face!]

[Ah…]

It was fun to tease him too. Although he was born with a face that couldn’t control his expression, he was taught from a young age to control it and be calm in each situation.

[Master asked me to go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, great sahyung.]

[Heavenly Martial Arts Academy?]

It was their master’s instructions, but did the child have to go?

He thought the master teaching the child himself would be amazing and having to train under the masters of the academy didn’t seem that great.

And there will be competition between the other disciples.

[… I don’t know if I can do well.]

[Why are you saying such weakling things? Our knowledge as the East River Blade sect disciples is strong, and you can easily get past the entrance ceremony.]

[Right, right. That is true.]

[They say it is tough, but no sahyung of yours had ever gone there.]

[They are so serious.]

[There are the descendants of the Four Great Warriors in there. So don’t consider returning if you don’t plan to go all out.]

[Oh! I will do it]

And so the youngest, Young Chun, entered the academy.

Despite lacking a lot, he was a child everyone cherished, so they wanted him to have a nice academic life.

They wondered how he would change in the coming three years. In their eyes, the 17-year-old youngest was still an innocent boy.

However, news they never wanted to hear came not long after he joined the academy.

His hand that held the letter went cold.

-We would like to inform you that our academy student Young Chun. Recently passed away…

This was shocking news.

[Great sahyung, how did this happen…]

The news of their youngest’s passing spread while their master was away.

His death happened during an unofficial spar between students. Young Gadong could not hold back his anger.

Young Chun was their youngest disciple, their cute little junior that they were so proud of.

[You need to inform the master about this.]

[Great sahyung, what will you do?]

[I will go to the academy.]

[Uh?]

He couldn’t wait until their master was discovered. If the letter was sent back, the academy would only speak about how they were investigating the matter.

One of the two founders of the academy was Hong Hwa-ryun.

Young Gadong thought a fair punishment would never come.

[I need to go and see for myself. So that the academy doesn’t try to hide the case!]

—

Young Gadong was sure the academy would bury the case. Even if the current Murim was a world of sects, he had walked the world long enough to know that there was no such thing as true good and evil.

The work of people was done based on profit. This incident would likely bring anger to his master too.

‘I cannot let this happen.’

His Master would talk with the academy. If the responsibility for the death was shifted to Young Chun, who died, he would try to bring in his master.

‘Do you think it will simply happen how you want it to?’

So Young Gadong came here.

He came here to know the truth with his own eyes and hold this woman responsible for it. However, there were more obstacles than he expected.

-Kukuku!

“What is the warning?”

‘What is this kid?’

There was no feeling of energy within the boy. He seemed like a beginner who had just begun to learn martial arts.

But the neck he was holding onto was strong.

“… you are no ordinary guy.”

Everyone in the room seemed to be students, but some were stronger than the guards guarding the place.

He could see why this academy had such a high reputation, but he wasn’t in the mood to appreciate talent at the moment.

“Nothing will change.”

Pak!

Young Gadong tried to pierce Mumu through the stomach with his sheath, but Mumu grabbed onto it.

At that moment…

Srung!

Young Gadong, who pulled out the sword from his sheath at the speed of lightning, aimed for Mumu’s shoulder.

It looked like he really wanted Mumu out of the way, but…

Tung!

The moment his sword hit Mumu’s shoulder, something spread like a wave, and the sword which should have pierced him bounced to the wall.

Kwang!

‘!?’

Do Yang-woon couldn’t help but feel shocked.

‘No way.’

It wasn’t a simple stab, he had put some energy on the sword, but Young Gadong instead felt the shock of the recoil spread into his hand.

As a result, Mumu couldn’t handle it either and was moved back.

‘It is unbelievable swordsmanship.’

It was Mumu’s first time seeing a sword being handled like this.

The East River Sword Star was the first of the Four Great Warriors regarding swords.

And Young Gadong was a disciple of such a person. They were taught that a sword was the same as their own five fingers.

Chuk!

Young Gadong, who blew Mumu to the side, pointed the sword at Hong Hye-ryeong’s neck next. Hong Hye-ryeong gulped as the tip of the sword touched her skin.

“Was it Hong Hye-ryeong?”

“.. yes.”

“Did you have contact with my sajae?”

At that, she shook her head.

“No. There was no such thing.”

“Then!”

He spoke loudly in anger, and the veins on his forehead rose up. It seemed like he was trying hard to not kill her on the spot.

“Why aren’t you accepting that fact?”

At his words, she spoke in a nervous voice.

“I didn’t kill him.”

“Didn’t kill him?”

“I did have a spar with him in the training hall. I did my best to fight, but I didn’t leave any fatal wounds on the body of Young Chun.”

“Didn’t leave a fatal wound?”

Young Gadong snorted at her words.

He checked the body in the autopsy room in the basement of the main hall. He saw the scars which could only come from the martial arts of Hong Hwa-ryun.

“Are you saying my eyes are wrong?”

“I am only telling the truth. The injury on Young Chun should have been recoverable with cultivation…”

“The cause of death is that martial arts of yours, fire qi which entered the wounded area!”

At those words from Young Chun, Hong Hye-ryeong felt frustrated.

During the interrogation, she kept saying the same thing too, but no one believed her.

[You have to speak the truth. As much as the last scars showed, it isn’t something which would be dangerous unless the fire energy was used.]

[I didn’t.]

She continued to deny it, but everyone did not show any signs of believing her.

Instead, they had shown her the body of Young Chun. There was a scar on it which can only happen with the 4th form of the Fire Dragon Martial Arts.

‘No way.’

She couldn’t figure out how those scars appeared.

No matter how much she said she didn’t do it, it would be hard for anyone to believe her. The only people in Murim who could leave such scars were the direct disciples of her father.

And Hong Hye-ryeong bit her lip.

“Senior, I swear there was no scar.”

“Ugh…”

Young Gadong, who stared at her, lowered his sword. She wondered if he believed her words.

Papak!

At that moment, Young Gadong slammed her in the shoulders and stomach with his palm.

Three needles that blocked her blood flow were pulled out.

Pupupuk!

Hong Hye-ryeong looked at Young Gadong with shock as he said,

“The dead do not speak, but scars do not lie either. Without witnesses or evidence, I will not believe you.”

“Senior!”

“Before being a sajae and youngest in the sect, that kid was like a little brother to me. It doesn’t matter if it was a spar or not. I will hold you accountable for killing him.”

“I really didn’t….”

She couldn’t speak. She knew this man would never believe her.

He was looking at her with eyes that wanted to kill her. It was as if he was dealing with an enemy.

“Since I unblocked your blockage, there will be no words that I had aimed for a defenseless child. If you want, you can use your sword, which is in the next room.”

“… you want me to fight against you?”

“I did tell you. I was going to hold you responsible for killing him.”

Young Gadong was still angry. And she had no other choice.

At that time, Do Yang-woon approached him.

“Senior! One moment…”

Thud!

As Young Gadong stepped forwards before Do Yang-woon could finish his words, the sheath on the floor reached his hand and flew towards Do Yang-woon’s stomach.

Puck!

“Kuak!”

Thud!

Young Gadong didn’t even look at Do yang-woon, who was on his knees, coughing.

“You three get out.”

Guyang Seorin frowned.

‘This is bad.’

Young Gadong was enraged right now. Talking to him or forcing him to see reason wasn’t something that could happen anymore.

‘He is too strong.’

His title as one of the top ten masters wasn’t for nothing. Hong Hye-ryeong then opened her lips.

“Fire Dragon.”

As soon as she said those words, something flew through the wall.

Bang! Shhh!

The Giant Fire Dragon Blade.

‘Ah!’

Seeing that, Guyang Seorin exclaimed.

Although Hong Hye-ryeong wasn’t an expert yet, this blade was special. It was one of the 6 weapons known to have its own will and belonged to Hong Hwa-ryun

Wheik!

Flame spread around the blade as Hong Hye-ryeong caught the blade. It was because of the fire energy contained within it.

Some would become dazed by the sight of such a weapon, but Young Gadong remained focused and strong-willed.

‘It cannot be helped.’

Hong Hye-ryeong clenched her mouth. The only way to deal with this man was to do her best.

Shhh!

Young Gadong swiped two fingers on his sword, and a blue light flashed. It was sword energy.

“I have given you this chance, so do well.”

As soon as he said those words, Young Gadong moved. And Hong Hye-ryeong moved her blade encased with fire.

It was at the moment as the sword and fire energies were about to collide.

Pak!

Wheik!

‘!?’

At that moment, something unbelievable happened.

Mumu intervened between the two and grabbed both weapons with his hands.

“You?”

“H-How did you?”

-ching!

His two muscular arms had steam visibly coming out of them.

The dial on his wristband was set to 2, and Hong Hye-ryeong was shocked.

Although she wasn’t putting in her all, her sword was still covered in fire energy which would cause anyone else’s hands to burst.

This was only possible for those who mastered the way of the tao.

‘This!’

She tried to call back the fire energy.

Wheik!

At that moment, the fire energy on the blade was about to fade, but then it flared up as if it was angry at Mumu.

“G-get your hand away!”

Hong Hye-ryeong shouted at Mumu.

“Hot.”

Clench!

Mumu’s forearm muscles could be seen burning as the blade trembled.

As his fingers clenched more and more, a clicking and screeching sound came from the blade.

Kiiiik!

The flame flew to him more ferociously. The sword looked like it was in pain.

‘Fire Dragon?’

And that wasn’t the end.

-clack!

‘!?’

The sword energy of Young Gadong, which was also being held, couldn’t withstand Mumu’s strength and was split into two.

And it wasn’t the hand holding it that got cut, but rather the sword?

At this sight, Young Gadong became confused.

‘What the hell is this guy?’

This was an unexpected thing.

Ukuku!

He tried to get the broken part out of Mumu’s hand, but the hand wouldn’t budge.

It was a tremendous force beyond imagination. Then Mumu said,

“I said the right things. I asked you to solve it by talking.”

Young Gadon, who was still in anger, asked.

“… what if that cannot happen?”

“Have you ever had to fold your back?”

-Kwak!

The remainder of the sword in Mumu’s hands shattered into pieces. Young Gadong then looked at Mumu and said.

“… you said talk?”