The Sword Saint watched as young master Kim just basically brushed off the Fist King's gratitude.
"It was nothing."
Cale really thought that it was nothing.
'Where the hell did he get the enlightenment?'
Honestly speaking, he had no idea what kind of help he gave the Fist King.
"I'm sure it was. To you, young master Kim, everything is just the natural flow of returning to nothing. They are all just as things should be."
'What the hell is this old man saying right now?'
Cale decided not to think about it anymore and just nodded his head.
"Congratulations on taking a step forward, sir."
"Thank you."
The Fist King was now using a half-respectful tone toward Cale, but… (TL: This whole respectful tone thing doesn't really work in English. Just… go with it when it is described) Cale found it cumbersome to even ask about that so he just pretended not to notice.
Instead, he made eye contact with the Sword Saint.
"Please follow me. We will chat inside."
"Mm."
The Sword Saint quietly groaned. He looked uncomfortable as he looked at Cale's back before peeking at Elder Ho.
"…As I expected...."
Elder Ho was mumbling in admiration while looking, not at the Fist King, but rather at young master Kim. He was nodding his head over and over as well.
"Please come this way."
Chief Eunuch Wi approached them and urged Elder Ho and the Sword Saint to move. The Sword Saint sighed and followed behind Chief Eunuch Wi.
"Eastern Depot?"
He just casually asked that to Chief Eunuch Wi as he moved.
"As expected, the Sword Saint has quite the discerning eye."
Chief Eunuch Wi did not say anything to deny it to the Sword Saint who immediately recognized his identity.
"Hmph."
The Sword Saint snorted before turning his head after sensing an approaching aura.
"…I greet Elder Fist King."
Even a do-whatever-I-want kind of maverick like the Sword Saint spoke respectfully to the Fist King and slightly bowed his head.
It was his way of showing respect to an expert of the past generation.
"I'm happy to meet a famous expert of the current Orthodox faction."
That was all the Fist King said and he did not join their group.
He spoke to Chief Eunuch Wi instead.
"I will take care of things here. This was my fault, so I should compensate the innkeeper properly."
Mok Hyeon looked toward the corner of the room.
"Mok Hee."
"...."
Mok Hee was looking at the Fist King with excitement. As someone who was walking the path of martial arts like her great-grandfather, the Fist King, who was already like Mount Tai to her, had reached a new level.
That fact was enough to make Mok Hee happy and proud.
"Please help me."
"…Yes, grandfather!"
Mok Hee walked toward Mok Hyeon.
'… This is great.'
The Sword Saint felt relaxed that the Fist King saw himself out of the conversation.
Whether it was considering his martial arts realm or his time in the Martial Arts world, the Fist King was someone the Sword Saint had no choice but to pay attention to.
Having someone like that see themselves out of the conversation should make the conversation with the Imperial family go better.
After walking out of the room that the Fist King destroyed to another room across the hallway…
Young master Kim greeted the Sword Saint as soon as he entered.
"Please sit."
There was only one chair across from young master Kim.
Basically, it should mean that only the Sword Saint could sit across from him.
'This guy is not bad.'
The Sword Saint was satisfied with young master Kim's actions, which were clearly done to save the Sword Saint's face.
He thought that this guy would be pompous as a member of the Imperial family, but he didn't seem too bad.
'Hmm.'
He peeked around.
Chief Eunuch Wi and Elder Ho were standing around.
There were also two people who seemed to be young master Kim's subordinates, with one by the window and the other standing behind young master Kim.
Sui Khan was at the window while Choi Han was behind Cale.
"I will be closing the door now."
The half-white-haired subordinate closed the door from the outside.
Clunk.
Cale confirmed that Ron closed the door all the way before looking at Chief Eunuch Wi.
Chief Eunuch Wi slightly lowered his head before looking back up and starting to speak.
"Thank you very much for coming to see us."
The Sword Saint slightly waved his hand as if to say it was nothing.
He then responded in a slightly awkward tone.
"Not at all. I heard that something unsavory had happened, so I was expecting to be contacted like this."
"...."
Chief Eunuch Wi hesitated.
It was the same for Elder Ho.
– Elder-nim, did you tell him in advance?
– No, sir! I did not!
The two of them direly exchanged sound transmissions.
Cale frowned as well.
'…Something unsavory? Does the Sword Saint know about the living jiangshis? I guess someone at the Sword Saint's level should be aware of more things than normal people? Is that why the Sword Saint is having Namgung Tae Wi travel with him?'
Cale's mind started to quickly move.
"Ahem."
The Sword Saint started speaking after seeing Cale frown.
"It looks like there was a small misunderstanding between the two sides, so I think that it would be best if we quietly handled the matter."
He wanted to easily take care of the issue between Namgung Yoo Hak and this decent Imperial family member, young master Kim.
"So, if you tell me what you want, I, the Sword Saint will show my greatest sincerity."
"Ho."
Elder Ho subconsciously gasped.
On the other hand, Chief Eunuch Wi started frowning.
"…Did you just say a small misunderstanding?"
"That's right. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it?"
"Ha!"
Chief Eunuch Wi scoffed. Of course, unlike Elder Ho earlier, rage could be felt in his scoff.
"I understand that the name of the Namgung Clan is extremely high in the Martial Arts world, but it is still underneath the sky. You think what has happened in the Namgung Clan is just a small misunderstanding? You said that it is not a big deal?"
Chief Eunuch Wi was getting angrier as he spoke.
The Blood Cult was one thing, but this was about living jiangshis.
If that living jiangshi overloaded and exploded, Martial artists would get injured, but… Innocent civilians could get injured as well.
No, it was extremely likely that they would get injured. And if that happened, there would be a lot of casualties.
But it was just a small misunderstanding and not a big deal? They should quietly handle it?
And he wanted to take care of it with sincerity, meaning with money?
Flames could be seen in Chief Eunuch Wi's eyes.
He had been respectful since this was the Sword Saint, but this was someone who didn't even have a government rank.
But he dared to act like this. Chief Eunuch Wi could not hold it in anymore.
"That is quite the arrogant statement."
"…What?"
The Sword Saint's calm eyes started burning up as well.
'He just said that the great Namgung Clan is arrogant?'
Although this young master Kim in front of him was a member of the Imperial family and seemed quite strong… He was still the Sword Saint.
If he, the Sword Saint, stepped in and said that he would show sincerity to cover up the trashy actions of his grandson… Wasn't that enough?
Even if they didn't like what he was offering, they could ask for an apology or for more things.
"…Our Namgung… you are saying that I am arrogant?"
He did not deserve to hear such things for what he was doing right now.
Clack.
The empty tea cup on the table started shaking.
The air around the Sword Saint started shaking.
"That is correct. It is extremely arrogant."
However, Chief Eunuch Wi did not back down.
"Ha! You are the one who is truly arrogant. You dare to use such trivial things to mock the Namgung Clan?"
"Trivial things? Haha!"
Chief Eunuch Wi scoffed in disbelief and raised his voice.
"Sword Saint, it is probably only you and the Namgung Clan who would call living jiangshis a trivial thing!"
Chief Eunuch Wi was no longer speaking respectfully.
"Something like that threatens the Martial Arts world and the entirety of the Central Plains and you want to quietly brush it aside to save the Namgung Clan's face? Do you really think that that makes sense? Is that really something the Sword Saint, one of the current Orthodox faction's respected five saints, should be saying?"
"…Wait-"
The Sword Saint could not speak for a moment.
"…Did you just say living jiangshis?"
Chief Eunuch Wi scowled.
"If it is not for that reason, why else would we need to meet with you right now? Why do you sound like this is your first time hearing about it-"
His eyes opened wide.
Chief Eunuch Wi closed his mouth and looked at the Sword Saint. He could clearly see the Sword Saint's face now that his anger had subsided.
"…Living jiangshis- living jiangshis, why...?"
He was unable to hide his shock. He looked past Chief Eunuch Wi and at Elder Ho.
"Elder Ho. What the hell is he talking about? What the hell did I just hear?"
"That-"
Elder Ho warily peeked toward Cale.
Cale nodded his head and Elder Ho gulped before opening his mouth.
"The Blood Cult created living jiangshis and we believe one of the living jiangshis is currently within the Namgung Clan and thus we need to verify it."
Everybody became silent.
The Sword Saint looked up in the air and mumbled.
"…The Blood Cult-"
It would be one thing if the Demonic Cult was mentioned, but the Blood Cult had hidden themselves from the Martial Arts world a long time ago.
But suddenly the Blood Cult was mentioned?
Furthermore, that Blood Cult created living jiangshis?
This was difficult to believe.
However-
"There is a living jiangshi in the Namgung Clan...?"
Chief Eunuch Wi noticed from the Sword Saint's gaze that there had been a misunderstanding in their conversation until now. He calmed his rage against the now-flustered old man and calmly responded.
He got rid of useless things and only delivered the important information.
"Namgung Tae Wi. We need to confirm whether he is a living jiangshi or not."
"…What?"
The Sword Saint smiled.
"It is not someone who works in the Namgung Clan, but rather someone with the blood of the Namgung Clan that you believe is a living jiangshi?"
His voice was calm.
However, Chief Eunuch Wi tensed up.
He could see the fire slowly burning in the Sword Saint's eyes.
"Furthermore, one of the Heavenly Guardians? You think that a child who has given his life to protect our Namgung Clan is a living jiangshi?"
The Sword Saint's voice slowly became louder.
"Do you think that makes any sense? I've watched Namgung Tae Wi since he was young. I watched him grow up!"
Clack, clack.
The tea cups on the table started shaking.
"How could you speak such nonsense!"
Clack, crack!
A teacup started cracking.
"Mm!"
Elder Ho gulped. The fluctuation of internal ki from the enraged Sword Saint was full of murderous intent and anger.
That cold aura made Elder Ho curl up in fear.
"Please calm down, Sword Saint."
"Calm down?"
The Sword Saint sneered at Chief Eunuch Wi, who tried to stop him.
He stood up.
Crack. Crack.
The chair he had been sitting on started cracking.
Swoooooooosh-
Wind started to swirl with him at the center.
"Senior Sword Saint."
Elder Ho barely managed to speak to calm the Sword Saint down.
"I understand that you are shocked. However, shouldn't we at least confirm it?"
As the elder of an organization, he understood how the Sword Saint was feeling.
Who would believe it when someone suddenly says that there is a living jiangshi within the Namgung Clan planted by the Blood Cult?
Furthermore, it was someone of his bloodline, his grand-nephew.
"I know it is hard to believe, but-"
"Shut up, Elder Ho!"
The Sword Saint ended up shouting in anger.
"Do you think I would believe such nonsense? You dare to say that a member of the bloodline of the Namgung Clan is a living jiangshi? Now that I think about it, it seems as if the Beggars' Gang got excited about some nonsense and called me here!"
He turned toward Chief Eunuch Wi next.
"Even if it is the Imperial family, you can't do this! To say that one of our blood is a living jiangshi! That means that our Namgung Clan- our Namgung Clan-"
He could not finish his sentence.
If Namgung Tae Wi became a living jiangshi…
Then that meant that the Namgung Clan had no idea while Namgung Tae Wi was harmed by the Blood Cult and became a living jiangshi.
The old man could not accept that fact, that fear, which was why he was responding with anger instead.
"I cannot believe that our Namgung Clan, that is such an unbelievably false accusation against us! You dare, you dare say something like that in front of me, the Sword Saint?!"
"Yes."
He heard a lighthearted voice.
The two people that the Sword Saint was looking at…
It was not Chief Eunuch Wi nor Elder Ho, who were currently being suppressed by his aura.
The Sword Saint tried to turn toward the direction of the voice.
It was at that moment.
'!'
He made eye contact with someone.
Young master Kim.
Yes, he made eye contact with that person from the Imperial family.
However, the Sword Saint did not see that person.
No, he did see him, but he wasn't really seeing him.
He saw a large mountain.
He didn't actually see a large mountain…
However, it felt as if Mount Tai was in front of him.
To be more accurate, it felt as if Mt. Tai was pushing down on him.
The aura flowing out of young master Kim had turned into Mt. Tai to overwhelm the Sword Saint.
"W, what the-"
The Sword Saint didn't even realize that he was stuttering.
Instead, he lowered his head.
His two hands were shaking.
It was not from anger.
This formidable pressure was making his body curl up and his hands shake.
The Sword Saint figured it out.
'I, the Sword Saint, am feeling fear?'
The pressure was slowly getting worse.
He felt suffocated.
As he managed to overcome that pressure and barely raise his head…
He saw young master Kim smiling at him.
Cale nonchalantly commented to the Sword Saint who was looking at him.
"I guess at least the Sword Saint is able to look me in the eye."
He raised his hand and pointed to the cracked chair.
"Senior Sword Saint, please sit down."
He then continued.
"We are not done talking yet."
In fact, what Cale had to say was just about to start.
He heard Raon's voice in his mind at that moment.
– Human, human! Are we finally looting?
Cale smiled as gently and elegantly as possible toward the Sword Saint.
"Alright then, why don't you quickly sit down? Should I tell you a third time?"
Plop.
The Sword Saint sat down almost as if he was falling to the ground.
—
Translator's Comments
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