Wandering Warrior of Wudang

“What’s the situation here?”

The first to run closer were Yang So-bang and the disciples of the Beggars Union.

Fortunately, Myung Se-chan and the Secret Troops had retreated quickly, so there was no need to worry about any altercation.

But, there was no time for everyone to understand this current situation.

The villagers couldn’t snap out of the hallucinations and were still swinging weapons at one another.

“Everyone has been deceived by the schemes of the Palace. They are not the warriors of the Palace. They are all ordinary farmers. And now poisoned and trapped within hallucination. We need to get them to come to their senses first.”

Yang So-bang, who hesitated at that, nodded as Jinmu gave him a brief explanation.

He had no reason not to believe it.

If Jinmu is the one saying it, then it has to be done.

Because he is the Sword of Wudang.

“We need to subdue them without hurting them and drive the poison out.”

“Affirmative!”

Yang So-bang nodded and ordered the Taoists.

“We will help too.”

Mount Hua’s Elder Tae Eul stepped forward.

Not only was this situation serious, but it seemed that the elder of Mount Hua personally led the elites of the Sect, like the defense circles around the land of Shaanxi.

“We will help too!”

Jeong Han, a known elder of the Kongtong Sect whom Jinmu was acquainted with, bowed his head to Jinmu and jumped in.

“What are you doing! Did you not hear what Taoist Jinmu said? Why aren’t you moving!”

Ho Hyeon-gae of the Beggars Union scolded the others and grinned while looking at Jinmu.

It was all a scene created by blind faith towards one person, but on the outside, it seemed like everyone was moving under the guidance of Jinmu.

But, there were people who didn’t like this.

Except for Zhuge Sansan, members of the Zhuge family, the Southern Edge representatives, and Namgung Chang-wi were not happy with this.

When the warriors of the Justice Faction stepped in, the situation in the village was resolved.

Mount Hua, Wudang, and the Kongtong disciples used Righteous qi to help the people regain their senses, and they deployed warriors to be on guard in all directions in case any unexpected situation should arise.

Meanwhile, Jinmu was talking to the leaders like Yang So-bang.

“I really have nothing but admiration for you. Hehe!”

Yang So-bang, with whom Jinmu parted ways after the Southern Edge Sect, patted Jinmu on the shoulder and burst into laughter.

Stop hitting me, you damned old man!

His eyes squinted a little, but he stopped from showing it any further.

This is because of the woman next to Yang So-bang. An old woman who looks middle-aged but was actually in her 70s.

It wasn’t that difficult for Jinmu to recognize her. He was just pretending not to know her so he wouldn’t have to get involved with her.

The Sword Wisdom, Byeok Un-young. In the Central Plains, and the world of Murim, she is the only woman who has managed to go through Body Reformation.

But she didn’t have to be careful around others just because she was strong in martial arts. Instead, due to her incredible acuity, she is called Thousand Hands and Eyes, Avalokiteshwara, making her an enemy to Jinmu.

He didn’t yet know what it was, but he knew that everything he did would come exposed in front of this woman. So he had to avoid her by all means.

“Well, we cannot stop you from doing what you want now. You said you wanted to head out first because you had some task to handle with Ho Hyeon-gae. How did you end up finding out the location of the Palace?”

“Ah, that… it just ended up that way.”

“It just ended up, do such things even happen? Or, did you find that out from the Southern Edge’s spies?”

The face of elder Go Du-san contorted at the way Yang So-bang questioned him.

As their chef was revealed to be a spy, the entire Southern Edge Sect was rendered unable to even say anything at the actions of the Central Murim Alliance.

Moreover, as rumors about that spread, all the sects affiliated with the Central Murim Alliance made their own efforts to conduct internal investigations of their people, but it was revealed that the only sect with spies was Southern Edge.

“Well, tell me what happened here.”

When Go Du-san asked to change the topic, everyone focused on Jinmu.

Thanks to me things were resolved well, and you want me to explain? Instead of just thanking me?

“Actually…”

Jinmu explained the situation of when he came here, carefully watching Byeok Un-young with the fear of saying something off.

The hallucinations caused by the thick smoke, and an unidentified poison in the air were causing people to kill each other.

Of course, the parts with Myung Se-chan and the Lower District Sect were entirely omitted. Because they disappeared before the Murim Alliance stepped in.

Their faces all stiffened as Jinmu continued with the story.

“They seem like a bunch of bastards. I cannot believe that they used the farmers of a village to sever their own tails.”

Tae Eul of Mount Hua frowned and was angry at this, and Kongtong Sect’s Jeong Han nodded in agreement.

“Maybe they were hallucinating and wanted to kill each other. Also, if the common people had been taken down, the psychological impact it would have on us would have been huge.”

“Hmm…”

Yang So-bang nodded at Jinmu’s words.

“You’ve done something great again. If you hadn’t checked out their traps in advance, it would have caused us huge trouble.”

“That is right. The Sword of Wudang has truly done an amazing job.”

Tae Eul praised Jinmu.

“Phew, anyway, now that they’ve cut their tails off again, where do we go looking for them again?”

While Yang So-bang was shaking his head in despair, this person who had been silent all this while, asked Jinmu with a not-so-scary look.

“Taoist Jinmu.”

“……”

“Let me ask you one thing. By any chance, do you know the formation and defense circles well?”

“…I am sorry, but who are you?”

Judging by the attire, it was clear that he was a member of the Zhuge family, and surely he must have met them somewhere before too.

“Ah, I apologize, I am Zhuge Hyeop-seong. I am in charge of the Zhuge family in Longzhong Mountain.”

So this man is Zhuge Hyeop-seong from the main Zhuge family? Is this the brother then?

“I am Jinmu.”

He bowed politely.

“But why do you ask that?”

Zhuge Hyeop-seong grinned at Jinmu’s question.

There is no one who smiles like that, and does not get labeled as sinister. This guy was the same.

“The camp that was set up here and the defense circle that I noticed is a first for me. How did the Sword of Wudang destroy it?”

Ah, that’s how he knew?

“Push through with strength.”

“Ah, strength… you say?”

Zhuge Hyeop-seong, who was nodding, frowned.

Breaking through with strength, doesn’t it sound akin to making a dog eat grass?

“Haha, is the Sword of Wudang trying to pull my leg? How can you break through a circle with so much force?”

“…I’m serious.”

One of Zhuge Hyeop-seong’s eyes twitched at Jinmu’s mumbling.

Before meeting Jinmu, they arrived at the village and had looked at the defense circle at various angles.

Didn’t they roughly mark the range of the circle around the trees?

Of course, Zhuge Hyeop-seong would never dream that the traces were left behind by the Secret Troops under Jinmu’s orders…

Anyway, the range of this circle was around 9 miles. Even though it was an illusionary formation, it was a sophisticated formation which included sound being obscured too, and shielding from external force.

But this man says that using strength destroyed it.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be a lie. From what he heard, the stage of Jinmu is past that of a normal warrior.

But he couldn’t believe that easily either. Rather than Jinmu’s strength, it was more about the loss they experienced.

“It is hard to believe. In the case of a circle designed to prevent access from the outside, it would be close to impossible to break through from outside, and even if it is from the inside…”

“……”

Jinmu chuckled at Zhuge Hyeop-seong’s words.

This guy had sharp eyes.

He was right.

From the inside, Jinmu had destroyed the circle with his qi, but when he entered from the outside, even he had to receive Myung Se-chan’s assistance to achieve the same thing.

From what he was saying, it was clear that he must have tried to breach the circle… That must have been hard for Yang So-bang to understand, but the Sword Wisdom would understand it.

“Huh, why is the Heavenly Changing Pavilion leader suspicious of Taoist Jinmu?”

When Zhuge Hyeop-seong spoke with distrust, Tae Eul asked, clearly displeased with it, speaking up for Jinmu.

“I am not saying this out of suspicion, but because things like this require accurate information, I am asking for it.”

“Stop it now, this confirmation seeking. How can you even say something like this? Even if he is young, he is the Sword of Wudang.”

Tae Eul spoke to Zhuge Hyeop-seong.

“But isn’t it the right thing? The Sword Wisdom too had failed. Shouldn’t we check? Moreover, if there was a way to break this formation, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn it. The Pavilion leader is asking with that intention.”

Go Du-san, who didn’t have good feelings for Jinmu, stepped ahead to support Zhuge Hyeop-seong.

If the Sword Wisdom couldn’t do it, so no one could? These narrow-minded bastards.

And Go Du-san, that bastard, I should have beaten him up so hard in the Southern Edge he will refuse to even look at me.

As expected, my heart had turned a lot kinder.

But he didn’t want to speak anything wrong, so he stayed silent.

“Elder of Southern Edge is too much. He already said that he pierced through it with force, what more do we have to check?”

Kongtong’s elder Jeong Han stood up for Jinmu.

“How is this being too much? I don’t get it.”

“This person is seriously…!”

When Go Du-san was being shameless, Jeong Han frowned.

“Elder Jeong Han is going too far and the same for Elder Tae Eul. Aren’t you surprised to hear that the Sword Wisdom failed? I asked out of curiosity and yet you got so riled up. It seems like you are taking the wrong side and defending it.”

“What?”

Jeong Han and Tae Eul glared at them.

“No? Then why are you calling our questions, out of a want to know the truth, as excessive? Now that the matter is done, isn’t it a normal matter to conclude an investigation and bring a conclusion to it?”

“What?”

“And isn’t it strange? How did the Sword of Wudang know that the Palace’s base was located here? After listening to Elder Windless Beggar, it seemed like he didn’t get any information from the Beggars Union.”

“You are right. Isn’t that strange? I heard the Sword of Wudang found out about Southern Edge’s spies first too. Isn’t that also strange? There are too many suspicious things.”

Jinmu stayed silent at the words of Zhuge Hyeop-seong and Go Du-san, but the faces of Tae Eul and Jeong Han reddened.

“Enough talking. I will not let this happen! How can you do this to Taoist Jinmu who has always been on our side!”

When Tae Eul spoke with anger, Go Du-san shamelessly responded.

“What? You cannot be saying that to us.”

“Shut up! Do you think I don’t know your dark thoughts? The Zhuge family is resentful that his strength in figuring out the circle has been surpassed by the Sword of Wudang and the Southern Edge lost face because this man figured out your spies. I am speaking like this because I don’t like the name of the Sword of Wudang being used to sully his efforts!”

Tae Eul spoke coldly and criticized them.

“You are crossing the line! No matter how much Elder Tae Eul is revered in the world, those words will not be tolerated!”

Perhaps because his true feelings were figured out, Zhuge Hyeop-seong was glaring at Tae Eul, red-faced.

“Not tolerated? What are you going to do about it?”

In the end, more provocative words emerged.

“……”

Jinmu, who was silent, found this absurd.

He was grateful to them for taking his side, but the conversation is taking a strange direction and now they are ignoring the person in question and fighting amongst themselves.

It’s working out so well.

Well, it’s not so bad either. The more divided they are, the easier it will be for me to tear them down.

“Stop!”

Yang So-bang, who was listening to all this, shouted.

“How do people with high positions put their feelings before them? It is true that Taoist Jinmu confirmed the trap here, and it is also true that he managed to help us avoid a great disaster up here. Has everyone forgotten what happened at Wei-chang?”

“……”

Once Yang So-bang brought it up, everyone fell silent.

“Elders of the Zhuge family and Southern Edge, you cannot diminish the efforts of Taoist Jinmu anymore. He has already established himself to be on our side more than anyone here! Also, Tae Eul and Jeong Han, you spoke out of line, so apologize!”

Yang So-bang was angry and this angered them even further, but perhaps with their feelings hurt, the two kept silent and turned away.

“Sigh, how… did this happen? The rest will be handled by the Beggars Union, so everyone head back now.”

“Uh? So quickly? But the investigation…”

When Zhuge Hyeop-seong looked at him curiously, Yang So-bang spoke with a stern expression.

“What kind of investigation is this? After the Southern Edge’s spies were discovered, Blue Sky, Dark Emperor, and Crazy Tiger realized the situation and returned to base. If this was something of the Palace’s plan, they had another purpose for it then. And we don’t know how many more spies are around us.”

“Well, that is true.”

As Zhuge Hyeop-seong blurted that out, Yang So-bang turned to Go Du-san.

“What will you do?”

“Uh?”

“Do you really think that among the Southern Edge, which had a spy, there was just one spy within?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it.”

“Go back quickly.”

“……”

“What are you doing! I told everyone to just pack up and leave, Tae Eul and Jeong Han, you too.”

Yang So-bang was so enraged that he banished his own people.

If someone else had tried it, they would have resisted, but this was Yang So-bang.

After everyone said their farewells and left to move, Yang So-bang sighed and apologized to Jinmu.

“I am sorry for showing such a bad image of the Faction here as you go alone and help us. How can our thoughts be this short-sighted?”

“It is alright. Such things can happen.”

When Jinmu answered as such, Yang So-bang’s face brightened.

Originally he would have beaten up the two who went against him, but he just wanted to leave the place quickly as he would gain nothing from fighting.

“Taoist Jinmu.”

When he thought it was all over and done with, Byeok Un-young, who didn’t utter a word till then, finally spoke up.

“Ah, I am sorry for the late introduction. Murim Alliance’s warrior, Jinmu of Wudang, greets the elder Sword Wisdom.”

Jinmu greeted her politely to avoid any conflict.

“Remembering to be polite, and speaking softly. There is no one in this Murim who has accomplished something as great as you, so how can you be like that?”

“……”

“But, can I ask you something?”

“…?”

The sight of her smiling expression gave Jinmu a chill on the back of his head.

What did she want to ask now?

“Why do I feel evil qi in your body?”

“……”

Damn it, did the anxiousness bring it back up?

As soon as he discovered her presence, he retracted the Shadow Dragon qi and raised the Dual Internal Qi, but she noticed and saw through it too.

But Yang So-bang was all the more shocked.

He was blinking with eyes wide open and breaking into a cold sweat, and eventually he was gnawing on his fingers too.

D-damn it.

He swore to protect me.

He even promised in the name of Heaven and land and his own honor and the honor of the Beggars Union and his ancestors too!