Chapter 88: Why are you there? (3)

"Choi Han. Let's head toward where we heard the noise."

"Yes, Hae-il-nim."

Choi Han led the way and Cale followed right behind him.

Someone came right next to Cale as he did that.

Surprisingly, it was Du Kang, no, Toonka.

"Kahahaha! It's a fight! I'll finally get to stretch a bit!"

It was not that shocking.

Cale peeked at Toonka and scowled.

'His eyes have gone a bit crazy.'

What good was wearing fancy shaman attire?

The way he was running forward with his hair all messed up made him look like a wild boar. A crazy wild boar at that.

'Should I stop him?'

He contemplated for a bit, before…

'It should be okay. Choi Han is here.'

Cale stopped thinking about it because the way Choi Han was shaking his head made him feel as if Choi Han would knock Toonka unconscious before anything could happen.

Instead, he chose to look forward.

This would be the first fight between martial artists they encounter since coming to this wuxia world. It made him a bit tense.

– Human, I'm going to hide!

Sssss.

Cale heard the sound of the leaves brushing past, but he only looked forward.

'I can hear it.'

He could soon hear the sound of weapons clashing.

He could also hear people chatting.

Choi Han pushed forward without stopping as the voices became closer and closer.

"No, please listen to us! Noble Warrior Jade Tiger, this is a lose-lose situation for both of us!"

"Ha! Loss?! That damn loss! How did people who seek the path of martial arts get so distracted by gains? You've changed as well, senior!"

"Oh come on, this guy!"

'Hmm?'

Cale flinched.

'This seems like a different situation from what I was thinking about?'

Although there were weapons clashing and people shouting loudly…

He did not hear any screams.

'Ah, should I not be getting involved with this?'

The moment he had that thought…

Cale could see around ten people fighting with each other.

"Who goes there?!"

Someone looked toward them at that moment.

'Eek!'

Cale gasped in shock.

The person who shouted toward them had thrown a dagger at them.

Clang!

However, that dagger was soon parried by Choi Han's sword.

Cale realized something after seeing that.

'There wasn't any intent to attack us in that dagger.'

The dagger had been weak.

It was moving slowly enough for Cale to see it, so it was done as a means to make them wary… A form of warning for them to not get any closer.

"Khahahaha! A puny piece of cutlery like this!"

'Shit.'

However, that cutlery had gotten Toonka excited.

'This crazy bastard! We need to stop Toonka!'

Cale had that thought, but…

Toonka shot forward past Choi Han.

"…Green Forest!"

Cale definitely heard it.

He heard one of those people shouting with anxiety.

'I guess they really think of the Green Forest right away when they see Toonka.'

What good was putting expensive silk clothes on him?

His shirt was already loose and he was charging forward with excitement. Even looking at him with a positive point of view, he seemed like someone from the Green Forest.

"Stop! Identify yourselves!"

The person who threw the dagger became even more wary of Cale's group.

The sound of weapons clashing also lessened.

'…At least we stopped the fighting.'

Regardless of the reason, the fight had stopped.

"Young master-nim, they seem to be wary of us."

Cale smiled as Chief Eunuch Wi approached him and cautiously commented.

"There is a way to handle this issue."

Chief Eunuch Wi looked confused after seeing Cale answer as if this was not a big deal.

Cale motioned to Choi Han with his eyes at that moment.

The back of Choi Han's hand was swifter than the wind.

"Kahaha, haaak!"

Boom!

His large body fell to the ground and got stuck in it. Cale was amazed.

'He managed to control his fall even in that situation.'

Toonka had not been able to stop Choi Han's sudden attack with the back of his hand, however, he was able to get in the proper stance for a fall.

There was silence in the forest for a moment.

"Pfft."

Sui Khan was laughing but nobody paid him any attention.

Toonka raised his head. He blinked a few times before making eye contact with Cale.

"Ah! Sorry! Young master Kim!"

Although Toonka was stupid and a clueless bastard who just liked the fight…

"I forgot! I'm only supposed to fight when you tell me to fight, but my eyes rolled over because it has been a while since I've heard the sound of weapons! My mistake!"

At least he quickly accepted his mistake and snapped back to his senses.

Of course, this was only possible because there was someone to stop the crazed Toonka for a moment.

"It's okay. Warrior Du."

Toonka was the only one among the group Cale was calling Warrior.

This bastard was not suited to be called Noble Warrior. Sui Khan chuckled but he just ignored it.

'Should I just call the team leader Warrior Lee too?'

Cale had that thought as he leisurely walked forward.

He then looked at the people who had stopped fighting.

'There are two groups.'

It seemed to be a fight between two different groups.

One side had black and red shaman attire, making it easy to tell that they were one group.

As for the other side…

'They are beggars.'

There were two beggars, a monk, and two people wearing martial arts robes.

There was also one person wearing shaman attire, the person who had thrown the dagger.

The eldest-looking beggar and the extremely skinny middle-aged-looking man on the opposite side seemed to be fighting as the leaders of the two groups.

Cale came to a conclusion.

'They are part of the Orthodox faction.'

Both of these sides were part of the Orthodox faction.

The Martial Arts Alliance, which represented the Orthodox faction, had declared Choi Jung Soo to be a Public Enemy of the Martial Arts world.

'Let's just leave.'

It seemed like it would get tiring if he got involved.

He felt as if that would be the case.

He felt as if he would meet them as enemies in the future.

The gentle smile disappeared from his face.

"I apologize if you were surprised."

Cale slightly bowed and continued to speak.

"We heard the sound of weapons and we ended up coming this way because we were worried that innocent people might get injured."

Although he looked skinny, anybody would be able to tell that the clothes he was wearing were made of fine silk. The fan in his hand also did not have any jewels but gave off a sense of class.

"Young master-nim, I can take care of issues like this."

Chief Eunuch Wi bowed toward Cale as he said that.

'He sure is sharp.'

Cale liked that Chief Eunuch Wi knew the right time to get involved.

Chief Eunuch Wi continued to speak.

"It looks like the two sides are not enemies, so we will leave now. Of course, as long as there is nobody who needs our help."

'Hmm?'

Cale became anxious.

'What is up with this eunuch?'

Chief Eunuch Wi smiled gently after noticing Cale's gaze.

Chief Eunuch Wi's heart had opened up a bit toward Cale, who seemed cold but wanted to help those in trouble.

At that moment, an old man who seemed a bit older than Chief Eunuch Wi let out a fake cough as he stepped forward.

"Ahem."

He then flinched.

"…S, senior!"

His gaze headed toward the rear of Cale's group.

"Tsk."

Fist King Mok Hyeon clicked his tongue.

Cale recalled a short conversation he had with the Fist King back in Beijing.

'Is it okay if you don't cover your face?'

'It's fine. I am an expert of the past generation and it has been decades since I showed myself in the Martial Arts world.'

Fist King Mok Hyeon had been confident about that.

'Even the former patriarchs of each clan won't be able to recognize me. Would it be bad if my identity is revealed?'

'It's not that, sir. However, I feel like it might be a bit difficult when we need to quietly move around.'

'I see. Don't worry about that. It would be very rare to find someone who can recognize me. The bastards of my time are basically all dead.'

Cale slowly looked toward the Fist King.

Fist King Mok Hyeon flinched at Cale's gaze. Although Cale was not using the Dominating Aura, Mok Hyeon's feet felt numb as he remembered that aura.

"Ahem."

So the Fist King just looked away.

He ignored the gaze of the old beggar.

"...!"

The old man's pupils shook and Cale heard a sound transmission for the first time since coming to this world.

– I don't know that beggar bastard.

He then added on.

– However, the fact that he has six bags around his waist must mean that this bastard is right underneath the Beggars' Gang's Gang Leader. Is he an Elder?

Beggar. The old man, who was clearly a part of the Beggars' Gang, had six bags around his waist.

Since seven bags were for the Beggars' Gang's Gang Leader, six should mean that he was an Elder or maybe the Young Gang Leader.

'It is the Beggars' Gang as I expected.'

Cale had hypothesized that the two beggars were part of the Beggars' Gang.

The Beggars' Gang.

They were one of the Nine Sects One Gang and the members were all beggars and martial artists.

Furthermore, they were the greatest information organization of the Orthodox faction.

Beggars existed everywhere in the Central Plains.

"…Ho."

The beggar let out a short gasp before biting his lips as if he was contemplating something.

"Elder Ho."

A young beggar approached Elder Ho at that moment.

"Hold on. Young Gang Leader, hold on for a moment."

Cale was surprised.

'The Young Gang Leader? That young beggar?'

Cale checked the Young Gang Leader's waist.

'That's correct.'

There were also six bags around this young man's waist.

'…This is quite an important group of people.'

He didn't know what was going on, but if this group was with an Elder and the Young Gang Leader of the Beggars' Gang, they might have an extremely important mission.

Elder Ho stepped forward at that moment.

"Senior, it's me! Didn't you teach my master a lesson when I was younger? I am the child who was next to my master at that time!"

Mok Hyeon's eyebrows rose up.

-… Young master Kim. I do know that child… He's gotten quite old. Tsk tsk.

"Senior, I'm sure you have forgotten my face since it has been decades, but… It is me. It's Ho Song Yi!"

Elder Ho's name was Ho Song Yi.

"Mm."

Cale ignored the groaning Choi Han who closed his eyes and spoke to the Fist King.

"Senior. Is it okay if we leave?"

The Fist King was silent for a moment before he responded.

"Yes, sir. Yes, we can, young master-nim."

'Hmm? Why is he suddenly speaking respectfully to me?'

Cale was flustered at Chief Eunuch Wi and now the Fist King's actions. These old men Cale had met in the Central Plains were making him anxious.

However, he still had to do what needed to get done.

"Then let us leave now."

Cale made up his mind to leave.

It was at that moment.

"Senior!"

'Ah, that Elder Ho. He's so persistent.'

As Cale had that thought… Elder Ho continued to speak.

"Senior, are you headed to Huángshān?"

Cale felt it at that moment.

He felt the mood of the extremely skinny middle-aged man wearing the black and red shaman attire sink very low.

It was the same for the three martial artists behind him as well.

The people on Elder Ho's side flinched at this change.

However, Elder Ho did not care.

"Senior, there is something I must tell you if you are headed toward Huángshān."

Instead, he was speaking to the Fist King while paying close attention to Cale.

He was looking at the person the Fist King was serving.

Elder Ho felt the inside of his mouth go dry even at that moment.

'The Fist King.'

Fist King Mok Hyeon.

He was an expert of the former generation who had hidden himself from the Martial Arts world for decades.

During the time he had spent with his now decreased master… Elder Ho had seen the Fist King decades ago.

'I also know where the Fist King has been.'

The Beggars' Gang was aware of where the Fist King has been residing since he left the Martial Arts world.

'Beijing.'

In other words, the Imperial family.

He was also a close confidant of the current Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

Elder Ho knew that the Fist King resided in the Imperial Palace and protected those two people.

This was top secret information, but there was no way that Ho Song Yi, an Elder who had retired after being in the secret intelligence service of the Beggars' Gang, would not know about this.

'A young master that the Fist King is serving!'

A colossus has appeared in Huángshān.

The Fist King was a colossus as well, but an even greater colossus, whom they could not do anything about, might have appeared here.

'If the Imperial family has an interest in the Sword Demon...!'

Elder Ho started feeling anxious.

'No!'

Elder Ho had come to Huángshān with the Young Gang Leader on a special mission.

'We must rescue the Sword Demon!'

They had to swipe the Sword Demon from other people of the Martial Arts Alliance or the Unorthodox faction.

But if the Imperial family was showing interest in the Sword Demon in this situation, they could not change anything.

His forehead filled with cold sweat.

"…Elder-nim."

The Young Gang Leader found Elder Ho's sudden actions to be odd but he kept his mouth shut.

'Something is up.'

He realized that something had happened.

Elder Ho then came to a determination.

"Excuse me, sir, young master Kim, was it?"

The person whom the Fist King and the other martial artists in the group seemed to be serving…

Elder Ho spoke to that person.

"If you are headed to Huángshān, please listen to what we have to say first. Then I will personally guide you there, sir."

It was at that moment.

Boom!

There was a dull noise and the ground started to shake.

Cale turned to look toward the source of that noise.

'Mm.'

The person who had a greatsword that was even larger than Beacrox's sword had stabbed the sword into the ground.

He then glared at Elder Ho with a vicious gaze.

"Senior. I don't know what is going on right now, but… We cannot allow you to go to Huángshān."

Cale heard a sound transmission from Chief Eunuch Wi.

– As expected, the Jade Tiger. It is Dokgo Chang of the Dokgo Clan.

Although they did not reach the level of the Five Great Clans of the Orthodox faction… It was a Martial Arts clan that had continued its history for a long time.

Of the many blades such as a Ringed Blade, Flexible Blade, etc, the Namgung Clan and the Dokgo Clan were famous for using Heavy Blades.

– Dokgo Chang is the only one in the Dokgo Clan who has reached a high level with a greatsword. He is the strongest in the Dokgo Clan after the patriarch.

Elder Ho looked at Dokgo Chang as if he was frustrated.

"You, seriously!"

Dokgo Chang clenched the greatsword and slowly stood up.

The sword looked even bigger because he was so skinny.

"Our Dokgo Clan does not forget our benefactors. Justice and cooperation are more important than the laws of the Martial Arts Alliance."

The two youngsters and one middle-aged man behind Dokgo Chang looked ready to fight once Dokgo Chang stood up straight.

Seeing them made Cale recall the contents of a book Chief Eunuch Wi had given him to read.

If the Namgung Clan were the rulers of the sword and their sword was like the Emperor…

The swords of the Dokgo Clan were like lonely wild beasts.

Dokgo Chang spoke with a stiff expression on his face.

It felt like an explosive situation where the fight might restart at any moment.

Choi Han moved in front of Cale.

– Human, should I cast a shield?

Sui Khan moved next to Cale as well.

Cale became extremely tense.

'What the hell is going on?'

Cale had no idea what was going on nor why two groups of the Orthodox faction were fighting against each other, but it felt as if something was about to happen.

Dokgo Chang's heavy and low voice filled the area at that moment.

"Anybody who aims to harm Noble Warrior Choi Jung Soo will be stopped by our Dokgo Clan."

'Hmm?'

Cale became anxious.

– Human, that guy is on our side?

Choi Han removed his hand from his scabbard as Raon asked in confusion.

Cale's eyes opened wide at that moment.

Elder Ho pounded his chest with his fist as he spoke.

"Ah, this is so frustrating!"

He then shouted toward Dokgo Chang.

"Us too!"

He then shouted toward the still-firm Dokgo Chang as if he was annoyed.

"We are going to save the Sword Demon too! I told you to please listen to me! Why do you pull your sword out before even listening?! Huh?!"

'Hmm?'

Cale blankly listened to the angry Elder Ho's shout.

He heard the Fist King's sound transmission at that moment.

– Ah, the way he is shouting makes it clear that he is Ho Song Yi. When did that cute kid become such an old man?

Cale closed his eyes.

He needed some time to organize his thoughts about the situation.

—
Translator's Comments

Old man and even older man.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]