**Chapter 18: A Minor Misunderstanding**
“Tsk. To think a daughter of the Tang Clan would have such a foul mouth. The Clan Leader’s worries must be plain to see. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“…….”
An old Taoist in blue robes clicked his tongue and stepped forward.
As he moved, the other disciples of the Mount Qingcheng Sect bowed their heads.
His presence was extraordinary, and his status was clearly not to be trifled with; even Dang Hwa-rin’s pupils trembled slightly.
“Elder, what brings you here in the middle of the night?”
Dang Hwa-rin glared at the old Taoist with a voice full of wariness.
Tall and lean, sharp glints that were anything but Taoist flashed in his eyes.
An Elder of the Nine Great Sects.
He was an opponent who might well be the strongest enemy she had faced in this life, standing before her with a relaxed expression.
“Young Miss Tang. I heard you attacked one of our boys?”
“What are you talking about! That man tried to harass me first, and he attacked me!”
“Tsk. Regardless, it is a fact that you drew blood from Mount Qingcheng. We can sort out the rights and wrongs later, so come with me for now.”
“Why should I do that? If you are an Elder, shouldn’t you be correcting the mistakes of your subordinates?”
“Tsk. They say the daughter of the Poison King is a troublemaker. The rumors in the Jianghu are never wrong.”
The Elder of Mount Qingcheng turned his head slightly. At that, the four young Taoists who had accompanied him stepped forward. Their robes were neat, and their momentum was far from ordinary; they were clearly men sent down from the main sect.
“The Four Qingcheng Archers….”
Recognizing them as famous figures, Dang Hwa-rin trailed off and bit her lip. It seemed she felt there was no way out.
It was time for me to step in.
“Young Miss Tang. Please step back.”
“Warrior Jang?”
Dang Hwa-rin, who had been tense, looked at me in surprise.
I looked at her with a smile to put her at ease.
“I will handle the conversation.”
“No! This is not a situation to be solved with words—”
“We are all part of the same Murim Alliance, are we not? There seems to be a misunderstanding, and it will be resolved. Besides, I am the one who injured them, not you.”
Dang Hwa-rin’s lips parted as if she wanted to say something. She probably thought I was a naive fool stepping into a situation I didn’t understand.
But since the Map of Sambong Island regarding the Fighting God was a top secret, Dang Hwa-rin could not bring herself to speak.
I gave her one more smile, then turned my back and walked forward.
“Nice to meet you. I am Jang U-gil of the Murim Alliance.”
I performed a fist-and-palm salute and bowed my head slightly.
When I introduced myself as being from the Murim Alliance, the four Taoists known as the Four Qingcheng Archers flinched and looked back.
Finally, the old Elder spoke again.
“The Murim Alliance? What is the Murim Alliance doing here?”
“I was out on a mission and was seeking the cooperation of the Tang Clan.”
As I spoke, I pulled my Murim Alliance badge from my robes and flicked it toward one of the Four Qingcheng Archers.
The Archer checked the badge and nodded at the Elder.
“Hmm. You have worked hard. Step aside for now. This is a minor dispute between sects, so it is not a matter for the Murim Alliance to intervene in.”
“I’m afraid I disagree.”
I took another step forward and placed my hand lightly on the hilt of my Iron Sword.
The Elder furrowed his brows.
“Do you intend to interfere?”
“I was at the scene as well. As Young Miss Tang said, they were the ones who harassed her first. And it was I, not the Young Miss, who injured them. So, if you wish to settle the score, settle it with me.”
“Hmm….”
The Elder frowned deeply and looked back at the Song fellow.
The man nodded with a thoroughly cowed expression.
In any case, the justification they had brought from Mount Qingcheng had been dismantled by me.
“Ahem! There is a side to this story you do not know. I will say it again: step aside.”
“I don’t know about that. I believe it is also the role of the Alliance to prevent conflicts between sects.”
“How dare you! Who do you belong to!”
“The White Dragon Unit.”
“The White Dragon Unit? Even the Leader of the White Dragon Unit would not dare speak to me in such a manner! Whose presence do you think you are in, to wag your tongue so recklessly! Step back at once! Is your mission to protect the girl of the Tang Clan?”
Those who value authority above all else inevitably lose their composure when their words are ignored.
The Elder of Mount Qingcheng was exactly that type.
“It is not my mission, but perhaps the very reason for the Alliance’s existence. To step forward without retreat whenever someone faces injustice. Is that not the mission of our righteous Murim?”
“You brat! Are you saying I am committing an injustice right now!”
“I apologize for saying this, but yes. That is exactly what I am saying.”
The Elder’s eyes rolled back in fury.
“How dare you! You are truly a man who cannot be reasoned with! What are you waiting for! Seize those two and bring them to their knees before me!”
“Yes!”
“Understood! Elder!”
The Four Qingcheng Archers drew their swords and closed the distance.
Dang Hwa-rin also drew her sword and stood side-by-side with me.
I looked at her tense profile and stepped forward.
“Young Miss Tang. Please stay back.”
“But!”
“If you step in, things will only escalate. So, just watch for a moment.”
“If you look like you’re in danger, I’m jumping in immediately!”
*Thud. Thud. Thud.*
*Step. Step. Step.*
Four Taoists and one man, each holding a sword, approached one another.
Though their steps were as relaxed as a stroll, killing intent began to rise from the swords of the Qingcheng Archers as the distance closed.
“Strike!”
“Hah!”
At a certain point, the Qingcheng Archers pushed off the ground.
Two spread out to the left and right to target my flanks, while two swords from the front aimed simultaneously at my neck and legs.
‘These bastards.’
This was not an attack meant for mere suppression.
Because this involved kidnapping the daughter of the Tang Clan, who were part of the same Murim Alliance, they clearly intended to kill me to leave no loose ends.
I heightened my senses, extended my Iron Sword, and swung it up and down.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew on the dark cliffside.
The two who had lunged from the front were surprised that I had blocked them so easily, their eyes widening as they retreated.
Instead, the swords aiming for my sides thrust in simultaneously.
Rather than retreating, I surged forward and extended my sword.
“Ugh!”
An attack executed in the same moment as an evasion.
The Taoist at whom my sword tip pointed let out a startled groan and hurriedly swept his sword horizontally.
*Clang!*
I rotated my body and loosened my grip on the sword slightly.
With a crisp sound, my sword, which the Taoist had parried, spun around; I caught it again mid-motion and slashed upward in the direction of the rotation.
*Slash!*
“Argh!”
One Taoist who had been struck by the sudden blow tumbled backward with a scream.
“Junior brother!”
Two gusts of sword wind blew from behind me.
Rather than opposing the angry wind, I rotated my body repeatedly, as if riding its flow.
My robes fluttered, obscuring the Taoists’ vision.
“What!”
“How!”
The two Taoists who had rushed forward blindly passed by me, and having caught their backs, I kicked off the ground and struck the back of their necks with *thwack, thwack* sounds.
“Ugh!”
“Ack!”
The last remaining Qingcheng Taoist let out a battle cry and thrust his sword.
I stood my ground and extended my sword to meet his.
“Warrior Jang! It’s dangerous!”
The two swords crossed and raced straight for each other’s hearts.
At this rate, the Qingcheng sword would pierce my heart first.
In that instant, I gently drew a circle with my sword-wielding hand.
*Clack, clack, clack!*
“What!”
The Taoist’s sword became entangled with mine and lost its force, and using that momentum, I flicked my sword upward.
*Clang!*
The Taoist’s hand was torn, and his sword spun high into the air.
The sword, reflecting the moonlight, glittered in the void for a moment before plunging deep into the ground.
The Four Qingcheng Archers.
Four of the finest swordsmen of Mount Qingcheng had been brought to their knees in less than a few moves.
And by a low-ranking warrior of the Murim Alliance whose name they had never even heard of.
At this, not only the old Elder but the Song party watching in silence, and even Dang Hwa-rin, stared at me with their mouths agape.
“Ugh….”
The Taoist who had been struck first groaned and rose from the ground.
“Junior brother! Are you alright!”
“Yes… Senior brother. I am fine….”
The two who had been knocked out by blows to the neck had yet to regain consciousness, but they were not severely injured either.
I had to cross swords with Mount Qingcheng, but I could not completely cross the line.
That was why I had suppressed the Qingcheng Archers with only minor injuries.
It would have been easier to simply slit their throats, but in a battle between experts, suppressing them like this was far more difficult.
It meant there was a gap in martial prowess between the Archers and me, and the Elder’s stiff, hardened face showed no signs of relaxing.
“You said your name was Jang U-gil.”
As the Qingcheng Archers helped their fallen brothers retreat, the Elder opened his mouth, looking at me.
“That is correct.”
I answered politely, my breath not even ruffled.
The shadow cast over the Elder’s face deepened.
“A sword that draws the Supreme Ultimate. You… were you from Wudang?”
The Supreme Ultimate Fist and the Supreme Ultimate Sword.
Since incorporating the Supreme Ultimate into martial arts was the secret of the Wudang Sect, the Elder seemed to think I was a disciple of Wudang.
Well, since I had attained enlightenment of the sword on Sambong Island, I suppose that was true in a broad sense.
But even the Elder, who should have been well-traveled, could not discern that my sword was not a mere Supreme Ultimate Sword, but the Supreme Ultimate Wisdom Sword.
“I am not a disciple of the main sect.”
Thinking it better to let him continue with his misunderstanding, I created confusion just as the Elder believed.
The Elder shook his head left and right as if he could not understand.
“A secular disciple is still a disciple. But why is a disciple of Wudang standing on the side of the Five Great Families?”
Although they were joined together under the roof of the righteous path and the same Murim Alliance, the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had been competing for dominance for a long time.
From economic disputes to light sparring, and sometimes even local skirmishes that drew blood.
If not for the Demonic Cult or the Four Emperors Alliance, the two factions would surely have split and drawn their swords against each other.
But since I was protecting Dang Hwa-rin, the Elder seemed displeased by it. Moreover, since the current Murim Alliance Leader was the head of the Namgung Family, his dissatisfaction with the Alliance must have been even greater.
“We are all part of the same Murim Alliance, so what does it matter whose side I am on?”
However, whatever the case, it was not something a man who tried to kidnap a young woman in the middle of the night should be saying.
Perhaps lacking even a shred of shame, the Elder drew his sword with a *shing* and stepped forward.
"A fine friend indeed. Yes. A disciple of Wudang should be just like that. But I cannot yield on today’s matter."
"Is that so?"
"Do you know who I am?"
"My apologies. My knowledge is limited."
The elder stopped at a reasonable distance from me and leisurely stroked his long, flowing beard.
"I am Cheong-heo-ja, an elder of the Mount Qingcheng Sect."
"It is an honor to meet you, Elder."
"Heh heh. Indeed. You are certainly polite, as befits a disciple of Wudang."
"I have long heard of your reputation. I had always hoped to meet you, so I am both surprised and, in a way, saddened to encounter you in such a place."
"Hmm... is that so?"
Perhaps he had been trying to maintain his dignity in front of me, but as the situation dawned on him, Cheong-heo-ja’s face stiffened.
"Did you say your name was Jang U-gil?"
"Yes."
"Who is your master?"
I was momentarily struck speechless.
Claiming to be from Wudang was merely an improvisation to appease Cheong-heo-ja; I hadn't thought about who my master might be.
However, I could not falter here, so I hastily blurted out the first Daoist name that came to mind.
"It is the True Man Song-hak."
"Hm? Song-hak? You mean that bookworm who loves books more than martial arts?"
Since the Wudang Sect was also in Hubei, it was one of the names I had heard in passing. Naturally, he was a person I had never actually met.
"...Yes."
"Hahahaha! Did Song-hak not mention me? To think that fellow took on such an outstanding disciple as you. I must ask him about it when I see him later."
To think he was actually close with the man I had randomly named. What a coincidence. Since it had come to this, I was riding the tiger; I might as well thicken my skin even further.
"My master is always scolding me."
"That is the nature of a master. One only scolds out of affection."
"Yes. That is true."
Perhaps their friendship was quite deep, as Cheong-heo-ja’s demeanor changed abruptly. Thanks to this, the killing intent that had filled Thousand Autumn Cliff vanished without a trace.
Even so, the look Cheong-heo-ja gave Dang Hwa-rin remained sharp.
"May I speak informally? Judging by our seniority, you are like my grand-disciple."
"Yes, please do."
"Heh heh! Very well. U-gil."
"Yes."
Cheong-heo-ja looked at me with heavy eyes.
"Song-hak is a junior who has been a close friend of mine, transcending our sects. It seems he has achieved some results after spending his life studying the Supreme Ultimate."
"Yes. My master was very pleased as well."
"Good. That is how it should be. But listen. Public and private matters must be distinguished. No matter how much I like you, I cannot simply overlook today’s events."
"Is that so?"
I subtly lowered my stance.
Cheong-heo-ja shook his head as if in regret.
"Indeed. Song-hak was just as stubborn as you."
"Yes."
"Then, I shall say one last thing."
"Please, go ahead."
Cheong-heo-ja glanced past my shoulder.
"A man must choose his woman well. Beauty is one thing, but what truly matters is her character. What is the point if she is only polished on the outside? Her heart is full of poison, poisoning all those around her. Therefore, when meeting a woman, one must not look only at the shell. Yet, you are currently blinded by a woman’s face and are forsaking the Dao. How your master would beat his chest in grief if he saw this. Am I not right?"
It was clear to anyone that he was referring to Dang Hwa-rin.
I looked at Cheong-heo-ja calmly and opened my mouth.
"Lady Dang is not a woman who is merely beautiful on the outside."
"……."
Just then.
An inexplicable energy was caught by my senses.
It drifted down from the cliff on the wind, naturally seeping into everyone’s noses and mouths.
'Poison?!'
I snapped my head around to look at Dang Hwa-rin.
Dang Hwa-rin’s eyes were blazing as if they were on fire.
"That’s right! You old geezer! Everyone who stays near me gets hit by poison and dies! Why don't you try it too!"
*Whoosh!*
Dang Hwa-rin unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons toward Cheong-heo-ja.
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