The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 196

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 197

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully 197

Cheonmaeng Fortress (5)

“Tell them I understand.”

Yoosungwoo readily agreed to the Tang family’s request to meet the leader of this operation.

He had learned from Jegal Cheonhwa that the Tang family harbored some animosity towards the Murim Alliance.

That’s why they readily agreed to help when Jegal Cheonhwa contacted them, stipulating only that they wanted to meet the person in charge.

Yoosungwoo saw this as a golden opportunity.

The time had come to complete the final piece of his plan, to finalize the ‘justification’.

He instructed Yuwol, who was overseeing the Hwasan sect warriors cleaning up the area:

“Contact Seomun Youngil. Tell her the preparations are complete.”

***

The meeting with the Tang family was arranged swiftly.

The Tang family of Sichuan, a cornerstone of the Five Great Families, maintained a less than cordial relationship with the Murim Alliance.

While they outwardly cooperated as part of the Five Great Families, their relationship was, in reality, deeply strained.

“Are you… are you really sure it’s okay for me to step forward?”

“This was always meant to be your place.”

Yoosungwoo, having arrived at the meeting place ahead of time, was speaking with Seomun Youngil.

From this point forward, she would be perceived as the mastermind behind everything.

A brilliant strategist who had maneuvered the Murim Alliance into its current predicament, wielding the two hidden swords of Seomunyeop of the Seomun family.

“If I speak even a few times, I’ll be exposed quickly. Surely…”

“That’s why you must act convincingly.”

“…I’m not very good at acting.”

“Well, it won’t matter even if you are discovered. The Tang family desires justification and power. And you seem to have accumulated quite a bit of both.”

Yoosungwoo patted her shoulder as he said this.

The Sichuan Tang family arrived.

The man who entered the room, accompanied by a single attendant, was middle-aged.

His aura was that of an S-class Diver [a person with superhuman abilities].

As the head of his family, he exuded a distinct authority.

And there was the subtle scent of various fragrances, betraying his expertise in poisons and hidden weapons.

He seemed to have awakened an ability related to these arts, giving him a unique scent.

Seomun Youngil rose from her seat to greet him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tang Family Head. I am Seomun Youngil of the Seomun Family.”

“…Seomun Family?”

“Though I am a discarded member.”

“…I see. I am Tang Cheonseong, the head of the Tang family.”

Seomun Youngil and Tang Cheonseong exchanged greetings and settled down to talk.

Seomun Youngil skillfully led the conversation, a stark contrast to her earlier nervousness.

“What we seek is the downfall of the Seomun family and the Murim Alliance, nothing more and nothing less.”

“The collapse of the Murim Alliance… May I inquire as to your reasons for desiring this?”

“It’s a personal matter. I simply wish to destroy the Seomun family that abandoned me and my mother… and the Murim Alliance that fostered such a world.”

“Your ambition is considerable. The Murim Alliance is not something that can be toppled by individual strength.”

“So, you lack confidence in me? Didn’t the Tang Family Head respond favorably to our proposal?”

As expected, Seomun Youngil was no ordinary person.

Her current abilities were only at the B-class Diver level, but her potential for growth was significant.

She was also remarkably intelligent.

Understanding her role, she continued the conversation with the Tang Family Head, drawing upon the information she had been provided in advance.

“The Wudang and Hwasan sects are under our control, and the consolidation of other small and medium-sized sects is nearing completion. If the Tang Family Head lends us your strength, we will have enough power to shake the Murim Alliance to its core.”

“…Then allow me to share my story as well? It seems our discussion cannot progress without sharing our pasts.”

“I’ve been waiting for those words, Tang Family Head.”

At Seomun Youngil’s response, the Tang Family Head sighed deeply and began to speak.

He told a story about his daughter.

“I had a daughter. A precious daughter, my little empress… I named her Tang Young-young. She joined the Murim Alliance a few years ago. She achieved transcendence [a state of enlightenment or mastery] at a young age and was recognized for her talents.”

Tang Young-young.

The Tang Family Head’s only and cherished daughter.

Even from his words alone, one could sense the depth of his affection for her.

“But she hasn’t returned since joining the Murim Alliance. I assumed she was busy with her duties and waited, but even after months, even after a year, she made no move to return.”

A child who leaves the nest and doesn’t return. Moreover, the last place she had departed from was rife with schemes and deception.

From the Tang Family Head’s perspective, it was a source of constant anxiety.

Any parent would feel the same.

“I couldn’t even see her face when I visited the Murim Alliance. So, I formally requested her return, but I was told it was impossible. They claimed she was occupied with an important mission and couldn’t be disturbed. I believed them and waited… but in the end, I received no news at all.”

There’s a saying that no news is good news, so the Tang Family Head waited patiently.

Regardless of what the Murim Alliance was concealing, they wouldn’t betray the Sichuan Tang family, a vital pillar of the organization.

“Later, the Murim Alliance informed me that Young-young had gone on a distant business trip. But I was concerned, so I had planted a Manrichujonghyang (Ten Thousand Mile Tracking Incense) [a special incense used for tracking]. When I checked, she was still within the Murim Alliance. It wasn’t a business trip.”

“Are you suggesting that Young-young is being held captive within the Murim Alliance for some reason?”

“That is my suspicion. I attempted to contact her using the Manrichujonghyang, but I couldn’t reach her, as she was located deep within the Murim Alliance, even further than the underground prison.”

The Tang Family Head shared several more details.

As if fully committed to joining forces with Seomun Youngil, he spoke with the conviction that he would do anything to get his daughter back.

Yoosungwoo, standing beside Seomun Youngil and listening to the Tang Family Head’s story, pondered the whereabouts of ‘Tang Young-young’.

She had entered the Murim Alliance a few years ago and vanished without a trace.

But the Manrichujonghyang still pointed towards the Murim Alliance, so…

‘Whatever the reason, it’s not a simple matter.’

Perhaps the individual hiding within the Murim Alliance that Batori had mentioned was involved.

The Tang Family Head, having revealed his innermost thoughts, sighed deeply once more and gave a definitive answer.

“If you promise to help me find my daughter, I will assist you with all my might in whatever you are trying to accomplish. Whatever it may be.”

“…I’ve been waiting for those words. Tang Young-young will undoubtedly return to your arms.”

Thus, the alliance with the Tang family was forged.

After further discussions, the Tang Family Head departed, and Seomun Youngil exhaled a long breath, as if releasing pent-up energy.

A very long breath, as if she had been holding it in until that moment.

“Phew… Is, is that it?”

“Yes. You performed better than I anticipated. At this rate, the Tang Family Head won’t harbor many suspicions.”

“…More than that, the fact that his daughter is trapped within the Murim Alliance… it tugs at my heartstrings.”

Seomun Youngil muttered, her expression tinged with bitterness.

She was a daughter abandoned by her father, while the Tang Family Head’s daughter had been raised with love, and he had been searching for her for years.

Yoosungwoo studied her face for a moment before turning away.

“Not everyone can have a happy family. Now, stand up. There are still more tasks to complete.”

“More, there are?”

“Yes.”

The plan was largely in place, but there was still a long road ahead.

***

Currently, the sects that Yoosungwoo had united numbered in the dozens, encompassing the Hae, Ji, and Cheon areas.

Of course, with hundreds of small and medium-sized sects in existence, it wasn’t a particularly large number.

Not all of these sects were aligned with the Murim Alliance.

And naturally, this held true for the sects in the Cheon area as well.

“Shorim, Kunlun, and Jeomchang have declared neutrality. They must have something they’re concerned about.”

“Their withdrawal suggests they weren’t directly involved.”

Yoosungwoo nodded in agreement with Yuwol’s assessment.

Those deeply entangled would unconditionally defend the Murim Alliance, while those less involved would declare neutrality or even attack the Alliance.

Yoosungwoo had allowed the Paeng family to revert to neutrality on the condition that they capture Paeng Cheolwoon.

It was made easier by the fact that Paeng Cheolwoon was the eldest son of the current Paeng Family Head.

The Paeng Family Head must be grinding his teeth… but he shouldn’t have been so lenient with his son.

“Now the sizes are somewhat comparable.”

“We have also roughly estimated the Murim Alliance’s strength. If we bring in outside forces, its downfall is only a matter of time.”

At Jegal Cheonhwa’s words, Yoosungwoo nodded and prepared to finalize his plans.

“Among the Five Great Families, the Paeng family is out, and Namgoong is paralyzed by the deaths of two S-class members. Jegal is unremarkable, leaving only Moryong and Seomun.”

“If you seize control of Seomun, the war between the Se-ga [powerful clans] and the Gu-pa [old factions] will be over. Oh, and Musin, there’s only one Hwagyeong master [a master of martial arts] in Moryong. Musin could kill him with a flick of his finger.”

‘I’m a little curious about how he perceives me.’

No matter what, there’s no way I could kill an S-class with a flick of my finger.

After a moment’s thought, Yoosungwoo decided it was worth considering.

Killing an S-class with a flick of a finger… I’ll try it if I get the chance.

“I’m going to the Seomun family. Bring Seomun Youngil.”

“Yes.”

At Yoosungwoo’s command, Jegal Cheonhwa immediately left, and several individuals followed Yoosungwoo as he walked.

Thirty A-class Divers recruited from the united sects.

And when Seomun Youngil, brought by Jegal Cheonhwa, joined them, the group was complete.

Yoosungwoo stood behind Seomun Youngil and said:

“It’s time to fulfill your wish.”

Seomun Youngil’s wish.

To exact revenge on the Seomun family who had abandoned her mother and herself.

And to avenge Seomunyeop, who had never forgotten her.

“…Is this day finally here?”

Seomun Youngil’s life had undergone a dramatic transformation, too profound to express in words.

From a life in the gutters of the Hae area.

To the leader of a faction in the Cheon area.

Even if it was just a role-playing game, Seomun Youngil had no choice but to embrace it.

Thanks to this, her mother was receiving treatment in a good facility, and she was on the verge of achieving her revenge.

“Better days will come in the future.”

“I don’t know if better days than this will come, but I understand.”

“…Well, let’s go. Say a word.”

At Yoosungwoo’s prompting, Seomun Youngil turned and stopped.

Those who had halted to match her pace fixed her with intense gazes.

Seomun Youngil opened her mouth, resisting the immense pressure.

“I would like to express my gratitude to those of you who have gathered for me. You may not trust me, but I promise you one thing.”

She took a deep breath.

Her war was about to begin, and she needed to declare it clearly.

“From today, the world will change. Since we will break the sky with our hands, we will call our hidden name the Gate of Destruction (破天門) [Pacheonmun in Korean].”