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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Forced to re-prioritize his mission, survival now taking precedence over assassination, given the presence of the monstrous Martial Alliance leader, Tang Wu quickly assessed the situation.
“Haah… haah…”
Zi Lu, the Martial Alliance leader, watched Xiaoshao, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her body wracked with pain, a consequence of her cursed Nine Yin Divine Meridians, and Ma Yang, who was preparing for a decisive strike, her sword qi intensifying. He clicked his tongue, seemingly having made a decision, and addressed Tang Wu.
“Tsk… Leave.”
“What…?” Tang Wu asked, incredulous. Zi Lu’s expression softened, the killing intent fading from his eyes, and he repeated his offer.
“I’ll let you go. Don’t escalate this any further. Just leave.”
He could capture them, but he didn’t want to prolong the fight and further endanger Xiaoshao’s health.
While it galled him to let these demonic sect members escape, he had come here to protect his deceased disciple’s child.
‘Master, if anything happens to me, please protect Xiaoshao, that poor child, in my stead… I beg you…’
There was no point in fighting if it meant Xiaoshao’s death.
Tang Wu and Ma Yang, the leaders of the Sun Moon Holy Cult’s attack, exchanged glances at the unexpected offer. They didn’t hesitate.
[Ma Yang, I’ve exchanged blows with him. We can’t win. Let’s retreat. ]
[Agreed.]
Tang Wu and his disciples, realizing they were outmatched, were eager to escape. And Ma Yang, who had wanted to retreat from the start, readily agreed. They prepared to withdraw.
But first…
Ma Yang glared at the arrogant boy standing behind Wang Meiyang and addressed him, her voice cold and haughty.
“Sima Mancheon. That name, that face…”
‘Hey, you cougar, stop picking on these cute kids and play with me.’
His words, his brazen tone, the insult “cougar,” echoed in her mind.
His shamelessness was… unforgettable. Her heart burned with anger.
“I will remember you.”
It was a thinly veiled threat, a promise of future retribution, a vow to make him pay for the humiliation he had inflicted upon her.
-Clang~ Clang~ Clang~!!
(Friend~ friend~ let’s play again sometime~!!)
Even Longyuan, one of the Ten Swords of Heaven, bid Mancheon farewell, echoing its master’s sentiments.
With those parting words, Ma Yang and the remaining members of the Sun Moon Holy Cult gathered their injured and retreated, their light footwork carrying them away from the Martial Alliance leader.
The brazen daylight attack by the demonic sect had ended.
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Taegu-wooo… Taegu-wooo…
He woke up to the sound of mournful sobbing. In the darkness of his mental realm, he saw Taegu-zzang, shattered and broken, weeping.
“Hey, Taegu-zzang, why are you crying?”
Taegu-zzang showed him his phone, pointing to a trending post on the Taegu-zzang forum.
[Honestly, Taegu-zzang is overrated. Upvote if you agree.]
[Living off Master’s legacy.]
[Your forum is finished! This is now the Manchester Fudō Myō-ō Forum!!]
[Breaks before it can even fight. That’s Taegu-zzang’s true power. The Flexible Dragon Taegu-zzang.]
[Don’t tell anyone… they’ll all call me washed up…]
[Typical beggar trash technique~]
[Are the mods asleep? Posting a picture of Big Sister Wang Meiyang of the Quanzhen Sect in a micro bikini.]
(Go to our discord channel to see it~)
ㄴ [Don’t click. It’s just Ma Yang.]
He scrolled through the forum, reading the inflammatory posts and comments about Taegu-zzang, and nodded.
“Okay, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll delete all the hate posts about Taegu-zzang.”
“T-Taegu-?!?”
To delete trending posts, posts fueled by passion and popular opinion… it was an outrageous act, an abuse of power.
It was impossible.
Taegu-zzang stared at his partner in disbelief, but Mancheon’s expression was calm, serene.
He looked at Taegu-zzang with the detached gaze of an absolute ruler.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry. Because I am…”
He revealed a bright orange badge, shimmering like the sun.
“Si…ma… Mancheon, the moderator of the Taegu-zzang forum.”
He opened the forum and began to clean up the mess.
He banned everyone who had dared to slander Taegu-zzang, his partner, his weapon, sentencing them to a thirty-day suspension.
They could beg and cry and roll on the ground like baby seals, but he wouldn’t unban them.
Posting a micro bikini picture of Ma Yang, that vile minion of the demonic sects, instead of Gwahae, Yeonhwa, Xiaoshao, or Wang Meiyang… it was an unforgivable offense.
He saved the picture, though.
As he finished cleaning up the forum, he realized something.
He was having another one of his ridiculous dreams.
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He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of his room. He remembered.
The Martial Alliance leader had appeared, the demonic sect members had fled, and then, his internal energy depleted, he had collapsed, unconscious.
‘How pathetic.’
He got out of bed, dressed, and went for a nighttime stroll.
He walked aimlessly, his limp evident, the absence of Taegu-zzang, broken and discarded, a heavy weight in his right hand, where it usually rested.
He replayed the events of the day, the humiliation of his weakness a bitter taste in his mouth.
He wasn’t ashamed of being weaker than Ma Yang.
The world was vast, and there were countless people stronger than him. It was a simple truth. But…
He clenched and unclenched his empty right hand.
He was frustrated with himself for not being able to fight at his full potential.
While there was a saying in the martial world about hiding thirty percent of one’s true strength, he didn’t agree with it.
In a fight, even a slight difference in skill could be overturned by a hidden technique, a surprise attack.
Hiding one’s strength was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
While the saying likely referred to the untrustworthy nature of the martial world, advising caution in revealing one’s techniques, he still disagreed with the principle.
“Haah…”
He sighed, replaying the fight in his mind, analyzing his mistakes, like a Go player reviewing a lost match.
He felt a little bad for Tian Quan and Yu Heng, but they shouldn’t have been such a challenge for him.
And yet, he had struggled. He had even been knocked unconscious and had a strange dream.
While the broken staff had been a disadvantage, preventing him from using the Dog Beating Staff Technique, that was no excuse.
His staff technique was his primary fighting style. He shouldn’t have allowed his weapon to be destroyed.
And yet, it had happened.
He had been too focused on creating an opening, on buying time, and, despite knowing his opponent was stronger, he had been careless.
His staff, his trusty weapon, had been snapped in two before he could even execute a proper technique.
And as a result, Xiaoshao, who had intervened to protect him, had been left vulnerable and had been swept away.
His carelessness had endangered not only himself, but also his friend.
The more he analyzed the fight, the more “what if…” and “if only…” plagued him.
His regret intensified, his shame growing.
He looked up at the moon, a wave of frustration washing over him.
He thought of Gwahae, her clear blue eyes, like the ocean, her innocent gaze fixed on him.
He had defied his father, who disapproved of their relationship, sneaking away to see her.
Five years had passed since their last meeting, a hasty, unceremonious parting.
She was a bright girl, even if her quiet nature and impassive expression didn’t reveal it. She would have grown stronger in his absence. Perhaps she had already surpassed him.
“…”
Was he stronger now than when they had last met? If Gwahae’s powers raged out of control again, could he calm her?
Would he still be the amazing, wonderful “Mancheon” in her eyes?
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.
It seemed the quiet night, the solitary stroll, had made him sentimental.
He picked up a suitably sized branch, gripped it like a staff, and assumed a ready stance.
While self-reflection and regret were necessary for growth, he couldn’t afford to dwell on them.
His amber eyes, which had dimmed with shame, now sparkled like the stars above. He recalled a motivational quote, a mantra to bolster his spirits.
‘Setbacks are what make a man.’
If he had weaknesses, he would simply train harder, and improve.
He would surpass his current self.
He envisioned his ideal self, the person he aspired to be.
Sima Mancheon, the genius who deceived even the heavens.
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“Haah… haah…”
After practicing the techniques he had learned, he paused to catch his breath.
He sensed a presence behind him. Or rather, a presence revealed itself.
“The Dog Beating Staff Technique, Quanzhen martial arts, and even Esoteric Buddhist techniques.”
Zi Lu, the Martial Alliance leader, emerged from the shadows of the trees, bathed in moonlight.
“You’ve learned quite a collection of… interesting techniques.”
His face grim, his eyes gleaming, he asked bluntly, without preamble,
“You’re the Eight-Foot Tall Monster’s disciple, aren’t you?”
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Oops he’s been caught off guard🤣 btw mancheon dream of the forum of his beloved staff 🤣
