A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 31

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Shrine
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“Mr. Ming, if you were going to hide it, you should have hidden it thoroughly.”

“I did my best! But how could I hide it perfectly when that huge secret cave collapsed entirely?!”

If a huge secret cave collapsed entirely, it makes sense.

Unless it was in a very remote location, there was no way rumors wouldn’t spread.

With such a big commotion, someone must have witnessed Mr. Ming fleeing, or maybe one of his subordinates betrayed him.

The betrayer got betrayed.

Now this feels like some thing that can happen in the Central Plains.

“If you hand over the secret manual, we’ll at least spare your life!”

“As if.”

It was obvious they were planning to kill everyone, so there was no way they’d spare his life. Besides, judging by the killing intent they were emitting, they must be from an evil sect, right?

Even just looking at them, you could feel their unruliness.

“Elder Baek, do you know what the Geumyeong Sect is?”

“It’s an evil sect operating in Mubong County, north of Seomun County. I’ve heard their specialty is the swift sword technique called Seomjeon Sword. I heard their sect leader, Geum Young-mun, recently raised his realm to the peak realm, but I didn’t expect to encounter them like this…”

“Geum Young-mun… is that his name?”

“It’s both his name and the name of the sect.”

Was he too lazy to come up with a name for his sect or what?

Anyway, speaking of swift sword techniques…

This side uses a swift sword technique, and that side uses a swift saber technique.

There sure are a lot of people obsessed with speed. Well, being fast is good.

It seems they’re after the Eighteen Swords of Scattering Light probably because it’s an advanced swift sword technique.

Or is it just because it’s an advanced technique?

They could sell it for a high price regardless of whether they use it or not.

Well, nevermind that. For now… we should negotiate, right? I made eye contact with Hajin.

You do it because it’s troublesome.

I’ve already done my part by setting up the negotiations with these guys. Hajin nodded and approached the sect leader who looked like he could cooperate well.

“How did you know to ambush us?”

“The fact that Mr. Ming obtained a valuable item is already known to those who should know. Along with the information that it came from a land where an earthquake occurred. We obtained information about the trade journey from the courier agency people Mr. Ming contacted and tracked you down.”

…Well, I thought he was a somewhat competent merchant, but he’s such a disappointment.

As expected of Mr. Ming.

He never fails to disappoint.

“But you do realize that what you’re doing is nothing more than the plundering that bandits do, don’t you?”

“Who doesn’t know that? But if the gains outweigh the losses, it’s worth trying once. Especially if it’s a secret manual containing the advanced technique of a once well-known major sect!”

So they’re willing to take the risk to obtain an advanced technique.

Even if there’s a difference in skill, they might have thought it was worth trying with this much numerical advantage.

“We are martial artists of the Haenam Sword Sect.”

“We know that too! There’s no martial artist living in Guangdong Province who doesn’t recognize the uniform of the Haenam Sword Sect!”

“And yet you’re still willing to make enemies of us?”

This time, Hajin tried to send them away by invoking the sect’s name.

It wasn’t a bad choice.

Since the opponent was an evil sect, there would be no accusations of bullying innocent small sects or anything like that. Even if the Haenam Sword Sect was the weakest among the Nine Great Sects, it was still one of them.

Small sects didn’t have the power to handle the Haenam Sword Sect.

Even if they had greater numbers, they couldn’t overcome the fundamental difference in martial arts.

The Haenam Thirty-Six Swords, is a famous advanced sword technique in the martial arts world.

On the other side is the Seomjeon Sword, which was questionable if anyone besides them even knew about it.

they were just like other small sects that could be found everywhere, their martial arts probably weren’t that great.

Though since their leader had reached the peak realm, it couldn’t be a completely inadequate technique.

“However, we have the numerical advantage! Even the Haenam Sword Sect can’t overcome such a numerical disadvantage! And in these remote mountains… who would know if they quietly disappeared?”

Thinking they had a complete advantage, he mentioned killing and burying them.

“You seem to have forgotten about us.”

“Sect Leader Che Mu-ryeong of the Nakil Sect. Even if you joined hands with them, you’re not even thirty people combined. But we are over a hundred!”

Did he mean it or is it his bavardo talking?

Since I’m looking at them head-on, did I misjudge their numbers?

“But most of the martial artists you have are second-rate at best. Do you think you can do anything to our Nakil Sect with such weaklings?”

“you’re no match for us in numbers. We’ve been building our strength and nurturing many experts. Our sect also has at least twenty first-rate experts!”

Knowing they can’t match up in quality, they’re planning to win with quantity, huh?

With a force nearly 3 times larger, if they just use simple tactics, it could become quite dangerous.

“Do you really want to see a bloodbath that badly? If you draw your sword, we won’t hesitate any longer either.”

Hajin issued an ultimatum.

Although they showed no signs of backing down, he threw out this threat just in case. Considering the reputation of the Haenam Sword Sect, it was quite an effective move.

But what came back was a cold rejection.

“Everyone! Draw your swords!”

“So you chose a path that will lead to you being harshly punished by yourselves.”

Well, why not.

I’ve always wanted to say that line.

I deliberately ignored the gazes of the people looking at me and slowly walked towards the Geumyeong Sect.

Geum Young-mun, the sect leader of the Geumyeong Sect, looked at me with puzzled eyes as I appeared beside Hajin.

While it wasn’t uncommon to see Westerners coming for maritime trade in southern Guangdong Province, it was natural for the inland-based Geumyeong Sect leader to be surprised to see a Westerner.

“To think there’s a Western martial artist among them, I’ve seen it all now.”

“Listen, Geum Young-mun of the Geumyeong Sect. We have no intention of handing over the Eighteen Swords of Scattering Light, so go back. That is, if you don’t want to be cut in half.”

“What, a Westerner speaking the Central Plains language?”

Why is that the point you’re surprised about?

“Whether I speak the Central Plains language or the Eastern Ocean language, is this the time to worry about such things? Since you’ve made up your mind to fight us, you should be more concerned about your neck.”

I shrugged my shoulders as if mocking him.

I could see Geum Young-mun’s temple throbbing at my response, which seemed to say ‘What are you focusing on at a time like this?’

“Disciples of the Geumyeong Sect! Surround them! Don’t let even a single one of them escape!”

Waaaaaah!

A fierce roar shook the mountain path, loud enough to startle the birds in the forest into flight. And the martial artists of the Geumyeong Sect began to surround the martial artists of the Haenam Sword Sect and the Nakil Sect.

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“We’re surrounded.”

“We won’t lose to these evil sect bastards!”

“That’s right!”

At the sound of swords being drawn around them, the martial artists of the Geumyeong Sect and the righteous sect began to emit killing intent. The situation hadn’t yet escalated to actual combat.

William calmly assessed the situation.

‘We’re at a severe numerical disadvantage. But our martial artists are superior in skill. If possible, we should devise a strategy to minimize casualties.’

What is the emotion one should be most wary of in war?

If you ask someone who has experienced war, nine out of ten would answer: fear.

“Che Mu-ryeong! Elder Baek! Young Master Hajin! Come forward!”

At William’s call, the three peak experts stood beside him.

The experts of the Haenam Sword Sect followed without any doubt, having seen what he had done in the battle against the demon cult, and Che Mu-ryeong complied out of concern for his Nakil Sect disciples.

“Sir William. What do you have in mind?”

“We quickly take the sect leader’s head.”

‘Once the sect leader dies, they’ll be nothing but a disorganized mob anyway.’

Any group falls apart when it’s head is removed.

This is even more true for an evil sect that isn’t bound by tight relationships like the righteous sects.

Therefore, William intended to push the opponent mercilessly.

“I’ll take care of the sect leader…”

“No. The four of us will take Geum Young-mun’s head.”

“What?”

“What did you just say?”

“What do you mean?”

Hajin and Elder Baek looked at him in surprise at his words. What did he mean by them all targeting just one person? But William briefly explained his intention as if he had expected this reaction.

“Once the sect leader dies, what meaning does the number advantage of those guys have? Would an owl feel threatened by a multitude of ants?”

“But what’s the point of saying that loud enough for the Geumyeong Sect leader to hear?!”

At Elder Baek’s pointed question, everyone looked at William.

Geum Young-mun broke out in a cold sweat as he realized he was in danger of becoming the target of four unexpected peak experts.

‘Just who is this Westerner to say such things so brazenly? And why are the Haenam Sword Sect disciples, the supposedly righteous sect members, going along with it?’

“But…”

“What’s more important, the lives of your disciples or your honor?”

The most frightening thing on a battlefield isn’t an expert.

It’s a reckless wild person that even experts can’t predict the movements of.

While these peak experts were in a safer and more stable position, the same couldn’t be said for Mu-guang, Hye-ryeong, and the Nakil Sect disciples.

They too realized that William’s proposal was the most efficient method.

“Ahem…”

Elder Baek and Hajin glared at Geum Young-mun with uncomfortable expressions.

Che Mu-ryeong also seemed to think his proposal wasn’t bad, as he pointed his saber at Geum Young-mun.

‘This is insane!’

With the situation turning out like this, Geum Young-mun couldn’t move carelessly.

Most of his martial artists were second-rate or below, and it was hopeless for them to block the attack of a peak expert. With four peak experts, if he fought carelessly here, the Geumyeong Sect’s only peak expert would disappear in an instant.

From the perspective of martial artists who don’t fight with strict discipline and strategy like an army, the value of a single expert was significant. Thus, the strategy of using numbers to persistently tie down the experts and have the sect leader defeat them one by one became essentially impossible.

This was even more so because he was leading unruly evil sect members rather than righteous sect martial artists.

“To think that you righteous sect martial artists would shamelessly gang up on someone!”

“Then you can just leave.”

At William’s retort, Geum Young-mun couldn’t find words to reply and just rolled his eyes.

‘If those four rush at me, I won’t even last one exchange before dying! What’s the point of having the secret manual or anything else if I die!’

Unable to accept that this situation was brought about by his own carelessness in not anticipating things to unfold this way, the foolish Geumyeong Sect leader cursed.

“Damn it, you cowards… And you call yourselves righteous sects!”

“If you want to have your neck cleanly cut off by these cowards and go meet King Yama, I won’t stop you.”

A crooked smile spread across William’s lips. Geum Young-mun’s brow furrowed, forming the character for ‘one thousand’ repeatedly at the sight of that smile that irritated him just by looking at it.

“If you’re going to fight, I’ll at least let you see the cover of the Eighteen Swords of Scattering Light before you die.”

After finishing his words, William quietly put his hand into his chest.

Everyone’s gaze focused on him at his action.

The secret manual of the Eighteen Swords of Scattering Light.

Is it in the possession of this Westerner?

Even those who knew it was a lie looked at him, wondering what he was trying to do.

His hand slowly emerged from his chest.

The secret manual containing the ultimate technique that once represented the Jeomchang Sect did not… emerge from his chest..

It was just an empty hand that came out.

William snorted and opened his mouth.

“Geum Young-mun, did I fool you?”

“You, you son of a…”

“I’ve shown you all there is to see, so go back. If you leave now, you can preserve your forces, so as long as you don’t come to Seomun County, you can live comfortably. If you withdraw quietly, we’ll also put this matter behind us. If not…”

Instead of words, he raised his thumb, turned it halfway, pointed it downwards, and then drew it across his neck.

Although it was a gesture they had never seen before, everyone understood its meaning without explanation.

Geum Young-mun gritted his teeth and turned his back.

He didn’t even think that the evil sect martial artists would want to shout for justice like righteous sect members and ask someone to avenge them.

“Damn it! We’re leaving!”

‘Such vicious bastards! For these so-called righteous sect members to shamelessly try to gang up on us are they without any shame!’

The Geumyeong Sect leader, who had set out with such high spirits, had no choice but to swallow his tears and order a retreat in the face of William’s vicious threat.

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