#1
5
8.
“Phew…….”
“What’s wrong?”
In response to Seongmo-ran’s question, who had not even been able to wash away the traces of the battle from the previous night, I silently handed her the letter.
“oh my god…….”
Her reaction was not much different from mine.
One sect.
Three irrelevant.
Extinction of the family.
It was the number of Baekdo forces that disappeared last night.
Originally, the Yoo Jang-mun would have been included here.
“What on earth are they thinking? These people… are they really planning to wage war against the Murim Alliance?”
Considering that most of the targeted sects are small to medium-sized groups with no contact with the Murim Alliance, they want only one thing. ‘To instill fear.’ *Gritting teeth*
Fraud
He deceives and tricks the opponent, and the demon
If it overwhelms and eliminates, Black
It builds fear and makes them run away.
The fear that there will be no compromise.
A declaration not to expect mercy.
The despair that survival is impossible.
All those who have become enemies of the Black Path can do is give up and run away.
It was effective.
Due to the events of last night, two martial arts schools have already hastily closed their doors, and two sects have fled, packing only small bags.
Fear has swallowed up the entirety of Akyang.
“CEO.”
As I turned my head toward the source of the voice, Jang Woo-jae’s friends, the academy students, were standing there.
Just like our group, they could not wash away the traces of last night’s brutal battle.
Is something wrong?
“…….”
A man who appeared to be the representative of the academy students slowly knelt down.
Then, the other students followed the man and knelt one by one.
“……
Why are you doing this?
Those who stare straight at me as I try to dissuade them.
Please do not give up on Yu Jang-mun.
“We are aware that we are not viewed favorably for having only been watching our every move. That is why we are reflecting on this and would like to make this request. Please do not abandon Woojae.”
I thought their gathering was no different from other gatherings.
Like Jeongdohoe, like Baekdohoe, like the 12 Peaks.
A force formed by those without power.
A force that thinks only of its own safety.
We are all people who owe a debt of gratitude to that friend, Woojae, at least once. We hope that he does not die before we can repay his kindness.
We will also do our best. Please, CEO, be his strength.
However, their eyes were filled with sincerity, making it difficult to view their attitude as that of people gathered out of mutual interest.
I let out a small sigh.
Please stand up.
“CEO…”
“I had already intended to do so even without your request. There was also a declaration made to Mukhyeolbang last night.”
Thank you! Thank you! I will never forget this kindness.
Even though they were caught up in someone else’s war, they accepted it as a matter of course, as if it were their own business.
Like the reclusive masters who appeared in the mortal world when the Great War between Righteousness and Demons broke out in their past lives.
They were not cowardly people who thought only of their own safety.
Just then, Jang Woo-jae, who had come out of the palace, slowly approached this side.
“Representative Jin. Moonju is looking for you.”
I am trying hard to act like nothing is wrong, but I feel like I could collapse at any moment.
I answered while trying hard to ignore the emotions he didn’t want to be caught.
“Yes.”#Eighty-seven.
It was the number of coffins piled up in the grand parade ground.
Considering the total force was only three hundred, a large number—one-third—met their end in a short battle.
This is what war and battle are like.
It doesn’t matter if I fight and die alone.
However, while I am fighting, the people around me end up dying like this.
The reason I have desperately hoped for the growth of Taeeulmun all this time.
Hong Sa-ryeon and the brothers Geum, Eun, and Dong, who follow me, also followed with their mouths tightly shut, perhaps sensing the weight of the sorrow Yoo Jang-mun was enduring.
Have you come?
The sect leader’s face, seen after just one night, was haggard, as if it had weathered ten years of storms.
He looks just like Hong Mun-gi from a past life.
Are you alright?
I offered a greeting as usual, but received no reply.
Instead of answering, he looked at us and Jang Woo-jae’s party and spoke.
“I am so relieved that you were not hurt last night. We should be thankful to the gods of heaven and earth.”
“Young Master Jin, I have a request for you and everyone gathered here.”
Please speak.
The head of the Yujangmun clan opened his dry lips heavily.
Now, please go your own way.
What do you mean… …?”
“As of today, Yoo Jang-mun will disappear from the martial arts world.”
I looked at Jang Woo-jae.
Jang Woo-jae seemed to already know, biting his lip until it bled and holding back his tears.
“Many sects that were already planning a response have sent messages saying they will leave. We have also determined that leaving Akyang now is the way to minimize damage.”
The sect leader of Yujangmun let out a long sigh with his shoulders slumped.
A moment later, Moon-ju looked up at me, his eyes filled with guilt.
“We cannot put you, Young Master Jin, in danger because of us.”
It doesn’t matter to me.
Moon-ju nodded.
“You are a friend who understands chivalry better than any divine being of the martial arts world I have ever seen.”
“I will continue to remember the grace Yoo Jang-mun received today, even if he is gone. If Woo-jae has a child, I will teach that child, and if that child has another, I will make them remember it as well.”
Moon-ju tightened his grip for the first time, as if making a vow.
Someday, no matter how much time passes, I will never forget and will surely repay today’s debt.
Everyone in Yoo Jang-mun who was listening together shed tears silently.
The long history vanished in a single night.
It must be that they cannot believe the fact that they have lost their home and can no longer be together.
Where do you intend to go?
Moon-ju slowly looked around the venue.
“We will each return to our own homes. And those who have nowhere to go plan to go together to Hubei Province, where my wife’s family lives.”
It looks like it will be a long journey.
“Probably.”
Moon-ju moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately could not open his mouth.
I broke the silence.
We will be with you.
Moon-ju, whose lips had been trembling, soon nodded.
“Would you mind asking me to do this just until we get out of Akyang?”
His face flushed red, as if he felt ashamed of his own actions.
It is time for both our group and Jang Woo-jae’s group to return to the academy anyway.
Just as I was about to answer that I would go with you.
A warrior entered looking desperate, as if he were about to gasp for breath.
“M-Master, something terrible has happened.”
What big deal are you talking about now?
I think you will need to come out and see.
“……?”
Starting with the Gate Master, the leaders of each faction and even our party chased the warrior toward the main gate.
A collapsed gate and a gaping hole in the wall.
As we looked at the clearly visible view outside and the people standing there, our group started cursing one after another.
“Damn bastards…….”
Warriors are lined up outside the large hole.
I can sense the presence of dozens of people even beyond the wall.
The entire Yujangmun was surrounded by Black Sword warriors.
At their clearly intentional display of force, one of the elders let out a sigh.
“How can a person harbor such a wicked heart?” Not only the warriors of Yujangmun, but our party as well could not take even a single step outside Yujangmun.
Unable to bear it any longer, as I was about to leave Yujangmun, the man with the sickle from the previous night stood in my way.
“If you make a move, not a single blade of grass will remain in the Yujangmun.”
“Didn’t I tell you? That you’d better be prepared.”
“Why are you going to such lengths?”
“Your petty schemes will cause more blood to be shed in Akyang. We are only acting to prevent that.”
Do even the dark side guys get soft-spoken as they gain experience?
That is quite a great cause.
“Even so, will you go outside?”
It is done.
If you force it open and try to get out, it’s not like you can’t open it.
However, I cannot handle what will happen after that.
No matter how advantageous the situation, it is ultimately Yu Jang-mun who suffers the greatest damage.
Moreover, now even members of other Black Dao sects, not just those of the Mukhyeolbang, were blatantly flocking in.
The intention to end the battle as quickly as possible with perfect numerical superiority.
No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with a plan to turn the situation around right now.
Just then, a commotion broke out outside the door.
“Ah! I said move aside! I have business inside!”
You cannot enter.
“Look! It’s fine to fight for supremacy in Akyang, but there are lines that must be respected. Are you really so sure that the Dark Path can rule Akyang after interfering with the affairs of the Akyang branch manager of the Murim Alliance?”
A voice I’ve heard somewhere before.
A short while later, the person who entered with the entourage was none other than Dang Hyeok-jae.
Branch Manager.
“Eek.”
As soon as Dang Hyeok-jae saw my face, he frowned and signaled to his attendants.
The attendants put down the loads they were carrying on their backs and went around among the people, handing out rice balls and medicine for wounds.
How did you find out about this place?
I was actually planning to contact Dang Hyeok-jae, but I didn’t have a suitable way to do so.
Dang Hyeok-jae, who had been staring intently at my face in response to my question, said.
Hey there.
“yes.”
Why don’t you relax that look on your face first?
“yes?”
“Isn’t he making the exact same expression as a malevolent spirit?”
“What is that…….”
When I turned my head to look at Eunho, he paused for a moment and then nodded.
Are you very angry?
It’s gotten a little better.
“But would anyone be as good as me?”
“yes?”
The investor is on the verge of collapse, so it looks like we’ll have to unpack everything we’ve been packing.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do you know what the dark forces of Akyang have prepared?”
There were quite a lot of them.
“I brought in not only the ronin from the vicinity, but also five of the Eight Evils.”
At Dang Hyeok-jae’s words, those in the hall could not hide their shocked expressions.
The Eight Evils, hailed as the unrivaled masters of the Dark Martial Arts World.
The fact that they were in Akyang also meant that the Black Dao group had no intention of stopping the work midway.
“Are you seriously planning to wage war against the Murim Alliance?”
“It probably won’t go that far. But even if we deal with someone like you, shouldn’t we be able to handle the situation sufficiently?”
Given the extent of their investment, it was clear that they would not back down until they had secured the hegemony they desired in Akyang.
I was so curious.
“Why on earth are you going to such lengths?”
It is not easily understandable rationally.
At this point, it goes beyond the expression “taking a risk”; it is on the level of “dancing a sword dance on a sharp blade.”
A situation where even a single misstep could shatter your foot, and if things go wrong, you could even lose your neck.
“And even if you have gained justification, aren’t you afraid of retaliation from the Murim Alliance in the future?”
Dang Hyeok-jae scratched the back of his head.
It doesn’t always go that way.
What do you mean?
“So you’re saying that the forces expanded this time might continue.”
Akyang is a precious city that powerful forces with enemies in the martial arts world absolutely cannot afford to lose.
There was no way the Murim Alliance or Jeomchang would let this delicious city be taken away with their eyes wide open.
“Isn’t there the Black Alliance?”
“Isn’t the Black Dao Alliance being prepared with the Four Emperors at its center? They likely intend to infiltrate it and raise their voices. And once the Black Dao Alliance is established, the Murim Alliance won’t dare to act recklessly. They must have thought it was a gamble worth taking, even if it meant taking the risk.”
My head feels dizzy.
Only then did the tangled pieces in my mind begin to take shape one by one.
shit.”
Yeah, damn it.
It seems you have absolutely no intention of backing down.
This is not a situation where we can simply back down halfway.
If you look at how much massive growth the original sects of the Murim Alliance have achieved over the past five hundred years, there is no one among the Black Daoists who would not want to be among the initial founding members of the Black Dao Alliance being formed this time.
After carrying out the scheme with the mindset of ‘I’ll just win and pay it back,’ he hides behind the Black Alliance.
Then the entirety of Akyang will fall into their hands forever.
“I’ve sent a request for support to the Murim Alliance, but it will take quite a while until it is processed and the warriors are dispatched.”
They will come once Akyang falls into those bastards’ hands.
“What are you going to do?”
Those guys will be speechless, imagining the enormous amount of money they will earn after the gambling.
A gambler who has gained the momentum of victory cannot be stopped even by their own parents.
Branch Manager, please mediate.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t you tell me yourself? That you have no intention of stepping down.”
So, I am asking you, Branch Manager. Please tell them that we should settle this with a ‘Duel of Martial Arts’.
Do you think they would really accept that?
Even if you express your intention to resolve the conflict through the result of a duel, they will not even scoff.
Since they have already secured the victory, there would be no reason for them to go out of their way to hold a ‘decisive duel’.
If they won’t accept you, you have to make them.
All they had to do was use the exact same method they had used. The Black Sect, including the Mukhyeolbang, did not leave Yujangmun until evening.
They completely and airtightly surrounded Yu Jang-mun, as if hanging a corpse in the middle of the market to prevent others from resisting.
I was looking at the moon.
The moment the bright moon hid itself behind dark clouds.
He unleashed the Heavenly Solitary Spirit and soared into the sky.
ping-.
Due to the movements that minimized noise to the extreme, the speed was not proper, but it was still enough to get out of the Yujangmun.
widely.
After landing about thirty jang away from Yujangmun, I proceeded straight toward Mukhyeolbang.
Due to the strange tension flowing through Akyang, all the taverns had closed early and turned off their lights, but Mukhyeolbang alone remained brightly lit as if it were daytime. ‘What a life.’ Music flowed from the largest hall, and occasionally, the drunken chatter of the people could be heard.
Judging by the sight of two figures with a formidable presence inside the palace, it appeared that a banquet was being held for two of the Eight Evils mentioned by Dang Hyeok-jae. ‘So the remaining Three Evils are in the Black Mansion.’ With a glad heart, I put on a headscarf, walked in a ghost-like gait, and hid myself on the roof of the palace.
How much time had passed like that?
One by one, the sound of people talking in their sleep began to be heard, and the music also gradually faded away.
And I moved cautiously, following a single presence felt inside the pavilion.
After confirming that the presence I had been watching closely had entered the deepest part of the pavilion.
I cautiously released the bet and sought out the Shadow Warrior. ‘Just as I expected…’ There is an old saying that the White Sword dies of arrogance, and the Black Sword dies of bravado.
The leader of Mukhyeolbang is a man who faithfully follows the old sayings.
In short, it means a fool whose head is dominated by bravado.
I pulled out a roof tile, squeezed my body into the gap, and stepped into the room.
The leader of the Mukhyeolbang, who was stripping off his heavily alcohol-soaked clothes, suddenly sensed something strange, spun around like lightning, and drew his sword.
visor
-“who…….”
However, the conversation did not continue.
Phew.
Because the Black Dragon Sword embedded in his chest stopped his heart.
“You, you…….”
I spoke to him, who reeked of alcohol.
“Fear isn’t something only you can use.”
The leader of the Mukhyeolbang sect, with his eyes wide open, had a look of disbelief that he could not believe his own death even at the moment he collapsed.
“Who is it!”
At that moment, I felt two huge energies approaching like lightning.
pop!
I broke through the roof and flew up.
“Haha, what a strange fellow you are. How did you manage to evade our spirits?”
I made eye contact with Akjunghak, the Snake Evil, who was said to have the most outstanding divine power among the Eight Evils.
Puff puff puff puff puff puff puff.
Pow pow, pow, pow, pow.
The fiery fists I unleashed and the parry he deflected collide in the air, sending sparks exploding in all directions.
“Ugh! Dark!”
The evil creature, fully engulfed in the flames of the Holy Flame Demon Slayer, hesitated.
Next, Sword Evil
The moment I unleashed this sword wind to quell the flames, I unleashed the Heavenly Solitary Divine Technique with all my might and fled the Black Blood Sect.
