3
5
3.
That was the position at that moment.
Although the appointment was not obtained through formal procedures and he did not even have a letter of appointment, some felt a sense of responsibility as the head of the first division.
It seems like they aren’t following.
And now, he felt unbearable joy at having successfully carried out that mission.
“Jin Danju! You really did it.”
I couldn’t believe it.
The fact that I was able to escape that hellish place.
A series of situations that could be considered the worst happened one after another, but in the end, we made it.
The problem was not solved by Shaolin’s backing.
It wasn’t as if the power known as Jeong Do-hoe had solved the problem, either.
It is not as if the Murim Alliance stepped in and the matter was resolved while it was out of their grasp.
His own strength and the united hearts of the academy students.
and.
Everyone, don’t let your guard down until the very end!!
This difficult and arduous task was accomplished thanks to the determination of Jin So-un, who commanded them all.
Il-gak looked down at his two hands and clenched his fists tightly.
A kind of feeling I’ve never experienced before.
My whole body tingled as much as when I had attained some of the enlightenment of the Yijin Jing through wall-gazing in the past.
but.
“What’s so funny that you’re grinning like that? Baldy.”
“…….”
Even in the midst of this joy, his crazy boss was displaying a great talent for ruining the other person’s mood.
“At this point, should I consider this my nature?” The Buddha’s maxim not to judge by appearances comes to mind, but no matter how many times I repeat the words, it is difficult to focus solely on the essence.
still.
After all, aren’t the thorns filling the chestnut burr also part of the chestnut?
I thought he was a person with a great talent for causing confusion.
“Jin Danju. Aren’t you happy?”
The students at the academy also could not hide their joy at having survived that chaos.
Despite the hardships caused by injuries and fatigue, no one was slowing down.
“Isn’t it something Jin Dan-ju accomplished?”
At some people’s words, Jin So-un’s face crumpled.
“Why are you just standing there acting like it’s all over? It’s still a long way from being finished.”
“What do you mean… didn’t you eventually shake it off?”
“Ugh. Where is the largest Wulin Alliance branch near Jinghong in Yunnan?”
Yunnan Province is the outermost province of the region commonly known as the Central Plains.
Often included as an outer region, this place is considered one of the most remote from the power structure of the Murim Alliance.
Therefore, unlike central provinces where several or nearly a dozen branches are established, Yunnan Province had only one small branch in Kunming.
“uh…….”
As his thoughts reached that point, he realized something.
Yeah, we’re not done yet.
“B-but still.”
“Of course I know. Those bastards will probably decide that chasing me any further is pointless. But whatever the case, isn’t it better than letting your guard down and getting stabbed in the back?”
It ain’t over till it’s over.
Jin So-woon mutters to himself, his expression turning serious once again.
Gak briefly blamed himself for his stupidity.
The reason I felt relieved merely by having escaped Mukrim was the natural assumption that the world was under the command of the Martial Arts Alliance.
And if I think that the reason I have suffered all this time stemmed from such arrogance…
It means that even after going through this hardship, it was practically the same as having learned nothing at all. ‘How foolish you are, Gak. How foolish.’ Since when have you gone around pretending to know everything about the world, acting as if you have attained enlightenment regarding the universe?
In the end, it is nothing more than an existence that knows nothing.
He looked at the towering man standing before him.
“Then what should I do now? Should I look into a reserve branch?”
“What do you intend to do by joining a tiny sect that’s indistinguishable from a regular sect? Should I die with them?”
“……
Ahem. Even so, it is impossible to go to Kunming with this number of people.
Both the injured and the uninjured have already reached their limits.
From this point on, you will probably not die by the enemy’s blade, but will collapse from your own exhaustion.
There is no way Jin So-un would not know this.
“I know. That’s why I’m thinking about it.”
“What… do you mean?”
For a moment, Jin So-un’s face stiffens.
Is something big happening…
I was worried that the rumors might get spread strangely again.
A rumor? What rumor are you talking about?
He is a person surrounded by so many rumors. There are also too many preposterous ones.
Above all, since he didn’t seem to care much, I hadn’t expected it.
“Was I paying attention to it? But whatever it was, it’s not something to worry about right now.”
They had transcended the joys and sorrows of life and death, and an unprecedented enemy had appeared, attempting to kill the academy students.
To think you would hesitate just because of a ‘rumor’ in a situation like that.
“Jin Danju, what foolish words you are. To think you would worry over such a trivial matter.”
Now is the time to survive, even if it means stealing other people’s things.
You must survive and properly inform the Murim Alliance of what you experienced in Mukrim.
That is the only way to stand against these fearsome enemies.
“Why are you worrying in such an uncharacteristic way for Jin Danju? Isn’t this a time when survival is more important than anything else?”
“I know that, too. It’s just that I’m afraid you guys will use the strict hierarchy as an excuse to point fingers only at me.”
Pointing fingers?
In some places, it felt as if heat was rising from the scalp.
“Who on earth… who!! dares to point a finger at Danju Jin? If it weren’t for Danju Jin’s determination, all the academy students would have died in Mukrim.”
“No, I know that too…….”
“Even if there were any survivors!! There wouldn’t have been even a handful. And if there are those who harbor resentment over that, or those who look down on and try to slander them.”
Il-gak took a step forward and patted his chest.
I, Gak, will step forward.
How can you mislead someone who has achieved such results?
Some were angry at themselves and snapped even more.
however.
Hmm. Really? So that’s how it is.
Jin So-un spoke with a somewhat lukewarm expression.
“Then let’s just go with your opinion, Chief I. How about it?”
“great.”
If I have to get hit with filth, I am fully confident I can take it.
Gak nodded, confidently saying that.
He immediately regretted it deeply. “Haa, haa, haa.”
The joy of having survived that hell was short-lived, and Jongchuak was on the verge of losing his mind at any moment.
He knew better than anyone that he couldn’t stop right now, but his body was too tired to act on that knowledge.
No, I felt like I was going to die.
It had been a long time since he had even forgotten if he was running properly.
It couldn’t be helped, considering I hadn’t been able to sleep properly for several days and had been running day and night. ‘Is it impossible?’ It was impossible to get to Kunming, where the branch office is located.
However, if I joined just any sect in this place with only small ones, far from getting proper rest, I might end up being annihilated along with them.
Moreover, with so many people getting injured, it would be a problem that there isn’t a sect capable of accommodating all of them.
It is ridiculous to divide the personnel and request support.
They were a tough opponent even when everyone was united.
Because responding while scattered would be even more ridiculous.
A desperate situation where one is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
It was the same when I was in Mukrim, but at this very moment.
Jong Chu-ak breathed a huge sigh of relief at the fact that he was not the clan leader. ‘Still, I wish he would make a decision soon.’ Honestly, at this point, he began to think that dying in battle wouldn’t be so bad.
Of course, that’s just talk.
Anyway, even the toughest training at the main temple wasn’t as hard as this.
at that time.
“Hang in there just a little longer! I’ll let you rest soon!”
A booming voice was heard from the front.
It was Jin So-un’s.
“A corner of our group has put forward an excellent suggestion. It was a somewhat problematic suggestion, but I should be able to resolve the rest.”
Huh? Why is the name Ilgak suddenly coming up? Why bother in this situation…?
However, upon hearing the story that followed, the doubts I had previously harbored vanished into pieces.
“Just make it there, and I will ensure you receive treatment and rest comfortably under escort!”
Is there such a way?
To think I can receive treatment and rest comfortably…
There was no other White Dao sect in this area of that caliber.
Could there possibly be a merchant guild or escort agency connected to the Murim Alliance? He thought about it, but no one immediately came to mind.
“Yunnan is such a remote region from the Central Plains that, with the exception of a few sects, no branch was established there.” ‘They must have a plan.’ Exhausted even from expending energy on thinking, Jong Chu-ak cleared his mind of distracting thoughts.
I wonder how far we ran like that.
A murmur began to rise one by one within the life and death group.
“W-where are we going now?”
“I know… Well, since Danju spoke so confidently, there must be a way.”
“Am I getting confused? This isn’t the kind of place we should be going to…?”
So you were having such worries just now? You must still have some energy left.
Because Jongchuak had no other wish than to be able to rest quickly, no matter what it was or by any means.
“Wait, wait, th-something’s strange about this.”
“Yeah, right.”
The voices of confusion grew louder and louder.
“S-surely not?”
“I heard Monk Ilgak offered an opinion. It can’t be.”
“Even so…”
As the murmuring noise intensified, Jongchuak reacted irritably.
“Run quietly. It’s an order to stop drinking!”
“Jong Hyung. No matter what….”
“Why? Now that you’ve survived, are you suddenly ashamed of having received orders? And yet you bastards of Baekdo…”
“No, Jong-hyung! Look closely. Here! Do you know where this is?”
Jongchuak snorted and followed the man’s finger with his gaze.
“I don’t care about the geography of Yunnan…….”
And where the other person pointed.
Poles shaped like snakes and spiders stood in a row along the road.
“Can’t you tell even after looking at that?”
How could you not know?
That symbol is one of the symbols that the Baekdo disciples fear the most.
Why, why are you here… … .”
As I came to my senses and looked ahead, I saw a massive pavilion.
The entrance, constructed of stone rather than wood, is built high, resembling a castle wall.
Its extremely crude appearance clearly showed that it could be changed into a means of defense at any time.
And at the top of the door.
“This place is…….”
It indicated that this was the place where the owner of the pattern I had seen while passing by was located.
“M-Mandokmun?!!!”#Dan Se-ung, the leader of Mandokmun, went to his chambers early for the first time in a while.
“I was exhausted from tossing and turning at night due to the commotion in Mukrim that had continued for the past few days.” “Damn bastards.” The academy students who visit once every twelve years keep the nerves of Mandokmun on edge.
Of course, they were not worried that they would cause harm to the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.
No matter how outstanding they are, they are still just rookies new to the martial arts world.
However, I was bothered by those brats running around stirring up the forest.
In any case, Mukrim is the greatest treasure trove of Mandokmun.
Because I’m the same way.
A place where countless poisons can be obtained, and new poisons appear every time.
Mukrim was practically a treasure trove to the Germans, to the extent that even the Tang family considered establishing a branch there.
It is perhaps only natural to get furious when you think about rookies running around and damaging a place like that.
Of course, I wasn’t too worried before because I had always just set up a base at the places I visited and killed time, but this time I caused quite a commotion.
Explosions erupted incessantly, and at night, countless torches were lit. ‘Are they hunting spirits or something? … …’
“It looks like there are a lot of lunatics in this batch. Because they aren’t targets that can be hunted in the first place.”
Dan Se-ung knows even better because he has gone hunting himself.
Those guys are clearly not beings of the human world, but rather guys who just dropped straight down from the celestial realm.
In any case, opinions were raised even within the Mandok Sect that they should go into Mukrim to see what was happening, but ultimately, no one was sent there.
Because the Murim Alliance is strangely sensitive to the academy students’ events.
If you think about the hassle that might arise later, it is best to just close your eyes and ears and not make any connections in the first place.
As I continued thinking, a figure came to mind. ‘He said he was the academy representative.’ The White Dao guy I met at the Black Alliance.
Although we never exchanged greetings up close, he was a guy who left quite a deep impression.
“He is the one who truly saved the Black Alliance, even if unofficially. I told you he is a strange guy. When searching for the spy who had infiltrated the Black Alliance, he did things so crazy that it was impossible to tell who the Black Daoists were.”
He was a guy who even threw away his life to save the entire army of the Black Alliance, who were practically his main enemy.
For Dan Se-ung, who held a key position in the Black Alliance, he was clearly a guy who provoked a variety of emotions. ‘Hmm… since I’m here now, maybe I should go meet him…’ Dan Se-ung thought, but soon shook his head.
Anyway, he is a benefactor to the Black Alliance.
If he goes to meet him, he will surely become entangled in uncomfortable rumors, and this will have a negative impact on his future advancement in the Martial Arts Alliance.
I can’t cause such inconvenience to my benefactor.
Moreover, useless attention would likely be drawn to him as well.
“If I were to meet that guy again… … ‘That would only be possible on a battlefield.’ After all, that is the nature of the relationship between the Black Path and the White Path.”
Step, step, step.
The sound of heavy footsteps was heard from the hallway.
Soon, the tense voice of the maidservant was heard.
“M-Master. Are you asleep?”
To think those guys would visit at this hour, knowing perfectly well how long it has been since I last had a peaceful bed.
Dan Se-ung could not speak nicely.
What is it!
“Uh, uh, I think you need to come out right now…….”
Telling me to come out out of the blue.
To Moon Joo-in himself at this late hour?
Dan Se-ung furrowed his brow and let out a sigh.
“I asked what was wrong.”
“Th-that is…….”
For some reason, I could sense hesitation outside the door.
Eventually, Dan Se-woong roughly threw off the blanket and opened the door so hard that it slammed shut.
“What on earth is going on that you’re interrupting at this hour!!!”
“Th-that, the guest… no, that enemy… Haa, what should I call that….”
Dan Se-ung’s face began to turn red at his subordinate’s rambling attitude.
“You bastard… do you want to vomit blood out of your anus for a whole week?”
“Eek! Ah, never mind. That’s not it. There is a guy… no, a person looking for the Sect Leader right now.”
“You’re looking for me?”
At this hour?
Although I went to bed a little early, it is quite late at night.
Who is the audacity to dare disturb the night of Dan Se-ung, known as the Night King of Yunnan?
Dan Se-ung put on his robe, pushed his subordinates aside, and advanced forward.
The inside of the robe was filled with poisons that would turn any enemy into a bloody mess before they could take five steps.
He left his chambers with calm steps, passed through the palaces, and went past the training grounds.
And when I reached the front gate.
“under…….”
He frowned deeply at the sight of all of Mandokmun’s subordinates standing guard.
“What?! Did someone attack us!”
“At first, we thought so too…….”
I arrived at the front gate, passing by a subordinate who was trailing off in a way I didn’t like today.
Then, the flustered gatekeeper moved, and soon the large gate creaked open.
“Ah! Hello!”… …
A completely unexpected person was standing in front of the door, offering a completely unexpected greeting.
How have you been? You look much better than when I last saw you.
With such an attitude of asking how he was doing as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Dan Se-ung was tempted to believe that he actually had a close relationship with this guy.
“Jin So-un…….”
“Ah! You remember, Sect Leader.”
Soon, Dan Se-ung’s gaze turns behind Jin So-un.
The ending is even more ridiculous.
Young men and women who appeared to be Baekdo’s disciples were dressed in rags and wearing grim expressions.
“What’s going on here?”
Ah, well, you see.
Jin So-woon smiles sweetly, curling the corners of his mouth nonchalantly.
To put it simply, something happened.
Just as I was dumbfounded by the overly simple explanation and was about to refute it.
“So, about that…”
Jin So-un’s commanding voice continued.
“May I ask for your help in providing medical treatment and lodging for the injured?”
With such a nonchalant face, as if having come to retrieve a bundle left behind.
Dan Se-ung could not give any answer.
“How urgent must it be for you to come all the way here?”
Jin So-un’s words, smiling sweetly with a gleaming face.
You understand, right?
Because I didn’t understand a single thing.
