Chapter 426
Chapter 426. Five Hundred Years of Waiting (1)
—
Whispers regarding the unsealing of the gates of the Tai-eul Sect quickly permeated every corner of the Murim Alliance. This sudden attention wasn’t due to the sect altering the martial world’s balance of power; it was fundamentally a minor, low-ranked faction belonging to the 108 Peaks situated in Hefei. Ordinarily, the public paid no mind to whether such a place unbarred its entrances or undertook reconstruction.
However, as situations began occurring that directly impacted individuals personally, the upcoming reopening of the Tai-eul Sect started being discussed with an entirely different context.
“Can you believe it? Some fresh-faced novice who just joined is already burning through his vacation days.”
“You too? The Vice-Squad Leader under my command threw a massive tantrum, insisting he absolutely required time off right now.”
“Ha, just what kind of place is this Tai-eul Sect that everyone is scrambling to witness their grand opening?”
“From what I gather, it’s not actually the sect itself drawing them in.”
“What is it then?”
The informant from the Murim Alliance shivered, clearly astounded by the circumstances.
“Word has it that the troublesome brat, Jin So-un, holds leverage over all his contemporaries, leaving them no option but to comply with his demands.”
“Ah! That rascal, when you look at it that way, it makes total sense.”
From the perspective of Jin So-un, the rumor was entirely unjustified, yet there was little he could do to alter public perception. The senior leaders simply found it incomprehensible why these youngsters were so desperately intent on showing their faces at a location that was neither the venerable Shaolin Temple nor the prominent Namgung Clan. It wasn’t as if the gathering featured some supreme master with whom they could forge a valuable connection. Furthermore, despite its current development, the Tai-eul Sect—possessing a mere single merchant group and a lone mine—could hardly be considered an institution of immense fortune or political clout.
Nevertheless, as long as the subordinates formally requested the annual vacation time allotted to them, the higher-ups were legally bound to approve it. This bubbling irritation naturally converted into bitter complaints directed at Jin So-un, and through this friction, the impending reopening of the Tai-eul Sect became common knowledge across the entire Murim Alliance.
And
“A celebration for the Tai-eul Sect? What could possibly entice anyone to journey out to such an event?”
“I’ve been told they aren’t just hosting a welcoming ceremony; they are organizing a Bimu tournament alongside it.”
This piece of gossip instantly sparked a fresh wave of public fascination.
“A Bimu tournament?”
“Aren’t the schools of Wudang and Jeomchang utterly furious with the Tai-eul Sect? I hear they receive a non-stop influx of Bimu Dispatches from wandering martial artists arriving from every province daily. Given that the sect cannot simply hide indefinitely…”
“Are you implying they are initiating this Bimu tournament as a desperate shield to preserve their skin, knowing they will face a beating regardless?”
“Exactly. They likely assume that challengers will refrain from delivering lethal blows while performing under the watchful eyes of a massive crowd.”
“Well now… that certainly promises to be entertaining.”
After all, what spectacle captivates mankind more than a raging inferno or a brutal clash? To make matters more enticing, the party destined for a thrashing was the Tai-eul Sect, which had recently carried itself with immense arrogance. The anticipation of watching them get thoroughly pulverized and left rolling in the dirt tapped into a primal instinct that no martial artist could easily suppress.
“In any case, my request for leave has already been finalized.”
“Blast it! I have already exhausted my time off for the year.”
“Don’t worry, I shall observe everything closely and report back to you.”
Consequently, a massive wave of travelers—comprising not only the Academy peers whose secrets were allegedly held by Jin So-un but also various operatives from all echelons of the Murim, including the Murim Alliance—began making their way toward Anhui Province.
The disciples affiliated with the Tai-eul Sect and I chose to sprint directly toward our destination rather than relying on a horse-drawn carriage. While a carriage offered ease and relaxation, arriving simultaneously with the visitors journeying from the Murim Alliance would be perceived as a major breach of etiquette. On top of that, an overwhelming amount of preparation awaited our arrival. Fortunately, my younger martial siblings, the Sa-jes, had successfully mastered the Cheon-ha-dok-haeng-sin, meaning their swift traveling pace far exceeded anything a standard carriage could achieve.
“This movement technique is truly miraculous,” one remarked. “To cover ground at such incredible velocity without experiencing a hint of fatigue is astonishing.”
This outcome was entirely logical, considering the footwork was a collaborative masterpiece forged by the Ji-ok-ma-je, renowned as one of the ultimate Heavenly Demons within the Demonic Cult, and the historic grandmaster Tai-eul-geom-je. Even though several winters had drifted past since I first acquired the secrets of the Cheon-ha-dok-haeng-sin, the ultimate essence of this method remained elusive to me. If someone of my standing felt this way, my Sa-jes naturally possessed an even more superficial grasp of its intricacies. Regardless of our incomplete mastery, by constantly alternating between outdoor camping and rapid light-footwork, we successfully traversed Hefei and arrived at So-eum-hyeon far sooner than anticipated.
“Ah…!”
A collective gasp escaped our lips as we stared at the panorama unfolding before us.
“What in heaven’s name has occurred here? Since when did So-eum-hyeon expand into a city of this magnitude?”
Exactly as Geum-pyo pointed out, we stood completely paralyzed by the sheer scale of the transformation rewriting the face of So-eum-hyeon. This was no longer the quaint, sleepy hamlet where we had spent our youth playing games every day.
“Fresh merchandise has just arrived!”
“Make way, clear the path!”
The thoroughfares swarmed with individuals, and every alleyway teemed with vendors operating out of temporary stalls they had transported into the area. In the vacant fields where children once gathered to stage mock battles, towering new structures were being erected, while a continuous line of heavily laden freight carriages streamed into the town without pause.
“Could it be that… we took a wrong turn somewhere…”
“Jin Oppa!”
While we stood there frozen like bewildered rustics encountering the bustling capital for the very first time, a voice cutting through the noise from behind caused us all to turn around at once.
“Oppa!!”
Right there, a stunning young woman whose countenance seemed to emit an ethereal glow was sprinting in our direction, a radiant grin lighting up her features.
“So-so!”
Evidently caught in the middle of her managerial duties, she clutched a counting abacus and a thick ledger against her frame, while her cascading tresses were hastily pinned up using a simple wooden hairpin. Even so, the eyes of the various men traversing the thoroughfare found themselves utterly incapable of turning away from her dazzling expression.
“Oppa! You made it back much quicker than I anticipated!”
I returned her greeting with a warm smile, affectionately patting her head. “We needed to be here ahead of time to handle the arrangements. More importantly, I caught sight of you negotiating with the tavern owners just a moment ago… What exactly has transpired in this place?”
Surely this girl hadn’t engineered this entire phenomenon single-handedly? But by what means? So-so planted both hands firmly upon her hips, proudly expanding her chest.
“Naturally, any martial organization possessing significant power and prestige will inevitably cause a sprawling settlement to manifest around its territory, regardless of its location. It is merely a fundamental law of commerce, is it not?”
“A natural process? We are speaking of the Tai-eul Sect here, remember?”
Hearing Geum-pyo’s skeptical interruption, Wang So-so unleashed a sharp snort of amusement.
“Geum Sa-hyeong! Whether a massive town takes shape because a powerful sect anchors it, or a sect achieves greatness because it is backed by a bustling town—does the sequence of events truly matter in the grand scheme of things?”
Even taking that into account, the pace of this development felt remarkably accelerated. When I visited during the previous winter, no such bustling commercial hub existed.
“That is entirely due to the agitators staging protests outside the gates of the Tai-eul Sect.”
According to her explanation, in order to exploit the antagonistic crowds who had established camps to harass the Tai-eul Sect, she quietly purchased every local inn and eatery, subsequently driving up the prices by three to five fold.
“In the beginning, our clientele naturally plummeted dramatically.”
However, the Tai-eul Sect was situated in an incredibly isolated region, requiring a minimum of half a day’s journey to reach Hefei. Ultimately, that grueling distance wore thin the patience of even the most stubborn martial artists who prided themselves on their endurance.
“Hehehe… how long did you honestly expect them to hold out?”
The exorbitant cost of living within So-eum-hyeon was eventually embraced by the visitors as a mandatory premium to avoid personal inconvenience. Furthermore, because the profit margins were so immense, traders operating within Hefei began migrating to So-eum-hyeon one after another, generating substantial wealth by offering more balanced pricing. As word of this lucrative market spread, independent merchants flooded the area, causing the settlement to expand day by day.
“But… wouldn’t that ultimately result in a financial deficit for us?”
“If one looked at it superficially, perhaps. However, I took the liberty of purchasing all available real estate across the So-eum-hyeon territory beforehand. Most of those plots lacked legal owners to begin with. The established taverns and eateries we acquired will undergo extensive remodeling to cater exclusively to wealthy, high-tier patrons, while we intend to steadily scale up the town itself using the incoming population from external regions.”
“…”
I stood entirely dumbfounded by a commercial strategy completely foreign to my experience. At the same time, an innate intuition for detecting wealth surged through my physical form, causing a sharp shiver to run down my spine. When crowds assemble and a settlement thrives, accelerating the velocity of currency within the local economy, the individuals who ultimately reap the rewards are the landowners. Barren, neglected earth transforms into a golden goose overnight. I let out a low gasp of shock that far exceeded mere admiration.
‘Is the inherent capability of every merchant structured like this?’
Certainly not. Countless squanderers inherit vast family legacies only to decimate them in the blink of an eye. Her acumen was genuinely staggering, reminding me that I ought to remain highly cautious around this girl…
“Oh, and the initial capital required for this venture was split evenly between the Wang Family Manor and the Daicheon Merchant Group. In essence, the individuals illegally demonstrating outside the Tai-eul Sect are directly transferring their personal fortunes into our sect’s coffers.”
“Wow! Magnificent! So-so, you shall remain my dearest sister for eternity!”
I found myself unable to suppress the profound cry of awe bubbling up from deep within my Danjeon.
“This is a tactical maneuver I have never even heard of! You are an absolute prodigy, a genius!”
To devise a business methodology that extracts wealth directly from an adversary’s pockets while simultaneously developing a thriving commercial district as a byproduct—could this be defined as anything other than terrifying genius? It would have been marvelous if I had been blessed with such financial brilliance instead of my current, burdensome memory.
“Oppa, I performed exceptionally well, right?”
I affectionately ruffled the hair of Wang So-so, who tilted her head upward like a young child seeking approval. Merely touching her crown gave off the distinct aura of wealth, and So-so giggled gleefully, brimming with pure happiness.
“Wang Sa-mae.”
Eun-ho, who had been listening in absolute bewilderment throughout the entire explanation, tentatively lifted his hand.
“Would it be possible to enlighten me further regarding the specifics of this financial operation? I am eager to apply these concepts in the future.”
“Of course, Eun-ho Sa-hyeong.”
After concluding our brief exchange with the most brilliant sister in the world, we immediately departed from So-eum-hyeon and directed our course straight toward the Tai-eul Sect.
Although we hastened our strides, having only cleared Hefei past midday, we managed to reach the outskirts of the Tai-eul Sect just as the horizon was ripening into a deep sunset. Our delay was entirely due to how thoroughly we had been captivated by the revolutionized state of So-eum-hyeon.
“Dae-sa-hyeong, we have finally made it to our destination…”
“Hold on.”
The exact moment my sensory perception detected the presence of a multitude ahead, I froze in my tracks. Seeing my abrupt halt, my Sa-jes turned to look at me, their faces painted with curiosity.
“Adjust your garments and look presentable.”
The Sa-jes, initially perplexed by my sudden shift in demeanor as the lightheartedness drained from my face, quickly grasped the underlying situation and began straightening themselves up. Though they had already donned fresh attire tailored back in Hefei, a fine layer of trail dust had settled upon them during our run. They carefully brushed away the grime and readjusted their robes. They re-secured their side-arms, which had shifted out of alignment, while Sa-ryeon and So-so painstakingly gathered and rebound their hair.
“We are prepared,” they indicated.
Looking over my younger disciples, I questioned them openly.
“Have we committed any transgressions?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Have we inflicted unlawful injury or malice upon anyone else?”
“…No, we haven’t.”
There was a brief hesitation, but their collective reply came out resolute.
“In that case, do not lower your gazes for anyone. Regardless of who projects murderous intent or directs venomous glares your way, keep your shoulders squared. If you adopt the posture of a guilty culprit, the world will treat you as one.”
“””We understand explicitly!”””
“Then let us proceed.”
The fading sunlight spilling across the mountain peaks washed the entire landscape in a blood-red hue. Just beneath that crimson glow, the tiled roofs of the Tai-eul Sect and the carved nameplate adorning its main gate came into view. An immense gathering had materialized before it. As the headcount clearly exceeded four hundred individuals, Dong-ryong instinctively drew his shoulders inward. However, when Eun-ho gently patted his back to reassure him, Dong-ryong rigidly threw his chest out once more.
At that precise moment, an overwhelming sensation of déjà vu washed over me, mirroring a terrifying memory forged in my previous life. Almost instantly, that nightmare manifested with vivid clarity right before my eyes.
The Tai-eul Sect consumed by roaring flames.
The endless ranks of Demonic Cult zealots assembled before the destruction. Scattered throughout the grounds of the Tai-eul Sect were the lifeless bodies of my martial brothers, sisters, and family, discarded like slaughtered beasts. Sa-ryeon, whose sanity had completely fractured upon witnessing the corpses of Hong Mun-gi and his spouse suspended from the massive pillars of the Great Hall, was softly humming a melody from her youth while gathering severed fingers and ears from the bloody earth.
A profound weight of powerlessness and agonizing guilt consumed me, knowing I lacked the capability to alter anything. While I stood frozen, merely watching Sa-ryeon with the crushing realization that I had forfeited any right to offer comfort, the girl—who had carefully tucked a severed ear into the folds of her tunic—turned toward me and offered a brilliant smile.
[Jin Sa-hyeong.]
“Dae-sa-hyeong…”
“Ah…!”
In a fraction of a second, the horrifying vision of purgatory shattered into fragments like a struck mirror. The image of the Sa-ryeon from my past life dissolved into the Sa-ryeon standing in the present. Instead of wild, tangled locks, her hair was bound immaculately. In the palms that had once collected severed digits and ears… she now gripped a pristine, straight sword.
“Are you feeling alright?” she inquired.
“Yes, I am perfectly fine.”
“You lectured us about remaining calm, yet it appears Dae-sa-hyeong is the one gripped by the greatest anxiety.”
Sa-ryeon offered a subtle, knowing grin. Her gaze was no longer hollow or devoid of life, and her hands remained entirely unstained by the blood of our kin.
“Dae. Sa. Hyeong! I am telling you to snap out of your daze!”
She let out an exasperated sigh in my direction.
That was correct. I was no longer the tragic ‘Jin Sa-hyeong’ of that bygone existence; I was Jin So-un, the primary disciple and commanding Dae-sa-hyeong of the Tai-eul Sect. Regulating my breathing with deliberate intent, I cast a reassuring smile toward her.
“Anxious? You honestly believe I would feel intimidated by a rabble of fools like that?”
“In that case, let us quicken our pace. The crowd has already begun tracking our movements.”
The collective whispers swelled in volume. Figures began pointing aggressively in our direction, others unclasped their weapons while casting hostile stares, and some roughly aroused their resting companions. The sudden, frantic shifting caused a dense cloud of dust to billow into the air.
“Are those not the disciples of the Tai-eul Sect?”
“It certainly resembles them, doesn’t it?”
“Why are they marching directly toward us?”
“Could they be looking to provoke an altercation?”
“If so, that plays right into our hands!”
The agitators cultivated a highly threatening environment, cracking their necks and rolling their shoulders. Some loitered upon the ground, sneering while hurling mocking jeers, while others stared with murderous intent, poised to leap forward at a moment’s notice.
I took a single, deliberate stride toward them.
*Thud.*
Due to the raw spiritual energy projecting outward from my advance, the swirling cloud of dust was forcibly suppressed, settling instantly against the earth.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
My progression never wavered. With every successive stride, the rising grit was hammered flat by an invisible, rhythmic weight.
“Arrogant bastard.”
“Impudent brat.”
“Does he truly intend to carve a path straight through our ranks?”
They ground their teeth together at my display, unleashing a wave of untamed combat aura.
“Dae-sa-hyeong, if we continue along this trajectory, we will be forced to cut straight through the core of their formation.”
Our heading aimed squarely at the very epicenter of the blockade occupying the threshold of the Tai-eul Sect.
“Eun-ho.”
“Yes, brother.”
“This is what is known as the Gun-ja-da-ro-haeng.”
“…Despite the minor detail that you are far from a gentleman,” he murmured under his breath.
Despite his remark, my younger martial siblings immediately synchronized their strides with mine, marching forward as a unit. Ultimately, we came to a halt directly in front of the demonstrating martial artists.
“Step aside, please. This path leads to our sect, and we are returning home.”
“And what if we flatly refuse to grant you passage?”
“An individual is only afforded the hospitality of a guest when they comport themselves with the decency of one.”
“And what exactly do you plan to do about it?”
In that exact heartbeat, the profound inner energy of the Tai-eul-jin-gyeong surged violently, preceding even my conscious command. Relinquishing my physical form to that bubbling indignation, I released my cultivated internal force without restraint.
*Pop-pop-pop!*
The dust that had only recently been flattened was violently expelled outward in every direction. The sudden crystallization of genuine lethal intent woven into the air forced the gathered martial artists to react purely on survival instinct.
“Y-You insolent wretch!”
“Do you truly believe a modicum of martial skill makes you invincible?!”
I silently forced the blustering fools to look down at their own positions. Their countenances flushed crimson with intense embarrassment as they realized they had involuntarily retreated five full paces without even conscious awareness of doing so.
It was then that a figure stepped forward.
“Are you the individual known as the Black Flame Dragon, Jin So-un?”
A mature warrior wielding a heavy saber emerged from the midst of the retreating crowd. Unlike his subordinates, this middle-aged martial artist refrained from openly displaying his emotional volatility.
“My name is Jang Bu-yong.”
Simply by uttering his identity, he commanded the absolute attention of the field. Instantly, hushed murmurs of “The Thousand-Man-One-Blade of Shandong?” rippled through the onlookers.
“An aggressive demonstration like this will undoubtedly incite the tempers of everyone gathered here; do you truly possess the capability to manage the consequences?”
I looked directly at the man and replied,
“Should you choose to behave as proper guests, the Tai-eul Sect will never shirk its responsibilities or avoid you.”
“Do we truly strike you as mere guests?”
“If you do not, then I shall naturally categorize you as common Black Path outlaws and deal with you accordingly.”
“…”
“Your boldness is remarkable. Quite impressive for a mere disciple of the Tai-eul Sect.”
“An affiliation alone does not grant a warrior confidence, yet I firmly believe that any disciple representing the Tai-eul Sect is fully entitled to possess this level of certainty.”
The warrior inclined his head slowly in acknowledgment.
“A commendable display. I genuinely hope that proud posture endures until the final curtain. If it fails, the humiliation you suffer will be entirely proportional to the arrogance you have displayed today.”
“I shall keep those words deeply engraved (Nan-mang).”
As Jang Bu-yong shifted his stance to the flank and extended his arm in a sweeping motion, the assembled crowd split apart, retreating to either side of the path. We walked deliberately toward the threshold of the Tai-eul Sect down the corridor that had opened up before us.
The grand entry gates swung wide, revealing the various Hall Masters, with Hong Mun-gi standing prominently at their head.
“We have returned to the sect,” we stated in unison, offering our formal, clasped-fist salutations.
“You have endured significant hardships throughout your long travels,” the seniors responded, their countenances radiating a deeper sense of pride and satisfaction than we had ever seen before. Though the low grumbling of the disgruntled crowd continued to echo behind our backs, I stood completely motionless, casting my gaze upward to drink in the sight of the Tai-eul Sect.
Bathed entirely within the blazing, crimson light of the setting sun.
I firmly etched into my memory the majestic image of the Tai-eul Sect, an institution poised to spread its wings and soar, unyielding and untamed by any adversity the world could muster.
