“Phew… phew… little brother… you’re late.”
Beomgang, covered in blood, and the masked martial artists facing him.
Jin Sohyun, who was watching them, tilted his head and asked.
“Miss Cheon?”
At Jin Sohyun’s call, the person in black who was wearing a mask took it off.
At the appearance of the beautiful woman that was revealed, Beomgang, who had been dying just a mont ago, opened his eyes wide.
“No, this can’t be! Such a great beauty!”
“Young Master Jin?”
The one who was surprised was Cheon Yerang as well.
Moyong Susu and Oh Seolhwa, who were standing with her, also took off their masks and stepped forward.
“Young Master Jin!”
Moyong Susu and Oh Seolhwa approached with a full smile and looked Jin Sohyun over here and there, saying.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s a relief that you don’t seem to have any trouble moving!”
“I’m fine.”
Jin Sohyun, who had revealed his well-being by spreading his hands, finally seed to understand how the situation was unfolding.
“Could it be that you guys are the ones attacking the Hao Sect’s branches?”
“Huh? H-how did you know?”
“Are you attacking the other branches as well?”
“That’s right. But how do you know that, Young Master Jin?”
As Moyong Susu asked in wonder, Jin Sohyun scratched his head and then shrugged his shoulders.
Jin Sohyun, who had answered a question with a question, moved his gaze toward the Cheonhwagak.
“It seems the master has co too.”
***
The damage to the Hao Sect’s Honggang branch was almost nonexistent.
Because as soon as the surprise attack began, everyone belonging to the branch had declared their surrender.
A situation that no one had expected.
Beomgang, who had confronted the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple disciples who had co to attack the branch, could be said to be the only victim.
“Sohow… we were also puzzled.”
Gwak Myeong, seeing Cheon Yerang and the other disciples, who should have been fighting Beomgang, appear with Jin Sohyun, ca to understand the whole situation.
“So that person is the Honggang branch manager of the Hao Sect?”
“I-I am called the Red-Faced Lord.”
Jeokmyeon trembled as he looked at Gwak Myeong, Gu Jucheol, Song Gang, and Tang Hocheol, who were glaring at him.
‘Wave-Breaking Sword, Ghost-Faced Revolutionary Sword, White-Handed Golden Palm, Poisonous Tiger Hand…’
The renowned masters of the righteous martial world were gathered in one place.
Moreover, the Ghost-Faced Revolutionary Sword, Gu Jucheol, was one of the Seven Evils who had once been called the greatest evil lord of the heretic path.
He was a transcendent master whose very existence made one’s legs tremble.
“Are you okay?”
At Gwak Myeong’s question, Jin Sohyun nodded his head.
“You rascal! If you were okay, you should have returned to the temple imdiately!”
As Tang Hocheol shouted, Song U raised his hand and stopped him.
“Wouldn’t Young Master Jin have had his own circumstances? Didn’t the Heretic Path's Alliance actually attack the Jin Clan, aiming for Young Master Jin?”
“Ahem! Still, if the Martial Alliance helped…”
“Enough.”
At Gu Jucheol’s heavy voice, Tang Hocheol coughed and stepped back.
Gu Jucheol approached Jin Sohyun with slow steps and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“It’s good that you’re safe.”
“Thank you.”
Jin Sohyun, who had finished greeting the masters of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, briefly explained what had happened so far.
And through him, they heard about Bieunggaek’s death, that he was Jin Sohyun’s master, and how he had died.
Throughout the story, the faces of the four masters were very heavy.
“The burden that Great Master Bi was carrying was quite heavy.”
“Thanks to his sacrifice, we were able to find and attack the branches of the Hao Sect.”
While the Martial Alliance directly raised its flag and launched a surprise attack on the heretic martial arts sects belonging to the heretic path to draw attention, the late-stage prospects selected from each of the Four Daoist Daoist Temples ford teams and attacked each branch.
For the temples that lacked strength, the branch managers of the Martial Alliance lent their strength.
As a result, they inflicted irreparable damage on at least ten large and small Hao Sect branches throughout the Central Plains.
“This alone won’t be enough to destroy the Hao Sect, but for the ti being, they will have to focus on recovery, and the information network they were proud of will have beco useless.”
The reason the existence of the Hao Sect had not been known until now was that they had shared information through their own unique network from unseen places.
But this ti, their unique network had beco a poison.
“With this, we should be able to restrict the movents of the Heretic Path's Alliance.”
Jin Sohyun, who had nodded his head, moved his gaze to Eumyu, who was standing there, unable to run away or fight back, and to Ok Myeon, who was lying down below him.
At that, the gazes of the others also turned to Ok Myeon.
“Is that the person called Ok Myeon?”
“Yes. He is the one who caused my master’s death.”
“And yet you managed to keep him alive.”
“Ok Myeon is the first branch manager of the Hao Sect. There is a high possibility that he knows secrets that we are not aware of. However, according to Jeokmyeon, his loyalty to the Hao Sect is extraordinary, so if he finds out that he has been captured, he will imdiately commit suicide.”
“Hmm.”
As Gwak Myeong approached, Eumyu placed his hand on his twin swords.
“Don’t co any closer.”
“I have no intention of killing your master, so step back.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Is that so?”
Gwak Myeong’s sword struck Eumyu hard.
Eumyu, who hadn't even seen the sword being drawn, was hit on the face with the side of the sword and collapsed.
Gwak Myeong, who had subdued Eumyu with a single sword strike, lifted Ok Myeon with one hand.
“Is there no way? Great Master Gu.”
At Gwak Myeong’s question, Gu Jucheol, who had stood up from his seat, approached Ok Myeon.
His mask was taken off, and the face that was revealed was that of an ordinary middle-aged man.
“If you try to make such people submit, they would rather break. Besides, there’s a high possibility that he’s under a strong suggestion.”
“Then is there no way to extract information…”
“It’s safe to say there isn’t.”
Gwak Myeong looked at Jin Sohyun with a pitiful face.
“So it seems.”
“No. It’s not that there’s no way to release the strong suggestion and extract information.”
At Gu Jucheol’s answer, everyone’s gaze turned to him.
“However… for that…”
Gu Jucheol, who was trailing off his words, unlike his usual self, rubbed the back of his neck.
“We have to find that old man.”
***
“Haaah…”
Gu Yong, who was standing in front of the main gate of the Jin Clan, let out a deep sigh as if the ground would collapse.
How on earth should he explain it?
He didn't have the courage to face Jin Sohyun.
Gu Yong, who had been pacing for a long ti, finally gathered his courage and held out his fist in front of the main gate.
“I was wondering who it was, but it’s a beggar from the Beggars' Sect.”
At the beautiful voice coming from sowhere, Gu Yong raised his head.
A woman was standing on top of the main gate of the Jin Clan.
“It’s been a long ti, Elder Oh.”
“What brings you here?”
“I ca because I have sothing to tell you.”
“Could it be about Great Master Bi?”
“Did you… already know?”
Oh Yoran, who had nodded her head, ca down with a gentle movent and opened the main gate for him.
“Co in. It doesn’t seem like a short story.”
“Yes.”
Gu Yong, who had entered the separate building of the Jin Clan with Oh Yoran’s guidance, confessed everything about what had happened between him and Bieunggaek and their deal without holding anything back.
Throughout the story, Oh Yoran’s expression distorted, and in the end, she closed her eyes tightly.
Gu Yong waited in silence for Oh Yoran to compose herself.
And so, after so ti had passed, Oh Yoran opened her eyes.
A faint smile filled with longing hung on her lips.
“Hut… Bieunggaek… that person, I don’t know about other things, but I had to admit that he was fast. I thought he would live the longest among us, but he left the earliest… and the farthest.”
“Thanks to his sacrifice, we found the branches of the Hao Sect, and now the Martial Alliance is striking the branches of the Hao Sect. If Great Master Bi hadn’t been there… it’s a huge achievent that we couldn’t have achieved.”
“Did you say your na was Gu Yong?”
“That’s right.”
“Bieunggaek cherished his disciple, Sohyun, terribly.”
“That’s… right.”
“And the Beggars' Sect used that to drive Bieunggaek to his death.”
“…”
“I don’t bla the Beggars' Sect. In any case, all those choices were made by Bieunggaek, and taking responsibility for the consequences of those choices is also Bieunggaek’s… that person’s share. However.”
A heavy pressure was felt from Oh Yoran’s entire body.
“Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain. I won’t forgive that.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Phew. And you have business with Sohyun?”
“Yes. Should I call it a will… as per Great Master Bi’s wish, I have no intention of involving Young Master Jin in the fight between the righteous and heretic paths.”
The deal between Bieunggaek and the Beggars' Sect was this.
Not to use Jin Sohyun in the war between the Martial Alliance and the Heretic Path's Alliance.
To let him live a lazy, peaceful, and free life as he wished.
That was the promise that Bieunggaek had obtained by sacrificing his own life.
“The Beggars' Sect will mobilize all its forces to let Young Master Jin live as he wishes…”
“If it’s that, it’s already too late.”
“…What?”
“Sohyun had to see his master’s remains with his own eyes, and he let the people who had killed his master go for the sake of revenge. He swallowed his blood and endured the pain as if his bones were being scraped to endure for a more perfect revenge.”
“…!”
“Now Sohyun has left the hands of his masters. It will only end when he has killed all the people who caused Bieunggaek’s death.”
Oh Yoran let out a sigh with a voice filled with bitterness.
A sense of powerlessness of a master who could not stop her disciple from walking into a death trap was felt from her.
“Since things have co to this, I also want to ask the Beggars' Sect for a favor.”
“Please speak.”
“Never take your eyes off Sohyun. Wherever the path he is trying to walk may be… never let him die.”
The promise that had started with Bieunggaek was now passed on to Oh Yoran.
Gu Yong accepted the promise with a polite bow.
“I will do so.”
Gu Yong, who had exchanged greetings with Oh Yoran and had left the separate building, left the Jin Clan completely.
His shoulders were heavy, and an unbearable fatigue washed over him.
Nevertheless, Gu Yong could not stop.
“It’s a chance that Great Master Bi created with his life. I can’t hesitate like this.”
Yellow-robed beggars ran up to Gu Yong, who was about to set off on the road again.
“Young Leader.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Master Gwak is looking for you, Young Leader. He says it’s an urgent matter.”
“I understand. Where should I go?”
“I will guide you.”
Gu Yong ran without a break with the yellow-robed beggars.
Throughout the run, a sense of anxiety that sothing might have gone wrong arose in Gu Yong’s mind.
‘Please let there be nothing wrong!’
***
“I’ve sent the news, so he’ll be here soon. So for now, get so rest. Great Master Gu and I will watch over Ok Myeon.”
“Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”
Jin Sohyun, who had entrusted Ok Myeon to the reliable Gwak Myeong and Gu Jucheol, ca down from the Cheonru, which had now beco their strategic point.
The Cheonhwagak was closed for business under Jeokmyeon’s orders, so the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple disciples were resting in the VIP rooms on each floor.
Jin Sohyun, who was going down the stairs, discovered Beomgang being treated by Moyong Susu.
Despite being covered in wounds, Beomgang was sitting up straight with a flushed face.
“Are you really the disciple of the Fist King?”
“That’s right! I am the one and only disciple of the Fist King.”
“That’s really amazing.”
“No wonder, each and every fist strike was fierce. It was the fist technique of the Fist King.”
“Haha! That’s right!”
Beomgang, surrounded by Moyong Susu and Oh Seolhwa, was smiling but didn't know what to do.
Jin Sohyun left the exhausted Beomgang and went down the stairs again.
“You!”
At that mont, a familiar voice was heard from below the stairs.
Thump-thump-thump—!!
The identity of the man who had run up the stairs in one go was Jong Ryeo'ak.
He pointed a finger at Jin Sohyun’s face and shouted.
“Ahem! You should call
older brother.”
“Ugh!!”
Jong Ryeo'ak, who was venting his anger, barely cald his anger and asked with a much calr face.
“Are you okay?”
“No. I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion. So let’s talk later.”
Jin Sohyun passed by Jong Ryeo'ak with his shoulders drooping.
Jong Ryeo'ak, unlike his usual self, let Jin Sohyun go obediently.
“Just you wait. Soon, you’ll be calling
older brother!”
Of course, he had not forgotten the mont of revenge he had been waiting for for a long ti.
“As you wish.”
Jin Sohyun, who had passed by Jong Ryeo'ak with a light wave of his hand, finally ca face to face with Cheon Yerang.
“Ah, hello. Huh? I haven’t seen that sword before.”
“It’s the White Heaven Sword.”
“Aah… it suits you well, miss.”
“Young Master Jin.”
“Yes?”
Cheon Yerang took one step up the stairs and then another.
Cheon Yerang, who had approached Jin Sohyun, climbing the stairs at a normal speed, finally got close enough for their breaths to touch.
“Thank you.”
“Wh-what for?”
“At the Four Daoist Assembly. You saved .”
“Haha… what… do you an by that.”
“Your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Thank you again. You must be tired, so please rest well.”
With these words, Cheon Yerang gently brushed past Jin Sohyun.
For so reason, a clear floral scent seed to emanate from her.
“My eyes?”
Jin Sohyun touched his own eyes and then scratched his cheek.
“It seems I’ve been found out.”
For so reason, it was an embarrassing night.
(End of Chapter)
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