Undercurrents of Baek Mountain
The Five Wolves of Baekrang were extremely tense because of the order that had come down a few days ago.
"Is this really possible?"
The youngest of the Five Wolves of Baekrang spoke up cautiously.
"Are you doubting the Chief right now?"
The second of the Five Wolves, Yi Seong, glared at the youngest.
The faith that the five gathered here had in the Bandit Chief, Pagun, was immense, but the second brother, Yi Seong, possessed the greatest devotion of all.
"I trust the Chief too, but..."
Though there were differences in degree, the Five Wolves fundamentally held unwavering trust in the Bandit Chief.
After all, it was thanks to the Chief's trust that these once-insignificant outlaws of the Unorthodox Path had managed to establish a proper foothold in the Baekrang Bandits.
However, even that deep trust could not easily gloss over the sheer gravity of their current task.
"Our target is none other than the Iron Flower. Even if she is only from a branch family of the Tang Clan, her strength is by no means negligible."
The Iron Flower, Dang Hwa-young.
A swordsman hailed as one of the future pillars of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
She was a rising genius, a new light in a clan otherwise famous for poison and hidden weapons.
Though the Tang Clan had become the overlords of Sichuan through the power of poison, the constant disparagement of their reliance on poison and hidden weapons had always been a source of humiliation. Even though they had produced legendary masters of poison, generation after generation of Poison Kings, they had long yearned to produce at least one true martial artist skilled in the sword—the ultimate symbol of the Orthodox path.
The fruit of that yearning was the Iron Flower. This was why even the Clan Leader, who normally had a strained relationship with the branch families, doted on Dang Hwa-young—though it was also because the Clan Leader's eldest son had earned fame as the Poison Dragon with the backing of the Poison King.
"Whatever the case, killing that wench is impossible with just the five of us," Yi Seong said.
Just as the second brother said, it was impossible with their strength alone.
"But we cannot disobey the Chief's orders either. He told us to repay the grace we've received all this time..."
"Grace, is it?"
At the youngest's words, the third brother muttered with a bitter expression.
They had received a martial art from Pagun. When they realized too late that the martial art was the Blood-Sucking Demonic Art, their resentment toward Pagun had been immense.
But by then, it was already far too late. Once they discovered that demonic practitioners were hidden all over the Baekrang Bandits' stronghold, they had no choice but to resign themselves to reality.
"We dedicated our lives to the Chief a long time ago."
At the eldest brother's words, which steadied their wavering hearts, the other four nodded.
"It seems Jang Sam is dead. In the end, it means the four of us have to do this."
"If we charge in blindly, we will surely fail. It would literally be a dog's death," the youngest said.
Just as the youngest said, even if all of them threw themselves at her, the best they could hope for was mutual destruction with the Iron Flower.
"Since we have to risk our lives to kill them anyway, we must make absolutely sure of it."
The hesitation from moments ago vanished, replaced by a cold glint in the third brother's eyes.
"What is your plan?"
"They are excellent martial artists, but the people around them are a different story."
"I see. Target those around them and take them hostage?"
"Exactly. It just so happens that the brat from Cheondo Gate is nearby as well, so that works out perfectly."
Use everything available. That was the way of the Five Wolves of Baekrang, and the path to repaying the grace they owed Pagun.
"Get ready. We will kill them for sure, and..."
"Those of us who can survive, will survive."
It was hard for anyone to predict who would make it out alive. They only hoped that if anyone did survive, they would have fully repaid their debt to Pagun and could live however they wished.
The demonic claws of the Five Wolves of Baekrang, reaching for their freedom, now stretched toward Dang Hwa-young.
"It has been a long time."
Kwak Yoo's appearance was indeed sudden.
Kwak Yoo and the martial artists of Cheondo Gate suddenly appeared, blocking the path. None of them hid their ominous, threatening auras; they certainly did not feel like allies.
"Has Cheondo Gate become a minion of the Baekrang Bandits?"
It was the martial artists of Cheondo Gate who flared up at Yoo Sung's nonchalant question.
"You bastard!"
"How dare you utter such nonsense!"
What an idiot.
Kwak Yoo was dumbfounded by Yoo Sung's provocation. The men he had brought along were all fiercely proud of Cheondo Gate. In particular, Yoo Sung had thoroughly offended the middle-aged man standing beside Kwak Yoo, which actually pleased Kwak Yoo.
You're going to get thoroughly thrashed today. Of all people, you had to provoke Uncle Yoon.
The middle-aged man whom Kwak Yoo called Uncle Yoon was Yoon Ji-gang, the youngest of the Five Sabers of Cheondo—the pride of Cheondo Gate. Yoon Ji-gang possessed immense pride in Cheondo Gate. As a top-tier expert of the Transcendental Realm, Yoon Ji-gang had accompanied Kwak Yoo as his guardian. Among the Five Sabers of Cheondo, Yoon Ji-gang was the only one who truly believed in Kwak Yoo.
"Only when the household is firmly established can great deeds be accomplished."
Yoon Ji-gang viewed Kwak Yoo as the next master of Cheondo Gate. Though the youth lacked talent and had personality flaws, passing over the eldest son to name someone else as successor would only invite further trouble. For that reason, Yoon Ji-gang actively stayed by Kwak Yoo's side, striving to reform him. Even though Kwak Yoo knew this, he merely manipulated Yoon Ji-gang to his own advantage. Of course, Yoon Ji-gang was not entirely blind to this; he simply chose to understand and tolerate Kwak Yoo as much as possible.
It was in the midst of this dynamic that the current situation unfolded. For Yoon Ji-gang, who had already been harboring growing irritation, Yoo Sung's provocation was the perfect outlet to vent his anger.
"Just as I heard, you are a wretch destined to bring ruin to your clan."
"Am I wrong?"
Yoo Sung genuinely found this situation laughable. They were currently hunting down the demonic practitioners hiding within the Baekrang Bandits. Yet, the ones blocking their path and picking a fight were the people of Cheondo Gate.
"Is that something you should be saying, when you are keeping a creature like that by your side?" Yoon Ji-gang asked, pointing at the One-Eyed Coachman, Dogan Mabu.
Yoo Sung smirked at Yoon Ji-gang.
"He's just a guide. He knows this place better than anyone, so I'm getting a little help."
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"And if you don't?"
As the war of words between Yoo Sung and Yoon Ji-gang escalated, the surrounding temperature seemed to plummet.
Ho-sung watched Yoo Sung with an anxious gaze.
Where on earth is he getting this confidence from?
He vaguely knew that Yoo Sung had achieved incredible growth during his ten-year absence. But Yoon Ji-gang was not someone to be taken lightly. Furthermore, Kwak Young and the other martial artists of Cheondo Gate were also a problem. The enemies were many while they were few; a clash would surely lead to trouble. Even if they won, would they be able to escape Baek Mountain safely?
Contrary to Ho-sung's worries, however, the confrontation between the two men only grew more intense.
Tsk.
It was Yoon Ji-gang who backed down first.
"Consider yourself lucky."
"Indeed. They are even crazier than I thought."
Both of them were dumbfounded by the sudden commotion echoing from nearby. To think the Five Wolves of Baekrang would actually target the Iron Flower.
"Since we are operating under the name of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance, we will aid them first."
Watching Yoon Ji-gang turn away, Yoo Sung spoke nonchalantly.
"Suits me. Lead the way."
"Uncle Yoon, why did you back down?"
Kwak Young was full of complaints. They had moved quickly upon hearing the news that the Five Wolves of Baekrang were targeting the Iron Flower. Even if they did not get along, they were currently part of the same alliance. Naturally, helping each other in times of crisis was of paramount importance. But with Yoon Ji-gang's strength, shouldn't he have been able to teach Yoo Sung a proper lesson? There was no need to severely injure him. He thought a light warning would have sufficed. Why had he backed down so easily? Was the reputation of Cheondo Gate truly that important to him?
Bullshit. If he cared that much about reputation, he wouldn't have let me run wild either.
Kwak Young had never once considered himself a righteous man. Thus, Kwak Young found the situation all the more baffling. But at Yoon Ji-gang's next words, Kwak Young's expression stiffened.
"He is strong. That is all."
"What do you mean by that?! Do you expect me to believe that?!"
Believing he was being mocked, Kwak Young stepped forward in agitation.
Paying no heed to the youth's outburst, Yoon Ji-gang recalled the exchange from moments ago.
There were no openings.
Honestly, Yoon Ji-gang was astonished. While locking eyes with Yoo Sung, he had searched for any opening, but found absolutely none. Even among other Transcendental masters, Yoon Ji-gang possessed an exceptional talent for finding an opponent's flaws. Yet, he had failed to find a single one. It was a humiliation he had never felt before, sparking a deep curiosity and, at the same time, a strange sense of unease.
He is bound to be a massive obstacle to our grand ambition.
Yoon Ji-gang was a man who had staked everything on the rise of Cheondo Gate. That was why he could tell. Yoo Sung would eventually become a towering wall blocking Cheondo Gate's path.
Even if it isn't for Young's sake, that bastard must be eliminated.
With a grim expression, Yoon Ji-gang pondered how to get rid of Yoo Sung.
I have no choice but to ask them for help.
Even though a foolproof method immediately came to mind, Yoon Ji-gang's expression remained dark. Calling upon those whom Cheondo Gate had discarded when they stepped into the light carried a significant risk. Yet, without them, he could think of no other way to quietly dispose of Yoo Sung.
Flutter.
Late that night, Yoon Ji-gang sent out a carrier pigeon to someone.
"Well, look at this."
"Are they arrogant, or just plain insolent?"
Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo had long since detected the presences closing in on them. The uninvited guests, all top-tier experts of the Peak Realm, approached without hiding their raw, violent killing intent.
"Are they targeting us?"
"It seems so."
Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo found the situation absurd. Who were they? Were they not the prominent successors destined to lead the future of the Sichuan Tang Clan? They were not opponents that mere bastards who got lucky with demonic arts could hope to touch.
"This confirms it. At least half of the Baekrang Bandits are demonic practitioners."
"Indeed. Since the Five Wolves of Baekrang have made their move, there is a high probability that the Bandit Chief is a demonic practitioner as well."
"Hmm."
That part was difficult to be certain of. Dang Hwa-young had personally met the Bandit Chief a year ago.
There was no demonic energy back then.
Of course, a year was a long time, so it wouldn't be strange if he had learned a demonic art in the interim. However, if a martial artist of the Bandit Chief's caliber had mastered a demonic art, rumors would have inevitably spread. Even the demonic practitioners right in front of them were struggling to control their demonic energy.
"Let's subdue them first and ask questions later."
"Understood!"
And so, the battle between Dang Hwa-young, Dang Hwa-soo, and the Five Wolves of Baekrang began. There were two men watching the spectacle from afar.
"It really was true."
Ho-sung clicked his tongue in awe of Yoo Sung's foresight. Ever since they had left the academy, Yoo Sung's actions had been a continuous series of surprises.
Did his travels through the Jianghu really help him grow this much?
Yoo Sung had always been famous for his unbridled, free-spirited personality. Claiming the Heavenly Sword Academy was too small, he had left home, wanting to see the wider world. No one had expected that runaway trip to last ten whole years, though.
The Yoo Sung who returned was distinctly different from his past self. The carefree attitude of his youth had vanished, replaced by a heavy, serious presence, yet he was far more ruthless and unhesitating than before. The reason for that surely lay in the power he had acquired. For in the world of martial artists, power was the ultimate language.
"Are we just going to watch?"
"There's no need for us to step in just yet."
The One-Eyed Coachman, Dogan Mabu, who had accompanied them here, had already lost his temper and charged toward the Five Wolves of Baekrang.
"You bastards!"
He was utterly infuriated that his former comrades had laid hands on demonic arts. For Dogan Mabu, who prided himself on maintaining the traditional 'bandit way,' the current situation was beyond absurd—it was an absolute outrage. With his sudden intervention, the bandits of the Baekrang stronghold were visibly thrown into confusion. Even so, the attacks directed at Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo remained incredibly fierce.
Has someone among them studied military strategy?
The bandits of the Baekrang stronghold were different from ordinary outlaws. Indeed, from the very beginning, the Baekrang Bandits felt more like a group of organized ronin than mere mountain bandits. Perhaps what the Bandit Chief truly desired was to transform his bandits into a powerful mercenary force, securing a prominent position for themselves in Sichuan. Or perhaps he intended to cross over completely into the Demonic Path and pledge allegiance to one of the Ten Demonic Sects.
But that won't be easy. Neither the Orthodox nor the Unorthodox factions of Sichuan would ever let demonic practitioners live.
Yoo Sung spotted two elderly men approaching from afar. The Black and White Twin Blades, old monsters who had once dominated Sichuan and now served as Pagun's retainers, were making a leisurely approach. Since no one else had detected their presence yet, this battle might turn out to be quite difficult.
"Hold your position for now."
"Understood!"
Meanwhile, the battle grew increasingly fierce. Unlike the anxious Ho-sung, Yoo Sung calmly observed Dang Hwa-young. Seeing her maintain her composure even in the heat of battle, Yoo Sung clicked his tongue in admiration.
Her grit is just as impressive as her talent.
Reading the direction in which she was steering the fight, Yoo Sung nodded at the shifting tide of the battlefield. She was not only a born swordsman, but also a commander capable of turning the tide of battle in an instant.