Chapter 144: Cleanup-5
Chapter 144: Cleanup-5
The Ha Clan was utterly defeated.
With the death of every peak-level master, including the family head Ha Gu-yang, and the silent assassination of even the lower-ranking elite officers, there remained no martial artist in the Ha Clan capable of obstructing the Seonwoo Clan's path forward.
As Clan Head Seonwoo Jung took over the Ha Clan, he declared his intention to accept all of their lower-ranking officers and ordinary martial artists into the Seonwoo Clan.
Consequently, the majority of the Ha Clan's fighting forces were swiftly absorbed into the Seonwoo Clan.
This was because not many warriors remained who were willing to maintain loyalty to the now-hopeless Ha Clan.
It was the karmic retribution for Ha Gu-yang, who had sought only to dominate.
With this, the Ha Clan, which had long made its name as one of the two great pillars among the Guizhou Eight Families, vanished into history.
It was the moment when Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou Province, which had been long divided between the Ha Clan and the Seonwoo Clan, was finally unified.
Recently, the people of Guizhou Province had been chattering about this matter whenever they met.
"No, wasn't the Ha Clan supposed to be overwhelming the Seonwoo Clan? How could they collapse like this in an instant?"
"I'm saying! I'd heard the same thing. How'd it suddenly get turned around like this?"
"Tsk tsk, your information is so slow. It's all because the Seonwoo Clan Head, the Phantom Sword Guest, Daehyeop Seonwoo Jung, was waiting for his moment."
"Waiting for his moment?"
"That's right. He was secretly building up his strength and waiting for the Ha Clan to reveal their ambition! Then, when the Ha Clan aimed for his life, he immediately launched a counterattack!"
"Haah! How impressive! Then the rumors that the Seonwoo Clan Head, Seonwoo Jung, was indecisive, were all false?"
"Exactly! It was all an act of feigned hesitation while waiting for his moment!"
Seonwoo Jung, once known as the indecisive clan head of the Seonwoo Clan, was being elevated by the people of Guizhou Province into a hidden dragon who had merely bided his time.
It was only natural that he would be perceived that way, having repelled the assault of the Ha Clan, the greatest power in Guizhou Province, and even crumbling them with a counterattack.
Yet, strangely, nowhere could any tale be heard of Seonwoo Jin, who had killed Ha Gu-yang.
This was because Seonwoo Jung had commanded the elders and squad commanders who had personally witnessed that scene to silence.
Thanks to this, the elders and squad commanders who knew the truth were feeling a maddening urge to shout that the king's ears were donkey ears.
For right now, before their very eyes, the First Young Master Seonwoo Seong and the Fourth Young Master Seonwoo Gi were tormenting Seonwoo Jin.
"Jin, where in the world were you at such a critical moment?!"
At the sound of Seonwoo Seong's erupting anger, Seonwoo Jin hunched his body tightly and stammered out an excuse, his voice crawling into submission.
"N-no, I merely overslept a little...."
"Overslept? Overslept?! Does that even make sense?! What are you, some kind of houseguest? You overslept at a time when the clan's very destiny hung in the balance?! And you call that an excuse?!"
"You're right, elder brother! This is absolutely not a matter to just let slide! Father must never forgive this, not this time!"
This gathering was originally meant to celebrate the victory of taking over the Ha Clan.
But Seonwoo Gi, who already held ill feelings, began the whole affair by mocking Seonwoo Jin for vanishing when it was time to strike the Ha Clan and only now slinking back into view.
Hearing this, Seonwoo Seong started berating Seonwoo Jin as if he himself were already the clan head.
It was because Seonwoo Seong, now certain that he was the only possible successor with even Seonwoo Hyeok imprisoned in the Thunder Prison, felt that he, soon to be the clan head, had to step forward and make an example of someone.
Of course, Seonwoo Gi simply wanted to see Seonwoo Jin thoroughly humiliated at this chance.
And so, the two of them were relentlessly criticizing Seonwoo Jin in front of a large crowd.
"You disgrace to the family! You went to the frontlines and still haven't changed one bit!"
"Precisely! All he lost was weight. Once a pig, forever a pig, it seems!"
However, the hearts of the elders and squad commanders watching this scene were so anxious it was as if they were sitting on a bed of thorns.
Second Elder Seo Tong-seong, who had previously been pushing Seonwoo Seong as the successor, wanted to run over and stop him at once.
What if Seonwoo Jin could no longer endure it and decided to even draw his sword?
That truly was a horrific thing to even imagine.
No one here could stop him. In Seo Tong-seong's eyes, Seonwoo Seong looked like a newborn puppy shoving its head into a tiger's jaws and yapping.
He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed inwardly.
'Eldest Young Master, please stop. That place is a deathtrap.'
But fortunately for the elders and squad commanders who were fretting, the matter concluded before Seonwoo Jin exploded.
"Enough! What sort of disgraceful display is this in front of outsiders?!"
At Clan Head Seonwoo Jung's scolding, the Seonwoo brothers deflated as if they had never raised their voices at all.
There was now no one in the Seonwoo Clan who could go against the mood of their father, Seonwoo Jung.
Seonwoo Jung swept a sharp gaze over his sons once before changing the atmosphere and addressing the people gathered.
"Now, from tomorrow onward, we shall all be too busy to come to our senses. So let us enjoy emptying our cups, just for today!"
At Seonwoo Jung's words, everyone assembled emptied their glasses and began chatting merrily amongst themselves.
It was a drink to commemorate becoming the true overlord of Guiyang, so even a small amount of alcohol could not help but intoxicate them.
It was when the drinking was well underway and the conversation was ripening.
Fourth Elder Yo Du-myeon, who had been watching the mood around him, calmly excused himself by saying he had business to attend to, and slipped away from his seat.
He glanced around once, but no one seemed to be paying him any attention.
With that, Yo Du-myeon, who had casually exited the main hall, unfolded his lightness arts with godlike speed the moment he got outside and returned to his room.
Then he took out a pigeon he had hidden in the room, swiftly wrote a letter, and attached it to the pigeon's leg.
'Hurry, hurry.'
Having finished the task with divine swiftness, Yo Du-myeon went to the window and released the pigeon.
Pudeudeuk!
It was a success.
Yo Du-myeon watched the pigeon soar into the sky safely and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it seemed he had succeeded in reporting without being caught this time as well.
But it was then.
A throwing dagger suddenly flew in from somewhere and pierced the pigeon's body.
Pusyuk!
"Khh-eehk!"
Yo Du-myeon was horrified at the sight of the pigeon plummeting with its final death cry.
Just what in the world was happening....
But that was not the most important thing right now.
He had to recover the letter by any means.
He stopped thinking and started sprinting toward where the pigeon was falling.
He had just leaped out the window and barely crossed the wall.
Yo Du-myeon froze on the spot in sheer horror.
A person had snatched the falling pigeon and was casually reading the letter he had taken out.
"Hmm, the one who killed Ha Gu-yang of the Ha Clan is the Third Young Master, Seonwoo Jin. He appears to be a peak-level master who has breached the seventy-year wall, so preparations must be...."
Seonwoo Jin, having read up to that point, smiled a greasy smile and spoke toward Yo Du-myeon.
"Just where was this headed, Fourth Elder Yo? You've gone against the orders of my father, the clan head, and secretly leaked information like this."
At that, Yo Du-myeon broke out in a cold sweat and made an excuse.
"I-I don't know what you mean, young master. I was merely suffering from indigestion and practicing my movement technique...."
Then Seonwoo Jin cut him off and said.
"The Un Clan, of course? Honestly, I wasn't even very curious."
At these words, Yo Du-myeon's eyes widened greatly.
He meant he had already known whose side he was in contact with.
Seonwoo Jin now approached him slowly and asked.
"More importantly, aren't you curious, Elder? About just how I will deal with a traitorous elder like yourself."
Yo Du-myeon gulped.
He only now realized that he had been completely found out.
He did not know how Seonwoo Jin knew, but at this rate, he would surely be killed just like Third Elder Gak Jung-gwang.
"Uwaaaah!"
Yo Du-myeon spun his body around hastily and began to flee.
He had to escape from Seonwoo Jin by any means.
But he did not know.
That while he would of course be no match if he fought Seonwoo Jin, the gap was even more hopeless when it came to a contest of speed.
Yo Du-myeon had taken barely two steps.
Before he knew it, Seonwoo Jin, who had approached right up to his back, simply sealed his acupoints.
Tadak!
"!"
From Seonwoo Jin's perspective, he couldn't have been more grateful that the man had offered up his back so readily.
Teolsseok!
Looking down at Yo Du-myeon, who had stiffened like a stone and collapsed to the floor, Seonwoo Jin recalled events from his past life.
Fourth Elder Yo Du-myeon was someone who, in the last life as well, had switched sides to the Un Clan, just as Third Elder Gak Jung-gwang had switched to the Ha Clan.
His timing had even been much earlier than Gak Jung-gwang's.
That was why, while he had other squad commanders watch Jeok Ma-hyeok and Gyeon-jung, Seonwoo Jin had personally been keeping an eye on this Yo Du-myeon alone.
'Now the ones who directly betrayed us are roughly cleaned up.'
Since he had roughly sorted out those who had committed betrayal in the past life, he figured he would only need to firmly rein in those who remained.
After all, even those who had ultimately left the Seonwoo Clan in the past life after being swept into the succession war might not do so in this life if managed well.
Seonwoo Jin stared at Yo Du-myeon sprawled on the ground for a moment before he suddenly turned his gaze southward, where the Un Clan seat was located.
The ones he now had to face were the Blood Cultists.
Monsters that could not even be compared to the likes of the Ha Clan, who had merely played at being kings in Guiyang.
Therefore, he would have to be cautious, cautious again.
***
Late in the deep of night, having secretly met with his father Seonwoo Jung, Seonwoo Jin summoned his two subordinates in the secluded rear garden where no one was present.
"Ma-hyeok, Gyeon-jung."
At his call, two figures smoothly emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree.
"You called for me, young master."
"......."
Their appearance was as sudden and elusive as ghosts.
Seonwoo Jin smiled with satisfaction at the stealth techniques of his two subordinates, who had now reached a level comparable to his own, and tossed a few booklets toward them.
Hwiik!
Jeok Ma-hyeok, who had caught them lightly, asked with a puzzled look.
"Young master, these are...?"
"They are the most useful blade techniques from the Seonwoo clan's martial archive. I would have liked to teach you myself, but I don't know much about blade techniques either. For now, both of you should learn them. They are nothing extraordinary, but simply mastering a variety of blade techniques will help. It will also aid you in deciphering the blade techniques of the Heavenly Killing Secret Art."
At those words, Jeok Ma-hyeok and Gyeon-jung exchanged glances and hurriedly examined the booklets.
They were three volumes bearing the titles Flow Severing Blade Technique, Scar Trace Blade Technique, and Red Tiger Blade Technique.
The blade techniques that the two former assassins of the Sichuan Murder Gate had learned were, after all, those of killers focused primarily on ambush attacks.
Of course, their talents were so exceptional and their skills so high that it had been enough against most opponents, but as they had felt when facing Mo Sun-do of the Ha clan, there were clearly limits to that alone.
Moreover, while learning the Heavenly Killing Secret Art these days, the sudden influx of high-level martial arts meant that, truthfully, they were struggling to absorb much beyond the stealth and throwing weapon techniques.
After examining the booklets, Jeok Ma-hyeok looked at Seonwoo Jin with burning eyes and spoke.
"Young master, we are already more than grateful for everything you have done for us so far...."
It seemed this emotionally rich subordinate was deeply moved once again.
And Gyeon-jung's gaze was no different.
Though he did not speak outwardly, he too was staring at Seonwoo Jin with intensely heated eyes.
At the sight of his two pure-hearted subordinates, so easily touched, Seonwoo Jin chuckled and said.
"What's so great about that? As I said before, I want the two of you to grow into proper martial artists. That is a good thing for me as well. So train diligently. When you meet your younger siblings again someday, you can't end up weaker than those little brats, can you?"
The two answered with resolute eyes before turning their gaze back to the booklets.
"Understood. We will do our very best, young master!"
"Understood."
Seonwoo Jin smiled brightly at the two, who had already begun reading the booklets with intense concentration, then turned back around.
Seonwoo Jin had already sent Jeok Ma-hyeok's younger siblings, Jeok Ha-gun and Jeok Ha-yeon, to the cave of the Mad Hero Sword Saint Jeong Myeong-gang, who had become his master.
The two were still young, so their skills as assassins were somewhat lacking, and since their talents were sufficiently outstanding, he had judged it better to raise them as warriors rather than assassins from the start.
Thus, Seonwoo Jin had taught them the Great Calm Mind Technique and then instructed them to first seek out Do Mun-seung of the Yeongnam Sword Gate.
If the three who had learned the Great Calm Mind Technique were together, they would be able to open the Two Person Gate, and his master Gwanggeom, who had been an absolute being fifty years ago, would surely be able to teach them suitable martial arts even if it was not the Moon Night Illusion Sword Dance.
And Seonwoo Jin planned to send Jeok Ma-hyeok and Gyeon-jung there as well once matters at the Seonwoo clan were settled.
'Then my subordinates will grow strong too, and with people around, my master won't be bored either. That's what you call killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?'
Thinking such thoughts, Seonwoo Jin was heading back to his room in good spirits when he abruptly halted his steps near his door.
"Hmm."
A presence was detected inside his room.
It didn't seem to be an assassin, but a martial artist with considerably high prowess, likely at the peak level or above, was lying in wait for him while remaining concealed.
'Peak level or above, huh....'
Seonwoo Jin frowned.
The peak-level masters residing within the Seonwoo clan were, at most, his father Seonwoo Jung and the Great Elder Heo Jin-guk.
But it was certain that the person inside the room did not feel like either of them.
Which meant it was an outsider....
Whoever it was, the mere fact that an external peak-level master was waiting for Seonwoo Jin was problematic enough in itself.
Because the thing he had been most careful about since arriving at the Seonwoo clan was not revealing himself.
And yet, the fact that someone seemed to be paying attention to his existence made Seonwoo Jin intensely uncomfortable.
Seonwoo Jin pushed the door open and entered for now.
In that instant, a sword flew at him.
Syu-hak!
Seonwoo Jin first stepped aside, deflecting the sword lightly, and confirmed his opponent.
The opponent was a black-clad masked figure of small stature.
Seonwoo Jin, who had been about to counterattack and cut off an arm or something, decided to retreat further for the time being.
The strike was far too slow to be considered the sword of a peak-level master.
Furthermore, he felt no killing intent.
Above all, a certain fragrance reached Seonwoo Jin's nose. The moment he smelled that scent, Seonwoo Jin could not help but bite his lip.
'Damn it.'
The black-clad masked figure tried to continue attacking after the first sword strike failed.
But Seonwoo Jin, letting out a sigh, asked her in a calm voice.
"What is the meaning of this, Miss Jegal?"
The masked figure, who had stopped abruptly, glared at Seonwoo Jin for a moment before finally removing her mask.
The face revealed beneath was, as expected, Jegal Seoyul.
She spat the words at Seonwoo Jin as if chewing him up.
"Deceiving the whole world so perfectly, you utter fraud!"
At her words, Seonwoo Jin gave a bitter smile inwardly.
It was a mistake.
Had he known earlier, he would not have dodged the sword.
Regrettably, by the time he smelled her perfume and grasped her identity, he had already instinctively evaded the blade.
But what was done could not be undone.
Seonwoo Jin, adopting an expression that seemed to ask what she was talking about, frowned back at her and asked.
"What exactly am I supposed to have deceived you about?"
Jegal Seoyul shouted.
"What did you deceive about? You deceived us about your martial prowess! I knew something was strange. A man who has been to the frontlines coming back even weaker than before."
'Ah, so that was the problem?'
It seemed he had somewhat underestimated her discernment.
But Seonwoo Jin retorted with a baffled expression.
"Are you telling me that you hid in my room and ambushed me in the middle of the night for such a reason? Because I took a beating to avoid fighting my brothers?"
This question was bait.
If that was all she knew, then Jegal Seoyul would simply become a rash person who misunderstood Seonwoo Jin's desire to avoid conflict with his brothers and attacked him.
If she didn't want that, she would have to reveal whatever else she knew.
And Jegal Seoyul promptly took the bait.
"Th-that's not the only reason! The story that you overslept when attacking the Ha clan was a lie too, wasn't it?! I came looking for you then, but you were nowhere to be found anywhere in the Seonwoo residence!"
That must have been the real reason she had become suspicious of him.
Having heard that much, Seonwoo Jin smiled inwardly.
Indeed, this young lady had a naive side unbefitting someone from the Jegal clan, making her extremely easy to handle.
That was a grateful thing.
Seonwoo Jin answered her with righteous confidence.
"That was a perfectly natural thing to do. While my father and brothers were risking the clan's fate in battle, did I really look like such a senseless idiot who would actually be sleeping?"
"Th-that's...!"
At Seonwoo Jin's reply, Jegal Seoyul could only be flustered.
Because she could find no flaw in that answer.
At least, as far as she was concerned.
Seonwoo Jin now spoke to her with an expression of considerable displeasure.
"It is true that I concealed my skills. I have done so for a long time. I simply did not wish to fight with my brothers. I did not realize, however, that this was such a heinous act as to warrant a sneak attack. Well, do you feel relieved now that your curiosity is satisfied? I certainly hope so. Then would you kindly leave now? You may feel relieved, miss, but I am very tired."
It was an exceedingly cold dismissal.
A chilly treatment the likes of which Jegal Seoyul had never once received from a man in her entire life.
Her pride was deeply wounded.
She was so upset that tears were on the verge of welling up in her eyes.
But Jegal Seoyul did not kick the door open and leave.
Instead, she gritted her teeth and asked Seonwoo Jin again.
"Ever since you returned to the Seonwoo family, everything has started to change. It's all because of you, isn't it? It is, right? Just what are you scheming?"
At that, Seonwoo Jin let out a hollow laugh.
She was undeniably a naive young lady from a rich family, but though she was indeed a flower raised in a greenhouse, it seemed she was still a seed of the Jegal clan after all.
'If that's the case, then, shall we?'
Seonwoo Jin now spoke to her with serious eyes.
"I have no idea on what grounds you are saying such things. What exactly am I supposed to have schemed? And even if that were true, let's suppose. Why should I give an answer about that to a person from the Jegal clan, the family that may well have harmed Miss Cheongyeon?"
At that question, Jegal Seoyul's face instantly turned pale.
"Wha-what! Ha-harmed Cheongyeon, you say...!"
But Jegal Seoyul, who had been about to deny it, could not bring herself to continue under Seonwoo Jin's cold stare.
He asked coldly.
"Do you truly believe, in your heart, that your father did not harm Miss Cheongyeon?"
Jegal Seoyul could not bring herself to answer.
No, she simply could not.
She merely moved her lips, unable to utter a word.
Then Seonwoo Jin, to Jegal Seoyul, whose eyes were brimming with tears in shock, added one final remark.
It was the line that finally made Jegal Seoyul hang her head low.
"Whatever it is that I scheme, it will not be an act of extorting another clan's sword techniques. So, please, miss, kindly lose all further interest and return home."
In the end, Jegal Seoyul had no choice but to turn away, utterly deflated.