Chapter 204: In Parang-4
Chapter 204: In Parang-4
Inparang's bundle contained two books.
One of them was a secret manual recording the family martial arts of the Haenam In-ga and the Haenam Sa-ga, and the other was the journal Inparang had been keeping all this time.
Seonwoo Jin's party buried Inparang in the earth and first checked the journal.
Within it were written the reasons for the disappearance of In Gye-un, the former family head of the Haenam In-ga, and the events that followed.
The first page of the journal began like this.
- Father has finally passed away.
I swore before my dying father that I would have my revenge.
Yes. I must have my revenge.
Upon all those who attacked us.
The Haenam Jin-ga, of course, and all the clans who stood with them.
But the truth is, I am so afraid.
Only four of us survived.
I am merely fifteen years old....
Can we truly take revenge on all of them?
Is such a thing even possible?
I am so terribly afraid of that. -
Having skimmed through the journal, Seonwoo Jin spoke with a sigh.
"After all, it was correct that the disappearance of In Gye-un and the people of the Haenam In-ga was due to an attack by the Haenam Demon Sword Jin Tae-do. It was an attack by the Haenam Jin-ga and the people of other Haenam Sect clans who followed Jin Tae-do."
At that, Jeung Chil asked.
"But if they survived, couldn't they have just gone back? Why didn't Inparang return to the Haenam Sect?"
For some reason, Seol Pung, whose expression had turned heavy, answered his question.
"It seems it was likely because he couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Because so many clan members participated in the attack, he apparently couldn't tell who was on his side or who he could trust. Perhaps... he might have even thought the entire Haenam Sect was the enemy."
Seonwoo Jin stole a glance at Seol Pung's expression as he said that.
For some reason, Seol Pung seemed to feel a deep empathy for Inparang's circumstances.
Thinking that perhaps Seol Pung himself might have been in a similar situation, Seonwoo Jin added to his words.
"Moreover, according to the journal, it seems that In Gye-un and the people of the Haenam In-ga, along with his closest associates of the Haenam Sa-ga, were moving in extreme secrecy to meet with members of the Hengshan Sect. This was to form a secret alliance and receive their support. But Jin Tae-do discovered their movements, which they hadn't even disclosed to members of their own clan. So it was only natural that he could trust no one."
At that, Jeung Chil lamented with a pitying expression.
"Ah, so that's why he hid for nearly ten years, sharpening his blade for revenge, only to die as soon as he emerged? This lad's fate was truly wretched."
It was just as he said.
Inparang had apparently been hiding in the mountains all this time, finally reaching the Peak Realm through long years of training.
And so, with the thought that he could finally take his revenge, he had come out into the world, but that first step had become his first step toward the netherworld.
It could not be anything but a terribly pitiful matter.
Seol Pung suddenly spoke.
"Back during the time of the former family head In Gye-un, he was also on his way to meet the Hengshan Sect. And now, it seems Inparang, too, met with disaster while on his way to seek the Hengshan Sect's aid. Which means...."
At his words, Seonwoo Jin also nodded.
"Yes, we should now consider it almost certain."
Inparang could not trust the people of the Haenam Sect, but it seemed he had still trusted the Hengshan Sect, who had once tried to lend his father their strength.
So as soon as he reemerged into the world, he had sent a letter to the Hengshan Sect asking for help, and after receiving their reply gladly agreeing to assist, he had been moving toward the Hengshan Sect....
And that outcome had ultimately become this.
The outcome of being attacked just like his father had been.
So now, there seemed little room for doubt.
It was almost certain that behind it all lay not only the Haenam Sect but also the Hengshan Sect.
The three could not help but sink into silence for a moment.
For they were now troubled over what to do from here.
Jeung Chil abruptly opened his mouth.
"Well... strictly speaking, isn't there no reason we need to involve ourselves in this matter? The death of the young man called Inparang is certainly most pitiable, but we have no particular ties with the Haenam Sect either."
His words had sufficient reason.
They had no obligation to interfere, and even if they wished to redress his grievance, the opponents were simply too unfavorable.
The Hengshan Sect and the Haenam Sect.
This was a matter entangled with one of the Nine Great Sects and a power that had nearly become one of the Nine Great Sects.
Therefore, no matter that the three of them were masters of the Transcendent Peak, opposing them could be nothing but reckless.
It might well be as reckless as plunging into Yunnan Province and clashing head-on with the Blood Cult.
At that, Seol Pung spoke with a heavy expression.
"Of course, we have no obligation to interfere. However, I am deeply reluctant to simply retreat like this. Setting aside the grievance of the young man Inparang, I am loath to turn a blind eye to those who would massacre common folk for their own ends."
"Hmmm."
At his words, Jeung Chil let out a ruminative hum.
That point was certainly true as well.
No matter how great their power might be, pretending not to see this situation was deeply disagreeable.
The situation where such people, who would slaughter common folk without a care for their own ends, were posing as members of the orthodox faction and thriving.
At that, Seol Pung and Jeung Chil, who had been silent for a moment, eventually turned to look at Seonwoo Jin.
Their opinions were at odds, and since Seonwoo Jin was the one who had actually been leading their party, his opinion now seemed the most important.
At present, Seonwoo Jin appeared to have his head deeply bowed in profound deliberation.
But unlike his outward appearance, he had already nearly settled his decision in his heart.
Though it was not he himself, someone like a benefactor to him had a connection with Inparang.
Within Seonwoo Jin's mind, Mukrang spoke.
- To think he is the last child of the Haenam In-ga. Though it is a past connection already severed with my death.... Still, it weighs upon my heart. Jin, I know it is a difficult thing, but may I ask a favor? I wish to avenge that child.
Mukrang was a benefactor who had saved Seonwoo Jin's life countless times, and to him, he was a figure even more a teacher than the Broad Hero Sword Ghost.
And he was also an irreplaceable companion with whom he shared everything.
If such a Mukrang wished for Inparang's revenge, then Seonwoo Jin fully intended to grant it.
There could be no other choice.
And so, it was never a question of whether to interfere or not, but rather how he could take revenge for Inparang. Having deliberated on this, Seonwoo Jin suddenly grinned and looked at Seol Pung and Jeung Chil.
"Taking revenge against them with our own strength might indeed be too much. However, I am deeply averse to pretending ignorance of this, and now that I think on it, it seems we could certainly land a solid blow on them. An interesting plan has occurred to me. Would you care to hear it?"
At his words, Seol Pung and Jeung Chil's eyes went round as they focused on him.
"An interesting plan, you say?"
"You say we can land a blow on them? Tell us quickly."
Just as expected, Jeung Chil seemed drawn by the word 'interesting,' and Seol Pung by the prospect of landing a blow.
Seonwoo Jin suddenly smiled and asked the two men.
"Didn't they mistake me for Inparang earlier?"
At those words, Jeung Chil and Seol Pung nodded blankly.
"They did. But what of it?"
"Aye, seeing you in person, you really did look terribly alike. But so what?"
At that, Seonwoo Jin's smile took on a slightly wicked cast as he spoke with the expression of a mischievous child.
"Then, how about we give them exactly what they saw? I shall truly become Inparang."
At those words, Seol Pung and Jeung Chil's expressions crumpled.
"...What did you say?"
"You, Little Brother Jin... will become Inparang?"
But the expressions of the two, who had been looking at him as if the idea were nonsense, began to gradually resemble his own mischievous expression more and more as Seonwoo Jin's explanation continued.
***
It was a dark night.
Near the dense forest where the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads of Yunnan Province were stationed, a large number of personnel were moving stealthily.
Their number was a full three hundred or so.
Having approached the vicinity of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads together, they silently split into three groups at a certain moment and began slowly encircling the perimeter of the Thirteen Squads' position.
There was no unnecessary noise whatsoever.
This was because, among the over three hundred personnel, not a single one fell short of the mid-level first-rate realm.
Three hundred martial artists, all composed of warriors at the mid-level first-rate or higher; they were precisely the warriors of the Black Tiger Unit, Black Dragon Unit, and Black Wolf Unit.
The hunting dogs commanded by Jegal Ji-gang.
They had come all this way together to hunt down the entirety of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads, who numbered a mere sixty.
Among them, Won Dang, the commander of the Black Tiger Unit which had moved to the rear of the Thirteen Squads, suddenly halted his movement and raised one hand.
Swoosh!
At that, the movements of the entire Black Tiger Unit, who had been secretly following him, came to an instant halt.
Tak!
It was a movement so perfectly coordinated it was hard to believe it was over a hundred people moving.
Indeed, it was a display befitting the Murim Alliance's most elite armed force.
Today, the role of Won Dang and the Black Tiger Unit was to stir the interior of the Flying Dragon Squad.
Then, the Black Dragon Unit and Black Wolf Unit, who had encircled the opposite side, would ambush those fleeing. That was the overall outline of the operation, and so now was the time to wait for the encirclement net to be completed.
How much time had passed?
A short while later, from the direction of the distant forest, a wolf's howl suddenly rang out.
"Awoo-ooo-ooo!"
It was a sound perfectly identical to a real wolf's howl.
But Won Dang could fully understand it was the prearranged signal of the Black Wolf Unit.
And immediately after, another sound rang out.
"Buuuooo!"
It was the signal of the Black Dragon Unit, coming from another direction.
The encirclement net was now complete.
Black Tiger Daeju Won Dang smiled a bloody grin.
The time had finally come to see blood.
The time of slaughter he had so desperately yearned for.
Before becoming the Black Tiger Daeju, he had originally served as a squad leader in the Dark Shadow Squad, and he was a slaughter addict.
A slaughter addict to the degree that he couldn't even sleep properly if he didn't kill something every single day.
For such a man, being assigned the role of the assault force rather than the encirclement force was nothing short of a stroke of luck.
"Heureureup!"
Constantly sucking back the drool that kept leaking down his lips, Won Dang now raised his right hand high.
At that, every member of the Black Tiger Unit shrank their bodies.
They looked like wild beasts just moments before springing out of the underbrush.
And when Won Dang finally slashed his right hand forward, the entire Black Tiger Unit lunged forward without a sound.
Pabak! Pababak!
The sight truly resembled a pack of black tigers attacking.
A pack of tigers attacking all the more ferociously because they made no sound at all, and at the vanguard of that pack, Black Tiger Daeju Won Dang was charging toward the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads' barracks with a bright smile.
Sasasak!
That was when it happened.
First, a single shadow standing outside the barracks entered Won Dang's eyes.
It was a human shadow, frozen still as if unable to even react to their assault.
Won Dang, his expression now filled with ecstasy, pounced on him, marking his prey.
'You're mine!'
He could never surrender the first kill to anyone else.
His white blade was shooting forward like a ray of light.
Shwiiiiik!
That was when it happened.
The instant Won Dang brought his sword down, the eyes of the figure who had been standing still finally met Won Dang's.
Unexpectedly, it was a white-haired old man.
'Hm?'
Of course, the fact that he was an old man didn't matter.
Won Dang never discriminated by age or sex when slaughtering.
But even as the sword was slicing toward him, the old man's still-calm eyes and faintly smiling expression somehow bothered him.
And in the moment the blade was about to touch the old man, a thought suddenly flashed through Won Dang's mind.
'Hm? Come to think of it, there aren't any old men in the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads...!'
That was when it happened.
Chwaaaak!
Won Dang's body split in half in an instant.
With a single step forward and a gentle swing of the old man's sword, Won Dang had been cleanly bisected as if he had run onto the blade himself.
"!"
"!"
The Black Tiger Unit warriors chasing from behind were struck with horror.
Their Daeju, a master exceeding eighty years of internal energy, had been struck down and killed with a single sword strike.
Moreover, the old man who had killed him didn't stop, and was now leaping toward them, swinging his sword as if dancing.
Shaaaak!
Puhwaaaak!
"!"
"!"
In an instant, the space for several zhang around the old man was dyed entirely with blood.
It was a situation utterly incomprehensible to them.
The Black Tiger Unit warriors didn't scream even as they died.
But just because they didn't scream didn't mean they felt no terror.
Shaaaak!
Puhwaaaak!
It was an impossible spectacle.
The old man was gently and fluttering swinging his sword as if performing a sword dance, and the result of that dance was turning the surrounding space into a hell of a blood sea.
And as always with incomprehensible beings, the situation was approaching the Black Tiger Unit warriors with an indescribable terror.
They couldn't see properly because of the blood filling the air on all sides, but the situation was actually occurring because the lengthy white sword qi scattering nearly two zhang from the old man's sword was turning a massive circle of about four zhang in diameter into a sea of blood.
Shaaaak!
Puhwaaaak!
That circle looked just like a space that devoured people.
It didn't even stay still, moving toward the still-living Black Tiger Unit warriors.
In the split second they realized something was wrong, the circle had approached and swallowed up those who had been alive moments before.
To the eye, the movements didn't even seem particularly fast, but before they knew it, the circle of blood had caught up and swallowed them, and as a result, in just a few breaths, half of the Black Tiger Unit had already become wandering spirits.
"Euuuugh!"
"Heueuk!"
Shaaaaak!
Puhwaaak!
Rather than the work of a fellow human, it looked more like a massive natural disaster, a calamity.
They couldn't find any way or even the will to resist.
Then, finally unable to endure the terror, one Black Tiger Unit warrior screamed.
"R-run away!"
The terror spread like wildfire in an instant.
The Black Tiger Unit warriors could hold out no longer, and began scattering in all directions, fleeing with screams.
"S-save me!"
"A monster!"
In the face of such unprecedented, unheard-of martial prowess, all they could do was flee with all their might.
But the white-haired old man, White Crane Old Sword Yang Moon-heon, had absolutely no intention of letting them live.
He murmured with a grave expression.
"I had truly hoped that child's prediction would go amiss."
Seonwoo Jin had already foreseen this situation before leaving.
That Jegal Ji-gang might try to kill the entire Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads.
But Yang Moon-heon had hoped that at least that prediction would miss its mark.
Because he never wanted to see this sight of Murim Alliance warriors raiding the Flying Dragon Squad.
But in the end, Seonwoo Jin's prediction had become reality, and thus Yang Moon-heon now had no choice but to unleash his killing intent.
Because those who had committed such an act could never be allowed to live.
White Crane Old Sword Yang Moon-heon's figure pursued the fleeing warriors, scattering sword qi.
Then, enveloped by the sword qi like a corona of light filling a radius of two zhang, the Black Tiger Unit members couldn't even attempt resistance and were simply swallowed up.
Syuhak!
"Gaaaak!"
"S-save m... urghaaak!"
White Crane Old Sword Yang Moon-heon, originally one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, had recently broken through a long period of stagnation and had begun advancing toward the next stage.
This was because the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance, learned from his honorary granddaughter Dang Yeo-eun, had brought him the possibility of surpassing the wall of the Transformation Realm with one hundred and twenty years of internal energy.
Furthermore, Yang Moon-heon had recently begun learning movement techniques from his sworn younger brother, Je Un Swordmaster Byeok Ri-jung, and his speed had now reached a level sufficient to chase down first-rate martial artists.
This couldn't be more unfortunate for the Black Tiger Unit warriors.
Of course, there were some among the Black Tiger Unit with particularly exceptional movement techniques.
They were able to leap into the forest before being swallowed by Yang Moon-heon's sword qi, and there, they finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Haaa! I'm ali...!"
But within the forest, people were already waiting for them.
Syuhak!
"Uheok?! Gaaaak!"
"Uwaaaak!"
The First Squad Leader of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads, Blue Wind Sword Dragon Han Gyo-seong, slaughtered the Black Tiger Unit warriors who had fled into the forest and spoke in a languid voice.
"Your skills seem to have improved a great deal, Lady Dang?"
To that, Dang Yeo-eun, who hadn't moved much and was killing warriors by throwing out precisely the needed amount of sword qi, replied in a cold voice.
"I've put in a lot of effort. And also..."
Dang Yeo-eun swallowed the rest of her words internally.
There was no need to tell Han Gyo-seong that she had to become far stronger in order to stand beside Seonwoo Jin.
Han Gyo-seong sighed inwardly.
Until recently, he had definitely viewed Dang Yeo-eun's martial prowess as below his own, but at some point, it had ascended to a height he could no longer reach.
He didn't think he had been idle himself, but it seemed he would have to push himself much harder.
As Han Gyo-seong and Dang Yeo-eun thus dealt with the fleeing soldiers and Yang Moon-heon chased from behind, annihilating the warriors, moments later, the Black Tiger Unit warriors were ultimately completely wiped out.
It had been barely half a shichen since the Black Tiger Unit had confidently charged upon the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads.
After finishing off the entire Black Tiger Unit, Dang Yeo-eun, looking immaculate without a single drop of blood on her clothes, smiled at the equally serene-faced Yang Moon-heon and asked.
"Grandfather, are you not tired?"
To that, Yang Moon-heon laughed heartily and replied.
"This much is nothing. And even if I were tired, what can be done? We must deal with the rest of them as well."
Currently, at the main gate side of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads, Yang Moon-heon's sworn younger brother Je Un Swordmaster Byeok Ri-jung, Thirteen Squad Commander Pung Yang, and Jeomchang Sword Tiger Je Won-yeong were on standby in case the warriors from the other side launched an assault.
All of this was thanks to the plan set in advance because Seonwoo Jin had warned of Jegal Ji-gang's attack.
It was also thanks to Yang Moon-heon's keen senses, as one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World who had now mastered the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance and permanently maintained the first form, Flying Moon, of the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance in daily life.
Stroking his white beard, Yang Moon-heon spoke.
"Judging from the fact that they didn't move while the children on this side were being annihilated, it seems the children on that side are only tasked with encirclement."
At his words, Dang Yeo-eun smiled brightly and replied.
"Then we should go to them first."
Watching the grandfather-granddaughter pair conversing gently as if setting out for a stroll, Blue Wind Sword Dragon Han Gyo-seong unconsciously swallowed hard.
Somehow, he almost felt pity for those who were about to be attacked by those two, whom he could only liken to a natural disaster.