Chapter 211: Hapsan Sect-3
Chapter 211: Hapsan Sect-3
Seonwoo Jin casually glanced at the people watching him, then continued walking without stopping toward the main hall of the Hapsan Sect.
If that many people had heard, it seemed only a matter of time before the rumors spread far and wide.
'Phase one of the plan was a simple success.'
Seonwoo Jin easily cut down the charging Hapsan Sect warriors, a satisfied smile on his lips.
Just as he had explained to his two elder brothers a week ago, the plan was going perfectly.
'I thought it would be possible, but this is easier than I expected.'
Seonwoo Jin smiled with satisfaction at his own martial prowess, which was effortlessly laying waste to the Hapsan Sect.
To him, who could display martial prowess beyond the transcendent peak level when using the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance, a sect like the Hapsan Sect was no longer a particularly difficult opponent.
Suddenly, Mukrang spoke to him.
[How does it feel to single-handedly smash a huge sect? In my old memories, the most thrilling moment after becoming a master was exactly this.]
Seonwoo Jin grinned and answered.
'It's very thrilling for me too. I'm really feeling the reward of all that hard martial arts training.'
Mukrang was certainly right.
The feeling of destroying one of the strongest sects in Guangxi Province all by himself gave him a thrill as if he had become one of the legendary masters of old.
Suddenly, past events came to mind.
How many people had died at the Jeonghyeopbang just to face a single Small-faced Demon Lord Sa Won-yang?
Now that he himself was playing the role of that Small-faced Demon Lord, he couldn't help but be moved by the change of perspective.
Mukrang asked again.
[How was the Southern Cross Sword? Was it useful?]
'Ah, yes. It seems like a good sword technique. It's much better than the Sail Sword Technique when dealing with multiple opponents at once. And it mixes well with "Opening Heaven."'
***
Seonwoo Jin had ultimately succeeded in learning the Southern Cross Sword of the Hainan In Clan in just one week.
No, to be precise, he had succeeded in three days.
'Pfft, does that make sense? If you can learn it in days just by looking at a secret manual, is that an ultimate technique? That's the Three Calamities Sword Technique!'
Jeung Chil, who had sneered and made a bet with Seonwoo Jin, screamed in disbelief when he saw him use the Southern Cross Sword after only three days.
'I-impossible! How can you master such an ultimate technique in three days from just the secret manual! I will never accept it! Maknae, you brat, didn't you already know this sword technique?! Otherwise...!'
But when Seonwoo Jin just smiled at him wordlessly, Jeung Chil had no choice but to admit defeat with an expression as if the sky had collapsed.
'Ugh! I... lost.'
And he swore never again to oppose Seonwoo Jin's plans.
'If I ever bet with the maknae again, I'm not a person!'
Watching Jeung Chil like that, Seonwoo Jin smiled smugly.
And he thought to himself.
That the most admirable figure in history really was the Sword God after all.
'Thank you, elder.'
[No need for thanks. Watching that arrogant kid get frustrated made me feel refreshed too.]
In fact, the White Tiger Sword he now held was also made after receiving Mukrang's guidance in his dreams.
Thanks to that, Seonwoo Jin had also been able to receive and learn the master blacksmith's techniques this time.
Three days had been enough to learn the Southern Cross Sword, but the reason he took a full week was that he needed time to properly craft the White Tiger Sword.
So he could say that all of this was thanks to Mukrang.
However, even with Mukrang there, it was not something just anyone could do.
Mukrang, too, had to admire Seonwoo Jin once again while teaching him the Southern Cross Sword.
[Impressive. Honestly, I was doubtful, but to be able to use the Southern Cross Sword so skillfully after just one week... your talent is indeed remarkable.]
Then he continued in a slightly amused voice.
[This might sound a bit off, but when I was alive, the only person who surprised me with talent was one nephew of mine. Apart from him, even my older brother, honestly, wasn't that impressive in terms of talent. In that regard, your talent is quite decent. I'm very much looking forward to seeing if you might truly be able to learn the Forgotten Self Art.]
Seonwoo Jin couldn't hold back his laughter at the praise.
Because being acknowledged for his talent by the Sword God, who was called the All-Time Supreme, was just as thrilling as destroying a sect single-handedly.
He smiled faintly and gave thanks to Mukrang.
'I'm certainly not at that level, but thank you anyway.'
Then, a sudden question came to him and he asked.
'But if that nephew of yours was so talented, why didn't you pass on the Forgotten Self Art to him?'
Mukrang answered in a bitter voice.
[Well, there were various reasons.]
It was a voice that did not want to answer much.
So Seonwoo Jin decided not to ask any further.
***
While Seonwoo Jin was thinking such thoughts, he had now arrived in front of the main hall of the Hapsan Sect.
The Hapsan Sect warriors who had been rushing at him until just now were no longer charging.
Of course, the martial artists of the Hapsan Sect were not yet completely annihilated.
But since the peak-level masters had all already died, the remaining martial artists couldn't even think of attacking.
Seonwoo Jin casually looked around at the remaining Hapsan Sect martial artists with indifferent eyes.
Then, those who had already been watching Seonwoo Jin from a distance stepped back with terrified expressions.
"Uuuuu!"
"M-monster! It's a monster!"
"The sect leader! If only the sect leader would come... Why isn't the sect leader coming?"
"B-but even if the sect leader comes, can he face someone like that?"
They were already in a state where they could no longer resist.
Seonwoo Jin let out a chuckle at their listless appearance and shouted once more toward the main hall.
"Inparang of the Hainan In Clan has come! Vengeance for my father! Where is the Hapsan Sect's leader Eo Jeong-gi?! Are you hiding because you're afraid of me?!"
But despite such provocation, there was no news from inside the main hall.
No one came out, and no sound was heard.
After waiting a moment, Seonwoo Jin finally smashed the main gate and strode inside.
Kwaaaang!
But the scene that met Seonwoo Jin's eyes as he entered the main hall was an already wrecked interior and the corpses of Hapsan Sect martial artists strewn everywhere.
The main hall had already been attacked by someone.
Gazing at the interior of the main hall, which had been laid waste before he even touched it, Seonwoo Jin smiled as if he had expected it.
And without hesitation, he continued further inside the main hall.
'Seeing that the interior is quiet, it looks like the elder brothers have already finished everything.'
[That's only natural. Two transcendent peak martial artists raided a single building, what chance did they have?]
That was the truth.
In fact, Seonwoo Jin's constant calling of the Hapsan Sect leader Eo Jeong-gi's name in front of the main hall had been a ruse.
Because while Seonwoo Jin caused a commotion at the front, Seol Pung and Jeung Chil had decided to raid the main hall.
He had to stand alone as Inparang in front of people's eyes, but if not in front of their eyes, there was no reason to do so.
Seonwoo Jin leisurely surveyed the chaos his two sworn brothers had created and entered the Hapsan Sect's sect leader's room located at the innermost part of the main hall.
As soon as he entered, he saw a man trembling like an aspen leaf with a pained expression.
"Kghhhhhh!"
Even though he looked to be in immense pain, he only let out small groans without being able to raise his voice—a sight that was all too familiar to Seonwoo Jin.
He said with a laugh.
"Looks like you're applying the Bone and Sinew Separation Art. What stage has it reached?"
Seol Pung, who had been watching from the side, answered with a hollow laugh.
"The seventh stage."
"Huh? The seventh stage?"
Seonwoo Jin was a little surprised at his words.
Because the seventh stage out of ten was quite high.
Usually, by the fifth stage, they would break down in tears and spill everything, so this was a very rare occurrence.
So he looked at Eo Jeong-gi with fresh eyes and asked.
"The seventh stage—so this fellow must have had quite some tenacity?"
But Seol Pung shook his head with a hollow laugh.
"No, actually, he already spilled everything he could earlier. But the elder brother said he wanted to test it up to the tenth stage."
"...Ah."
He could understand immediately.
Because when he looked at Jeung Chil, he was observing Eo Jeong-gi's condition with eyes sparkling like a mischievous child.
He had previously criticized him for learning torture techniques, but it seemed he had actually wanted to try it very much himself.
Jeung Chil rubbed his two hands together and murmured, licking his lips with his tongue.
"Ehehe, shall we move on to the eighth stage now?"
Then Eo Jeong-gi's eyes shook urgently and he desperately groaned.
"Kghhhhhhh!"
Even without training in reading wills, his desperate will seemed easy to read at that moment.
But it appeared Jeung Chil could not read that desperate will.
Or perhaps he read it and ignored it.
He raised the Bone and Sinew Separation Art to the eighth stage without hesitation.
"Kghhhhhhhh!"
Eo Jeong-gi's eyes were rolling back, showing their whites.
Seonwoo Jin now wore a smile similar in feel to Seol Pung's, shook his head from side to side, and leaving Jeung Chil—who was completely focused on Eo Jeong-gi—to his devices, asked Seol Pung again.
"Were there any new findings?"
Seol Pung nodded and showed him the documents he had retrieved from the vault located in the sect leader's quarters as he answered.
"Look at this. Just as you predicted, the Hapsan Sect was indeed a sect jointly created by Jin Tae-do of the Hainan Sect and the Hengshan Sect. It seems they planned to divide the forces equally after seizing all of Guangxi Province. Furthermore, the Hapsan Sect wasn't the only puppet they created. The Hainan Sect in Guangdong Province, the Hengshan Sect in Jiangxi Province..."
Seonwoo Jin examined the documents Seol Pung handed him and nodded.
Indeed, this evidence seemed more than sufficient to prove that the Hapsan Sect was a puppet of the Hengshan Sect and the Hainan Sect's Jin Tae-do.
Seol Pung asked Seonwoo Jin.
"If this gets revealed to the world, those two sects will be thrown into utter chaos. What do you intend to do? Shall we disclose all of this immediately?"
Among the things the three had done over the past week, besides learning the martial arts of the Hainan Sect, was occupying a branch of the Hao Gate near Hapsan.
Since a Hao Gate branch could not help but form close ties with the ruling power of its region, the Hapsan branch of the Hao Gate was also in a close cooperative relationship with the Hapsan Sect.
So, just as he had done with No Sam-ryong of the Guiyang branch where the Seonwoo family was located, through threats and conciliation, Seonwoo Jin had been able to turn that place into one cooperative toward himself.
Through the appropriate use of the Bone and Sinew Separation technique and the gu poison taken from the Sichuan Assassination Gate, that is.
In any case, the Hapsan branch of the Hao Gate was now a place that had become extremely cooperative toward Seonwoo Jin.
Therefore, if he used it, spreading these materials throughout the martial world in short order would be entirely feasible.
But Seonwoo Jin grinned and shook his head.
"No. That would be good too, but something even more entertaining has occurred to me. In my opinion..."
As he began his explanation, not only Seol Pung, but also Jeung Chil, who had been absorbed in testing the Bone and Sinew Separation technique, began listening intently to his explanation.
Soon after, nodding with an 'As expected!' expression, they smiled like mischievous children.
***
The rumor regarding the appearance of Inparang, the successor of the Hainan In Clan, spread throughout the Southern Sea region in a matter of days.
So too did the rumor that the Hengshan Sect and the Hainan Sect's Jin Tae-do had been behind the Hapsan Sect, and that they had assassinated the former head of the Hainan In Clan, In Gye-un.
But the effects of that rumor manifested completely differently between the Hengshan Sect and the Hainan Sect.
First, for the Hengshan Sect, the rumor failed to produce any significant effect.
This was because the Hengshan Sect's response to the rumor was extremely resolute.
They firmly nailed down the assertion that they had absolutely never done such a thing and that it was nothing more than a slanderous frame-up.
Rather, they threatened the populace, declaring that those who damaged the Hengshan Sect's honor with such false rumors would be thoroughly punished, and at least from the outside, they showed not even the slightest wavering.
It was a point demonstrating the strong cohesion of the sect centered around the Hengshan Sect Leader, Honam First Sword Wi Jeong-guk.
The Hainan Sect, on the other hand, was not so fortunate.
Jin Tae-do, the Hainan Demon Sword, who already had many dissenting factions against him, found his postponement of the meeting by two weeks rendered moot, as he was forced to face the heads of the Hainan Twelve Clans in less than a week.
The Hainan Sect's council chamber. The head of the Hainan Oh Clan, One Blade Killing Edge Oh Ik-deok, slammed the round table and shouted.
Kwaang!
"Jin Tae-do! It was your doing after all! You were the one who assassinated In Gye-un, Head In of the In Clan!"
It was a violent remark laden with the momentum of a transcendent peak master.
But Jin Tae-do did not waver in the slightest.
Still wearing a cold expression, he answered icily.
"Nonsense. I have done no such thing. Rather, I am deeply disappointed in all of you, clan heads. How can you believe such absurd falsehoods and come to interrogate me?"
His act was extraordinarily audacious.
So upright and confident was his demeanor that Oh Ik-deok was forced to flinch back instead.
Thereupon, Oh Ik-deok pressed him again in a slightly subdued voice.
"You call it a false rumor? Even though that youth Inparang wielded the White Tiger Sword and used the Southern Cross Sword?"
At that question, Jin Tae-do scoffed and replied.
"Is there proof that it was truly the White Tiger Sword and the Southern Cross Sword? No, in the first place, how could those who are not even disciples of the Hainan Sect recognize it as the White Tiger Sword and the Southern Cross Sword? And if he really is Inparang, why did he go to the Hapsan Sect instead of coming directly to the Hainan Sect? I would like to meet him personally and ask, actually."
At those words, Oh Ik-deok could not find an immediate retort and let out a contemplative hum.
"Hmm."
At that, the head of the Chuk Clan, seated beside Jin Tae-do, quickly interjected and sided with him.
"The sect leader is right! How dare you suspect the sect leader based on unverified false rumors?! Oh Clan Head, apologize at once!"
Once he broke the ice, the heads of the Mi Clan, Hae Clan, and Sul Clan rose up like a swarm of bees and began denouncing Oh Ik-deok, starting with him.
"Indeed! Where else in the world is there such discourtesy?!"
"Apologize immediately, Oh Clan Head!"
"Of all people to be suspicious of...!"
It was then.
The head of the Yoo Clan, Yu Hae-eung, who had been sitting silently, slowly opened his mouth.
Despite his quiet voice, it was a voice of presence that carried a weighty feeling like a boulder.
"I concur with that statement. How can we suspect and condemn a person based on unverified rumors? Even though we already have experience wrongfully cornering someone in just such a manner before. Isn't that right, Jin Clan Head?"
Yu Hae-eung asked this as he looked at Jin Tae-do with sharp eyes.
At that, Jin Tae-do, as well as the other clan heads who had been denouncing Oh Ik-deok, could only clear their throats and avoid his gaze.
"Hmm."
"Ahem, ahem."
They knew precisely what Yu Hae-eung was talking about right now.
Yu Hae-eung was condemning the actions they had taken in the past.
In the past, when the Head of the In Clan, In Gye-un, and Jin Tae-do had competed for the position of Sect Leader of the Hainan Sect, In Gye-un had been forced to endure immense criticism from scandals that suddenly erupted.
Adultery with the wife of another clan head, personal misappropriation of public funds, even contracted murder.
Though none of the rumors were verified, the very fact that such rumors had surfaced dealt a heavy blow to him in the competition to become Sect Leader of the Hainan Sect.
Especially, Jin Tae-do had argued at that time.
'The very fact that such rumors have surfaced about the In Clan Head is proof that he lacks the qualifications to be a candidate for sect leader! How can we possibly entrust the future of the Hainan Sect to a man marked by such rumors!'
And by the time it was revealed that none of those matters had been true, Jin Tae-do had already become sect leader, long after In Gye-un had disappeared.
Yu Hae-eung was speaking of that time now.
Was it not Jin Tae-do who had denounced the In Clan Head most viciously based on unverified rumors?
Consequently, Jin Tae-do could not press Oh Ik-deok any further and had no choice but to restrain the other clan heads at that point.
Because if the events of that time were dredged up, he alone would be the one placed at a disadvantage.
Jin Tae-do curbed the clan heads around him and changed the subject.
"Now, now, let's stop talking about such things and discuss something more important. Is not the most critical issue right now the identity of this person calling himself Inparang? We must investigate him. Who he is, and for what purpose he is spreading these false rumors."
At those words, the clan heads around Jin Tae-do all nodded in agreement.
"That is correct! We must investigate that man!"
"Indeed! We must absolutely find out who is behind him, spreading such false rumors!"
It was a manner of speaking that adroitly emphasized the term 'false rumors.'
Thereupon, without further hesitation, Jin Tae-do spoke.
"Therefore, I intend to meet him personally. To go and find him directly..."
At that moment, Yu Hae-eung cut him off mid-sentence and said.
"But tell me this. What happens if his claim turns out to be true?"
At that, Jin Tae-do flared his momentum outward and, glaring at Yu Hae-eung with ferocious eyes, retorted.
"What did you just say, Yu Clan Head? Don't tell me you still believe those false rumors...!"
However, Yu Hae-eung did not back down in the slightest against the momentum of Jin Tae-do, one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World.
With an expression as indifferent as a rock, he spoke again.
"You are mistaken about something, Jin Clan Head. To say the truth of the matter is unconfirmed does not mean it is a false rumor. It simply means it is impossible to tell whether it is true or false. Yet if it does turn out to be true, would it not be quite strange for you, Jin Clan Head, to go looking for him? For it would become a situation where the father's nemesis personally goes to seek out the son."
At that, Jin Tae-do ground his teeth and bellowed.
"What kind of preposterous...!"
But Yu Hae-eung, with the same rock-like expression and tone as before, firmly nailed the point down.
"If you, Jin Clan Head, are innocent, then wait for others to investigate. The more you personally step forward, the more suspicious you will become."
At those words, Jin Tae-do, unable to continue speaking, glanced around.
The other clan heads were nodding their heads as if agreeing with Yu Hae-eung's statement.
Even the clan heads who supported him were unable to bring themselves to refute and were averting their gazes.
Jin Tae-do finally failed to manage his expression and gritted his teeth.
He needed a way.