Chapter 280: Suzhou Baek Clan-2

Seol Pung, who had been running at the lead for a long while, stopped his steps and turned to look back.

Then, along with the others who were following him with calm expressions, the sight of Jeon Seok-gu, who looked as if he would collapse at any moment, panting heavily, entered his eyes.

Jeon Seok-gu had been running together with Seonwoo Jin and the others to draw the attention of the Soju Baek Family's warriors.

Moreover, he was carrying one of his gang members disguised as Baek Mu-ho, the second young master of the Baek family, on his back.

All he had done was merely run, but even so, that was by no means an easy task for Jeon Seok-gu.

It was because it was, in truth, impossible for Jeon Seok-gu, who was still only second-rate, to keep pace with Seol Pung's group, most of whom had reached the transcendent peak.

Of course, it was possible only because Seol Pung and the others hadn't run at their full strength, but even so, merely not falling behind midway was more than impressive enough.

Seol Pung smiled brightly at him and said.

"Let us rest for a moment. You have worked hard."

Then Jeon Seok-gu, who had collapsed onto the ground as if crumbling, gasped out.

"Haa, haa, wha, what, haa, haa, th-this, haa, much, haa, haa, is nothing."

His face was so pale that he looked as if he might faint at any moment.

But seeing Jeon Seok-gu speak as if it were nothing even with such a face, Jeung Chil burst into laughter.

"Keu-hehehehe! Nothing, my ass—if you keep talking, your guts are going to come flying out, you bastard!"

Then Yeon Tae-jin also chuckled and added.

"Still, it's pretty impressive, huh? He's got some grit. I see him in a new light."

"Haa, haa, th-thank, haa, you, ma'am."

At that moment, Jin So-eun, who had been looking at Jeon Seok-gu with pity in her eyes, spoke cautiously.

"I'm sorry to Jeon hyeopsa-nim, but is it all right for us to be lingering like this? The warriors of the Soju Baek Family will be swarming here soon."

At her words, Seol Pung looked far off toward Soju and answered.

"Jin here said he would resolve it as quickly as possible, so let us trust him. If things truly go wrong, there is also the method of Brother Jeon and I carrying Brother Go and fleeing."

Then Jeung Chil frowned slightly and asked.

"What? Carrying? Just who has to carry those bastards?"

At his question, Yeon Tae-jin chuckled and answered.

"Who do you think? Surely you're not saying that frail women like myself and So-eun sister here should carry unrelated men on our backs, are you?"

At those words, Jeung Chil looked around.

Excluding the women, the only men left were Seol Pung and Jeung Chil himself.

In the end, it meant that he had to carry them.

At that, Jeung Chil, who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠absolutely hated the idea of carrying grown men, scrunched up his face and snorted.

"Hehng, frail my foot! So a woman like you can't do it, but an old man like me has to? You half-naked wench, why do you only pretend to be weak at times like this?"

"Oh my, Jeung orabeoni. Pretending to be weak? Do you know how terribly frail I am? Look. How frail must I be to walk around half-naked? Oh dear, I'm so frail that my clothes are about to slip off again, see?"

A voice that sounded like coy aegyo, paired with alluring smiling eyes.

Along with that, as Yeon Tae-jin let the already loose clothing on her shoulder slide down slightly, Jeung Chil could endure no longer and cried out, cringing.

"Ah, fine, fine! I'll just carry them! I said I'll carry them!"

Though he always blustered and made a fuss, Jeung Chil had never once gained the upper hand in a verbal fight with Yeon Tae-jin.

It was because Jeung Chil, who had little experience conversing with women in his life, could never match Yeon Tae-jin.

She always used her womanhood as a weapon to the fullest extent, and was even the type of flexible thinker who could use Jeung Chil's habitual name-calling of 'half-naked wench' when needed rather than getting upset about it.

So in fact, she could be said to be virtually an impregnable fortress to Jeung Chil.

It was at that moment.

Seol Pung, looking toward Soju, warned.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves. They are coming."

At Seol Pung's words, everyone turned their gazes toward Soju.

Then they could see it immediately.

A tremendous number of martial artists, kicking up a hazy cloud of dust, were charging from Soju straight toward them....

Even at a glance, it was a number that could reach several hundred.

Moreover, those charging at high speed at the front clearly appeared to be masters who had reached the transcendent peak.

Seol Pung spoke.

"Seven masters alone who appear to be at the transcendent peak. Such a number from a single clan belonging to the Four Kings' Alliance, not even the Nine Great Sects—truly the Four Kings and Thirteen Clans are formidable places."

At his words, the group looked at the martial artists with tense eyes.

There were seven transcendent peak masters, and the peak-level martial artists following behind them also seemed to number in the dozens.

It was by no means a force that the group could confront head-on.

Jin So-eun asked in a worried voice.

"Shall we flee?"

Then Seol Pung, who had been staring in their direction for a moment, opened his mouth.

"Prepare to flee. For now... I will try clashing with them once."

At Seol Pung's words, the group stared at him with startled eyes.

He was suggesting that he would try clashing alone against a full seven transcendent peak masters and dozens of peak-level martial artists.

But they could not dissuade Seol Pung.

It was because the fighting spirit and confidence flickering in Seol Pung's eyes appeared so utterly dependable.

If he thought he could do it, the thought that it might actually be entirely possible even crossed their minds.

Yeon Tae-jin smiled brightly and said.

"This is why I can never break away from Pung, I tell you."

A moment later, the transcendent peak masters, who had charged like a storm wind, first approached right up to the group's vicinity.

Then Seol Pung, cracking his neck with a loud Ddu-duk! sound, began walking alone toward them.

It was an imperious momentum, like a giant fierce tiger striding forth.

The transcendent peak masters of the Soju Baek Family, upon seeing him, could not help but halt their steps involuntarily.

It was because the formless momentum Seol Pung was exuding had transformed into tangible pressure and was pressing down upon their very skin.

Yeon Wi-baek, the Great Elder and the eldest among the Soju Baek Family's transcendent peak masters, groaned and spoke.

"I was told there was someone comparable to the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, and I thought it an exaggeration.... I have never heard of a young master such as you! Just who are you?! Who are you, that with such skill, you would do this to the Second Young Master?!"

Then Seol Pung answered.

"We have never done harm to Baek Mu-ho, the Second Young Master. It was only that he, who was already afflicted by a chronic poison, suffered a seizure during the duel."

It was an answer so composed that ease could be felt from it, even while surrounded by countless masters.

Then Chu Ga-ik, the Third Elder, who looked to have a quick temper, shouted in a furious voice.

"Do not speak nonsense! Why would the Second Young Master have been afflicted by a chronic poison?!"

At those words, Seol Pung answered expressionlessly.

"How would I know why he was afflicted by a chronic poison? Is that reason not something you, who consecutively lost the First Young Master and the family head, should already have known?"

"What kind of outrageous—!"

The Third Elder Chu Ga-ik tried to refute Seol Pung's words in a furious voice.

But his voice was cut off by the Great Elder's horrified voice.

"No way! Are you now trying to say that all of those incidents are connected?!"

Then Yeon Tae-jin, who had been behind Seol Pung, interjected in a voice that sounded as though it was all pathetic.

"The promising First Young Master died after being defeated by a far lesser opponent, and the family head, who was none other than one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, collapsed and was bedridden for over half a year from mere emotional shock? But you hadn't even thought it was strange? That's even more shocking. And now the Second Young Master suddenly vomits blood and collapses in a public duel. It was the same when the family head collapsed before, wasn't it? And yet you feel nothing? Aren't you all fools?"

At that, the Third Elder Chu Ga-ik stammered and refuted.

"Th-that is obviously because you assassins used poison in a surprise attack...."

Yeon Tae-jin refuted as if scoffing.

"We used poison in a surprise attack? Within Soju, the domain of the Soju Baek Family? And in a public duel at that? Why on earth? Looking at Pung standing before you now, do you still feel nothing? If we had wanted to kill him, why on earth would we need a surprise attack? Surely you're not trying to say it's because we couldn't kill him with skill?"

At her words, the transcendent peak masters of the Soju Baek Family could say nothing.

It was because merely from the momentum of Seol Pung standing before them now, they could clearly feel that her words were true.

The Third Elder Chu Ga-ik shouted as if forcing his voice out.

"E-even if that's so, it's the same! Then why did you flee without proving your innocence?! And how will you explain what you did to our warriors?!"

Then Yeon Tae-jin scrunched up her face and shouted.

"Far from clarifying the situation, you attacked us, accusing us of a poison ambush from the get-go, and now you ask why we fled?! Then you're saying we should have just slaughtered every last one of you who came charging at us?! We harmed your warriors?! Who died?! Even in the midst of that, we didn't kill a single one and only deflected them, so just what kind of harm are you talking about?! Huh?! Do you want me to really kill you all?!"

Chu Ga-ik could find no words to refute her.

But having no words to refute and being in a foul mood were two entirely different matters.

He shouted in a furious voice.

"You insolent, vulgar wench! Who on earth are you to dare...!"

"Dare?! You say dare! I am Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin, the faction leader of the Hawonbang! And who are you, a piglet who's been begging on the streets somewhere?!"

Chu Ga-ik was so enraged by her insulting words that his throat completely seized up.

Having never received such treatment anywhere, there was simply no way for him to defeat Yeon Tae-jin with words.

Then Jeung Chil smirked and muttered.

"Keu-ha! Now that she's on our side, I couldn't feel more reassured."

At that moment, the Great Elder Yeon Wi-baek asked in a startled voice.

"Yeon Tae-jin?! You mean to say that you are Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin?!"

At his question, Yeon Tae-jin laughed arrogantly and retorted.

"Can't you tell just by looking? If this face isn't Yeon Tae-jin, then who on earth could it be?"

It was just as the group was squeezing their eyes shut and letting out sighs at the yet-again displayed narcissism.

The Great Elder Yeon Wi-baek could only let out a heavy sigh of a different meaning.

Even Yeon Wi-baek had heard well of the fame of Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin, one of the Five Great Beauties of the Evil Faction.

But Yeon Wi-baek did not focus solely on her beauty or martial prowess like others did.

Rather, he had paid closer attention to the actions of the Hawonbang, which was said to be living in harmony with the common people.

He had held her in high regard, for she was showing a path similar to that of the Four Kings' Alliance.

He opened his mouth with a heavy voice.

"If you truly are Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin.... Then it may indeed be that this entire matter is a misunderstanding. But even so, we cannot simply let you go like this. Please understand that we must detain you until the truth is revealed."

At those words, Yeon Tae-jin looked at Seol Pung.

It was a gaze that meant, 'What shall we do?'

Then Seol Pung smiled brightly and said.

"We too have no intention of leaving without having cleared this misunderstanding. Let us go to the Soju Baek Family together. By now, everything should be concluded."

"Hm? Everything? What do you mean by that?"

At the Great Elder's questioning gaze, Seol Pung merely smiled brightly in response.

***

"Yang No-sa! Yang No-sa!"

Byun Buin, the current mistress of the Soju Baek Family, called out sharply as she entered the Medical Hall in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠search of Physician Yang.

To those in the Medical Hall, he had been checking on the eldest young master's condition in the room where Baek Ju-ga lay, as he always did.

Madam Byun flung the door open and shouted.

"Physician Yang! A calamity has occurred! The second young master has...!"

But upon entering, Madam Byun could not help but notice that besides the Family Head Baek Cheonggwang lying in the room and the physician Yang No-sa, there were two more people present.

What was more, one of the two was lying side by side next to the Family Head Baek Cheonggwang.

At the incomprehensible sight of someone else lying together with the Family Head in a private room meant solely for his treatment, Madam Byun asked in shock.

"What! Who dares...!"

However, Madam Byun could not even finish those words.

Because she realized that the person lying down had a face that was familiar to her.

She cried out with a horrified expression.

"Th-The second young master?! Why is the second young master here?!"

Madam Byun simply could not understand this situation.

This was because the person lying beside the Family Head Baek Cheonggwang was none other than the second young master Baek Mu-ho, who had reportedly been carried out of Soju by the attackers.

Then, the figure she had paid the least attention to until now, a handsome-faced young man seated next to Physician Yang named Seonwoo Jin, smiled faintly and spoke to her.

He had let his companions lure away the Baek family's warriors, while he himself had instead brought the second young master Baek Mu-ho right into the enemy's most deserted main camp and was in the middle of treating him.

"It seems everyone who should be here has arrived now. Please, take a seat, Madam."

At his words, Madam Byun furrowed her brow deeply and shouted.

"Who are you, wretch?! Who exactly are you to dare enter this place and give me orders to sit or...!"

That was the moment.

The eyes of the seated handsome man, Seonwoo Jin, emitted a golden radiance for an instant.

Hwaaak!

And the moment she saw those eyes, Madam Byun felt her throat constrict tight, unable to continue speaking.

It was a chilling sensation, as if a massive blade might fly at her and sever her neck on the spot.

Seonwoo Jin fixed her with a sharp gaze and spoke.

"It seems you have yet to grasp the situation, Madam. At this moment, I would feel very little regret taking your head. If you dislike sitting quietly, I could arrange that for you, you see?"

Madam Byun swallowed the saliva in her mouth.

For some unknown reason, her whole body was trembling as if she had thrust her face into the jaws of a wild beast.

It was completely beyond comprehension.

He was just a handsome youth, yet her own body, which was looking at him, had been paralyzed with terror as if she had seen a god of death from hell.

The thought crossed her mind that if she continued looking at him like this, she might even lose control of her bladder.

Madam Byun, her legs having lost their strength and barely holding herself up from collapsing on the spot, spoke to Seonwoo Jin.

"H-How dare you, within the Soju Baek Family, to me...."

That was the moment.

Seonwoo Jin furrowed his brow as if annoyed.

At the same time, a beam of light flashed and passed through the room.

Madam Byun could not visually grasp what had just happened.

But one thing she clearly saw was the youth slowly sheathing a black sword back into its scabbard.

It was a sword she had not even known was drawn.

Already paralyzed with fear, Madam Byun tried to think of what exactly he could have done with that sword.

That was when it happened.

Her left arm suddenly began to slide off smoothly.

From the severed cross-section, blood was only now spurting out like a fountain.

Puhwaaak!

Madam Byun's eyes widened as if they would pop out of her head.

She had witnessed the sight of her own arm falling away with her own two eyes.

The woman, gripped by terror, finally began to scream.

"Kyaaaaaaak!"

Her own arm, which had fallen away without any sensation as if it were a doll's arm, the spurting blood, and the violent pain she was only now feeling.

It felt like she was about to go mad from it all.

That was the moment.

Seonwoo Jin's ice-cold voice reached her ears.

"Too loud. Should I just take your head off after all?"

It was the moment she heard those words.

Madam Byun, in a feeling akin to having ice water poured over her, was able to stop her screaming as if it were a lie.

It was because she was desperately holding back her screams, tears streaming down her face, while clamping her mouth shut with her remaining hand.

It was an effect created by extreme fear.

Her spirit had now been completely broken.

For a woman who had always lived being elevated and revered, she did not possess the mental fortitude to endure such an event.

Faced with the brutality of someone who would casually sever not just her arm but also her head, and moreover the reality that no one came running despite her screaming, she could no longer even think of resisting.

Seonwoo Jin looked at her with cold eyes and said.

"Sit."

At that, Madam Byun, trembling, docilely sat down in the spot beside Physician Yang.

From her severed shoulder, the blood had stopped spurting, her pressure point having been sealed at some unknown time.

He was truly a fiendish man.

And then, Madam Byun, having glanced at Physician Yang sitting beside her, could also perceive another fact.

That from the face of Physician Yang, which was as pale as a sheet of white paper, one ear and his nose were missing.

He had likely suffered that fate before she arrived.

Upon seeing that, Madam Byun became even more terrified.

It was because she thought her own face might end up like that as well.

For a woman like her, an arm and a face were a matter of a different magnitude.

That was when it happened.

Seonwoo Jin smiled gently and opened his mouth to address them.

"Since you poisoned them and then framed us, I trust you feel no sense of injustice."

At those words, Madam Byun and Yang No-sa swallowed their saliva.

There was no way they felt no injustice, but they could not bring themselves to answer that way.

It was because the man who had been casually severing limbs moments ago was now smiling gently, and that seemed even more terrifying.

Seonwoo Jin continued speaking.

"The reason I came all the way here is that I have something I'm curious about. Upon examining the one called Baek Mu-ho, I saw he was poisoned with the Maengeun Poison. The same goes for the Family Head Baek Cheonggwang here. Why did you do this?"

Having heard this, Madam Byun and Yang No-sa could not bring themselves to open their mouths and surreptitiously gauged each other's reactions.

Then, in that moment, Seonwoo Jin's ki aura turned as cold as ice once more.

Shaaak!

Struck by that cold momentum, the two, already paralyzed with fear, could not help but flinch violently.

At that time, Seonwoo Jin spoke toward Madam Byun in an icy voice.

"If you won't speak, that's fine too. If you haven't spoken by the count of three, I will kill the old man first. And then I'll kill the third son, Baek Mu-jak, right before your eyes. Let's see if you can keep your mouth shut even after watching your son's limbs be cut to pieces...."

At this, Madam Byun cried out urgently.

"N-No, don't! Not my son! My son alone!"

At those words, Seonwoo Jin stared at her with an expression that seemed to say he was annoyed.

The implication was that she should answer quickly if she did not wish for that.

Then, driven by the extreme fear that her son might die, Madam Byun began to shed tears in streams again.

She looked at Physician Yang and spoke.

"I-It's because of this man! This man seduced me when I had no such thoughts! One day, he suddenly said he would make my son Mu-jak the Family Head.... I-I only answered that I would consider it! But this man said he had already poisoned the Family Head, the first young master, and the second young master, so there was no other choice...."

Yang No-sa closed his eyes tightly as he listened to Madam Byun's words.

He seemed to have no intention of saying anything even in this situation.

This time, Seonwoo Jin looked toward Yang No-sa and asked.

"Why did you do it?"

But even with his face turned pale, Yang No-sa did not answer.

He merely kept his eyes closed with an expression that seemed to have given up on everything.

He definitely seemed different from Madam Byun.

His nature was unlike that of the woman who had poisoned her husband and step-sons to fulfill her desire to make her own son the successor.

Rather, his expression even showed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a hint of detachment, as if it did not matter whether he himself was sacrificed.

Somehow, he even looked like a martyr who believed he was carrying out a noble mission.

But seeing that appearance, Seonwoo Jin was instead able to gain certainty about the hypothesis he had only been entertaining in his head.

With a faint smile, he asked Physician Yang.

"A physician sent from the Daepung Yang Family would not have done such a thing on his own accord. I shall ask you. Why is the Yang Family targeting the Baek Family? Were you not allies?"

Upon hearing those words, Physician Yang's pupils trembled violently for a moment.

But that was all.

He still did not open his mouth.

Seonwoo Jin was slightly troubled.

It was a deliberation on whether to use the Soul Captivation Art to force this man's mouth open.

In truth, the reason the two were paralyzed with terror now was not solely due to Seonwoo Jin's momentum.

It was because he had used the Supreme Dignity God Eye, originally the eye technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, through the Mukrang Heart Method.

Even without being actively employed as the Soul Captivation Art, merely using the Supreme Dignity God Eye had the effect of instilling terror in the opponent.

Which was why Madam Byun, whose mental fortitude was weak, could not endure it and revealed the truth, but to hear the truth from Physician Yang, a different method would likely be necessary.

But after deliberating for a moment, Seonwoo Jin resolved not to do so.

It was because he felt that using the Soul Captivation Art for purposes other than healing the Six Harmony Swordsmen went against the will of Elder Mukrang.

It would be better to interrogate him later using the Bone and Sinew Separation technique.

It was when Seonwoo Jin had thus made up his mind.

Physician Yang abruptly opened his mouth.

"I know not who you are, but you will not be unscathed for committing these acts. The martial artists of the Baek Family, as well as those of the Four Kings Alliance, will all come to pursue you."

At ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this, Seonwoo Jin chuckled and retorted.

"I'm thankful for your concern, but why would they pursue me? Poisoning the Family Head and the second young master, and killing the eldest young master in the past, are all acts committed by you people, no?"

Toward Seonwoo Jin, who was smiling roundly as if he truly could not understand, Physician Yang clenched his teeth and spoke again.

"Who is there to know that? No one will believe your words."

At this, Seonwoo Jin nodded his head as if to acknowledge his point.

"Indeed, they wouldn't believe my words. However... wouldn't they believe your words?"

At these words, Physician Yang let out a scoffing laugh.

"Hah! Do you think I will speak before them? I shall never...!"

That was the moment.

Seonwoo Jin abruptly rose to his feet, flung the door to the adjoining room wide open, and smiled brightly at him, saying.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you already have spoken."

The moment the door opened, Physician Yang could not keep his mouth shut at the sight of the people directly before his eyes.

It was because, in that adjoining room, the chief steward, the household members of the Medical Hall, and several warriors who had remained at the Baek family estate were all staring at this side, rolling only their eyes as if their pressure points had been sealed.

They seemed unable to say anything due to the acupoint sealing, but upon seeing their expressions, Physician Yang could know immediately.

They had heard all of the conversation that had taken place until now.

Seonwoo Jin spoke to him with a vicious smile.

"It's all over, Physician Yang."

At this, Physician Yang could only hang his head low with a despairing expression.