Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Road to Sanyang
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Hyeok Mulin accepted the clan patriarch's proposal, and the agreement was sealed.
With her worries lifted, Danri Mae's expression softened considerably, and the banquet came to a successful close.
Afterward, the Danri Clan began preparing a group to head out for the Shaanxi Sword Assembly.
"We don't need a large entourage for the journey. Just gather the bare essentials."
At Hyeok Mulin's request, the Danri Clan minimized the size of the traveling party.
In the end, the group consisted solely of Hyeok Mulin, Danri Jong—who was leading the way—along with the young masters and a handful of escorts.
Hyeok Mulin ordered everyone except Danri Hyang, along with those disguised as Nakryong Association members and the rest of the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad, to stand by in various locations.
For this trip, he and Danri Hyang alone would suffice.
Once preparations were complete, they assembled at the clan gates for departure.
Danri Mae addressed them with a voice full of resolve.
"Please restore our clan's honor."
Hyeok Mulin, who had been staring straight at the patriarch, turned the question back on him.
"Mind if we draw a little attention?"
"Hm? Of course not. In fact, that's exactly what I hope for."
They had been ignored time and again up to now. Showing enough prowess at the sword assembly to turn heads would naturally be a good thing.
Danri Mae agreed without a second thought.
However.
"I see. So that's how it is..."
As Hyeok Mulin flashed a meaningful smile, a chill ran down Danri Mae's spine, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Come to think of it, "drawing attention" could be interpreted in all sorts of ways.
For some reason feeling uneasy, Danri Mae opened her eyes to retract her words, but...
"W-Wait a moment..."
Hyeok Mulin was already mounted and ready to depart.
Her mouth agape, Danri Mae hesitated for a beat before giving up and turning to Danri Jong instead.
"Safe travels."
With the patriarch's farewell behind them, Danri Jong took the lead, guiding the group onward.
During the journey, Hyeok Mulin faced no restrictions whatsoever.
Danri Jong handled most matters, prioritizing Hyeok Mulin's comfort to such a degree that there was hardly anything left for him to do.
They traveled by horseback rather than carriage, a choice that reflected Hyeok Mulin's preferences.
Unless it was one of the cult's top-tier carriages, he preferred riding into the cool breeze on horseback.
Yet this decision sparked widespread grumbling among the young masters.
"Why are we riding horses instead of taking a carriage?"
"Damn it, my ass is gonna split in two."
"I just can't wrap my head around it. Who the hell came up with this idea...?"
Unlike before, however, they only whispered among themselves, stealing glances at Hyeok Mulin.
And that didn't last long.
At a sharp glare from Danri Hyang, they averted their eyes and scattered.
With Danri Hyang firmly keeping the group in line, they proceeded quietly along the road.
Before long, they reached their first village since setting out and secured lodging at a local inn.
But the young masters who inspected the rooms stuck out their lips in complaint.
"The rooms are tiny!"
"And it reeks. Do they even air this place out?"
"The village was a rat hole, and now the inn's this pathetic too?"
Danri Jong, the innkeeper, and the escorts all frowned at their words.
Their complaints were downright rude to both the inn and the village.
As everyone swallowed their discomfort...
Thud, thud.
Hyeok Mulin approached them.
"How are we supposed to sleep in a dump like th—"
Hyeok Mulin grabbed the Second Young Master's shoulder mid-complaint and hurled him backward.
Thud thud roll!
The Second Young Master tumbled across the floor and out of the inn. Everyone's eyes went wide as he staggered to his feet, erupting in fury.
"What the hell was that?!"
Hyeok Mulin merely replied impassively.
"You're off the team as of now. Head back at first light tomorrow."
"W-What?!"
The Second Young Master, unable to hide his shock, flushed red as he spat out his words.
"You're saying you're going to the Shaanxi junior swordsmen's gathering without me?"
"The team wouldn't even notice one or two of you missing. Besides, the patriarch's banking on Danri Hyang, not you lot."
Hyeok Mulin addressed the Second Young Master directly, but his words stabbed at every young master present.
They clamped their mouths shut, unable to retort.
"Looks like that's settled."
Danri Jong, who had been watching, accepted Hyeok Mulin's judgment. The Second Young Master had no choice but to return to the clan the next day.
Afterward, the group moved far more comfortably.
From the young masters' perspective, however, it was pure discomfort.
A mere glance from Hyeok Mulin had their legs twitching, forcing them to hold their tongues and watch their step.
'To think these brats would actually follow orders.'
Danri Jong marveled at the young masters' complete turnaround.
They ignored even the patriarch's words, yet here they were, cowering like whipped dogs at a single look from Hyeok Mulin.
They traveled smoothly once more until they halted at a mountain pass under the cover of night.
Seeking an ideal campsite, they ventured a bit deeper and soon found a suitable spot.
It offered clear sightlines in all directions and relatively flat terrain.
They tethered the horses, spread out, and began setting up camp.
Hyeok Mulin shot a glance at the young masters standing idly about, and they scattered in a flurry to find tasks.
Everyone busied themselves, and Danri Hyang went off in search of dry branches to start a fire.
That's when someone approached him.
It was the Fourth Young Master, Danri Byeok.
Danri Hyang asked at his approach.
"Something to say?"
Danri Byeok, who had been fidgeting, soon steeled himself and bowed his head deeply.
"I'm sorry. I was too weak to stand up to our brothers when they bullied you as kids. I turned a blind eye, figuring I'd end up the same if I defended you."
He was the only young master to offer Danri Hyang such a belated apology.
He had never bullied him directly, but as a bystander, he had been the one who suffered most after Danri Hyang vanished from the clan.
"I won't ask for forgiveness. I just had to tell you I was sorry."
Danri Hyang looked down at Danri Byeok, his face full of shame.
A slow smile tugged at Danri Hyang's lips.
"I won't accept it. The past doesn't change."
"I figured as much. I understand."
Danri Byeok stared at the ground with a bitter expression.
"But I'll remember that sentiment."
His eyes widened at Danri Hyang's follow-up, soon reddening.
"Thank you. And I'm truly sorry."
Danri Byeok apologized once more, turned, and walked away. Danri Hyang watched his retreating back in silence.
His apology might have just been to ease his own guilt.
But he was still the only one who hadn't joined in the direct bullying despite being a bystander—and now he'd owned up to it.
Hearing his thoughts firsthand stirred new feelings in Danri Hyang.
'Not everyone was of the same mind after all.'
With a faint smile, Danri Hyang's steps resumed their steady path forward.
* * *
After the meal, Danri Jong set the night watch rotation and finished cleaning up.
As he finally slumped down to rest and gaze at the embers, Hyeok Mulin spoke up.
"You've worked hard."
"Not at all. With my limited strength, this is the least I can do—it's only right."
Unlike their first meeting, Danri Jong now addressed Hyeok Mulin with formal respect.
His displayed prowess had earned genuine admiration, transcending age or rank.
As Danri Jong stared blankly into the flames, Hyeok Mulin continued.
"Something on your mind?"
After a moment's reflection, Danri Jong replied.
"Watching the Nakryong Association's warriors in battle against the Nine Schools left me in awe time and again. Compared to them, my swordsmanship feels utterly inadequate."
His face darkened as he went on.
"I've spent my life training in martial arts as the Danri Clan's reconnaissance captain, yet I've shown such mediocre skill. Our warriors must look at my back in battle and doubt."
Hyeok Mulin glanced at the self-deprecating Danri Jong.
'He's reached that stage.'
It was a phase every warrior went through.
After encountering a foe who seemed utterly untouchable.
Feeling insignificant, losing the will to fight.
It was an understandable plight.
Warriors were always thrust into battles where victory and defeat were stark, exposing skill gaps mercilessly.
When the difference in realm or prowess was glaring, the spirit broke—and in severe cases, some abandoned martial arts altogether.
"In those times, close your eyes and look down for a moment."
"Pardon?"
"Below you are those frail young masters, the warriors who follow you, the family members and villagers you've protected. To them, you're an insurmountable mountain, a sturdy wall."
"......"
Danri Jong fell silent.
Wouldn't looking down for comfort just make him feel more pathetic? He swallowed the retort as Hyeok Mulin spoke again.
"Then turn your gaze to the mirror straight ahead. What do you see reflected?"
"I..."
Closing his eyes and facing forward intently, Danri Jong slowly parted his lips.
"......It's me."
"Exactly. You are you, and nothing else."
Warriors always strove to surpass yesterday's self.
Averting their eyes to look up or down only made tomorrow grueling.
"The only one you should compare yourself to is yourself."
If they stayed true to that.
"One day, when you lift your head to the heavens, the sky will look different."
Danri Jong clenched his teeth, emotions surging at Hyeok Mulin's words.
In truth, he had planned to step down as reconnaissance captain and retire after this journey.
The battles against the Nine Schools had made him vaguely sense his place shrinking.
But Hyeok Mulin's advice reignited his spirit as a warrior.
How could he have forgotten the mindset from his first days of training?
The true battle was not against others, but oneself.
"I've gained great insight. Thank you for your guidance, Association Leader."
Hyeok Mulin chuckled softly at Danri Jong's gratitude.
Yes. You all need to grow stronger.
The Danri Clan would one day...
"Gaaaaah!"
A man's scream echoed through the mountains.
At the sudden cry, Hyeok Mulin and Danri Jong's eyes met sharply.
"I'll check it out first."
Hyeok Mulin nodded, and Danri Jong rushed toward the source.
By the time Hyeok Mulin rose slowly and arrived, the Third Young Master was trembling in terror, pointing frantically amid stone-faced warriors.
"Th-There...!"
Hyeok Mulin strode past them and looked where the Third Young Master indicated.
No further thought was needed.
Mangled corpses and a shattered carriage lay in plain sight.
The bodies' faces were smashed beyond recognition.
"How did you find it?"
At Hyeok Mulin's question, the Third Young Master's shaking paused abruptly.
......Huh?
Was fear overwritten by greater fear? He blinked in confusion at his sudden calm but answered quickly.
"I stepped away for a moment, and when I finished, I saw this scene!"
As everyone froze at the gruesome sight, only Hyeok Mulin moved.
He approached the wreckage and pulled something from the dirt.
A cracked wooden plaque stained with thick blood.
'It's begun.'
Shaanxi Bloodshed.
Even before reaching Sanyang, the winds of war were already stirring in Shaanxi.
But Hyeok Mulin was the only one who sensed it.
"No need to look further."
Let's go.
The next day, they departed at the crack of dawn, hastening their pace.
Pressing on swiftly, they soon arrived at their destination: Sanyang.
The guards atop the walls verified their identities, then stepped aside and opened the gates.
"The Danri Clan, I presume. Welcome."
Rumble!
The sturdy gates swung open, welcoming them warmly.
Hyeok Mulin's majestic footsteps etched themselves into the annals of the righteous factions' history.