Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: The Gaegol-dan
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The training ground inside Ihwa Manor.
The Sa-yeong-dae members, who usually wandered about freely in a relaxed state, were lined up with solemn expressions.
*Thump, thump.*
When Bu Eun-seol finally appeared, the Sa-yeong-dae members straightened their postures, sharp as blades.
“The Beggars' Clan's vanguard will be here soon.”
Bu Eun-seol's low voice echoed across the training ground.
“It's the Gaegol-dan, said to be one of the finest elite units in the Beggars' Clan.”
Heuk-pyo, under Bu Eun-seol's orders, had established connections with the underworld forces in Kaifeng and was receiving intelligence from them.
And they had finally delivered the news: the Beggars' Clan's intelligence network had uncovered the Sa-yeong-dae's presence at Ihwa Manor, and the Gaegol-dan was coming to raid them.
“The Gaegol-dan are not only experienced in battle, but they are also elites trained in the Beggars' Clan's killing arts, who slay their enemies without hesitation.”
Despite Bu Eun-seol's words, the members' expressions didn't even flicker.
Until now, the Sa-yeong-dae members had carried out their missions at the risk of their lives, as long as the order came from Bu Eun-seol.
And they had come to realize one truth.
That fighting strong enemies, while dangerous, was an opportunity to develop oneself to the next level.
“Their number is three hundred.”
Three hundred elite masters, possessing peak skills—not the disorderly martial arts of the common Beggars' Clan—and rich with combat experience, were on their way.
Normally, the correct decision would be to evade the surprise attack and lie low for a while.
But no one had any intention of moving. Instead, flames blazed in the eyes of the Sa-yeong-dae members.
Thirty against three hundred. Even in the face of such a fierce battle, their morale hadn't dropped in the slightest.
“They will soon surround Ihwa Manor and pour in from all sides.”
Bu Eun-seol said in a solemn voice.
“Deal with them cleanly.”
In that instant, a power that could overwhelm ten thousand demons flowed from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
“Let the name of the Sa-yeong-dae shake the martial world!”
“As you command!”
The members, who usually cut corners with formalities, naturally shouted, "As you command!"
They instinctively felt that now was the time to maintain strict military discipline, not freedom.
*Fwoosh!*
At that moment, the sound of clothes rustling in the wind began to echo incessantly from the distant sky.
Simultaneously, martial artists in worn-out clothes began to arrive one after another, descending in front of Ihwa Manor.
They had all mastered the Sin-bul-jang and Jang-hwa-gon-beop to the eighth level or higher, and were masters highly specialized in fighting against multiple opponents.
It was the Beggars' Clan's Gaegol-dan.
The Beggars' Clan members standing before Ihwa Manor stood in relaxed postures, as if they were out for a stroll.
The vanguards of ordinary sects form ranks and use formations, but the Beggars' Clan is different.
Except when using the Dog Beating Formation, they employ tactics that overwhelm the enemy with sheer numerical superiority.
In short, if there is one enemy, they send ten. If there are ten, they send a hundred.
As if to prove this, some three hundred masters had taken up positions around Ihwa Manor.
*Tap.*
As the three hundred Gaegol-dan members surrounded Ihwa Manor, a figure holding a long staff descended before the main gate.
He was a middle-aged man in tattered clothes, holding an iron staff in his hand.
It was the leader of the Gaegol-dan, Yi Sim-hwa, known as Geom-rae-bak-so.
Geom-rae-bak-so.
It meant ‘to clap and laugh when the sword comes.’ True to his title, he loved to fight.
And as if to prove it, his exposed face and forearms were covered in scars, large and small.
*Thump, thump.*
As the Gaegol-dan finished their battle preparations, Bu Eun-seol and the Sa-yeong-dae members emerged from Ihwa Manor as if they had been waiting.
“Hah, it seems our clan's intelligence was truly compromised.”
Despite having isolated Ihwa Manor with overwhelming numbers, the expressions of Bu Eun-seol and his Sa-yeong-dae members were calm.
“You must be the leader of the Sa-yeong-dae.”
Like a veteran of the martial world who had experienced countless fierce battles, Yi Sim-hwa instantly identified Bu Eun-seol as the leader.
“Quite young. And your eyes are alive.”
He let out a sigh of admiration, then furrowed his brows and spoke.
“Why do you seek to make an enemy of our clan? At your age, being a unit leader in the Demonic Sanctum should be more than enough to be proud of.”
“Are you curious?”
“Of course.”
Bu Eun-seol looked down at Yi Sim-hwa with cool eyes and said.
“I will tell you after I've wiped you all out.”
“Hahaha.”
A low laugh escaped Yi Sim-hwa, and killing intent flowed from his eyes.
“Such confidence.”
Shaking his head, he gathered strength in his abdomen and shouted in a loud voice.
“Kill!”
At that, the masters of the Gaegol-dan, with a great battle cry, surged toward the Sa-yeong-dae like a wave swallowing a sandcastle.
But something was strange.
The leader of the Sa-yeong-dae, who should have been their strongest fighter, wasn't joining the battle but just standing still. Was he not, in fact, watching the scene with a strange smile on his face?
*Clang! Chaaang!*
When the Sa-yeong-dae and the Gaegol-dan finally clashed, the loud clang of metal echoed in all directions.
The Gaegol-dan, as if accustomed to tactics for overwhelming smaller numbers, naturally attacked the Sa-yeong-dae members even with their own allies entangled around them.
However, the Sa-yeong-dae were also specialized in fighting numerous enemies with few numbers.
The members of the Third Squad at the forefront, having mastered the Black Poison Demonic Art, were impervious to swords and sabers.
They blocked the incoming weapons without hesitation, unleashing monstrous strength to disrupt the Gaegol-dan's formation.
The Second Squad executed lightning-fast movement techniques, throwing hidden weapons to disrupt the Gaegol-dan's attacks.
And the members of the First Squad in the center.
With their outstanding swordsmanship and saber arts, they advanced and retreated in response to the Beggars' Clan's offensive, cutting down their members.
“Aargh!”
“Keok!”
Screams erupted one after another from the Beggars' Clan's side.
Yi Sim-hwa's eyes widened.
The martial prowess of the Sa-yeong-dae members was not that of a third-rate unit.
Moreover, with terrifyingly skilled individuals mixed in here and there, the tide of battle was collapsing uncontrollably.
There was one who madly unleashed strange silver threads wrapped around his hands, and another who wielded two whips over three *zhang* long.
Turn your head, and there was another master who could shatter boulders with a single palm strike, unleashing a powerful palm force comparable to the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.
Also, individuals with lightning-fast movement techniques were scattered about, throwing daggers and hidden weapons to disrupt the Gaegol-dan's attacks.
“How can this be.”
Watching the scene, Yi Sim-hwa's eyes widened.
“A mere third-rate unit is this strong?”
According to the intelligence they had obtained, the Sa-yeong-dae was a newly formed, third-rate unit.
He had brought enough forces to overwhelm them in an instant. Yet, wasn't the situation turning into one where their ranks were breaking, and some thirty masters were pressuring three hundred of his clan's members?
“Was the intelligence wrong? That can't be.”
Shaking his head, Yi Sim-hwa's gaze grew hazy. It was as if he were having a nightmare with his eyes wide open.
“No, wait...”
Only then did he realize that he had only obtained information about the Sa-yeong-dae, but knew very little about its leader.
He should have confirmed how someone so young became the leader of a third-rate unit in the Demonic Sanctum, and why the Sa-yeong-dae was created in the first place.
‘I was too hasty.’
He had thought of it as just one laughable unit from the Demonic Sanctum that had gotten on his nerves.
Just wiping out a third-rate unit from the Demonic Sanctum... he had thought of it far too lightly.
“Ugh!”
“Kuhk.”
The screams were ceaseless, and fresh blood splattered in all directions each time a weapon cut through the air.
It did not take long to determine the victor.
It had only taken about the time for a meal for the Sa-yeong-dae members and Bu Eun-seol's companions to wipe out more than half of the Gaegol-dan.
‘At this rate, we'll be annihilated.’
Yi Sim-hwa's eyes widened.
Until now, the Gaegol-dan had always used their overwhelming numbers to crush smaller groups of enemies.
But for the first time, they had met an opponent against whom such tactics didn't work.
“Retreat!”
He shouted loudly, but even retreating was not easy.
The Sa-yeong-dae members, using their swift movement techniques, were cleverly showering them with hidden weapons, blocking their escape routes.
“All units, retreat!”
In the end, Yi Sim-hwa, staff in hand, stepped onto the battlefield to hold back the Sa-yeong-dae members.
But just then,
“Let them through.”
The leader of the Sa-yeong-dae, Bu Eun-seol, commanded his members in a loud voice.
“There's no need to wipe out that entire pack of beggars.”
Half of the Gaegol-dan had fallen and been killed, but none of the Sa-yeong-dae members had escaped unscathed either.
Having already achieved a great victory, there was no need to suffer more losses by completely annihilating them.
“Don't just leave.”
Then, Bu Eun-seol approached Yi Sim-hwa with his hands clasped behind his back and spoke.
“Clean up all the bodies of your clan members before you go. If the corpses of beggars pile up here... it will only bring you more disgrace.”
What could the defeated general say?
Yi Sim-hwa bit his lip and nodded.
“Understood.”
* * *
Having heard one shocking piece of news after another, Hae-pung's eyes were wide open.
The undefeated Gaegol-dan had been crushed by a mere thirty or so masters?
This meant that, contrary to what was known, the Sa-yeong-dae was not a third-rate unit.
But upon hearing the subsequent words from Jeong Sam of the So-geol-haeng-ju, he couldn't help but doubt his own ears.
“The leader of the Sa-yeong-dae was the Sip-ma-jeon-in of Nang-ya-gak, the one who defeated the Dae-ui-go-su in succession in the past?”
Hae-pung stared at Jeong Sam as if he were looking at a ghost.
“And he's the legitimate successor of Nang-ya-gak... and now a candidate to be the successor of the Demonic Sanctum?”
“That is correct.”
Jeong Sam said, sweat beading on his forehead.
“According to what I've investigated...”
Jeong Sam calmly explained once more the information he had discovered by mobilizing the Beggars' Clan's entire intelligence network.
The leader of the Demonic Sanctum's Sa-yeong-dae.
He was the Sip-ma-jeon-in of Nang-ya-gak who had crushed the Dae-ui-go-su in the past, and now held the position of a candidate for the succession of the Demonic Sanctum.
He was even said to be one of the most promising candidates to succeed the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the number one figure in the demonic path.
A candidate for the succession of the Demonic Sanctum.
Was that a position one could obtain by drawing lots? Wasn't it a status that could only be achieved by building a powerful faction capable of convincing not only the Ten Demonic Sects, but also the Demonic Sanctum and the Council of Elders?
“I can't understand it at all.”
Hae-pung said, shaking his head.
“Why would a candidate for the Demonic Sanctum's succession try to make an enemy of our clan?”
A candidate for the Demonic Sanctum's succession should be busy enough dealing with his rivals.
So why is he suddenly stirring up trouble with the Beggars' Clan?
“Well...”
The So-geol-haeng-ju hesitated before speaking cautiously.
“He has publicly declared that he will strike down and kill the Grand Elder.”
“What?”
Hae-pung's mouth fell open in disbelief.
A man who just put his name on the list of candidates for the Demonic Sanctum's succession is going to kill the Grand Elder, one of the Seven Kings of the Death God?
“He must be mad.”
Shaking his head, Hae-pung furrowed his brow.
“Then the reason he brought the entire Sa-yeong-dae was, surely not, to face the Grand Elder?”
“No, he says he will face him alone.”
“What?”
“The mission he received as a candidate for the Demonic Sanctum's succession is apparently to kill one of the Seven Kings of the Death God.”
“He'll face the Grand Elder alone?”
“Yes. As if to prove it, all the Sa-yeong-dae members have returned to the Demonic Sanctum, and only that leader and one attendant remain at Ihwa Manor.”
Hae-pung let out a hollow laugh that went beyond bewilderment.
“I simply can't understand it. He must be crazy for death.”
It is true that the martial prowess of the Grand Elder, Gu Hong-cheong, ranks last among the Seven Kings of the Death God.
But even so, he is not at a level that can be killed by a rising master who has only been active in the martial world for a few years.
“Perhaps that decision is not unrelated to the murder of Seong-ryun, who was a disciple of our clan.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Because the Grand Elder remains silent, we don't know the detailed circumstances of that time... but weren't there rumors that he killed masters from Nang-ya-gak when Seong-ryun died?”
“Then you're saying the reason he targeted our clan's intelligence network was because of the Grand Elder?”
“That's right. It seems he orchestrated this to draw the Grand Elder back into the martial world.”
“Hmm.”
Hae-pung hummed thoughtfully.
Grand Elder Gu Hong-cheong, true to his title of Geol-wang, is known to wander the martial world aimlessly without staying in one place.
But the reality is different.
In fact, he operates his own separate intelligence network within the Beggars' Clan, and thanks to it, he has been able to completely hide his whereabouts.
“It seems this wasn't a matter for us to intervene in anyway.”
Jeong Sam said cautiously, watching Hae-pung's expression.
“Once the rumors spread, the Grand Elder will appear and strike down that arrogant demonic bastard.”
“Absolutely not.”
Hae-pung said forcefully with a resolute expression.
“News of that man must never reach the Grand Elder's ears.”
He narrowed his eyes with a very serious expression.
“If the Grand Elder gets involved in this, then once again... what happened in the past will repeat itself.”
“Ah, that could indeed happen.”
Jeong Sam let out a sigh and nodded.
In truth, Gu Hong-cheong was not a man satisfied with the position of Grand Elder.
Especially as the current Clan Leader, No Bong, fell ill with no signs of recovery, he had been openly revealing his ambitions.
If Hae-pung and the heads of the Eight Branches hadn't restricted his actions, the Beggars' Clan would already be under the command of the Geol-wang.
“The Grand Elder is eagerly watching for a chance to intervene in the clan's affairs. We must not give him an excuse with something like this.”
“But we can't just leave him be, can we? He'll use all sorts of schemes to set up a one-on-one duel with the Grand Elder... the future troubles will be endless.”
“A one-on-one duel, you say.”
Hae-pung, who had been thinking about something, nodded.
“If he wants a one-on-one duel, then there's a good way.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said the Sip-ma-jeon-in of Nang-ya-gak even crushed Song Ak, the former Dae-ui-go-su of Wudang, didn't you?”
Hae-pung said in a low voice.
“In fact, Wudang preemptively took on a problem that Shaolin should have handled. Yet when Song Ak was defeated, Shaolin expressed considerable regret.”
And he gave a faint smile.
“And Shaolin sent their Dae-ui-go-su, Gwang Yeon, into the martial world, and he has been searching for that man for a long time.”
As Jeong Sam let out a gasp of realization, Hae-pung wore a confident smile.
“Inform Shaolin.”
He paused for a moment, his eyes glinting in the darkness as he spoke.
“Tell them that the Sip-ma-jeon-in of Nang-ya-gak, whom they have been searching for all this time, is staying at Ihwa Manor.”