Chapter 115: Heading to Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: Heading to Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress (2)
“You should head back too, sister. I’ll drop by when I have some time.”
I felt much more at ease looking at Ham Bi-hye now.
“Come on, let’s go,” Ham Bi-hye said to Seo Rin, but the latter hesitated.
“Would it be alright if I visited you sometime?”
I gave Seo Rin a bright smile at her question.
“Then we shall finish the drinks we couldn't finish before.”
Seo Rin beamed at my words. It seemed she had felt uneasy about letting me go like this, but my response made her smile bloom like a flower.
For a moment, I thought she was truly beautiful.
Ah, please don't say I lose my mind every time I see a beauty. If a person doesn't find a flower pretty when they see one, are they even human?
Ham Bi-hye and Seo Rin mounted their horses and headed back toward the Nine Demons Chamber first.
“Why aren't you leaving, Counselor Wu?”
When I asked, Counselor Wu offered me a polite fist-and-palm salute.
“I will cherish Young Hero Eo’s kindness for the rest of my life.”
He seemed to be referring to my help with Ham Bi-hye.
“If there is ever a time you need my life, please call upon me at any moment. To Young Hero Eo, who understood the heart of a man, I would gladly sacrifice this life.”
“Hahaha! Why so grim? Your sentiment alone is enough. And please, take good care of my sister.”
At my words, Counselor Wu bowed his head and pulled something from his robe.
“Thank you. Also, this is something I obtained from a wager with Do Geon a while back. I’m giving it to you just in case; I’m sure you’ll find a use for it.”
“What is this?”
“It is called the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube. It is one of the masterpieces of the Dark King Demon, Yuk Bang-ju. Along with the hidden weapon tubes of the Sichuan Tang Clan, it is considered one of the two greatest hidden weapon tubes in the Murim.”
Whoa! Something this precious? This would fetch a fortune if I sold it.
“Thank you.”
“And this is something the Ninth Chamber Leader asked me to give to you.”
He signaled a warrior to bring over a chest.
“What is this?”
“The Chamber Leader prepared some gold as a token of his gratitude to Young Hero Eo.”
“Gold?”
I barely managed to suppress the urge to ask, 'How much?'
I couldn't act like a total materialist. I was a respectable master now, after all. Especially during such a cool farewell scene.
“Why bother with this? How can a man’s deeds be measured in gold?”
“Of course, Young Hero Eo would feel that way, but the Chamber Leader wishes to show his sincerity even in this small way, so please accept it.”
People were already crowding around me, whispering about how many gold yuanbao might be inside the chest.
‘You should’ve given it to me in secret. Why give it to me so publicly?’
Since it had come to this, if I hogged it all for myself, I’d be cursed for generations. I turned to Counselor Wu.
“How could I possibly keep all this gold for myself? I shall share it with those who have shared life and death with me. Could you find me twelve silk cloths to wrap the gold in?”
It was a hollow gesture, as I knew we couldn't find silk cloths in a remote place like this. I intended to make a show of it and then take the chest for myself later.
“I already knew Young Hero Eo would say that, so I have divided the gold into twelve leather pouches. I knew long ago that you are not the type of person to live well alone while others suffer.”
He said it with a face that practically screamed, 'Didn't I do a good job?' I honestly wanted to punch him.
When the chest was opened, it was filled with twelve bulging leather pouches. It looked like there was more than just one or two gold yuanbao in each.
‘With that much, I could buy a small tavern.’
As I handed a leather pouch to each person, the Seven Heroes’ hands trembled as they opened them. When in their lives would they have ever laid eyes on such gold?
Compared to this gold, the money I had extorted from the moneylender while heading to deal with the Blood Lama as the 'New Dragon' was a mere drop in the bucket.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang also opened their pouches with tense faces. I spoke to them as they stared blankly at the golden glint inside with wide eyes.
“Keep that money and use it to get married. If I catch any of you spending it on booze or gambling, I’ll take it back.”
They all answered in unison.
“We will! We will definitely get married!”
The youngest of the Seven Heroes chuckled.
“Following the Lord brings both money and fame. If we hadn't met the Lord, we’d probably be dead in some ditch by now, killed by some master’s blade.”
The Seven Heroes’ eyes welled up with tears of emotion. Honestly, for guys who looked like that, they were surprisingly sentimental.
I turned to Counselor Wu.
“Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
“I should be the one saying that, Young Hero Eo.”
Counselor Wu gripped my hand tightly. I could feel his sincerity.
After Counselor Wu also turned his horse and left, I spoke to the Demon Subjugation Group.
“Let’s go!”
As we resumed our journey, the Blood Wind Squad was still following me.
“Go back now!”
No matter how many times I told them, the Blood Wind Squad wouldn't listen and kept following. Counselor Wu, who was lingering a bit, smiled and said to me:
“Try giving them a command. They might listen then.”
“This is an order! Blood Wind Squad, halt!”
At my words, the Blood Wind Squad stopped all at once. Only when I used the word 'order' did they obey.
“The Blood Wind Squad’s loyalty is exceptional because Young Hero Eo personally selected and trained them—and even gave those who were about to fail the elixirs to make them part of the squad.”
My nose tingled at Counselor Wu’s words. My heart swelled with pride at the thought of so many masters being loyal to me.
However, it was time to send them back.
“Listen, Blood Wind Squad! All of you, return to the Chamber! This is an order!”
When I spoke firmly, the Blood Wind Squad shouted back at me in unison.
“Loyalty! We obey the Squad Leader’s command!”
Their roar echoed across the plains. Only then did the Blood Wind Squad turn around and head back to the Nine Demons Chamber.
I smacked my lips with a sense of regret as I watched them go.
‘If only I had the Blood Wind Squad, I’d have nothing to fear.’
Even if I wanted them, I couldn't have them. Operating a squad of hundreds of warriors required an astronomical amount of money. Feeding and maintaining hundreds of horses and men was no easy feat. Even the hangers-on currently with me were a handful.
Still, with Jeok Yeong, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, the Seven Heroes, So Gu-chi, Sim Geol, Poison Wolf Ibu, and Smiling Face Sword by my side, I felt we could hold our own in the Murim. This level of strength was more than enough to handle any low-tier threats.
“Alright, let’s move.”
Leaving the Nine Demons Chamber felt bittersweet. Even though I hadn't been there long, I had grown attached to the place.
‘Still, it’s a place I never want to visit again.’
But the others seemed to feel the loss, each offering a word.
“The Nine Demons Chamber is like my home sect. I was able to complete my martial arts there,” So Gu-chi said, and Sim Geol followed up.
“Not only did you complete your martial arts, but you’ve entered the first-rate realm. How could we not be grateful?”
Xing Youzheng added, “Isn't this all thanks to our Lord? If we hadn't followed him, would we have ever encountered such a fortuitous encounter?”
Poison Wolf Ibu nodded. “Indeed. Young Hero Eo is like a master to us.”
As I looked at them closely, I realized something I hadn't noticed in the chaos: they were all wearing the red uniforms of the Blood Wind Squad. However, the insignias of the Nine Demons Chamber and the Blood Wind Squad had been removed.
“You didn't change your clothes?”
When I asked, Smiling Face Sword stepped forward.
“Since we were part of the Blood Wind Squad, we’ve named ourselves the Blood Wind Group. And we have elected Young Hero Eo as our Group Leader. Will you be the leader of our Blood Wind Group?”
As Smiling Face Sword spoke, the others all looked at me. It seemed they had already discussed this among themselves.
I felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Why are we forming an organization among ourselves?”
Poison Wolf Ibu stepped up.
“No, sir. I realized it during the Blood Wind Squad training. I am ready to dedicate this life to the Group Leader. Please be our leader. While the Seven Heroes and the Twin Heroes of Guiyang serve you as their Lord, to us, you are the Group Leader who holds our lives in his hands. If it is the Group Leader’s command, we are prepared to jump into the fires of hell.”
So Gu-chi and Sim Geol shouted in unison.
“We’ve been thinking about this for a long time. Please be the leader of our Blood Wind Group.”
Looking at So Gu-chi, Sim Geol, Poison Wolf Ibu, and Smiling Face Sword, many thoughts crossed my mind. These were people I had formed ties with since entering Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress. They were all upright, warrior-like men.
They had lived their lives being mistreated in the Murim because they were weaklings, but after joining me, meeting masters, and completing their martial arts, they had seen a new world and gained enlightenment.
“Am I qualified to be the leader of the Blood Wind Group?”
When I asked, moved by their sincerity, the Seven Heroes shouted.
“If our Lord, the Acting Squad Leader of the Nine Demons Chamber’s Blood Wind Squad, isn't qualified, then who on earth is!”
Looking at the Seven Heroes, they no longer looked like weaklings at all. They had been reborn as respectable warriors—first-rate warriors, at that. They were warriors I could be proud of anywhere.
“It is an honor for me to be your leader as well. To be with warriors like you is a blessing for any martial artist. How could I refuse such a blessing!”
“Then please, use informal speech with us from now on. A leader does not use honorifics with his members,” Poison Wolf Ibu said, and I gave a small smile.
“Fine. We are the Blood Wind Group. Let’s go!”
“Loyalty!” the Blood Wind Group shouted.
I looked back once toward the Nine Demons Chamber before grabbing the reins.
However, there was someone who seemed even more regretful than I was. For some reason, Jeok Yeong stared at the Nine Demons Chamber endlessly before sighing and taking his reins.
Two days after leaving the Nine Demons Chamber, we ran into an unexpected situation.
‘Damn it, if I’d known this would happen, I wouldn't have sent the Blood Wind Squad back.’
Regretting it now was useless. The Iron Blood Demon Group was arrayed before us. And at the front was the very man I hated to see most.
It was Ghost Rock Dragon Do Geon and his senior brother, Iron Blood Dragon Wang Baek.
As the wind blew, Do Geon’s empty sleeve fluttered. That bastard had followed us all this way just to vent his spite.
“I’ve been waiting for you to leave the Chamber. There were restrictions while you were inside, but here, there is no one to stop me.”
He spoke as if I were a rat trapped in a jar. Honestly, he wasn't wrong. I was exactly like a rat in a jar.
Still, I had to remain dignified so the enemy wouldn't find me an easy target. I had to make him think I was hiding something to find even the smallest opening.
“I knew you’d be waiting. Scum like you cling on like dogs in heat.”
When I spoke with a smirk, showing no sign of tension, Do Geon instinctively looked around. When he found nothing, he grew furious, thinking he was being mocked.
“Hahaha! Do you think I’ll fall for that!”
I racked my brain for a way to break through this, but there was no clear solution. As Do Geon said, in a place like this, I had no one to lean on.
Then, I thought of the object in my robe and started talking nonsense. Sometimes, this kind of thing actually worked. I figured I had nothing to lose.
“Does your master know you’re doing this!”
I infused my voice with a Lion’s Roar, making it echo across the plains for everyone to hear.
“What are you talking about!” Do Geon shouted. I had him.
“Knowing you would act like this, your master, the Sixth Chamber Leader, gave me a token and told me to send the Iron Blood Demon Group back! He said that if I showed this, the Iron Blood Demon Group would obey!”
The innocent Jeok Yeong blinked and whispered, “Brother, when did you meet the Sixth Chamber Leader?”
I gave a small smile.
“He’d try to kill me if we met, so why would I meet him? Just stay quiet and listen.”
“Khahahaha!”
Suddenly, Do Geon burst into a sky-shaking laugh.
“You’ve truly lost your mind now that you’re about to die. What exactly is this 'token' my master supposedly gave you!”
As soon as he said that, I pulled the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube from my robe.
“It is this! Everyone will recognize it!”
As I held it high, the leader of the Iron Blood Demon Group, Iron Blood Dragon Wang Baek, shouted.
“Isn't that Master’s Galaxy Needle Poison Tube!”
Just as Counselor Wu had said, this was an item Yuk Bang-ju only had a few of. Claiming he had given it to me lent my words instant credibility.
“No! It’s a lie! That’s what I—”
I quickly cut him off and shouted.
“Surely you aren't going to say this was stolen or lost in a wager? This is a treasure, one of the few masterpieces of the Sixth Chamber Leader’s life. To say it was managed so poorly it was stolen, or that it was lost in a bet, would be an insult to your master.”
As I made the first move, Do Geon’s lips trembled. If he admitted he had lost it in a bet, it would be exactly as I said—an act of contempt toward his master.
“Is it true? Did Master really give that to you?”
The simple and naive Wang Baek was already halfway convinced by my words.
“Why else would I have it! The Sixth Chamber Leader gave it to me precisely because he predicted this situation. If you don't believe me, why don't you go back to the Nine Demons Chamber and ask him yourself!”
Wang Baek nodded at my words.
“I suppose we could go back and ask.”
“Senior! Does that make any sense? If we go back to ask, how are we supposed to kill him?”
“Huh? Is that how it works? But the Galaxy Needle Poison Tube is something Master treasures. Why is it in that man’s hands? Isn't it strange? We shouldn't just attack blindly.”
My plan was working better than expected. Now was the time to drive the final nail in.