Chapter 145
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Light in the Darkness
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In the darkness, Seol Hwa-un spoke calmly.
“The old Yangtze Waterway Stronghold was filled only with this kind of darkness.”
“…….”
“It was a band of plunderers, cruel pirates.”
Some of the pirates frowned in displeasure.
Seol Hwa-un pulled out the paper he had prepared and ignited it with Samadhi True Fire.
Whoosh!
The paper burned bit by bit, illuminating the surroundings.
“At that time, a light called the Yangtze Dragon King appeared.”
Fwoosh.
The paper rode the wind and flew. Remarkably, the flame on the paper did not go out.
Flicker!
The nearest torch touched the paper and reignited.
“The light drove away the darkness and illuminated the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold.”
Sizzle!
The paper split in half and flew left and right. It then lit the nearby torches one by one.
Flicker!
Flicker!
The surroundings gradually brightened again.
“Thanks to that, the darkness receded, and it became bright. Just like the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold today.”
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining torches blazed back to life.
They had not been completely extinguished but merely suppressed by the wind, so once the wind stopped, they reignited.
“Wowww!”
“Amazing! How on earth did he do that?”
Even Mae Jong-pyo, who had grasped the situation, looked stunned.
‘Incredible! Controlling hundreds of torches with wind is astonishing enough, but precise Air Grasping True Qi on top of that exquisite qi circulation!’
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Sudden applause rang out. Surprisingly, it came from the Yangtze Dragon King himself.
“As expected of the North Heaven Dragon. A splendid feat.”
Soon, applause poured in from all directions.
Clap clap clap clap!
“Amazing, North Heaven Dragon!”
“Splendid qi art!”
Seol Hwa-un, sweat beading on his forehead, let out a quiet sigh.
‘Whew. Did I overdo it a bit?’
He had just used the North Sea Wind God Fist’s qi circulation, but even for him, simultaneously controlling hundreds of torches with wind was no easy task.
‘Still, I got this kind of reaction, so it’s a success.’
The applause continued for quite a while afterward.
“Alright, alright. That’s enough. It looks like first place is decided.”
“North Heaven Dragon!”
“North Heaven Dragon!”
At Mae Jong-pyo’s words, the pirates chanted Seol Hwa-un’s title repeatedly.
Of course, Seol Hwa-un had somewhat overly praised the absolute authority among the pirates, the Yangtze Dragon King.
But by elevating the Dragon King, he drew the greatest cheers, so it was a success in the end.
‘To claim first place, I had no choice.’
Sure enough.
Mae Jong-pyo said with a smile.
“First place goes to the North Heaven Dragon. Does anyone object?”
“…….”
The leader of the Yuan River Stronghold smacked his lips in regret, but there was nothing to be done.
“Good! The North Heaven Dragon takes first place!”
Woooah!
“We’ll hand over the prizes right away!”
Mae Jong-pyo received the jade Buddha statue from the Yangtze Dragon King, and in the meantime, his subordinates brought a large box.
“One hundred nyang of gold and the jade Buddha statue!”
Woooah!
Seol Hwa-un accepted the jade Buddha statue.
‘Indeed…… No doubt about it.’
He turned to the audience and spoke.
“I’m grateful. However, the Dragon King Festival is your celebration. I don’t think it’s right for an outsider like me to take everything.”
“……!”
“So, I’ll take only the jade Buddha statue, and yield the one hundred nyang of gold to the Yuan River Stronghold for their excellent performance.”
Woooah!
Another massive cheer erupted.
Seol Hwa-un turned to Mae Jong-pyo and said.
“That’s fine, right?”
“Hahaha, of course. The prizes are yours anyway. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
In truth, the pirates coveted the gold more than the small jade Buddha statue. Accordingly, the Yuan River Stronghold leader couldn’t stay silent.
“Thanks to your concession, we get the prize…… This is embarrassing! In that case, we can’t just pretend not to notice. Our stronghold will take only half the gold! With the other half, we’ll buy fine liquor and distribute it to all the strongholds!”
Woooah!
“As expected of a generous leader! Thank you!”
“Yeah, this is what a real festival is like!”
And so, the Dragon King Festival ended on a warm note.
* * *
The ships at the Yellow Stone Dock departed one by one.
Seol Hwa-un’s group said they would head to a nearby dock and take a regular ship back, but Mae Jong-pyo insisted they ride the Black Pearl, so they ended up relying on him once more.
Before departing, Seol Hwa-un had a private meeting with the Yangtze Dragon King again.
“Have you given it some thought?”
The Yangtze Dragon King nodded with a heavy expression.
“I’ve pondered it endlessly…… but I’ve concluded that the method you proposed is the best.”
“I only offered advice. Everything depends on the Chief Stronghold Leader’s will.”
“True enough. Thank you.”
“May I ask one thing?”
“What is it?”
Seol Hwa-un took the jade Buddha statue from his bosom.
“This jade Buddha statue. Where did you obtain it?”
The Yangtze Dragon King smiled faintly.
“So that’s why you stepped up? Because of this jade Buddha statue?”
“…….”
“Curious. Do you know something about that item?”
Seol Hwa-un hesitated.
‘Should I tell the Yangtze Dragon King?’
But before he could say anything, the Yangtze Dragon King spoke first.
“You don’t have to say. Even if it’s some extraordinary treasure, it’s already left my hands, so I have no interest.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“The circumstances of how I got it are nothing special. A long time ago, this old man…… where was it again?”
The Yangtze Dragon King shook his head, thinking.
“I don’t even remember the stronghold’s name well. Anyway, I subjugated some nasty pirates and found it in their warehouse.”
“You’re saying pirates were keeping this?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm.”
Seol Hwa-un unconsciously frowned.
‘How did it end up there?’
“Thank you for answering.”
“Heh heh, it probably wasn’t much help.”
“No, it was.”
After that, the two parted ways, promising to meet again someday.
Once Seol Hwa-un’s group had departed, the Yangtze Dragon King summoned Inspection Unit Leader Oh Sang-baek and Dragon King Brigade Leader Son Dang to his quarters.
“You called for us, Chief Stronghold Leader.”
The two bowed politely.
“To save time, I called you both together.”
The Yangtze Dragon King cut straight to the point.
“I’ll ask you two. Are you interested in the Chief Stronghold Leader position?”
“……!”
The surprised Oh Sang-baek and Son Dang exchanged glances.
“Please answer honestly. Only then can this old man properly plan for the stronghold’s future.”
A brief silence fell. Son Dang spoke first.
“As the Chief Stronghold Leader has already judged, I’m not suited for the position.”
“…….”
“Instead, no matter who becomes Chief, I promise to serve them with all my might.”
The Yangtze Dragon King said coldly.
“Once you renounce the Chief position, you can’t even decide that for yourself.”
“…….”
“What about the Inspection Unit Leader?”
“I’m the same. I know my own limits. I lack the confidence to handle a position above Inspection Unit Leader.”
“……Are you both sincere?”
Oh Sang-baek and Son Dang bowed their heads simultaneously.
“Yes.”
The Yangtze Dragon King closed his eyes.
‘Neither is lying. As I thought.’
After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke.
“One final question. Do you truly have no desire for the Chief Stronghold Leader position?”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
“Then, for the future of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold, will you bear any sacrifice?”
“……!”
Neither answered easily.
‘Sacrifice.’
This was a burdensome word beyond mere ambition.
The Yangtze Dragon King chuckled.
“I’m not asking for something huge. Though it’s not small either.”
“…….”
“Considering how hard you’ve worked for the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold, I truly feel sorry. But what can be done? For the future, we must give up the present for a time.”
Son Dang spoke first.
“I will bear the sacrifice.”
“…….”
After agonizing, Oh Sang-baek spoke as if resigned.
“With the Dragon King Brigade Leader saying that…… I have no choice. I’ll bear it too. It’s not like you’re asking us to lay down our lives, right?”
“Heh heh heh, of course not.”
The Yangtze Dragon King, who had burst into laughter, hardened his face again.
“Both of you, as of now, are relieved of your positions.”
“……!”
“We’ll process it as voluntary resignations. Your deputy unit leader and deputy brigade leader will be promoted to Inspection Unit Leader and Dragon King Brigade Leader, respectively.”
A declaration like a bolt from the blue.
Yet the two accepted it calmly.
This was precisely the method Seol Hwa-un had proposed.
Retire the two most likely candidates and let them fade into obscurity gradually.
In the meantime, entrust Mae Jong-pyo with major responsibilities to build prestige befitting a Chief Stronghold Leader.
Seol Hwa-un estimated the minimum time for this at five years.
Even after that, if Mae Jong-pyo still fell short, the Yangtze Dragon King would have to remain in the position longer, he had said.
For the Yangtze Dragon King, losing these core figures and assets of the stronghold was painful, but considering the future, this was the method with the least side effects.
From that day on, Oh Sang-baek, who stepped down from Inspection Unit Leader, became the Chief Instructor to train successors and contribute to the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold.
And.
Son Dang vanished completely from the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold.
* * *
Inside the Black Pearl’s cabin.
Alone, Seol Hwa-un toyed with the jade Buddha statue.
“…….”
‘Who would’ve thought I’d find this here.’
Mixed Heaven Demon Venerable Buddha Statue.
That was the exact name of the jade Buddha statue Seol Hwa-un knew.
Its origin lay with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, once feared by Central Plains martial artists as the Demonic Cult.
Two hundred years ago, one of the Outer Realm Evil Forces that gave the Heavenly Collapse Fist Emperor and Martial Alliance Guardian Corps the most trouble and resisted most fiercely.
Recalling the past, Seol Hwa-un gazed at the Mixed Heaven Demon Venerable Buddha Statue again.
‘I got it while subjugating the Demonic Cult in my previous life.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult followers had revered this statue as sacred and guarded it desperately, so he had investigated it himself to learn what it was.
‘I speculated it was a clue to the legacy of the Demonic Cult’s legendary master, the Heavenly Demon…….’
Even then, he hadn’t figured out exactly what it was.
The problem was that this item, which should have been sealed in the Martial Alliance’s underground vault, had come from a stronghold’s warehouse.
‘Did it leak from the Martial Alliance?’
The corrupt Martial Alliance might have secretly disposed of it.
‘But…….’
Even so, it was an item of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. They wouldn’t have leaked something like that carelessly.
‘Hmm. What on earth happened all this time?’
Seol Hwa-un’s worries deepened.