Chapter 17: This is Invaaaaaalid! (2)
Chapter 17: This is Invaaaaaalid! (2)
Patrick felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
Right. This is exactly what the Murim was like, he thought.
Patrick extended both hands forward, clasping them in a polite fist salute as he spoke.
“As a Venerated Elder of the Twin Dragon Sect, I shall give you a formal answer.”
“Mmm…”
“As for the future path of our sect, that is a matter for the Sect Leader to decide, so it is difficult for me to give a definitive word. However…”
“……”
“Our Twin Dragon Sect is an orthodox sect that upholds the Righteous Path and practices chivalry. While we may engage in friendly competition with the Kongtong Sect, we shall never treat you as enemies.”
“……”
“Is that answer sufficient?”
“Ah… yes. It is more than enough.”
Yun-gi, the Sword of Wise Governance, was taken aback.
The very aura emanating from his opponent had completely changed. The frivolous and playful air from before had vanished without a trace. Now, he felt a profound dignity, as if he were standing before the great elders of his own sect.
No, to be honest, the feeling surpassed even that.
It was as if he were facing a colossal mountain whose peak was hidden in the clouds, its true height unknowable. It was truly the presence of one who stood above the heavens…
“Right. Then you’re done here. Off you go.”
“……”
“What are you doing? I said, leave.”
It must have been an illusion.
Yes, it was definitely an illusion. It had to be.
* * *
“You blundering idiot!”
“Guh… ack…”
Ma Jae-ho, the Blood Wolf Wanderer, had regained consciousness.
And the first thing he did upon waking was to seize the neck of his advisor—someone he usually never laid a hand on—and begin to squeeze.
“You dared to acknowledge the sect’s defeat? You dared to drag the name of Ma Jae-ho, the Blood Wolf Wanderer, through the mud?”
“S-Sect Leader. I only…”
“Shut up!”
Snap!
Advisor Jang tried to say something, but he couldn't finish. Ma Jae-ho had snapped his neck right then and there.
“Worthless trash.”
Ma Jae-ho tossed aside the corpse of Advisor Jang, who died with a look of resentment, his eyes still wide open. Still unable to contain his rage, Ma Jae-ho drew his saber.
He proceeded to hack Advisor Jang’s body into pieces.
“Aaaaahhhhh!”
It was a frenzy of pure venting.
The other members of the Blood Saber Sect didn't even dream of stopping their leader; they simply did their best to avoid his gaze.
In truth, they all knew. The greatest failure of this battle was that Ma Jae-ho had been knocked out in a single blow.
Half of the Blood Saber Sect’s total power came from Ma Jae-ho alone. The moment he was one-sidedly crushed without being able to do a thing, the war was already lost. Dragging the conflict out further would have only increased the sect’s casualties.
While the Sect Leader was unconscious, Advisor Jang had minimized the sect’s losses.
Yet Ma Jae-ho had killed him.
Anyone could see the truth: he was doing this to cover up his own pathetic defeat.
After hacking the corpse until it was no longer recognizable as human, Ma Jae-ho panted heavily.
“I… I, the Blood Wolf Wanderer, lost to such a greenhorn.”
He gnashed his teeth.
“How am I supposed to show my face in the Jianghu now? Damn it all…”
“What does it matter if you can’t show your face?”
It was then.
A voice interrupted, sounding completely unbothered by Ma Jae-ho’s fury.
The atmosphere in the clearing instantly froze. Ma Jae-ho growled toward the direction of the voice.
“Who dares… Huk!”
The moment he identified the speaker, the rage in Ma Jae-ho’s eyes vanished, replaced by sheer bewilderment.
“Seventh Se… Seventh Senior Brother.”
“It’s been a long time, Junior Brother.”
Standing before Ma Jae-ho was a peerlessly handsome man, the very definition of a refined young noble. Seeing the man dressed in a wide robe that seemed ill-suited for the mountains, Ma Jae-ho could not hide the terror on his face.
The man walked toward Ma Jae-ho and spoke.
“Now, which number junior brother were you again? Hmm… I can’t seem to remember.”
“I am… the one hundred and seventy-third.”
“I see. Please understand. As you know, we have quite a lot of brothers, don't we?”
“……”
Ma Jae-ho didn't even dare to answer.
He was currently recalling a memory from long ago.
In his youth, Ma Jae-ho, who was rumored to be a prodigy of the Spirit Profound Sect, received an offer to become a disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Martial Emperor.
There was nothing to think about. Who would refuse the chance to become the disciple of the strongest man under heaven?
Ma Jae-ho had spat on his original sect, the Spirit Profound Sect, and headed to the Hegemon Sect. And when the Heaven-Shattering Martial Emperor saw him, he said…
[A mediocre talent.]
[…Pardon?]
[It shouldn't matter. A chessboard needs pawns, after all.]
Those were the words his master had used when taking him in.
To Ma Jae-ho, it was a humiliating evaluation.
A pawn? I’m a pawn?
He could never accept that. No matter if it came from the strongest man under heaven, he refused to acknowledge such an assessment. He vowed that one day, he would prove his master’s evaluation wrong.
That was what he thought at first.
But the strongest man under heaven was indeed correct.
After entering the Hegemon Sect and seeing his fellow disciples with his own eyes, he realized the truth. There were monsters in this world that he could never hope to catch up to, not even if he died and was reborn a hundred times.
The person standing before him now was exactly such a monster.
Yuseop, the White-Faced Gentleman.
The seventh disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Martial Emperor and a slaughterer who had killed more people than anyone else in the Hegemon Sect.
On the outside, he looked like a dandy who spent his days enjoying the pleasures of a brothel, but even within the Hegemon Sect, he was an object of terror. Once his killing intent was roused, he showed no mercy even to his own fellow disciples.
Why is this lunatic here now…
Yuseop, now standing right in front of Ma Jae-ho, spoke.
“So, Junior Brother. Looking at the situation, it seems you’re running away after getting beaten like a dog somewhere?”
“T-That is…”
Slap! Slap!
Yuseop lightly slapped Ma Jae-ho’s cheeks as he hesitated to answer. It wasn't particularly painful, but it was a humiliating gesture, like a master disciplining a subordinate.
Urgh…
Ma Jae-ho clenched his fists, but he didn't have the courage to swing them.
Yuseop looked at Ma Jae-ho with disdain.
“You dare try to use your head against me? I’m suddenly curious about what’s inside that brain of yours. Shall I take it out and check?”
“N-No! The truth is…”
Ma Jae-ho knew. Yuseop was more than capable of carrying out that threat. He submissively recounted everything that had happened.
“So, to summarize…”
“……”
“You attacked a place thinking it was an easy target, but you got thrashed like a dog by a master you couldn't handle and barely escaped with your life?”
“…Yes.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re a disgrace to our sect all by yourself.”
“……”
Ma Jae-ho’s face flushed with shame.
“Well, since a fellow junior brother was humiliated, I suppose as your senior, I can’t just look the other way, can I?”
At Yuseop’s words, Ma Jae-ho snapped his head up.
“Will you help me?”
“Well, if you cooperate with your senior brother, I suppose I could.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother! I will never forget this debt!”
Ma Jae-ho immediately knelt on the spot and bowed his head in gratitude.
Honestly, he had no confidence in getting revenge against that foreigner himself. He had been one-sidedly defeated without even a chance to gauge the opponent’s skill. That meant the gap between them was immense. However…
So this is what they mean by ‘using one barbarian to control another.’
He didn't know exactly how strong that foreigner was, but the monster in front of him would surely be able to get revenge. No, the best-case scenario would be for them to kill each other. If that happened…
“Hmm? Junior Brother, what are you thinking about?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
“Tsk, tsk. Your intentions are so transparent.”
“N-No… I didn't mean anything…”
“Forget it. Before I get your revenge, you’ll have to do one small favor for your senior brother.”
“Pardon?”
“Do you refuse?”
“N-No, of course not.”
He didn't have a choice anyway. Ma Jae-ho straightened his expression and answered.
“I will do whatever you ask, Senior Brother. Just say the word.”
“Mmm, a desirable attitude. Well then, Junior Brother.”
“Yes. Please speak…”
“I’ll enjoy the meal.”
“…Pardon?”
Crunch!
The sensation of something chewing and swallowing him whole.
That was the final memory of the man known as Ma Jae-ho.
* * *
A short while later.
“Hmph… Is it because he was the one hundred and seventy-third disciple? That didn't even tickle my stomach.”
Yuseop grumbled with a dissatisfied expression.
“Well, many a mickle makes a muckle. I suppose the only answer is to move diligently before the others notice.”
Leaving those words behind, Yuseop leisurely walked away. In the place he left, hundreds of Blood Saber Sect members lay dead in gruesome states.
The strange thing was that among the corpses, there was one that was shriveled and dry, like a mummy.
One thing was certain: there were no witnesses left to tell what had happened here.
* * *
The Kongtong Sect.
Though the Kongtong Sect was known for its passive nature among the Nine Great Sects and One Union, today, the Sect Leader and all the elders had gathered in one place for the first time in a long while.
The reason for their gathering was to discuss the punishment of a certain individual. That individual was…
“This time, we must punish Yun-gi severely!”
“That is correct! Ever since he gained a bit of trivial fame in the Jianghu, he has been acting as if he owns the sky!”
“To dare defy the sect’s orders and act on his own… he must be punished strictly!”
It was Yun-gi, the Sword of Wise Governance.
He was currently kneeling quietly before the sect elders like a criminal, waiting.
Rewinding time a bit…
When the Blood Saber Sect moved toward Cheonsu County, the Kongtong Sect naturally found out. They weren't so blind as to miss a 300-man Unorthodox force moving through their territory.
However, the Kongtong Sect was torn over whether they should intervene.
If the Kongtong Sect mobilized its full strength, they could easily defeat the Blood Saber Sect. But the leader of the Blood Saber Sect was a disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Martial Emperor.
The Heaven-Shattering Martial Emperor had hundreds of disciples, many of whom had become giants ruling the Unorthodox Faction in the Jianghu. If Ma Jae-ho, the Blood Wolf Wanderer, lost his life at the hands of the Kongtong Sect, it could give those disciples a pretext for revenge.
With the Martial Alliance dissolved and the cooperation between the Nine Great Sects not what it used to be, could the Kongtong Sect really win a war against the entire Unorthodox Faction?
The leadership of the Kongtong Sect had engaged in heated debate for days but failed to reach a conclusion. During that time…
[S-Sect Leader! This is terrible!]
[What is it?]
[Yun-gi has left the sect, leaving only a letter behind! He has likely headed for Cheonsu County!]
[What?!]
The Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect hurriedly took the letter and read it. It said:
「As a warrior of the Kongtong Sect, I cannot bear to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the commoners.
Your disciple shall go to fight against the Unorthodox invasion.
Please forgive me.」
“Ha… Haha…”
The Sect Leader laughed hollowly.
It was absurd. While he and the elders were clashing over pragmatism versus chivalry, his disciple had already taken action.
It was admirable, but he couldn't simply praise such recklessness.
“Did he go alone?”
“No. It is reported that he took the first and second-generation disciples who follow him.”
“The number?”
“Approximately thirty.”
“Phew… Right. I see.”
Jeongseon stroked his beard and let out a deep sigh.
The milk was already spilled. If it were just Yun-gi alone, they could call it an individual’s outburst, but since dozens of disciples were involved, the Kongtong Sect had to take responsibility for their actions.
“Summon all the elders and first-generation disciples immediately. We are going to Cheonsu County to drive out the Blood Saber Sect.”
“Yes, sir!”
An unavoidable war. If that was the case, they had to win with overwhelming force. With the strength of Yun-gi and the disciples following him, they wouldn't be defeated in a single day. While they held out, the Kongtong Sect would gather its full strength and sweep in; defeating the Blood Saber Sect would be child’s play.
“In the first place, the Great Kongtong is not a sect that should cower in fear of the likes of the Blood Saber Sect.”
The Sect Leader felt a surge of resolve as a swordsman for the first time in a long while. He needed to reclaim the self from the days when the Jianghu called him Jeongseon, the Demon-Subduing Divine Sword.
And the next day.
Jeongseon gathered the disciples and elders and spoke.
“Listen, everyone! Our Kongtong has, for generations…”
Just then…
“Sect Leader! Sect Leader!!”
At the frantic voice, Jeongseon frowned and said, “What is it?”
To be interrupted at such a crucial moment—if it was something trivial, he intended to punish the intruder severely. However…
“Senior Brother Yun-gi and the other disciples have returned!”
“…What?”
Jeongseon was momentarily dumbfounded.
No, he was just about to give a grand speech to inspire the disciples before they departed for war. And the kids who left are already back?
His own fighting spirit evaporated instantly.
“What happened to the war? Did the Blood Saber Sect not attack?”
“They did come, apparently. But…”
“But?”
“Senior Brother Yun-gi says that, in the first place, their trip was a waste of time.”
“……”
It was one confusing thing after another. Jeongseon let out a long sigh and said, “Bring Yun-gi here. I must hear the details myself.”
“Yes, sir!”