Chapter 1 - part 1 and 2
part 1 and 2
Chapter 1: The Visitor is Unfriendly
“Aha!”
Jin San-wol of the Sunset Clan yawned wide enough to split his mouth.
Despite the chilly weather, the midday sun was quite warm, and sitting in its rays made his whole body languid and drowsy.
Normally, Jin San-wol would have unhesitatingly planted his face right there and succumbed to sleep. But today, even the usually self-willed Jin San-wol couldn't do that.
Today was the day Great Senior Brother was to be inaugurated as the twenty-first Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect. It had already been nearly half a month since their master's funeral, and they had carefully chosen an auspicious day, setting the first day of October as the inauguration date. Even though the Jongnam Sect had declined, it had once been the leading sect in Gwanjung. So, guests could arrive at any moment.
Jin San-wol stopped yawning and looked at the guest registry spread out before him. He frowned and grumbled.
“Damn it… this is too much. Really too much.”
The sun was almost at its zenith, and the inauguration ceremony would begin soon. Yet, the number of guests who had arrived was not even ten. Moreover, five of them were owners of taverns around Jongnam Mountain, and only four were martial artists. The most famous among them was Wi Il-sang, the Iron Claw Hand, barely known south of Xi'an, and the rest were unheard-of wandering vagrants.
He had been holding the guest registry at the main gate since early morning, and after nearly half a day, this was the result. It was no wonder that the impatient Jin San-wol was bursting with frustration.
Just then, as if in response to his grumbling, a group of people and horses appeared in the distance.
Jin San-wol's eyes widened, and he straightened up involuntarily, sitting with an air of seriousness.
The group approached, kicking up dust, and quickly appeared before the main gate. There were five people in total, all martial artists with sharp eyes and carrying weapons.
‘Good. They’re finally coming.’
Jin San-wol inwardly cheered, watching them approach with an expression that seemed ready to burst into song.
They didn't dismount but came right up to Jin San-wol.
The one in front was a middle-aged man in his early forties with a full beard and a sturdy build. He had an Azure Steel Longsword at his side, and his attitude was somehow arrogant and rude, making a bad first impression.
But still, a guest was a guest, so Jin San-wol rose from his seat and respectfully clasped his hands.
“Welcome. Where do you come from?”
The bearded man looked down at him from horseback and opened his mouth in a cold voice.
“None of your business. Is that guy inside?”
Jin San-wol was furious at the man's presumptuous attitude but barely managed to suppress it.
“Excuse me? That guy?”
“Jin San-wol or whatever his name is.”
Jin San-wol's face turned red.
‘What did you say?’
Even though the Jongnam Sect had fallen, how could he refer to the Sect Leader of a respectable sect as ‘that guy’? Even someone less hot-tempered than Jin San-wol would find it unbearable.
Moreover, Jin San-wol was the person Jin San-wol liked and respected the most in the world.
A gaunt man with a scar on his left cheek, standing behind the bearded man, chuckled as he watched Jin San-wol's face turn crimson.
“Hehe… Hurry up and bring out your pathetic Sect Leader before we show you a taste of pain!”
It was too much to expect any more patience from Jin San-wol. Finally, Jin San-wol roared, overturned the table, and rushed forward.
“Damn it. Even if I get scolded by Great Senior Brother later, I can’t stand it!”
Jin San-wol kicked off the ground and leaped up, aiming a Star Snatching Kick at the bearded man in front. Jin San-wol's skill wasn't actually that great, but his kick, filled with anger, had considerable power.
But the bearded man wore a faint smile and easily dodged Jin San-wol's Star Snatching Kick by slightly twisting his waist. At the same time, he grabbed Jin San-wol's right leg, which was faltering in mid-air, and threw him out of the gate. His movements were so quick and agile that Jin San-wol couldn't avoid it.
Thud!
“Kugh!”
Jin San-wol, who had fallen to the ground in an unsightly manner, groaned briefly and then stood up again. Jin San-wol's eyes, covered in dust, were bloodshot.
“You son of a bitch! I’ll never let you get away with this!”
Jin San-wol, breathing heavily, charged at the bearded man again like a thunderbolt.
Jin San-wol jumped to the man's shoulder height and swung his fists alternately five times. This attack was quite sharp, and at first glance, it seemed very powerful.
But the bearded man only chuckled and muttered.
“This is the most clumsy Fivefold Strong Watery Abyss I’ve ever seen.”
He remained seated on his horse and thrust his right hand forward, inserting it into the space where Jin San-wol's fists were moving. His hand easily penetrated Jin San-wol's attack and grabbed Jin San-wol by the collar.
Then, with the same motion as before, he threw Jin San-wol's body away.
Crash!
Jin San-wol was thrown nearly three yards away. This time, the impact was so great that Jin San-wol lay on the ground for a while, unable to get up, like a frog hit by an iron hammer, his arms and legs spread wide.
“Ugh…”
After a while, Jin San-wol shook his head and barely regained his senses.
By the time he staggered to his feet, the bearded man and his party had already disappeared inside.
Jin San-wol's face twisted hideously.
“You son of a bitch! You big, clumsy bear! If I ever meet you again, I’ll break your legs!”
He cursed for a while, spewing out all the insults he knew. Then, as if struck by a thought, his expression changed slightly.
“But how did he know my move? And he couldn’t have broken through it so easily unless he knew the counter…”
The move he had used just now was the Fivefold Strong Watery Abyss, a powerful technique from the Nine Forms of the Hanging Palm Fist, a Jongnam Sect skill. Although Jin San-wol hadn't mastered all the subtle nuances of the Nine Forms of the Hanging Palm Fist, he had put a lot of effort into the Fivefold Strong Watery Abyss and had reached a considerable level. Yet, he had been easily defeated by the bearded man.
Jin San-wol's face gradually hardened.
“That’s it. The technique he used was Flowing Cloud Flying Hand.”
Jin San-wol looked as if his heart had dropped.
“How does he know our sect’s skill?”
Flowing Cloud Flying Hand was a supreme technique of the Jongnam Sect that only a few people had mastered. Jin San-wol had only seen his master perform it a few times in his life and hadn't even learned it yet.
But for it to be used by a complete stranger, Jin San-wol couldn't even begin to guess what was going on.
Jin San-wol stood there for a while, lost in thought, before suddenly snapping out of it and rushing inside.
When Jin San-wol entered the training hall after receiving the message, the first thing he saw was Du Gi-chun and Eung Gye-seong lying side by side on the floor.
Seeing even Eung Gye-seong collapsed on the ground, let alone Du Gi-chun, Jin San-wol instinctively sensed that something was wrong. Eung Gye-seong was the second most skilled among the six disciples, after Mae-sang.
Besides the two lying on the floor, there were a few other people in the hall.
One of them spotted Jin San-wol and quickly approached him.
“Great Senior Brother… no, Sect Leader. Welcome.”
It was Jeong Hae. Jeong Hae's voice sounded a little awkward, as if the title of Sect Leader was still unfamiliar to him. Jin San-wol felt the same way about the title. But Jin San-wol didn't show it and asked in a deep voice.
“What happened?”
Jeong Hae blinked his large eyes and said quickly.
“Someone came and is causing trouble, demanding to see the Sect Leader.”
Jin San-wol's gaze turned to the five men standing tall on one side of the training hall.
He scanned their faces one by one, then fixed his gaze on the bearded man. He stood out the most, arms crossed, a strange smile on his lips, and a haughty expression on his face.
Jeong Hae whispered quietly beside him.
“That’s him. He knocked down Senior Brother Eung and Junior Brother Du. But…”
Jin San-wol glanced back at him.
Jeong Hae's voice became even quieter.
“The technique he used seems strange.”
“How is it strange?”
Jeong Hae hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
“It looks like our sect’s martial arts. I’m not sure, but…”
It was Jeong Hae's old habit to create an escape route in advance when speaking. Even now, he said ‘looks like’ but added ‘I’m not sure’ later.
But Jin San-wol knew that Jeong Hae's words were almost always accurate in these cases.
Jin San-wol asked briefly.
“Do you know what martial art it is?”
“I don’t know the technique he used to knock down Junior Brother Du, but it seemed like Senior Brother Eung was hit by a palm strike that was a transformation of Celestial River Casts Its Line from our sect’s Thirty-Six Swords of the Celestial River. But it was too fast, so I’m not sure…”
Jin San-wol nodded.
That was enough. If Jeong Hae even mentioned the name of the technique, it must be correct.
Jin San-wol looked at the bearded man with new eyes.
He was a stranger.
His features were generally handsome, but his face was unusually red, and his brow was narrow, making him seem impatient. His nose was big, and his lips were thick, but his ears were thin, giving him the impression of being unlucky.
But when he looked at the other ear, he saw that the earlobe was surprisingly thick and long. Now that he saw it, the bearded man had mismatched ears.
The moment he confirmed that, Jin San-wol unconsciously let out a heavy sigh. As far as he knew, there was only one person in this vast world who was proficient in the Jongnam Sect's martial arts and had mismatched ears.
Jin San-wol clasped his hands respectfully towards him with an indifferent expression.
“How have you been?”
The bearded man stared at Jin San-wol with sharp eyes.
“Do you know who I am?”
Jin San-wol said in a calm voice.
“I heard about you from my late master. Aren’t you Uncle No Hae-gwang?”
The bearded man's eyes twitched violently.
“Your master told you about me?”
“Yes.”
“Heh… how amusing.”
The bearded man coldly snorted.
“To remember someone he kicked out a long time ago… Your incompetent and useless master did something worthwhile before he died.”
The Jongnam Sect disciples standing around, including Jeong Hae, glared at him with angry eyes. They were furious at the other man's rude words, which insulted their late master.
But Jin San-wol's expression didn't change at all, and he spoke in the same voice as before.
“My master regretted expelling you fifteen years ago.”
The bearded man twitched his lips and shouted.
“Don’t talk nonsense! What kind of person was your master to regret anything? He probably thought I was long dead, but as you can see, I’m still alive and well! Rather, he died before me, so isn’t this karma, hahaha!”
The bearded man let out a mad laugh for a while.
The bearded man, No Hae-gwang, was the only fellow disciple of Jin San-wol's master, the Pacifying Swordsman Im Jang-hong.
But fifteen years ago, Im Jang-hong had expelled him from the Jongnam Sect. Im Jang-hong had never told anyone the reason, but Jin San-wol had vaguely heard that it was due to a love affair.
No Hae-gwang suddenly stopped laughing and wore a sinister smile on his lips.
“Heh… you must be wondering why I suddenly came here.”
Jin San-wol nodded honestly.
“Yes.”
He knew that No Hae-gwang, who had suddenly appeared after fifteen years, had not come with good intentions. He only hoped that this matter was something he could handle on his own.
Today was an auspicious day for Jin San-wol to become the Sect Leader. No one would want anyone to get hurt or die on such a day.
Moreover, the other man was clearly his uncle.
But the situation did not proceed as Jin San-wol had hoped.
No Hae-gwang stared at Jin San-wol with a sinister smile on his lips.
“Heh… I’ve come to reclaim my lost Sect Leader position.”
Everyone's face changed when they heard those words.
The only person whose face didn't change was Jin San-wol. It wasn't because Jin San-wol's courage was far superior to others. It was just that he wasn't easily surprised in the first place.
“Reclaim the Sect Leader position?”
When he asked back in a calm voice, No Hae-gwang grinned wickedly.
“Heh… are you deaf? If so, I’ll say it again, so open your ears and listen carefully! I’ve come to reclaim the Sect Leader position that was taken from me by your master today.”
Everyone was dumbfounded and just stared blankly at No Hae-gwang.
Then, someone shouted.
“Don’t talk nonsense! How could someone like you become our sect’s Sect Leader?”
Jin San-wol, who had appeared from somewhere, rushed in covered in dust from head to toe, his face red, and pointed at No Hae-gwang.
No Hae-gwang's eyes narrowed sharply.
‘Is this brat looking down on me?’
Even though he was an uncle in name, he didn't feel good about being called names by a nephew who was only his son's age. He had already decided to give him a good taste of pain if he ever got his hands on him again, since he didn't like him from the first time he saw him at the entrance.
No Hae-gwang was about to approach Jin San-wol, exuding a murderous aura in his eyes.
Then, the gaunt man with a scar on his left cheek, who was standing behind him, grabbed his shoulder.
“Brother No. You’ll soon be the Sect Leader, so what kind of face would you have if you were to fight with subordinates? I’ll correct the habits of that naughty calf.”
No Hae-gwang nodded, thinking his words made sense, and stepped back.
“Brother Jang is right.”
The scarred man smiled grotesquely and slowly approached Jin San-wol.
“Hey, kid. Don’t you think you were too harsh, considering that this is your only uncle and he’ll soon be taking the Sect Leader position?”
Just as Jin San-wol was about to explode in anger, Jin San-wol's voice was heard.
“San-wol, step back.”
Jin San-wol glared at the scarred man, grumbling, but he couldn't disobey Jin San-wol's order and stepped back.
Jin San-wol didn't even look at the scarred man but stared straight at No Hae-gwang and opened his mouth.
“The position of Sect Leader is the late master's will, so it cannot be changed. Instead, please tell me if there’s anything else you want.”
No Hae-gwang glared and shouted.
“Anything else I want? I don’t have anything like that. The only thing I want is the Sect Leader position.”
Jin San-wol stared at him blankly and scratched the back of his head.
“That’s a difficult situation.”
No Hae-gwang was about to explode in anger, but seeing this, he was inwardly dumbfounded to the point of laughter.
'What kind of guy is this?'
What is the position of a Sect Leader of a sect? It is truly the supreme position that any martial artist would covet, isn't it?
Anyone else would desperately try to protect that position even if it meant risking their life, but this tall and burly guy in front of him was just scratching the back of his head, making it so absurd that he couldn't help but chuckle.
No Hae-gwang hesitated for a moment, unable to decide whether to be angry or laugh. But soon, he strengthened his eyes and shouted in a loud voice that sounded like a bell ringing.
"Do you really intend to ignore this Martial Uncle and sit on the Sect Leader's seat?"
This time, he subtly put internal energy into his voice, so the entire area seemed to be shaken by his voice. Jeong Hae, Du Gi-chun, and several other disciples of Jongnam with weak internal strength had to frown and cover their ears.
Surprised by the sound, several figures rushed out from the inner hall. They were guests who had come to celebrate the inauguration of the Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect.
The guests rushed out with surprised rabbit eyes, then became bewildered when they saw the disciples of the Jongnam Sect confronting several unfamiliar figures.
Among them, Wi Il-sang, the Iron Claw Hand who had quite a reputation in the Jinling area, turned pale when he saw the four stalwart men standing behind No Hae-gwang.
"Th, those guys are the Four Fiends of Southern Heaven... How did they get here..."
Hearing his voice, everyone's gaze turned to the four cold-looking stalwart men standing tall behind No Hae-gwang.
The Four Fiends of Southern Heaven were notorious figures from the distant Gangnam area, great villains feared by all for their high martial arts and cruel methods.
Among them, the man with a scar on his face was Great Fiend Jang Uk, the sharp-eyed man next to him was Second Fiend Jeon Pyeong, the burly man was Third Fiend Do Song, and the smallest man was Fourth Fiend Paeng Il-gi, said to be the most vicious of the Four Fiends of Southern Heaven. They only roamed around Gangnam and rarely showed themselves in Gangbuk, but today they suddenly appeared here with No Hae-gwang.
Great Fiend Jang Uk turned to look at Wi Il-sang and grinned grotesquely.
"Hehe... There's someone who recognizes us. If you know who we are, you should also know what our personalities are like..."
Wi Il-sang's face turned pale, and he suddenly cupped his fist towards Jin San-wol.
"S, Sect Leader Jin. I think I'm too busy and should leave now. Then..."
Then, without even receiving Jin San-wol's reply, he hurriedly ran out. The other guests also glanced at Jin San-wol, then greeted him in a rush and left.
In an instant, only the disciples of the Jongnam Sect and No Hae-gwang's group remained in the hall.
Seeing this scene, Sunset Clan could not contain his anger and burst into a roar.
"Damn it. What is this? These so-called martial arts masters running away at the name of the Four Fiends of Southern Heaven..."
Jang Uk chuckled and flew towards him.
"Hehe... Let's see how great you are!"
He flew three zhang in an instant and approached Sunset Clan right in front of his nose.
Sunset Clan was not intimidated at all by the opponent's amazing movement technique, but rather gritted his teeth and charged.
"Good, you bastard! I'll show you that the Jongnam Sect is not that easy to deal with!"
He struck Jang Uk's chest with the Thousand Entanglements, Myriad Wraps technique from the Nine Forms of the Hanging Palm Fist as he rushed towards him.
Jang Uk burst into a strange laugh, casually raised his right hand to break down Sunset Clan's attack, and then spun to the left, kicking his waist hard.
"Hehe... You call that martial arts?"
The moment Sunset Clan's waist was hit by the opponent's kick, he felt a pain that made him see stars and bent his waist in half.
"Kugh!"
But before he could even fall to the ground, Jang Uk's other foot flew and mercilessly struck his lowered jaw.
Bang!
"Keugh!"
With a loud scream, Sunset Clan's body spun completely in the air and crashed to the ground. Jang Uk cruelly kicked Sunset Clan's face hard again, who had fallen to the ground and was not yet conscious.
"You rude brat! Do you now know the fear of this old man?"
Sunset Clan's face quickly became bloody and swollen.
Sunset Clan lay on the ground with a distorted face, looking up at him and shouting.
"You scrawny firewood. Did you think you could subdue me with just this much?"
Jang Uk's eyes flared up fiercely.
"This bastard still hasn't come to his senses?"
He kicked Sunset Clan's body several more times. Sunset Clan covered his face with both arms and was helplessly being kicked by Jang Uk.
Jang Uk finally stopped kicking after kicking him six or seven more times.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
Sunset Clan's whole body was a mess. Sunset Clan looked up at Jang Uk with a face that was swollen blue and covered in blood.
"D, don't talk nonsense... You're not even worth a punch..."
"Is that so?"
Jang Uk's anger surged, and he raised his right foot and stepped on Sunset Clan's face.
"Eugh..."
Sunset Clan's mouth opened and bright red blood flowed out. Jang Uk continued to step on Sunset Clan's face as if trying to crush it, then stomped on his solar plexus with his heel.
Bang!
Sunset Clan couldn't even groan and just opened his mouth, then lost consciousness.
"Tch! What a crazy bastard."
Jang Uk spat on Sunset Clan's unconscious face and then finally lifted his foot.
"Martial brother!"
Jeong Hae quickly approached and hugged Sunset Clan's body.
Jang Uk grinned again and turned to look at Jin San-wol.
"Please understand. I can't stand seeing such rude youngsters."
Second Fiend Jeon Pyeong chuckled beside him.
"Hehe... It's not Great Brother's fault. Isn't it all the fault of that brat's sect for not teaching him properly?"
"That's right. You can tell the master by looking at the disciple... I can guess how pathetic that Pacifying Swordsman is."
Then the two looked at each other and burst into hearty laughter as if they were pleased.
"Kuhahaha...!"
"Kehehehe...!"
Jin San-wol silently stared at the two laughing, then slowly turned his gaze to No Hae-gwang.
"Is this what Martial Uncle wants?"
No Hae-gwang frowned and shook his head.
"Don't talk nonsense and just tell me if you're going to hand over the Sect Leader's seat willingly."
"As I said before, that is my master's command, so it's not a matter of handing it over or not. Is there really nothing else you want?"
No Hae-gwang glared.
"If there is something I want...? Would you hand it over willingly?"
"If it's something I deem reasonable, I will give it to you."
No Hae-gwang hesitated for a moment when Jin San-wol said unexpectedly readily.
No Hae-gwang had not expected the Sect Leader's seat to return to him from the beginning.
No matter how much the Jongnam Sect was on the path of decline, wasn't it a prestigious Orthodox Sect with a distinguished reputation among the Nine Great Sects at one time? No Hae-gwang himself knew better than anyone that the Sect Leader's seat of such a sect could not be obtained by force or coercion.
Yet, the reason he suddenly came and started a fight was because he had another purpose. Jin San-wol was also guessing that, so he asked twice what he wanted.
No Hae-gwang finally decided to reveal his true purpose.
He cleared his throat once and suddenly said with a serious face.
"Hand over the four Wine houses in the Ancestral Hermitage Ridge area to me."
At those words, the faces of the Jongnam Sect disciples all turned ashen.
Jeong Hae quickly approached and whispered to Jin San-wol.
"You must refuse, Sect Leader. Those are the only sources of income left for us."
Jin San-wol also knew that.
When the Jongnam Sect belonged to the Nine Great Sects, most of the commercial districts in the Jinling area belonged to the Jongnam Sect. Even fifty years ago, it would not be wrong to say that the richest man in Shaanxi Province was the Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect.
But as the Jongnam Sect began to decline, its power rapidly weakened, and it lost its commercial districts one by one, leaving only seven Wine houses in the Ancestral Hermitage Ridge and Great King Ridge areas. Among them, the four Wine houses in Ancestral Hermitage Ridge were all large and prosperous, becoming the Jongnam Sect's largest source of income.
But somehow No Hae-gwang knew and was asking for those four Wine houses.
Jeong Hae whispered again.
"We can never manage the sect's finances with just the income from Great King Ridge. Moreover, that place may be taken away by the Cho Family Fortress at any time."
The Cho Family Fortress was a newly formed sect north of Jinling, and it was rapidly growing in power, threatening the Jongnam Sect.
Hearing Jeong Hae's words, No Hae-gwang quickly said.
"I can fend off the Cho Family Fortress. If you give me the commercial district of Ancestral Hermitage Ridge, I will not only retreat quietly but also never covet the Sect Leader's seat again."
'Such shamelessness...'
Jeong Hae was about to say something.
Jin San-wol raised his hand to stop him. Then he opened his mouth in a quiet voice.
"I will do so."
No Hae-gwang asked back with a delighted expression.
"Really?"
Jin San-wol nodded.
"I do not lie. But instead..."
No Hae-gwang asked urgently.
"Instead of what?"
Jin San-wol stared silently at No Hae-gwang. His gaze contained no light, so even No Hae-gwang, who had a lot of experience in the martial world, could not guess what he was thinking.
Jin San-wol stared at No Hae-gwang with those eyes for a while, then said in a calm voice.
"Never come here again."