Chapter 5 - Part 1 and 2
Part 1 and 2
Chapter 5: First Steps in the Martial World
The red glow of the setting sun hung at the far end of the yellow dirt road.
The trees lining both sides of the road cast long shadows in the twilight, resembling soldiers standing in long ranks.
Whoosh…!
A gust of strong wind blew, sending fallen leaves swirling high into the sky before they descended, sweeping the ground as they rolled away.
Then, from the far end of the road, a group of people and horses appeared, accompanied by a cloud of dust.
As they approached, it became clear that they were a group of four men and one woman.
The four men were all wearing windproof cloaks and hoods. The woman was also clad in a white cloak, and wore a bamboo hat to shield herself from the cold autumn wind, obscuring her face.
They hurried along the road, their feet stirring up fallen leaves and dust.
Suddenly, the woman in white, who was riding at the head of the group, turned back and called out.
“If we go a little further, there’s a decent Wine houses. Shall we stop there for a while?”
The largest and most robust of the four men nodded.
“Let’s do that.”
The five of them spurred their horses on, galloping forward like the wind.
After a while, a few houses and a Wine houses came into view not far from the road.
A red flag with the character <Wine> written on it fluttered wildly in the strong wind.
Several horses were tied up in front of the Wine houses, indicating that some customers had already arrived. Among them, a particularly pristine white horse caught the eye.
The white horse was dazzlingly white, without a single stray hair, and uniquely, its hooves were adorned with striking red fur, further drawing attention.
“Snowy Hooves. To think I’d see a Snowy Hooves in a place like this…”
The smallest of the group, Jeong Hae, clicked his tongue and exclaimed in admiration, while the woman in white at the front grinned, revealing her teeth.
“Senior brother Jeong always loses himself over a good horse. How can you like horses more than people?”
“You wouldn’t understand. This is a truly fine horse. A One in a Thousand steed. I wonder who’s riding such a magnificent horse?”
“It’s probably a peerless beauty who perfectly matches your taste, Senior brother.”
The woman in white dismounted and tied her reins to a tree in front of the Wine houses, chuckling.
The Wine houses was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Seven or eight tables were neatly arranged, and guests were already dining at three of them.
As the five entered, everyone’s eyes turned to them.
Il-bang, who had practically dashed into the Wine houses, flushed red as he felt all eyes on him.
‘Damn it. Have they never seen a person before?’
With an awkward expression, he glanced around and spotted an empty table by the window, quickly heading towards it.
“That spot looks good.”
Once seated, Il-bang seemed to relax, looking around.
Then, he noticed that one gaze was still fixed on his face, and he involuntarily turned his head in that direction.
A pair of sparkling eyes filled his vision. Two tables away, a man and a woman were sitting, and a young girl in light red clothing was watching him with shining eyes.
Il-bang was startled when his eyes met those of the girl in red, and he quickly looked away. But his face had already turned as red as a ripe persimmon.
“Pfft!”
Amused by his reaction, the girl in red burst into a short laugh.
Il-bang’s face turned even redder, and he didn’t know what to do. The others were busy settling down and didn’t see the scene, but Jeong Hae, who had been talking to him earlier, noticed it and grinned knowingly.
“Il-bang. Have you already met a girl you know? You really get around.”
Il-bang’s neck turned red, and he shook his head frantically.
“N… No way! I don’t know any girls like that.”
“Oh. So you’ve already found a girl you’ve caught eyes with, even though it’s your first time meeting her. I didn’t realize you were so skilled.”
They were Jin San-wol’s group, who had left the Jongnam Sect. They had set out early this morning to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament held at the Shaolin Temple on the fifteenth of this month.
As Jeong Hae continued to tease him, Il-bang’s face turned from red to pale, and he pouted.
“Senior brother Jeong. Please don’t embarrass me. You know very well that I don’t know any women except for Sa Mae and Senior sister.”
Jeong Hae was about to tease him further, but he thought that Il-bang might actually get angry, so he said nothing more. Instead, he kept glancing at Il-bang with a strange smile on his face.
Il-bang made a strange expression, unable to laugh or cry, and fidgeted. The girl in red seemed to find his expression amusing, and he heard her giggle again.
At that moment, the middle-aged man in blue robes sitting across from the girl in red looked at her and asked.
“So-hong, what are you laughing at?”
The girl in red quickly put on a prim expression and shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
Her voice was as charming and cute as her face.
The middle-aged man in blue robes tilted his head in confusion and looked back.
His gaze swept over Jin San-wol’s group one by one, and then fixed on Il-bang, whose face was particularly red.
A faint smile appeared on the middle-aged man’s lips. He found it amusing to see a handsome young man with delicate features blushing and fidgeting.
The middle-aged man in blue robes finally realized why the girl in red had laughed, and he turned to look at her.
“You’ve been teasing someone again, haven’t you?”
The girl in red quickly shook her head.
“No, I didn’t do anything.”
“A grown woman giggling whenever she sees a good-looking man… I’m afraid it might bring shame to the family.”
The girl in red looked aggrieved.
“No, Dad. He’s just acting like that on his own.”
A stern look appeared in the middle-aged man’s eyes.
“Don’t speak carelessly. How can you say such rude things to someone you’ve just met?”
The girl in red pouted.
“What does it matter? He looks younger than me… And good-looking? He’s pale and has the impression of a gigolo…”
“Ahem! This child is getting worse and worse… I think I’ve spoiled you too much.”
The middle-aged man in blue robes was about to scold her, but he sighed and shook his head.
“I knew this would happen, so I didn’t want to bring you along on this trip… If you keep acting like this, I’ll send you back home.”
“No, Dad. I won’t do it again.”
“Say that after you’ve licked the spit off your lips. Will you ever get rid of that habit?”
The girl in red’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed, and her lips protruded.
“Tch, Dad is just making a fuss over me. I got scolded because of that lanky guy.”
The middle-aged man in blue robes smiled gently.
“Have you ever seen such a handsome lanky guy?”
“Hmph!”
The girl in red snorted, but soon glanced at Il-bang again.
In fact, Il-bang was the most handsome among the disciples of the Jongnam Sect. No, he had a clean and handsome face that wouldn’t be out of place anywhere.
Du Gi-chun, who was very confident in his own appearance, knew that he couldn’t match Il-bang in terms of looks. Perhaps that was why Du Gi-chun was always dissatisfied with Il-bang.
The middle-aged man in blue robes stood up and smiled at Il-bang.
“Please understand. She’s my only daughter, so I’ve spoiled her too much, and she has no manners.”
Il-bang’s face turned as red as a persimmon, and he quickly shook his head.
“N… No, it’s okay. I just naturally look like this.”
At those words, the girl in red couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hahaha…”
The middle-aged man in blue robes also smiled and approached him.
“Since we’ve met, let’s get to know each other’s names. I’m Sang Won-geon from Nongseo.”
Il-bang quickly clasped his hands in a formal greeting.
“I’m Il-bang from Jongnam.”
Sang Won-geon’s eyes lit up.
“Oh. A disciple of Jongnam? This is unexpected.”
It was no wonder that Sang Won-geon was surprised.
The Jongnam Sect had become almost defunct and was one of the sects fading from the memory of the martial artists. Moreover, for the past eight or nine years, no disciples of the Jongnam Sect had appeared in the martial world.
Sang Won-geon’s gaze turned to the other four.
“Then these people are…?”
Il-bang nodded and pointed to the sturdy young man sitting by the window.
“That person is Our sect’s Sect Leader, and the others are all my Senior brother and Sa Mae.”
Sang Won-geon looked at Jin San-wol with a surprised expression. Jin San-wol looked to be only in his early twenties, so he couldn’t have imagined that he was the Sect Leader.
Jin San-wol stood up and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.
“I am Jin San-wol.”
Realizing his mistake, Sang Won-geon quickly returned the greeting.
“So you are Sect Leader Jin. I am Sang Won-geon from Nongseo.”
Sang Won-geon was in his mid-forties. But no matter how young the other person was, he was the Sect Leader of a sect, so he couldn’t treat him like a subordinate.
Moreover, even though it was now in decline, the Jongnam Sect was once a Prestigious Orthodox Sect that had enjoyed great fame among the Nine Great Sects.
Sang Won-geon called out to the girl in red.
“So-hong, come here and greet Sect Leader Jin.”
The girl in red approached with a prim expression and nodded to Jin San-wol.
“I’m Sang So-hong.”
Sang Won-geon frowned.
“So-hong, what kind of rude attitude is that? Greet him properly again.”
Sang So-hong pouted.
‘No matter how I look at it, he doesn’t look much older than me. How can I greet him more politely than this?’
But Sang Won-geon’s face gradually hardened, and it seemed like a stern order would be issued at any moment, so she quickly bent her waist and bowed her head.
“So-hong greets Sect Leader Jin.”
Jin San-wol saw from her expression that she was being forced to greet him against her will by her father, and he smiled calmly and waved his hand.
“There’s no need to be so formal, Miss Sang. Rather, if you two haven’t eaten yet, please join us.”
Before Sang Won-geon could say anything, Sang So-hong quickly sat down.
“Thank you.”
Sang Won-geon shook his head helplessly and sat down next to her.
However, the seat that Sang So-hong sat in happened to be directly across from Il-bang, so whether he wanted to or not, he would have to look straight at her face whenever he raised his head.
Il-bang didn’t know where to look, so he looked up at the air and then down at the table. Then, whenever his eyes met hers, his face would turn as red as a carrot, and he would quickly look away. The more Il-bang did that, the more Sang So-hong stubbornly stared straight at his face without moving.
Unable to watch any longer, Sang Won-geon nudged her.
“So-hong, please be reasonable.”
Sang So-hong stared intently at Il-bang with her chin propped up and chattered.
“Dad’s good daughter is sitting quietly without doing anything.”
Sang Won-geon smiled bitterly, as if he couldn’t help it.
“I really spoiled you. If you act so recklessly, there will be a day when you get severely punished.”
Sang So-hong pouted.
“Psh. Who would dare to punish me?”
But then, suddenly,
Heeheeing!
A loud neighing sound suddenly came from outside.
At the same time, the murmuring of people and angry shouts echoed. The people were bewildered and looked at each other, but Il-bang seized the opportunity and jumped up from his seat and ran outside.
“I’ll go and see what’s going on.”
Il-bang rushed out as if someone was chasing him from behind and finally let out a sigh of relief.
“What a strange woman. Why does she stare at people’s faces like that?”
Il-bang tilted his head and then suddenly widened his eyes.
“That…”
Several strong men were surrounding Snowy Hooves, which was tied up in front of the Wine houses. And on the ground, one of their companions, who seemed to be part of their group, was lying flat on his back, looking up at the sky.
The strong men were trying to forcibly grab Snowy Hooves using ropes and hooks, and Snowy Hooves was thrashing wildly to avoid being caught by them. It seemed that the strong man who had fallen to the ground had been kicked by Snowy Hooves’s hind legs.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Il-bang approached them and asked.
One of the strong men, a burly man with a full beard, glanced at him and shouted in a rough voice.
“Kid, this is none of your business, so get lost.”
Il-bang’s eyes narrowed.
Although Il-bang had a pretty face, his personality was fierier than anyone else’s. Moreover, he hated being called a ‘kid’ more than anything else. So, his words couldn’t be pleasant.
“What did you just say?”
The burly strong man shouted.
“Is this kid deaf? Can’t you get lost?”
Il-bang’s face turned red again. Unlike before, it was because he was really angry.
“You hairy bastard, who are you calling a kid? If you say that one more time, I’ll pull out all your hair!”
The burly strong man’s expression twisted fiercely.
“You little beetle?”
The burly strong man was about to rush towards Il-bang when the snake-eyed strong man next to him stopped him.
“Ma Sang. There’s no need to bother with such a kid. More importantly, let’s catch this guy quickly. He’s got quite the temper.”
Snowy Hooves was thrashing so violently that it would intimidate most people just by looking at it. It was thrashing so fiercely that the strong men couldn’t even approach it, even though they had put a rope around its neck.
The burly strong man called Ma Sang glared at Il-bang.
“Kid! Consider yourself lucky today! Before this old man really loses his temper, hurry up and get back to your mother’s arms!”
Without saying a word, Il-bang rushed towards Ma Sang like an arrow and swung his fist.
Pow!
Ma Sang didn’t expect this pretty boy, who looked like a gigolo, to actually attack him, so he didn’t have time to dodge and was hit squarely in the jaw.
“Ugh!”
Ma Sang dropped the hook in his hand and fell awkwardly to the ground.
The other strong men were all dumbfounded and just stared blankly at Il-bang and Ma Sang. Ma Sang jumped up from the ground and rushed towards Il-bang, panting roughly.
“You son of a bitch, daring to…”
But before his body could move even one step forward, Il-bang’s fist flew again.
“Ike!”
Ma Sang hurriedly moved his body to the side to dodge. Il-bang was furious, and with his lips tightly shut, he quickly charged towards Ma Sang again and threw punches in rapid succession.
Swish! Swish!
The punches that Il-bang threw with a fierce whistling sound seemed to have considerable power at first glance. Ma Sang retreated frantically without being able to counterattack even once. But Il-bang’s offensive was so fast and sharp that he was hit hard in the ribs and lower jaw again.
“Ugh!”
The moment Ma Sang frowned and staggered, clutching his jaw, Il-bang’s opposite fist mercilessly struck his temple.
“Keueung…”
Ma Sang stretched out his body with a short groan.
Il-bang, not satisfied even after knocking Ma Sang down, grabbed Ma Sang’s collar and tried to pull out his beard.
But right then,
“Who dares to interfere with this family’s affairs?”
Along with the sharp shout, something cold and sharp flew quickly towards the back of Il-bang’s head. Il-bang hurriedly turned his body to the side to dodge and looked back.
Two figures stood tall behind him, having appeared at some point.
The figure on the right was a middle-aged man in white robes in his early forties, holding an iron abacus in his hand. The middle-aged man was slender and had three strands of beard on his chin. The way he kept twisting his beard with his left hand, which wasn't holding the abacus, looked somewhat frivolous and comical.
The figure on the left was also wearing white robes, a young master in white robes with a face as white as a woman's. Overall, he had a handsome appearance, but his lips were particularly red, and his eyes were dark, giving off a somewhat gloomy atmosphere.
The young master in white robes had his hands behind his back and was staring intently only at Snowy Hooves, not even looking at the Sunset Clan.
As the Sunset Clan looked back and forth between the two, the middle-aged man in white robes twisted his beard and asked in a shrill voice.
"Who are you? Who are you to dare cause trouble to my family's people?"
Hearing that voice, the Sunset Clan realized that he was the one who had ambushed him a little while ago and let out a cold snort.
"Humph! Who should be saying that? Looking at them, they seem to be shameless people trying to steal someone else's horse in broad daylight. Are you also in league with them?"
The corners of the middle-aged man in white robes' eyes shot up.
"We're trying to steal a horse? You must be crazy. Do you even know who we are to dare speak so recklessly?"
The Sunset Clan pouted.
'Who else but a gang of horse thieves.'
Just as those words were about to come out of his mouth, the middle-aged man in white robes shouted in an even more shrill voice.
"It has been decades since the Cloud Gate Clan dominated the Jianghu, but we have never been insulted like this. Did you really eat the liver of a tiger?"
At the mention of the Cloud Gate Clan, the Sunset Clan flinched for a moment.
"Cloud Gate Clan?"
The middle-aged man in white robes said triumphantly.
"That's right. I am Ha Hu-seong, the Cheolsanban, one of the Three Chief Officers of the Cloud Gate Clan, and this gentleman next to me is the Second young master of our family. That Snowy Hooves is originally Second young master's Beloved Horse, but it went missing a few days ago, and we have been searching for it ever since. Now do you realize how big of a mistake you've made?"
The Sunset Clan felt bewildered, realizing that things were going in an unexpected direction, contrary to his expectations.
The Cloud Gate Clan was one of the most famous Distinguished Clans spanning the provinces of Shanxi and Henan, with a great reputation in the Jianghu. In particular, they had a blood relationship with the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects with a strong influence, so they possessed a power that no one in the current Murim could ignore.
It wasn't that the Sunset Clan was intimidated by the name of the Cloud Gate Clan.
However, he couldn't help but be flustered when he realized that the men he thought were simple horse thieves were actually members of the Cloud Gate Clan, and that the horse also originally belonged to the Cloud Gate Clan. He regretted rushing in without properly understanding the situation, but it was already water under the bridge.
'Damn it... Great Senior Brother told me several times not to cause any trouble this time, but this is a disaster.'
The Sunset Clan had a habit of blushing and stuttering when he was flustered.
"Well... that's... I didn't know. Their actions looked like they were forcibly stealing someone else's horse... so..."
As the Sunset Clan mumbled, stuttering with a flushed face, a cold voice suddenly interrupted him.
"Three Chief Officers, don't bother with such a young boy and quickly catch the horse."
The one who spoke was the young master in white robes with his hands behind his back. The young master in white robes' voice was so cold and frigid that it felt like a cold wind was blowing through the area.
Cheolsanban Ha Hu-seong hurriedly bowed his head.
"Understood, Second young master."
Then, he glared fiercely at the Sunset Clan.
"Consider yourself lucky. If it weren't for Second young master, you wouldn't have escaped a great disaster. Hurry up and get lost."
Without even waiting for the Sunset Clan's reply, he turned away and shouted at the men.
"What are you doing, you blockheads! Are you going to spend the whole day catching one horse?"
The Sunset Clan's anger flared up again when the young master in white robes called him a young boy and Ha Hu-seong called him "you" every other word. However, he forcibly suppressed his rising anger, remembering that he had made a mistake earlier by rashly throwing a punch, and watched their actions.
The men were again throwing several hooks at Snowy Hooves' neck, trying to forcibly drag away Snowy Hooves, who was struggling wildly.
As he watched quietly, the Sunset Clan suddenly had a strange thought.
If Snowy Hooves was the Beloved Horse of that ice-cold and arrogant young master in white robes, as Ha Hu-seong said, how could someone treat their own Beloved Horse so roughly and violently? Moreover, it was strange that a fine horse like Snowy Hooves wouldn't recognize its owner and would be running wild.
The Sunset Clan became curious and unknowingly took a step closer to the scene.
But then, Ha Hu-seong, who was glancing back, discovered the Sunset Clan approaching them and shouted with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"You! Why are you still loitering around instead of leaving?"
The Sunset Clan, true to his nature of not being able to pass by anything he was curious about, immediately opened his mouth.
"There's something strange."
"What's strange?"
"Are you sure that horse really belongs to your young master?"
Ha Hu-seong's expression changed completely.
"Are you daring to doubt us?"
"Isn't it? You say it's your young master's horse, but why is it struggling so desperately? If your young master is the original owner, shouldn't he be able to handle the horse himself?"
The young master in white robes, who had been standing on one side, glared at the Sunset Clan with sharp eyes. The light emanating from the two eyes embedded in his fair face, as white as if it had been painted, shot towards the Sunset Clan like arrows.
However, the Sunset Clan was not intimidated by such a gaze. Instead, he also put strength in his eyes and glared back at the young master in white robes, as if to say that he would never lose in a staring contest.
The young master in white robes' expression gradually hardened, and a chilling murderous aura swirled around his eyes.
At that moment, Ha Hu-seong burst into a fierce roar and charged towards the Sunset Clan.
"You mayfly! I've been holding back, but you're really flying around without knowing your place!"
The Sunset Clan became even more suspicious when he charged at him without any explanation. He subtly moved to the side to dodge and let out a cold snort.
"Humph! Trying to drag it away with hooks, claiming it's your Beloved Horse... Did you think I would believe such nonsense?"
Ha Hu-seong's face turned murderous, and he mercilessly struck the Sunset Clan's side with the iron abacus in his hand.
"You ill-mannered brat! You'll regret mouthing off later!"
The Sunset Clan realized that the opponent's attack contained a ruthless Killing Hand and became very tense, quickly moving two steps to the side again. At the same time, he thrust his right fist three times in a row towards Ha Hu-seong's chest using the Three Rings Throwing at the Sun technique.
Ha Hu-seong, seeing that the Sunset Clan's attack, whom he had only thought of as a greenhorn, was unexpectedly sharp and fierce, hurriedly retrieved the iron abacus and quickly rotated it.
Pa pa pak!
With a fierce whistling sound, the Sunset Clan quickly withdrew his fist and retreated. Although the Sunset Clan's attack was sharp, he couldn't possibly hit Ha Hu-seong's iron abacus with his bare hands. Ha Hu-seong didn't miss that moment and swung the iron abacus at the Sunset Clan's temple with a thunderous roar.
"You! Die!"
The Inner Force contained in that iron abacus was so lethal that it was obvious that his head would be crushed even if it only grazed him.
The Sunset Clan retreated another three steps and barely avoided Ha Hu-seong's iron abacus. However, before he could stabilize his stance, Ha Hu-seong rushed in even faster and struck the iron abacus down from above.
Swaeak!
A terrifying sound of tearing through the air was heard. In his haste, the Sunset Clan couldn't even draw the long sword he was wearing at his waist and raised the scabbard over his head.
Clang!
The Sunset Clan gritted his teeth at the pain that felt like his wrist was being torn apart.
'Ugh!'
Although he barely managed to block the opponent's attack, he had received a considerable shock from the powerful Inner Force contained in the iron abacus.
Ha Hu-seong, having already decided to kill the Sunset Clan, showed no hesitation and swept towards the Sunset Clan's face again in the style of Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies. Although Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies wasn't exactly a ultimate move, the one move that Ha Hu-seong swung now contained his strong Inner Force, making it a terrifying force that even first-rate experts of the Jianghu couldn't ignore.
The Sunset Clan's face turned pale. He realized at a glance that he couldn't withstand that one move of Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies with his abilities.
It was then.
"Using such a vicious Killing Hand on a young boy is too much, don't you think?"
Along with a clear and sonorous shout, a strong gust of wind blew and pushed the Sunset Clan far to the side. Ha Hu-seong's terrifying attack was wasted in vain.
Ha Hu-seong was startled that someone had so easily taken the Sunset Clan out of his attack and quickly withdrew his hand, turning to look at the source of the sound.
A middle-aged man in blue robes was standing tall between him and the Sunset Clan, having appeared out of nowhere.
Ha Hu-seong, recognizing that the blue-robed middle-aged man's aura was extraordinary, quickly asked.
"Who are you?"
The blue-robed middle-aged man smiled and lightly clasped his hands.
"I am a man named Sang Won-geon."
"Sang Won-geon?"
Ha Hu-seong muttered something to himself for a moment, and his expression changed slightly.
"Are you perhaps the Bireonggaek, who is famous in the Gansu and Longxi area?"
Sang Won-geon smiled.
"Haha... Bireonggaek is a name that friends who like to gossip gave me jokingly. I am indeed Sang Won-geon of Longxi."
Bireonggaek Sang Won-geon, although he didn't often appear in the Central Plains, was a well-known expert with considerable fame in the Gansu area. He was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also had a mysterious demeanor and a great sense of chivalry, earning him the praise of many people.
Ha Hu-seong, recognizing the opponent's identity, couldn't act as recklessly as he had with the Sunset Clan. He feigned a cough and also clasped his hands.
"So it's Great Hero Sang. I am Ha Hu-seong, the Third Chief Officer of the Cloud Gate Clan."
He put particular emphasis on the words "Cloud Gate Clan."
Sang Won-geon, knowing his intentions well, nodded with a faint smile.
"Meeting a Chief Officer of the Cloud Gate Clan, which is famous throughout the world, makes me feel incredibly lucky today. But..."
Sang Won-geon subtly pointed to the Sunset Clan standing behind him and asked.
"This young hero seems to have offended Chief Officer Ha Hu-seong because he is still young and lacks experience in the Jianghu. It doesn't seem fitting for Chief Officer Ha Hu-seong, who is famous in the Jianghu, to use a Killing Hand over such a matter."
Ha Hu-seong's face turned slightly red.
Indeed, considering his reputation and age, it was excessive for him to have used his hand on the Sunset Clan earlier, even by his own standards. If it became known that the dignified Chief Officer of the Cloud Gate Clan had used a brutal Killing Hand to kill a boy who was barely old enough to be his son, it would be extremely embarrassing for him.
Ha Hu-seong coughed awkwardly and let out an embarrassed laugh.
"Haha... Killing Hand is out of the question. It's just that the boy was too reckless and didn't know how to respect his elders, so I was just trying to give him a stern lesson."
Sang Won-geon knew that Ha Hu-seong's attack earlier was not just a stern lesson but a murderous one that would have completely cut off the person's breath, but he said in a calm voice.
"If that's the case, then that's a relief. This young hero must have understood Chief Officer Ha Hu-seong's intentions, so it would be good to stop here. What does Chief Officer Ha Hu-seong think?"
"Y-yes, that would be good."
Ha Hu-seong nodded awkwardly.
If the opponent hadn't been the Bireonggaek, who was known throughout the world, Ha Hu-seong would never have retreated so easily. Indeed, it was important to have a name.
But then, unexpectedly, the Sunset Clan stepped forward again.
"Damn it. I can't stand it like this."
Sang Won-geon flinched and turned to look at him. The Sunset Clan's face was flushed red, and he was breathing heavily.
Sang Won-geon asked with a bewildered expression, not knowing what was going on.
"Are you hurt?"
The Sunset Clan pointed at Ha Hu-seong and shouted in an angry voice.
"I can't back down after being insulted by that goat beard like this. I didn't do anything wrong!"
Ha Hu-seong was dumbfounded and just stared at him, as if he couldn't believe that he had called him a goat beard and pointed his finger at him.
Sang Won-geon also let out a wry smile inwardly.
'Now that I see it, he has quite the temper, unlike his appearance. If he can't control his temper like this, his journey in the Jianghu will be quite difficult.'
However, if he left him alone like this, it was obvious that the Sunset Clan would really suffer a great humiliation from Ha Hu-seong. Ha Hu-seong was already glaring at the Sunset Clan with murderous intent in his eyes, as if his anger was surging.
Sang Won-geon looked at the Sunset Clan with stern eyes.
"In the Jianghu, you must sometimes know how to endure. If you act only according to your temper, not only will you suffer, but you may also cause trouble for others."
Sang Won-geon's words implied that causing trouble with the powerful figures of the Cloud Gate Clan would not be of any help to the Sunset Clan's Namgung Clan. However, the Sunset Clan only thought that Sang Won-geon was scolding him without knowing the details and felt even more wronged and resentful.
"Great Hero Sang, please don't worry about my affairs. I'll be the one to die or suffer."
Those were not words that a newcomer who had just taken his first steps into the Jianghu should say to a Murim expert. Anyone would have been unable to bear hearing such words from a greenhorn who was barely old enough to be their son.
Sang Won-geon was also not free from anger at the Sunset Clan's stubborn words and actions. However, he knew that if he retreated in anger like this, an innocent life would disappear without even blooming, so he suppressed his anger and instead smiled.
"I didn't know your spirit was so great. But your Sect Leader would agree with me."
At the mention of Sect Leader, the Sunset Clan flinched.
At that moment, a calm voice flowed out from behind him.
"Great Hero Sang's words are correct. You need to be more self-restrained."
Hearing that voice, the Sunset Clan suddenly felt as if the momentum that had been about to explode had disappeared without a trace, and his strength drained away.
"Great Senior Brother..."
Jin San-wol was standing tall a few steps away behind him, having appeared unnoticed.