Chapter 115
Chapter 115
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Challenge Certificate (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"The Sect Leader is trying to abandon us."
As Jeok Insul raised his voice, Ju Hang nodded gravely as well.
"Just look at how they handled things in Hangzhou. They pretend to consider us, but when it comes to interests at stake, they stuff their own lackeys in everywhere."
The new branch leader installed in the Hangzhou branch, which had been thoroughly dismantled by Sima Geon and his group, along with all his subordinates, were all connected to the Sect Leader and Mong Yang. Unlike the usual fair distribution, they had filled every spot with the Sect Leader and his followers' people.
"It can't be helped since we made a mistake."
Pyeon Gwang, calmly holding his teacup, acknowledged the error and tried to make them understand the situation, but Jeok Insul, Ju Hang, and the other followers who had gathered in Pyeon Gwang's quarters refused to accept it.
"Once we start yielding one thing, they'll demand two, then three in no time. Eventually, they'll try to squeeze us dry. It was the same at the meeting. The Hangzhou branch situation is regrettable, but turning the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance into that state is clearly a huge gain. How much have we suffered at their hands all this time? And yet they push it as an unconditional mistake. This is ridiculous."
Ju Hang raised his voice.
"So what do you propose we do?"
Pyeon Gwang feigned irritation in response. But deep down, he hoped the surrounding discontent would intensify further.
"The Hangzhou branch is already out of our hands, so nothing to be done there. But don't we have a chance to make up for it?"
Pyeon Gwang immediately caught on to what Ju Hang wanted to say.
"You mean the elder positions?"
"Yes. There are two elder seats that have opened up this time. Since we gave up the Hangzhou branch, we should claim the elder positions for our side."
"Do you think the Sect Leader will hand them over easily? He knows full well how important those seats are."
As Jeok Insul skeptically shook his head, Ju Hang's expression hardened.
"That's exactly why we need to take them. If even the elder positions go entirely to the Sect Leader's side, we'll have no place left."
"He's right. That's our share."
"We all need to raise our voices and demand it."
"Supreme Guardian, please step forward once more."
Led by Ju Hang, the voices of discontent burst forth like a dam breaking.
Pyeon Gwang, who had silently listened to their opinions, raised his hand calmly, and silence fell instantly as if the uproar had never happened.
"I've heard your thoughts fully, so let's end it here for today."
"Supreme Guardian!"
"Enough."
As Ju Hang tried to speak again, a single heavy word shut him down.
"I'll do my utmost to push our demands through. So don't worry too much—just trust me and follow."
"If you say it that firmly, we understand. We'll follow."
Ju Hang bowed his head, and the others gathered in the room followed suit, showing their loyalty to Pyeon Gwang.
With that, the meeting concluded.
After all the attendees had left, a short while later, the door quietly opened, and a man appeared.
Pyeon Gwang showed no particular reaction, as if he had already sensed his presence.
"Hwan Su pays his respects to the Guardian."
"What brings you here? Has something happened in the cult?"
"No."
"Then what is it? It's not time yet."
"A secret writ has come down from the cult."
"A secret writ?"
Pyeon Gwang's eyes flashed sharply.
"Yes."
Hwan Su responded by taking a silk envelope and a small jade box from his bosom and offering them respectfully.
"It's from the Left Elder."
Confirming the seal on the silk envelope, Pyeon Gwang opened it with a slightly tense expression.
After pulling out the letter and scanning its contents, Pyeon Gwang turned his gaze to the jade box.
"Is what's inside the jade box what I think it is?"
"Yes."
"I sensed the Heavenly Demon Cult's movements were unusual and had anticipated this, but it seems they're finally making their move in earnest."
"I believe similar secret writs have gone out to the entire martial world."
"Understood. You may withdraw."
"Take care."
Hwan Su bowed politely and quietly left.
Once the presence of footsteps had completely vanished, Pyeon Gwang carefully opened the jade box.
"Tsk tsk, they should have just backed off moderately. What a pity, Sect Leader."
Gazing at the two wriggling insects inside the jade box, Pyeon Gwang smiled—his face showing no regret whatsoever, contrary to his words.
"Has the Secret Investigation Hall Leader not arrived yet?"
Neung Cheong Kang asked, his face flushed with heavy intoxication.
"Not yet."
Neung Sa-jin replied as he poured liquor into an empty cup.
He looked troubled, having to give the same answer to the same question repeatedly.
"Those sluggish worms! How can it take this long just to track a few people's movements?"
"The Secret Investigation Hall Leader is working tirelessly, so results should come soon."
Neung Sa-jin made excuses on Go Eung's behalf to soothe him, but Neung Cheong Kang's anger did not subside.
"Sa-jin."
"Yes, Father."
"Did I judge wrongly?"
"No."
As Neung Sa-jin firmly shook his head, Neung Cheong Kang let out a hollow laugh.
"No need to defend your father. We should have stopped at an appropriate point."
"Our youngest brother—your uncle—was defeated by them. How could we endure that?"
"No. We still should have endured. Not as a father, but as the head of the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds, I should have held back. I should have examined the report from the Hao Clan more coldly and objectively."
Neung Cheong Kang drained his cup roughly.
"Fighting evenly with the Soaring Heaven Lone Sword, slaughtering the Green Forest elders, forming ties with the Sword Ghost, and easily winning the Ha Hu Clan's martial tournament—yet that guy is out there butchering meat in a butcher shop. It doesn't make sense logically. How did I not realize their extraordinary nature back then?"
The cup in Neung Cheong Kang's hand turned to dust and scattered. It was already the fifth one.
"If they come for us, can we stop them?"
"Of course. How can mere numbers compare to the power of the Green Forest?"
Neung Cheong Kang gave a bitter smile at Neung Sa-jin's firm declaration.
"Foolish child, we were being overwhelmed in momentum by those 'mere numbers'—that's the situation we're in right now."
"When did you ascend to Total Stronghold Chief? It's only been a year. We're not like those guys who've been tightly united around the Gunsan Mad Dragon for decades. Time will naturally resolve that difference. Ah, and now we don't even need to worry about that anymore."
They had already heard the news that Yu Ak had become crippled and the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance's leadership had been wiped out.
The damned Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, which had looked down on the Green Forest until recently, had been smashed to pieces.
"If that were all, it would be fine. We could have pressured the alliance, now torn by internal strife after losing its lord and leaders, and snatched away their profits one by one like pulling chestnuts from the fire. That is, if those monsters didn't realize we were behind it all. Damn that Hao Clan! Those idiots!"
How shocked they had been to hear that the Hao Clan disciples, defeated by Sima Geon and his group, had spilled the beans about the connections between the Green Forest, the Hao Clan, and Hong Ik Bang.
Of course, they hadn't taken it too seriously at first.
But when they learned those few had rescued the Living Immortal Medical House from crisis and crushed the Heavenly Demon Cult's experts, and then headed to Hong Ik Bang seeking revenge with just that handful of people, their unease began to grow bit by bit.
Finally, the thunderbolt news arrived that not only Hong Ik Bang but the entire Yangtze River Waterway Alliance had been devastated.
With the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance fallen, it was obvious their next target would be the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds.
The vague anxiety had become an enormous threat bearing down on them.
"It probably wasn't entirely their own power."
"What do you mean?"
"The Sword Hou has appeared. Rumors say it wasn't them who smashed the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, but the Sword Hou."
Neung Sa-jin downplayed Sima Geon and his group's abilities as much as possible.
"Rumors aren't reliable. But I wish it were true."
As Neung Cheong Kang grumbled and reached for another cup, it happened.
"Total Stronghold Chief."
Go Eung, the Secret Investigation Hall Leader Neung Cheong Kang had been waiting for, came running in, drenched in sweat.
"What have you been doing until now..."
Neung Cheong Kang shot to his feet and started to bellow, but he forcibly suppressed his rising fury and sat back down.
"I'm sorry."
Go Eung bowed his head.
"Come in quickly."
Neung Sa-jin handed a cup of cold water to Go Eung, who was catching his breath with heavy gasps.
"Th-thank you."
Go Eung gulped it down in one go, exhaled deeply, and straightened his posture.
Neung Cheong Kang waited patiently as long as he could while Go Eung caught his breath, but finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Did you find their whereabouts?"
"Yes."
"Are they heading here?"
Neung Cheong Kang's voice trembled slightly, whether from tension or not.
"No. As far as we confirmed, they moved to Wuhan, then took a boat and left the very next day."
"Left? To where?"
"Not certain, but there were reports they headed to Nanking."
"Is that definite?"
Neung Sa-jin asked.
"Yes. We verified it through multiple layers. Some details need more checking, but it's certain they boarded a boat and departed."
At Go Eung's confident answer, Neung Sa-jin unconsciously clenched his fist. Only then did he feel the sweat soaking his back.
"What about the Sword Hou? Did you confirm the Sword Hou's whereabouts too?"
Neung Cheong Kang asked in a much more relaxed tone.
"They left together."
"With those guys?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Neung Cheong Kang was genuinely puzzled.
Sima Geon's origins were well-known as the Heavenly Demon Cult. The Sword Hou, hailed as the world's greatest, was a symbol of the righteous path. The very idea that the two had fought together against the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance was hard enough to believe from the start. Yet even after it was over, for them to travel together was even more incomprehensible.
"We couldn't find out. I'm sorry."
"No. Tracking the Sword Hou's movements isn't some ordinary task. It's not your fault. Still, it's a shame."
Neung Sa-jin and Go Eung both felt a flicker of doubt.
"I thought maybe they were coming this way. With the challenge certificate, perhaps."
Neung Cheong Kang seemed to realize even he thought it didn't make sense, glancing at Neung Sa-jin and Go Eung as he lifted his cup.
A faint smile formed on Neung Sa-jin's lips.
It was because his father tossing out such idle jests meant he had regained some mental leeway.
"Anyway, we've shed one worry, so now we need to focus on what we have to do."
Neung Cheong Kang clapped to refocus attention.
"The Yangtze River Waterway Alliance?"
Go Eung asked.
"Yes. The beast is wounded and plummeting pathetically—time to devour it to our heart's content. Tell everyone to gather."
"Understood."
"And keep tracking those guys' whereabouts. It's not over yet. They might not come right now, but someday they'll bare their fangs at us."
"I've already given the orders."
"Good."
Neung Cheong Kang gave Go Eung a look of trust in his reliable handling.
"One more thing at the end."
After closing his eyes briefly in thought, Neung Cheong Kang slowly opened them.
"Make contact with the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"Father!"
Neung Sa-jin cried out in surprise.
"I know what you're going to say. But after today's events, I'm seriously considering the proposal they made to us before. They've backed off for now, but those guys will bare their fangs at us too. If the Gunsan Mad Dragon fell, so can we. Honestly, we have no way to stop them."
Neung Cheong Kang let out a self-deprecating laugh, downed his liquor, then set the cup down.
It was the drink he'd enjoyed all his life, but never had it tasted so bitter.