The Black Kerchief Sect's Disturbance
“Hey~ Yoo Eunhyeon!”
“N-Noona! Please, just stay still for a moment!”
The lively red aura clinging to Ju Yu-ryeon’s face was as dense as ever, yet her eyes were already blurred from too much wine. She waved at Yoo Eunhyeon with unsteady fingers, body swaying like a reed in the wind.
Ho Won-jik, the one supporting her, looked equally flushed, but he managed to keep a tight hold on his senses thanks to her.
Ho Won-jik spotted Yoo Eunhyeon belatedly and hurried over, surprise flickering across his features.
“Hey, what brings you here, Hyung-nim? And who are these…?”
He scanned the surroundings with a cautious glance. The moment he recognized the Black Kerchief Sect disciples, sharp vigilance sharpened his eyes as he swept them over.
“The Tiger-Chasing Sect’s… Young Master Ho Won-jik?”
At that instant, one of the Black Kerchief Sect disciples staring fixedly at Ho Won-jik shouted loudly.
“What? T-True?”
“Why is Young Master Ho Won-jik here?”
The Black Kerchief Sect disciples facing off against Dang Jaseung recognized him and began whispering among themselves. The murmurs grew louder until they filled the entire alley.
“What are you doing instead of attacking!”
Wi Dong-jo, who had been so consumed in his battle with Dang Jaseung that he had no time for anything else, sensed something was off and halted his offensive, stepping back to turn his gaze this way.
“Huh? That kid’s Wi Dong-jo?”
Only then did Ho Won-jik spot Wi Dong-jo and greeted him with feigned familiarity.
Yoo Eunhyeon asked him quietly, “You two know each other?”
“Yes… Wi Dong-jo, the eldest son of the Black Kerchief Sect’s current leader, Black Pearl Moon Seal Wi Cheon-ryang.”
“Black Pearl Moon Seal?”
“One of the Ten Fingers,” Yoo Eunhyeon replied.
He had heard of them long ago from Ju Yu-ryeon. The great experts who had surpassed the Lotus Realm. His own grandfather, the Moving Blood Medical Pillar Su Gyeong-tak, was also among them.
At that moment, Wi Dong-jo had also spotted Ho Won-jik.
Soon he issued orders to the Black Kerchief Sect disciples to surround Dang Jaseung, then turned his gaze aside and walked slowly toward Yoo Eunhyeon to ask,
“Ho Won-jik… what are you doing here?”
“That’s something you don’t need to know. Do I have to report every step I take to you?”
“Hunan is our Black Kerchief Sect’s territory. When you step foot into another faction’s area, you should at least give a warning, shouldn’t you?”
“If it were a mission, of course. But right now it’s nothing more than a personal errand. You wouldn’t dare ask about my business, too?”
“…”
Ho Won-jik’s words carried reason. As the Young Master of the Tiger-Chasing Sect leading his disciples, it was only proper to notify the Black Kerchief Sect, which belonged to the same Six Pillars of the Demonic Heaven. But things were different this time. Not a single disciple had come with him.
With Wi Dong-jo silent, Ho Won-jik sneered, lifted Ju Yu-ryeon onto his back, and turned toward Yoo Eunhyeon.
“Let’s go, Hyung-nim. There’s no benefit in getting tangled up with these kinds of people.”
Ho Won-jik ignored Wi Dong-jo’s words completely, as if he had nothing more to say, and started to walk away.
Just as he turned to leave, Wi Dong-jo stepped forward and blocked his path.
“Where do you think you’re going? It doesn’t concern you, but I’m not done with the other side yet.”
“What business? The fact that you’re still alive is already generous of Hyung-nim. If it were me, I would have killed them all long ago.”
Ho Won-jik’s gaze turned icy as he spoke, and Wi Dong-jo flinched slightly under that pressure.
As he had said, the Black Kerchief Sect disciples facing off against Yoo Eunhyeon had lost only their weapons; not a single one bore a proper wound. It was an impossible scene without holding back their strength.
Wi Dong-jo hesitated, not daring to move rashly. Ho Won-jik laughed and baited him.
“Still throwing a tantrum without considering the opponent. Unchanged.”
“…”
Before Ho Won-jik could finish, Wi Dong-jo’s thin eyebrows twitched sharply.
“Are my words wrong? Because of this lack of foresight, you stole my younger brother’s position as leader!”
“You dare!!!”
That drawling tone finally struck Wi Dong-jo’s sore spot. Unable to hold back any longer, he drew his sword and charged at Ho Won-jik.
Clang!
The curved sword, half-moon shaped, spun in an eerie arc and swept toward Ho Won-jik. But Ho Won-jik had already prepared. He kicked off like lightning and kicked the incoming blade aside roughly.
“You damn bastard! Sneaking a surprise attack?”
“Throwing around such words and then calling it cowardly. Fine. Today I’ll fix your tongue, you mutt!”
Profanities flew back and forth, and the two entangled in a fierce brawl. The sudden internal conflict left the Black Kerchief Sect disciples unable to decide which side to support, merely circling the periphery.
“You kids are really enjoying yourselves… Eh?”
Yoo Eunhyeon had just opened his mouth to mock them when a biting surge of energy brushed his spine. He turned his head, the words dying on his lips.
Shhhuck.
“U-Urgh!”
A few of the Black Kerchief Sect disciples who had been surrounding Dang Jaseung were collapsing with screams. The moment Wi Dong-jo, who had been holding the center of the encirclement, got entangled in his fight with Ho Won-jik, Dang Jaseung had scattered his remaining poison and shadow weapons everywhere.
Taking the opening left by the broken encirclement, Dang Jaseung activated his body and escaped.
“Damn it! Chase!”
“Yes, sir!”
Even Wi Dong-jo, whose mind was still clear, saw the scene and realized too late. He urgently ordered a few uninjured Black Kerchief Sect disciples to pursue Dang Jaseung’s back.
But the damage had already been inflicted too deeply. The odds of a successful pursuit were slim.
Wi Dong-jo made the same judgment. He swung his half-moon blade fiercely, pushing Ho Won-jik away, and retreated immediately.
“You damn bastard! It’s because of you that I lost him! How do you plan to take responsibility?!”
“Responsibility? That’s all on your incompetent lot. Why are you dumping it on me?”
“You don’t even know who that kid is and you opened your mouth so freely! He’s someone deeply valued even in the Sichuan Dang Clan! Did you not know a demonic cult order had been issued to capture the clan?!”
“I knew. But the one who started it first, and the one who ended up losing him, is all you. Why are you turning it on me?”
Wi Dong-jo ground his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to cut Ho Won-jik down on the spot, but the situation was unfavorable.
Half his subordinates had already gone after Dang Jaseung, and the rest were so poisoned by shadow weapons that they were close to losing combat ability. On top of that, Yoo Eunhyeon was standing there unharmed. Charging in now would only invite disaster.
In the end, Wi Dong-jo, grinding his teeth, shouted,
“Ugh… Don’t get the wrong idea that this will end here! Next time I will definitely make you take responsibility!”
It was a trite warning, but it was the best he could offer at that moment. Wi Dong-jo finally turned his back and the Black Kerchief Sect disciples withdrew, supporting their injured. Once the situation settled, Yoo Eunhyeon exhaled a long breath.
“Haa… Well, as expected, you shouldn’t do something you’ve never done before. The aftermath is quite a hassle.”
“Correct. In the Murim world, getting entangled isn’t something you can avoid even by just walking the straight path.”
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded slightly, recalling the events that had unfolded since he had entered the Murim world. Indeed, all sorts of strange things had happened.
“I thought it must be bad luck, but apparently it’s not that.”
As he muttered while looking toward Mount Taesan, a voice suddenly rang out from behind him—Ho Won-jik talking loudly about something.
But Yoo Eunhyeon did not turn around. He simply kept walking toward Sugyeongru.
*
Time passed, and after everyone had rested, the three of them gathered again that evening.
Dishes of food arrived one after another. While they silently picked up their chopsticks, Yoo Eunhyeon spoke first, addressing Ho Won-jik.
“Why is the Black Kerchief Sect so quiet? Honestly, I was worried we might not be able to stay here after the morning commotion.”
“We paid the proper fees; you can’t just throw us out. Besides, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ju Yu-ryeon downed a cup of hot tea in one go, as if to cure her hangover, and then spoke up.
“Wi Dong-jo, right? The eldest son of the Black Kerchief Sect? That bastard who even lost the succession to his younger brother because of his lousy skills?”
“Exactly. His skills are also poor—worse than average. A total idiot who lost the position to his younger brother. Tsk.”
Ho Won-jik clicked his tongue as Ju Yu-ryeon leaned closer and whispered into Yoo Eunhyeon’s ear.
“Hmm. It seems being the only child isn’t such a bad thing after all, is it?”
“True. With no one to compare to, he probably doesn’t even realize he’s a total delinquent himself.”
The whisper was far too clear. Ho Won-jik’s face instantly twisted.
“B-But even if I am, I’m still better than that brat, right?”
“Well… it’s hard to judge just by looking at one side. But… probably not.”
Ju Yu-ryeon answered with a chuckle, and Ho Won-jik immediately turned to Yoo Eunhyeon, eyes pleading for an answer.
To be honest, just from the first impression, Wi Dong-jo had seemed worse. Yoo Eunhyeon’s reply was a bit ambiguous. For that reason, Ho Won-jik’s expression remained sullen.
“Heh. What’s with that frown? People live in the present. The me of the past isn’t the me of now. Let the past go and enjoy the present.”
It was something Ju Yu-ryeon would say, but it clashed with the mindset of a farmer who had lived through it all.
“If you don’t use the past as a guide, you can’t set a direction for the future. Of course, the gaze should be forward.”
“No… isn’t just living however it goes enough? Most people live like that, don’t they?”
Ho Won-jik scratched his head and answered carelessly, but both of them glared at him at the same time. He finally fell silent.
“Well, in any case, it’s fine as long as it’s quiet. It would have been troublesome if you came looking for us.”
“I would have liked to see it once. What a pity. You’re the eldest son of a major faction after all?”
“We had plenty of fun all night.”
“Tch, what kind of fun? Thanks to that brat, I only drank.”
Ju Yu-ryeon, pouting, suddenly lifted her head as if remembering something.
“By the way… what about that Dang Clan matter? Do you know anything?”
Ho Won-jik stayed silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then he nodded decisively.
Being cautious of his surroundings, he lowered his voice, and the two’s gazes sharpened like needles at those words.
“Not exactly accurate, but… there seems to be some issue between the Dang Clan and the Demonic Cult. The order from the clan gate says to disrupt whatever they’re planning as much as possible. So if you see anyone from the Dang Clan, interfere with them.”