Return to Changsha
The worst torrential rain in a decade had finally ceased.
Though it left behind a trail of devastation—flooded rivers spawning plagues and ruined harvests—the people in the taverns and marketplaces were gossiping about something else entirely.
"W-wait, is that true? Lady Oh of the Jegal Family is dead?!"
"Not just her! Even her son, the third young master of the Jegal Family, met a gruesome end!"
"Who on earth would dare touch the bloodlines of the Geumhwang Merchant Group and the Jegal Family?!"
The shocking news that Jeok-un, the second son of the Jegal Family, had killed his stepmother and half-brother was shaking not just Hubei, but the entirety of the Central Plains.
Even in an ordinary household, such an act would be deemed a heinous, immoral crime. For it to happen within the Jegal Family, one of the Seven Great Families, was unimaginable.
The countless gossips of the Jianghu were not about to let such a juicy topic slide.
It was the way of the world that tragic and scandalous news traveled far faster than good tidings.
"But why did he commit such a horrific act?"
"I heard the stepmother and her son tried to assassinate the second son first."
"My goodness! So he flew into a rage and slaughtered them!"
Because there had been so many witnesses in the main hall when Jegal Wi-yeon was decapitated, the truth of the incident spread quite accurately.
This included the existence of the assassins and Lady Oh's attempt to poison the eldest young master.
The fact that the Geumhwang Merchant Group, which doted on Lady Oh, had not made a single move against the Jegal Family only cemented the truth of these rumors.
Even so, public opinion did not favor Jeok-un.
"Hmph! No matter the reason, a descendant of an Orthodox clan shouldn't just slaughter his own flesh and blood!"
"Exactly! Walking the righteous path while committing such a familial sin... tsk, tsk."
"What a mess. And they call themselves one of the Seven Great Families."
This was because the Jegal Family belonged to the 'Orthodox' faction.
The hypocrites of the Orthodox faction, unaffected by the tragedy themselves, chose instead to condemn Jeok-un for the bloodshed.
They claimed he should have waited for a fair trial by the family head and the Murim Alliance.
Thus, Jeok-un was branded throughout the Central Plains with the infamous title of the "Prodigal of the Jegal Family."
"But tell me, how did that Jegal Jeok-un escape the pursuit of the Iron-Blooded Judge?"
"Hmm, it's just a rumor for now, but I did hear something..."
"Oh? Do tell."
Indeed, another rumor was circulating alongside the scandal.
"They say the Iron-Blooded Judge, Jegal Tan, lost to him."
"What? The Iron-Blooded Judge? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
"I heard Jegal Jeok-un's martial arts weren't even Second-Class. How could he possibly defeat Jegal Tan, the second-in-command of the Jegal Family?"
"My friend, doesn't the Jianghu occasionally have things that make the impossible possible?"
"Wait, don't tell me he stole a sacred relic...!"
The rumor claimed that Jeok-un had stolen an incredible sacred relic when he fled the Jegal Family.
And with the power of that relic, he had managed to defeat even Jegal Tan.
With that rumor, the atmosphere shifted.
In truth, it was nothing more than a highly unreliable rumor.
Yet, in the Jianghu, baseless rumors often transformed into accepted facts.
To those who believed the rumors, Jeok-un had become a walking pile of gold.
So, if I capture Jegal Jeok-un...
I can stick it to the damn Jegal Family...
And get my hands on the treasure that defeated Jegal Tan, right?
Even though he had left Hubei to escape the Jegal Family's pursuit, the threats targeting Jeok-un were only growing larger.
Changsha, Hunan Province.
The history and value of the city of Changsha were deep and vast.
Whether it was the fact that it originally belonged to the Miao people rather than the Han,
or that the Qin Dynasty, the first to unify the land, carved it out from the territory of Chu,
or its turbulent history during the Three Kingdoms period when Sun Jian occupied it and its ownership constantly shifted as one of the four commanderies of southern Jingzhou.
While the city of Changsha carried a profound resonance in its own right, its meaning was slightly different for martial artists.
To them, it meant one thing: Sadocheon.
For it was here in Changsha that Sadocheon, one of the two giant factions dividing the Unorthodox path alongside the Black Hegemony Castle, had coiled itself.
While Sadocheon and the Black Hegemony Castle shared the common label of the Unorthodox path, their true natures were quite different.
Sadocheon, though unorthodox, remained true to the essence of martial artists.
Its origin lay in a gathering of martial artists who sought true freedom from the rules, laws, and prohibitions that bound them.
On the other hand, the Black Hegemony Castle, situated to the east, was a sinister and vicious organization—the very textbook definition of the dark underworld.
Their trademark was that blades spoke louder than words, human lives were treated like flies, and not a shred of sympathy was to be found.
Perhaps because of this ruthless nature?
It had been quite some time since the Black Hegemony Castle's power had eclipsed that of Sadocheon.
Yet, Changsha, where Sadocheon's main headquarters resided, remained a city brimming with a charm unique to Sadocheon.
An unstoppable freedom.
The desire to live a better life.
These two elements constantly drew people to Changsha.
Just like at this very moment.
"Here, a parting gift. Enjoy."
A man wearing a black bamboo hat handed over a skewered fruit that glistened like jewels.
It was a candied fruit coated in melted sugar.
"Wow! Thank you, mister!"
"I told you, it's 'older brother'."
"Hehe, see you next time, mister!"
"Ugh."
The man gave a bitter smile as he watched the child grin and run off, completely ignoring his correction.
"Thank you for the ride, elder."
"Haha, no need for thanks, we were just traveling the same way. Well then, I wish you good fortune on your path."
With those parting words, the old man diligently drove his carriage away.
Clack, clack. The carriage gradually faded into the distance.
Once the child waving back at him had completely vanished from sight,
the man chuckled softly and turned his gaze toward the city.
The panoramic view of Changsha was both splendid and bursting with vitality.
As he slightly tilted his black bamboo hat back, revealing his face,
"I'm finally back."
the man, Jeok-un, muttered.
After defeating Jegal Tan and crushing all the pests that clung to him along the way, he had finally arrived.
His emotions surged.
These were feelings he had never felt back at his ancestral home, the Jegal Family Manor.
A sense of comfort, nostalgia, and relief, as if he had returned to his own home...
It was only natural.
Before his regression, Jeok-un's Evil Hegemony Alliance had started from Sadocheon and was completed by swallowing the Black Hegemony Castle.
Changsha was, in essence, the true home of his heart.
Nostalgic memories, forgotten amidst the fires of war, began to resurface.
"Brother, slipping out during office hours to drink again? Hey, pour me a cup too!"
"Alliance Leader! Do you want to die, seriously?"
"R-run, my Lord! The witch is coming here, aaargh!"
"Run!!"
"Aaaargh!"
"S-save me!"
From the memories of sipping alcohol on the rooftops of those pavilions while looking down at the streets of Changsha,
to the glorious memories of sounding the drums of victory while patrolling the outskirts of the city.
And above all else.
I miss them all so much.
He missed the companions who had stood back-to-back with him, joining forces to break through every hardship for over a decade.
He wanted to raise a cup with them again.
He wanted to laugh over a simple plate of side dishes.
He wanted to seize glory and victory together with them once more.
But to do that...
there were things he had to prevent.
Jeok-un's eyes, momentarily filled with nostalgia, darkened grimly.
The day the fortress of the Evil Hegemony Alliance crumbled under the assault of the Demonic Cult.
From the common folk to the gate guards, all the way to the leadership.
The sight of everyone in the Evil Hegemony Alliance dying,
and the entirety of Changsha burning to ashes on that day,
was still vivid in his mind.
The Demonic Cult, and the Heavenly Demon.
Changsha had fallen.
By the hands of the Heavenly Demon, trampled under the muddy boots of the Demonic Cult.
Though it was an agonizing and bone-deep memory,
Jeok-un had never forgotten it, not even for a single moment.
I won't let it happen again.
Yes, this time, he would protect everything.
The beginning of that path was to ascend as the Lord of Sadocheon.
And to claim the throne of the strongest in the Unorthodox faction.
I will make it happen, no matter what.
With that vow, Jeok-un stepped into the city.
"Come, come! Shouldn't you fill your stomach before you go?"
"Customer, how about this? Feeling nervous? Just one of these pills is all you need!"
"A choice you won't regret before the exam! The Body-Nourishing Pill!"
The marketplace of Changsha was as lively as ever.
No, today was actually quite special.
For today was the day of the entrance exam, the gateway to success in Changsha.
"The competition for the entrance exam is going to be brutal today too."
"Well, it always is."
The entrance exam.
It was the sole opportunity to enter Sadocheon.
If one passed, they would no longer be a mere low-life wandering the dark streets, but a member of Sadocheon, one of the two great pillars of the Unorthodox faction.
It was truly a gateway to greatness.
While it was a day where unorthodox martial artists risked their lives, for the commoners and merchants of Changsha, it was a festive occasion to watch as spectators.
As expected, most of them are here for the Second-Class entrance exam.
Jeok-un thought to himself as he measured the aura of the passing martial artists.
The entrance exam was divided into the Second-Class exam for low-ranking warriors and the First-Class exam for high-ranking warriors.
The marketplace was filled with people sizing each other up, and the vast majority of them were low-tier martial artists taking the Second-Class exam.
On the other hand, the line for the First-Class exam was noticeably sparse.
"Hey, don't push!"
"Who the hell is pushing you, you bastard?!"
"You son of a bitch, you want to go right here? Huh?!"
The psychological warfare among the Second-Class applicants was already incredibly fierce.
Swish.
But Jeok-un walked past the crowd without paying them any mind.
He did not join the line for the Second-Class exam, nor did he join the line for the First-Class exam.
Just like in his past life, Jeok-un had no intention of taking the entrance exam in this lifetime.
The entrance exam won't do. I need to become a Group Leader as quickly as possible.
There was only one reason he needed to become a Group Leader.
To become the master of Sadocheon, one had to challenge the current Lord of Sadocheon for the position.
Unlike other factions, the Lord of Sadocheon was decided solely by individual martial prowess.
The reigning Lord of Sadocheon was obligated to accept any challenge.
However, since the position of Lord of Sadocheon was not something just anyone could covet, the right to challenge was granted only once a year.
And the minimum qualification to challenge was to hold the rank of Group Leader.
The hierarchy of Sadocheon goes Group, Squad, and then Unit.
Passing the Second-Class entrance exam for low-ranking warriors made one a Unit Member, and the top scorer became a Unit Leader.
Then what about the top scorer of the First-Class entrance exam?
They would become a Vice-Squad Leader.
One might think Vice-Squad Leader was a fairly high rank, but Jeok-un's goal was the rank of Group Leader, which held the right to challenge the Lord.
However, climbing from Vice-Squad Leader to Squad Leader, and then from Squad Leader to Group Leader, would take even Jeok-un at least a few years.
That's far too slow. Sadocheon will fall again before then.
Though he was the only one who knew it for now, the current Sadocheon was like a man wrapped in thunder bombs that could detonate at any moment.
The conspiracies and schemes of various factions aiming to bring down Sadocheon had already been set in motion.
In his past life, Jeok-un had become the master of Sadocheon only after all those bombs had exploded, leaving it in tatters.
He had absolutely no intention of letting things play out the same way in this life.
It might be a bit rough, but that's the only way.
He had a plan prepared in advance.
With this method, he could secure the position of Squad Leader even faster than winning the entrance exam.
At the same time, he could eliminate one of the key figures who served as the catalyst for Sadocheon's downfall.
Heh, just thinking about tearing those bastards to shreds brings a smile to my face.
Thinking of the enemies who were probably grinning, completely unaware of their impending doom,
Step!
Jeok-un left the Hall of Breaking Winds, where the entrance exam was being held, without a single shred of regret.
He made his way to a multi-story building not far from the hall.
On the surface, it looked like a simple commercial building.
It had no distinctive features, and its exterior was far from grand.
If anything, a somewhat gloomy atmosphere hung over the place.
Yet, the one peculiar thing was that this seemingly unremarkable place was packed with patrons, almost rivaling the crowd at the entrance exam.
"Welcome!!"
"Yeah, I'm here."
At Jeok-un's reply, the employee who had been soliciting customers near the main entrance rubbed his hands together and smiled.
It was a strange smile, carrying a hint of mockery as if trying to lure him in.
"Hehe, what brings you to our gambling house today, esteemed guest?"
"Well, let's start with the sword tiles."
"Aigo! An excellent choice! Come, come, let me guide you!"
Mistaking Jeok-un for an easy target, the employee showered him with excessive hospitality.
Indeed, the gambling house Jeok-un had entered was none other than the largest gambling den in Changsha.