Who Is Dreaming Whom? I Must Know for Sure
The words had barely left his mouth when Seo Cheon-jin turned and disappeared back into the Dark Yin Pavilion.
Dark Yin Pavilion.
As soon as they stepped inside, Baek Cho-gong, the branch leader, swept his gaze across the interior and let out a silent sigh.
‘Haa… All the demons have gathered.’
Seven elite warriors of the Black Tower were present in the hall.
Bloodstained TraceYu Gwang-hyeon (Tower Lord), Shatterer of HeartsNo Jin-geon (Protector), Shadow PhantomGang Rim (Patrol), Blood ButterflyWi Hong-ran (Inner Court Hall Leader), Formless SlayerJang Mok (Outer Court Hall Leader), along with Outer Court District Leader Seo Cheon-jin and Chasing Soul GhostJong Yo.
All this because a mere wrist had been severed.
The more Baek Cho-gong thought about it, the darker the future looked.
These people slaughtered others on a whim, yet they raised hell simply because one of their own had lost a hand.
In this atmosphere, it seemed unlikely that either Dan Yeop or himself would leave unscathed.
He quickly brought both palms together and bowed deeply, offering the kind of exaggerated courtesy one might show an emperor.
“This one, Baek Cho-gong of the Jeommun branch, pays his respects to the illustrious Bloodstained Trace Tower Lord and the heroes of the Black Tower, whose names shake the Sahae Sect.”
At that, Patrol Gang Rim let out a cold snort.
“Hmph! Pretty words, but in truth you lot clearly look down on our Black Tower. That’s why you dared to ambush and cut off Jong Yo’s wrist.”
“N-no, that’s absolutely not the case. What happened that day was—”
As Baek Cho-gong tried to explain, Outer Court Hall Leader Jang Mok rushed forward and kicked him.
With a dull thud, Baek Cho-gong’s body flew backward.
He rolled across the floor, scrambled to his feet, and hurriedly returned to his original spot.
Jang Mok twisted his face into a scowl.
“Our Patrol Lord was still speaking. Who told you to flap that filthy mouth? And you claim you don’t look down on the Black Tower?”
“I absolutely do n—ack!”
Baek Cho-gong’s head snapped violently to the side.
Jang Mok had struck his cheek with lightning speed.
“You son of a bitch, now you even interrupt me? A branch leader with balls this swollen is exactly why your subordinates run wild without knowing their place.”
“……”
Baek Cho-gong’s face turned deathly pale. He didn’t dare utter another word.
If he answered, they would beat him for interrupting. He decided to simply endure in silence.
But his opponent was a master of the Unorthodox Faction who lived for tormenting others.
Another sharp crack sent Baek Cho-gong’s head whipping the opposite way.
This time the blow was solid. He collapsed to the floor.
Enraged, Jang Mok immediately closed in and began stomping on him.
“You damn mutt! Know your place! How dare you try to bite your owner! You people are dogs! Dogs! We raised you to handle dirty work, yet you bare your teeth at random! Did you really think you could bite your master and live?”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Baek Cho-gong instinctively curled into a tight ball.
Dan Bul-wi, the Chief Instructor, frowned but did not intervene.
This was simply how the Low-life Sect was treated once it had been marked by the Unorthodox Faction.
But Dan Yeop was different.
Watching the elderly Baek Cho-gong being beaten left a foul taste in his mouth.
After all, he—the original ‘Dunce’ Dan Yeop—was the one who had caused this incident.
“That’s enough.”
…….
At Dan Yeop’s words, Jang Mok’s foot stopped mid-air.
A strange silence fell over the hall.
A mere child from the Low-life Sect had dared to interfere in the Black Tower’s affairs.
Jang Mok slowly turned toward Dan Yeop.
“What did you just say?”
“I said that’s enough. I’m the one who cut off that Jong-whatever’s wrist, aren’t I? Then why don’t you come at me instead of tormenting Branch Leader Baek? If I scare you that much, you shouldn’t have called me here in the first place. What kind of nonsense is this, dragging the victim out and beating someone else?”
“This crazy bastard…”
Jang Mok could only blink, completely stunned by words he had never imagined hearing.
It was so absurd that rage hadn’t even set in yet.
In his place, District Leader Seo Cheon-jin pounced like a wild beast.
“You filthy little who—urk!”
Dan Yeop dodged the incoming fist, then seized Seo Cheon-jin by the throat.
Seo Cheon-jin’s face rapidly drained of color.
When his body began to convulse, Dan Yeop casually hurled him backward.
Thump.
Seo Cheon-jin crashed to the floor and lay there gasping for breath.
Jang Mok forced a smile onto his face.
“So you had something to rely on after all. Don’t tell me you’re also from the Byeongmachong?”
He was probing, referencing the rumor that ‘those who came from the Byeongmachong possess considerable martial prowess.’
“You know me well. I’m the top graduate of the Byeongmachong.”
“Haa! Fuck, anyone listening would think the Low-life Sect was one of the Five Great Orthodox Sects. The only useful thing to come out of Haomun is the bedroom techniques of its courtesans. A brat who learned a few cheap tricks thinks the sky is the limit.”
Despite his words, Jang Mok did not attack immediately.
‘Is Haomun really that strong?’
It was impossible for an ordinary Haomun member to subdue Seo Cheon-jin in a single move.
Suddenly he glanced at District Leader Jong Yo.
Jong Yo subtly avoided his gaze.
‘So that bastard lied.’
Meanwhile, the fallen Baek Cho-gong staggered to his feet and moved to stand beside Chief Instructor Dan Bul-wi.
Realizing a fight was now inevitable, Dan Bul-wi stepped forward.
“Hall Leader Jang Mok! I was once a martial instructor at the Byeongmachong. You said the only useful thing from us is courtesans’ bedroom skills? Do you want to die?”
Jang Mok’s face flushed crimson then turned pale.
“You bastard, Dan Bul-wi! A goby jumps and a mudskipper follows, eh? That’s exactly you! A mere district leader of the Amun branch dares to run his mouth? Do you want to die?”
Since Dan Yeop made him uneasy, Jang Mok quickly shifted his target to Dan Bul-wi.
After all, Dan Bul-wi’s martial prowess was widely known throughout the Unorthodox Faction.
The Tower Lord seated at the head, along with the Protector, Patrol, and Inner Court Hall Leader, watched with interest.
A child like Dan Yeop could act like a madman, but even the experienced Dan Bul-wi was behaving this way. Their curiosity was naturally piqued.
Instead of replying, Dan Bul-wi slowly drew his horizontal saber.
Jang Mok drew his own blade and advanced.
The two men stared at each other for a moment, then swung their weapons like lightning.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!
Sparks flew between Dan Bul-wi and Jang Mok.
At first they seemed evenly matched, but soon Jang Mok was forced backward.
Driven into a defensive position, he had no choice but to unleash his signature technique.
Jang Mok’s blade flashed toward Dan Bul-wi’s throat.
It was the Formless One Flash that had earned him the title Formless Slayer.
The visible blade light was a feint; the real strike was aimed at the dantian.
Dan Bul-wi, who knew Jang Mok well, countered with the fourth form of the True Seven Injuries Saber Technique—Four Wounds Form Breaker.
His horizontal saber moved a half-beat later.
Yet within that delay lay the profound principle of later arrival, first control.
Flash—!
For a single instant, Jang Mok and Dan Bul-wi stood frozen like statues.
Clang.
The tip of Jang Mok’s severed horizontal saber fell to the floor with a metallic ring.
Then a thin red line appeared on Jang Mok’s neck. A moment later, his head dropped with a wet thud.
“You bastard!”
“How dare you!”
Protector No Jin-geon and Patrol Gang Rim charged at Dan Bul-wi.
But Dan Yeop had no intention of simply watching.
He drew his own horizontal saber and brought it down from above in a powerful slash.
It was the first form of the True Heaven and Earth Saber Style—Heavenly Thunder Falling Slash.
Crackle—!
Two strands of saber qi descended toward the heads of Protector No Jin-geon and Patrol Gang Rim.
Shocked, Gang Rim swung his blade to deflect the qi.
Absurdly, his horizontal saber was cut cleanly in half.
Taking advantage of the opening, he scrambled desperately toward the Tower Lord.
Unfortunately, Protector No Jin-geon was not so lucky.
A master of palm techniques, he met the saber qi with his signature Soul-Stealing Palm.
In an instant, both of his hands were severed neatly at the wrist and fell to the floor.
Bright red blood spurted from the stumps.
“Aaaargh! My hands! My hands!”
Caught in a panic, Protector No Jin-geon screamed and fled outside.
A heavy silence descended over the grand hall.
Dan Yeop, still holding his saber, walked steadily toward the head seat.
Chief Instructor Dan Bul-wi and Branch Leader Baek Cho-gong followed behind him like an honor guard.
Bloodstained TraceYu Gwang-hyeon, who had been seated at the head, rose halfway from his chair.
When Dan Yeop drew near, he quickly offered a deep respectful bow and spoke.
“Young Hero Dan! You have achieved truly astonishing progress at the Byeongmachong. This Yu is sincerely impressed by your martial prowess.”
“Didn’t you call me here because I cut off that Jong-whatever’s wrist?”
“In the martial world, aren’t disputes an everyday occurrence? Seeing your skill, I realize that ending it with a mere wrist was a stroke of heavenly fortune. It is true that I summoned you, but that was solely to resolve this grudge. I had no other intentions.”
Yu Gwang-hyeon made it desperately clear that he had no desire to fight.
Dan Yeop listened in silence, then turned his gaze to Patrol Gang Rim.
“You seemed to hold quite a grudge against me. That’s why you beat Branch Leader Baek like a dog.”
Patrol Gang Rim shook his head violently.
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Then why did you do such a despicable thing?”
“That’s… that is…”
Gang Rim racked his brain desperately for an excuse, but nothing suitable came to mind.
At that moment, Dan Yeop spoke again.
“Is it because you’re naturally vicious?”
“…Yes. My nature is rather vicious, so I acted without thinking and struck first. It was absolutely not because I held any grudge against Young Hero Dan. Please believe me. I can swear it on my ancestors.”
Cornered, Gang Rim even dragged his ancestors into it.
Looking at Jang Mok’s severed head rolling on the floor and the blood splattered everywhere, he had no other choice.
Dan Yeop’s calm voice echoed through the Dark Yin Pavilion.
“I am an instructor of the Jeommun branch. Branch Leader Baek is essentially the face of our Jeommun. When you beat him, it is no different from beating the entire Jeommun. Am I correct, Branch Leader Baek?”
“Your words are entirely correct.”
Dan Yeop stared intently at Gang Rim and asked,
“See? He says I’m right. Just a moment ago, you also struck me and Chief Instructor Dan. How do you intend to atone for that crime?”
Who Is Dreaming Whom? I Must Know for Sure
The moment Dan Yeop finished saying, “How do you intend to atone for that crime?” Patrol Gang Rim slammed his forehead against the floor of the grand hall.
“Instructor Dan! Chief Instructor! Please spare my life! I admit my nature is vicious, but I am not evil enough to deserve death! I have done good deeds before! From now on, I will not even step on the shadows of you three! I swear it!”
Dan Yeop turned to look at Baek Cho-gong.
Since Baek Cho-gong was the one who had been beaten by Gang Rim, he intended to let him decide the man’s fate.
“Branch Leader, what should we do?”
“Since he has shown such remorse, I would like to forgive him.”
In truth, he wanted revenge, but Baek Cho-gong could not bring himself to say so.
Because in the future, the experts of the Black Tower might come for him.
Unlike Dan Yeop or Dan Bul-wi, he had no power to stop them.
‘If only I could fully master the True Three Great Saber Techniques…!’
Baek Cho-gong clenched his teeth and swore to himself that he would never suffer like this again.
A short while later, the three men left the Black Tower and headed toward Jipdanhyang.
The matter with the Black Tower had ended sooner than expected, and simply parting ways felt too unsatisfying.
Jipdanhyang, Inner Fragrance Pavilion.
Since morning, the three men had been sitting across from one another with tea and refreshments laid out before them.
Baek Cho-gong spoke first.
“I must thank Chief Instructor Dan Bul-wi and Instructor Dan Yeop once again. If not for the two of you, I would have bitten my tongue and died from the shame.”
Of course, that was only talk.
Living as a member of Haomun, today was hardly the first time he had been beaten like a dog.
Dan Bul-wi and Dan Yeop simply listened in silence.
“The reason I invited two such busy men here is because there is something I must tell you.”
Baek Cho-gong