Black Flame Dragon Swallowing the Blood Sea (10)
Myeonghyeon came to with a splitting headache. His head felt as heavy as if he'd drowned himself in liquor last night until he couldn't hold it together anymore, and his body refused to muster any real strength. He'd shared a few drinks with Hye-seong, sure, but ever since reaching the Peak realm, he'd never once felt the haze of intoxication. It was downright bizarre. And the states of the disciples who'd roused him were off too.
These were disciples of Jeomcheong, always expected to keep a neat and tidy appearance. Yet now their beards had grown wild and unkempt, dark circles ringed their eyes.
"What in the world... happened?"
Myeonghyeon startled himself as he spoke. His own voice grated out like rusted iron scraped after days of neglect.
The disciple before him muttered blankly, "Sorcery... it's sorcery, Elder."
"Sorcery?"
Sorcery out of nowhere? Like a bolt from the blue.
"Three days ago, the ones who ambushed us... they were sorcery users."
Myeonghyeon shook his head violently, as if it couldn't possibly be true.
"Foolish nonsense!!! Don't you know Jeomcheong doesn't fall to cheap tricks like sorcery?!"
"......"
The disciples, who'd barely managed cleanup after the battle with the Light Blood Humans because they couldn't even chant the Demon-Exorcism Mantra, exchanged sullen glances. Did sorcery just conveniently skip over Jeomcheong? Then why had they fallen this time?
Whether the disciples harbored doubts or not, Myeonghyeon shot to his feet.
"It must be some half-baked Black Path scum daring to mess around without fear of the Murim Alliance."
Unable to contain his rage, he bolted up—only to stagger as dizziness spun his head.
"You've been out cold for three straight days, Elder. Take it slow."
Yi Gi-pung, a Jeomcheong disciple, tried to steady him, but Myeonghyeon brusquely shoved the hand away and stormed outside.
The sight that greeted him as he burst from the tent...
"Wh-what is this...? What the hell happened?!"
Bodies littered the ground. The uniforms they wore were unmistakably those of the Great Jeomcheong Sect.
Myeonghyeon bulged his eyes and scanned the surroundings frantically.
"Th-this... what..."
Injured lay in deep comas from grievous wounds. Their uniforms too marked them as lay disciples of the Great Jeomcheong Sect.
Ping—.
A sharp pain stabbed his skull, forcing his eyes shut.
"The aftereffects of the sorcery linger. According to Jin Sow... no, the academy representative, you need rest and steady energy circulation to avoid any lasting illusions."
Myeonghyeon reacted like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Jin Sowoon? Why the hell is Jin Sowoon's name coming up now?"
This event was meant to restore Jeomcheong's tarnished honor in Akyang, but also to curb the endlessly swelling fame of Jin Sowoon. Naturally, Jin Sowoon had no business showing up here—his name shouldn't even be uttered.
"......"
In the heavy silence, the Jeomcheong disciples exchanged uneasy looks. Finally, Yi Gi-pung mustered his courage.
"The academy representative rushed here to save us. If not for him and his comrades..."
He swallowed dryly but met Myeonghyeon's fierce glare head-on.
"...we'd surely be dead."
The other disciples nodded in agreement. Myeonghyeon glared at them.
"Representative? You're calling Jin Sowoon that now???"
His gaze screamed utter disbelief. He bellowed at his foolish disciples.
"You idiots! I dragged you all here to this event because you couldn't handle one Tae-eul Gate punk, and now you're defending him?!"
"......"
"Jin Sowoon... that bastard's here right now?!"
Yi Gi-pung nodded hesitantly at Myeonghyeon's question. Unthinkable.
"Hah... a guy with academy duties came all the way here?"
Myeonghyeon furiously shook his aching head, tormented by the sorcery's aftereffects. Jin Sowoon wouldn't just show up for no reason. There had to be a scheme!
"Right! Of course! This whole mess is that bastard's plot!!"
He shouted as if struck by profound revelation.
"......"
Normally, his disciples would hang on his every word, eyes ablaze. But their reactions were lukewarm. Oblivious, Myeonghyeon pressed on.
"That guy's colluding with the Black Path for sure. He set this trap with them in advance! Where's Jin Sowoon, that mongrel?!"
No Jeomcheong disciple answered.
"You said he's here! Where?!"
Under Myeonghyeon's prodding, a lay sect disciple pointed one way.
"H-he just got back from scouting the enemies' movements."
"Lead me! I'll judge him myself!"
"......"
"Hurry up and guide me!"
Silence fell again. With no one stepping up, Yi Gi-pung finally supported Myeonghyeon. The scene that followed was just as the disciples had foreseen.
"Daring to scheme against Jeomcheong? What are you lot doing?! Seize that bastard and drag him before me!"
Myeonghyeon's order rang like a thunderbolt, but no one budged.
"Not content with colluding with the Black Path, you attacked an elder of the council? Your crimes can't be atoned even by death!"
Myeonghyeon's face flushed crimson as he roared, but Jin Sowoon offered no defense. Instead, his hand drifted to the Black Dragon Sword.
"I figured even a rotten core like yours would at least know shame."
He slowly drew the Black Dragon Sword. Disappointment filled Jin Sowoon's face.
In his previous life, scum like this had turned the deaths of ten into hundreds, a hundred into thousands.
"We believed in them because they were better educated, more talented... We kept believing there must be some grand plan."
Only after tens of thousands of innocents lay dead did he realize. Watching them flee to the North Sea, splattered in the victims' blood, the truth dawned: their so-called "grand scheme" was just a smokescreen for personal political gain.
Standing at the forefront among those victims, Jin Sowoon knew the depth of that betrayal better than anyone.
"Averting your eyes from the carnage right in front of you for political gain. People like you are the Murim Alliance's true enemy—more dangerous than any Sado or Mado."
As Jin Sowoon pointed the Black Dragon Sword at Myeonghyeon, the elder erupted in fury.
"You filth! Scheming against Jeomcheong wasn't enough—you dare defy a council elder?!"
Unlike Myeonghyeon, Jin Sowoon's tone was utterly calm.
"What exactly did I scheme?"
"Think I wouldn't know you colluded with the Black Path to sabotage the Jeongdo Council event?"
"If you hadn't dragged Moyong Jaehwa and Eunseollan off alone, I'd have just let you die."
"...Wh-what?!"
In his previous life, Myeonghyeon had reached Super Peak. Even without Red Death Battle Observation, he'd achieved Three Flowers Gather at the Summit. With essence, energy, and spirit unified, protecting the heavenly palace, he shouldn't have lost his mind to an illusion array so easily.
Thus, Myeonghyeon was spouting nonsense in a perfectly clear state, sorcery aftereffects notwithstanding.
"Hye-seong's here too, you know. You aware you're plotting against a council elder?"
"Keep talking."
"This is tantamount to treason against the Murim Alliance."
"Ha... haha."
Tension crackled in the air. Moyong Jaehwa and Eunseollan, tending the wounded, approached Jin Sowoon. Nam Hwaseong hesitated—stay close or keep distance?—before sticking by Jin Sowoon.
"So what will you do?"
"Escort you to the Alliance for judgment! And don't think your master, fellow disciples, or sect will escape unscathed!"
No sooner had Myeonghyeon finished than Jin Sowoon's uniform ballooned outward. Killing intent exploded in all directions, causing some who'd just stabilized to cough up blood again. Even Myeonghyeon paled under the pressure.
Jin Sowoon slowly raised his head.
"Try it."
"...Wh-what?!"
"I said, try it."
"......"
Jin Sowoon's eyes gleamed with murderous light. Unable to accept the defiance, Myeonghyeon bellowed.
"Can't? Here, I'll help."
Jin Sowoon switched his grip on the Black Dragon Sword and strode toward Myeonghyeon.
Then—
Thud.
A kick laced with inner energy.
"Urk...!"
Myeonghyeon, leaning on Yi Gi-pung, tumbled pitifully across the ground. Jin Sowoon looked down with cold eyes.
"If you really think I'm colluding with the Black Path and plotting to topple the Alliance, then do it properly!"
"Y-you bastard, really!"
Thud!
Jin Sowoon's brutal kick smashed into Myeonghyeon's face.
"Puhk!"
Blood streamed from Myeonghyeon's broken nose. But Jin Sowoon's killing intent didn't waver.
"If I'm the Alliance's enemy, a threat to the jianghu, then kill me right now!"
"Y-you! If I weren't injured...!"
"Injured?"
Contempt flickered in Jin Sowoon's eyes. He unleashed palm winds at Myeonghyeon's vital points.
Crack-crack-crack. Crack-crack-crack-thud.
Not a special technique—just raw inner energy blasts, akin to savage punches. Myeonghyeon felt like he was getting pummeled by dozens of brutes.
Jin Sowoon's eyes trembled as he glared down.
"Is that the resolve of someone sworn to protect the jianghu?"
Small Justice Squad members had been so weak in inner energy that mutual destruction was routine. They tampered with congenital essence without hesitation, popping Pogeukdan whenever possible. They knew what lay ahead for third-rate warriors with ruined congenital essence—yet they did it anyway. It was all they could do to safeguard the jianghu's future with their meager strength.
"Even third-rate warriors scraping by on a pittance of stipend have that resolve. And you—a Murim Alliance elder—too scared of ruining your congenital essence to even commit to mutual destruction? I really see no reason to let you live."
Thud!
Myeonghyeon rolled several times from the kick.
"Argh! Y-you!"
Realizing he had no choice, Myeonghyeon forcibly stirred his inner energy. A hollow smile tugged at Jin Sowoon's lips.
"Not even when Sado threatens, not when your disciples' lives hang in the balance... so in the end..."
Jin Sowoon casually flung a fist form.
"...only when your life is at stake does the resolve for mutual destruction kick in?"
The Cartoon Invincible Fist form struck his lower, middle, and major meridians, disrupting his energy flow.
"Keurk!"
Myeonghyeon spewed blood, rolling like a broken man. Yet Jin Sowoon advanced without pause.
Terror filled Myeonghyeon's face as he backpedaled, shouting at the Jeomcheong disciples.
"What are you doing, just standing there?!"
"......"
"Grab that criminal and beat him down!"
"......"
Silence again. Enraged, Myeonghyeon flailed his limbs and roared.
"What are you waiting for?! Make that criminal kneel—my orders aren't a joke! Yi Gi-pung!"
All eyes from Jeomcheong and lay sect disciples turned to Yi Gi-pung.
"Yi Gi-pung! With the Jeomcheong disciples, subdue him in one stroke!"
"......"
Yi Gi-pung glanced between Jin Sowoon and Myeonghyeon, sighed, and stepped forward.
"The rest of you, move already!"
Yi Gi-pung approached Jin Sowoon and Myeonghyeon slowly. He met Jin Sowoon's relaxed gaze, then said, "Excuse me, coming through."
He passed Jin Sowoon and went straight to Myeonghyeon.
Then—
"What do you think you're—urk."
Myeonghyeon, mid-pointing finger, suddenly gurgled "euk" and clutched Yi Gi-pung's clothes in disbelief.
The one who'd ambushed and silenced him?
"Y-you...!"
Yi Gi-pung, who'd been supporting him.
Thud.
Myeonghyeon stared at Yi Gi-pung in shock before passing out.
Yi Gi-pung scratched his head, glancing indifferently at the fallen elder.
"Probably... Elder Myeonghyeon was exposed to the sorcery too long and lost his wits."
"......"
"......"
Yi Gi-pung looked to the other disciples. This could mean execution for sect betrayal. But they nodded resolutely.
"...Yeah, no choice. We still don't know what's what ourselves."
"I'm still seeing things."
"Elder Myeonghyeon always had a touch of dementia anyway."
As Jeomcheong disciples chimed in one by one, the lay sect disciples didn't dare step up. Yi Gi-pung handed Myeonghyeon to another and stepped forward, offering a formal cupped-fist salute.
"Academy Representative Jin Sowoon, I apologize on behalf of Elder Myeonghyeon for his ravings."
Jin Sowoon eyed him curiously.
"Worse than Jong Chuoak. You think you can clean up that stunt?"
"...You remember me?"
"Of course. You showed some sharp moves at the dock."
"......"
Yi Gi-pung felt a deep shame. During the entrance exam, win or lose, he'd tried to sabotage his opponent. Now that opponent had saved them and endured their insults.
"Sect betrayal means the heaviest punishment. Wouldn't it have been better to just take a few hits from me and call it?"
Yi Gi-pung looked up at Jin Sowoon. Even knowing his past, Jin Sowoon acted unfazed—making Yi Gi-pung feel even more ashamed.
"I became a warrior to live a life of honor, free from shame. Better to commit sect betrayal than live shamefully."
"A shame you'd end up locked in Jeomcheong's prison. I wanted to see how you'd turn out."
Yi Gi-pung gazed at Jin Sowoon with complex eyes. How vast must this man's vessel be to say such things so casually? Overwhelmed by a grandeur he'd never felt, his head bowed naturally.
Our political games must've been petty tricks to him. How shameful.
Yi Gi-pung bowed deeply with a cupped-fist salute.
"Thank you again for fighting like straw boats to save these fools. I'll engrave your grace in my bones and repay it one day."
Starting with Yi Gi-pung, Jeomcheong disciples bowed one after another.
"Our thanks, benefactor. We'll engrave your grace in our bones and repay it one day!"
"Our thanks, benefactor. We'll engrave your grace in our bones and repay it one day!"
As all Jeomcheong disciples bowed, then the lay Jeomcheong disciples, followed by Shaolin disciples and their lay affiliates—everyone stopped what they were doing, bowed, and saluted Jin Sowoon.
"Our thanks, benefactor. We'll engrave your grace in our bones and repay it one day!"
"Our thanks, benefactor. We'll engrave your grace in our bones and repay it one day!"
Sincere voices echoed like ripples. Moyong Jaehwa, finger on his Iron Bow string, lowered it and stared blankly. Eunseollan turned away, wiping tears.
"Tch..."
Jin Sowoon sheathed the Black Dragon Sword with a complicated expression and spoke slowly.
"Got it... enough. Let's head back quick."
He turned and walked off like fleeing. Nam Hwaseong chased after.
"Feels good, huh? Getting praise from your enemies."
"Piss off! You're annoying!"
But a faint smile played on his lips.
# After "stabilizing" Myeonghyeon (?), a similar mess nearly went down with Hye-seong, but Ilgak jumped in quick (?), sparing me the red-faced awkwardness.
I reorganized the group, sent them off first, and stayed behind on that peak.
Nam Hwaseong whined about feeling out of place with the group and wanted to tag along, but I scared him with "might run into another Iron Corpse," so he sobered up, told me to hurry back, and joined them.
"Um... hyungnim..."
Moyong Jaehwa spoke cautiously.
"Yeah? What?"
"Why... am I still here...?"
Everyone else left, leaving him anxious, huh. I ruffled his hair.
"Thunderbolt Arrow. You haven't mastered it yet."
"...Pardon? Oh, r-right."
"With such prime targets here, gotta finish it up before we go. Right?"
"B-but you said Iron Corpses would show...!"
Tch, heard me tell Nam Hwaseong? "Won't happen. Probably."
"...Probably?"
"Don't worry. Unlike Nam Hwaseong, you're light—I can carry you and run."
"Pardon?"
Jaehwa's eyes shook desperately. I patted his head more to reassure him.
"As long as your clothes don't rip or anything, nothing bad'll happen, right?"
Moyong Jaehwa suddenly checked his robes.
"What do you mean... no, more importantly, what are we doing here?"
"Sung Ho-dang's vanguard is heading this way. Can't let them through or casualties skyrocket."
Jaehwa gaped in disbelief.
"So just us two blocking their vanguard...?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"...Is that even possible?"
"If you master Thunderbolt Arrow, yes."
"......"
War's heaviest losses come during retreat. Especially with Shaolin, Jeomcheong, and the vanguard still reeling from sorcery aftereffects. A ambush now would devastate not just the righteous alliance, but my group too.
And above all, can't miss the Red Light Sword... no, the Blood Sea Jade.
Two birds, one stone—recover the treasure and all. I gazed warmly at the dazed Jaehwa.
"Wanna go get that high?"
"Pardon? What...?"
Times like this, push hard to break their spirit. Taming... er, training 101.
"Look! There! See the red tent?"
"Pardon? That one two hundred zhang out?"
"Yeah. Hit it with a Thunderbolt Arrow first."
"H-hyungnim, even Iron Bows max out at a hundred fifty zhang."
"Psh, what're you saying. I've seen shots at three hundred."
True. In his past life, the Windbreaker Saint averaged three hundred zhang, max four. 'Theoretically five hundred once mastered.' Past life, he never reached it, but Jaehwa started archery sooner this time—should hit it before the great war.
So—
"What're you waiting for? Shoot already?"
Gotta recover that Blood Sea Jade and get back quick.