Chapter 83
Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Storming the Red Serpent Sect
The distance from Mo-ok to the Red Serpent Sect wasn't far.
Following behind Baek Rihyeon, the familiar grand gate and signboard soon came into view.
Red Serpent Sect.
A notorious unorthodox faction not just in Seungdeok but across the entire Hebei region—a place where I had sought refuge for ten years in the past.
In truth, the Red Serpent Sect's infamy wasn't due to any great power or foundation of the sect itself.
It was infamous in the literal sense of the word.
Beasts wearing hoods roamed about committing every manner of evil deed.
Murderers, arsonists, rapists—the kinds of scum who should be locked away in prison—had banded together and called themselves a sect, wandering in droves.
So what did these bastards do when they gathered?
'Anything bad except for paid assassinations.'
Starting from simple protection rackets, they ran usury loans, illegal gambling dens, drug trafficking, and even human trafficking.
They didn't take on assassinations only because they lacked the skill—if they had the means, they would've done that too.
Yet the sect had survived for over ten years without being wiped out, for two main reasons.
One was that their sect leader, Bang Daegwang, was a peak-level master. The other was that this was Seungdeok.
Officials rotten with corruption, local powers blinded by greed.
And there weren't even any massive orthodox sects like the Nine Great Sects nearby.
The Hebei Peng Family, called one of the Five Great Families, was in Beijing, but...
'The Pengs are in on it too.'
Of course, the Hebei Peng Family of the Five Great Families didn't directly collude with unorthodox sects.
They simply turned a blind eye in exchange for modest tributes from Seungdeok's local powers.
Seungdeok's location was up north in Hebei to begin with.
Not as remote as Shenyang, where the Moyong Family held sway, but still far enough from the Central Plains martial world to be called a frontier.
There was no reason for the Pengs to bother with this place.
And since they were periodically bribed to boot, they just kept pretending not to notice.
Thanks to that, Seungdeok was like paradise for scum from sects like the Red Serpent.
'It's been a while here too.'
As I drew closer to the Red Serpent Sect buildings, old memories began to well up vividly.
In the past, as a scion of an orthodox sect, there was no way I could've adapted easily to this cesspool.
Because of that, I fumbled around like an idiot, got chewed out plenty, and took my share of beatings.
Hell, thanks to that bastard Chu Munrak, I even branded my own face with a red-hot iron. I'd really suffered here.
Lost in sentiment as I gazed at the Red Serpent Sect's signboard, Cheon Woojin cautiously asked from beside me.
"By the way, my lord, what do you plan to do here?"
"What do you think?"
Cheon Woojin shook his head as if he had no clue.
I clicked my tongue inwardly at the sight of him.
'This is why orthodox sect guys are hopeless.'
Once you've come this far, there's only one thing it could be.
I drew my sword from its sheath while clicking my tongue to myself.
Ignoring the two bewildered stares, I began channeling my inner energy.
Woooong—
The hazy sword aura gradually sharpened.
Soon, it began to sparkle as if infused with starlight.
"My lord, you don't mean...?!"
Cheon Woojin finally realized what I was about to do, his eyes widening in shock.
I responded not with words but by curling up the corner of my mouth.
I had come here for two main reasons.
Eliminate any potential threats to the Eun Merchant Group, and plant a burning desire for martial arts in Baek Rihyeon.
The former would sort itself out once I dealt with the sect leader here—this was all for Baek Rihyeon.
'Start off flashy.'
This was the moment for a technique jaw-dropping enough even for someone ignorant of martial arts.
And I had just the right one.
Heavenly Apex Sword Technique.
Heavenly Thunder.
In an instant, the starlight on my blade left dozens of sword traces in the air.
At the same time, a massive thunderclap echoed in all directions.
Kurrrung—!
A deafening roar that would make any living thing instinctively cower.
Within it, the sword aura's starlight transformed into a bolt of lightning, which soon struck the Red Serpent Sect's gate.
Kwaaaang—!
The ground shook with the massive explosion.
As the thick cloud of dust settled, the unbelievable result—wrought by a single sword—revealed itself.
No trace remained of the wooden gate, and beyond it stretched over ten zhang of devastation, as if the earth itself had been plowed.
A few unlucky bastards had been caught in the aftermath, collapsed and bleeding on the ground.
'Whatever, doesn't matter.'
This was a place full of hooded beasts from the start.
A few deaths changed nothing.
Baek Rihyeon, who had never witnessed such a technique before, gaped with eyes nearly bulging out.
Exactly as planned.
"Kid. Believe me now when I say I'm the strongest?"
"..."
He was so stunned he didn't even react to my words.
Not that I was asking for a reply.
I strode forward, following the trail of destruction I'd wrought.
The Red Serpent Sect members belatedly rushing from the buildings stared in horror.
"Gasp! What the...?!"
"Who the hell are you?!"
They hesitated, baffled by the inexplicable events.
Among them was Sect Leader Bang Daegwang.
"Hey, you."
I pointed my sword tip at Bang Daegwang, my aura surging.
He gulped hard.
"Wh-who might this esteemed senior be?"
With scum like these, you had to come out strong from the start.
Using Formless Finger would be most impressive in a situation like this, but...
'Now that they know it's Chu Munrak's unique technique, I have to hold back.'
There was no need for total annihilation, so unleashing Formless Finger here was too risky.
I opted for a slightly more troublesome method instead.
Woooong—
Starlight sparkled once more at my sword tip.
No martial artist could fail to recognize it.
"S-sword aura?!"
"A transcendent realm master...!"
With that simple show of force, I issued my command to Bang Daegwang.
"You've got half a shichen. Bring every bastard who visited Ascension Pavilion today."
Then I swung my sword toward the sturdy outer wall beside us.
Kwaang!
The solid wall crumbled under the sword aura.
Only then did the Red Serpent Sect members freeze, finally piecing together what had happened to the gate.
After that, everything proceeded smoothly.
Bang Daegwang, thoroughly terrified, dragged nine men before me in less than a geng and had them kneel.
"Huff, huff. These are the ones you wanted, senior."
Apparently, there had been more than just those four who'd visited Ascension Pavilion today.
But I didn't need to bother sorting out who was who among them.
"F-forgive us!"
"We've committed a grave sin. Please spare us just this once!"
The ones who recognized me and Cheon Woojin prostrated themselves first.
I shoved the rest aside, leaving only the culprits.
Then, indifferently, I asked the remaining ones,
"What do you think you've done wrong?"
Was it my killing intent?
They blurted out desperately.
"Forgive us! We failed to recognize you, senior!"
"R-revenge! You magnanimously spared us, but we came to the brothel seeking revenge anyway!"
They confessed various misdeeds.
Some even atoned for past sins.
But they were all wrong.
"No, no. Your greatest sin is..."
I paused mid-sentence and placed my hand on the sword hilt.
Heavenly Apex Sword Technique.
One Flash.
"...having the gall to lust after my woman."
In that instant, my drawn sword severed four necks at once.
"Eek...!"
A terrified squeak came from behind.
It was Baek Rihyeon.
In truth, the reason I killed them was more of a warning.
Not for the Red Serpent Sect, but for Cheon Woojin and Baek Rihyeon standing behind me.
'What happens if you dare lust after my woman.'
As a bonus, it gave the Red Serpent Sect a justification for why I'd stormed in here.
Every reason for bringing Baek Rihyeon here was now fulfilled.
I gave a simple order to Cheon Woojin, who had stayed silent all this time.
"Take the kid and go to Hia."
"..."
Cheon Woojin's face stiffened, as if frightened, offering no reply.
Come to think of it, this was the first time he'd seen me kill.
'He seems to be misunderstanding something.'
He probably thought I was sending him and Baek Rihyeon away because I was about to commit something even more brutal.
After hesitating for a long while, Cheon Woojin cautiously spoke.
"My lord... isn't this enough?"
He was reacting this way because he didn't know what kind of scum the Red Serpent Sect was.
"Cheon Woojin."
"..."
"Don't make me say it twice."
I didn't bother adding explanations like 'There won't be more killing' or 'These bastards deserve death.'
Cheon Woojin was my subordinate, after all.
I had given the order, and he had to obey.
"...Understood."
Realizing that, he finally turned back the way they'd come, taking Baek Rihyeon with him.
Once they were gone, I turned to my second objective here.
"Hey, Bang Daegwang."
Bang Daegwang, who had been holding his breath, jumped in surprise at my sudden call of his name.
"Y-yes, sir! You called?"
"Clean up these bodies and bring the ledgers."
"Ledgers...?"
"The secret ones with all the details on drug trafficking and human trafficking. You've got one geng."
It was time to strip the Red Serpent Sect clean.