Chapter 161 - The Black Flame Dragon Quelling the Chaos (6)

"The streets are quiet."

Dang Hyeokjae nodded at my words.

"Everyone is being careful. Because they are afraid."

Yueyang is quiet.

If the previous silence was a result of people bowing their heads in fear of the clashing of weapons, it is now as still as the calm before a storm.

The people selling taffy and rice cakes on the streets had vanished, and the merchants who usually touted for customers only left their stalls out, constantly scanning their surroundings.

"There's a rumor going around that assassins are roaming about. That was your doing, wasn't it?"

"... Why do you think it's just a rumor?"

"Because the rumor is spreading faster than necessary. No matter how much gossipers love to talk, there is a physical limit to how quickly a story can travel. But do you really think that will work?"

As expected, it is not easy to fool a smart person with such a simple method.

"Someone of your caliber, Branch Chief, is skilled at analyzing and distinguishing truth from falsehood, but those bastards are not."

Just looking at how the Underworld sects have halted their movements proves it.

Every single one of them has brought their guards all the way into their lodgings and tightened their security.

Expanding their power would be nice, but if they die like the Gang Leader of the Dark Blood Gang, they would only be doing their subordinates a favor.

Thanks to that, Yueyang was able to maintain a state of truce, even if only briefly.

Of course, a few Orthodox sects who couldn't bear the anxiety ultimately packed their bags and left Yueyang.

After all, no one can know how things in Yueyang will unfold from now on.

"Then may I pack my bags again?"

"Why are you asking such a question?"

"If you die, will the Taiyi Sect still invest in me?"

Why is he saying something so unlucky?

"For some reason, I feel like withdrawing the investment promise even if I survive."

Dang Hyeokjae made a dumbfounded expression.

"Isn't it the truth? If you die, what am I supposed to do by going all the way to the Taiyi Sect?"

"This guy, really. I kept listening and listening... Who said I'm going to die!"

"The Dark Blood Gang side will definitely send out Sword Evil. Sword Evil is an entity evaluated to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Three Fierce Evils."

The Three Fierce Evils refer to the ones who occupy three seats among the Eight Evils.

Dragon Evil, Blood Evil, and Dao Evil.

These three people are effectively judged to have a level of danger one step higher than the other Eight Evils, and at the same time, they were major observation targets of the Murim Alliance.

"I am well aware of that too."

Moreover, Sword Evil is currently harboring a deep grudge due to the death of the Dark Blood Gang Leader and what I did to him.

Even if other members of the Eight Evils step forward, it is highly likely he will insist on coming out himself.

It is a situation I couldn't avoid even if I tried.

I shook off the thoughts that kept drawing me into worry and changed the subject.

"What happened to the favor I asked of you?"

"I heard the news that they departed from Changsha. They should probably arrive by the day after tomorrow."

"Two days? Won't that be too late?"

"Then what am I supposed to do? There's a thing called physical distance."

"Why didn't you open a Tang Clan branch in Yueyang in the first place while taking on the role of Yueyang Branch Chief?"

"My goodness, to hear you talk, one would think you entrusted it to me to hold onto."

Dang Hyeokjae pouted.

"Do you want to see your investor die?"

"... I told them to come as fast as possible without resting. It'll be close, but they will arrive on time."

Dang Hyeokjae's gaze as he looked at me was full of anxiety.

"Please don't die."

Suddenly, I became curious about his true feelings.

"Are you purely worried about me? Or are you worried your investor might die?"

In that instant, Dang Hyeokjae's eyes shook violently.

"..."

"Never mind. I won't listen to the answer."

Sword Evil too... just what do they see people as?

* * *

Stepping into the Yujang Sect, I passed the training ground and stopped walking at a bizarre sight.

'What is he doing?'

Jang Sagyeong, the Sect Leader of the Yujang Sect, was taking a stroll while looking around various parts of the Yujang Sect.

For someone who had to fight a life-or-death duel in two days, he was far too relaxed.

'Does he completely trust the hidden move he prepared?'

Normally, in a situation leading up to such a life-or-death duel, it would be natural to save every second to train, but for some reason, he was full of composure.

"Hm? Young Hero Jin!"

Seeing Jang Sagyeong making a glad face at the sight of me, I slowly brought my hands into a cupped fist salute and offered my greetings.

"Were you out here?"

"I was just checking how much the Yujang Sect's facilities had been damaged."

Jang Sagyeong seemed convinced of the Yujang Sect's victory.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be showing himself preparing for such a distant future.

"Would you like to walk together for a bit?"

"Yes."

Jang Sagyeong slowly walked through the sect and introduced various places to me.

The barn where he had secretly hidden to slack off from training when he was young.

The space where he had his wedding, the room where Jang Ujae was first born, and so on.

He slowly unraveled the stories he could build up because he had lived his entire life only within the Yujang Sect.

"I am sorry."

Then, my head tilted at the sight of him suddenly offering an apology.

"For what?"

"Did you know that Ujae likes you? No... expressing it as him admiring you would be more accurate."

"Pardon?"

"After he went to the Academy, more than half of the missives Ujae sent were stories about you. He would unfailingly write about what a wonderful man you are, and how amazing and bold you are."

"..."

"He would talk about how he wanted to become that kind of man too, and how he wanted to work together with you."

"Is that so?"

"That is why I stopped him. ... Because the path you walk is too arduous and painful. I told him to walk an easy path."

Any parent wouldn't want their child to walk a thorny path.

"I understand. And it is a natural choice."

"That makes me even more shameless. I chose only the easy path, yet ultimately ended up receiving your help."

Jang Sagyeong cupped his fists and bowed his head deeply.

Even though there were Yujang Sect disciples around, he seemed not to care in the slightest.

I was startled and quickly helped him stand back up.

"I am afraid people will see. Please stand up now."

The eyes of Jang Sagyeong as he raised his head were filled with complicated emotions.

"Looking at you is truly admirable. I can understand why our Ujae admires you."

"You overpraise me."

"I truly regret it. Since suffering is a natural part of life, why did I always try to avoid it?"

There was no more conversation between the two of us as we started walking again.

Just as we finished our stroll and were about to turn around, Jang Ujae entered our field of vision.

However, he was not alone.

Jang Ujae handed a money pouch to someone who had come from the Murim Alliance as support, receiving a small wooden box in return.

I felt a strange pull toward the shape of the wooden box and approached him.

"Ah! Representative Jin!"

The Murim Alliance person hurriedly left the spot like he was running away, and Jang Ujae smiled awkwardly.

There was definitely something going on.

"What is that?"

"Hm? What are you talking about?"

"The thing you exchanged with that person."

"... Ah, it's nothing special. I just got a cheap spiritual elixir, thinking it might be of a little help ahead of the decisive sparring match."

"May I take a quick look at it?"

"... It's really nothing much. If you need one, Representative Jin, I will find a better one for you."

"No. I want to see what that is."

With those words, I extended the White Phoenix Hand and pulled out the wooden box held in Jang Ujae's arms.

"Uh! R-Representative!"

"..."

As expected, it was a shape I had seen many times.

Brushing aside Jang Ujae as he tried to take back the wooden box, I opened it, and a dark, reddish pill was revealed.

"..."

I turned my gaze and looked at Jang Sagyeong.

He also had quite a shocked look in his eyes.

I barely swallowed a sigh.

"Do you know what kind of item an Exploding Blood Pill is for you to be recklessly messing with it?"

"..."

"If you don't have the confidence to win, you can just send someone else out."

"No! I can definitely win. I only prepared it to ensure a certain victory."

I understand his feelings.

It was his resolve to try everything he could for his sect.

However, the current situation is different from yesterday; it is not an emergency that warrants committing self-destructive acts.

CRUNCH.

When I crushed the Exploding Blood Pill along with the wooden box, Jang Ujae could not hide his shocked expression.

I looked straight at him.

"This is something no one in the Yujang Sect would want."

Then, I soon shifted my gaze to Jang Sagyeong.

"Especially since it is certainly not a sight your father would wish to see."

Jang Sagyeong was looking at Jang Ujae with a face as stiff as stone.

"..."

While Jang Ujae couldn't lift his head.

Jang Sagyeong spoke solemnly.

"Follow me!"

I quietly watched as the two of them left the spot.

* * *

How shameful it must be to show one's parents a sight where one willingly invites death.

Jang Ujae couldn't lift his head even after entering the room.

Only after a long time had passed did Jang Sagyeong's heavy voice ring out.

"Do you know what your fault is?"

"... The body, hair, and skin are received from one's parents, and daring not to harm them is the beginning of filial piety. I violated the most basic tenet of filial piety."

A sudden yell erupted from Jang Sagyeong's mouth.

"No!"

"...!"

Jang Ujae looked at his father with a startled expression.

His father's eyes were filled with immense frustration.

"Do you truly not know! It is that you tried to avoid fulfilling your responsibilities!"

"... What."

"What is your responsibility! As the successor of the Yujang Sect, is it not to protect the people of the Yujang Sect and save them!"

"..."

"The only person who can risk their life for the Yujang Sect is the Sect Leader. Are you already the Sect Leader of the Yujang Sect?"

A sense of disappointment gradually began to linger in Jang Sagyeong's eyes.

"How could you try to evade the difficult burden through death. Did Young Hero Jin, whom you admired so much, act like that?"

"Father..."

"If you watched him for so long, there must be something you learned from him. I asked if that was all you managed to learn from watching Young Hero Jin."

"..."

Staring at his son whose head was deeply bowed, Jang Sagyeong let out a long sigh.

"Just by watching the process of Young Hero Jin negotiating with the Dark Blood Gang yesterday, I could fathom why you wanted to follow him. What did you learn from there?"

"... Do you mean his manly bravado?"

"No! If the Yujang Sect lost, we agreed to hand over the Yujang Sect and just have the people leave. Right then, didn't Young Hero Jin already save everyone in the Yujang Sect!"

"Ah...!"

Jang Ujae's eyes shot wide open.

To think he had only just realized something so important.

Seeing the change in his son's eyes, Jang Sagyeong softened his voice.

"The reason he is called the Black Flame Dragon in Jianghu must be precisely because of that. The fact that the obscure Taiyi Sect became the talk of the world in just a few years was also possible because his role was immense."

"..."

At Jang Sagyeong's words praising Jin Sowoon, Jang Ujae felt deeply ashamed and wished he could find a mouse hole to hide in.

"Do you understand your fault now?"

"... I chose an overly easy... overly comfortable path..."

At Jang Ujae's crawling reply, a smile formed on Jang Sagyeong's lips.

"Yes! Exactly that!"

"..."

"The reason I specifically chose you instead of letting someone else do it is because you too have a responsibility as the successor of the Yujang Sect."

"I will keep that in mind."

"I apologize for telling you in the past to make connections with the Nine Sects and One Gang. From now on, constantly watch and learn from Young Hero Jin. And think deeply about what you can do for the people of the Yujang Sect in the future."

"..."

"That is the responsibility you absolutely must fulfill as the successor of the Yujang Sect."

Jang Sagyeong's admonition pressed down on Jang Ujae's shoulders more heavily than any reprimand.

* * *

After Jang Sagyeong and Jang Ujae left, I, left alone, headed to the Sect Leader's personal training ground.

Having asked for permission in advance, no one stopped me.

Right now, the most important task for me was facing Sword Evil.

The problem was that the Taiyi Sect's martial arts did not have a good matchup against Sword Evil.

In particular, his signature stealthy and fast sword was incredibly tricky to deal with.

Of course, I wouldn't know the outcome if we had a sparring match where I projected my full power, but I also had to consider how the Underworld would react after the Yujang Sect won.

'There's no way those bastards who stab people in the back would just admit defeat and quietly back off after losing a sparring match.'

Whatever the case, I had to win the sparring match and also prepare so that the Dark Blood Gang wouldn't dare attack recklessly.

For that reason, I couldn't face him using a method that would completely blow out all my internal energy.

Fortunately, I had a method. The White Moon Heaven-Subduing Three Forms I had recently obtained from the Sword Demon.

The problem, however, was that two days was far too short to master this difficult martial art.

"To think the day would come when I would use this."

There was a theory that briefly came to mind while achieving the harmony of essence, qi, and spirit with the advice I received from the Divine Sword in the past.

It was precisely to use my curse.

I possess a memory so agonizing that it feels like a curse.

In addition to that, I had reached the realm of Five Dragons Upholding the Sage to achieve the harmony of essence, qi, and spirit.

Recently, I obtained a fortuitous encounter and surpassed the Sun and Moon Union to reach the stage of Jade Stamen Golden Flower.

A supreme realm where the body moves as the mind thinks, and there are no blockages in the flow of qi advancing and retreating.

By using these two things, I could acquire the martial art within a very short amount of time.

"Was this how Senior Baek did it?"

Baek Haegwang appeared in my mind and began executing the White Moon Heaven-Subduing Three Forms.

I accurately recalled not only Senior Baek Haegwang's movements, but also the number of his breaths, the way he utilized his muscles, and even the spacing of his footsteps.

It was a vivid image, as if he had appeared right before my eyes.

As I chanted the mnemonic chant for the White Moon Heaven-Subduing Three Forms, I commanded my body to mirror Baek Haegwang's movements exactly.

CRACK.

Though my arm hadn't even fully extended, the sound of tearing muscles rang out.

THUD, THUD.

When my hand fully extended, my joints twisted abruptly, and my bones ground together.

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.

Whether startled by the excessive movement or not, my heart began to beat violently.

At that moment,

"AAAGH!"

CLANG.

Eventually, unable to endure it, I dropped the Black Dragon Sword.

"Haa, haa, haa."

This was a time-shortening technique I had conceived through the harmony of essence, qi, and spirit.

A crazy stunt that only I, with my absolute memory, could pull off.

By making my body identical to the opponent's, I skip over the time of past training he had gone through all at once.

I grabbed my aching elbow and muttered.

"Crazy, just what kind of training did you do?"

My body should have gradually changed through long training and rest, so it was only natural for it to suffer strain when leaping over ten years of time in a single night.

Moreover, the more incredible the opponent's realm, the more the level of pain seemed to rise exponentially.

When I reached out to grab the Black Dragon Sword, my arm trembled uncontrollably.

Even though I hadn't realized it, I was feeling an instinctive terror.

However, a path always reveals itself when you reach your limit.

"Huu, huu, huu. If I let go here, everything will be for nothing."

I clenched my lips and reached out for the Black Dragon Sword.

"GGAAAAAH!"