Chapter 180 :

<Black Flame Dragon Devouring the Blood Sea (10)>

Daoist Myeonghyeon came to with a sharp pang of pain.

His head felt heavy, as if he had drunk himself senseless the night before, and his limbs were too weak to move properly.

He had shared some drinks with Great Master Hyeseong, but it was strange to feel drunk at all when he had never once felt the effects of alcohol since reaching the peak realm.

What was more, the disciples who had woken him were in a strange state, too.

As Diancang disciples, they had always kept themselves neat and presentable.

But now they had grown scruffy beards, and dark circles had formed beneath their eyes.

"What in the world happened?"

Daoist Myeonghyeon was startled by the sound of his own voice.

His throat rasped as though he had not used it for days.

The disciple before him muttered in a daze.

"Sorcery… It was sorcery, Elder."

"Sorcery?"

How was he supposed to understand anything when someone suddenly said "sorcery" out of the blue?

"The ones who attacked us were… sorcerers."

As he listened, Daoist Myeonghyeon shook his head as if the story could not possibly be true.

"Foolishness! Don't you know that Diancang would never fall to something as feeble as sorcery?!"

The disciples, who had failed to even recite the Demon-Subduing Mantra during the battle with the red-robed men and had been left to clean up afterward, exchanged sour looks.

Was sorcery supposed to pass over Diancang disciples?

If so, why had they been affected this time?

Whether the disciples questioned it or not, Myeonghyeon sprang to his feet.

"Those must have been inept heretics who dared to make trouble without fearing the Martial Alliance."

He leapt up in a fit of anger, then staggered as dizziness swept over him.

"You were unconscious the whole time, Elder. Please get up slowly."

Lee Gipung, a Diancang disciple, tried to steady him, but Myeonghyeon roughly shook off his hand and headed outside.

The sight that greeted him as he rushed from the tent was…

"W-what is this…? What happened here?"

Bodies lay scattered across the ground.

The uniforms they wore clearly belonged to the Great Diancang Sect.

Myeonghyeon's eyes widened as he hurriedly looked around.

"W-what in the…"

Some of the wounded had suffered grievous injuries and fallen into comas.

Their uniforms, too, marked them as members of Diancang's affiliated sects.

A sharp pain stabbed through his head, and Myeonghyeon squeezed his eyes shut.

"The aftereffects of the sorcery seem to remain. The academy representative said that to prevent lasting damage from the evil energy, they need to rest and keep circulating their energy."

At Lee Gipung's words, Myeonghyeon reacted as if stung.

"Jin Sowoon? Why are you suddenly bringing him up?"

This gathering was meant to restore Diancang's reputation after what had happened in Yueyang. It was also meant to curb Jin Sowoon's ever-growing fame.

Surely, Jin Sowoon was not supposed to show up here, let alone have his name spoken.

The Diancang disciples exchanged glances in the heavy silence.

At last, Lee Gipung found the courage to speak.

"The academy representative rushed here to save us. If he and his companions hadn't come…"

He swallowed, but did not look away from Daoist Myeonghyeon's piercing gaze.

"We would certainly have died."

The other disciples nodded in agreement.

Daoist Myeonghyeon glared at them.

"Representative? Is that what you're calling Jin Sowoon?"

He looked at them as if he could not believe it.

Then he bellowed at his foolish disciples.

"You fools! I went so far as to arrange this gathering because you couldn't even handle one Taeul Sect disciple! And now you're shamelessly defending him?!"

"…"

"Jin Sowoon… Is that bastard here now?!"

Lee Gipung hesitated, then nodded.

It was an unexpected revelation.

"Hah… That fellow, who should be attending his academy classes, came all the way here?"

Myeonghyeon's mind raced, his head still throbbing from the aftereffects of the sorcery.

Jin Sowoon could not have come here without a reason.

There had to be some sort of plot!

"That's it! This whole situation must be his scheme!"

Myeonghyeon shouted as if he had made a great discovery.

Usually, his disciples hung on every word, eager to take even a single lesson to heart. This time, their response was lukewarm.

Whether he noticed or not, Myeonghyeon kept going.

"That bastard is clearly in league with the heretics. He must have set this trap with them in advance! Jin Sowoon! Where is that scoundrel?"

None of the Diancang disciples answered his question.

"If he's here, where is he?!"

At Myeonghyeon's insistence, a disciple from an affiliated sect pointed in one direction.

"I-I heard he went to scout the enemy's movements."

"Lead me to him! I'll punish him myself!"

"…"

Once again, only silence answered him.

When none of the Diancang disciples stepped forward, Lee Gipung finally helped Daoist Myeonghyeon along.

What happened next was exactly what the Diancang disciples had expected.

"You dare scheme against Diancang? What are you waiting for? Subdue that man at once and drag him before me!"

Despite Daoist Myeonghyeon's thunderous command, no one moved.

"You dared to conspire with the heretics and attack the Elders' Council, on top of everything else? Your crime cannot be repaid, even with your death!"

Myeonghyeon shouted, his face red with anger, but Jin Sowoon seemed to have no intention of offering even a word in his defense.

If anything, he reached for his Blood Dragon Sword.

"Even if you're corrupt, I thought you could still tell right from wrong."

He slowly drew the Blood Dragon Sword.

Disappointment filled Jin Sowoon's face.

In his previous life, men like Myeonghyeon had turned a disaster that should have killed ten people into one that killed a hundred.

"You were better educated than us, and more capable… So I believed, again and again, that you had some grand plan."

Only after tens of thousands of innocent people had died did he understand.

Only when he saw them flee north to the Northern Sea, leaving the ground strewn with the victims' blood, did he finally realize the truth.

The grand plan they spoke of was nothing more than a cover for their own political interests…

Jin Sowoon knew better than anyone how deeply those victims had been betrayed. He had stood on the front lines with them.

"To turn away from the suffering before your eyes for your own political gain… Someone like you is a greater threat to the Martial Alliance than the heretics or the Demonic Cult."

Jin Sowoon pointed his Blood Dragon Sword at Myeonghyeon, who erupted in furious outrage.

"You! You dare scheme against Diancang, and now you dare oppose the Elders' Council of the Martial Alliance as well?!"

Unlike Myeonghyeon, Jin Sowoon spoke in a perfectly calm voice.

"What scheme have I supposedly hatched?"

"Did you think I wouldn't know that you conspired with the heretics to disrupt our Righteous Path Association gathering?"

"If you hadn't taken Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan with you, I would have let you die."

"W-what did you say?!"

In his previous life, Daoist Myeonghyeon had been at the Transcendent Peak realm.

Though he had not reached the Red Sand Gateway stage, he should have been able to achieve the Three Flowers Converging at the Crown.

His essence, energy, and spirit would have been unified, protecting his mind. Even if he had been caught in the illusion formation without warning, he would not have lost his reason.

In other words, Daoist Myeonghyeon might still be suffering from the aftereffects of the evil energy, but his mind was perfectly clear as he spouted nonsense.

"Great Master Hyeseong is here with me. Do you know that you laid a hidden attack against the Elders' Council?"

"Go on."

"This is tantamount to treason against the Martial Alliance."

"Hah… Hahaha."

The situation teetered on the brink of violence.

Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan, who had been tending to the others, came to Jin Sowoon's side.

Nam Hwaseong hesitated over whether to stand close to Jin Sowoon or keep his distance, then decided to join him.

"And what do you intend to do?"

"I'll take you to the Martial Alliance to face punishment! And don't think your junior fellow disciples and sect will escape unharmed!"

As soon as Daoist Myeonghyeon finished speaking, Jin Sowoon's martial uniform swelled as if it were about to burst.

Killing intent erupted in every direction. Several of those who had only just managed to steady their insides began coughing up blood again.

Myeonghyeon's face turned pale, as though he could barely withstand the pressure of that killing intent.

Jin Sowoon slowly raised his head.

"Try it."

"W-what did you say?!"

"I said, try it."

"…"

Jin Sowoon's eyes glinted with killing intent.

Unable to tolerate his defiant stance, Daoist Myeonghyeon roared.

"Can't do it? Then I'll help you!"

Jin Sowoon shifted his grip on the Blood Dragon Sword.

Then he strode toward Myeonghyeon.

"Do it properly, if you think I conspired with the heretics and plotted to overthrow the Martial Alliance!"

"You, you bastard! How dare you—"

Thud!

Jin Sowoon drove a qi-charged kick into him.

"Ugh!"

Myeonghyeon, who had been leaning on Lee Gipung, tumbled pitifully across the ground.

Jin Sowoon looked down at him with cold eyes.

His brutal kick slammed into Myeonghyeon's face.

"Pfft!"

Myeonghyeon's nose split, and blood gushed out.

But Jin Sowoon did not withdraw his killing intent.

"If I'm an enemy of the Martial Alliance, a threat to the murim world, then go ahead and kill me!"

"You… If I weren't injured internally…"

"Injured internally?"

Contempt filled Jin Sowoon's eyes.

He flicked his fingers, sending a strike of finger force into Myeonghyeon's vital points.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

It was no special technique. He simply sent out his internal energy with his fingers, hitting Myeonghyeon like a series of brutal punches.

Myeonghyeon felt as though dozens of hulking men were beating him.

Jin Sowoon's eyes twitched as he looked down at him.

"Is that all the resolve you have to protect the murim world?"

The Sojeong Unit members had so little internal energy that risking mutual destruction had been part of everyday life.

They had not hesitated to damage their innate true energy, and whenever they had the chance to take a Blood Explosion Pill, they swallowed it without delay.

They knew what kind of future awaited a third-rate warrior whose innate true energy had been damaged, yet they did it anyway.

It was the only thing they could do to protect the future of the murim world with the meager strength they had.

"Even third-rate warriors who receive a pittance for their monthly pay are ready to risk mutual destruction. Yet you, an elder of the Martial Alliance, can't even face that risk for fear of damaging your innate true energy? I can't think of a reason to let you live."

Thud!

Myeonghyeon rolled several times from Jin Sowoon's kick.

"Damn you! You…!"

Myeonghyeon seemed to have reached his limit. He tried to force his internal energy into motion.

Jin Sowoon gave a hollow smile at the sight.

"You're not facing a threat from the heretics. Your disciples' lives aren't in danger. So, in the end…"

Jin Sowoon casually struck out with his fist.

"Your resolve to risk mutual destruction only appears when your own life is on the line?"

The force of his Myriad Transformations Invincible Fist shot from his hand, striking Myeonghyeon's lower and middle dantians and major meridians, disrupting his energy circulation.

"Ugh!"

Daoist Myeonghyeon rolled across the ground, coughing up blood. He looked more like a cripple than a man.

Even so, Jin Sowoon showed no sign of stopping. He continued toward Myeonghyeon.

Terrified, Myeonghyeon stumbled backward and shouted at the Diancang disciples.

"What are you idiots doing?!"

"Subdue that criminal at once!"

But silence fell once again.

Not a single person moved at Daoist Myeonghyeon's command.

Furious, Myeonghyeon struggled to lift his limbs and shouted again.

"What are you waiting for?! I told you to make that criminal kneel! Do you think my orders are a joke, Lee Gipung?!"

When Myeonghyeon pointed at Lee Gipung, the Diancang disciples and their affiliated sect disciples all turned to look at him.

"Lee Gipung! Subdue that man with the Diancang disciples!"

Lee Gipung looked from Jin Sowoon to Myeonghyeon, sighed, then took a step forward.

"What are the rest of you waiting for? Move!"

Lee Gipung slowly approached Jin Sowoon and Myeonghyeon.

He held Jin Sowoon's calm gaze for a moment, then said,

"Excuse me."

Then he walked past Jin Sowoon and approached Myeonghyeon.

"What are you doing?! Subdue that bastard— Ugh!"

Daoist Myeonghyeon, who had been pointing at Jin Sowoon, suddenly grunted in disbelief and grabbed Lee Gipung's sleeve.

The man who had cut off Myeonghyeon's command and attacked him by surprise was…

"You…!"

None other than Lee Gipung, who had been helping him stand.

Thump.

Myeonghyeon stared at Lee Gipung in disbelief, then fainted.

Lee Gipung looked down at the fallen Daoist Myeonghyeon without emotion, then scratched his head.

"Daoist Myeonghyeon must have lost his reason after being exposed to the evil energy for so long."

Lee Gipung looked at the other disciples.

They could be charged with the grave crime of killing a senior within their sect.

The other disciples nodded, as if they had reached the same decision.

"...That must be it. We still don't really understand what's going on."

"I'm still seeing things."

"Daoist Myeonghyeon has always been a little senile."

As the Diancang disciples began to back him up one by one, the affiliated sect disciples did not dare to speak up.

Lee Gipung handed Daoist Myeonghyeon over to another disciple, then stepped forward.

He clasped his hands respectfully.

"Representative Jin Sowoon, I apologize on Elder Myeonghyeon's behalf for his remarks."

Jin Sowoon regarded Lee Gipung with interest.

"You're worse than Jong Byeokgi. Can you deal with the consequences of what you just did?"

"...You remember me?"

"Of course. You made a pretty sharp move at the entrance pier."

"…"

Lee Gipung felt deeply ashamed.

During the Hell Official Exam, he had tried to sabotage Jin Sowoon simply to make sure his opponent failed, regardless of whether he himself passed.

But now the man he had tried to undermine had saved them and taken the insults meant for them.

That only made him feel more ashamed.

"The crime of killing a senior within one's sect is one of the gravest offenses. You'll be punished for it. Wouldn't it have been better to take a few blows from me and leave it at that?"

Lee Gipung raised his head and looked at Jin Sowoon.

Seeing him act so naturally despite knowing his past only made Lee Gipung feel more ashamed.

"I wanted to become a warrior who understood honor and lived without shame. If this is the life I'm going to lead, then I'd rather commit the crime of killing a senior within my sect."

"It would be a shame if you were locked up in Diancang's Golden Prison. I wanted to see what kind of person you'd become."

Lee Gipung gazed at Jin Sowoon with complicated feelings for a long moment.

Just how broad was this man's heart, to say something like that so easily?

Overwhelmed by a greatness he had never felt before, Lee Gipung found himself lowering his head.

'The political games we've played must have been nothing more than petty scheming beside a man like him. How shameful.'

Lee Gipung clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you again for fighting like a disposable weed to save these foolish people. I'll remember your kindness to my bones and repay you someday."

Following Lee Gipung, the Diancang disciples began to bow one after another.

"We thank our benefactor. We'll remember your kindness to our bones and repay you someday!"

"We thank our benefactor. We'll remember your kindness to our bones and repay you someday!"

After all the Diancang disciples bowed, the members of Diancang's affiliated sects followed, then the Shaolin disciples and those from Shaolin's affiliated sects.

They all stopped what they were doing, bowed in unison, and clasped their hands to Jin Sowoon.

"We thank our benefactor. We'll remember your kindness to our bones and repay you someday!"

"We thank our benefactor. We'll remember your kindness to our bones and repay you someday!"

Their heartfelt voices echoed all around.

Moyong Jaehwa, who had been resting his fingers on the string of the steel bow, lowered it and stared blankly at the scene.

For some reason, Eun Seollan turned away and wiped her tears.

"Phew…"

With a complicated expression, Jin Sowoon sheathed his Blood Dragon Sword and spoke slowly.

"Fine… That's enough. Let's hurry up and head back."

He spun around and walked away as if trying to flee.

Nam Hwaseong chased after him and asked,

"Do you like it? Being praised like that by people who used to be your enemies?"

"Get lost! You're annoying!"

Still, a faint smile lingered on Jin Sowoon's face.

After we had stabilized Daoist Myeonghyeon, a similar incident nearly happened with Great Master Hyeseong. Somehow, thanks to Ilgak quickly stepping in, I avoided having an awkward confrontation with him.

After reorganizing the group, I sent them ahead and stayed behind at that same peak.

Nam Hwaseong said he felt awkward joining the group and wanted to come with me. But when I warned him that we might run into another Iron Jiangshi, he turned serious, told me to come back quickly, and rejoined the others.

"Um… Big Brother…"

Moyong Jaehwa spoke hesitantly.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Um… why am I still here?"

He seemed uneasy about being the only one left behind while everyone else had gone.

I patted his head and said,

"You still haven't finished the Thunderbolt Arrow."

"...What? Oh, r-right."

"We've got some great targets here, so you should finish it before we leave. Right?"

"B-but you said an Iron Jiangshi might show up…"

Tch. Had he heard what I told Nam Hwaseong?

"It won't. Probably."

"...Probably?"

"Anyway, don't worry. You're light, unlike Nam Hwaseong, so I can pick you up and run."

"What?"

Jaehwa's eyes wavered helplessly.

I patted his head some more to reassure him.

"Well, as long as your clothes don't get torn, that unfortunate thing won't happen, right?"

Moyong Jaehwa began nervously patting down his clothes.

"What do you mean…? A-anyway, what are you planning to do by staying here?"

"The Shenghu Hall is heading this way. If we don't stop their vanguard, more people will get hurt."

Jaehwa gaped at me in disbelief.

"You mean the two of us are going to stop their vanguard…?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"...Can we do that?"

"If you finish the Thunderbolt Arrow, we can."

"…"

The greatest number of casualties in a war often occurred during a retreat.

What's more, the leading groups from Shaolin and Diancang had not yet recovered from the aftereffects of the sorcery.

If they were ambushed in this state, not only the Righteous Path Association but also my companions would suffer heavy losses.

'And above all, I can't lose the Red Light Sword… No, the Blood-Sea Jade.'

This was the perfect chance to get two things done at once.

I gazed intently at the dazed Jaehwa and said,

"Shall we go pick some fruit?"

"What? What does that mean…?"

This was when I needed to keep the pressure on him and leave him flustered.

That was the basic principle of training… or rather, taming.

"Now, look over there! See that red tent?"

"You mean the tent two hundred jang away?"

"Yeah. Hit it with a Thunderbolt Arrow."

"Um… Big Brother, even with a steel bow, the maximum range is one hundred fifty jang."

"Come on, I've seen you shoot three hundred jang."

It was true. In my previous life, Bow Breaker had reliably hit targets at an average range of three hundred jang, and even as far as four hundred.

'He said that once his martial arts were complete, he could theoretically reach five hundred jang.'

Of course, Bow Breaker never reached that level in his previous life. But this time, he had taken up archery much earlier. Maybe he could reach it before the Righteous-Demonic War.

So…

"What are you waiting for? Shoot already."

I had to retrieve the Blood-Sea Jade and get back quickly.