Chapter 13 :

Chapter 13. Third-Rate Warrior Who Protects the Honor of His Sect (7)

Fundamentally, why had the Iron Sword Sect failed to enter the One Hundred Eight Peaks? Because they had no justification.

The One Hundred Eight Peaks was a position that was like a symbol of the Murim Alliance.

Five hundred years ago, with the emergence of the Demonic Cult, the righteous sects that had been scattered throughout the murim world gathered despite the sacrifices they had to bear, and what they created was the Murim Alliance.

The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had been the central pillars.

Afterward, it became praise for the allied factions that joined the Murim Alliance and shed blood.

Among the entire One Hundred Eight Peaks, as many as one-third were sects that had continued to hold their positions in the One Hundred Eight Peaks for five hundred years.

For a position in the One Hundred Eight Peaks to be replaced meant that there had to be justification of that magnitude.

Then what about the Murim Alliance, which decided that?

The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had established themselves as absolute powers and controlled the Murim Alliance, but even the Murim Alliance was not operated solely by the absolute logic of power.

In the end, what moved the Murim Alliance was also a massive battle of justification.

In that sense, Jegal Somyeong had lost his justification and ended up in an awkward situation.

‘Damn…’

As he reviewed one by one the board laid by the child named Jin Sowoon of the Taeul Sect and thought about his intentions, he had missed the right moment to step in, and the sparks that flared up from the Iron Sword Sect had even reached himself, the chief strategist.

“How insolent! How dare you utter such outrageous words in front of anyone!”

Seong Cheonwol shouted at the top of his lungs, but Jegal Somyeong wanted him to shut his mouth more than anything.

If the situation worsened like this, both the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance would truly end up covered head to toe in filth.

“My father was kneeling all night to save me, and the leader of the Iron Sword Sect forced the sparring even though their vile scheme had been exposed. Yet when that sparring turned unfavorable, he interfered in it.”

Jin Sowoon pointed at Seong Mohyeon.

“At that man’s words, ‘It is sorcery,’ the leader of the Iron Sword Sect drove the Taeul Sect into being a heretical sect as if he had been waiting for it, and during all that, the Murim Alliance did nothing.”

Jin Sowoon’s voice was filled with anger and resentment.

Jegal Somyeong still deeply thought that he should have stepped forward at that moment.

“What am I supposed to trust and sheath my sword!”

Everyone present nodded their heads one by one.

Then they looked at him, who was practically the representative of the Murim Alliance.

‘It is checkmate.’

No matter how he thought about it, he could not believe that the things that had just happened were coincidences.

There was only one reason he thought so.

The child named Jin Sowoon had never once panicked.

He had faced the conspiracy that seemed to have been intended by the Iron Sword Sect head-on, and even though every situation around him was unfavorable, he ultimately created a board favorable to himself.

Did it make sense for a young man not yet twenty to remain unflustered when he heard the words “forbidden art”?

Jin Sowoon had shown his innocence with a dignified bearing, and furthermore, he had entangled even the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance into his board.

Jegal Somyeong could not simply stand there in admiration.

If things went wrong, even the name of the Murim Alliance could be stained with disgrace alongside the Iron Sword Sect.

What should he give?

What could he give to calm the conflict between the Iron Sword Sect and the Taeul Sect and make people recognize that the Murim Alliance was indeed an existence that established order in the murim world?

Even thinking over it briefly, nothing came to mind.

Because, in truth, there was no way such a thing could exist.

That did not mean there was no answer.

“…Then what do you want?”

He only had to pass the answer over.

Whether Jin Sowoon said he wanted the truth, or he wanted an apology, or that he wanted something else, Jegal Somyeong could simply give him something appropriate, soothe him, and bring the incident to an end.

If it looked as if the matter had been resolved well, this incident would disappear from people’s minds like that incident said to have happened twenty years ago.

However.

“I want the head of the leader of the Iron Sword Sect.”

“…!”

Jegal Somyeong, who had been listening to Jin Sowoon, almost burst into laughter.

It was truly a move he had never expected.

An extraordinary move that pressured not only the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, but even himself, the chief strategist.

If this had been a situation of playing janggi or Go, it would have been such an astonishing move that he would have wanted to overturn the board.

Saying he wanted the head of the leader of the Iron Sword Sect meant that he wanted a duel between the two of them.

Even if the child named Jin Sowoon drew up his innate true energy, could he really take the head of the leader of the Iron Sword Sect?

However, if Jin Sowoon died through mutual destruction, Jin Sowoon would become a martyr who had sacrificed his life for his declining sect and family, and the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance would become dark faction ruffians who had oppressed a weak sect while ignoring ethics and justification, causing him to die unjustly.

This matter would become a political weapon for years to come, driving the Murim Alliance into a corner and bringing down the Iron Sword Sect.

It was the moment when the life of a single person became equal to the Murim Alliance.

‘Huh, there was such a person in the Taeul Sect?’

He had been driven into a corner, but rather than anger or panic, his curiosity was greatly stirred.

He even thought, ‘What would that fellow look like in the Intelligence Department?’

‘In that case, I cannot kill him here. It is something that must not be done for the Murim Alliance either.’

#

“If you feel you have been insulted, then you should repay it with insult.”

Jegal Somyeong nodded as if muttering to himself.

“But do you have the skill for that?”

“I will definitely make him pay the price in blood.”

“…”

Jegal Somyeong’s gaze was steady.

A genius beyond genius.

If Yong Soa was a genius who could not be approached in the world of martial arts,

then Jegal Somyeong was an existence like the Yong Soa of the literary world.

Jegal Somyeong, who passed away just before the Righteous-Demonic War broke out.

In some circles, many said that if only Jegal Somyeong had been there, the Murim Alliance would not have been torn apart so thoroughly.

He was that outstanding of an existence.

Jegal Somyeong was already deftly avoiding the traps I had laid.

“No, no. If that happens, it would mean resolving the matter through an unreasonable method, just as you experienced.”

As expected, he was not easy.

“In that case, there is another way.”

“What is it?”

“Those shameless three generations should perform full-body prostrations and apologize for everything that has happened until now.”

“…Hmm, but if they do that, we cannot confirm whether you have learned a forbidden art.”

“Then do you have a solution, chief strategist? Simply opposing for the sake of opposition is the behavior of politicians.”

For some reason, Jegal Somyeong seemed to be enjoying this situation very much.

I could see his lips twitching as he forcibly held back his laughter.

“How certain are you, sect leader?”

At Jegal Somyeong’s question, Seong Cheonwol stammered.

“Pardon? W-Well…”

“Can you stake even the signboard of your sect?”

“What?!”

Seong Cheonwol raised his voice disgracefully, then quickly let out a fake cough.

“Ahem. Chief strategist. Discovering and uprooting forbidden arts is only the natural conduct of us righteous faction members who carry out the destruction of demons and extermination of evil. Why would I stake the signboard of my sect on such a thing? If you say I must take responsibility, then as that child said, I will take responsibility with my sword.”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect, Seong Cheonwol, was flailing about wildly without even realizing that he had been caught in a spiderweb, and Jegal Somyeong, seemingly frustrated by the sight, shouted.

“I already said that is the wrong method!”

“Th-Then, well…”

“How about the sect leader’s treasured weapon?”

Seong Cheonwol looked at the Ninefold Sword of the Ghost Sword Immortal Elder hanging in the center of the great hall and opened his eyes wide.

“T-That is…”

“Are you not certain, sect leader? I do not know what happened at last night’s banquet, but every situation I have seen today was, just as that child said, unreasonable itself. Was it truly nothing more than committing vile acts with the Murim Alliance at your back?”

At Jegal Somyeong’s words, the Iron Sword Sect leader’s gaze went back and forth between the deathly pale Seong Mohyeon and me.

Then, the sound of him grinding his teeth came from his mouth.

“Very well. Let us do that!”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect answered and then tried to stomp toward me.

I raised my hand and stopped him.

“I have a condition.”

“Enough!”

“If we are doing this, we must do it properly. What if the leader of the Iron Sword Sect personally conducts the examination, and then insists I learned the Great Energy-Absorbing Art even though nothing comes out?”

“Do I look like such a person in your eyes?”

“Judging by your actions so far, I believe you are more than capable of doing that.”

Jegal Somyeong nodded.

“Waiting for the Enforcement Pavilion would take too long, and it would not do for the leader of the Iron Sword Sect’s sixtieth birthday banquet to be delayed further by an unpleasant matter. I will personally confirm it. That much should be enough for you to accept, correct?”

Jegal Somyeong slowly passed the leader of the Iron Sword Sect and approached me.

“Now, calm your energy.”

I withdrew my innate true energy and extended my right hand to Jegal Somyeong.

Because the Great Energy-Absorbing Art absorbed the energy of others, all sorts of different energies existed within one’s internal energy.

That was why confirming whether someone had learned the Great Energy-Absorbing Art was not very difficult.

“…”

Jegal Somyeong’s energy, which had been gently probing my dantian, disappeared in an instant.

“…Ahem.”

Jegal Somyeong, who had not opened his mouth for a moment, looked at the leader of the Iron Sword Sect.

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect swallowed as if he were revealing the final card in a gamble where his entire fortune was at stake.

And then.

“This man has not learned the Great Energy-Absorbing Art.”

“Ah…!”

At Jegal Somyeong’s words, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect and Seong Mohyeon wore expressions of disbelief.

“No! He definitely learned the Great Energy-Absorbing Art.”

“M-May I check as well?”

At the leader of the Iron Sword Sect’s words, Jegal Somyeong frowned.

“The patriarch’s sword is at stake.”

“…”

When Jegal Somyeong took a step back, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect seized my hand as if snatching it away and began roughly pouring energy into me, rummaging through my entire body.

“W-Wait…”

Because of his rough energy, the blood vessels that had already been strained from drawing up my innate true energy began to run wild.

“Stay still!”

The energy rummaging through my entire body finally touched my dantian roughly, and the rampaging blood vessels eventually began to flow backward.

“Uwegh.”

Before I could defend myself, heavy blood surged up my throat.

The ground was quickly filled with the blood I had vomited.

“What are you doing!”

“Sowoon!”

“This man, in the end!”

Jegal Somyeong was startled, brushed off the leader of the Iron Sword Sect’s hand, and tried to strike my blood points, but I continued vomiting blood.

Jin Taesan and Kang Chaeseok looked as if they would immediately fight the leader of the Iron Sword Sect to the death.

“How can this be…”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect wore an expression of disbelief.

Sensing that something was unusual, Seong Mohyeon spoke desperately.

“No! Grandfather! I definitely felt it clearly. If that were not the case, there is no way I would have lost to that bastard!”

“Shut up!”

I shook off my father, who was supporting me, and tried to rise forward.

“You must not get up yet. I have not fully treated you.”

Jegal Somyeong firmly pressed down on my shoulder, but I roughly brushed his hand away with my bloodstained hand.

“…”

“Sowoon!”

After barely raising myself, I also shook off Jin Taesan’s hand.

Blood was still flowing from the corner of my mouth, and Seong Cheonwol and Seong Mohyeon were looking at me with appalled eyes.

“Pay… the price!”

I extended my hand.

“…”

“Pay the rightful price for this vile act that you and your descendants have committed. Keuk…”

My fingertips trembled.

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect could neither do this nor that and only kept rolling his eyes.

“Uwegh!”

When I vomited a large amount of blood once more, Jegal Somyeong, unable to keep watching, grabbed my hand and glared at the leader of the Iron Sword Sect.

“Sect leader, keep your promise.”

“…Chief strategist, how could you do this to me…”

“It was all your actions, sect leader, both making that promise with such certainty and injuring your opponent’s body with rough energy. Show responsibility and prove that you are an allied faction of the Murim Alliance!”

“…I will compensate him for this matter, and on the sect’s behalf, I will bestow three Iron Heart Pills upon that child.”

“Grandfather!”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect looked at Seong Mohyeon as if he would kill him.

“If you open your mouth once more, know that I will cut out that tongue.”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect spoke to Jegal Somyeong as if pleading.

“In this matter, a disciple of my sect made a great mistake. Even so, the sacred relic of our founding patriarch cannot be handed over carelessly to anyone, can it? Would it not be more beneficial to each sect to settle it here?”

Jegal Somyeong looked at me as if seeking my agreement, and instead of answering, I gripped my sword.

“In that case… I must receive the price in blood.”

When I tried to even shake off Jegal Somyeong’s hand, Jegal Somyeong shouted.

“Leader of the Iron Sword Sect! As a member of the Murim Alliance, do you intend to stain the name of the Murim Alliance?”

At the frost-like shout, Seong Cheonwol’s eyes flashed open.

“This was a matter in which I attended as a witness. Are you trying to frame an innocent person as a criminal and then pay no price at all? Do you truly wish to know the terror of the Murim Alliance’s Enforcement Pavilion?”

“…”

In the end, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, who was not confident he could withstand Jegal Somyeong’s anger, lowered his head.

“Bring the Ninefold Sword.”

Seong Jutak brought the Ninefold Sword with trembling hands, and Seong Cheonwol received the sword and held it out to Jegal Somyeong.

Then Jegal Somyeong placed the Ninefold Sword in my hand.

“Are you satisfied now?”

At his words, I closed my eyes.