Chapter 41 :

First-Rate Warrior Stirring Up a New Wind (3)

As soon as it became known that my body had recovered enough for me to walk around outside, visitors lined up one after another.

“You saw me earlier, right? I am Cha Seokdu, peak lord of Four Emperors Peak.”

“I am Gang Maengji, leader of Black Snake Gang. You must have heard my name, yes?”

“I am Go Gilsan, sect master of Four Dragons Sect.”

“Leader of Blood Spear Sect…”

“Blade Armor Sect…”

Originally, for me, a disciple of the Taeul Sect, it would have been extremely burdensome to sit with some of the most prominent experts of the dark murim world, but they barged in without caring about my circumstances at all.

“The dark murim world owes you a great debt.”

At Cha Seokdu’s words, everyone gathered with him nodded at once.

“If not for you, I cannot even imagine what kind of upheaval would have swept across the entire dark murim world.”

“Not at all. Setting aside beliefs, I merely did what had to be done.”

“No. We know, and the hypocrites of the righteous faction also know, just how hard it is to set aside beliefs and do what must be done. For example, was the Murim Alliance’s lukewarm reaction not perhaps because the majority of the people at Maling Plateau were warriors of the dark murim world?”

“…”

“So what you did was an incredible and tremendous deed that cannot be exchanged for anything.”

Cha Seokdu scratched his cheek as if embarrassed.

“Thanks to you, I also learned that among the hypocrites, there are some fairly decent people.”

“Ahaha…”

I had no idea whether I should be pleased about this situation or not.

Until the Demonic Cult appeared, the Murim Alliance’s main enemies were the dark faction and unorthodox factions.

“If it were up to me, I would invite you and all the people of your sect and hold a grand banquet…”

“What?”

A scream slipped out of me before I knew it, and before I could even fix it, Cha Seokdu’s face was already filled with regret.

“…But if I did that, you would suffer great trouble.”

I quickly continued speaking to reduce their gratitude.

If it became known that I had truly been invited by a dark faction sect, not going would be a problem, and going would create an even bigger problem.

“The fact that the principles of the murim world were upheld without distinguishing between white and black is already payment enough for me. So further gratitude would instead feel excessive to me.”

A strange emotion settled on the faces of Cha Seokdu, Gang Maengji, Go Gilsan, and the others.

Was it anger because I had rejected their goodwill, or joy because they did not have to pay a price?

Because of their fierce expressions, I could not tell at all.

“Hahahahaha. Truly remarkable. Remarkable indeed. How is it that talents like this keep springing endlessly from the righteous faction?”

When Cha Seokdu burst into laughter toward the sky, the other dark faction figures all burst into wild laughter together.

“…Haha.”

I felt exactly like a piglet caught in front of hunters, not knowing when I would be roasted whole.

“Even so, if we do not repay a favor, that would be no different from giving up on being human, regardless of the name of the dark faction. Take this.”

What he held out was an identity plaque about two finger joints long.

“Four Emperors Peak will repay its debt whenever you need it.”

“…!!”

I could not help being shocked inwardly.

The plaque being handed over now was not merely an identity plaque, but close to a gratitude plaque.

And it was one given by the head of a sect while putting his own sect on the line.

This was like a promissory note stating that Four Emperors Peak would repay its debt at any time.

In the murim world, even if they were dark faction, if they failed to repay a debt attached to such a plaque, they would be branded as a sect without even the minimum trust and would have a hard time surviving even among the dark murim world.

Moreover, a gratitude plaque had no expiration date.

If Four Emperors Peak remained through the generations, no matter whose hands the plaque was in, Four Emperors Peak would have to step forward once. It was practically a pledge.

This plaque was also a symbol of deep trust that money could not repay.

While I was wondering whether it would be all right for me, a disciple of a righteous faction sect, to accept this, the leaders of other sects also stepped forward.

“Our Black Snake Gang is the same.”

“As for me as well…”

In that way, plaques piled up one by one.

On the table, there were as many as twenty plaques.

There had been more sects that actually participated, but it seemed they had selected representatives from among themselves and narrowed it down.

“Uh…”

“Do not refuse even this. If you do, then even as dark faction, it would make us beings with the faces of humans but the hearts of beasts.”

At his words, I thought for a moment, then nodded and stood up.

In any case, when the Great War of Righteousness and Demons began, righteous faction or dark faction, they would all be wiped out.

Before those mad Demonic Cult bastards, what did white or black matter?

I once again recalled the true legacy of the ancestor I had placed in my mind.

Would I not slowly build a foundation where I no longer needed to mind the gazes of other sects?

“Setting aside identity, how could I refuse the goodwill of seniors of the murim world? Thank you. I will use them well.”

After all the dark faction sects left, before I could even gather my thoughts, representatives of the righteous faction sects entered.

Since the number of righteous faction sects participating was relatively low, there were not as many as the dark faction sects.

“It seems the peak lord of Four Emperors Peak came and went.”

Namgung Jinmyeong smiled as he looked at the plaques piled up on the table.

While I was wondering whether I should clear them away or not, he seemed to understand my feelings and waved his hand.

“It is fine. Peak Lord Cha Seokdu asked me what kind of repayment would be good for you, so I told him.”

The peak lord of Four Emperors Peak and the young family head of the Namgung Family exchanged such a conversation?

“Thanks to them stirring up Yueyang, handling things became easier. Merchants are the sort who use others’ misfortune as an opportunity, are they not?”

The situation was like this.

When tens of thousands of people gathered at Maling Plateau and supplies grew scarce, they had to procure goods from Yueyang, the nearest city.

Merchants took advantage of the opportunity and raised the prices of goods tremendously, and when the righteous faction sects were about to swallow their tears and pay inflated prices, the dark faction sects rampaged through merchant groups and escort agencies alike, threatening them and stabilizing the prices again.

At Namgung Jinmyeong’s words that it was a perfect joint operation between black and white, I could only let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha… ha…”

The Namgung Family, which had built up a firm grudge against the Murim Alliance because of this incident, was openly showing the Murim Alliance that it was building relationships with experts of the dark murim world.

But could I act as boldly as he did?

No.

He was the young family head of the Namgung Family, while my sect was the Taeul Sect.

As if telling me not to worry, he nodded.

“There will be no one who says you colluded with the dark faction because of what you did this time. If such a person exists, I will kill them with my own hands.”

“…Pardon??”

“It is a joke.”

I shut my mouth at the terrifying joke, and he chuckled as if amused.

“They said you caught the Emperor Sword Technique with your hand, but your guts do not seem that big?”

At Namgung Jinmyeong’s words, a strange light appeared in the eyes of the people seated around us.

“Great Hero, is that true?”

“Ah, I am telling you it is. Our San was so surprised. He nearly dropped his sword on the spot.”

People were looking at me with curious eyes.

I watched Namgung San’s reaction, wondering if Namgung Jinmyeong’s words might be rude to him, but he seemed entirely unbothered and even had a smile on his lips.

“Now, now. There are still more people waiting, so let us quickly make room.”

There were still more people waiting?

While I was screaming inwardly, a warrior of the Mount Heng Sect stepped forward.

“I am Haminjung’s eldest martial brother. Thank you for saving our youngest martial brother.”

A middle-aged man who looked old enough to be Haminjung’s father made a fist-and-palm salute and bowed his head.

I almost pretended to know him.

He, who would become the next sect leader of the Mount Heng Sect, was famous even within the Murim Alliance for being fair and upright.

“It is an honor to meet Great Hero Seven-Kill Soul-Extinguishing.”

“…You know me?”

“I have heard much of Great Hero’s fame through rumors.”

“You are making me even more ashamed… I heard that my martial brother spoke harshly to you. Thank you for saving him without distinction despite that.”

“Not at all. He did not say anything that would particularly hurt me. Please tell him to recover quickly.”

Seven-Kill Soul-Extinguishing Song Jeongmu looked at me with a peculiar gaze.

“You are… a person who is surprising in many ways.”

After saying words whose meaning I could not understand, Song Jeongmu took something from his robe.

“…This is a gift the sect master asked me to deliver to you.”

What he handed over was a thick leather pouch a little larger than a palm.

“This is…!”

“These are one hundred Demon-Subduing Talismans made by our sect.”

“!”

“!”

The others listening were more surprised than I was.

The demon-suppressing effect of the Mount Heng Sect’s martial arts had been famous even before the Great War of Righteousness and Demons broke out.

The Demon-Subduing Talisman was the talisman with the greatest effect among the Mount Heng Sect’s secret arts, and it had the power to drive away demonic deceit and troublesome poison.

However, making this talisman was so difficult that there were even rumors in the murim world that the number of Demon-Subduing Talismans was lower than the actual number of Shaolin Pills.

“Is it all right for you to give me this many?”

One Demon-Subduing Talisman was worth ten gold coins.

If there were not one or two, but one hundred such Demon-Subduing Talismans, it meant they had brought all the Demon-Subduing Talismans made since the past.

“We originally brought them to break the formation. But the formation was too powerful, so we did not even think of using them. The sect master said not to be stingy with you, who saved his disciple from inside that formation.”

If they were giving it to me without burden, was there any need to refuse?

Moreover, when the Great War of Righteousness and Demons broke out, Demon-Subduing Talismans would show clear effects against Demonic Cultists, and their value would jump to one hundred gold coins per sheet.

“I will gratefully accept them.”

“Will you visit Mount Heng sometime?”

“…?”

“No. It seems the time for you to come to the Murim Alliance is slowly approaching.”

“…I suppose so.”

“Good. Then let us meet at the Murim Alliance.”

After Song Jeongmu, people from the Shandong Yue Family and Yang Family Manor left behind plaques.

“I heard from Jiryang that you are very interested in strange-gate formations.”

For the defense of the Taeul Sect, I had been thinking about mechanical formations and strange-gate formations.

When the Great War of Righteousness and Demons broke out, the difference in damage between sects that had mechanical formations and strange-gate formations installed and those that did not was enormous.

However, aside from the fact that installing mechanical formations or strange-gate formations themselves required a tremendous amount of money, there were only a handful of places with the ability to install them, so there were many cases where it was difficult to install them even if one had money.

So I had subtly asked Yu Jiryang, with whom I had built a connection this time, about the installation cost of strange-gate formations and the necessary items, and it seemed that had reached the ears of the people above him.

“So we intend to install strange-gate formations at the Taeul Sect. What do you think?”

My mouth opened wide.

“What are you saying? That was something I wanted to ask for first. However, I understand that installing strange-gate formations costs quite a lot. About how much should I expect?”

I had already secured funds for mechanical formations because I had planned to hire Jegal Cheongi to install them, but I had not been thinking about strange-gate formations.

“That cost. How about exchanging it for the things you obtained from the Infinite Indestructible Soul-Extinguishing Formation?”

“The things I obtained?”

“I heard you once stepped on the wrong path?”

It seemed the passing remark I had made to Yu Jiryang had also gone upward.

In any case, I had nothing to lose, and if the strange-gate formations installed at the Taeul Sect could become stronger through the Infinite Indestructible Soul-Extinguishing Formation, that was an even better thing.

“Understood. I will be in your care.”

“No. Rather, we should be the ones asking for your care.”

After Yu Jiryang left last, only Namgung Jinmyeong and Namgung San remained in the room.

To be honest, while receiving these gifts, this was also the turn I had anticipated the most.

What had the Namgung Family, which held one seat among the Five Great Families, prepared?

It was true that when he had given me the Great Swallow Divine Pill before, he had said he would not wipe his mouth clean with just that.

But if I expected more than that, would I look too much like a thief?

While I was lost in various thoughts, Namgung Jinmyeong held out an envelope.

‘Is it a draft note?’

In truth, even if I received an identity plaque as a gratitude plaque, how well could I make use of it?

Especially if I received help from dark faction people, it would not be easy to let it pass.

In that sense, the Namgung Family’s identity plaque was the same.

At times like this, a clean payment in gold coins would not be bad either.

“Since you have already given me the Great Swallow Divine Pill…”

I subtly pretended to refuse once.

Of course, if he took it back here, I planned to curse him for the rest of my life.

“Did I not say it back then? Would the Namgung Family under heaven pretend not to know its debt to the benefactor who saved my daughter and our warriors with a single Great Swallow Divine Pill?”

“Haha, that is true.”

As I said that, I subtly pulled the envelope, but the paper visible through the slightly opened envelope seemed somewhat different from an ordinary draft note.

Perhaps noticing my reaction, Namgung Jinmyeong let out a hearty laugh.

“Puhahaha, you may check it.”

“…Ah, well.”

“In fact, I can only say what I need to say after you see that.”

Feeling uneasy, I quickly took out the paper inside the envelope.

But what was written there was completely different from what I had expected.

【…Please be sure to visit.】

The contents were not a draft note, but a letter.

And it was an invitation from the family head, asking me to visit the Namgung Family.

“My father said he definitely wants to meet you once.”

“…”

Namgung Jinmyeong’s father was Namgung Taeha, Azure Emperor Divine Sword, the family head of the Namgung Family.

Aside from having reached a realm that could not even be compared to mine, even by seniority in the murim world, he was not in a position where he should send an invitation to me.

In such cases, the proper method according to seniority would generally be to send an invitation to the sect, and then have the sect’s representative order a junior to go.

Yet no one else but Azure Emperor Divine Sword himself had lowered his position so much and sent a formal invitation to a disciple of the Taeul Sect.

“Uh, well…”

I had received a tremendous invitation, but it only increased the burden on me.

“I apologize. Though I believe my actions were right, I do not think they are enough to receive such an invitation from Azure Emperor Divine Sword.”

I spoke as humbly and carefully as possible, but Namgung Jinmyeong and Namgung San still did not lose the smiles on their lips.

“Ah, there is no need to feel so burdened. My father said he had a separate matter to see you about.”

“Pardon?”

In this life and my previous life, I had never once met Azure Emperor Divine Sword.

That was certainly true, so how did that person know me and want to meet me?

“I heard you took my father’s treasure, the Seven-Colored Jewel?”

“!!”

At the sudden statement, I glared at Namgung San, demanding an explanation for what exactly was going on, but this man Namgung San suddenly looked up at the ceiling and began whistling.

“N-No, that, well…”

“Moreover, when my father heard that his grandson had been stripped of not only the Great Swallow Divine Pill but even the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, he nearly fainted.”

The story was growing more and more absurd.

“So visit without burden.”

Was this man joking right now?

“Oh, right. If you do not visit, my father says he will personally come looking for you.”

If I did not come to get hit, he would chase me down and hit me?

At that chilling statement, I quickly answered.

“As soon as I finish my urgent matters, I will be sure to visit.”

At least if I went to get hit, I would probably get hit one less time.

At my words, Namgung Jinmyeong nodded in satisfaction.

Namgung San also turned his head back and looked at me again.

While I was glaring at him, demanding an explanation, Namgung Jinmyeong spoke again.

“And I have one request for you.”

“Please speak.”

“I intend to let someone in, and I would like you to hear that person’s story.”

Who in the world could be someone Namgung Jinmyeong referred to as “that person”?

Moreover, someone whose story I specifically had to hear?

Unable to guess who it was, I simply nodded, and then, when an old man and Seong Moran carefully entered through the door, I understood why he had said this.

“It has been a while.”

It was none other than the Iron Sword Sect Master.

“Have you been well?”

I responded with a fist-and-palm salute.

“…”

The Iron Sword Sect Master merely looked at me without answering.

Compared to when I had last seen him, he looked much more haggard.

The flesh of his entire face had sunk in, and his eyes were hollow, making that mean-looking face look even more spiteful.

“I have not been well.”

“Ah… I see.”

“My grandson, who was supposed to inherit the family, entered prison, the Ninefold Sword was taken, and the name of the Iron Sword Sect fell to the ground. How could I have been well?”

Namgung Jinmyeong looked flustered for the first time, perhaps because this was different from what had been discussed beforehand.

“…However, all of those were my flaws, caused by my own mistakes. If you had any fault, it was merely exposing them.”

Namgung Jinmyeong’s hand, which had been about to stop him, slowly lowered.

“And yet the target of that resentment saved the life of my one remaining granddaughter. If so, I can no longer resent you, can I?”

He continued speaking, and it was impossible to tell whether he was blaming the other party or blaming himself.

“When I heard that Moran was trapped inside the Soul-Extinguishing Formation, I swore to heaven. If Moran could be returned to me, I would offer my life.”

The Iron Sword Sect Master suddenly knelt and prostrated himself on the floor.

“!”

“!”

“!”

I was not the only one in the room.

Namgung Jinmyeong, Namgung San, and his granddaughter Seong Moran were also there.

Greatly shocked, I quickly tried to raise the Iron Sword Sect Master.

“Please rise. I merely did what was natural.”

“It may be natural to you, but it is not so to me. Since I had even staked my life, what does kneeling matter?”

He spoke in an earnest voice.

“I apologize to my benefactor. Please forgive the sins this old man committed in the past.”

At the sight of him putting down the weight of his fame and years, the frozen people could not say anything.

I nodded and said,

“…I will accept the Sect Master’s sincere apology. So please rise now. If you continue like this, would my saving Lady Moran not become a flaw instead?”

“Please do so, Sect Master. If you place this burden on him, will the relationship between the Taeul Sect and the Iron Sword Sect not continue to be awkward in the future?”

Only after even Namgung Jinmyeong stepped forward did the Iron Sword Sect Master rise.

Like the others, he took an identity plaque from his robe and placed it down.

“From now on, I will not infringe upon the Taeul Sect’s position in Hefei. Furthermore, I will work so that our two sects may build a good relationship going forward.”

“Your words alone are enough to earn my gratitude.”

When I offered a fist-and-palm salute, the Iron Sword Sect Master also clasped his fist and palm together and bowed his head deeply.

Seong Moran looked as though she had something she wanted to say, but she was overwhelmed by the great weight her grandfather displayed and could not carelessly open her mouth.

Instead, she looked toward me the entire time as she left.

“Phew. Truly remarkable.”

Namgung Jinmyeong let out a breath as though he had broken into a cold sweat.

“Indeed. From his position, it could not have been easy to act that way.”

At my words, Namgung Jinmyeong spoke as if asking what I was talking about.

“I was talking about you.”

“Pardon?”

“Tell me, where else would there be someone who, at an age just barely past twenty, receives gratitude plaques not only from righteous faction sects but also from experts of the dark murim world, and receives a deep bow from the Iron Sword Sect Master? My son, and even that Yong Soa, only made names for themselves through martial arts at your age. Is that not so?”