Chapter 133 :

Chapter 133. The Black Flame Dragon Proves Himself (3)

"Everyone is waiting at Hwayol Pavilion right now."

Hwayol Pavilion was one of the most renowned pleasure houses not only in Wuhan, but throughout Hubei Province.

It was so extravagantly luxurious that even the children of most high-ranking officials could not enter casually, yet students of the Martial Academy often forced themselves to make an appearance there.

That was because high-ranking Martial Alliance officers, including pavilion masters and hall masters, frequently visited the place.

The academy students strained themselves to go there in hopes of somehow forming connections with them.

"We've also prepared separate seats for your companions, so please come with us."

Ilgak turned and began walking as though my agreement were obvious, and my companions also seemed ready to follow as though it were only natural.

"I refuse."

"...!"

Seong Moran, Namgung Seonhwa, and the others all looked at me in surprise.

Even Ilgak stared at me with widened eyes.

"I already have plans."

Ilgak's expression twisted slightly.

"I told you that the elders of the Righteous Path Association invited you."

"You should have told me in advance."

"..."

"Isn't suddenly calling it an invitation and unilaterally ordering me to come rather discourteous?"

Inside these bastards' heads, apparently anyone who did not belong to the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families was not even considered human.

A stray dog approaches anyone without distinguishing between its master and strangers.

As a disciple of the Taeul Sect, I could be a dog if necessary, but I refused to become a stray dog.

"I know the elders of the Elder Hall are distinguished people. But even so, they cannot order the academy representative around however they please as though I were some ordinary academy student."

"Or do they intend to meet me as seniors and juniors of the murim world rather than as the academy representative?"

Ilgak's face wrinkled.

At this rate, he was going to develop wrinkles all the way across his scalp.

Oh.

Had I just mocked a monk?

Maybe I really was going to hell.

I would bet my wrist that until I entered the academy as the top-ranked student, those elders did not even know a sect called the Taeul Sect existed.

In my previous life, while I was stuffing information from the Intelligence Department into my head, elders would sometimes visit because they found the sight fascinating.

Some of them had even believed the Taeul Sect was a sect that had been annihilated long ago.

"Even putting aside the elders' positions, if we consider this purely in terms of seniority within the murim world, I do not think it is proper for Benefactor Jin to reject them so unilaterally."

Ilgak spoke with his still-unrelaxed head...

No, face.

"Those 'seniors' treated me as though I were some spy from the heretical martial world."

"..."

"Are they perhaps planning to apologize for what happened before?"

Ilgak clearly had never imagined this situation.

He failed to control his expression and stood there awkwardly.

Of course, there was no chance those people would ever apologize.

Especially not to some disciple of the Taeul Sect.

"Then I have even less reason to go."

Ilgak let out a long sigh.

"I know there have been many misunderstandings between Benefactor Jin and us."

From behind me, Seong Moran whispered, "Since when did the meaning of 'misunderstanding' change?"

But Ilgak continued.

"However, if Benefactor Jin continues acting so arbitrarily, it will not benefit you either."

"..."

"Whether Benefactor Jin likes it or not, those people are the ones supporting the Martial Alliance."

"You make threats very gently."

"I don't care, so please tell them I won't be going."

"..."

I started walking again, then stopped and called out to Ilgak.

"Ah, and one more thing..."

Ilgak looked at me with an expression that clearly said, 'I knew it.'

"Why do you keep calling a disciple of a Daoist martial sect 'Benefactor'? It's uncomfortable."

Ilgak's face transformed into something resembling one of the Four Heavenly Kings standing at a temple entrance.

At this rate, I really might end up going to hell.

"Are you really going to be okay?"

After Ilgak disappeared, Namgung Seonhwa, who had been the most shocked by his changing expressions, spoke with obvious concern.

"Those people receive overwhelming support inside the Martial Alliance, not only from the pavilion masters. If you're thinking about advancement later, opposing them isn't a very good idea."

"I'm not interested in advancement."

"Why not?"

Because that distant future would never come in the first place.

When the danger of death could come and go dozens of times before then, who had the leisure to think that far ahead?

"I have too many things I need to do right now with the people beside me."

"...Hmm."

Namgung Seonhwa nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, it's not as though the Righteous Path Association is the only option. The Namgung Family also has considerable influence within the White Path Association."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just saying."

After we finished eating, I took Moyong Jaehwa to a smithy.

Moyong Jaehwa had been practicing archery with the bow taken from the Ghost Bow Sect, but he had broken it in no time.

None of the bows provided by the academy were suitable either, so he could not even train properly.

"The bows made by the craftsmen at our smithy are famous for their durability."

The bow handed over by the blacksmith was a sturdy strongbow reinforced with ox horn.

But after drawing the string a couple of times, Moyong Jaehwa's expression remained dissatisfied.

"It feels like it'll break soon..."

At Moyong Jaehwa's words, the blacksmith burst into hearty laughter.

"This White Bow has never broken even when experts poured their internal energy into it with all their strength. Try it yourself. If it breaks, I won't charge you."

At the blacksmith's words, Moyong Jaehwa nodded, infused the bow with the energy of the Bow Breaker, and pulled with all his strength.

Creak—

The strongbow made from carved ox horn let out a strange noise before breaking apart with a crack as the wooden body and horn plates separated.

"Uh...? What in the world..."

The blacksmith stared blankly in disbelief.

Moyong Jaehwa held out the broken strongbow with an apologetic expression.

"Could you perhaps make a bow out of iron?"

Remembering the bow used by the Bow Breaker in my previous life, I asked the question.

The blacksmith, who had still been staring dumbfounded at the broken bow, frowned as though my suggestion were absurd.

"Who in the world makes a bow out of something as hard as iron? It wouldn't have any elasticity in the first place, and even if it did, the bowstring wouldn't withstand it."

In the end, Moyong Jaehwa left the smithy empty-handed, his shoulders drooping.

He had resolved to walk the path of archery, but now he did not even possess a bow with which to train.

"If I asked my family, I think they could probably make something similar... but if I did that, Grandfather would..."

If he placed such a suspicious order with the family, there would undoubtedly be an uproar.

Moyong Gang might even fly straight to Wuhan in a single bound.

"Don't worry. I'll solve it for you."

"Y-you will, Hyungnim?"

I had already been planning to visit Jang Dowon soon anyway.

If it was Jang Dowon, he could probably create an iron bow.

After all, one of the Fifteen Divine Weapons he had created in my previous life had been a bow.

"Ah, and I've also prepared an instructor to teach you archery, so you should focus on training."

"Really?"

There were very few sects in the murim world that specialized deeply in archery, so it had taken time just to find an instructor capable of teaching him the fundamentals.

The only reason I had been able to assign Moyong Jaehwa a personal archery instructor at all was because of my position as academy representative.

The only problem was that the instructor's affiliation bothered me a little.

'It might be slightly awkward... but it'll probably be fine.'

After thinking about it for a moment, I pushed the concern aside.

What mattered was improving Moyong Jaehwa's ability.

Once he established a proper foundation in archery, his strength would rise even faster.

Then the Bow Breaker, who had once made even demonic practitioners tremble in fear, would appear sooner.

Whether Moyong Jaehwa understood that situation or not, he could not hide his excitement.

#

The Elder Hall of the Martial Alliance was not an organization created to directly carry out tasks.

Unlike the other pavilions, it did not gather information or possess direct authority to mobilize people.

Even so, the Elder Hall was called one of the Three Great Power Institutions alongside the Alliance Leader's Hall and Intelligence Department because it possessed the authority to enact laws and regulations.

Considering that the Martial Alliance's regulations effectively served as the regulations of the entire murim world, it was hardly strange that countless people wanted connections to the Elder Hall for their own benefit.

Even if someone stayed at the Martial Alliance for months carrying precious items that could barely be distinguished from bribes or gifts, only a handful would ever get to meet an elder.

Yet those very elders had all gathered at Hwayol Pavilion merely to meet one disciple from some sect with no notable foundation.

So even drinking famous wine worth nearly a low-ranking warrior's monthly salary could hardly leave a pleasant aftertaste.

"And you're saying that bastard said, 'I'm not coming'?"

Daoist Myeonghyeon was so shocked that he nearly dropped the wine cup in his hand.

The others appeared no less displeased.

Even a pavilion master of the Inspection Pavilion would probably come if invited to a gathering like this.

And yet Jin Sowoon had rejected them, claiming he already had plans?

"That bastard gets one tiny badge of authority and immediately becomes arrogant."

Naturally, not only Myeonghyeon but the other elders as well were furious enough to reach the heavens.

"The world truly is coming to an end. An academy student looks upon Martial Alliance elders as though they were dogs and cattle."

"This is what happens when you put some rootless bastard in a position of authority. He no longer understands his own station."

"We need to drag him out of the academy representative position and expel him as soon as possible."

They wanted not only to remove him from the academy representative position immediately, but also expel both him and his junior brothers from the academy, and even strip the Taeul Sect itself from the Hundred and Eight Peaks.

Yet strangely, both the Alliance Leader's Hall and Intelligence Department seemed to be shielding him.

In the past, an incident of this level would never have been handled so seriously.

But the Intelligence Department expelled those responsible for the Soul-Destroying Formation incident and simultaneously billed the Righteous Path Association for the cost of repairing the damages.

When the Righteous Path Association protested fiercely, the Intelligence Department coldly threatened to mobilize the Inspection Pavilion for a full investigation.

They had no choice but to swallow their anger and shut their mouths.

On top of that, the atmosphere within the academy itself had become hostile toward the Righteous Path Association.

The shameless White Path Association and Twelve Peaks Fortress were trying desperately to peel the wavering members of the Hundred and Eight Peaks away from them.

They desperately needed an opportunity to reverse the atmosphere.

"So in the end, that bastard has no intention of revealing anything about the Soul-Destroying Formation."

No matter how large the repair costs were, they were insignificant compared with the financial power of the Righteous Path Association.

The important thing was to bring the mood and justification back onto the Righteous Path Association's side.

And the best solution would be to disclose the Soul-Destroying Formation to the academy students and the entire Martial Alliance.

"Perhaps the bastard wants to see us run to him and kneel."

At one elder's words, the others burst into incredulous laughter as though the very idea were absurd.

"What an unbelievably arrogant bastard."

"Why don't we use his connection to the heretical martial world as grounds to drive him out?"

"What about putting pressure on the Taeul Sect?"

Many suggestions emerged, but everyone knew that none of them were real solutions.

They were merely ways of venting some of the anger they had accumulated toward Jin Sowoon.

Realizing that the atmosphere was sufficiently heated, Myeonghyeon nodded.

"Calm yourselves. Bringing up problems that cannot be solved will only make that bastard even more arrogant."

"Ahem..."

"Hmm..."

Although Daoist Myeonghyeon spoke, everyone still looked dissatisfied.

To put it plainly, how many mistakes had he made by now?

It was gradually reaching the point where they might need to replace the leader of the Righteous Path Association.

Daoist Myeonghyeon sensed that atmosphere as well, but he showed nothing on his face and continued speaking.

How much effort had it taken him to reach this position?

There was no chance he would relinquish it easily, especially over something as insignificant as this incident.

"Do you have another method, Daoist Myeonghyeon?"

"Would I have brought this up if I had no method?"

"Then tell us. Let's hear it."

He disliked their arrogant attitudes, but now was the time to endure.

"It isn't such a difficult problem. We simply need to change the atmosphere."

"Doesn't the problem have to be solved before the atmosphere changes?"

This was precisely why he could not casually relinquish the position of Righteous Path Association Leader.

If they understood politics this poorly, how could they ever establish the Righteous Path Pavilion within the Martial Alliance?

"Problems fade from people's awareness with time. And if we change the atmosphere with another incident, the current problem will disappear from people's minds even faster."

"...!"

"...!"

Wrinkles rippled across everyone's foreheads as they became absorbed in Daoist Myeonghyeon's words.

#

The Martial Academy's class schedule was not particularly demanding.

That was because the academy's purpose was not only to cultivate high-level personnel suitable for the Martial Alliance, but also to guarantee students time for their personal cultivation and private lessons, since each of them practiced different martial arts.

After finishing his morning classes, Moyong Jaehwa would usually practice archery alone in a clearing prepared behind the academy mountain.

All the Ghost Bow Sect members had failed this year's examination, so Moyong Jaehwa was the only person practicing archery.

But today, he was not alone.

"Uh... well... um..."

He had waited so eagerly for the instructor, yet after seeing the man's face, Moyong Jaehwa felt so awkward that he had no idea what to say.

"...I-it's been a while. Have you been well?"

The only thing he barely managed to say was an awkward greeting.

The instructor standing there with a large strongbow twitched an eyebrow.

"Have I been well? That's a rather nasty joke. Because our Young Master failed the official examination, I had to step down from my position as hall master, and now I'm here at the academy working as a visiting instructor. That's hardly something you should ask me."

At the sharp response, Moyong Jaehwa felt unbearably wronged.

It sounded as though all of this were somehow his fault.

"No, an examination is something you can either pass or fail..."

The instructor lowered the quiver from his shoulder onto the ground.

"Moyong Jaehwa, was it? Aren't you the eldest son of the Moyong Family?"

This was only their second meeting, and they did not even know each other's names.

"Ah, yes. But your name, Instructor...?"

"Yeo Samtong of the Ghost Bow Sect."

That was right.

He was the archer from the Ghost Bow Sect who had crossed weapons with Moyong Jaehwa during the Martial Academy official examination.

Moreover, he had been a hall master who personally guarded the Young Master of the Ghost Bow Sect from close range.

'Hyungnim. Why? Why him...?'

By convention, whatever happened during the official examination was supposed to be left in the past after admission.

But human emotions were not buried quite so easily.

"Being an academy student certainly is nice. You can invite an instructor just to learn something for entertainment. If our Young Master had passed, could he have invited an instructor from the Moyong Family too?"

At Yeo Samtong's blatant sarcasm, Moyong Jaehwa answered.

"I'm not learning it for entertainment."

"What?"

"Archery is not entertainment to me."

"..."

Yeo Samtong's eyebrows rose at Moyong Jaehwa's words.

"Then you're saying you abandoned your family's sword and picked up a bow?"

"Did you receive permission?"

"..."

"Good grief! You didn't even get permission?"

When Moyong Jaehwa silently nodded, Yeo Samtong picked up the quiver he had placed on the ground.

"I shouldn't have come here in the first place."

"Why are you leaving?"

"Do you really not know? If I teach you archery and the Sword Breaker becomes furious, how am I supposed to deal with him? I have no intention of taking that risk."

As Yeo Samtong started down the mountain, Moyong Jaehwa stepped in front of him.

Their relationship might be awkward, but this was still the man who was supposed to establish the fundamentals of his archery.

Sowoon Hyungnim must also have known there was no one more suitable, which was why he had endured the awkwardness and invited him as an instructor.

"I absolutely have to learn archery."

"Why would the eldest son of the Moyong Family even want to learn archery? Isn't the Moyong Family's swordsmanship considered among the finest in the murim world?"

"Th-that is..."

"I have no intention of risking myself for someone who isn't truly committed to learning."

Yeo Samtong began moving again, but Moyong Jaehwa grabbed his arm.

"B-because I believe the true king of all weapons is the bow."

Yeo Samtong stopped dead.

"Perhaps you're right, Instructor. Maybe I'm only trying to learn the bow because I couldn't succeed with the sword."

"..."

"But with my sword, I couldn't save anyone."

"With my bow, however, I was able to save every person who mattered most to me."

"That was when I became certain."

"If I carry a bow instead of a sword, then I don't have to fear anything."

"To me, the bow is a greater king of all weapons than the sword."

Yeo Samtong turned and looked at Moyong Jaehwa.

"So please teach me."

"..."

Even after Moyong Jaehwa finished speaking, Yeo Samtong stared at him for a long time.

Eventually, he lowered the quiver again and approached him.

"You learned archery alone? How much have you learned?"

"What? Y-you're going to teach me?"

"How could I refuse someone who says he wants to protect the people precious to him with a bow?"

"Th-thank you!"

"Ah, one more thing. If the Sword Breaker ever asks who taught you, you must never mention my name."

"Ah... yes."

"Good. Also, my training is fairly harsh. I will not allow you to quit or run away halfway through."

"Yes! I won't run away!"

"And don't worry that I might torment you because of what happened during the official examination or anything like that. I'm not such a petty man."

"...What?"

As Moyong Jaehwa listened to Yeo Samtong, a strange sense of unease rose inside him.

Why had the man gone out of his way to add such an unnecessary statement?

"Here. Take this."

Yeo Samtong handed him a delicious-looking red apple.

Moyong Jaehwa happened to be hungry, so he immediately brought the apple to his mouth.

Crunch.

"...What are you doing?"

Yeo Samtong stared at Moyong Jaehwa, who had just taken a bite, with an incredulous expression.

"What? Didn't you give it to me to eat?"

"Why are you eating the target?"

Moyong Jaehwa alternated his gaze between Yeo Samtong's face and the apple.

"...The target?"

"Yes. Go over there, place it on your head, and stand still."

"...What?"

"The best way to learn archery is to experience getting shot by an arrow yourself. Hurry up. Once the sun sets, we won't be able to make any more progress."

Moyong Jaehwa suddenly had the strong feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.