Chapter 174 A Bad Time

Chapter 174: A Bad Time

Dakam had been hiding in the refuge for six months, as per Old Man Seok’s last wishes.

When the six months passed, he emerged from the hideout and brought his younger brothers to the Boryong Thirteen Fortress, where Seonwoo Jin was absent.

Seolpung welcomed him warmly.

He had treated him hospitably and even prepared a dwelling for him and his younger siblings to live in, north of the Boryong Thirteen Fortresses.

Seonwoo Jin felt as though all these events were somehow destined.

He had risked his life to help Dakam, who might have been a Blood Sect lackey, because he believed that to storm the Blood Sect someday, he would need a guide familiar with the geography of Yunnan’s jungles.

And now, it seemed, that time had come.

At Sun Woo-jin’s question, the innocent-looking young Myo-in tribe man, who had been attending the meeting with the Seven Jo faction without understanding a thing, answered in shock.

“Eh, Aenaesan?! But there are too many traps! It’s too dangerous!”

Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly at his protests and said.

“Yeah, of course there’d be plenty. I think those bastards are making mines over there. That’s why I’m going.”

“Ah, Cra-Cra-Cra-do!”

Aenoisan was the site of the ancient Battle of the Wuhuang Tomb.

Rumors spread that the Martial Emperor’s martial arts were dormant there, and it was that place where a horrific bloodbath erupted due to the greed of those who sought to claim it.

That place where the Jianchang Sect ultimately fell, and Yunnan Province was turned into the domain of the Blood Sect.

Xian Wujin had long suspected that demons were being created there.

And that suspicion had solidified into certainty thanks to the head of the Iron Demon sent to Sichuan Tangmen last time.

Through Dang Ye-eun, they confirmed that the Iron Demon sent to the Sichuan Sect was none other than Zhang Kun, the Iron Fist who had once been active in Sichuan Province.

Moreover, Zhang Kun, the Iron Fist, was also known to have died while entangled in the Wu Huang Tomb Blood Sacrifice.

Seon Woo-jin spoke again to Dakam, who seemed frightened.

“We’ll protect you on the way, and only we will go inside. So you don’t need to worry about danger. And Dakam, don’t you also need to avenge Elder Seok?”

Dakam, who had been reluctant with a frightened look, suddenly stiffened at Seonwoojin’s final words.

“Tokno’s flood… you mean?”

“Yes, Dokno’s vengeance.”

Then Dakam’s expression slowly twisted into a fierce grimace.

Then, after a moment, he clenched his teeth and said to Seonwoojin.

“The Demon’s Revenge… Are you sure you can handle it?”

Seonwoojin nodded firmly.

“If we can storm the place where those bastards are creating the mines, there could be no greater revenge.”

At those words, Dakam also gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Alright then! I’ll guide you!”

With a guide now secured, Seon Woo-jin looked at the others with a fierce gaze and said.

“Even so, we can’t just charge straight in there. This time, quietly infiltrating and rescuing our comrades is the priority. Therefore, only those skilled in the Divine Law and the Art of Concealment can go. Team Leader Seolpung, Biseoyoung, and myself. Just the three of us will go.”

At his words, Seolpung nodded silently, his eyes blazing like a predator’s.

Bi Sa-yeong chuckled softly and said.

“To think I’m going to attack those Blood Sect bastards… Looks like I’m going to die young for making one bad friend. Ah, I’m scared. So scared.”

But the light in Bi Sa-yeong’s eyes as he spoke was equally fierce.

The Wuhuang Tomb on Ainao Mountain was also the place that had brought down his sect, the Biyong Sect.

So it was inevitable that Bi Sa-yeong’s fighting spirit would boil over as he headed there.

Having finalized the personnel, Sun Woo-jin concluded the meeting with his final words.

“Prepare to depart, each of you. We cannot afford to give you much time, as we cannot know the situation of our comrades. We will depart in one hour…”

It was then.

The new seventh-rank member, Blood-Stained Sword Master Ya Yunxiang, who had been listening quietly, interjected.

“Take me with you too. My divine technique is quite useful. I can even conceal myself.”

At her words, Seon Woo-jin looked at her briefly before silently turning his head to look at Seol Pung and Bi Sa-yeong.

Then, Bi Sa-yeong cleared his throat and replied.

“She’s not quite at a usable level yet, but she should be able to barely keep up. I taught her the Heavenly Wind Divine Technique.”

Seon Woo-jin’s eyes lit up at his words.

It was because Bi Sa-yeong would never teach the Heavenly Wind Divine Technique to someone he didn’t trust to a certain degree.

At first glance, Yawunhyang didn’t seem particularly sociable, so it was surprising she’d already built that level of trust.

Anyway, if Biseyoung approved, there was no reason to refuse her, a master at the peak of her art.

Seon Woo-jin nodded.

“Understood. Then Young Lady Ya, the five of us will go together to Dakam.”

This marked the formation of the first Blood Sect expeditionary force since the Great Blood War.

***

Seon Woo-jin headed straight for the Seventh Division’s warehouse after the meeting. He needed to retrieve the elixir.

Despite the tight schedule, they had allowed an extra hour precisely for consuming the elixir.

“Hmm, half of those healing potions are gone already.”

Muttering to himself, he took out as many potions as he needed. It was quite a large quantity.

During his last battle with the Dark Cave Clan, he had kicked away the chance to leap over the wall and instead went to rescue the ronin.

And in doing so, he had thought the chance to leap over the wall again would become remote.

After all, such opportunities didn’t come often.

But Sunwoo Jin’s prediction had been wrong.

Immediately after that, he had surrendered his body to Mokrang’s will during the battle with Amhyeolhyang, so he ended up crossing the wall all too naturally.

After a long silence, Mokrang suddenly addressed Seonwoojin in a cheerful voice.

– Just one more step, and you’ll reach the pinnacle. Congratulations.

Whether it could truly be called a single step was uncertain, but it was a growth so rapid it was frightening even to himself.

If you looked at it purely in terms of time, hadn’t he advanced from second-rate to the very brink of the pinnacle in less than a single year?

Seonwoo Jin suddenly let out a hollow laugh and replied.

‘It’s all thanks to the Honorable Sword Spirit.’

That was an undeniable fact.

All the progress after the peak came from the memory of him fighting with his own body against the Demon of Great Power, and this latest advancement was also due to the sensation of him moving his body.

Everything Mook-rang had shown me during that battle against the Dark Blood Fragrance was nothing short of wondrous.

It felt like experiencing the senses of an absolute being firsthand.

And then there was the earth-shattering power he displayed with the Moolang Sword Technique…

Having experienced such things, it would be abnormal if his cultivation didn’t advance.

Then he smiled and said.

– Passing the test I set is only fair compensation. So it’s not my doing, but your own achievement. And just call me Mookrang. The sword spirit is already dead, so it feels somehow inappropriate for me, who’s only a trace left, to be called that.

‘Understood, Elder Mokrang.’

After finishing his conversation with him, Seonwoo Jin consumed the elixir and immediately entered his qi cultivation.

This time, he practiced qigong not with the Seonwoo Clan’s Hunwon Muguk Gong, but with the Mokrang Heart Method taught by Mokrang.

Shortly after, a heat-haze-like energy began to rise from his body.

That energy gathered above his head, gradually taking the shape of a wolf howling.

Then, in an instant, it was sucked back into his nostrils.

Immediately afterward, Seon Woo-jin opened his eyes with a gaze that had grown even deeper.

He murmured softly, his voice tinged with awe.

“This… is the feeling of a hundred years of internal energy cultivation.”

Even without using the Moonlit Sword Dance, it felt as if everything around him had entered his senses.

An exhilaration and omnipotence that made him feel capable of anything.

Within that sensation, Seon Woo-jin could be certain that now was the moment to strike at the Blood Sect.

If he used the Moonlit Sword Dance in this state, wouldn’t he be able to face even the Dark Blood Sect again?

Moreover, there were still two opportunities left for Mookrang to make a personal appearance.

‘Young Lady Qingyan.’

Sun Woo-jin suddenly thought of Hae Cheong-yeon.

The three captured by the Blood Sect were Hae Cheong-yeon, Na Seo-yu, and Sak Mu-heun.

He had expected Na Se-yu to come to mind first, yet strangely, his head was filled entirely with Hae Cheong-yeon’s face.

She was always someone Sunwoo Jin felt grateful for yet regretted losing.

Only after she was gone did he realize how much she had helped and looked after him.

He deeply regretted not recognizing her preciousness while she was by his side, and that he had drifted apart from her because he hadn’t been able to repay her.

That’s why he couldn’t just let her go like this.

‘Please wait for me, Lady Cheongyeon. Just this once…’

Seon Woo-jin was heading toward the meeting place, consumed by these thoughts.

Suddenly, Cheon Ju-eun, who had been standing with an anxious look, spotted him and ran over.

“Miss Cheon?”

Seon Woo-jin looked at her face and felt a bit awkward.

It seemed certain she would ask him to take her along.

Her skill was now top-tier, first-class; she had indeed improved greatly. But he couldn’t take her on this expedition.

However, the words she spoke were somewhat different from Seon Woo-jin’s expectations.

“Young Master Seonwoo, I have something to tell you.”

“Huh? What…?”

She hesitated for a moment, avoiding Seonwoo Jin’s eyes as she tried to speak.

Then, with effort, she opened her mouth.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I wasn’t sure if I should even say this.”

Her hesitation made Seon Woo-jin’s eyes sparkle.

“What are you talking about? What could be so…?”

That was when it happened.

Cheon Ju-eun suddenly looked Seon Woo-jin straight in the eye and spoke.

“Sister Cheongyeon has feelings for Confucius.”

“…What?”

Hearing those words, Seon Woo-jin couldn’t help but doubt his own ears for a moment.

It was simply too unexpected.

Then Cheon Ju-eun repeated again, as if frustrated.

“You mean Cheongyeon has feelings for Seonwoo Gongja! And they’re incredibly deep!”

Seonwoo Jin, who had been momentarily stunned by the words, soon chuckled and retorted.

“Don’t joke, young lady. What could possibly be lacking in Lady Cheongyeon—daughter of the esteemed Sword Sage, the most beautiful and talented woman under heaven—that she would harbor affection for someone like me? You needn’t say such things. Even without them, I’d risk my life to save Lady Cheongyeon.”

Then Cheon Ju-eun tapped her chest as if frustrated, sighed deeply, and nodded.

“I see. I knew you’d take it that way. So that’s why Sister Cheongyeon…”

Then she glared at Seonwoo Jin and said.

“Sister Cheongyeon had feelings for Young Master Seonwoo from the very beginning. Even before he first came to the front lines and lost weight. Don’t you understand? If that weren’t the case, why would she, the most beautiful and talented woman in the land as he himself said, stick by his side and look after him like that? She’s not naturally that considerate, is she?”

“…I suppose so.”

Those words came as a tremendous shock to Seon Woo-jin.

It was something he had never even considered.

Cheon Ju-eun’s words were clearly true.

Ha Cheong-yeon was exceptionally talented, but unlike Jae Seo-yu, he wasn’t the type to be particularly attentive or caring toward others.

‘Yet for some reason, she followed me all the way to the front lines. She later resolved not to retreat after seeing Hyogwi, but then at first…’

It was the same after arriving at the front lines.

She wasn’t particularly sociable, yet she stuck close to me, even risking misunderstandings from others.

Could the reason be…

It felt like a picture I never imagined was coming together.

‘Yeah, come to think of it, I did wonder if I might be with her in the future. But I knew she was too beautiful and amazing, so I laughed it off as impossible….’

Suddenly, I remembered the moment she lifted her head and showed her face.

Her mysteriously beautiful appearance then, and the wise expressions she wore while sharing her opinions with him.

Seon Woo-jin muttered blankly.

“She… loved me?”

***

Dang Ye-eun had gone to see Dang Jeong-hu, the head of the Dang family, to discuss returning from leave.

And in Dang Jeong-hu’s office, for some reason, Hong Sa-geom-ryong On Je-woong was already there.

As an ominous feeling made Dang Ye-eun’s expression stiffen, Dang Jeong-hu spoke to her with a cold expression.

“It seems that fellow ultimately couldn’t keep his promise. Now, you have no objections to forming a marriage alliance with the young master who has arrived here, do you?”

Dang Ye-eun clenched her teeth, realizing her ominous premonition had come true, and glared at On Je-woong.

He stood beside the Tang family head, a greedy smile on his face as he scanned Tang Yueyun’s beautiful face and body.

Dang Ye-eun had always been a dutiful daughter who never disobeyed her parents, having been raised since childhood to obey the family’s commands absolutely.

So now, with Seon Woo-jin not by her side, she simply couldn’t refuse her father, the head of the family, forcing her into marriage.

Of course, that would have been the case for the Dang Yeo-eun of the past.

But the Dang Ye-eun of today was different.

She answered respectfully, yet firmly.

“I’m sorry, Father. I cannot enter into a marriage contract with Gong-ja.”

Dang Ye-eun’s answer was something Dang Jeong-hu could never have imagined hearing from her.

His face instantly stiffened as he asked, his voice cold and sharp.

“…What did you just say?”

Then came the reply.

But the answer came not from Dang Yeo-eun, but from someone else.

“I said I would not enter into a marriage contract with that boy. My granddaughter entering into a marriage contract with such a boy? I simply cannot tolerate it.”

Speaking thus, the one who slowly walked into the office was none other than Yang Mun-heon, the White Crane Sword, one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Masters residing in the Outer Hall.

Following behind him were the equally renowned supreme masters, the Red Sea Demon Zeng Qichil and the Cloud-Splitting Swordsman, Byeol Rijung.

At that moment, Dang Jeong-hu couldn’t help but be horrified.

‘I hadn’t sensed their presence at all?’

Of course, Yang Mun-heon, a peerless master among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Masters, could easily have been missed.

But to have been completely unaware of even the presence of Hong Hae-a Jeung-chil or the sword-wielding warrior Byeok Ri-jung, whom he had considered to be on equal footing?

Perhaps they were far more skilled than he had imagined.

‘And his granddaughter?’

That revelation was even more shocking.

Dang Jeong-hu swallowed hard and asked.

“Now, Master, you’re referring to this child…”

Yang Mun-heon nodded with a benevolent smile.

“That’s right. I held this child’s talent and character in high regard and adopted her as my granddaughter. I apologize for not informing the head of the family beforehand. But… surely you wouldn’t be considering marrying my granddaughter off to that sort of fellow, Head of the Tang Family?”

Tang Zhenghou, momentarily flustered, quickly composed himself.

Yang Mun-heon, the White Crane Sword, was one of the Thirty-Six Masters of the World and the second-ranked martial artist among all warriors in the Tang family.

Though he resided within the Tang family, he was not someone Lord Tang could force.

He was someone they should be grateful even to have staying for a moment; someone they could neither demand anything of nor defy.

But now Yang Mun-heon had taken Dang Yeo-eun as his granddaughter.

That very thought immediately came to Tang Zhenghou’s mind.

‘This could make his relationship with the Tang family even closer!’

For Dang Jeong-hu, this was something he could only welcome with open arms.

After all, Yang Mun-heon was a master whose value far surpassed that of the Hongsa Sword Sect.

For that very reason, Dang Jeong-hu’s estimation of Dang Yeo-eun’s worth also soared dramatically.

He answered with a faint smile.

“Of course. How could we possibly marry the granddaughter of Lord Nosa off to someone like Hong Sajikmun? I shall leave everything concerning that child to Lord Nosa.”

It was a truly lightning-fast change of attitude.

Unable to adapt to the sudden turn of events, On Je-woong looked at Dang Jeong-hu with a flustered expression.

“The, the head of the family?!”

But Dang Jeong-hu merely gave him a cold look and dismissed him.

“We’ll discuss your marriage arrangements later. You may leave now.”

“Ah, well, I…”

On Je-woong was flustered and felt wronged, but since the head of the party had made his decision, there was nothing he could do.

He could only open and close his mouth before finally bowing his head and leaving.

After that, Tang Ye-eun hurriedly departed for the front lines.

She was accompanied by Yang Mun-heon, Jeung Chil, and Byeok Ri-jung, who had volunteered to escort her.

Shortly after her arrival, the front lines were in utter chaos.

She soon learned not only of Sword Saint’s death, but also that Sun Wujin’s comrades had been kidnapped by Gu Yuyinma’s Jigiyin.

‘Jin…’

Dang Yeo-eun couldn’t bear to see Seon Woo-jin suffer.

She knew well how much he followed and respected the Sword Saint, and how deeply he cherished the former members of the Seven Swordsmen.

So, the moment she arrived at the Biyong 13th Generation, she rushed straight to Seon Woo-jin.

Having met Seolpung first, she learned from him that Seonwoojin intended to attack the Blood Sect soon and was currently in the warehouse.

Dang Yeo-eun hurried to the Seventh Division’s warehouse.

Her mind was filled with nothing but the desire to comfort Seonwoo Jin.

But the words that reached her ears as she spotted Seon Woo-jin talking to Cheon Ju-eun couldn’t have been anything she’d ever imagined.

“Sister Cheongyeon has feelings for Gongja.”

Dang Ye-eun froze solid in place.