Chapter 204 Inparang-4

Chapter 204: Inparang-4

Inside Inparang’s bundle were two books.

One was a secret manual recording the martial arts techniques of the Haenam family and the Haenam sect, while the other was the journal Inparang had kept all this time.

Seon Woo-jin and his group buried In Parang in the ground and immediately checked the journal.

It detailed the reason for the disappearance of In Gye-un, the former head of the Haenam clan, and the events that followed.

The first page of the journal began like this.

– Father has finally passed away.

Before my dying father, I vowed to avenge him.

Yes. I must take revenge.

All those who attacked us.

The Haenam clan, of course, and every family that stood with them.

But the truth is, I’m terrified.

Only four of us survived.

I’m only fifteen years old…

Can we take revenge on all of them?

Is that even possible?

I am so afraid of that. –

Seon Woo-jin sighed as he finished reading the journal.

“So it was indeed the attack by Haenam’s Demon Sword, Jin Tae-do, that caused the disappearances of In Gye-woon and the others from the Haenam clan. It was the Haenam clan and other Haenam faction families loyal to Jin Tae-do who carried out the assault.”

Then Jeong Chil asked.

“But if they survived, couldn’t they have just returned? Why didn’t In Parang go back to the Haenam faction?”

Seolpung answered, his expression somehow heavy at the question.

“It was probably because they couldn’t tell friend from foe. With so many families participating in the raid, it seems they couldn’t tell who was on their side or who they could trust. Perhaps… they thought the entire Haenam faction was the enemy.”

Seon Woo-jin glanced at Seol Pung’s expression as he spoke.

For some reason, Seolpung seemed to feel deep sympathy for Inparang’s situation.

Wondering if Seolpung might have been in a similar situation himself, Seonwoojin added to his words.

Moreover, according to the records, it seems that In Gye-un, along with the Haenam In-ga and his closest confidant, Haenam Sa-ga, were secretly moving to meet members of the Hyeongsan faction. They were forming a secret alliance with the Hyeongsan faction to receive their support. But the fact that Jin Tae-do discovered their movements, which they hadn’t even disclosed to members of their own clan, is what’s troubling. So it’s only natural that he couldn’t trust anyone.

At this, Jeong Chil sighed with a look of regret.

“Well, well. So they spent nearly ten years hiding, sharpening their blades for revenge, only to be killed the moment they emerged? This fellow’s fate is truly tragic.”

He was right.

Inparang had apparently hidden away in the mountains all this time, reaching the pinnacle of his art through years of intense training.

So, thinking he could finally take his revenge, he emerged into the world—only for that first step to become his first step toward the afterlife.

It was nothing short of heartbreaking.

Seolpung suddenly spoke.

“Back when In Gye-un was the head of the In family, he too was on his way to meet the Hyeongsan Sect. It seems In Parang also met his end while trying to meet them to borrow the Hyeongsan Sect’s power. That means…”

Seon Woo-jin nodded in agreement at his words.

“Yes, it seems we can consider it almost certain now.”

Inparang couldn’t trust the Haenam faction, but it seemed he still placed his faith in the Hyeongsan faction, who had offered to lend their strength to his father.

So, as soon as he reemerged into the world, he sent a letter to the Hyeongsan faction asking for their help. After receiving their reply, gladly offering assistance, he had been moving towards the Hyeongsan faction…

The result had ultimately ended up like this.

The result was that he suffered an ambush just like his father had.

So now, there seemed to be no room for doubt.

It was almost certain that the Haenam faction, and even the Hyeongsan faction, were behind it.

The three of them could only fall into silence for a moment.

They were troubled by what to do next.

Zheng Qi suddenly spoke up.

“Well… strictly speaking, isn’t it true we have no reason to get involved in this matter? While the death of that young man, Inparang, is deeply regrettable, we have no connection whatsoever to the Haenam faction.”

His words held considerable merit.

There was no obligation to intervene, and even if one wanted to clear his name, the other party was simply too unpleasant.

The Hyeongsan Sect and the Haenam Sect.

This was a matter involving one of the Nine Great Sects and a faction that had nearly become one of the Nine Great Sects, both entangled simultaneously.

Therefore, no matter how supremely skilled the three men were, confronting them could not be anything but reckless.

It might have been just as reckless as charging into Yunnan Province to clash head-on with the Blood Sect.

Then, with a heavy expression, Seolpung opened his mouth.

“Of course, we have no obligation to intervene. But I find it hard to simply stand by and watch. To turn a blind eye to such men—men who slaughter ordinary citizens for their own ends, regardless of the injustice suffered by that young man, Inparang.”

“Hmm.”

Zeng Chi let out a low grunt at his words.

He was certainly right.

No matter how powerful they were, pretending not to know about this situation was something he really couldn’t bring himself to do.

These individuals, who kill even ordinary citizens without a second thought to achieve their goals, are pretending to be righteous factions and are thriving in this situation.

After a moment of silence, Seolpung and Jeungchil finally looked at Seonwoojin.

Their opinions conflicted, and since Seonwoojin was the one who had actually led the group here, his opinion now seemed the most crucial.

Xian Wuzhen now appeared to be bowing his head deeply, as if in profound contemplation.

But contrary to appearances, he had already nearly solidified his decision within his mind.

It was not him, but because someone akin to his benefactor had a connection with Inparang.

In Seonwoo Jin’s mind, Mokrang spoke.

– The last child of the Haenam family, huh? Though it’s a past connection severed by my death… Still, it weighs heavily on my mind. Jin, I know this is difficult, but might I ask a favor? I wish to avenge that child.

Mukrang was the benefactor who had saved Seonwoo Jin’s life countless times, and to him, he was more like a mentor than even the Sword Demon of the Wilds.

Moreover, he was like a one-of-a-kind confidant who shared everything with him.

If Mokrang wanted revenge for Inparang, Seonwoojin was determined to grant it.

There was no other choice.

So, instead of debating whether to get involved in this matter, Seon Woo-jin pondered how he could avenge In-pa-rang. Suddenly, he grinned and looked at Seol-pung and Jeung-chil.

“Taking revenge on them with our own strength might indeed be beyond us. But I can’t bring myself to just ignore this. Come to think of it, I believe we could land at least one solid blow. I’ve come up with an interesting plan—would you care to hear it?”

At his words, Seolpung and Jeungchil widened their eyes and focused intently on him.

“An interesting plan?”

“You say we can hit them back? Tell us already.”

As expected, Zengchi was drawn by the word “fun,” while Seolpung was hooked by the promise of giving them a taste of their own medicine.

Seon Woo-jin suddenly smiled and asked the two.

“Didn’t they mistake me for Inparang earlier?”

At his words, Jeong Chil and Seol Pung nodded blankly.

“Yeah, they did. But what’s the big deal?”

“Yeah, they really did look incredibly similar when you saw them. But so what?”

Seon Woo-jin’s smile turned slightly wicked as he spoke with a mischievous expression.

“So how about we give them what they saw? I’ll become the real Inparang for them.”

At those words, Seolpung and Jeungchil’s expressions crumpled.

“…What did you say?”

“Jin-ah is… going to become a human shield?”

But the expressions on the two faces, which had been staring as if to say, What on earth is this? began to resemble his mischievous look more and more as Seon Woo-jin continued his explanation.

***

Dark night.

Near the dense forest where the Yunnan Province’s Dragon Thirteen Clan was located, a large number of people were moving secretly.

Their numbers were a staggering three hundred.

Having arrived together near the Biyong 13th Division, they suddenly and quietly split into three groups, slowly encircling the area around the division.

There was absolutely no unnecessary noise.

Not a single one among the three hundred-odd members fell short of the upper-intermediate tier.

These three hundred warriors, all masters of first-rate intermediate skill or higher, were the warriors of the Black Tiger Corps, the Black Dragon Corps, and the Black Wolf Corps.

Zhuge Zhijiang’s hunting dogs.

They had come here together to hunt down the entire Dragon Thirteen Division, which numbered a mere sixty men.

Among them, Yuan Tang, the leader of the Black Tiger Brigade who had been moving behind the Dragon Thirteen Brigades, suddenly halted his movement and raised one hand.

Swish!

In that instant, the movements of the entire Black Tiger Brigade, who had been following him stealthily, froze.

Thud!

The movements of over a hundred men were so perfectly coordinated it was hard to believe.

It was indeed a sight befitting the elite military force of the Martial Alliance.

Today, the roles of the Wondang and Black Tiger Corps were to disrupt the inner workings of the Dragon Corps.

Then, the Black Dragon Squad and Black Wolf Squad, encircling from the opposite side, would ambush any fleeing enemies. That was the overall outline of the operation. So now, it was time to wait for the encirclement to be complete.

How much time had passed?

A moment later, a wolf’s howl suddenly echoed from the distant woods.

“Awoooooo!”

It sounded exactly like the cry of a real wolf.

But Won-dang could clearly recognize it as the Black Wolf Brigade’s prearranged signal.

And immediately afterward, another sound came.

“Bwoooooo!”

The sound came from another direction—the signal of the Black Dragon Corps.

The encirclement was now complete.

Black Tiger Corps Commander Won-dang let out a bitter laugh.

At last, the time had come to see blood.

The time for slaughter he had so longed for.

Before becoming the Black Tiger Corps leader, he had been a squad leader in the Shadow Corps. He was a slaughter addict.

A slaughter addict to the point where he couldn’t sleep well if he didn’t kill something every single day.

For someone like him, being assigned to the assault unit rather than the encirclement unit was nothing short of pure luck.

“Slurp!”

Won-dang, who had been swallowing the saliva constantly dripping from his lips, now raised his right hand sharply.

At that, the entire Black Tiger Corps tensed.

They looked like beasts poised to burst out of the thicket.

And when Won-dang finally slammed his right hand forward with a sharp crack! the entire Black Tiger Squad leapt forward without a sound.

Thud! Thud!

The sight was truly like witnessing the attack of a pack of black tigers.

The tiger pack’s attack was all the more terrifying for its utter silence. At the head of that pack, the Black Tiger Commander, Won-dang, charged toward the Dragon Thirteen Camp with a bright smile.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

That was the moment.

The first thing to catch Wondang’s eye was a single shadow standing outside the camp.

It was the shadow of a person frozen stiff, seemingly unable to react to their attack.

Now, with a face filled with delight, Wondang targeted him and pounced.

‘You’re mine!’

He could never yield his first prey to anyone else.

His white blade shot out like a ray of light.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

It was then.

Just as Wondang brought his sword down, the eyes of the doll, which had been standing still, finally met Wondang’s.

Unexpectedly, it was an old man with white hair.

‘Hm?’

Of course, the fact that he was an old man wasn’t important.

Wondang didn’t discriminate between men, women, or children when slaughtering.

But the old man’s gaze, still calm even as the sword sliced through, and his faintly smiling expression were somewhat unsettling.

And just as the blade seemed poised to touch the old man, a thought suddenly flashed through Wondang’s mind.

‘Hmm? Come to think of it, there are no old men in the Boryong Thirteen…!’

That was when it happened.

CRACK!

Wondang’s body split in two in an instant.

With a single step forward, the old man’s sword swung smoothly, slicing Won-dang as if he had charged into it himself, cleaving him clean in two.

“!”

“!”

The Black Tiger Warriors chasing from behind were utterly horrified.

Their leader, a master with over eighty years of internal energy cultivation, had been slain by a single sword strike.

Moreover, the old man who had killed him did not stop. Swinging his sword as if dancing, he charged toward them.

Shwaaah!

Puuwaaah!

“!”

“!”

In an instant, the space around the old man was drenched in blood.

It was a situation utterly incomprehensible to them.

The White Tiger warriors did not scream even as they died.

But not screaming did not mean they did not feel terror.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

It was an inexplicable sight.

The old man was wielding his sword with a fluttering, fluid grace, as if performing a sword dance. Yet the result of that dance was transforming the surrounding space into a hellish sea of blood.

And as is always the case with incomprehensible beings, the situation was approaching the warriors of the Black Tiger Corps with an indescribable terror.

They couldn’t see clearly due to the blood filling the entire area, but the situation was actually caused by the long, white sword energy sprayed from the old man’s sword near the grave, creating a massive circle about a hundred meters in diameter, a sea of blood.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

The circle looked like a space that devoured people.

It didn’t even remain still, moving toward the Black Tiger Corps warriors who were still alive.

In the blink of an eye, the encircling circle had already swallowed the living.

Though it didn’t seem particularly fast to the eye, the blood circle had followed them and swallowed them whole. As a result, within just a few breaths, half of the Black Tiger Corps had already become lost souls.

“Uuuugh!”

“Huh-uh!”

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Puuwaaah!

It looked less like the work of a single person and more like a colossal natural disaster, a catastrophe.

There was no way to resist it, no will to fight back.

Then, finally, one Black Tiger warrior, unable to bear the terror, cried out.

Run! Run away!

Terror spread like wildfire.

The Black Tiger warriors could no longer hold their ground. Screaming, they scattered and began fleeing in all directions.

“S-spare me!”

“It’s a monster!”

Faced with an unheard-of, astonishing display of martial prowess, all they could do was flee for their lives.

But the white-haired old man, Yang Mun-heon, the White Crane Sword, had no intention of letting them live.

He muttered with a grave expression.

“I had hoped that child’s prediction would prove wrong.”

Sun Woo-jin had already anticipated this situation before leaving.

Zhuge Zhijiang might try to kill the entire Biyong Shisandae.

But Yang Wenxian hoped that prediction would prove wrong.

He absolutely did not want to witness the scene of the Martial Alliance’s warriors attacking the Dragon Clan.

Yet, in the end, Sun Wujin’s prediction became reality. And so, Yang Wenxian now had no choice but to open the realm of life.

He could not possibly let those responsible for such an act live.

The White Crane Old Sword, Yang Mun-heon, pursued the fleeing warriors, scattering his sword energy.

The Black Tiger members were swallowed whole by the swirling light of the sword energy filling the entire radius, unable to even attempt resistance.

Shu-hak!

“Gah!”

“S-save me…. AAAAAGH!”

Originally one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Masters, the White Crane Sword Yang Mun-heon had recently broken through a long stagnation and begun advancing toward the next stage.

This was because the Moonlit Sword Dance he learned from his granddaughter, Tang Yueyun, had given him the potential to break through the barriers of the second level of internal energy cultivation and the realm of the Fire Spirit.

Moreover, having recently begun learning the Divine Steps from his mentor, the sword master Byeok Rijung, Yang Munheon’s speed had now reached a level where he could easily pursue even top-tier martial artists.

This was nothing short of disastrous for the Black Tiger Corps warriors.

Of course, there were still some Black Tiger Corps members with particularly outstanding footwork.

They managed to leap into the forest before being swallowed by Yang Mun-heon’s sword aura, and within it, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whew! We’re alive…!”

But people were already waiting for them in the forest.

Shhhhhhh!

“Eeek?! Kyaaaah!”

“Gyaaah!”

Han Gyoseong, the leader of the first squad of the Black Tiger Corps, who had leapt into the forest, slaughtered the Black Tiger Corps warriors as he spoke in a languid voice.

“Your skills seem to have improved greatly, Miss Dang?”

Dang Yeo-eun, who had been killing the warriors with minimal movement, using only the necessary amount of sword energy, replied in a cold voice.

“Because I worked so hard. And…”

Dang Ye-eun swallowed the rest of her words.

There was no need to tell Han Gyoseong that she had to become much stronger to stay by Seon Woo-jin’s side.

Han Gyoseong sighed inwardly.

Until recently, he had considered Dang Ye-eun clearly beneath him, but her achievements had suddenly reached a height he could no longer hope to attain.

He didn’t think he’d been slacking off all this time, but it seemed he’d have to push himself much harder now.

As Han Gyoseong and Dang Yeo-eun dealt with the fleeing men and Yang Mun-heon pursued from behind, eliminating the warriors, the Black Tiger Corps warriors were ultimately wiped out.

This occurred barely half an hour after the Black Tiger Brigade had confidently charged into the Flying Dragon Thirteen Division.

Having dealt with the entire Black Tiger Brigade, Dang Yeo-eun, her clothes not stained with a single drop of blood, smiled calmly at Yang Mun-heon, who also wore a serene expression, and asked.

“Grandfather, are you not tired?”

Yang Mun-heon chuckled and replied.

“This much is fine. And even if it is tiring, what can one do? We must deal with the rest as well.”

Currently, at the main gate of the Biyong Thirteen Clans, Yang Mun-heon’s designated successor, the sword-wielding warrior Byeok Ri-jung, along with the Thirteen Clan Leader Pung Yang and the spear-wielding sword master Je Won-yeong, were standing by in preparation for an attack from the warriors on the opposite side.

This was all thanks to Sun Woo-jin having warned of Zhuge Zhigang’s attack, allowing them to plan in advance.

It was also thanks to Yang Mun-heon’s keen senses. As one of the Thirty-Six Masters of the World, he had now mastered the Moonlit Sword Dance, living his daily life with the Moonlit Sword Dance’s ‘Moon Passing’ technique constantly activated.

Yang Mun-heon stroked his white beard as he spoke.

“Seeing that they didn’t move while the children on this side were being slaughtered, it seems the children on that side were only there to hold the line.”

At his words, Dang Yeo-eun gave a wry smile and replied.

“Then we should go first.”

Watching the grandfather and granddaughter converse as smoothly as if out for a stroll, Han Gyoseong of the Blue Wind Sword Dragon swallowed hard without realizing it.

Somehow, he felt pity for those who would face the assault of these two, whose power bordered on a natural disaster.