Chapter 244 An Unprecedented Threat

Chapter 244: An Unprecedented Threat

‘The Haenam Sect warriors have been wiped out!’

This shocking news, reaching them once more, sent shockwaves through the martial arts world of the southern realm.

Once again, it concerned Yin Parang and news about him.

In truth, it was entirely predictable that the Haenam Sect would seek out Yin Farang, who had publicly vowed revenge against them and even declared his intention to confront the Southern Sea Demon King, Man Hak Sung.

But even those who had anticipated this never imagined the Black Dragon Fleet’s warriors would be mobilized as well.

Bringing a full two hundred warriors from the Black Dragon Fleet, the elite force of the Haenam faction, could only be interpreted as a blatant declaration of intent to eliminate Inparang.

Yet, absurdly, they were all wiped out.

Even the heads of the three families who had gone to meet Inparang—Myocheongju, Jagyeochu, and Sulmoseng—were among them.

The spectators couldn’t help but be fired up.

Inparang’s revenge saga was rapidly reaching its climax.

Moreover, it was revealed that those who aided Inparang in killing them were remnants of the Haenam clan who had been hiding somewhere all this time, and the situation descended into utter chaos, with no one knowing where it would lead.

A chaotic situation where Haenam-inga, who could be considered the very embodiment of the Haenam faction in the past, and the successor to that in-ga, have both turned hostile towards the Haenam faction.

From the Haenam Sect’s perspective, it was nothing short of a tragic situation.

But not for those watching.

There couldn’t have been a more thrilling situation for them. Not even the most entertaining story written by some clever wordsmith could have been this gripping.

They couldn’t help but focus more and more on this fascinating revenge plot.

‘Haenam Sword Dragon’

was the new nickname the gossipmongers had bestowed upon In Parang this time.

Even as he declared he would seek vengeance against the Haenam faction and seek aid from the Namhae Demon King, people still addressed him with the title ‘Haenam’.

It meant everyone understood.

His actions weren’t merely a challenge to the Haenam Sect—they were the path to revealing the sect’s true master.

The true master of the Haenam Sect would emerge from among Haenam Magun and Haenam Geomryong.

All martial artists in the south now eagerly awaited the conclusion of this revenge saga.

***

In the conference room of the Haenam Sect, Haenam County, Guangdong Province.

Jin Taedo, the Haenam Demon Sword and leader of the Haenam Sect, roared furiously.

“Look at what that bastard did! Do you really think this is something the heir to the Haenam Clan should do?! Do you still believe he is the true Inparang?!”

No one dared respond to his furious voice.

Even Oh Ik-deok, the head of the Haenam Oh Clan, who would normally frown at his claims, and Yoo Hae-eung of the Dragon King’s Palace, who would counter with an icy expression, were no different.

They merely let out a low, heavy sigh.

“Hmm.”

“Hmph.”

Finding no one to refute his words, Jin Taedo spat them out with a burning glare.

I should have gone myself. I should have gone and stopped that bastard’s atrocities! Look at the price we paid for verifying that ridiculous rumor! The head of the Jaga clan! The head of the Myoga clan! The head of the Soolga clan! Even when fighting the Demon Realm, we never lost the heads of all three clans at once! This is unprecedented in the history of the Haenam Sect! What kind of absurd situation is this?!”

Of course, Jin Taedo hadn’t gone personally, but he had secretly sent warriors from the Black Dragon Fleet along.

Those points were sufficiently suspicious in intent, and criticism regarding them was entirely justified.

But neither Yoo Hae-eung nor Oh Ik-deok could voice any criticism about it.

As Jin Tae-do said, losing three family heads at once was an unprecedented event in the history of the Haenam faction.

Thanks to this, Jin Tae-do could shout his heart out for the first time since becoming the head of the sect, facing no opposition from any of the family heads.

“The daughter of the deceased tomb guardian, Miss Miao A-lan, came to me weeping and begged! She pleaded for me to kill that bastard! To avenge her father’s unjust death! So this time, I’ll go myself. I’ll go and grind that bastard into dust! And I’ll make sure everyone remembers exactly what the Haenam Sect is capable of!”

Then, flashing a murderous glare at Yoo Hae-eung and Oh Ik-deok, he shouted.

“I don’t expect anyone to still oppose this. But even if one person does, it matters not. This time, I shall not tolerate opposition from anyone! Even if Lords Yoo, Oh, and Shin oppose it, this time I will have my way! Let the three Lords know this!”

At his declaration, Yoo Hae-eung, Oh Ik-deok, and Shin Du-wol—who had always stood on the opposing side—merely avoided his gaze with solemn expressions.

Having initially insisted that In Parang be vetted, they now bore responsibility for this situation. There was nothing more for them to say.

Then Jin Taedo roared outwardly, seeming angrier than anyone else, yet inwardly he felt a refreshing sense of relief, as if all the pent-up frustrations had suddenly drained away.

Although losing the warriors of three Black Dragon Ships was certainly infuriating, it allowed him to savor the feeling of becoming the true supreme leader of the Haenam faction.

Suddenly, Jin Taedo felt grateful to Miao A-lan, who had come to him first.

After returning to Haenam Island, she had sought him out first and said this:

‘Please avenge my father. And ensure the survival of the Miao family. If you do that, Head of the Clan, I won’t tell anyone about what you did ten years ago—killing the head of the Inkyewon family.’

Listening to her words, Jin Taedo felt both a chill and a sense of relief.

So that bastard really was In Parang after all.

After all, Miao A-lan now knew the truth about the incident from ten years ago.

So if someone like Yoo Hae-eung or Oh Ik-deok were to find out about this…

The mere thought was chilling.

But at the same time, he felt relieved.

That bastard Inparang, driven mad by vengeance, killed Jaejoo—someone who could have been on his side. And the fact that Myaoran, the only survivor who learned the truth, came to him first.

Had she not come to him first, wouldn’t that mean the incident from over a decade ago nearly got exposed to others?

Jin Taedo let out a fresh sigh of relief.

‘Fortune smiled on me.’

Thanks to her coming to find him, he gained the justification to kill Inparang while also burying that incident from ten years ago—it could only be described as heaven’s blessing.

After that, Jin Taedo completely cut off her contact with the outside world under the pretext of protecting her.

And it seemed he would have to continue doing so.

After all, he couldn’t let her go knowing such dangerous truths.

Frankly, he sometimes felt the urge to just eliminate her.

But the attention currently focused on her still felt a bit burdensome.

It seemed she’d have to wait until the attention on her died down a bit.

‘And… that beauty is a bit of a waste, isn’t it? Heh heh heh.’

Anyway, the decision about her could probably wait a little longer.

His top priority right now was hunting down Inpara and that tiger cub.

Jin Taedo chuckled inwardly.

‘Haenam Sword Dragon? Khehehe. That’s laughable. Before you die, I’ll show you what kind of power the true master of Haenam possesses.’

Jin Tae-do, known as the Sea Demon or the Haenam Demon Sword, began to fix his gaze across the sea toward Seon Woo-jin.

One of the Thirty-Six Masters of the World and the true supreme master of the Haenam faction had finally moved his heavy footsteps.

For Seonwoo Jin, this was an incomparably greater threat than anything he had faced before.

***

Around the same time, at the Hyeongsan Sect in Hyeongsan, Honam Province.

The sect’s leader, Wei Zhengguo, was now in a state of terrifying rage.

His fury was so intense he even omitted the title “Outer Hall Master,” addressing Zuo Gajun by name alone.

He spat out the question in a cold voice.

“Say it again, Zuo Gajun. What happened to the third and fourth branches of the Bank of Ruin?”

Then, trembling violently, Zuo Gajun, the outer sect leader of the Xingshan Sect, reported once more.

“The two squads sent to that bastard Inparang seem to have been wiped out. Contact was lost after they made contact with him, and subsequent reconnaissance reports indicate that Squad Leader Wondang’s body was found among a vast number of corpses…”

At that, a cold chill like eternal snow poured from the eyes of the Supreme Leader.

“A tremendous number of corpses?”

At that cold aura, Jaga Gyun shuddered and hurriedly replied.

“Yes! They were corpses found in an ordinary slash-and-burn farming village, dressed in commoners’ clothes. But our investigation indicates they were all warriors—highly likely assassins.”

“…Assassins?”

“Yes! That’s why the investigation team reported they were most likely assassins from the Blood Lotus!”

Upon hearing his report, Wei Zhengguo spat out another question.

“The Blood Lotus Sect… Why on earth would they attack our Fasan Sect?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure about that part either…”

Jwa Ga-gyun knelt down and bowed his head deeply.

Though he hadn’t committed any crime himself, he knew better than anyone that in this situation, that fact wasn’t particularly important to Wi Jeong-guk.

Sure enough, as if seeking an outlet for his rage, Wijeong-guk radiated murderous intent as he addressed Jwagagyun.

“Jaga-gyun, you said back then that one squad of Pasanjo would be more than enough for that In-pa-rang bastard. But look at this mess after sending two squads. Because of you, we lost two precious Pasanjo squads. What should we do with you now?”

Upon hearing his words, Jwa Ga-gyun felt a wave of injustice surge through him.

Wasn’t it the decision of the ruling faction, not his own, to send two bankruptcy squads?

He hadn’t sent them himself, so why was he being held responsible?

But Jwa Ga-gyun could not bring himself to voice the words welling up inside him.

He merely bowed even lower, begging for forgiveness.

He knew all too well that the moment he uttered those words, he would most likely die.

“I’m sorry, Grandmaster! If you give me just one more chance, this time I will definitely take care of him! And I will live only for you, Grandmaster!”

A heavy silence fell for a moment.

Jaga Gyun kept his head bowed low, so he couldn’t see the expression on the Head of the Sect’s face.

But he could tell clearly enough that the man was now contemplating his very life and death.

The silence continued for some time after that.

To Jwa Ga-gyun, it felt like an eternity.

He could feel cold sweat trickling down his face.

Then, after a moment, Wei Zhengguo finally spoke.

“This will be your last chance. Now, tell me. How do you intend to deal with that bastard Inparang?”

At Wei Jung-guk’s question, Jwa Ga-gyun barely managed to suppress a sigh of relief that threatened to escape.

He had barely secured one more chance.

He answered immediately, before Wei Jung-guk could change his mind.

“The Pacheonjo! We must send two Pacheonjo units!”

Wei Zhengguo coldly retorted.

“Send the Pacheonjo?”

“Yes! That’s right! If we send two squadrons of Pacheonjo, we can finish him off no matter what variables arise!”

The Pacheon Squad was composed of six-sword masters of the highest caliber, and the power of even a single squad was such that even Wei Zhengguo, the supreme master of the Xingshan Sect and one of the Thirty-Six Masters of the World, could not withstand them.

Yet Zuo Jiagun was now suggesting sending out two entire Pacheon Teams.

His life was at stake, and he was determined to eliminate Yin Farang at any cost.

At that, Wei Zhengguo spoke.

“That’s excessive. If two Pacheon Teams go after him, how will we handle the matters concerning the Fujian Yong family? Send him one Pacheon Team and two Pasan Teams.”

At his words, Jwa Gagyun gritted his teeth inwardly.

Why ask me at all when you’re just going to do as you please anyway?

But Zha Gagyun vented his dissatisfaction only inwardly, then bowed his head low again and replied.

“Truly, Master! What a wise thought!”

But even at his flattery, Wei Junguk only snorted derisively.

“Flattery won’t save you. If you fail this time, your life is over.”

It meant he would hold him responsible for something he hadn’t even decided himself.

Jaga Gyun felt utterly wronged.

But once again, he had to shout in a voice full of gratitude.

“I am deeply grateful for the Grand Master’s kindness!”

Then, the governor added one more thing.

“Send word to Jin Tae-do in Haenam as well. Cooperate with him to ensure we capture that bastard In Parang.”

“Yes! Understood!”

Thus, not only Jin Taedo, one of the Thirty-Six Masters of the World, but also the strongest martial force of the Hyeongsan Sect—the Six-Combination Sword Master, Pacheonjo—began moving toward Seonwoo Jin.

Moreover, unlike the previous assassins, these were individuals capable of coordinated action without clashing with one another.

A danger unlike any he had ever faced before was steadily closing in on Sun Woo-jin.