Chapter 285 The Four Kings’ Heirs – Part 3

Chapter 285: The Four Kings’ Heirs – Part 3

Seolpung’s group now all turned to look at Gwaeseogi, the fourth son of the Four Kings, who remained alone.

Then, Gwaeseogi—the most ordinary-looking of the brothers, with a slender build and handsome, scholarly features—bowed his head toward Seolpung and greeted him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Brother Seolpung.”

The title “Brother” came as naturally as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, accompanied by a gentle tone and a seemingly pure smile.

Seolpung, however, found himself taken aback by this reaction, so different from any of the other brothers he had encountered thus far.

“Oh, oh? Ah, right. Nice to see you too.”

Then the strange man smiled warmly and spoke again.

“To wield such power without the Red Eye Piercing Blood Technique—truly impressive, brother. Please spar with me sometime.”

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

Gweseogi bowed respectfully to Seolpung before walking out of the main hall.

As the only one among the brothers who hadn’t brought subordinates, his departure seemed both free and lonely.

Watching his retreating figure with the ease of a younger brother greeting an elder, Seolpung said to Seonwoojin.

“There were rumors he wasn’t interested in the succession race, but I thought he might be hiding his true feelings… At that level, those rumors might actually be true.”

“Yes, among the rumors, there was also talk that he inherited his maternal bloodline more strongly than his father’s, making him unable to wield the Crimson Eye Bloodline. Seeing his slight build compared to his brothers, that rumor might also be true.”

It was then.

Mokrang suddenly spoke within Seon Woo-jin’s mind.

– That child’s maternal family is from Punghyeoncheon, and if that child strongly inherited their maternal bloodline, then even if it’s true they can’t use the Red Eye Piercing Blood Vein Technique, we shouldn’t underestimate them.

‘Huh?’

– Back in the Tongcheon Sect days, the acknowledged strongest was naturally the father of Brother Gwae Ja-un, the Four Kings, the Mad Demon Gwae Mu-ryang. The second strongest was the Tongcheon Sect’s Chief Commander and its de facto leader, the Cold-Blooded Demon General Dong Cheon-woo.

Tongcheonbang was the predecessor to the Four Kings Alliance, a faction led by the Mad Demon Gweomuryang, father of the first Four Kings leader, Gweojaun.

Sun Woo-jin listened silently as Mok Rang suddenly brought up this story from the past.

– Of course, that was an accurate fact. Within Tongcheonbang, and indeed throughout the entire martial world, the Mad Demon and the Cold-Blooded Demon were overwhelming masters whom few dared to oppose. To draw a modern comparison, it was like having one of the Four Heavenly Kings and a master said to rival them within the same sect.

A Heavenly Demon and a master said to rival the Heavenly Demon within the same sect.

Sun Woo-jin suddenly imagined, ‘What if the Blood Sect had another master comparable to the Blood Demon?’ The thought sent a chill down his spine.

‘That’s… truly terrifying to even imagine.’

– Yeah. My older brother who fought them directly had a really tough time too. But here’s the thing. Years later, after we’d established good relations with them, my brother suddenly said this: If the youngest brothers of the Mad Demon Clan had been just a little older when we fought the Tongcheonbang, we never could have defeated them.

“…The youngest brothers of the Mad Demon?”

– Yeah. That’s right, it’s Gwi Myo-rang and Cheon Woo-young who created the Punghyeon River Clan. He was always the youngest among the Madman’s sworn brothers, who strictly determined their hierarchy by skill alone. That’s why he was often seen as the weakest by the world. But that wasn’t true. He was the youngest because he refused to stand above his brothers.

A personality that disliked standing above the other brothers.

Somehow, that reminded me of the strange secretary I just met.

My elder brother, who had far better judgment of character than I, once assessed him thus: “There are three geniuses in the world today, and if anyone stands closest to them, it would be Gwi Myo-rang and Cheon Woo-young.”

The one who declared that Nae-sin, who might be considered the greatest swordsman of all time alongside Geom-sin, was closest to being a genius.

Suddenly, Seon Woo-jin wondered who those three geniuses were.

‘Who are the three geniuses acknowledged by Lord Nae-sin?’

Then Mok-rang answered.

– They were Ma Shin Cheonyun, the leader of the Cheonma Shingyo sect at the time; Shin Wol, my brother’s daughter and the most gifted person I’ve ever known; and, embarrassingly enough, Nara herself.

Mukrang added with a playful tone.

– You don’t think all three are insignificant just because of the last one, do you? Don’t be like that. The other two, excluding me, were truly extraordinary geniuses.

But such words were unnecessary to say.

The legendary swordsman hailed as the greatest of all time, his contemporary rival and fellow mythical being, the monstrous demon god. And then there was his nephew, whom the swordsman himself acknowledged as the greatest genius.

If anyone could be compared to those three, then that Cheon Woo-young fellow must undoubtedly have been an unimaginable genius as well.

Of course, it was only natural that having a genius among one’s ancestors offered no guarantee that their descendants would be geniuses too.

If such a rule existed, Zhuge Zhijiang, descendant of Zhuge Liang, would never have been such a worthless fool.

But Seon Woo-jin felt a strong sense that the vibe of this Cheon Woo-young fellow he’d heard about from Mok Rang somehow overlapped with the strange aura that had just left the room.

And Seon Woo-jin’s instincts were often far more accurate than any thorough calculation.

***

Seolpung and his group emerged outside the main hall of the Four Kings Lotus.

A clear, sunny blue sky greeted them cheerfully, as if nothing had happened.

Yeon Tae-jin suddenly shook his head toward the sky and muttered.

“I never imagined I’d see the Four Kings in my lifetime. And to meet him face to face, yet still be able to see the blue sky again. In every way, this day feels like a dream.”

Yet Yeon Tae-jin’s expression as he spoke didn’t look like he’d had a pleasant dream.

Rather, he looked exhausted, as if he had had a bad dream he never wanted to relive.

To martial artists, figures like the Sword Emperor or the Four Kings were no different from the immortals and demons that appeared in legends.

It was because he possessed a power that could neither be seen nor approached.

Yet, despite being at the pinnacle of his craft, Yeon Tae-jin, the leader of a mere regional faction, had come face to face with such a being.

And it was none other than the fearsome Four Kings, Gwae Gal-hyeon, known for being utterly bloodless and merciless.

For Yeon Tae-jin, the very fact that she had met him, and that she was still alive afterward, was simply unbelievable.

Upon hearing her words, Seolpung looked at her with a slightly sympathetic gaze.

Then he spoke to her cautiously.

“I’m sorry, Young Lady Yeon. I’m sorry I made you follow someone like me and put you in this situation. If you’re not comfortable with this… even now…”

At that, Yeon Taejin frowned sharply and glared at Seolpung.

“Don’t say another word, Feng. Even if it’s you, Feng, if you say what’s next, I’ll get angry.”

At her words, Seolpung had to stop what he was about to say.

Yeon Tae-jin addressed him in a firm tone.

“My name is Yeon Taejin. Except for becoming the leader of the Ha Wonbang, I have never once acted against my will. Naturally, following you, Mr. Pung, was my choice, and if I die doing this, that too is my choice. So never insult my choices.”

No one else could speak after her words.

Not Seolpung, nor Sunwoojin who always decided the group’s direction, nor Jeungchil who constantly grumbled about everything.

As Seon Woo-jin told Mok Rang in Soju, no one in the group could control her.

She was a true woman of strength in every sense.

It was not long ago, when Seon Woo-jin and Seol Pung rejoined the group and set off for Zhejiang Province.

Seolpung was deeply troubled by Yeon Taejin, who had been with them in Hunan Province and helped the Banhyung Association.

Yeon Tae-jin’s expressions of affection towards Seolpung felt burdensome.

Yeon Tae-jin was, of course, more beautiful than anyone else, and despite her rough-looking actions, she possessed an incredibly warm heart.

But in Seolpung’s heart, there was Na Seoyu.

Even if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, she was the one and only Seolpung, utterly incomparable.

Therefore, the more Seolpung realized Yeon Taejin was sincere toward her and understood she was a decent person, the more she felt compelled to tell him the truth.

‘I have a beloved. So you must give me up, young lady.’

But there was no way Seolpung could say such words.

Saying such things to a woman he had no connection with must have been difficult enough, but saying them to Yeon Tae-jin, whom he secretly held gratitude toward, was nearly impossible for Seolpung.

That was precisely the dilemma that frustrated Seolpung.

Upon hearing Seolpung’s dilemma, Seonwoojin decided he had to take on that role himself.

After all, he was the one who had brought Yeon Tae-jin into the fold, and he was the one who had encouraged her to go with Seolpung.

Therefore, he had to be the one to resolve it.

And above all, wasn’t Seon Woo-jin himself a bit stronger with women than his sworn brother Seolpung?

To others, it might seem like six of one, half a dozen of the other, but Seon Woo-jin took pride in being the most experienced and skilled with women among the three sworn brothers.

…Of course, in reality, it really was six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Anyway, that’s why Seonwoo Jin approached Yeon Taejin when no one else was around and spoke cautiously.

‘Young Master Yeon, the truth is, Brother Seolpung has a beloved. They deeply love each other. So….’

Seon Woo-jin was terribly worried Yeon Tae-jin might be deeply hurt.

But Yeon Tae-jin’s reaction upon hearing those words was completely different from what Seon Woo-jin had imagined.

‘Yeah, I figured as much. But why?’

This time, it was Seon Woo-jin who seemed flustered.

“…Huh?”

‘I knew. That you had someone else. But why are you bringing that up?’

‘…Huh?’

Her words and expression seemed so utterly matter-of-fact that Seon Woo-jin gaped for a moment.

He didn’t know what to say.

Then Yeon Tae-jin spoke to Seon Woo-jin instead.

‘With no one else around, how could someone as beautiful as me approach so aggressively and not get a response? So I naturally assumed that’s what would happen. But why are you bringing that up now?’

But it was Seon Woo-jin who was genuinely baffled.

How could she act so aggressively knowing Seolpung had a girlfriend?

No, why did she act that way?

Now he couldn’t even figure out what to say or what to ask.

So after stammering for a while, he finally managed to ask.

‘But still… are you alright? Ah, no. But still, do you still harbor feelings for Brother Seolpung?’

Yeon Taejin chuckled softly and replied.

‘If there’s someone you adore? Is she prettier than me? Or stronger? Could she be a greater support to Pung than I am? Of course not. Given Pung’s character, it’s obvious. He met her first, so he fell in love with her. And given his nature, he’d never betray loyalty.’

Upon hearing those words, Seon Woo-jin found himself at a loss for what to say, though for a different reason than before.

Where on earth did that confidence come from, that absolute certainty that Na Seo-yu couldn’t possibly be prettier or stronger than her?

Her powerful self-love left Seon Woo-jin utterly speechless.

But on the other hand, he still couldn’t quite understand.

Why did she remain by Seolpung’s side, even while believing he would never betray their loyalty?

So he asked again, cautiously.

‘As you said, my brother would never betray me. Are you still sure?’

At that, Yeon Taejin snorted derisively and replied as if it were obvious.

What if it doesn’t work out? Could Feng betray her? Should I just give up and retreat? Why am I like this? I’m Yeon Tae-jin. If there’s even a single chance, a single penny’s worth of possibility, I’ll never back down. What if my choice is wrong and I can’t be with Feng? That too would be my choice. I chose the battlefield and didn’t retreat. If I die defeated, that too is simply my lot.’

Hearing those words, Seon Woo-jin could say nothing more.

He simply gazed at her with admiration and conveyed one sentence.

‘I am quite familiar with Lady Jeon, and so I wish for her and your brother to find happiness. But somehow, I find myself wanting to root for Lady Yeon as well. Good luck, Lady Yeon.’

With a sly grin, Ji Eun Yeon Tae-jin had said that.

‘You should say “good luck” instead of “good fortune.”’

That was it.

She was a true woman of strength.

Seonwoo Jin relayed her reply to Seolpung, who sighed in admiration.

And after that, I treated her a little better than before, without feeling quite as burdened.

After that incident, no one among Seon Woo-jin’s group could control her anymore.

And the reason wasn’t because dealing with her was too difficult, but because everyone respected her.

Yeon Tae-jin suddenly asked Seol Pung.

“By the way, what are we going to do now? Where should we go?”

Seolpung, catching Seonwoojin’s gaze, grinned and said.

“To compete with the other successors, you must first lay your foundation. So… let’s go to Yangjudoong-ga.”

Yangjudoongga was where the descendants of the Cold-Blooded Demon Army lived—the second-in-command of Tongcheonbang, the predecessor to the Four Kings Alliance, and the one who actually ran Tongcheonbang.

It was also the place where, even after the Four Kings Alliance was formed, the second-in-command position was never relinquished until recently, when it was pushed aside by the Jinjiang Family.

Yeon Tae-jin asked, his eyes gleaming.

“Yangjudoongga?”

Seolpung then gazed toward the western sky with a strangely wistful look and replied.

“Yes, it’s the family of my maternal grandfather who raised me.”

The period when Yang Judoongga was forced to step down from his position as second-in-command by Jin Gangmanga coincided with the time when Gwaegalhyun seized the position of Four Kings.

This occurred because Dong Gyu-ram, then head of the Yangju Dong family and Seolpung’s maternal grandfather, had taken Seolpung and vanished to save his life.

***

“The Yangju Dong Clan?”

Gwae Jeong-gi, the eldest son of the Four Kings Gwaegal Hyeon, repeated the report he had heard from his subordinate with an expressionless face.

“Yes, that’s correct. He clearly stated he was going to the Yangzhou Dong Family to gain power. And indeed, he is currently moving westward.”

Gwe Jeong-gi’s forces were spread throughout the Four Kings Alliance.

Therefore, obtaining the conversations Seolpung and his group had at Sawanryeon was no trouble at all for him.

“Yangzhudong… I see.”

A rare faint smile formed on Gwejeonggi’s face as he repeated the words once more.

Then, his most trusted lieutenant, the White Bone Demon General Hong Chu, also chuckled coldly.

“If those bastards go to Yangzhudongga for us, there’s no need for us to deal with them ourselves.”

At that, Gwejeonggi slowly nodded his head.

Then he addressed the subordinate who had reported.

“Tell Dong Jung-seo, the head of the Dong family, that the future of the Dong family will be determined by how you handle that bastard Seolpung.”

“Yes! Understood!”

The forces of the Gwaejeonggi were deeply entrenched throughout the Sawanryeon.

And even the Dong Clan, one of the Four Kings’ Thirteen Houses, was no exception.

Gwajeonggi smiled, a smile he rarely showed in front of others, and thought.

‘Even if your martial prowess were sufficient to face me without the Red-Eyed Blood Piercing Technique, it would be useless. For you alone can accomplish nothing.’

The Four Kings were no longer beings who could rely solely on their martial prowess like lone wolves.

At least, that was what Gweojeonggi believed.

Therefore, neither Seolpung nor his younger brother, Gwaechanggi, could ever become the next Four Kings.

For the only one possessing the qualifications to become the Four Kings was Gweojeonggi himself.