Chapter 31 The Red Dragon Sect

Chapter 31: The Red Dragon Sect

“Haowen Sect? What do you mean by that…?”

Wait, why is Haowen suddenly coming up?

It’s been ages since they were disbanded.

“You say you didn’t know despite being so close? Do you really think I’d believe that?”

“Excuse me for interrupting, but I’m only acquainted with Yongmasan, not close friends.”

We merely struck a deal for cooperation on external affairs; it wasn’t a friendly relationship.

“Is that so?”

Jiksajung gave a sly smile and pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve to read.

“For mere acquaintances, Yongmasan visits your house quite often. Over three hundred times in half a year, no less.”

That’s because he comes for breakfast and dinner every day.

“Moreover, he’s even assisted you on missions.”

That was because Myohyang asked him to…

“Most significantly, Lee Seon-bang has recently begun assisting the Oedang.”

That’s in exchange for discounted meals.

“Do you still intend to deny it?”

This is driving me mad.

Jik Sa-jung’s aura thickened.

The killing intent emanating from this peerless master, known as the Crimson Blood Death God, made his entire body tremble.

“…It’s not true.”

“Do I look like someone to be trifled with?”

Clang.

Jiksa-jung rose from his seat and drew a small sword tinged with crimson.

It was the Yosal Sword, the sacred artifact of the Jikryong Sect.

Drawing the sect’s sacred artifact meant he intended to wield it no matter what.

I focused all my attention on his hand.

I was ready to leave the spot the moment he moved even slightly.

Sure enough.

Spot.

Jiksa-jung’s hand blurred, and soon his entire figure vanished before my eyes.

“……!”

Simultaneously, I thought.

‘Behind!’

If he were to ambush, he’d likely move from the direction a person finds hardest to perceive.

And that judgment was correct.

Swiftly turning my body, I saw Jisajung’s figure.

He stared at me with startled eyes.

Though I’d pinpointed his location, that didn’t mean I could just charge at him.

The assassin wields the most treacherous and deadly blade in the land.

If I charged, I wouldn’t last three moves before my head was severed.

So the method I chose was…

Kwooong. Paaang!

To detonate explosive projectiles toward the front while maintaining distance.

The sound of thunderous explosions echoed as every piece of furniture in the office flew into the air.

Windows and passageway doors shattered, creating an opening.

Adversary Zhong, clad in his protective armor, stood unfazed.

I hadn’t landed a blow, but I wasn’t disappointed.

Kuuu.

I hadn’t targeted him from the start.

It was merely a tactic to buy time and space.

Bang.

I unleashed the Zhen Wang Bo, springing out like lightning.

The goal was to break through the shattered window and escape outside.

I didn’t know why Jiksajung was doing this, but for now, I had to get out first.

It was my only way to survive.

But, my attempt ended in failure.

Thud.

Something grabbed me and pulled me back inside.

Threads extending from Jiksajung’s hands were tightly coiled around my body.

‘Heavenly Spider Silk!’

As the raw material for the Heavenly Spider Silk Robe, it was the strongest thread in the world.

“Guh!”

The warriors of the Red Dragon Sect would be swarming in any moment.

I couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

I drew my qi up and swept my hand from left to right.

This technique of the Zhenwang style was the Extreme Spider Fist.

Though its casting time was short and its power limited, it was the perfect move for the immediate situation.

Swoosh. POW!

The Extreme Sword Light flew like lightning, instantly severing the Heavenly Silk Thread.

The momentum, undiminished, shot the sword light towards Jiksa Jung.

The look of shock was plain on Jiksa Jung’s face as he witnessed this.

“Not bad.”

A crimson aura flared from the blood-red dagger, blazing bright enough to illuminate the entire room.

The exclusive domain of masters who had reached the pinnacle.

It was the Qi.

Jiksa Jung swung the dagger, now enveloped in Qi, horizontally.

Shhhhh.

“······!”

Simultaneously, the remaining energy of the Extreme Sword Light vanished completely.

He had countered the energy by slashing with the Extreme Sword Technique itself.

It was a chillingly precise sword strike.

“Damn it!”

I hastily stepped back.

This wasn’t even a fair fight; it was like an egg smashing against a rock.

Thud. Thud.

Two masked warriors from the Red Dragon Sect entered through the window and blocked my path.

Their ability to move without a sound was truly worthy of the Salmun lineage.

I was completely surrounded.

Resisting further was futile, so I withdrew my qi and relaxed my stance.

“Old man, what the hell are you trying to do?”

I asked sarcastically.

Even if he was the leader of the Red Dragon Sect, I had no intention of showing courtesy to an enemy who sought my life.

Instantly, a murderous aura surged from the warriors’ entire bodies.

“Hey, watch your mouth…”

Crack!

“Gah!”

I smacked the eye socket of the man grabbing my shoulder.

Then, in the instant I aimed my foot at the groin of the man beside him.

Swish.

“Stop.”

A small sword from the enemy’s midst touched my throat.

“What do you want?”

“Your relationship with Yongmasan.”

“I already told you. There’s no connection.”

“I won’t believe you. Instead, bring me his head.”

“What?”

A simple demand.

But also one I could never accept.

“You’re out of your mind.”

“If you can’t do it yourself, just lure him out. We’ll handle the rest.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“If there’s no connection, why are you refusing?”

It’s not because I care about him.

There’s no loyalty between that bastard and me.

Simply.

“You want me to kill someone to save myself? You may have lived that way, but it’s not my way.”

The very act of killing someone under threat didn’t sit well with me.

“Or else you’ll die right here?”

“Instead, the two people in front of me will definitely die.”

I showed the small pill in my hand to the Red Dragon Sect disciple.

“A poison pill?”

“Yes, it’s a poison pill. Even with just a little internal energy infused, it releases smoke containing a deadly toxin.”

For reference, this is a hangover cure made by the Cleaning Shop. It just happens to look exactly like a poison pill because it’s dark and murky.

“Is it from Green Dragon Sect?”

“I traded it for a Boeun badge.”

“I see.”

Red-haired Zhong fell silent.

Then, he sheathed his short sword and…

“Puh-huh, Puhahahahaha!”

He suddenly began laughing like a madman.

Even the two masked figures joined in his laughter.

“Relax, I just wanted to test it out after hearing so many praises about you.”

Jiksa Jung explained the whole situation. The masked man who nearly kicked me in the groin threw off his mask and approached.

“Kwahahaha, Brother Xiao’s fists truly live up to their reputation. Three young masters knocked out in one blow, after all.“

It was Gungye and Eumhyeolsa-geom Yangjeong, who had fought alongside me at Jeomchang Mountain.

”Don’t be so hard on him, Uncle Yang. I’m already troubled enough about getting beaten by a junior.”

The other was Jichwaran’s older brother and the third young master of Jikryongdang, Jinsalgeom Jiksam.

Jik Saju came over to me, who was looking bewildered, and put his arm around my shoulder.

“Let’s go have a drink.”

* * *

More people joined the drinking session than I had expected.

At first, I was annoyed at being tricked and kept my guard up, but as the cheerful atmosphere continued, I found myself laughing uncontrollably.

The Jikryongdang people were open and boisterous.

Then again, if they weren’t, how could the youngest granddaughter of the sect leader run a brothel?

Even at eighty, Jiksa-jung kept downing strong liquor, mingling without pretense.

“Hmph, how long has it been since I poured you that drink, and you still haven’t finished it?”

“Oh dear! This unworthy son has made a mistake. I’ll empty it right away.”

He downed the remaining liquor in one gulp. Jik Sa-jung laughed heartily and refilled his cup.

“My apologies about today. Yang Dae-ju should have praised you more. I couldn’t contain my curiosity.”

“It’s fine. Thanks to you, I witnessed the martial prowess of the Jikryong Clan Leader. I’m actually grateful.”

Witnessing the martial prowess of a supreme master up close was nothing short of a small stroke of luck.

And I, too, had learned a lesson from today’s fight.

‘From now on, I should carry some pepper powder with me.’

If things get dangerous, at least I can throw that.

I felt keenly that one must always have a last resort to save one’s life.

“The more I see you, the more I like you. Why didn’t I know about a talent like you sooner?”

“Heh heh, but you know me now, so that’s what matters, right?”

“That’s true.”

Jiksa Jung gulped down his drink, his face flushed.

“Oh dear! Master, you must consider your age. Drinking like that will be disastrous.”

Seeing this, Yang Jeong called out loudly to stop him.

“Shut up! I’m not dead yet, you bastards!”

His utterly unrestrained demeanor made laughter erupt once more.

As the mood grew lively, Yang Jeong approached holding a wine bottle.

“How about transferring your position to the Red Dragon Hall this time?”

“Yes, just come over. We’ll give you the best treatment in Nine Dragon City.”

Jiksajung chimed in.

“That’s a shame. I’ve recently been promoted…”

“How much do you get?”

“Pardon?”

“How much do you get? I’ll give you three times that, no, four times that.”

It was an unprecedented offer.

‘Four times nine taels is thirty-six taels!’

In modern terms, nearly forty million won.

With this money, the dream of indulging in all manner of pleasures could be achieved much faster.

‘Should I… go?’

He felt so confused it was hard to gather his wits.

Work-life balance? Important.

But thirty-six taels was far too much money to refuse on the grounds of work-life balance.

Bukgung Baek would surely be pleased to send him off once he heard the amount.

No, he might even slip me an envelope asking me to secure a seat for him.

Just as I was about to accept Jiksajung’s proposal.

Clunk.

The banquet hall doors swung open, and a group poured in.

Every single one of them was covered in blood.

The stench of blood filled the banquet hall the moment they appeared, a testament to the slaughter they’d just committed.

It was the Blood Squad, composed of young warriors from the Red Dragon Sect.

A man, his entire body wrapped in a viscous aura of killing intent, just like Jiksa Jung had been moments before, walked slowly toward us.

“Young Master, I have fulfilled my grandfather’s orders and returned.”

It was the First Young Master of the Red Dragon Sect, Jikryonggeom Jikil.

“It took longer than expected.”

“The remnants fled into the desert, delaying us. We searched every corner and killed every last one. Henceforth, none shall bear the name Blood Demon Corps.”

“Very well, good work. Care for a drink?”

“No, thank you. The members are all exhausted. We shall retire to rest.”

“So be it.”

Click.

Jik-il silently bowed and exited the banquet hall.

Watching his retreating figure, Jik-sa-jung spoke to me.

“Well? Doesn’t your heart race?”

“······Huh?”

Which part?

“If you join the Red Dragon Corps, you’ll be with that boy. We’ll roam the land, slaying enemies. Hmph, the thought of blood makes my mouth water. If I were ten years younger, I’d be hunting them down myself.“

What kind of crazy talk is that?

After hearing Jiksa Jung’s murderous words, the people in the banquet hall looked different to me.

”So when I thrust my sword deep into him, he trembled and wet himself? The captain should have seen that.”

“If you break the third move of the Bloodletting Sword like that and stab, you don’t kill them instantly—you can make them suffer for a long time.”

“Now that’s a groundbreaking technique. Truly remarkable.”

“You just figured that out? Heh heh heh.”

The reason the Red Dragon Sect people were so unrestrained was because they were mad.

The joyful banquet had somehow transformed into a forum for discussing murder.

I desperately wanted to escape this den of murderers as soon as possible.

“So, have you made your decision?”

Zhi Shizhong asked subtly. He was surely demanding an answer to the scouting offer.

“I am deeply honored that you see favor in this inadequate one… but… I have many subordinates to be responsible for, so transferring my allegiance to the Red Dragon Sect would be difficult.”

A surprisingly eloquent excuse, even to my own astonishment, burst forth from my desperate mind.

Jiksajung nodded readily.

“Huh! That’s a real shame. Should you ever change your mind, just let me know. A talent like yours is always welcome.”

Yeah, no way. Absolutely not. Not even if you beat me to death.

“Ah. Ha. Ha. I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I rose slightly from my seat and bowed.

“It’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave. I’ll never forget your kindness in looking favorably upon this unworthy one.”

“Drop by anytime.”

“Alright.”

Just as he was about to make his excuse and slip out of the banquet hall.

“Let me see you out.”

Jik-sam approached.

“Ah, no need, Senior. I can manage on my own.”

“I know. I know our Jin junior is a master. But still, I can’t just let a guest who came to my house leave without seeing them out, can I?”

“I-I suppose you’re right.”

There was simply no excuse to refuse.

After stepping out of the Red Dragon Hall and walking for a moment, Jik Sam spoke up.

“By the way.”

“Yes?”

“You really didn’t know he was the Hao Gate Master?”

“Was that real? I thought it was a lie to test me.”

When I countered, Jiksam chuckled softly and replied.

“You really didn’t know. Well, I suppose that’s possible. We haven’t known each other that long either.”

“Didn’t Hao Gate fall long before a hundred years ago?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why did the head of Hao Gate suddenly appear? And of all places, right here in Guryongseong where Jikryongdang is based.”

I couldn’t fathom why he’d come all this way, seeking something to gain, when his clan had been disbanded and torn to shreds ages ago.

“Ah, that? I can’t say for certain, but I have my suspicions.”

“What are they?”

“One of the reasons Hao Gate fell was because they were betrayed by the Red Dragon Sect.”

“······.”

“Well, just know that. Keep today’s events confidential if possible. Wait, no—you probably already know anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Say what you will. Ah, since I’m speaking, pass this along too.”

He continued with a smile whose meaning I couldn’t fathom.

“I’m watching.”

Watching the retreating back of the crimson-robed figure, I resolved.

‘I must never get involved with the Red Dragon Sect again.’

I wouldn’t go near Honghwa Pavilion for the time being.