Chapter 190

Lord, that’s why I accepted it.

“I came to apologize.”

The Mad King glared at Lee Ja-eon, barely suppressing his rage.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Kwangma had changed a lot. Because his fist hadn’t come out first. If his fist looked like it was going to come out in the future, he intended to hit his own cheek with that fist first.

Smack!

When the Madman struck his own cheek, Lee Ja-eon gasped in surprise and said.

“No, Brother. Why suddenly the cheek?”

Kwangma said as if it were no big deal.

“It’s a habit. Whenever I get angry, I slap my own cheek to calm down. You should try it too.”

“Didn’t you call me?”

“A man of calm demeanor.”

The madman, barely controlling his temper, spoke calmly, as if reciting a sutra.

“If your eldest brother were merely the heir apparent of the Galaxy Trading Guild, smashing someone’s window wouldn’t cause much trouble. Even if it escalated, someone would come to pay compensation and apologize, and that would be the end of it. But now he’s the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.”

“Yes.”

“There’s little chance your true identity will be exposed immediately. But if such incidents keep happening and things escalate—who would dare protest or question the Martial Alliance Leader? Your actions could tarnish the Martial Alliance Leader’s honor. That is disloyalty.”

“It is disloyal.”

The Madman’s voice gradually grew louder.

“Do you not know the temperament of the Grand Elder, no, the Lord of the Alliance? Do you know, or do you not?”

“Ah, I know.”

“What do you think the leader will do to you when he finds out?”

“He’d be furious, I suppose.”

“He’ll be furious. That temper of his… But he can’t beat you like he used to. The leader beating his own younger brother. How ridiculous is that? I hear he said he’d only stay in the leader’s position for five years before returning to his hometown. Only about two years left now.”

“Huh! Why?”

Lee Ja-eon was hearing this for the first time.

Kwangma suddenly stopped in his tracks and sighed. How on earth should he explain this?

Gwangma studied Lee Ja-eon’s expression. His eyes and face were filled with genuine curiosity. His features radiated bewilderment: Why would someone step down from the prestigious position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader?

Only then did the Madman begin to grasp a little of Lee Ja-eon’s true nature.

‘This guy really is the youngest.’

Before they knew it, the Red Pavilion Inn was right before them.

“Let’s go inside first.”

Since Gu Yangge would need to survey the surroundings for a while anyway, they took a seat by the window on the second floor of the Red Pavilion Inn.

Perhaps because the sun hadn’t yet set, the entire inn was deserted.

Both Gwangma and Ijaeon had faces that looked like they could handle a drink, so sitting stiffly at the table after ordering only rice and tea felt out of place. Naturally, they had no choice but to order alcohol and snacks.

Lee Ja-eon asked.

“Isn’t the position of Martial Alliance Leader something you can hold until retirement? That’s strange. If it were me, I’d do it for life.”

“He could. Unless something special comes up… That’s what Leader Yu Jeong-hong did too. But while he’s leader, he’ll have to give up things like this.”

Madman waved the wine cup in his hand toward Lee Ja-eon.

It means giving up an ordinary life. Is that all? Even if my reckless younger brothers cause trouble everywhere like Zuo Sha in the sect, I can’t even punish them because I’m the sect leader. It’s infuriating. Because I’m the Martial World Alliance Leader, it’s also irritating that the heads of sects and clans subtly keep tabs on me. And when major incidents occur, it’s often seen as the Alliance Leader’s incompetence that caused it. You must be powerful in martial arts and flawless. If word spreads that the Wulin Alliance Leader is ill, the entire martial world will be in an uproar. Because of the Demon Sect? No. People everywhere will rush to stake their claim for the next Alliance Leader position. It’s a position with far heavier responsibilities than you imagine. Since Zuo Si has set his sights on the martial world, he must want to be the Wulin Alliance Leader later. Am I right?”

Lee Ja-eon nodded.

“That would be good.”

Kwangma spoke as if offering advice to Lee Ja-eon.

“Yeah. Whether it’s ten years from now or twenty, you shouldn’t do it.”

“······.”

“You lack both the skill and the character for it. It would probably ruin the martial world.”

After spewing his tirade, the Madman watched Lee Ja-eon’s expression.

One would expect Lee Ja-eon’s face to flush red by now, but he showed absolutely no change in expression.

Instead, Lee Ja-eon looked at the Madman and grinned.

“I disagree. Skill can be cultivated, and character can be honed.”

“When will that ever happen? You, who were just about to break someone else’s window and run away? Ha ha ha.”

Lee Jae-eon filled the madman’s cup with the wine the waiter had just brought.

“Brother U-sa, just wait and see. My eldest brother wasn’t a saint from the start either. Drinking, fighting, gambling, frequenting brothels… he was worse than me. So we fought often. But he came to his senses. I learned from him that a good-for-nothing doesn’t always have to live that way. That’s why I like the martial world.”

“You like the martial world?”

“I do. Nobody knows who Lee Ja-eon is yet, right?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Change is the answer. Who will ease the grievances of the wronged? Only the chivalrous heroes will hear their tales. When the Samadui swarm and the number of those dying untimely deaths grows, who will stop it? The Martial Alliance steps forward. When the imperial court weakened and northern tribes rode south, who held them back? Again, the Martial Alliance held them back. When Japanese pirates invaded Zhejiang and Fujian, what did the imperial court do? The Imperial Alliance, a coalition of clans, stepped in. They even claimed the northern tribes wouldn’t advance into Shaanxi. Last year, when countless northern nomads mounted their horses and came down intending to plunder, who stopped them? The Huashan Sect, Zhongnan Sect, Taishan Sect, and Ban Yue Association—known for their strained relations—joined forces tightly and pushed up to the Shaanxi border. Black and white factions united. Whether black or white, aren’t they all martial artists in the end?”

The madman nodded.

“That’s true.”

Lee Ja-eon patted his chest.

Brother, if I don’t become a martial artist, I’ll be stuck at home poring over ledgers, checking inventory, studying commerce under the lamp, and agonizing daily over how to make more profit. It doesn’t suit my temperament, and our second brother is better at this sort of thing. There’s no need for me to step in. I will travel the martial world to ensure my second elder brother can lead the merchant guild well. That is how I will ultimately grow strong. Though our eldest elder brother is the Alliance Leader, what does that have to do with me? You are you, and I am me.”

Lee Ja-eon saluted in the direction of the Martial Alliance headquarters.

“The Lord has issued his command, and I am merely obeying it. Brother, have another cup.”

Lee Ja-eon poured more wine into Gwangma’s cup.

Guangma asked Lee Ja-eon, who wasn’t drinking.

“What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

Li Zayan glanced around before speaking with a confident expression.

“I live in the martial world, and I will die in the martial world. A man’s word is as good as gold.”

The Madman took a sip of his drink and stared intently at Lee Ja-eon.

‘This bastard’s the real deal, a true martial world rat.’

It wasn’t cheap bluster; he was genuinely brimming with swagger, which somehow made his impression and aura slightly different from when I first saw him.

‘Is this what it means to share blood with the current martial arts overlord?’

It felt like looking at a slightly madman in a different sense.

The Mad Monk cautiously inquired.

“Does our youngest left-hand man have any nicknames or aliases he goes by?”

Lee Ja-eon replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Ganghochung.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Ganghochung Lee Ja-eon. That is my alias now. It will become a former alias.”

Suddenly, Lee Ja-eon let out a snort of contempt toward the vast world.

Lee Ja-eon’s delusions were so firmly entrenched that the Madman found himself unconsciously picturing Lee Ja-eon triumphing across the martial world, only to shake his head as if belatedly snapping back to reality. That couldn’t be true.

Suddenly, the days spent with his senior brother, Cheolmyeongho, and Gwangshin came to mind.

Back then, he’d felt so bitter and angry, yet looking back, those days had been strangely enjoyable. Especially Gwangshin—in his heart, Gwangma considered him his true master. It was Gwangshin’s words that made him chew over things and begin to see the world differently.

Thanks to various circumstances and connections, Gang Ho-chung Lee Ja-eon now stared at him with a cocky expression. It was all the more surprising because in the past, this guy would have been beaten to death by him already.

The Madman asked.

“Do you know what my nickname is?”

Lee Ja-eon suddenly bowed his head and asked in a whispering tone.

“What is your nickname, Brother? I’ve been curious.”

Madman narrowed his eyes and deliberately whispered in a chilling tone.

“Madness, Gwang (狂). Demon, Ma (魔).”

Lee Ja-eon’s eyes widened in surprise.

Kwangma stared blankly at Lee Ja-eon’s startled expression. Frankly, he couldn’t predict Lee Ja-eon’s brain, so he dared not anticipate what reaction would come. Kwangma waited quietly for Lee Ja-eon to speak.

Lee Ja-eon whispered to Gwangma.

“Brother Gwangma, that’s a truly magnificent nickname.”

“Cool? What about it? Why?”

“Why? Well… you’re a mad demon. I’ll strive to become Little Mad Demon too.”

The Mad Demon blinked.

“Hmm.”

Only then, as people began climbing up to the second floor of the inn, did Lee Ja-eon fall silent. But his hands couldn’t stay still. Lee Ja-eon pointed at the Madman, then at himself, and finally thumped the table, mouthing these words:

“The Great and Small Madmen.”

As Lee Ja-eon smiled as if pleased, the Madman, suddenly overcome by an inexplicable urge to relieve himself, slapped his own cheek again.

He felt as if he had lost something to Jia Yan.

The Madman spoke to Lee Ja-eon as if making a request.

“From now on, you’d better listen carefully.”

Lee Ja-eon clasped his fists and replied.

“Yes, sir.”

The Madman sighed wearily as he gazed at the table. A sense of humiliation washed over him—he felt defeated by the Lee brothers. He felt outmatched by his elder brother’s martial prowess and by his younger brother’s pure madness.

.

.

.

“I heard you endured much hardship last year.”

Dan Woo-sung addressed the middle-aged man he was meeting privately. The middle-aged man replied in a relaxed tone.

“Hard work? What hard work… You and the Samshin seniors went through far more hardship before that. Master Yu did too. I’m sorry I couldn’t help. Driving out the northern raiders was something we could have stepped up to do anytime, but I spent so long holed up, claiming I needed to train. I reflected deeply on that back then.”

Dan Woosung nodded with a bright expression.

“Seeing you in such good health, I can only feel relieved.”

The middle-aged man spoke in a calm tone.

“Lord Myeongju, I have a request.”

“Speak.”

“The clan’s children won’t understand, but I’ll explain my intentions to you.”

Dan Woo-sung nodded.

“I will listen attentively.”

Before coming here, I relinquished the position of Grandmaster. Among the younger disciples who visited with me, the next Grandmaster will likely emerge. I wish to show them all what a contest truly is, how a duel at the highest level unfolds… I simply wish to leave it as a gift. This will be my final duel. I wish only my disciples and the observers you selected to know the outcome. It’s not that I fear the result. It’s simply that the world need not know such things. Whether you lose or I lose, that matters little. My wish is that the current leader of the martial arts world remains the greatest under heaven.”

Dan Woo-sung nodded.

“I understand your point clearly, Senior. The outcome of the duel is unimportant. It will serve as a valuable lesson for those watching. I will also limit the number of observers as much as possible. You may choose the location.”

“I’ll leave that to the leader.”

“Then I will decide. Please rest comfortably. I will consult with the military and select a quiet location.”

The middle-aged man and Dan Woo-seong rose simultaneously.

Dan Wooseong took the lead in bowing as he escorted the middle-aged man out.

“Senior, have a peaceful stay.”

As the middle-aged man opened the door to the leader’s chamber and stepped out, Hua Eun-wol entered with a smile.

Hwa Eun-wol exhaled deeply, as if she had been tense.

“Indeed, you’re a senior with real presence.”

Dan Woo-sung nodded.

“Exactly.”

Hwa Eun-wol asked.

“So, it’s a duel request after all?”

“Pick a place. It’s a private duel.”

“I’ll look into it.”

Hwa Eun-wol suddenly glanced at Dan Woo-sung’s expression and grinned.

“I will definitely be attending.”

“As you wish.”

“Though unofficial, it’s just like the championship to determine the world’s best.”

“Wasn’t I originally the best in the land?”

Hwa Eun-wol nodded.

“You are the undisputed leader, acknowledged by all.”

“But.”

Hwa Eun-wol said with a smile.

“Since the Three Sages retired first, he is officially the world’s greatest swordsman. He also occupies the second line in the new martial arts hierarchy we are compiling. After all, he is the Sword Saint, isn’t he?”

Dan Woo-sung looked at Hwa Eun-wol.

“Commander.”

“Yes.”

The leader smiled before replying thus.

“It is precisely because he is that Sword Saint that he accepted the challenge.”