Chapter 41 Zhi Huogui (2)

Chapter 41 Zhi Huogui (2)

‘What is that?’

Thump!

Bai Qingyi’s heart raced wildly.

His chest felt even more overwhelmed than when he had witnessed his father, the Black Dragon Sect Leader’s martial prowess.

It felt like witnessing something that had broken free from conventional martial arts, like seeing a butterfly just emerging from its cocoon.

‘I want to break it.’

Baek Cheong-il felt a fierce desire as he watched the Six Harmonies, One Path, Ten Directions unfold from Gu Yang-jeok’s blade.

He didn’t want to retreat.

From the moment he resolved this, the momentum of the King of the Ho grew even stronger.

As if devouring a human body would be effortless.

The internal energy surging from Baek Cheong-il’s dantian rippled.

“……”

Gu Yangjeok maintained a calm expression even as he observed this.

Yukhap—heaven and earth. Pointing to the four cardinal directions.

Iljiwan—the one that strives solely toward perfection.

Beyond one (一) and six (六) lies seven (七).

Seven cannot achieve perfection on its own, so it is discarded. That was the darkness excluded from Yukhap.

The subsequent Eight, a number that bites its own tail and drags itself along, repeating infinity.

If that is not perfection, then what is?

A bud reminiscent of a plum blossom began to form at the tip of Chamhyun’s blade.

Seeing this, satisfaction gradually spread across Baek Cheong-il’s face.

“Good, very good!”

Was this the miracle drawn by Hosung-sim?

The Ho Wang Ji Gong energy enveloping Baek Cheong-il’s entire body gradually shrank, then attached itself as if replacing his lost arm.

Baek Cheong-il watched it with wonder, then lightly swung his arm.

‘I don’t know if I can truly consider this my real arm.’

But for now, it was good.

‘Now I have a means to face that man.’

To delay any longer would be shameful, like a burning youngster.

Kwaaang!

The clash of Cham-hyeon and Baek Cheong-il’s arms echoed with a massive boom.

Gu Yang-jeok grimaced at the tingling sensation in his wrist.

A groan followed immediately.

“Didn’t you say the arm growing back was a lie?”

“Did you believe the words of the heretics? Ha ha!”

Indeed, those words proved true. Gu Yangjeok immediately unleashed his sword technique.

The Six Harmonies United as One is perfection itself.

Wherever it strikes, it is unbroken and flawless.

It was a continuous strike that would not end unless he himself stopped it.

Had he instinctively grasped this?

Suddenly calling out from behind, Baek Cheong-il swung his left hand, hurling the table and chairs toward Gu Yang-jeok.

Smash! Crack!

Watching them instantly cleaved by the sword energy unleashed by Cham-hyeon, a bitter sound escaped Baek Cheong-il’s lips.

“Huh…!”

‘That’s cheating.’

Not only did he possess such skill at that age, but he also wielded a legendary sword he’d never seen before.

Baek Cheong-il unconsciously licked his lips with his tongue.

The sword energy that flew as Cham-hyeon sliced through the table seemed to have lightly grazed his lip.

“Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Bending his knees and thrusting off the ground, Baek Cheong-il charged straight at Gu Yang-jeok.

His momentum was fierce, bordering on menacing.

Baek Cheong-il—his martial arts skills might be inferior to the absolute masters, but his mental fortitude was said to rival theirs.

‘Perhaps it’s fortunate this ends here.’

Gyu Yang-jeok calmly

What began with the Golden Ring Society had now reached this point.

Therefore, it would end here.

Just as the sword gleamed with a sharp light.

Whoosh-!

Baek Cheong-il pivoted on his right foot and soared toward the ceiling. Gu Yang-jeok let out a startled cry.

Unconventional.

Above all, savage.

“Kraaah!”

Baek Cheong-il roared, nearly shattering the ceiling with his foot as he plummeted vertically.

In that instant, Gu Yang-jeok realized the arm formed by the Tiger King’s Palm had vanished.

“Tiger Dragon Fang!”

And seeing Baek Cheong-il confidently shout the technique’s name, he understood it was his signature move.

But Gu Yangji did not unleash another technique.

He merely channeled even greater internal energy into the sword strike.

“…Impossible?!”

Baek Cheong-il, startled by the suddenly extended sword energy, twisted his body mid-air to dodge.

But it was already too late.

Thud!

The sword pierced Bai Qingyi’s right chest. Even the slightest swing from Gu Yangji would have instantly killed him.

Unable to breathe properly, further resistance was pointless.

Bai Qingyi spat out the blood pooling at his mouth.

Clearing his throat like that, he could finally piece together how the situation had unfolded.

“Damn… bastard. Did you inherit that much martial skill and inner strength too? You should’ve taken revenge in moderation!”

“You know that’s practically what you brought upon yourself, right?”

At those words, Baek Cheong-il gave a pained smile.

“That’s true. Damn it, I’m going to blow that bastard Ha Jin-ak’s head off.”

Gu Yangjie’s expression hardened.

“Do you want to die right now?”

“Well, even if you kill me, you’ll just tear my body to shreds and scatter it to the winds anyway.”

Wheel-Splitting.

Knowing he would face the most humiliating punishment imaginable for a martial artist, Baek Cheong-il slowly shook his head.

“But that doesn’t really appeal to me.”

“I don’t have that authority.”

“Oh, there’s something I can do right here.”

Baek Cheong-il’s eyes slowly closed.

He felt death, unavoidable even with his immense internal energy, gradually constricting his entire body.

“Don’t ask questions. Just burn me.”

“……?”

“There are still so many places in this world I haven’t seen…….”

Thud.

Baek Cheong-il dropped his head, appearing to depart this world without a single regret.

But Gu Yang-jeok knew.

He knew that beneath that seemingly calm expression lay countless calculations.

‘Asking to be burned, that must mean he doesn’t want to leave any traces behind in the Black Dragon Sect.’

Gu Yangjie shook his head lightly.

“The words were quite poetic, but that won’t do.”

Swoosh…….

Gu Yangjie grabbed Baek Cheong-il’s collar and dragged him out of the inn.

“I’m done for…….”

After that, for some reason, it felt like the innkeeper’s backbiting could be heard.

* * *

“Has this ever happened before?”

Black Dragon Sect Leader Bai Yunhuan’s face had turned ashen, its original blackness now completely gone.

No matter what happened, no matter the difficulty, Baek Cheong-il had always kept in constant contact.

Yet, still, no word had come from him.

A single possibility suddenly formed in Bai Yunhuan’s mind.

The Shaanxi branch had been destroyed, and now, amidst the chaos, the county chief was dead.

This was a major incident.

The Black Dragon Sect’s reputation would plummet, and the enemies who had always viewed them unfavorably would surely launch their attacks.

‘Time is needed, time.’

Gazing out the window, Baek Un-hwan found himself unconsciously glancing sideways at the messenger bird perched on his desk.

Only three days remained.

If they couldn’t capture Gu Yangji within that time, the Black Dragon Sect would never rise again.

“……”

After a long period of deep contemplation, Baek Unhwan summoned the elder who was waiting.

“Elder Heukung.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Is there anything at the Shaanxi branch that could be considered critical?”

At those words, Heukung narrowed his eyes.

“Well… to be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself. There was always something about Young Master Bai that suggested he might act independently of us.”

“That’s true. He was the one who first proposed the Shaanxi branch.”

As Baek Un-hwan sank briefly into melancholy, Heukung interpreted it as the worry a parent feels for their child.

But the words that followed were different.

“It was just too obvious how he was gathering only those loyal to himself to scheme… Heh heh…”

“Master, you knew about this?”

“How could I not?”

Baek Unhwan smiled bitterly.

“Sometimes, I even wondered if I should have killed that boy before he grew any bigger.”

Was this cold-heartedness?

Or was it the authority befitting the head of the sect?

Heukung fell silent for a moment, watching Baek Unhwan, who had sunk into a cold stillness.

At times like this, a brief silence was worth more than a hundred words.

Then Baek Unhwan spoke.

“That’s why I like Elder Heukung.”

“……”

“Didn’t you barely support Cheong-il?”

At those words, Heukung bowed his head slightly.

“With the Sado faction leader of Gangbuk before us, how could I serve a worm?”

“Kkuk, kkukkkukkkuk…….”

Outwardly, he pretends to be loyal and wins people’s trust with his taciturnity, but he absolutely never follows a loser.

Whenever he saw this Black Bear, the thought that he must deal with him someday would suddenly arise, but Baek Un-hwan managed to restrain himself.

Now was not the time.

‘He must have prepared double or triple safeguards to protect himself.’

Baek Un-hwan’s shoulders shrugged.

“From what you’ve observed… do you think the Shaanxi branch has done anything that might burden the main house?”

At those words, Heukung let out an uncharacteristic laugh.

“Who do you think Baek Hyangju learned from?”

“That’s true.”

Baek Unhwan cast aside his last shred of affection for Baek Cheong-il.

“Dispose of everything related to the Shaanxi branch.”

“Including people?”

Bai Yunhuan’s face turned cold. He felt a slight displeasure at the current situation.

Blood ties?

What did that matter?

Even if it was his cherished eldest son, if he became an obstacle to the Black Dragon Sect, the answer was to eliminate him without mercy.

No, this was the perfect opportunity to eliminate his remaining second son as well.

Baek Un-hwan instructed Heukung.

“Yes, dispose of that bastard Baek Dong-il too.”

CRACK!

The paper ball inscribed with “Three Days” in Baek Un-hwan’s hand shattered into dozens of pieces.

Meanwhile, the man unaware he was facing death, Baek Dong-il, was belatedly entering the city of Chang’an.

Unlike his elder brother Baek Cheong-il, he appeared somewhat weak and had a gaunt physique.

He was even timid, hardly seeming like the legitimate heir of the Sado Paeju.

‘…What if someone recognizes me?’

He tightly wrapped his collar around his face.

He did this even while wearing a face mask.

Finally reaching the front of the Shaanxi branch, Baek Dong-il gazed at the ruined Black Dragon Sect Shaanxi branch with a look of utter desolation.

“This can’t be…”

The intensity of his emotion was so strong that even passing pedestrians could faintly sense it.

Most assumed it was just some fool who worshipped the Dark Sect overreacting, but a handful of martial artists were already watching Baek Dong-il closely.

Baek Dong-il, however, remained unaware.

“Then where on earth is my elder brother?”

Baek Dong-il wandered all over Chang’an with a drunken gait.

These were all sights Baek Cheong-il had shown him when he visited last time.

A route bordering on mere sightseeing.

As an hour passed and a second hour neared, even the martial artists watching him grew impatient and headed elsewhere.

Then, Baek Dong-il’s eyebrows furrowed.

The very faint scent characteristic of the Black Dragon Clan was wafting from nearby.

‘Is he nearby?’

Thump, thump.

Baek Dong-il turned his steps toward the source of the scent.

His elder brother, Baek Cheong-il, had told him to act without concern for others’ eyes, at least within the capital.

Thus, his footsteps held no hesitation.

‘But something feels off.’

Baek Dong-il halted his steps, separated by an alleyway.

This wasn’t the sort of place Baek Cheong-il would frequent.

It was damp and narrow.

There was barely enough space for one person to pass, let alone a major thoroughfare. There was no way the Red-cloaked Demon would come here.

Just then, someone about to pass through the alley suddenly asked Baek Dong-il.

“Who are you?”

Turning around, Baek Dong-il looked at the hand of the one who had called out to him and gasped in shock.

“Who are you, then! Who are you to…”

Baek Dong-il clenched his teeth tightly.

“To drag my elder brother around with such insolence!”

“Did Jik Ho-gwi have a younger brother?”

Seeing Baek Dong-il fall silent at those words, Gu Yang-jeok was certain.

“What? Looks like he really is the one.”

They said the Black Dragon Sect Leader had only one legitimate son, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

Gu Yangjie suddenly thought of a clever plan and chuckled softly.