Chapter 10. How Could a Sect Name Be...
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I gathered the scattered firewood and revived the embers to rekindle the campfire. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, but there was no time to find another place to sleep. I, too, had exhausted a great deal of my mental energy.
—You are a fellow whose depths are truly impossible to fathom.
"What is your complaint?"
—I cannot accept this. Are you saying you will not open a killing intent against a fellow alliance member?
"They had no intention of killing me either, did they? In the dusty world of martial arts, the one who crosses the line first is the one who loses."
—For someone who says that, you carried out your departure for Yeongneung in quite a radical manner.
"If I had stuck to normal methods, I would still be stuck in the alliance receiving physical training. Becoming a Branch Master would have been a pipe dream."
—That is, hmm. I cannot deny that.
One who only makes safe and rational choices can never stand above others.
Looking back, Jong Wi-cheon was at least a man who clearly understood that principle. I was merely the one who tried to dissuade him from the sidelines, only to end up following him.
—You wish to stand above others? If so, do you intend to eventually snatch the position of the Second Young Master, Jong Wi-ryang, as well?
I countered with a question.
"Do you know why Cao Cao kept Emperor Xian alive?"
—What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?
"There is nothing that proves legitimacy quite like bloodline. The reason Jong Wi-cheon and Jong Wi-ryang are able to compete on equal footing with big shots like Hall Masters and the Third Elder, despite their young age, is precisely because of that."
—You and your constant talk of the Three Kingdoms.
I hate to admit it, but Ghost Spirit was quite the storyteller. Considering he turned me—who loathed him even more than I loathed Myoseonja—into this, it was undeniable.
"Just by being born with the same bloodline as Jong Wi-cheon, Jong Wi-ryang is the man who can provide the roof I need most."
—So, you intend to keep growing your strength under his shadow for now?
"Exactly."
It was a shadow I would eventually have to step out of.
The grand cause I held in my heart could not be achieved by merely playing the role of someone else's second-in-command.
—Let us hear what this grand cause of yours is, then.
There was a story Alliance Leader Jong had once called me over to tell.
"Hall Master Mok, do you know why the Evil Path can never defeat the Righteous Sects?"
"Please, enlighten me."
"It is because we gather and disperse based on the logic of profit and hegemony."
An absolute master, hailed by the world as the Great Master of the Evil Path.
That man had asserted as much.
"The martial arts of the prestigious Righteous Sects, inherited and developed through generations, are far deeper and more profound than those of the Evil Path. Is that all? Even if one mocks it as hypocrisy, what truly moves people in the end is the logic of justification and righteousness. They spread beautiful names far and wide, gather and raise outstanding disciples, and produce brilliant masters. Is that not how the world of the Righteous Sects has continued for hundreds of years?"
The words that came from Alliance Leader Jong’s mouth were, paradoxically, a sign of envy toward the Righteous Sects.
"On the other hand, the sects of the Evil Path split and decline before they can even pass the second or third generation. It is because they lack a grand cause, lack justification, and worship only the logic of money and power. Once the moths gathered by such things have picked the sect clean, all that remains is an empty shell."
He was right. Even if a single absolute master were to unify the Evil Path by force, once that focal point died, they would scatter once more. Was that not how the Evil Path Alliance split into Peerless Fortress and the Ten Thousand Evil Alliance?
"I do not wish for the Ten Thousand Evil Alliance to become such a fleeting sect. I hope that one day, a single superhuman will appear in the dusty world of the Evil Path and become the true Great Sect Leader of the Evil Path. To achieve that, one must never be blinded by immediate profit and betray trust."
"I will keep that in mind."
A human's strength does not come solely from martial arts.
I respected the ideal he held twice as much as I respected his martial prowess.
"The Ten Thousand Evil Alliance must become even greater."
Not by the hands of Jong Wi-cheon, but by the hands of Alliance Leader Jong Yu-gang and myself.
"And then, finally, I will take revenge for Ghost Spirit."
I do not forget the grace I received from Ghost Spirit. It is my code of the Black Path to stake my life on the words I have once spoken.
"On the day I fail to do so, you may feed me poison."
—...Do you think I cannot do it?
I spoke to the soul trapped inside the small rabbit doll.
"You are the only one in the world who can do it."
Myoseonja nodded his small, round head.
—Mok Ju-gyeol, I shall watch your ending.
— — —
* * *
— — —
When the assassins of the Secret Pavilion returned like dogs with their tails between their legs, the reactions from the First Young Master's side and the Second Young Master's side were polar opposites.
"You lost?"
"I apologize."
"And you say the other one didn't even manage to attack? Am I hearing this correctly?"
The killing intent of the Hall Master of the Gold Treasury seemed as though it would tear them apart.
"Has the level of the Secret Pavilion fallen this low?"
"……!"
There was an excessive edge to the Hall Master of the Gold Treasury’s words, disparaging even other halls.
Even if they were members of the 'Guard Unit' organized solely for the First Young Master.
"Team Leader Jang."
"Please, speak."
However, they dared not show their dissatisfaction. They feared not the Hall Master of the Gold Treasury, but the First Young Master, who maintained an inscrutable silence behind the curtain.
"You said he not only knew you were coming, but also suppressed the fight in an instant without taking your lives?"
"Regrettably, that is so."
"What an absurd fellow."
The Hall Master of the Gold Treasury sighed.
"If he defeated the three of you, it means his martial prowess has already reached the first-rate level."
Truth aside, that was the only conclusion the Hall Master of the Gold Treasury could reach.
"From the start, that fellow was confident he could crush the assassins we sent."
The Hall Master of the Gold Treasury furrowed his brows.
"Is he truly a wanderer?"
'What kind of grudge could he possibly have to dare pick a fight with the First Young Master?'
Could he be a spy from another sect?
The existence of this ant with the surname Mok, who kept biting at his heels, remained incomprehensible to him.
"Leave."
Severed arms, missing eyes, feet dependent on prosthetics.
It was an order of expulsion devoid of any consideration or comfort for the subordinates who were retreating with indelible wounds.
They did not view the alliance members as human beings.
— — —
* * *
— — —
We finally arrived at Yeongneung County.
—Wow, it is magnificent.
The place that was said to have been left without a single blade of grass after the bloodbath was now boasting a splendor rivaling that of Cheongju County.
"Even so, it is one of the top major cities in Hunan Province."
Merchants bustling about, pavilions and stalls, inns and taverns and all sorts of shops, massive manors, carriages racing along the wide, straight roads.
This was the prosperity the Yeongneung County of the past had enjoyed.
—To think a city that boasted this much prosperity was destroyed in a single night. Is that even possible?
"That is why it was a rare, strange event in the world of martial arts."
—Anyway, what will you do from now on?
"I don't know either. I have no choice but to bump into things and see."
—Are you serious?
"Do I look like I know? Yeongneung County has never once been under the influence of the Ten Thousand Evil Alliance."
Furthermore, I was already locked in the Brain Prison when the Yeongneung bloodbath occurred. It meant I was not in a position to hear the ins and outs of the situation.
—You are a fellow with absolutely no plan.
"But this is the best I can do. Since ancient times, two conditions were needed to rise quickly."
—What conditions?
"A chaotic era, and immense military merit."
I know nothing of the martial world in Yeongneung County. However, they will have to get to know me from now on.
In this crowd, even a man talking to himself with a rabbit doll received no particular attention.
—What will you do from now on?
'I must seize the Black Path first, expand the business, and gather people. I will also make contact with the Hao Sect.'
—Just you alone?
'Strictly speaking, there are two of us.'
—Ahem. That is true.
'We are comrades, after all. In the same boat.'
—Comrades! That is a pleasant word to hear.
Myoseonja’s ears perked up. They were ears honest about their emotions.
—Still, shouldn't you know the current situation? Like whose territory is where, and how many factions there are.
'Of course.'
I, too, barely knew the names of the Sungwol Sect and the Black Wind Chamber, and I could not recall anything below that.
'But there is no need to wear out my shoes to find information.'
—Then?
'I must make the information roll in on its own.'
I walked slowly toward the darkness of the city. To the places where human traffic was sparse, where a foul stench mingled with the air, and where the sunlight did not reach.
'Myoseonja, do you know the easiest way for the Black Path to gather people?'
—If I knew that, I would be the Ghost Demon, not Myoseonja.
'It is simple. You cut off the head and seize the organization.'
—Hmph.
Myoseonja clicked his tongue.
—Your tone has changed completely. You heinous Evil Path scoundrel.
'Then did you think you were dealing with a saint?'
— — —
* * *
— — —
The atmosphere among the passing merchants began to change. Vagrants, idlers, and thugs sitting on the streets cast sinister glares.
"What is that?"
"Is he crazy? Why is he carrying a rabbit doll..."
"What a pathetic-looking doll."
"He looks normal enough, what a pity."
Myoseonja was offended.
—What are those bastards saying?
'Calm down. It is not like they are wrong.'
—Shut up! Whose side are you on?
'Why are you getting so angry?'
I walked through the streets in silence, waiting for rumors about some drifter to spread.
However, the situation did not wait for me so leisurely.
"Th-thief!"
"You crazy bastard, won't you let go?"
"Argh!"
A scream erupted from somewhere.
—What are those guys?
"Oh, no! Not that money!"
Several thugs were surrounding a middle-aged man clinging to his bundle and beating him.
"Those guys again."
"How pathetic."
"Foolish. If he had just stayed still, he wouldn't have even been hurt."
Just listening to the passersby was enough to understand how things were going.
'Trashy Black Path fellows of this neighborhood, I see.'
In other words, they were the ones I had been looking for.
—Shouldn't you help him?
'Myoseonja, it turns out you were a righteous hero.'
—Righteous hero, my foot. It is the heart of compassion that Mencius spoke of.
'Don't be shy. Just wait a moment.'
I approached the man standing there with a nonchalant expression.
"Excuse me."
"Huh?"
The guy glared at me immediately. I asked without caring.
"Why are you all just standing there watching?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Who the hell am I? That’s informal speech."
"You crazy— Argh!"
I threw my arm around the man’s shoulder and struck his Danjung Pressure Point.
"Only answer what I ask. Are they all with you?"
"Y-yes, that’s right. Please, just let me—"
When I released him, the man explained with a terrified expression.
"They, they are members of the Iron Fist Chamber. They make a living in this area by pickpocketing, soliciting, and extorting protection money."
"Third-rate trash. Are they doing this because they have someone backing them?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. That’s right. A group called the Black Water Society has a tight grip on this area, and—"
That was enough to grasp the situation.
"A bunch of small-time rats, meticulously ranking themselves."
They were the lowest of the low. A group that took subcontracts from the Black Water Society—hardly a sect, but rather a gathering of martial artists with nowhere else to go.
-Are you just going to watch?
Myoseonja asked urgently.
'Hardly.'
I picked up a stone and threw it.
*Thwack!*
The man who took the hit to the back of his head stiffened and collapsed on the spot.
"What the!"
"Which bastard dares!"
"It’s me."
I rushed forward and kicked one of them, sending him flying.
"!!!"
Seeing their comrade slammed into the wall, the Iron Fist Chamber members froze.
"If you’re going to pickpocket and get caught, the least you could do is return the goods and leave. That is the way of a thief. Or, you could have just drawn your blades and robbed him from the start."
I helped the man who had been beaten up to his feet.
"Th-thank you."
"Step back for a moment. I will retrieve your money."
"M-my lord!"
Then, a bald man who appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward.
"Little brother, do you even know who you’re dealing with?"
"Who are you, then?"
"You ask who we are?"
The bald man thumped his chest and replied proudly.
"I am known as the Iron-Headed Guest, the First Hall Master of the Iron Fist Chamber!"
"How can a sect be named the Iron Fist Chamber? That is truly pathetic."
Besides, isn't his nickname just a way of saying he has a stone-hard bald head?
'In any case, to have a nickname and yet spend your time extorting pocket change and pickpocketing in the neighborhood.'
These guys were so pathetic it was embarrassing to even call them martial artists, let alone members of the Evil Path.
'This works out perfectly.'
My plan was to take over a bottom-tier Evil Path organization and use them as a stepping stone to build my own power. These fools—whether they were the Iron Fist Chamber or the Iron-Head Chamber—seemed perfectly suited for that plan. Above all—
'These morons, I’ll have to rehabilitate every single one of them.'
It is because of people like these that the martial artists of the Evil Path get a bad name.
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