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Not Lost Even in Darkness (3)

We shared the joy of victory and reunion.

The ones who felt the triumph most keenly were undoubtedly the warriors of the Byeok Clan and the Song Family. Compared to the elite Black Panther Brigade, the battle had been far more perilous for them. Naturally, their joy in victory was immense.

Veterans like Seo-jung had seen many battles, but for some of the younger swordsmen, this was their first real fight. They would likely recount this battle with pride to future newcomers.

Both my father and Song Woo-kyung gained invaluable experience facing formidable opponents like Jeok-yo and the Blood Sword Master. It was likely the first time they had encountered such skilled adversaries.

With a look of deep emotion, my father spoke to me.

“You saved my life.”

“No, Father.”

“I never imagined you could wield the Sword of Will. Even now, it feels unreal.”

“Thanks to my master’s teachings, I reached the realm of the Sword of Will.”

Song Woo-kyung interjected with a smile.

“Reaching such a level isn’t just about having a good teacher. It’s your exceptional talent that made it possible.”

My father nodded in agreement. Normally, he would humbly attribute success to luck, but this time was different.

“I’m truly proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

For warriors like my father and Song Woo-kyung, their pride was justified. The Sword of Will was a pinnacle that most martial artists could only dream of.

Watching us with pride, my mother approached and embraced me tightly.

“Well done, my son.”

I hugged her back in silence.

What words were needed?

Alongside the joy of victory, there was the overwhelming happiness of reunion. Baek-pyo finally reunited with his wife and son after a long time. Even after arriving at the Byeok Clan, he had postponed seeing his family.

“Father!”

Myeong, noticing the change in his father’s demeanor, hesitated for a moment. But when Baek-pyo opened his arms, Myeong ran into his embrace. Seeing how much his son had grown, Baek-pyo was deeply moved.

From a distance, his wife, Jeong-yeong, smiled at him.

Baek-pyo’s heart swelled with emotion.

“My dear.”

She had always stood by him, allowing him to live freely according to his ideals and will. He was profoundly grateful to her.

Baek-pyo strode over and embraced her tightly.

“Thank you.”

Tears streamed down Jeong-yeong’s face.

For them, too, what words were necessary?

Baek-pyo held his wife and son close.

While fighting Seo Bul-pae, he thought of those he needed to protect. At the end of it all, the two most precious people were there.

I watched them, knowing Baek-pyo had delayed his reunion with his family to protect me. He was my protector, but I also had to protect him and his family.

I needed to become stronger. Only the strong can protect everyone.

At that moment, someone took my hand.

I turned to see Song Hwa-rin standing beside me, holding my hand tightly.

“I’m so relieved everyone is safe.”

“Yes.”

Words were scarce. Sometimes, joy is so overwhelming that words are unnecessary.

＊＊＊

“It seems the Blood Merchant has been defeated.”

The report from the Dark Shadow left the Dark Leader’s face frozen.

“Defeated, you say?”

“We’ve lost all contact with her.”

In the martial world, especially in an organization of this size, losing contact with those sent to kill usually meant one thing: annihilation.

“Didn’t the Blood Merchant gather all her subordinates for this?”

“Yes, she took Dan-wol, Jeok-yo, Hyeol-ru, Seo Bul-pae, and two hundred Blood Swords.”

“And yet they were defeated?”

“Yes.”

The Dark Leader’s expression shifted from disbelief to shock, anger, and fear.

“It’s like a nightmare come true.”

When they closed the Night Market two days ago, perhaps it was a foreseen outcome.

But there was faith that the Blood Merchant would handle it.

The Dark Leader sighed and stood, walking to the window and throwing it open, but his chest only felt tighter.

“Who are we really up against?”

“According to the Blood Merchant’s report, it’s Byeok Ri-dan of the Byeok Clan in Shandong.”

“All of them were defeated by a young upstart from a backwater clan?”

“Perhaps he’s more than he seems. Are we living under false pretenses?”

“Is he hiding his true identity?”

“Or perhaps he’s a hidden dragon ready to overturn the martial world.”

The problem wasn’t just Byeok Ri-dan. Cheon So-seon and Cheon Wang-gun had also vanished. Both were formidable in their own right.

Moreover, Ma Cheol-gun, the leader of the Martial Alliance, was constantly seeking to root out and eliminate their hidden forces. Since becoming the Dark Leader, this was the worst crisis he had faced.

“What will you do?”

When the Dark Leader remained silent, the Dark Shadow spoke.

“There is only one option. We must act directly. You must call upon the most trusted masters from the Dark Ten.”

The Dark Shadow’s words were true.

But even if the matter was resolved, he would no longer be able to remain as the Dark Leader. He would have to step down, let alone become the next Dark Leader.

‘Damn it.’

That was the one thing he wanted to avoid. Having been the Dark Leader for so long, the new leader would do anything to remove him, the thorn in their side.

The Dark Shadow tried to persuade him again.

“The survival of the underground world depends on this.”

But what use was that if he was dead?

The Dark Shadow understood the Dark Leader’s inner thoughts better than anyone. He knew how much the Dark Leader clung to his position.

He wanted to stop him. If things continued like this, everything would collapse. It was not something he desired either.

The Dark Leader still couldn’t make a decision, staring out the window in silence.

＊＊＊

We left Shandong and returned to Hubei.

There was no need to insist on staying at the Byeok Clan when my identity had been exposed. We needed to fight more flexibly.

I sent my mother and Jeong-yeong to a safe house on an island.

It was a place known to no one, ensuring their absolute safety as long as they stayed there.

Even the Blood Merchant had targeted our family in Shandong. If I hadn’t anticipated and arrived there, the outcome would have been dreadful.

I entrusted Song Hwa-rin with my mother’s safety.

“Please take care of my mother.”

Song Hwa-rin readily agreed.

“Of course, I’ll take good care of her.”

Having fought alongside my mother before, the two had grown close. Even without that, she wouldn’t have refused my request.

She was no longer the person she used to be. She fully understood how dangerous our enemies were and how foolish it was to let personal feelings interfere in handling matters of the martial world.

Of course, there was something that weighed on my mind. Baek-ryeon and Im Yeon-jeong were also there. With my mother and Song Hwa-rin, all the women around me were gathered in one place.

After sending them to the island, Gal Sa-ryang and I began a new project.

We first secured a new safe house far from Wuhan. It was to be a strategic base for our battles with the enemies.

It needed to be difficult to infiltrate but easy to escape from, and we found the perfect location. It was an abandoned martial arts hall that had closed due to financial difficulties.

I purchased it immediately. If we had fewer people, a small manor would suffice, but we needed to accommodate many.

A martial arts hall was ideal for housing many warriors without drawing attention.

Under Gal Sa-ryang’s direction, we installed the Black Shadow Formation around the hall. Having seen its effectiveness, we planned to set up a third formation perfectly.

While the formation was being set up outside, construction began inside to accommodate everyone.

We spared no expense on the construction. Using our own people ensured no rumors spread.

Both the Black Panther Brigade members involved in setting up the formation and the swordsmen working on the construction knew how crucial this task was. As a result, the work progressed swiftly.

＊＊＊

I sat cross-legged in the private training hall once used by the martial arts hall’s master.

Others might think I was meditating, but I was using the Heavenly Mind Technique to meet with the Heavenly Demon.

I had been too busy reorganizing internally and setting up the safe house to have a proper conversation with the Heavenly Demon.

Finally, today, we faced each other.

[We owe a debt of gratitude to this Heavenly Mind Technique.]

[Now that you mention it, what would you have done if the Blood Merchant hadn’t been drawn into the Heavenly Mind Technique?]

[I would have found another way.]

[You speak so easily.]

[Haha. But we succeeded, didn’t we?]

The moment the Blood Merchant perished was still vivid. The Heavenly Demon had screamed then, and thinking back, it must have been quite embarrassing for him.

[You must remember this. It was only because the opponent used dark arts that we could draw her into the Heavenly Mind Technique.]

[Because the Heavenly Mind Technique is a demonic art?]

[Exactly.]

It was due to the inherent weakness of dark arts against demonic arts. The Blood Merchant’s techniques were the pinnacle of dark arts, while the Heavenly Demon’s techniques were the pinnacle of demonic arts. The compatibility worked in our favor.

[Use it cautiously in the future.]

[Of course! It’s not just your life at stake.]

[Indeed, from my family to my subordinates…]

[No, I mean me. My life is at stake too!]

[Haha.]

I knew exactly what he meant. I just wanted to tease him a bit since it had been a while. In this regard, Cheonma was always a good sport about my jokes.

“How about a drink?”

“I’ve already got it ready. For our esteemed Cheonma who loves his liquor.”

I reached for the bottle I had set aside earlier. Cheonma’s eyes lit up at the sight of it, though he shot me a sidelong glance.

“You know, you really don’t treat me with the respect I deserve. It’s like you see me as… what, exactly?”

“Like a friend?”

“Exactly. Do you think I’m your friend, you little punk?”

“Why not? It’s nice to be friends.”

“Are you crazy? We’re not friends!”

Cheonma yelled, but I knew he didn’t really mind. I was just as pleased to have someone I could share my deepest thoughts with.

“If I teach you the Ma-shin Technique, you’ll probably respect me even less.”

“Are you planning to teach it to me?”

“I promised, didn’t I? Cheonma never breaks a promise.”

“That’s a relief.”

Then, Cheonma said something that took me by surprise.

“I’ll pass the Ma-shin Technique on to you.”

His eyes and expression were sincere. He truly intended to do it. I had always thought he would teach me someday, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. It was a quicker decision than I had anticipated.

“What made you decide that?”

“Seeing you this time, I realized you’re too weak.”

I chuckled, a bit incredulous. After all, I had managed to make him scream in surprise.

“Let’s go.”

“Go? Where to?”

“To receive the Ma-shin Technique.”

I understood then. The Ma-shin Technique wasn’t something that could be passed on through mere words. It required going to a specific place.

“How long will it take?”

“Who knows? It could be over quickly, or it might take months, years, or even a lifetime.”

Leaving now was a daunting prospect. I was in the middle of setting up a new hideout in Hubei, and there was no telling what the forces behind the blood merchant might do next.

“Why? Are you having second thoughts?”

“Of course not. Let’s go.”

If not today, then when? Opportunities must be seized when they arise. Delaying only leads to endless postponement.

I felt it in my bones—the Ma-shin Technique was destined for me. It was a feeling I’d had ever since Cheonma first mentioned it.

“Let’s wait until the first formation of the Black Abyss Array is complete. You can give me that much time, right?”

“Alright.”

When the maze formation was finally ready, I entrusted the rest to Galsaryang and Baekpyo and set out from the martial arts hall.

“Hey, just tell them you’re never coming back! At our age, who cares about peace in the martial world? Let them handle it and let’s go have fun. Drink with beautiful women in scenic places!”

Will such a day ever come? Even I’m curious about that future.

But for now, it’s time to learn the Ma-shin Technique.

“So, where are we headed?”

Cheonma answered succinctly.

“Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain.”