Will I Become a Typhoon? (2)
I returned to the safe house.
Everyone was unharmed. Thankfully, there was no need for any last-minute rescues.
This is the privilege of having capable and loyal subordinates like Galsaryang and Baekpyo. It’s a splendid gift wrapped in competence and loyalty, never failing to meet expectations.
Even amidst the chaos, they remained safe because they didn’t get involved in this matter.
Galsaryang didn’t attempt to save the other sects accused of being part of the demonic cult. He kept his subordinates in check and didn’t leave the safe house.
It seemed like the right decision. Had he tried to save them, our whereabouts would have been exposed, and the Byeok family and Song family would have faced annihilation as well.
No matter how skilled Baekpyo and the Black Tiger Brigade are, or how strong the sword brigades of both families are, they couldn’t have stopped the swarm of enemies. Even if they had, they wouldn’t have been able to handle Cheonsoseon’s faction.
Upon my return, I first greeted my father and Song Wookyung.
“I’m back, Father. Lord Song.”
“Welcome back.”
“You’ve done well.”
They greeted me with their usual warmth.
We talked about various matters afterward, mostly about the current situation that stirred worry and anger.
Who had died, who had shown unexpected sides, and who had revealed their true colors.
I listened quietly. After all, any decisions regarding this matter would have to be discussed with Galsaryang.
As I was about to leave the room, my father brought up an unexpected topic.
“Could you lend me some money? About three hundred thousand nyang.”
“Of course.”
“That’s a lot of money. Aren’t you agreeing too easily?”
“It’s beneficial for me, so I should lend it to you.”
“Beneficial for you?”
“I’ll be sure to collect interest. You’ll pay, right?”
“Of course. The closer the relationship, the more you should take care of each other.”
“You’re not the type to miss an interest payment, Father. And there’s no chance you’d default. Plus, we have a reliable witness here. It’s a great opportunity for me to earn money while sitting back.”
“Hahaha.”
My father laughed heartily.
Yes, he should enjoy having a wealthy son. I’d love to lend him a million nyang if he wanted, but that’s not what he desires. There’s no need to flaunt wealth unnecessarily or burden him by refusing interest. Just lend him what he needs and collect the interest.
Above all, I was grateful to my father. It must have been hard for him to ask for money, given his personality, but he did so comfortably. It was a sign of his growing trust in me.
I felt closer to my father as time went by, both as family and as fellow martial artists.
Song Wookyung watched us with a hint of envy.
No need to be too envious. Your daughter is growing by leaps and bounds every day.
“I’ll send the money through Gong Chong-gwan right away.”
“Aren’t you curious about what it’s for?”
“I won’t ask to protect the client’s privacy.”
“What? Hahaha!”
My father laughed again and then explained why he needed the money.
He planned to invest in the sword brigade. He wanted to buy better weapons, protective gear, and elixirs.
And he intended to use the remaining money to take care of the brigade members and their families. Being away from home, they must miss their loved ones dearly.
It seemed my father had learned a lot from this ordeal.
“You’re busy, so go ahead and take care of your work.”
“Yes, I’ll see you later.”
I felt reassured seeing the two of them together. Having a friend by your side during tough times is an invaluable source of strength.
As I left the main house, I found Gwangdu waiting in the yard.
“You must be busy, so you can skip the reunion joy with me.”
I gladly accepted the banter from the friend I hadn’t seen in a while.
“Oh dear. Has our affection cooled?”
“It’s more like our relationship has matured. We’ve realized that the best and most comfortable relationship is when we take a step back.”
I stared at his face for a moment before exclaiming.
“My goodness! You’ve been dumped, haven’t you?”
Gwangdu’s eyebrows drooped, and he put on a tearful face.
“Ugh, my lord!”
He had been getting along well with Suran, who was guarding Song Hwarin. But it seems things didn’t work out. Lately, Gwangdu’s love life has been a series of failures.
“What happened?”
“It’s because of you, my lord!”
“Because of me? Why?”
“She said that because of your relationship with Lady Song, we shouldn’t like each other. That we wouldn’t be able to serve you both properly if we couldn’t separate work and personal matters! It’s all your fault!”
“You don’t actually believe that ridiculous excuse, do you? You’re not that naive, are you? If you are, you’re crossing from innocence into foolishness.”
“Is that so…?”
“If she truly loved you, she would have suggested running away with you. If she was truly madly in love, she would have asked me and Rin to give up on love.”
“That’s insane.”
“Yes, even if not that extreme, she would have said, ‘Let’s work twice as hard given the situation.’”
“Sniff. You’re right. I think so too.”
Gwangdu hung his head low.
I sat beside him and asked cautiously.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“That’s crude.”
“Crude but important. Did you?”
”…No.”
“Hmm, maybe…”
“Maybe what?”
“Never mind.”
“Why do you stop mid-sentence? Please tell me.”
“Could it be that you keep failing in love because you keep missing the right timing?”
“The… right timing to… share love?”
I nodded seriously with a grave expression.
“Sometimes that’s very important too.”
“I just wanted to wait until I was sure.”
“Sure about what?”
“That she was my woman.”
“Then you’re saying you weren’t sure yet? Maybe they sensed that uncertainty in you. You might have thought you were being considerate, but they might have found it old-fashioned and frustrating.”
“Ah!”
Seeing the realization dawn on him, I stood up.
“Where are you going? Sniff, after tearing my heart apart with your harsh truths, are you just going to leave me with deep wounds?”
“I’m going to see Mother.”
“Yes, sir!”
Before heading to the safe house on the island where the women were, I met with Galsaryang and Baekpyo first.
“I’m truly glad to see you back safely.”
Both of them expressed relief and joy.
Galsaryang looked worn out. It seemed he had been through a lot while I was away. I should brew him a root of a potent herb.
Galsaryang recounted the recent events. It wasn’t just rumors or guesses; precise information flowed from his lips.
“According to what we discreetly learned through Jin and Su, the leader of the forces behind this, Cheonwanggun, took control of the Martial Alliance in less than a day.”
“In less than a day?”
I was taken aback.
“And he’s no longer an old man. He’s reappeared younger than Machulgun or Cheonsoseon.”
“Younger, you say?”
“Yes, it seems their grand scheme succeeded.”
Taking control of the Martial Alliance in such a short time meant his martial arts had surpassed human limits.
As my skills improved, so did the enemy’s. I suddenly recalled what the mysterious old man had said.
“The heavens are neither on the side of good nor evil. They always move for the balance and harmony of the martial world.”
I wanted to dismiss it as nonsense and deal with everything in one blow.
But it seemed necessary to accurately assess the enemy’s skills.
“Several sects have been annihilated.”
They were accused of being part of the demonic cult simply for not attending the Martial Alliance meeting. It was a witch hunt.
“They were helplessly defeated.”
“Don’t blame yourself too much. It wasn’t something a strategist could have prevented.”
“The problem is their intent. There’s no special reason for annihilating those sects.”
Galsaryang seemed more anxious than usual. It was evident on his face. Something was bothering him.
I pretended not to notice and listened calmly.
“They sacrificed innocent sects just to instill fear in everyone.”
If that was the reason, then they were the worst of the worst.
“Moreover, some orthodox sects rushed in like madmen, acting as their executioners. They must have some leverage over them.”
“They’ve even incited internal division.”
“Yes. Even the Cheonmang Association was in danger this time.”
“How did they escape the crisis?”
“I advised the head of the Cheonmang Association not to respond to the Martial Alliance’s invitation and to dive deep underwater with the organization. Fortunately, she took my advice, and they avoided the disaster.”
Of course, Galsaryang didn’t mention this to boast.
“Just thinking about it is terrifying. What if I hadn’t given that advice? What if she hadn’t accepted it?”
Galsaryang sighed. The reason for his unusual tension was revealed.
I smiled at him.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Our strategist has entered a new world.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The world of men who protect the women they love.”
Galsaryang was momentarily stunned before he jumped in surprise.
“Oh no! It’s not like that! It’s a misunderstanding!”
“Hahaha.”
Half-joking, half-serious, I said, “It’s not the time for jokes. But seriously, don’t let your guard down. He’s a vicious opponent. And incredibly strong.”
His voice trembled slightly. It was the first time I’d seen him like this.
“Are you afraid?”
“To be honest, yes. I’ve never faced an enemy like this in my life.”
Our most formidable enemy had been the Blood Heaven Cult. But even the Heavenly Demon hadn’t displayed such overwhelming martial prowess.
I turned to Baekpyo and asked, “What about you?”
He had been silently listening to our conversation.
“Before seeing you again, I felt the same as the strategist, but…”
“What about now?”
“My anxious heart has calmed down a bit.”
As expected, Baekpyo, who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, sensed that something had changed in me.
“Then you won’t be too surprised by what I’m about to say. I’m going to meet him.”
Galsaryang shouted in alarm.
“You can’t! Leader!”
Despite Galsaryang’s objections, I went to see him. It wasn’t out of arrogance about my skills or underestimating his. It was reconnaissance. I needed to see for myself what kind of person he was to devise a proper strategy.
The crux of this battle was whether I could kill him or not.
If I could, there was no need for a drawn-out conflict. I’d kill him and then hunt down the Dark General next.
No need for division or schemes. I planned to eliminate them all.
Fighting those who don’t understand reason or common sense would only lead to more casualties over time.
The Murim Alliance Leader’s Hall.
It used to seem like a daunting place to infiltrate.
But here I was, in broad daylight. Just as he had swiftly taken control of the Murim Alliance, I had easily made my way here. The once impenetrable defenses no longer held any meaning for me.
I didn’t need to interrogate anyone to find out where he was.
From afar, an overwhelming energy was emanating from the Leader’s Hall.
The moment I sensed it, something approached at an incredible speed.
A figure descended rapidly, having flown here in an instant.
It was Cheonwangun, who had arrived in just a single breath from the Leader’s Hall.
“What on earth is going on?”
Cheonsosun arrived shortly after, slightly out of breath.
Cheonwangun scanned the area, searching for any hidden presence. But he found nothing.
“There was something here.”
Standing by the window of the Leader’s Hall, he had sensed a disturbing energy from afar. It was intensely unsettling.
He had smashed through the window and flown here in an instant, but there was nothing. No trace of anything around.
“Was it a mistake? That can’t be.”
Cheonsosun spoke urgently.
“We should deploy the subordinates for a search operation…”
But Cheonwangun didn’t wait to hear the rest. He turned and walked back towards the Leader’s Hall.
Watching his cold, retreating figure, Cheonsosun bit her lip.
The distance between them was growing, just like the physical distance now separating them.
I was in the sky.
The moment I sensed him approaching, I used my martial arts to soar into the air. I was now at a height where he couldn’t detect me.
I couldn’t even see his form. Only the Leader’s Hall appeared small below.
I considered descending and smashing his head right then and there. I was confident I could win. But at the same time, I hesitated. Judging by his speed, his skills were formidable.
Yes, if there’s even a hint of doubt, it’s best to hold back for now.
In a flash, I was high above, using my martial arts to navigate the sky.
As I quickly left the area, I resolved to master my martial arts to the highest degree as soon as possible.
The more I perfected my skills, the higher the chances of defeating him.