Chapter 174
As per the old man Seok’s dying wish, Dakam had remained hidden in his refuge for six months.
When the six months passed, he emerged once more, bringing his younger brothers along, and came to the Biryong Thirteen Strongholds—where Sun Woojin was absent.
Seolpoong greeted him warmly.
Not only did he welcome him, but he also arranged a place for Dakam and his brothers to live on the northern side of the Biryong Thirteen Strongholds.
Sun Woojin felt as if all of this was fate.
The reason he had risked helping Dakam—who might have been a mere pawn of the Blood Sect—was because he believed that, when the time came to storm the Blood Sect, they would need a guide who knew the geography of the Yunnan jungles.
And now, didn’t it seem like that time had come?
At Sun Woojin’s question, the young Miao tribesman with an innocent face, who had been attending the meeting of the Seven Clans without fully understanding the situation, was startled and replied,
“Ah, Anu Mountain?! There are too many traps there! It’s way too dangerous!”
Despite his warning, Sun Woojin smiled gently and said,
“Of course there are many traps. I believe they’re making demonic beasts there. That’s why we have to go.”
“Ah, b-but still!”
Anu Mountain was the site of the infamous Muhwang Massacre.
Rumors had spread that the martial arts secrets of Muhwang were buried there, and greed for those secrets had sparked a horrific bloodbath.
That massacre had led to the downfall of the Jeomchang faction and turned Yunnan Province into the Blood Sect’s territory.
Sun Woojin had long suspected that demonic beasts were being created there.
His suspicion had solidified into certainty thanks to the head of the Iron Ghost he had sent to the Sichuan Gate last time.
Through Dang Ye-eun, they confirmed that the Iron Ghost was originally Zhang Gon of the Iron Faction, who had been active in Sichuan Province.
Zhang Gon was known to have died in the Muhwang Massacre.
Sun Woojin looked at the frightened Dakam and said again,
“We’ll protect you on the way, and only we will enter inside. So don’t worry about the danger. And Dakam, don’t you want to avenge Elder Seok?”
Dakam, who had been reluctant and scared, suddenly stiffened at Sun Woojin’s last words.
“Revenge on Tokno… you mean?”
“Yes, revenge on Tokno.”
Dakam’s expression slowly twisted into something fierce.
After a moment, gritting his teeth, he said to Sun Woojin,
“Is this revenge… something we can be sure of?”
Sun Woojin nodded firmly.
“If we can storm the place where they’re making demonic beasts, there’s no greater revenge than that.”
At those words, Dakam clenched his teeth and nodded.
“Understood! I will guide you!”
With their guide secured, Sun Woojin looked sharply at the others and said,
“No matter what, we can’t just charge in head-on. This time, we must infiltrate quietly and rescue our comrades first. So only those skilled in divine arts and stealth can go. Seolpoong, Bisa-young, and me. The three of us will go.”
Seolpoong nodded silently, his eyes blazing like a wild beast.
Bisa-young chuckled softly.
“Storming the Blood Sect, huh? Looks like I’m going to die young because of a bad friend. Ah, scary. So scary.”
But even as he said that, his eyes shone fiercely.
Anu Mountain’s Muhwang Massacre had also brought down his own sect, the Bishong Sect.
So Bisa-young’s determination to go there burned brightly.
With the team finalized, Sun Woojin concluded the meeting.
“Prepare to depart. We don’t know the situation of our comrades, so we can’t afford to waste time. We’ll leave in one hour…”
At that moment, a new member of the Seven Clans, Hyeopyeon Seosi Ya Unhyang, who had been quietly listening, interrupted.
“Take me with you. My divine arts are quite useful. I can also use stealth.”
Sun Woojin looked at her for a moment, then silently turned to Seolpoong and Bisa-young.
Bisa-young cleared his throat and replied,
“She’s not quite up to par yet, but she can barely keep up. I taught her the Cheonpung Divine Art.”
At that, Sun Woojin’s eyes widened.
Bisa-young wouldn’t teach the Cheonpung Divine Art to just anyone; it meant he trusted her deeply.
From what he’d seen, Ya Unhyang didn’t seem very sociable, so it was surprising she’d earned that level of trust so quickly.
In any case, if Bisa-young approved, there was no reason to refuse such a top-tier expert.
Sun Woojin nodded.
“Alright then, Ya Sojeo, Dakam, the five of us will go together.”
Thus, the first Blood Sect expedition team was formed since the Great Blood War.
After the meeting, Sun Woojin headed straight to the Seven Clans’ warehouse to retrieve the elixirs.
Despite the tight schedule, he had allowed an hour’s leeway to take the elixirs.
“Hmph, half of the elixirs are already gone,” he muttered as he took out a considerable amount.
During his last fight with Am Hyeopyang, he had kicked away the chance to leap over the wall and instead went to rescue the ronin.
He thought it might be a long time before he got another chance to cross the wall.
Such opportunities didn’t come often.
But his expectation had been wrong.
Right after, relying on Mukrang’s will during the battle with Am Hyeopyang, he had crossed the wall effortlessly.
Mukrang, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke cheerfully to Sun Woojin.
“One more step and you’ll reach the pinnacle. Congratulations.”
Whether that could be called “one step” was questionable, but his growth had been frighteningly fast.
In less than a year, he had advanced from second-tier to the brink of the pinnacle.
Sun Woojin let out a wry smile and replied,
“That’s all thanks to Elder Geomshin.”
That was the undeniable truth.
All his progress beyond the pinnacle was due to the memories of fighting alongside Geomshin during the battle with Georyeokma.
This latest advancement was also thanks to the sensations Geomshin had moved his body to provide.
Everything Mukrang had shown during the fight with Am Hyeopyang was awe-inspiring.
It felt like experiencing the senses of an absolute being firsthand.
Especially the cataclysmic power displayed through Mukrang’s swordsmanship…
After experiencing that, it would be abnormal not to advance.
Mukrang smiled and said,
“You passed my test, so the reward is natural. It’s not thanks to me, but to your own efforts. And just call me Mukrang. Geomshin is dead; it feels wrong for a mere shadow like me to be called that.”
“Understood, Elder Mukrang.”
After their conversation, Sun Woojin took the elixirs and began circulating his energy.
This time, he used the Mukrang Heart Method taught by Mukrang, not the Honwon Mugukgong of the Sunwoo family.
Soon, a shimmering aura began to rise from his body.
The energy gathered above his head, taking the shape of a howling wolf.
Then, in an instant, it was drawn back into his nostrils.
Sun Woojin opened his eyes with a deeper, sharper gaze.
He murmured, moved,
“This feels like a hundred years’ worth of internal energy.”
Even without using the Wolha Hwan Geommu technique, it felt as if everything around him was within his senses.
A thrill and omnipotence that made him feel capable of anything.
Within that sensation, Sun Woojin was certain that now was the time to strike the Blood Sect.
If he used Wolha Hwan Geommu in this state, even Am Hyeopyang could be faced again.
Besides, Mukrang’s direct intervention was still available twice more.
“Cheongyeon Sojeo.”
Sun Woojin suddenly thought of Hae Cheongyeon.
The three captured by the Blood Sect were Hae Cheongyeon, Nasa Yu, and Sak Muhun.
Naturally, Nasa Yu would come to mind first, but strangely, Hae Cheongyeon’s face filled his thoughts.
She had always been someone he was grateful to and yet felt regretful about.
Only after she disappeared did he realize how much she had helped and cared for him.
He regretted not appreciating her while she was by his side, and even more that he hadn’t been able to repay her, which had driven them apart.
He couldn’t just let her go like this.
“Please wait for me, Cheongyeon Sojeo. This time… I promise.”
As he thought this and headed to the meeting point, Cheon Joo-eun, who had been standing anxiously, spotted him and ran over.
“Cheon Sojeo?”
Seeing her face, Sun Woojin felt a bit awkward.
He expected she would ask to come along.
Her skills were currently top-tier first rank, and she had improved a lot, but he couldn’t take her on this expedition.
But what she said was different from what he expected.
“Sunwoo Gongja, I have something to tell you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
She hesitated, avoiding his gaze for a moment before struggling to speak.
“I’ve thought about this a lot. I’m not sure if I should say it.”
Her hesitation made Sun Woojin’s eyes widen.
“What is it? Why are you hesitating?”
Then, Cheon Joo-eun looked him straight in the eyes and said,
“Cheongyeon unni has feelings for you.”
“…What?”
Hearing that, Sun Woojin couldn’t help but doubt his ears for a moment.
It was just too unexpected.
So Cheon Joo-eun, sounding frustrated, repeated herself.
“Cheong-yeon unni is in love with Lord Sun-woo! And deeply so!”
Sun-woo Jin, who had been momentarily stunned by those words, soon let out a wry smile and replied.
“Don’t joke with me, young lady. Cheong-yeon, daughter of the Sword Saint and the most beautiful and talented woman in the land—what could she possibly lack that she’d fall for someone like me? You don’t have to say it like that. Even without those words, I’d risk my life to protect Cheong-yeon.”
Cheon Joo-eun, still sounding exasperated, pressed her hand to her chest and sighed deeply, nodding.
“I knew you’d take it that way. But that’s why Cheong-yeon has been like that…”
Then, glaring at Sun-woo Jin, she said,
“Cheong-yeon has loved you from the very beginning. Even before you came to the front lines, before you lost any weight. Don’t you see? If that weren’t true, why would the most beautiful and talented woman in the world stick so close to you and take such care of you? She’s not usually that considerate, is she?”
“…Well.”
Those words hit Sun-woo Jin like a thunderbolt.
It was something he had never even considered before.
Cheon Joo-eun’s words were undeniably true.
Hae Cheong-yeon was talented, yes, but unlike Na Seo-yu, she wasn’t the type to fuss over others.
‘For some reason, she followed me all the way to the front lines. Later, after seeing Hyo-gwi, she decided not to back down—but at first…’
Even after arriving at the front, it was the same.
She wasn’t exactly sociable, yet she stuck by him, even if it caused misunderstandings.
Could it be that the reason was…
It felt like a picture he’d never imagined was slowly coming into focus.
‘Come to think of it, I did wonder if maybe, someday, I’d be with her. But she was so beautiful and extraordinary that I just laughed it off as impossible…’
Suddenly, he recalled the moment she lifted her head and revealed her face.
Her almost mystical beauty, the wise expressions she wore when sharing her thoughts.
Sun-woo Jin muttered in a daze,
“She… loved me?”
Dang Yeo-eun had gone to see Dang Jeong-hoo, the head of the Dang family, to discuss her return from leave.
But when she arrived at his office, she found Hong Sa Geom-ryong, On Je-ung, already there for some reason.
A chill ran down her spine, and her expression stiffened just as Dang Jeong-hoo spoke coldly.
“That fellow clearly can’t keep his promises. You won’t have any objections to betrothing yourself to Lord On now, will you?”
Dang Yeo-eun clenched her teeth, realizing her worst fears were coming true, and looked at On Je-ung.
He stood beside the family head, wearing a greedy smile as he appraised her beautiful face and figure.
Dang Yeo-eun had always been a good daughter, obedient to her parents, raised to follow the family’s orders without question.
So with Sun-woo Jin nowhere nearby, she couldn’t possibly refuse her father’s demand to marry.
At least, that’s how the old Dang Yeo-eun would have acted.
But not the Dang Yeo-eun of now.
She answered politely but firmly.
“I’m sorry, Family Head. I cannot betroth myself to Lord On.”
Dang Jeong-hoo’s face instantly hardened, his cold aura intensifying as he demanded,
“What did you just say?”
But the reply didn’t come from Dang Yeo-eun.
Instead, another voice answered.
“I said she will not marry that man. I cannot allow my great-granddaughter to be wed to someone like him.”
The speaker was none other than Yang Moon-heon, the White Crane Elder Sword, one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, who had been staying at the Outer Dang Forest.
Behind him followed two other legendary masters: Hong Hae-ah Jeung-chil and the wandering swordsman Byeok Ri-jung.
Dang Jeong-hoo was utterly shocked.
‘How could I have been completely unaware of their presence?’
He could understand missing the presence of Yang Moon-heon, a supreme master among the Thirty-Six Stars.
But to have been oblivious even to Hong Hae-ah Jeung-chil and Byeok Ri-jung, whom he considered equals?
Perhaps they were far stronger than he had imagined.
‘And my great-granddaughter?’
That phrase hit him even harder.
Dang Jeong-hoo swallowed hard and asked,
“Are you saying that Elder No has taken this girl as his great-granddaughter?”
Yang Moon-heon nodded with a gentle smile.
“Yes. I hold her talent and character in high regard and have accepted her as my great-granddaughter. I apologize for not informing you sooner. But surely you wouldn’t intend to marry my great-granddaughter off to that kind of man, Family Head Dang?”
Dang Jeong-hoo, momentarily stunned, quickly gathered his thoughts.
Yang Moon-heon was one of the Thirty-Six Stars and boasted the second greatest martial prowess among all warriors in the Dang family.
Though he resided with the Dang family, he was beyond Dang Jeong-hoo’s authority.
They should be grateful he stayed even briefly; they could neither demand nor oppose him.
And now, Yang Moon-heon had taken Dang Yeo-eun as his great-granddaughter.
Immediately, Dang Jeong-hoo realized,
‘This could bring the Dang family and him much closer!’
It was something he could only welcome with open arms.
Yang Moon-heon was a master far beyond the likes of the Hong Sword Sect.
For that reason, Dang Yeo-eun’s value in Dang Jeong-hoo’s eyes skyrocketed.
He smiled faintly and replied,
“Of course. How could I possibly marry Elder No’s great-granddaughter to some sword sect? I will leave everything concerning her to you, Elder No.”
His attitude had shifted at lightning speed.
On Je-ung, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, looked at Dang Jeong-hoo in disbelief.
“F-Family Head Dang?!”
But Dang Jeong-hoo only gave him a cold glare and issued a dismissal.
“We’ll discuss your marriage later. For now, leave.”
“B-But I…”
On Je-ung was flustered and frustrated, but with the family head’s decision made, there was nothing he could do.
He could only open his mouth in protest before bowing his head and leaving.
Afterward, Dang Yeo-eun hurried to the front lines.
She was accompanied by Yang Moon-heon, Jeung-chil, and Byeok Ri-jung, who had offered to look after her.
When she arrived, the front lines were in chaos.
She soon learned not only of the Sword Saint’s death but also that Sun-woo Jin’s comrades had been kidnapped by the Gu Yu Eumma and Ji Gi-eum.
‘Jin…’
Dang Yeo-eun couldn’t bear the worry.
She knew well how much he respected and followed the Sword Saint, and how deeply he cared for the seven squad members.
So as soon as she reached the Flying Dragon’s Thirty-Three Generals, she rushed to find Sun-woo Jin.
Having first met Seol Poong, she learned that Sun-woo Jin was planning to storm the Blood Sect and was currently in the warehouse.
Dang Yeo-eun hurried to the Seventh Squad’s warehouse.
Her mind was filled only with the desire to comfort Sun-woo Jin.
But just as she spotted him talking with Cheon Joo-eun, what she heard was something she never could have imagined.
“Cheong-yeon unni is in love with Lord Sun-woo.”
Dang Yeo-eun froze on the spot.