Chapter 196

For some reason, Mukrang was showing a deep interest in the Haenam faction.

I wondered if there might be some past connection, so I cautiously asked him.

“Do you happen to have any ties to the Haenam faction?”

He gave a somewhat bitter smile and replied,

“Ties, huh… yes, there was something. Long ago, a cocky kid from the Haenam branch of the Haenam Twelve came to me seeking guidance. He boasted that if I trained him, one day he and his elder brother would surpass me and protect the peace of the martial world. A real thunderstruck brat, that one.”

The Haenam branch was a prestigious family within the Haenam faction, which was made up of twelve clans, and had long produced its leaders.

Now that I thought about it, I’d heard that the Haenam branch’s leadership had been established since the era of Namhae Sword King Injeongho…

I asked him suddenly,

“By any chance, was that ‘thunderstruck brat’ named…?”

“Huh? That kid? It’s been so long, you probably wouldn’t know. His name was Injeongho.”

I choked on my breath.

Talking with Mukrang was always tough—his standards were so high it was hard to keep up.

Namhae Sword King Injeongho was an absolute figure, recognized as the greatest swordsman and person of his generation, following the likes of the Martial God, Thunder God, and Sword God.

And yet, Mukrang remembered Injeongho as just some reckless kid…

Mukrang looked at me and asked,

“From your reaction, I take it you know the name?”

“Yes. After the elder passed, he was called the Namhae Sword King, an absolute figure.”

Mukrang scoffed.

“Hmph! He talked big about joining the ranks of the legendary swordsmen but ended up with nothing more than the title of Sword King. Just a cocky brat, after all.”

“Just a Sword King…” I thought, feeling a bit hurt.

If I had even that title, I’d probably be over the moon.

Anyway, I explained to him.

“Actually, people at the time revered him as the Namhae Sword Emperor, but he refused the title. He said he wasn’t even close to the Sword God’s level and didn’t deserve such an honor.”

That was true.

He had spent his life admiring the Thunder God and Sword God, striving to follow not only their martial arts but their very footsteps.

Mukrang murmured softly,

“Is that so? That brat…”

There was a hint of loneliness in his voice.

But soon after, he asked again,

“But how did the descendants of such a guy end up as a pirate gang? What’s the story there?”

“Well, from what I know…”

The Haenam faction’s decline began about ten years ago, around the same time as the Wuhuang Bloodshed.

I’m not sure of all the details, but it seems the Haenam branch’s leader at the time was in a very bad position.

Among the twelve clans, the Haenam Jin family, known for its strong military power, aggressively rose as a threat to the Haenam branch.

So the Haenam branch and Haenam Jin family ended up competing for leadership of the Haenam faction.

Since the leader was chosen by the heads of the twelve clans through a vote, gaining support from other clans was essential.

But then, disaster struck for the Haenam branch.

The clan head, In Gyeun, got caught up in scandal.

“There were many rumors. At first, it was about a woman—an accusation that he had a long-term affair with a widow from another clan, which was a bombshell revelation. Then, other rumors followed: suspicions of contract killings, embezzlement of faction funds for personal use, and so on.”

“Wow! Was any of that true?”

“In Gyeun always denied it and tried to prove his innocence, but the rumors spread faster than he could clear his name. Eventually, other clans turned their backs on him. Since you needed their support to become leader, he was pushed to the brink.”

In the end, he was never able to prove his innocence.

One day, he suddenly disappeared along with his close aides.

“Disappeared?”

“Yes. Not only In Gyeun but also his followers from the Haenam branch vanished without a trace, along with the faction’s heirloom—the White Tiger Sword.”

“Hmm, and after that?”

“Of course, the head of the Haenam Jin family, Jin Taedo, became the leader. And… he revealed his true colors.”

After becoming leader, Jin Taedo declared not a path of chivalry but one of tyranny.

He announced he would rule the South Sea by force.

He then coaxed and subdued many pirate groups that had opposed the Haenam faction, eventually growing it into a massive pirate organization.

Once a faction that produced the greatest swordsmen and was part of the Old Great Factions, the Haenam faction had transformed into a huge pirate force.

Currently, Jin Taedo, the leader of the Haenam faction, was known by the nicknames Haenam Demon Sword or South Sea Tyrant.

Among the South Sea’s “Three Demons,” there was a saying: “If Sima Yi rules the world, then the South Sea has its own three demons—Demon King, Demon Sword, and Demon Way.” Jin Taedo was the Demon Sword.

Mukrang muttered with a sigh,

“So the scandal involving the previous clan head…”

“Yes, now it’s believed that it was all Jin Taedo’s doing. It’s thought he even eliminated In Gyeun. But… by then, it was all too late.”

“Such a tragic story.”

“Indeed. As pirates, their power has far surpassed what they once had. In the South Sea, they reign like emperors alongside the South Sea Demon King, Man Haksoong.”

Man Haksoong, the South Sea Demon King, was one of the absolute rulers of this era, alongside the likes of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s Heavenly Demon, the Blood Sect’s Blood Demon, and the Scarlet Demon Son Eunsang.

Yet, Jin Taedo, a mere one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars, had managed to stand shoulder to shoulder with these martial world titans thanks to his formidable power base.

“The government even tried to use the navy to suppress them, but they ended up losing their ships, weapons, and cannons. They completely lost control of the seas. So now, they’ve actually given official titles to these pirates. Jin Taedo is the Southwest Navy Admiral, and Man Haksoong is the Southeast Navy Admiral.”

Hearing this, Mukrang let out a bitter laugh.

“Ha! They gave official posts to pirates? The country was a mess in my day, but this is beyond imagination.”

I had lived through two lifetimes and had come to accept such things as normal, but I could see how someone hearing this for the first time would find it absurd.

Just then, Jeungchil suddenly stood up, grumbling loudly enough for all to hear as he started walking away.

“Ugh, what’s with these so-called top-notch young men? No guts at all! Afraid of pirates and trying to avoid them? Ridiculous!”

Clearly, something was bothering him.

I chuckled and asked,

“Senior Jeung, if it’s difficult for you to go to Honam Province…”

He suddenly shouted,

“Difficult? What’s difficult about it?! There’s nothing in this world that can make old Jeung here feel troubled!”

He looked like a child throwing a tantrum.

I shook my head with a wry smile at his childishness.

Just as I was about to ask Seolpung, the squad leader, for his opinion, I noticed he was ignoring Jeungchil’s fuss and fiddling with a silk thread wrapped around his wrist.

I smiled softly and spoke to him.

“Are you thinking of Lady Na Sojeo, Leader?”

That silk thread was the one Na Sojeo had tied around his wrist before we parted.

Since then, he often toyed with it whenever he had a moment, wearing a tender expression.

He gave an awkward smile and replied,

“Sorry. I guess it looks a bit odd.”

“No, it’s a beautiful sight. Honestly, I’m a little envious. I should have asked for one myself.”

I meant it sincerely.

It felt good to genuinely wish happiness for the man I had respected most in my past life and the woman I had loved most.

Seolpung looked at the thread with a distant gaze and said,

“I was… afraid of women. Terrified. I thought all women were like my mother—deceptive, hiding behind beauty and kindness, only to make everyone around them miserable.”

His deep gaze held a weight I hadn’t heard before, even in my previous life.

“My maternal grandfather, who raised me, always told me to avenge my father and mother. He said so until his dying breath. I promised him I would, but I always wanted to cry. Only after he passed could I finally let myself weep.”

His eyes clouded with the turmoil of those memories.

“I resented my mother for what she did to me. No, I hated her. I hated her so much I could barely bear it. So I ran away. To a place where I didn’t have to face my fate. As far away as possible.”

He toyed with the silk thread with a wistful look, then suddenly smiled warmly at me.

“But isn’t it strange? Here I am, wearing the thread given by the woman I swore I’d never trust, heading to face my destiny.”

All I knew about him was where he came from.

I had no idea why he ran away or what his circumstances were.

But what did it matter?

If someone dear to me had decided to face their fate, all I could do was support them.

I smiled and said, “Then I’ll be cheering you on.”

“I may not fully understand your situation or what you’re feeling, but I’ve always believed in you. If it’s you, Leader, I’m sure you can smash to pieces any twisted fate that comes your way. I’ll do my best to help, too.”

He smiled brightly and said, “Thank you. But you’ve already helped me more than you know. The courage I found to speak up now—it’s all thanks to you, Jin.”

I chuckled softly in response. “Don’t lie. It’s thanks to you, Leader.”

“Hmm? Ha ha ha! I can’t deny that.”

Just then, Jeungchil, who had seemed to be walking away, suddenly turned back and shouted, “What are you guys whispering and laughing about? Are you two dating? Got a crush or something?!”

I let out a dry laugh.

He must have been sulking because he’d jumped up and run off, but no one had stopped him.

“And! You’re not even on the same team anymore, right? So why are you still calling him ‘Leader’?! Is he your eternal leader in your heart or something?! That’s so cheesy! You guys are way too soft-hearted if you’re scared of pirates!”

Huh?

He was clearly trying to pick a fight, but there was some truth to what he said.

I’d gotten so used to calling him Leader from our past lives that it felt natural, but now, was there really any need to keep using that title?

I looked at him and asked, “Come to think of it… should I call you something else instead of Leader?”

“Hm? Like what?”

“Well, how about ‘hyung’—big brother?”

He looked momentarily surprised, then his face lit up.

“If I’m your hyung, then Jin, you’d be my younger brother. I like that. Having a brother like you would be a true honor!”

I smiled warmly. “It would be a real honor for me to have you as my hyung, Leader!”

“Jin!”

Without hesitation, we clasped hands tightly, the warmth between us unmistakable.

The man I respected most was now my big brother. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before.

As we exchanged bright smiles and intense gazes, Jeungchil stood there, mouth agape in disbelief, then shouted again.

“What are you two doing now? Making some kind of brotherhood pact? Why?! You weren’t born on the same day, but you want to die on the same day? Should you be praying to the gods for that or something?!”

“Oh, should we?”

“Oh! That sounds great!”

“Hey, you guys are unbelievable!”

I really did want to try making a brotherhood pact like in the old stories, but I figured pushing it any further would only make Jeungchil’s mood worse, so I stopped there.

To calm him down, I quietly suggested to Hyung Seolpung, “Since we’ve decided to become brothers, even if we can’t do a full brotherhood pact, how about we swear our brotherhood by the sea?”

Calling Seolpung “hyung” felt amazing—electrifying, even.

He caught on immediately, smiled gently, and nodded.

“Swearing brotherhood by the sea, huh? That sounds impressive. Well then… shall we head to the sea as we are?”

“Shall we?”

I glanced at Jeungchil, and sure enough, his face brightened instantly.

“By the sea? Yeah, now that I think about it, that does sound pretty cool. Definitely better than a peach tree or whatever. Hmm, hmm. Yeah, that’s right.”

So we kept our course and headed straight for the sea.

It was the first time in both our lives that we would see the ocean we’d only heard about in stories.

My heart pounded with anticipation.

But when we finally arrived, the sight that greeted us was far from just beautiful.