Chapter 206
In front of a cave nestled deep in a remote mountain of Guangxi Province.
It was the very place where Inparang had taken his last breath. There, elder brothers Jeungchil and Seolpung wore strange expressions on their faces.
The cause of their bewilderment was the plan I had just shared.
Seolpung suddenly stammered as he spoke.
“So, you’re saying… Jin, you’re going to become Inparang yourself?”
I smiled slyly and replied.
“Yes, to be precise, I intend to pretend to be Inparang.”
Jeungchil blinked in surprise and asked.
“Well, since you look so much like him, I suppose you could pull it off… but why? What’s the point of doing that?”
A good question.
There were many things I could accomplish by stepping into Inparang’s shoes.
So, before explaining the reasons, I decided to lay out the plan first.
“Listen carefully. I will carry out a vendetta under the name of Inparang, avenging my father who died unjustly, all on my own.”
Jeungchil’s eyes widened in alarm as he blurted out.
“Wait a minute! You’re going to do this revenge alone? Just you by yourself?”
His unusually serious expression was unlike him.
I guessed he was worried about me acting alone.
It struck me as touching—here I was, receiving concern from sworn brothers that I hadn’t even gotten from my own blood siblings.
I smiled reassuringly and explained.
“Yes, brother. But there’s no need to worry. The reason I’m doing this alone is…”
That’s when Jeungchil suddenly scowled and shouted.
“You insolent brat! You’re planning to have all the fun by yourself, leaving us out of it?!”
Cough!
I was momentarily speechless.
It felt like something inside me shattered.
Probably the echo of the earlier heartfelt moment breaking apart.
No, more than that, I was stunned at how his mind could jump to such a conclusion.
That I wanted to do this alone just to enjoy it myself?
I was at a loss for words.
It was so absurd I didn’t even know where to begin explaining.
Then Seolpung spoke up.
“Surely, it would have a greater impact if Inparang himself reappeared to exact revenge, rather than us unrelated people doing it for him. If he personally declares that Haenampa and Hyeongsanpa are enemies, people won’t doubt it—they’ll believe him.”
Hearing that, a wave of relief washed over me.
That was Seolpung for you.
He understood the situation without me having to spell it out.
Compared to him, Jeungchil…
I shot Jeungchil a disapproving look.
He quickly defended himself with a sheepish expression.
“No! I didn’t say anything against that! I was just worried because you said you’d act alone…”
Seolpung then looked at me with a curious expression.
“Come to think of it, why do you have to act alone? Why not disguise yourselves and work together?”
Jeungchil’s face lit up excitedly.
“Exactly! That’s what I’m saying!”
Though it didn’t quite sound like what he meant, I went ahead and explained.
“To catch them off guard.”
“Them?”
“Off guard?”
I patiently laid out the reasoning for my brothers’ puzzled looks.
“Yes. If I carry out this revenge, it will be against Haenampa and Hyeongsanpa—assuming Hyeongsanpa is truly behind it. And as we experienced last time, Haenampa is no pushover.”
Jeungchil scoffed.
“Hmph, that’s because we fought them on water…”
But when I frowned, he quickly fell silent.
“Just muttering. Carry on. Ahem.”
I continued.
“Hyeongsanpa won’t be easy either. So we need to downplay our true strength as much as possible. For the same reason, your presence must remain hidden.”
My brothers nodded knowingly.
Jeungchil exclaimed in admiration.
“In other words, you plan to strike them from behind when they underestimate you. That’s our youngest for you!”
Seolpung suddenly asked.
“But if you’re pretending to be Inparang, wouldn’t you have to use Haenampa’s martial arts? The people of Namhae would surely recognize if you didn’t.”
That was a perfectly reasonable point.
I grinned and answered.
“That’s why I’m going to start learning them now. Luckily, we have the secret manual, don’t we?”
They both stared blankly at the book I pointed to—the secret manual left behind by Inparang.
It contained not only Inparang’s journal but also the martial arts of Haenamga and Haenamsa.
Jeungchil’s face twisted in disbelief.
“You’re going to learn all that… starting now?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“By when?”
“Well, maybe about a week?”
Jeungchil exploded in anger.
“You brat! No matter how talented you think you are, do you think Haenamga’s martial arts are some simple three-step sword technique?! That martial art belonged to the former unrivaled Sword King of Namhae, Jeong Inho! And you want to learn it from a manual without a master? In just a week?! Come on, make some sense!”
Listening to his roar, I couldn’t help but smile.
Jeungchil was absolutely right.
The higher the level of martial arts, the harder it was to master.
Learning from a book alone was incredibly difficult.
So my claim to learn the techniques of a once-great Sword King from a manual in a week was nearly impossible.
And I had the audacity to say it would only take a week.
I could understand why Jeungchil was so flabbergasted.
Even Seolpung, who usually sided with me, wore a serious expression this time.
I smiled gently and said to Jeungchil.
“Then how about a bet, brother?”
Jeungchil’s ears perked up immediately—he was always quick to jump at bets or drinks.
“A bet?”
“Yes. A wager on whether I can master Haenamga’s secret manual within a week.”
Jeungchil’s expression grew intrigued.
“Oh? That kind of bet? Seems like I have the advantage.”
“If you think so, then there’s no reason to hesitate.”
Now fully hooked, Jeungchil rubbed his palms together and asked.
“Hm, there has to be a stake, right? What do you propose?”
“Hmm, how about this: the loser must fulfill the winner’s request three times, no matter what it is.”
Jeungchil couldn’t hide his delight and chuckled as he extended his fist.
“Ha ha ha ha, do you agree?”
I lightly bumped my fist against his.
“Agreed.”
With the bet sealed, Jeungchil beamed and stood up energetically.
“Well then, I can’t ask too much of the youngest. I’ll have to think carefully about what to make you do. Hehehehe!”
He looked as if he’d already won.
I smiled at him and silently asked Elder Mukrang in my heart.
‘Sir, do you happen to know anything about Haenamga’s martial arts?’
Elder Mukrang scoffed in reply.
—“Ha! You ask if I know Haenamga’s martial arts? I was right there helping that thunderous fool create them. You could say I made seventy percent of it. So, when do you want to start? Right now?”
I smiled at Jeungchil.
Sorry, brother, but I never said I’d learn the manual alone without a master.
I’d have to think carefully about what to have you do.
Just then, Seolpung asked me.
“Setting aside learning Haenamga’s martial arts, is there any other reason you want to take on Inparang’s identity?”
I smiled and answered.
“Of course. From what I saw in the last incident, there seems to be a major conflict within Haenampa. Probably between the faction of Jin Taedo, the Haenamma Sword, and opposing forces.”
Seolpung nodded.
He must have sensed the same.
“The dominant faction is likely that of Jin Taedo, the head of Haenampa. Though Yongwangjigung Yoo Haeung and Ildosalkyung Oh Ikdeok are supreme masters, they can’t match the influence of Jin Taedo, who is both the head of Haenampa and one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World. But… what if Jin Taedo’s legitimacy as head is denied?”
Seolpung’s eyes sparkled as if he’d just realized something.
“You mean, for example, if it became known that he cowardly murdered the head of Haenamga, and his son vowed revenge?”
I smiled brightly and nodded.
“Exactly.”
Seolpung grinned mischievously.
Though I wasn’t quite as gleeful, I could imagine I wore a similar expression.
This was going to be very interesting.
At Haegu, located in the northern part of Haenam Island.
Dozens of ships were docked here. Along with Sampyeong in the south, Haegu was one of Haenam Island’s two main ports.
A clear sky, gentle waves, and sky-blue seawater so transparent it revealed the ocean floor—a beautiful harbor swayed quietly.
At that moment, ten ships were just entering the harbor.
They belonged to two fleets: the Yongwangjigung Yu Hae-eung, head and top martial artist of the Haenam Yu family, and Il Dosal-gyeong Oh Ik-deok, head and top martial artist of the Haenam Oh family.
As their ships neared the harbor, both men leapt ashore before the vessels had even fully docked.
Clack!
At once, warriors clad in black uniforms emblazoned with white cranes—the Haenam Yu family’s soldiers—and those in red uniforms marked with black horses—the Haenam Oh family’s men—lined up and saluted them.
“Welcome back, Head of the House!”
“Welcome back, Head of the House!”
Their voices rang out in unison. Towering like iron pillars, Yu Hae-eung simply nodded with a solemn expression.
Oh Ik-deok, sporting a magnificent beard reminiscent of the legendary Guan Yu, smiled warmly and addressed them.
“Thank you for your hard work coming out. Was everything alright?”
One warrior hesitated briefly before replying.
“A few of our naval fleet’s ships were lost recently in a clash with the Ma-gyeong fleet.”
At this, both Oh Ik-deok and Yu Hae-eung’s faces tightened slightly.
“Again?”
“Yes, this is already the third time this month.”
Oh Ik-deok glanced at Yu Hae-eung and said, “When we get to the meeting, Jintaedo will surely make a fuss again, insisting we must expand our forces.”
Yu Hae-eung nodded faintly and replied shortly, “Let’s go.”
A Haenam Yu soldier quickly bowed and said, “The carriage is ready, Head of the House!”
Yu Hae-eung simply nodded and strode toward the carriage without hesitation. Oh Ik-deok chuckled, patting the soldier’s bowed shoulder.
“Good work. Preparing the carriage, and putting up with that stubborn fellow—that’s no small feat.”
The two had just returned to Haenam Island to attend the Haenam Twelve Houses’ head meeting.
Since ancient times, all important decisions within the Haenam faction had been made through this assembly.
Even the selection of the faction’s chief elder required the meeting’s approval; without it, no one could act on their own accord.
But recently, things had been changing.
The authority of the head meeting was waning, and more and more actions were being taken unilaterally by Jintaedo of the Haenam Naval Fleet, without the meeting’s consent.
Riding in the carriage beside Yu Hae-eung, Oh Ik-deok asked, “Are you planning to confront them about the naval fleet, brother?”
Yu Hae-eung said nothing, only nodding as he gazed out the window.
He intended to confront Jintaedo over the naval fleet’s recent raids on civilian villages.
The fleet, formed by absorbing pirates, had been causing trouble for some time.
In fact, the weakening of the head meeting’s authority was partly due to the naval fleet’s growing power.
Though nominally the military force of the entire Haenam faction, everyone knew it was essentially Jintaedo’s personal army.
Yu Hae-eung had long advocated for reducing or even disbanding the naval fleet.
But Oh Ik-deok’s expression darkened as he said, “It won’t be easy. He’ll probably argue that with the Ma-gyeong threat, we need to expand even more.”
Yu Hae-eung remained expressionless, silent for a moment.
Since the Haenam faction secured control over the southwestern seas, clashes with Manhaksung of the southern seas Ma-gyeong had been unending.
It was like two dragons sharing the same ocean—conflict was inevitable.
Most people assessed the situation this way: the Haenam faction held the advantage in fleet strength, while Manhaksung was unmatched in individual martial prowess.
But the Haenam leadership understood the true meaning of individual power in the martial world—especially the overwhelming might of an absolute master beyond the realm of elemental techniques.
Oh Ik-deok continued, “Jintaedo will say that if Manhaksung, the one and only of the Cheonhasama, sets foot on Haenam Island, we won’t be able to stand against him. So, to prevent that, we must strengthen the naval fleet.”
His words were undeniable.
Though Jintaedo was one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the martial world, the gap between him and the fifteen absolute masters was immense—any top-tier expert knew this.
In truth, Manhaksung was currently tied down by the Fukken Dragon family and the Southern Sea Saintess, maintaining a stalemate.
But if he were free to move, the Haenam faction could be on the brink of destruction.
Oh Ik-deok added, “And… you know how the heads will vote.”
Yu Hae-eung, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.
“I’ll try to persuade the Myo family. If they support Jintaedo again, I’ll warn them that the Yu family might leave the Haenam faction.”
Oh Ik-deok was shocked. “Leave?!”
“Yes. If I say it that strongly, maybe they’ll think twice.”
“Ah…”
The reason Jintaedo’s personal power had grown so large wasn’t just the naval fleet’s expansion, but because the Haenam Twelve Houses themselves had changed.
Currently, the Haenam Inga and Haenam Sa families had been wiped out.
When their heads, including their heirs, disappeared, the two families effectively ceased to exist.
Of the remaining ten families, four were no longer truly independent.
The Chuk and Mi families, as well as the Sul and Hae families, had been absorbed into Jintaedo’s Haenam Jin family.
The reasons varied.
Some families had become too weak and sought refuge under Jin’s banner; others had clashed alone and been swallowed up.
So, in the current head meeting, five families—including Jin—were effectively united.
With their opinions aligned, no meaningful decisions could be made.
If even one of the remaining families sided with Jintaedo, all proposals passed without opposition.
Oh Ik-deok asked with a grim expression, “The Myo family… I’m not sure. They claim neutrality, but from what I see, they’re almost on Jin’s side.”
The Haenam Myo family had long been the faction’s strategists.
Even after Jintaedo became leader, they balanced their support between him and other families to maintain equilibrium.
But being pragmatic, they always backed Jintaedo when it came to strengthening the faction’s power.
That was how Jintaedo’s influence had ballooned.
Yu Hae-eung muttered, still staring out the window, “We have to trust them. They’re wise; I hope they judge wisely.”
Yet despite his words, his expression remained dark and troubled.