Chapter 244
“The warriors of the Haenam faction have been completely wiped out!”
Once again, this shocking news set the gossipmongers of the southern martial world ablaze with excitement.
And once again, it was all about In Parang.
In truth, everyone had expected that the Haenam faction would come looking for In Parang after he openly declared his intent to take revenge—and even announced he would seek aid from Manhak Soong of Namhae Magyeong.
What no one had anticipated, however, was that they would deploy the elite warriors of the Black Dragon Fleet.
Sending as many as two hundred of the Black Dragon Fleet’s finest was a blatant signal: they intended to eliminate In Parang once and for all.
Yet, absurdly, all of them were annihilated.
Alongside them fell the heads of the three great families who had gone to meet In Parang—Myo Cheongju, Jagyechu, and Sul Moseong.
The gossipmongers couldn’t help but be electrified.
In Parang’s revenge drama was rapidly reaching its climax.
To make matters even more chaotic, it was revealed that those who aided In Parang in killing them were the surviving warriors of the Haenam faction who had been hiding in the shadows.
Now, no one could predict where this turmoil would lead.
The Haenam faction itself was plunged into confusion, with the Haenam estate and its successor now openly hostile to the faction they once embodied.
From Haenam’s perspective, it was nothing short of a tragedy.
But for the onlookers, it was anything but.
Nothing could be more fascinating than this unfolding drama. Not even the most skillful storyteller could have crafted a tale this gripping.
All eyes were glued to this enthralling revenge saga.
‘Haenam Sword Dragon.’
This was the new nickname the gossipmongers had given In Parang.
Despite his vow to take revenge on Haenam and his pledge to seek power from Namhae Magyeong, people still attached the ‘Haenam’ title to him.
In truth, everyone knew what it meant.
His actions weren’t just a challenge to Haenam—they were a battle to determine the true master of the Haenam faction.
Between Namhae Magyeong and Haenam Sword Dragon, one would emerge as the rightful ruler of Haenam.
All martial artists in the south eagerly awaited the thrilling conclusion of this revenge drama.
In the Haenam faction’s conference room, Haenam Province, Guangdong.
The faction’s chief, Jin Taedo—also known as Namhae Magyeong—was roaring with fury.
“Look at what that bastard has done! Do you really think this is the behavior of Haenam’s rightful successor? Do you still believe he’s the real In Parang?!”
No one dared to respond to his enraged voice.
Even Oh Ikdeok, head of the Oh family of Haenam, who usually frowned at Jin Taedo’s claims, and Yu Haeung of the Dragon King’s Palace, known for his icy demeanor and sharp retorts, remained silent.
They only exchanged heavy, somber glances.
“Hmm.”
“Hmm.”
With no one to contradict him, Jin Taedo spat out his words with blazing eyes.
“I should have gone myself. I should have stopped his atrocities! Look at the price we paid just to verify those ridiculous rumors! The heads of three families—Jagu, Myoju, Sulmoju—lost all at once! Even when we fought Magyeong, we never lost all three family heads simultaneously! This has never happened in Haenam’s history! What kind of absurd situation is this?!”
Of course, Jin Taedo hadn’t gone personally, but he had secretly dispatched the Black Dragon Fleet warriors.
That alone was suspicious enough to raise questions.
Yet neither Yu Haeung nor Oh Ikdeok dared to challenge him.
Because, as Jin Taedo said, losing the heads of three families at once was unprecedented in Haenam’s history.
For the first time since becoming chief, Jin Taedo could shout freely without opposition from any family head.
“The daughter of the late Myoju, Myo Aran, came to me in tears, begging me to kill that bastard! To avenge her father’s unjust death! So this time, I will go. I will crush that bastard to dust! And I will make sure the world remembers what Haenam truly is!”
He then glared fiercely at Yu Haeung and Oh Ikdeok.
“I don’t expect anyone to oppose me this time. Even if someone does, it won’t matter. Not this once. Even if the heads of the Yu, Oh, and Shin families object, I will carry out my will! You three family heads, understand this!”
Yu Haeung, Oh Ikdeok, and Shin Duwol—who had always stood against him—only avoided his gaze with grave expressions.
They had been the ones insisting on verifying In Parang, and now they bore the responsibility for this disaster. There was nothing more to say.
Though outwardly roaring with rage, Jin Taedo felt a strange relief wash over him.
Losing three Black Dragon Fleet ships was infuriating, but it also made him feel like the true sovereign of Haenam.
He silently thanked Myo Aran, who had been the first to come to him.
After returning to Haenam Province, she had sought him out and said:
“Please avenge my father. And please ensure the survival of the Myo family. If you do, I won’t reveal that ten years ago, you killed In Gyeun.”
Hearing this, Jin Taedo felt both a chill and a sense of relief.
It seemed that bastard really was the true In Parang.
Because Myo Aran now knew the truth about the incident ten years ago.
If Yu Haeung or Oh Ikdeok had found out…
The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine.
But at the same time, he was relieved.
In Parang’s madness for revenge had led him to kill a family head who might have sided with him—and the only survivor who knew the truth, Myo Aran, had come to him first.
If she hadn’t, the secret of that decade-old incident might have been exposed.
Jin Taedo sighed in relief.
“Fortune truly favors me.”
Thanks to her, he had both the justification to kill In Parang and the means to bury the past.
Since then, he had cut off all contact between her and the outside world under the pretext of protecting her.
And he intended to keep it that way.
He couldn’t risk letting someone so dangerous roam free.
Part of him even wanted to eliminate her outright.
But for now, the attention focused on her was too much.
He’d wait until the interest died down.
“And… it’s a shame to waste such beauty. Heh heh heh.”
In any case, the decision about her could wait.
The top priority was hunting down that bastard In Parang.
Jin Taedo smiled inwardly.
“Haenam Sword Dragon? Ha! I’ll show you what true Haenam power looks like before you die.”
His gaze shifted across the sea toward Sun Woojin.
The supreme master of the Haenam faction, one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the world, was finally moving.
For Sun Woojin, this was an unprecedented and deadly threat.
At the same time, in Hyeongsan Province, the Hyeongsan faction.
Its chief, Wi Jeongguk, was seething with rage.
So furious, in fact, that he skipped the usual formalities and called out directly to Jo Gakyun.
In a cold, biting tone, he demanded:
“Say it again, Jo Gakyun. What happened to the third and fourth squads of our faction?”
Jo Gakyun, the faction’s external commander, trembled as he reported again.
“The two squads sent to In Parang… it seems they were completely wiped out. After contact with that bastard, all communication was lost. Then, when the reconnaissance teams arrived, they found a huge number of bodies—including the corpse of Squad Leader Undang of the fourth squad…”
A chilling frost seemed to pour from Wi Jeongguk’s eyes.
“A huge number of bodies?”
Under that icy glare, Jo Gakyun shuddered and hurriedly replied.
“Yes! They were found in a simple farming village, dressed as ordinary civilians. But upon investigation, it’s highly likely they were all warriors—assassins, in fact.”
“Assassins?”
“Yes! The investigation team believes they were assassins from the Blood Rain Alliance!”
Hearing this, Wi Jeongguk spat out his next question.
“Why the hell would the Blood Rain Alliance attack our faction’s squads?”
“I… I don’t know that part…”
Jo Gakyun dropped to his knees, bowing his head deeply.
Though he bore no guilt, he knew better than anyone that this wasn’t the kind of detail Wi Jeongguk cared about.
As expected, Wi Jeongguk, seeking an outlet for his fury, unleashed a murderous aura and said:
“Jo Gakyun, you told me one squad would be more than enough for that bastard In Parang. But you sent two squads, and look what happened. Because of you, we lost two precious squads. What should I do with you now?”
Jo Gakyun felt a surge of injustice rise to his head.
Wasn’t the decision to send two squads of the Pashan Unit made by We Jeong-guk, not by him?
If he hadn’t sent them himself, why was he being held responsible?
Yet, Zwa Ga-gyun couldn’t bring himself to voice these thoughts. Instead, he pressed himself even lower to the ground, begging for forgiveness.
He knew all too well that the moment he spoke those words aloud, the odds of survival would plummet drastically.
“I-I’m sorry, Chief! If you grant me just one more chance, I swear I will take care of that bastard this time! And I will live solely to serve you!”
A heavy silence fell.
Zwa Ga-gyun kept his head bowed so he couldn’t see We Jeong-guk’s expression, but he was certain that his fate—life or death—was hanging in the balance.
The silence stretched on, feeling like an eternity to him.
Cold sweat trickled down his face.
Then, finally, We Jeong-guk spoke.
“This will be your last chance. Now, tell me—how do you plan to deal with Inparang?”
Zwa Ga-gyun fought back a sigh of relief. He had somehow earned one more opportunity.
Before We Jeong-guk could change his mind, he answered immediately.
“The Pacheon Unit! We must send two squads of the Pacheon Unit!”
We Jeong-guk’s voice turned icy.
“Send the Pacheon Unit?”
“Yes! That’s right! If we send two squads of the Pacheon Unit, no matter what variables arise, we can finish him off!”
The Pacheon Unit was composed of the absolute top-tier masters of the Six Harmonies Sword Sect. Even We Jeong-guk himself—the strongest of the Hyungsan Sect and one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World—couldn’t stand against a single squad.
And yet, Zwa Ga-gyun was proposing to send two squads.
His life was on the line; he was determined to eliminate Inparang by any means necessary.
We Jeong-guk responded, “That’s excessive. If you send two squads of the Pacheon Unit after him, what about the affairs of the Bokgeon Yongga? Send one squad of the Pacheon Unit and two squads of the Pashan Unit.”
Zwa Ga-gyun ground his teeth inwardly.
If you’re going to do it my way anyway, why ask me?
But he swallowed his resentment and bowed his head even lower.
“As expected of the Chief! A wise decision!”
Despite the flattery, We Jeong-guk only scoffed.
“No amount of flattery will save you. If you fail this time, your life ends.”
He was making it clear that even though it wasn’t his decision, Zwa Ga-gyun would bear the responsibility.
It was unbearably unfair.
Still, Zwa Ga-gyun had to shout out in a voice full of gratitude.
“Thank you for your mercy, Chief!”
We Jeong-guk added one more instruction.
“Contact Jin Taedo of Haenam as well. Coordinate with him to make sure Inparang is captured.”
“Yes! Understood!”
With that, not only Jin Taedo—the top among the Thirty-Six Stars of the World—but also the Pacheon Unit, the strongest force of the Hyungsan Sect and a power on par with the Thirty-Six Stars, began moving toward Sunwoo Jin.
And unlike the assassins sent before, these were allies who could cooperate without clashing.
A danger unlike anything Sunwoo Jin had ever faced was steadily closing in.