Episode 285
Seolpung and his companions now all turned their attention to the fourth son of the Four Kings, Gwe Seo-gi, who was left alone.
Among the brothers, Gwe Seo-gi had the most ordinary build and a delicate, refined appearance—handsome, almost like a scholarly gentleman. He bowed his head politely toward Seolpung and spoke with a gentle tone.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Brother Seolpung.”
The way he casually used the term “brother” as if it were the most natural thing in the world, combined with his mild manner and sincere smile, caught Seolpung off guard. It was a completely different reaction from the other brothers he had faced so far.
“Uh, uh? Ah, yes. Nice to meet you too.”
Gwe Seo-gi smiled warmly and continued.
“To have such strength without using the Red-Eyed Blood Skill was truly impressive, Brother. Please spar with me sometime.”
“Of course. I look forward to it.”
After politely greeting Seolpung, Gwe Seo-gi walked out of the main hall. He was the only brother who hadn’t brought any followers, so his departure seemed both free and somewhat lonely.
Watching his back as he left with the ease of a younger brother greeting an elder, Seolpung turned to Sun Woo-jin.
“There have been rumors that he’s not interested in the succession competition, but I thought maybe he was just hiding it… If that’s how he is, then maybe those rumors are true.”
“Yes,” Sun Woo-jin replied. “There’s also talk that he inherited more blood from his maternal side—the Punghyeoncheon family—and that’s why he can’t use the Red-Eyed Blood Skill. Judging by his smaller frame compared to the other brothers, that might be true as well.”
At that moment, Mukrang suddenly spoke up in Sun Woo-jin’s mind.
—If that boy’s maternal family is the Punghyeoncheon clan, and he inherited their blood strongly, then even if it’s true he can’t use the Red-Eyed Blood Skill, we shouldn’t underestimate him.
‘Huh?’
—Back in the days of the Tongcheon Sect, the strongest known figure was naturally the father of the Four Kings’ Gwe Ja-woon, the Fiend General Gwe Mu-ryang. The second strongest was Dong Cheon-woo, the Cold-Blooded Demon General, who was the sect’s chief and de facto leader.
The Tongcheon Sect was the predecessor of the Four Kings Alliance, led by the Fiend General Gwe Mu-ryang, father of the first Four King, Gwe Ja-woon.
Sun Woo-jin listened quietly as Mukrang suddenly began recounting history.
—That was the truth. Gwe Mu-ryang and Dong Cheon-woo were overwhelming masters, unmatched not only within the Tongcheon Sect but throughout the martial world. To put it in today’s terms, it was like having one of the Heavenly Sword Masters and another master said to rival the Heavenly Sword Masters in the same sect.
One of the Heavenly Sword Masters and a rival master in the same sect.
Sun Woo-jin shuddered at the thought: “What if the Blood Sect had another master like the Blood Demon alongside them?”
‘Just imagining that is terrifying.’
—Yes. Even your brother who fought them directly struggled greatly. But after some years of good relations, your brother once said something surprising: if the youngest brother of the Fiend General had been a little older during the fight with the Tongcheon Sect, we would never have been able to defeat them.
‘The youngest brother of the Fiend General?’
—Yes. That’s Gwi Myo-rang Cheon Woo-young, the founder of the Punghyeoncheon family. Among the sworn brothers of the Fiend General, who strictly ranked themselves by strength, he always took the role of the youngest. Because of that, people often underestimated him as the weakest. But that wasn’t true. He was the youngest because he didn’t want to stand above his brothers.
A personality that avoided standing above others.
That description reminded Sun Woo-jin of the Gwe Seo-gi they had just met.
—Your brother, who had a much keener eye for people than I, described him like this: “There are three geniuses in this world today, and the one closest to them is Gwi Myo-rang Cheon Woo-young.”
The one who said the Thunder God might be the greatest swordsman of all time and that this man was closest to the geniuses.
Suddenly, Sun Woo-jin wondered who those three geniuses were.
“Who are the three geniuses recognized by the Thunder God?”
Mukrang answered.
—They were the then leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the Demon God Cheon Yu-woon; your brother’s daughter, Shin Wol, the most talented person I know; and, embarrassingly, myself.
Mukrang added with a teasing tone.
—Don’t think all three are insignificant just because of the last one. The other two were truly incredible geniuses.
But that was unnecessary to say.
The three included the legendary swordsman, the rival demon god of the same era, and the nephew whom the swordsman himself acknowledged as the greatest genius.
Anyone comparable to those three had to be an unimaginable prodigy—and so was Cheon Woo-young.
Of course, having a genius ancestor didn’t guarantee genius descendants.
If that were true, then Je-gal Ji-gang, descendant of Je-gal Mu-hoo, wouldn’t be such a disappointment.
Still, Sun Woo-jin felt a strong resemblance between the Cheon Woo-young Mukrang described and the Gwe Seo-gi who had just left.
And sometimes, Sun Woo-jin’s instincts were far more accurate than any calculation.
Seolpung and his group stepped outside the main hall of the Four Kings Alliance.
The clear, bright blue sky welcomed them as if nothing had happened.
Yeon Tae-jin shook her head and muttered, looking up at the sky.
“To think the day would come when I’d see a Four King in person… and even meet him face to face… and then still be able to see the blue sky afterward. Truly a day that feels like a dream.”
But her expression didn’t look like she’d had a good dream.
If anything, she looked exhausted, as if she’d just woken from a nightmare she never wanted to revisit.
To martial artists, figures like the Sword Emperor or the Four Kings were like immortals or demons from legends—untouchable and impossible to confront.
Yet Yeon Tae-jin, a mere sect leader of a regional faction, had met one of them in person.
And not just any Four King, but the infamous, ruthless Gwe Gal-hyeon.
For her, the fact that she met him—and survived—was almost unbelievable.
Seolpung looked at her with a hint of sympathy and spoke cautiously.
“I’m sorry, Lady Yeon. I never meant to drag you into this and put you in such danger. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can leave now…”
Yeon Tae-jin scowled sharply and glared at Seolpung.
“Don’t say another word, Pung. Even you, if you say one more thing, I might get angry.”
Seolpung stopped mid-sentence.
She spoke firmly.
“I am Yeon Tae-jin. Except for becoming the leader of the Ha-won Sect, I have never acted against my own will. Following you was my choice, and if I die because of it, that too is my decision. So don’t ever insult my choice.”
No one else dared to speak after that.
Not Seolpung, not Sun Woo-jin, not even Jeung Chil, who usually grumbled about everything.
As Sun Woo-jin had told Mukrang back at the inn, no one in the group could control her.
Because she was a true woman of strength in every sense.
Not long ago, when Sun Woo-jin and Seolpung reunited and set off for Zhejiang Province, Seolpung had been troubled over Yeon Tae-jin.
Her open affection toward him felt burdensome.
Yeon Tae-jin was undeniably beautiful, and beneath her rough exterior was a warm heart.
But in Seolpung’s heart was Nasae-yu.
No matter how beautiful the world’s greatest beauty might be, she was the only one Seolpung could never compare to.
So the more Seolpung realized Yeon Tae-jin’s sincerity and goodness, the more he felt he had to tell her:
“I have someone I love. You must stop pursuing me, Lady.”
But Seolpung could never say those words.
It would have been hard to say to any woman, but especially to Yeon Tae-jin, who he secretly appreciated.
That was the source of his frustration.
Hearing this, Sun Woo-jin decided he had to take on that role.
He was the one who had brought Yeon Tae-jin into the group and encouraged her to travel with Seolpung.
So he had to resolve it.
Besides, compared to Seolpung, Sun Woo-jin was better with women.
Others might say it was a difference without much distinction, but among the three sworn brothers, Sun Woo-jin took pride in being the most experienced and confident with women.
…Though in reality, it was barely any better.
Anyway, Sun Woo-jin approached Yeon Tae-jin privately and spoke carefully.
“Lady Yeon, actually, Brother Seolpung has someone he truly loves. They care deeply for each other. So…”
He worried she might be hurt by the news.
But Yeon Tae-jin’s reaction was nothing like he expected.
“I knew that. But why are you telling me now?”
Sun Woo-jin was the one caught off guard.
“…Excuse me?”
“I already knew there was someone else. So why bring it up?”
Sun Woo-jin was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
Then Yeon Tae-jin looked at him and said, calmly, as if it were obvious.
“If there wasn’t someone else involved, there’s no way someone as stunning as me would have to be so forward and still get rejected, right? So of course I thought it would work out. But why bring this up now?”
The one who was truly baffled was Seon Woo-jin.
He knew that Seol Poong was with Jeong-in, so how could he act so boldly?
No, why would he act that way at all?
At this point, he didn’t even know what to say or what to ask.
After stammering for a while, he finally managed to ask, “Even so… are you okay with this? I mean, do you still have feelings for Seol Poong?”
Yeon Tae-jin chuckled softly before answering.
“If I had someone I cared for, would she be prettier than me? Stronger than me? Could she be a greater support to Poong than I am? Of course not. Knowing Poong’s personality, it’s obvious. He met her first, so he fell for her. And given his nature, he would never betray his loyalty.”
Hearing that, Seon Woo-jin was at a loss for words, but for a different reason.
Where did Tae-jin’s unwavering confidence come from—the belief that Na Seo-yu could never be prettier or stronger than her?
Her fierce self-love left Seon Woo-jin completely speechless.
Yet, on the other hand, he still couldn’t quite understand.
If she believed Seol Poong would never betray his loyalty, then why was she still by his side?
So, cautiously, he asked again.
“As you said, you believe he would never betray Na Seo-yu. But are you really okay with that?”
Yeon Tae-jin scoffed and replied as if it were obvious.
“If I weren’t okay with it, would I just give up and step back because Poong wouldn’t betray her? What’s wrong with you? I’m Yeon Tae-jin. If there’s even the slightest chance—no, even a sliver of a chance—I will never back down. And if my choice turns out to be wrong and I can’t be with Poong? That’s my choice too. I chose this battlefield, and I won’t retreat. If I lose and die, then that’s on me.”
Seon Woo-jin had nothing left to say.
He just looked at her with admiration and said quietly, “I know Na Seo-yu well, and I truly hope you both find happiness. But somehow, I find myself wanting to root for you too. Good luck, Yeon Seo-yu.”
Yeon Tae-jin smiled slyly and said, “Don’t say luck. Tell them to wish me success.”
That was who she truly was—a formidable woman in every sense.
Seon Woo-jin relayed her words to Seol Poong, who sighed in admiration.
After that, Seol Poong treated her with a little less hesitation than before.
Following those events, no one in Seon Woo-jin’s group could control her anymore.
Not because it was too difficult to deal with her, but because everyone respected her.
Suddenly, Yeon Tae-jin asked Seol Poong, “So, what’s the plan now? Where are we headed?”
Seol Poong met Seon Woo-jin’s gaze and smiled broadly.
“To compete with the other heirs, we first need to establish a base. So… let’s go to the Yangju Dong family.”
The Yangju Dong family was home to the descendants of the Cold-Blooded Demon Army, who had been the second-in-command of Tongcheonbang—the predecessor of the Sa Wang Ryeon—and had effectively run the organization.
They had always held the position of second-in-command within Sa Wang Ryeon until recently being pushed out by the Jin Gangman family.
Yeon Tae-jin’s eyes flickered with interest as he asked, “Yangju Dong family?”
Seol Poong gazed wistfully toward the western sky and said, “Yes, it’s the family of my maternal grandfather who raised me.”
The Yangju Dong family had been forced out of their second-in-command position by Jin Gangman at the same time that Gwe Gal-hyeon took the Sa Wang throne.
At that time, Dong Gyu-ram, the head of the Yangju Dong family and Seol Poong’s maternal grandfather, disappeared with Seol Poong to save him.
“The Yangju Dong family?”
Gwe Jeong-gi, the eldest son of Sa Wang Gwe Gal-hyeon, repeated the report he had just received with a blank expression.
“Yes, that’s right. The guy said he’s going to the Yangju Dong family to build his strength. And he’s actually moving west right now.”
Gwe Jeong-gi’s influence spread throughout Sa Wang Ryeon.
So obtaining information about Seol Poong’s group was no challenge for him.
“Yangju Dong family… I see.”
Rarely, a faint smile appeared on Gwe Jeong-gi’s face as he repeated the words.
His most trusted subordinate, the White Bone Commander Hong Chu, smiled coldly and said, “If they’re heading to the Yangju Dong family, we might not even need to deal with them ourselves.”
Gwe Jeong-gi nodded slowly.
Then he ordered the subordinate who had reported to him, “Inform Dong Jung-seo, the head of the Dong family, that how we handle this Seol Poong will determine the future of the Dong family.”
“Yes, sir!”
Gwe Jeong-gi’s influence ran deep throughout Sa Wang Ryeon, including the Dong family, one of the thirteen Sa Wang clans.
He smiled—a rare sight—and thought, Even if your martial skills rival mine without the Red-Eyed Blood Technique, it won’t matter. You can’t do anything alone.
Being Sa Wang was no longer about being a lone warrior with unmatched strength.
At least, that was what Gwe Jeong-gi believed.
So neither Seol Poong nor his younger brother Gwe Chang-gi would ever become the next Sa Wang.
The only one qualified to be Sa Wang was Gwe Jeong-gi himself.