Chapter 307
While Seol Poong and his group finished off the Taoist masters of the Hyeongsan Sect and tidied up the aftermath, Jin So-eun quietly took advantage of the commotion to slip closer to Seon Woo-jin.
Then, cautiously, she spoke up.
“Um… Lord Seon Woo, I have a question.”
Seon Woo-jin smiled gently at her hesitant approach.
“Ask away, Lady Jin.”
She smiled shyly and said, “Well… I think I understand the first weakness of the Hyeongsan Sect—that they’re unfocused and scattered. But I’m still not quite sure what the second and third weaknesses mean.”
Seon Woo-jin couldn’t help but smile softly at her question, sensing it was a curiosity freshly sparked.
He realized that since joining the group, he hadn’t really had a chance to talk one-on-one with her. Perhaps that’s why she had forced herself to come up with a question.
With a warm gaze, he glanced around before saying, “Hmm, explaining that might take a while… Would you care to take a walk with me for a bit?”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, “Yes! I’d like that!”
Then, blushing deeply, she bowed her head and whispered, “Ah, no, I just meant that it would be good to hear your explanation…”
Seon Woo-jin couldn’t hold back his laughter at how adorably flustered she was.
As they strolled along the waterfront, he began to explain.
“People often overlook it because it’s invisible, but one of the most important things is legitimacy.”
She blinked, nodding, though it was clear she didn’t fully grasp it yet.
Seon Woo-jin elaborated further.
“Lady Jin, why do you think the righteous sects of Hunan Province initially accepted the Hyeongsan Sect’s rule? And why, despite many injustices, have they still failed to resist?”
“Um… because they’re too strong?” she guessed.
“That’s certainly part of it,” he smiled, “but consider this: the righteous sects of Qinghai Province have united tightly around the Kunlun Sect to oppose the Heavenly Demon Cult, the strongest force in the martial world. By sheer power, they shouldn’t stand a chance, yet they do.”
“But… they’re a demonic cult, right?” Jin So-eun asked, puzzled.
Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she exclaimed, “Ah! Is it because the Hyeongsan Sect is a righteous sect?”
Seon Woo-jin nodded with a gentle smile.
“Exactly. More precisely, because they belong to the ‘Nine Great Sects.’ The righteous sects submit to their authority and continue to trust them despite countless wrongdoings.”
“Ohhh,” she nodded thoughtfully.
Indeed, being part of the Nine Great Sects carried immense prestige in the martial world. Just that title alone earned them respect and the benefit of the doubt.
Seon Woo-jin continued, “But tell me, what do you think would happen if they were no longer part of the Nine Great Sects?”
“What? The Hyeongsan Sect not being one of the Nine Great Sects? How could that be?”
“Well, there could be many reasons, for example…”
As Seon Woo-jin and Jin So-eun continued their conversation by the water’s edge, Yeon Tae-jin approached Seol Poong, who was cleaning up with his men, and pointed toward them.
“How do they look? Don’t they make a good pair?”
Seol Poong glanced where Yeon Tae-jin was pointing, then spotted Seon Woo-jin and Jin So-eun. He smiled and nodded.
“Yes, they look good together.”
Yeon Tae-jin smiled knowingly and said, “I think it’s thanks to Poong’s choice that Lord Seon Woo’s heart has changed.”
Seol Poong raised an eyebrow in confusion. “My choice? What do you mean?”
Yeon Tae-jin grinned. “Because Poong has decided not to reject other bonds, Lord Seon Woo’s feelings have shifted as well.”
Seol Poong looked back at Seon Woo-jin. Indeed, it no longer seemed like he was pushing Jin So-eun away as before.
Perhaps his own decision—that he might marry someone other than Lady Jin—had influenced his clever younger brother.
Watching them quietly, Seol Poong felt a warm sense of satisfaction.
Jin So-eun’s sincere heart and devotion were clear to those around her. That’s why, even though Seon Woo-jin kept some distance, it was honestly a little sad to see.
He chuckled softly to himself.
‘Seems I’ve grown quite fond of Lady Jin.’
Lately, she reminded him of a younger sister.
Just then, Seol Poong sensed a sharp gaze and turned to see Yeon Tae-jin staring intently at him. The younger woman quickly averted her eyes.
He wondered, ‘Did I look just as awkward as Jin So-eun does from the outside?’
Probably so.
Seol Poong smiled again and said, “Looks like things are wrapping up soon. Shall we take a walk as well?”
Yeon Tae-jin’s eyes flickered in surprise. She’d never heard him say something like that before.
But unlike Jin So-eun, she didn’t reveal her feelings immediately. She feigned disinterest.
“I don’t know. Maybe not.”
Seol Poong couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her flushed cheeks and red ears, despite her indifferent expression.
It was the first time since meeting her that she’d shown such shyness—and it was beautiful.
He hesitated, unsure what to say next. His experience with women was too limited to find the right words.
Then Yeon Tae-jin glanced away and quietly said, “Tell me I’m pretty.”
“Huh?”
“I want to hear you say I’m pretty.”
Seol Poong was momentarily stunned, staring at her profile.
Usually confident, she now looked uncertain, eyes cast downward.
After a moment, he smiled and spoke softly.
“You are beautiful, Lady Yeon. Truly beautiful.”
Her lips curved into a gentle smile, and she laughed, unable to resist.
“Well, if you say it like that, I suppose I’ll walk with you.”
As they walked together, she chattered excitedly, and beyond the lake, the sunset painted the sky a deep red.
In the southern peak of the Five Great Mountains of Central Plains stood Hyeongsan.
At the Hyeongsan Sect’s main hall, the sect leader, Wi Jeong-guk, rose early from bed and cast a glance over the naked form of the woman still asleep beside him.
Wu Nan-seol, one of the Five Great Beauties of the Demonic Sects, was breathtakingly beautiful no matter how many times he saw her.
Wi Jeong-guk smiled with satisfaction.
After several recent failures, she was the only thing that truly pleased him these days.
He had always pursued being the best under heaven.
He wanted to become the strongest martial artist and elevate the Hyeongsan Sect to the top sect in the world.
Having Wu Nan-seol, whom he believed to be the most beautiful woman under heaven, as his partner was a source of immense pride.
Of course, he had never met the other Four Beauties of the Demonic Sects or the top beauties of each province.
But he was confident—no woman in the world could match Wu Nan-seol’s beauty.
“Absolutely impossible,” he murmured, gently caressing her graceful form.
Then, careful not to wake her, he rose and began dressing.
It was time to work toward making the Hyeongsan Sect the greatest sect under heaven.
What he didn’t know was that after he left the room, Wu Nan-seol’s expression slowly hardened into a cold, icy stare…
After about an hour of morning training, Wi Jeong-guk went to his office to receive a report from Ja Gwang-jin-in, the newly appointed head of the Outer Hall.
“We succeeded in subjugating the Cheonja Sword Gate yesterday. Now that Cheonja Mountain is fully under Hyeongsan’s control, advancing into Hubei Province will be easier.”
“So, Oh Gi-jong, the Great Master, handled it well.”
“Yes. There’s no one in Cheonja Sword Gate who can match Oh Gi-jong’s supreme skill. We also took over Pyeonggang. Reports say they eliminated the Songgang Society, the top force in Pyeonggang, and turned the second strongest, Sujangmun, into puppets.”
“Hmph. Those Songgang bastards were stubborn, but sending two top-tier experts like Ja Hong and Ha Tae-soong made quick work of them.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Wi Jeong-guk listened while gazing at the large terrain map in the center of his office.
Before him was a detailed map of Hunan Province and its surrounding regions.
Small sky-blue flags densely dotted the territory of Hunan Province.
In the northwest of Honam Province, atop Cheonjasan Mountain, and at the northeastern edge in Pyeonggang, Wi Jeong-guk planted new small sky-blue flags, a sharp smile curling on his lips.
By now, it was nearly impossible to find any spot in Honam Province without a sky-blue flag fluttering.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted northward to the regions where no flags had yet been raised, and he asked, “What’s the situation in Akyang? Still not subdued?”
Ja Gwang-jin lowered his head respectfully and replied, “Yesterday, we received a report from the Ja-gyeong contingent we sent to sway Geumdomujeok Cho Ha-gon in Akyang. They said they’re about to begin operations. We should have results any day now.”
Wi Jeong-guk frowned. “Geumdomujeok Cho Ha-gon has long been a renowned swordsman. Do you really think he can be swayed? Wouldn’t it be cleaner to just take care of him outright?”
Ja Gwang-jin smiled confidently. “Back then, he was alone, but now he has a family. A swordsman with a family isn’t the same as before. Besides, the person we sent is from the Ja-gyeong contingent—he’s never failed at a mission like this. Trust me, and let’s wait, Lord of the Clan.”
Wi Jeong-guk regarded Ja Gwang-jin with a reluctant expression but eventually nodded. “Alright. I’ll trust that it’ll be handled properly. After all, the previous clan head never failed at tasks of this level.”
Ja Gwang-jin bowed deeply, his face tightening slightly. “Of course, Lord of the Clan.”
The former clan head, Jwa Ga-gyun, had vanished without a trace after the Haenam faction and the Fukken Yongga failed in their mission to dispatch the Yukhap Swordmaster Pa Cheon-jo.
But no one cared to wonder about his whereabouts.
His entire family disappeared at the same time, and since Wi Jeong-guk, the current clan head, never once sought him out, it was easy to guess what had become of him.
Moreover, many envied Jwa Ga-gyun for rising from a secular disciple to clan head within the Jongnam faction, where both monastic and secular disciples operated together. For some, his disappearance was seen as an opportunity.
Ja Gwang-jin, the current clan head, was among those who thought so.