Chapter 309
The Hyeongsan Sect’s chief elder, Wi Jeong-guk, asked his deputy, Ja Gwang-jin:
“How many supreme masters can be mobilized to move to Akyang?”
“Sir, seven from the northwest and four from the east can be deployed directly to Akyang.”
That meant a total of eleven supreme masters could be dispatched immediately.
A formidable show of strength, even for the Hyeongsan Sect—renowned as one of the most powerful among the Nine Great Sects.
But Wi Jeong-guk was not satisfied with that number.
“Send nine more supreme masters from the main headquarters. Make it twenty in total for the attack.”
“Y-yes? Ah, understood.”
To Ja Gwang-jin, this seemed excessive.
Why send twenty supreme masters just to deal with a few petty troublemakers like Cho Hagon of the Invincible Golden Path and the rabble of the Ban Hyung Society?
Moreover, dispatching nine from the main headquarters would leave fewer than ten supreme masters guarding their home base.
Though unlikely, if anything were to happen at headquarters, their defenses would be dangerously thin.
Still, Ja Gwang-jin bowed without objection.
In the current Hyeongsan Sect, questioning the chief elder’s orders was sheer folly.
Besides, Ja Gwang-jin had his own reasons for absolute obedience.
“Then have the masters from the northwest and east rendezvous at Sai-eum in the southern Dongjeong Lake area to await the reinforcements from headquarters.”
“Good. Proceed as planned.”
Wi Jeong-guk’s eyes burned with fierce determination as he stared toward Akyang in the northeast of Honam Province, where the Ban Hyung Society’s shadows lurked.
This was the moment to finally wipe out those troublesome Ban Hyung scoundrels once and for all.
He had tried every method to root them out, but the pests hid in the shadows of Honam Province, impossible to track down.
And now, because of their testimonies, even disproving the accusations had become difficult.
Grinding his teeth, Wi Jeong-guk thought bitterly, If only we had dealt with them sooner, we wouldn’t be facing such scorn from the martial world.
The exposés from the Fukon Clan and the Hainan Sect had stung, but since they were not directly involved, Wi Jeong-guk believed there was room to refute their claims.
If they simply denied everything and systematically destroyed the evidence, what could those outsiders do?
In the end, they would lose their moral high ground.
The real problem was the Ban Hyung Society.
And now, those irritating pests who had skulked like vermin had crawled out to Akyang themselves.
This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate them all at once.
Wi Jeong-guk felt that if they could exterminate the Ban Hyung Society this time, even this whole ordeal could be turned into a blessing in disguise.
“Remember! The most important thing is not to let the Ban Hyung Society escape! If you ever have to choose between Akyang and them, abandon Akyang and pursue the pests!”
“Yes, Chief Elder!”
Watching Ja Gwang-jin head out to send orders to the supreme masters in the field, Wi Jeong-guk muttered to himself:
“No matter how much trouble others cause elsewhere, it’s useless. If we can just quiet Honam Province, those pests will be nothing more than a passing storm.”
At the same time, in the Golden Path Hall of Akyang, Sunwoo Jin and his group were reunited with members of the Ban Hyung Society.
“Irang!”
“Soeun unni!”
“Master Sunwoo, it’s good to see you well.”
“Master Son, you look as healthy as ever.”
Sunwoo Jin and Jin So-eun warmly greeted Yun Wu Chwi-gak Son Dae-su and his granddaughter Son Irang.
Despite the age gap, Sunwoo Jin and Son Dae-su greeted each other like old friends, while Jin So-eun and Son Irang embraced tearfully, as if reunited lost sisters.
Meanwhile, the Ban Hyung Society members who met Seol Poong and Yeon Tae-jin had a different atmosphere.
“Master Seol!”
“Master Seol!”
“You’ve returned, Master!”
They wore expressions of deep gratitude and treated Seol Poong with utmost respect, as if he were their superior.
This was because, during a previous ambush by the Six Harmonies Sword Sect’s faction, when they were on the brink of annihilation, Seol Poong had appeared like a comet and saved them.
He had become their savior.
Even the Ban Hyung Society’s leader, Iron Palm Great Hero Jeong So-sang, treated Seol Poong as a superior.
With a moved expression, Jeong So-sang said:
“Master Seol, not only did you save our lives last time, but thanks to you, we have now fulfilled a long-held wish of the Ban Hyung Society. Now that the entire martial world knows the Hyeongsan Sect’s treachery, I can die without regret!”
Seol Poong grasped his hand firmly and replied:
“Why say such things? Didn’t you say your dream was to avenge your lost family at the hands of the Hyeongsan Sect? Just wait a little longer. Soon, you will see that dream come true.”
Tears welled in Jeong So-sang’s eyes as he said:
“If I live to avenge my family, I will dedicate my remaining life to you, Master. I would serve you like a beast of burden without complaint!”
“I feel the same, Master! If only I can take revenge on the Hyeongsan Sect, I will live the rest of my life as your loyal servant!”
“Me too, Master!”
“Master!”
“Master!”
The Ban Hyung Society members seemed ready to swear fealty—or even sign a slave contract—if it meant avenging the Hyeongsan Sect.
It was as if Seol Poong, not Jeong So-sang, was the true leader of the Ban Hyung Society.
Seol Poong glanced at Sunwoo Jin with a slightly embarrassed expression.
But Sunwoo Jin nodded approvingly, pleased.
Gaining the Ban Hyung Society’s forces was certainly no disadvantage.
After watching them for a moment, Sunwoo Jin clapped his hands to shift the mood.
Clap! Clap!
“Alright! Everyone, please pay attention!”
All present—Sunwoo Jin’s group, Seol Poong’s followers, and the Ban Hyung Society members—turned their attention to him.
“According to the information just received from the Ban Hyung Society, the Hyeongsan Sect’s chief elder Wi Jeong-guk has decided to resolve this situation by dealing with us first. Is that correct?”
Son Dae-su of Yun Wu Chwi-gak nodded.
This was news just arrived from a spy planted within the Hyeongsan Sect.
He added with a grim expression:
“They have dispatched twenty supreme masters: seven from the northwest, four from the east, and nine from the main headquarters.”
The crowd murmured in surprise.
“Whoa!”
“Twenty supreme masters? Is that even possible?”
“As expected of the Hyeongsan Sect…”
Only a few among the Nine Great Sects—like Shaolin, Wudang, and Huashan—could muster such strength.
Hearing this, Ban Hyung Society leader Jeong So-sang asked with concern:
“If they’re coming out in force like that, wouldn’t it be better to retreat? Facing such power head-on seems reckless.”
The Ban Hyung members clenched their teeth and nodded.
Though they hated the Hyeongsan Sect deeply, they accepted that sometimes retreat was necessary.
But Sunwoo Jin disagreed.
He smiled wryly and shook his head.
“Facing them head-on would be reckless, yes. But as long as we don’t fight them head-on, we’ll be fine.”
“…Not head-on?”
“Yes. They haven’t gathered all twenty in one place yet. And while they don’t know our strength, we know exactly who they are and where they’re coming from.”
Several people gasped, realization dawning.
“Ah, that makes sense!”
“Now that you mention it…”
“So, we’ll pick them off one by one?”
Sunwoo Jin nodded and looked at Seol Poong seriously.
“Brother, take Young So-jeo and the strongest among the Ban Hyung Society and head east.”
He was entrusting Seol Poong with handling the four supreme masters coming from the east.
Then, turning to Seol Poong’s followers, he said:
“Grand Hero Gam, Lord Gui-do Baek, Brother Jeung-chil, and Lord Hong of the White Bone Ghost, along with Invincible Golden Path’s Great Hero Cho and Young So-jeo Jin, will accompany me to the northwest.”
This was a group of three Heavenly Thirty-Six Star-level masters and four supreme masters.
Sunwoo Jin planned to take them to confront the seven coming from the northwest.
Then he addressed the remaining members:
“The rest of you, wait here in Akyang. After we finish our assignments, we will return and proceed to Hyeongsan together.”
The Ban Hyung Society members trembled as if struck by lightning.
The news was too shocking.
Jeong So-sang, dazed, repeated:
“So… you’re saying we’re going to Hyeongsan now?”
Sunwoo Jin smiled and replied:
“Yes, we’re going to Hyeongsan. The time for revenge has finally come.”
Revenge.
Every member of the Ban Hyung Society felt a surge of emotion welling up in their chests.
Sunwoo Jin’s words struck their hearts like a drumbeat.
Revenge…
It was a longing they had never forgotten, even in their dreams.
Yet, even they had doubted it would be possible before they died.
But now, Sunwoo Jin was saying they could do it—and they would do it now.
Their hearts began to burn as if about to burst.
With eyes brimming with tears of overwhelming emotion, they repeated once more the words Sun Woo-jin had spoken.
“Revenge…”
That sweet word was so intoxicating, it felt as if they could die right then and there with no regrets.
Anhyang, Honam Province.
This place lay to the true north of Honam Province, just beyond crossing Dongjeong Lake from Akyang.
In Anhyang, the most powerful martial faction was Cheonjungmun, which for several years had been a puppet sect under the Hyungsan Sect’s control.
Back then, the Hyungsan Sect had lent its strength to Cheonjungmun to bring down Gwong Mujang, who had been the top force in Anhyang.
With Hyungsan’s backing, Cheonjungmun easily wiped out Gwong Mujang’s entire clan.
It went without saying that both Gwong Mujang and Cheonjungmun eventually fell under Hyungsan’s complete domination.
Currently, three supreme masters of the Hyungsan Sect were stationed at Cheonjungmun.
This was because the meeting point for the top-tier warriors from the northwest was here.
Once all seven from the northwest gathered, they planned to move together to Sang-eum in the south, where all twenty would assemble.
In the guest chamber of Cheonjungmun, Mo Dong-ju, a direct disciple of the Hyungsan Sect, yawned with a bored expression.
“Haahhh!”
Jamyung Jin-in, another supreme master of Hyungsan, smiled gently at him and said, “You seem quite bored. Some are still coming from Cheonjasan at the western edge, so it’ll take some time. And no matter how bored you are, surely you’re not the only ones—Jagang and I have been here the longest. So please bear with it.”
Mo Dong-ju chuckled and nodded. “True, the senior brothers must be the most bored.”
Cheonjungmun served as Hyungsan’s stronghold overseeing northern Honam Province.
Thus, Jamyung Jin-in and Jagang Jin-in had been stationed here for months.
Naturally, they were the ones who had to wait the longest.
“Haahhh!” Mo Dong-ju yawned again, then lazily asked Jamyung Jin-in, “I’m so bored. Would it be alright if I stayed behind and you senior brothers went ahead? With twenty people going, I don’t think there’s much for me to do.”
Jagang Jin-in, standing beside Jamyung Jin-in, frowned sharply. “How dare you say such a thing, disciple? Do you intend to defy the chief’s orders? We all know you’re free-spirited, but this crosses the line. How can you speak so thoughtlessly?”
Mo Dong-ju grinned slyly. “Ah, I was only joking. I deserve the scolding for such a dull joke. Sorry, senior brother.”
Jamyung Jin-in gave a dry smile, while Jagang Jin-in looked slightly displeased. “A joke? There are things you can joke about and things you can’t! How dare you joke about the chief’s orders?”
Mo Dong-ju smirked. “If I took the chief’s orders that seriously, why would I still be a mere direct disciple? I’ve apologized, so let’s drop it, senior brother.”
Seeing the serious look on Mo Dong-ju’s face, Jagang Jin-in swallowed his words and decided to let it go.
“Ahem! Fine, it was a dull joke. Be careful next time, disciple Mo.”
Though he appeared easygoing now, Mo Dong-ju had been notorious for his wild antics since youth.
Once, in a fit of rage, he bit his sparring partner’s leg until flesh tore away; another time, he even set fire to a sect building.
Knowing Mo Dong-ju’s troublesome nature well, Jagang Jin-in chose silence over confrontation.
Inside, Mo Dong-ju felt a twinge of regret. If Jagang Jin-in had kept nagging, he might have used it as an excuse to bite him and skip this whole affair. But that seemed unlikely now.
‘Still, as he said, defying the chief’s orders would be dangerous,’ Mo Dong-ju sighed inwardly.
Truthfully, he had no desire to follow the chief’s commands.
To be honest, he wanted to question how anyone could do such things.
He understood what it meant to rebel against the chief within Hyungsan Sect, so he tried to endure, but the longer he waited, the more disillusioned he became with the chief and the sect’s affairs.
He hadn’t joined the righteous Hyungsan Sect to get involved in such dirty business.
He felt suffocated, wanting to quit everything—even to close the sect’s gates and retreat from the world.
Then—
Whoosh!
The three in the guest chamber suddenly jolted upright, startled by a surge of killing intent from outside.
“Huh?!”
“What’s that?!”
“Enemies?!”
A powerful killing aura was piercing through from outside.
At least the level of a supreme warrior.
What was stranger was how quiet the surroundings were despite such a presence.
Exchanging glances, the three swiftly dashed out of the guest chamber.
Crack!
As soon as they stepped outside, they spotted the source of the killing intent—no, the sources.
Three figures stood in the open courtyard: two shabby old men and a short-haired woman with striking beauty.
One of the old men, Jeung Chil, sneered fiercely at the Hyungsan warriors.
“Heh heh heh! Finally, my turn has come! I’ll show you Hyungsan bastards the true terror of old Jeung Chil!”
Beside him, Baekgol Goema Hong Chu grinned darkly and added, “I, Hong Chu, will demonstrate the might of the White Bone Ghost Clan.”
Both had been nursing grudges since the last time they had helped the invincible Cho Ha-gon in Geumdo but were outmatched by the Three Divine Spears, Gam Jak-hyung, and the Ghost Path’s Baek Gi-ryang, leaving them with no chance to fight.
This time, they had begged Sun Woo-jin to let those who missed the last battle take the lead.
Standing awkwardly beside them, Jin So-eun muttered, “I don’t really have to be here…”
Jamyung Jin-in’s eyes sharpened as he quickly scanned the area, then said to the others, “This is strange. They’ve come this far, yet there’s no sign of anyone else nearby. Everyone, be cautious.”
Hearing this, Jagang Jin-in and Mo Dong-ju finally realized the absence of any Cheonjungmun warriors’ presence.
It meant everyone had been subdued without their knowledge.
Then—
Without hesitation, Jeung Chil charged like lightning.
Crack!
“This one’s mine!”
He targeted Jamyung Jin-in, the highest-ranking among the three.
Jamyung Jin-in’s face tensed as he swiftly drew his sword to parry Jeung Chil’s lightning-fast strike.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Clang!
Jeung Chil’s rapid technique was unlike anything Jamyung Jin-in had seen before.
But such speed came with risk—if not controlled perfectly, it could mean running headlong into the opponent’s blade.
He slashed horizontally at Jeung Chil’s face, thinking, ‘Got you!’
Swoosh!
But it was an illusion.
Jeung Chil suddenly paused mid-charge, and the sword passed just an inch in front of his face.
His reflexes and body control were astonishing.
Jeung Chil hesitated briefly, then charged again, scattering hidden needles.
Whirrr!
“!”
Jamyung Jin-in was horrified.
Jeung Chil’s speed alone was at the level of hidden needles, but to charge forward and release them at such close range was impossible to defend against.
He hastily unleashed his internal energy.
“Hah!”
Whoosh!
A protective barrier of sky-blue energy enveloped him, barely deflecting the needles.
Tsk tsk!
But Jeung Chil’s assault wasn’t over.
He had already leapt into the air.
Jamyung Jin-in quickly looked up just in time to see Jeung Chil spinning once midair, one leg raised high, eyes locked on him.
Jamyung Jin-in’s eyes widened.
“!”
In the next instant, Jeung Chil’s heel slammed down like lightning onto the protective barrier.
“Thunder Dragon Strike!”
Kraaaash!
“Ughhh!”
Though the strike didn’t penetrate the barrier, its tremendous force forced Jamyung Jin-in to be blasted backward.
He had already spent a quarter of his energy maintaining the barrier, and now nearly half of his internal power was drained in an instant.
Jeung Chil laughed mockingly. “Heh heh heh! Nothing beats the taste of the Thunder Dragon Strike! Or should I say, the taste of my foot! Heh heh heh!”
The technique Jeung Chil used was the Thunder God’s martial art, the Wind Dragon Kick, taught by Sun Woo-jin.
After mastering it, Jeung Chil had broken through a twenty-year plateau in his internal power, reaching the minimum level to rival the Thirty-Six Stars of the world.
Jamyung Jin-in hastily withdrew his protective barrier after being flung back.
With nearly half his energy spent, maintaining it any longer was too risky.
But at that moment—
Jeung Chil’s hidden needles shot toward him like rays of light.
Sssshhh!
“Ugh!”
Jamyung Jin-in swung his sword frantically, forming a blade barrier.
Shu-shaak!
Ting ting ting!
The needles struck the barrier and scattered.
But he had no time to catch his breath before swinging his sword downward again.
Jeung Chil had already closed the distance.
“You bastard!”
Shu-shaak!
At that moment, Jeung Chil grinned recklessly and kicked upward.
“Heh heh heh!”
Wind Dragon Kick, First Step:
Wind Dragon Gale
In an instant, Jeung Chil’s shadowed foot split into multiple afterimages.
The crimson aura-laden shadows filled the area around them.
Sssshhh!
Then, the sky-blue sword energy of Jamyung Jin-in clashed explosively with the crimson foot strike of Jeung Chil from all directions like fireworks.
Babababababang!
In the end, it was Jamyung Jin-in who was pushed back.
“Ugh!”
“Hehehehe! This is exhilarating!”
Up until now, Jeung Chil had mainly relied on swift divine techniques, stealth arts, and some close-range maneuvers.
But compared to his divine and stealth techniques, his close-combat moves hadn’t shown much power, and truth be told, Jeung Chil hadn’t been fond of fighting up close.
That changed when he learned the Wind Dragon Kick technique from Sun Woo-jin. Suddenly, he saw close combat in a whole new light.
It was almost unbelievable how perfectly this martial art suited him.
Because Jeung Chil was smaller than most opponents, he’d always been at a disadvantage in terms of distance during close combat. But after mastering the Wind Dragon Kick, he could maintain much greater spacing.
What’s more, while others would have blind spots within that spacing, Jeung Chil had none.
His short legs actually eliminated those blind spots.
For longer distances where his legs couldn’t reach, he simply relied on his stealth techniques, so it wasn’t a problem.
As a result, Jeung Chil finally broke through a major barrier.
The century-old wall of internal energy cultivation.
That was also why he’d been so hungry for battle lately.
Wind Dragon Kick, Fifth Form: Whirlwind Dragon Strike.
Jeung Chil’s foot spun like a tornado, driving down like a spear onto Jamyung Jin-in’s protective energy shield.
It was a powerful strike that seemed capable of piercing even stone.
Puuuuk!
As Jeung Chil’s body drove through the shield, Jamyung Jin-in couldn’t hold on any longer. He spat blood and was flung backward.
“Guhk!”
His remaining energy wasn’t enough to maintain the shield against Jeung Chil’s blow.
Spinning through the air, Jamyung Jin-in barely managed to land, staggering.
Then, in a panic, his eyes caught sight of Jeung Chil’s figure above him, foot raised high.
Jamyung Jin-in’s eyes widened in horror.
“Thunder Dragon Strike!”
Jeung Chil’s foot slammed down like lightning.
Right at Jamyung Jin-in’s head.
Kwah-ang!
With no energy left to sustain his shield, Jamyung Jin-in’s head exploded without a trace.
His body split in two, as if cleaved by an axe.
Yet surprisingly, not much blood splattered.
The split area was charred black, as if struck by lightning.
Jeung Chil smiled brightly, leaving Jamyung Jin-in’s corpse behind.
“Hehehehe! As I said, you’ve got to shout the name of the move with Thunder Dragon Strike to really clear your head! Hehehehe!”
It was a pitifully ignoble death for Jamyung Jin-in, who had ranked quite high among the supreme masters of the Hyeongsan Sect.