Chapter 313
Southern Sound, Hunan Province.
Namjeong Hall.
Southern Sound was the city located at the southernmost tip of Dongting Lake.
Because of this, the top-tier masters of the Hengshan Sect had agreed to gather at the Namjeong Hall—the Hengshan Sect’s subordinate gate located in Southern Sound—before heading northeast to Akyang, near the northeastern shore of Dongting Lake.
Among them, a stern-faced elder named Jamang Jin-in, who was sitting in the guest room drinking tea, suddenly spoke with displeasure.
“The discipline among the disciples out in the field has been slipping for some time now, but this is reaching a serious level. Once this is over, I’ll have to tighten the reins properly.”
Jin-in was the deputy head of the Discipline Pavilion at the Hengshan Sect’s main base, responsible for enforcing the sect’s rules among disciples. He was known for his stubbornness and strict adherence to hierarchy among senior brothers.
At his words, Gong Chudong, another top master working in the Discipline Pavilion, tried to soothe him.
“Everyone’s coming from far away, isn’t that right, senior brother? I’m sure none of them are deliberately late.”
Jin-in scowled deeply.
“Do you think I’m complaining just because someone’s a little late?! Of course, if the journey is long, delays can happen! But then, shouldn’t they have sent a message in advance? ‘I’m going to be late because of this and that, sorry.’ Isn’t that the basic courtesy between senior brothers?!”
Gong Chudong sighed inwardly but nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. No matter how busy they are, they could have sent at least one messenger pigeon.”
Only then did Jin-in allow a faint smile.
“So, you finally understand my point. Anyway, just wait and see. I’ll make sure to restore discipline among those out in the field this time.”
“Yes, yes, senior brother.”
Gong Chudong smiled and humored him, but secretly shook his head.
Jin-in’s rigid personality was the reason many senior brothers kept their distance from him.
Especially free-spirited disciples like Mo Dongju, the wandering swordsman who was currently on his way, often pretended to listen to Jin-in’s words but ended up playing pranks on him.
“Still, it was more fun when Mo senior brother was around.”
Gong Chudong sighed quietly.
The real problem for the Hengshan Sect wasn’t people like Jin-in.
The true issue was that the narrow-minded, rigid types like Jin-in were among the few who still felt a sense of camaraderie at the sect’s main base.
Gong Chudong glanced around at the other senior brothers nearby.
The other seven senior brothers paid no attention to Jin-in’s complaints, as if it didn’t matter at all.
They looked so indifferent that even strangers meeting for the first time wouldn’t be this aloof.
Seeing this, Gong Chudong sighed again.
“They’re deliberately ignoring Senior Brother Jamang.”
This scene perfectly reflected the current atmosphere at the Hengshan Sect’s main base.
Among the senior brothers there, a prevailing attitude had taken hold: don’t bother with others, just look out for yourself.
And this wasn’t a recent development.
This atmosphere had been growing ever since the current sect leader, Wei Jeongguk, took office and declared he would strengthen the Hengshan Sect through ruthless competition.
Wei Jeongguk cared nothing for hierarchy or the bonds between senior brothers or disciples from different private schools.
He valued only strength, promising to strictly differentiate between those with high martial prowess and those without.
It was as if the sect had become a rogue faction, where the more talented and powerful could have everything, and those with lesser skill and slower progress would be completely discarded.
For a righteous sect that prized order, hierarchy, and brotherhood, this was a terrifying prospect.
But even this wasn’t the real problem.
Gong Chudong shook his head and thought,
“The real issue is that Wei Jeongguk and his close allies are exempt from this competition.”
Wei Jeongguk had left himself and his inner circle untouched, forcing endless competition only on everyone else.
To become one of his close allies, one had to either demonstrate extraordinary ability or expertly curry his favor.
It went without saying that the latter was far easier and more visible than the former.
So naturally, most people chose the latter.
Of course, even that opportunity was only available to those near the sect leader, which only strengthened factionalism among his inner circle.
In this environment, the Hengshan disciples inevitably adopted a survival-of-the-fittest mindset.
“Every man for himself.”
No four-character idiom described the current mood of the Hengshan Sect better.
And this attitude was especially strong among the disciples remaining at the main base, more so than those active in the field.
As Gong Chudong pondered these thoughts with a bitter expression, the door to the guest room suddenly opened.
The chief steward of Namjeong Hall entered.
“I have an announcement for the masters at the main base.”
All nine top masters immediately fell silent and focused their gaze on him.
Swallowing nervously under their intense scrutiny, the steward cautiously began.
“We’ve received intelligence that over a hundred martial artists are approaching Southern Sound from the north. It seems they’re heading straight for Namjeong Hall.”
Gong Chudong spoke up on behalf of the group.
“Over a hundred martial artists? Do we know who they are?”
The steward bowed apologetically.
“I’m afraid we don’t have precise information on that.”
Some of the top masters turned away, uninterested.
To them, a hundred or so martial artists weren’t worth worrying about.
But when the steward continued, they had no choice but to look back.
“It seems that among them is the invincible Golden Path master, Chohagon.”
“Hm?”
“Chohagon?”
The news was shocking to all.
They had been waiting for Chohagon to join them, yet here he was, coming from the opposite direction.
It was a strange situation.
Gong Chudong asked again.
“Then, are all those hundred-plus martial artists members of the Ban Hyunhoe faction?”
“I… I’m not sure about that.”
Hearing this, the Hengshan masters exchanged glances but remained silent, sipping their tea.
They seemed to have thoughts but chose not to voice them.
Gong Chudong sighed inwardly.
Then he stepped forward and asked the highest-ranking Jamang Jin-in,
“Senior brother, what shall we do?”
Jin-in stroked his beard arrogantly.
“What is there to do? If they’re coming to us, it saves us the trouble of going out to find them. Of course, we’ll go out to meet them. It’s unfortunate for the disciples who’ve been waiting, but who can we blame? It’s their own fault for being slow.”
Gong Chudong nodded exaggeratedly, as if impressed.
“I see. I think that’s the best course of action. Shall we depart immediately?”
“Now? Well, let’s do just that.”
Feeling Gong Chudong’s respectful tone, Jin-in rose at once.
Only then did Gong Chudong glance at the other senior brothers, silently urging them to move as well.
They looked around briefly, then quietly stood up to follow.
There was no reason to refuse.
Gong Chudong breathed a quiet sigh of relief as everyone moved according to his plan, and soon they all stepped outside.
Left alone in the guest room, the steward’s mind suddenly turned over a thought.
“Should I have mentioned that it didn’t look like Chohagon was leading the group?”
According to the report, the one leading the martial artists wasn’t the invincible Chohagon, but a sturdy young man dressed in red martial robes.
But by the time the steward decided to say this and stepped outside, the top masters had already vanished.
The nine top masters, including Jamang Jin-in, met the approaching martial artists just outside the Southern Sound city gate.
About a hundred and fifty of them had camped there, as if waiting for someone.
News of their presence quickly spread throughout the city, and the citizens gathered around the gate and nearby streets, their eyes filled with a mix of anxiety and curiosity.
The nine masters strode confidently through the crowd and out the gate.
The citizens and the gate guards parted to make way, whispering excitedly.
“Look! The white-robed heroes of the Hengshan Sect!”
“But there are only nine of them! Outside, there are over a hundred! Isn’t that too few for the Hengshan Sect?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I heard all nine have reached the pinnacle of martial arts. Even a thousand or fifteen hundred ordinary warriors wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“What?! All nine are top-tier masters? No way! That can’t be true!”
“Ha! That’s the Hengshan Sect for you!”
Jamang Jin-in, leading the group, couldn’t help but smile proudly at the crowd’s praise.
Being surrounded by masters at the main base, he rarely received such admiration from others.
Feeling the warmth of their excitement made his heart race.
The moment he stepped outside the city gates, he saw over a hundred and fifty warriors lined up on both sides.
But upon seeing them, Jamang Jin-in scoffed derisively.
“Hmph! Only a hundred and fifty?”
As the townsfolk had said, that number was laughably small.
To the nine supreme masters, it wasn’t even worth a glance.
And so, the young man in the red martial robe standing at their center barely registered in his eyes.
With a haughty expression, Jamang Jin-in shouted toward the warriors.
“I am Jamang Jin-in of the Hyungsan Sect!”
He then waited arrogantly for their reaction.
He had expected that just hearing his name—the supreme master of the Hyungsan Sect—would send them into a panic.
But the response he got was nothing like what he anticipated.
The warriors stood silently, as if waiting for him to say more. When Jamang Jin-in fell silent, they exchanged amused glances and chuckled.
Especially the beautiful woman standing right beside the young man in red spoke up with a mocking tone.
“So what if you’re Jamang Jin-in?! Are you trying to introduce yourself or something? What’s next? Your age and hobbies too?”
Her blunt words drew stifled laughter from the crowd.
Even the three sworn brothers standing behind Jamang Jin-in snickered.
His face flushed red with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
“Y-You woman! How d-dare you!”
The woman snapped back, clearly annoyed.
“Dare? What dare? Do you think we’re here for fun? Did you expect us to be impressed and say, ‘Oh my! What an amazing person!’ when you said your name? Is there no one in the Hyungsan Sect worth talking to? Is this the best you’ve got?”
“An idiot?” Jamang Jin-in was so shocked he felt like he might lose his mind.
He had never heard such insults before—not even after surpassing the supreme mastery level.
As an elder and supreme master of the Hyungsan Sect’s main temple, he had always been treated with respect. He simply didn’t know how to respond to such personal attacks.
“Y-You…!”
Before he could say more, Gong Chudong stepped forward, unable to stand the scene any longer.
“I am Gong Chudong of the Hyungsan Sect’s Discipline Hall! Who are you to gather like this and oppress the people of Sang-eum? Are you the rebels of the Anti-Hyungsan Alliance who dare defy our sect?”
The beautiful woman frowned deeply, about to retort.
“Mu—!”
But the young man in the red robe gently grasped her shoulder to stop her.
Then he stepped forward, raising his voice with a powerful inner energy that seemed to echo throughout Sang-eum.
“I am Seol Poong, one of the successors of the Four Kings!”
A hush fell between the people of Sang-eum and the Hyungsan warriors.
But it was brief. Once the townsfolk grasped the meaning of his words, their faces turned to shock and murmurs spread.
“Su-successor of the Four Kings?!”
“Why would a successor of the Four Kings be here?!”
“Isn’t that a lie? I’ve never heard the name Seol Poong before.”
“No, I heard recently that after sinking Gwe Jeong-gi—the leading candidate for the next Four Kings—the successor’s name was Seol Poong!”
“W-What?! Then why is he here?!”
It wasn’t just the townsfolk who were taken aback.
The Hyungsan warriors were equally unsettled.
Gong Chudong repeated in a trembling voice, “Su-successor of the Four Kings?”
Even the Hyungsan Sect, rising rapidly within the Nine Great Sects, had at least three places it dared not touch: the Cheonma Cult, the Four Kings Alliance, and the Martial Alliance.
Before these three most powerful forces, the Hyungsan Sect was just a decent sect at best.
And now, the successor of the Four Kings—the very head of the Four Kings Alliance—had suddenly appeared here.
Neither Jamang Jin-in, who was usually inarticulate, nor Gong Chudong could find words in that moment.
Unbeknownst to Jamang Jin-in, this was exactly the reaction he had hoped for when he announced his name earlier.
The response he had longed for was now unfolding before him.
Seol Poong waited for the murmurs to die down before continuing.
“I have come to avenge the grievances of my close friends!”
The crowd buzzed again.
Grievances of close friends?
Who had dared to harm the close friends of the successor of the Four Kings?
Everyone’s eyes sharpened, waiting for his next words.
Seol Poong pressed on.
“Not long ago, wicked and ruthless men kidnapped the children of the legendary hero Cho Ha-gon, who had lived his life as a chivalrous warrior of Akyang. They threatened that if the children did not become their puppets, they would kill the son and violate the daughter right before Cho Ha-gon’s eyes!”
The people of Sang-eum murmured loudly.
“Cho Ha-gon? He’s a famous hero of Akyang, isn’t he?”
“Right. But to do such terrible things to him? Who could be so cruel?”
The Hyungsan warriors grew uneasy upon hearing this.
They immediately recognized who was being spoken of.
But why was this being said in front of so many townsfolk?
Their faces flushed with embarrassment.
They had no idea how to handle this situation.
Though their martial skills were high, they lacked experience dealing with the wider martial world.
Even Gong Chudong, the most experienced among the supreme masters, was at a loss.
And Seol Poong’s accusations were far from over.
“Not only that! Six months ago, those same ruthless men disguised as bandits to rob tribute from Seong Chan-guk, the former lord of the Nujeong Pyo Country. When Seong Daehyup refused to yield, they kidnapped his wife and three-year-old daughter and slaughtered them before his eyes! And eight months ago, they seized the Wonryung checkpoint in Wonryung…”
Seol Poong’s list of atrocities went on and on.
The people of Sang-eum were outraged, unable to believe such evil existed.
Each time Seol Poong finished recounting a story, someone would step forward from the crowd, tears streaming down their face.
“Who are those people? Why are they crying so bitterly?”
“Maybe they’re connected to the stories he’s telling?”
“No way! That’s Seong Chan-guk, isn’t it? The former lord of Nujeong Pyo Country! And that must be Won Daehyup, the lord of Wonryung checkpoint!”
“Wait, so these are the actual victims of the stories he’s telling?”
“No wonder they’re crying so bitterly!”
The townsfolk watched the tearful victims with sympathy.
Voices of pity and curses against the villains grew louder, while the expressions of the Hyungsan masters darkened further.
Then, someone suddenly raised a question.
“But why is this Seol Poong telling these stories here?”
“Yeah, maybe some of these people are connected to Sang-eum?”
“No way…”
“Hey, wait a minute.”
“Hm?”
“Aren’t all the places he mentioned under Hyungsan’s control?”
“…Huh?”
Gradually, the murmurs from the townsfolk began to fade.
They had realized who the villains were.
Soon, the area near the city gates, crowded with people, fell into a heavy silence.
The townsfolk swallowed nervously, stealing glances at the Hyungsan warriors whose faces had turned crimson.
Finally, Seol Poong finished his indictment.
He listed all the crimes committed and then shouted toward them.
“You all know exactly who these villains are, don’t you? Hyungsan Sect! Though I belong to the Sapa, even among the Four Kings Alliance, I have never seen or heard of villains like you! I will make you and the Weojeong Kingdom pay for the sins committed against my close friends!”
Jamang Jin-in could no longer contain himself. He lunged forward, shouting.
“Shut up! How dare you insult our sect! Even if you are a successor of the Four Kings, I will never forgive you!”
Then he charged straight at Seol Poong, his mind consumed by the single thought: he must kill Seol Poong.