Chapter 71. Shattering Conviction

I laughed as I watched Old Lord Two Dragons engulfed in flames. There was no one left here now, so I laughed to my heart’s content.

I laughed as I mocked Old Lord Two Dragons’ death, and laughed with the intent of insulting his entire life. Carried away by the mood, I drew Black Cat Fang again and laughed as I scattered Flame Fragrance in every direction.

“Burn…….”

These flames were a gift from a waiter to the people of the martial world.

Long ago, after Jaha Inn burned down, I had found myself mixed up in the martial world before I even realized it. I had merely given Old Lord Two Dragons his fair punishment for dragging an ordinary waiter into the martial world.

Even the memories of an ordinary everyday life, now growing faint, were all burned away in the mountain manor. As I swung my blade as I pleased, set fires, and burst into laughter, I heard my subordinates’ voices from outside.

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

Did I have junior brothers?

“Gang Leader!”

Was I a gang leader?

Suddenly, amid the blazing flames, I mulled over the words “Eldest Senior Brother” and “Gang Leader.”

Had I been too carried away?

I slowly recited the path I had walked.

“A waiter of Ilyang County, a gravekeeper, a master of the sickle, a loser at martial duel gambling, a third-rate martial artist, qi deviation, a fish of Zhejiang…….”

Had some mechanism melted down somewhere?

With a loud crack, the building, too, was being buried in the pit. A familiar voice came from much closer this time.

“Gang Leader! It’s Gunpyeong!”

“Three-Hundred-Gapja So Gunpyeong?”

Then, with a thunderous boom, the vines engulfed in flames shattered to pieces, and So Gunpyeong and the other junior brothers appeared, their bodies blackened all over by soot.

Only then did I speak to So Gunpyeong.

“I told you to stand by. Why did you come in?”

So Gunpyeong shouted at me.

“There was a fire, so of course we came in! What are you doing?! Come over!”

Only then did I look down, and there was a black pit lying between my subordinates and me.

It was nothing, just a small pit, and yet for some reason, to my eyes, it looked like the Sanzu River said to lie between this world and the next.

So Gunpyeong looked at the pit with me, then said to me,

“Gang Leader, there’s nothing in the pit. Come over.”

“Ah, got it.”

I lightly leapt over the pit and landed where my subordinates were. All of them had filthy faces, as if smeared with charcoal.

Baegin asked me,

“Eldest Senior Brother, did you set the fire?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s get out.”

At Baegin’s words, I cackled and ran ahead first.

“Let’s go.”

So Gunpyeong was still angry with me.

“Why are you laughing?!”

I answered with a laugh.

“I set fire to someone else’s house. What, should I cry?”

So Gunpyeong let out a strange, forced laugh—“Eu-heo-heo-heo-heo”—then added this.

“So this is how qi deviation comes. I understand what this feeling is now.”

“Be careful, Gunpyeong. There’s nothing as frightening as qi deviation.”

We huddled together and broke through the flames, occasionally swinging our swords. Sometimes the palm winds from my junior brothers opened the path refreshingly wide, and we safely escaped Old Lord Two Dragons’ residence.

As soon as we came outside, I looked back at the mountain manor.

Something exploded with a roar, and the flames surged even higher.

So Gunpyeong said with a dazed expression,

“There must have been gunpowder somewhere. That’s not just the sound of things burning.”

I, too, agreed as I watched the manor burn fiercely.

“Seems so.”

Baegin, as if he still wanted to confirm things thoroughly, asked me,

“Eldest Senior Brother, what about Old Lord Two Dragons?”

“He burned to death before the manor did.”

Baegin let out an unusually loud sigh of relief.

“Good. That’s good.”

“It is good.”

I looked at my subordinates’ blackened faces, and my subordinates looked at my face, then we burst into laughter together.

I looked at the gathered forces of the Unu Society and asked,

“What about the actors who went in first?”

From the back, the men raised their hands.

“We’re here.”

So Gunpyeong explained.

“They came out first through the back door with the manor servant. Apparently the servant told them a big fight was about to break out inside, so they should get out.”

“That’s a relief. Our fine actors nearly died.”

“Yes.”

I did not bother asking about the servant’s whereabouts. If he had learned martial arts, he would already have died at my subordinates’ hands.

When I suddenly turned my head, the entire mountain manor was sinking down as if it had fallen into a pit. It seemed they had dug far too many holes here from the beginning. The fire did not look like it would spread much to the surrounding area. That was because this place was an independent mountain, not part of a continuing mountain range. It did not seem like a bad idea to let it be engulfed in flames once, burn everything away, and then slowly begin again.

“Let’s go.”

On the way back on foot with my subordinates, my junior brothers and officers were extremely curious about the fight that had taken place inside, so I gave them a rough explanation.

“There were mechanisms all over inside.”

“…….”

So Gunpyeong replied in an absurd tone.

“Gang Leader, that’s it?”

“Yeah.”

I looked at Baegin and added one thing.

“He wasn’t particularly superior to the Great Rakshasa.”

Baegin looked at me, then nodded with a calm expression.

“Yes.”

I stopped for a moment and looked at my junior brothers.

“The Great Rakshasa, Master Su, and Old Lord Two Dragons are all dead now. Of the three, the Great Rakshasa was the most manly.”

Baegin replied,

“I see. Then that is enough.”

Cheongjin and Baegyu also nodded, looking somewhat relieved.

I said to my subordinates,

“The Unu Society is gone now. Those who want to leave, leave. I won’t stop you. Those who stay now belong to Haomun. The Black Cat Gang, the Black Fan Fort, and the Unu Society are all Haomun.”

One of the men who had belonged to the Unu Society asked me,

“What exactly is Haomun?”

I nodded and answered,

“A place full of useless idiots like you. A shabby sect that will spread throughout the entire martial world while killing bastards like Master Su.”

One who still did not know my identity asked this.

“Who is the Sect Leader?”

“It’s me.”

“Weren’t you the Black Cat Gang Leader?”

“That’s me too.”

As I headed back toward the Cloud-Rain Society, I said to So Gunpyeong,

“Dokgo Saeng, that bastard, hasn’t caused any trouble, has he?”

So Gunpyeong shook his head.

“With the Hongshin Divine General there, nothing much should happen.”

I gave instructions to the officers.

“Our forces have suddenly swelled as if full of hot air, but it doesn’t mean much. Discuss the detailed arrangements with the officers and the junior brothers and sort it out. I don’t have the talent for running an organization meticulously.”

“Yes.”

“Each of you do what you’re best at. I intend to keep growing stronger. In the end, becoming strong is probably the sect master’s greatest role.”

To be honest, even if some man who was a genius at internal administration appeared, he would likely be unable to control this chaotic organization perfectly.

At the fork in the road, I sent So Gunpyeong and the junior brothers to the Cloud-Rain Society.

“I need to go to the Black Cat Gang and see the prisoner, so you all clean things up and come back.”

So Gunpyeong asked,

“Who should we appoint as the temporary manager of the Cloud-Rain Society? In any case, it’s a Black Way faction, and it was a place that received guests, so there’s a possibility that disputes, large and small, will occur one after another.”

“If Dokgo Saeng is there, he’ll be drawing his sword on every last person who comes……”

Baegin answered,

“I and the junior brothers will remain there temporarily. I have a rough idea of what sort of bastards come as guests. Those who deserve to die, we’ll kill; those who should live, we’ll send back.”

“Good. Work hard. I’ll return first.”

“Yes.”

* * *

I glared at Yu Sacheong as I headed for the seat of honor.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes.”

“Cha Seongtae didn’t torment you?”

“No.”

I sat in the seat of honor, looked at Yu Sacheong on my left, and then at Cha Seongtae on my right.

Cha Seongtae asked,

“How did the matter you went out for go?”

“What matter?”

“You went to strike Master Su, didn’t you?”

“Ah, Master Su was cut down by a blade, and Two-Dragon Old Lord burned to death. I sent Great Rakshasa both a worthy opponent and a friend, so he won’t be bored in the underworld. Come to think of it, they died because of Yu Sacheong.”

I looked at Yu Sacheong.

“Your contribution was great.”

“Yes.”

Thinking Cha Seongtae must have found out something, I asked,

“Where’s this bastard from?”

“He says he’s from the Hoyeon Sword Clan (呼延劍家).”

I asked Yu Sacheong,

“Are you a Hoyeon (呼延) too?”

Hoyeon was a compound surname that wasn’t very common. Yu Sacheong revealed his real name.

“My real name is Hoyeon Cheong.”

“Where is your base?”

“Originally, we were in Dongboseok, but now we’ve settled in Hongcheonhyang.”

“The Dongboseok region is packed with White Way factions. You must have been pushed out.”

“Yes.”

I pointed to the portrait sketch on the side table and said to Cha Seongtae,

“Bring it here.”

Cha Seongtae brought over the portrait sketch of the Left Envoy of Radiance and set it down in front of me. I pushed it toward Hoyeon Cheong.

“This is a man I’m hunting. Can you find him?”

Hoyeon Cheong answered,

“I will find him somehow.”

“So you don’t know him.”

Hoyeon Cheong answered with a troubled expression.

“Gang Leader, please spare me. I’ll search for him however I can. If you have any poison, please give me some. I’ll come back for the antidote.”

I nodded.

“I’ve already killed many people today. My ordinary day shouldn’t begin with killing people and end with killing people, should it?”

Hoyeon Cheong let out a sigh of relief and replied,

“Thank you.”

“Good. There should be relationships like this too. Not everything in human affairs can be solved by forcing it.”

Just then, the door to the main hall opened, and a subordinate reported,

“Gang Leader, a guest has arrived.”

“Who?”

“A man called Geum Cheolyong, sect master of the Cheolyong Sect, has come.”

“Show him in.”

Geum Cheolyong and Gwak Yonggae appeared in the main hall. Geum Cheolyong said with a smile,

“Sect Master, it’s hard to catch a glimpse of your face.”

I answered as I stood.

“What brings you here so suddenly?”

“People keep flooding in, yet the sect master was nowhere to be seen, so I came to check on you while I was at it.”

“Has it finally arrived?”

Gwak Yonggae set a pitch-black box with straps on the table, then opened the lid.

Inside the box lay the Mad Blade (狂刃) that Geum Cheolyong had made.

Both the hilt and the scabbard were ash gray.

At the end of the hilt, a dragon was engraved like a mark proving it had been made by Geum Cheolyong. But it was a straight saber shorter than I had expected.

A thought occurred to me.

He hadn’t managed to obtain all the iron he wanted.

Even so, it was a gift I was receiving for the first time in a truly long while.

I accepted not the blade’s perfection, but Geum Cheolyong’s heart as the gift.

“Thank you.”

Geum Cheolyong extended his hand.

“Draw it.”

I lifted the Mad Blade, heavier than I had predicted, and separated it from its scabbard. The silver blade slowly revealed itself.

Looking at the blade, I said,

“I’ll put it to good use.”

“Do you like it?”

My indifferent attitude seemed to have made him quite uneasy.

“I like it very much.”

Whether one forged blades or wandered the jianghu, when a new weapon came into one’s hands, one naturally wanted to cut something with it.

Geum Cheolyong asked,

“Is there nothing to cut?”

Without thinking, I looked at Hoyeon Cheong. At that, Hoyeon Cheong, startled out of his wits, suddenly dropped to his knees on the floor.

“Please spare me.”

At this unexpected sight, Geum Cheolyong and Gwak Yonggae looked at Hoyeon Cheong in surprise.

I, too, looked at Hoyeon Cheong while holding the Mad Blade.

“Why would I kill you?”

After grinning, I drew the Black Cat Fang from my waist with my left hand. Holding the Black Cat Fang in my left hand and the Mad Blade in my right, I asked Geum Cheolyong.

“Uncle Geum, you won’t regret this, will you?”

Realizing that I was about to strike the two blades against each other, Geum Cheolyong nodded.

“I won’t.”

I also confirmed with Gwak Yonggae, who had likely procured the iron and been the most involved in the overall forging process.

“And you, Deputy Leader?”

Gwak Yonggae nodded.

“I’m confident as well.”

I infused the qi of the Wooden Rooster evenly into both hands, then struck the blades of the Mad Blade and the Black Cat Fang together in midair.

Because internal energy had been mixed in, a dull thunk mingled with a metallic ring, and a blade went flying.

Bewilderment appeared on the faces of Geum Cheolyong, Gwak Yonggae, and Cha Seongtae.

Hoyeon Cheong, who had been watching while kneeling, also blinked with a bewildered expression.

I looked at the half of the Mad Blade.

“A broken conviction, it seems. The Black Cat Fang won.”

Geum Cheolyong scratched his head with an awkward expression.

“Ha, well now… where did you get that treasured blade?”

“It was the blade used by the Black Cat Gang Leader.”

Gwak Yonggae let out a sigh, his face pale.

“Elder Brother, we were lacking.”

Geum Cheolyong nodded as well.

“So it seems.”

Gwak Yonggae hurriedly picked up the broken blade and all but snatched the Mad Blade back from me, then put it back into the box. After slinging the box over his shoulder, Gwak Yonggae said to Geum Cheolyong.

“Elder Brother, let us go.”

For some reason, it sounded like he was saying they should flee this place at once.

Geum Cheolyong looked at me.

“Sect Master, I will come again.”

I nodded with a solemn expression.

“Uncle Geum, please don’t rush. I’ll be using the Black Cat Fang in the meantime.”

Geum Cheolyong turned away with a grief-stricken expression.

“Let’s go.”

When Geum Cheolyong suddenly staggered, Gwak Yonggae beside him quickly supported him. The two left the main hall while leaning on each other.

“……”

After clearing my throat a few times, I sat back down. Cha Seongtae, who had been watching alongside us all this time, was holding back his laughter.

I looked at him and said,

“Don’t laugh, you bastard.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anyone can fail. Just as I have. Seongtae, it’s not as if you’ve ever really failed at anything. You’d have had to try something first in order to fail.”

As far as I knew, in all of jianghu, there were truly only a handful of weapons that would not break. Among them, the one I had used had not even arrived in the Central Plains yet.

Until then, I had no choice but to make do with the Black Cat Fang.