Chapter 467: Chapter 467

“Is the Sun Sword Sect that great?”

“Would you believe it if I said this entire place belongs to them? Even the Prince of Zhejiang can’t do anything about them.”

Dan Woo-hyun narrowed his eyes sluggishly.

He thought they had simply taken control of the town. However, for a place that hadn’t even made a name for itself in the Central Plains to be controlling a whole province was by no means something to be taken lightly.

“They are already the kings of Zhejiang. You cannot live without following their words. Just like me right now.”

Jang Ryang laughed hollowly, feeling a sense of despondency.

It was certainly not an illusion that his laugh felt bitter. It was partly because he didn’t view the current situation favorably, but even if he wanted to leave, he couldn’t easily leave his longtime hometown.

Because his body was already too old.

“Even so, you tried to enter the Zhoushan Archipelago? Normally you’d die, right?”

“Ha… haha…”

At Jang Sam-tae’s question, a bitter smile formed on his lips again.

Jang Ryang, who had been staring at the ceiling for a moment wondering what to think, soon exhaled smoke again with a “huu” and opened his mouth.

“Is it because I have interesting guests for the first time in a while? My lips are getting loose… Will you listen to this old man’s story for a moment?”

“Go ahead.”

Dan Woo-hyun was also curious.

The old man must have known that he was already under the control of the Sun Sword Sect. Even so, what was the reason he tried to enter the Zhoushan Archipelago?

He had doubts about that.

“I also had a wife and a son. He was only about ten years old.”

It was a word full of bitterness.

Having had them was synonymous with not having them now.

Therefore, Dan Woo-hyun and Jang Sam-tae understood that they had already been killed or died due to some incident.

“Was it about thirty years ago? Suddenly, the bastards from the Sun Sword Sect barged in.”

They searched the house randomly and found the old man’s son. As they dragged him out as if to take him somewhere, he fought to stop them and suffered a sword wound.

His wife took to her bed from the shock, and he couldn’t bear to see his wife endlessly looking for their son on her sickbed.

Eventually, he had to go out to find him.

The old man found out that the Sun Sword Sect members had taken the children to the Zhoushan Archipelago. It was something everyone in the village kept quiet about now, but the number of children taken at that time alone must have been in the tens.

So late in the evening, he secretly took a boat and headed for the Zhoushan Archipelago.

Arriving there after crossing rough waves and passing through bizarre waters, it was not an exaggeration to say that extreme luck was on his side.

“I arrived, but I couldn’t find him.”

“Why…?”

“Because I couldn’t bring myself to step foot there. That place… is a place where people shouldn’t enter.”

The old man trembled.

Even now, the events of that time remained in his head and wouldn’t disappear. Crimson eyes piercing from all sides.

That bizarre presence, unable to tell if it was human or something else.

He risked death to find and enter the Zhoushan Archipelago, but he couldn’t take even a single step because a far greater dread and terror captivated him.

Eventually, he had to turn the boat around.

Jang Ryang thought it was extreme luck that he made it out alive.

Considering that no one had been able to enter and live there until now, he thought that perhaps whatever was in the Zhoushan Archipelago had shown favor to Jang Ryang, who had approached to find his son.

He couldn’t think of anything other than that.

“This is crazy! What kind of bastards are they?”

“…Anyway, this is the current situation. So… quietly give up and go back.”

Jang Ryang sighed as if giving up everything.

When he sailed the boat back, he was caught by the Sun Sword Sect members, tortured for a few days, and gagged about what happened there.

It was also his first time telling someone like this.

Perhaps because it was soon time for him to die, he no longer clung to it.

Or perhaps, the aura of the man named Dan Woo-hyun secretly influenced him.

“I see…”

Dan Woo-hyun paused and fell into thought.

* * *

“People like that are here?”

Sun Sword Sect.

There, Sect Leader Heo Yeoksang swallowed a groan while looking at the wanted poster brought by his disciples. The ones in front of him were definitely people from the Hunan Dan Family.

Why were they here?

“Are you certain?”

“I am certain. They didn’t cause a commotion, but it is said they were seen roaming around the town.”

“…”

Heo Yeoksang frowned.

Not good.

If it was the Hunan Dan Family, it was the place where the eyes and ears of the entire Central Plains were focused. Also, if they stepped forward, they showed the ability to solve any matter.

‘Is their goal the Zhoushan Archipelago?’

Since it was said they were looking for a boat at the inn, it must be true.

That was synonymous with making enemies of the Sun Sword Sect.

“Even if they are the greatest family under heaven, they are no match for our Sun Sword Sect.”

“You are absolutely right.”

Sun Sword Sect Leader Heo Yeoksang smiled.

He knew that they hadn’t made a name for themselves until now because they hadn’t stepped out into the Central Plains, not because they were weak.

With the martial arts manuals and power they received under the pretext of protecting the Zhoushan Archipelago here, it was to the extent that they could conquer the Central Plains right now.

Even when the Blood Heaven ran wild, the Sun Sword Sect members had never once been afraid. It was because they had the confidence that they could clean it up at any time if they stepped forward.

“Then they must have gone to Jang Ryang, right?”

“That is correct.”

Heo Yeoksang frowned.

Jang Ryang was someone who, without exaggeration, had extreme luck. A person who broke through that rough sea, went to the Zhoushan Archipelago, and came back alive.

Until now, no matter who it was, the moment they entered, they became a dead person, but he managed to return alive.

Thus, due to that uneasy feeling, Heo Yeoksang also couldn’t kill Jang Ryang and kept him alive.

Also, since he was a guy who had been living in hiding without revealing himself until now, they hadn’t paid attention to him, but hadn’t he suddenly revealed himself recently?

He was a strange person in one way or another.

“Good. Select the children and send them. They must not be sent back alive.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing the echoing voice, Heo Yeoksang smiled.

Just by killing the head of the Hunan Dan Family, his prestige would rise even higher. Now the Sun Sword Sect had laid the groundwork to soar into the Central Plains.

* * *

“If your son is alive, what do you plan to do?”

“…!”

Dan Woo-hyun had to get to the Zhoushan Archipelago no matter what. Since that was his goal from the beginning, nothing else caught his eye.

If he had to clear away what was in front of him to achieve that goal, he would cut down anyone without hesitation.

Narrowing his eyes sluggishly, he shook Jang Ryang’s heart.

Jang Ryang, who had already forgotten it in his heart after a long time had passed, unconsciously trembled with wavering eyes.

“Is that… possible?”

“Well, I don’t know if he’s alive or not, but… it wouldn’t be a completely hopeless story.”

Jang Ryang swallowed dry saliva.

That’s right.

There was no need to think he was definitely dead. There must have been a reason for taking him, and he might still be alive meeting those conditions.

A thrill ran through him as that thought lingered in his head.

“If he is alive… shouldn’t you bring him back?”

Dan Woo-hyun dug into Jang Ryang’s heart.

It was like planting the hope that he could bring back the son he thought was already dead.

Jang Ryang, who at first had an expression of disbelief, became more and more absorbed in Dan Woo-hyun’s words and became like a person who could only think of one thing.

“Can you… bring him back?”

“If you take us to the Zhoushan Archipelago… if he is alive, I will definitely… bring him back.”

Dan Woo-hyun was never one to make empty promises.

If he said he would do it, he definitely got it done.

Jang Sam-tae, who knew this, also nodded.

Partially understanding Jang Ryang’s feelings, he wanted to run to the Zhoushan Archipelago right away.

“Don’t worry! Do you know who our Manor Lord is! He’s the one called the strongest under heaven!”

“S… strongest under heaven?”

In fact, Jang Ryang knew nothing about martial arts.

Even so, it didn’t mean he didn’t know the weight of the term ‘strongest under heaven’. His wide-eyed gaze fixed on Dan Woo-hyun, and an even greater sense of trust surged at his appearance of neither affirming nor denying it.

“If, if it’s really possible… I will… take you… to the Zhoushan Archipelago!”

Jang Ryang made up his mind.

It was a life that should have died a long time ago anyway. However, surviving tenaciously might have been solely for this day.

“Didn’t you say you don’t have a boat?”

“O… of course I don’t, but… we can just steal one of the boats… nearby.”

Jang Ryang was impatient.

He wanted to take a boat and go to the Zhoushan Archipelago right now.

Seeing that he, who had never lived causing harm to others from birth until now, was even thinking of stealing a boat, it seemed he was incredibly desperate.

Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

“I see… but first… there are things to clean up.”

“What do you mean?”

Smack!

Dan Woo-hyun lightly flicked his hand.

Something shooting out like a ray of light pierced the ceiling.

“Keok!”

A voice was heard.

Soon, with a thudding sound, the ceiling was pierced and someone wearing a yellow martial arts uniform fell to the floor.

“I… isn’t that a Sun Sword Sect disciple?!”

Surprised, Jang Ryang shouted.

The corpse rolling on the floor was definitely a Sun Sword Sect disciple. Its forehead being pierced looked like it was pierced by a hidden weapon, clearly seeming to have dispatched the person.

He looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a trembling gaze.

The term strongest under heaven certainly didn’t sound like a lie.

“The bastards are swarming in. Looks like we can’t avoid it.”

“Y, you mean the Sun Sword Sect bastards?”

“Eek? Really?”

Even Jang Sam-tae was startled.

To think the surroundings feeling somewhat chaotic just a moment ago was a sign that the bastards were coming?

He let out a sigh with a “haa” and stood up from his seat.

“There’s quite a lot.”

“How many are there?”

“Looks to be about a hundred.”

“Eek?!”

Startled, Jang Sam-tae’s eyes widened.

He had fought many battles, but he didn’t want to do this again. Furthermore, seeing as he hadn’t even properly felt their presence, each and every one of them must be an expert.

As Jang Sam-tae made an unenthusiastic expression.

Dan Woo-hyun smiled.

“I will help you.”

“Hehehe, as expected of our Manor Lord.”

Dan Woo-hyun stood up from his seat.

The number a hundred wasn’t the problem. But because he felt a few bastards among them emitting an evil aura, he couldn’t leave it to Jang Sam-tae.

He looked at the shivering Jang Ryang and opened his mouth.

“Hide yourself like a dead mouse. Until it’s over, that is.”

“U… understood, understood. Don’t worry about me.”

Jang Ryang nodded crazily.

Seeing Dan Woo-hyun’s appearance of not being scared at all despite hearing the number a hundred, his heart somehow felt reassured.

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