“Then, there’s no other way. For the sake of fairness, I will say this. Please don’t be too angry. If I were to choose you, what benefits would there be? I would like each leader to tell me one by one.”

‘!?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the six leaders simultaneously furrowed their brows.

This was no different from telling those who wanted to take him to present a suitable price for him, wasn’t it?

At this, Bo Hyuk-so, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth.

“How impudent. If you think the benefit of becoming the top ranker is some great privilege, you are gravely mistaken.”

At those words, the other leaders also slightly nodded their heads, indicating their agreement to some extent.

Although everyone coveted him as a disciple due to his innate martial talent, those present here were leaders who guided the Heaven and Earth Society.

What kind of audacity was this, treating them like an auction, not even an auction house?

As they were doing so, Mok Gyeong-un politely made a gesture of respect to Grand Elder Bo Hyuk-so.

-Swish!

‘He’s not slow-witted.’

At this, Bo Hyuk-so chuckled and was about to nod his head when,

“Yes, I will keep your words in mind. Then, do the other leaders have nothing to say?”

“What?”

In an instant, the expression of Bo Hyuk-so, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, distorted.

He had almost blatantly told him not to be impudent towards the leaders and to show respect, but was this fellow now mocking him?

Unable to contain his anger, Bo Hyuk-so tried to rise from his seat.

“How dare you…”

“Ah. Calm down. Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan.”

“Grand Elder of the Scarlet Blood Clan?”

Dae So-man, the Grand Elder of the Scarlet Blood Clan sitting next to him, stopped him.

“Now, calm down…”

“He’s still a junior who hasn’t even reached adulthood, and he passed the gates of the Corpse Blood Valley as the top ranker. Should we, as his seniors, reprimand him for showing that level of boldness? Let’s show leniency on this auspicious day.”

‘Is this guy serious?’

At his words, the right eyebrow of Bo Hyuk-so, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, rose.

He was stopping him with nice words, but wasn’t he blatantly trying to give a good impression to that impudent fellow?

So he was about to say something to him when,

“You wanted to hear what advantages there are? Alright. I’ll speak first. If you follow me, I’ll grant you the position of Vice Clan Leader in the Scarlet Blood Clan and pass down my exclusive martial art, the Scarlet Blood Mysterious Ancestral Technique. With your excellent martial talent, you’ll be able to inherit my position in no time.”

At the words of Dae So-man, the Grand Elder of the Scarlet Blood Clan, Bo Hyuk-so, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, clicked his tongue.

If it turned out like this, wouldn’t it go according to that impudent fellow’s wishes?

It was truly perplexing.

Bo Hyuk-so looked at the other leaders with an expression asking if this was alright.

Although he couldn’t say much to Grand Elder Dae So-man since they held the same position, if the higher-ups drew a strong line at a time like this…

“You can sufficiently imagine what benefits there would be if you become this Valley Master’s disciple, so I’ll only say this. This Valley Master is the only one here who can teach you the sword.”

‘Oh no!’

When Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang stepped forward, Bo Hyuk-so, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, bit his lip hard.

He had hoped for them to draw a line, but instead, even a leader of the Valley Master’s rank had stepped forward.

With this, he lost the grounds to say anything to the fellow.

If he were to say something, it would be criticizing her, who held a higher position.

‘shit.’

Maybe he should have pretended to be unable to resist and spoken up as well.

But if he stepped forward now, it would only make him feel embarrassed because of what he had said earlier.

Moreover, for those like him who could be considered the lowest-ranking leaders here, the Grand Elders, it was an unfavorable bidding.

‘But will Shadow Master and the two Kings go this far to take that kid?’

They had their pride, after all.

As he was thinking that, someone spoke up.

“The sword. Is that the path you wish to pursue?”

‘Ah…’

The one who asked this question was none other than Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak.

Seeing even him step forward, Bo Hyuk-so, the Grand Elder of the Flame Demon Clan, slid his buttocks into the inner side of the chair he was half-sitting on.

With even Thunderbolt Fist King stepping forward, taking this child was already a lost cause.

“If you have chosen the sword as your path, I will naturally give up, but with your innate martial talent, you can pursue the path of a grandmaster in any martial art, not just the sword.”

‘Grandmaster?’

Grandmaster (宗師).

It refers to becoming a master in any field.

In the martial world, grandmasters are those who have surpassed the wall and reached the realm of Unrestrained Realm ^[1], and they are called grandmasters. Seeing Thunderbolt Fist King evaluate Mok Gyeong-un so highly, everyone clicked their tongues inwardly.

His determination to take him seemed incredibly strong.

“Is the sword the path you have chosen?”

At Won Byeong-hak’s question, everyone looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

Eventually, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.

“It doesn’t have to be the sword. My goal is to become strong, regardless of the path.”

‘!?’

At those words, Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang’s eyes turned fierce.

She had said that she would teach him the sword, so him saying that was no different from drawing a clear line.

She wanted him, but he truly knew how to provoke her.

At that moment, Won Byeong-hak burst into hearty laughter at Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

“Hahaha! As expected, your aspirations align well with your talent, which is great.”

He was very satisfied with Mok Gyeong-un’s response to his question.

If Mok Gyeong-un had no intention of choosing him and was going to choose Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang, he would have drawn a clear line in response to this question.

However, Mok Gyeong-un didn’t do that.

If so, it probably meant that he was inclined towards him, who held the position of a King.

Won Byeong-hak spoke to Bright Blade King Son Yun beside him with a triumphant expression.

“Brother Son, you also wanted him, but it seems I will be the one taking him.”

At those words, Son Yun snorted.

Regardless, Won Byeong-hak seemed confident that Mok Gyeong-un would come to him, so he stood up from his seat and spoke, wanting to drive the point home.

“If you become my disciple, not only will you be my successor, but I will also pass down my lifelong martial arts to you. If you complete the True Origin Lightning Fist of our sect, no one will be able to stand against you with the Thunderstrike Fist.”

It could be heard as an arrogant promise, depending on how one listened to it.

However, since he had drawn a line earlier regarding the Thunderstrike Fist, no one said anything.

They took it as him earnestly desiring Mok Gyeong-un.

‘Come to me. As my disciple.’

Won Byeong-hak extended his hand towards Mok Gyeong-un.

It was at that very moment.

“Truly remarkable, child of the Mok family.”

‘As expected…’

Bright Blade King Son Yun, who was beside Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak, finally stepped forward.

At this, Won Byeong-hak shook his head as if displeased.

As if not caring about this at all, Bright Blade King Son Yun spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.

“Our connection runs deep, you and I.”

‘Connection?’

At those words, everyone, including Won Byeong-hak, looked at Bright Blade King Son Yun with puzzled expressions.

What did he mean by saying their connection was deep?

Could it be that they already knew each other?

As they were thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth while making a gesture of respect with both hands.

“Thanks to Bright Blade King, I was able to come here, but I didn’t expect to see you again in this place.”

‘Oh no…’

At those words, Won Byeong-hak furrowed his brows.

Did they really know each other?

But why didn’t they show any signs of it until just now?

‘Was it intentional?’

To make him harbor false hopes and then feel deprived?

If that was the case, he couldn’t help but feel quite displeased.

As he was doing so, Bright Blade King Son Yun continued speaking.

“Remarkable. Even then, I thought your talent was outstanding, but I never imagined you would survive here.”

“Should I say it was a good experience, thanks to you?”

At those words, a glimmer of admiration appeared in Son Yun’s eyes.

He had thought that Mok Gyeong-un might resent him for making him suffer in the Corpse Blood Valley, but surprisingly, he spoke about it so calmly, which was unexpected.

In fact, there was no trace of resentment in his eyes.

‘Not bad.’

He had thought Mok Gyeong-un was just cunning, but seeing him show such composure, he took a liking to him.

With that, he wanted to confirm one thing.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“That’s right.”

“Please, ask away.”

“If given the opportunity, do you have the desire to return?”

At that question, everyone couldn’t hide their puzzlement.

What did he mean by that?

It was difficult to understand the meaning behind this question.

However, not everyone was like that.

‘Is that so? Ohoho.’

Shadow Master, who knew the fact that Mok Gyeong-un’s origin was as a hostage from the Yeon Mok Sword Manor of the righteous sect, understood the gist of the question and nodded his head.

Indeed, this was an important question.

He was also interested in Mok Gyeong-un, but since his roots lay in the righteous sect, he wanted to confirm this.

If Mok Gyeong-un had intentions towards the righteous sect, accepting him as a disciple would be a futile act.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.

“I don’t particularly place significance on returning. Besides, I came here of my own accord.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the corners of Bright Blade King Son Yun’s mouth rose.

He had heard the answer he most wanted to hear.

With that, Son Yun stood up from his seat and spoke.

“Not only do you possess martial talent, but you have also become a suitable talent for our sect. Alright. Become my disciple. If you do so, even if your background becomes an issue in the future, I will protect you until the end. You know what this means.”

‘!?’

At those words, the other leaders murmured softly.

What did he mean by background?

Come to think of it, they were curious about which sect these siblings, who had jointly become top rankers in this Corpse Blood Valley’s gates, belonged to.

At this, Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang opened her mouth.

“What do you mean by background? What did you just say?”

“It’s exactly as you heard.”

“Exactly? So, Bright Blade King, you’re saying you know that child’s background, and it’s something that could be problematic?”

At this question, Lee Ji-yeom, the Corpse Blood Valley Master on the platform, showed a perplexed expression.

Although his liege was possessing him, that shell could be considered the son of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor of the righteous sect.

If his identity were to be revealed, the repercussions would be quite significant.

‘Was it intentional?’

Lee Ji-yeom looked at Bright Blade King Son Yun.

He had cleverly revealed Mok Gyeong-un’s identity without explicitly stating it, creating a sense of crisis.

He wasn’t talking about the benefits but rather emphasizing the potential losses, persuading that only he could protect Mok Gyeong-un.

‘With this, he has no choice but to be taken away.’

It seemed that his lord’s position had become difficult.

Bright Blade King Son Yun was a relentless person, and he had many disciples under him, so he didn’t particularly want to recommend him.

However, if he came out like this, his lord currently had few allies and couldn’t afford to make enemies, so he might have no choice but to take Bright Blade King’s hand.

‘You’re quite the strategist, Bright Blade King.’

Shadow Master covered his mouth with his hand and smiled.

At first glance, it might sound like Bright Blade King Son Yun was saying he would protect Mok Gyeong-un if he became his disciple, but this was literally a warning.

Don’t forget your situation.

That offer was a strategy to make the other party submit mentally.

The moment Mok Gyeong-un’s identity as a son of the righteous sect was revealed, he would find himself in a difficult situation.

‘There’s no other choice.’

If he were Mok Gyeong-un, he would have no choice but to choose Bright Blade King Son Yun.

That was the only way to obtain a relatively safe haven.

Bright Blade King Son Yun was a person with a clear stance and stubbornness, so he would definitely keep his word.

To overcome the weakness of his background, the best option was him.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.

“Ah, that could indeed be a problem.”

“That’s right.”

If he knew that, there was only one choice.

Even if his identity wasn’t revealed now because he was attached to the sect, if it became known due to the Society Leader’s whim, would others become a protective haven for him like Son Yun?

They wouldn’t be willing to take on such a risk.

‘Come. Take my hand.’

However,

“Hmm. Then, I should make it clear here.”

“Make it clear? What do you…”

“Since this might hold me back, I thought it would be better to tell you in advance.”

At those words, Bright Blade King Son Yun’s eyes wavered.

What was this child trying to do now?

With that,

“Wait… Stop…”

Bright Blade King Son Yun tried to stop Mok Gyeong-un.

However,

-Bam!

Mok Gyeong-un made a gesture of respect with both hands together and spoke in a loud voice.

“Let me introduce myself again. I am Mok Gyeong-un, the third son of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor of the righteous sect.”

‘!!!!!!!!’

As soon as those words were spoken, not only the leaders but also the warriors of the Corpse Blood Valley who were unaware of the truth, and even the students, all became agitated.

This was something no one had anticipated.

The final top ranker of the Corpse Blood Valley’s gates, which had produced the best disciples of the later generations in the Heaven and Earth Society for a long time, was from the renowned martial family of the righteous sect, the Yeon Mok Sword Manor?

But how did he end up participating in the Corpse Blood Valley’s gates here?

As they were doing so, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,

“But let me add one more thing. I was brought here as a hostage by Bright Blade King, who is present here.”

‘!?’

In an instant, Bright Blade King Son Yun was dumbfounded.

He revealed this fatal weakness and potential gossip with his own mouth?