Chapter 227: It's Not a Feast Without Us (2)
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There were many unorthodox organizations on Hainan Island. If one were to choose the three largest among them, they would be the Namwon Gang, the Sea Beast Forest, and the Shinyuan Association.
Although there were many other groups, the reason their power was exceptionally vast was the presence of peak masters.
Sect Leader of the Namwon Gang, the White Bone Sword Demon Gong Cheol-ju.
Forest Lord of the Sea Beast Forest, the Cold-Blooded Sovereign Damdae Gwang.
Society Leader of the Shinyuan Association, Yama’s Twin Halberds Gongson Jang-cheon.
They were notorious figures who had shaken even the vast Central Plains with their fearsome names. In truth, in Muk Hui-yeong’s past life, they would have inevitably been captured and executed. However, due to the chaos in the Central Plains’ martial world, they were lucky bastards who had slipped through the loose net. Of course, they were completely unaware of this fact.
“I heard some strange fellow has intruded into our territory.”
“I heard about that too. He defeated Hainan’s Colliding Swords, but when we tried to capture them, he rescued them instead? What kind of absolute nonsense is that?”
“I don’t know for sure, but he must be the disciple of some hypocrite. Did he emerge after training in some abandoned cave on Wuzhi Mountain?”
The leaders of the Hainan unorthodox factions, who had risen to power in such a manner, gathered in one place for the first time in a long while.
Of course, they did not get along cordially with one another. However, whenever they judged that the entire unorthodox world was in jeopardy, they would always gather like this to form a temporary coalition.
The reason for their gathering was the unidentified young master. Not only had he defeated Hainan’s Colliding Swords single-handedly—whom even they hesitated to fight—but he was also a monster who had slain many unorthodox fighters.
“But they say he barely looks twenty. I simply cannot believe that.”
“His hair was so long that no one got a proper look at his face. They probably just missed it because the fellow moved too quickly.”
“Could there be someone else besides him?”
“He is threatening enough on his own. Even if he’s not as strong as the Southern Sea Divine Sword, isn’t it an emergency that such a fellow is wandering around?”
“That’s true.”
Although the three had gathered, only the White Bone Sword Demon Gong Cheol-ju and Yama’s Twin Halberds Gongson Jang-cheon conversed. However, since they were well aware that the Cold-Blooded Sovereign Damdae Gwang was a man of few words, no one pressed him.
“Then.”
When Damdae Gwang, who had been silent, spoke, their gazes shifted toward him.
“We are forming a temporary alliance, then.”
“So you were listening after all. With your eyes closed, I thought you were asleep.”
“Very well. Let it be so.”
Damdae Gwang replied, then strode out of the tavern.
Immediately, Gongson Jang-cheon and Gong Cheol-ju clicked their tongues.
“That damned bastard. How long is he going to act so high and mighty?”
“Isn’t he a hypocrite down to his very roots anyway?”
As soon as they could no longer sense Damdae Gwang’s presence, they began gossiping behind his back.
In truth, the gossip about Damdae Gwang was always the same. Everyone on the mainland knew that his roots lay within the orthodox sects.
“He still deludes himself into thinking he is a disciple of the Hengshan Sect. A degenerate who killed his own master.”
“Honestly, if it weren’t for the Human-shaped Snow Ginseng he happened to consume by chance, a fellow like him would never have achieved this level of cultivation.”
The personal histories of the public enemies of the jianghu were far better known than others. This was because the Martial Alliance investigated them and distributed the details alongside wanted posters.
They continued their mudslinging for a while before stopping, struck by a sudden sense of déjà vu. Every time the three gathered, Damdae Gwang would leave first, and the remaining two would badmouth him. They had done it so often that there was nothing left to say. They were merely repeating past insults as if they had lost their memories.
Thus, their gathering concluded, leaving behind a strange sense of emptiness.
This was the moment the three largest unorthodox organizations on Hainan Island united.
* * *
I returned to the Hainan Sect. Even though I was now aligned with the Geonjeong Unit, I couldn’t simply vanish since the Hainan Sect had verified my identity and provided assistance.
“You’ve returned.”
Gok Pyeong-un greeted me. His expression was strangely stiff.
“We were just about to discuss something important. You’ve arrived just in time.”
“Is it alright for an outsider to join Hainan’s discussion?”
“This is a matter regarding the Sea-Purifying Unit.”
So it was limited to the Sea-Purifying Unit. I nodded and followed Gok Pyeong-un.
Lanterns were placed at intervals of nearly five paces, making the surroundings exceptionally bright.
It was entirely different from the Wudang Sect, where the nights were long as everyone retired once the sun set.
I flinched before stepping inside. This tent was currently the domain of another master. Entering felt as though I could be struck down in a single blow.
“What is the matter?”
Standing beside me, Gok Pyeong-un tilted his head, seemingly unable to sense it. This wasn’t merely a matter of martial cultivation. It was something I could perceive only because my ability to read intent was combined with my elevated martial realm. Was this also the influence of All Flows Return to the Source?
—Come in. I have no intention of harming you.
I flinched once more. A gruff voice boomed in my ears.
The voice possessed a strange power, compelling my feet to move into the tent.
The moment I entered, I saw a giant of a man. His height was easily seven feet, and his shoulders seemed to span over two and a half feet.
“So it is you. The successor of the Heavenly King Sect.”
Without even needing an introduction, I knew he was the Southern Sea Divine Sword. He was the only one capable of radiating such immense pressure.
I had actually met three of the Five Great Swordmasters of the Realm on the mainland. Our Sect Leader Cheong-ui, the Golden Sword Na Han-geol, and the Black Sword Hero So Je-heon. I had never felt such pressure from them.
However, that was simply because my own cultivation was too low at the time to even perceive it. As my martial cultivation elevated, my senses became correspondingly refined, allowing me to feel their sharp intent without filter.
I immediately offered a martial salute to him.
“Greetings to the Southern Sea Divine Sword.”
“You appear quite young, yet your achievements are remarkable.”
At the Southern Sea Divine Sword’s words, the seated Hainan swordsmen flinched.
“I didn’t know you were capable of offering such friendly praise, Uncle.”
“Did I not tell you? I am a man who acknowledges when credit is due.”
“We say this because you have never acknowledged any of us.”
“How can I acknowledge anyone when there is no one worthy? You all merely perform to the extent of your swings.”
The Southern Sea Divine Sword berated his nephews and brothers in a boisterous voice. Seeing that the atmosphere wasn’t tense, it seemed this was simply how they communicated. It appeared that rough sea-faring men always spoke in this manner.
“Mun-hwan is dead?”
I flinched when the uncle’s name suddenly left the Southern Sea Divine Sword’s mouth.
Was discussing someone’s death so bluntly also a trait of these rough men of the sea?
Having been steeped in the etiquette of the mainland, I felt a strange discomfort but nodded anyway.
“Yes. That is correct. He has passed away.”
“I see!”
Having said that, the Southern Sea Divine Sword suddenly tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. A single tear rolled down his chiseled face.
“Let us meet in the next life, my old friend.”
The atmosphere instantly grew solemn at his poignant words. It was jarring to see a man like a stone wall, who had weathered tens of thousands of rough waves, suddenly shed a tear.
Yet, that single tear was all. The Southern Sea Divine Sword wiped his chin with his thumb and returned to his boisterous tone.
“Right… Let us return to our previous discussion.”
“You must have been close to my master.”
“Ah. Yes. We were friends. Though I never liked his weak temperament.”
Was the uncle weak? Considering he threw his life away like a piece of straw for the revival of the Great Ming, he was a man of resolute core. Then again, from the Southern Sea Divine Sword’s perspective, perhaps everyone seemed weak.
“I am Do Bul-gwang. What is your name?”
The Southern Sea Divine Sword asked abruptly.
My name.
I took a brief breath and scanned them.
I could hide my name. However, doing so would run counter to the sincerity they had shown me.
Even if they suddenly turned on me and tried to capture me, that would merely be another obstacle I had to break through on my path.
“I am Muk Hui-yeong.”
“Muk Hui-yeong?”
The people whispered among themselves, exchanging glances. It seemed my name hadn’t spread much to Hainan. After all, even the Hainan Sect Leader hadn’t known it.
“Ah. The Geyu Shipwreck.”
At those words from someone in the crowd, all eyes focused on me once more. I nodded in affirmation.
“Yes. I am Muk Hui-yeong, the instigator of the Geyu Shipwreck.”
Everyone, including the Southern Sea Divine Sword, fell silent. It was Gok Pyeong-un beside me who broke the long silence.
“…Well, I am not sure how we should process this.”
The Hainan martial artists stood hesitantly. They seemed to be debating whether they should capture me or not.
Yet, the strongest master here was ultimately the Southern Sea Divine Sword. His judgment mattered most.
“I know little of the Geyu Shipwreck. Hainan and the Zhushan Archipelago are far too distant from one another.”
“I understand.”
“There is only one thing I am curious about. Are you truly the successor of the Heavenly King Sect?”
I pondered deeply at his question. In the end, I shook my head. The complexions of everyone, including the Southern Sea Divine Sword, changed.
“You are not?”
“No. I do not know.”
“You do not know…”
The Southern Sea Divine Sword spoke in a bewildered tone at my unexpected reply.
I offered an explanation to clarify.
“It is true that the Lord of the Heavenly King Sect was my master, as he taught me martial arts. However, I have never been officially inducted into the Heavenly King Sect. I never performed the Nine-Kowtow Ceremony.”
“Ambiguous indeed.”
I spoke as honestly as possible. I realized just how much I had changed. In the past, I would have smoothly evaded the question, yet here I was choosing a troublesome path.
But I trusted them. They were, at the very least, pure orthodox martial artists. I believed that the orthodox practitioners I knew would surely understand me. That was the nature of the orthodox way I had learned in the Wudang Sect.
“The Geyu Shipwreck—or as the Geonjeong Unit calls it, the Geyu Incident. Though it occurred in the Zhushan Archipelago far from Hainan, I am sure you masters of the Hainan Sect also realize that something was highly suspicious about it. To think so many peak masters died simply because a ship capsized.”
“That is certainly a strange point.”
“Please understand that I cannot share the exact details regarding that matter. However, I can clarify one thing. The incident in the Zhushan Archipelago was not a shipwreck, but a trap designed to assassinate the peak masters.”
Everyone gasped in shock at my words. They were likely people who merely assumed there was some hidden story. No one had ever imagined a plot to gather and slaughter the peak masters of the martial world.
Placing his elbows on the desk and resting his chin on his clasped hands, the Southern Sea Divine Sword spoke.
“Your proof?”
“I have none. I intend to head to the mainland to find it.”
Even if I had proof, I had no intention of sharing it. Why else would I gloss over the details? If I revealed the Imperial Court’s involvement, it would only place them in danger as well.
“How can we believe that this isn’t just a lie to escape your current situation?”
One of the seated Hainan martial artists asked. I replied plainly.
“I have no way to make you believe it.”
“Even if we capture you right now and escort you to the Imperial Court?”
“Then I would simply escape.”
The Southern Sea Divine Sword slammed his palm on the desk and stood up.
“Enough. We are only circling around meaningless talk.”
The Southern Sea Divine Sword stared at me. Although he had seemed rough yet good-natured earlier, his expression was now cold, causing my heart to skip a beat.
“I have no need for talk of shipwrecks or incidents. It is a distant matter that has nothing to do with Hainan. Only one thing matters to me.”
“What is that?”
“Whether you are the true successor of the Heavenly King Sect or not.”
“I cannot answer that clearly either.”
“There is no need to answer. I shall verify it myself.”
The Southern Sea Divine Sword picked up the dark-blue scabbard leaning against the desk.
“Step outside. I shall judge for myself whether you are the true successor of the Heavenly King Sect.”