Chapter 430: Five Hundred Years of Waiting (5)

Events held by murim sects were typically planned half a year in advance.

Preparing the itinerary and supplies, sending invitations to confirmed guests and verifying their attendance — and beyond that, publicizing the event across the entire province, not just the surrounding area, to draw people in.

The number of people who gathered reflected a sect’s influence.

And influence was, in essence, a display of its martial strength.

In that regard, Taeul Sect’s Gate-Opening Ceremony had been organized in too much haste and hadn’t spread far beyond parts of Hefei.

While a decent number of attendees were coming from the Murim Alliance, the general public — whose attendance was the true measure of a sect’s influence — was sorely lacking.

Of course, there were also those who had heard the news and simply chosen not to attend.

It was half a day’s walk from Hefei, and Taeul Sect itself wasn’t exactly a prestigious sect.

Yes, they’d entered the One Hundred Eight Peaks, but in a manner nobody quite understood — in most people’s minds, Taeul Sect was less impressive than a martial hall.

And who would push aside their livelihood just to scrounge a meal from such a place?

What a foolish errand that would be.

But then.

All of Hefei began to stir.

And because of Taeul Sect, of all places.

“Aren’t you working today? Where are you off to?”

“Why are you still standing around? Aren’t you going to Taeul Sect?”

“Why would I go there? What’s there to see……”

“My friend! There are incredible people there right now!”

Murong Gang, then Namgung Tae-ha, then Grand Strategist Jegal So-myeong of the Murim Alliance, and even Alliance Leader Hyeok Mu-gang.

Even a single one of them attending would have been dismissed as a bad joke.

Yet all of them had? It was so absurd it crossed the line from disbelief into outrage.

“You…… are you messing with me right now? What kind of nonsense is this?!”

Why would the murim’s most legendary figures attend the gate-opening of that tiny third-rate sect?

“Come on, just admit you want to slack off! Making up excuses!”

“I’m telling you! The cart hands from a merchant guild out of Hangzhou told me! They dropped their cargo and headed straight for Taeul Sect before even unpacking!”

The more specific details finally widened even the skeptic’s eyes.

“I-is that true?!”

Even for those living lives far removed from the martial world, a yearning for the way of the sword always lingered in their hearts.

And now, the chance to see Absolute Masters — said to have reached a level where they walked on clouds and rode the wind like immortals.

How many times in a lifetime did such an opportunity come?

And at Taeul Sect, just half a day’s journey away.

No further deliberation was needed.

Countless people from Hefei and the surrounding towns set aside their livelihoods and schedules and headed for Taeul Sect.

***

Following the Murim Alliance’s arrival, the protesters blocking Taeul Sect’s entrance had their spirit deflated considerably.

At an event carrying the historical significance of “the first-ever simultaneous attendance of the Alliance Leader and Grand Strategist,” openly antagonizing the host —

Was tantamount to declaring hostility against the Murim Alliance itself.

“……Tch.”

“……Ahem.”

And that was not what any of the gathered people wanted.

The protesters opened a path down the center — just enough to show they were observing a bare minimum of courtesy.

They needed to make absolutely clear that their hostility was directed solely at Taeul Sect, not the Murim Alliance.

But even that didn’t last long.

“What’s with all these people? Are they all visiting Taeul Sect?”

“Huh? People who heard the news before us?”

The throngs who’d rushed over upon hearing that incredible dignitaries had arrived at Taeul Sect began to view the protesters with mounting irritation.

At first, the civilians were cowed by the warriors’ grim atmosphere.

But in less than half a day, their numbers had vastly surpassed the protesters’.

And the moment they doubled the crowd —

“Hey…… why are you blocking the road?!”

“Who sprinkles ashes on someone else’s feast?”

“Give a man a bit of martial arts training and he thinks he owns the world. Tch.”

Open complaints began pouring out.

“What! You have a problem with our protest?!”

The occasional warrior who couldn’t contain his temper tried to intimidate them, but —

“These people are Taeul Sect’s guests. Threatening behavior will not be tolerated.”

When Taeul Sect’s Murim Academy-trained disciples stepped forward to shield the visitors, the gathered civilians swelled with a hundredfold courage.

“You agreed to duels, didn’t you?! Then just duel! Why ruin the celebration?!”

“Yeah! Is Taeul Sect such easy pickings?!”

“Ugh, if they act like this even when the Alliance Leader himself is present, imagine what kind of thuggery they pull elsewhere.”

The relentless tide of complaints from the spectators sent the warriors’ blood pressure soaring.

“Those commoners don’t know the first thing about what’s going on!”

“Easy now…… hold it in! You’re not thinking of raising a hand, are you?”

“Then am I supposed to just sit here and take it?”

“Think carefully! Look who’s here right now. Setting aside the Murong Clan and the Namgung Clan…… the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist are present! One wrong move and who’s going to clean up the aftermath?”

The majority of those camped out were deeply connected to the Nine Sects and One Gang.

The Five Great Clans’ influence was somewhat unsettling but not exactly terrifying.

But the Murim Alliance — that was a different story entirely.

“Gngh. Just wait till the tournament.”

“Yeah, yeah. Save that venom — let it ferment — and unleash it then.”

The protesters cleared the road.

They glared for a while as guests streamed into Taeul Sect, then trudged off to So-eum County to drown their burning hearts in liquor.

Thanks to that, So-eum County saw more customers than ever before, and Wang So-so’s face grew brighter by the day.

***

“They’ve all gone back.”

“What choice did they have?”

Standing on the third-floor balcony overlooking Taeul Sect’s entrance, Hyeok Mu-gang and Jegal So-myeong shared a wry smile.

“Why do you think he made this choice?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I’m asking.”

Hyeok Mu-gang pressed the question past Jegal So-myeong’s feigned ignorance.

“Simply requesting a Murim Alliance congratulatory delegation would have sufficed. There was no need to specifically request our personal attendance.”

Excessive attention breeds jealousy.

Though warriors claimed to cultivate the Dao through martial arts, their jealousy ran even deeper.

The reason moderation was considered a virtue in the murim was that the envy of those around you made it nearly impossible for an awl in a pouch to remain intact.

“I’m curious what the Grand Strategist thinks.”

“……!”

A glimmer of fascination appeared in Jegal So-myeong’s eyes.

Despite having reached the Absolute level — a height where there was no need to read anyone’s mind — Hyeok Mu-gang always observed the hearts of those around him.

The world called Jegal So-myeong a master of both Letters and Martial, yet the person truly accomplished in both was likely Hyeok Mu-gang.

Perhaps that was precisely why he’d maintained the position of Alliance Leader for the longest tenure in history.

After a brief tangent in his thoughts, Jegal So-myeong returned to the conversation.

“How could I possibly know what goes on in that boy’s head? But if I were to speculate — he probably thinks of it as striking first to win.”

“Striking first to win?”

As Hyeok Mu-gang expressed curiosity, Jegal So-myeong raised his gaze to take in the full panorama of Taeul Sect.

A great bird on the verge of spreading its hidden wings in its first movement.

And the jackals coiled at its feet.

“If Taeul Sect takes flight, every inch it rises will bring relentless constraints and constant harassment.”

“Hmm……”

“But that boy doesn’t seem inclined to sit around waiting for those petty obstacles to crop up one by one.”

It had been the same during the Regular Exam.

He’d taken a test that was hard enough on his own and marched in leading his underprepared juniors — and they’d all passed with flying colors.

Every time, he threw down enormous gambles as if something were chasing him, trying to settle everything in a single stroke.

From the perspective of Jegal So-myeong, who operated on precise data and intelligence, it was an utterly senseless approach.

If anyone else of such temperament existed, Jegal So-myeong would never — absolutely never — have considered bringing them into the Mantongbu.

“He’s a madman who bets his own neck at the gambling table. The problem is, he wins every single time.”

The problem was his unbroken winning streak.

And naturally, the winnings from those victories were always substantial.

“Just look at this event. Forced into opening the gates by outside pressure, and yet he declares an open Martial Duel Tournament. Hah!”

“……Indeed.”

Having mulled over the Grand Strategist’s answer, Hyeok Mu-gang murmured softly.

“Then if he wins again this time, the gains will be considerable.”

“……Well, as for that.”

The word “gains” made Jegal So-myeong hesitate.

What, exactly, would Jin So-un and Taeul Sect actually gain?

Influence in Anhui Province?

No matter how much it grew, it could never surpass the Namgung Clan.

Vast wealth through the Great Heaven Merchant Guild?

The Wang Estate — one of the Four Great Merchants — already existed and was already their partner.

“Gains……”

When he tried to assess the tangible benefits, nothing quite added up.

If the plan was to hold a Martial Duel Tournament, they could simply have the protesters choose representatives and duel them — why accept every single challenge?

That was a strategy that could only end in defeat.

And if defeat was inevitable, what reason had there been to summon himself, Murong Gang, and Namgung Tae-ha all the way here?

Questions begot questions in an endless chain.

What in the world was inside that boy’s hea—

“Fascinating.”

“……Pardon? What is?”

Hyeok Mu-gang smiled at the sight of Jegal So-myeong lost in thought.

“It’s simply been a very long time since I’ve seen the Grand Strategist ponder this deeply over someone.”

“……”

Jegal So-myeong’s face crumpled like a sheet of paper.

“That’s only because the boy stakes his life on such preposterous ventures. I haven’t lost my mind — how would I possibly decipher a madman’s thoughts?”

“Ha ha, quite so.”

Hyeok Mu-gang nodded with a warm smile at Jegal So-myeong’s huffing.

“The journey here was arduous, but I find myself looking forward to this. To seeing what unfolds.”

***

“Where is that man?!”

“Hey, come on, he’s still our Senior Brother……”

“Where did he go?!”

“……”

Eun-ho, transformed into a wrathful spirit, radiated such intensity that Geum-pyo flinched for a moment.

To think he’d experience firsthand the lesson that momentum mattered in battle — and from his own younger brother, no less.

The Senior Brother’s stern warning not to tell anyone his whereabouts was already fading to a pale whisper.

“The roof of the old Busaeng Hall……”

Before Geum-pyo could finish, Eun-ho’s form vanished like a ghost.

A truly remarkable display.

“Big brother…… will he be alright?”

A small voice sounded beside him.

To the worry-laden question of whether something terrible was about to happen —

“Dong-ryong.”

Geum-pyo seized his brother’s shoulder with an expression of utmost gravity.

“What is it, bro—”

“Don’t you dare tell Senior Brother that I’m the one who told. Got it?”

“……”

“Got it? Your brother doesn’t want to die from getting his back blown out.”

***

Having blazed through the newly built, brightly lit structures, Eun-ho extended his Sensory Perception to locate Jin So-un.

But finding someone who had hidden himself like a ghost was no easy task.

After scrambling across the rooftops like a man possessed, he finally tracked him down.

“Oh! You’re here! Come sit, let’s have a drink.”

There lay the irresponsible human, sprawled atop a roof, thoroughly soused.

“……What are you doing right now?”

“Elder Murong Gang challenged me to drink till one of us dropped, and I got scared, so I ran.”

“No, not that!”

“Not that?”

Eun-ho pressed his throbbing temples and swallowed his emotions.

“What were you thinking…… inviting the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist? That’s what I’m asking.”

“Ah, that?”

Glug. Glug. Glug.

One, two, three, four.

Already, four empty bottles surrounded him.

Was this truly the man who’d launched an open Martial Duel Tournament starting tomorrow?

“If you just wanted to show off Taeul Sect’s prestige, the Murim Alliance banners alone would’ve been more than enough.”

The Alliance Leader and Grand Strategist had attended.

Because of that, the way people looked at Taeul Sect going forward would burn with wariness and envy.

And if, on top of that, the tournament went poorly?

‘……The thought alone is horrifying.’

Those barely-spread wings might snap before they ever got a chance to fly.

And yet here was the Senior Brother, calmly sipping his w—

“There’s no impact without shock.”

“What???”

Had he just wanted to see people’s stunned faces?

“If we start modestly and move modestly, we’ll be blocked before we even properly begin.”

“What do you mean? If anything, this will invite more interference.”

From a rational standpoint, the current situation had all but driven Taeul Sect to the edge of a cliff.

“And more than anything……”

Yet Jin So-un’s eyes were quieter than ever before, and —

“I wanted to see it. Taeul Sect shining at its brightest.”

“What do you……”

— tinged with something like sorrow, as though he were turning over an old memory.

“Not a Taeul Sect torn apart and shattered — but one brimming with hope for the future, alive with vitality.”

In that moment, the anger filling Eun-ho’s chest wavered of its own accord.

‘Torn apart? When?’

This was unmistakably the same Jin So-un as always — the Senior Brother he’d spent his entire life beside.

And yet every word that fell from the mouth of this man, wrapped head to toe in mischief, seemed to carry a deep, inexplicable sorrow and anguish.

“……What are you saying?”

Jin So-un didn’t answer.

His gaze remained fixed on Taeul Sect, lit up bright as day, and wouldn’t leave.

A man who could memorize everything in vivid detail from the briefest glance — staring straight ahead as if he’d lost his memory, as if he were desperately trying to engrave each and every moment into his mind.

Like someone who had lost something once, thrashing against ever losing it again.

“Senior Bro—”

“Heh heh.”

The wistful, mournful gaze vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by his usual mischief-laden self.

“If you’re going to crack skulls anyway, it matters who’s watching, doesn’t it?”

“……Senior Brother!”

“Five hundred years.”

“?”

“That’s how long Taeul Sect has been waiting for the Taeul Sword Emperor.”

But soon, he shed even the mischief.

Now there was only —

“It’s also how long Taeul Sect has been waiting to truly open its gates.”

— a steadfast, stalwart man bearing a solemn weight.

And then.

“I don’t think of this as merely a gate-opening. This is……”

That man of few words drew forth something he’d kept buried deep in his heart.

“A founding — five hundred years in the making.”

While everyone else was consumed by the task before them, this man had widened his gaze this far, looking ahead.

As though it didn’t matter whether anyone recognized it.

“Is it really so outlandish for the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist to attend the founding ceremony of the legendary master, the Taeul Sword Emperor?”

At the question posed to him so casually, Eun-ho finally let out a laugh.

“……Hah. Unbelievable.”

And he dropped down beside the man.

“It’s not outlandish at all.”

“Heh heh. I knew you understood.”

The resolute core hidden behind that foolish grin.

“Senior Brother, you really have a way of leaving people speechless.”

“Do I?”

And they loved him for it — madly, desperately.

Enough to count their own lives as nothing.

“Really. Sometimes it’s infuriating.”

“And what are you going to do about being infuriated?”

“Nothing, I guess…… it’s just infuriating.”

Of course, Eun-ho’s personality wasn’t nearly sentimental enough to say any of that out loud.

He accepted the cup the man who dreamed of the future held out to him.

And then —

“Here. Let’s have a drink.”

He gazed down at Taeul Sect’s panorama alongside that man and let a sip linger in his mouth.

The wine had never tasted sweeter.