Chapter 79: Chapter 79
Jang Seo-woon did not consider this matter a big deal.
Foolish unorthodox scoundrels trembled in fear upon seeing the Martial Alliance, but he was not like that.
A headquarters squad leader of the Martial Alliance was his older brother. He was the backing behind this orchard. What could such a low-ranking member do here?
However, it took less than a quarter of an hour for his illusion to shatter.
Jang Seo-woon did not even recognize that he had uttered the words ‘murder to silence witnesses.’ It was merely words he blurted out haphazardly out of anger. Even when a brawl broke out in a local tavern, words of killing one another were casually tossed around. It was because death was a story far too distant for them in the first place.
However, to martial artists, the meaning of the word death was distinct. It was because death always clung thickly to the long shadows stretching beneath their feet.
“W-What! Block those bastards!”
At the words ‘murder to silence witnesses,’ the convictions of Cheon Woo-jin, Song Yi-yeon, and Jin Un aligned as one. Jang Seo-woon did not even know what kind of detonator role his words had played.
He was merely startled, thinking that those fellows had lost their minds and were drawing their blades.
However, he did not take fright. That side was merely three people at most, while the unorthodox martial artists on this side numbered well over several dozen.
Since those fellows drew their blades first, the moral justification was on this side. Just as Jang Seo-woon took a step back, thinking he should flee while the unorthodox scoundrels fought and report everything to his older brother.
“No one can escape.”
Cheon Woo-jin’s calm voice brought Jang Seo-woon’s steps to a halt. It was literally a unilateral declaration, yet an irresistible force was imbued within it.
In that instant, meeting eyes with Cheon Woo-jin, Jang Seo-woon flinched and shuddered.
Even without learning martial arts, a primal fear existed if one were human. Even a child seeing a tiger for the first time in their life felt terror and convulsed in fits.
It was the same principle. The trousers of Jang Seo-woon, whose body had frozen stiff as it was, were stained wet.
Seeing this, Cheon Woo-jin frowned slightly, then turned his head away. With so many martial artists needing to be subdued, this was not the time to deal with an orchard owner who didn’t possess a shred of internal energy.
Cheon Woo-jin gazed closely at the unorthodox martial artists. Standing in awkward postures all over the orchard, they were gathered in clusters of threes and fives, roughly dividable into three large groups.
Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon also grasped this. Conveniently, this side also had three people, so they merely had to take charge of one group each and subdue them.
“Young Hero Song, I will take charge of that side.”
Jin Un pointed at the second largest group. The spot with the greatest number of martial artists naturally fell to Cheon Woo-jin.
Song Yi-yeon’s eyes narrowed.
“Young Hero Jin Un. What will you do if you get hurt doing that? Take charge of that spot over there with seven people.”
“Ha.”
Jin Un burst into a hollow laugh. Who was he? Even within the great Mount Hua Sect, he was called a genius since his youth and was someone who had earned the title of Plum Blossom Swordsman at a tender age.
He was not being arrogant. Viewing it purely objectively, the probability of him getting injured against a mere dozen-odd unorthodox martial artists was remarkably low.
It was merely a matter of pride. Toward Cheon Woo-jin, he didn’t even feel competitive spirit, but Song Yi-yeon was different.
The two, who were separated by merely a single rank in the selection examination, harbored a competitive spirit knowingly or unknowingly.
“Young Hero Song, actual combat is different. I have extensive experience subjugating numerous unorthodox figures in the meantime. I am truly speaking out of concern.”
“Thank you for your concern. I am touched. However, I am also a person who accompanied numerous escort journeys even before coming to the Martial Alliance, and went through all sorts of experiences in my own right.”
The two found this situation absurd.
It was truly a trivial matter. It was a competitive spirit that was childish beyond measure. Each of them knew it.
However, stepping back slightly bruised their pride.
Just as the two were feeling frustrated with both themselves and the other party.
CRASH!
A gale originating from Cheon Woo-jin’s Crane Feather Fan swallowed the entire orchard whole. Fertile soil was overturned, and colossal trees snapped.
Apples flew into the sky, and beside them, unorthodox martial artists flew as well.
It felt literally as if a natural disaster had descended upon them. The unorthodox martial artists had already lost their will to fight at that unrealistic spectacle.
Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un looked at each other, smacked their lips, and launched their figures.
* * *
Organizing the situation did not take very long.
The orchard was literally smashed to smithereens. The contraband goods were neatly arranged on one side, and not a single unorthodox martial artist remained standing on two healthy legs.
Jang Seo-woon and his family members were kneeling with bowed heads in a relatively intact state. They had already secured both the false ledgers and the true ledgers through the chief manager.
Taking in that spectacle in a single glance, Song Yi-yeon spoke as if in disbelief.
“This cannot be. To think no one died.”
“Isn’t that only natural? No matter if it is Young Hero Cheon…”
Jin Un tilted his head. There was no need to unnecessarily commit slaughter to subdue unorthodox figures of this level.
Gazing at such a Jin Un, Song Yi-yeon spoke in a low voice.
“A day will come when Young Hero Jin Un understands my feelings as well.”
Song Yi-yeon thought so.
In truth, it didn’t matter at all whether bad people died or not.
However, even in the eyes of his friend, Cheon Woo-jin’s methods were far too rough. Although he did not live with the values of the Righteous Path solely embraced in his heart either, watching Cheon Woo-jin’s actions made him sometimes think that his methods resembled those of the Unorthodox Path or a demonic head.
‘It is probably the influence of his other master.’
In Shaolin, he had come to learn that one of Young Hero Cheon’s two masters was an immensely colossal villain. Though he did not know who it was precisely, if it was to the extent that Master Beop-jin spoke like that, he had to be an expert who had dominated an era at the very least.
Having grown up under such a person, it was not incomprehensible that Young Hero Cheon’s actions were radical.
However, Song Yi-yeon wanted to live life in the Martial Alliance together with Cheon Woo-jin for a long time. It was because he was the first friend he had ever made, and because he had confirmed multiple times that beneath Cheon Woo-jin’s indifferent exterior, there was warmth deep within his heart.
Thinking so, Song Yi-yeon picked up an apple that had fallen before his feet and took a large bite.
“What should we do now?”
For now, they had caused the incident. All evidence was secured as well. Once reported to the Martial Alliance, the White Dragon Squad Leader would be locked in the dungeon immediately.
The problem was the Black Tortoise Squad Leader.
Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin asked.
“What is there to do?”
“Naturally, it is proper to report and wrap things up according to procedure. However, it is because I worry for the Black Tortoise Squad Leader. His heartbreak will be immense.”
Jin Un also nodded in empathy.
At that, Cheon Woo-jin asked in return.
“Why is that so?”
“What do you mean why? An old friend framed him, so how great must his sense of betrayal be?”
Cheon Woo-jin still wore an expression of being unable to understand.
“Is that so? Rather, isn’t it a good thing that a hidden enemy has disappeared? He wasn’t a friend in the first place anyway.”
“No…”
Song Yi-yeon pounded his chest.
There were many times when he felt that Young Hero Cheon was detached from the emotions of ordinary people. This, too, must be due to the environment he grew up in.
When Song Yi-yeon felt frustrated, Jin Un, who had sheathed his Plum Blossom Sword, calmly provided an explanation.
“Young Hero Cheon. What if, after struggling to overcome a crisis that found you, you grasped the situation only to find it was a trap dug by Young Hero Song? How would you feel if Young Hero Song had tried to bury Young Hero Cheon for his own profit?”
“Hey, why are you using innocent me as an example of all people?”
When Song Yi-yeon felt aggrieved, Jin Un chuckled softly.
“Then who else should I use as an example?”
“…”
There was none. Regrettably, the only person currently worthy of being called a friend to Cheon Woo-jin was Song Yi-yeon.
Acknowledging this, Song Yi-yeon sat down.
In the meantime, Cheon Woo-jin stared intently at Song Yi-yeon’s face and pondered deeply.
“Mmh, if such a thing were to happen…”
“W-Wait!”
Song Yi-yeon cut off Cheon Woo-jin’s words with utmost urgency.
Somehow, he felt that words that should never be heard were about to come from that mouth; was it just his imagination?
“D-Do not speak. Let’s just move past it.”
“Mmh?”
“I feel like I will be traumatized if I hear it.”
Gazing at Cheon Woo-jin’s expression, Jin Un also nodded his head.
He thought that, in the first place, he was a young hero somewhat different from them.
‘Indeed, for a man possessing such out-of-scale martial arts whose every step is unprecedented to think and feel like an ordinary man would be rather strange.’
Since his youth, Jin Un had studied martial world history thoroughly. Strictly speaking, he had studied the history of Daoist sects as a Daoist, but because Daoist sects were inextricably linked with the martial world, he had naturally come to learn martial world history as well.
In martial world history, figures who exerted tremendous influence on an era, whether positive or negative, often appeared. What they had in common was that not a single thing about them was like an ordinary man.
In Jin Un’s view, Cheon Woo-jin was precisely of that kind. How long had it been since he joined the Alliance, yet the influence he had exerted on the Martial Alliance was by no means small.
‘Before long, that influence will extend beyond the Martial Alliance and reach across the entire Jianghu.’
Acknowledging differences was the way to avoid falling into heart demons. Because Jin Un possessed deep self-cultivation, he could accept Cheon Woo-jin just as he was.
Like that, just as the three men were about to finish the apples they each picked up.
“Gasp! Haaah!”
Rough panting was heard from the entrance of the orchard.
It was the White Dragon Squad Leader.
* * *
The White Dragon Squad Leader had executed his lightness art as if his windpipe would tear apart.
However, at the spectacle that unfolded before his eyes upon arriving, it felt as though not his windpipe, but his very sanity was being torn to shreds.
Everything was completely ruined.
It was an enterprise he had cultivated at the cost of deceiving his comrades and deceiving his conscience. Just like growing a tree, he had diligently provided water and care over a long period to raise it.
However, that tree now had only a rotten stump left; it was all gone.
“B-Brother!”
Discovering the White Dragon Squad Leader, Jang Seo-woon cried out sorrowfully. It was quite a loud voice, but it did not even register in the Squad Leader’s ears.
A truly colossal emptiness and sense of despair filled his mind, leaving him unable to pull himself together.
It was at that moment.
“White Dragon Squad Leader.”
A chillingly cold voice cut through that tangled mind like a blade and pierced into his consciousness.
The White Dragon Squad Leader raised his head and met eyes with Cheon Woo-jin.
“…”
He could not win. He already knew that that fellow’s martial prowess easily surpassed that of an ordinary squad leader. Furthermore, the geniuses known as Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un were also beside him.
The White Dragon Squad Leader’s lips trembled weakly several times, before finally coughing out such words.
“…How much will it take?”
Simultaneously, the expressions of Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon crumpled violently.
It would have been better if he cursed or made excuses regarding this matter.
Facing rising stars who had just joined the Alliance, one called a headquarters squad leader was attempting negotiation and compromise.
Even Cheon Woo-jin thought that sight was truly pathetic.
However, the White Dragon Squad Leader did not give up easily.
At first, he attempted negotiations.
Naturally, they broke down.
After that, he pleaded through sentiment.
It didn’t work in the slightest.
He tried getting angry, and tried inducing sympathy.
Not a single one of those methods had the slightest effect.
Although the three men, Cheon Woo-jin, Song Yi-yeon, and Jin Un, were all very different in character, at least the fact that they had not the slightest intention of compromising with the White Dragon Squad Leader was identical.
Of course, the White Dragon Squad Leader knew that fact as well. Even while knowing, he had purposely voiced it aloud.
“Because only by doing everything I can do like this will I not feel wronged in death.”
Crunch.
The White Dragon Squad Leader chewed the poison pill hidden beneath his molar.
Several years ago, there had been a mission where he had to subdue assassins alive and escort them, and those fellows had committed suicide in this manner.
Although he had failed the mission back then, he had learned one method to escape alone in the worst situation.
“Watch out!”
Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un leaped forward urgently with expressions of dismay.
However, blood was already beading across the White Dragon Squad Leader’s entire body like droplets of sweat. It meant the poison had invaded his entire body.
Jin Un spoke with a distraught face.
“To flee from your crimes like this, aren’t you ashamed as a squad leader! Are you that terrified of the Martial Alliance’s dungeon!”
At that sharp criticism, the White Dragon Squad Leader let out a soft laugh.
“Still, that fellow Cheol Ji-ak was indeed my friend. How could I face that fellow? It is not the dungeon, but meeting that fellow that I fear.”
Soon, the White Dragon Squad Leader closed his eyes tightly. It was because he felt ashamed to look at the faces of those three as well.
A brief silence arose in the area.
Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un gazed at the White Dragon Squad Leader with bitter expressions.
It was at that moment.
Thud, thud. Cheon Woo-jin shifted his steps.
Approaching the White Dragon Squad Leader, Cheon Woo-jin grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hoisted him up. The White Dragon Squad Leader slightly opened his fully shut eyes. Both of his eyes were already dyed crimson.
Cheon Woo-jin raised his palm. Formidable internal energy materialized and hovered above his palm.
Watching the mood, Song Yi-yeon spoke.
“Young Hero. He is a person who has already chosen suicide. There is no need to dirty Young Hero Cheon’s hands.”
Song Yi-yeon thought Cheon Woo-jin would kill the White Dragon Squad Leader.
However, the outcome was the opposite.
Cheon Woo-jin placed his hand near the White Dragon Squad Leader’s solar plexus.
The energy lingering on his palm flowed endlessly into his body.
“G-Gaaahhh!”
The White Dragon Squad Leader let out a pain-filled groan.
At the same time, toxic fumes crept slowly out of all the pores across the White Dragon Squad Leader’s body.
It was seemingly a gruesome sight, but in reality, Cheon Woo-jin’s intense energy was incinerating all the poison.
Just how much time had passed?
When Cheon Woo-jin released the hand clutching his scruff, the White Dragon Squad Leader collapsed backward.
His two eyes, which had turned crimson, returned to normal.
The White Dragon Squad Leader wore a bewildered expression.
“W-What is this.”
It was a deadly poison that could kill an ox within half an incense stick of time. It was an authentic item purchased at an exorbitant price from a martial artist of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
What was the poison of the Sichuan Tang Clan? There were even historical records that members of the Demonic Cult feared the Tang Clan’s poisons in the long-past Great War between the Righteous and Demonic Factions, let alone in the Righteous and Unorthodox Paths.
Just what bizarre method had he used to detoxify it?
The White Dragon Squad Leader looked up at Cheon Woo-jin with a face as if looking at a monster.
At that, Cheon Woo-jin spoke calmly.
“I said no one can escape.”
Only then did the White Dragon Squad Leader realize. That before Cheon Woo-jin, he could not even do as he pleased with his own life.
Killing, or saving, was solely Cheon Woo-jin’s judgment.
“White Dragon Squad Leader.”
“…”
“If you are that sorry, apologize to the Black Tortoise Squad Leader in person. After that, I will not care whether you commit suicide or not.”
Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un looked at Cheon Woo-jin with astonished faces. It was because they had never imagined such words would come from Cheon Woo-jin’s mouth.
Feeling awkward at the gazes of the two men, Cheon Woo-jin scratched his chin with his index finger and spoke.
“In truth, I still do not understand the statement that the Black Tortoise Squad Leader will be heartbroken. However, since the two of you are young heroes who understand such aspects better than I do, your words must be correct. Since I could not understand it, I simply decided to memorize it.”
“…”
There was something White Elder, who taught the warm-heartedness a chivalrous expert must possess, had said one day.
– Hey, you disciple! Just how on earth can you not understand this simple feeling! If you don’t know, memorize it! Don’t try to understand it, just memorize it, I say!
It was the first and last moment White Elder had ever gotten angry at Cheon Woo-jin.