Chapter 151
Jongrimun.
I had expected to cross paths again someday with this Sect that had “helped” (?) me during my Infiltration of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering held in Anhui.
After all, Guangdong Province, where Jongrimun was based, was right below Hunan Province.
But I never thought we would meet like this.
“Die - !!”
“Wait - !”
Slash - !
Jongrimun was Zhongnan’s Lay Branch.
Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang rushed at me, unfolding the clean and orthodox Sword Formula unique to Zhongnan.
“…Great Hero.”
“Stay still for now.”
Seeing this, the Haomun Leader raised her body to step in properly, but I stopped her.
If she stepped in, Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang would die, and the Jongrimun Leader hadn’t exactly done anything wrong enough to deserve death.
If anything, the fault lay with me for impersonating the perfectly fine Jongrimun.
So I spoke up urgently to resolve things through conversation.
“H-hey! Calm down for a second! Didn’t I still bring some benefit to Jongrimun in my own way? I raised Jongrimun’s name Under Heaven…”
“You didn’t raise our name, you raised our infamy! Because of you, Jongrimun is…, Jongrimun is…!”
As Yeon Mae-Hyang swung her Sword with clenched teeth and tearful eyes, I flinched and asked.
“W-what…, did Jongrimun disband or something? Or were you kicked out of the Zhongnan Affiliated Family?”
Uh…, well…, if that were the case, I’d feel a little sorry…
Were they really kicked out of the Zhongnan Affiliated Family? I didn’t think the Zhongnan Sect Leader was that kind of person.
“…The Zhongnan Main Headquarters forgave our incompetent Jongrimun mercifully. However, Jongrimun’s current state is… Keuheuk…!”
“Hmm…?”
What, so they weren’t kicked out?
But after listening to her subsequent words, it certainly seemed like the current Jongrimun was not in an Intact state.
“…Do you know what kind of stigma and scandal our Jongrimun suffered because of you? The story of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering spread all over Guangdong Province, so people cursed us; work decreased; disciples left…”
“Oh my, tsk tsk.”
“…We were no longer in a position to run the Martial Arts Hall, so we put the building up for sale…, and the remaining disciples became wanderers…”
“Now that I look at it, the Jongrimun Leader has a bit of a wanderer’s curse on her face.”
“Why are you speaking with a face that says it has nothing to do with you!! Everything happened because of you!!”
Swish - !!
Even in that moment, Yeon Mae-Hyang was swinging her Sword at me, and I was gauging her skills.
“Not bad.”
Her disposition was the exact opposite of Heuk Su-Dol, who had just been beaten to a pulp by Dongryong-i and dragged out, but her skills were actually a step above.
I’d say she was equal to Somyung-i, or perhaps even better.
I had wondered how she became a Sect Leader at such a young age, even for a Lay Branch, but it didn’t seem to be due to luck.
‘She’s a tempting prospect…’
If someone like her joined our Green Forest, she would definitely become an important asset.
Believing that crisis is an opportunity, I made a proposal to her as she swung her Sword at me.
“Then I’ll Take Responsibility. Jongrimun Leader, bring the Jongrimun disciples and join the Green Forest. I’ll make sure to pay you a lot since I do feel sorry.”
Of course…
“Shut up - !! I applied under false pretenses only to kill you here - !!”
…it didn’t work in the slightest.
“Tch.”
As I clicked my tongue and dodged her Sword in succession, she raised her Aura and pressured me.
Clang - ! Clang - !!
“Even if our honor was sullied, do you think our Jongrimun, a proud Lay Branch of Zhongnan, would ever submit to wicked Bandit Bastards - !”
“What’s so wrong with us? And you keep saying Zhongnan this, Zhongnan that, but I was a Zhongnan Disciple for a while too. You have no idea how much the Sect Leader adored me.”
“You mock Zhongnan once again! You villain!”
It seemed it wouldn’t be easy to persuade her with words alone. And I was getting tired of just dodging her Sword strikes like this.
Srrng - .
So I also drew the Heavenly Demon Sword from my waist and circulated my energy.
I didn’t gather the energy too strongly. Nor did I make it lacking.
The Middle Way is leaning toward neither side.
It was the Zhongnan Sword I had familiarized myself with during the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Claaang - !!
“N-no - ! This is…!”
I hadn’t formally learned Zhongnan Martial Arts, but by imitating a Zhongnan Disciple, I had become able to roughly mimic the Zhongnan Sword.
Recognizing this, Yeon Mae-Hyang’s eyebrows trembled.
“See, I told you I’m practically a Zhongnan Honorary Disciple.”
“S-shut up - ! You’re merely imitating it - !”
Clang - ! Clang, clang - !!
I continued to receive the ensuing Offense and Defense with the Zhongnan Sword.
The outcome was quickly decided.
Because my internal energy was far above hers.
And…
‘My enlightenment regarding Zhongnan Martial Arts seems about the same as hers too, doesn’t it?’
Clang - !!
“Keugh - !”
Having a lot of internal energy was good, but due to the nature of the Zhongnan Sword, which leaned toward neither extreme, enlightenment of its profound principles was more important than internal energy.
Crossing swords with her, I could tell that my enlightenment didn’t lag behind hers much at all.
“T-this makes no sense…”
As if wanting to deny this fact, Yeon Mae-Hyang drew out the maximum of her remaining strength and threw a Strike at me, but…
Crash - !!
“…Aagh - !”
…even that was blocked by me, and she ended up falling flat on her rear.
Clang - !
Swish - .
“…Eek.”
I kicked her Sword far away so she could no longer Resist, then placed the Heavenly Demon Sword against her neck.
“…Kill me.”
Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang closed her eyes, seemingly not wanting To beg me for her life. But my thoughts were different.
“I have no intention of killing you, though. You’re pretty good with a Sword, Jongrimun Leader. Come work under me.”
“I told you earlier! Do you think I would ever submit to the one who dared to sully my Sect’s honor - !”
“Oh, come on. Coming under me will help you get your revenge too, won’t it?”
“…What? You are the target of my revenge, so how…”
“Don’t you know the idiom “Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall”?”
Long ago, during the Spring and Autumn period, King Fuchai of the State of Wu ground his teeth and slept on prickly brushwood at night to avenge his father against King Goujian of the State of Yue.
After he succeeded in his revenge, the King of Yue, Goujian, this time pledged revenge by licking a bear’s gall every night to pay back his sworn enemy.
This became the origin of the Four-character Idiom, Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall, which means pledging revenge.
It’s even said that at this time, the King of Yue, Goujian, built up his strength by catering to King Fuchai of the State of Wu, going so far as to taste his feces.
In other words, Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall means enduring and overcoming any hardship to achieve revenge, even if it means catering to your sworn enemy.
“Didn’t you say Jongrimun is practically ruined right now? For now, bring the Jongrimun disciples and come under our Green Forest. I’ll give you a lot of money and let you focus hard on your Martial Arts Training.”
“…”
“Then, once you’ve built up your strength to a certain extent, you can take your revenge on me. Can’t you wait that little bit?”
“…”
Perhaps somewhat persuaded by my words, Yeon Mae-Hyang closed her eyes and fell into thought instead of letting out a Loud Roar telling me to stop spouting nonsense.
And soon, when her eyes opened…
“…Even so, I can never submit under you - !”
…The words that came out of her mouth were once again a firm refusal.
“Tch.”
Feeling a sense of regret at this, I asked her for the reason.
“Why make such a choice…? Are you just going to die? For the honor of Zhongnan and Jongrimun?”
“Of course the Sect’s honor is important, but there is another absolute reason - ! You…! Y-you - !!”
Yeon Mae-Hyang shouted, grinding her teeth.
“Did you not commit Killing to Silence against the disciples of our Jongrimun - !!”
“…Eh?”
And hearing her words, I couldn’t help but flinch.
Understandably so…, Killing to Silence?
Me?
I killed Jongrimun’s disciples…?
“The ones you impersonated were the ones our Jongrimun sent to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering - ! They went missing while passing through your Hunan Mountain Path! Did you not commit Killing to Silence against our disciples and impersonate their identities - !”
“Ah…, those guys…?”
Come to think of it, Dongryong-i and I had stolen the Jongrimun disciples' clothes and Dragon-Phoenix Gathering participation tickets and gone to Anhui, hadn’t we…?
If I recall correctly, I think I told them to just roughly lock them up somewhere…
Now that I think about it, what happened to them…?
“Haomun Leader, by any chance, those guys…”
“…I do not know either.”
I turned my head to the Haomun Leader just in case, but she didn’t seem to know their whereabouts either.
Seeing this, the Jongrimun Leader screamed fiercely.
“You Outrageous Bastards - !! Do you not even know where the white bones of my disciples are resting - !”
“N-no, it’s not like that…? I didn’t kill them… Probably…”
“Uwaaah - ! I feel so wronged - !”
“Ugh, jeez…, this won’t do. Hey! Someone, anyone, bring a rope - !”
At my Command, Bang Sam-i and the other Subordinates appeared in the Reception Hall with binding ropes this time.
I pointed at the Jongrimun Leader and told my Subordinates.
“Bind her up and lock her somewhere so she can cool her head.”
“Let go of me - ! You Bastards! Where are you trying to take me! Aaaagh - !”
Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang shook her body this way and that to Resist, but she couldn’t fend off the numerous men.
She was dragged out like that, as if being escorted away, her entire body tied up tightly.
“Sheesh…, saying we killed someone…”
It seemed that recruiting the Jongrimun Leader would be a distant dream unless I cleared up the misunderstanding.
But they’re missing…? Where on Earth are they stuck…, ah…
“Should I ask Bang Sam-i?”
Since Bang Sam-i was involved in many aspects of the Green Forest’s housekeeping, I asked Bang Sam-i, who happened to be right in front of me.
And Bang Sam-i…
“Hey, Bangsam. Do you happen to remember the two Jongrimun disciples I ordered you to Kidnap…, no, protect, a while back? Do you know where they are by any chance?”
“Protect…, ah? Those two Righteous Faction Bastards from back then?”
…For some reason, he looked like he knew exactly where they were.
* * *
“Uheuk…”
Bound inside a Barred Cell made of heavily oil-soaked wood, Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang shed tears.
What a miserable sight this was.
She hadn’t been able to cut down the villain who had sullied her Sect’s honor and killed her disciples, even with him right in front of her eyes.
On top of that, she was not only toyed with but also bound and locked up…
“Heuk…”
Let’s die…, just die…
Pessimistic about her own situation, the Jongrimun Leader even etched the resolve to bite off her tongue if push comes to shove into her body.
It was then.
Rustle.
“…?”
The sound of someone’s presence came from in front of the Jongrimun Leader’s prison.
Thinking it was just the Bandit Bastards coming to keep an eye on her, she didn’t give them a glance.
However…
“Sect Leader!”
“Oh, it really is the Sect Leader - ! Sect Leader - !”
“…Uh?”
A somewhat Familiar voice reached her ears. At this, she turned her head to look…
“…Y-you guys - !”
…The disciples she thought were dead were waving their hands and welcoming her.