Chapter 34

Chapter 34
The central stronghold of the Shin-hwa-bang stood in Dong-yang, located in Jeol-gang Province.

Although the Po-gang branch was the closest outpost, Jeong-pung had deliberately refrained from asking them for reinforcements. Had he reached out, word of their advance would have reached the Shin-hwa-bang immediately. Given how close that outpost was to their headquarters, hostile informants could very well have infiltrated the ranks.

If the Shin-hwa-bang lord managed to slip away, it would lead to total failure. Should he feign an extended journey and vanish for several months, the entire matter would lose momentum and fade into nothing. Yet, the enemy’s thirst for vengeance was not something that would simply wither away.

With the sect’s stronghold lying directly ahead, Jeong-pung brought his companions together to outline their objective.

“Our mission today is to seize the Shin-hwa-bang lord and escort him directly to the branch.”

“Understood!”

Even with his men’s firm replies, Jeong-pung could not shake his unease.

“We must prepare for the chance that he will refuse to yield quietly.”

Should the Shin-hwa-bang lord choose outright defiance and attempt to slaughter them, everyone present could be wiped out. Naturally, that seemed improbable. Striking down a branch leader and martial artists of the Murim Alliance was tantamount to declaring oneself a public enemy across all of Murim. It was far graver than Wang Gon’s scheming against Im Choong.

“Maintain your vigilance, all of you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Baek So-cheon, Im Choong, and Beon Saeng followed behind Jeong-pung without a sound.

A pair of warriors stepped forward and struck the heavy entrance gates of the Shin-hwa-bang.

“Martial artists of the Murim Alliance. Unbar the gates.”

A low groan echoed.

The doors were completely unlocked.

The two fighters who had knocked grew rigid. In their experience, the gates of a prominent sect were either flung wide in welcome or securely fastened against intruders.

“Move in with caution.”

“Right.”

Following the lead scouts, the group crossed the threshold on high alert.

What met their eyes inside left them frozen. The entire estate was utterly deserted. Doors throughout the pavilions hung open as though the occupants had hastily evacuated, leaving clutter and trash strewn across the flagstones.

Right in the middle of the courtyard sat a solitary figure.

He was clad in radiant crimson garments that seemed to burn like fire, quietly savoring liquor alone.

His back was facing the entrance, yet his frame was remarkably massive. Baek So-cheon wondered if he had ever seen shoulders quite that vast.

The moment his gaze landed on the man, Baek So-cheon’s features hardened into stone. He recognized the man immediately.

Turning toward Jeong-pung, Baek So-cheon spoke quietly.

“Fall back and wait outside.”

Sensing the immense gravity in his demeanor, Jeong-pung complied without raising a single objection.

Baek So-cheon then motioned for Im Choong and Beon Saeng to withdraw as well.

Though anxious for him, they understood that yielding in silence was the greatest aid they could offer right now.

The entire party retraced their steps and exited behind Jeong-pung.

Left by himself, Baek So-cheon called out toward the broad back.

“You lunatic! What under heaven brings you here?”

The massive shoulders shook with deep amusement.

“Hahaha. It has been far too long.”

A thunderous laugh rolled across the courtyard as the man turned to face him.

A man in his fifties, he possessed piercing eyes, a sharp nose, and a square jaw that looked as though it had been chiseled from stone.

Every grand description applied to peerless masters suited him: hard as cast iron, unyielding as diamond, forged from ancient steel… indestructible.

He radiated an invincible presence, as if no strike in the world could fracture his frame. His skin itself appeared peculiar, bearing a faint azure cast that seemed capable of repelling sharp steel, sword qi, or even raw sword gangs.

The man before him was Yeom Hwa-sin, Lord of the Black Heaven Alliance—the very rival Baek So-cheon had clashed with in the past.

“Why have you shown up here?”

“Word reached me that you were heading this way.”

“So you’ve kept an eye on my movements?”

“Kept an eye? Such an abrasive phrase between companions. Think of it as a fond interest.”

“Drop the games. How did you track this?”

“First, you upset our arrangements at the core headquarters, and now you’ve come out to the fringes stirring up trouble.”

“Our arrangements?”

In the next breath, everything clicked into place for Baek So-cheon. “Ah!”

“The Shin-hwa-bang! That was your doing.”

“Precisely.”

“It makes sense now. No minor clan could have expanded so drastically within a mere handful of years on its own.”

“We stationed several of our subordinates at your flank to secure a firm base.”

Reflecting on the plot of land meant for the metal foundry, the terrain was indeed ideal for a stronghold. It had been laid out to serve as a hidden outpost for the Black Heaven Alliance.

Their strategy had been to nurture the Shin-hwa-bang into the foundation of a front beneath the guise of an orthodox sect. That clarified why the vast majority of its fighters, aside from the figurehead leader and a handful of trusted associates, were simply bought muscle.

“As of today, the Shin-hwa-bang has ceased to exist. This disruption cost us dearly. Without your interference, the Mun-seong fortress would have reached completion before the frost arrived. You cost us a fortune. Even so, out of respect for our shared history, I shall overlook it. Sit, share a drink.”

Baek So-cheon took a seat opposite him.

“You knew I was stripped of my standing. Why did you hold back until now?”

“I wanted to observe your next steps. Neither of us is petty enough to draw weapons over a minor slight, are we? Take this.”

Yeom Hwa-sin tilted the jug and poured into Baek So-cheon’s vessel.

His forearm was as stout as a grown man’s torso. A scorching warmth rolled off him, his inner energy churning with the heat of surging lava.

Just as formidable as before.

Baek So-cheon could easily tell that the man had completely healed from his previous wounds.

He had suffered what should have been mortal harm during their past duel, yet he had recovered in full.

Being near the leader of the Murim Alliance settled one’s thoughts, but sitting before this man stirred a roaring flame. He provoked a primal urge to clash—even without a trace of internal energy left, Baek So-cheon felt an impulse to drive a fist into his face.

Holding back that urge, he tipped the cup back and drank.

Yeom Hwa-sin then cast a sidelong glance toward the shadows behind Baek So-cheon.

“Do those lurkers hiding in the back care to share a cup as well?”

Cheon-geuk stepped forward from the background, her four attendants following close behind before dropping flat against the earth in reverence.

“We offer our greetings to the Demon Lord.”

She had recognized his stature instantly. Even as the leader of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng, she dared not make a reckless move before the Black Heaven Lord.

He had demonstrated his terrifying perception simply by calling them out. They had deployed supreme concealment arts capable of blinding anyone, yet his senses pierced right through it.

“Come forward and share the wine.”

“This unworthy one would never presume to intrude.”

“Technically speaking, are you not aligned with our path?”

Surprisingly, Yeom Hwa-sin was fully aware of her identity.

“We killers pursue nothing beyond coin—we are simple, base creatures.”

“Is that not true of everyone? In that regard, you and I are honest individuals who remain true to our desires.”

His eyes shifted back toward Baek So-cheon.

“What of you?”

“I am merely a rigid, stubborn fool bound to righteous pretenses.”

Yeom Hwa-sin chuckled deeply.

“Were that true, you wouldn’t be sharing a table with me.”

Glancing at Cheon-geuk to invite agreement, he continued.

“In truth, his nature leans toward our side as well. The tragedy was that he tied his fortunes to the wrong faction from the start. What a waste. Had he stood with Black Heaven from the outset, we would have brought the entire jianghu beneath our rule by now…”

Yet Baek So-cheon knew better than to be fooled. Yeom Hwa-sin was never as blunt as he seemed. Beneath that sheer martial might lay an intellect willing to sacrifice thousands—even tens of thousands—of lives without blinking to achieve his ambitions.

“What do you think? Will you stand with me?”

Cheon-geuk shifted her gaze between Baek So-cheon and Yeom Hwa-sin, then lowered her head with profound courtesy.

“I choose to remain impartial.”

“A rejection. Do I frighten you so much?”

“Deeply. In all honesty. See for yourself—my fingers are trembling.”

Maintaining her bow, she held up her hands to reveal their slight tremor. It was no deception; the dread was authentic.

“Yet you still decline? What is the reason?”

“Simply because the person seated across from you is just as terrifying.”

Yeom Hwa-sin barked a hearty laugh and nodded.

“A fair point. Haha.”

“Having brought a smile to our esteemed superior, this humble one shall take her leave in peace.”

Afraid that he might suddenly bar their retreat, Cheon-geuk and her four attendants dissolved into the shadows without making a sound.

Yeom Hwa-sin topped off Baek So-cheon’s vessel once more.

“You were the one who brought her along, were you not?”

“You seem to know everything already.”

“What detail about you could escape me?”

“You can drop the act.”

Following a brief silence, Baek So-cheon asked,

“Why have you let me live?”

Stripped of his inner energy, the Black Heaven forces could have extinguished his life countless times over. He was, after all, the great obstacle standing between Yeom Hwa-sin and his ultimate goal.

“There are plenty of reasons. Slaying a powerless threat like you would only serve to unite the righteous factions against us. Besides, if the whim strikes me, I can take your life at any hour.”

Alongside that blunt declaration, a deeper motive lingered between them.

Three years earlier, those exact words had etched themselves into Baek So-cheon’s memory.

A span of three years will suffice. By that time, you will realize my words held true.

Those words, spoken by the Black Heaven Lord Yeom Hwa-sin, had never left his thoughts.

“There is still time left.”

“Indeed. Once the warmth fades and winter sets in, the three years will be up. So? Have you uncovered the truth yet?”

“Not… at this point.”

“Is the simple fact that you sit here drinking with me not an answer in itself?”

“Even things that seem evident often conceal deeper truths.”

“You are deceiving yourself. You believe this loyalty of yours stems from enduring faith in the Alliance? It does not. You are simply closing your eyes because acknowledging the truth would mean rejecting your entire past.”

“The conclusion will show itself soon enough.”

Emptying his cup one last time, he pushed himself up from the ground.

Baek So-cheon could feel that conflict was fast approaching. The calm of the past three years had not been a genuine peace; it was merely the span Yeom Hwa-sin required to nurse his wounds.

Remaining in his seat, Baek So-cheon looked down and asked,

“Is it impossible for you to forgo this coming war?”

Yeom Hwa-sin rose to his feet, a hulking presence towering over the clearing.

“Why should I abandon it?”

Baek So-cheon realized that reasoning with him was utterly pointless—it was like pleading with a predator to turn away from meat.

Unifying the entire martial realm had always been Yeom Hwa-sin’s sole purpose.

Much like how Baek So-cheon had dreamed of entering the ranks of the Murim Alliance since he was six years old, this man’s ambition had burned within him since his youth.

He would never discard the meaning of his own existence… and so, he would never halt his march.

Could the righteous sects withstand the impending storm? During their previous confrontation, Baek So-cheon had poured every ounce of his being into the struggle, merely managing to force a draw at the cost of his own ruin.

“I should have ended your life back then.”

“Swear your allegiance to me. I will grant whatever conditions you name. I have paper right here; write your demands. Anything except my own neck.”

“I am nothing more than an empty shell.”

“Even an empty vessel of your caliber is extraordinary.”

“My obligations to the Alliance remain. If they discard me completely, perhaps I will give it thought.”

“Do you distrust my word?”

“I know you keep your promises.”

“What holds you back, then?”

“I see straight through your desire to recruit me. You want my surrender to crush the spirit of the orthodox sects and ignite the fervor of your unorthodox armies. I would make the ultimate sacrificial display—executed before your gathered legions as the drums of war begin.”

“Hahaha. That sharpness is why you hold my respect. You are both a formidable warrior and a brilliant mind.”

Without another word, the massive figure turned and walked away at an unhurried pace.

Baek So-cheon stood quietly, watching the towering silhouette fade into the distance.

A short time later, the Alliance fighters returned to his side.

“What took place here? Who was that man?”

“It is of no consequence.”

“Even if he has been dealt with, why is the sect grounds completely deserted?”

“The Shin-hwa-bang has been erased from the realm.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There is no vengeance left to settle, nor any lingering threads to pursue. The matter regarding Yang Chu’s kin must be set aside for now. Let us return.”

Without lingering, Baek So-cheon began walking away.

The remaining martial artists exchanged bewildered, wide-eyed glances before hurrying to follow behind him.

Once the courtyard was left in complete silence, Cheon-geuk and her four attendants materialized upon the high roofline.

“Another grand opening presents itself.”

A full-scale conflict would plunge the jianghu into utter chaos, creating an endless demand for killers. It promised unheard-of wealth for the Sal-su Yeon-maeng—an opportunity the likes of which came once in an era.

Cheon-geuk stared out toward the horizon where the sun burned like an open furnace.

Whether moved by Baek So-cheon’s declarations or merely wearing a mask of indifference, her gaze held a profound, unyielding determination that seemed to disregard the boundary between life and death.

“Take in every moment of this summer. It may very well be our last.”