Chapter 220 : Chapter 220
Chapter 220. True Colors (2)
Blacksmith Yeo Daegyu looked at Nam Geon and Gung Seola with a complicated expression.
A very expensive iron bought with the merchant group’s money without the merchant group leader’s knowledge.
He had taken it and made that sword.
He had assisted in theft.
Yeo Daegyu, who was wondering what to do about this, came up with a special measure.
“Ahem. Ah, by the way, I haven’t brought out Miss Choyeon’s sword yet.”
He decided to ignore the problem.
In any case, it was something he didn’t know about.
A little later, Yeo Daegyu returned with a new sword.
“Ahem. It may be a little inferior compared to the sword made of that Azure Cloud Iron, but I still did my best to forge it.”
Choyeon drew the sword with an indifferent face.
Soon, the corners of her mouth rose slightly.
It was light and thin. Instead, a chillingly intense sharpness could be felt.
It was a sword that suited her martial arts very well.
Choyean flicked the flat of the sword with her finger.
Vwoooom.
For its thinness, it had an outstanding strength.
“It’s very good.”
Yeo Daegyu expressed modesty, but it was a craftsmanship that could be called a famous sword.
Praise for the sword is praise for the blacksmith.
Yeo Daegyu also smiled with satisfaction.
But that smile did not last long.
“Uh, what happened to what I requested? Father.”
“Hmph. Why are you asking me? It’s something our daughter forged anyway.”
Saying so, Blacksmith Yeo made a very unpleasant expression.
“So talk to my daughter, not me.”
But it was only his expression and tone.
In the end, it meant that he had entrusted all of Dang Sopyeong’s work to his daughter.
The clueless Dang Sopyeong raised the corners of his mouth again, happy.
Blacksmith Yeo, who was watching this with displeasure, turned his head.
“Ahem. Still, they are swords I made with my best effort. I would appreciate it if you could give them names.”
At this, Nam Geon said with a troubled expression.
“I-I’m not good at naming things. B-big bro, you do it.”
For some reason, Jin Yuseong looked at Gung Seola.
“Since it’s a sword made thanks to Miss Gung, how about Miss Gung names it?”
“C-can I really do that?”
When Jin Yuseong nodded, she looked at Nam Geon.
Nam Geon also scratched his head and said.
“I-I got a good sword thanks to Seola. P-please do it.”
Was it because Nam Geon had accepted her favor for the first time?
She opened her mouth with a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Actually, I had imagined such a scene since the blacksmith elder forged that sword. The scene of our Great Hero Nam, a true man and hero, commanding the world.”
Everyone who was listening laughed awkwardly.
True man. Hero. Our Great Hero Nam.
It was hard to know where to start picking it apart.
“So I wanted the character for ‘Heaven’ to be in the sword’s name. And since it’s a bluish sword, how about Azure Heaven Sword?”
Jin Yuseong smiled faintly and nodded.
“It’s a good name.”
It was quite grand, but it didn’t seem bad.
“Thank you, Great Hero Ghost Sword!”
Gung Seola, who bowed her head, smiled again and looked at Nam Geon.
“I look forward to all the things the Great Hero Nam will achieve with the Azure Heaven Sword in the future.”
“I-I’ll try my best.”
Nam Geon himself didn’t know what he would be trying his best at.
Jin Yuseong, who was chuckling, turned his head and looked at Choyeon.
“Have you decided on a name?”
“Is it alright if I name it?”
When Jin Yuseong nodded, Choyeon opened her mouth calmly.
“Then I will call it Hidden Moon.”
***
After Nam Geon, Choyeon, and Dang Sopyeong took their new weapons, they left the Seomoon Clan.
After moving for a few days using lightness techniques, they reached Chongqing, adjacent to Sichuan.
There, they visited the Hoyeon Clan.
Hoyeon Myeong, whom they had had a connection with in the past, welcomed them.
“It’s really great to see you here, Great Hero!”
After a simple greeting with Hoyeon Myeong, Jin Yuseong glanced around the clan.
“The number of people has increased quite a bit.”
About twenty people were staying there.
Originally, Hoyeon Myeong was the only survivor of the Hoyeon Clan.
“I was lucky. Those who were outside at the time or succeeded in escaping have returned to the clan. Hahaha.”
Hoyeon Myeong, who had become the clan head at a young age, smiled with pride.
In addition to those who had returned to the clan, there were also some who had recently come, wanting to learn the Hoyeon Clan’s martial arts.
It felt like they were regaining the fame of the past Hoyeon Clan, albeit very slowly.
After a pleasant greeting, Jin Yuseong asked.
“Have you heard any more news regarding the Sichuan Sword Clan?”
Hoyeon Myeong was also a member of the Twin Heroes Alliance.
It wasn't just because of his connection with Jin Yuseong.
He was also a man who had a will for chivalry.
“Haa. The tyranny of the Sichuan Sword Clan is getting more serious by the day.”
Hoyeon Myeong said that the Sichuan Sword Clan was taking control of the surrounding areas quite aggressively.
“There are more than one or two sects in Sichuan that have been forced to close down after resisting. The problem is that there are also many who have voluntarily joined them.”
“Many who have voluntarily joined, you say? What does that mean?”
“It’s because of the pretext they put up. They are spreading rumors that various forces such as the Twin Heroes Alliance, Shaolin, and the Beggars' Gang are joining forces to take over the Central Plains.”
So the logic was that the sects of Sichuan should also join forces to resist them.
Of course, it could sound plausible to those who didn't know the reality of the Demonic Cult.
“But the words they put forward are just a pretext. If you look at what they actually do, they are closer to Underworld bastards.”
He said that they had taken people from small and medium-sized gangs or clans that had been forcibly closed down by them.
It was a kind of hostage to prepare for the case where they would reopen and rebel.
Furthermore, they had also snatched money and valuables from residents in various parts of Sichuan, and there were even cases where they took people.
All while spouting the crazy nonsense that this was all for the sake of protecting Sichuan.
“Actually, there are strange rumors circulating because of that.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“They say they also take women who are unrelated to fighting. So there are some families who marry off their daughters and send them to Mount Emei to protect them.”
Mount Emei boasted a very large and grand mountain range and had been considered one of the famous Buddhist sites since ancient times.
Naturally, there were also several temples and shrines there.
Jin Yuseong remembered hearing somewhere that among those temples, there were some where only nuns lived.
Recalling this, Jin Yuseong frowned and said.
“Are they moving like that because they believe the monks on Mount Emei will protect them?”
As Mount Emei was a large mountain, there were many wild animals, and it was even famous for having many tigers.
There were some who learned martial arts to protect themselves and the pilgrims from such wild animals.
“I know that the level of those on Mount Emei is not enough to resist the Sichuan Sword Clan, though?”
But compared to the fame of Shaolin, which was in the same Buddhist lineage, their martial arts were not that strong.
“Tsk. It’s probably because there is no other way. Still, since that place is called a sacred mountain in Buddhism, they seem to have thought that the Sichuan Sword Clan would not touch it carelessly.”
***
On the way to Sichuan after leaving the Hoyeon Clan, Jin Yuseong spoke to his comrades.
“Let’s head to Mount Emei first.”
“What is the reason?”
Jin Yuseong answered Dang Sopyeong’s question.
“The Sichuan Sword Clan has a very high possibility of being connected to the Demonic Cult.”
It wasn't just because they had suddenly started to expand their influence aggressively.
“Let’s say the money and valuables are one thing, but taking hostages from the sects they forced to close, and even taking people completely unrelated to the Murim. Isn’t it strange in many ways?”
If they had learned a demonic art, he thought they might be trying to devour their energy with it.
“In that case, there’s no way they would just leave the people who have flocked to Mount Emei alone.”
What could be more appetizing than having prey gathered in one place?
Also, there was one more reason for this.
‘If they try to capture the women who have taken refuge on Mount Emei, it will be easy to gain justification.’
With Jin Yuseong’s special eye, he could find the one who had learned a demonic art.
The problem was that the one who had learned the demonic art had to be visible.
Furthermore, it wasn’t visible to others’ eyes.
Unless they induced the one who had learned a demonic art to use it, there was no evidence.
Actually, this part wasn’t a big problem.
Because if pushed to the brink of death, they would use the demonic art to survive.
The problem was the process of getting there.
Unless they found the one who had learned the demonic art from the beginning, attacking first would be like giving strength to their crazy pretext.
To the strange pretext that they, along with the Twin Heroes Alliance, Shaolin, and the Beggars' Gang, were joining forces to take over the Central Plains.
But if they intervened while they were attacking Mount Emei, there would be more than enough justification.
Thinking this, Jin Yuseong clicked his tongue.
‘Tsk. In times like these, it would be more convenient to move on our own.’
Because without having to weigh various justifications, they could just find the trash and wipe them out.
***
A few days later.
They arrived in the vicinity of Mount Emei.
After climbing the entrance of Mount Emei, which boasted a sacred mountain range, for a while.
Choyeon opened her mouth.
“Senior Brother. It seems several people who have learned martial arts have climbed the mountain at the same time.”
She was observing the traces in various parts of the mountain.
Jin Yuseong, who was also observing the traces, shouted.
“Let’s go up quickly!”
It didn't feel like much time had passed since the traces were made.
‘It’s not too late yet!’
After climbing the mountain for a long time using lightness techniques.
Dialogue was heard from around the middle of Mount Emei.
“Amitabha. What brings the people of the secular world here?”
“You ask even though you clearly know. Currently, various sects in various parts of the Jianghu are joining forces to take over the Central Plains.”
“This is all a matter of the secular world. It has nothing to do with us who have taken refuge in Buddhism.”
As they ran in response to the sound, they could see people confronting each other up ahead.
Dozens of people wearing the martial uniform of the Sichuan Sword Clan.
Beyond them, a dozen or so nuns dressed in Buddhist robes could be seen.
At that moment, a young man from the Sichuan Sword Clan shouted.
“Why does it have nothing to do with us? If they take control of this Sichuan, do you really think you will be safe?”
“That is also a matter of the secular world. And even if external Jianghu people were to do such a thing, what would be the difference between you and them?”
“Hmph. Now I see you were trying to side with Shaolin because you are both Buddhist!!”
An argument between an elderly nun and a young martial artist.
Dang Sopyeong, who had belatedly caught up to Jin Yuseong, gritted his teeth upon seeing this.
“Jang Hocheon.”
“Do you know him?”
“……He is the young clan head of the Jang Clan.”
In other words, he was Dang Sopyeong’s half-brother. And the eldest son at that.
Jin Yuseong, who heard Dang Sopyeong’s answer, concentrated his mind, just in case.
Then, his second eye naturally opened.
“What are you all doing! The women here have also conspired with them! They are the ones who tried to sell out all the brothers of Sichuan, so subdue every last one of them!”
After observing Jang Hocheon, who was shouting, for a very short while.
Jin Yuseong felt two emotions at the same time.
The feeling that his prediction was correct, and a sense of disgust for the villain.
“That one has learned a demonic art.”
Just as Jin Yuseong was about to draw his sword with those words, Dang Sopyeong shouted urgently.
“Leave that one to me!!”
As if they had heard Dang Sopyeong’s shout.
The heads of those who were just about to rush towards the nuns turned.
The ones who had just confirmed Jin Yuseong and his party showed confused expressions.
Right at that moment, Jang Hocheon’s face, who had also turned his head, turned bright red.
“You bastard Jang Sopyeong!! You dirty bastard son, you’ve come here on your own two feet because you want to die!!”
However, Dang Sopyeong’s eyes were also filled with killing intent.
“I believe I made it clear? My surname is Tang, not Jang.”
Dang Sopyeong boldly pointed his fan at Jang Hocheon.
“And you will die by my hand today.”