Chapter 60
Chapter 60
By the time Hwangbo Pungcheon returned to where Horyeung had been, Horyeung had already finished everything.
Hwangbo Pungcheon went to where Hwangbo Pyeong was and asked him,
“Pyeong.”
“…….”
When Hwangbo Pyeong stood there blankly, still seemingly unable to believe what he had witnessed, Hwangbo Pungcheon shouted loudly. It was as if he did not care whether Horyeung heard or not.
“Pyeong!”
Startled by the shout, Hwangbo Pyeong looked at Hwangbo Pungcheon and said,
“U-Squad Leader.”
“I know. I have never seen it personally either, but I know how cruel and strong that bastard is. More importantly, information comes first right now.”
“N-no, the Shanxi Three Swords of the Black Dragon Branch…….”
“I know. They must have been slaughtered mercilessly.”
Hwangbo Pungcheon pointed at Horyeung with his finger and said,
“Pyeong. After I left, did that monster bastard say anything? Even something very small will do. If there is anything that could serve as a clue, tell me.”
Hwangbo Pyeong remained dazed for a moment, then suddenly slapped his own cheek hard to regain his senses. He must have struck it poorly, because blood seeped into his mouth, but he paid it no mind and spoke.
“I did not hear clearly, but I think he mentioned something about a blacksmith.”
“A blacksmith? Are you talking about Kang Yongchong? Good. What about after that? Did he say anything about the Flame Dragon?”
“The Flame Dragon, you mean?”
“Yes. I went to the forge, and the Flame Dragon was unharmed. No, judging by the circumstances, it seems he even killed an expert of the Black Dragon Branch.”
It was confusing. Just what in the world was going on? No matter that he had gained the epithet Flame Dragon—killing an expert of the Black Dragon Branch?
And who in the world was that old man, to have killed the Shanxi Three Swords so easily?
He could not properly grasp the situation at all. At that moment, Hwangbo Pyeong recalled something Horyeung had said.
“A bad move.”
“What?”
“He said it was a bad move—meaning someone had made a poor decision.”
Hwangbo Pungcheon was just about to ask what on earth that meant.
With a pale face, Hwangbo Pyeong pointed somewhere and said,
“S-Squad Leader.”
“What?”
There was a slight edge in his tone, but Hwangbo Pyeong seemed to have no mind for such things at the moment. Ignoring it, he spoke in a trembling voice.
“That bastard. He is looking this way.”
“What?”
When Hwangbo Pungcheon quickly turned his gaze, he saw Horyeung staring directly at them. After letting out a brief hum, Hwangbo Pungcheon sighed.
“……He is telling us to come over here, is he not?”
“……It seems so?”
—Why are you dawdling instead of coming over?
When Horyeung even sent a voice transmission, Hwangbo Pungcheon hesitated for a moment before speaking to Hwangbo Pyeong and the others.
“You all stay here. No—put more distance between us. If something happens to me, return to the clan immediately.”
Realizing that the situation was no ordinary matter, Hwangbo Pyeong simply nodded with a hardened expression.
Without delay, Hwangbo Pungcheon appeared directly before Horyeung and said,
“My name is Hwangbo Pungcheon. I apologize for not greeting a distinguished person first upon meeting him. I speak this in case there is a misunderstanding…….”
“It is fine. I had already noticed you from the beginning.”
“…….”
“Do not be so frightened. I merely wish to entrust the aftermath to you.”
“Pardon?”
“Look at these corpses. It is not something an old man can clean up alone. And even if I did manage it, some traces would surely remain.”
“……Are you telling us to take care of these bodies?”
“That is correct. Trouble yourselves a bit.”
“But why go to such unnecessary lengths……?”
Horyeung did not particularly need to request that someone clean up the corpses out of inconvenience.
Such things happened commonly in Jianghu, and above all, Horyeung was a member of the Unorthodox Faction.
In situations like this, there were generally two kinds of people when it came to handling corpses.
Those of the Orthodox Sect who cleared them away out of consideration for common people who might fall into shock at the sight, and those of the Unorthodox Faction who simply left them as they were.
And the Blood Wolf Unit that he knew was not one that showed consideration to common people.
At Hwangbo Pungcheon’s genuine puzzlement, Horyeung let out a hearty chuckle and said,
“It is what my lord desires.”
His lord. There was no need to say who Horyeung’s lord was.
“Could it be the Flame Dragon……?”
“That is right.”
“Just what is the Flame Dragon plotting?”
The question slipped out involuntarily. Realizing he had made a mistake, Hwangbo Pungcheon hurriedly clamped his mouth shut.
Horyeung looked at him with cold eyes and said,
“That is enough.”
The atmosphere around Horyeung changed in an instant, and Hwangbo Pungcheon’s expression stiffened. Yet not a trace of hostility was contained in Horyeung’s voice.
“I say this for your sake. It is quite regrettable that our movements were discovered by the Hwangbo Clan, but that much I can tolerate. However.”
When Horyeung took a single step forward, Hwangbo Pungcheon felt his body—his muscles—screaming.
Move now. Or die.
Suppressing that instinct with effort, Hwangbo Pungcheon met Horyeung’s gaze.
“Do not ask about that person.”
The oppressive force constricting Hwangbo Pungcheon slowly began to ease. As a sign of acknowledging him, Horyeung patted his shoulder twice and said,
“For now, would it benefit anyone to let the common people know that a murder occurred within the Hwangbo Clan’s territory? Hurry and clear it away.”
“……Understood.”
It was spoken in a commanding tone, enough to sour one’s mood, yet Hwangbo Pungcheon accepted it as only natural.
After entrusting the cleanup to his subordinates, Hwangbo Pungcheon called out to Horyeung, who was about to leave.
“May I ask one favor?”
“What is it?”
“I saw that you were holding the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Sword.”
“…….”
Horyeung’s silence was taken as affirmation by Hwangbo Pungcheon. As expected, his guess had been correct.
“Please allow me to meet the blacksmith Kang Yongchong.”
“…….”
Horyeung said nothing. He merely wore a faint smile, as though amused.
“So it turned out just as the Young Master said.”
“Pardon?”
“It is nothing. The blacksmith does not belong to us yet anyway. So if you wish to recruit him, do as you please.”
At those unexpected words, Hwangbo Pungcheon examined Horyeung’s expression with a strange look.
‘At the very least, he is not lying.’
Although it was a subjective judgment, there was no other option for now, so Hwangbo Pungcheon nodded.
As the situation took on a peculiar turn, Kang Hosan pondered deeply.
‘What the hell is going on?’
He had never imagined that the Hwangbo Clan would be monitoring them.
‘Are those so-called Orthodox Sect bastards allowed to be this cunning?’
Kang Hosan felt his perception of the Orthodox Sect beginning to change.
‘Just as the Young Master said, anywhere people live is all the same…….’
While Kang Hosan was lost in thought, Horyeung and Hwangbo Pungcheon had already arrived in front of the forge.
“Is it truly all right for me to enter?”
“It is fine. I wish you success in your negotiations.”
Though there was a possibility of losing an excellent blacksmith capable of handling Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, Horyeung’s attitude remained utterly relaxed.
Judging by his tone, it seemed he believed Kang Yongchong would never be recruited.
“You would do well not to underestimate us.”
“I am not underestimating you.”
Faced with such continued composure, Hwangbo Pungcheon let out a deep sigh and finally stepped into the forge.
“Welcome!”
On the surface, it sounded like a lively greeting with nothing amiss. Yet Hwangbo Pungcheon sensed a flicker of unease passing across Kang Yongchong’s complexion.
‘Uneasy? Could it be he was threatened?’
If it was the Blood Wolf Unit, threats would not be beyond them. Hwangbo Pungcheon was just about to sharply rebuke Horyeung.
But before he could, Kang Yongchong was already standing in front of him, asking in a stiff voice,
“May I ask your name?”
“My name is Hwangbo Pungcheon.”
For an instant, Kang Yongchong’s movements halted. No—he even forgot to breathe as he glared at Hwangbo Pungcheon.
After glaring at him long enough for killing intent to be felt, Kang Yongchong began to speak in a voice filled with fury.
“Does the Hwangbo Clan feel no shame? How dare you come here wearing a human face!”
At Kang Yongchong’s fierce outburst, Hwangbo Pungcheon frowned.
What in the world was this blacksmith talking about?
“It is just as my great-grandfather said! The character of the Orthodox Sect is worse than that of the Unorthodox Faction!”
“What do you mean by that!”
When his clan was suddenly insulted, Hwangbo Pungcheon flared up and released his martial presence without realizing it.
His presence surged roughly toward Kang Yongchong, but Horyeung blocked it and coldly rebuked him.
“Have you lost your mind? Releasing your presence against someone who has not even learned martial arts?”
Startled back to his senses, Hwangbo Pungcheon quickly lowered his head in apology.
“I apologize. I acted without thinking…….”
“……Now I am certain. The Hwangbo Clan truly has not changed. When the lower waters are filthy, the upper waters inevitably become filthy as well. You are rotten.”
This time, rather than humiliation, Hwangbo Pungcheon felt deep confusion.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do you remember Ten-Thousand Iron Workshop?”
“Ten-Thousand Iron Workshop……?”
Watching Hwangbo Pungcheon tilt his head as though he knew nothing, Kang Yongchong let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha…… I do not even have the strength to speak.”
“What exactly are you saying?”
“Forget it. There is no use telling you.”
What nonsense was this? No use? And before that, why had he insulted his clan?
While bewilderment rose within him, what he felt more strongly was shame—that a mere blacksmith had insulted his clan.
“It seems it displeases you to hear such words from a mere blacksmith?”
In an instant, Hwangbo Pungcheon’s body stiffened. Seeing him rigid as stone, Kang Yongchong sneered.
“It appears the Hwangbo Clan is closer to the Demonic Cult than to the Orthodox Sect. No, the Demonic Cult may be better. At least their blacksmiths receive proper treatment.”
“I do not know what circumstances there were, but I cannot overlook such insulting remarks toward the Hwangbo Clan. If you do not explain your grounds, I will request a trial from the Murim Alliance for slandering the Hwangbo Clan!”
At that moment, anger began to blaze in Kang Yongchong’s eyes.
“You wretches deserve to be torn to pieces! Your Hwangbo Clan ripped out my great-grandfather’s hands! And now you dare speak of putting me on trial? Is this what you call the chivalry of the Orthodox Sect!”
After roaring like a lion, Kang Yongchong growled as though he might lunge at Hwangbo Pungcheon at any moment.
Meanwhile, Hwangbo Pungcheon could not comprehend what he was hearing and asked again.
“What are you talking about? The Hwangbo Clan is an Orthodox Sect. We do not cripple the hands of common people—especially a blacksmith—without reason. If that truly happened…….”
“What? Are you about to say we committed some grave crime?”
Though not a martial artist, his aura was fearsome. Pressured by it, Hwangbo Pungcheon swallowed.
“We also suffered because of the atrocities committed by your former Clan Head!”
“……!”
Hwangbo Pungcheon was just about to say that was impossible.
“I heard that the former Clan Head of the Hwangbo Clan caused many incidents in his youth.”
At some point, Youngho had stepped beside Kang Yongchong, staring at Hwangbo Pungcheon with a crooked smile.
“Flame Dragon! That was in the past! And all compensation for the damages has already been settled!”
“Do you truly think so?”
“What?”
“I asked if you truly think so.”
Though a mere junior disciple was speaking informally to him, Hwangbo Pungcheon could not say a word. Rather, it would be more accurate to say he was unable to.
“The former Clan Head of the Hwangbo Clan, Hwangbo Gangun, committed many atrocities in his youth. Most matters were resolved with money. But did you know? The Murim Alliance at that time was deeply corrupt.”
“It is not for an Unorthodox bastard like you to judge.”
“No. Historically speaking, that was the most corrupt period. Do you really think Hwangbo Gangun only committed acts that could be resolved with money?”
“…….”
He could not answer. It was not something that could be dismissed as merely his personal matter. Knowing that, Youngho pressed him further.
“The murder of ordinary common people, the kidnapping and rape of women, and even the intimidation of the powerless.”
“……?”
“Those were the deeds committed by your former Clan Head.”
He would not believe it. Youngho himself had not believed it until Hwangbo Nyeong told him before the regression.
“What nonsense—!”
“You do not have to believe it. In fact, you may formally petition the Murim Alliance for insulting your clan. But I will say one thing.”
Youngho fixed Hwangbo Pungcheon with dark, utterly emotionless eyes and said,
“The ones who will come to regret it are you.”
Before anyone noticed, Youngho had stepped in front of Kang Yongchong, blocking Hwangbo Pungcheon’s path.