Chapter 376 – Who Questions Whose Qualifications? (1)

If one were to pick the busiest person in Mount Song, Eun So-cheong would definitely be mentioned as she was spending equally busy days.

After Namgung Chang's death, the trading conditions with the Martial Alliance had also improved, so she worked even harder with more enthusiasm.

"First, the priority is to build a large warehouse in Dengfeng County."

Eun So-cheong stared intently at the map spread out on the table. She was looking at the map to find the optimal location for the warehouse. Several candidate sites were marked with red dots on the map.

"This place is good but too expensive."

The land prices in the best locations had already skyrocketed. As countless martial artists flowed into Dengfeng County, weapon workshops and brothels targeting their purses opened one after another. With people suddenly gathering, land prices also rose accordingly.

Because of this, Eun So-cheong and numerous merchant groups were troubled. War was a great opportunity for them too, so they couldn't help but invest.

"I'll have to go see it myself after all."

Since it involved such a large sum of money, it seemed right to see the site directly before deciding.

Eun So-cheong immediately called the martial artists from her merchant group and left Shaolin Temple. Coming down Mount Song, she headed to an old estate located in the north of Dengfeng County.

The old estate where high officials were said to have lived long ago was so dilapidated that it would cost a lot to repair it properly. However, the site was so spacious that once purchased, there would be no problem utilizing it.

Eun So-cheong even met the owner and concluded the contract while she was at it.

"Good. This should be fine for the time being."

A smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Following Huayin County where Mount Hua Sect was located, she had also secured a base in Dengfeng County where Shaolin Temple was located. Though the financial bleeding was severe, it was still a sufficiently valuable investment considering the future.

"Miss, isn't the bleeding too severe?"

The merchant accompanying Eun So-cheong looked at her with a worried expression.

"Right now it will be a big burden on our finances, but looking at the future, it's an investment we must make."

"That may be true, but… if by any chance Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance lose to the Demon Cult, all of this will turn to ashes."

"If the Demon Cult rises to power anyway, we're finished."

"Mmm!"

"There was no choice from the beginning. It's only a matter of timing."

"I understand. If Miss's resolve is that firm."

Only then did the merchant acquiesce and step back.

Though young, Eun So-cheong's business acumen was at an excellent level. Especially her broad vision for reading the big picture and bold disposition were admirable even to veteran businessmen who had long rolled around in the merchant world.

The merchants and martial artists belonging to Eun Family Merchant House acknowledged Eun So-cheong as the official successor of Eun Family Merchant House. Her actions and results shown until now had made it so.

Eun So-cheong moved her steps with a lighthearted mood. She had to hurry to return to Shaolin Temple before the sun set.

'Is Jin-bo still training?'

She hadn't been able to see Bang Jin-bo's face for several days. Bang Jin-bo was shut up in the annex receiving training from Dam Ho. The door was tightly locked so that not only Shaolin's monks but even Cho Yeon-woon couldn't enter inside. Naturally, Eun So-cheong wasn't allowed entry either.

Eun So-cheong pouted her lips. It was her natural habit that appeared when dissatisfying things occurred.

The merchants and martial artists who saw her face smiled subtly. It was because of her innocent expression that didn't befit the successor of Eun Family Treasure House. Having watched Eun So-cheong for many years, they knew this expression was a habit that developed after meeting Bang Jin-bo.

'Does this mean that cook will become our master?'

'Goodness! They say you can't know what will happen even one step ahead…'

It was when the merchants and martial artists were each lost in their own thoughts.

Crash!

Suddenly with a loud noise, the wall of the inn ahead broke and five or six men tumbled out.

"Urgh!"

"Damn it!"

The faces of the rough-looking men clearly showed defeat. They wiped the blood flowing from the corners of their mouths with their sleeves and looked at the inn wall they had just broken through.

"You bastard!"

"How dare you pick a fight with us, the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring!"

At that moment, someone leisurely walked out through the broken wall.

He was a martial artist with a youthful face who appeared to be in his late teens to early twenties. With a hero's headband tightly tied on his head and wearing a blue robe, he looked very handsome. Most impressive was the large sword hanging and swaying at his waist.

The massive sword that looked twice as wide and heavy as an ordinary sword didn't match at all with the boy's face that hadn't yet lost its childishness.

It gave an incongruous feeling like a rich young master who had never cooked before holding a kitchen knife.

The boy grinned at the men.

"Six Heroes of Dragon Spring? I've heard of the Six Dogs of Dragon Spring…"

"Grr!"

"Your notoriety is quite remarkable. There's no one in Dragon Spring who doesn't know you. They say there's no one in Dragon Spring who hasn't been bitten by six puppies, is that true?"

At the boy's words, the faces of the men who had called themselves the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring contorted uglily. Because the boy's words were true.

The Six Heroes of Dragon Spring had committed all kinds of atrocities in the Dragon Spring region of Zhejiang Province. Since there were no major sects in Dragon Spring itself, there was no one to stop their evil deeds.

They killed at whim and raped countless women. The reason these men who had reigned as emperors of Dragon Spring came to Dengfeng County was ironically because of the Demon Cult.

The Demon Cult's bloody storm was already sweeping the world. The southern Central Plains had fallen under their influence. The situation was the same for Zhejiang Province where Dragon Spring was located.

There were no massive sects like the Nine Great Sects in Zhejiang Province. Thanks to this, they had been able to commit all kinds of atrocities and remain safe until now, but paradoxically, when the Demon Cult's bloody storm swept the world, they couldn't receive protection.

They had even considered joining the Demon Cult. But the Demon Cult thoroughly rejected mediocre martial artists. They judged that joining the Demon Cult would only result in being used and then discarded. So they decided to join the Martial Alliance instead.

Their goal was to moderately whitewash their past history, join the Martial Alliance, and achieve merit. But today, unexpectedly, an unfamiliar boy they were seeing for the first time had recognized their identity and was picking a fight.

Gwak Jeong-chi, the leader of the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring, shouted.

"So… you're saying you'll fight us now?"

"Fight? What kind of talk is that…"

"Then?"

"I'm just going to crush you to death. You won't be any help in the fight against the Demon Cult. Rather, the probability of you stabbing us in the back is only high."

"Such…"

Gwak Jeong-chi's jaw muscles twitched.

He had lived as the emperor of Dragon Spring, committing all kinds of atrocities. Not only his martial arts but also his boldness were good, so he had never been pushed back in momentum by any enemy until now. But strangely, he felt reluctant toward the boy before his eyes.

Then the second and third of the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring shouted.

"Big brother, there's no need to listen to more of this brat's words. Let's kill him."

"Let's do it. Since when have we stayed still after hearing someone's threats?"

They didn't even wait for Gwak Jeong-chi's answer and drew their weapons. They were only accustomed to threatening and plundering others, not to enduring insults or provocations.

"W-wait a moment…"

Gwak Jeong-chi tried to urgently stop them, but it was useless. Already consumed by anger to the top of their heads, they charged at the boy regardless of consequences. With the situation like this, Gwak Jeong-chi had no choice but to join the attack. After all, he was the eldest of the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring.

Swish!

In an instant, powerful sword energy and blade energy swept toward the boy. The Eun Family Merchant House martial artists watching this scene looked at each other's faces in surprise.

"Th-that?"

"Shouldn't we stop it?"

Eun So-cheong was equally surprised by the sudden fight that unfolded before her eyes. However, she tried her best to maintain composure.

On one hand, she was also curious about what the boy trusted to provoke the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring like that. So she watched the boy without moving.

"Die! You arrogant brat."

"Haaah!"

The Six Heroes of Dragon Spring's attack swept fiercely like a storm. Even until then, the boy showed no movement.

Eun So-cheong saw the corners of the boy's mouth curl up slightly just before the sword and blade energy touched his body. It was a mischievous smile like someone who couldn't help being delighted.

The moment she saw that smile, Eun So-cheong felt an inexplicable eeriness.

Shhhhriek!

At that moment, a sharp sound of air being cut echoed through the street. People who had been watching the fight with excited faces screamed and sat down at the sharp sound that stimulated their eardrums.

Eun So-cheong blinked blankly.

The sword and blade energy that had been so fiercely attacking just moments before had disappeared like a lie, and the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring stood frozen in the same posture they had been attacking the boy.

It was as if time had stopped. But there was one thing that had changed. As if by magic, the boy's hands now held a large sword.

The boy was smiling while maintaining the posture of extending the large sword.

Not only Eun So-cheong but everyone on the street blinked. Among all those people, not a single one had seen when the boy drew his sword.

"What?"

At that moment, Eun So-cheong felt something moist on her face and unconsciously rubbed it with her hand. Eun So-cheong's eyes widened as she looked at the hand that had rubbed her face. Because her hand was completely stained red.

"Blood?"

Only then did she realize that what was on her face were drops of blood.

It wasn't only Eun So-cheong. The faces of the Eun Family Treasure House martial artists and merchants around her were also spattered with drops of blood.

That's when it happened.

Crash!

The Six Heroes of Dragon Spring who had been standing dumbly suddenly collapsed like rotten straw.

"Ugh!"

"Urgh!"

People who had been staring at that scene blankly suddenly retched. Because the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring hadn't simply fallen but had collapsed after being dismembered into dozens of pieces.

Fresh blood pooled abundantly under the crimson pieces of flesh piling on the ground.

People witnessed the horrible miracle of humans becoming chunks of meat in a single moment and fell into extreme chaos.

All of it was a massacre created by the boy.

The boy swung his large sword to shake off the blood on the blade. Then two characters carved on the blade, "Zhan Mo" (Demon Slayer), became clearly visible.

Someone who recognized the characters shouted.

"It's definitely the Demon Slaying Swordsman. Only the Demon Slaying Swordsman can unleash such terrible swordsmanship."

"That boy is the Cruel Demon Swordsman Dae Gun-sang? My goodness!"

"Dear lord! You mean the Four New Stars?"

Screams erupted from various places.

Until now, the highest young prodigies of the martial world had been the Nine Martial Dragons. But the martial world was vast and talent was constantly produced. The Four New Stars were the greatest talents of the martial world to emerge after the Nine Martial Dragons.

Heavenly Bow Archer Yeom Cho-wol.

Life-Taking Guest Oh Gyeong-ui.

Cruel Demon Swordsman Dae Gun-sang.

Fantasy Fairy Nok Su-bing.

Their presence was intense precisely because they had distinguished themselves in the era of war. They had achieved merit in the fight against the Demon Cult, and thanks to this, they were engraved even more deeply as intense impressions in people's minds.

Among the Four New Stars, the one particularly famous for his cruel methods was precisely the Cruel Demon Swordsman Dae Gun-sang.

Like the word "Zhan Mo" (Demon Slayer) in his alias, he was famous for mercilessly slaughtering demons. And cutting them into dozens of pieces at that. That's how he earned another alias, Human Butcher.

Eun So-cheong frowned.

As a merchant sensitive to the martial world's situation, she too had heard about the Four New Stars. Including the cruel nature of the Cruel Demon Swordsman Dae Gun-sang. But she hadn't known that the famous Dae Gun-sang was such a young boy.

No matter how generously she judged, he looked only about two or three years older than Eun So-cheong. To have such terrifying martial prowess and cruel methods at such a young age.

Eun So-cheong felt like she was witnessing the emergence of a new killing star. That's why her spine felt chilly.

That's when it happened.

Dae Gun-sang, who had been looking at the massacre he created as if appreciating it while smiling, suddenly turned his head to look at Eun So-cheong and the Eun Family Merchant House martial artists.

"Oh no! Blood happened to splatter in your direction."

Dae Gun-sang said as he approached Eun So-cheong.

As he said, blood was spattered all over Eun So-cheong and the Eun Family Merchant House martial artists. But Dae Gun-sang didn't even glance at the other martial artists and only looked at Eun So-cheong.

"Sorry! I unintentionally caused trouble."

"It's nothing."

"My name is Dae Gun-sang. And you?"

"……"

Eun So-cheong kept her lips tightly shut. Because somehow she didn't want to answer. But Dae Gun-sang's intense gaze was forcing her to answer.

In the end, she had no choice but to open her mouth.

"I'm Eun So-cheong of Eun Family Merchant House."

The moment he heard her answer, a strange light flashed through Dae Gun-sang's eyes. And his characteristic mischievous and playful smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. But having seen Dae Gun-sang's cruel methods, his smile no longer looked playful to Eun So-cheong's eyes.

"Eun Family Merchant House?"

Jin Ja-gang spent two more days in the cave.

The external injuries he had sustained were almost completely healed. His leg with the torn muscle still limped, but its movement had improved considerably.

Yuk Ha-seon was impressed.

No matter how abundant one’s internal energy might be, she had never seen anyone recover as quickly as Jin Ja-gang. On the surface, Jin Ja-gang looked like someone who had experienced nothing at all.

In comparison, Yuk Ha-seon had a pale, gaunt face with sunken cheeks that made her cheekbones protrude, and even her eyes had sunk in. This was due to having an entire leg crushed and losing too much blood. She was still far from being able to move around on her own.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Yuk Ha-seon briefly, then found some sturdy bamboo and made her a walking stick.

Yuk Ha-seon had been fascinated by Jin Ja-gang’s behavior throughout.

He possessed endless rage, yet still retained warmth on one side.

“Perhaps it doesn’t suit you…”

At Yuk Ha-seon’s inadvertent comment, Jin Ja-gang stared at her intently.

Yuk Ha-seon, sensing something, didn’t say anything for a while. After continuing to observe Jin Ja-gang and half a day later, she threw out words as if speaking to herself.

“Indeed, my thinking was wrong.”

Jin Ja-gang responded to Yuk Ha-seon’s words.

“I told you. I have no interest in things like being the Tang family’s successor.”

“It seems so. You don’t suit being a successor.”

Yuk Ha-seon said with a smile.

“But someone like you might be the most suitable for King of Hell’s position in today’s world.”

Not suitable as King of Hell’s successor but suitable for King of Hell’s position… Depending on how one heard it, it had a strange nuance.

Seeing Yuk Ha-seon’s gaze, Jin Ja-gang let out a short sigh.

“Think as you please. I plan to leave soon. You’re not in a condition to follow anyway.”

Just then, from outside the cave came the beautiful chirping of a bird, like someone playing a flute.

Tweet tweet-tweet tweet-tweet-tweet.

If one listened carelessly, it was the call of a lark commonly heard in the mountains. It seemed to be looking for a mate, moving here and there while calling instead of staying in one place.

But Yuk Ha-seon’s expression changed upon hearing that call. She struggled to stand up with her walking stick and made her way out of the cave to check on the bird.

The lark, quite cleverly, saw Yuk Ha-seon and flew to perch on a tree near the cave. Its body was brown with shimmering patterns on its chest and black stripes on its forehead.

“It’s a Black Aram. It found its way here.”

At Yuk Ha-seon’s words, Jin Ja-gang realized that bird had significance.

Swish.

A needle appeared between Jin Ja-gang’s fingers. If that bird was looking for them, shouldn’t it be eliminated?

But Yuk Ha-seon raised her hand to stop him.

“There’s no need. Black Aram is the only bird in the Poison Sect that symbolizes peace.”

Peace?

Jin Ja-gang looked at Yuk Ha-seon with puzzled eyes. Yuk Ha-seon said.

“You should know too. When Black Aram is calling, it means someone is looking to meet you.”

“How can I tell if they’re coming with good intentions or not?”

“The intentions might not be good. It might not be someone you were waiting for either.”

Jin Ja-gang asked incredulously.

“Yet you say it symbolizes peace? Usually, peace refers to coming with good intentions.”

Yuk Ha-seon burst into laughter and asked Jin Ja-gang in return.

“Aren’t they kindly informing you that they’ll come to find you instead of secretly ambushing? Where else can you find such a peaceful method? Of course, fighting after meeting is a different matter.”

Though he hadn’t expected a great answer, Jin Ja-gang was even more incredulous and had nothing to say. Yuk Ha-seon’s words weren’t wrong either. People from the Poison Sect were so suspicious that even when meeting each other, they hid their hands in their sleeves.

Yuk Ha-seon whistled.

“Tweet.”

The lark seemed to understand the whistle’s meaning and soon spread its wings and took flight.

Yuk Ha-seon returned to the cave leaning on her walking stick and said.

“A guest will come soon. Don’t rush and wait about one more day.”

“Why should I do that?”

“I told you. Someone is coming to find you with peaceful intentions.”

Yuk Ha-seon only smiled faintly with her haggard face.

But was that really peaceful intention?

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t dispel his suspicions.

It was only half a day later.

Two ordinary villagers came looking for the cave.

One was a hunched old man, and the other was a middle-aged man with a darkly tanned face. Both had ordinary faces with good-natured expressions.

However, Jin Ja-gang could tell at a glance that they were the people Yuk Ha-seon had mentioned. Especially the middle-aged man was even carrying alcohol and boiled chicken in his hands.

“So you were in a place like this.”

Even their speech was so ordinary it felt strange due to the disconnect.

Jin Ja-gang stood in front of the cave and asked them.

“Are you the guests?”

“If you see us as enemies, we could be enemies. If you treat us as guests, we could be guests.”

“I don’t particularly like word games.”

“Then should I say excuse me? We don’t have particularly good feelings yet.”

For a moment, killing intent briefly flashed in the old man’s eyes.

Jin Ja-gang slowly drew up his internal energy and asked.

“Do you know me?”

This time the middle-aged man answered.

“I know. Very well.”

Yuk Ha-seon came out from inside the cave. Seeing them, Yuk Ha-seon looked them up and down for a long while before nodding.

“I don’t know which side, but I can guess who you are.”

Yuk Ha-seon said.

“Seeing that you came directly here, it must have been quite urgent. You worked hard coming here. Thousand Face Blade Master Ro-gwan.”

At that moment, the middle-aged man didn’t answer but smiled silently. His snow-white, even teeth contrasting with the darkly tanned villager’s face was eerie.

* * *

Shaolin Temple’s Arhat Hall.

From the entrance to the great hall, five hundred Arhat statues lined both sides, making ordinary people’s knees weak just by entering.

Inside, in the great hall, all of Shaolin Temple’s core figures were gathered, from the current Eight Great Courtyards’ abbots to former Arhat monks and Vajra monks.

A young Arhat monk read King of Hell Tang Qing’s personal letter.

“This Tang Family Main House… surrenders unconditionally. Hereafter, we will completely follow Shaolin Temple’s disposition and…”

After the young Arhat monk finished reading the entire letter, comments came from here and there.

“To think of gathering forces on the surface while sending a document of surrender from behind. King of Hell is indeed King of Hell.”

“Seeing King of Hell keep stalling for time, there must be some scheme.”

“That’s why we shouldn’t have taken lightly the suggestion to kill King of Hell first before starting the Righteous Dharma March.”

Opinions also came from the opposite side.

“If we didn’t want to see this mess, we should have deployed the Arhats to clean up Sichuan when Brother Beom-mong passed away. Didn’t we expect this level of resistance?”

“The time King of Hell can buy by surrendering unconditionally is at most a month. Even if he plays tricks, we just need to clean up other places first.”

After enough discussion had taken place for a while, everyone’s eyes moved to the monk with an upright posture standing in the center.

Hui-neung.

A legend of Shaolin Temple who had never lost once despite nearing his mid-nineties.

Hui-neung raised his eyes and spoke quietly.

“Since when… has our Shaolin paid attention to others’ opinions? The path we walk is not our path alone, but a path shared with tens of millions of Buddhist disciples. There is nothing to fear or be afraid of.”

At the sharp tone close to rebuke, the monks nodded in agreement.

Hui-neung was the head of the Breaking Sect and currently the supreme decision-maker of the emergency committee due to the Righteous Dharma March.

Having received most authority from Abbot Great Buddha Beom-bon, virtually no policy could be pursued in current Shaolin Temple without going through Hui-neung.

Especially his most powerful authority was the right to pass the Green Jade Buddha Staff to the next generation.

Because of this, when the Breaking Sect and Embracing Sect alternated and external policies changed completely, someone above the current abbot’s allocation had to take charge of the temporary emergency committee.

Thinking everyone understood his words, Hui-neung finally turned his head to Great Buddha Beom-bon.

Beom-bon was so massive that even sitting, he was almost the same height as others standing.

“Let me hear the Abbot’s thoughts.”

Only then did Great Buddha Beom-bon open his mouth with his rumbling voice.

“Master Uncle and my fellow brothers. I have listened well to everyone’s words. However, righteous dharma must sweep away everything like a vast flood while simultaneously embracing everything. Extermination is part of purification, not the top priority.”

Hui-neung answered.

“The Righteous Dharma March that has already begun cannot and should not be stopped. The martial world is more chaotic and complicated than ever before. If we cannot uproot evil this time, the martial world will face a very long dark age. The Righteous Dharma March is something that must be carried out even at the cost of our temple’s fate.”

“That would be the same opinion for all of us, even without sectarian differences.”

“Then we must now send a reply to the personal letter. And simultaneously, we must not give him any more time so as not to be played by King of Hell’s schemes. Do you have any opinions on how to proceed?”

Beom-bon showed the palm of his thick, pot-lid-like hand.

“Being caught between advance and retreat, there’s no meaning in being swayed by meaningless proposals. We have already lost much time just by having to respond to the personal letter.”

“Are you saying to ignore the personal letter?”

“We cannot do so according to martial world propriety. Rather, I consider sending an envoy to the Tang Family Main House to accept the surrender.”

Hui-neung’s white caterpillar-like eyebrows twitched.

Other monks also showed dissatisfied looks.

Beom-bon continued.

“However, afterward, it will be the same as always.”

Hui-neung looked at Beom-bon for a moment, then made an expression showing he understood the meaning.

“Same as always” meant bringing King of Hell Tang Qing. Since he said to leave the disposition after surrender to Shaolin Temple, it was a proposal to deal with Tang Qing as the price of surrender.

No matter what anyone said, the core of the Poison Sect was King of Hell Tang Qing. If Tang Qing disappeared, the Poison Sect’s cohesion would inevitably weaken.

One of the Breaking Sect monks listening said as if talking to himself.

“Just in time, the Poison Sect’s Six Cliques suffered great damage due to that child called Poison Dragon, so whatever King of Hell’s plan is, there will surely be setbacks.”

But someone refuted his words.

“Your words… are all wrong.”

Though it was a small, powerless voice, everyone didn’t let the words pass and straightened their posture.

Mu-gak was entering the Arhat Hall with a haggard face, held in an Arhat monk’s arms.

“The situation has changed.”

Everyone turned toward Mu-gak to greet him.

Hui-neung asked.

“Master Uncle, what do you mean?”

Mu-gak tried to answer but coughed.

The Arhat monk holding Mu-gak answered instead.

“Just now, news came that Mount Hua Sect’s Ham-geun was poisoned to death while returning from Henan.”

The monks’ faces hardened.

Hui-neung’s facial expression also visibly worsened. Hui-neung asked the Arhat monk in a low, growling voice.

“Who is the culprit?”

“It’s presumed to be Leper Mound.”

“Leper Mound?”

“Thousand Face Blade Master Ro-gwan has entered Yeonam.”

The faces of the assembled monks reddened. Some couldn’t hide their anger.

“Since when did Henan become a playground for scum like the Poison Sect!”

Mu-gak, whose coughing had subsided, asked the monks.

“King of Hell has joined hands with the Righteous Alliance. Mount Hua Sect is participating in the Righteous Alliance. But why would Leper Mound from the Poison Sect’s Six Cliques strike Mount Hua Sect’s Ham-geun?”