Chapter 531

A heavy silence flowed.

Jin Ja-gang’s words weren’t wrong, but they were confusing and difficult to accept. What Jin Ja-gang experienced and realized through his life was different from the lives they had lived. It couldn’t be easily understood and accepted with just the mind.

As the silence grew longer, someone who became frustrated couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“Ah, damn it! So did you do it or not!”

Mu-gak glared at the middle-aged martial artist who shouted with disapproving eyes.

“My, my, my, look at this guy who can’t understand words?”

The martial artist bowed his head apologetically to Mu-gak, then finished what he had to say.

“I’m a nobody named Seo Gyun who lived alone by the sword in Hebei without any sect. I was impressed by the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword’s heroic spirit and joined the Righteous Alliance, which brought me here. Anyway, I apologize to the Great Master, but people who know how to live in complicated ways might be able to live like that, but there are also people like me who can’t do that.”

“Oh?”

“I’m an ignorant fool who can’t even read, but I know how to distinguish good from evil. If the Great Hero’s words are false, whether possible or not, I’ll risk my life to come collect the debt. So tell me. The Baek Li Family’s martial arts tournament incident. Did the Great Hero do it or not?”

Jin Ja-gang looked at the martial artist named Seo Gyun. His eyes were resolute. He was suffering, blaming himself for the confusion until now, for being deceived by Baek Li-jung.

Words spoken before Jin Ja-gang with his life on the line.

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“It wasn’t something I did.”

“Good! I’ve been greatly indebted to you.”

Seo Gyun clasped his fists to Jin Ja-gang without servility, then turned to leave the estate.

Then Mu-gak called out to Seo Gyun.

“Stop there.”

“What is it?”

Mu-gak stopped Seo Gyun and said to Jin Ja-gang.

“You’re too strong and have convictions even firmer than your strength. If that goes even slightly in the wrong direction, jianghu will face an even more terrible fellow than now.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Mu-gak with an expression asking what he wanted to say.

Mu-gak said.

“I’ll use that guy as my sword. Whenever you go down the wrong path, my sword will point at you.”

Seo Gyun was flustered.

“Wh, who’s the Great Master’s sword?”

“Stay still, you fool. If I don’t take you with me, you’ll go meet the King of Hell, won’t you?”

Just as Seo Gyun had said he would come collect the debt if Jin Ja-gang lied, he had intended to go collect the debt from Baek Li-jung for being deceived until now.

Yuk Ha-seon, who was holding Mu-gak, said.

“Will you leave this lady’s embrace?”

“I must go. How long should I stay smelling milk in a woman’s embrace? I don’t want to be held even one more moment, so hurry and throw me to that guy.”

“Hmph. It’s not milk smell but liquor smell. I wonder who will now bring meat pancakes to the Great Master? Farewell, bald monk sir.”

Contrary to her words, Yuk Ha-seon threw Mu-gak to Seo Gyun with a regretful expression. Seo Gyun caught Mu-gak reflexively. However, not understanding why Mu-gak was thrown to him, he tried to throw him back to Yuk Ha-seon.

But he couldn’t. Mu-gak was only skin and bones and light as a feather when caught, but when he tried to throw him back, he suddenly became heavy.

“Urgh!”

Seo Gyun nearly dislocated his arm. It felt like holding a huge boulder.

“What, what is this!”

“Ill-mannered fool. Am I a ball? I’m annoyed, so we’ll go like this for half a day. Let’s go quickly!”

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere.”

Seo Gyun looked at the people with an absurd expression. Those around him were either envious or laughing. Only then did Seo Gyun realize. Mu-gak intended to take him as a disciple.

Seo Gyun left the Tang Family Estate with an awkward expression, groaning while carrying Mu-gak.

Baek Li-jung’s attempt to trap Jin Ja-gang directly meant he was clearly showing his intention to be hostile. If they remained at the Tang Family like this, they would become enemies with Baek Li-jung.

However, what angered them more than becoming Baek Li-jung’s enemies was the fact that they had been deceived by Baek Li-jung until now.

“I want to ask one more thing.”

The young martial artists suppressed their anger and asked Jin Ja-gang.

“What will the Great Hero do from now on?”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“I’ll do just as I’ve been doing.”

“Do you mean you’ll go to kill the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword?”

“When the time comes.”

The martial artists took that to mean Jin Ja-gang wouldn’t move now.

Indeed, it wasn’t a good time to act rashly.

Because Baek Li-jung had gone into seclusion using the excuse of mourning the dead, things had become extremely complicated.

If Jin Ja-gang moved, the forces of jianghu who were thoroughly frightened might unite solidly around Baek Li-jung, the only one who could face Jin Ja-gang, as their focal point to oppose Jin Ja-gang, their absolute enemy.

The martial artists shook their heads and shared their opinions.

“If he had immediately come forward to become Martial Alliance Leader right after the incident, there would have been much dissatisfaction and it wouldn’t have worked properly.”

“By not coming forward immediately and saying he would go into seclusion, there was this calculation.”

It was time for those remaining to decide their whereabouts.

Many chose to return. Baek Li-jung’s dark heart was too burdensome to handle alone.

“I should return to my sect. I don’t know if the elders of my sect will listen to me, but I should try talking to them.”

Everyone sympathized with the young martial artist’s words.

Those worried about their sects left, and those who wanted to stay at the Tang Family remained. More people returned to their own sects than expected.

Namgung Rak decided to remain with his disciples.

He used the excuse that his body was uncomfortable, but in reality, it seemed he still had much to ponder.

“I wonder if the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword made an excellent choice. He might have succeeded in deceiving others, but it doesn’t seem to have worked on you.”

“I’m not interested in his tricks. Whatever he does, it will fail. It’s just that right now…”

Jin Ja-gang paused to choose his words, then answered.

“All at once, as much as possible. I’m only thinking about how many contaminated roots I can remove.”

The disciples of the Namgung Family realized what Jin Ja-gang was saying and shuddered with goosebumps. Jin Ja-gang had such capability. It never sounded like a joke or empty boasting.

Namgung Rak regretted it.

“In the end, will you ignore many people’s wishes and walk the path of the Great Slaughter Star?”

“That’s not my choice.”

Namgung Rak looked at Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang paused briefly, then continued.

“Not me, but the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword will choose his own companions on the path.”

Namgung Rak sighed deeply and asked.

“The merchant world?”

The merchant world was also not free from responsibility.

Jin Ja-gang answered without the slightest hesitation.

“I’ll make them pay the price too.”

* * *

An Ryeong was in the Tang Family’s garden, staring blankly at the night sky.

Jin Ja-gang came out and stood beside An Ryong.

An Ryeong asked quietly without looking back.

“Son-bi… won’t come back, will she?”

“Probably not.”

“If you had held onto her, Son-bi wouldn’t have left. Did she leave smiling?”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t answer. He recalled Son-bi’s face crying until the very end. Was that Son-bi’s final expression asking to be held onto?

“You’re a bad man. It would have been okay to make her a little happy, even with a lie.”

An Yeong gathered herself and stood up.

“I liked you too. But I couldn’t give my heart to the end. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Because I was afraid my family would tell me to betray you. That grandfather would tell me to betray you to save the family.”

An Ryeong looked directly at Jin Ja-gang. Her face was a mess, but she didn’t turn her gaze away.

“But isn’t it strange? Even though there’s no one to force me like that anymore, I still hesitate. That’s probably because there’s no place for me in your heart.”

An Yeong smiled faintly.

“So I’m leaving too.”

“Leave when your body is fully healed.”

“It’s fine. And I heard about Poison Heaven. Son-bii needs me. If I go back and stay there, Son-bii will come find me.”

An Ryeong stood leaning on a crutch and greeted him.

“Goodbye.”

Jin Ja-gang watched An Ryeong’s back for a long time as she walked away, one difficult step at a time.

* * *

A hut in the deep mountains.

This was the place where Baek Li-jung was mourning those who died at the Baek Li Estate.

However, he wasn’t living there quietly alone.

Over ten Baek Li Family warriors were standing guard, and there were servants and maids too. Though in the mountains, he was living a life no different from the main estate of the Baek Li Family.

Inside the hut, maids continued to bring freshly slaughtered meat.

Crunch crunch.

Baek Li-jung was chewing a raw chicken, satisfying his hunger. Already around him, various animal bones were scattered messily.

The representative from the merchant side who came to find Baek Li-jung couldn’t even sit down and said.

“Um… how long do you plan to continue like this?”

Baek Li-jung spoke without wiping the blood on his mouth.

“Hm? How rude of me. I’ve been so terribly hungry lately. Please eat with me.”

“No. That’s not what I meant…”

The merchant said.

“Didn’t we agree to invest greatly in the Great Hero if you ascend to the position of Martial Alliance Leader? But if you suddenly say you’ll become a hermit…”

Baek Li-jung smiled slightly.

“Wait just a little longer. The rice is still undercooked. Soon people will come begging me to become Martial Alliance Leader. They must be desperate so they won’t complain. Right now, aren’t there those who arrogantly tell me to step down or not, because they’re warm and well-fed?”

That’s why he came to these mountains to play this fake mourner act. To build justification!

“But we must retrieve the promissory notes the Poison Dragon took. If that goes wrong, many merchant houses and associations will face difficulties.”

“The promissory notes’ deadlines are approaching, aren’t they?”

“Yes. There are quite a few promissory notes with payment deadlines approaching within a month.”

“Excellent. Go and ask for them.”

The merchant made a troubled expression.

“But if we do that…”

It might be revealed that Jin Ja-gang took the promissory notes from the Hungry Ghost King in Dunhuang, and then it might also be revealed that the timing doesn’t match with the incident at the Baek Li Estate.

Baek Li-jung grabbed and tore at a tough pig’s leg with the skin still attached.

“Don’t worry. Most people will be more interested in the story that the Poison Dragon killed an innocent merchant and robbed his property than complicated matters like dates. Such things can be solved by mixing in a few false rumors. Besides, even if you ask him for money, do you think he’ll give it? Of course not. The Tang Family doesn’t have such capability either.”

Baek Li-jung laughed loudly.

“Killing merchants and robbing property, not paying the money he should pay while only demanding what he should receive, the Poison Dragon’s infamy will continue to rise. Then that will be the ripe moment and the day I become Martial Alliance Leader.”

Thinking about the promissory notes Jin Ja-gang took and the position of Martial Alliance Leader, Baek Li-jung’s hunger grew even greater. He tore at the pig’s leg greatly and chewed even the bones, swallowing them.

Watching Baek Li-jung’s eyes gleam, the merchant bowed.

“Then we will only trust the Great Hero. If you retrieve the promissory notes and process them according to proper order, the Great Hero will also gain great profit. We’re worried not just about the financial losses, but more that this might disturb the order of the merchant world.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Soon that guy will be cornered and commit atrocities, which will be a very good opportunity for us.”

However, as soon as the merchant left, Baek Li-jung sneered viciously.

“You all need to fail too. You need to become more troubled. Then you’ll have more to offer me on your own.”

Baek Li-jung, who laughed loudly, turned his head and unconsciously asked.

“Isn’t that right, Strategist?”

But no one was at his side.

“…Hmm.”

Baek Li-jung frowned coldly for a moment, then turned his head away as if it didn’t matter.

Crunch crunch.