Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 319

“……”

Choi Doo-ho quietly opened his eyes.

Then, he placed his hand on his chest, stroking it here and there.

His chest had clearly been pierced by a martial artist’s sword.

But now.

“It’s gone.”

It was as if the whole thing had been a dream; not a single wound remained.

“……”

A dream.

How wonderful it would be if he could think of it that way.

-Kkyaaaak!

-Save me!

The vivid screams in his head felt like they were ringing in his ears right now, and what he had seen and felt with his eyes was so clear that he could draw it right now.

A dream.

That couldn’t be.

“Are you awake?”

Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to open his eyes in an unfamiliar hospital ward.

“Vice Guild Leader.”

Choi Doo-ho raised himself up and called out to the person who had spoken.

The Vice Guild Leader of the Rayon Guild, his confidant, friend, and family-like presence whom he had been with for the past ten years.

And there he was.

“They said there was no other way.”

Standing there with one arm missing.

That’s right.

It wasn’t a dream.

The massacre of last night had actually happened, and the damage and traces were clearly left behind.

“Still, it’s a relief that the Guild Leader is safe.”

The Vice Guild Leader smiled and looked at Choi Doo-ho from where he stood.

“What happened?”

The sight of the guild members being massacred was vivid.

But the memories after that were hazy.

“They were….”

The martial artists who had swept through the Azure Dragon Gate.

“Was it Eunha?”

He could only vaguely remember that they were Eunha.

“Yes. It was Eunha.”

The Vice Guild Leader replied.

“Eunha… saved us.”

Until now, countless guilds have been destroyed in a single day, losing their names.

There must have been countless lives that perished because of it.

But none of them had ever experienced being protected.

They only had memories of being thoroughly violated and trampled by the forces that controlled them, or even those who were above them.

Clench.

But Eunha had saved them.

“Perhaps.”

It was when Choi Doo-ho was about to open his mouth.

“It wasn’t.”

They had been working together for over ten years.

They knew each other’s thoughts well.

“Guild Leader, you’re thinking that Eunha orchestrated this situation, aren’t you?”

Eunha, and the Blood Cult.

The public opinion about them would be accurately described as turbulent.

On the surface, they felt like an evil that had to be destroyed, but considering Eunha’s actions and various other things, it wasn’t quite so.

Moreover, for the players, things like the Blood Cult and the Heavenly Demon Cult felt distant, not much different from other sects.

So.

-There is a need to change public opinion.

Changing public opinion can be a result of small things accumulating over a long period of time, but.

-One big event.

That can change public opinion.

Showing it.

There is nothing more certain than that.

For such Eunha, the Rayon Guild’s situation would have been excellent bait.

If they wanted to gain the favor of the players, they could have changed public opinion by rescuing them.

“They say they knew this kind of thing would happen and were waiting.”

“……”

At the Vice Guild Leader’s words, Choi Doo-ho quietly nodded.

“I guess so.”

The martial artists’ methods were obvious.

“They were watching the guilds that had joined the Blood Cult, and while preparing for any possible situation, an incident broke out in our guild.”

Right.

“It seems that several other places were also attacked. Fortunately, our Rayon Guild was able to receive help first.”

“Was that… a coincidence?”

At Choi Doo-ho’s words, the Vice Guild Leader closed his mouth for a moment.

He knew that Choi Doo-ho’s question was asking several things.

The Rayon Guild was the first to be rescued.

“He was….”

Choi Doo-ho’s voice.

“Eunha’s master.”

“The Blood Demon….”

Was it all a coincidence that the Rayon Guild was the first to be rescued, and that the Blood Demon even appeared there?

Also.

Clench.

His chest, which had been pierced by a sword, was fine.

“……”

He had many thoughts.

-It’s been a while.

He seemed to have heard such a voice, and it was as if he had seen a familiar silhouette.

“Was he a martial artist?”

“You’re stating the obvious. It seems your injuries haven’t fully recovered. You should rest a little more….”

But if he was a martial artist, his assumption wouldn’t be correct.

It was just a terribly lucky coincidence.

Swoosh.

Choi Doo-ho got up.

There were no pains or side effects anyway.

Moreover, now that the guild had suffered devastating damage, he couldn’t just sit here.

“I have to live.”

It wasn’t over yet.

“I have to find a way to live.”

There would still be a chance.

“What did they, what did they say?”

Eunha, who had saved them.

Of course, they would want something in return, and he seemed to know what it was.

But he couldn’t easily give them what they wanted.

‘I have to live.’

To live, he needed to be even more careful.

What Eunha wanted was obvious.

-Come under our banner.

The consolidation of power, those who could provide even a little strength to those who had suddenly become outcasts.

Even though they had suffered near-destruction, they would want to gather even a small amount of power.

Last night, he had seen Eunha’s overwhelming power.

But the Azure Dragon Gate was not one of the Nine Great Sects [powerful martial arts factions].

Could Eunha face all of the Nine Great Sects?

If the answer to that was not clear, siding with Eunha was not an easy thing to do, even though they had saved them.

If necessary.

‘I might even have to stab my benefactor in the back.’

He might have to stick closer to the association, quietly bury this situation, and put the blame on Eunha.

For Choi Doo-ho, the most important thing was not grudges like those of martial artists.

It was his guild members, his friends, and his family.

He was prepared to do anything to save them.

“Did they want us to join their ranks?”

Choi Doo-ho asked again.

“No.”

The Vice Guild Leader replied.

“They just said to rest and focus on restoring the guild.”

“……!”

Choi Doo-ho’s eyes wavered.

-It’s different.

It was completely different from what he had thought.

“B-but, they could just be saying that. They might have already done something….”

“I don’t think so. I checked the other guilds that were attacked last night, and Eunha only said the same thing.”

They don’t want anything.

“They just said they were sorry that we were harmed by being involved in Eunha’s affairs.”

How.

“How could they do that?”

It was a moment when the concepts that had been built up over the long years of being harmed by martial artists and sects were shaken.

And.

Clench.

Choi Doo-ho clenched his fist again.

“I know I shouldn’t think about it lightly.”

But.

“There are times when you have to take a gamble with everything you have.”

The stakes were the same.

His guild members, friends, family, such precious things.

“What do you think, Vice Guild Leader? No.”

Choi Doo-ho said.

“Hyeong-il.”

The Vice Guild Leader who had been with the Rayon Guild for over ten years.

But before that, he was a child who had been raised in Choi Doo-ho’s hands since he was a baby.

His own son.

“I think the same as Father.”

Choi Hyeong-il said to his father, Choi Doo-ho.

***

A few days later, there were visitors to the Eunha Guild.

Bwoooom.

Several dozen black SUV vehicles.

They were all entering with flags symbolizing the guild’s emblem.

All of those emblems.

-Player Guild.

They were flags representing Player Guilds.

At the very front.

Click.

A man stepped out of the door opened by a knight.

“As always, thank you.”

It was Choi Doo-ho, the Guild Leader of the Rayon Guild.

Click.

Behind him, the doors of the lined-up vehicles opened one by one, and various people stepped out.

But they all had one thing in common: they were dressed in the most respectful attire.

“It’s been a while, Guild Leader Choi Doo-ho.”

“Isn’t that Madam Yoo Young-ok of the Silrir Guild? You seem to have aged a bit.”

“That’s rude to say. But it’s not wrong.”

She said, exuding a classic aura.

“After going through all sorts of hardships, I couldn’t avoid the passage of time.”

“It’s the same for me.”

“You look young, though.”

Then another middle-aged man approached and said.

All of them.

“It’s been a while.”

They were the leaders of the Player Guilds who had formed a relationship.

“Thank you for making a decision. Everyone.”

Choi Doo-ho stepped forward and said to them.

“It’s to survive.”

“If it’s your choice, I can trust it.”

It was when they were greeting each other.

Weeeeng!

The large glass door of the Eunha Guild House automatically opened, and a group of people appeared.

“……!”

The leaders of the Player Guilds were surprised to see their faces.

Thud!

They immediately took a fist-and-palm salute [a traditional greeting] and bowed their heads.

“We greet the Guild Leader of Eunha-!”

“We greet the Guild Leader of Eunha-!”

The loud voices echoed through the air.

For the leaders of the Player Guilds, it was natural to show the utmost respect when seeing the leader of a martial arts guild as large as Eunha.

“There’s no need to take a fist-and-palm salute.”

Dang Hwa-young, who had appeared, said with a smile.

“……?”

The players’ faces showed that they didn’t understand.

“What do you mean….”

When they saw martial artists, they would take a fist-and-palm salute to show respect.

That was like a common sense that was deeply ingrained in the players’ minds.

“You are not martial artists, are you?”

“…….”

Their faces hardened at Dang Hwa-young’s words.

It was as if Dang Hwa-young’s words were stating the difference between them and Dang Hwa-young.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Then, Dang Hwa-young immediately smiled and continued.

“There is a courtesy for Eun, and there is a courtesy for Earth.”

It was such an obvious thing to say.

“It’s okay if you show courtesy to the people of Eun out of goodwill, but wouldn’t it be disrespectful if it was forced by someone?”

They had never thought about that.

“I think the act of showing respect itself is important. You can treat me with the etiquette of Earth.”

The leaders of the Player Guilds who faced Dang Hwa-young paused.

Their pupils wavered.

“…….”

What Dang Hwa-young said was so obvious, but there was no one who would actually say such a thing and allow it.

Domination.

Under the rule of Eun, the people of Earth had to give up many things.

Thud.

Then, Dang Hwa-young’s sleeve fluttered, and her hand came forward.

“I’m satisfied with a handshake.”

“Indeed….”

Choi Doo-ho seemed deeply impressed by that sight.

Until now, Eunha had to wear some kind of mask to hide their true selves.

Of course, this could also be an act.

But what martial artist would go through the trouble of acting like this for the players?

Just with that, Choi Doo-ho.

‘My thoughts were not wrong.’

He gained confidence in his decision.

“Then, I will greet you again.”

Choi Doo-ho did not grab Dang Hwa-young’s hand and stepped back.

Thud!

The two hands that were brought together like that.

It was.

“This is a courtesy shown out of goodwill. So please don’t refuse it.”

A fist-and-palm salute.