I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 124

< The Might of the Nine Sects 2 >

No Hyegwang’s words were not finished.

“The reason the sin of annihilation is being settled with just one arm is because of the long-standing relationship between Family Head Dang Neung and the leaders of the Orthodox Factions. Many figures in the Murim [martial arts world] will grieve the destruction of the Dang Family, so accept this leniency gratefully!”

Swish.

He drew his real sword.

Everyone was in disbelief.

Although there are only six members of the Dang family clan in this space, Dang Neung is the supreme master who protects the Sichuan Dang Family, and he has five sons who have inherited his skills.

If you just open the door, over a hundred martial artists guarding this house with swords will rush in.

Even though No Hyegwang is known as the best swordsman of Mount Hua, could he really face all of them?

And even if he were a master capable of such a feat, could he emerge unscathed?

The bigger question is whether he can take responsibility for this situation.

These doubts made No Hyegwang’s actions unbelievable.

But an even more unbelievable thing happened.

“The Wudang Sect shares the same sentiment as Mount Hua.”

Although he didn’t shout as loudly as No Hyegwang, Yoo Gyuseong’s words were clearly heard by everyone, and they watched as he drew his sword from its scabbard.

“I should stop the fight… but this isn’t the time.”

Gong Gyeon sighed deeply and clenched his fist tightly.

If the opponent draws a sword and you just watch, you are not a martial artist.

The five sons of the Dang Family each raised their inner energy. Some held swords, while others prepared to unleash hidden weapons from their bodies.

They glanced at their father, waiting.

If Dang Neung moved, they would all join in the attack, and all the martial artists outside the door would rush in.

A tense atmosphere enveloped everyone. This involved Shaolin, Wudang, and Mount Hua.

Could they really subdue these three without great sacrifice? It was an impossible hope. It was more realistic to worry about how much sacrifice would be required to subdue them.

Dang Neung read sincerity in the eyes of the three men.

The moment anyone from the Dang clan moved, they would not hesitate to swing their swords and throw their punches.

This was a dilemma like no other.

If the Dang Family won this fight, it would mean annihilation; if they lost, he would be a cripple without an arm.

Where in the world was there such a terrible situation?

There was no way for the Dang Family to subdue the three masters without causing any harm. Someone would be severely injured, and someone would die.

Perhaps all three of them would die.

If the next generation leaders of the Nine Sects, visiting the Dang Family as envoys of the Murim Alliance, were killed by the Dang Family, no one would ask why they died or what the process was.

The Dang Family would become enemies of the Nine Sects and disappear from the Central Plains, suffering from the Nine Sects’ total offensive.

If those three subdued the Dang Family father and sons, No Hyegwang, who was clearly not in his right mind, would surely keep his word. He would cut off the arms of the father and sons without batting an eye.

This fight, whether won or lost, regardless of the outcome, would lead the Dang Family to annihilation.

Dang Neung, an old ginger [a seasoned and cunning person] who had weathered countless storms in his life, had to make a decision.

The shameful humiliation was momentary.

If he could just endure that moment, he could escape this terrible situation and glimpse a faint chance for the future.

Dang Neung made his decision.

“Everyone, put down your weapons. Quickly!”

The tense atmosphere dissipated at once.

The Dang Family’s children lowered their raised inner energy and sheathed their drawn swords.

However, No Hyegwang and Yoo Gyuseong still aimed their swords and did not relent.

“The Dang Family will request a grand assembly of the Murim Alliance. We will determine right and wrong in a gathering of all the Orthodox Murim, and if it is concluded that our Dang Family has the face of the Black Faction, we will accept not only seclusion but also the loss of my arm and my sons’ arms.”

Dang Neung wanted to return to the moment when No Hyegwang was an envoy of the Murim Alliance, and he belatedly uttered the words he should have said then.

However, it was a declaration of surrender to anyone who saw it.

Anger filled the faces of the five sons, but no one opened their mouths. They still remembered their father’s strict order to keep their mouths shut.

「Elder No, if you swing your sword even though Family Head Dang is acting like this, you will be seen as a rogue who is rampaging with the backing of the Nine Sects. How about lowering your sword at this point?」

Yoo Gyuseong’s calm telepathic message was heard.

「Hey! I can’t die here feeling wronged. Let’s be reasonable. Put your sword down quickly.」

Gong Gyeon’s urgent telepathic message was also heard.

No Hyegwang slowly lowered his sword and put it back in its scabbard.

Yoo Gyuseong also sighed deeply and lowered his sword.

The Dang Family, which was on the verge of becoming a bloodbath, avoided annihilation thanks to the wisdom of its Family Head.

No Hyegwang picked up his teacup and swallowed the remaining tea.

He, too, had a parched mouth due to the intense tension.

“I will give you one day. Organize your position, Family Head, and send a messenger pigeon to the Murim Alliance. The contents of that letter must specify the date of the grand assembly to be attended by all factions.”

The fact that he was using honorifics again seemed to indicate that he had returned to his role as an envoy of the Murim Alliance rather than a disciple of Mount Hua.

“By now, there must be a lot of beggars stuck to the walls of the Dang Family, dying of curiosity about what’s happening inside. Call them in to bring the messenger pigeon and use their messenger pigeon. I will leave Sichuan after seeing the Beggars’ Union’s messenger pigeon fly away.”

This meant not to delay and to keep the promise he had made.

“I will do so.”

Dang Neung nodded.

“Anything else to say?”

At the clear signal to leave, the three bowed lightly.

“Now that we have finished our work, we will return.”

Yoo Gyuseong answered politely and turned away without regret. No Hyegwang and Gong Gyeon also followed him.

When the sound of their departing footsteps could no longer be heard, Dang Neung’s legs buckled as the tension released.

“Father!”

The children who had rushed over supported their father.

The sons, holding their father who had lost his strength due to the surging resentment, shed tears of blood.

“Father, it’s not too late. The Nine Sects, the Nine Sects! When was that? I will lead the martial artists and strike them from behind.”

“If we suffer such humiliation and that bastard leaves Sichuan unscathed, our Dang Family’s reputation will plummet.”

Dang Neung, barely seated in his chair, weakly waved his hand.

“Everyone… shut your mouths. How many times have I told you? Close your mouths and open your ears.”

The children closed their mouths again.

“When was the Nine Sects? Yes… it’s an old story. Because it has such a long history, it’s scary. You don’t know how far its roots have spread because it’s so old. And what about its lush branches? The roots and branches are intertwined, forming a huge forest. That’s the Nine Sects.”

Dang Neung gasped for breath.

“If even one direct disciple of the Nine Sects sheds blood, the entire Nine Sects will come to collect the blood price. That blood price is dozens, hundreds of times… that’s the Nine Sects. Our Murim families still have weak roots and few branches. So we check and compete with each other to root more deeply and grow branches. This is the fundamental difference between the Nine Sects and the Murim families.”

The father’s order to close their mouths weighed on their minds, but the eldest son cautiously asked.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I have to write a letter to that old fox, Moryong Hwi.”

“Are you really going to hold a grand assembly and entrust this matter to the Murim Alliance?”

Dang Neung shook his head.

“Didn’t I tell you? Our roots are shallow. How many saplings are trying to plant their roots in our Dang Family’s place? The Shandong Ak Family, the Jinju Eon Family, the Hwangbo Family, the Guangdong Jin Family… there’s no way these guys will miss this opportunity. They’ll try to tear us apart and swallow us.”

It wasn’t just them. Those three from the Nine Sects had already visited. It meant that the entire Nine Sects had turned their backs. Even if they held a grand assembly, the entire Orthodox Murim would pounce on them to demand the price of their sins, and a punishment worse than seclusion might be imposed.

“The only one I trust is Moryong Hwi. We’ve growled at each other to kill or let live, but the affection built up while fighting is just as deep. I’m thinking of asking for three years of seclusion.”

“Ah, Father!”

Not only the Nine Sects, but now they had to bow their heads to Moryong Hwi as well.

The tears of blood shed by the children were not enough to bear the humiliation of the Dang Family.

* * *

“I really don’t usually say things like this because I’m a Buddhist… but No Hyegwang! You’re completely crazy!”

“Didn’t you know? I could tell what kind of person the monk was at first glance.”

No Hyegwang said, smiling at Gong Gyeon, who was shouting.

“What do you mean you knew?”

“I mean you’re a complete country bumpkin who just came down from the mountain for the first time. Haha.”

“Come on! How many times do I have to say it…? It’s been too long…”

“Both of your words are correct.”

Before Gong Gyeon could finish speaking, Yoo Gyuseong slipped in.

“What?”

Gong Gyeon bristled, but Yoo Gyuseong didn’t care and said.

“But Elder No’s actions at the Dang Family today were truly amazing. Who else in this Jianghu [the martial arts world] would draw a sword in the Dang Family’s own home but Elder No?”

“That’s why he’s crazy! Who would do that if they were in their right mind?”

“Because he acted like he wasn’t in his right mind, the Dang Family knelt. They probably didn’t expect the best swordsman of Mount Hua to draw his sword and say he would see it through to the end.”

Yoo Gyuseong scanned No Hyegwang up and down.

“Perhaps Elder No is a great strategist.”

“What are you talking about? What is that?”

No Hyegwang said nonchalantly.

“He made everyone make unavoidable choices. Mount Hua was rushing to see blood. Of course, we had no choice but to draw our swords. The same must have been true for Family Head Dang. He couldn’t afford to shed blood with the Nine Sects. In the end, he lowered his tail, saying he would settle the right and wrong in the Murim Alliance. We got the result we wanted.”

Gong Gyeon’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Huh? So you’re saying that crazy behavior was done after careful calculation? Could it be…?”

“If not, how could you do such a reckless thing? No matter how crazy… ah, no, not in your right mind?”

The two began to stare at No Hyegwang’s mouth, hoping to get an answer to their questions.

No Hyegwang looked at the two for a moment, then shook his head.

“Too much thought for a Taoist, not enough thought for a monk…”

“What do you mean?”

“Is it possible that Shaolin and Wudang, the so-called pillars of the Murim world, can tolerate a hypocrite? Even though they secretly commit all kinds of evil deeds, they act as local powerful families in front of others?”

Yoo Gyuseong, who had been calm, changed to a surprised expression.

“I’m not a strategist or a crazy person. I discovered a hypocrite in our fence and gave him a chance to reflect. But what can I do if he keeps lying and shows no signs of repentance? I have to punish him.”

“Th, then you’re saying you were serious?”

He nodded at Yoo Gyuseong’s question.

“Of course. Why would I draw a sword in front of someone I wasn’t going to cut? No matter what happened, I would have cut off one of his arms.”

The faces of the monk and Taoist turned red at No Hyegwang’s resolute attitude.

Wasn’t it the way of the Orthodox Factions to maintain an attitude of not tolerating injustice?

They thought first about the Dang Family’s power, its position within the Murim Alliance, and the relationship between the Murim families and the Nine Sects.

They thought that Moryong Hwi’s proposal was appropriate and that persuading the Dang Family to accept this proposal was the best they could do.

They kept thinking, but they didn’t even think of the most important thing.

It was justice and chivalry.

No Hyegwang said to the two with red faces.

“I think this is about right, what do you think?”

“Yes?”

“Did you forget? Already? We decided to have a match when the work was done, didn’t we?”

No Hyegwang’s fingertips pointed towards the wide open space.

“A fair three-way battle, a single match. Is that okay?”

Watching No Hyegwang’s back as he twirled his sword and walked towards the open space, the two sighed deeply.

“That guy is crazy, all right.”

Yoo Gyuseong nodded at Gong Gyeon’s words.