HOOOH!
After taking one deep breath to calm the rampaging inner power and true qi, Kwak Yeon walked toward Jegal Geon.
—THUD! THUD!
He paid no mind to the countless gazes fixed on him.
At last, Kwak Yeon stood before Jegal Geon, who was down on one knee, looked down at him, and said,
“I saw your trump card well.”
Kwak Yeon honestly expressed the respect he felt as a martial artist for Jegal Geon’s consummate divine martial art.
Jegal Geon slowly lifted his lowered head.
“......How did you block it?”
Hearing that question, Kwak Yeon realized that Jegal Geon had been reviewing the course of the duel without paying any mind to the pain of defeat.
Toward that attitude, so true to a born martial artist, Kwak Yeon answered briefly.
“I was lucky.”
“Lucky?”
Jegal Geon furrowed his brow and continued.
“You gathered all your power into one point, and that was merely luck?”
Kwak Yeon understood this anger of Jegal Geon’s, at least.
If he had not instantly gathered all his power into one point and defended with precision, the one kneeling now would have been him.
He had no wish to explain every detail to a man who would soon die and vanish, nor did he have any obligation to do so, so he had simply brushed it off as luck.
“If you have any last words, say them.”
Jegal Geon smiled bitterly.
“I’ll be seeing you in hell soon enough, so I’ll say what I could not say then.”
“That will do as well.”
Kwak Yeon readily nodded.
“You may have to wait a little while, but in the end, you will indeed meet me in hell.”
—SHIIING!
The moment Kwak Yeon raised the Blue-Steel Sword, Uno Zhenren hurriedly stepped forward and shouted,
“Martial Nephew Kwak! You absolutely must not kill Corps Commander Jegal!”
Kwak Yeon had expected Uno Zhenren to interfere, so he looked at him with an indifferent expression and asked,
“Martial Uncle Uno, why is it acceptable for this man to kill me, but unacceptable for me to kill him?”
“That is......”
Kwak Yeon, having struck straight at Uno Zhenren’s vital point with that blunt question and stopped him from speaking, calmly continued.
“If you intend to say it is because of the difference in status between me and this man, then I ask you to please withdraw those words. This martial nephew does not believe that difference is great enough for you to forget even the affection between fellow disciples.”
“......!”
Kwak Yeon was speaking with the utmost courtesy, but a faint killing intent was contained in that cold voice.
It was because anger had suddenly flared in him toward Uno Zhenren, who had not taken even one step for the sake of Kwak Yeon, his fellow Wudang disciple.
Uno Zhenren’s face turned so white it was hard to distinguish from his white beard.
“Martial Uncle Uno, in any case, this is the private affair of a lay disciple. Therefore, this resident Taoist dares not obey Martial Uncle’s command.”
It was a warning that, while Kwak Yeon was still preserving his martial uncle’s dignity, Uno Zhenren should close his mouth.
Uno Zhenren could not step any farther between the two of them, but neither could he retreat again, so he had no choice but to stand there awkwardly.
Kwak Yeon thought that besides Uno Zhenren, some other hindrance might come forward and bother him.
So he slowly looked over the noted figures of the martial world filling the courtyard and said,
“I, Kwak Yeon, resident Taoist of Samryeong Palace on Mount Wudang, intend to settle gratitude and resentment according to the law of the martial world. If any elders of the martial world have an objection to this matter and would grant me instruction, then with my shameful skill, I shall dare receive it.”
The words were exceedingly courteous, but their content was arrogant beyond measure.
They meant that anyone who stopped him would be gladly faced with martial arts.
Moreover, among the noted figures who had come to the courtyard now were many heads of major sects and great families, so this was an act that went beyond arrogance and was almost a provocation.
Kwak Yeon, too, was not unaware that among the noted figures of the martial world here were the heads of major sects and great families.
Even so, the reason he spoke so arrogantly was that he had been deeply disappointed by the hypocritical conduct of Wudang Sect and the other orthodox sects and families.
That was also the reason he was now cutting down the Fire Dragon of the Jegal Family, so in extension, he was condemning the hypocrisy of the orthodox martial world as well.
At Kwak Yeon’s arrogant and insolent words, the noted figures of the martial world all furrowed their brows or frowned.
But no one readily stepped forward.
In any case, it meant interfering in a private grudge, and they would have to bear responsibility for that action.
Moreover, they had seen with their own eyes the realm of martial arts Kwak Yeon had displayed in subduing the Fire Dragon of the Jegal Family, so none of them could move rashly.
When no one stepped forward even after he waited a short while, Kwak Yeon clasped his hands toward the noted figures of the martial world and said,
“Then I shall wash away gratitude and resentment according to the laws of the martial world, under the watch of the elders of the martial world.”
Kwak Yeon had neatly settled the situation inside the courtyard and was just turning back toward Jegal Geon.
“Taoist Kwak, please wait a moment.”
A hurried voice rang out from the manor gate, and a middle-aged man ran into the courtyard.
Seeing a group of warriors in red martial robes rush in behind him, Kwak Yeon smiled coldly.
“You must be people of the Jegal Family. I had meant to go find you anyway, so thank you for saving me the trouble.”
Kwak Yeon set the tip of the Blue-Steel Sword against Jegal Geon’s chest and continued.
“I will deal with you shortly, so wait there for a moment.”
Kwak Yeon was just about to drive the Blue-Steel Sword into Jegal Geon’s chest.
“Brother Kwak! Please stop!”
—WHIRR!
Hu Gae sprang out from among the Jegal Family’s martial artists and, in a single bound, stood in front of Kwak Yeon.
“......Brother?”
If it had not been Hu Gae, Kwak Yeon would never have stopped the Blue-Steel Sword.
“How did you get here......?”
Hu Gae, panting hard, said,
“Hah! That can come later...... hah! First, lower that sword. Hah!”
“......?”
“Hoooh! The Clan Master of the Jegal Family says he has something to say, so, hoooh! hear him out first....... Hoo! After that, whatever you decide, decide as you wish.”
“.......”
When Kwak Yeon still kept the Blue-Steel Sword pressed to Jegal Geon’s chest, Hu Gae said with pleading eyes,
“This is the first request this elder brother of yours has ever made of you.”
The hand gripping Kwak Yeon’s sword trembled.
“......Understood.”
When Kwak Yeon withdrew his sword, Hu Gae turned toward the middle-aged man in red martial robes, Clan Master of the Jegal Family Jegal Jin, and said,
“Clan Master Jegal, you may speak now.”
Clan Master Jegal Jin bowed to Hu Gae with clasped hands.
“I thank you sincerely, Hu Gae.”
Hu Gae shook his head.
“There is no need to thank this beggar. We are doing this for everyone’s good. In any case, I hope you will keep in mind that the result from here onward rests with you, Clan Master Jegal.”
With those words, as if he had done everything he needed to do, Hu Gae sprang lightly away and withdrew.
When Clan Master Jegal Jin walked out into the center of the courtyard, Jegal Geon, still kneeling on one knee, shouted,
“Clan Master! Do not come! I would rather die than show such a shameful sight. And I have even less desire to cling to life in some unsightly way.”
Jegal Geon could not bear the thought of his elder brother, the Clan Master of the Jegal Family, showing a miserable appearance in order to save him.
Clan Master Jegal Jin spoke in a voice of devastation.
“Younger brother, I am about to confess and correct my own wrongdoing as Clan Master, so blame this brother after you have heard everything.”
At his elder brother’s heavy voice, Jegal Geon could not help feeling curious, even amid the agony in his heart.
Clan Master Jegal Jin stepped into the center of the courtyard and opened his mouth toward the noted figures and assembled heroes of the martial world.
“I, Jegal Jin, Clan Master of the Jegal Family, wish to announce my family’s sins to all fellow members of the martial world gathered here. I ask that you listen carefully and rebuke us.”
At the Clan Master of the Jegal Family’s sudden words, the assembled heroes in the courtyard were astonished.
It was almost unheard of for the clan master of a family to personally confess the crimes committed by that family.
Even if a clan master had committed a crime and it was exposed to all the world, the usual practice was for retainers to shoulder it and smooth it over. And by custom, that too was tolerated.
That was how important a clan master’s dignity was to a family, so the assembled heroes of the martial world could not understand Clan Master Jegal’s actions at all.
“Hidden Dragon Command, my family’s foremost branch house, has operated an illicit silver mine all this time and harmed countless common people.”
At those words from Clan Master Jegal, the assembled heroes in the courtyard stirred.
It was already shocking that a prestigious orthodox martial family had been running an illicit silver mine, but to think they had even harmed common people was appalling.
“The one who discovered and punished Hidden Dragon Command’s outrageous, heaven-enraging evil deeds is Chief Secretary Kwak here. Chief Secretary Kwak ended the matter by holding only one man, the Hidden Dragon Command Lord, responsible for it.”
Only then did the assembled heroes realize that Kwak Yeon had not killed Jegal Waryong out of nowhere.
“Even so, thinking only of my family’s honor, I kept silent both within and without, thereby allowing today’s wretched affair to occur.”
After confessing all his family’s disgrace to the assembled heroes, Clan Master Jegal Jin turned toward Kwak Yeon.
“Chief Secretary Kwak, all of this is my fault. I clung only to the visible blood grudge and neglected to examine what lay behind it. Thanks, at least, to Chief Secretary Kwak’s awakening of the matter, I was able to investigate the Hidden Dragon Command Lord’s evil deeds, but because it was a shameful matter for the family, I could not bring myself to tell even my younger brother.”
Clan Master Jegal Jin joined both hands and bent his waist straight.
“I, Jegal Jin, Clan Master of the Jegal Family, earnestly ask Chief Secretary Kwak to grant mercy.”
The assembled heroes of the martial world gathered in the courtyard thought the situation had now been settled.
For the clan master of a family to apologize with a deep cupped-hands bow meant that the entire family was submitting.
Moreover, Clan Master Jegal had even confessed his family’s disgrace, clarified that there had been no rightful grudge, and said this was a fight born of misunderstanding, asking for mercy. As Kwak Yeon was a lay disciple of Wudang Sect, he ought, naturally, to accept it.
“I, Kwak Yeon, resident Taoist of Samryeong Palace on Mount Wudang, thank Clan Master Jegal for revealing your family’s dark hidden affair.”
At Kwak Yeon’s answer, the assembled heroes nodded as if they had expected as much, or gave bitter smiles.
Most of the assembled heroes who smiled bitterly were heads of sects or families, because Kwak Yeon’s lofty martial realm weighed on their minds.
When another household’s blade was sharp, one’s own household’s blade became relatively dull, and that made them uncomfortable.
In any case, all the assembled heroes thought the spectacle in someone else’s house was now finished.
“Moved by Clan Master Jegal’s courage, I will set aside my intention to punish the Jegal Family. However, if the Jegal Family steps forward to avenge the Fire Dragon of the Jegal Family, I will gladly receive that blade.”
THOOM!
At Kwak Yeon’s words, the assembled heroes were all shocked.
Did it not mean he would accept Clan Master Jegal’s apology, but would not forgive the Fire Dragon of the Jegal Family?
Clan Master Jegal Jin hurriedly straightened and looked at Kwak Yeon.
“......Chief Secretary Kwak!”
Kwak Yeon spoke calmly.
“I am truly sorry to you, Clan Master Jegal, but the two of us have already decided life and death and determined victory and defeat. It can no longer be undone.”
Seeing that Kwak Yeon’s eyes were filled with killing intent, Clan Master Jegal Jin felt his mind go faint.
Kwak Yeon’s cold voice stabbed mercilessly into Jegal Jin’s chest.
“If Clan Master Jegal steps forward to stop the rightful conclusion of this duel, then I will gladly face you.”
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter