Start Of The Legend (3)

“We’re heading to Ho County.”

“To Uncle Baek Gyu?”

Yu Jinsan nodded in response to his granddaughter’s question.

“Yes. Let’s head there first.”

The children who escaped from the training ground would be pursued by the Murim Alliance.

Ho County, a sacred site of the Evil Faction, was filled with their allies and was currently the safest place.

‘Well, the leader of the Murim Alliance will go berserk because of this.’

They eliminated the elders of the Emei Sect, and now the next generation of troops, whom they had invested effort in training, were missing. He almost wanted to see the expression she would have upon hearing this news.

For the first time in a while, she wouldn’t be feeling at ease.

Wasn’t it the Murim Alliance that not only wiped out his family but also framed him for it?

Yu Jinsan who, in his old age, was forced to live like a fugitive with his granddaughter in tow.

Now, for the first time, he had struck back at them.

“Grandpa, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Of course I am. It’s wonderful to see how much our Seol has grown.”

“If Grandpa wants to learn it, I will help you.”

Yu Jinsan waved his hand dismissively.

The first prerequisite for learning this martial art was to rid the body of yang qi, and he had no desire to do so for now.

Even if he wanted to, it wasn’t a martial art that anyone could learn. He wasn’t born with a suitable body like his granddaughter.

If he, who wasn’t a Grandmaster, attempted it, there was a high chance he wouldn’t succeed, even if he spent his life practicing in a cave.

“It’s a martial arts skill that doesn’t suit your grandpa. Please tell me about the Hundred Step Divine Arts later. I’d also like to try the Shaolin martial arts skills.”

Yu Seol smiled and wrapped her arms around her grandpa.

“Right. I’ll teach you when we arrive in Ho County.”

The smile never left Yu Jinsan’s face. He was overjoyed to be reunited with his granddaughter after such a long time.

And there was another reason for his happiness.

Just the day before, he had been anxiously waiting at the training ground, but now he was confidently making his way up to the Emei Sect.

No one obstructed their path as they ascended the mountain. It seemed all the bhikkhunis of the Emei Sect, who usually stood guard, had vanished.

With nothing to worry about anymore, Yu Jinsan felt a newfound strength in his shoulders.

It was upon leaving Mount Emei and reaching a serene location that they paused for a rest.

Yu Seol approached the children gently.

“Kids!”

Though she spoke with a smile, the 300 children instinctively stepped back.

“…?”

Perhaps witnessing the duo overpowering the instructors with their bare hands, as fierce as tigers, had instilled fear in them. Despite Yu Seol’s appearance as a small, pretty girl, the children couldn’t shake off their apprehension.

“If you wish to come with us, ask Grandpa. If you have nowhere else to go, you’re welcome to live in Ho County.”

“Ho County…?”

A child’s curious inquiry was met with Yu Seol’s broad smile.

“Yes. There, you can enjoy plenty of delicious food, spar with uncles, and have a great time. Shall we go together?”

These children couldn’t recall their own names, having been taken before they could learn anything about themselves.

In such circumstances, where else could they possibly go? The decision was inevitable.

Yet, Yu Jinsan sought the children’s consent through his granddaughter.

He wanted them to understand that from this moment forward, they had the autonomy to make their own decisions and live as human beings.

As the children nodded, Yu Seol’s dimples deepened.

“Hehe. How about we play a naming game until we reach Shaanxi?”

Thus, Yu Seol bestowed names on each child, one by one, during their journey to Shaanxi.

Most of them were simple yet strange, but everyone seemed to like them because it was 100 times better than being called a number.

It only took five days to travel from Sichuan to Shaanxi, a journey made possible because they were all children with the capabilities of top-class warriors.

Yu Jinsan temporarily entrusted his granddaughter with leading the children and quickly made his way to Ho County.

There, he found numerous large and small sects of the Evil Faction scattered about.

His first stop was, naturally, the Defeating Blade Clan, where the leader of Ho County resided.

“Hello, Elder!”

They were greeted by a bald warrior of the clan as they entered.

Yu Jinsan nodded, his face breaking into a smile.

“Right, it’s been so long. Is my younger brother here now?”

During their last visit, Baek Gyu mentioned he would be attacking the Murim Alliance’s branch; it was time for him to have returned by now.

“Yes, Elder. I will take you.”

He was relieved that things were proceeding as expected. Otherwise, he would have had to resort to the best possible solution.

Before they arrived at the location, Baek Cheon came out to greet him first.

“Hyung! Did Seol come? Is everything alright? Was your trip to Sichuan successful?”

“She is on her way now. Before that, I have matters to discuss with you.”

“Let’s head inside; I have a lot to talk about as well.”

After a while, the two sat across from each other in the office, ready to delve into their discussions.

“Let’s start. What happened with the Murim Alliance’s attack? With all the Evil Faction warriors out in force, they should have been easily wiped out, right?”

“At first, we thought so. Until those people showed up.”

“Those people? Are you telling me you lost then?”

He naturally couldn’t understand.

Hadn’t the Black Cat’s Sect Leader and the Evil Way Alliance Leader stepped forward?

He had expected it to be a force capable of inflicting significant damage, even if it faced attacks by officials rather than the Murim Alliance’s assaults.

Baek Gyu, the person directly involved, seemed shocked.

“At first, everything was going according to plan, but then a bunch of unprecedented warriors poured out from somewhere. That’s why we had to retreat without being able to fight properly.”

“Could it be that the Blue Dragon Troops have shown themselves to the public?”

“Right. Those kids had masks and dragons carved on their heads. Why did the Justice Faction have to keep them hidden until now…?”

When cornered, the troops showed up.

Their purpose wasn’t to target the Evil Faction or anything similar.

According to Won Gang, whom Yu Jinsan met in the Shaolin Temple, they were supposed to block the force from ancient India.

But Yu Jinsan wasn’t interested in things like ancient India.

“Anyway, leave those guys to us. I will definitely find and destroy them all.”

“I feel confident with Hyung on our side, but still, be careful. No matter how strong the Yin Monster, our pretty niece, is, she wouldn’t be able to handle too many of them. Our Alliance Leader also retreated after capturing three of them.”

Yu Jinsan answered softly, with a meaningful smile.

“From now on, they are the ones who should watch out because Seol isn’t what she used to be.”

Baek Gyu opened his eyes wide, looking surprised.

“You’re saying she got stronger in the meantime?”

“By a lot. But how many people showed up there?”

“Twelve people, and each one of them was at the level of warriors from a certain sect.”

“Hmm. Then, it should be fine. Even the prospective Blue Dragon Troops members, who are less than 10 years old, are great warriors.”

Baek Gyu tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand what that meant.

“Those guys are already a pain in the ass, but you’re saying the Blue Dragon Troops has a separate reserve?

“Right. There were children being secretly trained in the Murim Alliance, committing all sorts of bad acts in the name of the Justice Faction.”

“Why are you telling me such important information only now?”

“We haven’t had the time to talk. It was just information I got from the Shaolin monk I met in the cave, but I wasn’t sure until I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Please speak in detail. I am dying of curiosity.”

Yu Jinsan recounted the events on Mount Emei.

For the first time, he ventured in without Yu Seol’s assistance.

As soon as he finished speaking, Baek Gyu clutched his stomach.

It was the reaction Yu Jinsan had anticipated. As the commander of the Evil Way Alliance, the misfortune of the Murim Alliance brought him joy.

“Puahahaha! Hahahaha! I’ve never heard such a refreshing story in my life. For the first time, those high-and-mighty noses of theirs must have been brought low!”

“Hmm. Indeed.”

“But is it true that our Seol killed Do Hye with her bare hands? The infamous bhikkhuni, rumored to be the sect’s disgrace?”

“Have I ever lied to you? Even the elders of the Emei Sect were taken aback.”

Baek Gyu’s joy was palpable as he shook his clenched fists.

“Haha! It seems there is finally hope for our Evil Faction. I was on the brink of despair, suffocated by their dominance.”

When did his granddaughter become a beacon for the Evil Faction?

The idea of a girl less than 10 years old being the hope for the Evil Faction was absurd.

‘Well, she has been going around claiming she is part of the Evil Faction, so I can’t really say anything now.’

Yu Jinsan simply laughed it off.

“Well, Seol is on her way here with the kids.”

“Hyung, bring in as many as you want. I’ll even expand the family’s manor to accommodate those kids.”

From the clan’s perspective, this was a welcome development.

Though they were merely children, each possessed skills on par with the finest warriors.

Even if they were only offered shelter as guests, the clan would benefit from their presence.

“I haven’t yet mentioned entrusting the kids to you. How could I consider imposing such a burden on you?”

“Whatever do you mean, Hyung? In Ho County, if it isn’t our clan, then which clan could protect those kids from the Justice Faction? Just bring them here.”

It was the response he expected and hoped for.

Baek Gyu held a stable position in the Evil Way Alliance and was in charge of the four clans in Ho County. In terms of connections, there was no safer place than this.

“Before that, there is a favor I would like to ask.”

“Are we strangers? Just ask away.”

Yu Jinsan nodded, smiling.

“Isn’t Murim a place where you can only step foot but never leave? It would be impossible for those kids to have a normal life now. However, I hope you will take care of them so they don’t face hardships until they become adults. They are pitiful kids who don’t yet have families.”

“How many years have you and Seol spent in our clan? Do you still not know me?”

Just one word was enough. Hadn’t he and his granddaughter been living here for more than five years? Looking back, their lives here were worry-free.

During those years, Baek Gyu never once asked for help in battle. No, he was the one who told them to run first if an invasion ever came.

“How could we not know? So, I thought this was the only place.”

“The guys here are lonely too, so it’s a good thing. I think it would be fine to pair them up with us.”

Perhaps due to the side effects of the martial arts of the clan, it wasn’t easy for the warriors to have children.

Maybe that was the reason he remembered how everyone treated his granddaughter like a niece.

“Right, that is a good idea. Then I will just trust you and leave the matter to you.”

“Don’t worry, just watch. Anyway, seeing the commotion outside, it seems like they have arrived.”

As soon as he said that, the door burst open.

“Uncle Baek Gyu!!”

Yu Seol rushed in, her long hair flying behind her.

Caught off guard by her sudden entrance, Baek Gyu raised both hands in a defensive gesture because Yu Seol was raising her fist.

“Yah!”

Tatatal!

It was their usual prank greeting.

Since there was no qi involved, there was no harm done, but Baek Gyu was quite taken aback.

She punched dozens of times in a single breath. It was a flurry of movements that even he, skilled and on the verge of becoming a Grandmaster, couldn’t handle.

After their unique greeting, Baek Gyu grabbed Yu Seol by the side and lifted her up.

“Oh my, if you spar with Uncle now, Uncle will surely be defeated.”

“Hehe, Uncle. I brought my friends over.”

“Right. You did well. Let’s go and give them a warm welcome.”