What A Windfall. (2)

Until now, I had hardly asked about the Evil Sect Alliance leader. Baek Gyu might have been uncomfortable, being a senior of the Evil Sect Alliance.

But things were different now. He must have asked her permission beforehand.

Yu Jinsan openly asked the questions that had been bothering him.

“I’ve wondered for a long time. What is the relationship between the Murim Alliance leader and the Evil Sect Alliance leader?”

They were figures representing the Justice Faction and the Evil faction.

But he had only heard rumors of a bitter history for years; he didn’t know the details.

Baek Gyu replied with a sly smile.

“I only heard it directly from the Alliance leader recently. It’s quite an entertaining anecdote; you might be surprised.”

“Now I’m even more curious if you say so. Do tell.”

Baek Gyu hesitated a moment, then spoke in a low, whispering voice.

“Actually… our Alliance leader and the Murim Alliance leader are sworn siblings.”

Yu Jinsan nearly had his eyes pop out.

Leaders of the Justice Faction and the Heterodox factions as sworn siblings; it was unthinkable.

Moreover, the Murim Alliance leader’s sect was from Emei Sect, and she currently held the status of the sect leader.

“How on earth is that possible?”

“It may be hard to believe, but our Alliance leader was also once a bhikkhuni of Emei Sect.”

It was so absurd it left him speechless.

He considered that Baek Gyu might be teasing him, but that seemed unlikely.

The chief member of the Evil Sect Alliance wouldn’t prank about the Alliance leader.

“So a bhikkhuni betrayed her sect and became the Evil Sect Alliance leader representing the Heterodox factions?”

“Well, sects are different. I heard she ran away from the Emei sect when she was very young.”

Yu Jinsan, showing interest, urged Baek Gyu on.

“How did that happen? What could the story possibly be?”

Baek Gyu’s face wore a bitter smile.

“The Alliance leader was an orphan taken in as the youngest by an elder of Emei sect when she was a child. Back then she was bullied by the current Murim Alliance leader.”

Yu Jinsan clicked his tongue sympathetically.

“Tsk tsk. Rather than care for a young disciple, she bullied her.”

“Not just bullying; she dragged her cronies and beat her all day, they say.”

“Goodness. Did the masters just stand by and watch?”

Baek Gyu scoffed as he answered.

“Don’t even mention it. She was a scoundrel no one in the sect dared touch.”

“Still, how bad was it for a bhikkhuni to earn such a derogatory label?”

“If things went wrong, she’d secretly have the disciples beaten to a pulp. The humiliation was unbearable.”

If true, it would have been hard to admit being beaten by a disciple; the shame would be unbearable if it became known.

Only those involved would truly know the inner details.

And one more question about this still remained.

“Is that even possible? You’re saying she overwhelmed the martial arts of a higher generation?”

“She was said to be the most gifted martial artist in Emei Sect’s history, favored by the sect head.”

“Talent is one thing, but how could such a child lack basic character…”

“At that time the Emei sect was in decline and couldn’t produce skilled warriors, so they were desperate.”

A sect’s prestige is determined by the caliber of warriors it produces.

It seems the sect leader’s ambition clouded her judgment.

“If even the sect leader backed her, she would have prospered greatly.”

“It is said that even as a second-generation disciple she mastered all the Emei Sect’s techniques and inherited secret doctrines.”

Her past was astonishing, yet that was all; nothing truly exceptional.

In terms of raw talent, she didn’t even compare to Yu Seol.

“Being tormented by such a cruel person, I’d have run away too. But she was young then; how did she grow into such a warrior?”

“She befriended two companions and trained with them. Do you know who they were?”

Yu Jinsan had his suspicions; he had vaguely heard something when he met the Evil Sect Alliance leader last time.

“The Sword Empress and the head of the Black Cat Sect, I suppose.”

All three were renowned warriors who had shaken the murim world.

The Sword Empress Soso, once considered the top warrior, retired to Tianzhu, and Baek Sang, head of the Black Cat Sect, was a legendary assassin.

He wondered about their pasts and who had taught them, but Baek Gyu didn’t seem to know the details either.

“Correct. In any case, they and the Murim Alliance leader remained bitter rivals.”

She once briefly saw Hwa Ryeong, the Emei sect leader, at the Sword Empress’s retirement ceremony.

She wore a blindfold over one eye; the murim world was rife with rumors that it was a wound inflicted by the Sword Empress.

“Then she must have investigated thoroughly and knows better than anyone; her martial level and such?”

So far it had been merely past history.

This question was the one he was most curious about.

“The Alliance leader said… that recently she seems to have entered the Profound Realm.”

It would be shocking news for the Evil factions, which is why they were keeping it quiet.

Yu Jinsan had suspected as much, so he wasn’t surprised.

He only wanted confirmation.

“As I thought. Then we’ll need to prepare more thoroughly.”

“I agree with you, brother. Charging in blindly would be suicide.”

Yu Jinsan took the teacup his granddaughter handed him and drank.

It tasted sweet; apparently honey had been added.

“For now, that’s enough information about the Murim Alliance leader. We’ll have to consider our future plans.”

“I’m glad it helped. By the way, brother, there’s a strange rumor going around the martial world these days.”

“A strange rumor?”

“A tremendous warrior has appeared in Tianzhu and is challenging warriors across the lands.”

He had already heard that fearsome masters existed in Tianzhu.

And that they might be targeting the martial world of the Central Plains.

He didn’t know the details, but the feeling was ominous.

“Alone?”

“Yes. He’s been called a ‘Blood Death Guest’ for leaving blood and death in his wake.”

“Is he that strong? Strong enough that you should be on your guard?”

“According to information from the Black Night Clan, they even took down Tang Yuk-cheon, the top warrior of the Tang Family, and the clan leader of the Hegemon Strength Sect. And that’s not all.”

Baek Gyu listed those who had been challenged and killed by him.

Among them were men who had ruled as local overlords.

It was undeniably shocking.

And his motives were deeply curious.

To suddenly appear and seek out warriors everywhere; and alone.

Could they be gauging the strength here ahead of an invasion?

Something seemed amiss.

“Do you know where he is now?”

“Putting together where they appeared, it seems they are heading toward Kunlun Mountain.”

Kunlun Mountain is home to the Kunlun Martial Emperor. Would he dare to fight him?

Even if he had been defeated by a granddaughter, he was still counted among the Ten Great Masters.

If even he were taken down, all orders—righteous or otherwise—would descend into chaos.

Though it wasn’t directly related to them, it was a troubling issue to ignore.

“If he appears in Shaanxi, let me know.”

Baek Gyu asked with a puzzled expression.

“Hyung, you usually don’t care about anyone unless they’re tied to your revenge, do you?”

“That’s true. I didn’t want to get involved in other matters; I’m tired of the martial world.”

“Then why take an interest in the Blood Death Guest?”

“If that guy comes near, how safe would the Defeating Blade Clan be? I don’t want to see my family get hurt.”

Baek Gyu was touched but also confident.

“Only our brother would say that. But don’t worry too much; I’m not that weak either.”

“Do you think I don’t know? Still, be sure to tell me.”

“Understood. But come with Seol when you come. If you come alone to help, we could all die.”

At that moment Yu Jinsan and Baek Gyu burst into laughter together.

“Well, I didn’t know you had a talent for making people laugh.”

“Ha ha! I’m more witty than my looks suggest.”

Yu Jinsan laughed again, holding his belly.

He continued chatting idly with Baek Gyu for a while.

Only after a meal’s worth of time did he dust himself off and stand.

“Thanks for the tea, hyung.”

At that moment a small shadow darted toward Baek Gyu like lightning.

“Uncle Baek Gyu, are you leaving already?”

It was Yu Seol. Wherever she’d been, she appeared as if she knew exactly when they were leaving.

Baek Gyu was not ignorant of what that meant.

“Now wait a moment~”

He rummaged through his pouch and pulled out a whole bundle of coins.

“Here, pocket money for my niece!”

Yu Seol hugged Baek Gyu’s waist with an innocent smile.

“Heehee. Thanks, uncle~”

“Alright. Train hard, but visit the Defeating Blade Clan often too.”

“Okay~”

Even after Baek Gyu left, Yu Seol delighted in the bundle of coins.

Watching her, Yu Jinsan shot a comment.

“You’re practically robbing your uncle. That’s not allowed.”

“Our family store has no money now. This is just borrowed. I’ll earn it back and return it later, so it’s fine.”

“How will you manage that?”

“Just watch~ I’ll become rich.”

Yu Jinsan looked up at the sky and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk. Your mother and father weren’t like that; who did you take after…?”

“I must take after Grandpa.”

He couldn’t outargue his undefeated granddaughter.

He sighed and changed the subject.

“By the way, settling our grudges won’t be easy now. It’ll be difficult for a while.”

“They say the Murim Alliance leader has entered the ranks of the Profound Realm.”

That meant she could become a threat to his granddaughter.

So he planned not to act until they had a clear chance of victory.

But Yu Seol’s thoughts were completely different.

“Wow~ Really? I want to meet and fight her soon.”

There was no hint of tension; instead, she seemed excited.

Her reaction left him astonished.

“Not yet.”

“Why? Do you think I’ll lose?”

“It’s too dangerous now. The Murim Alliance leader will have many warriors nearby her. At least not until you can use the Air Spear Technique freely.”

Air Spear Technique. Equated with the Air Sword technique, this realm is the highest level of martial arts, imbuing weapons with qi to control them freely in the air.

If the Murim Alliance leader had reached the Profound Realm, his granddaughter would need at least the Air Spear Technique to be safe.

“Then if I master the Air Spear Technique, will you let me meet the Murim Alliance leader?”

Perhaps because his words were so firm, Yu Seol’s desire to train flared up for once.

“Alright. I’ll consider it.”

“Okay. Just wait a bit.”

She had made some progress but could still only control very light objects.

Martial arts wouldn’t be perfected overnight.

Yet she went to the training ground as if it would be done immediately, which made him smile.

After watching his granddaughter’s back intently, Yu Jinsan headed off alone somewhere.

‘And I should be strong enough to contribute as well.’

He couldn’t leave the family’s revenge solely to his granddaughter.

He, too, must diligently train to reach the ranks of an absolute warrior.

A little later he stopped at the entrance to the mountain path outside the manor.

‘A sealed demon’s power… Let’s see what that force can do.’

Standing before a massive old tree, he slowly rolled up his left sleeve.