I Am The Chief Of This Place. (2)

The leader of the resistance introduced himself as Il Kwang.

He looked nothing like what I had imagined.

Yu Jinsan had never seen anyone so massive and fierce until now.

Not even Baek Gyu of the Defeating Blade Clan compared.

Good heavens. Someone with a weak heart would have a fit just seeing his face.

Despite that terrifying visage, his personality was unexpectedly jovial.

It remained to be seen after more interaction, but my first impression was that he seemed trustworthy.

“I am known in the murim world as the Yang Monster.”

“Welcome, Great Warrior. This place isn’t safe—let’s go to headquarters and talk.”

Yu Jinsan was dumbfounded.

The proposal was absurd.

“How can you trust someone you’ve just met and insist on taking them straight to headquarters?”

Above all, he hadn’t asked anything about him—not where he had come from or for what purpose.

“What does it matter if you trust me or not? We’ll learn more once we talk.”

His tone implied confidence in their defenses—enough to subdue anyone who arrived with ill intent.

Il Kwang led the way, followed by Yu Jinsan and Im Pyeong-il.

Il Kwang’s broad, sturdy back looked as massive as Mount Tai, yet he moved with featherlight footwork. The subtle aura and raw intimidation he radiated matched the top ten warriors of the murim world.

How could such an extraordinary warrior be hiding on this island?

Someone of Il Kwang’s caliber would be hard to match even in the wider martial world.

So far, only the renegade monk Jeong Hye had guessed at a glance that he was an old man who had undergone Age Reinformation. Such tremendous presence now emanated from Il Kwang.

The most puzzling thing was that such a powerful figure was hiding here.

What kind of formidable people could be within the barrier? It was impossible to understand.

This seems to have gone awry. It won’t be easy.

The Water Battle King Jeon Sa-ryong, who had stained the southern murim world with blood, needed to be reconsidered as a whole.

As he followed Il Kwang, Yu Jinsan kept tilting his head; the surrounding terrain felt unusual.

Could it be that a Qimen formation was in place?

A Qimen formation uses objects to weave a barrier; trapped inside, one might see illusions or lose all sense of direction. It was so seamless you could miss it unless you were paying attention.

The deeper they went, the more astonished he became. Ambushes and traps formed an airtight defensive posture.

If one stormed in recklessly, even someone in the Supreme realm couldn’t get out alive.

After a moment, Il Kwang stopped walking.

On closer inspection, a hole was concealed in the bushes ahead.

“Here we are. I’ll go in first—follow me.”

After saying that, he leapt and dropped into the hole.

Watching him, Yu Jinsan followed silently and hurled himself in.

Thud!

Yu Jinsan was considerably surprised upon entering the lava cave’s interior. It was far more spacious and comfortable than it looked from outside.

Drops of water fell from stalactites and pooled on the floor; drinking water wasn’t a concern here. And unlike the hot, humid climate outside, the cave’s temperature was cool.

Our Yu Seol would be delighted at how cool it is when she comes.

Thinking of his granddaughter, Yu Jinsan couldn’t help but smile.

Im Pyeong-il matched his pace and asked beside him, “How is it?”

“I’ve never seen such a large cave. I like that it’s not cramped.”

“You’ll be even more surprised soon. We’ve expanded the interior a bit.”

The more he looked, the more he admired it.

Around the deep passage, numerous rooms like an anthill had been carved out for various purposes: warriors training with swords, women doing laundry and preparing food, even livestock.

If not for being in a cave, it could almost be called a village.

Everyone who met Il Kwang greeted him with delighted faces.

“Hello, Chief!”

“Did you return from patrol?”

“Haha! Everything okay?”

Contrary to his fierce look, no one feared Il Kwang; he was very popular.

He, walking at the front, waved one hand.

“Alright, everyone, thank you for your hard work!”

It was a world completely different from the hideout where his granddaughter was staying—not as lively as the outside world, perhaps, but full of life. Everyone’s faces looked relaxed.

So it was no wonder Im Pyeong-il wanted to bring the hideout’s residents here.

After advancing another hundred paces or so, Il Kwang finally stopped.

“This is where we command our operations. Come in.”

It was another small passage beside the central corridor. Inside, a room had been expanded into existence.

Within sat a stone table and chairs. In the innermost part, a woman was seated—an elegant woman whose antique appearance didn’t quite fit the surroundings.

Il Kwang, who entered first, smiled at her and called out.

“Wife, take a look who we’ve brought! A very precious guest from the mainland has come.”

She rose and slightly bowed.

“I am Yeon Cho-hee, in charge of general affairs.”

“I am Yang Monster.”

After brief introductions, Il Kwang grinned and gestured left and right.

“Now, everyone sit and listen. We’d like to hear why a master like the Yang Monster Great Hero has come all the way here.”

Im Pyeong-il sat beside Yu Jinsan, and across from them sat Il Kwang and his wife Yeon Cho-hee.

There was no reason to hide the purpose of coming here.

“I heard the strongest master of the southern martial world is on this island. I came to find out who the world’s best is.”

Il Kwang narrowed his sparrow-like eyes and pointed at the ceiling.

“Do you mean the one up there?”

“Yes. The Water Battle King, Jeon Sa-ryong.”

Il Kwang sighed for a moment, then spoke with a grave expression.

“Let me say in advance, I have no intention of disrespecting you, Great Hero. I’m not one to speak around the point.”

“Then what is it you want to say?”

After a pause, Il Kwang lowered his voice.

“Don’t even dream of fighting Jeon Sa-ryong. That creature was not human.”

“Have you fought him before?”

Rumor had it that no one had ever endured even one of Jeon Sa-ryong’s blows. If the rumors were true, Il Kwang might be the only one who had faced him.

Yu Jinsan grew curious about the story.

“It’s awkward to say I fought him… but I did run away once.”

After finishing, Il Kwang began to strip off his ragged upper garment.

As he examined Il Kwang’s torso, Yu Jinsan showed a look of surprise.

“…?”

He wasn’t surprised by the fierce muscles; it was the red handprint imprinted on Il Kwang’s right chest. It looked like an old wound, but the skin still hadn’t healed.

“It’s a wound I received back then, and it’s been like this ever since.”

“What kind of martial art caused that?”

No matter how he thought about it, Yu Jinsan couldn’t guess the technique. It leaned toward demonic arts, yet it didn’t fit any he knew.

“I don’t know exactly. To me, the techniques that creature used didn’t seem to be from the Central Plains.”

The creature’s origin wasn’t the immediate concern. What troubled him most was that Il Kwang had barely escaped.

“…Hm.”

While he pondered, Il Kwang quietly made a suggestion.

“It’ll be too much alone, so fight alongside us. We’ll lend you strength to catch that thing.”

Yu Jinsan listened quietly and shook his head.

“It only matters if we fight one-on-one. Only then is one worthy of being the Supreme.”

Il Kwang sighed, exasperated.

“I respect your resolve, but as I said, even if you and I attack together, subduing that thing won’t be easy.”

He had completely misunderstood Yu Jinsan’s words.

“I never said I would fight.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Il Kwang’s face filled with questions.

Then Im Pyeong-il, who had been listening beside them, explained on Yu Jinsan’s behalf.

“Chief. The Yang Monster Great Hero did not come here alone.”

“So you have companions?”

“Yes. The Yin Monster Great Hero came with him and is currently protecting the hideout near Hangam Lake.”

Il Kwang, who had felt as if the whole world had arrived with just Yu Jinsan, was thrilled. He could hardly contain his joy at the news of one more reliable ally.

“Is that true, Brother Im? You mean the Yin Monster Great Hero is as strong as the Yang Monster warrior?”

“I saw him beat three red-clothed enemies to death with his bare hands myself.”

At that moment Il Kwang sprang to his feet, bouncing his shoulders and dancing.

“Hahaha! Uhahaha! Finally, hope appears for us too!”

“C-Chief.”

Even as Im Pyeong-il tried to stop him, he couldn’t stop laughing. Only when his wife Yeon Cho-hee gave him a look did he calm down.

“S-sorry. I behaved disgracefully without realizing it.”

Who would have thought their chief could be so simple and pure.

He probably handled military force while his wife took care of organizational management.

In any case, Yu Jinsan liked Il Kwang’s honest, easygoing nature.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry. But there are things to do before we strike them.”

The first was to join up with the granddaughter guarding the hideout. Given Yu Seol’s nature, she would likely be blocking the path right now and wouldn’t budge.

At that, Im Pyeong-il, who was watching, added an explanation.

“I mean merging the western hideout into this place.”

Yeon Cho-hee, who had been watching silently, spoke for the first time.

“We had been worried about that too, but an enemy outpost arose at the midpoint, so we couldn’t even attempt it.”

Yu Jinsan nodded as if he understood.

“I saw it on the way here. But once you make a plan, it’s just a matter of doing it.”

“Do you perhaps have a suggestion?”

It was something he had been pondering all the way here.

His gaze turned to the top of the stone table at the center. It wasn’t a simple table—the map of the island, including the hideouts, was engraved there.

“All the hideout’s residents must move quickly at once.”

“Exactly. If our intent is discovered, their vigilance will only increase.”

Nodding, Yu Jinsan drew a line with his index finger between the hideout marked on the map and the headquarters.

“But it would take half a day by the residents’ pace to get here. No matter what method, they couldn’t maintain formation intact for such a long time.”

“Are you saying we must accept some sacrifices?”

Yu Jinsan firmly shook his head.

“Swift warriors will have to carry them on their backs. If litters are made, a few people could move many.”

“But that would reduce escort forces, making it harder to break through the outpost.”

Of course, Yu Jinsan had considered that problem.

His finger pointed to the enemy outpost engraved on the stone table.

“How about this: Chief Il Kwang lures the nearby warriors to one place. If the chief appears alone, they’ll stubbornly decide to chase.”

Il Kwang watched indifferently, but Yeon Cho-hee asked with a worried look.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to go alone? Their strength there hasn’t been ascertained yet.”

“It’s not that dangerous. You only need to gather them in one place. No matter how many masters come, Yin Monster will subdue them all.”

“…What? Is that possible?”

Yu Jinsan nodded without the slightest hesitation, then began to explain the next steps.