Something To Congratulate (3)

Yu Jinsan headed to the Dongchun market with around 30 warriors.

He moved with his granddaughter sleeping on his back, believing that it was the safest place for her in all of Kangho. Therefore, he couldn’t leave the child alone unless it was absolutely necessary.

When they arrived at the location, about twice as many people were already waiting.

Everyone looked the same, no matter who they were: bald warriors with their shirts off. It was impossible to tell who belonged to the clan and who was from the alliance.

“You came, Hyung?”

Jang Ryang, the Alliance Leader, stood shoulder to shoulder next to Baek Gyu, who approached with a smile.

He laughed upon seeing the new dynamic between the two, which had been too chaotic a couple of days ago and was now overly affectionate.

“There have been a lot of hardships, and I think it would be best to leave quickly before they get prepared.”

“Right, we should hurry up and end this.”

Unlike the calm Baek Gyu, Jang Ryang seemed a bit nervous. He carefully observed Yu Jinsan’s expression and added a word.

“Now that you are here, there is no need to worry. Please go quickly and suppress all of their mean and evil leaders.”

“Me? Why?”

Jang Ryang tilted his head, confused by Yu Jinsan’s words.

“…Uh?”

“I am just going to take a look.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

While Jang Ryang was flustered, Baek Gyu watched silently and turned back.

Then Yeo Il, the Elder of the alliance, approached and bowed his head.

“If the Elder, who entered the Grandmaster stage, steps forward, we can easily avoid any bloodshed. Please.”

“Grandmaster? Who?”

Shock crossed Yeo Il’s face, as he thought Yu Jinsan had been kidding until now.

“We all know it. The Elder possesses these unparalleled skills. When you arrive at our target, please display them.”

Yu Jinsan gazed toward the distant mountain and said,

“I never said I was a Grandmaster.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Didn’t we just talk about that? I mean, no, I am just a helpless old man.”

Elder Yeo Il’s eyes trembled at that moment!

Looking at Jang Ryang, who was listening next to him, he noticed his face had gone pale.

“We trusted only the Elder and put everything on the line. You can’t possibly say it was all wrong. That can’t be right, can it? Clan Leader Baek…”

Jang Ryang’s words trailed off in shock.

Baek Gyu, who had been by his side until that moment, was nowhere to be seen. Jang Ryang was too shocked to realize the man had left the room.

Oddly enough, he seemed to have vanished among the subordinates gathered around.

Jang Ryang grasped his chest, unable to believe what had happened, and Elder Yeo Il was just as incredulous.

“Then what about the martial arts skills you displayed at the alliance? You clearly demonstrated techniques that only a Grandmaster could execute.”

“Odd. I don’t recall using any martial arts that day.”

Now that he thought about it, it was strange.

The qi that the Elder possessed that day was unusual, and now there was something uncomfortable about its flow.

There were aspects of it that felt so odd now, which left Yeo Il feeling confused.

“Everyone witnessed it at the alliance. Who, if not the Elder, could have performed those feats?”

At that moment, the image of a girl behind the old man came to mind.

“Seol is awake.”

Yu Seol was making eye contact with Yeo Il, her expression grave.

“…?”

The absurdity didn’t end there.

Yeo Il couldn’t believe what the child said, but he couldn’t make sense of the situation either.

During that moment of confusion, a thought flashed through his mind.

‘We’ve been tricked, damn it.’

Although he couldn’t fully grasp it, he could sense that he had been deceived. It was clear that Baek Gyu was involved.

What was even more absurd was that there was no turning back now. Now that they had sided with Baek Gyu’s clan, how could they approach the Killing Blood clan for help?

At that time, words from the Alliance Leader flowed into his ears.

-I am shocked too, but it doesn’t matter since our situation is advantageous.“

By easily suppressing the surprise attack of the Killing Blood clan, they had gained the upper hand, and now that things were like this, the alliance would have to proceed straight ahead.

Yeo Il sighed and nodded.

-Let us trust in Clan Leader Baek. Maybe we don’t need to take any further action.

-It could be so. Because he is an incredibly strong person.

As they talked, they formulated their plan.

And they had already started to march.

Jang Ryang and Yeo Il followed behind, leading their men with slumped shoulders.

And Yu Jinsan held back his laughter as he moved to the back of the line.

‘They were going to follow along obediently anyway.’

In his eyes, the high-ranking executives appeared almost endearing.

About a hundred warriors moved in formation.

It was rare for such a large number of warriors to gather, and the village residents were all stirring and vacating the place.

After the sun had set a bit, the procession finally reached its destination.

Two guards at the gate watched the procession with stern faces.

“…What brings you here?”

What need was there to answer that? This was a fact that everyone already knew.

A muscular warrior holding a twin sword in both hands took the lead. The brilliant sunlight reflected off the blade and dazzled the guards.

“You people, Baek Gyu Hyung is here!”

The guards were frightened at this.

With more than a hundred people behind him sporting the same determined look, it was natural for them to be frightened.

“I-I will open the gate.”

“Please enter.”

Baek Gyu passed between them as if he were accustomed to such receptions. They must have also heard about the procession, so they let them in without resistance.

As expected, all the members of the Killing Blood clan were gathered in the front yard of the manor, waiting.

About 40 warriors dressed in red uniforms, and a similar number of people in black, were lined up to surround them.

Although the force wasn’t small, their overall number was still greater than that of the Killing Blood clan.

“Ehh, Cheon Su! How have you been?”

It seemed both clan leaders knew each other.

The clan leader of the Killing Blood clan frowned at the sight of Baek Gyu approaching.

“How could a guy like you, a Clan Leader, sell out your dignity? Looking at what you are doing, it seems there is no such thing as a discipline of leadership.”

Baek Gyu placed the twin swords he held in both hands behind his neck and grinned.

“For the Evil Sect, there is no such thing as dignity in life. So, what now? I think we have an advantage.”

Cheon Su seemed to be in deep thought as he compared the strength of both sides and asked,

“Before that, I have a question to ask. Not only did you capture the alliance, but you even laid a trap to lure us in? How could you, an ignorant fool, do something like this?”

Wasn’t Baek Gyu someone who rushed ahead without thinking? His clan was the same, so Cheon Su knew their nature and was aware that this couldn’t be their doing.

He never, for a moment, thought that such a day would even come.

“I have a Hyung.”

Baek Gyu’s gaze was directed to the far corner of the back row.

There was an old man there, carrying a child on his back, holding a bamboo hat, and clutching a spear.

Cheon Su, who had no way of knowing the identity of Yu Jinsan, was confused.

“Are you saying you brought outsiders into the matters of Ho County?”

“If you think about it, one can’t necessarily be considered an outsider. Because he is like family to us. Anyway, we have a score to settle, right?”

Bald, shirtless warriors lined up behind Baek Gyu, forming a line. It was meant to signal that they were ready to charge at any time as soon as an order was given.

Of course, everyone knew that it was just a posture and that it couldn’t actually lead the group into battle.

The purpose was simply to determine the ruler of Ho County. There was no need for this, as it wasn’t about the destruction of the opposing force.

Cheon Su, who had no choice, slowly stepped forward with his sword drawn.

“I am not the person I used to be.”

Cheon Su, the Clan Leader, was also a Peak master like Baek Gyu.

Although he was not one to be easily met, there wasn’t a trace of tension on Baek Gyu’s face.

“You are the same as before, Cheon Su. You begged me to spare you about 20 years ago.”

Both clan leaders were natives of Ho County and had been rivals since childhood.

Despite being from the same place, they frequently fought, and the spars were always one-sided.

When Baek Gyu brought up a memory Cheon Su wished to forget, irritation flared within him.

“It looks like you really want to die today…”

“Even bad luck is all fate. If you give up now, out of respect for the past, your life will be spared. But if you attack, then you die for sure. I am not one to give in.”

Cheon Su’s worries didn’t last long.

His ambition was not small enough to compromise his will.

Hadn’t he constantly honed his skills, hoping for sweet revenge one day?

The tip of the sword he held pointed directly at Baek Gyu’s throat.

“I am the Evil Ways Light Sword, and today, on behalf of my clan, I will defeat you and take over the Strong Blade clan!”

Baek Gyu sighed as if disappointed and then shook his head, taking long strides.

A moment later, the distance between the two had narrowed to less than 25 feet when Baek Gyu’s body vanished.

Before anyone could react, he had appeared beside Cheon Su, striking down with the sword in his right hand.

Thud!

With this loud, explosive sound, Cheon Su was pushed back. The energy released was so potent that he felt a gust of qi.

The spectators watched, shocked and sweating, at the display of sheer power.

“Then you need to die.”

Baek Gyu’s face had transformed. Now, it resembled the devil’s. The sight of him devoid of humor was terrifying.

As the two continued their confrontation, a full-scale battle erupted.

Clang! Clang!

The sword and blade clashed, their forces emitting brilliant light with every impact.

Cheon Su’s swift swordplay was astounding, and Baek Gyu’s twin-blade technique was equally formidable.

Those watching maintained their distance to avoid the impact of their qi.

It was a fierce fight; neither gave an inch. Despite the intensity, the battle’s pace accelerated at an astonishing rate.

Yu Jinsan, observing the duel, felt a flicker of interest.

“Seol.”

Yu Seol was peering over his shoulder.

“Uh?”

“It is rare for skilled warriors to clash. This spectacle is worth seeing, child, and a valuable lesson as well. Who do you think will win?”

Yu Seol, eyes shining as she watched the battle, replied without hesitation.

“Hairless Mister will win.”

“Then cover your eyes for a moment. Grandpa needs to verify if what you said is correct.”

“Okay~.”

Yu Seol buried her face in her grandfather’s shoulder.

Moments later, the sound of something being severed echoed.

Slash!