Need To Leave Secretly (1)

Yu Jinsan looked at the Evil King Plaque he had just received as a gift from the leader of the Evil Way Alliance.

The jade tablet was roughly made and was as small as the palm of his hand. It looked unremarkable at first glance.

“So what now?”

“It might be a bit unfamiliar to you since you come from the Justice Faction, but there is no way a person from an Evil Faction wouldn’t recognize this.”

“Hmm. It does seem to be an item of great value.”

“Haha! This is something that cannot be bought, even if you offer a thousand gold coins. It is the highest honorary plaque given to a hero of the Evil Faction.”

Why was he handing such an honorary plaque to him?

Were they trying to put a leash on him? He wasn’t even sure if he liked this job.

“Why do I need this plaque?”

“You see, this is a mere prop. An Evil Faction warrior of the alliance must cooperate in some way with the person who possesses this.”

In that case, it was no different from saying that he had the power any Clan Leader had.

This power and strength could work with any Evil Faction member. And as Baek Gyu had said, it was clearly an item of value that couldn’t be exchanged for money.

However, it wasn’t a pleasant experience for Yu Jinsan. Becoming a member of the Evil Faction wasn’t even in his plans.

If he accepted this, his actions would be restricted to one side. Rather, it would be a mess for him.

“I am not a member of your faction, though. From now on, I will not take a side.”

“This is just a gift. Why do you have to put so much meaning into it? There are no conditions attached. This is a gift given in good faith.”

Yu Jinsan thought for a moment while clutching the plaque.

But he still couldn’t accept it.

Who was the Evil Way Alliance Leader? He was the Supreme Leader of the Evil Faction, and he was a man on the same level as the Murim Alliance. Ignoring his sincerity could cause problems.

He made up his mind and took the plaque in his hand.

“I-I will take your word for it, but I will not use it.”

If he used this plaque to influence the sects, he would acknowledge himself as a member of the Evil Faction.

Rather, he didn’t even know if that was what the Evil Way Alliance Leader wanted. How could one not covet the warrior who defeated Moyong Seong?

But Yu Jinsan wasn’t one to be coveted.

“No one is forcing you to do anything, so you can do whatever you want. Whether you use it or not is up to you. Well, if you are fine, how about taking a walk with me?”

“Right. The bed sure gets uncomfortable after a while.”

Yu Jinsan and Baek Gyu got up and came out.

When the warriors who brought the news returned, there was no one nearby. Although the manor was full of activity, it was quiet in places like the training hall and a few others. This could be because many were killed or wounded.

Yu Jinsan felt bad and clicked his tongue.

“Too many… died in vain.”

“If we hadn’t been careful, we would have all been wiped out. To me, this is a good save. There is nothing to be sad about as long as we live well and honor the memory of those who died.”

“But your face doesn’t show it.”

How could Baek Gyu ever be at ease?

As the Clan Leader, he couldn’t easily show weakness. Yu Jinsan knew that and sensed his burning sadness.

Contrary to what he said, Baek Gyu’s eyes held sadness.

“Well, I still don’t understand what these insane Justice Faction people are even up to.”

“They tried to get in, but in the end, I guess they couldn’t even get their money’s worth. I guess their real target wasn’t even us.”

“You mean they had some other enemy?”

Yu Jinsan thought for a moment and nodded.

“Even though the Murim Alliance knew that we were preparing, they went out of their way to have a head-on fight. It’s as if they were being chased by something. If my assumption is correct, they needed to deal with the thorn in their side, the Evil Faction, beforehand.”

“Your thoughts make sense. But now that the Demonic Cult has collapsed, who is the next threat to the Murim Alliance? If it’s a clan or sect of that scale, wouldn’t we have already gotten some kind of information?”

“How would I know that? The truth will eventually come out, and for now, the Justice Faction will be silent.”

Baek Gyu lost the calmness on his face.

“Hyung seriously has a great sense of humor. Recently, the activities of the Murim Alliance have turned quiet as rats.”

“From what I’ve guessed, they will not be coming to attack like they did recently again. They will not be wasting any power or resources soon. Moreover, the leadership of the Murim Alliance will be shaken due to the failure of this plan.”

“Someday, I will have to pay those damn bastards back for all this. Anyway, what are you going to do now, Hyung?”

Yu Jinsan couldn’t answer right away because he was lost in thought.

What should he say? They were close now, close enough to know each other’s thoughts by looking at their faces.

The two walked in silence for a while.

When the atmosphere became calm to an extent, Yu Jinsan, thinking about the past, said,

“…It has been around five years. At that time, I was being chased by the Murim Alliance, and with Seol on my back, I was aimlessly looking for shelter to avoid the pursuers. You were the only one who accepted us with a warm place to stay.”

“Do not be like this. Hyung and Seol are family members and my benefactors, too.”

“Still, I wanted to tell you my gratitude at least once before I left.”

“Ugh. Enough of such sad words. Just tell me when you plan to leave. Shouldn’t we at least have a drinking party?”

“I have already decided, so I shouldn’t hesitate. We will leave tomorrow. I will be seeing my Seol, so you can head back now.”

Baek Gyu looked sad but tried to smile.

“Then come and have dinner with me later. If you don’t win over me tonight, I will not let you go.”

Yu Jinsan also raised one hand with an awkward smile.

“Right.”

He parted ways with Baek Gyu and moved in the opposite direction. Lastly, he looked around.

Perhaps because he had grown attached to this place, his last steps there felt heavy.

But he couldn’t stay here forever. He had to avenge his family, and for that, he had to keep going.

The relatives and the blood of the Yu family who died in sorrow. If not for him, who would comfort their souls?

There were only two survivors of a family that had been around for 100 years. It was just him, the oldest man, and the youngest child who had just been born.

Where else in the world would there be such a strange fate?

He had to find the Shaolin monk and find out the full story of this incident.

Since it wasn’t a short journey from here, there was no guarantee they could come back in this place.

‘We will meet again one way or another.’

Yu Jinsan began to walk towards the training ground where Yu Seol stayed.

As he headed there, he thought about the fight between Yu Seol and Moyong Seong.

‘It was truly shocking.’

He still couldn’t forget the emotions he felt at that time.

The Yu family was a family on a scale that had been replaced by the Moyong family, one of the Five Great Families of Murim.

Just the thought of it filled him with rage.

Although he had a granddaughter who had proved her skills in front of everyone, she didn’t seem to be satisfied with her current level.

An unimaginable desire for training and an endless longing to grow characterized Yu Seol as she devoted herself to practicing martial arts, her obsession teetering on madness.

At her age, most children preferred running around and often shied away from training when asked. That was typical behavior for kids from other families.

But Yu Seol was different. She seemed to genuinely relish the arduous and demanding training schedule.

For her, there was pleasure in doing things without being told, but Yu Jinsan couldn’t grasp the strange hobby his granddaughter had developed.

‘This is good. I am truly proud of my granddaughter.’

Yu Jinsan, who had been observing Yu Seol’s training from a distance, was taken aback.

Had there been a revelation in her fighting? Suddenly, her training pattern had shifted.

It was as if she were envisioning an imaginary enemy, incorporating footwork, defense, and attacks into her movements.

Wheik! Wheik!

The sound of the bamboo stick cutting through the air could be felt even from afar.

After a particularly intense bout, Yu Seol released the stick and turned to the side.

“Grandpa~!”

She had finally noticed his presence.

With a bright smile, his granddaughter ran up to him and embraced him.

“You’ve become skilled in such a short time. Your abilities have improved.”

She stepped back and glanced at her grandpa’s neck, likely checking to see if he still wore the necklace she had given him.

“Hehehe.”

It was somewhat overwhelming to be seen like that by her, but her happiness was infectious, and he couldn’t help but enjoy it.

Yu Jinsan patted the child on the shoulder and turned his gaze away.

“We leave tomorrow, so if there are people you care about, bid them farewell today.”

“…Uh? Where are we going?”

“Far. To a place you’ve never been before.”

Yu Jinsan gave her a brief explanation. As she listened, his granddaughter’s face flickered through a range of emotions.

Excitement and anticipation at the prospect of entering a new world were evident. And there must have been sadness at the thought of leaving behind those she had grown fond of.

“We cannot see them again?”

“There is no need to be that sad since we aren’t walking away forever. As long as we are in Kangho, we can always meet.”

“…Even so.”

“Do not be sad. Our Seol can run all the way here within a day, whenever you want. Though it will be tough for Grandpa.”

Yu Jinsan was aware of his granddaughter’s skills, and Yu Seol, feeling happy, smiled brightly.

“Hehe, okay then! Grandpa, I will go say my goodbye.”

“Right. Say goodbye to your uncles and aunts, and I will meet you in the evening.”

“Yes!”

---

Yu Jinsan, who went to his residence, took his belongings to pack them. He then went to the blacksmith, where the spear was.

It was so thick that no child could hold it, and its length made it burdensome to carry as well.

But he couldn’t let it go because it was the only heirloom in their family.

So, the method he came up with was to disassemble it with the spear blade alone, and when he arrived at the destination, he handed the Flame Dragon Divine Spear to the blacksmith.

“It has been a while since you came, Elder. My heart always pounds when I come across this spear.”

Even though Yu Jinsan looked like a child, the blacksmith spoke in a very polite manner. This was because he was a regular customer who had taken dozens of bamboo sticks, and he knew his identity.

“We have to downsize it because there is a long way to go. Please take the spear apart. I don’t need the pole. Just the blade would do.”

“I understand. The work will be done in half an hour, so please wait a moment.”

“Right.”

Yu Jinsan nodded and silently watched him work.

The blacksmith’s hands, working on the spear, were very meticulous, and his eyes held affection for it.

It had to be because it was the work of the greatest blacksmith.

At that time, Yu Jinsan thought of something and said,

“Maybe… could it be possible to split it into two?”

The blacksmith shook his head, as if he didn’t even have to think.

“It is impossible. First of all, I lack the skills to do it. And this iron is tough to get. There is just one place where a new spear can be smelted, the Cheol ^[TL/N: Iron] family.”

“Cheol family… I think I did hear about them a couple of times. And the other reason?”

“There is this legend that the soul of a divine beast is sealed in the work of Jin Gyu. And I think it is true. Which means I cannot split a soul in this spear into two, right?”

When a beast awakens to the Way, they transform into spirit beasts, often indicated in martial arts. A representative example was the Blue Wolf in the mountains.

And there was this legend that if these beings continued to evolve, they would turn into fearsome divine beasts.

Of course, this wasn’t a common occurrence at all, and even in the history of martial arts, there weren’t many who could vouch for this.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to do it.”

“But if the elders manage to catch another Divine Beast and bring its spiritual pill, it could be possible to separate the Flame Dragon Divine Spear into two.”

Yu Jinsan chuckled and took something out of his pocket.

“I thought of you as a serious friend, but you know how to make jokes, too. Hurry up and finish the work now.”