novelraw Chapter 46 : Chapter 46
Chapter 46 : Chapter 46
Chapter 46 - Because that’s our way of doing things
There were two types of items in the bundle.
A dark navy martial uniform.
And five swords.
Except for one sword that was excessively old, there was nothing unusual about the contents.
For a swordsman, a martial uniform and a sword were inextricably linked.
“This is……!!”
However, after confirming the contents of the bundle, the five men and women had to tremble with emotion.
On the chest of the dark navy martial uniform, a wing pattern was embroidered with red thread.
The hilt of the well-forged sword was also crafted in a similar shape.
While the other four were also moved, Eung Gajin, in particular, found it difficult to control his turbulent heart.
This was because both this martial uniform and sword were items used by the Diancang Sect in the past.
“You……!! How did you get this?”
Eung Gajin couldn't help but ask Biyoung.
It wasn't just a simple imitation of the design.
The shape of the sword, as well as the design of the martial uniform, was not a single bit different from what he had seen in the past.
It was impossible to create such identical items just from someone's verbal description of the past.
“You see that old sword over there. I asked them to make it exactly like that one.”
“F-fine, the sword I can understand. But how did you know about the sect's uniform that was worn before you were even born?”
“Geez. Eung-ga Senior Brother.”
“?”
“There’s nothing money can’t do.”
Watching Biyoung casually spout words that the head of the Yi Family Clan might say, Eung Gajin's jaw dropped.
Could that guy really be called a descendant of a Daoist sect?
“Alright. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that there's nothing money can't do. Then how did you get that money?”
“This isn't much. Compared to the reward I received from the Yi Family Clan.”
“Reward?”
“Yeah. I saved a merchant caravan from some bandits a while ago.”
The more he dug, the more mysteries there were.
Saving the Yi Family Clan's merchant caravan from bandits.
What were the escorts in that caravan doing that they needed Biyoung's help?
‘……No.’
Eung Gajin soon corrected his thoughts.
He didn't know what this guy had been up to in the past, but one thing was certain.
Biyoung's martial arts were not on a level that could be compared to some lowly caravan escorts.
Even if the bandits could overpower the escorts, they would not have been a match for this monster in front of him.
“Who were the ones who attacked the caravan?”
“They said it was the Tree-Uprooting Stronghold.”
At that, Solbo's thick eyebrows twitched as he urgently asked.
“The Tree-Uprooting Stronghold? You mean the one where Jang Pae is the leader?”
“Oh. You know it well. Senior Brother Solbo. Have you ever fought Jang Pae?”
“I once saw him from afar while hiding and then ran away.”
“……A martial artist runs away?”
Well.
It would be strange for a person who runs away from a duel out of fear to think of fighting a giant like Jang Pae.
Considering his usual disposition, it was a wonder he had even followed them this far.
“I see. If it's the Tree-Uprooting Stronghold, they are guys for whom robbing a single caravan is nothing.”
Eung Gajin nodded and looked at Biyoung with new eyes.
As he had expected, the bandits who attacked the Yi Family Clan were no pushovers.
When he first started as an escort for the agency, he had been taught about routes that should never be entered.
Duhua Mountain in Guangxi was one of them.
It was because the ones who controlled that area were the Tree-Uprooting Stronghold.
And Biyoung was saying that he had just crushed that very Tree-Uprooting Stronghold.
‘If I take any more questions, the sun will rise.’
Thinking this, Biyoung clapped his hands a couple of times.
“Alright. Enough with the questions, everyone check if the uniforms and swords fit.”
There were many more things they wanted to ask, including about the old sword lying on the floor, but judging by his expression, he didn't seem willing to answer any more questions.
Besides, the items themselves were too symbolic to just keep asking questions.
A new uniform and sword that would have been naturally made if the sect had been maintained properly.
The eyes of the Diancang Sect's next-generation disciples were trembling violently.
“……It’s a sword I’ll have to force myself to fit into, even if it doesn't.”
Eung Gajin gripped the wing-shaped hilt tightly.
Contrary to his worries, as soon as he held it, it fit his hand perfectly as if it had been custom-made.
Unlike his expectation of it being uncomfortable, the wing-shaped hilt made it easy to grip the sword.
Jeong-i, who had changed her clothes in the next room, also smiled in satisfaction.
“With this, there seems to be no problem at all in performing swordsmanship.”
“……I can't believe we're wearing the same clothes.”
Eung Gajin exclaimed, looking back and forth between Uma and Jeong-i.
Although Jeong-i was a female swordswoman, there was no uniform made specifically for her.
From the beginning, the Diancang Sect did not distinguish between men and women when it came to wielding a sword.
But even so, Jeong-i's figure, dressed in the dark navy martial uniform, was like looking at a scene from a painting.
“Why are you looking at me and comparing, Senior Brother?”
When Uma asked in a sullen voice, Eung Gajin scratched the back of his head as if he had made a mistake.
Biyoung chuckled and answered for him.
“People like extreme comparisons.”
“So. Why do I have to be the subject of comparison?”
“Are you really asking because you don't know?”
Uma scrunched his face once, but that was it.
His gaze had already moved to the martial uniform and sword he was wearing.
Not just Uma, but all the descendants of the Diancang Sect had faces filled with emotion.
‘They only carried the long-cherished wish of an annihilated sect, and received nothing…….’
Biyoung watched them with a bitter smile.
They could have simply dismissed it as a bygone past, as something that was not their business.
But these people had willingly risen up to revive the annihilated sect.
From the perspective of the Dianccang Sect's predecessors, they were truly admirable, grateful, and pitiable next-generation disciples.
Before setting out with Jinbae, Biyoung had separately asked Sedong for the swords and uniforms.
Five was certainly fewer than the number he had expected, but a promising few were more meaningful than a large number of weaklings.
And that, was also a unique characteristic of the Diancang Sect, which had risen to fame as a small elite group.
“Now that we've decided to retake the main mountain, there's no need or reason to hide the sect anymore. From now on, wherever we go, we must proudly reveal that we are the descendants of the Diancang Sect.”
“……!”
As if understanding the meaning of those words, a resolute will bloomed on the faces of the five men and women.
Was it because he was pleased with their appearance?
Biyoung grinned.
“Far from hiding, we need to actively let the outside world know. That the quick sword of the Diancang Sect has returned.”
“The return of the quick sword……”
“We will now be known to people as the new generation of the Diancang Sect. A life perhaps even harder than the past may unfold.”
“I am prepared.”
A gleam of light flashed in Danseol’s slender, half-closed eyes.
“Good. Then……”
Biyoung's gaze turned to the next-generation disciples of the sect.
From Danseol's expressionless face to Solbo's throat, which swallowed hard.
From Eung Gajin's cheeks, where the swelling had subsided, to Uma's bared teeth, like a beast.
And finally, to Jeong-i’s clear and calm pupils.
After looking over the next-generation disciples once, Biyoung finally said what he wanted to say the most.
“Tonight, we retake the main mountain.”
***
Pabababak!
There were figures moving at high speed, as if to cut through the night air.
As Eung Gajin had said before, there was quite a distance between Yiliang County and Diancang Mountain, but for the group gathered here, a distance of about two shichen was enough.
And even that was with Biyoung accommodating them here and there.
Trying to keep up with Biyoung's speed, the five men and women repeatedly found themselves out of breath.
“Hahk…… hahk……!”
“Tsk tsk. At this rate, you'll collapse before we even reach the main mountain.”
Biyoung clicked his tongue, looking at the man sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
The one who had the most difficulty with movement techniques was Uma.
He was the largest of the five, and he didn't have much talent for endurance either.
He could be said to be the best in terms of external skills like strength and power, but it was of little use when moving long distances like now.
‘That monster of a guy……!’
Uma ground his teeth and glared at Biyoung.
Needless to say about himself, the other four were also sweating quite a bit.
Even Solbo, who was said to be the best at movement techniques, had a drenched back.
But Biyoung, far from sweating, was looking at the new moon with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he were on a sightseeing trip.
“Perfect for an ambush.”
“Speaking of which. Is there a plan?”
At Eung Gajin's question, Biyoung didn't even turn his head.
“What plan? You only use something like that when your forces are similar or weaker.”
“Then?”
“Cut down everyone with a sword. That's the plan.”
“!”
It was hard to tell if these were the words of someone who was going to revive a prestigious orthodox sect, or the words of a leader of the dark path.
“Senior Sister Jeong, in particular, needs to take this to heart. There are guys you should go easy on, and there are guys you shouldn't. Most of the guys over there will harm and kill more people if you just leave them be. Steel yourself to act for the sake of the innocent.”
Jeong-i nodded with a heavy face.
The question Biyoung had asked during the duel.
The question 'Have you ever killed a person?' had already been giving her much distress.
‘If I must cut them down…….’
Seeing Jeong-i's pale face, Biyoung smirked.
“To put it another way, there's no need to cut down people who you think won't harm lives even if you let them live.”
“…………!”
Whether that alone was a comfort, her ashen complexion regained a little of its original color.
“How about you?”
“I-I can do it too!”
“That's a hard thing to believe.”
“I said I can do it!”
Solbo huffed and puffed, tightening his grip on his sword.
Biyoung looked at him and gave a demonic smile.
“Really? Then Senior Brother Solbo will go right into the middle first.”
“!”
“If there's nowhere left to run, you'll have no choice but to draw your sword, even if you don't want to.”
“A-alright!”
“One more thing.”
Biyoung looked left and right and said.
“No matter how skilled those bandits are, they won't be a match for you senior brothers. But there's one guy you need to be careful of.”
“Careful?”
At the word 'careful,' Eung Gajin's expression changed subtly.
It sounded even more significant coming from Biyoung, who always treated others' martial arts like insects.
“Yeah. There's a lanky guy who's two or three chi taller than Senior Brother Uma, don't fight him one-on-one. You senior brothers can't win.”
“!”
It was quite a blow to their pride, but Biyoung said it so firmly that no one dared to argue.
“I'll deal with him. Then there will be no more variables.”
“Is he that strong?”
“Why. Senior Brother Eung-ga. Are you planning to fight him on purpose?”
“Rather than that……”
Eung Gajin scratched the back of his head, looking awkward.
“Right now, it's more important that the senior brothers don't get hurt than to satisfy my fighting spirit.”
“Thanks for the thought, but… the sun must be rising in the west. To think you'd say something like that……”
“I didn't say it for the senior brothers.”
“What? Then.”
One corner of Biyoung's mouth slowly rose.
“Because that's the way of our Diancang Sect. For a small elite group, it's most important to avoid losing any members.”
“Geez. That's just like you.”
Even as he said that, Eung Gajin struggled to get up, grabbing his legs.
Seeing Biyoung talk about the Diancang Sect's way of doing things, he felt a sense of reassurance, as if he were a master from the previous generation.
“See that?”
Where Biyoung's finger was pointing, two sharp, pointed shapes could be seen.
“Those are the two watchtowers guarding the stronghold. It means we're almost there.”
“Th-then……”
“That's right. From there on, it's our sect's land.”
Except for faint childhood memories, it was the first time for them to see the Diancang Sect's base.
Biyoung's low, heavy voice pierced through their wildly beating hearts.
“Let's begin.”