Chapter 166: What Does It Mean to Be a Great Master? (2)

Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain.

Namgung Musan knew the saying.

“Swift as the Wind.”

“Silent as the Forest.”

“Fierce as the Fire.”

“Immovable as the Mountain.”

Recalling the saying, Namgung Musan nodded.

“It’s the military strategy from the ‘Art of War’ by Sun Tzu.”

“Fighting, whether small or large, follows the same principles.”

“…I see.”

“Especially when leading those who are less capable, it is essential to judge coldly from a high vantage point.”

“The fight of a great master is different from the chaotic brawls of commoners. It’s more like a game of Go. Do you know the style of the Zhuge family?”

The style of Go refers to the subtle temperament displayed while playing the game.

“The Zhuge family’s style is calculative, giving up small battles to win big territories. It directly opposes the concept of ‘small loss, big gain.'”

“Indeed, it is the Zhuge family.”

“Leading those who are less capable in a fight is like that.”

Give up small losses.

Gain benefits from the bigger picture.

“Moreover, the Heavenly Destruction Society is extremely cunning and full of tricks.”

I have faced many like them.

“They use tricks to sow discord and constantly hide. When dealing with such people, it’s crucial not to be swayed by small matters.”

“Not be swayed by small matters…”

“If you lose sight of the bigger picture because of small matters, you will fail.”

This is why I mentioned Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain.

“When driving the enemy, you must not forget.”

“Swift as the Wind.”

Attack the enemy swiftly like the wind.

“Silent as the Forest.”

Move quietly like the forest.

“Fierce as the Fire.”

And when you attack, be as fierce as fire.

“But if you are swayed by petty tricks, how can you maintain the momentum of a fierce attack?”

Ignore petty tricks.

“Immovable as the Mountain.”

When not moving, be as deep and solid as a mountain, waiting for the right moment.

“Wait quietly like a mountain and strike fiercely. This is the fight of a great master.”

Namgung Chan gave several pieces of advice.

(TLN: the japnese Chan ruined the chinese chan for me)

Listening intently, Namgung Musan spoke with newfound understanding.

“Indeed, fighting alone and fighting as the head of a family are different.”

“That’s right. That’s why they say a leader should have the coldness of the North Sea’s winter in their heart.”

You must be cold and cold again.

Namgung Chan’s explanation made Namgung Musan ask.

“Then, what if one has a heart as hot as fire but acts coldly?”

Namgung Chan, looking out the window again, stroked his white beard and chuckled.

“Haha. It is ideal.”

But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Even staying unshaken by the world’s standards is not easy.

“It took me decades to free myself from the world’s standards.”

“But, who knows?”

Seeing his son subtly aiming for higher goals, Namgung Chan smiled warmly.

“Such people have existed.”

In the long history, there have been people like that.

The great master Bodhidharma of Shaolin, or the immortal Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang Sect.

“Or perhaps the Heavenly Demon who started the demonic path.”

And they are.

“They are called the Great Masters of the Millennium, who created a thousand years of history.”

***

“Huff. Huff.”

Panting heavily, the Eight Tigers couldn’t count how many times they had crossed the line of life and death in such a short time.

One thing was certain: they were entirely different from when they first entered this place.

Their hesitation with the sword was gone, replaced by boldness and sharpness.

They had endured more intense experiences in half an hour than in ten years of life-and-death crises.

‘What an incredible experience.’

As an assassin, showing emotions during a fight was extremely dangerous, but the Eight Tigers couldn’t help their trembling hearts.

‘Now I understand what the seniors meant.’

– Don’t try to understand the incomprehensible.

– Just follow.

– You’ll understand if you follow.

It was true.

Just focusing on following the faint figure ahead gave them this feeling.

So they enjoyed it.

The pain in their trembling fingertips, the pounding of their hearts, and the thrill of the fight.

In fact, they had no choice.

The master of the incomprehensible was kind but not benevolent, so any moment of relaxation meant death.

Even in their exhaustion, breaking through the enemy was the only way to survive.

But the fight eventually came to an end.

*Bang!*

A corner of the pavilion exploded, and flames shot up.

“Damn!”

Had he already entered?

‘I must follow.’

Naturally, the fellow assassins covered them and swept through the enemies.

It was a desperate struggle to advance even a little further, but their precision and sharpness were worlds apart from when they first arrived.

“Screech!”

“Ugh!”

Fountains of blood erupted, and screams echoed.

But something was faster.

“Take this! Where did this guy come from?”

An enemy leaped from the second-floor pavilion, landing on the roof.

“You dare underestimate me, Galyeom!”

*Roar!*

An old master, with extreme yang energy in both hands, flew up, stepping on the debris.

An astonishing lightness technique.

“Who says it’s impossible?”

With a leisurely voice, a faint figure appeared between the gaps of the second-floor pavilion.

‘The master.’

With his hands behind his back, his relaxed demeanor contrasted sharply with the disheveled old master.

“I’ll burn you!”

But those were the old master’s last words.

*Thud.*

The master, who had jumped from the pavilion, kicked the opponent’s head as he pushed his palms forward.

*Thud!*

It was a simple kick, but the head flew in an arc and landed in a corner of the courtyard.

*Thud. Thud.*

The headless body lost its strength and slid down the pavilion wall, following the eaves.

*Thud.*

When the body hit the ground with a dull thud.

*Slash!*

Bandages shot up from one side, sweeping away the remaining survivors.

“Kahaha! How exhilarating!”

The black bandages, soaked in blood, mercilessly slaughtered the people.

“You’ve kept up well.”

A low voice signaled the end of the battle.

Only then did the Eight Tigers collapse to the ground.

“Huff. Huff. Huff.”

Somehow, the master’s acknowledgment felt like a celebration of their rebirth as ghosts.

***

Watching the scattered corpses, Danya spoke with a voice dripping with killing intent.

“It’s the head of the Gagamun Sect.”

“I think I’ve heard of it.”

“He’s the leader of a fairly large faction in Suzhou.”

“I think I saw him at Myojinmun.”

It seems the weeds have grown quite deep.

“You’re not planning to end it here, are you?”

Danya asked worriedly.

He seemed quite disappointed at the thought of losing the opportunity to rampage.

‘Haha. He has a cute side.’

So far, I haven’t sought direct confrontation because I feared the Heavenly Destruction Society. It was just the certainty of the misfortune that would follow.

But now that we’ve found traces of the enemy, retreating would only increase the danger.

“Danya.”

“Yes, my lord. If it’s your will…”

“Leaving things unsettled is not an option.”

We’ll go after their main body.

“Really?”

The previously limp bandages perked up energetically.

“Of course.”

We need to see the face of the one causing all this trouble.

“Tell Elder Sima to find the main body in Suzhou.”

***

“Tsk. How could this happen?”

Bright and Righteous Sword Ko Il-seo clicked his tongue.

Even the soothing aroma of the precious tea, Baekho Eunchim, from Luoyang couldn’t help him now.

It was because of the news he had just confirmed.

“Five places have fallen?”

In just two days.

Ko Il-seo couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding as he looked at the unusually red sunset caused by the recent rain.

“Ten years of preparation may be wasted in an instant.”

Since joining hands with the Heavenly Destruction Society, such a situation had never occurred.

The secrecy of the Society had deceived the world, and its strength was beyond what most sects could handle.

The recent failures were so severe that even with two mouths, he had no excuses.

The worst part was that despite the massive losses, they couldn’t even identify the enemy.

“Where did the leak come from?”

The most suspicious was the Namgung Clan.

But no matter how esteemed the person in Suzhou might be, even if they were one of the top ten masters and a representative of the city, they wouldn’t know the inner workings of the Namgung Clan.

The Namgung Clan, represented by the Heavenly God of the Azure Sky, was incredibly high and solid.

“Damn it. How could this happen with the Apostle nearby?”

The Apostle was a ruthless figure.

He would easily eliminate anyone useless, like pulling weeds from the roadside.

Feeling the urgency, Ko Il-seo bit his nails.

“Could it be the ones who attacked the manor?”

Recalling the recent massacre at the hideout, he realized he had to make a choice.

“I need to contact the other cells.”

Normally, they shouldn’t know or meet each other.

But this was different.

“If they don’t want to die at the hands of the Apostle, they must be desperate too.”

With a worried heart, Ko Il-seo wrote down a secret code.

***

The next day.

At the meeting place, far from Suzhou, Ko Il-seo froze in place upon seeing someone already there.

“What? Are you also part of the Society?”

The person smiling at him was someone he knew well.

‘The Spear of Suzhou.’

A master known as one of the top ten in Suzhou, just like himself.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Spear of Suzhou. Aren’t you busy with the Murim Alliance?”

“Haha. I didn’t expect to see the Bright and Righteous Sword here either.”

As their eyes met.

*Whoosh.*

The clash of their energies created a whirlwind, shaking the surroundings of the Confucius Temple.

It was only natural.

It was well-known that the two of them, among the top ten masters of Suzhou, didn’t get along.

But they quickly withdrew their energies.

“Let’s put aside unnecessary conflicts.”

“I agree. Now is not the time for personal feelings.”

*Thud.*

Stabbing his black spear into the ground, the Spear of Suzhou let go of his old grudges, but it was still an eyesore.

‘He’ll be quite useful.’

As he harbored his thoughts.

“Hmph. A righteous hero like you, part of the Society? People would be shocked.”

Though the man’s words were sarcastic, Ko Il-seo, hiding his true feelings, responded smoothly.

“Not as shocking as the head of the Murim Alliance’s Suzhou branch being recruited.”

“Tsk. You’re not wrong.”

That was why Ko Il-seo was secretly pleased.

This master of the black spear was the head of the Murim Alliance’s Suzhou branch.

‘As the branch head, he knows a lot about the Alliance and the Namgung Clan.’

With a renowned hero of Suzhou and the branch head joining forces, there would be no match for them in Suzhou.

‘It would be great if there were more like him.’

But the next arrivals were quite disappointing.

“What? Isn’t that the Spear of Suzhou?”

“Oh my, even the Bright and Righteous Sword.”

The two who arrived in fancy clothes were far inferior to him.

‘The head of the Suzhou Martial Hall and the leader of the Great Lake Merchant Group?’

Their martial arts were only at the pinnacle level, and their influence was insignificant.

‘But their wealth is impressive, so they won’t be entirely useless.’

Sharply assessing them, Ko Il-seo invited them to take their seats.

“It seems everyone is here.”

Just as he was about to start the discussion.

“One person is still missing.”

At the Spear of Suzhou’s words, Ko Il-seo tilted his head.

“That’s strange. I only sent the secret message to three people.”

“Haha. Don’t be surprised. There’s a real deal.”

A real deal?

“You didn’t speak carelessly, did you?”

“Do I seem that careless?”

Laughing, the Spear of Suzhou seemed to be enjoying himself.

“I was quite surprised when I was first contacted.”

“Someone contacted you separately?”

“They seem to have arrived. Don’t be surprised.”

With the renowned hero of Suzhou and the head of the Murim Alliance’s branch joining forces