episode_0151

151. New.

Step- Step-

Yohan walked slowly. The distance between Hwageom Jin-in and Yohan was gradually closing.

Yohan’s pace was clearly very slow. However, Hwageom Jin-in felt differently.

‘Don’t come. Don’t come. Please…’

Hwageom Jin-in couldn’t move. He couldn’t sweat like a waterfall, nor could he tremble in his hands and feet. His body had ceased functioning in the face of overwhelming despair.

Thud, Yohan stopped. Now the distance between them was very short. A distance where Hwageom Jin-in could reach if he drew his sword.

Suddenly, Yohan’s mouth slightly opened. It looked like he was about to say something.

Then Hwageom Jin-in abruptly spoke.

“Wait… Just wait a moment.”

“……”

Yohan paused blankly for a moment, then cocked his chin.

Hoo- Hwageom Jin-in took a long, deep breath. Then, he held the sword with both hands. Very high.

“”……!””

Those watching Yohan and Hwageom Jin-in nearby simultaneously widened their eyes.

Because it looked like Hwageom Jin-in was about to attack Yohan.

“That cowardly ol… huh?”

Black King muttered, trailing off.

Stab!

Hwageom Jin-in’s sword trembled finely, then fell straight down. The pure white blade cleanly pierced Hwageom Jin-in’s abdomen.

“Kuh-uh-uh……”

Hwageom Jin-in didn’t stop there. He twisted the hilt of the sword back and forth, messily tearing up his abdomen.

“Heo……”

The surroundings became quiet for a moment. Because they realized Hwageom Jin-in’s intention. A part as precious as the heart to a martial artist, the dantian.

Hwageom Jin-in is a very renowned martial artist, as can be known from his name.

He had accumulated pure internal energy for decades using the Mount Hua’s mental cultivation technique. That immense internal energy must be dormant in Hwageom Jin-in’s dantian.

Hwageom Jin-in hadn’t simply injured his body. He had destroyed his entire life in this moment.

Hwageom Jin-in spoke, thick blood flowing from his mouth.

“Cough… Heu, heu. Thank you for waiting.”

“……”

Yohan’s mouth moved. He tried to say something, but he couldn’t.

Instead, he voiced a newly arisen question.

“……By doing this, what changes?”

“Of course, things will change.”

Hwageom Jin-in laughed softly. Unlike just a moment ago, he wore a truly peaceful expression.

“Isn’t that right? Black King?”

“……Um.”

Black King shook himself up. And approached Hwageom Jin-in with heavy steps. He slightly raised the corner of his lips.

“You’ve aged. Your spirit is already broken. Do you really think I can’t kill you?”

“You could kill me. However, this is a request for mercy.”

“Mercy?”

“The Mount Hua Sect will close its doors for the next twenty-five years. The Jongnam Sect will be the same.”

“Closing the doors, huh……”

Black King stroked his chin. The prickly sensation awakened his reason.

Closing the doors. Closing the sect’s doors and withdrawing the influence it had exerted outward.

The period of closing the doors varies, but it is customary to close the doors for at least five to fifteen years or more. It can be said to be a tacit agreement.

‘Twenty-five years.’

A sufficiently long time. By then, Mount Hua’s influence will have greatly diminished. Perhaps, it may even be annihilated.

However.

“Closing the doors, is that all? We can annihilate the Mount Hua Sect right now. You know that too, don’t you?”

It didn’t seem like a very attractive option to Black King. If he could get the agreement to close the doors, he could reduce the power of the righteous sects without sacrifice, but-

‘There is no longer any force that can stand against Black King Castle. In fact, there isn’t even a martial artist who can surpass the Lord.’

Black King, having finished thinking, slowly raised his hand. He didn’t bother wrapping it in dark energy. Right now, Hwageom Jin-in is no different from an ordinary person who hasn’t learned martial arts.

Soon, just as Black King’s hand was about to rush towards Hwageom Jin-in’s chest-

“I will become the Grand Preceptor (大師傅) of Black King Castle.”

“……”

Black King’s hand stopped abruptly. He tilted his head and asked.

“……Your condition must not be normal. What? Grand Preceptor?”

“Your ears are fine. I can’t say the same for your arm though……”

Black King froze for a moment with his hand raised. His mind raced fiercely.

Hwageom Jin-in continued to speak.

“I heard that only Wolf, that guy, is left among the highest-ranking executives. If it’s now, it might be alright, but you have to think about the future. Frankly speaking, even the Lord isn’t entirely on your side, right?”

“……”

Black King gently closed his eyes.

Black King is a martial artist. But he is not a martial artist who only looks at martial arts.

Behind him are numerous martial artists under Black King Castle, and there are quite a few commoners who have not learned martial arts.

Suddenly, the face of a subordinate resembling a monkey came to his mind.

‘Black God……’

Black God lost his life to Hwageom Jin-in. His chest was cut open, and his heart was severely damaged. Even a celestial being couldn’t save him.

If Black God were alive, what would he have said to him, would he have told him to accept Hwageom Jin-in?

I don’t know. But one thing is certain-

‘If it were Black Boar, that pig, he would have definitely told me to accept him.’

Black King’s eyes opened. First, he saw Hwageom Jin-in. Black King immediately turned his head.

“Lord.”

“Yes.”

Black King paused for a moment, then spoke.

“I will grant you any request. The Great Elixir of Shaolin is already difficult because this old man has eaten it, but I will somehow find an elixir equivalent to it. So, please save Hwageom Jin-in.”

Black King said so and bowed deeply. Sima Han, who was watching this scene from the side, widened his eyes.

“……”

Black King’s tone became incomparably more polite than before. This was a verbal indication that he recognized Yohan as being on equal footing with himself.

‘Hmm.’

Yohan was quite perceptive. He could quickly figure out Black King’s intentions. In the past, he would have nodded without hesitation, but this time it was different.

The fact that their positions were equal meant that he could extract even more than before.

‘No, it’s not just that. In the current situation, I’m slightly more dominant.’

“……”

The longer Yohan’s silence lasted, the more anxious Black King became.

Fortunately, Yohan soon opened his mouth. His thinking speed was superhuman.

“Well, isn’t the head of Black King Castle the Black King in the first place? It’s not something I should interfere with.”

“Hmm……”

Black King slightly straightened his bowed head. His complexion was slightly brighter.

“Then-”

“But.”

Yohan cut off Black King’s words as he was about to say something.

Yohan looked down at him and said.

“Even Squad Leader Sara has suffered a lot, so please prepare three elixirs. And please arrange for Squad Leader Sara to receive Hwageom Jin-in’s teachings first.”

Black King was speechless. He thought for a moment and then said.

“……May I ask why there are three elixirs?”

“I need to receive two to make it worthwhile.”

“I see.”

Black King quickly regained his composure. When he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t a particularly disadvantageous deal either.

After all, isn’t the Lord an Otherworlder? I heard that one day, the Otherworlders will return to their own world. In other words, it is impossible for the Lord to remain in Black King Castle and exert influence.

Black King nodded and extended his hand.

“I accept.”

“That’s a wise choice.”

The two men lightly shook hands. Black King secretly smiled inside. A soft hand that doesn’t seem to have ever held a sword.

The Lord’s hand didn’t even have the common calluses.

‘This, the reputation of Black King Castle isn’t doing well.’

***

Quite a bit of time has passed since Yohan and the Lord joined hands.

On the day the battle with Hwageom Jin-in ended, Yohan’s group immediately returned to Black King Castle.

Occasionally, the remnants of the righteous sects blocked the road, but they all ran away at Yohan’s gesture. Or died.

Anyway, the group arrived at Black King Castle, and Hwageom Jin-in taught Sara quite sincerely.

At this time, Yohan was quite surprised. Honestly, Yohan expected Hwageom Jin-in to teach Sara roughly. But his expectations were pleasantly mistaken. It was a pleasant error.

Clang!

A resounding burst of sound shook the training ground. Yohan sat comfortably on the floor, watching Sara and Sima Han’s sparring.

Sima Han held a fan, and Sara held a long sword. The two weapons collided repeatedly, emitting a roar.

Slurp- Yohan sipped his tea and admired it inwardly.

‘Her skills have improved a lot. Honestly, I didn’t think she would teach this well.’

Honestly, Yohan’s victory over Hwageom Jin-in was supported by a lot of luck.

Black King, Sima Han, Sara, and even Black God. If the four experts hadn’t stopped Hwageom Jin-in, Yohan would have been miserably defeated.

“Um.”

At that time, a chilling coldness arose from Yohan’s stomach. The coldness continued to intensify each time he drank tea.

‘They said it was an elixir brought from the Palace of the Northern Sea Ice? It’s definitely better than White Hwan.’

Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Tea (萬年雪茶).

Well, that was the name. He didn’t particularly want to remember it, but it was automatically embedded in his mind.

‘I used to tremble with just one White Hwan.’

On the day he fought Hwageom Jin-in, Yohan’s realm advanced several levels.

A realm where he truly united with the mana he possessed.

Yohan gave this realm a name of his own.

Extreme Demonic Realm (極魔之境).