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Chapter 00538 – Dark Heaven Village

“Which side do you value more?”

Well, there was no need to think about it—it was clearly the side of my seven companions. That wasn’t even a problem worth pondering. The question of whether to prioritize strangers over those with whom I share precious bonds was a no-brainer. Anyone who disagrees is just crazy.

However, I sensed deeper meaning in Zhuge Sa’s question. I paused for a moment before responding.

“That’s a different matter.”

Zhuge Sa immediately countered, “No, it’s the same issue. If you go rescue those people, we’ll inevitably get tangled in a major incident, and we’ll be swept up in the whirlpool of causation along with you. That’s no different from you deciding to kill us.”

“It’s a different matter.”

I raised my voice slightly and continued, “Because if it’s you, then you surely know how to avoid that!”

At that, a spark ignited in Zhuge Sa’s eyes. He leaned forward, gazing at me.

“What are you talking about?”

“Of course, you’re far more valuable than those five thousand strangers. But I can’t just sit back and watch those five thousand get sacrificed. They’d die horrifying deaths or worse, and even after death, they wouldn’t find salvation—I can’t let that happen.”

I crossed my arms and said, “Moreover, if you really just wanted me to train, you wouldn’t have bothered to tell me about this in the first place. So, Zhuge Sa, you already know the solution to this matter or you’re testing me.”

“……”

“There is a way, right? Isn’t there?”

“Hmm.”

“That’s the Zhuge Sa I know.”

As I spoke firmly, Zhuge Sa looked at me with a disgruntled expression. Then, Mangnyang, standing beside him, chuckled and said, “I told you, Baek Woong is not the old Baek Woong anymore.”

“Hehe. Don’t act like you predicted everything. You also came out with me to see Baek Woong’s reaction because you were half in doubt, right?”

“Well, you’re not wrong…”

Mangnyang shrugged, and Zhuge Sa said to me, “Right. A plan is in place.”

“So you were trying to test me after all?”

His voice turned somewhat chilly.

“Yes. I wanted to see if you could be shaken even by a challenge like this. If you’re someone who wavers so easily, no matter how much of a reborn person you are, you couldn’t be trusted with our lives, whether it’s me or Mangnyang.”

So it was like that.

As I secretly let out a sigh of relief, Zhuge Sa rested his chin on his hands, his eyes gleaming sharply.

“There’s a plan that we thought of, just as you said. It allows us to keep our identities hidden while keeping the Imperial Palace in check. With this much talent, treasure, and gold power accumulated, isn’t it strange if we can’t manage even that?”

“Ah, thank goodness…”

Zhuge Sa suddenly cut me off.

“But what I just asked was a fact, so give me an answer.”

“What answer are you talking about?”

“You just read my intentions and answered ahead of time, but in reality, moving forward as a reborn person will lead to countless choices like this one. Humanity or benefit, justice or efficiency, involvement or observance, rescue or massacre…”

“……”

“You’ve had many choices up until now. You know you can’t keep avoiding to answer every time, right?”

I nodded heavily at Zhuge Sa’s words.

“I know.”

After a brief pause, I replied, “I won’t give up all my benefits just because of the ideals in my head. If necessary, I might let go, but that’s something that cannot be done alone—I believe you and the others will help me.”

“Such sweet words…”

“Sorry.”

“How did I end up with such an idiot as my master?”

Zhuge Sa grumbled and then said, “Then tell me about your countermeasures against the slave sacrifice.”

Finally, Zhuge Sa started explaining his plan. Upon hearing it, I was utterly taken aback and my mouth fell open.

“Uh… Huh?! Isn’t that a bit too reckless?”

“You used a similar method before, so what’s the problem? And you’re the only one getting your hands dirty, so what does it matter?”

“Still, will it really work?”

“It will work and more. And the aftercare will be handled by Mangnyang using his connections in the Bancheon Alliance and Luoyang, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Mangnyang chimed in, “With this method, I think we can buy at least five years. Also, the chance of our identities being exposed is very low. However, we might be a bit short on explosives, so I’ll need to ask Miho for some explosives from Dongyoung.”

“Got it. Then I’ll proceed with that method.”

“And about Yeon Jong-hwi…”

Mangnyang trailed off, looking at me.

“We can’t keep him trapped in Jangryeong Valley forever. So we have to decide whether to completely win him over or…”

Whether to kill him.

Although Mangnyang didn’t directly mention the act of murder, I understood the context. Once word got out about our destruction of the Namgung Clan, the world’s politics would shift dramatically, and we could never let Yeon Jong-hwi, who witnessed that day’s horrors, go free. So our options were limited to either killing him or winning him over.

Zhuge Sa stated, “I suggested using the Soul Exchange Technique to brainwash him and make him a subordinate, but Mangnyang refused because he anticipates that there’s a chance of him being accepted as a future companion. If he has memories of being manipulated by the Soul Exchange Technique, he could never trust us. So I’m asking for your opinion, Baek Woong.”

“Are you saying we should either brainwash him or kill him?”

“To put it bluntly, yes. What do you want to do?”

After some thought, I replied, “I agree with Mangnyang. He’s a future Ten Great Masters of the World, so he might know something we don’t.”

“But we don’t have enough trust built up to give him the obsidian.”

“I’ll speak to Yeon Jong-hwi directly.”

“Then go for it.”

Boom!

A moment later, I entered the secret room in Jangryeong Valley. I spotted Yeon Jong-hwi, chained up, and said, “Nice to meet you, Yeon Jong-hwi.”

“……”

Yeon Jong-hwi stared at me blankly. I pressed the acupuncture points to suppress his internal energy before unchaining him. After being freed, Yeon Jong-hwi spoke in a blunt tone.

“What do you want? What are you trying to do to me?”

“First of all, you probably haven’t eaten today, so here, have this.”

I offered him dumplings, pickled vegetables, and a bit of water. Yeon Jong-hwi accepted the food and ate it silently for a while. Although I hadn’t neglected his meals before, he seemed to be enjoying it more than expected. Watching him savor the food made me curious, so I asked, “You don’t think I poisoned it, do you?”

“If there was poison, you would’ve done it a long time ago. I can only hope you’re not that low.”

*Smack, smack!*

Watching Yeon Jong-hwi respond bluntly while continuing to eat, I could clearly feel it.

‘This guy is definitely a hero.’

Despite being dragged to this unknown place and being trapped for months, his spirit was unbroken, even fearless. Yeon Jong-hwi could not be considered an ordinary martial artist. Once he finished eating, he pushed his plates aside and said, “I have a few light questions. Then I’ll decide your treatment.”

“What questions?”

“First… you were staying as a food guest with the Namgung Clan before you tried to leave. Where were you planning to go?”

Yeon Jong-hwi replied, “As I’ve previously said to someone else, my answer is the same. I was just wandering aimlessly around the Central Plains.”

“Is that so? Then, what’s your sect?”

“The one-person inheritance sect, the Shooting Sun Sect.”

He’s lying.

Everything he said was a lie.

That was clear because it matched what both Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa had previously deduced during my interrogation of him. They excelled at reading others’ psyches, so they could infer from even the slightest reactions or responses from Yeon Jong-hwi. Moreover, by layering similar questions dozens of times, they could glean his true intentions.

‘It seems he really doesn’t trust us at all and is looking for any chance to escape.’

How could he trust anyone after the Namgung Clan was brutally destroyed overnight, and he was imprisoned by these people? He’d naturally hide any details about his own situation, especially since there had been no torture or threats so far.

But I didn’t have the time or the energy for a psychological battle with Yeon Jong-hwi. Sighing lightly, I said, “In fact, my companions and I had a big discussion. And we’ve decided to either kill you or win you over.”

At that, Yeon Jong-hwi scoffed, “Ha! If you’re going to kill me, just do it—why all these complications? And win me over? You think I would be honored by that?”

“The problem is, regardless of which path you choose, your future is hell.”

Yeon Jong-hwi has no idea.

A person swayed by the Soul Exchange Technique can be led into a living hell if the wielder desires it. If Zhuge Sa were to play with him, he’d think dying might be better.

I spoke in a slightly somber tone. “However, I don’t want to go that far. After all, you’re an absolute genius with the potential to become a great master, and I’d rather not wield my power freely against you.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“Final question. If you answer this question honestly, I can guarantee you fair treatment and possibly release you.”

Noticing something was off, Yeon Jong-hwi stared at me tensely. I looked him straight in the eye and asked, “What do you think righteousness is?”

“……!!”

Yeon Jong-hwi looked startled, then puzzled.

“Is that… your question? What is righteousness?”

“Yes. Please tell me what your definition of righteousness is.”

“What a ridiculous question. Why is that important?”

He took a moment to calm down and then replied, “Righteousness is about honing your martial skills to defeat and eliminate tyrants.”

“Does defeating and eliminating include assassination, like sniping with a bow?”

“… So you caught on.”

Yeon Jong-hwi responded with a bitter expression.

“You’re right. I’ve indeed eliminated a few corrupt officials using my archery skills.”

Mangnyang’s suspicions were correct. He’d uncovered Yeon Jong-hwi’s history and found that many officials had met mysterious ends in his wake. I muttered to myself and asked again, “That’s still murder. You killed someone you didn’t even know, just because of their reputation. Is that your righteousness?”

“That’s correct!”

He responded, crossing his arms confidently.

“I believe those who deserve to die should die. They wield power to oppress the powerless, committing atrocities against commoners. They beat commoners to death in broad daylight or rape women, yet the officials don’t dare touch them due to their influence. But just waiting a hundred years for them to die on their own isn’t practical. With money and power, they simply live well until their old age.”

“……”

“They kill the innocent indirectly through their power. That makes them demons too, so I carry out righteousness by killing them to protect the powerless.”

“I see…”

Listening to Yeon Jong-hwi, I realized what kind of person he was.

A martial artist who disregards the principle of non-interference between officials and the martial world!

It made sense why the Archer King was deemed a powerful figure in Jianghu yet seldom appeared—it suddenly dawned on me. He must have kept slaying the avaricious officials who tormented the people even when his fame grew.

‘He is a righteous man. And he’s strong.’

If he’d gone this far in hunting down officials, neither the Duke of Guanzhong nor the Golden Eagle Guard would sit idly. Yet, the Archer King, Yeon Jong-hwi, had remained a top master in Jianghu for fifty years, signifying that he’d overcome any pursuit and stood tall against all odds. He was undoubtedly a great hero of Jianghu.

I felt drawn to him and said, “My companions and I also wish to practice our own righteousness. You’ve heard the circumstances that led to the downfall of the Namgung Clan. We crossed paths with you in the midst of it.”

Yeon Jong-hwi snorted.

“Hmph! How can I trust the words of the perpetrator? You could have destroyed the innocent Namgung Clan out of sheer greed.”

“If that’s the case, shall we go meet the victims together, rather than simply listening to the perpetrator?”

“What?”

Boom!

In a swift motion, I released the pressure on his pulse. Immediately, he could use his internal energy, and his face turned incredulous. I stood up and declared, “Ask them directly.”

“What if I run away?”

*Whoosh!*

I tossed him his black bow that was left outside the door.

“If you refuse an opportunity to see the truth with your own eyes, I will be disappointed in you.”

“… You’re putting on quite a show. Alright!”

I led Yeon Jong-hwi to a location in Jangryeong Valley. In that place, women who had been abused by the Namgung Clan were staying, trying to find calmness. I had plans to set them free later once preparation was complete, but Yeon Jong-hwi seemed quite shocked when he began speaking with them.

About half a moment later,

Yeon Jong-hwi finished talking and came out, saying, “I can’t fully trust you, but the Namgung Clan is a bunch of bastards.”

“That’s right. But do you know that no force in all of Jianghu could touch the Namgung Clan?”

When Yeon Jong-hwi cast a sideways glance at me, I continued while sitting casually at the door.

“Not even the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects could dare to interfere with the actions of the Namgung Clan. Even the Duke of Guanzhong and the Golden Eagle Guard merely turned a blind eye to their atrocities, claiming it was a matter of Jianghu. In such a situation, who could save those poor women?”

“……”

“You claimed to be righteous, yet you couldn’t even recognize the great evil that was right under your nose. Had we not intervened, those women would have remained trapped in that secret room, subjected to sexual abuse until the end of their short lives.”

Yeon Jong-hwi sighed.

“That’s truly horrific…”

I stood up, grabbed Yeon Jong-hwi’s hand, and said, “I hope you will join us as our comrade. Instead of practicing righteousness alone, wouldn’t it be better to fight against the great evils prevailing in this world?”

“……”

“However, our foes will be far more formidable than the Five Great Families. They will unleash enemies far beyond what you faced in assassinating officials.”

Yeon Jong-hwi fell into silence for a while, letting out a weary sigh.

“Please give me a day. I want to think it over.”

“Sure.”

I took Yeon Jong-hwi back to a common room instead of returning him to his cell. The next day, when I visited him, I found Yeon Jong-hwi sitting in a chair, despite the restriction on his internal energy being lifted, without attempting to escape. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

When I arrived, he looked at me with a glimmer of martial authority.

“I’ve made up my mind. I will join you in your righteous pursuits!”

“Good choice.”

I handed Yeon Jong-hwi the obsidian imbued with memories. The memories flowed into him, and a moment later, he trembled and looked astonished.

“Wha… What on earth?! This vast world…”

I smiled brightly and said, “Moving forward, I’ll be fighting against formidable foes, dying and killing over and over. But I believe in the end, we will prevail.”

“……”

He stood there with his mouth agape before suddenly bowing and declaring, “I, Yeon Jong-hwi of the 53rd generation of the Yan royal family, shall serve you, Lord Baek Woong!!”