Chapter 403: Obtaining the Black Silk Centipede
Dong-o looked at Han Domeong and said,
“Let’s go.”
Han Domeong, though he had narrowly escaped death, felt no relief. Returning to the Heavenly Demon Sect in this state would be worse than not returning at all.
He knew full well what would happen if he failed to carry out the command personally issued by First Master.
Though his title was “Head Elder,” in truth, he was no more than an arm or leg of the Three Grand Elders.
To survive, Han Domeong couldn’t afford to retreat like this.
“Very well. Elder Dong must report this to First Master in full detail.”
After giving Dong-o a sense of reassurance, Han Domeong pretended to back away—only to sneak behind Hong A-yul and swing his sword.
Startled by Han Domeong’s sudden move, Dong-o shouted,
“No!”
He drew his blade and rushed forward to stop him, but Han Domeong’s sword was already descending toward Hong A-yul’s neck.
It was at that moment—
Yong Hwarin flicked his hand, and before anyone realized it, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword struck the blade heading for Hong A-yul’s neck.
Clang!
Han Domeong staggered back three steps from the rebound force of the clash with the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword.
“Damn it!”
The situation was so unbelievable that he cursed reflexively.
He had acted first, and yet a sword under Sword Unification had flown through space to intercept him.
“If you had just left, you would have lived. You brought this on yourself, so don’t blame anyone else.”
“Wa-Wait!”
Han Domeong flinched and tried to speak, but by then, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword had already made a circle around his neck.
“Huh? Wha—!”
Han Domeong thought the sword had merely circled around to intimidate him and returned to Yong Hwarin’s hand.
“I’ll just go…”
But his voice sounded as if someone else were speaking.
Then his vision suddenly split in half, and the ground rushed up to meet him.
As he saw blood spurt from his neck, Han Domeong realized that his head had fallen to the ground—and that he was watching it happen.
It was a horrifying experience.
He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. His throat merely twitched.
And as his vision began to fade, he muttered to himself,
‘Damn it!’
“……”
As a once-renowned master fell so easily, it became clear that Sword Unification was something beyond mere martial arts.
Dong-o looked down at Han Domeong’s severed head for a long moment before saying,
“Young Master Yong, I entrust A-yul to your care.”
Yong Hwarin tried to dissuade him once more.
“Elder Dong, if you go, you’ll surely die.”
At that, Dong-o looked up at the sky.
“Even so, I must go. Only then can I bring closure. Even if I leave him, I must go and tell him myself. That is my duty.”
“Grandfather Dong…”
“I will return alive, so do not worry.”
Hong A-yul nodded, as if choosing to believe in his words.
In the next moment, Dong-o vanished.
Yong Hwarin watched his departing figure with a gaze full of regret.
They had been enemies, but still, Dong-o had been a truly admirable martial artist.
Yong Hwarin turned to Hong A-yul and asked,
“Miss Hong, did Eum Sajeok not give you a Wooden Case?”
“Huh? How do you know about that?”
“I know because Eum Sajeok told me.”
“Ah… how?”
“Eum Sajeok knew that First Master would try to kill you. That’s why he sent you toward me. But he didn’t anticipate Han Domeong would go so far as to set fire to the village.”
Looking around at the people weeping over everything they’d lost, he spoke with a heavy tone.
“To think Senior Brother Eum devised this whole plan for my sake…”
Hong A-yul was overwhelmed with confusion about what to believe.
“When did you become close with Senior Brother Eum?”
“You may have heard—Eum Sajeok was once held hostage by me. For quite a long time, in fact.”
“I know about that.”
“That’s when he and I agreed to work together.”
“Ah, so that’s what happened…”
She had thought he had simply changed, without wondering why.
‘No wonder Senior Brother Eum started acting more like a gentleman. He changed by being around Young Master Yong.’
Hong A-yul had been surprised by how kind Eum Sajeok had been to her lately.
Now, knowing he had even crafted this plan to save her, she saw him in a new light.
She reached into her satchel, pulled out the Wooden Case, and handed it to Yong Hwarin.
Click!
When the case opened, Black Silk Centipede was neatly folded inside.
Yong Hwarin pulled it out and infused it with qi, causing it to stiffen like a sword and emit a resonant hum.
“Ah!”
Hong A-yul gasped in awe.
The fluttering cloth unleashed such murderous intent it seemed like a peerless blade, leaving her shocked.
Yong Hwarin tucked the Black Silk Centipede into his robe and explained,
“Eum Sajeok sent this to give your visit to me a sense of legitimacy—otherwise, it would have seemed like a fake defection.”
“But that was something Senior Brother Yang gave me.”
Yong Hwarin smiled faintly.
“That was because Eum Sajeok instigated Yang Gwak to give it to you. Yang Gwak believes this will trap both Han Domeong and the Young Master.”
“Then won’t Senior Brother Eum be interrogated by Senior Brother Yang because of this?”
“Eum Sajeok is more than capable of handling that.”
Realizing Yong Hwarin respected Eum Sajeok made him seem all the more impressive in her eyes.
Once Hong A-yul seemed to have calmed down, Mo Biyoung spoke.
“Gaga, it’s time to clean things up now.”
“Young Miss Mo, I want to take these people back to the main house. They’ve lost their homes and wealth—they can’t go on like this. The young ones will likely turn to banditry, and the women might sell themselves.”
They knew that only cruel reality awaited those who had lost everything.
No one was going to offer them a bed or a meal.
“Now that the main house has expanded, we need more hands.”
Mo Biyoung responded with a radiant smile.
“I was feeling heavy-hearted too, but if Gaga’s made this decision, then I fully support it. Still, I wonder if these people will accept our offer.”
“Let’s go talk to them.”
Yong Hwarin turned to the people staring blankly at the ashes of their homes and called out to them.
“Is the village head here?”
An old man wearing a yugeon stepped forward.
“What is it?”
The village head showed extreme reluctance when he saw Yong Hwarin fighting.
Yong Hwarin bowed with a clasped-hands greeting, his expression mild.
“I am Yong Hwarin of the Heavenly Central Sect from Haun County.”
At Yong Hwarin’s introduction, the village head looked blank as if he had never heard the name before.
But a young man immediately sprang to his feet and shouted.
“Heavenly Central Sword Hero! Yong Hwarin!”
“Is he Young Master Yong?”
The young men stood up and asked.
Yong Hwarin nodded.
“Oh! The Heavenly Central Sword Hero Yong Hwarin is standing right in front of me!”
The youth’s face was full of awe. A young man who dreamed of becoming a martial artist had recently admired Yong Hwarin, who had appeared like a comet and made a name for himself in the jianghu.
The village head scolded that young man.
“Quiet. You there, speak up.”
“Our main hall is expanding many pavilions and we need people to work. If the villagers wish, I would like to take them all to the main hall.”
The village head replied with an irritated look.
“We did not till the fields to become servants.”
Yong Hwarin shook his head.
“How could I make you my servants? I will pay wages for the work you do. You may work at the escort agency or at the main hall doing whatever is required. If you wish to become warriors, you may receive warrior training. This is by no means servitude or humiliation.”
In fact, the village head also knew well what the Heavenly Central Sect was.
It was not far from this hamlet, and he had long heard that it was a reputable martial household.
He had also heard rumors that its warriors were upright and that its sect leader had the fame of the Heavenly Dragon Great Hero.
But the world had grown dangerous, so he had tested Yong Hwarin’s intent.
“I will gather the village’s opinion. May I ask you to wait a moment?”
“I will wait.”
The village head gathered the people and, after some conversation, approached Yong Hwarin.
“All the villagers accepted Young Master Yong’s offer.”
“Thank you.”
When Yong Hwarin bowed, the village head bowed even lower.
“Why should Young Master Yong be thanked? It is our villagers who received a favor from Young Master Yong.”
Yong Hwarin, who felt some responsibility for the village having been burned, was relieved that things had gone well.
“We cannot leave at once. We will clear this place at dawn and then head to the Heavenly Central Sect.”
“Understood. I will inform the main hall so come without any worries.”
“Very well.”
Yong Hwarin took a coin pouch from his breast and said, “You can purchase whatever you need on the way. Farewell.”
The village head was astonished to see the coin pouch full of silver coins.
“This is—!”
As Yong Hwarin turned to leave, the village head seized his hand.
“I am truly grateful. If not for Young Master Yong, we would have starved here or become bandits.”
Yong Hwarin only smiled at the village head’s gratitude.
Hong Ahyul watched Yong Hwarin’s handling of the matter and thought.
‘Ah, is this the difference between demonic ways and righteous ways? Righteousness protects and cherishes the weak, while the demonic way tramples them?’
Now in this position, Hong Ahyul felt the difference between the demonic way and righteousness so clearly in Yong Hwarin’s demeanor.
She felt estranged by how different Yong Hwarin was from the Heavenly Demon Sect she had lived with.
Yong Hwarin spoke to Hong Ahyul.
When Yong Hwarin sprang into motion, Mo Biyoung approached and said, “Miss Hong, please come with me.”
Mo Biyoung spoke kindly, and Hong Ahyul smiled at Mo Biyoung’s consideration.
“Thank you.”
Then Hong Ahyul realized she had never once said “thank you” in the Heavenly Demon Sect.
There had been no reason to say it there.
“Aren’t we heading to the Heavenly Central Sect?”
Mo Biyoung shook her head.
“No. We are going to friends of the family. They are currently under attack by the Demonic Cult and Dark Echo Valley.”
“Ah!”
Yong Hwarin thought his friends might be having a hard time now, but he did not worry much.
If people from the Jaegal Clan were present, they would stall with formation arts for a time.
‘Hold on a little longer!’
As the two followed well, Yong Hwarin increased his speed.
“We have completed the Celestial Silk Snare.”
A subordinate bowed and reported, and the young man glanced back.
“Now they are mice trapped in a jar.”
Sanbi grinned.
At that, So Yonghwa, who sat beside the grand marshal, answered.
“Do not be careless. Even if the Celestial Silk Snare is set, those rascals are still whole.”
“We will hunt them slowly and slaughter them. The Jaegal clan only barely holds with their formation art. Once the formation is broken, catching them will be a matter of time.”
When Sanbi spoke, So Yonghwa rose.
“That formation is not easily broken; that is the problem. Any news? From Brother Mun or the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect?”
“None yet. Brother Mun and Brother Ok are engaged with them, so by now they may have already come to blows with Yong Hwarin.”
“Do you think they could kill Yong Hwarin?”
So Yonghwa muttered doubtfully, and Sanbi said, “There are only that Yong fellow and one woman following him. If those two cannot kill the Yong fellow, they would be better off burying their faces in a bowl of water and dying. They should not dare claim to be heirs of the Three Demonic Heavens anywhere.”
Yet even Sanbi, who spoke thus, preferred to eliminate the clan’s rising prodigies rather than confront Yong Hwarin directly.
So Yonghwa knew Sanbi had feared Yong Hwarin and had entrusted dealing with him to Moonwoo and Ok Girin.
He could not sneer at Sanbi for that.
He himself had been assigned the clan’s rising prodigies for the same reason.
“If this drags on, we will tire as well. To be safe, let us settle this now.”
“As the Young Cult Leader commanded, we cannot hesitate. Let us go. We will drive them into a trap.”
Sanbi and So Yonghwa moved toward the mountain as if headed on a hunt.
