Chapter 107 – Heavenly Dragon Brigade (2)

Yu-jin asked where the place was, and Namgung Hwi immediately told him.

“Hwa-rin, I’ll see you later then.”

[We should have a pleasant night, shouldn’t we? Say hello to your handmaidens for me.]

At Yu-jin’s telepathic message, Namgung Hwa-rin’s face reddened slightly, but she looked at him with eyes full of anticipation.

As Yu-jin turned, he also sent a telepathic message to Ja Ye-eun, who was watching him with longing eyes. Although she was involved with him, she hadn’t been formally acknowledged, so she couldn’t be as open as Namgung Hwa-rin.

[Ye-eun, I’ll be coming to see you, so be ready.]

Ja Ye-eun, whose passionate body made one wonder if Hwa Un-wol had been like this in her youth, beamed at Yu-jin’s message.

Greatly satisfied with the thought of embracing the two women, Yu-jin headed to the place Namgung Hwi had told him about.

* * *

When Yu-jin first left the clan, his standing within it was at its lowest, despite Kang Yu-hyeon’s words about making him the successor.

His mother had been an excellent disciple at the Sword Pavilion, but that was all. She wasn’t a direct descendant of a great clan like the others, nor was she the child of a massive merchant guild. She was simply highly skilled in martial arts and beautiful.

‘That alone is impressive, but it’s not very helpful in a child’s competition for succession.’

Because of this, Yu-jin was often ignored by his other siblings. The only ones who treated him kindly were Kang So-hee and Kang Ye-jin; his other brothers and sisters were busy disregarding him.

Those who were more perceptive were quick to show hostility toward Yu-jin’s hidden power.

But now, the situation had completely changed. Kang Yu-jin had built a fortress of power so solid that it was incomparable to his other siblings. At least, that was the case when considering his reputation in the martial world.

‘The backgrounds of those children no longer matter.’

Yu-jin possessed a formidable martial strength that overshadowed any background. And in the martial world, nothing was more important than martial strength.

If he won the fight against Kang Yu-hyeon, he intended to take the position of clan head immediately. The opinions of others were irrelevant.

‘There is only one thing in store for those who defy me.’

Those who rejected Yu-jin would receive a visit from him. They would have to choose between absolute submission and death.

With that thought, Yu-jin slowly opened the door.

Kang Yu-hyeon seemed to be absent, as his presence couldn’t be felt. However, Yu-jin’s senses detected a master of the Transformation Realm inside the room.

Yu-jin quickly concealed his slight surprise and entered the room. He could feel the eyes of the people inside turning toward him. But the first person Yu-jin saw was Kang Yong-hoon.

‘How did he reach it already? And his aura is completely different.’

Unaware that Yong-hoon had obtained the Hellish Mad Demonic Arts, Yu-jin couldn’t help but be puzzled. To reach the Transformation Realm just a few months after they had parted was absurd.

‘Though it’s incomplete.’

It was clear at a glance that his learned internal arts and martial techniques were not in harmony. In that case, he hadn’t yet reached the complete Transformation Realm. But even so, Yu-jin couldn’t deny that Kang Yong-hoon had improved significantly.

‘Is this what they call a protagonist’s plot armor?’

After he had wracked his brain to snatch away a fortuitous encounter, hadn’t Kang Yong-hoon simply found a new one?

Yu-jin couldn’t shake the feeling of being somewhat jealous.

Of course, even if Kang Yong-hoon tried for a hundred days, he couldn’t defeat the current Yu-jin, but that was beside the point.

“Why the long faces? It’s been a while, you should all smile a little.”

Yu-jin spoke as he looked at the second son Kang Yong-hoon, the third son Flash Sword Kang Hyeon-woo, the fourth son Hegemon Sword Kang Cheon-woo, the eldest daughter Kang So-hee, and the second daughter Kang Su-jin. Only one person approached with a smile at his words.

“Brother.”

Heavenly Phoenix Kang So-hee approached Yu-jin with a bright smile, and Yu-jin smiled back, patting her head.

“It’s been a while, So-hee.”

As Yu-jin patted her head, Kang So-hee’s smile widened. Among Yu-jin’s siblings, she and the youngest, Kang Ye-jin, were the ones who followed him the most.

Soon, Sword Princess Kang Su-jin also rose from her seat. She didn’t follow Yu-jin as closely as Kang Ye-jin or Kang So-hee, but she was still a polite younger sister.

“It’s been a long time, Brother.”

“It’s been a while for you too, Su-jin.”

After receiving greetings from the eldest and second daughters, Yu-jin turned to look at his younger brothers.

None had grown as dramatically strong as Kang Yong-hoon, but it seemed they had all worked hard and become stronger. Of course, it wasn’t enough to impress Yu-jin.

“You all seem to lack respect for your older brother whom you haven’t seen in a while. It looks like you’ve gotten arrogant just because you’ve become a little stronger.”

At Yu-jin’s words, the three men’s faces stiffened. Kang Yong-hoon’s reaction was particularly intense.

However, Kang Yong-hoon quickly regained his composure, thinking that Yu-jin hadn’t properly grasped his true strength.

“I’m willing to spar with you, since it’s been a while.”

At Yu-jin’s words, the faces of Flash Sword Kang Hyeon-woo and Hegemon Sword Kang Cheon-woo hardened. Only then did they remember what kind of person Yu-jin was.

A terrible personality, always chasing women. But his martial arts were undeniably formidable.

And now, their eldest brother was known as the strongest among the Eight Dragons.

Although the two of them were approaching the level of the Eight Dragons, their chances of defeating Yu-jin were almost nil.

They had vowed to surpass him one day, but that time had not yet come.

“It is good to see you again, Brother.”

As Kang Hyeon-woo and Kang Cheon-woo bowed their heads in greeting at the same time, Yu-jin finally smiled. Then he looked at Kang Yong-hoon, who had yet to greet him.

But Kang Yong-hoon still didn’t greet him. Yu-jin let out a soft chuckle at the sight.

[Trying to defy your big brother just because you got lucky with some fortuitous encounter? You’ve gotten bold, Yong-hoon.]

At Yu-jin’s telepathic message, Kang Yong-hoon’s face turned pale. He had not yet completely surpassed Yu-jin, whom he considered a wall.

Unconsciously, Kang Yong-hoon unleashed his aura. A hegemonic presence spread out in all directions.

At that intense presence, everyone’s face except Yu-jin’s contorted. In particular, expressions akin to despair appeared on the faces of Kang Hyeon-woo and Kang Cheon-woo.

Kang Yu-jin was already a wall, and they never imagined that Kang Yong-hoon would also possess such power.

“Don’t get cocky.”

Yu-jin said, lightly revealing his power and erasing Kang Yong-hoon’s aura. Seeing how effortlessly he did it, Kang Yong-hoon clenched his fists tightly.

‘Brother… just what are you…? No, it’s not time to be certain yet.’

Even if Kang Yu-jin had reached the Transformation Realm before him, Yong-hoon believed the outcome of a fight was not guaranteed.

The Hellish Mad Demonic Arts he had learned possessed the power to easily overcome differences in realms.

But in the end, Kang Yong-hoon bowed his head to Yu-jin, and only then did Yu-jin nod in satisfaction.

* * *

Five absolute masters and the eight strongest warriors after them were gathered in one place. They were the masters of the Ten Great Heavenly Masters and the Twelve Kings of the Central Plains martial world.

But they were not the only ones gathered. The grandmasters of the Nine Great Sects and the heads of the Five Great Clans were also present. They were all formidable martial artists who would rank within the top one hundred.

“The reason I have gathered you all here is to form a brigade. Right now, the morale of the Central Plains’ martial artists has plummeted due to repeated defeats.”

At the words of the Martial Alliance’s leader, Hyeoncheonja, everyone nodded. The advance of the Western Tibetan martial world was truly swift and fierce. They had passed through Sichuan in an instant and were now heading past Chongqing toward Hubei.

In the meantime, suicide squads formed in various places had relentlessly charged, but they were annihilated without inflicting significant damage on the Western Tibetan martial artists.

With the situation as it was, the martial artists’ morale had inevitably hit rock bottom.

“How do you intend to form the personnel?”

asked Namgung Ok, the head of the Namgung Clan, who also held the title of Flying Thunder Sword King. In response, Je-gal Hyeon, the head of the Je-gal Clan and the grand marshal of the Martial Alliance, rose from his seat.

“We plan to form it with young masters, including the Eight Dragons and Five Phoenixes.”

They already knew that the Eight Dragons and Five Phoenixes were far stronger than most martial artists. If the young masters, led by the Eight Dragons and Five Phoenixes, could achieve great feats, the morale of the Central Plains’ martial artists, who were longing for a hero, would surely rise again.

“However, would that alone not be insufficient?”

When Grandmaster Unyeop of the Mount Hua Sect asked, Je-gal Hyeon nodded. He too was well aware that young masters alone would not be enough.

“I am well aware of that. That is why we will assign outstanding masters to them. The Moon Empress has already graciously agreed to move with them.”

The people gathered in the room looked at Moon Empress Na Ye-jin and all nodded. They could certainly trust her.

“But I heard the Western Tibetan martial world is advancing without dispersing their forces at all, aiming for an all-out war. In such a situation, would the existence of this brigade truly be meaningful?”

Grandmaster Hwaun of the Qingcheng Sect asked. There was merit to his words.

Both the Western Tibetan and Central Plains martial worlds intended to end everything in a single battle, so he thought there was no need to create a brigade led by the youth.

“We have received intelligence that some Western Tibetan martial artists have broken off and are active. It seems small groups are on the move to assess the situation, perhaps because the Beggars’ Sect and the Underworld Sect are desperately blocking information from reaching them. The members of the new brigade will capture these small, mobile groups and completely isolate the Western Tibetan martial world.”

Convinced by Je-gal Hyeon’s explanation, Grandmaster Hwaun nodded. If that was the reason, there was no need to object.

Hyeoncheonja looked around and spoke again.

“Are there any objections?”

Of course, no one objected.

“Then, I approve the establishment of the Heavenly Dragon Brigade.”

It was the moment the Heavenly Dragon Brigade, a new offensive unit of the Martial Alliance composed of twenty members, was born.

Subsequently, Kang Yu-jin was appointed as the Brigade Leader, and Na Ye-jin as the Guardian.

* * *

The first person Yu-jin went to see was Ja Ye-eun. It was to warm up before embracing Namgung Hwa-rin and her handmaidens.

Ja Ye-eun seemed to have been waiting for him, wearing only a thin nightgown. In the Mount Emei region, Ja Ye-eun was praised and called a saint, but before Yu-jin, she was a seductress demanding pleasure.

“Master…”

As Yu-jin sat on the bed, she removed his pants and gazed at his exposed member. She held it with both hands, then mustered her courage and gently touched the tip with her red-painted lips.