Chapter 151 – The Successor is Confirmed (2)

‘To think the Young Master would move so quickly.’

Many high-ranking members of the True Dragon Sword Clan felt bewildered by the sudden declaration of support. The tide had already turned completely in Kang Yu-jin’s favor.

Yu-jin’s presence had grown too immense for the high-ranking officials to do anything about. Some were already calling him the Clan Head, to the extent that one of the successors was willing to forfeit his own position.

“Hmm, you mean to hand your supporters over to me? Is there really a need for that?”

Yu-jin asked, looking at Kang Cheon-woo before him. It had been a while since he’d last seen his younger brother, but Yu-jin asked without any awkwardness. Kang Cheon-woo seemed to feel the same, speaking without hesitation.

“The tide has already turned in your favor, Brother.”

Kang Cheon-woo spoke with conviction, as if he had already made up his mind. At his brother’s resolve, Yu-jin nodded.

There was no need to stop someone who was willing to give up on their own. However, Yu-jin soon realized that Kang Cheon-woo had more to say and stared at him intently.

“But Brother, I have one request.”

“A request, you say? You’ve made a difficult decision, so granting one request shouldn’t be too hard. What is it?”

Kang Cheon-woo fell silent for a moment, unable to continue. But it was only for a moment before he opened his mouth.

“Once the successor is decided and becomes the Clan Head, it is clan tradition that all of the successor’s siblings follow the new head. Am I correct?”

“Yes. That is the clan’s tradition.”

Yu-jin nodded. The True Dragon Sword Clan never forgave the purging of direct blood relatives, even if it meant killing all the subordinates beneath them.

Those who became Clan Head had to embrace their former rivals, and those who lost the competition had to follow the Clan Head with sincerity. This was the tradition of the True Dragon Sword Clan, upheld for hundreds of years. Not even someone as unrestrained as Yu-jin could easily break it.

“I will leave the True Dragon Sword Clan with my mother.”

“You intend to abandon the clan name? I trust you know what that means.”

To leave the clan, one had to give back what the clan had provided. In other words, they had to have the source of their martial arts, their dantian, sealed, and the tendons in their limbs torn. Kang Cheon-woo was saying he would leave, knowing all this.

“Wouldn’t it be possible with your power, Brother?”

As Kang Cheon-woo looked Yu-jin straight in the eye and spoke, Yu-jin nodded as if in defeat.

“That much isn’t difficult. My brother has made a great resolution; I’m not so stingy that I can’t grant such a request. Ah, right. It’s a bit much to call it a gift, but take this.”

Yu-jin said this and glanced at a small box on the shelf. The box floated up on its own and flew to him.

Seeing this, Kang Cheon-woo’s eyes filled with admiration. He could also make a box float, but he lacked the ability to make it move so naturally.

“Take it.”

When Yu-jin offered the box, Kang Cheon-woo accepted it with a puzzled expression and opened the lid. Inside was a wild ginseng that, at a single glance, appeared to be of immense value.

“It would be troublesome if a swordsman of the True Dragon Sword Clan were to get beaten up somewhere. This is a gift from your older brother, so don’t refuse it and eat it well. And when you’ve sorted out your feelings, you can return anytime.”

“Yes, Brother!”

Moved by Yu-jin’s words, Kang Cheon-woo clasped his hands in a respectful bow.

The very next day, Kang Cheon-woo stunned everyone by announcing that he was handing over his supporters to Yu-jin.

With that, Yu-jin gained complete control over the True Dragon Sword Clan’s combat forces. All that remained was to deal with the few elders who had foolishly suggested his assassination.

“That won’t be difficult.”

To minimize chaos within the clan, he couldn’t reveal that they had tried to assassinate him. But there were many other ways to dispose of the elders.

However, Yu-jin chose what he now held in his hand.

“It’s time to end all of this.”

He had always considered the position of Clan Head to be his. Yu-jin had no intention of dragging things out any longer. Four women appeared behind his back.

“Let’s go.”

By the time this night was over, there would be no one left who did not acknowledge him as the successor. Yu-jin drew his sword and left the room with the women.

***

*CRASH!*

The main gate suddenly exploded as if it had been hit by a cannonball.

“Wh-what was that?”

“What’s going on?”

People rushed out amidst the sudden chaos. And they saw him. A young man with a bright smile, accompanied by four masked warriors.

Kang Yu-jin, currently respected and supported by countless people, had made his appearance.

“Young Master?”

“Why is the Young Master here at this late hour…”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

The moment Yu-jin finished speaking, his eyes flashed, and the guards on duty all lost consciousness and collapsed.

Yu-jin advanced without hesitation, while the warriors wavered, unsure whether to attack him or not.

Although their superiors did not support Yu-jin, he was undeniably the Young Master of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

“I have come only to capture the guilty! All warriors of the True Dragon Sword Clan, lower your swords!”

At Yu-jin’s shout, the warriors lowered their swords, though their faces showed suspicion. No matter how much they feared their superiors, none of them had the courage to point a sword at a direct blood relative of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

“What is the meaning of this, Young Master!”

At that moment, Gwan Cheol-woo emerged from the pavilion, roaring with anger. Surrounding him were a dozen or so elders who followed him.

Every one of them disliked Yu-jin, and their eyes were laced with killing intent as they looked at him.

From their perspective, it was only natural. They had always considered Kang Yong-hoon to be the most suitable successor. In terms of character, martial arts, and reputation, Kang Yong-hoon was superior in every way.

Yu-jin, despite his outstanding martial arts, was nothing but human trash who lusted after women. For that trash to suddenly threaten them and openly invade their territory, they couldn’t help but be enraged.

“Did I not say it? I have come to capture the guilty. That includes Elder Gwan Cheol-woo and all the other elders present here.”

“What nonsense is this! How can you call us guilty when we have committed no crime!”

At Gwan Cheol-woo’s words, all the elders behind him nodded in agreement.

But Yu-jin’s face held nothing but a sneer. He suddenly pulled something from his robes. It was a book. A rather thick one.

“This book contains a record of all the corruption you have committed. All the corruption committed by you, who are supposed to lead the True Dragon Sword Clan.”

Not a single elder remained unfazed by his words. Even Gwan Cheol-woo.

In truth, the position of an elder came with the power to decide on personnel matters and all sorts of other interests.

Elders were human, too, and couldn’t help but be consumed by greed. It was just that Won Chan-hyeok, the first to submit to Yu-jin, had been too honest in that regard and earned scorn for it, but the other elders had also profited handsomely.

“This book has already been distributed throughout the entire True Dragon Sword Clan.”

The moment he heard those words, a deep furrow formed on Gwan Cheol-woo’s brow. Yu-jin was indirectly saying that he would never work with them. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to distribute something like that without any attempt at compromise.

The other elders’ faces turned pale. If what Yu-jin said was true and the book had indeed been distributed, they would be expelled from the True Dragon Sword Clan.

“Truthfully, I did not want to go this far, Elder Gwan Cheol-woo. However, the moment you sent assassins after me, it became impossible for us to coexist.”

At Yu-jin’s words, Gwan Cheol-woo trembled involuntarily.

‘What was all that about keeping it a secret!’

To think that the deed he had reluctantly approved would come back to strike them down like a poisoned dagger.

Gwan Cheol-woo understood with absolute clarity. He had to subdue Yu-jin and retrieve the books.

Otherwise, everything they had built up until now would vanish like a sandcastle swept away by the tide. As this reality dawned on him, Gwan Cheol-woo’s demeanor changed completely.

“Even if the Young Lord is a master of the Transformation Realm, we are only slightly behind him. With our numbers, not even the Young Lord can stop us!”

At Gwan Cheol-woo’s words, the eyes of the dozen or so elders gleamed. A menacing killing intent was already overflowing from their bodies.

They were making a silent threat. They did not believe that even someone as strong as Yu-jin could handle their combined martial might.

“I offered you a final chance to protect your honor, yet you choose this path? How utterly tragic.”

Yu-jin no longer used honorifics. He had fully acknowledged them as criminals. At that moment, the four women behind him drew their respective weapons and stepped forward.

“Just keep them alive. There are many things I need to hear.”

As Yu-jin gave the order, the four women lunged forward, and an indiscriminate assault began.

No matter how skilled the elders were, they could not handle one peak master, one master of the Transformation Realm, and two masters of the Profound Realm.

Though few in number, Yu-jin had unleashed what could only be described as a nightmare upon his enemies.

*Kwakwakwakwang!*

“Kuaaargh!”

Explosions erupted everywhere, and desperate screams echoed through the air.

The elders were pushed back helplessly. They were seasoned warriors who had been at the center of the True Dragon Sword Clan for decades, honing their skills, but they could not overcome the difference in martial power.

What was more terrifying was that not a single one of the fallen elders was dead, though many were screaming in agony with severed limbs and broken bones.

“A sad affair. Though not direct blood relatives, they are all members of the True Dragon Sword Clan. To force my hand against them… Elder Gwan Cheol-woo, you are quite a cruel man yourself.”

“Young Master!”

At Yu-jin’s mocking words, Gwan Cheol-woo couldn’t help but shout loudly.

“You should have chosen your methods more carefully. Weren’t you the ones who bared your fangs at me first?”

Using a drastic measure like assassination was clearly the elders’ fault, and Yu-jin had no intention of forgiving them.

Yu-jin drew his sword and aimed it at Elder Gwan Cheol-woo. Faced with his overwhelming presence, Elder Gwan Cheol-woo’s face turned deathly pale.

“Please wait a moment, Brother!”

Just then, a familiar voice reached Yu-jin’s ears. Recognizing the familiar presence, Yu-jin frowned and turned around to see Kang Yong-hoon standing there.

Yu-jin looked at Kang Yong-hoon with an expression of interest. While his followers and supporters were trying to make him the Clan Head, Kang Yong-hoon had focused solely on his martial arts.

It was because watching the fight between Yu-jin and Kang Yu-hyeon had made him realize how weak he truly was.

‘I knew he had the greatest martial talent among the brothers, but I never expected him to improve this much.’