Chapter 93 – To the Central Plains (5)

Truthfully, Sahagi felt nothing about Han Jin-ha’s death. No, he actually thought it was for the best.

His existence was a blight on the Black Origin Fortress. He tarnished the Lord’s reputation and undermined the prestige of the eldest son, Han Won-ha.

His womanizing, which began in his youth, had gone too far, and it wasn’t as if he excelled in martial arts either.

He had tried to enter the military numerous times but always failed the examinations. Nor did he take on any duties within the Black Origin Fortress. Since the fortress would eventually be inherited by the eldest, Han Won-ha, after he retired from the military, Han Jin-ha had no interest in its affairs.

“It’s actually for the best. This gives us a chance to show people what happens to those who mess with the Black Origin Fortress.”

Sahagi muttered to himself as he looked at the hundred warriors. Under Han Won-ha’s command, they could move like soldiers in an army.

The warriors of the Black Origin Fortress, capable of moving in perfect unison, had allowed the clan to grow and make a name for itself in the surrounding area with their efficient movements.

“The Young Master is truly a remarkable man.”

Unlike someone born into a minor clan like this, Han Won-ha excelled in both martial and scholarly arts. He reached the peak of martial prowess at the relatively young age of his early thirties, which earned him a strong position in the military.

With numerous generals in the military taking notice of him, his future seemed nothing short of paved with gold.

Once the current Lord retired, Han Won-ha was expected to leave the military and become active in the martial world, signaling a bright future for the Black Origin Fortress.

“Are you ready?”

As Han Woo-hyeok approached and asked, Sahagi quickly bowed his head.

“All the warriors of the Black Origin Fortress are ready. It is time to show them our strength.”

Han Woo-hyeok nodded at Sahagi’s words. Bidding Sahagi farewell, Han Woo-hyeok led the hundred warriors toward the Daewon Inn, where Yu-jin was staying.

And there they saw him. Kang Yu-jin, drinking leisurely in front of the Daewon Inn.

Yu-jin looked at them, then bolted.

“Damn it, after him!”

Recognizing Yu-jin at a glance as the one who killed his son, Han Woo-hyeok shouted. The hundred warriors gave chase, and Yu-jin stopped in a deserted area, turning to look back.

“I had a feeling, but I didn’t think you’d actually come.”

Yu-jin gave a low smile as he looked at Han Woo-hyeok. Frankly, he found the whole situation laughable.

That man, Han Jin-ha, was the scum of the earth. His very existence was a nuisance to others. The fact that they had gathered warriors to attack him for killing such a person was beyond ridiculous.

“So you’re the one who killed my son.”

“That’s right. You must be the Lord of the Black Origin Fortress. Have you come to avenge your son?”

“I have. I came to take your head myself.”

At Han Woo-hyeok’s words, the smile on Yu-jin’s lips deepened. For some reason, Han Woo-hyeok and the other warriors felt a sudden chill.

“Isn’t it strange? From what I’ve gathered, your second son forced himself on countless women, driving many of them to take their own lives. To ignore the sorrow and rage of those who lost their beloved daughters and wives, and only feel anger for losing your own son… it’s truly absurd.”

Yu-jin’s words pointed to facts the people of the Black Origin Fortress had been trying hard to ignore. But their denial couldn’t erase the truth.

“I recognized his wrongdoing in that matter, scolded Jin-ha harshly, and gave compensation to the victims and their families.”

“Then I shall offer you compensation as well, my Lord. Will you not withdraw your warriors?”

“Enough of your nonsense!”

Unable to tolerate Yu-jin’s words any longer, Han Woo-hyeok roared. His shout shattered the quiet of the night.

Yu-jin looked at Han Woo-hyeok with an expression of disbelief. He knew that’s just how the world worked, but he still found the man utterly ridiculous.

“I’m never traveling again.”

Leading beautiful women around is a crime in itself, Yu-jin thought with a sigh.

Regardless of what Yu-jin muttered, the warriors drew their weapons in unison. Of course, Yu-jin didn’t even bat an eye. Instead, a cold smile touched his lips as he spoke.

“What if I were someone far greater than you, Lord? What if I have a power behind me so immense that you couldn’t even imagine it? What if killing me incurs their wrath and leads to the annihilation of the Black Origin Fortress?”

At Yu-jin’s words, fire sparked in Han Woo-hyeok’s eyes, and they became bloodshot.

“I don’t care what family you come from! I will avenge my son!”

Hearing this, Yu-jin considered whether to use his family’s prestige. But the thought didn’t last long. He had no intention of using his family’s influence until the clan was truly his. He believed only in the power he had earned through his own achievements.

“What a shame. If you had applied that sentiment to caring for others, perhaps your second son wouldn’t have become such a degenerate.”

“Shut your mouth, you bastard!”

Seeing Yu-jin insult his second son to the very end, Han Woo-hyeok unleashed a powerful killing intent.

Yu-jin sighed at the man’s audacity and beckoned with his finger. At this blatant show of disrespect, the warriors of the Black Origin Fortress amplified their own killing intent.

‘By the way, I thought I was pretty well-known by now, but I guess not.’

He had been quite active in Shanxi Province, so he thought people in this nearby region would recognize his face, but almost no one did.

Then again, since becoming the Divine Sword Dragon, he had hardly been active in the martial world, so it was natural that most people didn’t know what he looked like.

‘Hmm, right after becoming the Divine Sword Dragon, I left for the Heavenly Mountains, clashed with the Heavenly Demon, and wandered the backlands searching for a fateful encounter. The only other place I made a name for myself was at the edge of Yunnan… It makes sense they wouldn’t know me.’

Yu-jin resolved to make his name more widely known in the future, so that people would grovel on their own.

Soon, the warriors charged at Yu-jin. All who rushed him were renowned masters from the Black Origin Fortress, and as if to prove it, a faint sword aura formed on their blades.

“I wanted to end this peacefully.”

As Yu-jin muttered, his eyes showed no sign of wavering. To him, an absolute being beyond absolutes, an attack like this could not stir his heart, which was as placid as a clear mirror.

Yu-jin lightly released a formless palm force, and in an instant, the warriors were sent flying. However, none of them were injured.

“This is your final warning. I merely punished a villain who deserved it. Even if I hadn’t killed him, had he been turned over to the authorities, his crimes were severe enough to warrant a long sentence. Yet, if you insist on persecuting me with your numbers, this place may become a sea of blood and mountains of corpses.”

“We could have disciplined him, not you! We could have changed him! What right do you have to say such things after trampling all over that possibility!”

Han Woo-hyeok shouted as he unleashed a blue sword ki at Yu-jin, which exploded against his body.

Han Woo-hyeok wore a look of satisfaction, but it didn’t last long. Yu-jin was unharmed. His martial skill was not enough to pierce Yu-jin’s thick protective aura.

“You shout like that, yet you let your son rape and murder dozens of women? Even the most depraved Unorthodox Factions don’t go that far. I made it clear: that was the last warning. Now, you will all witness the wrath of the Divine Sword Dragon.”

“The Divine Sword Dragon?”

Han Woo-hyeok was speechless. Only then did a look of bewilderment dawn on his face. Yu-jin himself was one thing, but the power of the True Dragon Sword Clan behind him was immense.

If they dispatched just a few masters, the Black Origin Fortress would face annihilation. Barely regaining his composure, Han Woo-hyeok struggled to speak.

But before he could open his mouth, Yu-jin swung his sword, and the river of starlight that erupted from it bisected one of the warriors.

“Kuaaaargh!”

The warrior collapsed, screaming in agony. Yu-jin stared at the warriors of the Black Origin Fortress with a frigid expression.

“You must have enjoyed your power until now. But remember this. Power can always be crushed by greater power!”

The Martial Alliance strictly forbids infighting among the Orthodox Factions, but Yu-jin wasn’t thinking about that right now.

He could be condemned by many for killing members of the same faction. But he was already used to being reviled, and he felt not a shred of regret for his actions.

In fact, since they were the ones who had attacked him with superior numbers, Yu-jin considered this self-defense.

‘And ultimately, I have the Emperor behind me.’

That was why Yu-jin used his power without any concern for the consequences. In that moment, wings of golden light spread wide from his back.

“What is that!”

Han Woo-hyeok and his warriors couldn’t hide their shock at this unfamiliar martial art. Yu-jin smiled at them.

“I’ve never heard of the Divine Sword Dragon using a technique like this…”

“Is there anything more foolish in the martial world than revealing all of your strength? Now, farewell.”

The moment Yu-jin finished speaking, a brilliant golden light consumed the surrounding space, and within it, a spray of blood tainted the forest.

***

“Humans are selfish by nature.”

Perched on a tree, Yu-jin gazed at the moon illuminating the night sky and raised his wine bottle. It must have been a fine vintage, as it went down smoothly.

“The martial world is a place where grudges are inevitable. To carry a sword and expect no trouble is the mark of a madman. Wouldn’t you agree, my Lord?”

Yu-jin looked down at Han Woo-hyeok, who was bleeding profusely, both his arms severed.

“How could you be so vicious…”

Besides Han Woo-hyeok, none of the warriors were left alive. No, even Han Woo-hyeok, who was speaking now, was dying. The area was a wreck, as if a typhoon had swept through.

“How audacious. Was it not you, my Lord, who failed to manage your son and persecuted me, giving yourself over to rage? I clearly offered to compromise, but you were the one who ignored it, were you not? Ah, of course, your attitude changed after I revealed my identity, but that doesn’t count.”

Yu-jin said with a sneer. He was a martial artist himself, but he found words like these absurd every time he heard them.

They attack first with superior numbers, and when they’re all killed, they call him vicious? Was he supposed to just lie down and die?

“Just you wait… My son… will… have… his… revenge…”

“I look forward to it. I wonder what kind of revenge it will be.”

With those words, Yu-jin took another swig from the wine bottle and then shattered it. The shards all struck Han Woo-hyeok’s body.

“Kuaaaargh!”

Han Woo-hyeok collapsed with one final, agonizing scream. It could be called cruel, but Yu-jin had no intention of making the mistake of letting an enemy go.

“There’s no point in sparing an enemy only to invite disaster upon myself.”

With that, Yu-jin leaped away.

The next morning, a woodcutter discovered the bodies of the Black Origin Fortress warriors. When the news spread, the Black Origin Fortress was thrown into turmoil. They quickly gathered their remaining forces and rushed to the Daewon Inn, but Yu-jin was already gone.