Chapter 63 : Chapter 63

Chapter 63. 3 Years Later (1)

A moment later.

One of the martial artists in charge of security at the brothel came out.

"I heard you came from the Tang Clan. Is that correct?"

"That is so. I am called Dang Gun of the Tang Clan. I am cousins with Brother Dang Jin."

"Ah, I see. Then I shall guide you."

The martial artist politely volunteered to guide them.

Dang Gun followed behind him and thought inwardly.

'He's strong. Does the Ultimate Path Gate have experts of this level?'

The man, who looked to be in his mid-40s, looked strong. Looking at his gait, his center was well-balanced, and the faintly felt aura confirmed he was a first-rate expert.

No matter how one looked at it, he wasn't below Dang Gun.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Dang Gun spoke.

"If it isn't rude, may I ask for your name, Master?"

"I am called Yun Chang of the Nam Clan."

"So you are Master Nam."

Dang Gun asked casually.

"What level of mission are you undertaking at the Ultimate Path Gate, Master Nam?"

"Me? I am just a regular warrior belonging to the Inner Hall?"

"Pardon?"

Dang Gun was surprised.

A first-rate expert of this level is just a regular warrior?

Does the Ultimate Path Gate not know how to judge people? Or does it mean there are that many experts?

To the flustered Dang Gun, the opponent spoke.

"At the Ultimate Path Gate, someone of my level is just about the level of having taken off the apprentice tag and becoming a full-fledged warrior. Are there not plenty stronger than me?"

"Is that true?"

"Of course. There are over three hundred regular warriors like me alone."

"..."

How much of this should he believe?

Can he believe it all?

'Is it not simply a sect with a lot of money?'

It wasn't unreasonable for Dang Gun to think this way.

The Ultimate Path Gate defeated the Limitless Gate and made Yueyang its territory.

This is a story everyone under the heavens knows.

But the moves the Ultimate Path Gate showed the world afterward were more like a merchant group than martial artists.

They created the Eon Clan Merchant Group with the money earned in Yueyang, and through that merchant group, they started shipping distribution on the Yangtze River and began making money in earnest.

The Yangtze River itself was suitable for huge shipping and at the same time served as a borderline between the Righteous and Evil.

It meant it was a perfect place to do business while moving between the Righteous and Evil.

Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Zhejiang...

The Ultimate Path Gate dominated the waterways of the Yangtze River that naturally penetrated the realms of Righteous and Evil.

Added to that was the excellent business talent shown by Eon Sohui, and the Eon Clan Merchant Group instantly took a spot among the Ten Great Merchant Groups under the heavens.

Naturally, many Murim sects approached the appetizingly grown Eon Clan Merchant Group, but the Eon Clan Merchant Group sternly refused.

[Our merchant group does not fall under the influence of any sect other than the Ultimate Path Gate.]

Countless merchant groups made exceptional offers, but Eon Sohui refused as if they weren't worth considering.

Many coveted the Eon Clan Merchant Group.

Especially in the case of the Namgung Clan, their stomachs must have ached severely as it was like losing a treasure they had practically had in their hands once.

The Head of the Namgung Clan personally sent someone to apologize to Eon Sohui for his son's rudeness and suggested forming a good relationship again, but...

[Am I crazy?]

Eon Sohui did not accept.

Anyway, having grasped the stable nest called the Ultimate Path Gate and the excellent money source called Yueyang, Eon Sohui's moves were unstoppable.

Like a tiger with wings, she dominated the logistics of the Yangtze River and raked in money.

Above all, she was a person who used money usefully, more than just earning it.

"This is relief grain provided by the Ultimate Path Gate. Come and receive it in order."

If there was a region with a famine, they took large amounts of rice and distributed relief grain in the name of the Ultimate Path Gate.

Thanks to that, praise for the Ultimate Path Gate never ceased from the mouths of people receiving food from them.

"Such gratitude..."

"Truly a Gate of Chivalry."

"We will never forget this grace."

The Ultimate Path Gate is a neutral sect claiming to be between Righteous and Evil.

But to the civilians existing near the Yangtze River, the Ultimate Path Gate was the world's best Gate of Chivalry surpassing Shaolin and Wudang.

What kind of sect in the world distributes relief grain for free, when even the country doesn't?

Some criticized this action of the Ultimate Path Gate, saying they were buying public sentiment with money and it was an act no different from deceiving the world and misleading the people, but...

[If they're jealous, they should do it too?]

[That's right. Older Brother.]

Neither Han Cheong-un nor Eon Sohui blinked an eye at such criticism.

As a result of scattering money to gain public sentiment, the Ultimate Path Gate became a renowned Gate of Chivalry under the heavens.

And rumors like this spread in the Gangho.

That the Ultimate Path Gate would be a sect with enough money to be in the top five under the heavens.

The external evaluation of the Gangho was exactly that much.

A sect that occupied the downtown area of Yueyang and earned a lot of money based on that.

That is the Ultimate Path Gate.

But people of the world don't know.

How much power the Ultimate Path Gate has accumulated over the past years.

A wall neatly built with red bricks.

A magnificent building whose beginning and end couldn't be seen at a glance.

Above the main gate of that building, the three characters for Ultimate Path Gate were carved hugely.

The manor Han Cheong-un originally purchased wasn't a small building either, but this was the result of purchasing surrounding buildings and expanding repeatedly as the sect grew afterward.

"This is the Ultimate Path Gate."

"It is... tremendously huge."

"It doesn't compare to the Sichuan Tang Clan though."

"Well, that is..."

It is true that the manor of the Sichuan Tang Clan is bigger.

But unlike the Sichuan Tang Clan which has established itself as the master of Chengdu for hundreds of years, the Ultimate Path Gate is an emerging sect less than 5 years old.

Yet, occupying such a large building already was a great feat.

'Just how much money do they earn?'

When estimating the prosperity of a sect, the things evaluated after the sect's martial power are connections and capital.

In that sense, just looking at this manor gave a glimpse of part of the Ultimate Path Gate's potential.

'Still, money isn't everything for a sect. What's important is the number of experts and the quality of martial arts.'

The fact that the Ultimate Path Gate has a lot of money was already a fact known to everyone under the heavens.

But if they wanted to claim to be a Murim sect and not a merchant group, wouldn't martial arts skills be the most important thing after all?

Before Dang Gun who was thinking this, a man appeared.

"Hm? Were you not on guard duty today?"

A man carrying a bow as large as his body on his back.

The moment he saw him, Dang Gun flinched and shrank back without realizing it.

'An expert.'

An expert whom Dang Gun's insight couldn't gauge clearly but was definitely a cut above him.

Such a man suddenly appeared.

And the warrior guiding them spoke.

"Greetings, Captain Jang Hyun."

"Right. Leaving your job, what are you doing here?"

"Guests arrived from the Tang Clan, so I brought them."

"From the Tang Clan? Hmm, I see."

Jang Hyun looked at Dang Gun and his group, then bowed with clasped hands and said.

"I am called Jang Hyun of the Ultimate Path Gate. What business brings you to our sect?"

"I came to deliver a message to Brother Dang Jin."

"I see. The Vice Sect Leader should be in the executive-only training ground inside with the Sect Leader."

"Thank you."

Thus, the group moved again.

And on the way, Dang Gun thought.

'Strong. Such a man is merely a Captain.'

But thinking differently, it wasn't necessarily strange. It wasn't uncommon for the strongest expert in a sect not to be the Sect Leader.

Cases where the strongest person was placed as a captain of the armed forces active on the front lines happened often.

'If I think like that, it's not particularly strange.'

Thinking so, Dang Gun moved, but...

"Hm? Who is this?"

"Captain Jo Bi. Guests. They came from the Tang Clan."

"Is this all? No peerless beauty?"

"None."

"Then forget it."

At the sight of a man looking like a libertine walking away with a swagger, Dang Gun sweated in his hands.

"Who is that person?"

"That is Jo Bi, who also holds a Captain position."

"That person is also a Captain?"

"Yes. That is correct."

And a moment later...

"Hm? Who goes there?"

"Master Junggang. Guests."

"I see. Hello. I am Junggang."

"Ah... I am Dang Gun."

"Nice to meet you."

Person... right?

Not a bear, right?

Just walking normally, but it sounded like thudding noises from his footsteps.

Not just big in size, but the aura felt from his body seemed to have an intimidating pressure as if he were a different species from humans.

"Is that person also a Captain?"

"No. That person has absolutely no talent for leading anyone... Still, he is one of the executives classified as Captain-level. His official position is the Guardian of the Sect Leader."

"Ah, I see."

It seemed he had to revise his thoughts.

When talking about the martial power of the Ultimate Path Gate, he thought Sect Leader Han Cheong-un, who was newly making a name in the Gangho, was the only one.

Under him, Dang Jin, the successor of the Tang Clan, and Baek Sua, a first-class disciple of Mount Hua.

These two were known as martial artists who stood out. But seeing now...

'Is this not truly a dragon's pool and tiger's den?'

He was slowly starting to understand.

Why the Clan Head sent them as messengers to this far away Yueyang in this urgent situation.

"Die!"

Swish!

A silver flash harboring thick killing intent flew forward drawing a complex trajectory, then split into dozens.

A dazzling technique where reality and illusion were indistinguishable.

But the opponent was extraordinary.

"Hap!"

The moment he stomped a strong step.

A smooth single flash extending while piercing the air.

A simple thrust, but the majestic momentum created by that single blow erased all the opponent's illusions.

CLANG!

The spearman who broke the enemy's attack as it was advanced forward, thrusting the spear frantically.

"Haaaaaat!"

The spear tip split into dozens flew aiming for the enemy's vital points all over the body, and that attack pierced the enemy's body. However...

"Afterimage?"

The spear definitely pierced the enemy, but there was no sensation in the hand.

Realizing it was an afterimage, Han Cheong-un looked above his head, and there...

"Eat this. You damn Sect Leader bastard!"

There was Dang Jin preparing Ten Thousand Flower Rain while shouting.

"That's a bit too much."

Han Cheong-un grumbled but prepared for defense.

Even if the Ultimate Path Gate's policy is to make sparring like real combat, isn't Ten Thousand Flower Rain a bit too much?

Who made such a dangerous rule in the first place?

'Ah, me.'

He forgot for a moment.

And at the moment when a rain of hidden weapons was about to pour from the sky...

"Oh, Brother!"

A voice of an outsider heard from somewhere.

Han Cheong-un and Dang Jin, who were focusing on the duel, stopped their actions at that voice.

Dang Jin, landing lightly on the ground from the air, looked at where the voice came from...

"You are...? Gun?"

"Yes. Brother. It is Dang Gun. Do you remember me?"

"Of course. But why are you here?"

"I received an order from the Clan Head... No, more than that, Brother."

Dang Gun approached Dang Jin with a moved face.

"What, rascal? Why are you suddenly like this?"

Dang Gun grabbed Dang Jin's hands and spoke with tears welling up.

"Was it really you who unfolded the Ten Thousand Flower Rain just now?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Oooooh, congratulations."

"..."

"You have finally achieved the Great Success."

Ten Thousand Flower Rain.

One of the pinnacle techniques aimed for by the Sichuan Tang Clan's hidden weapon arts, and a technique like a symbol of the Tang Clan.

Especially for those with the surname Tang, the question 'At what age were they able to unfold the Ten Thousand Flower Rain?' also becomes a measure of martial arts talent.

Dang Jin's age is currently twenty-eight.

Cases where someone unfolded Ten Thousand Flower Rain before even reaching thirty were few enough to be counted on one hand in the long history of the Tang Clan.

So how could it not be touching?

But unlike Dang Gun who was tearing up, Dang Jin sighed deeply and said.

"What freezing Great Success? With just a half-baked Ten Thousand Flower Rain?"

"Pardon? No, what..."

"Be quiet. It's embarrassing, so stop and tell me your business here."

"Yes. Uh, that..."

What is this? His cousin brother whom he met after a long time is congratulating him like this, shouldn't he be a bit more glad and celebratory?

"You came because you have business, right? Won't you speak quickly?"

"Yes. Ah... that is... Ahem."

Dang Gun cleared his throat somewhat and continued.

"The Clan Head told me to convey this to you, Brother."

"What is it?"

"He told you to return."

"..."

To Dang Jin scratching his head, Dang Gun took out a letter from his bosom and gave it to him.

"Details are written in this letter."