The result of my judgment.

The culprit made three mistakes.

The first was going out of their way to leave the mark of the 'Ak Clan' on Gu Gye-ak's body.

The second was failing to anticipate that Ak Byeongbi's vitality would be so tenacious.

Well, there seems to be some room for counterargument regarding this.

If they had known that man's lifeline was as tough as a cockroach's, they would have put a hole straight through his heart like they did to Gu Gye-ak.

And the last...

Is that I was included in their scheme.

Above all, the third mistake was their most critical one.

To make a target out of me, someone already filled with resentment over an unlucky life.

Even if they were beaten to death, there is no excuse for that.

"What are you thinking?"

Hyeoltu, who was following me, furrowed his brow.

I nonchalantly shrugged my shoulders.

"Hmm... we have to draw the culprit out, right?"

"What are you talking about? How do you expect to find someone who's hiding..."

"A culprit cannot help but take an interest in their own crime. It's an unavoidable instinct for a criminal. Don't you know this well, Sir Hyeoltu?"

"What did you say!"

This was not the Murim Alliance.

This was the Underworld Alliance, where power and violence ran rampant.

In a place ruled by the law of the jungle, and with the Leader's permission to boot, what did I have to hold me back?

BANG!

As I kicked the front gate open and strode inside, the warriors lounging around the courtyard glared at me with sharp eyes.

I lightly brushed off their gazes and shouted boldly.

"I have come to see the Vice Sect Leader of the Hwangsa Sect, Bae Hwanjang."

Bae Hwanjang was a notorious swordsman and simultaneously a master of Yang-style internal arts.

Unlike Gu Gye-ak, who was an outsider rolling in, he had been a disciple of the Hwangsa Sect from the very beginning, and because of this, he frequently clashed with Gu Gye-ak.

In other words, he was one of the prime suspects in the murder.

"You crazy bastard, where do you think you are!"

"Isn't that guy a complete lunatic?"

"He has completely lost his mind."

The atmosphere was certainly different from the Murim Alliance, starting right from the curses they spat out.

Figures from the Orthodox sects would at least start by preaching about 'manners', but these bastards drew their blades before they even stood up.

Right then.

"How dare you speak the name of our sect's respected elder, Vice Sect Leader Bae."

A voice dripping with anger flew in.

The one who pushed past the warriors and stepped forward was none other than Gal Jeongi.

His furious expression made him look just like a filial son who had heard his parents being insulted.

But didn't they say you only joined the Hwangsa Sect recently?

Looking at him, anyone would think he was born in the Hwangsa Sect.

"Ah! Gal Jeongi. Nice to see you, but today I came because I have something to ask the Vice Sect Leader, so, hmm... go and fetch him for me."

"Y-You bastard!"

As expected of a bastard with anger management issues, he thrust his saber forward before even bothering to hear the situation.

Man, he was annoying.

Heave-ho, the annoying things go this way...

I smoothly twisted my body, executing the Lotus technique, and tossed the bastard toward Hyeoltu.

"Eh?"

Hyeoltu, who had been merely watching with his hands clasped behind his back, clicked his tongue at the blade thrusting right in front of his eyes and absentmindedly shifted his feet.

Soon after.

BAM! CRASH!

With the sound of air bursting, Gal Jeongi went flying and smashed into the wall.

Hyeoltu raised his voice in clear dissatisfaction.

"What the hell are you doing!"

I feigned a surprised expression, as if I had no idea what he meant.

"Oh, why were you standing right there of all places? I'm in the middle of working."

"... You're saying it's my fault?"

"Yes. Or you could have just dodged it."

"Hah...! This little brat, just because I was letting things slide..."

Meanwhile, the warriors of the Hwangsa Sect rushed at me.

I grabbed the arm of another Hwangsa Sect warrior, snatched his sword away, and kicked him to the ground.

"Keheuk."

After kicking the fallen warrior's chin to knock him out cold, I immediately blocked two jagged, saw-blade-shaped sabers thrusting straight at me.

SCREECH!

The rough saber blades tangled together, and an eardrum-scraping metallic shriek echoed through the air.

I momentarily relaxed my strength, once again executing the Lotus technique—

And tossed another warrior right at Hyeoltu.

"Jin Sowoon, you bastard! Why do you keep...!"

BAM! CRASH!

Wow, he was as quick as expected.

Man, his reaction speed was amazing.

With a single flick of Hyeoltu's foot, the warrior was sent flying, smashing right into Gal Jeongi just as he was trying to stand up.

"Hey now, why do you keep getting involved? I told you not to interfere."

"You little brat! You're the one who keeps...!"

"Which is why I said you should just dodge, right?"

"I have never dodged anything in my entire life...! You little bastard! Stop it!"

I continuously tossed the warriors at him, one by one.

BAM! CRASH!

BAM! CRASH!

After five times of Gal Jeongi trying to stand up only to be smashed back into the wall by the flying warriors...

The warriors of the Hwangsa Sect faltered and began to put some distance between us.

In this aspect, Underworld figures were much easier to communicate with.

At least when they realized their opponent was stronger than them, they stopped charging in.

I gestured with my chin toward Gal Jeongi, who was wriggling on the ground, and spoke to the warriors.

"Go fetch Vice Sect Leader Bae Hwanjang."

The warriors of the Hwangsa Sect darted their eyes around, clearly unsure of what to do.

If they went to fetch the Vice Sect Leader, it would feel like they were submitting to the Orthodox faction greenhorn they had been looking down on.

But if they didn't, it seemed highly likely they would end up playing house against the wall alongside Gal Jeongi.

Right then.

"Warriors of the Hwangsa Sect, listen well!"

With a booming shout, dozens of people swarmed out from inside the pavilion.

Just judging by the momentum they gave off, their level of power was incomparable to the riffraff I had just dealt with.

The bastard looked around the ruined courtyard before fixing his gaze on me.

"So here is the Orthodox faction trash looking down on the Hwangsa Sect. Teach this brat that the Hwangsa Sect is not to be trifled with!"

"Yes, sir!"

With a thunderous shout of acknowledgment, the dozens of men took up positions in all eight directions and deployed a saber formation.

This wasn't going to be quite as easy...

SWISH.

Hearing the sudden sound of wind, I raised my head.

... Hyeoltu had lightly kicked off the ground and was now standing atop the roof of the main gate.

I asked him with a dumbfounded expression.

"Didn't you say you never dodge anything?"

"Shut up. I absolutely loathe annoying things."

"I bet you do."

Well, I hadn't expected anything from him in the first place anyway.

I drew the Black Dragon Sword and circulated the Taiyi True Scripture.

A moment later.

Four manifestations of the Ten Thousand Swords, perfectly resembling the Black Dragon Sword, materialized and surrounded me in all directions.

Facing the Hwangsa Sect warriors, I flashed a wide grin.

"Come on, show me just how amazing this Hwangsa Sect really is."

As if my words were a signal, the saber formation moved, and a tremendous pressure began closing in on me from all sides.

* * *

Although he had moved at Cha Seokdu's heavy request, right now, Hyeoltu was far more interested in Jin Sowoon than in completing that favor.

A crisis had practically sparked that could lead to an all-out war between the Underworld Alliance and the Murim Alliance.

The delegation was in peril, and its Head was bedridden with critical injuries.

Jin Sowoon had to navigate this catastrophe without a single clue or shred of support.

Hyeoltu held high expectations for how the Black Flame Dragon, widely hailed as a promising talent, would unravel this mess.

And yet...

'What the hell is this!'

A noise loud enough to make his brow instinctively furrow rocked the surroundings.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

CRASH! BOOM! CRASH!

Massive roars and explosions erupted, shaking the entire area.

The newly laid blue steel stone floor was torn apart, and the perfectly leveled patches of earth were churned up, exposing the bare soil beneath.

It was clearly a one-versus-many battle, yet the screams and curses were all coming from the Hwangsa Sect's side.

"You crazy bastard! What the hell is he!"

"It's a phantom sword technique! Don't be afraid, break through it!"

"Fuck you! Easy for you to say! My arm was almost chopped off by that damn phantom sword, you bastard!"

Hyeoltu let out a scoffing laugh.

"Hah, this is completely absurd."

He had tried to gauge Jin Sowoon's martial talent on the way here, but this easily surpassed the level he had estimated.

No, he did not even seem to be going all out right now.

As if his very purpose was to intentionally cause a massive commotion, his moves were bold and brutal, yet not a single person had been critically injured or killed.

BAM! BOOM! BAM!

The sudden uproar within the Hwangsa Sect quickly spread to the surrounding Underworld figures. True to their battle-hungry nature, they began to flock to the scene faster than anyone else.

"What's going on? Why is the Black Flame Dragon fighting the Hwangsa Sect?"

"From what I heard, he came here to investigate the Vice Sect Leader, and things got out of hand."

"Investigate? Investigate what?"

"Word is he stepped up to investigate the murder of Gu Gye-ak."

"What kind of crazy bastard is he! His side killed the man, and now he has the gall to investigate?"

As rumors of the situation spread through the crowd, many among the Underworld figures could no longer hide their fury.

Furthermore, seeing the Hwangsa Sect getting unilaterally pushed back by the Black Flame Dragon's overwhelming prowess only fueled their indignation even more.

Eventually, they charged right into the fray.

"Let's teach that arrogant bastard a lesson!"

"Yeah! How much longer are we going to sit back and take the Murim Alliance's oppression!"

"Let's go!"

"WOOOOAAAAH!"

The saber formation deployed by the Hwangsa Sect warriors had long since been shattered.

As if attempting to fill the gaps, the Underworld figures drawn by the commotion vaulted over the walls and began swarming toward Jin Sowoon.

As dozens of people charged at him simultaneously, Jin Sowoon's movements grew even faster.

"Well, I'll be damned. What an absolute lunatic..."

Watching Jin Sowoon's divine prowess, Hyeoltu could not hide his sheer astonishment.

Even he had done his fair share of reckless things back in his hot-blooded youth, but this was on a completely different level.

He had never openly provoked enemies right in the heart of their own stronghold, taking on endless waves of them entirely alone.

It was truly formidable martial prowess.

Without even realizing it, Hyeoltu found himself tracking every single one of Jin Sowoon's movements.

CRASH! BOOM! CRASH!

Jin Sowoon's figure glided forward as if sliding on ice, carving out a pocket of space.

Underworld figures wielding swords, axes, and pitchforks rushed in to fill that space, swinging their sharp weapons at Jin Sowoon.

His left fist shot forward, projecting dozens of fist silhouettes that embroidered the space around him. The weapons attempting to skewer him were abruptly halted, as if they had smashed into a solid stone wall.

THUD! THUD-THUD-THUD! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

Four warriors were immediately sent flying by the projected fists.

Yet, immediately following them, six more Underworld warriors stepped in to take their place.

Even if this style of combat continued endlessly, there would be no end in sight.

"Hah... Were the martial arts of the Taiyi Sect always this impressive?"

Hyeoltu involuntarily let out a gasp of admiration.

But he quickly shook his head.

'No. This is a level of enlightenment the boy reached entirely on his own!'

By perfectly utilizing the profundity of transformation, he threw his opponents into complete confusion, and then with the profundity of speed, he subdued them in a single breath.

'Hah...!'

With illusion and reality blended so seamlessly, it was reaching the point where even he had difficulty telling which strike was true and which was false.

He was freely wielding the profundity of combat, a state Hyeoltu himself had only grasped after crossing the boundary of life and death hundreds of times, despite having barely passed twenty years of age.

'Just what the hell is this kid made of?'

But that awe was only momentary.

As thirty minutes passed, Jin Sowoon gradually began to show signs of faltering.

Thirty minutes did not feel like a particularly long time, but considering he was taking down two or three opponents with every breath, it was obvious his physical stamina would not be able to keep up, setting aside his reserves of internal energy.

The biggest problem, moreover, was that Jin Sowoon was still actively holding back.

The fallen warriors were unable to get back up, but the fact that no one had been critically injured only served to embolden the lowly Underworld figures, filling them with a hundredfold courage as they charged in.

"The bastard's exhausted! Just push a little more!"

"Chop off his head! We'll mount it on a spike and display it at the main gate of the Underworld Alliance!"

"Kill him!"

Amidst the flurry of violence and screams, with blood and teeth flying through the air, the Underworld warriors, high on excitement, forced out even more energy and swarmed Jin Sowoon.

On the flip side, Jin Sowoon was visibly growing exhausted.

"Jin Sowoon! What the hell are you thinking!"

Hyeoltu could no longer hold back and sent a sound transmission, but no reply came back from Jin Sowoon.

As if entirely consumed by the fight, he swung his sword, fists, and feet in a state of absolute trance, knocking down one bastard after another.

Even his footwork, which had been elegant and fluid at the start, began to snag on the groaning bodies piling up across the courtyard, leading to countless moments where he stumbled and exposed his openings.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Eventually, small nicks and shallow cuts began to appear across Jin Sowoon's arms and legs.

The Underworld figures did not miss this opening, swarming over him like starved beasts.

"He's bleeding!"

"Kill him!"

"This is the end for you!"

Unable to watch any longer, Hyeoltu finally launched himself into the fray.

He quickly landed, standing back-to-back with Jin Sowoon.

"You crazy bastard...! Are you planning to die here?"

Seeing Jin Sowoon still ignoring his words, Hyeoltu forcibly grabbed him and leapt back onto the roof.

Despite bracing himself for a fierce struggle, Jin Sowoon simply shook the blood off his blade in a leisurely manner before sheathing his Black Dragon Sword.

"Huh?"

What was more, unlike just moments ago, the boy showed absolutely zero signs of exhaustion.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Whether Hyeoltu stared at him with dumbfounded eyes or not, he maintained a completely unfazed expression.

"You claimed to hate annoying things, but I see you intervened after all."

"What?"

Hyeoltu was left utterly speechless as Jin Sowoon flashed a mischievous grin.

"Just what exactly were you thinking, pulling a stunt like this! Weren't you trying to track down the culprit?"

Jin Sowoon remained perfectly composed as he patted the dust off his robes and spoke.

"Through this stunt, we gained two very important things."

"Two things?"

Jin Sowoon gave a light nod.

"Yes. First, the Underworld Alliance will now obediently cooperate with our investigation going forward."

Hyeoltu nodded his head in unconscious agreement. After all, cooperating would be infinitely better than having this kid tear their stronghold apart every single time.

But he quickly shook his head. That logic would only apply to a rational few.

"You truly don't understand how incredibly petty and lowly these Underworld bastards are."

"I wouldn't say that. However, now that they know I have Sir Hyeoltu's backing, they won't dare to recklessly pick a fight with me anymore."

Hyeoltu's jaw dropped.

"You were aiming for that from the very beginning?"

"I am a member of the Murim Alliance delegation. Even if I had asked the Underworld figures nicely, it's not like they would have ever cooperated with me."

"Hah... You crazy bastard, and what would you have done if I hadn't stepped in?"

Jin Sowoon wore an utterly relaxed, knowing smile.

"If you were merely assigned as a watcher, there are plenty of people besides you, Sir Hyeoltu, capable of carrying out that task. Nor would you have needed to intentionally reveal yourself to my eyes. Doesn't that prove you were assigned with the dual purpose of protecting our delegation?"

Wait, he knew that?

Since when exactly?

"Furthermore, if it were simply about basic protection, they could have just assigned warriors from the Four Emperors Peak, the Leader's own sect. But the fact that they explicitly attached the two of you as my escorts means they were preparing for an unforeseen, massive threat, does it not?"

"..."

The way his mind worked was far from ordinary.

Perhaps losing to him in Go was simply an inevitability.

For the first time in the sixty-plus years he had lived, Hyeoltu actually felt goosebumps rise along his forearms.

"Black Flame Dragon... That bastard Seokdu really gave you a frighteningly fitting title."

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind. Regardless, you've stirred up far too massive a storm to just say you 'gained something' from it. Every Underworld figure gathered within the Underworld Alliance is going to want to kill you now. Will you be able to handle that?"

Jin Sowoon simply flashed a triumphant smile.

"And that is exactly the other thing I gained from this."

Hyeoltu stared at him in sheer disbelief and asked again.

"A threat to your own life?"

Jin Sowoon nodded emphatically.

"The stage has now been perfectly set. From the perspective of the culprit who desperately wants to spark a war between the Murim Alliance and the Underworld Alliance..."

A dangerous gleam suddenly sparked in Jin Sowoon's eyes.

"Isn't this an opportunity they absolutely cannot afford to miss?"

"..."

In all his years, Hyeoltu had never once felt genuine fear toward a person or an entity.

But strangely enough, looking at the smiling greenhorn standing before him, he felt an unprecedented, bone-chilling sense of dread for the very first time in his life.