Chapter 391
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## C391
The dark clouds dissipated.
The white light of the moon illuminated the Yeon Martial Academy.
In the place where the Great Evil Master of the Three Eastern Rivers, the Heavenly Killing Claw Demon, once stood, there was only a pile of charcoal left.
Those present remained silent for a while as they observed the outcome.
Everyone, from the warriors of the Iron Blood Sect to those of the Yeon Martial Academy, had an expression of shock.
Yeon Jeokha, who stood with an impassive expression, picked up an amulet again.
The Iron Blood Sect warriors, who had realized it a little late, cautiously backed away.
No one dared to wield a sword in front of an amulet that had turned the Heavenly Killing Claw Demon into a pile of charcoal.
Ju Yeon-shin, the vice-chief, hurried forward.
“Young man! We acknowledge the defeat of the Iron Blood Sect before the Yeon Martial Academy. We will not interfere in the affairs of the Yeon Martial Academy anymore. Please have mercy on us.”
“Doesn’t it seem like we haven’t lost yet? Just an old man who called himself the Heavenly Killing Claw Demon was showing off and died. Now it’s time for the real fight.”
“No, it’s not like that. Even if our entire Sect launched against him, we couldn’t defeat the Heavenly Killing Claw Demon. If that Heavenly Killing Claw Demon died at the hands of the young man, there’s no need to fight to know it. We have lost.”
“Did you say Vice-chief?”
“Yes. I am Ju Yeon-shin, the God of Brute Force.”
Yeon Jeokha stared at Ju Yeon-shin.
They had met a few years ago when he went to visit the Luoyang Chamber of Commerce with Shim Tong, the Old Dao of the Nine Heavens.
“He was also bothering the small Changhae Martial Academy back then… He’s a habitual offender, a habitual offender.”
It seems we keep crossing paths unintentionally. I don’t know if it’s fate or karma.
“Have you heard of this? You might have come whenever you pleased, but to leave, you need permission.”
“Please let us go.”
Ju Yeon-shin bowed with evident humiliation.
But Yeon Jeokha just tilted his head and said nothing.
Seeing that, Ju Yeon-shin lowered his voice.
“I don’t know if I should say this, but if there’s anything you want in particular, please say it.”
“May I?”
Ju Yeon-shin’s face lit up at the sight of Yeon Jeokha’s interest.
“It’s not a figure of speech. I will do everything I can for you.”
“Everything you can… Why has a man as honorable as you come to cause trouble?”
Ju Yeon-shin responded with a smile to Yeon Jeokha’s joke.
“Well, all this is destiny, isn’t it? I guess heaven wanted us to meet.”
“Oh, my! If you put it that way, I can’t refuse. Is it a promise from the Vice-chief?”
Yeon Jeokha’s tone of voice, which had suddenly become soft, restored Ju Yeon-shin’s confidence.
“I am Ju Yeon-shin, the one who raised the Iron Blood Sect with my own hands. Tell me.”
“Then I’ll tell you. The Yeon Martial Academy spent approximately one hundred taels of silver in hiring nangins.”
“Since it was an expense caused by our Iron Blood Sect, I will take care of the compensation.”
Ju Yeon-shin nodded without hesitation.
One hundred taels of silver was nothing to the Iron Blood Sect, unless it was a thousand.
But Yeon Jeokha’s demands didn’t end there.
“Also, Mrs. Yang was deeply hurt by that bastard’s words a few days ago. I’ve been living with this face, and I know. Words are sharper than swords.”
“I will order Lee Cheol-won to apologize.”
“Apology is natural. What matters is how the wound of the heart can be soothed. If we cut off the chief’s arm, I wonder where we could use it.”
“…”
Ju Yeon-shin’s face, which had come back to life, died again.
“What? Do you mean that a single arm of Lee Cheol-won is not enough?”
“Vice-chief Ju. If a dog bites a person, who do you scold? The dog or the dog’s owner?”
“Cough! The right thing to do is to scold the dog’s owner.”
Ju Yeon-shin gritted his teeth inside.
It seems that that strange-looking guy wants something from him.
“Who is the owner of the Iron Blood Sect?”
“It’s Jwa Yang-seon, who calls himself the Sword Demon.”
Ju Yeon-shin mentioned Jwa Yang-seon, one of the Demon Warriors, whose whereabouts were unknown.
“Jwa Yang-seon… Hmm. Let’s do this. Bring him before me. Until then, the Iron Blood Sect will remain closed.”
“Ugh! Did you say closed?”
Ju Yeon-shin was surprised to see the conversation taking an unexpected turn.
Closed in this era where the power landscape changes with every sunrise?
It was like saying it was closed, even though it wasn’t.
“If there is no owner, the dog will run around like crazy. Right now, if the dog does something wrong, you can’t blame the owner, so you have to close it. Isn’t that right?”
“Young man, I think closing the Sect is not the solution. The dog also has its share of the blame, so how about we cut off an arm and let it go?”
Ju Yeon-shin looked at Namcheon with a hidden glance.
If he had to choose between cutting off an arm of Lee Cheol-won or closing the Sect, anyone would choose the first option.
“What’s the dog’s fault? It’s the owner’s fault for raising it that way. If he can’t take responsibility, he shouldn’t have it. Mrs. Yang, isn’t that right?”
Yeon Jeokha turned his gaze to Yang Yi-hwa.
Yang Yi-hwa, who was looking stunned, nodded without thinking upon hearing the sudden question.
Then, Ju Yeon-shin bowed to Yang Yi-hwa and said:
“Mrs. Yang. Please have mercy on us. For us, closing the Sect is the same as closing it forever. We also have wives and children who depend on us. If we close the Sect, they will also have to wander the martial world in the middle of winter.”
The words “having to wander the martial world” touched Yang Yi-hwa’s heart.
Because the situation of the Yang family was exactly that.
“Namcheon. Could you make an exception? Finding Chief Zwa is a good idea, but the people who are alive have to stay alive.”
Yang Yi-hwa couldn’t believe what she was saying.
A moment ago, she was worried about being killed by the Iron Blood Sect, but now it’s the other way around.
She couldn’t believe she was going to say that they should make an exception with the Iron Blood Sect.
“As the victim, Mrs. Yang has said it, I have nothing more to say. Vice-chief Ju?”
“Tell me.”
Ju Yeon-shin replied respectfully, trying to prevent Namcheon from catching him off guard.
“Live forever grateful to Mrs. Yang. Mrs. Yang is too kind, it’s a problem. The right thing to do is to close the Sect until the owner appears.”
“I know. Mrs. Yang, you are our savior. We will not forget your kindness today.”
Yang Yi-hwa felt uncomfortable when Ju Yeon-shin bowed to her suddenly.
In the martial world, it was common for heroines to be harassed by masters of the Evil Faction.
She hadn’t even felt hurt by the words of Lee Cheol-won, the Death Swordsman.
She didn’t understand why all this had become a matter of whether or not the Iron Blood Sect should be closed.
She looked at Namcheon out of the corner of her eye.
That young mystic was responsible for all this.
From the magic that summoned Heaven and Earth to the control of a master like Ju Yeon-shin, without flinching.
Nothing about him was normal.
That word wasn’t enough to describe him.
“Who is he?”
Of course, she knows that Namcheon is a secular disciple of the Wudang Sect.
But, considering the power he has shown, it doesn’t seem like that’s all he is.
“Why has a hermit like that come to the Yeon Martial Academy?”
Considering the disdain he received at the beginning, it’s clear that he doesn’t know the Yeons.
But, to think that all this is due to his small kindness is too much, considering everything that has happened.
Just when she was lost in her thoughts…
“Well, the account with the Yeon Martial Academy and Mrs. Yang is settled. So, am I just left alone?”
Ju Yeon-shin was startled to hear Yeon Jeokha’s words.
It was like there was one mountain after another.
It seemed that, like the bandits of Nokrim, he was going to lead his opponent to a dead end and squeeze him dry.
“What can I do for you, young man?”
Even though his words seemed to indicate that he was willing to give everything, Ju Yeon-shin gritted his teeth inside.
“That evil guy. I’d even say he’s a disciple of the Demon Cult, not the Wudang Sect.”
Yesterday, Lee Cheol-won was defeated by Yeon Mubaek, and today, the Heavenly Killing Claw Demon died. If you only consider the outcome, it’s not him who should be compensated, but the Iron Blood Sect.
“Huh? It seems you’re looking at me like I haven’t lost anything.”
“Well, I’m not that shameless.”
However, Ju Yeon-shin didn’t say anything about the material damages.
“No, it shows on your face.”
“Well, what are you talking about? Even though I…”
Yeon Jeokha interrupted Ju Yeon-shin.
“Do you know how many amulets I had to make because of the Iron Blood Sect?”
“I saw that you were carrying a lot.”
“Thirty.”
“Ah!”
“Don’t you know how much a Wudang Sect amulet costs?”
At that moment, Ju Yeon-shin could sense why Yeon Jeokha was talking about losses.
“This guy. Does he want me to pay for the amulets?”
In his life, he had never seen anyone ask that of their opponent in a fight.
Asking to be paid for the amulets was like a warrior saying, “Your sword was damaged fighting me, so pay me.”
“Wudang Sect amulets cost at least three taels of silver. They say they don’t sell them for less.”
Of course, it’s not the teaching of the Master of the Five Dragons Manor.
It’s something that is said among the practitioners of the Eight Immortals Pavilion.
“Would you be okay with me giving you ninety taels?”
“Oh, no. You don’t know anything. Power also has its levels. What do you think of my power, Vice-chief Ju?”
“Ugh! It’s a level rarely seen in the world.”
Ju Yeon-shin knew exactly what Namcheon was aiming for, but he had no choice but to admit it.
“Ha, ha, well, I’m embarrassed to say it. I’m a Taoist, so I can’t lie. My level of mystical power is up there. Naturally, amulets made by someone like that are expensive, right? Even if I sold them for ten taels, there would be a line of people to buy them. Do you think I’m wrong?”
“…”
“Yes.”
“I have no intention of changing my destiny by selling amulets. I just want ten taels.”
Three hundred taels of silver.
The battlefield, where blood once splattered, had become a place of commerce.
Ju Yeon-shin was stunned, but he decided not to argue.
It was an unexpected expense, but an amount that didn’t worry him too much.
At that moment, a brilliant idea came to him.
“Young man, you made thirty amulets, but you only used nine, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“So, how about I pay you for the nine? Of course, if they are your amulets, I’m willing to buy all thirty.”
Ju Yeon-shin looked at Namcheon with lustful eyes.
Those amulets were of infinite value.
What are you going to do, kid? Are you going to accept the ninety taels and leave? Or are you going to hand over the remaining twenty-one amulets?
Yeon Jeokha, who was nodding his head, said indifferently:
“I’ll sell the remaining amulets. There’s no point in carrying them around, they just get in my way.”
Yeon Jeokha handed over all the amulets he was carrying.
Ju Yeon-shin’s mouth opened wide in surprise as he received the amulets without realizing it.
“What madness! Did you sell amulets that summon Heaven and Earth for only ten taels?”
“Give me three hundred taels.”
Yeon Jeokha extended his hand, and Ju Yeon-shin gestured to Jo Yu-baek.
“Did you hear?”
“Yes.”
“One hundred taels for the Yeon Martial Academy, three hundred for the young Namcheon, a total of four hundred taels. I have one hundred, how much do you have now?”
“I have about two hundred.”
“Give it to me and go collect money from the chiefs.”
“Wait a moment.”
Jo Yu-baek ran back and forth between the chiefs inside and outside to collect the money.
A while later, Ju Yeon-shin handed a pile of receipts to Yeon Jeokha.
“Young man, here are the one hundred taels for the Yeon Martial Academy and the three hundred for the amulets. Check it.”
Yeon Jeokha carefully checked each receipt and counted them.
But the sum of the receipts was too slow.
When he started using his toes to count, everyone closed their eyes tightly.
Yang Yi-hwa, who couldn’t stand it anymore, stepped in discreetly.
Yeon Jeokha handed the pile of receipts to Yang Yi-hwa and leaned back.
Ju Yeon-shin said to Yeon Jeokha:
“Well, heroes always look towards the mountains. Those who do great things have to be like that.”