Chapter 284

Chapter 284
### Chapter 284. Night of the Greedy Ones (5)

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No, what kind of ridiculous nonsense was he spouting now? Claiming that the ownership of the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil, a rare treasure that surfaces only once every sixty years, had already been settled before anyone even saw it. I stared directly at Sun-jik-Cheol, trying to figure out what kind of trouble he was trying to stir up with such an absurd statement, but his countenance was entirely different from his usual arrogant behavior. To be more accurate, he looked like a man who was fully aware that his own words sounded completely unbelievable. Sensing that there was a hidden motive behind this, I pressed him further.

“What is the meaning behind that statement?”

Sun-jik-Cheol remained silent for a good while. Only after a lengthy pause did he counter with his own inquiry.

“By any chance, have you acquired a map of the Thousand Copper Cave?”

“…….”

I pulled the parchment from the folds of my garment and held it up for him to see. His gaze shifted back and forth between the document and my face.

“…I can’t believe you actually purchased this.”

His expression turned sour, reminiscent of someone observing a fool who had been swindled into buying an elixir of immortality by a fraudulent street merchant.

“I never realized Representative Jin was such an incredibly gullible individual.”

Ha, look at this scoundrel trying to shift the focus away from the main issue.

“I was under the impression that this map was being sold for twenty gold taels… did you truly hand over that much money for it?”

As if I would ever let myself be conned like that. I gave him a brief summary of the events that transpired the moment I stepped foot into Xi’an. Sun-jik-Cheol, listening to my explanation without interruption, gave a slight nod.

“…Well, at the very least, that is a massive relief.”

A relief, he says. Anyway, let’s cast that aside for a moment.

“Are you going to continue dodging my original question?”

Under the pressure of my intense gaze, Sun-jik-Cheol finally yielded, nodding as he went on with his explanation.

“Jong-nam has already reached a private understanding with Hwa-san. The agreement dictates that Jong-nam will be the one to claim the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil.”

What on earth were they talking about? Under whose authority was such a decision made?

“Does this mean they have already located the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil?”

“Not yet. The problem is that no one truly knows the exact location within the Thousand Copper Cave where the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil will manifest. Because of this, Jong-nam, having secured the blessing of Hwa-san, intends to forcefully bar all other martial artists from the area.”

“…….”

The Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil is a profound miraculous medicine that condenses and releases in a single moment when a specific concentration of subterranean energy converges. While the timing of its emergence can be calculated, its exact birthplace remains a mystery. Consequently, the mere act of exploring the Thousand Copper Cave to find it would naturally spark a massive conflict among rival martial artists. And yet, they were claiming they could simply lock everyone else out…

“Are you saying that Jong-nam is making a full-scale move to dominate the area?”

Ultimately, it amounted to a declaration that they would deny anyone else the chance to participate in the pursuit from the very beginning. As if confirming that my hypothesis was completely accurate, Sun-jik-Cheol nodded in agreement.

“Jong-nam plans to deploy disciples from both their main sect and their loyal branch families to form a perimeter, ensuring no outsiders can get anywhere near the Thousand Copper Cave.”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“But if that is the case, why is the Beggars’ Union actively peddling these maps?”

“That happens to be another piece of the arrangement worked out between the Beggars’ Union and Jong-nam. The Beggars’ Union provided Jong-nam with a highly accurate and comprehensive layout of the Thousand Copper Cave. In return for that intelligence, they were granted permission to sell flawed, incomplete maps to the public to line their own pockets.”

“…….”

So the entire situation was a rigged deception from the very start? If that was the case…

“It was by no means an accident that Representative Jin crossed paths and clashed with the Beggars’ Union either. The Beggars’ Union is currently compiling a detailed registry of all unfamiliar martial artists entering the region, acting as a contingency plan in case Jong-nam somehow fails to lock down the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil. That tracking effort is precisely what triggered the confrontation.”

Suddenly, all the scattered pieces of the puzzle began falling into place. The intelligence reports from the Xi’an Branch and the historical accounts within the Jianghu Spirit Medicine Record merely stated that Jong-nam had successfully claimed the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil. When I first reviewed those records during my previous life, I simply accepted it at face value, thinking, ‘As expected of the overwhelming power of a Great Sect,’ assuming Jong-nam had triumphed over numerous competitors, including Hwa-san, through sheer martial superiority.

‘But that wasn’t the truth at all. They completely blocked any fair competition and engaged in underhanded collusion from the very start.’

To make matters worse, the Beggars’ Union was shamelessly exploiting the desperate desires of ordinary martial artists. This wasn’t a matter of a few insignificant coins; twenty gold taels represented a fortune that a commoner would have to labor and save for an entire lifetime to accumulate. This was nothing short of a massive, coordinated swindle.

“To think that organizations of their stature would manipulate people to such a disgusting degree…?”

As I muttered those words, a deep sense of bitterness mirrored itself on Sun-jik-Cheol’s features as well.

“The Juk-hyeon-bang has already taken up positions to guard the perimeters surrounding the Thousand Copper Cave. Representative Jin, you will find it completely impossible to set foot inside the Thousand Copper Cave under these conditions. If you attempt to force your way through their lines…”

“Jong-nam and the martial forces of their branch families will instantly move to eliminate the threat.”

Sun-jik-Cheol gave a grim, concise nod. The details he shared next painted an even more disheartening picture.

“Jong-nam has gone so far as to deploy the Big Dipper Sword Guards (Buk-du-geom-su) for this operation.”

“They have truly lost their minds…”

The Big Dipper Sword Guards represented the absolute ultimate strike force of the Jong-nam Sect. Unless the very existence of the sect itself was under direct threat, they were never permitted to mobilize. Once they were unleashed, they would never halt their advance until every last enemy was utterly wiped out. For them to deploy an asset as extreme as the Big Dipper Sword Guards demonstrated exactly how desperate and ruthless Jong-nam was regarding the acquisition of the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil.

“According to the whispers circulating among the branch families, the sect’s reserves of the Mysterious Clear Pills (Hyeon-cheong-dan) are nearly completely spent. Because of this crisis, they absolutely must obtain the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil during this cycle, no matter what. To achieve this, Jong-nam is fully prepared to endure whatever reputational damage or public condemnation comes their way.”

Even those who loudly champion the path of righteousness will completely discard their morals and honor when their own survival is pushed to the brink. If ordinary individuals behaved in such a manner, it was a certainty that a massive entity like the Jong-nam Sect would abandon all restraint if they felt their foundations crumbling.

“This situation bears no resemblance to what occurred back at the Demon Spirit Plateau. Jong-nam is determined to claim the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil regardless of the body count or the price they must pay.”

“…Are you suggesting they will resort to cold-blooded murder without a second thought?”

Sun-jik-Cheol went silent for a brief moment. His eyes drifted into the empty air before refocusing squarely on me.

“They are likely enforcing the blockade at the entrance specifically to prevent such an extreme scenario from unfolding out in the open.”

At first glance, one might think that would keep things from escalating too drastically.

“But then again, absolutely no one will be able to witness what transpires in the depths of the Thousand Copper Cave, correct?”

The follow-up statement from Sun-jik-Cheol carried an incredibly dark and ominous weight. Exactly as he implied, since there would be no outside witnesses within the cavern depths, any atrocities committed inside would effectively be wiped clean, becoming events that “never actually happened” in the eyes of the world.

“Representative Jin, I strongly urge you to return to your birthplace. Take this opportunity to enjoy a peaceful respite.”

This time around, there was undeniable sincerity reflecting in his gaze.

“There is absolutely no reason to squander your life and energy on an objective that is fundamentally impossible.”

An impossible objective… on the surface, it certainly painted that exact picture. However, given that they had stirred up such a massive storm over this treasure, it was already well past the point where I could simply turn my back and walk away, even if I wanted to.

“Is the Juk-hyeon-bang planned to venture inside the Thousand Copper Cave as well?”

Observing the stubborn resolve etched into my expression, Sun-jik-Cheol let out a heavy, defeated sigh.

“You truly have no intention of abandoning this pursuit, do you?”

“Just answer the question. Are they entering the interior or not?”

He stared back at me, his eyes filled with a deeply conflicted and complex wave of emotions.

“…The warriors of the branch families are strictly barred from entering the interior of the Thousand Copper Cave. Their sole duty is to provide external security and support for Jong-nam.”

“Well, that actually works out perfectly.”

“Just what are you… structural sigh, honestly, just forget it.”

Sun-jik-Cheol opened his mouth as if to demand an explanation for my reaction, but he quickly shook his head and let the matter drop. It appeared that his survival instincts and intuition had sharpened considerably after enduring several physical corrections at my hands.

“Do you honestly intend to force your way inside?”

From the very beginning, the premise of his question was fundamentally flawed. Was I going to enter? That wasn’t even a variable; it was an absolute certainty. It wasn’t an issue that required any deliberation whatsoever. There was simply no universe in which I would willingly surrender the Five Spirits Immortal Flower Oil to them.

“How exactly does it look to you?”

“…….”

Rather, the actual dilemma laid out before me was whether I should confront them with honor and transparency—unlike their underhanded methods—or if I should combat their deception by utilizing an equally devious strategy of my own. So, Jong-nam wants to play dirty, do they…

The moment the morning sun broke over the horizon, I purchased an assortment of calligraphy supplies and began ascending Mount Ju-dang alongside my Sajes. Even though I had already received a thorough briefing from Sun-jik-Cheol, it was imperative that I observe firsthand exactly how Jong-nam intended to enforce their blockade against the rest of the martial world. Right from the base of the mountain, a massive throng of heavily armed martial artists had already congregated, and an intense, silent war of nerves was playing out in every direction. By the time our group managed to hike halfway up the slopes, the entire procession of people had ground to a complete standstill.

“Dae-sa-hyeong, the density of the crowd up ahead is becoming completely overwhelming, isn’t it?”

The gathered martial artists were barely able to advance even a single pace forward. A handful of experts possessing exceptional lightness skills managed to break away from the gridlock by leaping through the canopy of the trees or scaling the sheer cliff faces, but the vast majority of the travelers were entirely trapped along the main mountain path. After fighting our way through the narrow gaps between the frustrated bodies to get a closer look, the reason for the massive bottleneck became instantly clear.

“What is the meaning of this absolute nonsense! To tell us that we are forbidden from passing through!”

“We ask for your patience and understanding. This is an unavoidable safety measure enacted because an excessive number of people have converged on this location, which could easily lead to disastrous casualties.”

“What an utter load of garbage! So Jong-nam simply intends to monopolize this miraculous medicine entirely for themselves?!”

“Garbage, you say?”

A martial artist representing the Jong-nam Sect, seizing upon the disrespectful phrasing of the protesting man, instantly unsheathed his weapon with a sharp metallic ring.

“I dare you to utter those exact words one more time.”

“Ugh!”

As the core disciples of Jong-nam and the surrounding warriors from their branch families stepped forward in a unified front, taking their cue from the leading swordsman, the vocal protester clamped his mouth tightly shut. Intense dissatisfaction vibrated through the crowd over a restriction that defied all logical fairness, but faced with the literal gleam of drawn steel, no one dared to openly voice their outrage.

“The bottleneck here isn’t happening naturally; it is entirely because Jong-nam has unilaterally barricaded the path and is denying public access! I declare that this action is fundamentally unrighteous! Furthermore, for an esteemed entity like Jong-nam to deploy such a underhanded, deceptive maneuver…!”

As another martial artist stepped forward to deliver a highly logical and reasoned counterargument, a spark of hope began to ripple across the faces of the onlookers. As a general rule, the various Orthodox factions were deeply bound by the need to maintain a proper, justifiable cause for their actions.

“Even the leadership of the Murim Alliance has established a clear decree stating that the rightful ownership of any spirit medicine belongs solely to the individual who successfully harvests it. I maintain that Jong-nam acting in such an authoritarian, unilateral fashion is a direct violation of that code.”

The moment the authority of the Murim Alliance was invoked, every eye in the crowd shifted toward the commanding Jong-nam warrior. No matter how much absolute dominion Jong-nam held over this specific territory, they surely wouldn’t dare openly flout a direct mandate from the Murim Alliance. While the murmurs among the crowd settled into a tense quiet, the swordsman who had been staring down the challenger finally spoke up.

“Does everyone here fail to recall exactly how many martial artists rushed blindly onto the Demon Spirit Plateau during the previous incident, only to suffer a catastrophic tragedy?”

“…….”

“When that disaster occurred, did every single one of you not join your voices together in a furious chorus to hold the Wudang Sect completely accountable for the outcome?”

As the Jong-nam warrior pressed his point home, the shoulders of the logical challenger visibly sagged.

“The individuals who marched into that dangerous territory were not forced there against their will. They ventured into danger entirely on their own two feet, driven by their personal greed. Yet simply because the Wudang Sect happened to be present alongside them, the entire martial world united to demand answers and enforce the doctrine of responsibility. Is that not the absolute truth?”

“…Th-that scenario is a completely different matter entirely…”

“The location of the Thousand Copper Cave sits a mere stone’s throw away from the headquarters of the Jong-nam Sect. If a similar disaster manifests within the depths of the Thousand Copper Cave, the public will inevitably come forward to place the entire blame squarely upon the shoulders of the Jong-nam Sect.”

Before long, a heavy, suffocating silence enveloped the entirety of the crowd. The Jong-nam swordsman, looking every bit the victor of the debate, allowed a faint, smug grin to touch his lips as he projected his voice to maximum volume.

“Jong-nam is merely exerting every effort to put proper safety precautions in place to avert such a tragedy! Furthermore, the Hwa-san Sect has already fully reviewed this situation and granted their official consent for Jong-nam’s current operation. Therefore, I formally request the cooperation and compliance of every martial artist gathered here today.”

The moment the prominent Hwa-san Sect was mentioned and the Jong-nam warrior offered a formal, polite palm greeting to close the argument, the remaining vocal critics completely lost their nerve and shut their mouths. Pushing forward an agenda using such an utterly transparent, contrived justification was nothing less than a blunt declaration that they had zero intention of listening to a single word of complaint. The crowd was simmering with intense resentment, yet not a single soul possessed the courage to take the lead against them. Not only was the martial might of Jong-nam incredibly intimidating, but the sheer volume of branch family warriors reinforcing their lines was staggering. Furthermore, because the independent martial artists gathered to enter the Thousand Copper Cave belonged to a chaotic mix of separate factions, anyone who stood up first ran a massive risk of being singled out and executed as an example to quiet the rest.

Off to one side…

“Let’s abandon this path and see if we can locate an alternate route inward.”

“Agreed, it’s highly improbable that this single trail represents the solitary entrance to the Thousand Copper Cave.”

“Clear the path, I’m heading out first.”

A scattering of individuals began moving away to seek out different access points into the Thousand Copper Cave, but the reality waiting for them at those locations proved to be virtually identical.

“Curse it all to hell…! To think I threw away my hard-earned money on this worthless map!”

“Is it even possible that those swindlers from the Beggars’ Union were unaware this blockade was happening?”

“How could they not know?! It is glaringly obvious that those bastards from the Beggars’ Union ran a massive scam on all of us!”

There were even several martial artists who tore their paper maps into shreds, completely incapable of mastering their explosive rage. People venting their fury in loud curses and individuals casting venomous, resentful glares toward the Jong-nam blockades filled the mountainside, yet the disciples of Jong-nam remained completely indifferent to the public hostility. Witnessing that level of unadulterated, shameless audacity, an empty, bitter laugh involuntarily escaped my throat.

‘Had they always been this utterly self-absorbed and wretched?’

Throughout my previous existence, the elite forces of the Nine Sects and One Gang along with the prestigious Five Great Families had always appeared as magnificent, legendary entities in my eyes. Within a Jianghu that was viciously cutthroat due to unchecked, brutal competition, they were the absolute titans who successfully defended their supreme authority and held onto their thrones until the very end. At one point in time, I genuinely revered them and strove to emulate their paths. Because they had ascended to a peak of power that a mere low-ranking disciple of the Tae-eul-mun could never hope to attain even through a lifetime of relentless effort, I looked up to them with awe, even while harboring deep resentment toward their tyrannical dominance.

However, the reality they were displaying right before my eyes was nothing more than a pathetic, ugly spectacle of elites climbing to the top of a ladder and immediately kicking it away so no one else could follow.

‘Is this the exact method they have utilized to preserve their monopoly on power?’

Ruthlessly robbing others of their potential breakthroughs without a single pang of conscience. Stripping away the fundamental opportunity to ascend and denying the basic right to compete fairly. And then, they turn around and employ that very same stolen martial supremacy to perpetually enforce the authority they secured through such cowardly means.

‘Utterly despicable bastards…’

If they were truly paragons of absolute strength, it wouldn’t even matter if they resorted to underhanded tactics on occasion. As the undisputed powerhouses, they could have easily served as a mighty shield to shelter the weak from destruction. But how did they actually behave during the devastating Great War between Justice and Evil? Those very elites who had hoarded every scrap of spiritual medicine and resources hid themselves safely at the absolute rear of the battle lines, while the minor martial artists who had been systematically denied any chance of growth were thrown directly into the vanguard. Did we, the common cultivators who existed solely on the meager crumbs discarded by the powerful, not get transformed into literal human shields at the very front lines under the grand, hollow banner of defending the justice of the Jianghu?

‘We weren’t even given a choice; we were forcefully drafted into the opportunity to sacrifice our lives for their version of righteousness.’

Pathetic, struggling sects like our own Tae-eul-mun. Did we ever volunteer to stand at the absolute front lines of those slaughterhouses out of our own free will? We were simply herded to the slaughter by the cowards who sheltered behind our bodies, aiming their weapons at our own backs rather than facing the actual enemy. That was the exact manner in which our lives were systematically stolen from us.

“Dae-sa-hyeong, it truly appears as though there isn’t a single opening or vulnerability for us to slip through, doesn’t it?”

“With Jong-nam maintaining such a suffocating blockade, there simply isn’t a viable method to breach their lines by force.”

“Furthermore, if we linger in this vicinity and wind up getting targeted by Jong-nam’s aggressive enforcement…”

I shifted my focus toward the direction where those anxious murmurs were originating. I looked upon the young faces of my Sajes, each one deeply clouded with intense worry. That’s right, in this timeline, they are all still drawing breath. I redirected my intense gaze back toward the arrayed forces of the Jong-nam Sect. The grand opportunity they were currently monopolizing for themselves was an opportunity that rightfully belonged to my junior brothers. And if they were allowed to seize that opportunity, these precious companions wouldn’t have to meet such meaningless, tragic ends as they did in my past life. For that exact reason, I absolutely refuse to let this chance slip through my fingers in this current existence.

“From this exact moment onward, we are going to ascend Mount Ju-dang.”

Hearing my declaration, my Sajes tilted their heads in complete bewilderment.

“But Dae-sa-hyeong, we are already standing on Mount Ju-dang right now, aren’t we?”

I turned a steady, serious look back upon them.

“Every single one of you brought along the writing materials I requested, correct?”

“Yes, we have them.”

“Starting right now, I want you to map out the entire geographical layout surrounding the Thousand Copper Cave with absolute precision. Record every single crevice, ridge, and detail of the terrain’s structure without neglecting a solitary feature.”

“What? What exactly does that mean…”

“Dae-sa-hyeong, what kind of chaotic scheme are you cooking up this time around?”

Jong-nam, the entity that successfully claimed this bounty in my previous life, ultimately utterly failed to halt the devastating advance of the Demonic Cult. Since that was the historical reality, this particular prize…

“It is finally time for us to demonstrate the true capabilities of the Tae-eul-mun.”

It belongs to us now, and we are going to take it.