Chapter 358

Chapter 358
## Chapter 358. Encounter with the Enemy (5)

—

“Yong-so-a rarely speaks without reason.”

Dang-seo-hui murmured this as we made our way toward Kunming.

Her posture slumped slightly with a crestfallen air as she inquired, “Do you think dedicating oneself to being a righteous hero is just a foolish pursuit?”

It was evident that the remarks made by Yong-so-a had been weighing heavily on her mind ever since.

Though, strictly speaking, it wasn’t actually Yong-so-a who had originally come up with that notion.

Naturally, I took her side immediately and began hurling insults at Yong-so-a.

“Yong-so-a is just a massive blockhead, a complete imbecile, a brainless sea anemone, and an utter idiot.”

Without even thinking, I reached out and gently patted her head to comfort her downcast spirit.

“…….”

For some strange reason, Dang-seo-hui shifted her gaze and fixated on me with an icy stare.

It was only in that moment that I realized I might have crossed a line.

Much like Sa-ryeon, women generally loathed having anyone mess with their hair.

Fortunately, however, it seemed my assumption about her annoyance was slightly off-target.

“……He isn’t quite that terrible.”

The reason her expression had grown cold was simply that she disagreed with the severity of my insults.

Though from my perspective, I didn’t think I was exaggerating at all…….

“Keu-heung……”

Despite her narrowed eyes and stern look, her actions told a completely different story.

As if silently pleading for me to keep stroking her hair, Dang-seo-hui was already tilting her head back and forth against my hand.

While continuing to pat her head—watching her emit a low, cat-like purring sound—I found myself reflecting once more on the parting words Yong-so-a had uttered the previous evening.

‘Jin-so-un. You represent…… an unpredictable element.’

I still couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind it.

To begin with, there was no logical reason why the perspective of a man entrenched at the absolute pinnacle of the Righteous Way Society’s establishment would ever make sense to someone like me.

“Hmm…….”

Even so, if I forced myself to interpret his words from their point of view.

I supposed they viewed me as a highly troublesome variable, someone who constantly produced outcomes that defied all their meticulous calculations.

Whether dealing with the Righteous Way Society or the White Way Society, those organizations always anticipated a specific trajectory for the future, and I had managed to completely shatter those expectations at every single turn.

Viewed through that lens, describing me as an erratic uncertainty whose ultimate path remained completely unpredictable was actually a fairly accurate assessment on their part.

Even if I looked solely at my current circumstances, that description held true.

After my rebirth, had I ever once anticipated that I would evolve into the person I am today?

Granted, because that incredibly perilous artifact known as the Azure Dragon Ring had been irreversibly bound to my soul from the very instant of my return, my path was destined to be a thousand *Li* away from any semblance of stability from the outset.

‘But it isn’t as if I chose this, is it?’

I had only arrived at this point because I was constantly struggling to survive, desperately patching up and repairing whatever deficiencies came my way.

“How on earth is it that you are completely unscathed?”

I found myself utterly lacking a response to Hwa-jeong-san’s resentful observation.

My current physical state was a testament to the fact that I had become a bizarre abnormality, defying even my own comprehension.

“No matter how miraculous the medical treatments of the Mandok-mun might be…… you look like someone who never sustained a single scratch to begin with, don’t you?”

“…….”

Back when we were locked in a confrontation with Gang-sun-tak’s faction at the Mandok-mun, there was a specific reason why the members of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering ultimately refused to side with those instructors.

It was because anyone with eyes could see that our group was in an utterly pitiful condition, bearing the brutal physical marks of surviving extreme hardships.

Even the students who could still manage to stand on their own two feet were covered from head to toe in gold-sore ointment, wrapped tightly in bandages to keep from bleeding out.

The real anomaly, however, lay elsewhere.

“How is it that your skin remains completely unblemished, looking like pure white jade……”

“…….”

The issue was that I, the very individual who had endured the most grueling trials and expended the greatest effort, possessed not a single visible scar on my entire body.

To be fair, I had narrowly managed to deflect or evade the deadliest strikes aimed at my critical pressure points and vital areas.

Yet, I had also undeniably received massive, gaping wounds that were just as severe as anyone else’s.

For instance, consider my lower right abdomen.

When I delivered that decisive palm strike to Je-geum-hak, a hole roughly the size of a fist had been torn into that exact spot.

My left arm had suffered an identical fate.

There had been a laceration so profound that the stark white bone beneath was clearly visible.

Yes, those injuries had definitely existed.

I remembered them vividly because I had even cracked a joke to Sa-ryeon, who had become nearly hysterical with panic upon seeing the state I was in, telling her, ‘A massive blemish has ruined my skin, which is normally as smooth as fine silk.’

Yet every single one of those grievous injuries had completely mended itself.

‘What in the world is happening to my body?’

The minor lacerations had vanished without leaving so much as a faint mark.

Even the most severe wounds had closed up with astonishing speed, leaving behind only minimal scarring.

And by the looks of it, even those lingering traces seemed poised to fade away into nothingness before long.

Naturally, possessing a body that refused to retain scars was something to be grateful for, but exhibiting such a monstrous, inhuman rate of regeneration…… began to induce a deep sense of unease within me.

‘Damn it…… even I have to admit this looks incredibly fishy…….’

When such a flagrantly impossible phenomenon was taking place right out in the open, it was only natural that people would want to probe into it and uncover the cause.

To make matters worse, I was already harboring countless other secrets that I desperately needed to keep hidden from the world.

Forcing a nonchalant grin onto my face, I looked back at Hwa-jeong-san as if the matter were of no consequence whatsoever.

“To tell you the truth…… the Yo-sang-gyeol technique from the Tae-eul True Classic happens to be unrivaled under heaven when it comes to healing.”

“…….”

Hwa-jeong-san merely glared back at me, his eyes radiating absolute skepticism.

Sensing his doubt, I immediately pivoted to an offensive stance.

After all, it was a well-known maxim in strategy that the most effective way to defend oneself is to launch an attack.

“Don’t tell me you are still holding onto the arrogant belief that a martial art from a minor, third-rate sect like the Tae-eul Sect couldn’t possibly be extraordinary…… just like you used to think in the past?”

As expected, referencing his past misdeeds caused Hwa-jeong-san’s face to instantly contort with profound discomfort.

With that card played, what grounds did he really have left to openly cross-examine me?

“What…… what are you implying? Cough, who said anything about that? I merely voiced a question because the situation seemed peculiar.”

It proved to be an immutable law of human nature that browbeating someone with stubborn insistence was far quicker than trying to win them over with logical explanations.

In this manner, carrying a heavy baggage of unresolved dilemmas, our group finally stepped foot into Kunming.

And as if the parting words of Yong-so-a had transformed into an inescapable hex binding my fate, yet another completely unpredicted complication manifested before us.

“Jin-so-un. By the authority vested in us regarding acts of rebellion and treason, you are hereby placed under emergency arrest.”

I had fully anticipated encountering some measure of friction upon our arrival at the Kunming branch.

I had braced myself for the possibility that Gang-sun-tak and his cohorts would be waiting for us, and I fully expected the local personnel of the Kunming branch—who maintained deep ties to them—to try and suppress our group.

However.

‘The Execution Hall?’

In reality, there was absolutely no sign of Gang-sun-tak or any of the other academy instructors.

Instead, a squad of individuals identifying themselves as officers of the feared Execution Hall were moving forward to take me into custody.

To think that in a remote region located ten thousand *Li* away from the capital, I would run directly into operatives who were notoriously elusive even within the main headquarters of the Murim Alliance.

The sheer absurdity of the reunion made me feel like laughing out of pure exasperation.

Unfortunately, they did not share my sense of irony.

“Bind his limbs!”

The leader, whose voice rang out with the harsh chill of an autumn frost, gave a sharp nod to his subordinates. At his signal, the men flanking him advanced simultaneously, their hands snapping forward to seal my cultivation and strike my vital pressure points.

I instinctively moved to deflect their reaching hands.

*Tak. Ta-tak.*

Whether it was because my parries were delivered with considerable force, or simply because they were profoundly insulted that a mere academy student had the audacity to resist their grasp, their expressions instantly contorted with rage.

“You insolent brat!”

“Submit quietly!!”

These officials were acting with the absolute certainty of individuals accustomed to wielding total, unquestioned authority.

I calmly observed their furious, distorted countenances without showing a hint of emotion.

“Do you possess an official warrant for this arrest?”

“Heh……”

Hearing my question, the agents of the Execution Hall let out a chorus of incredulous scoffing.

Amidst their derisive laughter, the commander who had dictated the initial order stepped forward to respond.

“The nature of the crimes you are suspected of is of the utmost severity. Under such conditions, an emergency apprehension requires no prior written warrant.”

“Was this little theater piece arranged by Instructor Gang-sun-tak?”

I locked eyes with the man leading the operation.

His features suggested he belonged to the exact same generation as Instructor No and Instructor Gang.

The sudden, tense twitching of his brow gave away the fact that he couldn’t entirely dismiss the validity of my accusation.

If he possessed enough authority to mobilize a squad solely based on a personal request from Instructor Gang, then he was undoubtedly an old acquaintance from their own academy days.

“Hmm…… slumbering memories.”

Quickly cross-referencing his approximate age and squad-leader status against the internal directory stored in my mind, a specific name clicked into place.

There was precisely one figure who fit this description perfectly.

“*Dan-ju* Na-jak-chung.”

“…….”

The stoic mask he had maintained, which remained unshaken even when the underlying motives of his mission were brought to light, fractured visibly for a fleeting moment.

A wave of profound bewilderment washed over his face, as he clearly couldn’t comprehend how a student like me knew his identity.

However, true to his training as a high-ranking operative of the Execution Hall—where displaying any emotion was drilled out of them as a fatal vulnerability—he swiftly forced his features back into a rigid, unreadable stare.

“You have just arrived here directly from the estate of the Mandok-mun, correct? We have already verified beyond a shadow of doubt that you lodged within their walls and accepted lavish hospitality from them. Do you truly believe we require further substantiation to detain you?”

It was truly remarkable how easily facts could be twisted and reframed depending entirely on the narrative one wished to construct; this exact scenario was a textbook definition of that reality.

The claim that we had stayed at the Mandok-mun was undeniably accurate, and if one factored in the gourmet meals, the high-end accommodations, and the welcoming feast they threw for us.

The accusation that we had received entertainment was technically a factual statement as well.

But it raised a crucial question: why was Gang-sun-tak nowhere to be seen?

The fact that he had deliberately removed himself from the scene indicated he was likely racing back to the main headquarters of the Murim Alliance ahead of us, intending to lay the political groundwork to justify his actions while systematically wiping away any evidence of his underhanded scheming.

Watching how seamlessly they operated to ensure they wouldn’t take the fall, I felt a twisted urge to applaud their sheer shamelessness.

You really are something else, Gang-sun-tak. Truly impressive.

I could only hope that when the day finally came for them to face their ultimate ruin, their expressions would be half as entertaining to watch.

Even if I knew that the truth would eventually surface and clear my name down the road, I had absolutely no intention of passively allowing myself to be hauled off to the dungeons of the Execution Hall right now.
It would take an immense amount of time for the bureaucracy to sort out the facts, and the subterranean cells of the Execution Hall were notorious for being every bit as brutal as those of the Inspection Hall.

More importantly, I possessed an immediate method to force Na-jak-chung to reconsider his stance.

“Phew…… alright, let’s see.”

Just as I drew in a breath to compose my thoughts and speak.

“What sort of preposterous tyranny is this!!!”

A thunderous shockwave, channeled through the legendary Lion’s Roar technique, reverberated through every corridor of the Kunming branch.

“To think you would dare enact an emergency arrest on Unit Commander Jin……!! This is a completely unmitigated farce!!!”

Stepping into the courtyard was Il-gak, his characteristically bald head flushed so intensely with rage that it resembled a piece of iron plucked straight from a blacksmith’s forge.

“Our unit endured catastrophic casualties within the treacherous confines of the Silent Forest. Seeking emergency refuge and medical aid from the Mandok-mun was a matter of sheer survival. To attempt to brand him a traitor based entirely on superficial movements, without making the slightest effort to understand the life-and-death context of what occurred…… is an absolute mockery of justice!”

Il-gak was pushed to a level of furious agitation that completely transcended his usual composed demeanor.

What had gotten into him? What was driving him to act so recklessly…….

While I stood there blinking in surprise.

“Monk Il-gak speaks the absolute truth. This course of action is utterly indefensible. If it is your intention to place Unit Commander Jin under arrest……”

Cheol-sun-jik stepped forward, placing his physical frame directly between me and the agents, his eyes radiating a frigid, lethal intent.

“Then you will be forced to drag every single one of us to prison alongside him.”

What was wrong with this guy too? Why was everyone suddenly losing their minds?

Before I could even process my astonishment.

*Cha-eng—*

“We are already fully aware of the self-serving narrative Instructor Gang fabricated to save his own skin. There is absolutely nothing left for us to debate with you.”

This time, it was Namgung-seon-hwa who stepped out from the crowd, her hand sweeping down to unsheathe her blade with a sharp ring.

The tension in the air instantly plummeted to a razor-sharp, lethal edge.

Wait, why on earth were all of them reacting so violently to this?

It wasn’t as though facing a corrupt frame-up was a rare occurrence for us at this point…….

“Damn it all……! Do you have any conception of the horrors we barely survived inside the Silent Forest? How dare you stand there and paint us as treacherous spies?”

*Ttudu-duk—*

Crackling their knuckles as they stepped up were Nam-hwa-seong and Gwak-su-san of the prestigious Jongnam Sect.

“We will stand as a shield for the Unit Commander.”

Following their lead without a moment’s hesitation, Dang-gi-han of the renowned Dang Family and Wang-jo-eun of the Yuwol-mun joined the frontline.

Every single student began to exude a suffocating, hostile aura, looking for all the world like an army prepared to launch a bloody civil war right then and there.

“The Unit Commander is the sole reason any of us are breathing; he threw himself into the jaws of death at the absolute front to buy us time. Insulting a hero like him by calling him a spy is no different from accusing every single student here of treason!”

“The individuals you should be hunting down and throwing into chains are those cowardly excuses for instructors! Those miserable bastards who turned their backs on their own students and fled the Silent Forest to save their own pathetic skins!!”

“To think that this is the reception waiting for us, after we dragged our broken bodies out of that hellscape and managed to return……?!”

The academy students were consumed by a wave of righteous fury, reacting with the raw, explosive indignation of young martial artists experiencing the bitter sting of a corrupt political frame-up for the first time in their lives.

Confronted by the collective, burning fury of the entire student body, the ranks of the ordinary Murim Alliance guards instinctively began to falter and take a step back.

Because the task force from the Execution Hall had anticipated a routine, compliant arrest, they were left utterly paralyzed by this massive, unified resistance.

Indeed, it had likely never even crossed their minds that the pampered scions of the academy would openly rebel against the authority of the Alliance in such a coordinated fashion.

To be perfectly honest, even I was completely dumbfounded by the sheer scale of their defiance.

Regardless of the reasons, the shifting political dynamics had suddenly placed me in a much more advantageous position.

Turning my gaze back to Na-jak-chung, I let a calm smile spread across my face.

“It appears your camaraderie with Instructor Gang-sun-tak runs incredibly deep. Deep enough, it seems, that you are entirely willing to gamble your entire career and reputation on his behalf.”

“…….”

Na-jak-chung desperately fought to maintain his unreadable, wooden expression, but perhaps because I had just spent time dealing with the hyper-perceptive Yong-so-a, my senses were heightened.

I could clearly read the turbulent undercurrent of anxiety rippling through the micro-expressions and tightening muscles of his face.

He looked exactly like a man who realized his fatal mistake had just been laid bare.

“Could it be that you were never granted the privilege of hearing the full, unvarnished truth of the matter?”

“The unvarnished…… truth?”

“Why do you think the students of the academy are in such a volatile state of fury right now?”

As my words hung in the air, Na-jak-chung’s eyes involuntarily drifted across the assembly of young martial artists.

Though the students were projecting a ferocious, combat-ready aura, the underlying reality was that the vast majority of them were severely crippled by injuries, barely capable of holding themselves upright.

Sweeping my gaze across the battered faces of my peers, I began to lay out the reality of the situation in a low, measured tone.

“We fell victim to a massive, coordinated ambush within the depths of the Silent Forest. In the midst of that crisis, the instructors—including your friend Gang-sun-tak—utterly abandoned the students entrusted to their care and fled the battlefield. The very men who bore a sacred oath to shield these youths from harm chose cowardice.”

“…….”

A sharp, uncontrollable twitch ran across Na-jak-chung’s cheek.

“Those cowards are currently manipulating you, *Dan-ju*, transforming you into a tool to shield themselves from the catastrophic fallout of their own dereliction of duty.”

“…….”

“If it comes to light that you actively abused the sacred authority of your office to enforce an arrest based entirely on a fabricated cover-up……”

I closed the distance between us, taking a deliberate step toward Na-jak-chung.

“A simple administrative apology will be the absolute least of your worries.”

After all, the Alliance already possessed a stark precedent; Ak-byeong-bi of the powerful Inspection Hall had been brutally stripped of his rank and disciplined for overstepping his boundaries in a similar abuse of power.

Even so, Na-jak-chung found himself backed into a corner where backing down was an incredibly bitter pill to swallow.

For a veteran commander of his stature, openly swallowing his pride and admitting a massive error in judgment in front of a crowd of teenage disciples was a humiliating prospect.

“……Do you possess any physical proof to substantiate this alleged ambush?”

It was obvious he was desperately casting about for any plausible pretext that would allow him to retreat with his dignity intact.

Hmm. I was more than willing to provide him with an exit strategy, but the reality was that we hadn’t brought back any tangible evidence to present on the spot.

“If you claim to have slaughtered so many hostile forces, surely you must have secured some form of verification?”

We had expended every ounce of our remaining energy just trying to transport our crippled comrades through the wilderness.

Naturally, scavenging for war trophies or evidence was the absolute last thing on our minds.

Furthermore, we could hardly march back into the perilous depths of the Silent Forest just to collect a few trinkets for a trial.

What if those fanatic killers were still patrolling the area?

Right at that tense impasse.

A resonant, crystalline voice cut through the heavy atmosphere from the main gates of the compound.

“The testimony provided by these academy students is absolute fact.”

The moment that voice reached our ears—carrying an aura that felt as though a refined, noble fragrance were washing over the courtyard.

The students, who had been maintaining a fierce, bloodthirsty posture, blinked in astonishment and instinctively parted to clear a path.

Walking through the opening crowd was a strikingly elegant young man clad in flowing blue martial robes.

“I have personally retrieved the necessary evidence.”

The thoroughly exasperated figure of Yong-so-a advanced with a stately, confident stride, bearing a massive, blood-stained sack slung over his shoulder.

*U-ru-ru.*

With a swift yank of the bindings, he inverted the heavy bundle and dumped its contents directly onto the stone tiles.

A grim mountain of armor plating, shattered martial weapons, and severed human limbs that had already begun to turn black and emit the foul stench of decay cascaded onto the floor.

“The physical markers of a devastating conflict are etched across the entirety of the Silent Forest. Furthermore, metallurgical analysis confirms that the weapons wielded by the aggressive faction are forged from horn-iron, a specific material that is virtually nonexistent within the borders of the Central Plains.”

“……You actually ventured back into the Silent Forest alone?”

“I deemed it imperative to personally audit the theater of engagement.”

“…….”

The elite operatives of the Execution Hall exchanged looks of profound bewilderment and uncertainty.

Even the academy students began to whisper among themselves in hushed, confused tones, completely taken aback by this sudden turn of events.

To begin with, the mere notion that anyone would willingly re-enter that cursed, trap-filled forest entirely unaccompanied was difficult for them to comprehend.

However.

“Ha……”

The individual experiencing the absolute greatest crisis of confusion was none other than myself.

‘What on earth is wrong with this guy?’

Just a few short days ago, this very same lunatic had been tracking me down, creating a massive scene, and actively trying to end my life while spouting incomprehensible riddles.

“His testimony is beyond reproach.”

Yet here he was now, deliberately dismantling the trap laid out for me and tearing down the charges.