Chapter 461

Chapter 461
Just as an erroneous choice made by a general in the heat of battle yields catastrophic consequences, the flawed verdict of the Inspection Hall plunged the scene into utter ruin. The defensive boundary arrays enveloping the Mosan Sect eventually spent their power and dissolved into nothingness, leaving not a single proper structure unscathed amidst the rubble.

When the shadows of night finally withdrew, they exposed a grim carpet of countless bodies. Before the survivors of the Mosan Sect could even process the sheer terror of their brush with demise, a wave of profound grief over their lost comrades washed over them.

“Heu-heuk.”
“*Sa-yeong-ah*……”
“Aaaaaargh!”

Though mourning was inevitable, the immediate demand was tending to the wounded. The disciples who had departed at dawn to fetch medical aid from neighboring settlements ultimately returned with nothing to show for it.

“……They claimed they refused to assist a clan that dabbled in forbidden sorcery……”

Ok Hwa-jeong wept bitterly.

“What utter garbage!”

Geum-pyo roared in fury. Yet, why was he the one losing his temper so intensely?

“Are they seriously condemning an innocent person who never touched forbidden arts, based entirely on baseless slander?!”
“……*Hyung*. Keep your composure.”

His outrage was entirely justified, but such is the terrifying nature of malice-driven rumors. Moreover, because the Inspection Hall of the Martial Alliance itself had led the charge, the public viewed it as absolute validation of the gossip. One only had to observe the perimeter of the Mosan Sect at this moment. Despite the massive blaze that raged through the dark and the unending echoes of detonations and shrieks, not a single curious onlooker lingered nearby. Terrified that a stray ember of trouble might catch them, people completely avoided the paths near the Mosan Sect.

“What about the healers in the neighboring territories?”
“……We were turned away by every single physician in the surrounding districts.”

Yu Ji-ryang hung his head in deep shame. Much like Ok Hwa-jeong, his quest for aid had netted only icy scorn. Judging by the thick coats of soil staining both his knees, he had likely dropped to the ground begging those doctors. Faced with the agonizing helplessness of watching his dying brothers and kindred perish without care, his countenance mirrored the hollow despair of a condemned man.

I could not stand by and watch this unravel. I had intervened to save their lives so they could find their footing and endure, not to watch them dissolve into hopeless fragments. I had to devise a solution, no matter what it took.

“*Yu Sa-hyeong*! The Sect Leader……!”

Alerted by the frantic shout, we raced to the side of Gu Song-baek. Regaining consciousness for a fleeting moment, Gu Song-baek looked deathly pale, his eyes heavily bloodshot. As freezing sweat poured from him, his parched lips resembled cracked earth in a season of drought. The Pavilion Masters, Elders, and various disciples pressed close around him, straining to catch whatever parting words he might utter.

Yet, as Gu Song-baek opened his heavy eyelids, his focus remained locked onto a single individual.

“*Jin*…… *Jin So-hyeop*…… I beg you, look after our children……”

With those faltering words, his consciousness slipped away once more. Those proficient in basic medical arts rapidly stimulated his vital apertures and crushed a potent restorative pill to slide past his lips. The ragged, gasping breaths of Gu Song-baek gradually smoothed into a steadier rhythm.

“We have managed to stabilize him for now, but his body cannot hold out much longer.”

Following the grim assessment of the treating disciple, a dark shadow fell over everyone’s faces. They had narrowly survived the onslaught of the Inspection Hall, only to find that their true tribulation was just beginning as a torrent of agonizing hardship overwhelmed them.

“Eu-eu! *Sa-hyeong*……!”

Unable to endure the sight any longer, Geum-pyo began pacing fiercely across the courtyard, his boots stomping heavily against the ground.

“Let’s just abduct them.”
“……!”
“We can kidnap the physicians and force them to administer treatment. Isn’t keeping him alive the absolute priority right now?”

Deriving a grim sense of comfort from Geum-pyo’s desperate proposal, Yu Ji-ryang let out a hollow laugh.

“We cannot resort to that, Geum-pyo *So-hyeop*.”
“But remaining idle means—”
“If we force their hands and they harbor malice in their hearts while treating him……”

Yu Ji-ryang directed his gaze toward me, silently imploring me to intervene.

“Is that not the case, *Jin So-hyeop*?”

In all honesty, I found the notion rather practical.

“…….”

However, as Yu Ji-ryang pointed out, abduction carried perils that far outweighed the benefits. If a doctor performed surgery half-heartedly under duress, it could easily result in multiple fatalities. Collecting my thoughts, I inquired:

“Is there an apothecary managed by the Dang Clan in this region?”
“The Dang Clan…… you say? There is a branch located in Jin-gang, however……”

Yu Ji-ryang’s countenance darkened. He clearly harbored doubts that a cornerstone faction of the Martial Alliance would ever willingly involve themselves in this disaster.

“……Wouldn’t they treat us with even greater hostility?”

I gestured in negation. Typical physicians naturally feared the overarching authority of the Martial Alliance, the supreme power structure of the Jianghu. Conversely, the Dang Clan held a position of profound influence *within* the Martial Alliance itself. While they maintained deep ties to the Alliance, they possessed the sovereignty and might to extend assistance to whomever they pleased, provided they had the inclination.

“Even with that risk, isn’t it worth an attempt over doing nothing?”

If we remained paralyzed by indecision, a succession of burials would follow. And once the dead were interred, the survivors would find their spirits broken beyond repair.

“……Hoo.”

A mind shatters when subjected to an overwhelming cascade of tragedies all at once. In my previous existence, Sa-ryeon had lost her sanity to precisely that kind of despair. Her betrothal to Gye Cheol-yeong had fractured and dissolved. The *Sa-je* sent alongside her to the Martial Alliance had perished pointlessly, and she had raced back upon hearing rumors of the assault on the Tae-eul Sect—only to find a nightmare. What awaited her was the gruesome slaughter of the very people who had raised and nurtured her like parents and siblings. As those layers of agony accumulated to an unhinged degree, Sa-ryeon’s mind broke.

[*Hehe, I finally discovered it.*]

The vision of a macabre Sa-ryeon, wandering aimlessly among severed remains in search of displaced heads, flared vividly in my mind. It felt as though it had transpired only yesterday. Shaking off the encroaching darkness in my soul, I turned my gaze back to Sa-ryeon. She was actively assessing the condition of the wounded Mosan Sect members. With eyes brighter and more focused than anyone else’s, she examined each sufferer individually. The Sa-ryeon standing before me now was entirely whole.

“No, I will ensure they are persuaded to come back with me.”
“……*Jin So-hyeop*.”

Yu Ji-ryang offered a glance laden with unprecedented complexity before bowing deeply.

“Then I place this heavy burden in your hands.”

Just as I prepared to turn around after offering a reassuring tap to his trembling shoulder—

“I shall accompany you.”

Ok Hwa-jeong stepped forward resolutely.

“I value your dedication, but traveling swiftly on my own would be more efficient.”
“My own movement techniques are quite formidable. Furthermore, I am intimately familiar with the quickest path to Jin-gang.”
“…….”
“I implore you, permit me to join you.”

When I cast a questioning look toward Yu Ji-ryang, he offered a supportive nod.

“She is accustomed to traveling back and forth to Jin-gang multiple times a day. She will not slow your pace.”

—

True to Yu Ji-ryang’s praise, Ok Hwa-jeong navigated the path toward Jin-gang with absolute fluid grace. Naturally, her velocity did not quite match what I could achieve when unleashing the Heavenly Solo Walk, but by the standards of conventional martial movement, her pace was remarkably swift. Nevertheless, rather than reducing my speed to accommodate her, I maintained a brisk tempo. The urgency of our mission demanded it, and I secretly hoped she might choose to fall behind if the exertion became too taxing.

Yet Ok Hwa-jeong pushed forward with unflinching determination. She uttered no complaints and betrayed no hints of fatigue along the journey. Her fierce resolve to preserve the lives of her fellow Mosan Sect members was painfully evident. Consequently, we reached the gates of Jin-gang far sooner than anticipated.

“We have arrived.”

A grand estate occupied the heart of Jin-gang, featuring a prominent placard adorned with the elegant brushwork characters reading ‘Gusaeng-won’. A pair of guards flanked the grand threshold, training vigilant eyes upon us the moment we approached.

“What is your purpose here?”

The piercing gazes of the sentries scrutinized every detail of Ok Hwa-jeong and myself.

“We have come seeking aid for an emergency that permits not a single moment’s delay.”

The guard nodded, seemingly accustomed to such desperate appeals.

“Who requires treatment?”
“A vast multitude of individuals have suffered severe trauma.”

The guard’s expression instantly turned rigid.

“To which organization do you belong?”
“The Tae-eul Sect.”
“The Tae-eul Sect…… The Tae-eul Sect?!”

In my past life, revealing the name of my order invariably elicited identical reactions. People would cock their heads in confusion or swap knowing glances accompanied by mocking smirks. Yet this occasion proved entirely different. The guards exchanged startled looks, and then, with perfect synchronization, they bowed their heads in unison and adopted a posture of deep reverence.

“Allow us to escort you inside immediately.”

Without delay, a senior physician emerged alongside four medical attendants. Ok Hwa-jeong and I raised our clasped hands in a traditional martial greeting, and the senior physician, who appeared old enough to be my father twice over, returned the courtesy with a deep bow.

“You mentioned you hail from the Tae-eul Sect? Has an esteemed member of your noble clan sustained injuries?”
“That is not the case……”

At that moment, the senior healer’s eyes drifted to analyze Ok Hwa-jeong’s disheveled form beside me, and his movements abruptly halted.

“Could it be…… that your origin lies with the Mosan Sect?”
“……It does.”

My dark forebodings were vindicated precisely as expected.

“I see……”

The practitioner glanced between his attendants and the other healers with an anxious, unsettled demeanor, clearly caught in a dilemma. It was blindingly obvious from his posture that he was racking his brain for a polite method to turn us away. Right then, Ok Hwa-jeong sank to her knees upon the stone floor.

“People are on the verge of death. If you grant us your aid, we will hold this debt of gratitude close to our hearts forever.”

It became instantly clear why she had fought so hard to accompany me. She had anticipated from the very beginning that they would refuse us.

“…….”
“Our sect never engaged in forbidden practices. Even the Inspection Hall acknowledged their error and withdrew……”

She was utterly consumed by desperation. More than anyone else, and more intensely than ever before, she pleaded for mercy. Because the boundary between life and death rested entirely upon the choice of the man before her. The bitterest irony of it all was that under normal circumstances, the Dang Clan would have rushed to assist without needing a single plea, given that Mosan held a vital position within the hierarchy of the Martial Alliance.

Yet, that solitary stigma of ‘forbidden arts’ had twisted a natural duty into an impossibility.

“Young lady, I beg of you to stand. Please do not place us in such an untenable position.”
“Physician! Young *Sa-je* who have not even seen twenty winters are drawing their last breaths.”
“Young lady……”

Just then, a commanding tone resonated from the inner courtyard.

“What is the cause of this commotion?”

The physician who had been attempting to lift Ok Hwa-jeong bowed his head in profound respect.

“Director, a representative from Mosan has arrived.”

The elderly gentleman addressed as the Director of Gusaeng-won pinched his brow in frustration. Ok Hwa-jeong shifted her posture and called out once more.

“Director! I beg for your mercy. People are dying!”

Bypassing Ok Hwa-jeong’s pleading form, the Director’s eyes locked onto me.

“Are you…… the visitor representing the Tae-eul Sect?”
“I am.”
“Might I inquire as to the title you bear in the Jianghu?”

Such trivialities mattered little in this crisis. At the unexpected inquiry, Ok Hwa-jeong also appeared somewhat bewildered.

“I possess no grand title. *Ahem*, I am known as Jin So-un of the Jin family.”

As I brought my hands together in a respectful martial salute, hushed murmurs rippled through the gathering onlookers.

“It is indeed the Black Flame Dragon.”
“The actual Black Flame Dragon stands before us.”
“……Good grief, whatever could compel such a prominent figure to involve himself.”

I can hear every word you are whispering. The Director studied my face intently before pressing further.

“Are you truly Young Master Jin So-un?”
“There exists but a single Jin So-un within the ranks of the Tae-eul Sect.”

The Director fell silent, appearing locked in profound deliberation, before finally addressing Ok Hwa-jeong once more.

“I have been informed of the tragic events and comprehend the gravity of the situation. As the young lady noted, since the Inspection Hall chose to withdraw midway, it implies an error occurred on their part. Nevertheless, even if that holds true, until the Martial Alliance formally clears your name regarding forbidden sorcery, we cannot easily intervene.”

“Ah…… Director! If guiltless souls perish in this manner……”
“We are constrained from acting freely. Our hearts wish to assist, but—”

The Director then shifted his gaze back to me.

“I am deeply apologetic. We simply lack a valid ‘justification’ to act……”

What game was he playing? This evasive posturing felt neither like a definitive denial nor an agreement to help. It felt as though he were deliberately baiting me to offer something else. After a brief pause, I spoke up:

“Is there truly no alternative path available?”

Instantly, a sharp gleam entered the Director’s eyes.

“Do you also hold a desire to intervene, Young Master Jin?”

What was his true angle?

“Naturally I do. The Mosan Sect has been subjected to a terrible injustice.”
“Do you genuinely believe that to be true?”
“If my personal guarantee is required to move you, I will provide whatever is necessary.”

At that admission, the Director stroked his beard with a look of supreme satisfaction, as though he had secured exactly what he wanted.

“Whatever is necessary, you say…… then would you be amenable to offering us your nameplate?”

A nameplate? Out of nowhere? And specifically mine? Could this man possibly be angling for something akin to the Grace Plate of the Tae-eul Sect?

“The Tae-eul Sect does not currently issue a Grace Plate.”

Among the renowned grand sects, it was customary to craft an object known as a Grace Plate, serving as an absolute token that the entire organization recognized a profound debt. The tokens I had extracted from the unorthodox factions at the Demon Spirit Plateau were precisely these Grace Plates. Barring an demand that defied all reason, the presentation of such a token demanded absolute fulfillment.

“Which is precisely why I requested your personal nameplate. If you back this venture with your identity, it provides the necessary justification for our academy to act.”

Surrendering my personal token meant, in essence, that I would be binding myself to a future debt. Glancing downward, I saw Ok Hwa-jeong gazing up at me with a face stained with tears, her expression full of silent pleading. What immense value could my simple nameplate truly possess? Why did Ok Hwa-jeong look upon me with such desperation, and why would the Director of Gusaeng-won risk provoking the wrath of the Martial Alliance for a single token of my identity? Though the deeper motivations eluded my full understanding……

‘There are moments when one must act regardless of whether the reasoning is entirely clear.’

Without a moment’s hesitation, I reached into my garments and produced my personal token.

“Please, I entrust this matter to your hands……”

“With this token secured, I can boldly take the next step, hufu.”
“…….”

Pardon? Receiving the token, the Director muttered a cryptic phrase while wearing an oddly triumphant grin.

“Gusaeng-won shall suspend all public consultations for the day. Therefore, let every practitioner prepare! We march immediately to the grounds of the Mosan Sect!”

Following the Director’s booming command, the entire staff of Gusaeng-won sprang into highly organized, efficient motion.

—

Though Gusaeng-won had committed to the task, I remained plagued by anxiety that our intervention might arrive too late. The distance separating Jin-gang from Mount Mosan was substantial, and travelling at a conventional pace would surely cost precious lives.

However—

“……Your speed is truly breathtaking.”

The velocity maintained by the vanguard of physicians was nothing short of miraculous.

“Haha, to serve as a frontline emergency healer, mastering such speed is merely the baseline requirement.”

……To think that such elite emergency healers were stationed right within Jin-gang. These were the specialized medical squads of the Dang Clan, units that had achieved legendary renown during the Great War between Justice and Evil. They were the ones deployed instantly whenever a patient’s survival was measured in mere heartbeats. Naturally, their services were not squandered on ordinary folk; they were reserved for critical situations involving high-ranking dignitaries, the extraordinarily wealthy, or the venerable masters of the Jianghu and their lineages.

They were universally referred to as the ‘Five-Percenters’ (*O-hal-jo*). The moniker arose from the fact that their mere arrival on a scene raised a patient’s chances of survival by a full fifty percent.

“We have arrived from Gusaeng-won!”

Ok Hwa-jeong’s voice rang out as she sprinted into the encampment, her shout echoing across the broken pavilions of the Mosan Sect. The elite medical squad immediately set to work, bypassing any lengthy explanations of the disaster. One individual handled the triage of the afflicted, another oversaw the brewing of medicinal broths and structural preparations, while the remaining three physicians launched directly into life-saving procedures. This core group of five individuals operated with lightning synchronization, providing essential stabilization to those balanced on the edge of the abyss. They deliberately bypassed individuals suffering only from fractured bones or controlled bleeding, whose lives were not in immediate jeopardy.

Through their meticulous, highly coordinated efforts, they systematically yanked the remaining members of the Mosan Sect from the clutches of the underworld and anchored them firmly back among the living.

“Where are the primary patients situated?”

The main contingent of Gusaeng-won alongside the Director arrived shortly thereafter to take charge of the long-term care. Two days dissolved in a blur of ceaseless activity.

“Hoo…… truly a soul who has been kissed by fortune.”

The Director, who had personally tended to Gu Song-baek throughout the grueling forty-eight hours, sighed as he wiped away the perspiration mapping his brow.

“Was the operation successful?”
“He will have to live with a permanent infirmity, but it appears he will enjoy many more years of life.”
“You have my deepest gratitude.”

In response to my acknowledgment, the Director let out a robust laugh while cleansing the residual grime from his hands.

“Should that gratitude truly be directed at me? It is a testament to the Sect Leader’s own resilience and, of course……”

The Director’s eyes flashed with that familiar, calculating spark.

“A consequence of your vital intervention.”

The Director was strangely intent on painting me as the grand savior of the hour. What were this man’s true intentions?

“However…… do you harbor no anxiety regarding your future, Young Master?”
“To what do you refer?”

When I parried with a question of my own, a profound, unreadable expression settled over his features.

“You directly impeded a sanctioned campaign of the Inspection Hall. Your interference has officially drawn the scrutinizing gaze of the entire Jianghu.”
“The entire affair was initiated on the foundation of corrupted intelligence. Both the Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist are fully cognizant of the realities of this matter.”

The Director locked eyes with me for a long moment before tilting his head in mild amusement.

“Hmm, are you merely feigning ignorance for some tactical advantage?”

What nonsense was this old man spouting now…….

“Young Master Jin.”

When I focused my attention back onto the Director, his warm demeanor had vanished, replaced by an icy intensity.

“Setting aside whatever errors the Inspection Hall committed, did you truly take up arms without realizing that your defiance itself constitutes a direct assault on the supreme sovereignty of the Martial Alliance?”
“…….”

How could I possibly be blind to that reality? If one were to identify the individual who understood the inner mechanisms of the Martial Alliance best, I would undoubtedly top the list.

“Certain factions will laud your actions as an act of supreme heroism, while others will view you as an insufferably arrogant upstart. There will also be those who harbor a venomous malice toward you that far eclipses simple rage.”

The Director’s tone mirrored the freezing chill of his expression.

“I can promise you that within the orthodox factions of the White Path, the latter group will vastly outnumber the former.”
“…….”
“Did you truly throw yourself into this fray without calculating that cost?”

The supreme authority of the entrenched rulers, fortified across five centuries of dominance, had come to be viewed by them as an absolute, immutable law of nature. Furthermore, even the very populations who withered under their subjugation accepted this absolute authority as a basic truth of existence. In a cruel twist of irony, the very first individuals to hurl condemnations at us would be—

‘The very people existing under their heels.’

I understood better than anyone how a figure who dared to fracture that illusion of ‘natural order’ would be perceived in their eyes.

“I am fully aware.”
“Then do you also comprehend the grim destination to which this path will inevitably lead you?”

Precisely because I understood the consequences, I could never bring myself to simply walk away. If I had chosen to turn a blind eye, the sole reality remaining at the end of all things would be the horrific memories of the life I had left behind.

“I understand that as well.”
“Ho-oh……”

The Director’s piercing gaze and icy tone melted away, instantly shifting back to an demeanor of warm familiarity.

“That is a profound relief. I feared I had accepted a piece of wood fit only for the furnace.”
“…….”

The corners of the Director’s mouth twitched upward into a faint, enigmatic smile as he uttered those cryptic words.

“Might I offer a single token of wisdom?”
“I am listening with full attention.”
“In the presence of supreme power and unyielding authority, the arbitrary boundaries between Good (*Seon*) and Evil (*Ak*) dissolve into irrelevance.”

A profound, heavy smirk settled upon his lips.

“The faction that commands superior might is deemed Good, while the weaker party is automatically branded as Evil.”

That expression of his seemed to radiate a bizarre sense of fulfillment, yet it carried the distinct undertone of a mocking sneer.

“Precisely in the manner that the Mosan Sect has been cast into the role of Evil at this very moment.”

It was a chilling philosophy to fall from the lips of a physician whose sworn duty was the preservation of human life.