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chapter 24
“Do you really think the Hao Sect of the Ten Directions can be unified like that?” Danyeop asked.
Danbulwi, the sect leader, shrugged.
“Since we’re talking about a century-long plan, maybe it’ll be possible in a hundred years or so.”
In truth, he had been skeptical about this century-long plan from the start.
His stay at the Bingma Stronghold wasn’t by choice—it had been forced. Naturally, he wasn’t pleased with the actions of the leaders of the Six Schools either.
Danyeop nodded as if he had expected this.
“I don’t mind when I leave the sect. But I worry that a slow-witted fool like me might get caught up in a fight.”
“Don’t worry about that. A fool like you, Danyeop, would be assigned to the Iron Dog Squad, the organization that handles all the chores.”
Within the Hao Sect, there are five martial organizations. The top one is the Guangfeng Corps, followed by Qinglang, Bailang, Heilang, and Hongyan Corps. The Iron Dog Squad moves with these five groups, taking care of chores—cooking, laundry, setting up camp, and so on.
“Does that mean ‘iron dog’?” Danyeop asked.
“Yes. Like a cast-iron dog, work tirelessly. It’s the group that follows the martial organizations around and does the dirty work.”
Only then did Danyeop’s expression lighten. If he got caught up in a fight and lost his life, he would be finished.
“Do you think the war between the Hao Sects will continue?”
“Right now, the one leading the Hao Sect in Guan-nae-do is Sect Leader Ha Solan of the Qimen. So whether it continues depends entirely on his skill.”
“But what if other sects insist on war?”
“Those sects aren’t that unified. They’re too focused on their own survival. If Ha Solan wants it to stop, it will stop.”
The Hao Sect’s lack of prestige in the martial world was due to that very habit.
“Right now, our Guan-nae-do has taken over Hadong-do, correct?”
“Not completely, but almost.”
“Then why have the results been so minor despite so many talents emerging from Bingma Stronghold?”
“The main reason is that the disciples trained at Bingma Stronghold aren’t particularly strong. As you know, the martial skills of the Six Schools aren’t exceptional. When we planned this century-long scheme, we had big dreams. But when we actually looked at the numbers, it was just a slight increase in manpower.”
“So the other Hao Sects of the old order could handle that number through alliances?”
“Exactly. Some even teamed up with the unorthodox sects, which is why our losses were higher than expected.”
“Is it acceptable to involve unorthodox sects?”
“Normally, no. The Five Sacred Sword Schools watch closely. If unorthodox sects move, the Sacred Sword Schools don’t just watch.”
“But they teamed up with them?”
“The Sacred Sword Schools should have sent their branches to restrain them. That’s how they’ve handled other branches. But for some reason, they ignored the Hao Sect war.”
“They don’t recognize the Hao Sect as a proper martial faction. That’s the current state of the Hao Sect. Frankly, the unorthodox sects who interfered in their war were fools—they probably thought they’d make some quick money, but considering their own reputations, they shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
“Seeking profit over reputation isn’t madness. But does the Hao Sect of Guan-nae-do not accept help from the unorthodox sects?”
“Ha Solan would despise that. The unorthodox sects constantly harass the Qimen, so he has no choice. Besides, there’s no ordinary branch to ask for help—the Hao Sect is a secretive organization with little interaction with other sects.”
“So that’s why Bingma Stronghold was run the way it was.”
“Right. But the results fell short of expectations, which caused this mess.”
Danyeop was dumbfounded. The Five Sacred Sword Schools didn’t even recognize them! Now he understood why the leaders of the Six Schools were so determined to unify the Hao Sects of the Ten Directions.
After finishing the conversation with Danbulwi, Danyeop grabbed his satchel and water bottle and left for his training site.
Guan-nae-do — Chang’an City — Hyunmu Hall
Hyunmu Hall was a martial hall established by the peerless master of the Zhongnan Sect, Iron Sword Invincible No Hyunam.
Though called a hall, its power surpassed most branches, exerting significant influence over both orthodox sides of the martial world.
Late at night, deep within Hyunmu Hall, two elderly men sat opposite each other playing shoudan (a kind of Go).
They were Elder Yi Hajin of the Zhongnan Sect and Hall Master No Hyunam.
As Elder Yi placed a white stone at the top right, he casually said,
“Celestial Sword Master asks if the commotion among outsiders is becoming prolonged.”
The Celestial Sword Master was the nickname of the Zhongnan Sect’s patriarch, Gwak Geumsan. Yi Hajin was merely relaying his words.
No Hyunam, holding a black stone, replied calmly,
“Soon the Black Line Faction will resolve it. There’s no need for concern.”
The Black Line Faction was a notorious unorthodox force in Hadong-do.
Elder Yi’s face showed some discomfort.
“It’s not appropriate for Hadong-do’s unorthodox sects to be causing trouble in Guan-nae-do…”
“No choice. Guan-nae-do’s unorthodox sects are under the Hall’s influence. If they move, the Hao Sect of Guan-nae-do will notice and prepare, so they can’t deal fatal damage.”
“If the Hao Sect of Guan-nae-do falls, only Hadong-do’s Hao Sect will grow stronger. Celestial Sword Master wants the Ten Directions’ Hao Sect to maintain their place.”
“I understand. The Black Line Faction will only cut the roots of Guan-nae-do’s Hao Sect and return immediately. Removing the roots won’t destroy them; it just prevents expansion.”
Elder Yi placed a white stone with a nod.
“The authorities have sent someone to request mediation from the Celestial Sword Master. Had it not been for their petition, he wouldn’t have looked. Resolve it quickly, however you see fit.”
“I didn’t expect the authorities to care about the Hao Sect,” No Hyunam said.
“They worry that in the chaos, Cheonryeon might expand its power.”
“Ah… Cheonryeon…”
Cheonryeon was a folk religion based on Buddhism, Taoism, and Manichaeism. It viewed the world as a battle of good versus evil and considered the imperial family and corrupt officials as agents of evil. Its growth led to attacks on government offices, prompting the authorities to declare it heretical.
Elder Yi continued,
“Cheonryeon won’t interfere with the Hao Sect, but prolonged social chaos is dangerous. Don’t corner Ha Solan too far.”
“Is Ha Solan affiliated with Cheonryeon?”
No Hyunam looked up at Yi Hajin, who answered nonchalantly,
“No, but for several years he’s been visiting temples suspected of Cheonryeon ties. Long nights bring many dreams. Don’t let small greed escalate things.”
“I see. I’ll handle it carefully and conclude it swiftly.”
No Hyunam didn’t outright promise compliance, and Yi Hajin pretended not to notice. He couldn’t openly criticize No Hyunam, whose martial skill surpassed his own.
The two then focused on the game. After two hours, No Hyunam won by five points. Elder Yi left without a backward glance. He wasn’t a match, in martial skill or Go, for No Hyunam.
Guan-nae-do — Mun-san Bingma Stronghold
Danyeop trained late into the night, practicing the martial arts of the Six Schools, the Tahe Muyeong Sword, and the Muae Sword.
He studied the Six Schools’ techniques in-depth, aiming to master all aspects, thinking it might help him later.
Sweaty from Susewol Divine Practice, he donned golden ceremonial robes and lay on the stone bed.
But the thought of practicing the Taeul Bonwon Yeonseong Technique made him nervous.
“What if that hand chokes me again?”
The mysterious hand had terrified him before, like being pinned during sleep paralysis.
“Could it be a ghost?”
No explanation made sense otherwise. If a slow-witted Danyeop had faced it, he’d understand. But he, having mastered the martial arts of the Taego Sect, being overpowered like that—it was impossible.
His master would have scolded him mercilessly if he knew. Of course, the master had ascended to the Heavenly Realm and would never know.
“I need to learn an exorcism spell. Then if that hand appears, I can drive it away.”
The thought was satisfying, but happiness didn’t last—he didn’t know any exorcism spells.
“Oh, whatever. Let’s try again. If I don’t die, it’s fine.”
He shouted bravely, closing his eyes slowly.
Quietly illuminate the dantian, and within it, the starry sky reflects [靜照丹臺映星天].
In the void, a flame arises and transforms into the divine lotus [虛中生火化神蓮].
Focusing on the incantation, stars turned to flames and then bloomed like lotus buds.
Danyeop deliberately stared at the “Divine Lotus.” Soon, it opened fully. The brilliant lotus dispersed like mist, revealing the same white hand.
This time, Danyeop was prepared. The hand was delicate, clearly feminine, with smooth, ivory-like forearms.
“Who are you?!”
As his gaze moved up the wrist toward the face, his breath was cut off.
“Ugh!”
He struggled, but the hand pressed further.
“Gah! My breath! Stop!”
Fortunately, the hand fell just before he suffocated.
Dazed, he forgot to check the woman’s face. Panting, he groaned and stood.
“Phew! I survived. Definitely an assassin. Am I some royal descendant?”
He touched his neck with both hands, letting his imagination run wild.
Then he sighed,
“Ah! What about the Taeul Bonwon Yeonseong Technique…”
He needed to absorb the energy into his dantian but was unsure. Still, compared to the first attempt, he felt less fear and slightly hopeful.
“Overcoming the fear of death comes first.”
To do that, he needed to know who the hand belonged to. As Sun Tzu said, “Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles [知彼知己, 百戰不殆].”
Knowing the enemy would open the path to overcoming deathly fear.
“Tch! Slow-witted Danyeop isn’t cooperating…”
He pouted, removed his golden robes, and packed them into his satchel.
Though it had only been a day, his body and mind were exhausted. He just wanted to rest.
Humans are fickle. Only recently, he had stayed awake for three days to avoid sleep during training. But after just one day of this hand incident, he already felt fatigue.
With his bag packed, Danyeop trudged back to his lodgings.
