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chapter 25
Around midnight (12:00 a.m.), masked martial artists quietly gathered at the entrance of a valley.
Their number was an astounding thirty-one.
Through the masks, their eyes burned with lethal intent.
The leader gestured for the group to come closer.
“From now on, anyone you see besides us is to be killed. After exactly half an hour, blow the whistle, stop what you’re doing, and regroup here immediately. Hesitation could get you killed, so strike fast and retreat. Understand?”
The masked figures nodded as if accustomed to such orders.
The leader added a word of caution.
“Do not act individually. Especially if you see a pretty woman and leave the formation—you’ll die by my hand. Speed and decisiveness are life; don’t get distracted. Got it?”
The masked figures nodded vigorously.
The leader glanced at the moon briefly before sprinting forward, followed by thirty masked warriors.
Shshshsh—
Soon, the masked figures disappeared into the cave.
The entrance to Byungma Hall was guarded by three Hao-moon disciples.
The narrow cave allowed only one person through at a time.
Although the situation favored Hao-moon completely, luck was on the side of the masked intruders.
The three Hao-moon guards had dozed off, failing to notice the masked figures entering.
One by one, the intruders moved inside.
After a brief exchange of glances, three of them silently advanced.
At the critical moment, one stepped heavily on a wooden beam.
“Ah!”
The shout startled the sleeping Hao-moon disciples, who immediately sprang to attention.
“Enemy!”
With that cry, combat erupted between the Hao-moon disciples and the masked intruders.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed.
The three Hao-moon disciples couldn’t hold out and fell to the ground.
Flickering lights ignited around the previously dark Byungma Hall, and the masked intruders darted toward them like moths to a flame.
“Ah!”
“Ugh!”
“Enemy!”
“It’s an ambush!”
“Get up!”
The quiet hall was thrown into chaos.
Dan-yeop, who had been deeply asleep, snapped awake at the commotion outside.
“What… what’s happening?”
He hurriedly got dressed and stepped out, finding complete pandemonium.
The trainees ran frantically, shouting:
“Run!”
“Assassins!”
“Alert the masters!”
In the distance, screams and the sound of clashing blades rang out.
Panicked, Dan-yeop rushed to the Amun Martial Hall, as the only person who could protect him right now was Master Danbulwi.
Upon arriving, Master Danbulwi greeted him with a shout:
“Dan-yeop! Come quickly!”
Dan-yeop rushed in, gasping for breath.
“Haah! Haah! What’s going on all of a sudden?”
A disciple from the Guard Unit answered from behind.
“Assassins were sent by Hadongdo! They intend to kill all the Byungma Hall trainees!”
“So… what happens now?”
“We’ll have to hold out! Right now, everyone is gathering at the Yukmoon Martial Hall.”
Dan-yeop began to understand the situation.
Everyone except him was from Yukmoon, so they fled to that hall.
Looking around, he noticed only about a dozen trainees had gathered in Amun Martial Hall.
No wonder Master Danbulwi, standing guard at the entrance, looked grim.
Dan-yeop asked quietly:
“How many Amun trainees are there usually?”
“Over fifty.”
“….”
A chill ran down Dan-yeop’s spine.
At that moment, a group of masked intruders surged into Amun Martial Hall.
Master Danbulwi shouted to his disciples:
“Stay calm! Hold your positions! Support will come if you wait!”
A fight erupted between the masked intruders and Amun disciples.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Chaaang!
Sparks flew in the darkness as metal clashed.
Older fourth-generation trainees drew their swords and lined up behind Master Danbulwi.
Dan-yeop reluctantly joined them.
Fortunately, Master Danbulwi held the intruders off at the front.
When resistance proved unexpectedly strong, some masked intruders moved elsewhere, seeking easier targets rather than crowding the narrow entrance.
This reduced the number of enemies in Amun Martial Hall slightly.
But relief was premature.
One disciple guarding the entrance was hit and staggered back.
A fourth-generation trainee hastily filled the gap but was soon struck down.
Next, a Guard Unit disciple stepped in, only to fall quickly.
Finally, it was Dan-yeop’s turn.
As he stepped forward, trembling, a group suddenly charged at him.
“Die!”
“Hey, you sons of bitches!”
The clan leaders and their deputies surged forward in force.
The tide turned instantly.
To gain a leader position, one must have a reputation in Hao-moon.
The three clan leaders moved like tigers through the masked intruders, causing them to falter and retreat.
At that moment, the sound of a whistle pierced the air: Beee—!
The masked intruders panicked and fled.
Hao-moon disciples chased them, shouting in triumph.
Dan-yeop, legs weak, sank to the ground.
His mind went blank.
Among the corpses of the trainees, a few masked intruder bodies lay scattered.
The blood-soaked floor and coppery scent made him nauseous.
As he sat dazed, a groan reached his ears.
Snapping back to focus, he saw a Guard Unit disciple lying on his side, groaning.
Dan-yeop ran to check his injuries.
A long cut ran along his side.
He tore his clothes and bandaged the wound tightly.
The disciple murmured weakly:
“Thank you… Senior…”
Dan-yeop wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Other young trainees began tending to the wounded, following his example.
About half an hour later, Master Danbulwi, who had been chasing the intruders with the clan leaders, returned.
His first concern was Dan-yeop.
“Are you injured?”
“No…”
“That’s a relief. You’ll stay in Amun Martial Hall tonight, just in case. Other trainees will stay in Yukmoon Martial Hall.”
“And the masked intruders?”
“All fled.”
“Ah…”
“But many didn’t escape Byungma Hall and were killed.”
The Hao-moon hadn’t fought especially well; the narrow entrance caused the intruders to panic and suffer heavy losses.
The leader’s lack of a proper retreat plan and reliance on a single whistle was a common mistake for a martial clan untrained in strategy.
The Next Day
The casualties at Byungma Hall were revealed.
Of the 220 trainees, 150 were dead—nearly 70%.
Hao-moon disciples managing Byungma Hall suffered similar losses: two masters, eight warriors, and twelve disciples.
The 14-year operation of Byungma Hall ground to a halt.
Around noon, the leaders of Yukmoon rushed to the scene for an emergency meeting.
Hasoran, the head of the Kimon sect, spoke gravely:
“The attackers last night were the Black Ship faction from Hadongdo. It seems they accepted a contract from the Hadongdo Amun.”
Chamong leader Ma Youngdal shouted:
“What were the Gwan-nae-do sects doing while the Hadongdo dissidents invaded? Was Hyunmu-gwan blind?”
Amun leader Hong Sogwang muttered reluctantly:
“They wouldn’t have entered without Hyunmu-gwan’s permission. Otherwise, they’d face annihilation…”
“Are you saying they had permission?”
“Even if they did, would they tell us? They’d be in trouble if they did.”
Ma Youngdal pressed:
“We can’t make assumptions. This is a matter of life or death for Hao-moon in Gwan-nae-do.”
Hong Sogwang fell silent, lacking concrete evidence.
Baek Chogong, leader of the Jeommun sect, spoke:
“Hong is right. Black Ship wouldn’t invade Gwan-nae-do without the consent of the righteous sects. Why risk a faction’s destruction over a few coins from Hadongdo Amun? That’s absurd.”
The other leaders’ expressions darkened.
Indeed, the Black Ship’s presence in Gwan-nae-do implied at least passive approval from the righteous sects.
Gowonbang leader asked the other masters:
“Assuming the righteous sects allowed Black Ship’s entry, why do you think they did?”
Baek Chogong answered:
“To weaken Hao-moon. They don’t like the ten Hao-moon clans uniting.”
Ijangwon, leader of Kakmun, interjected:
“Then what do we do? Byungma Hall lost 70% of its trainees. Its foundation is effectively cut. Should we continue the centennial plan or abandon it?”
“It’s not easy either way. We lack the strength to push forward, and if we abandon it, the other Hao-moon clans won’t stand by. Hadongdo alone would devour us…”
Sighs echoed among the six leaders.
Hong Sogwang remarked:
“No one is talking about revenge for our lost disciples.”
Silence fell.
Hasoran finally spoke:
“Byungma Hall will be closed today. Its location is known to Hadongdo, so troops will come soon. And…”
He paused, then continued:
“The centennial plan will continue. We can’t abandon it just because the sects oppose it. If anything, it makes our resolve stronger. Don’t you agree?”
Hong Sogwang asked:
“Do you have a plan?”
“First, we’ll negotiate with Hadongdo Hao-moon to calm the situation. Then we quietly grow our power and ally with Hao-moon who share our goals. Other Hao-moon clans will have taken note of this incident too.”
Attacking Gwan-nae-do Hao-moon was a major move, indicating the righteous sects’ involvement. Hasoran planned to use this to open dialogue with other clans.
“If anyone with sense sees this, they will follow our will. Just as the other Hao-moon resisted Gwan-nae-do, we can unite with them.”
Hong Sogwang agreed first:
“Very well. I want revenge for the disciples lost at Byungma Hall.”
The five other leaders did not ask who the target would be.
After the meeting, the six leaders departed.
Byungma Hall head Ma Sang gathered the four surviving masters.
“The six leaders decided to close Byungma Hall. Its underground tomb is now known, so government forces will arrive soon. Take your trainees back to your sects immediately.”
He then turned to Master Danbulwi.
“1st generation trainee Dan-yeop is to be assigned to Yukmoon. What do you think?”
Danbulwi replied immediately:
“He wishes to go to Jeommun.”
“Then so be it.”
On the day Byungma Hall closed, Dan-yeop’s dream came true.
