Chapter 58

The handsome young man looked to be about the same age as Jang Man-un. One man followed behind him into the room, while the other two remained outside, standing guard. The door shut, and Jang Man-un personally guided him to the seat of honor. It was insulting. Was that why his son hadn’t reserved the seat for him? To give it to some fresh-faced kid? By this point, the curiosity was unbearable. Just who was this person, that his youngest son was so shaken? The man sat down and smiled. “Hello. I’m Yeon Woo Jin. I’m a lowerclassman at Baekyeong Martial Academy—same as this guy here.” A lowerclassman at Baekyeong? But if they were classmates, why was Man-un acting like this? “I see. Welcome. I’m Jang Cheon-gong, Gate Master of Baekcheon Gate.” “And I’m Jang Man-ho, Second-in-Command of Baekcheon and this one’s older brother.” As they introduced themselves, Jang Man-un flinched and blurted out, “F-Father! Brother!” “What is it?” “H-He just revealed his honored name himself!” “His honored name?” What kind of person could rattle his son this much—make him stammer and grovel? What kind of household could he possibly come from? Wearing a puzzled expression, Jang Cheon-gong looked past Yeon Woo Jin to the man standing silently behind him. His eyes widened. He shot to his feet. “Gasp! C-Could it be? The Hellshade Emperor?!” “You know me?” It was just a guess... but it turned out to be true. No way. The Hellshade Emperor? Why in the world would he be here? No—more importantly, since when did the Hellshade Emperor act as someone’s escort? That level of existence couldn’t possibly serve under anyone. Unless... Unless they were from the Martial God Sect. Suddenly, Man-un’s words echoed in his mind. Honored name. Yeon Woo Jin. A Yeon. Same family name as the Martial God Sect Master. He jolted upright. That meant... The man before him was of the same bloodline as the Martial God Sect Master. It made perfect sense. The Hellshade Emperor was the Martial God Sect Master’s right hand. If he was assigned as a bodyguard, then the person he protected had to be someone of extreme importance. But hadn’t it been said that the Sect Master had no heir? Wasn’t that why the candidates were battling over the position of the next successor? It was confusing. Was the young man frail? Was that why he stayed hidden? That was the only explanation. And yet the Sect Master clearly cherished him. Cherished him enough to assign the Hellshade Emperor as his escort. “To stand so stiffly before the Young Master after learning who he is... you must have a death wish.” A red aura began rippling violently around Marang’s body. At the sight of it, Jang Cheon-gong leapt from his seat in a panic and bowed deeply. “I—I didn’t realize who you were and committed a terrible offense! Please, forgive my rudeness!” Yeon Woo Jin frowned slightly and addressed Marang. “Uncle Marang, why are you threatening them like that? You’re making me sound like the bad guy.” “My apologies. I lost my temper when it seemed like they were looking down on you, Young Master.” The Hellshade Emperor—one of the most feared beings in all the martial world—was bowing politely and apologizing. This wasn’t some forced act of respect out of obligation to the Martial God Sect. It was genuine. Which meant the Hellshade Emperor truly followed Yeon Woo Jin. “First, how about you take a seat?” “Y-Yes! Of course!” “You too.” He pointed at Jang Man-ho, who quickly scrambled to his feet. “R-Right. Understood.” He returned to his seat and sat upright with rigid posture. “I hear you gave the order to have all my students dealt with?” At Yeon Woo Jin’s words, sweat began to bead across Jang Cheon-gong’s brow. Now he understood why Man-un had warned that they’d touched someone they should never have touched. This wasn’t someone associated with danger. He was the danger. “T-That is...” “Luckily, I was nearby. Otherwise, I might’ve lost the students I worked so hard to raise.” “I-I sincerely apologize.” Students raised with care. One thing was certain now. Baekyeong Martial Academy was about to stir a storm within the Martial God Sect. Perhaps Baekyeong would become the new heart of the Sect. “Uncle Marang, and the others too, were ready to annihilate Baekcheon Gate. I had to talk them down myself.” “T-Thank you.” “Still... people usually forget pretty quickly after a little talk like this.” “I-I will never forget this!” “Everyone says that.” Jang Cheon-gong trembled. Was he going to order the Hellshade Emperor to do something to him? And then— A chill swept through him. Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes darkened, turning pitch black. In the Martial God Sect, there’s a saying: The moment you see black pupils, throw yourself to the ground and pray for mercy. It meant the Sect Master was angry. And now those same black eyes were staring from Yeon Woo Jin. His lineage was no longer in doubt. But the problem wasn’t just his eyes—it was the pressure engulfing the entire room. A force so suffocating that even a martial artist at the Profound Realm like Jang Cheon-gong couldn’t move. And this wasn’t the Hellshade Emperor’s power. It came from Yeon Woo Jin. “Grk...” A low groan echoed. Jang Cheon-gong turned to look. Jang Man-ho was foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness. Damn! If even he could barely endure this, Man-ho stood no chance. Jang Cheon-gong quickly bowed and pleaded. “I—I will never forget this warning! P-Please withdraw your power!” But the words that came from Yeon Woo Jin were entirely different. “As expected. You can withstand this much.” What was he saying? Sure, he was a third-star Profound Realm expert. He couldn’t move, but this much pressure was still within tolerable range. Or so he thought. “Urgh!” The force intensified. Crack. It wasn’t even on the same level as before. It felt like facing the Martial God Sect Master himself. A monstrous pressure. Yeon Woo Jin wasn’t being protected because he was weak. He was already a fully grown dragon. Crash. Thud. The chair splintered beneath Jang Cheon-gong, and he collapsed to the floor. “When dealing with arrogant people, I’ve found that overwhelming strength works best.” Overwhelming strength. He meant it. Cough! Jang Cheon-gong coughed up blood. Internal injury. Just from the pressure. How many people in the world could injure a Profound Realm expert with aura alone? “F-Forgive me...” He barely managed to croak out the plea. And just like that, the suffocating power vanished. “Cough! Cough!” With the pressure gone, Jang Cheon-gong gasped and spat out the remaining blood. Jang Man-ho had long since passed out. After casting a quick glance at his unconscious son, Jang Cheon-gong crawled forward and prostrated himself before Yeon Woo Jin. His body trembled uncontrollably. Tyrant. That was the aura Yeon Woo Jin gave off now. Even if a new master took over the Martial God Sect in name... That master would always be in Yeon Woo Jin’s shadow. In truth, the Sect would belong to the Yeon family. One question remained: Why hadn’t he joined the successor competition? Then again... maybe he didn’t need to. With strength like his, who would dare object if he simply took the title? He wanted to ask. But now was not the time. Yeon Woo Jin rose from his seat. “I think they’ve been warned enough. Going forward, I hope you don’t overprotect your son too much.” “I—I’ll keep that in mind! I swear I will!” “And don’t meddle in Academy affairs, either.” “Understood!” “Oh, and my identity is absolutely confidential. You must not speak of it to anyone. Clear?” “Crystal clear!” “Well... not like you’d be able to talk about it anyway.” The implication was ominous. But they didn’t have the mental space to dwell on it. “I sincerely hope we don’t meet again under circumstances like this.” “I—I promise we won’t!” “Good to hear.” Yeon Woo Jin turned to Jang Man-un. “I’ll see you at the Academy tomorrow.” “Yes, sir!” “At the Academy, we’re just fellow students—so drop the formal speech, alright?” “R-Right! Got it!” But Man-un, frozen stiff, had no idea what he was even saying anymore. Telling someone like him to speak casually was meaningless at this point. As Yeon Woo Jin turned to leave, he paused. “Oh—wasn’t there something about a child from a concubine in this household?” “Y-Yes, there is.” “Be kind to them, would you? A child is a child. Do you know how painful it is to be treated differently just because of your birth? He seemed like a good kid.” “A-As you wish!” “Well then, I’ll be off. Until next time.” As Yeon Woo Jin stepped outside, Jang Cheon-gong sprang to his feet and rushed to open the door and see him off. But the moment he saw the face of the person waiting beyond it—he froze again. “S-Swift Execution Sword Emperor...?!” He barely had time to recover from one shock before the next one hit. Ignoring him, Cheon Ho-seong grinned at Yeon Woo Jin. “All finished?” “Yeah.” First the Hellshade Emperor... now the Swift Execution Sword Emperor? His thoughts were a whirlwind, but somehow he managed to hold on to his senses. Bowing deeply, he attempted to escort Yeon Woo Jin down the path. But Yeon Woo Jin waved it off. “If you come with us, people might notice. Let’s end your hospitality here.” “Y-Yes, of course.” Two of the Eight Heavenly Masters of the Martial God Sect followed silently behind Yeon Woo Jin. And the third figure, though unfamiliar, radiated a presence equal to the others. A person guarded by three figures on the level of the Martial God Eight Heavens. Only after Yeon Woo Jin’s presence had completely disappeared from view did Jang Cheon-gong finally let out a massive exhale. “Hoooh...” Had there ever been a time in his life when his chest felt so tight? Had he ever known such fear? Never. Until now, his focus had been entirely on the Five Great Vassal Clans—those with the highest odds of producing the next Sect Successor. He’d debated endlessly about which family to align with. But not anymore. There was no longer any need to wonder. The one to follow had revealed himself. When he turned, he saw the Secret Shadow Unit still kneeling in silence. What fault was theirs, really? “Rise. This wasn’t your fault. What can people like us do in the face of a force of nature?” “Thank you, sir!” “What you saw today—never speak of it. Take it to your graves.” “Yes, sir!” “You’ve done well. Rest now.” “Yes, sir!” After the Secret Shadow Unit retreated, Jang Man-un cautiously approached. “Father, are you alright?” Cheon-gong gave a faint, bitter smile. “Do I look alright to you, boy?” He placed a hand on his son’s bowed head and ruffled his hair. “But I’m glad. You saved our clan today.” “I didn’t do anything, really...” “No, you did. You handled yourself well. The Young Master took a liking to you, and that’s why our house was spared. If not... today would’ve been the last day for both of us.” “You think the world will change now, Father?” “It will. For someone that powerful at such a young age... I can’t even imagine how strong he’ll become as he matures. No—maybe he already has no equal.” Jang Cheon-gong looked at Man-un with a grave expression. “You need to do your best from now on. Serve him well. Become one of his closest confidants. Do you understand?” “Do you really think I can?” “From what I saw today, he’s fond of you. You’ve got a good shot.” “I’ll try.” “Thank you. Somehow... you’ve ended up carrying the heaviest burden.” “I think it was always going to be my fate—from the moment I transferred to Baekyeong.” “Then I’m grateful for how you’re accepting it.” “...I should start treating second brother better, too.” “Yes, of course. Especially after what the Young Master said.” “He seemed to like second brother as well.” “Did he? Then we should treat him with the respect he deserves. He played a part in saving the clan, after all.” “But he doesn’t know who the Young Master is. I overheard... it sounds like his memory was erased.” “Erased?” “He said he wiped his memory so he wouldn’t remember him.” “That can’t be possible. He was probably just saying that.” “We’ll know for sure eventually.” Cheon-gong exhaled—but his face still looked uneasy. “...But what if I slip up? What if I accidentally say something about him somewhere...? Gah!” Suddenly, Jang Cheon-gong clutched his chest, face contorted in agony. Within seconds, he collapsed to the floor, drenched in sweat. “Father!” Man-un rushed to his side, terrified by the sudden change. He looked down and saw his father’s body trembling—shaking from an overwhelming fear. —A moment later. “Huff, huff, huff...” “Father! Are you alright?!” “I... I’ll be fine.” “We need a physician—” “No! This isn’t an illness... It was him...” “‘Him’?” “He must’ve placed some kind of restriction... something that stops me from speaking of him. When I tried to say it out loud... I heard his voice in my head—and a wave of terror crushed me.” “A restriction?” “Yes. I’m sure of it. I can’t describe it, but... don’t even think about saying anything about who he is. Do you understand me?” “Y-Yes, Father...” Man-un didn’t quite understand—but he nodded all the same.