Chapter 530

Henan was truly worthy of being called the heart of the Central Plains.

Since the dawn of civilization along the Yellow River, it had been the center of the world for thousands of years, and the capital of nine dynasties that had risen and fallen like wildfire over the ages.

Because of that, even now, with the Murim Alliance officially reestablished and ominous signs of war looming, Henan remained vibrant.

No—if anything, it was flowing in the opposite direction.

“Is it just me, or are there more people out and the mood’s pretty decent?”

Hyuk Mu-jin wasn’t wrong. The wide streets were packed with people, and worry was hard to find on most faces.

Here and there, some glanced nervously at martial artists roaming the streets with weapons strapped to their sides, but that was the extent of it.

I pulled my bamboo hat lower and muttered, “Yeah.”

“Strange, isn’t it? The mood was off not too long ago. Is this that calm before the storm or something?”

“…You lunatic. Why don’t you go ahead and pray for disaster while you’re at it.”

“Considering the situation, I’m not exactly wrong, am I?”

True. But there was something Hyuk Mu-jin was overlooking. As I debated whether to smack him upside the head, I shook my head.

“More like, those people have figured it out by now.”

“Figured what out?”

“That this place—Henan—is the safest spot in the world right now.”

“Ah.”

From the eyes of commoners, martial artists were like untamed beasts beyond control.

But most of the martial artists currently in Henan were gathered under the banners of justice, honor, and the name of the Murim Alliance.

And we weren’t talking about dozens or hundreds—it was thousands.

Naturally, the common folk would have been uneasy hearing about a war between martial artists, but things were quickly settling down.

‘If this were the modern world, it wouldn’t be this peaceful.’

Imagine a war breaking out between the U.S. and Russia.

The moment conflict began, citizens in Moscow and Washington D.C. would either flee in a panic or stare up at the sky, bracing for intercontinental ballistic missiles or nukes to come raining down.

‘Not that there’s any guarantee Henan is completely safe, either.’

What if Dark Heaven swept across half the world and made it here?

It’s not impossible. Even if the Murim Alliance was formed and countless martial artists stood under one banner, nobody could predict the outcome of war.

But what was more concerning was that there was another method.

‘Teleportation magic circle… no, I should call it a Warp Magic Circle.’

An unbelievable and inconvenient truth not yet known to the public.

Truths like that could be a wake-up call—but they also brought chaos and shock. That’s probably why it hadn’t been made public yet.

‘When that time comes, people won’t be smiling like they are now.’

Clicking my tongue bitterly, I glanced around.

A child watching martial artists in awe, merchants delighted by the sudden boom, and martial artists pacing the streets with faces tinged by tension and excitement.

None of them knew the full truth about Dark Heaven.

Those who did were already locked in seemingly endless meetings with their new alliance leader.

“Captain?”

“What’s got you spacing out like that? People are starting to stare.”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Seems I spaced out for a moment. Snapping out of the brief thought, I resumed walking.

Standing still in the middle of a busy main street was bound to draw attention.

Sure enough, a few sharp-eyed individuals were already glancing this way.

‘Not your average martial artists. Experts.’

That didn’t mean they were Dark Heaven’s spies though—that would be overthinking it.

Wearing standard martial attire and carrying weapons openly, they all gave off a righteous energy.

“Hey, Captain.”

Hyuk Mu-jin’s low voice reached my ears from behind. I continued walking as if nothing was wrong.

“It’s fine. Just keep going.”

“You noticed them?”

“Of course.”

“Still… I’m a little uneasy.”

I could understand his concern.

After the Songshan Mountain Murin Alliance declaration, I had become quite the celebrity.

Even before that, the epithets Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi and Blazing Fire Dragon had already made their mark on the martial world, but raising the Murim Alliance banner before thousands had permanently etched my name into memory.

Maybe not on the same level as the heads of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans, but I was more recognizable than most elders from prestigious sects.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Just ignore it and walk past.”

“I’m just saying, this really feels like a big deal…”

As Hyuk Mu-jin continued worrying, Gong Gi-bang clicked his tongue.

“What, your guts that small? So what if someone recognizes your face? It’s just a hassle, that’s all. That’s why he’s wearing the bamboo hat.”

With a teasing tone, Gong Gi-bang glanced at me and asked, “What’s up with this guy?”

“Leave him. It’s kind of cute, isn’t it? He noticed early and got worried.”

“…Well. That’s true.”

I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

He doesn’t show it much, but Hyuk Mu-jin’s like a precious younger brother to me.

Ever since I came to Murim, he’s the one who’s been through the most with me. Through countless hardships, he’s always been there, so naturally, I cared deeply for him—

“I’m gonna lose it. What are you even talking about?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

As I looked back in confusion, Hyuk Mu-jin continued, his face pale.

“I’ve been holding in my crap since earlier and you two keep saying all this heavy stuff. Ugh, seriously.”

“…?”

“…?”

Precious, my ass.

Turns out when he said something big was about to happen, he really meant it.

Left speechless, Gong Gi-bang and I watched as Hyuk Mu-jin, sweating cold bullets, charged ahead.

“Where’s the meeting spot? Hurry! Or it’s gonna come out!”

What the hell was that resolve? I’ve never seen that desperation even in battle.

Reflexively, Gong Gi-bang raised a finger and pointed at a building.

“T-That one over there.”

“That? The three-story inn?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah.”

“Ugh, I’m going first. Poop—aaaahh!”

Was that final shout a declaration of will to hold it in? Or a last-ditch booster burning up his sphincter?

Watching him stagger and yet cut through the crowd at incredible speed, Gong Gi-bang muttered,

“[Drunken Eight Spiral Steps]…”

“…Please. Shut up. He’s just about to crap himself.”

God. Buddha. Why is it that I’m only ever surrounded by lunatics?

With a deep sigh from my soul, I looked toward the three-story inn Hyuk Mu-jin was now charging toward.

It wasn’t far. And yet, a part of my chest that had calmed on the way here now felt uneasy again.

“…A month? No, two months?”

My absentminded mutter made Gong Gi-bang’s eyes narrow sleepily.

“Oh-ho.”

“What, punk.”

“Don’t tell me… it’s what I think it is?”

“You’re capable of thought?”

“So it is?”

“You want a beating?”

“Well, the atmosphere was kind of weird back then.”

“You want me to reserve you a grave?”

“The way you’re sneakily dodging answers makes it seem true.”

“You wanna get hit so fast you can’t dodge even sneakily?”

“Puhaha, if only that Hyuk guy could see this.”

“…No. I mean—ugh. Never mind.”

Usually, he’d have deflected by now to avoid getting hit. But today, he was different.

Even as my fist clenched at Gong Gi-bang’s snickering face, I strangely didn’t feel like hitting him.

“…Heh… hah… hhh…”

Smack!

Never mind. Watching him laugh made the urge to hit him explode.

Without a word, I grabbed the now-wheezing Gong Gi-bang by the scruff of his neck, still clutching his solar plexus.

“So. That’s the place, right? The three-story inn.”

“Urk. Y-Yeah.”

“I’m going there to eat. Because I’m hungry. That’s all.”

“R-Right.”

“That Kunlun Cloud Dragon or whatever is there too, right? Just going to say hi after a long time. And maybe make nice with that Hwangbo-something guy.”

“…Understood.”

“Behave yourself. Unless you want the Ten Phoenix and Dragons to become Nine.”

That should be enough of a reality check. Gong Gi-bang, now released, rubbed the spot where he’d been struck and mumbled,

“Brutal bastard…”

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing.”

Brushing it off unconvincingly, Gong Gi-bang quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. When everyone hears you’re here, they’ll welcome you with open arms.”

“Doesn’t matter to me whether they do or not.”

I didn’t care about the Kunlun Cloud Dragon, or the heir of the Hwangbo Clan.

But… there was one person. Just one, whose genuine welcome I hoped for.

Unfortunately, Gong Gi-bang misunderstood my answer and added hurriedly,

“No, wait! That Hwangbo Ak guy’s kind of a pompous jerk, but when he hears you came all the way here, he’ll probably run out barefoot—”

But Gong Gi-bang never got to finish his sentence.

BOOM!

A deafening blast swallowed up Gong Gi-bang’s voice and the surrounding street’s noise in an instant.

The silence that followed lasted no more than a fleeting moment—barely a blink.

“Aaaahhh!”

“Kyaaaa!”

“Old Moon Pavilion! Old Moon Pavilion is—?!”

Screams erupted, and the crowd scattered like startled grasshoppers.

But I stood frozen, eyes locked ahead.

‘Old Moon Pavilion.’

I saw it clearly. The building where today’s meeting was to be held—part of that very three-story inn—had exploded, with debris and clouds of dust raining down. Through them, a figure flew out.

Shhhhrrreeeek! BOOM!

Not far from us, a street vendor’s stall was obliterated, and the ground cracked deeply.

Then, a man barely steadied himself and got up from the rubble.

Torn martial robes. Missing leather shoes. A handsome face twisted in rage and humiliation.

“How dare you—how dare you, you bastard…!”

It was then.

Seeing the man’s furious growl through clenched teeth, Gong Gi-bang’s jaw dropped open.

“H-Hwangbo Ak!”

“You—what the hell are you doing here?!”

…So that’s Hwangbo Ak?

Hearing his name called out so suddenly, the man flinched, and I gave him a once-over.

“Looks like he really did run out barefoot.”

Was this some kind of surprise event just for me? Maybe the Ten Phoenix and Dragons’ version of a spontaneous welcome party?

But judging from the sudden twist in Hwangbo Ak’s face, that wasn’t it.

“…What did you just say?”

“Ah. Sorry. Didn’t mean it like that.”

“You son of a…!”

“You seem busy. Let’s talk later. Oh, it’s coming.”

“…What?”

The confusion didn’t last long. The moment his expression turned to urgency and horror—

Whoooom—CRASH!

Something massive shot down from the sky and struck Hwangbo Ak squarely.

Even the sound of it tearing through the air made it clear—this was power and speed on another level. Even at full awareness, it would’ve been hard to react, and he had let his guard down.

“Gahk!”

Blood spewed from Hwangbo Ak’s mouth as he was flung away—while an enormous shadow chased after him.

What to do?

The decision didn’t take long.

‘Not a single peaceful day, huh.’

Letting out a low sigh, I stepped forward.

The giant figure towering over me cast a massive shadow, its eyes bulging like toadstools as it looked down at me.

“You. Move.”

I calmly replied,

“No. I don’t want to.”