Chapter 240: When Red Clouds Gather, a Rain of Blood Falls (3)

Ah-So regained consciousness under Yu Geon-Yeop’s care.

Despite his reticence, Yu Geon-Yeop attended to him meticulously. He cooled the boy’s fever with a wet towel and fed him porridge that he had cooked himself. Somewhere in that process, he grew close to the other children in the carriage.

Yu Geon-Yeop, Ah-So, and the others had all survived a horrific battle. They shared an understanding that children raised in comfort could never grasp. Although they exchanged few words, they understood each other completely. Before long, mere eye contact was enough to communicate their mutual bond.

While Yu Geon-Yeop forged friendships, Jin Mu-Won drove the carriage and contemplated martial arts.

He had never been interested in any weapon but the sword. He had naturally picked up the Flowing Stream Steps from the Wall of Ten Thousand Shadows and derived the Weapon-Shattering Finger from his own swordsmanship training, but he had never pursued either technique further.

He already possessed the pinnacle sword technique, the Shadow Blade of Destruction, and the peerless internal art, the Art of Ten Thousand Shadows. Mastering these two techniques left him little time for anything else.

Now that he had decided to teach Yu Geon-Yeop fist arts, however, he had to study the art of fist fighting.

Unfortunately, this was hardly an environment for leisurely immersion. He had to stay alert, never knowing when the Supreme Demon Squad might attack. Besides, Jongri Mu-Hwan and the Iron Sect martial artists were no less wary of any suspicious activity.

Just then, someone rode up alongside the carriage.

“You said you’re Master Dan of the Peacock Sect?” Go Cheon-Hu asked, reining in his horse to match the carriage’s pace.

“That’s right, Master Go.”

“From what I saw, your martial arts seem quite formidable.”

“Thank you.”

Go Cheon-Hu hadn’t been able to observe Jin Mu-Won closely while he was busy fighting Hong Ak-San. However, Jongri Mu-Hwan had praised the man so highly that his curiosity was piqued, and he had been keeping an eye on Jin Mu-Won ever since.

I can’t sense much inner qi in him. But if the Strategist is right, does that mean he’s so advanced that he can hide his qi from me? If so, then he’s reached an astonishing level for his age.

Nevertheless, Go Cheon-Hu didn’t dwell on Jin Mu-Won’s prowess. Whether he was strong for his age or not, the man was no match for him. His real interest lay elsewhere.

He asked subtly, “What is the name of the child in the carriage?”

“It’s Yu Geon-Yeop.”

“A fine name. So, is he your disciple?”

“Not yet.”

“Is that so?” Go Cheon-Hu’s face brightened.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’ll be direct. If you don’t intend to take him as a disciple, how about handing him over to me? I’d like to take the boy as my disciple.”

“But Master Go, don’t you already have a disciple?”

“A disciple? You mean San-Ha? Of course. He will inherit my legacy, but there’s no rule saying a man can only have one disciple, is there? Send Geon-Yeop to me. I’ll teach him well. Wouldn’t it be better for the boy’s future to learn from a proper master?”

“His future?”

“That’s right. In the jianghu, being strong doesn’t mean you can teach a disciple well. He needs a decent lineage so that no one looks down on him. He also needs a proper master so that he doesn’t fall behind in the pecking order.”

Go Cheon-Hu exuded confidence. His status could not be overlooked. He was a renowned master, and his disciple would be treated as an equal to a first-generation disciple of the Nine Great Sects anywhere in the murim. He was certain that Jin Mu-Won, a total nobody, would not refuse.

Except Jin Mu-Won did not respond as he expected.

“I’m sorry, Master Go, but I don’t think I can decide this.”

“Are you refusing my offer?”

“I’m not refusing. I’m saying it isn’t my decision to make.”

Go Cheon-Hu furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Geon-Yeop’s future is at stake. I think he should be the one to decide.”

“What? What kind of decision can a kid like that make? If you don’t want to send him, just say so.” Go Cheon-Hu raised his voice, clearly showing his displeasure.

Still, Jin Mu-Won shook his head firmly. “Master Go, you must have seen great potential in Geon-Yeop to make an offer like this.”

“That’s right. The boy has the finest bone structure I’ve ever seen,” Go Cheon-Hu said plainly, his voice filled with undisguised greed.

“If even you are praising him that highly, then surely he must have the sense to decide his own future?”

“Hmph!”

“So let’s let Geon-Yeop decide. If he chooses you, I’ll gladly hand him over to you.”

“Fine! Let’s do that!”

In the end, Go Cheon-Hu agreed.

Even a three-year-old would choose me without hesitation.

He was confident. He hadn’t earned the name Ghost Shadow Spear for no reason. He was positive that the moment he offered to teach the boy his spear techniques, the boy would follow him.

Jin Mu-Won called out, “Geon-Yeop, come out for a moment.”

Yu Geon-Yeop immediately emerged from the carriage and sat down beside him. He tilted his head, wondering why Jin Mu-Won had called for him.

Jin Mu-Won introduced Go Cheon-Hu. “This is Master Go. He wants to take you as his disciple.”

Yu Geon-Yeop’s gaze turned to Go Cheon-Hu.

Go Cheon-Hu put on his most benevolent expression, but frowned the moment Yu Geon-Yeop shook his head. “Why?” he asked. “Is it because you don’t know who I am? I am Go Cheon-Hu, the Ghost Shadow Spear. Hardly a soul in the murim doesn’t know my name. If you lined up everyone who wants to learn my spear techniques, the line would stretch for miles.”

“......”

“Learn martial arts from me, and no one in the murim will dare look down on you.”

“No, I want to learn martial arts from Master Dan.”

Go Cheon-Hu’s beard trembled. “Why?”

“I just want to learn from him.”

Humiliation spread across Go Cheon-Hu’s face. He had never expected a child to reject him so outright. “Are you saying this man is better than me? Better than the Ghost Shadow Spear Go Cheon-Hu?”

“I don’t know about that. I just want to learn from him.”

“Keuk!” Go Cheon-Hu was at a loss for words. What could he say when the boy just wanted to learn from Jin Mu-Won? He couldn’t possibly start a fight with a child.

“This kid’s got quite the mouth to dare refuse my master’s offer like that,” a youthful voice cut in.

Gi San-Ha approached and glared at Yu Geon-Yeop.

“Where else are you going to meet a great man like my master, huh?”

“......”

“Why are you staring at me? You need a good thrashing to come to your senses.”

Gi San-Ha revered his master, and seeing him disrespected infuriated him.

Yu Geon-Yeop gazed at Jin Mu-Won wordlessly. His lips stayed firmly shut, but his eyes spoke volumes. He couldn’t understand why he had to listen to all this. Choosing a master was his decision, not something that could be forced on him. He already said that he wanted to learn from Jin Mu-Won, not Go Cheon-Hu.

Jin Mu-Won patted his head, and Gi San-Ha’s gaze shifted to him.

“You too. You don’t know your place...”

“Once spoken, words cannot be taken back. For that reason, a man must choose his words carefully,”

Jin Mu-Won said solemnly.

Gi San-Ha and Go Cheon-Hu both stiffened for a moment.

Soon, Gi San-Ha scowled. “You dare lecture me?”

“The word ‘dare’ isn’t yours to use, boy.”

“You!”

Gi San-Ha pulled the spear from his back and aimed it at Jin Mu-Won.

Go Cheon-Hu did not stop his disciple. Rather, he welcomed a confrontation. Gi San-Ha was the perfect way to gauge the man’s true strength.

“Come at me! I’ll break that arrogant nose of yours!” Gi San-Ha shouted.

His loud outburst caught everyone’s attention. Some distance away, Jongri Mu-Hwan, who had been plotting with the Iron Sect, grimaced.

“Don’t...”

THWACK!

Gi San-Ha’s body flew backward, sailing fifteen meters before tumbling across the ground a dozen times.

“San-Ha!” Go Cheon-Hu cried out in shock.

He hadn’t seen Jin Mu-Won move. The moment Gi San-Ha leveled his spear, a flash of light exploded, and his disciple was already rolling across the dirt.

“How dare you harm my disciple!”

Go Cheon-Hu gritted his teeth and gripped his spear, looking ready to fight to the death. However, he couldn’t bring himself to make the first attack.

Jin Mu-Won was studying him calmly, his eyes devoid of excitement or agitation. Yet, that simple, serene gaze plunged Go Cheon-Hu’s entire body into an icy abyss, and his mind snapped to attention. Under normal circumstances, he would have charged in without a second thought, but an ominous feeling held him back from doing anything rash.

Jongri Mu-Hwan had called this man a master of unfathomable skill. He regretted not heeding the strategist’s advice.

This bastard!

Even though Jin Mu-Won seemed completely defenseless, a shiver ran down Go Cheon-Hu’s spine. His sixth sense was screaming a warning at him. Since ending his seclusion training and returning to the secular world, nothing like this had happened before.

Jin Mu-Won shifted his gaze to Gi San-Ha. With a voice as sharp as autumn frost, he scolded, “Boy, I was speaking with your master. Attacking me is an insult to your master’s honor. Where did you learn such a foul habit?”

Gi San-Ha didn’t answer, having lost consciousness when he hit the ground.

Of course, Jin Mu-Won knew that. His words were never meant for Gi San-Ha’s ears. It was an indirect rebuke aimed at Go Cheon-Hu for his subpar teaching and ungentlemanly behavior.

“You bastard!” Go Cheon-Hu ground his teeth, understanding Jin Mu-Won’s message perfectly.

Still, he hesitated to attack. Too many people were watching them. This was different from when he fought Chae Yak-Ran. At that time, he could justify his actions, and losing hadn’t stung so badly. Here, not only did he have no legitimate reason for picking a fight, a loss would also be the ultimate humiliation.

Above all, he wasn’t confident in his victory. At least against Chae Yak-Ran, he could estimate his chances. Against Jin Mu-Won, he couldn’t predict a thing.

Where did a master like this come from...?

He had everything to lose and nothing to gain. He could neither retreat nor fight. He was trapped in a genuine dilemma.

Jongri Mu-Hwan sighed and stepped forward. “It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. Neither of you will benefit from fighting, so please stop here.”

“I can’t do that! That man injured my disciple! Attacking my disciple is the same as attacking me. I’ll fight him to the death!” Go Cheon-Hu deliberately raised his voice, showing that he wasn’t willing to compromise.

Jongri Mu-Hwan read his intent and bowed. “It’s only natural for you to be angry, Master Go. However, the situation isn’t good right now, so please save your strength. You two can settle your grudge later. For now, our priority is protecting the Demon Slaying Army and the mercenaries.”

“Keuk!”

“Please, I ask this of you.”

“If that’s your wish, I have no choice. Fine. I’ll grant your request this time, but I’ll settle things with that man next time, for certain. Don’t try to stop me then.”

“Understood.”

Jongri Mu-Hwan bowed again. Go Cheon-Hu hoisted the unconscious Gi San-Ha onto his shoulder and left.

“Tsk, tsk! What a worthless fellow. I’m ashamed,” Jongri Mu-Hwan remarked, then turned to Jin Mu-Won. “Thank you for holding back, Master Dan.”

A smile played on his lips. Just as he had expected, Jin Mu-Won was a master beyond imagination. Right now, the man’s strength was a greater asset than Go Cheon-Hu, whom he had recruited for the Iron Sect.

If we can just get through this crisis, an opportunity to recruit Master Dan will come.

“!!”

Jin Mu-Won suddenly lifted his head toward the eastern sky. A ferocious wind was blowing, thick with killing intent.

Jongri Mu-Hwan followed his gaze. A moment later, his eyes widened in horror.

“Already...?”