Chapter 4 – I Am Still
This place is not for judging petty quarrels between two immature brats.
For such a matter, Lord of Sadocheon (邪道天主, Muk Woomyung) [ruler of the Demonic Heaven Sect], his own father, would never personally arrive with his retainers in tow.
'Father came here only to judge whether I am a young dragon who will ascend to the heavens at Mangdam Hall, or a worm-dragon that will crawl back into the dirt.'
If that is so, then the attitude he must show is not one of protesting innocence or crying over a false charge.
'What I must show here…'
It is the dignity to stand unshaken among hundreds of Sadocheon elders, to carry his conviction without trembling.Even if stranded alone in the midst of enemy territory, an iron will that would not bend a single inch.
Muk Yeojin, youngest son of Muk Woomyung, straightened his chest boldly and answered:
"Whether a surprise attack or not—had that been the battlefield, elder brother would already have lost his life by my hand. In that sense, my brother has gained a valuable lesson on how to protect his life at least once more in the future. Shouldn't he be bowing his head and thanking me instead?"
"Impudent!!"
The one who could not hold back her rage was Hyerangyeong [Muk Byeongho's mother, one of Muk Woomyung's wives].
Along with her first child—Muk Iyeon, Muk Byeongho's elder sister and commander of the Jeokrangdae (Red Wolf Regiment) [Sadocheon's elite unit]—the eyes of her unit flared faintly with killing intent.
At that moment—
"Commander of the Jeokrangdae, step forward."
The cold voice of the Sadocheon Lord resounded. The Red Wolf soldiers who had been sharpening their glare flinched, even Hyerangyeong herself trembled.
Commander Muk Iyeon stepped forward with a calm face.
"To dare harbor killing intent in front of me—your unit's discipline is… most impressive."
"..."Muk Iyeon lowered her head in silence.
"As of this moment, the Jeokrangdae shall immediately cease all duties and enter one year of closed seclusion. And the Commander is stripped of her post. Do you object, Commander of Jeokrangdae?"
"…No, Lord."
"Withdraw."
Muk Iyeon rose with the same calm expression.
But Hyerangyeong, who had always used her daughter as her back and wielded the Jeokrangdae like her own limbs, could not hide the distortion of her face at having her arms and legs cut off in an instant.
"Lord! How could you do this to me!"
Muk Woomyung looked at her silently. His lips twitched ever so slightly, as if they might curl upward.
It was a warning. A warning not to cross the line further.
Seeing that, Hyerangyeong's face paled as if all blood drained away. Biting her lips until they bled, she turned her head and glared daggers at Muk Yeojin.
The Sadocheon Lord turned his gaze back to Yeojin and asked:
"How does it feel, youngest, to gain a clear enemy in an instant?"
"In the face of greater duty, there are neither eternal enemies nor eternal allies. I care little for it."
Muk Woomyung's eyes flashed.
"Hooh? So you mean, depending on circumstances, you would even join hands with the Baekdo (White Path) [Orthodox sects of the martial world, opposed to the Demonic Path] beyond the Yangtze?"
"If necessary, I will gladly do so."
At Yeojin's answer, the atmosphere in the training hall grew even colder.
Among the Sadocheon elders present, while a handful had ties to neutral forces, the vast majority were black-path men, hardened disciples of the Demonic Path.There were not a few who ground their teeth at the thought of the Orthodox Baekdo.
Though they dared not show it before the Lord, it was certain they would not look kindly upon Muk Yeojin.
Muk Woomyung tapped his left forefinger against the armrest of his throne.It was a gesture he made whenever his interest was piqued.
"You seem quite skilled… at making enemies."
"I shall take that as a compliment."
"..."
Momentarily at a loss for words at such brazenness, Muk Woomyung spoke again:
"A few years ago, I recall something you once said."
'Something I said?'
Yeojin racked his mind.
'What did I say to Father back then?'
In truth, for Yeojin who had lived over ten years more than this lifetime, it was odd to recall instantly.
But as he anxiously searched his memory, he caught sight of a strange anticipation in his father's eyes.
"...!"
And then he remembered. At that time, too, his father had looked at him with that gaze—only for his anticipation to vanish like a mirage the moment he heard Yeojin's answer.
"Back then, I asked you what kind of world you desired. And you answered: a peaceful world."
Yes, he had.
—It would be nice if everyone could get along. In a peaceful world, Mother and Father could live happily together.
So the young Yeojin had once said.
To a child, an innocent answer.But to the master of Sadocheon, Muk Woomyung, it marked his son as useless.
"Somehow, I feel like asking you again. Youngest, what kind of world do you desire?"
Yeojin hesitated. He had already seen every face of the world—its filth, its cruelty, its despair.He knew well that a peaceful world where everyone got along was a hollow ideal.
He could have spoken a simple answer to please his father.
'But that would not be enough.'
Yeojin wanted to brand his existence into the hearts of the Sadocheon pillars gathered here.
After brief thought, he chose an answer that would overturn everyone's expectations.
"I still desire… a peaceful world."
At those words, the disappointment in Muk Woomyung's eyes was plain. The anticipation faded again, like color draining from old cloth.
He curled his lips into a faint smile.
"How naive. Do you truly think such a world is possible?"
"Yes. I believe it is."
This time, a smile spread fully across Muk Woomyung's face.It was the smile of one who had relegated Yeojin's worth to that of an insect.
"Then tell me—how would you achieve it? To make peaceful a world with Sadocheon, the Martial Alliance, the Demonic Path, the Outer Martial World, and the officials all running rampant?"
His tone was heavy with derision.
The crowd seemed to sneer with him, mocking Yeojin's answer.
But Yeojin did not waver. He had expected this.
He took a calm breath and spoke the answer he had prepared.
"There must exist an Absolute Sovereign (절대 군림자)."
The hall froze. Muk Woomyung's smile hardened.
"…An Absolute Sovereign, you say?"
"Yes. If there is one being so powerful that all tremble and kneel in terror, unable even to meet his eyes, then Zhongyuan [the Central Plains, martial world of China/Korea] will know peace."
For words to come from the mouth of a twelve-year-old boy—they were utterly domineering.
"Hmph."
Muk Woomyung's interest deepened.
"So if Sadocheon were to unify the martial world, peace would come. That is what you mean?"
Yeojin shook his head.
"Wolf pups who do nothing but bare fangs at one another while their master slumbers cannot become sovereigns."
The wolf was Sadocheon's symbol. His words were an open provocation toward the elders who had wasted six years in petty struggles while their Lord was in seclusion.
"…So you mean that Sadocheon alone cannot dream of unifying the world?"
"..."
Yeojin said nothing. But silence itself was affirmation.
The eyes of the gathered Sadocheon warriors turned openly hostile.If not for the Lord present, blades would already have been drawn.
The tension was suffocating, as though knives pierced every inch of his skin.
How long passed?
The silence was finally broken by a great roar of laughter from the Sadocheon Lord.
"Kuhuhuhu… Hahaha!"
His booming laugh shocked his retainers. In all the years they had served, they could count on one hand the times they had heard such a sound.
"Kukuku… Then what should be done with wolf pups who pretend to be masters in their masterless cave? Tell me."
"Their fangs and claws must all be torn out and beaten, so they can never climb again. A few should have their necks snapped, as a warning."
The hall gasped. Yeojin had essentially called for purges in front of Sadocheon's core leadership.
Some elders even turned pale, their guilty consciences exposed.
Muk Woomyung clutched his stomach, laughing all the harder.
"Hahaha!"
And then, all at once, his laughter stopped. His face was once again without a trace of smile.
"What you speak of—an Absolute Sovereign—is not something attained merely by martial skill."
"I know well."
"You do? Then you mean—you will become that sovereign?"
"If necessary, yes."
"Not if possible, but if necessary… How arrogant. Conceited beyond all measure."
"I shall take that as praise as well."
"..."
Muk Woomyung stared hard, then finally spoke:
"This insolent child needs discipline. Hm… Youngest, what is your name?"
Yeojin clicked his tongue inwardly.
'This man… he didn't even know his own son's name.'
No wonder Muk Byeongho too had never been called by name.
"I am Muk Yeojin."
"I sentence Muk Yeojin to one year of confinement in the Mangdam Hall Punishment Cavern."
That was all.
He rose, ready to leave the training hall.
But then—
"F-father, I… I…"
It was Muk Byeongho, who had been restless the whole time, now speaking in a trembling voice.
Muk Woomyung paused briefly, then said to his attendants:
"Give the boy a medicine for his wounds."
"Yes, Lord."
"And… Madam Hye and Madam Namgung may remain in Mangdam Hall for today, to spend time with their children."
With that, Lord of Sadocheon, Muk Woomyung, departed.
As he left, the masses that had filled the training ground flowed out like receding tide.
A few, including the Jeokrangdae, tried to press faint killing intent against Yeojin. But when he calmly accepted it without flinching, it was they who looked ridiculous.
Only when the Lord had vanished from sight did Yeojin finally let out a deep breath.
"Haa…"
He could barely relax, feeling he had crossed his first great mountain since returning.
'I did it.'
In today's confrontation, Yeojin achieved everything he wished:
He had captured the interest of his father, the Lord of Sadocheon.The rumors of being merely "a dog under a tiger father" would end today.
And above all—
'Punishment Cavern confinement.'
To outsiders, it seemed a harsh punishment. But in truth, it was the greatest reward.
For the Punishment Cavern of Mangdam Hall was in fact the very place where Muk Woomyung himself had trained in his youth.
His early insights still lingered within its secret chambers.
To one just beginning martial cultivation, it was a fortune beyond any wealth.
Yeojin clenched his still-soft fists.
"This is… a flawless first step."