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Chapter 239: Front Line

Huangbo Se-ga belongs to the Righteous Faction of the Martial World.

Among the famous clans just below the Four Great Clans, it was one of the standout families.

Warriors from Huangbo Se-ga, along with the Peng Clan, were known for their formidable physical prowess.

They were at the pinnacle of martial arts, alongside Bi Family, which was the clan of Pejon Bi Ju.

In the past, they had claimed prestigious titles following Yeon Ilcheon, the Hero of the World, who had stopped the Blood Demon during the Blood Calamity.

When you notice the names of Huangbo Clan among those who inherited the former title of King of Martial Arts, it’s clear they cannot be ignored in the martial arts community.

However…

The pride and self-esteem that came with being a famous clan often morphed into arrogance and hubris.

Currently, Huangbo Se-ga was filled with proud individuals, no different from other prestigious clans.

It was no wonder.

Being one of the top clans among the numerous clans scattered throughout the Central Plains, they enjoyed countless physical blessings and were known for possessing many formidable masters.

Unless it’s another famous clan or the Gu Sect, there was no need to bow low or be subservient.

With the privileges and talents that came from being a bloodline member of the clan, their chests were swelled with pride.

Their self-esteem must have been sky-high.

Just like members of other prominent clans.

A warrior benefiting from the clan’s legacy is always looked upon with certain reverence.

Thus, it was not unusual for those who maintained humility and decorum to be rare.

Especially for Huangbo Seon, who lived as a branch of the main family.

Not being a direct descendant, he could only watch as those of the main lineage treated him with disdain and contempt.

With his frail build and insignificant stature, he wasn’t suited to learn the martial arts of Huangbo.

Moreover, possessing a weak character, he was surely an easy target for predators.

For a branch without talent, the main family felt like a hellish place.

A den of monsters who toy with you like a plaything.

A place where those hidden behind the facade of noble families roamed proudly, wearing arrogance like a cloak and stifling laughter.

This is how Huangbo Seon viewed the main family of Huangbo Se-ga.

Yet, he couldn’t flee from this clan because of his lineage.

Just the mere fact of carrying the Huangbo surname shackled him.

That single fact bound him like a curse, forcing him to live.

Perhaps he would remain a slave under their rule for life, enduring a hellish existence.

How could he dare to rebel against the main family?

He could do nothing but resign himself to this fate.

That was the future Huangbo Seon envisioned for himself.

It was certainly so.

‘What on earth…’

Huangbo Seon, every inch of his body a canvas of violence, was briefly felt numbness from the pain.

Yet, overshadowing his agony was only the shock at the spectacle unfolding before him.

Crack—!

“Graaah!”

From all directions, the sounds of bones breaking and screams reverberated.

One by one, warriors clothed in deep yellow martial robes collapsed to the ground.

Not a single one was left unharmed.

All were either broken somewhere or often spitting blood.

Crash—!

“Grrk…!”

Another warrior fell and rolled on the floor.

Huangbo Seon couldn’t help but be astonished at the familiar face of the fallen.

“…Huh!”

The one, losing consciousness while spitting blood, was the Deputy Lord of the guard protecting the clan’s main lineage.

In Huangbo Seon’s knowledge, he had passed the threshold of forty, being known as a warrior who had crossed the walls of martial arts, yet to see him fall so easily…

“…This doesn’t make sense…”

It was inconceivable.

The fact that so many couldn’t capture a single person resulted in this chaos.

“…Who is that?”

Huangbo Seon, clutching his chest in agony, gazed towards a warrior standing alone not far away.

His gaze was notably fierce, making it impossible to meet his eyes, yet he certainly didn’t seem older than himself.

In fact, compared to those scattered around, he wasn’t particularly large.

If anything, he might even be smaller than Seon.

‘Just who is that…’

Huangbo Seon couldn’t grasp the situation.

Looking at the figure in the warrior’s hand only deepened his bewilderment.

‘The Prince… has lost?’

In the unknown youth’s grasp was none other than Huangbo Cheok, the next Lesser Clan Leader of Huangbo Se-ga, who would eventually lead the clan.

In that small hand was a thick neck belonging to Huangbo Cheok.

The immense weight of Huangbo Cheok, built proportionally to his gigantic figure, was being held effortlessly by that youth.

Huangbo Seon witnessed it clearly.

The figure that had instilled such fear in him, Huangbo Cheok, was now being thoroughly beaten without an ounce of resistance.

The once mighty fist of Cheok, which seemed an insurmountable barrier, shattered under the youth’s casual flick.

Even the knee that was never supposed to buckle fell as easily as a broken stick.

How could this be?

Even with Huangbo Cheok, alongside the gathered warriors of Huangbo Se-ga, they seemed to have no chance against this young warrior.

‘After all, I can’t even comprehend what just happened…’

Yes, it would be fair to say he had no idea how any of this transpired.

He had not seen how the youth moved.

Amidst the swirling mix of astonishment and self-loathing, the unknown emotion spurred in him.

“Tsuh…”

The young warrior, having taken down everyone, clicked his tongue.

“…Ah, I was so annoyed; I ended up beating them down… Damn it.”

Despite his counter-strong demeanor, the tone was reminiscent of a delinquent.

“If I just bury them in the ground, wouldn’t that crazy man be happy… What to do? Should I just bury them all without a care?”

The words were so brutal that it felt like an absurd misunderstanding.

Bury them all? What kind of terrifying…

“It’s just a shame there are still witnesses around….”

“Hah…!”

As the youth’s eyes turned this way, Huangbo Seon instinctively held back a scream.

The fierce look paired with those glowing red eyes were far too daunting to face.

How could a person look so terrifying…?

And then.

“Brrp…”

It seemed Huangbo Seon was not alone in that thought.

As he turned at a sound coming from behind, he noticed an astonishing figure standing there.

“…Y-You, Prince?”

It was Huangbo Cheolwi, the prince of Huangbo Se-ga.

Recently, he had been one of the few comfortable people Huangbo Seon had interacted with.

Originally, he looked down on Huangbo Seon just like Huangbo Cheok, but he had not displayed that side lately.

‘…Has the prince not joined the fight?’

If so, why not?

It’s not like he could easily jump into a situation where someone was being beaten like that.

Yet, seeing Huangbo Cheolwi standing at a distance while his brother was on the receiving end of such a beating felt rather odd.

In the moment of confusion…

“Hey, you there.”

The youth, who had laid waste to the surroundings, walked toward them.

Huangbo Seon genuinely wished he could flee on his belly, but his legs, frozen with fear, were as stiff as a rock, refusing to budge.

“I was wondering who it was.”

The youth smiled, glancing at Huangbo Cheolwi.

The smile was unnervingly terrifying, sending shivers down Huangbo Seon’s spine.

‘…Did I just… pee myself a little?’

Hoping not, he couldn’t be sure since he had no feeling below his waist.

As the youth approached with that grin, he spoke out.

“So, you came here too?”

To whom was that addressed?

Huangbo Seon, puzzled for a moment, suddenly heard a response next to him.

“…It’s been a while.”

Surprisingly, the youth was speaking to Huangbo Cheolwi.

Seeing their reaction, it appeared Huangbo Cheolwi knew him as well.

“Nice to see you. Has it been a year?”

“…Indeed.”

In the chaos, Huangbo Seon observed how the youth approached. He noticed Huangbo Cheolwi stepping back in fright.

“I heard Huangbo Se-ga came to the front lines, but to see two main clan members here?”

“…”

“You should answer me, right?”

“Y-Yes! The last incident brought me along as well.”

At Huangbo Cheolwi’s panicked words, the youth glanced at Huangbo Cheok, still on the floor.

“So, is that your brother?”

“…Correct, he is to be the Lesser Clan Leader of Huangbo.”

“Is that so?”

His tone was mocking, as if asking how could a mere wretch be a Lesser Clan Leader.

Even though he knew Huangbo Cheok was the one he had just defeated, the youth seemed not even a bit bothered.

In fact, his expression reflected even more disdain.

Huangbo Seon found that quite astonishing.

“It made sense why he sounded so ridiculous… Had I known, I would have hit him harder.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Since we are on the topic, how about I hit him some more?”

Was it just a passing thought, or was he seriously considering it?

The youth shifted his gaze back to Huangbo Cheolwi.

“Oh, right.”

“…?”

“Are you going to take revenge?”

“Eh…? Ah, no. What do you mean by that?”

“Your brother, I just beat him. So, will you jump in now?”

The brazen demeanor, playful in how he posed that question, looked exceedingly annoying and obnoxious in Huangbo Seon’s eyes.

But, given the pretense he just displayed moments ago, it was too stark of a contrast to just label him a delinquent.

At the same time, he was also eager to know how Huangbo Cheolwi would respond.

The way the youth asked seemed bewildering, given that his brother was did get pummeled before his very eyes.

“…Well…”

Huangbo Cheolwi’s eyes rolled around, deep in thought.

He seemed to wrestle with whether to stand idle or support his brother out of loyalty.

Moments later, it appeared he made up his mind.

Facing the youth, he mustered a fierce resolve reflected on his face.

Huangbo Seon could see the unwavering resolve radiating from his robust form.

Clearly, Huangbo Cheolwi was thinking about fighting the youth.

Crack—.

The youth glanced back at Huangbo Cheolwi, cracking his knuckles.

Could he hold his own against the youth who had just toyed with Huangbo Cheok?

Huangbo Seon watched, trembling slightly.

Huangbo Cheolwi glared at the youth, growling as he spoke.

“Isn’t it acceptable for men to fight? Interfering in that is rather unmanly!”

“…”

“I, Huangbo Cheolwi, will honor my brother’s will and refrain from such disgraceful deeds.”

“…Oh, alright.”

…

….

In conclusion, he was saying he wouldn’t fight.

Watching Huangbo Cheolwi shout that confidently, Huangbo Seon felt embarrassed himself.

‘Hmm…?’

Maybe it was just a misunderstanding.

Standing behind Huangbo Cheolwi, Huangbo Seon felt the youth’s piercing gaze directed at him.

‘C-Could it be… not a misunderstanding?’

Huangbo Seon wished desperately for it to be wrong, but the unfortunate reality showed the youth’s malicious gaze was indeed aimed at him.

Those bright red glowing eyes were locked onto him.

Huangbo Seon couldn’t bear to meet that gaze.

‘…Why… why is he looking at me?’

The gentle smirk only added to his growing fear.

Could it be…

The youth intended to beat him instead of Huangbo Cheolwi?

As the uncertainty built up and fear surged up to clutch at his throat, Huangbo Seon could avoid meeting the gaze and desperately focused on the ground.

Seeing the fools lying there, thrown aside, staring blankly.

Though there was that chunky Huangbo fellow… what was his name? It didn’t even come to mind.

Anyway.

He addressed the standing Huangbo guy, telling him to take the fallen ones away.

The guy responded he would do as told, albeit sluggishly.

Still, he would likely follow through.

Honestly, he felt like inflicting a bit more damage out of spite.

‘Having seen a long-lost face, I should just turn a blind eye, right?’

He decided to let it slide.

‘Even though it’s different from the dynamic I knew, that guy was definitely present.’

The hapless man lying there, groaning as he rumbled, wasn’t proving too challenging to identify.

A warrior with a feeble appearance that didn’t match with the honorable name of Huangbo.

‘Muk-Gwon.’

The man was once a mighty martial artist, known as a Blood Demon in his past life, and was once my subordinate.

That was him without a doubt.

‘I’ve heard the news through the channels, but to see him here…’

Muk-Gwon had been known for his legacy of hunting Blood Demons in his past life.

He fell into the Demonic Sect due to an incident involving Huangbo Clan, now living life as a Demon.

‘The atmosphere feels significantly different, though.’

Remembering the Muk-Gwon of the past, he had always been a silent man, just like his alias.

He didn’t shy away from fulfilling tasks, and he would fight regardless of the odds.

His frail presence didn’t have the air of weakness.

‘Was he still like that back then?’

Now facing Huangbo Seon, he appeared remarkably helpless.

Shaking visibly with fear, he was someone who evoked sympathy even in me.

How curious.

A man who successfully acquired the Huangbo Clan’s legacy appearing so weak at this moment.

It was bizarre.

Perhaps he would discover some chance soon?

Moreover, reflecting on the next Lesser Clan Leader of Huangbo Se-ga…

Honestly, there wasn’t much to feel fond about.

He might have had potential, but he lacked the means to use it.

It even seemed the Huangbo Cheolwi standing off to the side was more capable than him.

‘Maybe I should have hurt him more.’

More than anything, what lingered were regrets than sentiments towards him.

Huangbo Cheok was a culprit in the future, leading to Muk-Gwon’s descent into demonic practices.

In the past…

After receiving orders to hunt down the Blood Demons and returning to his clan, Huangbo Seon found himself faced with a shocking sight.

Huangbo Cheok, filled with jealousy as Huangbo Seon began to gain fame after the Blood Calamity, killed his wife and child.

He even made an attempt on Huangbo Seon’s life.

Thinking of that event…

Part of him wished to sideline Huangbo Cheok now, though he stifled those thoughts.

‘Revenge isn’t something you do for others.’

Had he asked Muk-Gwon of his previous life about this, he wouldn’t have recommended me to.

If he were to do something, it would have been merely asking for a little help in getting back his revenge.

Back in those days…

I recalled the face of the man who walked beside me then.

Slightly nodding, I affirmed.

“…I could help with that.”

It was an endeavor that would be much harder than taking care of things personally.

But that much I could certainly do.

‘Whether Huangbo Seon desires it or not.’

From what I saw, he certainly looked timid as if in fright.

Why, I wondered?

I had regarded him warmly with utmost kindness.

Ah.

Could it be he was frightened due to the larger figure next to him?

With someone that big beside you, who wouldn’t be scared?

Even I would feel like I’d die from terror, standing next to that guy.

“Moreover, seeing as I had somewhat saved him, he should have a good impression left, right?”

That was certain.

For Huangbo Seon, I must have appeared as a hero.

“Hmm, refreshing.”

Was it the goodness of doing what I didn’t usually do?

My fatigued body felt rejuvenated through that act.

 

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