Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#016

Shandong Province, Hwangdo.

Hwangdo, located north of Jiao-nan, had a port even larger than Zhen-hai Port.

However, since it was a place where trade related to the imperial palace was conducted directly, there were more transactions like deliveries and regular trade rather than free market trading. Therefore, the overall market size couldn’t surpass Jiao-nan.

Naturally, the Demonic Sect and Black Society of Hwangdo coveted Jiao-nan, but they couldn’t move easily because Gwimyeon Ssangssal was holding his ground there.

However, the Black Immortal Sect based in Hwangdo discovered that the one who killed Gwimyeon Ssangssal was in his mid-teens and that the death occurred underwater, concluding that this was an opponent worth challenging.

-This is actually an opportunity.

Just as the pavilion masters of the Blue Pavilion requested help, the Black Immortal Sect sent their warriors without hesitation.

Everything went as expected up to the point where the warriors easily blocked the Black Society called Haerongbang.

But the young boy who had dealt with Gwimyeon Ssangssal suddenly showing up wasn’t part of their plan.

“I’ll go in alone.”

Leaving Cheon-gu, who had guided him, far behind, Ja-gang-cheon went to the Black Immortal Sect by himself.

“How may we help you?”

The older of the two gatekeepers guarding the entrance blocked his path.

Ja-gang-cheon didn’t bother to answer and looked at the tightly closed gate. Then suddenly, he remembered his mother’s heroic tale from Gwigokdo.

-I went to their main sect and kicked down their door!

It was the story of how she swept away the Northern Nakwunmun that had insulted her.

Remembering that story, Ja-gang-cheon opened the door with his foot instead of his hand.

Bang!

One of the door panels rolled across the ground with a thunderous noise from his kick.

“You bastard!”

The reaction was immediate.

The nearby gatekeeper reached out to grab Ja-gang-cheon’s collar, and the inside of the Black Immortal Sect became noisy as disciples rushed toward the entrance.

Ja-gang-cheon grabbed the approaching hand and pulled it while striking the tilted body with his shoulder. From that impact, the gatekeeper’s body flew up and fell onto the collapsed door.

Whoosh!

Ja-gang-cheon leaped high and landed in the middle of the Black Immortal Sect’s training hall, stomping the ground forcefully.

Boom!

From the tremendous aftermath of his true energy, the blue stone slabs laid on the ground shattered and scattered as powder.

The overwhelming scene that seemed to turn the world upside down stopped the thoughts of those who witnessed it.

Shock and screams.

Only when the scattered powder settled as dust could they hear words they could understand.

“Everyone stand back!”

A middle-aged man in his late fifties with a long black beard reaching his chest stepped forward.

He tried to add dignity by wearing expensive silk clothes with red patterns and even a Taoist hat, but his narrow eyes and downturned mouth corners didn’t give a trustworthy impression.

The man, who felt like a nouveau riche showing off expensive clothing, spoke with feigned composure.

“Who are you to come to the Black Immortal Sect and cause such trouble?”

“I killed Gwimyeon Ssangssal.”

At those words, tension appeared on the Black Immortal Sect Leader’s face. Seeing the martial prowess just displayed, it didn’t seem like a lie at all.

Regardless of his reaction, Ja-gang-cheon said what he had prepared.

“Don’t interfere with what happens in Jiao-nan.”

The Black Immortal Sect Leader looked Ja-gang-cheon up and down while thinking.

“Isn’t the Jiao-nan market too big for one person to handle alone? Rather, if you help our Black Immortal Sect, we’ll make sure you get your fair share.”

It wasn’t sincere. He was testing his opponent to buy time.

Meanwhile, the quick-witted Vice Sect Leader surveyed the area around the Black Immortal Sect.

“There’s no negotiation. If you ignore this warning, you’ll all end up dead.”

While Ja-gang-cheon spoke, the Vice Sect Leader who had surveyed the surroundings nodded.

-There are no companions.

Hearing this through voice transmission, a smile appeared on the Black Immortal Sect Leader’s face.

“Don’t tell me you came here alone?”

The politeness he had maintained disappeared, and a thin smile hung on his lips.

“In the martial world, shallow experience is the greatest sin. Thanks to that, we’re saved the trouble of going to find you directly, so I’ll cleanly cut off your head.”

Ja-gang-cheon wasn’t flustered by the suddenly changed atmosphere.

‘This wasn’t something that would end with words anyway.’

Skilled fighters began positioning themselves in the encirclement surrounding him. That alone was enough to understand their intention.

“There’s no sea here, so I’m curious how you’ll face us.”

Seeing Ja-gang-cheon’s young age, Gwimyeon Ssangssal’s death became even clearer.

‘How excellent must his water techniques be.’

It was certainly surprising, but coming to the Black Immortal Sect alone had crossed the line by far.

‘This actually worked out well. If we deal with this person at this opportunity, the Jiao-nan market will be ours.’

The smiling Black Immortal Sect Leader spoke with emphasis like a judge passing sentence.

“Kill him. Make him pay the price for daring to look down on the Black Immortal Sect and showing such recklessness.”

It was when the Black Immortal Sect disciples who received the order all drew their weapons and charged at once.

Swoosh!

Ja-gang-cheon’s body, leaving a long afterimage like a meteor in the night sky, rose drawing a beautiful curve.

When the ascending curve began to descend from its peak, the Black Immortal Sect Leader clearly saw Ja-gang-cheon’s expressionless face.

The Black Immortal Sect Leader, sensing danger, raised his beloved sword. He hoped Ja-gang-cheon would be pierced as he charged, but the afterimage passed through the sharp sword tip like a shadow.

Like a precarious acrobatic act, Ja-gang-cheon slid along the sword blade toward his right neck and disappeared from the Black Immortal Sect Leader’s sight in an instant. Still, the Black Immortal Sect Leader relied on experience and swung his sword.

Whoosh!

A sharp wind sound was heard, but there was no sensation felt at his fingertips.

‘This is bad.’

In a place lower than where the sword had passed, there was Ja-gang-cheon with an indifferent expression.

The feeling of a death god crouched in a jar looking up at him mockingly.

That death god’s face suddenly rose up.

At that moment when goosebumps covered his entire body.

Bang!

The bad premonition wasn’t wrong.

The fist that dug into his side broke his ribs and tore up his internal organs.

It was already a fatal wound, but Ja-gang-cheon showed no mercy.

Another fist struck the body twisted in pain.

The solar plexus.

Bang!

His blocked breath instantly cut off his life as well.

Like lava pouring from a volcano, blood flowed from his sunken chest.

Everyone held their breath at that sight.

The Black Immortal Sect was a sect ruled by power, not character.

Naturally, the Black Immortal Sect Leader’s power was absolute, but such a sect leader had been defeated so futilely.

But not everyone remained silent.

“Die!”

The Vice Sect Leader and several others charged in anger at their sect leader’s death.

But Ja-gang-cheon wasn’t someone who would fall to blind swords swung in lost reason.

Seven people charged.

Ja-gang-cheon also moved seven times.

It was truly an overwhelming difference.

Ja-gang-cheon felt no threat from their weapons filled with killing intent.

Compared to the sea that raged with typhoons, their swords were about as threatening as stones scattered in water.

-What level would my martial arts be on the mainland?

He had asked such a question once.

His parents gave the same answer to this.

-There are as many masters in the martial world as grains of sand.

-The grain of sand is a lie, but even being the best in the world is a place where one shouldn’t be arrogant.

Even with such an answer, Ja-gang-cheon was not afraid.

-I’m looking forward to it!

That’s how he replied.

‘Martial arts was just for fun.’

But when he arrived on the mainland, he realized two things.

Martial arts were not learned for play,

and his martial arts were at a very high level.

The special environment of Gwigokdo, the martial manuals left by 100 masters, and his parents’ dedication in sparing no spiritual medicines or teachings had created results beyond common sense.

But today, Ja-gang-cheon saw the dark side of martial arts.

‘If I meet an unbeatable master, I would end up like that too.’

Seeing the disciples frozen by their sect leader’s death made him feel bitter.

‘I don’t want to become like that.’

In that moment when he dominated the gathering with overwhelming martial prowess, Ja-gang-cheon realized the fate of martial artists who must grow endlessly.

As if proving this, the Black Immortal Sect disciples only watched in silence until the moment Ja-gang-cheon left.

***

Jiao-nan underwent great changes.

The Blue Pavilion, upon hearing of the Black Immortal Sect Leader’s death, tucked their tail between their legs.

-Take the wealth but leave the people.

They accepted Haerongbang’s negotiation terms.

And Haerongbang immediately declared dissolution.

What remained was Haelyong Labor Office.

It was the exact same name they had used before Haerongbang.

The gang members who had numbered over a hundred were reduced to twenty, and they gave up their distribution monopoly rights over the South Market, making their profit business disappear, but So Yeon-dok had no regrets whatsoever.

He generously provided retirement funds to the subordinates leaving Haerongbang, and those who remained had pride instead of wealth.

“He thoroughly kept his word.”

Ja-gang-cheon found So Yeon-dok’s course of action very interesting.

The decision was difficult, but his actions were unhesitating. It meant his body and mind were one.

‘This is different from chivalry.’

If he had learned chivalry from Wudang Sect’s Jinmyeong, So Yeon-dok showed conviction.

However, there was one problem.

So Yeon-dok said to the subordinates who stayed instead of leaving.

“It took too long to come back. Many people helped us, and especially our benefactor faced the Black Immortal Sect alone. Since this opportunity was seized that way, we must never waver.”

In the past, because they were part of the Black Society, he had allowed transgressions, but not anymore.

“Now we don’t have to live each day as if it were our last, worrying constantly. Let’s sleep peacefully like others, looking forward to what we’ll do tomorrow.”

Those words stirred his subordinates’ hearts. It was a luxury the Black Society could never have.

“Even so, if our past holds us back, I will bear it all. The reason I remain as director is to someday shoulder the past and settle it. But please follow me until we establish our foundation.”

“Yes! Director!”

The resounding answer swelled up in So Yeon-dok’s chest.

“This is a second chance. Let’s never let it slip away.”

They began a different kind of day than before.

***

Jiao-nan, with the Black Society gone, had a somewhat chaotic atmosphere.

The merchants outwardly welcomed it while maintaining a skeptical attitude.

Doing business without paying protection fees in this world?

At least in Jiao-nan, that had never happened.

If there were no protection fees, there were tribute payments, and if even those didn’t exist, there were donations. Only the words were different; someone always claimed territory and demanded payment accordingly.

Since it was a natural evil practice in large-scale markets, no one thought that rule would last long.

Nevertheless, there was a reason the merchants welcomed it.

-At least it’s better than Uirimdan.

Since they had been so viciously exploited, just having Uirimdan disappear for now gave them breathing room.

Moreover, as the black market’s vicious businesses that had made them uneasy disappeared, the entire atmosphere of Jiao-nan brightened.

The more they felt such changes, the more interested they became in the young master who had suddenly appeared.

-His name was Ja-gang-cheon, right?

-Wasn’t he said to be the East Sea Merchant Guild’s backer?

-He dealt with both Gwimyeon Ssangssal and the Black Immortal Sect, but that age doesn’t make sense, does it? Maybe he underwent rejuvenation?

Just when Ja-gang-cheon’s name began circulating in the market.

“Hehe.”

Ja-gang-cheon was eating sweets with Cheon-gu. The sweetness brought out a silly smile, and the merchants couldn’t believe he was the rumored young master.

“Thank you.”

Even bowing politely, he was unmistakably a fifteen-year-old boy. Though he was large for his age, his behavior often seemed childish.

Regardless of others’ evaluations, Ja-gang-cheon enjoyed touring the cleaned-up market.

“Benefactor!”

But someone came running while calling for Ja-gang-cheon. Seeing his urgent expression, Ja-gang-cheon also put down his sweet and asked hurriedly.

“What’s wrong?”

The one who came running was a middle-aged worker who did odd jobs at the East Sea Merchant Guild.

“Benefactor! We found him!”

“Found what?”

The worker took a breath and said urgently.

“The shipbuilding craftsman! We finally found him!”

Could this be a gift for the cooperation?

He had heard the news he had been eagerly waiting for.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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