I Shouldn't Have Joined the Martial Arts Alliance - Chapter 70

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Pointlessly Joining the Murim Alliance — Episode 070
A crowd of warriors lined the front gate of Hyeol-u Bang. Word had spread that they were recruiting, and martial artists had gathered in response.
So Jang Hye-in and his crew took their place at the back of the line.
Seo U-chan tapped the shoulder of a warrior waiting ahead and struck up a conversation.
“Pardon me, but I’d like to ask you something.”
“…If you know it’s rude, don’t ask.”
Bewilderment flickered across Seo U-chan’s face.
But then.
“Ha ha. I’m joking. It won’t cost you anything, so ask away.”
“…Thank you. I was wondering—does Hyeol-u Bang recruit warriors like this often?”
The warrior looked at Seo U-chan’s face with puzzlement.
“…Is this your first time?”
“It is, actually.”
“Then don’t ask.”
Wait…didn’t he just say he could ask all he wanted?
Seo U-chan kept staring at the warrior’s face, half-expecting him to say “just joking” again.
“I’m not joking. So stop trying to figure it out.”
With that, he turned away.
Jang Hye-in and the crew had witnessed the whole exchange.
Seo U-chan shrugged toward Jang Hye-in and the others, and they patted him on the back in sympathy. Then there was nothing to do but wait for the long line to dwindle.
And finally, it was Jang Hye-in and his crew’s turn.
They followed a guiding warrior past several pavilions, and a fairly large training ground came into view in the center. Surrounding the training ground were numerous warriors of Hyeol-u Bang.
‘…Damn…’
‘…We’re screwed…’
‘…Is this really happening?’
The story that they’d have to fight Hyeol-u Bang in its entirety.
‘…Probably…’
‘Even a rough count…’
‘…Would be over two hundred…’
‘…Nearly three hundred…’
‘Damn it!’
They were unmistakably being waited for.
Jang Hye-in.
The crew.
Sa U-rin.
None of them had ever fought so many martial artists at once. Even with their foolish village friend helping, there was no way to ignore the sheer difference in numbers—it was terrifying.
The guiding warrior gestured to Jang Hye-in and the others to stand in the center of the training ground.
So they took their positions in the center. Then a figure on the upper platform scrutinized Jang Hye-in’s face and the faces of the crew.
And then verified something.
Nodding, a single warrior dashed rapidly toward the back.
Moments later.
Chang-yeong, the Pavilion Master of Hyeol-u Bang, appeared.
The Pavilion Master of Hyeol-u Bang, Chang-yeong, climbed onto the upper platform and immediately confirmed the faces of Jang Hye-in and the crew.
Then he spoke.
“So it is them. I had my doubts.”
The corners of the Pavilion Master Chang-yeong’s mouth curled upward.
“These bastards really are insane.”
He’d scoffed at the notion that they’d actually come here knowing it was a death trap, but he’d never truly imagined they’d walk into their own doom with their own two feet.
“Alert those inside. Tell them they’ve arrived.”
At the Pavilion Master Chang-yeong’s command, another warrior bolted inside.
Then the Pavilion Master Chang-yeong spoke loudly.
“Keep these ones here. Send everyone else out. And lock the gates!”
Hyeol-u Bang’s warriors moved with urgency.
“Sa U-rin, you’re all ready, I trust?”
He was referring to that foolish village friend and his subordinates.
“Don’t worry.”
“Good.”
But the unease remained nonetheless.
“Sa U-rin. How many skilled masters do we have?”
Sa U-rin gestured and replied.
“The last one who came out is the strongest. And those three—they’re all skilled practitioners too.”
“Five in total?”
“Yes.”
“Phew.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“Chu-yeop won’t even need to step in.”
If things went according to plan, that is.
“Still…….”
Five of them. That was quite a few.
“Isn’t this the kind of experience you need to go through?”
“……Truly necessary?”
Well, it was certainly valuable experience.
And so Jang Hye-in stepped forward.
“Listen, all of you. An experience like this—you can’t buy it no matter how much coin you spend. So close your eyes tight and swing your blades like madmen. That’s the only way you’ll ever reach the heights of a true master.”
Though they’d crossed the threshold into mastery, the disciples still lacked much to be called true skilled practitioners.
Then the warrior who’d rushed inside returned to the training ground above. Behind him came a middle-aged man and two younger men.
And in that instant…….
“……Sa U-rin, what’s wrong?”
Sa U-rin’s eyes widened. And froze.
U-rin?
The youngest, Sa U-rin, had never shown such a range of expression. Moreover, his entire body had gone rigid, as if he’d seen a ghost.
But Sa U-rin was hardly the type to blink at the sight of a ghost, was he?
“……Sa U-rin, what is it? You look terrified.”
If the youngest was reacting like this, then what on earth…….
Jang Hye-in and the disciples followed Sa U-rin’s gaze. And they saw it—where his eyes were fixed, whom he was staring at so frozen.
One middle-aged man and two younger men.
Were these three truly such formidable masters that Sa U-rin would freeze like this?
It seemed likely. There was no other reason the youngest would display such a reaction.
And so Jang Hye-in and the disciples felt their own tension rise, their bodies stiffening.
“……Sa U-rin?”
“……Give me a moment. I need to think.”
“……All right.”
Since the youngest asked for a moment, they would wait. And slowly, Sa U-rin’s rigid form began to ease.
Which brought some relief.
‘……That’s……, surely…….’
He confirmed it, and confirmed it again. Yet it remained certain.
……The aura of Honwon.
From the middle-aged man, from the two younger men—that presence was unmistakably the Honwon from the Honwon-gong that Sa U-rin himself was cultivating.
Honwon, the source of all things in creation.
The same primordial aura that a child named Seol-hwa had once felt.
These three were practitioners of Honwon-gong, just like Sa U-rin.
‘……How is this…….’
No—how was not the question. If these men were the ringleaders of the Human Trafficking Organization, their appearance here was almost inevitable.
That was true.
Then…….
Was this it?
Was death truly waiting for him here?
Sa U-rin’s mother, Jang-ryeo, was not here. Thinking Chu-yeop alone would be sufficient, Sa U-rin had left her waiting elsewhere.
Sa U-rin himself had shared that belief.
He’d never anticipated that someone skilled in the same martial art as himself would appear. It should have been obvious, yet he’d failed to consider it.
Foolish.
His mother knew nothing of Honwon-gong, so naturally she couldn’t have foreseen this.
But Sa U-rin should have anticipated it. And yet he hadn’t. A bitter oversight indeed.
‘Will they recognize it?’
That Sa U-rin had learned Honwon-gong?
Since Sa U-rin could sense it, he believed they could too. And yet doubt crept in—perhaps they couldn’t.
The Honwon felt the same, yet somehow different. Sa U-rin sensed it now.
‘……Why?’
There was no way to know yet. He wanted nothing more than to approach them immediately and ask.
Whether the martial art they’d mastered was truly Honwon-gong.
But if that were true, why was Sa U-rin different from them?
Yet, unfortunately, the situation didn’t allow for such contemplation.
Sa U-rin had to kill them. They had to kill Sa U-rin.
And one thing was certain…….
Sa U-rin’s abilities were no match for that middle-aged man.
If it were Chu-yeop…….
It might be possible. It might be, but…….
It seems impossible. Their martial power might be comparable, but the inner force Chu-yeop possessed could never rival Honwon-gong.
Just as Jang Hye-in could never match Sa U-rin.
Now that he thought about it…….
Wasn’t Sa U-rin shocked and confused precisely because they had mastered Honwon-gong?
But they…….
Were showing no sign of surprise whatsoever?
‘……Could it be……?’
No. That couldn’t be.
It seemed impossible that they already knew Sa U-rin was practicing Honwon-gong.
Even if, by some chance……, perhaps…….
No. That absolutely couldn’t be it.
Then there was only one explanation.
They hadn’t yet realized that Sa U-rin had mastered Honwon-gong.
But why?
Sa U-rin had felt immediately that they had mastered Honwon-gong—so why didn’t they sense that Sa U-rin had done the same?
Because of the strange sensation he’d been feeling all along?
Perhaps……, maybe…….
Sa U-rin was now terribly confused by so many things.
Meanwhile.
The middle-aged man who had reached the top of the training ground curled his lips and spoke.
“So there were rats lurking about.”
The master of Hyeol-u Bang asked with a puzzled expression.
“……Rats? You mean there are others who came with them?”
“It seems to be the case.”
“Then those rats are…….”
“Waiting outside, it appears.”
As Sa U-rin had suspected, the middle-aged man had indeed mastered Honwon-gong. One of Honwon-gong’s distinctive features was the ability to sense the vital force of all things in the world.
Sa U-rin had that ability as well.
“Indeed, you are formidable. But……what do you mean, waiting?”
The middle-aged man who had mastered Honwon-gong furrowed his brow.
“Waiting for events to unfold.”
“Ah, I understand.”
The middle-aged man clicked his tongue and curled his lips again.
“Tsk, tsk. So this is as far as it goes.”
“……What do you mean?”
“Never mind.”
“……Yes, I see.”
The middle-aged man knew.
From this day forward, Hyeol-u Bang would be annihilated and vanish from the Gangho.
The middle-aged man who had mastered Honwon-gong approached the front of the platform and opened his mouth to Jang Hye-in and his fighters.
“I know you have reinforcements waiting outside.”
At the middle-aged man’s words, the eyes of Jang Hye-in and his fighters grew wide as lanterns.
“So tell those rats to stop hiding and show themselves.”
Jang Hye-in and his fighters, utterly shocked, turned their gaze to Sa U-rin.
“……U-rin.”
“How……did they…….”
So Sa U-rin spoke.
“That man. He’s mastered the same martial art as me.”
Jang Hye-in asked in disbelief.
“……What? Truly? Is it true?”
“Yes.”
“Then……what happens now?”
He was asking whether they could survive this.
“I’ll do whatever I can.”
Then Sa U-rin turned his head, meeting Jang Hye-in’s gaze directly.
“…Why? Why like this?”
Shouldn’t he feel something other than affection, seeing Sa U-rin look at him this way? No—weren’t these feelings of admiration rising unbidden?
“Deputy Lord.”
No, wait—this isn’t the time for this, is it?
“…Uh, what?”
“I think we should all say a proper farewell here.”
The thought came to him suddenly.
Something his father had always said.
That he was a man without sentiment.
Once, he would never have entertained such thoughts.
But knowing this was the end, even a simple farewell seemed worthwhile.
Life had taught him that sentiment was not so grand a thing after all.
“Senior, these times have been enjoyable. Thank you for everything.”
At Sa U-rin’s words, Jang Hye-in and the team members stood stunned. Yet they understood—they knew what their youngest’s words truly meant.
“…So the time has come…”
“…Damn it.”
“Hell…”
“We were the grateful ones.”
“Thanks to you, we gained not hardship but true experience.”
“I never dreamed our youngest would speak like this.”
“Kid…”
“Trying to be impressive…”
“But he is impressive.”
“Still impressive, isn’t it.”
“…Must we really quibble over such things now?”
“…Either way.”
“Still, it’s a blessing. To die like this, with honor.”
Not everyone had the chance to fight so many martial artists.
And at the youngest’s warm words, Jang Hye-in and his team felt their eyes burn with heat.
But they held it back, forced it down.
They didn’t want to shame themselves with tears.
And so smiles bloomed at the corners of their mouths.
At the lips of those facing death.
At the lips of those who had shared the bonds of the Gangho.
Death,
sentiment,
—these things the oblivious Sa U-rin had drawn forth.

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