Chapter 110: Father and Son (2)
“Father, I recently came upon a fortuitous opportunity and learned a rather unique cultivation technique. However, I believe it would be extremely difficult for you to train in it in your current condition, which is why I haven’t told you about it. Your body has already adapted to the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique of our main house, and it can no longer accept a different cultivation method. So instead, I will open up all the blocked meridians that were left out in the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique.”
Yong Biyang spoke in surprise.
“Hwarin, I may be lacking, but I’m still a martial artist close to First-rate. I understand how dangerous that is. If something goes wrong, both of us could die. I can’t let you risk yourself for my sake.”
“Father, the opportunity I obtained isn’t something so weak.”
Yong Hwarin then explained how he had come to obtain the Tai Chi Dantian and what kind of power it held.
Of course, he left out the fact that he had returned from the future. Instead, he shared only the part about meeting Ha Cheolryeong and how that led to Jegal Cheongyeong.
But Yong Biyang, rather than being shocked by the incredible power of the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra, first scolded his son.
“You’ve made two grave mistakes. First, if it weren’t for that child named Ha Cheolryeong, you never would’ve obtained the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra. And yet you gave him nothing in return. That is not the righteousness our main house pursues. Second, even after gaining that terrifying power, you hesitated to use it for others. That power was left behind by Zhang Sanfeng for the sake of the world. It is not yours alone—it belongs to the countless living beings. Up to now, you’ve treated it as your own. That is not the chivalry our house stands for. You’ve made these two mistakes. Make sure nothing like this happens again.”
Yong Hwarin smiled.
Though stubborn, his father was a textbook example of a chivalrous man.
‘I used to hate a father like this instead of respecting him. I was an unfilial son.’
“I understand, Father. I will live for the sake of those two things. Still, Father, aren’t people calling me the ‘Heavenly Sword Hero’ now? I am doing my best to live for the cause of justice.”
“Yes. That is admirable.”
Seeing Yong Biyang smile warmly filled Yong Hwarin’s heart with warmth.
It was the first time he had ever felt this sincere bond between father and son.
‘To think I lived ignoring something this precious. What a meaningless life it was.’
“Father, you must understand that for the main house to grow stronger, you must become stronger too. And the longer you endure in good health, the smoother the transition will be when Kijoong inherits the sect.”
Looking at his son, whose thoughts ran so deep, Yong Biyang replied.
“Seems I can finally retire.”
“Father. The next Sect Leader of the main house will not be me—it will be my younger brother. But Kijoong is not yet ready to lead. You must stay at the helm and raise him strong for at least the next ten years.”
“You’re planning to suck me dry, right down to the marrow.”
“Father, while you're still alive, I will make sure you feel what position our house will hold in the martial world. That is the filial piety I can offer you. I will let you witness it while you are still the Sect Leader. So you must remain healthy and strong. Just recently, as soon as my name started to gain a little fame, challengers came forward requesting duels. One of our instructors sent them back bruised, but in the future, many martial artists will request duels against both me and you. If the Sect Leader loses in a duel, no matter how well-known I am, the prestige of the Heavenly Central Sect will fall. That is why you must grow stronger. So that no matter who comes, you can stand proud in a duel and emerge victorious.”
Watching Yong Hwarin speak with such fervor in trying to persuade him, Yong Biyang felt ashamed. His son was already living not for the present, but for the future.
Meanwhile, he had been content with the present.
He knew how dangerous it was for a martial artist to live satisfied with the present.
What use was shouting about justice if you had no strength?
Justice without power was nothing but empty words.
Seeing his son strive so hard to awaken him, Yong Biyang felt deeply ashamed as a father and vowed to renew his resolve.
“Now that I’ve heard your words, I realize I’ve been far too complacent. From now on, I intend to retrain in the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword that you’ve mastered. I’ll see for myself where it leads. My son, I will follow your will.”
Yong Hwarin beamed as his father changed his mind and accepted his intentions.
“The main house will grow strong again starting with you, Father. I believe in that.”
Yong Hwarin resolved never to let the main house be annihilated in vain like in his past life.
When the strength of the main house grew, he would find out who had attacked and destroyed it, and before they could strike again, he would annihilate them.
Yong Biyang sat cross-legged, and Yong Hwarin took both of his hands, circulating his true qi into him through the two Lao Gong acupoints.
As an enormous wave of true qi flowed into his body, Yong Biyang flinched. Then, a strange heat rose from both their bodies.
“I can’t believe the plan has gone this wrong. What happened?”
Meanwhile, in a small estate on a quiet street five hundred jang from Phoenix-Head Martial Hall, a middle-aged Demonic Master roared in anger.
“It was a perfect plan. And yet...”
Deung Hwaun spoke up.
“They say that guy calling himself the Heavenly Sword Hero—or maybe it was Earth Sword Hero—showed up and got in the way again. Once more, he’s ruined everything for us.”
Even just hearing the name Yong Hwarin, the Heavenly Sword Hero, made Deung Hwaun jump out of bed in the middle of the night.
Yong Hwarin was the one who had humiliated her life.
Killing the Blood Demon Knight wasn’t enough—he had driven her to the brink of death and trampled on her ambitions just as they were about to come true.
“They say the Iron Blood Demon Sect has completely withdrawn. The Sect Leader of Iron Pledge died before even arriving at the sect.”
When the middle-aged man reported that, both the Demonic Master and Deung Hwaun furrowed their brows.
“We spent months luring the Iron Blood Demon Sect in. We planned everything perfectly, knowing Phoenix-Head Sword would be opening a martial hall in Nampyeong Prefecture. And it all fell apart because of one man.”
The Demonic Master continued.
“That’s true, but even if the Iron Blood Demon Sect failed, we made sure that Sagal Shadow Troop was embedded in the martial hall to exploit the chaos and kidnap Yong Biyang.”
“However, because Yong Hwarin was constantly at Yong Biyang’s side, Sagal Shadow Troop had to retreat without even making a move.”
The Demonic Master couldn’t help but resent Yong Hwarin.
He turned to the middle-aged man.
“Squad Leader, don’t you think Black Kill Sword might have talked? Now that he’s fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Sword Hero, there’s no doubt our plans have been exposed.”
But the middle-aged man shook his head.
“No. He only knew part of the plan. He didn’t understand the full picture. On my orders, he merely delivered a secret letter to the Iron Blood Demon Sect Leader. He had no idea that the sect would attack Phoenix-Head Martial Hall. That guy is a womanizer—I never told him any top-level secrets. Even within our Sagal Shadow Troop, he only knows scraps. No matter how much they torture him, they’ll only scratch the surface.”
“Then how did that guy find out?”
When Deung Hwaun pressed him sharply, the squad leader of Sagal Shadow Troop averted his gaze.
At that moment, from the most shadowed corner, a dull voice rang out.
“What’s the point of arguing about that now? Shouldn’t we be discussing how to properly finish the job?”
The one who spoke stepped from the darkness into the light.
It was none other than Hwang Sinjik, the Sect Leader of the Dabie Sect.
The Demonic Master nodded at him.
“Master Hwang is right. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, we should focus on forming a new plan.”
Hwang Sinjik murmured with a sly glint in his eye.
“I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?”
Hwang Sinjik was no fool.
The Dabie Sect had its roots in a Daoist temple that had long been based in Mount Dabie, sharing a philosophical lineage with sects like Mount Hua.
But the reformist faction had taken over the sect, and it was Hwang Sinjik who had led that takeover.
He was far more cunning than he appeared—he had seized control of the Dabie Sect through intrigue and scheming.
He joined this operation with the promise that if he helped destroy the Heavenly Central Sect, he would be given rule over the southern region of Henan.
That sweet temptation had been too much to resist.
“Is that so? Let’s hear it.”
The Demonic Master didn’t expect much at first, but as Hwang Sinjik continued to speak, a smile grew on his face.
“That’s brilliant. It feels like I’ve found a Zhuge Liang in the unlikeliest place.”
Receiving such praise from a renowned master, Hwang Sinjik replied humbly.
“How could I dare speak strategy in front of you, great master? Even if it’s a crude plan, if it can be of use, I’m glad.”
“How could you call that crude? It’s a magnificent scheme.”
Deung Hwaun and the Sagal Shadow Troop’s leader also looked at Hwang Sinjik with newfound respect.
They hadn’t expected someone who looked so coarse to come up with such a subtle and sophisticated plan.
None of them could think of a better idea, so they nodded.
“Then let’s get to work immediately.”
They huddled closer, laying out an even more detailed plan.
“Sa-mae, it’s time to leave. Master must be worried.”
Sa Ilhyang looked reluctant at Ho Maeyok’s words.
Ho Maeyok understood how she felt.
Her junior had stayed behind to handle matters at Phoenix-Head Martial Hall, but her eyes had constantly been on Yong Hwarin.
But with so many casualties, there was never a chance for the two to speak properly.
They’d spent several days in the same place, but only exchanged greetings—there was no time for conversation. Then, just as things began to settle down, Yong Hwarin locked himself away for several more days to treat his father, leaving Sa Ilhyang feeling frustrated.
Still, she endured.
She had hoped that once Sect Leader Yong was fully healed and recovered, she would finally have the chance to speak with Yong Hwarin.
But instead, he spent most of his time talking with the women known as the Three Killer Beauties.
Sa Ilhyang had no justifiable reason to approach him, so she could only circle around his presence.
“Why are you acting like this, Sa Ilhyang? There are plenty of men like him at the main sect.”
Ho Maeyok held back the urge to say, “Even my older brother’s just as good!”
Sa Ilhyang looked at her and asked,
“Sister, honestly, there are many martial artists with his level of skill in our sect. And quite a few have similar looks. But someone who possesses both, and is that young? That, we don’t have.”
In Mount Hua, the true masters who could be called peak-level experts held high ranks and taught disciples.
Some elders had even reached the ultimate stage of martial arts.
But they were all in their forties or fifties. While there were a few good-looking ones, they weren’t even First-rate Martial Artists yet.
Sa Ilhyang had never seen someone who checked both boxes.
Mount Hua was affiliated with the Northern Justice Alliance, and she had met many prodigies—but none like Yong Hwarin.
That’s what stirred her heart.
“Maybe that’s why women like Seomun Seoseol, Shangguan Mijong, and Pang Cheollyeon are interested in him.”
Sa Ilhyang also had a strong sense of rivalry.
If such widely admired beauties were watching him closely, she too felt the desire to compete.
If she could win over the man they desired, it would be a way of proving she was superior to them.
Even Ho Maeyok, who prided herself on having a sharp and discerning eye for men, felt a strong attraction to Yong Hwarin—how much more so for Sa Ilhyang?
“If you really like Master Yong, there might be a way to claim him for yourself.”
“What is it?”
“If the Sect Leader sends a matchmaker to him on your behalf, there’s a good chance he’ll become yours. Who could refuse the daughter of Mount Hua’s Sect Leader? But I doubt the Sect Leader would agree. Think about where he wants to marry you off. In his eyes, the Heavenly Central Sect probably isn’t even worth considering.”
Sa Ilhyang’s face clouded over at those words.
Ho Maeyok believed Sa Ilhyang was just caught in a passing crush, idolizing Yong Hwarin like a teenage girl.
She thought it would pass like a fever, and her junior would soon see things differently.
Unaware, Ho Maeyok herself had been trailing Yong Hwarin’s footsteps.
At that moment, a martial artist on horseback entered Phoenix-Head Martial Hall.