Episode 46. Great Hero Yong, Never Underestimate Your Enemy
It was said that the Poison Monster Master had two disciples, and each of them took on three students of their own. Perhaps one of them was involved in this.
Won Seung thought he should go see Physician Gong.
He also bore the heavy responsibility of reviving the Heavenly Poison Sect.
After a few rounds of drinks, nature called.
Won Seung got up, walked behind the wall, and as he relieved himself, glanced up and rubbed his eyes.
"Teacher Song, come here. Am I drunk? I think I'm seeing things."
Won Seung called out to Jong Bi, pointing at Yong Jo-woon, who was hiding in the tree.
"Doesn't it look like something's there? See that pale shape? I'm not imagining it, right?"
"Gasp, is it a ghost?"
Jong Bi, even though he knew Yong Jo-woon was a Descendant of the Yong Clan, pretended to tremble in fear, playing along.
"Maybe it's just an owl?"
Ohgu came over, picked up a stone, and threw it. The stone flew through the branches, but there was no sound—not even the thud of it hitting the ground.
"Who's there! Come out right now!"
Ohgu shouted.
‘Hmm. How did they notice me?’
Yong Jo-woon had no choice. Running away wasn’t his style.
He leapt down from the tree in one swift motion.
"Gasp!"
Everyone was startled to see Yong Jo-woon cover a distance of more than ten paces in a single bound.
He was clearly a Master beyond their expectations.
Landing in front of Won Seung, Yong Jo-woon spoke with a sheepish expression.
"So, you knew I was there."
Won Seung feigned ignorance.
"Come on, who would expect a Great Hero to be hiding in a tree? You scared us—we thought you were a ghost. Next time, just knock if you need something."
Won Seung led Yong Jo-woon over to the brazier fire.
"We were just grilling some meat. Join us."
Yong Jo-woon found Won Seung intriguing. Most people avoided Martial Artists, thinking they could take a life at any moment.
Even that Teacher Song fellow and the one beside him wouldn’t even meet his eyes after seeing his Movement Technique.
But Won Seung was completely at ease. In fact, sometimes it even felt like he was being a bit disrespectful.
Could it be? Has he trained in Martial Arts?
Assuming Won Seung might have some training, Yong Jo-woon studied him. The loose clothes made it hard to judge his conditioning, but his balanced build and movements were definitely out of the ordinary.
‘His solar plexus looks unremarkable, so he probably hasn’t trained Internal Energy… Maybe he focused on External Martial Arts, like the Fist and Body Method.’
That was possible. Even ordinary people sometimes practiced basic Fist and Body Methods for their health. Some, proud of their progress, even fancied themselves Masters.
But Won Seung wasn’t the type to overestimate himself.
‘Is he relying on his status?’
Yong Jo-woon had heard that Won Seung came from a prestigious family in the imperial capital. His mannerisms were annoyingly similar to those of high-ranking officials.
Though, at times, he did say things that were unexpectedly crude.
"Here, have some."
Won Seung sliced off a generous piece of meat and offered it to Yong Jo-woon.
Gulp!
Grrrgle!
Yong Jo-woon’s mouth watered and his stomach growled.
Even a Master gets hungry if he hasn’t eaten.
Peerless Valley viewed Martial Arts as a path of cultivation and regarded money as something trivial. Influenced by this, Yong Jo-woon had no interest in wealth and lived little better than a beggar.
He stayed at the Ruined House of the Yong Clan simply because he couldn’t afford an inn.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d eaten meat.
As Yong Jo-woon tore into the meat, Won Seung asked,
"Great Hero, just how high is your Martial Arts? Are you one of the Ten Great Experts?"
Yong Jo-woon looked at Won Seung in disbelief. To ask so bluntly about someone’s Realm…
‘He really knows nothing about Murim etiquette.’
Won Seung pressed further.
"Could you take on the Heavenly Observation Pavilion Master and Hwa Cheon-gang at the same time?"
What a clueless question. Who could possibly face two of the Hundred Great Experts at once? To be among the top hundred meant not only outstanding Martial Arts, but also surviving countless life-and-death battles.
Even the Ten Great Experts would struggle to take on two such monsters at once.
When Yong Jo-woon avoided answering, Won Seung nodded.
"I guess that would be too much."
"Why are you asking me this?"
"I told you, didn’t I? I said I’d bring Hwa Cheon-gang to you."
Yong Jo-woon’s eyes flashed sharply.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"I don’t make empty promises. But to bring Hwa Cheon-gang, the Heavenly Observation Pavilion Master will have to show up too."
"What?"
"We’ll have a three-way Martial Arts Duel. You, Hwa Cheon-gang, and the Heavenly Observation Pavilion Master—three of you fighting on the same Martial Arts Stage."
"Is that even possible?"
Yong Jo-woon, chewing his meat, dismissed the idea as nonsense.
"You keep ignoring what I say. That’s a bad habit, you know."
"Why are you so interested in this, anyway?"
"Honestly, it’s because it involves a friend of mine."
"A friend?"
"Hua Yeo-wol of the Clear Water Sect is my friend. If you fight Hwa Cheon-gang for revenge, the Heavenly Observation Pavilion Master is just waiting for a chance to wipe out the Clear Water Sect. If that happens, my friend could die too. So of course I care."
"……"
"I just want those involved to settle things themselves. Whether it’s a grudge or ambition, it should be resolved by those who have a stake in it. Dragging innocent people in and causing needless deaths only creates more resentment and karma. Is that what you want, Great Hero?"
"I told you, I’m not a Great Hero!"
"I know. A Great Hero wouldn’t hide in a tree spying on people. But you’re new to Murim, aren’t you? You may be inexperienced now, but you have the makings of a Great Hero, so I’ll treat you as one."
‘This brat…’
Yong Jo-woon glared. This kid was toying with him. His expression grew fierce, but Won Seung continued, unfazed.
"If you agree, I’ll go to Hwa Cheon-gang and convince him to accept the three-way duel. Didn’t you say you wanted to kill the Heavenly Observation Pavilion Master anyway? Wouldn’t it be better to settle everything at once?"
"……"
If that were possible, nothing could be better… But could he really defeat two of the Hundred Great Experts in succession? Yong Jo-woon was young and full of fire, but he knew his limits.
As Yong Jo-woon hesitated, Won Seung seemed to read his mind and held up one finger.
"You don’t have to fight them both at once. Even though it’s a three-way duel, you’ll face them one at a time. You take out the Heavenly Observation Pavilion Master first. Hwa Cheon-gang will just watch. Once you defeat the Pavilion Master, you’ll have your final showdown with Hwa Cheon-gang."
"Do you really think Hwa Cheon-gang will just stand by and watch?"
If he didn’t have to fight them both at once, the odds improved a bit. Fighting back-to-back would be tough, but… Yong Jo-woon trusted in his own abilities. What he didn’t trust was Hwa Cheon-gang. When his fight with Cheon Il-hae reached its climax, Hwa Cheon-gang would surely try to kill them both.
"You think I’d arrange this duel without any safety measures?"
"What do you mean, safety measures?"
"How long would it take you to deal with Cheon Il-hae?"
"Hmph! That guy’s reputation is all smoke and mirrors. If we’re talking real skill, he doesn’t even belong among the Hundred Great Experts."
Cheon Il-hae used to do menial work for the Yong Clan. Yong Jo-woon still remembered and looked down on him.
Won Seung sighed.
"Great Hero Yong, you can’t underestimate your enemies. I get that you’re full of spirit as a newcomer to Murim, but how many people have died because they underestimated their foes? Cheon Il-hae must have some hidden trump card—otherwise, he wouldn’t be the Pavilion Master or counted among the Hundred Great Experts."
Being called a newcomer to Murim over and over was infuriating.
"How old are you, anyway?"
"Age doesn’t matter in Murim. Skill comes first."
Yong Jo-woon was speechless. This bookish kid, who probably couldn’t even hold a sword properly, was lecturing him about skill.
"Skill isn’t just about Martial Arts. You need this, too."
Won Seung tapped his temple with his index finger.
Yong Jo-woon let out a sigh and thought it over. If things went as Won Seung said, it might just work.
But he couldn’t help but be suspicious of Won Seung’s motives. He must be after something.
"Don’t use Hua Yeo-wol as an excuse. Tell me what you’re really after. Are you trying to eliminate the two overlords of Xiangyang and turn it into ownerless territory? Planning to put Seongwang House’s lackeys in their place?"
"Oh! I’m impressed. That’s a sharp deduction."
Won Seung applauded.
"You’ve got the uprightness of a Great Hero and a quick mind to match—you could become a cunning villain, too."
"What did you just say?"
Yong Jo-woon finally lost his temper and tried to smack Won Seung on the head. But Ohgu, standing nearby, reflexively reached out.
Since neither used Internal Energy or Martial Arts techniques, it was easy to intercept.
Thud!
Ohgu’s hand caught Yong Jo-woon’s wrist.
Their eyes met. Seeing Yong Jo-woon’s burning gaze, Ohgu’s own eyes wavered.
"Gasp! Hiccup!"
Ohgu, startled by his own reflex, hiccupped.
Yong Jo-woon knew both Jong Bi and Ohgu had trained in Martial Arts.
He glared at Ohgu for a moment, then withdrew his fist.
"Hiccup!"
Won Seung patted Ohgu’s back.
"Go get some water."
Ohgu staggered off toward the well, still in disbelief at his own boldness.
"You have loyal subordinates," Yong Jo-woon remarked. Won Seung replied seriously,
"Winning someone’s loyalty isn’t hard. Keeping it is what’s difficult. Becoming friends with Hua Yeo-wol means I intend to protect that loyalty, too."
For Yong Jo-woon, who had spent his life training for revenge in the mountains, these words didn’t quite resonate.
"I have nothing to do with Seongwang House. Of course, I have my own motives. I do have a small favor to ask. Please don’t refuse."
"A favor?"
"Kill someone for me."
"…?"
Yong Jo-woon was so stunned his jaw dropped.
To call killing someone a small favor—what would a big favor be?
Won Seung stood up, clasped one hand behind his back, opened a folding fan with the other, and looked up at the night sky, striking the pose of a patriot worrying about his country’s future. Then, with a serious face, he said,
"He’s a bad man. His existence harms many people. If you’re a Great Hero, you should punish such a person. Where have all the Great Heroes gone, that the world is left to scoundrels like him… It’s just shameful."
Of course, Yong Jo-woon wasn’t about to fall for such childish tricks. He eyed Won Seung suspiciously.
"So you want me to kill someone as payment for arranging the three-way duel?"
"It’s a gamble for me, too. If you die in the duel, all my effort is wasted."
"Hmph!"
Yong Jo-woon snorted and stood up abruptly.
"I’ve wasted my time listening to this. My blade is not the tool of some petty assassin. It seeks the one true saber in this world."
Jong Bi, the current petty assassin grilling meat by the fire, flinched.
‘He really is from Peerless Valley.’