Chapter 33
Benefactor (4)
Whoosh—!
A gust of fierce wind swept by as the man in the white mask fled, glancing back over his shoulder.
Who in the world is that brat?
He truly couldn’t understand.
Not only did he break through this sect’s illusions and formations, but he also displayed martial strength, palm force, and finally even swung his sword as if it were a staff!
The Three Talents Sword Style was nothing special.
Though its foundational principles were solid, such techniques could be broken in an instant.
But those punches, that palm force, and the way he wielded the sword like a short staff—none of it was ordinary.
The techniques had been far too peculiar.
They had looked unimpressive, yet his own moves had been countered and shattered, leaving him unable to muster any strength.
It must be the martial arts of some great clan…
Yet he couldn’t tell which sect or lineage they came from.
Some names did occur to him—but that made even less sense.
That straight punch reeked of Shaolin monks. The palm force that deflected my strike was like Wudang. And when he swung his sword like a cudgel to smash my attack aside, it resembled the Beggars’ Sect’s staff techniques.
That was impossible.
To use Shaolin, Wudang, and Beggars’ Sect techniques simultaneously?
No, no… impossible!
He shook his head.
I don’t know. I really don’t know.
With questions unresolved, the renegade sorcerer in the white mask shrank into the distance and disappeared.
***
The rescue of Jin Jo-yeon.
Despite that remarkable feat, neither Jang Won-pyeong nor the escorts of the caravan could rejoice.
“Lord Jang,” Kang Yong-un said gravely. “Do you remember what I told you earlier?”
Though the situation should have been worth celebrating, his serious face dampened the mood.
“What do you mean…?”
“Don’t you recall? I said that once we got inside the formation, I had something to tell you.”
“…Ah?!”
Kang Yong-un’s voice grew heavy.
“Your young master has been subjected to a kind of forbidden binding by those men.”
He deliberately called it a “binding,” disguising the truth of it being sorcery.
There’s no need to reveal everything.
Even if he explained, it wasn’t certain they would understand sorcery the way he did. Nor could he be sure they would trust him enough to leave Jo-yeon in his care.
So it was simpler to call it a curse and act quickly.
“A forbidden binding?”
“That wretch… vile bastard.”
The captains fumed, but fortunately Jang Won-pyeong grasped the implication.
“Then… you mean you can undo it?”
Kang Yong-un slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
“Is it urgent? One of those bindings where every moment matters?”
“Of course. The sooner it’s removed, the better his chances. But if time drags on—even I cannot guarantee the outcome.”
How could they hesitate after that?
Young Master…!
Jang Won-pyeong looked at Jo-yeon, his heart aching.
The youth still showed no sign of waking.
Though they had rescued him, they couldn’t tell what injuries he bore—nor whether he would even survive the trip to a physician.
His breathing seems steady, but that cursed binding…
Whatever it was, even this mysterious youth said delay would be fatal.
Should we bring him to Seolbong Prefecture to see a doctor?
The thought was dismissed as quickly as it came.
Even if we did, what physician could undo a sorcerous binding laid by those villains?
Perhaps someone at the Jin clan’s main house—but it was too risky to try.
So his life hangs on my trust and judgment…
Jang Won-pyeong met Kang Yong-un’s clear, kind gaze.
Eyes that had pierced the enemy formation and guided them to victory.
Fine.
He made his choice.
I’ll believe in him.
If he was wrong, he’d have offended the Jin clan. But if he was right, he would have rendered great service to both clan and heir.
“I beg of you, sir. Please free our young master from that vicious binding.”
His voice was desperate.
“Please, benefactor.”
“Sir Kang, I implore you…”
The captains echoed him, placing their trust in the man who had undone the formation and fought alongside them.
“Stand guard,” Kang Yong-un instructed.
He steadied his breath and approached the deathly still Jin Jo-yeon.
***
Half a day later.
Kang Yong-un stood amid battle in the depths of Seolbong Mountain, at the bandits’ stronghold.
“You lawless mountain scum—!”
Clang! Clang! Swish!
“Argh!”
“Guhhh—!”
As Jin Jo-yeon slashed down bandits without mercy, Kang Yong-un could only shake his head inwardly.
I drew out the sorcery, but… that ruthless sword hand seems to be inborn.
Indeed, he had removed the spell.
It was the second time—far weaker than the first, so the process had been quick and easy.
He had invoked his Great Celestial Divine Art to its fullest, yet even the elders of the Heavens had not intervened—signifying their trust.
And when the foreign sorcery dissolved like melting spring snow, the caravan guards had cried out in awe.
—What the hell is that?!
—What kind of curse was it, to leave such a mark?!
—He uprooted it completely—from our young master’s very head!
—It’s a miracle. I saw it vanish with my own eyes!
When Jo-yeon awoke and heard the details, however, his rage took a different turn.
—How dare they! Those arrogant Seolbong bandits stole two whole wagons of our goods?!
He was more furious about the stolen cargo than the sorcerer’s binding.
—We pursue them at once, Lord Jang! Mobilize the caravan guards, now!
There was no stopping him once he raged.
Well, at least he’s lively…
It was only natural. A direct heir of a merchant clan would value goods even above his own safety.
—Then… I’ll take my leave now.
—Please, benefactor, don’t!
Just as Kang Yong-un tried to excuse himself, Jo-yeon cried out to him.
—If we fail this escort, my life is as good as forfeit anyway. You saved me—please see me through to the end.
He was fiery, reckless, but also desperate.
And so, though Yong-un wished to depart, he stayed.
—You’re headed to the Jin clan anyway, are you not?
—Forgive me for asking, but please accompany us.
—Who knows how many more bandits lurk in their den?
—And perhaps the sorcerer who bound me waits there still…
One by one, Jo-yeon, Won-pyeong, and the captains begged him.
Hmph. I was heading to the Jin clan anyway. Refusing would hardly help my case when meeting the former clan head.
So he went along.
Now, the mountain fortress echoed with shouts:
“How dare you target the Jin merchant guild?! Do you think you’ll escape unscathed?!”
“Divine punishment shall strike you! Haaah!”
“Die!”
The fifty caravan guards cut through the bandits without mercy.
Too many lives are being taken, Kang thought grimly.
Clang! Swish!
“Argh!”
“Guhhh—!”
They cut down every foe, even those fleeing in panic.
Defending against those who attack with killing intent is fair. But chasing down and slaughtering those who try to run…
It troubled him deeply.
So he called out cautiously to Jo-yeon and Won-pyeong.
“You said your goal was to recover the goods. Then should we not refrain from cutting down those who flee?”
He bit back the words Heaven may be angered, though they rose to his lips.
Fortunately, the two men responded at once.
“Caravan guard—secure the wagons first!”
“Protect the carriages and clear our retreat!”
Whether from reason or convenience, they heeded his advice and ceased the slaughter, focusing instead on reclaiming the cargo.
Good.
A weight lifted from Kang Yong-un’s chest.
“Thank you for your wisdom, sir,” said Won-pyeong.
“In my fury I forgot what truly mattered. You’ve reminded me. Thank you, benefactor.”
But Jo-yeon’s thanks felt different.
So, to him, the goods truly outweigh everything else…
It was the mindset of a merchant through and through.
Kang Yong-un studied him once more.
No trace of sorcery. So this is his true nature.
The caravan regrouped, disciplined and organized.
“First squad, open the way! Second and third, guard the flanks! Fourth and fifth, cover the rear!”
“Move out!”
Thus ended the reign of Seolbong Stronghold, which had dominated the mountain for a year under the protection of a renegade sorcerer.
***
In the depths of darkness.
Crackle!
A man in crimson-embroidered robes radiated killing intent.
“What did you say? That Yeom Gi-jin of the Black Lotus awoke as if nothing had happened?”
His voice was incredulous.
The sorcery implanted in Yeom’s mind had been laid by none other than himself.
“Yes, Redflame Lord. We verified it through the mouths of servants, attendants, and guards of the Black Lotus. It is certain.”
“Upon waking, he should have fallen into madness, lashing out in rage, tearing physicians or attendants apart. But instead, he remained calm.”
“He only purged the elders aligned with the Grand Elder faction after the Red Dragon King’s return. Nothing more.”
The reports were unanimous.
The sorcery had failed.
The grand undertaking, for which immense resources had been expended, had all come to nothing.
“They could not possibly have broken my sorcery! Find out why!”
This was Redflame Lord, one of the highest figures in the renegade cult. His roar shook the chamber.
“Yes, my lord!”
“Yes!”
With firm voices, his subordinates melted away into the shadows.
“…Damn it.”
Left alone, Redflame Lord cursed bitterly.
“I meant to present the Black Lotus to the Young Cult Master as one of the vessels for world dominion…”
That was why he had invested so much—why he had sacrificed so many lives—to inscribe the True Spirit Soul-Binding Art into Yeom Gi-jin’s mind.
And yet, it had failed.
“My sorcery was executed flawlessly.”
The True Spirit Soul-Binding Art summoned the spirit of a powerful renegade ancestor and implanted it into the subject’s brain.
“Once complete, not even the Black Lotus Lord himself could break it.”
There had to be another reason.
And he would find it—for the sake of his master, the Young Cult Leader, and the renegade cult’s dominion over the Central Plains.
