Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Dokgo Jin said calmly,

“As I said, I merely carried out my mission. Fortunately, I did not fail, so I am satisfied with that.”

Grand Elder Yong looked surprised.

“……Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“Ho ho, you are a rare young man these days.”

Grand Elder Yong’s gaze softened considerably.

It was exactly as Dokgo Jin had intended.

‘I can receive a reward, but the moment I accept one, my connection with Grand Elder Yong ends there.’

That was the nature of Grand Elder Yong that Dokgo Jin had grasped.

A material reward settled a relationship. But an ‘unpaid debt of the heart’ sustained one.

Winning his goodwill and leaving him with a sense of debt like this would be a far greater gain than any treasure he could receive right now.

‘And later, if Grand Elder Yong becomes Head of the Council of Elders, I can gain even more.’

Of course, he did not know who would become Head of the Council of Elders. But it was a clear fact that Grand Elder Yong was one of the most likely candidates.

Yong Chae-rin, who could not possibly know his thoughts, looked regretful.

“Do you really…… not want anything?”

“That is so, Lady Yong.”

Yong Chae-rin’s expression turned crestfallen.

“Now even I am starting to feel disappointed.”

“…….”

“All right. If that is your wish, Great Hero, then it cannot be helped. Instead, whenever you need help, please tell me. Even in secret. If you tell me, I will ask Grandfather for you.”

“Hmm? Are you passing the debt you owe on to me?”

Yong Chae-rin smiled and said,

“I will make that my fifteenth birthday present.”

“Ha! I did not expect that.”

Yong Chae-rin was usually calm and quiet, but in front of her beloved grandfather, she became a child.

Yong Chae-rin turned her head toward Dokgo Jin and said,

“Please be sure to do that, Great Hero Dokgo.”

“…….”

Dokgo Jin had no choice but to nod.

After Dokgo Jin withdrew.

Grand Elder Yong asked with a much calmer expression,

“Chae-rin, what do you think of that young man named Dokgo Jin?”

“Of course, he is a good person to me. He is my lifesaver.”

“Not that. You have a special ‘sense,’ do you not?”

Grand Elder Yong also knew of her ability.

Yong Chae-rin’s father was one of the great merchants of Lanzhou, and he had, in fact, used her ability to earn quite a large profit.

However, Yong Chae-rin shook her head.

“I…… do not know.”

“Hmm?”

“The ‘color’ Great Hero Dokgo carries was something I felt for the first time too.”

Grand Elder Yong became curious.

“What was it like?”

“It was extremely dark.”

Grand Elder Yong flinched.

“Could it be…… that you sensed Demonic Qi?”

Yong Chae-rin firmly shook her head.

“It was not Demonic Qi. I faced the Corpse-Blood Demon this time and felt so much of it that I know for certain.”

“…….”

“I felt no malice or threat from it at all. Great Hero Dokgo was literally darkness itself.”

Grand Elder Yong stroked his beard.

“I hear the Dragon-Tiger Tablet Holder is the successor of the Nether Soul Style. It is not a very famous martial school. From what is known so far, its limits are also clear.”

“…….”

“If that is true, he may have attained the essence of the Nether Soul Style and reached a new realm.”

Such cases did occasionally happen.

A disciple from an insignificant sect would suddenly awaken and become a master of a level that should never have emerged from that sect.

‘He has reached an extraordinary realm at a young age…… but what a pity.’

In other words, the martial arts of the Nether Soul Style had already fully seeped into his body.

In that state, he could not learn other higher martial arts.

Even if Dokgo Jin had opened a new realm, it was ultimately still the Nether Soul Style. It would be difficult for him to reach a realm beyond his current one.

If that had been possible, another master of the Nether Soul Style would have shown it long ago.

He might be able to leap beyond one level, but two or more would be impossible.

‘He is talent on the level of a Captain. Anything beyond that will be difficult. I thought I had finally found a promising talent…….’

“Grandfather.”

At Yong Chae-rin’s call, Grand Elder Yong awakened from his thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“Now please tell me. Why did you call me to the Northern Heaven Alliance?”

“Ah, right…… I am sorry again. I did not know the Corpse-Blood Demon would be that vicious.”

In his younger days, the Corpse-Blood Demon had once fought Grand Elder Yong, suffered a crushing defeat, and sworn revenge.

It had happened more than twenty years ago, but the Corpse-Blood Demon had not forgotten. He had watched for an opportunity, and this time, when he learned that Yong Chae-rin was heading to Northern Heaven Castle, he had set a trap.

Yong Chae-rin shook her head.

“You have apologized enough, so you can stop now. Even if it was your oversight, Grandfather, the Corpse-Blood Demon’s fault for using such a despicable method is far greater.”

“……Thank you.”

Grand Elder Yong smiled and continued.

“This old grandfather called you here to free you from Heavenly Punishment.”

“……Pardon?”

“I finally found it. A way to heal your eyes.”

“……!”

Yong Chae-rin’s mouth fell open on its own.

***

After returning, Dokgo Jin was summoned by Yeom Baek.

“So, what did the Grand Elder say?”

“He thanked me.”

At Dokgo Jin’s answer, Yeom Baek nodded.

“I thought he would. So, what did you ask of Grand Elder Yong?”

“I asked for nothing.”

“Hmm?”

“I merely carried out my mission as a member of the Iron Soul Unit. I do not desire compensation.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Yeom Baek laughed as if amused.

“Yes, that is the correct principle. But could you not have shown a little flexibility?”

“Is that so?”

When Dokgo Jin asked back, Yeom Baek crossed his arms and said,

“Fine. I will give you reasons why you ought to receive compensation.”

He raised one index finger.

“First, strictly speaking, this was not an official mission. I accepted Grand Elder Yong’s personal request and carried it out alone without reporting it to the Alliance.”

In Yeom Baek’s younger days, he had been a fearless martial artist who would even butt heads with his superiors if he thought something was wrong.

It would not have been strange if he had been expelled long ago, but Grand Elder Yong had noticed him and backed him.

Thanks to that, Yeom Baek had been able to rise to the position of Captain of the Iron Soul Unit.

From his perspective, it had been difficult to refuse Grand Elder Yong’s request.

“In the end, you were mobilized for a private matter.”

Dokgo Jin shook his head.

“I think differently. You are my superior, Captain. I believe it is the natural duty of a subordinate to carry out the orders given by his superior.”

Without bothering to argue, Yeom Baek extended a second finger.

“Second, even if it was a mission, you can receive a special reward as much as you like. There is no issue with it at all, so there is no reason to reject compensation.”

“…….”

“Third, your performance in this matter was especially outstanding. Do you think anyone can stand in front of the Corpse-Blood Demon? Considering that alone, you fully deserve a reward.”

Yeom Baek’s expression turned serious.

“It is not too late even now. Request a meeting at once and say you will receive compensation. I recommend spirit medicine or a secret manual.”

The weakness of young martial artists was usually insufficient inner arts, and Dokgo Jin was a disciple of the Nether Soul Style, a relatively poorly regarded school.

Therefore, spirit medicine and secret manuals would be more than useful to him. At least, that was Yeom Baek’s judgment.

“Of course, it may be a little embarrassing. But that will only last a moment. When you consider the benefit of spirit medicine or a secret manual, there is absolutely no need to hesitate.”

If anything, Yeom Baek seemed even more impatient than he was.

Dokgo Jin had no choice but to nod.

“I will consider it.”

“Yes, and make that consideration as brief as possible.”

“If that is all you had to say…….”

Just as Dokgo Jin was about to rise from his seat, Yeom Baek spoke again.

“I heard from the unit members that you confronted the Corpse-Blood Demon for no less than a quarter-hour.”

Dokgo Jin lied calmly.

“It was not that long. It was an urgent situation, so they may have mistaken it.”

“Vice-Captain Yu and the squad leaders all said the same thing, though.”

“Everyone was in a similar situation. In such a crisis, does a quarter-hour not feel like a two-hour period?”

Unable to hold back, Yeom Baek asked the question he was most curious about.

“Whether it was a quarter-hour or half a quarter-hour, it does not really matter. How on earth were you able to endure against that monster while remaining unharmed?”

Dokgo Jin gave the answer he had prepared.

“It was partly because the Corpse-Blood Demon was careless…… and my school has a special martial art that neutralizes an opponent’s attacks. Thanks to that, I was able to buy time against the Corpse-Blood Demon, however briefly.”

“……Is that so?”

A special martial art ultimately meant a secret technique.

Prying into another person’s martial arts in detail was a serious breach of etiquette.

‘Even so…….’

Yeom Baek was inwardly unconvinced, but it was not completely incomprehensible.

“Understood. You know that this mission is confidential, yes? You must not speak of it carelessly.”

“Of course.”

***

The Vermilion Bird Flag Master, who returned to Northern Heaven Castle after the Iron Soul Unit with a time lag, immediately headed to her library.

“I definitely remember seeing something similar somewhere…….”

Unexpectedly, her hobby as a master was reading.

The Vermilion Bird Flag Master’s library was not only spacious, but it also held an enormous number of books, numbering no fewer than ten thousand.

She repeatedly pulled books from the shelves, examined them briefly, then tossed them behind her.

“This is why reading too much is also a problem.”

What the Vermilion Bird Flag Master was searching for was the true identity of the energy she had sensed from Dokgo Jin.

Dark and deep, yet mysterious and intense internal qi.

It was a kind she had never felt before.

‘I am sure I saw something about a similar energy somewhere.’

Because she had read many books since childhood, her head was full of countless pieces of knowledge. Because of that, she could not remember exactly where she had seen it.

After rummaging through the shelves for quite some time, she let out a deep sigh.

“Haa. Should I just call him and ask?”

The Vermilion Bird Flag Master was already certain that Dokgo Jin was not merely a successor of something like the Nether Soul Style.

‘No, he may have learned the Nether Soul Style, but it is certain that it is not his main martial art.’

Seen that way, Dokgo Jin was hiding his lineage, but the Vermilion Bird Flag Master did not think much of that.

‘No. That would hurt my pride.’

She wanted to appear before the bastard who was hiding it and pierce straight to the heart of the matter.

‘I will find out your lineage no matter what, Dokgo Jin.’

A strange obsession appeared in her eyes.

How much time had passed?

The Vermilion Bird Flag Master was buried in books. An enormous number of books were strewn everywhere, but more than two-thirds of them were still in the shelves.

“……Damn it.”

She took out her long-stemmed pipe and lit it.

“Hooah.”

White smoke filled the air, then vanished.

‘No good. I cannot find it this way.’

In the end, she reached the conclusion that she would have to check, one by one, the books she had read that contained any mention of martial arts.

‘It feels like I am about to remember, but I cannot, and that makes me even angrier.’

However, the Vermilion Bird Flag Master also possessed patience.

‘First, I should attach watchers to him.’

Thinking about it, she had never seen Dokgo Jin personally perform his martial arts. If she saw even a single form or half-style that he performed, she might remember.

‘If they are to watch him carefully without resting for even a moment, I will need to attach two.’

It was difficult for her to personally keep watch, given her dignity as a Flag Master.

‘Reports from my subordinates will be enough.’

The Vermilion Bird Flag Master’s somewhat eccentric obsession had begun.