Chapter 49

Chapter 49.

“…This man would be good as the first sacrifice. Rank one hundred. Young Gang Leader of the Black Dragon Gang, Little Dragon.”

Uncheon pointed at the bottom of the Wind and Cloud Ranking, the very last line.

“The Black Dragon Gang? It’s a mid-sized faction of the cult famous for external arts. Still, that’s rather impressive. To make it onto the Wind and Cloud Ranking with external arts alone. Even if he is at the very bottom.”

Yayul Hui glanced sideways at the Wind and Cloud Ranking in Uncheon’s hand and curled the corner of her mouth with interest.

“Do you know him?”

“Only his face, more or less? I may not look it, but I’m from one of the Twelve Guardian Families, you know?”

A confident smile appeared on Yayul Hui’s face.

She tapped the name Little Dragon on the Wind and Cloud Ranking with her finger and added an explanation.

“I heard he learned an external art called Black Iron Steel Body. They say that even though it’s an external art, it’s better than most First Rate masters.”

Uncheon nodded.

For him, who knew little about the internal affairs of the Demonic Cult, the information network of Yayul Hui, who came from a prestigious family, would be quite useful.

“If that helped, you should pay the price, right?”

As if she had been waiting for that, Yayul Hui stepped in front of Uncheon and blocked his path.

Her eyes shone fiercely.

“I’m going too. On the sparring journey.”

“…You too?”

“Yes. Even if I spar inside the Demonic Martial Hall for a hundred days, I’ll still be nothing but a frog in a well. I need real combat too. And above all….”

Her gaze lingered briefly on the name of her elder brother, “Yayul Cheok,” written near the top of the Wind and Cloud Ranking, then turned back to Uncheon.

“I don’t plan on just watching you climb up there by yourself. I’m going to surpass you one day.”

Uncheon laughed softly.

It was bold, but it was a fighting spirit he did not dislike.

Having a companion would not be bad.

Especially if it was Yayul Hui, who knew the geography and ways of the Demonic Cult well; she would make an excellent guide.

“Fine. But there is something we need to resolve before that.”

“What?”

“We still belong to the Demonic Martial Hall. We cannot leave without the Hall Master’s permission.”

At Uncheon’s words, Yayul Hui looked as though she had realized it too late.

The two of them immediately headed to the office of Gal Muheun, the Demonic Martial Hall Master.

***

“A sparring journey….”

The air in the office was heavy.

Gal Muheun toyed with his teacup as he looked between the two of them.

If Uncheon had come alone from the beginning, he would have sent him off without complaint.

‘Tch. Since I joined hands with those Inspectorate bastards for the time being, I cannot stop him now. But… I did not expect even Yayul Hui to step forward.’

His eyes curved narrowly.

“You brats have only just become formal warriors, yet your bodies are already itching because you want to taste the outside air?”

“I felt that training in the Inner Archive alone was insufficient. I need more real combat experience.”

Rather, because Yayul Hui had come with him, Gal Muheun pretended to hesitate.

‘No… rather, it might be better in many ways for her, a member of the Mad Wind Yayul Family, to accompany him.’

Having finished thinking, Gal Muheun took two plaques from a drawer.

Tap.

“They are Demonic Martial Hall entry plaques. If you carry them, you will be able to freely enter and leave the Demonic Martial Hall.”

It was easier permission than expected.

Yayul Hui’s eyes grew round as though she found it unexpected.

“You are really… sending us out? Without conditions?”

“A condition… There is one.”

Gal Muheun’s gaze sank coldly.

He turned the plaques over and engraved words into them with a Judge’s Brush.

[Defeat Is Not Allowed]

“Defeat is not allowed.”

The fierce spirit emanating from the characters Gal Muheun had written overwhelmed the two of them.

“You are my direct subordinates and the face of the Demonic Martial Hall. If you go outside and get beaten by half-baked bastards, my dignity will be in shambles.”

He grinned and added.

“If you return after losing, I will work you so hard that you will wish you had died outside instead.”

Uncheon and Yayul Hui gave a clasped hands greeting at the same time and bowed their heads.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“We will be back!”

After the two of them withdrew, Gal Muheun, left alone in his office, stared out the window.

He could see two shadows leaving the Demonic Martial Hall.

“…A sparring journey, is it? Their hot blood is admirable. For those two, entering the Wind and Cloud Ranking itself will not be a problem. However….”

Gal Muheun took out a letter he had prepared in advance and called his adjutant.

“Adjutant. Send this letter to the Ilwol Merchant Guild by carrier pigeon. The time has come to keep our promise.”

“Understood.”

After even the adjutant disappeared, Gal Muheun, left alone, smiled bitterly.

“What worries me is after their names enter the Wind and Cloud Ranking… Tch. It will be a wilderness different from the competition inside the Demonic Martial Hall.”

But soon, Gal Muheun recalled the schemes and political ability Uncheon had shown, and the recipient of the letter he had just sent. Then he shook his head.

“…Well, those brats are not so easy to deal with either. Perhaps it is only this old man’s needless worry.”

***

After leaving the main gate of the Demonic Martial Hall, the two of them headed straight for the Black Dragon Gang.

Yayul Hui took charge of guiding the way.

“The Black Dragon Gang isn’t that far from the Demonic Martial Hall. We should arrive before sunset!”

Yayul Hui said as she took the lead.

The saber hanging at her waist swayed lightly every time she walked.

“You seem excited.”

“Of course I am! I thought I was going to rot for several more years shut inside the Demonic Martial Hall’s stone chamber. Aren’t you excited? It’s finally a journey through the martial world!”

Instead of answering Yayul Hui’s question, Uncheon silently stroked the Black-Steel Cold Iron wrapped around his wrist.

“Excited… I am not sure.”

Uncheon’s gaze stared into the distance, as if piercing through the direction where the Black Dragon Gang was located.

“I merely want to confirm something.”

“Confirm? What?”

“The skills of true rising talents of the Demonic Cult, not the brats of the Hidden Demon Cave.”

“Certainly… The rising talents listed on the Wind and Cloud Ranking will be on a different level from the Hidden Demon Cave. If a sect or family has size and power within the cult, there’s no need for them to go to the Hidden Demon Cave….”

Yayul Hui was an exception, as she had volunteered to come in order to escape her family, and the Sagal Muk Family was likewise an exception, as it had long been notorious for its tyranny.

“Hearing that makes me look forward to this even more.”

A cold smile settled on Uncheon’s lips.

When Yayul Hui saw that smile, she thought despite herself.

‘…The more I look at him, the less he seems like someone who was dragged here. Especially that fighting spirit… It’s even stronger than those born and raised in the Demonic Cult.’

By the time they descended Mount Gonryun and arrived at the village entrance where the Black Dragon Gang was located, the sun was already sinking.

However, the scenery there was far from the quiet of a village preparing for night.

BUZZZZ―.

“Damn it, look at how packed it is!”

“The Black Dragon Gang must be sitting on a pile of money again today.”

“Tch, the sun is already about to set, so are we out of luck again today?”

The area around the Black Dragon Gang was boiling with crowds like a bustling marketplace.

People had gathered like swarms of ants.

Most of them were young wanderers desperate to put their names on the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

“This is… even more of a mess than I expected?”

Yayul Hui muttered with a frown.

“Is this all because of the Wind and Cloud Ranking? Its influence is considerable.”

Uncheon also knew that there were many martial artists in the Demonic Cult, but he had not expected this many people to gather in a quiet village.

A large reception desk had been set up in front of the Black Dragon Gang’s main gate, and warriors holding money pouches stood before it.

“Now, now! Do not push! Today’s challenges are closed!”

A warrior of the Black Dragon Gang seated behind the reception desk shouted arrogantly.

“Damn it! We came up empty again!”

“No, I’ve been standing in line for hours since morning, and now you say it’s closed?”

The challengers’ complaints burst out, but the warriors of the Black Dragon Gang merely snorted.

“Quiet!”

“There are this many challengers. Do you think the Young Gang Leader can face all of them?”

“Are you trying to make him fight a wheel battle? The Young Gang Leader must rest too! Come back tomorrow!”

Since this many people had gathered, they could not accept everyone’s challenge.

At a glance, the words sounded plausible.

“…No, even so, demanding money just to register is too much…!”

“If you have complaints, get lost!”

“The Young Gang Leader of our Black Dragon Gang is a master whose name is listed on the Wind and Cloud Ranking! Is one tael of silver not cheap as a fee to request instruction from such a master?”

“What’s the point of registering? Even if I wait all day, my turn never comes!”

The warrior jerked his chin toward another reception desk beside him.

“Then use that ‘express evaluation desk’ over there. Of course, the fee is ten taels of silver.”

“What…! Ten taels of silver?!”

“With that much… you could live for a year!”

A strange gleam appeared in Uncheon’s eyes.

It was an amusing sight.

Only those ranked one hundredth and above had their names recorded on the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

‘He has taken hold of that and is doing business with it.’

Little Dragon was collecting enormous registration fees under the pretext of accepting challenges.

But even if someone registered, it did not mean he could fight Little Dragon immediately.

Even after registering, he had to pass through several stages of tests.

“The first round is a stamina test, and the second round is a spar against one of the Black Dragon Gang’s elites… Only after passing all of that can one meet Little Dragon….”

As Uncheon recited it in a low voice, Yayul Hui burst into an incredulous laugh.

“Hah! The challengers will be drained from taking tests before they even meet Little Dragon, and Little Dragon will save his strength while counting money, then face the exhausted challengers, won’t he?”

Rather than a fair match, it was a thoroughly calculated structure.

They were filtering out or exhausting challengers during the testing process, then maintaining his rank by facing those whose stamina had been depleted.

On top of that, if they accepted a few challenges and then locked the doors like this, the challengers left wanting more could only stamp their feet in frustration.

“He is a bastard who knows how to use his head fairly well….”

It was cowardly, but in the world of the Demonic Cult, where the strong devoured the weak, it was something that could be called a “clever method of survival.”

Of course, even that was only possible because the organization called the Black Dragon Gang supported him from behind.

“Do not make unreasonable demands! The Young Gang Leader cannot accept all your challenges!”

“It is closed! Everyone step back and come again tomorrow!”

BANG!

The heavy gate of the Black Dragon Gang closed.

The dejected challengers spat curses, yet they could not leave.

If they wanted to obtain a challenge slot even tomorrow, they had to wait nearby.

“Damn it, we came up empty again today. Let’s go drink.”

“I wonder if there’s even room at the inn.”

Dozens of warriors flowed like the tide toward the inn near the Black Dragon Gang.

“We’re out of luck today too. We’ll have no choice but to spend the night here.”

Yayul Hui clicked her tongue.

Uncheon nodded.

The two of them mixed into the crowd and headed to the nearest inn.

Because the village was so small, there was only one inn.

[Black Dragon Inn]

Even the signboard openly displayed that it was under the protection of the Black Dragon Gang.

Once they stepped inside, loud noise and the smell of alcohol filled the air.

“Do you have any rooms left?”

When Uncheon asked, the waiter answered with an indifferent expression.

“The common rooms are all full, and only a special room remains. One tael of silver for one night.”

“What? You’re asking for silver, not coins?”

Yayul Hui flared up.

With that money, one could buy rice by the sack.

It was a month’s worth of living expenses for an ordinary family.

It was an absurd rip-off, more than ten times the price of an ordinary room.

“Hey, what kind of daylight robbery is this?”

“Daylight robbery? There are plenty of people looking for rooms even at that price! If you don’t like it, go sleep outside.”

The waiter was also brazen.

It was obvious he had dealt with many martial artists who had come to challenge.

Moreover, since the Black Dragon Gang was backing him, he had no fear.

When Uncheon looked around, other warriors were also paying the money despite their resentment.

‘They wring them out with challenge fees, then wring them out again with lodging fees. They are sucking them dry to the marrow.’

It was clear that the Black Dragon Gang had seized control of the surrounding commercial district and allowed it to make monopolistic exorbitant profits in exchange for tribute payments.

Uncheon had the silver he had received from Sado Myeong after destroying Venom Fang Hall of the Sagal Muk Family, so he had enough money itself.

Yayul Hui was also from the Mad Wind Yayul Family, so it was not that she lacked money.

She was merely shocked by the absurd overcharging.

“Waiter. Is the special room truly the only room left?”

Uncheon silently took silver from his robes and shook it at the waiter.

Clink.

The moment he confirmed the money pouch, the waiter’s attitude instantly turned servile.

“Oh my! Warrior, our inn did not have many rooms to begin with… Besides….”

The waiter stopped speaking and glanced at Yayul Hui.

“If the two of you are staying together… only the special room remains.”

Indeed, even in Uncheon’s eyes, the inn’s facilities could hardly be called good.

Uncheon shook his head and paid the silver.

‘It would be inconvenient for both of us to stay in one room. I should let Yayul Hui stay there and go inspect the Black Dragon Gang.’

However, Yayul Hui herself seemed to have little reluctance about it.

It seemed to be because they had lived no differently from communal lodgings in the Hidden Demon Cave.

But after they were actually guided to the room, Yayul Hui complained about something unexpected.

“One tael of silver for a room like this?! With that money, I could get a room even at a famous inn in the Central Plains!”

“…Well, it is only one night. Still, is it not better than the stone chamber in the Hidden Demon Cave?”

“Well… that is true, but… there’s only one bed! You sleep on the floor!”

“Do as you please. I will step out for a while.”

“…Where are you going at this hour?”

“I am going to look around the Black Dragon Gang. Rest.”

Without giving Yayul Hui time to answer, Uncheon left the inn.

The night air was cold, but the area around the Black Dragon Gang was still bright with torches.

Beyond the high wall, loud noise rang out, as if the warriors of the Black Dragon Gang were holding a drinking party.

“Thanks to the fools who dared to challenge the Young Gang Leader coming in droves, we are making easy money while sitting still!”

“Did I not tell you? There is no need to struggle to raise his rank any higher. If he settles in the one hundredth rank and acts as the gatekeeper, money will come in on its own!”

“Krrh…! As expected of the Young Gang Leader!”

Hidden in the darkness, Uncheon looked up at the main gate of the Black Dragon Gang.

‘Tch… Is there any need to waste time paying a useless challenge fee and waiting for my turn?’

It was the Black Dragon Gang’s method to set up a reception desk, take money from challengers, and make them line up.

But there was no reason for Uncheon to respect and follow that method.

Clank.

Uncheon tightened the Black-Steel Cold Iron wrapped around his wrist once more.

His gaze gleamed coldly, as if it would pierce through the signboard of the Black Dragon Gang.

‘Tonight, I will smash the Black Dragon Gang.’