Chapter 544

Chapter 544

In truth, Jin Ja-gang's past was subject matter that could draw many people's interest. How could jianghu people not be curious about how such a giant called the Poison Dragon was born?

"He exterminated the Extreme Poison Sect at age ten?"

"The Poison Suppression Bureau's Advisor Mang was supposedly from that Extreme Poison Sect. Then after colluding with the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword, wouldn't it be fair to say there was some kind of deal?"

People whispered.

"But also, wasn't it a bit strange that the Dan family was suddenly exterminated for supposedly colluding with the Demonic Cult?"

"That was because of a secret manual called the Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art?"

"But the secret manual that Shandong Enchantress possessed wasn't even the original, and Master Woo-am had it in his heart and transmitted it..."

If not for the situation they currently faced, this would have been talk they'd have excitedly chattered about with others while munching roasted beans.

However, they couldn't just satisfy their curiosity. The moment Jin Ja-gang, who briefly stopped his killing spree, acted again, they themselves would be the targets upon whom lightning would fall.

* * *

Shaanxi's martial world, which had tried to respond according to Jin Ja-gang's movements, couldn't respond at all to events beyond their expectations.

Many people from Zhongnan Sect visited Mount Hua Sect. Zhongnan Sect's sect leader, Taoist Ya-gang, asked.

"Have you seen the Poison Dragon's proclamation?"

Mount Hua Sect's Feng Shi acknowledged.

"I read it all."

"What do you intend to do?"

"What do you mean? Just because the Poison Dragon spouted nonsensical talk doesn't mean we need to waver."

"What will you do if the Poison Dragon's words are correct?"

Feng Shi answered.

"Even so, the fact that the Poison Dragon is our enemy doesn't change. If we back down now, would the Poison Dragon just leave us alone? Since what we must do doesn't change anyway, there's no reason to be deluded by a few useless words."

Taoist Ya-gang frowned.

"This poor Taoist doesn't wish to argue whether the Poison Dragon is an enemy or not. Nor will I back down from the fight. However, the Poison Dragon recklessly spread killing and then suddenly expressed his position, so that's what worries me."

"Why should we worry about that?"

"Feng Shi, think about it. When did the Poison Dragon's attitude change?"

"That is..."

A feeling of "oh no" flashed across Feng Shi's face.

Jin Ja-gang's attitude changed after receiving the Jade Buddhist Staff from Shaolin Temple!

The position of sects firmly on Baek Li-jung's side like Mount Hua Sect wouldn't change, but other sects are different.

Jin Ja-gang's attitude changing suddenly could be seen as influenced by Shaolin Temple. So they could think Shaolin Temple willingly handed over the Jade Buddhist Staff!

Then, wouldn't it seem like Shaolin Temple also acknowledged that Jin Ja-gang's words were correct?!

Feng Shi twisted his lips and clenched his molars tightly.

Taoist Ya-gang said with a hardened face.

"The timing of expressing his position is truly exquisite and cunning. If the Poison Dragon calculated and acted on this in advance..."

Even without continuing, they could understand. The elders of Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect who were listening to the conversation between Taoist Ya-gang and Feng Shi swallowed dry saliva.

The worst opponent!

A poison seed. The poison seed who annihilated a branch of the Poison Sect at age ten had returned ten years later as jianghu's worst opponent, equipped with both martial prowess and strategic wisdom.

Taoist Ya-gang said.

"We can no longer deny it. The aspect of the fight has changed. The Unbreakable Heavenly Sword tried to keep it as much as possible a fight between the Murim Alliance and the Poison Dragon as an individual, but now that the Poison Dragon has put forth justification... escalation has become inevitable."

Feng Shi strongly voiced his opinion.

"The justification is still with us. All the Poison Dragon did is just say a few words."

"Feng Shi..."

Taoist Ya-gang said.

"Until now, the Poison Dragon killed all who blocked his path. Those who opposed the Poison Dragon had to take responsibility for antagonizing him. But you know that a fight of justifications is different."

After sighing deeply, Taoist Ya-gang continued.

"When it becomes a fight of justifications, one bears responsibility not for choice but for negligence."

Negligence!

"In a fight between justifications, every individual has the responsibility to determine whether that justification is right or not. Seeing, hearing, investigating... all decisions and judgments about which justification to follow become one's own responsibility."

Feng Shi raised his voice.

"What about the Poison Dragon? Compared to that, isn't the Poison Dragon doing nothing while agitating people with just a few words and pushing all responsibility onto others?!"

"No. He bears the heaviest responsibility. The responsibility to prove his own justification."

Feng Shi's face contorted.

Proving his own justification.

That means...

To prove the justification he put forth, he might do even more terrible things than before!

Feng Shi rudely cut off Taoist Ya-gang's words.

"Enough! There's no need to talk about such things anymore. Let's stop."

"No, Feng Shi. You mustn't turn away. When facing someone who killed people indiscriminately, everyone was on our side. But now it will be different."

Taoist Ya-gang added.

"We're driven into the worst situation."

"So..."

Feng Shi's lips twisted again.

"Is Zhongnan Sect backing down from this matter?"

Taoist Ya-gang thought for a moment before continuing.

"The Poison Dragon killed our sect's disciple Pyo Sang-guk and harmed In-ja, Jwa-bak, and Woo-sang of the Zhongnan Twin Swords."

"We're the same. The Poison Dragon harmed and killed our sect's disciples. If we leave it alone knowing this, jianghu will look down on us."

"However..."

Taoist Ya-gang cut off his words.

"The Poison Dragon once recovered the bodies of our sect and your sect killed by Shaolin Temple's Stone Vajra."

"..."

Feng Shi's words stopped completely.

"Nearly a hundred in number. In the midst of being busy chasing Stone Vajra to Tang Family Manor."

"..."

Neither Zhongnan Sect nor Mount Hua Sect's elders said anything.

"The Poison Dragon mercilessly killed opponents during battle. Cruel enough that anyone would say it's not something a person should do. However, in situations other than battle, he observed human ethics. We owe him a debt. Those who observed human ethics versus those who pretend not to know despite receiving kindness. People will think of us that way."

No one could refute.

Because that was clearly something Jin Ja-gang did.

Seeing those who couldn't say anything, Taoist Ya-gang raised his head upward.

Then looking at the sky and sighing, he said.

"Now that the Poison Dragon has even obtained great righteous justification... who would fight the Poison Dragon on our side?!"

* * *

Dan Ryeong-gyeong cried.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong, who didn't cry even when she lost an arm. When Jin Ja-gang said he'd inform all of jianghu of the facts, she half-believed it, saying who would believe it.

However, upon seeing the proclamation Jin Ja-gang conveyed to jianghu, she could no longer contain her emotions.

Decades. For decades she'd been crying out her innocence. But no one listened. The wall Baek Li-jung built was too high and solid, so no matter how much Dan Ryeong-gyeong cried out, jianghu's martial artists couldn't hear that voice. Even if they heard, they didn't believe. Dan Ryeong-gyeong couldn't take revenge for her family members who died without sin, nor could she clear the false accusation.

But now, the false accusation against the Dan family has been made known to all jianghu.

People, people are listening. They've begun to have doubts about the Dan family's extermination.

That lump Dan Ryeong-gyeong held for decades... the resentment built up inside for decades overflowed... and burst out as tears. She cried so sorrowfully that even those listening nearby felt heartache. That great master lost strength in her legs and collapsed to the ground. With her one arm on the ground, she endlessly poured out tears. She cried until he could hardly breathe. Soso wiped Dan Ryeong-gyeong's tears and cried together. Woon-jeong and Bian Bu also stood beside and cried together.

Many people gathered around Dan Ryeong-gyeong. Seeing Dan Ryeong-gyeong crying as if vomiting blood, their eyes also reddened. Tears welled up. Even ordinary warriors closed their mouths tightly and turned their heads for no reason, wiping away tears.

The guests who came to Tang Family, the young martial artists realized from Dan Ryeong-gyeong's heart-wrenching cry. Jianghu's assessment of the Dan family was wrong. Dan Ryeong-gyeong's story, Jin Ja-gang's words, were true.

Taoist Leader Bok-cheon, with reddened eyes, went before Dan Ryeong-gyeong and knelt on one knee. Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked up at Taoist Leader Bok-cheon with a tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Taoist Leader! For causing trouble to Mount Qingcheng..."

The story of Mount Qingcheng's Master Woo-am and Dan Ryeong-gyeong was an opportunity for Dan Ryeong-gyeong to clear the Dan family's false accusation, but for Mount Qingcheng, it would be a story that tarnished Master Woo-am's honor.

Taoist Leader Bok-cheon slowly shook his head.

"No. Senior brother... lived regretting all his life that he hid his heart, that he didn't have courage then. I too hated and felt ashamed of a senior brother who spent his life gazing at one woman. However... I think I understand now."

Taoist Leader Bok-cheon held back tears and said.

"If I had watched someone beside me living with such an injustice as yours... even I couldn't have endured the pity. I would have suffered for life with guilt for knowing and not saving them. Much more if they were someone I admired. Senior brother... the senior brother I disliked for not being like a Taoist was the kindest person in this world. If I, in the past, had given courage for senior brother to return to the secular world instead of blaming or stopping him... this wouldn't have happened to either senior brother or you."

A single tear eventually flowed from Taoist Leader Bok-cheon's eyes as well.

"I regret it. Not helping senior brother then. Hating my senior brother who lived with lifelong resentment and difficulty."

Not only Master Woo-am but Taoist Leader Bok-cheon also carried the same burden on his heart.

Taoist Leader Bok-cheon's decision to send Woon-jeong out from Mount Qingcheng was also Taoist Leader Bok-cheon's apology to Master Woo-am.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong grabbed Taoist Leader Bok-cheon's arm with her one arm and cried louder. Taoist Leader Bok-cheon bowed his head. Tears flowed down Taoist Leader Bok-cheon's chin along his beard as well.

Taoist Leader Bok-cheon swallowed tears and forced out words.

"Don't think you've brought us shame. If senior brother were alive, right now he'd surely be... smiling."

* * *

Unlike Dan Ryeong-gyeong, Tang Family's atmosphere was quite gloomy.

Jin Ja-gang exposed everything without hiding even what King of Hell Tang Qing had done.

That Tang Qing tried to swallow up the martial world, causing the salt incident and harming civilians, was an undeniable fact.

Because Jin Ja-gang exposed even his in-laws Tang Family's disgrace, public opinion about Tang Family also worsened as much as the backlash against Baek Li-jung.

If Tang Ha-ran hadn't done her best to compensate and deal with the aftermath, Tang Family would have reached the worst situation by now. Tang Ha-ran's handling shone, and there were even those who took Tang Family's side, or more precisely Tang Ha-ran's side.

The elders welcomed Jin Ja-gang's actions while worrying about the aftermath.

"I don't know what we should do going forward."

"Jianghu is looking at us with unfavorable eyes."

"Whether we should get involved in the fight with the Murim Alliance or not... I don't even know which is right."

"If we rashly get involved, Hero Poison Dragon might suffer harm."

Tang Ha-ran answered.

"That's not a difficult matter. He's my husband and family. Helping my husband who walks the right path is more important than any justification in the world."

At the unexpectedly simple answer, the elders looked at each other's faces.

Their heavy hearts lightened at Tang Ha-ran's wisdom and clear judgment.

The world doesn't exist only in black and white.

Sometimes the most fundamental human familial bonds precede all justifications.

The elders nodded.

How reassuring it is to have someone they can trust and move forward with.

Tang Ha-ran is no longer acting family head. No one in Tang Family could become the family head in place of Tang Ha-ran.

And at that moment...

Jin Ja-gang was finally heading toward Shaanxi.