Chapter 136

The next day, they left Beijing, which was still in turmoil from the monster centipede incident, and headed straight for Henan. This was because the Martial Arts Alliance was located there.

The first reason the Martial Arts Alliance was based in Henan was that it had the highest concentration of Beggar Sect members, who closely cooperated with the Alliance. The second reason was that Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, which could be considered the head of the righteous faction, was located there. Below it was the Wudang Sect and the Zhuge Family in Hubei, above was the Huangbo Family, and on either side were the Nangong Family in Anhui Province and the Huashan Sect in Shaanxi, among others, allowing for direct contact with various sects.

When Cheong-ra left Moon Lake Sect, there was still a chill of winter in the air, but by the time they arrived in Henan, it was already sweltering summer. The last time Cheong-ra had been to Henan, the winter had been so harsh and cold, and now the summer was just as brutal. It was extremely hot and humid.

"How can it be so hot when it's raining?"

Cheong-ra lamented as he opened the carriage window. Perhaps because it was a drizzle rather than a downpour, the rain only intensified the heat instead of cooling things down. Although not as hot as Chang’an, Henan's summer was still worthy of being called a heatwave. As he took out a fan, unable to bear the heat, Dang Ran-yeong, who was sitting lazily reclined, said,

"If it's that hot, why don't you become impervious to heat and cold?"

Dumbfounded, Cheong-ra stopped fanning and stared at Dang Ran-yeong.

Being impervious to heat and cold referred to a level of martial arts where one wasn't affected by heat or cold, and it wasn't something one could easily achieve just by wanting to. It was a realm that even a talented martial artist might barely reach before death if they shut themselves away in seclusion and trained desperately.

"Do you think just anyone can become impervious to heat and cold?"

"You're not just anyone, are you, Beauty?"

Cheong-ra shook his head, indicating how absurd it was, but he did feel a little pleased when Dang Ran-yeong said that...

But why wasn't Dang Ran-yeong sweating at all in this heat? Could it be that his martial arts... had already reached the realm of being impervious to heat and cold...? As Cheong-ra was giving him a dubious look, the carriage suddenly stopped. They were in front of the Henan branch of the White Jade Merchant Group.

The branch manager responsible for the Henan branch had been notified in advance and was waiting. He quickly approached the carriage, bowing deeply in greeting.

"Welcome, Lord Owner."

"What I mentioned?"

"I've prepared it in advance."

While Dang Ran-yeong and the Henan branch manager were talking, the others in the group got out of the carriage that had been following them. At some point, it had become natural for Cheong-ra to ride in the carriage alone with Dang Ran-yeong. Wi Je-ho, who had only recently had his splints removed, jumped out lightly and waved his hand at Cheong-ra.

"Well then, have a good trip, Young Master Baek. See you later."

Hwan-hong also gave him a quick glance before hurrying into the Henan branch, and Nam Gang-ryong did the same. Cheong-ra watched the departing group with some confusion.

"Ah? No, wait..."

Come to think of it, the coachman still hadn't opened the carriage door. Dang Ran-yeong showed no intention of getting out either, only receiving something through the window that the Henan branch manager carefully brought and handed over. Soon, the carriage started moving again.

"Surely we're not going to the Martial Arts Alliance right away today?"

"Why? Do you need to prepare something? It's better to take care of it right away and then rest."

"Of course I need to prepare..."

No matter what previous connections they had, the position of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader wasn't so easy that one could meet him whenever they wanted.

"I haven't even sent word that we want to visit!"

"It's fine. I've already sent notice."

No, from the beginning, Cheong-ra had no intention of going to the Martial Arts Alliance with Dang Ran-yeong. He had only planned to quietly seek out the Alliance Leader to have a conversation and inform him of how dangerous the Blood Cult currently was. But this wasn't the first time Dang Ran-yeong had acted arbitrarily, so he soon resigned himself to it.

"But aren't you and I rumored to be on bad terms? Won't it look strange?"

"That's fine too. There's a precedent."

"What... precedent?"

Was there a precedent for bringing someone he had a grudge against to the Martial Arts Alliance? As Cheong-ra was asking, he recalled a story he had heard before.

It was about three years ago. Naturally, Dang Ran-yeong had many enemies even then. However, he didn't cross certain lines, and because the martial arts world tended to respect the strong, no one dared to touch him easily.

Moreover, even though Dang Ran-yeong had almost severed ties with the Tang Clan, the possibility of incurring the wrath of the Tang Clan of Sichuan also played a part.

At that time, there was a man named Gwang Yeon-jong. His alias was "One Wind Ten Thousand Miles," and he prided himself on his lightness skill. Gwang Yeon-jong also had many enemies, but unlike Dang Ran-yeong who would fight and win against anyone, he sustained his life by running away when at a disadvantage.

Gwang Yeon-jong harbored quite a deep grudge against Dang Ran-yeong. In the past, his younger brother had rashly challenged Dang Ran-yeong and suffered such severe injuries that his lower body was paralyzed, leaving him disabled.

However, since it wasn't an ordinary duel but a life-and-death match, the fact that he had survived at all could be considered an act of mercy from Dang Ran-yeong. By that time, Dang Ran-yeong had already taken dozens of lives, and there was hardly anyone in the Central Plains who didn't know of his cruel methods.

Although he had agreed to accept the result of the duel, Gwang Yeon-jong, harboring resentment over his brother becoming disabled, attacked The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance, killing several innocent martial artists and courtesans, and setting it on fire. He committed similar acts at the White Jade Merchant Group and fled far away before the owner could arrive. Unable to take revenge on the person directly responsible, he had harmed those around him instead.

Everyone said no one would be able to catch him, but surprisingly, Dang Ran-yeong declared he would personally catch and kill him. He went all the way to the border regions to capture Gwang Yeon-jong. Instead of executing him on the spot, he tormented him until he was skin and bones, dragging him all the way to Chang'an. On the way, whether intentionally or by mistake, he let the terrified Gwang Yeon-jong go near the Martial Arts Alliance. Gwang Yeon-jong immediately fled into the Martial Arts Alliance to seek help.

Even so, Alliance Leader Mo Yong-hyeon couldn't ignore someone screaming for help at the gates of the Martial Arts Alliance for the sake of appearances, so he requested mediation. He asked to spare Gwang Yeon-jong's life and tried to persuade Dang Ran-yeong with these words:

'Wasn't he just trying to avenge his brother? How devastated must he have felt when his younger brother became disabled from the waist down? So please show a little mercy.'

'Ah, so what you're saying, Alliance Leader, is that someone has the right to take revenge on the person who disabled their family member? Then what about the damage done to my brothel and merchant group?'

'In exchange, Young Master Gwang has agreed to compensate for the damages incurred. How about accepting that as settlement, Young Master Dang?'

After a moment's consideration, Dang Ran-yeong agreed to accept the Alliance Leader's mediation. He then stripped Gwang Yeon-jong of everything, down to his undergarments, as massive compensation for the damages.

A month later, Gwang Yeon-jong was found murdered in broad daylight, causing great shock. Surprisingly, it wasn't Dang Ran-yeong who had killed him.

Gwang Yeon-jong had been ailing for a month, his body rapidly weakening, and taking advantage of this, dozens of people had swarmed him in broad daylight and beaten him to death. Among them were family members of those from The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance and the White Jade Merchant Group whom Gwang Yeon-jong had killed.

Anyone could see that Gwang Yeon-jong's symptoms were due to poisoning, as he had become unable to use martial arts in such a short time. When people started clamoring that the Green-Eyed Poison Dragon had broken his promise and killed Gwang Yeon-jong, Dang Ran-yeong said this about the incident:

'As promised to the Martial Arts Alliance, I spared his life. Although I was a bit spiteful and made him suffer some stomach pains, that's not what killed him, is it? If there's a right to avenge a sibling who became disabled from the waist down, then surely there's a right to avenge dead family members. So it wasn't I who killed Gwang Yeon-jong, but his own karma.'

Although it tarnished the Martial Arts Alliance's reputation, Dang Ran-yeong certainly hadn't broken his promise. So the incident was swept under the rug. Gossipmongers praised it as a clever move that both enhanced his reputation and solidified his internal affairs by avenging his subordinates. Indeed, after that incident, The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance became the top brothel in Chang'an, and the White Jade Merchant Group grew even larger.

The Tang Clan of Sichuan was famous for repaying kindness twofold but grudges tenfold. Although he rarely set foot in the family after leaving, this incident showed that Dang Ran-yeong was still undeniably a member of the Tang Clan in the way he took revenge.

"It's not the first time I've visited the Martial Arts Alliance with someone I'm on bad terms with."

As Cheong-ra was recalling this story, Dang Ran-yeong's answer made him feel uneasy for no particular reason.