The loser of the Hong Heo is the Trench Faction.
Wang Sam always wanted to become a martial artist of the Trench Faction. Currently, among the martial artists using the Dao, there was only Sabok Seol who had reached the status of Hyeong-gyeong, making him arguably the best Daoist in the world.
The best Daoist in the world!
Wang Sam dreamt of joining such a Trench Faction and learning even a fragment of Daoist techniques from Sabok Seol one day.
However, the Trench Faction, unlike outcast groups, selected only elite members instead of blindly increasing their numbers, and Wang Sam had to taste failure time and again in the entrance exam for the Trench Faction.
Though Wang Sam was a Peak Expert, he was only half-baked because he couldn’t channel Qi into his weapon, so he fell short of being classified as an elite force.
After repeatedly facing disappointment, the Trench Faction offered Wang Sam a chance.
Sokryeong Sect!
They mentioned that if he could attack the Sokryeong Sect and achieve merits, he would be specially allowed to enter the Trench Faction!
Without a second thought, Wang Sam nodded enthusiastically and, along with nine companions who had also failed the entrance exam, arrived at Okgyo.
With ten members, defeating the Sokryeong Sect martial artists should have been a piece of cake, right?
That was what he thought until he attempted to knock out a few members of the Sokryeong Sect.
However…
After that, he didn’t even catch a glimpse of the Sokryeong Sect martial artists.
Wang Sam and the hopeful applicants for the Trench Faction wandered the streets with red eyes, feeling more anxious by the minute. More and more external martial artists, clearly also searching for the Sokryeong Sect members, were showing up.
‘At this rate, no matter how much we wander, there’s no way to achieve merit…!’
In a fit of rising anxiety as he searched for traces of the Sokryeong Sect disciples, Wang Sam suddenly shouted, “Dark Wave Fist!”
“Graaaah! It’s powerful!!”
In that moment of inspiration, Wang Sam accidentally witnessed a performance between the Seohwa Sect and the Great Dark Sect up close.
Obsessed with finding Sokryeong Sect experts, Wang Sam tried to ignore the chaos of the Seohwa Sect and the Great Dark Sect but soon reconsidered.
‘With this kind of commotion, wouldn’t the Sokryeong Sect send scouts?’
Thinking this, Wang Sam stopped his feet and observed the fight, only to drop his jaw.
Surely, no neighborhood hooligans or kids would fight like this; all of them were supposed first-rate experts!
Crash bang!
“Eeeeek!”
Kaboom!
“Wadadadada!”
The Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect members were in a chaotic battle that naturally destroyed everything in sight!
When the support team from the Great Dark Sect appeared and retreated into an alley, Wang Sam cocked his head.
What were these supposedly first-rate individuals doing pretending to be hooligans?
‘The Sokryeong Sect is silent, so these crazy guys are running wild.’
Just as Wang Sam was about to leave, he heard the angry shouts of merchants in his ears.
“Those bastards!!”
“What’s the Sokryeong Sect doing letting these thugs run loose?”
“Those hooligans… my, my shop…!”
The furious shouts of merchants whose shops were about to be destroyed. And the anxious protests from nearby merchants who barely avoided disaster.
“…Ah!”
As Wang Sam watched the scene, a realization suddenly hit him.
Fellow unfortunate souls!
‘These authors were in the same boat as me!’
Wang Sam realized that the members of the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect martial artists were in the same situation as him. He had no idea which sect they belonged to, but he had come to understand that they were there for the same purpose: to disrupt the Sokryeong Sect’s territory.
Wang Sam reached into his pocket and clenched the badge he held. It was the badge from a Sokryeong Sect martial artist that could prove his identity.
‘Collecting these badges would be my proof of merit…!’
There were countless ways to attack the Sokryeong Sect’s territory. Hitting the sect’s revenue sources and reputation was among the standard means of assault.
But why were Wang Sam and the hopeful traitors so obsessed with ambushing Sokryeong Sect martial artists?
It was because outside of collecting Sokryeong Sect badges, they had no way to prove their merit!
Wang Sam had to strike at the Sokryeong Sect without disclosing the link between himself and the Trench Faction!
“Seohwa Sect! They deserve divine punishment!”
“Ptooey! Great Dark Sect! You scoundrels must be punished!”
“Ah!”
Wang Sam trembled as he looked at the merchants condemning the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect.
A flash of realization pierced his mind!
A false identity!
What if he created a false identity and violently struck the Sokryeong Sect’s territory to gain notoriety?
A concrete plan instantly formed in Wang Sam’s mind.
He would secretly send a letter to the Trench Faction, informing them of his intention to attack the Sokryeong Sect with the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild. And then he would wreak havoc in the Sokryeong Sect’s territory just like before.
Merit? Evidence?
The fame gained under the name of the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild would serve as proof of their deeds! Did he need any physical evidence?
‘This is it!’
A flawless plan to earn merit while the Sokryeong Sect members remained invisible!
Wang Sam quickly gathered his companions to explain the plan and rushed into action.
Thus, while receiving anxious glances from the merchants around and the curious stares from travelers, Wang Sam and his fellow hopefuls from the Trench Faction stood there, each wearing torn martial robes and chewing on willow leaves.
They were determined, but Wang Sam’s face turned red from the gazes directed toward them and he resolved as he looked at his companion, who had a bug-caught expression while chewing on the willow leaf.
‘Using this ridiculous farce as a stepping stone, I will enter the Trench Faction!’
I will become the top villain of Okgyo, surpassing the notoriety of the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect! And with that merit, I shall proudly become a Daoist of the Trench Faction!
With fiery resolve, Wang Sam shouted loudly.
“Attack!”
“Charge! Show the might of the Blue Dragon Guild!”
“Huuaaaap!!”
Wang Sam exaggeratedly advanced and kicked up his feet. The Blue Dragon Guild martial artist adjusted his waist back to dodge. Wang Sam’s flying kick crashed into a tea stall.
Creak!
Crash!
The stall was split in two, and the teacups that were on top spilled into the air. Wang Sam took a look at the shopkeeper, whose face turned pale with shock, and the astonished merchants and felt assured.
This will work!
Wang Sam met the gaze of fellow hopefuls with fiery eyes. The hopefuls nodded, their expressions filled with determination as if sensing the reactions around them.
“Charge!”
“Trample them!”
Creak!
Crash!
Everywhere furniture was flying as a scene unfolded. Everyone watched with their mouths agape while the martial artists were smashing things left and right (on purpose).
“Let’s retreat!”
Ho Cheon-an quietly left the scene with Hyeok Gi-rin.
At that moment when the original members of the Great Dark Sect and Seohwa Sect were quietly slipping out of Okgyo under the guidance of Ho Cheon-an and Hyeok Gi-rin, the chaos being stirred up by the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild reached the Sokryeong Sect.
“There’s a commotion happening on the main street right now!”
“Those guys are back!”
The leader of the Sokryeong Sect clenched his fists and glinted his eyes.
The Sokryeong Sect initially planned to ambush the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect when the third chaos broke out. After all, the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect had already earned a notorious reputation in Okgyo, making them prime targets.
However, when the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect performed the third act, they had vanished before the Sokryeong Sect could even move out.
The reason was simple.
The Sokryeong Sect merely viewed the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect’s quarrel as a conflict among thugs, but in reality, their actions had all been orchestrated by Ho Cheon-an.
Ho Cheon-an had accurately calculated the time it would take for the Sokryeong Sect to deploy through seven years of experience and thoroughly planned the performances to finish within that time frame.
However, the Sokryeong Sect, having underestimated Ho Cheon-an’s elaborate plan as the random bickering of thugs, never even crossed the sect’s threshold until the third act’s conclusion.
‘This time, I’ll definitely catch them!’
The leader of the Sokryeong Sect, having tasted defeat once, immediately issued the command to mobilize.
“Attack immediately!”
Those openly smashing things on the main street! Until now, the only ones who behaved so recklessly in Sokgyo had been the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect, so they didn’t even need to check the identities of the troublemakers.
This time, they had to catch them before they could escape!
“Rush before they get away!”
With this, the Sokryeong Sect’s tightly shut gates swung open, and martial artists dashed into the chaotic scene.
“It’s the Sokryeong Sect!”
“The martial artists of the Sokryeong Sect have appeared!”
The White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild martial artists, who were busy destroying things on the street, were taken aback by the rapid appearance of the Sokryeong Sect leaders but quickly chose to flee, as if preparing for this moment.
“Stop fighting and run!”
“Evacuate!”
As the Sokryeong Sect’s martial artists saw the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild scatter in all directions, they were baffled.
“What is going on here?”
“I thought they were third-rate thugs?”
Even armed, why were these thugs rolling around on the ground and throwing things in fear while escaping with agile movements?
Even their speed was extraordinary.
“F-follow them!”
“Yes!”
Thus began a chase. As the members of the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild moved swiftly, Okgyo felt like the front yard of the Sokryeong Sect, and thanks to geographical advantages and numerical superiority, two people were ultimately captured by the Sokryeong Sect.
“Gotcha!”
“We captured members from the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect!”
The members of the Sokryeong Sect rejoiced after finally catching these two after considerable trouble. They had only captured two individuals, but the unexpected appearance of Peak Experts meant that apprehending others was just a matter of time!
However… those two captured were not members of the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect but rather from the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild.
“What? White Tiger Association? Blue Dragon Guild?”
Ak Gyeong-cheol furrowed his brow and asked his subordinate in disbelief.
“We captured the ones crashing the stores on the main street, but they weren’t from the Great Dark Sect or Seohwa Sect as reported?”
“…It seems they are imitators of the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect.”
“Ha ha.”
Ak Gyeong-cheol held his head in disbelief at his subordinate’s report.
“A Peak Expert acting like this is suspicious, so I had them investigated, but it seems…”
“Are these guys sent by the Trench Faction?”
Ak Gyeong-cheol snorted dismissively.
“I expected those guys to pull stunts like this through the backdoor. So we’re just enduring this humiliation and hiding!”
“What should we do now?”
“Even if those guys are acting under the orders of the Trench Faction, without concrete proof, shouting that it was the Trench Faction just invites backlash! Just keep those guys locked up! By the way, what happened to the Great Dark Sect guys?”
The subordinate bowed deeply as he answered.
“After subduing them, we rushed the inn they were staying at, but they had already disappeared.”
“Nothing is going right!”
Ak Gyeong-cheol burst out in frustration. After going through all this trouble to mobilize the martial artists, all they achieved was to catch a handful of small fries.
“What about the damage?”
“Um, Iryu’s disciples suffered considerable losses.”
To capture ten scattered Peak Experts, the numbers of the Sokryeong Sect also had to scatter, and amidst those scattered sect members, quite a few were ambushed by external martial artists searching for Sokryeong Sect members.
Ak Gyeong-cheol’s face contorted. Ultimately, they ended up losing out after mobilizing members to catch those slippery Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect.
Ak Gyeong-cheol rubbed his forehead.
Why was nothing coming together lately?
Was there a Peak Expert among the monks of Podalap Palace? Or was it that catching these little guys was just this difficult?
‘Ak Gyeong-cheol’s luck has really taken a turn for the worse! Now I can only hide and hope that this bad luck passes!’
Having lamented this, Ak Gyeong-cheol issued instructions to his bowed subordinate.
“We will conserve our strength from now on. Understood?”
Upon hearing this command, the subordinate hesitated and asked.
“So… what should we do about the remnants of the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild?”
“Is your ear clogged? If we go after those guys, we’ll just suffer more losses! Ignore whatever happens in Okgyo!”
“Understood!”
Just as Ak Gyeong-cheol completely ordered the acquisition of the Sokryeong Sect, Wang Sam and his companions were gathered in a safe spot, their expressions grim.
“…It seems those two were caught.”
“I overheard the merchants talking. They were delighted that members of the White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild had been captured by the Sokryeong Sect.”
Everyone hung their heads. They had known this mission wouldn’t be easy, but facing the reality of their comrade’s capture made them lower their heads in despair.
“…Let’s continue!”
Upon Wang Sam’s shout, the hopeful applicants of the Trench Faction lifted their heads to look at him.
“Are we really going to give up! We can’t let our comrades’ sacrifices be in vain!”
“…Right. That’s true.”
“In the end, our actions made the Sokryeong Sect react! Even if they decided to close their doors tightly, they couldn’t ignore the destruction in their courtyard!”
Wang Sam declared, looking at the other hopefuls with fiery determination.
“Even if the Sokryeong Sect were to deploy again, we must keep moving forward! Charge! To the main street!”
“Let’s go!”
“For our entrance!”
With burning resolve, they emerged onto the main street of Sokgyo.
“Don’t block the way of the Bumok Faction!”
“Your ambitions! Our Dipok Faction will stop you!”
“Attack!”
“Block them!”
Crash bang bang!
They couldn’t help but widen their eyes at the emergence of another set of imitators.
The White Tiger Association and the Blue Dragon Guild that mimicked the rivalry between the Seohwa Sect and the Great Dark Sect!
The individuals swayed by the commands of their respective sects finally grasped the incident’s unfolding after seeing the commotion caused by the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect.
Seeing the seemingly ridiculous chaos performed by the Seohwa Sect and the Great Dark Sect was actually done by those who were quite similar to themselves who had acted in an intelligent and sophisticated manner to establish their proof of merit left them in awe.
The White Tiger Association and Blue Dragon Guild’s imitation of the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect had managed to stir the Sokryeong Sect into action.
Thus, even though each sect had come to Okgyo with no substantial gains, they found themselves thinking:
“If we imitate the Seohwa Sect and Great Dark Sect and cause chaos on the main street, we might achieve notoriety or catch the Sokryeong Sect members responding to protect their territory!”
As long as they could endure the embarrassment, it was purely a winning situation!
With that, the streets of Okgyo descended into a veritable pit of chaos and destruction as endless pseudo-villains emerged.
“Who the heck dares to block the path of our Jokbal Faction!”
“Let’s smash those Bunsuk Faction bastards!”
Crash bang!
Crash bang bang!
“Oh my! Oh my!”
“These bastards!”
The streets of Okgyo were truly spiraling into an uncontrollable mire of chaos and destruction!
