'That's the one!'
Gok Jahyeong, who had been mingled among the crowd, silently rejoiced.
The Green Snake Gang had only one plan.
To turn this place—Yellow Dragon Fortress—into a sea of blood.
A massacre following the dissolution of the Martial Alliance would send the public's perception and reputation of the Orthodox martial world plummeting into the abyss in an instant.
Only then would the era of the Unorthodox dawn.
They would accomplish a feat that even the Blood Sky Demon had failed to achieve long ago.
Even if it amounted to blowing one's nose without lifting a finger.
'Perhaps in the process, you might even rise to become the second Blood Sky Demon.'
So Gok Jahyeong murmured inwardly, watching Dan Sahyeok from a distance.
'Still, I don't sense any extraordinary bearing from him. Does that mean he's a supreme master who knows how to properly conceal his energy?'
Judging by the reactions around him, every single Alliance member stood frozen.
It was unmistakable—they genuinely feared that man.
'So the claim that he defeated the Azure Sky Sword King wasn't a lie after all. Whether he truly brought down the Blood Sky Demon, I can't say for sure.'
If the man truly was a terrifying powerhouse, all the better.
All that remained for Gok Jahyeong was to ambush Dan Sahyeok as planned, sow chaos, and flee without looking back.
'And to do that.......'
His hand slipped into his robe.
What emerged was a long needle measuring a full five inches in length.
Longer and heavier than an ordinary needle—and such seemingly trivial differences were precisely what produced devastating results.
'Its length keeps it from veering off course, and its weight ensures proper speed and force behind it.'
A needle optimized for throwing, in every sense.
On top of that, it had been generously coated in Frenzy Poison. If the poison took effect, the victim would go berserk, lashing out indiscriminately.
'Well, even if it doesn't work, it doesn't matter. Once blood is drawn, things will spiral out of control!'
Dan Sahyeok didn't even need to fall for the ambush.
If that happened, he could simply kill a few of the people gathered around instead.
Then, by inciting the crowd into believing Dan Sahyeok had done it, those fools would fly into a frenzy without a second thought.
Once that happened, not even Dan Sahyeok would be able to do a thing about it.
'Now then!'
Gok Jahyeong grinned, baring his teeth in surging elation.
At the same time, he pulled his right hand—gripping the long needle—far back, tensing his entire right arm.
All that remained was to let it fly!
But at that very moment, Dan Sahyeok—who had been squarely in the center of his vision until now—vanished from sight.
'Wh-what?'
Gok Jahyeong faltered, thrown into momentary confusion.
But that was only the beginning—as if by some trick, a figure closed in right before his eyes.
"So it's you."
"Wha......!"
"You're giving off such a rotten stench, there's no way I could've ignored it."
It was Dan Sahyeok.
Just moments ago, he had been standing with his back to the south gate. Now he had appeared right in front of Gok Jahyeong, who had been standing far away.
By rough estimation, the distance was roughly a hundred paces.
He had covered that vast distance in a single breath—and in utter silence.
"Gah!"
The water was already spilled.
Gok Jahyeong had been faltering in shock, but he steeled his resolve and thrust his right arm forward.
'If he's right in front of me, all the better! At this distance, neither the Azure Sky Sword King nor the Blood Sky Demon could dodge my long needle!'
FWIP—!
Gok Jahyeong hurled the long needle straight at the spot between Dan Sahyeok's brows.
He was originally regarded as the Green Snake Gang's foremost fist expert, but even his comrades had no idea about this hidden technique—his long needle throwing art.
"Hahaha! How's that!"
Gok Jahyeong erupted into wild laughter, consumed by overwhelming exhilaration.
His original purpose had only been to make Dan Sahyeok go berserk, but at this range, it occurred to him that he might actually kill the man.
At the same time, in his mind's eye, Dan Sahyeok was crumpling to the ground with the long needle piercing through his brow, spraying blood and brain matter—but.......
The Dan Sahyeok standing before him was perfectly fine.
"Wh-what?"
Gok Jahyeong's eyes shot wide open in shock.
The long needle that should have been lodged between Dan Sahyeok's brows was nowhere to be seen.
'Where the hell did the needle go? He didn't move a single step from that spot. In that case......!'
Had he failed to throw it?
He checked his right hand in a panic, but his grip was empty.
"Looking for this?"
"......!"
As Gok Jahyeong whipped his head around in horror, the image of Dan Sahyeok twirling the long needle between his index and middle fingers fell upon his eyes.
"H-how?"
"Simple. I snatched it out of the air."
"Sn-snatched it? A long needle I threw with everything I had? At that short a distance?"
"Yeah. You understand the situation perfectly."
"That's impossible!"
"Seems possible to me."
Dan Sahyeok replied with bored indifference.
Those surrounding them stood frozen, stunned by the appalling scene that had unfolded before their eyes.
Most of them had been sweet-talked by Gok Jahyeong into coming this far.
They didn't know the full details of this scheme, but from what had just transpired, they understood one thing for certain.
Gok Jahyeong had tried to ambush Dan Sahyeok.
This completely contradicted his story about simply pushing through with numbers, grabbing what they could, and fleeing.
"Wh-what are you all standing around for?"
Gok Jahyeong cried out in desperation.
"You must attack this man at once! If you do not, you will all be in danger!"
The people simply stared blankly, making no move to obey.
Gok Jahyeong tried to appeal again, but instead, they began shouting back at him with anger in their voices.
"What in the world is this about? Why did you try to attack that man?"
"You clearly said there would be no fighting with him!"
"Did you deceive us!"
"If your plan was to harm that man, I would never have taken your hand!"
Anger-laced cries poured in from all sides.
Trapped with no way forward or back, Gok Jahyeong could only let out a pained groan.
"Grrrgh......!"
"Settle down."
It was Dan Sahyeok's voice.
Remarkably, at that single quiet utterance, the people who had been roaring with fury fell silent.
In the deathly stillness, Dan Sahyeok's voice continued.
"This man's name is Gok Jahyeong. I am told he hails from a faction called the Green Snake Gang."
"The Green Snake Gang!"
"Are they not those Unorthodox bastards based west of Gaoling?"
"Then we were manipulated by Unorthodox scum......?"
"Tch!"
With the situation turning dire, Gok Jahyeong launched himself into the air to flee.
But the instant he lifted off the ground, Dan Sahyeok was already waiting above him, occupying a position even higher.
"Gah!"
"I'm not done talking."
"Graagh!"
Gok Jahyeong threw a wild punch on pure instinct.
Dan Sahyeok deflected the fist lightly with his left hand, then shot his right arm forward like a thunderbolt and planted his fist into Gok Jahyeong's Adam's apple.
CRACK—!
Gok Jahyeong's windpipe crumpled instantly as he vomited bloody foam, tumbling headfirst toward the ground.
Had there been no mercy in that strike, his spinal cord would have been severed on impact.
Even with mercy, however, the force was devastating beyond measure—Gok Jahyeong lay crumpled on the ground, his twisted limbs trembling violently.
Dan Sahyeok landed beside him moments later.
Those who had witnessed his martial prowess once again and those seeing it for the first time alike—every last one held their breath.
Dan Sahyeok swept his gaze over them and spoke.
"As the Lord of Yellow Dragon Fortress, I give you this stern warning—you who attempted to trespass into my home, my fortress."
"......!"
"You will wait here quietly until I return."
Otherwise.......
The people swallowed hard, imagining for themselves the words Dan Sahyeok had left unsaid.
Dan Sahyeok shot off without warning and appeared before the east gate moments later.
There, too, he rooted out the Green Snake Gang member hiding among the crowd and subdued him in an instant.
"The old man was right."
The Green Snake Gang was a faction governed equally by four masters.
They had subordinates beneath them, but only the four leaders had participated in this affair.
Among them, Gok Jahyeong had taken the south, while the remaining three had each taken the east, west, and north.
The original plan was for whichever one encountered Dan Sahyeok first to serve as the catalyst.
"And yet, absurdly enough...... it was all thwarted this easily."
Atop the watchtower on the fortress wall.
No Song leaned against the railing, looking down below, and let out a sigh laced with admiration.
"When I heard that thousands of martial artists were swept away like an ebbing tide by one man's eviction order, I could not help but scoff. No matter how strong someone may be, how could so many flee in fear of a single person? That is what I thought."
"......"
"But now I finally understand. I have no choice but to acknowledge it."
"Acknowledge what?"
"That if someone is that strong, thousands can indeed be frightened by a single person."
"It's not simply...... because they're afraid."
The one who spoke was O Duseok.
No Song glanced at him and smiled bitterly.
"Defending them because they were once your comrades?"
"Defending them, my ass. That'll never happen, not even if I die and come back. What's so lovable about that detestable bastard?"
O Duseok's nose twitched for a moment as he thought, then he continued.
"The Blood Sky Demon was a monster too, and he made everyone tremble in fear. But people didn't submit to him just because of that."
"You are saying he is different?"
"He's different. He's not exactly personable, and there are plenty of times you can't figure him out, but...... the difference is that Dan Sahyeok does what's right, no matter what."
"Hmm. What is right."
"Deep down, they know it too. That what they were trying to do wasn't the right thing."
O Duseok's expression as he said this was utterly solemn.
"Even though Dan Sahyeok didn't sternly rebuke them for it, they must have felt it even in his silence. That standing against Dan Sahyeok any further was simply not the right thing to do."
"They say the interpretation matters more than the dream, and yours is far too favorable. From where I stand, it simply looks like they are too frightened to do anything at all."
"Well, maybe it's just that and nothing more."
O Duseok answered in a grumbling tone and smacked his lips.
"Looks like he's already finished up. Monster of a man."
"Hmm."
As the two watched from above, Dan Sahyeok was visiting the gates in all four directions one by one.
The message he delivered to those gathered was exceedingly simple.
"The gates will be opened from now on. Gather at the site where the Martial Emperor Hall once stood."
Not a single person could ignore or defy that command.
***
The Martial Emperor Hall had been the largest structure within Yellow Dragon Fortress, a symbolic venue that had hosted countless events.
That grand and magnificent hall had been completely destroyed, leaving nothing but an empty lot.
The very person who had destroyed it now stood calmly before the assembled crowd of well over a thousand—all fidgeting nervously before him.
"Not quite two thousand."
"......You were counting them one by one?"
"I only counted roughly."
Dan Sahyeok replied lightly to O Duseok's remark, then addressed the gathered crowd.
"I received Yellow Dragon Fortress from the Martial Alliance through legitimate procedures, but in your eyes, it may have appeared as though I simply seized it by force."
"......"
"Well, I acknowledge that it could look that way. And frankly, I do not care what you think."
"......!"
"So if you have grievances even now, or if you want Yellow Dragon Fortress for yourselves, the method is simple."
Dan Sahyeok drew one of the two weapons strapped to his back.
It was the Blood Sky Demon's prized weapon—the Blood Dragon Blade.
"Kill me. That is all."