The Eunuch Regains His Manhood in the Second Round

32. The Chivalrous Hero Captivating Hearts

Jeon-yeong was at a loss for words at Lee Cheolsu’s statement.

His words were the truth.

Although it has fallen now, the Gongdong Sect was once a great sect listed among the Nine Great Sects.

From the ancient times of the Gwangseongja ancestor to now, it boasts a history of over a thousand years, a prestigious sect with a history so deep that it can be counted on one hand in Zhongyuan.

‘Our sect lost its past glory during the time of the previous head. Jeon-yeong, this master feels ashamed of that fact. But the spirit of our sect still breathes in the main mountain. Our sect walks the path of chivalry. We help the weak and cut down the evil. Remember that our sect is the Baekdo. Engrave this in your heart and walk the righteous path so as not to shame the ancestors in the Juchun Sword Pavilion.’

Jeon-yeong recalled the words of his elderly master.

It was a week before Master Im Baek-seon passed away. Sensing his impending death, he had said this to his disciple Jeon-yeong.

‘A true hero is one who acts chivalrously without regard for himself. You too must strive to become a hero. The reconstruction of the sect is important, but it is also important not to forget the spirit of chivalry and the principle of cutting down the evil and revealing the righteous. The soul of the sect must be alive for the reconstruction to have meaning.’

The master’s words echoed in Jeon-yeong’s ears.

A true hero is one who acts chivalrously without regard for himself.

Even if he was just a child, the strength of the Black Dragon Clan, which occupied a seat among the Eight Evil Sects, could be inferred from his conversation with Seo Dae-in.

Having taught him for over a year, he knew. He knew that Lee Cheolsu’s mind and wit were quite exceptional. Therefore, he had been thinking that he would be a suitable talent to assist Yoo Jin-hwi, who would become the head of the sect when it was rebuilt.

That was why it was even more surprising.

The fact that a fourteen-year-old child knew the strength of the Black Dragon Clan and still insisted on acting chivalrously.

‘How shameful.’

At the same time, he felt ashamed.

Didn’t Master Im Baek-seon emphasize before he died?

That the soul of the sect must be alive for the reconstruction to have meaning.

That the identity of our sect is the righteous path.

But he thought of running away, overwhelmed by the great name of the Black Dragon Clan.

From a realistic perspective, if the Black Dragon Clan took direct action, the Gongdong Sect, which had already fallen and only had its past glory left, would be finished.

‘But what does that matter?’

—

—

A true hero acts without regard for themselves.

It was unthinkable for the leader of a righteous sect to be intimidated by the name Heukryongbang.

It was also unthinkable for the head of the Gongdong sect, who refused to compromise with the demonic sects.

‘I am ashamed before my predecessors and ancestors.’

The last remaining business of the Gongdong sect, the Gongdong Inn.

When the secular disciples, who had survived the Gongdong Bloodshed and had been thriving under the name of the Gongdong sect, washed their identities and severed all ties with the sect.

Ironically, only the Gongdong Inn, run by a servant of the Gongdong sect, remained loyal to the sect until the end.

They could truly be called family.

To think that I considered fleeing to the main mountain, ignoring the difficulties of these family-like people.

There is nothing more shameful than this.

It felt as if he could hear the ancestors enshrined in the Jucheongumbe reproaching him.

“…You are right.”

Jeon Yeong said, closing his eyes.

“As the head of the Gongdong sect, it is ridiculous to stop a disciple from acting heroically.”

Jeon Yeong opened his eyes and looked at Lee Cheolsu.

“But, before being the head of the Gongdong sect, I am your master. It is natural to worry about the safety of my disciple. Everything has meaning only when one is alive. Do you have a plan to deal with Heukryongbang?”

He could not refuse.

But as a master, he could not help but worry.

One year. A long time if long, a short time if short, Jeon Yeong had built a considerable bond with Lee Cheolsu as master and disciple.

He could not bear to see his disciple’s safety compromised.

Jeon Yeong’s gaze met Lee Cheolsu’s.

Lee Cheolsu nodded.

*

A plan, you ask?

The affairs of the martial world are like the Gordian knot. Complicated if you try to untangle it, but simple if you cut it with a sword.

In simple terms, most problems can be solved by wielding a sword. Of course, one must have the strength, the backing, and a just cause to do so.

‘The mastermind behind this is Heukryongbang, so we must draw them out here.’

Dealing with the Sa-yeong Association is simple.

But the problem is Heukryongbang. If they cut off their tail, it will be troublesome for us.

After the Sa-yeong Association is destroyed, they might feign ignorance of their connection with Heukryongbang and set up another secret base in the front yard to continue their schemes.

—

—

So, to achieve a complete resolution, it was necessary to bring the Black Dragon Clan to the table, not the Shadow Society.

And I had a secret plan to draw out the Black Dragon Clan.

‘I need to throw out some bait.’

What they desire is the downfall of the Gongdong Sect.

In that case, I should put the downfall of the Gongdong Sect as the stake. If I do that, even the Black Dragon Clan’s leader’s grandfather would have no choice but to come out.

‘I should propose a duel with the condition of closing the Gongdong Sect.’

I planned to propose a 2:3 continuous duel format, which would be advantageous to them.

On our side, it would be me and my senior brother, and on their side, three post-generation masters of the same age as me.

In this way, we would take turns fighting one-on-one on the duel stage, with the winner staying on the stage until they lose.

If we exclude the age penalty, it would be an excessively favorable condition for the Black Dragon Clan. The Black Dragon Clan’s leader would think it’s too absurd to refuse.

If I set such conditions, they would inevitably come to the table, regardless of the process.

Even if they don’t, I will make it happen.

The Black Dragon Clan’s deputy leader, who is famous as the best post-generation master, and my peer, Black Evil Dragon Wi Soryeon, would think it’s a game they can’t lose.

‘What’s with the nickname Black Evil Dragon? Isn’t it embarrassing?’

Black Evil Dragon Wi Soryeon is indeed talented.

She not only took the position of the best dragon of the evil sect with a woman’s body but also grew up to become a master who would reach the state of Hwagyeong in the future.

But even so, she was still weaker than Yoo Jin-hwi in the past, present, and future.

Since Yoo Jin-hwi’s information was not yet known in the martial arts world, I planned to actively utilize this information asymmetry.

“I have a plan.”

“What is it?”

“It is only right to handle martial arts matters in the way of martial arts. I will send a duel challenge to the Black Dragon Clan in the name of our sect.”

“Will they respond to our duel challenge?”

“If we set a price they can’t refuse. Their ultimate goal is the downfall of our sect. In that case, write in the challenge that if we lose, we will close our sect, and propose a 2:3 post-generation continuous duel to resolve the matter. The Black Dragon Clan will have no choice but to come out.”

Jeon Yeong was silent for a moment at my words.

It was an obviously disadvantageous condition.

High risk, high return. Even if I were the sect leader, I would have hesitated.

“If it’s a matter of debt, can’t we solve it by selling the precious item?”

“It’s not the time to reveal it carelessly.”

The precious item referred to the luminous pearl I took from Honwon Bidong.

Sell the luminous pearl now?

—

—

It would be a crazy thing to do unless you want to hold a black mask party at the headquarters of the Joint Sect.

I said that and glanced at Seo Dae-in’s reaction.

According to the records of my previous life, he is a trustworthy person. But records and reality are different. When the topic of the strange object came up, my gaze naturally turned as if it were a habit.

Human greed is something that betrays trust. It was something I experienced countless times in the political arena of the imperial palace.

In the world, there are scholars known as gentlemen who secretly take bribes and enjoy male love, or ministers famous for their unyielding integrity who betray their factions at the slightest threat.

I don’t understand why the scholars and noblemen of Beijing like male love so much. Damn gays. That’s why I didn’t take the civil service exam.

However, there was not a trace of greed in Seo Dae-in’s eyes.

His eyes seemed to have erased even curiosity.

The records were not wrong. That’s a relief.

“There is no reason to reveal something that cannot be protected by the power of our sect alone.”

“Hmm…”

“If it becomes known that it came from our sect, the pressure will be incomparable to what it is now. Our sect does not have the power or ability to withstand that.”

It was a cold-hearted statement.

“That strange object will bring even greater disaster. And Master.”

I looked at Jeon Young and spoke.

“Trust your disciple. I can handle the Black Dragon Gang’s late-stage experts with my own strength. If you don’t trust me, trust Senior Brother Il Dae-gi. This is the best way to protect Seo Dae-in and Lina.”

My eyes met with my master’s.

When I mentioned Senior Brother, Yoo Jin-hwi flinched.

He had been glancing this way since I fought the three black-clad men earlier.

His eyes were slightly teary.

In fact, I am confident that I can defeat even the Black Dragon by myself. But to persuade them, it was better to mention Senior Brother’s name.

I didn’t actually intend to win everything by myself. If I defeat all three of the Black Dragon Gang’s late-stage experts alone, all the spotlight will be on me, and I don’t want that.

What I want is to be a shadowy power. Just enough fame for women to admire me.

Excessive fame only brings responsibility. I don’t need that much.

Senior Brother will take the responsibility. I won’t. Pleasure without responsibility is the best.

“Master. Do you really think Senior Brother is inferior to the Black Dragon…?”

The power that Senior Brother possesses now is comparable to a nuclear weapon in modern terms.

At the late-stage expert level, Senior Brother cannot lose even if he wants to, and even if he fights the elders of the Nine Great Sects, he will raise his level during the duel with his monstrous talent and eventually win.

He has overwhelming power that destroys strategies. There was no reason not to use it.

This is why, without power, the mind suffers.

—

—

“No. Although our sect has declined, Hui-ah’s achievements are not inferior to the renowned Yongbong (Dragon and Phoenix) of the prestigious sects.”

“Then trust your disciples. We will resolve this matter and protect the inn.”

Jeon-yeong fell silent at my words.

A brief silence flowed in the inn.

Jeon-yeong pondered, but there was no other sharp solution besides the one I suggested.

I waited leisurely for his decision.

“Alright. Cheol-su, I accept your proposal. Sir Seo, please prepare the brush and ink. We need to write the martial arts challenge.”

As expected, Jeon-yeong accepted my suggestion.

Hearing his words, I barely suppressed a smirk.

‘Hehehe, with this, I’ve finally taken a step towards becoming a popular man.’

The showdown between the disciples of Gongdongpa and Heukryongbang will undoubtedly become a hot issue in the martial world.

And as a participant in the showdown, I too will be remembered as a notable disciple in the martial world.

Not just any disciple, but one who courageously stood against the great Heukryongbang to protect a small inn.

In modern terms, it’s like making headlines on the front page of major newspapers and getting a million views on YouTube.

As the debut showcase of Cheol-su, the chivalrous hero who captures women’s hearts, it’s more than enough.

‘Even I think this is an awesome story. Hehehe, if I were a woman, I’d fall for me too.’

When it comes to capturing women’s hearts, the key is conversation.

As one of the ideal types for women is a humorous man, women like men who can talk interestingly.

And to talk interestingly, you need a story first.

Either make trivial things sound interesting, or have genuinely interesting experiences.

I planned to tell my awesome story in an interesting way.

Already, the faces and voices of the peerless beauties surrounding me are coming to mind.

‘Oh my, this young master. Unable to suppress his chivalry and standing against Heukryongbang! This young master’s chivalry is truly unparalleled in the martial world!’

‘I fell for this young master’s chivalry! Hohohohoho!’

‘Young master, it’s late at night, but could you continue the story you couldn’t finish in my room? I want to spend the night listening to your story.’

Peerless beauties blushing as they listen to my chivalrous story!

Naturally, wanting to hear the rest of the story, they invite me to their rooms! And then, the passionate love stories that follow on the bed!

It was a perfect plan.

‘This is s*xiness.’

What is the purpose of chivalry?

—

Honor and fame?

All wrong.

The ultimate purpose of chivalry is to capture the hearts of women and reach the joy of cloud and rain (雲雨之樂).

Until the day I reach the age of twenty and gain unparalleled vitality to perform the joy of cloud and rain.

I intended to continue performing chivalry and build stories that capture the hearts of women.

I smiled while envisioning a future of passionate morning clouds and evening rain (朝雲暮雨) with an unparalleled beauty.

Those b*stards from the Black Dragon Gang are all dead.

Thinking that, I moved my pubococcygeus muscle.

Twitch.

It was now a Kegel exercise that had reached the state of unity of body and mind (物我一體).