This currently unnamed character, was a mysterious man who raised "brainwashed weapons". He was aligned with the Revived Heavenly Destruction Sect.
It was later revealed that in the past, he was simply known as Chamberlain Huang and was a member of an illusionist faction along with Hwan Sa, before it was wiped out by an Order of Martial Arts they served.[1] He was tasked by the House Master to look after Hwan Sa.
Appearance & Personality[]
He was an elderly man with grey balding hair, tied back into a traditional bun, a thick grey Hollywoodian beard, thick grey eyebrows that flared off at their ends and a noticeable diagonal scar that ran from his forehead to the end of his left eyebrow.
He was extremely manipulative, able to control others' actions with his words and illusions.
History[]
He was a member of the illusionist faction that Hwan Sa was also part of before it was wiped out by the Order of Martial Arts they served. He was tasked by the head of the illusionist faction, to take Hwan Sa into hiding and look after him. Hwan Sa vowed to get revenge on all the righteous factions and they both eventually joined the Heavenly Destruction Sect.[2] It is assumed that he had continued to work together with Hwan Sa towards this goal.[1]
At some point, he purchased a prepubescent Soh Jinhong from a farmer, erased his memories, and raised him under the pretense that Jinhong was a scion from an ill-fated family, while teaching him the Flying Flash Sword style.[3]
Plot[]
Soh Jinhong, the Rosy-Cheeked Sword Fiend[]
He was first seen chopping wood as Soh Jinhong returned. Telling Soh Jinhong to stop killing and stop meeting "them", he gives a remorseful response to Jinhong's replies. Just then, some assassins arrived and the old man spat disgustedly as they walked past him.
His apparent corpse was apparently seen after Jinhong's first altercation with Gang Ryong, when the swordsman returned home. However, upon Jinhong's subsequent return home, both the old man's corpse and the evidence of a fight were completely gone.
Revived Heavenly Destruction Sect[]
He encountered Soh Jinhong again, this time with a new "puppet" in tow. Greeting Soh Jinhong, he told his newest puppet that Jinhong was "one of them", causing the boy to attack Jinhong. Trapping Jinhong within a binding illusion, the old man tells him that he should never have come looking for him. However, to the old man's surprise, Jinhong breaks free from his illusion and kills his opponent, but then begins to feel the effects of the poison his opponent's sword was covered in. Warning Jinhong that he would die if he tried to exert himself, the old man was left in awestruck alarm when Jinhong used the Thousand Sage Flash Sword. Surviving the now collapsed Jinhong's attack with nothing but an injury to his side, the old man noted that he would have been the perfect weapon to slay them had the Baekma Valley not got involved with him.
When the Seven Slayers of the Sky Gorge ravaged, slaughtered and destroyed the leaders, members and bases of the main righteous factions of the Murim Alliance, the Old Man was seen accompanying Jin Yurim as he massacred the Sima Clan.
The morning after Gang Ryong killed Ze Wungang and defeated Nameless, the Old Man and warriors of the Revived Heavenly Destruction Sect scoured the battlefield and retrieved Wungang's corpse.
After Goo Hwi and Yongbi negotiated with Hyeol Bi that the war be resolved with a duel between champions, the Old Man and Jin Yurim took position at West entry point to the Sky Gorge Mountain. As Soh Jinhong charged to their location, the Old Man informed Jin Yurim of Jinhong's arrival. Soh Jinhong's afterimage iwas cut apart by Jin Yurim while the former evaded the attack in time. As Jinhong moved in on the Old Man, Jin Yurim appeared behind him noting that his opponent was him, not the old man. The two exchanged blows with the sword fiend receiving a wound to his left shoulder. Upon landing and facing each other down, Jin Yurim introduced himself and asked for Jinhong's name. The latter gave his name and Jin Yurim mused on how familiar it sounded. Then the old man revealed that Jinhong was one of the assassins he trained, adding that Jinhong was nothing but an imperfect weapon compared to Jin Yurim which enraged the Sword Fiend. At that, Jin Yurim and Jinhong clashed. After a long arduous battle, Jinhong killed Jin Yurim and focused his attention towards the Old Man. The Old Man started to leave and Jinhong was unable to chase after him due to his injuries and fell unconscious.
Returning to their headquarters, the Old Man informed Hwan Sa that he was leaving since the obligations of his contract were fulfilled but the latter asked for one more favor and the Old Man agreed to it. Then going out to confront Gang Ryong, the Old Man along with almost all of the Sect's forces watched from above and he thought back to Hwan Sa telling him to stop Gang Ryong by any means necessary. Gang effortlessly incapacitated the two warriors but when he was about to continue onward, one of them tried to get up before dying, triggering the Gu inside him to unleash a massive explosion. However, Ryong came out unscathed thanks to the River Dragon Armour and the Old Man realized that the Spirit Lord only sent him with so many men because he hoped that the Old Man would send them in one by one to buy time. Since the Old Man wanted to finish the job as soon as possible and leave, he sent in all of the men at once. After Gang Ryong eliminated all the warriors, the Old Man scrutinized the aftermath of the battle and hid when he noticed Ryong who whipped his head in the former's direction. As the Old Man expressed unease about the task to delay his opponent, Gang continued onward when he doesn't detect anyone.
After the events at the Sky Gorge Mountain, the Sage Forest and its allies emerged victorious. The Old Man stared at the mountain for a moment from afar before leaving with Yang Jeonghak secretly tailing him.
Loose Ends[]
A year later, with a chest full of gold sycee, the Old Man hired an infamous group of four martial artists known as the "Great Four of Buyong" to eliminate Soh Jinhong. At first, the leader refused the job, citing he wouldn't kill a kid but finally accepted when the Old Man promised many times more gold. Later however, Jinhong effortlessly slaughtered them and the leader noted that Jinhong wasn't just some ordinary kid before succumbing to his fatal injuries. Hot on the old man's trail, Jinhong continued chasing him in locations ranging from the scorching desert to cold winter lands, cutting down everyone the old man put in his way.
Later in an unknown winter land, the Old Man stayed at a cabin for two weeks. Later that night, the Old Man sat in a cabin, having a cup of tea. He then called for Soh Jinhong to enter and the young man did so, walking up to his foe. The Old Man poured tea for Jinhong and asked to share a cup of tea with him before he cut him down. When Jinhong sat down, he revealed to the young man that his parents purchased him for a meager amount of money; less than the price of a sack of barley. He also noted that he erased that part of Jinhong's memory. He then further revealed that Jinhong's parents died that same year because of a famine and said that when they revisited his home village two or three years later, the farmer who purchased him couldn't recognize him, having no doubts when the Old Man told him Jinhong was the son of a fallen warrior family. At that, the Old Man commented how Jinhong's true past was only a burden and the reason he gave him a new identity was for his own good.
Trying to reach Soh Jinhong's feelings with sentimental words, the Old Man told Jinhong to be free now that he actually doesn't have a family to avenge and to not let his hatred for him hold him back. The Old Man then offered his own life, noting he was too old and ill anyways before commenting how he hoped his death will set Jinhong free. However, when Jinhong just sat there in silence, the Old Man detected that Yang Jeonghak wasn't around to stop his illusions and revealed his true colours, binding Jinhong with an illusion.
The Old Man berated Soh Jinhong before commenting he would destroy the young man's soul and use him as a puppet to eliminate the people after him. At that, the tea cup in front of Jinhong was split in half and the Old Man started coughing up blood before realizing that Jinhong had already made the killing blow the moment he sat down, with the sword draw being too fast for him to see. The Old Man said his last words and then started to experience the damage from Jinhong's extremely swift attack, dying on the spot.
Powers & Abilities[]
He was an incredibly manipulative person, having raised many powerful "brainwashed weapons" and "puppets" through the usage of illusions and other forms of subtle subterfuge; he considered Soh Jinhong to be a masterpiece of his.[4]
Illusion Casting: He was a adept illusionist, able to cast both simple and more complex illusions. He had at least three body doubles and used illusions to make them appear like himself.[5]
Notes & Trivia[]
- He appears to be, at the very least, acquainted with Jin Yurim.