A tea house stood in front of the Council of Elders.

“How should I put this?” A young man with a short beard, leaning against the window on the second floor, stroked his chin with a disconcerted expression. “My sole objective for today was to assess the atmosphere of the Main Clan in Luoyang and gather the local opinions on the Grand Young Master…”

The once bustling tea house was now empty. The only customers left were him and the middle-aged man who appeared to be his bodyguard. This was because the Yeon Clan elders had vanished like an ebbing tide.

“I never anticipated the Grand Young Master would completely dismantle the formidable Yeon Clan of the Main Clan and then mock the renowned Council of Elders as if they were mere children.”

Although they had no informants stationed here, the unfolding scenes and the rumors that drifted in made it impossible to remain ignorant of what had transpired.

They say rumors without feet travel a thousand li.

…No. That’s not it.

He shook his head.

The stories from inside the Council of Elders that he had heard so vividly through the conversations of the crowd, there were too many discrepancies for them to be mere rumors passed from mouth to mouth.

…Come to think of it.

At that sense of incongruity, the young bearded man’s eyes twitched.

The rumors that initially drew such a massive crowd to the Council of Elders in such a short time… there was something strange about them as well.

If one thought about it, wasn’t it odd?

The events that took place inside the Council of Elders today…

From the elders’ perspective, these were stories they would have desperately wanted to keep out of people’s mouths.

…Yet, for some reason, everyone is chattering about them as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He stroked his short beard again.

From the morning rumors about the Grand Young Master visiting the Council of Elders, to the rumors circulating now…

Could it be?

…Are they the work of the same expert?

The young bearded man was no intelligence specialist.

But living in the ‘Palace’… one eventually learned to mimic the agents of intelligence agencies, even if one was ordinary.

“…Well, I suppose it has nothing to do with us.”

He shrugged.

“In any case, we’ve exceeded our objectives.”

The objective of comprehending the Grand Young Master before meeting him… Today’s extraordinary, accidental encounter allowed him to develop a profound understanding of the man, far surpassing his initial expectations.

“Don’t you agree?”

The young man looked at his bodyguard as if seeking agreement.

But the middle-aged bodyguard remained silent, still looking up at the sky as if transfixed.

Was he chasing the sword light that had split the azure sky, even though it had long since faded with the passage of time?

Come to think of it…

Even in front of the Council of Elders, where the crowds had dispersed, men who appeared to be warriors of the Luoyang Sword Clan were examining the scar left on the outer wall by the Grand Young Master with the same expression as his bodyguard.

These warriors shared a common thread.

“The Grand Young Master used that single strike of the Great Supreme Retired Patriarch?!”

At first, they would run over in haste.

“Surely not… that’s impossible…!”

Then, they would deny reality.

“This is…”

Looking at the trace, they would mutter something. And from a certain point on, they would fall silent, simply staring piercingly at the scar, over and over again. Even now, the number of warriors gathered in front of the Council of Elders had exceeded several dozen.

At first, the sight had been somewhat comical.

But as time went on…

It became a scene where one couldn’t help but feel something chilling.

“…Is the Grand Young Master’s martial art truly that impressive to a martial artist?”

“Ah…”

At a tap on his shoulder, the middle-aged warrior snapped out of his trance.

“Well…”

“‘Well’?”

At that vague answer, the young bearded man looked dumbfounded.

“You were that lost in it just because of a mere impression? Is that—”

“That’s not what I mean,” the middle-aged warrior said, gazing at the vivid mark on the Council of Elders’ wall. “I’m certain the Grand Young Master has crossed the wall. But the technique in that single strike… its principle…” The window frame, which the middle-aged warrior had unknowingly gripped, groaned and twisted with an unusual sound. “Just when I think I’ve understood one aspect, another emerges. And when I chase that, yet another one appears…”

Was it like blind men touching an elephant?

If one looked at a part, one couldn’t see the whole. And if one tried to see the whole, one couldn’t examine the individual parts. He was feeling once again the remoteness and incomprehensibility of high-level martial arts that he had first felt in his childhood.

“…In the end, I cannot reach a definitive conclusion on anything.”

The young bearded man swallowed dryly. If an ordinary warrior had said that, he might have just accepted it.

But…

“…You, a martial master of the Imperial Palace, cannot reach a conclusion?”

From the previous dynasty to the current Central Plains Nation. A master with access to the Archives of the Imperial Martial Studies, where records of all martial arts existed—

“…Yes.”

—was saying he didn’t know.

“Not at all?”

The middle-aged warrior’s gaze shifted from the speechless young man to the warriors gathered in front of the Council of Elders. “Their realms differ from mine, and there are also differences within their realms. However, I can assure you of one thing.” The middle-aged warrior asserted. “Just like me, they are currently unable to comprehend anything.”

And that was why…

Like men possessed…

Searching for an answer that seemed solvable but would never be solved…

They were wandering, captivated by the maze itself, from which they could never escape.

The young bearded man, who had been momentarily stunned, slowly nodded. “…It’s possible.” He seemed to be resisting the reality of the situation, as if making an excuse. “After all, isn’t it the martial art of the Great Supreme Retired Patriarch, who was renowned as the Number One Sword under the Heavens?” The young man continued, “If one could comprehend the principles of such unparalleled martial scholarship in a single glance, wouldn’t that be extraordinary?” He waved his hand dismissively, as if dismissing the idea altogether. “So, don’t overthink—“

“However.”

The middle-aged warrior cut him off.

“The one who used the martial art of the Number One Sword under the Heavens… was the Grand Young Master.”

“……!”

Can one use a martial art without understanding it?

Can one realize that single strike without grasping its principles?

“Perhaps,” the middle-aged warrior’s eyes narrowed further as he gazed outside. “The tales of martial scholars… that beyond the wall, there might be another wall… might not be entirely baseless absurdities.”

Suddenly, a vivid image flashed in the young bearded man’s mind. It was a view of an abyss so deep that feet could not touch the bottom, sunlight could not penetrate, and the floor was invisible. He felt a sense of having glimpsed something colossal and bizarre traversing that vast ocean.

Was it wonder?

Or was it awe stemming from primal fear?

“Welcome!”

The voice of the tea house employee from the floor below snapped the young bearded man back to reality.

“…Anyway.” He cleared his throat a few times and continued, “Does this mean His Imperial Majesty has selected the most suitable talent to resolve the Northern issue?” He made a perplexed expression. “But how…”

A profound sense of doubt settled in his eyes.

“How could His Majesty the Emperor, who has been residing in seclusion within the Imperial Palace, be aware of the Sword Clan’s Grand Young Master and pinpoint him so precisely—”

“Shh.”

The middle-aged man raised a hand, stopping the young man’s words.

“My, my.” With footsteps close to silence, the person coming up the stairs laughed sheepishly. “I guess it was impossible after all?”

Though his impression was gentle. The young bearded man’s first impression was that this was a man who likely hid a keen blade deep behind his good-natured smile.

“With my meager martial arts skills, I couldn’t possibly deceive the ears of General Geum Mun-hwi, renowned even within the Imperial Court.”

“…Hmph.”

At those words, the middle-aged warrior groaned low, and the young bearded man smiled bitterly.

“…I knew we might arouse suspicion, but I didn’t expect our identities to be exposed instantly.”

“Haha. Is that so?”

Everyone present accepted the young man’s informal speech as natural.

“However, you may rest easy,” Yeon Ha-eung assured Geum Mun-hwi, who was nervously fingering the short sword at his waist. “I am Yeon Ha-eung, serving as an advisor to the Outer Court of this Sword Clan. People also call me the ‘Rumor with Legs.’ And…” Yeon Ha-eung approached with a subtly friendly demeanor, revealing the most crucial piece of information. “I am also the Grand Young Master’s man.”

“Is that so?”

But the young bearded man was not easily swayed.

“I fail to see what connection there is between you being the Grand Young Master’s man and me.”

Perhaps he liked the fact that the young man didn’t fall for the probing remark? Yeon Ha-eung smiled brightly and said, “Did the Imperial Son-in-Law not schedule an appointment to meet the Grand Young Master in two days’ time, by order of His Majesty the Emperor?”

At those words, the young bearded man, the Imperial Son-in-Law, and the husband of the Emperor’s younger sister, Princess Yeonghwa, had no choice but to admit it. “That appointment is a matter known only to the parties involved: His Majesty the Emperor and the Grand Young Master. It appears that you are indeed sent by the Grand Young Master.”

“That is why I told you so from the beginning.” With a smile, Yeon Ha-eung gestured toward the stairs. “Then, as the Grand Young Master is waiting, I shall escort you.”

“Wait a moment.” Before rising from his seat, the Imperial Son-in-Law had a question that needed to be answered. “How on earth did you find me? And how did you know that I, who had an appointment in two days, would be here today?”

“Actually, to be precise,” Yeon Ha-eung scratched the back of his head, appearing a bit sheepish. “I simply followed the instructions given by the Grand Young Master.”

Again, the Grand Young Master.

Before meeting him as per the Emperor’s secret order, the Imperial Son-in-Law had visited the Luoyang Sword Clan in advance to learn about the Grand Young Master. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that all his actions were being orchestrated by the Grand Young Master.

“How did the Grand Young Master come to know His Majesty the Emperor?” the Imperial Son-in-Law inquired, his questions cascading forth like a torrent. “What is the nature of the relationship between His Majesty the Emperor and the Sword Clan’s Grand Young Master?” The questions he had been harboring for so long finally found their voice. “Is my presence here a decree of His Majesty, or is it the Grand Young Master’s will?”

Yeon Ha-eung neither affirmed nor denied. He simply smiled calmly, waiting for the Imperial Son-in-Law’s momentary excitement to subside.

“…I apologize. I got carried away.”

“It is fine.”

From that response alone, the Imperial Son-in-Law could discern why Yeon Ha-eung was an advisor to the Sword Clan’s Outer Court. He also recognized Yeon Ha-eung’s exceptional skill and resourcefulness.

“As for the answers to those questions, it would be better to hear them directly from the Grand Young Master than from the likes of me. I have an unusually large amount of work today, so—”

“Rumor with legs.”

And in that moment, the Imperial Son-in-Law realized.

“Pardon?”

“It was you.”

“What do you mean?”

To the feigning Yeon Ha-eung, the Imperial Son-in-Law said, “The source of all these strange rumors today. You were the ringleader of this information operation.”

Instead of answering, the Rumor with Legs, Yeon Ha-eung flashed his characteristic light smile, as if he didn’t know what the man was talking about.

***

As the sun descended below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the land, Elder Peng, the leader of the Hebei faction, stood in deep contemplation. He had witnessed the shocking act of poaching his youngest elder right in front of his eyes, and the thought of attending the celebration banquet was unbearable.

“Surely… The head of a faction wouldn’t attend a celebration banquet after having his youngest elder poached right in front of his eyes, would he?”

Elder Peng exclaimed, shaking his head at the leader of another faction. “Of course not! No matter how hardened this Peng may be, I am the head of a faction. How could I possibly do such a shameful thing?”

Elder Peng’s voice trembled with conviction as he declared his decision. “To attend would be a stain on our honor and a sign of our complicity with the Third Young Master.”

The elders of the Hebei faction were torn between their loyalty to their faction and their desire to uphold their dignity. They were haunted by the memory of their youngest elder’s betrayal and the embarrassment that had followed.

Elder Peng, sensing their turmoil, firmly stood his ground. “Our faction will not participate in this disgraceful event,” he declared, his voice resolute. “We will not be seen as siding with the Third Young Master.”

With that, the elders of the Hebei faction knew that they had made the right decision. They would not attend the celebration banquet and would instead stand firm in their loyalty to their faction and their honor.

But,

“Uh, ahem.”

Dressed in plain martial attire to hide his identity, Elder Peng cleared his throat unnecessarily near the Wongakjeong.

I am not here as the head of the Hebei faction. I am just here as a single martial artist, interested in that one sword strike…!

Desperately.

Elder Peng tried to convince himself of that fact.