The Blood Saber, a master who roamed the Murim a century ago, dominated the Shaanxi region with a single crimson-dyed blade. In his later years, he secluded himself in Mount Fuding and quietly passed away. However, a figure named Wang Jeong discovered his secret manual.
“Wang Jeong has made Mount Fuding his sphere of influence and is causing harm to those passing through the area. Because of that, the price for escorting goods that must pass near Mount Fuding has doubled.”
“I don’t understand. If it’s that bad, the meddlesome Orthodox factions wouldn’t have sat still.”
“For two reasons. First, the terrain of Mount Fuding is rugged. Moreover, the location of his stronghold is unknown.”
Dam Yu-yeon explained calmly.
“The second reason is that, in any case, what Wang Jeong does is no different from banditry. For the noble masters of the Orthodox factions to deal with a master living in the mountains, and one engaging in banditry at that… it doesn’t save their face.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued.
“Ultimately, the escort agencies in the Shaanxi area gathered a large sum of money and commissioned the wandering vagrant market. After all, wandering vagrant handle these kinds of tasks well.”
“You mean it still hasn’t been resolved?”
As Bu Eunseol questioned persistently, she smiled faintly.
“Wang Jeong is a very cunning person. If known masters or groups of martial artists pass by, he absolutely never appears.”
“So he doesn’t reveal himself if the opponent seems stronger than him.”
“Correct. Therefore, this task is very suitable for Young Hero Seol, whose name is not widely known.”
“And the Designated Contract jobs I will handle in the future will likely be similar.”
“Young Hero Seol is not only skilled in martial arts but also clever.”
Dam Yu-yeon’s eyes sparkled like sunlight reflected on a lake.
“I look forward to your activities in this Hall in the future.”
“Understood.”
As Bu Eunseol went outside, Dam Yu-yeon’s smiling eyes changed. It was a look as if she had resolved something.
“Seol So… is it?”
Biting her lip, she spoke in a low voice.
“You will never fight with Hall Master Jeong Cheon.”
***
Black Leopard, who followed Bu Eunseol out of Silent Heaven, Desolate Earth, spoke with a dissatisfied face.
“Young Master.”
“Speak.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to use the Nine Assassination Squad branch where you obtain information to find strong opponents instead?”
“What do you mean?”
Avoiding Bu Eunseol’s gaze, Black Leopard wiped his nose.
“Because I don’t like that Hall of Receiving Scriptures Hall Master.”
“Why?”
“Wang Jeong is unknown in the Murim, but among wandering vagrant, he is a well-known and formidable master.”
As Bu Eunseol remained silent, Black Leopard pouted.
“But that Hall Master gave strange reasons, making it seem like Wang Jeong cunningly avoided masters.”
“Is that not true?”
“No. He has plenty of Gangho experience, and his saber techniques are actually formidable.” Black Leopard wrinkled his nose and said, “If we were truly rookie wandering vagrant new to the Gangho, we would have departed for Mount Fuding without knowing this fact.”
“Huhu. If she scared us, who would take the job?”
“In the wandering vagrant market, accurate information is life. It’s a matter of wandering vagrant’s lives.” Black Leopard frowned deeply. “The reason the wandering vagrant market takes three-tenths of the reward is that it includes the information fee. Yet for the Hall Master to subtly conceal information like that…”
It seemed Black Leopard was thoroughly displeased.
Recalling the emotion that had briefly flashed in Dam Yu-yeon’s eyes, Bu Eunseol muttered in a low voice, “It can’t be helped. Since she wants to kill me.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly with a nonchalant expression.
“Let us depart now.”
Bu Eunseol and Black Leopard unleashed lightness skills like a gale, heading straight for Mount Fuding.
By the time the sun passed its zenith, the two arrived at a village near Mount Fuding. Bu Eunseol entered the village, rented a carriage, and even bought clothes worn by escort warriors. It was in case Wang Jeong didn’t appear.
Rattle, rattle.
The carriage driven by Black Leopard was passing along a mountain road. The carriage was old, but the horse was even older, so the speed was slow.
As the sun was setting and the carriage was passing a mountain pass—
Swoosh!
Along with the sound of breaking wind, a white shadow appeared from the air and landed in front of the carriage.
“Whoa, whoa.”
As Black Leopard stopped the carriage and calmed the snorting horse, Bu Eunseol asked from inside.
“What is it?”
“Someone is blocking the road.”
The shadow that appeared before them was a man dressed in white clothes.
A peculiar point was that he wore a white mask and his build wasn’t very large. However, the eyes revealed above the mask were very handsome and clear, so he didn’t look like a bad person.
“You cannot pass here.”
Staring at Black Leopard with sharp eyes, the masked man spoke in a cold voice.
“Go back.”
“Pardon?”
The masked man frowned as he looked at Black Leopard, dressed like a servant of a wealthy house.
“This path to Mount Fuding is where a vicious villain appears. So turn back.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Black Leopard grasp the situation and scratch his head.
“It is fine. My Young Master also learned martial arts from a famous teacher, so a band of bandits is…”
“They are not ordinary bandits.” Glancing at Black Leopard and the carriage with arrogant eyes, the masked man spoke in a solemn and cold voice. “If you want to keep your lives, go back.”
Step!
Leaving those words, the masked man unleashed his lightness skill again and vanished in an instant.
“……”
Staring blankly at the scene, Black Leopard spoke in a troubled voice, “Young Master. It seems that person is also going to catch Wang Jeong?”
The masked man’s receding lightness skill was fast and agile like a swallow skimming water.
“Judging by his attire and lightness skill, he is not a wandering vagrant but someone from the Orthodox Faction.”
“No need to worry.”
Bu Eunseol, riding in the carriage, spoke softly.
“That man will never catch Wang Jeong.”
“Is that so? He seems to possess considerable martial arts.”
“If Wang Jeong could be caught with martial arts alone, he would have buried his bones here long ago.”
Bu Eunseol’s voice was firm.
“Pay no mind and just go our way.”
***
How much time had passed?
As the carriage entered deep into the mountains, Bu Eunseol abruptly said, “Wait, stop the carriage.”
“Pardon? Yes.”
As Black Leopard hurriedly stopped the carriage, Bu Eunseol opened the door and slowly stepped down. And closing his eyes, he began to listen quietly.
‘The Young Master must have heard something.’
Black Leopard also pricked up his ears, but he heard nothing special except the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
After standing for a long time, Bu Eunseol tilted his head, then suddenly threw a punch at a large tree visible beyond the bushes.
Boom!
As a low vibration spread in all directions, his eyes snapped open.
“Over there.”
And immediately unleashing his lightness skill, he began to climb up a pair of cliffs visible in the distance.
“Young Master.”
Black Leopard also unleashed his lightness skill and began to follow Bu Eunseol.
Swoosh.
Pushing through the bushes and moving quickly, Black Leopard could finally spot Bu Eunseol crouching in a place overlooking the gorge. Standing carefully beside him, Black Leopard widened his eyes.
‘Those people are?’
Below the gorge, the masked man he saw earlier was fighting a group of about twenty people.
Swish, swish, swish!
The weapons the group held were simple sabers sold cheapest at smithies, but their skills were not ordinary.
‘They must be Wang Jeong’s subordinates.’
The twenty or so martial artists, seemingly trained by Wang Jeong, transitioned between offense and defense quickly, and their moves were disciplined. Furthermore, as if using a formation, twenty blades were alternately aiming for the masked man’s vital points.
In terms of skill alone, they were no less than the warriors of any sect.
“Not bad for guys playing bandit.”
With hands clasped behind his back, the masked man leisurely dodging the warriors’ saber techniques muttered softly.
“But your internal energy is too lacking.”
Spinning around and dodging a sword, he clicked his tongue.
“I suppose you weren’t taught the internal cultivation formula.”
Wooong.
The masked man drew the treasured sword at his waist. The shape of the sword was very unique; the blade was narrow, and the entire blade was slightly tinged with gold.
Discovering it, Black Leopard’s eyes sparkled. ‘He was a master of the Namgung Clan!’
What the masked man drew was the Golden Needle Sword used by masters of the Namgung Clan.
Lying low, Black Leopard whispered to Bu Eunseol, “Young Master. He is a master of the Namgung Clan.”
“I know.”
“Perhaps there will be no need for us to step in.”
The Namgung Clan possessed swordsmanship outstanding enough to be called the Namgung Sword Sect. In particular, the Heavy Sword of the Namgung Clan was counted among the most outstanding techniques in the Murim.
Emperor’s Sword Style.
Using a sword thinner and lighter than a general longsword to unleash pressure like throwing Mount Tai, the Emperor’s Sword Style chilled the guts of many swordsmen with its majesty alone.
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
As the masked man unleashed a single strike, sword techniques poured out as if releasing dozens of steel needles.
Judging by the use of rapid and fast thrusts, it seemed he was unfolding the Azure Heavens Soaring Swallow Sword.
Clang, clang!
Simultaneously, metallic sounds rang out in succession, and the sabers held by the warriors in front fell powerlessly to the ground.
“Surrender!”
The masked man, having disarmed five men with a single strike, shouted.
At that, the group, suppressed by his momentum, began to retreat slowly.
“Wang Jeong, where is that bastard?”
As the masked man shouted at the retreating group—
“Retreat!”
The warriors turned their bodies all at once and suddenly began to flee quickly like scattering cockroaches.
“Foolish tricks.”
Sheathing his sword, the masked man immediately flicked his finger to shoot finger wind.
Thud-thud-thud.
But a surprising thing happened.
Even though they were hit by the finger wind on their backs, the warriors continued running as if nothing happened.
“Are they wearing treasure armor?”
Chuckling, the masked man unleashed his lightness skill again and began to chase the group escaping the gorge.
“Hmm.”
Looking down at the scene, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“He will die.”
“Since they are people who have committed unspeakable evil until now… isn’t it karmic retribution?”
“No, I mean that man.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze was fixed on the masked man.
“That… master of the Namgung Clan?”
“Scions of famous families with shallow Gangho experience are weak against dirty schemes.”
“Pardon?”
“He should have thought about why that group gave up their geographical advantage and surrounded him in the open space of the gorge.”
Before he could finish speaking—
Crash!
The masked man, kicking off the ground of the gorge, fell below the floor along with dust. It was such an unexpected situation that there was literally no time to defend. Only now was it revealed that there was a trap—a deep pit dug in the path of the fleeing group, covered thinly with branches and soil.
Step!
However, the man leaped immediately upon falling into the trap, springing up from the deep pit.
Sharp steel needles were embedded in the bottom, but executing a peak-level lightness skill, he used the needles as a stepping stone instead.
Hwa-aak!
But around the body of the masked man soaring to the ground, white powder was blowing in the wind.
Beneath the floor, not only steel needles but also terrible Qi-Scattering Powder had been sprinkled.
“Ugh.”
The masked man immediately held his breath, but the fine Qi-Scattering Powder had already entered his lungs.
Flash!
Then, among the hurriedly fleeing group, one man suddenly spun his body and began swinging his saber in a cross shape.
Clang!
The masked man quickly drew his sword and blocked the attack, but inhaled the Qi-Scattering Powder again.
“Hahaha!”
Seeing this, the man burst into triumphant laughter.
“High martial arts but a greenhorn.”
Quickly retreating, the masked man realized something and bit his lip.
“You… are Wang Jeong.”
“Correct.”
The man, approaching the masked man with a leisurely gait, nodded.
“I am Wang Jeong.”
Surprisingly, Wang Jeong had been mixed among his subordinates, wearing the same weapon and clothes.
“I see. So that’s why you haven’t been caught until now.”
Only now did the masked man realize everything.
Wang Jeong had been taking advantage of the fact that his appearance was not properly known to commit plunder while mixed among his subordinates.