The clamor roused Old Man Jang from his sleep.

Which damn bastards, he grumbled. For a man whose sleep already grew thin with age, the disturbance was entirely unwelcome.

Let’s see the faces of these punks.

Dragging his stiff body out of the thatched-roof house, the first thing Old Man Jang saw was a crowd gathered like a thick cloud. There had to be hundreds of them. It seemed as if every two-legged and four-legged creature in the village had assembled.

“What in the world is all this?”

Since it was a small, familiar village, most of the faces were recognizable. At Old Man Jang’s muttering, a market merchant with a familiar face acknowledged him.

“You’re awake, elder.”

“How could I not be with this racket you’re all making?”

“Haha, please understand, elder. Everyone has gathered because they heard a distinguished guest is coming.”

Old Man Jang replied bluntly.

“A distinguished guest? Is the Emperor[1] himself paying a visit?”

“Aigoo, there you go again. Is the Emperor a friend of yours, elder?”

“If you go by age, I’d be his father.”

“You’ll be arrested for treason if you keep talking like that. Don’t you see the government soldiers over there?”

“Soldiers?”

Following the merchant’s nod, Old Man Jang’s eyes narrowed as he spotted dozens of government soldiers and a Magistrate[2] dressed in official robes.

“The bastard never showed his face when mountain bandits were skulking about, and now he’s all dressed up in his official uniform? Is this ‘distinguished guest’ some high-class noble?”

“Not a high-class noble, but in Shanxi Province, he’s this,” the merchant said, giving a thumbs-up.

Just at that moment, a collective gasp erupted from the crowd.

“There he comes!”

“He’s here!”

Old Man Jang turned his head to follow their gaze. He could finally identify the distinguished guest as he watched fifty riders and their fluttering banners approaching from a distance.

The Taiyuan Jin Family.

Although Old Man Jang had little interest in the ways of the world, he had heard the name of the Taiyuan Jin family until his ears were sore. They were an illustrious family[3] that had maintained its lineage for three hundred years and the reigning overlord[4] who held the hegemony of Shanxi Province.

As he watched the majestic procession, Old Man Jang suddenly furrowed his brow.

Who was that fellow again? That, what’s-his-name. The Shanxi, Shanxi… something Dragon?

His memory was fading with age. As he felt a pang of resentment for the passing years, one person caught his eye.

“Hey, who is that young man over there?”

“Ah, you mean that young hero?”

There were dozens of warriors from the Taiyuan Jin family in plain sight, yet the merchant understood immediately. A awl in a sack, as they say. The young man’s presence was like a sharp awl in a bag, impossible to hide and standing out wherever he went.

“That is the Hidden Dragon of Shanxi.”

*

*

*

Screee—

As if hearing those very words, the young man at the head of the procession drew the sword from his waist.

Just as the transparent blade flashed in the sunlight, a tremendous cheer exploded from the crowd.

“Waaaaaah!”

“The Taiyuan Jin family! The Hidden Dragon of Shanxi! The Heavenly-Shaking Sword!”

“Hidden Dragon of Shanxi! Jin Tae-kyung! Hidden Dragon of Shanxi! Jin Tae-kyung!”

My nickname and my name echoed from all directions. Even though I had experienced this several times over the past few days, it still filled me with pride.

Is this what it feels like to be an idol?

It’s just like those fan chants. Milky-white skin, Jin Tae-kyung! We love you, Jin Tae-kyung!

The idol fan clubs I had only seen on music shows were right here in front of me. I smiled with satisfaction and drew the [Nameless Sword] from my waist.

Shwing. Flash!

Perhaps because the brand was Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, there was nothing better for a visual effect.

“Woooooah!”

“Aaaah! Sir, take me!”

“Wah! Wah!”

A man for all ages, appealing to men and women, young and old alike.

That was me.

[Fame has increased by 19!]

[Fame has increased by 26!]

[Fame has increased by 31!]

…

…

[Fame has greatly increased!]

[With the increase in Fame, the effect of the title [Submerged Dragon of Shanxi] has been enhanced!]

The title’s effect was enhanced?

That was an unexpected gain. Curious to see the changes, I opened my status window.

Tiring.

Status Window

[Lv.61 Jin Tae-kyung]

• Class: First-rate Warrior
• Fame: 2100 (+250)

Titles: 4 (Title effects are active)

• Returnee (All stats +10)
• Hidden Dragon of Shanxi (All stats +15, Fame +200)
• Scion of a Noble Family (All stats +5, Fame +50)
• Duelist (Combat-related stats +10% in one-on-one battles)

+++

• Strength: 196 (+30)
• Stamina: 195 (+30)
• Agility: 192 (+30)
• Intelligence: 35 (+30)
• Charm: 35 (+30)
• Endurance: 155 (+30)
• Internal Energy: 45 Years

Remaining Points: 60

Please allocate the remaining points.

The effect of the Hidden Dragon of Shanxi title, which had been a +10 to all stats and +100 to Fame, had definitely changed.

So, my reputation has increased, is that it?

Titles don’t just fall from the sky. In my case, rumors about me being a ‘Hidden Dragon’ began to spread, and at some point, my fame rose and I earned the title. It seemed that as fame increased, the title’s effects also improved.

My level is already over 60, too.

The status window I was checking after a long time had grown substantially. My fame had soared, my combat stats were nearing 200, and I even had a solid 45 years of internal energy.

Keeeuh. Bartender!

As I shivered with exhilaration, Hyeok Mujin, holding a banner to my right, looked at me as if I were a lunatic.

“Are you that happy?”

I put on a straight face and replied, “Who said I was happy? The people are enjoying it, so I was just livening up the mood a bit.”

“…I have much to say, but I will not.”

“A wise choice.”

Walking amidst the cheers of the people, we pulled on our reins and slowed down. This was because dozens of men had poured out, blocking our path.

Among them, a portly man dressed in a single, splendid red outfit beamed at me.

“Heh heh, you are as gallant as they say. I have heard much of the Hidden Dragon of Shanxi’s great renown.”

“Ah, yes.”

I asked, bewildered, “But who are you?”

Hyeok Mujin hastily whispered, “He’s the Magistrate, the Magistrate.”

“What’s a Magistrate?”

“What? You don’t know what a Magistrate is?”

“Is it like a village chief?”

“Wow, you’re driving me crazy. Just think of him as an official.”

“Ah, an official? Then are the people behind him government soldiers?”

“…Why are you acting like you’ve never seen government soldiers before?”

“No, it’s just… I find it fascinating.”

Honestly, this is my first time seeing them.

I carefully observed the portly man, no, the Magistrate, and his subordinates. I knew that this world had a country, government offices, and law enforcement agencies, but this was my first time actually encountering them.

How is it that they never show their faces?

In a neighborhood where dozens of violent crimes occurred daily, I had never once witnessed government soldiers arresting a culprit. Hmph! Then again, considering there were no repercussions for the Battle of the Baquan Gorge, where nearly two thousand people clashed, or for this recent incident with the Crimson Wind Brigade, maybe that was to be expected.

It’s not like they go around beating up the bandits who are just loitering about, either.

What exactly is their job?

I was imagining that in the modern world, half of all martial artists would be locked up in solitary confinement for murder when the Magistrate, his face flushed red, let out a series of fake coughs.

“Ahem, ahem!”

That man, who probably held a respectable rank himself, seemed offended at being ignored by me.

“Oh, my apologies. I injured my head recently and keep losing my focus.”

It was just a convenient excuse, but the Magistrate’s expression finally softened a bit.

“Ahem, not at all. You must have endured great hardship dealing with those atrocious bandits. Ah, I heard you killed over five hundred of them?”

“Uh… five hundred?”

“Indeed. How delighted I was to hear the tales of valor of the Heavenly-Shaking Sword and the Hidden Dragon of Shanxi. Heh heh.”

I have no idea where that number came from.

Even if you counted all the bandits who participated in this battle, it would be three hundred at most, and by the time Jin Mu-gyeong and I arrived, there were fewer than a hundred left.

In reality, it was probably about seventy bandits, who were already exhausted from fighting Pung-yang? Something like that?

Well, rumors always tend to get exaggerated.

“Ahem, that’s too…”

Just as I was about to state the facts, a murmur spread through the people who had been listening with bated breath to my conversation with the Magistrate.

“Five hundred? Didn’t the Hidden Dragon of Shanxi and the Heavenly-Shaking Sword go alone?”

“Good heavens! Does that mean the two of them took on over five hundred bandits?”

“My word, how can a person be so strong!”

Tiring.

• [People are looking at you with awe-filled gazes.]
• [Fame has increased by 40!]

“Too… what did you say?” the Magistrate asked, looking puzzled.

I continued, “Too much of an understatement. In reality, it was close to six hundred men.”

“Six hundred!”

“My second brother and I split them half and half.”

“Then that’s three hundred men per person!”

“Well, to be precise, it was about two hundred and eighty-five men each?”

The Magistrate, and even the government soldiers, let their jaws drop.

“Ooooh!”

“Two hundred and eighty-five! He’s so precise!”

Tiring.

• [People are looking at you with awe-filled gazes.]
• [Fame has increased by 40!]

This time, Hyeok Mujin whispered to me, his face a mixture of disgust as if he were looking at an insect. “Do you really have to go that far?”

“What are you going to do if you get caught for exaggerating your achievements?”

“It’ll be fine as long as you, Wol-hwa, and the Hengshan Sword Sect keep your mouths shut. So hurry up and back me up.”

“I refuse. This Hyeok Mujin, despite appearances, is a man who has lived a truthful life, looking up to the heavens without a speck of shame.”

I asked, dumbfounded, “Weren’t you the one who fought a non-existent assassin when Jin Mu-gyeong destroyed my pavilion?”

“If you have nothing more to say, then shut up and manage your expression. My two hundred eighty… how many was it again?”

“Two hundred and eighty-five.”

“Right. I’ll say you took care of about thirty of them. If you were born with balls, you should at least try to become the Gate Master of the Taiyuan Jin family’s gatehouse. Don’t you think?”

Hyeok Mujin, the man who claimed to have lived a truthful life without a speck of shame, completely captivated the Magistrate with his dazzling display of verbiage.

The bandits, who had been mostly second and third-rate, were transformed one and all into first-rate masters. Pung-yang became an invincible master who could split mountains and seas with a single stroke of his sword, and the Crimson Wind Brigade were painted as an army of ferocious demons riding red-maned horses.

From now on, I’m taking everything this guy says with a grain of salt.

He was such a skilled liar that even I was starting to get confused about what was real. If I, who was there, felt this way, I couldn’t imagine what it was like for everyone else.

“…And so, the absolute ruler of the highlands, Pung-yang, and the atrocious Crimson Wind Brigade met their end and had their bones buried at the Hengshan Sword Sect.”

As soon as Hyeok Mujin’s bullshit—no, his story—concluded, sighs mixed with regret erupted from all around. Among them, the Magistrate’s reaction was the most enthusiastic.

“Hooooo, my goodness. How could such a thing… The world of martial arts is truly a wondrous and terrifying place.”

Hyeok Mujin scanned the crowd with melancholic eyes.

“A martial man[5] like myself knows no fear. Since the day I first held a sword, I have always lived with death as my companion. However, if I have one wish…”

“If you have one wish?”

“It is to die by the sword of a strong adversary. I wish for nothing more.”

At this point, his bullshit is having a bountiful harvest.

Suppressing the urge to smack Hyeok Mujin on the back of the head, I stepped forward. I had already milked my fame for all it was worth, and it wasn’t increasing anymore. There was no reason to continue chatting with the pot-bellied man.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we are in a hurry to get going.”

The Magistrate, who had been staring at Hyeok Mujin with a dazed, almost hypnotized expression, snapped back to his senses.

“Ah, my apologies. I did not mean to delay you.”

“Then, is there some business you have with us?”

“Might I see Master Jin? I mean your esteemed master.”

The Magistrate’s gaze shifted to the carriage behind me. Although not visible from the outside, Jin Wi-gyeong, Jin Mu-gyeong, and Wi Peng were inside.

They’re dead drunk, of course.

They were the losers who had been utterly crushed by me in a drinking competition that had lasted for the past three days. But I couldn’t very well say that, could I? Without a change in my expression, I lied.

“My apologies, but they are currently in the middle of regulating their energy and cannot be seen. As you know, Magistrate, it is a rather dangerous affair.”

“Ah, is that so. Then it cannot be helped.”

The Magistrate clicked his tongue and pulled a rolled-up piece of paper from his sleeve, handing it to me.

“What is this?”

“It is an invitation from the City Lord[6]. Upon hearing of the young hero Jin’s recent exploits, he was greatly impressed and has arranged a gathering with a few other rising talents.”

Tiring.

[A quest has been generated.]