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0034 ———————————————-

Golden Eagle Guard

Clop clop

In the front, I could hear Mo Yong-yeon’s horse galloping.

The escape was going smoothly. The Hangu Pass, which seemed so close, was actually quite distant, and the pursuers trailing behind were starting to struggle to keep up. It made sense since the target, Mo Yong-yeon, was speeding ahead on horseback, and we weren’t letting them widen the gap. Moreover, it was night, making it tricky to run recklessly lest one trip and fall.

Earlier, when I smashed the ground, four of them lost their senses, but now only five were chasing us. The remaining one was a master of the light body technique, but he seemed to have taken quite a beating from Jin So-cheong earlier and wasn’t pursuing us. I glanced at their numbers and said,

“Three against five, isn’t that manageable?”

“Not quite. One of them is a master of hidden projectiles, so we can’t afford a reckless showdown.”

“Hidden projectiles?”

“That’s Zhan Long. Be careful.”

There was a strong sense of caution in Jin So-cheong’s words.

‘That standoff earlier must’ve been truly dangerous…’

With a concealed master behind us, Jin So-cheong had to bear it while forcing a combined attack, which felt intense. I shivered a bit at the thought that if I had been just a little slower, something disastrous might’ve happened. I didn’t know who Zhan Long was, but avoiding a direct confrontation was definitely the way to go when facing hidden projectiles. They can be laced with poison, changing the tide of battle at any moment.

Zhan Long was keeping his distance, likely waiting for the right opportunity rather than wasting projectiles recklessly. It made sense—since we were running, our stamina would be wearing down, providing an opening. Soon we’d hit the mountain path, where we’d have to be wary of any hidden projectiles Zhan Long might fling at us from behind.

Thwack

While running, I tossed a question toward Namgung Hwan.

“Aren’t you bringing along the family guards, Azure Dragon of the Sky?”

Namgung Hwan forced a bitter smile at my question.

“There are internal matters at play. Just getting to Hangu Pass should be fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I wanted to know what was going on with Namgung Hwan, but there was no time to waste breath while running from our pursuers. I noticed one of the five behind us picked up speed and began closing the distance, so I quickly pivoted and drew the dagger from my robes.

Whoosh!

“Dagger’s nothing…”

Boom!

“AAARGH!”

A master wielding an iron chain blocked my dagger, making a metallic clang as it flew off into the distance. The chain shattered into pieces and stuck into the ground. The sight must’ve stunned the other four behind him; their eyes likely bulged with shock. It meant that the internal strength in my dagger far surpassed that of the iron chain master.

Namgung Hwan, visibly shaken, said,

“That… that’s some monstrous level of internal power… No one from our clan possesses strength like yours, Baek Woong.”

“Internal power isn’t everything.”

“How humble.”

Namgung Hwan was impressed, thinking I was modest, but I knew that ‘internal power isn’t everything.’ As one ascends to higher realms in martial arts, understanding the essence of Qi and mastering techniques becomes increasingly vital as opposed to just raw power.

No matter how hard I struck with world-dominating force, a master capable of redirecting and countering can nullify it all. There are masters beyond masters, and above them, absolute experts.

‘That’s why I must deeply study martial arts at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.’

There are many ways to live a simple, comfortable life. But when strength falls short, a limit will inevitably appear from somewhere. To overcome that, I had to explore the origins of the martial arts I practiced until reaching the domain of the masters.

Just then, I heard a strange noise.

Hee hee hee

Suddenly, about 70 meters ahead, Mo Yong-yeon’s horse began to slow down. As the horse’s rear widened and the distance between us shrank, the three of us instinctively sensed it. The smooth road was drawing to a close, and we had arrived at the mountain path leading up to Hangu Pass.

Luckily, this mountain path was well-kept, graded to a low slope, so it wasn’t too strenuous to ascend. The problem was that, despite that, it was still a tough climb on horseback, so we had to dismount.

As Mo Yong-yeon got down from the horse, Namgung Hwan worriedly asked her,

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But Gaga, you’re sweating…”

“Haha… I’m alright.”

Dripping with sweat from our exertions, Namgung Hwan wiped his forehead and glanced back.

“We’ll have to settle this with those guys soon enough.”

That’s right. The distance was completely closed now, and there was no way to escape. From the way Namgung Hwan had been shielding Mo Yong-yeon, it seemed her martial arts were on the weaker side. Three against four was slightly better than before, but protecting Mo Yong-yeon while fighting was likely to turn out unfavorable for us.

A heavy silence hung between us and the first-class experts. At that moment, among the first-class experts, a handsome guy who looked like a seductive courtesan and exuded an unsettling aura with a twisted smile stepped forward. I had brushed shoulders with him in the bustling market during the day.

“Aya, Azure Dragon of the Sky! As I said before, isn’t it selfish to hog the Heavenly Yin Body all to yourself?”

Namgung Hwan’s face stiffened. He clenched his fists in anger.

“Shut up, shameless fiend! How dare a color demon speak like that…!!”

Color demon?

Now that I thought about it, his appearance and aura matched those rumors about the color demons I had heard. Color demons often practiced the Youth Preserving Technique, causing them to look increasingly feminine over time, and they generally had a peculiar smell about them, which required frequent use of makeup.

Color demons were known to be inherently lustful perverts, so if the women from regular households or martial artists crossed paths with them, disaster could easily follow. Besides, due to the characteristics of the Youth Preserving Technique, they typically possessed more internal power than ordinary martial artists, so catching them wasn’t an easy task, as I had heard.

Jin So-cheong glanced over the three standing beside me and said,

“Zhan Long, War Sword Ghost, Dagger Axe. All of you have gained fame in Anhui Province, yet you’ve come here, following a color demon, to forcibly take an unarmed girl?”

“……”

Shamed by Jin So-cheong’s accusations, Zhan Long turned his head in silence. But War Sword Ghost Wei Zhong, after having collided with my internal power, sneered while aiming his warped wooden sword at us.

“Hah! The Heavenly Yin Body is worth such a degrading burden. If I can take her, my internal power will multiply, and I can possess the Heavenly Yin Qi! I’d stake my life for that!”

Next to him, the Dagger Axe, a first-class expert with a burly frame resembling a typical mountain bandit, looked over Mo Yong-yeon’s curvy figure, leering lewdly.

“After all, it’s just a few visits from a ship at the port that won’t even be noticed, right?”

“Hahaha! Dagger Axe, your wit is impressive, hahahahaha!”

The Dagger Axe’s crude joke made the color demon cackle.

“Ahh…”

Mo Yong-yeon, having received such sexual insults, turned pale, especially her fiancé, Azure Dragon of the Sky Namgung Hwan, whose face was turning red with rage. He gritted his teeth and said,

“Those who couldn’t even meet my gaze in Anhui Province…”

The color demon chuckled.

“Hahaha! Of course, in Anhui Province, you’d have to yield to the Namgung Clan’s prestigious status. But here in Guanzhong, your influence means nothing; shouting for all eternity won’t change a thing.”

That’s right.

Despite being powerful noble families or great sects, their influence rarely crossed the boundaries of their regions. That’s why martial artists with grievances against major sects would go to any lengths to escape that hellish place.

I couldn’t predict how things would turn out if I faced them head-on. I had crossed many dangerous lines up until now, but this constituted a proper full-blown clash among martial artists for the first time. Especially since I had no experience facing off against hidden weapons, I might suffer fatal damage regardless of my internal power.

I certainly didn’t intend to lose easily, but even so, facing such an insurmountable challenge made it hard to think straight. One wrong choice could lead to irreversible consequences.

What could I do to turn this situation around?

While I was pondering, I boldly stepped forward. All eyes turned to me, and the first-class experts were particularly watching me with mixed feelings of fear. After witnessing my overwhelming internal power earlier, their apprehension made sense.

Deciding to strike a dramatic pose, I declared,

“Y’all are talking mad when you’re just one hit away from death. Aren’t you scared of me?”

“Uh….”

As I exuded killing intent, the previously confident color demon and the Dagger Axe stepped back in surprise. They seemed terrified of me suddenly rushing in for a kick infused with my internal power. Zhan Long, on the other hand, was clearly on guard, preparing several hidden projectiles between his fingers.

Then, War Sword Ghost Wei Zhong spoke,

“Hmph! It’s true that Baek Woong, your internal power is formidable. But your usage of techniques and defense against vital points is lacking. As long as I don’t engage directly, I can handle you just fine.”

“……”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who realized the potential outcome of our short confrontation. Wei Zhong was right; once the actual battle began, regardless of my internal power, the one who could land a decisive blow first would emerge victorious.

No matter how strong my internal power was, if I couldn’t land a hit, it would all be useless. War Sword Ghost’s techniques were quite refined, so if he went on the offensive, he could hold me back single-handedly.

‘But is it worth it for these thugs to risk their lives for Mo Yong-yeon?’

I had already connected the dots through the conversation.

The Heavenly Yin Body, Mo Yong-yeon!

From what I gathered, any man engaging with her could enhance his internal power and cultivate the special Heavenly Yin Qi. That’s why more than ten first-class experts were relentlessly pursuing her.

Of course, I had no desire to engage in intimate relations or rape her. With the internal power I’ve cultivated from consuming Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng three times, I was already strutting around like a peacock.

In fact, the uncertainty of Heavenly Yin Qi was more concerning as it might throw my internal power balance off, so I saw no reason to bother with Mo Yong-yeon.

Thus, I took a jab at War Sword Ghost Wei Zhong.

“What you have here is a bunch of rapists who can’t even deal with one woman on their own, so they came here in a pack. If you wanted to get laid, why not visit a brothel and stop barking like rabid dogs? Did your parents teach you that, you son of a—!”

“……”

“……”

The place fell into a stunned silence.

Oops.

What began as a simple task of bringing my sister to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School had morphed into a life-or-death mission, prompting me to lash out with the vulgar insults I’d learned during my time as a courier. Back in those days, I had to fight bandits regularly, so I easily picked up such lowly curse words.

The first-class experts here were martial artists with proper mentors and had likely trained since childhood. The number of times they’d encountered such crude vulgarity must have been surprisingly low, especially for Wei Zhong, who had strong connections to official schools unlike the others.

It seemed that Wei Zhong’s mind was blown. His face flushed with rage as he completely lost his composure. I must have inadvertently provoked him successfully.

“You—you bastard!”

SWISH!

He wielded his wooden sword with a speed unlike before, coming at me faster than during our earlier duel. It was as if he had transformed—his body seeming to split into two as he swung, nearly impossible to track at night.

‘Here he comes.’

As his sword flew towards me, I clenched my jaw and focused. I’d had no chance of reading his movements before, so this time I decided to concentrate my internal power into my eyes to enhance my sight and predict his attacks.

Right!

Whoosh!

A small wound grazed my shoulder. But I swiveled my body, narrowly escaping Wei Zhong’s attack. He was likely astounded; given what he knew of my skills, he would never have expected me to dodge so cleanly.

“What?!”

As his confident strike met empty air, I saw every opening he left behind. Without hesitation, I pivoted on my right foot and swung my sword horizontally.

Slash!

In the next moment, Wei Zhong’s body was cleaved in two, his upper half exploding outwards, his innards spilling everywhere. Blood sprayed like a rushing river, while his severed legs crumpled forward to kneel.

Wei Zhong’s eyes widened in disbelief, clearly unable to accept that he’d lost.

Thud!

As Wei Zhong’s upper body fell, I wiped the blood splatter from my face, disgusted, then laughed at his corpse.

“Well, look what happened—I’ve killed you.”

The three remaining were retreating in shock.

“Ugh…”

Based on their calculations, they’d assumed that with their numbers, they could overpower me using hidden weapons, but unexpectedly, the boastful Wei Zhong had been dispatched in one blow.

“I will definitely obtain the Heavenly Yin Body!”

As expected, the color demon’s expression turned pale, and with a shout, he bolted away. His light body technique was exceptional, making him appear faster than Wei Zhong. He was certainly the strongest among them.

“Uh, then I should…”

The Dagger Axe, looking awkward, also began to back away. But just then, standing by and observing the situation, Namgung Hwan made his move.

Clang!

The Dagger Axe had barely taken two steps back when Namgung Hwan’s sword shot forward like lightning, forcing Dagger Axe to parry with his axe.

But the escape route was already too piecemeal. The Dagger Axe, clearly weaker than Namgung Hwan, kept getting pushed back, howling as he shouted,

“Zhan Long! Now’s the time!”

“……”

“Zhan Long!”

Yet no response came.

THWACK!

“Cough… urgh…”

Namgung Hwan said with a grin,

“Blame your crude mouth.”

Within mere seconds, he unleashed the imperial sword technique unique to the Namgung Clan and sliced the Dagger Axe’s upper body to pieces.

With the sword lodged in his neck, the Dagger Axe had his heart shredded. He glared at Namgung Hwan with eyes filled with deep resentment before gradually collapsing as Namgung Hwan retracted his sword.

Thud!

With the Dagger Axe dead, it felt as if the situation was wrapping up. Only Zhan Long remained now, having stood silently since earlier. Namgung Hwan aimed his sword at Zhan Long, saying,

“Zhan Long. Your fame as a hidden weapon master is well-known even in Anhui. Yet, you’ve failed to act despite the opportunities presented. What are you thinking?”

“……”

Zhan Long hesitated but eventually answered.

“I felt ashamed by your words, Great Hero Jin. I came here without hesitation in search of strength, but when I realized that what I was doing was assaulting a woman, I lost all motivation.”

“Such words don’t absolve you of your sins.”

“Heh… Do you think I would beg for my life?”

Wryly smiling, Zhan Long continued.

“One more thing—I didn’t choose to remain still; I was simply unable to move. If you hadn’t been prepared to strike should I make a motion, I would have had no faith in dodging your attack. It could have ended in my death, despite me risking it.”

“I see…”

I understood from Zhan Long’s words that Jin So-cheong had vigilantly stayed on guard against him all this time, allowing Namgung Hwan and me to easily take down our enemies. Even so, he was indeed a formidable master, capable of instilling a sense of danger.

Zhan Long turned to me and said,

“You’re Baek Woong, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Then don’t act so recklessly.”

What?

“If your sister hadn’t been here, I could’ve killed you five times in the blink of an eye. No matter how overflowing your internal power is, your vital points are wide open, and killing you would be as easy as flipping my palm. So never act carelessly in front of a hidden weapon master again. If you must, learn proper defensive techniques first.”

“……”

I was taken aback as Zhan Long’s attitude reminded me of an admonishing senior, but I soon realized he was sincere. Jin So-cheong also seemed to silently affirm his advice.

In a moment, my initial anger vanished, and Zhan Long’s warnings felt genuinely beneficial.

‘So it is… I’m too vulnerable to hidden weapons and poison. I need to practice that.’

“I understand.”

When I replied, Zhan Long smiled.

“Thanks for waiting till I finished speaking. Now…”

Pom!

“……!!”

Suddenly, Zhan Long pulled out a long needle from his robes and plunged it into his own forehead. He moved with such swiftness that I couldn’t react in time. Astonishingly, the long needle pierced his brain, yet hardly any blood poured out, and Zhan Long shuddered for a moment before collapsing forward, dead.

He had clearly resigned himself to death, choosing to uphold the last shred of honor as a martial artist.

It seemed a brutal method of suicide, but for a master of hidden weapons such as Zhan Long, it was likely a quick and pain-free way to meet his end. Regardless of how it appeared to others, once his brain was destroyed, consciousness would fade before he could feel any pain.

Gazing down at Zhan Long’s corpse, Namgung Hwan said with a bitter expression,

“He had a conscience that separated him from the others.”

“……”

“Then we must honor his dignity.”

It seemed that once we crossed Hangu Pass and were safe from pursuit, Namgung Hwan would likely list all today’s assailants on the Namgung Clan’s hit list, branding them as prey within the Jianghu community.

However, since Zhan Long chose to preserve his conscience in the end, Namgung Hwan would carry that secret to the grave. That would benefit Zhan Long’s surviving acquaintances or sect.

“Now, let’s move. Before the remaining pursuers arrive.”

And with that, we set off toward Hangu Pass.

‘Is that really the best choice?’

I reflected on the recent events.

If Zhan Long had just been a bit more cunning and cruel in his actions, he could’ve not only saved his own life but also pushed us to the brink.

In fact, had he exploited the two openings I left behind, that could have turned out to be dangerous.

Yet still, Zhan Long chose his honor. On the surface, it appeared to be a martial artist’s noble and honorable death, but it felt somewhat eerie to me.

It may look cool, but deep down, I shook my head in disagreement.

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