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0030 ———————————————-

Golden Eagle Guard

On my way to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, I decided to refrain from unnecessary robbery and murder. Not because my good conscience suddenly awoke, but because I figured I needed a clean slate if I was to join the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and train for a long time.

Currently, my goal wasn’t to earn money or gain fame; I just needed enough time to improve my martial skills, and it was important to create an environment where I could focus solely on that.

I let out a short sigh.

“Well, I was thinking that, and yet you guys are dulling my resolve.”

“……”

Hearing my mumbling, five bandits quaked in their boots, kneeling and bowing their heads.

Just half a meal ago, they randomly spotted me and swung their swords to kill me. A typical murderous robbery, and with twelve of them, any ordinary commoner would’ve met their end without a chance to resist. At least four or five escorts would be needed to handle these guys reliably.

However, I used the Thunder Cloud Palm to knock four of them unconscious in an instant, then sliced the arms of three others with a short blade. Despite having only my bare body and a dagger for self-defense, dealing with these bandits was a piece of cake.

“Ahhhh…”

“Please… spare me…”

Seeing my writhing, groaning foes on the ground, the bandits sat petrified, trembling in fear. I looked at them with cold eyes and spoke.

“I’m currently contemplating whether to end your worthless lives right here or to let you off once.”

The bandits freaked out and pressed their noses to the ground, begging.

“S- small hero… no, my lord… please spare my life…”

“Spare me…!!”

“Waaah, I messed up!!”

I stared blankly at them and said, “If you have any useful information, spill it. If I find it satisfactory, I might let you live.”

Killing them would be incredibly easy. With just a loose swing of my Thunder Cloud Palm, they’d become fried chicken. But since I had thought earlier to refrain from murder, I wanted to hear what they had to say first.

The bandits desperately began racking their brains for useful information. Then, one scruffy bandit suddenly raised his hand and shouted.

“My lord! The chief of the Golden Wolf Clan nearby is said to be a stunning beauty!”

“……”

“If you… er… take her…”

This guy was really living a trashy life.

I stared at him in disbelief and reached for his ear. Then, I yanked it off with a forceful grip.

Swoosh!

“Kyyaaaaa!!”

As I tore off the ear while he was still alive, he screamed and rolled on the ground. Blood gushed out as he seemed to faint. At that moment, the bandits who had been trying to offer “useful information” were frozen in place like rabbits. I tossed the ear into a nearby stream and growled.

“Think carefully and tell me what truly useful information you have.”

“Uh… my lord… what do you want? Just a clue, please…”

“Tell me about the martial arts world.”

“Um…”

The bandits looked miserable. It’s no surprise they wouldn’t know anything of worth as they were out here just robbing the streets.

“Well, if you don’t know, that’s fine.”

Seeing their flustered expressions, I began to raise my killing intent and started to lift my hand. These scoundrels had certainly lived a pathetic life, killing and robbing helpless travelers indiscriminately, so I intended to dispose of them all without a second thought.

At that moment, a skinny bandit with bulging little eyes shouted loudly.

“My lord!! I have a really good piece of information!!”

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard the Azure Dragon of the Sky, Namgung Hwan, is staying at a village about eight li from here! It’s said he’s traveling with his fiancée, but I’m not sure about that!”

“……!!”

I gasped in surprise.

Namgung Hwan, the Azure Dragon of the Sky!

‘Had he been here in his youth?’

That alias was famous. Not the kind I knew at this moment, but one that would soon be renowned as one of the Ten Great Masters of the Future. Namgung Hwan would eventually become the head of the Namgung Clan, ruling Anhui Province and earning the title of Sword King, or so I’ve heard.

Even while working as an escort, his presence felt like that of a giant. As a mere clan, he wields enough influence to dominate an entire city, earning fame as a great hero in Anhui Province. Apparently, at this moment, he was living as a late-stage orthodox sect disciple, decades before becoming the clan leader.

I was intrigued and asked, “What’s he doing here?”

“Well, it seems he’s come to meet someone, but we don’t really know… That’s just what we heard from the innkeeper…”

“But you’re telling me you’re bandit types while Namgung Hwan is roaming around?”

“Uhh… um…”

The bandits couldn’t answer. It’s obvious they feared Namgung Hwan and other martial artists, but not a kid like me. With twelve armed robbers, even a caravan could be overwhelmed.

I snickered quietly, falling deep into thought.

‘I’m curious. Should I go see what Azure Dragon of the Sky looks like?’

The Azure Dragon Martial Arts School was just a day away from where I stood. I had been this way before when I went there alone in the past. With my superior internal power, it wouldn’t be a problem to reach it in half a day. Therefore, I had plenty of time and leisure to meet the Azure Dragon.

“Hey, where’s the village where he’s staying?”

“Once you cross these ashes and go around Micho Mountain, you’ll find Gangwol Village.”

“Sounds familiar.”

That was definitely a village not far off the main road. In fact, it was a medium-sized village perfectly positioned along the main road leading to Guanzhong. I knew it well, having stopped by to take a quick nap near a building there once.

I turned to the bandit who provided the information and said, “Alright. You gave me good information, so I’ll let you live. What about the others?”

“We have something too!”

“Speak of the rich treasures of your lord’s…”

The bandits all scrambled to desperate speak of their ‘valuable information’ for me. Although there were some useless bits, I gathered details about the nearby Golden Wolf Clan’s location, the slave market, ways to contact kidnappers who abducted children to sell, and the strongest bandit clan nearby, Blood Wolf Clan. It was truly bandit-like information, but I thought it might be useful one day, so I kept it in mind.

After summarizing all the tales they told, I figured it was time to wrap things up.

“It’s time to part ways.”

“Huh?”

POW!!

I abruptly knocked down the bandits sprawled on the ground. Then I dashed toward the four thieves who provided me with information. Their faces shifted from hope upon hearing they’d be spared to despair as my dagger started swinging at incredible speed.

“AHHH!”

“My lord, what the…?”

Swoosh!

Swoosh! Boom!!

In the next moment, four heads flew through the air. I landed back down without a single drop of blood on me. The heads plopped to the ground behind me. Next, I rifled through the bandit loot and found over twenty silver coins.

“Who said you’d be my lord?”

While I had promised to spare them, a whim overtook me, and I killed them all. I stood in the midst of a sea of blood without feeling a shred of guilt.

After all, who would complain if I eliminated useless murderous bandits? Because of my actions, commoners could now live. To be precise, I killed them purely because I wanted to, but I dismissively stuffed the coins into my satchel and started walking again.

‘Let’s go to Gangwol Village and see what the Azure Dragon of the Sky is up to.’

I felt eager to gather information about the future Ten Great Masters.

Tydaht

I sprinted quickly toward Gangwol Village. It took me two moments to reach there, and by the time I arrived, the sun was setting. I had enough travel expenses, so I first looked for an inn to rest at, noticing the glow of lights from the dining hall to the west of the village.

Buzz buzz…

Gangwol Village was close to the main road, and bustling with active trade. Unlike small villages, the inn was filled with people, brimming with an energetic atmosphere. Seeing the traveling women enticing travelers, I thought there’s no escaping such stirs when lots of people gather.

When I asked the innkeeper if I could stay, he looked surprised. It was understandable since an unusually young child was suddenly throwing down silver coins to reserve a room. But hey, money talks; he handed over the room key without a word.

In the spirit of friendliness, I asked the innkeeper, “Is there a famous martial artist staying in this village?”

“A… are you here to see the Azure Dragon of the Sky? It seems a child of a renowned martial family is traveling alone…”

The innkeeper mistakenly thought I was a highborn child and smiled broadly, “He left this village with his fiancée around noon. He stayed at our inn.”

“What? Do you know where they headed?”

“There’s no way an innkeeper would pry such things from a traveler.”

“……”

His words were hard to argue against. The innkeeper looked at me with pity, as if finding it sad that such a young child was traveling alone, and after a moment, he said, “Well… I have an idea. They headed north out of the village, and if you go that way, you’ll come to Guanzhong. He’ll likely enter the castle within Guanzhong.”

“Sounds likely.”

I agreed with the innkeeper’s guess. A renowned martial family disciple like the Azure Dragon wouldn’t meander around mountain villages. Especially with his fiancée in tow—he’d normally travel comfortably along the main roads, hitting the larger towns. It appeared sure that Namgung Hwan was heading to Guanzhong.

‘Maybe I should rest a bit and follow them.’

After all, Guanzhong was my destination too. I could start my search for traces of Namgung Hwan the next morning and surely catch a glimpse of him before it ends. If things didn’t work out, I could just move along to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

Creak

“Here, take this.”

“Huh?”

The innkeeper came to my room a little while later, presenting a delicious chicken dish. I widened my eyes, curious about what this was, and he burst into laughter.

“It’s free. Eat up and regain your strength.”

“Thank you!”

I felt grateful for the kindness shown during my travels yet again. After the innkeeper left, I felt uneasy while eating the warm chicken dish. Come to think of it, I had received help from many people during my travels throughout my past life.

Forget about Mr. Song from the fabric shop; I also owed something to Jang Cheol from the Plum Blossom Escort Agency, but with how busy I had been, I hadn’t mustered the courage to repay him yet. My heart felt the contradiction of accumulating debts I could never repay.

‘But I can’t go around repaying every favor from my past lives, hmmm… it’s a tough issue.’

Once I finished the chicken dish, I cleaned myself up and slipped into a pleasant sleep after a long time.

The next morning, after thanking the innkeeper, I helped tidy up his tables and chairs a bit. He assured me that was more than enough, and my heart felt lighter.

I left Gangwol Village and arrived in Guanzhong. I recalled my earlier journey here when I pushed through hardship with barely anything, shivering on the ground and camping out during the cold. Though I wasn’t sure how many years had passed, those struggles remained fresh in my memory.

“Well, I won’t be sleeping rough again.”

I started looking around the inner city of Guanzhong for Namgung Hwan, who was likely already here. When I spent my time training in the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School before, I didn’t realize just how large and bustling Guanzhong was. Sure, it couldn’t compare to the capital of Luoyang, but there were plenty of people bustling about and wide roads.

How to seek out Namgung Hwan? It occurred to me that I should try using my Qi sense. By consuming a spiritual pill for the third time, my internal power surged, enabling me to sense energy not only locally but from quite a distance. Meaning, I could identify excellent martial artists within a broad range.

‘Someone of Namgung Hwan’s level should be easy to spot.’

The only reason I wanted to find him wasn’t that I had an urgent matter to discuss, just a personal curiosity about how a future famous figure might have looked in the past. As I wandered the lively streets, I extended my Qi sense and surprisingly detected five strong energies within a radius of about 200 meters.

Each of these energies was that of at least a first-class expert, if not more. While the area was spacious, it was rare to sense this many experts together, raising my suspicions.

I wasn’t accustomed to brushing shoulders with peak-level experts these days, but a first-class expert was an entirely different league from something like a mere escort. The variances in skill level among first-class experts were vast, making it unwise to underestimate those who weren’t at the peak level. Just like me, I might have plenty of internal power, but it’s hard to be confident in the martial skills I possess. A first-class expert is someone the advanced practitioners admire.

‘Hmm… anyway, one of them should be Namgung Hwan.’

I decided to check out each of the five first-class experts one by one.

The first I encountered was a man sitting in an alley with a wooden sword over his shoulder. He gave off a look full of emptiness, probably just past his twenties. When he saw me, he sighed and said, “What do you want? I’d like to be left alone in this alley…”

“You seem like a first-class expert; what are you doing here?”

Hearing that, the man with the wooden sword twitched his eyebrows and replied, “You’re not a common child. Are you a disciple of the Open Sect?”

I looked down at my clothes. They certainly looked worn and dirty from my long travels. There was ample reason to mistake me for a disciple of the Open Sect. I shook my head.

“Not at all. Regardless, I apologize for the intrusion, so I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait a moment.”

I came to a halt as the man with the wooden sword spoke.

“Are you looking for Namgung Hwan as well?”

What’s this about?

I stared at him, and the man with the wooden sword chuckled and introduced himself.

“I am Wei Zhong, the War Sword Ghost. If you’re a disciple of the Open Sect, you’ll have to inform me about his fiancée, Mo Yong-yeon.”

Zing!

Wei Zhong, the War Sword Ghost, emitted a killing intent and stood up.

I instinctively sensed I was about to engage in a fight with a first-class expert and frowned.

‘What’s this guy misunderstanding?’

But it turned out to be a fortunate situation.

He seemed like the perfect opponent to test my strength against. With that in mind, I gradually began to focus my internal power.

“Bring it on…”

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