Days passed, and Jeong Yeon-shin devoted himself to his training.
Occasionally, Cheong-myeong would look at him with a strange expression, but he was such a free-spirited person that it was easy to overlook.
The divine techniques of the renowned clan he was gradually mastering were simply too captivating to divert his focus elsewhere.
Lightness in movement was essential for the art of flying.
Naturally, he would be influenced by the techniques he was achieving.
It didn't take long for the inspiration he gained from Cheong-myeong's movements to transform into a form of understanding.
Although he had only grasped the framework of the technique, there was still much room for improvement, but as the founder of the technique, he was bound to penetrate its essence.
"A practitioner who learns and a grandmaster who creates and masters. Even if it's just the first step, the achievements cannot be the same," Baek Mi-ryeo said.
While tracking the traces of the Blood Flame Sect and guarding against their re-entry, Ma Gwang-ik and his group felt that Jeong Yeon-shin's movements were changing day by day.
Unlike Jeong Yeon-shin, who didn't care who was watching, they didn't go out of their way to spy on his training.
However, they could only guess at his achievements, knowing that a higher level of martial arts would naturally change a warrior's demeanor.
"The qualities of a grandmaster. I can't deny it, but I still can't believe it even while watching. Our leader would rather focus on his own self-defense techniques," Cheong-myeong said.
After seeing Jeong Yeon-shin under the net bed, he had been sleeping in the government office.
A month had passed since their encounter with the Blood Flame Sect.
They had only been chasing shadows.
It wasn't that they couldn't see the enemy again.
The village's cows, horses, pigs, and chickens continued to die off little by little.
It was clear that the Blood Flame Sect's goal was not to slaughter the village's livestock but to torment the people's nerves.
Meanwhile, they had not come to the fields.
This was why Cheong-myeong was keeping his eyes wide open.
He was satisfied with merely playing the role of a threatening scarecrow, regardless of how many livestock died.
This led to some disputes.
Whenever Baek Mi-ryeo would plan the patrol routes, Cheong-myeong would say he needed to bask in the sunlight and head up to the net bed.
Frustrated, Baek Mi-ryeo would alternate between Hyeon Won-chang and Jeong Yeon-shin.
"That guy. He doesn't seem to be alone. He seems to know our patrol routes. One horse has died this time," Baek Mi-ryeo reported.
The distance of the stable from the government office was a problem due to the unpleasant smell.
The value of a single horse was not ordinary.
At least in Jinpyeong County, it would be worth more than any other goods.
Before long, Hyeon Won-chang approached and looked up at the net bed.
His expression was not pleasant.
He had become comfortable enough to receive basic teachings of martial arts.
"Why are you so calm? Are you really from the renowned clan? A horse has died," he said.
"Yesterday it was a pig," Jeong Yeon-shin replied as he passed by.
"Our renowned clan is friends with the forest, not with horses and pigs," he added.
"If you die, it might be a different story," Cheong-myeong interjected.
"Then I will destroy his three clans no matter what," Jeong Yeon-shin said with a smirk as he walked toward the washing area.
The members of the renowned clan who grew up in Ip-hwang-seong were generally free-spirited and did not carry heavy burdens.
They were different from the typical image of immortals that people often imagined.
As time passed, Jeong Yeon-shin, as a warrior from Ip-hwang-seong, was becoming more aware of the world.
After washing up, he found dinner prepared for him.
The plump Ji-hyeon rubbed his palms together and looked around nervously.
He thought that if he succeeded and went up to the capital, he would become a courtier, but he also understood that it was because he had seen martial artists racing through the fields for a month.
"Uh, hello," Ji-hyeon said awkwardly.
After avoiding him for a while, it seemed he had made some kind of decision.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had little interest, sat down with Ma Gwang-ik and the others to talk.
They discussed how to change the surveillance network, how many allies they had, and whether they should search and hunt even if the surrounding mountains were vast.
Through these discussions over the month, Jeong Yeon-shin realized that there are many types of battles in the world, and the short decisive battles that most masters prefer are not easily achieved in reality.
After finishing the meal and having a training session, he went to bed, accustomed to his sleeping place.
The sound of an owl, like a short bamboo flute, filled the peaceful night of the martial world.
The next day, Jeong Yeon-shin set out on his own.
He easily obtained permission from Baek Mi-ryeo and Cheong-myeong.
They had underestimated the strength of the allies who were afraid to come down because of the masters of Ip-hwang-seong.
The two masters believed that Jeong Yeon-shin had a very high chance of winning if he faced the Blood Flame Sect head-on.
They thought that a fast-footed person would struggle to defeat the current Seom-ye.
"Strange," Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
To his eyes, Ip-hwang-seong was a realm without a separate domain of the immortal world.
Sometimes, he felt quite strange to be fully recognized by the blue warriors.
"It's not bad, but..."
Perhaps it was due to the rapid improvement of his techniques or just his mood.
As he climbed the mountain, he felt his steps becoming lighter.
Unlike Cheong-myeong, he couldn't afford to be leisurely.
Until yesterday, he had focused on training to achieve his techniques, but he couldn't continue like that.
Feeling frustrated, he thought of surveying the entire area from the mountain's peak.
He wandered along the unsearched mountain paths, thinking of combining his technique cultivation with his exploration.
It was only when the sun was setting that he discovered a strange hut in front of a cave.
It looked like a door or a passage.
The efforts of his group over the past month had borne fruit.
"It was a tunnel where the smoke escaped to the other side. I had thought they wouldn't only eat the wall fruit, but this was the reason I couldn't find it," he thought, turning away without thinking much.
If it were a situation he couldn't avoid, he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life.
However, he had no intention of creating variables when he had the luxury of choice.
He had entered Ip-hwang-seong to seek the fruits of the world, and if he were to die meaninglessly, then whether it was fruit or anything else, it would hold no meaning.
With a suitable tension and excitement, he was stepping down the dirt path when he decided to reverse his decision.
"Who are you?" he confronted a man with red hair who was climbing up with a young boy's corpse in his arms.
Despite the unfamiliar face and shabby clothing, his hair was undeniably blood-red.
The Blood Flame Sect.
Just as he had heard.
There were indeed those who would drain the vitality of children to enhance their power.
Even though it had been designated as a cult by the empire, its influence had not diminished.
It was said that the Blood Flame Sect's blood techniques could be cultivated in various ways, enough to make even the masters of Ip-hwang-seong shudder.
Facing the reality of the rumors, Jeong Yeon-shin observed the man's physique, posture, and energy.
"An ally. A Blood Flame Sect member who was watching my back," he thought, slowly bringing his hand to the sword.
"A kid with a sword. The intent to cut, the yellow symbol engraved on the white robe..."
The man muttered as he scanned Jeong Yeon-shin from top to bottom, curling his lips into a sneer.
"Just as I heard. Thanks to the rookie from Ip-hwang-seong, I can make a name for myself. I am not like the brothers who fled from you. Blame your bad luck..."
Swoosh! In an instant, a white light flashed, and the man's head flew off.
The child's lifeless body fell from his hands.
The body, which had stood for a moment without a head, soon collapsed behind the young boy.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had silently moved beside him, swung his sword to shake off the blood.
"Let's end this now," he murmured.
To speak of bad luck to this extent? He had no idea how many more there were.
However, it didn't matter how many there were if they couldn't even react to his sword.
Even if this was the first mission involving the Blood Flame Sect among the thirteen thousand, it didn't seem like it would take a month.
These guys should not be left alive.
He used the technique of digging to bury the child after closing his eyes.
He didn't cover him with much dirt.
Although it seemed that the child was a victim from outside Jinpyeong County, he planned to ask Ji-hyeon to find the parents after finishing the task.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned back, sword in hand, toward the direction of the hut.
As he moved, the cool wind began to swirl around him, carrying the energy he was channeling.
His steps gradually became lighter.
The underbrush beneath him seemed to rise as if it were not bearing his weight.
The presence of the renowned clan naturally faded as he approached the hut.
Boom! When he stepped on the ground, it was different.
The peacefully standing grass was trampled down all at once.
The power of Ma Gwang-gyeol's swift sword technique was immense, and the Ip-hwang sword became a white lightning bolt, tearing the hut apart along with the Blood Flame Sect members inside.
"Ahhh!" "W-what?!" Amidst the swirling dust and debris, he saw a man who had been split in half gasping for breath and another man behind him with a look of shock.
Each of them was clutching a corpse.
It was not just a problem of Jinpyeong County.
"Survival of the fittest, you say? Very well."
The men fell, resembling the corpses they had been toying with.
Beyond the hut, the interior of the cave was visible, with torches placed here and there.
This could very well be a branch of the Blood Flame Sect.
It seemed that the Blood Flame Sect of Jinpyeong County was nothing to worry about.
"Can I handle this alone?" he calculated his chances before entering.
The boiling blood and survival were separate matters.
However, perhaps due to the significant presence he had made at the entrance, he sensed the energy emanating from deep within the cave as if they had already noticed him.
The waves of energy in the air were damp and powerful.
"Kill them!" A booming voice echoed, pounding like a heartbeat.
At the same time, footsteps echoed from all directions.
"Two, three... five."
Five minions and one who seemed to be the branch leader.
He had heard that the branch leader of the Blood Flame Sect was usually a genuine master known as the Blood Master Sword.
It was said to be a sword that teaches and leads.
However, before he could even gauge whether he could face him, the cult members charged in.
"How dare you come this far!" "Pay for your blood!" Among the five red-haired men was the one from Jinpyeong County.
He looked surprised for a moment but then grinned and charged forward, emboldened by his companions on either side.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not retreat and took another step forward.
Boom! The sound of the ground shaking from the impact of his foot sent the minions' footsteps flying back.
Ignoring the startled expressions of the men rushing in with murderous intent, he infused his Ip-hwang sword with the technique of suppressing the horse.
He felt the wind of the renowned clan wrapping around him as he spun around.
The first person he had killed in Jeongga was a member of the Blood Flame Sect, but the sword he wielded now was on a different level than back then.
Swoosh! The silver trajectory danced among the flickering torches as the sword's path split three bodies in one stroke.
He felt the sensation of the sword passing through.
On the other hand, the Blood Flame Sect members who had charged in without even realizing it fell one after another.
The shock was left to the two who survived.
The Blood Flame Sect member from Jinpyeong County hurriedly tried to use his martial arts, but Jeong Yeon-shin had already become like a leaf caught in a storm, striking down with the technique of suppressing the horse.
Crack! The sound of the sword tearing through flesh ended the man's revenge.
"What is this...!" The last man, who had stepped back, fell without recognizing the swift sword that followed.
Shaking off the blood from his sword, Jeong Yeon-shin gazed into the depths of the darkness.
What kind of reaction would occur if the white warrior from Ip-hwang-seong were to slay even the Blood Master Sword? At this moment, he was not curious about that.
Step by step, he walked slowly, accompanied by the clear sound of the sword.
The Ip-hwang sword hummed, wishing for the fortune of its only companion.