The Grandmaster of the Yip Huang Sect had lost both his sword and arm.
It was at the moment when Jeong Yeon-shin was about to strike down Sim Soo-gyeom.
"You reckless fool!" From a distance, Ji Hyun rushed in like a whirlwind.
The green robes of his official attire fluttered like a butterfly in the air.
With the unique movements of a noble clan, he passed Sim Soo-gyeom and spread his arms wide to block her.
"Dare you harm the rightful wife of our sect? Yip Huang Sect is the sword of the imperial family! How dare a mere blade turn against its master?"
"Is the Huangbo clan equal to the imperial family?" Jeong Yeon-shin replied with a dry gaze, as if looking at trash on the roadside.
He never expected to feel such emotions towards a noble clan.
At least, he could not have imagined it while in Jeonggajang.
Ji Hyun bit his lip.
"You cannot do anything without striking down the rightful lord. Give up. How could you harm me, Ji Hyun of Pyeong-eum-hyeon? You are not even a black-clad warrior!"
Whoosh! The wind blew once more.
Jeong Yeon-shin glanced sideways.
Before he knew it, Cheong Myung was standing beside him.
The usual smile on his face had vanished.
"Just follow the clan's laws," Cheong Myung said, his expression shifting.
His eyes remained unchanged, but his lips curled into a smile.
"His Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager said that the Yip Huang Sect can execute officials of the sixth rank and below, right? Ji Hyun is of the seventh rank, isn't she? I thought it was an absurd privilege, but it seems there is a use for it in this mission."
"Are you truly...?" "Our clan also says that if we mix with the Han people and become worldly, we become an eyesore. No one will say anything about taking your head. At most, you might be summoned to Beijing for a short while."
Ji Hyun, who had lost interest in the deaths of the heroes while listening to the music, now looked pale.
This time, Jeong Yeon-shin was also surprised.
It was already a given that the noble clan's power was high in the Ming Dynasty, but he had never realized that they possessed the authority typical of a grandmaster-level black-clad warrior.
Perhaps it was because the imperial bloodline was heavily mixed with the noble clan's blood.
"Huh."
Suddenly, Ji Hyun sighed.
Soon, he found calmness on his face and smiled slightly.
"I almost showed a vulgar side on my way here. How can one discuss the elegance of drunkenness and dance without being stylish?" "What more is there to say? Don't tarnish the noble clan's face."
"Ah, of course."
The moment Cheong Myung drew his sword, Ji Hyun's smile deepened.
"I must take my leave now. There is no one in the world who does not welcome me."
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his gaze back.
It was due to the rising aura from the shattered main gate.
There had been a prickling sensation since the fight with Sim Soo-gyeom, and indeed, it was not an ally.
"Yip Huang Sect!" A very large figure appeared.
It was a middle-aged man with a long scar on his cheek.
He held the nape of a girl in one hand.
She looked to be around Jeong Yeon-shin's age, but it seemed she had been struck in the blood and acupoints.
She could not speak and was stiff, hanging limply in the man's grip.
He roared like a beast.
"You weeds who disturb the martial world while discussing strange alliances!"
At his cry, Ji Hyun's face lit up.
"Now, I should call you Huangbo Ma-jun instead of the Ma clan! Such a crisis has come! The martial artist from the main family has arrived, so this golden moha has alleviated my great worries!" Ji Hyun shouted.
The first wife, Sim Soo-gyeom Huangbo Mi-mi, did not seem particularly cheerful, but there was a hint of relief on her face.
Huangbo Ma-jun did not respond.
He completely ignored Ji Hyun, who had always looked down on him.
Holding the girl high, he looked straight at Jeong Yeon-shin and spoke.
"Young warrior! If you are of the Yip Huang Sect at such a young age, there is nothing in the world you can see! Judging by the shoulder emblem, you must be the direct disciple of the Yip Huang Sect leader? I can see you are intoxicated with honor and status!"
"Isn't it you who sees nothing? You are holding an innocent commoner."
Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly as he spoke.
He was already gauging the distance.
It was too far.
That man had considerable training.
Even if Cheong Myung, who moved faster than him, rushed in, it would be too late to save the girl.
Huangbo Ma-jun chuckled.
"There is always a great principle in the affairs of the Huangbo clan. What do half-hearted martial artists who eat the country's grain know? You fools who are eager to take the lives of the righteous have crawled all the way to Jeonam."
"Did you just mention a great principle?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked, alternating his gaze between the girl’s face and Huangbo Ma-jun.
His eyes conveyed the question of whether he felt no shame.
Huangbo Ma-jun's chest puffed up even more.
"The great principle of the martial world is a noble law. You are nothing but ruffians splattering mud in the martial world. Do not interfere in the world of those who cultivate martial arts."
"..."
He had heard of such people.
It was a world where the exchange of culture and ideas was not active.
The martial world was especially so.
There were many eccentric individuals.
Cultivating martial arts was a solitary path.
The reason why the reclusive masters of the martial world caused upheaval whenever they emerged was that they were often out of touch with reality.
Taking hostages and discussing alliances.
The teachings of Confucius and Mencius could not reach them.
Of course, the Yip Huang Sect did not speak to the martial artists using the laws of the classics.
They only brandished their swords.
'The Huangbo clan is even worse.
They say they are the royal family of Jeonam.
They have gathered their blood relatives to strengthen their power.' Jeong Yeon-shin's thoughts did not last long.
It was because Huangbo Ma-jun shook the hand that held the girl’s nape.
"Your alliance is extremely alien. You rush in to take lives for actions that go against the imperial law. Was there no martial artist among the commoners? Let me tell you the story of this girl."
"Go ahead."
As he replied, he circulated his inner energy.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood calmly, preparing for the overlapping circle of the Shihwa Mugeuk-kwon.
He hoped that the sound wave from his technique would disrupt that man’s balance.
"This child's grandfather was a man named Dan Mu-hyu, who served as the lord of Pyeong-eum-hyeon before Ji Hyun took office."
The girl, who was only glaring, seemed to tense her jaw.
Huangbo Ma-jun continued without caring.
"He was a man of integrity. He boldly confronted the martial artists who bullied the common people in the marketplace. He would question the laws of the Ming Dynasty and threaten to imprison them in the government’s treasury."
He smiled.
"With a single strike, he was blown away. That martial artist was truly ignorant of the world. He thought he could escape with his lightness skill, but he had to face the wrath of the main family, which sought to regulate the order of Jeonam along with Ji Hyun. Thus, we avenged this child."
"Are you pretending to be a benefactor while holding her hostage?" "She is a talented child. She has gathered a considerable amount of energy with the Three Calamities Heart Method. It would be a waste for her to die like this, but I have always wanted to see the true face of your Yip Huang Sect. She is the granddaughter of the previous lord who governed with high virtue. How will you treat her?"
"Ugh! Ugh!" The girl groaned and squirmed slightly.
It seemed she had managed to loosen the pressure points a little.
They said she had talent in energy gathering; she might indeed have a natural sense for handling energy.
"Look at this."
Huangbo Ma-jun, with a glimmer in his eyes, raised his hand.
The girl dangled from his grip.
"If you retreat now, this child will live. It will also prove the Yip Huang Sect's alliance to protect the people from the martial world. However, if you do not..."
His eyes scanned the front.
Was it a sign that he could not bear to see the Yip Huang Sect, which was acting so arrogantly? A feeling of disgust seemed to ooze from his face.
He continued briefly.
"Do not mention the people's livelihood again. The order of Jeonam is regulated by the Huangbo clan. You are nothing but pathetic ruffians."
"Every word is true!" Now, Ji Hyun responded with a smile.
"How much longer must we listen to this?"
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly spoke.
At the same time, a pitch-black smoke rose from beneath Huangbo Ma-jun's neck.
"What...!" Behind him stood Baek Mi-ryeo with a cold expression.
It was as if flames had risen from the abyss, wrapping around her entire body.
The dark aura filled her eyes like the night sky.
Swiftly, Baek Mi-ryeo's hand, as white as snow, grabbed the back of Huangbo Ma-jun's neck.
He could not even resist.
The blue sleeves of the Yip Huang Sect fluttered with the tangible dark energy.
Though they wore the same clothes, her martial attire was different.
She approached like a goddess in black, reminiscent of the legendary Gukcheon Hyeon-nyeo.
Baek Mi-ryeo parted her lips.
"Isn't it the Eight Great Families? How pathetic."
Her voice was low.
She overwhelmingly suppressed him.
After slowing his reactions with her mysterious energy, she swiftly struck his acupoint.
It seemed he was not a true elite martial artist of the main family but merely someone watching over the branch family.
Cheong Myung grinned.
"Ma Gwang-ik and the Changcheon Sect, as well as the Myeolsam Sect, have headed towards your main family. By now, they must be facing destruction. The grandmasters must have wreaked havoc."
"What, what?" The moment Ji Hyun froze, Jeong Yeon-shin's body spun.
Like leaves in a gentle spring breeze, he passed by Ji Hyun with a natural rotation.
At the end of his instantaneous movement, the Yip Huang Sword was drawn.
The blade glimmered with a chilling light beneath his hand.
Slash! Jeong Yeon-shin felt it clearly from his grip.
The sensation of cutting through flesh and bone marked the end of his mission. "..."
Was she about to call him a lowly being again? The shape of Sim Soo-gyeom Huangbo Mi-mi's lips suggested so.
It was futile.
Soon, her lips twisted in shock as her head fell off.
"The Yip Huang Sect does not negotiate with traitors."
Jeong Yeon-shin looked down at Sim Soo-gyeom's head and said.
At that moment, Ji Hyun, who had turned back, reached out with an enraged face.
There was no sound.
The fierce blade pierced through his abdomen, and the sharp edge of the sword protruded from his back.
Cheong Myung's Yip Huang Sword had pierced through him.
"I, I..."
"It was short, but it was tiresome."
Even while killing, Cheong Myung's voice remained clear.
That was likely the last thing Ji Hyun heard.
The sound wave released by Cheong Myung's sword was tremendous.
Blood tears welled up in the eyes of the corpse that had been pierced through the abdomen.
It seemed to have completely shattered the insides.
'Even if Cheong Myung's hand was cold, it was not to this extent.' Was it because they were of the same noble clan that it had become even more ruthless? It was not over yet.
Turning around, Jeong Yeon-shin opened his eyes wide.
"Cough, cough."
A chilling aura surged from Baek Mi-ryeo's white hand, which was gripping Huangbo Ma-jun's neck.
At the same time, his neck shattered like ice fragments.
"Ugh!" The girl who had been held managed to land without falling on her backside.
With a small scream, the courtyard fell into silence.
The sunset had already begun.
The sunlight, slowly rolling into the darkness, cast a hazy light.
A chilling wind swept through the martial world, rustling the leaves of the ash tree by the pond.
The incident had come to a close.
Ji Hyun and Sim Soo-gyeom were dead.
The martial artists of the Huangbo branch family had also been annihilated.
The aftermath was not the responsibility of the blue-clad warriors.
Someone from the Yip Huang Sect would emerge.
Jeong Yeon-shin, with the Yip Huang Sword sheathed, brushed past the girl who had experienced such a harsh ordeal.
He wanted to say at least a word to the girl of his age.
Without stopping his steps, he slowly opened his mouth.
"You have talent in martial arts."
"Huh?" The girl turned her head sharply, but Jeong Yeon-shin did not look back.
Baek Mi-ryeo, who had erased the tangible dark energy, was smiling slightly.
Her eyes, which had been dull, regained their white sclera and black pupils.
Only her white hands remained unchanged as she gently patted Jeong Yeon-shin's head.
With a cool touch, her soft sleeve brushed against his ear.
"The Yip Huang Sect is not a place for discussing alliances. If you wish to become a martial artist, there will come a day when you will be hurt."
"Thank you for the advice."
Jeong Yeon-shin replied, slightly closing his eyes.
In any case, this mission was a success.
He had once again built a significant achievement.
The grandmasters who had gone directly to the Huangbo main family would not leave room for their group to intervene.
At that moment, as if waiting for the incident to end, a bird flew in.
With its sky-blue feathers shimmering, it landed on Cheong Myung's finger.
It seemed like a spirit creature.
It was different from the one used by the Huangbo clan's second son.
From the small body of the divine beast, a mysterious fragrance wafted.
Cheong Myung untied the small letter tied to the bird's leg.
"Is this from Shin So-bin? The characters are densely packed."
As Cheong Myung opened the letter and skimmed through it, his head tilted slightly.
"Is there some trouble?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked calmly.
"No. It’s not from those who went to attack the main family."
"Then...?" "The white-clad ones had captured the posthumous records of the Yongbong Conference. It seems their clan has exhausted all their efforts. They must have finally found it."
"The location?" "That's right. They said they fought with the Blood Flame Sect as well. There were three battles. The martial families, the Blood Flame Sect, and then the martial families again. They say they suffered a great defeat while reorganizing their ranks. It seems even Heon Won-chang has been captured."