After the start of the contest for dominance, Jeong Yeon-sin aimed to reach his destination as quickly as possible.
He rode silently alongside Namgung Hwa-sin, their steeds galloping forward.
They continued for quite some time, the sound of hooves and the fierce winds crashing against their faces filled the air.
“... You seem to have lost your appetite, Jeong So-hyeop.”
“It seems you are the same, Namgung So-hyeop.”
Even when they took turns giving their horses a break and tearing into dried meat, the tension remained palpable.
They kept their senses sharp at all times.
Whenever they glanced back, they caught sight of the smiling figure of the Seven Sages from a distance.
That beautiful smile felt eerily close.
The aura of the blue-clad master from Yip Hwang-seong was keenly perceptive.
Both of them were aware of it.
However, they were not so careless as to underestimate the high-level masters lurking three hundred paces away.
As evening fell, they took turns standing guard.
In the dim night, Jeong Yeon-sin drew his Yip Hwang sword.
The midnight air was steeped in silence.
The stars above seemed to press down into the darkness, and the moon was shrouded in translucent gray clouds.
Only the dreamlike moonlight softly descended.
The clearing among the bushes was tranquil.
The boy recalled the clarity of the moment.
With a swish, Jeong Yeon-sin’s body momentarily swayed with the moonlight spilling through the clouds.
A gentle breeze stirred beneath his lightly placed toes.
In the next moment, a silent rush began, blending into the night air.
‘He’s sleeping.’ He quickly identified the figure.
It was the Seven Sages, draped in a wide red pureblood cloak, covering beneath her shoulders.
She was curled up, sleeping on a thick tree branch.
Jeong Yeon-sin’s gaze darkened.
Even if he tried to imitate an assassin, he would be easily recognized.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
Once was enough.
The true energy that erupted silently from the Yongcheon point at the soles of his feet created a powerful wave.
With a burst of movement, a fierce wind arose.
In an instant, he was at the height of the Seven Sages.
He could feel his breath against his cheeks.
At that moment, their eyes met.
The slight smile in her crimson eyes was concealed by a small grin.
He had anticipated this.
As he swung his right hand with the swift sword, he summoned true energy in his left arm.
The fourth technique of the unestablished martial arts, the simultaneous operation of the Mara Hongyeol technique and the Myeolma Cheonggangsu.
The feeling of developing excessive martial power gradually became familiar to him.
If only a small piece of enlightenment were granted, he felt he could properly enter the path.
Swoosh! The foot of the Seven Sages flew toward him.
Even while lying sideways and kicking upward, it was astonishingly fast.
The right foot, stretching out as if to crush the air, pushed away the sword’s tip.
The chilling blade of the Yip Hwang sword that was aimed at her neck slipped out of Jeong Yeon-sin’s grasp.
Swoosh—! Unfazed, he extended his left hand.
It was a technique loaded like a firecracker.
He boldly thrust it toward the face of the Seven Sages, causing an explosion.
Boom! The tree splintered loudly.
The rebound was so great that it sent a chill through his shoulder blades.
Jeong Yeon-sin’s body was airborne.
At the moment of triggering the technique, he bounced back like a leaf caught in a typhoon.
He smoothly descended while retracting his sword.
With a blurred trajectory, the Yip Hwang sword was sheathed.
“Your technique is becoming more refined day by day. Impressive, our Taesa.” A languid voice, as if still waking up, came from above.
It was the voice of the Seven Sages.
She had even evaded his technique.
Jeong Yeon-sin slowly parted his lips. “... The true energy that extends from the Central Palace point lingers in the Huh Jung point like a storm.” He murmured the fifth and sixth formulas of the Mara Hongyeol technique.
It was something he had to say.
He turned around.
With one attack, one technique, it was an unwritten rule of the pact between the Seven Sages and Jeong Yeon-sin.
In the world of masters, an ambush was all about that first moment.
Anyone who allowed a second strike was not a true master.
‘The swift sword connection was useful.
It could cover the weaknesses of the technique.’ Jeong Yeon-sin reflected on his attack and glanced back.
Before he knew it, the Seven Sages, leaning against another branch, waved her hand.
She lay sideways, propping her head with one arm, looking relaxed.
As she brushed aside her flowing hair, she smiled brightly.
“You should come back quickly.”
“... .” He did not respond and turned his head back.
From a distance, Namgung Hwa-sin stood atop a tree, arms crossed.
His silent gaze under the dim moonlight resembled a painting.
Perhaps he was wary of the Seven Sages breaking their pact and launching an attack.
If necessary, they would join forces.
Thud! Namgung Hwa-sin, descending with a cautious demeanor, opened his mouth. “Indeed, your technique is becoming more intricate. It feels like witnessing the birth of a new skill.”
“The new skill...” Jeong Yeon-sin trailed off, slightly embarrassed, shaking his head. “I’m not sure if I can complete it within the next fourteen days.”
“You are a high-level master capable of opposing the blackness of your true nature. You engage in exchanges of life and death daily, so regardless of the outcome, your gains will not be small.”
“I am merely grateful for your support. You have been entangled in my grievances.”
“That is an excessive statement. I am merely gaining insight from this rare experience.” Namgung Hwa-sin smiled with a kind expression.
Sweat glistened on the palm he had crossed earlier.
He had been observing the Seven Sages’ response while resting his hand on his sword.
They had built a bond over the past few days, akin to that of Ma Gwang-ik.
As always, Jeong Yeon-sin offered a small bow.
The loyalty shown by Namgung Hwa-sin was significant.
He did not seem like someone from the Namgung family he had experienced.
“Your face seems different than usual. Speak candidly. You might end up as a ghost in the hands of the Seven Sages.” Namgung Hwa-sin said with a smile.
Nodding, Jeong Yeon-sin opened his lips. “You mentioned it would be good to stay a day in Muchang. I am curious about the sister you spoke of, Namgung Mi, the lord of Changnyeong.”
“Ah...” Namgung Hwa-sin let out a small gasp, forcing a wry smile. “It’s nothing special. The issue was that my mother was an assassin raised by the main family.”
The humid breeze unique to the summer forest brushed against his skin.
Above, the slowly parting clouds revealed the moon, which seemed to mock them.
“An assassin...?” As they made their way to the campsite, Jeong Yeon-sin asked absentmindedly, then fell silent.
“You heard correctly. Many sects walk the path of righteousness, but it is practically impossible for those who wield power to possess chivalry. Wealth, interests, land, and military might. How can a force that encompasses all these pursue mere chivalry? The righteous sect is merely a facade for protecting interests. Behind the scenes, they nurture unseen blades.”
Namgung Hwa-sin continued with a calm expression. “It was a place called the Sword Night, where the well-known main family’s Changgung Sword Heaven could hardly manage. They engaged in assassinations and kidnappings. My mother was an assassin from the Sword Night, and one day she caught the eye of the head of the family.”
“... .”
“And thus, I was born. I had decent talent. The head of the family wanted to make this illegitimate child the leader of the Sword Night. I was not abandoned like other illegitimate children, those half-siblings. They even granted me elixirs, which earned me the resentment of my direct sister. She felt I lacked the inner strength to claim my own.”
“Are you referring to Changnyeong Hwa-ju, our opponent in this martial arts competition?”
“Indeed. The Sword Night is the sword and servants of the Namgung family. They humiliated my mother in front of me. It seemed my mother didn’t even consider such thoughts. She was a born assassin.”
“... .”
“I heard of my mother’s passing during the Mid-Autumn Festival two years ago. She couldn’t even return with her body during a mission. It was common in the Sword Night, but it was not for me. She had been given the absurd task of assassinating the direct descendant of the Thirteen Heavenly Lords... She had gone to carry out a ridiculous mission. It turned out to be the scheme of Changnyeong Hwa-ju, who frequently visited the Changgung Palace of the cow head family. They said she secretly stamped the seal of the acting head of the family.”
“Forgery of documents? Isn’t that something even a third-rate faction wouldn’t dare do?”
“The family was turned upside down. It was a greater issue than a few assassins from the Sword Night perishing; it was because the main family’s sword was used for personal gain. Changnyeong Hwa-ju received a punishment of a hundred days of closed-door training. It was fitting for the omnipotent direct descendant, yet she entered with a smile as if she found the whole affair amusing.”
“... .”
“From there, I left the family and entered the true nature. The escape process was arduous. I couldn’t even dream of revenge. It was due to my own inadequacies and weakness. The training methods of the Sword Night, which subjugated the branches to the direct lineage, bordered on sorcery. Like the blood demons of the Blood Flame Sect, I could not dare to raise my sword against my master. Look at this.”
Namgung Hwa-sin raised his hand.
It trembled violently.
“I could only imagine striking my sister’s neck.” The life he had lived, constrained by years of oppression, manifested as tremors in his hands.
His lower lip twitched pitifully, yet the spirit of someone who could be deemed promising was nowhere to be found.
However, the way he spoke of the past was reminiscent of the white unicorn.
He had to overcome this.
That was enough.
Jeong Yeon-sin said nothing.
He did not know such pain.
He had been that way since birth.
Hadn’t he been born after killing his mother in a village where superstitions ran rampant, yet not hated?
Thus, he understood loneliness.
Jeong Yeon-sin empathized in silence.
Was that sufficient? Namgung Hwa-sin, with a grateful look, smiled slightly and leaned against the tree.
They had just arrived at the campsite.
The gazes of the two tethered steeds scanned them alongside the campfire.
“Rest first.”
“Then.”
Calm words were exchanged.
Namgung Hwa-sin volunteered for the first watch.
Jeong Yeon-sin did not refuse and lay down on the ground.
He used his backpack as a pillow and his cloak as a blanket, closing his eyes.
“... .” The campfire crackled as it burned.
The sound of flames clashing and the acrid smell rose.
It seemed to be due to the damp firewood.
‘I should have dried it with the Sammae Jin-hwa.’ Jeong Yeon-sin regretted it slightly and fell asleep.
The restless movements of the horses that stayed up late, the gaze of the Seven Sages hidden beneath the moonlight, and the tender sensation of the technique taking shape day by day.
This was the boy’s journey.
Until they reached Muchang, where the second relay station was located.
Jeong Yeon-sin and Namgung Hwa-sin stayed a day at the relay station in Muchang.
The relay stations of the Ming Dynasty also served as lodging.
They could save on expenses while enjoying decent sleeping arrangements.
There were few cities along their mission route that had relay stations.
Namgung Hwa-sin anticipated the outrageous behavior of Namgung Mi, and Jeong Yeon-sin accepted his words.
They decided to take a day’s rest.
“What is that?” Namgung Hwa-sin asked.
Jeong Yeon-sin, who had been lying diagonally on the opposite bed, lifted his head.
“It’s the Diamond Sutra.” He slightly raised the Buddhist scripture bound in a book.
He had brought it for studying the mind technique.
Namgung Hwa-sin nodded, as if understanding. ‘The section on the Pure Land.’ Jeong Yeon-sin turned his gaze back to the scripture.
The effectiveness of the Myeolma Cheonggangsu, which he had learned from the monks of Shaolin, was remarkable.
Having acquired the law power, he was searching for a way to blend it with the lunar harmony of Yip Hwang-seong to create a new mind technique.
If successful, the technique he was currently cultivating would also advance.
It would greatly reduce the casting speed of the technique.
If the law power could be continuously operated like the results of Jeong Gak-dong-gong that always filled Jeong Yeon-sin’s body, it would be sufficient to raise just one blood technique.
It would bring about progress in the martial arts level itself.
─Eungmu Soju I Saeng Gi Sim.
As he skimmed through the words, Jeong Yeon-sin suddenly lifted his head.
Namgung Hwa-sin, who was across from him, did the same.
They sensed the commotion outside.
The horses were making a ruckus.
“Here it comes. Let’s go.” Namgung Hwa-sin said.
He and Jeong Yeon-sin were already dressed in gray martial attire.
They had temporarily stowed away their eye-catching Yip Hwang-seong martial robes in their bags.
They had anticipated such a situation.
The two stepped outside.
In the marketplace, a voice filled with true energy echoed.
“Here, the lord of the Namgung family, Changnyeong Hwa-ju, has beheaded the leader of the rogue faction! The place where the Hyun Sa Mun was located will now be taken over by the Namgung family’s branch, so you should all feel free to engage in your livelihoods!”
In an instant, Jeong Yeon-sin belittled the achievements, referring to the servants, and returned to the relay station with Namgung Hwa-sin.
During their discussions on how to act over the next two days, another piece of news arrived.
Changnyeong Hwa-ju, Namgung Mi’s response was bold.
She had already severed the meridians of all the servants of the Hyun Sa Mun she had spared.
She even damaged their blood vessels, rendering them mute.
And she had ascended to the platform once again.
“They say, ‘One who associates with ink turns black.’ They were in cahoots. They too were learning the martial arts of the Hyun Sa Mun.” The servant of the relay station, who had received ten copper coins, spoke in detail.
He was a boy with bright, intelligent eyes.
Namgung Mi, with a face like a celestial maiden, cried pitifully, and no one ignored her words.
“They were the servants who acted like the masters of the city. They could not distinguish between the Mun Do and themselves. They were not people like you, but a group of rogues who shared the scraps of the Hyun Sa Mun. However, they were your children, friends, and fathers. With a heavy heart, I will endure even if you point fingers at me, saying I lack compassion.”
However, no one blamed her, as the Hyun Sa Mun was a notoriously cruel rogue faction.
The influence of her sweet-talking words was significant.
Rather, it was said that many among the relatives of the servants were watching with admiration.
Even the officials, including the branch leader, did not intervene.
Even though they had diminished the labor force within the administrative domain, they remained silent.
This was evidence that the influence of the Namgung family extended beyond the martial world.
Rumors spread that the fame of the chivalrous woman, Namgung Mi, was growing.
Namgung Hwa-sin’s expression turned grave.
“This will be a problem even if the true nature wins in the martial arts competition.”
“If we sever their heads with a life-and-death resolution, at least in this vicinity, Yip Hwang-seong will earn resentment.” Jeong Yeon-sin replied.
Namgung Mi had begun to act as both a celestial maiden and a queen in Muchang.
In a short time, her fame in the vicinity soared endlessly.
Her unique confident smile still lingered in his mind.
‘Yip Hwang-seong must always bring the hearts of the people.’ Even with a justification, they had wiped out the prestigious Huangbo family.
Next, they aimed to behead the leaders of the Namgung family.
Even if the righteous sects banded together, they had no words to counter such actions.
The Grand Commander said that the leadership of Yip Hwang-seong was worried about the Martial Alliance.
To prevent the formation of a massive alliance of the martial world that could strike Yip Hwang-seong, they had to suppress all tasks with a justifiable cause.
“There is no reason to hastily engage in the contest for justification. The lord of the Swift Sword, the elder of the Senate, the lord of Yip Hwang-ma... It is a matter for the elders to decide. We will be recognized for our contributions by doing only what we can.”
“Jeong So-hyeop...?”
“Isn’t it common to use the strategy of ‘turning their own against them’ in any dispute?” Jeong Yeon-sin rummaged through his bag.
The feeling of something soft and precious sent chills down his spine.
It was the rare texture of the Cheonjamsa.
Slowly, he pulled out a blood-red cloak like blood.
It was the pureblood cloak of the Blood Flame Sect.
“We just need to find a mask. A demon mask would be good.”
“Are you serious?”
“Namgung So-hyeop, please tell me. Is it acceptable not to have compassion in our hands?”