The Martial Art of Instant Kill (4)
Soon, a hearty laugh spread across the face of So Gaju.
His gaze towards Jeong Yeon-shin drew a gentle curve.
"Truly bold. I have lost this time."
"You have shown the might of the Imperial Sword. I have felt something as well," Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly.
It meant that it was not a matter of winning or losing in this battle of wills.
The Imperial Sword.
It was a type of divine skill he had never encountered before.
If he had faced it directly during the martial arts competition, he would have had to concede.
"You felt something? I am curious how you will unravel it," So Gaju's laughter deepened.
Jeong Yeon-shin read the competitive spirit in his expression.
It was the demeanor of one who walked the path of martial arts.
Similar to the practitioners of the old sects, he seemed to have many faces.
"By the way, about the Sinmuryun..."
Namgung Hwa-shin approached Jeong Yeon-shin and spoke.
"I heard that despite its name, its faction system is no different from the military. It has become close to a private army under the protection of the Banwang of Hanan Province. It is a faction with many members."
"Close to the military..."
Jeong Yeon-shin muttered, and he nodded.
"Just because they are called the 'White Heroes' does not mean they are all exceptional. Within Sinmuryun, there are even stronger warriors. Those who have fallen here should be seen as scouts. It seems that even greater masters will target Jeong So-hyeop in the future..."
His words trailed off.
Worry clouded his face, resembling that of a concerned guardian.
It was not his own safety he was worried about, but rather Jeong Yeon-shin.
"I know a bit about the Grand Prince of Sinmuryun," So Gaju said as he approached, gripping his sword tightly.
Blood was still dripping from the unsheathed blade.
"Should I say he is a general who is good at plotting schemes? If turned into an enemy, he would be a troublesome figure."
"It sounds like his martial arts level is not important," Jeong Yeon-shin replied.
"You understand right away. He is a man who skillfully utilizes tactics. I have clashed with him a few times. You should be cautious as well. The village you stopped by for the night feels strange? It would be best to turn back immediately if you can."
"... I will keep that in mind," Jeong Yeon-shin replied briefly and fell silent.
So Gaju's words and actions felt strange to him.
He was an enemy with whom he had to contend for life and death, yet he spoke with a gentle tone as if advising a younger brother.
It felt like the relationship between seniors and juniors in the martial world.
The conversation with Jeong Yeon-shin felt even stranger because of that.
'Namgung Se-jin of the Blue Dragon... a peculiar person.'
Even though it was a short journey through the martial world, he felt he needed to be cautious.
The camaraderie he had shared with Baek Gi-rin had begun to sprout even with someone who was a matter of life and death.
The young man tried hard to clear his mind.
He picked up the fallen Iwhang sword and turned his body.
Perhaps the sound of his movements had frightened the birds away.
The forest path was quieter than before.
"Burial of the dead will also be a task. It is best to go now," Jeong Yeon-shin said, and Namgung Hwa-shin approached.
He had been quietly observing the conversation between his companion and his half-brother.
"Are you injured?" His question was blunt, perhaps due to his many thoughts.
When the young man answered no, he nodded silently.
Behind them, Namgung Mi was watching Jeong Yeon-shin with pursed lips.
"Let’s go," the young man said.
The group, each sheathing their swords, resumed their steps.
The attack from Sinmuryun was no small matter.
However, it was not something they could afford to delay over.
All martial artists were like that.
They were those who stepped over corpses to gain fame.
'Ah.' As Jeong Yeon-shin walked back, he suddenly realized how numb he had become to killing.
He felt completely indifferent.
He had faced enemies, and that was all there was to it.
It had not been like this when he had killed the martial artist of the Paekgeon sect in the market.
He had to force himself to look away.
Was it because he was pressed for time with a predetermined end? Or was it because he wanted to live even if it meant stepping over the bodies of his enemies?
Pitter-patter.
The summer rain began to fall gently.
It came down in small intervals.
It felt like tears flowing in place of the corpses of Sinmuryun.
Since the killer was indifferent, it would not be bad if the heavens mourned.
After all, Jeong Yeon-shin himself could become like that one day.
The sound of raindrops hitting the leaves was clear.
Only the irritated groan of Namgung Mi approached him as noise.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked silently, drenched in the summer rain.
He became newly aware of himself as a martial artist.
The raindrops hitting his shoulders were cold.
Swoosh—
"How tiresome it is," Namgung Mi's voice mixed with boredom.
The pouring rain quickly swallowed her words.
It seemed as if rainwater was pouring over the entire area.
The summer rain, like glass beads, soaked the group thoroughly.
They had just entered the southern outskirts of Namjigye.
They were in Huiju, where the main house of the Namgung family was located.
"The streets are deserted. Even if it is due to the rain, it feels particularly empty," Namgung Hwa-shin said, standing next to Jeong Yeon-shin.
Despite being with his kin, he chose to stay close to the young man.
His posture seemed to affirm his position, and Namgung Mi shot him a disdainful glance.
The So Gaju, who was walking ahead with a deathly look on his face, replied, "Even if it pours, it does not greatly help with farming."
"Is it due to a poor harvest?"
"You are right, Ah-shin. It has become a significant problem lately. Even if the common folk are fortunate enough to grow food, it is a problem. Strong men take it away from them. It is not uncommon for martial artists to do the same. Whether they are commoners or martial artists, they all need to survive."
"A poor harvest has reached Namjigye..."
"Rogues or small sects do not care about the lives of the common folk. Those who commit atrocities are common. With the people's hearts in turmoil, if we are to travel through the martial world, we must ensure we carry enough preserved food."
Jeong Yeon-shin gazed at So Gaju, who was exchanging words with Namgung Hwa-shin.
He had been assessing him throughout their journey together.
From the occasional glimpses of his prayer and his incredibly deep breathing, to the way he seemed to practice martial arts even in daily life.
He was already a completed martial artist.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt he had no confidence in defeating him.
'If there were a flawless Taiyan Dragon, it would be like that person.'
Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
A genius who had trained longer than him and had worked hard without being lax.
He had to be strong.
Could he strike down that person?
"Hmm? What is it?" So Gaju seemed to sense the gaze and turned around.
The young man shook his head.
At that moment, Namgung Mi, who had been looking at Jeong Yeon-shin with cold eyes, approached him.
"We are almost at the main house. I wonder if this last journey through the martial world has been enjoyable for you."
"Is it your hobby to engage in trivial conversations? Such a lowly amusement."
At the young man's indifferent reply, she scoffed.
Namgung Mi was a direct descendant who had learned the martial arts of the Namgung family.
She had the insight to see through the weaknesses of the unlearned.
The martial arts techniques of Iwhangseong were the same.
There were issues with the signs of casting and the direction of the techniques.
It was clumsy enough to be a significant flaw in the world of masters.
Incomplete.
Only the power was astonishing.
'He is about to die, yet it feels strange.'
It had been like this from the first meeting.
She felt a sense of discomfort in his tone.
It was an unlikely occurrence.
It did not feel like a sensation coming from someone she had never seen before.
Among her peers, the only one who had recognized her was her brother Namgung Se-jin.
The Taiyan Dragon of the Huangbo family was indulgent, and Namgung Hwa-shin, who inherited the blood of assassins, was extraordinary.
It was hard to find someone with outstanding martial arts, character, and lineage throughout the world.
There were nine young female martial artists in the martial world known as the Phoenix.
Among the Nine Phoenixes, she was confident that she stood out.
There was no one who could impress her deeply.
No one had left a lasting impression on her mind.
The only name that bothered her was that of the Zongnan faction's Wei Ji-myo-hwa.
It was because she had never seen him.
The Namgung family was the highest noble family in Namjigye.
Namgung Mi had never faced issues related to survival.
The values that could be considered extravagant for rogues or small sect martial artists were her world.
She liked the phrase "I alone am supreme."
'Seongye Jeong Yeon-shin.'
She had received information compiled by her family.
She thought that a rather outstanding newcomer was in her way.
The boy who had become a reason for Iwhangseong to target the Namgung family.
That was all.
He had not reached the level to discuss the world.
It was due to his age.
Then what was it? Why did he not feel unfamiliar?
As a master of internal energy, her heightened senses did not let go of the question.
She had pondered this throughout the journey to Huiju.
Then suddenly, a thought arose.
It was so absurd that she could not think of it immediately.
Namgung Mi had only looked down on her enemy once.
It had been incredibly intense.
Even now, he was someone who dominated a corner of her mind.
The mask that opened like an evil dragon, the calloused hand that had gripped her neck, the indifferent eyes, the blood-red robe that matched his sinister and destructive aura, and his cold demeanor.
"You."
Namgung Mi's lips moved.
"Would you show me your hand?"
Iwhangseong, the Golden Armory.
It was a castle that rose with white stone walls.
It was a grand library, just as magnificent as the inner castle of the main residence.
The marble walls were beautiful, said to have been brought from the royal family of the destroyed Daeri Kingdom.
The attitude of the guards at the gate was stern.
It was because the martial arts scriptures of Iwhangseong were stored there.
The basic martial arts of Iwhangseong brought from the royal family.
The martial arts devised by the martial artists of the main residence were compiled into scriptures.
It was a compendium of martial arts.
All were gathered here.
"Was it around here...?"
With the unique scent of books, the vast interior spread out.
A white-clad martial artist named Ma Gwang-ik stood in front of an elegantly arranged bookshelf.
The girl in white martial attire was the youngest, following Seongye Jeong Yeon-shin.
She was Shin So-bin, who had begun to be called the White Cat of Ma Gwang-ik.
It was a term that was ambiguous to call a nickname, as she stood there with large eyes resembling a white cat, surveying the library.
"What are you looking for?"
"Ah."
Suddenly, a heavy voice came from the side, and Shin So-bin turned her head.
She had been extremely focused.
She did not notice until another martial artist was close by.
"Senior Hong Joo-geom."
He was a martial artist who had emerged from the military after numerous battles.
His breathing was rough and strong.
The middle-aged martial artist, with scars on his face and neck, nodded solemnly.
"That's right. We met during the blue rank examination. The golden child of a prestigious family like you remembers my nickname. I was defeated helplessly by your direct senior."
"It was an impressive martial arts match. Seongye senior, um... it would be hard for anyone to keep up."
"Can I call you Ma Gwang-ik's White Cat?"
Shin So-bin's expression scrunched up.
It was a nickname she did not like.
Hong Joo-geom smiled awkwardly as if he understood and changed the subject.
"There are not many martial artists wandering around here. I was considering giving advice every time I saw you, but your face looked familiar, so I came to see."
"There are many?"
"Of course. The youngest blue rank martial artist's martial arts. Anyone would be interested. It must be filled with brilliant talent. Even now, it seems that everything has been borrowed and is nowhere to be found. They cannot take it out of the Golden Armory, so they must be practicing in the training ground behind the library."
"It would be hard with just the scriptures."
"That’s how hard they are working. When Seongye returns, the Ma Gwang-ik hall will be very crowded. Who would have thought that just before the Namgung family left for the martial arts journey, they would pour out all their martial arts? There must be countless people hoping for Seongye's victory by now."
"Ah... anyway, I'm late again."
Shin So-bin let her braided hair hang down.
"I saw the black rank masters too."
Hong Joo-geom said to comfort the dejected girl.
"Shigeokgyeong, Hwanikbo, Myeolma Cheonggangsu, Shihwa Mugukgyeon, Gwanghwa Geomryu... They are martial arts scriptures worthy of discussing the entire martial world. They truly seemed to sweep away the achievements."
"That was also a hot topic in our Ma Gwang-ik. They said it was too regrettable."
"I had my doubts too. Widely spread martial arts inevitably lead to countermeasures. Even excluding Myeolma Cheonggangsu, which no one has entered, the martial arts given to the Golden Armory are all the main force of Seongye, right? Even if the achievements are very urgent, it is hard to understand."
"That is also the wish of Seongye senior."
Shin So-bin raised her head and smiled.
"She once said she wanted to break the countermeasure again. She thought her achievements would progress further. Even if I learned all the fourth forms of Shihwa Mugukgyeon and stood before that senior, she would calmly bring out the fourth form... well, it would be hard to follow the achievements of the person who originally created it."
"To break the countermeasure..."
Hong Joo-geom seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
"By the way."
This time, it was Shin So-bin who spoke first.
"I didn't expect there to be so many competitors. So many martial artists from the main residence are entering the martial arts of Seongye senior? Even without the connection of a master in the main residence, many will come to serve her. It might even be considered a faction investigation."
"Although it cannot be called a sect or investigation since a sect has not been opened, a lineage of Seongye is already forming in the main residence..."
Hong Joo-geom of the Myeolsamdae slowly spoke.
"It would be correct to say she is a grandmaster."