Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 34

*Clip-clop, clip-clop*

The sound of Moyong Yeon’s horse galloping could be heard from up ahead.

The escape was going smoothly. The Hangu Pass was quite far in the distance, but as soon as we gained some distance, our pursuers seemed to have trouble catching up. It’s no wonder; Moyong Yeon was riding a horse at high speed, while we were skillfully keeping our distance. Besides, it was the middle of the night, and visibility was poor, making it risky for them to chase us recklessly.

When I destroyed the ground earlier, it seemed like four people were knocked unconscious, and now, only five were chasing us. Among them, one was an expert of martial arts who specialized in hand-to-hand combat, but he did not join the pursuit, perhaps due to the beating he received from Jin So-cheong earlier. I glanced back at our pursuers and said,

“Three against five isn’t too bad, right?”

“It’s not good. One of them is a master of hidden weapons; we can’t afford to face them head-on.”

“A master of hidden weapons?”

“He’s called Janryong. Be careful.”

Jin So-cheong’s words were tinged with strong caution.

‘So, the earlier standoff was really a dangerous situation.’

Jin So-cheong, who was reluctant to engage in a head-on fight due to the presence of a hidden weapons master, was forced to hold his ground. A slight chill ran down my spine at the thought that things could have gone south had I been even a second late. It’s clear that we should avoid a direct confrontation with Janryong, especially if he uses hidden weapons that could potentially be poisoned and change the course of the battle.

Janryong seemed to be conserving his hidden weapons as he pursued us, probably waiting for an opportune moment. After all, it’s better to take advantage of our fatigue from running rather than to waste weapons in haste. We would soon be entering a mountainous path, and that’s when we’d have to be particularly cautious of any hidden weapons flying at us from behind.

*Thud, thud*

While running, I turned to Namgung Hwan with a question.

“Soaring Sky Sword Dragon, you don’t travel with your clan’s guards?”

Namgung Hwan chuckled bitterly at my question.

“There are internal matters. But everything should be fine once we reach Hangu Pass.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I wanted to ask Namgung Hwan what was going on, but we couldn’t afford to waste our energy talking while being pursued. Noticing one of the five pursuers subtly speeding up, I quickly turned around and threw the single-edged knife I had hidden.

*Whoosh!*

“A mere knife…”

*Clang!*

“Argh!”

The man wielding an iron chain tried to block my knife with his weapon, but he screamed as both he and the chain were flung far away. The chain was shattered and plunged into the ground, broken into two. Seeing this, the other four pursuers hesitated, likely wide-eyed. The internal energy behind my knife surpassed the chain master’s strength and internal energy by several times.

Namgung Hwan commented sarcastically.

“Truly… your internal energy is monstrous… There’s probably no one in our family who has more internal energy than you, Baek-woong.”

“Internal energy isn’t everything.”

“How humble of you.”

Namgung Hwan thought I was being humble and admired it, but in reality, I know that ‘internal energy is not everything.’ As one climbs to the higher realms of martial arts, the pure offensive and defensive capabilities granted by internal energy become less important than the understanding of ‘Qi’ and the ascending techniques.

Even if I possess a power that could dominate the world, there exists a master somewhere who can completely deflect it and counterattack. Above a master, there is another master, and even beyond that, an absolute expert.

‘That’s why I must study martial arts in depth at Azure Dragon Martial Hall.’

There are many ways to live an average, comfortable life. However, if you lack power, you will inevitably feel limited at some point. To overcome this, it’s imperative to explore the source of the martial arts techniques I have learned, all the way to the realm of the masters.

That’s when it happened.

*Heeheeheeng*

Suddenly, about 7 yards away, the horse of Moyong Yeon, who was running ahead of us, began to slow down. As the horse’s rear grew closer, the three of us instinctively felt something. We had arrived at the foothills leading up to the Hangu Pass.

Fortunately, this mountain path was a well-maintained official road with a relatively low gradient. The problem was that, despite that, it was too steep for riding, so we had to dismount.

As Moyong Yeon dismounted, Namgung Hwan asked her worriedly,

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. More importantly, you’re sweating…”

“Haha… I’m fine.”

Having run so much, sweat was flowing down our foreheads and backs. Namgung Hwan, wiping the sweat from his forehead, glanced back and said,

“It looks like we’ll have to settle things with those guys now.”

Yes. The distance between us had closed completely; there was no running away now. From how Namgung Hwan had been protecting Moyong Yeon, it seemed her martial arts skills were on the weaker side. While the odds were better at 3 against 4 compared to before, if we have to protect Moyong Yeon during the fight, it could be disadvantageous for us.

An eerie silence enveloped us and the elite warriors.

That’s when one of the elite warriors stepped forward. He had a parasitic, ominous aura and was sinisterly handsome, like a venomous snake. I had encountered him briefly in broad daylight before.

“Soaring Sky Sword Dragon! I told you earlier, isn’t it too much for you alone to monopolize the Heavenly Yin Body?”

Namgung Hwan’s face became rigid. Clenching his fists in anger, he spoke.

“Silence, you lecher! How dare a pervert like you…!!”

Pervert?

Come to think of it, the man’s appearance and demeanor were almost identical to the perverts often talked about in rumors. Such individuals practiced a technique for s*xual cultivation, gradually appearing more feminine and emitting a strange odor, leading them to frequently use makeup.

Being congenitally intense in their s*xual desires, these perverts have ruined the lives of many women, both from brothels and the martial world. Furthermore, because of their special cultivation technique, their internal energy was often greater than that of the average martial artist, making them difficult to capture.

Jin So-cheong, who stood beside them, looked around the three men and spoke.

“Janryong (Broken Dragon), War Sword Demon, and Broken Steel Axe. You all are renowned masters from Anhui; did you follow this pervert all the way here to abduct a defenseless woman?”

“……”

Upon being criticized by Jin So-cheong, the man called Janryong seemed ashamed and turned his head away. However, lecher sneered, aiming his flexible sword at us despite it clashing with my energy.

“Ha! The benefits of capturing her are more than worth any shame. Her capture would instantly boost my internal energy, and I could harbor the energy of ‘Heavenly Yin’. I would risk my life for it!”

Beside him, Broken Steel Axe, an axe-wielding master with the appearance of a typical bandit, chimed in. He had a hulking figure and looked malicious. Scanning the woman’s curvaceous body with lascivious eyes, he said,

“It’s not like anyone would notice a few ships passing by the port, right?”

“Kya haha! Broken Steel Axe, your wit is unparalleled! Kya haha!”

The pervert laughed raucously at Broken Steel Axe’s vulgar joke.

“Ah…”

Moyong Yeon’s face turned pale at the s*xual humiliation, and particularly, her betrothed, Namgung Hwan, turned beet red. Grinding his teeth, he said,

“People we wouldn’t even make eye contact with in Anhui province…”

The pervert chuckled.

“Hehehe. Of course, in Anhui, even I would have to give way to the Namgung family. However, we are in Gwanjung, a place where your influence doesn’t reach. What are you going to do about it?”

That’s right.

No matter how prestigious or powerful a martial arts family or sect may be, their influence usually only extends within their local area. Almost none have the power to affect the whole Central Continent. Therefore, martial artists who have a vendetta against these powerful sects will use any means necessary to leave those regions.

I was uncertain how a direct confrontation would end at this point. I’ve crossed many lines of death so far, but a full-scale group battle among martial artists like this was almost a first for me. Especially since I had no experience facing secret techniques, there was a possibility I could suffer a fatal injury regardless of my internal energy.

Of course, I didn’t think I’d lose easily. Still, facing such a challenging situation, I couldn’t help but ponder. A single mistake could result in irreversible consequences.

What should I do to break this deadlock?

While pondering, I boldly stepped forward. All eyes were on me, especially those of the elite martial artists, which were tinged with a bit of fear. After all, they had just witnessed my enormous internal energy.

I decided to show off a little.

“Yapping like this, are you all not afraid of me finishing you off in one move?”

“Uh…”

As I released my killing intent, the previously arrogant enemies took a step back, clearly afraid I would rush at them with a kick infused with internal energy. Especially Janryong, who was evidently cautious of me, preparing multiple secret techniques between his fingers.

Then, War Sword Demon, the top warrior, spoke.

“Heh! It’s true that your internal energy, Baek-woong, is tremendous. However, your control of your initial energy and vital points is clumsy. If I don’t directly confront you, I alone can handle you.”

“…”

It seemed I was not the only one who had gauged skills in our brief skirmish. As War Sword Demon said, in a real fight, whoever deals a fatal blow first wins, regardless of how much internal energy one has.

Even if my internal energy is powerful, it’s useless if I can’t land a blow. War Sword Demon’s techniques are quite excellent; if he engages me in a war of attrition and containment, he alone could hold me back.

‘Even so, would risking their lives to capture Moyong Yeon be worth it?’

I had already grasped the context through conversation.

The Heavenly Yin Body’s Moyong Yeon!

I wasn’t sure, but it seemed that a man who has s*xual intercourse with her could increase his internal energy and possess a special energy known as Heavenly Yin Qi. That’s probably why over ten elite martial artists had been chasing her in a pack.

Of course, I have no intentions of having s*xual relations with her, let alone thoughts of assault. Even without her, my internal energy, nourished by consuming Millennium Snow Ginseng three times, allows me to look down upon the world. If anything, I’m more worried that my internal energy will be destabilized by the uncertain power of what’s called ‘Heavenly Yin Body’. So, it’s safe to say that I have no reason to seek physical relationships with Moyong Yeon for the time being.”

So, I retorted to War Sword Demon Wi-jong,

“In simpler terms, you’re a gang of r*pists who’ve come in a group because you couldn’t handle one woman with your own strength. If you’re so desperate to get laid, why don’t you go to the red district (brothels) instead of running around like horny dogs, getting all worked up? Is that what your parents taught you, you sons of b*tches?”

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned icy.

‘Oops.’

The simple task of bringing senior brother to Azure Dragon Martial Hall has unexpectedly turned into a life-threatening situation, and my frustration led me to lash out with the coarse language I picked up during my time as a courier. In those days, I had no choice but to learn such low-quality, crude curses due to the nature of my work, which involved fighting with bandits.

Elites in the martial world have, after all, usually undergone rigorous training under reputable masters from a young age. They are not often subjected to such vulgar, low-quality curses. Particularly, unlike Seok Mana or Broken Steel Axe, War Sword Demon Wi-jong seemed to have been trained in a formal sect, so they appeared to be less tolerant of such language.

Perhaps that’s why War Sword Demon Wi-jong lost his composure, his face turning red and then pale. It seems like my unintentional provocation was successful.

“You, you, son of a—!”

Shwack!

He attacked me with his sickle-sword, moving much faster than he had in broad daylight. He was so fast that it appeared as though he had created two clones of himself, and it was nearly impossible to perceive him in the dark.

‘Here he comes.’

As his round sword flew toward me, I clenched my teeth and focused my mind. Since I had been unable to decipher his techniques earlier, I concentrated my internal energy into my eyes to enhance my dynamic vision. I figured that by doing this, I’d be able to see War Sword Demon Wi-jong’s attacks.

To the right!

Shwaah–

A cut about an inch deep appeared on my shoulder, but I dodged War Sword Demon Wi-jong’s attack by slightly rotating my body. He was shocked, presumably because, with the skills he knew I had, evading his attack should have been impossible.

“What?!”

When his decisive attack cut through empty air, I saw all his vulnerabilities. Taking advantage of this, I swung my sword horizontally with a spin, using my right foot as a pivot.

Swoosh!

In the next moment, War Sword Demon Wi-jong’s body split in half, the upper torso spewing its guts as it soared through the air. Blood sprayed out like a river, and the lower half, now without its owner, slumped to its knees. War Sword Demon Wi-jong’s eyes bulged in disbelief as if he couldn’t accept that he had been defeated even in death.

Thud. Wi-jong’s upper body hit the ground. I felt disgusted as my clothes were splattered with blood and quickly wiped my face. Then I sneered at Wi-jong’s corpse.

“What to do now? I’ve killed you.”

The remaining three seemed to retreat, looking flustered.

“Ugh…”

They must have thought that with their numerical advantage, they could win by relying on dark arts. But unexpectedly, War Sword Demon Wi-jong, who had boasted he could take me on, was sent to the netherworld in one blow.

“I will definitely obtain Heavenly Yin Body!”

Sure enough, Broken Steel Axe, who had been visibly distressed, cursed once and then fled. His light-body skill was incredibly fast, even faster than War Sword Demon Wi-jong’s. It seemed that among them, Broken Steel Axe’s martial arts was the highest.

“Uh, then I’ll also…”

Broken Steel Axe, who had been awkwardly standing there, was also about to slip away. However, at that moment, Soaring Sky Sword Dragon Namgung Hwan started moving.

Clang!

Before Broken Steel Axe could take two steps, Namgung Hwan’s sword shot up like lightning. Broken Steel Axe had no choice but to block the first attack with his ax. But it was clear he couldn’t escape easily. His skill was visibly inferior to Namgung Hwan. Broken Steel Axe, being pushed back again and again, cried out desperately.

“Janryong! Now’s the time!”

“……”

“Janryong!”

However, there was no response.

Swoosh!

“Kuh… uh…ugh…”

Namgung Hwan sneered, “Blame it on your foolish mouth.”

Namgung Hwan then used Emperor Sword Technique, a martial art technique from the Namgung family, and butchered Broken Steel Axe’s upper body in just five seconds. With the sword embedded in his throat and ripping through his heart, Broken Steel Axe glared at Namgung Hwan with venomous eyes, but soon after Namgung Hwan pulled out his sword, he slowly fell to the ground.

Thud.

With the death of Broken Steel Axe at Namgung Hwan’s hands, it seemed almost everything was settled. The only enemy left in the arena was Janryong, who had been standing silently all along. Namgung Hwan pointed his sword at Janryong and said,

“Janryong, you have a high reputation as a master of hidden weapons even in the land of Anhui. I’ve been most cautious of you. But you didn’t act, neither before nor now when you had the chance. What are you thinking?”

“……”

Janryong hesitated before responding to Namgung Hwan’s words.

“I was ashamed by what supreme expert Jin said. I came all the way here, using any means necessary to get stronger, but when I realized anew that what I’m trying to do is morally wrong, my motivation waned.”

“Your sins won’t disappear just because you say that.”

“Heh… do you think I would beg for my life?”

Janryong replied, with a bitter smile.

“Also, it’s not that I didn’t move, but that I couldn’t. Had I moved even a little, supreme expert Jin would have attacked me, and I didn’t have the confidence to stop it. I might have survived if I risked my life, but it would have been impossible to avoid a fatal injury.”

“I see…”

I realized from Janryong’s words that Jin So-cheong, who had appeared to be just standing still, was actually keeping Janryong in check. Thanks to that, Namgung Hwan and I were able to easily slay our enemies. But could he really contain Janryong, an expert in hidden weapons, to such an extent that he felt threatened for his life?

Janryong turned his head towards me and said,

“Your name was Baek-woong, right?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t act recklessly like this in the future.”

“What?”

“If you weren’t here, I could have killed you over five times in a split second. Even though you have overflowing internal energy, your vital points are exposed, so killing you would have been as easy as flipping my hand. Don’t act so freely in front of a hidden weapons expert in the future. If you’re going to do it, at least make sure your defensive techniques are solid.”

“……”

I was dumbfounded by Janryong’s advice, which he gave as if he were a considerate senior. I realized from his gaze that he was sincere. Even Jin So-cheong seemed to agree with his advice, although he didn’t say anything. In a moment, my anger subsided, realizing that the advice from a hidden weapons expert was indeed helpful.

‘So it’s true… I am too vulnerable to poisons and assassination techniques. I should also train in this area.’

“Understood.”

As I replied, Janryong chuckled.

“Thanks for waiting until I finished speaking. Well then…”

Poof!

“……!!”

Suddenly, Janryong took out a long needle from his bosom and stuck it into his forehead. It was too fast for me to react. Surprisingly, despite the needle penetrating his brain, there was almost no blood. Janryong’s body shivered for a moment and then fell forward, dead. He had committed suicide to maintain the last shred of dignity as a martial artist, having already given up on surviving.

It seemed like a cruel way to die, but it was probably a quick and painless method chosen by Janryong, an expert assassin. With the brain destroyed, consciousness would fade quickly, leaving no time to feel pain.

Looking down at Janryong’s body, Namgung Hwan said bitterly,

“He was different from the others; he had a conscience.”

“……”

“Then I must protect Janryong’s honor.”

Namgung Hwan would likely turn all of today’s attackers over to Nangong Clan’s extermination orders once he crosses the Hangu Pass and is safe from pursuit. He would then declare them as wanted criminals in martial world, effectively marking them as prey.

However, Janryong chose his conscience in the end, so Namgung Hwan would keep the secret even to his grave. This was something that could benefit the remaining acquaintances and family of Janryong.

“Well, let’s go. Before the rest of the pursuers arrive.”

And we moved towards the Hangu Pass.

‘Was that really the best decision?’

I thought about what just happened.

If Janryong had thought just a little more carefully and acted cruelly and flawlessly, he could have not only saved his own life but also driven us to the brink of annihilation. If he had actually seized those two opportunities, it would have been risky.

Yet Janryong chose his conscience. At a glance, it’s an honorable and impressive death, fitting of a Murim martial artist. However, to me, Janryong’s death felt somewhat unjustified. Though it looked impressive, I shook my head, feeling that it wasn’t.