Chapter 408: Chapter 409

The surroundings were utterly silent.

Everyone held their breath, trying to comprehend the situation that had just unfolded. A few seconds passed, though to the onlookers, it felt much longer. The air was thick with thoughts, each person processing what they had just witnessed.

The moment the silence broke was when someone finally spoke up, their voice filled with shock.

“This can’t be real.”

With that brief exclamation of disbelief, the floodgates opened, and a torrent of voices followed, spilling over one another.

“What just happened? Did you see that?”

“Baekryeongeom got pushed back…!”

A battle between martial artists, where internal energy and sword aura clashed violently.

Though it was called a sparring match, it was anything but ordinary—lacking only killing intent, it was a fight no one could easily interfere in.

Everyone had been on edge, worried that the situation might spiral out of control, yet unable to intervene.

But then—

“This is… unbelievable.”

“I’ve heard the stories, but to think they were true…”

All eyes were now on the young man who had casually stepped into the fray, unscathed by the deadly flurry of blades.

With his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, the young man was none other than someone hailed as one of the most promising martial artists in the Central Plains.

“Little Yeomra…”

Gu Yangcheon, known as So Yeomra.

He was the martial artist who had subdued the culprit behind the Sinryonggwan raid and had ruthlessly exterminated the evil sect members, preserving the honor of the righteous martial sects.

It was this string of achievements that had allowed him to rise beyond the ranks of the younger generation, solidifying his place as a formidable martial artist in his own right.

“…There have been rumors that he’s reached the Hwagyeong realm. Could that actually be true?”

“Nah, come on, he’s not even twenty yet. There’s no way he could be in the Hwagyeong at that age.”

“Then how do you explain what just happened…?”

The one trying to deny it fell silent. As a martial artist, even he couldn’t ignore the overwhelming skill Gu Yangcheon had just displayed.

What was even more disconcerting was that no one could quite grasp what exactly had happened to cause the sudden change in the battle.

“But… to say he’s reached the Hwagyeong… that’s ridiculous…”

To have reached the peak of martial arts, the Hwagyeong, at such a young age, would be an accomplishment worthy of shock, even disbelief.

For the older martial artists watching, it was almost too much to accept.

For many, this reluctance came from a place of jealousy.

And it wasn’t just one or two who felt this way.

This, in itself, was proof of how exceptional Gu Yangcheon’s talent was—enough to evoke envy even in those who had trained for years.

But even with all of his talent—

He pushed back Baekryeongeom.

That fact alone seemed impossible to comprehend.

Baekryeongeom wasn’t just any swordswoman. She had once been considered a candidate for Sword Empress, possessing both the power and influence to rival any of the great martial artists of her time.

Even though she had been inactive for a few years, her reputation as one of the top sword masters was still undisputed.

And yet—

‘Who is this young man…?’

The onlookers struggled to wrap their heads around the idea that Gu Yangcheon, a rising star, had managed to not only defend against Baekryeongeom but also push her back.

It defied all logic.

In the midst of all the murmurs and disbelief, Gu Yangcheon stood at the center of attention.

‘…Shit, what have I done? This idiot really messed up.’

Internally, Gu Yangcheon was cursing himself, furious that he had let his temper get the better of him and caused this scene.

*****************

Gu Yangcheon cast a quick glance around, noting that the number of onlookers was growing.

‘Damn it.’

He couldn’t help but curse internally. Given that multiple families were traveling to Sichuan, and their primary mission was an escort job, the number of people in the group was already large. Now, it felt like most of them were gathered here, their wide eyes and murmurs not boding well for the situation.

"It’s So Yeomra…"

"So Yeomra…"

Hearing his nickname whispered among the crowd only fueled his rising frustration and regret. His annoyance soon morphed into resentment, directed at the ones who had caused this mess in the first place.

‘What the hell is this, first thing in the morning?’

His expression darkened as he glared at the three women sprawled on the ground. They had just begun to rise when their eyes met his, and they visibly flinched at his gaze.

Without speaking aloud, Gu Yangcheon mouthed a message to them:

We’ll talk later.

The three quickly averted their eyes, clearly understanding his warning.

Leaving those three troublemakers behind, Gu Yangcheon then turned his gaze toward the woman sitting dazedly on the ground, her expression vacant as if her soul had temporarily left her body.

It was none other than Baekryeongeom Moyong Biyeon.

Just looking at her made his brows furrow even more deeply.

‘What the hell is wrong with her?’

She was no novice—she was old enough and had more than enough experience in the martial world. Yet, for some reason, she had created this entire ordeal.

This wasn’t about the sparring match itself.

Sparring between martial artists was common, especially when both sides agreed to it.

It was a way to hone one’s skills and share insights into martial arts.

In fact, when a senior sparred with a junior, it could be considered a rare opportunity for the latter, almost like a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

But—

‘This was reckless.’

The situation had been dangerous.

The sparring session had escalated to a level where lethal sword aura filled the air. While this could have been overlooked to a certain extent, the real issue lay in the final moments, when Baekryeongeom had summoned her power.

‘What was she thinking, trying to obliterate everything?’

Even if her intent was just to scare them, the intensity had been far too much. If he hadn’t intervened, that sword energy would have been unleashed.

Had it not been stopped in time—

‘They wouldn’t have died, but…’

Given the skill level of the three women, it was clear that they would have sustained significant injuries.

A sharp pain shot through his arm as this thought crossed his mind.

It seemed that, in the process of intervening, he had taken some damage himself. Thankfully, it wasn’t serious, and it wasn’t caused by a sword.

Inspecting his arm, Gu Yangcheon let out a silent sigh of relief.

‘That was close.’

To outsiders, it might have looked like he had effortlessly stepped in and handled the situation, but the truth was far from glamorous.

He had only managed to use the momentum of both sides, exploiting the brief moment of hesitation to reverse their energy and knock them away.

While it might have seemed impressive, it was merely a way to prevent the worst from happening, and it had come at a cost to himself.

“Haaah…”

Already exhausted, this mess had only added to his fatigue.

Suppressing the throbbing pain in his arm, Gu Yangcheon spread his senses around, then addressed Baekryeongeom directly.

“…What exactly is going on here?”

Hearing his question, Moyong Biyeon finally seemed to snap out of her daze, her eyes sharpening as she surveyed the situation around her.

“Ah…”

She slowly stood up, perhaps just now realizing the gravity of the situation. Watching her closely, Gu Yangcheon continued speaking.

“Senior.”

“Hmm?”

“Is this part of your role as my bodyguard?”

There was a subtle hint of sarcasm in his words, and Moyong Biyeon’s eyebrows twitched.

She looked as if she might be getting angry, but Gu Yangcheon didn’t stop.

“If you're supposed to be my bodyguard, shouldn’t you be protecting me instead of sparring with my people? I don’t get it.”

“…”

“Or were you hoping one of them would get hurt?”

The words were disrespectful, especially considering her seniority. But Gu Yangcheon had never been one to hold his tongue when something needed to be said.

Moyong Biyeon bit her lip at his harsh words, her expression tightening.

Though he briefly worried she might turn her sword on him, he pressed on.

“What exactly were you thinking? In front of all these people, no less.”

After a moment of hesitation, Moyong Biyeon finally responded.

Her answer was, to say the least, surprising.

“…I saw the kids and thought it might be fun to spar with them…”

She avoided eye contact as she spoke, sounding somewhat embarrassed.

Gu Yangcheon couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

If she had at least said she wanted to offer them guidance, it could have passed as a reasonable excuse.

But to admit she did it just because she was bored?

“Aren’t you a little too old to be playing with kids?”

“Ugh…”

Moyong Biyeon visibly winced.

Even though she still looked relatively young, she was closer in age to Gu Yangcheon’s father. She had no business "playing" with youths barely in their twenties.

The strange thing was, despite his sarcastic tone, she didn’t seem angry—just embarrassed.

‘Well, that makes sense.’

After all, she had nearly caused a disaster.

If Gu Yangcheon had been in her shoes, he would’ve been mortified for days.

Though it was unusual to see someone of her status acting this way, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

Whatever her reasons, Moyong Biyeon had nearly injured three of his people, and that was the only thing that mattered to him.

With a deep breath, he spoke in a calmer but firm tone.

“Even if Lady Mi gave her approval, if you’re going to act this recklessly, I’ll have to ask you to withdraw from the role of my bodyguard.”

“What…?”

Her expression shifted noticeably at his words.

Did she find it difficult to understand?

It was simple. If she was going to behave like this, then she could leave.

He hadn’t asked for a bodyguard in the first place, and this whole situation was already annoying enough.

“I’ll explain everything to Lady Mi later. You can just enjoy the rest of your journey.”

“Ah, wait—!”

Gu Yangcheon turned his back to her before she could finish her sentence.

He didn’t want to waste any more time talking to someone who had caused this mess.

Moyong Biyeon, looking flustered, tried to respond, but Gu Yangcheon simply dispersed the energy barrier he had set up and walked away.

There were far too many eyes on him, and he had no intention of staying any longer.

Before leaving, though, he didn’t forget to address the three women who were still sighing with relief.

“I’ll be seeing you three later.”

“…”

Their faces fell at his words, but Gu Yangcheon didn’t care. He quickly left the area.

He had no intention of scolding them too harshly.

He just needed to hear how things had escalated to this point.

Of course, whether or not he’d lose his temper after hearing their explanation was another matter.

******************

Time passed, and by late morning, I had put the chaotic events of the morning behind me and focused on my training, moving large boulders as part of my physical conditioning.

I knew that by the afternoon, we’d be on the move, so I decided to focus on simple physical training rather than anything too intense.

“Huu…”

Taking a deep breath, I lifted a boulder that seemed several times heavier than my body.

Since I wasn’t using my internal energy, this purely physical exercise made me work up a sweat, filling me with a strange sense of vitality.

‘Feeling invigorated from sweating… what the hell’s happened to me?’

Back in the day, I would’ve called anyone who did this insane.

Especially during my training with Yeongpung, when I used to secretly curse those maniacs under my breath.

Now, here I was, doing exactly what I had once ridiculed.

As I continued moving the boulders around, a loud thud came from beside me as Woo-hyuk, who had been training alongside me, tossed his boulder aside and spoke up.

“I heard something big happened this morning. What was that all about?”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Woo-hyuk asked me curiously.

Wait, was he not there?

“…Didn’t every martial artist in the area come to watch? How did you miss it?”

“I don’t like noisy places, you know.”

So he hated noisy places.

That did make sense—even in his previous life, he had given off that vibe.

I considered giving him a brief explanation, but I really didn’t feel like bringing up the morning’s events again. So, I just brushed it off.

“It was nothing much.”

With that, I resumed my training.

Woo-hyuk looked like he wanted to press the issue further, but upon realizing I wasn’t interested in talking, he pouted slightly and went back to lifting his boulder.

Why’s he pouting like that? Should I fix that expression with a punch?

As I grumbled internally and prepared to swear at him, Pa Woo-cheol chimed in with a comment.

“Nothing much? It was quite impressive, brother.”

“You were watching, too?”

“How could I not? Wherever you go, I have to keep an eye on you.”

“…”

This guy’s just as creepy as ever.

Why are all the men around me so strange?

No, come to think of it, it wasn’t just the men. Everyone around me, regardless of gender, was odd.

‘It’s official—I’m the most normal person here.’

Yep, absolutely.

I nodded to myself as I came to this inevitable conclusion.

“…I can’t… go on…”

Suddenly, Cheol Ji-seon, who had been struggling through the training, collapsed, his body trembling.

Woo-cheol snorted and glanced at him.

“Ji-seon, you still have two more rounds, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?! Two more rounds?! That’s impossible!”

Cheol Ji-seon’s eyes widened in disbelief as he yelled in response, but Woo-cheol simply grinned at him.

“Ah, I must’ve miscounted. My apologies.”

“See? Even you think—”

“You’ve still got enough energy to shout, so it seems you can handle three more rounds. Go ahead.”

“AAARGH!”

What the hell are they doing?

I didn’t know, but I definitely didn’t want to get involved in it.

Just as I turned my attention back to my own training, I felt a presence approaching from a distance.

Immediately, I shifted my gaze in that direction.

“What’s this…?”

Woo-hyuk must have noticed it too, as he also turned to look.

Soon enough, we saw a woman with jet-black hair gracefully land nearby.

I instinctively frowned.

“…Baekryeongeom.”

The figure who had appeared unannounced was none other than Baekryeongeom herself.

Seeing her there made me think—

‘Does she have business with me?’

Given what had happened earlier, it seemed likely that she had come to confront me.

Perhaps she was upset about my rude remarks from this morning and had come to give me a piece of her mind.

‘That’d be troublesome.’

It was strange that she hadn’t gotten angry back then.

Whether I was right or wrong, in the cutthroat world of the martial arts, hearing someone talk to you like that to your face was bound to provoke a reaction.

I sighed and organized my thoughts.

‘Maybe if I apologize, she’ll let it go.’

I could just say I’d been upset at the time, apologize for my rude behavior, and explain that it was an emotional outburst.

That should be enough to smooth things over.

But as she got closer, I noticed that her expression didn’t seem quite right.

She looked… anxious, maybe even desperate.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Could it be like this morning? Was she coming to swing her sword at me again?

That thought made me swallow nervously.

The closer she got, the more tension I felt.

I hadn’t seen much of her before, but I already knew she was unpredictable, capable of doing anything on a whim.

Bracing myself for the possibility of an attack, I was about to offer her a polite greeting when something completely unexpected happened.

As she reached me, Baekryeongeom suddenly dropped to her knees and grabbed onto my pant leg.

“What the…!”

Startled by her sudden action, I looked down at her in shock, only for her to look up at me with teary eyes and shout.

“I’m sorryyyy! Please forgive meeee…!!”

“…Wha…!”

Baekryeongeom clung to my pants and began wailing, leaving me utterly dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Woo-hyuk, Pa Woo-cheol, and even Cheol Ji-seon, who had been collapsed from exhaustion, all stared at me with baffled expressions.

Cheol Ji-seon, in particular, whispered quietly:

“…Even Baekryeongeom now? Isn’t the age gap a bit much…?”

Damn it, his words rang far too clearly in my ears.

The worst part was that the others around him were nodding in agreement.

Apparently, they’d all gotten the wrong idea.

“Hey! That’s not what’s going on—! Let go! Why are you doing this?!”

“I’m soooo sooorry!”

No matter how much I tried to protest,

nobody believed me.