Chapter 33: Chapter 33

The position of the Jo Clan, one of the six major clans in the imperial city, was at the Jo Clan Marketplace located in the northwest. It was natural for a family that earned their living through managing the marketplace. I ran a tight distance of approximately seven li (~4 km)  to get to the Jo Clan residence. Upon seeing the signboard of the marketplace, I felt relieved that the distance was shorter than expected. After all, seven li wasn’t much if you were on horseback.

Four guards were standing at the entrance of the Jo Clan residence. Upon seeing me, who had appeared out of nowhere with swift lightness skills, they immediately aimed their spears at me. They too seemed like they had martial arts training.

“Who are you?”

For a moment, a playful impulse rose within me, but I held it back. There was no need to unnecessarily complicate matters. Instead, I courteously cupped my hands, bowing and then spoke.

“I am Baek-woong, a disciple of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. I’ve heard that my senior brother, also chief instructor Jin So-cheong of Azure Dragon Martial Hall, has visited the Jo Clan residence. I’ve come to relay a message.”

“Hmm…”

They exchanged sidelong glances for a moment.

“Wait a moment.”

“Alright.”

“Do you have anything to prove your identity? No one of uncertain identity is allowed into the Jo Clan residence.”

“This is my instructor’s badge from Azure Dragon Martial Hall.”

I took out my instructor’s badge in response to the guard’s question. The badge was made of high-quality bronze and was embossed with a rising Azure Dragon. This item was given to me by Threefold Expert Lee Gwang as proof of my identity. Upon confirming the badge, the guards let out exclamations.

“Oh, wow… you’re an instructor of Azure Dragon Martial Hall at this age?”

“That’s impressive!”

“Please wait a moment.”

Suddenly, one of them started using honorifics and ran inside, while the remaining three loosened their spears and spoke.

“So, you’re Baek-woong, huh? Looks like a new star has appeared in the Gwanjung’s martial scene.”

“How old are you?”

“……”

Upon showing my instructor’s badge, I was dumbfounded to see the guards warming up to me so quickly. It appeared they didn’t even consider whether the badge might be fake or counterfeit.

Of course, mine was genuine. But this also meant that the martial world had been peaceful, without significant disturbances. At the same time, it proved how renowned and respected the Azure Dragon Martial Hall was in this area. The school had a status not inferior to that of the great clans, much like the Twin Gates Four Families in Luoyang.

“Ah… excuse me… I have important matters to attend to with my senior brother.”

I muttered a vague response. However, the guards seemed to accept this readily and laughed heartily.

“Haha. Just wait a moment.”

I waited for about a quarter of an hour when the guard who had gone inside returned, looking perplexed.

“Um… I’m sorry, warrior Baek-woong. It seems you’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

“What’s going on?”

“……”

He said nothing and tightly closed his mouth. I sensed from his demeanor that something was going on inside. Perhaps he had been told not to let me in, or maybe there was no ‘Jin So-cheong’ inside, that was the issue.

I spoke curtly, “I am here on my Master’s orders. I was told to promptly bring in my senior brother, and you’re planning on leaving me outside without any reason?”

Upon hearing my tone, the guards showed signs of bewilderment. What I said was impatient but true. One of the guards who had previously gone inside quickly offered an explanation.

“Right now, instructor Jin So-cheong is having an important discussion with Jo Clan’s head. If you’re from the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, you should understand to some extent.”

“Of course, I can understand, as long as you all can take responsibility for stopping me.”

“……!!”

The word ‘responsibility’ visibly paled their faces. For guards like them, it was the most frightening word. They quickly calculated who would bear the responsibility and hurried the escort who had gone inside.

“Taek-yi! Just go and ask one more time!”

“It’s not like it’s a super urgent matter. Just go and ask again.”

The guard named Taek-yi was visibly annoyed. “Damn it! Am I your servant? Why are you nagging me?”

“No, you’re the one in charge of overseeing, aren’t you?”

“Ah…”

Taek-yi seemed to hold back a curse. Then he said to me reluctantly, “I didn’t get a clear answer from warrior’s senior brother or lord Jo earlier. This time, I’ll make sure to hear it carefully.”

“What are you saying? Did someone tell you to turn back halfway?”

“No, that’s… the Chief Administrator said not to even step into the guest room. Don’t worry about it this time.”

After saying this, guard Taek-yi hurriedly ran back inside. The remaining guards were criticizing him, but I didn’t care. Instead, I quickly assessed the current situation.

‘Are the Jo Clan’s head and senior brother having an important conversation? Wasn’t the latter supposed to meet his friend Soaring Sky Sword Dragon Namgung Hwan at Jo Clan’s Marketplace today? Wasn’t this just a meeting place?’

It seemed that there were more complications than expected for senior brother meeting Soaring Sky Sword Dragon Namgung Hwan. Though I suspected that Jo Clan’s head might have confined or threatened senior brother, even the authorities of the Six Great Powers combined couldn’t possibly do that. For one, the martial arts skills of senior brother wouldn’t allow for his capture and detention, and the force of a single Azure Dragon Martial Hall was as powerful as combining two or three of the Six Great Powers. I dismissed any ridiculous assumptions.

I asked the guards if Soaring Sky Sword Dragon Namgung Hwan and his fiancée Moyong Yeon had come here. Their response was suspicious.

“Why do you ask?”

“I heard rumors in the streets that they were headed toward the Jo Clan residence.”

“That’s not something we’re aware of.”

They feigned ignorance, but I sensed from their guarded reaction that Namgung Hwan and Moyong Yeon had indeed visited the Jo Clan. If they truly didn’t know, they wouldn’t react so defensively. It seemed they were clumsy thinkers and had slipped up.

‘Should I just barge in?’

I felt that standing like this was a waste of time. However, clenching my fist, I endured it once more. There had been quite a few instances where acting recklessly had led to death, so I knew from experience that it was best to endure as much as possible for a good outcome. Overturning the head of the family would be easy, but the backlash would be unmanageable.

After about half an hour of standing and waiting, a bodyguard named Taek-yi and a middle-aged man finally emerged.

“Nice to meet you, warrior Baek-woong. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Ha Jun, the chief administrator of the Jo Clan.”

Because he knew I held a rank equivalent to an instructor at Azure Dragon Martial Hall, despite my youthful appearance, he was treating me respectfully, not condescendingly. This meant he was treating me strictly based on our relationship as martial artists. The middle-aged man who introduced himself as Ha Jun, the chief administrator, continued somewhat regretfully.

“Instructor Jin So-cheong, had a talk with our head but they couldn’t reach an agreement. He said he will be staying for a bit longer and return to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall later. You can go back without worrying.”

“…What exactly are they discussing?”

“That’s classified within the family. If you really want to know, you can ask your senior brother later.”

I grinned, revealing my teeth. It was a laugh with clear killing intent.

“Treating me like a fool? Making me wait like this and then telling me to come back later? When exactly is ‘later’? I can’t even see the tip of my senior brother’s nose, how do you expect me to believe you?”

“Ah, no…”

Ha Jun, the chief administrator, looked flustered.

Whoooooosh

It was natural. The energy I unconsciously emitted was oppressing the surroundings and making him nervous. Although the family was also a martial arts faction and Ha Jun had learned martial arts, facing my internal energy directly made him shiver and visibly tremble.

Even the four bodyguards next to him took a step back, surprised. Their faces turned pale as if their internal energy had died. I then gave Ha Jun a stern warning.

“Let me make it clear: if you don’t bring my senior brother face to face or at least let me know the details, I’ll do things my way.”

“Are you planning to disgrace your senior brother’s face as a fellow disciple? Are you threatening the clan as just a mere instructor of Azure Dragon Martial Hall?”

Seeing Ha Jun fiercely retort, I realized he was a man of some backbone. Despite facing the pressure of my internal energy, he had the courage to speak his mind. I chuckled and logically responded.

“Is this a threat? I have received an order from my master to ‘bring my senior brother back.’ That’s a command that must be followed by my senior brother as well. Don’t use him as an excuse. It’s my senior brother’s responsibility to not follow this order.”

“……”

“In the martial world, which do you think takes precedence, a disciple’s will or the master’s orders? All the talks I’ve been giving are within reason.”

“Hmm…”

With a stern face, I drove the point home.

“No matter what he and your head discuss, it’s your own personal matter. However for me and the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, my master’s orders are more important!”

Chief Administrator Ha-jun looked troubled.

He had understood what I was implying: that ‘even if I, Baek-woong, were to turn Jo Clan upside down to find my senior brother, it wouldn’t pose a problem for the martial world.’ Being an administrator, he had the basic sense to grasp that. In fact, even if I used this justification to defeat him and his guards and enter, only Jo Clan would suffer afterward.

Of course, I won’t really knock them down. Doing so would put me at significant risk. But the reason I’m issuing this veiled threat is to constantly imprint on the other party that ‘I could do it,’ so the ‘intimidation’ holds. Knowing I could do something reckless could be very threatening.

Eventually, Chief Administrator Ha-jun glanced back at Jo Clan’s building behind him and sighed.

“I have no choice. I’ll tell you where Master Jin is.”

“His whereabouts? He’s not here?”

“He left half an hour ago.”

“……!!”

I realized my intuition had been correct. The reason Chief Administrator Ha-jun had blocked the guard earlier and made up an excuse was to avoid revealing that Jin So-cheong was not here. Although I confirmed that my intuition was correct, there was nothing I could do. I had to weigh the rationale and circumstances before I could choose the best direction that wouldn’t harm me.

I asked him, “Why did you hide Master Jin’s whereabouts?”

“Because he asked Jo’s family head to do so.”

“What…?”

“I can’t say anything more. However, you should clearly know that even if you are an instructor of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, you cannot threaten us about this.”

Chief Administrator Ha-jun’s words were sharp, like a razor blade. They also contained annoyance, as if I had inappropriately meddled in someone else’s affairs, so I didn’t provoke him any further. It seemed Master Jin So-cheong had asked the head of Jo Clan to keep his whereabouts hidden for some reason until tomorrow. The chief commander had done so just to buy time.

But why?

Then Chief Administrator Ha-jun said, “He’s heading toward Hangu Pass. If you hurry, you might catch up with him.”

“You’re doing your best to save face.”

Telling me his whereabouts earnestly seemed like a way to prepare an answer for why they hid the Jin so-cheon in the first place. Then Chief Administrator Ha-jun frowned.

“Don’t be sarcastic. We don’t like meddling in other people’s affairs either.”

“Hmm.”

“I won’t see you out. You may go.”

Moments later, Ha Joon, the Chief Administrator, ordered the guards to close the gate and entered. With a thud, the gate closed. The guards momentarily wore embarrassed expressions, but soon began to light the wicks of the torches and returned to their duties. Clearly, dusk was setting in; if they didn’t hurry, they would lose track of people.

*Pa-at*

I knew where Hangu Pass was. Having lived in Kwan-Joong for three years, I had a rough grasp of the geography. Hangu Pass was a gate that connected the Eastern Central Plains to the Western Guanzhong, situated snugly in the Lingbao region on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Although I hadn’t been there myself, it was an ancient fortress and famous, so I thought I could get there by simply following the official road.

“There was a horse rental station nearby. Let’s rent a horse from there.”

Riding a horse at night was risky, but holding a torch in one hand would provide enough visibility. My riding skills weren’t great, so I’d need to regulate the horse’s speed. I could run, but I’d prefer to conserve energy if possible.

Hee-hee-heeng

There were sporadically spaced watchtowers with torches along the official road. Thankfully, visibility wasn’t that poor, so I began to drive the horse into a gallop.

According to the horse rental station manager, Hangu Pass appeared after crossing a mountain and traveling about 5 li. By that estimation, the actual distance from here would be around 25 li, a considerable distance. I felt it was a good decision to ride.

Clip-clop

I thought, hearing the sound of horse hooves.

“No doubt, Jin So-cheong is headed to Hangu Pass with Namgung Hwan and Moyong Yeon from Jo Clan.”

The only conceivable reason was escorting.

Since daylight, not to mention top-tier masters were patrolling the city looking for Namgung Hwan and Moyong Yeon. Knowing this, Namgung Hwan must have fled to Jo Clan residence with his fiancée and asked his friend Jin So-cheong for assistance. The man must have told Lee Gwang he was going to meet his friends and left to escort Namgung Hwan’s party.

**Swoosh**

I lay flat on the horse to dodge tree branches and muttered, “What a hassle.”

Without a doubt.

If I follow this route towards Hangu Pass, the likelihood of encountering a group of first-rate experts is high. They were obsessed with Moyong Yeon, and it was unlikely that masters of their caliber couldn’t track down Namgung Hwan. More likely, they refrained from making a move in broad daylight and now, as night falls, they are probably ready to settle scores.

My hunch proved to be correct soon enough.

As I was walking my horse down the hillside of a mountain on the official road, guided by torchlight, I felt an intense reaction in my senses. It was a massive shockwave, like powerful Qi colliding. A barely-audible sound tingled my ears like a needle; there was no doubt that it signaled a clash between experts.

“Damn it, am I too late?”

I clicked my tongue and accelerated the horse. The slope was dangerous, but there was no other choice.

“Hang in there, you.”

I laid a hand on the horse’s neck and channeled my Qi into it. Revitalized, the horse began to run faster. At the same time, I tuned into the horse’s sensations to ensure it didn’t stumble or stray off course.

**Hee-hee-heeng**

Typically, experts in martial arts couldn’t use their internal energy this way. That’s because infusing one’s internal energy into another being is highly inefficient. One usually had to precisely target the energy meridians and infuse the energy along set paths to minimize waste. However, I have an abundance of internal energy, so I can afford to be inefficient. Even without targeting specific meridians, I can transfer substantial power.

Thanks to my haste, I was able to reach the site of the duel in about half an hour.

“Shoaaa—”

I emerged into a wide plain bordered by a forest and scattered large trees. Far in the distance on a mountain, I could see a fortress. Torches were arranged in the middle of the plain as if it were a battlefield. About ten figures stood there.

I dismounted and shouted, “Instructor Jin So-cheong! Are you alright?”

Clink-Clank-clink

Jin So-cheong was battling two martial artists with his spear, and turned to look at me. Surprisingly, he was holding his ground against both, using his spear as if it were an extension of his body.

“Ddaang!”

“Ugh.”

“Thud,” as Jin So-cheong raised his spear, one of the experts wielding a longsword screamed and was flung backward. At the same time, Jin So-cheong employed a technique called ‘Eight-style Thunder Spirit Technique’, spinning the blade of his spear. A bizarre shockwave emitted, tearing the glove and shoulder of the remaining opponent.

Jin So-cheong, who had quickly defeated both opponents, looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Who are you? Why do I sense the energy of Thunder breath from you?”

He had sensed the Thunder-qi coming from me. Judging by the fact that he could identify the level of Thunder breath just by looking, Jin So-cheong at this moment seemed to be an even greater martial artist than I’d thought.

All eyes in the area focused on me.

I bowed and spoke to the group,

“I am Baek-woong, the new disciple of Azure Dragon Martial Hall, here to serve you as your bodyguard upon orders from our school head.”

“Bodyguard…?”

“I also had personal reasons to master the three weapons and was recently initiated under master’s tutelage.”

Jin So-cheong, who seemed confused at first, chuckled heartily upon understanding the situation.

“Ha ha ha! I see! Looking forward to working with you, junior brother Baek-woong!”

“Yes.”

He quickly deduced that I came from the Thunder God Style school and had become a disciple of Threefold Expert Lee Gwang. He also understood that ‘three weapons’ was a covert reference to the Thunder God Style school. He was indeed a man of outstanding intellect and martial arts skills.

‘Well, he is one of the future Ten Great Masters of the world…’

Behind Jin So-cheong stood a man and a woman.

The man was extraordinarily handsome. Even though Jin So-cheong had an attractive, hearty appearance, this man looked as majestic as a dragon. His features were so perfect they seemed to have been carved from jade. A single smile from him seemed enough to stir the hearts of countless women.

Next to him stood an equally breathtaking beauty. In terms of beauty, she was comparable to Sagong Rin, but it was hard to say who was better. If I had to compare, Sagong Rin was pure, and this woman had a sensuous look. Nevertheless, she was definitely a beauty any man would risk his life to have.

They greeted me,

“Nice to meet you, young ally. I am Namgung Hwan, the Soaring Sky Sword Dragon from Namgung Clan.”

“I am Moyong Yeon, the daughter of the Moyong family.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I was fairly certain of their identities, so I accepted their greeting without much fuss. As expected, my guess was correct.

Then, that moment came.

A man wearing black attire emerged, mocking Jin So-cheong as he stepped forward.

“Laughable. Just because you’ve added one more teenager doesn’t mean you’ll survive today, Jin So-cheong and Soaring Sky Sword Dragon!”

Around him were around 7-8 high-level martial artists, each holding their unique poisonous weapons. Among them, I also sensed the aura of four elite martial artists I had felt during the daytime. Moreover, at the very back was a young man holding a wooden sword; it was Wi-jong, the War Sword Demon I had defeated earlier in the day.

As expected, when Wi-jong noticed me, he was shocked.

“Ah! You’re that beggar boy from earlier!”

I replied sardonically,

“Beggar? I’m a disciple of Azure Dragon Martial Hall.”

“Don’t make me laugh! Acting all high and mighty while drooling like a crow!”

“Stop your nonsense, damn it.”

Comparing me to a beggar? Was that an insult?

I was annoyed, so I lunged forward immediately. It seems I need to show them what I’ve got.

“Crazy bastard!”

The elite martial artists snickered as if they were looking at a mayfly when they saw me charging. Shortly after, they hurled deadly weapons intending to annihilate me. However, I stopped just before entering their attack range and took a rapid vertical dive, sharp decline. Then, I gathered all my inner energy and unleashed a shaking kick on the ground.

‘Have a taste of this.’

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang—!!!

Massive Destruction!

A booming explosion resonated. It was as if dozens of cannons had been fired, a cloud of dust burst forth reaching halfway up the mountain.

It was as if a wall of darkness had risen, the heavens and the earth were once again enveloped in a deafening roar. An invisible shockwave sliced through the clouds, whining. The ground beneath the shaking kick had completely collapsed and seemed endlessly destroyed. Nearby trees had their branches torn off by the shockwave.

Human bodies were no exception.

“Arghhhh!!!”

“What, what the?!?”

“This, this is crazy?! Hrhrhrk!!”

With a scream, the gathered first-rate experts were thrown back involuntarily, struggling to keep their balance. Some planted their weapons into the ground, while others steadied themselves in mid-air through lightness techniques. However, no one could withstand the force within a distance of five zhang. Those with weaker internal energy were blown back more than ten zhang, with blood dribbling from the corners of their mouths.

I had simply drawn upon all my internal energy and stomped the ground.

But even I was surprised by the outcome.

Did I really do this?

What level has my internal energy reached?

Just then, Jin So-cheong smirked and spoke.

“Good job, junior brother Baek-woong! Let’s hop on Moyong Yeon’s horse and make a run for it.”

“What? Run away?”

“These folks are not to be trifled with. A head-on confrontation would be unwise.”

*Whoosh*

Moyong Yeon, a female character, mounted the horse I had ridden. Speaking to Namgung Hwan, she took the reins and said,

“Hurry to Hangu Pass. Don’t worry about us.”

“Understood, I will go.”

*Clip-clop, clip-clop*

As Moyong Yeon’s horse started to gallop, Namgung Hwan, Jin So-cheong, and I followed. We could easily catch up to the horse’s speed, but we preserved our stamina and inner strength, maintaining a reasonable distance.

During our journey, Namgung Hwan glanced at me and said,

“Who would have thought a young martial artist like you would be among us… The world is about to change.”

“Haha…”

I awkwardly laughed. I knew that Namgung Hwan would be one of the top martial artists in the future, often referred to as the Sword King of the Namgung Clan.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by his high praise, I received a mental message from Jin So-cheong,

[Did you inherit the Thunder God Style?]

I’m not good at mental messaging, so I muttered softly,

“Yes. My former master passed away, so I came here looking for a new mentor.”

[Haha. Training will be fun from now on. I look forward to it.]

Surprisingly, there was no hint of suspicion or jealousy from Jin So-cheong. Normally, anyone would be skeptical or annoyed when an outsider unexpectedly joins the fray, even if they are from the same martial arts sect. I felt a bit heavy-hearted, realizing that his feelings were genuine.

Jin So-cheong was indeed a natural prodigy!

‘I wish he was more mediocre; it would be easier on my conscience.’

Could I ever surpass a genius successor acknowledged by Threefold Expert Lee Gwang? The thought crossed my mind.