Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Chapter 29. Evil Faction Alliance (1)

Lee Byeok's sword cut through the air.

Like a craftsman inspecting his tools, each and every technique of the Azure River Sword Style was delicately unraveled in the darkness of the night.

But he could not be satisfied.

Before the image of Lee Jincheon's sword engraved in his mind, Lee Byeok only felt himself to be infinitely shabby.

The integration of the Azure River Sword Style and the Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style.

In the natural flow between techniques, the essence of the sword flows out at every moment.

Ironically, it was only after leaving the clan that Lee Byeok witnessed the ‘completion’ of the Seonwoo Clan's art.

Even that was a distant goal, and the next stage beyond that completion was still unimaginable.

And he paused his sword for a moment.

Closing his eyes, he recalled the enemy.

Soon, the illusion of the bandit leader began to take shape. The axe blade, caked with dried blood, was stained dark red.

Bodies were scattered at his feet.

He was clearly too strong to be a mere bandit. He was probably a notorious villain in the vicinity.

Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style.

Third Form of the Sword-Drawing Style.

One step forward. And the moment the sword was extended, a sound of collision rang in Lee Byeok's head.

In one strike, the enemy's axe was shattered, and his head flew into the air. Gurgle, gurgle, the illusion scattered, spewing blood from its neck.

‘…He wasn’t a formidable opponent.’

He was an opponent who could be cut down in an instant if he put his mind to it. But Lee Byeok could not bring himself to have that ‘mind’.

On the other hand, the opponent had precisely pinpointed that weakness of his. He had disturbed and shaken his mind with blood and flesh.

If there had been no difference in their martial arts skills, he would have been the one who lost his head.

When you intend to kill, you must kill.

Through the last battle, Lee Byeok clearly understood what he was lacking. If his mind wavered at the critical moment, his sword would become dull.

Lee Byeok's sword cut through the air again.

The Azure River Sword Style was displayed in sequence. But it was different from before. The sword path followed the Azure River Sword Style, but Lee Byeok repeated the killing intent in his mind.

In Lee Byeok's mind, the bandit leader was resurrected and cut down over and over again.

But Lee Byeok soon felt an unnaturalness. The sword path creaked, as if he were forcing on clothes that didn't fit.

A sword is a tool for killing.

But the sword he had pursued was not like that. There was a contradiction between them that could not be easily resolved.

Cheolkeok, Lee Byeok sheathed his sword.

He sat by the fire, composing his breathing.

He had removed the stone from his heart and obtained the Innate power. But that was literally just a new beginning.

If he couldn't melt the killing intent into the tip of his sword, it would be difficult to display his full skills in another real battle.

But the Azure River Flowing Leaf Art and killing intent did not mix, like water and oil. Of course, it couldn't be a limitation of the Azure River Flowing Leaf Art. It was just his own limitation.

He would be able to overcome it.

If given enough time.

However, the place where he was now was not the Seonwoo Clan or the Falling Sword Sect, but the middle of the Jianghu Murim.

Danger comes without warning and does not wait for growth. Suddenly, Old Master Go's sword path flashed before his eyes again.

—Your sword is not sharp.

—A sword without an edge is useless.

Lee Byeok sank into thought.

In the midst of unending worries, dawn passed and morning broke. The carriage carrying the party continued on its way.

After entering Guizhou Province, which was the heartland of the Evil Faction Murim, the journey was quite smooth.

There were fewer nights spent sleeping outdoors, and they were not attacked by bandits or the like.

And so, while Lee Byeok was engrossed in the topic of killing intent, the journey passed quickly.

Before long, the carriage entered Guiyang, the city where the headquarters of the Evil Faction Alliance was located.

Guizhou Province, Evil Faction Alliance.

Warriors stood guard in front of a huge, ten-foot-tall black gate.

Beyond the surrounding wall, a tall pavilion was particularly eye-catching.

A carriage made its way through the bustling, wide street and approached the main gate.

“Stop! State your affiliation.”

As the warriors approached, the middle-aged man in the driver's seat silently took out a token. The expression of the warrior who received it stiffened slightly.

“Ah, you’re from the Rogues' Guild. My apologies. Hey! Open the gate. The members of the Rogues' Guild have arrived!”

With a creak, the huge gate swung wide open, and the carriage passed through.

Lee Byeok's party got out of the carriage. They followed a guide and walked toward their quarters.

Lee Byeok looked around.

The headquarters of the Evil Faction Murim was, contrary to his imagination, surprisingly not very large or splendid.

But from the buildings and walls, all in black and white, to even the floor, there was a well-organized weightiness.

The gazes of the warriors coming and going inside were also quite sharp.

Among them, there were also quite a few groups that seemed to have just arrived from other sects, just like Lee Byeok's party.

“I must inform the Alliance Leader. Old Master Go will be with you, so please rest well, young master. You too, Mi-hee, understand?”

After being guided to their quarters, Ji Soyak and Old Master Go left as soon as they had unpacked.

The quarters were quite spacious.

A whole building, large enough for more than a dozen people to stay in, was divided by temporary walls and doors.

Lee Byeok sat leaning against a wall. As she had said, there was nothing else to do for now but rest.

It would be nice if he could find a place to train his sword while he was here, but.

‘…It’ll be difficult for now.’

A new thought suddenly occurred to him.

Even though he had erased the clan from his heart, Lee Byeok had not abandoned the perception that he belonged to the righteous.

But now, Lee Byeok was serving as the escort warrior for the representative of the Rogues' Guild and was located in the center of the Evil Faction Murim.

Righteous (正) and Evil (邪).

Although he couldn't judge by appearances alone, it was clear that it was very different from what he had known.

—Whether it’s righteous or evil, there are righteous people who backstab you and evil people who save you. The past is the past. The present is the present. You know that, right, Lee Byeok?

Suddenly, Jaegal Somi's serious expression and voice came to mind. Lee Byeok smiled faintly.

As an escort warrior, Lee Byeok had completed half of his duty by escorting Ji Soyak to the Evil Faction Alliance.

Now all that was left was to return.

He would be able to return soon.

—Little one. What were you in such a hurry for?

But the moment Lee Byeok thought of Flower Pavilion Village, a small, inexplicable sense of unease brushed against a corner of his heart.

Just then, the sound of someone knocking on the temporary door cut off Lee Byeok's thoughts. Eon Mi-hee's voice followed.

Eon Mi-hee's head poked through the slightly open door. She looked around cautiously.

The moment their eyes met, Eon Mi-hee quickly looked Lee Byeok up and down. She seemed strangely relieved.

Eon Mi-hee opened the door and approached Lee Byeok. She sat gracefully at a slight distance.

“Ahaha, it's nothing. The room is better than I expected… but there's not much to do. Right?”

Eon Mi-hee smiled awkwardly.

During the past journey, Lee Byeok had grown quite close to her.

Although she had been wary at first, she had started to show a more friendly side after the battle with the bandits.

Lee Byeok couldn't tell why her attitude had changed. Of course, it wasn't a bad thing. But.

“Young master, is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?”

For some reason, Eon Mi-hee always treated Lee Byeok with the politeness of a servant addressing a master. It was a little embarrassing.

“…I’m a little nervous being in a strange place. To be surrounded by martial artists of the Evil Faction.”

Eueu, Eon Mi-hee let out a small groan.

“Aren’t you also a member of the Rogues' Guild?”

“Heup, w-well, that’s true. But the Evil Faction martial artists are rough, aren’t they? Physiologically, they don’t really suit me……”

Lee Byeok thought of her beating the warriors guarding the gate at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion with her bare fists.

He didn't mention it.

Eon Mi-hee, who had been trailing off, squeezed her eyes shut. She continued to speak, stammering as if spitting out words she had been holding back.

“Um, young master. I know it’s rude to ask this… but you’ve learned a martial art of the orthodox… Taoist lineage, right?”

Lee Byeok was a little surprised.

It was said that the founder of the Seonwoo Clan was from a secular branch of Wudang.

Therefore, if you traced its roots, the Azure River Flowing Leaf Art could be said to belong to the Taoist lineage of martial arts.

Well, he hadn't particularly hidden the fact that he was training throughout the journey… but had she figured that out with just a few days of traveling together?

“R-right?! I knew it!”

As Lee Byeok nodded, Eon Mi-hee suddenly began to approach him on her knees.

The distance between them closed in an instant.

“I thought so from the beginning, ahaha, I actually wanted to ask you all along, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it……!”

“…Young miss, just a moment.”

Eon Mi-hee's eyes sparkled.

Her flushed face was pushed close. Lee Byeok placed a hand on the excited Eon Mi-hee's shoulder.

Eon Mi-hee flinched in surprise. As if she had just realized the distance, she hastily pulled back.

“I-I’m sorry! I was being presumptuous……”

A brief awkwardness hung in the air.

“Ah, well, actually… I haven't learned the martial arts of the Rogues' Guild either. So strictly speaking, I can’t be called a member of the Evil Faction either……”

Eon Mi-hee soon began to speak in a voice that seemed to trail off.

It was a rather disjointed story.

But looking back, when he had first arrived at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, Lee Byeok remembered clashing with her briefly.

Her fist and foot techniques were powerful, but he had not felt the characteristic murky feeling of the Evil Faction martial arts.

Because it was a familiar energy, he hadn't felt a sense of unease, but looking back, it was the inner energy of the Taoist lineage.

Suddenly, a question arose.

“Wait, then your martial arts weren’t taught to you by the Pavilion Mistress?”

Earlier, Ji Soyak had introduced Eon Mi-hee as her escort warrior and disciple.

“Ah, well… the martial art I learned is a family specialty. What I learned from the Pavilion Mistress are things like how to play the zither or the… etiquette of a drinking party.”

Eon Mi-hee's complexion turned slightly red.

Well, what a master and disciple teach and learn is not necessarily limited to martial arts.

It was a matter of course.

Lee Byeok was inwardly convinced.

Although he had not seen Ji Soyak's martial arts, the aura she exuded was not very impressive.

Although he couldn't grasp everything from her aura alone, it was Eon Mi-hee who felt stronger.

Suddenly, Lee Byeok wondered why she, with such martial arts and skills, was staying at a tavern of the Rogues' Guild.

And the conversation stopped again.

As silence threatened to continue, Eon Mi-hee once again showed signs of restlessness.

It seemed she had something else to say.

“I apologize for asking such a difficult question again… but have you heard anything about why the young master came here in place of his master?”

“…What do you mean?” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI(F)ire.net

It was another unexpected question.

Eon Mi-hee hastily added.

“Ah, well, of course, the young master is just the Pavilion Mistress' escort… but the Pavilion Mistress won’t tell me why someone like me became the representative of the Rogues' Guild……”

Well, Lee Byeok didn't know anything about it either.

It wasn't that he wasn't concerned, but it wasn't his business.

Lee Jincheon had said that he would know what to do when he went to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, and Ji Soyak, the mistress of Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, had asked for an escort.

Whether it was the Evil Faction Alliance or the Rogues' Guild, he had no desire to get involved in the affairs of the Jianghu Murim more than necessary.

It was then. In the stiffened atmosphere, someone knocked on the door of the quarters. As if on cue, the two turned their heads.

“I’ve come to escort the young masters of the Rogues' Guild! A special banquet has been prepared in the reception hall for the young masters who have come from various sects!”