SHIIIIIIK!

A sharp sword wind split the air.

The sword wind was sharp, but the motion that had unleashed that single strike was slow and soft. It was the martial art of the Wudang Sect, specialized in the sword work of following and softness, in late movement taking the initiative, and in moving a thousand catties with four taels.

Hmm.

Okcheong shook his head.

As expected, it only looks plausible. It would be hard to use in real combat.

To the eyes of someone who could read qi, it might have looked impressive, but to Okcheong, the practitioner himself, it was a disappointing strike.

If Okcheong had not entered the Evil-Smiting Corps and had still been devoting himself to mountain training, he too would have been satisfied and moved on. But to Okcheong, who had come to know real combat, the sword strike now only looked convincing on the surface. It had no practicality.

Wudang’s sword follows a different track from worldly sword arts. The sword of the main mountain developed thoroughly as a tool for realizing the Way. When it comes to sword intent, it is more profound than any sword art in the Central Plains, but it is difficult to actually use in real combat.

That did not mean Wudang swordsmanship was wrong.

It was, so to speak, a matter of enlightenment. All high-level martial arts had that aspect, but Wudang martial arts in particular changed their force of the sword according to enlightenment and mindset.

It was not a martial art any random person could use just because of moderate learning. However, as befitting an outstanding orthodox art, once a practitioner entered a certain level, the power embodied through that enlightenment overwhelmed real combat.

That was the reason the martial arts displayed by the elders of the Wudang Sect, masters at the elder level and above, shook the world. They were already thoroughly versed in Wudang martial arts, so even without separately experiencing real combat, they had no great difficulty moving through the harsh martial world.

I am not like that.

Okcheong acknowledged his own limit.

Perhaps Master also wished for me to take the same path as my elder brothers among the elders. But I will not walk that path.

Only now could Okcheong understand why his master, Takmuja, the strongest master of the Wudang Sect, had told him he was born with the talent of a martial god.

It was because Okcheong’s temperament and frame were specialized for Wudang martial arts. In other words, had he not entered the Evil-Smiting Corps and instead continued training as he had, Okcheong would likely have been able to manifest all of Wudang’s martial arts in real combat within a few years.

But his master’s hope and Okcheong’s eyes were facing entirely different places.

I do not want to become an immortal. Since I was born into this world anyway, I want to travel throughout it and experience many things.

That desire had also played a part in the years during which his training had gone in circles.

His master’s expectations, the encouragement of his senior brothers, the envy of his disciple-nephews, and Okcheong’s own wishes—many factors had put brakes on his achievement.

Only now do I feel alive.

He had entered the Evil-Smiting Corps and fought evildoers.

It was called a struggle against evildoers, but in the end, it meant seeing blood. Okcheong was still not accustomed to seeing blood.

However, he had realized that when ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) one faced an enemy with a sword, there must be no hesitation. Just realizing that single thing had made Okcheong’s martial arts grow as if given wings.

“Hooo.”

Okcheong smacked his lips.

“Still, as a disciple of the Daoist path, always thinking only of a killing sword is not the right path either.”

Recently, no matter how tired he was after training with the troops, he had swung Wudang’s immortal sword alone. It was so that, as a disciple of Wudang, his mind would not become turbid.

Even so, it seemed he had held the killing sword for a long time. While training the immortal sword, he found himself thinking of the principles of the real-combat sword before he knew it.

“I should reflect on this.”

Just as Okcheong sheathed his sword and was about to enter his quarters—

Hm?

Okcheong turned around.

From far away, a swordsman with a sharp and heavy presence was walking toward him.

That man is...?

He was a young man Yeon Hojeong had once brought to the Evil-Smiting Corps training ground.

His name was Gangryang. He was a young master with a rather rough edge, but a considerable presence.

A moment later, Gangryang stood before Okcheong.

“Good evening.”

At Gangryang’s greeting, Okcheong answered with one of his own.

“Yes. But what brings you all the way here at this late hour...?”

“Though the night is late, there is something I would like to ask of you, fellow practitioner.”

“Of me?”

Gangryang spoke bluntly.

“Would a sword duel be possible?”

Okcheong’s eyes widened.

“You mean with me?”

“Yes.”

“Why with me...?”

He knew Yeon Hojeong cherished Gangryang deeply. He had heard they called each other older brother and younger brother in private.

If Gangryang lacked achievement in the sword, he could simply ask Yeon Hojeong. Why had he come to him so suddenly?

Gangryang smiled faintly.

“I want to exchange swords with many people. That is all.”

Okcheong smiled as well.

When he had first seen Gangryang, the young man’s eyes had somehow seemed unstable. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Not anymore. His two eyes, filled with firm will, proved that his heart and soul were as strong as anyone’s.

Okcheong saluted.

“I hope we can both learn much from each other.”

“Thank you.”

SHRAAAANG!

The two drew their swords at the same time, as if neither had moved first.

As Okcheong looked at Gangryang carefully, a sudden thought made him tilt his head.

“By the way, Young Hero Gang.”

“Yes?”

“This is rather sudden, but may I ask one question?”

“Of course.”

“Has the Commander been very busy lately? He has scarcely shown his face these days.”

If Gangryang’s presence had been too fierce to ignore, even Okcheong would not have dared think of anything else. That was how lacking Gangryang still was.

But Gangryang was not offended in the slightest. He himself knew his own shortcomings better than anyone.

Gangryang answered with a smile.

“I do not know the details, but he is working day and night for the peace of the Martial Alliance.”

“For the peace of the Martial Alliance...”

“Then, may we begin?”

“Ah! My apologies. Let us begin.”

PAAAAAK!

The two charged toward each other at the same time.

*****

Gi Uhui’s eyes deepened.

SHHHK.

Mookbi entered her room.

“Where is Commander Yeon?”

“He followed the contact. I came in case of any unexpected situation. I will protect you, Physician.”

Gi Uhui smiled.

“That is reassuring.”

Mookbi set down Red Lotus Bow and watched every direction. Aside from a single window, the room was blocked on all sides, but her eyes swept over places that could not be seen.

Gi Uhui did not say that Mookbi had no need to sharpen herself this much. She did not bother explaining that with her own innate senses, she could detect any assassin.

“By the way, Vice Commander Mook.”

“Yes, please speak.”

Even as she answered, Mookbi’s eyes were shining sharply.

“Do you know much about the Three Creeds?”

“Not at all.”

“I see.”

“Why do you ask?”

“No. I was simply curious.”

“About what?”

“If one is from the Central Plains, it is normal not to know about the Three Creeds, is it not? Like you, Vice Commander Mook.”

“That is true. Since the Three Creeds have not revealed themselves, there is no way to know unless one is among the very few who made contact with them.”

“But Commander Yeon knows a great deal about the Three Creeds. In some respects, it feels as though he knows even more than I do.”

Mookbi smiled.

“They say the one who knows sheep well is not another sheep, but a wolf.”

“Do you mean he knows because he is a hunter?”

“I am merely saying that is how it is. No matter how skilled a hunter may be, what can he know about prey he has never seen?”

Mookbi did not explain Yeon Hojeong’s return to the past. Gi Uhui would not believe it, and even if a moment came when the story had to be told, Mookbi should not be the one to tell it.

Gi Uhui, who had been tilting her head, suddenly smiled at a thought.

“You truly trust Commander Yeon deeply, Vice Commander Mook.”

“Of course.”

“Is there a story behind that?”

How could she briefly explain such a long story?

Mookbi smiled slightly and said, “It is fun when we travel together. This time will probably be quite sweetly dangerous as well.”

Gi Uhui’s smile turned a little bitter.

“I see.”

“By the way, what false information did you pass along? Young Master Yeon did not tell me.”

Gi Uhui’s eyes widened.

“You did not hear?”

“No.”

“Oh...”

“Why? Is it information that could cause some problem?”

“Ah, no. To call it information that could cause a problem would be... O-of course, in some respects, it could become a problem.”

For the first time, Mookbi’s gaze turned to Gi Uhui.

Gi Uhui opened her mouth with a look that seemed to ask whether she should say it.

“It was none other than information about Commander Yeon.”

“...!!”

*****

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes shone.

This is the place.

The contact’s quarters were in the Small Health Corps of the Martial Alliance’s outer district.

The Small Health Corps was where foodstuffs brought in from outside were managed. Since it was the foodstuffs warehouse overseeing both the inner and outer districts of the Martial Alliance, it was extremely large.

What an incredible sense of smell.

Because it was a place where all kinds of food ingredients were stored and managed, the scent of dried foodstuffs was quite strong.

And yet the contact was said to reside in such a place and smell the tracking incense from the inner district. No matter how much training the contact had received, it was an unbelievable sense of smell. Considering the distance and environment, it surpassed even a dog’s nose.

That is why suspicion would be reduced instead.

If, by any chance, Gi Uhui’s spying were discovered, she would also have to reveal how she transmitted information.

If she said then that she had used tracking incense, people would first withdraw their suspicion from the Small Health Corps. As a workplace for a contact, it was simple but effective.

SHHHK.

Yeon Hojeong hid himself in a tree.

A moment later—

FLAP-FLAP.

A small bird flew up.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.

No.

At first, he had thought it was a messenger pigeon, but it was not. Yeon Hojeong had drawn his vision to its limit, and his eyes caught nothing tied to the bird’s ankle.

They sent that one first in preparation for an emergency.

Indeed, Yeon Hojeong’s judgment was correct.

Half a shichen later, another bird flew from the contact’s quarters.

FLAP!

The sound of its wings was quieter than before, but it was faster.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes shone.

That is it.

PAAAAAK!

Yeon Hojeong chased the bird at once.

The bird was fast. If he set his mind to catching it, it was not as though he could not, but the problem was that he had to leave the outer district without anyone knowing, so he could not use Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven or Heaven-Granted Flowing Flight.

HOOOONG!

Even so, Yeon Hojeong’s movement technique was fast and covert.

With the formation of the Yeon Clan Divine Core, the density of his internal force had risen far beyond before. He could traverse ten li in one burst with an amount of internal force no larger than a fingernail.

His speed had increased a level as well. He could not overtake the bird, but following close behind it was easy enough.

Hooong.

Yeon Hojeong’s black-clad body crossed the wall of the outer district without anyone knowing.

He passed over the enormously high wall without making a single sound. His movement and circulation of True Qi had reached the level of divine skill.

PAAAAAK!

After crossing the outer district, Yeon Hojeong’s speed grew even faster. His movement was quite explosive, but after forming the Yeon Clan Divine Core, his endurance had also increased dramatically.

Elasticity, explosive power, endurance—all of it had improved. Yeon Hojeong chased the bird with confidence.

How long had he run like that?

...!!

At last, he saw the bird slowly descending.

The bird descended little by little, and the place where it finally vanished was a thatched hut in the mountains a short distance away from civilian homes.

Yeon Hojeong smiled white.

HOOF!

His body approached the thatched hut in a single breath.