Baek Yoonjun opened his ears and listened to the sounds, trying to grasp the current situation.

'Umm, the atmosphere feels like a fight could break out at any moment.'

Shrinking back from the hostile atmosphere, Baek Yoonjun stealthily turned his head.

Although he couldn't see anything, Baek Yoonjun, remembering that Zhang Sanfeng was definitely next to him, lowered his voice and asked.

"Brother Zhang, but regardless of tradition or whatever, why do they need us?"

"It's me."

Baek Yoonjun became awkward at the unexpected voice.

'Even though I didn't spread my senses, how could I make such a basic mistake!'

Pretending to be unfazed, Baek Yoonjun tried to stealthily turn his head away.

"The reason is literally to lend them strength, isn't it? If things go wrong, they'll just push through with force."

But he couldn't turn away because Tang Yuhwa had already answered.

Instead of turning his head, Baek Yoonjun mulled over Tang Yuhwa's words.

'So in the end, it's called justification, but it means power, right?'

Baek Yoonjun wondered if this was right.

He didn't care if it seemed like they were pushing through with force, but.

'I'm the one with the highest level of martial arts here, aren't I?'

Baek Yoonjun thought Tang Yuhwa's answer was wrong.

'Yuhwa got this wrong. It seems they brought us here based on status rather than martial power, so isn't it right that they're trying to crush them with status?'

But to think that way, the surrounding atmosphere was so hostile it seemed a fight would break out at any moment.

'Hmm, maybe it's that? In my past life, didn't high-ranking people in the National Assembly physically fight whenever they were bored?'

Baek Yoonjun's thoughts solidified that way.

'With so many people here, I won't have to get into a fight, right?'

Reassuring himself with a completely groundless thought, Baek Yoonjun slouched in his seat.

Since his eyes were covered anyway, he also closed his ears and slouched confidently as if nothing was there.

Baek Yoonjun just didn't want to think about anything and had no thoughts, but the view from the surroundings was different.

'Indeed, the White Robed Sword Immortal does not lose his confidence even in a situation like this!'

'Who is that man, to be so relaxed in a situation like this?'

'I don't feel anything, isn't he an ordinary person? No, he might be a master I can't even sense.'

'Is he blind? Why the eye patch?'

Although Baek Yoonjun thought he wasn't standing out, since he was sitting right in the center with a peculiar appearance including white hair and an eye patch, it was impossible not to stand out.

But despite that, Baek Yoonjun was holding his ground very stably.

'It's definitely better since I can't see.'

In fact, the fact that Baek Yoonjun was confidently holding his ground in this large crowd was largely due to his eyes being covered.

It was a sense of stability that came from the same principle as an ostrich thinking it's hidden by just sticking its head in a hole.

And so, while Baek Yoonjun was not seeing and not listening, the story was in progress.

-What were you thinking, bringing the Martial Alliance into this?!

-Then I'll ask you back! What reason is there for the Martial Alliance not to come here?

A hostile argument went back and forth for a long time.

Even while that argument was going on, gazes were directed at Baek Yoonjun.

Regardless, Baek Yoonjun, who was in a state of no-mind.

'Come to think of it, there was something I realized after I reached the second-rate.'

He was sinking into his own world.

'Since a second-rate doesn't feel any different from an ordinary person on the outside, the ones above that must be the same, right?'

A negative emotion that began to creep up as a rebound from the brief moment of peace.

'Could it be that among the ordinary-looking people here, there are some who are second-rate or higher?'

As a result of Baek Yoonjun sweeping the surroundings with his senses for a very short time with very weak courage, most were third-rate or lower martial artists, but there were also some ordinary people mixed in.

'What if they are not ordinary people but second-rate or higher martial artists?'

As if the comfortable feeling from just a moment ago was a lie, Baek Yoonjun became insanely anxious.

'Second-rate, up to second-rate is still okay. Since I'm second-rate, I might be able to handle it! But first-rate or higher is not okay!!'

Baek Yoonjun screamed internally.

'No! Even a second-rate could be stronger than me! No, in the first place, is it even right that I reached the second-rate?'

As always, Baek Yoonjun began to dig a hole like crazy inside.

Although it was a daily routine, since he was now in the middle of a crowd, the symptoms became more severe.

'It's true that there won't be a fight, right?'

Even though no one had said there wouldn't be a fight, his memory was distorted by his timid personality.

-Then in the end, we'll have to prove it!

-That's right! We'll have to solve it like martial artists!

While Baek Yoonjun was digging a hole inside, the story began to take an unusual turn.

No matter how much Baek Yoonjun closed his ears, his ears automatically opened at the unusual story.

-The decisive battle is in five days! To match your so-called alliance members, our side will also prepare seven people! They will fight a one-on-one life-and-death duel!

An unusual conversation came to his ears.

'What? A life-and-death duel? And matching the number of alliance members?!'

Baek Yoonjun's mind became dizzy.

Even though his eyes were covered, the urge to dig the ground and escape from this place right now welled up.

At that moment.

"Is this man with the covered eyes the White Robed Sword Immortal?"

One of the figures from the military faction approached where Baek Yoonjun was and scanned him.

"I don't feel anything special. Isn't it a fraud?"

Naturally, it entered Baek Yoonjun's ears as well.

'Well, since I'm at best a second-rate martial artist, it's true.'

But Baek Yoonjun didn't think much of it.

In the first place, being called by the title of White Robed Sword Immortal was unsettling and he didn't like it, and he had never once thought of himself as special.

However.

"Watch your mouth!"

Many people around Baek Yoonjun flared up.

Especially Gu Wolju, who shouted so loudly that the whole area echoed, with a momentum as if he would strike the opponent down at any moment.

The opponent, not caring about that fact at all, turned his gaze to another person.

"Hoh? We have a celebrity here? Isn't it the Taiji Sword God who presented a new path of martial arts and is currently staying as a guest of Diancang?"

The opponent, who recognized Zhang Sanfeng, genuinely admired and marveled.

"But I don't understand. Isn't the Taiji Sword God a wanderer?"

"I am currently showing my face as the representative of Diancang."

Although Zhang Sanfeng was reluctant because the opponent had belittled Baek Yoonjun earlier, he answered the question politely for now.

Hearing that answer, the opponent smiled strangely.

"Diancang. Right. That was where that man, Hyunjun Hyun, was."

At the suddenly mentioned words, Zhang Sanfeng flinched.

Hyunjun Hyun.

His connection with Zhang Sanfeng was by no means shallow.

While staying as a guest at Diancang, Zhang Sanfeng had learned the sword from Hyunjun Hyun.

He had developed day by day by incorporating that teaching into his own martial arts, which had found a clue and was just beginning to bud.

If he had been alone, he would never have risen to his current level.

It wasn't just martial arts.

He learned many things.

Although he had told him not to call him master, to Zhang Sanfeng, he was a master.

"I heard he died a futile death, no different from a dog's death. And to Namgung Jehyun, whom he had once taught."

Therefore, it was difficult to stay still at what was being said now.

Zhang Sanfeng quietly raised his head and looked at the opponent with a hostile gaze.

And he opened his mouth quietly yet firmly.

"Do not dare to belittle his death. His final moments were his life itself."

Zhang Sanfeng quietly recalled.

His final strike.

A strike like a flash of light.

Although it was blocked by Namgung Jehyun's abnormal regenerative power, the strike like a flash of light was like his life.

"As for my lacking self, I could not possibly follow his final strike."

With the story of Hyunjun Hyun coming up after Baek Yoonjun, Zhang Sanfeng was enraged.

It seemed Zhang Sanfeng was not the only one feeling such emotions.

Tang Yuhwa quietly stood up from her seat.

Her face was sullen as usual, but.

"I don't particularly like martial arts, but."

Her toneless voice was also the same as usual, but.

"A person's life was contained in it."

For some reason, her voice was imbued with determination.

"I don't know martial arts, but that life was a respectable one."

Following her, Zhuge Hwaryeong, who had stood up from her seat at some unknown point, continued.

"He was not someone you could carelessly judge."

Hong Yungae also stood up from his seat, lowered his voice to be more solemn, and glared at the opponent.

And.

Swoosh.

A man who showed an extraordinary presence, though no internal energy was felt, stood up from his seat.

Although his eyes were covered, his vision beyond the eye patch seemed to see through everything, and his presence was something that could not be rashly approached.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had stood up from his seat.

'Since everyone stood up, I should stand up too, right?'

Contrary to his outward appearance, he was thinking timid thoughts as usual inside.

'Now that I'm up, Elder Blacksmith is standing, but he's not related, and Su Yeohyang didn't even get up, did she?'

Recalling the two who seemed unrelated to the current situation, Baek Yoonjun regretted standing up.

'I didn't see Elder Hyunjun Hyun's sword either, so should I sit down again?'

And so, to the senses of Baek Yoonjun, who was in his own serious deliberation.

Swoosh.

Gu Wolju's movement was felt.

"Although I was not at the scene, the man I personally saw was a respectable martial artist."

He was saying plausible words.

At that sight, Baek Yoonjun felt a slight sense of betrayal along with awkwardness.

'Uh... if he comes out like that...'

Baek Yoonjun shrank back for no reason.

Of course, it was a shrinking that only appeared internally.

While doing so, he quietly observed Su Yeohyang with his senses.

'There are still people who haven't stood up, so...'

At that moment, Su Yeohyang timidly stood up from her seat.

"W-well, I didn't see him directly, but my master said he was a great martial artist."

Although it was a very timid remark.

'Su Yeohyang, you too!'

Baek Yoonjun felt a sense of betrayal again.

'It's too late to pretend I don't know and sit down, so do I have to say something too? But to speak in front of all these people is a bit...'

Baek Yoonjun fell into what was, for him, a serious deliberation.

Although he was holding his ground for now because his eyes were covered, making a statement was an act that went beyond his limits by his standards.

'It's hard enough just to be standing, I wish someone would end the situation appropriately.'

Feeling his limit, Baek Yoonjun wished for someone to please end this situation.

"..."

But what flowed was silence.

Nothing happened, and Baek Yoonjun felt a strong pressure that he had to do something.

'What do I do?'

Baek Yoonjun's inner self was chaos itself.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had been deliberating for a long time.

'Ah, whatever.'

He drew his sword.

Since it was easier for Baek Yoonjun to draw his sword than to speak in front of people, it was, in a way, a natural choice.

'How dare he draw his sword first in the inner court of Zhongnan!'

Seo Heoyun, the leader of the Zhongnan Sect's military faction, sneered at the choice of the man in white.

A provocation for the sake of justification in the first place.

Although they were to have a life-and-death duel in five days, there was nothing like a provocation to take the momentum and justification first, so it was a natural choice.

But the opponents were all formidable.

Feeling that they had not fallen for the provocation, Seo Heoyun smacked his lips bitterly.

In the middle of that, the man in white drew his sword.

It was a perfect picture of falling for the provocation, just as Seo Heoyun had wished.

'Foolish!'

Seo Heoyun cheered in his heart.

A clear picture of throwing away the hard work of his preceding colleagues like a worn-out shoe.

Moreover, the opponent lightly swung his sword once and then put it back into its scabbard.

'To draw a sword and put it back so easily, does that man have no pride?'

Seo Heoyun sneered at the man.

At that moment.

Rumble.

-Huh?

-Th-that?!

At the commotion that arose from behind, Seo Heoyun turned his head.

In his eyes, an unbelievable sight was unfolding.

A diagonal line was drawn on one of the pavilions of Zhongnan, and the building was sliding down along that line.

The building that slid down fell to the ground as it was.

KABOOM!!

It shattered with a loud explosion.

For a moment, everyone there, including Seo Heoyun, lost their words, unable to grasp what had happened.

And so, the scene was enveloped in silence.

'C-come to think of it?'

A moment later, the gazes of the people, including Seo Heoyun who had come to his senses, all turned to one place.

The man who had just drawn and swung his sword.

Towards the place where the man in a white robe with white hair, a black sword, and covered eyes was.

But the man had already turned his back and was leisurely leaving the place.

The man's steps were slow like an ordinary person's, so at a glance, he seemed to be intimidated, but no one dared to think so.

'Who on earth is that man? Is he the reincarnation of the White Robed Sword Immortal as the rumors say?!'

No one could open their mouth, and no one dared to stop his steps.

Meanwhile, Baek Yoonjun, who had left the scene like that.

'I came out because I couldn't stand it anymore, but is it okay to leave like this? It should be okay, right?'

Clutching his pounding chest while being all shrunken.

'No one is following me, right?'

He was heading to the inn where he was staying, looking around in a very pathetic manner.

(End of Chapter)