'There must be more than one or two people named Sowol in this vast Central Plains.'

Baek Yoonjun tried to turn his attention away from the name he had heard, but he couldn't.

'It's bothering me so much. Damn it, I can't just let something like this go.'

After listening to Namgung Cheon chatter for a long time, Baek Yoonjun, who couldn't even remember what he had said, carefully opened his mouth.

"By any chance, is that person named Sowol a Baek?"

"How did you know that, Great Hero Baek?"

"And is she a girl of about 10 years old?"

"She's older than that, but Sowol is small for her age, so she probably looks that way."

Baek Yoonjun's head became dizzy.

In the process, a scene from a movie he had seen in his past life came to mind, where two heroes who didn't get along reconciled because their mothers had the same name.

'The possibility of it being the same person is infinitely low, so why am I so bothered by this?'

As Baek Yoonjun was racking his brain inwardly, a cool wind brushed past his ear.

-It's the same person.

Baek Yoonjun frowned.

For some time now, it felt strangely like the wind was talking to him.

It wasn't necessarily a language, but it was a feeling that he naturally understood in some way.

'Did the mental illness that started when I was cooped up in my room act up again here?'

It was a common occurrence for Baek Yoonjun, and since he had experienced numerous mental illnesses when he was cooped up in his room for over 10 years in his past life, he naturally understood it as a mental illness.

'The wind whispers and tells me, what kind of chuunibyou is this?'

Baek Yoonjun ignored the feeling like the sound of the wind that he was feeling for now.

"Great Hero Baek, please help me."

But he couldn't ignore the sound coming from reality.

Baek Yoonjun didn't have the guts to ignore a real voice, not an auditory hallucination.

'First of all, the help he's asking for must be related to Sowol.'

He thought so because there was nothing else he could be of help with.

'But I don't know where Sowol went either?'

Baek Yoonjun didn't have the guts to pry into something that even a child didn't want to talk about, so he didn't ask for the destination.

However, by sending someone with her, he had taken measures to find out where she had gone later.

"If it's about Sowol, I don't know where she is right now either."

"In that case..."

At the sight of Namgung Cheon's visible disappointment, Baek Yoonjun quickly continued.

"But I'll be able to find out later, so how about we meet then?"

Baek Yoonjun was relieved as he made the suggestion.

He was relieved that he could finally be cooped up at home, and since he didn't have to keep a verbal promise, he could just not keep it if he didn't feel like it then.

"Thank you, Great Hero Baek."

"Then I will..."

"And I'm sorry, but I'd like to ask for another favor."

Baek Yoonjun's mood became uncomfortable, but he didn't have the courage to interrupt, so he just kept his mouth shut.

"Could you accompany me for a little while?"

Looking at Baek Yoonjun, Namgung Cheon carefully voiced his request.

Of course, it was a request that Baek Yoonjun would never agree to.

"First, how about we talk while having a meal at a tavern? You couldn't eat properly just now, could you?"

But at the mention of a tavern, the dishes he had eaten earlier came to Baek Yoonjun's mind.

'It was delicious. The bamboo leaf green wine was even more delicious when I drank it with the delicious dishes.'

Baek Yoonjun licked his lips inwardly.

'Right. Since he's talking like that, it's my duty as a person to at least listen to his story.'

Baek Yoonjun repeated to himself that he was definitely not swayed by food.

"I will at least listen to the story."

"Thank you! Great hero! I will serve you without any trouble."

Baek Yoonjun walked, following Namgung Cheon who was politely guiding him.

* * *

Baek Sowol struggled to come to her senses.

"Where am I...?"

"You're awake now?"

"Ah."

Only then did Baek Sowol realize that she had fainted after being generally defeated by Zhuge Hyun and had woken up.

"Haa."

Baek Sowol, realizing the situation, sighed and hung her head low.

Zhuge Hyun clicked his tongue at the sight of Baek Sowol.

"Why do you look like the world has collapsed?"

Baek Sowol glared at the nagging Zhuge Hyun and then hung her head low again.

As the one who had been generally defeated, she couldn't think of anything to say.

Just a deep sense of defeat and disappointment in herself blooming in her chest.

"I gave you a lesson, and what's with that attitude?"

"No. That's..."

After mumbling for a moment, Baek Sowol let out a deep sigh and continued.

"I feel like I'm too lacking..."

Having said that, Baek Sowol gradually shrank.

Feeling as if she were the most shabby person in the world, she couldn't lift her head at all.

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

Zhuge Hyun's words continued to reach Baek Sowol's ears.

"Who said you were weak? At your current level, you won't be outmatched anywhere in the Central Plains."

At Zhuge Hyun's words, Baek Sowol recalled the martial artists she had met so far.

But all that came to mind were her master, Baek Yoonjun, and Zhuge Hyun.

"Compared to Master and Senior Brother, I'm nothing, am I?"

"Give it up. I'm one thing, but Master is someone who should never be compared."

Zhuge Hyun placed his hand on Baek Sowol's head and looked up at the sky seriously.

"How dare you compare someone who has powerful martial arts, a will that is never shaken by anything, and a mind that we ordinary people cannot understand?"

At Zhuge Hyun's words, Baek Sowol also nodded her head and looked at the sky.

There, Baek Yoonjun, with the steadfast appearance of an old tree that would not be shaken by anything, was smiling benevolently and looking down.

* * *

At that time, Baek Yoonjun was performing his lightness skill, following Namgung Cheon.

The reason was because of Namgung Cheon's words.

-If we go a little further from here, there is a tavern I know that serves good food. May I treat you there?

-The food at the tavern from before was also excellent.

-It is a place that is incomparably more excellent than that place.

The food at the tavern he had eaten at before was also excellent.

But a more delicious place?

Baek Yoonjun couldn't help but feel his interest and appetite stir.

'I was definitely not swayed by food.'

Baek Yoonjun had been mostly cooped up in the mountains.

Due to his homebody introvert nature, he was reluctant to even buy ingredients from the market, let alone a tavern, so he mostly cooked natural ingredients himself.

Baek Yoonjun's cooking skills were decent, but the difference coming from the ingredients was unavoidable.

To such a Baek Yoonjun, even the food from a decent tavern was excellent.

'I'm not a big eater.'

Baek Yoonjun thought he wasn't a big eater, but that was only because he had been cooped up in the mountains for so long.

Of course, he also liked delicious food.

Baek Yoonjun's state was similar to that of a person who used to smoke, quit for 10 years, and then tasted it again.

A short while later.

"This is the place."

Namgung Cheon stopped in front of a shabby tavern in the mountains.

Seeing that, Baek Yoonjun.

'Oh, so there are hidden gems like this in the martial world too!'

A shabby tavern, the only one in such a secluded place.

"Let's go in."

Baek Yoonjun just thought it was a hidden gem and followed Namgung Cheon inside.

The inside was not very large.

There wasn't even a common waiter inside, and it seemed the owner did everything.

Baek Yoonjun was slightly surprised to see the owner.

'This old man is a martial artist?'

Of course, by Baek Yoonjun's standards, he was third-rate or lower.

But he was about the 67th strongest martial artist Baek Yoonjun had seen so far.

"Welcome, custom..."

Baek Yoonjun was not the only one who was surprised.

The old man also stopped talking and looked at Baek Yoonjun with surprised eyes.

A single tear flowed down the old man's eye.

"Th-that can't be? How can a person from 80 years ago..."

The old man suddenly grabbed both of Baek Yoonjun's arms.

'What's this all of a sudden?!'

Baek Yoonjun was surprised, but feeling that the opponent had no ill will, he didn't particularly resist.

The old man scanned Baek Yoonjun's appearance with wide eyes.

"B-by any chance, benefactor, no, it was definitely 80 years ago, but how..."

Baek Yoonjun couldn't say anything at the old man's appearance.

'He must be very sick.'

He didn't particularly feel anything, it was just because of his homebody introvert nature that he couldn't express his opinion to others.

But as this situation dragged on, Baek Yoonjun couldn't help but decide to speak up.

"Excuse me, old sir?"

"I-I'm sorry."

Only then did the old man let go of Baek Yoonjun and perform a fist-and-palm salute.

Then he carefully asked Baek Yoonjun.

"May I ask for your name, great hero?"

"I am Baek Yoonjun." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Ah."

The old man let out another exclamation and was moved.

Baek Yoonjun perceived the old man as a dangerous person and stealthily moved away to Namgung Cheon's side.

-Is this place okay? He seems to be senile.

-Uhm... I think it's probably because Great Hero Baek's appearance is so similar to that of Great Hero White-Robed Sword Immortal.

-No, it's too strange for that, isn't it?

-H-his skills are certain. I guarantee it.

At the words that his skills were certain, Baek Yoonjun couldn't bring himself to suggest going to another place.

The appetite that had come after a long time had broken his will to run away.

Whether Baek Yoonjun did so or not, the old man was recalling the events of 80 years ago.

Everything belonged to the imperial palace.

The imperial palace suppressed everything that could be expressed as power and made it their own.

Weapons, firearms, and even martial arts.

At that time, there was no such thing as a martial world, but martial arts existed.

And the government tried to collect all those martial arts.

It was the same that day.

At that time, the old man was a boy of learning age.

In front of the boy, the great elders of his sect were kneeling.

It wasn't just his sect.

Most of those who knew martial arts, those who were known for their martial arts, were kneeling in front of three martial artists.

The absolute masters of the imperial palace, the Three Heavens.

Their martial prowess was so intense that it would overwhelm even Mount Tai.

Behind the three of them, a large fire was burning.

The martial arts that had been passed down in each family, or sect, or clan, or things related to them.

That's right. That scene was a scene of suppression of those who had learned martial arts, the martial artists.

No one outside the government could possess martial arts.

That's why they were kneeling there.

The old man, who was a boy at the time, had at least saved his life, but those with powerful martial arts were on the verge of losing their lives.

The boy had also saved his life, but it was a situation where his martial arts could be crippled and he could become a cripple.

It was then.

"A certain evil person."

He appeared.

A young man who looked to be on the verge of adulthood, with a white robe, white hair, and a black sword at his waist.

He appeared in front of the Three Heavens without any fear.

Everyone there thought his life would end.

The Three Heavens also looked at the young man with a frown.

"There was still a martial artist left."

The white-haired young man drew his ink-black sword from its scabbard without a word.

"Everything belongs to His Majesty the Emperor. Kneel down quietly!"

The Three Heavens also took out their respective weapons.

The white-haired young man and the Three Heavens clashed.

In a scene where it seemed like the sky would collapse and Mount Tai would crumble, the white-haired young man stood there loftily.

A man like the wind that blows where it must, loftily, as if even Mount Tai and the sky could not do anything about it.

That man's martial arts were different from the Three Heavens'.

A martial art like the wind, like himself, like a gently blowing wind.

That wind did not destroy or crush the surroundings.

But that wind cut down what needed to be cut, the Three Heavens, one by one.

As time passed, the difference became clear.

It wasn't that the man was unharmed, but the damage to the Three Heavens was severe.

A situation where anyone could see who the winner was.

"You... who on earth are you?"

One of the Three Heavens, who had kneeled in front of the man, asked him.

The man stood loftily in front of him and quietly opened his mouth.

"I am Baek Yoonjun."

It was such a quiet voice that it didn't spread to the surroundings.

But the man's presence was more overwhelming than any other person there.

"The White-Robed Sword Immortal."

At that time, someone uttered that word.

With a white robe and white hair, it was a fitting nickname.

"The White-Robed Sword Immortal!!"

"The white-robed sword immortal has defeated the evil of the imperial palace!!"

All the martial artists there, except for the Three Heavens, cheered, calling out the name of the White-Robed Sword Immortal.

The people ran to the man, feeling the joy and awe welling up in their hearts.

"Thank you! Benefactor!"

"Benefactor? Where did you go?"

But the man had already disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

Like the wind.

And now, a man who looked exactly like the man from that time had appeared in front of the boy.

The boy of learning age had become an old man, but the man looked no different from that time.

In such a situation, who would not be moved?

'It can't be him. But he looks so much alike.'

The old man shed tears.

Feeling the emotion and joy of that time.

And Baek Yoonjun, who saw that, whispered in Namgung Cheon's ear.

-He seems to be senile. Is he okay?

-H-his skills as the owner are certain, at least.

(End of Chapter)