"Lead the way."

"I understand. Please follow me, benefactor."

Heuk Yoon followed Tagol Hwasang without a word.

There was no particular reason.

'It would be advantageous to have a faction to find Baek Sowol.'

Baek Sowol's whereabouts were currently unknown.

Since finding a person was not something that could be solved with just force.

And so, they arrived at a nearby village far from Mount Song.

-Welcome!

-Well, that person...

At a glance, a vibrant village.

Seeing that place, Heuk Yoon felt a small ripple in his mind-image and frowned.

"They are neither living nor dead."

"I understand. Please bear with it for a little while, even if it's unpleasant."

Heuk Yoon noticed that he had unconsciously brought his hand to the hilt of his sword.

As expected, it was the sword he had taken after killing a martial artist he had met on the way.

'Do I also have Baek Yoonjun's impulsive nature?'

He definitely did not like the sight in front of him.

However, he did not like the fact that he had received such a feeling from the remnants of Baek Yoonjun.

'There is no need to be swayed by anything.'

Heuk Yoon took his hand off the hilt of his sword.

Only then did Tagol Hwasang let out a deep sigh as if relieved and continued to guide him.

"This way."

The place they arrived at following the guidance was an open space in front of the village's inn, where a shadow play was being performed.

Heuk Yoon's hand went to his sword again.

This time, he did not stop and drew his sword and swung it.

Clang.

Heuk Yoon slowly sheathed his sword.

An afterimage like a black electric current remained on the trajectory where the sword had passed, and everything that touched that trajectory was cut down.

Tagol Hwasang was flustered by Heuk Yoon's sudden action.

"W-what on earth are you doing?"

"I don't like the content of the play."

As if the sudden action until just before had not happened, Tagol Hwasang broke out in a cold sweat at Heuk Yoon's answer, which seemed to have no emotion.

'I can't fathom this person's actions at all.'

The content of the shadow play just before was about the White Robed Sword Immortal dealing with an assassin group and saving children.

Tagol Hwasang quickly noticed the content in that story that would have offended Heuk Yoon.

'Could it be that he didn't like the content about the White Robed Sword Immortal?'

Glancing at him, Heuk Yoon was looking at the board where the shadow play had been performed, which had been cut in half, with a blank expression.

"Well, well. Your appearance resembles the White Robed Sword Immortal, but your actions are completely different."

At that moment, a figure approached from between the play boards.

The man who had been performing the shadow play had definitely been cut in half by Heuk Yoon's sword, but he was walking over with a perfectly fine appearance.

Behind the half-cut shadow play board where he had appeared, a corpse that looked exactly like him was dead with its eyes wide open.

Tagol Hwasang frowned at the sight.

"The sight of you stealing the secret art of our temple and misinterpreting it at will is always unpleasant."

"Please don't compare my art with that corpse-smelling secret art. Just hearing it is unpleasant."

Tagol Hwasang and the man began to argue.

Watching that scene, Heuk Yoon drew his sword again and cut the man.

Slice.

The man's figure, whose neck was cleanly cut and collapsed to the floor.

"Well, you are a truly cruel person."

But another man, who was the same as the dead man, walked out to the play board and clicked his tongue.

Heuk Yoon asked indifferently at the sight.

"What happened?"

"Even if we are under the same black sky, it is the law not to carelessly reveal one's own secret arts."

The man answered Heuk Yoon's words with exaggerated movements, waving his hands and feet, and then.

"I am called Gok Piyeong, who belongs to the Ghost Pavilion. O corpse who resembles the White Robed Sword Immortal."

He waved his right hand exaggeratedly, then put it on his stomach and bowed his head, introducing himself.

It was a greeting method that seemed as if it would be seen in the Western Regions.

At the same time as the man's greeting.

Slice.

The man's neck fell again.

Heuk Yoon paid attention to the sensation of the sword that had cut the man.

'It is definitely the sensation of cutting flesh and blood.'

The sensation remaining at his fingertips was definitely the sensation of cutting living flesh and blood, not an illusion or a corpse.

However.

"I'm dying a lot today. Although death is an important element in a play, this meaningless repetition of death is..."

The man, Gok Piyeong, walked over from somewhere with a face as if nothing had happened.

Slice.

Heuk Yoon drew his sword again and cut him.

The man walked over again.

Slice.

As soon as Heuk Yoon saw Gok Piyeong, he cut him down again.

Slice, slice, slice...

As the man continued to show his face, he was cut down by Heuk Yoon's blade.

Gok Piyeong's corpses piled up.

The dozens of corpses with the same appearance made the already bizarre atmosphere even more bizarre.

Heuk Yoon's sword, which had been killing for a long time, stopped at the sight of Gok Piyeong, who was walking over again with a shameless face.

"Hah, dozens of deaths in a short time, this reminds me of the saying I heard in the Western Regions, 'A grain of sand is just sand, but when it piles up, it becomes a huge desert.'"

Even though he had died continuously, Gok Piyeong continued to speak with a voice full of madness, as if even death were his own play.

"Death is a tragedy if it's one, but when it's piled up like a mountain like this, it becomes a magnificent background! I've learned a lesson."

Gok Piyeong bowed his head politely and performed a fist-and-palm salute, as if paying respect to a master.

Crackle.

The black electric current began to spark around Heuk Yoon, who was looking at such a Gok Piyeong with indifferent eyes.

The black electric current, which had been leaking out of his body little by little, gradually became stronger and changed into something like a black thunderbolt.

"Benefactor Heuk Yoon. It is best to ignore this person."

"I see."

At that moment, at the words of Tagol Hwasang who had intervened, the black electric current that had been lingering around Heuk Yoon disappeared.

Tagol Hwasang, who had seen Heuk Yoon, who he had thought would run wild, calm down at his words, let out a sigh of relief and turned his gaze towards Gok Piyeong.

"Stop it and just open the way."

"Of course! I've gained enlightenment today, so I'll open it right away! Son! Come here!"

"Yes! Father!"

As Gok Piyeong beckoned, the child approached him with a bright look.

Seeing that, a ripple arose in Heuk Yoon's mind-image, and he frowned.

Because that child was definitely a child he had cut down together with Gok Piyeong.

"Hurry up and open the way!"

"Yes! Father!"

The child's mouth opened wide.

Living flesh was torn, and flesh and blood dripped, and in the child's mouth, which had opened endlessly, there was only a darkness like an abyss.

"Let's go, Benefactor Heuk Yoon."

Tagol Hwasang stepped into that darkness first, and Heuk Yoon followed.

'Is this a formation? Or is it a sorcery?'

Heuk Yoon, who was carefully examining the identity of that abyss and stepping into it.

"Thank you for giving me enlightenment today! Great Hero who resembles the White Robed Sword Immortal!!"

At the voice heard from behind, he unconsciously swung his sword in that direction and cut down the being that had made the voice.

---

Having returned to the secret residence of Shaolin, Baek Yoonjun first rolled on the floor.

There was no particular reason. He just rolled because his mind and body were anxious after experiencing all sorts of things.

Still, as if he had some thought, he rolled inside the house, not on the dirt floor.

Baek Yoonjun continued to roll.

Baek Yoonjun, who had been rolling continuously, showing a movement as if he had reached the peak of rolling, stopped.

Slowly getting up from his spot, Baek Yoonjun came out.

Then he quietly drew his sword and began to swing it.

At first, it was a thoughtless swing, just like the rolling.

After that, idle thoughts began to fill his mind.

The biggest idle thought among them was.

'That brat, his sword and nature were different from mine, but the form was the same.'

A martial artist he had met outside who used the same form of sword as him.

At that time, he had just thought that he had to cut him down here out of sheer bewilderment, but.

'...For some reason, I want to fight him again.'

The thought that came to him as he continued to swing his sword was that for some reason, he wanted to fight him again.

Although Baek Yoonjun thought his level of martial arts was low, he had a pride in it.

The first being he had met who could be called his equal.

'An equal being who is neither weaker nor stronger than me.'

Baek Yoonjun's sword strikes began to become sharper and sharper.

At the same time, Baek Yoonjun's internal consciousness also began to accelerate.

Before he knew it, Baek Yoonjun was not in the secret residence of Mount Song, but in the open space in the forest where he had met the man of his equal.

And in front of him, that black man was drawing his sword.

Clang!

Baek Yoonjun's and the man's swords clashed.

A perfect fit without a single error.

Baek Yoonjun's and the man's swords continued to clash.

There was no sign of the match being decided at all.

Baek Yoonjun unconsciously drew the Heart Sword.

The opponent also, unlike that time, drew the Heart Sword.

And before the Heart Sword and the Heart Sword clashed.

Baek Yoonjun's consciousness gradually began to return to reality.

The sight of the Heart Sword and the Heart Sword clashing began to gradually disappear from that place like an illusion.

Baek Yoonjun continued to swing his sword and recalled.

'...It was fun.'

He still had the nature of a homebody introvert and a timid nature, so he did not enjoy the act of fighting an opponent itself.

But he was feeling pleasure in the act for the first time, crossing swords with an opponent of his equal.

Although Baek Yoonjun was not conscious of it at all, in the Central Plains, such an opponent was called a worthy rival.

---

A day after the party arrived at Mount Song.

"The abbot is looking for you."

The party was gathered in the main hall where they had gathered yesterday, by the call of Shinseung.

"Welcome. Last night... you don't seem to have been very comfortable."

Shinseung quietly trailed off his words, observing the complexions of the party members.

Their appearances were all not very good, as if they had stayed up all night with their eyes open.

"Master... where is my master?"

Tang Yuhwa, whose eyes were the most sunken among them, asked Shinseung carefully.

Her eyes were sunken, and her hands were trembling slightly, so her condition did not look very good.

Seeing that, Shinseung quietly closed his eyes and was lost in thought.

'Although this is for them, it is cruel not to let them know that he has woken up.'

But it was a story he had already finished discussing with Baek Yoonjun.

Shinseung, who had made up his mind, hardened his heart and answered Tang Yuhwa's words.

"I am taking good care of Benefactor Baek. There will be no particular problem for the time being, so I would like everyone to be at ease."

Although Shinseung had told them to be at ease, the party members did not look very relieved, as if their worries were deep.

Since he had already expected it, Shinseung continued to speak resolutely.

"In place of the collapsed Benefactor Baek, I will tell you about the future schedule."

Shinseung's resolute gaze swept over the party members and stopped at Tang Yuhwa.

"Just as Shaolin is a forbidden area for women, Emei is also a forbidden area for men. However, the situation of Emei is a little different from Shaolin. In the case of Shaolin, it does not block the entry of women for necessary reasons, but Emei thoroughly blocks the entry of men."

Shinseung's gaze, starting from Tang Yuhwa, passed by Zhuge Hwaryeong and Su Yeohyang, and stopped at Cheon Suhye.

"Therefore, I would like the female benefactors here to head for Emei."

"Excuse me..."

At Shinseung's words, Cheon Suhye quietly raised her hand.

"Yes, Benefactor Cheon, please speak."

"I don't know if it's okay for me, who is unrelated, to be involved in such a thing."

Although Cheon Suhye's face was chilly, a carefulness was present.

Looking at such a Cheon Suhye, Shinseung smiled benevolently.

"Then you can join now. Even if Benefactor Baek were here, he would not stop someone who is coming."

"I understand."

Cheon Suhye stood up from her spot and then performed a polite fist-and-palm salute towards Shinseung.

"Although it is more than I deserve, I am Cheon Suhye, who is called the Plum Blossom Sword in the vicinity of Zhongnan and Huashan."

Although her face was still chilly, a look of relief could be seen somewhere.

"I am Shinseung, who is in charge of the abbot of Shaolin. I welcome you to the alliance, Benefactor Cheon."

Shinseung also stood up from his spot and politely performed a half-palm salute.

Having dealt with one matter, Shinseung immediately brought out the next matter.

"The matter of Zhongnan, and the recent atmosphere of the Central Plains is ominous. The lives of the common people, which were already difficult, have become even more harsh due to an unknown faction. Therefore, I would like Benefactor Hong to lead the Beggars' Sect and observe the situation."

"I understand. I would like you to take good care of my master."

"Leave it to me. Hyejin, you will assist Benefactor Hong by his side and find out the whereabouts of Benefactor Zhang."

"I understand, Master."

Shinseung quickly conveyed the next schedule.

"I would like Benefactor Gu to return to Sichuan and take good care of the vicinity of Sichuan."

"I understand. I will leave the Immortal in your care."

"Then next, I would like Benefactor Ye to inform Gongtong that Zhongnan has joined the alliance."

"I understand. I was already preparing for it."

Even after the party's schedule was decided, Shinseung continued to coordinate the surroundings without rest.

And so, after a few days, the party members scattered in their respective paths.

(End of Chapter)