“Rin! What on earth happened?!”
Tang Sosu, who had regained her senses a bit late, said this and suddenly ran towards Dokgorin, who had appeared from the sky.
“I did some special training.”
“Are you seriously asking me to believe that?! You defeated the number one fighter in just a month of special training?!”
Since there was no time to explain about Myoseondong to Tang Sosu, Dokgorin shook her head and replied.
“It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not, Sosu. What’s important now is to move Grandpa to a safe place.”
“Oh! Right! Grandpa!”
Only then did Tang Sosu seem to remember the injured Tang Hochang, turning around in shock.
Tang Hochang, who couldn’t use one arm, forced a wry smile and said, “You’ve become quite strong, haven’t you, Rin? Did you receive help from that mysterious girl, Baek Yujin?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“…I want to hear more details, but with the situation like this, that might be difficult. The one you seek revenge against is inside there. However, if you go in there, I can’t guarantee that you will return alive, no matter how strong you are. Will you still go in?”
At Tang Hochang’s serious question, Dokgorin nodded without hesitation.
“Even if it means turning the whole world into enemies, I will fulfill my family’s revenge.”
Seeing her resolve, Tang Hochang chuckled.
“They say children grow up quickly; both you and Sosu have really grown up now.”
He then patted her head with his still intact left arm and said, “You’ve come this far, so this old man won’t stop you anymore. Do whatever you want, whether you live or die.”
“Yes.”
As the two created a warm atmosphere, Tang Sosu suddenly asked, “By the way, where’s Chilbok?”
Dokgorin let out a light sigh, “Chilbok is currently fighting Gwak Cheolyong with Namgoong Ruby.”
“Gwak Cheolyong…?”
“Suramajon Gwak Cheolyong. A big shot ruling the pleasure quarters of Akyang. He’s one of the top fighters among us teenagers.”
“Then isn’t that extremely dangerous?!”
When Tang Hochang’s explanation startled Tang Sosu, Dokgorin shook her head.
“No, Chilbok will win.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Chilbok is no longer the same Chilbok as before.”
Dokgorin said this, glancing at the fight involving Gwak Cheolyong, Namgoong Ruby, and Ichilbok, before turning her body towards the Forbidden City.
*
The battle between Gwak Cheolyong and Namgoong Min was fierce.
However, despite having similar skills, the outcome of their fight was unexpectedly determined by minor factors.
In short, it was a matter of who was more accustomed to real brawls.
Unlike Gwak Cheolyong, who actively utilized the surrounding terrain even after reaching the realm of Hwa-gyeong, Namgoong Min relied solely on his swordsmanship and fought in textbook style.
Thus far, that had been enough.
But in a crucial moment, the differing experiences they had accumulated made all the difference.
“Die!!”
Gwak Cheolyong charged like a warrior with his halberd, but Namgoong Min skillfully deflected the attack using the Mystical Technique of the Skillful Craftsman.
Unlike Namgoong Min, who managed to block all attacks with minimal movements, Gwak Cheolyong, who attacked recklessly, was consuming a lot of stamina and would soon reveal an opening, so Namgoong Min calmly surveyed the battlefield.
‘So this is what they mean by a warrior from the outside world.’
His lack of refined movements resembled a wild dog unleashed in the wilderness, making Namgoong Min click his tongue as he swung his sword.
Clang!!
Just as he deflected an attack hard, the enemy’s guard was fully revealed.
‘It’s about time to finish this.’
Seeing the ‘opening’ he wanted right before him, Namgoong Min stepped forward without hesitation.
It was at that moment.
“Gotcha.”
Gwak Cheolyong, who had just moments ago been displaying a confused expression, threw what he was holding in his left hand.
Whoosh!
“What?!”
What he threw was dirt.
Though he hastily closed his eyes, the dirt didn’t get into his eyes, but the act of momentarily closing his eyes before a master of Hwa-gyeong was a monumental mistake.
Seizing the opportunity, Gwak Cheolyong aimed for Namgoong Min’s neck with his halberd, but someone intervened between them.
Changtian Wuyai Sword Technique!
Complete Heaven!
Boom!!
A massive great sword formed a sword barrier, blocking Gwak Cheolyong’s strike.
Of course, the impact wasn’t completely absorbed, and the small body was sent flying backward, but the important thing was that it had blocked Gwak Cheolyong’s deadly blow in place of the nearly dead Namgoong Min.
“What the hell is this ridiculous situation?”
Gwak Cheolyong muttered in frustration as he was interrupted from finishing the job, while Namgoong Ruby peeked out from behind the giant sword.
“Hehe, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t watch my father die.”
Gwak Cheolyong’s brow twitched at her lighthearted words that were out of place for such a dire situation.
“Both the father and daughter know just how to get under my skin.”
Muttering this, he dragged the massive blade of his halberd toward Namgoong Ruby.
As Namgoong Min, who was unwittingly saved by his daughter, said, “Ruby, you should retreat quickly,” Namgoong Ruby shook her head.
“There’s no need for you to step up against someone like him, Father. Despite appearances, I’ve brought along some pretty decent reinforcements.”
After saying that, she shouted towards the battle where people were tangled in combat.
“Jijuhyeop!”
Then, as if waiting for that moment, a dark shadow fell from the sky.
The identity of that shadow was none other than Ichilbok, who had been flying in the skies with the Sword of Victory, being dropped down by Dokgorin.
Wearing a black robe commonly referred to as the Goryeo robe in Ming dynasty, he landed on the ground in a pose that modern people would call a “hero landing” and muttered in a low voice.
“…Don’t call me that nickname.”
Ichilbok, who still retained the sensibility of a modern person, was embarrassed by the nickname.
*
-30 Minutes Earlier-
When Dokgorin, Baek Yujin, and I arrived in Beijing right on time after a long journey, a bloodbath had already erupted at the Ascension Gate Plaza.
“What are we going to do?!”
“What do you mean what do we do? We need to go right now before it gets any worse.”
Baek Yujin said this, giving a pat on Dokgorin’s shoulder.
As she did, Dokgorin looked at me and said, “Chilbok, get on.”
“What?”
“Hurry, it’s urgent.”
Without thinking, I embraced her in a princess carry.
In that moment, one of the nine swords she was carrying on her back shot up like a shooting star, becoming a footstool for Dokgorin.
“You’ve really become skilled with the Sword of Victory.”
“…That’s thanks to all my hard work.”
Usually, you’d praise the one who taught you, but Dokgorin, who still didn’t like Baek Yujin much, said this and soared into the sky.
If she’d just gone to the ground, it would have taken a long time because of the complicated roads, but flying paved the way swiftly to the Ascension Gate Plaza.
“This way! Rin! Chilbok!”
At that moment, a familiar voice from the ground called out, and as I descended with joy, I was greeted by Namgoong Ruby, who looked as if she’d just come from a fight.
“Ruby?! What are you doing here?!”
I questioned in surprise, to which Namgoong Ruby replied with a grin, “Actually, the school year at Cheonmu Academy was delayed due to this riot, so I came to Beijing to cheer for Sosu.”
Knowing that Father would be coming too, I thought it was a good day to come, but somehow, it ended up like this.
“…Are you an idiot?”
Looking at her incredulously, Namgoong Ruby, perhaps feeling a little guilty, whistled and avoided my gaze.
“Chilbok!”
At that moment, another familiar voice caught my attention, and when I automatically turned my head, I was surprised to see Samajak, who should have returned home by now, standing there.
“Samajak? How come you’re here…”
“Of course, I came to join the riot!”
Samajak said this with a determined expression.
“If that’s the case, then it’s dangerous here, so you need to retreat.”
As I looked back and forth between Namgoong Ruby and Samajak, both shook their heads.
“This place isn’t just us; a lot of martial artists are here too. Everyone’s come to protest against the royal family, which has unilaterally broken the principle of non-aggression. We can’t just abandon those people and run off to safety.”
“….”
Hearing their words made me fall silent without realizing it.
No matter how much I tried, I still couldn’t shake off my modern perspective.
In the end, losing my confidence to persuade them, I scratched the back of my head and said, “Then don’t both of you get killed. It just makes things more complicated.”
“Okay.”
Namgoong Ruby nodded playfully with a mischievous smile.
“Thanks for worrying about us.”
Samajak shyly said that.
At that moment, Dokgorin asked Namgoong Ruby, “Do you happen to know where our grandfather is fighting?”
“Oh, your grandfather is fighting over there.”
Namgoong Ruby pointed towards the front lines.
Nodding, Dokgorin prepared to fly toward the direction of the Forbidden City again.
As I was going to suggest that I join her, Namgoong Ruby quickly spoke up.
“Wait! Rin! Can you help me out?”
“?”
“My dad is fighting a master from the Gakcheong named Gwak Cheolyong. I think he needs help.”
Hearing this, Dokgorin fell silent for a moment, then pointed at me with her finger and said, “If that’s the case, ask Chilbok for help. Chilbok has become much stronger too.”
“What? Chilbok?”
Namgoong Ruby looked at me in disbelief, as if she had heard something unbelievable.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to be so highly regarded myself, which made me feel a bit flabbergasted, but I definitely wanted to confirm the results of my training.
So I confidently said to the skeptical Namgoong Ruby, “Where do I need to go? Just say the word. I’ll help you out with everything.”
…And that brings us to the current situation.
