Chapter 119

The sun had not yet set.

At the Great Flame Martial Arena, the first martial duel of the main tournament was in full swing.

Surprisingly, Namgung Sol was controlling the flow of the duel. With the nimble Swallow Spin Step and the graceful Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword Technique, the moves flowed seamlessly.

As if to show that he had entered the realm of a Peak Master, the blue sword energy lingering on his blade left afterimages, creating a dazzling trail.

And if one were to falter under that brilliance and lose their stance, they would surely witness the swift descent of a swallow.

But such a thing did not happen. Among those watching the duel, those with a deep understanding of martial arts would know. While Namgung Sol might be controlling the flow, it was Song Chaeji who truly controlled the duel itself.

“The defense is too solid. I can’t break through…!”

Even as he circled Song Chaeji with the Swallow Spin Step, searching for an opening, none could be found.

The Hangsan Faction’s sword technique was fundamentally defensive, focusing on protection. Particularly, the ultimate technique passed down to its disciples, the Mystic Heaven Unbreakable Sword, was renowned throughout the martial world for its impenetrable defense.

For the still-inexperienced Namgung Sol, breaking through was no easy task.

Of course, Song Chaeji’s defense wasn’t perfect. If it were a more skilled master, like Namgung Woo, Paeng Ha-ryeong, or Geumshin, they would have found the weak points in her defense and exploited them.

But to Namgung Sol, those openings were still invisible.

Thus, Song Chaeji’s defense could be considered sufficient for now.

“Haap!”

With a shout, Namgung Sol charged in, not with the Swallow Spin Step, but with the Thunderous Step. No openings in the defense? Then he would force one open with sheer strength.

Choosing the Great Flame Sword Technique, which emphasized power over the still-lacking Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword Technique, was a mistake.

Song Chaeji’s eyes caught the shift in his center of gravity as he switched techniques.

And immediately, her foot moved. Like a solid support, her right foot stepped forward, aiming a counter-strike at Namgung Sol’s now-exposed lower body.

“Hyak?!”

It was sheer luck that Namgung Sol managed to dodge the counter. His body, which had been relentlessly executing the Swallow Spin Step, failed to transition smoothly to the Thunderous Step, resulting in a clumsy and awkward tumble.

Song Chaeji’s sword sliced through the air above Namgung Sol’s head as he fell.

Completely caught off guard by the unexpected miss, Song Chaeji was momentarily stunned and took a few steps back to assess Namgung Sol’s condition. If he had overexerted himself and injured himself internally, it would be best to end the duel here.

“Hey… are you okay?”

“…Ugh, I-I’m fine…”

Suppressing the urge to rub his aching head, Namgung Sol gripped his sword again and took a stance.

Song Chaeji had given up the chance to end the match, so Deung Jong-yu did not call it. The duel was still ongoing.

“Let’s go again!”

Knowing that Song Chaeji had given him a chance, Namgung Sol shouted with all his might and charged once more.

§

“Great Master.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been watching for days, but there’s nothing. Are we just barking up the wrong tree?”

At Myorin’s words, Namgung Woo couldn’t immediately refute and fell silent.

“Gakwon must have verified it.”

“Probably.”

After a moment of silence, Namgung Woo spoke.

“They probably know we’re watching them.”

Would they not know that Namgung Woo was the one who killed Yi Ja-ryong? The Imperial Family had announced that Gwak Dan and Paeng Hu-sang had resolved the matter, but it had long been an open secret that Namgung Woo had also been there.

Even now, after facing Namgung Woo, their vigilance was likely at its peak.

“We’re hiding our presence and using Kirin’s Step, so they might not know where we are, but they probably know they’re being watched.”

“Then it’s a bust, isn’t it?”

“A bust…”

It was astonishing to hear someone who claimed to be a proper innkeeper use such rough language.

But having experienced Myorin’s tendency for crude language, not unlike Yang Kwae, Namgung Woo let it slide without comment.

“We need to change our approach.”

“How?”

“Let’s make a few assumptions.”

Namgung Woo wrote Seomun Pyo’s name and the word “assassin” on a piece of paper.

“First, Seomun Pyo is either the assassin himself or an accomplice.”

“If that’s the case, Seomun Pyo must have a way to counter Gakwon’s divine abilities.”

“Let’s keep that in mind for now.”

Namgung Woo added more names: Yi Ja-ryong and the Beonse Sect.

“The Martial Alliance has caught the tail of the Beonse Sect and Yi Ja-ryong. They are clearly connected.”

“The Great Master said their energies were similar, so that makes sense.”

“And if the Beonse Sect and Seomun Pyo are connected…”

Why did they kill the Martial Alliance elder?

Was it simply retaliation against the Martial Alliance for discovering them? A warning to stay out of their affairs?

“Ugh… I don’t know. Let’s take a hit and think about it.”

Without waiting for Namgung Woo’s approval, Myorin pulled out some cannabis.

For a master of internal energy, even the addictive nature of drugs could be controlled, but seeing Myorin, one might wonder if that was true.

How had she held back until now? She must have been sneaking hits in unseen places.

“Huuu… So, Great Master, you think Seomun Pyo and the Beonse Sect are in league, and the elder’s assassination isn’t the end of it?”

“Right. Do you have any thoughts? You did know Yi Ja-ryong, after all.”

“Yi Ja-ryong… That guy never talked about himself… I didn’t really want to hear it… Sss, haa, we should’ve searched his base in Beijing instead of running away right after he died.”

“Yi Ja-ryong, Beijing. Speaking of which, were Yi Ja-ryong’s actions in Beijing solo acts?”

“Huh?”

“Is it possible the Beonse Sect assisted him?”

Even if Yi Ja-ryong’s true identity was the previous emperor’s son, could he have built such a force solely on his imperial lineage?

If so, he wouldn’t have needed to use the alias Yi Ja-ryong and could have flaunted his true name, Ju Gyeon-je.

“Let’s say the Supreme Peak Masters who followed Yi Ja-ryong were from the Beonse Sect. Then the Beonse Sect’s goal is…”

“Overthrowing the Imperial Family?”

Beonse.

Overturning the world.

What is the world? The realm. And the ruler of the realm is, without a doubt, the emperor.

“Princess… Why did I forget? The reason Seomun Pyo pushed me was because I had contact with the princess. And the hardline faction Seomun Pyo belongs to is hostile to the Yi Royal Residence.”

“So… Chae Mun-gwang’s death…”

“Was to build justification.”

The Martial Alliance elder Chae Mun-gwang, who had tried to expel them from Luoyang, was assassinated by the Yi Royal Residence.

And Seomun Pyo, a hardline elder and Chae Mun-gwang’s close friend, retaliated against the Yi Royal Residence.

If that were the case…

“A war between the White Path Martial World and the Imperial Family would break out.”

Normally, such a war would be unthinkable, but now things were different.

The Imperial Family had lost its sharpest sword and the emperor’s right hand.

The greatest under heaven, Mugeuk Jeongryong.

The Commander of the Imperial Guards, Gwak Dan.

The absence of these two.

And the war preparations in the northeast by Joseon.

The Imperial Family no longer had the strength to overwhelm the White Path Martial World.

“If the Martial Alliance’s hardline faction goes berserk, and the Imperial Family, having lost the Beonse King, reaches a point of no return…”

War would be inevitable.

“We need to go to the Yi Royal Residence.”

“R-right now?”

“We need to go early. If Seomun Pyo is baiting us, the real assassins might already be on the move.”

Namgung Woo downed the still-steaming tea in one gulp and stood up.

“What are you doing? Let’s go.”

§

The crowd at the Great Flame Martial Arena began to disperse.

With so many people gathered, it took a considerable amount of time for them to leave. The Martial Alliance members managed the crowd to prevent accidents, but murmurs could be heard here and there.

However, unlike the ordinary people, there were those who moved comfortably in carriages.

There was only one place that could enjoy such a privilege.

“Luoyang is truly impressive! The level of skill here is amazing! Especially the duel between Gangryong and Hwagunryong. It’s a shame they met in the first round. Both of them could have made it to the finals. They might even give you a run for your money, Uncle.”

It was the Yi Royal Residence, a member of the Imperial Family.

Princess Jihyang, excitedly sharing her thoughts on the first round of the martial tournament she had watched today.

Ju Si-yeol, laughing and nodding along, stiffened at the last comment and sharply replied.

“Tsk… That’s not it.”

“Pfft, ever since you became the king, you haven’t been able to train properly, have you?”

“Even so, this uncle isn’t that weak. Maybe against Namhwa-ok.”

Ju Si-yeol, at the age of 24.

Still, the fiery spirit of a martial artist was more familiar to him than the duties of a king.

Princess Jihyang giggled as she watched Ju Si-yeol confidently display his martial pride.

“But the first duel was really unexpected, wasn’t it? We both got it wrong.”

They had been guessing which side would win each duel, turning it into a game to heighten their enjoyment.

Both had a decent understanding of martial arts, but there was one duel neither had predicted correctly.

The very first duel, between Namgung Sol and Song Chaeji.

“I never expected the Hangsan Faction’s innkeeper to lose. That was surprising.”