Chapter 161:
Sword Demon
West of Guangxi Province. A remote mountain hundreds of miles from Haju-hyeon.
“Th-that’s everything I know!”
A man lay prostrate on the ground. The man, Kang Il, had a mysterious smile on his face as he hung his blood-stained machete on his side.
He had come all the way to Guangxi Province after hearing that a gift meant for him had been stolen by bandits.
However, upon arriving in Hajihyeon, he learned that the Bukpoong Escort Agency had completely collapsed.
Using Shinchun’s information network, he traced the movements of the stolen goods from the Bukpoong Escort Agency.
He had circled the Guangxi region multiple times chasing after the remnants of the bandits who sold off the goods, but despite all his efforts, he couldn’t find what he was looking for.
In the midst of this, he captured a bandit named Kang Il. This bandit, however, knew nothing about the silk garment.
“So, you’re saying those guys were looking for the Gyerim Black Market?”
“Yes, that’s correct!”
He had obtained some intriguing information that kept nagging at him.
‘The Bukpoong Escort Agency and now the Gyerim Black Market? It feels like they are moving to find our forces.’
Logically, it was a baseless conjecture as their forces were still hidden.
*Swoosh!*
The man, after slicing the neck of the bandit named Kang Il with his machete, turned towards where Gyerim was located.
He was a man who trusted his instincts over logic.
* * *
After finishing their business, Mu-jin and his group took a brief rest at So-cheongmun.
Around noon, a carriage stopped in front of So-cheongmun.
“Welcome, Yoo Dae-in. Hahaha.”
The So-cheongmun Master greeted the slave trader with a smile, but his true feelings were quite different.
Behind him, disguised as disciples of So-cheongmun, were Mu-jin and his group.
He fully understood that a single wrong word could cost him his life, a realization made clear from the events of the previous night.
“Please, come inside.”
The So-cheongmun Master, who had deceived children for years, skillfully lured the slave trader inside with a flawless performance.
*Clunk.*
As soon as the slave trader entered So-cheongmun, he was quickly subdued by Mu-jin and his group.
Leading the completely restrained slave trader to a secluded spot in So-cheongmun, Mu-jin finally released the acupoints holding the man captive.
“Wh-what is the meaning of this?!”
Still thinking of Mu-jin and his group as disciples of So-cheongmun, the slave trader shouted in a rather defiant manner.
Of course, there is no one who can withstand physical punishment.
*Bam!*
“Even after this…”
*Bam!*
“Why are you…”
*Bam!*
“Do you have anything to…”
*Bam!*
“I’m sorry! It’s my fault!”
“What exactly did you do wrong?”
“That… that…”
*Bam!*
After continuous beatings, the slave trader, with his face swollen like a steamed bun, started to sob and beg for forgiveness.
“It’s all my fault! Please, spare me!”
Now that he was ready to talk, Mu-jin began questioning the slave trader about various matters.
“How do you prevent escapes when transporting slaves?”
“Are there any inspections during the transport?”
“What routes do you mainly use?”
The first question was to gather information for their disguise.
They needed to know how the slave traders bound and managed the slaves to effectively masquerade as them.
Additionally, they verified the cities and counties the slave trader frequently visited and the methods used to pass inspections.
Having extracted all necessary information from the slave trader, Mu-jin and Baek Ga-hwan discussed their next steps.
“You mentioned that the destination is Jiangxi Province. Do you have a specific route in mind?”
“I plan to move eastward to enter Guangdong Province first. Then, I’ll traverse the northern part of Guangdong Province, enter the southern part of Jiangxi Province, and head straight north to reach Nanchang.”
* * *
Mu-jin and his group used both their original carriage and the slave trader’s carriage to travel, posing as slave traders.
They utilized the information obtained from the slave trader to sometimes travel through secret paths instead of the main roads, and occasionally bribed officials to pass through cities and counties.
While traveling as slave traders for quite some time, they finally stopped the carriage in a low hill after sunset.
“Alright, let’s rest now.”
Baek Ga-hwan, who stopped the carriage, went inside to release the children from their restraints and prepared for the night.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to rest in the city we passed earlier?” Mu-gung asked, looking sympathetically at the children in the carriage. Mu-jin replied with a bitter tone.
“I would like to, but there are too many eyes there. We can’t release their restraints or let them out of the carriage.”
That’s why they opted to camp out instead.
“Since Baek So-jeo would have had a harder time than the other children, you take care of her. I’ll look after the others.”
“…Phew. Amitabha.”
Before treating Baek Ga-ryeong, Mu-gung closed his eyes and chanted Buddha’s name for mental stability.
However, the sight of a large man disguised as a slave trader chanting while approaching Baek Ga-ryeong looked menacing.
‘That guy… he’s not thinking anything weird, right?’
While taking care of the other children, Mu-jin occasionally glanced suspiciously at Mu-gung, who was nervously fumbling.
“Sorry… every time…”
“It’s alright, Baek So-jeo. Calm your mind.”
Mu-gung replied stiffly, quickly closing his eyes and reciting a chant while envisioning Master Hye-dam.
His effort to regain composure gave him an appearance of being deeply focused on treatment.
Baek Ga-ryeong, lying down and watching, gently raised her arm in gratitude.
She softly placed her palm over the back of Mu-gung’s hand, which was on her abdomen.
Surprised by the sudden cold sensation on his hand, Mu-gung opened his eyes and shuddered as if having a fit.
“Ah!”
For Mu-gung, who had lived as a monk in Shaolin Temple since he was thirteen for six years, it was too stimulating a situation.
It shattered the mental stability he had cultivated under Hye-dam for four years.
“S-sorry…”
Startled by Mu-gung’s reaction, Baek Ga-ryeong quickly apologized.
“J-just wait a moment, I-I’ll resume t-treatment soon!”
But with his mental stability broken, Mu-gung was barely conscious.
Even the internal energy he managed started to go out of control, making him need immediate Qi Conducting Techniques.
Mu-gung hurriedly moved away with a flushed face, whether due to embarrassment or some other reason, prompting Mu-jin to sigh and approach Baek Ga-ryeong.
“Do not worry, Miss Baek. Handling qi in such a dangerous treatment can be surprising, and he probably got startled when you moved suddenly.”
“……Ungratefulness. Bearing thorns and begging for punishment.”
“Uhm.”
Mu-jin cleared his throat awkwardly as another four-character idiom popped out. While “????” (ungratefulness) was a common phrase, Mu-jin had never heard “????” before. Interpreting the characters roughly, it seemed to mean “bearing thorns and begging for punishment,” likely indicating a request for a fitting punishment for one’s sins.
“There’s no need for you to apologize. It was his lack of training that caused this, so don’t concern yourself.”
Mu-jin thought it was absurd for someone to fall into Qi Deviation just from a brief touch with a woman.
‘If he meets a skilled woman from the demonic sect or unorthodox faction, he’ll be in big trouble.’
Mu-jin imagined Mu-gung suffering from Qi Deviation and meeting the King of the Underworld after being seduced. Shaking his head in frustration, he turned his gaze from Mu-gung, who was diligently practicing his Qi Conducting Technique, to another person struggling with inner demons.
“Phew.”
Approaching the person who had been silent in the carriage since last night, Mu-jin spoke up.
“Your inner demons seem deep. Is something troubling you?”
He had no interest in prying into personal matters that the other person did not wish to share. However, their condition appeared so severe recently that he had no choice but to ask.
At Mu-jin’s question, Qing Shui Dojang, who had been brooding with a gloomy expression, stood up with a deep sigh and asked Mu-jin.
“Mu-jin, could you perhaps spar with me?”
Mu-jin hesitated at the sudden request. Sparring in a state of inner turmoil could lead to Qi Deviation, but the desperate look in Qing Shui Dojang’s eyes made it hard to refuse.
“……Let’s move to another place first.”
To prevent other children from getting hurt during the spar, Mu-jin and Qing Shui Dojang moved to a distance and faced each other, maintaining a measured distance.
Taking their stances, Mu-jin spoke first.
“I’ll begin.”
“Yes.”
As soon as Qing Shui Dojang responded, Mu-jin charged at him. He did not intend to use his full strength from the start, partly as a means of probing and partly because he knew the other was struggling with inner demons.
Yet, for some reason,
“Ha!”
Despite not using his full power, Qing Shui Dojang struggled to deflect Mu-jin’s attacks. Normally, Qing Shui Dojang would smoothly parry most attacks at the Yongbongji Conference, but now his movements seemed stiff, as if making a grating sound.
His sword, which should draw a smooth Tai Chi circle, now seemed to form angular edges. The usual serene smile while wielding his sword was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a troubled expression as he barely fended off Mu-jin’s attacks.
“Mu-jin.”
Blocking Mu-jin’s attack, Qing Shui Dojang spoke with difficulty.
“Do you have something to say?”
Mu-jin paused his assault and asked. Qing Shui Dojang posed a question.
“How many martial artists do you think are more skilled than you in the demonic and unorthodox sects?”
Caught off guard by the question, Mu-jin thought for a moment before replying.
“I’d say there are about dozens.”
At the very least, there were dozens. At worst, it could be over a hundred.
The Demonic Alliance had the Sword Emperor and the King of Slaughter. The Seven Pillars of Shinchun and In-ju, and possibly even more masters ranked above them. In total, there were likely at least ten masters of King level or higher within the demonic and Shinchun factions alone, not to mention those on par with him, like Hye-gwan or Hye-dam, who numbered in the dozens.
‘Still, being considered a master isn’t so bad.’
Considering the population of the world, even a hundred ranks wasn’t too bad.
Mu-jin thought to himself that even among the countless martial artists in the world, his skills were still notable.
‘Still, it’s not enough.’
Even though he considered himself somewhat skilled, he felt it was insufficient when thinking about future enemies.
While Mu-jin was silently contemplating future adversaries,
“It seems there are more than I thought.”
Qing Shui Dojang muttered with a complicated expression, and his aura suddenly changed.
“In that case, this kind of sword won’t be enough.”
With his mind made up, Qing Shui Dojang took the offensive this time.
Swooosh!
With a sharp slicing sound that seemed to cut through the air, a direct thrust aimed at Mu-jin’s vital point, as if it were a life-and-death duel.
Clang!
Mu-jin quickly swung his palm to deflect Qing Shui Dojang’s thrust, producing a metallic clang. Normally, Qing Shui Dojang would parry Mu-jin’s attack fluidly, without any noise.
Clang!
Clang!
However, instead of tracing gentle circles, Qing Shui Dojang’s sword now launched consecutive killing strikes. These were techniques he had observed and learned from various martial artists: the marauders’ sword techniques, those of the Yongbongji Conference’s later generations, mountain bandits, escorts of the Bukpoong Escort Agency, and the black market’s swordsmen.
A man who had only practiced Wudang’s sword techniques had now synthesized these techniques into his own deadly style, a testament to his genius.
Clang!
Mu-jin parried each murderous strike, speaking as he did so.
“The ‘this kind of sword’ you mentioned earlier, does it refer to the Taegeuk Haegum?”
Qing Shui Dojang hesitated momentarily, as if Mu-jin had struck a nerve, before forcing himself to continue attacking. Understanding his opponent’s dilemma, Mu-jin continued the conversation.
Clang!
“Why do you dismiss the revered sword technique of your sect, considered one of the best in the martial world, as ‘this kind of sword’?”
Clang!
“……Taegeuk Haegum is a technique for saving lives.”
Clang!
“And what is wrong with saving lives that you want to abandon this sword technique?”
Clang!!!
After a final, intense clash, Qing Shui Dojang, who had been using a blunt sword, was pushed back by Mu-jin’s strength.
Whether it was due to Mu-jin’s power or his inner turmoil, Qing Shui Dojang gritted his teeth, catching his breath before speaking.
“In that case, were they worth saving?”
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