‘He’s not bad for a servant.’
‘There’s no way he’s actually Wunjong’s match, but still…….’
From across the clearing, Baek Geon-ha also kept his eyes fixed on Seol Ah-heon. He didn’t miss a single movement.
The hand gripping the sword. The trajectory of the blade. The footwork. He watched as Seol Ah-heon clumsily left openings, only to nimbly block the incoming attacks at the last second.
And the face.
The way his expression transparently revealed his inner desire to run away, only to be replaced by a sudden flash of resolve—Baek Geon-ha found himself unable to look away.
Baek Geon-ha sent a transmission to Mu Il-young.
[What do you think?]
[Was there a need to provoke the Qingcheng Sect to this extent? If they happen to recognize the Young Cult Leader, things will become troublesome.]
[That’s not what I asked. I’m talking about that one, the mouse.]
He tilted his chin toward Seol Ah-heon.
[It’s a mess. He has no basics to speak of.]
[Indeed, like a commoner who has never learned martial arts. And yet.]
Wunjong’s sword lunged toward Seol Ah-heon’s flank. Seol Ah-heon avoided the attack by letting it slide past him.
[He shows these flashes of talent every now and then.]
[The Black Shadow Squad that pursued him said the same. He appears full of openings, yet suddenly exerts power at the decisive moment.]
[Is it a deception? He doesn’t seem to have the brains for it.]
[Perhaps his claim of losing his martial arts to the Soul-Sucking Art is true.]
[Do you truly believe that?]
[We shall have to see. Isn’t that why you sent him out there, Young Cult Leader?]
Baek Geon-ha did not offer a reply. He simply continued to observe Seol Ah-heon with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.
“I’m done playing around. Prepare yourself!”
Wunjong took a high-guard stance. Though he had been clashing blades in earnest until now, he steeled his heart further. He couldn’t afford to drag this out against a mere servant any longer. Since his victory was a foregone conclusion, the only thing that mattered was how quickly he won.
“Witness the fourth-stage power of the Seventy-Two Wave Swords!”
The Seventy-Two Wave Swords!
The signature technique of the Qingcheng Sect was indeed menacing. Seol Ah-heon instinctively arched his back to dodge.
‘Ah, this…… I’ve read about this in The Chronicles of Mount Hua.’
He remembered. In the tournament, when Kang-ah of the Mount Hua Sect faced Wunjong, she struggled against the Seventy-Two Wave Swords before discovering a fatal flaw.
It was a flaw found by Kang-ah, who practiced her sword all day except for when she slept, so Seol Ah-heon didn’t understand the complex mechanics behind it, but…
‘She targeted Wunjong’s left leg!’
Even if he didn’t know the process of the equation, he knew the correct answer.
If so, couldn’t he do it too?
“Whew…….”
Seol Ah-heon tightened his grip on the sword.
Since he occupied the body of a peak-level master and had consumed the Soul-Shedding Divine Elixir, he was confident that his internal energy was second to none. Of course, no matter how great the internal energy, it was useless if one didn’t know how to use it. However, after being forced to use light-footwork by Baek Geon-ha, he had grown enough to at least sense and channel that energy.
‘I meet the necessary conditions too……!’
Following Seol Ah-heon’s will, internal energy flowed into the sword. Like mid-winter frost, a faint, white aura emanated from the blade.
The Qingcheng Taoists who recognized this widened their eyes in shock.
“S-Sword Qi!”
“Was he a peak-level master all along……!”
Wunjong was equally shocked by his opponent’s true strength. He hurried into a defensive stance.
The sword rushed in instantly!
Clang—.
Strangely, the attack was clumsy compared to its momentum, but with Sword Qi infused into it, the power was nothing to scoff at. Wunjong thought as he parried Seol Ah-heon’s blade.
‘He’s strangely full of holes. Is it a trap?’
If he tried to exploit those openings, he might face a counterattack. He didn’t even consider the possibility that it wasn’t a trap. The person Wunjong was facing wasn’t a simple servant, but a swordsman who had reached the peak realm. It wouldn’t be strange for him to have a secret ace up his sleeve.
“……Ugh!”
Excessive caution led to hesitation. As Wunjong began to be pushed back, Seol Ah-heon’s intuition flashed.
‘Now.’
Following the muscle memory embedded in the body, he swung the sword. The target was Wunjong’s left leg.
“Argh!”
The sword, laden with internal energy, mercilessly tore through the Taoist robe and sliced into the flesh. Seol Ah-heon was startled by the sensation transmitted through the hilt.
“A-are you okay? I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean for this to happen…….”
Wunjong collapsed forward. Seol Ah-heon even threw his sword aside to check on him, unaware that such an action only made Wunjong feel more humiliated.
“The match is decided.”
A hateful voice rang out from behind. It was Baek Geon-ha.
“Y-Young Master.”
“Well done.”
Seol Ah-heon doubted his ears. Baek Geon-ha was praising him?
“But do not be arrogant. It was only because Taoist Wunjong was generous enough to go easy on you.”
“…….”
“Truly a magnificent Taoist. You said mercy vanishes from your blade once a duel begins, yet it seems you showed mercy for some reason.”
Seol Ah-heon realized then.
‘Ah, that wasn’t a compliment, it was just a trick to make Wunjong even angrier…….’
Wunjong was panting heavily, clearly overcome with resentment. Part of it was due to the deep gash on his thigh.
“Are you alright? I am truly sorry…….”
Seol Ah-heon apologized again. Getting injured while clashing blades was common, but since their duel wasn’t to the death, cutting his thigh so deeply was indeed a mistake.
‘I didn’t know it would be like this.’
Beginners are bound to struggle with controlling their strength. Ironically, this situation occurred because Seol Ah-heon was weak. If he had known how to properly wield ‘Ice Block’s’ martial arts, he would have ended it by merely tearing the robe without cutting the skin.
“……You were strong. I acknowledge my defeat,” Wunjong said, swallowing a groan. His voice was so dejected that Seol Ah-heon felt even more guilty. He cupped his hands in a respectful salute and said:
“I was merely lucky. It was an undeserved honor to witness the swordsmanship of the Qingcheng Sect.”
“Mmm……. I also learned much.”
Just as it seemed things would end on a positive note…
“You are too humble, Ah-heon. What honor? What does it matter to witness the sword of the ‘Chung-sung’ Sect, which barely holds onto the tail end of the Nine Great Sects?”
Baek Geon-ha, unable to resist, stepped in and threw salt on the wound.
“Y-you bastard!”
“What kind of grudge do you hold to speak such foul words!”
“It’s the Qingcheng Sect, not ‘Chung-sung’!”
The Qingcheng disciples, already upset by Wunjong’s defeat, were now flying into a rage. And why wouldn’t they? Baek Geon-ha’s rudeness had crossed the line long ago.
To Seol Ah-heon, it seemed the only reason they didn’t attack was because they were Taoists practicing their path. Any other sect would have drawn their swords in unison.
“Ah, Qingcheng. That was the name. My apologies. But please understand. One has to hear a name often to remember it.”
“Young Master! Please, stop!”
Unable to listen any longer, Seol Ah-heon intervened. He feared the consequences later, but what else could he do? Mu Il-young seemed to have zero intention of stopping Baek Geon-ha, and if things continued, they would have a major confrontation with the Qingcheng Sect.
“I apologize in his stead. I am truly sorry.”
Seol Ah-heon bowed deeply. To this, Wunjong replied sourly.
“I will accept your apology, but know that I have not forgiven Master Cheol. I simply have no desire to deal with the barking of a mad dog.”
Wunjong had his own calculations. He didn’t know what the Yeongsin Gate was, but if they could employ a peak master as a servant, that Master Cheol couldn’t be weak either. The fact that he was still alive despite living so rudely was proof of his strength.
Resentful as he was, Wunjong was not confident he could face both that rude man and his servant at once. That was the stark reality. If so, he had to retreat for now and wait for another day.
“Can you stand……?”
“Do not worry, this much is nothing.”
Though he was losing enough blood to make his vision dizzy, Wunjong forced himself up. The other Qingcheng disciples supported him.
“Safe travels. I am sorry once again…….”
Ignoring Seol Ah-heon’s farewell, the Qingcheng disciples retreated. Their backs, disappearing into the darkness, looked strangely pitiable.
“Sigh…….”
Seol Ah-heon let out a deep breath and turned to Baek Geon-ha.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“No. Was there something to be satisfied about?”
Contrary to his answer, Baek Geon-ha’s face was full of amusement.
Crack, crack.
He tilted his head left and right. As he did, the disguise dissolved, and he returned to his original face.
The sight of muscles, bones, and flesh shifting was both eerie and fascinating—like watching a CG rendering process. The only difference was that this was reality, not a monitor.
Not just his face, but his body also returned to its original form. Stripping away the mask of Cheol Un-seo, Baek Geon-ha stood tall under the full moon.