Chapter 14 - 91 to 97

A woman in a pink dress sits neatly. Her skin is transparent enough to feel slightly pale, and she doesn't look haggard, but she has such a beautiful appearance that anyone who sees her can't help but admire her. The way she sits is also beautiful, as if she's been taken straight from a painting.

A peerless beauty comparable to Dang Ji-hye, once called the most beautiful woman in Sacheon.

She was Dang Mi-so. She knew the secret of the nine-eum, but thanks to the name of the doctor, she was able to completely heal her body, and she was gradually regaining her health while recuperating. If you look closely, her lips were bright red, and her neatly folded fingertips were also bloodshot. Now that I think about it, her face also seems to be flushed.

Behind Dang Mi-so, her younger sister Dang Mi-ryeo was braiding her hair. When they were young, they used to play around like this, braiding each other's hair, but as Dang Mi-so's arrhythmia worsened, they couldn't do that anymore. The sisters were braiding each other's hair and reminiscing about their childhood.

Suddenly, Dang Mi-ryeo said.

"Sister. Are you thinking about Yeonmyeong again? Your breathing is a little ragged."

"… Mi-ryeo, you even learned martial arts, so why are you measuring other people's breathing for no reason? I was just thinking about something else for a moment."

"So what were you thinking? Weren't you thinking of prolonging your life? Well, the man who saved your life has a promising future and a crooked face, so it's impossible not to feel good about him. No, he's not just crooked, he's incredibly handsome. Honestly, I think you'll never get tired of seeing a face like that. Right?"

"A name extension? Even if we had a connection through competition, it's rude. Even if you're a small business owner, call me by my name properly."

"So what if it's just us? And Yeonmyeong has already taken care of the title issue. I hope you don't feel uncomfortable and treat me like a friend."

"So…? If His Majesty said so…."

"Sister. Your ears are red. Be honest. Do you like Yeonmyeong?"

"Oh, dear. You should have told me so I could help you. Where can you find such a strong ally as me?"

Dang Mi-so hesitated for a moment at Dang Mi-ryeo's persistent urging, then opened her mouth with difficulty.

"… It's not that I don't like him. He's a kind person. If he wants, I don't think I'd mind giving him the rest of my life. I'm not the only one who was saved. He even cured your veins, and did you know that your father's complexion has improved a lot lately? It seems like the Sogaju is paying attention to the establishment of the Sangdan."

"Yeah. I owe you something."

Dang Mi-ryeo nodded, her playfulness gone. She owed a favor to Dang Yu-myeong that was truly hard to repay. He saved her only sister's life, and he didn't ask for anything in return or show off his help. In fact, like most girls her age, Dang Mi-ryeo began to treat the boys around her as men. Regardless of his appearance, she had developed a secret crush on him because of his outstanding abilities and mature side. It was still too early to say that she was in love. Yes, like a green apple.

'But he doesn't see me as a woman. The way he treats me and my sister is completely different.'

Since Dang Mi-ryeo had spent quite some time with Dang Sang-myeong, she could tell at a glance that the two had developed feelings for each other.

I didn't think badly of it. My only sister was much more precious than anything like puppy love, and I wouldn't mind giving my sister to a man who was as good as me. If the two of them could continue on and live happily together, wouldn't that be enough?

Dang Mi-ryeo was able to quickly change her mind. She had been worried about her sister's life only a short while ago. This was a satisfactory ending.

Once I let go of my feelings, I wanted to push my older sister Dang Mi-so to develop a romantic relationship with Yu Sang-myeong. Dang Mi-so was also not bad in terms of looks, but Yu Sang-myeong was extraordinary in both looks and ability and status. I was worried that if I just let it be, Yu Sang-myeong might be stolen by another woman. It was said that men don't necessarily turn down women who approach them. Of course, Yu Sang-myeong didn't think that would happen, but you never know what will happen in the world. If a woman who actively courts appears, she might fall for it.

'… Now that I think about it, there's a girl among those who came from the Jegal family this time.'

Dang Mi-ryeo stopped by Uigak and recalled the story she had heard from Dang Yi-jeon. He said that the Zhuge family had sent Zhuge Chang-sin and other figures from the Muryangjeon to establish a formation in the inner court of the Tang family, and that the daughter of the Zhuge family head was among them.

Jegal Yeong-yeong, that was definitely her name. She was the niece of Jegal Chang-sin, the Muryangjeonju who was in charge of the Gyeonghyeop Chiljo, and she was said to have a rather lively personality.

Tang Mi-ryeo somehow seemed to know why the Zhuge family sent Zhuge Yingying. Zhuge Chang-sin was also one of the people who personally observed the level of talent of Tang Yuanming. Could it be that they were trying to pursue a political marriage or something? If anything, Zhuge Yingying might become Tang Mi-so's rival.

Anyway, now that he had confirmed Dang Mi-so's feelings to some extent, Dang Mi-ryeo planned to actively act as a bridge between the two. As it turned out, Yu Myeong-myeong was ignorant of women's feelings. It was only natural. At that age, to have that much wu-wei, wouldn't his head be filled with thoughts about wu-hak?

In addition, her older sister, Dang Mi-so, was not an active person. If they were left alone like this, there was a high chance that it would not work out. Dang Mi-ryeo was now feeling a sense of mission.

Meanwhile, Dangmiso opened her mouth again and broke the silence.

"But if the Sogaju doesn't come back, I think this might be the end. I heard that men will hit on women they are interested in without fail…"

Dang Mi-so's voice grew weak and faint. Dang Mi-ryeo stopped braiding her hair, got up, walked over to Dang Mi-so, grabbed her shoulder, and looked her in the eye.

"No. I'm sure that Yeonmyeong thinks of you as a woman. He never shows any kindness to you, except when he's with his mother. But it's different with you."

"You say the Lord Soga is not kind? He seems like an incredibly affectionate person. Of course, the rumors going around among the family members are a bit grim… . Rumors tend to be exaggerated."

"… Sister, you have a lot of misunderstandings about Yeonmyeong. The rumors are actually closer to the truth… Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'll continue to be kind to you."

"eww ?"

••••

"Anyway, Yeonmyeong is a dog. He may be a bit cold-hearted, but he treats people he considers his own quite well. He helped Jeon-i, Yuri, and me too. He's not a fundamentally bad guy. Rather than being treated like a fool here and there, it might be better to have a personality that breaks him down."

"No. I don't even know what the Sogaju thinks of me yet…."

"Oh, dear. I'm sure. Trust me. There's no woman who knows Yeonmyeong better than I do. And don't worry about the fact that the dog hasn't shown its face for a while. Even though the head of the household is here, Yeonmyeong, the head of the household, makes the decisions on important matters for the family. You must have been quite busy. People from the Gongdongpa and Jegalga came. And I heard you're going to attend the Sacheonjihoe. There must be things to prepare."

"If that's the case, then that's fortunate… ."

Dang Mi-so trailed off with a slightly relieved expression. In fact, she had been suffering in her own way. Whether sleeping or awake, sitting or standing, whenever she closed her eyes, Dang Yu-myeong's handsome face would flash through her mind. She even wondered if she was going to get lovesick.

"for a moment."

Suddenly, Dang Mi-ryeo opened her mouth with an expression of realization. Something that could instantly improve their relationship came to mind.

"Sister. This time, let's go to Sacheonjihoe with Yeonmyeong."

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"Suddenly…? And how? That's where the descendants of the Bangpa and Muga families in Sacheon gather. Even though you are qualified, Sogaju…"

"There is a way. Since we don't have much time, let's go see the prolongation for the first time in a while."

If they don't come from that side, then we can go from this side. As she muttered that, Dang Mi-ryeo grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her outside. Dang Mi-so, who was close to the culprit, couldn't resist and had no choice but to follow Dang Mi-ryeo's lead.

"Hey, Miryeo. Just wait a minute. Just fix your hair and clothes…!"

Dangmiso's urgent cries faded away.

****

"Even if it's a civil war…?"

Dang-myung asked, nodding his head. In front of him was a cute girl who was just beginning to develop into a woman.

"Yes, if Your Majesty permits."

Jegal Yeong-yeong said with a smile. She instinctively knew how to smile in a way that men would like. She should smile brightly without feeling awkward, but her teeth should be exposed just enough so that her gums are not visible, and her eyes should also be slightly slanted.

Dang Yuanming looked at Jegal Yeongyeong expressionlessly. He had planned to take one escort and one attendant to the Sacheon branch as advised by Bongwi Daeju Dang Wonjin. He had originally planned to take two people from the competitive group, but the situation was not favorable. Dang Yijeon was busy with his activities, and Dang Yuri was also busy helping his father with the affairs of the General Office. He had not yet asked Dang Miryeo.

It was not something that anyone could take among the family members. The Sacheonjihoe was a place where each faction or family established their prestige. Of course, Yu Myeong-myeong had intended to cause trouble there, but he did not want to create something that would hurt his reputation.

However, his mother, Dang Ji-hye, called him and said that if the people who would participate in the Sacheon Branch had not been decided yet, he should consider taking the daughter of the head of the Zhuge family. Dang Yuanming thought that it was not a bad idea. However, since he was a descendant of the Zhuge family, which was once a powerful family, his actions gave off the air of a noble family.

At least it seemed like he wouldn't do anything that would tarnish the family's prestige.

I wanted to talk it over and then decide, which is why I ended up meeting with Jegal Yeong-yeong like this.

Dang-myung said it like this.

"It's not a place to go for fun. It could be dangerous."

"The girl knows. I heard that the Sacheon branch is different from an ordinary social gathering. I heard that it is not a place where the later branches gather to strengthen friendships, but rather a place where they fight for all sorts of interests in Sacheon on behalf of the factions and families. The girl just wants to see with her own eyes how the struggle for those interests is carried out. Since the main family will soon be subordinated to the party family anyway, it is okay to think of them as one family."

The reason for wanting to accompany the Sacheon branch was also plausible. Since there was nothing particularly suspicious, Dang-myeong nodded and tried to allow him to accompany her.

at that time.

I felt someone approaching my sense of duty. The guards didn't stop me. It was a familiar feeling.

'You're beautiful. And…?

There was another person by Dang Mi-ryeo's side.

Dang Myeong-myeong realized that it was none other than Dang Miso. He couldn't not know because he had encountered her primal energy more closely than anyone else.

one side.

'what?'

Jegal Yeong-yeong noticed that even though he smiled like that, Dang-myeong's expression, which had never changed, was changing little by little. The face that had been radiating coldness had softened, and the corners of his mouth were slightly curled up. What was it that made him smile?

Soon a woman's voice was heard.

"Life extension. Can I come in? I heard you have a guest."

Almost as soon as the obvious answer of "Yes, that is" fell, the door opened wide. I wondered if he was planning on coming in regardless of what I said.

"Long time no see. Beautiful."

"Yeah. But this person…?"

"I don't know if you heard. She is the daughter of the Zhuge family. She came with the Muryangjeonju."

Dang Mi-ryeo, Dang Mi-so, and Jegal Yeong-yeong

It was the first time that three women who had their hearts set on the same man met face to face. It's been a pleasure. Thank you."

Dang Mi-so was the first to politely greet Dang Myeong-myeong. It was a short greeting, but it contained many emotions. Regret for not having called her in a while, joy at meeting her again after such a long time, gratitude that remained, and a growing affection. And the love that blossomed between those emotions was faintly visible through her eyes.

If she were a woman, or even if she wasn't a woman, if she had even a little bit of insight into the relationship between a man and a woman, it wouldn't be difficult to figure out what Tang Mi-so was thinking. The eyebrows of Jegal Yeong-yeong, who was watching the two, rose slightly. Tang Mi-ryeo also made a strange expression.

However, Yu Myeong-myeong was not as sensitive as the other two women. Perhaps it was because of the memory of living alone for a long time. Yu Myeong-myeong was originally not used to understanding other people's feelings. There was no need for her to do so. Let alone the complicated feelings of a woman.

Just now, in the greeting from Dang Mi-so, I could barely tell that she was feeling a bit disappointed. The cheerful voice that had risen to the level of my chin had turned into something bewildering.

"… Eun-gong? How absurd. It's an excessive title, so please take it away. But why did Lady Dangmiso…?"

"I'm sorry for visiting without notice. You have guests."

Dang Mi-so nodded her head with a slightly sullen expression, seeing that there was no sign of welcome in Yu Myeong-myeong's attitude or voice. Looking at that, Yu Myeong-myeong felt his heart sink for some reason.

I felt like some kind of misunderstanding was building up, so I immediately opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say, so I quickly closed my mouth. I just let out a mumble.

An awkward atmosphere hangs in the room.

Dang Mi-ryeo shook her head repeatedly as she watched the two of them do their job. It seemed that if they were left alone, there would be no progress in their relationship. Even though they had feelings for each other, this kind of atmosphere was flowing… It was extremely frustrating for an onlooker.

Breaking the awkwardness, Dang Mi-ryeo said.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Jegal. I've heard about you, but this is my first time meeting you in person. My name is Dang Mi-ryeo. This is my older sister, Dang Mi-so."

"This is Jegal Yeong-yeong. Please take good care of me, both of you."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Jegal. It's Dang Mi So."

The three women greeted each other with smiles. However, only Dang Mi-so smiled without pretense. The other two quick-witted women were busy smiling and exploring each other.

In particular, Jegal Yeongyeong was extremely wary of the Dang Miryeo and Dang Miso sisters, although he did not show it on the outside.

'What are those two? A pair of sisters… :

Although not as outstanding as her, Jegal Yeongyeong also had a considerable amount of beauty. In addition, for some unknown reason, he spoke comfortably with Sogaju Dangmyeong as if they were close friends. Dangmyeong Dang also didn't seem to be offended. Could they be childhood friends? If so, he could be considered a dangerous person. Sometimes, the affection built up since childhood can feel thicker than love.

And what about Dang Mi-so, Dang Mi-ryeo's older sister?

'…How can a person be like that?'

Her beauty is so beautiful that it makes you exclaim in admiration. I have already seen Danggaju Dokbong Dang Jihye, and I think that she is comparable to her younger days - that is, when she was so beautiful that she was called the most beautiful in Sacheon. Jegal Yeongyeong, who had never been pushed by anyone in his entire life in terms of beauty and considered it his most powerful weapon, had already encountered two women more beautiful than her since coming to Dangga.

If you think about the peerless handsome Sogaju, you get the feeling that there are a lot of handsome people in the Dangga lineage. If you go back in time, you might find Songok or Banan appearing in the family line.

Anyway, I had already figured out that Dang Mi-so had a lot of affection for Sogaju Dang Myeong-myeong. I don't know what their relationship was, but Dang Mi-so seemed to have a lot of affection for Dang Mi-so as well, and I had a feeling that it was not going well. That means there was still a chance. Jegal Yeong-yeong once again vowed that he would somehow win Dang Mi-myeong's heart at this Sacheonjihoe.

As the greetings between the three women were roughly concluded, Dang-Myeong Lee spoke.

"You came at a good time. I was planning on visiting you anyway, Mi-ryeo."

"Me? Why?"

"Did you know that I'm attending the Sacheon branch this time? I heard that I can bring one escort and one attendant. I'd like you to come with me. As an escort."

"… I came because of that anyway."

Dang Mi-ryeo answered slowly and thought quickly. The Sacheon Branch was an event held among the Sacheon-based breakwaters. Although Dang Myeong-myeong was the type of person who didn't pay attention to others, it wasn't something he should mention in front of an outsider like Jegal Yeong-yeong.

"Are you planning on taking Miss Jegal with you? To the Sacheonjihoe."

"Yes. It's not confirmed yet. He volunteered. He said he would do anything to cause trouble."

"okay…?"

Dang Mi-ryeo looked at Jegal Yeong-yeong with suspicious eyes. The girl with a lively appearance had her eyes darkly downcast, but Dang Mi-ryeo couldn't shake the feeling that she was like the she-cat before she climbed up the hut.

Dang Mi-ryeo said.

"Miss Zhuge. Why don't you think about it again? The Sacheonjihoe is completely different from ordinary social gatherings. It's a place where all sorts of interests are fought over, so it's going to be an ugly sight. It could be dangerous, and above all, it's a matter for the main family."

The tone was concerned, but the meaning was clear. Don't interfere with the housework.

Jegal Yeong-yeong cautiously turned his body slightly and looked at Dang Mi-ryeo, then opened his mouth with a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Dang. I also heard from my uncle that the Sacheon branch can be quite dangerous. However, since it is a gathering of the successors of each faction that will lead the Sacheon martial arts world, I would like to participate. After all, I am a descendant of a martial arts family, so I do not want to avoid it just because of the bloodshed. Besides, our Jegal family will soon be subjugated to the Dang family, so it seems that there is no particular meaning in distinguishing families."

The tone was soft, but it felt like he wasn't going to give in.

Dang Mi-ryeo felt the need to speak a little more directly.

"… Hmm. To be honest, the reason we came to see Yeonmyeong… no, Sogaju today is to join the Sacheon Branch. It's a matter of family prestige, and it would be more convenient for Sogaju to accompany us. So, I would like to ask Lady Jegal to make concessions. As you know, the number of people that can accompany a Bangpa successor to the Sacheon Branch is limited to two."

"Hmm. Isn't that something for the Lord to decide…?"

As he said that, Jegal Yeongyeong looked at Sangmyungmyeong. Then, not only Jegal Yeongyeong, but also Dang Miryeo and Dang Miso turned their eyes towards Sangmyungmyeong.

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[This is a tough one for women. Click click]

Shikshin Cheong-gyeong muttered with a smile. In his eyes, the women clearly showed their affection for Sangmyung, but Sangmyung seemed to be insensitive in that regard and did not properly recognize it. It was a far cry from the experienced worldliness and insight that he had seen so far, and it was funny.

'…Somehow, the laughter feels bad.'

Dang-myung opened his mouth with that thought in mind. All three women were looking at his lips. Since they couldn't narrow down their opinions, he had to make a decision.

"So, everyone wants to go to the Sacheon branch. There are only two seats… But, why Miss Dangmiso…?"

Dang Mi-so couldn't hide her embarrassment at Dang Myeong-myeong's sudden question. It was something she couldn't say, "I want to be with Soga-ju." It was too embarrassing to say.

Meanwhile, Dang Mi-ryeo, who saw her older sister struggling, spoke on her behalf.

"I said let's go. I know we're not going to have fun, but really, since you're here, there's nothing to worry about, right? We don't get to go out of the city very often, so I thought it would be nice if we could get to know each other better. Oh, and if you don't go, I won't go either."

As Dang Mi-ryeo finished speaking, he made his own decisive move. Jegal Yeong-yeong or us…!

"Really? I guess there's nothing I can do."

Dang-myung nodded. What does it mean?

"Then I guess I'll have to hire a separate escort."

"What? Are you saying you're going to take Miss Zhuge Liang away now?"

"okay."

Dang-myung said calmly. In fact, it was a natural decision for him. In this Sacheonjihoe, he had to cause chaos because of the promise with the commonwealth.

It was obvious that there would be frequent friction with the successors of the various factions, and I did not want Dang Mi-so to get involved in such a mess.

No, she didn't want to reveal her very existence to the Sapa rascals.

Besides, Dangmiso had known Gu-eum-jeol-maek for a long time, and it had not been long since she had been cured. Even though she was a little stuffy, she still needed to recuperate. Above all, she did not like the fact that she had to act as a servant, not even a guard, even though it was a formality.

Of course, Dang-myeong didn't necessarily say these things out loud.

If you had asked him why he chose Jegal Yeong-yeong, he might have answered, but the women did not bother to ask him why he chose Jegal Yeong-yeong.

Each of us just misunderstands things in our own way.

'… It seems that Your Majesty likes Lady Jegal more than me.'

Dang Mi-so gave up like that. In fact, she was a little, no, quite excited when she heard Dang Mi-ryeo's words. That Soga-ju might have feelings for her. To be honest, she was also a woman, so whenever she thought of Dang Yu-myeong's handsome face, her heart would beat faster. However, it seemed like it was just her own delusion.

the other side.

'You really chose me…? You like me better, now?'

Jegal Yeong-yeong secretly cheered in his heart. A strange sense of superiority enveloped his entire body. He rolled his eyes without showing it and looked at Dang Mi-ryeo. She seemed quite shocked by the unexpected result. Dang Mi-so also had a pale face.

'Okay. Now, if we can just get the Sacheon branch to fall asleep…'

Jegal Yeong-yeong tried not to show his satisfaction and deliberately maintained a slightly surprised expression. He was determined not to let his guard down until the very end.

But as if he had noticed her true feelings, Dang Mi-ryeo stepped forward.

"…no."

"hmm?"

Dang Mi-ryeo's unexpected remark made Dang Yuanming question it. What do you mean, "It can't be done all of a sudden?"

"I'm going too. Sacheon branch."

"… You said you weren't going?"

"I changed my mind. It feels like I'm leaving the fish to the cat."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you're saying you're going to the Sacheon branch anyway? Don't change your mind now."

"Yeah. When do you plan on leaving?"

"Now that we have the personnel, there's no need to hesitate. I think we can hit the road tomorrow."

"What about the guards? They will need to prepare themselves to perform."

"I told you to stay with the family. Do some training. If too many people move around, it will only attract attention. I plan on taking just a guide."

"Right. That makes sense. Okay. Then I'll see you tomorrow. Can you come at daybreak?"

"okay."

"I should say hello to the owner in advance. Sister, let's go."

Dang Mi-ryeo muttered to herself as she grabbed Dang Mi-so, who seemed to have lost her mind. What an idiot. What were you thinking when you rejected my sister? Did you really like that vixen-like girl?

There was no way. I could tell just by looking at the worried look in her eyes as she stumbled. The person she knew, Deungmyeong, was not a sympathetic person.

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"You still don't seem to be feeling well, so please take care of yourself, Lady Dang."

"… Yes. Thank you. I hope you take good care of yourself too."

The conversation between the man and woman who had feelings for each other ended there.

Just looking at the mirror made me feel sick.

Anyway.

After many twists and turns, the number of people going to Sacheon Branch was decided.

The Tang family's Sogaju is of course famous, and the escort Tangmi is the attendant Zhuge Liang.

As expected, they had no idea what was going to happen at the Sacheon branch. It's still dark dawn.

In the residence of the Sogaju lord, the sound of voices flowed out along with the lights.

"Okay. This is the short-sleeved poison you asked for. There are many other poisons, but I don't know why you always want this one…."

Tang Yi-Jeon grumbled and handed over several bottles of brown poison. The Danjangyeoljidok was a deadly poison that would cause pain as if the five internal organs were to be destroyed if swallowed with just one drop, followed by loss of consciousness and eventually death. It was something Tang Yi-Jeon had created during the competition.

Since then, Dang-myeong has mainly used Danjangyeoljidok, and he has become accustomed to it. He has learned how much to apply with a little bit of Umochim to kill someone, and how to make them lose consciousness. There was no need for more extreme poison. Now that he has Shik-sin Heung-gyeong, he can make Danjangyeoljidok as extreme as Danggasipdok by just giving him his poison.

Since it was a poison that he had invented on his own, he did not share the recipe for Danjangyeoljidok with anyone except his grandfather, the late Minister of Justice Dang Ho-yeol.

There was also the reason that the lethality was too great compared to the ingredients used, and it was not easy to prepare. Above all, it is right for the family to strictly handle the recipe for such an extremely poisonous substance. If it were to leak out, it could cause trouble.

In other words, whenever Dang Ho-yeol requested Danjangyeoljidok, he had to take the time to prepare it himself, because Dang Ho-yeol was busy with the work of Uigak.

Suddenly, he asked me to prepare the Danjangyeoljidok while going to the Sacheon branch, so I had to hurry for quite a while to make it on time. That's why I'm making a fuss for no reason.

"Thank you. Previous."

"No, what. I'm not asking for your thanks. It's none other than the Sogaju's orders, so I have to follow them. And this."

Dang Yi-jeon took a leather pouch out of his bosom and handed it to Dang Sang-myeong.

"What is this…?"

"I improved the container considering the way you use the Umochim. Umochim-woo, right? It's the secret weapon that scatters hundreds of fine needle-type secret weapons like a shower. I thought about it, and it's too inefficient to simply dip the Umochim in a poison bottle and take it out. First of all, it wastes a lot of poison. If you use hundreds of Umochim like that, the amount will decrease considerably after a few times. And if the depth of the venom changes, there will be errors."

It could be dangerous if even a few drops of poison splash out while rushing to get out, but Dang-i-jeon only swallowed those words to himself. After all, Dang-i-myeong was the kind of person who could drink poison as if it were some kind of elixir without any problems.

Dang-myeong accepted the leather pouch that Dang-i-jeon offered. It had a spout and a stopper on one side, and it looked similar to the water pouches that merchants carried while trading across the desert.

"It's called a poison sac. It looks like just a leather pouch, but it's not that simple. If you fill it with venom and then prick the outside with a fine needle like a feather needle and then pull it out, the poison will come out cleanly. Also, even if there's a hole, the poison won't leak out of the pouch. Try it."

At the words of the previous party, Yu Sang-myeong opened the stopper of the poison pouch and poured the poison through the spout. Only after pouring in the poison equivalent of two vials did the pouch become quite full, and Yu Sang-myeong immediately took out a needle from his bosom and inserted it in and out.

"oh."

Dang-myung let out a soft exclamation. In fact, I didn't expect much, but it was just as Dang-i-jeon had said. The poison was cleanly released as deep as the needle was inserted into the poison pouch. It certainly seemed like waste would be reduced. In addition, I don't know what the internal structure is, but the poison didn't leak out through the hole where the needle was inserted.

"It would be useful to just stick the needle in the poison bag and pull it out whenever needed. Since the insertion process is omitted, wouldn't the water flow be a little faster?"

"surely."

Dang-myung nodded in satisfaction. It was an unexpected gift, but it seemed like it would be more useful than expected.

"thanks."

"No, if you count it as gratitude, I should be more grateful. I owe you my grandfather's life, after all. Anyway, don't worry about Ui-gak, and have a safe trip to Sacheonjihoe. I hope nothing bad happens to you, but please take good care of Mi-ryeo and Young Lady Jegal."

"okay."

"And with the permission of the lord, I looked into the recipe for the intangible famous mountain, but it seems like it will take quite some time. Is it really a Tang family poison? It is quite difficult."

Tang Yijun put the formless poison in his mouth. It was a formless poison that was colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and it was called the best poison among the Tanggasippoisons. The recipe for it was taken from the Poisons Archive where Tanggasippoisons were preserved. It was said to be the least lethal of the Tanggasippoisons, but Tanggasippoison was still Tanggasippoison. Even the most skilled people would have a hard time surviving if they were poisoned by Tanggasippoison.

Since it is such an extreme poison recipe, even if the owner of the household is the owner of the household and is in the position of managing the household, he cannot leak it out on his own. He must obtain permission from the owner of the household, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye. Even if it is only formal.

In fact, not everyone who had a recipe could make a poison. You had to have the sense and skill to adjust the mixture according to the condition of the medicinal herbs or poisonous plants and their toxicity. However, Dang-myeong was certain. If it was Dang-i-jeon, he would be able to make an intangible famous mountain. He had confirmed on several occasions that Dang-i-jeon's talent was extraordinary in that regard.

"It doesn't matter if it takes some time. You can make it, right?"

"Yeah. Once I get the hang of it, I'll try to dig into it properly. As I said, it's tricky, but it's not so difficult that I can't make it."

"Okay then. Take your time."

Dang Myeong had a plan. The talented people of the Yi Gak were still young, and they had no great talent in anything anyway. They only showed their talent in preparing and handling medicine and poison. However, they were no different from the limbs of the future Yi Gak Ju, Dang I Jeon, and they were also the ones who would be loyal to Dang Myeong himself.

Now that the Yakwangdang has collapsed and the Uigak has been established, there is no significant power within the family, but Dangryunmyeong intended to give them power.

Above all, a sure force…!

It would only take time, but one day, Tang Yi-Jeon would succeed in creating the intangible famous mountain. Then, mass production might be possible.

Perhaps because they are accustomed to handling medicine and poison, the characters of the cult are usually quite talented in the art of poisoning. What if we make them constantly practice the art of poisoning and arm them with the intangible famous mountain?

Wouldn't it be that he would have a killing power far superior to that of most armed forces? Or he would keep that fact a secret and leave it as a secret military force of the family. In preparation for an unexpected situation. Dang-myeong was aware that he could not protect the family forever. Even if it wasn't this Sacheonjihoe, there might come a time when he would have to go beyond the castle. As the saying goes, "the enemy is always safe."

Anyway.

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The two continued talking for a while, and gradually dawn began to break.

****

The main gate of the house, which had been tightly shut all night, opened slightly, and four people came out.

There are two men and two women.

The men were wearing black military uniforms and bamboo hats, while the women were also wearing military uniforms with cotton shawls covering half of their faces.

Their true identities were that of the group that was to participate in the Sacheonjihoe. One of the men was a member of the Dark King's Corps who was in charge of guiding them to Simhwabang.

When I hadn't even taken a few steps.

The lips of the younger of the two men with dead lips parted slightly.

"for a moment."

As he spoke, Dang-myung's eyes momentarily glowed a deep green. This was a sign that he was about to unleash his poisonous madness.

Hwaaaaak!

The sense of Dang-myung's energy spreads out in an instant in the form of a spider web. The range is almost thirty jang (approximately 90m) in radius. That vast area is completely under Dang-myung's sense. Now, the movements of life existing within it are individually grasped.

Needless to say, the senses are also in a state of lethal injection.

Since the obvious name was currently sealing his own achievements with the closed veins, this was the limit. Originally, he could have constantly deployed the main attack that could sense a range of a hundred chapters… .

Anyway, this was enough.

The figure of Dang-myung disappears into the air like a goblin.

He had unleashed a divine shadow. His movements were as stealthy as the secret technique of the Salsu sect. Only after the divine form of Dang-myeong had completely disappeared did the three realize that he had unleashed a divine technique.

'…I knew that Sogaju's inaction was not ordinary.'

Jang Gil, who was in charge of guiding the way to Sacheonjihoe, couldn't help but be shocked. He had not noticed Sogaju's name disappearing even though he was right next to him. He had seen the sight of Sogaju overwhelming the elders, so there was no doubt that Sogaju's military power was outstanding. However, it was a completely different story that he could move without being caught by a sense of aura. How much had he studied the divine method… .

'If the cow is the main culprit… .'

Jang Gil suddenly had that thought and felt a chill. There was no need to think about it for long. The other person would die without even knowing when it would happen.

How can one avoid the assassination attempt of an entity that cannot even be sensed?

And that would be the worst death for a warrior. He would not be able to properly display the martial arts he had honed his entire life, and would just die in vain.

It was when I was lost in such short thoughts.

'They say that he is as talented as he is handsome…'

Zhuge Yingying opened her eyes wide and looked at the place where Tang Yuanming had been. She had only heard about Tang Yuanming's martial arts, but this was her first time seeing it directly. It was an incredible new technique. Zhuge Yingying had not studied martial arts deeply, but that did not mean that she had no eyes to see. The ground did not crack, nor did she hear a loud noise. Even her father, the head of the Zhuge family, who was the best master in the Zhuge family, could not make such movements.

I remember what my uncle, Jegal Chang-sin, the master of Muryangjeonju, had repeatedly emphasized. He said that Dang-myeong would establish the Dangga. It was only a matter of time before the Sacheon Dangga would be called a great family again and establish itself as the best family in Sacheon.

'I wasn't exaggerating. No matter what happens, I have to take you as my husband.'

Once again, Jegal Yeong-yeong's eyes took on a determined light. And Dang Mi-ryeo was watching Jegal Yeong-yeong with suspicious eyes.

Not long after, Dang-myung-myeong appeared before the group again like a goblin. As expected, it was an incredible new method.

Dangmireo asks.

what's the matter?"

"There were three little rats spying."

The official replied dryly, as if it was nothing special. Since he had decided to attend the Sacheonjihoe, he had guessed that there would be some Sa-pa thugs watching the family's movements. He didn't want his route to be known for no reason and make the road more crowded. That's why he set out at dawn. It would be easy to find people watching the main gate of the family.

As expected, Dang-myeong stabbed the back of their necks with a needle soaked in Danjangyeoljidok. As soon as he stabbed them, they immediately lost consciousness and fell to the ground. By now, they must have all died.

"I said it was long."

"Yes. Sogaju. Please give your order…!"

Jang Gil answered the call of Dang-myeong in a voice that was clearly disciplined for some reason.

"I'll take you by the fastest route without going back. To the deep-rooted room."

"I will follow your orders. Then, I will head towards Deokyang."

Jang-gil took the lead, and the other three followed. They had no intention of using the carriage until they were completely out of the city. They had no intention of attracting unnecessary attention.

The clattering footsteps continue on.

To the right above the heads of the group, transparent sunlight was already

streaming in. The city where the Tang family is located is one of the largest cities in the vast Sichuan region.

It meant that not only the silk population but also the amount of goods coming and going was enormous, but despite this, there were almost no martial arts barriers. Excluding the Tang family, there were only a few military officers. This was because there was a strict order from Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, who was once called the supreme ruler of Sacheon.

The Il-dang-ga Yak-wang-dang is of great help to the people's livelihood, so do not invade Seongdo, which is their territory.

The Apostolic Factions, who had been trying to advance into the Holy City by taking advantage of the weakening of the Tang family due to the bloody battle with Magwangcheon, all retreated at those words. It was natural. Wasn't Heuksa-ryeon-ju someone who could issue a new order at any time? No one wanted to go against his will. If they did, there was a high chance that they would be attacked by others who wanted to catch Heuksa-ryeon-ju's eye.

It was a fortunate thing for the party, but instead, they had to give up all the interests and influence they had previously enjoyed, including businesses spread throughout Sichuan except for Seongdo. Like a lizard that cuts off its own tail in order to survive, they ended up being isolated in Seongdo.

The isolated family had difficulty obtaining supplies. Although it was said to be in decline, it was once a large family that was called Sega. They wanted to maintain a minimum level of power so that they could recover at any time, and to do so, they inevitably needed a huge amount of supplies.

The merchants quickly smelled money. They understood the situation of the Tang family, who could not leave the city. They supplied goods to the Tang family and received a premium. They demanded prices that were three to five percent higher than the market price in other places. For certain goods, they even asked for double the price.

The Tang family knew about the merchants' tricks, but they had no choice but to give in. If they caused friction with them, they would immediately have trouble obtaining supplies. But since the money earned from the Yakwangdang was so enormous, they could handle it.

Meanwhile, when it became known that trade in Seongdo was very profitable, many merchants from all over Sacheon began to bring in goods. Everyone wanted to do business with Tangga.

Naturally, small towns sprang up along the road to the castle. These were commercial districts that were created to target merchants coming and going. Because the prices of goods and accommodations in the castle were high due to the Tang family, merchants mainly used the small towns around the castle. Since they were sure to make a profit from their transactions with Tang families, merchants' pockets were also lighter than usual.

In a way, these villages were like parasites that grew out of the wealth flowing out of the Tang family, but they were prosperous anyway. And as is usually the case in such villages, there was one Sado breakwater.

The village that the party stopped by before going to Deogyang, Hyeonyangchon (賢良村) and Hyeonyangmun (賢良門) located there were also such places.

The predecessor of Hyunyangmun was Hyunyang Sangdan, and it was not originally a martial arts faction. They were a small group based in Seongdo, and they quickly accumulated wealth through transactions with the Tang family. The head of Hyunyang Sangdan was Nam Jinsun, and he happened to witness the divine power of Heuksalyeonju Yu Giljun. He happened to be nearby when Yu Giljun destroyed Cheongseong.

The destruction of the Cheongseongpa - Before the shock had even subsided, news of the collapse of Ami and Jeomchang followed. It was a shocking event. It was a major incident where the nine pillars of the Jeongpa that had lasted for hundreds of years were reduced to six in an instant. And it was the work of a new faction that no one had ever heard of.

Nam Jin-sun was certain that the Black Lotus would rule Sacheon for the next hundred years.

So he made a decision. As soon as he had accumulated some wealth, he would donate all his assets to the Black Lotus and join their ranks. In order to live safely in Sacheon, which had already become the world of the Sado clan, military force or a background was essential. If he continued to settle in Seongdo, not only would his safety be guaranteed for the time being, but it would also be easy to accumulate wealth, but how long would that last? Nam Jin-soon's judgment was that the party would eventually collapse and Seongdo would also be eaten by the factions under the Black Lotus clan.

一Your qualities are extremely ordinary. It seems that you have only learned simple vomit techniques. I will just teach you a few simple martial arts that will be good for generations to learn.

It was an unexpected harvest. The amount of money he had donated was quite large, but who would have thought that he would receive martial arts from the Black Lotus Master…!

He had heard that the Black Lotus Master had personally created and modified a martial arts method to recruit martial artists who had reached a certain level, but Nam Jin-soon had thought that it would not apply to him. He had thought that it would be enough if he just had a solid background.

This was possible because it was the early days of the Black Lotus. It was a kind of special privilege given only to those who recognized the Black Lotus's potential and devoted themselves to it earlier than others.

Furthermore, he said that the Black Lotus was a 'simple' martial arts, but that was from his position as the great master of the Sado martial arts, and for Nam Jin-soon, there was no such thing as a new martial arts. Nam Jin-soon was a man who knew his place. Even if he and his children learned the rising martial arts with their innate five-star status, he thought that they would not be able to achieve proper success anyway. It was like a magpie chasing a stork and getting its legs torn.

What Nam Jin-soon received was one breathing technique and one sword technique. It was said that it was originally created as a martial art for the commoners of the Black Lotus, but was discarded. It was easy to learn, but the limitations were too clear.

There were even people who said to call me whatever you want since I haven't even decided on a name.

Nam Jin-sun accepted it positively. Since it meant that others had not learned it, it could become his own unique Germanic ignorance.

Anyway, Nam Jin-sun, who returned to the city, organized all the remaining family assets and left with all his relatives. Since he was a member of the Black Death League, he could not remain in the city. The leader's orders were strict.

The new home of Nam Jin-sun and Hyeonyang Sangdan was a village located a little to the north of Seongdo. Nam Jin-sun spent money to renovate the nameless village and named it Hyeonyang Village. From the perspective of the people who originally lived in Hyeonyang Village, it was like these people who came in out of nowhere and were acting like the owners, but they were overwhelmed by the money they wielded and the warriors they commanded, so they had no choice but to remain quiet.

Nam Jin-sun and his immediate blood relatives immediately began learning the martial arts they had been taught by Heuk Sa-ryeon-ju.

The Great Power Heart Method and the Black Death Sword Method were names that Nam Jin-sun, who had no knowledge of martial arts, had roughly come up with. They were names that sounded like third-rate martial arts, but those who learned them quickly became strong. Using the Great Power Heart Method, although not pure, would accumulate a large amount of internal energy at an unbelievable speed, and the Black Death Sword Method, which was based on it, was a combination of all sorts of subtle changes that even a swordsman of considerable skill would not be able to easily deal with.

Even without seeking out any mysterious principles or anything, just by diligently practicing, he became stronger day by day. It was truly the work of a sect.

Nam Jin-soon, who had gained some confidence, completely changed the Hyeonyang Sangdan into Hyeonyangmun and began to operate as a full-fledged martial arts sect. There were several conflicts with surrounding sects that tried to expand their territory, but Hyeonyangmun, which had learned martial arts from the Black Lotus Master, had an overwhelming advantage.

Hyun Yang Moon's Great Power Heart Method and Black Death Sword Method quickly became famous. It was also a martial art bestowed upon him by the Black Death Master.

It was natural that many people wanted to enter the Hyeonyangmun. Nam Jin-sun, the head of the Hyeonyangmun, used his money to recruit those who had reached a certain level among the visiting warriors. Nam Jin-sun, who knew the nature of merchants and merchants well, had no difficulty in providing them with appropriate convenience, and Hyeonyang Village gradually prospered. And since Hyeonyangmun was the de facto owner of the Hyeonyang Village, it became even wealthier than when it operated the merchants in Seongdo, so it was possible to recruit high-ranking officials with money.

He also lured some young masters he really liked into the Hyeonyangmun by giving them his daughters, and it was extremely rare for those who received marriage proposals to refuse. They were tempted by the promise that if they became his sons-in-law, they would be taught the Great Power Heart method and the Black Death Sword method.

If someone was recognized as a master in the martial arts world, there was a high chance that they were a martial arts fanatic. If they were a master of martial arts, they would be delusional. They were given the opportunity to learn the martial arts that the Black Lotus Drum had personally given them, and there were many good people for marriage. Some of Nam Jin-soon's daughters had pretty good looks.

In other words, Nam Jin-sun's sons-in-law were all excellent kendo masters. Now, they had even mastered the Daeryuksim method and the Heuksa sword method.

Among the Apostolic Sects under the Black Lotus, the Hyunyang Sect was recognized as a small but powerful sect. However, since there is no one who can be called a so-called leader, they will not be participating in the Sacheon Branch this time.

In fact, it was a strange thing. The children of the head of the Hyeon Yang clan, Nam Jin-sun, had already grown up, but they had not yet decided on a head. Could it be that he was leaving the clan in the hands of an outsider? When Nam Jin-sun was in the midst of accepting his sons-in-law, there were voices of concern within the clan.

But soon Nam Jin-sun's intentions were revealed.

一You are my children, but your qualifications are low. You were late in learning martial arts. That is why I will skip a generation and pass the school to one of my grandchildren. Of course, I will not discriminate between a biological grandchild and a maternal grandchild. If only your qualifications are proven, I will gladly give you the position of the head of the small clan.

The purpose of taking in masters as sons-in-law was to strengthen the power of the Hyeonyangmun, but also to improve Nam Jin-sun's own bloodline. Nam Jin-sun's sons-in-law who had learned the Daeryeoksim method and the Heuksageom method began to actively produce children at his word. If they had one child and raised him well, it would be like the whole Hyeonyangmun would roll in. They even passed on the secret techniques of Dokmun that they had learned before coming to the Hyeonyangmun to their children and competed with each other.

Perhaps that is why there were many children among Nam Jin-sun's grandchildren who had outstanding skills compared to their peers. Among them, there was one child who particularly stood out... .

There was no way that Jang Gil, the head of the royal palace, would have been aware of all the details of these matters.

Simhwabang was simply located in a place called Sipbang, and from the city where Dangga was located, it was due north. It was judged that the fastest way to travel was through Deokyang, which was slightly to the east. On the way to Deokyang, there was Hyeonyang Village.

"Why is it suddenly black?"

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As soon as he entered the village, Dang Mi-ryeo asked Dang Sang-myeong, who was looking for a blacksmith shop. He already had hidden weapons inside his uniform that could kill hundreds of people, so why is he carrying a sword?

"I thought carrying a sword would make me less suspicious."

If you think about it, that's right. If you weren't wearing a weapon with a military uniform, you would be seen as someone who had learned martial arts or secret martial arts. In Sacheon, especially around Seongdo, the latter was more likely than the former.

Of course, he said that, but he also had other intentions.

'But just in case, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring a longsword.'

He had already reached the level of a master swordsman and was no longer restricted by the length of the sword, whether it was a longsword, a dagger, or a shuriken. However, if he wanted to properly demonstrate his sword skills, a longsword was the way to go.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this Sacheonjihoe. It wasn't ominous, but it felt uneasy. I thought that if I hung a longsword on my waist, it would make me feel better.

"Now that I hear it, what Sogaju says is right. If you do, then go to the blacksmith shop. I will ask the villagers."

Jang Gil approached the passerby and quickly found out the location of the blacksmith shop, and the group moved on.

It was noon, when the sun was high in the sky.

Yeon Woo-jung, the second son-in-law of Hyeon Yang-munju Nam Jin-sun, thought as he walked through the garden. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and it was clear without a single cloud. It was truly the blue sky.

- I feel very happy about the scenery where nothing stands in my way.

'Everything is going smoothly. It's so smooth.'

Yeon Woo-joong quietly raised his lips. A satisfied smile. If things continued this way, it wouldn't be difficult to take control of Hyeonyangmun. After all, his only son Yeon Soo-cheong was the most talented of the grandchildren of Munju Nam Jin-sun.

Nam Jin-soon favored Yeon-seo-cheong so much that anyone could tell. Unlike his other grandchildren, he often called Yeon-seo-cheong aside to talk to him, and he didn't hesitate to spend a lot of money on Yeon-seo-cheong. He not only bought her elixirs, but also invited a famous master of Heuk-sa-ryeon to give her a bee-mo-su. In fact, Yeon-woo-jung had already taken care of Yeon-seo-cheong since she was born, so the bee-mo-su was not very effective.

Also, when Yeon So-cheong turned ten, he built a large martial arts field and a manor for him. He said that martial arts training should not be complicated. The manor that Yeon Woo-jung is currently walking around was built at that time. He also gave Yeon So-cheong a personal escort force that he could use.

This is a benefit not given to other grandchildren.

And when he was alone with Yeon Woo-joong, Nam Jin-soon revealed his true feelings several times. He said that Yeon Soo-cheong would be the one to raise the name of Hyeon Yang-mun in the future.

He will probably be officially appointed as a solicitor soon.

Nam Jin-sun's other sons-in-law each had two or three children, but their qualifications were far from adequate to take the position of Yeonsocheong.

'That's only natural.'

There is no such thing as a servant under a servant - Yeon Woo-joong muttered. If his true identity were revealed, anyone would think the same.

There aren't many Yeonga in the martial arts world. Yeonwoojung didn't bother to hide his name. Who would have imagined that a son-in-law of a small sect like Hyeonyangmun would be a figure of Cheonmasingyo, and that too with the bloodline of the sect leader.

That's right.

Although he told Nam Jin-sun, the head of the Hyeon Yang Moon clan, that he was just a commoner from a noble family, Yeon Woo-jung was actually the nephew of the current leader of the Cheon Ma Shin Cult.

Yeon Jung-hyeok, who was once the leader of the cult and is now the leader of the Magwang cult, could be considered a cousin. They didn't really have much contact with each other, though. Yeon Jung-hyeok never treated anyone with kindness except for his father, the leader.

In any case, the most noble bloodline in the Cheonmasingyo is that Yeonga, so even if half of the blood of the Hyeonyangmun Namga was mixed in, it was expected that Yeonsa Cheong's talent for martial arts would be far beyond average.

'I heard the Sacheon branch meeting will be held soon.'

Yeonwoojung was lost in thought. This Sacheonjihoe, hosted by Simhwabang, had attracted a lot of attention in many ways. Taeeulmukgeompa, Cheonjinbang, and Mokyeonggung, which were major factions under Heuksabang, had all fallen for some reason, so the participants would fiercely fight over the vested interests they had. And there was talk that Dangga's Sogaju, Myeongmyeong, would also participate.

Perhaps because it is close to Seongdo, rumors about Dangsangmyeong can be heard quite often in this Hyeonyang Village.

As it turns out, it was Dangga Sogaju who wiped out the three hundred people of Taeeulmukgeompa and Cheonjinbang.

She is said to be the owner of a beauty that makes it impossible to take your eyes off her once you see her.

He forced the elders who had been controlling the party for over ten years to their knees.

By the way, the massacre that occurred near Seongdo not long ago was also said to be the work of the Dangga Sogaju. They said that they annihilated nearly two hundred people in a few breaths through a secret baptism using a Umochim.

It was quite shocking that even among the dead, there was Mokyeonggungju Jang Taecheon. It was even more shocking when it was known that Dangga Sogaju Dangmyeong was around sixteen years old. It is common sense, isn't it? However, there were quite a few civilians who witnessed it, so it was an exaggeration. At least this incident was credible.

And Yeonwoo-jung understood that it must be so because he had seen even more terrible monsters.

Magwangcheonju Yeonjunghyuk.

'… It was truly astonishing.'

Yeonwoo-jung still can't forget that day. When the leader of the Cheonmasin Church becomes an adult, he holds a ceremony to reveal his divine power in front of the followers. Cheonmasin Church is a place where the logic of the strong reigns supreme. Naturally, the leader at the top had to have a strong enough military force to wield absolute power.

The successor, the junior leader, also had to instill confidence in the followers that he would eventually become the pinnacle of the religion.

Usually, the event ends with defeating a major figure, but Yeon Jung-hyeok arrogantly called out the names of the two most powerful martial artists, the Left and Right. At the time, Yeon Woo-joong thought that his cousin Yeon Jung-hyeok had gone mad. That was understandable, because the Left and Right were martial artists known to have reached Hwagyeong with the leader. Although they were opponents, it could be considered a great humiliation from the perspectives of the Left and Right.

However, the Left and Right soldiers came out with nervous expressions as if they had expected it. The last man, the lower rank, moved cautiously as if he was dealing with a master. And the results that were soon revealed were shocking. Despite their combined attack, the Left and Right soldiers were greatly pushed back by Yeon Jung-hyeok. They admitted defeat with admiration.

Truly overwhelming inaction!

And the followers of Yeonjunghyeok who emerged at that time are the people who make up Magwangcheon now.

Anyway, from Yeonwoojung's perspective, Dangga Sogaju Dangmyeong was not an entirely incomprehensible existence. Considering Dangga Muhak's characteristics that suited mass murder, killing hundreds of people was not such a big deal. Mokyeonggungju Jang Taecheon could have let his guard down.

'Anyway, Socheong will have acquired that much power by the time she gets that age.'

Yeonwoojoong thought. Even though he was his son, Yeonsocheong was born with considerable talent. Although he was a child he had acquired during a mission, he felt a sense of kinship. He planned to tell his father's secret someday. If he taught him the great teachings of the new religion, he would be equipped with the ability to easily overwhelm the Tang family's Sogaju.

The Daeryeoksimbeop and Heuksageombeop that Hyunyangmun boasts of were also learned by Yeonwoojung. As expected, it was a martial art touched by the hands of Heuksayeonju, so it had a simple yet mysterious aspect, but its limitations were clear. It was a martial art that suited only the bloodline of a lowly male family. It could not match Yeonsocheong's qualities. Yeonsocheong would probably soon master the two martial arts and feel thirsty for new martial arts.

At that time, the intention was to pass on the martial arts of the new religion.

Since the successor has not been 'officially' decided yet, and Yeon So-cheong is still young, Hyun Yang-moon has no reason to participate in the Sacheon branch. He will probably participate in the next Sacheon branch.

And at that time, all the sects that participated in the Sacheonjihoe will be shocked by the appearance of a new master with incredible skills.

The Sacheon Branch was the most efficient means of raising the name of the wave and expanding the territory. If the ability of the successor who participated was confirmed, it would only be a matter of time before he would take up a key position in the Black Lotus.

The mission that Yeonwoo-jung received from the Shingyo was to infiltrate one of the Sacheon Apostolic Sects and become a high-ranking figure in the Black Lotus.

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The current Cheonma Shingyo boasts the strongest power in history. Of course, this includes the power of Magwangcheon.

Thanks to Ma Guangcheon, who was influential throughout the eastern part of the Central Plains martial arts world including Hubei, the Heavenly Demon Sect predicted that if they could just get Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan under control, they would be able to create a world for demons.

Now that he had finished some preparations, he was ready to begin his march to trample the martial arts world, starting with Kunlun.

However, even if it was the Heavenly Demon Sect, it could not help but feel burdened by the Black Lotus of Sacheon.

To be exact, it was a burden felt towards an individual named Yu Gil-jun of Heuksaryeonju.

Didn't they already destroy three of the old factions when they were still the Black Death faction, not the Black Death faction? It was quite famous that the leaders of Ami and Jeomchang had joined forces and yet were defeated mercilessly. From the perspective of the Cheonmasingyo, who had been at odds with Kunlun, which was only a small faction of the old factions, Yu Giljun's power was truly immeasurable. Of course, the martial arts of the Kunlun faction's leader, Masan, were far superior to those of the other old factions' leaders... .

In addition, the Black Lotus Lord, born with the qualities of a great master, has been strengthening his power by occasionally awarding martial arts awards to his subordinate forces. The apostle forces, which had been overwhelming in numbers from the beginning, have now acquired military power as well. Naturally, the Heavenly Demon Sect tried to avoid clashing with the Black Lotus as much as possible. If the demon and the apostle clash, the only thing that would benefit is the Jeongdo forces.

As time passed, what the Cheonmasingyo noticed was that there was no worthy successor to Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master. Although he had an adopted daughter, Yu Yeon-hee, it seemed that he did not teach her any martial arts.

So then, what will happen after Yu Gil-jun's death?

It won't easily fall apart just because the center of gravity is gone. It's limited to Sacheon, but they won't give up the world they've achieved with difficulty. However, unless a truly outstanding person appears, the Black Death Alliance can't run like it is now. The leadership will probably gather opinions and jointly run the Black Death Alliance.

What the Cheonmasingyo was after was the position of its leadership. Rather than recruiting, they planned to plant someone from the new cult. Since Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, was still young, there was still a lot of time left before he could expect to die.

Although the person assigned to the mission was not a direct descendant of the cult leader, the fact that he was a member of Yeonga hinted at the gravity of the mission. And because it was judged that the situation at Hyeonyangmun would be the easiest to infiltrate, Yeon Woo-jung became Nam Jin-soon's second son-in-law.

Also, although no one in the Hyeonyangmun noticed it, Hyeonyang Village was unknowingly under the protection of the Cheonmasin Church. It was unusually prosperous compared to other villages around the city, and the surrounding sects that could have been threatening disappeared without a sound. Among the civilians living in Hyeonyang Village, there were quite a few followers who were hiding their identities. An entire armed force skilled in hiding was waiting for Yeonwoojung's orders, and also secretly guarding Yeonsocheong.

'It's almost time for Socheong to come.'

Yeonwoo-joong muttered as he recalled his son's face. He was a boy who looked exactly like himself when he was young. He had an arrogant personality, perhaps because he had been raised with respect since childhood, but Yeonwoo-joong did not think of it as a major flaw.

Those who excel in martial arts tend to be self-righteous. Because their accumulated martial arts knowledge is far superior to others. Young Yeon-so-cheong also showed outstanding achievements compared to his half-brothers, so it is natural for him to have some pride or arrogance. Later, he could tell his son that there is a heaven above the heaven, so he did not want to teach his son how to be humble in a small village like this.

at that time.

"Interpersonal. Interpersonal…!"

There was someone running in a hurry. His tone was very urgent.

Yeonwoo's new model stretched out like a stick of candy and stopped right in front of the running man's nose.

"What's going on?"

Yeonwoojung's face hardened a little. He instinctively sensed that something had happened. The man was Yeonwoojung's son Yeonseocheong's servant. The fact that he had returned alone meant that something had happened to Yeonseocheong.

'No way. There must be a Cheonwoldae guarding the area near Socheong.'

The Cheonwoldae was one of the elite military units of the Cheonmasin Sect. They were warriors who could hide even the magic energy that was revealed when all of them learned the magic arts. Ten of them could destroy any small or medium-sized sect overnight. Thirty of the Cheonwoldae were guarding Yeonsocheong.

• • • •

The servant finally caught his breath and opened his mouth.

"Master Socheong, you are being mistreated by some bamboo people…!"

As soon as the word "一" was uttered in the blacksmith shop, Yeonwoo's new form became blurry, and a strong wind blew, followed by the sound of the main gate of the manor bursting open.

Soon after, shadows rose up from all over the garden and chased after Yeon Woo-joong. They were the members of the Cheonmasingyo Cheonwoldae, numbering nearly seventy.

Only the male servant with a blank expression was standing there blankly. 'It smells bad.'

Yu Myeong-myeong thought as he walked. His two eyes hidden in the bamboo shoots absentmindedly scanned his surroundings. He saw ordinary people who were engaged in their own livelihoods. However, many of them had a strange aura. Although he hid it well enough so that it was not apparent, he could not avoid Yu Myeong-myeong's sense of aura that had reached Hwagyeong. Although his achievements were limited by the closed veins, it only affected the scope of his sense of aura.

It can't be strange. Sacheon is already no different from Apostolic Heaven. Who are they, hiding their identities and hiding in Hyeonyang Village?

For a moment, Yu Myeong-myeong thought that they were targeting him, but he soon concluded that it wasn't. Not only had they killed the rats who had been spying on them as soon as they left the house, but Jang Gil, who was in charge of guiding them, had also decided their route on the spot. Furthermore, those who had a strange aura looked at the group with their faces covered with bamboo and cotton cloth with wary eyes, but they didn't seem to recognize them at all.

Surprisingly, my curiosity about their identities was easily resolved.

[It's magic.]

'Magi?'

In response to Shikshin Heungcheong's words, Yuan Ming asked back. Of course, I didn't ask because I didn't know what Magi was. Isn't Magi the unique true energy of those who have mastered the art of magic? It's just that it's the first time I've encountered it. In his previous life, Yuan Ming devoted himself to training in the deep mountains and valleys to see the end of the sword, and he had never been involved with the martial arts world.

[You don't know about magic? Well, considering your age, that's to be expected…]

Hearing muttered as if it was unexpected and trailed off. Judging from the way he had acted so far, it would not have been strange if he had been an old man who had lived for decades and had become half-aged. However, seeing him not being able to recognize magic like this, he thought that he was just a novice with no experience in martial arts.

'Why did the demonic cult's thugs come here?'

[How would I know? All I have to do is catch a few and beat them up.]

Heung-gyeong laughed and spoke casually.

Dang-myeong felt uneasy. The purpose of going to the Sacheonjihoe was in a way because of the Demonic Cult. Kunlun and Gong-dong were working together to attack the Demonic Cult, but traces of the Demonic Cult were discovered in a village near the city. It was inevitable that he would be concerned.

However, the decree did not show its intention and moved to the blacksmith shop. It seemed that the group did not feel anything strange at all. The cultists who were wearing the masks of ordinary people here and there in Hyeonyang Village were very skilled at hiding their aura as if they had received professional training.

"Come on in!"

As they entered the blacksmith shop, a figure who appeared to be a blacksmith greeted them with a loud voice. He did not seem to find it strange that the group covered their faces with bamboo or cotton cloth. He simply saw that the four of them were wearing military uniforms and had no weapons or equipment, and his eyes lit up.

Dang-myung said it like this.

"I came to see the sword."

"You're a swordsman! Now, all of the items displayed here are swords. I don't mean to brag, but even so, they're far superior to most items in the Holy City."

The words of the night watchman who added, "It's not because I lack ability, but because of the local atmosphere, that I settled down here in Hyeonyangchon," seemed to be true. Dang-myeong had previously traveled to every corner of Seongdo to discuss the issue of establishing a top group. During that time, he met Hyeon-so and Tae-heo from the Gongdongpa.

Compared to the swords made by the saints I saw back then, they had no decorations and definitely felt rough, but I could tell their quality just by looking at the blade. They were swords that had been properly forged and tempered.

"It's worth shouting about."

The official said, holding up each sword and lightly tapping the tip of the sword with his finger. It was a task to determine how well the sword absorbed shock through the tremors. The night watchman widened his eyes when he saw this. In order to judge the sword in this way, not only did he have to strike the sword with the same strength every time, but he also had to be sensitive enough to completely feel the slight vibrations. This was something only masters of kendo who had reached the highest level could do.

The night watchman's eyes lit up with a strange excitement as he recognized at a glance that this was not a show.

"Hey, I didn't know I'd be taking this out today…."

The night watchman took out a long wooden box from a dark place. As soon as the box opened with a creaking sound, everyone in the group except for Yuan Myeong was startled.

A sword with a murderous aura was lying on top of a thick pile of cloth.

"This is something like a will left by my master. He finished it just before he could get it, but he passed away from a chronic illness. I took over his will and finished it. What do you think? Can't we call it the masterpiece of his life?..?"

"I opened my eyes. I didn't know there was such a sword in the world…."

"… It wouldn't be strange if it became famous as a famous sword right away."

"Even I, a layman when it comes to swords, find it chilling, but swordsmen must be going crazy."

Jang Gil, Jegal Yeong-yeong, and Dang Mi-ryeo each gave a word of praise to the night watchman. However, the night watchman's eyes were fixed solely on Yu Sang-myeong. It seemed as if he wanted to gain recognition from Yu Sang-myeong, who was clearly an excellent swordsman.

This was natural. Parents feel joy when their children receive great recognition. To him, the blacksmith, this blacksmith was no different from a child he had raised with great care.

It was separate from selling swords.

Finally, Dang-myung's mouth opened.

"It's a great sword. What's its name?"

"It's the new magic sword. It's the name my master gave me."

Slaying the Demon - I don't know why he named his sword like that. I just thought that with this level of skill, he would be able to slay any demon.

It was certainly a sword worthy of being ranked among the most famous swords. However, Dang-myeong soon took his eyes off the True Demon Sword. As a swordsman, it was definitely a sword he coveted.

Isn't this a weapon that is no different from a weapon in that the sharpness of a blade is constantly being displayed?

But I had decided that I would live this life without holding a sword if possible. For an ordinary life. Right now, I just needed an ordinary sword to use as a trick. I might use it occasionally, so as long as it was sturdy enough, that would be enough.

That was when.

"… Last time, I clearly asked for the best sword."

What the, there was a boy walking in with his black hair long and his expression crumpled. He was wearing clothes made of silk, and he was accompanied by guards and men who seemed to be servants, so he seemed to be of a very noble status.

The night watchman said with great embarrassment.

"Your Majesty. This is…."

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"Ah. Okay. I'm glad you came."

The boy, Yeon-seon-cheong, interrupted the night market nervously. He was in a very bad mood right now. A few days ago, on his birthday, when his grandfather told him to ask for anything he wanted, he said he wanted a real sword. He didn't have money, but since he was still young, his grandfather and father wouldn't let him use a real sword. That's why he asked for permission.

Since Yeon Soo-cheong had mastered the Great Power Heart Method and the Black Death Sword Method, the Hyeon Yang Moon Lord Nam Jin-sun readily allowed him to use the real sword. When Nam Jin-sun gave his permission, Yeon Woo-jung had no choice but to nod.

Yeon-so-cheong immediately ran to the blacksmith and told him to bring out the best swords. The blacksmith brought out several swords that were quite neat and said that they were his masterpieces. Yeon-so-cheong bought one that he liked and carried it around. Although he was young, Yeon-so-cheong had developed well, so he could wield the long sword appropriately.

Today, Yeonsocheong happened to hear about four outsiders who had entered Hyeonyangchon. They were a man and a woman, and they were wearing bamboo hats and cotton sacks, so no one could see their faces. Yeonsocheong, who was considered the next head of the Hyeonyangmun clan, the real power in Hyeonyangchon, was curious. What kind of people did they do, and what kind of people did they look like? It was not difficult to figure out that they had entered the blacksmith shop.

So Yeon-so-cheong followed the suspicious group to the blacksmith shop, but what was this? The blacksmith was showing them a sword that he had never shown to himself. The sword in the long wooden case was emitting extraordinary auras even at a glance.

Yeon-so-cheong felt betrayed and resentful. How dare a mere night watchman dare to deceive him in Hyeon-yang-chon without fear?

I felt that I had to set an example by showing that one step is enough.

"You really do want to die. You are making fun of Confucius."

"No, no, your Majesty. It is a misunderstanding…!"

The night market was terrified and begged. If you were to fall out of favor with the Hyeonyangmun in Hyeonyang Village, it would be difficult to live a normal life. In particular, the grandson of the Hyeonyangmun lord Nam Jin-sun, Yeon So-cheong, was known to have a strong spirit despite his young age. If he had said he would kill you, there was a high chance that he would really kill you.

one side.

Dang-myung looked at the boy with an interested look. To be exact, he felt the escort troops lined up behind the boy, and the numerous hidden presences spreading out around them. He had already sensed that they were approaching. He didn't know that things would turn out this way.

'Thirty people?'

It was strange. The boy only felt a moderate aura. In fact, he had achieved quite a lot for his age, but in Dang-myung's eyes, he just looked like an extremely ordinary person. The problem was that he felt a strong magical energy from the thirty people hiding around the boy. As expected, they were hiding their auras in secret, but they could not avoid Dang-myung's sense of aura.

Thud thud.

The boy walked up to Dang-myeong without any fear and spoke to him in a chewing tone.

"Get out of the way. I have to kill that bastard right now."

"Or should I kill you first?"

As Deungmyung stood there blankly without moving, Yeonsocheong spat out threateningly.

"That kid has a foul mouth."

"what?"

"A valuable treasure has its rightful owner. You guys are not good enough to handle this sword. Come back after training for at least twenty more years."

"This kid!"

Yeon-seon-cheong was furious and pulled out the sword at his waist to swing it. Although he had not yet fully grown, his Black Death Sword Technique had reached a state of perfection. What he lacked in brute strength due to not having fully grown, his Great Power Heart Technique more than made up for it. Even the most skilled young masters would not be able to match Yeon-seon-cheong's sword.

But before the combustion engine could even draw its sword,

Phew!

With a sound of something breaking, the new form of the combustion chamber was thrown backwards. Using the new method of shadowing, Dang-myeong quickly closed the distance and flicked his middle finger at the combustion chamber's forehead. A deep, fingernail-sized mark was left on the combustion chamber's forehead. It was truly a humiliating sight.

"Confucius!"

The escort troops who had been watching the situation from behind rushed in, drew their swords, and surrounded Yuan Ming and his party. However, not only Yuan Ming, but also Jang Gil and Dang Mi Ryeo showed no signs of nervousness. The escort troops seemed to be from a humble military family and were of a mediocre level. If they had the will, Jang Gil and Dang Mi Ryeo could have fought them alone. Jegal Yeong Yeong took a step back and watched the situation with shining eyes.

"Hey, kid."

Yu Myeong-myeong called out to Yeon So-cheong, who was just coming to his senses. When Yeon So-cheong, who had a serious expression on her face, was about to swear, Yu Myeong-myeong continued speaking.

"You. What is your relationship with the Demonic Cult?"

At that moment.

There were shadows rising up here and there as if it were a lie.

A whopping thirty demonic cult Cheonwoldae have appeared. What, what? Where did this many people suddenly come from…?"

"Did you see that just now? They came out of the ground…! Are these authors really people?"

"How long have you been hiding? I never noticed you."

"If you had eyes, look at their standing posture. Even at a glance, you can tell that they are at an absurdly high level. It's natural for you not to notice."

"Before that, that guy just put the devil's teachings in his mouth… No way?"

"You idiot. Talk about something reasonable. What kind of demonic cult is this in the middle of Sichuan, not even Xinjiang? First, protect Confucius."

The escort troops of the Yeonsu-cheong were in disarray. They lifted the siege on Dang-myeong and his party and stepped back, guarding against their son-in-law. These people who appeared out of nowhere - they were all wearing masks that covered half of their faces, and the oppressive feeling from their indifferent eyes was no joke.

Should I say that it doesn't feel like I'm seeing any living being?

Also, they were all wearing tight-knit military uniforms, probably to prevent the sound of their clothes rustling. They each had a long sword on their waists, and the handles and scabbards were all black. The only clue to their status was the silver character '月' engraved on the scabbards. Anyone who knew anything about the Cheonmasingyo would have recognized that it was the symbol of the Cheonwoldae, but no one in the room had that much insight.

"What are these…?"

Yeon-so-cheong muttered in a bewildered voice. The masked men appeared as if responding to the obvious question of what kind of relationship they had with the Demonic Cult. Since when and why had they been around him? Could they really be members of the Demonic Cult? If so, who on earth was that guy who detected the hiding people and guessed their identities…?

My mind was complicated. It was natural. Yeon-su-cheong had never heard anything about the true identity of his father, Yeon-woo-joong.

That was when.

"There are many people who don't know the value of life."

A soft voice was heard. It was one of the masked men speaking.

"How dare you call our school by such a derogatory term."

Suddenly, a silence as if someone had poured cold water on you fell over you. Everyone except for Dang-myung looked very surprised. I had no idea, but are they really people from the Demonic Cult?

At the same time, the faces of some of the escorting troops of the Yeonhwacheong died with darkened expressions. They were the ones who had been talking about the 'demon cult' a little while ago. It was obvious that they were regretting their own recklessness.

There are several taboos in the martial arts world that have been passed down from ancient times.

Among them, there was one related to the Cheonmasin religion, which was that you should never call it 'the devil' in front of them. That was a derogatory term. At least in front of them, you had to call it 'Cheonmasin religion' or 'new religion'. One wrong word could turn into a memorial day that day.

Even the martial artists of the time couldn't openly call it a cult unless they were confident in their martial arts skills. Especially now that Magwangcheon was gaining great influence, they had to be even more careful. Aren't their roots the Cheonma Shingyo?

However, in Sacheon, where the Black Lotus ruled, there was bound to be less attention paid to such taboos. That is why the escort warriors must have called it that without thinking. Just before, it was mentioned that the name was a demonic cult.

Yeah, it could be seen as a mistake.

The problem was that mistakes in martial arts often led to death.

"Die."

Before he could finish his words, a silver flash tore through the air.

Several sharp, cutting sounds are heard. The masked men, the warriors of the Cheonmasingyo Cheonwoldae, swung their swords like lightning. The swords wrapped in a sword energy did not obscure the human skin or weapons.

Just one breath.

Was it too much trouble to distinguish? Swords were swung even at those who did not utter derogatory terms about the Cheonmasingyo. The Yeonsocheong escort troops were all cut into two or three pieces. Many were split left and right or up and down, and the sight of them falling down with blood and internal organs spilling out was extremely shocking. It was truly a brutal sword fight.

Soon, a pungent smell of blood spread.

The only survivors were Yeon So-cheong and his servant, and their reactions were completely contrasting. While the servant had a frightened expression, Yeon So-cheong was not shaking and his eyes were shining. Did he realize that what Cheon Wol-dae had just unleashed was a sword technique of ascension that was far superior to the Black Death Sword Technique?

"Invite Prince Yeon."

The first to open his mouth was the warrior of Cheonwoldae.

Then, other Cheonwoldae warriors approached Yeonsocheong.

"This way."

Yeon-sa-cheong did not feel any hostility in their words or actions. Instead, he felt a certain respect. He could tell just by looking at their title, Confucius. He could not understand why the people of the Cheonmasingyo, who possessed incredible power, were acting this way, but for the time being, he obediently followed their lead.

After securing the new recruits from the Yeonhwa Army, the Cheonwoldae warrior looked at Dangsangmyeong and his group and said.

"You guys. What are you? And you. How did you find out about our existence?"

It was a very curious thing for him. He was proud of the fact that Cheonwoldae's hiding was close to perfect. He also kept his magic hidden from view. If the opponent was a peerless master who had reached Hwagyeong, then it would be different, but judging from his intuition, the achievement of Dangmyeongmyeong and his party was not that great. He wondered how he had figured it out. Did he learn a special sense or technique?

'The kid doesn't seem to know, but it looks like there's a relationship.'

Dang-myeong didn't answer and just collected his thoughts. When Cheonwoldae showed up, Yeon-seo-cheong had an unexpected expression. As if he had never known of his existence. On the other hand, Cheonwoldae called Yeon-seo-cheong "Confucius" and showed his plowing skills. This means that their relationship was one-sided.

"What are the demonic bastards up to here?"

"… Don't you feel alarmed even after seeing those guys who just died?"

The Cheonwoldae warrior said, looking a little bewildered. How could he use such a derogatory term after seeing the swordsmanship displayed by the Cheonwoldae just now? Does he want to die…?

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"It seems like you have no sense of alertness."

Yu Myeong-myeong answered with a laugh. The swordsmanship of the Cheonwoldae warriors extended. With that one move, he was able to roughly estimate their skills. They were swordsmen of a fairly high level, but that was all. In Yu Myeong-myeong's eyes, who had already reached the realm of the swordsman, they were nothing more than low-level people.

one side.

'oh my god.'

Jang Gil, the warrior of the Dark King's Army who was in charge of the guide, screamed inwardly as he looked at Dang Myeong-myeong. Why on earth did Sogaju provoke them like this?

Jang Gil was extremely nervous at the moment. It was purely his judgment that he had chosen to go to this village of Hyeonyang. However, he had come across the cultists here. If the owner of the small house, Dang Myeong-myeong, had made a mistake here, he would have committed an unforgivable sin against his family.

'This is dangerous.'

It was well known that the sage had outstanding skills. It was enough to make even the elders kneel, so what could I say? However, the trick that the cultists had just shown was no joke. Jang Gil thought about whether he would have survived if he had been there, and felt a chill run down his spine.

The number of demon cultists was as high as thirty. Assuming that all of them were swordsmen capable of implementing the sword technique just now, Jang Gil judged that their chances of victory were slim. Furthermore, the environment was unfavorable in many ways for them to take advantage of poison and secret weapons. The distance to the enemy was short, and the space was cramped. However, it was not easy to escape. It did not seem like Deungmyung would escape.

Whether he knew the inside of Jang Gil that was burning or not, Dang Myeong-myeong continued to provoke Cheon Wol-dae.

"Even if you didn't know, you can't just ignore the fact that the Demonic Cult's thugs are plotting something in the land of Sacheon."

"What? A scoundrel…? Huh, now that I look at it, he really is a crazy guy. That's enough. Just die."

In the end, the Cheonwoldae warrior decided to kill this arrogant man. He had kept him alive out of curiosity, but as he talked to him, his murderous intent grew stronger. Yes, if you look closely, there are many things you can find out from the body. Let's just kill him first.

He drew his sword and approached them, intending to deal with them himself. He did not underestimate his opponent, but he was not particularly wary either. The level of aura he sensed was not that great.

"Master."

"Yes, yes…!"

The night watchman hurriedly answered the call of Dang-myung. It was hard to find his original boldness in him. He had incurred the wrath of Yeon-so-cheong, who was considered the most influential figure in the Hyeon-yang-mun, and now even the cultists had suddenly appeared. Furthermore, he had just witnessed a horrible murder scene, so there was no way he, a mere criminal, could maintain his sanity. All he could think was that he would die without being able to move.

"Please borrow my sword."

Without waiting for an answer, Dang-myeong stretched out his hand toward the Cham-ma-geom. He was delighted by the feeling he got when he gripped the sword handle. How long had it been since he held a proper longsword? At the same time, he realized that the Cham-ma-geom was a famous sword. It wasn't just because of the blade's shape. The weight distribution was nearly perfect. A sword wasn't good simply because it was heavy or light. The weight distribution from the sword stroke to the sword stroke had to be appropriate. Only then would he be able to properly accelerate when swinging, and block or deflect his opponent's sword strike. In that sense, the Cham-ma-geom passed the test of a swordsman.

one side.

When Dang-Myeong appeared to be using a sword instead of memorizing it, Jang-Gil, Dang-Mi-Ryeo, and Je-Gal-Yeong-Yeong all looked at him with a mixture of worry and doubt. It was natural. They had never thought that Dang-Myeong had learned the sword. They had come to the blacksmith shop only to buy a longsword for deception.

On the other hand, the opponent was a swordsman of considerable skill. How on earth could he possibly fight against him…?

"It is a pretty good sword, but in the end, it is just a weapon. What I am saying is that the fundamental difference in skill cannot be overcome."

The Cheonwoldae warrior took a slight sarcastic stance. Then, in an instant, his momentum changed. It seemed as if he was about to perform some sort of ascending swordsmanship. The surrounding atmosphere seemed to be subtly rippling.

"Isn't it fun?"

Dang-myung opened his mouth without any special ceremony, just hanging his sword.

"The sword name is a new demon. It almost feels like it was created with this situation in mind."

"You're going to keep talking nonsense until the end. It's just a trivial coincidence. Just die."

As he spoke, the Cheonwoldae warrior kicked the ground violently. In an instant, his new form rushed forward. At the same time, the condensed momentum exploded and the sword shot out fiercely. To those who did not have excellent eyesight, it would have only appeared as a silver flash across the air.

Even when the sword was at close range, Dang-myeong did not move.

'It's over.'

The Cheonwoldae warrior was certain. The moment of evasion had already passed. Judging from the fact that he still hadn't moved, he probably hadn't even been able to react. He probably would only realize it after his throat was pierced. That death had come.

But the next moment.

He witnessed an unbelievable sight. The creature's eyes, slightly visible from under the bamboo, were moving with their green pupils glowing.

As if he was precisely capturing the sword strike he was extending.

At the same time that I felt that chill, the bastard's sword began to move.