Chung Myung’s eyes were red.

Clench!

The grip on Jin Yang-Geon’s neck tightened.

The cracked wall was crumbling, appearing on the verge of collapse from the force applied against it.

“Kuak… euk…”

White foam spilled from Jin Yang-Geon’s mouth as he shut his eyes. He seemed on the brink of biting his tongue and succumbing to death. Yet, Chung Myung appeared indifferent to the situation.

“Speak.”

“Gurgle…!”

“You…!”

Struggling to contain his anger, Chung Myung almost hurled Jin Yang-Geon into the wall but halted. He swiftly shifted his gaze coldly.

“What?”

Baek Cheon stood behind him, sword aimed, while Yu Yiseol stood beside him, sword at the ready.

“What?”

Baek Cheon cocked his head slightly.

“I had a feeling this fool might try something foolish, so I thought a sword at his back might bring him to his senses.”

“You’ll be reprimanded.”

“….”

Chung Myung’s composure returned, and he smiled.

“… I appreciate it.”

“It was nothing.”

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue briefly and released Jin Yang-Geon as if tossing him aside.

Thud!

Jin Yang-Geon collided with the wall and crumpled to the ground, coughing.

“Cough! Cough! Cougghhh!”

Jin Yang-Geon gasped for air, emitting gurgling sounds. Chung Myung observed this, then turned his head slowly.

“Outside?”

“That’s the scene.”

Baek Cheon silently stepped aside, revealing the situation behind him. Familiar faces from before were gathered in the vicinity.

The disheartened warriors of the clan had lost their resolve to retaliate, opting to flee instead.

“I’m not sure who leads the Beggars Union branch, but they seem competent. They must have convinced the Golden Sword Order leader to bring their warriors.”

“If one is a beggar, they must know how to act efficiently.”

Chung Myung nodded silently and turned his gaze to Jin Yang-Geon. When their eyes met, Jin Yang-Geon was shocked and pressed his back against the wall.

“S-S-Sp-Spare me!”

Chung Myung remained silent, just looking at him.

Baek Cheon, a bit concerned about Chung Myung launching another attack, took a step forward unknowingly.

Normally, if he had said something like this, Chung Myung would have understood and returned to his calm self, but today, something seemed off.

“Your name?”

Fortunately, instead of acting impulsively, Chung Myung spoke.

His voice was quieter than usual, creating an intimidating atmosphere, but at least he wasn’t attacking.

“Jin Jin Yang… Jin Yang-Geon!”

Jin Yang-Geon replied with a pale expression.

He used to skillfully deceive people with words, but now he didn’t dare to try.

‘If looks could kill, this would do it.’

No, everything about Chung Myung felt like that.

Hadn’t this butcher killed people right before his eyes? Not just anyone, but an entire clan!

Spinning lies in front of someone like him was like taking a knife and holding it to your own throat.

“Answer me.”

“… Uh?”

“That martial art….”

Chung Myung started to speak but then hesitated.

It was as if he wasn’t sure if he should ask.

“Where did you learn that martial arts?”

“M-martial arts?”

“The martial arts you practice.”

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Where did you acquire it?”

“M-My martial arts? Just….”

Jin Yang-Geon gulped.

“It has been passed down in our clan…”

At that moment, seeing Chung Myung’s hand move towards his sword, Jin Yang-Geon screamed, covering his face with both hands.

“No! No! I will talk! Just hear me out! I merely combined a martial arts book I stumbled upon with our clan’s techniques!”

Baek Cheon, who had been listening quietly, frowned.

“… Combined?”

“Yes, it-it is this grandiose combination, but a rough combination of two techniques.”

Jin Yang-Geon was sweating profusely.

‘Damn it, all because of that ruined martial arts!’

Combining two martial arts skills was never an easy task. If Jin Yang-Geon had known the result would be like this, he would never have attempted it.

Thanks to the ambiguous mixing of martial arts, the sword technique turned out to be nothing more than flashy.

Normally, it wasn’t that strong, but after learning mixed martial arts, it improved slightly. However, because it was flashy, it lacked strength.

At the same time, Jin Yang-Geon’s original sword technique continued to deteriorate, making it challenging for him to live as a warrior.

Jin Yang-Geon, seeing the cold eyes of Chung Myung, began to speak about things he hadn’t even been asked about.

“C-combined martial arts weren’t really strong, but someone who saw me performing martial arts asked if I was from Mount Hua Sect….”

“Does that make any sense?”

Baek Cheon snapped, but Yoon Jong, who had already come inside and was listening, nodded as if it made sense.

“If someone who doesn’t know the real form sees it, it might seem that way. The technique I saw earlier looked like a very crushed plum blossom.”

“It just seemed like red and white things flashing.”

“There aren’t many uneducated people like that, right? It wouldn’t be strange for someone who has only heard about the sword of Mount Hua to misunderstand it.”

“… is that so?”

Baek Cheon looked like he didn’t understand at all, but Jin Yang-Geon nodded with an expression that seemed like he was grasping a rope that came from the sky.

“Yes! Yes, that is right! It isn’t that I was the first to say it, but people were the first to ask me if I was a disciple of Mount Hua….”

“Haha.”

A laugh escaped from Baek Cheon’s mouth as he roughly grasped the situation. Jin Yang-Geon couldn’t even look them in the eye and spoke.

“So I ended up pretending to be Mount Hua’s disciple, and it snowballed, so I stopped….”

Baek Cheon narrowed his eyes.

“That is bullshit.”

Even though it started as a misunderstanding, Jin Yang-Geon eventually pretended to be Mount Hua’s disciple and tried to deceive the Golden Sword Order by using Mount Hua’s name.

Just as Baek Cheon was about to point it out, Chung Myung spoke up.

“Martial arts book.”

“Uh?”

“Where did you get the book from?”

“… You want the martial arts book?”

Yoon Jong, listening from behind, tilted his head and asked Chung Myung.

“Why that book? It seems that while mixing different martial arts, a sword technique similar to Mount Hua’s was accidentally performed, albeit clumsily.”

Chung Myung glared persistently at Jin Yang-Geon without replying.

Not getting an immediate answer, he grabbed Jin Yang-Geon’s collar again.

“Eik!”

He brought his face closer and gritted his teeth.

“Did you not hear my words?”

“T-the book! The martial arts book, I got it from a hunter in my neighborhood!”

“Hunter?”

Seeing Chung Myung’s suspicious eyes, Jin Yang-Geon nodded vigorously.

“Yes! I was being bitten by a wild animal…”

At that moment, the qi disappeared from Chung Myung’s hands.

Jin Yang-Geon looked up at Chung Myung’s face, thinking he had barely survived, and then fell silent for a moment.

Something he had never seen before.

This was a person with just an expression.

“… where is that book?”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung’s voice, which was slightly trembling, gradually regained composure.

“Where is it?”

“I-In my hometown….”

“I suppose the hunter who saved that book also lives nearby, right?”

“Right.”

Chung Myung nodded slowly.

“Let’s go.”

“… Uh?”

“Guide me to your hometown.”

Jin Yang-Geon’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

“M-My hometown is very far from here….”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Chung Myung spoke firmly and clearly.

“Doesn’t matter. No matter where you go, even if it’s the end of the world.”

After finishing speaking, Chung Myung looked back. Before he knew it, all Five Swords had gathered and were looking at him.

The moment Chung Myung was about to say something, Yu Yiseol spoke first.

“Really.”

“…”

“It is real, right? That book?”

Chung Myung nodded.

“Right.”

“It must be recovered.”

“Right.”

“And….”

Instead of speaking, Yu Seol glanced at Chung Myung. Baek Cheon was the one who completed the thought.

“I guess we need to check where that money came from.”

Chung Myung nodded silently instead of answering. A slight hesitation flashed across Baek Cheon’s face.

“But Chung Myung, the sect leader, ordered us to….”

“Sasuk.”

Chung Myung gently interrupted Baek Cheon’s words. It was a calm voice that wasn’t oppressive.

“I am…”

Chung Myung bit his lip for a moment and said,

“I need to check.”

“…”

“So….”

There was no need to listen to more. Baek Cheon turned his head.

“Yoon Jong, Jo Gul.”

“Yes, sasuk!”

And the instructions came in a cool and calm voice.

“Settle down the situation. Move quickly. Confirm the destination with the man and prepare to run without stopping on the way.”

The two nodded quickly.

“Yes, sasuk!”

“Soso.”

“Yes!”

“Tell the public about the situation and inform them we are leaving right away. I will leave the cleanup to you.”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon looked back at Yu Yiseol.

“Just in case you don’t know, let’s briefly explain the situation to the Golden Sword Order.”

“Alright.”

“Move!”

As Mount Hua’s disciples dispersed to carry out their duties in perfect order, Chung Myung glanced at Baek Cheon.

“Sasuk.”

“Forget it. Let us hear the explanation later. I will have to take a look at the situation outside first.”

“…”

Baek Cheon turned around and sighed. His steps felt heavy.

‘Damn it.’

How could he say no when you said it with a face like that, you damn bastard?

Chung Myung’s eyes, which had been quietly staring at Baek Cheon’s back as he walked away, turned to the sky. The sun, seen between the broken pavilions, was too bright.

“… one copy, right?”

“… Uh?”

“That book had to be one sword technique and one martial art.”

“R-right. It was so old that it seemed like it could crumble down… it was like two of them overlapped. Two martial arts….”

Chung Myung nodded.

He was so damned dazed.

-Why are you making a fuss about giving a decent grade?

-This makes it easy to carry around.

-Why do you carry that with you? What kind of insane person carries a martial arts book into battle?

-My role is to protect Mount Hua’s martial arts. This can never be cut off. It’s safest if I carry it.

-Have you ever thought it would be more of a problem if you died first?

-Hahah. If there was sahyung, would I die? That won’t happen.

The fact that his eyes were turning cold and that he couldn’t breathe was all because of the damn dazzling sun.

‘Wait.’

Even if all that remained was white bones. No, even if white bones were crushed to dust….

He will definitely recognize him.

-Sahyung.

“I will definitely find it.”

It was a clear, cloudless day, making it even more painful.