Craaaack!

A powerful aura burst forth from Seo-jun's hands, enveloping the area around him.

The daggers that had been flying toward him fell powerlessly, ensnared within the force of the Baek-ha Gui-yang's mental image.

Seo-jun gathered his aura, collecting the fallen daggers, and furrowed his brow.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

A threat? Hardly.

The ones who had thrown the daggers were mere low-level thugs, not even reaching the peak.

Daggers from guys like that wouldn’t even penetrate the Muscle of the Pa-ryeok Gwae-shin Martial Art if he allowed himself to be hit.

Chun-bong and Namgung Su-a would have had no trouble deflecting the daggers themselves.

Still, regardless of the lack of threat, it was enough to spoil his mood.

‘We were just about to have some fun as a trio, and they go throwing daggers without a hint of courtesy?’

Holding Chun-bong tightly in his arms, Seo-jun stomped his foot.

Thoom!

With a single leap, he soared skyward.

Looking down from high above, Seo-jun released the daggers he held in his hand, scattering them into the air.

The would-be assassins quickly hid, but it was meaningless once they were caught in Seo-jun's sense.

Five Elements: Metal, Transformation.

The tips of the daggers split, taking the shape of hooks.

Seo-jun swung his hand, creating a powerful gust.

Swiiiish!

The daggers rode the wind, tracing a dazzling path.

Following a skillful trajectory, the daggers embedded themselves precisely in the thighs of the assassins hiding among the crowd.

"Guh…!"

"Aaah! Blood, blood…!"

"He's a martial artist! Call the monks!"

The streets erupted in chaos within seconds.

Seo-jun landed on a nearby rooftop, watching the commotion.

All the assassins had been subdued. With the dark energy imbued in the daggers, they wouldn’t be able to move their bodies properly for a while.

For now, he would leave them as they were; there was something else he needed to address.

Since they had caused a disturbance near Shaolin, it was natural for monks to come rushing out.

However, the monks who appeared were far from what he expected.

"Does Shaolin have female disciples?"

"No, they don’t."

Chun-bong, who had been quietly nestled in his arms, got down onto the rooftop.

Around Seo-jun, a group of nuns formed a circle.

With a frown, Chun-bong spoke.

"What’s the meaning of this? You're from the Emei Sect, not Shaolin."

Emei Sect. Seo-jun knew about them to some extent. They were one of the Nine Great Sects, a sect only open to women.

In a way, they were like Shaolin for women.

Technically, they were somewhat mixed with Taoist elements within Buddhism, but he didn’t know the details.

Suddenly, Seo-jun had a realization and slapped his fist into his palm.

"Right! It’s the female quota!"

"...You crazy idiot."

Chun-bong, who had been boldly stepping forward, subtly retreated.

She even moved slightly away from Seo-jun, whistling aimlessly as if to say, "I don’t know this guy."

"...Young one, you speak without thinking."

A nun, her face full of irritation, stepped forward.

Among the Emei Sect members present, about half had shaved heads, and this nun was one of them.

Realizing the nun had a point, Seo-jun quickly shifted the topic.

"Anyway, what’s going on here? Isn’t this Shaolin territory?"

"It’s not only Shaolin that can respond to the calls of the people."

Apparently, someone looking for Shaolin disciples saw the bald heads and assumed there was trouble here, notifying them.

"If you’re going to take someone away, take those guys. But I'll be taking two or three with me."

"Causing a commotion in Hanam right before the Yongbong Gathering is still your doing as well."

"What. Shall we make a fuss of our own, then?"

Seo-jun revealed his presence.

If nothing else, his aura alone was near that of the Supreme Stage.

As he directed his aura toward the nun, pressuring her, she broke into a cold sweat, retreating slightly.

Although she was skilled enough to be considered a master, it felt as if her pressure points were twisting under his overpowering presence.

"...Senior, you are taking this joke too far."

Senior? Seo-jun, quickly realizing her misunderstanding, grinned.

If she mistook him for an elder martial artist in disguise, it would make things easier.

It might be troublesome later, but that would be a problem for the future.

He wasn’t even wearing the Namgung Clan's attire, just his usual black martial arts uniform, so there was no way they could know who he was.

After a moment of thought, Seo-jun settled on his role—an arrogant martial arts veteran. An easy act to play.

"The ones who threw the daggers were those men. So why are Emei Sect’s nuns harassing me?"

"Daggers…? In Hanam, at this time of year?"

"Yes, in Hanam, at this time. Now that you’ve even come here, I don’t see any reason to hold back anymore."

Seo-jun stared at the nun, who struggled to maintain her composure as she lowered her head slightly.

"I apologize… Would it be acceptable if we handed those men over to Shaolin?"

"Do you really think I’ll just let this go?"

"...Is there something you desire?"

The Nine Great Sects were indeed impressive, but Seo-jun held the moral high ground.

Furthermore, through his aura, he indirectly displayed his level.

His presence alone was enough to be mistaken for a martial artist of the Supreme Stage, so it wasn’t strange if they took him as such.

At that level, even the Nine Great Sects couldn’t easily pressure him.

A martial artist of that caliber would likely have considerable influence, whether as part of an organization or one they created themselves.

‘Should I make them kowtow?’

Seo-jun considered, but Chun-bong, sensing danger, jabbed him in the side and sent him a mental message.

[Don’t you ever think about the consequences?]

[Well… future me can handle it, right?]

[Stop with that nonsense.]

[Too bad.]

With a smirk, Seo-jun shook his head.

"It was just a joke. Do as you please. But I’ll take three of them with me."

"...Very well."

The disciples of the Emei Sect quickly got to work.

After binding the assassins and giving Seo-jun a respectful bow, they departed.

Watching them leave, Seo-jun finally descended to the ground.

"What a shame. Maybe I should have picked a fight… Ouch…!"

"Your mouth! That mouth of yours! Should I do something about it? Are you insane? Female quota? You should be grateful Emei Sect didn’t issue a kill order on you."

Chun-bong pinched his lips and shook them vigorously.

Namgung Su-a, who had been hiding nearby, chuckled as she approached.

"It’s fine, Geum Mae. Even Emei Sect wouldn’t dare issue a kill order on someone from Namgung."

If they did, the Nine Great Sects would soon be down to eight.

"That’s not the issue, sis! This guy’s mouth has nearly gotten him into trouble how many times now?"

"But hasn’t it never actually caused trouble?"

"That’s just luck!"

"Maybe Seo-jun actually has a plan when he speaks. He does seem to think deeply sometimes."

Namgung Su-a gave Seo-jun a gentle smile.

Seo-jun, rolling his eyes, clamped his mouth shut.

Sometimes trust stings the hardest…

‘I really should be more careful with my mouth.’

He covered his mouth with both hands, and Chun-bong looked at him as if he were hopeless.

"Sigh, what should we do with him? He’s still so immature for his age."

"Hey, Geum Chun-bong, is that any way to talk to your elder brother?"

"Screw you. I’ll just…"

Chun-bong raised her fist, and Seo-jun chuckled, curling his body protectively.

"Aww."

"Hmph… Sigh…."

Chun-bong made a resolution.

Whatever he did, she would keep a close watch on him.

With the Yongbong Gathering drawing martial artists from all sects…

Just imagining the trouble he might cause there made her uneasy.

 

Dragging along the captured assassins, Seo-jun handed them over to the remaining Namgung martial artists at the villa.

They would likely interrogate them for information through any means necessary.

Leaving that to them, Seo-jun resumed his walk toward the Hao Sect, his eyes turning serious.

‘Wasn’t it Blood Crow Sect? It seems they’re behind this again….’

The Silent Assassin’s Blade, the group that Ye-hwa had mentioned.

Even on the journey to Shanxi, assassins had come after them every other day, and now that he’d almost forgotten about them, they sent more.

They likely didn’t expect the assassination attempt to succeed.

Sending an assassin capable of killing a supreme master to Hanam at this time of year?

That would be madness. No assassin of that level would willingly throw their life away.

It was probably more of a warning to avoid moving about freely…

‘This is irritating.’

Deep in Seo-jun’s eyes, a red glint flickered.

If Chun-bong or his sister were hurt because he kept letting this slide, he wouldn’t be able to contain his rage.

He had to take care of it before that happened.

As the group entered the Hao Sect, a woman they had seen before approached, recognizing them.

"It’s been a while. Are you here to see the Lord of the Pavilion?"

"Yes. Is he doing well?"

The woman smiled and bowed without saying a word.

"Allow me to guide you."


 

"Well, it's been a while, hasn’t it?"

"It has indeed. Should I call you Jin Ki-jae-chun instead of Gwang Arang now?"

Hyeon-wol chuckled as he greeted the group, having already removed the unnecessary partition.

"So, you’re here for the Yongbong Gathering?"

"That's right."

"Are you participating as well?"

"Why would I join in on something that's just kids having fun?"

Referring to the Yongbong Gathering—a competition of the younger generation across the martial world—as “kids having fun” made Hyeon-wol chuckle, and he poured tea with his own hands.

"Well, if it’s you, I suppose you’re entitled to say such things. After all, you’re the Namgung Clan’s supreme-level master, Jin Ki-jae-chun."

"Ah, as expected of the Hao Sect."

"Knowing that much doesn’t even require being in the Hao Sect. Anyone with ears has probably heard of it. They just don’t recognize your face."

After pouring tea for Seo-jun and his companions, Hyeon-wol sat down.

"So, what brings you here?"

"We just stopped by. Thought it’d be interesting."

"Hm, I figured that might be the case with you."

They continued chatting, mostly about trivial matters such as updates on each other’s lives and recent happenings.

Namgung Su-a asked about Chwi-ryeong, a courtesan she’d met before, which made Hyeon-wol laugh heartily.

"Haha, Chwi-ryeong will be delighted. I never expected the Lady of Namgung would remember her promise."

"A word from Namgung carries weight."

"Indeed. Well, Chwi-ryeong has been deeply focused on mastering the geomungo lately. Her skills have improved considerably, and more people are seeking her out."

At that, Namgung Su-a chuckled softly and tugged on Seo-jun’s sleeve.

"We promised to listen to her play together. You’ll come with me, right?"

"Of course. I’m curious to hear it."

A geomungo performance…

Music and drinks. It’s a combination that’s bound to be enjoyable.

Though Chun-bong would probably have to stick to just sipping juice.

As Seo-jun chuckled to himself, he asked Hyeon-wol a question.

"By the way, do you know the Blood Crow Sect?"

"Blood Crow Sect? Are you talking about that Blood Crow Sect under the Black Lotus Union?"

"Yes, that Blood Crow Sect."

"I know of it. Why do you ask?"

Seo-jun crossed his arms, pondering briefly before casually replying.

"I’m planning to erase them. They’re really getting on my nerves."