A guide followed along. He said he was a local of the town.

There’s an image that comes to mind when thinking of commoners who don’t know martial arts and are engaged in their livelihoods.

The man who introduced himself as ‘Jang-sam’ was like that.

“Young master, is it really just you? Are you sure you’re going to the Praying Mantis Sect?”

His eyes, which were smaller than even Jeong Yeon-shin’s, trembled.

In his shabby hemp clothing and loosely held money pouch, the image of a household head supporting a family was reflected.

Jeong Yeon-shin understood his reaction.

The evil sects were different from even the black path ruffians in the back alleys.

While black path groups would somehow find and take revenge on those who informed the government office, the evil sects were guys who even learned martial arts.

He couldn’t help but be anxious.

“I alone am sufficient.”

“Th-that’s truly admirable courage. But, but please reconsider. The Praying Mantis Sect are no ordinary guys. Dozens of them have learned martial arts, and it’s said that even one of their small fry could sweep through the alleys of Lianhu.”

“Courage? You seem to have studied.”

It wasn’t a world where letters were common. Expressions that were natural in some places were often only known by those who had drunk ink in the countryside.

“I’m just a country bumpkin who failed the civil service exam.”

It seemed fortunate that they could communicate. It was because they had to spend one night to reach Lianhu County from Xi’an, which was a big city.

“Could you tell me more about the Praying Mantis Sect?”

Jeong Yeon-shin said as he walked ahead. At the same time, he took out a small salt pouch from his bosom and handed it over.

The monthly salary from Desolate Sect was paid in silver coins, but that was too much to give to others, and conversely, he had no copper coins.

Because Ma Jin was responsible for the travel expenses.

Jang-sam’s eyes widened as he discreetly opened the pouch and looked inside.

“They came in three years ago, pacifying the streets of Lianhu. There aren’t many places in Xi’an without a secular branch of the Zhongnan Sect, and Lianhu County was one of them. They’ve taken over a dozen people as servants. Their tyranny is severe, but it seems they’ve buttered up the county magistrate well.”

“…What about their martial arts? Is there anyone who has seen their martial arts?”

“I heard they use all kinds of weapons. I’ve seen them from afar a few times, and not only swords and spears, but there were also strangely curved blades… They were so fast it was hard to follow with the eyes. With one sword strike, the heads of two people flew off.”

They were quite strong. Even if the system of their martial veins wasn’t established, it seemed they had learned martial arts.

That level was enough to be called evil sect martial artists.

“Are there still many people captured? What is the government office doing?”

“Since even the county magistrate is in cahoots with the Praying Mantis Sect, there’s no one to take care of it…”

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly wondered. Would a Desolate Sect martial artist be allowed to behead an official?

* * *

They spent the night at an inn they came across on the way. Jeong Yeon-shin and Jang-sam reached Lianhu County.

After crossing a hill, a lively village came into view.

They had already passed by several merchant caravans with all sorts of goods loaded on carts and wagons.

Although it was said to be of the same level as Xinye County, it was a much more developed place. It seemed to be about halfway between a city and a village.

“I can see where it is.”

Under the clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight, there was an exceptionally large and ornate pavilion at the end of the road.

The writing on the signboard was visible even from here.

It wasn’t as good as Radiant Demon Wing’s, but it was no comparison to Jeong Family Manor.

Even the vast front yard looked like it could be used as a martial arts training ground.

“You can go now. Thank you for the guidance.”

After exchanging greetings, he turned around. As he headed towards the largest street that ran through the village, he felt someone following him.

It seemed to be Jang-sam. He couldn’t understand why.

‘Perhaps his family was captured.’

It was possible that his wife or daughter had been taken.

He entered what looked like the market street.

The sight of lined-up stalls and merchants calmly exchanging meat, grains, and other goods came into view.

The voices of bargaining were not loud.

When he turned his head to where everyone was cautiously looking, a surprising scene was visible.

“……”

There were people tied up with ropes as if they were traitors. They were all women.

Five martial artists wearing swords were sitting carelessly guarding them, while those who seemed to be family members could only sob, unable to approach.

Would their throats be cut if they made a sound?

As if it were a custom of the village, the atmosphere on both sides was extremely different.

“It’s no wonder Desolate Sect was established.”

He said deliberately as he approached. Because of the martial artists, the Great Ming Code had fallen to the ground.

It was said that the Central Plains were a land too vast to be contained in a human head.

If a few local magistrates and a powerful sect conspired together, it would be very difficult for the imperial court to know the situation in the provinces.

“Are you an official? Are those tied up really criminals?”

No answer came. As soon as Jeong Yeon-shin finished speaking, a flying dagger thrown by one of them tore through the air.

There wasn’t even any force imbued in it. Jeong Yeon-shin caught it as it was and unfolded the Swift Sword Technique while relaxing the strength in his hand.

Even so, the sword force was properly applied. The dagger that penetrated the air extended like lightning.

Thud!

The guy hit in the forehead collapsed as if buried in the ground.

The four who had shown a momentarily bewildered look soon got up one by one, dusting off their seats.

“A youngster with some skill. Where did you study martial arts?”

“The posture for throwing the dagger was strange. Did you learn it properly?”

“You were quite fast. You must have been grinding your teeth in preparation for today. Hey, what was that martial art you just showed?”

Was it because they threw casually? The reaction was quite calm.

When one thinks of evil sects, one might imagine thieves with explosive temperaments, but the guys showing now seemed to have an attitude as if they had tasted all the pleasures of the world.

It seemed that was actually the case.

“What name for a trivial technique.”

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered calmly as he drew the Desolate Sword.

The snow-white blade of the famous sword, which had not been neglected in maintenance, shattered the sunlight beneath his hand.

Their gazes changed.

“If we offer it to the sect leader…”

Splash!

At the end of the trajectory of the flashing blue light, blood spurted up.

The guy who had mentioned the sect leader knelt with blood-stained lips before collapsing.

Before they knew it, Jeong Yeon-shin was standing in the middle of them.

The sword strike burst out in a leap that seemed to tread on the wind and a rotation like a leaf.

Before the other three could turn around, the snow-white sword path flashed.

Desolate Swift Sword Technique. The sensation of cutting three times was transmitted to his hand through the sword wave. It was a fairly familiar feeling.

“Shi…”

It was the word one guy spat out before dying. It seemed to be a curse.

Jeong Yeon-shin turned around and cut the ropes of those who were captured.

The women thanked him with clasped hands but couldn’t openly express their joy.

In the direction they kept glancing at along with Jeong Yeon-shin, there was the pavilion of the Praying Mantis Sect.

‘It doesn’t seem like they’re taking in servants.’

He walked along the road with questions in mind. He held his sword lowered without sheathing it.

Now the street was completely quiet.

All the people scattered and shrank back.

The murmurs of old men clicking their tongues, saying some poor wandering swordsman would die, could be heard.

Only Jang-sam was discreetly following behind.

‘Group battle.’

It was said that unrivaled supreme masters could handle an army alone.

The Purple rank of Desolate Sect would be no different.

Ever since slaying the Blood Swordmaster, he had been thinking of solo missions.

No matter how much he thought about it, there was a limit to the credit he could gain by moving together with the masters of Radiant Demon Wing.

To walk the martial world alone, one had to be prepared to face dozens or even hundreds of swords.

Short decisive battles with nemeses mostly existed in the romanticism of martial arts enthusiasts. One also needed to have martial arts capable of handling the swords of a group.

He was gaining knowledge from every fight. Even he himself didn’t know what his mind would create.

Even if it wasn’t facing the martial arts of masters.

‘Praying Mantis Sect.’

He glanced up at the signboard above the main gate he had arrived at before he knew it. Up close, the signboard was even larger.

The calligraphy writing “Praying Mantis Sect” was tremendous. It was to the extent that it felt lively as if a dragon was moving.

‘A third-rate evil sect must have threatened a retired scholar.’

Thinking it was excessive, he strongly pushed one side of the main gate with his foot.

Perhaps Lianhu County was their territory.

About thirty martial artists were lined up in the training ground to greet the swordsman who had slain five of their sect’s warriors.

The news had spread incredibly fast.

“That youngster?”

The middle-aged man standing alone on the stairs leading to the main building frowned.

His gaze went to the clothes. It was a surprisingly flashy attire.

A long robe with all kinds of spiritual creatures drawn on it, from the four divine beasts to dragons.

‘Crazy.’

Was he a rebel? Wearing a dragon embroidered robe. It was felt how detached martial artists were from the country.

“Break his limbs and bring him. No. I need to taste the blade myself for once. I’ll do it personally.”

The one who seemed to be the sect leader came down.

Jeong Yeon-shin felt a sense of incongruity. It was said that the Praying Mantis Sect was a vicious evil sect. He thought they would at least take hostages.

These were guys who recklessly took women.

If it were a depraved sect, they would each forcibly keep one by their side, but it was only these guys.

‘Where did those who were dragged here go?’

While pondering, the Praying Mantis Sect disciples lined up around mostly had large physiques.

The guys who just grinned ominously without exchanging many words didn’t look pleasant.

“It’s not easy to meet a wandering swordsman.”

The Praying Mantis Sect leader walked down and drew his sword. Waves of true energy were felt from the narrow-bladed Sword.

If it were Jeong Yeon-shin at the time of taking the Desolate Exam, he wouldn’t have been able to win against this master.

The sect leader continued.

“What made you show your face at our main sect? Unfortunately, your short life…”

“What’s your name?”

“Why would someone about to die need to hear my great name?”

“I need to know who the sect leader is to claim credit.”

As he spoke in a low voice, he aroused the energy of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

The moment he became one with the Desolate Sword through true energy, he felt the guy’s sword intent.

The sword the sect leader thrust as if skewering a trivial stick rode the wind.

He also used a swift sword. Having created a fist technique that properly handled force, the path of the sword strike was visible.

Clang!

He struck upward as it was. It looked serene, but the layering of Fate Defying Scripture’s true energy was contained.

The feeling of pushing it away was vivid. The sect leader’s face was dyed with perplexity at the sword strike that surpassed his strength.

“Hah!”

Instantly, the surrounding Praying Mantis Sect disciples pounced. A sharp spear obscured the view first.

As if to prevent a second strike against the sect leader, the Desolate Sword struck the thrusting blow that came in first and passed by.

Swish!

As the spear shaft was cut, the other disciples’ weapons approached within reach. Flying daggers also came.

The sharpness that came from all directions, cutting through the wind, stimulated Jeong Yeon-shin’s entire body.

It was the first time facing so many weapons at once.

Swish!

The moment he dodged the sword strike on the right arm side, a wheel brushed past his lower back. Glancing at it, he unleashed the Desolate Sword in a horizontal swift sword technique.

The guy holding the wheel-shaped blade with a handle grinned, and his head flew off just like that.

At the end, the lips that had frozen as if chilled brushed past his sight.

‘It hurts.’

The stinging wound sharpened and expanded his senses.

At this moment, a talent that even he himself found hard to believe was revealed.

The lines created by all kinds of blades were visible, and the sword path that had to pass through them began to appear in his mind.

‘Strike, pass through, strike and shift.’

The layered energy of the blades brought evolution to Jeong Yeon-shin’s swift sword technique combined with his sword.

It was a sword strike that followed a trajectory only visible to his eyes.

The Desolate Sword, faster than anyone here, struck down the weapons and induced collisions among them.

A flying dagger deflected by the Desolate Sword pierced another guy’s heart.

He deflected one guy’s spear and made it pierce through the neck of the guy swinging a saber from the side.

“Kuak!”

“Ugh…”

His eyes moved nimbly.

All the weapons approaching as if to cut his body were stimulating a strange sensation.

As if another self was looking down from the sky, the movements of the four directions entered his mind.

It completely surpassed the realm of prediction.

With body movements riding the wind, he freely stepped on the space of the blades. The sand someone scattered was caught by another guy.

The sect leader’s Narrow-bladed Sword that thrust through that gap was definitely of a different level. Jeong Yeon-shin spun like a whirlwind and struck the side of the Narrow-bladed Sword.

Clang!

The sect leader who almost dropped his sword disappeared into the crowd of disciples again and shouted.

“Amazing achievement! But your sword path is simple. I’ve already seen through your swift sword…”

It was a voice that seemed to contain the experience of a hundred battles. There was no sense of impatience.

It sounded very leisurely, but the moment he faced Jeong Yeon-shin, who had leaped over all kinds of attacks like a leaf, the sect leader lost his words.

‘They said to seize the initiative.’

The true energy that rose up like wildfire in an instant ran through the three main meridians of his body. He thought of his sword-wielding hand as a fist.

The force of the Eternal Blossom Fist began to climb up his arm. The second stance, Advancing Thunder. It was possible.

The still somewhat unfamiliar formless strength was held in his hand.

He also felt the true path of Radiant Demon that naturally arose and assisted the force from his feet.

In an instant, he properly grasped the sword wave of the Desolate Sword.

Whoosh!

It was a matter of moments to close the distance as if pushed by a storm.

The surprised sect leader’s eyes rapidly grew larger in his sight. He struck down from above the guy’s head.

“Thi…”

The moment the sect leader opened his mouth, the pure white sword light flashed. A merciless sensation went down like a shudder.