The opponent lost both sword and arm. It was when Jeong Yeon-shin was about to strike Deep Autumn Sword’s neck.

“You insolent bastard!”

The magistrate’s body, who was far behind, rushed forward creating a windstorm.

The mint-colored hem of his official robes fluttered like a butterfly.

Passing by Deep Autumn Sword with movements unique to elves, he spread both arms wide to block her.

“You dare harm this magistrate’s principal wife? Desolate Sect is the imperial sword! Where does a mere blade dare cut its own master?”

“Are the Hwangbo bloodline equals to the imperial court?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked back with eyes more dispassionate than looking at roadside trash.

He never knew he would feel such emotions toward nobles. At least while at the Fixed House, it was unimaginable.

The magistrate bit his lip once.

“…You can’t do anything without cutting down this magistrate. Give up. How dare you harm me, the magistrate of this Pingyin County? You’re not even a black-ranked warrior!”

WHOOSH!

The wind blew once more. Jeong Yeon-shin glanced sideways. Cheong Myeong was suddenly standing beside him.

His usual smiling expression had completely disappeared.

“Just follow clan law.”

Cheong Myeong said. Simultaneously, his expression changed. His eyes remained the same but only his lips formed a smile.

“The Grand Empress Dowager has decreed that Desolate Sect elves may execute officials of sixth rank or lower regardless of hierarchy. The magistrate is seventh rank, right? I thought it was an absurd privilege, but running missions, occasions to use it do arise.”

“You really…!”

“They say our clan becomes unsightly when mixing with Han people and becoming worldly, but who would say anything about taking one head? At most, perhaps a brief summons to Beijing.”

The magistrate who had appreciated warriors’ deaths while listening to music lost his enthusiasm.

His handsome face turned completely pale.

This time even Jeong Yeon-shin was surprised.

While it was already natural that elves held high authority in Ming, he learned for the first time that they held authority comparable to black-ranked warriors of great master level.

Perhaps because imperial bloodlines were deeply mixed with elf blood.

“Hah.”

Suddenly the magistrate sighed. Soon finding composure in his complexion, he smiled slightly.

“I almost showed an unseemly appearance on my way out. Without elegance, how can one discuss the refinement of drinking and dancing?”

“Why say more? Go without dirtying elf face.”

“Ah, of course.”

As Cheong Myeong drew his sword, the magistrate’s smile deepened.

“I must go now. None under heaven who don’t welcome me.”

Jeong Yeon-shin turned his gaze backward. It was because of energy waves rising from the direction of the shattered gate.

There had been a presence stimulating his nerves since fighting Deep Autumn Sword, and indeed it wasn’t an ally.

“Desolate Sect!”

His build was very large. He was a middle-aged man with a long scar on his cheek.

He held the scruff of a girl’s neck in one hand. She appeared to be around Jeong Yeon-shin’s age, and seemed to have her mute and paralysis points sealed.

Unable to speak and body stiffened, she hung from the man’s hand.

He shouted like a roar.

“You degenerates who disturb the murim discussing strange chivalry!”

The magistrate, brightening at his shout, chimed in.

“Now I should call you Hwangbo Ma-jun instead of Mr. Ma! Such crisis does come! With the main family’s warrior’s arrival, this Jin has been relieved of great worry!”

The magistrate shouted.

Though Deep Autumn Sword Hwangbo Mei-wei, who was called the first wife, didn’t look entirely cheerful as if concerned about her right arm, relief seemed to spread across her face.

The man called Hwangbo Ma-jun did not answer.

He completely ignored the magistrate as if he had always found him disagreeable.

Holding the girl high, he looked straight at Jeong Yeon-shin and opened his mouth.

“Young warrior! At that age, being Desolate Sect blue-ranked must mean nothing in the world seems worthy in your eyes! Even more so seeing the pattern on your shoulder! Direct disciple of Desolate Sect’s lord? I can clearly see your mind intoxicated with honor and status!”

“…Isn’t it you who sees nothing? Clearly holding an innocent civilian.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said while slightly tilting his head.

He was already measuring the distance.

Too far. This fellow had accumulated considerable training.

Even if Cheong Myeong, whose movements were faster than his, rushed in, it was too far to save the girl in time.

Hwangbo Ma-jun sneered.

“The actions of the Hwangbo bloodline always have great justice. What would you half-martial artists eating the nation’s salary know? You Desolate Sect lot who are obsessed with taking martial artists’ heads, crawling all the way to Jinan.”

“Did you just say great justice?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked while alternately looking at the girl’s face with slightly raised eyes and Hwangbo Ma-jun.

His gaze substituted for asking if they felt no shame.

Hwangbo Ma-jun’s chest puffed up even more.

“The great justice of the murim is noble. You lot are thugs splashing muddy water on the murim. Stop interfering in the world of those who cultivate through martial arts.”

“……”

He had heard there were such people.

It was a world where exchange of culture and ideas wasn’t active.

The murim was especially so. There were many stubborn extremists.

Martial arts training was a single path of cultivation.

They said this was why reclusive martial artists who rarely showed themselves would cause storms on flat ground when they came out to the world once in a while.

Taking hostages and discussing chivalry. Confucian and Mencius teachings couldn’t communicate with them.

T/N- Confucius and Mencius taught moral philosophy centered on human virtue, emphasizing personal ethics, proper behavior, and the importance of harmonious relationships through five key virtues: Ren (humanity), Yi (righteousness), Li (proper conduct), Zhi (knowledge), and Xin (loyalty).

Of course, Desolate Sect also didn’t talk to martial artists with the principles of the Four Books and Three Classics. They only pointed swords.

‘The Hwangbo family must be even more so. They called themselves Jinan’s royal family or whatever. They strengthened their power by gathering their bloodline.’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s thoughts didn’t last long. It was because Hwangbo Ma-jun spoke while shaking the hand gripping the girl’s nape.

“Your chivalry is extremely alien. You come rushing in to cut necks saying imperial law was violated. Were there no heroes of justice among the lowborn? Let me tell you this girl’s story.”

“Go ahead.”

While responding, he circulated internal true qi. Jeong Yeon-shin prepared overlapping chain techniques while standing calmly. He hoped the Kicking Technique’s energy wave of the Eternal Blossom Fist could break his balance.

“This child’s grandfather was a man called Dan Mu-hyu, who served as magistrate of this Pingyin County before that current magistrate took office.”

Strength seemed to enter the jaw of the girl who could only glare. Hwangbo Ma-jun continued speaking unconcerned.

“He was an upright character. They say he fearlessly confronted evil sect martial artists intimidating people in the marketplace. He shouted that he would lock them in the government prison while questioning the Great Ming Code.”

He grinned.

“He flew away with his stomach burst from one palm technique. That evil sect fellow was also quite ignorant of worldly matters. He probably thought he could end it by escaping with lightness technique, but he had to face the main family’s wrath as they tried to coordinate Jinan’s order with the magistrate. That’s how we avenged this child’s enemy.”

“Are you playing benefactor while holding her neck?”

“She’s a child with outstanding talent. She accumulated considerable energy even with just the Three Powers Internal Energy Technique. It would be a waste to kill her now, but I’ve always wanted to see your true face, you Desolate Sect lot. She’s the granddaughter of the previous magistrate who governed the county with high virtue. How will you handle this?”

“Mmm! Nnngh!”

The girl groaned and squirmed slightly. She seemed to have somewhat unsealed the pressure points herself.

They said she had talent for energy accumulation, and perhaps she truly had innate sense for handling energy.

“Look at this.”

Hwangbo Ma-jun, glancing at her with distinctive eyes, raised his hand high. The girl’s body dangled.

“If you lot withdraw now, this child lives. It would also prove Desolate Sect’s chivalry that protects all people from the murim. However, if not.”

His eyes swept the front. Perhaps meaning he couldn’t stand watching Desolate Sect throwing its weight around.

Hatred seemed to seep from his face. He continued briefly.

“Never speak of people’s livelihood again. The Hwangbo family coordinates Jinan’s order. Unlike worthless half-baked Heroes.”

“Every word is correct!”

The magistrate, now even smiling, chimed in at that moment.

“How much longer must we listen?”

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly said.

Simultaneously, pitch-black smoke rose below the back of Hwangbo Ma-jun’s head.

“What…!”

Baek Mi-ryeo stood behind him with a cold face.

She was wrapped in black energy flow as if flames rising from the abyss.

Spirit light dark as the night sky filled her eyes.

SWISH.

Conversely, Baek Mi-ryeo’s hand, dyed white as snow, grabbed the back of Hwangbo Ma-jun’s neck. He couldn’t even resist.

Desolate Sect’s blue sleeve fluttered with materialized ink-colored true qi.

Though the same clothes, the martial uniform she wore was different.

It approached like a black celestial maiden’s clothes, as if the reincarnation of the Nine Heavens Fairy from legends.

Baek Mi-ryeo moved her lips.

“Aren’t you one of the Eight Great Families? How petty.”

It was a low voice.

She overwhelmed him completely. After delaying his reactions with mysterious energy waves, she instantly sealed his paralysis points.

It seemed he wasn’t originally an elite warrior of the main family but just someone monitoring the branch.

Cheong Myeong grinned.

“Radiant Demon and the Azure Sky and Annihilation forces headed to your main family. They should be getting exterminated about now. The Squad Leaders would have shattered them.”

“Wh-what?”

The moment the magistrate froze stiff, Jeong Yeon-shin’s form spun.

He passed by the magistrate with a natural rotation like a leaf riding gentle spring breeze.

At the end of the body movement of momentary technique was the Desolate Sect sword. The blade below his grip flashed with chilling light.

CHWAK!

Jeong Yeon-shin felt it clearly from his grip. The sensation of cutting flesh and cleaving bone announced the end of the mission.

“…!”

Perhaps she was about to call him lowborn again? Deep Autumn Sword Hwangbo Mei-wei’s mouth shape suggested so.

It was futile. Her head fell off as her lips crumpled in shock.

“Desolate Sect doesn’t negotiate with traitors.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said while looking down at Deep Autumn Sword’s head.

It was the moment the belatedly turning magistrate reached out with an enraged face. There was no sound.

A cold blade tip protruded through his abdomen. Cheong Myeong’s Desolate Sect sword had pierced his back.

“I, like this…”

“Though brief, you were insufferable.”

Even while killing someone, Cheong Myeong’s voice was refreshing. It would have been the last words the magistrate heard.

The energy wave Cheong Myeong expelled through his sword was overwhelming.

Blood tears welled up in the eyes of the corpse that had been pierced through the abdomen. It seemed the insides were completely destroyed.

‘Even Senior Cheong Myeong’s techniques weren’t this cold.’

Perhaps being from the same Elf Clan made him even more ruthless.

It wasn’t over. When Jeong Yeon-shin turned around, his eyes widened.

“Kuh, kuhk.”

A sinister chill emanated from Baek Mi-ryeo’s white hand that was gripping the back of Hwangbo Ma-jun’s neck.

Simultaneously, his neck crumbled helplessly like crushed ice.

“Eut!”

The captured girl managed to land without falling on her bottom. After her small shriek, silence fell over the estate.

The sunset was already falling.

The sunlight, which seemed to slowly roll darkness into a bedding, cast a pale light.

An ominous wind blowing through the martial arts world rustled past the leaves of the ash tree by the pond.

The incident was concluded. The magistrate and Deep Sword were dead. The warriors of the Hwangbo branch family were also completely annihilated.

The cleanup wasn’t the Blue-rank’s job. People from the Desolate Sect would come.

Jeong Yeon-shin passed by the Dan family girl with his Desolate sword sheathed.

He wanted to say something to the girl his age who had been through such a harsh experience. Without stopping his steps, he slowly opened his mouth.

“You, you have a talent for martial arts.”

“Huh?”

The girl sharply turned her head around, but Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t look back.

Baek Mi-ryeo, who had already erased her materialized black true qi, was smiling slightly.

Her eyes, which had been completely black, regained their whites and black pupils.

Only her snow-white hands remained unchanged as she stroked Jeong Yeon-shin’s head.

Along with the cool sensation, her soft sleeve brushed past his ear.

“Desolate Sect is not a Sect that discusses chivalry. If you wish to become a righteous warrior, you’ll get hurt someday.”

“…Thank you for the advice.”

Jeong Yeon-shin responded while slightly closing his eyes. Either way, this mission was a success.

He had accumulated another great achievement. There wouldn’t have been room for their group to intervene at the Hwangbo main family where the squad leaders went directly.

That’s when it happened.

As if waiting for the incident to end, a bird flew in.

With sky-blue feathers gleaming strand by strand, it landed on Cheong Myeong’s finger. It seemed to be a spirit beast.

It was different from the one used by the second son of the Hwangbo family. A mysterious fragrance emanated from the small body of the creature.

Cheong Myeong untied the small message tied to the bird’s leg.

“Did Shin So-bin write this? The characters are quite dense.”

As Cheong Myeong opened and scanned the message, his head tilted slightly.

“Has something gone wrong?”

Jeong Yeon-hin asked calmly.

“No. This isn’t from the group that went to attack the main family.”

“Then…?”

“You know how the White-ranked warriors were holding the Dragon Phoenix Gathering’s rising talents? Their families must have given it their all. They finally found them.”

“The location?”

“Yes. Apparently they even clashed with the Blood Flame Sect b*st*rds? There were three battles. First the martial families, then Blood Flame Sect, then the martial families again. While regrouping, they suffered a major defeat. Even Hyeon Won-chang was captured.”