Xuzhou was already large to begin with.

There was more vigor than usual. It was because fresh rumors had spread.

A young master from Desolate Sect had provoked the Blood Flame Sect. It was a story that anyone couldn’t help but be interested in.

Not a white-ranked warrior but a blue-ranked master, they said. It was something that added force to how quickly rumors spread.

“When we sprinkled water, they were indeed Blood Flame Sect members. Their dye was truly flawless.”

“They say he killed a Blood Swordmaster in one move?”

“They say a Desolate Sect blue-ranked warrior is a rare master in the world. But even so…”

Various stories flowed.

He caused an incident at the pleasure house. Since it was during martial artists’ banquet, many had watched.

Even to the ears of Jeong Yeon-shin himself, the subject of the conversations, discussions about him could be heard.

“But to suddenly draw blood like that. Unless he looked down on us.”

“Does he think the Desolate Sect alone opposes the Blood Flame Sect?”

“It would have been good if we joined forces.”

They said the martial world had all sorts of characters.

There were those who couldn’t stand someone making a name for themselves in an incident right before their eyes.

They were superhumans carrying mysterious power called martial arts. Many acted as if they were the center of the world.

‘They said small sects trapped in narrow places were like this.’

Jeong Yeon-shin was accumulating martial world experience. The battles he had experienced so far were mostly significant ones.

Though he had fought battles worthy of promotion to blue rank, his murim knowledge was narrower than most white ranks.

He stayed a day at the inn next to the pleasure house.

Though he was quite comfortable with silver coins in his possession, he didn’t particularly want to seek sleep at the luxurious pleasure house.

He thought if it was the Blood Flame Sect, they would find him wherever he was in Xuzhou now.

‘I wasn’t hoping for uninvited guests.’

Jeong Yeon-shin looked up across from him while eating.

“We greet the renowned Desolate Sect warrior.”

“We came wanting to discuss martial arts with you, but is it true you struck down a blood demon in one move? It’s our first time seeing someone with Desolate Sect as their sect.”

It was one woman and two men. All had swords at their waists.

Unlike their words, their main interest didn’t seem directed at Jeong Yeon-shin’s status.

Rather than distant Desolate Sect in Huguang, the nearby Namgung family was the strongest in the murim for them.

‘No goodwill in their expressions.’

Was it local murim territorial behavior?

Jeong Yeon-shin had shattered a Blood Swordmaster’s head in a place with all sorts of sects and martial families.

Eliminating the Blood Flame Sect was great honor for orthodox martial artists. He knew well as it wasn’t just once or twice.

Since he had committed such acts, it was natural for such people to seek him out.

He slowly rose from his seat and made a cupped fist salute.

“I am Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Flash of Desolate Sect.”

They had spoken without introducing themselves first. Only after seeing Jeong Yeon-shin’s courtesy did they each introduce themselves.

Unfamiliar names came from their mouths.

They called themselves Seol Yu-yu of the Eulso Sword Family, Jeong Cheol of the Flower Sword Gate, and Kwon Chun of the Flying Dragon Martial Hall.

Eldest daughter, young sect leader, and top disciple respectively.

Jeong Yeon-shin carefully listened to their status. Inquiring about the Blood Flame Sect at government offices wasn’t enough.

Martial artists’ eyes had to be different.

It was natural to observe build, body balance, and gait when seeing an opponent warrior. There would be differences in perspective.

‘They said to praise the opponent if you need something. Not excessively.’

He recalled the social skills learned from Hyeon Won-chang.

“It is an honor to meet the heroes of South Zhili.”

Jeong Yeon-shin slightly bowed his head, elevating them.

“Hmm…!”

Flying Dragon Martial Hall’s Kwon Chun’s narrow brow slightly relaxed. A blue-ranked master’s greeting with such courteous bearing.

All martial artists keep Desolate Sect at a distance? They had to acknowledge at least their prestige and martial arts.

The murim was a world of those who stake their lives on their respective honors.

None would dislike receiving courtesy from a warrior of status acknowledged by the world.

Kwon Chun cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Knowing our original martial arts are greatly lacking, would you consider having a sword discussion with us?”

“A sword discussion, you said?”

Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously asked back.

It was having virtual matches while speaking martial arts techniques with the mouth.

After trying it several times at the main family, Jeong Yeon-shin hadn’t developed interest.

He had lost to Hyeon Won-chang multiple times too. There were no sword techniques he couldn’t demonstrate with words.

‘This would be good for matching their mood.’

He ordered three bottles of alcohol and side dishes to set up the gathering.

There were largely three ways to obtain detailed information in the martial world.

The Beggar Sect called Gaebang (Beggar Sect), Hao Sect which had people working in all sorts of places like pleasure houses and inns under them, and finally local martial artists.

While there were beggars even in Beijing, strangely he hadn’t seen them in Xuzhou.

Hao Sect was hard to trust due to multiple entanglements with the Blood Flame Sect. There was no choice but the martial artists who had settled here.

“…Couldn’t you offset it with Sweep Thousand Armies’ horizontal energy wave there? Then releasing forward rotation would add power and speed, so it seems Young Hero would have nowhere to step!”

Jeong Yeon-shin lost continuously.

Sword discussion was a war of words that martial artists had given a plausible name to.

The side with weaker will to win had to lose, and Jeong Yeon-shin naturally learned about life in this setting.

It felt almost too easy, this entertaining of guests.

‘Would this work on Desolate Sect’s lord? If she’s in a good mood, perhaps…’

Were they so pleased to have won even verbally against a Desolate Sect blue-ranked master? The three people’s expressions were very bright.

Even with repeated drinks it was so. Jeong Yeon-shin was newly amazed by martial world culture.

‘So this can be enjoyed too.’

If the Blood Flame Sect didn’t come today, he had planned to go around asking directly.

That seemed unnecessary. It was because the three people, in good spirits from drinking together, told many stories.

“If Young Hero hadn’t crushed the Blood Swordmaster’s crown, we would have.”

“We were the ones who guided those blood demons to the banquet yesterday. Never dreamed they’d be Blood Flame Sect members.”

Seol Yu-yu and Kwon Chun said.

Seol Yu-yu, said to be the Eulso Sword Family’s successor, was a swordsman with palms full of calluses.

Her seemingly hard eyes softened each time she won a sword discussion against Jeong Yeon-shin.

Now he understood. These three people had come wanting to make their honor upright.

“That could happen. They seemed skilled at hiding their energy waves. Especially that Blood Swordmaster. I could only feel his unique momentum right before drawing his sword.”

Jeong Yeon-shin calmly covered their faults.

This was enough. The three people answered his careful questions in detail.

First was where they had met those fellows.

Where they had recently seen people hiding their appearance with similar bearing on which paths, what kinds of hushed talks were circulating in their sects about Xuzhou’s Blood Flame Sect.

The three were rising talents of this city.

Their access to information and discernment far surpassed government soldiers.

Jeong Yeon-shin gathered useful stories.

Yesterday they had even followed after letting the Blood Flame Sect members live. He could easily organize places that needed to be shattered.

Meanwhile, the three martial artists were quite drunk.

Perhaps because Jeong Yeon-shin had simply subdued the Blood Flame Sect members yesterday.

As if there was no one in Xuzhou who could do anything to them, they didn’t even drive away the drunkenness with internal energy.

All their faces were red.

“It may be a somewhat rude question, but Desolate Sect’s martial arts… are they all somewhat sloppy like that?”

“Sharing sword discussion does raise questions.”

“Me too. Even if it’s just word sparring, I never thought our Eulso Sword Family’s sword techniques would work so well even against Desolate Sect.”

Now the words were meaningless.

The three people’s alcohol-scented words couldn’t dig into his ears. The remaining time wasn’t leisurely.

It was when Jeong Yeon-shin was about to rise from his seat.

“Sloppy? How could that be? He newly created sword techniques as profound as the Nine Sect’s secret arts.”

Right beside them. A clear voice seemed to push away everyone’s drunkenness completely.

Indeed, powerful yet gentle true qi was carried in the voice.

Step.

She approached with surprisingly light body-protecting movement.

Only now did Jeong Yeon-shin feel her presence. Even absorbed in drinking and lost in thought, this was no ordinary matter.

He turned his head and opened his eyes wide.

“Great Hero Sword Dragon?”

The beautiful features and clear eyes were familiar.

The feather ornament above her hair flowing like black ebony remained the same.

Her sky-blue clothes fluttered with the rebound of light body technique.

A white precious sword hung from the waist sash decorated with blue jade.

It was said to be the divine sword signifying her status as successor to the Zhongnan Sect’s leader.

Sword Dragon Wei Ji Myo-hwa slightly raised her lips. It was a smile beautiful enough that the three dining companions seemed to lose their senses looking at it.

“I was coming to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. I came up hearing rising talents were being chased…”

Her smile deepened as she slowly continued speaking.

“Since rumors about Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Flash are rampant in Xuzhou.”

“You came looking directly?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked, collecting his surprise.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa slightly tilted her white neck down. Her attitude was ambiguous.

“They say Young Hero killed a Blood Swordmaster in one move ? The rumors must have spread faster than my lightness technique. Enough to make it incomprehensible that the Blood Flame Sect stays quiet.”

“They must have schemes. Though happy to meet again, I have no leisure to wait. Because Young Hero Hyeon was captured.”

“Ah.”

She nodded after a short sigh.

“I’ll help. The Zhongnan Sect owes a debt to the two Young Heroes.”

Those who speak of murim romance would likely love this moment. Here was the bearing of a beautiful great hero.

He gained an army of thousands  in the early evening. Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t refuse.

After paying the innkeeper, he left the inn together with Wei Ji Myo-hwa.

Leaving behind the three people who were muttering “Sword Dragon” and “Zhongnan Sect” with dazed expressions.

The flow of pursuit gained rapid momentum.

“We’ll need to track for quite a long time, will this be alright?”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa slightly twisted her body as if showing her appearance.

One sword and a small travel pack on her back. Very simple. Indeed worthy of being called a Nine Sects disciple.

Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.

“We might not need to take long.”

* * *

The murim was vast. The size of the Central Plains was the world of martial arts. It was endlessly expansive.

There was a reason why the strategies of mere copycat imitators, which were not even ingenious, worked against the opposing force.

The Blood Flame Sect was a force that couldn’t plant spies. They said one becomes a fanatic cultist the moment they accept blood techniques.

It was the realm of sorcery. That’s why they helplessly lost in information warfare just by being involved with the Blood Flame Sect.

Now was different. Jeong Yeon-shin was the one spreading his wings.

KWANG!

The Eternal Blossom Fist’s second technique, Advancing Thunder’s energy wave exploded at some house’s gate.

Amidst fragments scattering in all directions like hit by a typhoon, Jeong Yeon-shin stood with sky-blue spirit light suddenly flashing.

KUUNG!

The Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm’s energy wave stormed through the Blood Flame Sect branch’s inner house. Jeong Yeon-shin thought while striking down the last guy’s head.

‘Heaven’s decree perhaps.’

At this moment his upper dantian precognition was flashing. Like lightning suddenly striking the blue sky.

It approached like fate. It seemed like reaction from widening the Hundred Meetings point through forceful casting of sword song.

Perhaps it was because Wei Ji Myo-hwa, carrying mysterious energy, provided stimulus beside him.

This was already the fifth. Every place they entered was a Blood Flame Sect branch.

‘Four more remain.’

Information gathered from various government offices and martial artists harmonized with upper dantian precognition.

Completely possessed-like tracking speed and martial might transformed to blue rank.

Even Wei Ji Myo-hwa with deep cultivation couldn’t hide her shocked expression.

“Let’s go.”

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at the fallen Blood Swordmaster and Blood Flame Sect members before stamping the ground.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa had no chance to intervene.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s short-distance lightness technique using Fate Defying Scripture’s overlapped true qi was fast enough to rival her, but the Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm was beyond that.

It displayed might reaching invincibility against the Blood Flame Sect.

‘Just don’t meet an Apostle.’

He recalled the Blood Flame Sect’s Seventh Apostle who would have grudges against him.

Simultaneously, heaven’s energy passing through his crown annoyingly whispered.

That there was no need to worry today. Whether that was really so remained to be seen.

“Sixth.”

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered facing what looked like an ordinary hall.

Desolate Sect warriors don’t mind government office eyes.

It was bound to be noticeable chaos. It was truly enormous commotion.

A Desolate Sect blue-ranked warrior rushed through Xuzhou together with a beautiful master of mysterious age.

At the end of bold actions, completely shattered Blood Flame Sect branches were revealed to all under heaven.

Victims withered from true qi extraction and corpses with bright red hair.

“Crazy… they said Desolate Sect, Desolate Sect.”

“Isn’t that simply a monster?”

“Watch your words. That’s a great hero.”

They said Xuzhou had many martial gates. People who came out wondering what was happening followed one by one.

The gathering crowd grew larger and larger.