34. Why Are There More Tripitaka Candidates?
There’s an old saying passed down in the world of Murim:
If you get hit by a flying sword and just sit there, you’re a fool.
That was exactly the situation Hwangbo Yong, heir to the Hwangbo Clan, found himself in.
A sudden sword flew in the middle of watching a fight.
Hwangbo Yong drew his sword and deflected it in a single motion.
It was a move worthy of the heir to one of the Five Great Families.
“Are you alright, Young Master Hwangbo?”
Jegal Seo-seo asked with concern, but Hwangbo Yong deliberately lowered his voice, keeping his face stern.
“I’m fine, miss.”
Hwangbo Yong shot a cold glare at the Black Path members who had thrown the sword at him.
He knew it wasn’t intentional—they were just caught up in the fight.
But a sword is still a sword, even if it’s thrown by accident.
Oh, you threw your sword by mistake? Sure, these things happen in Murim. Ha ha. Isn’t that just how things go?
But he couldn’t just laugh it off.
The problem was, the Ho Family Head was in the same predicament.
‘Damn it all…’
The Ho Family Head bit his lip hard.
‘Why did the Five Great Families have to show up now…?’
Normally, the Ho Family Head would have bowed his head here.
In the Black Path, guts were important, but knowing when to bend was just as crucial.
But the timing was terrible. The eyes of the Ho Family Fortress’s martial artists were all on him.
‘What a mess!’
He’d only just regained his lost authority.
And of all people, the Namgung Clan was mixed in with that group.
Rumors were already swirling that he’d begged the Namgung Clan for his life.
If he bowed now? If he showed submission in front of the Namgung Clan’s young heirs? If he backed down without even showing the Black Path’s fighting spirit, what would become of him?
“Do you think it’s alright to brawl in front of guests?”
Hwangbo Yong spoke coldly.
“I know chivalry’s been gone from Murim for a while, but swordplay among commoners? As a martial artist who follows the code, I can’t just stand by.”
“……”
The Ho Family Head fell silent, unsure what to do.
Hwangbo Yong’s eyes narrowed.
He’d planned to accept a simple apology and show some magnanimity, but his mood was quickly souring.
‘Are they out of their minds?’
The Ho Family Head’s silence was unexpected.
With things like this, Hwangbo Yong couldn’t just let it go.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and swung his sword.
Three streaks of blinding white lightning shot out.
The Thunderclap Sword Technique of the Hwangbo Clan.
The lightning-fast sword was about to strike down the Ho Family Head—
Something suddenly intervened.
“Hey now, you shouldn’t go swinging your sword at people.”
Was this what it meant for someone to appear out of thin air? A man literally popped up right in front of him.
“…!”
Startled, Hwangbo Yong tried to stop, but it was too late.
There was only one option: forcibly twist the sword’s trajectory.
He could protect the person in front of him, but he’d injure himself—his arm muscles would tear, his Internal Qi would be thrown into chaos. At best, he’d suffer internal injuries.
“Urgh!”
Hwangbo Yong made the obvious choice. He didn’t change the sword’s path.
The Dragon Phoenix Assembly was just ahead. He couldn’t afford to get hurt here. At least, with a shred of conscience, he twisted the blade as much as possible to avoid any vital points. He didn’t even consider that the other person might dodge or block. He trusted his own martial arts. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect—
Clang! Hwangbo Yong’s body jolted violently.
His eyes went wide with shock.
The Thunder and Lightning Sword Technique was a superb family martial art—lightning-fast and as powerful as a hammer.
So Hwangbo Yong was stunned. His sword stopped in midair.
‘He caught it with his fingers?’
With just his index and thumb, the man held the blade.
A heavy force traveled up Hwangbo Yong’s wrist. A chill ran down his spine.
Beyond the blade, Sun Wukong’s lazy smile overlapped with his vision.
“You…”
Hwangbo Yong’s eye twitched.
The Golden Prince, who had gone into the side building.
The talk of Anhui Province the moment he arrived. But none of that mattered now. All he could think about was that his sword had been stopped—caught between two fingers.
Hwangbo Yong bit his lip without realizing it.
Sun Wukong spoke slowly.
“As a retainer of the Namgung Clan, I’m here on their request. That person is involved in their business, so would it be alright if I apologized on their behalf?”
Hwangbo Yong snapped back to his senses at those words. He tried to pull his sword back, but it wouldn’t budge, as if stuck in stone. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
‘He’s a Martial Master. I can’t do anything against him.’
His mind was in turmoil, but one thing was clear: he couldn’t fight.
Besides, this was a perfect excuse.
‘It means I can’t interfere with the Namgung Clan’s business in Anhui Province.’
Recognizing your own limits and backing down before a stronger opponent isn’t disgraceful.
In Murim, it’s the wise thing to do.
Fortunately, Hwangbo Yong wasn’t the type to let his pride get the better of him.
“As a guest of the Namgung Clan, I can’t interfere with their business. There was a brief disturbance, but I understand.”
Only then did his sword move again.
Sun Wukong had let go. Hwangbo Yong looked at his sword with a complicated expression.
‘They say all the Namgung Clan’s retainers are eccentrics, but I didn’t expect someone this formidable.’
He managed a bitter smile.
Once things settled down, Namgung Mu-yeong stepped forward and offered a Tiger Fist salute.
“I am Namgung Mu-yeong, eldest son of the Namgung Clan.”
Following his lead, the heirs of the Five Great Families introduced themselves.
Sun Wukong glanced around at them.
No, to be precise, at Namgung Mu-yeong and Namgung Seo-wol.
The rest of the young talents were impressive, but to Sun Wukong, they weren’t even worth considering.
Namgung Mu-yeong was upright and polite, but his eyes never lost their wariness.
Namgung Seo-wol, on the other hand, stared at Sun Wukong openly, curiosity shining in her eyes.
Sun Wukong couldn’t help but sigh out loud.
“Why are there more?”
The fact that they were Namgung Clan children and heirs to the Five Great Families meant nothing to him.
At that moment, he saw neither their looks nor their backgrounds.
Only one thing caught his eye.
A pure white String of Karma.
Two of them, shining brilliantly.
Namgung Mu-yeong and Namgung Seo-wol.
Both were bound to Sun Wukong by an intense karmic tie.
*
The drinking party ended awkwardly.
Once swords had been drawn, it was impossible to return to the previous mood.
A big reason was that Hwangbo Yong, who had been leading the gathering, was now in a somber mood.
The Namgung Clan was nearby, but they didn’t return right away. They sent word they’d arrive by morning and decided to stay at the inn for the night.
“Seo-wol, you should dry your hair before lying down!”
Jegal Seo-seo was startled to see Namgung Seo-wol flopped into bed with her hair still wet.
Water dripped from her barely-toweled hair.
Jegal Seo-seo hurriedly dried it with a cloth.
“Ugh…”
Seo-wol made a strange noise as her head was wrapped and shaken. Jegal Seo-seo chuckled softly. After a few more wipes, Seo-wol shook her head vigorously, using her Internal Qi to dry her hair—a refined technique, but to Jegal Seo-seo, she looked just like a big dog shaking off water, and she had to stifle her laughter.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Earlier.”
“Oh, that retainer?”
“He’s strange.”
“…He was definitely strange.”
Jegal Seo-seo agreed cautiously.
“Appearing out of nowhere and stopping Young Master Hwangbo’s sword…”
His skill was monstrous. His movement was so fast Jegal Seo-seo hadn’t even seen it.
He really did just pop out of the ground.
‘He caught Hwangbo Yong’s sword like a child grabbing a wooden stick.’
Even thinking back, it was hard to believe.
Jegal Seo-seo thought of the Martial Masters in her own clan. There were many, but could any of them display such presence? It was hard to imagine.
“Not that.”
“Hm?”
“His eyes were strange.”
“His eyes?”
Jegal Seo-seo tilted her head.
She didn’t quite understand what Seo-wol meant.
His features were exotic, his gestures and movements unlike those of the Central Plains.
But his eyes…
“They were strange.”
Seo-wol frowned, unable to find the right word.
Jegal Seo-seo gave a wry smile.
“Why, does he seem like someone you shouldn’t get close to?”
He exuded a relaxed air. His looks were foreign. His martial skill was shocking.
Jegal Seo-seo was curious, but hadn’t had a chance to talk to him. In fact, he hadn’t spoken to anyone at the gathering.
‘He just kept sighing and staring at Namgung Mu-yeong and Seo-wol, then left.’
Hmm, that was odd.
Sighing openly at a first meeting…
Seo-wol shook her head.
“That’s not it.”
“Really?”
Jegal Seo-seo thought for a moment, then sighed.
She wasn’t uninterested in the Namgung Clan’s retainers. She herself wanted to meet Chae Gong, the great scholar staying with the Namgung Clan.
But this Dragon Phoenix Assembly wasn’t a leisurely event.
‘The Namgung Clan wants to unite the Five Great Families at this Assembly and reaffirm their position as the leading house.’
Jegal Seo-seo brushed Seo-wol’s hair, watching her quietly.
‘That’s why Namgung Mu-yeong and Seo-wol set out into Murim before the Assembly.’
They’d done their part well—dealing with the Evil Faction Alliance’s remnants and other villains. Even at their young age, they’d shown the prowess worthy of Namgung Clan heirs.
It was a way to show off the Namgung Clan’s bright future ahead of the Assembly.
‘People say the Namgung Clan is just a bunch of sword-wielding brutes, but they’re not to be underestimated. Isn’t their Law Enforcement Hall Leader supposed to be the brains? I’ll have to be careful.’
Unlike the Nine Great Sects, who couldn’t get close to the Namgung Clan, the Five Great Families could at least share information indirectly.
‘The real problem is the Hwangbo Clan.’
She thought quietly of Hwangbo Yong, who’d been subtly trying to take charge of the group.
‘Namgung Mu-yeong is quiet and doesn’t take the lead, so Hwangbo Yong stands out more—but that’s his intention.’
The Hwangbo Clan.
They used to be the lowest of the Five Great Families, but after the Great War of Righteousness and Evil, they’d risen to challenge for the top spot. She didn’t know all the details, but in terms of sheer numbers, they far outstripped the Namgung Clan.
‘What a headache.’
Jegal Seo-seo frowned. The Namgung Clan wanted to cement their top position, while the Hwangbo Clan aimed for the throne. The Jegal Clan’s role was simple.
‘We just need to know which side to back.’
The Jegal Clan never aimed for the throne. Being second was enough. As the next leader of her clan, Jegal Seo-seo had to watch the power struggle between Namgung and Hwangbo closely.
‘So much for a friendly gathering. What a mess.’
As her thoughts grew more complicated, Jegal Seo-seo unconsciously gripped the comb too tightly.
“Ow!”
“Oh, sorry, Seo-wol.”
She soon let out a small laugh. Even if the Dragon Phoenix Assembly was sure to be a battleground beneath its friendly façade, at least she’d made a cute friend in Namgung Seo-wol.
Namgung Mu-yeong and Namgung Seo-wol were certainly interesting people.