Chapter 101: Emerging Outline (2)
The others stayed silent at those words.
They all knew that if Yong Hwarin couldn't do anything, it would be difficult no matter how hard they tried.
Yong Hwarin soared into the air using the Cloud-Stepping Ascending Dragon Technique and then landed on the roof of East Moon Pavilion.
Having formed the Tai Chi Dantian, his cultivation was increasing at an exponential rate day by day, so the Cloud-Stepping Ascending Dragon Technique truly gave the illusion of a dragon flying into the sky.
"Master Yong’s martial prowess seems different every time I see him, Sister."
When the third sister, Jeong Daji, spoke, the eldest sister, Jeong Minji, replied.
"He is truly a man close to being a Dragon Among Men. In the future, his fame will resound throughout the martial world."
Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji looked at their elder sister.
Though she was a kind person, when it came to judging others, she was harsher than anyone else.
"Is he really that great of a person?"
"Think back on what's happened. He pulled us out of the authorities' custody without a hitch, and he even caught the Black Killing Sword that we only ever managed to catch the tail of despite all our efforts. That alone proves he has abilities beyond what we imagined."
The two younger sisters nodded in agreement at their sister’s words.
"Now that you say it, you're right. It really does look like he was the one leading everything."
"Even so, he never once bragged about it. He saved us and didn’t say a word."
The usually curt Jeong Suji added quietly.
"That’s true. More than anything, I think what impressed me most was how he encouraged Jegal Cheongyeong, his betrothed since the womb, to break off the engagement. Honestly, most people his age are driven by pride and possessiveness—they’d never do something like that. That’s when I realized Yong Hwarin wasn’t an ordinary person."
Hoi Unkyung nodded silently as she listened to the three sisters talk.
Even from her perspective, among all the younger generation she’d seen lately, Yong Hwarin stood out.
Having met many people as the leader of a merchant union, Hoi Unkyung had a trained eye, and even she had to acknowledge it.
It was only his family background that was a bit lacking, but in terms of character, he was no less than the young heads of noble families.
He had both talent and ability.
Yong Hwarin infiltrated East Moon Pavilion using the Dragon Concealment Technique passed down to him by the Demonic Master.
There was something oddly satisfying about sneaking in without anyone knowing.
‘Maybe this is why some people become assassins.’
Moving stealthily like this made him feel as if there was nothing in the world he couldn’t do.
East Moon Pavilion was a pleasure house.
Because of that, the sound of men and women in the throes of passion leaked from the rooms.
Had he been the younger, more naive Yong Hwarin, he might have reacted sensitively to such scenes and sounds, but he had long since experienced such things and felt no stir within him.
When he climbed to the third floor of East Moon Pavilion’s guest wing, it was completely empty, as if no customers were being served.
‘That’s strange. Why aren’t they receiving guests here?’
Sensing something off, Yong Hwarin examined the third-floor guest area closely.
He then spotted a woman carrying a bowl of something and followed her.
After turning two corridors, he arrived at a large room.
Yong Hwarin quickly climbed up onto a beam, hid his life force with the Dragon Concealment Technique, and blended into the surrounding environment.
He then silently moved along the beam into the room the woman had entered.
Even perched above them, no one noticed his presence.
Upon seeing the people inside, Yong Hwarin held his breath.
‘I didn’t expect the Arhat Monks of Shaolin to be captured here.’
He began to understand the situation to some extent.
Most Shaolin monks, especially the Arhats, rarely left the temple grounds, so they were often unfamiliar with the ways of the secular world.
Shaolin was famed for its martial arts, and they didn’t even go out to beg for alms, so they had little knowledge of worldly deceit.
The martial world wasn’t a place where you could survive on strength alone.
It was far too easy to deceive someone ignorant of the world.
The Arhat Monks had surely tracked the traces of the Black Killing Sword all the way to East Moon Pavilion.
“How are you feeling now? A bit calmer, perhaps?”
Despite the woman’s words, the Shaolin monks made no move to free themselves from the ropes binding them.
‘They must be under some kind of restriction.’
Shaolin Arhat Monks should have been able to snap those ropes like straw.
“What do you intend to do with us, benefactor?”
Among the four Arhat Monks, Gak Woo asked.
“Don’t think I’m going to let you go. If I release you now, this place will be exposed and our hideout lost. You’ll just have to sleep quietly until we’re finished with our work and gone. Take this medicine, and you’ll sleep without a single thought for a week. Think of it as a week-long meditation retreat.”
The woman wore a flowing robe and exuded a breathtaking beauty.
Yong Hwarin understood why they weren’t killing the Shaolin Arhats.
‘If they kill Shaolin’s Arhat Monks, the temple will launch a full-scale pursuit and retaliation. They’re avoiding that risk.’
People might not know it, but if a high-ranking monk from Shaolin died, the temple would investigate and pursue the cause of death until the truth was brought to light.
It wasn’t for vengeance but under the pretense of guiding the soul of the deceased to peace—but Shaolin’s persistence could rival even that of the Tang Clan.
If these monks were killed, the perpetrators would not only face retaliation from Shaolin, which held a key position in the Northern Justice Alliance, but the alliance’s full force as well.
That was why they couldn’t afford to kill them carelessly.
“Release us, and we won’t hold you accountable for your actions.”
“Hohoho. My crime, you ask? All I did was serve drugged food to the venerable monks. That’s not such a serious offense, is it? So? Will you take the medicine willingly, or shall I force it down your throat?”
Gak Woo and his fellow Senior Brothers murmured Buddhist chants in sorrow over their pitiful situation.
“I’m sorry, brothers.”
“This is not your fault, Senior Brother. It is our own fault for failing to see through their scheme.”
“If we must take the medicine, then I’d rather not be forced. We will drink it ourselves, so please untie us.”
“Hohoho. Master Gak Woo, do I look that naïve to you? Even if your internal energy is sealed, I’m sure you’d try to kill me with your external skills the moment I free your arms.”
As the alluring woman laughed seductively, the four Shaolin Arhat monks continued murmuring their Buddhist chants.
“Now then, drink up.”
As the woman brought the cup to Gak Woo’s lips, Yong Hwarin was deep in thought.
First, he scanned the area to see if the Demonic Master or Deung Hwaun were lying in wait nearby. But with his sense of qi, Yong Hwarin could feel no trace of martial experts in the vicinity.
‘Neither the Demonic Master nor Deung Hwaun are nearby.’
That meant he could probably subdue the woman and escape with the Shaolin monks.
And yet, he continued observing instead of acting.
There was a reason.
Saving someone in the most critical moment made the act all the more valuable.
If he stepped in before danger truly struck, it wouldn't be impressive, and he wouldn’t earn much gratitude either.
The moment the woman brought the cup to Gak Woo’s lips to feed him the drug was the perfect time for Yong Hwarin to burst in and make the most impact.
Even now, he still hadn’t shaken off the habit of calculating his gains.
And he didn’t intend to. Yong Hwarin had lived his life as a merchant—just because he now practiced martial arts didn’t mean he could erase those instincts overnight.
He dropped down from the beam, kicked the cup with his right foot, and struck the woman’s abdomen with his left.
Thud!
The woman was knocked back and rolled across the floor.
To some, it might seem he had been too harsh, but to Yong Hwarin, she was dangerous enough to warrant it.
He wasn’t willing to give a dangerous woman any leniency just because she was a woman.
“Who are you?!”
The woman sprang to her feet and suddenly drew a dagger, slashing it toward him.
Swish!
Her hand technique was merciless.
She had clearly undergone professional training as an assassin—her moves were swift and precise.
Yong Hwarin figured dragging the fight out wouldn’t be wise, so he drew his sword and attacked more boldly.
Within three seconds, the woman dropped her dagger.
Whoosh!
He reached out to strike her acupuncture point, but something black suddenly coiled around his wrist.
The woman had unfastened her belt and used it to bind his arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Yong Hwarin tried to break free by drawing up his internal energy.
But strangely, the energy vanished into the belt.
‘What the…?’
Momentarily flustered, he tried to attack with the sword in his right hand, but with his left arm bound, he couldn’t use his full strength.
He tugged at the belt with his left hand while evading the woman’s attacks, then swung his sword at the belt.
He aimed to cut it.
Clang!
But his sword bounced off instead.
The sword, gifted to him by Ha Yanggyo, was a famed blade—sharp and strong enough to slice low-grade steel. And yet, it couldn’t cut through what looked like an ordinary silk belt?
Then, as he noticed the black color of the belt, a realization struck him.
“You’re Bingajeong.”
“Hohoho, were you one of my guests?”
From her response, Yong Hwarin confirmed that this woman was indeed the one to whom the Black Killing Sword had entrusted the Black Silk Celestial Thread, and that what she wielded now was the very same artifact.
‘To think even Ha Yanggyo’s sword can’t cut through this fabric. That alone makes it impressive—but is it truly worth risking one's life, like the Demonic Master, Deung Hwaun, and Blood Demon, just to obtain it?’
Even as they fought, his thoughts wandered—and that lapse nearly put him in danger.
“Hohoho, am I so easy that you’re thinking of something else while we fight? By the way, who are you? Surely you’re not one of my customers?”
Bingajeong fluttered her seductive lips as she chattered on.
Yong Hwarin suddenly recalled a technique that could free him from the Black Silk Celestial Thread.
‘If I attack using the Dual-Mind Inner Art, I can catch Bingajeong off guard and subdue her.’
His left hand was bound, preventing him from fully utilizing his right hand.
On top of that, whenever he tried to channel his energy to break free, the Black Silk Celestial Thread absorbed it, making it impossible to control his inner force properly.
Yong Hwarin stimulated his Upper Dantian to awaken the Demonic Master.
As soon as he did, he recited the incantation of the Dual-Mind Inner Art and entrusted control of his left hand to the Demonic Master.
Even without needing to say more, the Demonic Master understood his intent and unleashed the Golden Silk Technique at Bingajeong.
She retreated instantly.
Taking that opportunity, the sword in his right hand released the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword.
While the Golden Silk Technique bound her with refined precision, the sword came slashing with sharp, lethal force as if to carve her to pieces. In response, Bingajeong tugged on the Black Silk Celestial Thread, hoping to throw off Yong Hwarin’s balance.
Instead, the Demonic Master kicked off the ground and rushed straight into Bingajeong’s space.
Since it was his left leg that moved, Yong Hwarin had no choice but to follow through and launched his body forward, aiming the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword at Bingajeong’s wrist.
Faced with the risk of losing her hand if she didn’t let go, Bingajeong released the Black Silk Celestial Thread and leaped aside.
But she didn’t retreat quietly—she flung hidden weapons from her sleeve as she fell back.
It was a clear signal that she had no intention of letting him leave unscathed.