Chapter 90: Black Kill Sword Wonho (3)
"At such a chaotic time like this..."
After helping Yong Hwarin, Jong Seok planned to enter the isolated training chamber.
"No, the sooner the better. You must understand that your achievement will not end as just your own."
Jong Seok no longer objected because he knew that only by completing the Poison Art could he erase the mental connection between Jong Munhye and their sworn brother.
"And Little Sister Hye has something to do as well."
Jong Munhye, who had only been listening quietly, brightened at the words that she also had something to do.
It was because she felt she could be of help to Yong Hwarin.
"Little Sister Hye, I want you to modify the formation I give you and make it even stronger."
"Is it the formation we saw in the Bamboo Forest?"
Yong Hwarin gave a faint smile upon seeing Jong Munhye understand the entirety from just one sentence.
"Yes, that formation."
"That formation was already threatening enough."
"No. It needs to be made stronger. You’ll be able to do it."
Jong Munhye couldn’t refuse when Yong Hwarin trusted her so firmly. She resolved to make a better formation no matter what.
"Yes, I’ll give it a try."
"I'm telling you this here because I may not be able to give instructions separately once we reach the main house. Please don’t forget what I’ve said and follow through. The reason is..."
"You’ll tell us someday."
Everyone spoke in unison, cutting off what Yong Hwarin was about to say.
Yong Hwarin had no time to teach martial arts to the sect.
Uncovering the identity of the Black Kill Sword's Sagaram Shadow Unit to prevent his father's assassination was the top priority.
Because of that, he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford attention elsewhere, so he issued orders in advance.
"And I don’t get anything to do?"
Everyone else had received a task, and only Mansengtongja Nam Myeonggwak had nothing, leaving him feeling empty.
His presence had been so faint thus far that others only realized he was there once he opened his mouth—‘Ah! This guy was here too’—with that kind of reaction.
"Hmm, Teacher Nam, you could help Little Sister Hye."
Yong Hwarin gave that reply because there wasn’t anything in particular he could assign to Mansengtongja.
Nam Myeonggwak was disappointed by the half-hearted answer, but still, his face lit up at the thought that he, too, had something to do.
"Miss Jong, let’s create an ultimate formation."
While the others firmed their resolve, Nam Myeonggwak, excited and speaking on his own, made the others chuckle.
He was the oldest but also the most childlike.
Perhaps that was why he got along so well with the childlike Namwook.
The group finished their meal and set off for Hayun County.
As they entered Hayun County, the majestic figure of Mount Tianzhong came into view in the distance.
"We’ve finally arrived."
Mo Biyoung’s words carried a deep sense of emotion.
It was hard to understand why getting here had been so difficult.
It felt like returning home after years of wandering.
From Hayun County, just ten li toward Mount Tianzhong was the Heavenly Central Sect.
Namwook, who was steering the carriage in that direction, brought it to a stop.
"Small Sect Leader, I believe you should come out."
Yong Hwarin stepped outside, curious as to why the smoothly running carriage had come to a halt.
"Do you see that?"
At Namwook’s words, Yong Hwarin looked in the direction he was pointing.
Although it was too far to hear any sounds, the glint of blades and swords filled with sword qi clashing like fire atop a hill was clearly visible.
It looked like a battle involving at least ten people.
With Namwook’s achievement having grown, he could now detect things that would have gone unnoticed before.
"This area is within the territory of the main house. It could be the warriors of the main house fighting."
Everyone who had stepped down from the carriage fixed their eyes on Yong Hwarin.
Not a single person voiced any objection. They all simply waited for Yong Hwarin to issue his order.
They were even prepared to move on as if nothing had happened if he decided not to get involved.
After following Yong Hwarin for some time, their loyalty had deepened, and they were ready to obey any command.
Their expressions were entirely different from when they had left the Heavenly Central Sect.
At that time, they had watched Yong Hwarin as if he were a child left alone by the river—anxious and wary.
But after this journey, they had become certain he was a great hidden dragon who would ascend to the skies like a soaring dragon, and they now followed him with wholehearted loyalty.
Seeing those gazes, Yong Hwarin couldn’t help but feel deeply moved.
'Now, even I have people who believe in me and trust me. In my previous life, I had no one to trust but myself—how lonely and isolated I was.'
A surge of emotion welled up inside him, and it felt like tears might fall. That cruel sense of solitude and isolation was a feeling one could never understand without experiencing it.
"Depending on the situation, there might be a fight again."
"If it’s with the Small Sect Leader, then so be it."
Namwook stepped forward as he spoke.
Jungwook smirked.
"We’re the Twin Dragons of Furys. That’s the alias we earned thanks to the Small Sect Leader. Shouldn’t the Twin Dragons of Furys always be beside the Heavenly Sword Hero?"
Mo Biyoung smiled gently.
"We left together, so we should return together as well. I’ll always be behind the Small Sect Leader."
Earning someone’s heart in life was truly difficult.
It was something no amount of money could buy—the heart of another person.
Even Jong Seok, with his injured arm, stepped up to fight.
"Junior Brother Jong, stay here and protect Little Sister Hye and Teacher Nam."
"That’s only right. And who’s going to protect the carriage? This carriage is from the Shangguan Clan. It’s expensive. More expensive than my year’s salary."
"Hyung-nim, but even so, I—"
"No. Honestly, with just us four, even if the grandfather of the Self-Revolving Blood Demon showed up, we could take him."
Jong Seok knew that their skills had advanced incredibly.
When they left the Heavenly Central Sect, they were around first-rate level, but now they were surpassing even the peak level.
Their internal energy might have only grown a little, but the application of their techniques and their presence in battle had reached the brink of mastery.
Jong Seok, knowing how greatly that gap could affect a fight, had no choice but to agree in the end.
'If it’s those four, there’s nothing to worry about.'
More than anyone, Jong Seok had watched them up close and felt their growth.
He trusted their abilities.
"Hyung-nim, then I’ll wait here at ease."
"Good. That’s how my sworn brother should be."
Yong Hwarin gave a smile that didn’t match his age and spoke to the three escorts.
"Let’s go see who’s fighting in our territory this time."
He said it as though he were going on a sightseeing trip rather than heading into battle.
That’s how used to fighting he had become.
As Yong Hwarin surged ahead using movement arts, the others followed in the same light-step technique.
Watching them go, Nam Myeonggwak said,
"Young Master Jong, I really like those people. It’s strange. Just being around Young Master Yong makes me feel inexplicably happy."
"I feel the same. That’s why I suggest we bring the carriage a little closer."
Jong Seok wanted to be close enough to help if a fight broke out.
"It seems Young Master Yong wants to keep us away from the fight, but it doesn’t sit right with us, so let’s go closer."
Nam Myeonggwak agreed and climbed up to the driver’s seat.
With Jong Seok’s arms still not fully healed, Nam Myeonggwak took the reins.
Then, seeing Nam Myeonggwak not only handle the carriage with ease but also steer without using the whip once, Jong Seok reconsidered.
'That Mansengtongja Nam Myeonggwak has many mysterious sides. I don’t know whether that’s good or bad for Hyung-nim. Still, since he holds good feelings toward Hyung-nim, it doesn’t seem like a problem.'
From Jong Seok’s perspective, it was true that Nam Myeonggwak’s unclear background was suspicious.
Yong Hwarin instantly used movement arts to leap up onto a tree more than a hundred jang away to get a better view of the situation.
Identifying who was fighting came first.
Yong Hwarin fixed his gaze straight ahead.
And upon seeing who was fighting, he frowned.
"The Three Chivalrous Sisters are being ambushed."
About six individuals were attacking the three sisters of the Jeong Family Manor, and their identities were all over the place.
There were middle-aged individuals, elderly ones, and even a young maiden.
At a glance, the six attackers showed no commonality that would suggest they belonged together.
Yong Hwarin watched them and recalled something.
'There's a high chance they are the Sagaram Shadow Unit.'
Even so, despite being surrounded by six opponents, the Three Chivalrous Sisters showed no signs of being pushed back.
Their skill was no less than that of Mo Biyoung, the pride of the Heavenly Central Sect, known as Yongjung Mountain’s One Flower.
‘As expected of the heroines who represent Shaanxi.’
It was his first time witnessing their combat in person, and the dazzling variations hidden within their flashy techniques were breathtaking.
Yong Hwarin observed the six individuals opposing them, checking if the Black Kill Sword was among them.
The Black Kill Sword he had glimpsed before was a strikingly handsome man, but none among the six here were young or good-looking.
"Judging by their appearance, those six must have been disguised as a family."
At Mo Biyoung’s comment, Yong Hwarin nodded.
The elderly one must have acted as the grandfather, the middle-aged man and woman as the married couple, and the young maiden and young man as the children.
On top of that, a girl who seemed to play the granddaughter role was scattering something continuously around the Three Chivalrous Sisters.
'If Father had been fooled by people like that, his assassination wouldn’t have been difficult. But why are the Three Chivalrous Sisters fighting them?'
As he was pondering that, the youngest of the Jeong sisters staggered. It seemed she had been affected by the powder being thrown by the girl.
However, she had deep internal energy and barely managed to endure without collapsing.
"What should we do?"
Mo Biyoung asked Yong Hwarin.
"I'm the Heavenly Sword Hero, am I not? How could I just walk past injustice and still be called Sword Hero?"
When Yong Hwarin showed intent to fight, the three escorts immediately roused their fighting spirit.
"We must subdue them at once. Do not kill them if possible."
"Is there a reason?"
It was said because subduing without killing was much more difficult.
"There is information we need from them."
With those words, Yong Hwarin soared toward the battlefield and flew toward where the Three Chivalrous Sisters were.
"Seriously, he always moves first. That’s why we’re always chasing from behind."
There weren’t many who would rush into a battlefield ahead of their guards.
Mo Biyoung and the Twin Dragons of Furys quickly launched themselves into the air and landed beside Yong Hwarin.
The Sagaram Shadow Unit, which had been fiercely battling the Three Chivalrous Sisters, leapt back the moment the four martial artists descended from the sky.
The Three Chivalrous Sisters were in worse shape than they appeared.
The eldest, Jeong Minji, had a flushed face red as a beet, and the ferocious second sister, Jeong Suji, was bleeding from wounds all over her body.
And the youngest, Jeong Daji, was staggering as though she might collapse at any moment.
Jeong Minji didn’t show it in her posture, but she had received a sword wound to the lower body, and blood was streaming down her pants leg.
Jeong Daji also had a large sword wound across her back.
Had Yong Hwarin arrived just a little later, these three sisters might not have held out and would have died.