Episode 56. You Should At Least Tell Me Why You’re Trying to Kill Me!
Hua Yeo-wol smacked Won Seung on the back.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
Hua Yeo-wol shot him a glare.
Who’s the one who kissed me out of nowhere and now tries to pin the blame on me…?
Won Seung rubbed his back, frowning.
“Did you master the Iron Sand Palm or something? My heart nearly burst.”
“Sword Pact Sect is the main base of Clear Water Sect. Don’t act disrespectfully. The people from Sword Pact Sect are all formidable masters.”
“Tch.”
“Anyway, it’s a relief. Someone from Sword Pact Sect has arrived….”
Hua Yeo-wol’s face brightened with hope.
Suddenly, Won Seung felt a piercing aura and turned around.
Byeok Gyo-woon was staring at him, his eyes as sharp as blades, fixed right on Won Seung.
Following Won Seung’s gaze, Hua Yeo-wol turned to look as well. Instantly, Byeok Gyo-woon hid his killing intent and flashed a bright smile, as if nothing had happened.
‘He must’ve heard what I said.’
It was quite a distance—could he really have heard?
Covering his mouth with his hand, Won Seung whispered to Hua Yeo-wol.
“See? He was just about to eat me alive, but as soon as you looked, he smiled like an angel.”
A sharp glint flashed once more in Byeok Gyo-woon’s eyes as he looked at Won Seung.
‘He really is listening!’
That’s what it means to be a true master. As expected of the Sword Pact Sect.
Won Seung led Hua Yeo-wol all the way to the rear garden.
“What’s this about?” Hua Yeo-wol asked, curious when Won Seung said he had something to discuss in private.
He was ready to give his prepared answer if she brought up the kiss from last time.
But, disappointingly, that wasn’t it.
Once they reached the garden and made sure no one else was around, Won Seung asked,
“You know my real name, right?”
“Ah….”
Caught off guard by the direct question, Hua Yeo-wol fell silent. She knew how much Won Seung wanted to keep his identity secret.
“It’s fine. I was planning to tell you my real name anyway. But it’d be a problem if others found out. Who at Clear Water Sect knows my identity?”
“Just my father, my uncle, and my cousins. Father told everyone to keep quiet.”
It seemed Hwa Cheon-Woon, not wanting to get entangled in politics, had made sure everyone kept their mouths shut.
“Thanks for that. It’d be a real problem if my identity got out.”
“I know. That’s why I call you Unsaeng.”
Hua Yeo-wol smiled and nodded, answering firmly.
Her face had lit up the moment she heard someone from Sword Pact Sect had arrived.
Won Seung tilted his head. Seeing how happy Hua Yeo-wol was to welcome Sword Pact Sect, he could tell just how desperately Clear Water Sect had been waiting for reinforcements.
But…
The atmosphere in Hwa Cheon-gang’s office earlier had been extremely heavy.
‘Hwa Cheon-gang was even angry.’
Did Sword Pact Sect demand too much in return? Nothing in this world comes for free. If you call in a master, you have to pay the price. But if the demands are too excessive, the host is bound to feel slighted.
As the two chatted, a guard came running up.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere. The Sect Leader wants to see you.”
“I’m coming too,” Hua Yeo-wol said, following along.
Hwa Cheon-Woon frowned as he saw his daughter trailing behind Won Seung.
Why does she keep hanging around that guy?
Oblivious to her father’s thoughts, Hua Yeo-wol asked,
“I met Byeok Gyo-woon from Sword Pact Sect. Have the reinforcements finally arrived?”
“We’ll talk about family matters later,” Hwa Cheon-Woon deflected, then turned to Won Seung.
“We’ll accept the three-way martial arts duel.”
Won Seung looked at Hwa Cheon-gang, who nodded in agreement.
“Then, please sign the agreement.”
“But, if things don’t go as you say… you’ll be held responsible,” Hwa Cheon-Woon added.
What does it mean to be held responsible in a martial family? Surely they don’t mean to cut off my head?
Won Seung rubbed his neck in protest.
“That seems a bit much. I’m only stepping up for Xiangyang out of goodwill, and you’re talking about holding me responsible?”
Hua Yeo-wol backed him up.
“Unsaeng is just acting as a mediator…”
“This is a matter of life and death. If things go wrong, someone has to take responsibility. Since Unsaeng stands to gain so much, he should be prepared to risk his life.”
Hwa Cheon-Woon spoke firmly, then looked at Hwa Cheon-gang. Hwa Cheon-gang nodded, signed the agreement, and handed it to Won Seung.
“The Third Sect Master is right. Whatever your intentions, you stand to gain a great deal. Great rewards come with great risks.”
“Understood.”
Won Seung accepted the signed document and tucked it into his robe.
“In two days, Cheon Il-hae will officially propose the three-way martial arts duel. Please accept it then.”
“All right.”
“I have one request.”
“What is it?”
“If things go as I expect, Cheon Il-hae and the Descendant of the Yong Clan will fight first. After that, the Descendant of the Yong Clan and the Second Elder will duel. If you manage to defeat the Descendant of the Yong Clan, please spare his life.”
Hwa Cheon-gang shook his head.
“Why should I? Because of him, Clear Water Sect’s honor is being dragged through the mud in Xiangyang.”
“Killing both father and son is too cruel.”
“The Murim is a ruthless place.”
Hmm. That’s not working. Then…
“His background is extraordinary. Are you aware?”
“……”
So he does know. Of course he would.
“There will be consequences.”
Hwa Cheon-gang snorted.
“You really don’t know the Murim. No sect will complain about someone dying in a fair life-and-death duel. And since he comes from such a prestigious sect… I might even lose. I won’t beg for my life.”
Since Hwa Cheon-gang wouldn’t budge, Won Seung sighed.
“If that’s the Second Elder’s decision, I can’t argue.”
Then, as if in passing, he added,
“Anyway, since the Xiangyang Murim agreed to settle things with a martial arts duel, the masters from Dosan Forest and Sword Pact Sect came for nothing.”
Neither Hwa Cheon-gang nor Hwa Cheon-Woon responded to that. Their faces remained as hard as ever.
‘Hmm. There’s definitely something going on.’
Won Seung’s instincts were tingling. But he couldn’t ask outright.
‘Still, I have a connection.’
A pretty connection named Hua Yeo-wol.
As he bid farewell to the Hua brothers and left, he said to Hua Yeo-wol,
“See you later.”
He made a drawing gesture with his hand, and Hua Yeo-wol nodded, understanding.
When Won Seung exited the Clear Water Sect, the coachman Seok-bo was waiting with the ebony carriage.
“Go on ahead. I’ll walk.”
He dismissed the coachman and started walking through the streets.
Walking was the best way to clear his head when things got complicated. As he wandered through the narrow alleys, he mulled over what might have been said between the Hua brothers and the Sword Pact Sect reinforcements.
He’d heard from a guard that four people had arrived.
“The third disciple of the Sword Pact Sect Leader? That arrogant bastard, he had such a smug face.”
Won Seung scowled, recalling Byeok Gyo-woon’s face. He didn’t like the way those arrogant eyes looked down on him.
Lost in thought, suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
A chill ran down his spine—his instincts screamed danger.
‘Killing intent?’
His back went cold.
There were two ways from Clear Water Sect to Hundred Flowers Pavilion: the main road and a narrow alley. The main road was a long detour, so Won Seung was taking the alley.
It was a narrow alley where you rarely ran into anyone, but now, someone was following him.
Light, steady footsteps—someone trained in martial arts.
As Won Seung quickened his pace, the pursuer sped up as well. They’d realized he was onto them.
Won Seung spun around.
A sturdy, middle-aged man was approaching.
“Why are you following me?”
In an instant, the man leapt like a flying tiger, kicked off the alley wall, and vaulted over Won Seung.
‘A master!’
As Won Seung whirled in shock, a rough hand shot out from behind and grabbed his chin. Then a thick palm pressed down on his crown.
‘This is…?’
Won Seung recognized the technique—neck-twisting to kill. The man had landed behind him in a single leap and was about to twist his head and snap his neck.
Startled, Won Seung mustered all his internal energy.
Crack!
He felt the man’s strength bearing down.
Crunch!
His neck bones cracked, but thankfully, they didn’t break completely.
If not for the protection of forty years’ worth of internal energy, his neck would have snapped instantly.
“!”
The man was startled by Won Seung’s unexpected internal energy.
Won Seung immediately smashed the back of his head into the man’s face.
Thud!
The back of his head struck the man’s nose. Then, with his right foot, he stomped on the man’s instep and jabbed his elbow into the man’s solar plexus.
It was simple self-defense, but in this situation, it was the best he could do.
Crack!
The stomp landed, but the elbow was blocked by the man’s thick forearm.
“Grr!”
The man grunted in pain from the stomp. No matter how skilled, the instep was a vulnerable spot.
Won Seung quickly darted forward, spinning around as he grabbed a medicine bottle hidden at his waist. It was filled with Scattering Air Powder.
The man looked at him incredulously.
“So you know martial arts. You played the scholar so well…”
Blood trickled from the man’s nose. He pressed his thick palm to his nose to stop the bleeding, then wiped it away, glaring at Won Seung.
“Did Jong Won-bo send you?”
“None of your business.”
The man lunged forward. His footwork was truly impressive. Won Seung retreated a full palm’s length and sprayed the medicine bottle into the air.
Scattering Air Powder burst out, filling the air.
“Poison, too?”
The man, startled, immediately spread his arms wide and clapped his hands together.
Boom!
The shockwave thundered in Won Seung’s ears, blowing the powder away.
‘Damn! He’s a Peak Master!’
Won Seung’s hair stood on end.
To think he’d run into a Peak Master in the back alleys of Xiangyang.
Though Won Seung had endured ten harsh years of training, he was still only a sixteen-year-old boy. His internal energy might be over forty years’ worth, but this man was a true master, with both internal energy and technique in perfect harmony—a master who had reached the pinnacle.
Every move was flawless.
Most of all, his eyes were those of a killer—he didn’t even bother to speak, looking at Won Seung as if he were already dead.
‘I’m in big trouble!’
With summer, his clothing was lighter, so he only had Scattering Air Powder and Monghon Powder on him.
He did have a poisoned needle coated with wasp venom behind his ear, but against a Peak Master, it would be useless.
His only hope was the Seven-Step Soul Severing Powder hidden in the handle of his Small Knife, a deadly poison crafted by his master… but there was no way this guy would just open his mouth and swallow it.
As Won Seung’s mind raced, he came to a conclusion—
Escape.
‘I only get one shot at this.’
Won Seung gripped his last bottle of Monghon Powder, eyeing the man.
The man eyed the white bottle in Won Seung’s hand warily, moving slowly.
“Hey, shouldn’t you at least tell me why you’re trying to kill me?!”
“……”
The man just glared at him, clearly calculating how to kill him in one blow.
“You’re from the main house, aren’t you?”
“You talk too much.”
With a curt reply, the man lunged. In a single step, he closed the distance. The wind from his movement was like a storm.
‘A master like this, reduced to being an assassin…’
Won Seung was amazed, but as the man charged, he swung the bottle of Monghon Powder.
But the man wasn’t there. He’d feinted, then retreated.
Won Seung had only pretended to throw the powder, so they were even.
“This time, it’s for real!”
Won Seung charged, swinging the bottle again. The man retreated three full paces.
Again, it was just a feint.
The man stepped back another pace. As the distance widened, Won Seung immediately turned and ran without hesitation.
“That little bastard!”