0030 : Golden Eagle Guards
On my way to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, I resolved to refrain from needless acts of banditry and murder. This wasn’t because my conscience had suddenly awoken; rather, I believed that to enter the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and train there for a long time, I needed to cleanse my past as much as possible.
My current goal is neither to amass wealth nor to gain fame. All I need is a sufficient amount of time to enhance my martial power, thus it is crucial to create an environment where I can focus solely on one thing.
I let out a short sigh.
“Though I’ve been thinking this way, why are you all dulling my resolve?”
“……”
The five bandits who overheard my muttering trembled as they knelt and lowered their heads.
Just a bit before half a meal’s time.
Upon spotting me, these brutes had lunged at me with knives, clearly intent on murder. They were typical murder bandits, numbering twelve, and if it weren’t for me, an ordinary villager would have likely faced death without a chance to resist. At least, I would have needed four to five escorts to deal with these scum more safely.
However, using the Thunder Cloud Palm, I rendered four of them unconscious in an instant and severed the arms of three more with my short dagger. Even though I was left with only my bare body and a self-defense dagger, taking down bandits like these was child’s play.
“Ahhh…”
“Please spare me…”
Seeing the comrades writhing in pain on the ground, the remaining bandits, terrified, remained in their kneeling positions. I looked at them coldly and spoke.
“I’m thinking it over. Should I end your useless lives right here or give you one chance to live?”
Horrified, the bandits pressed their noses to the ground and began to plead.
“L-Little Hero… I beg you, please spare our lives…”
“Please save us…!!”
“Waaah, we were wrong!!”
I gazed at them blankly and replied,
“If you have any useful information, now’s the time to share. If I find it worthwhile, I might just let you live.”
Killing them would be remarkably easy. A mere flick of the Thunder Cloud Palm would make them crumble like roasted chickens. However, having resolved to avoid unnecessary killings, I opted to hear them out first.
The bandits then wore desperate expressions as they racked their brains for useful info. Amidst this, a scruffy bandit hurriedly raised his hand and shouted,
“My lord! There’s word that the chief of the nearby Golden Wolf Mountain is a stunning beauty!”
“……”
“If you seduce that woman…”
What a truly pathetic life this bastard lives.
I stared at the fool, dumbfounded, then reached for his ear and yanked it off with force.
Puk!
“Ahhhhhhh!!”
As his ear was ripped off while he was still alive, he screamed and rolled on the ground, blood gushing forth, seemingly fainting. The other bandits, previously eager to provide “useful information,” stood frozen like rabbits, shocked. I tossed the severed ear into a nearby stream and growled.
“Think carefully and speak. What truly helpful information do you have?”
“Ugh… My lord… what do you want? Just give me a clue…”
“Tell me about the Martial Arts World.”
“Ugh…”
The bandits looked flustered. After all, what would former highway robbers know about the intricacies of the Martial Arts World?
“If you don’t know, that’s fine.”
Seeing their hesitating expressions, I began to emanate murderous intent and raised my hand slowly. They were, after all, wicked brigands who would slaughter travelers indiscriminately; I figured it would be far easier to just kill them all.
Then, one gaunt bandit, with eyes as small as millet, suddenly exclaimed.
“My lord!! I know some truly good information!!”
“What is it?”
“I’ve heard rumors that a martial artist named Namgung Hwan, known as the Azure Dragon Sword, is staying in a village eight li from here! They say he travels with his fiancée, but I don’t know much beyond that.”
“……!!”
I was taken aback.
Namgung Hwan, the Azure Dragon Sword!
‘Had he been here in his youth?’
That title was famous. Not as I knew it at this time, but rather as a figure who would be known as one of the Ten Great Masters in the decades to come. Namgung Hwan would later become the head of the Namgung clan, which would hold sway in Anhui Province, and he was called the Sword King throughout the region.
Even while working as an escort, his presence felt like that of a colossal figure. Despite being merely a clan, they were influential enough to dominate a whole city and bask in renown as the great heroes of Anhui Province. Currently, many decades prior to becoming the clan head, he seemed to be living as a late-stage righteous faction member.
I found it fascinating and asked,
“Why is Namgung Hwan, the Azure Dragon Sword, here?”
“Well… It seems he’s here to meet someone, as the martial artists have been gossiping. But we don’t know much, it’s just what we heard from the innkeeper…”
“But you all resorted to banditry while Namgung Hwan was around?”
“Uh… well…”
The bandits couldn’t find an answer. Considering how frightening Namgung Hwan and other martial artists were, it was unlikely for a mere child like me to evoke any fear. Twelve armed highway robbers certainly posed enough of a threat to ambush even an escort party.
After a brief chuckle, I fell into thought.
‘I’m curious. Should I check out what the Azure Dragon Sword looks like before I leave?’
The distance from where I was to Guanzhong, where the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School lies, was just about a day’s journey. It was the same route I had taken in the past when I traveled alone to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. With my formidable martial prowess, it would be possible to reach there in half a day if I ran. Thus, I had ample time to encounter the Azure Dragon Sword.
“Hey, where’s the village where the Azure Dragon Sword is staying?”
“I heard it’s Gangwol Village, over the mountain, after navigating around Michoshan.”
“I think I’ve heard of it.”
It’s certainly not a village far from the official road; rather, it’s a medium-sized village located along the main road to Guanzhong. I also knew it well since I had once quickly dozed off near a building there.
I spoke to the bandit who provided the information,
“Alright. You gave me good info, so I’ll let you live. Anyone else got something to say?”
“I do!”
“Go on, what do you have about the great man’s storeroom that is filled with priceless artifacts…”
The bandits rushed to share their ‘valuable information’ with me. Some bits were trivial, but I learned details like the location of the Golden Wolf Mountain nearby, the slave market, ways to connect with kidnappers who abduct children for sale, and the strongest bandit gang in the area, Blood Wolf Hall. It was indeed information fitting for bandits, but I figured it could prove useful someday, so I decided to keep it in mind.
After gathering all the details they had shared, I concluded it was time to part ways.
“It’s time to say goodbye.”
“What?”
Puff!
I swiftly struck down the fallen bandits. Then, I charged toward the four bandits who had provided me information. Hearing that I would spare them had instilled a flicker of hope in their faces, but it quickly morphed into despair as my dagger whirled at them with astonishing speed.
“Ahhh!”
“My lord, what the…”
Swish!
Swish!
In the next moment, four heads flew through the air. I landed back on the ground without a drop of blood on me. The heads fell to the ground moments later. After rummaging through the bandits’ possessions, I found over twenty silver coins.
“Who said you could call yourselves my lords?”
Though I remarked that I would spare them, my mood had shifted in the course of our conversation, and it culminated in their death. I stood amidst the sea of blood, devoid of any guilt.
After all, who would fault me for killing these worthless bandits? My actions freed the commoners from danger. More accurately, I had killed them simply because I wanted to, but I coldly shoved the silver coins into my bag and began to walk away.
‘Let me head to Gangwol Village and see what the Azure Dragon Sword is up to.’
I also had a desire to gather information about the future Ten Great Masters if possible.
Tydaht!
I quickly ran toward Gangwol Village. It took about two hours to arrive, and when I got there, the sun was setting. Since I had plenty of travel funds, I first searched for an inn to eat and rest, and I spotted the flicker of lights in the west of Gangwol Village.
Buzzing…
Gangwol Village was a town adjacent to the official road, bustling with the flow of goods. Unlike smaller villages, the inn was fairly crowded and full of life. As I observed the courtesans enticing travelers around, it struck me that busy places inevitably had such scenes.
When I told the innkeeper that I wished to stay, he looked surprised. Given that I was just a child traveling alone and suddenly offering silver coins, his reaction was understandable. Still, perhaps money spoke louder than words, as he silently handed me the room key.
Taking the opportunity, I asked the innkeeper,
“Is there a famous martial artist staying in this village?”
“Ah… are you here looking for the Azure Dragon Sword? It seems the child of a prestigious family is traveling alone.”
The innkeeper, perhaps misinterpreting my intent, smiled broadly and said,
“He left the village at noon with his fiancée. They stayed at our inn.”
“Really? Do you know where they went?”
“There’s no way an innkeeper would pry such things from a traveler.”
“……”
That was a valid point, and I had no rebuttal. The innkeeper looked at me with a hint of sympathy, probably thinking I was unfortunate for traveling alone at such a young age, before saying,
“Well… I do have some idea. They headed north out of the village, and if you go that way, you’ll reach Guanzhong. I suspect he will be entering Guanzhong City.”
“That makes sense.”
I agreed with the innkeeper’s conjecture. A late-stage martial artist from a reputable family like the Azure Dragon Sword would hardly take the long way around through a remote village. Especially with his fiancée accompanying him, it was only natural for them to ride along the main road towards the larger towns. It seemed almost certain that Namgung Hwan, the Azure Dragon Sword, was headed to Guanzhong.
‘Maybe I should rest for a bit before I follow.’
After all, my destination was Guanzhong as well. If I set off tomorrow morning, I ought to find his traces and catch at least a glimpse of him during the day. If I missed him, then it wouldn’t matter; I could simply enter the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School that way.
Creeeak!
“Here, take this.”
“What?”
The innkeeper arrived shortly after with a dish of chicken for me. I stared at it in surprise, and he laughed heartily.
“It’s free. Eat up and strengthen yourself.”
“Thank you.”
Once again, I felt grateful for the kindness I received during my travels. After finishing the warm chicken dish, I felt a slight discomfort. Thinking back, I realized I had received help from many people during my years of traveling in my previous life.
Leaving aside the merchant Song, I still owed a debt to Jang Cheol from the plum blossom station, yet I hadn’t found the means to repay him due to my busy life. I felt a contradiction in my heart as I accumulated moral debts without being able to settle them.
‘But I can’t go around repaying debts from my previous life every time… Hmm, it’s a tricky problem.’
After finishing the chicken dish, I bathed and, feeling pleasant for the first time in a while, went to sleep.
The next morning, after thanking the innkeeper, I helped tidy up the tables and chairs at the inn a bit. The innkeeper said that was more than enough, which lightened my heart.
I left Gangwol Village and arrived in Guanzhong. I vividly remembered that treacherous journey from years ago, in which I had struggled through hardships to reach Guanzhong, digging into the ground and shivering from the cold while camping nearby. I wasn’t sure how many years had passed, but that suffering still lingered clearly in my memory.
“Well, I won’t have to sleep outside anymore.”
I began to look around Guanzhong City for Namgung Hwan, who I expected to be here. I hadn’t realized it back when I was training at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, but Guanzhong City was quite large and bustling, comparable to any other city. Of course, it couldn’t be compared to the capital, Luoyang, but many people were moving about, and the roads were wide.
As I contemplated how to find Namgung Hwan, I thought it might be beneficial to use my Qi Sense. After taking the elixir for the third time, my internal energy had significantly increased, allowing me to sense Qi not just close to me but over a considerable distance. This meant I could recognize exceptional martial artists within a vast area.
‘If he’s at the level of Namgung Hwan, I should be able to find him easily.’
My intention to find Namgung Hwan wasn’t driven by a specific purpose; rather, it stemmed from my personal curiosity about how a future celebrity appeared in the past. As I wandered through the bustling streets and utilized my Qi Sense, I was unexpectedly able to detect around five substantial Qi signatures within a two-hundred-meter radius.
All five signatures belonged to martial artists of first-class caliber or higher. Although the streets were wide, it was rare to find so many experts concentrated in one place, leading me to find it quite unusual.
Lately, I’ve been often coming across peak-level experts, but first-class experts are nothing to be underestimated, far stronger than mere escorts. Within the first-class tier, there can be significant disparities, so I couldn’t recklessly dismiss anyone below peak level. For example, while I might have an abundance of internal energy, I would find it hard to claim that I possessed first-class martial arts. A first-class expert would be someone who’s a highly skilled practitioner looking up to a master.
‘Well… anyway, Namgung Hwan must be among them.’
I decided to approach each of the five first-class experts one by one.
The first person I encountered was a young man seated in an alley, casually resting a wooden sword on his shoulder. He had a full expression of despair, appearing to be just over twenty years old. Upon noticing me, he spoke in an irritated tone.
“What do you want? I’d like some peace, so leave this alley…”
“You seem to be a first-class expert. What are you doing here?”
The young man raised his eyebrows slightly, saying,
“You aren’t an ordinary kid. Are you a disciple of Gaebang?”
I looked down at my worn and dirty clothes, likely suggesting I had been traveling for quite a while. It was understandable he might confuse me for a Gaebang disciple. I shook my head.
“Not at all. I apologize for intruding; I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait a moment.”
As I halted, the young man spoke again.
“Are you also searching for Namgung Hwan?”
What was he talking about?
I stared at him closely, and he grinned, introducing himself.
“I am Wei Zhong, the War Sword Ghost. If you are indeed a disciple of Gaebang, then you’ll need to provide me with information about his fiancée, Mo Yongyeon.”
Zing!
The War Sword Ghost, Wei Zhong, rose from his seat, emitting a chilling aura.
I realized abruptly that I was about to fight a first-class expert and frowned.
‘What is this guy getting confused about?’
But it was fortuitous; he seemed like a fitting opponent to test my strength. With that in mind, I gradually began to draw upon my internal energy.
“Let’s see what you’ve got…”
—————————= Author’s Note —————————=
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