The Murim Alliance warrior, Gachung, fiddled with his spear as he walked.
The branch of the Murim Alliance that had been set up in Seomhwa Village was definitely better than many other places.
First off, only the reputable sect, Hongseong, had established itself here, which meant there were no pointless conflicts between different sects.
And thanks to Hongseong solidifying its position in Seomhwa Village before the rogues from Yangwi Province and other areas could approach, there were not many intrusions from those rogues either.
With Hongseongsan nearby, there were almost no evil monsters, making it a pretty nice place to live leisurely.
The only inn in Seomhwa Village, despite hiring a former royal chef, sold food tastier than most restaurants at a low price.
Additionally, the cost of renting farmland wasn’t overly expensive compared to other places, keeping the prices fairly reasonable.
And while it was a village now, it was set to be upgraded to a city soon.
For those like Gachung, who wandered alone before becoming a warrior of the Murim Alliance, making a home base here didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.
“I bought a house recently.”
“Huh? Really?”
His companion, Geoyangchun, who had been staying in the temporary lodgings provided by Seomhwa Village, said while fiddling with his blunt weapon.
“I saved up steadily from the monthly bonuses I received for helping Yu Seonsaeng.”
“Wow, you’ve been saving like a little bug…”
“Hehe. Though it’s old and small, I have a house now. Once it gets upgraded to Seomhwa Fortress, the house prices will go up, right?”
Steadily and diligently working, saving money to buy a house, and then getting married later. Having adorable kids that look like him and his wife.
Passing on his martial arts to his adorable children who resemble him and his wife.
Geoyangchun chatted excitedly about the future with his friend and companion, Gachung, who smiled wryly at Geoyangchun’s determination to settle down in Seomhwa Village from the moment the branch of the Murim Alliance was established.
Most of the other warriors of the Murim Alliance who came here probably thought similarly to Geoyangchun.
Warriors of the Murim are those who never know when they might die.
As such, many dream of stability, often settling down step by step like that.
“You’re not exactly young either. Wandering around like in the old days might not be the best idea.”
“Hmm…”
“If you’re really stuck, maybe consult Yu Seonsaeng once.”
“That’s true.”
While Hongseong was famous in Seomhwa Village, there was another reason for a different kind of fame.
That was because of Yu Wol, who held the alias of Shinsan Seonja.
He was someone who knew everything and succeeded in almost every development or investment he touched, often providing consultations for the powerless and those lacking money.
Considering that some people made good money by following his investment advice or, like Geoyangchun, moved calmly towards their goals, it might be worth it for Gachung to seek his counsel too.
Thinking about how some people move calmly for their goals, I wondered if it might be worth it to get a consultation myself.
“I heard people even come from other regions to meet Yu Seonsaeng. If it’s not a hassle, could you introduce me?”
“That sounds good. And if possible, connect me with something to help with the teacher’s work too.”
“Let’s do that. Once today’s patrol is over…”
Geoyangchun, speaking nonchalantly, narrowed his eyes.
In the distance, something strange was in sight.
Darkness. Darkness was approaching.
Just looking at it sent chills down my spine; it was ominous beyond measure.
“…Emergency!!!”
I had no idea what that was.
But the instinct of a martial artist was telling me.
That it was something that should not exist.
*
It’s not that surprising when everyday life turns into something extraordinary.
So I wasn’t shocked when I saw the black clouds outside the window.
I just thought, “Well, it’s finally here.”
Even in Heavenly Bright Moon, the effect when Sahyung appeared was like this.
When the sky darkened and the seeds of chaos took hold, evil revealed itself.
Recalling a rather famous tagline from Heavenly Bright Moon, I told Chaejin, who looked visibly flustered.
“Start getting ready.”
The outside of the inn was just as chaotic. The sudden change and the approach of that darkness, which anyone could see was ominous, didn’t seem to be something people welcomed.
“Uwaaaah!! Mommmmy! Mommmmy!”
The confusion among the people grew.
That was one of the ads that appeared in Heavenly Bright Moon. People were scared, and children were crying.
And figures wielding swords came out to fight.
That was happening right in front of my inn.
But it was different now.
Seomhwa Village was already well-prepared.
“Everyone move to the plaza!!”
The soldiers of Seomhwa Village shouted roughly. They helped fallen children up and reunited them with their parents.
No, it wasn’t just them.
The martial artists who came to see me were also helping to maintain order and protect the people rather than fleeing.
Even if they didn’t know what was going on, those with power reached out to protect the powerless.
If they’re at that level, I could just leave the outside alone for now.
“Ryuhyun, you should return to Hongseong.”
“And the innkeeper?”
Today, Ryuhyun had come down to escort me. Since she would also be part of Hongseong’s forces, I couldn’t keep her here.
“It’s fine with Chae Soja next to me.”
“Well then, I understand.”
As Chaejin arrived, she quickly dashed forward. Watching Ryuhyun grow farther away in an instant, Chaejin spoke while noticing the approaching darkness.
“Could that be Dool?”
“It must be.”
“I’m worried if it’ll be okay.”
Well, if I’ve calculated correctly, there shouldn’t be any problems. I patted Chaejin on the shoulder and pulled out a charm from the drawer. It was the avatar charm I had obtained before.
“In case something happens, you should be ready to go out too.”
“But—”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got the avatar charm.”
With the powerful avatar charm in hand, I should be able to prepare for anything. I calmly sat down.
“What about the others at the inn?”
“I told them to hide and not go outside for now.”
“Good job.”
“And the martial artists at the inn have decided to help as well.”
“That’s also a good thing.”
Nodding, I sat down. Once the battle starts, there’s nothing I can do. All I can do is hope it ends with minimal damage. I stared at the darkening sky, biting my lip.
*
The Sword Saint, sitting cross-legged, slowly opened her eyes. The sky was turning black.
As she gazed into it, Hongryeon rushed into the garden where the Sword Saint was. Her expression, which had been stiff as she observed her disciples’ training, became serious.
“Master.”
Even though the Sword Saint was her rival, there was no one more trustworthy than her in such matters.
Considering Hongryeon’s words for a moment, the Sword Saint replied, “Gather the disciples.”
“They’re already gathered.”
“Alright.”
Before heading to the training grounds with Hongryeon, the Sword Saint stopped by the palace and grabbed the divine artifact of the Hongseong Clan, the Hyeonwun Armor, before heading to where the disciples were.
“Master.”
“What is that?”
Everyone was flustered, staring at the darkening sky. Facing her disciples, the Sword Saint remained composed, as always.
Was it because of that?
The confusion among the disciples began to settle.
“It’s Dool.”
Dool. One of the evil monsters that anyone could recognize just by name.
Among those present, only Sayoon, who was an orphan, had never heard the stories from parents about how the evil monsters would come to eat children who misbehaved.
But Sayoon was well aware of the danger Dool posed, so it was only natural for her expression to stiffen as well.
Of course, her expression stiffening was completely understandable.
“There’s nothing to worry about. The response method is…”
The Sword Saint pulled out a piece of paper from her robes. It was the paper Yu Wol had given her during their last outing.
With his exceptional knowledge and insight, he was well aware of how to deal with numerous evil monsters.
From ancient texts, legends, and folktales. Gathering information from scholars’ studies and the records of past martial artists, he had proposed the optimal strategies.
And this didn’t change when it came to the evil monster Sahyung.
After all, he had neatly organized battle methods that could change according to the situation and handed them over to the Sword Saint.
Of course, if he was ready to risk his life, facing Dool alone wouldn’t be an issue.
Yet, Yu Wol had seriously told her that she must absolutely avoid that, saying she wouldn’t want to see him get hurt or in danger, no matter how skilled he was.
His passionate plea was something the Sword Saint, who had decided to listen to anything he said, couldn’t possibly refuse.
Thus, after receiving the strategies, the Sword Saint had been teaching her disciples how to face Dool while also training them to fight as a united front.
It was time to put that into action.
That was when Ryuhyun returned from Hongseong Clan. Why was she here when she was supposed to be protecting Yu Wol?
Starting with a surprised Hongryeon, Ryuhyun explained the situation, and the Sword Saint sighed.
Ryuhyun was also a crucial member in taking down Dool.
So it was only obvious that Yu Wol had sent Ryuhyun back.
However, that couldn’t just be brushed aside.
“Yuna.”
“Yes! Master!”
“You need to step out of the united front.”
“Eh? But…”
“Stay by Yu Wol’s side.”
The reason for her exclusion wasn’t that she was the youngest, but because it was to ensure Yu Wol’s protection, and so Sayoon nodded.
“But what about my empty spot…”
“We’ll replace that part with the Seongun Armor.”
The Sword Saint handed the Seongun Armor to Hongryeon. Just wearing it would provide high defense, mental stability, and even a recovery effect for internal energy, which would allow Hongryeon to move around a bit more.
“You’ll be okay, right?”
“Yes.”
Hongryeon nodded seriously.
Seeing that, the Sword Saint drove her sword into the center of Hongseong Clan. It required continuous internal energy maintenance, and the cost for activation was quite high, lasting only a few days.
But with the kind of defense it offered, which was universally acknowledged, the Sword Saint activated the Hongseong Barrier, ensuring that anyone who hadn’t learned the Hongseong Divine Art couldn’t enter, and spoke earnestly.
“Let’s go.”
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