“Undecided?”

“Yes.”

At Sajil’s polite answer, Pae Yul stroked his chin.

“So it means he’ll be staying at the Alliance for the time being.”

“That’s right, Martial Uncle.”

“Hmm.”

Pae Yul sank into thought.

Cheok Gang asked carefully.

“Um... Martial Uncle.”

“What is it?”

“May I ask you something?”

This kid hasn’t changed.

Cheok Gang had been famous even in Azure Mountain Sect for having an especially aggressive temperament. But he was respectful to elders, and among his martial brothers he was branded as a dangerous sort.

And yet he’d entered the Evil-Smiting Corps and was receiving good evaluations. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

At that age, it would’ve been easy to get arrogant. Even so, Cheok Gang hadn’t changed from before.

Pae Yul acknowledged that much about him. If nothing else, this kid was consistent.

“Ask.”

“The other Martial Uncles all returned to the main sect, but... why are you staying at the Alliance?”

The corner of Pae Yul’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Why? Do you hate the sight of me loafing around, doing nothing?”

“Ghk! N-no! I’m really just curious!”

This is why people shouldn’t do things they ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) don’t normally do. He’d tossed it out as a joke, but Sajil’s face turned completely white.

Pae Yul leaned back in his chair like he was languid.

“Even if I go back to the main sect, there’s nothing else to do. It’s just an endless chain of training.”

“Ah...”

Cheok Gang nodded, but inwardly he felt puzzled.

Pae Yul was a martial-arts fanatic and a battle fanatic. He treated pursuing and training martial arts as the same thing as breathing, and if there was a fight he didn’t care who the opponent was.

It was strange to hear him say something like that. Cheok Gang had thought he was the kind of person who would never change until the day he died.

He must’ve gone through some shift in his feelings that I don’t know about.

Cheok Gang spoke.

“By the way, I haven’t seen the Sect Leader? Looks like the Councilors’ Meeting is happening.”

“Obviously.”

He had no idea what there was to discuss for so long. From the start, Pae Yul—who hated complicated matters—couldn’t understand how the lofty people handled their work.

With a listless face, Pae Yul stared up at the ceiling, his eyes full of inertia.

As expected, there’s nothing particularly fun at the Alliance of the Martial World either.

He hadn’t come here to win some post.

He’d just thought that since countless unfathomable masters would gather here, he’d be able to trade a splendid match with them. That was the only thing he’d come for.

But until now, he hadn’t fought a single match that felt like a real match. There were many masters, but every last one of them held back.

Because there was nothing to gain from standing out for no reason. They hadn’t come here to fight in the first place—they’d come to secure a seat for themselves.

And yet I’m still clinging to the Alliance because I can’t let go of the tiniest sliver of hope.

Pae Yul smiled bitterly.

So this is a Heart Demon too.

What was a Heart Demon, anyway. If you became listless for no reason and uncharacteristic words and actions slipped out, that was a Heart Demon.

This won’t do. I need to leave the Alliance soon.

Lately, even the training he loved had become sporadic. It was more like he was only maintaining his level—because he couldn’t tolerate the idea of the strength he’d built up declining.

Now he didn’t even know what he should do to make his martial arts progress. He truly hadn’t imagined a moment like this would come in his life.

That was when—

“Yoo-hoo!”

At the voice coming from outside the window, Cheok Gang’s eyes widened.

“Huh? The Unit Commander?”

Pae Yul’s eyes flashed.

Unit Commander? Yeon Hojeong?

The booming voice continued.

“Cheok Gang, you’re in there, right? I need to see you.”

Cheok Gang got to his feet.

“Martial Uncle. I’ll be right back.”

“Go.”

Cheok Gang hurried out the door.

Still holding his languid posture, Pae Yul felt curiosity stir for no reason and moved to the window.

“Ghk! Unit Commander!”

“Sorry. You were resting and I called you out.”

“No, sir. But... you don’t look good?”

Yeon Hojeong rolled his shoulder.

“I had a round with my father. Can’t handle him yet.”

“Clan Lord Yeon...?”

“Then who else would my father be, besides him?”

Pae Yul’s eyes glittered.

Clan Lord Yeon? Judge’s Sword Yeon Wi?

A sparring match... because they’re father and son.

In an instant, Pae Yul felt a fierce competitive urge surge up from deep inside his chest.

Pae Yul had seen Yeon Wi’s martial arts with his own eyes before. Once, when the Yeon father and son had sparred in the Alliance’s inner citadel training grounds, he’d been there as well.

Yeon Wi’s martial arts were completely different from what Pae Yul pursued. His orthodox swordsmanship, formal and dignified—pursuing the completion of the Way of the Sword rather than the raw killing power of martial arts—could feel stifling at a glance.

But the sword-force nestled inside that stifling restraint was so tremendous it was shocking. One sword, one sword—each bearing pressure like a thousand pounds. A perfected sword art that crushed the roots of Yeon Hojeong’s extremely practical martial arts.

And.

Pae Yul’s eyes settled on Yeon Hojeong.

The way that kid disrupted Clan Lord Yeon’s iron-wall sword art and drove him back with pure killing martial arts... that was even more impressive.

Rather than Yeon Wi... it was Yeon Hojeong.

He wanted to fight Yeon Wi too, but against Yeon Hojeong, he wanted to decide the match again and again.

It wasn’t simply because Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts were practical. Watching Yeon Hojeong fight made his palms sweat with a surging, exhilarated feeling he couldn’t explain.

He was born with the temperament of a gambler on matches. And at the same time, he had the temperament of a warrior who would do anything to kill an enemy.

He’s like me.

Azure Mountain Sect’s martial arts were among the most practical in the Nine Great Sects.

And Pae Yul was one of the people who believed in that practical martial learning to an extreme. Cheok Gang was walking that road too, but the depth was different.

I want to fight him.

The languor and hollowness that had been coming off his whole body vanished as if washed away. As he watched Yeon Hojeong, Pae Yul’s gaze grew hotter and hotter.

“But why are you here... Ah! Come inside first. I’ll serve you some tea.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Ah, yes.”

“By the way—are you busy?”

“Not at all.”

“Your internal injury isn’t healed yet?”

“There’s a little left, but I think it’ll be all healed in about ten days.”

“Yeah?”

Yeon Hojeong stroked his chin.

Still not good enough, huh.

It was a mission he’d stepped into himself to minimize allied losses, and to dig into the relationship between Yangcheon and the Three Teachings in detail.

But no matter how capable he was, there were limits to how much he could handle alone. Meaning, he had to move with someone he could trust.

It would be good to have someone strong. But more than that, their hands and feet had to match. That kind of mission—this one was.

And I can’t let it slip that I’m using Orthodox Path martial arts, either.

Of course, since all sorts existed in the Dark Path martial world, there were plenty of people who used Orthodox Path martial arts too.

Still, it was better not to if possible. There was nothing to gain by drawing attention for no reason.

From that angle, Cheok Gang was perfect. Azure Mountain Sect’s martial arts were especially practical, and with just a little modification they could even look like unorthodox martial arts.

But.

Yeon Hojeong looked at Cheok Gang’s face.

He’d grown fairly more mature through the missions so far, but his face still carried a boyish tint. In contrast to his rough hands, his gentle eyes were striking.

If I order him, Cheok Gang would jump into a sea of fire without hesitation. In that sense he’s good to move with, but...

Yeon Hojeong sighed inwardly.

No. It won’t work.

He’d thought he absolutely had to take Cheok Gang, but seeing his face like this, his mind changed.

He’s perfect in every way... but if something goes wrong, this kid could die.

When Cheok Gang’s blood ran hot, his view narrowed. Depending on the situation, it could be a brilliant strength—but on this mission, it would become a fatal weakness.

“No. I guess I said something pointless.”

“Why? What is it?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled bitterly.

“I got a mission. Not an Evil-Smiting Corps mission—one I secured on my own.”

“Huh? What kind of mission?”

“It’s dangerous. I have to dig into the Dark Path.”

Cheok Gang’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“The Dark Path?”

“Yeah. It’s a solo mission, but I’m recruiting people to go with me, and... you won’t do.”

“Why? Why? I’m fine! If I just pay more attention to the internal injury, I can fix it in five days too! I mean it! Really!”

Yeon Hojeong ruffled Cheok Gang’s hair.

Cheok Gang made a crow-like sound.

“There’s something more important than martial arts. I’m not doing this because your skill is lacking, so you don’t have to feel humiliated.”

Cheok Gang stuck out his lower lip in a sulk.

“Then why’d you come all the way here?”

“Tch. Yeah, tell me about it.”

Yeon Hojeong patted his shoulder.

“Anyway, rest for now. And don’t skip training.”

As Yeon Hojeong turned to leave, he suddenly looked toward the second-floor window of Cheok Gang’s quarters. Pae Yul was looking down at him from there.

Without a word, Yeon Hojeong lowered his head slightly. It was his way of showing respect to a senior.

That was when—

FLUTTER-FLAP!

In an instant, Pae Yul launched himself out the window and landed in front of the main gate.

A puzzled look came over Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“Senior?”

It wasn’t the same way he’d treated him at the Alliance gate. He knew how to separate public from private.

In a calm voice, Pae Yul asked.

“You said you received a mission?”

“Yes.”

“If someone at your level says it’s dangerous, it won’t be an ordinary mission.”

“It’s very dangerous.”

“What mission is it?”

Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.”

This was thoroughly official business. No matter how much of a senior he was, it wasn’t something he could casually disclose.

“I see.”

Pae Yul nodded.

“Either way, you came to Kangie, which means you judged that kid would be of some help.”

“Yes, but...”

Puzzlement rose on Yeon Hojeong’s face. They’d met only once, and they’d never shared any real connection—so why was this man acting like this?

Pae Yul spoke bluntly.

“Whatever that mission is, I want to go with you.”

“...Pardon?”

“Why? Do you think even I’m not enough?”

Why is this man suddenly like this?

Yeon Hojeong suppressed the surge of questions and answered.

“That’s right.”

Pae Yul’s eyebrows twitched.

“In what way? Don’t tell me you want to say my skill is lacking.”

“How could that be. It’s just that this mission requires many factors beyond skill. Considering that, I don’t believe you’re suited for it.”

“I want to hear the reason.”

“This mission has a separate overall commander, but I’m the one responsible in the field. And I need someone who can react instantly to the orders I give.”

Yeon Hojeong gave a wry smile.

“Senior... can you throw yourself onto deadly ground without looking back, on the command of a junior so much younger than you?”

Pae Yul couldn’t answer.

Yeon Hojeong lowered his head.

“I’ll see you again later. Then.”

He passed by Pae Yul’s side and opened the main gate.

That was when—

“Taking orders from a junior so far beneath you... even during an official mission, it’s an insult to your pride.”

“...?”

“But if the one giving the orders is someone who beat me, it’s different.”

Yeon Hojeong froze for a split second.

Thump-thump.

Behind him, a rough Qi wave rose thickly, like a beast’s breath.

“When it comes to matches, there’s no one as clean as me. If you beat me, then at least for this mission, I’ll follow your orders without a word. If you tell me to die, I won’t just pretend—I can really die for you.”

“...!!”

“What do you say? Want to have a round with me?”