Chapter v11c10

“It’s over!”

Yeomdo remarked as he watched Im Gae’s black axe descend in a straight line from the sky. Binggeom nodded in agreement. They both knew that with such a glaring weakness exposed, it was nearly impossible to recover.

Unless a supreme master came to Im Gae’s aid!

“Not yet!”

Bi Ryu Yeon’s short response was enough to catch their attention.

Swish!

At that moment, a sword appeared, deflecting Namgung Sang’s precise thrust away from Im Gae’s neck.

Sword Flow

An uninvited intruder had appeared out of nowhere. Namgung Sang’s sword slid off the intruder’s blade as if it were gliding on ice, sparing Im Gae from a fatal blow. Im Gae, seeing the face of his savior, thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Stunned…!

Shock! Disbelief! Emptiness!

Namgung Sang, with wide eyes, looked again at Im Gae. Or more precisely, at the owner of the sword that had suddenly appeared in front of Im Gae. The person who had effortlessly deflected his sword was none other than the seemingly ordinary deputy leader, Lee Song.

For someone of Namgung Sang’s skill level, deflecting his sword, even if the attack was simple—simple attacks are often the most powerful, it was no easy feat. Only a master at the peak of their abilities could achieve such a smooth deflection with almost no resistance. And yet, this feat had been accomplished by a mere bandit deputy leader.

The entire delegation was equally astonished. The battle had seemed all but decided, with only the final blow remaining.

“See? Hesitation cost you the victory! Despite all the warnings, you didn’t understand. I told you not to hesitate when swinging your sword. If you hadn’t hesitated, it would have been over before anyone could intervene. Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

Yeomdo’s reprimand made Namgung Sang’s face turn red with embarrassment.

**The Gentleman’s Wandering Sword**

Namgung Sang stared blankly at Lee Song. Yeomdo and Binggeom were equally dumbfounded.

“Hey, Ice Block! Since when did the deputy leader of a Green Forest stronghold have such high-level skills?”

Binggeom shook his head. Lee Song had intercepted Namgung Sang’s sword with minimal movement, deflecting it with a smoothness that required the least amount of force for the maximum effect. The deflection was clean and elegant.

“When did the hierarchy in the Green Forest become so skewed?”

Yeomdo’s question was understandable. In the Green Forest, the strongest person always held the highest position. Connections, background, and blood relations didn’t matter. For those who pursued strength, being weak was a sin in itself.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a case where the deputy leader is stronger than the leader in the Green Forest.”

Ironically, the strongest person in the Black Wolf Stronghold wasn’t the leader, Im Gae, but the seemingly scholarly deputy leader, Lee Song, who was thought to be good only at talking.

“I’m sorry, but as the deputy leader, I had no choice but to block your sword. I hope you understand.”

Namgung Sang, who had encountered many bandits in his time, had never met one as polite as Lee Song. This encounter was a mental shock for him. Lee Song continued to speak, asking for understanding and patience for his leader’s foolishness.

“I’m sorry, but even if he’s old and foolish, even if he insists on taking a young wife despite his age, even if he drinks too much, likes to fight, and has terrible drunken behavior, even if he’s impulsive and often reckless, he’s still our leader. I can’t let him die here. I hope you understand.”

Lee Song’s calm and flowing words were a mental blow to Im Gae, whose face turned darker with each word. He wanted to drag Lee Song to a secluded place and give him a thorough lesson, but he couldn’t say anything since Lee Song had just saved his life.

“So, how about we end this quietly here? It would be beneficial for both sides.”

Namgung Sang glanced at Yeomdo. As expected, Yeomdo shook his head. With his fiery personality, Yeomdo wasn’t going to let this go. He probably saw this as a good opportunity for practice.

“Impossible!”

Namgung Sang rejected the suggestion outright. His usual timid demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

“Do you think you can block the path of the Cheonmu Academy delegation to the Mount Hua Sect’s Hundred-Year Agreement Conference and get away with it? You must pay the price for blocking our path!”

“Cheonmu Academy!”

“Mount Hua Sect Conference!”

Only then did they realize they had been playing with fire next to a powder keg. They had provoked a group they should never have touched.

‘Damn it!’

Lee Song cursed inwardly, feeling uncharacteristically vulgar. He quickly reflected on his language and gripped his sword tightly.

‘Do the Cheonmu Academy delegations not carry identification flags these days?’

If they had shown the flag, he wouldn’t have dared to touch them! It seemed like they had been deliberately lured into this situation.

Lee Song’s meaningful glance asked, ‘What should we do?’ but Yeomdo ignored it. Yeomdo was intrigued by this unexpected swordsman. As a swordsman himself, Binggeom was probably even more eager. It only took one move to gauge a swordsman’s skill. The way someone drew their sword could reveal whether they were a master or not. From what they had seen, Lee Song was a master, hiding considerable skill.

Not many could deflect Namgung Sang’s White Lightning Arrow, a top technique of the Namgung family, so effortlessly. Lee Song’s swordsmanship was entirely defensive. Despite Namgung Sang’s relentless attacks, Lee Song only defended, never counterattacking, and never exposing any weaknesses. His defense was calm and continuous, a testament to his remarkable skill.

But what was even more surprising was that his swordsmanship was not that of a bandit but of a righteous sect. Such an inefficient sword technique would never be practiced by the evil sects or the Green Forest bandits.

‘Who is this guy?’

A few more moves might reveal his true nature. Yeomdo focused intently on Lee Song’s swordsmanship, as did Binggeom.

“I’ve seen that sword technique somewhere before…”

Binggeom muttered to himself as he watched Namgung Sang and Lee Song’s duel. He should have recognized such a distinctive sword technique. Even if he hadn’t seen it directly, he should have at least heard of it. A purely defensive sword technique was rare in the martial world. It was considered noble but impractical and lacking in real combat effectiveness.

Namgung Sang continued his relentless attacks, while Lee Song defended without counterattacking. Despite over twenty exchanges, Lee Song hadn’t attacked once. He wasn’t just desperately defending; he was calmly blocking Namgung Sang’s dazzlingly fast attacks with ease. It was a sword technique that relied on the opponent tiring themselves out.

Such an honest sword technique… It was uncharacteristic of a bandit to use such a straightforward and honorable technique. Who would believe that someone using such a technique was the deputy leader of the notorious Black Wolf Stronghold?

‘It’s like a gentleman’s sword…’

‘A gentleman’s impractical sword!’

A flash of realization struck Binggeom.

“The Gentleman’s Wandering Sword, Lee Song Hak!”

He exclaimed in surprise.

“The Ten Swords of Hebei!”

Yeomdo echoed in astonishment. The murmurs from the crowd caused Namgung Sang and Lee Song to pause their duel. Namgung Sang, who had been fighting Lee Song, also looked at him in surprise. He had heard of the famous Gentleman Sword, Lee Song Hak.

The Gentleman’s Wandering Sword, Lee Song Hak!

Shortened to the Gentleman Sword, he was known for his honest and benevolent swordsmanship. Despite its lack of real combat effectiveness, people still considered him one of the top ten swordsmen in Hebei. The fact that he had survived with such a defensive sword technique was a testament to his genius.

However, he had disappeared from Hebei years ago, and no one had heard from him since. On the day he vanished, his room had been left spotless, so no one realized he was gone until a month later.

“Why is someone like you, a member of the Ten Swords of Hebei and an elder of the Righteous Sect, here with bandits?”

Binggeom’s question implied, ‘Why are you here, engaging in banditry with the Green Forest bandits?’ Lee Song Hak’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Realizing he couldn’t leave without explaining his life’s twists and turns, Lee Song Hak sighed and began his story.

“Sigh… I always thought I was a gentleman who wouldn’t be affected by defeat. I told myself, ‘A gentleman like me doesn’t let petty competitiveness control him. Winning or losing isn’t everything.’ But after losing to someone, I realized how much I cared about winning.”

His face was filled with deep regret.

“Who was it?”

Binggeom had never heard of Lee Song Hak being defeated.

“Embarrassingly, it was a young boy.”

“A boy?”

Yeomdo and Binggeom felt a pang of anxiety. ‘No, it can’t be… It can’t be him…’ They decided to calm down and listen.

“It was a humiliating defeat. I realized I was a frog in a well, unaware of the vast sky. The boy was under twenty, with a cold demeanor. Losing to someone so young made me question my worth.”

Thud, thud!

Yeomdo and Binggeom felt like daggers were piercing their hearts with each word. They could relate to his story all too well.

“I wondered if I had wasted my life.”

Yeomdo and Binggeom nodded in unison.

“I even thought about ending my life. It felt like a disgrace. I felt mocked. It was probably because I instinctively knew the boy hadn’t even used his full strength. Being defeated by a boy who wasn’t even trying was humiliating.”

They felt like crying. Yeomdo wanted to run over and hug him. If it weren’t for the onlookers, he might have done it impulsively.

‘I understand! I understand your heartbreak!’

But he restrained himself with extreme self-control.

“So, what happened next? Did the boy force you to become his disciple?”

Yeomdo asked urgently.

“What? No, nothing like that.”

Relieved that he wouldn’t have another junior brother, Yeomdo sighed inwardly.

“Oh, never mind! Continue!”

Yeomdo urged him to continue. Lee Song Hak resumed his story.

“The boy told me I was too rigid and stuck in my ways, preventing me from growing stronger. After that, I wandered aimlessly for days. When I came to my senses, I found myself among these bandits. But who are you?”

Lee Song Hak asked, noticing the familiarity of the two men. They removed their hats, revealing their identities.

“I am Binggeom, the chief elder of Cheonmu Academy.”

Binggeom introduced himself.

“I’m Yeomdo.”

Yeomdo’s introduction was curt.

“Ah! So, you are the famous…”

Lee Song Hak wasn’t the only one shocked. The bandits’ faces turned pale. Some coughed violently, while others clutched their chests in distress.

Only then did they realize the gravity of their mistake. They had tried to rob the wrong people. All eyes turned to Im Gae, who was ashen-faced and speechless.

“I heard that ice and fire never mix and never travel together…”

Lee Song Hak hadn’t initially recognized the famous duo. Binggeom muttered bitterly.

“Sometimes, there are exceptions.”

But this exception had nearly cost them dearly.

“Sigh…”

Im Sung Jin sighed in relief. It seemed his turn wouldn’t come.