Chapter v20c12

## Rebellion: A Privilege of Youth?

– You Can’t Stop Them Even If You Try

And so the four of them departed.

Left behind at the Middle Heaven Merchant Guild were two young souls, still brimming with youthful energy and passion: Ryu-Ran and Yoo Un-Bi. As their masters, Jin So-Ryeong and Yoo Eun-Seong, along with the irksome Namgung-Sang and the rather appealing Gongson Jeol-Hwi, vanished from sight, Ryu-Ran quickly deflated her puffed-out cheeks and turned her bright eyes towards the dejected Yoo Un-Bi. He seemed to share her thoughts, as their eyes met. The dejection had already vanished from his gaze, replaced by a mischievous sparkle.

“What shall we do, Young Master Yoo?”

“What do you mean?”

He asked, confused, and she exclaimed in a low, exasperated voice,

“I’m asking if you’re just going to sit here and do nothing.”

He looked up at the night sky.

“Why? Did you leave something up there?”

He finally turned to her.

“No, I just thought it was a beautiful night. No moon. You’re being mischievous, Miss Ryu.”

A mischievous grin spread across their faces, the kind often seen on the faces of disciples who enjoyed defying their masters.

“Are you sure it’s okay? Your Great Uncle might not be happy about this.”

She teased him, poking at his sore spot. His face contorted slightly. The person he feared most was his Great Uncle, Yoo Eun-Seong, the First Sword of Jeomchang Sect.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. But that’s for later. This is now. We can’t miss this golden opportunity. I’m more worried about you, Miss Ryu. I heard the Divine Maiden is quite strict.”

He countered, refusing to be the only one on the receiving end of her teasing.

“Ohohoho! Don’t worry, don’t worry. Not at all. Master will understand.”

Her laughter was loud, high-pitched, and sharp, but it sounded forced. Only her voice was laughing. Her eyes were cold. They were young, and they considered rebellion a privilege of youth.

“I can’t believe we’re on the same page for once!”

But even if they were on the same page, she was moving too fast. He was startled when she started taking off her martial arts uniform.

“Miss Ryu… W-what are you doing! I’m not ready…”

But his protest was weak, his heart already ablaze with passion. He waved his hands frantically, his eyes squeezed shut, his words stumbling, but he couldn’t extinguish the fire in his heart. The muscles around his eyes relaxed, and his vision flickered open.

“What are you doing, Young Master Yoo. Un. Bi?”

Wait, when did she…? Unfortunately for the young man, what unfolded before him wasn’t a beautiful woman’s naked body.

“Huh?”

Ryu-Ran, now dressed in a black night suit, was staring at him with a strange expression. She had been wearing the night suit under her uniform all along.

“You should change too, Young Master Yoo. You’re not foolish enough to follow them in that outfit, are you?”

It was an indirect insult.

“Well…”

He looked down at his clothes. Wide sleeves, a flowing blue robe… The standard uniform of the Jeomchang Sect. But that was the problem. Those wide sleeves and flowing robes made noise when you moved, due to air resistance.

That was why experienced martial artists always carried a night suit. It blended into the darkness, it was tight-fitting, and the shoes were made of soft fur, minimizing noise. It was an essential tool for stealth. Some sects, who prided themselves on their righteousness, even forbade their disciples from carrying night suits, because wearing one was a clear indication of intent. That was why it was embarrassing to be caught changing into one.

“You’re well-prepared. I’m impressed.”

“Just change, before you lose them.”

“A-alright.”

He rushed into his room, changed into his night suit, and came back out. His neck down was almost invisible, swallowed by the darkness of his black silk suit.

“Let’s worry about the consequences later. What matters is now. Shall we go, Young Master Yoo?”

“Let’s go.”

They scaled the wall, making no sound, and vanished into the darkness.

Unaware of the consequences of their reckless decision.

* * *

“Damn it! How dare they bother me!”

A man, hidden in the darkness, grumbled, his voice irritated. He had a unique hairstyle, with long bangs covering his eyes. He was wearing five gold earrings on his right ear. It was Lee Si-Geon.

“I should have sent my men.”

He was tailing a young man. He wasn’t here to attack tonight. Someone had been interfering with his plans.

It was problematic if the crimes continued even after the culprit had been caught. The suspicion surrounding Bi Ryu-Yeon would dissipate. If it had been just one or two incidents, he could have dismissed them as copycat crimes. But to make matters worse, Namgung-Sang, a man famous enough to be known even in Machun Pavilion, thousands of miles away from Nanchang, had been killed by the mysterious attacker. The situation had escalated, and he had been forced to take matters into his own hands.

He touched the scar on his cheek, muttering irritably,

“And that incident from the other day…”

If it weren’t for that, he would have left this to his men. But he wasn’t comfortable doing so.

“Is that him?”

The poor bait, unaware that he was being followed, was walking through the back alleys of Nanchang, wearing a windbreaker and carrying a lantern with the character “Heaven” inscribed on it. He caught a glimpse of a gold armband on the man’s left arm. He was probably on patrol. Everyone else was being cautious, due to the recent attacks, but he was alone.

“Tsk, I thought I was done with night patrols…”

Lee Si-Geon, hidden in the shadows, complained. He preferred giving orders to doing fieldwork.

‘If I follow him, the other guy will show up, right? Then I’ll take care of them both!’

He couldn’t leave any evidence. And then it happened.

“Stop!”

The man with the gold armband stopped and looked ahead. A man, his face hidden by a cloak, emerged from the darkness, walking slowly.

‘That’s him! I finally found him.’

He couldn’t see his face, but he knew. He had dared to interfere with his perfect plan. His crime could only be repaid with a gruesome death.

He grinned cruelly, his fingers curled like talons. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“Dance in my hands, wind!”

* * *

*Purple Cloud Dark Wind.*

*Secret Technique.*

*Killing Form.*

*Gale Slaughter.*

* * *

“Die a gruesome death!”

* * *

“Don’t let your guard down! The moment you do, you’re dead!”

* * *

He wouldn’t have been able to dodge if he hadn’t been warned. He sensed a faint killing intent and quickly leaped aside.

‘Keep your senses sharp!’

He had been prepared, but the invisible blade still grazed his clothes, slicing through the fabric.

* * *

“Judging by the wound, it’s a silk sword.”

“A silk sword? You mean…?”

“Well, he’s nowhere near my level, but he’s not bad.”

“How do we counter it?”

“Don’t try to see it and dodge. It’ll be too late. You won’t be able to see it anyway.”

“Don’t try to see it?”

“Yes. It’s hard to see even in daylight. It’s even harder at night. So give up on seeing it.”

“So you’re saying I should just die…?”

*Slap!*

“Who said you could die without my permission? You want to get hit?”

“Then…?”

“Feel it!”

* * *

Namgung-Sang and the other man leaped aside simultaneously, just as a web of thin, sharp threads of energy surged towards them. The aftermath was devastating.

‘This is dangerous!’

* * *

*Lightning Blade Technique Life-Saving Desperate Move.*

*Dense Star Curtain.*

* * *

His sword moved rapidly, creating a shield of countless lines to protect him.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

Thin cuts appeared on the walls on both sides of the alley. But the target remained unscathed.

‘There you are!’

He leaped upwards, protected by his sword curtain, and headed towards the attacker’s presumed location, following Bi Ryu-Yeon’s advice.

* * *

‘T-this is impossible!’

Lee Si-Geon was frozen in shock. His attack, which he had been so confident in, had failed.

“Now, will you reveal your identity?”

He was surrounded by the two men he had targeted. He was momentarily flustered, but he quickly recovered. His pride wouldn’t allow him to stay down for long.

“Tsk, I guess I have no choice. I was hoping to end this quietly.”

He wasn’t fazed by being surrounded. He was confident in his skills. But his pride was wounded. He didn’t want to admit that there were people who could dodge his techniques. He had to restore his tarnished reputation. What should he do? The answer was simple. He just had to eliminate those who had dodged his techniques. It was a brilliant idea.

“You dodged my techniques. You’re about to die, but I’ll remember your names and titles. Consider it an honor.”

It was the best he could offer. He was such a nice guy. Of course, they didn’t think so.

“You’re delusional. I’ll tell you my name! I’m Namgung-Sang, the leader of the Vermilion Bird group of Cheonmu Academy! People call me the Lightning Blade Dragon, though I don’t deserve such a grand title.”

He said proudly, his chin held high.

“W-what?! You’re Namgung-Sang?!”

Lee Si-Geon exclaimed in shock.

“But you’re dead!”

‘Whose fault do you think that is?!’

“Yes, because of you. I wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for you.”

He couldn’t help but raise his voice, facing the culprit.

“And you, masked man? How about taking off that mask?”

The masked man hesitated, then removed his “hood,” revealing a handsome face. Even Lee Si-Geon, who was quite confident in his own looks, was momentarily taken aback.

“I’m Mo Yong-Hwi. People call me the Seven Absolute Divine Swords.”

Lee Si-Geon’s eyes widened.

‘Why is the Sword Saint’s successor here?’

He had a few guesses.

“Damn it! I walked into a trap!”

“You just realized that? You’re slow.”

Namgung-Sang sneered.

‘This is bad…’

But he still had one card left to play.

The game wasn’t over yet.

* * *

## Debt Repayment

– Settling the Score

‘Why am I here?’

Mo Yong-Hwi couldn’t help but ask himself, standing under the dark, moonless night sky. He knew the reason, of course. He just couldn’t accept it.

* * *

‘It’s an advance payment.’

Bi Ryu-Yeon had said. After a long hesitation, Mo Yong-Hwi had shaken his friend’s outstretched hand and said,

‘It’s a debt!’

His friend had wailed in despair.

‘Oh, how could this be! Woe is me! Hwi, my friend! Where has the pure and innocent you gone? Who has corrupted you so? Oh! Oh! Will I never see that sweet, naive young man again? Where shall we go to find him? Oh, heavens, heavens!’

Mo Yong-Hwi had snapped, embarrassed by his melodramatic outburst.

‘W-who are you calling sweet and naive?!’

Bi Ryu-Yeon had pointed at his heart.

‘You! The old you would never have uttered such immoral and irresponsible words like “debt.” This is proof of your corruption!’

‘Don’t accuse me of corruption so casually.’

‘Casually?! You’re a lost cause! I don’t do debts. If you don’t have money, you’ll have to pay with your body!’

‘M-my body…?’

‘Yes, your body.’

‘W-what do you mean by that?’

Mo Yong-Hwi had asked, swallowing hard.

‘Hehehe, you’ll have to sweat a little.’

‘W-what?! How could you…?’

The innocent young man’s face had turned bright red.

‘Hey, hey, what are you imagining? Stop it. It’s not like that. I’m talking about a different kind of body and sweat. Get it?’

‘I-is that so? Phew~ I thought… If it’s that kind of body and sweat…’

* * *

If only he hadn’t nodded…

‘This wouldn’t have happened!’

He sighed and looked ahead.

“Wait!”

Namgung-Sang, his senior by one year, was asking the assailant a question.

“Can I ask you something before you take him away?”

Lee Si-Geon replied gruffly,

“I might answer your question. Before I kill you!”

“I’m going to ask anyway… Why did you choose him (Bi Ryu-Yeon)? Is it because he’s a threat to you?”

He scoffed.

“A threat? We’re not threatened by anything. Bi Ryu-Yeon? I had never even heard of that ridiculous-looking guy until recently. All the rumors I heard were absurd and bizarre. Nothing concrete, except that he’s incredibly lucky. No one even cared about his skills. They just hated him. Why would we be afraid of someone so insignificant?”

His assessment of Bi Ryu-Yeon was harsh.

“Then why did you choose him?”

Lee Si-Geon shrugged.

“It didn’t really matter who it was. As long as they were the winner of the last Hwasan Convention. We just needed a symbolic figure. But how could we have known that the guy we chose was the one who won by ‘accident’? We were actually a bit worried. There were more suitable candidates, like Yong Cheon-Myeong, Ma Ha-Ryeong, or even that young master from the Mo Yong Family standing over there. Everyone here said that Bi Ryu-Yeon is a coward. A despicable coward who took advantage of the chaos caused by the fire to steal the victory. A greedy bastard who resorted to such cowardly tactics for the prize money.”

He was probably referring to the protest that had taken place in front of the Branch Manager’s office.

‘Well, the prize money was one of his goals.’

Namgung-Sang agreed.

But he knew that wasn’t all. Bi Ryu-Yeon always aimed for maximum efficiency, at least three birds with one stone.

‘This guy has no idea who he’s dealing with!’

Lee Si-Geon chuckled, amused by the memory.

“They even tried to kill him before we could do anything. I’ve never seen anything like it. We didn’t even have to manipulate public opinion. It was quite entertaining. Is that what they call ‘self-destruction’?”

Namgung-Sang felt his face burning with shame. He was a member of Cheonmu Academy, and so were they.

“It’s embarrassing to be lectured by the enemy. My face is probably red. I’ll give you some advice in return!”

“Advice? What kind of advice?”

Namgung-Sang asked, scoffing.

“You don’t know him. You have no idea how terrifying he is. And you’re oblivious to the fact that your ignorance is going to cost you your life. Right, Hwi?”

Mo Yong-Hwi nodded in agreement.

“He’s… a bit scary.”

“Hwi, do you really think he’ll let you off the hook after you caused him such direct and financial damage?”

Mo Yong-Hwi replied, his voice skeptical.

“I don’t think so, Senior. I’m here in the middle of the night because I made the mistake of owing him a favor.”

Namgung-Sang nodded sympathetically.

“I understand. But you should consider yourself lucky. You can repay a debt. But there are some relationships that you can never escape, no matter how hard you try.”

He said, as if Lee Si-Geon wasn’t even there.

“What do you mean…?”

Mo Yong-Hwi, who wasn’t familiar with their relationship, was confused.

“Never mind. It was just a complaint. Don’t ever tell him that.”

He said, his voice serious and almost pleading. Mo Yong-Hwi couldn’t refuse, so he nodded.

Lee Si-Geon chuckled, watching them.

“Huh…”

He had never been so blatantly ignored in his life. They had shifted their focus to Bi Ryu-Yeon, someone he had never even met. He didn’t care what had caused this shift. He was annoyed, and he needed to vent his anger.

“Well, I guess the chit-chat is over. Time to die.”

He said, clapping his hands together. Namgung-Sang was speechless.

“Aren’t you being a bit too confident? There are two of us. Do you really think you can take us both?”

“Of course!”

* * *

*Purple Cloud Dark Wind.*

*Secret Technique.*

*Gale Blade.*

*Black Hawk Flash.*

* * *

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his fingers curled like talons, and an invisible whirlwind surged towards them.