The subjugation squad, no, the delegation dispatched by the Murim Alliance... no, the traveling group that had now become neither of those things, was smoothly heading toward Taiyuan.

Surprisingly, Yeom Gwibi and Hyeoltu didn't even speak to the escort agency personnel or the Murim Alliance members, so there was no reason for any conflict to arise.

However, because they came and sat next to me every time we ate, even the porters and escort warriors had started to avoid me.

It left a small scar on my fragile heart, but then again, when had anyone ever cared about that?

Anyway, there were no problems while heading to Jinzhong.

Although we occasionally sensed people's presences whenever we crossed a mountain, no one recklessly blocked our path.

It certainly seemed like many half-baked bandits had popped up. Every village we passed was lined with emaciated people, and the guest houses sold no food other than plain noodles.

'True, no matter how oblivious someone is, the hair on the back of their neck would stand up after seeing our group.'

The original members of the delegation were already exceptionally unusual, but after Yeom Gwibi and Hyeoltu joined, it had turned into an incredibly bizarre group.

Probably no one would pick a fight with this group unless they were completely insane.

However, to say there were no problems at all wouldn't be true either.

There was a small commotion in Taigu, a large city we had to pass through to get to Jinzhong.

My cheek inexplicably started to sting, and when I turned my head...

"Thump thump, are we finally able to establish justice?"

Tang Seo-hee looked excited after seeing the streets lined with Underworld figures heading to Taiyuan and group fights breaking out at every street corner.

"Haa..."

I had no choice but to find the most chaotic-looking guest house and took only Tang Seo-hee to grab a separate seat.

Naturally, Yeom Gwibi and Hyeoltu followed and took seats as well.

Fortunately, as long as I hid my sword, no one in our group had their weapons visibly exposed, making us an easy target.

"Lady, you possess quite extraordinary beauty!"

Sure enough, upon seeing Yeom Gwibi's face, a man with a long ringed saber slung over his shoulder suddenly approached and flicked her chin with his hand.

"Oh my!"

Yeom Gwibi flushed red, showing startled eyes like a young girl, and the Underworld man licked his lips as he watched her.

"I'd like to show you some fiery joy of clouds and rain tonight..."

'Don't do it, you idiot, you'll get your true qi sucked dry...'

Unaware that the woman he was lusting after was a witch of the century, the Underworld man was voluntarily shoving his own head into a tiger's mouth.

I looked back at Tang Seo-hee and nodded.

"A guy like him seems fine."

I held out the chopstick container I had confiscated thus far to Tang Seo-hee, and she let out a snort as she quickly pulled out a handful of chopsticks.

'What, are you planning to turn him into a hedgehog or something?'

Whether I gave her a dumbfounded look or not, Tang Seo-hee pointed at the man with sharp, disciplined movements.

"Hold it! You villain dirtying the order of Jianghu! It would be better for your own wellbeing to stop..."

Just as Tang Seo-hee delivered a line that sounded like it came out of a martial arts novel and was about to throw the chopsticks.

SMACK! CRUNCH.

"AAAGH!"

A bizarre striking sound rang out, and the man twisted his body and screamed.

'Wow! How did his arm bend like that? Ooh, it was so natural that I thought joints were supposed to move that way.'

While the Underworld man, whose both arms were bent in directions they shouldn't move, gasped and choked.

Yeom Gwibi snapped her fingers and produced a small flame.

"The joy of clouds and rain... Hehe, how cute! But I must decline. Your true qi looks much too dirty."

FWOOSH.

The flame extending from Yeom Gwibi's hand instantly spread to the man's entire head.

Even with his arms broken, the man flailed his arms about trying to put out the fire, but it only added a savory burning smell, and the flames showed no sign of weakening.

"AAAGH!"

Those who appeared to be his companions rushed in simultaneously, smacking his head and pouring water, but the flames didn't easily die out.

The flames only subsided after burning all of the man's hair and leaving red burn marks on his scalp.

"..."

"... What the."

"Gulp."

It was only a single move, but due to that overwhelming display, no one in the guest house dared to move easily.

The instigator of this incident, Yeom Gwibi, lightly pinched her nose with her slender fingers and put on a tearful face.

"Phew... The smell is terrible. I don't think I can eat any more food."

'Did she think acting like a little girl now would actually work?'

"Why did you have to set him on fire?"

Despite my dumbfounded expression, Yeom Gwibi widened her eyes as if she knew nothing and smiled brightly.

"He seemed to like things fiery. This little girl likes fiery things a lot too, you know? Eheh."

'If things got fiery a second time, I'd be witnessing the second coming of the blazing hell.'

As I sighed and turned my head.

... This time, Tang Seo-hee, holding the chopsticks and wearing a frustrated and wronged expression like a child who had her toy stolen, caught my eye.

'Oh no!'

If she went to the Underworld Alliance and did weird things like 'establishing justice' or 'performing chivalrous deeds,' it would become a massive problem.

That was why I had tried to drain her energy in advance... but my plan had entirely gone down the drain.

Furthermore, among those who saw Hyeoltu and Yeom Gwibi's moves, no one dared to attack us anymore.

'What should I do? It's not like we can go to another guest house now.'

Why were the ruffians, who were usually so plentiful, nowhere to be seen at times like this?

Just as I was about to console Tang Seo-hee by roughly saying we should aim for next time, Tang Seo-hee asked with her uniquely blank expression.

"If an evil person disposes of an evil person... is that also establishing justice?"

"Hmm..."

Now I was curious too. They say when a chivalrous warrior performs a chivalrous deed, it's the embodiment of justice.

Could it still be called the embodiment of justice if an evil person performed a chivalrous deed?

While I fell into thought.

"No way. I was just taking out my anger. He touched my precious face with his dirty hand, didn't he?"

"I merely shooed away a fly hovering around me."

Hearing Tang Seo-hee's question, Yeom Gwibi and Hyeoltu answered instead.

'Teaching a kid such great things. Damn it.'

* * *

I observed them for a few days to figure out what those two lunatics' intentions were for joining, but they didn't take any particular action.

I pretended to sleep at night and waited to see if they would launch a sneak attack, and I stayed on guard just in case they picked a fight or tried to cause harm, but there was nothing particularly unusual about their behavior.

It really seemed like they were just accompanying us.

Once I stopped paying attention to them, the road to Taiyuan became incredibly boring, and I began to think about the martial arts I had been putting off.

Even though I couldn't undergo direct physical training, I could at least grasp concepts or do image training.

What I was deeply engrossed in lately was none other than the Void Destruction Fist.

Using will to strike through space and exert destructive power.

It was a martial art with a completely different concept, despite being similar to telekinesis.

Moyong Gang had said he would teach me if I became a member of his clan, but since that was an unrealistic story, I had no choice but to think about it in my own way.

First, I considered the principles.

If one looked at it from the perspective that telekinesis was an extension of materialized internal qi, the Void Destruction Fist had to be approached with the concept of dominating external qi.

In other words, using intent to dominate and move energy that wasn't human.

'But does this even make sense logically?'

From my standpoint as a typical person of common sense, I would have thought it was total nonsense, but because I had seen it with my own two eyes and taken a hit from it with my own body, I couldn't help but believe it physically no matter how much my head denied it.

I examined the Void Destruction Fist by looking into my memories of Moyong Gang, dissecting his image frame by frame.

'What on earth is it?'

Even when I recalled it again, I couldn't grasp it at all.

Because the empty air would suddenly distort and simply form into the shape of a massive palm.

However, I felt that its power alone was incredible.

'What if he formed the shape of a sword and even sharpened the edge?'

No matter how much I dodged, it would be a severe injury.

Having such a thought made it an even more coveted martial art.

'Again.'

This time, I recalled the 'sensations' rather than the visual scenes in my memory.

In my past life, every single day was a continuous series of horrific days because of this memory that vividly recalled moments of nightmares, but to think the day would come when I'd use that curse in this manner.

Just as I was sinking into new sentiments, a strange fragment of sensation surfaced amid the flood of feelings.

I quickly rewound the recent memory and focused on the sensation once more.

Moyong Gang, chasing me like a madman.

My figure, running away for dear life in front of him.

In between that, a very faint and minuscule energy was overtaking me.

'What is this?'

After pausing the memory for a moment, I magnified that part and examined it.

A small dewdrop harboring the spatial distortion, just like the Void Destruction Fist.

A small dewdrop...

A small dewdrop...

'...!'

I realized it in an instant.

That this was the exact clue to uncover the secrets of the Void Destruction Fist.

'The problem is, what is this thing?'

I mobilized all my memories and records, and even recalled my horrific experiences with the Demonic Cult, but there was no one who used a similar energy.

I had found a clue, but without actually knowing its true identity, there was no way to use it.

I also combed through Moyong Gang's teachings. And...

["An attempt to unite the Dao of martial arts and the Dao of nature into one. That is the Void Destruction Fist (空滅拳)."]

I found something odd among Moyong Gang's words.

It was the word 'attempt'.

Moyong Gang had said the roots of the Dao of martial arts and the Dao of nature were the same.

And yet, at the same time, he used the word 'attempt'.

This could be interpreted to mean that the Void Destruction Fist wasn't in a state of unity with the Dao of nature.

'If they were united, he wouldn't have been playing tag with me in the first place. He would have already been standing in front of me or able to subdue me.'

In that case, this 'small dewdrop' must be the 'attempt' Moyong Gang spoke of.

The Dao of martial arts moved by intent, and the Dao of nature flowed by laws.

Like Moyong Gang, I gathered energy in my hand and materialized it.

A mass of energy devoid of any intention.

I imbued it with strong will and fired it.

Pop.

The energy failed to advance even half a palm before vanishing with a small sound.

There was no space distortion or alteration of natural energy like the Void Destruction Fist.

'I suppose intent isn't something that just fires off because you try to shoot it, is it? If it did, that would mean I reached the realm of Heart Sword... Crazy! Did this guy scam me with Heart Sword?'

As suspicion followed suspicion, I naturally began to doubt everything about Moyong Gang.

However, I couldn't imagine he would play around with martial theory, of all things.

Just when I was frantically continuing my thoughts, Hyeoltu approached me.

"What are you doing?"

'Stop sticking so close to me. People might think we're close if they see us.'

I shrugged my shoulders, making it look as if it were nothing much.

"Just, I'm bored."

But then, Hyeoltu suddenly started grinning.

'What the, was he a bigger lunatic than I thought...?'

"Practicing sorcery within the Murim Alliance delegation, you truly are a fearless bastard."

"Pardon?"

"...!"

Ak Byeongbi, who was walking quite a bit ahead, pricked up his ears at the word 'sorcery' and looked back.

'That absolute ghost-like human.'

Hyeoltu persistently clung to me.

"Are you not going to tell me who your master is?"

However, I felt slightly restless with the premonition that I could obtain some important clue.

"What do you mean by that? What sorcery?"

"Hmph! So you're going to keep playing dumb?"

"No, I'm asking because I genuinely don't know."

"Huh?"

Hyeoltu, who was looking at me with suspicious eyes, put on a momentarily dumbfounded expression at my serious face, then abruptly turned his head away.

"You don't answer my questions, so why should I answer yours?"

'Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden?'

'He's not a kid.'

Normally I wouldn't have even replied, but my curiosity about the Void Destruction Fist was too strong right now.

"Then ask away first. In return, you must answer my question too."

"Good."

Flashing a triumphant smile, Hyeoltu suddenly sent a sound transmission.

-"How did you learn the Sword Demon's martial arts?"

'As expected... he knew.'

Thanks to him sending a sound transmission as if considering my situation, I answered obediently as well.

-"I stole them."

"What?!"

'Jeez, why use a sound transmission fine only to suddenly yell like that?'

Because Hyeoltu suddenly raised his voice, the porters and escort warriors backed away in surprise.

'Ak Byeongbi is caressing his steel spear.'

'Seems like he still has a bit of intent to protect me, being the delegation leader and all?'

I looked straight at Hyeoltu.

"It's my turn now. What on earth do you mean by sorcery?"

However, Hyeoltu scrunched his brow.

"... You didn't answer properly."

"I did answer properly. If you can't believe me, ask him yourself."

"As if I know where that bastard is."

"He'll reveal himself to the world before long."

Hyeoltu's eyes flashed at my answer.

"Is that true? If it's a lie..."

"Come find me anytime. Come to the Murim Academy and say you're looking for Academy Representative Jin Sowoon."

The Sword Demon had told me to say that, so it wasn't a lie either.

Even if I told him to come find me, it wasn't like Hyeoltu could actually come to the Murim Academy anyway.

The Murim Alliance was right next door, after all.

Hyeoltu, who had been staring at me with suspicious eyes, eventually let out a groan and began to confess.

"... Wasn't what you used a trick commonly found in sorcery?"

"A trick?"

"Yeah. Like this."

Hyeoltu opened his palm and fired out energy into the forest.

A moment later, a bizarre phenomenon occurred in the forest.

"AAAGH!"

A scream so horrifying it made the hair on my head stand up.

However, no matter how much I spread out my ki-sense, I couldn't feel any presence in the forest.

"How did you do that?"

"I contained the sound and detonated it in another space."

"You contained the sound?"

"Yeah, it's the method sorcerers use the most when tricking people."

Come to think of it, the Blood Cult's array masters used to deploy illusion arrays even when they were quite a distance away.

At first, I brushed it off thinking they must have installed some mechanisms. But looking back on it now, wasn't it incredibly strange?

"Did you really not know?"

"How would someone like me, who walks the orthodox path (正道) of an Orthodox sect, know about such heterodox sects?"

"Ooh...!"

Hyeoltu looked at me as if finding it fascinating instead.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's quite uncomfortable."

Hyeoltu nodded, saying 'I see,' and replied.

"If that's the case, doesn't it mean you were instinctively drawn to the heterodox sect's arts? Is the joint successor of the Underworld Alliance truly built differently as expected?"

'Fuck, I said I'm not!'

'Moyong Gang, who walks the orthodox path (正道) of an Orthodox sect... Hmm, maybe not? I suppose you can't exactly call him someone who walks the orthodox path.'

'It's a good thing he was born into the Moyong Noble Clan, because otherwise he would have easily become a public enemy of Jianghu.'

"Then can you only contain sound within that energy?"

"Hmm..."

As if he hadn't thought about that, Hyeoltu fell deep into thought for a long time.

At that moment, a clear voice was heard from the opposite side.

"Young Master, you truly are an interesting person. To think of containing something else within the energy... Would you perhaps like to discuss martial theory in detail with me tonight?"

Before I knew it, Yeom Gwibi had placed her finger on my shoulder.

At her words, whose intent was blatantly obvious, I clearly expressed my refusal.

"I'm good. Take this hand off too."

"Oh my... I thought the joint successor of the Underworld Alliance would naturally have deep knowledge of the Yin-Yang Unity Art too."

'Stop slapping 'martial art' onto just anything.'

'And why does she keep acting like we're close? It's uncomfortable.'

'At this rate, I really wouldn't have anything to say even if Ak Byeongbi saw me as an Underworld spy.'

Whether Yeom Gwibi put on a sullen expression or not, I looked at Hyeoltu, and having finished his thoughts, he shook his head.

"There's no need to contain anything. The more energy goes through processing, the more it loses its original characteristics, after all."

"Loses its original characteristics..."

For some reason, the last words Hyeoltu left continued to linger in my mind.

Right then, the escort warrior made a suggestion to Ak Byeongbi.

"Even if it takes a slight detour, it seems better to take this path, what do you think? I heard the Gakmun Stronghold has been making quite a fuss lately."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I hear other traveling groups are using this path a lot as well."

The moment Ak Byeongbi was about to reply to the escort warrior's words.

Hyeoltu, who had been conversing with me, shouted quite loudly.

"I would like to go this way."

"Excuse me?"

Everyone's gazes followed his finger.

"..."

No one could easily open their mouths.

The place Hyeoltu pointed at was exactly where the noisy Gakmun Stronghold was located.

Because nothing like this had happened thus far, the escort warrior seemed unable to hide his flustered expression.

"But, the Gakmun Stronghold is..."

"Isn't it strange for the Murim Alliance's delegation to take a detour just to avoid a single mountain stronghold? Isn't that right, Leader?"

'To think he's even speaking to Ak Byeongbi, whom he had been subtly avoiding until now...'

'What on earth is he trying to do?'

Knowing Ak Byeongbi's personality, he wasn't someone who would hold back after hearing such words.

Then again, since the great Hyeoltu had opened his mouth, he wouldn't even think of bending his opinion either.

... In the end, a fight was going to break out.

I started racking my brain to figure out who I should attack first between Hyeoltu and Yeom Gwibi if a fight broke out.

Anyway, since I was an elite of an Orthodox sect, I had to establish 'justice.'

'Yes, indeed.'

In the midst of thinking that.

-"What do you want to do?"

Suddenly, Ak Byeongbi's sound transmission came through.

'What? Why is he doing this all of a sudden?'

'The only choice he had given me on the journey so far was 'when to drink water.' '

'... And now he's asking me such an important question?'

While I was dumbfounded, an even more absurd sentence came through.

-"I will follow your opinion."

'Fuck, my head is already throbbing from Hyeoltu alone, but now I have absolutely no idea what Ak Byeongbi is thinking either. Seriously.'

I grabbed my throbbing head and answered.

"Let's just take the detour. It's annoying to deal with a mountain stronghold anyway."

As I pointed to the opposite side with my chin, Hyeoltu crossed his arms and said.

"I want to go this way."

"Then you and your companion can just go that way."

"Then since you broke the promise to accompany me, I suppose I'll have to kill all of you."

'Fuck, what are you trying to do?'

I suppressed my crumpling expression as much as possible and looked at Ak Byeongbi.

"Leader, I think it would be best to do as the elder says after all."

'Well, no matter how scary the Gakmun Stronghold is, they're probably less scary than Hyeoltu.'

'Because Hyeoltu literally crushes people.'

At my quick change of attitude, Hyeoltu smiled as if satisfied.

And Ak Byeongbi's eyes curved strangely.

-"So that's how it is after all..."

Ak Byeongbi abruptly turned his body around after that cryptic sound transmission.

'Dragging along a lunatic and an ideological inquisitor made me feel like my lifespan was wearing away day by day.'

'Damn it, just wait until we get back.'

'I'll wring something out of them to make up for my shaved lifespan.'