At first, no one realized it.

They simply thought a foolish bastard was hastening his own lifespan.

The ones who felt something was wrong were those at the very front.

RIP—

As their coat ties were severed, exposing their fronts and allowing the cold wind to chill their chests, they all unconsciously lowered their heads.

And they could not contain their shock.

"Gasp!"

A distance of nearly five jang.

They still needed a few more steps to reach Baek Haegwang, but their chests were already laid bare.

"..."

Had it only been that, they would not have stopped in their tracks.

However, because the ones running beside them and the ones running behind them all showed the exact same reaction, they had no choice but to stop.

"What is..."

The coat ties of the people in the back, who were shielded by the people in the front, had been severed.

And without a single injury, at that.

Just what realm did one have to reach for such swordsmanship to be possible?

Before their shock, those who walked the path of martial arts could not help but marvel at the phenomenon itself.

However, on the battlefield, even a moment of carelessness threatened one's life.

Baek Haegwang was once again taking a sword-drawing stance, and the Sura Sect disciples did not know what to do.

"U-Uh?!"

While they could neither approach nor flee, Baek Haegwang swung his sword.

SWOOSH—

Once again, the sound of the air being sliced apart echoed throughout the area.

The disciples of the Sura Sect felt goosebumps rise at the sound of the sliced air ringing in their ears, while simultaneously feeling their right arms grow lighter.

THUD, THUD, THUD—

At the same time, a hundred wristguards dropped to the ground.

CLACK.

Sheathing his sword, Baek Haegwang asked in the same placid tone as before.

"Will you continue?"

It was a calm question from Baek Haegwang.

Having lost their will to fight, the Sura Sect disciples stared at Ju Yeongsan with blank gazes.

"..."

Those gazes resembled the eyes of terrified puppies looking for their master.

* * *

"Hah..."

Wang Geumsan could not close his agape mouth.

His state of mind was no different from the Sura Sect disciples who had just received Baek Haegwang's sword.

"What in the..."

He had merely swung his sword twice, yet their coat ties were severed and their sturdy wristguards fell helplessly to the ground.

It was to the point of disbelief whether this even aligned with the... laws of nature.

Was it that he had never seen so-called martial arts experts before?

With the financial power of the continent's four great merchants, one could accomplish so many things that an ordinary person couldn't even imagine.

He had invited renowned martial arts experts to watch their martial demonstrations, and there were also those who had sought him out first to show off their life's achievements in order to build a relationship with him.

However, even among such renowned figures, there was no one capable of invoking a miracle like Baek Haegwang.

"Taesan, did you know about this?"

Turning his head to look at Jin Taesan, he saw that Jin Taesan was also so shocked that his mouth was wide open, his soul seemingly drained.

"Y-You didn't know?"

"H-How could I have known?"

"And yet you let him step forward on his own?"

"I was planning to mobilize my men if anything happened."

When Jin Taesan pointed to one side, the drifters inside the Daecheon Merchant Group were also staring at Baek Haegwang's divine might with the same dumbfounded expressions as them.

"They say the number of hidden eccentrics in the world is greater than the warriors of Jianghu. There is not a single falsehood in the old sayings."

At Wang Geumsan's dejected words, Jin Taesan replied with a still-dazed expression.

"Even so, isn't that level beyond common sense?"

"I don't know much about martial arts, but it certainly doesn't seem like the level of human power."

"I know a bit about martial arts, but even to my eyes, it doesn't belong to the mortal realm."

When a shadow fell over Jin Taesan's face, Wang Geumsan tilted his head.

"But why do you have that expression? The one who should be worried right now is me, not you..."

Wang Geumsan regretted having run his mouth about the matter escalating in front of Baek Haegwang.

In that short time, he had already finished calculating that he needed to bring a massive amount of sponsorship money to the sect they were supposedly newly establishing.

On the other hand, Jin Taesan had shown trust to Baek Haegwang.

Even amidst the surrounding pressure, he had displayed an unwavering demeanor.

Furthermore, hadn't he promised to establish a sect for him even if it meant emptying his entire fortune?

"Still, i-isn't he too strong? For merely the Taiyi Sect to handle..."

"What kind of foolish nonsense are you spouting..."

As a merchant, Wang Geumsan could instantly calculate what a massive profit it was to build a relationship with an absolute expert for the cost of establishing a single sect.

"Do you not know that you and your sect, who are based in Jianghu, cannot escape the logic of power? If they could build a friendship with such a person, there are plenty of people in the world who would offer up several golden carriages."

"T-That must be true. But where did an expert like that at such an age suddenly drop out from?"

Wang Geumsan also shook his head as if puzzled.

"Tell me about it. I did some digging too, but I couldn't figure out where he came from at all."

Of course, he had found a few people with similar names during his investigation, but he couldn't imagine any of them being the same person as Baek Haegwang.

'Moreover, there was even the Sword Demon...'

Thinking about it now, it was a massive stroke of luck that he hadn't mentioned suspecting him of being the bloodthirsty Sword Demon who committed reckless slaughter in massive sects.

Setting aside the fact that Baek Haegwang would have been displeased, he couldn't leave a lingering discomfort for Jin Taesan, who was struggling desperately to shed the misunderstanding that he had ties to the Underworld.

A moment later, having sorted out the situation, Baek Haegwang approached the area where the two men were.

"Merchant Group Leader."

Wang Geumsan and Jin Taesan's bodies naturally tensed up.

"Y-Yes!"

"D-Did you call?"

At their unseasonal polite language, Baek Haegwang tilted his head for a moment.

"Why are you suddenly acting like this... Anyway, this bastard... no, this fello... ha, geez. It's not easy."

Frowning for a moment, Baek Haegwang cleared his throat.

"Ahem, anyway, this gentleman says he has something to say."

In the spot where Baek Haegwang slightly stepped back, Ju Yeongsan was trembling with a pale complexion.

He stiffly bowed his waist.

"I-I'm sorr, I'm sorr... Keuk!"

Baek Haegwang tapped Ju Yeongsan's thigh with his scabbard.

"Aren't you going to do it properly?"

"Hic!"

Trembling as if he had been struck by lightning, Ju Yeongsan knelt on the ground and bowed his head.

"I-I apolo, I apologize. I apologize for everything that has happened."

"What do you..."

Ju Yeongsan was trembling in fear even more than Jin Taesan and Wang Geumsan.

He was the Sect Leader of a rather established sect that occupied a spot among the 108 Peaks, and an expert who was making a name for himself in his own right.

It was hard to easily understand why someone like him was so terrified.

SLIDE—

With a face pale as a sheet, Ju Yeongsan slightly raised his head to gauge Baek Haegwang's mood.

It was plainly evident that he wanted to run away from this place right this second.

When Baek Haegwang gestured with his chin, Ju Yeongsan immediately prostrated himself flat again.

"O-Our Sura Sect will co, completely give up on advancing into the merchant business...!"

"Pardon?"

Jin Taesan was rather flustered by the sudden declaration, but Ju Yeongsan continued speaking without lifting his buried head.

"In the future as well, the Sura Sect will ne, never! Absolutely... never advance into Hefei..."

After saying that, Ju Yeongsan cautiously lifted his head and looked at Baek Haegwang.

His eyes were smeared with terror and utterly harmless.

Staring at him, Baek Haegwang waved his hand dismissively.

"That's enough. It's enough, so get lost."

"Y-Yes!"

However.

"Ah, right! Wait!"

Baek Haegwang grabbed the back of Ju Yeongsan's neck again as he was running away like he was fleeing.

"Y-Yes?!"

Looking down into Ju Yeongsan's increasingly terrified eyes, Baek Haegwang quietly asked.

"You said you're close with the Shaolin Sect, right?"

"T-That is."

The way his eyeballs frantically rolled around showed an expression of not knowing how to answer.

When Baek Haegwang cracked his neck to the side, a popping sound echoed in all directions.

"Are you going to go tattle?"

"Pardon?"

"I asked if you're going to go tattle."

"..."

Presently, Baek Haegwang poked and pressed Ju Yeongsan's cheek with the hilt of his sword.

It looked exactly like a back-alley thug extorting money from children.

After toying with him for a good while, he suddenly shifted the mood and deeply furrowed his brow.

"I don't care if you go tattle, but..."

"Y-Yes! Hic! B-But?"

"I won't be responsible for the aftermath."

"... By aftermath, you mean?"

Looking at the Sura Sect Leader, who was shivering like a baby rabbit, Baek Haegwang grinned.

"I'll leave that to your imagination."

At Baek Haegwang's plain words, Ju Yeongsan trembled violently as if he alone had imagined something.

"You can really go now."

"... Yes."

Ju Yeongsan sprinted away as if frightened out of his wits.

Without delay, Ju Yeongsan urged his disciples on and fled.

Baek Haegwang watched them until they disappeared from sight, and then he finally turned his head and cupped his fists in a martial salute.

"Since I persuaded him well through conversation, there won't be any major issues anymore."

"...?"

"...??"

It was a polite attitude from Baek Haegwang.

However, Jin Taesan and Wang Geumsan's gazes were tangled with utmost complexity.

... Blood wasn't spilled anyway, so could this also be considered persuasion?

Jin Taesan fell under the illusion of his son's face overlapping over Baek Haegwang's face.

* * *

"S-Sect Leader! Should we inform the Shaolin Sect?"

The Sura Sect disciples ran like mad, tearing through the forest.

Fleeing at the very front, Ju Yeongsan nodded fiercely at the Hogwon Squad Commander's question.

"Of course! And not just the Shaolin Sect. Send flying messages to all the sects in Hefei and the Anhui Province region!"

"U-Understood! I will immediately request reinforcements..."

"You foolish bastard!!"

Running as if his tail was on fire, Ju Yeongsan came to a sudden halt.

The Hogwon Squad Commander and the disciples following him also hurriedly stopped in their tracks.

"W-Why are you doing this, Sect Leader?"

"Do you truly want to see the Sura Sect torn out by its roots?"

"Pardon? What do you..."

As if recalling the sight from earlier, Ju Yeongsan trembled like an aspen leaf.

"He's an expert on a completely different level. Such an entity is practically staying as a guest of the Daecheon Merchant Group... no, the Taiyi Sect and Wangga Manor."

"T-Then your order to send flying messages is...?"

"It means we must uncover his identity."

"..."

"If that man completely establishes himself in the Taiyi Sect..."

GULP.

Listening to his words, the Hogwon Squad Commander swallowed hard.

"The power structure of the Hefei region... no, the entirety of Anhui Province will be completely overturned."

"I-Is it to that extent?"

Ju Yeongsan shook his head, his face still pale white.

"I have faced countless experts in my life. No, if we count the ones I've seen while galloping through Jianghu... you absolutely could not say my discernment is narrow."

The gazes of all the Sura Sect disciples focused entirely on Ju Yeongsan's mouth.

"But in my entire life, I have never seen a powerhouse like him."

"..."

"It is no longer just about developing our sect and expanding our influence. The very survival of countless sects, including the Sura Sect, is at stake."

At Ju Yeongsan's serious words, the Sura Sect disciples even forgot to breathe.

* * *

"Hahahahaha! Great Warrior Baek! That was the most exhilarating scene I've ever witnessed in my entire life!"

"You praise me too much."

"If any of my previous slip-ups in speech have offended you, please forgive me. It was all because I was worried for the safety of my sworn brother and future in-law."

At Wang Geumsan's words, which placed an extraordinary amount of emphasis on the words 'sworn brother' and 'in-law', Baek Haegwang shook his head as if he didn't mind.

"Not at all. Anyone would be on guard if a strange person approached someone precious to them. I do not mind."

At Baek Haegwang's thoughtful words, Wang Geumsan's face bloomed with a bright smile.

"To be so hearty and broad-minded. Your capacity is as incredible as your skills! Hahahahaha!"

While Wang Geumsan stuck closely to Baek Haegwang, exchanging Wangga Manor's precious liquor, Jin Taesan was conversing with Seop Sojeong.

"Are you experiencing any discomfort?"

"Not at all. Even now, it is adequately comfortable and more than I deserve."

"The size of the annex is too small for the three of you to live in. I will look for a site for your sect as soon as possible."

"As I mentioned last time, I feel that would be placing too great a burden on you..."

When Seop Sojeong became flustered, Jin Taesan smiled warmly and shook his head.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but your husband is no different from my son's master. My son even sent me a letter asking me to treat him like a master, so this is only natural for me to do."

Wang Geumsan, who had been laughing heartily while clinking glasses with Baek Haegwang, also interjected.

"Absolutely! Of course! Our son-in-law is not such a rude rascal who would completely ignore his master!"

"Lord Wang..."

CLACK—

Eventually, Wang Geumsan set his liquor glass down on the table.

"No, rather than this, I shall sponsor you as well! Since Sowoon is my sworn brother's son, he is also my nephew, and he is my future son-in-law. Isn't this a sect being established by his master? Naturally, I must lend a helping hand as well!"

"A-Ah, no. It is fine."

When even Baek Haegwang became flustered, Wang Geumsan stepped a pace closer.

"Rather than this, how about you move your residence first? There are plenty of empty houses in Wangga Manor."

"We are already receiving plenty of consideration. Anything more than this is burdensome."

At the polite refusal, Wang Geumsan subtly smacked his lips.

Still, as a merchant with top-notch tact, he naturally changed the subject.

"But, Great Warrior Baek, how on earth did you learn such incredible martial arts?"

"..."

"Ah, have I perhaps committed a discourtesy...?"

Baek Haegwang hurriedly waved his hand.

"A-Ah, no. I had to tell you about this anyway."

"Did you perhaps live in seclusion deep in the mountains and valleys?"

"It wasn't that..."

Baek Haegwang, who was reading Seop Sojeong's mood, spoke as if he had made up his mind when his wife nodded.

"In truth, I have a past."

"A past?"

"Yes. Although I did not want it... there was a time when I was involved with the Underworld."

"My, how could that be?"

If it's the Underworld, it's the Underworld, and if it's the Orthodox faction, it's the Orthodox faction. What did it mean to be unwillingly involved with the Underworld?

As if recalling his past, Baek Haegwang's face gradually darkened.

"... It was because I acted as I pleased during my hot-blooded youth."

"Aha! So you were resisting the coercion of the rigid Murim Alliance!"

"You could say that."

Wang Geumsan spoke with even more delight.

"If so, what kind of flaw would that be? Seeing the way the Murim Alliance operates, I am not very pleased with it either. Even just looking at the Sura Sect, would those bastards have been able to pressure their opponents solely with their own skills?"

When Wang Geumsan spoke like that, Baek Haegwang's anxiety-laden face began to brighten slightly.

"Do not worry. The past is the past. Isn't what's important how you live in the present!"

"T-That is true."

"Now, now, wash away the past in this liquor glass, and please accept a drink."

Wang Geumsan smoothly asked as he freshly filled the liquor glass.

"Then anyway, you must have lived the Jianghu life... Did you have an alias?"

"Well, it's really nothing to boast about..."

Wang Geumsan, who had gotten quite drunk at some point, lightly patted Baek Haegwang's shoulder.

"Hahaha. Why should a grown man be ashamed of bringing up his past embarrassments! I, too, once made a name for myself as Young Master Golden Coin, hahahahaha!"

"I-Is that so? Well, compared to you, Lord, my alias is incredibly lowly."

When the word 'Lord' popped out of Baek Haegwang's mouth for the first time, Wang Geumsan became even more delighted.

As he felt the formalities gradually fading with an unfathomably high-level expert, he felt the urge to bring out every single drop of liquor he had today.

"So what did you go by? Seeing your skills, I doubt you had just any alias..."

Baek Haegwang scratched his head as if embarrassed.

"It's nothing special."

Then, after downing his liquor glass in one gulp, he wiped his lips, which were wet with drops of alcohol, and casually blurted it out.

"Sword Demon."

"Huh?"

TRICKLE...

The precious liquor that was refilling Baek Haegwang's glass overflowed the rim and spilled out.

"Oh?"

Wang Geumsan suddenly snapped back to his senses and hurriedly set down the liquor bottle in a fluster.

"A-Ah, my apologies. I thought I just heard things... Um, so, your alias was..."

"Ah, yes. I used to be called the Sword Demon. It is a shameful past."