Book 20 Chapter 12

Is rebellion a privilege of youth?

—It's not something that can be stopped just because you try.

And the four of them left.

Only two boys and girls, unable to contain their youthful spirit and passion, were left behind at the Zhongyang Courier Station. As the two masters, Sabak-nim, the vexing Namgung Sang, and the surprisingly tasteful Gongson Jeol-hwi disappeared, Yu Lan quickly deflated her puffed-up cheeks and looked at the dejected Yu Un-bi with sparkling eyes. Yu Un-bi seemed to be thinking the same thing, and their gazes met. The dejection was gone from his eyes, replaced by a lively sparkle.

"What are you going to do, Young Hero Yu?"

"Yes, what do you mean?"

Yu Lan, exasperated, whispered to the bewildered Yu Un-bi.

"Are you just going to sit here obediently?"

Instead of answering, Yu Un-bi looked up at the night sky.

"Why? Did you leave something in the sky?"

Only then did Yu Un-bi turn his gaze to Yu Lan.

"No, I just thought it was a nice night. No moon. You know that, yet you ask, Young Lady Yu, you're quite mischievous."

A mischievous smile played on both their lips. It was the kind of smile often found on disciples who vexed their masters.

"Are you really going to be alright? What if your eldest uncle doesn't let this go?"

Yu Lan provocatively jabbed at Yu Un-bi's sore spot. Yu Un-bi's face contorted slightly. The person he feared most was his eldest uncle and master, the Peerless Sword of Changshan, Yu Eun-seong.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid. But that's then, and this is now, isn't it? I can't just let such a golden opportunity slip by blankly. I'm more worried about you, Young Lady Yu. I've heard the Goddess is quite strict with discipline."

Not wanting to be the only one on the receiving end, Yu Un-bi launched a counterattack.

"Hohohoho! No worries, no worries. Not at all. Master will surely understand."

Although her laughter, covering her mouth, was loud, high-pitched, and sharp, it sounded surprisingly fake. Only her voice was laughing; her eyes were not smiling at all. Just like that, they were young and considered rebellion a privilege of youth.

"This is the first time we've had the same idea!"

But even though their minds were aligned, her pace was too fast. As Yu Lan began to nonchalantly shed her martial arts uniform, Yu Un-bi, startled by her sudden bold action, exclaimed.

"Young Lady Yu… W-what are you doing! I'm not mentally prepared yet…"

However, the young man's defenses were already igniting with passion. No matter how much he waved his hands, and no matter how much he stammered words he didn't mean with his eyes shut tight, the fire in his heart was undeniable. The tension around his tightly shut eyes had somehow released, and his pitch-black vision slowly opened.

"What absurd thing are you doing, Young Hero Y.U. N. B. I.?"

No, when? Unfortunately for the young man, who was shocked to his core, what unfolded before his eyes was not the beautiful naked body of a woman.

"Huh?"

Yu Lan, who had instantly changed into a black night-traveling outfit, stared at his wild behavior with strange eyes. She had secretly put on a night-traveling outfit under her martial arts uniform.

"Young Hero Yu, hurry and change too. Surely you're not foolish enough to follow the two of them dressed like that?"

It was an indirect criticism.

"That's…"

Yu Un-bi looked at his clothes. Loose sleeves, a blue robe fluttering in the wind… It was the standard attire of the Changshan Sect, commonly seen everywhere. But that was the problem. Such loose sleeves and voluminous robes inevitably made noise through friction with the air when moving.

Because of this, experienced martial artists always carried a night-traveling outfit separately. It allowed them to blend into the darkness of the night, adhered to the body making little noise, and the shoes were made of soft fur to minimize sound. It was the most basic tool for stealthy actions. For this reason, some sects that advocated for righteousness even prohibited carrying night-traveling outfits, as wearing them was akin to officially declaring one's intention. Because of this, changing into these clothes in front of others could lead to very troublesome situations.

"You're so well-prepared. This Yu-mo is impressed."

"Stop dawdling and hurry up, before we lose them."

"Ah, understood."

Yu Un-bi, who hastily entered the room, quickly changed into his night-traveling outfit and came out. His neck below his black silk night-traveling outfit was barely visible, as if he had melted into the darkness.

"We'll think about the future later, what matters is now. Shall we go, Young Hero Yu?"

"Let's go."

Without even making the slightest sound of their feet on the dirt, they leaped over the wall and melted into the darkness.

Unaware of the consequences their hasty decisions would bring.

* * *

"How dare you! To trouble me like this!"

A man hiding in the darkness grumbled in an irritable voice. He was a man with a peculiar hairstyle where his long bangs covered his eyes. He wore five gold earrings on his right ear. This was Yi Shi-geon.

"If I had known, I should have sent my subordinates?"

He was secretly trailing a young man. He wasn't here to ambush today. It was because someone had appeared who was disrupting the work he had neatly handled over the past few days.

It was problematic if crimes continued to occur even after the culprit was caught. The charges against that damned Bi Ryu-yeon could gradually weaken. If it had only happened once or twice, it could have been dismissed as a mere copycat crime. To make matters worse, Namgung Sang, a renowned figure whose name could be heard even in the Macheon Pavilion, thousands of miles away from Namchang, had been attacked by that unknown assailant and died. The situation had become more serious than imagined, forcing him to act personally again.

Yi Shi-geon muttered irritably, touching a wound on his cheek with one hand.

"And what happened a while ago…"

If it weren't for that incident, he would have just left it to his subordinates, but he couldn't rest easy, so he personally came here as a precaution.

"Is that guy the bait?"

The pitiful bait, unaware he was being followed, was walking through the alleys of Namchang, wearing a cape to block the night breeze and holding a lantern with the inscription 'Cheon Mu (天武)' in his hand. A glimpse of a gold armband could be seen on the man's left arm. It seemed he was on patrol. Despite everyone being cautious due to the recent string of attacks, he was bravely alone.

"Tch, I thought I wouldn't have to face the night breeze anymore…"

Yi Shi-geon, lurking in the shadows of the night and secretly following the man, complained. He was more suited to giving orders from his seat than to doing fieldwork himself.

'If I follow that guy, he'll show up, won't he? Then I'll elegantly slice both of them to pieces on the spot!'

Leaving evidence was unacceptable. Just then.

"Stop for a moment!"

The man with the gold armband, carrying the lantern, stopped and looked forward. A man in a cape, his hood pulled all the way over his head, emerged from the darkness, walking slowly.

'It's him! I've finally found him.'

Yi Shi-geon instinctively knew, though he couldn't see the man's face due to the cape. The crime of daring to disrupt his perfect plan could only be repaid with a brutal death.

A cruel smile of triumph appeared on his lips as he crossed his arms and raised his ten fingers. Thinking there was no need to wait any longer, his reaction was hasty.

"Dance in my hand, wind!"

Purple Cloud Dark Wind.

Secret Art.

Killing Technique.

Swift Wind Slay.

"Be torn to shreds and die!"

"Don't let your guard down! The moment you let your guard down is the moment you die."

If he hadn't been warned in advance, he might not have been able to dodge. As soon as he sensed a faint murderous intent within his heightened senses, he swiftly moved his body.

'Activate your senses to the fullest!'

Even though he was prepared and tried to dodge, the invisible blade brushed past his clothes, cutting them sharply.

"Judging by the wound, I presume it's a Silk Sword!"

"If it's a Silk Sword, then that…?"

"Well, compared to me, he's a million years away, but this level is quite decent."

"How should we deal with it?"

"Don't try to see it and dodge, because then it's too late. You won't see it clearly even if you try."

"Don't see it and dodge?"

"That's right. It's hard to see even during the day, and even more so at night. So, give up on seeing it."

"Then you mean I should just die…?"

*Thwack!*

"Who said you could die without my permission? You'll get hit!"

"Then…?"

"Feel it!"

As a net of faint murderous intent was about to engulf them, Namgung Sang and another man moved almost simultaneously. The murderous wind swept through the spot where they had dodged. The aftermath was far more powerful than imagined.

'This is dangerous!'

Thunderclap Sword Technique, Life-Seeking Ultimate Move.

Starry Curtain Dense.

Namgung Sang's sword drew countless lines in the air, becoming a shield protecting his body.

*Swish swish swish!*

Countless thread-like scars were etched into the walls extending left and right of the alley. However, the target they were supposed to cut remained untouched.

'There it is!'

Following his senior disciple's advice, and protected by his sword curtain, Namgung Sang launched himself upward, swiftly moving towards the location where he expected the ambush to be.

'H-how can this be!'

Yi Shi-geon was momentarily paralyzed by the shock of his attack, which he had been so confident would not fail, failing.

"Now, will you reveal your true identity?"

By the time Yi Shi-geon regained his composure, he was already surrounded by the two people he had targeted. Although he was momentarily flustered, it was only for a brief moment. His pride was as strong as his recovery was quick.

"Tch, can't be helped. I intended to end this quietly."

Even surrounded by the two, he showed no signs of tension. He was that confident in his abilities. However, his inner heart was seething with wounded pride. He didn't want to admit that there were people who could evade his techniques. His damaged reputation couldn't be restored like this. What should he do? The conclusion was simple. If the ones who evaded him disappeared from this world, it would be a clean end. Thinking about it, it was a truly excellent idea.

"You evaded my techniques, and though you are soon to die, I will remember your names and aliases. Consider it an honor."

This was the most he could offer as consideration. Indeed, he was a magnificent man. Of course, the two of them didn't think so at all.

"Are you perhaps mistaken about something? If you want to know my name, I'll tell you! I am Namgung Sang, the leader of the Vermilion Bird Squad of the Cheon Mu Academy, who will apprehend you! People call me the Thunderclap Sword Dragon, an unmerited name."

Namgung Sang said with a proud voice, holding his head high.

"W-what! You're that Namgung Sang!"

Yi Shi-geon exclaimed in shock.

"You were dead?"

'And who do you think is responsible for that!'

"Yes, it was because of you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have died."

Seeing the mastermind of this incident right before his eyes, Namgung Sang's voice naturally rose.

"Then, what about your companion? How about taking off that mask you're wearing?"

The masked man, after a moment of hesitation, removed the 'hood' he was wearing, revealing a very handsome face. It was a beauty that made even Yi Shi-geon, who was quite confident in his own good looks, momentarily flinch.

"I am Mo Yong-hwi. People usually call me the Seven-Cut Divine Sword."

Upon hearing that name, Yi Shi-geon's eyes widened.

'Why is the successor of that Sword Saint here?'

He did have some suspicions.

"Damn it! Was I the one who walked into a trap?"

"You're only realizing that now? You're surprisingly slow."

Namgung Sang taunted.

'Bad luck…'

However, he still had something to rely on.

The game wasn't over yet.