Chapter 577

"Kyahhh—!"

A piercing scream rang out, sharp enough to stab into one's ears.

I instinctively turned my head toward the direction of the sound.

It didn’t seem to be too far away. Yet, despite the scream, the bustling street remained lively, filled with chatter and movement.

In the midst of this lively chaos, a few others, much like myself, turned toward the source of the sound.

‘They’re all martial artists.’

It was obvious. Those capable of hearing such a sound amidst the noisy street likely had their sensory perception heightened by martial training.

‘Did something happen?’

A scream like that clearly indicated trouble. However, despite the implications, I found myself largely indifferent.

‘They’ll handle it.’

This wasn’t just any place—it was Hanan, the headquarters of the Alliance. Whatever trouble had arisen, it would be resolved quickly.

With that, I turned my attention back to Paejon, ready to continue our earlier conversation.

“Elder, you were saying—huh?”

When I looked to my side, Paejon was nowhere to be found. I glanced around, wondering where he had disappeared to.

And then I spotted him, walking in the direction of the scream.

“…Where are you going?”

I called out, and Paejon tilted his head slightly to glance back at me. His eyes gleamed with a peculiar, unreadable interest.

“My disciple.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know what the most entertaining thing in the world is?”

“Watching me make money.”

“…”

I answered without hesitation, and Paejon’s face twisted in displeasure.

Why? That really was the most entertaining thing, wasn’t it?

“…You really have no sense of romance, do you?”

I couldn’t help it. My life had been far too grounded in reality for such luxuries.

“And what’s the most entertaining thing, then?” I asked flatly, humoring him.

Paejon’s lips curled into a smile, clearly pleased that I had asked.

“The most entertaining thing in the world,” he began.

“Yes?”

“Is watching other people fight.”

“…Excuse me?”

“There’s nothing quite like it.”

“…”

I sighed. His words were clear.

‘He wants to go watch.’

It was Paejon’s way of saying he absolutely had to see what was happening.

Without waiting for my response, Paejon turned and began walking briskly toward the commotion.

I followed him, letting out a long sigh.

Eventually, we arrived at the scene.

“…Huh?”

To my surprise, the location was familiar.

It was the tavern I frequented for their excellent dumplings whenever I was in Hanan.

‘I was planning to stop by anyway.’

I hadn’t expected to visit like this, though.

Curious about what could have caused such a scream in an eatery, I peered inside.

“Ah.”

It didn’t take long to understand the situation.

A drunken man, his face flushed red from alcohol, had drawn a sword and was pointing it at someone. In the center of the commotion was a trembling woman, tears welling in her eyes.

“…You bastard…!!”

A man on the left roared, his face twisted in anger. He appeared to be in his forties.

Judging by his aura…

‘Second-rate to first-rate.’

It was a mediocre level but decent enough for a martial artist.

He wouldn’t be considered weak—unless surrounded by monsters like those here in Hanan.

Still—

‘People at that level often have the worst personalities.’

It was the stage where martial artists hit the wall of their talent and gave up on breaking through.

Resentment and frustration often consumed them, and they would settle into mediocrity, using their abilities to bully others.

This particular level of mastery seemed to breed the worst characters.

Most of the troublemakers caught in the martial world fell into this category.

‘He seems like one of those types.’

The drunken man radiated that same impression.

“Haha.”

Paejon, observing the scene, let out a small laugh, as if thoroughly amused.

He wasn’t the only one reacting.

The other patrons had already begun murmuring among themselves, their voices a mix of concern and disapproval.

“Isn’t that Muk Doseok?”

“Yeah, it is. Tsk tsk… Is he causing trouble again?”

Judging by their reactions, Muk Doseok seemed to have quite the infamous reputation.

“What’s it this time?”

“See that woman? It’s Misook.”

The man speaking pointed with his chin toward the trembling woman.

“Don’t tell me—did Muk Doseok harass Misook again?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

The sound of clicking tongues filled the air. It seemed this wasn’t the first time Muk Doseok had targeted a woman.

“So? Did Misook finally snap at him?”

“Of course not. Misook values her life. She’s been putting up with it.”

“Then what happened this time?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Some young martial hero decided to step in.”

Someone had intervened to protect the woman from Muk Doseok’s harassment.

The patrons’ faces filled with worry as they glanced inside.

“This is bad… What an unfortunate choice. Going up against Muk Doseok…”

“We need to contact the Alliance immediately. If this escalates, blood will be spilled…”

Their voices were laced with urgency.

They weren’t wrong—if a first-rate martial artist like Muk Doseok started swinging his sword, the tavern could quickly turn into a battlefield.

The problem was…

They were worried about the wrong person.

I looked at Muk Doseok and thought to myself,

‘That guy’s dead.’

The real danger wasn’t the young man Muk Doseok was pointing his sword at—it was Muk Doseok himself.

I shifted my gaze to the figure seated at the table, draped in a simple cloak.

The cloak concealed his face, making it difficult to gauge his age. Based on his build, he seemed to be a man.

But the moment I saw him, I knew.

‘He’s Hwagyeong.’

The man had surpassed perfection and reached the level of Hwagyeong.

Whether Muk Doseok realized this or not, he glared at the cloaked figure, shouting with fiery eyes.

“How dare you mock me!? Do you have a death wish!?”

The cloaked man slowly stood up in response.

Scrrrrrr…

Though his movements had been concealed while seated, it was clear once he stood—his physique was massive.

“I have not mocked you,” he said, his deep voice belying his youth. He couldn’t be too old.

Muk Doseok sneered, baring his teeth.

“You think it’s not mockery to block my path? Who do you think you are!?”

“I simply couldn’t ignore you forcing yourself on someone who said no.”

“You bastard…!”

Muk Doseok ground his teeth at the calm reply.

“What right do you have to interfere? Is that woman your fiancée or something?”

Suddenly, his expression shifted, as though he had realized something.

“Ah, so that’s it…”

His gaze turned toward Misook, the trembling woman.

“You’ve been seeing this guy behind my back, haven’t you? That’s why!”

“N-no! I’ve never met him before today…!” Misook cried out, her voice tinged with desperation.

But Muk Doseok didn’t seem to believe her.

“That’s why you didn’t fall for me, huh? You’ve been toying with me this whole time!”

How he arrived at that conclusion was beyond me.

Listening to his nonsense was infuriating.

‘What a shame.’

I wished I were the one standing in that spot. If I had been, I would’ve ripped his tongue out before he could finish his nonsense.

As that thought crossed my mind, I recalled what Paejon had said earlier.

“Watching fights is the most entertaining thing.”

Oddly enough, I was beginning to agree.

At that moment.

“How well I’ve treated you, and this is how you play with me?!”

Muk Doseok, his fury boiling over, began shouting at the woman.

To make matters worse, he gripped his sword tightly, moving as if he was about to do something to her.

“Kyahhh!”

As the terrified woman screamed,

Grip.

“…!”

The young man caught Muk Doseok’s arm mid-swing.

Muk Doseok turned, startled, to stare at the youth holding his arm.

“What’s the point of tormenting the weak? Please calm yourself.”

It seemed the young man was trying to diffuse the situation peacefully.

How kind.

If it were me…

‘I’d have ripped his arm off.’

I would have yanked his arm clean off without hesitation.

This display of restraint was incomprehensible to me.

And, likely, even more so to Muk Doseok.

“You bastard…!”

By now, he should have realized that this opponent wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

But whether it was the alcohol clouding his judgment or his own arrogance, he seemed completely blind to reality.

“Fine, then! I’ll kill you first!”

Muk Doseok twisted his body, throwing a punch.

The energy in that punch carried killing intent—it was clear he truly intended to kill.

Killing someone, here in the heart of Hanan?

Quite bold.

Even drunk, I had to admit, the audacity was impressive.

But audacity alone doesn’t make things go your way.

As Muk Doseok’s fist flew toward him, the young man muttered softly,

“…I apologize. I hope you understand.”

The words were quiet, but I heard them clearly.

And then—

Thud!

“Gurk!”

The young man’s hand struck Muk Doseok squarely in the chest.

Muk Doseok’s body was sent flying, crashing through the air before rolling across the ground.

Though he managed to struggle to his feet briefly,

“Cough… guh… urgh…”

With a thud, he collapsed, vomiting bile a few times before passing out entirely.

The moment Muk Doseok hit the ground, the bustling murmurs of the surrounding crowd fell silent.

Even the sound of breathing seemed to vanish.

As the tavern settled into a hushed stillness, the young man moved cautiously.

He approached the trembling woman, her eyes wide with shock.

“My apologies for causing such a disturbance.”

“A-ah… no, it’s…”

“You seem very shaken.”

The young man spoke gently, addressing her while pulling something from his sleeve.

It was a silver coin.

“This is for the cost of the meal and to atone for the commotion. I hope you can forgive me.”

Placing the coin firmly in her hand, he turned and walked out of the tavern.

As he passed by me, I stole a sidelong glance at him.

His face was mostly obscured by the cloak he wore, but faintly, through the shadows, I caught sight of golden eyes.

For a brief moment, those eyes met mine.

“…”

We held that gaze for only a second before—

Whoosh!

A soft gust of wind swept by, and the young man’s presence vanished entirely.

It wasn’t until then that the onlookers, who had been holding their breath, exhaled and began to murmur again.

“What on earth just happened?”

“What was that…?”

The crowd surged with whispered questions and slowly began inspecting the scene inside the tavern.

Meanwhile, my thoughts lingered on the motion the young man had used.

‘Hmm.’

A brief movement—a strike to the chest.

It had seemed like such a simple action, yet something about it stuck in my mind.

I shifted my gaze to the table where the young man had been sitting.

There were half-eaten dumplings and dishes still left there.

“…”

Looking at the scene, I couldn’t help but think deeply about what had just happened.

“Tsk tsk.”

Beside me, Paejon chuckled.

“Are you going to follow him?”

“…”

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

Paejon had noticed that I was bothered by something.

“Go. The Divine Doctor will still be asleep for a while.”

“…Didn’t you say you had something to discuss with me?”

“That can wait. Better to go and satisfy your curiosity than stand here with that sour look on your face. It’s ruining my mood.”

“…”

After a brief moment of contemplation, I turned around.

“Fine. I’ll be back shortly.”

Paejon was right.

Whatever was bothering me, I had to resolve it.

Especially in a situation like this.

******************

In the forest near Hanan.

It was a secluded forest path, some distance from the main town. The area was rarely visited, as few ventured into this isolated woodland.

Tap.

Someone landed softly on the ground. It was the young man who had caused the commotion at the tavern.

“…Hoo.”

Catching his breath, the young man surveyed the surroundings before finally relaxing. He exhaled deeply and removed the cloak he had been wearing.

Under the pale moonlight, his bald head gleamed faintly.

Sweat beaded on his scalp, giving it a slight sheen, and he casually wiped it with a cloth, as if accustomed to this routine.

“What a shame,” he muttered, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Yes, it was a shame.

“I barely got to take a single bite…”

The tavern had been a hard-won find, one he had sneaked out to visit in secret.

He had been looking forward to savoring the food, filled with anticipation. But to have it end like this…

It was disheartening.

“…Well, I suppose it was time to leave anyway.”

As if to console himself, he looked off into the distance.

Given how tight his schedule was, he would have had to leave soon regardless.

That was how he rationalized it.

“…Next time. Next time, for sure.”

He nodded, as if resolving to savor his next meal with more leisure.

Just as he prepared to move again—

“I was just thinking…”

Stop.

A voice came from behind him.

Startled, the young man turned his head sharply toward the source of the sound.

In the dense, shadowy forest, surrounded by trees, nothing was visible beyond the darkness. But someone was speaking from within that obscurity.

Who’s there?

Beads of sweat formed on the young man’s brow as he stared into the shadows.

“I can let it slide when a Wudang monk eats meat. Barely.”

The voice grew clearer as the figure stepped forward, tone dripping with disdain.

“But a bald monk stuffing his face with meat? That’s pushing it a bit far, don’t you think?”

Emerging from the darkness was a man clad in black martial robes, his eyes sharp and predatory.

He gazed at the young man with a look of disbelief and spoke again.

“Don’t you think that’s a little too much, Monk?”

“…”

Hearing this, the young man—Yu Yeon, the Divine Dragon—grimaced deeply, his expression twisting in frustration.