Chapter 30 : Ties from a Past Life (2)

Chapter 30: Connections from a Past Life (2)

Yong Hwarin did not grow arrogant just because he had suddenly reached a high level in martial arts. He knew well how dangerous such feelings could be.

He had already learned through his past life that such emotions only served to bring someone down to the level of someone like Jeok Gwang.

“Young Hero Yong, you don’t need to get involved on our account.”

When the head of River Center Escort Agency stepped forward and spoke, Yong Hwarin replied,

“Because the Head is standing so proudly against the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, I suppose my spirit has risen in kind. Don’t worry about it.”

“This is something we should be stepping up for, not you, Young Hero, but… our throats are on the line with the constables…”

If the people of an escort agency got into trouble over incidents like this, it would never leave a good impression on their clients.

If an escort agency became known for picking fights, customers would grow uneasy and stop entrusting them with deliveries.

Only when an escort agency reached a large scale, like the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, would people continue to trust their deliveries simply due to their size—even if someone like Do Gye-gong stirred up trouble, no one dared to stop him.

As Yong Hwarin stepped outside, Do Gye-gong spoke with a self-satisfied expression.

“If the winner and loser are decided by this duel, let us agree to follow the victor’s word.”

Do Gye-gong changed his tone the moment he noticed the crowd growing.

“So be it. Let us all obey the winner.”

“Very well! The loser shall have no words left to say.”

As if he were already convinced of his victory, he sealed the outcome with his words.

In truth, Yong Hwarin had no need to even use the inner energy he had gained from the Demonic Master.

Having observed Do Gye-gong’s martial arts for a long time, Yong Hwarin was thoroughly familiar with his weaknesses.

Moreover, without even realizing it himself, he had acquired the Demonic Master’s Eye of Insight. With just his current internal energy, he felt he could easily subdue someone like Do Gye-gong.

He also felt the desire to test this in actual combat.

He was curious—could someone like himself, whose internal energy was only half that of Do Gye-gong’s, really overpower him just by exploiting his weaknesses and using the Eye of Insight?

There was a saying: martial arts were not solely about the depth of one’s internal energy, nor entirely about mastering techniques.

Yong Hwarin wanted to prove that.

Do Gye-gong used a broadsword, purposely choosing one thicker than a standard blade.

It was effective against low-level opponents, as it could deflect or shatter their weapons—but against experts, its weight became a disadvantage.

Yong Hwarin had seen him flustered before while exchanging blows with another master.

He would find out why soon enough using the Eye of Insight during the fight.

“Come at me first. A junior in the martial world shouldn’t rudely charge at a senior, after all.”

“Very well. Let the senior set the example.”

Do Gye-gong charged in, planning to shatter Yong Hwarin’s sword and humiliate him.

“Ta-hat!”

With a shout, Do Gye-gong unleashed a thunderous broadsword technique.

Yong Hwarin dodged it with his Bamboo Forest Flying Dragon Steps, not even blinking as he read every move.

“Hmph, looks like you were raised learning how to run, not how to fight.”

He muttered when Yong Hwarin leapt far back.

Normally, martial world newcomers would be enraged and recklessly charge at such a remark.

Yong Hwarin smiled subtly.

‘I didn’t understand before, but I think I do now. Why he flailed against masters. He uses a broadsword several times heavier than normal, but his wrist strength is weak. After finishing a technique, there’s a half-breath delay before he can link to the next one. Masters attacked at that exact moment and disrupted his rhythm.’

As Yong Hwarin accumulated knowledge and experience in martial arts, he instantly spotted Do Gye-gong’s flaw.

‘If that’s the case, then you’re mine. I’ll disgrace you so thoroughly that I’ll wake up laughing in my sleep!’

Feigning anger, Yong Hwarin launched an attack. Do Gye-gong, wearing a smug expression as if to say “I knew it,” counterattacked.

Just as Do Gye-gong transitioned from one swing to another, leaving a half-breath opening, Yong Hwarin slid his sword inward.

Startled, Do Gye-gong reeled back when Yong Hwarin’s blade came near his throat.

He couldn’t even understand how he had missed the attack.

“You little...!”

Do Gye-gong gathered more internal energy.

However, because his broadsword was so heavy and he didn’t channel his energy properly to his wrist, he remained just as slow by half a breath.

In contrast, the force of his energy was terrifying, flooding forth along the blade.

“Aaaargh!”

The gathered crowd of escorts and heads let out gasps at the sheer ferocity of his strikes.

They were astonished at Do Gye-gong’s might—and concerned that the young man might lose an arm to such brutal attacks.

Yet Yong Hwarin, with a relaxed expression, deflected the overwhelming strikes by lightly redirecting them with his sword.

That wasn’t something easily done. Piercing through the half-breath openings of such wild attacks was far from easy.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!

As Yong Hwarin dodged every strike, Do Gye-gong grew even more frantic in his assault.

So much so that he no longer noticed his surroundings or the situation.

Though it seemed like Yong Hwarin could be sliced to pieces at any moment, he nullified every one of Do Gye-gong’s attacks using the Azure Bamboo Sword.

“I’ve seen that swordplay before. It’s the Azure Bamboo Sword from the Heavenly Central Sect! I remember it because it flows like a fluttering willow branch!”

“Incredible! He’s stopping Do Gye-gong’s terrifying attacks without even using much internal energy!”

“That’s the one said to have been so ill he couldn’t even move!”

“Come on, no way. Who could still move like that if they were sick? He must’ve been pretending and training in secret. No invalid could do that!”

Every escort present had trained in martial arts for years, and they all knew it took at least a decade to reach Yong Hwarin’s current level.

“Uncle Oh’s right. Someone bedridden couldn’t possess such skill. We’ve been deceived.”

Some even began saying that the rumors of Yong Hwarin’s frailty were just a ruse to mislead the martial world.

When faced with something beyond expectations, people often leaned into exaggeration.

Yong Hwarin smiled in satisfaction at those words.

‘Then… shall I attack now?’

He gathered half a unit of internal energy into his blade, and every time a half-breath gap appeared, he responded with the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword.

Despite having more than twice Yong Hwarin’s internal energy, Do Gye-gong began to be helplessly pushed back. He couldn’t understand why his offensive flow was being broken so cleanly.

Swoooosh!

Yong Hwarin almost went further in humiliating Do Gye-gong—but held back.

If he went any further, he might injure Do Gye-gong’s pride as a martial artist and push the man to risk his life.

He halted his blade just before it reached Do Gye-gong’s throat. Do Gye-gong’s right arm, still holding the broadsword, trembled uncontrollably.

The two stood in silence, unmoving. Yong Hwarin patiently waited for Do Gye-gong to speak.

Eventually, the blazing defiance in Do Gye-gong’s eyes faded entirely.

“I… I’ve lost.”

“Then as the victor, I’ll speak. We will not be leaving this inn. And I would prefer if we avoided sharing this inn again in the future.”

“…Understood.”

“And also, apologize to the people from the River Center Escort Agency over there.”

“Young Hero Yong, there's no need to go that far.”

The head of the River Center Escort Agency tried to dissuade Yong Hwarin, but Do Gye-gong stepped forward and cupped his fists.

“I, Do Mo, have acted rudely. I ask for your forgiveness.”

“Understood. Don’t take it too hard.”

The head of the River Center Escort Agency accepted the apology, though his expression remained a bit sour.

However, the escorts from the agency looked thoroughly pleased.

At that moment, someone suddenly stepped out from behind Do Gye-gong.

“What is your name?”

Yong Hwarin trembled at the sound of that all-too-familiar voice.

He turned and looked at the person who had spoken.

How could he forget? It was a face he could never forget.

'Hoi Unkyung.'

She had been his wife in his previous life.

Seeing the woman who had once oppressed him so completely standing in front of him again made his body shake on its own.

He hadn’t even imagined that Hoi Unkyung would be part of this escort journey.

If he had known she was part of the group, he would have avoided this entire situation from the start.

“I’m Yong Hwarin of the Heavenly Central Sect.”

Still, he forced himself to regain composure and answered calmly.

“I am Hoi Unkyung of the Sky Ocean Merchant Union. I didn’t expect a hidden dragon to be lying in wait within the Heavenly Central Sect. Were all the rumors until now false?”

Just like in his past life, she was provocative even now.

“People only see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.”

Hoi Unkyung was not only beautiful, but also exuded a certain martial spirit. Seeing her easily manage someone like Do Gye-gong sparked interest in her.

Rather than wanting to avenge a fellow from her escort agency, she was more intent on pulling in a promising talent.

‘At this point in time, she still wasn’t that bad.’

Yong Hwarin was lost in thought at her invitation, which seemed to carry no malice.

“I’d like to have dinner with you tonight. What do you think?”

Yong Hwarin was taken aback—he hadn’t expected Hoi Unkyung to invite him to dinner.

‘This is a second chance at life. No more avoiding or agonizing over ties from the past.’

Knowing the future was a tremendous advantage.

He knew exactly what kind of people those around him would turn out to be. It was almost like having the ability to see into their hearts.

There was nothing more advantageous than knowing how someone would change in the future.

“I’m not inclined to accept a dinner invitation when I just dueled your escort agency’s head, and we didn’t part on good terms.”

Hoi Unkyung’s eyes dimmed slightly at Yong Hwarin’s rejection. He recognized that expression well—it always surfaced when her pride was wounded and she was about to get angry.

“I just wanted to get to know you personally.”

“Thank you for the invitation, but I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll have to decline. I hope you understand.”

Yong Hwarin wanted nothing more to do with Hoi Unkyung.

He had no desire to meet her again.

The many escorts and martial artists who had gathered to watch the duel admired Yong Hwarin’s response.

Unless one was a descendant of a prestigious clan or great sect, how many could refuse an invitation from Hoi Unkyung, the treasured daughter of the Sky Ocean Merchant Union?

For the sake of profit, most would be the ones extending the invitation to her instead. The Sky Ocean Merchant Union was infamous for funding martial families under the table in exchange for influence.

That was how they had amassed so much wealth, and many escort agencys and merchant unions privately resented them for it.

When Yong Hwarin had once led the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, he had felt ashamed of such practices.

His efforts to reform them led to clashes with other factions, and he was eventually forced to step down from the position of branch leader.

His display of manly integrity earned him the admiration of many from the escort agencys.

Yong Hwarin believed they would spread tales of what had happened across the land.

The fastest way to spread rumors wasn’t through the Hao Clan or Beggar’s Union—but through escorts.

‘At this rate, I might even get a nickname soon.’

In his past life, Yong Hwarin had lived for fifty years without earning even a single nickname. So, he found himself longing for one now.

There were many martial artists who roamed the world for years without ever earning a moniker. Those who were too unremarkable simply faded into obscurity.

One typically had to spend at least ten years in the martial world to gain recognition and earn a decent nickname.

But now it seemed he might not need to invest all that time.

Mo Biyoung and the Two Wook Sword Demons were starting to see their young lord in a whole new light. The once-naive boy had turned into a composed and capable man who handled everything with ease.

The abilities Yong Hwarin had displayed during their journey had left them thoroughly impressed.

In fact, they were starting to wonder if it wasn’t him protecting them instead.

After finishing a simple dinner, Yong Hwarin stepped outside in case Hoi Unkyung tried to come to the inn.

Avoiding her altogether was the wisest choice.

So he left the inn and walked along a quiet path.

He had brought his sword with the intention of training if he found a secluded place, but no such spot presented itself.

Since he was already out, he decided to go on a walk to gather his thoughts—when suddenly, the clanging of weapons rang out nearby.

In truth, sounds like this weren’t unusual in Pungnyang County. Since escort agencys and merchant unions passed through frequently, it wasn’t uncommon for them to hastily recruit martial escorts, resulting in a large number of wandering fighters taking up residence in the area.

As a result, brawls and even deaths were frequent occurrences—one of the major headaches for the county. But if they drove out the vagabonds, escort agencys and merchants would stop staying there altogether.

Due to various geographical reasons, the vagabonds had gathered there in the first place, and that’s why the merchant groups and escort agencys began staying in Pungnyang.

Yong Hwarin had once rescued members of the Jaegal Clan from the Blood Antler Serpent Group under similar circumstances.

He disliked getting involved in unnecessary affairs, but now that his martial prowess had grown, he didn’t find it so bad.

It was a chance to gain real combat experience.

That was something the Yong Hwarin of his past life would never have considered.

Exposing himself to pointless danger could lead to death.

But in this second life, he had no such fear—and whether it was because he had mastered martial arts he’d never dreamed of in his previous life or because he had come to enjoy the art itself, he now felt confident.

He realized that this change in temperament was what had led to him dueling people like Jeok Gwang and Do Gye-gong.

‘Surprisingly, fighting is fun.’

He was now so immersed in the joy of combat that if given the opportunity to duel, he would accept without hesitation.

Dueling Mo Biyoung or the Two Wook Sword Demons had grown dull.

Their techniques were too predictable to be interesting.

In contrast, dueling martial artists trained in different styles brought a thrill akin to courting a new lover.

So rather than avoid the clashing of swords he heard—like he would have in the past—Yong Hwarin walked straight toward the sound.

The clashing of weapons came from a battle between one young man and five other men.

Beside them, a young man in a purple robe was urging the five attackers on, directing their assault. In addition to Yong Hwarin, several vagabonds had also gathered, drawn in by the sounds of the fight.

However, judging by the fact that no one stepped in, it seemed there was something about the situation that made them hesitate.

Yong Hwarin immediately recognized the young man in purple.

‘Why is Gocheok here?’

Gocheok was accompanied by a large, black dog.

The dog bared its yellow teeth at the young man, growling as if ready to lunge.

‘Why is that guy fighting Gocheok?’

It was unexpected to see Gocheok here after having lost the Demonic Poison Stoneflower. Yong Hwarin had assumed he would have returned to the Serpent Dragon Sect by now.

“I’ll say it again—just hand it over and we’ll disappear. But if not, you’ll end up a corpse, food for the wild dogs.”

“Hmph, asking for something I don’t even have—how laughable. Trusting that mutt of yours makes it even more ridiculous. And even if I did have it, I still wouldn’t give it to you!”

No matter how hard Yong Hwarin stared, he couldn’t identify the young man.

“You think this is an ordinary dog? This is a *Black Wolf*, a spirit beast that can smell scents from a hundred *li* away. There’s never been a scent it couldn’t track. The fact that it came to you means you have it.”

The fight had paused briefly as they exchanged words, but the young man didn’t appear intimidated at all. From their conversation, Yong Hwarin realized they were talking about the Demonic Poison Stoneflower.

‘That so-called Black Wolf must have picked up the poison scent from the Demonic Stone and tracked it here. I’m the one who has it, so why does the scent seem to be coming from that guy?’

Something felt off, and Yong Hwarin tilted his head in confusion.

“You deny it so stubbornly—don’t blame me for what comes next. I’ll just kill you and search your body. At least tell me your name so I can mark your grave. I am Gocheok, the young master of the Serpent Dragon Sect of Hubei!”

They were fighting without even knowing each other’s names.

The vagabonds watching from the crowd had been observing with interest, but when they heard the name ‘Gocheok of the Serpent Dragon Sect,’ their expressions turned grim.

As the saying goes, the arm bends inward—these vagabonds had been quietly rooting for the young man, thinking him to be one of their own.

But the Serpent Dragon Sect was a well-established and respected sect in Hubei. Now that he was facing off against the sect’s young master, most of them believed the youth had no chance of surviving.

In the martial world, the death of a lone vagabond rarely raised an eyebrow.

Yet the young man himself remained bold.

“If you end up in the afterlife, and King Yama asks who sent you there—tell him it was Jong Seok!”

Yong Hwarin felt a twinge of pity, seeing that the young man looked about his own age.

There weren’t many reasons why someone so young would be wandering as a vagabond martial artist.

He could be the child of a martial family that had declined or been destroyed, forcing him into the life of a vagabond. Or he could be someone with great talent who had trained in martial arts and entered the martial world, but due to his lowly origins was shunned and thus wandered as a vagabond.

Judging by the dignity Jong Seok carried, Yong Hwarin guessed he was likely the descendant of a ruined martial family. If that was the case, maybe Jong Seok could handle this on his own.

So Yong Hwarin decided to wait and observe, slipping in among the other vagabonds.

“Strike!”

At Gocheok’s command, five subordinates charged toward Jong Seok. In that moment, Jong Seok moved like lightning, darting past two of them.

‘Fast.’

“Urgh! Aagh!”

Two screams rang out. Two of the attackers fell without even landing a blow. Gocheok’s face grew visibly serious.

“Use the Three Talents Formation!”

The remaining three formed a coordinated formation and began pressing in on Jong Seok.

Once the formation took hold, the tide turned against him. Jong Seok began to falter. After a few clashes of swords, he was wounded—cut across his side and thigh, blood flowing freely.

Seeing him injured, the three men moved in together, planning to finish him off. But it was as if Jong Seok had been waiting for that moment—he unleashed a blast of sword energy.

A blinding flash erupted, throwing off the attacking men’s aim and causing them to flinch.

Jong Seok didn’t miss the opening—he dashed in like lightning and cut down all three.

Two died instantly. One managed to retreat, stumbling back toward where Gocheok stood.

It was a plea for help.

Jong Seok charged after him to finish the job.