Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Hyeonu openly revealed his astonishment with his characteristically guileless face.

“Is that White Tiger really the one from before?”

At some point, Seonpung had used the Bone-Contraction Technique to reduce his body to the size of an ordinary cat. Hyeonu looked back and forth between Youngho and Seonpung with a bewildered expression.

Youngho offered his shoulder so Seonpung could sit.

“Yes, he learned the Bone-Contraction Technique. He could adjust his size whenever he wished.”

“Huh….”

“More importantly, are we still far?”

Hyeonu reached into his bundle and pulled out a peculiar object.

The bead-shaped item seemed to emit a strange glow, reminiscent of a small Night Pearl.

Perhaps noticing Youngho’s curious gaze, Hyeonu infused Internal Energy into the bead and explained.

“Master gave this to me. He said it would allow us to leave this forest—or enter it again.”

“A rather unusual Formation.”

“Well, it was a Formation made using a sacred relic of the Wudang Sect.”

At that, Muyeon flinched in surprise.

“A sacred relic of the Wudang Sect?”

“Yes. Master merely said it was something useful, but….”

“That can’t be.”

Muyeon cut him off firmly.

“Even sacred relics of third-rate sects can be extraordinary, and you’re saying it’s from the Wudang Sect… No wonder I couldn’t unravel the Formation.”

Encouraged by Muyeon’s words, Hyeonu smiled with satisfaction and straightened his shoulders proudly.

“I wouldn’t know, but they say Master was an incredibly remarkable person.”

Youngho nodded.

“The Sword Immortal accomplished feats beyond what words could describe. Outside, perhaps not—but within the Wudang Sect, his Taoist title would be considered on par with the Sect Leader.”

“To that extent?”

“Yes. The Sword Immortal was that extraordinary. He was not called a living Immortal for nothing.”

“You seem to know my Master better than I, his disciple.”

“You will soon live not in the mountains but in the world. It will be very important for you to understand your own standing.”

While they exchanged idle conversation, the bead in Hyeonu’s hand began to shine brightly.

“It’s finally fully charged. It drains more Inner Power than one would think.”

“So we’ve left the forest now?”

“Yes. You could say we’ve left Master’s domain.”

Kang Hosan looked around and tilted his head as if something felt off.

“If that’s so, it still looks like the same forest.”

“Oppa, expand your Qi Sense. I can feel the presence of living creatures nearby.”

“Huh?”

Just as Kang Chowon said—sparrows, squirrels, wild boars, and other mountain beasts could be sensed.

The leaves that had seemed lifeless only moments ago regained their vitality.

Hyeonu put the bead back into his bundle and spoke.

“Please follow me. Master said there is an inn nearby. It would be best to reorganize ourselves there.”

“Very well. You all, let’s move.”

Hyeonu and Youngho’s group once more employed their Lightness Skill. They barely managed to arrive at the inn before night fully fell, and only then did they let out deep sighs of relief.

“Thankfully, we won’t have to camp out!”

Kang Chowon said with a smile, and Horyeung nodded.

“Yes, this should suffice for a night’s stay.”

The moment Youngho’s group stepped inside the inn—

Crash!

The sound of dishes shattering rang out, followed by a voice filled with fury that reached Youngho’s ears.

“Are you playing games with me right now?”

The common people who had been eating inside the inn pretended not to see anything, lowering their voices as they continued their meals.

Anyone could see the situation was on the verge of exploding.

Even Hyeonu was momentarily flustered and unable to act, but Youngho’s group spoke as if it were nothing.

“Inn Attendant, give us an annex.”

“And send plenty of food.”

Unfortunately, this was not a fight between martial artists—it was a one-sided harassment directed at the Inn Attendant.

The Inn Attendant practically crawled on the ground, bowing his head deeply.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll bring it out again.”

“You brought it out again and it’s still like this. What, is someone else cooking this time?”

The Inn Attendant broke into a cold sweat, lowering himself as much as possible before the man.

Youngho let out a deep sigh and, with no other choice, walked directly over to the Inn Attendant.

“Hey, Inn Attendant. I’d like to rest right now, so at least tell me where the annex is. I’ll leave the money.”

“Pardon? Ah, that is….”

The Inn Attendant did not even meet Youngho’s eyes, repeatedly bowing toward the man in front of him.

“Mad Black Sword Ghost?”

At that moment, a martial artist nearby stared at Youngho in undisguised shock, as if he had seen a ghost.

“W-why are you here…?”

Youngho glanced briefly at the martial artist beside him before speaking again to the Inn Attendant.

“I’d like you to tell me where the annex is.”

“…….”

As the inn fell into sudden silence, Youngho wore a puzzled expression.

‘What is going on?’

He had not released any Martial Presence. The same was true for the other martial artists.

‘Then why are they looking at me with such fear?’

Soon, however, a martial artist who thought Youngho had ignored him sprang to his feet with a scowl.

“You bastard…!”

At that moment, Youngho realized just how much weight the nickname Mad Black Sword Ghost carried—and how terrifying a figure he was to common people.

Leaving the Inn Attendant behind, practically out of his wits, Youngho addressed the martial artists clad in green robes.

“I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I simply didn’t want to get involved.”

Perhaps his indifferent tone angered them even more, and just as one of the martial artists was about to raise his voice—

“That is enough.”

A deep and heavy voice caught Youngho’s attention. He looked briefly at the owner of the voice before speaking.

“For someone escorting a young noble master of a clan, you’re quite strong.”

“For the renowned Mad Black Sword Ghost to offer praise—I am grateful.”

“I said you’re strong for an escort. You’re weak.”

“…….”

Those inside the inn unconsciously swallowed as they watched the scene unfold.

Few would dare to openly call the men in green robes weak.

No matter how powerful they themselves might be. Yet here stood a member of the Unorthodox Faction sorely lacking in social grace.

“Still, you’re strong for a bunch of drug-addled weaklings. Take it as praise.”

Horyeung widened his eyes and thought.

‘As expected of Young Master.’

The martial artists clad in green robes were from the Tang Clan of Sichuan, the hegemon of Sichuan.

And Hyeon-gang frowned as though merely looking at the green robes made bile rise in his throat.

It was likely because he had once belonged to the Tang Clan…

‘Still, that reaction is excessive, isn’t it?’

Just as Kang Hosan, having sensed something amiss from Hyeon-gang, was about to speak—

“Oh? Tang Gunhyeon?”

At Kang Chowon’s small voice, Kang Hosan turned his gaze back toward where Youngho stood.

Then things that had not been visible before began to reveal themselves.

Tang Gunhyeon sat with a displeased expression, accompanied by Tang Clan martial artists who appeared to be of similar age, along with their escorts.

There were quite a number of them.

Among those who seemed to be escorting Tang Gunhyeon, quite a few showed interest in Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon.

It was striking how they were already prodding them with their Qi.

Youngho undoubtedly knew the Tang Clan escorts were attempting something subtle, yet he deliberately pretended not to notice.

He always wished to give them diverse experiences, after all.

For a brief moment, they found it strange how the arrogant expression Tang Gunhyeon had worn during the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering had vanished, leaving him like a meek lamb.

But upon seeing Tang Gunhyeon watching Youngho cautiously, Youngho’s group understood why he had become so subdued.

‘As expected of our Young Master!’

‘Mad Black Sword Ghost! We trusted you!’

The Tang Clan martial artist who had been insulted by Youngho struggled to steady his trembling hand.

“No matter how exceptional your skill may be, your tongue is far too coarse.”

“Do you know why I’m not asking why the Tang Clan is here?”

The Tang Clan martial artist glared at Youngho with killing intent. Youngho calmly met his gaze and said,

“I don’t want to get involved with you. So how about you let me go as well?”

Under normal circumstances, they would not press the matter further. But after hearing Youngho’s words, Tang Gunhyeon felt an inexplicable surge of stubborn pride.

Drug-addled weaklings.

For the Tang Clan, there was no insult more humiliating. One could argue it was no different from calling them cowardly men who relied only on poison, yet to the Tang Clan, it was a deeply offensive remark.

Being called cowardly men who used poison was tolerable. But medicine was not solely poison. The term drug-addled weaklings did not merely insult the Tang Clan’s poison—it disparaged their medical arts as well.

Tang Gunhyeon slowly rose from his seat and spoke.

“I request a sparring match.”

“Hmm?”

A request for a sparring match so suddenly—Tang Gunhyeon seemed to possess more nerve than Youngho had anticipated.

“Swift Severing Sword.”

An instant silence fell over the inn.

Kang Chowon wore an uncertain expression and pointed at herself with a finger. Tang Gunhyeon nodded.

“I wish to witness your sword. Though I did not see it myself, I heard you were nearly on par with the Orthodox Dragon.”

Only then did the group let out exclamations of understanding.

“Ah~”

As Kang Chowon appeared to comprehend, Tang Gunhyeon formed a faint smirk. Yet his expression twisted dramatically at her next words.

“So you’re saying you don’t think you can win against Young Master, so you’re targeting me instead because I seem easier?”

“…….”

Some snickered; others suppressed their laughter. And Hyeon-gang laughed the loudest of all.

“Pfft!”

Unable to control his shaking shoulders, Hyeon-gang laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face.

Ordinarily, his presence was so faint that few would even notice him—but at this moment, every person in the inn looked at him.

“Huh?”

Then one of the Tang Clan escorts pointed at Hyeon-gang with a horrified expression.

“T-Tang Hyeon-gang?”

At the finger pointed toward him, Hyeon-gang frowned.

“Don’t point fingers. We’re not family anymore. No—were we ever family to begin with?”

It was not mockery. He was merely stating what he had felt.

But upon hearing the name Tang Hyeon-gang, the other martial artists did not take it that way.

“You joined the Unorthodox Alliance!”

“You killed someone within the clan and still dare act so shamelessly!”

Even as killing intent surged toward him, Tang Hyeon-gang did not blink once. Instead, he let out a sly grin and provoked them.

“Perhaps because both my mind and body have changed from before, you all seem rather laughable.”

The Tang Clan martial artists flinched.

They, too, felt it. The current Tang Hyeon-gang was not the same Tang Hyeon-gang they had once known.

Hyeon-gang smiled and continued.

“By the way, even if you’re a genius of hidden weapons, you won’t be able to defeat Chowon, who’s called the Swift Severing Sword… Or perhaps you intend to use poison as well?”

“What do you take me for!”

Tang Gunhyeon unleashed a Lion’s Roar infused with Internal Energy. Cracks spread across the teacups and dishes from the force of his energy.

“I will face her using only hidden weapons.”

“You may use it.”

At that, Kang Chowon stepped forward and said,

“You may use poison.”

Tang Gunhyeon’s face crumpled.

“The Tang Clan’s poison is far more vicious than you imagine.”

“It’s fine. We have an excellent physician here.”

As Kang Chowon cast a glance at Hyeon-gang, Tang Gunhyeon’s expression grew even more displeased.

“…Do not regret it.”

Just as Tang Gunhyeon kicked off from his spot and moved to head outside—

“Hey.”

Youngho’s chilling voice pierced Tang Gunhyeon’s ears.

At some point, Youngho had fixed him with a sharp, menacing gaze and spoke lowly.

“You’ll compensate before you leave. You shattered all the dishes and were about to walk out.”

Tang Gunhyeon glared at Youngho and shoved money into the Inn Attendant’s hands.

Even Tang Gunhyeon dared not lay a hand on the Mad Black Sword Ghost.