Chapter 16

You’re not a needle in a sack—you’re a royal greatsword stuffed in a pouch.

‘Even when this bastard makes a metaphor, it’s weird as hell.’

Either way, it was true that back in those days, Mujin carried trouble with him wherever he went. He didn’t bother avoiding it, and wherever there was a fight, he was there. The fact that he earned the nickname War King should tell you enough.

‘…Hm?’

Someone was rapidly approaching from that direction.

The path was too narrow to pull the carriage aside. Turning around wasn’t an option either. To reach the next village, they had to cross this ridge.

— See?

‘Shut it.’

They were coming at a considerable speed.

Mujin halted the carriage and ushered Mi-joo inside. He had no intention of indulging his daughter’s whims just so she could enjoy the unexpected turn of events.

Now that he thought about it, his daughter had no fear. Was he the only one who didn’t notice?

“Dad?”

“You don’t want to catch a cold, do you?”

“I won’t.”

“Mi-joo, are you going to ignore your father?”

“…I can watch next time, right?”

“Yes.”

Maybe she was feeling a bit chilly too, because Mi-joo stopped pouting. Seeing her red nose made Mujin’s heart tighten.

‘How funny.’

Before crossing the mountain, he had carefully checked the nearby villages for any signs of bandits. Not that bandits would be much of a problem, but he didn’t want to fight in front of his wife and child.

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight if it came to it. If trouble came knocking, he’d deal with it. Especially if he was already angry, restraint wasn’t his strong suit.

— Well? How about now?

‘I told you to shut it.’

The fact that the damn demon’s words seemed right only made him more annoyed.

Whoever it was, they seemed urgent.

‘Oh?’

Urgent, yet they altered their course to approach him directly.

If they’d noticed his presence but didn’t change direction, it meant they were aiming for him. The intent was downright insulting.

*****

“You damned bitch!”

“Wretched bitch!”

“Damn it! What the hell did we even do?!”

The light-body technique they were using to flee wasn’t ordinary. They were at least first-rate martial artists. Even so, they looked desperate, running full tilt as if their tails were on fire.

All the while, they hurled curses at their pursuer. For men on the run, they had plenty of breath to waste.

“…Even tearing her apart wouldn’t be enough!”

“She killed the youngest!”

“We have to avenge him!”

Words only?

In reality, they were too busy running to actually think about revenge. There were three of them left now, but they had originally been five. They hadn’t been born on the same day, but they had sworn to die on the same day.

Yet they’d only managed to escape thanks to the deaths of two brothers. Without that, they wouldn’t have been running, they’d be lying dead at the tip of that woman’s sword.

‘Where the hell did that crazy bitch come from?!’

They were known as the ‘Five Scoundrels of Anhui’.

Within the city, few dared to challenge them. Not only were they all first-rate fighters, they were skilled in combined attacks and would use any means necessary. Once they held a grudge, they always exacted cruel revenge, earning them a fearsome reputation.

So most people avoided crossing them at all costs.

But once their notoriety spread, the righteous sects led by the Namgung clan publicly declared them enemies, forcing them to keep a low profile. They hadn’t been active for nearly seven years… until recently. And now, they had run into that monstrous woman.

‘She’s closing in.’

They could feel the terrifying presence of the woman closing the gap. The closer she got, the more desperate they became.

If they’d attacked together from the start, things might have been different. But letting their guard down at the beginning had cost them two brothers, allowing her to seize the initiative.

Now, they weren’t even in a position to counterattack.

And just then,

From nearby, in the direction they’d turned toward, they heard voices.

The First Scoundrel Ma Gilgang quickly altered course. At this point, there was no other choice. This was their one chance, so they headed toward the source of the voices.

Shhhhk!

Unleashing his light-body skill, Ma Gilgang reached his destination. As expected, a carriage.

Without hesitation, he drew his jagged-tooth blade, its edge like a row of saw fangs, and lunged at the driver.

The Second Scoundrel, An Hoseong, and the Third Scoundrel Bae Gilsu aimed for the people inside the carriage instead. What they wanted wasn’t the driver; it was the woman and the child inside.

“Consider yourself unlucky!”

Ma Gilgang brought the jagged blade down at the driver without a shred of hesitation. With this one strike, the driver’s body should be split in two, blood spraying everywhere—

CLANG!

The resounding clang of steel striking a wall of iron.

The counterforce was immense.

He, like a puppet knocked back, tried to use the rebound to escape, but couldn’t.

‘Gotcha.’

“Where do you think you’re going?”

GRAB!

He yanked the jagged blade toward himself, seizing the man by the collar.

Ghk!

With his throat seized, all strength drained from Ma Gilgang’s body. His eyes widened in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. To be overpowered in a single move… by a carriage driver?!

And while it hadn’t been his full strength, the urgency of the moment meant he had still put power into that strike. There weren’t many who could deflect a blow from the jagged blade with a mere punch.

Of those few martial artists in the world, they had to run into one of them, just their luck.

Which meant…

‘…Damn it.’

A master.

Of all times—!

Even recognizing the opponent, he should have considered his own state first.

Flinch.

The indifferent gaze carried the meaning of riffraff.

If a lowly man didn’t know his place, the next step was already decided.

‘Farewell.’

No need to say it aloud.

The message was delivered.

“Wait…! Ugh!”

The “coachman” yanked First Scoundrel Ma Gilgang by the collar and slammed him straight into the ground, crushing the life out of him.

KUAAANG!

It would’ve been nice if he could get back up, but unfortunately, his neck and spine now pointed in different directions.

If he could go back now, he’d be wise to turn away.

Among the Five Scoundrels of Anhui, Ma Gilgang was the strongest. For someone said to have reached the pinnacle, this was a pitiful end.

“…You dare—!”

“Our big brother—!”

The jagged blade had bounced off with a metallic twang at the exact moment Ma Gilgang died. The disaster happened so fast that An Hoseong and Bae Gilsu couldn’t believe their eyes.

They even forgot about taking the woman and child inside the carriage hostage. Truthfully, once Ma Gilgang’s first strike had failed, it was as good as over.

With the death of Murderous Blade, Ma Gilgang, there was little the others could do.

There was Lightning Sword, An Hoseong.

And Hungry Ghost Palm, Bae Gilsu.

Those epithets alone proved their infamy.

Their eyes darted cunningly, calculating. What now?

“Looks like you’ve got plenty of time.”

“Don’t you dare try anything funny!”

“The tricks are your specialty, not mine. Still… you sure about this?”

“That kind of crap— Ugh!”

A chilling cold.

They felt it only an instant before it struck, a bolt of sword energy slashing across their backs.

Graak!

Their spines were split.

That alone was enough to strip them of their will to fight.

When they turned, they saw her, a woman dressed in pristine white martial robes, like a lofty white heron. Her sword was drawn, her figure a picture of serene elegance, even here, in the midst of a slaughter.

“You cowardly—! Graak!”

A head flew through the air.

A true martial artist never strikes from behind. But this woman didn’t care. When she saw an opening, she cut without hesitation.

For the two still reeling from Ma Gilgang’s sudden death, there was no resistance, only an absurd, abrupt end.

Thud… roll, roll…

Two heads tumbled across the ground, still bearing not the awareness of their own deaths, but only the shock and bewilderment at their brother’s demise.

Step… step…

The woman walked forward and stopped before Mujin.

Upon seeing her, Mujin felt a strange sense of familiarity. Give her more years, more weight in her presence…? She would be almost identical to someone he knew. No, not “almost.” Exactly the same.

He wasn’t the type to remember faces well, but hers left a deep impression.

…The Sword Queen?

— It’s her.

Cheon-gyeong answered immediately.

Then it had to be true.

Why so certain?

Because it was Cheon-gyeong who had delivered the final blow to the Heavenly Ice Sword Queen. Even after killing her, she must have been memorable enough for him to remember her face.

The Heavenly Ice Sword Queen, Lee Seojeong.

A suddenly emerged female martial artist hailed as the sovereign among swords, her Ice Heaven Sword Arts were said to rival the greatest of her era, the Sword Emperor, the Sword Saint, and the Sword King.

And yet, even the Sword Queen was not enough to be the Demonic King’s match.

‘Not that the Demonic King was my equal either.’

— She’s special. She’s the woman who forced me to use ten full moves.

‘Funny thing to say about someone you killed.’

— I treated her with the respect due to a martial artist.

‘Sure… otherwise, you’d have just taken her away and made her your plaything.’

Mujin had seen her before.

Back then, she had carried a cold, razor-edged killing aura. the kind that left a deep impression.

It was fitting to call her a lofty ice flower that no one dared to approach.

But beyond that, he knew little.

At the time, Mujin had no fondness for anyone.

His emotions had withered under the weight of guilt for abandoning his family.

‘Not my concern.’

That was where Mujin’s feelings ended.

Whether she was the Sword Queen or not didn’t matter to him.

Only—

‘They didn’t hear anything… right?’

He had blocked all sound from leaving the carriage so that his wife and child wouldn’t know what was happening outside. Still, he doubted his perceptive wife was unaware. She probably knew, and understanding his intent, simply waited quietly. That, he appreciated.

“My name is Lee Seojeong.”

“I am Kang Mujin.”

When Lee Seojeong offered a courteous bow, Mujin returned it with a cupped-fist salute. She was not someone to be underestimated simply because she was a woman. Her swordsmanship was easily worthy of being called a master of the first rank.

Compared to her duel with the Demonic King in the past, her skill had declined somewhat, but even in her younger years, her sword was already formidable.

“You killed the First Scoundrel.”

“That’s right.”

“Such refined power.”

“I don’t go around getting beaten, if that’s what you mean.”

From the wounds left on First Scoundrel’s body, Lee Seojeong could deduce exactly how he had died, and frankly, it surprised her.

First Scoundrel had reached the pinnacle level, unlike the other Scoundrels. Even if he had been careless, to have his neck and spine snapped without so much as lifting a hand in defense… It had been a completely one-sided kill.

Seeing such clean work made her take another good look at him.

‘At most thirty… maybe even younger.’

She had entered the martial world hailed as the next Sword Queen, earning the nickname Young Sword Queen. Few her age could rival her. This was the arrival of a new powerhouse.

And yet, in his gaze, there was not a single shred of emotion.

“If you’re not busy, I’d like to request a spar.”

“I’d prefer to postpone the opportunity. I’m on my way to my wife’s family home with her.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“I am from Songho Sect.”

Though she sounded disappointed, Mujin had no wish to delay his trip over something like this. But if he outright refused, it would turn into an argument, for even back then, the Sword Queen had persistently followed him to request a duel. For her, the desire for the sword and the joy of contest were life itself.

“I understand. Then I’ll see you next time.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“It was a rude request on my part. I’ll be sure to repay you next time.”

“What is a martial artist without a competitive spirit? I understand.”

She, too, didn’t have much time to spare.

The Five Scoundrels of Anhui were guests invited by the demonic sect.

Her goal was demonic sect. If they were gathering people like those Scoundrels, she could only assume their intentions were not good.

She had also acquired information through the Bagger sect and the Hao Sect.

Pah!

A cold wind blew.

She committed Mujin’s face to memory, then used her movement technique.

Her Ice Flash Step, perfected to the pinnacle level, was impressive. In an instant, she vanished from the space entirely.

“Not the type to clean up after herself, I see.”

Mujin muttered as he lifted the scattered bodies around him with a wave of his hand.

Then, he unleashed “Threefold True Flame”.

Whoooosh!

A fierce blaze engulfed the corpses, cremating them in moments. All traces left behind were neatly erased. The world was harsh; it was better to leave as few traces as possible.

— And you?

‘You’re getting mouthy lately. Want me to lock you away again?’

— How petty.

‘Then act like the Demonic King you are.’

The Demonic King’s jab wasn’t entirely wrong. Back when he had been the War King, he’d only reveled in fighting, never once cleaning up afterward.

There had always been one to make the mess, and others to clean it up.

---The End Of The Chapter---

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