Return of the Heavenly Sword

Chapter 32. Talent (3)

Right after Jin Yuseong and Nam Geon left the forge.

A man who appeared to be in his thirties, standing behind, asked the blacksmith.

“Father. Can those people really catch that lecher? The Yangui Sect failed, and honestly, they look too young.”

“They may look young, but there seems to be a possibility.”

“Are you perhaps trusting that large man? He looked physically strong, but I've heard that one needs to be smart to properly learn martial arts.”

The blacksmith shook his head.

“It's not the large man I'm trusting, but the young-looking one.”

“...…Honestly, he didn't seem to be in his right mind.”

The flow of the conversation, as well as his actions and speech, were all subtly off.

At his son’s words, the blacksmith uttered something unexpected.

“Did you see that boy’s eyes?”

“I didn’t look at his eyes closely.”

As his son tilted his head and replied, the blacksmith opened his mouth.

“A hellfire was blazing in them.”

The blacksmith hadn’t noticed it from the beginning either.

He too had a similar impression as his son at first. He just thought the boy was strange.

However, when the boy first asked about the evil sects, he realized something was different.

And when he told the boy about the lecher.

The blacksmith, whose eyes met the boy's, felt goosebumps rise on his forearms without realizing it.

An unidentifiable eeriness.

Having devoted his entire life to working with iron, the blacksmith had inevitably encountered various people of the Jianghu.

However, he had never felt such an eeriness before.

While the blacksmith was recalling that moment, his son asked with a look of incomprehension.

“Hellfire… you say?”

“Yes. And a person with such eyes is one of two things. They either die young, or they change the world.”

“Father, do you think that boy will become such a great figure?”

At his son's reaction, which showed a complete lack of empathy, the blacksmith lightly clicked his tongue and said.

“How would I know that? However, remember this one thing. There is a saying in the Jianghu to be wary of the elderly, women, and children. You will often get entangled in the affairs of the Jianghu while working with iron, so you must never forget it.”

“Yes, Father.”

The blacksmith, who had been looking at his still inexperienced son with a complex gaze, soon turned his head and said.

“Work the bellows more. To turn that large hammer into a sword, this level of firepower is not enough.”

***

By the time the sky was slowly being dyed in crimson hues.

Nam Geon and I arrived at the back mountain the blacksmith had spoken of.

We searched for traces based on the information we had heard from the blacksmith and the villagers, traversing the back mountain for a short while.

A sigh escaped me on its own.

“Haa. I had a feeling it would be like this.”

“Why, Big Brother?”

Before I could answer Nam Geon’s question, four men holding spears appeared, pushing through the bushes.

At a glance, the characters for ‘Yangui’ were written on their martial arts uniforms.

They seemed to be the people from the Yangui Sect that the blacksmith had mentioned.

“Where did you bastards come from?”

“Senior Brother. Those guys might be related to that lecher.”

The men aimed their spears at us, exchanging words with eyes full of suspicion.

My brow furrowed on its own.

It wasn't just because they were treating me as the same kind of trash as a lecher.

“Haa. You guys are really something else. You there, get your foot off there immediately.”

When I pointed at one of them and spoke, their expressions crumpled.

“Who do you think you are to order us around!”

“You bastard. You seem suspicious.”

The men spouted nonsense and approached us with their spears aimed.

I, too, willingly drew my sword.

At that, Nam Geon, who was beside me, asked with a surprised face.

“Bi-big brother. Are you g-going to kill everyone again?”

Before I could answer Nam Geon’s question, the men flew into a fit.

“Kill? Us?”

“You bastards! You intend to kill us to silence us and erase the evidence!”

“Senior Brother! It seems those bastards aren’t the lecher’s companions, but the lecher himself!”

The men, now completely convinced I was the lecher, threw themselves at us, each thrusting their spear.

Clang! Clang!

Two metallic sounds rang out in succession.

“What!?”

“A-armor?”

The sound was created as the spearheads clashed against Nam Geon's body.

While Nam Geon foolishly just took the attacks of two of them.

Pat.

I used my footwork to evade two spears and closed in on the man who had come closest.

I didn't swing my sword.

Tuk.

Instead, I thrust out my fingers and pressed several of the man’s paralysis points to subdue him.

Immediately after, another spear flew at me from my side.

Clang!

I swung my sword to meet it and deflected it, then closed in on that man and thrust my fingers.

“Keuk.”

While the man, subdued by the pressure on his paralysis points, fell to the ground and let out a faint groan, I turned my head to see a strange sight.

Nam Geon, who had grasped two spearheads with his bare hands, had a troubled expression.

“G-give it back!!”

“You bastard! A-are you mocking us!”

The two martial artists from the Yangui Sect, who were in a tug-of-war with the spear shafts, had their faces flushed red.

My eyes met with Nam Geon, who was in a tug-of-war over the spear shafts with the two men.

“Bi-big brother. Help me. N-no! If Bi-big brother helps, these Big brothers will die.”

“Haa.”

I let out a sigh and rushed at the remaining two men.

“Eek!”

The two men, who had finally given up on their spears, hastily threw punches at me, but there was no way I would be defeated by spearmen without their spears.

Tuk.

After I subdued the remaining two by pressing their paralysis points and knocked them down, Nam Geon had a surprised look on his face.

“Big Brother has become nice! You're not killing people!”

Just what did this guy think of me?

Of course, I had killed all the evil sect bastards from the Five Sword Sect and the Steel Sinew Sect in front of him, and on the way to Huaihua, I had also slaughtered an entire evil sect force, but this was a completely different matter.

“I don't kill unless they are trash like evil sects, bandits, or lechers.”

“Th-then you’re not going to kill these Big brothers?”

“That’s right. As long as these guys aren’t in league with that lecher.”

From the stories I heard from the blacksmith and the villagers, these guys were not from an evil sect or trash.

That's why I had spared them for now. While my temper flared, I exercised extreme patience.

Just then, I felt the bushes rustle again, and three people popped out.

At that, the men who were lying on the ground, their paralysis points subdued, shouted towards the middle-aged man in the center.

“S-Sect Leader!”

“It-it’s them. Th-those guys are the lecher!”

At his disciples' shouts, the Yangui Sect Leader scanned the surroundings and let out a deep sigh.

Then, looking at us, he asked.

“I am Gwak Yun, the leader of the Yangui Sect. I am grateful that you showed mercy, but why have you come to this mountain at a time like this? Could you please explain? Young brothers.”

Unlike his disciples, the Sect Leader did not immediately suspect us. However, it was clear that he was suppressing his anger somehow.

Well, considering two of his disciples had died while chasing that lecher, it was amazing he was holding back his anger at all.

Since the other party had asked politely, I also answered with the utmost patience.

“We came to catch the lecher.”

“Then why did you attack our disciples?”

As the conversation seemed to be dragging on again, my patience was slowly reaching its limit.

“Because you people keep interfering with the tracking!”

As I suddenly shouted, the Yangui Sect Leader made a flustered expression. Before he could say anything, I pointed somewhere with my finger.

To the place where I had told one of the men to move his foot a moment ago.

“That grass over there! The one that guy was stepping on has a dark red spot! It looks like dirt, but it’s dried blood! Not only that! You've covered the tracks everywhere, so are you chasing the lecher or helping him!”

As I tried to suppress my anger, my voice naturally grew louder.

For a moment, silence fell upon the area.

Soon after, the disciple I had pointed out, his face flushed red, argued back.

“I-it’s a false accusation! We don't even know if th-that blood is a trace left by that lecher, and it could be dirt I got on my feet when I stepped there just now……”

At that retort, which unnecessarily prolonged the conversation, I glared at the man with killing intent without realizing it.

“…….”

The man who had been chattering away hurriedly shut his mouth as our eyes met and subtly averted his gaze.

The Yangui Sect Leader, after a quick glance at the surrounding disciples, squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them before asking.

“So, you’re saying that we are only getting in the way of chasing the lecher?”

“That’s right.”

Martial arts and tracking skills were two different things. There were those who were proficient in both, but among the so-called righteous factions who valued fair and square duels, many neglected tracking skills.

It seemed the Yangui Sect was no different.

The Yangui Sect Leader, who seemed to be pondering something, sighed and said.

“I understand our mistake. However, that bastard not only kidnapped and murdered the village girls but also killed our Yangui Sect disciples. I cannot yield when it comes to taking revenge on him. Also, I acknowledge that your tracking skills are excellent, young brother, but if I trust you and you end up being killed by the lecher, then we might never be able to catch him, isn't that so?”

Although he sighed, the Yangui Sect Leader's expression was firm.

I too let out a deep sigh and said.

“Then let's settle it with a simple duel. The loser will back down.”

And before hearing the opponent's reply, I spoke to Nam Geon.

“Nam Geon.”

“Uh, uh-huh, Big Brother.”

“You subdue him. I think I might kill him if I step up.”

These people were acting with good intentions. The only problem was that their good intentions were hindering the work.

Killing such people was not my way.

However, the thought that we might lose the lecher because of this kept making my anger soar.

Perhaps he sensed the sincerity in my words.

“O-okay.”

Nam Geon promptly stepped forward this time.

The Yangui Sect Leader, with a deeply creased expression, also stepped forward.

“Somehow, you are becoming more and more arrogant, young brother.”

The Yangui Sect Leader's gaze shifted from me to his dueling opponent, Nam Geon.

“Still, as I seem to be the senior, I shall yield the first move.”

Nam Geon discreetly turned his head and looked at me.

“Finish it quickly. While we're doing this, who knows what that lecher is up to.”

The tracks in this area were all messed up because of these guys anyway.

I had already identified the remaining tracks, so it didn't matter much if they were messed up further. It was just a matter of the time being dragged on.

“O-okay.”

Nam Geon nodded and charged straight at the Yangui Sect Leader.

Thud!

Nam Geon's right fist, extended with a powerful step, tore through the air.

The Yangui Sect Leader, who had easily dodged the blow, shouted with a confident attitude and swung the shaft of his spear towards Nam Geon's side.

“Full of openings!”

It seemed he was attacking with the shaft instead of the spearhead because it was a duel, but it was truly a meaningless consideration.

Clang!

A metallic sound rang out as the spear shaft and Nam Geon's side collided.

“!?”

The Yangui Sect Leader's expression was clearly flustered. A shout came from behind.

“H-he’s wearing armor, Sect Leader!”

It seemed the disciples' eyes were just for show.

The Yangui Sect Leader, who had barely managed to dodge Nam Geon's subsequent attack amidst his confusion, seemed to have collected himself as he began to thrust his spearhead at Nam Geon.

Clang!!

However, it was still ineffective.

Nam Geon, disregarding defense, relentlessly swung his brutally strong fists and feet. The Yangui Sect Leader, after barely dodging a few times, found his escape route blocked and hastily blocked the fist with his spear shaft.

And then, the Yangui Sect Leader's spear snapped right in half.

Crack!

“Keuk……”

He even seemed to have suffered internal injuries, as the Yangui Sect Leader, who had taken a step back, let out a choked groan.

“Stop.”

At my shout, Nam Geon let out a sigh of relief and said.

“I-I succeeded in controlling my strength this time. Pr-praise me, Big Brother.”

“...…Yes. Well done.”

After giving Nam Geon some appropriate words of praise, I spoke to the dumbfounded Yangui Sect Leader.

“As you can see, we are superior in martial arts, and we are superior in tracking. Therefore, leave the lecher to us. Instead, while we are chasing him, he might visit the village again, so please protect the residents there. Wasn't that what the Yangui Sect was originally doing?”

The Yangui Sect Leader, who had been looking down at his snapped spear, soon lifted his head with a complicated expression.

“...…I will do so.”

The Yangui Sect Leader turned and walked away with his disciples, his steps somewhat drained of energy.

I felt a little sorry, but right now, chasing the lecher was the priority.

As I was thinking about the lecher, something suddenly came to mind, and I asked the departing Yangui Sect Leader.

“Sect Leader! Was there anything peculiar about the bodies of the victims? Like traces of martial arts.”

At my question, the Yangui Sect Leader stopped and looked back.

He seemed to ponder for a moment, then sighed and answered.

“The two girls were dried up like mummies. And on the bodies of my disciples……”

The Yangui Sect Leader, trailing off, furrowed his brow and then spoke again.

“There were black handprints. On the neck and near the heart, respectively. At first, I thought they might be bruises, but they looked a bit darker than bruises.”

As soon as I heard the Yangui Sect Leader's explanation, a martial art came to mind.

“Dark Mark Fourteen Palms?”

At my mutter, the Yangui Sect Leader asked with a surprised expression.

“What is that? Do you perhaps know the martial art that lecher has learned?”

I did know it.

But, it didn't make sense.

Because that bastard was supposed to start his lecherous activities decades from now.