As Befits the Unorthodox

It had been a kind of test.

If Seo Joo-cheon endorsed the plan, Jeong Geum-sik would take him for a man worth conspiring with. Nothing was more foolish than an Unorthodox martial artist who brandished chivalry to no purpose—that was a temperament practically begging for a knife in the back.

And yet the Shaanxi Four Fiends had survived this long as Unorthodox martial artists, which meant they were not fools who lived on righteousness alone. They seemed like the sort of men one could plot with, and even here, Jeong Geum-sik found a smile rising unbidden.

I'll watch a little longer. From where I sit, they still look like greenhorns with nothing but chivalry to their names.

As they went up to Soyo Martial Arts Hall, Jang Hyeon-nam and Sang Ryo came to meet them.

"Did you learn anything?"

"He confessed to every crime he's committed."

"Then he'll never walk out of a prison cell alive."

Jang Hyeon-nam glanced at Pyo Seon and nodded.

Just then, government troops approached.

"Hand the criminal over to us."

Jeong Geum-sik found the soldiers' perfectly timed arrival suspicious.

"The incident only just occurred. How did you know to come?"

"We came on someone's report."

The officer hesitated a moment before answering.

"The chief of the Xi'an Escort Agency, perhaps?"

Watching the officer's face go visibly pale, Jeong Geum-sik smiled.

So that's it. We were poking around the inn looking for Pyo Seon, and he caught wind of it and tipped off the yamen in advance.

A government office in a village this small would be well within the Xi'an Escort Agency's pocket.

"W-what are you talking about? We came because we heard about the incident here."

"Very well. Take the criminal."

When Jeong Geum-sik offered no resistance and simply handed Pyo Seon over, the officer looked even more flustered.

"Th-thank you. And considering the merit of capturing the criminal, the main office will commend you."

The mention of a commendation drew a snort of laughter. It was obvious they were trying to wrap this up quietly because Jeong Geum-sik and Seo Joo-cheon were martial artists.

Watching the scene, Jang Hong looked visibly relieved.

"The criminal has been possessed by demonic qi. There's no telling when his madness might erupt again. You'd do well to be extremely careful."

At Jeong Geum-sik's warning, the officer shouted,

"Bind him tighter!"

He was already bound, but the warning had clearly frightened them. The soldiers approached Pyo Seon with extra rope, intending to lash his arms and body together—and in that instant, Jeong Geum-sik let out a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠low whistle.

Seo Joo-cheon, standing beside him, heard it, but to everyone else it was no louder than a birdcall.

The moment the sound reached him, Pyo Seon's eyes changed. He snatched the saber from the nearest soldier's waist and spun. The soldier's waist was sheared in two, and he collapsed. The others clustered around him cried out.

"What the—!"

"That bastard! Seize him!"

Pyo Seon reversed his grip on the saber and slid the blade toward his own belly, meaning to cut the ropes. The bindings parted with a wet snap, and he was free. Even as the soldiers closed around him, he paid them no mind and launched himself at Jang Hong.

"Stop him!"

Jang Sun threw himself in the way, but Pyo Seon's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠single stroke shattered his sword and slashed across his chest.

"Guh!"

As Pyo Seon broke free and came at her, Jang Hong shot Jeong Geum-sik and Seo Joo-cheon a venomous glare. She did not believe for a moment that this was an accident.

Pyo Seon closed on her again, and this time Jang Hyeon-nam stepped into his path.

"You villain! Halt!"

Jang Hyeon-nam, true to his protagonist nature, had an irrepressible need to stick his nose in. Jeong Geum-sik and Seo Joo-cheon realized they had failed to account for him. He was not the sort of man to stand idle in a situation like this.

Ah, we're finished!

Seo Joo-cheon groaned and looked at Jeong Geum-sik. The smile on the other man's face sent a chill down his spine. A moment later, another low whistle slipped from Jeong Geum-sik's lips.

Watching Pyo Seon's demonic qi surge at the sound, Seo Joo-cheon swallowed a groan.

He already had this situation in mind. He laid a Soul-Captivating Technique on him beforehand to amplify the demonic qi even further.

A response worthy of one of the Three Great Eccentrics.

Compared to him, I'm still hopelessly green.

The superiority he had felt as the author of this world evaporated in an instant. He may have created it, but as a living Unorthodox martial artist, his instincts were still woefully lacking.

Pyo Seon swung his saber. The demonic qi fused with the spiritual elixir energy saturating his body was too formidable to take lightly. Even after colliding with Jang Hyeon-nam's sword in a ringing clash, he only took a single step back—then sprang at him again.

Jang Hyeon-nam, having gained insight of his own, was no easy opponent. Jeong Geum-sik marveled at the young man who remained unshaken even under the collision of Pyo Seon's exploding demonic qi.

"Oh! He's better than I thought!"

Pyo Seon was already dumping every ounce of his inner energy and spiritual elixir at once, making him extremely difficult to subdue. By inner energy alone, it was no exaggeration to say he was approaching Peak. That Jang Hyeon-nam could withstand that pressure was impressive.

"Seize him!"

At the officer's shout, soldiers thrust their spears in from behind. Pyo Seon twisted his upper body and swept his saber, shearing through the spear shafts, then snatched up a broken spear and hurled it at the officer. With a casual flick, the spear flew and punched straight through the man's chest.

"Gahk!"

The officer's mouth fell open in a sound like a belch, then his body went rigid and he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠toppled over backward. With their officer down, the soldiers no longer dared to charge Pyo Seon and fell back.

In that moment, Seo Joo-cheon attempted a Character Search on Jang Hong.

There's nothing else. She really is Jang Sun's daughter.

He had wondered whether someone else might be disguised as Jang Hong. He could not understand how she could have killed her senior disciple and reduced Pyo Seon to this state.

She's not a character I created, so of course I don't know her nature.

Assuming Jang Sun's daughter would have a kind disposition had been a mistake.

Jang Hyeon-nam evaded Pyo Seon's saber and brought his sword down with the force of a single stroke that could split a man in two. That one technique revealed how far his insight had reached—a fast, heavy cut. After fighting Bulsama, his realm had clearly risen by a stage.

A wet slash. Pyo Seon passed Jang Hyeon-nam, and Pyo Seon's left arm dropped in front of him with a dull thud. He had sacrificed the arm to get past.

As Pyo Seon's saber stretched toward Jang Hong, Jang Hyeon-nam spun and cut horizontally. Pyo Seon had already gone by him, and the blade could not reach. The gap between sword and target was nearly a handspan—too far to cut.

Then a blue aura surged from Jang Hyeon-nam's sword.

"Sword qi?"

Jeong Geum-sik muttered in astonishment. He had sensed Jang Hyeon-nam's presence and known the young man was exceptional, but he had never imagined he possessed inner energy approaching First-Rate. Jang Hyeon-nam was that young. And even if his inner energy were at a First-Rate level, that did not mean his martial arts were. Sword qi could only emerge when martial arts and inner energy were in balance.

"He's truly outstanding."

Sang Ryo followed this young Jang Hyeon-nam, and Jeong Geum-sik had assumed it was for the money. He had looked down on Sang Ryo a little for it. Turns out that was not the case at all.

Pyo Seon's upper and lower body separated, and he collapsed to the floor. Seo Joo-cheon sighed.

"Hero Jeong, your plan has come to nothing. We failed to kill Jang Hong."

Jang Hyeon-nam had rendered both their plans void.

"Has it? You underestimate me far too much."

Jeong Geum-sik went on.

"Demonic qi isn't an energy that ends that simply. That's what makes it so terrifying."

The moment Pyo Seon's abdomen was severed by sword qi and his upper body hit the floor, a hush fell. Pyo Seon convulsed and raised his right hand, as if trying to say something. Jang Hong took a step forward.

A flash of light lit the eyes of the man who seemed to be reaching for her. The instant Jang Hong sensed something ominous and tried to draw back, Pyo Seon's outstretched right hand swelled—then exploded like a bursting watermelon.

A series of wet, hammering impacts. Jang Hong staggered backward.

"You—son of a—"

The finger bones that had burst from the exploding hand were packed densely into Jang Hong's chest. Fresh blood streamed from her mouth.

"Hong!"

Jang Sun rushed forward in shock and caught the collapsing Jang Hong, but her soul had already left her body. A small bronze mirror slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.

"Ah, this is my fault!"

As Jang Hong died, Jang Hyeon-nam lamented and blamed himself.

"I should have cut his throat with sword ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠qi from the start. Because of my paltry compassion, an innocent woman is dead. I'm still far from ready. So far."

Looking at Seo Joo-cheon, who stared at him from a distance with vacant eyes, Jang Hyeon-nam muttered,

"How stupid I must look to him. I've ruined my sworn brother's efforts."

Sang Ryo soothed the young man who was reproaching himself so harshly.

"This is something no one could have anticipated. Young Master Jang, you need not take it so hard."

Sang Ryo did not believe Pyo Seon's sudden rampage of madness was merely a symptom of demonic qi. He looked at Seo Joo-cheon and thought,

Hero Po isn't the type to let something like this happen. I know how meticulous he is.

Having fought Bulsama alongside him, Sang Ryo had a grasp of his character.

And that man just stood by while Pyo Seon drowned in demonic qi?

Sang Ryo shook his head.

"Young Master Jang, there is surely some story behind this. Now is not the time to blame yourself."

Worried, Seo Joo-cheon approached Jang Hyeon-nam.

"Young Hero Jang, this is not your fault. It is ours. We underestimated that man's demonic qi."

"No. If I—if I had been a little more ruthless, I could have saved Lady Jang. No—before that, I could have saved the soldiers."

Seo Joo-cheon gripped the shoulders of the downcast Jang Hyeon-nam.

"Little brother. Look at me."

Jang Hyeon-nam looked up at being called little brother. Until now Seo Joo-cheon had called him Young Hero Jang. This was the first time he had called him little brother.

"I hope you won't think that because the outcome was tragic, the compassion you hold is wrong. You made the right decision. The result was simply bad. The fault lies with this foolish older brother of yours. If I had been more careful, this would never have happened."

Only then did Jang Hyeon-nam calm down. Sang Ryo cast Seo Joo-cheon a grateful look.

"This junior will grow stronger. Strong enough to subdue even those lost to demonic qi in a single stroke."

That Jang Hyeon-nam would, in a situation like this, whip himself onward and vow to improve his skill was admirable. This was precisely the temperament a hero ought to possess.

"That's the way. This foolish older brother believes you will become a worthy younger brother who would not yield even to a peerless demonic master."

"Thank you. For believing in this foolish younger brother."

Seo Joo-cheon smiled faintly.

Jang Hyeon-nam's face crumpled with emotion, his eyes blinking rapidly. He looked ready to weep on the spot.

"Compose yourself for now. There's nothing more we can do. Best to leave this place to the authorities."

"I understand, Hyung-nim."

"Hero Sang, please look after my little brother."

"Don't worry."

Sang Ryo answered with a grateful look.

The matter here is settled, for now.

The incident at Soyo Martial Arts Hall had drained Seo Joo-cheon mentally. The reversals and the shock had taken a heavy toll.

Without thinking, he picked up Jang Hong's bronze mirror from the floor. Looking down, he saw his own face reflected in the small mirror in his hand. Then a thought struck him.

If I use Character Search on my own face, would a history come up? What would it say?

Until now he had only ever searched others. It had never even occurred to him to search himself. Curiosity mixed with a thread of fear.

He was just about to use Character Search when Jeong Geum-sik approached.

"What's with the bronze mirror?"

Seo Joo-cheon started.

"It belonged to Jang Hong."

Jeong Geum-sik replied indifferently.

"An object like that is ill-omened. Throw it away. Our plan worked perfectly—we've eliminated any future trouble. Taking out Pyo Seon and Jang Hong at the same time is practically an act of chivalry. So don't let it weigh on you, Hero<|eos|>