With Sorcery Against Sorcery (7)
Namgung Jin's gaze shifted back and forth between Seo Baek and Eon Ja-seong's head.
His eyes held the disbelief of someone who'd just seen a ghost.
Eon Ja-seong had been mounted on his horse just moments ago, only for his form to blur and fade, replaced by a boy not even in his twenties.
What in the world had just happened?
Seo Baek pointed at Eon Ja-seong's neck with his index finger.
"It's only valuable when it's attached to the shoulders. Once it's severed from the body, it's utterly useless, wouldn't you say?"
"……!"
Namgung Jin flinched at Seo Baek's words but quickly regained his composure and asked, "What happened to the others besides Eon Ja-seong?"
"Are you asking because you don't know? They're all dead."
Seo Baek turned his head, signaling with his eyes.
The three men, who until moments ago had been gasping for breath with grievous wounds—not even able to speak—now stared at Namgung Jin with clear, unharmed eyes.
Then Ak Gwanbi, Paeng Jagol, and Moyong Hwa-jeong untied the bundles strapped to their saddles, just like Seo Baek.
The severed heads of Ak Gwanbi, Paeng Jagol, and Moyong Hwa-jeong thudded to the ground.
"……!"
As Namgung Jin gaped in shock, his companions peeled talismans from their chests one by one.
The same phenomenon repeated itself.
The Five Families Alliance experts shimmered before his eyes, transforming into complete strangers from the martial world.
Ak Gwanbi became a tall, gaunt man.
Paeng Jagol turned into a bearded, fleshy middle-aged warrior.
Moyong Hwa-jeong became a woman in a black hood and robe, her eyes haughty and proud.
Only Wang Il and Wang Yi, the hostages they'd brought along, remained unchanged.
"Tsk. A renowned figure from the prestigious Namgung family, and here you are without even bothering to train your martial arts properly. What have you been doing all this time?"
"Not just internal arts—your external arts must be lacking too."
Wang Yi Sam threw in his two cents, and Song Hyeon chimed in agreement.
"No, wait—this guy's supposed to be Namgung Bonghwa or something? And his skills are subpar?"
"His nickname probably came from his pretty-boy looks, not his prowess. Even his dead little sister would've spotted the sorcery. If she'd been alive, that is."
"That face is supposed to be handsome? Pfft, he looks like a gigolo to me."
Wang Yi Sam critiqued Namgung Jin's features while stretching lazily.
"Anyway, being able to talk again feels great!"
"For you, Senior Wang, the best torture is gagging you."
"Kid, you're getting too sharp-tongued for your age."
"The sharper you use it, the better it gets—like a three-inch tongue."
Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam bantered warmly, as if picking up right where they'd left off.
Namgung Jin could scarcely believe his ears as he listened to the group.
Not only had their appearances suddenly changed, but they were casually critiquing his face and cracking jokes like it was nothing...
"An object's value depends on how it's treated. Their heads held worth not just to them, but to their master as well."
"Exactly. We needed those heads to perfect the sorcery."
This time, Joo Eun-ri joined in.
For Joo Eun-ri's sorcery to work, she had to study the target's facial features meticulously.
If she couldn't get a good look at the face, flaws would creep into the illusion.
The guards they'd encountered sneaking into the fortress earlier had passed right by Seo Baek and Joo Eun-ri, talismans affixed. The talismans hadn't been perfect then, but in the torchlit darkness, no one had noticed.
Fooling Namgung Jin up close, however, demanded perfection.
Seo Baek's decisive move had been to sever Eon Ja-seong and Moyong Hwa-jeong's heads and take them along.
When the guards rushed in, Seo Baek and Joo Eun-ri had beheaded them and fled.
By the time they met Song Hyeon, he too had Paeng Jagol's head in tow.
It wasn't premeditated, but Seo Baek and Song Hyeon had improvised by using Joo Eun-ri's sorcery to impersonate the alliance experts.
A plan made possible because they could predict each other's thoughts and actions.
Seo Baek looked at Namgung Jin.
"We planned to scatter Thunderbolt Bomb powder in the warehouse and time the fire starter to ignite it all. But thanks to your fortress demolition plan, we didn't need to."
"……."
Seo Baek's group had already overheard Namgung Jin's entire scheme, so they knew the full story.
Especially when he'd enthusiastically detailed blowing up the fortress he'd built himself—Wang Yi Sam had barely stifled his laughter.
"There's a saying in the martial world."
"What is it?"
"With martial arts against martial arts. With sorcery against sorcery."
Song Hyeon answered Seo Baek's question.
"Our junior wouldn't lose a battle of wits to a pretty-boy gigolo like you!"
Wang Yi Sam's jest stabbed at Namgung Jin's heart.
The truth hurt.
He'd been utterly duped by the sorcery of a boy not yet twenty.
Seo Baek dismounted and said, "You're next. Time to take your head."
"...No need for sorcery now, right?"
Namgung Jin tried a desperate, twisted logic, but it fell flat.
"There's another reason. We need to check if you're a revenant."
"……!"
"As you know, revenants excel at hiding among people."
Swish. Seo Baek drew his sword from his back.
"If a prestigious figure from the Namgung family—who sways the Central Plains martial world—turned out to be a revenant, that'd be a scandal. Your reputation would plummet."
"Ridiculous..."
But then Namgung Jin noticed Song Hyeon, Wang Yi Sam, and Joo Eun-ri staying mounted, not dismounting.
Sure enough, they seemed content to leave it to Seo Baek.
"Let the junior finish it."
"Understood."
As the boy not yet twenty approached alone, Namgung Jin inwardly cheered.
'I know he's a prodigy beyond his years, but this is your mistake.'
In the martial world, when a group faced a single foe, the weakest among them stepped up first to preserve pride.
The stubborn code of the righteous sects.
Namgung Jin, who prized his pride above all, now chose pragmatism with his life on the line.
'Slaughter the brat, throw them into disarray, and escape.'
Shing. Namgung Jin drew his sword.
"Kid, how old are you? Don't resent me when you die young."
"A hundred and nineteen. One year shy of my yi gapja."
"What...?"
Namgung Jin faltered, swallowing his words.
A hundred and nineteen? On the verge of his yi gapja cycle, yet looking like a boy not twenty? Was this kid a transcendent master who'd reversed his aging?
But in the next instant, a cold smirk curled Seo Baek's lips.
Namgung Jin realized he'd been mocked with a lie.
"You little brat...!"
Seo Baek and Namgung Jin charged, swords raised.
Seo Baek pulled both arms back behind his shoulders—a stance preparing a massive greatsword swing.
Given the blade's size and arc, one strike would shatter bones, not merely slice.
But such a grand motion had flaws.
Namgung Jin knew that well.
'His external arts must be strong to wield that greatsword, but he's dumb as a rock!'
Namgung Jin stepped aside with footwork, evading the sword path.
He'd failed to spot Joo Eun-ri's sorcery that even Ak Gwanbi and Paeng Jagol had noticed.
Surprisingly, his footwork and lightness skill were quite adept.
Internal arts demanded relentless training and patience, as results weren't immediate.
Patience, however, was Namgung Jin's greatest flaw.
He only practiced arts with quick, visible gains. His skills looked flashy but lacked depth.
He rationalized it as "practical combat arts."
Still, his swordsmanship and footwork had shone when the Namgung family crushed minor sects and gangs.
Whoosh. Namgung Jin's sword thrust at Seo Baek's heart.
Exploiting the wide arc of the greatsword.
'Die!'
But he changed his mind in an instant.
'No—can't kill him.'
Killing the boy would unite them in revenge.
A severe wound, however, would distract them with saving him—creating an escape window.
Namgung Jin angled his thrust to miss the heart but pierce the chest deeply.
The blade impaled the boy's chest mercilessly.
Namgung Jin smirked in triumph.
'Got you, you punk!'
But the sound in his ears was off.
Crack.
'......?'
A thrust through flesh should make a squelch...
His sword was specially honed for piercing, suited to his weak internal arts—aiming for vitals while avoiding bones.
Yet this was neither bone-clashing nor flesh-rending, but a bone-shattering crunch?
As Namgung Jin puzzled, the sound continued.
Crack. Cr-cr-crunch.
Looking again, the blade hadn't pierced the heart—it had slipped between arm and ribs.
Then that sound was...?
Glancing down instinctively, Namgung Jin recoiled in horror.
Seo Baek had smashed his chest with the sword hilt, splintering every rib.
Then came Seo Baek's icy voice.
"With sorcery against sorcery."
Only then did Namgung Jin realize.
The boy's sword path had been a feint.
'Impossible...!'
In strategy and martial arts alike, feint and reality were key.
Mixing feints into real strikes to distract and conceal intent was basic fundamentals, hardly needing a "sorcery" label.
All because he'd underestimated the boy as naive!
"I figured you'd block such an obvious feint. Shame—I wanted to show you Shika Sword Technique if you did."
"……!"
Hoisted by his own petard.
Namgung Jin couldn't tell if the agony of his shattered chest or the humiliation from this boy hurt more.
Thud. With his chest bones utterly crushed, he collapsed to his knees like a marionette with cut strings.
His internal arts were the weakest among the alliance experts, but his swordplay had been decent.
Yet he'd failed to last even one exchange against Seo Baek, defeated pathetically.
But kneeling there, Namgung Jin was shocked anew. The boy's three companions watched motionless from horseback.
Only possible because they utterly trusted the boy's skills.
"M-Master..."
"Master? You're a third-rater."
"N-No, I meant..."
"Still talking after such wounds? Definitely a revenant. Time to confirm."
As Seo Baek advanced with sword raised, Namgung Jin cried out in panic.
"Wait! Spare me, and I'll give you a quarter of the Namgung fortune. Please!"
Seo Baek halted, and Namgung Jin smirked inwardly.
But the smile vanished in the next breath.
He realized Seo Baek had only stopped because he was now within beheading range.
"Wait! Half the fortune! Refuse, and you're the world's fool..."
Whoosh. Whirl.
Before he finished, a gale whipped up, and his head soared into the air.
"Ah, damn."
Seo Baek furrowed his brow.
"Missed a chance at a fortune. Guess I am the world's fool. Right, Senior Wang?"