The Duel Challenge
“Been well in the meantime?”
A group of men stood in the courtyard, wearing thin, sneering smiles.
So Yeomgyo’s brow furrowed as she snapped sharply at the maid beside her.
“These days, even if it’s only an outer guest house where visitors stay, does the Emei Sect just let outsiders waltz into the quarters as they please?!”
The maid looked ready to burst into tears.
“I-I’m so sorry. Their identities were thoroughly verified, and with the sect leader and the other high elders all away…”
At that moment Gwak Ilsan of the Jongnam Sect twisted his goat beard and sneered.
“Quit taking it out on some random maid, will you? Showing your lowborn roots?”
“…!”
Baekho lunged forward.
So Yeomgyo seized his shoulder and yanked him back.
Baekho went flying and crashed to the ground.
“Puhahaha! What the hell was that? Did you hire a new clown or something?”
The Jongnam contingent clapped and roared with laughter.
Baekho lay sprawled on his back in a cloud of dust, staring up at the sky.
The shoulder So Yeomgyo had grabbed was torn right through the fabric of his clothes.
Dust billowed upward in thick puffs.
Under the clear blue autumn sky, white clouds drifted slowly past.
Baekho murmured quietly.
“…Thank you, Lady So Yeomgyo.”
So Yeomgyo looked at the Jongnam group as if nothing had happened.
“I figured you’d do something like that. We’ve been together for years, haven’t we?”
“Indeed we have.”
-Ting.
Baekho flicked the half-drawn throwing knife back into his sleeve with a single finger.
[Impressive. To think that even in this era there exists an assassin who has reached the stage of Shadowless—Muyeong—not leaking even a shred of killing intent while standing before the man who murdered his parents.]
Mumyeong added with genuine admiration.
[That second-generation disciple of Jongnam has no idea he just brushed the doorknob of death.]
Only then did I understand what had just occurred.
Baekho had truly intended to tear Gwak Ilsan’s throat out in response to the provocation.
If there had been any killing intent, Gwak Ilsan would have sensed something was wrong.
But Baekho had accelerated from a standing position and drawn his blade in a single seamless motion without releasing even a wisp of murderous aura.
Moreover, before the action could fully unfold, So Yeomgyo had read two moves ahead, seized his shoulder, and yanked him back. Thanks to that, Gwak Ilsan and his lackeys had no idea what had nearly happened and simply kept laughing.
“I apologize for acting on my own. My hearing is too good—I hear things I’d rather not far too clearly.”
Baekho dusted off his rear and stood.
So Yeomgyo said,
“Of course. You’re the one with the best ears in our entire sect, so I understand. But if this gets noisy it becomes a matter between sects. Endure it.”
“My thinking was shortsighted. I apologize.”
Baekho closed his eyes, quietly returned behind So Yeomgyo, clasped his hands behind his back, and bowed his head—as if even one more glance at the Jongnam men might send him charging again.
“What, were you about to jump us? Then you got scared and hid behind Mommy? Wahahaha!”
Gwak Ilsan was now clutching his belly and laughing.
The vulgarity of it was pure ruffian.
It pissed me off.
I was about to step forward and say something when a clear, clean voice rang out from behind.
“Senior Brother, that’s enough.”
Gwak Ilsan flinched and cut off his laughter at once.
“We should remember First Senior Brother’s teaching that one must always show magnanimity toward those beneath us.”
“Ah, Junior Brother Gwak Ido!”
Gwak Ilsan’s face lit up with delight.
From behind, a tall man wearing the same green martial robes of the Jongnam Sect as Gwak Ilsan walked out with his hands clasped behind his back.
He offered a polite martial salute.
“I am Gwak Ido, junior disciple to Senior Brother Gwak Ilsan of the Jongnam Sect’s second generation. It is an honor to meet you.”
Black hair fell to his shoulders; elegant phoenix-like brows sat beneath his bangs.
His nose was straight and high, his features refined, his skin flawless without a single blemish.
The fingers forming the salute were long, white, and slender—true jade hands.
With the red autumn maples behind him, he looked like a figure stepped out of a painting.
“I’ve heard the rough outline of the story. That our senior brother owes you a great deal. You must be Lady So Yeomgyo. And you…”
Gwak Ido’s eyes met mine.
“Young Master Biryu, correct?”
“A pleasure.”
I returned a light martial salute.
But Gwak Ido didn’t even glance at it; he immediately turned back to So Yeomgyo with a radiant smile.
“I’ve heard many rumors about the female leader of the Blood Death Sect, but seeing you in person… you are a peerless beauty without equal under heaven. Especially…”
His gaze slid like a snake from her shoulders down to her thighs.
“Your face is one thing, but the line that runs from your waist to your thighs rivals any of the Five Great Beauties of the Central Plains.”
“….”
So Yeomgyo’s shoulders rose as she drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
She stretched her long white neck and looked up at the blue sky.
“This is so irritating I might just kill every last one of them, money be damned. Every dog and cow that calls itself a man starts drooling…”
She muttered so softly that only Baekho and I could hear.
From behind her, Baekho—still with his eyes closed—whispered,
“No need to worry about disposing of the evidence, Sect Leader. If necessary I can lick the floor clean with my tongue.”
It was the first time I had ever seen Baekho offer an opinion so eagerly.
“Thanks for the compliment. But what can I do? Your senior brother and I already had quite the clash. Right now anyone from Jongnam looks pretty ugly to me, so even pure praise doesn’t sound like praise… It just leaves a weirdly foul taste.”
Having successfully reined in her temper, So Yeomgyo lowered her gaze from the sky and answered Gwak Ido in a calm voice once more.
“Your voice is lovely as well.”
Gwak Ido curled the corner of his mouth in a smile that said he found her adorable.
“He’s so… so handsome.”
The maid behind us murmured in a daze.
I saw Baekho squeeze his eyes shut with all his might.
And I—
[Endure it. I told you in advance.]
Mumyeong whispered quickly, reading two moves ahead just as So Yeomgyo had restrained Baekho.
“….”
I quietly shook out the fist that had been clenched tight with the urge to smash the maid’s skull.
This was the first time I had ever felt the desire to beat someone half to death purely out of personal emotion rather than in a life-or-death fight.
Unlike Baekho, a fully mature assassin who had entered the Shadowless stage, I was still an immature disciple of the lower hall of Cheonsubaekryeonsa at best.
It was only natural that killing intent would leak according to the violent currents of emotion.
The problem was that the still-unrefined internal energy inside me amplified that killing intent and forced it out uselessly.
“Oh my. The man beside you? Your subordinate seems quite upset.”
Gwak Ido peeled his sticky gaze from So Yeomgyo and looked at me.
He smiled, showing white teeth.
“What exactly do you intend to do by releasing such aura?”
Then he added,
“A mongrel who doesn’t even belong to the Nine Sects and One Gang, who doesn’t even have a proper sect of origin—”
“You must have come looking for us for a reason, no? Or did you seek us out just to stand in the front courtyard and have tea time?”
So Yeomgyo cut off the flow of conversation at once, glancing at me with open unease.
Gwak Ido put on that oily smile again.
“Of course. At first I came as a junior brother to repay the dishonor done to Senior Brother Gwak Ilsan. But I am grateful for the connection I’ve formed with Lady So Yeomgyo. I’ll be sure to visit you privately soon.”
“Enough. What’s your business?”
Gwak Ido’s pale face twisted slightly, then smoothed back into a smile.
“Young Master Biryu also seems to harbor rather unpleasant feelings toward me. The feeling is mutual.”
He strode toward me with heavy steps.
“Fine.”
Sparks flew from my eyes as well.
“W-wait, Biryu!”
I threw my crutches aside.
Though I had not fully recovered, I gripped my limping leg and stepped forward, dodging So Yeomgyo’s hand as she tried to grab my wrist.
He was a full handspan taller than me.
Gwak Ido looked down at me and chuckled.
“According to Senior Brother Gwak Ilsan, some unknown greenhorn who just crawled into the martial world claimed he single-handedly stopped the Flame Wolf King of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, then used that story to deceive the Guardian and sect leader of Emei and put our senior brother in a difficult position, yes?”
Now I understood the full picture.
Behind him, Gwak Ilsan wore a thoroughly satisfied smile.
“Even a five-year-old child would realize after a moment’s thought that such a heroic tale is complete nonsense. I have no idea what conscience allowed you to spout it. But if those words were true, then another peerless hidden dragon has been born in this martial world. As the man widely regarded as the next Guardian of the Jongnam Sect, I, Gwak Ido, cannot simply stand by.”
Gwak Ido spread his long white fingers and pressed them against my chest.
“I, Gwak Ido of the Jongnam Sect, challenge Young Master Biryu to a duel. I’ll be generous. You may freely choose the date and the place. I’ll come to you. But I warn you—don’t even think of running.”
“Running?”
Gwak Ido tapped the bandages wrapped around my torso and side with his fingertips and whispered,
“I’ve always thoroughly crushed those windbag worms who pretend to be men ever since I was a child. One month should be enough, yes? For that fake injury you claim you got stopping the ‘Flame Wolf King’ to heal. Ah, and of course…”
He lifted his head and looked at So Yeomgyo.
“…?”
She was standing too far away to hear our whispers.
She watched me with an expression of irritation and anxiety, fidgeting restlessly.
Gwak Ido raked her with sticky eyes once more, then looked down at me again.
“I’ll thoroughly trample you right in front of the woman I’ve set my sights on, so make sure you invite her. She needs to see who the real man is before she willingly climbs into my bed—”
-Kwaaaak!
Baekho seized me from behind in a crushing embrace.
-Parrrrrr.
My bloodshot fist stopped trembling in midair right in front of Gwak Ido’s jaw.
“What is this? This filthy ruffian behavior. Kukuk.”
As if he found it amusing, Gwak Ido laughed soundlessly without so much as twitching an eyebrow.
“…Baekho?!”
I cried out in shock, my eyes bloodshot and glowing faintly red before the light faded.
With his eyes still closed, Baekho held me from behind and shouted with all his strength.
“Hear me, Jongnam Sect! The time is one month from now! The place is right here!”
“Oh?”
Gwak Ido’s eyes gleamed.
In a passionate voice, spittle flying, Baekho roared,
“Young Master Biryu accepts the duel challenge of Gwak Ido of the Jongnam Sect!”
It was like a storm.
I did not know him well.
We had never even held a proper conversation.
But I knew for certain that he was normally a man of few words, calm and cold-headed—not someone who flew into rages like me.
That was why I was even more shocked.
He was sweating.
The arms locked around my body were clenched so hard the muscles looked ready to burst.
-Kadeudeudeuk.
Behind my neck I could hear Baekho grinding his teeth as if he meant to shatter them.
He was holding himself back with every ounce of will he possessed.
So Yeomgyo had said Baekho had the best ears in the entire sect.
He had clearly heard every word of that mockery directed at the person he served.
“Young Master Biryu.”
In a growl like a wild beast’s snarl, Baekho whispered,
“I apologize for speaking out of turn. But…! But!”
The fist gripping my body trembled violently.
“No matter how low one has crawled through the gutters, no matter how one lives by drinking filthy blood—there is a line that no one who lives in the martial world can allow to be crossed…!”
No more words were needed.
I clenched my fist.
-Tuk.
I lightly bumped my fist against Baekho’s trembling one.
“You still don’t know me very well, Baekho.”
“Pardon?”
Baekho lifted his head blankly and looked at me.
I turned my gaze to Gwak Ido.
Looking at the man who was smiling and watching us, I spat the words out as if chewing them.
“Exactly one month from now. Right here in this place, I will tear you to shreds.”