Collision Before the Sun Sets
The clash unfolded before the sun had set. In the Grand Training Grounds, the first official match of the main tournament was in full swing. Surprisingly, it was Namgung Sol who held the initiative. With light, nimble Swallow Steps and the flowing, whip-like forms of the Blue Sky Flying Swallow Sword Technique, she pressed her attack. The blue sword qi clinging to her blade—a clear sign she had stepped into the Peak Realm—left vivid afterimages and a dazzling trail of flight marks in its wake.
If an opponent were captivated by that brilliance and let their stance crumble, they would soon face the piercing dive of a striking swallow. Yet that never happened. Anyone among the spectators with real insight into martial arts could tell the truth: while Namgung Sol might appear to hold the flow of the match, it was Song Chae-ji who truly controlled it.
Her defense is too solid. I can’t break through…!
Even as she circled Song Chae-ji with Swallow Steps, searching for gaps, none revealed themselves. The Hangsan Sect’s sword art was fundamentally defensive, built around unbreakable protection. The sect’s profound technique, the Profound Heaven Indestructible Sword, was especially famous across the gangho for its impenetrable defense. For the still-immature Namgung Sol, piercing it was an extraordinarily difficult task.
Of course, Song Chae-ji’s defense was not flawless. A true expert—someone like Paeng Ha-ryeong or Geumsin, to say nothing of Namgung Woo—would have spotted the subtle weaknesses and exploited them instantly. But those openings remained invisible to Namgung Sol’s eyes. In that sense, Song Chae-ji’s current defense was more than sufficient.
“Haaap!”
With a sharp cry, Namgung Sol abandoned the Swallow Steps and charged using the Thunderbolt Step instead. No openings? Then she would smash one open with raw power. She switched from the still-underpowered Blue Sky Flying Swallow Sword Technique to the familiar and forceful Daeyeon Sword Art, which emphasized powerful strikes.
It was a mistake.
Song Chae-ji’s sharp eyes caught the shift in balance that occurred during the transition. Her foot immediately lashed forward. The right foot that had been planted like a solid anchor stepped out, and a single counterattacking strike speared toward Namgung Sol’s now-exposed lower body.
“Hwaeek?!”
That Namgung Sol avoided the strike was pure luck. Her body, conditioned by relentless use of the Swallow Steps, tangled awkwardly when it failed to switch instantly to the Thunderbolt Step. She tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud. Song Chae-ji’s sword whistled harmlessly over her head, cutting only empty air.
The completely unexpected miss left Song Chae-ji more stunned than her opponent. She retreated several steps and examined Namgung Sol carefully. If the girl had injured herself internally by forcing an abrupt change in technique, it would be right to end the match here.
“Um… are you okay?”
“…Uuu, I-I’m fine…”
Suppressing the urge to rub her throbbing head, Namgung Sol gripped her sword once more and assumed her stance. The one who had relinquished the chance to finish the fight was Song Chae-ji herself. Perhaps that was why Deung Jong-yu did not declare the match over. The contest continued.
“I’m coming again!”
Knowing Song Chae-ji had shown her mercy, Namgung Sol shouted with renewed spirit and charged forward once more.
“Captain.”
“What?”
“I’ve been watching for days and there’s nothing at all. At this point, aren’t we just barking up the wrong tree?”
Namgung Woo couldn’t immediately refute Myo-rin’s blunt words. He let out a low hum of thought.
“Gak-won would have verified it thoroughly.”
“Presumably.”
After a moment of silence, Namgung Woo spoke again.
“It seems they’ve noticed we’re watching them.”
How could they not know that he was the one who had killed Lee Ja-ryong? The imperial court had publicly announced that Gwak Dan and Paeng Hu-sang had dealt with the threat, but it had long since become common knowledge that Namgung Woo had been there with them. Now that they had even met him face to face, their wariness must be at its peak.
“They’re hiding their presence and using the Kirin’s Footstep, so they probably don’t know exactly where we are. But they must realize they’re being observed.”
“Then isn’t this a complete waste?”
“A waste…”
It was rather absurd to hear someone who proudly called herself a proper Daoist nun casually using slang like “waste.” Still, Namgung Woo had grown used to Myo-rin’s surprisingly rough way of speaking—on par with Yang Kvae—and chose not to comment on it.
“We need to change our thinking.”
“How?”
“Let’s start by making a few assumptions.”
Namgung Woo wrote Seo-mun Pyo’s name on a sheet of paper, adding the characters for “perpetrator” beside it.
“First, Seo-mun Pyo is either the culprit or an accomplice.”
“Then we should also note that he has a way to block Gak-won’s divine insight, right?”
“I’ll keep that in my head for now.”
He added more characters: Lee Ja-ryong and Beon-se-gyo.
“The Beon-se-gyo that the Murim Alliance has been tracking and Lee Ja-ryong. There is clearly a connection between them.”
“Since you said their energy signatures felt similar, that makes sense.”
“And if we assume Beon-se-gyo is also connected to Seo-mun Pyo…”
Why had they killed a Murim Alliance elder? Simple retaliation against the Alliance for discovering them? A warning not to interfere any further?
“Ugh… I don’t know. Can we take a break and smoke first?”
Without even glancing at Namgung Woo for permission, Myo-rin pulled out her pipe and some high-quality hemp. It was said that masters of internal energy could even suppress the addictive nature of such substances, but watching her, one had to wonder if that was actually true. She must have been sneaking puffs out of sight this whole time.
“Hoooo… So, Captain, your theory is that Seo-mun Pyo and Beon-se-gyo are working together, and the elder’s assassination is just the beginning?”
“Exactly. Don’t you have any thoughts? You did spend time around Lee Ja-ryong, after all.”
“Lee Ja-ryong… that bastard never talked about himself, and I wasn’t interested in hearing it anyway… Hooo. Instead of running straight out of Beijing after he died, I should have searched his base.”
“Lee Ja-ryong. Beijing. Now that I think about it, was the disturbance he caused in Beijing a solo act?”
“Huh?”
“Is it possible Beon-se-gyo assisted him?”
No matter that Lee Ja-ryong’s true identity was Ju Gyeon-je, the hidden son of the previous Emperor Gyeongtae, could he have built such a force with nothing but imperial blood? If that were enough, he wouldn’t have needed the alias Lee Ja-ryong at all—he could have simply used his real name.
“Let’s assume the Transcendent experts who followed Lee Ja-ryong were from Beon-se-gyo. Then what is Beon-se-gyo’s goal…?”
“Overthrowing the imperial court?”
Beon-se. To flip the world. And what ruled the world? The Emperor.
“The princess… why did I forget? The reason Seo-mun Pyo tried to corner me was because I had contacted the princess. And the hardliners he belonged to are the faction hostile to Prince Yi’s household.”
“Then… killing Chae Mun-gwang was…”
“Building justification.”
First, assassinate Chae Mun-gwang, a Murim Alliance elder from the hardliner faction who was trying to drive them out of Luoyang. Then Seo-mun Pyo, another hardliner elder and close friend of Chae Mun-gwang, would retaliate by attacking Prince Yi’s side. If that happened—
“A war between the orthodox Murim and the imperial court would break out.”
Normally such a conflict would be unthinkable, but the situation had changed. The imperial court had lost its sharpest blade and the sword that had rested in the Emperor’s right hand. The Heavenly First Man, Mu-geuk Jeongryong. The Jinyiwei Commander, Gwak Dan. Those two massive vacancies. On top of that, the war preparations being made by Joseon in the northeast meant the court no longer had the strength to overwhelm the orthodox Murim.
“If the Murim Alliance’s hardliners run wild and the imperial court, having lost a prince, has no choice but to respond—”
“The only thing left is war.”
“We need to go to Prince Yi’s residence.”
“R-right now?”
“We should have gone sooner. If Seo-mun Pyo was bait to keep us here, the real assassins may have already begun to move.”
Namgung Woo downed the still-steaming tea in one gulp and rose from his seat.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
The crowd that had packed the Grand Training Grounds began to disperse. Because so many people had gathered, it took a considerable amount of time for them to leave. The Murim Alliance warriors maintained order to prevent accidents, though grumbling could still be heard here and there.
Yet unlike the common spectators, some left in perfect comfort, riding in carriages. Only one group enjoyed such a privilege.
“As expected of the Unrivaled Dragon! Everyone’s level was incredible! The match between the Strong Dragon and the Fire Dragon was especially close. It’s a shame they met in the first round. Both of them had the talent to reach the finals. I think they could even give you a decent fight, Uncle.”
It was the imperial family—specifically, the Prince Yi’s household. Ju I-hyang was still buzzing with excitement as she shared her impressions of the first round of the tournament she had just watched.
Ju Si-yeol had been chuckling and agreeing with her, but at her last comment his expression hardened.
“Tsk… That’s not quite right.”
“Hehe, after becoming Prince Yi, it seems you haven’t been able to train properly, have you?”
“Even so, this uncle isn’t that weak. Maybe against Nam Hwa-ok, but…”
Ju Si-yeol was twenty-four years old. It was an age when the hot blood of a martial artist still burned brighter than the duties of a prince. Watching him show confidence in his own martial prowess, Ju I-hyang giggled.
“But the very first match was truly unexpected, wasn’t it? We were both wrong.”
The two of them had turned watching the matches into a game of guessing the winner. When their opinions differed, they would bet on the outcome to heighten the fun. Although both possessed considerable insight into martial arts, there had been one match neither of them had predicted correctly.
The very first bout—Namgung Sol versus Song Chae-ji.
“To think the Hangsan Sect’s female disciple would lose… That really was surprising.”