Chapter 15: I Am Yeop Hyeon, the Nameless Pawn
Upon witnessing Yeop Hyeon slay Zhen Shang, her subordinates froze like statues. Yeop Hyeon stepped away and moved to Yeop Ryeong's side.
"That woman was just putting on an act to escape danger for a moment. Then she planned to kill us."
Yeop Hyeon explained why he had killed Zhen Shang, worried his sister might see him as cold-blooded.
"Right or wrong, I'm always on your side, oppa."
Her words warmed Yeop Hyeon's heart. He turned to the men.
"What do you plan to do? Are you prepared to see blood as well?"
The men before him were all below the fourth rank at best. They posed no threat to Yeop Hyeon whatsoever. The man who had spoken first glared at him and shouted,
"Who the hell are you!?"
"Yeop Hyeon of Qingcheng."
"Qingcheng... Yeop Hyeon... You're a warrior of the Ye Clan!"
Yeop Hyeon's expression darkened.
"I am no longer part of the Ye Clan."
The man looked skeptical. With a gesture from him, the warriors in the back approached to retrieve Zhen Shang's corpse.
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon lightly kicked toward the body. A black pouch at her waist flew into his hand. The man's face turned ashen. Glaring at Yeop Hyeon with murderous eyes, he bellowed,
"The Jin Clan will never forget the Ye Clan of Qingcheng!"
They dared not make a move against Yeop Hyeon. They had clearly seen a Control Qi Realm expert like Zhen Shang die without landing a single proper counterattack.
Of course, Yeop Hyeon had struck with a surprise attack—but a surprise attack was part of one's skill. To them, he was an opponent they could never handle. They mounted their horses with the corpse and fled.
After the warriors vanished, Yeop Hyeon opened the black pouch. Delight spread across his face. Inside were sixteen Spiritual Stones.
Spiritual Stones were rocks that stored the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. If used in cultivation, they provided immense aid to warriors. They were graded as low-grade, high-grade, extreme-grade, jade-grade, immortal-grade, and divine-grade. Even scouring all of Qingcheng, low-grade Spiritual Stones were hard to come by—yet this pouch contained only high-grade ones.
And one among them was an extreme-grade Spiritual Stone! A single low-grade Spiritual Stone was worth a hundred taels of gold—enough for a family to live on for ten years.
Sixteen such stones!
Yeop Hyeon tucked the pouch into his bosom. He had no idea how Zhen Shang had come to possess so many.
But whether it was Zhen Shang or the men chasing her, they wouldn't give up these Spiritual Stones easily.
If the gold mine was the lifeline of a clan, Spiritual Stones were the means to raise it up and elevate its status. Gold mines gathered warriors; Spiritual Stones cultivated powerful martial arts.
The stones now in his possession were enough to raise experts up to the Control Qi Realm or even the Soaring Realm. Suddenly, Yeop Hyeon hurriedly extinguished the campfire and loaded Yeop Ryeong into the carriage. He anticipated the Jin Clan would come hunting him.
Half a shichen after Yeop Hyeon and Yeop Ryeong departed, a middle-aged man appeared at the spot with an elderly man, just as Yeop Hyeon had predicted. The middle-aged man was Zhen Ba, patriarch of the Jin Clan and a Soaring Realm warrior. The elder behind him was also in the Soaring Realm. Zhen Ba scanned the surroundings and spoke in a low voice.
"They say a Heaven's Chosen One named Yeop Rang has appeared in the Ye Clan... Could it be him?"
Qingcheng and Nanshan were somewhat distant. Moreover, the Jin Clan wasn't a major power, so their intelligence wasn't exceptional. They hadn't yet learned the full details of the Ye Clan's situation. The elder behind Zhen Ba replied,
"There's no proof it's Yeop Rang, but he's undeniably a Ye Clan warrior. The Ye Clan cannot escape responsibility for this!"
Zhen Ba nodded and said coldly,
"I'll go to the Ye Clan myself to see what's going on. The killer of Zhen Shang hasn't gone far. Zhen Yue! You pursue him. If it's Yeop Rang, do not underestimate him under any circumstances!"
Zhen Yue nodded. With a light push off the ground, his body vanished into the darkness in an instant. Left alone, Zhen Ba clenched his fist and roared with a icy expression.
"How dare a mere Ye Clan...!"
Zhen Ba melted into the darkness.
On a dark night road, a single carriage raced along under the faint guidance of moonlight.
"Oppa, why did that woman bother us earlier?"
"Because we looked like easy targets!"
"Is it okay to bully people just because they look easy?"
"Everyone does it. The world doesn't leave the weak alone. If you don't toughen up, you can't live peacefully in this world!"
"Oppa, you killed someone again..."
"Yeah, and I'll kill a lot more in the future."
"Why?"
"Bad temper. I can't just sit still if someone messes with me!"
The carriage pierced through the long night. Yeop Hyeon drove it while Yeop Ryeong leaned against him and fell asleep. Yeop Hyeon moved carefully, lest he wake his sleeping sister.
How dearly you cherish your sister!
Yeop Hyeon smiled at the Heavenly Maiden's voice echoing in his mind and replied,
"What brother doesn't cherish his sister?"
You qualify as one.
Yeop Hyeon chuckled softly at her words.
"Heavenly Maiden, I have a question. Is it true that a Sword Immortal can cleave mountains and part rivers?"
Indeed!
Her affirmation made Yeop Hyeon's heart race. He secretly yearned for the mystical realm of Sword Immortal, where one soared through the heavens on their sword, overlooking mountains and rivers.
Diligent effort will make it possible.
Yeop Hyeon smiled and replied,
"I want to fly through the skies with my sword and show Ryeong every corner of the world."
Your words already make you a Sword Immortal!
Yeop Hyeon smiled lightly and whipped the horse.
An shichen later, dawn began to break, illuminating the world. But rain started falling. The downpour grew heavier, making it impossible to continue driving the carriage. Yeop Hyeon quickly scanned the surroundings. His eyes caught a mansion halfway up the mountain. From afar, it looked dilapidated and desolate. Yeop Hyeon raised an eyebrow.
What is such a mansion doing in these deep mountains?
It felt somewhat ominous, but the rain intensified, accompanied by fierce winds, leaving no choice but to stop. After some hesitation, Yeop Hyeon pulled out the map Zhang Lie had given him earlier. Staring intently, he confirmed no danger markers nearby.
Reassured, Yeop Hyeon drove the carriage to the mansion. The gate stood open. Up close, the house appeared long abandoned and in ruins. Weeds overgrown at the base of the walls.
Escaping the relentless rain, Yeop Hyeon led Yeop Ryeong inside. He spotted others already there: an elderly man in gray robes and a boy who looked about eighteen. They too seemed to have sought shelter from the rain.
The elder glanced over Yeop Hyeon and his sister before looking away. The boy beside him smiled faintly and nodded. Yeop Hyeon returned a slight nod in greeting, then settled in a suitable spot. He built a campfire in one corner and began roasting two turkeys. At that moment, the boy's eyes sparkled, and he approached Yeop Hyeon.
"I am Gang Mokgi. What is your honorable name, brother?"
"Yeop Hyeon."
"What a coincidence to meet like this, isn't it?"
Yeop Hyeon pointed to the turkeys roasting over the fire.
"Want some?"
Gang Mokgi nodded unwittingly. Yeop Hyeon handed him one.
"Here."
Gang Mokgi accepted without refusal and began roasting it himself.
Gazing at Yeop Hyeon, Gang Mokgi said,
"Hmm... Though you're in the Qi Transformation Realm, your foundation is solid. I doubt there's much difference between us."
Yeop Hyeon's hand paused mid-roast.
"I can't gauge your skill."
Yeop Hyeon couldn't predict Gang Mokgi's level of martial prowess. Nor could Gang Mokgi gauge Yeop Hyeon's. Gang Mokgi raised his eyes and asked,
"Shall we test it?"
"Of course!"
The elder on the side interjected,
"You mustn't bully the weak!"
Hearing the elder, Yeop Ryeong frowned unpleasantly and said,
"Grandpa, my oppa is really strong! Who's weak!?"
The elder looked at Yeop Ryeong and said,
"Is that so?"
Yeop Hyeon smiled fondly at his sister and spoke.
"Then let's exchange just two moves."
The two took positions in an open space, facing each other.
"Ready?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded at Gang Mokgi's question. In an instant, Gang Mokgi vanished from his spot. By the time Yeop Hyeon spotted him, Gang Mokgi's fist was already flying toward his chest. Yeop Hyeon's fist struck toward Gang Mokgi's chest simultaneously.
Bam!
Both bodies were pushed back ten steps before stopping. Gang Mokgi looked at Yeop Hyeon with slight surprise.
"You have a tougher body than expected."
"You too."
It felt like punching an iron plate. Gang Mokgi smiled and said,
"As expected, talents abound in Jiang Kingdom. Since I left the imperial palace..."
"No!"
The elder suddenly cut off Gang Mokgi. Gang Mokgi looked at the elder with grievance.
"Elder Gak, since we've come this far, what's the fun in worrying over everything?"
The elder shook his head.
"The outside world is dangerous."
Gang Mokgi laughed.
"It's fine. This man looks forthright at a glance. He's not like those black-hearted types."
Gang Mokgi turned to Yeop Hyeon and cupped his fists.
"Brother Yeop, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Gang Mokgi, the Tenth Prince of Jiang Kingdom."
Prince!
Yeop Hyeon feigned surprise. To unexpectedly meet Jiang Kingdom's prince in such a place!
Yeop Hyeon hurriedly straightened his posture and cupped his fists.
"I am the nameless pawn Yeop Hyeon!"
Gang Mokgi burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, nameless pawn! With your skill, Brother Yeop, fame would come easily!"
Yeop Hyeon silently shook his head. Empty fame meant nothing to him. It often led to death, after all.
At that moment, the rain began to lighten. The elder stood.
"Your Highness, it's time to go."
Gang Mokgi nodded and walked to the campfire. In his hand was a well-roasted turkey. He pulled a jade plaque from his bosom and handed it to Yeop Hyeon.
"Brother Yeop, this is my command plaque. It'll be useful if you go to the Imperial City. Ah, please don't refuse. Otherwise, I won't enjoy this delicious turkey!"
Yeop Hyeon accepted the jade plaque, and Gang Mokgi smiled.
"Well then!"
With that, Gang Mokgi and the elder vanished outside. Yeop Hyeon watched their retreating figures for a long time.
Once outside the mansion, the elder asked in a deep voice,
"Your Highness, do you plan to recruit that man?"
"He's a sword cultivator. Even without using his sword, his skill matched mine. If he'd shown his true power, I couldn't guarantee victory."
Gang Mokgi turned to gaze at the dilapidated mansion.
"Indeed, worthy of being a national hero. Worth the thousand-li journey."
The elder hesitated before speaking.
"I saw his solid foundation and combat prowess. But he's a lone wanderer, unaffiliated with any clan or sect. He'll inevitably hit a limit. Without backing, he can't be of much help to Your Highness. That's why the Crown Prince and Ninth Princess didn't send anyone to Qingcheng."
Gang Mokgi chuckled lightly.
"My eldest brother's mother hails from the Jade Clan, the second strongest in Jiang Kingdom—ones even Father Emperor fears. And my sister commands half the kingdom's forces as the Three Armies Commander. To them, ordinary geniuses like Brother Yeop don't register."
"Then why did Your Highness make this long trip?"
Gang Mokgi lowered his voice.
"My faction is insignificant compared to theirs. That's why I treasure even small connections. Who knows? Today's encounter might prove invaluable later."
The elder shook his head. Sword cultivators were rare, true. But to them, anything short of a Sword Master held little meaning.
Yet Jiang Kingdom had only one Sword Master!
And he was over ninety, in advanced age. Excluding him, not a single Sword Master had emerged in the kingdom in fifty years.