Borrowing the Power of the World
The black-robed elder stared coldly at Yeop Hyeon without a word.
Yeop Hyeon met his gaze with unwavering seriousness once more.
"What I said isn't empty boasting. If the An family watches me closely, they'll see exactly what kind of man I am."
At that, the black-robed elder finally spoke.
"But... I'm not from the An family."
"......"
The man in black shot Yeop Hyeon a sharp look.
"Don't worry, though. We're going to dig into you very deeply."
The elder gave Yeop Hyeon one last icy glance before turning away.
Watching his retreating figure, Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"No different from enemies..."
Just then, Gang Gu approached him. Gazing into the distance, she murmured softly.
"Ranxiu already left?"
Yeop Hyeon looked up, but An Ranxiu was already gone.
She really left without a single glance back!
"Leaving without even a proper goodbye... Things really aren't looking good."
"Yeah."
Gang Gu eyed Yeop Hyeon with a worried frown. The An family wasn't ordinary. If Yeop Hyeon and An Ranxiu were just normal friends, maybe nothing would come of it. But the problem was her attitude toward him—it was anything but ordinary.
For instance, she let him call her by name.
As far as Gang Gu knew, she was the only one in the entire Jiang Kingdom who could call her "Ranxiu." Once, the kingdom's eldest prince had tried, and An Ranxiu had nearly jammed her spear into his face.
After that day, no one but Gang Gu dared use her name.
Yet with Yeop Hyeon, she hadn't said a word about it.
Anyone with eyes could see An Ranxiu treated him specially.
Was Yeop Hyeon that impressive to catch her eye?
In Jiang Kingdom, sure.
But to the colossal clans of Jungto Sinju, a warrior like him was utterly commonplace. Even a random street in Jungto Sinju teemed with Divine Fusion Realm experts. To them, Yeop Hyeon fell far short. Strength mattered, but background was non-negotiable.
Simply put, the families had to be evenly matched for marriage talks to even begin.
And that was crucial for the Ho Clan.
Yeop Hyeon, on the other hand, was a penniless nobody with zero backing.
"Let's head inside!"
Yeop Hyeon strode toward the city gates.
Gang Gu glanced once more in the direction An Ranxiu and the black-robed elder had vanished, sighed, and followed.
With An Ranxiu's arrival, Jiang Kingdom regained its fragile stability.
Cho Kingdom and Jiang Kingdom's massive armies hadn't fully retreated, but they showed no sign of advancing. They were thrown into disarray, prioritizing intel on her intentions over attack.
Whatever the reason, Jiang Kingdom could finally breathe.
Gaeyangseong.
Gaeyang Fortress was a modest city with barely fifty or sixty thousand souls. After rumors of enemy invasion, its population had dwindled to less than half.
Everyone had fled. Yeop Hyeon wandered the empty streets alone, his mind swirling with thoughts and worries.
Moments ago, outside the walls, he'd sought enlightenment—but failed.
Not due to external chaos, but because he'd stopped himself.
When he tried sensing all things around him with his entire body, his heart wouldn't settle. An inexplicable impatience gripped him.
He felt the breeze wiping his sweat, revealing just how restless he truly was.
From leaving Qingcheng until now, he'd never once paused.
The world wasn't just about growing stronger and killing. Life held joys, sorrows, love, hate. Yet he'd ignored it all.
What he craved now was calm—to quiet his mind, observe slowly. Not obsess over instant power, but feel the world as it was. Only then could he escape this haste, he believed.
Wandering aimlessly, he reached a small river. Humble houses lined both banks, but all stood empty.
No one strolled the riverside.
They all fled.
Before war's inferno, ordinary folk were worth less than paper.
In Qingzhou, only the strong survived. Not everyone could train in martial arts—many commoners never got the chance. When war came, they couldn't fight back.
From that angle, Yeop Hyeon was no different. No matter his skill or talent, his influence was negligible.
To those colossal powers, he was just another sheet of paper.
Right then, a girl of five or six came running toward him. Her skirt was threadbare, riddled with holes. Her knees peeked out, scraped red from a fall.
She looked up at him with crystal-clear eyes.
"Big brother Yeop Hyeon, thank you for saving me."
Saving her?
Confused, Yeop Hyeon spotted a couple nearby—likely her parents.
A middle-aged man rushed up, dropping to his knees and kowtowing frantically.
"This humble one nearly died at the hands of Cho Kingdom soldiers today! Had National Scholar Yeop not saved me, I'd be gone already. Thank you for sparing my worthless life!"
Onlookers watching from afar knelt too.
The girl mimicked the adults, starting to kneel. Yeop Hyeon swiftly scooped her up into his arms.
Her father panicked.
"Dongdong, get down! You'll dirty the National Scholar's clothes!"
As she squirmed, Yeop Hyeon chuckled.
"What's wrong? Can't big brother hold you?"
"But... I'm dirty..."
Yeop Hyeon grinned wide and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Not dirty at all!"
She blinked twice, then pecked his cheek in return.
Yeop Hyeon laughed heartily and addressed the middle-aged man.
"Everyone, rise."
The man hesitated before standing slowly, his back still half-bowed—not from fear, but profound respect.
A respect from the heart.
"Do you have somewhere to go?"
The man shook his head.
"Not sure, but I'm thinking Imperial City. It should be safe there."
Safe...
Yeop Hyeon asked quietly.
"It's a long way to Imperial City. Bandits on the road could be trouble. Why not stay inside the fortress?"
"But the armies outside..."
"On my name as National Scholar, I swear this fortress won't fall."
The man and others exchanged glances, then knelt and bowed deeply.
"We'll trust only you, National Scholar!"
Yeop Hyeon spoke softly.
"Rise."
They stood.
He set the girl down and stroked her forehead.
"Your name's Dongdong?"
She nodded.
"Big brother, is my name pretty?"
"Super pretty! The prettiest!"
Yeop Hyeon opened his right palm, summoning two scrolls. A flick of his finger turned them to white light, vanishing between her brows.
Direct transmission of cultivation arts and martial skills!
The girl stared blankly, then asked in a bright voice.
"Big brother, what is this?"
"Just follow the pictures in your head and train. Slowly, and you'll grow as strong as me!"
"Really?"
"Really! But it's our secret—no telling anyone. Got it?"
She nodded vigorously.
Yeop Hyeon pulled out a small coin pouch and handed it to the man.
"Use this to get by in the fortress. Buy Dongdong new clothes and shoes. I'll come back and find her next time."
"Y-yes, we will!"
The man bowed deeply with the others and left.
Mid-stride, Dongdong turned and shouted.
"Big brother, you'll really come find me?"
"Of course!"
"Hehe, I'll wait!"
Grabbing her father's hand, she ran off.
Yeop Hyeon watched her go with a smile, then turned to the river.
In that moment, realization dawned: his intent could change everything. Malice would doom countless lives; kindness could transform one.
It was then.
Boom!
A strand of sword intent surged from his body, plunging into the river. Ripples spread, and a bizarre phenomenon unfolded. Centered where the intent entered, the left side boiled like molten lava—while the right remained serene, gentle waves lapping peacefully.
One sword intent had split the river into extremes.
Yeop Hyeon's lips twitched at the riverside.
"So that's it... Kindness brings peace; malice upends the world... I see."
Good and Evil Sword Path!
As enlightenment struck, in the Gyeok Ok Tower's peak, the central sword among them began to tremble.