The Villagers
"My savior! Please, forgive me!"
It was the woman I had saved from the cultists that night.
Her face was still haggard as she rushed forward and fell to her knees before me.
"I had no idea you were the Young Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Sect! I never imagined someone of such noble standing would personally step forward to save someone like me...!"
The woman burst into tears, unable to finish her sentence.
The villagers, who had been trembling in terror at the sight of the Young Sect Leader just moments ago, now stared at the weeping woman in utter confusion, wondering what on earth was happening.
One of the men in the crowd asked her,
"Stop crying and tell us what this is about."
"That young master..."
"Hush, child. Stay quiet."
The woman cut off her daughter, who had been kidnapped alongside her that night, and began to explain in a voice still trembling with emotion.
"Five nights ago, when a band of thugs kidnapped me and tried to do unspeakable things to me, a young master appeared out of nowhere and saved us all by himself. The savior who cut down those... those monstrous demons and spared my life and my daughter's is none other than the Young Sect Leader standing right here!"
"Heavens..."
"Madame Zhang, is that really true?"
The villagers looked as if they couldn't believe their ears.
The murmurs grew louder and louder.
Even Namgung Eon stared at me, his jaw hanging wide open.
Only Yeongho Bin nodded, his expression practically saying, I knew it.
"It is absolutely true! Back then, the Young Sect Leader didn't even reveal his name or title, and he flatly refused any reward. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that my savior was the future leader of the Sun and Moon Sect. This foolish woman deserves to die for not recognizing you! Sob..."
The Young Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult—a group the entire world pointed fingers at—a boy barely twelve years old, had gone out alone to personally punish his own cultists' crimes.
Even to me, the protagonist of this tale, it sounded like an incredibly dramatic, hard-to-believe story.
And yet.
"Madame, raise your head."
Now that things had escalated to this point, it was impossible for me to remain silent.
"Those who were once followers of our sect fell to the temptations of wicked men and committed unspeakable sins against innocent villagers. The one who should beg for forgiveness is not you, but myself."
"...!!!"
After speaking, I bowed my head deeply toward the woman. Sharp gasps echoed from all around.
The villagers must have heard all kinds of rumors about the Sun and Moon Sect and its Young Sect Leader.
Yet here was the very subject of those notorious rumors, bowing his head to apologize to ordinary commoners.
In a world where social hierarchy dictated a person's fate, such an act was utterly unimaginable.
"However, if you would permit me, I wish to first hold those truly responsible for this tragedy accountable."
"Young Sect Leader..."
As I spoke, I cast a sidelong glance toward the members of the Tianshan Sect.
Instantly, the collective gaze of the villagers shifted from me to the exact same direction.
It was a strange feeling.
Just moments ago, the overwhelming, passionate stares of the villagers had felt suffocatingly burdensome.
But now...
"Sect Leader Wi Jin-pyeong!"
Feeling the unified support of dozens of Maehwa County villagers washing over me,
and realizing that I was standing on their side to punish the true villains who had stolen the lives of innocent women,
"As the leader of a sect—no, before that, as a fellow martial artist of the Murim—if you have anything to say for yourself, speak."
Even though I was speaking to the Sect Leader of the Tianshan Sect, whose martial arts skills were undoubtedly far superior to mine, I felt no fear whatsoever.
On the contrary, my voice carried more strength than ever before, and my chest swelled with a surge of confidence and courage, making me feel as if I could achieve anything.
"Nothing to say? That is fine. I, too, am a man of action rather than words."
I took a step forward toward Wi Jin-pyeong, who stood frozen with a deep scowl, unable to utter a single word.
My hand drifted to the hilt of the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber at my waist.
I unleashed an aura so intense it felt as if I would draw my blade and strike him down at any second.
With the Young Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Sect and the Sect Leader of the Tianshan Sect on the verge of a bloody clash, the tension among the villagers skyrocketed to its peak.
It was then.
"Tsk!"
Wi Jin-pyeong's face contorted in frustration. He signaled his disciples with a sharp look and abruptly spun around.
Without offering a single word of excuse, Wi Jin-pyeong, his elders, and his disciples all began to flee the village in a hurry, looking exactly like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs.
While I found the sudden anti-climax rather deflating, the villagers' disappointment was far greater.
"They're running away!"
"They caused all this mess and now they're just fleeing?!"
"Those murderers! They're worse than the Demonic Cu— Ah! Oh my, Young Sect Leader, please forgive my slip of the tongue!"
"Shouldn't we stop them?"
"Yes! You lead the way!"
"Me?!"
But for commoners who knew nothing of martial arts, venting their fury was all they could do.
The villagers' eyes naturally turned back to me, but I merely glared at the retreating backs of the Tianshan Sect before shaking my head.
"Let them run."
"Young Sect Leader?"
To be completely honest, even if Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon joined forces with me, it would be impossible for us to capture the masters of the Tianshan Sect.
But there's no need to be that honest.
"It is a waste of effort to swing a blade at cowards. More than anything, our priority right now is to protect the villagers and aid the victims. Yeongho Bin, Namgung Eon!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
"Calm the villagers and assist anyone in need. And listen to me, people of Maehwa County."
The villagers, who had been shouting curses at the Tianshan Sect with flushed faces, instantly fell silent and hung on my every word.
"The Sun and Moon Sect will ensure that the Tianshan Sect pays dearly for their heinous and immoral acts. I, Baek Yeon, the Young Sect Leader, give you my word. Trust in me and wait."
After reassuring the villagers, I turned to Namgung Eon, adopting a suitably dignified expression.
"Namgung Eon!"
"Yes, Young Sect Leader."
"I had my suspicions, but it seems your frequent visits to the Tianshan Sect were indeed to expose their misdeeds."
"I deeply apologize for acting on my own without reporting to you first."
"There is no need. Your infiltration of the Tianshan Sect and retrieval of the decisive evidence made this task much easier. Your contribution is great."
"...Young Sect Leader!"
As gasps of admiration erupted from the crowd, Namgung Eon bowed repeatedly, offering his heartfelt gratitude.
Then, with a face flushed with emotion, he turned to the villagers and shouted,
"Listen well, everyone! I, Namgung Eon of the Namgung Clan, am no different from this lady! If the Young Sect Leader had not risked his own life to save me, I would already be a corpse!"
"W-wait. Did he say he's from the Namgung Clan?"
Right on cue, a villager's murmur drew everyone's attention, and Namgung Eon pressed on.
"Indeed! And it's not just me! Warrior Yeongho here... is also one of the countless people whose lives were spared by the Young Sect Leader. Isn't that right, Warrior Yeongho?"
"That is correct. I live only to repay the immense grace of my Lord."
"And it is not just the two of us! Every follower of the Sun and Moon Sect, and indeed all the common folk of the Murim, are indebted to the Young Sect Leader's benevolence! Do you not see? The very first and most fundamental doctrine of our three-hundred-year-old sect is to protect the weak and aid the people!"
Yeongho Bin is one thing, but how does this kid Namgung Eon speak so confidently in front of such a massive crowd?
There's no doubt about it. Both Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon are definitely E's.
And capital E's at that.
Still, claiming that 'all the common folk of the Murim' are indebted to me is a massive stretch.
But given the sheer drama of the moment, everyone simply nodded in deep emotional agreement, and no one questioned the exaggeration.
"Young Sect Leader, you have my deepest respect."
"To think he risked his life for the sake of the common people..."
"He is like the Buddha himself... No, he is the living incarnation of Myeongjon!"
The very villagers who had been cursing the "Demonic Cult" just moments ago were now bowing their heads in praise, some even wiping tears of emotion from their eyes.
With things turning out like this, I didn't need to say another word.
"Look at his noble bearing..."
"To possess such profound martial arts, virtue, and humility at such a young age..."
"He is not the Young Sect Leader for nothing! Truly!"
Afterward, the villagers went to comfort the grieving families of the murdered women. I, along with Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon, visited each family personally to apologize once more and promise them the utmost support.
By the time the situation was finally brought under control, the sun was already dipping below the western horizon.
As we prepared to return to the headquarters, I noticed an elderly man, who appeared to be the village chief or elder, approaching Namgung Eon to discuss something.
Namgung Eon then walked over to me and spoke in a quiet voice.
"The village elder wishes to host a modest banquet to express their gratitude to you, Young Sect Leader. He asked me to seek your opinion on the matter. He said it would be their greatest honor if you would join them."
A banquet? What kind of nightmare is that?
To an extreme introvert like me, an invitation to a banquet is basically a challenge to a duel to the death.
Besides, my social battery has already been completely drained today.
I was fully prepared to decline.
But then, Namgung Eon leaned in and whispered softly in my ear.
"Young Sect Leader, in my opinion..."
Hearing Namgung Eon's reasoning, I found myself reconsidering the invitation.
After pondering in silence for a moment, I steeled my resolve and nodded.
"...Very well. That sounds acceptable."
"Yes! I shall let them know."
As a delighted Namgung Eon conveyed my acceptance, the villagers' faces lit up with bright, welcoming smiles.
By dusk, the open space where everyone had gathered was transformed into a bustling banquet ground.
The village chief and elders took their seats at the head table alongside the Young Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Sect, his personal guard, and the fifth young master of the Namgung Clan.
The guests from the Sun and Moon Sect observed the lively, boisterous atmosphere of the villagers while partaking in the dinner prepared for them.
The villagers were dying to strike up a conversation with the Young Sect Leader, who was both their guest of honor and their savior.
However, because the Young Sect Leader's expression and demeanor were so solemn—carrying an indescribably terrifying aura—hardly anyone dared to approach him.
Even when the village elders gathered the courage to speak to him, his personal guard, Yeongho Bin, would politely but firmly intervene, cutting the conversations short.
As the banquet reached its peak, a group of young women approached Namgung Eon.
"Young Master Namgung!"
"Ah, Lady Seong! Lady Han! You've come at the perfect time!"
They were all women in their late teens to mid-twenties.
Like typical women from a rural village, they possessed a healthy, rustic charm.
One of them spoke to Namgung Eon.
"Your performance today was truly magnificent, Young Master."
"I barely did anything. Everything went exactly according to the Young Sect Leader's master plan."
"But carrying out the Young Sect Leader's orders so flawlessly is a great feat in itself."
"Well, I suppose you could look at it that way! Haha!"
Exchanging playful banter with the women, Namgung Eon was fully unleashing his hidden social butterfly skills, proving himself a true direct descendant of the prestigious Namgung Clan.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he clapped his hands together.
"Ah, I shouldn't keep you all to myself. You should go pay your respects to the Young Sect Leader first!"
"Oh my! We'd love to!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the women lined up to approach the Young Sect Leader as if they had been waiting for this exact cue.
It seemed talking to Namgung Eon had merely been an excuse all along; their true goal was to have him introduce them to the Young Sect Leader.
...!!!
At that moment, a subtle shift occurred in the Young Sect Leader's expression.
For an extreme introvert like him, just sitting through this banquet was already a form of torture.
To make matters worse, seeing a pack of young women with sparkling eyes marching toward him made his blood run cold.
However, the change was so microscopic that absolutely no one noticed.