An Unexpected Encounter
The journey continued smoothly for a while after that.
Although the only rations we had brought along were dried meat, we were occasionally treated to fresh roasted meat whenever Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon ventured into the forest to hunt wild rabbits or pheasants.
Yeongho Bin seemed well-accustomed to this kind of foraging lifestyle; he handled everything from plucking the animals' fur to building the fire and roasting them to perfection with practiced ease.
Beautiful nature, and companions who didn't drain my social battery.
For a few days, I enjoyed a journey so peaceful that I envied no one and wanted for nothing.
I had only one wish.
Please let us reach the sacred ground like this—without any incidents, and without running into a single soul...
But as always, the universe seemed utterly loath to let an introvert live in peace.
It happened just as our group was passing the entrance of Mount Kunlun.
"Halt right there."
Two robust men stood blocking our path. They wore long, flowing robes and Taoist caps on their heads.
Taoists traveling in groups around Mount Kunlun could only mean one thing.
They were disciples of the Kunlun Sect.
Yeongho Bin, who was walking at the front, turned back to look at me and nodded.
We had already anticipated that we might cross paths with the Kunlun Sect at least once while passing through their territory.
We had prepared a plan for how to act if we encountered them.
"Travelers, please wait where you are for a moment."
"What business do you have with us, esteemed Taoists?"
There was no way the Kunlun Sect, a member of the Orthodox faction, would hold any goodwill toward our Sun and Moon Sect.
Therefore, we were going to hide our identities and pass through disguised as ordinary travelers.
After all, that was the exact reason I had chosen this specific group of companions in the first place.
Well... I just hope it goes as smoothly as planned.
"I must ask you, travelers. Where do you hail from, and what is your relationship to one another?"
They didn't even bother to state their own names or affiliation.
The burliest man, who appeared to be the eldest among them, simply swept his gaze over our group as he questioned us.
There was an interrogative edge to his eyes.
"We are all siblings, on our way to attend the wedding of a distant relative," Yeongho Bin replied.
"Siblings, you say..."
The man stared intently at each of our faces in turn.
"This young lady and that young brother over there do share a slight resemblance. But you and this noble-looking young master don't look alike at all. Are you truly siblings?"
The ones he claimed looked alike were Baek So-cheong and Namgung Eon.
And the "noble-looking young master" referred to me.
"As the eldest, my face has withered a bit from years of hardship raising my younger siblings. Is there a problem with that?"
Yeongho Bin retorted, making his annoyance blatantly obvious.
Of course, this was also one of the pre-rehearsed lines from our anticipated scenarios.
The Taoist let out a chuckle at Yeongho Bin's natural reaction.
I desperately hoped they would just let us go without any trouble, but unfortunately, things didn't go that way.
"There is no problem. However, you will all have to wait here for a moment."
"Wait for what?"
"I believe we must show you to our Martial Uncle. Cheon-seung! Go fetch Martial Uncle."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
With that, the instructed Taoist dashed off in a hurry.
Something feels off.
Up close, I could sense their internal energy. They clearly possessed a decent level of cultivation and looked to be in their mid-twenties.
They were likely second-generation disciples. Even if an unfortunate altercation broke out, they wouldn't pose much of a threat.
But if their "Martial Uncle" belonged to the generation above them—the first-generation disciples...
He might be a master of the First-class Realm. It was best to avoid any friction with someone of that caliber.
"We do not know what the esteemed Taoist wants, but we are running late for the wedding. We humbly ask that you allow us to pass," Baek So-cheong said, clasping her hands politely.
She, too, must have realized the danger, as she offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute to the man.
But the fellow didn't even listen, simply shaking his head.
"Once our Martial Uncle arrives, we will be able to send you on your way shortly. So, wait a moment."
No matter how I looked at it, a terrible premonition gripped me.
I could overlook their rude attitude toward strangers; after all, they were disciples of one of the Ten Great Sects of the Jianghu.
But these men had blocked our path, exchanged only a few words, and immediately called for their superior.
And we hadn't even done anything suspicious or wrong.
It's almost as if they were waiting for someone specific to show up...
Surely, that couldn't be it.
But what if the Kunlun disciples scattered throughout the mountain were systematically searching for someone?
What if the second-generation disciples had been instructed to wait for a group matching a specific description—say, a young boy accompanied by youthful guards—and once such travelers appeared, they were to summon a first-generation disciple to detain them?
As the thought crossed my mind, a cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Information might have leaked.
My pilgrimage to the sacred ground as the Young Sect Leader was a top-secret matter even within our sect.
If this information had somehow leaked to the Kunlun Sect, it wouldn't be surprising at all for them to launch an organized manhunt to capture the Young Sect Leader.
Once my thoughts reached that point, I had no room to consider other options.
"Damn it. How long are we supposed to just stand here and twiddle our thumbs?"
"?"
I muttered under my breath with a look of utter annoyance, making sure my voice was loud enough for the Kunlun disciple standing before me to hear.
"Young master, what did you just say?"
His face contorted in a scowl as he shot a cold glare in my direction.
Catching a glimpse of Baek So-cheong's face, I could see she was visibly flustered.
"I was talking to myself, but you heard me? I suppose all those years of spiritual cultivation have given you exceptionally sharp ears."
I let out a scoffing chuckle, crossed my arms, shifted my weight to one leg, and stared off at the distant mountains.
There was no way a proud disciple of a major sect would let a cheeky brat's insolence slide.
"It seems you were raised in some backwater village without learning a shred of manners. Hey! A person is speaking to you!"
Unable to contain his temper any longer, the Kunlun disciple marched past Baek So-cheong, Yeongho Bin, and Namgung Eon, heading straight for me.
And then.
Thud!
The moment he stepped into my range, completely off-guard, I instantly gathered the true qi of the Dark Demonic Inward Heart Method into my right hand and struck the Taoist squarely in his solar plexus.
True Qi instantly gathered into the right hand, striking the target's solar plexus with perfectly controlled force.
Based on my rough estimation of his internal energy, I carefully regulated my power to ensure it wouldn't kill him.
"Gah...!"
Shocked by the sudden strike to his vital point, the Kunlun disciple gasped once and collapsed, completely unconscious.
"Young Sect Leader?!"
At that sight, my companions gasped in sheer horror, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as they clamped their hands over their mouths.
Even though the Taoists hadn't been friendly, this was entirely unexpected. It made perfect sense that they'd react this way.
To their eyes, how insane must I look? Picking a fight out of nowhere with a Kunlun disciple and then launching a sneak attack to knock him out cold?
Only Yeongho Bin nodded repeatedly, looking deeply moved by my decisiveness.
But I had no time to explain myself.
"Let's go. We bypass the main path and break through the woods."
Leaving them with only those words, I dashed into the forest.
Sometimes, actions speak faster than words.
Baek So-cheong, Yeongho Bin, and Namgung Eon quickly followed right behind me.
However...
"Where are you heading in such a hurry?"
Unfortunately, we were already a step too late.
Someone had already blocked my path.
His movement technique was so astonishing that I couldn't even tell when or from where he had appeared.
Standing before me was a tall Taoist in his early forties, wearing a blue bandana on his head.
He was undoubtedly the first-generation disciple of the Kunlun Sect whom the fallen Taoist had referred to as "Martial Uncle."
Standing firmly in my path with a fierce glare, the sheer aura radiating from him made it clear that he was a formidable master of the First-class Realm.
The distinct presence of his internal energy was not inferior to Baek So-cheong's—no, it was clearly even stronger.
Whoosh!
Before I could even react in my panic, he moved first.
The speed at which he drew his sword was so blindingly fast that it was barely visible to the naked eye.
I instinctively reached for the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber to strike back, but...
The Taoist was already right in front of my nose. His right hand held his sword against my throat, while his left hand crossed over to grip the hilt of my saber.
I had been completely suppressed in an instant, without even a chance to lift a finger.
"Yeon-ah!!!"
I heard Baek So-cheong's desperate voice calling my name from behind.
But I raised my left hand to signal her.
It meant: I'm fine for now, don't move.
"Martial Uncle! Senior Brother Cheon-ho is safe. He was only knocked unconscious!"
Cheon-seung, the disciple who had gone to fetch the Martial Uncle, shouted from a distance.
Only then did the murderous intent in the Taoist's eyes soften slightly.
Yet, the cold gleam of the blade pressed against my neck did not waver in the slightest.
And then...
"Boy. Reveal your identity."
The Taoist demanded my identity once more.
I remained silent.
I simply struggled to keep a terrified expression off my face while racking my brain for a way out of this predicament.
And then.
Grab.
I don't know where I found the courage, but...
With lightning speed, I grabbed and twisted the Taoist's right hand, which was holding the sword, and snatched the weapon from his grip in a single motion.
But the Taoist was no amateur either. The moment his sword was snatched away, he used his left hand to draw the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber from my waist.
Clang!!!
In the next instant, the Taoist and I stood with our weapons swapped, our blades locked in midair in a tense struggle.
"How can a mere boy possess such strength...!"
The Taoist was visibly shaken.
Even if he had been caught off guard, he never expected a child as young as me to match him—a first-generation disciple of the Kunlun Sect—in a contest of strength, even for a fleeting second.
"But let's see how long you can hold out—"
And right at that moment, the Taoist's words were cut short.
Whoosh.
Out of nowhere, a sudden gust of wind howled, followed immediately by a sickening crunch.
Splurt!
A violent spray of crimson blood erupted right before my eyes, completely drenching my hair, face, and shoulders.
In the next heartbeat, the head of the bandana-wearing Taoist, who had been glaring at me just a moment ago, tumbled to the ground.
"!!"
His headless torso swayed for a second before collapsing backward, gushing blood onto the earth.
Watching a man who had been perfectly fine a second ago get decapitated in the blink of an eye, I froze solid.
Everyone else present was equally paralyzed.
"Nobody move."
In the chilling silence, a voice suddenly pierced our ears.
Strangely, the voice seemed to echo in both ears simultaneously, or perhaps directly inside our heads. It was impossible to tell which direction it was coming from.
It was a spine-chilling sensation, unlike anything I had ever felt in my life.
"Aaaah!"
But seeing their Martial Uncle's head suddenly fly off threw the second-generation Kunlun disciples into an instant panic.
Both the disciple who had gone to fetch him and the one who had just regained consciousness after my blow—every single one of them.
Despite the warning they had just heard, they scattered and began to flee in all directions.
And then.
Slash! Slice!
Without a single figure or even a shadow in sight, sharp, tearing sounds sliced through the air. Before they could even take a few steps, they were all reduced to cold corpses.
My group, including Baek So-cheong and myself, remained frozen in place, unable to budge.
And then.
"The young master's group is quick on the uptake. Good. That's how it should be."
Step, step. Leisurely footsteps drew closer and closer.
A man in his late forties, wearing a leather coat over a tattered robe, with his long hair loosely tied back.
His eyes were utterly hollow and devoid of emotion, despite having just slaughtered three people.
He approached in silence and looked down at the men he had just slain.
In his right hand, he held a finely honed sword, its razor-sharp edge gleaming with a cold light, without a single drop of blood on it.