Uncomfortable Escort Squad (5)
The procession dispatched from the Murim Alliance—no, the delegation... no, whatever it had become by now—was heading smoothly toward Taewon.
Neither Yeom Gwi-bi nor Hyeol Tu had spoken a word to the escort agency's men or the Alliance members, so there were no conflicts. The only issue was that every mealtime, they plopped down right next to me, to the point where even the escorts and guards started avoiding me.
It left a little scar on my delicate heart, but when had anyone ever cared about that? Anyway, there were no problems on the way to the camp.
We sensed people's presences now and then while crossing mountains, but no one dared block our path. There really seemed to be a surge of third-rate bandits these days.
Every village we passed was full of gaunt, emaciated folks, and the inns only sold buckwheat noodles.
'Well, even the dimmest idiot would get chills seeing our group.'
The original delegation members were already an odd bunch, but after Yeom Gwi-bi and Hyeol Tu joined, we'd become a freak show unlike any other. Unless someone was utterly deranged, no one would pick a fight with us.
That said, it wasn't like we had zero issues.
There was a minor commotion in Taegok, the major city we had to pass through on the way to the camp.
For some reason, my cheeks started tingling, so I turned my head.
"Thump thump, does this mean we can finally uphold justice?"
Dang Seo-hee was getting excited at the sight of black path martial artists swarming the streets and group brawls breaking out at every corner on the way to Taewon.
"Haa..."
I had no choice but to drag her into the rowdiest-looking inn and grab a separate table just for us. Naturally, Yeom Gwi-bi and Hyeol Tu followed and sat down.
Fortunately, as long as I kept my sword hidden, no one in our group had visible weapons, making us look like easy prey.
"Miss, you've got some real killer looks on you!"
Sure enough, a black path thug with a long curved sword slung over his shoulder approached Yeom Gwi-bi, casually pinching her chin with his fingers.
"Oh my!"
Yeom Gwi-bi widened her eyes like a startled girl, her cheeks flushing red, and the thug licked his lips at the sight.
"Tonight, I'd love to show you some hot passion in bed..."
Don't do it, you idiot. You're gonna get your qi sucked dry...
The black path thug, oblivious that the woman he lusted after was a witch of legend, was shoving his own head into the tiger's mouth.
I turned to Dang Seo-hee and nodded.
"That guy's perfect for it."
I handed her the chopstick case I'd confiscated earlier, and she snorted, eagerly grabbing a fistful of chopsticks.
What, you planning to turn him into a porcupine?
Ignoring my baffled look, Dang Seo-hee pointed at the man with textbook poise.
"Hold it! You villain defiling the jianghu's order! It'd be better for you if you stopped..."
The moment Dang Seo-hee spouted lines straight out of a wuxia novel and reared back to hurl the chopsticks—
Splat! Crunch.
"Gaaahhh!"
A grotesque impact rang out, and the man twisted in agony, screaming.
Whoa! How does an arm bend like that? Huh, so natural I thought joints could move that way.
As the black path thug gurgled with both arms twisted in impossible directions—
Yeom Gwi-bi snapped her fingers, conjuring a small flame.
"Passion in bed, huh... Hehe, how cute! But no can do. Your qi looks way too filthy."
Whoosh.
The flame from her hand spread instantly across the man's entire head.
Even with his arms broken, he flailed to pat out the fire, but it only added to the acrid stench; the blaze showed no sign of weakening.
"Gwaaahhh!"
His apparent companions rushed in, slapping his head and dousing him with water, but the flames persisted. Only after burning off all his hair and leaving angry red burns on his scalp did they finally die down.
"......"
"......What the hell."
Gulp.
It was just one move, but the overwhelming display froze everyone in the inn—no one dared move.
The culprit herself, Yeom Gwi-bi, pinched her nose daintily and pouted.
"Sigh... The smell's awful. Can't eat anymore."
Acting all innocent now won't fly.
"Did you have to set him on fire?"
Despite my incredulous expression, Yeom Gwi-bi blinked innocently and flashed a sweet smile.
"He seemed to like it hot. This girl loves it hot too, you know? Teehee."
One more "hot" and we'd see the apocalypse of flame hell.
I sighed and turned my head.
...Only to see Dang Seo-hee, chopsticks still in hand, looking like a kid who'd had her toy snatched—frustrated and wronged.
'Oh crap!'
If she went around "upholding justice" and "doing righteous deeds" in Sahyeokryeon, it'd be a real problem. I'd tried to deflate her enthusiasm beforehand...
But my plan went up in smoke.
Plus, after seeing that one move from Hyeol Tu and Yeom Gwi-bi, no one else dared approach us.
'What now? Can't switch inns at this point.'
Where were all the usual street toughs when you needed them?
As I tried to console Dang Seo-hee with a vague "we'll get the next one," she asked in her signature blank expression:
"If a villain takes out another villain... is that upholding justice too?"
"Hmm..."
Now I'm curious. They say a hero's righteous deed brings justice. But if a villain does a righteous deed, does that count as justice?
As I pondered—
"No way. That was just venting. He touched my jade face with his filthy hands."
"I just swatted a fly buzzing around me."
Yeom Gwi-bi and Hyeol Tu answered Dang Seo-hee's question instead.
Great lessons for the kid. Damn it.
# I'd observed them for days to figure out why these two lunatics had joined us, but they did nothing unusual. I pretended to sleep at night, waiting for an ambush; I stayed vigilant for provocations or sabotage. But their behavior was utterly normal. They were just traveling companions.
Once I stopped paying attention to them, the road to Taewon grew unbearably boring, so I turned my thoughts to the martial arts I'd been putting off.
I couldn't practice physically, but I could grasp concepts and do mental visualization training.
Lately, I'd been deep into the Gongmoyeok Fist.
It exercised power by shattering space through will. Similar to Void Grasping, but a totally different concept.
Moyong Gang had said he'd teach it if I joined his clan, but that was pie in the sky, so I had to puzzle it out myself.
First, the principle.
If Void Grasping was extending tangible qi, then Gongmoyeok Fist had to be approached as dominating external qi.
In other words, controlling non-human energy with intent.
'But does that even make sense logically?'
To a typical rational guy like me, it sounded like nonsense. But having seen it with my own eyes and felt it on my body, my head denied it while my body believed.
I pored over my memories of Moyong Gang, frame by frame, analyzing the Gongmoyeok Fist.
'What the hell is it?'
Even replaying it, I couldn't get a feel. Empty air suddenly warped into a massive palm shape, that's all.
But its power was undeniable.
'What if it formed a sword shape and edge?'
No dodging that without serious injury. The thought only made me crave it more.
'Again.'
This time, not the visual scene, but the sensation.
In my past life, this vivid recall of nightmare moments made every day hellish. Who'd have thought I'd use that curse like this?
As I sank into new deep reflections, amid the flood of sensations, a peculiar fragment surfaced.
I rewound the memory and focused on the sensation.
Moyong Gang chasing me like mad. Me fleeing for my life ahead of him. Between us, a faint, subtle energy overtook me.
'What?'
I paused the memory and zoomed in.
A tiny dew-like distortion holding space warp, like the Gongmoyeok Fist.
Tiny dew...
Tiny dew...
'...!'
It hit me. This was the clue to unlocking the Gongmoyeok Fist's secret.
'Problem is, what the hell is it?'
I ransacked all my memories and records, even my horrific Demonic Cult experiences, but no one used similar energy.
I'd found the clue, but without knowing its nature, I couldn't use it.
I scoured Moyong Gang's teachings too.
And...
[The attempt to unite the Way of Nothingness and the Way of Nature. That is the Gongmoyeok Fist.]
I spotted the oddity in his words: "attempt."
Moyong Gang said the roots of martial ways and nature's way were the same. Yet he used "attempt."
This implied the Gongmoyeok Fist hadn't fully united with nature's way.
'If it had, he wouldn't have played tag with me. He'd have been ahead or subdued me already.'
So this "tiny dew" was Moyong Gang's "attempt."
The Way of Nothingness moves by intent; nature's way flows by laws.
Like Moyong Gang, I gathered energy in my palm, making it tangible. A lump of intentless qi.
I infused strong will and shot it out.
Pfbt.
It fizzled out after half a chi, no space warp or nature qi change like Gongmoyeok Fist.
'Well, can you just shoot intent like that? That'd mean I've reached heart sword realm... Crazy! Did that bastard scam me with heart sword?'
Doubts snowballed, making me suspect everything about Moyong Gang.
But I couldn't imagine a martial sage pranking with something like that.
As my thoughts raced, Hyeol Tu approached.
"What're you doing?"
Stop sticking so close. People'll think we're buddies.
I shrugged casually, like it was nothing.
"Just bored, that's all."
Then Hyeol Tu started chuckling creepily.
What, was he even crazier than I thought...?
"Performing sorcery right in the Murim Alliance delegation? You've got some balls."
"Pardon?"
"...!"
Ak Byeongbi, leading ahead, perked up at "sorcery" and turned back.
That guy's got ears like a ghost.
Hyeol Tu clung stubbornly.
"Won't tell me your master?"
But I had a hunch I might get a key clue, so I perked up a bit.
"What do you mean? Sorcery?"
"Hmph! Gonna keep playing dumb?"
"No, I really don't know."
"Huh?"
Hyeol Tu eyed me suspiciously, then looked dumbfounded at my serious face before whipping his head away.
"You don't answer my questions, so why should I answer yours?"
What's with this guy? Not a kid anymore.
Normally I'd ignore him, but my curiosity about Gongmoyeok Fist was too strong.
"You ask first then. But you have to answer mine too."
"Fine."
Hyeol Tu smirked triumphantly and sent a transmission.
-How'd you learn the Sword Demon's arts?
Figured as much... He knew.
Since he'd used transmission out of consideration, I answered honestly.
-Stole 'em.
"What?!"
Why yell after using transmission perfectly?
Hyeol Tu's shout startled the escorts and guards into backing away. Ak Byeongbi was stroking his steel spear. Guess the delegation leader had a smidge of protective instinct?
I stared Hyeol Tu down.
"My turn. What do you mean by sorcery?"
But he furrowed his brow.
"...You didn't answer properly."
"I did. Don't believe me? Ask him yourself."
"Like I know where he is."
"He'll show himself to the world soon enough."
Hyeol Tu's eyes flashed at my reply.
"For real? If you're lying..."
"Come find me anytime. At the Murim Academy, ask for representative Jin Sowoon."
The Sword Demon told me to say that, so it wasn't a lie. Even if I invited him, could Hyeol Tu even reach the academy? The Alliance HQ was right there.
Hyeol Tu eyed me suspiciously, groaned, and finally spilled.
"...What you used is a common sorcery trick."
"Trick?"
"Yeah. Like this."
Hyeol Tu opened his palm and shot qi into the woods.
Moments later, a chilling scream erupted from the forest.
"Gaaahhh!"
Hair-raising, but no presence detected no matter how I spread my senses.
"How'd you do that?"
"Packed sound into it and detonated in another space."
"Packed sound?"
"Yeah, sorcerers' go-to for fooling people."
Come to think of it, Blood Cult sorcerers had deployed illusion arrays from afar. I'd dismissed it as mechanisms back then, but now it seemed fishy.
"You really didn't know?"
"How would a righteous orthodox sect disciple like me know filthy black path sorcery?"
"Hoh...!"
Hyeol Tu looked at me like I was fascinating.
"Why stare like that? It's creepy."
Hyeol Tu nodded, murmuring "Impressive," and answered.
"Means you instinctively gravitated to black path sorcery. As expected of the Black Path Alliance's joint vanguard—different breed."
Damn it, no! Moyong Gang walks the orthodox path... Wait, does he? Not really a "righteous" guy by the book. Lucky he's from the Moyong clan, or he'd be a jianghu public enemy.
"So you can only pack sound into that qi?"
"Hm..."
Hyeol Tu pondered deeply, like it was a new thought.
Then a clear voice chimed from the other side.
"Young master, you're such an intriguing fellow. Packing something else into qi... How about we discuss the martial Way in detail tonight?"
Yeom Gwi-bi had slipped her finger onto my shoulder. Her obvious intent made me reject outright.
"Pass. And get your hand off."
"Oh my... I thought the Black Path Alliance's joint vanguard would be well-versed in Yin-Yang Union Arts too."
Stop slapping "martial art" on random crap. And quit acting chummy. It's awkward. At this rate, even Ak Byeongbi might peg me as a black path spy.
Ignoring Yeom Gwi-bi's pout, I looked to Hyeol Tu. He'd finished thinking and shook his head.
"No need to pack anything. Qi loses its essence the more you refine it."
"Loses its essence..."
Hyeol Tu's parting words lingered in my mind oddly.
Then an escort suggested to Ak Byeongbi.
"Detouring a bit might be safer, sir. Heard Gakmun Stronghold's been rowdy lately."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Other processions are taking this route too."
As Ak Byeongbi opened his mouth to reply—
Hyeol Tu, mid-conversation with me, bellowed loudly.
"I'd prefer this way."
"Pardon?"
All eyes followed his pointing finger.
"......"
No one spoke easily.
Hyeol Tu pointed straight at Gakmun Stronghold's turf.
The escort, unused to this, looked flustered.
"But Gakmun Stronghold..."
"Wouldn't it be weird for the Murim Alliance delegation to detour around one bandit lair? Right, Captain?"
Even approaching Ak Byeongbi, whom we'd both subtly avoided...
'What the hell's he playing at?'
Ak Byeongbi wouldn't stomach that. And with Hyeol Tu opening his mouth, no backing down either.
...Fight was inevitable.
I started scheming: attack Hyeol Tu or Yeom Gwi-bi first?
I'm an orthodox elite, after all—gotta "uphold justice." Yeah, right.
As I thought that—
-What do you want to do?
Ak Byeongbi's transmission hit me. What? Why now?
Until now, his only "choice" for me was when to drink water.
...Asking something this big?
Before I could process, even weirder words followed.
-I'll follow your opinion.
Damn, Hyeol Tu alone gives me headaches, and now Ak Byeongbi's unreadable too. For real.
I clutched my throbbing head and replied.
"Just detour. No point dealing with a stronghold."
I nodded toward the opposite way, and Hyeol Tu crossed his arms.
"I want this way."
"Then go ahead with your group."
"That breaks our companionship pact. Guess I'll have to kill you all."
Damn, what the fuck?
I suppressed my crumpling face and looked to Ak Byeongbi.
"Captain, better follow the senior's words."
Gakmun Stronghold scary? Sure, but less than Hyeol Tu. He breaks people, right?
Hyeol Tu smirked, satisfied with my flip. Ak Byeongbi's eyes curved oddly.
-So that's how it is...
Ak Byeongbi sent one last cryptic transmission and turned sharply.
Leading these lunatics and inquisitors is shaving years off my life. Goddamn it, just try detouring. I'll claim compensation for my lost lifespan.