Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Paeng Se Gi
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The village was burning, and people were dying.
Those who had lost their homes overnight in the span of a single morning stood dazed, while children who had lost their parents collapsed beside corpses and burst into sobs.
It had been a humble, impoverished little village.
Bandits from the martial world had raided this small village and set it ablaze.
Se Yeong couldn't just pass by the tragedy that had befallen it.
"Five martial artists wearing swords suddenly stormed in, killed the villagers, and set the fires."
Having heard the old man's story, Se Yeong immediately set off in pursuit.
Clang clang clang...!
The young man swung his massive blade, knocking away five sword blades, then dashed toward the leader.
It seemed he wanted to take down the strongest among them before dying.
Clang!
The sword and blade clashed. The young man twisted half a step, spinning his body, and sliced open the first one's chest.
Shhhk...
In that instant, the remaining four sword blades pierced into his form.
At the same moment, Se Yeong moved as well.
Kuuaaaagh...!
The leader screamed with his jaw split open.
Thud thud thud...!
The iron rod smashed the bandits' heads and pierced their chests.
With the sound of shattering bones, red blood soaked the young man's face and body.
Gurgle... Gack...
Thump... Thump...
The bandits with crushed skulls and pierced chests crumpled to the ground.
Se Yeong stepped past the dazed young man.
"W-Wait...!"
The young man's voice called from behind.
Se Yeong stopped and glanced back, meeting the eyes of a youth about his own age.
Judging by the large sword in his hand and the ochre martial robes, he seemed to be from the Paeng Family.
"Who in the world are you, great hero?"
"No point in telling you since we'll never meet again."
With that reply, Se Yeong turned and resumed walking.
At the time, Paeng Se Gi had been too far away to clearly remember his benefactor's face.
But what stuck vividly in his memory was the iron rod slung over that young martial artist's shoulder.
'Could it really be that same person from back then?'
It had been about four years ago, but the experience had been so intense that it still appeared in his dreams from time to time.
Paeng Se Gi shot to his feet and rushed into the Forest Lord's room.
"N-No, Young Master Paeng!"
The physician standing guard at the Forest Lord's door hurriedly tried to block him but was flung aside by his brute strength.
Bam!
The Forest Lord welcomed him with her usual smile as he burst through the door.
"Did you forget something?"
"Who was that martial artist you were just talking to?"
She calmly deflected his urgent question.
"The blood kin of a very close acquaintance."
"Which family is he from, and what's his name?"
"No reason to answer that."
He was desperate.
How could someone around his age be so strong?
Paeng Se Gi wanted to become an absolute master recognized by the entire martial world, just like his father.
No—he dreamed of surpassing his father.
"Please, I beg you, tell me. At least where he lives."
The Forest Lord pondered as she met his earnest expression.
If it had been any other martial artist asking about Se Yeong, she would have denied knowing.
But Paeng Se Gi was a bit different from the rest.
His fiery temper led to frequent mistakes, but he was polite, righteous, and upheld justice.
"You'll be able to meet him at the Murim Alliance."
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
Paeng Se Gi bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
Paeng Se Gi raced toward the Murim Alliance.
His body wasn't fully healed, but finding the man heading there took priority over his pain.
Yet the man was nowhere to be seen.
'I've run this far—I should've caught up by now.'
He halted his lightness skill and scanned the surroundings.
"He couldn't have already entered the Murim Alliance, could he?"
He resumed his lightness skill and pressed on.
He ran day and night without even eating, but still no sign of him.
'Did he really enter the Murim Alliance already?'
Just half a day more, and the Murim Alliance would come into view.
As a master of profound martial arts, he might have arrived ahead.
"Eh, whatever. The Forest Lord said he'd go to the Murim Alliance, so he must be there."
Who was the busiest person in the Murim Alliance?
Not just there, but in the entire current martial world—it was Strategist Jegal Hyeon.
He managed not only the Alliance's operations but also intelligence from the jianghu, martial artist deployments, and security.
His once-calm temperament had grown rough amid the endless busyness, and his temper had shortened.
Hmm.
He sat in his chair, eyeing Paeng Se Gi with displeasure.
The Paeng Family had hoped he wouldn't be sent to the Murim Alliance.
Mountain Beast Blade Paeng Yu Gi.
If this fool joined the Elusive Squadron, a fight would break out within an hour.
The Strategist hoped against hope as he posed the question.
"What brings you to the Murim Alliance?"
Paeng Se Gi answered forthrightly.
"I've come to join the Elusive Squadron."
"...I see."
He had prayed it wasn't so, but the answer was as expected.
He wanted to tell him to leave, but he couldn't—considering the boy's father was the Heaven Dominating Blade King.
"Join the Tenth Squad."
The Tenth Squad was practically the Elusive Squadron's exile ground.
It housed those who caused trouble or couldn't get along with squadmates, all lumped together under watch.
The Strategist figured Paeng Se Gi would surely explode in anger.
He'd demand how they dared mock him by assigning him to the Tenth Squad.
But instead of rage, the boy spouted something incomprehensible.
"Has a young master with an iron rod in one hand and swords at both hips come through?"
The Strategist tilted his head.
"No."
Disappointment was plain on Paeng Se Gi's face.
"Understood. I'll come back later."
With a formal bow, he spun on his heel and left before the Strategist could respond.
Too late, fury surged. The Strategist shot up and bellowed.
"What manner of rude bastard is this?!"
After finishing breakfast, Se Yeong stepped out of the inn.
"I'm heading to the Murim Alliance—which way do I go?"
The innkeeper kindly came out and pointed the way.
"Follow this road straight until it splits. Take the right fork."
"Thanks."
Se Yeong headed in the direction indicated.
After leaving the village, the fork appeared just as described.
How long had he walked down the right path when a young man standing under a cypress tree suddenly jumped out in front?
Se Yeong recognized the young man's face immediately.
"What?"
His impression from Healing Forest had been poor, so a gruff tone slipped out unbidden.
But the young man's reaction was worlds apart from before.
"Greetings, great hero. I am Paeng Se Gi of the Paeng Family."
Se Yeong was surprised to learn the burly man's voice could be so affable.
"And?"
Se Yeong's continued gruffness embarrassed him, flushing his face.
"Do you perhaps remember smashing the heads of the Evil Poison Five Swords and piercing their chests?"
"Evil Poison Five Swords?"
"Yes. Half-brothers with the same father but three different mothers, they lived off human trafficking and pillaging. You slew the second, third, fourth, and fifth, saving me."
Only then did Se Yeong recall that the men he'd killed were called the Evil Poison Five Swords.
"So you were that young master back then."
At Se Yeong's mention of the event, Paeng Se Gi's face lit up.
His guess had been right.
The one who saved his life was this man.
"I finally meet my benefactor. Thank you so much from back then."
Paeng Se Gi immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
"Enough. I just killed the scum I intended to anyway."
"Even so, the grace of saving my life stands."
"Pleased to meet you. Farewell."
Se Yeong sensed he'd grow exhausted staying with this man and tried to leave quickly.
But Paeng Se Gi had no intention of letting him go.
He hurriedly caught up and clung on.
"W-Wait just a moment. I'm heading to the Murim Alliance too."
"How did you know I was going there?"
"The Forest Lord of Healing Forest told me. Might I know your esteemed name, great hero?"
Paeng Se Gi stuck to Se Yeong's side like glue as he tried to walk.
"Han Se Yeong."
"Ah... So you're Great Hero Han Se Yeong. Is your family in Hubei Province? Or Shanxi?"
"Yellow Gate Mountain."
At the answer, he tilted his head.
Was there a mountain by that name?
"Where... is that mountain?"
"You wouldn't know even if I told you."
Realizing his question was rude, Paeng Se Gi quickly changed the subject.
"Um... Might I ask your age in zodiac terms?"
Se Yeong grew slightly irritated at the endless questions.
But the man's voice was so warm and friendly that he couldn't snap.
"Tiger."
Paeng Se Gi was slightly flustered.
He was also a Tiger, twenty-two this year.
But he couldn't suggest brotherhood with his benefactor and master, despite their equal age.
"I... see. I'm a Rabbit, twenty-one."
"Is that so?"
His lukewarm response only fueled Paeng Se Gi's enthusiasm.
"Yes. You're my senior, so from now on, I'll call you brother. Accept this little brother's bow."
As they walked side by side, Paeng Se Gi suddenly dropped to the ground and bowed again.
Se Yeong was dumbfounded by his absurdity.
How many times had he seen him to insist on brotherhood with bows?
"Why are you doing this for me?"
"Because I respect Great Hero Han."
Paeng Se Gi answered without hesitation.
"That's all?"
He hesitated at the question before replying.
"I've never seen a master as strong as you among those my age. I want to become strong like you. I'll learn on my own—just let me stay by your side."
Se Yeong had once wrestled with the same desire.
He'd pushed himself to match his grandfather, grandmother, and father.
It had led to qi deviation, from which he'd barely recovered.
Se Yeong looked down at Paeng Se Gi's earnest eyes.
'The Murim Alliance is uncharted for me. He might be useful. And when I establish my family later, he could help.'
All he knew of the Murim Alliance was rumors.
Building and maintaining a family required many hands.
"Fine."
At Se Yeong's permission, Paeng Se Gi beamed with joy.
"Thank you. Thank you, brother."
Overcome with happiness, he kept bowing on the ground.
"Get up."
"Yes. Today is the happiest day of my short life. To commemorate, let me treat you to drinks at an inn."
"Drinks later. Let's reach the Murim Alliance first."
Paeng Se Gi sprang up and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Se Yeong toward the Alliance.
After a long silent stretch, his mouth apparently itching, he glanced sideways and spoke.
"Brother, let me carry that iron rod for you. Give it to me."
Se Yeong handed over the rod without a second thought.
"Uh...?"
A startled groan escaped Paeng Se Gi as he took it.
It was far heavier than expected.
His own greatsword at his side was made of million-year steel, heavier than most blades.
But this rod was much heavier still.
"Brother, what metal is this rod made of to be so heavy?"
"Meteoric iron."
"This heavy?"
Paeng Se Gi examined the rod curiously.
'For that build, he's surprisingly docile.'
His face was half again as wide as the tall Se Yeong's, his body thick and sturdy like a log or boulder.
As they walked, Se Yeong spoke.
"Long ago, a massive chunk of meteoric iron fell to earth. A renowned blacksmith forged two swords from it. That rod's made from the scraps."
"Where are those two swords now?"
"One my grandmother has. The other, my grandfather lent out, but the borrower's never returned it."
Outraged, Paeng Se Gi bellowed.
"What?! Who dares not return a borrowed sword? Just say the word—I'll wring his neck and fetch it!"
Hahaha...
Se Yeong laughed heartily.
If he knew the borrower was the Infinite Sword Immortal and the current Alliance Leader refused to return it, would he still boast so loudly?
"Who is it, brother? Tell me quick!"
"Later."