Chapter 56: Who is Bullying My Guest?
The burly man opened his mouth.
"Twenty years ago, I lived in the Hundred Thousand Mountains under the name Jang Mu-gil, known by the moniker North Mountain Sword Fiend. Does anyone here know me?"
A thick weariness laced the middle-aged man's voice.
Dokgo Hyeop and Taesa Seok, standing side by side, exchanged a quick glance. But they both shook their heads in unison.
"We're sorry, Senior."
"Please forgive our shallow knowledge, Senior."
Neither knew Jang Mu-gil.
But I was different. The moment the name Jang Mu-gil left his lips, a faint scene replayed in my mind.
North Mountain Sword Fiend Jang Mu-gil. From the memories I inherited, he was a trusted subordinate of the late Yong Dae-seok. That meant there was a good chance his search for me as Yong Jeong-heon was connected to him.
Watching from the sidelines, Bongmareung muttered,
"It all ties together naturally—Yong Dae-seok and the White Path Church. So Jang Mu-gil and the White Path Church are moving to carry out Yong Dae-seok's will? And that's why they're looking for you?"
"......"
I sank into thought without a word.
In the end, all questions circled back to the beginning. Why did Jang Mu-gil call me Yong Jeong-heon? What the hell was I?
'I won't change anything until I solve this mystery.'
So I had to intervene here.
I gazed at the still-standoffish demonic cultivators and opened my thoughts.
'Bong, what's our win rate if they fight like that?'
"Win rate, huh. Hmm, let me see..."
By sheer numbers, it was hard to calculate—20 against 1.
But this wasn't a back-alley brawl; it was a life-or-death duel between martial artists.
"He's banged up here and there, but that guy's a Transcendent Human Realm master. The Taesa Clan bloodline adds a variable, but I'd say he still has a 60-70% chance of winning."
'Yeah? What if I join Jang Mu-gil's side and fight together?'
"That drops it to about 50%?"
'...?'
Why had the odds gotten worse? Frowning in confusion, Bongmareung chuckled and explained.
"Kid, you're still just second-rate. You know nothing about coordinated combat. If your movements don't sync, you'll end up hurting your own side more often than not."
Damn. Fair point.
But even if I didn't jump into the fray myself, there were ways to help Jang Mu-gil. I'd diligently trained Intangible Quick Blade in the meantime, raising it to three stars.
"Still, don't even think about blocking swords with it. Treat it like a sturdy pair of iron chopsticks at best."
'I know. Not planning to join a blade fight with this.'
I glared steadily at the scene.
Like the Shinmu Association's sorcerers, Taesa Seok also wore a mirror at his waist. But his was a high-grade brass one, not bronze.
A special artifact with unique abilities.
'Let's use that.'
"The Taesa Clan's brass mirror? Clever idea! If you turn it against them, Jang Mu-gil's win rate skyrockets—over 80%."
Bongmareung nodded vigorously.
The plan was set.
While I schemed, the situation escalated rapidly.
"Senior, to cut to the chase—what's your connection to the heretical White Path Church?"
"And who is this Yong Jeong-heon you're seeking here? Don't you know this is Dokgo Clan territory?"
Dokgo Hyeop and Taesa Seok pressed Jang Mu-gil, hands on their sword hilts, radiating icy killing intent.
They called him "Senior" in name only—their attitude screamed enemy.
After such a massive clash of blades, it was only natural.
And Jang Mu-gil wasn't one for polite words either.
"If you don't know me, then scram. Defy me, and I'll cut you down too."
"......!"
Their grips tightened on their sword hilts. Heirs of renowned demonic clans, treated like street thugs—it was inevitable.
Finally, two swords were drawn.
"It seems Senior is an enemy of our cult."
"No need for words—let's converse in the language of the demonic path!"
As the two young masters declared their intent to subdue him, the warriors leveled their blades in unison.
Piiiieek!
The signal horn for reinforcements blared.
'Now!'
I unleashed Intangible Quick Blade in a frenzy, slamming it repeatedly into the center of the brass mirror at Taesa Seok's waist—as many strikes as I could manage.
The suddenly battered mirror erupted in a deafening clamor.
Clangclangclangclangclangclangclang!
"Kuhk!"
"Uwaaak!"
Those nearby clutched their ears against the ear-shattering, eerie noise.
One of the brass mirror's abilities: the Striking Sound Technique, automatically triggered to assault foes with sound waves.
Even at my distance, the disorienting vibrations reached me.
"T-Tae-Sa brother...!"
"What's happening? What the hell?!"
Dokgo Hyeop, right beside him, took the worst of it—his legs buckled, and he staggered.
Panicked, Taesa Seok fumbled the mirror into his robes.
Jang Mu-gil seized the moment.
"Fools!"
The middle-aged man's form shot forward like it had been yanked by an invisible string. He charged the two young masters and Dokgo warriors like a wolf baring its fangs.
"Behold. Now comes the true Total White Thunder God Sword."
Boom!
Lightning seemed to explode from the sword tip. A storm of white thunderbolts weaving straight lines and curves. The blade's gleam flashed repeatedly like lightning tearing through the night sky.
"Kaaak!"
Four warriors blocking his path flew back from a single strike.
Taesa Seok drew his sword, deprived of his mirror, but his eyes wavered.
The demonic cultivator bellowed with laughter.
"Think you can match me?!"
Bang!
A powerful diagonal upward slash sent Taesa Seok's body airborne. A thunderbolt front kick followed, shoving him back.
True to his sorcery specialization over martial arts, Taesa Seok hadn't lasted even a single exchange.
"Hup!"
The sword tip plunged toward the tumbling Taesa Seok's throat.
He flipped his body like a tumbling goat, barely dodging.
Breaking free, Taesa Seok glanced at Dokgo Hyeop.
"Little brother! What are you doing?!"
"Kuhk......"
Dokgo Hyeop still clutched his head. The aftershocks from my Intangible Quick Blade assault on the mirror lingered.
Jang Mu-gil grinned savagely.
"Come on, then. Let this senior teach you a sword lesson!"
"Damn it all!"
Taesa Seok frantically signaled the Shinmu Association sorcerers.
They raised their bronze mirrors in unison, chanting spells.
"Burning Spell Dream Shift, Spirit Chariot Descent, Escaping Marsh Inscription......"
Just like when Taesa Rok had warped the night sky before me.
The surrounding forest crumpled like paper, wrinkling and crumbling. Everything shrank and twisted like an old woman's creased skin.
"Sorcery to disrupt distance perception. They're buying time."
To resist the illusion, I activated Ghostly Spirit Wall Eye.
Only then did everything come into clear view.
But Jang Mu-gil brute-forced through it.
"Your Taesa Clan is as petty and underhanded as ever!"
Flash!
Red sword qi shot from his blade tip like bullets.
Dismissing the sorcery as laughable, the qi pierced five sorcerers' chests. They collapsed without resistance, and the ravaging spell shattered emptily.
'Insane.'
I was honestly impressed. A Transcendent Human Realm master who had reached the realm of Sword Qi Projection was overwhelming them single-handedly.
What would an Immortal Slaying Realm demonic cultivator be like?
Then blood sprayed from Jang Mu-gil's mouth.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Oh no... He wasn't at full strength."
Bongmareung's murmur.
The backlash from expending qi had caused internal bleeding.
Circulating Extreme Heaven Nine Wheels Art for a closer look confirmed it. Bloodshot eyes, cheeks sunken like a corpse and trembling faintly.
"His injuries are severe. This is trouble."
As the fight hit a lull, Dokgo Hyeop rose using his sword as a cane and stepped forward.
"Damn it. Taesa brother, get behind me! Dokgo warriors—form the Eight Directions Sword Formation!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Shaking off his dizziness, Dokgo Hyeop aimed his sword at Jang Mu-gil. A strange confidence gleamed in the young swordsman's eyes.
He'd spotted an opportunity in Jang Mu-gil's bleeding.
The slowly rising angle of his blade was proof.
"Charge!"
His reckless-seeming dash gained majesty as the warriors followed, forming an encirclement. The Dokgo Clan's famed Eight Directions Sword Formation and their combined sword arts unfolded at once.
'Lone Martial Sword Supremacy!'
"Fundamentally supreme speed sword, akin to illusion sword styles."
Swoosh!
Dokgo Hyeop slashed down powerfully, black sword qi coiling around the blade.
Bongmareung murmured in quiet admiration at the clear display of sword qi manifestation.
"He's definitely surpassed the Extreme Stillness Realm and entered the Transcendent Human Realm. A genius."
Beyond first-rate, at the cusp of peak mastery.
A step above Beom Se-un and Gye Cheon-bing, whom I'd faced—despite being a year younger.
"Not bad. His father, Dokgo Jae, was no slouch either."
Dokgo Hyeop proved his potential by dropping a thunderbolt slash over Jang Mu-gil's head.
For an instant, the blade seemed to split into four prongs.
'That's an illusion sword.'
"Exactly. He's got skill."
Only one real strike. How would Jang Mu-gil respond?
The middle-aged man vomited a clot of blood and swung.
Bongmareung grimaced.
"Tch! That fool's burning his inner energy on reckless stunts again...!"
Once more, he chose raw power. To demonstrate the gulf in levels, Jang Mu-gil unleashed another barrage of sword qi, countering Dokgo Hyeop's.
"......!"
Pop pop pop!
The illusion blades scattered and vanished against the red qi.
An overwhelming difference in skill. The gap between a fresh Transcendent Human Realm and a wounded veteran was vast.
But that was precisely Dokgo Hyeop's aim.
"Now! Press him!"
The formation warriors surged, hounding Jang Mu-gil like hounds cornering a wounded wolf.
The Dokgo warriors executed flawless coordination without a single mistake. They just needed to hold until reinforcements arrived—that was their resolve.
"Kuhk......"
Jang Mu-gil, already injured and drained, endured with a deathly pale face. Blood dripped from beneath his chin beard.
'Bong, win rate now?'
"Under 30% now. Reinforcements seal it. Figure out how to help him."
'Got it. But shouldn't win rates be more consistent? Like a broken abacus?'
"......"
Bongmareung clammed up. Shaking my head lightly, I prepared to move.
From here, I'd have to take the risk myself.
I didn't know why, but I couldn't let the man who'd come searching for me die like a dog.
"Huuu......"
Descending quietly from the tree, I took a long, deep breath.
Then, pushing through the underbrush, I bellowed at the top of my lungs.
"Who is bullying my guest—!"
I poured every ounce of inner energy into a groundless lion's roar. The mountains and trees trembled.
Advancing, I infused my eyes with Ghostly Spirit Wall Eye. My piercing gaze swept the area like a warning, freezing everyone in place.
"......"
The atmosphere went deathly still, like a mouse under a cat.
The fight halted in an instant.
Worth channeling Yong Baek-heon for once.
Taesa Seok and Dokgo Hyeop turned to me and spoke.
"Young Cult Leader!"
"White Path Church heretics barged in claiming to seek the Young Cult Leader's body double. What's going on?"
But I checked Jang Mu-gil first.
His blazing eyes confirmed he saw me as Yong Baek-heon too.
I spoke at once.
"Seniors, have you forgotten? I'm no longer the Young Cult Leader......"
—I am the Yong Jeong-heon you're seeking.
The first to the two young masters aloud. The second a transmission to Jang Mu-gil.
The middle-aged man's eyes widened.
—You...?
Pretending to survey the area carefully, I continued calmly.
—Tell me. Why do you call me 'Yong Jeong-heon'?