Impure Movements
Where had such a monster suddenly appeared from?
The man, Dokgo Juhan, swallowed dryly as he faced the young child before him.
Judging by his height, the boy could not have lived more than ten years.
Yet this child had cut down martial artists who had eaten sword rice for decades.
He might well be the heir of some other black path sect.
The black path of Hubei was firmly under the control of Dokgo Juhan’s own sect, the Black Tiger Sword Sect.
That meant the child was most likely the successor of a sect from another region.
No heir of the so-called righteous white path would ever radiate such killing intent.
“I would like to know your name.”
“You speak so boldly while exuding such a savage aura?”
“If you refuse to speak… I will simply have to force you!”
As Dokgo Juhan stamped his foot, the surrounding air grew heavy with oppressive force.
It was the energy of the Black Tiger Flame Qi Art, the foundational mental cultivation method of the Black Tiger Sword Sect.
Yet it had no effect whatsoever on Baekri Hyeong.
The Yellow Dragon Emperor Heaven Art was not a method that would fall behind something as trivial as the Black Tiger Flame Qi Art.
The Azure Dragon Qi stirred vitality throughout Baekri Hyeong’s body from his middle dantian.
It was slowly healing the backlash from using the Vermilion Bird Killing Sword.
Dokgo Juhan was momentarily flustered by Baekri Hyeong’s unnaturally relaxed appearance, but quickly regained his composure.
If the boy had been the sort to cower from a mere foot stamp, he could never have slaughtered Dokgo Juhan’s subordinates.
“Your clumsy power only brings death.”
“Nonsense.”
“It ends here.”
Shwaaaaak!
Dokgo Juhan kicked off the ground and thrust his blade straight for Baekri Hyeong’s throat in an instant.
It happened in the blink of an eye, yet Baekri Hyeong’s eyes had already read every movement, and his body was prepared to counter.
Chaeng-aeng!
“How?”
“How what? It was all visible to me.”
“Damn it!”
Dokgo Juhan clicked his tongue and retreated after his attack was rendered useless.
Baekri Hyeong did not pursue recklessly.
From that single exchange, Dokgo Juhan must have realized the invisible gap in their abilities.
He would also have understood that escape was impossible.
If he turned to flee, his head would be severed in that very moment.
“What’s wrong? You look terrified.”
“…Then I suppose I must go first.”
Crack!
When Baekri Hyeong converted his Azure Dragon Qi into White Tiger Qi, his eyes turned pure white.
The instant Dokgo Juhan adjusted his stance at the sudden change, Baekri Hyeong’s leg, infused with White Tiger Qi, stomped down upon the earth.
Kwaaaaaang!
It was the movement technique imbued with the energy of the White Tiger, the divine beast of the west—the White Tiger Roar Step.
The sheer mountain-like pressure shattered Dokgo Juhan’s posture.
Using the momentum of the White Tiger Roar Step, Baekri Hyeong surged forward.
“This madman!”
Chaeng!
In that brief moment, Dokgo Juhan sensed the terrifying killing intent and raised his guard, barely deflecting Baekri Hyeong’s sword.
Yet it was imperfect.
Whether Baekri Hyeong had used penetrating force or not, the clash alone had shaken Dokgo Juhan’s insides.
Baekri Hyeong did not stop.
He poured out the next strike.
Kwaaaaaang!
At the same time, an unreal sight unfolded before Dokgo Juhan’s eyes.
A colossal White Tiger, as large as a mountain range, opened its maw and lunged at him.
There was nowhere to dodge, and no strength left to resist.
Its razor-sharp fangs descended to crush his skull.
Puhwaaaak!
When the White Tiger’s jaws snapped shut, Dokgo Juhan’s head erupted in a fountain of blood, as though torn apart by the beast’s teeth.
It was the first form of the White Tiger Advancing Sword, the Giant Tiger Bite—executed through White Tiger Qi.
“Th-this is impossible!”
“The young lord… fell to a single technique?”
Dokgo Juhan’s subordinates, who had witnessed the unbelievable scene, were seized by shock.
A child far younger than themselves had slain their young lord, who had received the teachings of the Black Tiger Sword Sect.
And with only a single technique, at that.
Only one word echoed in their minds.
Run.
If they did not flee, they would die.
“Aaaaaah!”
“It’s a monster! A monster has appeared!”
“Run awayyy!!”
Dokgo Juhan’s subordinates fled without even attempting to retrieve their young lord’s corpse.
This worked in Baekri Hyeong’s favor.
There was no need to waste time dealing with more black path martial artists.
After all, the reason he had come this far was—
“Ah. I still have to catch the one who ran.”
What to do?
In truth, the distance was close enough to pursue.
The fight had not lasted long, and the man carrying something was clearly exhausted.
The problem was that he was the young lord of the clan.
It would be difficult to handle matters quietly.
“Should I kill him?”
No matter how much Baekri Hyeong had regressed and begun living again as a member of the righteous path, the lessons he had learned in the war against the Demonic Cult had not vanished.
If someone’s death could prevent unnecessary complications, then they must be killed without exception.
In his previous life, the white path had ultimately abandoned chivalry and righteousness entirely.
If the man was within black path territory, he would extract the information and kill him.
After all, no one would ever know.
In this era, aside from his master, no one could recognize the sword traces of the Four Guardian Deities Sword.
His master was certainly not from the Black Tiger Sword Sect.
The decision was made.
If he encountered the man who had fled with something in hand, he would kill him.
Tadat.
Following the man’s footprints, Baekri Hyeong caught up within mere seconds.
The man had not yet returned to white path territory.
“Wait.”
“Hiiiiiik!”
“You. What are you carrying?”
“Y-young lord? How did the young lord come to be here?”
“I asked what you are carrying. Do my words sound like a joke to you?”
“..!”
The man was visibly startled to learn that the one who had saved him was the young lord of the clan.
Yet he had felt somewhat relieved, thinking the boy would not harm him.
Now, sensing killing intent radiating from Baekri Hyeong, he could only shrink back in fear.
“It seems you are mistaken about something.”
“Pardon…?”
“I never intended to let you live from the moment you fled the clan while carrying something.”
“..!”
“Besides, this is black path territory. A murder or two could easily occur here, could it not?”
“Y-young lord!”
The man felt the image he had held of the young lord shatter.
The sight of the boy radiating such viscous killing intent and threatening him reminded him of a yaksha from hell.
Of course, Baekri Hyeong cared nothing for how the man perceived him.
“But who knows? If you tell me exactly what you planned to hand over to the Black Tiger Sword Sect, I might spare you.”
“..!”
“I do not want to hear excuses about being forced by empty threats. So speak only of what it is. If you tell me your story, I will simply kill you.”
“I-I understand.”
Whether his reason had been paralyzed by the killing intent or not, the man presented the documents he had been clutching to his chest.
Baekri Hyeong examined them closely.
It was a ledger detailing exactly where the clan’s annual budget had been spent.
“You… have you gone mad?”
“I-I am sorry! I have committed a grave sin!”
“If you intended to leak this ledger to the Black Tiger Sword Sect… then it seems they are indeed planning to make a move.”
How unfortunate.
Of all times, they had chosen now to act.
Baekri Hyeong knew precisely how significant this ledger was.
Even if he did not recognize the man’s face, the fellow must have risen to a high position within the clan.
Only someone close to the Finance Hall Master could have accessed such a ledger.
Yet why would he leak it without concern?
There was only one reason.
The Baekri Clan, which had remained sealed away for a long time under pressure from the Murim Alliance, had set its sights on returning to the martial world under the Sword Sovereign’s leadership.
What did that have to do with the leaked ledger?
It was obvious.
If the Black Tiger Sword Sect tried to use the leaked ledger to pressure the clan, the Sword Sovereign would move first and annihilate them.
The only reason the Black Tiger Sword Sect had survived as Hubei’s black path until now was simple.
Their only real opponent had been the Zhuge Clan.
Though the Wudang Sect was also part of Hubei’s martial world, they had no interest in the black path.
Self-proclaimed Taoists had no reason to clash with black path sects.
The actual struggle for interests occurred solely between the Zhuge Clan and the Black Tiger Sword Sect.
But if the Black Tiger Sword Sect struck first, the justification would fall to the Baekri Clan.
Even among the black path, public opinion mattered; the masses would not tolerate the slaughter of black path martial artists without cause.
If they were attacked first?
Then annihilating them in retaliation would be perfectly justified.
In that sense, this ledger reaching the Black Tiger Sword Sect?
It did not matter.
After all, it was a sect the Sword Sovereign could handle alone.
“You must have calculated the risks and arrived at this decision, but it was a poor choice.”
“Th-then you will spare me?”
“Why would I?”
“B-but you clearly said you would!”
The moment the man reached for Baekri Hyeong’s trouser leg after the sudden change in tone, he met the boy’s emotionless eyes.
Those cold, piercing eyes were utterly mismatched with an innocent child.
Only then did the man understand.
The young lord had never intended to let him live from the very beginning.
“The crime of leaking the clan’s important documents is grave.”
“Young lord!”
“I will send you off without pain.”
“No—”
Before the man could protest, Baekri Hyeong’s blade sliced across his throat.
