An Unwelcome Rival
Rumble, rumble!
The carriage sped down the road. The well-trained black horse charged through the rough forest path without a hint of exhaustion, enduring the driver's violently aggressive handling as if it were nothing.
Inside, the carriage shook and jolted violently.
Yet, the driver maintained a perfectly serene expression, looking as though he was entirely accustomed to such a wild ride.
The young man sitting inside the carriage seemed equally unbothered, remaining still and focusing on his breathing.
He possessed a physique so massive it made the spacious carriage look cramped.
Paeng Do-jin, a direct descendant of the Paeng Clan, slowly opened his closed eyes and stared down at his palm.
"..."
His palm was drenched in sweat.
Staring at it, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.
"...Excellent."
He clenched his open hand into a tight fist.
"Absolutely excellent."
Paeng Do-jin smiled as he recalled the man he had just met.
He had taken quite a liking to him.
"And here I thought it was just an empty rumor."
The successor of the Sword Saint—the greatest of all time, the supreme master of the world who had ascended to the peak by ending the Great War between Justice and Evil—had finally appeared.
Rumor had it that he had beaten the Namgung Clan's Young Azure Sword to a pulp and saved the Dang Clan in Sichuan, making a grand name for himself.
When Paeng Do-jin first heard those stories, he hadn't been particularly impressed.
Rumors in the Central Plains were notoriously unreliable, and he was a man who trusted nothing but his own instincts anyway.
He hadn't believed a single word of the absurd claims that this newcomer would trample the Seven Great Talents underfoot or become the next generation's greatest under heaven.
Normally, he wouldn't have even bothered to meet him.
But his name caught my attention.
The Young Sword Saint.
His name was the issue.
Bang Seong-yeon.
The bastard son of the Yo-ryeong Bang Family.
There were many rumors about how he had become the Sword Saint's successor, but that didn't matter to Paeng Do-jin.
He is Bang Seong-yeon.
To Paeng Do-jin, only one thing about that name mattered.
Her fiancé.
The man of the woman he desired and intended to make his own.
That was all that mattered to Paeng Do-jin.
Even now, the memory of their conversation that day remained vivid in his mind.
"I have no interest in you."
"Why? You won't find another man like me in the entire Central Plains."
It was no exaggeration to say that Paeng Do-jin lived on pure confidence. He had been just as brazen that day.
"I want you. Become my woman. Do that, and the world will be yours."
He believed without a doubt that he would rise to the absolute peak of the world.
Naturally, the woman standing by his side would share in that conquest.
He had spoken those words with absolute conviction, but...
"Ha."
The woman had merely laughed at his declaration.
It was a scoff, clear and mocking.
Whether she disbelieved his words or simply didn't care, she sneered and replied:
"I don't care much for the world. And besides, I absolutely detest ignorant men like you."
"What a strange thing to say."
He had brushed off the insult of being called ignorant.
After all, he knew he wasn't ignorant.
"If you don't want the world, then what do you want?"
"Who knows? I don't think I'm obligated to tell you. And more than anything..."
The woman had brushed her hair back with her delicate fingertips.
She was beautiful. Paeng Do-jin had thought so in spite of himself.
"I already belong to someone. I'm betrothed."
"Ha."
Paeng Do-jin had laughed at her words.
"Don't lie to me. Do you think I don't know your engagement was already broken?"
"Broken?"
Paeng Do-jin had flinched. The woman's eyes had turned incredibly sharp.
"We did no such thing."
"What?"
"Even if we did, it doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything."
"What is that supposed to..."
"You asked me what I want if not the world, right?"
She was still smiling, but he realized her smile had subtly changed.
It was no longer mocking.
"Well, I suppose it is somewhat similar."
It was a genuine smile.
A smile that fully embraced the emotions she usually kept hidden.
Ironically, that was the exact moment Paeng Do-jin had fallen for her.
"That man is my world. It's not something you could ever give me."
"..."
The smile vanished from Paeng Do-jin's face as the memory faded.
Not long after that conversation, he had discovered she was searching for someone.
Bang Seong-yeon.
Her ex-fiancé.
A descendant of a ruined family whose engagement had been broken years ago.
He had wondered why a woman like her would chase after such a man.
And then it turned out he was the Young Sword Saint.
Creak!
The carriage groaned and shook under the sudden surge of Paeng Do-jin's energy.
"Young Master, please. You mustn't break the carriage."
"Ah, my apologies."
At the driver's warning, Paeng Do-jin immediately withdrew his energy.
Leaning back, he pictured the man once more.
"This is troublesome."
Extremely troublesome.
"It would have been so much easier if he were just a fool."
Meeting him in person had made one thing clear.
"I actually like the guy."
Paeng Do-jin had taken a liking to Bang Seong-yeon.
That absurd presence.
"How is that even possible?"
An unfathomable, deep abyss of power.
Faced with Bang Seong-yeon, Paeng Do-jin had truly been unable to do anything.
What was more...
He directed it solely at me.
A crushing pressure laced with fighting spirit, a supreme energy that weighed down the body.
He had controlled it with such precision that not a single shred of it leaked to the surroundings, focusing it entirely on Paeng Do-jin.
"Ha."
Possessing sharp instincts, Paeng Do-jin had felt that energy and realized one thing.
I would lose.
If the power the man possessed truly carried that kind of weight, then even if he drew his saber, he would be defeated.
And what about his movements?
There were no openings.
Even as he simply walked, not a single gap in his defense could be felt.
A sharp, lethal edge permeated his every minor movement.
I heard he hasn't even reached his twentieth year.
What on earth did he have to go through for his very footsteps to reek of blood?
"Fuuu..."
Paeng Do-jin repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.
"I want to fight him."
He desperately wanted to fight him.
He had been curious because he was the man she loved, and if he had turned out to be pathetic, he would have swept him aside on the spot.
But meeting him had set his competitive spirit ablaze.
"...Did he tell me to show some manners?"
Even though drawing his weapon right then might have resulted in his own defeat, the man had refused to draw his sword simply because the setting wasn't right. Such arrogance.
He liked that pride, that attitude of looking down on him as if he were insignificant.
He has the strength to back it up, so I must acknowledge it.
Since he had the power, he had every right to act that way. That was why Paeng Do-jin laughed.
"...This is truly troublesome."
To think he would feel this way again.
It was the first time since he had faced that monster from Mount Hua.
"Hahaha!"
Paeng Do-jin laughed aloud and closed his eyes.
The upcoming Yongbong Association was going to be incredibly entertaining.
That was his final thought as he drifted off.
"Achoo!"
I pinched my nose as a sudden sneeze erupted. What was that? Was someone talking behind my back?
I wiped my nose and glanced around.
I had noticed it earlier, but the atmosphere inside the carriage was incredibly quiet.
It had been like this ever since we set off again.
Do-hyeong was staring out the window just like before, but the vibe around him was strange.
As for Cheon Hye-in, a chilling, murderous aura was visibly seeping from her.
Caught in the middle, Cheon Ui-jin was constantly walking on eggshells around her, unable to utter a single word.
What a mess.
I couldn't help but marvel at how disastrous the mood in the carriage was.
The root cause of all this was, of course, that bastard from the Paeng Clan.
...What a freak.
Just thinking about him made my skin crawl. I had never met anyone like him before.
They weren't kidding when they called it the Heavenly Martial Body.
Setting aside his freakish personality, his physical build was undeniably incredible. I had only heard rumors about the Cheonmujeche, but seeing it in person made me realize just how real it was.
A body specifically optimized for martial arts, combined with talent inherited from his ancestors.
Talk about a silver spoon.
He was the definition of someone born with a golden ticket. Thinking about it made my stomach turn.
[His body is indeed quite desirable.]
As if reading my mind, Yoo Chun-gil nodded and spoke.
[Strictly speaking, in terms of physique alone, I would say it surpasses even mine in my youth.]
Oh?
That was high praise. To say it was better than Yoo Chun-gil's own body was no small thing.
[Of course, I still would have beaten him.]
"..."
He just had to add that, didn't he?
What was he even competing with a dead man for? He really was relentlessly stubborn.
[But, child.]
Hearing him call out, I looked at Yoo Chun-gil.
[Are you really not bothered by what that fellow said?]
"..."
I frowned at his question. I was already thinking about it anyway.
He said "Lady Moyong," didn't he?
He claimed she belonged to him and that he would never hand her over. Paeng Do-jin had said that with absolute certainty.
There was no need to guess who this "Lady Moyong" was.
Moyong Yeong-sun.
There was only one direct descendant of the White King in the Moyong Clan.
Their only daughter, Moyong Yeong-sun. Since she was the only one, the lady he referred to was undoubtedly her.
But...
Why?
Why did that bastard bring up Moyong Yeong-sun out of nowhere?
That was the question.
There must be something going on between them.
Something had to have happened between the two. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a claim.
I had never heard anything about this from Moyong Yeong-sun, but it was the only explanation that made sense.
And...
Is that why he sought me out?
The reason he had come looking for me could also be explained by this connection.
My participation in the Yongbong Association is supposed to be a secret, but...
There was no such thing as a perfect secret in this world.
With the information network of the Five Great Clans, they could easily find out that much.
...And he probably found out that I was previously betrothed to the Moyong Clan.
I didn't know which piece of information he got first, but did he seek me out because of that?
...Hmm.
I scratched my cheek.
Is there something going on between the Paeng Clan and the Moyong Clan?
Engagements between the Five Great Clans were common enough.
Since the Moyong Clan only had one daughter, it could be a bit complicated, but if the partner was the Paeng Clan, it wouldn't be a bad match.
"..."
I tapped my fingers against the window frame.
[Tsk, tsk. You are bothered by it, aren't you?]
I clicked my tongue inwardly at Yoo Chun-gil's teasing.
Bothered, my foot.
I didn't care at all. If anything, the only thing I cared about was whether this would bring trouble to my doorstep.
It's her life.
There was no reason for me to get involved.
My only concern was that Paeng Do-jin might become a nuisance to me.
[You rascal. It's written all over your face. You're definitely bothered.]
"..."
Since Yoo Chun-gil wouldn't stop pestering me, I simply closed my eyes.
I kept thinking in the dark.
Was his name Paeng Do-jin?
He had bragged that he was such a great man that once I heard his name, I would never forget it.
Amusingly enough, he was right.
He's already becoming a pain.
The name of that ignorant freak was now firmly engraved in my mind.
Annoyingly so.
By the time dusk began to settle,
Neighhh!
The carriage, which had been traveling for hours, finally came to a halt.
"We have arrived!"
At Chu-dong's call, I stretched my stiff body and stepped outside.
The moment I stepped out, a cold wind brushed against the tip of my nose. Shivering slightly in the chilly weather, I wrapped my clothes tighter around myself to ward off the cold.
[You rascal... Have you still not mastered it?]
Yoo Chun-gil spoke in a disappointed tone, looking at me with disapproval.
He was referring to the technique of regulating body temperature using internal energy, which he had mentioned back in Sichuan.
...I forgot.
I felt unfairly accused. When did I ever have the time to learn that?
I was busy running around all day; how was I supposed to find the time to practice such a trick?
Damn it.
It was freezing. I really needed to learn it before winter was over.
"Haa."
A faint puff of white mist escaped my lips as I exhaled.
It was proof that winter had truly arrived.
As the mist drifted upward, my gaze followed it toward the horizon.
There, in the distance, our destination came into view.
...Whoa.
An exclamation of awe escaped my lips the moment I saw it.
Towering walls stretched out in all directions, and despite the onset of night, a strange, vibrant light emanated from the city.
Furthermore, a massive banner draped over the fortress wall proudly displayed the emblem of the organization that ruled this place.
The Martial Alliance.
I swallowed hard as I stared at it.
I finally made it here.
The Martial Alliance, the core of the Orthodox faction.
The very place where the headquarters of the Alliance and Shaolin, the leader of the Nine Sects and One Gang, resided.
The main headquarters in Henan.
I had finally arrived.