The Unexpected Test
The atmosphere turned vicious in an instant.
Bandits sprang up from all sides like springs, aiming their spears and muskets at the young master. On his left and right, Cheon Gang and Gwak Ho-shin stood firm, gripping their weapons with calm resolve.
“Did you draw your blade?”
“Arrogant little whelp!”
“Where exactly do you think you are!”
One spark and the entire place would burn.
Amid the prickling tension that spread like wildfire.
Splash.
Im Cheon-hak casually dipped the teapot into the boiling water inside the kettle.
He handed the teapot filled with steaming water to the pale-faced Hwang Pil beside him and spoke quietly.
“So, shall we begin right now?”
“As escorts, we must stand guard. One never knows what might happen.”
“Escorts… Is that it?”
“That’s right—.”
“That man is so hard to please he needs the answer directly from the innkeeper.”
“Eh!”
At that moment, Hwang Pil’s expression turned anxious.
But whether he liked it or not.
Yeo Baek-rang, Ju Hwa-jeong, and Im Cheon-hak all watched with curiosity.
Gwak Yeon’s gaze shifted back to Hwang Pil.
“Captain Hwang, whether you recognize us as escorts is your decision. But we came here to this convoy with the understanding that we would be their escorts.”
The sword he held aimed at Hwang Pil now finished its sentence.
“From what I know, an escort is not someone who is forced to disarm like a fool before enemies who might betray at any moment.”
“Such…”
“Am I in the wrong here?”
No answer came.
This was exactly the reaction they had wanted.
Through the vampire’s heightened hearing, eavesdropped earlier in the carriage and in the private room of the inn.
The test to determine whether his companions were truly worthy of escort duty had already begun.
*At this point, we could have simply muddled through the conversation…*
…No.
But Gwak Yeon had no intention of stopping at this.
Not to turn the merchant group on its head, but because there were things he wanted to test.
*Im Cheon-hak.*
The Green Forest leader stared at Gwak Yeon with a strange gaze.
Gwak Yeon did not avert his eyes.
The man was clearly above Baek Jung-hyeok.
Of course. The rival’s arena had always been limited to the rising stars of Zhejiang Province.
In the Jianghu, there were more strong men than sand grains.
Gwak Yeon’s heart pounded as he encountered someone stronger than the black bandits he had slain in recent weeks.
Thump!
The staring contest began.
Recalling a connection from his past life, Gwak Yeon thought.
*Thinking about it, even the Green Forest had monsters like him.*
When the world was in chaos, hidden experts hiding in hidden valleys often carried only one sword, so among the Green Forest leaders, there were those worth facing.
Im Cheon-hak was no exception.
His frame, training, momentum, and collected power all looked quite impressive.
Thump!
His sense and physical abilities honed by drinking the blood of evil men over the years—how long had it been since he had tested his strength against a powerful foe without demonic abilities?
“………”
“………”
How long had Gwak Yeon and Im Cheon-hak been staring at each other?
The moment Gwak Yeon’s hand began to tighten with the excuse of violence.
Tap tap.
A man leaped down from the trees on the right side of the courtyard like a juggler, murmuring to Gwak Yeon in a cautious voice.
“On the pretext of escorting, looking at our leader that way? I understand. It shows some pride, doesn’t it.”
Muscular arms covered in tiger-patterned hood scars.
One glance told this was a man of high status.
Smiling casually while joining the conversation, he was clearly no more than the second-in-command after the leader.
“We see plenty of men who guard goods entrusted to us like guards at stations. But listen.”
“But?”
“You don’t know that acting this way backfires on the escort mission?”
“Why?”
“Because if you’re too arrogant, you might get a beating even when you don’t need one.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Because you stared at our leader like that, the second-in-command here is getting annoyed.”
“Thank you for the advice, but there’s no need to worry.”
Gwak Yeon continued with a smile.
The second-in-command’s face that had been smiling and talking froze.
“No matter how I think about it, the picture of getting beaten doesn’t form.”
This time the atmosphere truly froze.
“…Really?”
“…Really.”
The man called second-in-command looked up at the sky for a moment, then lowered his head slightly after tapping the spear against the ground and glancing at the leader.
A bow.
Im Cheon-hak nodded his head only slightly.
Just the fact that the second-in-command looked at Gwak Yeon again created the atmosphere of a duel.
“Do you want to give the young master a formal bow?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
With this, Gwak Yeon had pushed the situation to the limit.
But he felt a little sorry.
The second-in-command who had stepped forward was not enough to test his changed body against the leader.
*Still, fighting the leader directly will be hard.*
He had some idea of the Green Forest.
It was not common sense for a newcomer to challenge the leader right away.
So, even if insufficient, for now—.
“Th-.”
At that moment.
“Lord Guak. Why draw a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken?”
“Cheon Gang?”
“You’re more than enough for me.”
Cheon Gang swung his iron staff and stepped forward toward the second-in-command.
“Iyeongak’s Cheon Gang.”
.
.
.
The noisy bandits gradually retreated beyond the courtyard, creating a vast fighting ground in the blink of an eye.
“A butcher’s knife?”
“Rather.”
“Chopping chickens at Tianmu Mountain? That hurts the pride.”
“So, are you going to run?”
“It’s over. Let’s start.”
Laughing off Cheon Gang’s presence, the second-in-command named Yoon Geol lifted his spear.
Facing him, Cheon Gang raised his iron staff.
Tap… tap…
As they circled each other, swallowing hard.
Cheon Gang swallowed his dry saliva.
This was the perfect opportunity.
To repay the second young master of the Seoha Gwak Family who had taken him in when he was a wandering ronin.
Of course, there was more.
*The results of the training I’ve done so far will show.*
He had vaguely guessed.
That the second young master went out to train secretly at dawn.
It seemed like a determination to carry the burden alone.
At the same time.
Cheon Gang felt he was someone he could not rely on.
That was why he had trained fiercely.
*Even then…*
Every time, the young master poured out every point of the martial arts he had learned from the Flying Dragon Hall master without omission.
Recalling this, Cheon Gang’s iron staff thrust forward, and the fight began.
“Hwaaaa!”
“Hup!”
“Ha!”
Immediately, the second-in-command dodged the iron staff swing, swung his spear, lay back to dodge, and Cheon Gang swung his staff heavily to block the spear, then the second-in-command raised his front leg to kick while twisting his body, and Cheon Gang dodged again.
Whoosh!
Despite the power, both were skilled, and the clashes in the air continued with a fierce edge, occasionally producing strong impacts.
But.
As expected, the second-in-command of the Green Forest was the Green Forest second-in-command.
The gap showed.
Crash.
The second-in-command who had used a feint to lead the large motion of the iron staff then stabbed his right shoulder into Cheon Gang’s solar plexus, securing the lead.
“Second-in-command! The opponent can only swing and thrust! Enter at a diagonal and correct your habits!”
“Is this appropriate for training?”
“Cut it out! Young Master, are you attending a martial competition?”
“Nice.”
Gwak Yeon muttered with a smile.
But from this point, something strange began to happen.
While talking, Cheon Gang, who had been pushed back, was kicked sharply in the side by the second-in-command’s rear foot.
When the spear flew toward his twisting shoulder, Gwak Yeon’s shout struck his ear.
“Take one step back! Retreat!”
Even in confusion, the image was clear.
As trained, without knowing, Cheon Gang took a long step back and lay down.
“Manhyung Swordplay—form! Left—wide swing!”
From the position after dodging the spear.
A series of continuous actions.
With a wide, firm stride, rising with power and swinging the iron staff heavily in succession.
Bang!
After striking the back of the second-in-command’s arm that swung the spear, he added a follow-up with a spin, forcing the man to retreat.
“One step forward, flying fist—left three!”
From that state, he jumped forward, then quickly thrust three times with the iron staff held in his rear hand.
Clang clang, bang!
He had blocked two with the spear, but could not take a stable stance and was allowed a hit to the chest by the second-in-command due to Cheon Gang’s overwhelming momentum.
“Continue! It’s your distance!”
From then on, the situation was almost unbelievable.
Paba bapak!
The opponent had created a distance where only Cheon Gang attacked.
*What the…?!*
But the surprise did not end there.
By Gwak Yeon’s instructions as if possessed by a ghost, Cheon Gang unfolded the practiced actions he had been doing, and it was now visible.
“Capture with five steps of retreat! Continue wide swing—swing! And drop water—drop down! And Manhyung Swordplay—one palm! False flow—upper drop! Again form! Right direct—center!”
After barely blocking the continuous attacks, dodging, and finally falling for the last feint and taking a massive direct hit to the solar plexus.
Crash━━!
Like a doll with its strings cut, the Green Forest second-in-command grabbed his abdomen and sat down in a daze.
…Thud.
Cheon Gang’s face was bewildered.
When he swung the iron staff that had brought a heavy feeling to his hand just now.
*…I won?*
The courtyard where the Green Forest second-in-command lost was filled with cold, static silence.
* * *
Amid the silent shock spreading among the bandits.
“Oh, oh…”
“Look. I told you the staff hits well.”
“This much…!”
Smiling, Cheon Gang turned the staff again, and Gwak Yeon nodded with a satisfied expression.
Thump!
Gwak Ho-shin’s chest pounded at the sight of the two.
Contrary to his feelings, his expression twisted more and more maliciously.
He thought.
*…As expected!*
There was meaning in following.
He had left the management of Samho-gak to the second-in-command, and the meaning of accompanying the young master’s first convoy had been to train his own skills.
*Thanks to Brother, my experience increases!*
Gwak Ho-shin recalled what the young master had said after their duel.
“The Manhyung Swordplay is, in short, a sword technique that unfolds in every form of weapon. Mastering unfamiliar types of weapons in your hand will help improve your skill.”
Later, he obtained this large blade.
Gwak Ho-shin, who used a large blade with speed and technique as his weapon.
He had decided to practice the large blade used by those who wield powerful heavy swords because of his trust in Gwak Yeon.
Thump!
Watching the Manhyung Swordplay unfolded with the iron staff in Cheon Gang’s hand, Gwak Ho-shin confirmed that his trusted Gwak Yeon had not been wrong.
*I’m curious too?*
With that thought, Gwak Ho-shin smiled slyly.
After grooming the large blade, that killer’s smile burst out, and the bandits who helped the second-in-command up swallowed dryly.
A gulp.
Not only them were surprised in the courtyard, now bustling with a completely different atmosphere than before.
*What?*
Yeo Baek-rang’s eyes grew wide like lanterns.
Until a moment ago, he had been leisurely sipping the tea served by the leader Im Cheon-hak beside the kettle.
Now, seeing the second-in-command being carried by another bandit, his expression turned surprised.
*If he’s the second-in-command, isn’t he the second strongest here?*
For someone like that to lose like this?
To these escorts?
*Then could it be that Gwak Yeon too…*
No.
Yeo Baek-rang immediately changed the direction of his thoughts.
That it was not the Gwak Yeon who commanded loyalty, but the Gwak Yeon who had the good fortune to command strong men.
“Hmph.”
Yeo Baek-rang pouted with an unsatisfied face.
The boy who slightly leaned toward his nanny Ju Hwa-jeong muttered with jealousy toward Gwak Yeon.
“Good luck, huh?”
“Little Lord.”
Ju Hwa-jeong answered without turning her head.
Calling Yeo Baek-rang without answering the question was a kind of signal continued through long nanny life.
And the glance that slightly turned her head contained this meaning.
*…Now it begins.*
This was a test.
To score both Gwak Yeon, leading the Seoha Gwak Family, and Yeo Baek-rang on whether their investment value was worth it.
When returning to the merchant group, both would receive a score.
*So, when working, leave your emotions out, as I’ve been telling you over and over?*
*…I know.*
Even with his mouth coming out, Yeo Baek-rang nodded obediently.
Ju Hwa-jeong barely turned her head to hold back her smile.
In any case━━
Gwak Yeon and Cheon Gang.
In this situation, they had proven their own strength without using the Seoha Gwak Family name. The question arose of how strong the lord would be if the pavilion head was at that level.
Curiosity grew.
“Oh ho. Even if he received training, this much, he can be proud of his skill. But.”
It seemed this thought was not only Ju Hwa-jeong’s.
“Then, how strong is this young master?”
* * *
Im Cheon-hak stood up from his seat.
The moment the giant, over three chi tall, rose, the chaotic atmosphere was instantly cleared.
“Leader.”
“What.”
“There—”
“Take it easy.”
To Hwang Pil’s gaze as if saying the test should be done moderately, Im Cheon-hak answered with a big laugh.
“What’s curious about it.”
He threw off the tiger skin draped over his shoulder roughly and strode toward Gwak Yeon.
The countless traces of training and fights carved on his twitching upper body muscles.
While watching the powerful Im Cheon-hak who felt power just from walking.
“Go back.”
“No, Lord—”
“This is my fight.”
After sending Cheon Gang, Gwak Yeon walked to the center of the courtyard.
Stand.
They faced each other.
Im Cheon-hak was taller than thought.
While looking up by bending his head, a strange smile lingered at the corner of Gwak Yeon’s mouth.
*Has he also trained external energy? His frame is good, and the collected aura overall is beyond expectation.*
As large as a tiger’s head, his overall skeleton was more than half a beat larger than an ordinary person.
This was enough.
When he thought it was perfect to confirm the body that had grown stronger by absorbing the blood of evil men, not demonic abilities.
Thump!
Im Cheon-hak laughed leisurely.
“Weapons are not to be used. I can’t kill a young master with such a bright future.”
“Really, it’s escort duty now.”
Gwak Yeon, who answered, pulled out the sword sheathed at his waist and threw it back.
“Hm?”
“I also couldn’t find a reason to kill him.”
“You’ll regret it.”
“I thought you were a bodhisattva, and you even worried about me.”
“Hahaha!”
He had only laughed, but the air changed.
Im Cheon-hak suddenly stopped talking, spreading a tense atmosphere as if a sharp blade had been placed on a taut string across the entire courtyard.
“Weren’t you a bandit?”
“Rather, I knew how to bet.”
“Bet?”
“The winner takes what the opponent has. Well, bandits don’t bet like this?”
“You treat our Green Forest like thugs━━.”
His eyes sparkled.
Now, at this moment.
“It’s too good.”
“The bet is on?”
“You don’t know what I’d wager.”
“It’s common sense.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Whoever moves their hand first starts it.
“………”
“………”
The gazes of Gwak Yeon and Im Cheon-hak, who had been facing each other for a moment, sparkled without anyone saying who first.
Thump!
The two who had different smiles on their mouths shot their bodies toward each other.
Bare hands against bare hands.
Gwak Yeon, who wanted to test only his strengthened physical abilities, placed his front foot forward and swung his rear foot.
“Whoosh!”
Im Cheon-hak, who had subtly stepped back then shot out his hand.
Crouching to dodge, then like a dragon soaring, Gwak Yeon.
The first clash of the two experts.
Crunch━━━━━!
It was not a clash of hands, but a shoulder tackle.