44 – 04# Honeyed Words, Dagger in the Heart (3)

Beneath a cloudless, clear sky, the path we walked along, admiring the scenery of the waterfall cascading down a steep mountainside, was truly magnificent.

The escorts assigned by the Seonmu Academy strolled along at a leisurely pace, exchanging idle chatter. And at the very front, I stood with a stiff expression.

“As expected, Dae-hyeop always maintains a vigilant guard.”

“With all the ominous rumors lately, it’s good that we are safe this time.”

“……”

Regrettably, the others were chattering away behind me, but I had no time to stop them. Because this was my first time riding a horse.

*This is, surprisingly, terrifying. It looked so easy in dramas and movies.*

From the moment I first learned martial arts until now, nearly 25 years of my life have been lived as a warrior. But during all that time, I had never once ridden a horse.

In the first place, I never even learned how to ride from the old man. We could barely scratch out a living farming, how could we possibly care for a horse in those mountains?

If the old man had lived longer, perhaps I would have learned horsemanship. But he died suddenly only two years after I began learning martial arts. There was simply no time to learn.

At first, I didn’t notice anything strange. Because as soon as I saw the horse provided by the Seonmu Academy, I naturally found myself putting my foot in the stirrup.

But as I rode along the path, a thought suddenly struck me. Was horsemanship something that you could do so easily without any prior training? Wasn’t it?

*Could it be that I inherited other things besides martial arts from the old man?*

Sometimes, it happens. A master leaves memories or a sense of purpose to their disciple, in addition to martial arts or internal energy. Could this be something like that?

But I couldn’t dwell on the question for long. I sensed someone approaching from behind. Sure enough, when I turned my head, a massive young man was standing behind me.

He gave more the impression of a bear than a man. A hulking frame, hair tangled like the coarse fur of some beast. But at least the fellow’s eyes were certainly alive.

“Are you the Nameless Great Hero?”

“Indeed. And you, young friend…?”

“Forgive my rudeness. I am Ma Gang.”

“Very well, Young Hero Ma Gang. Is there perhaps something I can do for you?”

I’d already heard about Ma Gang from Namgung Yeon. A master whose name was etched upon the Hundred Greatest, known as the Black Tiger Greatsword for the way he wielded his greatsword with the ferocity of a tiger.

It seemed he had something he wished to say. Ma Gang, belying his size, shuffled awkwardly, a picture of troubled contemplation. Just as I began to wonder…

“Actually…”

“Ah, there you are! Ma Gang.”

“Young Hero Go Gyeom?”

Go Gyeom approached, a cheerful smile gracing his lips, and draped an arm around Ma Gang’s shoulders, interposing himself between us. As if deliberately interrupting our conversation. Surely, it was just my imagination?

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Young Hero Go Gyeom?”

“Ah, it’s just that this friend of mine holds you in such high esteem. He keeps breaking formation, trying to get close to the Great Hero, you see?”

“Is that so?”

“…Forgive me, Great Hero.”

Ma Gang meekly bowed his head in apology, then retreated back with Go Gyeom. I hadn’t realized I was so well-known. At that moment, Namgung Yeon led his horse closer.

“Master, wouldn’t it be wise to settle down and take our midday meal?”

“That sounds agreeable.”

“I shall see to it at once.”

Even rotten, the Sea Bream is still a fish, as the saying goes. Perhaps it was his Namgung family blood, for Namgung Yeon knew how to ride with practiced ease. In terms of sheer horsemanship, he was likely better than myself.

Thanks to this, Namgung Yeon took on the task of relaying instructions to the escorts and warriors in place of me, who was at the very head of the procession, giving me a much-needed respite.

As they say, even the Diamond Mountains are secondary to a full stomach. No matter how magnificent the view, it is useless if one’s belly is empty. We settled upon a suitable location and broke our fast.

“Master, I have prepared a shared meal. Would you care to join us?”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Of course, Seolhwa. Eat as much as you like.”

“…Seolhwa, junior sister, it is fine to eat, but shouldn’t Master partake first?”

“M-My apologies. I lost myself for a moment…”

We settled down peacefully, opened the shared meal, and began to eat. It was truly a picture of tranquility itself. But alas, the peace was not to last.

“Master.”

“I noticed it too.”

The oppressive energy hanging from the cliff’s edge robbed me of what little appetite I had left. My face, already cold, tightened further as I reached for my sword. I didn’t know what they were after, but…

“Uwaaagh?!”

“W-What is the meaning of this sudden outburst?!”

“……?!”

The unforeseen problem, however, was the commotion erupting behind me. I turned to see an unexpected bloodbath unfolding.

Not even an attack from some outside force. The very masters who, moments before, had been guarding our entourage now drew their weapons and began to strike.

The scene was so unexpected it short-circuited my brain. Yet, someone moved in my stead: Sua. Her blade, a streak of light cleaving the air.

*Thwack!*

But the lightning-fast strike severed… the very entourage members who were fleeing towards us for safety. Again, my mind froze.

“S-Sua-sa-mae! Why would you attack innocent guards?!”

“Look closely. And tell me if they are as harmless as they appear.”

“……Huh?”

At Sua’s words, both Namgung Yeon and I finally noticed what the guards held in their hands. Hidden within their sleeves, daggers. Common guards with daggers?

Hardly.

In other words, a faction planning this attack had infiltrated the entourage. And that meant the already chaotic situation was about to devolve into utter pandemonium.

Of course, a question gnawed at me: If she knew, why hadn’t she spoken sooner? But before I could voice the thought, I instinctively drew my sword.

*Kwaaang!*

A fist, like a bolt of lightning, crashed down, which I only barely managed to deflect with my blade. I’d blocked with the sharp edge, showing no mercy, yet the fist, as sturdy as tempered steel, remained without a scratch.

“So, you are the infamous Sword Demon? I hope this will prove to be a stimulating fight!”

“A rabid beast dares…!”

“Do you know what beasts excel at? Dragging those at the top down to the bottom!”

*Kwajik! Kwaaang!*

I steeled myself, preparing to strike down the beast-like man when, as if a lie, the ground beneath us gave way, and my body was thrown downwards. I flung myself away, desperate to escape.

“Please, do stay and play with us a little longer.”

“And who are you supposed to be?”

Thanks to the intervention of yet another figure, my escape failed, and I plummeted into the abyss.

◇

I don’t know what happened.

Quite literally, a crimson bolt of lightning descended before my eyes. An oppressive aura clung to that strike, and I knew instinctively that I couldn’t let it touch me, so I briefly closed my eyes. When I opened them again, Sifu had vanished?

“Sifu!!!”

Namgung Yeon’s voice, distraught, echoed as she called out to her master, fallen victim to a sudden ambush. But Soo-ah instead seized Namgung Yeon by the collar, glaring fiercely.

“So eager to die, are you? Still haven’t figured it out?”

“Huh? What suddenly…”

“I’m asking if you still haven’t realized that even a light escort, traveling a relatively short distance, can be infiltrated… that the Demonic Sect has sunk its roots deep into the heart of the Murim!”

Soo-ah wasn’t a fool. The Seonmu Academy, of all places, wouldn’t fail to properly verify identities. And even the Hundred Grandmasters were those whose status had been guaranteed by the Murim Alliance.

In other words, this situation was a textbook case of being betrayed by those you trust. Yet, why had Master not refused the escort?

The answer was simple.

The battles Master had fought until now.

They had always been like this from the start.

The fact that the Demonic Sect had sunk its roots deep, regardless of whether it was a righteous or evil sect, had already been made clear since the Muyong Clan. Meaning that nothing was out of the realm of possibility.

“Master will be unharmed. Therefore, we too must focus on the fight at hand.”

“…Could it be.”

“That’s right, Junior Sister. Look ahead, they’re starting to bare their fangs at us.”

Thanks to Seol-hwa, whose near-white hair belied a chillingly composed gaze as she stared ahead. Namgung Yeon was able to regain her wits, at least for a moment.

The Hundred Grandmasters.

Young masters recognized by the righteous Murim Alliance as having the greatest potential to reach the peak. Those who had seemed so dependable had turned into enemies in that fleeting instant, standing before them.

‘Tch, so they were aiming for Master to disappear. Whoever it is… they planned this meticulously.’

In terms of numbers and quality, they were at a significant disadvantage. But despite that, Soo-ah didn’t give up, holding her sword firmly. And neither did the other disciples.

Master never taught us to give up.