Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Ma Dok-jin was so famous that there was no one in the Murim who did not know him. Although his internal rank in Martial Sovereign Castle was only fiftieth, the ranking was actually created by those who loved to gossip, so it held no great meaning.

In a word, Ma Dok-jin was strong.

Considering his peak martial arts skills, his long experience of surviving in the Jianghu, and the reason he had made a name for himself in the Unorthodox Faction, he was by no means someone Namgung So-hye could face.

‘Even…’

Namgung So-hye swallowed hard and turned her head.

The man standing next to Ma Dok-jin was Gwon Mu-jin, a master of fast blade techniques.

He was an expert who had recently gained more fame than Ma Dok-jin by handling most of the tasks assigned to him in his stead.

‘Even Gwon Mu-jin…’

To think that such people would block her path.

“It is an honor to meet the famous Senior Ma Dok-jin.”

Namgung So-hye tightened her grip on her sword hilt, scanned the surroundings, and spat out a greeting in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

“Kahaha! It seems my name has entered the ears of a green young junior.”

Watching him burst into laughter, Namgung So-hye realized.

She realized the fact that this was absolutely not a dream, and that she might find it difficult to survive.

Wearing a bitter smile, she gripped the sword hilt even tighter.

At that moment, Ma Dok-jin turned his gaze and looked down at the Five Swords of Hunan.

“Are those guys behind you the Five Swords of Hunan who reportedly wiped out the Black Dao Association?”

Instead of answering, Namgung So-hye glanced back.

However, the faces of the Five Swords of Hunan were pale white.

Were they afraid? The experts who had invaded the headquarters of the Black Dao Association and subdued its leader?

‘Something is wrong.’

Recalling the fear in their eyes, she felt a sense of gloom.

If the palm force she had seen last time was real, they should possess skills that were by no means inferior to Ma Dok-jin, so why were they trembling in fear?

“T-That's right! We are the Five Swords of Hunan!”

“Hmm… No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like bastards like you could have done anything to the Black Dao Association…”

Ma Dok-jin tilted his head as he examined the features of the Five Swords of Hunan.

Are they experts who can suppress their momentum internally?

If they were at that level, it would have been possible, but Ma Dok-jin did not miss the fear filling the eyes of the Five Swords of Hunan.

He glared at Ma Il-woong with a strange expression.

‘D-Damn it! I can't fail like this here!’

On the other hand, Ma Il-woong swallowed his saliva.

Who was he?

He was a con artist who ripped people off. Since even Namgung So-hye had fallen for his trick, there was no reason he couldn't deceive Ma Dok-jin.

“Y-You bastard! How dare a mere lackey of the Unorthodox Faction block our way!”

He shouted boldly and took a step forward.

In times like this, one had to act even more boldly.

For if the opponent detected your trembling heart, you wouldn't be able to pull off any scam.

At that moment.

“Kahaha! Interesting! I ran all the way here from Shanxi myself just to see you. Now, quickly show me. The skills that subdued the Black Dao Association Leader!”

Ma Dok-jin shouted, unleashing a massive momentum.

At his ferocity, which made it seem like he would pounce at any second, not only Namgung So-hye but even the Five Swords of Hunan, who had pretended to shout boldly, trembled again.

“D-Don't worry. This big brother will handle it.”

“S-Shouldn't we run away?”

The Five Swords of Hunan muttered to one another. Since they knew Ma Dok-jin's name, they also knew how cruel and terrifying of an existence he was.

However, Ma Il-woong stepped in front of Namgung So-hye with an unbothered expression.

“Hoh?”

The moment Ma Dok-jin wore an interested expression, Ma Il-woong took his stance.

“My blade has no eyes. The moment it is drawn, you will die. Will you still be fine with that?”

“Gasp!”

At those words filled with spirit, even Ma Dok-jin was startled for an instant.

However, quickly regaining his composure, Ma Dok-jin smirked and glanced at Gwon Mu-jin.

Clang, clang!

Gwon Mu-jin drew two small sabers.

This was the very reason Gwon Mu-jin had become famous.

He freely wielded the two sabers, subduing his opponents with dazzling hand movements.

“W-Will you be alright?”

“Hmph! Do not worry! There is no way I would fall to a guy like that!”

Ma Il-woong boasted.

Yet, was it just her imagination that his voice trembled slightly? Even the hand resting on his sword hilt seemed to be shaking rapidly, like a person who was truly terrified.

“I clearly warned you. My single sword strike will cleave heaven and earth, so no one can dodge it, and no one can block it. If you do not wish to die, back off immediately!”

“A grand spirit indeed. However, since I have also received my lord's command, I cannot back down.”

Gwon Mu-jin gripped the two sabers with a tense gaze.

Without letting down his guard, Gwon Mu-jin slowly took a step forward.

“Back off! Do you truly wish to die!”

“…”

Gwon Mu-jin broke out in cold sweat. It felt like the sabers gripped in his hands would slip. It had been a very long time since he had felt such tension.

Soon, the moment Gwon Mu-jin took another step forward.

“H-Heaven and Earth Creation Sword!”

With a roaring shout, the opponent's sword was drawn.

However, it was extremely slow.

It was so slow that one could easily dodge it if they wanted to.

Just as the blade reached its peak, a bamboo tube suddenly flew in from behind.

Bang, bang!

It was a smoke bomb.

Smoke rose from all directions. The smoke, which covered the area in an instant, completely blocked their vision.

Even Namgung So-hye wondered what was going on.

“R-Run!”

Namgung So-hye was startled by the voice heard from behind soon after. For she could hear the Five Swords of Hunan running away in a hurry.

She reached out and grabbed someone's sleeve, but they shook it off in an instant and fled.

“…”

As the smoke slowly cleared, three people were standing in a daze. Gwon Mu-jin, who had fully taken a stance to counterattack, wore an awkward expression, and Namgung So-hye turned her gaze away, her face blushing like a bright red apple.

“Pfft… puhahaha!”

The one who broke the silence and burst into laughter was none other than Ma Dok-jin.

Watching him laugh like crazy, Namgung So-hye felt like she wanted to hide in a mousehole out of sheer embarrassment.

“Puhahaha! The Murim Alliance must be doomed! To think the famous Phoenix Squadron Leader tried to recruit such idiots! Heaven and Earth Creation Sword? Heaven and Earth Creation Sword! Puhahaha! Is that not truly a peerless divine art!”

“Y-You… argh!”

Namgung So-hye looked back with a gaze mixed with anger and embarrassment, but they were so fast that they couldn't even be seen anymore.

“Unbelievable… I-I was deceived!”

“Hahaha! Puhahaha!”

Ma Dok-jin laughed like mad.

Like the Unorthodox Faction's maxim that the deceiver is bad but the deceived is a fool, Ma Dok-jin felt like he had become a fool just now.

After laughing for a long time, he suddenly stopped and looked at Namgung So-hye with a coldly settled gaze.

“You made me make a trip in vain?”

Woorung!

Ma Dok-jin's killing intent, piercing like an awl, was truly hard to bear. The face of Namgung So-hye, which had been flushed red, turned pale in an instant.

Ma Dok-jin glanced back and looked at Gwon Mu-jin.

“Kill them. Leave not a single one alive.”

“Understood!”

Swish!

Gwon Mu-jin swiftly threw his body forward, and the other subordinates moved behind him.

“It was quite fun. However, I came here all the way from Shanxi with the expectation of meeting a great expert…”

Aaargh!

A shriek echoed from not too far away. Hearing that sound, Namgung So-hye shrank back.

No matter how quickly the Five Swords of Hunan had escaped from sight, they were not fast enough to outrun those who practiced martial arts.

In the end, they would all die.

However, now was not the time to worry about them.

‘Focus on what is in front of you! Namgung So-hye!’

Gwon Mu-jin and the other subordinates had disappeared, but Ma Dok-jin still remained.

And he had not discarded his fighting spirit.

It meant Namgung So-hye also had to struggle to survive.

Swallowing hard, she slowly raised her internal energy and composed her momentum.

“At least you must entertain me, girl. Unless you truly wish to have your limbs torn apart and die.”

* * *

‘Damn it all!’

Sprinting forward, Gwon Mu-jin grabbed one of the Five Swords of Hunan by the hair. He thrust his saber forward, piercing the man's neck, cast the groaning bastard aside, and threw his body forward once again.

‘I thought they were experts who could crush that damn bastard's nose!’

To think they were such weaklings after all?

“P-Please spare me…”

He looked down at the man begging for his life and frowned.

To think he had been tense because of a mere bastard like this?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Because of his lowborn family status, he could not rise to a high position no matter how hard he struggled. That was why he had put in even more effort, and this was the martial arts he had polished, believing someone would recognize his true worth.

Yet, the fact that he had been played by a mere bastard like this made him angrier and hotter with rage the more he thought about it.

Stab!

“Gurgle!”

The blade he thrust forward pierced Ma Il-woong's heart. The opponent's pleas for mercy did not even reach his ears now.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Gwon Mu-jin was so angry because he had been pushed back in momentum by a guy like this, and the fact that he had been scared, even if only for a brief moment, felt like a complete denial of his life as a martial artist.

“We have cleaned it up.”

The subordinates who appeared from behind bowed their heads.

‘Damn it, the expert I wanted to face didn't show up!’

Frowning, he nodded his head. By now, the Phoenix Squadron Leader was probably being crushed like a toy by Ma Dok-jin.

If they did not rush to stop it, it was obvious that a full-scale war with the Murim Alliance would break out.

The moment he turned his back while thinking that.

“Oh dear, did they end up dying?”

A voice was heard.

Since no one had felt the presence or aura of anyone approaching, everyone was startled.

Looking toward the direction of the voice, a man was approaching, examining the dead Five Swords of Hunan one by one.

After checking the wounds remaining on the corpses, he turned his head.

“Quite impressive. It has been a long time since I saw such neat work.”

The man smiled and looked at Gwon Mu-jin. His eyes were filled with interest.

The moment he met that gaze, Gwon Mu-jin retreated backward without realizing it.

Strangely, his body naturally moved backward.

Cold sweat broke out on his brow.

“Who… are you?”