Chapter 101

Dancer (1)

It had been a long time since his last solo mission.

Namgung Jun set out with the precious spiritual medicine he had received from the Lord of Ink carefully tucked away in his robes.

Throughout the journey, he continuously practiced his movement arts, alternating between the old movement techniques of Namcheon Palace and the footwork he had derived from the Gwonamugo.

His proficiency in both had improved, yet neither felt like a perfect fit for his body.

Perhaps, now that he had fully adapted to the transformed Muhanbo and Cheonju's Divine Step, what he truly needed was an entirely new movement art.

But no inspiration comes to mind just yet.

Namgung Jun did not grow impatient.

There was no telling when inspiration for a new movement technique might strike. Until then, all he could do was continue deepening his mastery and understanding of movement arts.

After traveling for more than twenty days, he finally stopped using his lightness skill when he neared his destination.

Mount Mong.

It was the mountain where the Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven was said to be undergoing secluded cultivation.

The mountain itself was not particularly tall, but its mountain ranges twisted together in a bewildering maze, making navigation difficult.

As he climbed the mountain path while reviewing the details of his mission, a question naturally arose in his mind.

Why isn't he cultivating in seclusion at the main fortress?

For a member of Changcheon Society, there was no place more suitable for secluded cultivation than the headquarters itself.

Though the question had surfaced suddenly, Namgung Jun did not dwell on it.

There were surely reasons and circumstances unknown to him, and supreme masters often viewed the world according to their own standards. It was hardly surprising.

Still, it was somewhat disappointing.

There's a high chance I won't get to meet the Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven.

He recalled the conversation he had shared with Yun Gyeongjong while receiving the spiritual medicine.

"Should I deliver this medicine directly to the Sword Lord?"

"No. Meeting him personally will be difficult. Go to a village called Suyeon Village and find the village chief. Deliver the medicine to that old man."

"It seems his secluded cultivation must not be disturbed."

"Please understand. He's an eccentric fellow. Ideally, I'd like someone to meet him and confirm his condition, but that depends entirely on luck. I had hoped to send someone of Hall Master rank, but the current situation doesn't allow for it."

Since they belonged to the same Changcheon Society, their paths would cross eventually.

For now, Namgung Jun decided to focus solely on delivering the medicine safely.

About an hour later, as he continued climbing the mountain, his brisk pace gradually slowed.

"Hm?"

Where had things gone wrong?

Having completely lost his sense of direction, Namgung Jun wandered around the area.

He had been given a simple map showing the location of Suyeon Village and the surrounding terrain, but it proved far less helpful than expected.

Even after spending a long time traversing various parts of the mountain while consulting the map, he still could not find a clear route.

Without a word, he tucked the map back into his robes.

The deep mountain wilderness only made navigation more difficult.

An unexpected obstacle.

Perhaps I should have come with Senior Brother Heo.

Whether he poked at random branches or climbed tall trees to survey the landscape, he could find no obvious path.

Just as he struggled to suppress a sigh rising to his throat—

A faint disturbance reached his senses from afar.

The sound of people arguing lightly brushed past his ears.

Even while studying the map and terrain, Namgung Jun had kept his perception sharpened. He immediately turned toward the source.

The foot resting on a tree branch pushed off lightly, and his figure shot forward.

Countless branches obstructed his path, yet not a single one managed to brush against his clothing.

It's here.

Moving at top speed, he passed dozens of trees in moments.

Soon, scattered figures became visible through the undergrowth.

Their voices also grew clear.

"A traveling performance troupe, huh? These types usually have valuables. Unpack every piece of luggage you've got!"

"Look at this. That's far too much food for just themselves. They've got all sorts of daily supplies too. Strange for a performance troupe to be traveling through such a remote mountain path. Is there a hidden village nearby or something?"

"Answer every question! Unless you're tired of living!"

More than a dozen bandits had surrounded four men.

The bandits shouted threats while brandishing blades, while the colorful group that appeared to be performers exchanged uneasy glances.

"We'll pay a toll," said the middle-aged man who appeared to lead the troupe. "Just don't take the rest of our belongings. We need them to survive."

The bandits ignored him entirely.

"A toll? Do we look like petty thieves to you?"

As if they had never intended to let them go, the bandits slowly tightened their encirclement around the troupe.

Naturally, each held a weapon at the ready.

The performers' expressions darkened further.

"They've learned martial arts."

A clear voice sounded from behind the bandits.

Their movements stopped instantly.

Turning around as one, they saw a young man emerging from the brush.

Though his face still retained youthful features, he was already fairly tall and broad-shouldered.

He appeared to stand somewhere between boyhood and adulthood.

But the bandits paid little attention to his appearance.

Their eyes were fixed on the sword hanging at his waist.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"You with these people?"

The bandits glared at Namgung Jun and slowly advanced.

The killing intent clouding their eyes made their intentions obvious. Seeing that he carried a weapon, they were looking for an opportunity to strike first.

Yet even then, Namgung Jun offered no immediate reply.

Instead, he calmly examined each bandit one by one.

"The smell of blood is thick on every one of you."

"What?"

"I'm saying you're disgusting. Every last one of you."

The moment he finished speaking, a blue flash burst from his waist.

A large crescent of azure light swept through the air.

The heads of the three bandits who had quietly positioned themselves to block three sides of Namgung Jun were severed simultaneously.

Three heads shot into the air, fountains of blood erupting from their necks.

The bandits standing behind them, who had been watching the performers, slowly lifted their gaze.

Their eyes followed the flying heads as blood sprayed through the air.

"Damn you!"

"W-What?!"

While the bandits stood frozen with their mouths hanging open, stunned by the sudden and astonishing strike, only Namgung Jun moved.

Stepping through the Muhanbo, he advanced wherever he pleased and, in the blink of an eye, found himself in the midst of the bandits.

"Hup!"

"Kill him!"

The bandits belatedly reacted and hurriedly moved to attack, but Namgung Jun's swift sword had already torn through the air.

Puhak!

Every swing of the Yeongjeong Sword felled four or five bandits.

By the time he unleashed his third strike, not a single bandit remained standing.

Blood flowed from their collapsed bodies, soaking the dirt with crimson warmth.

In contrast, the bandits themselves were rapidly growing cold.

Watching the scene, the members of the performance troupe did not dare utter a word.

Shhk!

After flicking the blood from his blade, Namgung Jun smoothly sheathed his sword.

Even then, the performers could only stare blankly at him.

"It appeared to be an urgent situation, so I intervened immediately. Are you all unharmed?"

Only after Namgung Jun offered a fist-and-palm salute did the performers hurriedly bow their heads.

"You saved our lives, Young Hero!"

"Hah... I've occasionally seen martial artists fighting at inns, but I've never seen anyone wield a sword as fast as yours."

The troupe finally let out sighs of relief as they calmed their ragged breathing.

The leader of the troupe, the first to regain his composure, addressed Namgung Jun.

"By the way, Young Hero, what brings you to this mountain? The terrain is brutally difficult, but there's nothing here."

Looking at the middle-aged man, Namgung Jun had a sudden intuition.

These people were undoubtedly from Suyeon Village.

"I am searching for a village called Suyeon Village."

"And what business do you have there?"

The man's expression grew slightly guarded.

Smiling, Namgung Jun replied,

"Elder Yun sent me. I have something that must be delivered to the village chief."

"Ah! Elder Yun! So he sent you!"

The expressions of the middle-aged man and the performers immediately softened.

Their caution gone, the man beckoned him over.

"Then come with us."

"Thank you. I had lost my way."

"If not for you, we'd have lost our lives. Think nothing of it. Let us be on our way. Night falls quickly in the mountains."

***

Suyeon Village

Only after venturing deep into the mountains and following an upstream mountain valley with a surprisingly strong current did they finally reach the village.

It was a settlement completely hidden within the heart of the mountains.

In fact, it felt strange that a village could even exist in such inhospitable terrain.

"Here we are."

"So I've finally arrived."

Namgung Jun answered with a wry smile.

I was completely lost in the wrong direction.

Had he not encountered the performance troupe, reaching Suyeon Village today would have been impossible.

There was no formation concealing it, yet its location was chosen so perfectly that finding it was extraordinarily difficult.

The troupe personally escorted him to the village chief's residence.

The chief initially eyed him suspiciously, but after hearing the troupe's explanation, his face brightened considerably.

"Welcome. Elder Yun sent you, did he?"

"Yes. I was ordered to deliver this."

Namgung Jun retrieved the wooden box containing the spiritual medicine from his robes and presented it.

"I have received it."

The village chief seemed accustomed to such matters.

He neither asked what was inside nor opened the box.

After slipping it into his sleeve, he clasped his hands together.

"I heard you saved the lives of those youngsters who left earlier. You have my sincere gratitude."

"It was only right that I help."

"Ordinarily, our village does not accept outsiders. However, you may stay for a few days if you wish. The villagers possess many talents, so you won't be bored."

Namgung Jun nodded.

I couldn't meet the Sword Lord anyway. I may as well stay and look for him while I'm here.

***

After spending the night, Namgung Jun took a leisurely walk around the village.

As expected, he saw no one carrying the Sword of Righteous Heaven.

He briefly considered that the Sword Lord might be secluded in a cave somewhere nearby rather than within the village itself.

Yet his intuition told him otherwise.

The Sword Lord was somewhere within Suyeon Village.

Trusting that instinct, Namgung Jun continued exploring.

The village itself was not particularly large, but at its center stood a surprisingly spacious open square.

The area was crowded and lively.

What's going on here?

Surely a market would not be held in such a remote mountain village.

Curious, Namgung Jun approached.

Various performances and spectacles were being held in the square.

One woman filled her mouth with liquor before breathing out a massive plume of fire.

A bald middle-aged man stacked all manner of objects atop his smooth head, constructing a towering column.

Elsewhere, a tightrope walker danced while flourishing ornate fans in both hands, while musicians nearby played a variety of instruments, producing vibrant melodies.

Those people are here too.

Among the performers were the very troupe members he had saved yesterday.

The middle-aged leader who had guided him to Suyeon Village nodded in greeting.

Then, planting his long pole firmly into the ground, he launched himself high into the air, spun several times, and landed gracefully.

To someone trained in martial arts, it might not have seemed particularly impressive.

But to spectators, it was undeniably entertaining.

"What do you think? Plenty to see, isn't there?"

The village chief had appeared beside him at some point.

"Indeed. It seems most of the villagers have mastered some sort of skill."

"Suyeon Village was founded by former performers who gathered together. Not everyone here belongs to a troupe, but more than half have cultivated talents suited to themselves."

Even as they spoke, one performance after another unfolded across the square.

Each time, the chief explained what kind of act it was while evaluating the performer's skill.

After more than a dozen acts had concluded, something changed.

The performers scattered throughout the square suddenly withdrew.

Only the musicians seated along one side remained.

The rhythm of their music steadily quickened and intensified.

Amid the transformed atmosphere, a single man emerged.

He wore a comical mask that looked as though it belonged to a child, covering only the lower half of his face at an angle.

His robe, adorned with elaborate floral patterns, billowed dramatically like a noblewoman's ceremonial dress, its sleeves and hems unusually wide and flowing.

Perhaps because his limbs were exceptionally long, the splendor of his attire seemed even more striking.

This man's presence is far from ordinary.

Namgung Jun fixed his gaze upon the newcomer.

The villagers gathered in the square had all fallen silent, their attention focused solely on the man.

Moving with a playful, dance-like gait, he circled the square once.

Somewhere along the way, a curved saber had appeared in his hand.

Like his mask, clothing, and ornaments, the blade itself was lavishly decorated.

"Watch carefully," said the village chief. "He is the finest dancer in our village."

When introducing the other performers, the chief had spoken at length.

This time, however, his introduction was remarkably brief.

But Namgung Jun paid no attention to that.

From the instant the dancer drew his curved saber, all of his focus had been captured.

That man...!

The mysterious and wondrous trajectory traced by the dancer completely filled Namgung Jun's vision.