Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 110

110. Confirmation

The background check on Unhyun stopped at a basic level due to the established principle of ‘maintaining a respectful distance.’

Je Geum-yeon couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.

“His personal history isn’t particularly remarkable, but…”

Unhyun lost his parents early in life.

His only relative is an uncle who runs a small merchant guild in Gwangju, and his academy of origin has nothing special about it other than the official records.

However, what’s suspicious is the period of over ten years he spent in the Imperial Palace.

“I can’t figure out what he did there at all…”

The Imperial Palace is not a place that even the Murim Alliance can easily access.

The name Unhyun simply exists as one of many successful candidates in the civil service examination.

“Still, to be the top scorer, it’s too obvious if it’s a disguise.”

Je Geum-yeon frowned.

Becoming the top scorer in the palace exam is not something anyone can do.

If he wanted to disguise his identity, it would have been better to impersonate someone with a name somewhere in the middle.

In any case, he entered the Imperial Palace as a scholar, and for over a decade, he was not recorded in any official records.

Rustle.

Je Geum-yeon picked up the last document.

It contained a transcribed copy of Unhyun’s answers from the new scribe selection exam.

“Hmm.”

Reading Unhyun’s description of basic martial arts forms, Je Geum-yeon suddenly realized that this was the only information he had about his martial arts.

“Well, it seems he uses a sword…”

He is the successor to the Sword Saint, so he will use a sword.

In fact, the most certain way to find out is to cross swords with him, but he can’t just request a duel.

The opponent is the successor to the Sword Saint and a person acknowledged by the Divine Monk.

The moment he requests a duel, he will undoubtedly attract the attention of the entire Jianghu [martial arts world] Murim, and the result will be a matter of the sect’s pride, beyond just a personal issue.

“The answers are excellent, but…”

Je Geum-yeon frowned.

He had felt it before, but the answers are excellent.

However, they are only about the basic forms.

No matter who wrote it, even if it’s the successor to the Sword Saint, the basic forms won’t magically turn into an ultimate secret technique.

‘Is it because he wrote too faithfully to the basic forms?’

When enlightenment deepens and inner strength becomes profound, one can defeat advanced sword techniques with basic moves.

But if those basic moves are written down, they won’t be significantly different from existing ones.

After all, it’s because the person executing them is skilled, not because the moves themselves are extraordinary.

Tap, tap.

Je Geum-yeon, who had been tapping the desk with his fingers, suddenly felt thirsty.

He habitually reached out, but the teapot was already empty.

Je Geum-yeon said to the outside,

“Is anyone there?”

Rustle.

“Did you call?”

The door opened, and a young warrior from the Je Gal Clan bowed.

“Tell a servant to bring tea. And go to the Scribe Department and bring the documents about the new scribe, Unhyun.”

A look of doubt appeared on the young warrior’s face.

“We already brought those before…”

“Not those.”

Je Geum-yeon said with a calm expression.

“Bring the original copy of his answers.”

“The original copy?”

“Yes.”

Je Geum-yeon moistened his lips slightly with his tongue, as if his mouth was dry, and then said,

“Perhaps someone else already… No, that’s unlikely. Anyway, go and get it.”

“Yes.”

The young warrior bowed sharply and left the office.

Watching his retreating figure, Je Geum-yeon felt another sense of regret.

‘It would have been better if he were a direct descendant.’

The young warrior belonged to a collateral branch of the Je Gal Clan.

He was intelligent and skilled, so his future was bright, but he would never reach a core position in the clan.

‘It can’t be helped. Being able to trust him is the top priority.’

In fact, the real problem might be not trusting him simply because his bloodline is different.

Je Geum-yeon was aware of that.

However, the clan’s decision takes precedence over his own judgment. So, Je Geum-yeon valued him but never revealed confidential matters to him.

Even now, the young warrior probably doesn’t know about Unhyun—who Unhyun is and how important he is.

Clink.

Warm tea was served, and Je Geum-yeon lifted the antique teacup, lost in thought.

‘The successor to the Sword Saint…’

The conclusion remains unchanged.

Shaking the Divine Monk is not something to attempt rashly.

Moreover, considering the risk of being manipulated by the Tang Clan, maintaining the status quo is the wisest choice.

Swish.

Je Geum-yeon glanced at another document.

It was currently covered, but the document contained a report on Unhyun’s recent activities.

It mentioned his diligent participation in the new scribe training and his training every dawn in the vacant lot behind the Waryong Pavilion.

‘Training every dawn—does he not care about the Murim Alliance at all?’

Training is a sect’s secret, and it’s taboo to even peek at it, punishable by death.

Yet, Unhyun trains every dawn in the Murim Alliance, where representatives from each faction are present.

Even if it’s a deserted place, it’s quite audacious.

It almost seems like he’s provoking them to come at him.

‘But no one will fall for such a provocation. Or maybe…’

Perhaps, instead of a provocation, Unhyun is like the Sword Saint, obsessed with the sword and indifferent to the taboos of the Jianghu Murim.

If that’s the case, it’s even more problematic.

If he’s like the Sword Saint, he won’t know what moderation is and might take someone’s life without caring about the consequences.

Just like the Sword Saint did in the Northern Sea.

‘…And he’s clearly receiving the Divine Monk’s support.’

Je Geum-yeon gave a bitter smile.

The place where Unhyun trains is the vacant lot behind the Waryong Pavilion.

Allowing him to use that place, which even the Murim Alliance representatives dare not approach, is proof that the Divine Monk is giving Unhyun extraordinary consideration.

“Hmm.”

Je Geum-yeon leaned back in his chair, holding the teacup.

Feeling that the tea didn’t taste as good as usual, Je Geum-yeon waited for his subordinate to bring the original copy of Unhyun’s answers.

And a little later, Je Geum-yeon received word that it would take some time to find the original copy of Unhyun’s answers.

That was understandable.

It had been over a month since the new scribe exam ended, and since no one considered them important, they were probably stashed away somewhere.

In the end, Je Geum-yeon’s work had to be postponed until the next day.

***

In the early dawn, before the sun had risen, several shadows moved through the Murim Alliance buildings, which were shrouded in darkness.

The man with the sturdy physique in the lead was striding forward powerfully, but the other two following him seemed reluctant, their steps dragging.

“Leader.”

One of the two men following him called out, but the man with the sturdy physique didn’t even turn around.

“Leadeeer.”

At the drawn-out voice, the man in the lead finally stopped walking.

“What did you guys do last night to be so sluggish? Hurry up and follow me!”

He frowned, and he was none other than Mook Hyeol-yeop, the representative of the Black Blood Society.

Contrary to his rough appearance, Mook Hyeol-yeop was a very popular person.

He treated his subordinates as his martial brothers rather than just underlings.

It might seem obvious, but it was something quite rare to find now that the Black Blood Society organization had grown.

The era of sects where a small number of disciples were united by brotherhood had already passed.

“Aigo, Leader. What’s with waking people up at the crack of dawn? It would be one thing if we stayed up all night, but being forced to wake up when we’re in the middle of sleeping just makes us more tired.”

The man following him said with a dissatisfied voice.

He was grumbling, but he deeply trusted Mook Hyeol-yeop.

“You have to pour out your anger when you’re angry, or else it’ll just keep simmering, right?”

It was an analogy that Mook Hyeol-yeop, known as the Hot-Blooded Blade, couldn’t help but agree with.

“That’s true, but…”

The Hot-Blooded Blade Mook Hyeol-yeop nodded with a displeased expression. But it didn’t last long.

“Anyway, be quiet. Just hurry up and follow me.”

Mook Hyeol-yeop turned his body abruptly and began to move forward again without hesitation.

Sighing, another of the men following him asked.

“By the way, Leader. Why are we going to the Waryong Pavilion so early in the morning?”

Mook Hyeol-yeop didn’t answer.

With no answer, the two men began to speculate on their own.

“Are you perhaps thinking of sneaking into the Waryong Pavilion?”

“There’s no way. It’s not like there’s a stunning beauty in the Waryong Pavilion, why would Leader climb over the wall?”

“You never know. Maybe Leader’s tastes have changed in the meantime.”

Mook Hyeol-yeop, who had been silent, couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer.

Thud.

Mook Hyeol-yeop stopped walking and frowned at his martial brothers.

“Are you going to keep chattering like that?”

The men following him flinched.

But they didn’t shut their mouths.

“Then why are we going to the Waryong Pavilion?”

Mook Hyeol-yeop was silent for a moment.

But he felt that if he kept this up, his martial brothers would never stop gossiping, so he had no choice but to open his mouth.

“I’m going to clash with someone. You guys just watch.”

The expressions on the two martial brothers’ faces instantly hardened.

It was sudden, but not that strange considering Mook Hyeol-yeop’s personality.

But the problem was the opponent.

“Is it the Divine Monk?”

“No.”

“Then who is it?”

Mook Hyeol-yeop frowned.

“You’ll know when you see him.”

The two martial brothers looked at each other.

They were relieved that it wasn’t the Divine Monk, but they couldn’t understand who had attracted their leader’s attention so much.

“Um…”

“Those so-called righteous sects are probably racking their brains right now.”

Mook Hyeol-yeop continued, wearing a sneer.

“But a martial artist speaks with his sword. If you want to know your opponent, what other way is there but to clash with him directly?”

Mook Hyeol-yeop said in a rather solemn tone.

“…Well, that’s true.”

The two martial brothers couldn’t hide their awkward expressions at Mook Hyeol-yeop’s words.

“So, who is the opponent?”

“Umm.”

Mook Hyeol-yeop was at a loss for words.

If he said the opponent was a new scribe, his disciples would never believe him.

But the fact that he was the successor to the Sword Saint was confidential information known only to the representatives.

Mook Hyeol-yeop, who had been silent, eventually turned his body abruptly and began to move again without a word.

He just wanted to show his martial brothers his fight anyway.

That alone would be a great experience for them.

“Why is Leader acting like that?”

But the disciples, unaware of his intentions, couldn’t help but be puzzled by Mook Hyeol-yeop’s silent behavior.

The disciples shrugged at each other and followed Mook Hyeol-yeop.

Thanks to that, they didn’t hear Mook Hyeol-yeop muttering to himself.

“To dare claim to be the successor to the Sword Saint, if he’s really nothing special…”

The Sword Saint is classified as a righteous sect if you had to categorize him.

However, there were martial artists who revered the Sword Saint everywhere, regardless of whether they were righteous or evil.

His absolute strength was the dream and aspiration of all martial artists.

Mook Hyeol-yeop was the same.

Although he wouldn’t sacrifice the sect’s interests because of the Sword Saint, if someone unqualified tarnished the Sword Saint’s name, the person who would be angriest would be Mook Hyeol-yeop.

“Without waiting for the next meeting, I’ll crush him today.”

Thinking of the successor to the Sword Saint, whom he hadn’t even seen yet and who seemed like he would be unlucky, Mook Hyeol-yeop clenched his fist tightly.

The Hot-Blooded Blade Mook Hyeol-yeop of the Black Blood Society was a man who was a martial artist to the bone.

Mook Hyeol-yeop and his disciples soon arrived at the Waryong Pavilion.

Fortunately for the disciples, Mook Hyeol-yeop didn’t enter the Waryong Pavilion but headed to the back.

As they went around the Waryong Pavilion from a distance, a rather deserted landscape, unlike the Murim Alliance, appeared before their eyes.

“There was a place like this here?”

One of the disciples who had followed Mook Hyeol-yeop said with a look of wonder.

“Is this your first time here?”

At Mook Hyeol-yeop’s question, the disciple nodded.

“How could people like us come anywhere near here? The Waryong Pavilion is right next door.”

At his words, Mook Hyeol-yeop nodded.

“Well, it’s my first time coming here too.”

He might know the Waryong Pavilion, but there’s no reason to come here.