Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 154

154. Sparring on the Road

“Young Palace Lord.”

Binghun knelt on one knee, paying respects to the Young Palace Lord.

She was reviewing letters and answered without turning her head, “What is it?”

“The Seolyeong Unit [Specialized surveillance unit] monitoring Shaolin has retreated beyond a hundred paces.”

Rustle.

With a soft sound, the Young Palace Lord’s gaze turned to Binghun.

“Why?”

“Bilyeon has appeared.”

“Bilyeon?”

The Young Palace Lord couldn’t hide her surprise.

Bilyeon was like a doppelganger of the Dark Sky Demon Emperor.

“Why is she at Shaolin…? No, that’s not it.”

The Young Palace Lord pondered for a moment, then bit her lip slightly.

“…This is a warning.”

Binghun nodded.

Seolyeong Unit’s stealth is the best in the North Sea, but it’s nothing compared to Bilyeon.

In other words, Bilyeon deliberately revealed herself.

The Seolyeong Unit leader immediately understood the meaning and had the Seolyeong Unit retreat beyond a hundred paces.

“What should we do?”

“The target?”

“When the Seolyeong Unit last saw him, he hadn’t left Shaolin yet.”

“Hmm.”

The Young Palace Lord’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Soon, a small sigh escaped her red lips.

“…In the end, the Demon Emperor is coming.”

Bilyeon’s warning meant to step back and not interfere.

And there’s only one reason she would do that.

Her lord, the Dark Sky Demon Emperor, is coming.

“There’s no reason for the Demon Emperor to bother Shaolin right now, so his purpose is probably ‘him,’ right?”

“Yes.”

At Binghun’s answer, the Young Palace Lord sighed once more.

“It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”

The Young Palace Lord spoke in a clear voice to Binghun.

“The Seolyeong Unit retreats another hundred paces from Shaolin. Under no circumstances should there be any contact. However, concentrate surveillance on the roads and Dengfeng County so we can monitor the target’s movements at all times.”

Binghun bowed her head, accepting the Young Palace Lord’s command.

“Ah, and…”

Binghun, who was about to stand up, stopped moving.

It was unusual for the Young Palace Lord to add words like this.

“I need people. Prepare a few from the Seolyeong Unit who are skilled in infiltration.”

“Infiltration…?”

“I’m concerned about the Ice Palace’s movements.”

It was a calm voice, but the meaning was by no means small.

The North Sea Ice Palace is their base.

The fact that she needed Seolyeong Unit members skilled in infiltration to check the movements of their own base clearly indicated the seriousness of the situation.

Rustle.

The Young Palace Lord picked up the letter she had put down.

“Depending on the situation, emergency action may be necessary. Perhaps it’s already too late.”

Binghun’s expression changed.

“This time, it’s the Prince of Letters.”

Muttering with a hint of annoyance, the Young Palace Lord continued.

“…He really seems to be making a nuisance of himself.”

The Young Palace Lord’s words were finished.

Binghun bowed and retreated, but the Young Palace Lord’s sharp eyes remained fixed on the letter.

***

Yunhyun put the Great Revitalization Pill pouch and letter given to him by the Reclining Buddha into his chest pocket and left Shaolin.

Before leaving Shaolin, he didn’t forget to meet and greet the head monk of the Disciplinary Hall.

He worried that there might be talk about the Great Revitalization Pill, such as asking for it back because it wouldn’t work after all, or adding other additional conditions, but nothing like that happened.

The head monk of the Disciplinary Hall simply saw Yunhyun off with a formal greeting.

Thanks to this, it was still early in the morning, filled with sunlight, when Yunhyun left the Shaolin Temple grounds.

“Hoo.”

Yunhyun’s feelings were different as he descended towards Dengfeng County.

It was perhaps natural, as he was descending after completing an important mission.

He couldn’t have imagined this when he was going up and down to buy Dragon Well tea.

‘Time and money, it cost a lot.’

It felt like a distant past when he heard the story from Plum Blossom Sword Yeongho-jun to ‘go to Shaolin Temple’.

Perhaps it was because the days he spent in the hut with the Reclining Buddha were truly enjoyable.

Forcibly averting the emptiness that suddenly filled his heart, Yunhyun muttered.

“Come to think of it, I should also tell Nanhyang Tea House. I should tell them to bring Dragon Well tea to the monk even while I’m gone.”

It was a word to Dokgorang, but as always, there was no answer.

However, Yunhyun smiled, knowing that the silence meant trust.

‘Let’s see, if I subtract the expenses, the remaining money is…’

He had to deposit money to order Dragon Well tea from Nanhyang Tea House.

Yunhyun calculated the expenses to go to the Murim Alliance [Martial Arts Alliance] in his mind.

He intended to give the rest to the tea house.

It was when Yunhyun was hurrying down to Dengfeng County, thinking about this and that.

Saaak.

Yunhyun suddenly felt like the wind had changed.

And at the same time, Dokgorang’s expression changed drastically.

‘Huh?’

Seuk.

At the same time as Yunhyun made a puzzled expression, Dokgorang reached for his sword.

And Yunhyun immediately realized what this meant.

‘The wind…, no.’

He couldn’t take a single step.

An invisible but clearly existing intangible pressure.

Yunhyun already knew this tremendous momentum that made it impossible to go back or forward.

It was the same feeling he had felt when he first met Sword Saint in the Murim Alliance.

Swaaaaa.

The wind blew.

Yunhyun and Dokgorang stood still and stared at the other side of the road.

And after a while, a man appeared on the road.

“Hmm.”

Yunhyun groaned without realizing it.

A huge physique at least twice his size, black martial robes covering his entire body, and above all, the tremendous momentum emanating from his entire body.

Woong.

A sword appeared in Yunhyun’s mind.

At that moment, the approaching man stopped walking.

That was no coincidence.

“…This is.”

A heavy voice rang out.

Even though there was still a distance, the voice was clearly heard in Yunhyun and Dokgorang’s ears.

“Truly beyond expectations.”

The voice was filled with complete joy.

Like someone dying of thirst finding water, his eyes, upon discovering Yunhyun, were filled with complete vitality.

“…You are.”

Yunhyun asked.

“Who are you?”

Even at that moment, Dokgorang had his hand on the sword hilt, without even blinking.

It wasn’t just the momentum that the man in front of him was emitting that was the problem.

Even now, another presence threatening Dokgorang like a sharp blade from behind was clearly warning him.

Don’t even think about interfering with this moment.

“Hehe.”

The man laughed.

He spoke in a soft voice, as if speaking to an old friend.

“I am the one standing under the dark sky, the Dark Sky Demon Emperor.”

It was a truly arrogant title.

To call himself the Demon Emperor, Yunhyun would have frowned at it normally.

However, the man’s momentum was so great that he thought the title really suited him.

Besides, when he thought about it, hadn’t Yunhyun himself claimed to be the ‘Sword Lord’?

“I am glad to meet the successor of the Sword Saint, or rather, someone who has a connection with the Sword Saint.”

“I am.”

Yunhyun’s voice was half impulsive.

He was already tired of the misunderstanding about himself.

“I am Yunhyun, a clerk of the Murim Alliance.”

“Clerk?”

The young and sturdy Demon Emperor frowned slightly.

But he realized the meaning of what Yunhyun had said.

“Is that so? A clerk, haha, ahahaha!”

The Demon Emperor laughed loudly.

But Yunhyun didn’t find the laughter very pleasant.

“What’s so funny?”

“Hahaha. Ah, I’m sorry.”

The Demon Emperor apologized, raising his hand lightly.

It was a shocking thing that he would never normally do, but the Demon Emperor’s words did not end there.

“A clerk, it’s not an easy thing, so I think it’s really amazing.”

It wasn’t mockery.

It is very difficult to live as one pleases in the huge organization called the Murim Alliance.

Even Shinseung, one of the Hwanwoo Five Venerables [Five most respected figures], was only resisting by secluding himself in Waryongheon.

But the Demon Emperor couldn’t help but be surprised that the successor of the Sword Saint called himself a clerk, and that too, so confidently.

“…And I also feel pathetic myself.”

The words that the head of the Namgung family had said a while ago were still lingering in the Demon Emperor’s ears.

―Even you, who are so strong, are not free, isn’t that funny?

Therefore, the Demon Emperor’s laughter was both admiration for Yunhyun and self-reproach.

After swallowing a bitter laugh for a moment, the Demon Emperor continued.

“Finding you was a bit of a whim, but I think it was a really good choice.”

Hooo woo wook.

A tremendous momentum poured out.

Yunhyun immediately drew his wooden sword.

At that moment, the Demon Emperor’s figure disappeared from sight.

“My Lord!”

Dokgorang shouted and drew his sword.

He didn’t care at all about the sharp energy threatening his back.

But Yunhyun’s wooden sword was faster than that.

No, to be exact, Yunhyun’s mind was already reacting.

The wooden sword was just faithfully following that mind.

Kwaang.

A roar erupted and the atmosphere shook like a storm.

Yunhyun’s wooden sword and the Demon Emperor’s large sword were facing each other that day.

Wooo woong.

And there was already a complete energy surging in the two people’s swords.

“Dokgo Je.”

Yunhyun said, staring at the Demon Emperor.

“Don’t worry about me, please step back.”

“Bilyeon.”

The Demon Emperor also said quietly.

His gaze was also directed straight at Yunhyun.

“Don’t interfere.”

Dokgorang’s sword, which was trying to stop the Demon Emperor, and Bilyeon’s small sword, which was heading towards Dokgorang’s back, slowly retreated.

Seuk.

Dokgorang distanced himself, without letting his guard down against the Demon Emperor.

Bilyeon, who had suddenly appeared, had already hidden her slender figure.

But Yunhyun, and the Demon Emperor, didn’t care about that.

No, they didn’t allow each other to do that.

Like a haughty beauty who can’t even tolerate a single moment of distraction, the two were forced to look only at each other.

“I’m happy.”

The Demon Emperor said.

His voice was overflowing with unbearable joy.

“Meeting you must be fate.”

Yunhyun didn’t answer.

However, his eyes also could not hide the overflowing vitality.

It couldn’t be helped.

Woowoong.

His sword, which was completely floating in his mind, more real than reality, was sincerely happy.

Because he had finally met an opponent like the Demon Emperor.

“Now.”

The Demon Emperor said.

And Yunhyun already knew what he was going to say.

“Let’s have a conversation. Frankly, with each other.”

“Gladly.”

Perhaps Yunhyun’s words were unnecessary.

Because his wooden sword was already answering.

Woong.

“I will.”

It was a sudden start, but Yunhyun was not flustered.

Because his heart was already beating.

Woowoowoong.

And Yunhyun’s sword too.