Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 338

Lee Seoyeon glared at Munwang and asked,

“Are you talking about Il Ayoung?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Munwang replied, his expression sour.

Lee Seoyeon didn’t back down. “How can it not be? She should be dead already. Are you saying we can’t touch her? Is someone else still alive too…?”

“Humph,” Munwang scoffed.

“She was the only one here when I arrived. The head merchant is a bloodstain, and I destroyed the will, just as promised,” Munwang said coldly.

“Now, you just need to take control of the merchant group and then put on a good show of grief while burying an empty coffin.”

Lee Seoyeon bit her lip, then forced a smile. “I’m satisfied that part of the deal is done. But why keep Il Ayoung alive? Could it be that you…”

“Watch your mouth!” Munwang snapped, his voice sharp.

“She’s not someone you can speak of so lightly! Understand? You lowly…!”

It was an extreme reaction, unlike Munwang’s usual demeanor. He would normally order someone’s throat slit rather than shout.

Lee Seoyeon bit her lip and swallowed the insult. “Okay.”

Standing tall, she looked directly at Munwang. “I don’t care what happens to Il Ayoung. Since one person is already dead, I’ll be satisfied if one more is dealt with for good.”

Her gaze hardened. “He’s not just the Azure Dragon Sword Master, but also the leader of the Azure Dragon Alliance. If he lives and escapes, no one can handle the consequences.”

“Humph!” Munwang sneered. “Since when has the Azure Dragon Alliance become such a threat?”

“The Azure Dragon Alliance is one problem, but his position as a plenipotentiary [a person invested with the full power of transacting any business] of the court is a far greater one. If we let him go, we’re doomed.”

“*You’re* doomed,” Munwang corrected, mocking her.

“Regardless,” Lee Seoyeon said with a sigh. “He must die here. Absolutely.”

*Clack.* Munwang tilted his head back arrogantly and covered his mouth with his fan.

*Woof, woof.* Beyond the open window, the sounds of fighting dogs barking echoed. Lee Seoyeon looked into the dark forest with anxious eyes.

But only pitch-black darkness met her gaze.

***

Yunhyun held up the dim light, peering into the darkness.

*Woof, woof.* Fighting dogs with eyes like glowing embers charged forward.

The fighting dogs were large, fast, and ferocious, making them deadly opponents, especially now that Yunhyun couldn’t use his inner force [internal energy cultivated for martial arts].

But Yunhyun wasn’t afraid.

—*I will not use sword qi or inner force.*

Doh Gorang’s voice echoed in his mind.

Black sword qi [energy from a sword] isn’t everything.

Doh Gorang had proven it himself. Though it was also a training method to reach Yunhyun’s sword, Doh Gorang’s sword was a fresh shock to Yunhyun.

The Sleeping Buddha Seon Master [Zen Master] of Shaolin also said, *Yunhyun’s sword is greater than the inner force of the North Sea.*

—*Your training sword is like a dragon playing in the sky. Don’t be mistaken or confused. All you have to see is your sword.*

*Woof, woof.* Yunhyun looked up at the sound of the fighting dogs.

Creatures so large and ferocious they barely resembled dogs rushed toward him.

But Yunhyun didn’t avoid them or hide.

*Swish.*

Yunhyun raised his sword.

The blade seemed to shine in the moonlight, and a graceful arc cut through the air.

Slowly, but without hesitation.

The sword flowed along the blue moonlight.

It was neither the White Tiger Training Sword nor the White Tiger Combat Sword.

It was simply an elegant, flowing sword path, like the dreamlike dance of eternity he had once witnessed.

Perhaps it was a sword that should be called the Scholar’s Sword or the Azure Dragon Sword.

***

Munwang was lost in thought, seemingly uninterested in Lee Seoyeon or the sounds outside the window.

Lee Seoyeon bit her lip, a feeling of unease creeping over her.

*Swish.*

Munwang’s subordinate appeared, kneeling and bowing his head. “The First Squad has been neutralized.”

Munwang frowned, leaning back in his chair. “Thirty fighting dogs, the ones we fed Gihondan [a potent drug], were wiped out?”

“Yes. Should we deploy the Second Squad…”

*Swish.* Munwang held up a hand, stopping the report. “What’s the Azure Dragon Sword Master’s condition?”

The subordinate hesitated, then replied, “He has a wound on his side, but no other injuries. He didn’t use sword qi, so it seems there’s a problem with his inner force.”

“What?” Lee Seoyeon asked sharply.

Munwang frowned, turning to her irritably. Gritting her teeth, Lee Seoyeon fell silent.

“He killed thirty fighting dogs without sword qi? And without any injuries?”

“Yes,” the subordinate said quietly. “Their necks were cut with a single strike. No second chances.”

To think that someone poisoned with the deadly Absolute Severance Toxin [a fictional poison], someone who shouldn’t even be able to walk, could cut down fighting dogs with a single strike…

It was unbelievable.

Lee Seoyeon’s face paled, and Munwang frowned. “Prepare to retreat.”

“Yes?” the subordinate asked, puzzled. It was rudeness that would normally be punished, but Munwang remained calm. “It’s a waste of effort in his current state. Things have gone wrong; it’s best to abandon this place.”

Munwang’s voice was icy. But Lee Seoyeon reacted differently.

“What are you talking about!” she shouted shrilly. “We have to kill him now! Didn’t you hear? He can’t use sword qi! This is our chance!”

“Why should we?”

“What?” Lee Seoyeon was speechless.

Munwang’s gaze was calm. “As you said, this might be our chance. But if we fail, my life is in danger.”

Munwang’s judgment was cold and precise. He might be able to kill Yunhyun, but if he failed, his own life would be at risk.

“There’s plenty of time. This isn’t the only opportunity,” he said, his tone relaxed, unlike his usual self.

“There’s no need to risk my life to kill him. Fighting isn’t gambling.”

Munwang’s words were correct. Unless everything was on the line, it was wise to avoid danger. But if they retreated, Lee Seoyeon was doomed. The betrayed Azure Dragon Sword Master Yunhyun would never let her rest.

Munwang turned to his subordinate. “Send the signal. To Old Man In…”

“Give me a chance,” Lee Seoyeon interrupted.

Munwang turned to her. “With your abilities?”

“It’s not just my abilities.” *Rustle.* Lee Seoyeon knelt on one knee, bowing her head politely. “Give me the authority. Even if you only give me the warriors on this island, it’s enough to kill the Azure Dragon Sword Master.”

“Your life will be in danger if you fail?”

“It already is,” Lee Seoyeon said with a smile. “Didn’t you say I’d be ruined if I failed?”

She was smiling, but her eyes shone with determination.

“Hmm.” Munwang looked down at her with a faint sneer. He didn’t believe her. She might be trying to kill the Azure Dragon Sword Master, or she might be planning to escape in the chaos.

‘*It doesn’t matter anyway.*’

It was enough to buy time for the retreat. He had no interest in Lee Seoyeon.

“Okay.” Munwang grabbed the jade pendant hanging from his clothes.

*Whoosh.* The jade pendant flew through the air, and Lee Seoyeon caught it.

“Go ahead and try. Show me if you’re really useful.”

The jade pendant was just an accessory and held no real authority, but everyone would recognize it as Munwang’s.

Therefore, it was proof that Lee Seoyeon was acting on his behalf.

*Rustle.* Hugging the jade pendant to her chest, Lee Seoyeon knelt and bowed her head. “I will gladly do so,” she replied, her voice clear.

Her hawk-like eyes shone brighter than ever.

Munwang watched her leave with cold eyes, then quietly ordered his subordinate, “Prepare to retreat.”

He had no intention of waiting for Lee Seoyeon’s success.

“…Please request assistance from In Taesang [Grand Elder of the group].”

Munwang frowned, but the subordinate continued firmly, “If it’s In Taesang, he can face the Azure Dragon Sword Master. Then…”

“What if he can’t?” Munwang asked coldly. “Old Man In has disappointed me twice. There’s no guarantee it won’t happen a third time.”

*Rustle.* Munwang rose from his chair. “Burn down the mansion. Leave no trace and treat Lady Il Ayoung with special respect.”

“What if she doesn’t comply?”

Munwang paused. Given Il Ayoung’s personality, she might ask where he was going and refuse to follow unless he told her the reason.

“Hmph,” he chuckled softly. “I’ll speak to Lady Il Ayoung myself.”

She would agree if it was him, just as she always had.

*Step, step.* Munwang left the main hall with his subordinate.

***

At Il Ayoung’s residence, Munwang found an empty room. Neither maids nor warriors were to be seen.

“How did this happen!” he raged. “Where is Lady Ayoung!”

“I’ll find out immediately.” The subordinate disappeared to assess the situation.

Munwang paced around the empty room, biting his lip. The room was intact, so she had clearly disappeared suddenly.

The commotion heard from all over the island made him even more anxious.

What had happened in such a short time?

*Swish.*

“I found her.”

“Where is she!”

“Lee Seoyeon took her.”

“What?” Munwang was dumbfounded, but he quickly understood. After receiving the jade pendant, Lee Seoyeon had come straight here and taken Il Ayoung.

“What about the warriors? What were the maids doing? How did they let her do that!”

Munwang raged. “Lee Seoyeon held the Lord’s jade pendant and ordered everyone to retreat immediately. All personnel are now leaving the island.”

“What!” Munwang’s anger soared. He immediately realized Lee Seoyeon’s intentions.

“That lowly bitch dares to!”

Lee Seoyeon was trying to kill Yunhyun, using Il Ayoung as a hostage. She had ordered the others to retreat to prevent them from interfering.

Lee Seoyeon, with her hawk-like eyes, knew who the most important target was, who the most valuable person was.

Her judgment was accurate, and it made Munwang angrier than ever.

Gritting his teeth, he gnashed them. “Send the signal to Old Man In. Have him return here as soon as possible.”

“Yes.” The subordinate bowed his head.

“Have you located Lady Ayoung?”

“Yes. Right now…”

“Let’s go there,” Munwang said, cutting him off.

The subordinate hesitated. “It would be better to wait for the Grand Elder to return…”

“What if Lady Ayoung gets hurt?” Munwang asked fiercely. “Lee Seoyeon is ruthless. She’ll stab Lady Ayoung without hesitation to kill the Azure Dragon Sword Master. Are you telling me to let that happen?”

Unable to oppose Munwang’s explosive anger, the subordinate didn’t dare to object.

“Let’s go. Now!”

“…Understood.” The subordinate bowed and obeyed.