Episode 296: Reinforcements

Muyeonggaek lived by a few rules, one of which was to always sit in the most secluded corner of an inn. This wasn’t just because he disliked drawing attention; it was more about his aversion to feeling the presence of others behind him. For the same reason, he avoided crowded places whenever possible.

Now, after thirty long years, someone had finally approached him from behind. It was only natural that Muyeonggaek reacted instinctively, leaping away.

He was a man accustomed to standing behind others, so the situation of having someone at his back was unsettlingly unfamiliar. As he moved, a thin line of blood trickled down Dang Mujin’s neck.

Though his neck felt no pain, his entire body tingled with tension. “I almost died this time,” he thought. Normally, he would have thanked Namgungmyeong, but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come. Instead, Dang Mujin grumbled.

“Ah, that was a close call.”

“Huh?”

“I left an opening on purpose to lure him in, but you should’ve finished him off instead of talking!”

Namgungmyeong’s brazen response lightened the mood. He sighed, “I should’ve let your head roll and taken Muyeonggaek’s instead. I could’ve made Danseryeong and Mokwana widows.”

Despite his words, Namgungmyeong didn’t seem upset. They had known each other too long for misunderstandings. Besides, he hadn’t been in a position to take Muyeonggaek’s head immediately. He had spoken up to save Dang Mujin’s life before Muyeonggaek could strike.

If he had kept silent and swung his sword, perhaps he could have taken Muyeonggaek’s head, but that wasn’t the outcome Namgungmyeong desired.

In their brief encounter, Dang Mujin and Namgungmyeong learned something crucial about Muyeonggaek: unlike other assassins, he valued his own life. He chose survival over killing Dang Mujin, even if it meant sparing his enemy.

“He must be confident in his skills,” Dang Mujin mused. People often see the choice between risking one’s life to kill an opponent or surviving as a matter of resolve, but it’s more about certainty. Those confident in their abilities value their lives, knowing they can kill their opponent in the next encounter without sacrificing themselves.

Dang Mujin scrutinized Muyeonggaek’s appearance. Though he hid his face with a mask and wore black clothes, the wrinkles around his eyes betrayed his age. Like many masters, Muyeonggaek was no young man.

“He looks like what Namgungmyeong might become in old age,” Dang Mujin thought, lowering his voice to speak to Namgungmyeong.

“By the way, where did this Muyeonggaek come from? I lured him well, but his movements were quite stealthy.”

“Guangyeomra must have brought him. Anyway, it’s good. If we take Muyeonggaek’s head, my uncle will be pleased.”

“Your uncle?”

“Doksooraegeom Namgungjinya. You know him?”

“Of course.”

Dang Mujin had met Namgungjinya long ago when Namgungmyeong had fled with Dang Mujin’s sword. Namgungjinya was the first person he encountered at the Namgung family estate, and he was one of the few who treated the strange Ichung kindly. He had lived as a one-armed warrior even before Namgungmyeong.

He had even attended Dang Mujin’s wedding to Danseryeong, and his bold personality left Dang Mujin with fond memories. But he couldn’t understand why Namgungjinya was being mentioned now.

“Why bring up your uncle?”

Namgungmyeong explained, “He said it was Muyeonggaek who took his left arm.”

“Oh!”

Dang Mujin recalled the story. ‘Young man, don’t worry. It wasn’t Ichung who took my arm, but an assassin named Muyeonggaek. The poison on Muyeonggaek’s dagger rotted my left arm, and Ichung cut it off to save me. Though he did take a few inches more than necessary.’

Namgungjinya wasn’t the most formidable master, but he was always mentioned when discussing the Namgung family. If Muyeonggaek could land a blow on someone like Namgungjinya, his skills were not to be underestimated. Dang Mujin put more distance between himself and Muyeonggaek.

Unlike other masters who exuded strength, Muyeonggaek’s presence was almost nonexistent. But that only confirmed his suspicions. Muyeonggaek wasn’t weak; he was simply adept at concealing his presence, far beyond the likes of Honggeolgae.

Muyeonggaek seemed more interested in Namgungmyeong than in Dang Mujin. “Namgungmyeong, is it? Your movements are quite stealthy. How did someone from the Namgung family learn such skills? Who taught you?”

Muyeonggaek was confident his skills and experience surpassed Namgungmyeong’s, yet Namgungmyeong’s faint presence was unsettling even to him. It wasn’t just talent; it was experience and effort.

Muyeonggaek’s eyes narrowed. “The Namgung family must be secretly training assassins. I suppose they could.”

But contrary to Muyeonggaek’s expectations, Namgungmyeong replied nonchalantly, “Who taught me? There’s nothing to learn. It’s just something you pick up naturally in everyday life.”

Though his idea of “everyday life” differed from most, Namgungmyeong’s words were true. Of course, Muyeonggaek didn’t believe him.

Muyeonggaek chuckled under his mask. “You don’t want to say, huh? Let’s see if you can keep quiet with a blade at your throat.”

With that, Muyeonggaek stepped back, vanishing as if he had slipped behind a curtain of shadows. Dang Mujin was startled.

“How did he do that?”

“It’s a high-level concealment technique. He’s better than me.”

“Wow, you’re admitting someone is better?”

“For now. Just for now.”

Namgungmyeong then advised Dang Mujin, “Muyeonggaek will circle around, looking for an opening. Stay alert.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Play tag.”

With that, Namgungmyeong’s form melted into the darkness. Dang Mujin focused, sensing faint presences approaching and retreating. He steadied his breathing, contemplating his next move.

The answer was clear from the start. The Bi-ryun wasn’t suited for defense. Dang Mujin sheathed the Bi-ryun, drew his sword, and began to spread a deadly poison around him.

Unlike the minor irritants of the past, this was a lethal poison that could truly threaten lives. As the poison enveloped him, a pale blade emerged from the darkness, aiming for his heart.

Dang Mujin narrowly twisted away, evading Muyeonggaek’s strike. Muyeonggaek frowned in frustration and disappeared into the shadows once more.

Though his life was in danger, Dang Mujin saw the situation positively. “He’s more impatient than before. He must want to finish this before the poison spreads.”

As Dang Mujin spread the poison and focused, Namgungmyeong lurked in the shadows, waiting for Muyeonggaek to slip. Yet Muyeonggaek persistently targeted Dang Mujin.

The situation was clear: Muyeonggaek was explicitly after Dang Mujin, likely under Guangyeomra’s orders. But breaking through Namgungmyeong’s interference and Dang Mujin’s defense wasn’t easy, so Muyeonggaek’s attacks were infrequent.

Dang Mujin dodged and parried each of Muyeonggaek’s strikes, narrowly avoiding disaster. Muyeonggaek failed to achieve his goal, while Dang Mujin and Namgungmyeong managed to fend off his attacks.

At first glance, it seemed like a win for the righteous faction, but in the grand scheme, it was a clear loss. “I can’t use the Bi-ryun.”

Dang Mujin’s absence was more significant than that of an ordinary master. The reason Honggeolgae and Manryeokseung joined Guangyeomra without hesitation was their confidence in Dang Mujin’s combat prowess, which surpassed that of many top-tier masters.

Though they were outnumbered in terms of masters, the righteous faction believed they could gain the upper hand if the top-tier masters were neutralized. This prediction was accurate, and the righteous warriors were gradually gaining the upper hand against the unorthodox fighters—at least until Dang Mujin’s actions were restricted.

Muyeonggaek’s arrival had complicated matters. If Honggeolgae and Manryeokseung were tied up with Guangyeomra, then Dang Mujin and Namgungmyeong were similarly entangled with Muyeonggaek, a top-tier master.

The tide of battle shifted, and the righteous warriors began to falter. More were injured or killed, and as the losses mounted, Dang Mujin’s anxiety grew.

“Should I call Hyun Gong to hold off the Shadowless Guest for me?”

That wouldn’t be a wise choice.

No matter how skilled Hyun Gong is at defense, that’s only when dealing with visible swords. Blocking the nearly imperceptible blade of the Shadowless Guest would be a challenge even for him.

Moreover, even if Hyun Gong managed to fend off the Shadowless Guest, Tang Mujin would likely struggle to perform at his best. How could he focus entirely on his techniques when a blade might pierce his heart from behind at any moment?

The orthodox martial artists, slowly being pushed back, glanced at Tang Mujin. His role was too significant for them not to notice if something was amiss.

They could see the faint greenish poison aura rising around Tang Mujin and the sword in his hand. It was clear he couldn’t unleash his full power.

Yet, the orthodox fighters didn’t lose hope. They had one more thing to rely on.

Now, their eyes shifted from Tang Mujin to the southern hills.

Tonight was the night of the new moon.

The night when the Namgung family had promised to arrive.

The orthodox fighters were waiting for reinforcements from the distant southern Anhui Province, led by the Namgung family.

With hope in their hearts, they fought desperately, swinging their swords with all their might. As the night wore on and dawn approached, someone shouted.

“They’re here! They’ve arrived!”

Turning their heads, they saw figures with swords appearing on the southern hill. Joy spread across their faces.

In contrast, the faces of the unorthodox fighters were filled with confusion. They had never imagined that reinforcements would arrive in the midst of battle.

Even Gwang Yeom-ra was taken aback.

“Just a little more, and we could have finished them off!”

Gwang Yeom-ra had initially come to stall for time. But the battle had been going so well that he couldn’t help but entertain a small ambition. If they could inflict significant damage tonight and clash again tomorrow, they might even seize control of the eastern martial world. If Shaolin and the Beggars’ Sect fell, who would stand against them?

“Damn it.”

Just as he was about to order a retreat, Gwang Yeom-ra noticed something peculiar.

For a group to be called reinforcements, there should be at least dozens. Yet, fewer than ten people had appeared on the hill, with no sign of more arriving.

“Could it be?”

Gwang Yeom-ra quickly assessed the newcomers.

In a war between nations, fewer numbers mean a lack of strength. But in the martial world, it’s different. Sometimes, a small number signifies confidence. A few with overwhelming skill can dominate a larger, mediocre group.

“Surely Namgung Jincheon isn’t here?”

If a bunch of mediocre fighters had shown up, it wouldn’t be a problem for Gwang Yeom-ra. How could low-level fighters hold him back?

But if Namgung Jincheon had appeared, the situation would change. This was enemy territory. If Namgung Jincheon managed to pin him down, Gwang Yeom-ra would be doomed.

However, among the reinforcements, there was no one who resembled Namgung Jincheon.

”…?”

Nor was there anyone like Namgung Jinya, a renowned master.

At best, there were a couple who seemed to have barely crossed the threshold of mastery. The rest were all below first-rate.

“Did they really come with just this small group?”

Finally, Gwang Yeom-ra observed the expressions of the orthodox fighters.

Manryeokseung, Hwahwano, and Honggeolge. Their faces were filled with nothing but bewilderment.

Gwang Yeom-ra’s tense expression relaxed, and a smile crept onto his lips.

Just as he was about to signal the unorthodox fighters to charge, someone caught his eye.

Hyun Gong was looking over Gwang Yeom-ra’s shoulder.

With a booming voice, Hyun Gong shouted, “Sword Demon, sir! That man is Gwang Yeom-ra!”

Could it be that someone as formidable as the Sword Demon was launching a surprise attack?

Gwang Yeom-ra spun around in alarm, but there was no one behind him.

”…?”

Realizing the situation too late, he turned back to see the orthodox fighters retreating like a receding tide.

Furious, Gwang Yeom-ra shouted, “Chase them down! Wipe them all out!”