The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

"One of the special grades has been released into the sun."

"The Goshawk has escaped our grasp."

"The companion is one person, identified as Cheon Yerang, the daughter of Cheon Yushin."

"They are now heading south from Seokcheon."

"They are avoiding the main roads and using forest paths or woods."

The Nameless Pavilion moved busily with the information about Jin Sohyun that was coming in as if they had been waiting.

Among the numerous martial artists of the Central Plains, there were only two martial artists with the importance of a special grade.

The master of the White Moon Palace, Cheon Yushin, and the eldest son of the Jin Family, Jin Sohyun.

Since one of them, Jin Sohyun, had escaped the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, which was their cage, the Nameless Pavilion could not just let this opportunity slip by.

And this news was also quickly delivered to the head of the Nameless Pavilion, the Nameless Guest Master.

"What should we do?"

"Hmm... the other Daoist temples are quiet, but only the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple has moved?"

"That's right. It is said that a hundred officials have paired up in twos and are all heading south."

"It must be a type of training, but it's an opportunity for us."

The Nameless Guest Master's gaze sank calmly.

"But there will be many eyes watching. It's not for nothing that they sent the officials out of our cage."

He looked into the calm waterway.

Soon, the old man's wrinkled hand lifted the fishing rod.

Unfortunately, there was no bait on the hook at the end of the fishing line.

"This little rascal has eaten only the bait and run away again. What a quick brat."

"The number of special-grade assassins we can use is seven in total. This should be enough..."

"We do nothing."

"...Yes?"

The Vice Guest Master, who had come to see the Guest Master, had a look of incomprehension.

This request was none other than that of the Grand Commander of the Heretic's Path Alliance, Mu Yu.

The Silver Signpost Pavilion had been purged for failing the mission a few times.

There was no reason why the Nameless Pavilion would not be purged, so it was right to deal with the special-grade target, the Goshawk, when the opportunity came.

Force naturally entered the Vice Guest Master's voice.

"This is a golden opportunity. If not now, we don't know when another opportunity to catch the Goshawk will come."

"Vice Guest Master."

"Yes!"

"We are assassins. If we, who should be holding the fishing rod, are lured by the bait and open our mouths."

The Guest Master picked up the fish he had caught and held it up to the Vice Guest Master's face.

"What's the difference between you and this brat?"

The Vice Guest Master, who had been chewing on the Guest Master's words for a while, said cautiously.

"Are you saying that the Goshawk is the bait?"

"Not just him, but all the young brats who have escaped our cage are bait. Hehe... they're smart and cunning brats. They're using what we want the most as bait. They want the Heretic's Path Alliance to move."

"Isn't the real purpose of the orthodox faction to nurture the next-generation talents? But to use the next-generation talents as bait... isn't that too reckless?"

"It is reckless! That's why it's cunning. Unlike during the Bud Crushing, to kill the next-generation talents who are heading south, the Heretic's Path Alliance has to get their hands dirty themselves. They're trying to use this."

"They're planning to find the branches of the Heretic's Path Alliance that are secretly active deep in the Central Plains."

"Yes. So we will not touch the Goshawk. If it becomes known that we are aiming for him, they will hide the Goshawk even deeper. So until a more perfect moment comes... they must not know that we are aiming for the Goshawk."

The Vice Guest Master, who had understood the Guest Master's hidden meaning, bowed his head deeply.

"My thoughts were short."

"Instead, watch the Heretic's Path Alliance. Mu Yu will not leave that delicious-looking bait alone in any way."

"Yes."

As the Vice Guest Master left, the old man stared at the fish he was holding.

The two eyes of the fish, which was gasping for air, were bewildered.

He then threw the fish back into the lake.

"Do you have business with me?"

At the Guest Master's question, a man who had appeared from behind him nodded his head.

"You said that brat called the Goshawk or whatever is a special grade?"

"Yes."

"Then may I kill him?"

"You are a guest, are you not? This is the work of the Nameless Pavilion."

"I don't care as long as I can kill people. If the Nameless Pavilion has designated him as a special grade, he must be a brat worth killing."

"Well, I can't give you orders, since you're not a member of the Nameless Pavilion."

"You mean I should do as I please?"

"If you wish."

The corners of the man's mouth twitched thinly.

"I will bring his head soon."

Watching the man who was disappearing, exuding an untidy and ferocious killing intent, the old man smiled lightly.

"This is unexpected."

A masterless stray dog had gone hunting on its own.

He was a guest of the Nameless Pavilion, and a madman.

The old man hummed a tune as he threw his fishing rod into the calm lake.

The Nameless Pavilion does not move.

However, only a masterless stray dog moves alone.

***

Even a long distance that would take a full half a month could be traversed in a week if martial artists put their minds to it and used their movement techniques with all their might.

"Aww... I don't want to do it."

Unlike ordinary martial artists who could only accumulate internal energy by circulating their qi, Jin Sohyun's internal energy, which naturally accumulated even while he was sleeping, was different in its amount.

Even if he ran for three days without rest, Jin Sohyun's internal energy would not easily run out.

However, he was a lazy bum.

"Shall we rest for a bit?"

"..."

Cheon Yerang was displeased with Jin Sohyun, who was trying to laze around whenever he had a chance.

"We rested just half a shichen ago."

"That's right. So now is the time to rest."

As Jin Sohyun leaned against a tree and sat down, Cheon Yerang had no choice but to stop in her tracks.

'He doesn't look tired.'

Surprisingly, not a single drop of sweat could be found on Jin Sohyun's smooth face.

His breathing was not even disturbed.

That meant that Jin Sohyun was not resting because he was tired.

"Agoo... this is good."

As Jin Sohyun lay down on the grass, Cheon Yerang had no choice but to find a suitable rock and swing her sword.

Slice—!

As the hard rock was cut in half, she lightly pushed the upper part of the rock.

She had made a stone chair in one go with a light movement.

As befitting a young lady of the White Moon Palace, Cheon Yerang sat on the chair with her hands neatly gathered and closed her eyes.

Although Jin Sohyun was slightly envious of such a Cheon Yerang, he did not move, as it was more troublesome to get up and find a rock that could be used as a chair.

Jin Sohyun, who was taking a short rest like that, pricked up his ears.

'Hmm...'

Jin Sohyun, who had managed to raise his upper body, looked far away.

"What should I do about that?"

Half a day had passed since they had left the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple. And from that time, faint presences had been following the two of them.

At first, he had thought of finding out who they were, but he had given up because it was troublesome.

He had just planned to find out when they got closer.

"Should I prepare to sleep first?"

Before the sun set, Jin Sohyun extended his hand and pulled the dry twigs.

It was a sight that would have made anyone who saw it faint in surprise.

What martial artist would gather twigs and dry leaves to be used for a campfire with the Void Grasping Art?

Jin Sohyun, who had finished preparing for camping while sitting, using the internal energy that was overflowing in his dantian and meridians, lit a fire on the twigs.

Crackle— Crackle—!

As the sound of the fire burning was heard, Cheon Yerang, who had been in meditation, opened her eyes.

She had a surprised face.

"When..."

"Let's camp here today. The sun will set soon. It's dangerous if we can't see ahead, so let's sleep early and depart early tomorrow."

Cheon Yerang saw Jin Sohyun in a new light.

'He's skilled.'

Unlike her, Jin Sohyun was skilled, as if he were used to life on the mountain.

In comparison, Cheon Yerang, who had been given food and had not even been able to light a fire properly, felt a slight sense of responsibility and said.

"I'll stand guard on the first day."

"What?"

As Jin Sohyun raised only his head and looked at her with a face that said 'what do you mean', Cheon Yerang said once more.

"I'll stand guard, so Young Hero Jin, please sleep."

"Why stand guard?"

"That's..."

This time, Cheon Yerang was flustered.

Although she had no knowledge of camping, she had the basic knowledge that she had to stand guard.

"Don't we have to stand guard to prepare for external threats?"

"Ah..."

Jin Sohyun, who had never felt the need to stand guard while living with the Nureongis, nodded his head once and then lay down again.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

"Yes."

As Jin Sohyun fell asleep using his arm as a pillow, Cheon Yerang leaned against a tree and placed her scabbard in a position where she could draw it at any time.

Having finished her preparations, Cheon Yerang gently closed her two eyes.

Now that darkness had come, it was easier to survey the surroundings with her eyes closed than with them open.

The night deepened as time passed.

When the moon was full, the moment Cheon Yerang's closed eyes opened, her sword was drawn from its scabbard.

"Young Hero Jin."

At her call, Jin Sohyun, who had been sleeping, woke up with a hazy face.

"Kkeung."

The few people who had been following at a certain distance had come close.

"Aww, this is boring."

Jin Sohyun opened his front lapel and took out a single flying sword from inside.

'A flying sword.'

Cheon Yerang, who had finally seen Jin Sohyun's flying sword for the first time, showed a look of expectation.

But Jin Sohyun, who had seemed as if he would move at any moment, suddenly lay down.

"Young Hero Jin?"

"I know them. They're not enemies."

"What?"

Cheon Yerang raised her qi sense and glared sharply into the darkness.

But she could only feel that someone was there, and she could not tell who it was.

'He doesn't seem to be the type to bluff.'

Cheon Yerang did not think that Jin Sohyun had a martial art superior to her own.

However, she knew that he was not revealing his true strength.

"Does 'not an enemy' mean they're from the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple?"

"Yes. It seems they're trying to watch or test us, but we don't have to worry about it... ugh!"

Jin Sohyun, who had hurriedly raised his body, looked at the brown pouch that had fallen on his head.

Although it was unclear if its original color was brown, it certainly looked like a pouch that had something indescribable in it.

"What is this!"

Jin Sohyun blocked his nose and glared at the pouch that was emitting a foul smell.

"It seems..."

Cheon Yerang spared her words, and Jin Sohyun frowned.

"Damn it! This is too much! To throw dung at the faces of the precious children of other people's houses!"

It was dung.

They had just thrown dung at the face of a sleeping person.

And that, dung that had been left for a long time and was emitting a terrible smell.

"...What should we do?"

At the unexpected situation, Cheon Yerang looked confused.

Even she, who had trained in martial arts her whole life, was facing an opponent who threw dung for the first time.

"Let's avoid it for now."

Do you avoid dung because it's scary?

You avoid it because it's dirty.

The two threw their bodies with all their might, avoiding the black-clad men who had appeared with a terrifying weapon they had never even thought of.

***

"This is hell!!"

Jong Ryeo'ak, even after pouring out all the water in his water bottle, could not get rid of the smell of dung, and he glared at Yu Useon and Siu with an angry face.

"How on earth did you stand guard!"

"Th-That is..."

Yu Useon, who had been standing guard, stuttered at the unexpected surprise attack, and Siu, who had woken up at Jong Ryeo'ak's scream, blocked her nose with a disheveled face.

"It stinks."

As Siu slowly stepped back, Jong Ryeo'ak felt as if he would go crazy with anger.

He shouted in an angry voice.

"Find a valley or a river right now! Right now!"

"Yes!"

While the two were busily moving to find a valley or a river to wash themselves, Jong Ryeo'ak, who was glaring at the dung pouch as if he would kill it, ground his teeth.

"Damn it!"

***

The search for the number one divine thief in the Central Plains was not as difficult as expected.

The divine thief had come to find Gu Yong himself.

"You've found me again. What do you want to use this old man for?"

"You've come."

"Tsk! What is it this time?"

As Bieunggaek revealed himself from the darkness, Gu Yong greeted him with a haggard face.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Elder."

"A favor to me? Is there something to steal? My hands have been itching lately, anyway."

"Will you look at this first?"

The place Gu Yong pointed to was a place where a corpse was lying, and it was so hideously dry, as if all the blood in its body had been drained, that it was difficult to even identify who it was.

"What is this?"

"He is a master named Ak Juyu, who had the title of the Island Rain Swift Sword."

"The Island Rain Swift Sword? I've heard of that title. I remember him as the master of a quite famous martial arts school."

"That's right. And he is the eighth victim."

"Eighth? You mean there are more corpses like this?"

"Yes. It is the work of the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon."

"The Blood-Sucking Sword Demon?"

"It is the title of the fiend, which was given because the corpse looks as if all the blood in its body has been sucked out."

"I thought all sorts of strange people had disappeared when the Ming Cult was destroyed... this Central Plains is as wide as it is dirty, and there are as many strange brats as it is dirty. So the reason you called me is not to ask me to find that brat called the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, right? I'm a thief, not a tracker."

"I know that too. And the reason I called the Elder is for something else."

"Speak without delay."

Gu Yong took a breath and then said.

"Please contact the Hao Sect."

(End of Chapter)