“I see.”

“That Maeng Rip is the head of Jeokryongbang.”

I heard Uncle Dagger’s voice.

[It would be difficult for him to be alive.]

I thought so too, but I didn’t say it out loud.

“I know it’s hard for him to be alive. And that no one has returned among those taken by them.”

“……”

“But I want to find even his corpse. My father, he only suffered all his life. After my mother passed away from an epidemic, he did everything to raise me.”

I was lucky to be born in the Nam Gung family, but not all children could be as fortunate as me.

“He raised me by begging for milk.”

Saying that, So Baek hugged herself. She continued speaking.

I closed my mouth at So Baek’s words.

[He’s a cowardly kid.]

How much courage must it have taken for the timid So Baek to rush at a warrior like Maeng Rip.

Dang Hwa Ryeong’s face sank low at So Baek’s words.

‘She must be thinking of Dang Hae Yeol.’

I understood So Baek’s feelings too.

‘The desire to find even her father’s corpse…’

I couldn’t find my father’s corpse either.

Dang Hwa Ryeong and Shin So Kyung’s gazes turned to me. Their looks contained the question of what I was going to do.

“We have a place we need to go.”

At my words, Shin So Kyung made a gloomy expression. I saw Dang Hwa Ryeong shaking her head as if it couldn’t be helped.

I continued speaking.

“But we still have some time left.”

The reason I cultivated my strength was for times like this.

I don’t think I can save everyone. But I have no intention of turning a blind eye to what’s right in front of me.

[This is the timeline separator]

Shin So Kyung asked me.

“What are you planning to do?”

So Baek was walking beside her. He looked around with innocent eyes.

She carefully asked me again.

“You felt a presence yesterday, right?”

“Yes, I did feel it, but…”

After that incident yesterday, there were warriors watching us around the inn.

“They’re planning to attack us anyway. But they hesitated for a moment when they saw Dang Hwa Ryeong. She looks extraordinary at a glance. Well, or they have other thoughts.”

I liked the fact that I looked weak. It’s easier to lure out a careless opponent.

Even now, I could feel an eerie and unpleasant gaze.

[Their level of concealing their presence is utterly pathetic.]

Uncle Dagger clicked his tongue.

They were watching from outside the inn, observing me and Shin So Kyung coming out.

“They’re really disgusting people.”

I nodded in agreement and walked briskly.

That’s how we arrived in front of Jeokryongbang.

That’s when Maeng Rip appeared.

Behind him were numerous warriors of Jeokryongbang.

“Hey, you’re really out of your mind. I wondered where you were heading, and you come to our sect?”

Maeng Rip asked as if genuinely puzzled.

“Bringing that guy, is it to beg for your life?”

At his words, So Baek trembled behind Shin So Kyung. He seemed confused about why he was brought to Jeokryongbang.

I shook my head firmly.

“That’s not it, I’m curious where you took this child’s father.”

At my question, Maeng Rip snorted in disbelief.

“Why should I tell you that? That guy owed us. If you owe a debt, you should naturally pay it.”

“……”

“If you don’t have money, you pay with your body.”

Maeng Rip glared at me with narrowed eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you? You won’t see anything good. I asked what you were thinking coming here.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“I came to smash your signboard.”

At my words, Maeng Rip’s face turned red and blue. He seemed unable to contain his humiliation.

“Your arrogance reaches the sky! Playing with your three-inch tongue ends here.”

I said with a smirk.

“Isn’t a war of words the only thing you have a chance at?”

“If you had stayed behind that person, you might have saved your life. How foolish.”

Saying that, Maeng Rip grinned.

I told him with a serious face.

“There’s a disgusting smell, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t smile.”

Actually, I didn’t enjoy the war of words either. With those final words, I also drew my sword.

[This is the timeline separator]

So Baek knew it was a fight without hope, so he risked his life when he rushed at Maeng Rip.

The boy cried for days when his father was taken away. After that, he despaired and gradually burned with revenge.

That’s why he rushed at Maeng Rip just yesterday.

It was only yesterday, but when his sword missed hopelessly, he tasted deep frustration.

It was nearly impossible. His life was temporarily preserved thanks to Nam Gung Lin, but he thought that would be the end of it.

That was until she started walking towards Jeokryongbang with him.

Nam Gung Lin, with her sword drawn, said to the warriors:

“I’ll give you a chance. Put down your swords and surrender. Then I won’t kill you right away.”

However, no one put down their sword. The warriors of Jeokryongbang were snickering as they looked at her.

As their commotion grew, people started to gather one by one.

“What’s going on again?”

“That young lady at the inn yesterday…”

“Oh my, this is trouble.”

In an instant, the number of onlookers increased. So Baek watched the scene with a tense face, his fists tightly clenched.

‘I only found out yesterday that she’s from the Nam Gung family, but is it really possible…?’

Maeng Rip was strong. He was a powerful figure who could almost single-handedly slaughter the people of Heuksabang.

Maeng Rip raised one corner of his mouth as he looked at the increased number of onlookers.

The more people, the better.

Lately, there had been many rebellious ones. It wouldn’t be bad to show what happens when someone defies him.

“Insolent wench, do you think anyone will feel fear at your words?”

Maeng Rip shouted with momentum.

“Everyone wait, I’ll deal with this thing one-on-one.”

He raised his spear and charged at Nam Gung Lin.

“I’ll make you pay for daring to be insolent to me!”

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of spear and sword clashing was heard.

So Baek squeezed his eyes shut.

He thought Nam Gung Lin would be miserably defeated.

“Oh, oh my. So Baek! Look at that.”

“Maeng Rip is being pushed back, that young lady is driving Maeng Rip into a corner!”

At the commotion, So Baek opened his eyes wide.

It was as people said.

Maeng Rip seemed to be struggling just to block Nam Gung Lin’s sword. Maeng Rip was a master who mainly used a spear.

He swung his spear at Nam Gung Lin as if driving her, but not a single attack landed effectively.

Maeng Rip glared at Nam Gung Lin, gritting his teeth.

“I was going to go easy on you!”

A red energy swirled around his massive spear. The energy emanating from Maeng Rip changed dramatically.

His target was Nam Gung Lin’s neck.

‘I’ll pierce through like this!’

It was a clear killing move without any hesitation.

Woong!

It was such a powerful strike that the spear shaft bent.

“Die!”

An attack aimed strongly at the neck. But Nam Gung Lin deflected his attack as if it were flowing water.

Clang!

Her heavy sword effortlessly subdued Maeng Rip’s powerful attack.

“What…?”

The subtlety of using softness to control hardness was evident in her every movement.

What emanated from Nam Gung Lin’s sword was composure. At the same time, it contained the way of the sword within naturalness.

Blue energy surged from her sword. It was like thunder rolling.

At that moment, Maeng Rip felt a vague fear.

Nam Gung Lin said to Maeng Rip:

“The sword of Nam Gung cuts down demons. And you are a demon itself.”

And. Nam Gung Lin’s sword cut through Maeng Rip’s knee.

It seemed like an ordinary strike. But Maeng Rip, hit by her sword, fell to his knees.

“Argh!”

It didn’t end there.

Seizing a momentary gap, Nam Gung Lin grabbed Maeng Rip’s wrist and twisted it.

“Aaaargh!”

Maeng Rip’s hand bent grotesquely and dangled. Clutching his broken hand, Maeng Rip dropped his sword.

Clang-!

The sound of the spear falling echoed. It was Maeng Rip’s clear defeat.

Silence fell.

There were many people at Jeokryongbang’s main gate, but people couldn’t even breathe properly.

Belatedly, one of Jeokryongbang’s warriors shouted.

“M-Master!”

“Are you alright?”

Maeng Rip shouted towards the Jeokryongbang warriors.

“Right now, attack that wench right now. Don’t just stand there!”

Even after Maeng Rip’s words fell, Jeokryongbang’s warriors didn’t dare step forward.

It was because an extraordinary aura was emanating from Nam Gung Lin’s body.

A master could subdue the weak with aura alone.

Jeokryongbang’s warriors instinctively realized.

‘If I draw my sword here, I’ll die!’

‘That woman is excessively strong.’

‘Where did such a monster appear from!’

Those who had been mocking Nam Gung Lin until just now no longer existed.

Nam Gung Lin asked them:

“Are you going to rush in? I don’t mind.”

Jeokryongbang’s warriors silently stepped back. They didn’t forget to quickly put down their swords.

That ended the answer.

Nam Gung Lin grabbed Maeng Rip’s collar.

“Now, tell me again.”

“P-Please spare me.”

“Where is So Baek’s father?”

Maeng Rip, his face turning deathly pale, raised both hands. It was a clear sign of surrender.

“If I tell you where that person is, will you, will you spare my life?”

Nam Gung Lin shook her head.

She answered with ice-cold eyes.

“No, you don’t have many options, just whether you die painlessly or painfully.”

“Huh, huk……”

“So wouldn’t it be better to be as painless as possible?”

[This is the timeline separator]

I followed Maeng Rip’s footsteps.

Beside me, So Baek was following, his whole body trembling.

Maeng Rip guided us deep into Jeokryongbang. I was slightly surprised.

‘I didn’t know there was an underground here.’

Maeng Rip fiddled with something at the entrance of the underground for quite a long time.

[There’s even a mechanism. It’s too thorough for a sect in this village.]

‘Indeed, they couldn’t have made this alone.’

As I walked underground, I asked Maeng Rip:

“Why didn’t you attack me at the inn?”

“……”

“You recognized Dang Hwa Ryeong, didn’t you? That’s why you didn’t rashly attack.”

Otherwise, someone like Maeng Rip wouldn’t have been able to contain his anger at that moment.

Maeng Rip’s face turned deathly pale at my words.

Maeng Rip stopped in his tracks.

“We, we’ve arrived.”

He was clearly avoiding answering. My face hardened. The underground of Jeokryongbang where Maeng Rip led us was full of corpses.

There were some living people here and there, but it was just a place that could be called hell.

So Baek seemed shocked by the sight. He started shaking his legs faster. Then he froze in place when he saw a certain spot.

“Father!”

So Baek ran forward.