Chapter 16. Cherry Blossoms and the Sword (3)

The chill running down my spine felt all too real.

“I’ve found you.”

“Um... Who are you?”

“I am Yang Jinpo, the leader of the Phoenix Corps of the Absolute Sword Sect.”

The look in his eyes, as he revealed his name, was as if they were about to burst into flames.

‘Damn it!’

I decided to try to calm him down first.

“Sir, let go of me for a moment... Let’s talk this out. Violence isn’t the answer.”

“Wasn’t it you who killed Young Master Shengyi?”

“You’re right, but it’s not fair to say it like that. It was more like an accident. If you hear the whole story, I’m sure you’ll understand.”

I was indeed in the right.

But he wasn’t prepared to listen at all.

“Did you really think you could live with your head held high in this Myanghyeon after killing Young Master?”

“No, I’ve never held my head high. I have a turtle neck.”

This guy keeps making me feel wronged.

Then, one of the Absolute Sword Sect members behind him grabbed his shoulder and tried to dissuade him.

“Leader! You can’t do this. Are you going to defy the Young Master’s orders? He specifically said not to seek revenge.”

“Shut up! Aren’t you angry? How can you not be angry that this lowly bodyguard killed Young Master?”

He shouted and shrugged off his subordinate’s attempt to stop him. With a single gesture, his subordinate was thrown far away.

This is getting really messy.

“Even if the Young Master decided to cover it up, can we just let it go? Can you imagine Young Master Shengyi crying in the afterlife?”

The guy was practically giving a speech.

“I swore to Young Master Shengyi’s spirit that I would avenge this deep-seated grudge, and I didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon!”

“Sir, please calm down...”

“Enough talk!”

I’m starting to get annoyed.

I’m the victim here.

I’d rather get compensation, but to be grabbed by the collar like this... If the head of the Absolute Sword Sect was here, I’d grab him by the collar.

Your sect’s education is a mess.

So, I decided to just go all out without thinking about the consequences.

“Cut it out.”

I used my inner energy to push away Yang Jinpo’s hand that was gripping my shoulder.

“What?”

“Isn’t this self-defense? I did kill your Young Master, but honestly, he deserved it. He was using a knife to threaten someone and broke into someone’s house. He was out of his mind.”

“You...”

“So what are you going to do? The head of your sect stopped you, right? Why don’t you just expel me and be done with it?”

His face turned red, and he shook off his shoulder as if it was contaminated.

“What are you going to do?”

“...Fine. I’ll do as you wish.”

What?

“Let’s have a fair fight, and I’ll expel you.”

No.

That’s not what I meant.

* * *

Yang Jinpo started walking briskly somewhere, and the other Absolute Sword Sect members, either having lost the will to stop him or not caring, began to drag me along.

I thought about breaking through their encirclement and escaping, but with more than ten of them, it was impossible.

Besides, I don’t know any lightness techniques, so it was out of the question.

‘I should have learned lightness techniques.’

When I get back, I’ll start with that.

No matter what, I’ll learn. After I survive, of course.

“Um... Sir, what’s going on?”

The woman who got me involved in this mess and was now being dragged along with me asked cautiously.

“Do you have some kind of grudge with them?”

“I do have a grudge, but it’s one-sided.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you involved...”

She looked apologetic. I replied curtly.

“Why did you drag an innocent person into this?”

“I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”

“Everyone who causes trouble always says that.”

“I should have just gone along quietly. I didn’t want to cause trouble for innocent people.”

“Since we’re on the topic, why are you being dragged along?”

She didn’t seem like someone who knew martial arts. She looked more like a pretty, sheltered young lady. It seemed unlikely that she would have a grudge with a martial arts sect.

“Well... There was an event.”

“What kind of event?”

“I don’t like being in front of people, so I ran away, and they came to catch me.”

“What kind of event... Is it something like a theater group?”

Although I don’t often visit this rural area, theater groups do come here occasionally. I’m not interested in musicals, but when a theater group comes, the town gets quite excited.

“No, it’s a bookstore opening.”

That sounds familiar.

“It’s an event to sell my paintings. They wanted me to go out front and greet people, but I was too embarrassed to attend, so I ran away, and they came to catch me.”

“So you’re Asanak, the painter?”

Her face turned red.

“You know me?”

“I was in line to buy your paintings but gave up and went home.”

“...No one knows me. I can’t even show my face...”

I was surprised.

I didn’t expect Asanak to be such a small, delicate woman.

“So the Myriad Gold Bookstore commissioned the Absolute Sword Sect?”

“Yes...”

Of course, in Myanghyeon, where there are no major sects like the Haomen or Kaifang, it makes sense to commission the Absolute Sword Sect to find someone.

This situation is really getting messy.

“With so many people, why didn’t you attend the event? They came to see you.”

“...How can I do that?”

Ah.

“By the way, your specialty is cherry blossoms, right?”

“Yes. I love painting cherry blossoms, but... How can I stand in front of people and say I painted them... Ugh... I’d rather die.”

...I understand.

In middle school, I once serialized a romantic wuxia novel called “The World of the色魔” in my notebook. When my friends found out by accident, the news spread throughout the school.

I declared my refusal to go to school and threatened to cut my own veins if my parents forced me to go.

Of course, I ended up being beaten like a dog and went to school the next day, but... Anyway, being the author of an 18+ work does make it hard to reveal your identity.

Let alone having to do a signing event in front of people; running away isn’t unreasonable.

“I understand.”

“Right?”

“Yes, psychologically.”

But you can’t act like that as a professional.

“I understand, but the people there are all fans of your work.”

“...Right.”

“You should meet their expectations. Even if you don’t like it, you should endure it. That’s the professional ethic.”

“...Yes.”

She bowed her head, looking apologetic.

Yes, feel a bit guilty. Because of you, I’m being dragged along.

Our conversation ended there, and we walked silently for about ten minutes until we reached the Absolute Sword Sect.

[Absolute Sword Sect 绝剑门]

Seeing the sign, I felt like I should abandon all hope.

“Finally, I can avenge Young Master.”

Yang Jinpo brought me to the training ground of the Absolute Sword Sect. As soon as he arrived, he brought out a memorial tablet for Bai Shengyi and placed it in a corner of the training ground.

His behavior, as if setting up an execution site, was so absurd that I asked in disbelief.

“Wait a moment.”

“What?”

“Are you really going to have a fair fight? You won’t be able to handle the consequences.”

If I die or get injured, the Absolute Sword Sect expelling Yang Jinpo or Tongzhuipo won’t be the end. The Baiyun Escort Agency will have no choice but to declare war.

It’s not because I’m special. The Baiyun Escort Agency needs to maintain its reputation in the martial world.

If an escort agency member is killed without reason, or rather, in a high-handed manner, and they do nothing, it’s impossible. They must declare war.

If the Absolute Sword Sect wants to prevent this war, even if FBI negotiation experts come to mediate, they will have to be prepared for at least a three-year seclusion. In this rural area, seclusion means preparing for the worst.

In essence, my question was, “Are you really prepared to stake your sect’s future on this?”

Yang Junpo laughed for a moment, then went to the weapon rack in the corner of the training ground, picked up the thickest wooden sword, and shouted loudly for everyone to hear.

“What’s happening now is a fair duel!”

“?”

Yang Junpo, ignoring my bewildered expression, continued to shout loudly.

“Cheng Lajun of the Baiyun Escort Agency wishes to witness the martial arts of the Absolute Sword Sect, so I, Yang Junpo, will be his opponent.”

“What...”

“I tried to dissuade him multiple times, but he insisted that even if an unfortunate accident occurs, it will be his responsibility. Therefore, we have agreed to this duel!”

“Wait, let me explain...”

“To consider the skill difference, I have allowed him to use a real sword. Everyone understand?”

This guy...

I can’t take it anymore.

“You’re writing a script, you lunatic!”

I couldn’t hold back and shouted. Yang Junpo was writing a script, a script for my murder.

But he ignored me and pointed the wooden sword at the woman, saying,

“Asanak, no, Wang Xi, you will be the witness. Do you understand?”

“Me? Why...”

“An outsider’s testimony will make the story more credible, won’t it? Don’t refuse or think otherwise. If any word leaks out, there will be bloodshed in your family.”

Yang Jinpo approached Wang Xi with a sinister smile, raising the wooden sword to threaten her.

Asanak was a pen name.

Faced with the intense killing intent, she trembled like a rabbit caught in the rain, her heart nearly stopping.

‘What a dirty bastard!’

His behavior made my blood boil. Threatening an innocent woman and the wooden sword he held...

He held the wooden sword to make it look fair after he was done with me, but it’s not a real wooden sword.

It’s called an ironwood sword, made of wood as hard as iron.

It’s so hard that it can break a regular sword with just a collision.

‘What a dog! He’s holding an advantage.’

While a wooden sword is generally not advantageous compared to a real sword, this one is different. It’s almost like holding a blunt iron weapon.

“Now that we have a witness, let’s start the duel.”

He slammed the wooden sword into the ground with such force that a crater formed in the stone training ground.

The size of the crater made me not want to think about what would happen if I got hit.

‘Can I win if I just fight...’

He’s clearly a leader. In a sect of the Absolute Sword Sect’s size, a leader is not just a disciple but a master-level figure.

In the escort agency, he would be a mid-level bodyguard, and in the martial world, he would be a second-tier expert, just below the top tier.

‘...Not likely.’

But there was no way to run.

The only option was to fight.

I slowly entered the training ground, drew my sword, and raised it.

“I am Cheng Lajun, a bodyguard of the Baiyun Escort Agency.”

“I am Yang Jinpo, the 8th generation disciple and leader of the Phoenix Corps of the Absolute Sword Sect.”

The duel began.