Chapter 69. The Cold Glint of a Well-Polished Sword (16)

“Ughk...!”

To satisfy his lust, the Azure Dragon Admiral had destroyed the lives of countless women and relished in their misery. However, he now discovered that he also could not endure the fear and pain of death.

‘I don’t want to die, I don’t want to...’

However, there was no way for someone who had their throat slit and blood pouring out to live for long. Soon, his eyes closed, never to open again.

Woo-Moon then descended into the belly of the ship, following the auras of the people he felt below. Within the large and luxurious admiral’s cabin was a cage covered with a curtain where two women were imprisoned.

One was a pretty girl in her late teens, sitting there with a blank expression, while the other girl seemed to be only fourteen at most and she was lying there unconscious—it seemed that she was the one who had just been captured.

Unconsciously gritting his teeth at the sight, Woo-Moon wrapped his sword in a golden sword aura and cut through the iron bars.

“You’re the daughter of Prefect Wang Geon-Pyeong, right? I’ve come to save you.”

However, the girl with the blank gaze just stared through Woo-Moon with her unfocused eyes, not saying a single word.

Woo-Moon left the Admiral’s ship with the two girls on either shoulder, stopping only when they reached a village in the middle of the road to Hefei, where he got the two girls a room at an inn.

It wasn’t until the following day that Wang Geon-Pyeong’s youngest daughter finally came to her senses, shaking off some of her fear and shock. She sobbed loudly in front of Woo-Moon, shedding tears like strings of pearls.

“When we return, please, I beg you, please tell my father that nothing happened. I’ll also keep this a secret until the day I die, so please, don’t tell anyone anything.”

Although she was clearly the victim here, forced into a horrible situation by a wicked person, if what had happened to her became common knowledge, her marriage prospects would be destroyed. She would become the target of the city’s gossip, something she was terrified of.

“The only person who knew was that bastard. He’s dead now, so don’t worry. I think you should do your best to forget everything that happened in the past few days. It will be as if none of it ever happened, and I will keep this secret for the rest of my life as well.”

“Yes, thank you.... Thank you.”

***

Wang Geon-Pyeong and his wife shed tears of joy when they saw their daughter return safely. As his wife held their daughter tightly, the prefect grasped Woo-Moon's hand and repeatedly thanked him.

Fortunately, Wang Geon-Pyeong and his wife seemed to immediately believe Woo-Moon and his daughter’s words that nothing had happened. Or...maybe that was what they wanted to think. Either way, Wang Geon-Pyeong said that his daughter was very fortunate as he held her in his warm embrace. And now that her parents were by her side, the girl also seemed to calm down a lot.

With a thick purse the prefect had given him tucked away into his robes, Woo-Moon left the Hefei Prefecture Government Office and met with Si-Hyeon.

“I received the message, senior brother! I heard you not only caught that bastard but also rescued the girls!”

“Ah! Yes, I did, junior sister.”

Si-Hyeon had a tired and drained expression, as if she hadn’t slept at all in the past few days. In an unusual display, her hair didn’t even look combed.

“Ha! I was actually running around trying to find any trace of that bastard, and I only found a trace this morning. But just as I wanted to find you and tell you about it, I got the message about what you did.”

The two of them had gone their separate ways to try to find traces of the Lust Demon. Si-Hyeon didn’t have Woo-Moon’s strong martial foundation and could not spread her sixth sense the way he did, but that did not mean she had no resources. To compensate, she had hired an expert manhunter to find the rapist.

“Ah! Speaking of that, the prefect also asked me to convey his thanks, junior sister. He is very grateful for our effort.”

Even though her efforts had been in vain, as the case had been solved anyway, things had still turned out well. Si-Hyeon suddenly chuckled to herself.

“Pfft!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just funny. You had said that when you were young, your dream had been to become a chivalrous hero, right? In the end, your dream came true, senior brother.”

‘A chivalrous hero?’

“Pssh, what do you mean, chivalrous hero? I gave up that dream a long time ago.”

“If you’re not a chivalrous hero, then who is? Punishing evildoers and helping others is the definition of a hero.”

“Hmm, is that right? Well, it might look like that, but it doesn’t feel like that to me. Honestly, it was more of me going out because I was worried something might happen to you, my mother, or Gun-Ha at the hands of the Lust Demon. That’s why I went out to find him.”

“But don’t you think that there was just the tiniest bit of you that led you to go out of your way purely out of a desire to catch the Lust Demon?”

“I mean, I guess.”

“Then that settles it. Why are you so conflicted about this, Great Chivalrous Hero?”

Woo-Moon ended up laughing at Si-Hyeon’s playful words.

He knew that Si-Hyeon was saying this on purpose to cheer him up, as his expression darkened and betrayed his horrid mood as he kept thinking about the prefect’s daughter's tears. He was grateful for his junior sister and found her even more endearing.

However, when Woo-Moon returned home, he was left with nothing but even more incredible hardships.

“You ran.”

Ma-Ra suddenly appeared and swung her sword.

“How dare you stay out overnight without saying anything to your mother!”

Jin-Jin, furious, spit out fire from her eyes.

"Son! Have you been drinking? Don’t you think it’s too far for you to go off and have fun on your own?”

Finally, Dae-Woong’s tactless words piled on top as well.

In the end, Woo-Moon had no choice but to console his family, breaking out in a cold sweat as he tried to explain to them in detail what had happened.

***

Four days later.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Woo-Moon emerged from the Baek Estate alongside the Lion Fang Squadron and Tiger Fang Squadron of the Iron Sword Four Beast Battalion and the brightest among the younger generation around Woo-Moon’s age, the Ten Distinguished Swords.

As he left, he instinctively felt that the Dok-Ryeok-Rat Trio, who were seeing him off, were cursing him viciously in their mind. Thus, Woo-Moon didn’t forget to give each of them a healthy slap before he left.

Hye-Ryeong and Ju-Ryeong also came out to see off the troops, and Ma-Ra, who was standing behind Woo-Moon, happened to spot Hye-Ryeong. A strange look appeared in her eyes.

From the Song Residence, only two members were to accompany Woo-Moon on the expedition, and those members were a woman and a beast: Ma-Ra and Eun-Ah.

Of course, Woo-Moon had also stopped by to see Si-Hyeon and explain everything three days before his departure. However, he noticed that when he visited his junior sister, the way that Si-Hyeon spoke to him had become short and brusque after she caught sight of Ma-Ra, who was right behind Woo-Moon as usual.

‘Why is she being like this? Did I do something wrong?’

No matter how much he racked his brain for an answer, Woo-Moon couldn’t figure it out. His mood was down, and he was dejected at the thought of being separated from his junior sister, whom he had been seeing daily for quite a while now.

At the moment, Woo-Moon and Ma-Ra were riding their horses somewhat distantly from the main group, partly because Woo-Moon preferred the distance and partly because the proud members of the Ten Distinguished Swords also did not feel like talking to him.

As Woo-Moon rode his horse and watched the surrounding scenery, a warrior suddenly came running toward him. The warrior, with a clearly nervous expression, greeted him loudly.

“How do you do, young master?”

‘Where have I seen him before? Oh!’

At a closer look, Woo-Moon realized who the warrior was—it was Yong Hwa-Pyeong, the gatekeeper who had been on duty when Woo-Moon’s family had arrived at the Baek Family Estate.

“Hello, it’s good to see you.”

Although it wasn’t a memory he was terribly fond of, Woo-Moon still smiled and answered calmly because he didn’t really want to cause trouble for people who were just following orders.

Seeing his calm reaction, Yong Hwa-Pyeong continued with a somewhat relieved expression.

“I was appointed as your adjutant during this expedition! I may be lacking in many ways, but I’ll do my best to assist you!”

Even if it was in name only, Woo-Moon was still one of the leaders of this expedition, so he had been given an adjutant to handle his affairs.

“I’ll be in your care.”

With this awkward exchange of greetings, the two had nothing else to say to each other. Yong Hwa-Pyeong wasn’t very sociable in the first place, Ma-Ra never had much to say, and the only things Eun-Ah could really say were “mew,” “growl,” and “nya.”

Thus, surrounded by people who spoke so little, Woo-Moon, at the very least, should have said something to keep the conversation going. However, right now, he was also not really in the mood.

Thus, Yong Hwa-Pyeong walked down the road, feeling that the atmosphere was indeed very awkward.

Yong Hwa-Pyeong was twenty-nine years old. At seventeen, he had gone to the Baek Family with the dream of bettering his life, learning martial arts and becoming a warrior of an Ancient Family.

Because his natural talent wasn’t that great, he was currently content with being an ordinary member of the Lion Fang Squadron.

However, recently, something very special had happened in his life. He had met the Palm Martial Emperor Baek Sang-Woon and had witnessed the Palm Martial Emperor unleash a Palm Sphere. Of course, given the circumstances at the time, it was closer to a bad memory than a good memory.

‘But, why was I chosen out of everyone to become Young Master Song’s adjutant?’

he thought, wondering why he had such bad luck. It was obvious that Woo-Moon would see him in nothing but a negative light.

At that time, a beautiful woman appeared in front of Woo-Moon.

"Hello, Uncle."[1]

The woman seemed roughly the same age as Woo-Moon, maybe a bit older. She was none other than Baek Ye-Ye.

‘So she’s the eldest daughter of the Patriarch, huh?’

Woo-Moon thought.

“Hello.”

Although she wasn’t as good at it as Ma-Ra, Ye-Ye maintained a reasonably expressionless face as she spoke politely.

“When the battle breaks out, and an urgent situation arises, many people's lives will depend on our split-second decisions. Although the opponent may be weaker than us, there is still no doubt that quick judgment will be important. As you still lack experience, Uncle, I hope you will follow my orders when such a situation arises.”

Although it may have seemed dismissive, Woo-Moon was well aware that he had little experience and didn’t know much about military tactics, so he had no problem following Ye-Ye’s decisions. However, he also had to make something clear.

“I will follow your orders if they fit the situation.”[2]

Just as Ye-Ye was about to respond, the other eight of the Ten Distinguished Swords approached.

‘They sure like to move around in a group.’

As Woo-Moon observed these younger-generation members of the Baek family, the one at the forefront of the group lowered his head half-heartedly and greeted him.

“How do you do, Uncle?”

Woo-Moon was able to get a rough idea of who each person was based on their appearance. He had recognized Ye-Ye before she introduced herself, and he also recognized this young man—Baek Do-Gun, First Distinguished Sword and son of Baek Hye-Ryeong.

However, this time, Woo-Moon didn’t have the slightest intention to be as polite as he had been with Ye-Ye. After all, his interlocutor was Hye-Ryeong’s progeny.

“Ah, I’m fine, thank you. Sorry, who are you again?”

The moment Do-Gun heard Woo-Moon’s manner of speech, he didn’t attempt to hide his anger. He glared at Woo-Moon with fierce eyes, almost as if he was saying,

‘How dare a bastard like you actually rely on a fake status to be here with us?’

Woo-Moon snorted inwardly.

‘Your eyeballs will pop out if you keep staring like that. Tsk, to think he’d put so much energy into something so useless.’

“My name is Baek, Do, Gun. They call me the First Sword of the Ten Distinguished Swords.”

Do-Gun’s blatant hostility was revealed in the manner in which he insisted on pronouncing each syllable of his name.

However, Woo-Moon just laughed in response.

“Ah~~ really? You said Baek. Do. Gun. Right? Baek. Do. Gun. That’s not too bad of a name, isn’t it? Yes, yes, Baek, Do, Gun. You said you were the First Sword of the Ten Distinguished Swords, right? But, Baek. Do. Gun. Do you always introduce yourself like that when you meet someone new? To be honest, if it were me, I think I would be a little embarrassed to pat myself on the back like that. Well, I have to say, you really are impressive, Baek. Do. Gun. Hahaha.”

Every time Woo-Moon said “Baek. Do. Gun,”

he imitated Do-Gun’s glaring expression and tone of voice. His interpretation was so exaggerated and comical that Do-Gun simply couldn’t stand it. He grit his teeth, and his hand wrapped around his sword’s hilt.

‘Oh, yes, go ahead and draw your sword~ Oh, and you might as well try swearing at me out loud. Don’t be afraid, let it all out!’

Although Woo-Moon was secretly rooting for Do-Gun to cross the line, it seemed that the latter wasn’t the head of the Ten Distinguished Swords for nothing. Much unlike Heon-Won, Do-Gun was able to suppress his anger well.

“The way you speak really is quite impressive. But it would be good if you were careful from now on, Uncle.”

“Yes, yes, I should, shouldn’t I? Our cute little nephew, you. Well, I think you’re cute, even if the light in your eyes is a little bit scary. My dear nephew, I’m a little worried that if you squint at me like that, your eyes will be stuck that way. You really should take care of your face, no matter how bad it looks. Yes, listen to your uncle’s advice.”

Was it possible to kill someone with just a smile?

Anyone who could see the way Do-Gun and Woo-Moon were smiling at each other right at this very moment would be able to answer that question with a resounding “yes.”

However, as Do-Gun stared deep into Woo-Moon’s eyes, he suddenly felt an extreme chill and goosebumps all over his body, as if he had fallen into an icy hell.

‘W–what the...!’

He could sense the bloodlust suppressed deep within Woo-Moon’s gaze, and that caused him to pause for a moment, dazed.

Woo-Moon, on the other hand, continued as if nothing had happened.

“So, my dear nephew Baek. Do. Gun. What’s brought you over here to see me?”

Do-Gun only now remembered that he had come to talk to Woo-Moon for a reason.

“Uncle...you lack experience. So, as Ye-Ye noona said earlier, you should hand over your authority unconditionally if you know what’s good for you.”

“Oh, really? But why did your tone change so suddenly? My, times sure have changed if it’s perfectly fine to speak so disrespectfully to your elders, don’t you think?”

1. Someone finally addresses Woo-Moon with the proper title and deference for once. ☜

2. Woo-Moon addresses Ye-Ye as niece but in a very formal and respectful way. ☜