Tang Jincheon remained behind at the Murim Alliance, stating that he needed to investigate the Blood Essence Pill and the martial artists who had consumed it.

So, as previously discussed, the rest of us headed to Anhui Province, and we arrived at the Namgung Clan without any issues.

Well, to be more precise, it would be better to say the problem arose after we arrived at the Namgung Clan.

Just as we stood before the main gate to notify the gatekeeper of our arrival, we locked eyes with another group who had arrived ahead of us.

A familiar face.

Not quite as large as Peng Woojin, but still a massive frame. However, despite his fine clothing, he lacked any sense of nobility, and his aura was unmistakably unimpressive.

“What was his name again? Hwangbo something…”

As I watched him furrow his brows anxiously, the name slipped out unintentionally. At that, Seol Lihyang widened her eyes and shouted:

“Ah! The one who wet himself at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering—!”

“Hup!”

Realizing a beat too late that she’d spoken far too loudly, she quickly covered her mouth, but it was already too late. Everyone who could’ve heard, had heard.

Hwangbo-something glared at Seol Lihyang, his face flushed red and pale by turns.

“You wench! How dare you slander the heir of the great Hwangbo Clan!?”

Slander?

I may have mocked him as “Hwangbo-something” earlier, but I knew his name well.

Hwangbo Gwang. Even in the already poorly reputed Hwangbo Clan, he stood out as one of the worst. In my previous life, he had died at the hands of the Shadow Ghost, and all his filthy deeds had been exposed.

In this life, he was the one who fled the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering after wetting himself in terror when I released my killing intent.

The strange thing was this: even if Hwangbo Gwang was all show and had neglected his training, he should still recognize killing intent when it’s right in front of him.

Then what’s with this reaction that seems genuinely enraged?

“Oh.”

Don’t tell me… he knows exactly what happened, but is gritting his teeth and pretending it never occurred?

It’s a common human tendency—to mask humiliation with anger.

It’s not an act that would fool me, or Tang Sowol, or even Seo Mun-Hwarin, but it seemed to have worked on Seol Lihyang, who hadn’t been at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering and was still somewhat naive.

“I-I’m sorry. I must have heard a false rumor…”

“Ha! You think an apology is enough?! Words alone aren’t enough—show me sincerity through action!”

With that, Hwangbo Gwang swept Seol Lihyang with a lecherous gaze, making his disgusting intentions clear.

This bastard.

He was thoughtlessly acting the same way he did back home in Shandong Province.

Most likely, he didn’t even consider someone a person unless they belonged to a prestigious clan or sect.

And accusing someone of slander to pressure and take advantage of them—ironically, it was the exact tactic he had once used on the woman who later lost her daughter and became the Shadow Ghost.

Anger surged through me, but was this enough to justify drawing my sword?

The corruption of the Hwangbo Clan was well known, and Hwangbo Gwang’s depravity was worse than most demonic sects. But without solid proof, there wasn’t much we could do.

That is, unless I responded in a way that left no evidence.

He’d pissed himself once—he could do it again. I could also leave him with a fear so deep, he wouldn’t be able to meet anyone’s gaze for a while.

As I began sharpening my killing intent, it was Seol Lihyang who stepped forward half a beat before I could act.

Come to think of it, she was never particularly docile.

Around allies like me, Tang Sowol, and Seo Mun-Hwarin, she could be a bit snippy. But with others, she was either perfectly polite or coldly hostile—nothing in between.

I couldn’t forget. Even when she had nothing, she once stood before a group of assassins from the Hao Clan, gripping a rock and ready to fight to the death.

As we hesitated, Seol Lihyang narrowed her eyes.

“So, you’re the heir to the Hwangbo Clan?”

“That’s right. Surely you’ve heard of me? I’m none other than Hwangbo Gwang, the Ironbone Fist Hero.”

“Really? You’re not lying?”

“Lying? What nonsense is that?!”

Snarling as if he might leap forward at any moment, Hwangbo Gwang tried to look intimidating. But Seol Lihyang, who had felt my killing intent firsthand before, simply scoffed.

“The Hwangbo Clan might not be one of the Five Supreme Clans, but it’s still a prestigious one.”

“Ha! So now you’re scared—”

“Doesn’t seem very impressive, though.”

“You look like you’re in your early thirties. And if that’s all you’ve got, aren’t you just some branch family member or something? Let me tell you, mister—faking your identity like that can get you in real trouble.”

“You insolent little…!”

“And you’ve been speaking so rudely this whole time. What if you run your mouth like that to someone stronger than you and end up in a fight you can’t handle?”

“Ha! Who could possibly lay a hand on a Hwangbo Clan heir? Maybe a member of another prestigious clan—but if that were the case, I’d know them by face!”

Hwangbo Gwang snorted mockingly, clearly thinking he was making sense. Seol Lihyang tilted her head in genuine confusion.

“But… if everyone dies, there’d be no one left to report anything. Who’d know it was the Hwangbo Clan?”

Hwangbo Gwang stared blankly at her, dumbfounded by her casual mention of massacre.

With her petite frame and soft appearance—amplified by the heavy yin energy in her body—Seol Lihyang looked the picture of fragility, which only made her words more jarring.

But then again, every conflict she’d experienced had ended in death.

From the Hao Clan’s branch leader to the Bloodflame Fist Demon, her battles had always been life or death.

To her, actual combat wasn’t about sparring—it was about survival. A fight ended when someone died.

To outsiders, her words probably sounded like she was ready to kill them all without hesitation.

“You little—!”

Before Hwangbo Gwang could react, one of his guards stepped forward, raising a fist surging with internal energy.

At that exact moment, I unsheathed my sword, and Tang Sowol followed suit, hiding her fingertips beneath her sleeve.

A tense standoff.

But honestly, I wasn’t even nervous.

Not just because this kind of petty conflict was common in the martial world, but because Hwangbo Gwang and his guards weren’t strong enough to warrant concern.

Even without me, Tang Sowol alone could handle them easily.

What happened to this once-proud noble clan?

Had they become drunk on power and neglected martial arts? Or had they lost their martial strength and begun abusing what little authority they had left?

Either way, I didn’t care.

Just as things were about to explode—

Creeaak!

“What the hell is going on out here? And Hwangbo Gwang—I told you not to come back, you’re disturbing my training.”

Sword Dragon Namgung Jong appeared, drenched in sweat and dragging his feet with a sword at his waist, looking as if he’d just finished training.

His face was filled with annoyance and disdain—until his eyes met mine, and his expression instantly turned into a broad smile.

“Well, if it isn’t Brother Cheon! What brings you here without warning?”

“Didn’t you say to visit whenever it was convenient for you, Brother?”

“Of course! I’ve always wanted to cross swords with you someday!”

With Namgung Jong’s warm welcome, the tense atmosphere from just moments ago vanished completely.

It helped that he and I addressed each other as brothers and that since walking out, he hadn’t spared Hwangbo Gwang a single glance.

“Brother Namgung… Why…?”

Hwangbo Gwang wore the expression of a man betrayed. But Namgung Jong remained firm.

“I’ll say it again. I’m younger than you. And I already rejected your crazy suggestion to hold another Dragon and Phoenix Gathering just to save your face.”

“I said the Hwangbo Clan would cover the cost!”

“I said we don’t need it.”

Namgung Jong cut him off at every turn, while Hwangbo Gwang desperately tried to keep the conversation going.

I was starting to get the picture.

The Namgung Clan, among the Five Supreme Clans, currently enjoyed the most prestige.

Hwangbo Gwang was trying to force a connection, offering bribes to make up for the embarrassment he suffered at the last Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

But the Namgung Clan wouldn’t ally with the Hwangbo Clan just for money.

They had likely rejected him several times already. He just kept showing up, refusing to give up.

“And tell me—if you came to ask for a favor, why were you causing trouble at the inn? Did you really think we wouldn’t notice what was happening right outside our gates?”

Watching Namgung Jong seethe in irritation, I suddenly had an idea and sent him a sound transmission.

If it’s alright, could you loudly issue an official expulsion?

…Seriously? Actually, that’s not a bad idea.

He seemed shocked at first, but after a subtle nod, Namgung Jong raised his voice.

“Still don’t get it, Hwangbo Gwang? I want nothing to do with you! Now get lost!”

As he shouted, I focused my killing intent discreetly and aimed it straight at Hwangbo Gwang.

“Kuhugh!”

He fainted before he could even cry out in pain, his pants soaking wet again.

“Y-young master!?”

“No way…”

Hwangbo Clan’s guards panicked, rushing to pick him up. Then, without another word, they bowed and retreated the way they came.

Namgung Jong chuckled.

“Hah! That felt great. You wouldn’t believe how annoying he’s been these past few days. I don’t know how he found out Father wasn’t home.”

“You mean the Sword King?”

“Right. With Father here, no one would dare act so blatantly repulsive. I suppose the world is big, and there’s always someone stupid enough—but it sure wasn’t Hwangbo Gwang.”

Well, he is someone who values background more than skill, and he clearly preys on the weak. No wonder he wouldn’t even dare approach the Sword King.

As I nodded, Namgung Jong smirked and fully opened the half-closed gate.

“You’ve all had a rough trip. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re comfortable while you’re here. Please, come in.”

And like that, we became the guests of the Namgung Clan.

***

“You useless fools! You just came back like that?!”

Hwangbo Gwang kicked his guards’ shins furiously. Still unsatisfied, he began hurling nearby objects in rage.

Among the things he tossed were the corpses of the innkeeper and his daughter.

Only after his tantrum subsided did he crouch in a corner and start anxiously biting his nails.

“Damn it… With this, those creepy bastards won’t leave me alone…”

Gone was the arrogant man from earlier—now he trembled in fear.

His guards, seemingly used to this, calmly began cleaning the room.

But it didn’t last long.

Suddenly, the guards stopped and silently stepped aside, as if terrified to even be in the same line of sight.

Through the path they made, an old man with a hunched back walked in.

“Tsk tsk. So you’re not completely brainless. Of course we can’t leave you alone.”

“E-elder…”

Despite his massive frame, Hwangbo Gwang trembled like a leaf.

The old man gave a deceptively kind smile.

“But don’t worry too much. We’re family, after all. I’ll give you one more chance.”

He extended a liver-spotted hand. Resting in his palm was a round pill, the size of a fingertip, reeking with a foul stench.

“Swallow it.”

Hwangbo Gwang’s trembling hand took the pill.

His father—and his father’s father before him—had never disobeyed this man.

Hwangbo Gwang was no different.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep