Chapter 129: Pil Gye-young (2)

“If that’s the case, then let me tell you one more thing. What would you do if I even knew the name of Hae Cheollyeong’s grandfather?”

“Say it.”

As Bang Yeorip spoke, I responded without hesitation.

Dragging out the moment over something like this would only make them suspect I was plotting something.

“Hae Deokgong.”

I still remembered meeting Hae Cheollyeong and Hae Deokgong on Mount Wudang.

“Hmm!”

Bang Yeorip narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

Even if they had unconsciously mentioned the name Hae Cheollyeong themselves, the three characters for Hae Deokgong had not come up in our conversation today at all.

At first, they had been suspicious that I, someone escorting the valuables, suddenly claimed to know Hae Cheollyeong. But now, hearing that I even knew his surname and his grandfather’s name, they began to view me a little differently.

“Yeorip, bring the best liquor we have in the mountain stronghold.”

“Yes, Big Brother.”

As Bang Yeorip ran off somewhere, Pil Gye-young stepped into the wooden cabin.

“Come inside.”

I entered the cabin and took a seat.

Pil Gye-young got straight to the point.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Did you simply overhear us talking about Cheollyeong here? Or did you hear about him from somewhere else?”

I understood what Pil Gye-young was worried about.

“I heard it here. When Cheollyeong’s name came up, I wasn’t even sure if he was the same Cheollyeong that you knew.”

“Then how did you figure out who we were?”

“I figured it out through a few clues. I fought Bang Daehyeop, and his spear technique came from the imperial palace.”

Pil Gye-young’s eyes gleamed as he asked.

“But how did you recognize my brother’s spear technique? It’s never been introduced to the martial world.”

I hesitated for a moment and made something up.

“I didn’t recognize it myself. There were three female swordfighters who fought alongside Bang Daehyeop. They’re the ones who recognized it.”

Since I could match my story with the Three Chivalrous Sisters later, I decided to use them as an excuse.

Otherwise, I had the feeling he’d pursue this point tenaciously, so I borrowed their name.

“Once I realized it was an imperial martial art, the questions began. They were pretending to be bandits, but neither Bang Daehyeop nor his subordinates felt like true bandits. So I came up with a theory. I believed people of the previous dynasty had fled into the mountains after its fall.”

“Why didn’t you report us to the authorities?”

“Have you ever seen a martial artist tattle to the officials? As I said, I came to negotiate with you, Pil Daehyeop.”

“Negotiate, is it? Speak, then.”

“I’ll find Cheollyeong and bring him back.”

After I finished speaking, I stared at him. Pil Gye-young let out a small laugh.

“What do you want in return?”

“As I said, I am the young master of the Heavenly Central Sect, located in Haun Prefecture of Mount Tianzhong. Right now, our main sect is potentially facing war with another sect and has already clashed with the Demonic Faction once. Please lend us your strength.”

“We have many people. A small and mid-sized sect like yours wouldn’t be able to take us all in.”

I smiled faintly.

“The Heavenly Central Sect is backed by Mount Tianzhong. You could relocate the stronghold there. Then, if the children were sent down to the main sect to live, wouldn’t it be mutually beneficial?”

“So, you’re saying you want to use us as your hidden strength?”

“Yes. Please become my ally.”

“I need something more convincing. Just the promise of finding the young master isn’t enough to sway us.”

“Then what must I do?”

“You must prove yourself like a true martial artist.”

Pil Gye-young continued.

“If you can withstand ten moves from me, I’ll listen to you. You’re free to counterattack. All you have to do is withstand the ten moves I unleash.”

“That is…”

“Why? Is it not acceptable?”

‘How can one hope to win over dragons like these empty-handed?’

I nodded toward Pil Gye-young, who was clearly testing me.

“Understood. I will withstand Pil Daehyeop’s ten moves.”

“If you die in the process, don’t blame me. Think it over carefully even now.”

From his perspective, this was the best method. He couldn’t easily accept my proposal, so he brought up the duel as a decision-making method.

He simply wanted to get Cheollyeong back, but when I suggested relocating the stronghold, he responded with a martial duel.

He was thinking of negotiating again after defeating me.

“Very well.”

After clashing with Bang Yeorip, I wasn’t confident I could withstand Pil Gye-young’s ten moves.

There was no way someone Bang Yeorip called his Big Brother would be weaker than him.

But I didn’t want to let this great opportunity slip away.

If I could draw them in, it would be as if the Heavenly Central Sect’s strength had doubled in an instant.

It would no longer be just another mid-tier sect in the region—it could become the dominant force of the entire area.

So I was determined to endure the ten moves even if it killed me.

Instead of drawing my sword, I uncoiled the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm.

I had been working on blending the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword and the Azure Bamboo Sword through the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm, and I wanted to see how far I’d come.

“Then here I come.”

Pil Gye-young drew his saber.

The moment he moved, his figure blurred.

His saber intent pierced in from the left, so I stepped to the right, but his saber had already flown in from the right, locking up my body.

‘He’s too fast.’

I had never faced someone this fast before.

I retreated three steps using Bamboo Forest Flying Dragon Steps. Then, I thrust the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm at his saber, which was driving in from the front.

But Pil Gye-young’s saber twisted like silk, evading my strike and slipping toward my chest.

‘How…!’

Seeing a saber move more softly than my Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm made my skin crawl.

Shocked by his technique, I leapt back once again.

Even opening my meridian technique didn’t help.

I poured all the internal energy of three moments into the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm.

Seven seconds remained—I couldn’t be defeated like this.

Wuuuuuuung!

As sword cries resonated from the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm and a blue aura began to form, Pil Gye-young muttered,

“To reach such a realm at that age… Truly impressive. There was a reason Bang Ahwoo stepped back.”

Pil Gye-young was genuinely impressed.

“But I can’t yield.”

He glided forward and brought his saber down.

I attempted to counter with the Azure Bamboo Sword.

But in that instant, Pil Gye-young’s saber slipped away, avoiding the clash and changing direction. Then, as if dropping downward, it slashed toward the right.

I quickly blocked to the right with the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm.

Then, his saber twisted again, flying straight toward my heart.

The constantly shifting saber moves startled me repeatedly.

Pil Gye-young had realized that the internal energy within my Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm surpassed his own, so he deliberately avoided direct clashes and instead aimed at my vital points with clever angle changes.

Only then did I realize—

‘So I can’t overpower him with force alone.’

I had thought that if I drew out the full strength of three moments, I could overwhelm him.

But Pil Gye-young cleverly adjusted his saber path to avoid direct confrontation and targeted my acupoints.

Left with no other option, I channeled all three moments of internal energy into my Tai Chi Dantian.

‘Let’s settle this in one blow.’

Bang Yeorip shouted loudly,

“This is the last ten seconds!”

He shouted it as if he were confirming my defeat.

Long ago, I had the thought of dividing the internal energy of three moments between two Dantian and releasing it following the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra. But I’d never had a reason to actually try it.

I still wasn’t sure what risks it might involve—but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

I split the internal energy of three moments between two Dantian, then released it according to the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra.

Seeing that I wasn’t moving, Pil Gye-young assumed I had lost track of his position and became flustered.

It was at the moment he expected victory and smiled—

As soon as I felt Pil Gye-young drawing close, I swung the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm toward where I sensed him and unleashed my energy.

As expected, Pil Gye-young slipped away from the strike with his saber. But suddenly, an overwhelming force erupted from the Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm.

Gritting his teeth, Pil Gye-young deployed all of his internal energy to summon his defensive energy shield.

Swaaaaaaash!

The Black Silk Heavenly Silkworm activated Dragon Scale Skyburst, and countless blue sword qi beams surged toward Pil Gye-young.

“Good heavens!”

Bang Yeorip, startled, raised his heavy spear and hurled it at Pil Gye-young.

The spear struck Pil Gye-young’s saber, and the force flung him back, sending him rolling across the ground.

Kuaaaang!

After Dragon Scale Skyburst was unleashed, a thunderous explosion followed.

Even though he had blocked it with a defensive energy shield, the massive crater left in the ground made it obvious that he wouldn’t have escaped serious injury had he taken it head-on.

“That’s monstrous.”

Bang Yeorip muttered unintentionally.

Pil Gye-young coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.

Thanks to the spear knocking him away, he had avoided a direct hit from the Dragon Scale Skyburst, but he hadn’t completely evaded the aftershock.

He shuddered at the thought—had he remained in place, he would’ve been reduced to a splash of blood.

“Such terrifying power. It’s like using sword qi to display the might of sword force.”

Even though he still didn’t fully understand the true power of sword force, he could tell it made no sense for sword qi alone to reach this level.

I said,

“I’ve won.”

My whole body trembled like a leaf.

‘If he had attacked me for a few more seconds, the one rolling on the ground would’ve been me.’

I considered it a stroke of fortune that Pil Gye-young had limited the duel to ten seconds.

Though his face had gone pale, Pil Gye-young’s eyes were deeply calm.

“Impressive. I’ll honor the agreement. We’ll relocate this mountain stronghold to Mount Tianzhong.”

“Once you arrive there, you’ll have to stop living as bandits. You’ll be part of the Heavenly Central Sect.”

“We were planning to stop being bandits anyway and send our subordinates back into the world. There’s no reason to keep them here any longer. Just as we were thinking that, you came. Perhaps this is fate—or heaven’s arrangement. When will we see Young Master Hae?”

“Right now I’m on an escort mission and must visit the Namgung Clan. Once that’s finished and I return, I’ll find Cheollyeong. I already know where he is, so finding him won’t be difficult.”

Pil Gye-young nodded.

“Good. Then by the time we’ve relocated our base to Mount Tianzhong, you should be back. But if our group is mistaken for bandits when we move and your sect attacks us, that would be a problem. Make sure to contact them in advance.”

“Understood. I’ll inform them ahead of time. And if you need funds, our sect can…”

“We have plenty of funds.”

Pil Gye-young cut me off and smiled kindly.

“You’ve gained not only us—but also our wealth.”

At that, Bang Yeorip muttered,

“Do you even know how much money we have? Enough to buy an entire city. Some of it came from banditry, but we also carry treasures brought out when the old dynasty collapsed.”

“Ah!”

A light went on in my mind.

In my past life, I had heard stories that River Center Escort Agency amassed wealth by acquiring the former dynasty’s treasures.

Now I knew the origin of that treasure.

“If you’re lending money, I’ll repay it with interest.”

Pil Gye-young’s eyes gleamed as he said,

“If you bring back Young Master Hae and the old man, then everything becomes yours. If not, you’ll have to offer your neck instead.”

“Understood. If I break my word, I’ll offer my head myself. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

I gave a cupped-fist salute and turned to go. Pil Gye-young called out,

“It would be too heartless to let you leave like this. Bang Ahwoo brought some good liquor, so have a drink before you go.”

He turned to the gathered subordinates and said,

“Show’s over. Everyone go get some sleep! We’ve got work starting tomorrow.”

At his words, they all returned to their quarters.

“Tch! If I had fought, I would’ve won.”

Bang Yeorip grumbled, clearly frustrated that his Big Brother had lost.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep