Chapter 23: Mission 5

Baek Moo-jin and Ban Go-young engaged in an internal energy duel.

Ban Go-young’s internal energy was at a higher level than Mak So-gwang’s, so for a very brief moment, he was barely managing to block the internal energy Baek Moo-jin was unleashing.

But Baek Moo-jin hadn’t even begun. At this moment, only one thought crossed Baek Moo-jin’s mind.

‘Just like Mak Sogwang, stubborn as ever.’

Baek Moo-jin’s eyes fixed on Ban Go-young. His gaze, which had seemed serene, sharpened like a blade and pierced into Ban Go-young’s heart.

It was a gaze that asked, ‘Who are you?’, just as Mak Sogwang had said. But the words that came from Baek Moo-jin’s mouth were not those.

While Baek Moo-jin fixed his gaze on Ban Go-young’s pupils… a single word slipped from his lips.

“Mak Sogwang.”

“……!”

As Ban Go-young’s pupils dilated, Baek Moo-jin immediately surged his energy.

A painful scream escaped Ban Go-young’s mouth.

“Kyaaaah!”

With a sharp crack, the liquor bottle shattered into pieces and scattered. Instantly, Ban Go-young’s expression turned deathly pale.

Because in both their hands, they now held icicle-shaped, icy cold shards.

‘What the hell!’

In that instant, Ban Go-young, unable to comprehend the nature of the icicles, began to falter. Then, a wave of frigid energy surged through Baek Moo-jin’s hand.

“Gah!”

Ban Go-young groaned, finally grasping the nature of the icicles. Why hadn’t he seen this simple thing? It was just frozen liquor from inside the bottle… Regardless of such self-reproach, Ban Go-young’s teeth began chattering incessantly.

Baek Mujin forced Ban Go-young to his knees and demanded,

“What’s your relationship with Makso-gwang?”

Tap tap tap tap tap…

Only the sound of teeth chattering flowed out.

Extreme cold soon became extreme pain. Ban Go-yeong was in a situation where he wanted to answer but couldn’t.

Baek Moo-jin knew full well, yet pressed on with his questions.

“Are you also from the Iron Blood Sect?”

The inn guests watching the situation finally murmured. The Iron Blood Sect—a notorious black-clad force. Some even drew their swords, preparing for Ban Goyoung’s possible escape.

“I… I am…”

As Ban Goyoung’s expression twisted, Baek Mujin pressed his next question.

“Did you join the Seogwang Branch?”

Ban Goyoung’s eyes widened in terror as he trembled violently.

“Seo, Seogwang…”

For a fleeting instant, a cold gleam flashed across Ban Go-young’s face. Recalling the murderous games he had committed, his expression had changed without his awareness.

Baek Moo-jin, roughly grasping the meaning behind that expression, narrowed his brows, withdrew his energy, and looked down at Ban Go-yeong.

“You’d better answer well. Now…”

In a way, Baek Moo-jin withdrawing his energy made the situation even more dangerous for Ban Go-young.

Though Baek Moo-jin’s energy had diminished, his killing intent only grew denser.

Ban Goyoung gasped for breath, gathering his thoughts.

“Huff, huff! Just… just a moment… I’ll answer.”

Ban Go-yeong hurriedly caught his breath while drawing in his energy. Still wrapped around his waist was a hidden sword Baek Moo-jin knew nothing about.

‘End it in a single strike.’

Ban Goyoung looked up at Baek Moo-jin with an extremely awkward smile. A curse flowed out involuntarily from within him.

‘You son of a bitch…’

Words completely at odds with his thoughts awkwardly spilled from Ban Go-young’s mouth.

“Enter the Seogwang Branch…”

Cutting off the word “enter,” Ban Go-young drew his sword with a sharp clang and thrust it toward Baek Moo-jin’s solar plexus.

Even in that instant, Ban Go-young believed the ambush had succeeded, smiling so broadly his mouth stretched from ear to ear.

-Thud

Incredibly, a single clap sounded.

Baek Moo-jin had already clasped his twin swords together to seize the drawn blade. Then, Baek Moo-jin’s farewell to Ban Go-yeong flowed from his lips.

“Die.”

White powder erupted simultaneously from the twin blades gripping the chained sword.

Whoooooosh――!

Baek Moo-jin’s hands glowed as if enveloped in light. But the reality was entirely different. Extreme cold poured from both hands, colliding fiercely.

Was it a bitterly cold wind blowing?

Baek Moo-jin’s robes fluttered unnaturally. Then, a wail like a ghost’s lament flowed from his hands, and…

The thin, ice-wheel-shaped blades formed by the collision of the white light pouring from each palm shot out, piercing Bang Go-young’s body vertically.

Puuuaaahh…!

“Guh!”

Blood spurted from Ban Goyoung’s shoulder down to his navel, splitting left and right. Yet even that blood froze instantly upon touching the white ice blades, accompanied by a crackling sound.

Thus, Bang Go-young’s lifeless body lay sprawled on the floor, leaving only a diagonal trail of blood behind, its state remarkably clean.

After a single thud, a chilling silence hung heavy for a long while.

Baek Moo-jin, who had been looking down at Ban Go-young, averted his gaze. He stared at the sword in his hand, then tossed it onto the corpse.

Baek Moo-jin surveyed his surroundings.

Wherever Baek Moo-jin’s gaze landed, the heads of those who had been watching him turned away, lost for direction, looking elsewhere.

Having killed a man, he should have said something… he should have offered some excuse.

But Baek Moo-jin didn’t even want to utter words resembling an excuse.

Baek Moo-jin sat back down, picked up the bottle of liquor Ban Go-young had ordered, and poured himself a drink.

2.

How long had he been watching?

Seo Mun-geuk, who had been watching Baek Moo-jin from the stairs, descended and said.

“Brother Baek, let’s drink together.”

As Baek Moo-jin filled another cup for Seo Moon-geuk, Seo Moon-geuk approached with a smile.

Seo Mun-geuk began to thaw the frozen hearts of those present.

“We are warriors of the Northern Heaven Alliance. That man was a master of the Iron Blood Sect who pursued us. He was a man who deserved to die, so you needn’t worry about him.”

Seo Mun-geuk looked at Baek Moo-jin again.

Seo Mun-geuk trusted Baek Moo-jin’s judgment. He was certain Baek Moo-jin had killed him believing him to be an Iron Blood Sect pursuer.

Baek Moo-jin was the one who had actually dissuaded Seo Mun-geuk from killing Branch Chief Seo Gwang. Seo Mun-geuk spoke to Baek Moo-jin with a bitter expression.

“This is precisely why one needs alcohol to survive in the martial world.”

Seo Mun-geuk could well imagine the feelings of Baek Moo-jin, who silently poured the liquor.

Seo Mun-geuk grinned and raised his cup.

“Thanks to you, I’ve eased my fatigue a bit. Does this fellow know Ma Xiao Guang?”

Baek Moo-jin finally uttered a word.

“Yes, he did.”

“Good. Let’s have a drink.”

The two men downed their drinks.

Seo Mun-geuk closed his eyes as if savoring the taste of the liquor. Opening them again, he snapped his fingers to summon the waiter.

“My apologies. Could you do me a favor?”

Seo Mun-geuk pulled a silver coin from his robe and handed it over. The shop assistant’s face lit up brightly.

“Not at all! Thank you!”

Baek Moo-jin poured more wine as he spoke.

“I’m concerned about the Seogwang Branch.”

“Why?”

Baek Moo-jin glanced at the corpse of Ban Go-yeong being dragged away by Jeomso-i as he spoke.

“He was strong. No one at the Seogwang Branch could have handled him.”

“Hmm…”

Seo Mun-geuk wore a look of regret, but it was something neither he nor Baek Moo-jin could change.

If blame was to be assigned, it should fall on the Iron Blood Sect. Moreover, hadn’t the Gu Yanghou faction leader just declared war on the Iron Blood Sect?

As if sharing Seo Mun-geuk’s thoughts, Baek Moo-jin spoke up.

“The Iron Blood Sect…”

“The Iron Blood Sect… Those bastards are a real headache.”

Seo Mun-geuk answered simply, and Baek Moo-jin replied just as briefly.

“When the Northern Alliance attacks the Iron Blood Sect, I must accompany you.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

Baek Moo-jin replied with a rare smile.

“What I mean is… I want to see the Iron Blood Sect leader once. He’s the head, isn’t he? I’m curious what kind of person he is, what kind of thoughts he holds, that his subordinates are in this state.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Seo Mun-geuk burst out laughing, trying to calm Baek Moo-jin.

“Leave Guan Mingjiang to the Lord.”

At the mention of Guan Mingjiang’s name, someone hiccupped.

“Huh.”

The people in the inn began slipping away one by one, fearing they might get entangled with the Iron Blood Sect when Baek Moo-jin and Seo Mun-geuk mentioned the name of the Iron Blood Sect Leader.

Seo Mun-geuk observed their cowardly behavior and remarked.

“See? That’s a perfectly normal reaction. The terror, or perhaps the awe, that the name Bloodwind Axe Guan Minggang inspires.”

Baek Moo-jin nodded absentmindedly, then called out to the innkeeper who had come in to clean up after placing the corpse outside.

Thinking Baek Moo-jin and his group would refuse since they’d received silver, the shop assistant hurried over and asked.

“Hehe, anything you need me to do?”

Baek Moo-jin looked at the shop assistant and spoke in a concerned tone.

“If anyone asks about that man’s death, answer clearly.”

“Yes. What should I say?”

“Say Baek Moo-jin of the North Heaven Alliance killed him. I am Baek Moo-jin.”

“Baek Moo-jin, Baek Moo-jin…”

Jeomso-i’s eyes lit up as she stared at Baek Moo-jin for a moment before nodding.

“Understood.”

Baek Moo-jin nodded and said.

“There’s no reason for trouble here, but they’re rough folk, so you must be careful.”

Jumso-i smiled at Baek Moo-jin’s concerned words and replied.

“Understood.”

Jeomso-i rubbed her palms together and chuckled for a moment. Yet, Baek Moo-jin showed no sign of revealing his true nature.

‘This guy’s a bit stingy.’

Jumso-i’s caution, prompted by Baek Moo-jin’s warning, would later save her own neck from nearly being severed. Yet in this moment, her disappointment was merely over the silver coin, leaving no room for gratitude toward Baek Moo-jin. She withdrew with a look of regret.

Seo Mun-geuk, perhaps reading that look on Jomso-i’s face, wore a sneer. Yet, even after several rounds of drinks, Baek Moo-jin showed no sign of ending the gathering. Seo Mun-geuk, cutting back on his own drinking, stayed glued to Baek Moo-jin.

As Seo Mun-geuk chattered away with his silly jokes, Baek Moo-jin’s expression gradually softened. Setting aside martial prowess, Seo Mun-geuk had lived in the martial world slightly longer than Baek Moo-jin.

When Baek Moo-jin finally smiled at his ridiculous joke, Seo Mun-geuk felt Baek Moo-jin become like a younger brother to him.

‘This is awkward, this guy… Feels like my own brother…’

Xu Wenju, who had been restraining his drinking, deliberately spoke with a touch of insolence as he held out his empty cup to Baek Moo-jin.

“Hey, Baek brother.”

“Yes.”

“Pour me a refreshing drink too, brother.”

That remark brought back memories of Seo Mun-geuk gulping down hot tea in the past, causing Baek Moo-jin and Seo Mun-geuk to burst out laughing simultaneously.

And so, the night of the great commander grew quite long.