Chapter 28: Sunghwa Palace 1

Despite his late start, Baek Moo-jin quickly closed the gap on those ahead. Seo Moon-geuk was the first to be caught up with, followed by Dam Ji-woon. The distance between them and Lee Jeong-nam was quite long. However, after overtaking everyone, Baek Moo-jin spotted the fleeing assassin and encountered an unexpected scene.

The fleeing assassin, Sa Il-gon, was on his knees, pinned down by someone.

What on earth had happened?

Sa Il-gon, his pressure points sealed, bowed his head as if awaiting his fate. Figures clad in white stood around him, looking down.

Behind the white-robed figures was a carriage that had stopped mid-journey. Behind that carriage, a long procession had halted, all eyes fixed on Sa-ilgon and Baek Moo-jin. The white-robed figures numbered roughly fifty to sixty.

Faced with this sudden, unknown force, Baek Moo-jin found himself at a loss for words.

‘Who the hell are these people?’

Soon after, Lee Jeong-nam, Dam Ji-un, and Seo Mun-geuk arrived. Witnessing the same scene, they stood there for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words.

The middle-aged man at the front, mounted on a horse, turned back and asked Baek Moo-jin’s group.

“Who are you people, and where are you from?”

Dam Ji-woon looked at the middle-aged man and replied.

“We are the North Heaven Alliance. And you?”

The middle-aged man did not respond to Dam Ji-woon’s words and instead asked another question.

“Why was the North Heaven Alliance pursuing this man?”

Seo Mun-geuk answered.

“He threw a dagger during the duel and fled.”

Nodding, the middle-aged man then asked the carriage standing behind him.

“What should we do with these men?”

These men clearly referred to the North River Gang.

A moment of silence passed, then the curtain covering the carriage window fluttered. Someone had reached out and pulled it aside. Through the opening, Baek Moo-jin stood alone.

Baek Moo-jin briefly locked eyes with a woman through the swaying curtain.

Two people who had never seen each other before locked eyes.

How much could one possibly know about the other in such a brief moment?

Beyond briefly confirming each other’s appearance, there was likely nothing else to know.

But Baek Moo-jin was deeply impressed.

Watching until the woman lowered the curtain, Baek Moo-jin had read quite a lot from her face in that brief time.

First, Baek Moo-jin found himself smiling involuntarily.

He confirmed that her beauty was truly extraordinary.

There were quite a few beautiful women in the North Heaven Sect.

But the woman inside the carriage was both unique and special.

Baek Moo-jin felt he would remember this indescribable sensation for a long time.

If beauty had categories, she possessed a kind of beauty as cold as the martial arts Baek Moo-jin had mastered.

2.

From within the curtain-drawn carriage, a woman’s voice flowed out, devoid of any inflection.

“Sailgon, assassin of the Salmun, was it?”

The young woman’s voice flowed from the carriage.

These men knew the assassin’s true identity precisely. Moreover, they were speaking as if deliberately revealing it to the North Heaven Sect men who pursued them.

The middle-aged man looked at Sairgon again, nodded, and replied.

“That’s correct. It’s certain.”

“Hand him over to the North Heaven Alliance. He won’t survive if captured by them anyway.”

The middle-aged man, whose prayers were exceptional, replied respectfully.

“Understood.”

At the middle-aged man’s gesture, those standing near Sa Ilgon stepped back. The middle-aged man addressed Baek Moo-jin’s group.

“Take him away.”

By this point, Baek Moo-jin had roughly grasped the middle-aged man’s prayer and was in a state of fresh shock. The middle-aged man’s prayer was so powerful it could easily rival that of Gu Yang-hu, the North Heaven Sect leader, whom Baek Moo-jin expected to be the strongest person he had ever encountered.

But who exactly was the figure inside the carriage that such a man had to address with such deference?

Lee Jeong-nam, Dam Ji-woon, and Seo Mun-geuk also looked visibly startled. Everyone was speaking sparingly. Except for Baek Moo-jin, the others seemed to have a rough idea of who these people were.

Yet the number of people lining up to stare at them was steadily increasing.

At that moment, Baek Moo-jin felt his mouth itch to speak.

Baek Moo-jin unconsciously glanced at Seo Mun-geuk’s expression. Seo Mun-geuk, meeting his gaze, quickly shook his head.

The meaning seemed to be either “don’t step forward” or “don’t ask anything.”

Then Baek Moo-jin chuckled softly and, like a stubborn child, opened his mouth instead.

“Who are you, and where are you from?”

But the middle-aged man unexpectedly smiled warmly and spoke as if soothing a child.

“Heh heh, go ahead and take that fellow away.”

The middle-aged man briefly looked Baek Moo-jin up and down, then quickly averted his gaze and beckoned to his companions.

“Let’s go.”

It was highly unusual that everyone, from the front to the rear, was dressed in white robes.

Dam Ji-woon stepped forward and grabbed Sa Il-gon.

Baek Moo-jin, Lee Jeong-nam, and Seo Moon-geuk watched the mysterious group silently retreating into the distance. But the moment Baek Moo-jin turned to look at the departing group, he let out an exclamation.

“Wow.”

Flames were embroidered onto the backs of those in white robes. While some had flames small enough to appear as tiny sparks at the ends of their robes, the middle-aged man who had spoken with Baek Moo-jin’s group had flames so large they blazed fiercely across his entire back.

Lee Jeong-nam, seemingly aware of these individuals’ identities, remained silent with a tense expression.

A moment later, only Baek Moo-jin’s group remained. Everyone else, without exception, let out a sigh.

Baek Moo-jin asked.

“Who exactly are those men?”

Seo Mun-geuk fluttered his fan rapidly as he replied.

“Let’s hurry back to the camp.”

“Let’s go.”

Lee Jeong-nam too moved as if eager to leave the place quickly.

Dam Ji-woon, the master of the Silent Sword Sect, took Sa Il-gon away. Baek Moo-jin agreed to settle the duel with Lee Jeong-nam on another day and bid farewell.

Lee Jeong-nam had already anticipated Baek Moo-jin would be stronger than him, but he was not one to fear defeat.

The one who remained by Baek Moo-jin’s side was ultimately Seo Mun-geuk.

“I don’t understand why those men are lingering around here.”

“Who were they? Exactly.”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“When?”

“The Holy Flame Palace. The White-Clad Flames. Alongside the Iron Blood Alliance, they were part of the Black Path Alliance forces before the Nine Heavens Alliance.”

“The Holy Flame Palace, huh? Then who was that woman in the carriage?”

“Did you see her?”

“Just a brief glance.”

“Hard to say. That middle-aged man seemed unusual. To command someone like that, he must be the Young Master of the Holy Flame Palace. It couldn’t be anyone else.”

“You mean the young master is a woman?”

“How should I know? Even the people of Baekdo probably don’t know what kind of person the palace master is. I certainly don’t either.”

“The young mistress of the Seonghwa Palace—she was beautiful.”

“What? Forget it. I vaguely heard they’re at odds with the Nine Heavens Alliance, but they’re Black Path forces too. We nearly had a major incident.”

“Why did the Black Path just let us go?”

“How should I know?”

It was the first time he’d seen that arrogant Seo Mun-geuk look nervous. Baek Moo-jin couldn’t help but laugh and asked.

“I guess I should be careful on days Brother Seo-mun suggests drinking.”

“Hmph, you’re right. It wasn’t the plan that was the problem, it was that middle-aged man. Did you sense it too?”

Baek Moo-jin nodded, recalling the middle-aged man.

“Yes. He seemed formidable.”

3.

But Baek Moo-jin and his group weren’t the only ones who felt someone was strong just by looking at them.

The middle-aged man leading the Sunghwa Palace group, urging his horse forward, suddenly asked the young princess inside the carriage.

“It seems the Northern Heaven Alliance has grown stronger.”

“Are you referring to the white-robed ones?”

“Ah, did you see?”

“Wait a moment. If even the Left Minister acknowledges it, does that mean my discernment has improved?”

“It’s not your discernment. It’s because you, Young Master, have grown stronger.”

After a moment of silence following the Left Minister’s praise, the young princess asked from inside the carriage like a girl.

“Am I stronger than him?”

At those words, the Left Minister smiled faintly.

“In this martial world, there are few masters stronger than Your Highness.”

“You always say that.”

“Trust me. What you need is experience.”

“That experience—could we change the path for a moment?”

“Any good places come to mind?”

When the left guard raised his hand, the advance of the Sacred Flame Palace halted momentarily. The Young Palace Master’s reply drifted out from within the carriage.

“Guide us to the Salmun Gate.”

At those words, Jusa nodded impassively.

“Understood.”