Chapter 7 Song Chae-ji was restless.

Chapter 7 Song Chae-ji was restless.

Winning the Martial Arts Duel was good. And witnessing martial arts profound enough to bring enlightenment to a Martial Artist was an unexpected, great harvest.

But apart from that, they couldn’t get a grasp on how to deal with this unknown master whose name they didn’t even know.

‘Ugh… to talk about death away from home to such a master… I must have been crazy…’

It was out of embarrassment.

To put it crudely, they were utterly mortified. They had confidently boasted about their own sword, tapping it as if they were a true Martial Artist, only to lose. And it was a fight they should have won, but they had disgracefully failed to control their emotions. If Song Chae-ji knew this, how could that young master, who had reached a far more profound Cultivation Realm than them, not know?

Just recalling how they had tried to stop him by claiming he hadn’t learned martial arts made their ears burn as if they were on fire.

As Song Chae-ji stood there, hesitant and unable to utter a single word, Namgung-woo extended a helping hand.

“But was there a specific reason you chose a Martial Arts Duel? I understand that following the ways of the Jianghu is better than relying on the government’s power, but I heard there’s a Peak Transcendence Master in the Black Bear Faction.”

On the way to the Black Bear Faction, following Pung Hyo, who was acting as their guide.

After hearing more detailed stories about the Black Bear Faction, Namgung-woo asked, wondering if the Martial Arts Duel had been reckless for Song Chae-ji from the start.

‘The Black Bear Faction Leader is said to be quite high-ranking even among Peak Transcendence Masters.’

As if waiting for him to speak, Song Chae-ji quickly replied.

“Ah, the Black Bear Faction is known to have only one Peak Transcendence Master, the Faction Leader. Most Unorthodox Factions are like that. The higher-ups monopolize the good stuff. It’s common for only a few top members to have high Cultivation Realms, while those below them are significantly weaker.”

Song Chae-ji had challenged the duel with a rather thorough calculation.

The Faction Leader, the Black Bear Faction’s only Peak Transcendence Master, wouldn’t step forward for a duel due to prestige. In that case, a Martial Artist below him would, and Song Chae-ji believed they could win against someone of that level, being just one step away from Peak Transcendence themselves.

“Among the rest, there might be First-rate Martial Artists similar to me, but even at the same Cultivation Realm, Righteous Faction Martial Artists are usually considered slightly superior to Unorthodox Faction Martial Artists in terms of depth. This is probably due to the difference in the quality of the martial arts they cultivate.”

The martial arts of the Righteous Faction have a deep history. It’s not for nothing that most Prestigious Great Sects come from the Righteous Faction Martial World.

The martial arts of prestigious families, refined through generations, might have a slower growth rate than the Unorthodox Martial Arts that boost rapid growth through sinister methods, but they possessed a depth that the latter could never match.

“But why is Young Lady Song alone all the way in Pingyao County?”

It was a question posed with the intention of asking why they had come alone to Pingyao County, quite far from Hengshan, to help the Yang family father and daughter. However, Song Chae-ji seemed to have understood it slightly differently.

“Hmm, if I were to borrow the power of the Hengshan Sect, there would be room for the Shadowless Gate of Taiyuan to interfere.”

“Shadowless Gate?”

When Namgung-woo showed confusion at the name of a sect he had never heard of, Song Chae-ji’s eyes widened, as if more surprised than he was.

“You don’t know? They’re one of the most prominent Unorthodox Great Sects…”

Namgung-woo sensed a hint of disrespect in Song Chae-ji’s eyes.

It was a kind of astonishment, like, “How can you not know such basic common knowledge?”

It wasn’t dismissive, but rather a shock, as if encountering a rare natural monument.

As Namgung-woo stared intently at Song Chae-ji, they realized their mistake and quickly tried to recover.

“Ahem, ahem, no. It’s possible not to know. Anyway, the Shadowless Gate are those who are even called the rulers of the Shanxi Martial World. They’re also the power backing the Black Bear Faction.”

Hearing that, Namgung-woo dispelled his last shred of doubt.

It was the suspicion that this might be a different timeline of Chullok Murim, one he didn’t know.

‘Indeed, this isn’t the world I know. There was no sect called the Shadowless Gate in the past, so if there’s any possibility, it’s the future, but that wouldn’t make sense.’

Namgung-woo let go of his last lingering attachment.

He hadn’t had high expectations anyway, so his regret was small.

“That’s why I thought a Martial Arts Duel had a chance. Even if our Hengshan Sect has declined significantly, we still have enough power to keep the Shadowless Gate in check.”

Just as the Shadowless Gate backed the Black Bear Faction, Song Chae-ji also had the Hengshan Sect as a reliable support.

They had expected a clean Martial Arts Duel, with both sides considering their prestige, but Song Chae-ji’s calculations proved to be too complacent this time. Though it was a result-oriented conclusion.

“Ugh, just thinking about it makes me angry again.”

Song Chae-ji glared at the back of Pung Hyo’s head, looking as if they wanted to punch him.

Perhaps sensing their gaze, Pung Hyo’s steps quickened even more.

At Pung Hyo’s pathetic appearance, Song Chae-ji sighed in exasperation and turned their gaze away.

‘By the way, I still haven’t heard his name.’

Song Chae-ji cautiously moved closer to Namgung-woo, who was walking right in front of them.

“Um, excuse me…”

Just as Song Chae-ji was about to speak, another voice cut in.

“We’ve… arrived.”

Pung Hyo’s back was drenched in cold sweat, so nervous was he about having a grim reaper behind him. His voice carried a deep sense of relief, as if saying, “It’s finally over.”

“He says we’ve arrived.”

“Oh, right!”

“Let’s finish our conversation after we’ve concluded this matter.”

At Namgung-woo’s gentle words, Song Chae-ji nodded frantically.

Watching the scene from the side, Yang So-dang giggled, amused by her usually dependable elder sister’s unusual behavior.

“Dang-a, you…”

“Oh, Sister. The Young Master is going in. Let’s follow him.”

A child’s intuition can sometimes be incredibly accurate. But without even needing to attribute it to a child’s mysterious insight, it was clear to everyone that Namgung-woo had become the group’s representative. So, Yang So-dang quickly invoked Namgung-woo’s name and left Song Chae-ji behind.

Indeed, Namgung-woo was already passing through the Black Bear Faction’s main gate, which had opened on its own, and Yang So-dang scurried to stick close behind him.

“Seriously…”

It was karma.

They say everything comes full circle, like Taiji, and Song Chae-ji had never felt the teachings of the Daoist scriptures they learned at the Hengshan Sect’s main branch more acutely than today.

But this feeling also stemmed from the relief and hope of having overcome a major hurdle.

Song Chae-ji’s expression was bright.

“Let’s go together.”

With light steps, Song Chae-ji headed towards the two.

The Black Bear Faction Leader, Great Strength Overlord Blade Hwang Mu-tak.

He was undoubtedly a formidable powerhouse.

His martial arts, positioned at the very top of the Peak Transcendence Cultivation Realm, proudly earned him a place among the Hundred Great Masters of Shanxi Province. And that wasn’t all. He also possessed the political acumen to forge close ties with the Shadowless Gate, an Unorthodox Great Sect that held hegemony over the Shanxi Martial World.

His capabilities were more than sufficient to firmly grasp and rule a small county like Pingyao County. He could easily manipulate a County Magistrate, who was obligated to peacefully govern the region while receiving an Imperial Court salary. With a suitable show of force and a generous display of sincerity, nothing was impossible.

But now, Hwang Mu-tak witnessed a disaster that his accumulated authority could not sway.

‘Damn it, I’ve picked up some bad luck.’

Hwang Mu-tak was not like the third-rate rabble who lost proper judgment due to being accustomed to the power they wielded.

He trusted his discernment, which had brought him to this position, more than his martial arts, which had reached the very edge of Peak Transcendence.

Therefore, the moment he first saw Namgung-woo, he immediately discerned that he was a formidable powerhouse he could not contend with.

No Aura was felt. Mediocre Martial Artists like Song Chae-ji or Pung Hyo, who were climbing the foothills of foolishness, might have dismissed it as him not having learned martial arts since there was no Aura. But Hwang Mu-tak was different.

He meticulously observed Namgung-woo’s every action: his breathing, his gait, his balance. All of it was on a completely different level from that of an ordinary person who hadn’t learned martial arts.

His disciplined, unwavering movements revealed to Hwang Mu-tak the true reason he couldn’t perceive any Aura.

It was because their levels were fundamentally different. He was a Grandmaster who could thoroughly control all his Cultivation Power throughout his entire body, perfectly concealing it from external manifestation.

Return to Purity. It was the Peerless Realm.

‘Bow down. I must resolve this through dialogue somehow.’

Hwang Mu-tak walked straight to the main gate and performed a very, very respectful Cupped Fist Salute.

“For an Esteemed One to grace this humble place with their presence…”

“I did not come here for dialogue.”

Namgung-woo sharply cut off Hwang Mu-tak’s words.

Then, he called Song Chae-ji and Yang So-dang, who had been trailing behind him, to his side.

“The Yang Family Inn. You’ll have to settle the accounts properly.”

At those words, Hwang Mu-tak immediately understood how things had transpired.

Hwang Mu-tak was also aware of the Martial Arts Duel with Song Chae-ji.

“You used a despicable trick during the duel. A combined attack in a Martial Arts Duel? Is that how the Black Bear Faction conducts its duels?”

“It seems my subordinates acted on their own out of excessive loyalty. As the Black Bear Faction Leader, I apologize on their behalf.”

As Namgung-woo’s words continued, Hwang Mu-tak’s mouth grew increasingly dry.

‘Damn it, that crazy Pung Hyo…’

He nurtured him because he showed potential, and this is how he repays his kindness with enmity? He would never forgive him.

“I don’t mean that I won’t sell it. I just want to receive its proper value.”

Hwang Mu-tak bowed his head, looking utterly apologetic. Dealing with Pung Hyo could wait until after he had sent this disaster away.

“You also called it a Martial Arts Duel between the Black Bear Faction and the Yang Family Inn. Even after losing once, you didn’t acknowledge defeat. Now, only I remain at the Yang Family Inn. If you wish to continue the duel, feel free. You can send out others, or the Faction Leader can step forward directly. What will it be?”

Naturally, Namgung-woo expected the Faction Leader to step forward directly.

He hoped that Hwang Mu-tak would somewhat alleviate his yearning for martial arts that had been left incomplete.

However, Hwang Mu-tak was a pioneer who had proudly established a single faction within the Unorthodox Faction Martial World!

“I concede. The Black Bear Faction has lost.”

Hwang Mu-tak’s waist bent like a bow.