It’s Definitely The One I Saw.

“It’s nothing much. Just a rumor you hear all the time.”

In Kangho, there are a few rumors that always exist.

A treasure map of the one called the Radiant Swordsman.

A booklet that records the hideout of a dead Divine Thief.

A flower that grants eternal life.

There were a few others as well.

No one knew since when they had started.

They were the kind of rumors that resurfaced whenever people were about to forget.

No one knew the truth about them.

A Divine Thief appeared anew each time generations changed, but no one even knew what era the Radiant Swordsman belonged to.

The sword was the same.

A sword that would bring the world to its owner.

This time, it was clearly that sort of rumor as well.

It was the kind of story only gossip-loving busybodies would spread.

Everyone talked for fun, without truly believing it existed.

“Similar rumors have popped up plenty of times. They were all baseless.”

The branch leader said it like it was nothing.

Only then did Gyo-ha nod.

Hearing it, it sounded like something that would happen.

“But why do you ask?”

“Because I’ve seen something similar before.”

A sword that devoured its owner. It was different from the rumor about bringing the world to you.

“Ah, now that you mention it, Nanjing sent a strange request.”

The branch leader nodded as if he’d remembered.

“And the report that went up to the Alliance had similar wording too.”

The branch leader gave a small snort as he spoke.

“Brother, as your senior in life, let me give you one piece of advice. You can’t grow by hoping only for lucky breaks. You’ve got to believe in yourself.”

The branch leader patted his own arm.

He was right. But that wasn’t what Gyo-ha meant.

Watching from behind, Namgung Jin-yeong’s expression turned strange.

It wasn’t just Namgung Jin-yeong. The Medicine Hall Chief and the Martial Prowess Unit Leader, who knew Gyo-ha’s skill, were the same.

The branch leader stuck his arm out proudly, but it was only half of Gyo-ha’s forearm.

Their skill was similar too.

He wasn’t in a position to give advice.

The comparison itself was impossible. He had even slain the Cold-Blooded Grim Eunuch.

But it was clear he thought even that was a lucky break.

But that wasn’t the important issue here.

“So where do the traces lead?”

“…They say it’s heading this way.”

The branch leader frowned.

Was it a coincidence?

But the Martial Prowess Unit Leader’s eyes flashed as he listened.

“That’s fortunate.”

There was no need to go looking for him.

“From here on, our clan will handle this.”

The branch leader nodded.

He’d lost subordinates, but there was no need to clash with the Namgung Clan.

The Martial Prowess Unit prepared to leave at once.

Gyo-ha, uneasy inside, tried to follow the Martial Prowess Unit, but Namgung Jin-yeong stopped him.

“Your body still isn’t fully recovered. And there won’t be anything for you to do.”

The weakest in the Martial Prowess Unit had reached the edge of second-rate.

Meaning, there wasn’t a single person there who wasn’t a master.

If not for the Namgung Clan, they all would have made names for themselves somewhere.

“If you’re truly bored, then I’ll keep you company.”

Gyo-ha’s eyes sparkled.

It was an offer enticing enough to make his interest in Tang Sang-hyeok fade.

The Martial Prowess Unit Leader and vice leader looked at Namgung Jin-yeong with startled eyes.

Even within the clan, it was rare for Namgung Jin-yeong to give guiding sparring.

Unlike them, the Medicine Hall Chief was calm.

Soon, the Martial Prowess Unit Leader nodded as well.

The counterpart was Namgung Hyeok’s sworn older brother.

Not only had he called the Medicine Immortal and saved Namgung Hyeok’s life, he was also a promising talent.

He was worth Namgung Jin-yeong’s attention.

“Then, we’ll be going.”

The Martial Prowess Unit Leader led the unit and departed.

Gyo-ha watched the Martial Prowess Unit’s backs as they left, then tilted his head.

Because, for a moment, an uneasy feeling came over him.

But it soon faded, so he didn’t think much of it.

Not long after, a report came in that the Martial Prowess Unit had slain Tang Sang-hyeok.

They had tried to capture him alive, but the fight hadn’t been easy.

The Martial Prowess Unit’s losses were also significant.

It said they would report the details when they returned.

Up to then, everyone thought it was all over.

But even after the promised time passed, the Martial Prowess Unit did not return.

A bitter wind blew again over the Beggars’ Union East Lake Branch, which had found peace after a long time.

Because the Martial Prowess Unit’s corpses had been found.

It wasn’t just one.

The moment he heard the news, Namgung Jin-yeong sprang up from his seat.

“Bi. Watch over Hyeok.”

He was stopping Namgung Hyeok from trying to follow.

He’d regained consciousness, but he still couldn’t even move properly.

Someone had to stay with him.

And so, Namgung Jin-yeong grabbed a Beggars’ Union disciple who’d come to deliver the news and left the branch.

Gyo-ha followed after Namgung Jin-yeong.

They covered a two-day distance in less than half a day.

Even the branch leader, famous for movement arts, couldn’t keep up with Namgung Jin-yeong.

Gyo-ha also lost sight of Namgung Jin-yeong’s back, but thanks to his sharp sense of smell, he could still follow along.

And not long after, the scent of blood began to billow, strong enough to mask even Namgung Jin-yeong’s smell.

When Gyo-ha arrived at the scene, he frowned without realizing it.

Because it was that gruesome.

“…Cut down in a single stroke.”

Namgung Jin-yeong traced the wounds on the corpse with an indifferent expression.

But a vicious cold leaked from his eyes.

You could tell how furious he was.

It wasn’t just a matter of speed.

It meant a single sword strike had been enough to create this massacre.

‘No, it’s this sword.’

From here to there, they died in an instant, and then the blade swung again.

But it meant the first dozen or so were killed with a single move.

And.

‘It was swung from inside.’

It wasn’t an attack from the outside.

Then Namgung Jin-yeong lifted something that had been rolling on the ground.

A human head.

It was familiar even to Gyo-ha.

“…Tang Sang-hyeok.”

But he looked ten years older than when Gyo-ha had known him.

“The Martial Prowess Unit Leader is nowhere to be seen.”

Namgung Jin-yeong’s fist trembled.

A strike swung from inside. The missing unit leader.

All circumstances converged into one conclusion.

It would have been better if there were traces of an outside attack.

Then they could assume the surviving unit leader had pursued.

But that possibility was slim.

But why?

That was Namgung Jin-yeong’s question.

What reason would the Martial Prowess Unit Leader have to do this.

‘…No. There could have been a traitor within.’

The Martial Prowess Unit Leader might have chased that person.

Maybe he even joined up with others on the way.

Namgung Jin-yeong bit his lip.

Nothing was certain yet.

Then something strange caught Namgung Jin-yeong’s eye.

Gyo-ha was sniffing around among the scattered corpses.

It was perfect for being mistaken as a blood-loving demonic bastard.

The Beggars’ Union disciples who had arrived first changed expression.

Just as Namgung Jin-yeong was about to step in before more misunderstandings formed, Gyo-ha spoke.

“I was right, after all.”

“Right?”

At the ominous words, Namgung Jin-yeong asked back.

Then Gyo-ha nodded.

“It’s definitely the one I saw.”

Only then did Namgung Jin-yeong recall what Gyo-ha had said before.

A sword that controlled its owner.

“The unit leader… someone was controlled by the sword and did this?”

“Yes.”

Gyo-ha nodded. It was a story that was hard to believe.

But.

‘I’d rather it be true.’

It was better than a unit leader who’d served the Namgung Clan for a long time betraying them.

It was less likely than betrayal.

If someone else had said it, the branch leader would have shouted at them not to fool around.

Namgung Jin-yeong turned toward the Beggars’ Union disciples.

“…Do you know where the culprit went?”

“One of our men is tracking the traces.”

The Beggars’ Union disciple said confidently. There was no group better at this sort of thing than the Beggars’ Union.

The disciple confidently turned his body.

But someone moved before him.

A huge back already growing distant.

It was Gyo-ha.

“Is that way correct?”

“…It is, but…”

The disciple blinked.

He’d traveled with Beggars’ Union men, so did he steal their method of how to read signs?

There was no way a Beggars’ Union disciple taught him.

But even so, he couldn’t read them faster than they could.

The moment he heard the answer, Namgung Jin-yeong grabbed the disciple by the nape.

“Sword Saint?”

“Hold tight.”

“Huh?”

Before he could even understand, Namgung Jin-yeong launched himself.

And the grabbed disciple let out a silent scream.

Gyo-ha’s stride, running without hesitation, stopped at one place.

A river.

Right after, Namgung Jin-yeong arrived with the Beggars’ Union disciple.

“Where is he?”

“He crossed the river.”

Gyo-ha scratched his cheek.

Namgung Jin-yeong’s gaze shifted to the side. Then the disciple shook his head.

“He was too fast. I couldn’t read the traces.”

It wasn’t easy to read traces while running.

Namgung Jin-yeong frowned.

Should they go back and find the traces again? Or should he trust Gyo-ha and move on.

‘We’ve already committed.’

He decided to trust Gyo-ha.

Just as he was about to speak, Gyo-ha jumped into the river.

It happened in an instant, so there was no time to stop him.

When Gyo-ha surfaced, it was a fair distance away.

“When did he get all the way there…”

The disciple blinked in shock.

But Namgung Jin-yeong realized Gyo-ha was bringing someone.

As Gyo-ha’s figure drew closer, the disciple could also make out the face of the one Gyo-ha was dragging.

“No way, Nam!”

The disciple stamped his feet. Soon, Gyo-ha came up onto the surface.

And he set the person beside him down.

But he wasn’t breathing.

“He got caught on a branch, so he didn’t get swept away.”

At Gyo-ha’s words, the disciple slumped down.

Seeing that, Namgung Jin-yeong asked.

“This man is?”

“…He was chasing the culprit.”

He had small wounds, but no sword wounds were visible.

Only then could they guess what happened.

“So he really did cross the river.”

He must have hesitated, then crossed after him. Then he got caught in the current…

And this was the result.

“And he always bragged about how good he was at diving.”

He sighed.

Was he short on stamina from the chase, or did something snag him as he crossed.

It wasn’t important now.

Namgung Jin-yeong lifted his head.

The river’s current was quite strong. Even someone trained in martial arts couldn’t cross easily.

“If you go upstream, there’s a bridge. You can cross easily there.”

At the disciple’s words, Namgung Jin-yeong frowned.

“A bridge… What lies beyond this?”

He wasn’t asking because he didn’t know. He was asking to confirm.

Because they had crossed a bridge to come here.

The disciple’s eyes widened as he realized that too.

“…The East Lake Branch.”

The place they had been.

The culprit was heading there.

They hadn’t met because he’d turned back to cross the bridge, not the river.

Their paths had crossed past each other.

Namgung Jin-yeong bit his lip.

Right now, only the patient Namgung Hyeok and the Medicine Hall Chief remained at the the East Lake Branch.

Then, a splash was heard.

When they turned, Gyo-ha was gone.

He had gone back into the water.

The reason Gyo-ha had stopped was to find the dead Beggars’ Union man.

Gyo-ha had swum even in worse places than the Zhoushan Archipelago.

“From here, we’ll handle it.”

“Elder Sword Saint?”

Namgung Jin-yeong also launched himself toward the river.

It was a violent current, not easy even for a master, but it didn’t matter to Namgung Jin-yeong.

For someone who had crossed the wall, it wasn’t difficult.

Namgung Jin-yeong’s figure split the current as he leapt in.

The disciple watching blinked.

Not because of Namgung Jin-yeong.

Because Gyo-ha was swimming even faster than a peak master.

The distance wasn’t closing.

The disciple, staring blankly, came to his senses.

“I have to warn them.”

It might already be too late, but he couldn’t just do nothing.

For moments like this, there was a way to send word across the river.

The disciple glanced at his dead comrade, then hurled himself into motion.