When Outnumbered, Seek Peace

He could endure insults aimed at himself, but when his Grand Master’s name was dragged into it, he could no longer endure.

He knew well that his own skills fell hopelessly short compared to his opponent.

But even if he were gravely injured or killed because of this, he wanted to protect his Grand Master’s honor.

“First Form of the Waxing Moon Sword.”

Without hesitation or calculation, In-gyeong lunged directly at his opponent.

Though the Waxing Moon Sword was one of the basic and simpler forms of the Full Moon Sword Arts, he had practiced it since childhood, leaving almost no flaws.

Moreover, through months of arduous training, his skill had advanced greatly compared to before.

“Ohh.”

The two men of Dragon-Summoning Hall were taken aback that the young man’s sword carried unexpected weight.

They barely managed to draw their swords to block, but were pushed back nearly twenty steps.

“As expected of the Sect Leader!”

Yeong-jun stomped his feet in excitement, cheering in delight.

The Sect Leader who had cared for him and brought him close after the dreadful night of extermination was more than a master—he was his greatest benefactor.

Thus, when those ruffians insulted the Sect Leader, he felt it as though the insult was hurled directly at him.

“Well now, not bad.”

After crossing blades once with In-gyeong, the two Dragon-Summoning Hall men exchanged glances and grinned.

They had been briefly surprised, but he was still far too lacking to be their match.

“You, step back for a while.”

The narrow-eyed man among them chuckled and stepped forward.

The other crossed his arms, ready to watch the fight.

If needed, dealing with the others wouldn’t be bad either.

If the Sect Leader’s skill was only at this level, the underlings could be dealt with in just a few exchanges.

“Let’s see how long you can remain so arrogant.”

In-gyeong sneered, then tilted his sword diagonally.

It was the preparatory stance for the Second Form of the Waxing Moon Sword.

While the first form focused on thrusting to break the opponent’s balance, the second form slashed while targeting vital points.

If he infused it with Banwolgyung internal energy, he could potentially block the opponent’s qi meridians.

However, In-gyeong’s skill had not yet reached that level.

“Torrential Shower!”

As he shook his sword chaotically left and right, one blade seemed to create dozens of afterimages.

Though he could not produce true Sword qi, it was enough to distract the opponent’s mind.

Clang!

The man stared indifferently at the many shadows, but when In-gyeong entered his range, he suddenly thrust straight for his wrist.

Startled, In-gyeong lowered his sword to block, but the clash sent a heavy vibration through his arm.

“The difference in internal strength is too great…”

The tavern girl watching intently clicked her tongue in pity.

She had hoped those rude Dragon-Summoning Hall ruffians would lose, but within just two forms she realized how outclassed In-gyeong was.

“Brother, can’t you help him?”

The girl looked at her older brother with desperate eyes.

He too had been watching the fight closely, but his expression was grim.

“I don’t want to meddle in the affairs of the Five Great Mountain Swords.”

Unlike usual, his reply was extremely cold.

She pouted and muttered, but she could not press further, knowing he had his reasons.

If they recklessly got involved and things escalated, their identities might be exposed.

“Sect Leader!”

The disciples of Eminent Mountain Sect grew anxious after a dozen exchanges. They had hoped, but as expected, the difference in skill was overwhelming. The two men of Dragon-Summoning Hall were in fact on par with elder-level experts even within their sect. The very reason they had picked this fight was because of other ulterior motives. That was why men of such skill had deliberately followed them.

“Boy, it seems we ought to stop playing around now.”

The man smirked and with the hand not holding his sword, gathered a small gust of wind. He was about to use Dragon-Palm Strike, a signature technique of Dragon-Summoning Hall. Since In-gyeong’s full attention was fixed on their blades, he had no strength left to guard against an energy blast. Even as he clearly saw qi gathering in his opponent’s hand, he was utterly defenseless.

“Sect Leader, be careful!”

Yeong-jun, panicking, drew his sword to rescue In-gyeong. He intended to use a form of the Full Moon Sword to forcefully separate the two men.

“This is against the rules.”

The other Dragon-Summoning Hall man, who had been lounging idly on a bench, suddenly approached and blocked him. Startled, Yeong-jun tried to twist away, but ended up struck by a single palm and fell rolling to the floor.

“Ha! I thought it was just rumors, but you really are pathetic.”

As the man brushed his palms together and jeered, the other disciples could endure no longer. They all jumped to their feet. Even if they were gravely injured, the resolve to repay this humiliation flashed across the faces of the five disciples.

“Oh my, that one palm strike must have crushed three ribs.”

The serving girl bit her nails in anxiety and muttered. The opponent had already filled his palm with energy and was just about to unleash a blast at In-gyeong. The senior brothers had no way to intervene, so it was only a matter of time before In-gyeong was hurt.

Whoosh!

Thud!

As the man finally unleashed his palm force, the girl squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch In-gyeong be struck. At moments like this, she bitterly regretted not knowing martial arts.

“Huh?”

It was certainly the Dragon-Summoning Hall man who had fired the blast, but the one who fell was not In-gyeong. The man blinked blankly for a while, then slowly lowered his gaze to his own palm.

“Argh!”

A round object was deeply embedded in the center of his palm. Only then did he feel the pain of his pierced hand, and he began shrieking hoarsely and cursing at the top of his lungs.

“What bastard dares?! Come out at once!”

In-gyeong was dumbfounded; this had all happened at the very instant he thought he would die. He had seen something fly in—but from a direction he never expected.

“Sect Leader, are you alright?”

Because the man blocking them rushed over to his injured comrade, the disciples of Eminent Mountain Sect were able to check on their sect leader’s condition. Luckily, aside from a few minor wounds, he seemed unharmed.

“Sect Leader, was that your doing?”

When Yeong-jun whispered this, In-gyeong vigorously shook his head. Then he turned his gaze toward the tavern kitchen. There, only the ugly innkeeper was still busy simmering broth in a big pot.

“It seems some master is nearby.”

Whispering as he wrapped his comrade’s bloody hand with a cloth, the man knew: if they lingered until that hidden master intervened, they stood no chance. The two exchanged a silent signal. For now, retreat—but later, when the Eminent Mountain Sect disciples were alone, they would strike again.

“Looks like the ghosts of that massacred sect are helping you lot.”

Still mocking to the very end, the two men left the inn. The disciples longed to chase after them and deliver punishment, but lacking the skill, they could not.

“Sect Leader, let’s leave this place quickly. Before those bastards return, we must reach Yellow Stone Sect.”

Yeong-jun’s words were completely correct, but In-gyeong’s gaze still lingered on the kitchen. At last, he steeled his heart and slowly walked that way.

“Boy, do you play Go?”

It was then. The old man who had already eaten his fourth bowl of noodles suddenly stretched out a leg to block In-gyeong’s path. Smacking his lips and picking his teeth, he didn’t even look at him.

“Elder, what are you—?”

“There’s a saying in Go: ‘When outnumbered, seek peace.’ When your position is isolated, seek peace instead of fighting. To endure is also part of being a true warrior.”

When In-gyeong realized the old man’s meaning, shame washed over him. Because of mere pride, he had put not only himself but his disciples in danger. He had no excuse, no matter how many mouths he had. Was he truly fit to be sect leader? Bowing his head low, his eyes welled with tears.

“Those fellows won’t exactly retreat so easily. Are you sure this is alright?”

Seeing In-gyeong like this, the old man finally turned his head, his expression a mix of pity and concern.

“We must be on our way quickly.”

Swallowing his tears, In-gyeong answered in a choked voice. Revealing the identity of the one who had helped him could come later. Securing safety was the priority.

“Then hurry along.”

The old man looked In-gyeong up and down for a while, then suddenly sprang up. Though a head shorter than him, he stretched out his arm and patted his shoulder twice.

“Elder?”

As he stepped back in puzzlement, In-gyeong suddenly felt his chest lighten. Since clashing blades with the Dragon-Summoning Hall man, his solar plexus had been stifled—but with just that one touch of the old man’s hand, it was as if it cleared up. Truly miraculous.

“That’s enough. Move quickly. If you turn the right corner here and take the side road, you’ll reach the foot of Yellow Stone Mountain within two hours.”

“Yes, Elder.”

In-gyeong bowed deeply with gratitude. This man was no ordinary old villager, clearly. But he knew well that uncovering his identity was not something to do now.

“Let’s go.”

He paid the tavern girl double and quickly led his disciples away.

“You there, what did you throw?”

Once they were completely out of sight, the old man hopped into the kitchen, his face full of mischief unbefitting his age.

“Garlic.”

“What? Hah.”

The young man, unable to hide it now that he was caught, answered with a flushed face. Hearing the nature of the hidden weapon, the old man burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Those bastards’ palms must be stinging terribly! Hahaha.”

As the young man fidgeted in embarrassment, the old man found it even funnier and rolled on the floor kicking his feet. Finally, the girl could not stand it and pointed a finger at him.

“What sort of disgraceful behavior is this? Please, act your age!”

Looking abashed, the old man straightened his clothes and sat down in front of the youth, resting his chin on his hand.

“But you know, helping so clumsily can be worse than not helping at all.”

“Eh?”

The youth stared at him, suddenly realizing his mistake. By then, all traces of laughter had vanished from the old man’s face.

“Those men will be lying in wait in some very secluded place next time.”

In-gyeong and the five disciples used light footwork to swiftly run down a side path. It had already been more than two hours since they had left the tavern, so they thought the danger had passed, yet an uneasy feeling still lingered.

Dragon-Summoning Hall was a small sect, but it was known for having many highly skilled disciples. And yet, the reason it was not recognized as a prestigious Orthodox sect was obvious: it was a thoroughly profit-driven group that had never produced a single true hero. In the martial world, it was often said that if you met someone from Dragon-Summoning Hall, you shouldn’t even speak with them.

“Sect Leader, by now we must have shaken them off. How about taking a breather?”

When Yeong-jun suggested this while panting, In-gyeong finally stopped walking. In truth, he too needed rest. Earlier, the nameless old man had cleared the congestion in his chest, but the wounds and bruises he had sustained in battle had drained his strength considerably.

“We’re nearly at Yellow Stone Mountain. Let’s rest for half an hour before we continue.”

Lifting his head and looking around, he saw that the sun was slowly setting. The mountains, dyed crimson, glowed faintly and beautifully like fingernails tinted with flower dye. As he took a deep breath, the fresh autumn air filled his nose. For In-gyeong, who until now had thought of nothing but revenge and devoted himself solely to martial training, this was a rare moment of leisure.

“They say there is leisure even amid busyness. Now it is truly autumn.”

“Then how about enjoying busyness once again?”

A mocking voice buzzed through the forest, and from between the trees, long shadows emerged one by one. Including the one who had been injured earlier, four skilled fighters of Dragon-Summoning Hall surrounded the disciples of Eminent Mountain Sect.

“Boy, now that there’s no one left to interfere, let’s have some real fun.”

세고취화 (勢孤取和), When Outnumbered, Seek Peace:

When the situation is disadvantageous, do not fight but seek peace.