Called As Justice Faction In Name Alone(1)

After the Sword Queen stepped in, no one else could.

The warriors who were unable to observe her official retirement couldn’t hide their disappointment.

“Why is this happening?”

“When did the Murim Alliance become so absurd?”

“Damn this…”

Several angry warriors suddenly fell silent when Wang Hyul unleashed his killing intent.

He was quite upset about how the Sword Queen had humiliated him in front of everyone.

“Whoever it is, speak one more time. I will stop you from ever speaking again, not in the name of the Murim Alliance, but in the name of Wang Hyul.”

No one dared to speak again.

There was a huge commotion, and all that was left were whispered noises.

Yu Jinsan, who watched this from afar, couldn’t help but click his tongue.

“The one who calls himself a Justice Faction member is full of greed and arrogance. When did Kangho become like this?”

Hyun Hee had no way of knowing this. She was also a disciple of Wudang, but she didn’t have much experience.

“Was it different before?”

“At least during the time I was active, the world of power was full of convention.”

“I can’t imagine that time because it was before I was born. But what do we do now?”

Yu Jinsan stared at where the Sword Queen had disappeared and then turned away.

“Let’s head back.”

He couldn’t break through the Murim Alliance’s best warriors to witness her retirement.

Hyun Hee seemed to understand the situation and walked by his side without saying another word.

“Still, I had fun, thanks to Grandfather. Thank you for coming along with us.”

Yu Jinsan nodded and then looked at his granddaughter, who was asleep in her arms.

“It seems like my Seol likes you a lot. I saw her sleeping in your arms, oblivious to the world.”

“Right. She fell asleep so quickly.”

“With her stomach full and the weather this cold, she must have felt sleepy.”

Yu Jinsan and Hyun Hee, who had been talking for a while, began to move away from the warriors.

However, not long after, their steps halted again due to a loud roar from behind them.

Baaang!!!

It wasn’t a one-time sound. It repeatedly continued, like thunder striking down.

Bang! Kwakwang!!

The surrounding warriors were all equally shocked.

“Wh-what is that?!”

“Just what on earth is happening?”

The epicenter of the sound appeared to be the place where the Sword Queen was supposed to be holding her ceremony.

It was assumed that the sect elders and unknown warriors were present there as well.

Hyun Hee’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“I think a fight has broken out. Who could challenge the Sword Queen?”

Yu Jinsan’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the noise.

He couldn’t believe that a fight between two individuals could reach this far. But he couldn’t help but feel surprised.

“The sound of the clashing force doesn’t seem like a fair fight, though.”

“Are you suggesting that the elders of Murim are opposing the Sword Queen?”

“Isn’t it impossible to say for certain, though? Kangho is a world that cannot be understood with common sense.”

“Ehh, Grandpa. That can’t happen…”

Hyun Hee opened her mouth but didn’t speak. She had witnessed an incredible sight.

From the street where the Sword Queen had vanished, a ray of light approached at a swift speed.

All the warriors of the Murim Alliance who had blocked the entrance were swept aside.

Baaang!

Each one of them was a first-rate warrior of the Murim Alliance, and yet they couldn’t even defend themselves.

“Kuak!”

“Ack!”

The beam of light that passed them soared up like a phoenix.

The warriors who were watching this were shocked and shuddered in fear simultaneously.

“…Sword Queen?”

Her footwork, which seemed to cover ten steps in one stride, was truly miraculous.

She then stepped onto the shoulders of the warriors and ran. No one could keep their mouths shut at her light movement.

In the blink of an eye, she passed right in front of Yu Jinsan.

It was just a split second, but he saw it. She frowned as she looked at him, and her face was so pale.

That was all he saw, and he could no longer see her.

“Why is she running away?”

“Just what happened?”

The warriors couldn’t understand it. This was because the storm of qi razed as the Sword Queen moved.

“Blade Master?”

Blade Master, Jin Mu-kang. He was the leader of the Heavenly Dragon Clan and a famous warrior known for his blade techniques around the world.

Although he wasn’t a member of the Alliance, he held a grudge against the Sword Queen because she had humiliated his son. Although his life was spared, his legacy was cut off.

And Blade Master wasn’t the only person chasing after her.

“It’s Dok Gosong!”

The best warrior in Hubei Land. There was no one in Murim who didn’t know him.

These famous figures were rushing behind her.

Each and every one of them was so strong that they were mentioned as one of the Ten Great Warriors of Murim.

And six of them were now behind the Sword Queen. Then a one-eyed young nun followed them.

“Could it be that they joined to fight against the Sword Queen?”

“Does that even make sense?”

But this wasn’t the time to be surprised.

Not just the Sword Queen, but also the other leaders were moving away from there.

The dense crowd moved like waves, as if they wanted to see more of this fight.

It was a shocking sight to see thousands of warriors performing footwork at the same time. It was as if they didn’t want to miss a single moment of this fight.

Hyun Hee turned and looked at Yu Jinsan.

“Grandpa, we need to follow too!”

Yu Jinsan immediately refused, as if she shouldn’t even think about it.

“I am too old to run and watch fights.”

“Even so…”

“It’s too late. How are you going to chase after those people who were lightning fast?”

The Sword Queen and the experienced warriors who had been chasing her were no longer there. And the warriors who had been chasing after them had no idea where they had gone.

“Phew. It couldn’t be helped.”

“In Kangho, the more curious you are, the shorter your life is. You’re young, and you’ll always get another chance.”

Hyun Hee answered in a weak voice, her shoulders drooping.

“Yes…”

Perhaps because all the warriors had left, the village felt empty. They stopped at the market, bought some clothes and daily essentials, and then left.

With all their objectives accomplished, it was time to return to the mountain.

The day was slowly getting darker.

After leaving the county, they took a shortcut across this unknown mountain.

Yu Jinsan didn’t want to spend time sleeping on the mountain with his child, so he increased their pace.

“Hurry up a bit more. Among the disciples of the Wudang Sect, their martial arts are known to be the best, so why is your footwork so weak?”

“Huh. Grandpa, you’re too fast!”

At a glance, Hyun Hee’s steps grew heavy. It would be a shame to just head back.

“I took a close look earlier, and it seemed like the Sword Queen was suffering from internal wounds.”

“Uh? Sword Queen?”

As expected, when the topic was brought up, her expression brightened.

Yu Jinsan knew right away that her idol was the Sword Queen.

“I was able to catch a glimpse of her earlier, and her face was pale.”

“What should we do…? There’s no way something wrong could happen, right?”

Hyun Hee’s face showed concern, and she seemed genuinely worried too.

“Being relaxed when she has internal wounds means that she is confident. There’s nothing for us to worry about.”

“Thank goodness, then. I hope she’s safe.”

“But why are you siding with the Sword Queen? If you’re from Wudang, you should be supporting the Murim Alliance.”

“That….”

Just as Hyun Hee was about to answer, Yu Jinsan suddenly stopped her by raising his hand.

“Shhh.”

He wore an unusual expression, and Hyun Hee also sensed that something was odd.

“What is it?”

“Be quiet.”

When Yu Jinsan began to remove the cloth from his spear, his family’s heirloom, the Flame Dragon Divine Spear, was revealed.

Afterward, he tied his sleeping granddaughter to his back with the wrapping cloth and moved forward.

His movements were as cautious as a wolf stalking its prey, and soon he witnessed a shocking sight.

“Huh…”

“It can’t be. What is this?”

The mountainous landscape seemed horrifying.

Dozens of trees had fallen, and rocks were split in half, showing how cleanly a sword had passed through them.

It was a sight that couldn’t have occurred naturally.

“I chose this mountain to avoid the martial arts warriors, but it seems like I had no luck.”

“I guess there was a fight here.”

“I don’t like this. We need to get out of here quickly.”

The two quickened their pace, planning to leave the mountain swiftly. But wherever they went, they continued to encounter the horrific scene.

And as they moved continuously…

“Kuak!”

A groan sounded.

Yu Jinsan and Hyun Hee’s hearts sank at the sound. They found a swordsman kneeling in front of a dozen people.

Hyun Hee recognized the person.

“Dok Gosong…?”

The man was barely supporting his body by using the hilt of his sword, which was pushed into the ground. His entire body was shaking as if he would stop breathing at any moment. At a glance, it seemed like he could no longer fight.

And it wasn’t just him. Two more people were around him, and they didn’t seem much different.

One of them was someone Hyun Hee knew all too well.

Elder Geum Kang of the Wudang Sect. How could she expect that an elder, who should be behind the sect leader of her sect, would be here? Hyun Hee turned her head away to avoid eye contact.

However, she couldn’t avoid his sharp gaze.

“You… are Hyun Hee?”

The question itself made her flinch.

“Uh?”

“…I’ve been looking for you, as you were the most outstanding among the disciples. Come here.”

Hyun Hee, whose identity was discovered, slowly approached him.

“…”

“The Sword Queen is over there… Hurry up and finish her. She won’t be able to move, so all you need to do is stab her.”

The place that he was pointing to was under a tree. The Sword Queen was there, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed. Despite being close in distance, her presence was so subtle that they might not have even noticed it.

“W-why should I kill her?”

“Don’t be deceived by her evil appearance. She is a wicked being who doesn’t deserve to live, so do as you’re told!”

Indeed, the Sword Queen was defenseless at that moment. And in the final battle, it seemed like both sides had suffered severe damage to their bodies.

“…”

“Hurry up!”

She found herself in a situation where she had to choose a side. Whether she wanted to or not, their fate would be determined by her decision.

Hyun Hee, who was truly flustered, turned and looked at Yu Jinsan.

He shook his head. Wasn’t the Murim Alliance fearsome enough? There was absolutely no reason to side with them.

She exchanged glances with him and then nodded. She then looked at Elder Geum Kang.

“Elder.”

“…”

“Why did you have to recognize me?”