I Was Glad To Be Together. (1)

How many would not be cowed before the Sword Saint of the Wudang Sect and Beggars Union’s next Clan leader?

Sect Leader Meng Nam-cheon’s spirit was truly astonishing.

Was it because he had taken such a stubborn stance?

Mu-jin, the Taiji Sword Saint who had been silent for a moment, spoke in a regretful tone.

“I cannot understand. How could Great Hero Meng, respected by martial folk, say he protects the world’s Demons?”

“Do not speak carelessly about that person.”

Hwa Ryong-gae of the Beggars Union, watching from the side, sighed and responded.

“‘That person’ to the Demon Head… Could it be he has betrayed to the Heterodox factions?”

At that moment, Meng Nam-cheon’s brows knitted tightly.

His long-held resentment toward the Murim Alliance surged up like a tide.

“You say betrayal now!? When we suffered at the hands of White Flower Blood Cult, the Murim Alliance turned away! Who do you think saved Soyo Mountain Villa? Who protected the Eastern Murim from them!?”

The elders of the Murim Alliance were dumbfounded by the sudden shout.

They were at a loss for words, having not expected such a response.

“……”

A brief silence followed.

Meng Nam-cheon’s figure, showing no retreat against the Murim Alliance, overflowed with boldness.

And that sight gave courage to the martial folk of the east.

People become braver in a crowd. The martial folk gathered from smaller sects shouted in unison.

“Sect Leader, you are right!”

“Great Hero Yang Monster is not the Demon’s Head!”

“He defended us—aren’t you being too harsh?”

“Since when did the Murim Alliance become so cowardly?”

Who were Mu-jin of the Wudang Sect and Hwa Ryong-gae of the Beggars Union?

They were legendary masters who had long enjoyed the trust of martial folk.

Yet now they were receiving fierce jeers.

It was only natural their tempers were unsettled.

Swoosh-!!

At Elder Mu-jin’s exuded presence, the crowd’s commotion instantly fell silent.

Everyone shut their mouths tightly like dummies with honey.

It was an instinctive fear beyond their will.

“If you will not step aside, we have no choice.”

It meant they intended to attack Villa Chief Meng if necessary to kill Yang Monster.

Although Soyo Mountain Villa had not joined the Murim Alliance, it was clearly a Justice Faction-aligned force.

Attacking them would obviously tarnish their reputation, yet they seemed willing to accept it.

“Come on then, try it.”

Meng Nam-cheon’s momentum was no less than Mu-jin’s.

He was worthy of the title ‘Invincible Sword’ without shame.

But he was a wounded tiger now; in this state he could not stand against Mu-jin and Hwa Ryong-gae.

The watching crowd, sensing this, wore dark expressions.

Pressed by the momentum, they fell silent but all appeared worried for and supportive of Meng Nam-cheon.

At that suffocating moment.

From the rear, suddenly a small boy clutching a spear trudged forward.

“Why go so far to protect me? Sect Leader, you don’t need to die with me.”

It was Yu Jinsan, who had by now finished his breath regulation exercises and come over.

He had not fully healed his internal injuries, so his complexion remained pale.

“Soyo Mountain Villa never abandons a favor, even if the price is death.”

Meng Nam-cheon’s resolve was firm.

As if by agreement, the warriors of Soyo Mountain simultaneously drew their swords.

Spear-! Cha-cha! Spear-!!

Representing them, the squad leader Cheol-woong said with a solemn face.

“We will join you as well.”

Meng Nam-cheon murmured softly from behind.

“You must not step forward. No matter what happens from now on.”

Because in the current situation, the disciples could be of no help.

There was no need to drive them all into death.

Then Yu Jinsan stepped forward one small pace.

He glanced alternately at Mu-jin and Hwa Ryong-gae and said in a cold voice.

“You act like cowardly rats. Do you think no one noticed you sneaking up when the Yin Monster wasn’t around?”

Hwa Ryong-gae of the Beggars Union scoffed in response.

“As the rumors said, that mouth is filthy. I’ll shut it forever soon.”

“Is that so? Can you deal with the consequences?”

“If you were afraid of the Yin Monster, you wouldn’t have climbed up here. Either way, you’re next.”

Hwa Ryong-gae had misunderstood Yu Jinsan’s words.

He had not been questioning anything about the Yin Monster.

“I was asking whether you can handle touching Soyo Mountain Villa.”

No matter the might of the Wudang Sect or the Beggars Union, one could not ignore a Storm Rider person who had reached the Profound Realm.

Yu Jinsan, who asked the question, watched his reaction.

“Are you talking about the Storm Rider person who went missing from White Flower Blood Cult?”

Indeed, the Murim Alliance’s information network was formidable.

As expected, they too had been watching the situation here.

But there was one thing the Murim Alliance did not know.

If they had known the Storm Rider was intact, how could these fellows have acted so recklessly?

“Indeed. But it seems you have not heard news of his being found.”

Mu-jin and Hwa Ryong-gae feigned surprise.

They acted as if it were entirely unexpected.

Then, Bang Chung, the squad leader watching from afar, spoke to them.

“It is an undeniable fact; we saw it ourselves. As soon as the elder returns, he will not stand idly by over this incident.”

Mu-jin and Hwa Ryong-gae hesitated for a moment.

It was the expected reaction; if they proceeded with an attack, things could escalate.

That did not mean they had no options.

They exchanged furtive glances—likely sending clandestine communications.

Yu Jinsan watched them too and sent a telepathic message to Meng Nam-cheon.

• They will not leave quietly.

• Do you mean to say they would dare ignore my master and launch an attack?

• That is so. But what they aim for is only me.

• What do you mean by that?

• If my prediction is correct, the Sword Saint will try to pin Sect Leader’s feet. But he will not swing a killing sword, so you needn’t be overly rash.

Meng Nam-cheon glanced at Yu Jinsan with surprised eyes.

• You mean you calculated this situation and told them so?

• Yes. Now that they know he is alive, at least they will not harm the Sect Leader.

It was a kind of arrangement taking Meng Nam-cheon’s injuries into account.

But the problem was Yu Jinsan himself—his internal injuries were more severe.

• I will certainly bind the Sword Saint; do not worry. But are you truly alright against Hwa Ryong-gae?

He asked whether Yu Jinsan could handle him with his wounded body.

If his body had been normal, he would not have worried at all.

It would not be easy, but there was no other choice.

• For now, this is the best method.

At the moment the telepathic exchange ended.

As if waiting, Mu-jin and Hwa Ryong-gae initiated their movements.

It was a cowardly ambush, but they had been waiting, so there was nothing to be surprised at.

Ka-ang-!!

With a short crash, Yu Jinsan’s and Meng Nam-cheon’s feet slid.

Distance opening, one by one they began to rush toward them.

As expected, it was not beyond prediction.

Elder Mu-jin of the Wudang Sect kept a certain distance from Meng Nam-cheon, keeping him in check.

Meanwhile, Hwa Ryong-gae charged at Yu Jinsan with lightning speed.

‘This one is not an ordinary fellow, after all.’

Yu Jinsan, who exchanged blows with Hwa Ryong-gae, was considerably surprised.

He tried to suppress him with inner force, but the opponent was not someone to be underestimated.

Above all, the most troublesome aspect was his martial art.

The Beggars Union’s pride: the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.

Experiencing the Justice Faction’s top palm technique firsthand was utterly despairing.

But that did not mean he could retreat.

‘All right, let’s see what you’ve got.’

Hwa Ryong-gae’s hands drew circles, exuding tremendous force.

It was Arrogant Dragon Regrets, the most ruthless of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms—apparently intending a swift finish.

Yu Jinsan met him with the heaviest form of the Wind Slaying Spear art, Flying Tiger Annihilation Strike.

Swaaaang-!!

From the outset, both used techniques that consumed significant inner power.

The clash was like a dragon colliding with a tiger.

Kwaang-!!

“Ugh!”

Blood flowed from Yu Jinsan’s mouth.

There was no reason he should be pushed back this far—if not for his internal injuries.

The flow of his qi and blood was unstable, so his technique use was imperfect.

Yet he was not afforded any chance to catch his breath.

Hwa Ryong-gae leapt into the air and released fierce force from above Yu Jinsan’s head.

Flying Dragon in the Heavens. It was indeed one of the more powerful moves among the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.

‘This is a disaster.’

For now, there was no option but to face him.

Clenching his teeth, Yu Jinsan gripped the Dragon Slaying Spear tightly with both hands.

The Yu Family Wind Slaying Spear’s ninth form, Fierce Dragon Ascends to Heaven.

The Dragon Slaying Spear kicked off the ground and surged up to strike the force above his head.

Kwaaang-!!

“Guh!”

Yu Jinsan’s feet sank an inch into the ground.

Because he failed to break the enemy’s move, the shock passed fully through him.

Without time to recover, Hwa Ryong-gae’s successive strikes continued.

It seemed he intended to finish it here.

Yu Jinsan hurriedly set the Dragon Slaying Spear horizontally to defend against the incoming attack.

Kwaang-!!

He succeeded in blocking, but his posture collapsed.

He inevitably tumbled to his rear.

“G-Great Hero!”

Meng Nam-cheon shouted urgently from afar, but he could not come to help because the Sword Saint was stubbornly blocking him.

It was, to be sure, the worst situation.

Hwa Ryong-gae, approaching before him, seemed intent on finishing with this technique.

If he unleashed Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts, he might withstand one blow.

But considering the resulting shock, there would be no answer afterward.

“This is the end, Yang Monster.”

Hwa Ryong-gae’s hands were dyed golden.

Yu Jinsan watched the force he emitted with a look of despair.

It was truly a life-or-death situation.

After bracing his teeth and preparing for the impact for a moment.

Suddenly Yu Jinsan’s eyes widened.

A gust of violent wind had come rushing over his head from somewhere.

“……?”

Swaaaang-!

What flew in suddenly collided in midair precisely with the force Hwa Ryong-gae had unleashed.

Kwoong-!!

Incredibly, the brutal Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms technique was broken apart in an instant.

Hwa Ryong-gae staggered back, eyes wide with surprise.

Then something shot like an arrow and delivered a side kick to his chest.

Kwahjik-!!

It was a withdrawal technique as swift as a needle and as flexible as the wind.

So much so that Yu Jinsan could not even imitate it.

“Guh!”

Someone was slowly descending three steps in front of his retreating form.

Yu Jinsan stared at him intently.

At the small, childlike figure with hands clasped behind his back.

A figure suddenly came to mind.

‘……Storm Rider?’

If not him, who could display such divinity?

Someone from Soyo Mountain Villa cried out, unable to hide their joy.

“He— the elder has returned!”

The warriors of Soyo Mountain looked at him and wiped their tears—their reliance on him had been that great.

“……Fi-finally.”

“Sob.”

With the Storm Rider person’s appearance, the battle halted at once.

Yu Jinsan could finally catch his breath at the brink of death.

Then Meng Nam-cheon approached him and put his hands together in salute.

“I pay respects to my master.”

“Good. What are those rotten fellows?”

Though a child who looked seven or so spoke down to Soyo Mountain’s Sect Leader, no one found it strange.

“Many things happened while you were away. Great Warrior Yang Monster over there helped us, but the Murim Alliance…”

The Storm Rider person raised a hand, as if to show he understood, and covered his mouth.

“Well done. If they are the Yin Yang Twin Monster, I will protect them no matter the cost.”

Meng Nam-cheon could not hide his delight.

“Is— is that really so?”

“Of course. Sister Yin Monster and I shared the bond of siblings in life-and-death struggles.”

“……Yes?”

“Did you not just hear? In the martial world, she is the only sister I can entrust my back to.”