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After finishing the interrogation, Yu Jinsan knocked the man out and escaped.
There was nothing noteworthy in what he said, except for the part about the elder.
‘Yang Flame Hall…’
That was where Elder Hyun Ho resided, at the heart of the sect. The challenge was how to lure him to a secluded location.
The plan was to use the information from the interrogation to entice him with a lie.
Holding the teapot, Yu Jinsan walked briskly toward the center of the Southern Edge Sect.
He passed the training grounds, circled the pond, squeezed through the crowded areas, and pressed on.
He passed a dozen Taoist monks, but none seemed suspicious—until now.
He was almost at his destination.
“Yah! You there!”
Turning around, he saw a young Taoist monk who had just turned back. The monk had narrow, snake-like eyes and a look of disdain. He seemed to be a third-class disciple, eager to make an impression.
Yu Jinsan felt the urge to retaliate, but restrained himself in the face of the many onlookers.
“…Me?”
“Yes, you! Are you one of the new recruits? This is an area off-limits to the least senior, like Hang Ryeol. How did you get in?”
Yu Jinsan felt like hitting the kid but held himself back.
He raised the teapot in his hand.
“I was running errands and got lost for a moment.”
“But what’s with the way you speak?”
How could the speech mannerisms of an old man who had lived a full life be corrected overnight?
Considering he was posing as a child, his way of speaking must have seemed quite peculiar.
“What are you talking about?”
It wasn’t easy for this half-aged old man to speak like a youngster.
If he had known this would happen, he would have practiced with his granddaughter. But it was too late for regrets. There was no way he could change his speech pattern now; every word he uttered sounded like that of an old man.
As the conversation progressed, the expression on the third-class disciple’s face gradually distorted. It seemed as though he thought Hang Ryeol was mocking him.
“How dare you make fun of me?”
He suddenly kicked Yu Jinsan’s shin.
Kwak!
“Ack!”
The groan came from the mouth of the Taoist who had attacked.
Clutching his toe and in shock, he moaned from the pain of his foot, striking something as hard as a rock.
On the other hand, Yu Jinsan’s face didn’t even flinch.
“Why are you doing this?”
“You brat, what did you hide in your pants?”
“Seriously, I was just standing here quietly. What are you talking about?”
Contrary to his expressionless face, Yu Jinsan’s inner thoughts were in turmoil. The more he thought about it, the more he realized there was a disparity between his speaking style and that of an eight-year-old. In fact, the more he tried to imitate it, the more awkward it felt.
Moreover, he was wasting time now. To make matters worse, the surrounding attention had shifted to them, and gradually, more Taoists began to gather.
“Jong Hae Sahyung, what’s the matter?”
“What happened? Is he hurt?”
Two young Taoists approached the fallen Taoist known as Jong Hae.
Even as Jong Hae groaned in pain, he didn’t forget to issue orders to his juniors.
“Ugh… get a hold of that brat who speaks like an elder.”
One of the Taoists, looking confused, moved to grab Yu Jinsan from behind.
‘This is bad.’
There were always unforeseen variables in any situation. Trouble had emerged from an unexpected place.
He couldn’t believe he was now in trouble, surrounded by a handful of young Taoists.
His mood plummeted with this development.
“This little bastard. What on earth have you done?”
“…?”
What could he say? Yu Jinsan tried to assess the situation with his mouth shut.
At that moment, Jong Hae regained his senses and slapped his own cheek.
He couldn’t just let a young kid slap him.
Yu Jinsan raised his left arm to defend himself.
Puak!
“Ack!”
This time, Jong Hae clutched his wrist with a contorted face, as if in pain, because the shock felt as though he had smashed into a brick wall.
At that moment, the Taoist monk who was holding Yu Jinsan’s back inquired with a perplexed expression.
“What’s with this guy? What on earth did you do?”
“I did nothing, so please let go of my wrist.”
“Let go? How dare you look down on the Sahyungs? Who do you think you are?”
The commotion intensified with each passing moment, and the Taoists wandering nearby began to congregate.
The situation became chaotic because of one powerful Taoist. Spying was no longer an option.
Then, someone exclaimed from the vicinity.
“What are you doing?!”
The Taoists, startled, made way for an elderly white-haired Taoist who was slowly walking with his hands clasped behind his back. A single glance was sufficient to discern his formidable strength.
Upon his arrival, more than a dozen Taoists immediately bowed.
“We greet Elder Hyun Ho…”
Yu Jinsan’s eyes fluttered. He had unexpectedly encountered his primary target here. It wasn’t surprising, given that the commotion was happening near this very place.
Elder Hyun Ho rebuked them with a furious expression.
“If you are to be called Sasuks, then at the very least, handle the newly admitted disciples properly. How can you just gang up and harass them?!”
Jong Hae, looking aggrieved, pointed his index finger at Yu Jinsan.
“Ah, you’re mistaken. That guy attacked me first!”
His claim made no sense whatsoever. Beyond martial arts, there was a clear disparity in weight between adults and children.
The other Taoists suspected Jong Hae was lying, but Elder Hyun Ho had an unusual reaction.
Hyun Ho, bearing the status of an elder, was seasoned and had made a name for himself in Kangho.
His sharp eyes closely inspected Jong Hae’s swollen wrist.
“…”
After a moment, he silently and deliberately approached Yu Jinsan.
One step. And then another.
As the distance between them closed, Yu Jinsan began to worry.
‘Don’t panic. He’s a formidable opponent, but he can’t know I’m an outsider.’
Before he realized it, Hyun Ho had stepped closer and looked down at Yu Jinsan without saying a word.
“…”
Did he sense something amiss? Yu Jinsan’s anxiety peaked.
Suddenly, Hyun Ho’s right hand shot out toward his face like lightning.
Clak!
A palm with a terrifying force approached, capable of breaking a tree. Yu Jinsan knew he had to make a decision.
With that resolve, he instinctively reached for his palm.
In just a fraction of a second, Yu Jinsan realized he had been tricked.
‘A feint?’
He had only noticed the attack after it happened right before him. It was a feint to test him.
But there was no turning back now.
When Yu Jinsan’s hand collided with Hyun Ho’s palm, a powerful wave of qi surged.
Kwang!!!
The loud explosion forced all the Taoists to step back.
Their mouths hung open, unable to comprehend the situation.
“Wh-what is this…?”
“Unbelievable…”
Their astonishment was natural.
Wasn’t Elder Hyun Ho being pushed back as if he were being thrown? Moreover, the smallest among them, Hang Ryeol, was rushing towards him.
While everyone was still reeling from the shock, Yu Jinsan was preparing to unleash an attack on Hyun Ho.
In a blink, Yu Jinsan’s fist struck his abdomen a dozen times.
Bang! Kwang!
Though his fist was as small as a walnut, it possessed the strength to crush a rock with a single blow.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Hyun Ho, who had maximized his defensive qi, initiated his footwork.
Woosh!
At the moment of crisis, he barely escaped, leaving an afterimage, but he wasn’t even given a chance to draw his sword. This was because Yu Jinsan rushed forward, not missing the opportunity.
But that advantage only lasted for a moment. Although he had the upper hand now, it didn’t seem like it would last long.
Without his main weapon, the spear, bare-handed fighting wasn’t Yu Jinsan’s specialty.
Unable to land a decisive blow, the fight continued to drag on.
“Wh-what is that guy?”
“Shouldn’t we help the Elder?”
The Taoists watching were just stamping their feet. This was because the fight was beyond their level of combat.
But soon, there was no need for concern.
Another experienced Elder arrived from Southern Edge.
“Everyone out of my way!”
The white-haired Taoist with a sharp expression flew over the heads of the disciples.
Even at a glance, his movements were on par with Hyun Ho.
The cries of the disciples erupted from behind him.
“We greet the former Elder!”
When the situation turned out like this, Yu Jinsan realized he was in a tough spot.
And with this man’s arrival, the situation changed in an instant.
He couldn’t come to his senses as the fight shifted from one moment to the next. The elders were definitely at an advantage here, not even drawing their swords as if they were trying to capture him.
He wasn’t injured, but he would surely go insane from the beating.
Kwak!
“Kuak!”
Yu Jinsan fell due to Hyun Ho’s kick. He quickly rolled to the left without even having time to catch his breath.
The ground where he had been burst open, and the foot of the former elder stuck in.
Kwang!!
He barely managed to get up, but what followed was Hyun Ho’s palm technique, coming at him with lightning speed.
Chak!
He raised his arms above his head to block it, but the impact was too much.
While he continued to stagger, he was struck in the face by the former elder.
Chakk!
“Euk!”
It was a difficult situation to defend his body, let alone fight back. There was no answer to this.
If he delayed any longer, he would not be able to escape. Yu Jinsan, who had been holding back, had no choice but to strengthen his resolve.
‘It is frustrating, but I guess I have no choice but to postpone it until later.’
A red orb appeared on his sleeve, and he grasped it in his palm. When he infused his internal qi into it, the bead exploded with a bang.
In a split second, hazy smoke spread out and continued to encroach on the surroundings.
It was the White Smoke Pill given by Baek Gyu.
The hazy cloud made it impossible to see an inch in front. It was even impossible to feel the flow of qi within.
An item that only the Evil Way Alliance would possess, and its effect far exceeded anyone’s expectations.
The Taoists surrounding him were very confused and unsure.
“Wh-what is this?”
“What is this fog now?”
“Where is that guy?”
At that point, Yu Jinsan was running frantically without looking back. After escaping the siege, there was no one who could catch him running at full speed.
After it got dark, Yu Jinsan returned to his residence.
He walked weakly into the room, his shoulders drooping.
His granddaughter had gone to play, so she wasn’t around.
‘…I am sorry.’
A message he conveyed to his family members who had died unjustly.
His family’s enemies were right around the corner, but the opponent was too much for him.
He lay down silently in the room and pulled the blanket over his head.
Had his emotions come rushing back because he became younger? For some reason, he cried out of sadness.
It was a day when he thought deeply about the helplessness he felt for the first time in his life.
Some time had passed.
Slash!
The door opened, and he felt a familiar presence.
“Grandpa, when did you come?”
“…”
“What about my gift?”
He felt her eyes scanning the room. He had planned to buy a gift for the child, but he couldn’t.
The money was in his luggage, hidden somewhere within the Southern Edge Sect. He had been unable to take it with him as he fled in haste.
“Grandpa wasn’t thinking straight. I’ll make sure to buy it tomorrow.”
Unusually, Yu Seol didn’t make a big deal out of it—perhaps she sensed something?
The child crept closer, walking cautiously.
“What’s wrong with Grandpa’s voice? Are you crying?”
“It’s nothing.”
His voice was unmistakably low.
Yu Seol sat behind him and shook his shoulders.
“Ehh. What’s the matter? Get up quickly.”
She tried to pull away the blanket Yu Jinsan had covered himself with, but he clung to it.
But how could he resist a Grandmaster?
Even though he gripped the blanket tightly, it was futile.
Chak!
Yu Seol, having snatched the blanket away in one swift motion, widened her eyes as if she might cry.
Her grandfather’s face was swollen, and she saw traces of tears that hadn’t yet dried.
“Who did this? Who hit you?”
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