Yin And Yang (1)

Hwayang County. The name of the nearby village not too far from Mount Southern Edge.

Two children with flowers in their hair walked down the street holding hands.

“Oh my, you two are so cute. Are you siblings, perhaps?”

“Twins? How can you be so similar?”

Yu Jinsan couldn’t raise his head. This was because every adult smiled as they looked at them.

Each time that happened, he couldn’t explain why, but he kept his head down.

He could only take comfort in seeing his granddaughter this happy.

“My grandpa!”

A wealthy-looking middle-aged couple held their stomachs and took out several coins, too.

“Hahaha! She’s cute and witty, too. Now, have something delicious with this.”

“Hehe. Thank you!”

The couple who handed out the coins took turns stroking the children’s heads.

Unlike his granddaughter, Yu Jinsan had mixed feelings.

“…”

Who would dare pat his head? Still, it was pointless to get angry when he appeared to be a child.

‘I’m going insane. I need to find a way.’

As he sighed, Yu Seol grabbed his hand and led him somewhere.

“Grandpa, let’s buy something delicious with this! I’ll buy it for you.”

They had enough money to buy a couple of snacks. Yu Jinsan also had money with him, but he decided to observe first.

The child’s smile never left her face. The streets were full of street vendors and the smell of delicious snacks.

How long had it been since the two of them had walked around the town together like this?

He had come a few times last year, but because of his poor health, he couldn’t enjoy it as much as he did now.

His granddaughter now stood tall in front of the street vendor, smiling brightly as she held out two coins.

“Mister, two sugar-coated fruits!”

It was a skewer of hawthorn fruit coated with honey and hardened sugar, Yu Seol’s favorite treat.

He couldn’t help but smile at how skillfully she ordered it.

She must have gone out alone and bought a lot while he was ill. The stall owner extended two skewers with a bright smile.

“Here you go, for our little customers.”

After accepting them, Yu Seol offered one to her grandfather.

“It’s delicious. Try eating it.”

“…Um?”

The sweets were ones typically only eaten by children, and he couldn’t recall ever having them before.

But how could he refuse when his granddaughter had bought them for him for the first time?

Besides, she looked at him with puppy eyes. So, with some hesitation, Yu Jinsan took a bite.

“Uh?”

An exclamation escaped him unexpectedly. Had his taste buds dulled with age? Surprisingly, it was delicious.

“Hehe. How is it?”

“Worth eating.”

Chairs made from logs were scattered throughout the market.

The two, each holding their skewers, found a nice spot and sat down, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight.

Yu Seol pulled a pouch from her pocket and asked,

“Grandpa, want to eat again?”

The rattling sound indicated she had plenty of money, and the pouch seemed heavy.

One might not guess how many coins there were exactly, but it was more money than a child should have.

Where had she acquired such a large sum? He couldn’t help but wonder about the source of the coins.

“Where did you get the money from?”

Yu Seol opened the pouch, showed it to him, and answered with a serious expression.

“I picked it up on the roof. I am rich now.”

“…Our home?”

He had robbed the merchant alliance and hidden the leftover money on the roof. How had she found it?

“Uh! Why?”

He was taken aback by the child, who posed a question without seeming childlike.

Was she asking because she truly didn’t know? Or was she feigning ignorance? He couldn’t tell.

It was his fault for storing it poorly, so he had no grounds to scold her.

All he needed to do was explain so she would understand.

“If you pick up money, you need to find the owner. It belongs to Grandpa, so give it back to me now.”

She pouted at those words. Judging by her expression, she didn’t seem to trust him.

“…really?”

“Yes~ When has Grandpa ever lied to you?”

“…”

She looked really upset and hesitant as she slowly held out the pouch. Fortunately, she handed it over obediently. If she had insisted on not giving it back, there was no way he could have taken it by force.

Yu Jinsan patted her on the head to comfort her.

“Our Seol is so good. Grandpa will buy you a gift for that.”

Her face immediately brightened at the mention of a ‘gift’.

“Hehe, nice!”

They were having this lazy time chatting when suddenly they both turned to the left.

“Over there!”

In the distance, a corner of the market was visible.

Someone appeared there and was running away.

This person wore torn black clothes and carried a broken blade. His movements were far from normal, and as if he were injured, his entire body was covered in blood.

And six swordsmen in blue robes were following him. The robes featured unique embroidery. It was the uniform of the troops belonging to the Murim Alliance.

Yu Seol, who was watching this, asked.

“Grandpa, why is that guy running?”

“Hmm. It seems like the Justice Faction is going after someone from the Evil Faction. It’s a common sight in Kangho.”

Although she couldn’t fully understand the situation in the Murim world, Yu Seol was slowly getting familiar with the terms used in daily life.

“Then, since we’re from the Evil Sect, should we help him?”

Yu Jinsan flinched at her question.

How could she think of themselves as part of the Evil Sect?

The Yu family was clearly a member of the Justice Faction, and he had never told her otherwise.

Had she picked up this idea from the clan?

He was unsure, but it was a problem that didn’t require too much thought.

‘It doesn’t matter. From the moment the faction abandoned the Yu family, I also did the same.’

Having made up his mind, he nodded and stood up.

If it had been his childhood, he would have helped the Murim Alliance at any cost, but things have changed now.

Now was the moment when Yu Jinsan wanted the Murim Alliance to shiver in fear.

“Let us go and take a look first.”

The forms of Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol took off at the same time.

Tat!

The two climbed to a nearby shrine and began to run on the roof. Their small bodies and nimble movements were so quick that they were reminiscent of weasels.

“That way!”

Yu Seol pointed her finger elsewhere.

An alley about 20 miles away. They swiftly narrowed the distance.

After a while, the warrior of the Evil Sect ended up cornered and was already covered in wounds on his stomach and hands.

“Oh my…”

A narrow path. The warriors of the Murim Alliance, who blocked the entrance, unleashed their murderous qi.

“I do commend you for trying to run away from us until here.”

“Did you think I would die on your terms?”

As if there was no need for the entire troop to move, just one member advanced.

“You just keep talking when you are going to die. Go ahead and give it up; that is when I will allow you to die in peace.”

In a moment, the face of the warrior from the Evil Sect turned pale. His stomach was bleeding, and his eyes were trembling. This man was surely going to die.

But his eyes wouldn’t stop showing defiance.

“Shut up and attack me already.”

“You’re funny, eh? Let’s see if you’ll say that in a moment.”

After finishing speaking, the Blue Cloud Troops began to rush toward him, and seeing the end of his life, the man pulled back his broken blade with a sad look.

And the moment their distance narrowed, something happened that no one could have predicted.

Two figures fell from the sky.

They darted between them as though they had planned it. In a split second, two small feet struck the troops at the front simultaneously.

“Kwak!”

“Kuaak!”

The Blue Cloud Troops were sent flying back faster than they had been running. And in their place, two children stood awkwardly.

“Isn’t it cruel to take down a dying person?”

Yu Jinsa’s words left everyone confused.

Contrary to his appearance, his voice and composure seemed improbable for a child. These were skills no child should have.

There were many unknown warriors in Murim.

The seasoned warriors of the Murim Alliance were very cautious of the two figures appearing as children.

“Do you think you will be safe after obstructing the mission of the Murim Alliance?”

Normally, the mere mention of the Murim Alliance’s name was enough to make anyone back down, unless they were a hostile force.

But that wasn’t the case for Yu Jinsan, who approached with determination.

“I stopped you because you are the Murim Alliance.”

His statement was unequivocal.

When it became clear they were facing a hostile force, tension and anger flared in the faces of the Blue Cloud Troops.

Conversely, a ray of hope gleamed on the face of the man in black, who was groaning in the back.

“… Are you members of an Evil Sect?”

The question rang out loudly from behind Yu Jinsan as he blocked their path.

“Yes, that’s right!”

The man in black sighed with relief and pulled a sealed letter from his pocket.

“I have to do this… Please make sure this reaches the Evil Way Alliance.”

His hand trembled as he offered the letter; he was likely nearing death. But Yu Seol cocked her head, seemingly clueless about what he was talking about.

“Who is this Evil Way?”

For a member of an Evil Sect not to know the alliance was unfathomable. It was akin to claiming to be from the Justice Faction but having no knowledge of the Murim Alliance.

The person in black surmised that this re-aged warrior, who looked like a girl, was playing a joke.

Otherwise, how could this person be so relaxed in front of the warriors of the Murim Alliance? Moreover, she didn’t seem worried.

This meant that she was confident in her abilities.

‘It has to be luck, too. To meet a member of the Evil Sect before I die.’

The man in black, who was holding on by using internal qi, squeezed every last bit of strength and uttered his last words.

“The future of our Evil Sect is in your hands. Hurry…”

It was a dying person’s wish, so why wouldn’t they grant it?

Yu Seol nodded with a serious look.

“I understand.”

Yu Seol, who was handed the letter in an unexpected manner, kept it in her arms.

And the man in black slowly collapsed as if he had finished his work, and the threats of the Blue Cloud Troops continued to come.

“Hurry up and hand it over. Unless you want to meet the same fate.”

Yu Seol, facing them, shrugged with an expressionless face.

“No, I promised him.”

Had they decided that further conversations were meaningless? The Blue Cloud Troops simultaneously raised their swords.

“You choose death. Do not blame us.”

The Blue Cloud Troops began to move, and at that moment, the hands of Yu Seol and Yu Jinsan spread out like the wings of a white crane.

It was the Yu family’s palm technique, which was their pride.

The two moved in uniform motion without the slightest error, as if they were one body. It was an impossible move if they hadn’t been training together for a long time.

Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter, who was drawing the Taiji sign with their hands, simultaneously pushed out qi.

The lightning-like speed was increased to a level that the Blue Sword troops couldn’t avoid.

Tsk!

The two people running ahead were hit right in the center of their abdomens.

There wasn’t even a scream. The two fainted at once.

And the power of the palm technique didn’t end there.

This powerful force escaped from behind them, and the qi moved like a gust of wind, hitting the other two following behind.

Kwakang! Kwakwang!

The two people, with both feet lifted from the ground, ended up being pushed back into their colleagues.

Kung!

“Kuaak!”

“Kuak!”

In the blink of an eye, the six members of the troops were lying on the ground.

With one move, everyone was taken down.

How was this possible? The faces of the remaining troops were full of disbelief.