Yin And Yang (2)

All the way back to Ho County, Yu Seol was smiling brightly.

It must have been because her grandfather had bought her a lot of clothes.

As they approached the clan, Yu Seol was jumping around with a bundle of clothes.

“So excited!”

A happy smile didn’t leave Yu Jinsan’s face as he watched his granddaughter dance bouncily.

“Is it that good?”

“Yes, very good. Hehe.”

“Grandpa will go meet Uncle Baek Gyu first, so head in.”

“Yes. Come back fast~”

After sending Yu Seol to their home, Yu Jinsan went straight to Baek Gyu’s office.

In his left hand, he held a sealed letter that he had to pass over.

‘Did he say to deliver this to the Evil Way Alliance?’

There was no need to go all the way there. An official 7th-ranking warrior was right here.

And he was curious about the contents, but he couldn’t read it since it was sealed.

After a while, when he arrived at the destination, the guard who recognized him bowed.

“You are back, Elder.”

The bulky warrior bowing his head to a child looked a bit too natural now.

“Yes, is Baek Gyu inside?”

“Yes. Please, head in.”

Had he heard the greeting from outside? The door opened before Yu Jinsan could knock, and a friendly face appeared.

“Why are you so late? We were so worried that something happened to you.”

“What is it? Well, a couple of things happened on our side.”

“Let’s head in and talk about the details.”

“Right.”

A large hand, which completely wrapped around the back of little Yu Jinsan, led him inside.

Soon after, Baek Gyu pulled out a chair, sat across from him, and asked.

“What happened to you? Did you find out the enemy of your family?”

Yu Jinsan nodded with a darkened expression.

“Have you heard of the Azure Dragon Troops?”

“I don’t recall being familiar. I don’t think they are from our alliance.”

“They say there are secret troops within the Murim Alliance known only to a few. They’ve been active in the shadows for generations, and it’s shocking how their existence has remained hidden.”

Baek Gyu clenched his fists as if he were angry.

“Then the people who attacked the Yu family, the ones who fought on the side of the Justice faction, are…?”

“Right. At least, it has become clear that it was the work of the Murim Alliance.”

“It’s shocking how much dirty work these despicable members of the Justice Faction are doing behind the scenes. The more you know someone, the worse they turn out to be.”

“I am dumbfounded as well. Where on earth is the cooperation and justice they speak of?”

“Nothing like that ever existed to begin with. But why would they do such a thing?”

Yu Jinsan seemed to be getting more emotional, and after taking a breath, he spoke again.

“So, I’m looking forward to this. I heard that monk Won Kang was one of the training instructors at that place.”

“Hmm. I also know of that Shaolin monk. That person is a lot more dangerous than one might think, so be careful.”

“I cannot imagine hearing something like ‘dangerous’ coming out of your mouth.”

“Maybe if you fight with me, it would be easier for us to understand the difference between him and us.”

Baek Gyu, a warrior, couldn’t guarantee a win. And that meant the opponent was scarier than expected.

But Yu Jinsan wasn’t going to back out now.

“I guess I’ll have to find a way to fight them.”

Baek Gyu guessed from Yu Jinsan’s expression that he was about to leave.

“Are you really planning to head to Shaolin?”

The Shaolin Temple was located in the Henan region and wasn’t close to this place.

It was akin to an obvious separation.

“I guess so.”

A look of regret was evident on Baek Gyu’s face. One couldn’t help but feel sad that the only person they were mentally depending on would leave.

But it was impossible to hold him back.

“It’s disappointing, but I know everything about your situation, so how can I hold Hyung back?”

“I will never forget the bond we managed to create here till the day I die.”

“Why are you speaking as if we will never see each other again? Hyung and Seol are like family to us, so whenever you feel like coming home, come back.”

“Thank you for saying that. We may have to part ways for a while, but we will meet again.”

After speaking, Yu Jinsan placed the sealed letter on the table.

“What is this?”

“On the way, I met a warrior from an Evil Sect who was being chased by the Justice Faction. He said we should deliver this to the alliance.”

Baek Gyu opened the letter and began to read it in silence. As his expression changed with each passing moment, it was clear that the contents were not pleasant.

“…”

Yu Jinsan, who was watching in silence, also became curious about the content of the letter.

“May I ask what it is about?”

Baek Gyu hesitated for a moment and answered in a weak voice.

“… it is nothing, Hyung. It doesn’t contain much of importance.”

Yu Jinsan could tell that Baek Gyu’s look had darkened.

Had the crisis come closer? He was curious about the contents, but he knew he shouldn’t inquire if it was a matter related to the Evil Way Alliance.

Baek Gyu’s expression showed his determination not to burden him further, especially since he was about to leave.

After careful consideration, Yu Jinsan decided to stay a bit longer and observe the situation.

“I am not leaving right away, so I will talk to you later. My granddaughter is waiting, so I guess I will call it a day.”

“I understand, Hyung. I will visit you again soon.”

Yu Jinsan returned to his place and looked around.

His granddaughter was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did she go?”

He guessed there was just one place.

A place his granddaughter visited every day: the training center.

For Yu Seol, whose only friend was her grandpa, martial arts was the only game she knew.

It felt like she was addicted to it, to the point where she would end up with withdrawal symptoms if she missed a day of training.

“I cannot be lagging behind either.”

After thinking for a moment, Yu Jinsan went to the backyard.

Yu Seol would be at the exclusive training hall that Baek Gyu had made, but going there and making a mess would only get in the way. He didn’t want to block his granddaughter’s path by being a burden to her.

He grabbed a bamboo pole and silently stood in the center of the yard. It was the technique that marked the start of the family’s sparring arts.

“If I want to use it in actual combat, I need to have at least level 6 qi.”

Currently, he is only at level 3. In the past, he couldn’t practice due to health issues, but it was different now that he had returned to his prime.

“It can be done.”

Wasn’t it the Shaolin temple that was called the pride of the Justice Faction? It was on a different level from the Southern Edge Sect, one of the old Nine Great Sects.

Since it was a clumsy move that could result in failure, the plan was to prepare as much as possible before departure.

With the sound of the Whirlwind Spear, the bamboo pole he was holding slowly began to move.

As time passed, the movement gradually became faster and soon began to emit a sound.

Pung! Pung!

Every time he took a step, the bamboo pole cut through the wind, creating gusts. The technique began in earnest.

But his expression wasn’t bright.

When the technique reached a certain point, it felt blocked, as though he had hit a wall.

Was it because it had been so long since he had practiced new martial arts? Or perhaps it was the high level of difficulty of the technique that kept it from feeling perfect.

However, Yu Jinsan’s face was like that of an old man whose sword was wavering.

At some point, he frowned.

“Ah!”

With a loud noise, his form began to spin like a top around his left foot. It was a technique, a type of wind spear, used when surrounded—the Spiral Dragon Execution.

“Wheik!”

The bamboo pole created a whirlwind that was about to encircle his body.

In a split second, his ankle sprained, and he lost his balance.

“Ack!”

He fell to the ground and groaned for a while before standing up again.

He couldn’t give up just like that.

Yu Jinsan slung the pole over his shoulder and assumed a stance. He took a deep breath and started because something stabbed him in the back.

“Kuak!”

When he turned his head, he saw his granddaughter approaching and pressing her fingers to her waist.

“My heart almost stopped just now. Make your presence known before you come up.”

“Hehe. Grandpa, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself.”

“Hmm…?”

Yu Seol squatted down and pressed her index finger against his left leg.

“When you turn, you have to focus your qi here.”

It seemed like a joke, but maybe it was worth a try?

She was his granddaughter and the one who had managed to master the technique of the eight-star.

“I get it. Take a step back for a moment.”

Yu Jinsan adjusted his form once again and attempted the Spiral Dragon Execution once more.

As Yu Seol had suggested, he reduced the force when turning and tried to balance the pressure on his left leg.

“Wheik!”

The bamboo pole in Yu Jinsan’s hand began to rotate endlessly.

Soon, his form was caught in a whirlwind, spinning so fast that it was nearly invisible.

By the time the speed reached its peak, a concentrated wisp of wind swirled around and shot forward.

“Pang!”

It didn’t possess much power since it contained no internal qi, but in actual combat, it would unleash tremendous force.

Yu Jinsan was delighted after successfully completing the technique.

“I always got stuck on this part, but as expected, our Seol is the best!”

Yu Seol shrugged her shoulders and walked to the center of the yard.

“Come to the side, Grandpa.”

It seemed like she wanted to show him something. Yu Jinsan, who had handed over the bamboo pole, retreated to a corner and looked on with interest.

Yu Seol held the spear with both hands and lowered her form. She executed his technique perfectly.

A moment later, his granddaughter began moving, and Yu Jinsan watched, wide-eyed.

Wheik! Wheik! Wheik!

It was unbelievable to see her swinging the spear and changing forms a dozen times in one breath.

She displayed a speed and sophistication that he himself could not even imitate. Watching this, Yu Jinsan was overcome with joy.

‘…I cannot believe it. Did she break through the Nine Levels’ limit?’

Without realizing it, his granddaughter’s skills had advanced.

If only she were to ascend one more level, she would reach the state of Spear Ghost, the family’s greatest warrior.

Yu Seol’s movements were as beautiful as those of a dancer and held tens of thousands of variations, like a flower petal in the air.

However, the qi contained within those movements was beyond imagination.

This technique, which drove the deadly wind and carried this murderous qi, was akin to the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, appearing in the world.

It was a world of difference compared to the power he had displayed a moment ago. After half an hour had passed, his granddaughter’s demonstration ended.

“Wonderful! Truly amazing!”

Yu Jinsan clapped for her with tears in his eyes.

What grandfather wouldn’t be happy when his last and only blood relative in the family displayed such remarkable martial arts?

He felt as though all the hardships he had endured were finally rewarded.

“Grandpa, come to the training hall with me tomorrow. I will teach you.”

It seemed his training would progress ten times faster with her help. He showed a bit of tact; he wasn’t in the position to scold her now.

“Yes, I will do that!”

Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter spent most of their time at the training center.

Their goal was to maximize their martial arts skills before leaving the Shaolin temple.

And ten days passed in this manner.

“Elder!”

This bald warrior with a massive build was running toward their training hall.

He was a warrior named Gwang Ho, who led the scouting troops.

Yu Jinsan stopped and approached him with a puzzled expression.

“What’s happening?”

“There’s a bit of a problem. A poster has been posted in Jinyang County!”

“What kind of poster?”

“A wanted poster by the Murim Alliance!”

Jinyang wasn’t too far from Ho County, the land of the Evil Sect.

This didn’t necessarily come as a surprise. Yu Jinsan had anticipated something like this when he fought with the Southern Edge Sect and attacked those Murim warriors.

He had appeared on wanted posters a couple of times before, so he wasn’t that scared.

“And the bounty?”

“Would you like to see? I heard you’ve been given a title, too.”

When he looked at the paper handed to him, he found the following content:

[Wanted person: Yin Yang Twin Monsters.]

[Features: A pair of old warriors who aged backward.]

[Crimes: Killing two elders of the Southern Edge Sect and ambushing the warriors of the Murim Alliance.]

[Wanted: Yin-first rate, Yang- Special]

[Bounty: Yang- 100 coins, Yin- 300 coins]

[PS: Murim Alliance supporters]

Considering that one household’s annual living expenses were three silver coins, the bounty was substantial.

There were a few more details written, but he saw no need to read further.

The absurdity of it almost made him burst into laughter.

“Yin Yang Twin Monsters? Are there really such insane people?”

A title typically reserved for the warriors of the Demonic Cult was being attributed to him and his granddaughter.

With an expression of disbelief, Yu Jinsan tore up the wanted flyer.