You Cannot Go Without My Permission (1)

A training ground bathed in moonlight at night.

Yu Jinsan was instructing his granddaughter in combat.

Pride illuminated his face after his demonstration.

“There is nothing better than a strong enemy. This is our Yu Family’s Double Spear Movement.”

“Grandpa and I will do it together?”

“You saw it right. The two of us can do it together, and if we do, our strength is doubled.”

“It sounds fun~ Let’s try it quickly together.”

Yu Jinsan nodded, feet spread wide to shoulder width, and said,

“I will demonstrate one more time, so get used to it.”

Assuming the stance, Yu Jinsan slowly extended his wooden spear. Then, he rotated once more, stepping in a complex pattern.

Although his actions were slow, they were flashy and smooth.

His form, moving with the breeze, resembled a spear dance.

“The most important aspect of spear technique is the distance. If we gauge the opponent’s distance and protect our own, we cannot be defeated.”

“Right.”

Yu Jinsan continued moving and talking without pause.

“If the opponent doesn’t approach me and retreats, I advance. I push, you pull. Those caught in that cannot escape.”

Yu Seol, envisioning an opponent, murmured as if it were a pity.

“Eh, then they are pitiful.”

“In a battle where life and death hang in the balance, mercy is a luxury, my child. This spear technique is known to harass and torment the adversary.”

Pang!

In the martial arts world, more than 90 percent of practitioners favored weapons like swords. To exploit that, the attack pattern that maximized the long striking distance of the spear was this Yu Family Double Spear formation.

At some point, his movements abruptly accelerated. This marked the beginning of a serious sparring.

Pang! Pang!

The wooden spear was imbued with enough power to shatter stones, and its strikes were as swift as lightning.

And it was then that his movements reached their peak. Yu Jinsan, who was demonstrating, felt startled.

“I want to do it too.”

His granddaughter, who had been watching, suddenly burst into formation.

“…?”

He wanted to yell that it was dangerous, but there was no time for that.

The original method could only be mastered through countless repetitions and practice. How could they fight together without proper practice? According to common sense, this was impossible.

But unbelievably, Yu Seol was already swinging her spear in unison with him.

‘It cannot be… How is this happening?’

Yu Jinsan was shocked, but once started, a formation wasn’t easily stopped. He decided to continue and observe.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that his concerns were unfounded. Yu Seol was naturally adjusting her movements to match his pace.

‘She is my granddaughter, but she is truly shocking. Who in the history of Murim has had a child with this level of innate talent?’

As the formation fell into rhythm, the two spears interlocked, dominating the space.

Wheik!

A small space opened up between him and Yu Seol.

Hundreds of illusions of the spear at a distance of less than two feet appeared. It looked like flower petals blown by a gust of wind unfolding in the air.

And there it was—perfect spear formation.

Among them, Yu Jinsan, caught up in the spear dance, wore the proudest expression. Yu Seol couldn’t help but feel good after seeing her grandpa’s smile.

“Hehe.”

Only after the day began to end did their speed slowly decrease, and the noise died down.

And as if waiting, applause broke out suddenly.

“Hahaha! That was truly the most amazing spear formation! Wonderful!”

Not far away, a middle-aged man with a sturdy build was clapping his hands together.

“Uncle Baek Gyu!”

Yu Seol ran and jumped onto him.

Baek Gyu caught the child in his left arm, pretending to be shocked.

“Oh my, this girl. When did you get so heavy?”

“Hehe. Seol knows you brought snacks!”

“You have a nose for these things. I have something to discuss with your grandpa, so go ahead and eat.”

Baek Gyu handed the small basket in his right hand to the child.

Inside were several dumplings and a bamboo bottle filled with milk.

“Thank you, Uncle~”

Yu Seol hugged Baek Gyu’s neck tightly once, then released him. He grabbed the basket and walked to the corner of the training center. His gentle steps indicated he was in a happy mood.

Yu Jinsan approached the now solitary Baek Gyu and said,

“It isn’t like you to spy on our family’s martial arts skills.”

“Haha. Is that how it is between us?”

Yu Jinsan smiled and extended his right hand, signaling for Baek Gyu to walk with him.

“It’s just a joke. You deserve to know, too. But what’s up? You seem to be getting a lot busier these days.”

Yu Jinsan acted as if he had no idea, and Baek Gyu, hesitating, looked at him before cautiously speaking.

“Why are you not leaving yet?”

“Hmm. I had a change of heart, so I decided to stay here a bit longer.”

“You have a long journey ahead. Won’t it be better to leave before winter sets in?”

Yu Jinsan looked up at Baek Gyu with a puzzled expression.

“I’ve been here for over five years; why are you so eager to kick me out?”

Baek Gyu sighed, looking a bit frustrated, and spoke in a low voice.

“I’ve prepared some travel expenses and food, so leave within five days.”

Externally, it was an order for the guest to leave, but Yu Jinsan understood his underlying concern and smiled softly.

“Thank you.”

“What is there to thank me for when I’m asking you to leave?”

“For thinking of us as family. How can I not understand my own brother’s feelings? I already know everything.”

“What…”

There was no need for further discussion.

Yu Jinsan interrupted him and asked directly.

“The plan to destroy the Evil Faction—is the situation really that bad?”

Baek Gyu looked slightly shocked and then sighed deeply.

“Phew. I guess you know it all. No matter how much I worry, there is no hope, so Hyung and Seol should leave as soon as possible. There is no need for you to stay here and die.”

“Don’t say such disheartening things. Do you think I will feel at ease if I run away from here and listen to the news of you being attacked?”

“Even so, there will be no way out this time. Because all those from the Justice Faction are planning to attack Ho County.”

If what he said was true, then the situation was more dire than he had imagined.

Not just the Southern Edge and Mount Hua? But the other medium and small clans were coming in to fight? This was a scale he couldn’t imagine.

It was clear that they would be swept away without even being able to fight back properly.

“Similar situations must be happening to the Evil Sects in other regions, so there’s no one to ask for help. For us, there are only the three clans here to help.”

“How do you know this so well? It would be worth a try if it were just the Southern Edge bastards, but there is nothing we can do if Mount Hua joins, though.”

The Mount Hua sect was known to hold many skilled warriors and was different from the Southern Edge.

In terms of numbers and martial arts skills, they were in a completely unfavorable situation.

Yu Jinsan clasped his hands and thought.

Baek Gyu also silently waited for him. Whenever there was a problem with the clan, didn’t the wisdom of this man play an important role?

Even though he knew this was beyond repair, he still couldn’t help but have some hope.

And then, Yu Jinsan slowly broke the silence.

“There aren’t just Justice and Evil Sects in Murim, right?”

This made Baek Gyu realize his intentions and ask.

“You are saying we should request the help of the neutral forces? There is no way they would even try to be hostile to the Justice Faction, right?”

“Why not? Isn’t there a place here in Shaanxi that can keep Mount Hua in check? Which one is it?”

Even though the name went unspoken, Baek Gyu recognized it. There was only one neutral force in Shaanxi that commanded such a large presence.

But his face lacked hope.

“…bringing them in would be more dangerous.”

“For now, that is the only way. No matter what, we will have to convince the Black Rabbit Sect.”

The Black Rabbit Sect was best known for its assassination troops in the Central Plains.

They were frightening, and they only accepted requests from those they favored. They didn’t care about Justice or Evil Sects and never once abandoned their goals.

He couldn’t believe that they were considering requesting help from those assassins. It was Baek Gyu, who never wanted to seek their assistance, after all.

“But why would they help us?”

Yu Jinsan looked confident.

“If the Evil Sects are annihilated, would they just leave the assassins alone? If we explain our situation, surely they will help us. They don’t want the balance in the Murim world to be upset.”

It made sense.

It was worth a try, but there was still one problem.

“Contacting them will not be easy because they operate in the shadows. We have a contact, but it’s uncertain whether the message will reach the top if it’s not a request…”

“We don’t have time for a normal approach. Did you say that their Black Rabbit Sect is up Mount Muack? I will go there and meet the Sect Leader.”

Baek Gyu looked down, his expression slightly surprised.

“There are rumors about a network of assassins spread across the mountain. If you aren’t careful, you could die unexpectedly before even meeting the Sect Leader. But it’s too dangerous to send you alone. I guess it would be better for me to go.”

“In such a situation, is it appropriate for the one who commands a county to abandon his post and depart? There’s nothing to be concerned about. If we find the situation unfavorable, we’ll withdraw immediately.”

“Still…”

“I said it’s fine. And I’ve decided that I’m going.”

Baek Gyu found himself unable to sway Yu Jinsan from his decision.

Before he realized it, his eyes had reddened, and he spoke with a voice laden with worry.

“Regardless, be cautious. The Sect Leader of the Black Rabbit Sect, in particular, is dangerous.”

Soul Annihilating Sword, Baek Sang.

The legendary assassin, who had never failed a mission, was considered one of the individuals to be wary of in the martial arts world.

Yu Jinsan had heard about him, too.

“I don’t intend to engage in combat, so there’s no need for concern. Moreover, it’s late. Go now.”

“When do you plan to depart?”

“We can’t afford to hesitate. After we put Seol to bed, I’ll set out at dawn alone…”

Yu Jinsan’s voice trailed off with an apologetic ‘Ah, sorry,’ as he made eye contact with his granddaughter, who sat at a distance, gazing at him with wide, dumpling-stuffed eyes.

Baek Gyu noticed this and scratched his head.

“Perhaps we should have spoken further away?”

“She probably didn’t overhear us, right?”

They were a good 30 feet apart and had been speaking in hushed tones, so it seemed unlikely she could hear them. However, Baek Gyu’s confident gaze wavered.

“It’s impossible. If she wished, she could even hear the dogs barking outside.”

The earnest expression on his granddaughter’s face made it clear she was intent on acting.

The determination she felt was plainly written across her face.

Yu Jinsan pressed a hand to his forehead.

‘Sneaking around from now on will be no easy feat.’