Soho was only active around the Taewon area, and because he was not a professional intelligence agent, he had never seen the description of a bigshot like Namgung Un.
Even if he had seen it.
Because he was sitting crouched in the mountains dressed like a beggar, he wouldn't have recognized him.
"Can you not hear me?"
Swish.
Rather, it was the pursuers who heard Soho's shout.
Cautiously looking around as they climbed the mountain path, they instantly ascended the cliff as the sharp shout rang out.
Thud.
The ones who finally arrived were three masked men wearing dust-covered martial attire.
"What is this now."
The masked men standing at the forefront flashed their eyes.
The beggar who fled and the boy carrying him on his back. And the man dressed like a beggar looking down at the ground with his arms crossed.
It was an entirely incomprehensible combination.
"It doesn't matter what it is."
The masked men drew their swords.
At the sound of the swords being drawn, Namgung Un, as if finally coming to his senses, frowned and asked.
"What are you doing?"
"You don't need to know."
The masked man spoke in a voice dripping with murderous intent.
"Because you just have to die."
"Are you robbers."
Namgung Un looked at the masked man who had drawn his sword, shook his head, took out a coin pouch from his bosom, and held it out.
"Take it."
Soho's mouth opened involuntarily.
Turned out the young man he thought was a beggar was actually a dull fool who knew nothing of the world?
Flick.
As Namgung Un threw the coin pouch,
Thud.
The masked men inadvertently caught it with both hands.
Then Namgung Un crouched back down and fell deep in thought.
Pondering over what so intently, he remained like a stone statue without moving an inch, his brow furrowed.
"This crazy bastard."
The masked man, finally snapping out of it, spoke to his subordinates as if it was no longer worth looking at.
"Kill."
The surrounding masked men immediately unleashed flying daggers.
There were exactly three of them, and they dug into the necks of Soho, Seulgae, and Namgung Un like lightning.
Whirl.
Namgung Un, who had been crouching, sat right there and waved his sleeve.
Then the three flying daggers shooting like lightning were sucked into his sleeve.
Clack.
Soho opened his mouth.
That young man was not a dull fool who knew nothing of the world, but an expert who had mastered terrifying supreme martial arts.
"A vicious method."
Looking down at the flying daggers wrapped in his sleeve, Namgung Un frowned as if he had seen a bug.
"You were not robbers, but figures of the unorthodox faction."
"Were you a martial artist."
The masked man was not particularly surprised and tilted his head.
Then, drawing a circle in the empty air with his left arm, he pushed out with all his might.
Boom.
In an instant, the space around Namgung Un slowly distorted, and a cannonball-like palm force poured toward his face.
Realizing that he was a formidable expert, the masked man had unleashed a fierce palm attack.
Thump! Pa-pa-pa!
Namgung Un, extending his index finger, continuously fired finger wind, instantly neutralizing the poured palm attack.
The eyes of the masked man watching that sight flashed.
If palm force is a sword, finger wind is like a needle.
Neutralizing palm force with finger wind requires not only deeper internal energy than the opponent, but is also only possible if one can accurately grasp the flow of the palm force.
With this single move, he had proven that he was a superior master to the masked man.
"He's an expert. Draw your weapons!"
As the masked man shouted, the subordinates also drew their swords.
Swa-swa-swa-swish!
After surrounding him in a circle, they continuously thrust at Namgung Un's vital points, like a flower bud spreading out and closing.
"This is not a sword technique of the unorthodox faction."
As they unleashed their sword techniques, Namgung Un's previously dim eyes became clear.
Hum.
Leisurely clasping his hands behind his back, he extended his index and middle fingers to form a sword of energy and blocked the attacks.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
However, the sword techniques of the masked men were quite high, so they could not be easily neutralized, and having a bizarre property, they were slowly restricting Namgung Un's internal energy.
"Mmm."
Namgung Un, who was endlessly blocking the masked men's attacks, shouted in annoyance as his internal energy was blocked and the length of his sword of energy grew shorter.
"Damn it, of all times, I'm in the middle of No-Sword training so I left my sword behind."
His words were somewhat frivolous, but.
His defense was disciplined, and with his lower body firmly fixed like the roots of a giant tree, he moved solemnly.
As time passed, the hands and feet of the attacking masked men rather became disorderly and their techniques turned unstable.
Smack!
As the offense and defense lengthened, one of the masked men used his head.
He quickly kicked Soho, snatched Seulgae whom he was carrying, and rapidly dashed down the mountain.
Watching that sight, Namgung Un shouted in great surprise.
"Kidnapping a child?"
Slash!
As his mind was distracted, the masked man's sharp blade grazed past his shoulder.
"Hah."
In an instant, a deep blue radiance flared up from Namgung Un's eyes.
"You are scum against whom there is no need to hold back!"
Until now, he had not been using his vacuum supreme art, taking them on lightly.
Rumble-rumble.
The entire cliff shook, and a momentum like a great mountain flared up from behind Namgung Un's back.
"In my entire life, I have never let evildoers like you live."
That momentum became a massive sword energy and soared to the ends of the sky.
It was not internal energy, but the manifestation of the powerful sword intent contained within his sword technique.
"Emperor Sword Form?"
The masked man's eyes went wide.
Only now did he realize that the young man crouching with dirt on his face.
Was Namgung Un, the genius who surpassed even the current Palace Master, Namgung Jeong.
"It's the young master of the Southern Palace!"
Even before his solitary shout could ring out,
Roooooar!
The Emperor Sword Form that had soared to the ends of the sky fell onto the heads of the masked men.
They tried to dodge quickly, but.
Trapped by the pressure of the Emperor Sword Form, they had no choice but to glare and watch it.
Slice.
The massive sword energy eventually split the cliff entirely, and,
"Uwaaaah!"
Sent the masked men plummeting down.
Just as Namgung Un dusted off his hands and snorted,
Thud.
Something round was kicked at his feet.
"Huh?"
As Namgung Un lowered his head, a smooth, black stone had fallen at his feet.
Heaven-Shattering Explosive Pill.
Before the masked men fell, they had thrown an explosive pill at him.
"Oops."
Namgung Un deployed his protective astral energy with all his might.
If he dodged, the aftermath of the explosion would reach Soho behind him intact.
Baaaaang!
Along with an explosive roar that shook heaven and earth, massive flames soared into the sky.
Whoosh.
As the white smoke scattered in the wind.
Namgung Un, in clothes turned to rags, was blocking Soho's front with his arms spread wide.
"Are you hurt?"
Unmindful of his own injuries, he was only worrying about Soho.
It was the demeanor of a great hero who had not a single speck of shame looking up at the heavens.
"I-I am fine."
Soho, who had worn a surprised expression for a moment, came to his senses belatedly and prostrated.
"Great Hero Namgung. Please help me."
Soho, realizing that the young man was the young master of the Southern Palace, spoke while banging his head on the ground.
"I must save my captured friend."
"Ah."
Namgung Un nodded, recalling the masked man who had fled down the mountain.
"Get on my back. I'll save him right away."
Soho was covered in dirty dust from running and rolling around in the mountains, and.
Even the captured Seulgae was dressed as a beggar.
However, Namgung Un had unhesitatingly put his knee to the ground and bent his body.
"Thank you. Great Hero."
The young master of the great Southern Palace.
When he knelt and lowered his body without minding the dirty attire, deep emotion washed over Soho.
"Even if I turn to white bones, I will not forget this grace."
"You can forget it."
Namgung Un, carrying Soho on his back, instantly unleashed a movement technique like a great roc and descended the mountain.
Swaoosh, swish.
Because of the scenery passing by so quickly, Soho couldn't even open his eyes.
"They aren't ordinary people?"
Even though they had run for the time it takes to eat a meal, they could not find traces of the masked man who fled holding Seulgae.
"There was an accomplice's help. The tracks of their escape are split."
Namgung Un's eyes deepened as he examined the tracks on the ground.
The frivolous and light atmosphere of the past was nowhere to be found, and before he knew it, the aspect of an old veteran rich in martial world experience could be glimpsed.
"Just who on earth are they, to have kidnapped your friend."
"They were kidnappers disguised as a wandering troupe."
Soho quickly organized the events that had happened so far and told the story.
However, he hid the fact that he was related to the Death Spirit Corps.
And vaguely claimed he had only been passed down a movement technique from a certain eccentric.
Namgung Un, who listened for a long while, flashed his eyes.
"A wandering troupe?"
It wasn't a very strange occurrence for a wandering troupe to kidnap beggar children.
Because kidnapping vagrants to make them do menial chores was common.
However, for experts capable of taking his Emperor Sword Form to specifically disguise themselves as lowly wandering troupe members, and.
Systematically kidnap beggar children was somewhat hard to believe.
'I can't understand it.'
Namgung Un intuited that these masked men were not a simple kidnapping organization, but those entangled with the abyssal forces.
'In any case, there is no time.'
Originally, he had intended to fire an emergency signal and order the experts of the Southern Palace to pursue the masked men.
But seeing their method of escape.
If they pursued leisurely like that, they would delay time, and it was obvious they would eventually lose the masked men.
'Can I handle them alone?'
In the past, he had received a sword containing a mysterious sword technique as a gift from a certain eccentric from Tibet, and.
As a result, he became able to unleash terrifying sword arts.
As he became able to freely unleash all of that sword learning, he realized that the time had now come to refine No-Sword.
So he was in the middle of training in the mountains with the thought of combining the sword arts into one, but he hadn't yet completed it.
'That's a problem to think about later.'
"Alright."
Namgung Un, having made a firm resolution, took out a glass bottle from his bosom and held it out to Soho.
It was fasting pills.
"Eat it quickly. Because from now on, I intend to pursue day and night without resting."
Since such large-scale organizations erase their traces instantly as time passes.
If they missed the timing, they could absolutely never save Seulgae.
Namgung Un intended to pursue them relentlessly without distinguishing between day and night, tracking the whereabouts of the masked men who kidnapped Seulgae.
"It is fine."
Soho shook his head.
"Please use it usefully when you need it, Great Hero."
"Eat it now. Because I will be fine even if I don't drink a sip of water for a few days."
Soho inevitably chewed the fasting pill.
Namgung Un took a deep breath and nodded.
"Hold on tight from now on."
He began to search for and track the traces of the fleeing masked men once again.
The masked men had numerous helpers, but they could not deceive Namgung Un's keen observational skills.
After running endlessly west for about three days like that, Namgung Un and Soho somehow reached the Jade Gate Pass.
Roooooar!
The eyes of Namgung Un, who had been unleashing his movement technique for a long time, flashed.
His super-senses had detected danger.
"Vicious. Are you saying they planted forces beyond the frontier as well."
Namgung Un, muttering lowly, stopped his movement technique and landed on the ground.
Then, after letting down Soho whom he was carrying, he spoke in a low voice.
"Do you really want to find your friend."
Nod.
As Soho nodded, Namgung Un said,
"I think this is as far as I can help you."
"Yes?"
Swaaasssh.
Meanwhile, the distant sky darkened, and bizarre air-tearing sounds began to be heard.
Unable to shake off Namgung Un's pursuit at all.
The masked men who passed through the Jade Gate Pass.
Had probably called upon their troops located in the Central Plains, seemingly flocking to dispose of him all at once.
"It seems it will be a bit tough for me to take them on alone. But I will try to block them somehow."
Namgung Un said to Soho.
"Pass through the Jade Gate Pass along this road and try tracking your friend's traces again. If you are lucky, you might even meet an eccentric who can help you."
"Great Hero."
"Since you must have learned how to handle information, you'll be able to find their traces just as I did, right?"
While tracking the masked men up to here, Namgung Un had continuously taught Soho various methods, and.
Soho also gave various opinions and displayed keen observational skills.
Because of that, Namgung Un had seen through that Soho was not a disciple of an ordinary sect, but a mercenary who handled information professionally.
"Of course. Thank you, Great Hero."
Soho prostrated and bowed to Namgung Un.
For the sake of himself whom he had never known in his life, he had unleashed his movement technique with all his might for four days, and.
Now he was intending to risk his life to fight them to shake off the flocking pursuers.
Although there are numerous heroes in the martial world.
A figure who unhesitatingly carries out the path of chivalry at the risk of his life like this is extremely rare.
This chivalrous act of Namgung Un provided the opportunity for Soho to become a hero who shakes the world in the distant future... but that was a matter for the distant future.
"I will absolutely never forget the grace you have bestowed upon me until now."
"You can forget it."
Swaaasssh.
As the bizarre air-tearing sound drew nearer, Namgung Un shouted.
"Go quickly."
"Yes!"
Soho began running toward the Jade Gate Pass, unleashing his movement technique with all his might.
Clang! Clang!
In the meantime, the sound of clashing weapons rang out.
Namgung Un was already fighting the enemies.
'I must go quickly.'
He felt like tears would flow.
With his teeth clenched tightly, Soho unleashed his movement technique with all his might.
However, his movement technique was not that profound, so.
After running with all his might for the time it takes to eat a meal, his mouth was bone dry and his soles felt like they were on fire.
"Hah, hah."
From his eyes as he collapsed in exhaustion, tears eventually burst out.
He had once thought that by becoming an information mercenary, he could live a comfortable and cozy life without any worries.
So rather than training in martial arts.
He had increased his informants and expanded interactions with people around him.
But what protects him in a crisis situation.
Was neither a broad network of connections nor interactions with people.
It was only the strength to stand up on his own.
"Great Hero Namgung was able to run for three days without drinking a single sip of water."
Soho gritted his teeth.
'If I survive going forward, I will definitely train properly in martial arts.'
Stagger.
Soho, who got up with difficulty, unleashed his movement technique again.
Before he knew it, an endlessly desolate rocky terrain had unfolded, but he no longer had the strength to move.
Thud.
Eventually, Soho ended up collapsing with his face buried in the dirt.
Swaaasssh.
But at that moment, a bizarre wind blew from the ground, and a black shadow appeared before his eyes.
Dressed in black martial attire wrapped tightly around his body, a wing-like pauldron was equipped on one shoulder.
"Young friend."
The young man held out a leather pouch full of water to Soho.
"Are you okay?"
Soho faintly raised his head.
Then, the face of a young man wearing a smile more brilliant than sunshine was seen.
"To try crossing this desolate place without even water, you are reckless."
"I, I am..."
"You seem to be exhausted, so please drink a sip even if forced."
"Th-thank you."
Soho carefully drank the water.
But he could not hide the agony and groans contained in his eyes.
"Is something the matter?"
"That is."
Soho thought the young man was too young to be of help.
But nevertheless, with a desperate heart and the thought of 'just maybe', he explained the situation.
"Martial artists disguised as a wandering troupe kidnapped children, you say."
The young man, who had listened to the explanation for a long time, had his eyes deepen.
"On top of that, it hasn't even been half a day since they passed through here. Mmm."
Stroking his chin, the young man asked, as if to repeatedly confirm the descriptions of Seulgae and the masked men.
"You mean they aren't an ordinary force."
After thinking for a long time, the young man said,
"Could you wait here for a few days?"
"Yes?"
"I will try to find them and bring them back."
The young man said, looking at the distant sky.
"If it goes as expected, I think I can bring them back within three days."
"No, you can't."
Those masked men were experts who forced Namgung Un, the young master of the great Southern Palace, to unleash his vacuum sword arts.
He didn't want the good-natured young man to die to them out of needless bravado or foolhardiness.
"They are not ordinary martial artists."
"It's fine."
"Then I will go with you."
The young man shook his head.
"However, there are still many bands of horse thieves around here. And recently there was a power struggle between tribes."
'Ah.'
Looking at the young man's gentle eyes, Soho finally realized his own foolishness.
'He is telling me so softly that my movement technique would only be a hindrance.'
"I understand. Then I will wait here."
"Please take this."
The young man handed over fasting pills and a leather water canteen.
"I will be back as soon as possible."
And then, rising into the empty air like an immortal,
Boom!
With an explosive roar that shook heaven and earth, a black meteor cleaved the sky.
Soho opened his mouth.
Because he too had learned movement techniques intensively. He knew very well how amazing a movement technique of that level was.
"To be at that level."
Soho rubbed his eyes.
The Death Spirit Corps members were specialized in movement techniques, and their light-body martial arts alone were not inferior to the strong in the world.
To unleash a movement technique several times faster than even those Death Spirit Corps members? It was even more than twice as fast as Namgung Un the other day.
"Just who is he?"
Although Soho was called an information mercenary, he was still only well-versed in the news of the Taewon region.
He did not know the famous figures in the martial world.
"He must definitely be a powerhouse who shakes the world."
Soho clenched his fists tightly.
'I am lucky.'
If it was that young man, he would surely be able to bring Seulgae back. He just had to trust him and wait here.
Soho drank the water from the leather pouch sparingly and chewed on the fasting pill when hungry.
Fortunately, there was a rock here to avoid the sun.
He simply settled down there and trained in the internal energy mental art Woo Kyung had taught him.
However, that was a basic mental art closer to a health preservation secret, and his mind could not settle down.
In less than half a day, Soho eventually grew exhausted and fell asleep leaning against the rock.
Waking up a while later, he drank a sip of water and tried circulating his energy again.
'My mind must not be shaken in any situation.'
During travels in the martial world, circulating energy in a quiet place with no external disturbances is close to a luxury.
A heart like still water, calm and unshakeable.
Soho was unconsciously realizing the essence of a mental art.
How many days had passed like that?
Roooooar!
A tearing air-cutting sound from the distant sky was heard by Soho's ears.
'He has come.'
Jumping up from his seat, Soho ran outside.
Explosive roars echoed several times from the distant sky, and soon a black shadow landed on the ground.
It was none other than the young man wearing the black pauldron.
"Here."
The young man carefully set down a small beggar from his back and laid him on a rock.
Seulgae.
He had finally recovered Seulgae, whom he had searched for so frantically.
"Seulgae!"
Soho jumped up and ran out loudly.
However, Seulgae had his eyes tightly closed as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
"Seulgae. It's me. It's Soho!"
No matter how much he shook him, Seulgae did not wake up.
Watching that sight, the young man said,
"He is in a state of unconsciousness due to a bizarre Great Art."
"Great Art... you say?"
"That is correct. Judging by the fact that it cannot be easily broken, it might not be an ordinary Mind-Seizing Secret Art, but the ancient Soul-Urging Secret Art."
The young man continued speaking with a serious expression.
"They were not an ordinary force either. Seeing as they use bizarre supernatural powers, there is a high probability they are the abyssal forces spread throughout the martial world."
Soho could not understand those words, but he prostrated and bowed.
"Thank you. Great Hero. Thank you truly for saving my friend."
"Don't mention it."
The young man shook his head and said,
"Shouldn't mercenaries help each other when there are difficulties?"
Though he spoke like that, the young man's body was stained with dirt and blood, and thick beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
It was clear that he had likely engaged in a huge battle and suffered various hardships while coming here.
Yet he was smiling and speaking as if it was no big deal.
"Great Hero."
Soho prostrated and bowed once again.
"Although I am a trivial mercenary, if you would tell me your esteemed name, I will make sure not to forget that grace for the rest of my life."
"It's fine. Do not mind it."
"It is my wish, Great Hero."
As Soho bowed his head, the young man scratched his head as if embarrassed and said,
"I am called Black Leopard."
"The Mercenary King!"
Soho opened his mouth in astonishment.
From the day he started as a servant of the Martial Soul Command Lord and gained the byname of Black Whirlwind.
The biography of the information mercenary who repeatedly achieved dazzling growth had ignited fires in the hearts of numerous boys.
And before he knew it, that boy.
Had become this legendary figure acting independently beyond the frontier and achieving mythical exploits.
To think that the prime object of envy for young martial artists, now called the Mercenary King, was this purely looking young man?
"Great Hero Black Leopard."
Soho spoke with a trembling voice.
"It is the honor of three lifetimes to meet you."
He too had regarded the Mercenary King as an idol, but because he mainly operated only beyond the frontier, Black Leopard's appearance had not been properly transmitted to the Central Plains.
So he had always imagined a rough man with upright eyes, but to think he was such a handsome and young man?
"What Great Hero."
As Soho looked at him with a face flushed bright red, the young man Black Leopard shook his head with an embarrassed expression.
"I am also just a mere mercenary."
"No, you are not."
Soho bowed flat on the ground once again.
"I truly thank you."
Then, looking at the soundly sleeping Seulgae, he asked carefully.
"Then, can my friend not be awakened?"
"Their Mind-Seizing Secret Art was so tremendous that even I could not break it."
Black Leopard made a serious expression.
"Perhaps they were not simply kidnapping vagrants, but selecting children with special constitutions in order to unleash a certain Great Art."
He looked at Seulgae and let out a deep sigh.
"Because the younger they are, the more pure childishness remains in their spirit, the effect of a complex Mind-Seizing Great Art diminishes. Under normal circumstances, he couldn't have fallen this deeply into it."
Black Leopard's sword-like eyebrows gathered deeply.
"Furthermore, they must be a secretive force that does not reveal themselves in the martial world. Because of that, they absolutely did not want to lose the people they kidnapped. Because their whereabouts or evil deeds could be exposed."
Soho nodded.
He had wondered why they secretly kidnapped beggar children.
He had wondered why they relentlessly pursued without missing a single child.
There was such an inside story.
Black Leopard took out a single flying dagger from his bosom.
"As far as I know, the experts capable of breaking a mind-seizing art of this level... there are only two people in the martial world."
Then, rousing his internal energy, he engraved a thin pattern on the blade of the dagger and held it out to Soho.
"Fortunately, I know one of them."
Black Leopard spoke with a voice full of conviction.
"Take this flying dagger and go to Iron Staff Mountain."
"Iron Staff Mountain..."
"Then that person will help you."
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