Weiji Un, the young master of the Gwanghan Sword Sect, who had been casting heated glances at Bu Eunseol, finally spoke.
"Young Master Bu, you seem to come from a family of considerable wealth." Clearing his throat, he continued in a subtle tone, "May I ask which family you hail from?"
"What family? I merely inherited a bit of wealth from my parents."
"I see." Disappointed by the unexpectedly mundane response, Weiji Un openly smirked.
He clearly thought Bu Eunseol was nothing more than a pretty face.
"Then what do you do now?"
"And what do you plan to do in the future?" From then on, Bu Eunseol was bombarded with questions not only from Weiji Un but also from the other young men of the Seven Sword Sects.
However, most of their questions were laced with mockery, targeting his supposedly bleak future or lack of ambition.
‘People are the same everywhere.’ Whether during his time as a wanderer or now in the martial world, human nature remained unchanged. They were driven by a desire to make themselves stand out.
‘But standing out isn’t so easy.’ Bu Eunseol shook his head inwardly. So, people often resort to the easiest method: belittling and criticizing others to elevate themselves.
It’s a tactic anyone can use without learning, and it yields immediate results.
"I see. I didn’t know." Even when they used insulting language or sneered with disdain, Bu Eunseol remained unfazed.
He had endured countless such experiences during his wandering days. Compared to being cursed or pointed at for no reason, this was nothing.
‘I should slip away soon.’ As the night deepened, the drinking session grew livelier. Having played along sufficiently, Bu Eunseol decided he had done enough.
"Mm." Letting out a deliberate yawn, Bu Eunseol stood up. "I’m tired, so I’ll take my leave. Enjoy yourselves." At his words, the young men of the Seven Sword Sects eagerly nodded, their faces lighting up.
"If you’re tired, you should rest."
"Go on, then."
"We won’t keep you." With a wry smile, Bu Eunseol turned to leave. But at that moment, Guyang Cheongjeong followed him out.
"Young Master Bu." Her expression was filled with apology. "I’m really sorry."
"For what?"
"Martial artists tend to have strong competitive spirits." Though she had chattered casually, it seemed she was inwardly bothered. "On behalf of my friends’ rudeness, I apologize. I hope you’re not too offended."
It was a sincere apology. Bu Eunseol had rarely received apologies from others, especially from those who considered themselves superior.
‘She’s a bit different.’ Despite her brash nature, Guyang Cheongjeong carried a certain grace and an upright character.
"It’s fine. Have fun." For the first time, Bu Eunseol showed a genuine smile.
His smile was so dazzling that Guyang Cheongjeong stood frozen, staring at him with her mouth agape.
"Well, then." As Bu Eunseol turned to head back to Jinhangwon, where he was staying,
Zing!
A deeply ominous and unpleasant sensation swept through his entire body. A large group, radiating sharp killing intent, was approaching.
‘They’re not assassins.’ If they were assassins, they would have concealed their killing intent and approached stealthily. But this group was brazenly exuding thick, oppressive energy as they advanced.
‘Are they targeting them?’ Strictly speaking, Jinyang was under the influence of the righteous sects. Even if demonic or evil sects clashed here, no one would intervene, making it a suitable place for an ambush.
‘This could be interesting.’ The martial arts of Nangyang Pavilion involved learning even from others’ battles. A fight worth paying to watch was unfolding on its own, and Bu Eunseol wasn’t one to miss it.
‘The problem is, I need to watch closely.’ But from the annex, there was no suitable spot to discreetly observe the fight. After a moment of thought, he turned back to Guyang Cheongjeong.
"Can I stay a bit longer?"
"Huh?"
"The fresh air sobered me up… and I realized I don’t have much to do if I leave."
Guyang Cheongjeong looked puzzled. Returning would only invite more ridicule—why would he come back?
"Well…" But if she refused, it might hurt Bu Eunseol further. With an awkward smile, she nodded. "Of course."
When Bu Eunseol reentered Seogangwon with Guyang Cheongjeong, the young men of the Seven Sword Sects looked dumbfounded.
‘Does that guy have no pride?’
‘Qingmei must have politely asked him to stay, and he came back?’
They openly showed contempt, but Bu Eunseol casually avoided their gazes and took a seat.
‘They’re here.’ There was no need to extend his beastly senses. The approaching group made no effort to hide their presence as they passed through Seogangwon’s main gate.
Thud, thud.
Soon, the heavy sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from outside the window.
"Someone’s coming?" Only now sensing the approaching killing intent, the young men in the banquet hall sharpened their gazes.
Exchanging wary looks, they stepped outside.
Clank.
The door was roughly thrown open, and warriors in red robes began entering one by one. Their faces were as rigid as corpses, and they carried no weapons. Yet, they openly radiated thick killing intent.
"Who are you?" Ma Han asked, eyeing the warriors.
They remained silent, only glaring back with gleaming eyes. As the suffocating silence stretched on, Weiji Un stepped forward.
"You seem to have come to the wrong place. Which sect are you from?" When no answer came, Weiji Un raised his voice again. "Or do you intend to make enemies of the successors of the Seven Sword Sects of Qinghai?"
His intent was to subtly reveal their identities to make the intruders back off. But the red-robed warriors smirked at his words.
"The Seven Sword Sects of Qinghai?" The man who appeared to be the leader of the thirty-some warriors stepped forward. "Just a bunch of kids playing house."
"What did you say?" Weiji Un’s killing intent flared at the insult. "What did you just say?!"
The leader, still silent, bared his white teeth in a grin. His smile was so menacing it was as if a grotesque, otherworldly creature had appeared. Then, Weiji Un suddenly noticed a well-shaped emblem on the backs of the red-robed warriors’ robes.
"Blood Sea Demon Well…" In an instant, the faces of the Seven Sword Sects’ young men turned pale.
The Blood Sea Demon Well.
It was a gathering place for the most heinous villains among demonic sects. Over the past decade, its influence had surged, earning it a place as one of the four most infamous demonic strongholds in the martial world.
Why would such ruthless, bloodthirsty villains surround this place? As Weiji Un froze, unable to speak, Ma Han stepped forward.
"I am Ma Han, young master of the Sea Current Sword Sect." Though they were facing the notorious fiends of the Blood Sea Demon Well, Ma Han’s demeanor remained courteous yet dignified, befitting the heir of a prestigious demonic sect. "You seem to be masters of the Blood Sea Demon Well. Why…?"
"You don’t need to know." The leader’s curt reply sparked anger in Ma Han’s eyes.
No matter how fearsome the masters of the Blood Sea Demon Well were, they were the young masters representing the Seven Sword Sects. They couldn’t let such an insult slide.
"How dare you!" As Ma Han reached for his sword, Guyang Cheongjeong restrained him.
"Brother Ma Han, calm down." Stepping forward, she addressed the leader. "What do you want?"
The leader glanced at Guyang Cheongjeong, his eyes glinting.
"So, you’re the talented maiden of the North Wind Sword Sect, Guyang Cheongjeong."
"I asked why you’ve barged in here."
"Heh heh." The man chuckled softly and nodded. "Come with us quietly."
Though he said "come," his meaning was clear. Kidnapping. They intended to abduct the successors of the Seven Sword Sects.
"What nonsense!" The young men behind drew their swords at his words.
Young and hot-blooded, they were confident in the peerless techniques of the Seven Sword Sects and feared no one, not even the Blood Sea Demon Well.
"Puppies," the leader sneered, addressing his men as if the young men weren’t worth his time. "Subdue them and drag them like dogs."
At his command, the Blood Sea Demon Well masters surrounding the young men thrust out their palms.
Whoosh!
A sharp, axe-like wave of palm energy surged toward them with a piercing sound. The reason the Blood Sea Demon Well warriors carried no weapons was that they were all masters of palm techniques.
Swish, swish!
The young men of the Seven Sword Sects drew their swords and countered. Rooted in Qinghai for generations, the swordsmanship of the Seven Sword Sects was not to be underestimated.
"Ugh."
"Oof!" But as time passed, hoarse groans escaped the young men’s lips.
Though their sword techniques were exceptional, they hadn’t mastered them deeply, and their inner power was lacking. They had spent more time wandering the martial world and building connections than diligently training.
"Argh." Finally, Jeong Kwang, the successor of the Blood Essence Sword Sect, was struck by a palm attack and collapsed on the spot.
"Brother Jeong!" Seeing this, Guyang Cheongjeong rushed forward, swinging her sword with all her might to create a wide sword barrier.
She barely forced the Blood Sea Demon Well warriors back, but those attacking Jeong Kwang now turned their full attention to her.
‘They’re too strong.’ The Blood Sea Demon Well villains were not only ruthless but also fearless of injury.
The successors of the Seven Sword Sects, lacking real combat experience and having trained only under their families’ protection, were helplessly overwhelmed.
‘Why? Why is the Blood Sea Demon Well targeting us?’ Even as she fought, Guyang Cheongjeong’s mind was filled with questions. ‘Even if they’re ruthless villains, they’re still part of the demonic path. Why target our Seven Sword Sects of Qinghai?’
The Seven Sword Sects operated only in Qinghai, with no grudges or overlapping territories with the Blood Sea Demon Well.
‘Then it must be someone’s orders.’ As her thoughts grew complicated,
"Retreat, Qingmei!" Ma Han, frantically swinging his sword beside her, shouted. "I’ll open a path!"
As she nodded, she suddenly noticed Bu Eunseol sitting calmly in the banquet hall. His composed posture, watching the scene, was as serene as if he were enjoying a theatrical performance.
‘He’s frozen in fear!’ But Guyang Cheongjeong misunderstood gravely. She assumed Bu Eunseol was so terrified that he couldn’t move.
"No! We can’t leave Young Master Bu behind!"
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