Chapter 15
First Mission (4)
It was impeccable timing.
The moment Namgung Jun’s sword pierced the Baegong Faction Leader’s heart, a new presence appeared—as if it had been waiting for that exact instant.
The aura surging toward the back of his head was formidable.
At the very least, it belonged to a martial artist stronger than the Baegong Faction Leader.
Too late.
If he withdrew his sword and then tried to respond, he would be struck.
The attacker’s timing was that precise.
Keeping one hand on his sword, Namgung Jun twisted his body in the opposite direction and struck out with his left palm.
Crackle!
Blue lightning energy had already wrapped around his palm like a gauntlet.
It was one of the martial arts he had learned from Lee Seha during spare moments.
Heavenly Thunder Palm Art.
The violent palm force writhed like living lightning and collided head-on with the ash-gray palm force rushing toward him.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion erupted.
Namgung Jun’s sleeves fluttered violently.
Yet that was all.
He suffered no internal injuries.
Nor was he pushed back.
Proof that he had completely neutralized the ambush.
“You blocked this old man's twin palms with a single hand?”
The assassin who had launched the sneak attack was the one left stunned.
After dispersing the lingering force of the Heavenly Thunder Palm Art, an elderly man landed lightly upon the ground.
His clothing differed from that of the Baegong Faction.
One thing was certain.
He was stronger than the Baegong Faction Leader, who had only recently stepped into the first-rate realm.
“Who are you?”
Ignoring the question, the old man glanced at the faction leader’s corpse.
His face immediately reddened with fury.
“You ruined this old man's retirement plan!”
“Retirement plan?”
Shaking out the hand that had exchanged palm strikes moments ago, Namgung Jun narrowed his eyes.
The old man’s words, combined with the circumstances surrounding the Baegong Faction, quickly led him to a conclusion.
His gaze fell upon the dead faction leader.
His eyes were utterly cold.
“So the Baegong Faction wasn’t the end of it. There was someone behind the faction leader. You were one of the people pulling the strings.”
“Of course! Do you think that fool could have established dealings with them on his own? I was the one who connected both sides.”
“Them?”
Instead of answering, the old man lunged forward and unleashed palm force with both hands.
He clearly intended to silence Namgung Jun before any further questions could be asked.
Seeing that reaction, Namgung Jun became certain that the civilians kidnapped by the Baegong Faction were not merely being sold as slaves.
Shhk!
As casually as drawing a blade from its sheath, he withdrew his sword from the faction leader’s chest.
His voice turned colder.
“Old man. I suggest you abandon any dreams of a peaceful retirement.”
Namgung Jun sheathed his sword and assumed the opening stance of the Heavenly Thunder Palm Art.
If he wished to uncover the full truth behind the matter, he needed to keep this old man alive.
The old man, however, only sneered when he saw Namgung Jun put away his sword.
“A brat who’s barely earned his first cloud!”
The old man’s internal energy swelled around both palms.
The strange movements of his fingers and the sinister nature of his aura made it obvious that he practiced the arts of the unorthodox path.
His internal energy is impressive for his age. But he hasn’t reached the Peak Realm.
Judging by what he could see, the man had stagnated at the pinnacle of the first-rate realm.
He had likely spent many years failing to overcome the wall separating him from true mastery.
Just from observing the palm art and aura, Namgung Jun roughly gauged his opponent’s level.
Then he immediately struck with a powerful right palm.
The Heavenly Thunder Palm Art unfolded.
Crackle!
The lightning energy around his palm grew denser than before.
The old man's palm was helplessly knocked aside upon impact.
Meanwhile, after feeling the force of the Heavenly Thunder Palm Art, the old man's eyes widened.
Opening and closing both hands that had absorbed the strike, he smacked his lips greedily.
“Now I see it clearly. You’ve cultivated Pure Yang Energy. What a rare prey.”
“Prey? You dare covet Pure Yang Energy without knowing your place?”
Namgung Jun slapped aside the incoming palm and stepped forward.
Boom!
A fierce left-palm strike grazed the old man’s chest.
Had his evasion been even slightly slower, his ribs would have collapsed inward.
Barely escaping disaster, the old man retreated three steps and glared at Namgung Jun.
“Urgh.”
Namgung Jun made no effort to pursue him.
The blue light in his eyes only deepened.
“Old man. Have you learned the Absorption Art of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult?”
“How do you know that?”
“If you're targeting my Pure Yang Energy, the answer is obvious.”
Namgung Jun sighed.
“So that’s why your internal energy is so impure and worthless. Not only did you cultivate the mixed methods of the unorthodox path, but you’ve also abused the Absorption Art indiscriminately.”
“You dare insult this old man?!”
The old man’s face flushed crimson as he charged forward.
Yet he posed little threat to Namgung Jun.
“Old man. You connected the Baegong Faction to the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult and profited from it. Was the Absorption Art part of your payment?”
“That’s right! There’s no point hiding it now! I’ll devour your internal energy and make it mine!”
Greed and killing intent churned within the old man’s eyes.
After exchanging a few moves, he had realized it.
If he absorbed Namgung Jun’s Pure Yang Energy through the Absorption Art, he could finally break into the Peak Realm.
I might even reach the pinnacle of the Peak Realm in one leap!
For over a decade, his martial progress had stagnated.
A miraculous elixir would have been ideal, but such treasures were not easily obtained.
And now, before him, stood a young boy possessing pure, refined Yang energy.
A walking miracle medicine.
At this point, thoughts of the Baegong Faction and the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult had vanished from his mind.
Only one desire remained.
To claim Namgung Jun.
“Die quietly!”
The old man’s attacks became increasingly vicious.
Then—
CRAAACK!
The lightning energy surrounding Namgung Jun’s hands suddenly expanded.
“I’ve heard enough.”
Crack!
The Heavenly Thunder Palm Art transformed.
Faster.
Stronger.
Far more destructive.
His right palm shattered through the old man’s defenses in an instant and crushed his shoulder.
A hand-blade strike followed, severing the old man’s right arm.
Splaaash!
“AAAAAAAGH!”
The old man screamed as both of his arms were rendered useless in an instant.
Namgung Jun remained unmoved.
Immediately stepping forward again, he smashed both of the old man’s knees.
Crunch!
With all four limbs incapacitated, the old man collapsed helplessly.
Namgung Jun then struck several pressure points.
The old man lost consciousness at once.
After subduing him, Namgung Jun surveyed the surroundings of the Baegong Faction.
“That should settle things for now.”
Just as he brushed off his hands—
Heo Il suddenly rushed out from between the buildings.
“Young Hero Namgung!”
“Senior Heo. You’ve arrived.”
“Ah... I’m late.”
Heo Il looked at the subdued old man with a dismayed expression.
While guarding the underground prison, he had suddenly sensed a new presence.
That presence had been stronger than even the Baegong Faction Leader.
No matter how capable Namgung Jun was, facing such opponents back-to-back should have been difficult.
“Apparently not.”
After confirming the civilians’ safety and returning to the surface, he found that everything had already been resolved.
“Do you know who this old man is?”
“Shang Hono. One of the unorthodox parasites attached to the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult. So he was the one behind the Baegong Faction.”
Namgung Jun nodded as if he had expected as much and recounted everything he had learned.
He took down the Baegong Faction Leader and then captured Shang Hono as well. Has there ever been a newcomer who accumulated such merit on a first mission?
For a moment, Heo Il looked at him with open admiration.
Then he quickly came back to his senses and examined Namgung Jun from head to toe.
He had been worried the young swordsman might have suffered injuries.
Instead, he appeared perfectly fine.
Which left Heo Il no choice but to ask in a somewhat deflated voice,
“Young Hero Namgung... are you all right?”
He found himself speechless.
The newcomer simply surveyed the surroundings as though everything that had happened was entirely ordinary.
At this rate, I’ll have to stay sharp if I want to fulfill my role as the senior here.
Shaking himself out of it, Heo Il looked down at the unconscious Shang Hono sprawled on the ground.
Judging by the way he had been subdued, Namgung Jun clearly had a reason for keeping him alive.
“It seems there’s information to be extracted from him.”
“That’s right.”
Heo Il nodded and rolled up his sleeves.
Fortunately, there was still something left for him to contribute.
“Leave him to me. I know a few useful tricks.”
***
The two swordsmen released the imprisoned civilians and thoroughly searched the Baegong Faction compound.
Heo Il proved surprisingly talented in such matters.
Hidden passages and secret vaults were uncovered with remarkable ease.
He also took charge of extracting information from Shang Hono.
Had Namgung Jun come alone, he likely would never have found everything—or it would have taken much longer.
Noticing Namgung Jun’s impressed gaze, Heo Il merely gave a bitter smile.
“I’m only skilled in miscellaneous arts. Compared to you, my ability as a swordsman is lacking.”
“Not at all.”
There was nothing trivial about Heo Il’s abilities.
They were proving immensely helpful.
At that very moment, Heo Il was holding treasures and records hidden away by the Baegong Faction Leader.
Then—
“Um...”
A young boy cautiously approached Namgung Jun and Heo Il.
“What is it?”
Namgung Jun knelt down on one knee to meet the child’s eyes.
Encouraged by the gesture, the boy spoke through tears.
“My sister is gone. She was imprisoned with me until this morning, but they took her somewhere.”
Other civilians who had followed the boy quickly added their voices.
“She looks exactly like him. About five years older.”
“There are children missing among those who were released, Great Heroes!”
“These bastards separated several of the children and took them somewhere else!”
The expressions of both swordsmen hardened.
“Senior Heo.”
By the time Namgung Jun turned toward him, Heo Il was already rapidly flipping through one of the ledgers they had found.
“Hm. It’s recorded here.”
The ledger contained detailed records listing dates and numbers of people sent to the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult.
Judging by its contents, it had not been written by the Baegong Faction Leader.
Rather, Shang Hono had likely compiled it for reports to the cult’s higher ranks.
“We have to rescue them.”
“Young Hero Namgung is right, but...”
After a moment of consideration, Heo Il shook his head.
“Your mission ends here. From this point onward, I’ll have to proceed alone.”
He remembered what the Hall Master had told him before the mission.
The heated debate that had surrounded Namgung Jun’s debut in the martial world.
If the young swordsman became entangled with the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult from his very first mission, it could hinder his future.
Heo Il started to move on his own.
But Namgung Jun’s left foot blocked his path.
It is certainly dangerous.
Yet that alone was not enough reason to retreat.
The sword existed so one would not turn away.
So one would not step back.
If danger alone were enough to force retreat, then the sword at one’s waist would be nothing more than an ornament.
That had been Namgung Jun’s conviction in his previous life.
And it remained unchanged in this one.
The sword hanging at his waist suddenly felt unusually heavy.
Yet he lightly brushed the hilt.
Because he believed that very weight would support his steps.
“I’m coming too.”
“It’s too dangerous for a newcomer. Step aside.”
For the first time, the ever-smiling Heo Il wore a serious expression.
Namgung Jun smiled.
“I’m not exactly an ordinary newcomer.”
After a moment of thought, Heo Il replied solemnly.
“A hero is not simply someone who throws away his life for righteousness. What good is saving others if you cannot save yourself?”
“I know.”
Seeing the unwavering determination in Namgung Jun’s eyes, Heo Il sighed.
“Young Hero Namgung. There’s another reason besides what I already mentioned. I’d rather you not become involved with the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult. You possess a unique constitution that they would covet.”
“I’m fully aware of the danger.”
“Then why?”
Namgung Jun smiled.
His calmness resembled the clear blue sky.
“I’ve already taken up the sword. How could I turn away?”
“Turn away...”
Heo Il finally understood.
If they did not act now, the missing children would never return home.
At this moment, they were the only ones capable of reaching out a helping hand.
To ignore suffering because of one’s abilities.
To ignore suffering because of circumstances.
What value would a comfortable and stable sense of righteousness have in the end?
Could it even be called righteousness at all?
After reaching that conclusion, Heo Il slowly lowered his gaze toward Namgung Jun.
Meeting his eyes, Namgung Jun quietly continued.
“This is the first step I take as a Cloud of the Blue Heaven Association.”
After pondering for a moment, Heo Il burst into laughter.
“Very well. Let’s move. But just in case, we’ll request reinforcements from headquarters.”
Namgung Jun asked,
“Can you really track them?”
“Of course. My title is Pilbang Sword—the Sword That Always Finds Its Target.”
The two men immediately set off, following the trail that led away from the Baegong Faction.