The guide followed closely. He claimed to be a local of the town.
When one imagines commoners who know nothing of martial arts and work for a living, a certain image comes to mind.
The man, who introduced himself as Jang, fit that image perfectly.
"Sir, are you truly going alone? Are you certain you're heading to the Praying Mantis Sect?"
His eyes wavered, even though he was shorter than Jung Yeonshin.
His rough hemp clothing and loosely gripped cloth bag gave the impression of a family man struggling to make ends meet.
Jung Yeonshin understood his reaction.
The Unorthodox Sects were different from the back-alley thugs of the underworld.
Thugs might track down and retaliate against informants who tipped off the authorities, but the Unorthodox Sects were trained in martial arts.
It was only natural to feel uneasy.
"I'm enough."
"Truly admirable courage. But, please reconsider. The Praying Mantis Sect isn't ordinary. Dozens of them know martial arts. Even one of their grunts supposedly swept through Lianhu alley alone."
"Courage? You seem well-versed in literature."
Literacy wasn't common. In some places, expressions like that were only used by educated men.
"I'm just an uneducated villager who failed the civil exams."
It was a relief to know they could communicate. Since Xian was a large city, it required at least one night's rest before reaching Lianhu County.
"Could you tell me more about the Praying Mantis Sect?"
Jung Yeonshin asked as he walked ahead, pulling out a small pouch of salt from his coat and handing it over.
The martial stipend he received from Desolate Fortress was paid in silver, which was too valuable to hand out casually, and he didn't have any copper coins.
Travel expenses were Ma Jin's responsibility anyway.
Jangsan discreetly peeked inside the pouch, his eyes widening before he began to speak.
"They took over Lianhu Street three years ago. It's rare to find a place without a branch of the Zhongnan Sect in Xian, but Lianhu County was one of those places. They've taken over more than a dozen women as servants. Their tyranny is severe, but they seem to have bribed the government official well."
"…Their martial arts? Has anyone seen them fight?"
"They say they use all sorts of weapons. I saw them from afar a few times—they wielded not only swords and spears but also bizarrely curved blades… They were so fast that it was hard to follow them with my eyes. With a single swing, two people lost their heads."
They were fairly skilled. Even if they lacked proper martial lineage, they had trained in martial arts.
That level of ability was enough to call them Unorthodox Sect martial artists.
"Are there still many people held captive? What about the authorities?"
"The government official is in cahoots with the Praying Mantis Sect, so there's no one to protect us…"
Jung Yeonshin suddenly had a thought—would it be acceptable for a martial artist from Desolate Fortress to behead a government official?
* * *
They spent the night at a roadside inn. By the next day, Jung Yeonshin and Jangsam arrived at Lianhu County.
After crossing a hill, a bustling town came into view.
They had already passed several merchant caravans loaded with goods.
Although it was considered a county on the same level as Xinye, it seemed much more developed. It looked somewhere between a town and a city.
"I see it now."
Under the clear, blue sky, a particularly large and extravagant building stood at the end of the road.
The writing on the plaque was visible even from here.
Though it wasn't as grand as the Ma Clan's estate, it was still impressive.
Even its vast front yard could easily be used as a martial arts training ground.
"You may leave now. Thank you for guiding me."
After exchanging farewells, Jung Yeonshin turned toward the main street that ran through the village. He soon felt someone following him.
It seemed to be Jangsam again. He couldn't tell why.
'Perhaps a family member was taken.'
It wouldn't be surprising if his wife or daughter had been kidnapped.
Entering what appeared to be the marketplace, Jung Yeonshin saw orderly stalls where merchants quietly traded meat and grain.
Their bargaining voices were subdued.
Turning his head toward the source of the tense atmosphere, Jung Yeonshin saw a startling scene.
"…"
Bound with ropes as if they were criminals, a group of women stood in humiliation.
Five martial artists armed with swords sat casually, keeping watch. Their families could only look on and weep, unable to approach.
As if making noise would cost them their lives.
It seemed like a local custom, the contrasting atmospheres were striking.
"I can see why Desolate Fortress was needed."
Jung Yeonshin said aloud as he approached. The martial artists had reduced the imperial laws to nothing.
Zhongnan was said to be so vast that it defied comprehension.
If a few local government officials and a powerful sect colluded, it would be difficult for the Imperial Family to monitor the region.
"Are you soldiers? Are these women criminals?"
No answer came.
As soon as Jung Yeonshin finished speaking, one of them threw a dagger, cutting through the air.
It carried no killing intent. Jung Yeonshin caught it mid-air, loosening his grip slightly while unleashing his Swift Sword technique.
Yet the power behind his strike remained intact. The dagger pierced the air like a flash of lightning.
Thump!
The man struck in the forehead collapsed like a falling tree.
The other four, initially dazed, soon stood up one by one.
"You've got some skill, boy. Where did you train?"
"Your stance with that dagger was odd. Were you properly trained?"
"You were pretty quick. Did you prepare for this day? What technique was that?"
Perhaps because he'd struck without much thought, their reactions were surprisingly calm.
For an Unorthodox Sect, typically associated with explosive tempers, these men exuded the composure of those who had tasted all of life's pleasures.
And they likely had.
"It's just a crude technique."
Jung Yeonshin muttered calmly, drawing his Desolate Sword.
Its pristine, well-maintained blade reflected the sunlight in shards.
Their expressions changed.
"If we offer him to the sect leader…"
Splurt!
Blood sprayed at the end of a shimmering arc.
The one who mentioned the sect leader fell to his knees, lips drenched in red, and then collapsed.
Before the others could even turn, Jung Yeonshin's sword flashed again.
The Swift Sword Form of the Radiant Demon Squad. Three clean strikes transmitted their impact through his blade. He was becoming quite accustomed to it.
"Shit…"
One of them cursed before dying.
Jung Yeonshin turned to cut the ropes binding the women.
They bowed and thanked him, though they didn't dare celebrate openly.
Their eyes nervously darted toward the Praying Mantis Sect's building.
'They're not keeping servants.'
With lingering doubts, Jung Yeonshin walked on, holding his unsheathed sword.
The street had fallen completely silent.
People withdrew, whispering that the reckless swordsman was doomed.
Only Jangsan continued to follow him discreetly.
'Group combat…'
It was said that unmatched martial artists could face entire armies alone.
The purple-robed warriors of Desolate Fortress were no different.
Since slaying the Blood Cult's swordmaster, Jung Yeonshin had been considering solo missions.
No matter how much he thought about it, there were limits to the achievements he could gain alongside the masters of the Radiant Demon Squad.
To walk the martial world alone, he had to prepare for battles against dozens, even hundreds.
Dueling rivals might excite poets, but real warriors had to be ready for group combat.
He was learning from every fight, unsure of what techniques his mind would create.
Even if he wasn't facing top-tier masters.
'The Praying Mantis Sect.'
Standing before its massive gates, Jung Yeonshin glanced up.
Up close, the plaque looked even grander.
The bold strokes forming the words "Praying Mantis Sect" seemed alive, like a dragon in motion.
'So a third-rate sect dared to threaten a wandering scholar.'
Thinking it was excessive, he forcefully kicked one side of the gate.
Was Lianhu County claiming this as their territory?
About thirty martial artists lined up in the training yard, seemingly prepared to greet the swordsman who had just cut down five of their own.
News had traveled incredibly fast.
"That brat?"
A middle-aged man standing alone on the steps leading into the main hall frowned.
Jung Yeonshin's eyes fell on his clothes—astonishingly extravagant attire.
From mythical beasts to dragons, the long robe was adorned with all sorts of divine creatures.
'Insane.'
Was he a rebel? Wearing something akin to an imperial robe? It made Jung Yeonshin realize just how detached martial artists were from the nation.
"Sever his limbs and bring him to me. No, I haven't tasted blood in a while, I'll do it myself."
The man, who appeared to be the sect leader, descended the steps.
Jung Yeonshin felt a strange sense of unease. The Praying Mantis Sect was said to be a notorious Unorthodox Sect. He expected them to take hostages.
They were the kind of people who abducted women on a whim.
If this was a sect given to excess, they should have at least dragged some women along with them, but there were only men here.
'Where did the captives go?'
While pondering, Jung Yeonshin observed the sect members standing around him. Most of them were burly men.
They exchanged a few words, offering only sinister smiles that left no good impression.
"It's not every day we meet a swordsman."
The sect leader drew his sword as he approached. From the narrow blade, Jung Yeonshin sensed the flow of core energy.
This was an opponent he wouldn't have been able to defeat back when he had fought at Desolate Fortress.
The sect leader continued speaking.
"What business do you have showing your face to our sect? Such a short life, wasted."
"What's your name?"
"Why should a dead man need to know my name?"
"I need to know who the sect leader is to claim my merit."
As he spoke, Jung Yeonshin quietly activated his Jung Family's core energy technique.
The moment his sword merged with his energy, he felt the intent behind the sect leader's movements.
Like threading a needle, the leader's blade rode the wind and lunged forward.
He, too, used a swift sword technique. Having developed his own mastery of core energy and swift strikes, Jung Yeonshin could see the trajectory of the attack.
Clang!
He struck upward.
Though it appeared calm, it was imbued with layers of compressed energy, enough to clearly overpower the attack.
The sect leader's face contorted in disbelief at the force behind Jung Yeonshin's sword.
"Attack!"
The surrounding disciples charged in.
A sharp spear thrust into his line of sight first, as if to block a follow-up attack against the leader.
Jung Yeonshin's sword sliced through it in an instant.
Slash!
As the spear shaft split apart, other disciples' weapons closed in. Even throwing knives were flying at him.
Sharp killing intent from all directions pricked Jung Yeonshin's senses.
This was the first time he faced so many weapons at once.
Swish!
Dodging a blade aimed at his right arm, a ring-shaped weapon grazed his back.
Glancing briefly, he lashed out with his swift sword technique.
The wielder of the circular blade grinned, but his smile froze as his head was severed.
The frozen expression at the end lingered in Jung Yeonshin's sight.
'It stings.'
A shallow wound heightened his senses even further, sharpening his perception.
At that moment, his talents surfaced in a way even he couldn't believe.
He saw the lines formed by all the blades and the paths his sword needed to take.
'Strike, pass through, shift.'
The overlapping flow of weapons and his fusion with the sword triggered an evolution in his technique.
Following the trajectories visible only to him, his blade cut through.
The Desolate Sword moved faster than anyone present, deflecting weapons and causing them to collide with one another.
A deflected throwing knife stabbed another man's heart.
A spear redirected by Jung Yeonshin's blade impaled the neck of another man swinging a sword.
"Argh!"
"Urgh…"
His eyes darted swiftly.
Every weapon closing in on him stirred his senses further, as if his awareness expanded to encompass every angle.
It felt as if another version of himself were observing from above, capturing every movement.
This far exceeded his expectations.
Moving like the wind, he weaved through the weapons' trajectories.
When one man threw sand, another was blinded by it.
The sect leader's narrow sword thrust through the chaos, clearly on another level.
Jung Yeonshin spun like a whirlwind and struck the blade's side.
Clang!
The sect leader nearly dropped his weapon before retreating into the crowd, shouting.
"Amazing skill! But your swordplay is too simple. I've already seen through your quick strikes…"
His voice carried the weight of experience, devoid of panic.
It sounded confident, almost leisurely, but when Jung Yeonshin suddenly stood before him, cutting through the chaos like wind, the leader fell silent.
'I was taught to seize the initiative.'
Energy erupted from Jung Yeonshin, racing through his veins.
He treated his sword hand like a fist.
The core energy of the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike surged through his arm.
The second technique—Formidable Wall. It was possible.
Though the intangible force in his grip still felt unfamiliar, it naturally fused with the techniques he had mastered.
He gripped the blade's edge as the core energy formed into shape.
Boom!
Like a storm propelling him forward, he closed the distance in an instant.
The sect leader's eyes widened.
Jung Yeonshin's sword descended from above, striking toward the crown of his head.
"You—!"
Before the sect leader could finish speaking, a flash of white light burst forth.
The ruthless impact sent a shiver through Jung Yeonshin's arm.