Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Competitive Spirit

The sunlight was pouring down strongly onto the market streets.

At this hour, many people would usually be bustling about for their own purposes.

Yet right now, for some reason, many of them had come to a halt, whispering amongst themselves.

"I can't believe it. They all disappeared in just a few days."

"There are people who saw the authorities carrying dozens of corpses at dawn today. Clearly, something happened."

"The bastards who used to come collect protection money haven't shown up all morning. I don't want to get my hopes up, but what if they really..."

"Shh, keep your voice down. We don't know anything for sure..."

The streets were oddly tense with excitement.

What they were saying all varied slightly, but it was all essentially the same story: the dark path martial artists who had oppressed the merchants had suddenly vanished.

But not many people were quick to nod along in agreement.

Some dismissed it as little more than a fleeting rumor.

Understandably so.

These were the bastards who had ruled over Kaifeng's back alleys for quite some time.

It was hard to believe such people would just suddenly disappear.

Not even the Beggar's Union or the Yang Clan had managed to drive them out entirely.

If anything, their involvement had only kept the criminals from flaunting their crimes out in the open.

Whenever no eyes were watching, their depravity had continued without end.

And now, all those bastards had supposedly died off in just a few days?

If anyone believed a story like that too easily, they would likely end up bloodied.

However, there were always some who spoke with unreservedly bright faces.

As if they just couldn't contain themselves, they began to share their words with those around them.

"Hey, do you remember when the Iron-Blood Gate's Divine Wind Pavilion collapsed a while back?"

"Of course I do. People are still talking about it now. Just who could've done something like that..."

"There are rumors that incident is connected to what's going on now. They're saying the ones who brought down Divine Wind Pavilion went on to annihilate the Musan Group itself."

"Is— Is that for real?"

"My neighbor who runs a cloth shop says he heard the beggars talking about it. They weren't even trying to keep their voices down, apparently."

"The beggars, you say..."

In this manner, the rumor that the Musan Group had vanished slowly spread.

And inevitably, it reached the Yang Clan, which made up one pillar of Kaifeng's martial community.

'Just what in the world...?'

Standing amidst the market, Yang Se-ok unconsciously shook his head as he observed the scene.

The Musan Group truly had been like parasites, bringing nothing but harm to the land.

They deserved to be wiped out.

Yang Se-ok himself had devised plans specifically to destroy them.

'But for it to turn out like this?'

Even so, he had never imagined things would play out in this manner.

His original plan had been to secretly request a martial artist from the Heavenly Martial Hall to assassinate the Musan Group's leader.

He intended to use the ensuing chaos and infighting among the gang's remnants as a chance to step in and clean up.

Of course, it wasn't entirely for justice's sake.

Regardless of Yang Se-ok's personality, he too was a member of a powerful martial clan.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't thinking about his clan's rise in influence.

In fact, he had gathered the clan's warriors and had them on standby, ready to move at a moment's notice.

The idea was to use their knowledge of the gang chief's death to seize most of the spoils before anyone else.

But even that plan had come to nothing.

Divine Wind Pavilion was destroyed brazenly, and many had witnessed the bodies of dark path thugs being recovered from abandoned estates.

The clan's warriors were still moving swiftly, but their hopes of taking early control had fallen apart.

'Still... It's strange.'

Yet, he didn't feel upset.

Even though all the plans he painstakingly prepared had gone awry, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Why was that?

Yang Se-ok, after glancing at the commoners who were conversing with bright faces while keeping their voices down, turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

Even after the mission was complete, leaving immediately was not an option.

It was at Yang Se-ok's request that he stayed a few more days.

An enormous event that had shaken the entire city had just taken place.

Everyone was frantically trying to find out who had done it, and how.

If a martial artist who was supposed to be visiting the Yang Clan for replenishment were to return right away, it would certainly arouse suspicion.

Technically, for Jeong-un, it wasn't something he had to comply with.

After all, a warrior from the Heavenly Martial Hall had disposed of the dark path thugs and was simply returning home.

The Heavenly Martial Hall knew that the Yang Clan's request was motivated by their ambitions, as well as matters of public welfare.

Still, sending an elite warrior as they wished had seemed the best choice for the wellbeing of the people.

All they were asked to do was remove the head, and the rest would be taken care of.

There was no reason for the Heavenly Martial Hall to refuse.

But the warrior in question had taken care of the entire matter himself, without the Yang Clan's involvement?

That was something to be proud of.

In terms of justification alone, he could have walked right out the front gates with his head held high and would face no reprimand.

Nonetheless, Jeong-un nodded to Yang Se-ok's request.

He was considering the presence of the District Head, who was of the imperial clan.

Even though the revenue stream had been cut off, it was hard to believe the man would personally act over the death of a single dark path criminal.

Still, his mood would surely have soured.

If Jeong-un publicly admitted to having personally eradicated all those thugs, the District Head's anger would be directed at the Heavenly Martial Hall.

Of course, the Hall wouldn't so much as blink.

Jeong-un had no desire to curry favor with someone like that.

Still, there was no need to stir up unnecessary conflict when it could easily be avoided.

'And there was Young Hero Yang's request.'

Yang Se-ok had been extremely earnest.

Because Jeong-un had kept his identity a secret while ridding the city of the thugs, they could avoid being implicated in the affair themselves.

In exchange for keeping that secret, Yang Se-ok had promised the repercussions would not affect the livelihood of the populace.

That was what Jeong-un liked most.

He still knew little and cared less about the ins and outs of martial world politics and the competitions for influence among sects and clans.

Still, with a prominent clan willing to manage all the aftermath of what he had done, it was incredibly convenient.

'Not everything will go this way.'

This assignment had simply required him to wield his sword.

All the complicated matters had been handled by others.

He knew full well he couldn't expect things to always go so smoothly, especially if he meant to walk the martial world alone.

Just then, a voice called from beyond the door where he was resting.

"Sir warrior, Young Master Yang Se-ok is here."

It was the voice of a maid from the residence.

Jeong-un immediately rose and went to the door.

"Please tell him that I'll go to him if he waits in the room as usual."

"Yes, sir."

The maid bowed politely and withdrew.

Jeong-un calmly straightened his attire.

He was now dressed in the black martial garb of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

His blue martial clothes, along with his norigae, were neatly folded and stored in his traveling pouch.

He wouldn't need them for a while.

At least not until he reached Mount Song.

Finally, he stepped outside.

'Surely not again...'

His steps toward the room where Yang Se-ok would be waiting grew slightly hesitant.

Since the incident, Yang Se-ok had come to see him twice a day, as if on some fixed schedule—once every morning and afternoon.

It was obvious he was trying to establish a connection.

But that in itself wasn't a problem.

Jeong-un hadn't found Yang Se-ok unpleasant.

There were some people with an uncommonly clear expression in their eyes.

Yang Se-ok was one of those.

That didn't mean he was particularly virtuous, just that it was easy to understand his intentions.

It made interactions simple.

Such people took words at face value, unlike the many martial artists who twisted every phrase.

'But still...'

Even so, yesterday had been rather awkward.

That was because Yang Se-ok had suddenly brought his younger sister along.

A comment made in passing during their first meeting had turned out to be in earnest.

She, too, seemed taken aback and surprised, judging by her expression.

Yang Se-ok's claim that his sister was the fairest beauty in Kaifeng had been no exaggeration.

She truly was stunning.

When she first saw Jeong-un, she'd looked so surprised that her eyes practically sparkled.

Fortunately, she kept the conversation flowing, so nothing felt uncomfortable.

She was a kind-hearted person.

—Please don't put us in that situation again.

That was what Jeong-un had said that morning, with a firm expression.

Yang Se-ok had apologized, surprised by his attitude.

'Surely not this time.'

Yang Se-ok didn't seem like the kind of person who would ignore a clear request.

Reassured by that thought, Jeong-un started moving again.

"Young Hero Yang, it's Yu Jeong-un."

"Ah, please, come in!"

As Jeong-un opened the door and entered, Yang Se-ok quickly stood up in welcome.

Even though they'd already seen each other that morning, his face was beaming.

At this, Jeong-un chuckled softly.

"As expected, the remaining remnants have gone into hiding all over Kaifeng. I plan to root out every last one, even if it takes some time. Every single one of them is a blight on the common people. I won't let any escape."

"I see."

"Fortunately, discussions went well with the Beggar's Union. We want to use this as an opportunity to uproot these villains completely. Everyone's so disoriented in the sudden chaos—I could tell the Beggar's Union understood what a rare chance it is to put an end to them."

"You're certainly working hard."

Yang Se-ok updated him on what was happening outside.

Their conversations tended to go like this.

Jeong-un listened to every word.

Since it was a mess he himself had created, it didn't feel right to ignore the cleanup.

Yang Se-ok spoke with a smile.

"I know I've said it several times already, but let me thank you again. Thanks to Young Hero Yu, Kaifeng is at a turning point. So are we."

Then, his face grew a little wistful.

"... I've honestly done a lot of soul-searching. Looking back, I realize I made countless excuses for leaving those bastards be. Since meeting you, I've learned a lot. I, too, want to push myself to become stronger and never grow complacent."

"I plan to leave tomorrow morning."

"...!"

While he spoke softly, eyes lowered, Yang Se-ok suddenly lifted his head with a start, plainly shocked.

"T-Tomorrow morning, you said?"

"Yes."

"But why so soon... Couldn't you stay a bit longer?"

Jeong-un shook his head.

Considering the distance to Mount Song, he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Even staying two extra days had only been possible because he had completed the job sooner than expected.

Now, it was truly time to depart.

"You said you were grateful to me, young hero Yang, but I myself have learned a lot from my time here. I've clearly realized my own shortcomings. The road ahead is very long."

Yang Se-ok stared blankly at Jeong-un, before letting his gaze wander restlessly around the room, looking very flustered.

"C-Couldn't you stay just a little longer? You've only just finished everything..."

Jeong-un silently met his gaze. After a moment, Yang Se-ok's voice faded away.

Eventually, Yang Se-ok slowly nodded.

Then, he rose to his feet.

"...... You have done my clan, and though I am hardly worthy to say it, this land a great service. On behalf of my house, and this region, I thank you, young hero."

Yang Se-ok bowed deeply and performed the martial salute.

Jeong-un rose to return it.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Yang Se-ok spoke up again, with a faint, strangely amused smile.

"Young Hero Yu, may I make one last request?"

"...?"

When Jeong-un looked at him in puzzlement, Yang Se-ok replied.

"I too am a martial artist. Though I was of no help in this incident, seeing a peerless prodigy like yourself stirs one's competitive spirit."

"You mean...?"

Yang Se-ok grinned and spoke with determination in his voice.

"Will you have a duel with me, just once, as our final matter?"

"...!"