Chapter 115
After Mado left, Baekji called Hu Yeonjo.
"There are riffraff flocking outside. Go and persuade them nicely to leave, saying it's not right to flock around in the middle of the night."
Hu Yeonjo picked up his broadsword.
He was finally able to carry out a martial artist-like order, not just guiding the way.
"Please sleep soundly and without worry. I will guard the Honored One's night."
A moment later.
Creak!
The main gate of the Yang Merchant Guild opened, and Hu Yeonjo came out.
The gazes of those who were hiding here and there all turned to Hu Yeonjo.
Hu Yeonjo, with his large frame, had the air of a hero.
―Who is that brat?
―Was there such a brat at the Yang Merchant Guild? He looks like quite a master.
―Be careful. It seems they have hired a wanderer.
The natives of Xi'an, not knowing Hu Yeonjo, the Great Light Brigade Leader of the White Mountain Sect in Sichuan, were wary.
―It doesn't matter. The brat is alone! If Yang Jongu appears, we strike immediately!
The Namil Sect warriors, who had missed Yang Jongu, glared.
If the masters who had gone to attack the Meixian Fang returned, they would be held responsible for missing Yang Jongu.
They had to catch Yang Jongu somehow.
'Gasp!'
Hu Yeonjo, who was standing in front of the main gate, unknowingly took a sharp breath.
He felt numerous gazes and auras focused on him from the darkness.
Although there were no outstanding masters, the momentum exuded by the numerous warriors created a synergistic effect, and only a heavy silence flowed in front of the Yang Merchant Guild.
'These are not riffraff.'
They might be riffraff to Baekji, but not to him.
The auras lurking here and there were as dangerous as the darkness.
Hu Yeonjo stealthily looked back.
'If I'm in danger while fighting, will he help me?'
For some reason, he wasn't sure he would.
Hu Yeonjo, after a moment of thought, sat down on the spot and entered a meditative posture.
"...!"
"......?"
Everyone's gaze turned to Hu Yeonjo.
A lone warrior sitting and guarding in front of the large main gate.
The sight of him sitting in a meditative posture, holding his saber upright with his left hand and resting it on the ground, exuded the air of a great hero.
With his eyes closed, he even looked transcendent.
'I don't know what's going on, but please just go away.'
Hu Yeonjo inwardly just hoped they would retreat.
He felt that the gathered enemies were not a single group and were keeping each other in check.
It didn't seem like they would attack right away.
If he could just hold out like this until dawn, he could protect the Honored One's night.
Hu Yeonjo's expectations were shattered before long.
"There he is!"
"That's Yang Jongu! Get him!"
Shouts erupted from the end of the main street.
'Gasp! Yang Jongu?'
Hu Yeonjo shot up.
* * *
Senior Oh, Jang Sam, and Yang Jongu, who had been running frantically, looking only ahead, were flustered when they entered the main street in front of the Yang Merchant Guild and saw groups of people pouring out from all sides.
"Gasp, gasp... what is all this?"
Senior Oh muttered in a dying voice.
"Let's break through! If we just get past that gate..."
Jang Sam shouted, but Yang Jongu waved his hand.
"There's no guarantee we'll be safe even if we enter the estate. Let's stop here. If you hand me over, they won't harm you..."
"Wait... why are they fighting amongst themselves?"
People in various attires rushed out and started slashing at those in different clothes.
It was a chaotic battle.
"Weren't they after us?"
No, they were.
As if in answer, shouts echoed from all sides.
"Secure Yang Jongu!"
"Kill those two brats first!"
One group rushed in, and another group blocked them...
In the meantime, another group rushed in.
As Jang Sam took a step back, Senior Oh jumped forward and swung his sword.
"Brat? Who are you calling a brat? Do you take me, the Wandering Great Hero, lightly?"
"Hyung-nim! You'll die if you do that!"
Jang Sam shouted, but Senior Oh did not stop.
Instead, he struggled even more.
"Hahahaha. To be born a man and die while practicing chivalry, what regrets could I have! Hahahaha!"
After suffering from extreme pain and the fear of death, and even being insulted as a brat, Senior Oh had gone half-mad.
He let out a mad laugh and swung his sword.
Still, the 'Eight Trigrams Wandering Sword Technique' was a peerless art born from Baekji's hands.
Papapat―!
A brilliant sword energy spread gracefully in the darkness.
As Senior Oh swung with the last of his strength, there was no one who dared to block him.
Jang Sam's eyes welled up with tears at the sight of Senior Oh choosing a glorious death.
"Second Senior Brother! You have finally become a great hero."
Jang Sam also brought down his saber like a thunderbolt on the group that had rushed in from the side.
Boom!
A powerful saber energy, unbelievable to have been unleashed by a man covered in blood, exploded.
"Kaaak!"
Three men were sent flying with a single blow.
"Good! Let's die!"
Jang Sam spat out the blood that had collected in his mouth and readjusted his grip on his saber.
Even in that situation, sword energy and saber light flew wildly from all directions.
Clang!
Cha-chaeng!
In the midst of a great chaotic battle where it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.
A roar like thunder erupted.
"Hu Yeonjo, the number one guard of the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect! I will go to rescue Guild Master Yang Jongu of the Yang Merchant Guild!"
Hu Yeonjo, who had stood up at some point, shouted, holding his broadsword.
Everyone flinched at the shout, which was filled with his entire internal energy.
"The disciples of the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect are seriously injured, so retreat!"
Hu Yeonjo, who had once again squeezed out all his internal energy and shouted, rushed forward with his broadsword leading the way.
"Oh..."
Yang Jongu, recognizing Hu Yeonjo, was moved.
Watching Hu Yeonjo rush through the chaotic battlefield with his broadsword leading the way was like watching Zhao Zilong breaking through Cao Cao's army on a single horse.
* * *
Baekji, who was about to fall asleep, mumbled, 'Ah, that cunning Hu Yeonjo... his personality hasn't changed.'
Hu Yeonjo's shout had, of course, reached Baekji's ears.
Because he had screamed it for him to hear.
"Sigh. My fate..."
With Yang Jongu and even his disciples in danger, he couldn't just stay put.
Baekji fumbled to put on his clothes and picked up his bamboo staff.
Outside, Hongyan, Cho-hye, and Wu Ping were there.
"Where is your master?"
"She is sleeping."
Mado, accepting Baekji's advice, had completely cut off her ki and was sleeping in a state of deep meditation.
'I can't tell her.'
Baekji said to Cho-hye, "You go and protect your master."
He also said to Hongyan and Wu Ping, "You two go inside too."
Hongyan had no reason to get involved in a pointless fight.
As soon as he finished speaking, she went into the room.
"Guild Master Yang is in danger, I can't just stay here."
"It should be fine for now. Go and call a doctor. It seems someone is injured."
Baekji had already sent out his ki and had a rough grasp of the situation outside.
When he opened the main gate, it was as he had expected.
Senior Oh, with his eyes half-rolled back, was doing a sword dance, and Hu Yeonjo was guarding Yang Jongu and following the path that Senior Oh had cleared.
The limping Jang Sam was bringing up the rear, coming towards the Yang Merchant Guild.
Baekji stood in front of the main gate and struck down with his bamboo staff.
Kukukung!
With a loud roar, a powerful wave of ki swirled forward like a whirlwind.
Kwa-a-a-a-a!
"Ugh!"
"Hwa-a-a-ak!"
Those caught in the vortex of ki were sucked up and then sent flying through the air.
"G-get out of the way! It's a tornado!"
The middle of the main street, which had been crowded with fighting people, was cleared.
The tornado rolled up the sword-dancing Senior Oh, dropped him, and then disappeared.
"..."
"..."
Silence fell.
"Ugh... who is it? Come out!"
Senior Oh, who had fallen to the ground, not yet having regained his senses, swung his sword while lying down.
"Master!"
Jang Sam, as if he had met a Buddha in hell, called out and then collapsed.
Seeing this, Baekji clicked his tongue.
"Hmm. Still a long way to go... it's no wonder he has no presence..."
Seeing Senior Oh lying on the ground and slashing at the air, his face flushed.
Hwik.
The bamboo staff flew and hit Senior Oh on the head.
Senior Oh went limp.
Baekji said to the riffraff lined up on the side of the main street, "I am the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect. The Yang Merchant Guild is where I used to work. I came back after a long time to rest, and you're making such a racket..."
"..."
"Those who go quietly will be safe."
"..."
No one moved.
They knew he was a master, but he was only one person.
The group with swords numbered over a hundred.
Since they were inferiors who judged advantage and disadvantage by numbers, they defied him.
"Well..."
Baekji tilted his head and said, "...Do I have no presence either? Don't you know who I am?"
At the unexpected question of identity verification, the warriors looked at each other.
―Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect?
―Who is that? If it's the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect... is it a merchant guild?
The Black Path of Xi'an, who were ignorant of outside news, exchanged glances, but there was no result.
―He is the Alliance Leader's disciple. Retreat!
The squad leader who was leading the 'Iron Horse Sect', having finally recognized him, quickly retreated.
When the 'Iron Horse Sect' retreated, the 'Zhaoling Sect' also sensed that something was wrong and stealthily hid in an alley.
They had not given up their lingering attachment.
―The Yang-Bai Merchant Sect or whatever, we have to catch Yang Jongu.
The Namil Sect warriors held their ground.
The lower-ranking warriors of the 'Namil Sect' in the east of Shaanxi did not even know that the White Mountain Sect had changed to the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.
Since they had to take Yang Jongu somehow, they endured, trembling with fear.
Baekji's eyes met the Namil Sect warriors.
"You guys, answer me."
The squad leader leading the Namil Sect warriors took a step forward, shook his sword, and said, "What nonsense is this? Why are you looking for your presence here? Just hand over Yang Jongu! No matter how much of a master you are, to kidnap a person protected by the Namil Sect! Are you digging your own grave?"
Since he had seen the terrifying tornado, he was afraid. So he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Hmm. So I have no presence... I shouldn't have blamed my disciples."
To be able to live quietly...
And when needed, for everyone to recognize him...
So that they would retreat on their own without him having to use his hands...
Is there no such reputation?
As Baekji was lost in other thoughts, the Namil Sect squad leader shouted, "If you return Yang Jongu, we will pretend today's incident never happened."
Then he shouted towards Yang Jongu, "Stop making everyone tired and let's go back!"
Baekji, whose thoughts had been interrupted by the Namil Sect squad leader, flared up.
"You, come here."
The Namil Sect squad leader hesitated. Because he was afraid.
"You're not coming? Then I'll go."
As he rolled up his sleeves and went to the Namil Sect squad leader, Yang Jongu said, "Don't kill him. I owed him a debt when I was confined."
The reason why the injured Jang Sam and Senior Oh had been able to come this far with Yang Jongu was because the Namil Sect squad leader had not used a killing move.
Baekji, who was walking, stretched out his hand, and the bamboo staff that was rolling at Senior Oh's head flew into his hand.
"...!"
As Baekji approached without a word, the Namil Sect squad leader flinched and was about to raise his sword.
Bbaak―!
Without even time to defend, the bamboo staff fell on his head, and he collapsed.
"Squad Leader!"
The Namil Sect subordinates rushed in, and Baekji's bamboo staff danced.
Bbaak―!
Bba-a-ak―!
In an instant, about ten Namil Sect members collapsed.
Baekji pointed at the Black Path of Xi'an, who were standing awkwardly, with his bamboo staff.
"You."
"Me? We were just about to leave. Really."
"No, you guys, carry these brats and follow me."
.
.
.
The news of what had happened in front of the Yang Merchant Guild spread throughout Xi'an the next day.
At the same time, everyone now knew the identity of the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.
The one who had beaten Bai Renguang and Mei Zhongjun,
The Honored One of the Household of the Tang family who had saved the Tang family from a crisis, and the absolute master who had saved the Martial Alliance Leader from the assassination attempt of the Blood Sect...
It was the result of the rumor that Hongyan had spread through the Demonic Cult branch, the 'Tianshan Brothel'.
Thanks to that, there was no one who loitered in front of the Yang Merchant Guild.
* * *
Senior Oh and Jang Sam were wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
There was not a single place that was not injured.
"How can you be like this? The miraculous medicine I fed you is a waste."
Baekji clicked his tongue.
"The 'Three Swords of Zhongnan' ambushed us. If I meet those brats again, I won't let them go."
Senior Oh protested.
"If those brats had intended to kill you, you would have been dead already. Looking at your wounds, they just intended to make you lie down for a few months."
"What?"
"The 'Three Swords of Zhongnan' are from a righteous sect, so would they kill people carelessly? You should consider yourselves lucky."
"So those brats went easy on us?"
Senior Oh's nose drooped.
"You can't say they went easy on you. They must have ambushed you because you were strong. If you were really weak, they would have just hit you a few times and left."
Baekji comforted him.
Hongyan came in and said, "A guest has arrived. He says he's the Namil Sect Master."
(End of Chapter)