The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

The preparation for a surprise attack was natural.

But they had never imagined that he would approach so openly and hold a knife to their necks.

At the coldness of the blade touching her neck, Namgung Seolu's fingertips trembled unknowingly.

"Damn it..."

The faces of the other five next-generation talents, excluding Namgung Seolu, turned pale.

A surprise attack carried out in an instant.

No one present had seen the process of the assailant drawing his knife and holding it to Namgung Seolu's neck.

'A master!'

The young martial artists, who had reached a certain level, instinctively realized that the assailant who had appeared before them was a master.

And a master of a level so high that they could not even approach him.

With a hostage taken, the next-generation talents could not move rashly.

Then, Namgung Seolu opened her mouth.

"Wasn't... I the target?"

Namgung Seolu realized that the assailant's target was not her.

If it had been, the assailant's blade would have struck her neck the moment her back was turned.

The assailant, a man, ignored Namgung Seolu's question and glanced across the boat.

'He's not here?'

Ma Seongun was slightly surprised by the unexpected situation.

Jin Sohyun, whom he had naturally thought would be accompanying the next-generation talents, was nowhere to be seen.

'Is he not here?'

Or was he hiding somewhere?

Either way, Ma Seongun had no intention of just waiting.

Instead, it had to be a little more clamorous than now.

Thud—!

Namgung Seolu, who had been pushed on the back unexpectedly, was able to turn around only after taking two steps.

Where she had turned, the assailant was tilting his head.

As if telling her to hold her sword and come at him properly.

'Was I underestimated?'

Namgung Seolu gritted her teeth.

In the meantime, Namgung Seong, who had come up to her side, handed her a sword and said.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

Namgung Seolu, whose pride was hurt, realized that what the assailant was looking for was not here.

'Who does he want?'

As her mind was about to become complicated, Namgung Seolu shook her head vigorously.

Now was not the time to think, but to move.

"The opponent is a master at least two levels above us. We have to attack together."

At Namgung Seolu's advice, the next-generation talents held their respective weapons and composed their breathing.

The first to move was Peng Sopung of the Hebei Peng Family.

"Hyap!"

Peng Sopung, who had thrown his body like an angry beast with a magnanimous shout, attacked Ma Seongun by performing the unique, reckless, and destructive saber technique of the Hebei Peng Family.

His saber stretched out as if to split Ma Seongun in half.

Even as the blade came so close that it touched his forehead, Ma Seongun did not move.

'Three in the first move?'

Even with death right before his eyes, Ma Seongun was looking at the next move.

At the same time that Peng Sopung moved, Murong Susu and Tang Hakgi moved.

Murong Susu aimed to stab with her sword as Ma Seongun parried Peng Sopung's saber, and Tang Hakgi threw several hidden weapons to prevent him from escaping.

Eight hidden weapons that flew in, conscious of the escape route.

'The Five Great Families... their fame was not obtained through empty reputation.'

Having finished his thoughts, Ma Seongun moved his body.

Swoosh—!

Ma Seongun, who had dodged Peng Sopung's saber by twisting his body, kicked his chin up with his right foot and parried Murong Susu's sword, which was stabbing in, with the back of his left hand.

Thwack—! Thud—!

At the same time that Peng Sopung, who had been hit in the chin, was sent flying, Murong Susu's body staggered from the repulsive force transmitted as her sword was parried.

The eight hidden weapons that flew in afterward missed Ma Seongun completely in vain.

'He didn't even try to dodge...! Has he already read my movements!'

Tang Hakgi was greatly flustered.

The reason the hidden weapons had missed Ma Seongun's body was not because his skills were lacking.

The hidden weapons, which had been thrown with the escape route in mind, had lost their target and cut through the empty air because Ma Seongun had not moved at all.

"Tsk!"

While Tang Hakgi was preparing his next move, Ma Seongun approached Murong Susu with long strides.

"Hup!"

The startled Murong Susu hurriedly re-gripped her sword, but soon her sword fell to the floor.

'I can't put strength in my right hand...'

Murong Susu despaired, realizing that she couldn't put strength in her right hand, which had been holding the sword.

A single repulsive force had inflicted an unexpected injury on her wrist.

"Come out."

At that moment, Namgung Seolu, who had appeared behind Murong Susu, pulled her collar and swung her sword.

A sharp sword qi, along with a golden halo, covered Ma Seongun.

Kwagagagang—!!

The large boat swayed, and the deck and railings of the boat were torn apart by the shockwave.

But even with Namgung Seolu's full-powered sword qi, Ma Seongun was fine.

'How!?'

Namgung Seolu was greatly shocked to see him parrying her sword qi as if it were nothing.

Normally, to counter a sword thrown with internal energy, one had to imbue it with a corresponding amount of power, but the assailant had parried a single sword imbued with Namgung Seolu's full power without any preparation.

'It's not two levels... it's a difference of more than three levels!'

A bead of sweat formed on Namgung Seolu's forehead.

Among all the next-generation talents gathered here, the one with the most outstanding skills was, without a doubt, Namgung Seolu herself.

But the assailant's martial arts were completely ineffective against Namgung Seolu.

"Not yet."

Ma Seongun looked at the next-generation talents of the Five Great Families, who had fallen into despair, with a dry gaze and then glanced around.

He still couldn't feel any approaching presence.

On the contrary, the Azure Sky Squad of the Namgung Family, which had noticed the surprise attack, and the assassins of the Silver Signpost, who were trying to stop them, clashed.

'It won't last long.'

Soon, Ma Seongun's gaze turned to the north.

From there, a powerful energy was surging.

'Yellow Dragon Divine Sword.'

The Yellow Dragon Divine Sword, who had noticed that the next-generation talents were in danger, had unleashed his anger.

***

"Get out of the way!"

Namgung Muhyeok's sword, emitting an intense sword qi as if to split the world in two, horizontally cut the ten black-clad men who were blocking his way.

Kwagagagagang—!!

At the mighty power befitting one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, the black-clad men had to throw their bodies in all directions to save their lives.

But not all of them could survive.

This was because the sword of the enraged Yellow Dragon Divine Sword mercilessly pierced the bodies of those who were running away.

"How dare you try to block my way! You foolish brats!"

'Did they notice our ambush?'

Namgung Muhyeok kicked the body of a dead black-clad man.

But at that moment, Namgung Muhyeok had to flap his sleeves and create a wind.

'Poison!?'

The moment the black-clad man died, he felt a poisonous qi in the air.

Thanks to his quick reaction, he was able to avoid being poisoned, but just from smelling the poisonous qi for a moment, his vision became dizzy.

'Is it the Formless Poison... and a very potent one at that!'

Only then did Namgung Muhyeok realize the identity of the black-clad men who were blocking his way.

Those who had hidden the extremely difficult to handle and store Formless Poison in their own bodies.

"You brats are Poison Men!"

The identity of the ten black-clad men who were blocking Namgung Muhyeok was precisely that of Poison Men.

And Poison Men who harbored a terribly powerful, extreme poison.

Although the Formless Poison was also known as the most dangerous poison because it had no form or smell, its potency was weaker compared to other extreme poisons.

But the Formless Poison that the Poison Men had planted in their own meridians was so potent that it was not inferior to other extreme poisons.

Of course, there was no way a Poison Man who harbored such a strong poison could be normal.

'With such a potent poison... the lifespan of a Poison Man would be less than a year...'

Namgung Muhyeok could not easily understand.

Creating a Poison Man was not easy from the start, and the cost was enormous.

No matter how much they were the next-generation talents of the Five Great Families, they were not worth sacrificing ten Poison Men.

"Now is not the time to question such things."

Although it was quite far to Jiao Lake, a master of Namgung Muhyeok's level could feel the direction of the fight taking place at a long distance.

'They plan to kill the next-generation talents with just one master. To send an assassin so openly!'

Feeling the lack of time, Namgung Muhyeok threw his body towards Jiao Lake, unleashing a powerful sword qi without even having time to spare his internal energy.

But as if they had noticed his intentions, the Poison Men who had been running away threw their bodies and blocked his way.

"Get out of the way! You brats!!"

Namgung Muhyeok's sword cut down the Poison Men.

Every time the Poison Men, who had thrown their bodies, prepared for death, died, a potent poison surrounded the area.

"Kkeuk!"

As the thick poison, so dense that it blurred his vision, blocked his way like a wall, Namgung Muhyeok's heart began to beat violently.

Due to his anxious heart, sweat even flowed from the palm of his hand holding the sword.

'No... no... Seolu... Seong!'

Namgung Muhyeok's pupils, who had made up his mind, were dyed with a golden color.

***

Thwack—!!

"Keoheok!"

Namgung Seong, who had been kicked in the abdomen, flew back quickly and rolled on the floor.

"Keollok... keollok...!"

Every time he coughed, blood poured out of his mouth.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Namgung Seolu, who was struggling to hold her sword, had a blurry vision.

The assailant of Jiao Lake, who had suddenly appeared, had trampled and trampled the promising next-generation talents of the Five Great Families.

And he had done so with Namgung Seolu right in front of him, trampling and breaking the other next-generation talents.

Peng Sopung and Murong Susu had long since fainted and collapsed, and Tang Hakgi, who had been running away while throwing hidden weapons, was panting with both legs broken.

Zhuge Ming, who had the weakest martial arts among the next-generation talents, had tried a surprise attack using a hidden judge's brush, but even that had failed.

And the price for failure was brutal.

"Keu... keuheo... heo..."

Zhuge Ming, whose shoulder was pierced by a long wooden pillar that had been broken like an awl, stared at the empty air with unfocused eyes.

'Is this the end...'

Had he been arrogant?

Did he believe that a mere six next-generation talents could do something against the Heretic's Path Alliance, which was behind Bud Crushing?

Why weren't the Azure Sky Squad and the Yellow Dragon Divine Sword of the Namgung Family coming to save them?

Zhuge Ming could not understand.

In the meantime, Ma Seongun stood facing the lone Namgung Seolu.

"Are you Namgung Seolu?"

"Yes... I am Namgung Seolu."

"It seems they won't come until someone dies."

"What on earth are you waiting for? Are you waiting for the Family Head?"

Was the real target of the Heretic's Path Alliance not them, but Namgung Muhyeok?

While Namgung Seolu's mind was full of confusion, Ma Seongun opened his mouth.

"I have no interest in him."

"No... interest?"

If not Namgung Muhyeok, then who on earth was he waiting for?

Namgung Seolu had to bite her tongue to keep her blurring mind straight, perhaps because she had lost too much blood.

"It seems I'll have to kill you."

Ma Seongun, who had sentenced Namgung Seolu to death with an indifferent voice, raised his sword for the first time and drew his internal energy.

Then, an ominously sinister energy dyed Ma Seongun's sword.

An energy as red as blood and as dark as night.

Ma Seongun, holding the crimson blade, approached Namgung Seolu with steps that were neither slow nor fast.

"I won't... die... easily."

As Namgung Seolu raised her sword to face him, Ma Seongun said.

"No, you will die helplessly, unable to do anything."

As if to prove his words, Ma Seongun swung his sword.

Namgung Seolu's sword, which had met his, shattered into pieces in front of her eyes.

Namgung Seolu's first sword, which had been made by a master craftsman and given to her as a gift by Namgung Muhyeok, was shattered like a piece of porcelain that had fallen on the ground, without even being able to put up any resistance.

"Ah..."

"I told you. You will die helplessly."

Just as I did.

The tip of Ma Seongun's sword was aimed at Namgung Seolu's heart and extended.

It was then.

"Hup!"

As Ma Seongun quickly retreated, a single sword was stuck in the place where he had been standing.

A peculiar weapon longer than a dagger or a hidden weapon, yet shorter than a sword, with no handguard and a straight blade and hilt.

"A flying sword...!"

Ma Seongun's gaze, who had recognized the flying sword, went up in the direction the sword had flown from.

There, a young man wearing a robe was standing with one eye squinted.

"What's all this commotion?"

The man walked in front of Namgung Seolu and pulled out the flying sword that was stuck in the ground, holding it in his hand.

A smile spread across the lips of Ma Seongun, who had spotted him, for the first time.

"You've finally appeared... Jin Sohyun."

"Haaam—!"

Jin Sohyun rubbed his eyes and faced Ma Seongun with squinted eyes.

"Sorry. I just woke up, so I'm not all there... by the way, do you know me?"

Looking at Jin Sohyun, who was looking at him with the same bored gaze as before, Ma Seongun nodded his head very slowly.

"Yes. I... know you very well.”

(End of Chapter)