Chapter 427

Life at the Demon Sword Manor was tedious.

There was little to do besides learning and training in martial arts. Although the Demon Sword Manor had expanded thanks to his father, Seo Mun, its characteristically tranquil atmosphere was unavoidable.

Moreover, with so little interaction with the outside world, Seo Gun-hwi’s life was bound to be monotonous. That was why he had held high expectations in his heart when he decided to venture out into the Jianghu.

Dreams of meeting talented young men his age, bonding with them, and wandering the Jianghu. But reality was different.

His days with the Great Pearl Trading Company were as monotonous as his days at the Demon Sword Manor, and Pyo Wol, who seemed to be his age, had put up a wall, refusing any interaction with him.

Thanks to this, a fire of frustration had kindled in his heart.

In that very situation, bandits were charging toward them.

A smile naturally formed on Seo Gun-hwi’s lips.

“As the saying goes, ‘I dared not ask, but it is what I wished for.’ The heavens are helping me, Seo Gun-hwi.”

Even at a glance, the bandits’ momentum was extraordinary.

It was doubtful whether the martial artists of the Great Pearl Trading Company could stop them.

At that moment, Ji Mu-hyung shouted.

“All escorts to the front! Temporary escorts, protect the merchants.”

“Yes!”

The escorts replied and sprang forward.

A tense look clouded Ji Mu-hyung’s face.

‘Were there bandits active in this area?’

According to the information he had gathered beforehand, there were no bandit groups operating here. Still, he had hired temporary escorts just in case.

The fact that his preparations had been proven right brought him no joy. The best-case scenario was to pass through safely without any conflict.

‘Still, with the martial artists from the Demon Sword Manor here, the worst-case scenario won’t happen.’

He glanced sideways at Seo Gun-hwi and his party.

Every one of them was an extraordinary expert.

Just the thought of them fighting alongside him was reassuring.

Dududu!

At that moment, the sound of horse hooves grew louder.

The bandits were that much closer.

Ji Mu-hyung’s eyes fixed on the figure at the head of the group.

‘A woman?’

The one leading the bandits from the front was clearly a woman.

A beautiful woman in her early to mid-thirties, Mi-bu.

She commanded the bandits, her black hair flying in the wind.

At Mi-bu’s gesture, the bandits split to the left and right.

“Fire!”

When she shouted, a portion of the bandit horde took out bows and aimed at the Great Pearl Trading Company.

“What?”

“They’re shooting arrows?”

Ji Mu-hyung and the escorts of the Great Pearl Trading Company were horrified.

Shooting a bow while riding a horse was a difficult feat even for a skilled martial artist.

One had to be adept at horsemanship and have mastered archery.

A sentiment of looking down on archery was prevalent in the Jianghu.

Those who used weapons like bows or hidden weapons for cowardly sneak attacks from a distance were ostracized.

Because of this, there were not many martial artists in the current Jianghu who used archery. Finding one who had also mastered horsemanship was even more difficult.

And yet, a mere band of bandits was skillfully displaying both horsemanship and archery.

Pyupyupyupyuk!

Arrows flew in unison.

“Keuk!”

“Keok!”

The escorts at the front, caught off guard, were struck by arrows and fell.

“Damn it! Everyone, find cover.”

Ji Mu-hyung shouted.

At that moment, the bandits shot their arrows again.

Pubeobeok!

The arrows precisely struck the escorts.

Their archery skill was accurate to a chilling degree.

To be able to hit targets so precisely from atop a running horse was proof of their outstanding archery.

In an instant, half of the escorts were neutralized by the arrows.

“Damn it!”

Ji Mu-hyung couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

Dududu!

The bandits circled left and right, with the Great Pearl Trading Company in the center. And whenever they saw an opening, they loosed an arrow.

“Keuk!”

“Everyone, hide behind the carts.”

The uninjured escorts took the wounded and hid behind the carts.

No matter how skilled the bandits’ horsemanship and archery were, if they hid from the arrows and waited, the bandits would eventually have to abandon their bows and engage in close combat.

Their prediction was correct.

“Attack!”

At Mi-bu’s cry, the bandits abandoned their bows and dismounted.

They intended to settle this with close-quarters combat.

“Iyaaat!”

“Haaat!”

With terrifying momentum, the bandits leaped over the carts and charged at the escorts.

“You bastards!”

“Block them!”

The escorts who had been hiding from the arrows drew their weapons and confronted the bandits.

Kagagagang!

The sound of weapons clashing echoed from all sides, along with monstrous cries.

Ji Mu-hyung also drew his sword and charged toward Mi-bu.

‘I’ll cut down the leader in a single blow.’

No matter how outstandingly skilled the bandit group was, if their leader fell, they would surely scatter like a disorganized mob.

Sword Qi flickered over Ji Mu-hyung’s blade.

His skill was worthy of being the head escort of the Great Pearl Trading Company.

“Chaaat! Die!”

Ji Mu-hyung swung his Sword Qi-infused blade wide at Mi-bu, who was still on her horse.

Shwaaang!

In that instant, a look of annoyance flashed across Mi-bu’s face.

“I must look like an easy target.”

She spread her white palm wide towards Ji Mu-hyung. A powerful energy was unleashed.

Jjeo-eong!

The energy and Ji Mu-hyung’s sword collided.

“Keuk!”

Ji Mu-hyung was the one who came out worse.

With a stifled groan, he was thrown backward.

Instantly, Mi-bu swung her hand once more.

A stream of red energy rose and struck Ji Mu-hyung in the chest.

Kwaang!

“Keoheup!”

Ji Mu-hyung screamed as he was sent flying.

He had managed to raise his sword to block his chest the moment the red energy struck, dispersing the impact. Thanks to that, he was able to save his life, but he couldn’t move from the shock that felt like his entire body was being crushed.

Despite having neutralized Ji Mu-hyung in an instant, Mi-bu’s expression was one of indifference.

From the start, Ji Mu-hyung was no match for her.

Though she was now making a living as a mere bandit, she was once a being revered by many.

Even though she had lost everything to a disaster and fallen to the level of a bandit, her martial arts were still powerful.

She was not on a level that an escort from a mere trading company could handle.

Mi-bu was about to strike Ji Mu-hyung with another palm attack to finish him off completely. But her attempt ended in failure.

Kwaang!

Someone had intervened.

“That’s enough.”

The one who intervened was none other than the young lord of the Demon Sword Manor, Seo Gun-hwi.

At Seo Gun-hwi’s appearance, Mi-bu’s eyes gleamed.

Her palm was tingling.

The force contained in Seo Gun-hwi’s single strike was that formidable.

Mi-bu dismounted and asked.

“Who might you be?”

“I am Seo Gun-hwi of the Demon Sword Manor.”

“The Demon… Sword Manor?”

Mi-bu furrowed her fine brows.

It was impossible not to know of the Demon Sword Manor, one of the Three Manors.

‘This has become a headache.’

It wasn’t Seo Gun-hwi she was afraid of.

It was the Demon Sword Manor, Seo Gun-hwi’s background, that was troublesome.

Even she could not ignore the military power and influence of the Demon Sword Manor. Although their spheres of activity were different, it wouldn’t be difficult for the Demon Sword Manor’s power to extend its influence even to Sichuan Province.

‘Looks like today is the last day of banditry in Sichuan Province.’

Whatever the outcome, it was dangerous to continue operating here.

She had planned to lie low for a while after this last job anyway, but now that things had come to this, she had to finish it properly.

By dealing with Seo Gun-hwi of the Demon Sword Manor.

Seo Gun-hwi approached Mi-bu and said.

“I can hear the gears turning in your head from here. But it’s too late. Now that I have intervened, there is nowhere for you to escape.”

“Hoho! You’re quite the self-important Young Master, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“I wasn’t thinking about how to escape, my dear. I was contemplating how best to deal with you, Young Master.”

“How arrogant! The leader of a mere band of bandits dares to dream such an impossible dream.”

Seo Gun-hwi scoffed.

Mi-bu’s words had wounded his pride.

He thought he must subdue Mi-bu and teach her a lesson.

He didn’t know Mi-bu’s identity, but just by subduing her, his fame would rise.

Seo Gun-hwi kicked off the ground.

Unleashing his Light Body Art, he reached Mi-bu in an instant.

Without mercy, Seo Gun-hwi brought his sword down toward Mi-bu’s white neck.

Shigak!

It was a Swift Sword, faster than a flash of lightning.

Seo Gun-hwi had no doubt that he would sever Mi-bu’s neck. But his belief was shattered in the next moment.

Teong!

With a metallic clang, his sword was deflected.

A whip had appeared in Mi-bu’s hand.

Chwahak!

The black whip flew toward Seo Gun-hwi’s chest like a venomous snake.

“Hup!”

Startled, Seo Gun-hwi bent his back.

The whip grazed past his chest. But Seo Gun-hwi did not let his guard down.

He knew that what made a whip terrifying was not just the swinging attack, but also the fact that it displayed extreme power even when being retracted.

His prediction was correct.

The whip that had missed by a hair’s breadth came back around, aiming for the back of Seo Gun-hwi’s head.

Seo Gun-hwi spun in mid-air like a top and unleashed the Sun-Shooting Sword Art.

The Sun-Shooting Sword Art was a representative special technique of the old Diancang Sect.

It had now become a martial art of the Demon Sword Manor, but its power was still as deadly as ever.

Shwishwishwik!

Sword shadows filled the air.

The whip could not penetrate the sword shadows and was deflected.

“Hmph! You’re pretty good.”

Mi-bu scoffed and swung her whip horizontally and vertically.

Black Snake Shadowless Whip Technique.

That was the name of the Whip Art she was performing.

The black whip aimed for Seo Gun-hwi’s vital points like a venomous snake.

The surface of the whip was covered in fine thorns, so a single hit would break bones and tear off chunks of flesh.

Peobeobeobeong!

The air exploded as the whip and sword clashed.

“Keuk!”

Seo Gun-hwi’s face contorted.

The whip’s power was several times stronger than he had expected.

He had never faced a flexible weapon like a whip before. Because of that, despite possessing a superb martial art like the Sun-Shooting Sword Art, he was struggling.

“Haap!”

He desperately unleashed the ultimate techniques of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art. But his attacks did not inflict much damage on Mi-bu.

Mi-bu was cunning.

When Seo Gun-hwi’s attacks intensified, she shortened the whip by half to protect herself. As the whip’s range decreased, its repulsive force grew stronger.

If Seo Gun-hwi had been more experienced, he could have broken through the whip’s defense without rushing. But since this was his first time facing a whip, he struggled to find a way to overcome it.

Mi-bu sneered at such a Seo Gun-hwi.

“Hoho! For all your big talk, your skills are just so-so, Young Master.”

“How dare you!”

Provoked, Seo Gun-hwi attacked even more fiercely.

The ultimate techniques of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art were unleashed one after another.

It was a sword art that carried the legend of felling the sun.

That was why it was named the Sun-Shooting Sword Art.

A sword art containing the essence of the Diancang Sect’s several hundred years could not be weak. But because he performed it too hastily, it couldn’t display its full power. Mi-bu did not miss this opening in Seo Gun-hwi’s defense.

Pabababang!

As the whip raged fiercely, Seo Gun-hwi was driven into a corner. But Seo Gun-hwi wasn’t just taking the hits.

He gritted his teeth, looking for a chance to counterattack.

After enduring and enduring, Seo Gun-hwi finally found his chance.

The moment his opponent’s breath hitched and broke for a split second, the whip’s power also weakened significantly.

Just as Seo Gun-hwi aimed for that gap and thrust his sword—

Ttarang!

Suddenly, a bell on Mi-bu’s wrist let out a clear sound.

The unexpected sound of the bell struck Seo Gun-hwi’s eardrums.

“Keoheok!”

Seo Gun-hwi let out a scream and collapsed.

It wasn’t a simple bell sound; a Sound Art had struck his eardrums.

For a moment, all his senses were distorted, and he couldn’t even stand properly.

“Cowardly… using a Sound Art…”

“Hoho! You really are a delicately raised Young Master. What do methods matter? As long as you win, that’s all that counts.”

Mi-bu sneered at Seo Gun-hwi.

Her face was full of a victor’s confidence.

Now that she had captured the most troublesome person, subduing the Great Pearl Trading Company would be a piece of cake. She naturally assumed her subordinates would have subdued all the escorts of the Great Pearl Trading Company and looked around. But soon, the smile vanished completely from her face.

All of her subordinates, except for herself, were lying on the ground.

“Wha-what?”