Indeed, people could look completely different depending on how they dressed.
That was the first thought that came to mind the moment the Baekcheon Sword Lord suddenly appeared.
When he had gone around dressed in rags, he had merely seemed like a middle-aged man with a certain air about him.
But just by putting on neat clothes and adopting a slightly more refined bearing, he could change so drastically.
It was truly fascinating.
‘No, this isn’t the time for that.’
This was not the time to be judging his appearance or anything else.
What mattered was why he was here at this hour.
Moyong Tae, the Baekcheon Sword Lord, was glaring at me while radiating a murderous aura.
Seeing that, I asked him,
“…Why is the Moyong Family Head here…?”
“I came out for a walk at night.”
At Moyong Tae’s reply, I stared at him blankly.
While emitting that kind of battle intent?
Anyone looking at Moyong Tae’s current appearance would know he had not come out for a walk.
‘Could that man really be planning to kill me?’
The thought briefly crossed my mind, but I decided that could not be the case.
Surely, the head of one of the Four Great Families would not suddenly appear alone and attempt an assassination.
If he caused a disturbance in Henan in such a manner, he would be unable to deal with the consequences that followed.
Moyong Tae would know that even better than I did.
Having thought that far, I offered him a slight bow.
“…I understand. It was an honor to meet you, Family Head Moyong. Then, I hope you enjoy your walk.”
I should get away from here first.
Having made that decision, I tried to move away.
But when I turned around—
Whoosh-!
A brief gust of wind brushed past my face.
Shhk-!
A vicious sound rang out, and the trees in the path of the wind were sliced through and toppled over.
“Young hero.”
“...”
At Moyong Tae’s call, I turned my head.
At some point, he had drawn his sword and was looking at me.
A faint sword aura mingled with his battle intent, swelling his presence.
Seeing that, I could only swallow a groan.
“I have yet to hear your answer.”
“…What… answer are you referring to?”
“Your name, young hero. The answer to my question of whether you can tell me your name now. You still haven’t given it.”
An answer about my name?
‘He already knows everything.’
Moyong Tae must already know everything, yet he was deliberately asking for an answer.
“...”
I wondered if this was some kind of trick, but Moyong Tae’s eyes were sincere.
Had that sword strike just now been sincere as well?
Whatever the case, the chilly atmosphere would not change.
‘No matter how I look at it, this isn’t a good situation.’
Things were taking an extremely uncomfortable turn.
How should I deal with this situation?
‘Father?’
Father would be arriving soon.
Once he did, this situation would be resolved.
But the discomfort would remain.
While I was weighed down by my various concerns—
“If you do not wish to answer, you need not do so.”
Moyong Tae slowly pushed his sword back into its sheath.
What was this? He had looked ready to kill me at any moment, and now he was simply planning to leave?
Just like that?
Click.
The entirety of Moyong Tae’s blade disappeared into its sheath.
Watching this, I suddenly asked,
“What will happen if I do not answer?”
At my question, Moyong Tae’s sharp gaze turned toward me.
The sword aura he gave off was anything but ordinary.
“I will return as I am.”
A strange feeling passed through me at Moyong Tae’s answer. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?
Just as I began to think so—
“Of course, I will take my daughter with me.”
“…!”
“The contract we made with the Gu Family will still be carried out as agreed, so there will be no problem. The merchant convoy established in Shanxi will not be withdrawn either, so you need not worry.”
“…Then, what will happen to your daughter’s illness?”
The reason the Moyong Family had provided the Gu Family with so much assistance, and the reason Moyong Hee-ah had stayed by my side until now—
It was to treat Moyong Hee-ah’s illness.
And that treatment was still in progress.
Yet to say he would take Moyong Hee-ah away like this meant he would no longer allow her to receive that treatment.
In response to my concern—or perhaps what was not quite my concern—Moyong Tae replied in a somewhat chilly tone,
“That is a matter for our family to concern itself with. You need not worry about it, young hero.”
“...”
It was a perfectly reasonable statement.
As he said, this was a matter for the Moyong Family, and not something an outsider like me had any right to concern himself with.
Even so, a foreign sensation stabbing into my chest began to tickle at my insides.
The feeling was thoroughly unpleasant.
“So I will ask one last time. Your name. Can you tell me?”
“…What will happen if I tell you?”
“...”
The fact that this choice hinged on something as simple as whether or not I revealed my name meant—
Introducing myself held considerable significance for Moyong Tae.
I wanted to know why.
Moyong Tae stared at me for a moment before placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.
Then he spoke.
“I do not like you, young hero.”
“...”
Instead of an answer, he had abruptly told me that he disliked me.
“I believe you know the reason.”
“…Yes.”
“Even so, if my daughter wishes for it so desperately, and if you are the only means by which she can live, then I believe I must endure it.”
“Then…”
“However.”
Schrring.
The sword that had just been sheathed was drawn once more.
At that moment, sword aura spread through the surroundings.
Confronted by that energy, my entire body tingled and trembled.
Moyong Tae, the Baekcheon Sword Lord.
He was the head of one of the illustrious families known as the Four Great Families.
Yet he was also known as a man whose martial prowess was the weakest among them.
Even so, the fact that the Baekcheon Sword Lord was the head of one of the Four Great Families was no lie.
‘He could cut me with his aura alone.’
The sword aura flowing from him was sharp enough to do this much damage on its own.
I could understand why he was said to be a swordsman who had once fought over the title of Sword King.
“I have no intention of entrusting her to someone who cannot even boldly say his own name.”
“...”
“Even if that is the girl’s happiness, I cannot accept it.”
His presence continued to grow. At this point, there was no way I could fail to understand.
If I gave my name here, the Baekcheon Sword Lord would point his sword at me.
I did not know whether this was some kind of test, or whether he truly wanted to beat me senseless.
But the Baekcheon Sword Lord’s words had struck me in an unusual way.
—I cannot entrust her to someone who cannot even boldly say his own name.
In the first place, I had never taken responsibility for Moyong Hee-ah. I had never done what I was supposed to do for her—and even if I had, it had happened in my previous life.
Now, all of those memories were gone.
They were things only I still remembered.
Moreover, I was confident I had done nothing in this life to deserve being bullied by the Baekcheon Sword Lord.
Then why did I feel so uncomfortable?
Was it because I did not want Moyong Hee-ah to leave?
Why? Because Moyong Hee-ah had feelings for me? Because, unlike in my previous life, our relationship was becoming somewhat better?
Or was it because I needed her, with her sharp mind and her willingness to help me?
“...”
My insides burned.
I wanted to find the answer, but none of them truly resonated with me.
The reason was simple.
I already knew the answer, yet I was trying to find a different one.
“I will ask one last time.”
Moyong Tae questioned me with his sword pointed at me.
I knew.
I knew that answering with my name here would put me at a disadvantage.
The moment I spoke it, I would have to give him a definite answer concerning Moyong Hee-ah.
And on top of that, I might have to exchange martial arts with the Baekcheon Sword Lord.
No— that man would definitely fight.
I could already feel it from his eyes.
I would have to fight a madman who had pointed his sword at a junior who had not even lived half as long as he had.
What kind of ridiculous situation was this?
I did not want to fight a pointless battle.
Not when I did not even know what condition my body was in.
There were more than enough reasons why I should not do this, and more than enough reasons why I did not have to.
But—
“What is your name, young hero?”
“...”
One foolish reason crushed all of them beneath it.
It was an utterly selfish reason.
The selfish, narrow-minded wish that I did not want Moyong Hee-ah to leave.
That pathetic desire pressed down on all my reason.
And so, if the Moyong Family Head spoke to me like this—
There had only ever been one choice I could make.
I steadied my breathing and slowly began to speak. As my breathing loosened, the strength left my body.
At the same time, I raised my hands and performed a cupped-fist salute.
“…A blood relative of the Gu Family of Shanxi greets Family Head Moyong.”
Moyong Tae’s eyes trembled at my words.
“My name is Gu Yangcheon. Though, undeservedly…”
Watching the tip of his sword tremble faintly—
I drew my inner energy upward.
Heat spread throughout my entire body.
As my inner energy rose past my middle dantian and reached my upper dantian—
I could feel my head growing hot.
“I am called… Little Yama.”
It was still an awkward nickname to say with my own mouth. The words made my ears burn the moment they left my lips.
“...”
After sensing my condition, Moyong Tae’s eyes widened until they were as large as lanterns.
By heating my energy all the way to my upper dantian and revealing my presence—
I had made him realize what realm I had reached.
Looking at Moyong Tae, I opened my mouth.
“If it is acceptable to you, Family Head Moyong.”
Heat escaped with my breath.
I did not need to check to know that my eyes were shining red.
Feeling the heat boiling within me—
“I ask that you teach this junior a single move.”
I challenged Moyong Tae to a duel.
Moyong Tae said nothing in response.
He merely straightened the tip of the sword he had pointed at me.
And then—
Rumbleeeee-!
A dense battle intent began to radiate from Moyong Tae’s body.
I took up a stance.
Fwoosh-!
Flames wrapped around my body.
Upon reaching the Transformation Realm, the number of rings in the Nine-Flame Wheel Technique had increased by one.
I enlarged the ring.
The moment my body was completely wrapped in crimson flames—
I kicked off the ground first and charged at Moyong Tae.