Pungcheon Baek was still standing there, watching them. It would be difficult enough to deal with Manripyo, but if they offended Annihilation Sword’s temper here, the situation would only worsen. After a brief thought, the Namgung Clan warriors chose not to create unnecessary conflict.
“…Sorry for the disturbance. Let’s go, Jeong-yeong, Cheon-yeong.”
He looked around, then slowly turned and began to leave the inn. Around them, people breathed sighs of relief and refocused on the play. It was now an exciting scene where Unbaek Ryeon, with Mu Jin-yak behind him, was confronting Gang Mun.
It had been briefly tense, but Ak Mujin was relieved that a pointless battle hadn’t broken out, and he was just about to raise his glass when Jin Geum-ryeon picked up a peanut and, skillfully hiding his hand under the table, launched a Finger Flicking Skill.
“……!”
“Brother Munhong?”
With a swoosh, Namgung Munhong, who was guarding the front of the Namgung group, drew his sword and split the peanut that had flown at him in half. Namgung Munhong, seeing the peanut fall to the floor, quickly turned his head in the direction it had come from.
“…Who is it!”
Coincidentally, Pungcheon Baek was sitting in the seat directly below Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin. Namgung Munhong couldn’t help but think that Pungcheon Baek, with whom he had already had a run-in, was provoking him again.
‘Jin Geum-ryeon! Are you crazy?’
‘Just watch. It’ll be more fun than the play.’
Ak Mujin urgently called out to Jin Geum-ryeon via Telepathic Transmission, but Jin Geum-ryeon still looked down at the Namgung Clan warriors with a relaxed attitude. He had gone and created a fight for no reason!
If a melee broke out here, it would be a natural consequence for the Martial Alliance to come crashing in… Thinking about that, Ak Mujin’s head ached, and he frowned, clutching his forehead.
Wait. Did the Martial Alliance crashing in mean that he had intended to call Namgung Eui back from the start? Could it be because I kept talking about Namgung Eui? Ak Mujin squinted at Jin Geum-ryeon.
“Manripyo. How can you act so recklessly!”
Of course, Pungcheon Baek, who had done nothing, was in a situation where he felt wronged. He looked at Namgung Munhong, who was pointing his sword at him, with a bewildered expression. For Pungcheon Baek, he had no choice but to draw his weapon when Namgung Munhong raised his sword and made a fuss at him.
“…What did I do this time?”
Pungcheon Baek picked up his Wolf Fang Staff and rose from his seat with a very uncomfortable look on his face. Namgung Munhong was even more enraged by his brazen attitude. It was as if everything he had been holding back throughout the play had exploded, and he shouted.
“I was going to let it go, even though you’re from the Demon Sect, but you’re so shameless! The evidence is clear, and you’re still denying it?”
Namgung Munhong pointed to the peanut that had been split in half and fallen to the floor with the tip of his sword. But what would Pungcheon Baek know about it? He simply tilted his head slightly.
“I don’t know… Are you starting a fight over a mere peanut? Hah, the Namgung Clan isn’t anything special after all.”
At those words, not only Namgung Munhong but also the two warriors standing beside him turned red and blue in the face. Namgung Munhong finally shouted, veins popping out of his neck.
“Guys! Deploy the Lesser Azure Sky Boundless Sword Formation!”
Ak Mujin was startled. He was going to see the Lesser Azure Sky Boundless Sword Formation here?!
Ah, no.
Were they going to start a full-blown brawl here, even using a combined attack technique? But by the time he hurriedly grabbed the railing and looked down, all three Namgung Clan warriors were already excited, taking their positions and drawing their swords.
‘Jin Geum-ryeon! The inn is going to be destroyed!’
‘Then I’ll pay for the repairs.’
Jin Geum-ryeon replied simply and smiled at Ak Mujin. Ak Mujin’s face went blank.
The fight began without anyone saying who would go first, as Pungcheon Baek stood proudly in his place, readjusting his Wolf Fang Staff. The Namgung Clan warriors’ skills were impressive as they relentlessly unleashed Sword Aura and supported each other, driving Pungcheon Baek back, but Pungcheon Baek’s skills in blocking the relentless attacks were also formidable.
As Pungcheon Baek swung his Wolf Fang Staff, a table lightly shattered and flew away. The people inside the inn, who had been terrified and unable to escape, finally panicked and began to rush out of the building.
Meanwhile, Jin Geum-ryeon called Janghyo, and Janghyo quickly left the inn according to his instructions.
“Save me!”
“Get out, get out! Get out!”
“Jinae, come here!”
The situation on the stage was no different. The actors, still in their elaborate costumes, hurriedly ran off the stage and rushed to the exit. Screams erupted everywhere, turning the place into a scene of chaos.
At first, Ak Mujin had been excited at the thought of seeing the Namgung Clan’s formation, but once people started running around in a frenzy, he couldn’t find any interest in the situation.
Just as he was about to get up from his seat, unable to just stand by and watch, Jin Geum-ryeon grabbed Ak Mujin’s arm.
“Where are you going? Aren’t you having fun?”
Ak Mujin looked at the smiling Jin Geum-ryeon with eyes filled with astonishment. No, even so, in the original story, he was the hero of the Orthodox Sect, saving the poor commoners and taking care of them, but now he was saying this was ‘fun’? What kind of shock had turned him into this? Is this really because of me too?!
“People are going to get hurt!”
When Ak Mujin replied urgently with a serious attitude, Jin Geum-ryeon blinked at him. He seemed to think for a moment, then looked down and, spotting a piece of furniture flying towards the people, launched a Finger Wind to divert it. It soon crashed into an empty wall and shattered.
With that, everyone had escaped. Only then could Ak Mujin calm his rapidly beating heart. Now, Jin Geum-ryeon rested his chin on his hand and looked at Ak Mujin.
“…I was right about you.”
Ak Mujin could only blink, not knowing what he meant. At that moment, Namgung Munhong shouted.
“You’ll pay dearly for ignoring us!”
“You Orthodox Sect people are truly strange! There was no reason to ignore you in the first place, but what are you relying on to be so arrogant? It seems the descriptions in the play weren’t false?”
Pungcheon Baek mocked the Namgung Clan warriors and leaped forward. His massive frame jumped as lightly as a butterfly, and soon the heavy Wolf Fang Staff was brought down on the head of the leader, Namgung Munhong. In that brief moment, Namgung Munhong used his Agility Technique to quickly retreat.
Ak Mujin clicked his tongue inwardly. As befitting his title of Manripyo, he was as light and fast as the wind. Namgung Munhong was caught up in Manripyo’s provocation and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Yes, that play…!”
Namgung Munhong seemed to remember something and turned his gaze towards the second floor. Jin Geum-ryeon was leaning against the railing with a relaxed attitude, wiggling his fingers.
“You guys deliberately staged that play!”
As soon as those words were spoken, Pungcheon Baek frowned as if he were hearing nonsense. But Ak Mujin thought that Namgung Munhong’s statement wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Wasn’t this inn run by the Sandow Union?
Namgung Munhong pointed his finger at Jin Geum-ryeon, then put strength in his legs and leaped. The Namgung Clan warriors were still facing Pungcheon Baek, and only Namgung Munhong flew to the railing in front of the table where Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin were sitting.
No, why are you coming up here leaving your brothers behind? Are they even skilled enough to stop Pungcheon Baek? Before Ak Mujin could take any action, Jin Geum-ryeon gracefully rose from his seat and kicked the chair away with his foot. Namgung Munhong shattered the chair flying straight at him with his sword. From below, the sound of blunt weapons and swords clashing continued to be heard.
Jin Geum-ryeon maintained his relaxed attitude, still with his hands behind his back, easily dodging Namgung Munhong’s sword and said. This time, he had no intention of witnessing Ak Mujin getting hurt, so he occasionally glanced at Ak Mujin to be wary.
“What reason would I have to stage such a play and expend so much effort to ‘merely’ mock the Namgung Clan? But seeing you so obsessed with that shoddy play, it seems you have something to hide. Was it true that you disowned the heir of your family with your own hands?”
“Jin Geum-ryeon!”
Namgung Munhong shouted at the smiling Jin Geum-ryeon and was about to rush at him again. Jin Geum-ryeon still showed no intention of drawing a weapon, let alone retaliating in any way.
Namgung Munhong’s skills were formidable in their own right. But compared to Namgung Munhong, who was even using the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword, Jin Geum-ryeon, who was simply tilting his body to dodge or occasionally using the hilt of his sword to lightly block his movements when necessary, looked leisurely.
Ak Mujin watched this and inwardly admired and praised him. Well, it would be ridiculous if the leader of a large group was struggling against a warrior from a Martial Clan, but still, Namgung Munhong was working so hard that it was almost pitiful.
By the time Namgung Munhong’s breathing was getting rough, the two Namgung Clan warriors who had been facing Pungcheon Baek had already been thrown far away.
Five Martial Alliance members burst into the chaotic inn. The one at the front was none other than Namgung Eui. Ak Mujin saw Janghyo peeking inside behind them. It seemed that Jin Geum-ryeon had brought the Martial Alliance members through him.
Namgung Eui seemed quite tired, having come to this inn twice in one day. He looked at the literally ruined inn and was at a loss for words.
Ak Mujin and the people inside the inn felt the presence of people and looked at the entrance. Pungcheon Baek stopped chasing Namgung Munhong and put down his Wolf Fang Staff first, and the two Namgung Clan warriors also dusted off their clothes and staggered to their feet, but only Namgung Munhong was still swinging his sword at Jin Geum-ryeon.
Namgung Eui spotted a familiar piece of clothing fluttering on the second-floor railing and, without ordering anyone, quickly jumped up and quickly subdued Namgung Munhong by striking his Acupoint.
“Uncle Munhong, please calm down.”
“Release me! How can you just stand by when these Demon Sect bastards are mocking us!”
Namgung Eui’s gaze turned to Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon raised his empty hands to him as if to say he was innocent.