Murder to Silence

Posing as a prestigious family—or one of the revered sects like the Namgung family—was not uncommon.

'In fact, it's more common than most people believe'

The Namgung family, along with the other Five Great Clans, had enormous influence, with countless branches. These branches often exploited the family name for personal gain, with some even being outright swindlers. It wasn't unheard of for street vendors to peddle their wares by falsely claiming ties to the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Clans.

'But the Murim Alliance wouldn't waste time chasing after such small-time frauds.'

The Murim Alliance wasn't a leisure organization, nor did they have the resources to investigate every single case. Besides, they didn't need to. These matters were trivial.

However, what if someone falsely claimed to be from the Namgung family and taught a demonic martial art?

"Oh? Namgung Wook, sir? Why do you look so unwell? You've got the expression of someone desperate to relieve himself."

"You little..."

Namgung Wook ground his teeth at my mockery, unable to hide his unease as cold sweat ran down his face.

"You're going to report this to the Murim Alliance? Do you think anything will change if you...?"

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I simply want to boast a little bit. Imagine, saying that someone like me is living in a village where a school teaches the supreme techniques of the Namgung family! Not to mention that their power is so extraordinary that they nearly killed someone. Of course, my remark about it being a demonic art was just a joke. A joke."

It wasn't a joke, and both Namgung Wook and I knew it. So did the goat-bearded man standing next to him, as well as my father, Baek Muheon, who was now giving me a rather peculiar look.

'The more prestigious the clan, the more they despise any association with demonic arts.'

Honor and prestige—those are the two pillars upon which the orthodox sects stake their very lives.

Of course, behind closed doors, they might engage in all sorts of dubious activities, but on the surface, they pride themselves on upholding righteousness and chivalry. Therefore, they would never tolerate any insult to their perceived sense of justice.

"Isn't that joke a bit too much!"

"Oh, come on. Do you really think the Murim Alliance would kill you—or rather, us—just because of a little joke?"

"Gulp..."

When I made a slicing gesture across my neck, Namgung Wook's face turned as pale as a ghost. For such a big guy, he sure was gullible.

[What on earth are you thinking?]

It was then that I heard my father's voice in my mind. I glanced sideways at him, and he was staring at me with a furrowed brow.

[Are you certain that what they're teaching is a demonic art? Is that why you said what you did?]

Since I couldn't respond through telepathy yet, I gave a slight nod as if to say 'Trust me, Father. I've got this under control.'

Whether my intentions were fully understood or not, it seemed my father had decided to watch how I handled the situation for now.

I took a moment to scan the crowd gathered around us, then spoke up, ensuring everyone could hear.

"Just to clear up any misunderstandings, why don't we make sure of everything? While we're at it, let's send a message to the Namgung Clan as well. We could let them know that the illustrious Namgung Wook has opened a martial arts school here and perhaps even ask for their blessings. Maybe they could also verify the supreme techniques that Yang Sam has learned…"

"Shut your mouth!"

My taunting tone turned Namgung Wook's face a furious red. If looks could kill, he would have murdered me a dozen times over by now.

I flashed a mocking smile. "What's wrong? You scared?"

"You little—do you have a death wish…?!"

He looked like he was about to lash out, but with so many eyes on him, he hesitated. He had gathered this crowd himself, and now he was trapped by their watchful gazes.

Murmurs began to spread through the crowd.

"What's all this about?"

"Sounds like that Namgung guy might be a fraud."

"Man, these martial artists sure do have a way with words. Why don't they just fight already if they're gonna fight?"

"Actually, we only came here to watch a fight."

"Just wait a bit longer. Looks like there's about to be a throw down."

The onlookers, sensing the tension, started to understand that this situation was far from ordinary. The shift in public sentiment caused Namgung Wook's expression to twist with anxiety, resembling a puppy about to take a shit. He couldn't help but glance nervously to the side.

Where his gaze landed, the goat-bearded man stood, frowning slightly.

'Ah, so he's the real mastermind.'

From the beginning, something had felt off. The thug-like Namgung Wook didn't seem like someone capable of orchestrating such a scheme.

As expected, the goat-bearded man stepped forward.

"Excuse me, young man," he said.

I met his gaze calmly as he addressed me with a soft smile. However, beneath that smile, I could sense a hidden malice.

"Can you take responsibility for what you've just said?"

"Responsibility? For what?"

"You've accused us of using the Namgung name to teach demonic martial arts. Have you considered the consequences of making such claims without evidence? You might regret it later."

If this incident escalates and rumors start to spread, it won't end with just an investigation by the Martial Alliance. There's a possibility that warriors from the Namgung clan might actually show up here in person.

If the self-proclaimed Namgung Wook really has been teaching demonic martial arts, he might find himself beheaded by the Namgung clan's sword. But what if that's not the case?

"Do you realize how dangerous what you're doing right now is, young man? Demonic martial arts? The Namgung clan won't leave you alone just for being associated with such filthy rumors."

Exactly. If I'm wrong, I'll be the one to suffer the backlash. After all, I'd be the one spreading baseless, dirty rumors about the Namgung clan.

The goat-bearded man turned to my father and offered a respectful bow.

"Master of the Baek Academy, it seems that both sides have become quite emotional today. Let's avoid unnecessary trouble and keep what was said here to ourselves. Perhaps we should set another date to discuss this."

In other words, what the goat-bearded man was really saying was this:

'You're accusing us of teaching demonic martial arts? If you keep running your mouth without evidence, you might end up dead. So, let's just settle this peacefully and back down.'

Martial arts can't be easily categorized as righteous or demonic just by looking at traces. There are cruel techniques even in righteous martial arts, and some demonic martial arts can be as rigid and principled just as those of the righteous sects.

Unless you know the specific formulas and see the techniques firsthand, it's almost impossible to distinguish the type of martial art. But "almost" doesn't mean that nobody can make that distinction at all.

A thin smile crept onto my face.

"Do you think I'm going to be scared by that?"

"Hold on, young man..."

"Where do you lowly demonic scum get off trying to pull this nonsense?"

Sure, I might have been part of the Blood Cult, one of the most notorious demonic sects, but let's overlook the small stuff for now.

"!!"

At my words, the goat-bearded man's expression hardened like stone.

I had no intention of backing down. I was certain that the Jin Academy had been teaching demonic martial arts to its disciples.

How could I be so sure without even seeing the techniques myself?

'Well, that's because I was an instructor who taught demonic martial arts for over ten years.'

Every movement Namgung Wook and the goat-bearded man made, the way their bodies instinctively reacted, and even the tense postures of the disciples standing behind them—all of that was evidence to me.

"So, who are you really? Judging by the looks of you, it seems like you've disguised yourselves as a local martial arts school to expand your influence."

This was, after all, a common tactic used by demonic sects for ages.

"…Ha."

The goat-bearded man looked at me with a drained expression. Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing.

"Haha… Puhahahaha!"

The intensity of his killing intent made my skin crawl. His laughter was so charged with internal energy that it made my ears hurt.

His demeanor and posture began to change.

Crack, crack!

The previously hunched back straightened, and his formerly thin, scholar-like frame transformed into a muscular one.

'No wonder his posture seemed unnatural—he was using the Body-morphing Technique.'

The man, now a robust figure, glared at me as if he were about to devour me. He had nearly transformed into a different person, but the goat beard remained unchanged.

I assessed his level.

'He's probably just at the entry level of a first-class warrior.'

A master harder to find than wild ginseng in a countryside village like this.

No longer interested in concealing his identity, he unleashed a palpable killing intent, his eyes fixed on me.

"You're no ordinary person. How did you figure out who we are?"

"That's a trade secret."

My playful tone made his eyebrows twitch furiously.

"Seems you haven't grasped the situation yet. Fine. Let's see how long you can keep up this bravado."

Thud!

He stomped heavily, leaving a large footprint on the stone floor of the training area.

"Stop! Anyone who moves a single step from now on will be killed!"

A dense killing intent enveloped the training ground.

Some of the Jin Academy disciples who had been standing behind the goat-bearded man leapt to block the academy's main gate.

The spectators, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned pale as they tried to withdraw.

"P-please spare us."

"We didn't see anything!"

"We won't say a word!"

Those unable to withstand the killing intent cowered and trembled, begging for their lives. Among them was Mr. Jang from the cloth shop, clutching his son tightly. Jang's son, struggling in his father's arms, shouted out.

"You evil bastards! You'll all be dead by Master Baek's hands!"

"Shut up and stay still!"

The goat-bearded man glanced at them before turning his attention back to me, a sneering smile on his lips.

"You little brat. Because of you, everyone here is going to die."

Kill to silence.

Those whose identities had been exposed intended to eliminate all witnesses.

"I'll show you clearly what happens when a powerless person oversteps their bounds."

The goat-bearded man grinned wickedly as he advanced toward me.