The Return of the Sword God Chapter 125 : I Won’t Accept It. -02

Chapter 125: I Won’t Accept It. -02

At the lonely sound of the door closing, Namgung Ho ca back to his senses.

Yet his mouth was still hanging open.

“Ha.”

At the sight he could hardly believe even after witnessing it himself, Namgung Ho stared at the now-empty spot with a dumbfounded expression.

He had never imagined he would be rejected so cleanly in a single stroke.

He had even gone so far as to cling to him.

Even after experiencing it firsthand, Namgung Ho could hardly believe it.

“What kind of confidence is that? Or does he have sothing he’s relying on?”

Although the Law King was at Shaolin Temple, being in the sa tier did not an their levels were identical.

Moreover, the martial arts they had accumulated were different.

If Damhyeon excelled in Long Arm and Long Leg Technique, then like Ban Hojin, he himself was a swordsman.

Of course, he was about half a step below Ban Hojin, but the difference was exceedingly slight.

It was small enough that it could be overturned at any mont.

And yet Ban Hojin had rejected his proposal without even the slightest hesitation.

Because of that, Namgung Ho could not help but be puzzled.

“If it’s confidence without basis, then he won’t be able to develop any further. But if it’s confidence with a reason behind it….”

Namgung Ho swallowed dryly.

Even now, his skill was more than sufficient to be called one of the Murim Ten Kings.

In truth, even if he stagnated, Ban Hojin would reign as a powerhouse of Murim for decades to co.

But if there truly was sothing Ban Hojin relied upon, if there was a clear reason behind that confidence, then it was certain he would soon rise to the position everyone yearned for.

“The Greatest Under Heaven.”

The very seat that Namgung Ho himself dread of.

But no matter how many people dread of it and set it as their goal, not just anyone could sit in that position.

That was why Namgung Ho had made the proposal to Ban Hojin.

If the Namgung Family and Ban Hojin joined forces, the likelihood of becoming the Greatest Under Heaven would increase dramatically.

“Logically speaking, it’s the forr. But my instincts are telling it’s the latter.”

Judging calmly and coldly, Ban Hojin’s confidence was excessive—far too excessive.

The world was never that easy.

And yet his instincts, his intuition, were speaking intensely.

For so reason, it felt like the latter.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Caught between reason and instinct, Namgung Ho tapped the table.

But no matter how much he pondered, a clear conclusion did not co easily.

Instead, thoughts of a safeguard kept surfacing in his mind.

Even if Ban Hojin stagnated at his current level, letting him slip away made no sense.

More precisely, he did not want to lose Ban Hojin to the Sichuan Tang Family or the Hebei Peng Family.

The Namgung Family—at the very least, he himself—had never once lost sothing he desired to another.

“Is there only one way?”

No matter how much he thought, no brilliant stratagem ca to mind.

In that case, though it might be trite, following the orthodox path might be one option.

At so point, amidst the mountains now thick with the breath of spring, Ban Hojin walked side by side with Nan Hui-ju.

Behind them followed not only their companions but around a hundred martial artists.

Most appeared to be in their early twenties, and every one of them stole glances at Ban Hojin and his group with eyes filled with admiration.

“Looking at them like that, they seem like quite a well-matched pair.”

“Not in my eyes.”

“That’s because you’ve got ulterior motives.”

Watching the backs of the man and woman strolling through the forest thick with the scent of grass, Seo Jo-woon wore a faint smile.

They seed mismatched at first glance, yet sohow oddly well-suited.

But when Murong Cheok grumbled at the sight, Jeong I-ryong let out a snicker and spoke.

“Ulterior motives?”

“You’ve been subtly pushing your younger sister forward, haven’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Avoiding his friend Jeong I-ryong’s gaze, Murong Cheok answered as if nothing was amiss.

Yet his voice trembled ever so slightly—enough for anyone to notice.

“Your voice is shaking?”

“You misheard.”

“I don’t think so.”

Jeong I-ryong grinned mischievously and looked toward Seon Woo-bang and Seo Jo-woon.

As if asking how they had heard it.

Both nodded in agreent with Jeong I-ryong’s words.

“What I’m saying is, it’s not our place to step in. Frankly, even for , I wouldn’t like it if you all got involved.”

“Ah, that’s not just ‘wouldn’t like it’—that’s only natural. They say matters between a man and a woman aren’t for third parties to ddle in.”

Seo Jo-woon waved his hands vigorously.

Because they were close, he thought it all the more important to recognize the line that must not be crossed.

Interest was fine, but involvent was unwelco.

“Exactly. It’s the sa for us. You wouldn’t like it if we started telling you what to do about your marriage, right?”

“Precisely.”

“Ugh!”

Unlike Seon Woo-bang, Seo Jo-woon, and Jeong I-ryong, who all agreed with one another, Murong Cheok let out a groan.

In truth, he was in the sa position.

But once Murong Heesu beca entangled in it, he could not agree so readily.

It was not rely that they were like family—she might truly beco family. And so Murong Cheok found himself unable to move either forward or back.

“There was no need to personally guide them.”

“I thought so at first too. But after thinking it over carefully, I realized there couldn’t be a better opportunity than this.”

“I told you, you’re clever.”

“You an that’s just a refined way of saying I’m sly?”

Nan Hui-ju asked with a mischievous smile.

As though she already knew his intentions.

But Ban Hojin did not yield so easily.

“That wasn’t what I ant.”

“Really? If that’s the case, that’s a relief. Honestly, I was a bit worried. I thought my brother might dislike it if we stepped forward.”

“Why would I dislike it? Thanks to you, things are easier for in many ways.”

“Still, we won’t be of much help in battle.”

Nan Hui-ju spoke bluntly.

The hundred people following behind were carefully selected even among the mbers of the Hao Sect.

They had been chosen solely for their potential and promise, in Hao Sect’s judgnt.

But from the perspective of Ban Hojin’s group, they were little more than baggage.

“We’re going to capture the Blue and Red Twin Fiends. The fact that they’re not running away is qualification enough. It’s not as if having us guarantees we can kill them. Nor does it guarantee we’ll all return alive.”

“But if they survive, they’ll surely gain much. Many things, tangible and intangible. And to obtain sothing great, you must be prepared to lose greatly. If you only walk the safe road, you’ll never strike it rich.”

Nan Hui-ju spoke with a resolute expression.

In truth, the most dangerous person present here, no matter what anyone said, was her.

Though she was the Rumor Lord of the Hao Sect, Nan Hui-ju was also the weakest among them.

After eting Ban Hojin, her level had advanced by leaps and bounds thanks to the martial arts she had acquired, yet even so, she did not reach the level of a First Rate Martial Artist.

Moreover, as far as Ban Hojin knew, she had little real combat experience. She was weaker even than the ordinary mbers of the newly organized Flying Heaven Unit.

Of course, she had her own personal Escort Guard assigned to her, but no one knew what might happen in actual combat.

“I agree with you, but it’s still dangerous. There’s no place that’s absolutely safe.”

“That’s true. And the sa goes even for the Main Sect. Besides, do you really think my brother would just sit still if I were in danger?”

“If you rely only on , you’ll regret it badly.”

“Of course not. I’ve prepared in my own way. I didn’t co here without thinking.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Ban Hojin did not press the matter any further.

Beyond this point, it would an doubting Nan Hui-ju’s ability, so he simply chose to trust her.

And he also knew why she felt compelled to go this far.

“Thank you for worrying about .”

“As you said, you’re just a younger acquaintance.”

“What’s the difference between a friend and a younger acquaintance?”

“An acquaintance?”

“Tch!”

At Ban Hojin’s complete lack of consideration of her as a woman, Nan Hui-ju pouted.

Yet even under her sharp gaze, Ban Hojin did not budge in the slightest.

“Still, it’s impressive that you managed to track down the Blue and Red Twin Fiends. I acknowledge the Hao Sect’s information network, but I thought it wouldn’t be easy to find them. If their movents were that easy to trace, the Public Enemies of Murim wouldn’t have survived this long.”

“We were lucky. The Eight Evils had been lying low for quite so ti. They occasionally let news of their survival slip out, but they weren’t as active as when they were at the height of their infamy.”

“That’s true.”

Ban Hojin nodded as he recalled his mories.

The last ti the Eight Evils caused a major incident had been three years ago, as far as he rembered.

It wasn’t a particularly long ti, but neither was it exactly short.

“Compared to the other Eight Evils, the Blue and Red Twin Fiends stand out far more. They’re an unusual duo, and they always wear those striking Blue Martial Robes and Red Martial Robes.”

“It’s a display of confidence. As if daring others to capture them if they can.”

“Yet the mont one of the Murim Ten Kings makes a move, they flee first.”

Nan Hui-ju scoffed.

They did not have even the slightest shred of consistency.

The Eight Evils were strong only against those weaker than themselves.

She despised such people.

“In a way, it’s precisely because they have that much sense that they’ve survived until now. If they were foolish, they would have been exterminated long ago. They have many enemies.”

“Even so, we must be careful. The combined formation of the Blue and Red Twin Fiends is Unrivaled in Jianghu.”

“It’s certainly famous.”

Ban Hojin nodded.

Individually, each mber of the Blue and Red Twin Fiends was not particularly strong compared to the other Eight Evils.

asured across the entire Jianghu, they were undoubtedly outstanding. But compared to the other Eight Evils, they clearly fell short.

And yet, not only had they survived, they had secured a place among the Eight Evils. That was due to their combined formation, worthy of being called Unrivaled in Jianghu.

“Combined formations perford by twins are frightening to begin with, but the martial arts mastered by the Blue and Red Twin Fiends seem even more special. It’s as if the martial art itself is exceptional. Among all combined formations perford by two people, the forr Ten Great Masters Under Heaven even evaluated theirs as having the highest level of completion.”

“It is indeed at a remarkable level.”

“Hm? You speak as if you’ve seen it yourself?”

Walking beside him, Nan Hui-ju widened her eyes.

The way he spoke sounded like soone who had witnessed it firsthand.

“I’ve heard a few things here and there.”

Ban Hojin smiled aningfully.

In this life, he had never t them. But in his previous life, not only had he encountered them, he had even fought them directly.

And the result had been the deaths of the Blue and Red Twin Fiends.

He had run into them by chance just before the Four Tyrants of the World started a war. At that ti, the Blue and Red Twin Fiends had burned an entire village of fire-field farrs to the ground rely for their own amusent.

They had claid they were bored and wanted to hunt humans.

Passing by and witnessing it by chance, Ban Hojin had recognized them at a glance and executed them on the spot.

“Really? Well, soone at your level is bound to hear many things.”

Though she felt a faintly strange sensation, Nan Hui-ju soon accepted it.

She knew that many capable people surrounded Ban Hojin.

Even the Beggars’ Sect and the Geum Family Estate, though specializing in different areas, possessed information networks comparable to that of the Hao Sect.

“Still, we need to be cautious. The Eight Evils aren’t particularly close to each other, but they’re not enemies either. If we’re unlucky, other mbers of the Eight Evils might show up.”

“I’ve already confird everything, so there’s no need to frighten . Did you think I wouldn’t have checked that as well? I’ve identified the current locations of all the Eight Evils.”

“There’s always the possibility that information has leaked. The more people involved, the more cracks there are bound to be. Not everyone is loyal to their affiliation. Even the Main Temple was like that.”

Nan Hui-ju’s expression turned serious for a mont.

She knew exactly which incident he was referring to.

Even the great Shaolin Temple could not know every detail about its own disciples. The Hao Sect was no different.

No—if anything, the Hao Sect was even more vulnerable.

“I’ll need to look into this separately. There are certainly those who have connections with the Eight Evils.”

It was not just anyone who had said this—it was Ban Hojin.

One could say it was rely to heighten vigilance, but better safe than sorry.

There was no harm in checking once more.

Especially since their opponent was the Eight Evils, whom even the Orthodox Martial World had failed to capture for over a decade.

—We will investigate imdiately.