The two men locked gazes.
Baek Suryong had never seen this man before, either in this life or the last. He wore a wide, navy blue robe and carried a sword at his waist. Except for a scar on his lip, the man's aura was so ordinary that he was difficult to distinguish from the many martial artists on the street.
However, the instant their eyes met, a killing intent bubbled up within Baek Suryong. Before he knew it, a chilling smile had crept onto his face.
I'll kill him.
He had never felt such a fierce urge to kill a stranger on sight before.
He made his decision instantly. Concealing his killing intent, he started walking naturally toward the man.
Immediately, he withdrew his energy. The martial artists, who had grown wary for a moment, tilted their heads in confusion before continuing on their way.
He had never felt such a fierce urge to kill a stranger on sight before. This was not a killing born of necessity, but rather a desperate, instinctual need to annihilate this person.
He lightly flexed his fingers, ready to grip his sword hilt at any moment.
I won't let him get away.
Baek Suryong walked at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
The man stood motionless, studying him with interest. The worm-like scar at the corner of his twisted mouth writhed as he did so, grating on Baek Suryong's nerves.
The distance between them gradually narrowed. Thirty meters became fifteen in a matter of moments. Hundreds of people passed between them, but in Baek Suryong's eyes, only his opponent existed.
Before he knew it, a chilling smile had crept onto his face.
Occasionally, a pedestrian forced him to pause, though.
They're in the way. I should clear them all out.
Baek Suryong raised his right hand casually, causing a gust of wind to swirl around his feet and spread slowly outward in a circle.
WHOOOSH!
"I'm Jang Sam," he said.
The keener martial artists flinched at the sudden updraft.
The man watching Baek Suryong asked, "Are you going to do that here?"
Baek Suryong had been about to fold space and charge at his opponent in a single step. Upon hearing the man's question, however, he stopped and slowly looked around.
The city was still noisy. Hundreds of people crowded the streets. Merchants and pedestrians haggled at the stalls. Waiters called out to customers, and loud, merry drunks chattered away. Martial artists of all ages had traveled far and wide to attend the Heavenly Martial Festival.
He could even sense the child he had given candy to moments ago, munching on the sweet treat while his father scolded him.
The only thing he knew for certain was that Cheon Mugyeol was a supreme master on par with the Ten Supremes.
Immediately, he withdrew his energy. The martial artists, who had grown wary for a moment, tilted their heads in confusion before continuing on their way.
Just what was I about to do...?
Baek Suryong frowned. A moment ago, he had been ready to strike with all his might, heedless of his surroundings, despite knowing full well that a single careless gesture from a peerless master could devastate an area dozens of meters across.
The man blinked in surprise. "Is the corruption progressing more slowly than I thought? Or...are you resisting it even after reaching that level?"
Baek Suryong turned to face him. The scar near the man's mouth twitched with every word, fueling his simmering killing intent. With great effort, he suppressed it and asked calmly, "Who are you?"
"Cheon Mugyeol."
Cheon Mugyeol approached Baek Suryong. His gait was so ordinary that one would think he had never learned martial arts.
Turning away, he strode into the crowd.
Yet, it was precisely this ordinariness that made Baek Suryong all the more anxious. This meant that the man was a master who had accomplished Origin Reversal.1
Cheon Mugyeol?
The martial artists noticed that something was amiss, but they did not bother searching any further.
Baek Suryong's eyebrows twitched. The name was unfamiliar, yet it felt strangely so, but the man's presence mattered far more right now. He felt a tension he had never known even while sharing a room with the Supreme Buddha, the Murim Alliance Chairman, and the Heavenly Martial Principal.
I can't... gauge him.
The only thing he knew for certain was that Cheon Mugyeol was a supreme master on par with the Ten Supremes.
"Now that you've heard my name, isn't it your turn to give me yours?" Cheon Mugyeol asked, cocking his head questioningly.
The distance between them was now only three meters. For peerless masters, that was close enough to perceive each other's breathing.
Stay calm.
Baek Suryong's gaze turned chillingly calm. His greatest strength was the ability to survey his surroundings, read his opponent, and make a judgment in any situation.
I'm wearing a human skin mask right now. He can't know who I am.
Of course, the man had probably noticed the mask, but there was no way he could see the face beneath it.
Baek Suryong decided to test him. "I'm Jang Sam," he said.
"Don't play games with me." Cheon Mugyeol laughed fiercely, glaring at Baek Suryong.
Suddenly, a transparent barrier of energy enveloped them both.
Did you find one on your side?" Baek Suryong, who had scouted the nearby taverns in that brief time, asked.
"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Baek Suryong."
Baek Suryong detected a potent killing intent, equal to his own, emanating from Cheon Mugyeol's piercing gaze. He too had been barely holding himself back.
He fell silent for a moment, then chuckled. "How about we go somewhere else? Two guys staring each other down in the middle of the street must look pretty suspicious to anyone passing by."
Cheon Mugyeol nodded readily. "There are already people watching us. Can you shake them off discreetly without using martial arts?"
"...Are you questioning my skills? Now this is new."
The distance between them was now only three meters. For peerless masters, that was close enough to perceive each other's breathing.
"Show me those skills I've only heard rumors about."
"You probably did that to escape the Blood Cult. If a valuable candidate for the Blood Demon were to self-harm, it would cause an uproar. You used the chaos to carry out your escape plan, right?"
The two men spun around simultaneously and disappeared into the crowd.
Shortly after, the martial artists who had been observing them glanced around, confused.
"What? Where'd they go?"
"Those two from before? I could've sworn they were about to fight..."
Only through their own judgment and intuition could the truth be sifted out and a weakness discovered.
"Hah! It's like they vanished into thin air!"
With so many martial artists converging on Hubei, the region was swarming with scouts from the Murim Alliance, the Beggars' Gang, the Rogues' Guild, and the government. Everyone was on the lookout for Blood Cult infiltration or clashes between martial artists, ready to step in at the slightest sign of trouble.
And if their barely suppressed killing intent were to explode, the entire city would be devastated.
"I didn't sense any martial arts being used..."