HDCLSSRS Ch 89

Chapter 89 Do You Like Me? (3)

“Why the Jongnam Sect?”

When the disciples guarding the gate came running with the report, Ma Jincheon was quite taken aback.

The Jongnam Sect was one of the Nine Great Sects located in Shaanxi Province, just like Mount Hua. Due to the proximity, there had been frequent exchanges between the two sects. However, sudden and unannounced visits like this were extremely rare.

“They say they have something to discuss with the Sect Leader regarding the Henan incident.”

“…Understood. I’ll head there immediately.”

Ma Jincheon, accompanied by Wang Hojun who had just come to make a report, made his way to the reception hall where they were being hosted. On the way, he asked Wang Hojun in a low and hurried voice,

“Are you absolutely sure Ryeoil is still with Elder Heo?”

“Yes, sir. I saw him go in with my own eyes. Elder Heo must be quite furious, so he’ll probably be detained for a while.”

It was a stroke of luck.

Baek Ryeoil’s violent temper spared no one, whether they were disciples of Mount Hua or outsiders.

Within the sect, an unspoken agreement had already been reached to avoid provoking Baek Ryeoil at all costs. However, outsiders, unaware of such circumstances, had gotten into several unfortunate incidents. Each time something like this happened, the elder disciples took care to hide Baek Ryeoil away in advance, using “training” or “missions” as convenient excuses for his absence.

Because it became increasingly difficult to encounter the “Heartless Sword” in person, rumors outside the sect only grew, saying things like, “As expected of someone that skilled, even his face is rare to see!”—a praise that twisted the insides of those who knew the truth.

After exchanging greetings with the elder of Jongnam waiting in the reception hall, Ma Jincheon, before departing to see the Sect Leader with the elder, did not forget to instruct Wang Hojun.

“Make sure that the Jongnam disciples do not run into Ryeoil. I’m counting on you.”

The Jongnam disciples, having not accompanied their elder, were to remain in the reception hall until their business concluded.

“Yes, don’t worry!”

Wang Hojun nodded resolutely. After all, Baek Ryeoil wouldn’t show up since he was being punished, so there was nothing to worry about. He served tea and refreshments to the guests who were spending time idly.

“Excuse me, Disciple Wang. What is the Heartless Sword doing these days? Surely we’ll be able to see him today, right?”

As expected, one of the Jongnam disciples asked. They had asked similar questions multiple times before.

As swordsmen, everyone carried the desire to prove their skills through a bout with a formidable opponent. Recently, the Heartless Sword Baek Ryeoil had risen as the most promising talent in Mount Hua, and they were eager to cross blades with him.

Wang Hojun gave an awkward smile.

“Well, you see, Senior Baek is busy training again today…”

“Of course, naturally. The illustrious Heartless Sword is so incredibly busy it’s hard to even catch a glimpse of his shadow.”

The Jongnam disciple didn’t even bother to hide the sarcasm in his tone.

If this had been a sect with strong Daoist leanings like Mount Hua or Wudang, they might have maintained face and observed proper manners, but Jongnam was more worldly and secular in its orientation, so they didn’t hesitate to express their desires.

“He’s not avoiding us on purpose, is he?”

“Th-that couldn’t be! Senior Baek has always been a bit like that. You know how he is, right?”

“Even so. There are plenty of rumors, but few who’ve actually seen him. It’s only natural that doubts begin to form. They say there’s been a significant gap growing between him and other Mount Hua disciples lately, too.”

“Y-yes, I understand. Ha ha…”

Think whatever you want.

This is all for your own good.

No matter what they said, Wang Hojun wasn’t fazed in the slightest.

These guys had no idea what kind of person Baek Ryeoil really was. You couldn’t exactly warn outsiders to watch their mouths—but if they provoked him even a little…

Ugh.

He didn’t even want to imagine it.

The elder who had gone to meet privately with the Sect Leader still hadn’t returned, even though lunchtime was approaching. As it came time for a meal, Wang Hojun led them to the dining hall—and was utterly shocked.

‘W-what the hell is he doing out here?!’

Baek Ryeoil, who should’ve been locked away in Elder Heo’s quarters being punished, was instead casually loitering in front of the dining hall like he had all the time in the world.

Wang Hojun quickly turned his body to block the guests’ line of sight.

“Ahaha…! H-how about eating a little later? There’s a stunning koi pond nearby! You wouldn’t believe how many carp are swimming in it! Come, let’s go.”

“Huh? But we’re hungry. The smell of food is only making it worse.”

Despite his efforts, he couldn’t distract the Jongnam disciples.

“…Huh? Isn’t that the Heartless Sword?”

“What? The Heartless Sword? Where?”

At someone’s shout, the group rushed over to confirm the sight for themselves.

“Gah!”

Wang Hojun did his best to stop them, but there was no way to restrain the vigorous martial artists and he was shoved aside.

While he was knocked down, the Jongnam disciples approached Baek Ryeoil at once and began to speak. Since their sects interacted often, they at least recognized his face.

“You’re the Heartless Sword, Baek Ryeoil, right?”

Baek Ryeoil rolled his eyes to check their faces and uniforms, then gave a slight nod as a substitute for greeting. The Jongnam disciples were momentarily flustered but stepped forward again without backing down.

“It’s an honor to finally meet you. I’m Jin Seo, a disciple of the Jongnam Sect. I’ve heard many tales of your exploits. I’ve longed to meet you in person, and it’s truly an honor to do so today.”

“…Yeah, well.”

Unfortunately, Baek Ryeoil wasn’t even registering what they were saying. It wouldn’t have mattered who they were.

‘Seong Muyeon, you bastard. Why aren’t you here yet? Making people wait like this…’

That morning, after leaving Elder Heo’s quarters, he hadn’t returned right away. Instead, he spent some time by himself.

Having had his nerves stretched thin from a week of disciplinary punishment, he retrieved the liquor he had stashed away and drank straight from the bottle, trying to forget the chaos of the mundane world and regain some inner peace.

By the time he felt more at ease, it was nearly lunchtime.

He was now waiting for Seong Muyeon and Kang Woong to arrive at the dining hall so he could surprise them.

That was when Jin Seo showed up, buzzing around him.

“If it wouldn’t be a bother, may I ask for a sparring lesson?”

Baek Ryeoil didn’t even glance his way.

“…Senior? Did you hear what I said?”

Sparring between disciples of different sects wasn’t common.

Since such matches could easily devolve into inter-sect rivalry, opportunities were rare unless it was in an official tournament. That’s why Jin Seo approached with caution.

“…”

Jin Seo could have accepted being refused, but being completely ignored made him feel insulted. The other Jongnam disciples felt the same.

“Forget it, senior. Let’s just go eat.”

Having reached their limit of patience, they turned away, clearly offended.

Wang Hojun, watching from a few steps away, finally relaxed. It seemed the situation would pass without serious conflict.

As the Jongnam disciples walked past Baek Ryeoil toward the dining hall, they deliberately muttered loud enough for him to hear.

“He really is just as arrogant as they say.”

“Reputation isn’t everything. Looks like Mount Hua teaches etiquette differently from us.”

No matter how famous the Heartless Sword was, this was too much.

Yes, compared to Mount Hua, Jongnam might be a step behind in both history and reputation, but did he have to be so blatantly dismissive?

What irritated them even more was Baek Ryeoil’s indifferent attitude—he didn’t even glance at them, no matter how insulted they felt.

“So he thinks nothing we say is even worth listening to?”

“Eh, don’t let it get to you, senior. Guys who are full of themselves always act like that. In the end, it’s Master Yu Ungeom who’s reaping all the benefits. Thanks to his talented disciple, he’s been riding high.”

It was only then that Baek Ryeoil, who had until now shown no reaction, suddenly stiffened.

The moment his master’s name was mentioned, his attention snapped into focus.

The Jongnam disciples, noticing that he had turned to look at them, smirked with open mockery.

“What are you looking at?”

One of the already-angry Jongnam disciples snapped at him, but Baek Ryeoil simply stared without a word. Then, just as suddenly, he averted his gaze.

“Ahaha, hahaha… Shall we go eat now?”

Wang Hojun, feeling like he was walking on a tightrope, tried to coax them along as gently as possible. Please, let’s just leave it alone.

“Disciple Wang, is this Mount Hua’s attitude toward the Jongnam Sect?”

This time, the arrow turned toward Wang Hojun. He flinched in panic, waving his hands.

“W-what are you saying? Absolutely not! That’s not the case at all! I’ll explain everything, so let’s go in first—”

“No! We can’t let this slide. I want to know what makes the Heartless Sword so special that he thinks it’s okay to treat people like this!”

“P-please, let’s not say anything more. Just… let’s go inside, okay?”

Wang Hojun desperately wanted to get out of there.

In truth, Baek Ryeoil was usually lenient when it came to matters involving himself. No matter what insults or mockery came his way, he mostly ignored it with an air of indifference.

Thanks to that, if he could just separate Baek Ryeoil and the Jongnam disciples now, there was a chance this might all blow over.

By now, the Jongnam disciples should’ve considered that there might be some unusual circumstances, but unfortunately, they were already too angry to think rationally.

“So now we’re not even allowed to express our grievances? It seems even you, Disciple Wang, are biased toward your own. Don’t tell me you didn’t see how the Heartless Sword just looked down on us.”

“Of course! I understand how upset you are. So please…”

But in the end, Jongnam stepped on the Heartless Sword’s reverse scale.

“I suppose Master Yu Ungeom might just be getting overhyped thanks to his overachieving disciple.”

Baek Ryeoil’s back went rigid.

📝 Footnotes:

 

 

• Nine Great Sects (구파일방): A common trope in wuxia, referring to the nine major orthodox martial arts schools. 
• Heartless Sword (무정검): A nickname/title given to Baek Ryeoil, suggesting emotional detachment and lethal skill. 
• Yu Ungeom (유운검 도장): Baek Ryeoil’s master, mentioned as benefiting from his disciple’s growing fame. 
• Reverse scale (역린): A metaphor from Chinese lore—refers to the one scale on a dragon’s body that, if touched, enrages it. Touching someone’s reverse scale means crossing a line they absolutely cannot tolerate.