The Return of the Sw Chapter 46 : The Visitor Who Came. -01

Chapter 46: The Visitor Who Ca. -01

Ban Hojin made an expression as if to say, as expected.

At the sa ti, he newly felt the power of the Beggars’ Sect.

The Seo Family Estate was a fallen martial family, and the Geum Family Estate, if strictly speaking, was a place rooted slightly away from Murim, in the comrcial world.

Yet the fact that they knew he had t Nan Hee-ju of the Hao Clan ant that their intelligence network was that formidable.

“The Hao Clan was among the options as well. However, if we are strict about it, isn’t the Hao Clan between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths?”

“It certainly is not a place one can trust easily. It does seem like the Hao Clan is investing a lot of effort into Young Master Ban, but whether that ans they can be trusted is another matter entirely.”

“That’s right.”

“Hm. This may be an overstepping remark, but I was worried. Young Master Ban is a disciple of Shaolin, but in the broader sense, aren’t you a treasure of the Orthodox Martial World? Aren’t you a pillar that will firmly support Murim in the future? That’s why I really wanted to say this.”

“You an not to fall for a honey trap?”

At the sight of Oh Jung-geon laying such elaborate groundwork, Ban Hojin let out a soft chuckle and struck first.

Oh Jung-geon’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

It was because he had not expected Ban Hojin to know exactly what he was thinking.

“How did you know?”

“Isn’t it obvious? A woman ca representing the Hao Clan, and Great Hero Oh would surely know who that woman is.”

“That’s not exactly easy to figure out, you know.”

“There won’t be anything to worry about. And isn’t it better to have more friends than enemies?”

“That is true, but what matters is whether they are ‘trustworthy’ friends.”

Oh Jung-geon put on a aningful expression.

The phrase ‘between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths’ ant, in other words, that they could cross over to the Unorthodox Path at any ti.

But the opposite was impossible.

There was no one who wanted the Hao Clan to cross over to the Orthodox Path, nor anyone who would welco it.

“Well, my thoughts are a little different. Just because soone is Orthodox, can they really all be trusted?”

“…….”

Oh Jung-geon’s face hardened.

That answer contained many implications.

And he imdiately understood what Ban Hojin ant by those words.

“Personally, I think it’s not good to trust too much. The saying ‘excess is as bad as deficiency’ exists for a reason.”

“It seems, at least, that you trust the Beggars’ Sect.”

“The Beggars’ Sect is a place that rose on nothing but chivalrous righteousness, isn’t it? Not everyone may be like that, but I trust Great Hero Oh.”

“You look like you’d dispose of things imdiately if you thought sothing was off.”

“There’s a saying like this. That there are no eternal enemies, nor eternal allies.”

Ban Hojin smiled aningfully.

But that smile felt strangely chilling to Oh Jung-geon.

In the past, it would have sounded like a joke, but now it was different.

And Oh Jung-geon knew the reason why.

“First, I’ll look into it. Personally, I’m curious as well. You said you ran into them in Nanjing?”

“Yes, they kept their mouth shut tight. I’m not very good at interrogations and such.”

“What about the body?”

“There was nothing particularly special, so I just buried it. I set aside the money pouch separately as a whole; should I give you that as well?”

“That’s fine. If there’s nothing special, the money pouch would only contain money anyway.”

Oh Jung-geon shook his head.

He knew that people like that usually disposed of anything that could leave a trail.

So rather than that, digging into this book with cipher text written in it was far better.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“No, not at all. This is exactly what I should be doing. I’m personally curious too. If I find out anything for certain, I’ll pass it on to you.”

“You can take your ti. I’m asking because I find it strange as well.”

“Understood.”

Ban Hojin spoke as if he were as uninterested as possible.

He knew well that if he acted impatient, Oh Jung-geon would find it strange.

Personally, he was also curious about the capabilities of the Beggars’ Sect.

And since it was Junior Beggar, no one else, Ban Hojin wondered how quickly he would uncover information about the Ironblood Fortress.

‘Even if he can’t reach the Ironblood Fortress itself, he should at least grasp that there’s a suspicious force out there.’

Purely in terms of scale, the Beggars’ Sect was larger than any other Murim force in the Central Plains.

It also possessed the largest number of disciples.

However, there would be limits to what could be uncovered with absolutely no information to start from.

If Ban Hojin himself had not discovered the mark used by the Ironblood Fortress’s agents, he would not have been able to catch their tail either.

‘For now, just planting suspicion is enough. Getting blindsided when you know nothing at all and clashing while holding at least so vigilance are completely different matters.’

From the start, Ban Hojin did not think that the Beggars’ Sect would uncover everything with just a single booklet containing cipher text.

This was rely a starting point.

‘If they uncover everything, all the better.’

Ban Hojin grinned.

The possibility was slim, but starting from this, they might even discover traces of the remaining three among the Four Tyrants of the World.

If that happened, it would only be good for Ban Hojin, with nothing bad about it.

Either way, it was a gain for him, so he continued the conversation with a smile.

Creeeak.

The mont he opened the door, the distinctive sll of old books dug deep into his nostrils.

It looked like it had been managed with care in its own way, but the moldy scent seed unavoidable.

Still, overall, the archive was well organized.

“They really collected an insane amount. And this isn’t even all of it, huh.”

The Geum Family Estate was a rchant house, but it was quite diligent in collecting martial arts.

Because it had a lot of wealth, there were many who coveted it, and as fighting naturally followed, they ended up acquiring all sorts of martial arts manuals.

Among those, supre techniques were stored separately in a heavily secured location, and this place was rely where ordinary martial arts books and low-grade martial arts manuals were gathered.

“They said there were a lot of martial arts books that had been tampered with too.”

He had heard that in the past, they secretly purchased martial arts manuals, and that they had been scamd quite a lot back then.

As a result, many martial artists who diligently trained ended up falling into qi deviation, so there were many martial arts manuals that had been discarded.

But looking now, that claim felt hollow, as the archive was filled with an enormous number of martial arts books.

There were even many martial arts manuals that looked extrely old at a glance.

“Just browsing them will be fun.”

Since they were offering support anyway, Ban Hojin intended to receive it properly and planned to stay at the Geum Family Estate for the ti being.

It was hard to easily give up such luxurious treatnt.

And since he could not guarantee when he would enjoy sothing like this again if not now, Ban Hojin was making the most of life at the Geum Family Estate.

But that did not an he was idly wasting ti.

“Hm.”

In addition to overseeing Seo Joun’s and Seonwu Bang’s martial arts during personal training, he also examined other martial arts books like this.

Though they said that the supre techniques had been separated, Ban Hojin did not think that process would have been perfect.

If he had possessed discernnt to that degree, the Geum Family Estate should have already had martial artists of outstanding skill long ago.

And just because a martial art was of a low level did not an there was nothing to learn from it or that it offered no inspiration.

Shararak. Sharak.

Rather, there were many that attempted unconventional approaches.

Of course, that was only speaking of their rits, and among the martial arts books lined on the shelves, it would not be an exaggeration to say that nearly nine out of ten were trash-level, utterly worthless.

It would have been fortunate if they at least stimulated the imagination, but instead, they contained absurd contents presented in a wildly implausible manner, so Ban Hojin did not hesitate to close the covers of any martial arts books that felt wrong from the very beginning.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The martial arts books that had been selected flew through the air and piled up layer by layer on the desk near the entrance.

Ban Hojin was not rely exceptional in martial prowess; his understanding of martial studies was also profound.

It was not for nothing that the Golden Light Divine Steps had been born.

He was well-versed in martial theory as well, which was why he could create his own martial arts.

“This isn’t it.”

Because of that, Ban Hojin could determine whether a martial arts book was worthwhile or trash just by looking at the introduction—no, even just the first page.

It was as if he got a feeling the instant he looked at it.

Thanks to that, Ban Hojin was able to quickly select martial arts books that were truly worth examining.

“That’s enough for today.”

The Three Dharma Swords and the Supre Great Ability were certainly martial arts worthy of being discussed as the best under heaven.

However, he did not think that they represented the absolute pinnacle.

There were quite a few martial arts in the world that could rival the Three Dharma Swords and the Supre Great Ability.

Ban Hojin had personally experienced that fact in his previous life, which was why he never stopped studying.

“I’ve started in earnest, but it still feels overwhelming.”

He knew he had to do it, but simply making up his mind did not make the task any easier.

Rather, because he knew so well, the sense of being overwheld was even greater.

But there was no helping it.

To survive, he had to do it.

“It’s for my peaceful future, so I’ll do it.”

After wrapping the neatly stacked martial arts books in a cloth bundle and tying it up, he stepped outside.

Then, from not far away, a familiar voice reached his ears.

“This ti, I’ll be the one to challenge!”

“Very well.”

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Hearing Seo Joun’s voice clearly even from a distance, Ban Hojin slung the bundle over his shoulder and slowly moved his feet.

A mont later, he saw Seo Joun sparring in the spacious training grounds.

His opponent was the Geum Family Estate’s escort unit, and already more than a dozen of them had been thoroughly defeated, slumped on the ground as they caught their breath.

“You’re here?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s that on your shoulder?”

“Martial arts manuals I brought from the archive.”

“Is there anything there that could help you? No, is it even possible to take out martial arts of that level?”

Seonwu Bang, who had been standing side by side with the escort warriors at the edge of the training grounds, tilted his head.

He doubted whether it was possible to take out martial arts books personally selected by Ban Hojin, of all people.

“They’re not supre techniques. They’re martial arts that could reach up to the peak of the first-rate level, so they’re not low-level, but most of them are a bit unique.”

“Is there any chance there’s a martial art like a pearl hidden in the sand?”

“No idea. I only skimd through them lightly.”

“At your level, you can tell at a glance, can’t you?”

Seonwu Bang grinned.

Knowing that Ban Hojin had personally created the Golden Light Divine Steps, Seonwu Bang asked with an expression that said he knew everything already.

“I really don’t know. I’ll have to examine them properly first.”

“I’m curious. What if there’s an unparalleled martial art that no one has recognized among them?”

“It’s possible, but unlikely, right? An ambiguous supre technique could be missed by mistake, but sothing on the level of an unparalleled martial art would be hard to overlook.”

“That’s true. Still, since you picked them yourself, I can’t help but look forward to it.”

“More than that, he’s improving at a frightening pace.”

Ban Hojin’s gaze shifted toward Seo Joun, who was sparring with the escort warriors.

Seo Joun, who had shown his full ability without making mistakes even in his first real combat, was continuing to improve his skills even at this very mont.

As he accumulated experience, his growth had beco terrifyingly rapid.

Seonwu Bang, who was feeling that growth most keenly from up close, had a slightly stiffened expression.

“It’s unbelievable when you watch from the side. I think I understand why they call it heaven-bestowed talent. It feels like a talent that shouldn’t be left in the mortal world, so heaven is trying to take him early.”

“He really is a genius among geniuses.”

“In another one or two years, among the current Four Dragons, there won’t be anyone who can guarantee victory against Joun. If we only look at inner energy, he’s already surpassed them.”

Seonwu Bang asked with an expression of sincere admiration.

But there was no sign of despair on his face.

Rather, he looked properly stimulated.

‘Things are getting interesting.’

Stealing a glance at Seonwu Bang’s expression, Ban Hojin ford a subtle smile.

He had felt it a little since they went together to Taeho Stronghold, but from his ???? now, Ban Hojin felt it clearly.

Seonwu Bang’s growth was far faster than in his previous life.

“I’m training diligently too. So I don’t get overtaken by Joun.”

“It’s different from when you trained alone at the Seo Family Estate, isn’t it?”

“Very much so. It’s stimulating, and it helps a lot. That’s why I praise myself every day—for following you and Joun.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

“When else would I get to enjoy such luxury? At the Geum Family Estate. Even Great Hero Oh from the Beggars’ Sect said it was his first ti seeing a place like this.”

As if he had never been serious, Seonwu Bang laughed brightly.

But Ban Hojin knew.

Right now, inside Seonwu Bang’s heart, a fierce competitive spirit was burning intensely.