After hearing my harsh words, Magunja and Noshin appeared before me at the same time.

The gust of wind they brought with them made my hair fly wildly. These bastards were probably trying to scare me by showing off their skills, but I already knew better than anyone how fast they were.

I swept back my disheveled hair and glared at the two of them.

“Do you have business with me?”

Magunja smirked.

“What an amusing fellow. Didn’t your parents teach you honorifics?”

I nodded.

“They didn’t.”

Magunja closed his mouth for a moment.

“…….”

When Magunja was caught off guard, Noshin jumped in with a gleeful tone.

“He said he didn’t, didn’t he? Do you think everyone’s well-read and educated like you? No. He said he didn’t learn. Didn’t you once say it yourself? That being uneducated isn’t a sin?”

Magunja scoffed.

“Fine. That’s possible. Still, I must say, you seemed quite skilled at scaling cliffs earlier. How about this—let’s race up the cliff and see who’s faster. The loser uses honorifics.”

This time, Noshin chimed in quickly.

“Great. That’s a good idea. You two should go ahead and compete.”

Looks like these two are just dying to brag about their light footwork. It must be because I’d already shown how quickly I climbed the cliff.

I folded my arms and examined the two.

“You want to race, huh.”

Honestly, I’m not the type of man who enjoys losing.

Moreover, these guys are older than me, have trained longer, and especially focused obsessively on light footwork.

If we compete in light footwork, I’ll likely lose.

Regardless of the outcome, my goal is to recruit experts from the Swift Party, so I had to take a broader view of the situation.

Magunja asked.

“What’s wrong? Scared? I knew it.”

I spoke as if I had already perfectly grasped their skills in the short time we’d met.

“Judging by the two of you… you’ve trained relentlessly in light footwork. Must be pretty fast. This beggar brother here likely has a free-spirited nature, doesn’t care for formalities, and has trained in both internal and external martial arts to boost his speed. I’d say there are few who could match him. On the other hand…”

I pointed my finger at Magunja.

“This scholarly brother here is dressed neatly, clean from head to toe. That’s surprising. He doesn’t look like the rough-and-rush type. More like a gentleman taking a stroll—yet because of his deep internal energy, he must also be fast enough that few can rival him.”

As I spoke, the expressions of Magunja and Noshin changed by the second.

“……!”

When I finished, the two of them stared at each other with expressions of sheer shock.

Of course they’re shocked…

Because everything I said was correct. Though, in truth, I was just repeating what I already knew from my past life.

Noshin replied in amazement.

“You’ve got amazing observation skills. Unbelievably amazing. What is this? You can figure all that out just by looking?”

Magunja was completely silent.

“…….”

Noshin asked me,

“Then what type are you, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ brother? Now I’m curious.”

“Truthfully, I’d like to compete with the two of you too, but…”

Noshin cut in impatiently.

“Then let’s race. It’s simple. Why are you acting so hesitant over something so easy?”

I slowly raised a finger and deliberately waved it side to side.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

I shook my head and continued.

“I haven’t even been training in martial arts for three full years yet.”

“What?”

“……!”

This time, their eyes grew massively wide in shock. If I told them the truth, they wouldn’t believe me, so I settled on saying ‘three years.’

Noshin muttered.

“That’s insane. Do you have some amazing master?”

I shook my head.

“No. That’s not the point. I trained in martial arts to fight others, not to compete in running. And truthfully, since I’ve only trained for about three years, I probably couldn’t beat you two. That’d be impossible. Just looking at you, it’s clear your light footwork is far superior to mine. Knowing that already, what’s the point in competing? However…”

As I trailed off, Noshin—who hated nothing more than this sort of thing—responded with an exasperated expression.

“However what? Just say it already. Why do you keep stopping your sentence like someone holding in a crap? You’re killing me here. Killing me.”

I stared at Noshin blankly.

‘Why on earth is this guy called Slow Body?’

Noshin, both in the past and now, was the most impatient guy in Jianghu. He couldn’t even wait for someone to finish a sentence.

“However…”

Noshin slowly nodded while looking at me.

“Yeah. However… finish that sentence. I beg you.”

I took the conversation in an unexpected direction.

“Light footwork, you see…”

“…….”

“…is an attractive art to study.”

“Don’t state the obvious. What’s the rest of the sentence?”

Magunja clicked his tongue and scolded Noshin.

“He’s talking, isn’t he? Shut up and listen. He’ll speak when he’s ready. Tsk…”

Noshin shut his mouth, and I spoke.

“…In a crucial period for training martial arts, this occasional urge to run—how should I put it? I wonder if it’s a kind of internal deviation.”

Noshin quickly shook his head.

“No, it’s not internal deviation.”

I slowly nodded the opposite way.

“When I run, the stuffy feeling clears, my chest feels lighter, and my madness seems to ease a bit. But I have subordinates, and enemies I need to kill, so it’s better to focus on martial training.”

Magunja nodded.

“That’s not wrong. But still, learning martial arts in just three years and scaling a cliff that fast is truly remarkable.”

Noshin nodded too.

“That’s what I’m saying. In just three years, on our side…”

Magunja glared at Noshin, and he shut his mouth. How could he reveal the existence of the Swift Party to someone they just met?

I acted like I had no interest at all.

In truth, building internal energy is more important now than training light footwork. So what I said was partly true. I just picked the truths that suited their personalities and served them up.

Magunja asked me,

“What school or affiliation are you from?”

I answered truthfully.

“I trained alone. I do belong to a group, but I’m the leader, so it feels odd to call it an affiliation.”

“Really? What kind of group do you lead?”

I shook my head.

“Gentlemen, that’s something I can’t tell you.”

Noshin held his forehead.

“Why do you have so many secrets?”

“I have many enemies.”

Magunja, intrigued, asked,

“Who are your enemies?”

I kept up the psychological warfare.

“That too, I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

At this point, I acted like a man with tremendous analytical power based on the information I had.

“Judging by the two of you…”

Noshin replied,

“What now? What are you seeing again?”

“This beggar brother here is clearly a master from the Beggars’ Union. Anyone can tell you’re a beggar.”

“How did you know? Well, can’t help that. You’re right. I’m from the Beggars’ Union.”

I looked at Magunja.

“…….”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Magunja asked me with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“So? What about me? Take a guess.”

I stared at him, then let out a sigh.

“I have no idea. Truly no idea.”

Though in truth—I knew.

“How strange. Your outfit, gaze, posture, and breathing all suggest you’re a master from a prestigious orthodox sect…”

“And?”

“But… somehow, I feel like when you use martial arts, you’d exude a dominating energy. That doesn’t suit an orthodox master. But I also doubt you’re a disciple of a sect leader… That doesn’t seem right either. Nor are you likely from a noble family.”

Noshin asked curiously,

“Why rule out noble families? They have plenty of masters.”

I asked him,

“Have you ever seen some well-off heir or young master from a noble family walking around dressed like a scholar, like this Turtle Teacher here?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Then don’t talk. The young men from noble families all dress the same, trying to seduce women, style their hair similarly, and even cake their faces with powder. And this guy doesn’t look like someone from the unorthodox sects either. I really don’t know. It’s rare that I don’t know.”

While I was talking, Magunja wore a very pleased expression. I watched his satisfied face with Noshin.

“…….”

Noshin cursed at Magunja.

“Look at you, enjoying it. Damn…”

Magunja wiped the smile off his face and scoffed.

“Anyway, the young fellow’s light footwork is quite something. I’d like to see more, but if he doesn’t want to, we can’t force him.”

Noshin nodded.

“That’s a shame.”

Magunja continued.

“Do you plan to keep training in light footwork?”

I shook my head.

“Regrettably, I’m undergoing treatment right now.”

“Treatment?”

Noshin looked at me with a worried expression.

“Why? You look perfectly fine. What kind of treatment? What’s wrong with a young man like you?”

I let out a deep breath.

Noshin spoke so fast that his words slammed into my ears in rapid succession before the meaning finally registered.

I placed a hand over my chest.

“I’ve been struggling with internal deviation caused by a type of madness. And also…”

Noshin suddenly shouted.

“And also what!”

I tapped my danjeon.

“I practiced martial arts that weren’t in harmony, so my mind and even my way of speaking wavers. They say the imbalance between extreme yang and extreme yin energy is to blame. Especially the extreme yang energy—it’s affecting my entire body. That’s what’s causing the madness.”

Magunja asked in a dazed tone.

“Wait, what…? Did you say you possess both extreme yang and extreme yin energy?”

I replied to the two with a solemn expression.

“Is that not allowed?”

“That’s… an extremely rare condition.”

“I learned it from my sworn brother, who is also a physician. He said my body is a yin-yang body.”

Magunja was genuinely shocked.

“A yin-yang body?”

Noshin’s mouth opened in a perfect circle.

“Hooh, astonishing. That’s a divine body, gifted by the heavens… Is that how you managed to display such light footwork in just three years? What do you think? Is it possible?”

Magunja blinked as he looked at me.

Of course I seemed fascinating to him.

Magunja is incredibly well-read in martial arts. He’s definitely studied many manuals and knows how rare a yin-yang body is.

Magunja asked carefully.

“By any chance…”

I cut him off immediately.

“That would be difficult. How could I let someone I’ve just met inspect my body? That would be unreasonable.”

Magunja had reached out a hand but quickly pulled it back in the air.

“You’re right.”

I let out a long sigh and looked toward the gorge.

“Truly… such a beautiful gorge. Once I overcome my madness and train my light footwork further, I’d love to run freely here. Not just the gorge—I’d like to visit Manjang Gorge and even all those famous mountains said to be treacherous. If I could reach a level where I could use Grass-Step Flight… They say martial arts are endless, but light footwork too is an infinite field. What do you two think?”

Noshin nodded in admiration.

“You’re right. Light footwork has no end. That’s why my nickname is Noshin. There are still plenty of people faster than me.”

I gave Noshin a slight nod for revealing his own nickname.

“Noshin hyung, a pleasure to meet you.”

It was a strategic change in tone. Noshin smiled as he looked at me.

“Ah, truly glad to meet you.”

Magunja, because of his affiliation, had not revealed his nickname or even his name. At this time, he clearly belongs to the demonic sect. It makes sense that he wouldn’t say.

Magunja asked me,

“Did your physician say how that imbalance can be corrected?”

I crossed my arms and began acting with a troubled, lonely expression.

“He said it’s truly difficult.”

“Well, at least tell me what he said.”

I purposely revealed Moyong Baek’s name to boost the credibility of my words.

“My sworn brother, Master Moyong Baek, said that this madness ultimately comes from the imbalance between extreme yin and extreme yang. That means the body must be harmonized, starting with physical balance, then the danjeon, and then the harmony between energy and form—all linked together like a chain reaction. So I first obtained an old martial art and began training in it. It’s a martial art based on extreme yang internal energy. I’ve made some progress. But eventually, I’ll have to find a martial art of extreme yin, and then undergo agonizing, blood-spitting training to heal my body on my own. To fix the imbalance myself and become harmonized—that, he said, is my only path to survival.”

Surrounded by a somber atmosphere, I gazed into the distant sky with a forlorn look.

Magunja stroked his chin.

“I see. You’re in a truly rare and remarkable state.”

Magunja was practically dying of curiosity over the yin-yang body. Noshin, on the other hand, was bursting to test light footwork with me.

I had just waged a full-scale psychological battle with these two.

A rare and fierce clash, indeed.

But what matters most is the conclusion.

As if I were a mysterious being in the flesh, I suddenly informed them of my departure.

“Well then, let’s meet again. I’ve got many matters to attend to.”

Magunja frowned.

“Young brother, even so, don’t you think you should at least tell us your full name? It’s not like we bear any ill will toward you.”

Noshin added in an urgent tone.

“He’s right. I’m Noshin of the Beggars’ Union. I can’t stand being treated like someone two-faced. The name of the Beggars’ Union isn’t so light, you know?”

I nodded as if I had accepted their words and said,

“Of course I planned to tell you. Then—until we meet again.”

I turned around and unleashed light footwork with all my might. I surged forward like a gale, using the full extent of my external and internal martial arts. If I wanted to leave a lasting impression on these masters from the Swift Party, this was the only way.

At the same time, while speeding off at an incredible pace, I infused my voice with internal energy to reveal my identity.

“Haomun Lord… I… that’s…”

But because I was running so fast, my words came out jumbled.

Either way, the Swift Party’s intelligence network isn’t something to scoff at—they’ll find me no matter what.