Episode 30
The black whip writhed and surged like a living black dragon, fiercely lashing toward Seolpung.
It was a powerful strike, as if a dragon were whipping its tail.
Yet, even at this moment, Seolpung hadn’t made up his mind.
In his memories lingered the image of his mother, who had wept and passed away when he was a child—a scar etched deep in his heart.
After that, he had lived alone in the mountains with his grandfather for many years, and to him, women were no different from the memory of his mother.
That’s why he always found it difficult to face women.
More than that, the very thought of laying a hand on a woman was unthinkable.
At least, until now.
But Seolpung knew the truth deep down.
One day, he would have to face a woman as an enemy and fight her. If he couldn’t use force then, he might cause his comrades to die because of him.
As the black whip lashed fiercely toward him, Seolpung squeezed his eyes shut.
Then, like a cat twisting midair, his new form flipped over, lightly gliding over the black whip.
Fwoosh!
The whip struck the ground in vain, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of Yaunhyang’s lips.
“Oh?”
With her laugh, the black whip’s movements grew even more fierce and powerful.
The black dragon coiled around Seolpung, lashing its tail from all directions.
Swish! Swish!
But even with his eyes closed, Seolpung’s movements grew faster and faster.
Like a nimble cat darting through the bushes, he flipped and dodged, rendering every attack useless.
Now fully awakened from her lethargy, Yaunhyang’s clear eyes sparkled as she shouted excitedly.
“Impressive! Try this one on for size!”
Her wildly writhing whip suddenly split into five.
At its peak, the Jeolcho Gumi Yoho could create nine afterimages.
As the five whips rained down on Seolpung from all sides, his crouched form vanished in an instant.
Snap!
He moved so fast that most warriors couldn’t even follow with their eyes.
Seolpung’s form, now a streak of light, charged straight toward Yaunhyang.
“Hmph!”
But she scoffed.
Many believed that because she wielded the strong whip, she was weak in close combat—but her dagger skills were no less formidable.
Already prepared, Yaunhyang drew her dagger with lightning speed from her left hand, aiming to strike the rushing Seolpung.
But Seolpung was faster.
Suddenly, he clenched a hidden weapon in his hand and threw it toward her.
Whack!
“Hidden weapon?!”
Startled, Yaunhyang hurriedly raised her dagger to block, but nothing came flying at her.
“What?!”
It was a trick.
Realizing she’d been fooled, Yaunhyang swung her dagger again—but by then, Seolpung had closed the distance, his hand wrapped in energy, catching her dagger.
She gritted her teeth.
She couldn’t lose this easily.
“Yah!”
Her dagger danced nimbly, trying to strike Seolpung’s hand, but when it barely grazed his mask, his fingers were already pressing the vital point on her neck.
Thud!
Yaunhyang’s eyes went blank.
To be subdued so easily without being killed—this was a complete defeat.
As her vision blurred, the last thing she saw was Seolpung’s bare face revealed by the torn mask.
Then, she lost consciousness.
Seolpung, who had subdued her, wore a troubled expression.
Of all things, he’d shown his face.
Sun Woojin had warned him repeatedly: if his face was ever seen, he must be killed immediately.
If he’d intended to kill from the start, none of this would have happened.
But because he tried to subdue without killing, his face was revealed—and now, since it was seen, he was forced into a situation where he had to kill.
Seolpung’s mind went dark.
After a moment’s hesitation, he decided not to kill her.
She hadn’t killed anyone else earlier, had she?
He couldn’t be the first to kill a kind woman who tried not to kill others.
Convincing himself it wasn’t because she was a woman, Seolpung carefully laid her down on the soft floor of the empty prison cell and hurriedly left.
As Bisa-yeong arrived at the warehouse, she immediately knew she was in the right place.
Three warriors were surrounding a woman, attempting to assault her.
Nearby, a teenage girl—likely her younger sister—was tied up tightly with ropes, crying and screaming.
“Stop right now! You beasts! Stop this at once!”
But they just chuckled.
Two men held the woman, while another laughed as he began pulling down his pants.
“Heh heh heh! Today’s going to be a special experience!”
“Hurry up and finish! The next guy’s waiting!”
“Don’t worry. This rabbit won’t take long. Ha ha ha!”
Just as the greedy man lowered his pants and the woman’s eyes filled with despair, a furious Bisa-yeong flew behind him like a shooting star.
Thwack!
In an instant, the man’s head was severed by her blade.
The others shouted in shock.
“Gangga!”
“W-What?!”
They quickly released the woman and stepped back to grab their weapons.
But Bisa-yeong, the top disciple of Bi Jongmun, moved faster than they imagined.
Her blade sliced diagonally through the body of the man who was just about to grab his weapon.
Thwack!
“Argh!”
“Yiga!”
After killing the second man, Bisa-yeong turned to face the last one—who now wore a furious expression and drew his sword.
“You dare!”
Bisa-yeong clicked her tongue.
“Tch!”
Her heart raced.
Thanks to Bae Jonggwan causing a ruckus at the main gate, there was no one near the warehouse—but they’d already made too much noise.
Moreover, the stance of the man who drew his sword looked serious.
“Haap!”
From the tip of his sword came a misty haze.
Sword energy.
‘Damn, he’s a first-rate warrior!’
Bisa-yeong screamed silently inside but used the Cheonpung footwork to deflect his attacks smoothly.
His level seemed to be lower first-rate, so he wasn’t an immediate threat.
Still, for Bisa-yeong, who needed to kill him quickly and rescue the women, this was a tricky situation.
After a moment, the man launched a flurry of sword strikes like a storm but failed to hit Bisa-yeong.
He sneered knowingly.
“You can’t create sword energy. You’re just a second-rate loser, fast only with your new technique.”
Bisa-yeong gritted her teeth.
She had no reply.
Her internal energy had long surpassed forty years of cultivation, enough to be considered mid-level first-rate.
Yet, despite her efforts, she couldn’t produce sword energy.
The level of sword energy mastery was like a mirage, refusing to reveal itself to her.
The man, seeing he couldn’t catch Bisa-yeong, stopped trying and instead shouted loudly.
“Intruder! There’s an intruder in the warehouse!”
Bisa-yeong’s heart grew anxious.
This was about to ruin everything.
Of all places, to have this happen where she found the daughters of Saengsa Gwe!
“Damn you!”
Without hesitation, Bisa-yeong lunged at him.
She couldn’t allow everything to fall apart because of her.
The man, as if waiting for this, swung his sword at her.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed repeatedly.
The gap between first-rate and second-rate wasn’t just about whether one could wield sword energy.
It was a vast difference in internal energy control, strength, speed, reflexes, and senses.
Like the difference between a cat and a lynx.
But Bisa-yeong felt none of that gap now.
Speed, strength, experience—
In every aspect except sword energy, she felt no inferiority.
She realized the man’s skill was far inferior to the leaders and masters she had faced before.
A smile finally appeared on Bisa-yeong’s face.
At this rate, she was confident she could handle him.
Regaining her confidence, her Bi Jongdo technique, operated through the fast sword method, began to accelerate.
Known for its speed, the new technique’s moves were mostly swift strikes.
But speed alone couldn’t defeat an opponent.
No matter how fast, once the eyes get used to it, it can be defended.
The key for those using fast sword techniques was to vary the speed, creating openings through rhythm and tempo.
But now, Bisa-yeong made no such adjustments.
Fully immersed in the fight, she unleashed a storm of swift strikes.
Cha cha cha cha cha chang!
Faster, even faster.
It was as if she was chanting a spell to herself.
The man’s hands grew dizzy from the increasing speed, and finally, he let out a scream-like shout.
“Ughhh!”
At that moment, Bisa-yeong’s blade pierced through his defense at the fastest speed yet, slicing across his body.
Shhhhk!
From the tip of her blade, a faint sword energy extended an inch beyond.
“Hah, hah, hah.”
Behind Bisea-young, who was panting with a dazed expression, the man’s chest suddenly split open, blood spurting out as he collapsed to the ground.
Pffft! Thud!
“Ha, ha… hahaha. So this is the Way of the Sword.”
Bisea-young smiled.
The sensation of the internal energy coursing all the way through the sword felt exhilarating, as if the blade itself was part of his body.
Just then, the bound girl suddenly cried out.
“Hero! Please help us!”
Snapping back to full alertness, Bisea-young hurriedly cut the ropes binding them and asked,
“Are you two the daughters of the Death and Life Sect’s Grandmaster?”
“No! I’m the daughter! That one is my brother!”
Huh?
Bisea-young blinked, momentarily confused by her answer.
“…Pardon me, young lady? What did you say?”
The girl repeated firmly,
“I’m the only daughter! That one over there is my brother—a boy!”
“…What?”
Looking again at the person he had assumed was the older sister, Bisea-young realized it was actually a very handsome young man.
Though slender and with delicate features that could be mistaken for a woman’s, the clothing and flat chest made it clear he was male.
Still dazed, Bisea-young asked,
“Then who were those guys just now…?”
The brother answered shyly in a small voice,
“They said I looked pretty and different…”
“Gah…”
Grabbing the back of his neck, Bisea-young regretted having killed them so easily earlier.
But unfortunately, there was no time to waste.
“Can you both use lightness skill? We need to get out of here immediately!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder in the distance.
We all managed to escape the Black Elephant Sect’s compound and regrouped at the secluded Guan Ji Temple, our agreed meeting place.
The squad leader seemed worried about Bisea-young and had arrived early to travel with us.
I first looked over Bae Jong-gwan, whose shirt was shredded with countless slash marks, and asked with concern,
“Jong-gwan, you’ve been through a lot. Are you hurt? Judging by your clothes, it looks like you faced some serious trouble.”
I felt a pang of guilt for having assigned him such a difficult role.
But Bae Jong-gwan laughed heartily in response.
“Hahaha! Don’t worry. The enemy’s officer was fascinated by my external kung fu, so I just showed off a bit more. Seems like they were completely taken by its power. Wahahaha!”
Looks like I’d worried for nothing.
Then I turned my attention to the Death and Life Sect’s children—not daughters, but a son and a daughter.
The handsome son still wore a dark expression, clearly shaken, while the sixteen-year-old daughter maintained her composure and thanked us.
“Thank you for saving us. My brother and I were in grave danger. We thought it was all over when even Father abandoned us…”
Her voice cracked, and tears welled up again.
“Miss…”
I hesitated, unsure how to comfort a girl her age, when Bisea-young spoke up.
“The Grandmaster of the Death and Life Sect is truly remarkable. To risk being resented by his own children just to save them—that takes great strength.”
The girl looked puzzled.
“…Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“I mean he refused the Black Elephant Sect’s demand to exchange you for the Spirit Pills and instead put a bounty on them. We were able to rescue you because the Grandmaster made the Black Elephant Sect believe you were worthless, forcing them to send their full force after you. Isn’t that right, Jin?”
Bisea-young could be impressive sometimes—though too rarely.
I nodded and added,
“That’s right. Had the Grandmaster agreed to the exchange, he himself would have been captured by the Black Elephant Sect. Then he’d be trapped for life, forced to produce Spirit Pills while you two suffered.”
The son suddenly lifted his head and asked,
“Is that really true? That Father did all this to save us on purpose?”
Bisea-young sighed in frustration.
“Don’t ask us. Ask yourselves. Would your father really abandon you over a few Spirit Pills?”
The siblings looked at each other and shook their heads vehemently.
“No, absolutely not.”
“Exactly. Spirit Pills can be remade. So…”
Their shock wasn’t from the hardships they’d endured, but from the disappointment of believing their father had given up on them.
Now that they knew the truth, the son’s face brightened as he said,
“Thank you! Without you, we would have died foolishly, never understanding Father’s intentions. It’s so simple when you think about it. Truly, thank you!”
“Yes! Thank you so much! How can we ever repay you?”
His sister, finally acting her age, wept and clung to her brother.
She must have been through so much.
Watching them with pride, Bisea-young suddenly asked me,
“Well then, shouldn’t we go rescue the Grandmaster now?”
Captain Seopung nodded with a smile.
“Indeed. Seeing them like this makes me want to save him even more.”
Their enthusiasm sparked my own.
But first, there was something we needed to do.
I led the siblings aside to rest briefly, then slammed down a huge bundle I’d brought in front of the group.
“Before we go, take a look at this.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
“I’ve been wondering—what exactly did you bring?”
“I was curious too. That bundle’s almost as big as you. Did you kidnap a few people or something?”
I grinned and finally opened the package.
Everyone’s eyes and mouths widened in shock.
“W-what is this?!”
“No way! This is—?!”
“Wow! What’s all this?!”
I smiled proudly, enjoying their reactions.
It was no wonder—they were seeing all the best loot I’d scavenged from the Black Elephant Sect’s warehouse.
I’d taken all the gold except the jewels, to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
I’d also grabbed every promising elixir I could find.
Honestly, the main reason I wanted to rescue the Grandmaster was to get these elixirs—and I’d far exceeded that goal.
Finally, I took the best weapons.
First, I handed two arm guards to the captain.
“A gift. They’re called ‘Fierce Tiger Claws,’ apparently modeled after the Blood Dragon Claws.”
“Huh? Modeled after the Blood Dragon Claws?”
The captain’s interest piqued at the mention of Blood Dragon Claws.
They were the secret weapons of Mak Jong-gi, the Blood Assassin of the heretical sect.
Four long claws could extend freely from the arm guards, a terrifying sight even to those who knew of them.
Giving such claws to a formidable martial artist like him was sure to be devastating.
The captain examined them briefly, then strapped them on and twisted his wrist.
Clang!
“Whoa!”
He admired the four long claws extending from each hand.
Focusing his energy, a red aura flared like flames along the claws.
“With these, I can both stab and slash. No need to break the enemy’s armor—just cut right through. Thanks, Jin. This is the best gift.”
Next, I gave Bisea-young a short sword named Danwol and a thin silver chain-linked throwing blade.
Drawing Danwol, Bisea-young admired the sword’s icy gleam.
“Wow! This is excellent! Thanks, Jin! But what’s this throwing blade?”
I smiled warmly and explained,
“I thought you might want to learn throwing blade techniques. Since you’re already training in stealth arts, and this silver chain is made of a material that won’t break even against sword energy, you might be able to cut opponents just with the chain.”
“Oh, that’s great! But you’re training in stealth arts too, aren’t you, Jin?”
I grinned and replied,
“Heh, I already got one for myself.”
“Ha! In that case, I’ll gladly accept it.”
Finally, I presented Bae Jong-gwan with a crescent moon blade.
It could be split into two short staffs and probably weighed over ten kwan—a heavy weapon.
The heaviest thing I’d brought.
But Bae Jong-gwan shook his head apologetically.
“Thanks for the thought, Jin, but I’m fine with just my body. With my external kung fu, weapons aren’t really necessary. Hahaha!”
I’d expected as much.
But using weapons meant gaining an advantage in range, regardless of sharpness.
So for someone like him, strong but less skilled in close combat, having that reach was important.
I smiled and said,
“Of course, I agree. Jong-gwan, you don’t need weapons. But imagine this—a giant like you wielding the crescent moon blade in a storm of strikes. Who would people think of?”
“Huh? Who would that be?”
I gestured around the Guan Ji Temple as I answered.
“Probably Guan Yu—the greatest general of the Three Kingdoms.”
“…Guan Yu?”
“Yeah, just imagining it is absolutely incredible. If even Commander Cheon saw that…”
Faced with the unbroken chain of admiration—from the eternal idol of warriors, Guan Yu, all the way to Cheon Sojeo—Bae Jong-gwan couldn’t hold out any longer and finally surrendered.
“R-Really? You think so?”
“Of course!”
I didn’t bother pointing out that he was more likely picturing Zhanwei or Heo Jeo than Guan Yu.
Nor did I mention that I wasn’t entirely sure how Cheon Sojeo would actually react if he saw it.
After all, I only said, “If he saw it,” so technically, I wasn’t lying.
Besides, if using that got Bae Jong-gwan’s chances of survival up, wasn’t that a good thing? I told myself that to justify it.
As I was inspecting the Fierce Tiger Battalion with a satisfied look, Squad Leader Seol Poong suddenly asked me,
“So, what about you, Jin? What did you get? Don’t tell me you only looked out for us and forgot about yourself?”
Good people tend to assume others are just as kind as they are.
But I wasn’t like Squad Leader Seol.
I grinned and replied,
“Not a chance. Of course I took care of myself. I found something that really caught my eye.”
With that, I pulled out the sword I’d claimed.
It was the ‘Mukrang’—the sword that had completely captivated me the moment I saw it.
Both the hilt and the scabbard were painted jet black, and the pommel was adorned with the head of a wolf howling by a lake—a truly magnificent weapon.
Squad Leader Seol admired it openly.
“Whoa! That’s awesome!”
“Right?”
But the coolest thing about this sword was the subtle, radiant glow it gave off the moment it was drawn. When I tested it by striking a rock, it effortlessly split it clean in two—so much so that I wondered if even a demon could be cleaved without the sword’s strength.
A fine weapon is a warrior’s best friend and treasure. My comrades all beamed, happily inspecting their own new gear.
I felt a swell of pride.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Cheon Sojeo would be happy for me too, wouldn’t he?
I’d already picked out gifts for the female squad members who hadn’t come along this time.
I couldn’t wait to see their faces—especially Sojeo’s—when they received them.
Smiling warmly, I clapped my hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Alright, alright. Save the weapon tests for the real thing. Let’s get moving! But… before we go, anyone feeling a bit hungry? How about taking a vitality elixir?”
My comrades chuckled at my suggestion.
My internal energy was now at the minimum threshold to reach the peak level in just a few more years—Level One Gapja.
In the past, I thought it was a waste to use an elixir when I was so close to leveling up naturally, but with so many elixirs left over, why hold back?
It was finally time to fully charge my internal energy to Level One Gapja.