Episode 36
At an inn near Guizhou City, Hae Cheong-yeon was dining alone when she overheard rumors about her comrades.
“Gwangpung Biryong Seolpung, Bicheon Heukrang Seon Woo-jin, Jilpung Bi-eung Bi Sa-young…” She wasn’t sure why Seon Woo-jin had earned the nickname “Black Wolf,” but regardless, these were undeniably impressive titles.
“A bit disappointing, though,” Hae Cheong-yeon muttered to herself, a twinge of regret surfacing.
If only she had gone along with Seon Woo-jin this time, she could have joined in those exciting adventures.
He was the kind of person who never let you get bored when you were around. She even wondered if that would hold true if they spent a lifetime side by side.
When she’d declined to accompany Seon Woo-jin on this leave, citing personal matters, everyone had been puzzled.
Even Na Seo-yu and Cheon Ju-eun, who knew about her feelings for Seon Woo-jin, were surprised. And the other male members, unaware of her affection, had simply assumed she’d be inseparable from him, like thread following a needle.
She’d also heard that Bi Sa-young teased Seon Woo-jin about finally being rejected, and even Seon Woo-jin himself seemed a bit awkward in this unfamiliar situation.
“But… sometimes you have to do things like this, right?”
Though she felt a little wistful, she thought it was a strategically sound choice.
Watching from the sidelines was fun, but occasionally reminding others of your absence wasn’t a bad thing either.
Still, that wasn’t the only reason she hadn’t followed Seon Woo-jin this time.
She’d grown suspicious about the frontline situation and the secretive affairs of the Bi Sa faction—things that hadn’t been disclosed to the martial world.
So many major incidents had been kept hidden from the martial arts community, which was highly unusual.
In a world where rumors spread faster than the most skilled masters, how could such secrecy be maintained?
Just because they’d signed a confidentiality oath?
Hae Cheong-yeon shook her head.
“That can’t be.”
She was certain there was a powerful force ensuring these secrets stayed buried.
And that force was likely the Martial Alliance.
She intended to investigate.
If the Martial Alliance truly had been involved in the suspicious activities she suspected, she couldn’t just stand by.
That wouldn’t be the righteous Martial Alliance she knew.
So, she had come alone to Xingin, near Guizhou City, and requested a courier to deliver a secret letter to the embassy—using the fastest and most expensive express pass.
Then she rented a training room at a nearby military outpost and secluded herself for intensive training.
The frontline was an incredibly effective place to train. It was filled with life-threatening dangers that left no room for slacking, and there were plenty of worthy sparring partners scattered around.
At first, she’d been surprised, but now she understood why the young fighters at the frontline had achieved more than even the Martial Alliance’s youth.
“In an environment like the frontline, only the strong survive. Those who can’t keep up are mostly dead.”
Still, she’d recently felt a bit restless.
As she was about to step into a new phase, she needed an environment where she could focus solely on herself.
Of course, masters didn’t depend on their surroundings, but the frontline was so full of distractions—like Seon Woo-jin, Seon Woo-jin, and, well, Seon Woo-jin—that it was hard to concentrate fully.
Anyway, after a few days of secluded training, she was on her way back to the frontline.
By evening, when she arrived at the Seventh Squad’s quarters, all the other members were gathered, chatting happily.
Since she returned on the last night of her leave, Na Seo-yu and Cheon Ju-eun, who had gone home, as well as the four men, were already back.
Her comrades greeted her with bright smiles.
“Lady Cheong-yeon! Welcome back!”
“Yeon-ah, you’re here! We’ve been waiting!”
Hae Cheong-yeon found it curious.
She’d always been more interested in things than people, but somehow, these comrades she’d only known for about four months felt like family.
She smiled faintly and asked after them.
“Unni, Ju-eun, did you have a good trip home? I heard you all got impressive nicknames. Sounds like you had a great time.”
Bi Sa-young laughed heartily.
“Hahaha! We were just talking about that! Lady Cheong, you should’ve come along!”
It was clear Bi Sa-young was excitedly recounting their exploits.
Though Hae Cheong-yeon didn’t join in, Seolpung and Seon Woo-jin’s bright expressions showed it had been a joyful leave.
Only Bae Jong-gwan looked a bit down, probably because he hadn’t earned a nickname. Na Seo-yu was kindly chatting with him, listening to his stories.
Suddenly, Cheon Ju-eun’s face lit up.
“Unni, unni! Our squad brought back a whole bundle of elixirs! Now I can finally meet the criteria for first-class status!”
Elixirs?
Ah, so that was what she’d gotten from Saengsa Goeui.
Hae Cheong-yeon smiled and congratulated her.
“That’s great. Congratulations, Ju-eun.”
Then Seon Woo-jin grinned.
“Now that Lady Cheong-yeon is back, we can finally unpack everything.”
He brought out a bundle and spread it before everyone.
As soon as the bundle opened, a deep, pure fragrance filled the room.
Hae Cheong-yeon was genuinely surprised by the sight of the elixirs inside.
“All of these… are elixirs?”
Seon Woo-jin smiled.
“These were scraped from the warehouse of the Heuksangbang’s master. Since the owner is gone, we might as well put them to good use. These elixirs are for all squad members to share when needed. And this…”
He pulled out a small pill.
“This is a Saengsahwan, which the elder of Saengsa Goeui guaranteed to be above the summoning pill level. There are exactly seven, so each of us can keep one for emergencies.”
Hae Cheong-yeon was speechless.
Others might not grasp their value, having never encountered such items, but she knew well that summoning pills weren’t something you could just buy with money.
They were rare treasures, almost like a second life to martial artists.
And yet, here they were, casually handed out like snacks.
Unable to hold back, she asked Seon Woo-jin.
“Is it really okay to distribute these so freely?”
He looked at her for a moment, then smiled warmly.
“If there’s one thing I never want to lose in my life, it’s the people here. So investing less important things for the sake of what matters most is only natural. Don’t you agree, Lady Cheong-yeon?”
She couldn’t understand.
Sure, she’d grown fond of her comrades, sometimes feeling they were like family.
But they’d only known each other for four months.
She couldn’t grasp the deep affection Seon Woo-jin sometimes showed them, nor the strangely lonely look in his eyes.
But just as quickly, he brightened his expression as if to erase that moment.
“Come now, that’s not all! We have another gift prepared for our beautiful ladies! Ta-da!”
With a tone like a traveling salesman, Seon Woo-jin pulled out a sword, a saber, and a thin jacket.
Hae Cheong-yeon quickly scanned them.
There was a sword with a white scabbard, guard, and pommel; a thin, likely Haedong-style saber; and a thin jacket made of some metallic-looking fabric.
Though rare, having seen many fine items since childhood, she immediately recognized their quality.
From the materials and finish of the scabbard and guard, the white sword was clearly a master craftsman’s work—even without seeing the blade.
The Haedong saber was a treasured weapon among martial artists, alongside the Dongyoung-style Japanese sword.
And the jacket was no ordinary garment.
Its metallic sheen suggested it was woven from metal threads, a technique only possible by the finest artisans of the Four Heavenly Sects or their equivalents.
It might not be as protective as the legendary Cheonjambo armor, but it could shield the wearer from most external attacks.
Seon Woo-jin said, “Each of you can choose whichever one you want.”
But Hae Cheong-yeon noticed him subtly glancing at Na Seo-yu.
And when she caught sight of Seon Woo-jin’s new sword, Mukrang, leaning against the wall, she immediately understood his thoughts.
Among the three women, only Cheon Ju-eun used a saber, so she would naturally take the Haedong saber.
That left the two swords for Na Seo-yu and Hae Cheong-yeon.
But Hae Cheong-yeon already had a treasured crimson blade named Yeonhong.
So Seon Woo-jin must have assumed she’d take the jacket, and Na Seo-yu would take the white sword—complementing Mukrang like a matched pair.
She chuckled softly.
His predictable thinking was endearingly cute.
But cute was one thing, and letting it happen was another matter entirely.
Hae Cheong-yeon immediately raised her hand and said, “I want to have that sword. I really like it.”
Sun Woo-jin visibly flustered and stammered, “W-what?! Ah, yes. Cheong-yeon Sojeo wants that sword…”
Before he could say more, Cheon Ju-eun and Na Seo-yu stepped forward, beaming brightly.
“I’ll take that awesome sword! Wow, it’s really cool!”
“Then that outfit’s mine. Thanks, Sun Woo Gongja!”
“Oh, no, no, thank you… ha ha ha…”
His awkward smile and the way he tried to hide his deflation were honestly adorable.
I felt a twinge of guilt, but I figured Na Seo-yu probably wouldn’t have chosen that sword anyway.
Hae Cheong-yeon had keenly noticed how she glanced briefly at the white sword and Sun Woo-jin’s sword. It was fascinating to me that someone could be so oblivious to where the woman they admired was really looking.
The day after returning from vacation, we finished our afternoon patrol and were training in the evening.
It was a sparring session with everyone together for the first time in a while.
I glanced over at the three women chatting happily, clearly pleased with their new weapons.
Among them, seeing the white sword I had ambitiously prepared for myself now in Cheong-yeon Sojeo’s hands stung deeply.
She had named that white sword “Baekyeon” and gifted me her original sword, “Yeonhong.” She must have really liked it to part with a sword she’d grown attached to.
It hurt, but I told myself there was nothing I could do.
Still, regardless of my sour feelings, the new weapons proved their worth on the first patrol.
All the weapons displayed incredible sharpness, cutting down the encountered Gan-gwi without even needing sword energy.
Of course, only my Mookrang could cleave them completely in two, but everyone was overjoyed nonetheless.
Cheon Ju-eun Sojeo, who had been troubled by her inability to manifest sword energy and felt useless, looked like she owned the world.
I felt proud as the one who gifted her.
And now that Bi Sa-yeong could manifest sword energy, she was practically soaring.
Where she once only infiltrated quickly to confuse or lure the Ma-in, now she moved even faster, slicing Gan-gwi in two with a single strike.
At that level, she could probably handle a pack of five or six Gan-gwi alone.
The same was true during our sparring.
Without sword energy, Bi Sa-yeong completely overwhelmed Cheon Ju-eun Sojeo, who had previously been on a similar level.
Other squad members watching our sparring gasped in amazement.
“I was going to tease you for getting such a flashy title, but you’ve really improved! Hey, Jilpung Bi-eung! What happened?”
Bi Sa-yeong answered arrogantly, “Hmph! Don’t you know the saying ‘sudden enlightenment after long practice’? If you keep working steadily, awakening is bound to come.”
“That’s amazing. Want to spar with me sometime?”
“Well? Jilpung Bi-eung doesn’t usually bother with those without titles…”
At that arrogant remark, Won Cheong-won, leader of the Sixth Squad watching nearby, laughed heartily.
“Hahaha! Right, right, it’s beneath you to spar with those without titles. In that spirit, may I, Kwe Nan Wonhu Won Cheong-won, challenge the mighty Jilpung Bi-eung Bi Sa-yeong?”
“Oh! I’ve heard of your great reputation, Kwe Nan Wonhu Won Cheong-won. I’d be the one to request a duel with you!”
Jokingly, the two began sparring, soon clashing like a raging storm.
The match was evenly matched.
Though Won Cheong-won had the overall advantage in martial skill, he couldn’t keep up with Bi Sa-yeong’s lightning speed.
Whenever he tried to close in and strike, Bi Sa-yeong would swiftly retreat or circle around, preventing him from gaining the upper hand.
Bi Sa-yeong, once a disregarded second-rate warrior, was now holding her own against Won Cheong-won, a squad leader, albeit the lowest-ranking one.
This was shocking to the other squad members.
“No way…”
“Incredible speed. It’s hard to follow with the eyes.”
Watching this, I smiled with pride.
Then, the Sojeo I was sparring with put on a mock-angry face and said, “Isn’t it a bit much to be watching and laughing at another match while we’re dueling?”
“W-what?! Song Sojeo, that’s…”
“Enough! I’m offended. Just wait. I’ll train hard and make you look only at me soon!”
With that, Song Sojeo lowered her sword and stepped back.
She was Song Young-young Sojeo from the Third Squad, who had once handed me a handkerchief and often requested sparring during training.
I had no real excuse to refuse, so I’d accepted occasionally, but honestly, the skill gap was big, and knowing why she challenged me made it hard to take it seriously.
That’s why I’d been glancing around during our duel, and I guess I couldn’t hide my fascination with Bi Sa-yeong and Won Cheong-won’s match.
I felt a little sorry.
At that moment, Cheong-yeon Sojeo approached me and said, “Shall we have a go now?”
I smiled and replied, “I look forward to it, Sojeo.”
She was one of the two in our squad I had never beaten.
She stood on the very peak of first-rate warriors, just one step away from reaching the pinnacle.
But my failure to defeat her was only before vacation; now that I’d replenished my internal energy, maybe it was time to win.
I grinned fiercely and charged at her.
Mayugyeom, leader of the Fourth Squad, stood at a distance, quietly watching the Seventh Squad’s sparring.
He had always been wary of Seol Poong, the Seventh Squad leader, and had deliberately avoided paying attention to their training—except today, when he couldn’t look away.
It was astonishing.
The Seventh Squad had once been a ragtag group where only Seol Poong, a top-tier master, performed well.
“At least until four months ago.”
But then, suddenly, they began to stand out, accumulating merit, and in just four months, they had transformed into what we saw now.
The vice leader, Na Seo-yu, who had been only a mid-level first-rate, had risen to a mature upper first-rate level—it no longer surprised anyone.
“Bi Sa-yeong, who was second-rate, is now holding her own against Sixth Squad leader Won Cheong-won? And that pig-like Sun Woo-jin’s martial skill…”
Along with Cheong-yeon, Sun Woo-jin’s skill now rivaled not only Won Cheong-won but also Fifth Squad leader Heuk Sa-yeongchang Dok Soo-gwang.
The Seventh Squad had become a terrifying force with three squad leader-level talents.
And at the root of it all was probably that man.
Sun Woo-jin, now known as Bicheon Heukrang, the talent Mayugyeom had wanted to recruit.
The fact that the prodigy he never obtained was the egg of Daebung stung his heart unbearably.
At that moment, Jomchanggeom-bi Ju Tae-gyeong, one of Mayugyeom’s squad members watching behind him, spoke up.
“Look at that, Chief! Do you think that’s possible? Someone who was second-rate suddenly growing like that! It has to be related to the Blood Sect’s dark arts! Didn’t I tell you? His sudden surge in internal energy happened after he went into the jungle to help that Miao tribe!”
Mayugyeom turned to look at him.
“The Blood Sect?”
Ju Tae-gyeong nodded with conviction.
“Yes! No doubt about it! He must have been possessed by the Blood Sect or attached to their demonic beasts!”
Mayugyeom listened silently, then spoke with sharp eyes.