Episode 43
The man who claimed to be Cheong-yeon Sojeo’s father introduced himself before all of us gathered.
“I am Hae Un-baek, Cheong-yeon’s father.”
Hearing that, a long-standing question finally clicked in my mind.
“Ah, so her family name isn’t ‘Cheong’ but ‘Hae.’ Hae Cheong-yeon, then.”
She smiled softly and nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“No wonder! I had a feeling her surname wasn’t ‘Cheong.’”
Just as I was happily relieved to have solved the mystery, Bi Sa-young, standing beside me, asked with a blank expression.
“I don’t think that’s the important part right now. When you heard his name, didn’t something else come to mind?”
Bi Sa-young had just returned after single-handedly dealing with over twenty Gan-gwi. Her growth was nothing short of astonishing.
At that moment, Seol Poong, our squad leader, swallowed hard and asked with a serious face.
“Could it be… the legendary Sword Saint of a Thousand Skills, Hae Un-baek?”
Seol Poong had killed all nine attackers alone, including two absolute masters. According to Sojeo, there was no need for help, nor even a chance to assist.
Hearing this, Cheong-yeon’s father stroked his beard and nodded.
“That’s one of the names I’m called by.”
We all froze instantly.
The Sword Saint of a Thousand Skills…
We were too stunned to speak.
The Sword Saint was one of the absolute masters of this era, ranked among the Three Majestics of the Imperial Era—on par with the likes of Seon Son-sang, the Color Demon, the Blood Demon, and the Martial Alliance Leader.
Moreover, the title ‘Thousand Skills’ before ‘Sword Saint’ signified he was renowned as the greatest chivalrous hero in the world.
He was the idol of all martial artists, the legendary Hae Un-baek.
And Cheong-yeon Sojeo was his daughter.
After a long silence, our team members awkwardly began to speak one by one.
“Wha-what? Cheong-yeon is the Sword Saint’s daughter?”
“Uh, sister, let’s stay close from now on.”
“Ah, um, Sojeo, no, Hae Sojeo, if I’ve done anything wrong before, I want to make it right now…”
I sighed, looking at them with disbelief.
I had always believed that a person’s worth was determined by themselves.
It didn’t matter whose disciple they were, whose child, or what family they came from.
So even if Cheong-yeon Sojeo was the Sword Saint’s daughter, there was no reason for me to change how I acted.
Wasn’t that right?
No matter who they were, whether a Sword Saint or not, I had no reason to curry favor or feel inferior.
Standing confidently as always, I addressed him.
“Honorable Sword Saint! I’m Sun Woo-jin, the one who saved Cheong-yeon Sojeo before! It was a bit dangerous, but nothing extraordinary!”
“Hmm? Hahaha! Yes, I’ve heard about it. Cheong-yeon owes you a lot.”
“You flatter me! I’ll continue to do my best!”
I chose to ignore the stunned looks from my teammates.
After exchanging brief greetings, we turned our attention to the leader of the attackers.
He had been bitten by a venomous insect during our fight and couldn’t even open his eyes, but he had since calmed the poison through breathing techniques.
The Sword Saint spoke to him.
“Do you recognize me?”
The man knelt, tears streaming down his face.
“How could I ever forget you, honorable Sword Saint?”
It turned out the Sword Saint hadn’t killed him because they knew each other.
Long ago, when the man was an unknown warrior, the Sword Saint had recognized his talent and introduced him to take the entrance exam for the Martial Alliance.
“I saw in you a gem that could shine brilliantly with training. So why have you done this?”
The Sword Saint’s sorrowful question went unanswered; the man bowed his head deeply, tears falling.
Cheong-yeon Sojeo stepped in.
“He’s not doing this because he wants to. Judging by the tactics during the attack, he seemed reluctant to kill innocents. If he enjoyed murder, he would have teamed up to kill Seol Poong first.”
Then she asked him directly.
“What happens if you refuse to do this?”
After a moment’s hesitation, he answered.
“Warriors without noble backgrounds or prestigious discipleships must serve ten years in the Shadow Division before qualifying for the official strike team. All warriors in the Shadow Division sign a pledge to accept execution without resentment if they disobey orders. So…”
Hearing this, the Sword Saint let out a low groan.
“What kind of… Martial Alliance is this…”
Cheong-yeon Sojeo nodded.
“It’s a way to train warriors who can keep secrets and remain loyal only to them, without personal judgment. It also weeds out potential troublemakers early on. For them, it’s a triple win.”
Then she turned back to the Sword Saint.
“This man’s situation is partly your responsibility.”
The Sword Saint looked surprised.
“My responsibility?”
“If you had been his background, Uncle Jegal wouldn’t have sent him to the Shadow Division. He must have been a coveted talent—guaranteed by the Sword Saint’s recommendation but with no backing.”
“So… you’re saying it’s because I recommended him that this happened?”
“Yes. Uncle Jegal knew better than anyone that you would deliberately cut ties.”
It made sense.
The Sword Saint was known for his fairness, and within the Martial Alliance, he often distanced himself from warriors he recommended to avoid any unfair advantage.
But that had backfired, leaving the warriors vulnerable to exploitation.
“And judging by how he can’t even look at you properly, it seems he joined the Martial Alliance out of admiration for you. Isn’t that right?”
The man didn’t answer but bowed his head even lower.
Everyone could tell that was a yes.
As the Sword Saint looked at him with regret, Cheong-yeon Sojeo spoke firmly.
“From now on, you must take responsibility for him.”
Her words shocked us all. Even Sak Mu-heun, the man himself, looked up in surprise.
The Sword Saint asked, puzzled.
“Take responsibility? What do you mean?”
“You must. You let someone who joined the Martial Alliance just by looking up to you come this far without guidance. Whether as a disciple or an assistant, you have to take responsibility.”
Sak Mu-heun bowed his head again, mumbling.
“A disciple? How could I possibly…”
But there was a faint spark of life in his eyes.
The Sword Saint stared at him silently for a moment, clearly troubled.
I thought Cheong-yeon Sojeo’s suggestion was a bit much.
After all, no matter the circumstances, all choices were his own, and his past deeds wouldn’t just disappear.
But knowing that, Cheong-yeon Sojeo must have had a reason for saying it.
I asked her.
“Do you have another plan, Sojeo?”
She smiled gently and nodded.
“Yes. Things could have gotten complicated, but if he cooperates with us, we can resolve this quite simply.”
Hearing that, the Sword Saint decided to accept Sak Mu-heun as an unnamed disciple and observe him.
He was moved to tears.
Cheong-yeon Sojeo then had Sak Mu-heun report to Jegal Ji-gang that she had been killed successfully.
Together with the Sword Saint, she also reported to the base commander, Heon Young-bo, that she had been kidnapped by the Blood Cult.
Of course, knowing she was the Sword Saint’s daughter, Heon Young-bo had no reason to doubt the report.
Thus, officially, she was declared dead.
“This will buy us some time. Meanwhile, Father, quietly gather information. This has likely been in motion for over ten years, coinciding with the formation of the front lines. You must not act rashly.”
The Sword Saint sighed and asked.
“Hmm, you mean this isn’t just about Jegal Ji-gang?”
“Of course not. It’s more likely that you’re the only one unaware. Almost everyone involved in forming the front lines is connected.”
Cheong-yeon Sojeo stressed again and again that we must pretend ignorance and slowly collect evidence.
Though uneasy, the Sword Saint decided to trust his daughter’s judgment.
He must have had great faith in her extraordinary insight.
With that, we were able to put the Cheong-yeon Sojeo attack incident to rest—for now.
But I hadn’t realized something yet.
In dealing with this unprecedented situation, I had neglected the matters from my past life.
Mayu-gyeom hesitated over a note from Mae Yeok-gyeong, who had summoned him to a remote place.
Though he had been deliberately ignoring it, he knew she was nearly a wreck these days.
He felt frustrated that she couldn’t accept their parting, but then realized he himself hadn’t forgotten Dang Ye-eun either.
He couldn’t bring himself to be as cold as before.
‘No, it’s not even the same. As the Blood Demon’s grandson, how could I ever look down on anyone?’
Perhaps it was because he had recently lost confidence in himself.
Smiling bitterly, unsure what to do, he suddenly recalled the secret manual left by the Blood Demon.
The one that contained the incantation techniques.
And then, an idea struck him.
“If only I could leave her with the subtle suggestion that she can live well even without me—wouldn’t that be good for her too?”
It was a possibility.
Besides, the technique was said to work best on those whose hearts were either wide open or completely broken. She fit that description perfectly.
“Even if it’s a blood oath technique, if it can be used for good, it’s not necessarily evil. After all, a sword’s morality depends on who wields it and how.”
With that thought, Mayu-gyeom reopened the secret manual and began memorizing the method of suggestion.
But soon, he realized it was unnecessary.
For some reason, he already had every word committed to memory—the suggestion technique and everything else.
He gave a bitter smile, wondering if his mind had always been this sharp.
What he didn’t realize was that this might itself be the blood demon’s suggestion at work.
Mae Yeogyeong had summoned him to a small rocky hill deep in the jungle—a secret spot where they had occasionally met in private before.
A hollowed-out area concealed by thick bushes made it completely invisible from the outside.
There, Mae Yeogyeong waited anxiously, her face tense.
As Mayu-gyeom stepped inside, she called out with a look of overwhelming relief, on the verge of tears.
“Boss, you came!”
Her intense reaction made Mayu-gyeom sigh inwardly.
Her blind devotion, like a puppy greeting its master, felt suffocating and burdensome.
Still, he hid his feelings.
To plant the suggestion, he had to either overpower her into submission or leave her completely defenseless, with her guard down.
Forcing a smile, he spoke gently.
“You don’t look well, Yeogyeong. Are you eating properly?”
His concerned tone broke her composure, and she burst into tears.
“Sniff… Boss.”
Slowly, Mayu-gyeom approached and wrapped her in his arms.
She melted into him, her whole body going limp.
There was no barrier between them.
He thought this was enough.
Now, all he had to do was look into her eyes and plant the suggestion.
As he focused, Mae Yeogyeong, still crying, murmured softly in his embrace.
“Boss, I love you. Even if you are the blood demon’s grandson, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll stay by your side no matter what.”
A shiver ran through Mayu-gyeom’s entire body, like he’d been struck by lightning.
His heart felt like it might stop.
Pale as a ghost, he asked her,
“W-what did you just say?”
Tears streaming down her face, she smiled brightly and answered,
“I don’t care about that, Boss. Because I’m yours—only yours.”
In that moment, Mayu-gyeom remembered she had the key to his room.
And how, the day he first saw his mother’s letter, she had left it carelessly on the bed before rushing out.
His vision blurred white.
Trying to reassure him, Mae Yeogyeong spoke again.
“Don’t worry, Boss. As long as you don’t abandon me, I’ll never betray you.”
She knew.
She knew his secret.
That he was the blood demon’s grandson.
Mayu-gyeom felt his mind explode.
Nothing was visible.
No thoughts came.
Only fear remained.
The fear of his true identity being exposed to everyone…
Mae Yeogyeong was found days after the Cheongyeon Sojeo incident—withered and emaciated, as if all the blood had been drained from her body.