Chapter 49
The Martial Alliance’s Military Front
Jegal Jigang reviewed the report that had come up from Sak Muheun.
It stated that Hae Cheong-yeon had been dealt with, but because of her powerful comrades, all the other operatives had been lost.
In particular, the report highly praised Seol Poong, the leader of the 13th Squad’s 7th Unit.
“Hmm, Seol Poong, huh? He took down two beginners at the peak level and seven top-tier first-class fighters all on his own?”
Jegal Jigang then checked the regular updates from the front lines.
There was a report that Cheong-yeon had been kidnapped by the Blood Sect. After nodding at the news, he turned his attention back to Seol Poong.
“So, no information on his background or sect. This guy’s a target for elimination after the war, too. What a waste. Not going to be easy.”
Jegal Jigang briefly considered whether someone of that caliber could be persuaded to switch sides.
He thought it might be worthwhile to visit the front lines himself—to see if Seol Poong was someone who could be reasoned with, and to verify how Hae Cheong-yeon had been handled.
But he didn’t have much time to dwell on it.
A servant rushed in urgently with a message.
“Sir! Sword Saint Hae Unbaek has come to see you!”
Jegal Jigang was slightly taken aback by the name and asked, “The Sword Saint? What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know, but he looked extremely angry.”
Could it be…
Jegal Jigang deliberately kept his tone calm.
“What could have him so riled up? Bring him in.”
“Yes, sir!”
Moments later, the Sword Saint stormed in, his face twisted with fury.
“Jigang!”
Jegal Jigang smiled and asked, “Welcome. What has the Heavenly Sword Saint so worked up this time?”
The Sword Saint slammed a crumpled letter on the table and shouted, “My daughter! Cheong-yeon has been kidnapped by the Blood Sect’s Demon Lord!”
A letter?
Jegal Jigang glanced at the letter in the Sword Saint’s hand and quickly asked again, “Cheong-yeon kidnapped by the Blood Sect’s Demon Lord? What on earth is going on?”
The Sword Saint, seething with rage, explained.
One of Cheong-yeon’s close comrades—who knew she was his daughter—had sent a letter to him immediately after she was abducted, using a special pass from the Bureau.
Jegal Jigang felt a mix of relief and regret.
It was fortunate that the Sword Saint didn’t know the full details, but it was unfortunate that someone close to Cheong-yeon knew her true identity.
He had been foolish to assume no one would find out, and even more so to think no one would use the pass to send a message.
The Sword Saint shouted, “I’m heading to the front lines immediately! I’m taking the White Tiger Squad with me! Let it be known!”
The White Tiger Squad was the most loyal military unit under the Martial Alliance, led by the White Tiger Gentleman Sword Dongbang Mugeuk, a fervent follower of the Sword Saint.
Jegal Jigang frowned and tried to dissuade him.
“If what you say is true, it’s truly regrettable. But Unbaek, you know the Alliance Leader has a non-aggression pact with the Blood Demon Sect. Are you really going to ignore that?”
Sword Saint Hae Unbaek, lacking political savvy, usually heeded Jegal Jigang’s advice on such matters.
Jegal Jigang intended to persuade him once more.
But he quickly realized he had underestimated the pain of a father who had lost his daughter.
The Sword Saint sneered, eyes blazing fiercely.
“Hmph! A non-aggression pact? If it turns out Cheong-yeon provoked the Blood Sect first, I won’t argue. But if their Demon Lords came and kidnapped her first, isn’t that a breach of the pact? That’s unforgivable! I’m going to the front lines now to find her! Don’t try to stop me!”
With that, the Sword Saint stormed out like a whirlwind.
There was nothing more to say.
Jegal Jigang’s head ached.
Stopping him now was impossible.
Even if he went to the front, Cheong-yeon was likely already lost.
But…
If someone so consumed by grief learned the full situation at the front, would he stop at just finding Cheong-yeon?
No chance.
He’d probably turn the entire front upside down.
Just thinking about it was a headache.
And now he was taking the White Tiger Squad—surely there were warriors from the Shadow Division among them.
If he found out about the Shadow Division…
Jegal Jigang immediately rushed out to the intelligence headquarters, unofficially the Shadow Division’s base, Mancheonggak.
He had to find a way to exclude any Shadow Division warriors from the White Tiger Squad.
Suddenly, Jegal Jigang considered the possibility of eliminating the Sword Saint.
‘Is it possible to take out one of the fifteen strongest warriors in the world?’
Coldly, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.
There were many ways to kill a man.
But beyond feasibility, the Sword Saint’s status in the righteous faction was immense.
To ordinary warriors, he wielded more influence than even the Martial Alliance Leader, the Xie King.
And now, with the White Tiger Squad in tow, all eyes would be on him.
An ambush would be difficult.
Jegal Jigang’s mood soured.
To cause him this much trouble…
He even wondered if this was all part of a plan.
But he shook his head.
As far as he knew, neither the Sword Saint nor anyone close to him was cunning enough for such schemes.
To him, Hae Cheong-yeon was just a slightly unusual friend of his daughter.
Whoosh!
A sharp spear tip sliced through the air, weaving in a sinuous circle like a snake.
It looked as if a multi-headed serpent was launching an attack.
I swung my sword swiftly, deflecting the spear tip left and right.
Ttittitting!
The spear wielder let out a fierce shout and slammed the spear down hard.
“Got you!”
Bwoooom!
The spearhead struck the ground like an axe, with the force to cleave a head in two.
But my gaze remained calm and focused.
At the perfect moment, I lightly pushed the spear aside with my sword and stepped to the side.
Like a sudden change in a rushing current, the spear attack flowed smoothly past me—a subtle technique of the Bi-Dragon Sect’s Cheonpoong Style.
Kwang!
The spearhead slammed into the earth with tremendous force.
At the same time, my body moved like the wind, closing in on my opponent.
A major attack always leaves a glaring opening.
The opponent, a seasoned fighter, spun his body and spear like a top to block my approach.
Wheeeeee!
But I had already closed the distance within sword range.
I lightly lifted my body, letting his spinning spear slide past, then plunged my sword down like a diving hawk.
Sunwoo’s Thirteen Swords, Third Move: Divine Response and Descent.
Shik!
I caught the wide-eyed surprise in his gaze.
This should be the end.
“Ugh!”
But the thrust I expected to be decisive was blocked.
He frantically spun his spear, which writhed like a snake to parry my blade.
Wheeeeee!
Ttittitt!
A classic move of the Cheongseong Sect’s Sa-Young Spear Technique.
Though hastily executed, the battle was far from decided.
If I pressed the attack, I could still defeat him.
But I didn’t.
I frowned and stepped back, giving him time to regain his composure.
The spear master from the Cheongseong Sect, Oh Jo’s leader Dok Sugwang, glared at me with fury.
“What’s with that face? You’re not sulking because you couldn’t beat me with that sword technique, are you?”
I quickly relaxed my expression and offered an explanation.
“No, it’s not that. I thought I’d found a perfect opening, but I failed to land the attack. I’m just frustrated with myself. Please don’t misunderstand, Leader Dok.”
But he still looked angry.
“So you’re saying you sulked because you couldn’t land a hit on me? You’re getting way too cocky just because you earned a nickname!”
With that, clearly no longer in the mood to spar, he turned on his heel and left.
I was momentarily taken aback, then forced a wry smile and bowed toward his retreating back.
“Thank you for the excellent sparring, Leader Dok.”
“Hmph!”
Lately, many from other squads had come to our evening sparring sessions, asking to train together.
It was naturally a good thing to spar with a variety of people, so we gladly accepted.
Today, the spear master Dok Sugwang from Oh Jo’s Cheongseong Sect had requested to spar, and we had trained together—only for it to end like this.
“Well, well.”
As I watched his departing figure with a troubled expression, Na Soje approached to comfort me.
“Don’t worry about it too much. It’s just how he is. Even if Sunwoo Gongja hadn’t made that face, he probably would have picked a fight anyway. Maybe he left because he realized he couldn’t win.”
Bi Sa-Young also came over.
“Yeah, don’t mind him. Leader Dok is from the Cheongseong Sect, but unlike Il Jo’s Han Gyoseong or Yuk Jo’s Won Cheongwon, he’s very authoritarian and rigid.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Come to think of it, the Cheongseong Sect was known for being notoriously difficult even among the old great sects.
It was just that most of the people in our generation weren’t like that.
Among the three Cheongseong disciples in the 13th Squad, Il Jo’s Han Gyoseong cared little for anything but the sword, and Yuk Jo’s Won Cheongwon was so kind and friendly to everyone that he never caused trouble.
So there hadn’t been any real conflicts with others.
Only Chief Oh Jojang of the Eagle Clan was somewhat sensitive and authoritative, but by all accounts, he wasn’t that bad compared to others.
I’d heard that among the disciples of the Old Great Gate Sect, there were quite a few who were unbearably arrogant and irritable.
I, Sojeo Na, nodded thoughtfully and continued.
“That’s right. And he’s also known for not liking Chief Seolpung very much. Probably the reason he suddenly showed up and challenged Master Seonwoo to spar was to somehow embarrass our faction. He likely didn’t think he could beat Chief Seolpung, but since Seonwoo has recently gained some fame, he must have thought he was an easy target. Of course, that turned out to be a huge miscalculation.”
I smiled faintly as I spoke, and Sojeo Na looked at me with a surprised expression.
“By the way, you weren’t even trying your hardest earlier, were you? To casually spar with Chief Oh Jojang of the Eagle Clan and still push him back so decisively—Master Seonwoo’s progress is truly remarkable.”
I gave an awkward smile and shook my head.
“I wasn’t sparring casually. I just wanted to test something.”
Though I hadn’t told the others yet, my physical abilities and reaction speed had surged dramatically after recently reaching the pinnacle of my cultivation.
And as soon as I hit that peak, I had filled my internal energy reserves—equivalent to what would normally take seventy years to accumulate—with elixirs.
So it was true that I only exerted the strength of a top-tier first-class warrior when I fought Chief Oh Jojang.
Of course, even though I hadn’t revealed that I’d reached the pinnacle, both the chief and Sojeo Cheongyeon seemed to have noticed my level.
They had both sent me messages with meaningful smiles.
“Congratulations, Jin.”
“Congratulations, Master Seonwoo.”
Only then did I realize that Sojeo Cheongyeon had already reached the pinnacle herself.
I should have guessed it earlier, seeing how effortlessly she handled me when I was stuck at the top first-class level…
In fact, it was late to realize it.
Anyway, the reason I deliberately restrained my power during the spar with Chief Oh Jojang was to compare the superiority of the Cheongseong Sect’s Shadow Sword Technique with the Seonwoo Thirteen Swords—not based on the user’s skill, but purely as martial arts styles.
And through this match, I clearly achieved that goal.
“The Seonwoo Thirteen Swords suffered a complete defeat.”
I had expected it to some extent, but realizing so clearly how inferior it was left me feeling hollow.
I could tell from the fact that I hadn’t finished him off when his weaknesses were fully exposed just moments ago.
Throughout the duel, even when opportunities arose, I failed to seize them, and I had to constantly compensate for my inferiority in technique with quick improvisation.
It was another moment that reminded me of the limitations of the Seonwoo Thirteen Swords I’d realized while fighting Mayu Gyeom.
Though the Seonwoo Thirteen Swords were considered one of the top sword styles in Guizhou Province, they fell short in many ways compared to the Old Great Gate Sect’s supreme techniques.
Of course, if I completed the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Techniques, things might be different. But even at the pinnacle, the techniques were so difficult to use that they were more like secret trump cards than something I could employ regularly.
I was troubled.
Suddenly, the fight with Mayu Gyeom came back to mind.
A one-sided battle that was hard to believe was between two warriors at the early pinnacle stage.
The only reason I survived then was pure luck.
And if I met Mayu Gyeom again in this state, it would be the same.
“No, next time I’d definitely die. Even if I reached an equal level, I’d be overwhelmed by his superior martial arts.”
The thought that this couldn’t continue gnawed at me desperately.
I needed a top-tier martial art.
One that could rival the Dayang Sect’s supreme technique, the Four-Day Sword Method.
But such a thing wouldn’t just appear out of nowhere.
Dang Yeoeun, leading her team back to the dormitory, stopped in her tracks to watch Seonwoo Jin’s duel.
She observed how the Eagle Clan’s Chief Oh Jojang lost his temper with him, how I, Seo Yu, chatted with a smile, and how Seonwoo Jin fell into deep thought alone.
It was strange.
He wasn’t Myeong Sahyeon, and he didn’t seem to love her like Myeong Sahyeon did, yet watching him made her heart race just like when she saw Myeong Sahyeon.
And she found herself wanting to lean on him again.
To finally take off the cold mask she always wore in front of others.
From behind, the voices of other team members drifted over.
“That Seonwoo Jin is incredible. Now he even surpasses Chief Oh Jojang. How does he improve so fast?”
“Well, it’s probably because he trains like crazy. The amount of training the Seven Team puts in is famous even in our generation. Look at Biseoyoung’s progress too. He seems to have become a full-fledged mid-level first-class warrior.”
“I don’t think it’s just that. Judging by skill alone, maybe. But think about his new techniques. He should be able to handle even high-level first-class opponents. And that’s not all—Bae Jonggwan and Sojeo Cheon Ju-eun also seem to use sword energy. Seo Yu Sojeo has already become a top-tier first-class warrior.”
“What? Really? So all the Seven Team members are first-class or above?”
“Even more than that. Besides Chief Seolpung, there are four chief-level experts: Sojeo Cheongyeon, Seonwoo Jin, Seo Yu Sojeo, and Biseoyoung. They’re truly the strongest team among the Thirteen Greats.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. How did that happen? Thanks to Chief Seolpung?”
“Not sure. I asked Bae Jonggwan before, and he mentioned Seonwoo Jin’s name. Apparently, when he speaks, all the team members unconsciously focus more on their training.”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess he motivates them. Before he came, the Seven Team wasn’t held in such high regard, right?”
“True. Seonwoo Jin really is remarkable in many ways.”
Dang Yeoeun smiled faintly at the praise for Seonwoo Jin, then spoke again in a firm voice.
“How long are we going to just envy them? We need to step up too. I think it would be good for us to train together like the Seven Team. If you need help, just say so. I’ll do my best to support you.”
The three team members’ eyes widened at her words, then they all smiled brightly and answered in unison.
“Yes! Chief!”
“We’ll do our best too!”
For the three members, who were practically Dang Yeoeun’s followers, training alongside her was the ultimate motivation.
Dang Yeoeun smiled faintly at their spirited response and said again.
“Then let’s discuss on the way. What and how we should train, and how to make our training more effective.”
As she walked, chatting with her team, someone watched her closely.
It was Hae Cheongyeon.
For some reason, Dang Yeoeun had been on her mind.
Not long ago, she hadn’t felt this way.
No matter how much people gossiped that Seonwoo Jin was in love with Dang Yeoeun, she hadn’t cared.
But now, something felt different.
More precisely, since the day Seonwoo Jin saved her from Mayu Gyeom.
Since then, the weight and meaning in Seonwoo Jin’s glances toward Dang Yeoeun had started to grow.
Of course, it didn’t seem like the same kind of affection he had for Seo Yu.
But the problem was that Dang Yeoeun was also sending similar looks back at Seonwoo Jin.
Only Hae Cheongyeon could tell that the cold expression she wore while watching Seonwoo Jin’s duel wasn’t truly cold.
It felt strange.
It hadn’t been like this when she realized she was in love with Seo Yu.
Back then, she thought it was enough just to watch him from afar.
But now, she wondered if that wasn’t the case.
Maybe she had been complacent because she believed nothing would come of her feelings for Seo Yu.
It troubled her deeply.