Episode 50

I was still deep in thought, trying to figure out where and how to acquire a top-tier sword technique, when an unexpected summons came.

Seolpung, our squad leader, had just returned from a meeting with the Grand Leader and gathered all of us together.

“Our squad has been assigned a dispatch.”

A dispatch?

That was sudden.

Everyone’s eyes widened as they asked in surprise.

“What?”

“A dispatch? Just like that?”

“To where, exactly?”

Seolpung’s expression grew serious as he explained.

“A few days ago, there was trouble at the Twelfth Division. The Blood Demon’s lieutenant, Jeo Ungwon, led his men to annihilate two squads and then crossed the front lines. The Twelfth Division’s leader, the great warrior Man Jongim, has requested the Eleventh and Thirteenth Divisions to send reinforcements in pursuit.”

Hearing that, I suddenly remembered—this had happened in my past life as well.

Jeo Ungwon, the Blood Demon’s lieutenant known for over ninety years of internal energy mastery, was a well-known expert who had made a name for himself during the Great Blood Battle. Around that time, he broke away from the Blood Demon’s control, clashed with the Eleventh Division, and then crossed the front lines heading north.

It wasn’t uncommon for members of the Blood Sect to rebel against the Blood Demon’s iron grip and leave Yunnan Province.

After all, the Blood Sect’s leaders never cared about the world’s eyes or rules. It was almost strange that they had agreed to a non-aggression pact with the Martial Alliance, which effectively trapped them in Yunnan under the Blood Demon’s rule.

Of course, some saw this as the Blood Demon’s ruthless strategy—using the Martial Alliance to eliminate Blood Sect members who refused to submit.

Looking back at the Blood Demon’s expansion beyond Yunnan in my past life, that theory held some weight.

I also recalled that the previous dispatch sent to pursue them had returned empty-handed due to the Martial Alliance’s recall orders.

Back then, the dispatched squad was led by Han Gyoseong of the First Division, so I hadn’t paid much attention. But now, it seemed our squad was being sent.

Hmm, so?

I asked the squad leader.

“So, our squad must be recognized as the strongest in the Thirteenth Division.”

Seolpung grinned and replied.

“Well, naturally. We’re the only squad whose members have all reached first-rate mastery, and we have four squad leaders among us.”

That was it.

It was customary to send the elite of each division on dispatches, so our squad going instead of the First Division meant we were officially recognized as the Thirteenth Division’s finest.

Hearing this, the squad members brightened and exclaimed in awe.

“Wow!”

“That’s awesome!”

I couldn’t help but feel pleased. No, I was genuinely proud.

It wasn’t about any one individual—it was our entire squad being acknowledged.

No wonder the squad leader looked so cheerful.

He suddenly glanced at me and continued.

“There was even talk of appointing someone from our squad as the new leader of the Fourth Division, which is currently vacant. But the consensus was that the Fourth Division’s leader should be a supreme expert, so that idea was dropped.”

He shot a meaningful look at me and Cheongyeon.

Hmm, that was a relief.

I was glad I’d kept my supreme-level skills under wraps.

Besides, neither Cheongyeon nor I wanted to leave our squad for another.

At that moment, Bisa-yeong laughed playfully.

“If Jin had gone to lead the Fourth Division, that would’ve been hilarious. Remember how Joo Taekyung ran away to avoid Jin? And then suddenly, they’d meet again as squad leaders? Haha! Jin, any plans to take that post? I’d love to see that.”

Ugh, meeting him again was the last thing I wanted.

But imagining it was kind of funny.

If we did meet again, I’d make sure he called me ‘hyung’ properly.

As I thought about that, I realized I’d never considered that the members I was helping grow might one day become leaders of other squads.

Come to think of it, it was strange that Seolpung, one of the Thirteenth Division’s strongest alongside Han Gyoseong of the First Division, was leading a lower-ranked squad like the Seventh.

Cheongyeon and I were both more than capable of leading a higher-ranked squad ourselves.

In fact, both Bisa-yeong and I had the skills to be squad leaders of lower-ranked squads.

A thought struck me.

“Maybe the time we have left together as a squad is limited.”

I looked around at my comrades.

Their faces, now as close as family—no, closer than family to me—felt especially warm.

As the squad leader finished speaking, everyone began packing their personal belongings for the dispatch.

I, however, stepped outside the dormitory and started walking.

There were two problems I needed to resolve before leaving.

One was the potential threat of Cheolgwi that might arise while we were away.

The other was the issue of the top-tier sword technique.

When I last visited Dang Sojeo, I hadn’t been able to bring up Hwagolsan.

After calming down from her tears, she had thanked me for coming, but I couldn’t tell her the real reason was because of Hwagolsan.

But now, no matter how difficult it might be for her, I had to talk to her.

Because my comrades—and perhaps even Dang Yeoeun herself—might fall victim to Cheolgwi.

Yet, as I headed toward her, my steps felt strange.

‘No, it’s not my steps—it’s my heart that feels off.’

I was nervous, but my feet moved lightly, an odd combination.

I swallowed hard without realizing it.

Why was I like this?

When I arrived at the Third Division’s dormitory, it was already dusk, but all the members were out training intensely.

I didn’t know what had motivated them, but the energy rivaled our own squad’s.

I noticed Dang Sojeo moving busily among them, guiding their training.

I hesitated to interrupt, feeling like I might be disturbing them.

But I had no choice.

There wouldn’t be much time left.

“Dang Sojeo, could you spare a moment?”

I raised my voice, and her eyes turned to me.

Her usual cold, aloof expression was there.

She walked over and asked,

“As you can see, we’re in the middle of training. Is this urgent?”

Her tone was icy.

I was glad to see her back to her usual self, but it also made me feel a little sad.

I forced a small smile and replied,

“Yes, it’s urgent. Just a moment of your time.”

“Then let’s talk over there.”

She led me a little away from the others, out of their sight.

As soon as we were alone, she dropped her cold expression and looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to seem too happy in front of the others. Did I upset you?”

Her worried eyes, unsure how to act, were… incredibly endearing.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“No, it’s fine. You looked great.”

“Oh.”

She bowed her head deeply.

Though it was dark, I could tell her face was slightly flushed.

I hesitated, wondering how to bring up Hwagolsan, when she spoke first.

“I heard about the dispatch.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Still bowing her head, she whispered softly,

“I wanted to tell you to be careful.”

She couldn’t even say it directly, only that she wanted to.

Seeing her like that made me realize how much I and others had misunderstood her.

I smiled warmly.

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.”

We stood there silently for a moment.

It felt strange, like time would stretch on forever if we stayed like that.

Though I wished we could stay longer, I knew I had to get to the point.

“Dang Sojeo, you remember when Seolpung and I went into the forest recently? We met someone named Seok Gyeongdal…”

I planned to explain how I learned about Cheolgwi through Elder Seok, and that Hwagolsan could weaken it.

Her eyes widened as she listened intently.

She told me she didn’t have much Hwagolsan herself but would distribute what she had to the squad leaders.

It was such a simple solution after all the time I’d spent worrying.

After a cautious farewell, I decided to visit the other squad leaders myself.

It seemed better to warn them about Cheolgwi in person.

The leaders, including Daegu Pungyang, who was temporarily leading the Fourth Division, were generally grateful when I told them.

“Hmm, Leader Doksoogwang’s attitude is a bit unsettling, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.”

After visiting five leaders, I was down to the last one.

I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.

The reason I was visiting him last was to address my second problem—the top-tier sword technique.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t solve the sword technique issue with what I knew.

I had memorized many techniques, but none even came close to the Sair Sword Technique, let alone the Sunwoo Thirteen Sword.

So the conclusion was clear: I had to learn a new technique.

One that surpassed the greatest sword masters of the Nine Great Sects—or at least matched them.

I let out a bitter laugh.

Easier said than done. Where on earth would I find such a technique?

‘No, more than finding it—is there even such a technique? Maybe I should look for the legendary Sword God’s legacy.’

As I wrestled with my thoughts, it suddenly struck me: even if I couldn’t surpass the pinnacle techniques of the Gu Sect, there were already three sword styles around me that rivaled it.

There was the Cheongpung Sword Style of the Cheongseong Sect, mastered by First Captain Han Gyoseong; the Seongra Sword Style of the Sword Saint, practiced by Cheongyeon Sojeo; and finally, the Sail Sword Style of the Jeomchang Sect.

In other words, the Gu Sect’s highest-level sword techniques were already present in three forms right in my vicinity.

And among these, the one I had even the slightest chance of learning was…

Without hesitation, I strode over to the man meditating in my training hall and called out his name.

“Captain Sa Gunil.”

He was none other than Sa Gunil, the Jeomchang Sword Dragon and the current captain.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at me.

His gaze held a hint of surprise—apparently, my visit was unexpected.

“Sun Woojin, is it? What brings you here?”

I had been agonizing over how to approach him for some time, but I realized there was no point beating around the bush with a man like Sa Gunil.

So I spoke plainly.

“I want to learn the Sail Sword Style.”

Looking back, the Sail Sword Style was the perfect pinnacle sword technique for me to master.

Though I lacked knowledge of its underlying principles and applications, I already knew the forms from my past life.

If I could just learn it, I’d be able to internalize it faster than anything else.

Besides, compared to the sword styles of the still-thriving Cheongseong Sect or the Sword Saint’s Seongra Style, the fallen Jeomchang Sect’s Sail Sword Style was far more accessible.

But Sa Gunil gave me a somewhat incredulous look and asked,

“You want to learn the Sail Sword Style? You, specifically?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

My straightforward confidence seemed to leave him momentarily speechless, but then he spoke again.

“Do you know what Joo Taekyung has been telling me lately?”

Huh? Joo Taekyung? Why bring him up now?

He continued.

“He says you’ve dragged the honor of Jeomchang through the mud.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

I knew exactly what he was getting at.

Joo Taekyung probably wanted to claim that by exposing Mayugyeom’s crimes, I had dishonored Jeomchang.

Not entirely untrue, but blaming me—the one who revealed the truth—instead of the guilty Mayugyeom was so typical of Joo Taekyung’s twisted logic.

“I doubt you’d agree with that nonsense,” I said.

Sa Gunil smirked in response.

“Of course not. In fact, it was a relief. If it weren’t for you, who knows what greater crimes he would have committed under Jeomchang’s name. But… I wanted to tell you that there are people who think that way. So, regardless of the why or how, it would look strange for someone like you to learn Jeomchang’s Sail Sword Style, wouldn’t it?”

He was politely saying no.

Still, I was satisfied.

After all, he hadn’t snapped at me with “Why should I teach you?”—that was a good enough reaction.

I shook my head and replied,

“On the contrary, that’s exactly why I should learn the Sail Sword Style.”

He frowned and asked,

“What do you mean?”

“If I were an outsider with no ties to Jeomchang, it would mean an outsider had uncovered our secrets. But since I’m connected to Jeomchang, it means the sect itself has punished its traitors. Also…”

Sa Gunil’s frown didn’t ease as he listened.

Apparently, I hadn’t convinced him yet.

But what I really wanted to say came next.

Looking him straight in the eyes, I declared,

“I will restore Jeomchang’s honor through the Sail Sword Style.”

For the first time, his expression shifted to surprise.

“What did you say?”

“I believe we must strike the Blood Sect within five years. After that, there won’t be another chance.”

In five years, the Blood Demons would appear—peak masters with demonic bodies capable of withstanding sword energy.

By then, it would be nearly impossible to hold the front lines, let alone survive.

So we had to attack the Blood Sect first.

His eyes trembled with emotion.

It was inevitable—attacking the Blood Sect was the lifelong wish of a Jeomchang disciple like him.

With fierce intensity, I continued,

“When that time comes, I will use the Sail Sword Style to wipe out the Blood Sect’s leaders. I will make sure the Sail Sword Style is remembered not as the weapon of traitors who defected to the Blood Sect, but as the sword technique that shattered them.”

That was the real message I wanted to convey.

And there was no falsehood in it.

Sa Gunil’s frown faded.

Instead, he stared at me with a fierce, unwavering gaze.

Then he spoke.

“You’re… reckless. But now I understand why Yugyeom thought so highly of you when he was still sane. You want to attack the Blood Sect.”

His eyes blazed with a wild light I had never seen before.

He asked again,

“One more thing. Why are you so fixated on the Sail Sword Style? The Sunwoo Thirteen Sword Style you showed me last time was excellent.”

I shook my head.

“I thought so too, until I fought Mayugyeom. The Sunwoo Thirteen Sword Style just can’t match the Sail Sword Style.”

His eyes flashed sharply.

“You fought Mayugyeom? I don’t recall you ever saying that.”

When reporting to the elders and captains, I only said I fled using new techniques until Sojeo woke up in time to defeat Mayugyeom.

If I admitted to fighting him, I’d have to reveal I’d reached the pinnacle.

“I didn’t want to disclose it.”

But I think he already guessed what I was hiding.

“Do you know Seolpung?”

“Yes, but I asked to keep it secret. I’m not ready to leave the Seventh Division yet.”

He chuckled.

“Seolpung’s lucky. To rise from second-rate to pinnacle in just a few months.”

Then, with burning eyes, he said,

“Alright. I’ll trust you. You say you can restore Jeomchang’s honor. But when we attack the Blood Sect, you can’t leave me out.”

I grinned and replied,

“I won’t let you down.”

That day, I finally completed the Sail Sword Style of Jeomchang—the only sword technique I had ever truly known since my past life.