Episode 56
“Why did you hide this from us?”

After being momentarily stunned by Cheong-yeon Sojeo’s beauty, I finally gathered my wits and asked the first question that came to mind.

She glanced around cautiously before answering.

“Because I hate this kind of attention.”

“Ahhh.”

I understood immediately.

I could only imagine how impossible it must have been to live a normal life if every man around her reacted like this.

Looking around, I saw that the other male members of our squad were still dazed, staring blankly at Cheong-yeon Sojeo, while only Na Sojeo and Cheon Sojeo were quietly chuckling.

Apparently, I was the quickest among the men to snap out of it.

The situation was even worse with the Eleventh Squad.

Unlike us, who had been trained by Dang Ye-eun Sojeo, they had no immunity to a beauty like hers. Some were completely out of it, even drooling.

Shockingly, the one in that sorry state was Jeom Chang Geomho, the leader of the Eleventh Squad’s First Team.

While the others were still recovering, Cheong-yeon Sojeo and I managed to sketch out a rough plan for what lay ahead.

Then, facing the now-alert group, I declared, “We will infiltrate Sangeommum disguised as ronin. From now on, we will take questions.”

Na Sojeo immediately raised his hand. “You said Sangeommum is definitely not affiliated with the Blood Sect, right? Then why are we going there?”

She smiled gently and replied, “Good question, Na Sojeo. That’s exactly why we’re going to Sangeommum. We plan to use Cheong-yeon Sojeo as bait to lure them out. If we went somewhere else, we’d have to watch both inside and outside, but at Sangeommum, we only need to guard the outside. Also, I hear Sangeommum’s current situation is quite dire, so we might even receive decent treatment there.”

There was also the unspoken hope that, given the circumstances, there wouldn’t be many fools trying anything inappropriate with Cheong-yeon Sojeo or the other women—but I decided not to mention that.

Jeom Chang Geomho raised his hand. “So, are we all going into Sangeommum as ronin?”

I shook my head. “No. We’ll split into three roles. Three of you Sojeos will act as bait, while the rest will be divided into escort and infiltration pursuit teams.”

“Escort and infiltration pursuit teams?”

“Yes. The escort team will enter as ronin alongside the three Sojeos to protect them. From our Thirteenth Squad, Captain Seol Poong and Bae Jong-gwan will take on that role. I hope the Eleventh Squad members, including Captain Jeom Chang Geomho, will also enter as ronin, pretending not to know each other, and carry out their duties.”

Jeom Chang Geomho’s face brightened.

“Ah, I see. Understood.”

I wasn’t sure if his smile was because he understood or for some other reason.

Then, Bisa-yeong raised her hand. “So, I’m on the infiltration pursuit team? Where do we infiltrate, and who do we pursue?”

“That’s right, Sayoung. You and I will be the infiltration pursuit team. We won’t enter as ronin but will lie in wait nearby. When the Blood Sect’s assassins come after the Sojeos and are repelled by the escort team, we’ll secretly pursue them to uncover their base.”

Brother Sak Mu-heun will also join us, but since this is in front of the Eleventh Squad, I didn’t mention it.

Cheon Ju-eun Sojeo looked a bit worried. “But can we really enter Sangeommum as ronin? Even if they’re desperate, I doubt they’d hire us without proper identification.”

I caught Cheong-yeon Sojeo’s eyes and smiled gently.

Immediately, I regretted it.

It had always been a habit to share a smile with her when we were on the same wavelength, but seeing her smile now hit me too hard.

I felt like my heart might stop.

Trying to calm the pounding in my chest, I answered, “Ah, Cheong-yeon Sojeo has already taken care of that. It seems her father has connections with someone at Sangeommum.”

Our squad members who knew who her father was all exclaimed, “Ahhh!”

Indeed, the network of the Heavenly Sword Saint was impressive.

At that moment, Bae Jong-gwan timidly raised his hand. “Uh, but what exactly do we do there? If we’re the escort team, do we just protect the Sojeos?”

I grinned. “Of course not. To make the bait effective, we need to draw as much attention as possible.”

“Draw attention? How?”

“How else? In battle, we’ll smash the enemies to pieces. And when we’re not fighting…”

“When we’re not fighting?”

“We’ll smash our own side.”

“…Excuse me? What did you say?”

I looked at Bae Jong-gwan’s innocent face and smiled meaningfully.

Jong-gwan, I have high expectations for you.

---

The training grounds outside Sangeommum.

Dozens of ronin gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.

They had come to Sangeommum simply because the pay was good, but now that everyone was avoiding the place, they were panicking.

“Wouldn’t it be better to run away right now? After losing the Western Branch to Jeonghyeopbang in the last fight, the main hall will be next.”

“That may be, but… we’ve already taken the advance payment. If word gets out that we ran away, it’ll be hard to get any big jobs in the future.”

For ronin, trust mattered more than skill when it came to getting high-paying jobs.

No one wanted to pay a large sum to a ronin they couldn’t trust.

So if rumors spread that they took the money and ran, they’d be blacklisted for major missions.

“Trust is important, but it’s not more important than life. If we stay here, there’s a 100% chance we’ll die.”

“Can you really be so sure? Sangeommum is desperate enough to ally with the Woon family, their longtime enemy. If those two join forces, even Jeonghyeopbang won’t stand a chance…”

“You’re hopeless. Didn’t you hear how Sangeommum lost the last two battles?”

“Huh? How did they lose?”

“In the first battle, Sangeommum’s 200 elite warriors faced over a thousand fighters. And those were only from Jeonghyeopbang’s Eastern Branch.”

The ronin’s face turned pale.

A thousand fighters was a force only the major sects controlling each province could muster.

Jeonghyeopbang, ranked only fourth in Sichuan Province, was thought to be incapable of such numbers.

“A thousand?”

“Yes. That’s why Sangeommum fled without putting up a fight. And that’s not all. In the second battle, they ambushed a Jeonghyeopbang delegation of just fifty with 200 elite warriors, yet were completely wiped out.”

“What? They ambushed fifty with two hundred and still got wiped out? How is that possible?”

“The delegation had three supreme masters. Sangeommum’s deputy leader, Heo Joong, led the ambush expecting only the legendary warrior Hwang Jang-gon, but it turned out to be different. That’s why they were annihilated.”

“Wow, so Sangeommum was completely at Jeonghyeopbang’s mercy.”

“That’s right. What’s more surprising is that the supreme masters who fought alongside Hwang Jang-gon weren’t even known Jeonghyeopbang members. They were new, unidentified figures.”

The ronin’s mouth dropped open.

Jeonghyeopbang was said to have seven supreme masters, already more than any sect in Guizhou Province.

If this was true, they had even more.

“So… Jeonghyeopbang has nine supreme masters?”

“That seems to be the case, but who knows? There might be more we don’t know about.”

Another ronin who had been listening interrupted.

“No way! How can Jeonghyeopbang, ranked only fourth in Sichuan, be that strong? Even the top Guizhou sect, Heukobang, isn’t that powerful! It must be a rumor!”

The ronin explaining sighed deeply.

“You really don’t know anything. Of course, if this were Guizhou, they’d be the top sect. But this is Sichuan. Have you forgotten which sects are here?”

“No matter how you look at it…”

The ronin tried to argue but suddenly remembered something and fell silent.

Then, with a pale face, he asked, “Could it be…?”

“Yes, that ‘could it be.’ The sects above Jeonghyeopbang are Cheongseong, Ami, and the Sichuan Tang family. Now do you understand why Jeonghyeopbang is only fourth in Sichuan despite such strength?”

The doubting ronin nodded frantically.

Two of the Nine Great Sects—Cheongseong and Ami—and one of the Five Great Families, the Sichuan Tang Sect.

The fact that Jeonghyeopbang had grown strong amidst those giants only proved how formidable they really were.

“This… this is hopeless. They’re incredibly powerful. We have to run now.”

As the ronin grew restless, ready to flee Sangeommum, a loud voice suddenly rang out.

“What’s all this commotion about?!”

It was a voice imbued with strong internal energy.

Startled, the ronin fell silent and looked toward the source.

There stood Heo Jeon-sam, the Outer Commander of Sangeommum, leading two groups of men.

Heo Jeon-sam was a renowned top-tier master in Guizhou.

No one dared to speak of leaving Sangeommum in front of him, so they fell silent and stared.

And in that moment, they froze completely.

“I’ll introduce them. These are the ronin I painstakingly recruited from Xinji, Zhejiang Province. The five siblings from Doksu in Zhejiang, and the group called Gwaesan Sageom from Gwaesan. Though still young, they’re renowned for their exceptional martial skills… Now, the Jeonghyeop faction’s only path is victory…”

Heo Jeonsam’s introduction of the two groups of ronin went on, but it was pointless.

The ronin no longer heard a word.

Their eyes were fixed solely on Ha Cheong-yeon, standing in the center of the five Doksu siblings.

Nothing else registered—no sights, no sounds.

It felt like a dream.

Even though her blue eyes were veiled behind a thin film carved from black jade, her mysterious aura remained undiminished.

“…So don’t cause a fuss. Just wait!”

As Heo Jeonsam finished speaking and left the training ground, the dazed ronin slowly began to approach Ha Cheong-yeon.

Their pace quickened until, suddenly, they broke into a full sprint.

“Waaahhh!”

“Master! Please look at me! My name is—!”

“Do you think the master cares about the likes of you?!”

“Get lost, all of you!”

Dozens of ronin charged at Cheong-yeon like starving wolves who’d found prey after three days without food.

Their momentum was like a massive wave.

But that wave shattered abruptly when it collided with a colossal rock stepping forward in front of Ha Cheong-yeon.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

“W-what is this?!”

“Ahhh! Where did that rock come from?!”

Baek Jong-gwan, who had simply stood still and repelled the charging ronin, looked down at the fallen and frozen attackers before him, his voice heavy and resolute.

“I warn you. Anyone who approaches my little sister without my permission will die.”

Only then did the ronin visibly register Baek Jong-gwan’s presence, blinking in stunned silence as they glanced between him and Ha Cheong-yeon.

“…Little sister?”

But it was nearly impossible to see any resemblance between Baek Jong-gwan—a massive, muscular giant—and Ha Cheong-yeon, who looked like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens.

The ronin shouted back in anger.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Who’d believe a monster like you is the master’s brother?!”

“That’s right! Stop your nonsense and get out of the way!”

“Move or we’ll cut you down!”

Baek Jong-gwan’s eyes twitched.

“…Monster?”

When planning this, Sun Woo-jin had instructed Baek Jong-gwan not to hold back if anything irritated him.

He was to become a wild, uncontrollable brute of the underworld.

And Baek Jong-gwan’s obedience to Sun Woo-jin’s orders had already been proven during the previous Heuksang faction incident.

Baek Jong-gwan uncrossed his arms and cast a chilling glare down at one ronin who was shouting defiantly before him.

“Move now, monster. Or else…!”

Then, with lightning speed, he slammed his palm down.

Thwack!

“Gyaaaak!”

The ronin was slammed into the ground, trembling all over.

It was the result of Baek Jong-gwan’s massive palm swinging like a flyswatter.

Having effortlessly flattened one man like a frog, Baek Jong-gwan looked down at the others with a grim expression.

“You called me a monster?”

Only then did another ronin, finally grasping the situation, shake his head frantically.

“N-no, I didn’t mean that…!”

But Baek Jong-gwan wasn’t interested in excuses.

“How dare you!”

Wham!

With a horizontal swing of his thick, pillar-like forearm, all the ronin within reach were swept aside like leaves.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Ughhh!”

“Gahhh!”

“Gyaaaak!”

“Eek!”

With a single swing, Baek Jong-gwan sent four ronin flying effortlessly.

Only now did the ronin, who had been so focused on Ha Cheong-yeon that they’d ignored him, finally take notice of Baek Jong-gwan’s body.

He was a giant, towering at least two heads taller than an average man, but his frame was thick and solid rather than lanky.

His entire body was covered in rock-hard muscles.

He was practically a monster.

And that monster’s rage was far from spent.

Baek Jong-gwan roared.

“You dare call me a monster?!”

Then he charged at the cluster of ronin ahead.

The speed was so overwhelming that the startled ronin couldn’t even dodge in time.

“Wha—?!”

“W-w-wait!”

“Waaahhh!”

Like a massive boulder hurtling through the air, Baek Jong-gwan collided with them, and the ronin felt a new sensation the moment they made contact.

Crash!

“Waaahhh!”

“Gyaaaak!”

“Help meee!”

They were sent flying lightly through the air.

The searing pain that whitened their vision, followed by a dizzying sense of weightlessness, made the ronin feel as if they were dreaming once again—but this time in a very different way.

The ronin who had scattered around and luckily avoided Baek Jong-gwan’s charge gawked in disbelief at the scene.

One man alone had sent more than twenty ronin flying like pebbles.

It was a spectacle unlike any other.

Outside the front lines, this was the first time the Geumgangbiseong technique had been displayed.

From beneath the eaves of the outer wall of the training ground, hidden in the shadows, Bi Sa-yeong muttered quietly.

“They’re on the same side… Is this really okay?”

But Sun Woo-jin watched Baek Jong-gwan crushing the ronin like a pack of wild dogs with satisfaction and replied.

“He’s not killing them, right? It’s all going according to plan.”

“Yeah? They’re not dead, but they look like they’re one step from it…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Jong-gwan’s no stranger to fighting, and he knows how to hold back.”

Bi Sa-yeong was about to argue that most of Baek Jong-gwan’s fights had been against underlings, but then thought better of it—there was no point debating here.

Back in the training ground, ronin who feared for their lives aimed their weapons, only to have Baek Jong-gwan charge into them and shatter their arms with his body.

Bi Sa-yeong shook his head.

He hadn’t realized before, having only been around top-tier masters and true monsters, but Baek Jong-gwan—who possessed a body tougher than even the monsters and martial skills just shy of the pinnacle—was a beast to any martial artist who hadn’t reached the highest level.

Watching Baek Jong-gwan chase down the fleeing ronin and beat them mercilessly, Bi Sa-yeong murmured quietly.

“So he really was a monster after all.”