At Dan Cheong’s question, Baek Yeon replied calmly, “It seems to be the Martial Alliance’s doing.”
“The Martial Alliance?”
“They had meticulously cleared their weapons and belongings to hide their identities.”
“Even their belongings?”
“Yes. However, they weren’t careful enough, as everything was sourced from the Wudang Sect.” Baek Yeon spoke with confident eyes. “Judging by the weapons and items of the operatives, it’s likely one of the previous generation’s units under the Commander… either the Autumn Wind Unit or the Tragic Fate Unit.”
“Hmm.” Staring coldly at his teacup, Dan Cheong muttered, “Perfect for pinning it on the Commander’s unilateral action if things escalate.”
“Exactly. The information about this kid was likely leaked by a Martial Alliance spy planted in Majeon.”
“But it doesn’t make sense. This kid just entered Nangyang.”
“It’s probably because of rumors about his exceptional talent,” Baek Yeon said, letting out a deep groan. “They want to uproot the grass before it grows too lush. They see him as a future threat.”
“Hmm.” Dan Cheong scratched his head with a heavy sigh.
He hadn’t even fully mastered martial arts yet… but Bu Eunseol had already drawn the attention of not only the Ten Demonic Sects and Majeon’s Elder Council but also the Martial Alliance.
‘Is it inevitable?’ After deep thought, Dan Cheong shook his head. ‘Heroes are forged through trials. No matter how fine the iron, it can’t become a good sword without being hammered.’
Trials make a person stronger. Dan Cheong firmly believed that the trials facing Bu Eunseol would make him even more formidable. To overcome those trials, he needed to master powerful martial arts as quickly as possible.
‘No choice. With time so short… I’ll have to teach him martial arts myself.’ Nodding as if resolved, Dan Cheong said, “Bu Eunseol, you must master Nangyang’s true martial arts as soon as possible. Are you aware of that?”
“Of course,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“Then you must have already decided who to learn from?” Even as he asked, Dan Cheong wore a benevolent smile, as if it were obvious.
With the sect’s top expert, aside from the sect leader, sitting before him, he had no doubt Bu Eunseol would choose him.
“I…” But Bu Eunseol said something unexpected. “I want to learn martial arts through real combat.”
“Huh? Real combat?”
“Didn’t you tell me before? That the foundation of practical martial arts is observation and learning within it.”
—The foundation of practical martial arts is the eyes. But once you reach mastery, you can discern an enemy’s movements just by watching and even adopt their techniques in the heat of battle.
Recalling his own words, Dan Cheong furrowed his brows.
“So you’re saying you’ll learn martial arts by experiencing real combat?”
“Yes.” Bu Eunseol nodded with a somber expression. “Because… I don’t have much time left.”
Jeok Bung had estimated three years for Bu Eunseol to master Nangyang’s martial arts. This meant the time allotted to him was likely far less than three years.
“If you’ve made up your mind… fine. But how do you plan to experience real combat and learn martial arts?” Bu Eunseol, as if he had already thought it through, spoke fluently.
“Master Cheol once told me about the Changsin Unit.”
“The Changsin Unit?”
“Yes. The armed force that deals with those who harm or provoke our sect.”
“And?”
As Dan Cheong raised an eyebrow, Bu Eunseol said calmly, “Wouldn’t the seniors of the Changsin Unit be the most seasoned in real combat? I want to witness their battles firsthand.”
“So… you’re saying you want to join the Changsin Unit?”
“Yes.” Baek Yeon, who had been listening silently, shook his head.
“Kid, do you know what kind of place the Changsin Unit is?” Looking down at Bu Eunseol, he said sternly, “The Changsin Unit is made up of the roughest and fiercest members of our sect. They despise those without skill.” His expression grew even graver as he continued. “And the leader of the Changsin Unit, So Jeon, has an unbelievably volatile temper.”
“I’ve heard. They say he personally killed Nangyang disciples who lacked skill.” Baek Yeon’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“You know that and still want to join?”
“I’m joining because I know.”
“Kid! You’re full of arrogance just because you have a bit of talent. What you’re saying now…”
Dan Cheong, who had been listening quietly, suddenly interjected.
“Come to think of it, isn’t the Changsin Unit’s next target the Storm Valley?”
“…Yes, it is.”
“Perfect. Then tell So Jeon to include this kid as an operative when they head to Storm Valley.” Baek Yeon’s face hardened instantly.
“Vice-Sect Leader, do you not know what kind of man he is?”
“I know him well. That’s why I’m sending him. He’ll only be a temporary operative, not a formal one.”
“Absolutely not.” Baek Yeon said firmly, “Even if So Jeon restrains his temper and accepts him, this mission is so dangerous that even Changsin Unit operatives will have to risk their lives.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“And you still want to send him?” Dan Cheong grinned.
“Baek Yeon, why not trust this kid for once?” Baek Yeon fell silent.
Those were the exact words he had said to Dan Cheong before sending Bu Eunseol to Majeon.
“I trust this kid’s judgment. For him to speak so boldly in front of me… he must have thought it through countless times and believes it’s feasible.”
“Hmm.” Baek Yeon let out a bitter groan, his expression sour.
Just as he had once believed in Bu Eunseol’s potential, now Dan Cheong was doing the same.
“I see.” Glancing at Bu Eunseol’s burning eyes, Baek Yeon clasped his hands. “I’ll go tell So Jeon myself.”
***
Changsin Unit.
Nangyang’s armed force, consisting of thirty members. Each operative’s martial prowess has reached the pinnacle, and the leader, So Jeon, and deputy leader, Je Woon, are said to rival regional overlords.
To include Bu Eunseol, who had just entered Nangyang, as an operative? Naturally, So Jeon couldn’t accept such an order.
Inside Nangyang, at the VIP room on the second floor of Manseong Guest House.
“Are you messing with me?” Sitting across from Baek Yeon at a table laden with drinks, Changsin Unit Leader So Jeon glared. “Take that rookie to Storm Valley? Does this So Jeon look like a nanny for snot-nosed kids?”
Looking like the reincarnation of Zhang Fei with his bristling beard, So Jeon’s attitude prompted Baek Yeon to shake his head.
“It’s a direct order from the Vice-Sect Leader.”
“Then I’ll go see the Vice-Sect Leader and refuse myself.”
“No need for that.” Baek Yeon pulled a token engraved with a wolf from his pocket.
It was the Heavenly Wolf Token, symbolizing Nangyang’s Vice-Sect Leader.
“This is…” As So Jeon hesitated, Baek Yeon said coldly, “He said he’s already swamped with headaches and doesn’t want to waste time arguing with you.” Dan Cheong, anticipating So Jeon’s objections, had given Baek Yeon the token to settle the matter.
“So I have to take that rookie no matter what?”
“He’s not just any rookie.”
Downing a drink, Baek Yeon said, “That kid went to Majeon alone, crushed the schemes of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect and White Horse Temple, and came back.”
“Whatever that kid did, it’s none of my concern.” Still refusing to acknowledge Bu Eunseol as a Nangyang disciple, So Jeon’s stance was firm.
“No choice, then. Look at this.” With a bitter smile, Baek Yeon pulled a small letter from his pocket and handed it over. “Even Senior Neung, who’s at Majeon, sent a message to our sect, asking us to take special care of this kid.”
“Senior… Neung?” So Jeon’s eyes wavered as he took the letter.
Neung Gak was the head of Nangyang’s Heavenly Secret Hall, considered the sect’s commander. Recognized early for his unparalleled martial talent, the Lord of Majeon had personally recruited him, appointing him as the head of Hyeonhyeon Hall.
So Jeon, having learned the most martial arts from Neung Gak, held him in high regard.
“No choice, then.” So Jeon downed the drink in his cup. “No, maybe this is a good thing.”
Wiping his mouth, he gripped the cup, his eyes gleaming.
“I was planning to check out that rookie soon anyway.”
Catching the implication, Baek Yeon said firmly, “He’s a kid who’s survived multiple near-death experiences. Don’t even think about putting him through one of your tests.”
“Test? No need for tests.”
Clang.
Setting down the cup, So Jeon bared his fangs in a grin.
“If he survives this mission, I’ll acknowledge him as a Nangyang disciple.”
***
Storm Valley
A sect derived from the Cult of Worship, it hones martial arts through body-hardening techniques and human body modification. What sets Storm Valley apart is its infamy, even among the Demonic Path, as a band of rogues. They kidnapped children for body modification experiments and engaged in human trafficking for profit. Their long history of atrocities in the martial world had earned the hatred of both righteous and demonic sects.
Yet Storm Valley remained intact due to its natural fortress. Accessible only by crossing sheer cliffs rigged with traps and hidden weapons, followed by navigating the Ice Crystal Lake, it was impregnable. Even Nangyang’s Changsin Unit, warriors worth a hundred men each, hesitated at the entrance.
“It’s farther than I heard.” Staring at the sheer cliff, So Jeon frowned.
The only connection between the cliffs was a single thick rope. An operative beside So Jeon spoke up.
“The bigger issue is the fierce winds blowing around the rope bridge. And…” He pointed to a small structure near the opposite cliff. “There’s a guard post set up.”
The guard post was made of stone, with a tiny slit instead of a window. Likely designed to protect the guard from surprise attacks, it allowed observation only through that narrow slit.
“If we show ourselves, the guard inside will cut the rope.” Arms crossed, staring at the cliff, So Jeon narrowed his eyes. “Je Woon.”
“Speak.”
“Can you do it?”
“We’ll see.” Cracking his neck, Vice Leader Je Woon pulled two leaf-thin Willow Leaf Daggers from his pocket.
He stared at the guard post with intense focus.
‘He’s going to throw daggers from here?’
Watching this, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened. The distance to the guard post was at least seventy paces. From the other side, the post would look like a mere dot. The slit in the post was barely wide enough to peek through. To hit it with lightweight Willow Leaf Daggers?
Swish.
Throwing a hidden weapon from such a distance typically requires a wide stance. Yet Je Woon’s posture remained unchanged. ‘Has he achieved Unity of Mind and Blade?’
Unity of Mind and Blade—a state where the blade and mind are one. At this level, executing techniques is unbound by physical limitations. Even sitting or lying down, one can unleash the same power.
‘I made the right choice joining the advanced class of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.’ Had Bu Eunseol not learned the profound principles of swordsmanship from Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s instructor Dan Cheonyang, he wouldn’t have appreciated this state.
Whoosh.
Finally, the Willow Leaf Daggers in Je Woon’s hand shot into the air. The two daggers flew straight into the slit of the guard post seventy paces away.
“…” Silence followed.
So Jeon, standing still, glanced at Je Woon.
“Think it worked?”
“We’ll find out.” Je Woon narrowed his eyes, staring at the post. “Even if the guard is dead, there could be traps on the rope between the cliffs.”
“True. We can’t risk a mishap.” Nodding calmly, So Jeon pointed at Bu Eunseol. “You cross the bridge.”
His tone and demeanor showed he didn’t consider Bu Eunseol part of the Changsin Unit’s strength. In other words, he was sending him ahead to a dangerous spot because it wouldn’t matter if he died.
“Understood.” Without hesitation, Bu Eunseol stepped forward.
Whoosh!
The fierce wind caused the rope between the cliffs to sway.
Step.
Stepping onto the rope, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and channeled his internal energy.
The rope swayed constantly in the wind, making it impossible to cross without using the Suction Technique with his feet.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol moved across the rope with a highly focused expression. One misstep, and he’d plummet into the abyss, his body shattered.
“His internal energy is quite solid,” Je Woon remarked, watching with admiration. “To use the Suction Technique so well on that rope.” So Jeon remained silent, observing without a word.
Bu Eunseol, moving slowly but steadily, was about halfway across when—
Clank.
A wall on one side of the guard post suddenly opened.
Swarm!
A swarm of hidden weapons, like a cloud of bees, engulfed Bu Eunseol’s entire body.
