Ma Yu-gyeom
Hae Cheong-yeon was eating alone at an inn near Guizhou when she overheard rumors about her comrades.
Mad Wind Flying Dragon Seol Pung. Flying Dark Wolf Seonu Jin. Swift Gale Flying Hawk Bi Sa-yeong.
She didn't know why Seonu Jin had been given the epithet Dark Wolf, but still—what splendid titles they were.
"A little disappointing, though."
She muttered with a faint pang of regret.
If she had gone along with Seonu Jin this time, she might have taken part in those exciting adventures as well.
After all, he was someone who never let things grow dull around him. She even wanted to test whether being by his side for a lifetime would feel the same.
When Hae Cheong-yeon had declared that she would not accompany Seonu Jin on this vacation, everyone had been surprised.
Na Seo-yu and Cheon Ju-eun, who knew she admired him, were shocked, as were the other male members of their unit—even those unaware of her feelings. For them, it seemed only natural that she would follow him everywhere, like thread to a needle.
She even knew Bi Sa-yeong had teased Seonu Jin behind his back, saying he had finally been rejected.
And Seonu Jin himself had seemed a little awkward at the unfamiliar situation.
"But… it's good to have times like this too."
Though she regretted missing out, she thought it might have been a good strategic choice. Simply watching him was fun enough, but sometimes letting him feel her absence might be better.
But that wasn't the only reason she had not gone with him.
Hae Cheong-yeon had been questioning the frontlines' situation, and the secrets hidden from the outside world.
Too many incidents—too great in scale—had been completely concealed from the martial world.
And that was strange.
In the martial world, where rumors spread faster than even the most powerful masters could move, how could secrets be so thoroughly kept?
All because of a confidentiality agreement?
She shook her head.
"Impossible."
There had to be some powerful force ensuring secrecy.
And she strongly suspected it was the Martial Alliance.
She intended to find out.
And if the Martial Alliance truly had been doing what she suspected, she could not let it stand. That would not be the righteous Martial Alliance she had always believed in.
So, Hae Cheong-yeon had gone alone to Heung-in in Guizhou and commissioned a courier bureau to deliver a sealed letter. She had even paid for the fastest and most expensive express service.
After that, she rented a training chamber at a nearby martial hall and entered closed-door cultivation, only just emerging after several days.
The frontlines were an extraordinarily effective place to train—not only because of the constant threat to one's life, but also because excellent sparring partners could be found everywhere.
At first she had been shocked, but by now, it seemed natural that young warriors of the frontlines achieved more than those of the Martial Alliance.
"In an environment like the frontlines, only the strong can survive. The weak… mostly die."
And yet, despite her progress, she felt something lacking.
As she approached a new stage in her cultivation, she needed an environment where she could focus wholly on herself.
Of course, a true master should not depend on circumstances—but the frontlines held too many distractions to allow for complete self-immersion.
For example, Seonu Jin. Or Seonu Jin. Or Seonu Jin.
Anyway, having completed her days of seclusion, she was now returning to the unit's quarters.
When she arrived in the evening, she found all the members of the Seventh Unit gathered and chatting merrily, everyone except her.
Since she returned on the last night of leave, even Na Seo-yu and Cheon Ju-eun—who had gone to their families—were already back, as were the four male members.
Her teammates greeted her with bright smiles.
"Miss Cheong-yeon! Welcome back!"
"Yeon-ah, you're here! We were waiting for you!"
She felt a curious warmth.
Normally, she was more interested in things than in people. Yet now, after only about four months together, these comrades felt almost like family.
Smiling faintly, she asked after them.
"Sis, Ju-eun. How was your time at home? I heard three of our men earned splendid new epithets. It must have been quite an adventure."
Bi Sa-yeong laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! We were just telling the story! If only you had been there too, Miss Cheong-yeon!"
Clearly, he had been boasting of their deeds with great excitement.
Even though she did not join in, the bright faces of Seol Pung and Seonu Jin told her it had been an enjoyable vacation indeed.
Only Bae Jong-gwan seemed subdued, perhaps because he alone had not gained an epithet. But Na Seo-yu was kindly listening to him and offering comfort.
Then Cheon Ju-eun beamed.
"Sis, sis! Our comrades brought back a whole bundle of precious elixirs! Thanks to them, I can finally meet the conditions to reach First-class!"
Elixirs?
Ah—so they had rescued the Strange Physician of Life and Death, and received them from him.
Smiling, she congratulated Ju-eun.
"That's wonderful. Congratulations, Ju-eun."
At that moment, Seonu Jin smiled and said:
"Now that Miss Cheong-yeon is here, we can bring everything out."
He brought out a bundle and opened it before them.
Immediately, a deep, clear fragrance filled the entire room.
Hae Cheong-yeon's eyes widened at the sight of the elixirs inside.
"All of that… are elixirs?"
Seonu Jin smiled.
"They were taken from the Black Incense Hall's treasury. Its owner is gone now, so we might as well put them to good use. These elixirs will be for all of us, shared as needed. And this…"
He revealed several small pellets.
"These are the Life-and-Death Pills, which Senior Strange Physician swore were superior to summoning pellets. He gave us seven—just enough for one each. Keep them for when the time comes."
Hae Cheong-yeon was truly left speechless.
Others might not understand their value, never having had the chance to even see one—but she knew. Summoning pellets were not items one could simply buy with money. Without fate itself, one might never even glimpse them. They were treasures, worth another life to any martial artist.
And here was Seonu Jin, distributing pills even greater than summoning pellets as though they were mere snacks.
Unable to hold back, she asked:
"Is it really all right to just hand these out like this?"
Seonu Jin looked at her briefly, then smiled.
"The thing I least wish to lose in this life is the people here. So isn't it natural to invest lesser things for the sake of the greatest? Don't you agree, Miss Cheong-yeon?"
She could not understand.
True, she had grown fond of her comrades, and sometimes they felt like family.
But still—they had only known each other for four months.
Seonu Jin's deep affection, and the strange sorrow that sometimes flickered in his eyes, were things she simply could not fathom.
But then, as if he had never shown that depth at all, he grinned brightly.
"And that's not all! I've prepared another gift for our beautiful ladies! Tada!"
With the tone of a street peddler, he produced more treasures, prompting Cheon Ju-eun to squeal in delight.
"Eeeek! You're the best, Young Master Seonu!"
He laid them out: a longsword, a curved saber, and a thin outer garment.
Hae Cheong-yeon's eyes quickly swept over them.
A longsword entirely white, from blade guard to scabbard. A thin saber that looked like it hailed from Haedong. And a shining garment woven from threads with a metallic gleam.
Though not common items, she had seen many fine artifacts since childhood, and recognized at once that these were of high quality.
The craftsmanship of the scabbard and fittings alone marked the white sword as the work of a master.
The Haedong saber, like the famous Japanese blades of Dongyeong, was revered among warriors as a treasure.
And that garment—woven from threads drawn fine as silk from metal—was the work of Sichuan's Tang Sect or a craftsman of equal renown.
Not quite the legendary Heaven-silkworm Cloth, impervious to blades, but enough to guard the body against any external strike from a trained fighter.
Seonu Jin said:
"Choose whichever of the three you like best."
But Hae Cheong-yeon, sharp-eyed, noticed him glancing subtly at Na Seo-yu.
And when her gaze flicked to Seonu Jin's new sword, Muk-rang, leaning against the wall, she instantly understood his intent.
Among the three women, only Cheon Ju-eun used a saber—so the Haedong blade was meant for her.
That left the other two items for Na Seo-yu and Hae Cheong-yeon. But she herself already had Yeonhong, her beloved crimson sword—fine enough to be called a true treasured blade.
Seonu Jin clearly thought that Hae Cheong-yeon would naturally take the protective garment, leaving Na Seo-yu to claim the white sword—
a blade that contrasted with his own Mukrang as if they were a perfect pair.
She couldn't help but chuckle.
His intentions were so obvious—it was almost unbearably cute.
But cuteness was one thing; letting him have his way was another.
Raising her hand without hesitation, Hae Cheong-yeon said:
"I'd like that sword. It suits me perfectly."
Seonu Jin was visibly flustered.
"Eh?! Ah, yes. Miss Cheong-yeon, you want that sword…."
Before he could stammer further, Cheon Ju-eun and Na Seo-yu spoke up brightly:
"I'll take this splendid saber! Wow, it's amazing!"
"Then the garment must be mine. Thank you, Young Master Seonu!"
"A-ah, yes. You're welcome… ha ha…."
His awkward laugh and deflated expression were, once again, very cute.
She did feel a little guilty, but in truth, Na Seo-yu had never intended to choose that sword anyway.
Hae Cheong-yeon had caught her subtle glance—
not at the white blade, but at Seonu Jin's Mukrang.
How could he not notice where the woman he admired had been looking?
That, too, was baffling.
The day after returning from leave, we finished our afternoon patrol and began evening training.
It was the first group sparring in some time.
I glanced at the three young women, laughing and chatting as they tested their new weapons.
And among them was Miss Cheong-yeon, holding the white sword I had so carefully prepared for Miss Na.
She had even named it Baek-yeon and, in exchange, gifted her beloved crimson blade Yeonhong to Na Seo-yu.
For her to part with a sword she was so attached to only showed how much she loved her new one.
It stung—deeply. But there was nothing I could do.
Regardless of my frustration, the new equipment proved invaluable during our first patrol.
Each weapon demonstrated incredible sharpness, cleaving through the ghouls we encountered without even the need for sword energy.
Of course, only my Mukrang managed to cut them completely in half, but everyone was overjoyed nonetheless.
Especially Miss Cheon Ju-eun, who until now had been troubled by her inability to manifest saber energy—she looked as though she had gained the entire world.
I felt proud just to have gifted it.
And now, Bi Sa-yeong, who had finally managed to manifest his blade energy, was soaring.
Once, he could only rely on his speed to confuse or lure the enemy. But now, with even greater speed, he was cutting ghouls in two with a single strike.
At his current level, he could probably handle a pack of six or seven ghouls on his own.
And now, in sparring, he was showing the same overwhelming performance.
Against Miss Cheon Ju-eun—who had once been his equal aside from movement techniques—he dominated even without relying on speed.
The spectators from other units were astounded.
"I was going to tease him about having too flashy an epithet… but he's really improved! Hey, Swift Gale Flying Hawk! What happened to you?"
Bi Sa-yeong smirked arrogantly.
"Hmph! Haven't you heard of 'sudden enlightenment after steady effort'? This is the natural result of perseverance."
"Incredible. Then how about crossing blades with me?"
"Well… this Swift Gale Flying Hawk doesn't have time for nameless fellows."
At his boast, Sixth Unit Captain Won Cheong-won burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! True enough—facing someone without a title is beneath you. In that case, may this Merry-hearted Ape, Won Cheong-won, humbly request a sparring bout with Swift Gale Flying Hawk Bi Sa-yeong?"
"Oh! I've long heard of your great name, Captain Won. A duel with you would be my honor!"
What began in jest quickly turned into a tempestuous clash.
The match was evenly balanced.
Though Won Cheong-won's overall martial prowess was superior, he could not overcome Bi Sa-yeong's stormlike speed.
Every time he tried to press with his broadsword, Bi Sa-yeong slipped away or countered with lightning-fast movement.
Won Cheong-won could not seize the advantage.
Bi Sa-yeong, once dismissed as a mere second-rate fighter, was now dueling evenly with a unit captain—
even if only the lowest-ranked captain, it was still an astonishing leap.
The onlookers were in shock.
"Unbelievable…"
"His speed is unreal. My eyes can barely follow him."
Watching, I couldn't help smiling with pride.
But the young lady sparring me suddenly frowned.
"Don't you think it's a bit rude to watch another match and even smile while fighting me?"
"Wha—?! Ah, Miss Song, I didn't mean—"
"Forget it! Hmph, how insulting. Just wait—I'll train hard until you can't look at anyone but me!"
With that, Miss Song withdrew her sword and stepped back.
She was Song Yeong-yeong of the Third Unit—the one who once gave me her handkerchief. Since then, she had often sought me out for sparring during our training hours.
I couldn't refuse without a good excuse, so I humored her occasionally. But honestly, the difference in skill was large, and I knew why she wanted to spar with me. It was hard to take it seriously.
That's why my eyes had wandered earlier—watching Bi Sa-yeong's duel had simply been too exciting.
Perhaps I had let my expression slip.
I felt a twinge of guilt.
Just then, Miss Cheong-yeon approached me.
"Then, shall we have a match?"
I grinned.
"With pleasure, miss."
She was one of the two people in our unit I had never defeated.
On the verge of breaking through to the realm of the peak, she already stood at the pinnacle of first-class martial artists.
But that had been before my vacation. Now, with a full cycle of inner energy mastered, perhaps it was time to win.
I charged at her with a ferocious smile.
Fourth Unit Captain Jeomchang Geomeung Ma Yu-gyeom stood at a distance, quietly observing the Seventh Unit's sparring.
Normally, he avoided them, disliking Captain Seol Pung. But today, he could not look away.
It was shocking.
The Seventh Unit had once been a rabble, with only Seol Pung—an apex master—pulling his weight.
At least, that was true four months ago.
Yet now, they had grown into something formidable.
Vice-captain Na Seo-yu, once only mid-first-class, had matured into a solid upper-first-class master.
And Bi Sa-yeong—who used to be just second-rate—is now holding his own against Sixth Captain Won Cheong-won? And that once-sluggish Seonu Jin…
Together with Cheong-yeon, Seonu Jin's martial ability was now on par with not only Captain Won but even Captain Dok Su-gwang of the Fifth Unit.
The Seventh Unit now boasted three warriors of captain-level caliber—a monstrous squad.
And at the heart of it all was likely that man.
Seonu Jin, now known as the Flying Dark Wolf, the very man Ma Yu-gyeom had once wanted to recruit for himself.
To realize too late that the talent he had missed was a fledgling roc—
it made his heart ache bitterly.
At that moment, one of his men, Jeomchang Geombi Ju Tae-gyeong, spoke from behind.
"Look at that, Senior Brother! Does this make sense to you? A second-rate fighter suddenly rising like that? This must be related to the Blood Cult's sorcery! Didn't I already tell you? His sudden rise in power came after he went into the jungle, claiming he would help those Miao tribesmen!"
Ma Yu-gyeom turned a sharp gaze toward him.
"The Blood Cult, you say?"
Ju Tae-gyeong nodded firmly.
"Yes! Without doubt! That man must have been possessed by the Blood Cult, or else has allied himself with one of their demonic lords!"
Ma Yu-gyeom listened silently, his eyes narrowing to sharp slits.