Deployment-1
At dawn the next day, our squad set out quickly from the Thirteenth Unit. Our destination was northwest, where the Twelfth Unit was stationed.
Our squad moved at great speed.
Even the lowest-ranked among us, Lady Cheon Jueun, had already stepped into the first-class realm, and since movement techniques were our specialty, our swiftness was unmatched.
In fact, judging by movement techniques alone, our squad could easily rank among the top across the entire frontline.
After running atop the trees for about an hour, feeling like we were in morning training, we soon spotted the encampment of the Twelfth Unit.
There, we received word from a Twelfth Unit member waiting for us: we were to head toward Seonwi in Yunnan Province.
Apparently, the Twelfth Unit Leader had chased the Giant Demon Horse all the way north to Seonwi, at the northeastern edge of Yunnan.
As we darted across the treetops, Lady Cheon Jueun suddenly asked:
"Do you think we can actually capture the Giant Demon Horse?! I heard it has over ninety years of inner power?!"
Over ninety years meant it was already on the verge of breaking past a century — the threshold to the supreme realm.
Even Fengyang, the Great Unit Leader, or Captain Han Gyoseong of our unit hadn't yet surpassed the barrier of eighty years, so Lady Cheon Jueun's concern was only natural.
But Bisa-yeong laughed heartily and replied:
"Don't worry, Lady Cheon! We've got Captain Seolpung, who once fought against the true supreme monster, the Bloodthirsty Demon Lord Ji Gwang-ok, haven't we?! Not to mention, three of the finest squads will join forces here. That beast doesn't stand a chance!"
At his words, Lady Cheon Jueun's face brightened a little, and Bae Jong-gwan added in a booming voice:
"Never fear, Lady Cheon! Even without the captain, I, Bae Jong-gwan, will stake my very life to protect you!"
Why is embarrassment always left for the rest of us….
To say something like that with a straight face — the guy was something else.
We all coughed awkwardly and turned away, while Lady Cheon Jueun forced a polite smile.
"Ah… yes. Thank you, Young Master Bae."
I caught the slightly uncomfortable expression on her face and shook my head.
Tsk. Fool. How can you not understand a woman's heart at all?
Not that I know much about women myself, but even I could tell that wasn't the way.
Still, I pitied him.
Maybe he really would need to risk his life before Lady Cheon would even notice him. But in this deployment, it didn't seem like such a chance would arise.
After all, as Bisa-yeong said, we had a captain who had crossed swords with the Bloodthirsty Demon Lord himself.
Even so, when real combat begins, who can predict what might happen? Unforeseen dangers could always arise.
But….
"I already know the outcome."
Thanks to the memories of my past life, I already knew how this mission would end.
We wouldn't chase the Giant Demon Horse to the very end — we would eventually return.
That's why, in truth, I thought of this deployment as little more than a picnic.
After several more hours of running, we arrived at Seonwi, near the border of Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces.
And there, at the entrance of Seonwi, we saw the Twelfth Unit Leader, the Demon-Slaying Guest Master Man Jongrim, waiting for us with one of his squads.
A man said to have earned the nickname "Demon-Slaying Guest" from his deep hatred of cultists and demonic sects, he was a middle-aged martial artist whose stern gaze and tightly shut lips gave him an impression of rigidity.
"Seventh Squad of the Thirteenth Unit, led by Captain Seolpung, with six others. Are you Unit Leader Man Jongrim of the Twelfth?"
Captain Seolpung asked politely with a smile.
But Man Jongrim's sharp eyes scanned us and he retorted:
"Seventh Squad? Seolpung? Not Qingpung the Sword Dragon of the First Squad, nor Jeomchang the Sword Dragon of the Second? And why only seven members?"
His tone was harsh and accusatory right from the first words.
We hadn't expected warm hospitality, but such hostility was beyond imagination.
Slightly flustered, Captain Seolpung replied:
"Great Unit Leader Fengyang judged that we were the most suited for this mission. We may be only seven, but all are first-class martial artists and above. There's no need for concern."
A squad where every member had reached first-class was remarkable by any standard.
But Man Jongrim didn't seem impressed.
Ignoring that fact, he pressed on with his disapproving glare.
"I've never heard the name Seolpung before. Which sect are you from?"
Though rude, the captain still answered gently with a smile.
"I've trained in my family's martial arts. I cannot disclose more. Forgive me."
But Man Jongrim's eyes hardened further.
"Cannot disclose? Surely it's not because you're some wretch from the demonic sect?"
This time, not only Captain Seolpung but all of us stared back in disbelief.
Though rare, it wasn't unheard of for demonic sect martial artists to serve on the frontlines. Even in our squad, both our captain and Lady Cheon Jueun were from such backgrounds.
But to insult us outright like that?
Captain Seolpung answered curtly, his face stiff.
"Not from the orthodox sects, no."
Man Jongrim's face twisted, and he roared in fury:
"What?! Fengyang dared to send me trash from the demonic sect?! For such an important mission?!"
It seemed this deployment was doomed from the start.
To have to move with such a narrow-minded, insolent man… I shook my head in dismay.
Bisa-yeong muttered quietly:
"Only when the flower withers do you realize it was spring. Now I see that Great Unit Leader Fengyang was truly a celestial maiden."
He wasn't wrong. But even without comparing him to Fengyang, this was unbearable.
Our captain was being humiliated over a deployment we wouldn't even see through to the end. Just as I was about to suggest we return, something happened.
From the direction we had come, ten men came racing like the wind.
"Captain Je Won-yeong of the First Squad of the Eleventh Unit, with nine members, reporting in! Looks like we're the last to arrive! My apologies! Hahahaha!"
The man was burly, with a bold voice to match.
And he was a name I already knew.
The Sword Hero Je Won-yeong of Jeomchang was a famed martial artist, second only to the Sword Dragon Sa Gun-il among the disciples of Jeomchang Sect.
Surprisingly, at the sight of him, Unit Leader Man Jongrim's face lit up with a satisfied smile — nothing like the scowl he had shown us.
"Oooh! The Sword Hero himself! As expected of Leader Yoon! He sent me a true talent!"
His blatant words made us chuckle bitterly.
So we weren't "true talents," apparently.
"Come, come! You've traveled far, I'm grateful!"
He welcomed Je Won-yeong warmly — hospitality we had never once received.
Je Won-yeong laughed heartily, exchanged greetings with Man Jongrim, then looked toward us.
"And you all… are you from the Thirteenth Unit, perhaps?"
At that, Man Jongrim immediately scowled again and said:
"Yes. When I requested urgent reinforcements, this is all they—"
But he didn't finish.
For Je Won-yeong suddenly turned to Captain Seolpung with astonished eyes.
"By any chance… are you Captain Seolpung of the Thirteenth Unit's Seventh Squad?"
His tone carried no malice. In fact, it brimmed with genuine warmth.
Captain Seolpung nodded, puzzled.
"That's right."
Then Je Won-yeong burst out laughing and ran toward him.
"Wahahaha! At last, we meet! I heard of you through Sa Gun-il's letters! They said a martial artist even greater than Qingpung Sword Dragon Han Gyoseong had joined the Thirteenth Unit, and I was so curious! Curious enough I almost transferred to the Thirteenth myself! If it weren't for that bastard Ma Yu-gyeom, I'd have really done it! Wahahahaha!"
He must have been on close terms with Captain Sa Gun-il of the Second Squad, exchanging letters with him.
It was surprising that the usually taciturn Captain Sa Gun-il had a correspondent, and one with such a different personality at that.
Despite his masculine demeanor, Je Won-yeong did not come across as arrogant in the slightest. He left a very good impression.
For a moment, he even reminded me of Vice-Captain Myung Sa-hyeon of the Third Squad, who had died not long ago.
With eyes full of warmth, he continued:
"I also heard the story of how you recently earned the nickname 'Wildstorm Dragon'! To uphold justice so boldly against such a massive faction as the Black Incense Gang—truly admirable! I even regretted not having befriended Brother Seol earlier! When I heard that delegates from the Thirteenth Unit would be coming, I hoped it might be you, and now, at last, my wish is fulfilled! Hahaha! Ah, by chance, are the young heroes Bi Cheonheukrang Seon Woojin and Gale Shadow Bisa-yeong here as well?"
He even knew my name and Bisa-yeong's.
When we awkwardly admitted who we were, he greeted us both with a boisterous, friendly smile before turning back to apologize to Man Jongrim.
"Ah, forgive me, Unit Leader of the Twelfth. I was simply overexcited at meeting people I've long admired. I beg your pardon."
At his courteous apology, Man Jongrim nodded and glanced at us with a somewhat conflicted expression.
I could roughly guess what he was thinking, and I gave a dry chuckle before speaking to the captain.
"Captain, since the Twelfth Unit Leader doesn't seem too fond of us, wouldn't it be better to return?"
Bisa-yeong also chimed in with a laugh.
"Indeed, Captain. What use are scraps like us? Returning at once would be the best way to help the Twelfth Unit Leader, wouldn't it?"
At this, Je Won-yeong looked puzzled.
"What do you mean? From what I can see, aside from Captain Seolpung, every other squad member here has already surpassed the first-class realm. Why would the Twelfth Unit Leader not appreciate such warriors? And scraps? What on earth are you talking about?"
As he looked at us in confusion, Man Jongrim cleared his throat and answered.
"Hmm, hm. There must have been some misunderstanding. Do you really think I'd send you back in such urgent times? Of course not."
And with that, he hurriedly began explaining the situation.
We exchanged wry smiles and decided to let it pass for now.
"Three days ago, the Giant Demon Horse Jeo Ungwon ambushed the Fifth Squad of the Twelfth Unit while they were on patrol, accompanied by nine of his men. He slaughtered them all and abducted two female members. We immediately sounded the alarm and gave chase, but it wasn't easy to track him. We split into squads to pursue, but then the Second Squad, sweeping the northeast, was struck as well. We only learned of it by evening. The entire squad was annihilated, save for one missing female corpse."
If that was true, then in a single night, two squads of the Twelfth Unit—around twenty people—had been wiped out.
I could understand why his nerves were on edge.
Je Won-yeong frowned gravely and asked:
"No survivors at all?"
Man Jongrim sighed deeply before replying.
"One barely survived. But he lost an arm and a leg, and can no longer live as a martial artist."
We all fell silent with sorrowful expressions.
For two squads to be annihilated—the atmosphere in the Twelfth Unit needed no explanation.
Man Jongrim's eyes burned as he spoke again.
"I cannot allow those fiends to live. I will see them captured and take vengeance. That is why I need your strength."
Lady Cheongyeon suddenly asked:
"If there's a survivor, then you must have learned about the enemy's strength, yes?"
Man Jongrim answered with a heavy expression.
"According to him, besides the Giant Demon Horse Jeo Ungwon, there were three experts at the peak realm, and seven elite first-class demonic soldiers."
"!"
"!"
We couldn't help but be shocked.
Not only the Giant Demon Horse with over ninety years of inner power, but also three more peak masters, and even seven elite first-class fighters?
That was enough to wipe out an entire small-to-midsize sect on their own.
Perhaps it was fortunate that only two squads had been lost.
As we stirred uneasily, the Twelfth Unit Leader said with fiery eyes:
"The enemy's strength is not to be taken lightly. But as righteous warriors, I trust none of you would shrink from giving your lives to eradicate these fiends of the Blood Sect."
We exchanged glances at his words.
But hadn't we already told him we weren't orthodox sect members?
Every word out of his mouth only managed to chip away at any good impression we might have had.
I was almost tempted to ask outright if not being orthodox meant we could just leave.
And Bisa-yeong, it seemed, was on the verge of doing exactly that.
"Then…!"
Just as he was about to speak, the captain cut him off and responded instead.
"We have no intention of leaving. Please, continue."
When Je Won-yeong nodded in agreement, Man Jongrim broke into a delighted laugh.
"Wahahaha! That's the spirit of Dragon Unit members! True righteous warriors indeed—"
But before he could finish, Lady Cheongyeon interjected.
"So, where are they now? Did they enter Seonwi? Are you still tracking their trail?"
The timing of her interruption was impeccable.
Truly, it was Lady Cheongyeon.
Man Jongrim frowned at having his words cut off, but perhaps realizing the urgency of the matter, he coughed and answered anyway.
"Hmm, hm. We followed their tracks and arrived at Seonwi yesterday. But at the entrance, the trail vanished completely. Judging by the direction, they must have gone deeper inside, so we inquired around—but strangely, no one inside has seen them."
Lady Cheongyeon replied coldly:
"So you lost them."
He flared up immediately.
"Lost them? Hardly! We simply held our ground! We would have had to wait for you all to arrive anyway! Where else could they have gone but deeper into Seonwi?! We'll just scour it from top to bottom and flush them out!"
But Lady Cheongyeon's voice remained icy.
"What about the possibility they slipped away into Guizhou or Sichuan? Why are you so sure they entered Seonwi? What makes you so certain?"
This time, Man Jongrim's face finally showed bewilderment. It seemed he hadn't considered it at all.
"Th-that's absurd! If the Giant Demon Horse had entered Guizhou, word would have spread! A fiend as notorious as him since the Great Blood War couldn't possibly move unnoticed—"
"And yet if he entered Seonwi, it's somehow possible for there to be no word? Especially here, near the frontline, where information about Blood Sect fiends is far more abundant than elsewhere?"
"Th-that…"
At last, Man Jongrim had no reply. Lady Cheongyeon sighed softly and shook her head.
Though she didn't say it aloud, her expression was plain: pitiful.
As his face flushed red with anger and he prepared to shout, she spoke first.
"Have you contacted the Hao Clan?"
"Wh-what?! The Hao Clan?"
"Yes, the Hao Clan. If they entered Seonwi, the Hao Clan branch here would surely know."
"The Hao Clan… how would I know where their branch is? Only their own disciples know such things—"
But Lady Cheongyeon cut him off sharply.
"Then let's start there."
And without hesitation, she strode forward.
We followed her, stifling our laughter, and soon Je Won-yeong led his men after us as well.
Coming close behind me, he whispered:
"Is that young lady from the Hao Clan?"
I shook my head with a smile, and he let out a low whistle in admiration.
"Whew, an extraordinary young lady indeed."
Glancing back, I saw Man Jongrim's face was redder than ever as he finally gathered his Twelfth Unit members to follow after us.