Ma Yugyeom (1)

Hae Cheong-yeon was dining alone at an inn near Guizhou Province when she overheard rumors about her comrades.

Gale-Wind Flying Dragon Seol Pung, Black Wolf of the Flying Heavens Seonu Jin, and Swift-Flying Shadow Bi Sayoung—she didn’t know why Seonu Jin had earned the epithet of Black Wolf, but they were undeniably splendid titles.

“A little disappointing, isn’t it?”

Hae Cheong-yeon muttered, suddenly feeling a pang of regret.

If she had followed Seonu Jin this time as well, she would have been able to take part in those fun events.

After all, he was the kind of person who never allowed a moment of boredom when beside him. She even wanted to test if that would remain true for a lifetime.

When Hae Cheong-yeon said she would not accompany Seonu Jin this time because she had her own matters to attend to during the break, everyone had been puzzled.

Na Seoyu and Cheon Jueun, who knew she harbored feelings for Seonu Jin, as well as the other male members who didn’t, all found it natural that she would follow him as faithfully as thread follows a needle.

She even knew that Bi Sayoung had teased Seonu Jin from behind, saying he had finally been dumped.

And even Seonu Jin himself seemed a little awkward in the unfamiliar situation.

“But… there should be times like this, shouldn’t there?”

Although she felt a tinge of regret, she thought it had been a strategically sound choice.

It was fun enough just to watch from the sidelines, but sometimes letting him feel her absence was not a bad idea either.

Yet that wasn’t the only reason Hae Cheong-yeon hadn’t followed Seonu Jin this time.

She had begun to harbor doubts about the situations she had come to know on the frontlines, as well as about the incidents concealed from the outside world.

Too many major events had been kept hidden from the martial world.

And that was strange indeed.

In the martial world, where rumors were said to travel faster than even the greatest masters, how could secrets be maintained so perfectly?

Just because of a single confidentiality oath?

Hae Cheong-yeon shook her head.

“That can’t be.”

She was convinced that some powerful force existed that compelled the secrecy.

And she suspected that force was none other than the Martial Alliance.

Hae Cheong-yeon had resolved to investigate it.

And if the Martial Alliance truly had done as she suspected, she could not simply stand by.

For then it would no longer be the righteous pillar of the Martial Alliance she knew.

Thus Hae Cheong-yeon had traveled alone to Xingyin in Guizhou Province and commissioned the Escort Bureau to deliver a letter.

And she had used the fastest and most expensive express service to do so.

Afterwards, she had rented a training chamber at a nearby military outpost and secluded herself in closed-door training, only just emerging after several days.

The frontline was an extraordinarily effective place to train. It brimmed with the threat of death that never allowed even a moment of slack, and good sparring partners were scattered everywhere.

At first it had surprised her, but now she thought it only natural that the young warriors of the frontlines had achieved results surpassing those of the Martial Alliance.

“In an environment like the frontline, only the strong can survive. Those who couldn’t must mostly have perished.”

And yet Hae Cheong-yeon recently felt somewhat dissatisfied.

As she was on the verge of stepping into a new stage, she needed an environment where she could immerse herself wholly in herself.

Of course, a true master did not depend on their environment, but the frontline had too many distractions to allow her full concentration.

For instance—Seonu Jin. Or Seonu Jin. Or Seonu Jin.

Anyway, having finished her few days of seclusion, she was now on her way back to the frontline.

When she arrived at the Seventh Squad’s quarters around evening, all the other members were gathered there, chatting happily.

Because she returned on the last night of her break, even Na Seoyu and Cheon Jueun, who had gone to their families, as well as the four male members, seemed already back.

Her squadmates greeted her warmly with bright smiles.

“Lady Cheong-yeon! Welcome back!”

“Yeon-a, come on in! We’ve been waiting!”

Hae Cheong-yeon found it strangely heartwarming.

She had always been more interested in objects than people, yet these comrades she had met only four months ago now felt like family.

She returned a faint smile and asked after them.

“Sister, Jueun. Did you visit your families safely? I hear you three even gained splendid epithets? It seems you had great fun.”

Bi Sayoung burst out laughing boisterously as he replied.

“Ha-ha-ha! We were just talking about that! If only you had come with us, Lady Cheong-yeon!”

Clearly Bi Sayoung had been recounting tales of exploits with excitement.

She didn’t intrude, but the bright faces of Seol Pung and Seonu Jin showed it had certainly been an enjoyable break.

Only Bae Jongwan looked somewhat down, perhaps because he alone hadn’t earned an epithet. But Na Seoyu kindly spoke with him, listening to his words.

Then Cheon Jueun suddenly spoke with a beaming face.

“Sister, sister! Our comrades brought back a bundle of elixirs for me! Now I can finally meet the conditions to become a first-class martial artist!”

Elixirs?

Ah, they must have received them from saving the Living-Dead Eccentric.

Thinking so, she congratulated Cheon Jueun with a smile.

“That’s wonderful. Congratulations, Jueun.”

At that moment Seonu Jin grinned and said:

“Now that Lady Cheong-yeon is back, we can bring everything out.”

He carried a bundle and laid it before them.

As soon as it opened, a deep and pure fragrance filled the entire room.

Hae Cheong-yeon was uncharacteristically astonished by the sight of the elixirs piled inside.

“All of that… are elixirs?”

Seonu Jin smiled.

“Taken from the Black Market Lord’s warehouse. Well, since its owner is gone, we might as well make good use of them. These elixirs can be shared by all of us when needed. And this….”

What he produced next was a small pill.

“The Living-Dead Eccentric himself guaranteed this Life-and-Death Pill surpasses the Summoning Pill. He gave exactly seven, one for each of us to keep and use when needed.”

Hae Cheong-yeon was speechless.

Others might not realize their worth, having never encountered them, but she knew too well that the Summoning Pill wasn’t something money could simply buy.

It was an item that one couldn’t even glimpse without fate, a treasure that could serve as another life to a martial artist.

And yet he was distributing a medicine said to surpass even that so casually.

To an outsider, it might look like he was handing out snacks.

Unable to hold back, Hae Cheong-yeon asked Seonu Jin:

“Is it really alright to give these away like this?”

He looked at her briefly, then smiled gently as he answered.

“If there is anything I least wish to lose in life, it is the people gathered here. So isn’t it natural to invest something less important for the sake of what is most important? Don’t you agree, Lady Cheong-yeon?”

Hae Cheong-yeon could not understand.

She, too, had grown attached to her comrades, sometimes even feeling they were like family.

But still—they had only known each other for four months.

Seonu Jin’s deep affection for them, and those strangely sorrowful eyes he sometimes revealed, were things she simply couldn’t comprehend.

Yet before long Seonu Jin brightened again, as if he had never shown that depth.

“And that’s not all! We have another gift prepared for our beautiful ladies! Ta-da!”

Something about his tone was like a medicine peddler, and Cheon Jueun cheered with delight.

“Eeeek! You’re the best, Young Master Seonu!”

What he brought out were a sword, a saber, and a thin upper garment.

Hae Cheong-yeon swiftly looked them over.

One was a pure-white sword, its scabbard and hilt all white. Another was a thin saber likely from Haedong. And the garment was a thin shirt made of fabric that gleamed with a metallic luster.

Though not common, she had seen enough treasures since childhood to recognize their worth immediately.

From the material and finish of the scabbard and hilt, she could tell the white sword was the work of a master craftsman even without seeing its blade.

The Haedong saber, alongside the Dongyeong-style Japanese Blade, was revered as a treasure weapon among warriors.

And the shirt was no less extraordinary.

Judging by its metallic sheen, it seemed woven from threads drawn thin as silk from metal, a feat possible only by the Tang Clan of Sichuan or other comparable master artisans.

Though not quite the Celestial Silkworm Treasure Garment that rendered blades harmless, it could surely protect its wearer from most external martial force.

Seonu Jin spoke:

“Each of you may choose whichever you like among the three.”

But Hae Cheong-yeon keenly noticed that as he said this, he glanced at Na Seoyu.

And when she noticed his new black sword, Black Wolf, leaning against the wall, she immediately understood what he was thinking.

Among the three women, only Cheon Jueun used a saber, so the Haedong saber was naturally meant for her.

That left the other two items for Na Seoyu and Hae Cheong-yeon. But Hae Cheong-yeon already possessed a treasured crimson sword called Yeonhong.

Thus Seonu Jin must have thought she would surely choose the shirt, leaving Na Seoyu to take the white sword—a perfect counterpart to his black Black Wolf.

She couldn’t help but smile wryly.

His intentions were so transparent it was almost adorable.

But while adorable, letting him have his way was another matter.

Hae Cheong-yeon promptly raised her hand.

“I want that sword. I like it very much.”

Seonu Jin was visibly flustered.

“What?! Ah, yes. Lady Cheong-yeon wants the sword….”

Before he could say more, Cheon Jueun and Na Seoyu brightly declared:

“I’ll take the wonderful saber then! Wow, it’s amazing!”

“Then the shirt is mine. Thank you, Young Master Seonu!”

“Ah, yes. You’re welcome, ha-ha….”

His awkward laugh as he tried to hide his dejection was endearing.

She felt a little guilty, but she knew Na Seoyu wouldn’t have chosen the sword anyway.

She had keenly noticed Na Seoyu’s eyes lingering on Seonu Jin’s black sword and the white sword.

It was strange that he didn’t realize which direction the gaze of the woman he admired was turned.

The day after returning from break, we went on afternoon patrol and then trained in the evening.

It was the first group sparring in a while.

I glanced at the three ladies chatting happily, satisfied with their new weapons.

But my heart ached terribly when I saw the white sword I had prepared for Lady Na now in Lady Cheong-yeon’s hand.

Lady Cheong-yeon named it Baek-yeon and even gifted her beloved crimson sword Yeonhong to Lady Na. For her to part with such a cherished weapon, the new sword must have captured her heart.

Though it pained me, I decided to accept it.

Still, the new weapons proved their worth brilliantly on our first patrol.

Even without sword energy, they cut down the specters we encountered with astonishing sharpness.

Of course, only my Black Wolf could sever them completely, but everyone was overjoyed nonetheless.

Especially Lady Cheon Jueun, who had often fretted about being useless for not yet manifesting saber energy—her joy was boundless.

I felt proud as the giver of the gifts.

And Bi Sayoung, who could now manifest sword energy, flew about like a whirlwind.

Where before he had only infiltrated to confuse or lure enemies, now his faster footwork let him cut specters in two with a single strike.

At this level, he could easily handle a pack of five or six alone.

It was the same in sparring now.

He completely overwhelmed Lady Cheon Jueun, who had once been his equal save for footwork.

Other squad members who had been watching in astonishment murmured in admiration.

“We were going to tease you about that flashy epithet, but you’ve really improved! Hey, Swift-Flying Shadow! What happened to you?”

Bi Sayoung replied arrogantly.

“Hmph! Don’t you know the saying, ‘sudden enlightenment comes after steady effort’? With persistent training, awakening is inevitable.”

“Really now? Care for a match with me?”

“Well… I, the great Swift-Flying Shadow, don’t usually bother with those without epithets….”

At that boast, another squad leader watching, Won Cheong-won of the Fourth Squad, burst into laughter.

“Ha-ha-ha! True, true, facing someone without an epithet is beneath you. In that case, would the Magnificent Round Saber Won Cheong-won be allowed to request a bout with you, Swift-Flying Shadow Bi Sayoung?”

“Oh! I have long heard of your honorable name, Magnificent Round Saber Won Cheong-won. A duel with you is what I would seek myself!”

And so, in jest, the two began a sparring match that quickly turned fierce as a storm.

The duel was evenly matched.

Though Won Cheong-won’s overall martial ability was superior, he could not cope with Bi Sayoung’s stormlike speed.

Whenever Won Cheong-won closed in to strike with his saber, Bi Sayoung would slip back or dart aside, denying him the advantage.

From a mere second-rate once dismissed by all, Bi Sayoung now stood toe-to-toe with a squad leader like Won Cheong-won.

It was a shocking sight for the onlookers.

“Incredible….”

“That speed is unreal. I can barely follow with my eyes.”

Proud, I couldn’t help but smile.

But the young lady I was sparring with frowned.

“Even so, isn’t it too much to watch another duel and smile while fighting me?”

“Eh?! Ah, Lady Song, I…”

“Forget it! Ugh, how humiliating. Just wait—I’ll train hard and make sure you only look at me!”

Thus spoke Lady Song Yeong-yeong of the Third Squad, who had once given me a handkerchief. Since then, she often came to request sparring from me during our training.

I couldn’t refuse, though the gap in level was wide and I knew her intent, so it was hard to take it seriously.

So I had been looking around distractedly during the match, and Bi Sayoung’s duel with Won Cheong-won had caught my eye.

I felt slightly guilty.

Then Lady Cheong-yeon approached me.

“Shall we spar now?”

I grinned.

“I look forward to it, Lady.”

Of the two I had never defeated in our squad, she was one.

She stood at the very peak of first-class warriors, on the verge of stepping into the realm of the masters.

But my internal energy reservoir was now full. Perhaps it was finally time I could defeat her.

With a savage grin, I charged at her.

Fourth Squad Leader, Sword Hawk of Diancang, Ma Yugyeom, stood at a distance, gazing silently at the Seventh Squad’s sparring.

Normally, finding Captain Seol Pung uncomfortable, he had avoided paying them much attention. But today he could not look away.

It was astonishing.

The Seventh Squad had once been little more than a rabble, with only Seol Pung, a true master, pulling his weight.

“At least, until four months ago.”

But then, they had begun to distinguish themselves, achieving merit, and now, in a mere four months, they had become this.

Na Seoyu, once a mid-tier first-class, had advanced to a seasoned high first-class.

“And Bi Sayoung, once only second-rate, now even matches the Sixth Squad Leader Won Cheong-won? And that fat Seonu Jin’s martial ability….”

Together with Cheong-yeon, Seonu Jin’s prowess was no less than Won Cheong-won’s, nor the Fifth Squad Leader, Venomous Spear Du Su-gwang’s.

The Seventh Squad had become a fearsome team with three leader-class talents.

And at the root of it all was likely that man.

Seonu Jin, now bearing the epithet Black Wolf of the Flying Heavens, the man he had once wished to recruit into his own squad.

Realizing that the talent he had failed to obtain had been a great roc’s egg made Ma Yugyeom’s heart ache unbearably.

Then, behind him, one of his squad members, Sword Viper of Diancang Ju Tae-gyeong, spoke.

“Look at that, Senior Brother! Can you believe it? A mere second-rate suddenly growing so strong? It must be the Demonic Sect’s sorcery! Didn’t I tell you before? His sudden rise happened after he entered the jungle to aid those Miao tribesmen!”

At those words, Ma Yugyeom turned sharp eyes upon him.

“The Demonic Sect, you say?”

Ju Taegyeong nodded firmly.

“Yes! Without doubt! That man has either been possessed by the Demonic Sect or is consorting with their demonic masters!”

Listening silently, Ma Yugyeom’s gaze grew piercing as he finally spoke.