#61: Thread’s End (1) — Reborn on the Demonic Cult Battlefield

Rumors that the Mountain Sword Sect had defeated the Righteous Chivalry Guild spread in an instant throughout all of Guizhou and Sichuan.

With barely over two hundred men, they routed more than five hundred Righteous Guild fighters, avenged their previous loss, and even slew the Iron-Staff Grand Hero, Hwang Jang-gon—a resounding victory.

Those who heard the outcome of the battle first disbelieved it, then were shocked, and at last were filled with admiration.

And with that battle, a name drove itself deep into people’s minds: the Five Eagle Siblings, said to have come from sacred Zhejiang.

Now, among the warriors of Guizhou—especially the wanderers—talk of them never ceased, no matter where one went.

The pride of those who had actually gone through that battle was enough to pierce the heavens.

“So! Young Lady Ji Sang-im, the youngest of the Three Sword Sisters of Ji—her phantom blades split into dozens, and sword-shadows filled the four quarters! Then, when ‘Quickblade Kitten’ Cheon Jueun used instantaneous movement right on the spot…!”

“What?! Instantaneous movement ? How can that be? Isn’t she still only a first-rate fighter?!”

“Ah, you’re so dense! I saw it with my own eyes—it was definitely instantaneous movement ! In the blink of an eye she just ‘swish!’ showed up behind her opponent’s back—if that’s not instantaneous movement , then what is it?!”

“Hey, quit adding noise! I’m listening hard here! Hurry and go on. So what happened next?”

“Right, right. So in the blink of an eye, Lady Cheon just appeared behind her opponent, then, at her leisure, she drew back her sabre—and only then did blood go whoosh from Lady Ji Sang-im’s belly! Hahhh! That sight—when I saw it with my own eyes I was so overwhelmed I nearly peed myself!”

The new epithet Cheon Jueun acquired was Quickblade Kitten.

In Platoon Seven of the Thirteenth Unit, Bae Jonggwan and Cheon Jueun, who were still unknown, had decided to use their real names rather than aliases, so this was also the very first epithet attached to the name “Cheon Jueun.”

The wanderer continued.

“And that’s not all! The eldest of the Three Sword Sisters, Lady Ji Sanghwa, pointed her sword at Lady Cheon to avenge her younger sister! Then, in the blink of an eye, right in front of Lady Cheon, her third sister appeared—‘Flowing-Sword Fairy’ Lady Na Seoyu! Hoo! I thought a fairy from the heavens had descended! And when she began to wield her sword—wow, that was really… it was truly a heavenly celestial dance! Even recalling it now leaves me speechless!”

The epithet Na Seoyu bore under the name “Seoyu” was Flowing-Sword Fairy.

The storyteller drifted into a hazy look, as if imagining the scene, staring up at the ceiling for a moment.

The surrounding wanderers, irritated, urged him on.

“Hey, how can you stop there?! Keep going already! So how did it end?!”

Jolted by the others’ prompting, the wanderer continued.

“Right, right. Thinking of Lady Seoyu’s sword-dance brought back that dreamlike feeling again. This is something you just can’t understand unless you see it yourself. Lady Seo’s blade was so beautiful and elegant! I thought I was watching a sword-dance, not a duel! And what’s amazing is that against that soft swordwork, Lady Ji Sanghwa couldn’t do a thing and conceded defeat! All my life I thought ‘gentle overcomes the hard’ was just nonsense from wuxia tales, but in that moment I understood for the first time. Ah! So that’s what ‘gentle conquers the strong’ truly means!”

At that point, the wanderer suddenly gave a meaningful smile, looked around at the others, and said:

“But you see… up to that moment, we had no idea. No matter how bright the stars, before the sun they must hide their light. Young Lady Ji Sang-im of the Three Sword Sisters, ‘Quickblade Kitten’ Lady Cheon Jueun, and ‘Flowing-Sword Fairy’ Lady Na Seoyu were all incredibly beautiful—but that was only until the sun rose.”

At his expression and words, the listening wanderers gulped.

They already knew who that “sun” referred to.

One hot-tempered wanderer couldn’t hold back and cut in.

“You mean Lady Yeon-ha, don’t you?! The Heavenly Beauty?!”

“Exactly! She was none other than Heavenly Beauty Yeon-ha. The true sun, the true fairy, beauty itself—the Heavenly Beauty!”

One wanderer frowned and asked,

“Is she really that beautiful? People say everyone froze, that time itself stopped. Isn’t the rumor overblown?”

The storyteller snorted and shot back.

“Hmph! Overblown? That’s laughable nonsense. When Lady Yeon-ha first appeared, we all thought we were seeing an illusion. Really now! If it’s not an illusion, how could radiance like that come from a person? No offense to the other ladies, but the ones who looked so beautiful before she arrived—after she appeared, they simply vanished from our eyes! Tch! If I hadn’t been injured in that fight, I’d still be at the Mountain Sword Sect gazing on Lady Yeon-ha!”

At his regretful sigh, the other wanderers exchanged meaningful looks.

It seemed they would have to go to the Mountain Sword Sect and see for themselves.

The number of wanderer-warriors supporting the Mountain Sword Sect had already grown enormously.

Day by day, more wanderers flocked there on hearing the rumors of Heavenly Beauty Yeon-ha.

One wanderer asked,

“But what about the elder brothers among those Five Eagle Siblings? I hear they’re incredible too?”

The wounded wanderer telling the story suddenly shuddered, as if recalling something horrific.

“Urrgh… Don’t even speak of the eldest of the Five Eagle Siblings. That one—he’s no man, but surely a monster. I’d wager he’s one of those Demonic Humans the Blood Cult is said to make. Surely! If not, how could a first-rate warrior’s descending axe be taken by a bare body? No—he didn’t ‘take’ it; he shattered it! Iron God Meteor Bae Jonggwan—he’s a terrifying monster! If you do go to the Mountain Sword Sect, don’t you dare go anywhere near him!”

At the fear on his face, the other wanderers also swallowed hard with dread.

Another wanderer spoke up.

“Then how about the second brother? There are no rumors about the second for some reason.”

“The second? You mean ‘Reborn Zhao Yun,’ Chang Hyuk? I didn’t see him myself, but those who did say his spearwork was ghostly. They say in that battle he actually cut down even more Righteous Guild men than Iron God Meteor Bae Jonggwan. Why else would he be called ‘Reborn Zhao Yun’ when he never even made a showy appearance? They say his ghostlike spearwork and handsome looks call to mind Zhao Yun of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

At that, the wanderers nodded, impressed.

“Hoh… as expected of those from sacred Zhejiang. How can people we’d never even heard of be that extraordinary?”

“Right. And those called the Gwaesan Swordsmen who came from Zhejiang with them are said to be formidable as well.”

A hundred years ago, in Zhejiang, the Martial God, the Thunder God, and the Sword God had appeared in succession and, in a series of crises, each saved the martial world. Since then, martial artists had revered Zhejiang as sacred ground.

In truth, for that very reason Hae Cheong-yeon had falsely claimed they were from Zhejiang.

One wanderer sighed and spoke.

“‘Reborn Zhao Yun’—what a jealousy-inducing epithet. Come to think of it, didn’t the eldest, Iron God Meteor Bae Jonggwan, also pick up an epithet from the Three Kingdoms?”

“Hm? Ah—yes, that one. Right. That monster also got the epithet ‘Reborn Xu Chu.’ His huge build and rough face look exactly like Xu Chu from the Three Kingdoms!”

At the same time, the Mountain Sword Sect’s wanderers—now grown to well over a hundred, far more than before—were peeking from a distance at the every move of the Five Eagle Siblings.

Most of those gazes, especially, were fixed on Hae Cheong-yeon.

Seen in person, Heavenly Beauty Yeon-ha—Hae Cheong-yeon—was so beautiful as to leave one speechless.

In hushed voices, lest they be overheard, the wanderers whispered.

“Look there. That’s Heavenly Beauty Yeon-ha.”

“Good heavens, a beauty like that could really exist. Lady Na Seoyu, the Flowing-Sword Fairy, and ‘Quickblade Kitten’ Lady Cheon Jueun are both plenty gorgeous—but beside Lady Yeon-ha they might as well vanish.”

“Haah. If I could just go up and say a single word to her, I could die without regrets. I feel full even without food.”

“You think so? I feel like I could work this job unpaid.”

If the wanderers now desired just one thing, it was only to approach her and speak a single word.

However…

At her side stood a hulking, muscle-bound giant, so massive one hesitated to call him man or monster.

Iron God Meteor, Bae Jonggwan.

Overwhelmed by his presence, the wanderers simply could not bring themselves to approach the Heavenly Beauty.

As beautiful as Hae Cheong-yeon was in person, the sheer bulk of Iron God Meteor Bae Jonggwan seen up close was equally terrifying.

So, willing to work even without pay but unwilling to stake their lives, the wanderers once again failed to draw near the Heavenly Beauty and instead only snuck glances from afar.

Now, under the intense focus of so many wanderers’ eyes—while the second brother, ‘Reborn Zhao Yun’ Chang Hyuk, was away—the Five Eagle Siblings stood with the eldest, Bae Jonggwan, at center, as three beauties spoke to him with gentle words.

Watching that, the wanderers had to clutch their chests with envy.

“Look at that! How can that ‘Iron God Meteor’ sit there among such beauties with a cold face like he doesn’t care at all? If it were me, I’d already be flying to the heavens.”

“That’s what you wonder? I just envy whatever he did in a past life to be blessed like that. Eh?! Look, look—Lady Seoyu is smiling so sweetly as she talks to him, and his face is still blank. What kind of guy is that?”

“Not just Lady Seoyu. Lady Yeon-ha and Lady Cheon Jueun keep speaking to him too. Did he save a few nations in a past life? Huh? Look at that—he’s getting up with an annoyed face even while the ladies smile and talk to him!”

“Haah… is that what a real hero looks like? To win beauties, must one have such an unmoving heart?”

“Kh, how dashing! All right! From now on, I’ll be that kind of man!”

“Right! Me too!”

But the truth of the hero Bae Jonggwan—who had set their hearts ablaze—was a little different from how he looked from afar.

Na Seoyu was comforting Bae Jonggwan, who sat crouched, spiritless.

“Please don’t mind it so much, Young Lord Bae. People just don’t understand.”

Bae Jonggwan forced a smile.

“There’s no need to worry, Lady Na. I’m fine.”

Yet his face, drained of all energy, looked anything but fine.

Seeing his expression, Na Seoyu spoke in an exaggeratedly angry tone.

“Ugh, how can people be so ignorant? Where in the world does Xu Chu wield a guan dao? If there’s a guan dao, it has to be Lord Guan Yu! What’s this ‘Reborn Xu Chu’ nonsense!”

Their comrades of Platoon Seven knew very well.

They knew why Bae Jonggwan had trained Moon-Blade technique so hard, and how much he adored Guan Yu of the Three Kingdoms.

Ever since Seonu Jin had handed him the guan dao and told him of Guan Yu, Bae Jonggwan had trained the moon-blade arts as diligently as his external arts, with the single desire to earn an epithet connected to Guan Yu.

He had waited for the day he could swing the guan dao before the crowd to shine—and that was why he even used his real name, Bae Jonggwan.

But the epithet he earned by swinging the guan dao turned out, absurdly, to be not Guan Yu reborn, but Reborn Xu Chu.

Cheon Jueun, standing by, chimed in with Na Seoyu.

“She’s right! It should obviously have been ‘Reborn Guan Yu’! Mmm, or maybe it’s just because you aren’t a punnacle-master yet. People felt it was too much to give a still-first-rate Young Lord Bae an epithet tied to Lord Guan.”

At that, a bit of light returned to Bae Jonggwan’s eyes.

It was fairly persuasive.

“Do you really think so, Lady Cheon?”

“Of course! Lord Guan is called a Martial God, right? So once you reach the peak realm, they’ll slap ‘Reborn Guan Yu’ on you right away!”

Hae Cheong-yeon, who had been listening quietly, spoke flatly.

“But even at the same first-rate level, Captain Seol Pung is being called ‘Reborn Zhao Yun,’ isn’t he?”

“Ah, th-that, um….”

“Haha, Cheong-yeon? How about we step outside for a moment?”

At Hae Cheong-yeon’s factual sally—she could be the wisest woman in the world, yet when it came to human feelings she could be utterly tactless—Cheon Jueun and Na Seoyu gritted their teeth and tried to isolate her.

But Bae Jonggwan’s spirits had already collapsed.

Rising weakly, Bae Jonggwan said,

“I’ll just go loosen up a bit.”

“Ah—Y-Young Lord Bae?”

From far away, the wanderers who stared endlessly at them had no idea that the heroes of the Mountain Sword Sect—the Five Eagle Siblings—were having such a conversation.

“Hmmm, the Five Eagle Siblings, you say?”

“Yes, Captain. Wherever you go now, there’s no place where people aren’t talking about them. The interest in that lady called Heavenly Beauty Yeon-ha is especially intense. If things go as they plan, the Blood Cult’s demon lords will likely take interest as well.”

“Hmph! We’ll have to wait and see.”

An inn near Jinsha in Guizhou—territory of the Un Clan.

In a room on the second floor, the Twelfth Unit’s Captain, Man Jongim, and First-Squad Captain Do Mugon were speaking in secret.

Acting apart from Seonu Jin and his group, the Twelfth Unit under Man Jongim and the members of First Squad had, despite the passing time, achieved nothing noteworthy.

They hadn’t heard it, but as Seonu Jin had said before, as outsiders they had almost no way to investigate the Un Clan here in Guizhou.

So First-Squad Captain Do Mugon had suggested that they use the Hao Guild, as Hae Cheong-yeon had done—but Man Jongim had flatly refused even that.

“Hmph! If we rely on an unorthodox outfit like the Hao Guild, how can we call ourselves orthodox great heroes?! We’ll find them by our own strength!”

In the end, Man Jongim reversed himself and decided to go to the Hao Guild only after wasting about a week doing nothing.

But even after that, things didn’t go well.

With no connections at all, they had no way of knowing where the Hao Guild branch even was.

Only after several days, having inquired among the wanderers, did they finally learn of the branch and pay a visit—just yesterday.

Do Mugon let out a deep sigh and asked Man Jongim,

“So then, what do you intend to do now, Captain? We couldn’t get anything even from the Hao Guild branch—there’s nothing more we can do, is there?”

Man Jongim gave a displeased little cough.

“Kh-hem.”

Embarrassing as it was, the words were true.

Even at the Hao Guild branch they had visited yesterday, they could obtain nothing.

Not the Giant Demon’s whereabouts, nor any Blood Cult information at all.

Moreover, despite Do Mugon’s dissuasion, Man Jongim had even asked outright if the Un Clan were Blood Cult forces.

For that question, all they got was a dumbfounded sneer.

Recalling yesterday, Man Jongim ground his teeth and muttered,

“I knew it—we shouldn’t have trusted unorthodox rabble. Just wait. After the Blood Cult, it’ll be your turn, you unorthodox lot!”

Seeing Man Jongim, still unable to forget the shame of yesterday, Do Mugon sighed inwardly.

He truly wished they could rejoin the Thirteenth Unit’s people.

Carefully, he broached it.

“Captain, at this point, should we not simply regroup with the Thirteenth Unit?”

Man Jongim roared at once.

“What are you saying! How can we join those who stand with the unorthodox and fight the orthodox Righteous Chivalry Guild?! And you still call yourself an orthodox warrior, Mugon?! Even if it is to find the Blood-Cult demon lords, they dared attack our orthodox brethren of the Righteous Guild—later, they must answer for that most severely! And you suggest joining them? You’re mad!”

Do Mugon hadn’t expected that lofty pride to agree—but when Man Jongim got angry instead, he sighed inwardly and bowed his head.

“My apologies, Captain. I spoke out of frustration. Then, what will you do now?”

In truth, Do Mugon—like Seonu Jin—found the Righteous Guild suspicious enough as well, but he knew all too well that saying such a thing to Man Jongim would be useless.

With a reluctant air, Man Jongim lowered his voice.

“Hrm, hrm. Very well. You admit your mistake; that’s enough. But do not repeat the same mistake.”

“Yes, Captain. Understood.”

In the end, he gave no answer as to what they would do—but Do Mugon did not press.

If he asked again, Man Jongim would only flare up again.

All he could do was sigh in bleak frustration.

Just then—

Fwwit! Tap!

Something flew in through the window, and Man Jongim and Do Mugon sprang back, taking guard stances.

“Who’s there?!”

But when he saw it was only a pebble, Man Jongim leapt straight out the window.

Fwwit!