Gathering Storm
After Yoo-mi and Ha Tae-gun left the Heavenly Sword Academy, a peaceful tranquility settled over the estate for some time.
Yoo-sung had opened his eyes early, but he remained in bed, lazily rolling around with his eyes closed.
Just as he was about to savor the crisp dawn air a little longer—
Slam!
The door burst open without warning, and Soso poked her head in.
Having already sensed her approach, Yoo-sung sat up and opened his arms wide.
"Uncle! Let's go play in the hills again today!"
Soso, who had been up since the crack of dawn, leaped into his embrace with a radiant beam.
"Sure. The weather looks beautiful today, so a trip to the mountains sounds perfect."
"Yay! I'll go get ready right now!"
Soso, whose health had been precarious just last month, had recently made a remarkable recovery.
This was the result of stabilizing her internal state with the Yeolhwa Pill and Yoo-sung's discreet treatments whenever he had the chance.
It's a shame, but I'll have to be satisfied with this for now.
The results of channeling his internal energy into Soso while playing with her had exceeded his expectations.
By forcibly replenishing her deficient Yang energy, Soso was able to enjoy healthy, active days.
Of course, the ultimate cure to permanently resolve her lack of Yang energy still required a legendary elixir or the inner dan of a spiritual beast.
The most famous remedy for the Heavenly Yin Body was the Thousand-Year Herb.
If they could obtain the legendary Thousand-Year Herb, rumored to grow somewhere in the Nanman region, Soso would not only regain her health—
—she would also gain a martial talent capable of shaking the world.
When the opportunity arises, I must head to Nanman.
Upon hearing Yoo-sung's resolve, Bing-hwa mentioned that she had already dispatched her own people to Nanman.
Hearing that made Yoo-sung realize why there were so few of Bing-hwa's people within the Heavenly Sword Academy.
No matter how ruined Bing-hwa's family was, and even if she was merely born to a concubine, Yoo-sung remembered that she had always been surrounded by several loyal martial artists.
Aside from Soso's nanny, Bing-hwa's retainers were nowhere to be seen around the academy.
If the reason for their absence was that they had gone to Nanman to search for the Thousand-Year Herb, they would surely return with some leads.
Once they did, Yoo-sung planned to make the journey to Nanman himself.
The spiritual beasts guarding the Thousand-Year Herb are generally too formidable for ordinary martial artists to handle.
If he hesitated out of sheer laziness, the academy's people might suffer heavy casualties, and they would likely fail to secure the herb anyway.
To prevent any unnecessary tragedies, Yoo-sung solidified his decision to go to Nanman himself.
"Ahahaha!"
As Soso regained her health, the atmosphere of the Heavenly Sword Academy grew bright and lively once more.
Watching Soso run around the academy grounds every morning, spreading her cheerful energy, brought a smile to Yoo-sung's face.
However, Yoo-sung and the others knew.
They knew this peaceful interlude would not last long.
Just as they began to sense that troublesome guests would soon arrive at their doorstep—
They're here.
In the distance, someone was sprinting desperately toward the main gate of the Heavenly Sword Academy.
A middle-aged man stumbled through the gates, his face deathly pale.
Seeing his tattered clothes and eyes burning with rage, it was clear that their worst fears had been realized.
The middle-aged man was a familiar face to the people of the academy.
It seems they're targeting the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild first.
Watching from afar, Yoo-sung slowly made his way toward the leader's office.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Those insolent bastards!"
Do Sang-woon roared, unable to contain his fury.
The middle-aged man, Shin Yoo-pil, bowed his head with a grim expression.
"We need your help, Academy Master. The escort leaders and martial artists leading our caravan have all been slaughtered by those bastards."
"Sigh... The White Wolf Bandit Clan has gone too far."
Ha Tae-gun's worries had instantly become reality.
Following the death of the White Tiger Unit, the White Wolf Bandit Clan had moved to retaliate.
They blocked the roads leading into Baekmyo County, disrupting the trade routes of the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild.
But this was the first time they had committed outright murder so brazenly.
Something is off.
Yoo-sung found Shin Yoo-pil's account puzzling.
The White Wolf Clan's provocation was entirely expected, so that wasn't surprising.
However, slaughtering every single one of Shin Yoo-pil's men made little sense.
Normally, when bandits raided a merchant caravan, they left room for compromise and showed a modicum of mercy.
That was the unwritten rule of the Jianghu—it allowed other merchant guilds to negotiate and maintain a quiet, mutually beneficial relationship with them.
Yet, the bandits who appeared this time were different.
"The Ruined Sword has taken action."
"That man?"
"Of all people, it had to be him."
Do Sang-woon scowled, and Do Yoo-chan's expression darkened as well.
"Who is the Ruined Sword?"
It was Shin Yoo-pil who answered Yoo-sung's question.
"We never expected the Ruined Sword to show himself either. He is infamous for never leaving any merchant alive. His involvement means the White Wolf Clan now openly considers the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild their mortal enemy."
No one knew why the Ruined Sword, Kang Man-do, harbored such a deep hatred for merchant guilds.
But in the end, a bandit's past or grievances mattered little.
No matter his reasons, nothing changed the fact that he had chosen to become a bandit and bring misery to others.
Furthermore, it was incredibly unjust for people to die simply for being merchants, especially when they had nothing to do with whatever past grudge he held.
"The real problem is that his martial prowess seems to have reached the upper tier of the Peak Realm."
At Shin Yoo-pil's words, Do Sang-woon and Do Yoo-chan's faces grew heavy with concern.
"It is highly plausible. Rumors from a few years ago already placed his strength at the mid-to-high tier of the Peak Realm."
Since that was years ago, he had more than enough time to break through to the upper tier of the Peak Realm.
But that wasn't the only issue.
"If the Ruined Sword has moved, then he must be nearby as well."
"Most likely. In fact, the Ruined Sword might just be a decoy."
Standing behind the Ruined Sword, Kang Man-do, was one of the commanders of the White Wolf Clan: the Blood Sword.
The Blood Sword was so highly favored by the bandit king, Pa-gun, that he was considered his right-hand man, and he was infamous for his sheer cruelty.
Anyone familiar with the White Wolf Clan knew of Kang Man-do's desperate, long-standing efforts to become the Blood Sword's direct subordinate.
This connection was the sole reason Kang Man-do could break the unspoken rules of the Jianghu and still remain a member of the White Wolf Clan.
"Still, we cannot simply let the Ruined Sword run rampant. Shouldn't we subdue him first?"
At Do Yoo-chan's suggestion, Do Sang-woon nodded with a solemn expression.
"First, tend to your wounds and rest. We will handle him."
"No! I must personally witness the end of the bastard who slaughtered my men!"
Hearing Shin Yoo-pil's stubborn resolve, Do Sang-woon and Do Yoo-chan clicked their tongues.
"We won't kill him at his stronghold. We will capture him and bring him here, so rest until then."
"I heard you are a vital asset to my brother-in-law. Please consider whether your current decision is truly what is best for him."
Confronted with Yoo-chan's firm reasoning once more, Shin Yoo-pil could no longer persist.
He, too, knew exactly how crucial he was to Ha Tae-gun.
I am so sorry... for having such an incompetent leader...
Swallowing his bitterness, Shin Yoo-pil lowered his head.
Though every fiber of his being screamed to join the hunt for Kang Man-do, he had no choice but to suppress his personal feelings for the sake of the greater good.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Despite the shift in the academy's atmosphere following Shin Yoo-pil's arrival, Yoo-sung's daily routine remained unchanged.
He had heard the details of Shin Yoo-pil's plight from Bing-hwa early that morning, but his promised outing with Soso took priority.
In truth, Do Sang-woon and Do Yoo-chan preferred that Yoo-sung stay out of the academy's immediate troubles.
It was their way of showing consideration, understanding that he desired peace after wandering the Jianghu for ten long years.
"Uncle! Look over there!"
At Soso's excited shout, Yoo-sung turned his head.
The marketplace was unusually crowded today.
Soso ran tirelessly through the stalls, snacking on sweet pastries and various street foods.
"Soso, don't eat too much."
Lightly brushing off the nagging of Bing-hwa, who had accompanied them, Soso grabbed Yoo-sung's hand and tugged on it.
Having only recently returned, Soso had quickly realized that her uncle was exceptionally indulgent with her, making her cling to him even more.
Just then—
"Soso!"
A young girl about Soso's age called out to her.
"Young-ah!"
Soso squealed with delight upon seeing the girl, whom she called Young-ah.
Letting go of Yoo-sung's hand, Soso ran over to Young-ah, giggling and chattering happily.
As Yoo-sung watched them with a calm gaze, Bing-hwa spoke beside him.
"Young-ah is Soso's best friend. Her parents are often away on business, so she stays at the academy and practices martial arts alongside Soso."
Yoo-sung nodded gently at Bing-hwa's explanation.
"Come to think of it, is there a reason we still remain a mere academy?"
Since returning home, Yoo-sung had been quietly observing the state of the Heavenly Sword Academy.
Its current state was vastly different from the past.
While they still followed the founder's philosophy of never turning away those who came or stopping those who wished to leave, the number of permanent residents had grown significantly.
Aside from the people Bing-hwa had brought, a substantial number of martial artists now resided here.
Thirty second-rate martial artists, twenty first-rate martial artists, and five Peak Realm masters.
Combined with Do Sang-woon's martial prowess and Bing-hwa's sharp intellect, this was a force more than capable of rivaling any mid-sized sect.
Yet, there had to be a reason they still kept the humble title of an "academy."
"Father is still hesitating. An academy and a formal sect are two entirely different things, after all."
"True."
"We are already facing intense scrutiny. If we officially declare ourselves a sect, there's no telling what kind of storm we might invite, or when it will strike."
While they could defend the academy itself from direct attacks, protecting the entire surrounding area of Baekmyo County from constant provocations was a different matter entirely.
"Unlike in the past, there are barely any students coming to learn from us anymore."
With the rise of the Cheondo Gate and various other sects in the region, the appeal of the Heavenly Sword Academy had largely waned.
Even so, those who still sought out the academy did so for two main reasons.
Those who wished to steal the lost insights of the founder, the legendary Changcheon Geomje.
And those who sought refuge under the academy's protective shadow, which acted as a sanctuary for the lost and weary.
Do Sang-woon maintained his original intentions solely for the sake of the latter.
However, one could not turn a eye to reality forever.
"In fact, Father has been deeply contemplating this ever since my brother-in-law's visit. If we get dragged into the conflict surrounding the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild... the name of a mere academy will fall short in many ways."
"Indeed."
"More importantly, do you truly intend to go through with this?"
Bing-hwa naturally shifted the subject.
"It is foolish to possess power and not use it," Yoo-sung replied.
He understood why Bing-hwa hesitated to share her resources with the academy.
Since her origins lay with the North Sea Ice Palace, any technique she introduced, no matter how carefully vetted, carried the risk of causing trouble down the line.
"Perhaps before I returned, it would have been a concern. But now that I am here, it doesn't matter."
It was an incredibly arrogant statement, yet Bing-hwa nodded in agreement.
"Leave the current Hyeoncheon-gong as the academy's signature cultivation method as it is now. Instead, pass this on to Father and Brother."
Bing-hwa's eyes wavered as she looked at the manual Yoo-sung handed her.
Wouldn't it be dangerous for them to learn another cultivation method when they had already mastered Hyeoncheon-gong?
Even if Hyeoncheon-gong possessed excellent compatibility with other arts, there was no need for Do Sang-woon and Do Yoo-chan to take such a risk.
"The Hyun-mu (Black Tortoise) technique is perfectly suited for those who have trained in Hyeoncheon-gong. It will be more than enough to make up for Father's shortcomings, and it will also protect Brother's body, which was internally damaged because of Soso."
Yoo-sung continued to explain his thoughts in a calm, steady stream.
"Kang Man-do's provocation is merely the beginning. If Kwak Yoo or that Pa-gun bastard openly target us, we won't be able to act proactively and will end up being dragged around. Neither you nor I would tolerate that, would we? If so, our only option is to build our strength."
"That is true."
She, too, preferred to hold the reins of any situation.
"Give them this as well. I have modified the existing Changcheon Ten Swords. I removed the useless additions that had been tacked onto the founder's original teachings, so it will be far more efficient."
Since Bing-hwa had already introduced many techniques to the academy over the years, this wouldn't arouse any suspicion.
"I will do so."
Once again, Bing-hwa nodded without hesitation.
Ever since she had provided the Hyeoncheon-gong, Do Sang-woon had placed absolute trust in her martial knowledge.
Yoo-sung had capitalized on this, choosing to filter his own knowledge through Bing-hwa to bolster the Heavenly Sword Academy.
It was the fastest way to elevate the academy's strength.
"Shall we head back? It looks like Ho-sung is about to set off with Shin Yoo-pil soon."
"Soso! Let's go home!"
At Bing-hwa's call, Soso came pattering back to them, and the three of them made their way back to the Heavenly Sword Academy.