Chapter 61: A Clue-1

The rumor that Sangeommun had defeated Jeonghyeopbang spread throughout Guizhou City and Sichuan Province in an instant.

It was a great victory achieved with merely two hundred and some troops, routing over five hundred Jeonghyeopbang fighters, avenging their previous defeat, and even causing the death of the Iron Palm Great Hero Hwang Jang-gon himself.

Those who heard the outcome of this battle were first incredulous, then horrified, and finally, full of admiration.

And there were names that became deeply etched into people's minds alongside this battle—those names belonged to the Five Siblings of Doksu, said to have come from the divine land of Zhejiang Province.

Now, among the martial artists of Guizhou City, especially among the ronin, talk of them was ceaseless no matter where one went.

The pride of those who had actually experienced this battle, in particular, was soaring to the heavens.

"So! Right when the youngest of the Three Daughters of Ji Sword, Lady Ji Sang-im, split her illusion sword into dozens and the entire area was filled with sword shadows! That was when the Quick Blade Cat Maiden, Lady Cheon Ju-eun, suddenly used the Ihyung Hwanwi...!"

"What?! The Ihyung Hwanwi?! Does that even make sense?! They say she's still a first-rate martial artist?!"

"Ah, how frustrating! I saw it with my own eyes and it was undoubtedly the Ihyung Hwanwi! In the blink of an eye, she appeared right behind her opponent's back with a 'swish!'—if that wasn't the Ihyung Hwanwi, then what in the world was it?!"

"Ah, quit interrupting! I'm listening intently! Hurry up and continue. So what happened next?"

"Ah, right, right. So Lady Cheon appeared behind her opponent in the blink of an eye, and just as she was calmly sheathing her blade, that was when blood burst out from Lady Ji Sang-im's stomach—fwooosh! Kyaaah! That sight, truly! When I saw it with my own eyes, I nearly pissed myself from how awesome it was, if you can believe it!"

The new alias that Cheon Ju-eun acquired was the Quick Blade Cat Maiden.

Since Bae Jong-gwan and Cheon Ju-eun of the Thirteen Squads' Seventh Squad, who were not yet widely known, had decided to use their real names rather than pseudonyms, this alias was also the very first sobriquet that the name Cheon Ju-eun had ever received.

The ronin continued speaking.

"And that wasn't all! The eldest of the Three Daughters of Ji Sword, Lady Ji Sang-hwa, declared she would avenge her younger sister and pointed her sword straight at Lady Cheon! And in the blink of an eye, her third elder sister, the Sword Fairy, Lady Seo-yu, appeared right in front of Lady Cheon! Ooh! I thought a celestial fairy had descended from the heavens, I tell you! And then she began to swing her sword—wow, that was truly! It was truly the dance of a celestial maiden descended from the sky! Even recalling it now, it's beyond words!"

The alias that Na Seo-yu acquired under the name Seo-yu was the Sword Fairy.

The ronin recounting the tale suddenly gazed up at the ceiling with a dazed expression, as if envisioning that moment.

At this, the ronin around him pressed him with irritation to continue the story.

"Ah, how can you stop the story here?! Hurry up and continue! So what happened next?!"

Prodded by the other ronin, the storyteller snapped back to his senses and resumed his tale.

"Ah, right, right. Recalling Lady Seo-yu's sword dance brought back that fantastical feeling again, you see. It's truly something one cannot know without seeing it firsthand. How beautiful and elegant Lady Seo's sword was, I tell you! I thought I was watching a sword dance, not a duel, if you can believe it! But what was even more astonishing was that Lady Ji Sang-hwa couldn't manage a thing against that gentle sword and conceded defeat! Until now, I'd thought that 'the soft overcomes the hard' was just nonsense you only see in martial arts novels, but in that moment, I understood for the first time! Ah! So that is what they mean by the soft overcoming the hard! That kind of thing!"

Having spoken up to that point, the ronin suddenly smiled meaningfully and looked around at the other ronin before speaking.

"But, I tell you. Up until then, I had absolutely no idea. No idea how even the brightest stars end up hiding their light before the sun. Lady Ji Sang-im of the Three Daughters of Ji Sword, the Quick Blade Cat Maiden Lady Cheon Ju-eun, and the Sword Fairy Lady Seo-yu were all unbelievably beautiful, but that was only true until the sun rose."

At his meaningful expression and words, the listening ronin gulped.

That was because the other ronin also already knew exactly who that sun was.

One impatient ronin couldn't hold back and cut in.

"That was Lady Yeon Hae, wasn't it?! The one called Heavenly Beautiful Smile?!"

"That's right! That was Lady Cheonsang Mihui Yeon Hae. The true sun, the true celestial maiden, the Heavenly Beautiful Smile who is beauty itself, I tell you!"

At that, one ronin furrowed his brow and asked.

"Is she truly that beautiful? Talk of how everyone froze up, how time stopped—I couldn't help but think the rumors might be too exaggerated?"

But at his question, the ronin telling the story scoffed and retorted.

"Hah! Exaggeration? Now that's truly laughable nonsense. When Lady Yeon first appeared, we all thought we were seeing a vision. I mean! If it wasn't a vision, how could it be possible for a person to radiate such brilliance? I feel sorry for the other ladies, but once she appeared, the other ladies who had looked so beautiful before didn't even register in our eyes anymore! Tsk! If only I hadn't been injured in that battle, I'd still be at Sangeommun able to see Lady Yeon!"

At the ronin's regretful lament, the other ronin began exchanging glances, gauging the situation.

It seemed they would have to go to Sangeommun and confirm things for themselves.

At present, the number of ronin martial artists who had volunteered for Sangeommun had swelled enormously.

This was because the number of ronin flocking to Sangeommun after hearing the rumors about Cheonsang Mihui Yeon Hae was increasing day by day.

One ronin suddenly asked.

"But what about the elder brothers of those Five Siblings of Doksu? There are rumors that they're quite formidable too?"

At that, the injured ronin who had been telling the story suddenly shuddered as if recalling something dreadful, and then spoke.

"Ughhh! Don't even mention the eldest of the Five Siblings of Doksu, that fellow. That man is truly... not human but a monster without a doubt. I almost suspect he might be one of those demonic humans the Blood Cult is said to have created. I mean! It has to be! Otherwise, how could a first-rate warrior withstand an axe strike with his bare body? No, he didn't just withstand it. He shattered it outright, I tell you! Iron Body Meteor Bae Jong-gwan, that bastard is a truly terrifying monster! Even if you do go to Sangeommun, never, ever go anywhere near that man!"

At the ronin's expression filled with fear, the other ronin also wore fearful faces and gulped.

Then another ronin abruptly spoke up.

"Then what about the second one? I noticed there were oddly no rumors about the second."

"The second? You mean Reincarnated Zhao Zilong Chang-hyeok? I haven't seen him with my own eyes, but those who have say his spear technique is ghost-like. They say he slaughtered even more Jeonghyeopbang fighters than Iron Body Meteor Bae Jong-gwan during that battle. Why else would he be called Reincarnated Zhao Zilong even though he hasn't particularly stood out in people's view? It's probably because his ghost-like spearmanship and handsome appearance remind people of Zhao Zilong from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

At those words, the ronin nodded with expressions of admiration.

"Huh, is it because they came from the divine land of Zhejiang Province? How can people we've never even heard of before be that extraordinary?"

"Indeed. They say the Four Swords of Goesan, who came with them from Zhejiang Province, are also of remarkable skill."

Over a hundred years ago, after the absolute beings of the martial world—Martial God, Thunder God, and Sword God—had appeared one after another from Zhejiang Province and saved the martial world from successive crises, martial artists had called Zhejiang Province a divine land and revered it as sacred.

In fact, Hae Cheong-yeon had also impersonated being from Zhejiang Province for that very reason.

Suddenly, one ronin sighed and spoke up.

"Anyway, Reincarnated Zhao Zilong, what an enviable alias. Come to think of it, didn't the eldest, Iron Body Meteor Bae Jong-gwan, also get a nickname related to a Romance of the Three Kingdoms figure?"

"Huh? Ahhh! You mean that one. Right. That monster also got the nickname Reincarnated Xu Chu. That massive frame and fierce face of his were exactly like Xu Chu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms!"

***

At the same time, the ronin of Sangeommun, whose numbers had already swelled past one hundred—a massive increase compared to before—were stealing glances from a distance at the every move of the Five Siblings of Doksu.

In particular, the majority of their gazes were fixed on Hae Cheong-yeon.

The figure of Cheonsang Mihui Yeon Hae, Hae Cheong-yeon, that they saw with their own eyes was so beautiful it truly left them speechless.

The ronin whispered among themselves in small voices, lest they be overheard.

"Look at that. It's Lady Cheonsang Mihui Yeon Hae."

"Heavens, a beauty like that truly could exist in this world. The Sword Fairy Lady Seo-yu and the Quick Blade Cat Maiden Lady Cheon Ju-eun are plenty beautiful, but because of Lady Yeon, they barely even register, don't they?"

"Sigh. If I could just go up close and exchange even a single word, I'd have no regrets. I feel like I'd be full even without eating."

"Is that how you feel? For me, I think I wouldn't mind working this job without pay."

If the ronin had but one wish at this moment, it was solely to approach her and exchange a single word.

But...

By her side stood a muscular giant of a man, so imposing that one could hardly tell if he was a monster or a human.

Iron Body Meteor Bae Jong-gwan.

His overwhelming presence meant the ronin simply couldn't bring themselves to approach the side of the Heavenly Beautiful Smile.

Because just as Cheonsang Mihui Yeon Hae they saw firsthand was breathtakingly beautiful, Iron Body Meteor Bae Jong-gwan's massive physique they saw firsthand was equally terrifying.

And so, the ronin, who didn't mind not receiving pay but lacked the confidence to stake their lives, were once again unable to approach the Heavenly Beautiful Smile today, merely stealing glances at them from a distance.

Right now, with countless ronin' gazes focused on them, while the second, Reincarnated Zhao Zilong Chang-hyeok, was away, the three beauties centered around the eldest Bae Jong-gwan were speaking to him in an affectionate manner.

Watching that scene, the ronin also had to clutch their chests in envy.

"Look at that, just look! How can that Iron Body Meteor guy stand among such beauties with a cold expression as if he has no interest whatsoever? If it were me, I'd already have an expression flying through the heavens and back."

"Is that what you're curious about? I'm just envious of what that monster did in his past life to receive such fortune. Huh?! Look, look at Miss Seo-yu talking to him with such an affectionate smile. And yet his expression is still so indifferent. What kind of bastard does that?"

"Is it only Miss Seo-yu? Miss Yeon, Lady Hae, and Miss Cheon Ju-eun keep talking to him too. Did that bastard save several countries in his past life or something? Oh my? Look at him, even when the ladies are smiling and talking to him, he just gets up with an annoyed expression?"

"Hah, is that what a real hero looks like? To win beauties, did he have to possess such an unshakable mind?"

"Whoa, that's awesome! Alright! From now on, I'll definitely become that kind of man too!"

"Alright! I'll have to as well!"

But the reality of the hero Bae Jong-gwan, who had set their hearts aflame, was a little different from what they saw from afar.

Na Seo-yu was in the midst of comforting Bae Jong-gwan, who was sitting hunched over in low spirits.

"Don't worry too much, Young Master Bae. It's probably just because people don't know any better."

At that, Bae Jong-gwan forced a smile and answered.

"You don't need to worry, Miss Na. I'm fine."

But his face, which looked completely drained of energy, didn't look fine at all.

Looking at Bae Jong-gwan's expression, Na Seo-yu flared up with exaggerated anger.

"Ugh, how can people truly be so ignorant? Where in the world is there a Xu Chu who wields a guandao? When it comes to the guandao, Guan Yu should be the one appearing! What Reincarnated Xu Chu nonsense!"

The comrades of Squad Seven knew very well.

Why Bae Jong-gwan had been practicing the Moon Blade Technique so diligently, and just how much he loved Guan Yu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Ever since Seonwoo Jin had handed him the guandao and spoken of Guan Yu, Bae Jong-gwan had practiced the Moon Blade Technique as diligently as his external training, with the single-minded goal of earning a title related to Guan Yu.

So he had been waiting only for the day he could wield the guandao in front of people and distinguish himself, and that was even why he had used his real name Bae Jong-gwan, but the title he actually earned by swinging the guandao was, absurdly, not Guan Yu but Reincarnated Xu Chu.

At that moment, Cheon Ju-eun, standing beside them, also chimed in with Na Seo-yu's words.

"That's right! Of course the title Reincarnated Guan Yu should have been given! Hmm, and maybe it's because Young Master Bae isn't a peak-level master yet. It must have been burdensome to give a Guan Yu-related title to Young Master Bae, who is still only first-rate."

At those words, a bit of light returned to Bae Jong-gwan's eyes.

Because they were quite persuasive.

"Do you truly think so, Miss Cheon?"

"Of course! After all, Guan Yu is called the Martial God, isn't he? So the moment Young Master Bae becomes a peak-level master, they'll give you the title Reincarnated Guan Yu right away!"

Then Hae Cheong-yeon, who had been quietly listening from the side, spoke expressionlessly.

"But even though Squad Leader Seolpung disguised himself as first-rate, he's called Reincarnated Zhao Zilong, isn't he?"

"Ah, th-that's, unnie, please..."

"Ahaha, Cheong-yeon? Shall we step out for a moment?"

At Hae Cheong-yeon's bombardment of facts—she who normally seemed like the wisest woman in the world but could be so utterly tactless when it came to matters of human emotion—Cheon Ju-eun and Na Seo-yu gritted their teeth and tried to isolate her.

But Bae Jong-gwan was already completely deflated.

Bae Jong-gwan rose weakly from his seat and spoke.

"I'll go stretch my body for a bit."

"Ah, Y-Young Master Bae?"

The ronin who were endlessly watching them from afar had absolutely no way of knowing that the Five Siblings of Doksu, who had risen as the heroes of the Mountain Sword Sect, were having this kind of conversation.

***

"Hmm, the Five Siblings of Doksu, you say?"

"Yes, Commander. Currently, nowhere you go is without talk of them. Especially the interest regarding the woman called Cheonsang Mihui Yeon Hae was truly tremendous. It seemed likely that, as per their plan, the demon heads of the Blood Cult would also take interest."

"Hmph! We'll have to wait and see about that."

An inn near Geumsa in Guizhou City, within the sphere of influence of the Un Clan.

In a room on the second floor of the inn, Twelfth Commander Man Jong-im and Twelfth Battalion First Squad Leader Do Mu-gon were secretly exchanging words.

Having been operating separately from Seonwoo Jin's group, Twelfth Commander Man Jong-im and the Twelfth Battalion First Squad members had not achieved any notable results despite considerable time passing.

Though they wouldn't have heard it, it was because, as Seonwoo Jin had said before, as outsiders they had virtually no way to investigate the Un Clan in Guizhou City.

So, with the idea of using the Hao Gate as Hae Cheong-yeon had done, First Squad Leader Do Mu-gon had suggested it to Man Jong-im, but he had even firmly rejected that.

'Hmph! How can we pride ourselves as great heroes of the righteous faction by relying on the likes of the Hao Gate, an unorthodox faction?! We will find it with our own strength!'

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

In the end, it was after wasting about a week without accomplishing anything that Man Jong-im reversed his own words and decided to seek out the Hao Gate.

But even after that, things still didn't go smoothly.

There was no way they could know the location of the Hao Gate branch, as they had no connections whatsoever.

In the end, after several more days, they barely managed to find the Hao Gate branch by inquiring through the ronin warriors, and they had finally visited the place just yesterday.

First Squad Leader Do Mu-gon suddenly let out a deep sigh and asked Man Jong-im.

"Anyway, what do you intend to do now, Commander? Since we couldn't get any information even from the Hao Gate branch, isn't there nothing more we can do?"

At Do Mu-gon's question, Man Jong-im cleared his throat with a displeased face.

"Keheum."

It was infuriating, but it was true.

At the Hao Gate branch they visited yesterday, they had been unable to get any information—not the whereabouts of the Georyeokma, nor any information related to the Blood Cult.

Moreover, despite Do Mu-gon's dissuasion, Man Jong-im had even directly asked whether the Un Clan was a force of the Blood Cult.

But all they received in response to that question was a scornful laugh of disbelief.

Suddenly recalling yesterday's events, Man Jong-im gritted his teeth and muttered.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted the riffraff of the unorthodox factions. Just wait. After the Blood Cult, it'll be your unorthodox factions' turn!"

At the sight of Man Jong-im, who seemed unable to forget yesterday's shame, Do Mu-gon let out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a deep sigh inwardly.

The thought of sincerely wanting to reunite with the members of the Thirteenth Squad was rising.

He carefully broached the subject.

"Commander, since it's come to this, how about we just reunite with the members of the Thirteenth Squad?"

At that, Man Jong-im immediately erupted in a roar.

"What nonsense! How can we join those who stand on the side of the unorthodox factions and fight against the righteous Jeonghyeopbang?! And can you, Do Mu-gon, still call yourself a warrior of the righteous faction after that?! Even if it was to find the demon heads of the Blood Cult, for attacking the Jeonghyeopbang, fellow followers of the righteous path, we must hold them severely accountable later! And you suggest joining them?! You've gone mad!"

Though he had thought Man Jong-im wouldn't agree with such immense pride, at the sight of Man Jong-im actually getting angry, Do Mu-gon sighed inwardly and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Commander. I spoke out of frustration. So, what do you intend to do now?"

Do Mu-gon actually thought, like Seonwoo Jin, that the Jeonghyeopbang was sufficiently suspicious, but he knew all too well that saying such things to Man Jong-im would be utterly useless.

At that, Man Jong-im lowered his voice as if conceding defeat.

"Hm, hm. Fine. Since you've acknowledged your mistake, it's acceptable. But you must not repeat the same mistake."

"Yes, understood, Commander."

In the end, there was no answer to the question of what to do next, but Do Mu-gon didn't press the point. Because if he asked again, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was obvious Man Jong-im would get angry again. Only a helpless sigh escaped him.

It was then.

Fwooosh! Tak!

At something that suddenly flew in from outside the window, Man Jong-im and Do Mu-gon swiftly retreated and took up defensive stances.

"Who is it?!"

But confirming that it was just a pebble, Man Jong-im immediately threw himself out the window.

Fwooosh!

"What bastard is it?!"

He didn't know who had thrown the pebble, but the thought occurred that it might be someone connected to the Blood Cult. No, he was hoping it was. The probability ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was certainly extremely low, but his heart was so desperate that he wanted to grasp at even a straw.

And honestly, even if it wasn't a Blood Cult follower, he also had the thought of venting his pent-up frustration on whoever had provoked him.

But even though Man Jong-im had immediately rushed out, he couldn't find any trace of the person who threw the pebble.

Outside the inn, only ordinary commoners passed by, looking at him with strange eyes.

So Man Jong-im, who had to eventually return while gritting his teeth, heard unexpected words from Do Mu-gon, who had been examining the pebble inside the inn.

"Commander! A letter like this was tied to the pebble!"

"What? A letter?"

Startled, Man Jong-im hurriedly took the letter.

And on it, this was written.

[If you want information on the Georyeokma's whereabouts, come to the western forest at midnight.]

Man Jong-im's eyes widened as large as they could possibly go.

It was the first lead he had discovered since separating from the Thirteenth Squad.