Bandits, Thousand Sword, and Little Immortal

Silence descended upon the meeting hall. The protectors of the Mingwang Association, and even the elders, all kept their mouths shut. It was because Baekri-sa had pointed out something they had never even considered.

Endure a moment of humiliation, or face the crisis that would come later.

That single phrase left most of them speechless, like fools with mouths full of honey.

Gal Ye-ryeong was the first to speak.

"What should I do, Military Advisor?"

"The choice is yours to make, Association Leader."

"That's..."

Gal Ye-ryeong's face twisted in conflict. Bending now wounded his pride too deeply, but ignoring it filled him with dread over the repercussions Baek Su-gyeong's book might bring.

As he rubbed his forehead and groaned, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. The soft scrape of Tang-style boots against the floor.

Gal Ye-ryeong looked up to see a red-haired woman flinging open the doors of the meeting hall and striding in. His brow furrowed at the sight of the black-clad man following behind her.

"Who gave you permission to barge in here like—"

"The guards outside? Bunch of weaklings. Didn't kill 'em."

The red-haired woman cut him off. The black-clad man—Jamsa, who had gone to Shaolin with Baekri-sa—stood silently behind her, saying nothing.

Baekri-sa spoke up.

"From the Haomen?"

"Haomen Left Commander, Ya Jeop. Heard of me?"

The woman's robes were embroidered with black butterflies, matching her name—a white base accented by those dark wings. Ya Jeop, or Black Butterfly.

Gal Ye-ryeong narrowed his eyes at the sight.

"One of the Haomen's Three Great Commanders, the one Lord Ya Noe treasures so much... What business do you have? Bursting into the main council chamber like this."

"Came on orders from the Lord. Having trouble choosing? I can do it for you."

"What?"

Left Commander Ya Jeop flashed a seductive smile.

"I'll handle the negotiations with Baek Su-gyeong in your place, Mingwang Association Leader. What do you say? Deal?"

In Henam Province's Nanyang, Seohyeop County, at the foot of Bokwoosan—true to its name, a mountain rising gently like a reclining ox—lay a village called Namryeong Village.

Beyond Namryeong Village, deep into Bokwoosan, stood a thatched hut where many children gathered to live.

With so many children living together under the care of adults, it was called Jipran—a cluster of huts that felt more like another village than a mere house. This small society was upheld by the Thousand Sword Heroine, Bang So-ran.

"Teacher's back!!"

"Waaah!"

"Teacher, tell us stories from the jianghu!!"

Bang So-ran entered the Jipran amid the children's enthusiastic welcome.

"You all behaved while I was gone?"

"Yesss!"

"Liar! Woo-tae almost knocked over the village warehouse!"

"Hey, Yang So-ryeong! We said we wouldn't tell!"

"Hmph, dummy."

"You mustn't cause trouble for the grown-ups, Woo-tae."

"Sorry..."

The boy called Woo-tae hung his head at Bang So-ran's words. The children, thrilled at her return, chattered around her nonstop.

"Woo-tae did..."

"Yang So-ryeong started it!"

"Hmph, hmph!"

"Oh dear. No fighting."

Bang So-ran walked slowly, listening to the swarm of children's chatter.

This was the last village she'd visit before heading north to the Bohai Sea. With Chongyang Festival approaching, she planned to spend it with So Seon-ha before departing—and deliver the Little Immortal Hero Chronicles Baek Su-gyeong had given her.

"Bang Heroine, sorry!"

"Kids, time to head home!"

"We mustn't be rude to Bang Heroine!"

"Aw, Teacher!"

"I wanna hear more jianghu stories!"

As the children were led away by the adults, Bang So-ran headed toward her house with a wry smile. She had spotted So Seon-ha sitting alone out front, waiting.

"Seon-ha."

"...Master?"

It hadn't been long since the girl had been utterly expressionless, her face betraying no emotion at all. But now she was a bit more human-like.

Bang So-ran smiled at the child with her wax-smooth, doll-like white skin.

"Waiting out here all alone again? Why not play with your friends?"

"...They just tease me. I hate it."

Thick resentment colored So Seon-ha's voice. As she had told Baek Su-gyeong before, her martial progress lagged behind the other children her age—it was only natural.

Bang So-ran frowned slightly as she folded her bamboo hat.

"Oh no. Again?"

It worried ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her that the teasing happened every time she was away. She always kept an eye on it, but she was gone more often than not. She'd asked the other villagers to help, but they couldn't watch everyone all the time.

If the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠child, who had just started smiling again, got hurt by this, it would linger.

Suppressing her concern, Bang So-ran took So Seon-ha's hand.

"I brought you a gift. This trip will be long, so I won't be home much."

"Heard you're going to the Bohai Sea."

"Yes. Not sure how long. On the way back, I stopped to see Teacher Su-gyeong."

"Teacher Su-gyeong?!"

So Seon-ha's eyes sparkled.

Bang So-ran grinned.

"Yes. Teacher Su-gyeong wrote something for you."

"For real?!"

Her cry of surprise was so loud that nearby children turned to stare at Bang So-ran and So Seon-ha.

Bang So-ran laughed and stroked the girl's head, showing her the bundled package with the book inside.

"Shall we go inside and unwrap it?"

"Yes!"

Her heart pounded. How long had it been since she felt this excitement?

Carefully, So Seon-ha unwrapped the bundle her master had brought. Among the stack of books, the top one's title caught her eye like shining jewels.

Little Immortal Hero Chronicles.

No author name was listed, but So Seon-ha, who had worn out her copy of Wudang Sword Hero that Bang So-ran had brought her, recognized the handwriting as perfectly matching Baek Su-gyeong's.

"Master, no one ghostwrote this, right?"

"Of course not. He wrote it right in front of me."

True to form, the usually quiet girl around his books burst into chatter as she snatched it up.

Gazing at the title, So Seon-ha said,

"My name and the book's title have the same part. Did Teacher Su-gyeong do that on purpose?"

"Who knows? He said it was a coincidence."

Bang So-ran winked playfully with a grin.

"But no reason you can't think otherwise, right?"

"Right?!"

"Teacher said he hopes nothing crushes your dream of becoming a hero."

"Ah!"

So Seon-ha's cheeks flushed pink. Her martial achievements lagged behind her peers, making her somewhat shunned among the children. She wasn't the friendliest to begin with, but training had amplified it.

"Did you tell him, Master?"

"Hmm, who knows?"

Bang So-ran kept her teasing smile.

"Why not read it?"

"Oh, right!"

With a thumping heart, So Seon-ha opened the book. The first page bore Baek Su-gyeong's handwritten words:

"Ah...!"

Baek Su-gyeong's handwriting filled So Seon-ha's eyes. The bold strokes flowed softly like waves; she buried her face in the page, entranced before the story even began.

The dedication clearly stated it was for her.

So Seon-ha rubbed her eyes in disbelief and reread the page again and again. The words didn't fade. Baek Su-gyeong's message of encouragement, meant for no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one but her, reached her heart intact.

Looking up at Bang So-ran, she said,

"M-Master! This is really from Teacher Su-gyeong, right? It is?!"

"Yes."

Bang So-ran smiled gently. She understood why her disciple was so worked up.

Before the preface of Little Immortal Hero Chronicles, Baek Su-gyeong had devoted an entire page to this message for So Seon-ha. Its meaning was simple: He had written this solely for her, hoping her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dream wouldn't break and that they'd meet in the jianghu someday.

To So Seon-ha, who idolized and adored Baek Su-gyeong, it was like a thunderbolt.

Clutching the book to her chest, So Seon-ha said,

"Master, thank you so much!"

"No need to thank me. Thank Teacher Su-gyeong."

"Huh?"

"He listened to my selfish request. That's what birthed Little Immortal Hero Chronicles."

Bang So-ran stroked her head with a laugh.

"Thank him someday. When you venture into the jianghu, make sure to see him and give your greetings."

"Yes!"

So Seon-ha nodded vigorously. In that moment, another dream blossomed in the child's heart.

"That bitch is back?"

"Yes, Boss! Looks like her last stop before heading to the Bohai Sea. She'll leave soon—what should we do?"

"What do you mean, what?!"

The rugged-faced man slapped his subordinate's shoulder and laughed savagely. He harbored a deep personal grudge against Bang So-ran.

With her wandering nature keeping her rarely in one place, this man—who had bided his time for revenge—saw opportunity. She only returned home two or three times a year.

He turned to his men.

"How long till Chongyang Festival?"

"Just about, Boss!"

"Chonggu Festival, right?"

"Yes!"

Chongyang Festival celebrated the day two odd numbers overlapped—lunar 9/9, one of the major holidays like 3/3, 5/5, and 7/7, but grandest of all. People climbed mountains, and in Seohyeop County below Bokwoosan, they passed through Bang So-ran's small settlement on the way—a yearly tradition.

The man twisted his lips into a sneer.

"Missed chances every year 'cause she was gone, but luck's on our side this time."

"Prepare?!"

"Obviously?!"

"Got it, Channel Leader!"

As his bandit underlings rushed out, Guryong Channel Leader Jang Yu twisted his mouth. The diagonal scar across his forehead throbbed.

It was five years old. Back then, a fresh-faced bandit pup, but that encounter had hardened him.

He beheaded those who looked down on him, severed limbs, pulled tongues and nails, inflicted ultimate agony before killing. All because Bang So-ran's sword had crippled him.

Jang Yu ground his teeth.

"Bang bitch... You won't escape easy this time...!"

His grudge ran deep. This time, he'd capture her weak spot—that brat—and exact ultimate revenge on Bang So-ran.

Jang Yu's eyes gleamed with sinister light.