The Sword Flower's Thorns
"Hey! You there! Stop right there!" a rough voice barked from outside the carriage.
Just as Lee Hak let out a deep sigh and reached to open the door, a bandit pounded heavily on the wood, causing the carriage to rattle. Grimacing in sheer annoyance, Lee Hak threw the door open and stepped outside to confront the bandit.
"You are incredibly rude," Lee Hak said, completely unfazed.
The fierce-looking man flinched for a moment, then cleared his throat and blustered, "You lot have just crossed into the territory of our Taedo Bandit Camp!"
"The mountains are a part of nature. How can nature belong to anyone? Ah, or perhaps you're simply too uneducated to grasp such a concept? My goodness, I completely understand. Where would a bunch of lowlife bandits ever get the chance to learn anything? Haha!"
Lee Hak shrugged and sneered. The bandit's face contorted with rage as he raised his voice.
"You bastard! How dare you speak to me like—!"
At that moment, the door of the carriage ahead of us burst open with a violent crash. A bandit was sent flying, tumbling across the dirt road.
Crash!
"Aaargh!"
The sudden commotion drew the attention of both Lee Hak and the bandit before him. Driven by curiosity, I poked my head out slightly to see what was happening.
A woman clad in the white and blue robes of a martial artist stepped out of the carriage. She had striking black hair and sharp, fierce eyes. Drawing her sword, she pointed the blade directly at her own carriage driver and demanded in a menacing tone, "You son of a bitch. You're in league with these bandits, aren't you?"
The driver scrambled off his seat and rushed to the bandits' side. "Brothers! Just as promised, I've brought you the Sword Flower, one of the Five Flowers of the Martial World!"
I tilted my head slightly, lost in thought. The Five Flowers of the Martial World? Isn't that title usually reserved for exceptionally beautiful women? Intrigued, I narrowed my eyes to study her more closely. She was, without a doubt, remarkably beautiful.
Furrowing her sharp brows, she spoke in an irritated voice. "I knew it was strange that the fare was so cheap. To think you'd pull a stunt like this."
Piecing the situation together, it seemed the driver had conspired with the bandits to lure her directly into their territory. She scanned the surrounding bandits, let out a soft chuckle, and spoke with casual ease.
"I don't know what you plan to do with me, but you've picked the wrong target."
In response, the bandits spat out a barrage of curses and leveled their weapons at her. Watching this unfold, I quietly asked Biwol, "Who is she?"
Biwol peered out for a moment, observing the woman facing off against the bandits, before replying, "Judging by the emblem on her robes, she appears to be a martial artist of the Jeomchang Sect."
At that moment, Lee Hak, who had slipped back into the carriage, raised an index finger and offered an explanation. "That is Yeon So-o, a promising rising star of the Jeomchang Sect. Given the timing, she is likely on her way to the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, but it seems she ran into some trouble along the road."
"The Jeomchang Sect?"
A few pieces of lore I had looked up before playing Moorim Ganghojeon flashed through my mind. The Jeomchang Sect was a prestigious orthodox sect belonging to the Nine Great Sects and One Union, renowned for their mastery of the swift sword.
An orthodox sect... This might be my chance to steer onto a truly good route. If I could build a connection with an orthodox martial artist, perhaps I could avoid the final boss path entirely.
As I pondered, Lee Hak leaned in and asked, "What are your orders, My Lord?"
After a brief hesitation, I made my decision. "Let us assist her."
Lee Hak nodded, swiftly turning to step back outside the carriage. Right at that moment—
Crack!
"...?"
A sound resembling a gunshot echoed through the air. Startled, I leaned out of the carriage to see what had happened. A... a gun? In the Central Plains?
Even Biwol, whose face had remained entirely indifferent, looked slightly taken aback as she scanned the scene. It appeared Yeon So-o had already made her move. Crimson blood dripped from her blade, and the bandit standing before her was spurting blood from his chest.
"K-Kaaah..." Clutching his chest, the bandit stumbled backward before collapsing face-first onto the dirt.
The remaining bandits instantly grew tense, shouting threats to mask their unease. "Y-You crazy wench! Do you think you'll get away with this?!" "You insane bitch! We were going to treat you gently if you just behaved!"
Listening to their empty bluster, Yeon So-o let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You talk too much. If you draw a blade, you should be prepared to die by one."
She drew her sword arm back and widened her stance, preparing to spring forward. "Of course, I'm prepared to take a blade too. One side is getting completely obliterated today. Keep that in mind."
At her chilling threat, the bandits flinched, visibly shaken. They had likely planned to intimidate her with their numbers and capture her without taking any casualties. Facing someone willing to throw her life away so recklessly threw them into complete disarray.
I watched her with slight awe. So that is a true martial artist. Having only witnessed blood-soaked battles of absolute resolve through modern videos, seeing it in person was incredibly surreal.
Of course, the martial artists who fought San Ireong in Wuyuan County had fought with everything they had, but that was a desperate struggle for survival. It lacked this burning, unyielding resolve.
However, Unwol was mistaken about one thing. Not all martial artists possessed such nerves of steel. They were human, after all; when faced with a fight that promised severe injury or death, most would seek a compromise or flee. But Yeon So-o's stubborn, uncompromising nature refused to allow for such weakness.
"You crazy bitch! Do you really want to die?!"
At the bandit's shout, Yeon So-o merely huffed in frustration. "Seriously, absolutely nothing has gone right lately..."
"W-What?" The bewildered bandits stared at her.
She bared her teeth, glaring at them as she lowered her voice to a menacing growl. "The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is right around the corner, and you bastards have wasted so much of my time. I was already on the verge of losing my mind because of how terrible things have been going, but you lot just had to cross me. I'm going to tear you all to pieces."
With that, Yeon So-o conjured fine, razor-sharp threads of white Sword Silk around her blade and thrust her hand forward. At the sight, the bandits scrambled backward in unison. "S-She's completely insane!"
Crack!
Her sword thrust forward with blinding speed, skewering the chest of another bandit. "Aaargh!"
Even to me, a Blood Ghoul who perceived all movements in slow motion, her lightning-fast thrust felt remarkably swift.
"H-He's dead!" "Hey, look out!"
Seeing another comrade fall in the blink of an eye, fear finally began to take root in the bandits' eyes. Though they held the advantage in numbers, it was impossible not to feel terror when every strike of her sword claimed another life.
Had they charged her all at once, Yeon So-o would not have escaped unscathed. But who among them could guarantee they would survive the onslaught? For bandits, who valued their own lives far above any sense of camaraderie, none dared to take the first step. And Yeon So-o knew this all too well.
"Hey, you pathetic excuses for bandits. If you were born men and drew your swords, you should at least have the decency to swing them. How long are you going to cower like a bunch of spineless cowards?"
As Yeon So-o prepared to spring forward once more, the bandits hastily retreated to widen the distance. Sensing that she had seized the upper hand, a smirk played on her lips.
"Briefly, I'll give you a choice. Hand over all your money and get lost, or stay here and fight me until we're both broken. Actually, never mind. Just hand over everything you have."
"...?"
"What?"
It was a bizarre spectacle—the target they had brought to extort was now extorting them. What was even more amusing was that, upon hearing her threat, the bandits actually began exchanging glances, seemingly considering her offer.
"You spout amusing nonsense, Sword Flower."
At that moment, a massive, hulking man stepped out from the crowd of bandits. A large scar ran across one of his eyes, and the aura he exuded was unmistakably formidable.
"Hey, Sword Flower. Stop thrashing around and drop your weapon. Do that, and I'll spare you a painful end."
Just from his voice, Yeon So-o could tell he was on an entirely different level from the other bandits. Yet, she would rather die fighting than submit to anyone.
"I hear a dog barking somewhere. Don't you, you son of a bitch?"
"You miserable whore...! Do you have any idea who I am? I am Ung Cheol, Chief of the Taedo Bandit Camp!"
Enraged by the insult, Chief Ung Cheol drew a massive saber from his waist. Instantly, a menacing aura of Sword Gang—surpassing both Sword Qi and Sword Silk—flared around his blade. Yeon So-o flinched slightly at the sight, but she quickly recovered, a faint smile touching her lips.
"Fine. Even if I die, I'll make sure to cripple both of your arms first."
Seeing her genuine resolve to drag him down to hell with her, the furious Ung Cheol faltered, instinctively bracing himself. Just as she was about to charge with all her might, Lee Hak stepped forward.
"Hmm, one moment please."
The sudden intrusion drew the attention of both Yeon So-o and Ung Cheol. Lee Hak smiled warmly, snapping his folding fan open with a sharp flick. "A certain esteemed individual wishes for the safety of the Jeomchang martial artist."
Annoyed by this bizarre interloper, Ung Cheol scowled. "What the hell are you babbling about, you pretty-boy bastard?"
"Well, that is just how it is."
The moment the words left Lee Hak's mouth, several men clad in black appeared out of nowhere behind him, charging toward Chief Ung Cheol with stiff, rigid movements. Startled by the sudden onslaught of these figures wearing deep bamboo hats and draped in black cloaks, Ung Cheol hastily raised his saber, spinning it rapidly to form a defensive barrier of sword energy.
When the arm of one of the black-clad men collided with the barrier, a deafening metallic screech rang out, halting the saber in its tracks.
Clang!
"W-What?!"
Ung Cheol's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Not only had a human arm blocked a steel blade completely unscathed, but it had also produced a ringing metallic clash. "T-This is impossible! How can a human arm block a sword?!"
Before he could recover, the other black-clad figures lunged in unison, leaving him no room to breathe. Desperately parrying the coordinated assault of the five attackers, Ung Cheol quickly realized he was outmatched and cried out in panic.
"W-Wait! Hold on a moment! I am a member of the 108 Green Forest Bandit Camps, ranking fiftieth among them! Do you not fear the wrath of the Green Forest?!" With his life on the line, Ung Cheol's tone shifted to a desperate, polite plea.
"Our only target was the Sword Flower! I will let you all pass freely! Let us pretend this never happened and go our separate ways!"
Watching this, Yeon So-o snorted in derision and braced herself to spring. "Your Green Forest buddies aren't standing next to you right now, so what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Do you think your precious Green Forest will get here before I run my blade through your chest?"
Struggling to fend off the black-clad men, the sight of Yeon So-o preparing to join the fray broke Ung Cheol's composure entirely. He quickly changed his tune, addressing her with newfound deference. "S-Sword Flower! I understand! I will let you go as well! So please, just wait! Just listen to me—!"
"Shut up, you foul-mouthed bandit. I'll be taking your heart now."
Crack!
With a sound like a sonic boom, Yeon So-o launched herself forward with terrifying speed.
Splurt!
Her blade pierced straight through the man's chest, skewering his still-beating heart on the tip of her sword.
"K-Kaaah!"
Coughing up a torrent of blood, the giant trembled violently before going completely limp. Confirming his death, Yeon So-o wrenched her sword free, flicked the blood from the blade, and turned her blood-splattered face toward the remaining bandits.
"Next."