Lingering Traces in Wungye County
Wungye County in Shaanxi. A small county nestled at the foot of the Jinling Mountain Range, a place most people didn’t even know existed. Seven years ago, it had briefly risen to prominence in the murim world as the birthplace of the Cheonsalseong. The Heavenly Killing Star, Baek Un-hyeon. The time he spent shaking the entire murim had been shockingly brief. Strangely enough, almost no one remembered the most recent bearer of that cursed title. The few who knew the truth raised their cups in celebration of the righteous sects’ preserved order. Most simply kept their silence.
In that way, the scars of the bloody tragedy from seven years ago had been wiped away, and the annihilation of Wungye County’s great landowner gradually faded from everyone’s memory. Yet what the tragedy left behind still remained rooted in this land.
The Murim Alliance’s Wungye County branch. A specially established outpost despite the existence of a separate Shaanxi branch. Jeong Mun-gyu, now the branch leader and bearer of the title Illusory Revolving Divine Fist, was enduring another tedious day.
“Hey there, Heavenly Dragon.”
“…Please stop using that nickname, sir.”
He had called over one of the few people who could be considered family in this tiny branch. At present, the Wungye branch was split into two groups: those directly under the branch leader and the patrol squad dispatched from the Murim Alliance headquarters. Ten people in total.
Yi Cheon-woo. The honored guest who had come to this branch of his own accord three years ago. Jeong Mun-gyu still didn’t understand why a divine talent from the Wudang Sect would come to such a dull rural post. The man himself claimed he had come to seek the truth, but who would stay in the countryside for years just for that? All Jeong Mun-gyu could do was feel grateful that such a talent had chosen to remain with them for so long.
“What’s the problem? Most people would kill to earn a nickname like that. And a dragon, no less? You can’t possibly receive one at your age without drawing attention. Accept it with humility.”
“That’s not—”
“Then are you saying all those fools who go around peddling their own names hoping to be called an Imugi are idiots? You’re insulting the entire murim!”
“…Sigh. Do as you wish. Yes, I am the Heavenly Dragon…”
Teasing him was quite enjoyable. He was such a stubborn, rigid fellow.
“Did you call me just to play word games?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”
“Then does this mean you are finally granting me permission to enter the Yeon-yeon Blood Valley?”
“You dense fool. How many times must I tell you that place is now strictly forbidden?”
“Which is exactly why I’ve been waiting for permission.”
“Good heavens. Just what is it about that place that has you so obsessed? It’s not the same reason that Gwak Cheong-myeong throws a fit every chance he gets, is it? If Baek Un-hyeon were still alive, would you be looking for revenge?”
“…The goal is similar, so perhaps it amounts to the same thing.”
“What kind of answer is that? Is that how all you Taoist types talk? Well, they did say more people died than came back alive.”
“…”
Perhaps thinking they were close enough now, Jeong Mun-gyu had casually insulted both the Wudang and Mount Hua sects at once.
“Branch Leader. It is fine if you speak that way to me, but even though I am a secular disciple, Wudang is still my sect.”
“Oh dear, my apologies. Well then, shall we get to work?”
“…Understood.”
Yi Cheon-woo offered a polite fist salute and headed toward the training grounds. Of the two organizations in this small branch, the patrol squad was currently training there.
“Everyone, gather. It is time for patrol.”
At his call, the others began assembling one by one. The patrol squad numbered five including Yi Cheon-woo himself—exactly half the branch’s total personnel. For a rural outpost, the number was embarrassingly small, yet every single one of them had followed Yi Cheon-woo since his days at the Murim Alliance headquarters. As such, each member’s skill level was exceptionally high.
“Captain, are you planning to go out again today? Shouldn’t you rest? We’ve all been taking turns resting while you never do.”
Kang Tae-mun, who effectively acted as vice-captain since they were too few to appoint one officially, spoke up. He had been the first among them to follow Yi Cheon-woo.
“Aigoo, why is our sun-like little brother jumping in when the big brother hasn’t even said anything?”
Yu Cheon-rak laughed as he spoke. His personality was the complete opposite of the straight-laced Kang Tae-mun, and the two were constantly at odds.
“Ehh, if the Captain isn’t going, then I’m not going either.”
Seo Myo-rin. A woman of the same age who followed Yi Cheon-woo around like a puppy.
“Good grief, the Captain says one thing and the rest of you start whispering among yourselves.”
The last to speak was Baek Yeon-hwa. She was honest to a fault but had a sharp tongue.
These four each came from different minor sects and had their own reasons for choosing to follow Yi Cheon-woo.
“…No. It seems we should all move together today. I’ve received reports that bandits have appeared recently.”
“Bandits? In our territory, Captain?”
“It is our job to verify whether the information is true.”
“Aigoo, Captain, I keep telling you to speak more casually.”
“…”
Yi Cheon-woo smiled faintly and picked up the sword he had left on the training ground. They gathered only a few essential items and headed out of the branch.
As they were leaving through the main gate, they noticed someone standing in front of them.
“Holy—!”
“How rude. Watch your language,” Kang Tae-mun scolded when Yu Cheon-rak let out an exclamation upon seeing her face.
Yi Cheon-woo, who had only now properly registered the person before them, widened his eyes.
“Hah…”
Her snow-white skin glowed softly as if it had captured moonlight. Her long black hair flowed in gentle waves even on a windless day. When she tilted her head slightly, her long lashes trembled and her gaze flowed with seductive charm. The corners of her lips lifted in the faintest smile. It seemed anyone would lose their breath, captivated by that smile. Every time her robes swayed lightly, the curves revealed were both elegant and fatally alluring. Simply by standing there, she drew every eye in the vicinity.
Yi Cheon-woo, who had been staring at her intently, shook his head.
“I have been rude. May I ask what brings you here, miss? Do you have business with the Murim Alliance’s Wungye branch?”
The woman’s gaze turned to Yi Cheon-woo. Her face looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment. What kind of story could cause such sorrow? Just looking at her made one’s chest ache with sympathy.
“…”
Her eyes, which had been wavering as they looked up at the main gate, met Yi Cheon-woo’s. She blinked once upon seeing him. An expression as if recalling something.
“…!”
For an instant, a chill that seemed to freeze his entire body washed over him.
“Captain?”
“…No, I apologize. I have been rude yet again.”
When he came to his senses, Yi Cheon-woo realized his hand was already resting on his sword. He bowed to the woman. She, in turn, gave the patrol squad a polite nod before passing them and heading deeper into the Murim Alliance grounds.
“Whew… That startled me.”
“Wow… Just who was that woman?”
“Captain, do you happen to know her?”
“It is my first time meeting her.”
“She is probably a guest of the branch leader. Let us be on our way.”
Since it was such a small branch, security was not particularly strict. They did not stop visitors, so they allowed the woman to enter without interference.
However.
The scent of blood… It must have been my imagination.
Because Wungye County itself was located halfway up a mountain, the patrol squad was able to reach the reported bandit sighting without much difficulty.
“Halt.”
At Yi Cheon-woo’s signal, every member froze in place. They all understood why he had given the order.
“The scent of blood is thick. I cannot hear any wild animals either.”
“I don’t know if they were bandits, but it’s clear a fight took place here.”
“Yaho~ That saves us the trouble of searching for the location, doesn’t it?”
The metallic tang of blood. In a place crawling with bandits, it was only natural for the stench to assault the nose. Yet something felt off. Yi Cheon-woo frowned, sensing a strange familiarity. For now, he decided to focus on the task before him.
They followed the scent of blood carried on the wind. Its source was not far. So close, in fact, that it made one wonder how bandits had been hiding in such proximity.
“Huh…? No one’s coming out?”
When they arrived at the bandit stronghold, no bandits rushed out to meet them.
“Let us take a look.”
The moment they entered the stronghold, the patrol squad could not hide their shock. From the entrance onward, the ground was soaked with blood and corpses lay scattered everywhere.
“What is this?”
“It appears all the fallen are bandits.”
“The attacker wasn’t a single person. There are various types of wounds. Some look like they were hit with hidden weapons, others with blunt instruments.”
“Perhaps they fought over territory with another group of bandits nearby.”
“I don’t think so. There would be no reason for bandits to use such a wide variety of weapons. It’s possible another organization moved in to subjugate them besides us.”
“Was there a sect around here capable of such a thing?”
“I will look into it.”
Yi Cheon-woo was carefully examining the wounds on each fallen bandit. If another group had indeed eliminated the bandits first, it was undoubtedly good news, but he needed to know who had done it. He could not be certain their intentions were truly righteous.
As he inspected the corpses one by one, he noticed that most had been killed with extremely precise, economical movements. Whoever the attackers were, they were undoubtedly several levels above these bandits.
While continuing his examination, his hand reached a corpse whose wounds were noticeably more savage than the rest. It looked as though someone had performed sword arts using something other than a sword. The strikes had accurately targeted vital points, yet even if those were defended, the excessive power behind them would have broken the opponent’s will to fight. Such tyrannical and cruel swordsmanship was…
“…!”
“What is it, Captain?”
“…It is nothing. I was simply surprised by how high the attacker’s martial level appears to be.”
“It does seem that way. It’s possible they retrieved their own dead, but the fact that only the bandits’ traces remain so cleanly suggests a significant gap in strength between the two sides.”
Yi Cheon-woo covered the wound he had been examining. He then ordered the bodies gathered and burned.
“Feels empty since we didn’t actually do anything.”
“Isn’t it better if there’s nothing to do? What are you complaining about?”
“Who said I was complaining?”
Listening to Yu Cheon-rak and Baek Yeon-hwa bicker as usual, the patrol squad returned to the branch.
“Brother Kang.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“I must ask you to write the report. Something has been bothering me.”
“Understood. Let’s go, everyone. We’ll let the Captain rest.”
“Huh? Wait, why me?”
“Ah, Captain, wait for me!”
Yu Cheon-rak and Baek Yeon-hwa were dragged away by Kang Tae-mun. Seo Myo-rin quietly slipped away from them and came to stand beside Yi Cheon-woo.
“Hehe.”
“You may rest as well.”
“You call this resting?”
Yi Cheon-woo headed toward the rear garden of the branch. It was a place no one used now. Once the most cozy spot within the grounds. Yet a visitor was already there.
“Captain~ If you have any worries, you can tell me… Huh? That person is…”
The reason the rear garden went unused was simple. Both Branch Leader Jeong Mun-gyu and Yi Cheon-woo felt it would be disrespectful. So they limited themselves to basic maintenance to prevent the building from falling into complete ruin.
In the center of that garden stood a large memorial stone.
“Who erected this?”
A beautiful voice that seemed capable of melting one’s ears. It was so lovely that even Seo Myo-rin, who stood right behind Yi Cheon-woo, trembled and shrank back.
“That is…”
“Hmph! Our Captain built it! Is there anyone in the world as kind as our Captain?!”
“I see.”
With those words, the woman closed her eyes as if offering a prayer. Her tranquil posture, the slight tilt of her head, her long lashes resting gently against her eyelids, and the profoundly sad smile that lingered on her lips. Everything about her was like a painting. Simply by standing there, she transformed the entire garden into a space that existed only for her.
Yi Cheon-woo gazed at her quietly. Seo Myo-rin stood right behind him, wearing a bewildered expression.
Just who is that woman?
The woman opened her eyes when commotion began to stir from the main building. Kang Tae-mun had probably finished his report and was coming to find them.
“May I ask how the funeral was conducted?”
“They gathered the bodies and performed a cremation.”
“Was there a reason they were not buried?”
“The village simply lacked the resources. There were too many bodies, and the great landowner’s clan had already been destroyed.”
“I see… Thank you for answering.”
Unlike before, the woman offered Yi Cheon-woo a gentle smile and a courteous bow. Seo Myo-rin’s face turned deathly pale at that smile. She looked as if she wanted to cover Yi Cheon-woo’s eyes immediately.
The three patrol members approaching from afar also froze in shock. By the time they regained their composure, the woman had already left.
“Goodness gracious…”
Even Kang Tae-mun, who normally regarded women as no different from stones, approached while clutching his chest. He was even stuttering, which was rare for him.
“Just who was that woman? Have you heard anything about her? From what I saw during my report, she doesn’t appear to be the branch leader’s guest.”
“I do not know either. Perhaps she had some connection to the Baek family.”
“S-shouldn’t we escort her? It would be dangerous for her to travel alone.”
Yu Cheon-rak kept glancing behind them with clear regret, using the excuse that it was getting dark and unsafe for a woman to travel by herself.
“If it is fate, we will meet again.”
“Captain, you really sound like a Taoist monk sometimes.”
“Haha, I am not a monk.”
“T-that’s right! Our Captain is not a monk! He can even get married!”
Seeing that Yi Cheon-woo’s reaction differed from the other two men, Seo Myo-rin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Even as a woman, she could tell that mysterious beauty was on a level one could not even dare to look up to.
“…”
Of course, even Yi Cheon-woo could not remain completely unaffected by a woman of such peerless beauty. The reason he appeared so calm was simply that his mind was far too complicated at the moment.
That sword wound… It definitely resembled Master’s sword path.