Yeop Hyeon is a Man of Kanguk
Yeop Hyeon clenched his right fist and slowly applied strength.
"In a world where only the strong survive, what choice is there besides getting stronger?"
Crack!
Mu Yun Qi slammed the table and shouted.
"Exactly! We need to get strong and show those Canglan Academy headquarters bastards just how powerful we are! Make them pay dearly for disrespecting the dean!"
Bang!
Bai Ze rose from his seat, slamming the table just like Mu Yun Qi. In that instant, the table collapsed entirely.
"……."
"Bai Ze, what were you gonna say?"
Mu Yun Qi looked at him, and Bai Ze growled low.
"What I was gonna say was… yeah! We have to crush Canglan Academy! Even if they don't want it! For the dean, no matter what!"
Yeop Hyeon nodded lightly and said,
"Everyone, train hard. No matter who pulls ahead, I hope we'll all be together in this spot when everything's over!"
With that, Yeop Hyeon left the Canglan Hall.
Bai Ze stared straight at Mu Yun Qi and said,
"Get serious! I don't wanna be cleaning up your corpse later!"
Bai Ze followed after Yeop Hyeon.
Mu Yun Qi ground his molars and muttered,
"Damn, they look down on me too much! Just you wait a bit!"
With even Mu Yun Qi gone, only Ji An Zhi remained alone in Canglan Hall, gnawing away at a chicken leg….
Having left Canglan Hall, Yeop Hyeon headed toward the back mountain.
Yeop Hyeon stopped in place and turned around. There, he spotted a beautiful girl watching him.
Yeop Hyeong!
Yeop Hyeong gazed at Yeop Hyeon with a fearful expression somewhere on her face. Her hands clutched tightly at her skirt hem.
"What is it?"
Yeop Hyeong approached Yeop Hyeon with her head bowed deeply.
"B-Brother…."
"Call me Dean!"
At Yeop Hyeon's shout, Yeop Hyeong lowered her head even further.
Yeop Hyeon patted the trembling Yeop Hyeong's shoulder.
"Here, I'm the dean and you're a student. Of course, we're still one family."
Yeop Hyeong stared at Yeop Hyeon's departing back, then began to grin broadly.
'One family?'
She wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks and kept smiling nonstop. Yeop Hyeon's words seemed to ease her heart.
Yeop Hyeon made his way into the bamboo grove.
Ye family?
It had long vanished from his heart. He would never set foot there again.
Arriving at the bamboo grove, Yeop Hyeon sat cross-legged and unleashed his sword intent. In an instant, his sword intent spread out in all directions.
Sword Eyes!
His current goal was to push the realm of Sword Eyes to its limit.
If he could do that, he'd gain another trump card.
Yeop Hyeon and his three companions threw themselves into training as usual.
Kanguk Imperial Palace.
A middle-aged man halted before the dragon throne. Kang Won, the lord of Kanguk seated on the throne, smiled down at him.
"An envoy from Choguk, eh? How fares your country's lord?"
"Not well at all!"
The middle-aged man's cold voice made the Kanguk ministers furrow their brows.
The lord himself frowned unpleasantly.
"Kanguk Lord, our Choguk's third prince was brutally slain by that Yeop Hyeon of your Canglan Academy. Thus, Choguk holds Kanguk responsible!"
Kang Won's face twisted at his words.
The middle-aged man pressed on.
"For the crime of daring to kill our nation's prince, we demand Yeop Hyeon and his entire clan be executed by dismemberment…."
"Hold on. Yeop Hyeon is a Kanguk man. You think outsiders get to dictate over a Kanguk citizen's life?"
The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed for a moment.
"You plan to shield him?"
Kang Won's gaze turned icy.
"Indeed. Kanguk has a duty to protect its people."
At that, the middle-aged man glared coldly at the Kanguk lord.
"You'll risk discord with our Choguk over one mere criminal?"
"That's not what we want! But if you try to harm a Kanguk man, we won't stand by!"
The middle-aged man's expression warped briefly. He hadn't expected Kanguk to back Yeop Hyeon so staunchly.
Not a single Kanguk minister stepped forward with an opinion.
His fame, spread across the entire Imperial City, was well-known to them. The mysterious youth who had destroyed the formidable Changmok Academy… even a three-year-old child knew Yeop Hyeon was no ordinary man. Moreover, he was under the protection of former Kanguk Lord Gang Wol-cheon.
"Hah! I'll relay your lord's words!"
Leaving those cold words, the middle-aged man exited the hall.
Moments later, Kang Won's voice echoed through the hall.
"Someone go to Canglan Academy! Tell them to prepare for Choguk's schemes!"
"Yes, my lord!"
"……."
Choguk Imperial Palace.
Bang!
A loud crash rang through the grand hall, followed by an enraged voice.
"Damn those Kanguk bastards!"
The shouter was Choguk's lord, Cho Jo-cheon, clad in dragon robes. Beside him, a beautiful woman teared up.
"Your Highness, we must avenge Hani. How else can that poor child rest in the afterlife?"
Cho Jo-cheon glared at the middle-aged man before him and bellowed,
"Kanguk truly means to protect that brat!?"
"Yes, Your Highness! Moreover, that Kanguk lord dared say we'd pay a heavy price if we touch him!"
"Fine, so that's how they want to play it!"
Choguk, located far north of distant Kanguk, had rarely clashed with them due to geography. But this time was different. Choguk's prince had been killed by a Kanguk man.
Killing intent flickered in Cho Jo-cheon's eyes.
"Those Kanguk scum would risk all-out war with us over one boy!"
At that moment, an elder in the hall stepped forward.
"Your Highness, this matter must not be handled emotionally!"
Cho Jo-cheon's gaze turned to the speaker.
"As I recall, that Yeop Hyeon boy is no ordinary warrior. Though only at the Soaring Realm, he cuts down even Control Qi Realm experts without hesitation. He's even known to have slain Gam Samsip, the genius of Daeun Changmok Academy in the secret realm!"
Gam Samsip too?
Cho Jo-cheon's face hardened instantly.
Gam Samsip was a genius warrior ranked high in Mubang!
The elder continued,
"Moreover, Kanguk's Changmok Academy fell early to Yeop Hyeon's hands. Even with Kanguk imperial family and Chwiseonru's aid, he's no pushover. It's suspicious that Kanguk and Chwiseonru back the boy. Would they move if there were no great force or absolute powerhouse behind him?"
The killing intent in Cho Jo-cheon's eyes gradually faded.
"Continue."
The elder bowed once and went on.
"Gam Samsip was an elite of Daeun Changmok Academy. They wouldn't let Yeop Hyeon off after losing him. Yet Canglan Academy stands strong and even takes new students. Doesn't that seem off? Other forces who lost warriors in the secret realm sent experts after Yeop Hyeon long ago. But no word has come."
Cho Jo-cheon clenched his fists.
"Found out who's behind him?"
The elder shook his head.
"No clues yet. But Your Highness, that boy is no easy mark. Perhaps we let this slide?"
"You want us to let Hani's death go?!"
The beautiful woman beside Cho Jo-cheon cried out bitterly.
The elder glanced at her but said nothing.
A dark shadow fell over Cho Jo-cheon's face. The woman tried to speak, but he glared, and she shut her mouth, sobbing quietly.
Moments later, Cho Jo-cheon asked,
"No clues at all…?"
"We threw all resources at it, but nothing."
Cho Jo-cheon's expression grew grave. Then, a voice came from outside.
"How could we not avenge our foe!"
Cho Jo-cheon looked up to see a black-robed warrior at the door.
At once, a dozen golden-armored guards appeared, surrounding him.
The black-robed man cupped his fists.
"I bring words from Danguk's lord."
"Danguk?"
Cho Jo-cheon raised an eyebrow.
The black-robed man smiled meaningfully.
"Our lord asks: Will you join Danguk in seizing Kanguk?"
"Split Kanguk between us?"
"Daeun Changmok Academy will step in too."
Cho Jo-cheon's eyes narrowed.
The black-robed man smirked slyly.
"Changmok Academy of Daeun will handle Yeop Hyeon's backers. Meanwhile, we lead our armies and strike Kanguk. Before our two nations' great hosts, Kanguk will crumble helplessly. Killing Yeop Hyeon will be easier than wringing a chicken's neck."
Cho Jo-cheon's eyes flashed.
"Why should I trust you?"
At that, the black-robed man flicked his sleeve, sending a spirit plaque flying to Cho Jo-cheon.
Grabbing it, Cho Jo-cheon saw the characters "Daeun". Flipping it revealed "Changmok Academy".
Daeun Changmok Command Plaque!
Cho Jo-cheon shook his head.
"Not enough!"
Then, a white-robed elder appeared in the hall, causing a stir.
The black-robed man bowed to him.
"Protector!"
This white-robed elder was one of Changmok Academy's protectors, the one previously blocked by the Heavenly Maiden when trying to kill Yeop Hyeon.
Not from Qingzhou Changmok Academy, but Jungto Sinju's Changmok Academy!
A powerhouse beyond Myriad Laws Realm peak.
The white-robed elder looked calmly at Cho Jo-cheon.
"We'll handle Yeop Hyeon's backers. You and Danguk strike Kanguk and kill Yeop Hyeon. Succeed, and Changmok Academy will reward you!"
Cho Jo-cheon pondered, silence falling. Moments later, he ground his teeth and snarled venomously,
"Kanguk… fine, let's do it!"
The white-robed elder nodded lightly and vanished from the hall.
Daeun Realm, before Changmok Academy's Hoyeon Hall.
The white-robed elder, who had appeared at Changmok Academy, silently stared at the green sword embedded before Hoyeon Hall.
Mo Qing-hyeon, standing behind him, hesitated before speaking.
"This is truly dangerous. Call it off now…."
The white-robed elder shook his head.
"Too late to stop. From the moment Canglan Academy's dean died, that boy has been sharpening his blade of vengeance against us. And he has high potential to become a Sword Immortal.
Kneel and apologize? Changmok Academy would rather perish than kneel. That woman forbade us from sending anyone higher than the boy's realm. So we find a workaround!"
Mo Qing-hyeon said,
"Then I'll negotiate with 'that one' from Daeun Empire. If we draw swords, better cut the throat clean."
The white-robed elder nodded.
"Of course!"
The next day, 60,000 silver-armored cavalry from Choguk suddenly marched south.
Wolguo's 120,000 long-spear infantry had assembled.
Outside Yangjie City, 100,000 black-armored cavalry gathered before the gates.