The First Sword
Baekri Hyang, the Sword Phoenix, murmured, “Hmm...”
Baekri Hyeong opened his eyes to find himself lying on a soft bed. The ceiling above told him he was in the clan’s medical hall, which meant he had channeled his inner energy and promptly fainted.
“Ah, Young Master, you’re awake.”
“Did something happen to me?”
“You coughed up blood and collapsed last night. Lady Han was so startled she carried you here herself.”
“I see.”
Baekri Hyeong already knew exactly why he had lost consciousness, but he feigned ignorance. There was no need to reveal that decades of pent-up inner energy now resided within him. What truly surprised him, however, was that his mother had carried him all the way here.
Perhaps I should show a little more restraint.
In his memories, his mother had been a gentle woman. She scolded him firmly when he erred, yet her love always outweighed any reprimand. She never lost her composure—until now. The mere sight of him fainting had driven her to carry him to the medical hall. He resolved to apologize the moment he saw her.
“So you’re awake, Hyeong-ah.”
“Father? What are you doing here...”
“I heard you coughed up blood and collapsed last night. And that the blood was black?”
“...”
Baekri Hyeong deliberately avoided his father’s gaze. The physician, sensing the tension, quietly excused himself—though his departure only made the atmosphere heavier. Meeting his father’s eyes now felt dangerous; the man might see straight through him.
Think about it: a six-year-old boy who had barely begun to live had coughed up blood. Not ordinary blood, either—dark, murky blood laced with impurities. Combined with his earlier declaration that he would wield a sword and the fact that he had collapsed after vomiting black blood, Baekri Hyeok could piece together exactly what his son had attempted.
“You tried to create inner energy, didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry. I should have followed your teachings—”
“Well done.”
“Pardon?”
“Your resolve has been proven. I had planned to begin your training today, but your body must be in poor condition. Rest for now.”
“Th-thank you.”
Baekri Hyeok said nothing more and left the medical hall. Yet Baekri Hyeong noticed the slight upward curve at the corner of his father’s mouth—a clear sign of satisfaction. In an ordinary household, a father might have carried his blood-spitting son to every physician in the land. But for the patriarch of the Baekri Clan, discovering that his son possessed talent was cause for quiet pride.
Baekri Hyeong had never expected to earn his father’s recognition so quickly; he sat there with a dazed expression.
The moment passed.
“May I come in?”
“Please do, Sister.”
A familiar voice echoed as a woman stepped into the medical hall. It was Baekri Hyang. At fourteen, she had already earned the title of Sword Phoenix among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes—an unparalleled genius.
In his memories, his sister had been formidable. As commander of the Azure Dragon Division under the Murim Alliance, she had never yielded to external pressure and had dedicated herself to eradicating the unorthodox factions that threatened the common people. Even when the Baekri Clan faced annihilation, she had chosen to throw herself into the flames rather than abandon her family, sacrificing herself so that her younger brother might live.
Perhaps that was why the sight of her younger face brought an involuntary smile to his lips. To her, however, it must have looked like mockery.
“You don’t seem to be in much pain, judging by that grin.”
“I smiled because you looked so impressive, Sister.”
“You certainly have a way with words. I heard you coughed up blood trying to create inner energy?”
“Yes. I remember feeling something take shape, and then I fainted.”
“Good heavens, our little brother is quite something.”
Baekri Hyeong remained still as his sister ruffled his hair. After the clan’s destruction, familial affection had been what he missed most. Baekri Hyang, however, seemed mildly shocked that he accepted the gesture without protest.
“Usually you’d be shouting at me to stop and throwing a tantrum by now.”
“Am I a child?”
“You are a child.”
“...”
Well, outwardly I may look like one, but inside sits a man far older than you. Naturally, he kept that thought to himself.
“You’ll be holding a sword starting tomorrow.”
“Do you have any advice for a junior like me?”
“Plenty. It’ll be hard. Even if you train yourself to death, you’ll only manage to learn a single technique.”
Baekri Hyang spoke with genuine seriousness, yet Baekri Hyeong could not fully relate. He possessed an absurd talent that allowed him to remember any movement after seeing it once. In his previous life, he had died because he had not combined that talent with effort. If he added relentless training to his natural gifts now, what kind of monster would he become? Moreover, if he mastered the Four Guardian Deities Sword from the very beginning and reached its pinnacle, could he stop the Heavenly Demon?
“What are you thinking so deeply about? I won’t be too harsh on a beginner, so don’t worry.”
“I’m not sure if I’m doing well.”
“There’s no ‘doing well’ or ‘doing poorly.’ You’re a child, and protecting children is an adult’s job. In other words, you can laze around until you’re ten.”
“...”
Baekri Hyeong fell silent at her words. Protecting children was an adult’s duty—an obvious truth that would soon become impossible in the future barreling toward them.
“Leave the fighting to this sister of yours. You just prepare to roll around until your back breaks.”
“I’d rather not have my back broken.”
“It’s just an expression. Anyway, since you’ve gained inner energy today, you’ll need time to adjust. I’ll have someone attend you, so ring that bell if you need anything.”
Having said her piece, Baekri Hyang left the medical hall. Baekri Hyeong waited until her presence faded completely before rising. She had told him to rest for the day, but he had no intention of doing so. He knew time was precious. The only thing he could do alone in the medical hall was circulate his energy.
Baekri Hyeong assumed the familiar lotus position and focused his mind on the inner energy in his lower dantian.
Hum...
The modest amount of energy trapped in its small vessel responded to his call. In an instant, pure qi began to flow through his body. Baekri Hyeong kept his mind sharp, refusing to be swept away by the current. If he lost control, he would suffer qi deviation.
“Huuu...”
A shallow breath expelled a trace of impure energy from his body. Repeating this process would eventually purge all the accumulated waste. However, Baekri Hyeong had no intention of doing so completely. The impurities were not the result of evil deeds but of time itself. Removing them all at once would shatter the balance between his upper, middle, and lower dantians. The energy rising from his lower dantian would then destroy the other two, leaving him a cripple. Maintaining proper equilibrium was the true key to rapid growth.
Baekri Hyeong remained motionless in the lotus position for nearly three hours. He never noticed that, just beyond the range of his senses, his father stood watching him with sharp, appraising eyes.
**********
The day after he had fainted and recovered, Baekri Hyeong dressed properly and made his way to the clan’s central training ground. There he saw Baekri Hyeok and Han Seol-eun seated in the place of honor, along with Baekri Hyang, already clad in training robes.
“Baekri Hyeong. I will ask you one last time. Do you truly wish to step into the martial world?”
“My decision remains unchanged, Father.”
“...Very well.”
Having confirmed his son’s resolve, Baekri Hyeok gave his daughter a subtle nod. She slowly drew her sword, gathered her inner energy, and began demonstrating her swordsmanship. The technique she first showed Baekri Hyeong was the clan’s foundational art—the True Hundredfold Sword.
“I’ll only show it once, so watch carefully.”
Baekri Hyeong nodded. With that warning given, Baekri Hyang stepped forward and executed the first form of the True Hundredfold Sword. Baekri Hyeong absorbed every single movement. While the precision of her technique fell short of what he had achieved as the Sword Sovereign, comparing her to his past self was unfair. Even so, her skill far surpassed that of her peers.
So this was Sister’s level at this age...
Each strike carried tremendous weight. Thanks to her mastery of the heavy sword style, every swing sliced through the air with a resounding noise. Her feet planted firmly on the ground, and her advance was utterly unhesitating. She was the very image of a martial artist whose talent could only be described as supreme.
“Huu... Did you see it well?”
“Yes, I did. So... may I try it myself?”
“Hmm?”
Baekri Hyang tilted her head at the sight of Baekri Hyeong’s sparkling eyes. If he wanted to attempt the technique after seeing it only once, that was what he meant. It was impossible for a child to replicate a sword art after a single viewing. Just as she was about to scold him for overreaching, a voice transmission reached her.
[Let him try.]
She froze in place. She could not fathom her father’s intentions. Why allow a six-year-old boy who had seen the True Hundredfold Sword only once to attempt it so recklessly? Questions flooded her mind, but she quietly stepped aside. This was a historic moment—the first time the son of the Baekri Clan would take up a sword. There was no need to create friction, nor did she wish to.
Thus, Baekri Hyeong stepped onto the training ground and grasped a sword. The moment he took his first step and drew the blade, everyone present was struck speechless with shock.