v8:2

In this fight, Biryu-yeon showed no mercy and ruthlessly used his hands without any consideration. It was a bloody battle.

 "Once I decide to shed blood, I do not fear it anymore. It is the shield of determination that protects my heart. If one's mind is corroded by fear of blood and murder, they can never fully exert their power. Of course, there may be no need for exerting power, but..."

Biryu-yeon spoke in a calm voice. Naye-rin looked at him with a quiet gaze, but she didn't say anything. She simply watched silently.

However, as the famous iron-hoofed horse, which had gained a high reputation and strength, turned its head and returned to the horizon, it was an unforgettable sight in Cheongheon's mind forever. Cheongheon and everyone around watched as they disappeared beyond the horizon, raising dust and echoing hoofbeats that resonated harmoniously between the sky and the earth, creating a dense silence despite the relentless pounding in their ears.

As a result, it appeared even more surreal.

Only after confirming that all the iron-hoofed horses had disappeared beyond the vast plain's horizon did Cheongheon's gaze turn towards Biryu-yeon. It was as if the iron-hoofed horse had turned back. Without a single sacrifice!

He looked at Biryu-yeon, the instigator of this incident, the embodiment of recklessness, and the genius of impulsive actions. It was regrettable that his lack of martial arts training prevented him from seeing through him.

"What on earth is he? Who could raise such a person, no, a monster, in this gang? Who could boast such a figure faster than the wind, showing off invincibility?"

Almost a dozen iron-clad horses, which were almost like the limbs of the iron-hoofed horse, lay dead, rolling on the ground with blood and sand. And... the remaining iron-hoofed horses turned their heads and returned to the starting point they had left.

"Has there ever been a time when the iron-hoofed horse's head has turned back in the past thirty years?"

Certainly not. Wherever the iron-hoofed horse, one of the symbols of the Black Heaven Alliance's invincibility, passed, there was only victory, destruction, and ruin they brought.

That day, Cheongheon was lucky enough to witness a single exception. Whether it was luck or misfortune, one couldn't be sure, but it was a fact.

And everyone made a tacit agreement about what they saw that day. Whether they were Biryu-yeon's priests and minions or Joojakdan, including Jang Hong, Hyo-ryong, and Baek Mu-young, they all contemplated it together.

Because they didn't want to be seen as crazy or eccentric, nor did they want to be pointed at and ridiculed for speaking recklessly. Fortunately, none of them were perverts who enjoyed such things.

"Look! Look! Cheongheon! Cheongheon!"

Cheongheon's reminiscence was interrupted by Baek Mu-young's call.

 "Hmm? Ah! Mu-young, is that you?"

Only then did Cheongheon, with unfocused eyes, gaze at his one-of-a-kind friend. A friend who followed with great determination, yet returned without doing anything.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Baek Mu-young asked.

 "Oh! It's nothing, really."

"Are you thinking about what happened back then?"

He was indeed a friend who was quick to catch on, both in terms of perception and deduction. Cheongheon didn't say anything, but Baek Mu-young had no difficulty guessing his inner thoughts.

"It's better not to think about that incident anymore. It won't help your mental health."

Whenever he recalled that day's events, he couldn't tell if he was existing in the real world or wandering in a fantasy. Like a dream...

Even now, that day's events were very surreal and unreal for them.

"That's a brilliant choice. It's better to seal it deep in your memory and not open it again. Thinking about it too much might drive you crazy."

Baek Mu-young wholeheartedly agreed with his thoughts.

"Excellent choice. Well thought out!"

When he regained his composure and looked around again, Biryu-yeon was already gone.

Cheongheon gave up thinking deeply about it anymore.

Visitor of Cheonmu Hall

"Ugh... it's boring... when will something happen?"

"The sky is high and blue, while the horses are busy shedding pounds,

On a ponderous autumn afternoon! A dry and dull gatekeeping duty at the main entrance!

Limbs dangled like molasses, feeling lethargic.

Second-year guards, Seonjeongseong and Imunseon, from the Conscientious Guard faction, were bored to death with their routine.

"My whole body feels sluggish. The sunlight is gentle... Huahm...."

A long yawn escaped from Seonjeongseong's mouth. Keeping up appearances was not easy.

"What's up, Moonseon?"

"Why so? Jeongseon?"

There were hardly any visitors today.

"This lethargy is suffocating me. Can't you rescue me?"

"Come on, Jeongseon, behave!"

It was a comforting word to Seonjeongseong's troubled mind.

"Are you alright?"

Imunseon's gaze turned to Seonjeongseong. The sunlight furrowed his brows.

"I doubt it. I feel like my mouth will tear apart from all this yawning. Huuuh...."

Imunseon's mouth stretched wide enough to reveal his uvula.

It was a miracle his lips didn't split.

Time seemed to pass three times slower, making the afternoon duty at the gate feel even more agonizing.

"No event seems to be happening on a day like this..."

Seonjeongseong lamented.

"Wouldn't that just make things more bothersome?"

Imunseon asked. Though he acted as if he had such thoughts, he continued to yawn incessantly.

"Rather than this boredom, annoying things would be much better!"

"Perhaps..."

"That's true..."

They both simultaneously looked up at the sky. Clouds lazily drifted over the blue expanse of the sea.

Lethargy was tightening their breath.

"Ah... I wonder if something will happen..."

Once again, a sigh escaped their lips.

It's said that strong desires always come true.

The sky helps those who help themselves.

Receiving the autumn sunshine, a vast, blue, sparkling ocean wearing the grandeur of the Main Gate of Mu, the fortress of the Unyielding, stood tall.

A person walked towards the gate.

"Long time no see!"

Cheonmuhakgwan

Reading the letter written like a warrior's epitaph with his middle-aged voice mixed with emotion, the middle-aged man murmured. After adjusting his attire once, the middle-aged man resumed his steps.

"Who's there?"

"Who are you?"

Seonjeongseong and Imunseon, tasked with guarding the entrance of Cheonmuhakgwan, had no politeness in their voices, as the middle-aged man walked briskly past the gate. The reason their voices lacked courtesy was that the middle-aged swordsman approached them without answering their question of 'What business brings you to the main building?' He simply strode through the gate. Since the gate was wide open during daylight hours, welcoming everyone, if no one stopped the middle-aged man, he would safely pass through the gate and enter Cheonmuhakgwan.

Though Cheonmuhakgwan is not a place known for rejecting people based on their status or purpose, it wasn't a place to be trifled with by those who rudely entered without disclosing their identity and purpose.

Two guards, immersed in their duties, aimed their spears at the intruder to obstruct his movement.

Cheonmuhakgwan rotates its gatekeepers among the students. Therefore, if a guard made a mistake, it could affect their grades negatively. They couldn't afford such an incident.

Seonjeongseong and Imunseon were fervently hoping for a visitor to break the monotony of their afternoon. Hence, they were inwardly preparing to treat the intruder kindly and amiably.

Swish!

"What...what?"

Seonjeongseong and Imunseon widened their eyes. The giant approaching them suddenly disappeared into a blur. It was enough to startle them.

"This place has changed a lot!"

The leisurely voice of the middle-aged man came from behind them. The peculiar man with a relaxed demeanor was now casually surveying the interior of the building behind them.

Did he have unusual insights?

Seonjeongseong and Imunseon strongly felt a premonition of a major incident.

Clang! Clang!

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the main gate of Cheonmuhakgwan. The two had abandoned their spears and drawn their swords. They couldn't extend a courteous welcome to the uninvited guest who had disregarded the guards and entered the main gate without permission.

The reason they abandoned their spears and drew their swords was that the sword was their primary weapon. The spear was only for show and was significantly inferior to the sword in terms of effectiveness.

Their astonishment at the unexpected actions during the daytime duty at the gate hadn't dissipated. Despite the gate being open, they couldn't understand how someone could move beyond their control... Since everyone in Cheonmuhakgwan was accustomed to a harmonious atmosphere, their amazement was even greater.

Seonjeongseong swung his sword with the intention of subduing the intruder. That angered the middle-aged man.

"Arrogant fool!"

As the middle-aged man swung his hand, a sharp shock struck his arm. The impact almost caused his temperance to drop. Within a light swing, there was an extraordinary energy that could not be measured. If they were enemies, there was a high possibility that they would face a life-changing event today. An enormous event had unfolded before them as they wished, but its magnitude was overwhelming.

"Hey you!"

As temperance, who was trying to subdue the intruder, was instead subdued, enraged Imun-sun immediately tried to rush forward with the sword he had withdrawn.

"Stop!"

However, Imun-sun failed to carry out his plan as he was held back by a hand grabbing his shoulder.

"Gong Un-seok, Lord of the Gate!"

The one who saved Imun-sun by grabbing his shoulder was Gong Un-seok, the gatekeeper in charge of the main gate.

"Step back! He's not your opponent."

"Yes!"

Imun-sun obediently stepped back. Gong Un-seok instinctively felt that this visitor was not someone who would typically turn back. The middle-aged man spoke.

"The youngsters are so impatient these days! They think there's no problem even if they throw patience out the window... Are you teaching them like that?"

It was only then that Temperance, Imun-sun, and the others had the chance to carefully observe the intruder's demeanor. It didn't take long to recognize his identity. His face had distinctive features that were easily recognizable—a pair of scars drawn diagonally on both sides of his face. Not many people with such scars possessed his level of skill.

"You... are you? No way!"

Gong Un-seok was startled. There was a figure crossing his mind.

The intersecting cross-shaped scar on his face! The silver dragon pattern engraved on the black sheath like the night sky! With such physical characteristics and wielding such a formidable sword, there was only one person matching this description.

The master of the Black Sky League! One of the Ten Elders of the Black Sky League! The genius of the sword, Mine of the Sword Demon. Transcendent of the Sword!

"Damn it!"

Gong Un-seok cursed inwardly. It seemed he had made a mistake. The situation was not favorable.

"What business do you have visiting the main hall? According to the rules, please state your purpose of visit."

Gong Un-seok's voice became infinitely polite in an instant. There was no way someone as powerful as a Sword Demon transcendent would act recklessly.

"Ha! Business... of course there is! I wouldn't have come here swinging a blood-stained sword if there wasn't. I wouldn't bother bringing such trivial documents. I'm here today to deliver a message!"

There was a chilling aura in his voice that conveyed a sense of severity to the listener.

"And what message would that be? To whom?"

"To the Lord of the Martial Arts Academy!"

Gong Un-seok's eyes widened.

"And... who is the messenger?"

"The Master of the Black Sky League!"

Gong Un-seok's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Politics was a headache. There were too many factors to consider. Politics was perplexing. There was never anything that went according to one's own will.

"Ugh... what am I supposed to do about this..."

Gong Un-seok's head hurt. His bones felt like they were trembling like a student facing a confusing test question right in front of him. The iron grip of his decision-making hand trembled.

"Is this a threat?"

Underneath the Sword Demon's cool demeanor, there was a palpable tension. But of course, it was inconceivable for someone like him, even with his remarkable abilities and reputation, to astonish someone like Gong Un-seok, who was at the level of a Chief Inspector. What troubled Marjin-ga was not the imposing demeanor of the Sword Demon, but the underlying intentions behind his actions. Marjin-ga had read the will of the Black Sky League hidden behind the actions of sending a figure like the Sword Demon as a messenger. The higher the rank of the messenger, regardless of his position, the greater the value and weight of the message. Sending one of the Ten Masters of the Black Sky League, a transcendent like the Sword Demon, as the messenger was a clear indication of the importance the Black Sky League placed on this temple, urging careful consideration. 

"Um..."