Crackle.Pop.

 

Sparks fly from the campfire. The dancing flames illuminate the dark night with crimson light. As the warmth spreads around, the logs gradually burn and turn to ash.

 

The firelight flickers over the faces.

 

Humans can reflect on themselves through the principles of nature. So it is with this campfire. It burns itself to light the world, which is akin to the courage of a man.

 

Isn’t it the dream of every warrior to leave a mark on history and have their name remembered for generations to come? In that sense, sorcery is a pitiful profession.

 

Even if one becomes famous through sorcery, they will not gain as much fame as they would through hard work.

 

This is because there was a strong negative opinion about sorcery at the time. The chaos caused by the leaders of the Blood Sect played a major role in spreading this negative perception.

 

In the past, when a famous elder wrote a talisman and gave it to someone, they would cherish it, believing that it would protect them from ghosts. But now, it seems that anything can be used as an excuse to accuse someone of sorcery.

 

Therefore, truly virtuous and noble Taoists tend to hide in the mountains and cultivate their own Dao, while evil sorcerers sneak into the chicken coops of the townspeople and steal their blood, only to be beaten up.

 

Even though he was a member of the renowned Nangong family in the Central Plains, Nangong Se was the first to see a Taoist who could summon dark clouds with a wave of his hand and cure diseases with a tree branch, without having to resort to fire .

 

Even more so if the Taoist was a colored man from the distant Western Regions.

 

The Nangong family members each had their own thoughts as they looked at Envers, who was sitting on the rock. Nangong Pei, the leader of the escort who had the highest rank in the group, was wary of the boy Taoist.

 

Despite traveling along a safe route, they had been attacked by the remnants of the Demonic Sect. He was on high alert.

 

Moreover, the key figure in this journey was Nangong Ming, the third son of Nangong Chaigong, the head of the Nangong family. Not only was Nangong Ming a direct descendant of the Nangong family, but he was also a child whom the head of the family particularly favored

 

Despite his young age, he was dignified and intelligent, and even the collateral members of the family treated him with the utmost respect, so he was worth protecting with their lives.

 

Therefore, although Envers had saved the Nangong family from the attack of the Demonic Sect, they could not help but look at him with suspicion until they could figure out his true intentions.

 

Could it be that he had deceived them with a self-created play and infiltrated the Nangong family with false gratitude?

 

“…What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face?”

 

“Ahem…No.”

 

However, from Envers’ point of view, he could only think, ‘Why is that guy staring at me like that?’

 

On the other hand, Nangong Ming, the young boy of the Nangong family, was suppressing his curiosity, which was appropriate for his age, with a maturity that was not appropriate for his age.

 

‘Wow! How did you do that? I’ve heard that the realm where fire comes out of your hands is called the Samadhi Fire Realm. Have you reached that realm, Taoist Master? If you can summon dark clouds, can you also fly through the sky on a somersault cloud?’

 

He knew that such a barrage of questions could be embarrassing to each other and could also damage the dignity of the Nangong family. So he kept his mouth shut.

 

Instead, he just stared at Envers with wide-eyed curiosity, hoping to read something from him.

 

Unable to bear the subtle silence, Envers spoke first.

 

“…Um, may I introduce myself?”

 

“Wow! Ah, no…Of course, it’s okay, great hero! We’re late with our greetings too.”

 

“Excuse me. We are the descendants of the Nangong family, and my name is Nangong Pei. And this young master is…”

 

“My name is Nangong Ming, great hero.”

 

Nangong Ming bowed with his hands clasped together. Envers also responded with a bow.

 

His movements were not awkward. This was because he had learned the basic martial arts etiquette from the beggar and had practiced it dozens of times in front of a mirror.

 

“My name is Envers Redburn.”

 

“…”

 

And the Nangong family warriors, who were caught off guard by the English pronunciation that rolled off his tongue, began to murmur as if they had been stabbed.

 

“Oh, Onbosu?”

 

“It sounded like Anbosun to me.”

 

“Wasn’t it closer to Wenbansu?”

 

“The language of the Western Regions is very difficult…”The Namgung family’s warriors whispered among themselves. They said that they could just call him “Master” and not bother with his name, that there was no need to memorize the barbarian’s name , and that if lightning struck his head, it would be none of their business.

 

Meanwhile, boy Namgungmyung asked the Western master this:

 

“Your name is a gift from heaven, so wouldn’t it be disrespectful to mispronounce it? So if it’s not disrespectful… would it be okay if I gave you a nickname?”

 

“If it’s difficult to call me by my name, then you may give me one.”

 

“Then, since your eyes shine as blue as the autumn sky, how about I call you Cheonghwi (Azure Radiance)? What do you think?”

 

“I like it. You may call me Cheonghwi.”

 

“Yes! Master Cheonghwi.”

 

Namgungmyung smiled, pleased that his idea had been accepted. How could he not be happy that such an outstanding master would use the name he had given him?

 

Thanks to that, Envers had acquired a name to use in the martial arts world.

 

—- —-

 

It was easy to tell people apart.

 

In a fantasy world where hair colors were all sorts of bright colors, it was easy to keep track of people by simply remembering their hair and eye colors. Envers also used this method of differentiation.

 

The purple-haired one was Luna, the red-haired one was Selvia, the gray-haired one was Bennett…

 

However, this was the cold and unforgiving Central Plains. This was a place where everyone had jet-black hair unless they had mastered some mystical martial art. Everyone was black-haired, and Envers was starting to get a little confused.

 

So he would have to use a different method of differentiation.

 

The smallest boy was Namgungmyung. He was the third and youngest son of the Namgung family head. He had a lively and cheerful personality, but he suppressed it with a sense of propriety. He was a smart boy.

 

The one who seemed to have the highest level of martial arts was Namgungpae. He had heard that he was a collateral relative. A collateral relative meant that he was descended from a concubine. He was generally well-built.

 

The other two warriors were named Namgungho and Namgungseop, but he only remembered that the taller one was called Ho.

 

He decided not to correct their misconception that he was some kind of magician. A beggar had told him that one should hide 30% of one’s strength in the martial arts world, so wouldn’t it be better to pretend to be a support role?

 

Besides, from what he could tell, magicians were rare in this place. At least Namgungmyung seemed to be very curious about magicians. So, Envers decided to act like a master.

 

He didn’t know if he could do it properly, but…

 

Fortunately, Namgungmyung was quick-witted and knew that asking a master for his secrets was as rude as asking a herbivore for meat.

 

So he didn’t ask any embarrassing questions like how to read the weather or how to summon rain clouds.

 

Instead, he asked about things he was curious about little by little.

 

“Master Cheonghwi, why did you come to the Central Plains?”

 

“Well… I came here to do a favor for an acquaintance. Also, I’m personally interested in martial arts, so, um. That’s how I ended up here.”

 

“Do you practice martial arts too, Master? I’ve heard that scholars who hold brushes dislike moving their bodies, so I thought that you would be the same. I guess I’m still young and inexperienced!”

 

“Hmm.”

 

He had once asked Selvia to practice martial arts with him. She had asked him in return if he wanted to study trigonometry with her, and he had quietly down.

 

Also, when he thought about the magicians he had met in his classes, they all seemed to be far removed from exercise. They preferred to study while sitting down rather than using their bodies.

 

“You’re right. The masters where I live… most of them like to study while sitting down.”

 

“You’re different, Master Cheonghwi! That’s a good thing. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body, so I’m sure it will help you in your cultivation of Taoism!”

 

“Magicians do tend to have rather strange personalities…”

 

Really, is that so!

 

Envers seemed to have found the answer to the question of why magicians had such strange personalities from his conversation with Namgungmyung. Even Selvia, who was so kind-hearted that she would pack scrolls for her friends who were going on trips, sometimes showed a bit of a selfish side.

 

The crazy wizard who taught illusion magic and the professor of elemental magic, Alejandro, both seemed to have something wrong with them, even at a glance.

 

Was it because they didn’t have healthy bodies…?Envers thought to himself. Even if he hated Selvier, wouldn’t it be a friend’s duty to help him with his training a little? And hadn’t he just received a scroll and a magic tool?

 

He had been taught to repay favors.

 

[Why didn’t you come out today, member? : Go out and train Selvier’s muscles to repay the favor with a grudge]

 

Namgungmyeong, who had been sharing the sake, brought up the main topic as he threw a new branch into the campfire. Namgungmyeong thought it was a coincidence, and it seemed like things would go well if he took the Taoist priest with him.

 

“I promised to give you a gift in the name of Namgung, and also, my father, the head of the family, will have a birthday party after Ahre. If possible, I would like to invite Taoist Priest Cheonghwi to our family⋯⋯ .”

 

“Myeong-ah, didn’t the Taoist priest say he had a purpose? It would be better to pay for the favor with the treasures we brought and make an appointment for the next time.”

 

However, the perspectives of children and adults are different, so Namgungpae said in a roundabout way that he should not think about bringing an outsider into the family and that he should just pay with money. No matter how he looked at it, this Cheonghwi guy was very suspicious.

 

It was strange that he had come to save the group at just the right time, but if he examined his body closely, his suspicions would increase.

 

He had the body of a martial artist.

 

Under his strange Western clothes, he could guess the shape of his sharp muscles. The way he stepped and stretched his hands was also far from that of a Taoist priest or a scholar.

 

The fact that he uses Taoism⋯⋯ is a fact that cannot be denied since I haunted it firsthand.

 

Isn’t it suspicious that a high-ranking sorcerer is learning martial arts as a hobby? If it’s an ambiguity that can’t be confirmed or disbelieved, it’s wise to disbelieve for safety.

 

So, Namgungpae tried to get rid of Cheonghwi. However.

 

Namgungmyeong was a clever boy, but he couldn’t understand the aristocranic language well enough to understand it. It was a skill that could only be accumulated over many years.

 

“Uncle, you know that there is a very scary rumor going around in the Anhui Province. The ghosts are kidnapping children, and the cries of the villagers are endless. Isn’t that why my brother called the Taoist priest?”

 

“…Myeong-ah.”

 

“However, it is said that there are many swindlers among the Taoist priests. I don’t doubt my brother’s judgment, but it’s always good to be well-prepared. We have seen Taoist Priest Cheonghwi’s skills with our own eyes. It would be beneficial in the long run to take a high-ranking Taoist priest who has been verified, and also because I promised to repay the debt of saving my life──.”

 

“Stop, stop! I understand, so I’ll figure it out myself, so let’s cut the chatter.”

 

The atmosphere became strange due to the somewhat tactless talk.

 

“…That, Taoist Priest Cheonghwi, it would be awkward for you to follow people you’ve never met before, wouldn’t it?”

 

“Oh, I’m fine. If you invite me, I’ll gladly follow you.”

 

“…If that’s the case. Namgungsega will welcome you as Myeong-i’s guest.”

 

In the end, Envers was accepted as a guest.

 

—- —-

 

The sound of horseshoes hitting the ground regularly as they moved forward. Inside the carriage, Namgungmyeong and Envers chatted incessantly, mostly with Myeong talking.

 

Namgungmyeong’s speech had a youthful exuberance that was typical of his age, but it was also straightforward and well-organized, so it was not unpleasant to listen to. Envers learned a lot about the Namgungsega.

 

The Namgungsega was a place where clansmen with the surname Namgung gathered to live, and they mainly practiced swordsmanship. It was said to be one of the best in the vast Jianghu.

 

There was a very interesting story about this. It was a record of the ancestors of the Namgung clan.

 

“The ancestor of the Namgung family is said to have split the heavens with a single sword!”

 

“Split the heavens…?”

 

“Yes! And it is said that in the deep secret chamber of the family, there is a sword mark left by the ancestor… Ah! I can see the building. That’s the Namgungsega!”

 

Thud. Thud.

 

As the cool breeze blew, smiles appeared on the faces of those who bore the Namgung surname. It was natural for the heart to flutter at the thought of returning home. Even more so if there had been an attack on the previous trip.

 

As for Namgungmyeong, the corners of his mouth were almost touching his ears.

 

“Taoist Priest Cheonghwi, I have one older brother. He’s a very cool and great person!”

 

“…You said you were the third, right?””Yes! The first is your older brother, and the second is your older sister. Speaking of your older brother, he earned the nickname ‘Sword Dragon’ in the Yongbongjihoe, and the world also calls him ‘Sword of Heartless Radiance’.”

 

“What a cool nickname.”

 

Envers laughed as he looked at Namgungmyeong. This boy seemed to care for his older brother greatly. As he looked at his sparkling eyes, he was reminded of his past self.

 

The young Envers who had followed Roterus so devotedly.

 

A corner of his heart ached, yet it was also hazy. Whenever he recalled the past, he was still left with nothing but questions. Older brother, why did you do that?

 

The palace-like estate gradually drew nearer. At the main gate of the Namgung family’s estate, a tall young man stood proudly, his hero’s robe fluttering in the wind, along with a group of people wearing blue uniforms.

 

His skin was like white jade, his jawline sharp, his physique strong, and his face beautiful. He was a handsome young master who could steal the hearts of many women.

 

He looked at his younger brother, Namgungmyeong, and his eyes widened in surprise and joy.

 

“Myeong-ah, you’ve returned.”

 

“Big brother!”

 

The first meeting with Namgung So (Namgu Akira), the Sword of Heartless Radiance.

 

“…”

 

Envers Redburn trembled with an inexplicable sense of foreboding.