“Hey, Chun-bong.”

“…What?”

Chun-bong’s face was pale. The sight of her small figure looking so weak was almost unbearable.

“I’ll get you some food. Just rest, okay?”

“…Okay.”

Chun-bong staggered back into the house.

Seo-jun strapped his sword to his waist and stepped outside. Using the “Yellow Dragon Crossing the Dusk” technique, one of the secret arts of the Divine Sword Geum Family, he stealthily made his way to the crowded street.

“Medicinal herbs, huh…”

He pondered ways to obtain them while buying dumplings at the market. Naturally, he chose meat dumplings. At her growing age, Chun-bong needed to eat well.

“I should probably start looking for some money too.”

Whenever he encountered members of the Black Tiger Sect in deserted places, it was always a lucky break. Most of them were penniless, but the ones with some status often had decently full pockets.

Just then, he noticed someone lurking suspiciously in an alley—a person who, by all appearances, was from the Black Tiger Sect.

“Hmm…”

The man looked highly suspicious. Upon closer inspection, Seo-jun noticed others pretending to be passersby but looking equally out of place.

“Not my problem, I guess.”

He continued walking, eventually locking eyes with one of the Black Tiger Sect members in a secluded spot.

“Hey, old man. Got any money?”

“You fool. Today’s your funeral, demon!”

The ones pretending to be passersby closed in, surrounding Seo-jun. He chuckled.

“This is why I shouldn’t let people go.”

Chun-bong had warned him repeatedly that blood had a way of corrupting, that becoming addicted to killing would be disastrous. He had let these guys off with just a beating before, and now here they were again.

“But have we met before? You don’t look familiar.”

“Attack!”

In the narrow alley, the men charged at him with swords drawn.

“You guys never learn, do you?”

If they come at you like this, you just have to deal with two in front and two behind. Four is manageable.

Seo-jun lunged forward. The two men in front swung their swords wildly in panic.

Clang!

Sparks flew as his sword met theirs. Seo-jun grinned at the men, his eyes locking with theirs.

“Hello there.”

His left hand curled, and with a flick of his index and middle fingers, he released a quick burst of energy.

Thwip! Thwip!

The two men collapsed, each with a hole in the center of their forehead. Seo-jun grabbed one by the collar and threw him backward.

“Wha—!”

The remaining Black Tiger Sect members froze in fear as the body collided with them. Seo-jun used the moment of chaos to grab another corpse and charged forward, using it as a shield.

Thud!

True to their reputation as ruthless bandits, the men didn’t hesitate to stab through the body of their fallen comrade. The leader twisted his blade, grinning.

“Die!”

In the cramped alley, there was no room to dodge. The man was convinced he had skewered Seo-jun. He kicked the corpse aside to retrieve his sword, only to find nothing there. Laughter echoed from beneath his legs.

Swoosh—

“Aaagh…!”

“My leg!”

Seo-jun had slipped through their legs and with a wide sweep of his sword, severed the legs of the men around him. Springing to his feet, he swiftly ended their lives with a smile.

“Looks like I’ll be well off for a while.”

The alley was drenched in blood.

“Ugh…”

Standing alone, Seo-jun patted his aching back. He had moved a bit too aggressively.

“There were a lot of them.”

He grumbled as he looted their pockets, adding to his wealth. However, his spoils were meager, as if they had been as poor as he feared. Disappointed, Seo-jun tossed the blood-soaked dumplings to the ground.

“Waste of time.”

Covered in blood, he stepped back into the street, where people quickly made way for him. The dumpling vendor trembled as Seo-jun silently bought more dumplings before discreetly returning home.

“Hey, Chun-bong. Your brother’s back.”

“You’re back… Hey, you idiot! What the hell have you been up to now?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Ugh…!”

Chun-bong smacked her forehead and hurriedly fetched a cloth soaked in water with her short legs.

“Clean up before the blood dries!”

After roughly washing off the dried brown blood and changing his clothes, Chun-bong sat down with a serious expression and pointed to the spot in front of her.

“Sit down.”

“Why?”

“Just sit down!”

Seo-jun sat. Chun-bong was about to speak in a stern tone but instead shoved a dumpling into his mouth.

“Mmff…!”

“Let’s eat first, then talk.”

Chun-bong started chewing her dumpling earnestly, showing no intention of spitting it out.

“Wow, you’re eating well. I hope you keep growing up healthy like this.”

Chun-bong glared at him after swallowing the dumpling.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop causing trouble?”

“Hmph.”

Chun-bong let out a deep sigh and began to speak.

“It’s time to leave.”

“Leave here? Why all of a sudden?”

“Do you really not get it, even after what happened today? If this keeps up, you’re just going to end up getting stabbed to death.”

Seo-jun grinned and tapped the sword at his waist.

“Hey, I could just take over this place, you know.”

“No way. How many more do you plan to kill?”

“Kill? I think it’s fine to count those Black Tiger guys by the head, not by number.”

Then it wouldn’t be murder but slaughter. No one seriously worries about someone’s mental health for slaughtering animals. So, there shouldn’t be a problem even if he kills a lot of them.

Seo-jun, having completed his twisted logic, puffed out his chest.

“Pretty smart, huh?”

“You idiot.”

Chun-bong sighed deeply. Seeing his playful demeanor, Seo-jun’s expression suddenly became serious.

“And if those Black Tiger guys have any medicinal herbs, I’ll be sure to get them.”

“You…”

“I doubt it, but you never know, right?”

Chun-bong closed her eyes tightly. Before she could say anything more, Seo-jun got up from his seat.

As he began walking toward the door, a small voice called from behind him.

“…You fool.”

Seo-jun laughed.

“Fool, huh? It’s funny to hear you say something like that, Chun-bong, when you usually call me things much worse.”

“Don’t worry about it. Who do you think I am?”

Lee Seo-jun, a martial arts master. There’s no way he’d be defeated by some random Black Tiger thugs.

Once again, his sword relentlessly cut through the air.

Chun-bong had always said that Seo-jun had a natural talent for controlling qi.

Even if he kept swinging his sword endlessly, he wouldn’t have much trouble dealing with the Black Tiger Sect members. However, if their numbers grew, things could get complicated.

Thwip—

Seo-jun idly shot a qi blast into the ground, scratching his chin.

“They say reaching the level of infusing qi into your sword is what makes a first-rate fighter…”

Taking it a step further would allow the qi to manifest outside the sword as a sword aura.

Seo-jun was currently somewhere between a second-rate and first-rate fighter. Considering he had only been training for a year, his progress was ridiculously fast.

Yet, Seo-jun still felt unsatisfied. He felt like there was more he could do with his qi, as if he was missing something right in front of him.

“Didn’t I tell you not to rush? You’re already more than fast enough—no, you’re ridiculously fast.”

Seo-jun continued to launch qi blasts into the ground, seemingly ignoring Chun-bong. Watching him, Chun-bong clicked her tongue.

Honestly, if Seo-jun had focused on advancing his skills, he would’ve become first-rate by now. However, Chun-bong had spent the past year drilling the basics into him.

It was necessary. While it might be acceptable for rogue martial artists, anyone aiming for the pinnacle of martial arts must have a solid foundation.

Especially when dealing with high-level martial arts like the ones Seo-jun was learning. Misstep in training, and it could lead to madness or even death from bursting blood vessels.

The Divine Cloud Qi Technique, along with its counterparts—the Divine Cloud Sword Technique and Yellow Dragon Crossing the Dusk—were all considered divine-level martial arts.

Divine Cloud Qi Technique was a mind technique, Divine Cloud Sword Technique was a sword and footwork technique, and Yellow Dragon Crossing the Dusk was a movement and light-foot technique.

These were luxurious martial arts. With Seo-jun’s talent, he had the potential to achieve greatness, enough to be counted among the hundred most renowned martial artists.

“So why are you in such a hurry?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t be asking…, cough cough…!”

The coughing fit that seized her didn’t seem like it would stop. Day by day, she could feel the cold yin energy slowly creeping into her limbs.

“At this rate…, I have maybe half a year left.”

Chun-bong bit her lip and glared at Seo-jun. She knew she didn’t have much time left. Medicinal herbs were rare and precious for a reason; most people would never even see them in their lifetime.

But if Seo-jun could at least grow properly, she hoped he would carry on the legacy of the Divine Sword Geum Family.

“Hey, this isn’t working.”

So, please, stop doing reckless things like this.

“I’m going out for a bit. Don’t wait up, just go to sleep.”

“Lee Seo-jun. Stop right there.”

Seo-jun halted. His back, which seemed larger than usual today, felt solid and resolute. She had a sudden sense that breaking his stubbornness would be difficult. But even so, she couldn’t let him go.

“It’s only been a year. What the hell are you doing for a kid you’ve only known for a year?”

“……”

“Just focus on your training. In ten years, you’ll be strong enough to stand tall in the martial world. Then you can spread the name of the Divine Sword Geum Family far and wide. That’s all I want.”

Their eyes met. It was always hard to tell what Seo-jun was thinking, but today, it was impossible to read him.

Chun-bong continued, trying to stay as calm as possible.

“Don’t trust people too easily. We don’t know who wiped out the Divine Sword Geum Family. It could’ve been anyone, even the so-called righteous sects. They’re all corrupt, after all.”

“……”

“Then again, I suppose it doesn’t matter to you. You’re the kind of guy who’d beat up any woman who tried to get close to you.”

Seo-jun finally spoke after hearing her sarcastic comment. Chun-bong stared intently at his lips as they moved.

“Hey.”

“…What?”

“Hee-ya.”

“What? Why are you suddenly…”

Chun-bong blinked in surprise. Seo-jun smiled.

“Hee-ya. Geum Hee, you foolish little sister. Don’t you think you’re underestimating your brother? I’m not heading off to my death or anything.”

He gently patted the sword at his waist. The thin crescent moon was momentarily obscured by clouds, plunging the area into darkness. Only his voice could be heard in the shadows.

“Just wait patiently. I’ll bring back the medicine, okay?”

As the clouds drifted away from the moon, Seo-jun was nowhere to be seen.

“…...my brother is fucking..”

 

 

Geum Hee quietly lowered her head.