The surroundings were silent. The once noisy street was now filled only with the sound of shallow breaths.

How did it come to this?

It had all started with the sudden appearance of Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon, followed by their unexpected duel. In a city like Hanam, home to martial sects like the Alliance and Shaolin, the people were no strangers to martial artists. The duel between these two young masters from the Meteor Generation naturally attracted immense attention.

These were not just any martial artists. Both Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon were widely regarded as future leaders of their respective sects—Wudang and Mount Hua. Furthermore, many believed that when the current Sword King of the Namgung family eventually stepped down, the battle for the title would come down to these two.

For the onlookers, this was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, watching two rising stars clash on the streets.

However…

“…W-what…what just happened?” "Is this for real?"

The crowd, which had been cheering moments ago, was now struck dumb with disbelief.

“Did they… did Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon just… collapse?”

The duel, which had been progressing so fiercely, had come to an abrupt end as both Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon fell unconscious simultaneously.

And the problem was...

“What…what exactly happened?”

Most people didn’t even understand how the fight had ended. There had been a momentary lull in the action as both fighters seemed to be preparing for something monumental. But then, without warning, a gust of wind swept through the street, and the two martial artists had suddenly collapsed to the ground.

The crowd was left in a state of confusion, except for one undeniable fact: there was someone standing at the center of the fallen warriors.

A man.

From what they could tell, he was responsible for what had just transpired.

“But…is that possible?” “Is that man also a martial artist?” “Who is he? I’ve never seen him before.”

The crowd was unfamiliar with the young man’s identity. He had a fierce look in his eyes, a rather rough and scrunched-up expression on his face that made people hesitant to approach.

As the crowd murmured in bewilderment, someone among them suddenly shouted, "Wait! I’ve seen that face before!"

A face like his wasn’t easily forgotten, especially considering what he had done when he first made his presence known in the martial world.

"That's True Dragon! That young man is True Dragon!"

“True Dragon? You mean, that True Dragon?”

True Dragon, Gu Yangcheon—the last to be added to the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes, a newly emerging talent who had dominated Hidden Dragon and Sacred Star at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, becoming a sensation overnight.

That young man was Gu Yangcheon.

However…

“No matter how skilled True Dragon is…” “Is this some kind of coincidence?”

While True Dragon was undeniably a rising star and part of the Meteor Generation, the idea that he could take down both Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon in such a manner was difficult for most people to believe.

Despite seeing it with their own eyes, many were still struggling to accept it.

Watching from the sidelines, Gu Jeolyeob and Muyeon, who had accompanied Gu Yangcheon on his journey, exchanged glances.

“What is he thinking?” “…It seems like the young master still acts first and thinks later.”

For all his scolding about being more cautious, here he was, jumping headfirst into another situation.

Even though they were critical, Gu Jeolyeob couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

He had just witnessed Gu Yangcheon easily subdue both Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon.

‘I barely caught that.’

The movement had been so fast that if not for the countless times Gu Yangcheon had personally beaten him, Gu Jeolyeob might not have seen it at all.

‘How strong is he, really?’

Gu Jeolyeob had never seen Gu Yangcheon fight with his full strength, so he had no way of knowing the extent of his power. All he knew was that Gu Yangcheon was stronger than Muyeon, a Peak Martial Artist, which meant that Gu Yangcheon himself had likely reached the Peak at an age that defied belief.

At that age, reaching the Peak? How could such a thing be possible?

“…If only he didn’t have that personality of his, he’d probably get killed in some back alley with that temper.” -I heard that. See you later. “...”

Hearing the irritated voice through Transmission, Gu Jeolyeob grimaced.

That insufferable True Dragon had sharp ears too.

“…Damn it. I’m definitely running away later.”

But Gu Jeolyeob wasn’t the only one in shock.

The crowd wasn’t the most shocked, nor was Gu Jeolyeob.

The one most taken aback was none other than Woo Ihyeok, the junior disciple of Hidden Dragon Woo Hyuk, who had been standing nearby.

“W-wait…what…?”

Woo Ihyeok stood dumbfounded, staring at the unconscious form of his senior brother, Woo Hyuk.

This couldn’t be happening.

His senior brother wasn’t someone who would just collapse like this. Even when he sparred against the elders of the Wudang sect, he didn’t go down so easily.

Lazy and indifferent as he was, Hidden Dragon Woo Hyuk possessed an overwhelming talent that could even cover for his lackadaisical nature.

But now…

"W-wait, what…?"

Woo Ihyeok felt like he was in a dream. The reality before his eyes didn’t make sense.

At that moment, Gu Yangcheon’s voice interrupted his confusion.

"What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to take him?"

Gu Yangcheon spoke with a tone that carried the same level of annoyance that Woo Hyuk had worn on his face earlier.

Then, Gu Yangcheon grabbed the unconscious Woo Hyuk by the collar and flung him toward Woo Ihyeok.

“Ahh!”

Woo Ihyeok barely caught his senior, who had been thrown at him like a rag doll, and stumbled backward.

Having dealt with that, Gu Yangcheon spat on the ground in irritation.

“Damn bastards. Starting a duel in the middle of a crowded street. What the hell?”

Sigh.

He let out a deep sigh, clearly frustrated.

“They could have just exchanged a few light blows…”

Click.

Gu Yangcheon clicked his tongue, holding back further complaints. He hadn’t expected them to escalate things so quickly, drawing out their internal energy like madmen. If he hadn’t intervened, the whole street could have been destroyed.

‘Idiots.’

Typical hot-blooded martial artists, always letting their pride get the better of them. If the fight had continued, neither of them would have backed down until it was too late.

Gu Yangcheon cast an annoyed glance to the side, muttering to himself.

“If you’re going to do something, at least do it properly.”

Woo Ihyeok followed Gu Yangcheon’s gaze, wondering who he was talking to, but there was no one there.

"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and take him," Gu Yangcheon snapped.

“Yes…!”

“And what am I supposed to do with this one?”

Gu Yangcheon nudged the unconscious Sword Dragon, Yeongpung, with his foot. To him, Yeongpung was nothing more than a second burden.

It was a little nostalgic seeing an old acquaintance again, but in this state, whatever fondness he had quickly evaporated.

He could at least hand Woo Hyuk off to Woo Ihyeok, but for some reason, there were no Mount Hua disciples in sight to take care of Yeongpung.

What was he supposed to do with him?

‘Maybe I should just leave him here.’

After all, who in their right mind would mess with a Mount Hua disciple?

Nodding to himself, Gu Yangcheon decided to just leave Yeongpung behind.

“Yeah, I’ll just leave him and head to the inn—”

"I will take care of him. Do not worry."

Gu Yangcheon froze mid-step as a gentle voice called out from behind him.

A fragrant floral scent filled the air.

It was far richer and more intoxicating than the faint plum blossom scent that had lingered around Yeongpung.

"Long time no see."

The woman who had spoken gave him a soft smile, and Gu Yangcheon couldn’t help but show a flicker of surprise.

“…What are you doing here?”

She was someone who didn’t belong in a place like this.

She should have been in the mountains, spending time with her own disciples.

In response to his question, the woman smiled warmly and replied, "I have some matters to attend to."

As her smile spread, the floral scent became even stronger, so much so that the men watching from afar visibly swayed, entranced by it.

She wore the same white robes as Yeongpung, adorned with a light pink plum blossom emblem on her chest.

She was the most beloved female warrior of the righteous sects.

The Plum Blossom Sword Queen, So Yi.

She stood before Gu Yangcheon.

 

   ******************
 

At the summit of a mountain in Hanam, inside a secluded building, the quiet rustle of paper echoed in a small sunlit room.

A steaming cup of tea, its warmth still lingering, sat on the table, while the cold winter breeze gently flowed into the room.

An elderly man, whose appearance bore the weight of time, repeatedly brushed his ink onto the letter before him. His blue armband bore white letters, boldly declaring his title: Gwanju (Master).

As the old man moved his brush steadily, his cloud-like, pale eyes drifted toward the man standing before him.

“You say the dragons fought on the streets?” the old man asked, his voice as steady as his movements.

The man standing before him, inwardly swallowing his nervousness, replied, “…Yes.”

“And what was the reason?”

“...It is said that Sword Dragon attacked Hidden Dragon first,” the man responded.

“Sword Dragon, you say…”

The Gwanju, known as the Clear Sea Sword, tilted his head slightly at the mention of that title.

“I don’t remember him being so easily provoked.”

Sword Dragon, the greatest talent of Mount Hua, and one of the few reasons that rascal Maehwasun could boast. The Clear Sea Sword had seen him before. He wasn’t the type to draw his sword in anger over a trivial matter.

After recalling this, the Clear Sea Sword nodded, saying, “Well… young men sometimes need to trade blows. But…”

The issue wasn’t about Hidden Dragon or Sword Dragon.

“The outcome of the duel didn’t come from either of them?”

“That’s correct.”

Ordinarily, one would expect the result of the duel to be determined by either Sword Dragon or Hidden Dragon. The Clear Sea Sword assumed that Hidden Dragon would be the victor, but surprisingly…

“It was a different martial artist who intervened?”

“Yes. They say it was True Dragon.”

“True Dragon…”

“The son of the heroic Gu Cheol-un from Sanseo, sir.”

“Hmm…”

Gu Cheol-un, the legendary hero, and his son, True Dragon.

“Yes, I’ve heard of him.”

The boy who had swept the martial arts tournament, taking the final seat among the winners. It was said that True Dragon was related to both Gu Cheol-un and the esteemed Sword Phoenix.

Considering how much of a headache this family had caused both the Alliance Leader and Cheon-an, the Clear Sea Sword couldn’t help but feel somewhat amused at the thought.

‘But to think he subdued both Sword Dragon and Hidden Dragon…’

Not only did he intervene in their duel, but he reportedly knocked them both out in an instant. For any regular Posthumous Disciple, such a feat would be nothing short of astonishing.

The Clear Sea Sword’s eyes glimmered as he asked the man before him, “Are you certain there’s no falsehood in what you’ve said?”

“…Yes, I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”

The man, Cho Wi-seok, clenched his fists behind his back, hidden from the Clear Sea Sword’s view.

“…I see.”

Cho Wi-seok, who had been reporting the incident, was holding back a secret.

He hadn’t seen anything.

Despite being a seasoned Peak Martial Artist, he had failed to catch True Dragon’s movements.

“Wi-seok.”

“Yes, Master… no, Gwanju.”

“If it were you, could you have done the same?”

At this question, Cho Wi-seok clenched his fist even tighter behind his back.

“…I’m not sure.”

Another lie.

He knew very well that he could not have done the same. The sheer level of power exhibited by both Hidden Dragon and Sword Dragon was far beyond what he had expected.

These so-called Posthumous Disciples were on a completely different level.

‘Then what is he…?’

What exactly was this True Dragon who had easily subdued such mighty warriors?

Cho Wi-seok bit his lip as he recalled the final moment of the event.

From his hiding spot on a rooftop, attempting to observe unnoticed, True Dragon had casually looked up, locking eyes with him as if it were nothing.

Then, True Dragon had spoken directly to him:

-If you’re going to spy, do it right.

He had been found out.

To have his stealth broken by a mere Posthumous Disciple…

No, True Dragon was already far beyond the level of a Posthumous Disciple.

Cho Wi-seok’s thoughts raced. If this True Dragon were to truly enter the Shinryonggwan (Dragon Academy), then it would be akin to unleashing a real dragon among a pit of vipers and lesser snakes.

“A son of a hero is not always a son of a dog, it seems,” the Clear Sea Sword murmured.

He had heard rumors that True Dragon had been different in the past. What had happened to bring about such a drastic change?

The Clear Sea Sword considered this and exhaled a shallow breath.

“In any case, if he’s as strong as you say, I’d like to meet him.”

If Cho Wi-seok’s report was accurate, then True Dragon was a monster who would shake the very foundation of the current era.

The Clear Sea Sword smiled with anticipation as he took a sip of his tea.

“Wi-seok.”

“Yes, Gwanju.”

“Now that we’ve dealt with that, there’s something else I need you to investigate.”

“…What would that be?”

Cho Wi-seok asked, puzzled, as the Clear Sea Sword whispered softly to him.

“They say the successor of the Sword Lord is coming to the academy.”

“…!”

“The successor is of Posthumous Disciple age, so find out more about them. They’ll likely arrive in a few days.”

“…Understood.”

Cho Wi-seok's face paled slightly as he left the room.

With the shocking news of the Sword Lord’s successor, the stories of Sword Dragon, Hidden Dragon, and even True Dragon faded from his mind.

Once alone, the Clear Sea Sword turned his gaze out the window and closed his eyes.

There were five days left until the entrance exam for the Shinryonggwan.

This generation of geniuses seemed to shine more brightly than ever before.

And now, they were all converging in one place at the same time.

It felt like a storm was brewing.

“I look forward to it,” the Clear Sea Sword whispered, smiling in anticipation.