Ku-woong—!

A violent tremor shook the sky.

Crack—!

The inner energy that had been spread across the area to protect the disciples was being engulfed by something, its color fading.

A deep black.

An ominous, pitch-black color was swallowing the protective aura that had been spread around to shield the gwandosaeng (disciples).

Something was devouring it.

"Aaaaaah!"
"S-save me!"

Screams erupted from all directions.

I could sense something had gone terribly wrong.
While the danger of the training exercise was expected—

This—

This wasn’t the scream of someone facing a beast.

Whoosh—!

The energy swirled violently.
It wasn’t uncommon for the aura of martial artists to mix with the air, but this—
This was tainted with something vile.

The malevolence, characteristic of dark practitioners, was saturating the air and spreading in all directions.

The scent of blood drifted through the trees, and beneath the darkened sky, no light penetrated.

From that place—

Ssshing—!

A flash of light streaked through the air.
The sword, laced with killing intent, flew straight toward a trembling disciple, too shocked to grasp the situation.

Only when the blade was inches from his face did the disciple flinch, but it was far too late.

The sword, infused with dark energy, aimed directly for the disciple's neck.

Slash!

In an instant, blood sprayed, staining the trunk of a nearby tree.
Just as it seemed the disciple had lost his life—

"Hieek!"

To his astonishment, it wasn’t the disciple who died, but the unknown martial artist who had launched the ambush.

The disciple gasped in shock as the person in front of him was cut down, struggling to suppress his terrified breathing.

Drip...

Someone nearby shook blood off the tip of their sword, surveying the surroundings.
They were checking to see if any enemies remained.

After a moment, the woman, who had been scanning the area, turned her gaze to the disciple, who had collapsed in terror, and asked,

"Are you all right?"

"Y-yes... yes... I-I’m fine..."

The disciple’s eyes fell on the woman’s hair.
Her light brown hair, tinged with a hint of gold, was speckled with blood.

Even her pale, white cheeks were streaked with small rivulets of blood.

Despite the horrifying situation, there was something oddly captivating about her appearance—so much so that even amidst the terror, the disciple found himself staring.

"If you head left, you’ll find an instructor," she said, pointing with her finger, as if urging him to flee.

Snapping out of his daze, the disciple scrambled to his feet and hesitated before asking,

"A-aren’t you coming with me?"

It wasn’t a question born out of fear.
Sure, he had been scared, narrowly escaping death, but that wasn’t why he asked.

At least, that’s what he wanted to believe.

The woman, still expressionless, glanced around again without responding.

"What’s happening? What’s going on?"
"Who knows," she replied curtly, shaking the blood off her sword with a sigh.

The smell of blood was becoming stronger.

She briefly looked down at the man she had killed.

She had struck a vital point, so he likely hadn’t felt much pain.
Even as she moved, she had already killed another, but—

It didn’t stir anything inside her.

This was the first time she had taken a life with her sword.

She had killed a person with her own hands.
And even though she was standing there, looking at the evidence—

She felt nothing.

"...I don’t like this," she muttered to herself.

She hated this feeling.
Something was wrong with her.

"Pardon?"
"It’s nothing. Move carefully. You don’t want to go through something like that again."

Without further words, the woman turned her back on him.
The disciple, panicked, reached out to grab her shoulder, but—

"...Hup."

Before his hand could touch her, she slightly turned her head, her piercing gaze making him flinch and step back in fear.

"I... I just thought you should come with me. It’s dangerous, after all. You should go in the direction you mentioned," the disciple stammered.

He knew who she was.

Anyone training at Sinryong Hall would.

How could anyone not know her?

She was one of the most famous figures in the hall.

One of the Three Sovereigns.
The disciple of Swordmaster Wi Hyo-gun, the Heavenly Sword—considered the greatest swordsman in the world.

Her abilities were extraordinary, and it was only a matter of time before she gained more fame.

The coldness in her voice made the disciple hesitate, and he backed away slightly.

"I don’t need to," she finally said.

Wi Seol-ah turned her head, her voice calm.

"I’m looking for someone."

With that, she lightly leapt into the air.
Not high—just enough to survey the area around her.

'He’s gone.'

Frowning, Wi Seol-ah scanned the surroundings from above.
The presence of Gu Yangcheon, whom she had been following, had vanished.

'...What happened?'

It had only been a fleeting moment.
She had spread her senses, trying to keep track of Jang Sun-yeon’s movements from afar in case something happened.

But just as she had found him, his presence had disappeared without a trace.

And right after that—
The aura around the area had changed, sending a shiver down her spine.

Even just sensing it was enough to make her skin crawl.
If only it were just the aura...

'An ambush?'

Unknown assailants had mingled with the disciples and begun a massacre.
The smell of blood confirmed that.

Wi Seol-ah’s eyes darted around, assessing the situation.

The air was thick with the scent of blood.

What was the reason for this attack?

What was their goal?

There were so many questions running through her mind, but—

'...Where did he go?'

Wi Seol-ah couldn’t focus on any of that.
None of it mattered as much as—

Gu Yangcheon’s safety.

'I should’ve followed him from the start.'

She regretted it deeply.
Even though she had seen where he was headed, she had hesitated.

She clenched her teeth in frustration, mentally directing her thoughts toward someone.

'...Did you know this would happen?'

She asked silently, but there was no response.

'Sister.'

She called out again, but still, there was no reply.

The reason she hadn’t been by Gu Yangcheon’s side during the training session was because her inner self—her sister—had stopped her.

She had told her to stay away, claiming it was for his sake.

Wi Seol-ah had questioned why, but the only answer she received was that it was for him.

And so, despite knowing that Jang Sun-yeon was getting closer, she had held herself back, simply sensing his presence from a distance.

Now, things had spiraled out of control.

'For his sake?'

How was this for his sake?
If something happened to Gu Yangcheon—

Grit.

Wi Seol-ah gripped her sword tightly.
Her gentle eyes now filled with a fierce fire, her gaze becoming sharp and deadly.

Why had she learned the sword in the first place?

If she lost him, none of it would matter.

'I have to find him.'

With that thought, Wi Seol-ah flew toward the last place she had sensed him.
It wasn’t far.

She landed lightly and immediately picked up speed, racing forward.

Screams echoed around her, but Wi Seol-ah didn’t stop or change direction.

'Where is he?'

Her feet moved swiftly, her instincts guiding her.
His presence was unusually strong.

No matter how well he hid it, Wi Seol-ah could sense him.

He had to be at the highest point.

Wi Seol-ah glanced up toward the mountain and prepared to leap again, wrapping her feet in inner energy—

Boom.

"...!"

Suddenly, Wi Seol-ah stumbled, clutching a nearby tree for support.

Pain shot through her body, and she bit her lip, pulling something from her robes.

It was the medicine pouch that the Divine Doctor had given her.

In a panic, Wi Seol-ah opened the pouch and quickly swallowed one of the pills inside.

Gulp.

'Damn it, not now!'

She gritted her teeth.

She could feel the pill traveling down her throat, but—

It wouldn’t take effect immediately, and she was in a dangerous situation.

She tried to gather her energy, but her body trembled violently, resisting her efforts.

"Hah... Huff."

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Wi Seol-ah forced herself to keep moving.

Finding him was more important than the pain wracking her body.

The real problem was—

'It’s dangerous.'

For the next few minutes, Wi Seol-ah would be unable to use her full strength.
And the area around her was growing more and more dangerous.

Her senses weren’t working as they used to.
Unlike before, when she could hide her presence,
Now that her vessel was sealed, she could no longer do so.

'...Hot...'

Her body burned with heat.

The medicine was slowly taking effect, but she had been caught in a critical moment.

Then—

Rustle.

A sound came from behind her in the bushes.
Wi Seol-ah raised her eyes, gripping her sword tightly.

Was it another enemy?

These unknown attackers—
They hadn’t been weak, not in the slightest.

They were formidable martial artists.

Wi Seol-ah directed her sword toward the source of the sound, her drugged eyes struggling to focus as she fought to stay alert.

She just had to hold on for a few more minutes.

If she could just hold on...

"I was curious where you were rushing off to, so I didn’t plan on showing myself..."

"...Ah."

At the sound of the voice, Wi Seol-ah’s eyes widened slightly, her blurred vision beginning to clear.

It was a familiar voice and a familiar tone.

"But seeing the state you’re in, I thought it was best to step in."

The man who stepped through the brush, parting the foliage, was dressed in black martial robes.
His expression was calm, and his loosely tied hair gave him a nonchalant appearance.

"Are you all right?"

It was none other than Bi Eojin, one of the Six Dragons—specifically, Twin Dragon Bi Eojin.

 
   ******************
   
   

As the situation rapidly escalated:

"Aaaaah...!"

Cheol Ji-seon was continuously screaming. And for good reason—he was a grown man being dragged around by the collar as if he were flying through the air.

The fact that it was happening to him made it even worse.

It was as if someone were carrying a suitcase, running without a care in the world.

How could this be possible?

Even with the difference in their martial abilities, this was just absurd.

The person who was gripping Cheol Ji-seon's collar and sprinting without a second thought was none other than the Sword Dance Mistress, Namgung Bi-ah.

Despite her fragile appearance, she was hauling Cheol Ji-seon around as if he were a mere toy.

"P-please... save me."

In this ridiculous situation, Cheol Ji-seon could only scream silently to himself.

"M-milady...! Could you slow down a little?!"

Cheol Ji-seon pleaded desperately, but Namgung Bi-ah didn’t so much as flinch.

It would’ve been better if she had just left him behind.

-Where did he go?

Out of nowhere, Namgung Bi-ah had appeared and asked about the whereabouts of Gu Yangcheon. Without even waiting for Cheol Ji-seon’s reply, she simply glanced in a direction, grabbed him by the collar, and started running.

She seemed to be in a hurry.

"Aaaaaah!"

The speed at which she was running was unbelievable, especially considering she was carrying a grown man.

Even if Cheol Ji-seon hadn’t yet seen monsters like Gu Yangcheon or the dormant dragons, it was becoming clear that Namgung Bi-ah was an extraordinary figure herself.

‘I-I haven’t even told her about Jinryong yet...’

Though he hadn’t directly stated who she was looking for, Cheol Ji-seon knew that Namgung Bi-ah was searching for Jinryong.

The way her eyes occasionally flickered when she was around Jinryong didn’t escape Cheol Ji-seon’s notice, setting her apart from everyone else.

And even if that weren’t the case, the fact that the two of them were engaged was already widely known within Sinryong Hall.

How on earth could someone as terrifying as Jinryong be engaged to Namgung Bi-ah?

It wasn’t some kind of forced engagement arranged between families either. Observing how Namgung Bi-ah acted so differently around Jinryong had caused many of the students to sigh in frustration.

In fact, a significant part of why Jinryong was so despised might be due to Namgung Bi-ah’s involvement.

It wasn’t just that she was renowned as the most beautiful woman in Anhui Province.

Whispers even circulated, calling her the most beautiful in the entire world.

It was often said by those who, despite not caring about public opinion, would pause their sword practice just to admire her.

Cheol Ji-seon had to admit it too.

While the women around Jinryong were all stunning, Namgung Bi-ah and the Sword Master's disciple stood out the most.

But the real issue wasn’t their appearance.

"M-milady..."

As the wind continued to lash against his face, making him worry his skin might peel off, Cheol Ji-seon’s pitiful plea must have finally reached Namgung Bi-ah’s ears, because she suddenly let go of his collar.

"Wait...!"

It was good that she let go, but—

She had let him go while still running at full speed.

Cheol Ji-seon, now unbalanced, was sent tumbling across the ground.

"Aaargh!"

He rolled several times before finally coming to a stop against a tree, barely managing to halt his body.

"Hah... hah... I'm alive."

Gasping for breath, his head spinning, Cheol Ji-seon managed to stand up.

He wondered if Namgung Bi-ah had accidentally let go of his collar. Otherwise, she had tossed him aside like a sack of rice.

‘...Well, I am kind of like baggage.’

The fear of nearly dying just moments ago and the confusion of being dragged around by Namgung Bi-ah clouded his mind. Glancing around, he started searching for her.

No matter what, she was the one who had saved him from the danger he was in.

And besides, Cheol Ji-seon knew where Jinryong was.

‘But if I tell her, won’t she kill me?’

That thought flashed through his mind.

When Namgung Bi-ah had drawn her sword and asked about Jinryong earlier, her face—while undeniably beautiful—had also been terrifying.

Despite that, Cheol Ji-seon knew he had to tell her.

He had been tricked by Jang Seon-yeon into causing all this trouble. And even though Jinryong had assured him it was okay and had instructed him to open the gate—

‘No matter how I think about it, this isn’t right.’

In the end, it was Cheol Ji-seon who had set things in motion.

Just as he began searching around for Namgung Bi-ah—

Bzzzt!

He suddenly felt the sharp presence of electrical energy nearby.

Cheol Ji-seon immediately recognized it as Namgung Bi-ah’s qi.

After all, he had already learned that she was capable of using lightning-based techniques.

But if she was releasing her energy, it meant the situation was dangerous.

Cheol Ji-seon hesitated. Maybe he should turn back and report to the instructors instead.

But after a brief pause, he forced his trembling legs to move and headed in the direction where he felt the lightning qi.

Even though only a short time had passed since he had fallen, the source of the energy was further away than he expected.

In that short span, Namgung Bi-ah had already moved that far.

Cheol Ji-seon mustered his internal energy and quickened his steps, drawing the sword hanging at his waist with shaking hands as he approached the scene.

"...!"

When he finally reached his destination, the sight before him made him gasp in shock.

"This is bad."

The moment he heard the heavy voice,

"Another nuisance appears."

Cheol Ji-seon staggered.

The oppressive qi behind the voice weighed on him.

In the distance, resting against a boulder, was the poison master from the Tang clan.

Beside him, a woman from the Paeng family was tending to her injuries.

And in front of them—

Namgung Bi-ah, radiating lightning energy, had drawn her sword and was standing against a mysterious man.

The man was dressed in dark silk robes, with neatly braided hair. His skin was pale, and his eyes gleamed with a violet hue.

The moment Cheol Ji-seon saw him, he knew—

This was not someone he could ever hope to face.

The man briefly glanced at Cheol Ji-seon before turning his attention back to Namgung Bi-ah, as if he were of no consequence.

"It's been a while. We’ve met before, haven’t we?"

Namgung Bi-ah’s face tensed. She clearly knew this man.

The man’s expression shifted slightly in displeasure as he spoke to her again.

"Do you remember me?"

At his question, Namgung Bi-ah nodded slightly.

"...Yes, I do."

"Yet you still draw your sword against me?"

His voice dripped with condescension.

"Do you think I'm beneath you?"

"...
"Or perhaps you remember how you once fell to the Flame Ghost? Is that why you dare to look down on me?"

As the man spoke, an ominous black aura began to leak from his body.

"...I am the Master of the Black Night Palace."

At the mention of this title, Cheol Ji-seon was horrified.