Namgung Hwa-shin was the final piece.
That was what Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
Even after securing promises of support for the Sichuan expedition from those he had met earlier, he could not bring himself to leave without Bai Qilin.
That was why he immediately set out. Earlier, he had briefly parted ways with Seomye Ilmaek and sent Tae Yeom-ryong back.
Bai Qilin Namgung Hwa-shin.
A swordsman born with extraordinary senses.
His internal energy, immense and formidable, made him a contender for the strongest among late-stage martial masters.
Even Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t believe he could defeat Namgung Hwa-shin ten out of ten times in combat.
Though they hadn’t faced each other since he had consumed a top-tier spiritual elixir, Jeong estimated he might still lose two or three times—perhaps even four. There were always variables in battle.
Jeong Yeon-shin, despite his pride, sought Namgung Hwa-shin’s help.
Sichuan martial society is treacherous.
It wasn’t an area overrun with ordinary fighters, but the region where Ma Gwang-ik had gone missing.
Even the elite warriors of the Nine Sects were known to tread cautiously there. A single Blue Rank warrior was an asset that couldn’t be ignored.
Jeong Yeon-shin, Namgung Hwa-shin, Tae Yeom-ryong.
Alongside Hong Joo-geum and ten Blue Rank warriors of Seomye Ilmaek.
Thirty more White Rank warriors.
They weren’t the fortress's main forces, but it was a power no one in Sichuan could easily underestimate.
But is this really okay? Namgung So-hyeop must still be distraught.
The boy hesitated, even as he knocked on the grand door.
Thud! Thud!
He struck the cold handle and pushed downward.
This was the Shunchun Wing pavilion within Ipwang Fortress. Like with Ma Gwang-ik, the atmosphere inside was eerily quiet.
It was said that Myeolseom Corps, Ma Gwang-ik, and others had gone on missions to Sichuan.
Creeeak—
Within ten breaths, the door opened, revealing a young girl who peeked out hesitantly.
The white shoulder trim of her robe bore the coarse symbol for Hwang, marking her as a White Rank martial artist of the Shunchun Wing.
“Seomye?”
Her eyes widened slightly.
Jeong Yeon-shin recognized her sharp, upward-tilted eyes from his last encounter with Namgung Hwa-shin.
Her bold words back then had left an impression on him.
"Namgung sunbae's path is solitary, isn't it? You seem like someone who could be a companion on that path, though I can’t say for sure."
She had made this observation about Jeong Yeon-shin during a sparring match while standing alongside Namgung Hwa-shin.
This was Shin Bin-bin of the Shunchun Wing. She was the elder sister of Shin So-bin, one of Ma Gwang-ik’s juniors. Naturally, she was a treasured member of the Ipwang Fortress Shin family.
“I’m here to see Namgung So-hyeop.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly, though Shin Bin-bin’s brows furrowed slightly.
“At this hour...?”
“It’s an urgent matter.”
Jeong Yeon-shin was the one who felt pressed for time. Visiting unannounced in the dead of night was indeed rude by all accounts.
This wasn’t the moment to point out the tone of a White Rank martial artist addressing her superior.
What’s this?
Shin Bin-bin felt irritated. She hadn’t liked Jeong Yeon-shin from the start.
When he defeated her senior, Bai Qilin, during a mission competition, she had begrudgingly accepted it as a fair outcome.
But the rumors that followed stoked her resentment.
"So he covets all the credit, does he?"
She had been quietly rooting for her senior, only to hear that Seomye had hogged all the glory and fame.
Namgung Hwa-shin, she’d learned, had been unable to resolve even a shred of his personal grievances.
The same Seomye who cut down Namgung’s direct family members before leaving without a word.
"What arrogance. He wasn’t even raised in a noble family."
The fact that he showed up at such an hour only added to her disdain. It was almost midnight.
Brazen. Insolent.
An arrogant and greedy boy.
To her, his outstanding appearance, exceptional skills, and young age were merely a facade to mask his true nature.
Seomye Jeong Yeon-shin.
She could already picture him using his eloquence to win over Namgung Hwa-shin, who was known for his gentle nature, after swiftly accepting the competition format that showcased his martial confidence.
Shin Bin-bin’s eyes narrowed.
Her tone naturally became curt.
“Namgung gaga is resting right now.”
She referred to Namgung Hwa-shin as gaga—an affectionate term for an elder brother, despite him being a Blue Rank warrior while she was a White Rank.
It was a blatant disregard for hierarchy, but Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t let it bother him. He had no time to waste on trivial matters.
“Ma Gwang-ik, who went to Sichuan, has gone missing. A rescue party is being formed. I’m here to ask Namgung So-hyeop to join us.”
“Ma Gwang-ik...?”
For a moment, Shin Bin-bin’s eyes showed surprise.
This was news that had arrived just this evening. Since she had been attending to Namgung Hwa-shin within the Shunchun Wing pavilion, she might not have known.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded quietly.
To depart at dawn, he needed to secure Namgung Hwa-shin’s participation and urgently obtain the command center’s approval.
“This is a pressing matter. Please inform him.”
However.
“Hm...”
Shin Bin-bin pursed her lips tightly, showing no sign of stepping aside from the door.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice carried a hint of emotion.
“What are you doing?”
“Namgung gaga needs rest. He’s been utterly drained. He’s someone who used to forget even to eat or sleep while dedicating himself to martial arts. Since his return, he’s even skipped his morning training. All thanks to someone who only cares about claiming credit and lacks any camaraderie.”
Her tone was sharp and accusatory. Shin Bin-bin glared at Jeong Yeon-shin with a sour expression, her lashes trembling slightly in indignation. She didn’t see him as an equal.
Was she mad?
Jeong Yeon-shin pondered this as he repeated her words to himself.
“Claiming... credit?”
He had a guess about what this was all about.
Shin Bin-bin was oblivious to the deeper truth.
She didn’t know that Namgung Hwa-shin had been raised as the leader of Namgung’s assassins.
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Nor did she understand the mental compulsion—the spiritual seal—imposed on Bai Qilin.
Without this knowledge, her attitude was incomprehensible.
If Namgung Hwa-shin had been free from these restraints, he would never have agreed to a competition with such a young contender in the first place.
So he confided only in me.
Jeong Yeon-shin realized this.
Even Namgung Hwa-shin hadn’t shared these inner truths with his fellow Shunchun Wing comrades.
Perhaps he had been moved during their duel.
The acknowledgment Bai Qilin had shown as a martial artist had allowed Jeong Yeon-shin to hear his secrets.
This only solidified Jeong’s resolve not to explain himself to Shin Bin-bin.
“You said Namgung So-hyeop needs rest.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke slowly, his lips moving deliberately.
“That’s not your decision to make.”
“What did you just say?”
Shin Bin-bin’s eyes flared with anger.
Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t care. To him, she was a minor obstacle.
Even if she didn’t know the details between him and Namgung Hwa-shin, the fact that an entire Sword Corps was teetering on the brink of annihilation should have been clear.
Her attitude was ridiculous and groundless. There was no point in continuing the conversation.
I’ll leap over her if I must.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze instinctively lifted upward.
Whoosh!
Did she notice? An energy wave surged.
Shin Bin-bin struck first, before Jeong Yeon-shin could leap.
It wasn’t that he had been outsped—she had simply initiated first.
A blatant act of insubordination.
Swoosh!
A breeze blew directly in front of him.
The fluttering white hem of her robe entered his sight.
Shin Bin-bin’s deft hand reached toward the handle of a sword hidden beneath her flowing sleeve—a treasured blade of the Shin family, not the Ipwang sword.
She opened the door wide with her free hand and advanced in a single step.
The refined energy unique to prestigious martial families flared around her.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes glinted like lightning.
“One more step—”
Before she could finish, his form blurred like a leaf caught in the wind.
A gust tore through the Shunchun Wing gate.
In an instant, he closed the gap. Shin Bin-bin’s famed skill didn’t even graze Jeong Yeon-shin’s robes.
Boom!
A backhand strike like thunder smashed against the side of her head, sending her flying.
“Ugh... Ughhh...”
“You said I covet credit? You’re right. I want recognition more than anyone else.”
Jeong Yeon-shin glared coldly down at her.
“But how you judge me doesn’t matter. What I won’t tolerate is insubordination. Consider yourself lucky I didn’t act more decisively. Be grateful for that.”
His voice was harsh.
There was no way to clarify misunderstandings or delve into Namgung Hwa-shin’s private matters here.
He could endure being misjudged. Insults didn’t faze him.
Just don’t get in my way.
As long as no one obstructed his path, as long as the faces of Ma Jin, Hyeon Won-chang, Cheongmyeong, and Baek Mi-ryeo didn’t haunt him with accusations, nothing else mattered.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s resolve had never been sharper.
He carried a sword in his heart. If anyone jeopardized his comrades—be it Ma Gwang-ik or anyone else—he would cut them down.
Sichuan.
Tang Clan, Dian Cang Sect, Qingcheng Sect, Emei Sect.
The Ten Evils, Shadow Mara Sect, and Dragon Slayer Alliance.
These were the powers clashing in the chaotic land.
The Dian Cang Sect, originally based in Yunnan’s Dian Cang Mountain, had allied with Qingcheng and Emei to resist the Thirteen Heavens.
It was a turbulent region.
Mistrust everyone.
Ma Gwang-ik’s agility was unparalleled.
If he had truly escaped, even an elite faction of the Ten Evils wouldn’t have been able to capture him.
It was likely that more than two major sects had joined forces against him.
Jeong Yeon-shin needed clarity of mind and decisive action.
Crossing the threshold, he spoke to Shin Bin-bin, who lay sprawled and trembling.
“The fortress’s warriors are precious to me too.”
His voice carried the edge of a blade, imbued with unshakable conviction.
As his inner energy reached new heights, even his aura seemed to ripple with intent.
Shin Bin-bin, a White Rank martial artist trained in sensory perception, felt the weight of his words and her eyes wavered.
Could this be... some kind of misunderstanding?
But Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t give her the chance to speak further. He stepped past her without hesitation.
His final mission before departure was clear: to secure Bai Qilin Namgung Hwa-shin for the expedition.
***
"I will go," Namgung Hwa-shin said.
His figure resembled Tae Yeom-ryong’s—shrouded in shadow, with heavy eyelids casting a long gloom.
It was hard to see the mystique and radiance that had once earned him the title of Bai Qilin.
Though he agreed without hesitation, his inner turmoil was palpable. His eyes were clouded and dim.
"Thank you," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
"No," Namgung Hwa-shin waved off Jeong's bow. He continued speaking.
"I only accepted because... I thought perhaps, if I could wield my sword freely, it might ease my mind. That’s all. It’s something I should do regardless."
"..."
"Also, I must apologize for Shin Bin-bin's rudeness. I sensed the commotion too late. Perhaps my dulled perception is to blame."
Namgung Hwa-shin spoke as if it were of little consequence.
In that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin realized that Bai Qilin’s nature had changed.
Even though his cherished junior had been struck down and left crumpled, he showed no concern.
This was not the character of the upright scholar-like man he once knew.
Rather, there was now a trace of Jeong Yeon-shin’s own demeanor in him—a man who had grown unflinchingly decisive, no longer bothered by trifles.
Is this okay?
The boy pondered.
Two Blue Rank warriors, leading the rescue team, alongside an unranked novice.
None of them were in optimal condition. They were far from capable of representing a righteous sect.
Even Jeong Yeon-shin, who had steeled himself with his resolve, could see how much Namgung Hwa-shin had changed.
And then there was Tae Yeom-ryong, who endlessly chewed poppies, perpetually intoxicated by their effects.
...It has to be fine.
Leaving Namgung Hwa-shin’s room, Jeong Yeon-shin made up his mind. There was no alternative.
Now, they had to move forward.
...Thus, the lone moon in the sky faded with its hazy light.
And so dawn arrived on the day of departure.