Chapter v17c1

The Story So Far

A century ago, a man named Wi Cheon-mu, the Heavenly Calamity Blood Demon, appeared in the Jianghu like a storm, unleashing a reign of terror with his four loyal followers. His name was spoken in hushed whispers, his deeds too horrific to recount.

No one could stop him. Swordsmen and daoists alike fell before him, their blood and flesh scattered like dust, their weapons shattered. This era of bloodshed and chaos was known as the Heavenly Calamity Blood Age.

The Jianghu despaired. But hope often arises from the depths of despair.

From the brink of destruction, two new heroes emerged. Like Wi Cheon-mu, they appeared suddenly, wielding a blue sword and a red saber, their skills unmatched. One was a handsome man with silver hair, as beautiful as a celestial being, the other a fierce warrior with a mane of black hair, his aura as powerful as a raging storm. They were Hyuk Wol-Rin, the Supreme Sage, and Gal Jung-hyuk, the Heaven-Shattering Saber, two names that would later be revered as legends.

They confronted Wi Cheon-mu and his followers at Mount Hua’s Falling Goose Peak, stopping their advance like a dam holding back a flood. But the fate of Wi Cheon-mu, the most fearsome enemy of all, remained unknown. He vanished into the shadows, leaving behind only nightmares.

After the battle, Falling Goose Peak was renamed Heavenly Martial Peak, and two new institutions were established to train future generations of warriors: the Heavenly Martial Academy and the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

A hundred years passed.

Bi Ryu-yeon, a self-proclaimed genius and the most handsome man in the universe, found himself in charge of the Vermillion Bird Division, the lowest-ranked group in the Heavenly Martial Academy’s summer training program. They were supposed to be trained by Jin Jo-un, the Iron Marten, but he died under mysterious circumstances. And to their misfortune, Bi Ryu-yeon was chosen as his replacement.

Tired of his eccentric master, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to run away, taking with him the sect’s treasures: the Flying Thunder Daggers and the Ink Zither. He joined the Heavenly Martial Academy, where he eventually became the master of Cheol-su and Yeong-hui. He also met Na Yerin, the Ice Phoenix, a disciple of the Sword Empress, and they became close. But this earned him the ire of her unwanted admirers, the Ice Phoenix Protection Squad.

Bi Ryu-yeon passed the Demonic Illusion Cave test with ease and participated in the Mount Hua Sword Conference with his friends. There, he met Elder Hyuk, a mysterious old man, and the legendary Heavenly Martial Three Saints.

Meanwhile, Young Master Bi, a key figure in the remnants of the Heavenly Calamity Sect, was also participating in the conference, his heart filled with a sinister plot to burn Mount Hua to the ground. He was accompanied by his seven loyal followers, the Seven Stars of the Heavenly Demon.

As the fire dragon threatened to consume the Red Plum Valley and everyone in it, Bi Ryu-yeon unleashed the Wind God, one of the ultimate techniques of the Flying Thunder Daggers, sending the fire dragon soaring into the sky. But he collapsed from exhaustion, falling into Na Yerin’s arms…

The survivors escaped with their lives, but the Red Plum Valley was reduced to ashes, and Young Master Bi and his followers escaped.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Bi Ryu-yeon recovered quickly. He returned to the Heavenly Martial Academy with Na Yerin, now his officially recognized girlfriend, his disciples Cheol-su and Yeong-hui, the Vermillion Bird Division, and Elder Hyuk, who insisted on accompanying them.

That winter, a silver bank burned down, and a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows. But no one noticed the storm brewing…

And after a harsh winter, spring arrived.

Now, a new story begins.

*Beginning*

– Return –

“It’s still not visible…”

The man paused, staring at the path stretching before him. The path he had traveled was still visible behind him, a trail of his journey.

The path ahead was long and arduous, stretching beyond the horizon, its end hidden from view, filling him with a sense of unease.

It was difficult to guess his age. The wide-brimmed straw hat he wore obscured his face, making it even harder to tell. But in an era where wandering swordsmen were commonplace, his appearance wasn’t unusual. The only remarkable thing about him was his long, unkempt hair, which covered most of his face, revealing only glimpses of his deep, unfathomable eyes.

He stared at the path ahead, his gaze as deep and profound as the universe itself. His long hair didn’t hinder his vision. His eyes could only see what was within his field of vision – which was five times greater than an ordinary person’s – but his mind could see beyond that, piercing through the veil of the unknown, towards his destination.

He focused his eyes, enhancing his vision, and a dark shadow on the horizon came into view. It was the silhouette of a mountain, its peak obscured by the curvature of the earth. At least the edges of the shadow were visible. He looked around, but all he could see were vast plains, mountains, trees, and grass. It was a deserted path, devoid of human presence. It was an ordinary path, connecting various parts of the Central Plains, but it held a special meaning for him.

What awaited him at the end of this journey? Where was this path leading him?

Questions arose within him, but there were no clear answers.

Would he find an end at the end of this path, or a new beginning?

Thump! Thump!

He suddenly stomped his right foot on the ground, feeling the earth’s solidity through his sole. His heart was still beating strongly.

*I’m here.*

He didn’t care if it sounded childish. He wanted to confirm his existence, his presence in this world, before the weight of his task crushed him.

All rivers flow to the sea, and all principles converge into a single truth.

But the place he was heading towards wasn’t the sea. It was the source, the origin. He was like a salmon, swimming upstream, returning to its birthplace.

“I thought I would never return to this place…”

The currents of the world had been too strong for him to resist.

He had left his cradle, venturing into the world, seeking his own identity, but he had ended up back where he started.

But this was the only place he could go.

He knew, instinctively, that only at the end of this path would he find the answers he sought.

He started walking again, towards the horizon. If you could call it walking. If anyone were following him, they would soon lose sight of him. Even a skilled martial artist, using their lightness skill, wouldn’t be able to keep up with him. He wasn’t using any special techniques, but his speed was beyond human comprehension. If someone asked him if he was using some kind of teleportation technique, he would have firmly denied it. No matter how fast he was, he couldn’t outrun the horizon.

The mountain, which had been a distant silhouette, was now clearly visible. He reached a fork in the road and looked around. One path was wide, the other narrow. One was well-maintained and smooth, the other rough and overgrown, barely wide enough for a cart.

The wide path led to Mount Emei, home to the Emei Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, renowned for its swordsmanship and its female disciples. But that wasn’t his destination. He was heading towards an unnamed peak, far from the Emei Sect’s main temple. It was a place of forgotten memories, of a carefree childhood, a place he had sworn never to return to.

“So I’ve come back to this place… I thought I would never see this fork in the road again.”

He muttered, his voice filled with self-mockery. This fork in the road, like before, forced him to make a choice.

And then, something happened.

*Hmm?*

He paused, his body tensing slightly. And then, his lips, which had been tightly sealed, parted slightly.

“…It’s noisy.”

He muttered, standing in the middle of the deserted path. But his words were too faint to break the silence.

The path seemed to disapprove of him standing still. Was it telling him to keep moving?

He started walking again, slowly, waiting for the moment to break the silence. The first sign was a faint tremor in the ground.

Someone was approaching from beyond the horizon, moving at an incredible speed.

A moment later, he heard the distant sound of hooves, the rhythmic pounding of a four-horse carriage. But it took a while for the sound to reach him, to shatter the silence. The carriage appeared in his field of vision, a blur in the distance.

“Hiya! Hiya! Hiya!”

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of hooves pounding the earth, the crack of the whip, the driver’s frantic shouts, the horses’ labored breathing, all reached his ears with startling clarity.

A luxurious, four-horse carriage, kicking up a cloud of dust, sped towards him. The driver, a burly man with thick arms, whipped the horses relentlessly, his voice booming.

“Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get out of the way!”

It was as if he was trying to chase away a stubborn cow that had wandered into the path of his carriage. But the “cow” was the man in the straw hat, walking calmly along the road.

The road wasn’t particularly narrow, but it was only wide enough for a single carriage. And it was clear that the carriage wasn’t going to stop. The driver’s next words confirmed it.

“Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Hey, you! The guy in the straw hat! Move! Do you want to die?!”

The driver seemed ready to lash out at the pedestrian with his whip. His rough and aggressive demeanor reminded the man of a word he had almost forgotten. A familiar word. Hmm, what was it called? He snapped his fingers.

*Ah, that’s what they call rudeness.*

He was delighted, like a patient recovering from amnesia.

“Hmm.”

He nodded repeatedly. It was refreshing to be treated like this after so long. It almost felt nostalgic.

The runaway carriage was about to collide with the man in the straw hat. If he was run over by those hooves, he wouldn’t escape unscathed. But the man continued walking, his expression amused, as if he had no intention of moving aside. Why should he comply with such a rude and unreasonable demand?

“You’re crazy!”

Neigh!

The driver finally pulled on the reins, his instincts taking over. He had wanted to just run the man over, but his conscience, at the last moment, had stopped him. But there was a time and place for everything. It was too late to stop now. The carriage, unable to slow down in time, passed over the man, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

Screech!

Neigh!

The carriage finally came to a stop ten zhang away.

It was a well-made carriage, well-maintained, but it wasn’t built for such sudden stops.

Crack! Bang!

The left wheel broke off, and the carriage tilted sharply to the left.

“Whoa!”

The driver tried to regain control, but it was too late. The situation was beyond his strength.

“Ugh!”

The carriage was about to overturn, its momentum unstoppable. But then, a slender hand reached out from the window, and a loud “Bang!” echoed through the air. The ground shook, and the carriage lurched violently, its speed decreasing. It crashed to the ground, bouncing several times before coming to a stop. A cloud of dust rose from the ground, obscuring everything.

“Ugh…”

A figure emerged from the dust cloud, clutching his head. It was the driver, his burly physique and wiry beard covered in dirt. He limped towards the carriage door and knocked frantically.

“Miss, are you alright? Miss!”

His previous aggression was gone. His face, which would have been perfect for a bandit, was now filled with concern.

A moment later, a voice came from inside the carriage.

“…I’m fine. There’s no need to fuss.”

It was a surprisingly calm voice, considering the chaos. It was a young voice, suggesting that the speaker wasn’t very old, but she was more composed than most adults, especially the driver. It seemed like maturity had nothing to do with age.

The carriage door opened, and a delicate white foot emerged. The girl gracefully stepped out of the carriage, landing lightly on the ground.

She was about eighteen years old, with fair skin, a straight nose, determined black eyes, neatly combed hair, a moderately developed chest, a slender figure, and a willow-like waist. She was young, but she was undeniably beautiful. She was like a flower bud about to bloom.

“You’re safe, Miss!”

The driver seemed oblivious to the fact that he had said the wrong thing. It should have been, “Thank you, Miss, for saving us.” But he had at least tried his best to prevent the carriage from being destroyed, so his efforts were commendable.

Then, another voice spoke. This time, it was a man’s voice.

“Cough, cough! Ouch! Am I still alive…?”

There was another passenger in the carriage. A young man, about twenty years old. He wasn’t as dazzling as the girl in white, but he was still quite handsome. He had a bandage on his left arm, suggesting a minor injury. Both of them had swords at their waists. They weren’t just for show.

“Cough, cough! Are you alright, Miss Jin?”

The young man coughed repeatedly, his throat irritated by the dust. His face, which would have been quite presentable under normal circumstances, was now covered in dirt.

“I’m fine. How is your wound, Master Yu?”

“I’m still in one piece. It would be embarrassing to whine about a scratch from those scoundrels. Don’t worry.”

Master Yu flexed his left arm, putting on a brave face. It was probably still hurting, but young men often felt the need to show off in front of women. He was probably crying inside.

As the dust settled, the carriage’s condition became clear. It was covered in scratches and dents, and there were several arrows embedded in its sides. It looked like it had been through a war.