The Legend of the Northern Blade

Jin Mu-Won, the White Dragon Merchant Association, and the Iron Brigade arrived in Dehong County, a small county located between Yunnan, Sichuan, and the Western Regions on Ha Jin-Wol’s suggestion.1 The mixture of the Central Plains and Western cultures gave the county an exotic feel.

“We can’t hide from Heaven’s Summit in the Central Plains, so it’s better if we take the roundabout route to Gansu.”

Yong Mu-Sung and the Iron Brigade agreed with Ha Jin-Wol. Most of the White Dragon Merchant Association’s escorts were dead, and including the Iron Brigade, there were less than twenty people left in the caravan, barely a fifth of the forces they had when they left Yunnan.

It was impossible to respond to any emergency with so few warriors, so Yong Mu-Sung and the White Dragon Merchant Association agreed to take the long way back to Gansu, where the White Dragon headquarters were.

At a fork in the road, Yoon Ja-Myeong clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to Jin Mu-Won. “Thank you for all your help, Master Jin. I wouldn’t have come this far without you.”

“I didn’t do it alone. It was only possible because of the sacrifices of many people. Don’t forget to reward them, or their bereaved families.”

“Absolutely. I’ll make sure to repay those who sacrificed themselves for me.”

“Your pledge is enough for me.”

“If you run into any difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact the White Dragon Merchant Association. We will mobilize everything in our power to support you.”

“Thank you for your kind intentions.”

“I’m not just saying this for the sake of it. Thanks to you, Master Jin, I’ve realized what it means to stick to one’s beliefs. Until now, I’ve been living for money, but from now on, I will live for a greater purpose. When I said I’d help you, I’m serious about it,” Yoon Ja-Myeong insisted, his voice filled with a conviction that he had never had before. Through the recent series of events, he had truly undergone a change of heart.

Jin Mu-Won nodded to him, then turned to Hwang Cheol and Kwak Moon-Jung.

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“Uncle Hwang.”

“Don’t worry about me. As soon as I master my martial arts, I will come to you.”

“Mmm.”

Jin Mu-Won’s gaze swept over to Kwak Moon-Jung, who stood at Hwang Cheol’s side. “Take good care of Uncle Hwang.”

“I will, don’t worry. You take care of yourself too, hyung,” Kwak Moon-Jung replied, thumping his chest. However, his bloodshot eyes betrayed his true feelings.

He was agitated and upset that he couldn’t be of help to Jin Mu-Won.

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Still, Kwak Moon-Jung choked back his tears and smiled brightly for his hyung, who patted him on the head.

Jin Mu-Won smiled at Hwang Cheol and Kwak Moon-Jung, then turned around. Ha Jin-Wol, Cheong-In, and Tang Gi-Mun were waiting for him.

It was time to leave for Heaven’s Summit.

The winds of change were blowing, and Jin Mu-Won’s gaze shifted toward the North.

It was a vast canyon with sheer cliffs as sharp as razor blades and a deep ravine with rushing waters determined to wash the world away.

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Throughout the canyon, over a hundred black-robed men lurked in hiding, blending in perfectly with the landscape. They were the Green Lotus Society, a legendary group of elite assassins who had never failed a single mission over the course of more than two centuries.

A few days ago, they received their latest mission. Even though there was only one assassination target and the client had concealed his identity, the reward of over ten thousand gold, a staggering sum that was usually equivalent to ten years of the Green Lotus Society’s income, was enough to tempt them into accepting the job.

To ensure their success, for the first time in the history of the Green Lotus Society, almost all of their hundred or so assassins were mobilized.

This included Baek Kyun-Su, the Sect Leader of the Green Lotus Society who had retired from active duty.

We absolutely cannot fail this mission. The future of the Green Lotus Society hangs on the balance. Baek Kyun-Su thought to himself, even as he instructed his men to eliminate the target at all costs.

The canyon was eerily quiet. Although the killing intent that the assassins’ emitted was too faint to be detected by humans, the animals and insects’ instincts warned them of danger and silenced their calls.

ROOOOAR!

A sudden outburst of qi caused the hidden assassins to flinch, and the roosting birds soared into the sky in alarm.

He’s here. Baek Kyun-Su immediately realized that their target had arrived.

SWISH!

The assassins began to move in earnest, blending into the landscape as they quickly approached their target.

However, Baek Kyun-Su didn’t move. He was no ordinary assassin. He was the last resort in case the others failed. He would remain hidden here until the end, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

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The Green Lotus Society never lets its prey escape.

Baek Kyun-Su was confident that his turn would never come. He trusted his men. Most of them were the best of the best, each with dozens of successful kills under their belts. If he couldn’t trust them, he couldn’t trust anyone else.

BAAAAAAANG!

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion rang out from the north side of the canyon. The vibrations from the blow were so powerful that Baek Kyun-Su, who was hiding among the rocks far away, could feel it.

Unbelievable! I’m more than three hundred feet away from the epicenter! Is the target a master martial artist?

Baek Kyun-Su’s palms dampened with sweat, but he consciously slowed his pounding heart and lowered his body temperature to constrain his emotions, as any professional assassin should. He had already successfully killed three martial arts masters. There was no way his Soundless Sword (無音殺劍) would fail him this fourth time.

BOOOOOM!

Once again, a loud blast pierced his ears. Although the sound was softer than before, oddly, the vibrations were more intense.

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ROOOOOAR!

Again, the volume was lower than the second blow. However, Baek Kyun-Su’s sense of foreboding grew stronger.

What’s going on? Baek Kyun-Su trembled. An ominous sensation like an earthworm crawling over his skin gripped him, shivers ran down his spine, and his chest felt like it was being squeezed. He had never felt anything like this before, and it was making him panic. For the first time since becoming an assassin, he had lost control of his body.

Finally, he gave in to his fear and stood up, breaking the assassin’s taboo. He had to find the source of his discomfort.

He walked a hundred paces north, but another explosion sent something flying into a nearby bush. It was a misshapen lump of human flesh.

Baek Kyun-Su’s eyebrow twitched. A coded tag buried in the bloody mess told him that until a second ago, this had been his right-hand man, Yoo-Myeong. The man was a top-notch assassin second only to himself, but now, even his corpse had been mutilated beyond recognition.

WHOOOOOOOOSH!!!

Not far away, a powerful windstorm was brewing. Tree branches swayed frantically, and leaves fell like rain.

“Keuk!” Gritting his teeth, Baek Kyun-Su leapt onto a large tree branch to get a better view.

What greeted his eyes was an unbelievably shocking scene.

SHWAAAAAAAAA!!!

Blades made of wind shot out from a silvery-white vortex and sliced through his assassins, leaving dismembered body parts all over the ground and blood in every direction. His men were attacking the target with all their might using hidden weapons and poisons, but it was futile.

SWISH! SMACK! THUD!

Every weapon bounced off the vortex and was immediately followed by a counterattack trailing the weapon’s path.

“Keuak!”

“Ugh!”

The assassins, who had been trained to never spit out a sound under any circumstances, were screaming in terror as they died.

What the hell? Baek Kyun-Su’s mind couldn’t process what was happening. The battle had only just begun, but barely a dozen of his men were left. A few more seconds, and there would likely be none.

Unable to watch any longer, Baek Kyun-Su abandoned the assassins’ creed of stealth and launched himself at the silvery-white vortex even as his instincts screamed that approaching the storm meant certain death, and emotions that he thought long gone threatened to swallow his senses.

He knew all too well that if he backed down out of fear now, his chances of survival would drop to zero.

Baek Kyun-Su poured all his energy into his sword.

It was kill or be killed.

SWOOSH!!

His sword sliced through the air toward the silver-white vortex. At the same time, the other assassins also unleashed their strongest techniques.

As if surprised by their sudden ferocity, the silver-white vortex condensed into a small sphere.

The next moment, however, it exploded.

BOOOOOM!!!

Everything was cut. The assassins’ swords, the assassins, and even Baek Kyun-Su were all sliced in two.

Looking at his lower body falling in the opposite direction, Baek Kyun-Su’s last thought was, what on earth is that monster?

THUD!

Blood rained down on the bushes and trees as the silver-white vortex disappeared, revealing a young girl of about sixteen. Her skin was unusually pale, her eyes sharp as obsidian, and her lips red as blood.

As her blue hair fluttered gently in the wind, she exuded an overwhelming grace and mysterious aura that made it hard to believe that she had just committed a massacre. Her hair was adorned with a lifelike silver flower accessory, adding to her beauty.

Suddenly, a person wearing a black cloak that concealed their face and gender landed in front of her. Despite being surrounded by a bloody mess, their gaze remained fixed on the girl.

The black-cloaked person bowed and said, “Congratulations, Young Mistress.”

In truth, they were the one responsible for hiring the Green Lotus Society as sacrifices to recognize the girl’s achievement, and she knew it.

After a long silence, the girl asked, “Sa-Ryung, how long have I spent in training?”

“Seven years.”

“Seven years… Time flies.”

“But you haven’t changed a bit, Young Mistress.” The corners of Sa-Ryung’s eyes twitched. The Young Mistress looked exactly the same as when she first entered this place, as if time couldn’t touch her at all.

She was Eun Han-Seol, the girl who lived in frozen time.

1. Dehong County: Today, Dehong County is located on the border between Yunnan and Myanmar.