The late chill of dawn was biting into the air of Jeonggajang's back mountain.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought to himself that if the wind blowing through the valley had a color, it would be a grayish-white.
The people of Jeonggajang, who once ruled the realm, lay their bodies beneath the seeds that would sprout next year.
They had carried and buried the corpses throughout the night.
Jeong Yeon-shin, the commander, a few surviving workers, and the masters of Jongnam sect were covered in dust.
His nephew, curled up in a corner, repeatedly cried until he fell asleep.
Glancing at Hyae-ah, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke, "It's over."
"Indeed. It will become a sad mountain. It had no name," the commander agreed, shaking his head.
"No. Jeonggajang is over."
"......"
"Thank you once again for your help, Great Hero of Dangaegum and Great Hero of Muryeongkwon."
Leaving behind the bitter commander, he paid his respects to the warriors of Jongnam sect.
Despite being covered in dirt, their eyes sparkled with vitality.
They faced him with a respectful demeanor, showing their regard even to a mere boy.
"Now that we are in the priest's family, it is not so."
"Moreover... it would be hard to say that we bear no responsibility for not stopping it."
A deep seriousness was visible between the thick eyebrows of Muryeongkwon, who spoke after Dangaegum.
Having finished preparing to leave with them, Jeong Jung-san held his niece Jeong Hye in his arms and looked gloomily at his younger brother.
He seemed somewhat changed after experiencing bloodshed.
"How can one apologize for years of accumulated matters with just a few words?" Jeong Jung-san said, his face looking strained.
"When we meet again, I will appear as your elder brother. I will do my best, so you must survive."
"Though I am late in entering Jongnam martial arts, I do not possess exceptional talent. That is what I see."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke honestly to his elder for the first time in his life.
It felt refreshing, as if he wondered why he hadn't done this sooner.
"You will have to train hard. Take good care of Hyae."
"…Understood."
With that, the masters of Jongnam sect, his second brother, and his young nephew departed.
Turning around, he saw the commander, who had a bundle on his back, standing with the workers.
"Where will the commander go?"
"I mentioned that I created a network. There are small branches of Jeonggajang scattered throughout Namyang. Since the bloodline of Jeongga is still alive, I must support them with the remaining assets."
"But Jeonggajang has fallen apart?" The commander smiled faintly.
"It is a family of great landowners. The cultivated lands owned by the family are not only in Sinya."
He had not realized that he was such a remarkable person, almost feeling it was too much for Jeonggajang.
"As you know, I will go to Iphwangseong. I hope to see you sometimes."
"Of course."
The commander had also learned martial arts.
He would be able to take care of himself.
"I hope the commander enjoys a long life. Take care of yourself."
"I wish for your success, young master."
It was a farewell to both the commander and Jeonggajang.
The commander silently watched the back of the boy, who did not look back. 'I hope he enjoys a long life...? Have I ever heard such words from the bloodline of Jeongga after receiving grace from my ancestors?' Jeong Yeon-shin felt that presence but did not turn his head.
With each step, he pushed through the grass, and a new air swirled around him.
It was his first time coming out of Sinya.
He could have followed the path in detail given by the commander, but he inevitably attracted a lot of attention.
The sun began to rise, and the dirt road welcomed the sunlight.
The road connecting Namyang and Yangyang was also the path linking Hanan and Hogwang.
Not far away, there was a road heading towards Seomseo, so he couldn't help but check if the bag on his back was still intact.
He had encountered many people along the way.
"His clothes are unusual for a beggar."
"Isn't that a silk robe? Wearing a silk robe as a beggar?"
"A silk robe? But that appearance..."
The passersby from the post office whispered among themselves.
He had heard that merchants or travelers could suddenly turn into thieves.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked silently, keeping his hand close to his sword.
'What a hassle.' Yet, he could not use the mountain paths that were sparsely populated.
He was a newcomer to the martial world, and his experience was lacking.
If he got lost, it would be disastrous.
However, merely being cautious was not enough.
There were wolves everywhere, eyeing his clothes and wealth.
It was a world where robbery and murder were common.
In the end, he got into a scuffle with some wandering swordsmen, and those rogues paid the price for underestimating the young swordsman.
They were so weak compared to the warriors of the Thirteen Thousand that it was almost bewildering.
'What were they relying on to attack?' Though they were called rogues, among the wandering swordsmen, there were hardly any who had properly entered the realm of martial arts.
It was a world where learning was precious.
From Sinya to Yangyang, it was a short distance for masters who could fly through the air.
However, Jeong Yeon-shin, who had little experience in martial arts, faced the troubles and bloody realities of the martial world.
Among them, no one could block his swift sword technique, and while cutting through the rogues with his sword strikes, Jeonggadongong's swordsmanship began to blend into his movements.
It was different from merely training his body alone.
As he wielded his sword in real combat, his body transformed once more.
The muscles of his entire body adapted to the explosive power, and his flexibility increased even more.
Swift sword, swift sword, and yet another swift sword.
The speed of his swift sword technique, which was already fast, became invisible even to his own eyes.
As his body, which could be said to be the foundation of martial arts, actively changed, the effectiveness of his energy also amplified.
'Did they call it a divine skill?' Perhaps due to the lifelong training of Jeonggadongong, he could visibly witness the transformation of his body.
A week had passed.
It was a time spent enduring the first night outdoors, the hard sleeping place, and the chilly night air.
"Huuh."
The boy sighed as he entered the inn and unpacked his bag.
He had arrived in Yangyang.
Since the establishment of Iphwangseong, the city had been thriving and prospering.
Every day, tens of thousands of people came and went, and thousands of goods exchanged hands.
It could be said to be one of the largest cities in the Central Plains in terms of trade volume and cultural level.
"Right now, it's even more so! That guy from Hyungga is furious! I heard he can't sell because he has no alcohol."
The conversation of those who appeared to be merchants reached his ears.
After booking a room and coming down, Jeong Yeon-shin ordered a meal from the innkeeper, listening intently.
"People from all over the Central Plains are gathering here with dreams of success. I heard there are martial artists who are scattering silver coins."
"These days, there is no day or night in Juru. The martial artists who came to take the entrance exam are drowning in alcohol!"
"Iphwangseong is indeed impressive."
"Of course! It's like reviving Yangyang, which was fading away, and feeding it to the point of bursting!"
"Wow, what a metaphor! Hahaha!" Jeong Yeon-shin agreed with the last remark, if nothing else.
He could feel the incredibly high prices from the lodging fees, and it was clear that if he stayed for just another month, his money would run out.
He thought he had brought a lot secretly, but...
At that moment,
"Are you also here to take the entrance exam for Iphwangseong?" A young man with a friendly smile sat across from him.
The sword tied at his waist was not an ordinary sword, and above all, the blue ribbon wrapped around his head was impressive.
It was called a Hero's Ribbon.
Nowadays, it was a decoration that was not used unless one was quite stylish, and it was embroidered with a dragon in gold thread.
"Who are you?"
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I was just curious to see a challenger younger than me."
The young man continued with a smile.
"I am Jeong Yeon-shin from Sinya."
"Sinya? Where is that?"
"It is a county in Namyang, Hebei."
"You came from a nearby place! The journey must have been easy. I fought against the bandits of the Green Forest and raced against the water warriors of Suruchae! Those Suruchae fellows had fierce water skills!"
"Well... I think I had it easy."
Jeong Yeon-shin mumbled vaguely.
"Right, it seems we are comrades preparing for the entrance exam of Iphwangseong."
"What is your purpose?"
"Just to share some camaraderie! If you have any information, we can exchange it. Very few pass the entrance exam for Iphwangseong on their first try. It happens once in a thousand times, and even then, it is usually the late bloomers of prestigious martial families who aim for fame. Most pass after taking the exam multiple times."
"Is there an exam?" His eyes widened as if to say he didn't know.
The exaggerated expression suited him well.
"They call it the Iphwang Exam! The very nature of Iphwangseong is different from ordinary sects. To enter the government, one must take the martial or literary exams, and there is a separate exam to enter Iphwangseong."
"So that's why there are so many people..."
"Whether they have a foundation or not, the moment they enter, a place of learning and opportunity opens up, so it is not strange for martial artists from all over the world to flock here. There are thousands who practice all kinds of martial arts to pass this."
Iphwangseong.
If you want to strike the world with a single weapon, go to Iphwangseong, for even the officials will be wary of you.
It was a common saying.
Anyone's heart would tremble at the cradle of martial arts.
As the royal family, which dominated the Central Plains, directly moved to suppress the martial sects, it was said that elixirs and rising martial arts gathered from all over the world.
"Some say that traditional large sects are held in higher regard. Truly ignorant words. A sect founded by mere commoners is stronger than Iphwangseong? Then those fellows should establish an empire and act as emperors; how could the Great Ming Empire be maintained?"
"Is that so?" Jeong Yeon-shin casually agreed.
He wondered if the person had a grudge against large sects.
"Anyway, coming to take the Iphwang Exam was an excellent choice. ... If only you can pass."
He suddenly spoke with a gloomy expression.
Jeong Yeon-shin found the person named Heon Won-chang quite intriguing.
It was the first time he had seen someone so capricious in mood.
"If you pass, you will instantly gain the reputation of being the top among the late bloomers of your age! If you are a martial artist of Iphwangseong at your age, you would be an outstanding rising master!" Heon Won-chang, who had been speaking with a smiling face, suddenly lost his strength in his tone.
"...... The walls of Iphwangseong are as dauntingly high as its prestige."
"Yes. That is true."
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin was starting to get bored, the food arrived.
It was a dish of chicken and vegetables, including gungbo-gyeongjeong.
After not eating properly for days, he welcomed the smell.
As he ate, Heon Won-chang, who was watching him with a complicated expression, spoke up.
"By the way, how about going to take the exam together tomorrow?"
"That sounds good."
Jeong Yeon-shin replied nonchalantly.
In fact, he was glad to know that he could enter through the exam.
He did not want to reach out to relatives he did not know how to live or look like.
Even if his life was at stake, he was determined not to be pitiful.
The next day.
"You've come properly."
Standing before Iphwangseong, Jeong Yeon-shin was no longer the third of Jeonggajang.
He was a swordsman who had endured a particularly harsh week as a child with wealth.
The boy had become a martial artist.
'Incredible.' He looked up at the main gate and marveled.
It was a scale he had never heard of.
The castle, stretching alongside the azure sky, displayed its immense grandeur.
"It is impregnable."
Heon Won-chang, standing beside him, murmured with a dazed expression.
Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly agreed.
The double-layered walls looked solid.
The shape surrounded an area so vast that the beginning and end seemed distant.
Surrounding it was a moat, creating a vast belt of water.
The wide-open main gate was a testament to the confidence of a place claiming to be the best in the martial world.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly stepped forward.
There was a training ground enclosed by a fence ahead.
It must be the first exam location that Heon Won-chang mentioned.
"Let’s go."
"Sure."
The two approached the registration desk at the front and stated their names.
The clerk, dressed in scholarly attire, wrote it down and asked again.
"Namyang, Hanan. Jeong Yeon-shin from Sinya, right?"
"Yes."
"Enter the training ground."
He received one of the round tokens piled high on a rather large desk.
The token had the character for thirteen (十三) engraved on it.
'It's noisy.' There were not only examiners and candidates around.
In addition to the young martial artists dreaming of ascension beyond the gate of opportunity, there were also spectators, merchants, and gamblers.
Iphwangseong did not restrict them from watching and enjoying.
"Here."
As he passed through the fence gate with Heon Won-chang, the examiner called them.
He wore neat martial attire and exuded a solid presence.
He felt just as formidable as the masters of the Thirteen Thousand.
The examiner said, "The first exam is the swift sword test."
"Yes?"