Entry
"... You speak of bloodline."
"It seems you already know. You have quite the nerve."
The green eyes of the Lord of Ip Hwang City were calm.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been overwhelmed, slowly nodded.
"It is true that I am the descendant of the former Divine Sword Sect Leader. I am his grandson."
"You are soon to ascend to the seat of the Elder Council, yet you are a child with stubbornness. You bear scars."
"It is not a matter for the Lord to concern yourself with. It is a trivial family affair."
"Such things are not trivial. They are merely hidden beneath a well-polished exterior. You seem to have lived only about fifteen years. However... it is true that outsiders cannot interfere. Matters of blood must be resolved by blood."
"I apologize."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke without any hint of remorse or discomfort.
He believed that the transcendent aura of an absolute being and the act of touching upon family matters were separate.
Sensing this, the corner of the Lord of Ip Hwang City's lips lifted slightly.
"I like it. You have entered with a desire, yet you do not bend. Your spirit is amusing."
'As expected, she saw through it.'
It was not surprising.
The abnormal opening of the Baihui point in the upper Dantian? Jeong Yeon-shin himself had realized this constitution.
It was not strange for a peerless master like the Lord of Ip Hwang City to see through it at a glance.
"Can someone like me survive by consuming the fruit of the Heavenly Tree?"
"Though its efficacy is somewhat exaggerated, yes. You can achieve what you desire."
"Is it possible to obtain it?"
At Jeong Yeon-shin's bold question, her smile deepened slightly.
"It depends on you."
"That will be enough for now. Thank you."
Jeong Yeon-shin cupped his fists in salute.
Then he asked once more.
"Am I now a warrior of Ip Hwang City?"
"Yes. You may descend now, future Divine Sword Sect Leader."
Whether she was teasing or truly acknowledging his potential, it was unclear.
It sounded as if becoming the Divine Sword Sect Leader would allow him to obtain the fruit of the Heavenly Tree.
Leaving behind the woman who seemed to have a slightly playful smile, Jeong Yeon-shin exited the office filled with trees.
As he descended to the first floor, Heon Won-chang greeted him with excitement.
"What on earth happened up there? Please, tell me! Young Master Jeong, you took especially long. What did the Lord of Ip Hwang City say to you? Did you pass?"
"It is a personal matter, so it is difficult to discuss. I did pass. But why are there so few people left?"
"Except for Namgung So-hyeop, all those who were standing idly have left! I am really anxious to death!"
It was said that everyone except for Baek Kirin Namgung Hwa-shin had returned.
Turning his gaze, he met eyes with Namgung Hwa-shin, who smiled and nodded in greeting.
As Jeong Yeon-shin returned the gesture and turned his head, Heon Won-chang was already climbing the stairs with a dying demeanor.
"It's nothing. Go on."
Heon Won-chang waved his hand weakly at Jeong Yeon-shin's encouragement.
"Hahaha! Ip Hwang City! I am Ip Hwang Shin-hyeop!"
Heon Won-chang had passed.
Given the location, his breathless cheering was not very reassuring.
Though it was a good thing, having shared a brief acquaintance, Jeong Yeon-shin honestly could not discern the passing criteria at all.
"Ip Hwang City is more open than I thought."
"What do you mean?"
Heon Won-chang blinked.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not bother to answer and watched as a middle-aged man with a scholarly air approached.
"Welcome to the sect. I am Gi Dae-seung under the General Administration. I will guide you to your accommodations until your assignment is decided, so please follow me."
"When will the assignments be decided?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked.
"The various leaders will select you, and it will take about seven days. Now that you have become warriors of the main city, let me tell you... Ah, let's talk as we go."
Jeong Yeon-shin, Namgung Hwa-shin, Heon Won-chang, and another successful candidate, a swordsman, followed behind the scholar Gi Dae-seung.
"Hmm, do you know what Ip Hwang City mainly does?"
"Preventing the treachery of martial arts masters?"
"Heon Won So-hyeop's words are correct, but that is more of a major task rather than the main one. There is something else that is more detailed and consistently carried out. It is to prevent or suppress disputes in the martial world of a certain scale. Baek Kirin So-hyeop would know. The events of the Namgung family have often been blocked by Ip Hwang City."
"Yes."
Namgung Hwa-shin nodded briefly.
Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at him, finding his expression surprisingly composed, and felt curious.
Having left a prestigious family, there seemed to be circumstances unknown to outsiders.
Additionally, Gi Dae-seung, who made such remarks in front of him, was not an ordinary person.
"The fights in the martial world are unpredictable. On the day rumors spread that the Tomb of the Heavenly Demon has been discovered, a bloody storm sweeps through the Central Plains. It would be enough if those seeking the secret manuals of peerless martial arts and elixirs only fought among themselves, but the mere movement of martial artists rising from various places is a problem."
Gi Dae-seung sighed briefly before continuing.
"The atrocities of violent martial artists do not distinguish between other martial artists and commoners. The public order becomes so chaotic. Seeing that hellish scene, it feels like a world separate from the Great Ming Empire. An unknown Tomb of the Heavenly Demon seems to summon the King of Hell."
"The Rebellion of the Heavenly Demon Tomb..."
Heon Won-chang muttered, his face somehow heavy.
Gi Dae-seung nodded.
"It has been seventeen years now. The problem is not only with the demonic sects. Acts of wielding power or fighting over interests are not uncommon even among the orthodox sects, including the Nine Schools and the Eight Great Families. It is even more so with the regional middle-tier sects or those that pass down martial arts to a few. Although the groups are diverse, the individuals within them are even more varied. If left unchecked, the people suffer, and if public sentiment becomes turbulent or tributes are not delivered on time, it becomes a problem for governance."
"......"
"That is why the imperial family provides immense wealth, elixirs, secret manuals, and masters to support this place, Ip Hwang City. That is what you will be doing. You must cut down the martial artists who disturb the people's lives."
"I knew as much, but why do you tell us this when I asked about the assignment?"
Heon Won-chang asked.
"It means there is a shortage of people. More precisely, there are few talents with great potential who can be trusted and used. There is so much work, and the areas to be managed are vast."
"Even today, many were eliminated. I passed, though."
"... So, it takes time to distribute the selected talents to the right places. About seven days. Ah, we have arrived."
Gi Dae-seung, who had briefly shown a puzzled expression, pointed to a building.
It was another luxurious pavilion.
'The Jeong family manor was a stable.'
While Jeong Yeon-shin was thinking, Gi Dae-seung cupped his fists in salute to them.
"I wish you success. Once you enter the pavilion, the attendants will guide you."
Seven days and nights passed.
The pavilion where they stayed was even more luxurious than it appeared, and as if to prove the enormous support from the imperial family, each person used an entirely luxurious room.
There was even a training ground behind the pavilion, allowing for frequent practice.
And finally, they moved to new accommodations.
Having been assigned to a group, they headed to the exclusive residence and training ground of the Seventeenth Division.
"Good luck."
"Namgung So-hyeop, you too."
After exchanging greetings, they parted ways.
During that time, strange rumors circulated in Ip Hwang City.
It was said that the leaders of the seventeen martial divisions under the Divine Sword Sect had sparred to recruit new warriors.
"My subordinates who returned from watching the Ip Hwang City tournament caused a commotion. They said we must bring either Baek Kirin or Seomye."
Ma Jin, the leader of 'Ma Gwang Ik,' one of the seventeen divisions of the Divine Sword Sect, was a man with a terrible scar.
A fearsome scar ran diagonally from the left to the right side of his face.
The scar was so severe that it was a wonder he was alive, and it surrounded him with a rough and powerful aura.
"You, Seomye."
He looked at Jeong Yeon-shin.
The intense light in his eyes seemed to show his formidable internal energy, but Jeong Yeon-shin had come down after saying all he had to say to the Lord of Ip Hwang City.
"Yes."
A calm response.
Seeing his unchanged expression, Ma Jin nodded.
"I see spirit. A guy like you doesn't die easily."
They were in the training ground of Ma Gwang Ik.
It was spacious enough to accommodate about five hundred people, and the sight of various weapons lined up on one side was impressive.
The pavilion next to it was also much larger than the one used during the waiting period.
Around them, about thirty men and women were sitting or standing, watching the two new recruits.
"The martial division under the Divine Sword Sect of Ip Hwang City is like a sect in the Central Plains. You will learn martial arts and carry out missions here in Ma Gwang Ik. Everyone here is your senior brother or sister."
"Leader Ma, I have a question!"
Heon Won-chang, who was not overwhelmed by the spirit in a different sense than Jeong Yeon-shin, was now so excited he could hardly contain himself.
"Speak."
Ma Jin nodded.
Ma Gwang Ik had taken two of the four new recruits.
Jeong Yeon-shin had heard during the waiting period that Ma Jin was considered one of the strongest among the leaders of the seventeen divisions of Ip Hwang City, and today he thought it was not an empty reputation.
Meanwhile, Heon Won-chang, still in high spirits, poured out his words.
"Thank you for allowing me to ask a question! When you say we will learn martial arts in Ma Gwang Ik, does that mean everyone shares the same martial arts?"
"That is not the case. Your unique martial arts are your own. What is taught and learned is only the martial arts of Ma Gwang Ik. The rest is not obligatory."
"Ah! Anyway, the famous Ma Gwang Gyeol..."
An expression filled with emotion.
The Yellow Dragon Heroic Sword, which he had not removed even after entering Ip Hwang City, fluttered as if reflecting its owner's heart.
'Ma Gwang Gyeol, huh.'
Jeong Yeon-shin had heard of this martial art.
Ma Gwang Ik was already quite famous among the seventeen divisions of the Divine Sword Sect.
It was because they had clashed with the twenty-four Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the elite masters of the Mount Hua Sect, without suffering a single casualty.
It was an incident that added weight to the claims of those who called Ip Hwang City the best under heaven.
"You will have to learn diligently if you want to survive."
Ma Jin spoke.
His face, which seemed like that of a general on the northern frontier, was indeed serious.
"Ip Hwang City is an imperial sect, but attacking a warrior of Ip Hwang City is not considered treason. Therefore, you must learn and train here endlessly to become stronger. If you don't, you will die."
"Why is it not considered treason?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked.
Before Ma Jin could answer, Heon Won-chang spoke first.
"From the perspective of the imperial family, the crime of treason must be uncovered and the entire family exterminated. If not, the dignity of the empire does not stand, and the absolute nature of the imperial family is tarnished. At least, that is how they think."
"... Crazy."
Ma Jin chuckled but did not stop the conversation.
"But there are many strange people in the martial world. Those who have lost their reason while learning demonic arts, or those whose lightness skills are so swift and elusive that they can escape to remote mountains and valleys after touching officials. Therefore, the imperial family cannot bestow its dignity on the warriors of Ip Hwang City, whose mission is to confront martial artists, not ordinary officials."
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slightly.
Heon Won-chang was a man who, despite his seemingly frivolous demeanor, occasionally showed moments of sharp insight.
This was often the case when discussing the origins of sects or power structures.
It was the same with guessing the intentions of the imperial palace based on the state of the martial world.
His animosity towards major sects and the contrasting depth of his inner workings with his usual light-hearted demeanor seemed to suggest a complex background.
"Heon Won-chang's words are not wrong. That is why you must become stronger. If you go on a mission and return after being cut by Namgung Jeilgeom, that guy over there can tell you more."
Ma Jin pointed to a handsome man in a blue headscarf who was lounging around.
His features were strikingly distinct, and his impression was gentle.
The atmosphere he exuded was free-spirited, and the ends of the headscarf on the back of his head fluttered constantly in the breeze.
Even at a glance, he was extraordinary.
"The Imperial Sword Form, that thing is incredibly terrifying."
He waved his hand and spoke.
It was surprising.
The Imperial Sword Form was a peerless martial art said to be learned only by the direct descendants of the Namgung family, one of the most renowned sword arts in the world.
Even though Jeong Yeon-shin had been staying in the countryside, the name had reached his ears.
'Moreover, Namgung Jeilgeom is a master who is considered one of the strongest in Namjikrye.'
The internal energy of the man in the headscarf did not seem particularly robust, but upon closer inspection, the energy waves around his body were thoroughly controlled.
The fact that he had returned alive from someone as skilled as Namgung Jeilgeom was proof of his abilities.
"Then, shall we see Seomye first?"
The man in the headscarf stood up abruptly.
It seemed they had already discussed it, as Ma Jin took a step back.
The man approached Jeong Yeon-shin with long strides.
His loosely tied sword at his waist swayed in a peculiar way that drew attention.
He grinned.
"At your age, to have come here, you must have quite the talent. Shall we see? Your aptitude with the sword, I mean. I'm very good at assessing such things."
"Did you say you are good at seeing talent?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked inadvertently.