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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Escort Procession
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"It's warm."
Dan Hyeong-u murmured softly.
"And peaceful."
Hyeong Pyo couldn't make sense of Dan Hyeong-u's words. But it didn't matter.
"Listen, regardless, this is fate bringing us together, and I've taken a real liking to you. From now on, think of me as your big brother. I'll treat you like my little brother and look out for you. At the very least, no one in the Henan Escort Bureau will lay a finger on you if they hear my name."
Hyeong Pyo spoke earnestly. He just wanted Dan Hyeong-u to feel at ease while he was inside the bureau. And since he'd be helping him anyway, he figured he might as well go all in.
Dan Hyeong-u gazed at Hyeong Pyo's serious face and nodded indifferently.
"Hahaha! You're a straightforward one, aren't you? Well, since we're at it, let me teach you a few techniques. They might come in handy someday. You're carrying a sword, so I assume you're interested in swordsmanship."
Hyeong Pyo planned to pick out the more practical and battle-tested forms from the sword arts he knew. With a bit of hands-on guidance from him, Dan Hyeong-u wouldn't go down to any run-of-the-mill thugs, at least.
But Dan Hyeong-u shook his head. Hyeong Pyo smiled faintly at him.
"Looks like you've already got a sword art of your own. Mind telling me what it is?"
"Three Talents Sword Art."
Hyeong Pyo smiled warmly at the answer. He'd already heard from Bureau Chief Sama Cheol that Dan Hyeong-u had mastered three forms of the Three Talents Sword Art.
"Three Talents Sword Art, eh? Excellent choice. Nothing better for building a solid foundation. But when it comes to real combat? That's another story. Let me show you some practical techniques. What do you say?"
Hyeong Pyo explained enthusiastically, but Dan Hyeong-u just kept shaking his head. Undeterred, Hyeong Pyo pressed on with a persistent smile.
"How about this, then? Spar with me. Once you see it in action, you might change your mind."
Hyeong Pyo stopped walking as he spoke, and Dan Hyeong-u stared at him steadily.
"Sparring means fighting, right?"
Hyeong Pyo nodded at the question.
"Well, you could see it that way. So, what do you think? Up for it?"
Dan Hyeong-u pondered for a moment at Hyeong Pyo's words. Hyeong Pyo, meanwhile, pictured in his mind how he'd subdue him. If Dan Hyeong-u attacked with forms from the Three Talents Sword Art, the options were predictable.
He'd heard the young man had mastered three forms, though he didn't know which ones exactly—so he'd prepare for a few possibilities. Simple enough.
"Does that mean you intend to kill me?"
Hyeong Pyo's mind went blank at Dan Hyeong-u's sudden question. Kill? What was that about?
"What do you mean, kill? It's just a friendly spar to test each other's skills."
Dan Hyeong-u shook his head at Hyeong Pyo's response.
"I'm stronger."
Hyeong Pyo's expression turned blank at the curt reply. But then he burst into laughter.
"Puhahaha! You're a riot, you know that? Still, why not give it a shot? I'm not convinced yet."
Dan Hyeong-u fell silent again, thinking it over. He actually liked this guy named Hyeong Pyo. He had no desire to kill him. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
"Wait a bit."
Hyeong Pyo nodded vigorously. He could wait as long as needed. They were midway to the smithy, in a secluded spot with no one around. In fact, Hyeong Pyo had deliberately taken this less-traveled path to teach Dan Hyeong-u some swordplay.
Dan Hyeong-u drew the sword from his belt and swung it toward the sky a few times. He tilted his head thoughtfully, then repeated the swings.
Hyeong Pyo watched with initial curiosity—what was he doing?—but soon his eyes widened in shock.
He couldn't track the sword's motion as it blurred. It was so fast that Hyeong Pyo's eyes couldn't follow.
"Good enough."
By the time Hyeong Pyo recovered from his surprise, Dan Hyeong-u had turned to face him.
"Now I can hold back from killing you."
Hyeong Pyo swallowed hard.
"Here I come."
The words had barely left Dan Hyeong-u's mouth when Hyeong Pyo charged. All his prior plans and thoughts vanished like a blank slate.
He simply drew his sword and unleashed his best form. His blade shot toward Dan Hyeong-u with tremendous force.
Dan Hyeong-u met the attack with a simple downward swing.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Three Talents Sword Art - Heavenly Thunder
Flash of lightning! Rumble of thunder...
Hyeong Pyo saw a flash of lightning before his eyes. Then, as he lost consciousness, a faint thunderclap echoed in his ears.
'So that was the Three Talents Sword Art!'
That was Hyeong Pyo's final thought before blacking out.
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Chapter 4. Escort Procession
Jo Seol-yeon rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the distant sky. She was so lost in thought that even the arrival of Jo In and Jo Il-hyeon went unnoticed.
"Ahem."
Jo Il-hyeon cleared his throat pointedly, but Jo Seol-yeon didn't budge. Finally, Jo In stepped forward and lightly tapped her shoulder.
"Oh, brother."
Jo Seol-yeon snapped out of it with a small smile. Jo In subtly nodded toward Jo Il-hyeon. Only then did she notice him.
"Father's here too."
Jo Il-hyeon could only chuckle helplessly as she beamed at him. His only daughter's smile melted his heart every time.
"So, what's troubling you?"
"Nothing like that. How could I have worries when I have all of Father's love to myself? Hehe."
Jo Il-hyeon's face lit up with satisfaction at her words and laughter.
"Heh heh, well said... By the way, dear, is there anyone special on your mind?"
Jo Seol-yeon's heart skipped a beat at his question. A certain face flashed in her mind the instant she heard it.
But she shook her head. No, it couldn't be. They'd only spoken a few times. She knew nothing about him. How could she have feelings like that?
"No one."
Jo Il-hyeon and Jo In exchanged glances at her answer. They'd both caught the flicker of complexity on her face. Something was definitely there.
"Really, no one?"
Even as Jo Il-hyeon asked gently, she shook her head again. No one else came to mind.
"Some promising young talents from the Martial Alliance are coming to visit our Jo Family Manor. They'll be staying for a while to help out and train together, so spend time with them too."
"Yes, Father."
Jo Seol-yeon had no choice but to agree. She wasn't thrilled about it, but when Father spoke directly, what could she do?
She knew exactly what Jo Il-hyeon had in mind by pairing her with them. But the Martial Alliance folks didn't appeal to her at all. Her brief encounter with the Victory Dragon Unit had soured her on them completely.
"Alright then, I'll leave you to it."
Jo Il-hyeon gave her one last warm look before turning and strolling away. Things had piled up lately, leaving him busier than ever.
Once he was gone, Jo In spoke with a heavy expression.
"They say you've barely been training lately."
Jo Seol-yeon gave a wry smile.
"I'll get back to it soon. Don't worry, brother."
Jo In fell silent. He was already twenty-two, a full five years older than her. To him, his little sister always seemed so young.
'Then again, seventeen isn't exactly a kid anymore.'
"Fine, handle it your way. But is that why you look so pensive? Because of that guy?"
Jo Seol-yeon jumped at Jo In's abrupt question. He frowned slightly at her reaction.
"Knew it."
"No, it's not!"
Jo In watched her shake her head vigorously in denial, then sighed and shook his own head. He turned to leave.
"You're seventeen now. It's time you started thinking about what's best for the family."
Jo Seol-yeon stared endlessly at Jo In's retreating back.
How much time passed? She slumped back into her chair, propping her chin on her hands once more, gazing at the distant sky.
"Sigh... It's all so complicated."
A pang of resentment hit first. Then joy filled the void. That was why, when Dan Hyeong-u had said those words to her, she'd stood frozen, speechless, before walking away.
"Sigh..."
Another sigh escaped her lips.
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Dan Hyeong-u stood motionless, waiting for Hyeong Pyo, sprawled on the ground, to wake. It was such a remote spot that no one passed by. He simply waited, and waited some more.
"Ugh..."
Hyeong Pyo finally pried his eyes open with effort. The first sight was the clear blue sky. His mind was foggy for a moment. He couldn't grasp why he was lying down—until the moments before his blackout flashed through his head like a montage.
"Gasp!"
He bolted upright, then slumped as he frantically scanned around for Dan Hyeong-u. The young man stood right beside him, still as a statue.
"Y-You...!"
Hyeong Pyo couldn't even form a proper sentence. The shock from before hadn't faded. He hadn't expected such profound martial prowess. All he'd registered was that blinding flash.
"W-Was that really the Three Talents Sword Art?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded at the question.
"It's a form called Heavenly Thunder."
Hyeong Pyo thought the name suited the technique perfectly—especially with that faint thunderclap at the end. Of course, it wasn't part of the Three Talents Sword Art he knew.
"Three Talents Sword Art, yet not the Three Talents Sword Art."
Hyeong Pyo rose slowly. To his eyes, there were no signs of advanced training on Dan Hyeong-u's body. No traces of sword practice at all. Even stripped bare, no one would suspect he wielded such mighty arts.
He tried to gauge the young man's level. But with his own skill, it was impossible. He could only vaguely sense that Dan Hyeong-u could more than hold his own against Bureau Chief Sama Cheol.
"I see your skills are exceptional. Far beyond what I could teach."
Hyeong Pyo continued, looking at him.
"But don't get arrogant. And always stay cautious. The world is full of true masters. Besides, the martial world isn't just about raw power. There are those who wield poisons and other deadly tools. Stay vigilant."
Dan Hyeong-u listened quietly. He still knew little of the world. As Hyeong Pyo said, superiors surely existed—maybe many. His past memories were hazy anyway, and he couldn't compare those hellish demons to humans here. Of course, none he'd met so far came close to matching him.
"I won't tell a soul about your training. Keep it hidden for now. And if you ever need to draw your sword, come to me first. I worry you'll stir up trouble."
Hyeong Pyo's final warning was purely for Dan Hyeong-u's sake. The young man was still naive about the world. A minor slight could lead him to swing his blade—and against the wrong person, that could cost him his life.
Hyeong Pyo's head throbbed at the thought.
'Should I report this to the chief?'
The chief wouldn't believe it. How could he accept that Dan Hyeong-u was a peerless expert on par with him? Sama Cheol had even said the boy hadn't trained at all.
'Could he surpass even the chief?'
Hyeong Pyo shook his head. Impossible. No matter how talented, Dan Hyeong-u was barely twenty. Sama Cheol was over fifty, with decades of dedicated cultivation. No youth could top that.
That left special concealment techniques or innate aura-hiding ability.
'Makes sense, growing up in the mountains like that.'
Mountain dwellers learned to mask their presence from beasts. Hunters too. Likely, Dan Hyeong-u had picked up such skills that way.
In the end, Hyeong Pyo decided against reporting. It might blow up into something big, and Dan Hyeong-u wouldn't be staying long anyway. Better to let it slide.
"Heed my words. Even after you leave here, remember what I teach you. Understood?"
Dan Hyeong-u finally nodded at the earnest tone. Sincerity radiated from Hyeong Pyo.
The two headed to the smithy again. They'd delayed quite a bit, but plenty of time remained to order a scabbard.
Hyeong Pyo didn't miss the glint of greed in the blacksmith's eyes. But it wasn't desire for the sword itself.
"Wh-Who forged this blade?"
Hyeong Pyo glanced at Dan Hyeong-u, who just stood there. Sighing inwardly, he told the smith,
"Just make a scabbard to fit it. Can you do that?"
"O-Of course. Leave it to me."
The blacksmith handled the sword like a treasure, measuring it carefully and inspecting the blade. The keen, bluish edge sent chills down his spine.