Inside one of the rooms on the Yunseon, an elderly man dressed in white was glaring sharply at Han Hyangmong.
"I hear you gave the top-tier room to a brother and sister whose names you don't even know. Is that true?"
Hyangmong nodded.
"Yes. Elder Go, why concern yourself with such trivial matters?"
"Trivial? You know full well that not just anyone is allowed to use the top-tier room!"
Hyangmong let out a light laugh.
"He is not 'just anyone,' he is a Grand Swordmaster. A Grand Swordmaster! Showing him convenience and forming a good relationship—what's wrong with that?"
A sneer crossed the old man's face.
"Are you mocking me? An eighteen-year-old boy claims to be a Grand Swordmaster? Why not just say he's a national hero instead?"
Hyangmong narrowed her eyes.
"Elder Go, are you deliberately trying to pick a fight?"
"How could I ever think such a thing? But, young lady, though the higher-ups entrusted you with the affairs of Cheonsan Fortress and Hwangseong's trading guild, remember—the authority of that trust only begins once this Yunseon reaches Hwangseong. Hey!"
At Elder Go's call, two guards entered the room.
"That pair has no right to use the top-tier room. Go and remove their belongings immediately!"
Hyangmong's gaze grew cold as she stared at Elder Go.
"Are you acting recklessly just to serve whoever is backing you?"
"Haha! I don't quite understand your words, but this old man is merely handling matters according to principle. If you have complaints, report it to the higher-ups!"
"This… I will not forget this."
With that, Hyangmong shook her head and left the room. Elder Go, left alone, let out a cold laugh.
"No matter how much you try to rally support, I will not let this go easily!"
Elder Go was nearing retirement. Before being discarded, he needed to prove his loyalty to his superiors. Opportunities had been rare, but now he finally had one—and he would not let it slip.
Elder Go, accompanied by the two guards, approached behind Yeop Hyun on the deck. Yeop Ryeong, spotting them first, released her brother's arm and turned toward them.
"Wh-who are you…?"
Elder Go appraised Yeop Hyun from head to toe and snorted. He immediately recognized him as a Ki-Transformation realm martial artist. At a nod from Elder Go, one of the guards tossed the siblings' belongings in front of them.
Thud!
"W-what is this…?"
Yeop Ryeong's face contorted in confusion. Onlookers began turning toward her and Elder Go. Elder Go sneered.
"Do you truly think you have the right to stay in the top-tier room?"
"B-but that woman told us to—"
"Did you pay? Do you have any proof?"
Yeop Ryeong panicked and tried to explain.
"You can ask the woman who told us to use the top-tier room…"
"Hah! Babbling without proof. Looks like you snuck into the top-tier room while everyone was distracted. Guards! Capture these two and throw their bodies overboard!"
At his command, the two guards advanced on the siblings with murderous intent. Yeop Ryeong's face went pale, and she rushed to block Yeop Hyun.
"But, she clearly said it was fine for us to use it! Why are you doing this now?!"
"You dared to occupy the top-tier room without permission. This is deception of Chwiseonru, a crime so severe that exterminating your entire clan would be too lenient!"
The people nearby thought Elder Go was being unreasonable, but none dared speak. This ship belonged to Chwiseonru, and no one had reason to risk their life for two strangers.
Yeop Hyun's energy began to surge, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind. He closed his eyes, controlling his ki.
At that moment, one guard roughly grabbed Yeop Ryeong by the shoulder and slammed her to the ground.
"Ahh!"
Her shoulder dislocated, and she broke into cold sweat from the pain. As she tried to crawl toward Yeop Hyun, the guard's foot struck her abdomen.
Thwack!
She collided with the deck wall and slumped to the floor like a lifeless doll. A boy nearby tried to rush in, but a man blocked his path.
"Father! They're treating people so cruelly!"
"First, let's observe the situation calmly."
Yeop Hyun's eyes snapped open. His energy shifted, becoming overwhelming.
"Heaven and Earth are vast, and I am small. But even if Heaven and Earth imprison my body, my boundless heart cannot be confined. The way of the sword is the same, extending to infinity!"
A profound clarity filled Yeop Hyun's body. Suddenly, the Spirit Short Sword appeared before him.
Whiiing—
Its sword aura rang through the sky as it circled above the Yunseon. Everyone present stared in shock.
The boy in the lavish clothes muttered,
"Impossible… a sword mind so pure…!!"
Sword Mind Clarity! A state where a swordsman's mind is purified and their inner understanding crystallized, fully grasping the path of the sword. This occurred only when a master reached a profound level. Martial artists called this the rank of quasi Sword Way Grandmaster. Those who achieved sword mind clarity reached the pinnacle of sword mastery.
Currently, the only Sword Way Grandmaster in the powerful nations had also reached this state.
Moments later, Yeop Hyun looked for Yeop Ryeong.
"Ryeong… Ryeong…"
He saw her collapsed on the ground like a corpse. In an instant, he ran and scooped up his trembling sister.
"R-Ryeong… what happened?!"
He roared in fury, scanning the deck.
"Who did this—!!"
The chubby boy quickly pointed at Elder Go.
"It's him! He ordered it, and his guards beat her!"
Yeop Hyun's body shot toward the guards like lightning. Seeing this, Elder Go charged at him.
Yeop Hyun redirected his sword toward Elder Go. Silence fell as the Ki-Transformation realm elder shouted,
"You ungrateful brat!"
Elder Go clenched both fists, releasing an invisible burst of force. Simultaneously, sword light appeared on Yeop Hyun's longsword.
One Sword Decides Life or Death!
Sword Light!
Grand Swordmaster!
Everyone froze like stone. Elder Go was shocked but had no time to think. He launched a single strike toward Yeop Hyun.
Spectators watched Elder Go's fists meet the sword light.
Yeop Hyun's blade met the attack, slicing through the air.
The two guards tried to intervene, but Yeop Hyun's body appeared before them like lightning.
Shing—!
Their heads were lifted into the air.
The crowd instinctively stepped back. The boy murmured,
"Incredible… it really is…"
Yeop Hyun eliminated the two guards instantly and turned toward Elder Go. Terrified, Elder Go barely spoke,
"I-I am an elder of Chwiseonru. Attacking me is attacking Chwiseonru—"
Yeop Hyun advanced, sword raised, glaring fiercely. Elder Go stumbled backward.
At that moment, Han Hyangmong appeared in front of Yeop Hyun.
"Yeop Gongja, that is enough. Any more chaos and it will be hard to manage—"
Before she could finish, Yeop Hyun's hand gripped her neck. She met his gaze calmly. He twisted his face into a grimace and said,
"You guided my siblings to the top-tier room, and because of you, my sister was injured. Would you deny responsibility?"
The Heavenly Maiden had explained the situation to Yeop Hyun earlier. Now he understood fully. Hyangmong spoke directly to him,
"If you cause more chaos, it will be uncontrollable."
Yeop Hyun smiled menacingly.
"Even if I accept that you involved my siblings in your internal affairs, you did nothing while this situation escalated. Watching idly is unforgivable. That is reason enough to die, isn't it?"
He tightened his grip. He truly intended to kill her.
At that instant, Hyangmong's body vanished several meters away.
Simultaneously, an elderly man appeared before her, his voice cold:
"Yeop Gongja, withdraw before this escalates further!"
Yeop Hyun looked at Yeop Ryeong collapsed behind him. Seeing his dying sister, his heart tore. Suddenly, he laughed wildly.
"Hahaha!! What have we done to deserve this?!!"
The Spirit Short Sword floated above his palm, quivering violently as if sharing his rage and murderous intent. Its piercing cry filled the air.
As he prepared to unleash One Sword Decides Life or Death, the elder frowned. Suddenly, the Heavenly Maiden's voice echoed in his mind.
[Have you considered the consequences of this strike?]
"Hahaha…"
Yeop Hyun laughed maniacally at her words.
"My sister is on the brink of death! What consequences are there to think of!"
With that, Yeop Hyun's sword shot forward. Just then, Yeop Ryeong's faint voice reached him.
"Brother…"
Yeop Hyun immediately withdrew his sword and ran to her. Holding her, his hands trembled violently. He raised and lowered his sword for her sake.
Seeing this, Hyangmong and the elder sighed in relief. Once Yeop Hyun strikes, he never stops midway. That Yeop Ryeong was still alive was a tremendous relief. Had she died, who knew what he might have done.
Meanwhile, Elder Go, trying to escape unnoticed, was struck by the elder and fell again. Hyangmong glared at him sharply.
"Wait calmly for judgment!"
Her words turned Elder Go's face ashen.
Yeop Hyun, holding Yeop Ryeong carefully, broke down in tears. The boy who never cried, no matter the pain, now wept freely. Yeop Ryeong looked at him gently.
"Brother… do-don't cry… it doesn't hurt that much…"
"It's my fault… all because of this incompetent brother…"