Yeop Hyeon lifted his head and saw a massive man leading a group of soldiers charging toward them.
They were not Tang Kingdom soldiers, but soldiers of the Kang Kingdom. More precisely, they were the private troops stationed in Yanggyeseong.
And the man with the imposing physique was none other than the lord of Yanggyeseong. He stormed forward, yelling furiously at Yeop Hyeon and the woman.
"Who gave you permission to commit such an act?"
Yeop Hyeon narrowed his eyes.
The lord shouted at the woman with an angry voice.
"Seize that woman!"
At his command, the soldiers approached her. The woman instinctively ducked behind Yeop Hyeon. At that moment, Yeop Hyeon raised his hand and slashed across the cheek of the approaching soldier.
Smack!
With a dull impact, the soldier flew through the air and collapsed to the ground.
The lord's eyes widened in shock for a moment, only to twist in fury as he bellowed.
"You little—! Are you plotting a rebellion?"
Yeop Hyeon's right hand tightened with force.
"When the Tang soldiers break into the city, steal wealth, and abduct women, you don't show a trace of concern. But the moment I try to intervene, you rush out to stop me? Just who exactly are you people?"
The lord, seething with anger, answered.
"If you kill him, who will take responsibility afterward!? Not far from here is the Black Armored Cavalry's garrison. If you kill him, they'll use it as an excuse to slaughter even more people—are you unaware of that?"
Yeop Hyeon snorted.
"Aren't you just afraid of dying?"
The lord's face contorted at Yeop Hyeon's words.
"Stop your nonsense! I am in charge of Yanggyeseong…."
Ignoring him, Yeop Hyeon turned his gaze toward the woman.
"Stab him."
The woman glanced at Yeop Hyeon once, then approached the Black Armored Knight.
Furious, the lord shouted,
"Seize them all!"
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon's figure surged forward in an instant and gripped the lord's neck. His soldiers froze in place, daring not to move.
With a fierce glare, Yeop Hyeon looked at the lord and said,
"Do you know what I hate most? People like you who are cruel to the weak and powerless against the strong. Say one more word, and I'll snap your neck!"
Terrified, the lord could not utter a single word.
Then a scream came from behind them.
Gurgle—!
Yeop Hyeon turned to see a sword lodged in the Black Armored Knight's neck. The woman who held the sword was covered in his blood.
Having killed the Black Armored Knight, she collapsed against the city wall, her eyes staring blankly into the distance.
"Ha, in the end, you caused quite an incident!"
The lord trembled with rage and shouted at Yeop Hyeon.
Ignoring him, Yeop Hyeon took a few gold coins and handed them to the woman.
"Survive!"
With those words, she turned and stared vacantly at Yeop Hyeon's departing figure.
At that moment, the sound of hooves thundered from outside the city. This time, it was not a dozen, but countless hooves!
Instantly, the expressions of everyone inside the city changed dramatically.
Yuk Soyeon's face also darkened rapidly.
Glancing out at the approaching army, the city lord's face went pale.
"It's over… it's over. The Black Armored Cavalry is coming… the Black Armored Cavalry…"
Suddenly, he pointed at Yeop Hyeon with an enraged expression.
"This is your fault. Because of you, everyone's about to die!"
As he spoke, the townspeople glared at Yeop Hyeon with resentment. Their eyes seemed to silently accuse him of needlessly stirring trouble.
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon heard the Heavenly Maiden's voice in his mind.
[You acted courageously to do what is right, yet this is the gratitude you receive. How do you feel?]
"All I do is for myself, not to look good in front of others. So I don't care how they view me!"
The Heavenly Maiden fell silent. Yeop Hyeon slowly began walking toward the city gate.
"Oppa!"
He turned at Yeop Ryeong's voice.
"Ryeong, can you order one more bowl of noodles? I'll be back soon!"
Yeop Ryeong watched Yeop Hyeon anxiously as he headed toward the city gate.
As he stepped outside, he noticed the woman he had saved earlier quietly following him.
At that moment, the city gate slammed shut with a deafening roar.
In front of the closed gate stood a man and a woman.
Thousands of Black Armored Cavalry were charging straight at them. Even Yeop Hyeon could not suppress a gasp at the overwhelming display of power.
He instinctively knew it would not be easy to block them. Even the legendary martial artist An Ransu would struggle against so many mounted soldiers.
'Even so, I will not back down!'
Despite the danger, Yeop Hyeon did not regret acting with good intentions. All he could think was that he had to stop them at all costs.
"My name is Ok-eo."
The woman spoke from behind him.
Yeop Hyeon nodded lightly.
"I am Yeop Hyeon."
"I will not forget that name. In the next life, or even the one after that!"
Yeop Hyeon did not hear her words. He was already advancing toward the charging cavalry. As he faced the overwhelming force, fear began to creep over him.
At that moment, he felt the tremor of the Spirit-Soul Sword within him.
Yeop Hyeon, too, feared death, but some things had to be done, even if it meant dying.
He did not concern himself with national diplomacy. He only recognized that he was a citizen of the Kang Kingdom.
Though the country had its flaws, it was his homeland, and he could not stand by while it was invaded.
Battle!
This fight was for neither his sister nor himself.
Yeop Hyeon's pace quickened. Facing the Black Armored Cavalry ahead, his face showed no fear—only the thrill of combat.
"Hahaha!!!"
Yeop Hyeon laughed wildly and shouted,
"Come!"
Suddenly, his entire body trembled as a surge of immense, formless energy began to stir within him.
[What… what is this!!]
From within the Gyok-ok Tower, the Heavenly Maiden's voice sounded.
[Battle intent? A swordsman who hasn't even awakened sword intent is feeling battle intent! What have I been teaching all this time!?]
Intent!
There are countless forms of martial intent in the world—sword intent, spear intent, fist intent, killing intent, battle intent, and so on.
Achieving any of them is as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. Only one person in the Kang Kingdom had truly awakened sword intent: the kingdom's sole sword master.
The reason intent is hard to achieve is simple: it cannot be reached through mere training. No fixed method exists; a warrior must achieve enlightenment on their own.
Once one reaches intent, their combat power skyrockets, and they can even enter new dimensions of martial mastery.
It was unclear why Yeop Hyeon now possessed such intense battle intent.
But one thing was certain: even with thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of cavalry bearing down, Yeop Hyeon would not retreat.
Battle!
Yeop Hyeon's pace increased further, now nearly sprinting toward the cavalry. Every step stirred a whirlwind of sand, forming a massive sandstorm around him.
Yet the grandeur of the thousands of Black Armored Cavalry was still far more fearsome than his own.
Still, there was no fear in Yeop Hyeon's eyes.
Watching the immense black energy threatening to engulf the boy, Ok-eo's gaze began to waver.
When the cavalry was about a hundred jang away, the man at the front suddenly raised his right hand to halt them.
Despite the sudden command, the formation showed not a hint of disorder.
The man's gaze shifted not to Yeop Hyeon but to his right. There, a woman was slowly riding toward them.
She wore silver light armor and her long hair was tied down to her waist. At her side hung a curved golden sword. Though not breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes were sharp and piercing like a perfectly forged blade.
Silver armor, golden sword!
The arrival of this woman caused the pupils of thousands of cavalrymen to dilate.
Across the entire Kang Kingdom, only the Ninth Princess, Commander of the Army, wielded silver armor and a golden sword!
She was the most feared figure by the Tang Kingdom. Her reputation extended to every neighboring nation.
The Ninth Princess, alongside An Ransu, was considered one of the twin prodigies of the Kang Kingdom.
The middle-aged man at the front eventually turned his gaze to Yeop Hyeon. After a long look, he signaled the Black Armored Cavalry to retreat.
The man and thousands of cavalry disappeared beyond the horizon as swiftly as they had charged.
Yeop Hyeon was stunned.
'What… could they really be afraid of me?'
As Yeop Hyeon pondered, he heard the Heavenly Maiden's voice.
[Your face is thicker than the earth!]
"..."
The woman in silver armor approached Yeop Hyeon and stared directly at him. Yeop Hyeon realized that it was she who had forced the Black Armored Cavalry to retreat.
Curious, he studied her intently. Though not as striking as An Ransu, the woman exuded a unique, commanding presence. Her eyes were so piercing it was almost impossible to look directly at them.
Despite her intensity, Yeop Hyeon felt no intimidation.
He respected others, but he feared no one.
This was why he was not overpowered by her gaze.
Their eyes conveyed very different impressions. The woman's were sharp and aggressive, while Yeop Hyeon's were as calm as a gentle breeze across a green hill.
The woman in silver armor finally spoke, her words brief.
"Into the city!"
With that, she turned her horse toward the city.
Yeop Hyeon glanced at Ok-eo.
"Let's go too."
Ok-eo nodded and followed behind him.
The three soon reached the city gate. The woman in silver armor stared at the firmly closed gate, and from behind her, several afterimages appeared, splitting the gate into five sections in an instant before vanishing.
Yeop Hyeon flinched at the sight.
'Incredible.'
He looked at the woman in silver armor with curiosity.
'Who on earth could she be?'