Chapter 36. Sword Demon: Young Disciple 

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

The boy, Seo Cheon-gi (서천기), was panting as he sprinted through the streets of Dandong.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

Every time his legs moved, the pouch hidden in his clothes rattled.

‘It’s a miracle!’

Seo Cheon-gi had seen it—a flash of gold inside a wealthy young noble’s pouch at the pharmacy.

There was no time to hesitate. He got to work immediately—and succeeded.

‘Narin! Just hang in there a little longer!’

Seo Cheon-gi ran breathlessly until he reached the Punggeso (風憩所).

The Punggeso was a kind of hiring hall established across the Central Plains by Langwang Chumyeong, where drifters holding a Langinpae (浪人牌) could rest and find jobs.

Bang!

“Huff! Huff!”

“Huh? You again?”

When Seo Cheon-gi burst through the door, the man with a goat beard sitting at the counter clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Kid, I told you—human lives aren’t cheap enough to buy with a few coins.”

“Huff! Huff!”

Despite the scolding, Seo Cheon-gi staggered forward. The goat-bearded man shook his head and continued.

“These folks here risk their lives on the job. Even a low-grade drifter costs at least ten nyang a day. Mid-grades? You’ll need something shiny.”

“Puhaha! He’s right!”

“Yup, shiny stuff is a must!”

“Pffft, kid. For high-grade drifters, you’ll need something yellow. Just so you know—we don’t accept urine as payment.”

The other drifters, amused and idle, jeered at Seo Cheon-gi.

But ignoring them all, Seo Cheon-gi walked up to the counter and plopped down his heavy pouch.

Thump!

“Huff! Here it is. Hah… Something shiny!”

“My word, you’re as stubborn as an ox…”

Clatter!

Seo Cheon-gi untied the pouch—and golden light spilled across the hall.

“Haa…!”

“I want to use all of this to hire drifters. How many can I afford?”

Hearing the boy’s urgent plea, Baek Gaso (배가소), the ledger keeper of the Dandong Punggeso, immediately changed his expression and rubbed his hands together.

Rustle!

“Hehe, so you’re a young master. How much are you looking to hire?”

“I want the strongest and the most—just for one day!”

“Of course! As you should. Currently, there are twelve high-grade drifters staying in Dandong. Since you only need them for a day, you could probably hire at least nine.”

“I’ll take them all!”

With Seo Cheon-gi’s shout, Baek Gaso grinned from ear to ear and nodded.

“Fufufu, I’ll convince them myself. You’ll likely get most of them. So, what’s the mission?”

“…A raid.”

“Hm?”

Baek Gaso’s expression darkened at Seo Cheon-gi’s words.

“A raid? Drifters aren’t bandits, you know.”

“It’s not anything bad!”

“That’s for me to decide. With a request like that, even six might be hard to gather.”

“Th-then just gather as many as possible!”

“If you don’t tell me exactly what the mission is, not even three might accept.”

Grinding his teeth, Seo Cheon-gi shouted.

“Ugh! It’s a raid on the Peach Blossom Horse Ranch!”

“…What?!”

“This lunatic!”

“You’ve lost your damn mind.”

Everyone in the Punggeso—including Baek Gaso—went pale with shock.

The Peach Blossom Horse Ranch was protected by Salmak and bore the Wailing Soul Lantern (Wonhondeung), marking it as under heavy protection.

“You mad brat! No drifter will take a suicide mission like that! Get lost!”

“B-but…!”

“I said get out!”

As Baek Gaso screamed, face red with fury, Seo Cheon-gi clenched his teeth and swallowed his tears.

Step, step, step.

“Uuuh… uuhh…”

Seo Cheon-gi dragged his feet and groaned in frustration.

‘Is it… really impossible? Ah… Narin…!’

Tears blurred his vision, splitting the world into fragments.

And through those blurred fragments, figures emerged.

“Hehe, where do you think you’re going?”

“Hey, kid. Let’s have a little chat.”

“Puhaha!”

Looking up, it wasn’t dozens—it was just three men.

Two had swords at their waists, and one carried a spear.

“…Do you have business with me?”

Sensing the bad vibe, Seo Cheon-gi tried to step back, but the men were faster.

Shuffle!

They quickly surrounded him, eyes gleaming like predators.

“Hehe, not exactly with you…”

“But we’ve got plenty of business with that pouch of yours.”

“Puhaha! We hit the jackpot!”

Seo Cheon-gi recognized them—they were the drifters lounging earlier at the Punggeso.

“You said drifters aren’t bandits.”

“Of course we aren’t. At least, not until yesterday.”

“If we gut you and bury you deep, who’d know?”

“Besides, you already marked yourself for death—saying you’re raiding Salmak’s territory.”

Step, step, step.

The three men closed in, and Seo Cheon-gi braced himself, looking for an escape route.

‘No time to jump the wall. The spear guy will strike first. I’ll dodge right, push the shaft into the other two, and break through!’

As he lowered his stance, preparing to make a move—

A voice interrupted.

“Hey. What business do you have with my chubby pouch?”

All four turned to look.

Two figures stood there—one, a handsome youth in a blue martial robe, the other, a scruffy-haired boy.

“…Who the hell are these brats?”

“My pouch?”

“Hey you, did you pickpocket someone?”

“…”

The drifters tilted their heads in confusion. Seo Cheon-gi remained silent.

Their silence revealed the truth. The drifters snorted.

“Hah! So you’re just like us, huh?”

“Well, ain’t this something.”

“But what’re you gonna do? You got your name on the money or something? Got proof?”

The drifters sneered and mocked Hoyeon.

But Hoyeon just smiled gently and nodded.

“You’re very easy to read. Adorable, really. Let me reward that cuteness.”

Step.

As Hoyeon stepped forward, the boy beside him spoke stiffly.

“Brother, please leave this to me.”

“Hm?”

“I won’t forgive those who dare covet my brother’s pouch!”

“…?”

Hoyeon blinked at the trembling Muryong Yul beside him.

‘What’s up with him? Was he always this hot-blooded?’

As Hoyeon tilted his head, Muryong Yul stepped forward and drew his sword.

Shing!

“You bastards! Say your last prayers! How dare you target my brother’s belongings! You deserve to die a thousand deaths!”

From the timid boy he usually was, Yul’s declaration was shockingly fierce.

The drifters were dumbfounded.

“Who does this little punk think he is?”

“You go.”

“Yeah, we’ll hold this brat down.”

“Tsk.”

One of the sword-wielders approached Muryong Yul.

“Three brats in one day. That big one looks fun to stab.”

“…!”

Yul glared at him, his anger boiling.

‘How dare you! Insulting my brother… my brother!’

Flare!

His blue eyes blazed with passion.

Fwoosh!

Yul kicked off the ground.

Using Sanhyeongbo (散形步), his movement became swift and erratic—like a cat.

“Eh?”

The drifter thrust his spear in surprise.

Though a low-grade drifter, receiving a Langinpae meant surviving at least ten missions. He had basic mastery of spear techniques like Rannachal (攔拿扎).

Whoosh!

The spear shot toward Yul’s chest.

‘Got him!’

The drifter was certain of victory. Yul was small, frail, and short-limbed—disadvantaged in strength and reach.

“…Hoo.”

But instead, Yul relaxed his entire body and let go of his tension.

Though only stage 3 of internal energy cultivation, his family’s Heaven-Earth Immaculate Divine Art allowed incredible control.

The power gathered in his dantian flowed into his limbs—and turned imagination into reality.

Whoosh!

Yul’s sword didn’t aim for the enemy—it cut through empty air.

A mistake?

No.

Slide…

His sword drew a flowing arc, like a bending willow branch—tracing the character gi (己) in the air.

‘The Duzhuanxingyi?’

Hoyeon’s eyes widened in shock.

Duzhuanxingyi (斗轉星移)—a secret skill of the Muryong clan that redirected an opponent’s attack using the Big Dipper’s flow.

Clang!

“Wha—?!”

The spear was swept along by Yul’s sword, shifting direction strangely.

‘Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, Yaoguang…’

Hoyeon recognized the sword’s flow—it followed the stars of the Big Dipper.

Slice!

At the final star, Yaoguang, the spear tip pointed at the drifter’s foot.

Crunch!

“Aaagh!”

“Repent!”

Thud!

Yul’s tiny fist landed squarely on the drifter’s jaw.

“Guh!”

Thud!

As the man collapsed, the other two stiffened.

“…He’s got skills.”

“Let’s get him together!”

Dash!

They rushed in perfect sync, launching attacks from both flanks.

Slash! Slash!

Yul didn’t dodge. He bent his waist, channeling force into his blade—and again drew the shape of gi (己).

Clang! Whoosh!

Caught in the Duzhuanxingyi’s flow, both blades lost direction—like sheep lost in the Milky Way.

Slice! Slice!

“Guh!”

“Aaagh!”

As they screamed, Yul used quick cat-like steps to close in—and aimed a kick at their solar plexus.

Smack! Smack!

But due to the height difference, he missed.

Instead, he struck… somewhere far more sensitive.

“…”

“…”

The drifters dropped like sacks, unable to even scream.

Their expressions made even the earlier impaled man look lucky.

“U-uuuuh…”

Step, step, step.

Seo Cheon-gi looked up in terror at the scruffy-haired boy approaching him.

The faint blue glow in his hair made Seo Cheon-gi wonder if he was a vengeful eunuch ghost.

“That.”

“Eek!”

“Return it to my brother and apologize.”

“…Huh?”

Seo Cheon-gi realized Yul was pointing at his silk pouch. He quickly nodded.

“Y-yes, sir!”

He pulled out the pouch and offered it to Hoyeon, groveling.

“I-I’m sorry! I committed a grave sin! Please forgive me, sir!”

“He’s my brother!”

“R-right… then, elder!”

Seo Cheon-gi bowed low as Yul stood proudly beside him, blue eyes gleaming.

He looked just like a proud cat waiting to be praised for catching a mouse.

“…Hmm.”

Hoyeon scratched his cheek, glancing between the two.

It all felt like some rowdy children’s play.

After the commotion settled—

Hoyeon asked,

“You said you’re from Heilongjiang?”

“Y-yes. I was tracking the traces of a missing friend… and ended up here…”

“Hmm?”

At that, Hoyeon’s eyes lit up.