TOTMO 08

Chapter 8

“How is it, Deputy Leader?”

Heukjeon, who was expected to head into battle, was surprisingly conversing with the attackers.

“You were remarkable. Beyond surprising—truly extraordinary.”
“Is that so? Haha, it seems blood cannot be deceived after all.”
“And what about you, Leader?”
“I was to command the battlefield directly.”

Though “battlefield” was the term used, it wasn’t really a battlefield.

Under Cheongjin’s orders, Heukdanyak was assigned to raid the merchant group today.

The plan was also to observe Cheongun’s reactions and, if possible, give him some real combat experience.

This was actually beneficial for the merchant group as well.

It helped them shed the complacency of being in a safe place and allowed those who would lead them in the future to become more capable.

No matter how skilled they were, everything depended on the leader guiding them.

“Commander!”

At that moment, one Heukdanyak member who had been watching the direction of the carriage appeared urgently.

“What’s the matter?”
“Oh, Deputy Leader, you’re here too.”
“Yes. I asked what’s happened.”

Although not far, the member had tried to clear his head on the way here.

How should he explain it? He wanted to relay only what he saw, without embellishment.

It sounded simple enough, but the scene he had witnessed was too intense to remain calm.

“Th-There… is a casualty.”
“Huh? A casualty?”

Impossible.

The guards might have been of similar skill, but those of similar skill were instructed to just coordinate briefly and then retreat.

This was a military group composed of members with at least peak-level martial ability.

Loyalty went without saying. No one would dare disobey orders.

“I need to see this for myself. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Deputy Leader.”

So everyone followed Heukjeon to the scene.

It wasn’t far, and they arrived quickly, but what they saw was unexpected.

“Ugh…!”

One member groaned with a sword piercing his body.

“….”

Cheongun silently observed the wounded member, still holding the sword that impaled him.

“What on earth…?”
“Deputy Leader, you’re here.”
“Yes, Leader. What happened?”

Heukdanyak’s leader, Heuk Sorang.

A figure who, together with Cheongin, had reached the pinnacle of martial skill, had forged the Cheonggeum Clan from the start alongside the left and right martial methods.

“As you can see… it came to this.”
“Ha…”

The leader merely watched. Was he observing what would happen next?

‘The sword pierced the body, but it’s not fatal.’

The vital spot had been narrowly avoided. A shift of just a fraction could have been lethal.

“Heukdanyak, huh.”

Cheongun spoke for the first time.

“….”

This time, the pierced member closed his mouth.

“Stop the bleeding.”

Cheongun, removing the sword without hesitation, casually pulled out a medicinal herb for treating wounds (geumchang-yak) from his robes and tossed it to the member.

“Th-thank… you…”

By grade, it was top-tier medicine. Though it couldn’t heal a pierced wound alone, Heukdanyak had members trained in medicine.

He withdrew the energy he had poured into the sword, wiped the blood off lightly, and returned the sword to its sheath.

A sword made of black iron—it felt satisfying in his hands.

Then he headed toward the leader and deputy leader.

“Leader?”
“…Yes. Chief, Heukdanyak Leader Heuk Sorang greets you.”

The fact that Heuk Sorang referred to him as Chief instead of Young Master indicated it had already been decided.

Heukjeon also greeted properly.

“He’s Heukdanyak, so we didn’t take his life.”
“You knew…?”
“Wouldn’t it be strange if I didn’t?”
“Haha… Heuk Sorang, this is my first conversation with the Chief, and I seem to have shown a shameful side.”

Though the member was injured, Heuk Sorang knew it was not fatal.

That was why he could smile so freely.

Cheongun even gave a level of healing medicine that normal members could not use.

“Now, shall we return?”
“Yes. The clan master hoped you wouldn’t be startled even in such urgent circumstances.”
“I believe that is fully answered.”
“More than enough. I will report exactly what I saw to the clan master.”

Heuk Sorang couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, as if the future of Cheonggeum Clan was bright.

“By the way, did the merchant group know about this?”
“No. They didn’t even know who the Chief was.”
“Now they do.”
“Yes. If the plan had gone perfectly, it might not have been revealed… but I’m happier it happened this way.”
“Nothing ever goes exactly according to plan.”
“That’s true. I will now return.”

He had been told to guard from afar if needed after seeing the result, but it seemed unnecessary.

Heukjeon, after all, was someone with peak martial ability as well, so there was no worry.

The destination was, after all, the Kunlun Sect of Cheonghaeseong, wasn’t it?

“Understood. Take care.”

So Heuk Sorang and his members tidied up the overturned carriage and departed.

Though Cheongun’s identity was unintentionally revealed, he entered the carriage as if it mattered little.

“Chief… I mean, Chief. I didn’t recognize you…”
“That’s enough. Sleep.”
“Yes, understood.”

A true leader does not show kindness; he shows trust—the ability to protect them.

In that sense, Cheongun had surely left a strong impression.

“…Chief.”
“Call me Woon.”
“Ah… yes. Woon.”
“Yes.”
“How did you handle it?”

He was curious. It was frustrating not to witness it personally.

Even if they were equally skilled, the member would have been far more experienced in real combat.

Moreover, Cheongun found and countered the one who targeted him in a chaotic situation.

One strike. One strike rendered the member combat-ineffective.

“I saw it and blocked it.”
“Is that… all?”
“Yes. That’s all.”
“Then how did you know it was Heukdanyak?”

Cheongun looked at Heukjeon and then smirked.

“That’s a surprise for tomorrow. It would be boring if I told you on the way.”

Heukjeon smiled lightly at that.

“…Right. You’re correct. Rest now.”

It was a night where sleep would not come easily—not just because of the martial skill shown.

The ability to assess situations. The ability to respond appropriately. The ability to guide the aftermath in the best direction.

‘Perhaps… he intentionally pierced just to teach a lesson.’

It felt like witnessing the first footsteps of a new force in the martial world.

Ah, to be precise, he hadn’t seen it directly.

The one who witnessed it all was swiftly returning to Cheonggeum Clan.

‘It was definitely the Golden Sword Technique.’

The only person to see it from start to finish was likely the leader.

The first form of the Golden Sword Technique: Geum Ilseom (Golden Flash).

Yet, why did Heuk Sorang not recognize it?

Geum Ilseom is a slashing form, usually targeting the opponent’s hand.

It uses the fluidity and firmness characteristic of Cheonui Simgong, adjusting the flow of energy with the breath.

The foundation of sword technique, essentially.

Yet, to Heuk Sorang, Cheongun’s movements seemed normal.

‘And… the sword didn’t even leave the sheath.’

Drawing the sword signified using the technique.

‘The technique is the Golden Sword Technique, but it’s different somehow. Even though I saw the difference, I can’t pinpoint exactly what.’

The leader dismissed the thought, assuming it was just a variation of the technique he remembered.

“Increase the speed. This is news the clan master will be pleased with, so we must return quickly.”
“Yes, sir.”

Interestingly, a casualty had yielded an even better result.

By wounding a member, he proved his skill to all and demonstrated loyalty through his response.

All of this verified the greatness that matched the name Cheonggeum Clan.

If possible, he would have reported to Heukjeon and followed him instead, but the leader had instructed him to report personally.

He wondered how the clan master would react.

The son had come to reassure the worried clan master.

By Heuk Sorang’s judgment, the son possessed a rare talent.

The talent to lead others, if not yet fully the ability to lead the Cheonggeum Clan.

After this small incident, the merchant group reached their destination without issue.

Few would challenge the Cheonggeum flag anyway.

The towering Kunlun Mountain rose behind them, a serene and clear air permeating the land of the so-called Taoists.

Those dispatched to manage the supplies would handle it; Heukjeon and Cheongun continued toward their original destination.

Midway up the tall mountains, they approached the Kunlun Sect for a meeting with the Taoists.

“Now, shall we change your title again? Do you intend to hide it?”
“I don’t want to reveal it.”
“May I ask why?”
“There’s no need to confirm the rumors spreading outside.”
“Very well, then.”

The rumors likely concerned the Cheonggeum heir’s supposed illness.

Ascending the mountain, they eventually sensed the aura of the Kunlun Sect Taoists.

“Stop!”

Voices sounded, and figures appeared before them.

“This is the land of Great Kunlun. Identify yourselves.”
“Greetings. I am Heukjeon, Deputy Leader of Cheonggeum Clan’s Heukyeong Unit.”
“Cheonggeum Clan’s Heukyeong Unit…”
“The clan master’s direct unit, yes?”
“Correct.”
“And the child beside you?”
“Called Woon. The Deputy Leader’s apprentice.”

Suspicious gazes lingered briefly.

“I bring a letter for Elder Jin Hyeonjin, sent personally by the clan master.”
“Oh, a letter for Jin Hyeonjin? Please, come in.”

At the same time, the firmly closed gates of Kunlun Sect slowly opened.

Nothing appeared extraordinary. The term “Taoist” was not used lightly.

Yet, the place was peaceful and solemn, a frontline against the demonic sect.

“Deputy Leader, is this your first visit?”
“Yes. The Leader was to come, but urgent matters required me to come instead.”
“Very well. Follow this path, Elder Jin Hyeonjin will be waiting.”
“Thank you.”

After attending to their business, they would have time to observe the Kunlun Sect.

Following the path, they saw someone immersed in training.

“Ha! Haah!!”

A child of similar height to Cheongun, lost in training, met Cheongun’s gaze at the final shout.

“You… you…!”