Cold-hearted Martial Arts World.
In the world of the Dosan Sword Forest, where the weak fall countless times a day, Un-hyeon grabbed the hand of a woman in need without hesitation and plunged into the Martial Arts World. And thus, a chase drama unfolded.
“I can’t take my eyes off this book. What is it about these words that is so tense?!”
The sounds that occasionally came from his daughter’s room disappeared. It was a sign she was deeply focused.
Un-hyeon knocked down the villainous enemies aiming for the famous sword like a hot knife through butter. In his hand was the Eight Trigrams Swordplay he had practiced to execute his craft.
Of course, there were not without crises.
Realizing Un-hyeon’s formidable martial prowess, the enemies grew crafty.
[They mixed poison in the food.]
[How didn’t I get poisoned?!]
[I fed it to the bird by the window first.]
“Did Author Ho Pil know the methods postmen love to use?! The level of detail is impressive.”
A small bird, being small, quickly processes toxins, making it easy to detect poison. How could Author Ho Pil know such things?
Gong Postman let out an admiring sigh.
[Hit them!]
[To shake off the pursuit, we need to go to the riverbank!]
[There are signs of a raft being made!]
[They went downstream! Find them!]
“The idea of erasing traces was good. However, we don’t know the number of the enemies, and I’m getting more and more exhausted. We’re heading into the worst-case scenario.”
Un-hyeon wasn’t lacking in martial strength. He was lacking in stamina. Even for a postman skilled in the tricks of the trade, it was a tough situation.
What will Un-hyeon do? Gong Postman turned the page.
[Are you really okay?]
[When the opponent’s sword moves erratically, staying still is also a method.]
“Hiding in a cave while tricking the enemy to go upstream! This isn’t something a first-time adventurer can think of?!”
Daring thoughts.
If one flows downstream along the river, they can easily shake off the pursuit. Yet, going upstream against the current?
It consumes stamina and can lead to capture. A decision not ordinarily made with a calm heart. It wasn’t an idea one would expect from an experienced adventurer.
[Where did they disappear to?!]
In the end, the enemies, failing to predict his actions, allowed Un-hyeon time to conserve his energy.
“I thought it would just end with some swordplay. But fighting under the unfavorable circumstances of a chase drama, with the tension of a duel. It’s like Author Ho Pil has actually done some fleeing himself.”
The chase drama was tense enough to hold one’s breath. For anyone looking down on how much a mere author knows about Martial Arts, they’d surely be told to read Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.
Even though Un-hyeon had conserved his energy, not everything flowed peacefully. Ultimately, Jin So-yu got hurt.
[Just piggyback me.]
“No, who do you think you are, to be piggybacking on Un-hyeon?!”
The excited voice of his daughter echoed through.
[Little Hero, rather……]
Leave me behind. Jin So-yu couldn’t finish her sentence, but her gaze spoke.
“It might be better to give up. At this rate, we’ll both die.”
Gong Postman nodded in agreement. Un-hyeon had done enough. There was no need to follow a path to death.
[If you weren’t going to take responsibility from the start, you shouldn’t have picked up a sword.]
“Ho ho.”
An admiring sound escaped from Gong Postman.
Why go this far? It wasn’t because the Tang Family’s martial arts were leaked like Tang Jung from The Rise of the Tang Family.
It was simply because a weak person reached out.
Un-hyeon was helping Jin So-yu.
Frustrating and stubborn. It’s not that Un-hyeon didn’t know the value of life. He prioritized the craft to the extent of risking his life for it.
A fool for the craft.
“Normally, one should feel frustration at such a protagonist. Instead, it’s quite exhilarating. How fascinating.”
Creating a protagonist crazy for the craft but granting sheer exhilaration through their overcoming of impossible crises was the aspect Kang Yoon-ho worked hard on in a world where martial arts weren’t popular.
In the end, Jin So-yu was piggybacked by Un-hyeon.
“Ah!”
A sorrowful sound drifted from his daughter’s room.
“The only thing I can trust is a single sword. The only ones I can rely on are each other. Hah. The Martial Arts world I dreamed of is right in front of me.”
A young dream aimed at wandering the Jianghu with just a sword. That dream lay before Gong Postman.
[Little Hero Un-hyeon…….]
A woman’s fondness, too.
“Cough. Isn’t it only natural for a woman’s heart to bloom?”
If it were Author Ho Pil, perhaps, a Taoist master who avoids romantic dalliances might open a path for them. Gong Postman turned the page in anticipation.
—
Un-hyeon, after the chase, did not head towards Wuhan but instead turned direction toward a place called Gangsu Gate.
It was one of the places where the Wind and Cloud Corporal owed a debt, calculating that he could repay it with a sword and ask for help.
[Why aren’t you eating? If it’s because there’s no one at the sect, that’s alright. They’re all out traveling and will return in a few days.]
Even the bewildered face of the sect leader didn’t make the two pick up their chopsticks.
[Are you waiting for the group pursuing us to return?]
Un-hyeon replied to the sect leader with a cold face.
[What do you mean?]
[The three injured people sitting at the table are like the masked man I cut ten days ago.]
[……Tch. You’re quick to catch on.]
[Little Hero Un-hyeon, what are you talking about? Gangsu Sect Leader, as promised, I’ve brought the sword. With this, I can surely repay my debt…….]
Jin So-yu, unable to hide her bewilderment, asked the sect leader, whom she was acquainted with.
[Why should I pay for something I can get with just a reach?]
[What?]
[Didn’t you tell me to enter as my concubine? Why make it difficult and use your hands?]
[No way?! You planned all this!]
[Now you realize. There’s no longer anywhere to run. If you become my concubine, I will give you Wind and Cloud Corporal. Just give up quietly.]
Everything was a scheme created by the Gangsu Sect Leader to swallow up the Wind and Cloud Corporal of Wuhan and obtain the beauty Jin So-yu.
The Gangsu Sect Leader and the sect members leaped up from their seats, revealing their true nature.
“Filthy bastards! Wearing a human mask and acting worse than beasts!”
Such things frequently happen in the Martial Arts World. The actual phenomenon of swallowing competing sects and making their families concubines occurs often. But to do something so filthy?
As a postman with a daughter, Gong Postman couldn’t hide his anger and continued reading the battle that raged within the book.
They had to hurry.
If delayed, the sect members pursuing them would return to Gangsu Gate.
With the improved skills Un-hyeon developed through the chase, he turned three injured Gangsu Sect members into ghosts in an instant.
[It’s all over, Sect Leader.]
Un-hyeon spoke to the Gangsu Sect Leader holding the unconscious Jin So-yu while he dropped his sword.
[All over? This sect is built from mere rabble besides me. With these swords alone, I can easily rebuild the sect!]
Ten precious swords, rare in the Martial Arts World. This surely wasn’t an impossible claim.
[Then there’s no choice but to speak with swords.]
[The talkative Taoist!]
In an instant, the swords of the two clashed together.
On one side, an evil-doer who led a faction. On the other, a swordsman already covered in minor wounds after the chase.
It was obvious who held the advantage.
[Uagh! Release the hostage!]
[Why should I?]
Having unexpectedly lost far more than he expected, the Gangsu Sect Leader’s eyes glimmered with malice as he thought of how to torment Un-hyeon further.
“Wicked scoundrel! What can I do?! It’s a miracle that Un-hyeon has held out until now!”
No answer could be found despite Gong Postman’s unfortunate sigh.
There was no way out. Un-hyeon felt the blood streaming down from his forehead as he stared at the Gangsu Sect Leader.
He mustn’t hurt the hostage. What about using the wind-like hand form of the Eight Trigrams Swordplay?
A gust of wind unfurled from Un-hyeon’s fingertips.
[Where are you going!]
Lacking power, he only managed to graze Jin So-yu while attacking.
What if I use the thunder-like stabbing technique of the Eight Trigrams Swordplay? If it’s a full-powered thrust resembling thunder, it should pierce the heart of the Gangsu Sect Leader.
The problem was that Jin So-yu lay in front of the Gangsu Sect Leader’s heart.
What should he do? Should he ride along the wind and stab like thunder? The relationship between wind and thunder was too distant.
The ever-changing swordplay of the Eight Trigrams Swordplay. But I haven’t even grasped the basic changes yet.
“Ho ho. Is it too much for you?”
Gong Postman sighed in disappointment. It’s a common occurrence. Knowing with the mind but still unable to reach the wall. How many martial artists had become ghosts without crossing that barrier?
Was Un-hyeon the same way?
No, Un-hyeon was different.
He had found what he could do.
Lightning technique. A thrust like thunder was aimed at the Gangsu Sect Leader.
[Uagh! Gave up on the girl in the end?!]
[No.]
The wind was far from the thunder. To reach that point, his sword was insufficient. But what if it were fire?
[Where are you resorting to tricks! Ugh! What is this!]
The Gangsu Sect Leader thought Un-hyeon was playing tricks and swung his sword, but he had to give in to the Hidden Knife that came flying from somewhere.
Who could it be? Un-hyeon felt a presence but couldn’t stop.
Eight Trigrams Swordplay.
One change leads to another.
And the heaven-changing can lead to the hundredfold change. And every beginning holds.
[The Eight Trigrams change into one.]
[What?!]
Li technique. The flame-like stance flowed along the hem of his clothes.
Early summer. Like the embers burning the grass without burning the earth. When the flame rolling along the hem finally passed Jin So-yu.
The Eight Trigrams changed once again.
With a thrust like thunder.
[What is this…….]
The heart of the Gangsu Sect Leader, pierced through, could only utter one final phrase.
[The Eight Trigrams Swordplay. The sword created by the Taoists for the sake of the world.]
Crossing a wall, Un-hyeon had one answer he could give.
—–
“Hah! To cross the wall through life and death struggles, and protect a woman! Ah! Truly! This is a martial artist!”
Gong Postman couldn’t contain his excitement at the rare, splendid scene. But the story wasn’t over yet.
[I’ve won.]
Though Jin So-yu fainted during the battle, thankfully there were no injuries. They had to escape quickly. Just then, Un-hyeon was trying to lift his staggering body.
Clap clap clap. Applause erupted from behind.
[Who is it?!]
[Aren’t you being too cautious towards your benefactor?]
In Un-hyeon’s vision, blurred with the blood flowing from his head, a woman’s clear voice that he had never heard before reached his ears.
[You were the one who threw the Hidden Knife just now. Thank you.]
Who could it be? The one targeting the sword. Un-hyeon did not let his guard down.
[Thank you for removing the pesky host from my path.]
Though his vision darkened with blood, as the woman approached, he could see her in black clothes wearing a mask.
[……A thief?]
[Oh my, it’s spot-on, just like that thrust earlier. Could you please call me The Shadowless Thief instead?]
“The Shadowless Thief? Isn’t that the legendary thief I heard about in my youth?”
Even Gong Postman recalled the reputation of The Shadowless Thief active in regions such as Hubei.
[Is it a righteous thief?]
[The Shadowless Thief has become quite famous lately. You don’t know?]
The woman lamented with a hint of disappointment.
[I cannot let my sword go!]
Un-hyeon’s sword swung, having crossed one minor wall, but only grazed the shoulder of the thief introducing herself as The Shadowless Thief.
[Be careful! You’ve been wounded! I originally came to target the famous sword, but since a master is present, I’ll have to take something of value instead.]
She said this and began piling together treasures of value in front of Un-hyeon inside the sect.
[How shameless!]
While someone had gone through the life-and-death struggle, someone else was stealing.
[Hey, do you know how much blood the Gangsu Sect squeezed from innocent lives? You’d get your sword and woman and be done with it, but what do you think will happen next?]
[Once the bloodsucker sect leader is gone, the people’s worries will vanish.]
[Such naive logic for a Taoist. If there’s a place to suck blood, someone else will show up. That’s why I have to step in.]
[What do you mean?]
[Are you really unaware of The Shadowless Thief? Not wanting to put gold on my face. A phantom of redistributing wealth to the poor. A righteous thief for the good folk.]
“A thief helps the poor? Is this woman claiming to be a chivalrous hero?!”
Even Gong Postman couldn’t mask his bewilderment at such unheard-of chatter.
[You’re going to share this with the people?]
The woman opened her mouth with an annoyed expression.
[Yes, yes. A phantom thief steals from the wicked and gives to the good folk. I left a black paper and it’s all done. I’ll take my leave now. You should get out of here too.]
The woman, who had referred to herself as The Shadowless Thief, left behind a black paper and vanished like the wind.
—-
Thanks to the Gangsu Sect Leader’s death, a power struggle broke out, allowing the two to return safely to Wuhan.
[The Phantom Thief. I never thought the stories about giving riches to the poor would be true.]
With those news of The Shadowless Thief distributing wealth to the poor alongside them.
[I owe a debt that I cannot repay to Little Hero.]
Jin So-yu bowed deeply to Un-hyeon.
[Little Lady, it’s not something I did expecting repayment…….]
[This is a sword that my father left for me before he passed away. It’s just a blade right now, but since you saved my life, I want to give you something as precious as my life.]
Not yet completed sword. But it was the lifelong masterpiece left for his daughter before her father passed away.
If completed, it would surely become a remarkable sword that could be called a divine blade.
[I cannot accept this sword.]
[If you don’t accept it, I’ll just turn it into scrap metal.]
[Little Lady!]
[Instead……. Until the sword is completed, would you stay for a while at the martial hall?]
“Ho ho. How clueless. She’s asking him to stay by her side. She’s completely fallen, totally smitten.”
Gong Postman’s eyes narrowed at the budding romance between the two.
[I’ve paid off all my debts but have become broke. I hired a maid for household matters.]
Suddenly acquired as a maid. However, what the readers of Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes were shocked by was different.
[Hello. Nice to meet you. Ayat.]
[Did you hurt your shoulder?]
[Heh heh. Yes. I got hurt while working.]
“Huh? Huh?! Huh-huh-huh?!”
[Nice to meet you, Little Hero Un-hyeon.]
[……Have I ever revealed my name?]
[Well, you see?]
The pure voice of a woman. A wounded shoulder. The sudden appearance of a woman. Gong Postman immediately thought of someone.
“No way!”
———
[Next volume preview.]
[Continuing your adventures in Wuhan, Un-hyeon, Jin So-yu, and a maid who disappears at night. A subtle current flows between the three.]
“Living together with The Shadowless Thief?!”
Readers of volume 2 of Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes couldn’t help but exclaim the same thing.
“Next volume!!”
