The Winds and Clouds of the Du Gok Palace.
The roar that had shaken the very sky and echoed through the heavens slowly subsided.
Dokgo Seol noticed that all eyes were now fixed on Cheon Ryu-yeong and herself, and she smiled lightly.
"Father's voice was so excited and thunderous, I could hear it even on my way here. Ahem. As you can see, Young Master Cheon has made them withdraw, just as you said, Father."
She had so much she wanted to say.
The verbal clash between Cheon Ryu-yeong and the Celestial Demon Sword had been magnificent, and within it were temptations hard to resist. Yet Cheon Ryu-yeong had refused them all and chosen to remain with her side. She wanted nothing more than to boast about him.
But… for now, one sentence was enough. And she knew full well she was not the main character of this scene.
Dokgo Seol naturally stepped aside, giving the stage to Cheon Ryu-yeong.
Everyone looked at him with flushed faces, their eyes and expressions filled with the kind of joy that seemed about to burst. They were waiting—hoping—for him to say something.
We've won!
They were waiting for those words from Cheon Ryu-yeong's lips.
By unspoken agreement, everyone here was treating him as the supreme commander of the moment. Even Dokgo Mu-yeong's gaze was fixed solely on his lips.
Jo Jeon-hu was ready—if Cheon Ryu-yeong shouted something—to run forward and toss him into the air in celebration.
Under their expectant gazes, Cheon Ryu-yeong hesitated. Dokgo Seol, unable to bear it, whispered sharply to him.
"What are you doing? Everyone's waiting for you to say something."
Cheon Ryu-yeong nodded as if to say he understood, shrugged his shoulders, scratched the back of his head, and finally spoke.
"I'm back safely."
"…"
Everyone blinked in confusion, but no one interrupted, waiting for more. Surely he would declare victory.
A strange silence hung in the air.
Dokgo Seol, brows knitting, leaned in again.
"That's it? Can't you see they're all waiting for you to tell them the result?"
"Ah, right."
Cheon Ryu-yeong chuckled awkwardly, looking embarrassed. Seeing that expression, Dokgo Seol almost doubted whether this was the same man who had astonished her all day.
Then, scanning the righteous faction warriors once more, he spoke firmly.
"We were lucky."
"…"
Again, silence.
Dokgo Seol let out a long, exasperated sigh.
Even Dokgo Mu-yeong and the other leaders, caught off guard, covered their mouths and coughed to hide their reactions.
Most of the righteous warriors lowered their heads, biting their lips to hold back laughter.
Cheon Ryu-yeong.
The man they'd just been wondering might not even be human now looked perfectly human again.
If, at this moment, he had raised his fist and shouted, "We did it! We are victorious!", it would have been the flawless ending to the perfect hero's image. But instead, he looked simply uncomfortable in the spotlight.
They all swallowed their laughter to avoid embarrassing him. And somewhere in their hearts, another thought crept in—
Maybe this kind of hero isn't so bad either.
Still, they couldn't let go of the hope that he might say something more.
But Cheon Ryu-yeong looked around, clearly done speaking, his gaze searching for someone.
Jo Jeon-hu, thinking perhaps he was the one being sought, took a proud step forward. After all, he and Dokgo Seol had met him first—before anyone else here.
Their eyes met… but Cheon Ryu-yeong's gaze slid right past him. Disappointment clouded Jo Jeon-hu's face.
Cheon Ryu-yeong's eyes stopped at someone else. Naturally, everyone followed his gaze.
The man was perhaps in his early twenties.
The young man looked flustered as he met Cheon Ryu-yeong's unblinking stare.
Cheon Ryu-yeong walked toward him, and the righteous warriors instinctively stepped aside to make way.
Stopping in front of the still-youthful-looking man, Cheon Ryu-yeong asked,
"You are… who?"
The young man's eyes trembled, and his brow furrowed deeply.
The entire righteous faction stared at him, many wondering if he might be another spy.
Hot-tempered Jo Jeon-hu quickly stepped forward.
"What? Is this guy a spy too?"
At this point, if Cheon Ryu-yeong pointed to someone and said, "He's a spy," no one here would even question it—they would simply believe him.
But to Jo Jeon-hu's question, Cheon Ryu-yeong looked surprised.
"Isn't he from the Dokgo Clan?"
Indeed, the young man was wearing the Dokgo Clan's martial attire.
Jo Jeon-hu frowned and shook his head.
"Never seen him before."
Before anyone could speak again, Dokgo Mu-yeong said,
"He's from Dokgo Palace. Joined about three months ago."
Dokgo Palace—the group of halls and pavilions adjacent to the Dokgo Clan's main estate.
Powerful clans and great sects often had many guests come and go, some of whom stayed long-term, becoming mun'gak (resident guests) or shikgak (boarding retainers).
Most wealthy families didn't take them in, since supporting them cost considerable money.
But the Dokgo Clan, the richest family in the Han-Chung region, had built entire quarters for such guests, calling it Dokgo Palace.
They used the palace's residents strategically, providing food, clothing, and shelter to skilled wanderers in exchange for their service as part of the clan's fighting force. Those who agreed to this obligation could live there.
Some, over time, were brought into the clan as full members—like Yaksha Sword Jo Jeon-hu, who had been a palace guest before becoming a clan disciple.
The reason for such active recruitment was tied to geography.
From Sichuan's northwest, passing through treacherous terrain, one reached Shaanxi Province, where Han-Chung—and the Dokgo Clan—was located.
Three sides were blocked by mountains too high and steep for easy passage, and the remaining side was guarded by a massive river. In the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao had called Han-Chung a "chicken rib"—too troublesome to hold, but too valuable to abandon.
Its terrain made it ideal for defense, but terrible for expansion. Still, it was a strategic corridor connecting Sichuan and northern Central Plains.
To avoid decline and promote growth, the Dokgo Clan relied heavily on these resident warriors. Without Dokgo Palace, they would never have joined the Eight Great Righteous Clans. Nearly thirty percent of their fighting force came from it.
"Three months ago, you say?"
Jo Jeon-hu narrowed his eyes at the young man. Dokgo Mu-yeong nodded.
"Yes. Like you, he passed Dokgo Palace's entry trials at a very young age. That's why I remember him well. His name was…"
The young man spoke.
"Pung Un." (Wind and Clouds)
"Ah, yes! That's right. Pung Un. I remember saying it was a fine name."
Dokgo Muyeong nodded and swept his gaze over the people of Dokgo Palace nearby.
However, the people of Dokgo Palace only shrugged their shoulders with expressions that said they didn't know much about Pungun.
Pungun was on the smaller side, but he was a young man with quite a handsome face and sharp eyes.
Staring straight at Pungun, Dokgo Muyeong said,
"It seems you don't mingle much with others."
Pungun grinned and replied,
"You know how it is, Master. The people of the palace are such eccentrics that they don't meddle in each other's business."
At those words, Dokgo Muyeong gave a wry smile. Then, looking at Cheon Ryuyeong, he asked,
"Lord Cheon, why did you single out this young man? Is there some problem with him?"
Jo Jeonhu cut in.
"Why else? Lord Cheon must have found something suspicious. And doesn't the situation seem strange? They say he infiltrated Dokgo Palace three months ago. I'm sure his role for the Heavenly Demon Sword is the same as that spy who sneaked into Sichuan Branch…"
Unable to bear it, Cheon Ryuyeong interrupted him.
"That's not it."
"See? Lord Cheon says it's not that… Hmm? It's not?"
Jo Jeonhu looked awkwardly between Cheon Ryuyeong and Pungun. Then he nodded and said to Pungun,
"I was just saying. Don't take it to heart."
Since Cheon Ryuyeong said no, Jo Jeonhu didn't question it further. Pungun looked momentarily dumbfounded but soon replied with an understanding look.
"That may be. I was also surprised because I have no idea why Lord Cheon singled me out. It's fine."
Pungun looked at Cheon Ryuyeong with bright, shining eyes.
"Why did you ask for me and ask who I am? I've never seen you before, no matter how much I think about it. Do you perhaps know me? Or have you seen someone who looks like me?"
Cheon Ryuyeong answered with an apologetic expression.
"No. That's not it… I asked because I wondered if you might be a great master I didn't know about."
A flicker of interest crossed the eyes of those watching. Especially a few people, including Dokgo Seol, who had seen Cheon Ryuyeong instantly discern the weakness of the Black Wolf Squad Leader, began to watch Pungun more closely.
Pungun's eyes visibly wavered. Cheon Ryuyeong, still gazing intently at him, continued.
"From Seongdo to here, I've heard about great masters from Master Dokgo, Hero Han, and the Head of the Black Tortoise Squad. But among the ones I heard about, your name never came up."
Pungun swallowed and glanced around nervously before speaking.
"Ha ha ha… What are you saying all of a sudden? I'm just an ordinary warrior."
Cheon Ryuyeong shook his head.
"No. You're strong. Very strong. But it seems like you only pretend to fight at your full strength…"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lord Cheon."
"Then I'll ask directly. If you had fought the Black Wolf Squad Leader, how would it have ended?"
"…!"
Pungun's face turned pale. Those watching widened their eyes in surprise.
The battle between the Invincible Sword Han Chugwang and the Black Wolf Squad Leader was like a fight between a dragon and a tiger. No one would say it aloud, but everyone knew the truth — the Black Wolf Squad Leader had been just barely superior.
And now, this young man in his twenties was being compared to the Black Wolf Squad Leader?
Everyone around shook their heads.
Even if it was Cheon Ryuyeong, this was clearly some kind of mistake. Especially since Cheon Ryuyeong had never learned martial arts himself.
Jo Jeonhu smacked his lips and interjected,
"Lord Cheon, ahem… I suppose you're just embarrassed because everyone's watching you… ahem… and trying to get out of it with a bad joke. But that was a bit much. What fault does this Pungun fellow have? Look at him — his face has gone completely white from how absurd this is."
Most people nodded at that and chuckled quietly.
Dokgo Muyeong also smiled faintly in agreement.
"In terms of age here, Pungun is probably the youngest. You're being a bit too rough on this young fellow."
Jo Jeonhu picked up the thread.
"Master, I suppose Pungun's skill left quite an impression on Lord Cheon. And of course, anyone who could get into Dokgo Palace wouldn't be third-rate. How was he during the admission test?"
The laughter quieted, and all eyes turned to Dokgo Muyeong. He looked at Pungun with a kindly smile.
"Perfect."
"Pardon?"
"He displayed several techniques — Immortal's Path, Mount Tai Presses the Summit, Eight Directions Storm."
Those who had tensed up relaxed again and smiled wryly.
The techniques he listed were ones even back-alley thugs could perform — cheap martial arts you could buy at any street-side bookshop.
Still, they weren't something to dismiss entirely. Many here had also learned those basics when they first started training.
Dokgo Muyeong continued, still smiling at Pungun.
"They're the most basic of basics, but his execution was flawless. With a foundation that solid, I judged that learning higher-level martial arts later would be much easier, so I accepted him."
Jo Jeonhu nodded.
"I see. Ha ha ha… Master, perhaps you want to take Pungun as a disciple?"
Dokgo Muyeong responded without hesitation.
"His physique is excellent and his foundation is solid, so I'd like to take him if he agrees… but it seems he has no such intention. When I offered before, he said higher martial arts would be too hard and the training too grueling, so he didn't dare."
People silently chided Pungun for being young and ignorant. To turn down the chance to become the direct disciple of the Head of the Dokgo Clan, one of the Eight Great Orthodox Clans…
Dokgo Muyeong gently patted Pungun's shoulder.
"If you change your mind, come find me anytime. But remember — there's a right time for learning. If you wait too long, it will be useless. You're already quite late for your age."
Pungun bowed his head.
"Yes. I'll reconsider carefully."
Cheon Ryuyeong, who had been quietly watching all this time, still couldn't take his eyes off Pungun's face. Seeing this, Jo Jeonhu put an arm around Cheon Ryuyeong's shoulder and said,
"My friend, you probably found Pungun's form quite clean. Admit it. There's no excess in the basics, after all."
Cheon Ryuyeong nodded.
"That's true. Thinking about it, I guess that's why he seemed so impressive."
"Exactly. So let's stop with the jokes and give everyone the line we've all been waiting for: 'We won!'"
Cheon Ryuyeong waved his hands and shook his head.
"Oh no. That's for Master Dokgo to say."
"Good grief… You're the main character here. Oh, forget it. I'll do it."
He raised both arms and shouted into the air,
"We wooooon!"
The orthodox faction warriors cheered in response.
"Wooooah!"
It was a little anticlimactic, but a victory cheer always felt good. Jo Jeonhu kept shouting as he ran into the crowd.
Cheon Ryuyeong glanced at him, then turned to Dokgo Muyeong and Pungun.
"Master Dokgo, I have a favor to ask."
Dokgo Muyeong brightened.
"What is it? Just say the word."
"I think I might end up on the Demonic Sect's kill list."
Dokgo Seol, who had followed Cheon Ryuyeong, spoke up with a bright face.
"Come to my family's estate. I'll protect you no matter what."
Cheon Ryuyeong scratched the back of his head.
"Then… would it be alright for me to impose?"
Dokgo Muyeong beamed.
"Are you kidding? We'll treat you as an honored guest for life."
"Oh! That's a relief. Thank you, truly. And… I have one more request."
Dokgo Seol's heart pounded. She was delighted that Cheon Ryuyeong had so readily agreed to her invitation, so she eagerly joined in again.
"Just say it. You don't even need to call it a request — make it a demand."
Her interruption made Dokgo Muyeong laugh again.
"Ha ha ha. She's right. You saved our lives, so don't call it a request — make a demand. If it's something I can do, I'll grant it."
Cheon Ryuyeong turned his head. His gaze landed on someone.
It was Pungun.
As Pungun furrowed his brow with an awkward expression, Cheon Ryuyeong grinned.
"Pungun — could you make him my bodyguard?"