The Legend of the Northern Blade

CLANG!

A sharp wave of energy echoed through the prison, and Jin Mu-Won's eyes snapped open.

His nerves prickled, and he felt a dizzying sensation as if he was being surrounded by countless razor-sharp swords. An overpowering sense of conviction, as if the one approaching was the only one standing between heaven and earth, spread through the air.

In the darkness, Jin Mu-Won narrowed his eyes.

Finally, someone stepped out of the shadows. He was a middle-aged man with a thin, skewer-like frame and a small stature that gave him an unremarkable appearance. In spite of the gloom, his eyes glittered with intense light as his sharp gaze, like a well-forged sword, landed on Jin Mu-Won.

Behind the middle-aged man stood a younger man. He was looking at Jin Mu-Won with a mix of emotions in his eyes, but the middle-aged man's powerful presence completely overshadowed him.

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Jin Mu-Won's gaze flickered as he looked at the two men. Their faces were hard to see in the dim torchlight of the prison, yet he recognized them instantly.

More than ten years had passed, but their appearances hadn't changed much from his memory.

"It really is you."

The middle-aged man took a step closer to Jin Mu-Won, his figure coming into full view. He was the Phantom Sword, Yeon Cheon-Hwa. Once called the sword of the Northern Army, he was now known as one of the Four Northern Pillars.

In those days, Jin Mu-Won had called him uncle, and Yeon Cheon-Hwa had treated him like a beloved nephew, but those were memories from a time long gone.

The way the two men now looked at each other was colder than that of complete strangers.

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Jin Mu-Won's gaze shifted from Yeon Cheon-Hwa to the man behind him. "Un-Kyung hyung…"

"Long time no see," the man said.

He was a man with an ordinary face and gentle eyes, and like Yeon Cheon-Hwa, he was also someone Jin Mu-Won knew well.

After all, Jo Un-Kyung, the eldest son of the Fist Demon Jo Cheon-Woo, had spent his childhood alongside Jin Mu-Won in the Northern Army. They were enemies now, but Jin Mu-Won had once admired him deeply.

Distant memories of that time—so far in the past that he wondered if they had truly happened—made Jin Mu-Won's heart ache.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa glared at Jin Mu-Won with fury, disgust, and hatred. "You're alive," he barked.

"You seem well, Uncle."

"How have you been? Why didn't you visit me at the Greatsword Fortress if you were alive?"

"I've been busy."

"Really? Even though we haven't seen each other for ten years, I would have at least treated you to a warm meal."

"I didn't want to risk my life for just a meal, Uncle."

"Do you lack even that small bit of courage?"

"I'm still alive because I've always lived cautiously."

The two men's words were sharp as swords, and the prison air was thick with tension.

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Yeon Cheon-Hwa made no effort to hide his displeasure. His eyes brimmed with killing intent as he focused his aura, bearing down on Jin Mu-Won so fiercely that a weaker man would have coughed up blood just by meeting his gaze.

When that failed, he seemed ready to draw his sword if not for the iron bars between them.

To Yeon Cheon-Hwa, Jin Mu-Won was like a bolt from the blue. No matter how well they disguised it, the Four Northern Pillars were merely a branch of the Northern Army.

To them, the mere existence of Jin Mu-Won, the legitimate successor of the Northern Army, was a nuisance.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa had believed that he had built an unshakable confidence, an impregnable fortress. However, his self esteem was shattered the moment he saw Jin Mu-Won again.

The young man before him had withstood his aura without batting an eye. That meant his martial prowess rivaled his own.

Were there still any martial arts left in the Northern Army for him to master?

He didn't think so. He had taken all the sword manuals from the Northern Army, leaving nothing for Jin Mu-Won to learn, yet rumors said that Jin Mu-Won had mastered the sword.

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Lord Jin must have passed down his teachings in secret.

A sliver of envy rose in Yeon Cheon-Hwa's eyes, then faded.

He had always felt overshadowed by Jin Kwan-Ho, the Lord of the Northern Army. Though he was a genius in his own right, he had never beaten Jin Kwan-Ho even once.

Even though Jin Kwan-Ho always treated him fairly and equally, he never felt comfortable in his presence and longed to break free from the man's shadow.

Therefore, when the opportunity arose to take Jin Kwan-Ho down, he had seized it immediately.

For the same reason, he had kept track of Jin Mu-Won after the fall of the Northern Army. Only after hearing of Jin Mu-Won's death did he finally sleep soundly.

"What are your plans now? If you want to go back north, I can release you from prison," Yeon Cheon-Hwa asked,

"You want me to go back north?"

"Isn't that where you belong?"

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"What about you? Do you belong somewhere else now, Uncle?"

"You!" Yeon Cheon-Hwa's eyebrow twitched at the remark, but he quickly regained his composure. "So you're not going back? It won't do you any good to stay here."

"That's not for you to worry about, Uncle."

"I guess I was worried for nothing. You're a grown-up now. However, you know that being an adult comes with responsibilities, right? Keep that in mind."

"Thanks for the advice. I'll remember it."

"Hmph!" Yeon Cheon-Hwa scoffed. To him, the Northern Army was a wall he had to overcome, and the legitimate successor of the Northern Army a tree he had to cut down.

His killing intent grew stronger, and the broadsword at his waist began hum faintly.

"Uncle, may I speak with Mu-Won for a while?" Jo Un-Kyung suddenly chimed in.

The timely interruption forced Yeon Cheon-Hwa to restrain himself, but it did not make him any less resentful.

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"Hmph! I'll wait outside," he snapped, leaving without a second glance.

I have to speak with the Ten Great Elders.

Blood trickled from Yeon Cheon-Hwa's bitten lip, though he paid no attention to it.

When Yeon Cheon-Hwa left, Jin Mu-Won and Jo Un-Kyung were left alone in the prison. For a while, they simply stared at each other without a word.

"…I'm glad you're doing alright," Jo Un-Kyung finally said.

"You too, Hyung-nim."

"I couldn't believe it. I was honestly surprised to find out that you were the Northern Blade."

"Is that so?"

"You must have gone through a lot."

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"I never really thought that I was suffering."

Jo Un-Kyung shut his eyes. He didn't need to see it firsthand to know the horrors Jin Mu-Won had endured. A decade ago, the Northern Army had disbanded and Jin Mu-Won left all alone in the fortress.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how much hardship Jin Mu-Won had endured, fighting his way out of hell at such a young age.

"What were you thinking?" Jo Un-Kyung finally asked.

Jin Mu-Won tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

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"I'm asking why you ended up in prison. With your abilities, you could have avoided spilling blood."

"I had no choice. I was attacked."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"If you can't even believe the truth, then why bother asking?"

"Is that so?"

"What about you, Hyung-nim? Did you come here to join the Demon Hunters?"

Jo Un-Kyung smiled bitterly. "Yes. It was my father's wish, and I don't really have any choice, considering my current circumstances."

"I wish you all the best in achieving your goals."

"Thank you. I also hope you achieve what you desire."

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"Do you really mean that?"

"……" Jo Un-Kyung's brows twitched in surprise.

Jin Mu-Won carefully observed him.

Composing himself, Jo Un-Kyung asked, "What do you mean? Of course I mean it."

""Then why don't you ask me about it?"

"About what?"

"About your father's whereabouts."

Jo Un-Kyung stiffened. "You…?"

"It's been a while since you've heard from him, right? You must be suspecting that I have something to do with it, right?"

"……"

"So why aren't you asking me about it?"

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"Would you answer me if I did?"

Jin Mu-Won approached the bars. "You know, in my memories, you were always polite. You never snapped at or got angry at anyone. Until now, I thought it was because you were a considerate person."

"So?"

"I just had a strange thought. Maybe you're not all that you seem to be, Hyung-nim."

When they were alone, Jin Mu-Won had expected Jo Un-Kyung to demand answers about Jo Cheon-Woo. Everyone knew Jin Mu-Won had gone to Yunnan, and that Jo Cheon-Woo vanished around the time Jin Mu-Won left the province.

It was only logical to suspect a link between the two, but Jo Un-Kyung never once brought it up.

"I'm shocked that you jumped to conclusions just because I didn't ask about my father's whereabouts. Not only have your martial arts improved, your wit has also sharpened. However, you still haven't answered my question. What happened to my father?"

"I killed him."

"Hah, I suspected as much."

"You don't look sad at all."

"What are you talking about? I feel as though my heart has been torn apart. What more do I have to do to show my sadness?"

"Hyung-nim…"

"Go on."

"You learned the Demonic Cross of Blood, didn't you?"

"……" Jo Un-Kyung abruptly clamped his mouth shut.

Like ink staining pristine paper, his expression slowly shifted, altering his demeanor until he seemed like a completely different man.

"How did you find out?" he asked, smiling faintly.

SCREEEEEEECH!

Before Jin Mu-Won could reply, Snow Flower let out a piercing cry.