Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin.

Twenty-four years old.

A Peng Clan martial warrior with a massive frame well over seven cheok and a body like solid rock.

One of the Seven Prodigies, and commonly called—

‘The Peng Clan’s future.’

Or—

‘Heaven-Martial Body.’

A body granted by the gods.

That was how the world talked about the current Peng Dojin.

A body born to become a martial warrior.

Overwhelming physical ability, and the Peng Clan’s exclusive divine internal art used on the foundation of that body.

Those who had seen the Peng Clan’s blade art unfold from Black-Grand Saber’s hands said that, a hundred out of a hundred, they believed Peng Dojin would one day surpass the Blade God.

‘Heaven-Martial ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Body....’

I’d only heard the rumors, and I hadn’t really known what it would feel like.

...But seeing Black-Grand Saber in person, I understood. With a body like that, what couldn’t he do?

Solid.

The first impression was size—and solidity.

If you stabbed him with a sword, would it even go in?

He looked like a boulder shaped like a human.

Hmm.

After staring at him for a moment, I looked down at Tang Cheon-il collapsed on the ground.

His eyes were rolled back like he’d passed out. He already looked scary, and in that state it was just disgusting.

But putting that aside—

...In one hit?

He was still one of the Seven Prodigies.

In the Tang Clan, Tang Cheon-il was the one they pinned everything on, calling him Poison Sovereign reborn.

And yet, one hit.

He’d even charged with an exclusive poison art, and Tang Cheon-il dropped from a single punch.

...Seriously.

I had nothing to say.

I didn’t think there’d be that much of a gap, even among the Seven Prodigies.

And the real problem was—

Why is he looking for me?

My name had come out of his mouth.

Little Sword Saint Bang Sungyeon.

A sobriquet that still didn’t sit right on my tongue, and my name I didn’t particularly like.

The instant I heard it, my brow knotted hard.

‘He has business with me.’

It was obvious Black-Grand Saber had business with me.

The reason he’d parked his carriage so boldly and blocked the road was probably that too.

Why?

I couldn’t figure it out. I had no idea why Black-Grand Saber would be looking for me.

I didn’t know.

Tsk.

Even if I didn’t know the reason, I still had to move.

If he came out like this, in the end, I had to go out.

Just as I was thinking that and starting to rise—

“Stay.”

Do Hyeong pressed down on my shoulder.

“We don’t know what he wants. Wait for now.”

After saying that, Do Hyeong went out of the carriage.

“...Ah, I really don’t want to get tangled up with that guy. Tsk.”

Cheon Hyein muttered like she was in a bad mood and followed after Do Hyeong.

That left just Cheon Eujin and me inside the carriage.

“Oh.”

Black-Grand Saber’s voice came immediately.

And I listened in on what was being said over there.

*****

Watching them step down from the carriage, Peng Dojin’s eyes gleamed.

He watched with interest. The first one to get down was a young man around his age.

‘Is that him?’

It could be. He could tell the moment he saw him.

‘He’s strong.’

Strong. Unlike that Tang Clan fuckhead who’d rushed him. This one was strong.

He was sure.

Peng Dojin had always had a good sense for these things.

Maybe it was thanks to the extraordinary body called a Heaven-Martial Body.

Or maybe his instincts were just sharp.

Whatever the reason, Peng Dojin’s sense was beyond imagination.

If he thought something would be that way, it turned out exactly that way.

So sharp that just because he had a feeling he’d run into them on this road, he waited three days in a row.

And look. They really did show up.

His sense was good.

Remembering that, he stared at the other man.

A handsome face with distinct lines.

Is that Bang Sungyeon? Peng Dojin tilted his head as he looked—

And then someone else stepped down. When he saw her, his eyes widened.

“Hahaha—! Look who it is!”

He burst into loud laughter. It was a familiar face.

“Moon Dancer!”

Moon Dancer Cheon Hyein.

Unlike that Tang Clan fuckhead—this one was real.

Seeing someone like himself, someone not in the same category as random trash, he laughed again.

Cheon Hyein, seeing that, had no choice but to frown.

“...Black-Grand Saber. What are you doing here?”

“Of course! Of course I knew you’d come too. They said the Blue Moon Sect is attending the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and if that’s true—yeah! Then you have to show up too!”

“I asked why.”

“Finally, I can fight you. My chest is practically fluttering.”

“...No, you—ha....”

Cheon Hyein cut herself off and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Like always, I can’t talk to you.”

“Huh? We’ve been talking just fine this whole time.”

“Sorry, but this doesn’t count as a conversation.”

“Then what’s a conversation? Do we need to do it with swords? That’d be even better.”

KGGGGK—!!

As Peng Dojin spoke, he drew his blade.

A black saber with a hilt as massive as his body.

Cheon Hyein murmured low as she looked at it.

“Black Iron Saber... you received that?”

“Yeah. Father gave it to me as a present for my birthday.”

“So Lord Peng has finally marked you as the next Clan Head.”

The Black Iron Saber was the beloved weapon the previous Clan Head—the Blade God—had used.

And even beyond that, it was the saber the Peng Clan Heads had wielded for generations.

The fact Peng Dojin had inherited it meant one thing.

The next Peng Clan Head was Peng Dojin.

That meaning was being declared openly.

KIKIKIKIK.

Pressure erupted from Peng Dojin. A rough, savage momentum that matched the size of the giant body gripping the saber.

It started to creep toward the carriage—

SHHK.

FWAAAAAAA—!!!

Peng Dojin’s force was cut apart in a flash of light.

“Hoh?”

Peng Dojin’s eyes widened, intrigued.

“We are disciples of the Great Blue Moon Sect.”

A thick, firm voice followed.

“We have business at the Martial Alliance headquarters, and we are traveling this road in accordance with orthodox principles. If you interfere, should we take it to mean you can be considered an enemy of the Martial Alliance and the Blue Moon Sect?”

Sssssssss.

Sharp sword qi spread out.

It prickled. Feeling it, Peng Dojin’s mouth curled up violently.

“Your words sound like some scholar’s, but your momentum is violent. I like it.”

WOOOONG—!!

The saber cleaved the air. With a heavy wind roar, the blade’s tip pointed at the young man.

“If I’m your enemy, then what?”

“......”

Silence swept through.

The young man’s blue eyes flashed.

“I cut you.”

The blade that had been far away drove into Peng Dojin in an instant.

Seeing it, Peng Dojin’s black pupils poured out light.

“Good answer.”

The Black Iron Saber painted ink across the sky.

KUUUUNG—!!

Sword and saber tangled in midair.

Blue force and black force mixed, generating a wave.

KUGUGUGUGUNG—!!!

A thunderous boom burst from the pressure, and after the single exchange, the two pulled apart.

The blue-eyed young man, Do Hyeong, rotated his sword once and took his stance.

He was preparing a proper sword form—

“You.”

Watching, Peng Dojin spoke without wiping the smile from his face.

“You’re strong. I liked that.”

The interest and fighting spirit caked around his eyes were so vicious it was almost puzzling.

“What’s your name?”

“......”

At Peng Dojin’s question, Do Hyeong’s brow furrowed.

Then he glanced toward the Blue Moon Sect carriage. And then—

“Bang Sungyeon.”

He said his junior’s name.

Hearing it, Peng Dojin laughed even harder.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!”

Was he happy because it was who he’d been looking for? As Do Hyeong narrowed his eyes—

“You’re bad at lying.”

“...!”

Peng Dojin’s expression snapped cold.

“You are not the Little Sword Saint.”

That, too, was certainty.

There wasn’t a trace of wavering in Peng Dojin’s voice or gaze.

“Right?”

At that unshakable certainty, Do Hyeong fell silent.

“I like you, but you’re not the one I’m looking for. Come out. He’s in there, isn’t he?”

Peng Dojin’s gaze turned toward the carriage.

Even at his words, the carriage stayed quiet.

Seeing that, Peng Dojin put strength into his saber again.

“If you won’t come out, that’s fine. I can just make you come out.” 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

KUUUNG.

Cracks spread like a spiderweb across the ground beneath Peng Dojin.

Do Hyeong tightened his grip again—

“This is why I didn’t want to get tangled up with that guy.”

With a seductive voice, light burst in front of his eyes.

Before the light even exploded, Peng Dojin’s arm had already moved.

He lifted the saber to his left and blocked.

CLANG—!

A sword drove into the Black Iron Saber.

“Moon Dancer!”

Peng Dojin’s foot slid back from the impact.

It was terrifying strength coming out of a slender body.

“Seriously. You’re still an idiot.”

“Hahaha! Are you going to fight me too? Good!”

“Ha....”

Cheon Hyein lowered her sword loosely.

“I wasn’t planning to do anything annoying, but we have our position too.”

“Your position? What, you have to protect the Little Sword Saint or something?”

As he spoke, Peng Dojin curled a sneer.

“They said he’s that amazing, but he’s hiding inside getting protected. That’s kind of disappointing.”

“Protected?”

At his words, Cheon Hyein tilted her head.

The last bit of humor she ever carried on a normal day had vanished.

“Don’t misunderstand. Do you think I’m protecting him?”

“Then you’re saying you aren’t?”

“Of course not.”

Cheon Hyein brushed her hair back and spoke to Peng Dojin.

“He isn’t someone I can protect or not protect. How can the weak protect the strong?”

“...What?”

Peng Dojin’s eyes widened.

Weak?

‘Now that’s funny.’

At that, Peng Dojin’s heart started to pound.

Cheon Hyein was one of the few among the younger generation he acknowledged.

It wouldn’t be wrong to call her his rival.

Arrogant—but with the skill to turn that arrogance into confidence.

And—

‘Moon Dancer says that?’

Calling herself the weak one, and calling the Little Sword Saint the strong one.

THUD—!

Peng Dojin’s heart jolted.

How was that possible?

“Interesting. Now I really want to see him.”

He couldn’t stand not seeing him.

He had to see him, no matter what.

FWOOOOOOOK—!!

Hardened qi coiled around the Black Iron Saber.

“Tsk.”

“....”

Cheon Hyein and Do Hyeong both put strength into themselves at the same time.

Peng Dojin was going to charge. There was no way not to know.

They started to raise their momentum for the battle that was about to erupt—

CLICK.

A sound came from the carriage, and the door opened.

Peng Dojin’s eyes naturally turned there.

First, a foot stepping down from the carriage came into view.

Slowly.

Very slowly, the toes touched the ground.

And in that instant—

FWOOOOOOOOOOOK—!!!

“...!!!”

Peng Dojin’s body went rigid.

“Uh...?”

A single syllable slipped out.

Peng Dojin’s eyes trembled. Something had come down.

A young man with a trace of youth still left in him.

At most, he looked like he’d only barely passed adulthood.

He was far smaller than that Do Hyeong guy.

Meaning he wasn’t large.

His body too. A lean-looking build, and no obvious bulky muscles.

He was shockingly handsome, but the face that looked like everything was a pain in the ass and sleepy eyes dulled it.

A brow full of irritation, blue eye-light sinking in his eyes.

And a martial uniform that proved he belonged to the Small Moon Unit—the one place within the Blue Moon Sect only the elite could enter.

In a way, he didn’t look like someone that special.

But—

What the hell...?

Peng Dojin couldn’t do anything as he looked at that young man.

What the hell is that?

Drrrrrr.

The arm gripping his saber trembled.

What is that thing that got out of the carriage?

Is it human?

It looked human, but it wasn’t.

Peng Dojin could feel it.

That distant, faraway presence behind the young man.

Like shadows had overflowed and swallowed the entire mountainside behind him.

“Haa.”

A sigh rang out.

A sound that should’ve been small, yet it echoed in Peng Dojin’s ears as if it were resonating inside his skull.

“...What the hell is—hm?”

As the young man spoke, he frowned at Peng Dojin.

And the enormous shadow behind the young man moved with him.

It grew.

...It’s getting... it’s getting bigger.

The shadow kept growing until it reached the sky.

That vast presence looked down at Peng Dojin from far above.

“What.”

[What.]

Was it an illusion?

Over the young man’s clear voice, a rough, thick voice overlapped it.

“You.”

[You bastard.]

“...You can see this?”

[You can see me?]

The blue-eyed shadow smiled.

And under the pouring presence, Peng Dojin’s face went deathly pale.