Characters[]
- Jin Woonhwi (Sodamgeom) (Namcheomcheomgeom)
- Twice Brothres
- Hae Ak Cheon
- Baek Ryeon-Ha
- Seo Kalma
- Goo Sang-Woong
- Jang Mun-Wong
- Hae Ok-Seon
- Yang Kang-Il
Synopsis[]
Novel[]
The group, their faces covered by masks, followed a retreat trail in Yukhyeolgok, a mountain range surrounded by peaks. The path they had chosen was safe and discreet, having long been prepared as an escape route. However, the greatest threat came from Ha Dae-ju, a dangerous enemy due to his skill at tracking. To throw his adversaries off the scent, Sang-ung Koo, the bloodthirsty leader, assigned one of the group’s best spies to lure the enemies away, a deadly mission that involved great risk.
As the trek continued, the group reflected on the cruel nature of the martial arts world, where sacrifices were inevitable. They hoped not to be captured, since capture meant torture and death. So far, the retreat had gone smoothly, thanks to the presence of Baekryeonha and Gu Sang-ung, who were well acquainted with the geography of the place. At the forefront was Sang-woong Koo, and at the rear was the leader of the escort force, Jang Moon-woong, ensuring the safety of the procession. Halfway along the path, Baekryeonha was caught secretly eating dried meat, which caused some relaxation in the group. Although he was weak, his appetite indicated that he was recovering. Noticing the curious looks, he shared the meat with the twins Song Ja-baek and Song Woo-hyeon and another companion, relieving the momentary tension of the escape. However, the tranquility did not last long. After about half an hour of rapid descent, a strange buzzing sound caught the attention of Haeakcheon and another warrior, who immediately alerted the group to a possible ambush. The bloodthirsty leader stopped the march, and the more experienced fighters soon realized that something was wrong. Looking closely at the area, they identified seven enemies hiding behind the hill to the right. One of them was a first-class master, while the others seemed to be elite warriors.
Decided to attack first, the group divided the tasks: Haeakcheon and Gu Sang-ung would face the most powerful warriors, while the others would deal with the second-class soldiers. In a coordinated movement, they climbed the hill and began the fight. Blades clinked in the air, and the protagonist quickly overpowered a second-class opponent, incapacitating him with just three blows. However, before finishing off the enemy, an idea occurred to him: to interrogate the opponent's sword.
In an unusual dialogue, the sword revealed its consciousness and expressed despair at seeing its master about to die. Taking advantage of this, the protagonist demanded information about the enemy. The sword resisted at first, but when faced with the threat of being used to kill its own master, it gave in and revealed that the warriors belonged to Cheonjinmun and Haeyeonpa, influential political factions.
After extracting the information, the protagonist tricked the sword, promising to spare the master, but then immediately eliminated him. The sword reacted furiously, but there was no alternative: leaving enemies alive during the escape would be a fatal recklessness. The fight ended quickly, and the bodies were hidden in the bushes to avoid being tracked.
While the others tried to get more information from the captured opponents, one of the prisoners bit his tongue and killed himself to avoid interrogation. As a result, the group lost a valuable source of information, but the protagonist stepped forward, revealing the identity of the attackers. The revelation surprised Haeakcheon and the others: facing influential factions like Cheonjinmun and Haeyeonpa meant that they were involved in a much bigger conflict than they had imagined.
The group would need to prepare for what was to come. The escape was not over yet, and new challenges were on the horizon.
Manhwa[]
