Chapter: 01
Prologue. A Child… A Child?!
At the northeastern edge of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, atop Seolhonsan (Snow Soul Mountain), whose peak was buried beneath eternal snow that never melted throughout the year—
Namgung Unhyeon gazed down at the mountain range blanketed in pure white.
An endless expanse of snow filled his vision.
Like the path of righteousness he had walked his entire life, the snowy mountains were immaculate, untouched by even the smallest stain.
The Emperor Sword (Jewanggeom), Namgung Unhyeon.
There was no one in the martial world who did not know his name.
He was the head of the Namgung Clan, hailed as the strongest force in the current martial world, and the man destined to become the next Alliance Leader before long.
In the profound silence, he tilted his head back and let out a long breath.
The faint warmth of his exhale became a small cloud of mist drifting from his lips.
Tap. Tap, tap. Tap!
Five or six figures surrounded him.
Their white breaths scattered into the freezing air at the same moment.
Their faces were filled with unmistakable dread as they struggled to steady their breathing.
The poison of Blood Pellet Heart-Melting Powder.
A horrifying toxin that sealed every acupuncture point, slowly melted away the victim’s internal organs, and eventually destroyed them completely.
It was potent enough to kill an ordinary man instantly.
And yet, despite having been poisoned by such a lethal toxin, he had endured this long.
It proved that the rumors claiming he had reached the Hwagyeong Realm were no exaggeration.
“So even my elder brother, famed for seeing through all under heaven, failed to foresee what would happen right before his eyes.”
A man stepped out from behind those surrounding him.
The moment Unhyeon saw him, his eyes trembled.
“…?”
“Give up now, Brother. There’s nowhere left for you to retreat.”
The Grand Elder of the Namgung Clan.
His closest blood relative.
The man he had trusted above all others.
Namgung Mohyeon.
Namgung Mohyeon spread his arms wide.
He stood with complete confidence, as though he commanded an army of a thousand.
“If you have eyes, then look! Look at everyone gathered here! This is the will of the martial world!”
“Brother, let us slay the Heavenly Demon and wipe out the Demonic Path. With you, who have reached the Hwagyeong Realm, leading us, if the righteous martial world joins forces, unifying the martial world is no impossible dream.”
When Mohyeon had claimed that the Heavenly Demon would descend from the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to attack Qingcheng, and that it would be the perfect opportunity—
Unhyeon had not doubted him for even a moment.
The greatest masters from every clan and sect had gathered.
It truly looked as though the entire martial world had united to hunt the Heavenly Demon.
Who could possibly have imagined…
That all of them had joined forces not to kill the Heavenly Demon—
But to poison and murder him instead?
“How many people do you think truly welcome such a soft-hearted Alliance Leader?”
Namgung Mohyeon clicked his tongue.
“You insisted on becoming Clan Head. You married. You even had a precious child. You should have been content with that. But you reached for something far beyond what you deserved.”
Though his tone sounded regretful, he could not conceal the mocking smile spreading across his face.
At that moment—
The heavens shook.
The earth rumbled.
A powerful wind swept across the mountain, stirring countless snowflakes into a blizzard around Unhyeon.
Namgung Mohyeon instinctively stepped back and assumed a fighting stance.
Everyone’s expressions tightened.
The Emperor Sword Form…!
An overwhelming sword aura crushed the air itself.
No one could believe such power could still come from a man on the brink of death.
“The world’s energy now flows toward evil.”
Tears streamed down Unhyeon’s face.
They were tears of blood.
Blood also stained the corners of his mouth.
His melting organs forced blood from every opening in his body.
The overwhelming poison clouded his vision as though a thick fog had settled before his eyes.
Unhyeon slowly closed them.
His world became pure white.
“Those who should pursue righteousness have instead chosen tyranny. Where, then, is this world headed?”
His internal energy gathered into his sword.
The immense inner power of the Hwagyeong Realm converged into a single point.
Its pressure alone was enough to shake the heavens.
The swirling snow became a raging blizzard that completely enveloped Namgung Unhyeon.
No one but him could even keep their eyes open against the storm.
Yet at the eye of the tempest where he stood…
There was only silence.
Within that tranquil stillness, Unhyeon began displaying the Namgung swordsmanship he had spent his entire life mastering.
The blue sky is vast and boundless, with no visible end.
He would swing his sword like the heavens themselves—
Bottomless.
Limitless.
The heavens were Namgung.
And Namgung was the heavens.
Because it was the sky…
It must remain upright.
Because it was the sky…
It must remain eternally blue.
A brilliant azure sword trail followed every movement.
Its energy was clear, honest, and unwavering—
The perfect embodiment of the Namgung Clan’s righteous spirit.
“…!”
Watching him through the blinding snowstorm, Namgung Mohyeon’s eyes widened.
The Boundless Azure Sky Sword Art (Changgung Mu-ae Sword Art).
It was one of the secret sword techniques that only the Clan Head could learn.
Mohyeon had seen it a few times before.
But never had he witnessed sword energy this beautiful…
Or this impossibly blue.
Forgetting they were in the middle of battle, he found himself mesmerized by Unhyeon’s sword.
Then…
Unhyeon’s voice echoed directly inside his mind.
The Namgung sword must be born from an honest heart without shame.
“…”
You are unworthy of carrying the Namgung name.
At that instant—
A sharp sound split the blizzard.
…!
Namgung Mohyeon hurriedly twisted his body while drawing his sword.
But he could not completely stop Unhyeon’s strike.
Slash!
“Kraaaagh!”
Unhyeon’s sword carved through Mohyeon’s right eye…
Then his shoulder…
Then across his chest.
He barely managed to avoid a fatal blow.
Even so—
It was a mortal wound.
“S-Stop him! Stop the Emperor Sword!!”
The martial artists erupted into action.
Each unleashed their finest techniques.
At that moment—
The flowing blue sword aura halted completely.
Time itself seemed to stop.
For a single heartbeat…
The world fell into absolute silence.
Then—
Boom!
The sword wind Unhyeon had created shattered the blizzard before surging toward every martial artist at once.
“Aaaagh!”
“Urgh!”
The storm swept over them.
It felt as though the heavens themselves were crashing down.
Rumble!
The cliff beneath them trembled violently.
Supreme masters were helplessly blown away.
Even those who prided themselves on their strength could do nothing more than desperately endure the crushing force.
Namgung Unhyeon’s final strike inflicted internal injuries upon every last one of them.
Not a single person escaped.
Rumble…
The snowy mountain collapsed.
An avalanche thundered downward.
While the martial artists fled in blind panic…
Unhyeon alone remained standing upright.
He quietly looked toward the heavens.
One final breath escaped his lips.
At the same moment—
BOOM!
His world came crashing down.
Softly…
Snowflakes drifted down onto Namgung Unhyeon’s head.
Within the cold sensation that cooled the fading warmth of his body…
His unfocused eyes slowly blinked.
Beyond his blurred vision stretched a sky of endless white.
It looked just like the world of righteousness he had always dreamed of creating.
…I’m tired.
At last… this miserable life can finally end…
Crunch.
Crunch…?
A small shadow suddenly blocked half of the white sky.
But Unhyeon’s consciousness had already nearly faded.
The last thing he saw was the shadow tilting its head curiously while looking down at him.
Then darkness claimed him.
Blink.
Blink.
Unhyeon opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the shabby ceiling of an old house.
It took him quite some time to even realize…
That he had opened his eyes.
Why?
Because he was dead.
“…!”
His eyes flew open as he abruptly sat upright.
A wave of agony immediately spread through his body.
He clutched his chest, trembling violently.
What… happened…?
Am I… alive?
How?
Why am I alive?
It was impossible.
He had definitely been dying after ingesting Blood Pellet Heart-Melting Powder.
Even if his final strike had driven away his pursuers…
He should certainly have died.
Wait.
Come to think of it…
While buried beneath the snow, he had seen something.
Something small.
Round.
Tilting its head…
A child…?
Was it a child?
A young child?
Perhaps six…
Or seven years old?
The moment he recalled that memory, it was as though a locked gate inside his mind burst open.
Fragments of memories poured forth.
A tiny hand forcing bitter herbs into his mouth until he nearly choked.
That same hand stuffing lumps of rice into his mouth so forcefully that he almost suffocated.
That hand dumping an entire jar of water onto his face, making his body jolt.
That hand grabbing his hair and yanking…
“T-This…”
What in the world were these memories?
With a bewildered expression, Unhyeon pressed a hand against his forehead.
From those scattered fragments alone…
He couldn’t tell whether the child had been trying to save him…
Or kill him.
As confusion overwhelmed him and his eyes trembled uncontrollably—
Bang!
Without any warning, the door burst open.
Standing there…
Was the child from his memories.
The youngster proudly stood in the doorway with a straw backpack slung over one shoulder.
Caught completely off guard by the child’s sudden appearance, Unhyeon didn’t even realize he had failed to sense the child’s presence.
Their eyes met.
An unbearable tension filled the room.
Chew.
Chew.
The child was calmly chewing on a strip of jerky.
