Chapter 08: The Sword Demon’s Resolve

“You want me to pass on the ‘Heaven-Piercing Great Flame Art’? Are you in your right mind, Merchant Chief?!”

Namgung Baek shouted in anger.

But the middle-aged man sitting opposite him, Baek Wonkang, the head of the Baekun Merchant Guild, remained calm and sipped his tea with composure.

Sluurp!

“Hehe, no need to get so worked up. You told me to speak if I had any requests—so I did.”

“You—!”

“I was joking.”

Baek Wonkang chuckled lightly, then hardened his expression and continued.

“But not entirely. Short of something like that, how else am I supposed to recover my money?”

“……”

“Thirty thousand gold taels isn’t pocket change. How exactly do you plan to repay that debt?”

Namgung Baek bit his lip at Baek Wonkang’s words.

That ungrateful bastard…!

Originally, the Baekun Guild had grown with the support of the Namgung Clan.

Even the name “Baekun” (White Cloud) symbolized their position as a cloud beneath the vast sky—always under the protection of Namgung.

But after an incident a hundred years ago, the clan’s fortunes declined, and the merchant guild pushed for independence.

Later, Baekun made massive profits through silk brokerage.

The clan has always issued promissory notes only to our allies. To think they’d betray us!

In the clan’s financial desperation, even the former clan head had sought funding from multiple places—Baekun included.

Martial artists grow by consuming money.

Their clothes, weapons, food, elixirs, even their training time—everything costs money.

Only recently had their investments begun to yield results, and they were preparing to launch a new escort business.

“Hehe, don’t tell me you plan to repay the debt with the proceeds of that escort business? That’s too naive.”

“……”

Namgung Baek’s expression sharpened as Baek Wonkang revealed that he knew everything.

Could it be…?

Originally, the promissory note held by Baekun was manageable.

But they had somehow gathered other notes issued to third parties and were pressuring for full repayment all at once.

If the clan recovers, we can repay everything. Are they trying to prevent that? Do they have ulterior motives?

While Namgung Baek was deep in thought, Baek Wonkang smiled softly.

“Hmmm… I suppose there is a way you could repay it.”

“A way?”

“Sell off the farmland owned by the Namgung Clan.”

“What?!”

As Namgung Baek scowled, Baek Wonkang’s eyes gleamed.

“We’ll purchase your land in the north—the fields between Dongpo Lake and Daebang Lake.”

“……!”

Namgung Baek’s eyes widened in shock.

So that’s what he was after…!

To the north of Habi (合肥), there were two massive lakes: Dongpo and Daebang.

The land between them had always been fertile and ideal for farming.

Even during droughts, that area yielded crops—earning it the name Fields of Eternal Harvest.

It was the clan’s most reliable source of income.

“Guildmaster. That land is worth more than thirty thousand taels.”

“Then sell it at a higher price and just pay me thirty thousand.”

“……”

Baek Wonkang smiled as if Namgung Baek’s protest amused him.

This man…!

Land wasn’t candy sold in a market stall.

Finding a worthy buyer and collecting payment would take time.

And how many parties could immediately provide that much cash?

“Hehehe… if you can’t manage it by the deadline, we’ll simply take the land.”

Slide.

Baek Wonkang stood and walked out of the clan leader’s room.

There was no need for a farewell.

Step, step, step.

“Puhuhu! Clan head, you’ve been cornered. You’ve no choice left.”

Baek Wonkang couldn’t hold in his laughter as he walked down the corridor.

To crush the mighty Namgung Clan for thirty thousand gold… how exhilarating!

“If they lose that land, they won’t last ten years. They’ll depend more and more on us.”

Smiling, he whispered to himself.

“If we marry Namgung’s daughter to our heir Wonyi, all of Namgung will belong to the Baekun Guild. No… at that point, maybe we should call ourselves the Baekun Clan. Wahaha!”

Drunk with his own imagination, Baek Wonkang burst into hearty laughter.

He failed to notice the quiet pair of eyes watching him from behind a door crack.

Part 2

“Sigh… is there truly no way?”

Namgung Baek let out a long sigh.

The sun was already dipping into the western hills.

He had pondered all day, but no solution besides selling the land came to mind.

He had already exhausted every possible source of funds.

“I have no face to show our ancestors…”

To sell the ancestral land passed down for generations.

It would go down in the Sky-Piercing Records as a permanent stain on his legacy.

As he muttered bitterly, a familiar voice called from outside.

“Father, it’s Hoyeon.”

At the sound of his youngest son’s voice, Namgung Baek quickly composed himself and called out brightly.

“Oh! Hoyeon, you’ve come? Enter!”

Creak.

At his father’s words, Hoyeon stepped into the clan leader’s room.

After silently meeting Namgung Baek’s smiling gaze, he handed over a stack of books from his robe.

“Here it is.”

“Hm? This is…”

“I’ve transcribed the Sky-Piercing Formless Sword, Heavenly Wind Sword, Great Flame Sword, and Ten Forms of the Iron Sword.”

“……!”

Namgung Baek’s eyes twitched at the mention of those names.

They were familiar sword arts known to the clan.

But his youngest son, who possessed a unique talent to resonate with sword intent, was implying something else.

“These… these are the true sword arts of our family?”

As Namgung Baek took the books with trembling hands, Hoyeon shook his head.

“It’s still incomplete. The techniques vary slightly depending on the era. I want to study more swords.”

“Ah…”

Though Hoyeon said it wasn’t enough, Namgung Baek was deeply moved as he flipped through the still-damp pages.

Though the forms were similar, the interpretations and martial logic were completely different.

Especially the detailed annotations written in fine script—those were the lost years and wisdom of the Namgung Clan.

“Haha, hahahah!”

Namgung Baek felt his aching head clear.

Looking at Hoyeon’s indifferent face, he thought:

Perhaps Heaven has tested our clan so fiercely… to grant us this blessing!

Yes.

So what if they lost some land?

With such a brilliant future, the Namgung Clan would rise again.

We are warriors. We will rise again through strength alone!

And this boy.

The one he named “Hoyeon,” hoping he would grow up with immense, righteous spirit.

Would one day return the vast sky (changcheon) to Namgung.

Clench!

“Well done! Truly well done! You are my son!”

“……”

Namgung Baek embraced Hoyeon in emotion.

Meanwhile, Hoyeon, trapped in the hug, frowned in discomfort.

It wasn’t the usual heavy-heartedness.

This… disgusting urge to just start cutting everything…

A flash of red passed through Hoyeon’s eyes.

Part 3

None of this has anything to do with me.

That’s what he believed.

Whether his sister was sold off for money,

His brother practiced the Sky-Piercing Crippled Sword Art,

His father sighed under debt,

Or his mother wept—

I am the Sword Demon, Dan Wimyung. Not Namgung Hoyeon.

The warm gazes they gave him weren’t for him, but for Namgung Hoyeon.

If he misunderstood, it could lead to irreversible disaster someday.

So he always kept his distance, knowing he would one day leave.

“…Then why does my chest feel so tight?”

Whoooosh!

Hoyeon practiced the Sky-Piercing Formless Sword in the training ground.

Compared to Namgung Cheonggang’s fast and ever-changing version, his was slow, simple—even dull.

But this was the true form he knew.

A heavy sword with movement in stillness and stillness in movement.

Whoooosh! Whoooosh!

But no matter how many times he swung it, the tightness in his chest wouldn’t fade.