Chapter 1

First Sword Among Vagrants (浪中第一劒).

A title meaning the one who possesses the finest sword skills among Ronin.

It was a title Baek Yang-hwi earned after leaving his clan and traveling the murim for over a decade.

However, Yang-hwi did not like his title.

“At any rate, those talkative busybodies are the problem. What kind of ‘First Sword’ comes with a qualifier attached to the front?”

First Sword of Sichuan, First Sword of Wudang, First Sword of the Rising Generation, and so on.

“At this rate, we’ll end up with a ‘First Sword’ coming out of some alleyway Third-rate Unorthodox Faction, won’t we? They’ll brawl among themselves and call someone the ‘First Sword of the Black Snake Sect’ or something.”

Walking behind him on the mountain path, his Ronin companion, Baekri Chu-dal (百里追達), chuckled and replied.

“Still, Brother, isn’t it something to be called the First Sword with just a Ronin status? Honestly, doesn’t it feel good?”

“Chu Dala, Chu Dala, Chu Dala using the ‘chu’ for ugly and ‘dal’ for otter.”

Baekri Chu-dal, Chu-dal for short, flared up in annoyance.

“It’s ‘chu’ for pursue and ‘dal’ for master! It means a master of pursuit who will never lose anything within a hundred li radius!”

“Sure, Chu Dala. Why do you think your title has ‘a hundred li’ attached to it instead of ten thousand or a thousand li?”

“…….”

“It means you’re just at that level.”

“Agh! Is that something you should say to your younger brother!”

“Why shouldn’t I? I can say it to myself, too. I’m still just a guy who can’t amount to more than the First Sword Among Vagrants.”

He spoke with a smile, but self-deprecation clearly seeped through.

However, Chu-dal snorted.

“After reaching the Super-Peak Realm at your age?”

Chu-dal was certain.

If his sworn brother had shown all of his true martial arts, he would have been given a completely different title.

“It’s useless to try and set a moody tone.”

“Did you catch on?”

“Reaching the Super-Peak Realm before forty while hailing from a Third-Rate Martial Clan? How easy do you think that is?”

Moreover, the wealth Yang-hwi had accumulated was enough for three generations to live lavishly.

Complaining about being weak felt like deception.

However.

“It is not enough. It’s still a long way from transforming a Third-Rate Martial Clan into a prestigious clan.”

Yang-hwi’s dream and purpose.

It was to raise his clan, which was nothing more than Third-rate, to the ranks of a great clan.

“You really are ruthless, Brother. Wandering around as a Ronin for twenty years just to save money and create martial arts.”

Chuckling softly, Yang-hwi continued.

“Pitiful, isn’t it? Then, Chu-dal, how about investing the money you’ve saved all this time into your foolish older brother?”

“Goodness! Where did you learn such a wicked mindset, coveting the money an old bachelor who missed his Hongi needs to get married!”

“In return, I’ll make you an elder of our Baek Manor.”

“I’m confident I could get better treatment than that anywhere right now!”

Yang-hwi immediately refuted Chu-dal’s words.

“Where could a guy who only reaches a hundred li get elder-level treatment? Just join our clan, you punk!”

“No way!”

“Then let’s do this. We split the reward from the request we took from the Namgung Clan, seven for me and three for you.”

“Are you going to keep spouting nonsense!”

“How is it nonsense?”

Yang-hwi slowly stopped in his tracks.

At the same time, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“You still haven’t noticed yet.”

Chu-dal’s body stiffened completely.

“Does that mean…?”

“That’s right. Get ready.”

Srrrng!

Yang-hwi and Chu-dal drew their swords simultaneously.

Then, the bushes all around rustled, and over ten masked men in black appeared.

‘Eleven. Judging by their momentum, they’re well-trained. Why surround us just to launch an ambush?’

Without betraying his doubts, he spoke casually.

“Is wearing black the latest trend among the greenwood bandits these days?”

“They say you possess the finest sword skills among Ronin, and your senses are sharp as well.”

“My sword skills may only be the best among Ronin, but my sense of smell is unmatched under the heavens. The stench stinks so bad I couldn’t stand it. Isn’t that right, Chu Dala?”

Chu-dal immediately chimed in.

“Heh heh, Brother is right. It smelled foul for a while now, and it looks like it’s coming from those bastards’ faces.”

“It seems they know it too, seeing how tightly they’ve wrapped those cloths around their faces.”

“In my opinion, they probably hid their faces because they look as rotten as they smell.”

“That makes sense, fuhahaha!”

“Don’t say it makes sense, say it makes a hundred li of sense, hehehehe!”

The two exchanged insulting jokes while snickering.

Unable to suppress their anger, a few of the masked men reacted reflexively.

At that moment, Yang-hwi and Chu-dal did not miss the opportunity and immediately leaped forward.

Their targets were the two masked men who had revealed their emotions.

Puk!

“Keuak!”

One masked man was sent to the underworld as the price for being caught off guard.

Next, Yang-hwi raised his sword to block a strike from a masked man lunging from the side.

Chaeng!

“Chu Dala, go!”

“Understood!”

Stepping on Yang-hwi’s shoulder, Chu-dal leaped high into the air, broke through the encirclement, and executed his Lightness Technique.

Chu-dal’s figure rapidly receded into the distance. Yang-hwi casually remarked with a smirk.

“Whew! That Chu-dal really is top-notch when it comes to the Lightness Technique. If you bastards don’t want word of this ambush spreading everywhere, you’d better hurry up and chase after him.”

As one of the masked men signaled with his hand, ten of them gave chase.

Only one remained. The man who appeared to be the leader of the masked men.

‘This is a bit unexpected.’

He had intended to break the encirclement and scatter their numbers to create an unexpected variable, but he hadn’t expected only a single man to remain.

“You are called the First Sword Among Vagrants, after all. Are you confident?”

The masked man drew his sword without a word.

“Ah, you use a sword too. Looking at you, it seems you’re called the First Sword somewhere as well?”

“…….”

The masked man remained silent.

Since he seemed mute, Yang-hwi decided to guess for himself.

“Seeing how you’re wearing a mask in this midsummer heat… First Sword Among Ugly Men! The bastard who wields a sword best among ugly men! That’s your true identity!”

“…Now I see you are not the First Sword Among Vagrants, but the First Tongue Among Vagrants.”

“Ah, my tongue work is indeed quite magnificent. Shall I surprise you even more?”

Yang-hwi continued.

“Why is the client, the Namgung Clan, ambushing us?”

He had not crossed blades or examined the man’s stances.

Nor had he discerned the unique traits of his internal qi art through his Qi Aura.

Even so, Yang-hwi saw right through his opponent’s identity at a single glance.

“…As expected, you are dangerous.”

The masked man removed his mask. In that instant, Yang-hwi fell into shock.

“You are…?!”

‘First’ means being the foremost among many.

Therefore, the true ‘First’ can only exist as the World’s Greatest.

World’s Greatest Family, the Great Namgung Clan.

His opponent was none other than the Young Master of that very Namgung Clan.

“Young Master. What on earth are you doing?”

The Young Master, Namgung Cheon-yeong, replied with a heavy expression.

“Because we cannot sit idly by and watch the Baek Clan, who was once a pillar of the Five Great Families, reclaim their true martial arts.”

The true reason Yang-hwi had left his clan to wander the murim.

It was precisely to restore the lost ancestral martial arts of his family.

“Not only did you reach the Super-Peak Realm with mere Third-rate martial arts, but you also elevated the depth of your martial learning to the realm of a Divine Art. I am sorry, First Sword Among Vagrants.”

Instead of asking how he knew when he had always hidden his martial arts, Yang-hwi scoffed.

“Well, I did accomplish something amazing. After all, I achieved something even the Young Master of the Great Namgung Clan couldn’t do.”

‘Though I had to suffer through Qi Deviation and endure hellish agony as a price.’

If only the price of Qi Deviation hadn’t caused issues in the Acupoints across his whole body.

He would have been able to catch a glimpse of an even higher realm than now.

At any rate.

“To think the great Great Namgung Clan would lavish such attention on a mere Third-Rate Martial Clan. Is this thoroughness the secret behind hogging the title of the World’s Greatest Family?”

Instead of denying it, Namgung Cheon-yeong merely gave a bitter smile.

“Jiangxi and Anhui are too close. We cannot simply stand by and watch.”

“Taking off your mask means you intend to kill me without fail.”

“It is also my courtesy to you.”

“And you’re confident you can kill me?”

“…….”

Namgung Cheon-yeong did not answer, but his silence was an affirmation.

That was only natural, as Namgung Cheon-yeong was always the first person named when considering the future First Sword under the heavens.

‘A genius said to have transcended generations, reaching a higher realm even than his father, the Clan Head.’

However, being intimidated by an opponent was not in Yang-hwi’s nature.

“I spent eighteen years revising our main house’s Sky-Covering Sword Technique. Against the Emperor Sword Stance, supreme in sword arts, this will be a good opportunity to verify the results.”

Lifting the corner of his mouth in a fierce grin, Yang-hwi leaped toward Namgung Cheon-yeong.

Chaeaang!

The Life-and-Death Duel began with a fierce single clash.

In terms of time, two double-hours.

In terms of exchanges, over a thousand moves.

After a long time, the conclusion was brought forth.

Puk! Puk!

Two sounds of tearing flesh.

One heart was pierced through by a sword.

One arm fell away from the shoulder joint.

“Kuluk!”

Namgung Cheon-yeong coughed up bloody foam. His hand trembled violently as it reached toward Yang-hwi.

The hand, which approached as if to strangle his neck, dropped limply onto Yang-hwi’s shoulder.

“I am… sorry…”

The moment Namgung Cheon-yeong’s pupils lost their light, Yang-hwi pulled out the sword thrust into the man’s heart.

Then, lacking the strength to remain standing any longer, he collapsed.

“Sorry, my foot.”

Does committing a wicked act and apologizing make everything okay?

If so, why would public enemies of the murim even exist?

Even while thinking such thoughts, Yang-hwi felt a sense of pride swelling throughout his body.

‘I won.’

The First Sword Among Vagrants had defeated the First Sword of Namgung, who had consumed all kinds of Spiritual Elixirs and cultivated peerless Divine Arts since childhood.

In other words, he had proven it.

That his clan’s restored martial art was supreme in the martial world.

‘Now, if I can just deliver this to the clan…’

It was at that moment.

“Young Master!”

“You bastard!”

The masked men who had pursued Chu-dal had returned.

‘…Chu-dal.’

In the hand of one of those bastards was Chu-dal’s severed head.

Since their target was himself, he had thought that Chu-dal, who fled, might just survive.

‘They went out of their way to catch and kill him anyway. Meaning they don’t want to leave any witnesses.’

Yang-hwi dragged himself up, staggering.

Namgung Cheon-yeong was by no means an easy opponent, and his own body was already battered and bloodied, but…

“You know what? Chu-dal’s wish was to get married.”

Srrrng!

With a single strike, the head of one of the masked men flew off.

“You killed a guy like that? Aren’t you bastards scared of a bachelor ghost’s grudge?”

Seogeong!

A sword plunged into his abdomen, but in return, he drove his blade straight into the opponent’s heart.

“Kill him! Attack simultaneously from all six directions!”

“You stupid bastard, how can you attack simultaneously from all six directions when you’re not even using Earth Concealment Technique?”

Taking two swords to his back, he shoved a blade down each of their gullets in return.

Now, six remained.

108 Sky-Covering Swords; a dazzling sword dance that covers the heavens embroiders all directions.

“Chu Dala, Chu Dala, Chu Dala using the ‘chu’ for ugly and ‘dal’ for otter. Are you watching?”

Puk! Puk! Puk!

He snuffed out the lives of five of the six.

Though in return, he sustained injuries so severe he couldn’t move even a single step further.

Now, only one remained.

“Come at me. Come at me, you bastard.”

Drenched in blood from head to toe, lacking even the strength to stand and forced to one knee, Yang-hwi’s aura was nonetheless like that of an evil demon.

“Ugh, ugh…”

Perhaps because of that, the last bastard attempted to flee instead of attacking.

“Ah, this bastard… ruining the mood right at the end.”

Gathering the last of his True Qi, Yang-hwi threw his sword.

The flying sword shot forth and pierced through the bastard’s back.

Puk!

Only after confirming the bastard had collapsed did Yang-hwi release the tension in his body.

“Chu-dal. I’m sorry.”

To avenge you, I’d have to wipe out the entire Namgung Clan, but that seems a bit impossible.

Strength drained from his entire body.

As much as the volume of blood he had lost, his consciousness grew dim.

“I need to… go back… to the clan…”

He no longer had the strength even to keep his eyes open.

And like that, his vision darkened.

* * *

A dirt cave reeking with stench from all sides and the foul odor of wet mud.

It was an extremely filthy yet familiar place.

For this was the place where Yang-hwi had gained a family for the very first time.

‘Sigh, so seeing a life lantern before dying really was true. Wait, does that mean I’ll see Father soon?’

A child destined to be kidnapped by the Unorthodox Faction and sold into slavery while begging as the youngest member of a Beggar Gang.

That was Yang-hwi in those days.

And the one who changed that destiny was his adoptive father.

First in Dispensing Chivalry (施俠一絶), Baek Mu-ryang (白務良).

The Clan Head of Baek Manor located in Muju, Jiangxi Province, and a chivalrous man counted as unequaled when it came to bestowing chivalry.

‘Soon, Father will subjugate the Unorthodox Faction and come to save me.’

In his dazed state, Yang-hwi reflected on the past.

“Child, you are now free, so return home.”

Even after being rescued by Baek Mu-ryang, Yang-hwi had not moved.

He had nowhere to go, so he had no reason to move, and since his line of work was begging, wherever he laid his body, the sky served as his roof all the same.

To such a Yang-hwi, his father had posed a question.

“Why do you not go?”

‘What did I say back then? Did I tell him I’d move on my own before starving to death, so the righteous knight shouldn’t worry and just go on his way?’

At that moment, his father in his memories continued to speak.

“I enacted salvation to carry out chivalry, yet your misery has not vanished. How then could I leave this as it is?”

Baek Mu-ryang knelt on one knee before the boy.

“What is your name?”

On that day thirty years ago in the past, his father had asked for his name as well.

A life lantern so vivid it was almost surreal. Unconsciously, Yang-hwi opened his mouth.

“I have no name. Ever since I was young, being called I-nom-i or that fellow was all I had.”

“Born a human, how could… Sigh, perhaps this too is fate… Then, how about this?”

Baek Mu-ryang extended his hand.

“Though we met in a dark dirt cave, it is my wish that your life ahead will be bright and radiant. Thus, Yang-hwi (陽輝). Attaching my surname, Baek Yang-hwi.”

A large hand, covered in thick calluses yet appearing inexplicably soft and warm, filled the boy’s view.

“I feel a bond with you. Yang-hwi, won’t you become my son?”

On this day in the past, the boy who was just a nobody had gained the name Yang-hwi and a family.

“Yang-hwi, this is Baek Manor. It will be your home from now on.”

Clean clothes and warm meals. A kind father and cute younger siblings.

A happiness he had never enjoyed since he was born.

Naturally, Baek Manor became more precious to Yang-hwi than anything else.

“Hwi, this father’s dream is for our Baek Clan to rejoin the ranks of prestigious clans once more and command Jiangxi Province.”

The ambition his father revealed one day while drinking wine with him sitting nearby.

The father’s dream became the son’s dream, and from that moment on, Yang-hwi worked tirelessly to turn the Baek Clan into a prominent clan.

However.

‘With the clan’s martial arts… no matter how outstanding my talent was, it was impossible with martial arts so lacking in depth that they could be mastered in a mere three years.’

Indeed. The Baek Clan’s inherited martial arts were merely Third-rate.

Since the essence of a Martial Clan lies in martial power.

How could a martial clan lacking a proper foundation ever rise to the ranks of a great clan?

‘After a long martial journey, I barely managed to create a martial art worthy of being called a Divine Art…’

But what good was it? I died without even being able to pass it on.

Damn it, bloody hell. If I’d known this would happen, I should have returned sooner.

Yet something was strange.

It should be about time for me to die, so why isn’t this life lantern ending?

The moment that thought occurred to him.

[Heavenly Fate Reversal (逆天換命)]

[As the flow defying heaven has changed the shackles,]

[Return to Righteous Flow (歸正順流)]

[It must be corrected to flow rightly once more.]

[Return to Fulfill Desires (回點行願)]

[Return and execute what your heart desires.]

A voice struck like a branding iron into his eardrums—no, his mind—no, his very soul.

Yang-hwi instinctively realized that the current situation, and his father standing right before his eyes, were not some mere life lantern memory.

‘I traveled back in time to the past? What on earth is happening…?’

As if spellbound, Yang-hwi stared at his young father’s face.

A vivid sense of reality washed over him.

“Father.”

“Yes, from now on, this Baek Mu-ryang is your father. Hahaha!”

He didn’t understand.

He had no idea what was going on, but…

If…

If another chance had truly been given to him…

‘This time for sure, I will fulfill my desire, my dream.’

“I will make Baek Manor the World’s Greatest Family. Without fail.”