Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 2

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 1: Milgeomdan (1)

“……Stand!”

From far away, deep within the fog of unconsciousness, a voice drifted like a dream.

“…you have to pull yourself together!”

The voice grew louder by degrees, and though Dok Go Jin couldn’t make out the words, something about its familiar cadence stirred him from the depths of sleep toward wakefulness.

“Sir! Come back to us!”

At the clear voice, Dok Go Jin’s eyes began to open, slowly.

“Are you all right? Can you hear me?”

A man’s face emerged gradually in the pale moonlight.

‘Namgoong Ho?’

Dok Go Jin gazed blankly at Namgoong Ho, whose expression was twisted in bewilderment.

‘Why… are you here?’

Dok Go Jin felt nothing but profound confusion at the sight of his subordinate—the man who had stood by his side until the very moment of his death.

‘Ah! He was waiting for me?’

Dok Go Jin had believed that Namgoong Ho, who had died before him, was waiting for him at the threshold of the afterlife.

“You were waiting for me… weren’t you?”
“What?”

Namgoong Ho stared at him as if he were spouting nonsense, but Dok Go Jin was too dazed to notice.

“See? I told you I’d follow right behind you.”

Dok Go Jin offered Namgoong Ho a faint smile.

“In any case, I’m sorry. I wanted to stay alive and grant your request somehow, but it wasn’t possible. I wish I could have at least brought you the ring you gave me.”

But the response that came was entirely strange.

“Did you hit your head? No, you didn’t.”

Namgoong Ho, who had been frantically checking the back of Dok Go Jin’s skull and found no wound, suddenly burst out with alarm.

“Stop talking nonsense and snap out of it! What kind of time is this to be sleeping?”

Namgoong Ho, whose voice had risen without his meaning to, flinched and quickly turned his head. His companions, who had finished resting and were quietly preparing to depart, as well as the senior who was escorting them, were all staring at him in utter bewilderment.

“Well! Here’s an amusing fellow.”

A man with hair half-fallen loose and eyes that gleamed unnaturally bright approached them.

“I… I apologize…….”

As Namgoong Ho tried to excuse himself, the man waved a finger, signaling him to be silent.

“I’ve guided many recruits in my time, but I’ve never seen a greenhorn sleep so peacefully through all of this.”

The man—Beom Hu, third instructor of Milgeomdan—brushed back a few strands of hair that had fallen across his brow and crouched before Dok Go Jin.

“That dazed look tells me he’s still wandering in a dream.”

At Beom Hu’s words, not only Namgoong Ho but the other trainees beside him froze in bewilderment, yet Dok Go Jin remained lost in a fog, unaware.
After blinking several times, Dok Go Jin finally recalled the face before him.

“Mad… Dog?”

In that instant, Namgoong Ho and the other trainees went pale.
Who could have imagined that a greenhorn fresh from training would let slip the nickname of Beom Hu, a man notorious even within Milgeomdan for his foul temperament—and right in front of him, no less?
Right in front of the man himself.
Beom Hu flinched momentarily at the name, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

“Kahahaha! So you’re not just a fool—you’re a madman!”

Beom Hu jabbed his finger hard into Dok Go Jin’s solar plexus.

“Hehehehe! This bastard—his liver isn’t just oversized, it’s made entirely of guts. I like it. I like it very much.”

Though Beom Hu’s expression was cheerful and his tone playful, everyone watching looked as if they were sitting on pins and needles.
Of course, Dok Go Jin—who took the present moment to be the Lantern of Life Flashes, that fleeting visions before death—felt no great fear at Beom Hu’s antics. Rather, he was simply glad to see a senior he had forgotten long ago.

“What’s your name?”

At Beom Hu’s question, Dok Go Jin let out a bitter smile.

“It hasn’t been that long—you’ve already forgotten?”
“Huh? Forgotten? Do I know you…?”

As Beom Hu opened his eyes wide in return, a voice rang out from ahead.

“We depart.”

At the command of Jong Gak, vice-master of Milgeomdan, Beom Hu halted, tried to say something more, then looked around and shouted.

“Let’s go, everyone. Move out!”

As Beom Hu moved, Namgoong Ho—who had been holding his breath until now—suddenly elbowed Dok Go Jin in the ribs.

“Are you insane? What were you thinking?”

Dok Go Jin’s reaction as he rubbed his side was strange, indifferent to Namgoong Ho’s glare—as if he’d aged ten years in an instant.

‘What… is this?’

A dull, spreading ache bloomed from his side.
Dok Go Jin, who had thrown himself from Hwan Yu Gok, could not comprehend this pain. He had never directly experienced death, but surely the common understanding was that pain should not persist after death.

“Stop gawking like an idiot and move. We’ll really end up dead at this rate.”

Aware that his voice had grown too loud, Namgoong Ho glanced around nervously, then grabbed Dok Go Jin’s arm and dragged him forward.

…….

Led by Namgoong Ho’s hand, Dok Go Jin moved his feet, his expression still confused.
Then it happened.
Dok Go Jin’s gaze turned toward the middle-aged man examining the group with calm, dispassionate eyes.

“Deputy… commander?”

Seeing Jong Gak’s face, Dok Go Jin’s heart began to race.
The memory seized him—five years ago, the darkest day in Milgeomdan’s history, standing beside the Master against the Sword Demon, losing his life in that desperate fight.

“Ugh!”

Dokgo Jin, who had been advancing as if in a trance, stumbled with a low groan.

“Damn it! What is this now—tripping over stones like a drunk fool?”

Namgoong Ho caught the staggering Dok Go Jin by the arm, shaking his head with exasperation.

‘What on earth is this…?’

Dok Go Jin’s pupils dilated sharply once more.
A pain radiated from his feet—far more intense than the ache in his ribs where Namgoong Ho had struck him moments before. And that pain cut through the fog that had clouded his mind, leaving it suddenly clear.

‘I died in Hwan Yu Gok. So how…?’

Slowly turning his head to take in his surroundings, Dok Go Jin’s face bore an expression of utter incomprehension.

‘The Deputy Master, Beom Hu… and my fellow disciples.’

As these figures, buried in the depths of his memory, rose before his eyes, Dok Go Jin’s heart hammered wildly against his ribs.

* * *

Kangnam Chong Ta, headquarters of the Jeongmu Maeng, located in Hyeong Yang in southern Hunan Province.
Milgeomdan occupied the most remote northern corner of the compound.

“It is done, Master.”

At the voice beyond the door, Hyeol Ryeon Soo, Master of Milgeomdan, set down the report he had been reviewing.

“Come in.”

With permission granted, Jong Gak entered, his bearing betraying some fatigue.

“You arrived sooner than I expected. I thought it would take longer to gather everything.”
“There was little to gather. The numbers were smaller than anticipated.”

As Hyeol Ryeon Soo poured tea for Jong Gak, who had taken a seat, he detected displeasure thick in the man’s tone and posed a question.

“I heard something about it. How many?”
“Twelve.”
“Twelve?”

At the figure—far fewer than expected—deep lines creased Hyeol Ryeon Soo’s brow.

“Twelve is definitely lean.”
“Vacancies are mounting, yet recruitment moves too slowly. I suspect the rumors are true—that there are plans to disband Milgeomdan.”
“Nonsense. You know as well as I do that the training academy itself has been producing fewer recruits each year.”
“True enough, but if this continues, the situation will grow dire.”

Hearing Jong Gak’s warning, Hyeol Ryeon Soo exhaled deeply.

“Hmm. I’m aware of it too. In any case, we’ll discuss that matter separately later. But tell me—is there anyone worth using among them?”
“There are a few who stand out. One in particular has exceeded my expectations.”

Jong Gak handed over the evaluation report he’d brought from the training grounds.
As Hyeol Ryeon Soo watched Jong Gak’s stern expression soften slightly, his eyebrows rose with curiosity. He wondered who this recruit was that Jong Gak—who rarely gave a second glance to anything less than exceptional talent—saw fit to praise.

“What kind of prospect warrants that reaction?”

Hyeol Ryeon Soo’s eyebrows twitched as he scanned the report.

“Namgoong… Ho?”
“Yes, the one who passed this cohort in first place.”
“Namgoong—you mean the Namgoong Clan?”
“Likely so.”
“Then why would he join us?”

Hyeol Ryeon Soo tilted his head, clearly puzzled.
The Namgoong Clan’s bloodline wasn’t widely publicized, and there was no reason a member would join the Milgeomdan, an organization within the Jeongmu Maeng tasked with the sort of troublesome work that everyone else avoided.

“The usual two reasons—he’s either illegitimate or he caused some serious trouble.”
“Well, if the skill is there, it hardly matters.”
“Beyond the Tracking Art and Poison Mastery he learned at the training grounds, what stands out most is that his martial prowess is rated highest among recent recruits.”

Hyeol Ryeon Soo’s eyes widened as he reviewed the report once more.
Unlike the others, whose evaluations were all much the same despite minor differences, Namgoong Ho’s assessment was nothing short of overwhelming.

“What! Supreme rank in martial prowess?”
“He appears to have mastered his family’s martial arts.”
“The Namgoong Clan’s techniques are worth respecting. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten someone this solid. If his martial skill is this exceptional, everyone will be after him.”
“Word’s likely spread that the new recruits have arrived, so the squad leaders must be sharpening their knives as we speak.”
“This is going to be a headache. How am I supposed to distribute him fairly?”

As Hyeol Ryeon Soo rubbed his brow in frustration, Jong Gak spoke as though his superior was worrying over nothing.

“Like before, I told the squad leaders to sort it out among themselves. Namgoong Ho will almost certainly end up with the Fourth Squad.”
“The Fourth Squad? You mean Yu Seol Ran?”
“Yes.”
“Given how many openings have opened up in her unit lately, she’ll certainly claim priority. But this is a big catch—will the other leaders really yield so easily? I doubt they’ll surrender without a fight.”

At Hyeol Ryeon Soo’s concern, Jong Gak let out a knowing chuckle.

“Not just anyone—it’s Seol Ran. The Icy Shura, Yu Seol Ran, who makes even the demons of the Demon Sect tremble.”
“Ah, I was forgetting who the Fourth Squad’s leader is. Lately she’s had an edge to her that’s almost terrifying.”

Hyeol Ryeon Soo laughed, meeting Jong Gak’s gaze, then asked again.

“What about the others?”
“Honestly, everyone below Namgoong Ho looks roughly equal. If I had to pick any others worth watching, it would be Pung Ak and Deung Yong.”
“Pung Ak and Deung Yong, then.”

As Hyeol Ryeon Soo turned through the report slowly, Jong Gak added an explanation.

“One thing worth noting—the two don’t get along at all.”
“Why not?”
“Pung Ak comes from the Nok Rim. Deung Yong is from the Jang Gang Suro Maeng.”
“Ha! Nok Rim and the Jang Gang Suro Maeng—you could say they have a dog-and-monkey relationship. Either way, if the report is accurate, we should have high expectations.”

Satisfied, Hyeol Ryeon Soo nodded and set the report down.

“There’s one more recruit I’m curious about.”
“Curious? Who?”
“It’s a fellow named Dok Go Jin.”

Hyeol Ryeon Soo picked up the evaluation report he had set down moments before. He checked the name written at the very bottom and furrowed his brow.

“According to the report, he’s the weakest of the lot. Did you notice anything unusual about him?”

Jong Gak shook his head.

“I can’t say for certain.”
“You can’t?”
“No, sir. But there was something strange about him — something different from the other recruits. He didn’t seem tense at all on the way here. Most of all, there was a peculiar quality to his eyes, as though he could see through everything. I couldn’t shake the feeling.”
“Hmm, so the evaluation report isn’t accurate? In that case, we’ll have to verify his true abilities ourselves.”

Hyeol Ryeon Soo tossed aside the report he had been studying intently and posed a question.

“The Initiation Ceremony is tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Move it to today.”
“But I understand there’s a meeting scheduled.”
“Damn it, didn’t you stir my curiosity with all that talk? The meeting can wait. Right now, settling this question takes priority.”

At Hyeol Ryeon Soo’s grumbling, Jong Gak broke into a grin and replied.

“I’ll prepare it at once.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————