The Legend of the Northern Blade

A storm was raging.

Well, nothing was actually happening, but that was how it felt to the people gathered in the training ground. An unnerving chill crept over them as if dozens of blades were slashing through the air, or as if a torrential gale were battering a high cliff.

The crowd held its breath, their eyes locked on Jin Mu-Won.

Jin Mu-Won, however, was focused on Daeryeok Sim.

The Elder's face was flushed red with rage, his eyes glinting with a hint of madness. A terrifying qi flowed from his body, pressing down on Jin Mu-Won and the Investigation Department warriors.

The faces of the warriors who bore the brunt of his pressure turned deathly pale, but they refused to retreat an inch. Their faith and loyalty toward their Chief Inspector, Geum Ju-Sang, was absolute, almost fanatical. They glared at Daeryeok Sim, their eyes burning with defiance, and their resistance made the Elder's anger detonate.

"How dare these bastards…! What is the Demon Repelling Squad doing? Get these insolent fools off my stage!" he bellowed.

At his command, dozens of warriors wearing golden martial arts outfits surged forward from behind the stage. They were the Demon Repelling Squad, the Elder Council's personal armed force.

The air crackled with tension as the Investigation Department and the Demon Repelling Squad faced off.

Suddenly, a new voice cut in. The Seven Star Sage of the Mount Hua Sect, who had remained silent until that point, stood up. "Elder Daeryeok, what is this nonsense? You may be one of the Ten Great Elders, but you cannot treat the Investigation Department Director this way!"

"He undermined the authority of an elder!"