Chapter 56

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 56: Bringing in a New Recruit (4)

“You want to join my team?”

“Yes!”

Mei Hong answered energetically. Kwon Hanul looked at her, half-disbelieving, and asked, “Then why did you run away earlier? Would’ve been better if you’d just accepted on the spot.”

“I was meeting my future superior. I couldn’t very well show up covered in blood, could I? So I rushed off to clean up.”

It was a reason that was only barely convincing.

“Why my team, though?”

What’s more, Mei Hong had accepted the offer without even hearing the conditions Hanul had mentioned. That meant she had a specific reason for choosing him.

“I fell for you.”

A coughing sound came from the side. Joo Hayun was coughing like she had something stuck in her throat.

“I’ve never forgotten the sight of you fighting against the Mei Clan’s swordmasters that day—not even for a moment! That’s when I made up my mind. I must follow Kwon Hanul—”

“Lies.”

Hanul cut her off flatly. He didn’t need to hear more.

Mei Hong fell silent for a moment, then slowly opened her tightly shut mouth.

“I can’t say here. Let’s move somewhere more private—”

At that moment—

“Are you out of your mind?”

Kwon Mi suddenly spoke, her already sharp demeanor becoming downright hostile.

“Girl! Did you not hear me properly? That sword belongs to your father!”

“I know.”

Mei Hong answered with a respectful yet firm tone.

“I recognized it right away. Of course I know—it’s my father’s sword.”

“And yet you still choose to follow Kwon Hanul? Think carefully. If you really join that man’s team, I’ll melt this sword down myself!”

At Kwon Mi’s warning, Mei Hong’s brow twitched.

“I’m sorry.”

But she didn’t change her decision.

Kwon Mi glared daggers at Mei Hong, then suddenly whipped her head toward Kwon Hanul, staring him down.

“……You damn unlucky brat.”

With those parting words, she stormed into the building.

At that moment, Kwon Hudon was just coming out.

“Huh? Mom? Why are you—”

“Let’s go. We’ll just say our greetings and leave.”

“Huh? Wait, what about Mei Hong?”

“I said let’s go!”

Kwon Mi grabbed Hudon by the arm and dragged him away, leaving him bewildered.

“Well, that’s one obstacle out of the way.”

As soon as the mother and son were gone, Mei Hong turned to Hanul.

“Shall we move somewhere quieter?”

Mei Hong brought Hanul and Hayun to the visitation room in the camp—there wasn’t a better place, so she borrowed this one.

“I’m guessing you have a lot of questions.”

She set drinks in front of the seated Hanul and Hayun.

“And I have a lot I want to say.”

Hanul didn’t touch the drink. He asked bluntly, “Then let’s hear it. Why did you choose my team?”

“Because I said—I fell for you.”

Hanul gave her a cold, scornful look. Mei Hong put on a hurt expression.

“I’m serious……”

“If you keep saying nonsense, I’m leaving.”

“Alright. I’ll be serious.”

She took a deep breath. Her face turned solemn.

“There are two reasons. First—I’ve already been assigned to a team.”

This was news to both Hanul and Hayun.

“You wouldn’t have heard. I just got notified yesterday. I’ve been ordered to join the Iron Corps.”

At those words, both Hanul and Hayun’s expressions hardened.

Iron Corps—a disciplinary unit tasked with capturing and rehabilitating criminals or dangerous individuals within the Hyukcheon Group. Unlike the Guardian Corps, which upheld law and order, the Iron Corps existed solely for punishment, and was infamous for its brutality.

“What the hell did you do to get them involved…?”

“What do you mean ‘what did I do’?! Do I look like that kind of person to you?”

“Then there’s no reason for the Iron Corps to come after you.”

Mei Hong sighed deeply.

“How should I know the full story? Either way, I have no desire to join such a brutal unit at my age. I haven’t even committed a crime against Hyukcheon.”

That much was true.

Who’d willingly join a punishment force when they hadn’t done anything wrong?

“You’re Hyukcheon’s true-blood, right? A Trueblood in this day and age—it’s hard to believe even as I say it out loud. Do you know how shocked I was when I found out? No wonder you’re so incredibly strong.”

Mei Hong rattled on. Hanul, overwhelmed, cut her off.

“Yes, and?”

“With that kind of status, I figured you’d have the power to block the Iron Corps.”

Hanul’s face soured.

It was true he was Trueblood—a true-blood descendant of Hyukcheon’s founding line—but he had zero influence in the clan.

“Let’s set that aside for now.”

Uncomfortable, Hanul dodged the question.

“What’s the second reason?”

“Do you know why I betrayed the Mei Clan?”

“I was told it was revenge for your parents.”

After the war with the Mei Clan, the Hyukcheon Group’s intelligence division interrogated Mei Hong. Though she’d aided them, no one trusted a traitor blindly—they needed a reason.

Her motive was horrifying.

“That’s right. It was for revenge.”

Her father had been a prominent figure, admired both within and outside the clan. Skilled and charismatic, he had many supporters—even Hyukcheon’s intelligence division was keeping tabs on him.

But being too exceptional breeds envy.

“The Mei Clan leader—well, he was just the deputy then—didn’t like my father.”

Their philosophies clashed. The clan leader believed in results, no matter the cost. Her father prioritized family.

They often clashed, once even dangerously so.

And the clan leader wasn’t one to leave an enemy alone.

“He framed my father. He didn’t even get a chance to defend himself before he was executed.”

Her father had been brilliant, but politically naive—and easily ensnared.

“And the one who helped with that plan was the Greatest Sword of Central Plains.”

“He must’ve been loyal to the clan head, then.”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have joined such a scheme.

But Mei Hong’s expression shifted—on the verge of tears, yet holding them back.

“……No. He did it to turn my father into a Demon Blade.”

“A Demon Blade?”

“One of the powers of Shura Blood—enslaving the souls of the dead to create specters.”

Hanul frowned.

Tampering with souls is a forbidden art in the Hunter world.

"He did that... to a blood relative of his own clan?"

"The performance of the Demon Blade varies greatly depending on the quality of the soul. Among them, the highest quality is that of one’s own bloodline."

Mei Hong's father wasn't just a wielder of the Shura Blood; he was so skilled that even the clan head felt threatened by him. There was likely no soul more suited to being forged into a Demon Blade.

"In the Mei Clan, only those deemed traitors of the highest order are permitted to be turned into Demon Blades. My father was one of them… The Greatest Sword personally carried out his execution and forged my father’s soul into a Demon Blade."

There was silence. No words of comfort came to mind.

As if wrongful death wasn’t enough, Mei Hong’s father couldn’t even rest in peace, his soul bound and weaponized.

How must Mei Hong have felt, having witnessed it all?

"I understand. But those two are already dead, aren’t they?"

By then, one would think Mei Hong’s revenge had been fulfilled. But she shook her head.

"There's still one more."

"Who?"

"Bloodflame Blade Mei Xiao."

Kwon Hanul had never heard the name before. But Joo Hayun reacted differently.

"...You mean the leader of the Assassin Sword Division?"

Even if Kwon Hanul didn’t know Mei Xiao well, he certainly knew of the Assassin Swords—the Mei Clan’s secret enforcers.

They acted solely on the clan head’s orders, eliminating threats both within and outside the clan.

"When my father was taken, my mother fled with me. But the clan head had already dispatched Mei Xiao... We were captured almost immediately."

Mei Hong’s fists trembled violently, clenched so tightly they had turned white.

"My mother was murdered on the spot. Do you know what Mei Xiao said? She said my mother was too weak and useless, not even worth turning into a Demon Blade."

Mei Hong's face twisted with seething rage.

"After that, I was taken to the clan head. He didn’t kill me. Want to know why? Because I was still young, and he planned to raise me for his own use."

Mei Hong tugged at her collar, exposing her neck.

A deep red brand, stark against her pale skin, was burned into her flesh.

"This was seared into me using a Legendary-grade artifact. Because of this brand, I couldn't resist. I had no choice but to obey the clan head."

Her face was filled with contempt.

Kwon Hanul could guess why the clan head spared her—Mei Hong’s talent was too valuable to waste.

"Now that the clan head is dead, I’ve heard the Mei Clan’s bloodline members are rallying around Mei Xiao."

Joo Hayun nodded. The intelligence network of Hyukcheon had already confirmed their movements.

"Bloodflame Blade will come to kill you, Kwon Hanul. When she does, I want to take my revenge."

"Why are you so sure she’ll come for me? There were many people there that day."

"Because you killed the Greatest Sword of Central Plains."

Kwon Hanul frowned. What was she talking about?

"Bloodflame Blade is his disciple. Mei Xiao idolized her master to the point of fanaticism. She became the leader of the Assassin Swords for his sake."

"For his sake?"

"As a disciple, she had already surpassed her master. If she’d revealed her full strength, she would’ve inherited the title of Greatest Sword of Central Plains. But she didn’t. She sacrificed everything and became the leader of the Assassin Swords to preserve his honor."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. But now, her master is dead. She will stop at nothing to avenge him."

Kwon Hanul fell silent.

If that’s the case, then Bloodflame Blade Mei Xiao is the Mei Clan’s true strongest warrior.

"Did you tell the investigator about this?"

"I did. But they didn’t think it was a big deal. Said Hyukcheon isn’t the type to be scared by something like this."

"What? And they didn’t even consult me?"

Kwon Hanul cursed the faceless investigator under his breath.

"I've said everything I need to."

Mei Hong looked Kwon Hanul in the eye, her gaze solemn.

"The choice is yours. But I can say this with confidence—you won’t regret accepting me."

She stepped down from her seat and knelt. Kwon Hanul was momentarily taken aback.

"I will follow any command. If you tell me to be a dog, I will. If you order me to die, I will. As long as I can kill Bloodflame Blade Mei Xiao... I’ll give you everything."

Kwon Hanul didn’t answer immediately. He hesitated.

At that moment—

"This is too dangerous."

Joo Hayun stepped in.

"Taking Mei Hong means going against the Iron Corps. Fighting the Iron Corps within Hyukcheon is reckless."

And that wasn’t the only concern.

"If Mei Hong’s right, Bloodflame Blade is already targeting you. Bringing Mei Hong in will only make you more of a target."

From Bloodflame Blade’s perspective, both her master’s killer and her clan’s traitor would be in one place.

Her retaliation would be brutal.

"Rather than taking Mei Hong in, we should focus on preparing for Bloodflame Blade."

"You have a point."

Mei Hong bit her lip slightly at that.

"I’ve heard about the Iron Corps’ reputation. But we can’t stop brewing soy sauce just because of maggots, can we?"

The response caught both women off guard.

"Bloodflame Blade is coming for me anyway. One more or one less, it doesn’t matter."

Kwon Hanul reached out his hand.

"Mei Hong, I look forward to working with you."

Mei Hong stared at his hand for a moment, then reached out as well.

"Woohoo!"

She raised her fist high, cheering. Her unexpected enthusiasm left Kwon Hanul and Joo Hayun bewildered.

"Let’s work well together!"

Whether they were ready or not, Mei Hong smiled brightly.

* * *

"So, I’m your first official team member?"

The three of them walked down the corridor. Mei Hong seemed delighted to be “Number One.”

"Does that make you that happy?"

"It means I’m the first, right? Being first always feels good!"

Keeping up with her energy was oddly difficult.

"Ahem."

Joo Hayun cleared her throat from a few steps behind.

"You are Number One, but not the first."

"Huh?"

Mei Hong looked at her as if she were speaking nonsense.

"I was the first to assist Kwon Hanul."

"Oh! Then I’m not the first after all! That’s a shame, but I’ll concede, unnie!"

"Thank you for understa—wait, did you just call me unnie?"

"Yep, unnie."

Joo Hayun’s face stiffened. Her usual composure was cracked.

"Oh, right! Since you accepted me, I have a gift for you."

"No need."

Kwon Hanul refused. Accepting a gift from someone not yet settled in Hyukcheon felt wrong. It would be like stealing from the poor.

"No need?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? I was going to tell you about the Mei Clan Head’s secret personal vault."

"...What did you just say?"

Kwon Hanul’s eyes widened.

"I learned about it while working for him. He has quite a few secret vaults."

"Sorry, but Bloodflame Blade has probably already reclaimed those."

Joo Hayun interjected. Mei Hong shook her finger.

"There’s one vault nobody else knows about. It’s small, but it holds the clan head’s finest treasures."

"...Is that true?"

Even Kwon Hanul couldn’t help but be intrigued. Mei Hong smiled smugly.

"I told you, you wouldn’t regret choosing me. But we should talk later—too many ears around."

As they stepped outside—

A harsh wind roared overhead. Military helicopters appeared in the sky.

Kwon Hanul dismissed them at first. But Joo Hayun didn’t. Her eyes narrowed at the emblem on the choppers.

"The Iron Corps? They’re here already?"

Suddenly, the helicopter doors opened, and half a dozen figures jumped out.

"What the...?"

A bad feeling crept over Kwon Hanul. And sure enough, they were headed straight for him.

"Get back!"

He stepped in front of the two women. The moment the soldiers landed, the ground shook violently.

A cloud of dust exploded outward.

"...Hoo."

A man stepped forward. Kwon Hanul eyed him cautiously.

No hair. No eyebrows. His body was covered in scars.

"I wanted to make a quieter entrance."

The man's deep voice echoed. Kwon Hanul broke into a cold sweat.

The man’s aura crushed him. It felt like the air had turned to mud, clinging to his skin.

This pressure—it was the same as when he faced Kwon Seonwoo and Kwon Myung-woo.

"But I couldn’t just stand by and watch a threat to public order escape."

The man’s gaze locked onto Mei Hong. She couldn’t even swallow her saliva.

"Mei Hong. The Iron Corps has come to take you."

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]