Peng Clan of Hebei — Banner of the Northern Sky
Chapter 1. Night of the Northern Sky
Winter in Hebei was especially bitter.
Blizzards coiled around the mountain range, and pale moonlight shone faintly through the black clouds.
At the very center of it all,
a massive fortress stood tall.
The Peng Clan of Hebei.
A prestigious clan that had upheld the overlord’s way and protected Hebei for centuries.
A huge flag fluttered above the fortress gate.
Red characters emblazoned across a black field.
Peng (彭).
And that night, dozens of martial artists had gathered in the Peng Clan’s Great Hall.
The man seated at the highest place in the hall slowly opened his eyes.
A black robe.
Broad shoulders.
A massive great saber forged from black iron hung at his waist.
He was the Clan Lord of the Peng Clan of Hebei.
Peng Mucheon.
People called him this:
Overlord of the Northern Sky.
Peng Mucheon spoke in a low voice.
“Come in.”
Boom!
The doors of the Great Hall swung open.
A man walked in through the blizzard.
Silver armor.
A white cloak.
At his waist hung a white great saber curved like a crescent moon.
Behind him, dozens of mounted warriors appeared.
The Peng Clan’s strongest mobile cavalry unit.
The White Wolf Corps.
The man at the front dropped to one knee.
“Clan Lord.”
Peng Mucheon’s gaze turned toward him.
“Yu Hwanghui.”
“Yes.”
“You’re back.”
“I have a report.”
Yu Hwanghui pulled a bloodstained scroll from inside his robe.
“We found traces of the Black Lotus Cult along the northern border.”
The Great Hall erupted in murmurs.
Peng Dohyeok rose from his seat.
He was Peng Mucheon’s right-hand man and the Peng Clan’s military strategist.
“The Black Lotus Cult?”
“Yes.”
Yu Hwanghui nodded.
“This wasn’t mere reconnaissance.”
His voice lowered.
“They’ve already entered Hebei.”
In an instant,
the air in the Great Hall froze.
Peng Mucheon slowly rose to his feet.
“How many?”
“More than a hundred confirmed.”
“What’s their objective?”
Yu Hwanghui fell silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
“The Peng Clan.”
Peng Mucheon’s eyes turned cold.
At that moment, a tremendous roar rang out from beyond the Great Hall.
“Clan Lord!”
Boom!
The doors opened again.
This time, a giant of a general wearing violet armor strode in.
In his hand was a great saber decorated with the head of an Azure Dragon.
Peng Cheonho.
Grand General of the Thousand Blades Corps.
The Peng Clan’s strongest warrior in a head-on battle.
Peng Cheonho clenched his fist.
“The three thousand soldiers of the Thousand Blades Corps are ready to deploy.”
Peng Mucheon asked,
“Where are you headed?”
“The North Gate.”
Peng Cheonho grinned.
“If they’re targeting the Peng Clan, I’ll be the one to cut off their heads first.”
Then a woman stepped forward.
White armor and twin silver swords.
Peng Seola.
The Snowblade Maiden who commanded the Peng Clan’s female officers of the White Wolf Corps.
“Wait.”
Peng Cheonho looked at her.
“What is it?”
“The Black Lotus Cult wouldn’t come straight at us.”
Peng Seola spread out a map.
“The North Gate is a decoy.”
Everyone’s eyes focused on the map.
Her finger pointed toward the mountain range behind the Peng Clan of Hebei.
“Their real destination is here.”
The Peng Clan Secret Vault.
The place where the martial arts manuals and weapons the Peng Clan had collected for a thousand years lay sleeping.
Peng Dohyeok’s expression hardened.
“Then…”
Just then,
an arrow flew in through the window.
Thud!
The arrow buried itself in one of the Great Hall’s pillars.
A black cloth was tied to its tip.
Yu Hwanghui pulled it free and spread it open.
Red words were written across the cloth.
Tonight, the wolf of the Northern Sky will fall.
Peng Mucheon smiled quietly.
“How dare they.”
He picked up his black-iron great saber.
Boom!
The great saber struck the floor with a deep rumble.
“Anyone who knocks on the Peng Clan’s door…”
Killing intent exploded from Peng Mucheon’s eyes.
“Will pay the price.”
Yu Hwanghui drew his White Wolf Crescent Saber.
Clang!
Peng Cheonho also raised his Azure Dragon great saber.
Clang!
Peng Seola and Seo Yeonhwa drew their swords at the same time.
Every Peng Clan commander rose to their feet as one.
That night,
every beacon fire in Hebei was lit.
The first beacon fire.
The second beacon fire.
And the third beacon fire.
The war of the Northern Sky had begun.
Chapter 2. The White Wolf Corps Deploys
The fortress gates opened.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Thousands of horses’ hooves thundered across the snow-covered ground.
Yu Hwanghui rode at the front.
Behind him, the mounted warriors of the White Wolf Corps stood in formation.
White armor.
White cloaks.
And a flag bearing the emblem of a wolf.
Yu Hwanghui raised his sword.
“White Wolf Corps!”
“Yes!”
“What we’re protecting tonight isn’t just a fortress wall.”
He looked toward the Peng Clan’s flag.
“It’s our home.”
The soldiers roared.
“For the Peng Clan!”
Yu Hwanghui thrust his White Wolf Crescent Saber forward.
“Advance!”
Thundering hooves!
The White Wolf Corps disappeared into the blizzard.
But after they had left,
black shadows were already hiding behind the Peng Clan’s Mountain Gate.
One.
Ten.
A hundred.
And the black-masked man watching them let out a low laugh.
“The White Wolf Corps has left.”
He raised a hand.
“Now.”
The black shadows moved as one.
But at that moment—
Clang!
A red sword dropped in front of the black shadows.
“Who gave you permission?”
A woman holding the sword emerged from the darkness.
Seo Yeonhwa.
The Heavenly Blossom Commander who led the Thousand Blades Corps’ female officers.
Behind her, the Thousand Blades Corps’ elites stood arrayed.
Seo Yeonhwa smiled.
“If you want to enter the Peng Clan…”
She raised her sword.
“You’ll have to get past me first.”
The black-masked man gritted his teeth.
“Kill her!”
In the blizzard, blades clashed.
And the night of the Peng Clan of Hebei began to run red with blood.