"Hey, mister! Five more hotteok! The honey ones — don't be stingy!"
Pung Hyeon crouched in front of a street stall, cheeks stuffed, wearing the most contented smile in the world.
His pockets were fat with gold coins lifted from the Gwak family.
His whole body still ran warm from the aftereffects of chewing down an entire thousand-year snow ginseng root, but honestly, that just felt like a good, full-belly glow.
*This is the life. Danger? Swords? No idea what you're talking about. I'm just out here eating good food and taking it easy…*
That was when the chatter from the next stall drifted straight into his ears.
"Yo, you hear? The Gwak family in Taiyuan is in total chaos! Someone cleaned out the clan head's entire treasure vault!"
"Wasn't any ordinary punk, either. Blue lightning crackling off his feet! The moment he cleared the wall, lightning shot straight up into the sky!"
"The Cheonroe Sect! Word is he's the heir of that legendary reclusive sect. Young master named Pung Hyeon — a real prodigy!"
Pung Hyeon stopped mid-chew and blinked.
*…Huh? Cheonroe Sect? Pung Hyeon? Me?*
A chunk of hotteok lodged in his throat. He hacked and sputtered.
He grabbed his water and chugged it, muttering internally.
*No way… is this because I shouted my own name? I was just hyped up from running — I didn't even think—*
The snowball of misunderstanding was already rolling at avalanche speed.
Pung Hyeon played dumb and took another bite. Honey dripped down his chin.
*Delicious. I'm making this place my regular spot—*
Meanwhile, at the Hubei Alliance's Intelligence Division.
Zhuge Yeon fanned himself with a white feather fan, scanning the report for the third time.
His eyes had already switched into *legend-analysis mode.*
"Director Song. Any additional intel from the Beggars' Brotherhood?"
Intelligence Director Song Baek mopped sweat from his forehead and presented a letter with both hands.
"Yes, Strategist. We finally have something. A tip came in — a man named Pung Hyeon was spotted buying hotteok at a market in Shanxi."
"Hotteok."
The fan stopped with a SNAP.
A deep furrow formed between Zhuge Yeon's brows.
"He buys hotteok… Hmm. This is no mere meal."
"…Sir?"
"'I can move through the heart of your marketplace in broad daylight, right under your noses.' Another demonstration."
"And he spends gold coins stolen from the Gwak family on hotteok? This is a provocation — 'I'll take your wealth and spend it in your own backyard.' A display of absolute ease."
Zhuge Yeon slowly closed his eyes.
"Pung Hyeon of the Cheonroe Sect… He is no common thief. He is sending a message to the entire martial world."
Director Song screamed on the inside.
*Strategist… that's just a hungry kid buying a snack…*
But Zhuge Yeon had already moved on.
"Issue orders to the Beggars' Brotherhood. Track Pung Hyeon's movements, but make no contact whatsoever. Observation only."
He paused, then added quietly:
"And file a discreet report to the Alliance Lord as well."
"What should it say?"
The corner of Zhuge Yeon's mouth curved upward.
"That the Cheonroe Sect has returned."
Pung Hyeon demolished all five hotteok, patted his stomach, and pushed himself to his feet.
"Ugh, I'm stuffed. Where to next? Find an inn in the next town, grab a soft bed, take a nice long nap…"
He pulled out the debt ledger from inside his robe and gave it a quick look.
The second name caught his eye.
*Anhui — Namgung Clan — one ancestral sword, value owed.*
*The Namgung Clan, huh… that's a bit of a trek.*
He scratched his chin.
*If I swipe one of their famous swords, won't people assume I'm some kind of swordmaster on top of everything else?*
His expression went flat.
*Then again, if I keep running around like this and get caught, I'm dead. Literally stabbed to death.*
He thought it over for a moment, then shook his head.
*Nah. Maybe I should just lay low at an inn for a while and eat more food.*
But the energy from the thousand-year snow ginseng was still churning inside him.
A faint tingle ran through the tips of his feet.
*Okay, real talk — if I want to stay alive, get rich, eat well, and live a long life, I need to get stronger first.*
Pung Hyeon arrived at this conclusion with great seriousness.
*Sure, I'm pretty confident I can outrun anyone. But the martial world is huge and there are masters everywhere, so you never know.*
A moment later, he gave a firm nod.
*If it weren't for that snow ginseng, I'd probably already be dead in a ditch somewhere.*
And then, finally, he made up his mind.
*So this time, I'll go steal some martial technique I actually need. Or a sword for intimidation. Nothing dangerous — just a quick, clean grab—*
The moment he stepped onto the road.
Far behind him, a Beggars' Brotherhood beggar watched him go with curious eyes.
"That kid… his footsteps are so light. Could he be…"
On the mountain path to the next town.
A sudden chill ran down Pung Hyeon's spine.
That instinct — the one that had kept him alive in the tiger's den.
*Someone's… following me?*
On pure reflex, he broke into the Grass-Skimming Step.
His body slid through the air like wind and melted into the undergrowth.
A presence brushed past behind him.
"Hey, young man! Hold on a second!"
Pung Hyeon didn't look back. He ran faster.
A faint blue afterimage flickered at his heels.
*No good! If they catch me, it's over!*
*Is it the Gwak family? Or did the old geezer's creditors already find me?*
He broke off the mountain path and plunged into a ravine.
Using the air currents he'd learned from chasing sparrows, he twisted his direction mid-air.
The person Pung Hyeon had pegged as a pursuer was, in fact, a perfectly ordinary traveling merchant who had gotten lost.
The merchant stared blankly at the spot where the figure had vanished.
"What in the — why'd he bolt like that?"
He scratched his head and muttered.
"I just wanted to ask for directions…"
But Pung Hyeon was already dozens of miles away.
That night.
A new inn.
Pung Hyeon lay under a thick quilt, staring up at the ceiling.
*Phew… survived another day.*
He curled up with a satisfied sigh.
*Running away really is the best strategy.*
At that same moment.
A Beggars' Brotherhood report was flying toward the Alliance.
【Confirmed: Pung Hyeon's lightness art leaves a blue lightning afterimage. Technique of extraordinary caliber.】
Zhuge Yeon read the report and smiled.
"Well then, legendary figure."
His fan opened slowly.
"Where will you go next?"
The misunderstanding had long since outgrown a snowball. It was an avalanche now, sweeping across the entire martial world.
The next morning.
Pung Hyeon sat at the inn eating breakfast porridge and muttered to himself.
"Let's take it easy today."
His spoon stopped.
"Dangerous stuff… I'll just…"
A moment later, he glanced sideways.
"Maybe I'll just head toward the Namgung Clan's area? Just to look around."
A faint blue energy curled up from the tips of his feet.
The aftereffects of the thousand-year snow ginseng had sharpened the Grass-Skimming Step to a whole new edge.
Pung Hyeon had absolutely no idea.
The martial world was already buzzing with the name *Pung Hyeon of the Cheonroe Sect.*
"The legendary sect has returned!"
"What's his angle, hitting the Gwak family twice?"
"I heard Strategist Zhuge is personally keeping watch!"
Pung Hyeon, oblivious to every word of it, scraped his porridge bowl clean.
And smiled happily.
"Mm. That hit the spot."
*Seriously, nothing beats being alive and eating good food.*
At that very moment.
Countless factions across the martial world were losing sleep over the return of a legend.
But the legend himself.
Was sitting in the corner of an inn, debating whether to order a second bowl of porridge.