Snow fell.
At the North Gate of the Peng Clan of Hebei.
Thousands of torches lit up the darkness.
Martial artists of the Thousand Blades Corps stood packed along the top of the walls.
At their front stood a man with a massive great saber slung over his shoulder.
Peng Cheonho.
He was the grand general of the Thousand Blades Corps.
"They're coming."
At Peng Cheonho's single word, every gaze atop the walls turned north.
Beyond the blizzard.
Black dots began to appear one by one.
A hundred.
Five hundred.
A thousand.
And at last, a black flag emerged.
The Black Lotus Cult.
Peng Cheonho gave a derisive chuckle.
"Is that all?"
The female officer standing beside him shook her head.
Seo Yeonhwa.
She was the deputy commander of the Thousand Blades Corps, known as the Heavenly Blossom Commander.
"No."
Her gaze was fixed not on the enemy's vanguard, but on the rear.
"That's bait."
Peng Cheonho's eyes narrowed.
"Just as I thought."
At that moment—
Boom!
An explosion rang out from behind the Peng Clan of Hebei.
The entire wall shook.
"Enemy attack!"
"The West Gate is under attack!"
"They're heading for the Secret Vault!"
Peng Cheonho clenched his teeth.
"So they really were after the Secret Vault."
Seo Yeonhwa drew her sword.
Clang!
"I'll go."
"Alone?"
"No."
Seo Yeonhwa turned around.
Behind her stood hundreds of elite Thousand Blades soldiers and female officers.
"I'll take three hundred from the Thousand Blades Corps."
Peng Cheonho nodded.
"Go."
"Yes, General!"
The moment Seo Yeonhwa turned away—
A tremendous roar erupted from below the walls.
"Kill the Peng dogs!"
Black Lotus martial artists were charging toward the walls.
Peng Cheonho grinned.
"Good."
He raised his great saber.
"Then I'll play with them here."
Meanwhile, the northern snowfields.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
White warhorses raced across the snow.
At the front was Yu Hwanghui.
Behind him rode the White Wolf Corps.
The White Wolf Corps' banner whipped in the fierce wind.
Yu Hwanghui raised a hand.
"Halt!"
Thousands of mounted warriors stopped at once.
Deep hoofprints remained in the snow.
Deputy Commander Peng Seola rode over.
"General."
"Report."
"There are no Black Lotus troops."
Yu Hwanghui surveyed the surroundings.
It was too quiet.
Abnormally so.
He slowly drew the White Wolf Crescent Saber.
Shing.
"It's a trap."
At that moment—
Black flags rose from every part of the snowfield.
Thousands of Black Lotus martial artists revealed themselves.
Peng Seola spoke with startled eyes.
"We're surrounded!"
Yu Hwanghui smiled instead.
"Good."
He raised the White Wolf Crescent Saber.
"Now this finally feels like a war."
A masked man walked out from the Black Lotus vanguard.
"Yu Hwanghui."
"Who are you?"
"If I take your head, I should be able to claim a high position in the Black Lotus Cult."
Yu Hwanghui laughed coldly.
"Then come and take it."
He urged his horse forward.
"White Wolf Corps!"
Thousands of mounted warriors drew their weapons at once.
"Charge!"
Rumble!
The snowfield shook.
The White Wolf Corps charged as one.
The white cavalry and black army collided head-on.
Crash!
Blades clashed.
Spears snapped.
Blood scattered across the snow.
Yu Hwanghui carved his way alone into the enemy ranks.
One.
Two.
Three.
His White Wolf Crescent Saber moved like lightning.
Slash!
Three masked men fell at once.
"Stop him!"
"Kill that bastard!"
But Yu Hwanghui did not stop.
Then—
An overwhelming aura erupted from deep within the enemy ranks.
Rumble!
Yu Hwanghui's horse came to a halt.
A massive man in black armor appeared before him.
He held a black iron staff in his hand.
"Yu Hwanghui, Commander of the White Wolf Corps."
Yu Hwanghui narrowed his eyes.
"Are you their commander?"
"The Black Lotus Cult's Northern Sky Blood Fiend."
The man rested the iron staff on his shoulder.
"The last sky you'll ever see is this one."
Yu Hwanghui raised the White Wolf Crescent Saber at an angle.
"The sky?"
He laughed.
"I'm not someone who looks up at the sky."
His white cloak whipped in the wind.
"I'm the one who cuts it down."
Both men's weapons moved at the same time.
Boom!
The entire snowfield shook.
The Peng Clan Secret Vault.
Meanwhile.
The three hundred Thousand Blades soldiers led by Seo Yeonhwa arrived before the Secret Vault.
But they were already too late.
A red handprint stained the massive stone doors.
Seo Yeonhwa's expression hardened.
"Someone got inside first."
Then a voice came from the darkness.
"Is the one guarding the Peng Clan's Secret Vault really just you?"
Seo Yeonhwa pointed her sword.
"I'm enough."
A woman emerged from the darkness.
A black robe.
A red hair tie.
A slender black sword at her waist.
Her eyes gleamed coldly.
"The Black Lotus Saintess."
Seo Yeonhwa spoke in a low voice.
The woman smiled.
"So you've heard my name."
She drew her sword.
Shing.
"Tonight."
Her red eyes flashed.
"The history of the Peng Clan of Hebei ends."
Seo Yeonhwa raised her sword as well.
"No."
She stepped forward.
"Tonight, it begins."
The Thousand Blades soldiers drew their weapons as one.
"The legend of the Peng Clan of Hebei begins tonight."
The tips of the two women's swords met.
And then—
Episode 3. Bloodbath in the Secret Vault.
The greatest secret manual in the world, asleep in the deepest reaches of the Peng Clan of Hebei, reveals itself.