It is the year A.D 179, ten years since the feudal wars have begun and continued to rage on with smaller countries usurped by bigger ones. Citizens suffered as their lands were seized and destroyed, many lost their lives, friends, and families during the feudal time. After the ten years of long, bitter war, only three countries remained, each with their own governing bodies, each with their political ideals and they were Wei’Ya, Qi’An, and Ni’Xin.

This story begins in Qi’An, currently the second strongest country amongst the three countries who are embroiled in a feudal war, Qi’An is rapidly amassing military powers due to a series of wise political manoeuvres.

In particular, this is a tale about how Seulgi, a female, disguised as a male had enlisted into the military and narrates the life of Seulgi’s military and love life. One that was extraordinary and adventurous all at the same time…

**

Kang Seulgi knew the inevitable was to come when she had reached eighteen. In this troubled time, the ruling government of Qi’An had made military enlistment mandatory for every household with a male child of at least eighteen years of age, except unless they had no male children or if the male child could be excused due to health reasons. This was the case with the Kang family. A powerful family with rich political connections however the family was not so blessed with a healthy male child and what more, Lady Kang had died when Seulgi was just four years of age and Master Kang had been too heartbroken to take in another wife.

Therefore, the reason for Seulgi’s enlistment was an amalgamation of family sabotage, political reasons, and love for a family member, Seulgi’s love for her sickly elder brother, Kang Minseok. The family, which appeared glamorous from the surface, was faced with power struggles with the extended Kang family and Seulgi’s father being the eldest male, was forced to send a son to war to strengthen their military hold and further increase their political strength. Seulgi, unwilling to see her relatives manipulate her elder brother’s life in this way, made a difficult decision at the young age of just five, to train herself and enlist in the military in place of her sickly older brother. It had not been easy, all these years, having made up a slew of lies and growing up disguised as a boy, but Seulgi soon became used to it and was in fact extremely talented at weapons. The Eighteen Arms of the Chinese Martial Arts, were friends of Seulgi's and all of which she was extremely adept in using, but of course her utmost favourite was the double-edged sword and bow. It was the talent that Seulgi possessed in wielding these weapons that goaded the young enlistee to partake in an upcoming annual martial arts competition held within the military. It was this competition that Seulgi met the love of her life, Bae Joohyun and it was Bae Joohyun that Seulgi felt herself fortunate to have enlisted in the military.

“I have seriously not seen anyone with finer skills than you have. I guess such is the privileges of being born rich, don’t you think?” A fellow new enlistee, dug his elbow into another enlistee’s ribs as he spoke, all these time referring to Seulgi and wanting to get into her good books.

Tales quickly spread through the camp that a young male from a noble family was amongst them and Seulgi was quickly singled out as the rumoured male because of her exceptional skills. Seulgi wondered if she should have kept a lower profile instead however she knew that it was inevitable that people would find out and besides, since it was already known, she would make this to her advantage.

With a lazy crooked smile on her face, Seulgi replied. “Born rich, yet I am still here as you guys are, training the same hours, pissing the same way, eating the same goo as all of you. I am not different unless you guys make me out to be.”

The guys in her platoon grinned and they clapped enthusiastically.

“Well said. Not a shred of arrogance in them.”   

A male then slung his arm over Seulgi in a brotherly way as he said. “Perhaps… just a little elusive when you piss but I guess the noble blood is too thick in you for you to change that. But well… I guess you are not bratty like the other rich kids who have got their heads filled up with fantasies and throw their weights around. If you can see us as your equal then that makes you a good enough man.” The male flashed an equally attractive crooked grin as he paused then continued. “Call me Jongin, tell me if you need anything. I will be your brother in arms from now on.”

Seulgi’s smirk became more pronounced as she extended her hand, calloused from all the weapon’s training, to Jongin. Jongin regarded the hand and with an wolfish grin, took it.