ch 19

 

Chapter 19

“This is a copy of the call to arms by the Righteous Path Alliance.”

Po Yeong-ui placed a scroll on the desk where Ho Wan-pyeong sat. Frowning, Ho Wan-pyeong picked up the scroll and broke the seal.

Led by the names of the Nine Sects One Union, he saw a long list of the martial clans based in the central plains. Most were from the Orthodox Faction, but a few were from the Unorthodox Faction, and a considerable number of clans from the gray area between them had also added their names. Below the signatures, which were packed so tightly there was hardly any room left, was a space for the clan leaders’ official seals.

Although it was a handwritten copy and the seals couldn't be replicated, this was more than enough to grasp the situation.

“This is practically the entire Jianghu. It would be harder to find a clan that has stayed out of this.”

The one surprise, if any, was the absence of the Kunlun Sect’s name among the Nine Sects. But the absence of a single clan would have no effect on the turning tide. With the Righteous Path Alliance actively pushing for a Jianghu grand assembly, it was obvious that the Orthodox Faction clans would sign the call to arms in droves. However, that even the clans of the gray area had turned against them was a heavy blow, even if it was expected.

“Is it because of the Hebei Bloodbath, after all?”

Ho Wan-pyeong looked at Po Yeong-ui with a troubled gaze. Po Yeong-ui nodded with a bitter smile.

“The ones who suffered direct damages from that incident were mostly the small and mid-sized clans of the gray area. It’s no surprise they’d be burning with a desire for revenge against us, the ones they believe to be behind it.”

“Yes, I suppose so. And with the news of Master’s disappearance spreading so quickly, how could they miss such a golden opportunity?” Ho Wan-pyeong said quietly with a wry smile.

Just a few months ago, the Demonic Cult had been the tiger on the back mountain. A fearsome, awe-inspiring creature that everyone knew existed but no one wanted to provoke. The people of the Jianghu, while fully aware of the Demonic Cult's existence, had lived with their eyes closed, as if it didn't exist. They not only wouldn't have dared to provoke it, but they trembled in fear of accidentally offending it.

But in just a few months, the situation had completely changed. Believing the Demonic Cult had backstabbed them, they were now filled with venom, and they saw the disappearance of their most feared entity, Cheonma, as a prime opportunity.

Gwak Hyo, who had fled from the foot of Mount Bulyun, had spread false information with incredible speed. Because of his machinations, the Demonic Cult was blamed for everything related to the Qilin Plaque and became the public enemy of the Jianghu, framed as the masterminds behind the Hebei Bloodbath.

“Even what Gwak Hyo did in the name of the Wusheng Cult has become our doing. Many people witnessed Jin-mu and the honor guard in the middle of Hebei, so any answer we give will be seen as a mere excuse. To them, Baek Woo-gyeong is a far more credible source than us. The Jade Qilin, a man from a prestigious righteous sect and a great hero of the world, claims to have witnessed it himself. Who would dare to doubt him?”

Gwak Hyo’s true identity had already been exposed, but only the Demonic Cult knew this truth. It was not known to the public, so he had no reason to hesitate in continuing to pose as Baek Woo-gyeong.

Unfortunately, the Demonic Cult had no evidence to reveal his identity. The Broken-Faced Wanderer, who had lost both his face and voice, was not enough to stand as evidence against the towering reputation Gwak Hyo had built in the Jianghu.

“How is Jo Se-hwa doing? I heard Jin-mu has him hidden away.”

“He has not yet fully recovered.”

“Still? Hasn’t it been quite some time?”

“That’s the problem with stubborn people. They lack flexibility. He lost consciousness and woke up to find himself suddenly a spy for the Demonic Cult, framed by the sworn brother he had served as his lord. How could a man who has lived so rigidly easily accept such a situation?”

“A pity. He could have been a useful card if used properly.”

“He might not have been much help, surprisingly. Gwak Hyo’s frame-up was just that plausible.”

**Tap. Tap.** Ho Wan-pyeong tapped the desk with his fingertips, lost in thought.

Po Yeong-ui kneaded the stiff muscles in his neck and blinked his tired eyes. For the past few days, he had worked tirelessly without sleep, trying to keep up with the constantly shifting dynamics of the central plains. The accumulated fatigue made his head feel heavy. He kept zoning out even in the middle of this important discussion, a sign that his stamina had hit rock bottom.

“Where is Jin-mu now?” Ho Wan-pyeong asked after a long moment of organizing his thoughts.

“He hasn’t left Hebei yet, still searching for Master.”

“Isn’t Hebei a tiger’s den by now?”

“They’ve disguised themselves to avoid detection and have scattered among our various branches. The enemy’s reach hasn’t extended to our secret branches yet, so they are safe for the time being.”

If there was one solace in this incredibly disadvantageous situation, it was that not a single one of their secret, cell-like branches in the central plains had been discovered. Over thirty percent of the Demonic Cult's power was scattered among these branches. If they had been picked off one by one, it would have been a significant blow to their already outnumbered forces.

“Withdraw them.”

“…Pardon?”

Momentarily lost in other thoughts, Po Yeong-ui didn't quite catch what Ho Wan-pyeong said and asked again. He had so much on his mind that he was having trouble focusing on one thing.

Knowing how much work Po Yeong-ui had been doing lately, Ho Wan-pyeong patiently repeated his order.

“I said, withdraw them. The members of the honor guard Jin-mu took with him are our Cult’s elite. They are too great a force to be consumed meaninglessly. Tell them to scatter and return to the main fortress. And Jin-mu as well, of course.”

“We still haven’t found Master. He disappeared under unusual circumstances; he might need help.”

Po Yeong-ui had been certain that Ho Wan-pyeong would order them to find the Master, even if it meant the entire honor guard was annihilated. Startled by the uncharacteristic command, he urged him to reconsider his decision.

Ho Wan-pyeong shook his head with a wry smile.

“There’s no need for that. He is not the one who needs help. We are.”

“Brother?”

“We’ve been mistaken all this time. He is not someone who needs our help. Now that Master is gone, I finally understand. The one who was truly being protected all this time wasn’t the Master, but us.”

Po Yeong-ui knew what Ho Wan-pyeong was trying to say. He himself had been feeling it acutely these past few days. Though he was just one man, Cheonma’s shadow was immense. The Cult’s very status changed based on his presence alone—what more needed to be said?

“The Jianghu revered the Demonic Cult, and the Demonic Cult was the greatest power in the world, all because the Master was with us. Just because he is absent, we are being shaken to our very roots. Even the dogs that used to lie with their tails tucked between their legs are now running wild like a pack of wolves in his absence. It’s ridiculous and pathetic. A tragedy, really. It feels like all of us combined cannot match the weight of him alone.”

“It can’t be helped. Master is a giant, the likes of which are rarely seen,” Po Yeong-ui replied bitterly.

Hearing this, Ho Wan-pyeong smiled faintly. It was a quiet, gentle smile, but the man’s eyes blazed with a fierce fighting spirit.

“But there is something they have forgotten. That he has disciples. Those fools have failed to realize that a tiger’s cub can only be a tiger. Even without him, the Demonic Cult is still the Demonic Cult, and the Four Demonic Kings are still the Four Demonic Kings. I intend to thoroughly carve what they have forgotten into their very bones.”

Ho Wan-pyeong muttered, his face bearing a striking resemblance to Cheonma.

The man who had always been calm and gentle revealed his true nature in his quiet fighting spirit. The Ho Wan-pyeong of this moment was not the man who usually stepped back respectfully, afraid to even step on his master’s shadow. He was an arrogant master, a confident ruler, and a wise monarch who knew how to control his own spirit.

Seeing this side of Ho Wan-pyeong, Po Yeong-ui had a belated realization. So that’s how it was. Without the shadow of Cheonma, Ho Wan-pyeong’s true self was more visible. He could now see not the reserved and hidden man, but his true nature.

It seemed Cheonma had chosen Ho Wan-pyeong as his successor not just because he was the eldest disciple. Cheonma had chosen him because he had recognized the qualities of a ruler in him.

Compared to himself, who only had the makings of a strategist, or Gwak Jin-mu, who was too free-spirited, or Cho Gyo-yeon, whose vessel was too small, Ho Wan-pyeong had the ability to encompass the whole and the will to lead the Cult.

“What are you thinking, Brother?”

He could plot small schemes on his own, but for major decisions, he couldn't act without his brother's permission. Realizing that Ho Wan-pyeong had a plan in mind, Po Yeong-ui asked about his true intentions with a serious demeanor.

“Yeong-ui.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“First, let us strike the traitors of our Cult.”

After a brief pause, Po Yeong-ui asked again, as if to confirm he’d heard correctly.

“The traitors of our Cult… you mean we should strike Gwak Hyo directly?”

“Yes. We strike Gwak Hyo.”

Despite the preconceptions one might have due to his straightforward nature, Ho Wan-pyeong was a smart man. He wouldn’t stubbornly insist on impossible tasks, and his judgment of a situation was incredibly sharp. Therefore, one shouldn't take his words at face value. There was always another layer to what he said. An unexpected aspect hidden within a simple expression…

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, something flashed through Po Yeong-ui’s thoughts. His eyes grew cold, just like Ho Wan-pyeong’s, and he muttered softly as if savoring the idea.

“You mean to highlight the existence of Gwak Hyo and the Wusheng Cult. To brush aside the things they won't believe anyway and expose only the things for which we have actual evidence, is that right?”

It meant there was no need to dwell on the fact that Baek Woo-gyeong was Gwak Hyo. Gwak Hyo truly existed, and there was plenty of evidence that he had mobilized the Wusheng Cult. The claim that Baek Woo-gyeong was Gwak Hyo would be met with much resistance, but the claim that a Demonic Cult traitor named Gwak Hyo was leading the Wusheng Cult would be easily accepted.

“Yes, that’s right. We also have considerable evidence regarding the Wusheng Cult’s activities, which will serve as our weapon.”

“Exactly. And in addition to that, we have the Tang Clan. If we expose their secrets to the public, the Wusheng Cult’s existence will become a new point of controversy. Things are about to get interesting. Once the Wusheng Cult's identity is clearly revealed, the false accusations against us will fade, and the unity of the Jianghu alliance will loosen as their single enemy suddenly becomes two. They won't be able to let either us or the Wusheng Cult take advantage of the situation, so their attention will surely be divided. We’ll have to move shrewdly to avoid provoking them, but it’s a good method.”

In an instant, Po Yeong-ui came up with several concrete plans. If they used the current situation proactively, it even seemed possible to officially station a portion of the Demonic Cult's forces in the central plains.

“May I take the scroll for a moment?”

Having thought of a few useful tactics, Po Yeong-ui’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Ho Wan-pyeong. The man who had been slumped over in exhaustion was now full of life, moving as if ready to start work immediately.

“Of course, you may take it. But let me ask you one thing first. Yeong-ui, when was the last time you slept properly?”

Po Yeong-ui, who had just snatched the scroll as soon as he got permission, frowned slightly at the question.

`Slept properly?`

Come to think of it, he had been awake for seven days and nights straight. Before that, he had only been catnapping in his office, so it had been over a month since he had last lain in a proper bed.

“About a month ago, I think,” Po Yeong-ui answered without hiding anything. It was true he was working hard, and it was a fact he hadn't slept. It wouldn’t do for a superior to be unaware of his subordinate's struggles, so there was no reason to hide it—he might as well show it.

Hearing his bold answer, Ho Wan-pyeong let out a deep sigh. No wonder his complexion was as pale as paper; there was a reason for it. This fellow, a martial artist by name, wasn't even taking proper care of his body.

“Looking at your ghastly complexion, it seems you aren’t even cultivating your inner energy properly. No matter how much of a master you are, your body will break down if you push it that hard. What are you thinking, overworking yourself like this?”

Instead of praise for his hard work, only a scolding came down. A rebellious feeling arose in Po Yeong-ui, and he retorted openly.

“It can’t be helped, can it? Do you think I enjoy overworking myself, Brother? There is much to be done, and not enough hands to do it.”

“Do you think you’re Zhuge Hui-ryeon? If something were to happen to you, who would clean up the mess? I need you to work for me for a long time. So stop your nonsense and go home early to rest today. I’ll have Ma-yeong watch you, so don’t even think about bringing work into your bedchambers.”

“Brother! If I fall behind one day, I’ll have to suffer for two. You know my situation, why are you doing this?”

“Because I feel like I’m about to work my own brother to death. You don’t even look in a mirror these days, do you? When you get back to your quarters, take a look in a bronze mirror. That handsome face of yours has become half its size.”

So many ideas were popping into his head that he wanted to get to work right away, but Ho Wan-pyeong, holding his hand, stopped him with a firm gaze.

“While I’m at it, I’m confiscating this too!”

He went so far as to snatch the scroll from Po Yeong-ui’s hand, his face stern. Po Yeong-ui stared at Ho Wan-pyeong with a look of disbelief.

“If you really need the call to arms, come get it early tomorrow morning. If I receive a report from Ma-yeong that you’ve rested properly, I will give it to you. If not, I will give you another day of leave.”

“Isn’t that a bit cheap? Holding my work hostage?”

“And aren’t you holding yourself hostage? No more talking back, just go and sleep. Don’t make the people watching you anxious. This is not a brother speaking to his younger brother, but the Cult Leader speaking to his strategist.”

Ho Wan-pyeong waved his hands dismissively, shooing him away. If they were still simple brothers, Po Yeong-ui might have stubbornly stayed seated, but since it was a direct order from the Cult Leader to his strategist, he had no grounds to ignore it.

Forced to rise from his seat, Po Yeong-ui bowed and left the Inner Lake Pavilion. He could feel a presence silently following him, which meant Ho Wan-pyeong had really sent Ma-yeong after him.

`Honestly, that man. He’s not one to make empty threats. I really can’t win with him.`

Letting out a hollow laugh to himself, he shook his head and headed towards his room. Resting for half a day in this situation would cause his work to pile up, but Ho Wan-pyeong’s unexpected consideration didn’t feel bad.

Life was full of surprises. Was it because the Master wasn't here? For some reason, that man was paying attention to others.

They say in unrequited love, one's mood swings with the other's smallest actions. Even though his head knew it meant nothing, his heart fluttered. After the moment passed, all that remained was a bitter smile. It was because he keenly felt the truth that his own heart harbored a foolishness that even his own reason could not comprehend.

***

As they entered the inn, the murmuring of the people began without fail. The sound of whispers spread from the doorway and eventually reached the inner part of the room, causing even those who had been looking the other way to turn their heads in curiosity.

The center of attention was, naturally, not Munpyeong, but Cheonma. Even after coming down from the mountain, Cheonma had not disguised himself and showed his bare face. Thanks to this, they received everyone’s undivided attention wherever they went.

He wasn't dressed in his usual magnificent attire, but in a simple black robe bought from a village tailor, yet his presence did not fade. In fact, his simple attire drew even more attention.

`Why is it that the more simply this person dresses, the nobler he looks? When he was dressed splendidly, I just figured it was because of the clothes, but dressed like this, he looks like a member of the royal family traveling incognito. That’s why everyone’s eyes are popping out and staring only at us.`

Though he wasn’t royalty, he was in a position where he needed to travel incognito, yet Munpyeong was quite displeased that he couldn't achieve his goal because of Cheonma's overly conspicuous appearance. The constant gazes following them everywhere made him feel as if he were being watched.

Although the world was wide, there must be someone somewhere who knew his true identity, yet Cheonma didn't seem to care. Perhaps he was reluctant to use a disguise after revealing his true self for the first time in a while, as he had coldly refused even Munpyeong’s request to at least make his face a little less handsome.

“Could you guide us to the second floor?”

As a waiter approached them, Munpyeong quickly stated his request. Judging by their clothes, they didn't seem like guests suited for the second floor, but Cheonma’s appearance had a magic greater than gold in persuading the waiter. Bowing with utmost politeness, the waiter guided them to the second floor.

At least on the second floor, the stares were less intense than on the first. The people here were well-off and mindful of their reputation, so even if their eyes widened at the sight of Cheonma, they couldn't help but be conscious of others' gazes.

Without even asking, they were seated at the best window seat with a view of the outside, making Munpyeong once again realize the power of beauty. If he had come alone, he would have had to pay extra to sit here, but Cheonma had earned this privilege with his face alone, proving that beauty could, surprisingly, be a form of currency.

“Wh-what, what would you like to have? Sir?”

The waiter who had guided them was a young lad with pimples still on his cheeks. Though young, his eyes were in the right place, as he kept stealing glances at Cheonma’s face, not knowing what to do.

“If you have Songja-ju, bring a bottle, along with a roasted duck and a plate of Yuxiang Rousi.”

Perhaps intending to play the part of a commoner since he was dressed simply, Cheonma requested an uncharacteristically simple meal.

“Wh-what did you say?”

“A bottle of Songja-ju, one roasted duck, and a plate of Yuxiang Rousi.”

Fearing what might happen if Cheonma had to repeat himself, Munpyeong quickly jumped in to confirm the order. The waiter, who seemed to have been hoping to hear Cheonma's voice again, looked visibly disappointed and trudged down to the kitchen.

Now he’s even charming that young boy. Munpyeong glanced at Cheonma, who was looking out the window.

“…Is it really okay to travel like this?” The question that had been on his mind for a while slipped out of Munpyeong’s mouth.

What’s the problem? Cheonma asked with a cool smile, looking at the constantly fidgeting Munpyeong.

“Why? Are you worried someone might be following us?”

Cheonma could clearly see through Munpyeong’s anxiety, as if he were some wanted fugitive.

It seemed Munpyeong was taking the name ‘Heavenly Demon’ too lightly. Just because I’m alone in the middle of the central plains, do you really think I’d be chased like a dog? Munpyeong’s martial arts had also become quite decent, so as long as he didn't get in the way, traveling the Jianghu alone would not be difficult at all.

“That’s part of it, but the people’s stares are also too uncomfortable. I think you drew less attention when you were in the guise of Yun Seung-hyo.”

Unaccustomed to being the center of attention, Munpyeong grumbled to Cheonma. Yun Seung-hyo’s appearance was so distinctive that everyone who knew him recognized him. As a result, while there were looks of admiration and awe, there were almost no curious gazes trying to figure out his identity.

“I revealed my face so they would follow me properly. It would be disappointing if no one did. From the looks of it, it seems we’ll get a bite soon. Don’t be so impatient and just wait.”

Cheonma spoke leisurely, checking outside the window.

`What? Someone’s following us?`

Munpyeong, who had been carefully observing his surroundings because of the overly conspicuous Heavenly Demon but had sensed nothing, craned his neck to follow Cheonma’s gaze. Where? Who’s following us?

“Hey, whoa now! This punk is disrespecting an old man. I told you my party is up here, why do you keep shouting? I’m a paying customer, you brat!”

“Where does this smelly beggar think he’s going with such a lame lie? I told you, the second floor is not a place for a beggar like you. Do you really want to get a beating? I can give you a lump of cold rice, so come to the back door!”

“Hah. The kid’s got a foul mouth, but his heart isn’t bad, so I’ll let it slide. Otherwise, I would have broken your legs.”

“What nonsense is this old man, who looks like a half-sucked rag, spouting? Break my legs, you say? Huh? Hey, hey! Don’t you move!”

“Don’t disrespect your elders. You think you’ll never get old? Time comes for you even if you try to block it with a thorny fence.”

The commotion wasn't outside the window, but on the floor below. There was a clattering and banging, a considerable noise, and then a bickering conversation echoed up to the second floor. Munpyeong, who had been looking out the window, turned his attention to the loud dispute happening below.

First, the gruff voice of an old man rang out in protest, followed by the high-pitched shouts of the young waiter who had served them. Their long-winded squabble was concluded by the one-sided display of skill from one of them.

As he had guessed from the conversation, the one who reached the second floor first was the old beggar who had been arguing with the waiter. The old beggar, who had nimbly sprinted up to the second floor, leaving even the young boy behind, looked around as if he were truly looking for his party. Then, he spotted Cheonma sitting by the window and grinned.

“This old geezer is really asking for a taste of trouble!”

The young waiter, thinking he had let him slip by being careless, ground his teeth as he chased the old man breathlessly. Just as the boy, having reached the top of the stairs, was about to grab the old man by his shabby scruff, the old beggar slipped from his grasp like an eel and staggered towards them as if drunk.

“Huh, huh?”

The waiter didn’t know that the footwork the old man used was the Drunken Eight Immortals Steps, but he could clearly see that his movements were extraordinary, and his face contorted in bewilderment. He hadn't noticed before because it happened so quickly, but after experiencing the same thing twice, he was starting to get a sense of things.

The waiter scanned the old man’s entire body with a new look. The old beggar revealed his gapped, missing teeth and let out a chuckle.

“My party is over there. So stop disrespecting me and bring the food I ordered quickly.”

The old beggar pointed accurately at Munpyeong’s party and spoke with a dignified air. His demeanor was so natural that even Munpyeong, who was watching, felt the illusion that the old man was part of his group.

The young waiter, who had already seen Munpyeong's party as having an unusual status, flinched and stepped back when the old beggar pointed at them.

Although Cheonma’s appearance was unbelievably handsome, even his stunning looks couldn't hide the fact that they were martial artists. Munpyeong had a broadsword at his waist, and Cheonma’s physique itself was impressive. Moreover, the clothes they were wearing were black martial arts robes.

`Damn it, this old man is a martial artist too.`

The young waiter belatedly realized that he had been rude to a martial artist. He had treated him carelessly without knowing his identity, which was like sticking his head into a tiger’s jaws. Fortunately for him, the old beggar seemed to have no intention of punishing the waiter who hadn't recognized him. If he had run into a more short-tempered martial artist, he might have already lost his life.

“Y-yes, I understand. You should have said so earlier.”

The young waiter, having lived a life on the streets, was quick-witted. He immediately changed his tune, bowed his waist, and darted downstairs. The old beggar grinned as if to say, “See?” and approached them with a swagger.

As the beggar, who likely hadn't washed in who knows how long, approached, a foul stench filled the air. It was a horrendous odor, comparable to the sweat Munpyeong had exuded when he broke through his life-and-death point not long ago.

Those who held the station of a beggar were inherently unsightly. No one would give alms to a beggar who was able-bodied and imposing, so in the world of beggars, even a decent appearance had to be made to look pathetic.

The old beggar was a standout even among such beggars. He was short, barely five feet tall, and his long, narrow face was gaunt, with only a handful of hair left on the crown of his head. His face, covered in age spots, was wrinkled, and even his teeth were not intact, naturally evoking pity from anyone who saw him.

Munpyeong’s attention was not on the man’s shabby appearance, but on his waist. It was hard to see, hidden by the rags that would surely stain one's hands with grime just by touching them, but tied around the old beggar’s waist was a rope with knots tied in it. In addition, he had a well-worn staff hanging from his thigh, which was undoubtedly the attire of a Beggars' Sect disciple.

`An eight-knot disciple of the Beggars' Sect. That means he’s an elder.`

Munpyeong, who had first counted the number of knots, realized that the man was a formidable master.

Among the hundreds of thousands of members of the Beggars' Sect, only a dozen or so held the rank of an eight-knot disciple. Ten knots signified the Sect Leader, and nine knots were reserved only for the heir-apparent, so it was no exaggeration to say that eight-knot disciples were directly under the Sect Leader.

The Beggars' Sect was famous for its vast numbers, but their position as one of the great sects of the world was not just due to their numbers. Because there were so many members, there was no shortage of masters. Among them, an elder-level member was one of the top masters in the entire Jianghu. Even if the old beggar looked shabby, he could not be taken lightly.

“Heh heh. May I sit here?”

The old beggar, who had walked up to them with a leisurely attitude, asked with a laugh that escaped through his missing teeth. He knew exactly who Cheonma was, so his attitude was quite polite, unlike the free-spirited style of a Beggars' Sect master.

Cheonma nodded without a word and pulled out a chair with a telekinetic gesture. Grinning, the old man did not refuse and plopped down in the seat.

`So this is the person Cheonma was trying to lure?`

Munpyeong carefully observed the old beggar with curious eyes. Beggars generally looked like beggars, so it was difficult to tell who was who by appearance alone.

Masters of the Jianghu could usually be identified by their unique weapons, distinctive clothing, or incredibly unique physical features, but the old beggar had no discernible features other than being a beggar, making it difficult to guess his identity.

“When the children sent word that they thought they had found the Cult Leader’s trail, this old beggar suspected it was time to overhaul the sect’s information network. I thought incorrect information had slipped through unfiltered and reached the top. Now I see it was not the Beggar Captains who made a mistake, but this old man. I came here half-doubting, but to see it is truly the Cult Leader. Heh heh heh. My old eyes are feasting.”

“The Beggars' Sect's information is slower than I thought. I expected to meet you by yesterday at the latest, but it took another day.”

“That’s not the fault of the information network, but of the old men with heavy behinds. As the Cult Leader has experienced, the problem everywhere is ultimately the old men, isn't it? There are more than one or two whose vital energy has all gone to their mouths with age, so they talk and talk excessively even when making urgent decisions. If this old man hadn't stepped up personally, they would still be just flapping their mouths.”

A man who knew Cheonma’s identity was calling himself an old man in front of him. That meant the man was older than Cheonma.

A short man of five feet, old enough to call himself an old man to Cheonma. The Beggars' Sect certainly had one person who fit that description.

Pyo-ui-gae Shin Jeom-gu. He was an elder of the Beggars' Sect, nearly a hundred years old, and the oldest among the sect's elders. He was the martial uncle of the current Sect Leader and a veteran heroic beggar who had dedicated his life to justice in the Jianghu. It was incomprehensible why such a renowned master of the Orthodox Faction had come to see Cheonma in person.

“It seems the Beggars' Sect has its share of useless old men.”

“Heh heh heh. Just because the body gets old doesn’t mean the heart does, so it can’t be helped, can it? The Cult Leader himself is traveling the Jianghu alone like this, so I imagine you understand the sentiment well.”

As expected, an old man that had been rolling around for a long time was not easy. When Cheonma made a remark that seemed to disregard the Beggars' Sect, Pyo-ui-gae delivered a sharp retort with an incredibly gentle attitude. It was like a clash between a drawn blade and a hidden one. For people who had been hostile to each other their entire lives, their attitude was incredibly flexible, but it seemed they couldn't let go of a sliver of tension.

When the young waiter brought tea, Cheonma merely sniffed it and pushed the cup away, seemingly displeased.

`So picky.`

Munpyeong, who was watching, first poured tea for Pyo-ui-gae and then a cup for himself. The ordinary quality black tea that was served without a special order gave off a nutty aroma and steamed.

“The Beggars' Sect shouldn’t be worrying about my problems right now. I have a good idea why you old men came to find me, so there's no need to waste time with pointless probing. If I hadn't intended to tell you, I wouldn't have called you in the first place.”

“So it wasn’t us who found the Cult Leader, but the Cult Leader who summoned us. I had a feeling that might be the case.”

As Cheonma finished speaking with a cool demeanor, Pyo-ui-gae sipped his tea and let out a low laugh. Cheonma looked at the old man with a cool expression, then turned to Munpyeong.

At first, Munpyeong didn't know what he meant by looking at him, but when Cheonma tapped his teacup with a dissatisfied look, he belatedly caught on and poured him some black tea as well.

`He acted like he wouldn’t drink it, so why now?`

As expected, Cheonma didn’t even glance at the tea poured into his cup and turned his gaze back to Pyo-ui-gae.

This isn’t a joke, what is he up to? Dumbfounded, Munpyeong shook his head and put down the teapot.

“I heard the story through the Haomun. I heard that the one who actually handled the matter in Kaiyang was not the Flower Hero, but the Cult Leader. And it was the Cult Leader himself who sent word to our side. Is that not so?”

“That is correct. I contacted the Beggars' Sect.”

“Why did you do that?”

To Pyo-ui-gae’s sharp question, Cheonma answered with a composed attitude. The matter in Kaiyang was about those living corpses. Remembering that nearly 200 members of the Beggars' Sect had been sacrificed in that incident, Munpyeong straightened his back and listened intently to their conversation.

“I couldn’t trust the Tang Clan. I felt that if I sent only them, they would kill all the children who were still alive.”

Cheonma unabashedly confessed that he had used them. There was no trace of shame or guilt on his face, which Pyo-ui-gae watched with an expressionless gaze. Fearing a real fight might break out with the Beggars' Sect, Munpyeong was suddenly terrified.

After staring at Cheonma for a long time, Pyo-ui-gae suddenly let out a bitter smile and muttered to himself, shaking his head.

“Well, this is an honor. I never expected to hear such words from the Cult Leader of all people. To think you trusted the righteousness of our Beggars' Sect so much, this is not something to be angry about, but something to be thankful for.”

He wasn't being sarcastic; he was sincere. Then he even cupped his fists and bowed his head to Cheonma.

“Thank you. If not for the Cult Leader’s consideration, we would not have been able to do anything about that matter. We had a lead but couldn't grasp the main body and were wandering in the dark. Thanks to the Cult Leader’s help, we were able to save the surviving children. It is truly a profound act of compassion.”

“I also had my reasons for doing it, so I have no reason to accept the Beggars' Sect's gratitude.”

Is the Beggars' Sect really the a sect of beggars? Unlike the Tang Clan, which would cling to the smallest things and pick fights to the death, the Beggars' Sect's attitude was incredibly dignified.

He had heard that unlike other sects, the Beggars' Sect had only one rule: "Revere righteousness." They were a sect that truly fit the phrase "righteous blood is not to be refused," so no one would object to calling the members of the Beggars' Sect "righteous beggars."

“…I have one question. You said you couldn't trust the Tang Clan. What is the reason for that?”

After finishing his bow, Pyo-ui-gae finally got to the point. It seemed the Beggars' Sect had come to find Cheonma because of this matter. Hearing Pyo-ui-gae’s question, Cheonma smiled coolly. As he always felt, that man’s mocking smile was truly a masterpiece.

“Asking like that, it seems the Beggars' Sect also has its own suspicions. Is there really a need to come and ask me about such things?”

“The Cult Leader knows as well that this is not a matter that can be handled with mere suspicion. We need more concrete evidence.”

Although the Beggars' Sect was said to have eyes and ears all over the world, even they sometimes needed to ask others for information. Pained by having to ask his lifelong adversary, Cheonma, about an internal matter of the Orthodox Faction, Pyo-ui-gae answered Cheonma’s question with an uneasy expression.

“If the opponent weren't the Tang Clan, you wouldn’t be so cautious. Birds of a feather flock together, and a crab sides with other crabs. It seems even the Beggars' Sect can't easily step away from the pretense of being a righteous sect.”

Cheonma clicked his tongue low, as if displeased. However, he didn't seem to intend to drag out his ill temper, as he surprisingly opened his mouth willingly.

“I owe the Beggars' Sect a debt, so I’ll answer just this once. It is a fact that the Tang Clan was involved in the matter of the So Manor in Kaiyang. The children who were kidnapped were paralyzed with high-quality poppy, and the poppy came from the Tang Clan.”

“As you know, the Tang Clan has an excuse for that. It was already known that they had their poppy stolen.”

“It wasn't stolen; they delivered it with their own hands. Foolishly, they didn’t even use a subordinate; a member of the Tang Clan delivered it himself. I suppose they did it to maintain security, but a surviving child from the So Manor recognized him. They were even willing to kill to silence her, so I had to hide the child.”

Hearing this, Pyo-ui-gae let out a groan. His already dark complexion turned almost black.

“Can we meet that child?”

“Are you saying you can’t believe my words, or that you need physical evidence?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe the Cult Leader’s words, but we need objective, physical evidence to support our claims.”

“Because of that damn physical evidence, that child had to face death several times. Besides, the ones who orchestrated this were the leaders of the Righteous Path Alliance, including the Tang Clan. I want to ask you sincerely. Can you be confident that there are no sympathizers within the Beggars' Sect? What happens if I carelessly hand over the child and you lose the evidence in your hands?”

To Cheonma’s sharp question, Pyo-ui-gae could not give any answer. He wanted to claim that the Beggars' Sect was absolutely safe, but lately, their information network had been getting blurry at times, and important information was being omitted, which meant there was definitely someone playing tricks in the middle.

“…Is there no other way? We must catch them.”

Two hundred members of the Beggars' Sect had died in Kaiyang. But that number was nothing compared to the number of beggars who had been sacrificed to chase the dark undercurrents swirling through the Jianghu. A staggering five hundred. Including the Beggar Captains who had no proper martial arts, the number of members the Beggars' Sect had lost was that enormous.

Those who didn't know better thought that every beggar in the central plains was a member of the Beggars' Sect. Martial artists knew that wasn't true, but they couldn't accurately distinguish between ordinary beggars and Beggars' Sect members. That's how the Beggars' Sect earned its grand reputation as the "Hundred Thousand Beggars." But even for such a sect, the number five hundred was a huge loss.

Not just the Sect Leader, but also the members below him were all filled with venom about this incident. If it had been the Demonic Cult's doing as was known in the Jianghu, the first to rush to the Demonic Cult would have been the beggars themselves.

“If you want to dig into the Wusheng Cult, the first place you should look is the Black Demon Prison. I don’t know if you’ve heard the rumors, but there are quite a few public enemies who should be locked up in the Black Demon Prison who have been released and are wandering around. The Thousand-Faced Human Fox has information on that, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to seek his cooperation. That fellow is the most useful ghost that money can buy.”

That’s why I let that bastard who ran off leaving Munpyeong behind live. Cheonma spoke murderously, recalling Yun Seung-hyo, who had only shown his face after getting his hands on crucial information.

Not only had he disobeyed his orders and run away, but he had also put Munpyeong in a difficult situation. He was really lucky to get away with just a broken leg for that crime. If the information he brought hadn't been so useful, he might have had not just one leg, but all four limbs shattered.

“So the Righteous Path Alliance is involved in this after all?”

The Beggars' Sect, whose information network was among the best in the world, seemed to have learned quite a lot. Pyo-ui-gae muttered in a tone of utter dejection. Cheonma shrugged as if to ask why he was asking him this.

“You’re in a position where you can’t believe my words at face value anyway, so you’re asking a useless question. If there’s more you want to know, find it out yourself. This is as far as I can tell you.”

Just then, the young waiter returned with the food. Perhaps he had been greatly alerted by the mistake he made with Pyo-ui-gae, as their food came out faster than that of the people who had been seated first. The cook’s skill seemed to be quite good, as an appetizing smell pricked their noses.

Pyo-ui-gae, who had been wearing a grave expression just a moment ago, started to flare his nostrils. Given the situation, he seemed to want to maintain his dignity, but the instinct of having lived as a beggar for nearly 100 years completely shattered that pretense.

“Ahem, ahem. …It’s been a long time since I’ve had freshly made food placed before me like this. It’s a shameless request, but since we’re at the same table, would you mind sparing me a bite?”

Pyo-ui-gae, who had been a renowned master concerned about the future of the Jianghu, suddenly turned into an ordinary beggar in front of the food. Pyo-ui-gae was from the Soiled Clothes Faction, not the Righteous Clothes Faction, so he couldn't eat food he hadn't begged for. With a freshly made dish placed before such a person, it was no wonder the worms in his stomach were squirming.

“Not at all. Would I invite a beggar and then refuse to give alms? I ordered this food for you from the start. I would be in a difficult position if you refused.”

“To receive such consideration, this is an honor. I never imagined the day would come when I would receive such treatment from the Cult Leader.”

Beggars don't stand on ceremony. Even though Pyo-ui-gae was an elder of the Beggars' Sect, when told not to refuse, he really didn’t. Pyo-ui-gae ignored the perfectly fine chopsticks and grabbed a handful of the hot dish with his fingers. Then he began to eat greedily.

He drank the wine straight from the bottle and shoveled the food into his mouth with his hands. It was a boorish sight with not a speck of etiquette to be found, but Cheonma’s attitude was indifferent, as if he had expected this all along.

`Isn’t it hot, eating with his bare hands like that?`

Munpyeong looked at the old beggar, who was grabbing the steaming food, with wonder. Despite his gluttonous and dirty appearance, it wasn’t unpleasant to watch.

For a master like him not to lose his beggar-like nature was a testament to his unpretentious character. Moreover, he genuinely enjoyed the act of eating, which made it not a bad sight to see.

Pyo-ui-gae, with his mouth full of food, met Munpyeong’s eyes and began to say something. His lips, glistening with grease, moved excitedly, but his pronunciation was so unclear that it was difficult to understand what he was saying.

“Pardon? What did you say?”

“I said ‘eat.’ The cook’s skill is very good.”

Pyo-ui-gae was kindly offering food to Munpyeong. Munpyeong looked at his greasy fingers and the food, stained with grime, and smiled awkwardly.

“No, thank you. I’m fine. Please, eat a lot.”

He wished he could just grab the food and eat it in this situation, but unfortunately, Munpyeong had not yet cultivated that much magnanimity.

Perhaps one offer was more than enough, as Pyo-ui-gae didn’t offer again and finished off the food. He not only emptied the large duck and the plate of Yuxiang Rousi that would have been enough for two people, but also finished the bottle of wine and even the black tea.

“Heh heh heh. Thank you for the fine treatment. I was pushed by the old men who say it’s better to die in order, but to receive such an unexpected welcome and a hearty alms, life is truly a series of ups and downs. If the other old men find out about this, they’ll roll on the floor with stomachaches. Thank you for giving me something to brag about in my old age, Cult Leader.”

Pyo-ui-gae, who seemed to have brightened up after eating his fill, offered his thanks. Cheonma nodded indifferently, accepting his gratitude. Pyo-ui-gae stood up from his seat, still with a greasy face.

“I don’t know what you have in mind to be traveling the Jianghu alone again, but our Beggars' Sect is not worried about the Cult Leader. We know well that the peace in the Jianghu has been maintained thanks to the Cult Leader’s generosity, and we only pray that that virtue will last until the very end.”

“As long as you don't get swept up in the instigation of the Nine Sects, I have no intention of touching the Beggars' Sect either. If you’ve said all you have to say, you may leave. You’re going to be incredibly busy from now on, aren’t you?”

“Please have mercy, and may your generosity extend to the very, very end.”

Pyo-ui-gae cupped his fists once more and left them. Surprisingly, the Beggars' Sect’s perception of Cheonma didn’t seem to be that bad. Munpyeong couldn't help but be inwardly impressed as he watched the back of Pyo-ui-gae, who could only be described as a true eccentric.

“Waiter! Come here and take my order.”

After Pyo-ui-gae left, Cheonma released the hand he had been resting his chin on and called for the young waiter. The young waiter, who seemed to have been relieved that Pyo-ui-gae had left without any trouble and had been loitering on the second floor again, came running at his call.

“Yes, sir. Did you call?” the young waiter replied with a loyal attitude, as if he would do whatever was asked of him. Cheonma pointed at the table with an annoyed look.

“Clear all the dishes here, and take away all the teacups.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Bring Mengshan tea, and for wine, Guzheng Gongju. For dishes, bring Baek Rou Zhao Huo Su and Lu Hua Ji.”

The food Cheonma ordered, as if he had been waiting, was of a different class from what he had ordered before.

Mengshan tea was a tribute tea from Mount Meng in Ya'an, Sichuan, and Guzheng Gongju was a famous liquor from Anhui province, which was close to Hebei. Baek Rou Zhao Huo Su was made by carefully boiling pork, skimming off the fat, and adding a dozen seasonings, while Lu Hua Ji was made by marinating old chicken legs in medicinal wine with ginger and then deep-frying them. Baek Rou Zhao Huo Su and Lu Hua Ji were famous dishes from Hebei, and while they were expensive because they were labor-intensive, their taste was outstanding.

Watching Cheonma order, Munpyeong seethed inwardly. The food Cheonma ordered for himself was worlds apart from the food he had ordered for Pyo-ui-gae.

`He wasn’t just saying it, he was really giving him alms? This is too much. How can a person be so petty as to discriminate with food!`

Munpyeong was indignant, even though it wasn't something that happened to him. Although he had only seen him briefly, Pyo-ui-gae’s righteous and unpretentious character had made a strong impression on him, and to see such an eccentric of the Jianghu treated literally like a beggar, it was inevitable that Munpyeong’s mood would sour.

“If you were going to eat good food anyway, wouldn’t it have been better to eat together?”

Munpyeong subtly pointed out Cheonma’s pettiness. He was speaking indirectly, but his underlying meaning was a firm criticism.

`This guy has been getting quite prickly lately.`

Cheonma raised an eyebrow and looked across at Munpyeong.

He probably thought he was being careful, but from time to time, the fellow would say things that were close to nagging. To him, who found even his disciples’ advice annoying, Munpyeong would brazenly add a word or two whenever something happened, expressing his displeasure.

It was good that he had moved on from being solely concerned with his own life, but sometimes he wondered if this fellow even knew what he was doing.

`Has he gotten that comfortable with me? Or has he just become easy?`

Cheonma, who had never been "nagged" by anyone in his life, found what Munpyeong was doing simply fascinating. He felt like an old tiger looking down at a yapping puppy at his feet.

He would seriously consider biting the fellow’s neck, but then he would look into those earnest black eyes, and instead of getting angry, only a dumbfounded laugh would emerge.

“Are you that upset that I fed an old beggar? You think it would have been better to starve him than to send him off full? You have a surprisingly stingy heart.”

Cheonma, who knew full well what Munpyeong meant, deliberately changed the subject, feigning ignorance.

“Who said anything about starving him? I said we should eat together. If you were really worried about his dirty hands, you could have just ordered another plate of each.”

Looking at Munpyeong, who knew one thing but not the other, Cheonma let out a dumbfounded smile.

“Serve a feast to Pyo-ui-gae of the Soiled Clothes Faction? The reason he ate the food he didn’t beg for was because those dishes were not very extravagant even by the standards of the Soiled Clothes Faction. If I had prepared the usual feast of fine wine and delicacies, that old beggar would have retreated without daring to touch the food. Even when giving alms to a beggar, you have to look at the bowl they’re holding out.”

Ah. That made sense too. Hearing it, Cheonma's words seemed right. Munpyeong, who hadn't thought that far, felt his ears turn red and nodded his head.

He felt a delicate consideration from an unexpected place. Though he looked like a young man on the outside, his insides were like old man, so it seemed his way of thinking differed even in small matters.

Munpyeong, who had nodded his head a few times in embarrassment, flinched and asked when Cheonma frowned and looked at him.

“What’s wrong…?”

“The tea is here.”

Yes. The tea is here. So why…? As Cheonma said, the tea had arrived quickly while they were talking. Perhaps because the famous Bailing Zen Temple, known for its tea ceremony, was nearby, a high-quality tea that was hard to find was prepared quickly.

Munpyeong, who didn't understand for a moment, quickly caught on when Cheonma started tapping his teacup again and filled it. Cheonma only drank the tea after Munpyeong had filled his cup.

`What is this now? Is he trying to tease me?`

Munpyeong looked at Cheonma with a puzzled feeling. It was strange that he kept making him serve tea, something he had never done before, but as he watched, he realized that it wasn't just tea he was making him serve, but also wine.

He could have poured it himself, but he would wait for Munpyeong to pour it, and only after he had filled the cup would he sip it.

Is this a new form of torment? Or is there some deep meaning to this action too? Unable to guess his true intentions, Munpyeong could only tilt his head, but Cheonma never explained why he was acting that way.

***

Cheonma no longer bothered with the formality of getting two rooms. Even when the innkeeper protested that the room had only one bed, he would stubbornly get only one room and push Munpyeong inside.

My, what an imposing figure, but such a harsh master. Does he make his servant sleep on the floor? It was obvious what the innkeepers were thinking every time they got a room. Unable to explain that it wasn't like that, Munpyeong always felt awkward and ashamed.

Contrary to the innkeepers’ expectations, Cheonma never made Munpyeong sleep on the floor. Not only did they share the same bed, but they even used the same pillow. However, their assumption about him not letting Munpyeong sleep properly was correct. Cheonma truly did not let Munpyeong sleep.

Lately, Cheonma seemed to be burning with even greater lust. He had some purpose, but he didn't go after Gwak Hyo, nor did he return to the Demonic Cult. He wandered aimlessly, or so it seemed to Munpyeong, and at night, he would find an inn and spend the night with him.

Thanks to this, Munpyeong, like a young bride, had grown to fear the night. As soon as the sun began to set in the distance, a wave of melancholy would wash over him, bringing tears to his eyes.

“The-the room next door, they’ll hear the sound, hhk, ahk.”

**Thump, thump.** Munpyeong whispered in a pleading tone as his back hit the wall. Cheonma, who was holding the back of his head with one hand to prevent it from hitting the wall while diligently working below, thrusting into Munpyeong’s body, laughed as if he found it amusing.

“The room next door is in the same situation as us, so it doesn’t matter.”

He dismissed Munpyeong’s worries, saying that both sides were too busy with their own affairs to notice.

“Hah, haahk. But the moans…”

As Cheonma said, the room next door was also in the middle of a passionate night, and a woman's cries of pleasure faintly penetrated the wall. But what was coming from this side were not the moans of a woman, but a man.

A young man, with an unnaturally large object lodged between his legs that felt like it was crushing his internal organs, was letting out moans that could be mistaken for screams.

If this sound crossed over to the other side, the people in the next room would surely know what they were doing at night. And not just the people next door. The innkeeper, and even the waiters, would all find out.

He had already experienced it painfully, but such rumors spread incredibly fast. When they went down for breakfast in the morning, the people who had found out about the previous night’s events would look back and forth between Cheonma and Munpyeong and whisper in disbelief.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes. I heard it myself…”

And then they would always look at Cheonma and click their tongues.

“Tsk. With a face like that, what was he lacking to become a man who favors men? Is there some unavoidable reason?”

But among those people, not a single one worried about Munpyeong for the same reason.

“You still have the leisure to think about other things? Lately, this little head of yours has been filled with too many thoughts.”

Every time Cheonma thrust his hips, his back hit the thin wall. The walls of an inn weren't as sturdily built as a private home, and the regular, axe-like pounding made it feel like even the pillars were shaking over time.

What if the wall gives way? Munpyeong couldn't shake off his anxiety. Given the force of Cheonma’s thrusts from below, it seemed entirely possible.

As Munpyeong’s eyes darted around anxiously, Cheonma wore a mischievous smile. Like a boy who deliberately teases a girl he likes, Cheonma overly enjoyed seeing Munpyeong in a state of distress.

Cheonma’s hand delved into the inside of Munpyeong’s knee. He made him lift his bent knee and wrap it around his waist, bringing their bodies even closer. This change in position made it much easier to thrust his member into Munpyeong’s body. Cheonma charged forward forcefully, as if trying to push his entire body into Munpyeong’s opening.

“Aaaack!”

Cheonma aimed for the spot where he felt the most pleasure, causing Munpyeong to let out a breathless scream. Even the wet, squelching sound of friction was inaudible at that moment.

“Aaat, ah, it hurts…”

When the stimulation surpassed the limit of what he could endure, Munpyeong began to shed tears. It wasn't because it truly hurt, but because the intense pleasure that was almost painful was unbearable. It felt like his entire body was being ravaged by Cheonma. All his senses were focused on one spot, making it impossible to think of anything else.

The enormous presence filling his insides dominated him. Every time Cheonma’s member thrust in roughly, his limbs would convulse, and every time it pulled out, rubbing against his entire inner wall, a death-like thrill would shoot through him. Munpyeong tightened his knees and hugged Cheonma’s back.

Cheonma bent his head low and greedily explored the inside of Munpyeong’s mouth. At the same time, he used his hand to caress Munpyeong’s own member, which had wilted after one release. With a much more skillful touch than when Munpyeong did it himself, alternating between pressure and stimulation, his member regained its vigor. It writhed in Cheonma’s palm.

Cheonma, adoring its perfect size that fit snugly in his grasp, moved his fingers gently. The tip of Munpyeong’s member, gleaming with a dark red sheen, became flushed like a ripe fruit. From the slightly swollen opening of his urethra, a white, viscous fluid trickled out.

The opening of his urethra, twitching as if asking for stronger stimulation, was so cute that he gently scratched it with his fingertip, causing Munpyeong to let out a long cry, his inner walls tightening. The wet, warm inside of Munpyeong’s body squeezed so tightly that he almost climaxed prematurely.

Cheonma reined in his surging desire and plunged deeper. Munpyeong’s hips arched reflexively, his nails digging into Cheonma’s shoulders.

A single tear finally escaped and trickled down Munpyeong’s cheek, pooling at his chin. As if it were a waste to let the tear fall, Cheonma quickly licked it up.

Munpyeong’s body was perfect. It had been decent enough at the beginning, but now, having been thoroughly trained to his own tastes, it was no exaggeration to call it fantastic. The tightness was excellent, and his reactions, suppressed by shame, had ripened into something more and more sensual over time.

He would never admit it himself, but disheveled and wanton under Cheonma, he was already an excellent seducer. Even as he cried that it hurt, he moved his hips to take him deeper, and his tantalizing moans and wet eyes fatally stimulated Cheonma’s lust. Even after tumbling with him all night, he would feel a sense of longing in the morning.

Wanting to taste him more intensely, Cheonma pulled Munpyeong, who had been leaning against the wall, down onto the bed. Completely disheveled, he gasped for breath and hugged Cheonma.

The faint trembling of his cherry-like nipples brushing against his chest was ticklish. A desire to protect him and yet break him arose. It was the first time he had met a partner he wanted to possess so completely. Cheonma intertwined his fingers with Munpyeong’s and thrust his hips with all his might.

Like a butterfly pinned by a needle, Munpyeong was pinned to the bed, unable to move, accepting him. Deeper. And deeper. His relentless movements made Munpyeong’s breathing chase after him frantically.

A flood of brilliant colors poured down before his eyes. A venomous pleasure he had never felt in his entire life stained Cheonma’s mind. Just the fact that the person he was holding was Munpyeong gave him immense ecstasy. It was a satisfaction that was somehow different from physical pleasure, a fulfillment felt in a more fundamental place.

Inside Munpyeong’s body, Cheonma’s member spewed forth its seed. With each gush, Munpyeong’s stomach twitched in tandem. His flat, hard stomach, tormented by Cheonma’s increasingly relentless demands, had lost even more weight. Though he had always been lean and muscular, lately it felt as if even the slightest bit of fat had been completely stripped away.

It was a strange thought, but Cheonma found it a pity that this belly was barren. If Munpyeong could bear a child. If he could have a child that carried both his and my blood, what would that feel like?

Though fleeting, such a thought brushed past Cheonma’s mind. The novel curiosity, the first he had ever had in his life, left a sticky emotional aftertaste. He wondered what would happen if Munpyeong bore his child. If his seed bore fruit, and he carried his bloodline in that belly? If, after nine months of gestation, he gave birth to his child? Of course, such a thing was impossible, but Cheonma, lost in thought, imagined these moments that would never be.

`He would surely be a nagging, fussy mother. Doting on his child, yet strictly scolding them for their wrongdoings. It seems quite plausible.`

Cheonma’s seed, unable to bear fruit, trickled out from their point of union. He rubbed his lips against the Munpyeong’s forehead, who was looking up at him hazily, half-conscious.

Still, it would be cute. If he had a child that looked just like Munpyeong. If Munpyeong were holding a child that looked just like him. It would truly be so cute and lovable that he wouldn't mind putting them in his eyes.

Cheonma, wondering why he, who had nothing but miserable memories of blood relatives, was having such thoughts, smiled faintly. Perhaps he was allowing himself this fantasy precisely because he knew it could never happen. Because it was something that could only exist in his mind and not in reality, he could entertain such thoughts without feeling any guilt.

***

While they were enjoying their honeymoon-that-wasn’t-a-honeymoon, the Jianghu was being swept up in a vortex of upheaval.

One day, at the same time in all thirteen provincial capitals of the central plains, proclamations stating the Demonic Cult's position were publicly posted. At a time when condemnation of the Demonic Cult was reaching the heavens, no one had expected them to move so swiftly. But through those proclamations, they declared their stance to the entire world.

As if they were not at all conscious of the Righteous Path Alliance or the Jianghu assembly they were hosting, they raised their voices with a dignified attitude.

First, they declared that, contrary to what was known in the Jianghu, the Demonic Cult had no direct involvement in the Hebei Bloodbath and the Wusheng Cult incident.

Second, they exposed that the Wusheng Cult was not a phantom organization created by the Demonic Cult, but a group of traitors who had rebelled and been expelled from the Demonic Cult over 20 years ago, and that its leader was Gwak Hyo, formerly known as the Gentleman Sword.

The rebellion started by Gentleman Sword Gwak Hyo was a fact that had been secretly spreading among the public. The Demonic Cult tracked the deeds of the Wusheng Cult and presented evidence to clearly confirm that they were not the same group.

Third, they declared that Cheonma’s disappearance was also related to the traitors of the Wusheng Cult, and therefore, they could not exist under the same sky as them.

Finally, they proclaimed that they would raise an army and strike the Wusheng Cult.

According to the Demonic Cult's claims, their target was not the central plains, but the Wusheng Cult. To give credibility to their claims, they even put forth a novel principle: "No First Strike, Annihilation in Return."

The principle of "No First Strike, Annihilation in Return" was a bold promise that the Demonic Cult's forces entering the central plains would never attack unless provoked first, but in return, any force that did strike first would be annihilated.

All of this was sworn in the name of the Soul-Cleaving Saber Ho Wan-pyeong, the newly ascended Cult Leader. Although he did not have the same fame as Cheonma, it was a promise made by the new Demonic Cult Leader in his own name, so it could not be easily ignored. The Demonic Cult was the most powerful single organization, with enough military might to face more than half of the central plains on its own.

The evidence they presented was solid, and the fact that they were people who kept their promises had been proven by the previous Longzhong Pact.

The opinion of the Jianghu, which could have been united, was divided by this event. The forces of the Righteous Path Alliance, who had first pointed to the Demonic Cult as the masterminds behind the Hebei Bloodbath, condemned the Demonic Cult, calling this another cunning trick to mock the Jianghu.

The clans that had suffered significant losses in the Hebei Bloodbath also could not easily believe the Demonic Cult's claims. It was more helpful to their pride to say they were beaten by the Demonic Cult than to say they were caught up in the affairs of some unknown group.

However, the small and mid-sized sects that did not have the same firm belief as the Righteous Path Alliance, and the sects of the gray area, began to lie low on the premise that the Demonic Cult's words might be true. If their words were true, they had to be mindful of not only a visible enemy but also an invisible one. If the Demonic Cult was a drawn sword, the Wusheng Cult was a hidden dagger. As people are naturally more wary of the unseen than the seen, they were paying more attention to the existence of the Wusheng Cult than the Demonic Cult.

“Nonsense. You really think the Demonic Cult’s claims are true? It’s obviously all a flimsy lie! It’s a trick to vaguely push their forces into the central plains and rot it from the inside!”

Among the three men dressed as guards sitting around a table, the one with the loudest voice slammed the table and burst out in anger. His voice was so loud that not only the people at their table but also those around them turned to look at him.

Munpyeong, who was about to get up from his seat after finishing his dinner, also paused. He had just lifted his bottom to get up but glanced at Cheonma.

“Are you not getting up?”

“They seem to be having an interesting conversation over there. Let’s listen a little longer before we go. We have plenty of time, what’s the worry?”

Cheonma, savoring the last of his Longjing tea, spoke leisurely with a smile. Munpyeong nodded as if he had no choice and sat down again. He had known from the beginning that things would turn out this way, as Cheonma had been paying particular attention to the rumors circulating in inns lately.

“Hey. You can’t just think of it that way. Cheonma of all people has gone missing.”

The man sitting across from the loud-voiced man retorted indifferently. The loud-voiced man had gotten angry in the first place because the man across from him had uttered that the Demonic Cult's claims seemed to be true.

“How do you know if Cheonma really went missing or if he’s just pretending? They are members of the Demonic Cult. How can you believe anything they say?”

The loud-voiced man seemed to have had his wife stolen by a member of the Demonic Cult. Though he wasn't from a prestigious righteous sect, his hatred for the Demonic Cult was greater than that of any righteous hero.

“No, that seems to be true. Cheonma, I mean, it seems he really is missing.”

The second person to challenge the loud-voiced man's theory was the man with a scarred face who had been quietly eating snacks until now. He had a large, fearsome scar running across one side of his face, which looked less like a sword wound and more like an injury from a mountain animal like a tiger or a bear.

“What are you talking about? Do you know something?”

“Well, you see, I met my maternal cousin a few days ago.”

“Your maternal cousin? You mean the one who’s in the Anhui branch of the Righteous Path Alliance?”

“Yes. That very cousin.”

The scarred-faced man shrugged his shoulders and began to speak, clearly proud of having a relative who was a warrior of the Righteous Path Alliance, unlike himself, a mere guard of a small escort agency.

The loud-voiced man looked like he wanted to interrupt, but he was silenced by the prestige of his cousin being ‘part of the Righteous Path Alliance,’ and could only move his lips without a word.

“So what about him?”

“He’s supposed to be working at the Anhui branch of the Righteous Path Alliance, but he came to Henan for some reason. That cousin of mine has always been very fond of me, you see? He couldn’t just pass by without saying hello, so he stopped by for a drink.”

“Cut the fluff and get to the point. So? What did your cousin say?”

The man across from him seemed more interested in Cheonma’s disappearance than the Wusheng Cult. At his impatient urging, the scarred-faced man replied with a deliberately leisurely and boastful attitude.

“Hold on, I’m telling you. So, we were drinking with my cousin, and this came up. It seems Cheonma’s disappearance is true. The higher-ups in the Righteous Path Alliance are all keeping it quiet, but it seems everyone knows.”

“No way, how did he disappear? A profound master like Cheonma can’t just vanish.”

Of course, a profound master like Cheonma couldn't just vanish. Munpyeong, who was forced to overhear stories about himself wherever he went because of his extreme fame, glanced at Cheonma.

What would those people feel if they knew Cheonma was sitting right next to them? Munpyeong, who knew that those men had glanced at Cheonma’s face when they entered the inn, couldn't help but have such a mischievous thought.

In a way, those men were lucky just for not knowing that fact. If Cheonma hadn't been pretending to be someone else, the loud-voiced man, who had been spouting things like 'pretty boy' loud enough for them to hear, wouldn't still be alive.

“I don’t know about that either. The higher-ups are keeping it so quiet that even my cousin doesn’t know the details, but anyway, his disappearance is certain. They say the Righteous Path Alliance is even more anxious because Cheonma is missing.”

The loud-voiced man, who had shut his mouth in displeasure when a story different from his opinion came out, couldn't hold back any longer and violently interrupted their conversation.

“If Cheonma disappears, the Righteous Path Alliance’s biggest enemy is gone. So why would the Righteous Path Alliance be anxious?”

“Man, think about it. What were the conditions of the Longzhong Pact? The prerequisite for the accord was ‘as long as Cheonma is alive.’ The evidence, the Qilin Plaque, has already disappeared, so the promise itself is useless, but if Cheonma were still around, they could at least try to make a fuss and demand he keep the promise. But now, even the party to the promise is gone. So the Righteous Path Alliance has lost even the person they could cling to. That’s why they can’t say anything even when the Demonic Cult says they’ll bring their forces into the central plains. The Longzhong Pact and everything else is already a mess, what can they say now?”

“Hearing that, it makes sense. If there’s no Qilin Plaque and no Heavenly Demon, the Longzhong Pact is just a piece of paper.”

The man across from him nodded his head and agreed seriously. Like ordinary people who unwind at an inn after a day's work, they were relieving their daily fatigue at the drinking table. The only difference between them and ordinary people was that the topic of their conversation was not daily life, but the Jianghu.

Seeing them, Munpyeong was suddenly reminded of the past. The faces of his comrades from the Soul-Slaying Squad, who were like his own brothers, and the subordinates who had followed him well, flashed through his mind one after another.

`Are those guys doing well now? If war breaks out in the Jianghu, those friends will also have to go into battle.`

He thought of the dependable, older brother-like Elder Ak, the mischievous Choe Wi-myeong, and the youngest but reliable Im Hak, and a wave of longing filled his chest. In terms of time, it hadn't even been a year, but it felt like decades had passed.

“The problem is that the Righteous Path Alliance is on high alert because of this. My cousin, for example, is the leader of the Mu-in Squad of the Anhui branch, and he was leading his warriors to the Righteous Path Alliance headquarters. I heard that not only Anhui, but warriors are being drafted from all branches of the Righteous Path Alliance. And the main disciples of the Nine Sects are coming down from the mountains, so a war between the Righteous and Demonic factions might really break out for the first time in 40 years.”

The scarred-faced man sighed as if the ground would collapse and worried. However, what he was saying was not his own thoughts, but rather him parroting someone else’s opinion he had heard somewhere as if it were his own.

“The Demonic Cult has declared they won’t attack unless they’re attacked first. Do you really think the Righteous Path Alliance will attack first?”

The man across from him, who seemed the most rational of the three, tilted his head. They got along well, completely excluding the loud-voiced man. The two of them, on the old table of the inn, debated the state of the Jianghu with a seriousness as if they were running the world themselves.

“Who will attack first is unknown. The problem is that it’s not just the Righteous Path Alliance and the Demonic Cult in the Jianghu; there’s also the Wusheng Cult. If the Wusheng Cult plays tricks in the middle, no one knows what will happen. They could pretend to be the Righteous Path Alliance and attack the Demonic Cult first, or they could pretend to be the Demonic Cult and attack the Righteous Path Alliance from behind.”

“Come to think of it, the most damnable ones are those Wusheng Cult bastards. Tsk. May they be struck by lightning. Did you hear what those bastards did with the children’s corpses? It’s unforgivable even if they did it with adult corpses, but it was children’s corpses. I mean, what crime did those little ones, who still had milk on their breath, commit to deserve that?”

“I heard they weren’t even corpses. Those bastards turned perfectly living children into jiangshi. And have you heard that rumor? The one about the Tang Clan…”

“Hey, shh. Man, what are you trying to say? What about the Tang Clan?”

Just as the scarred-faced man was about to mention the Tang Clan’s name, the man sitting across from him freaked out and waved his hands. The scarred-faced man, who had inadvertently almost said something he shouldn't in a public place, looked startled and quickly shut his mouth.

The loud-voiced man, however, had no idea what the two were talking about and tilted his head.

“The Tang Clan? What about the Tang Clan?”

He raised his already loud voice even higher, making the two men uncomfortable. As his booming voice echoed, the people around them once again turned to look. The two men, their faces turning pale, grabbed the loud-voiced man’s sleeve.

“Shut up! This isn’t something to be said carelessly in a place like this!”

“Yes. The Tang Clan? Go on, speak.”

But their attempts to stop him were already too late. A sinister voice came from above them.

The two men, who were already conscious of the surrounding people’s gazes, flinched at the clearly provocative and sinister voice and turned around. The surrounding people also noticed that the situation was not normal and fell silent as if doused with water.

The only one who didn't realize the grim atmosphere was the clueless, loud-voiced man. He, who had escalated the situation with his unnecessarily loud voice, angrily pointed his finger at the person who was talking down to him out of the blue.

“Who are you? What kind of bastard are you to suddenly pick a fight?”

No questions asked. The man with the sinister voice threw a hidden weapon at the loud-voiced man who was pointing his finger, without a word. The hidden weapon, thrown so fast that it was impossible to tell when it had been thrown, split the loud-voiced man’s wine cup and embedded itself in the table.

The man with the sinister voice was an incredible master. Wine spilled out from the cup, which had been split in half by the sharp hidden weapon. The thin, light hidden weapon had cut the cup as cleanly as a blade.

Embedded in the table was a sharp, gleaming black poisoned iron spike. The poison on it was so strong that when the wine touched the iron spike, the liquid vaporized into a blue smoke.

The acrid smoke tickled his nose, and the loud-voiced man couldn't even blink. He froze on the spot as if he had turned to stone.

“The… the Tang Clan!”

The one who reacted instead of the loud-voiced man was the man across from him. He recognized that the weapon the sinister man used was the poisoned iron spike, a signature hidden weapon of the Tang Clan, and turned pale.

`Damn it. We’re in deep trouble.`

Cold sweat began to pour down his back like a waterfall. He had been caught by a Tang Clan member at the very moment he was talking about a bad rumor about the Tang Clan. The Tang Clan members were known to be like venomous vipers, and to run into one in this situation… He couldn't believe how unlucky he was.

“Yes. The Tang Clan. So go on with your story. What about our Tang Clan?”

The sinister man who had picked a fight with the three of them was wearing a bamboo hat that came down to his chin. Not only him, but all his companions were also wearing bamboo hats.

`No, isn’t that the Green-Scaled Snake, Tang Jeok-hyeong?`

Munpyeong, who had run into the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan several times, couldn't see his face but recognized his voice. How could he forget that unlucky and arrogant voice?

They were the ones who were hell-bent on devouring people over the most trivial grudges. If Yun Seung-hyo, no, Cheonma, hadn't been by his side every time, he might have become a handful of lonely spirits in the hands of those bastards.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding, great hero. We are not brave enough to speak disrespectfully of the Tang Clan.”

The scarred-faced man, who had been the source of the trouble, said in a pleading tone, his face pale.

`Oh, this mouth of mine.`

They say the mouth is the source of all troubles, and he never thought he would feel it so keenly. What glory did he think he would gain by mentioning the Tang Clan? The price for a moment of bravado was too high, he thought, as he regretted it over and over again.

“You dare to connect the names of the Wusheng Cult and the Tang Clan and then claim you had no disrespectful intentions? Ha! Would you believe that if you were me?”

Tang Jeok-hyeong asked sharply. He wasn't deaf, so he knew the rumors that had been circulating lately. But he believed all those rumors to be mere slander, so he was genuinely furious.

How dare the name of the Tang Clan be included in such rumors? Have they forgotten the immense damage the Tang Clan suffered because of the Wusheng Cult? The Wusheng Cult was not only the enemy of the Beggars' Sect but also the enemy of the Tang Clan. That the Wusheng Cult and the Tang Clan were in cahoots… Tang Jeok-hyeong had never heard such a ridiculous story in his life.

Who on earth dared to pull such a stunt? Tang Jeok-hyeong glared at the scarred-faced man with a venomous look, as if he were the source of the rumor.

What made Tang Jeok-hyeong even angrier was that this ridiculous scandal was spreading as if it were a plausible truth. Tang Jeok-hyeong hated the people of the Jianghu who spread the rumor more than the source who started it. If they didn't intend to look down on the Tang Clan using the false rumor as an excuse, how could they dare to utter such stories?

“A martial artist has only one way to take responsibility for what he has done. You will have to prove your innocence in the way of the Jianghu.”

If he hadn't known, he might have let it slide, but since he had seen it with his own eyes, he had no intention of forgiving his opponent. Tang Jeok-hyeong ground his teeth, thinking he would punish the man’s reckless tongue with his life.

Hearing this, the scarred-faced man trembled. He, who had learned a few mediocre moves at a local martial arts school and barely managed to get a job at a small escort agency, was at best a third-rate warrior. Though he had a fearsome face as if he had come from some battlefield, he had never even had a proper duel.

“I-I am only a third-rate warrior. How could I dare to face the masters of the Tang Clan?”

“Your crime is that you uttered the name of the Tang Clan without having the confidence to do so. Get up. I have no intention of killing a man who is sitting down.”

“G-great hero. Mercy, just once!”

“Get up!”

“…I always think this, but you are always so bold in front of the weak. Aren’t you ashamed? For the leader of the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan, the Green-Scaled Snake, to seriously draw his sword against a mere third-rate warrior.”

Unable to watch any longer, Munpyeong intervened. Not only was Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was the same as ever, an eyesore, but he also didn't want to see the three men lose their lives when they hadn't said anything wrong.

Cheonma, who had been watching the situation with interest, raised an eyebrow and looked at him. His gaze said, Why are you suddenly stepping in and ruining the fun? Munpyeong feigned ignorance, got up from his seat, and looked at Tang Jeok-hyeong’s face.

“Well, well. A familiar face. We always seem to meet in unexpected situations. It seems your habit of not knowing when to step in and when not to is also the same,” Tang Jeok-hyeong said with a crooked smile, recognizing Munpyeong’s face. As they say, enemies meet on a narrow bridge. Just when he needed to see blood, the very bastard he had been planning to deal with also walked into the trap.

Before, he couldn't touch him because Yun Seung-hyo was by his side, but without him, dealing with this arrogant officer would be no trouble at all.

With a hopeful thought, he glanced at the seat next to the officer. If he was still with Yun Seung-hyo, things would get complicated, so he wanted to check before making a move.

`Damn it. What’s that?`

Tang Jeok-hyeong, whose vision was narrowed by the bamboo hat covering his face, finally noticed Cheonma’s appearance. The clothes he was wearing were ordinary black robes that could be commonly seen on the market, but the person wearing them was an incredibly noble person, the likes of which one might see only once or twice in a lifetime.

My god. How could a human be so handsome? He wasn't a woman, but a man, yet he almost lost his mind just looking at his face. Yun Seung-hyo was also remarkably handsome, but compared to this person, he was nothing.

Tang Jeok-hyeong instantly recognized that the man was of an unusual status. He exuded nobility from head to toe, and he wore the lofty arrogance that only someone who had ruled over others from birth could have, as if it were his very nature. Not only was his appearance incredibly handsome, but the dignity he exuded was distinctly different from that of ordinary people.

`Is he a disguised member of the royal family? Surely not a prince?`

Tang Jeok-hyeong’s mind raced as he tried to guess the man's identity. If there were such an outstanding figure among the current royalty, there would surely be rumors, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't think of anyone suitable, which was incredibly frustrating.

“It seems you are serving a noble person. Is it alright for you to step forward so carelessly? An officer should prioritize following orders above all else.”

`Damn it. The damn bastard is so lucky.`

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had instinctively calculated the pros and cons, said drily, trying to suppress his surging anger.

Seeing how often they ran into each other, it seemed there was a considerable fate between him and that bastard. Today wasn't the only day. Even that bastard couldn't be lucky forever. He just needed to be caught once, anytime, he thought, grinding his teeth. It was a frustrating situation, but he had already decided that he would have to let him go this time as well.

Watching Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was playing all the parts by himself, Munpyeong couldn't help but let out a dumbfounded laugh. He wasn't even a direct opponent, and he was trying to give up the fight just because his companion was intimidating. Tang Jeok-hyeong was still Tang Jeok-hyeong.

He was still a petty man who would step forward when the situation was advantageous and back down without fail when it was even slightly disadvantageous. That might be his own way of life, but to think of himself as righteous while acting so cunningly was a bit too presumptuous.

Munpyeong, who had a lot of accumulated grudges against the Tang Clan, smiled cynically. He felt the same way: You’re so busted.

“If you are concerned about the person I am serving, Brother Tang, you don't need to worry so much. Although this person is my companion, he is not so idle as to get involved in my personal duels.”

Munpyeong provoked Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was about to take a step back. Angered by his provocation, which was as good as a direct taunt, Tang Jeok-hyeong glared at him with snake-like eyes. The twitching of his fingertips, as if he were about to launch a hidden weapon at any moment, clearly showed his explosive anger.

But Tang Jeok-hyeong held back. He had too much on his shoulders to act rashly like an ordinary martial artist of the world, and he had a habit of thinking before acting.

He turned his gaze from Munpyeong to Cheonma. Cheonma, who was watching the farce before him with a leisurely posture, holding a teacup, seemed as distant as a spectator looking down on the mortal world from the heavens.

Tang Jeok-hyeong bowed his head to Cheonma with an extremely respectful attitude. The more he saw him, the deeper his conviction about the man grew, and he did not hesitate to lower himself.

“My greetings are late. I am Tang Jeok-hyeong, a descendant of the Sichuan Tang family, which has established a clan in Sichuan. A humble man of the Jianghu pays his respects to a noble person.”

Was it because Munpyeong had lied that his identity was a government official? Tang Jeok-hyeong had already concluded that Cheonma was a government official. Munpyeong’s lips twisted in disbelief, but he held it back.

Cheonma, who was not so foolish as to ruin the situation by giving a straightforward answer, played along with a nonchalant attitude.

“I cannot reveal my identity due to unavoidable circumstances, but I will gladly accept your greetings.”

It was true that there were unavoidable circumstances, and it was also true that he couldn't reveal his identity. But Tang Jeok-hyeong would never dream that the person in front of him was Cheonma.

When a response similar to what he had expected came back, Tang Jeok-hyeong bowed his head as if overwhelmed with gratitude. He spoke to Cheonma with the utmost politeness.

“I am simply grateful that you have accepted my greetings. A dispute unfortunately arose with your companion, but it was not my intention. If this has caused any disturbance to your noble peace, please forgive me.”

“No. As someone who has watched everything from the beginning, would I unfairly blame you? It is nothing to worry about, so don't mind it anymore. You may rise.”

“Thank you.”

He only rose from his seat after Cheonma’s command was given. Like a descendant of a prestigious family, his posture when showing respect was very proper. It seemed he had mastered the form beautifully, even if he hadn't internalized its meaning.

Munpyeong inwardly sneered at Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was acting like a gentleman when it didn't suit him at all. No matter how much of a hypocrite Tang Jeok-hyeong was, it was a long shot for him to catch up to Cheonma’s level.

He’s trying to teach his grandmother to suck eggs, daring to be a hypocrite in front of Cheonma? Excluding Gwak Hyo, the epitome of shamelessness, there was no one in the world who could put on a show of hypocrisy as well as Cheonma.

Munpyeong watched the two men’s actions, wondering whether he was cursing Cheonma or Tang Jeok-hyeong.

“As you have seen, there is a considerable bad blood between Officer Guan and myself. As our paths crossed, we were unable to resolve that fate, and only time has passed. Since we have met again like this by chance, I would like to take this opportunity to cut the ties of our old bad blood. If the noble person would permit it, I would like to have a formal duel with Officer Guan. I will conduct it in a fair and just manner, according to the ways of the Jianghu, so please permit the duel.”

Anyone who didn't know would have thought there was some plausible story between him and Munpyeong. But Cheonma knew well that the grudge between the two was merely a squabble over a single nameplate.

`Who does he take after to be so holding a grudge?`

As they say, the arm bends inwards. Cheonma understood why Munpyeong would hold a grudge against Tang Jeok-hyeong, but he had no intention of allowing someone like Tang Jeok-hyeong to hold a grudge against Munpyeong. He looked at Tang Jeok-hyeong with a displeased heart and sent a telepathic message to Munpyeong.

*"What are you trying to do, making things like this?"*

He could fully understand the desire to settle his grudge against Tang Jeok-hyeong, but to do it so soon seemed too hasty. Curious about Munpyeong’s true intentions, Cheonma asked about his thoughts via telepathy. Munpyeong, who could now use telepathy, replied to Cheonma with a voice tinged with laughter.

*"This is a chance made by heaven itself, how can I miss it? As he said, it is a good opportunity to shake off the bad blood I’ve built up with the Tang Clan."*

*"Now that you’ve reached the peak and even opened your Ren and Du meridians, I can understand your arrogance. But your opponent is a master of the Tang Clan. Even if he’s only at the first-rate level, he uses poison and hidden weapons, making him as tricky to handle as a peak master. Can you, who have just reached the peak, really handle him?"*

Cheonma didn’t want Munpyeong to get hurt. Even if he had opened his Ren and Du meridians, he wouldn't become a master immune to all poisons, and if he were hit by a poison with no antidote, even Cheonma would be helpless. But Munpyeong was confident. It wasn't just simple bravado; he had something to rely on.

*"I am confident that my life will not be in danger, at the very least. If I am in danger, you will surely step in, Cult Leader, won’t you? I have an extra life, so to speak, what more do I have to hesitate about here?"*

At Munpyeong’s brazen words, Cheonma felt as if he had been struck on the back of the head. He had firmly told him not to interfere, so he was thinking he really shouldn't, but to think he had such a scheme in mind was absurd. He had wondered why he had stepped forward so confidently; it seemed the fellow had planned this from the beginning.

For a warrior about to face a duel, his scheme was overly calculating, but hearing it, he wasn't displeased. In fact, he was quite pleased. Not only did he learn that he had no intention of recklessly throwing away his life, but his attitude of firmly believing in him was quite cute.

`If he relies on me with such unwavering trust, as his master, I have no choice but to fulfill his expectations. I can't be such an incompetent master as to disappoint the cat I’ve so carefully tamed.`

Munpyeong’s non-cajoling cajoling played a decisive role in changing Cheonma’s mind. Yes. It wouldn't be bad for him to vent his accumulated anger with his own hands. I can't step in and handle every little children's fight, can I?

It was better for the things Munpyeong could do to be handled by his own hands. Even if it was just a pretense, there was a big difference between making such a pretense and not even doing that.

“As Officer Guan said, I do not concern myself with his personal affairs. However, a person’s life is precious, so I hope you will show restraint in your hands even during the duel.”

Cheonma smiled as he said the words that both Tang Jeok-hyeong and Munpyeong were waiting for. It was a smile that meant, You’re in for it now, but Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had no way of knowing the situation, his eyes shone with determination as he bowed respectfully.

Above Tang Jeok-hyeong’s deeply bowed head, Cheonma and Munpyeong exchanged glances. Munpyeong, who grinned with a white smile like a child conspiring in a mischievous prank, turned his head to look at Tang Jeok-hyeong. Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had turned away from Cheonma, met his gaze with sharp eyes. As their gazes met, sparks flew.

“It would be unreasonable to cause trouble in someone else’s inn. Let’s go outside. It’s a small village, so it won’t be difficult to get out of the borders, and we should be able to find a suitable place soon enough.”

Munpyeong actively pushed for the duel between the two. It was called a duel, but honestly, it was a fight to the death. Both this side and that side had made up their minds for a life-and-death battle, hadn't they?

Tang Jeok-hyeong smiled coldly and nodded. It was a shame he couldn't slaughter the bastard in front of an audience, but if he could teach that annoying bastard his place, he could endure that bit of regret.

`He’s digging his own grave. If he had been a little quicker on the uptake, he could have extended his life a little longer.`

A dark malice welled up in Tang Jeok-hyeong’s heart. It was a black and gloomy emotion, like the poison he wielded, a dark void that only the opponent’s pain and death could fill.

“You there, leave the small fry and follow me, why don’t you? Even the Green-Scaled Snake needs help sometimes, so the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan should protect his side. Ah. Is it the Three Venoms of the Tang Clan now? I heard through rumors that two of you passed away.”

“You bastard!”

“Just because you have a mouth, you say whatever you want!”

The secret to infuriating someone to the point of turning their insides out was a special move taught directly by Cheonma. The remaining two of the Three Venoms of the Tang Clan, who were about to deal with the third-rate warriors even in this situation, heard Munpyeong’s jeering and truly exploded with anger, glaring at him. Their gazes, green with poison, were sharp enough to cut him down.

The Five Venoms of the Tang Clan, who were actual blood relatives and therefore even closer to each other, felt an extreme hatred for Munpyeong, who was lightly insulting the unjust deaths of their brothers.

*"This is your chance, so retreat outside. These people hold long grudges, so you shouldn't let your guard down just because you've escaped the moment."*

Munpyeong sent a telepathic message, chiding the three men who were still standing there cluelessly instead of quickly getting away. The recipient of his message was the man across from him, who seemed the most rational of the three.

The man across from him, startled by the unfamiliar voice suddenly sounding in his ear, realized that the voice was the legendary telepathy he had only heard about in rumors and looked around. Soon after, he was able to identify the person who had sent him the telepathic message.

*"Get out."*

The person who had alerted them with a discreet telepathic message was the very warrior who had saved their lives in a moment of mortal danger.

`Thank you.`

The man across from him, who couldn’t send a telepathic message like the old Munpyeong, mouthed his thanks and pulled his friends’ arms. The two, still dazed, came to their senses only after the man across from him pinched their arms and looked down at him.

The man secretly led his clueless friends out of the inn. Fortunately, the gazes of the Three Venoms of the Tang Clan were all focused on that warrior, so it wasn't difficult to escape. They tiptoed out of the inn, fearing they would be caught, and as soon as they were out, they started running.

They ran as if a tiger were chasing them from behind, and only came to their senses when they arrived in front of the escort agency where they worked. When they came to, they found that all their backs were soaked with sweat. It wasn't just a tough workout; it looked like they had been hit by a waterfall.

`Phew, that was a close shave.`

Realizing that they had survived, they sat down on the ground and let out a sigh. They had almost died for saying one wrong word. They were armed with a terrible poison that turned wine into a deadly vapor, so if they had been caught by them, they wouldn't have died a peaceful death.

“I’d heard they were vicious, but I never thought they’d be that vicious.”

The man across from him, who had encountered a Tang Clan member for the first time in his life, clicked his tongue and muttered to himself. The scarred-faced man shook his head and lamented to the man across from him.

“I’m never even going to pee in the direction of Sichuan again. If I think about the direction where those vicious bastards are, even the stream of pee that was about to come out would go back in.”

After realizing they had survived, they belatedly remembered the benefactor who had saved their lives. Even the clueless among them were not unaware that Munpyeong had put himself in danger because of them.

They became worried, and their complexions darkened. He had provoked not only Tang Jeok-hyeong but all of the Three Venoms of the Tang Clan to create an escape route for them, so they owed him a very great debt.

“By the way, will that person be safe? He has a grudge with the Tang Clan bastards, but it seems he stepped in in that situation to help us.”

“He should be fine, right? If he wasn't confident of winning, he wouldn't have stood up so boldly in front of the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan. You saw it too, right? How noble the master he served was. A warrior who guards such a noble person alone must have great martial prowess.”

To them, the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan who had been tormenting them were demons from hell, and Munpyeong who had saved them was like a heavenly general. Even Cheonma, who had initially been a pretty boy, had become a noble person thanks to this. They began to chatter excitedly about what had just happened.

“Didn’t that gentleman look extraordinary from the start?” the scarred-faced man asked, and the man across from him chimed in.

“Of course. Absolutely. Not just the noble person he served, but our benefactor was also no ordinary person. His two eyes shone with a righteous light, and his temples were bulging. He was clearly a great master at a glance.”

Their minds, which had been muddled in the face of a life-threatening danger, were now distorting the situation and creating false memories. The loud-voiced man, who was the most timid despite his loud voice, looked at them with a dazed expression and stammered.

“B-but what was that story about the Tang Clan? What was that story that made the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan so angry?”

When the clueless man asked a question, the scarred-faced man suddenly got angry and said.

“Why are you asking about that story now! Have you already forgotten that we almost died because of it?!”

The scarred-faced man actually felt guilty. He knew he was the one who had caused it, so he felt a prick of conscience. The startled loud-voiced man timidly shrunk his shoulders and glanced at his friend. The man across from him, who was watching from the side, calmed the scarred-faced man.

He, who held a grudge against the Tang Clan for threatening his life over a single misspoken rumor, was not afraid to speak the rumor, unlike the scarred-faced man. They say you can even curse the emperor in his absence, so what was the big deal about a famous martial arts family?

“Why are you getting so angry? The Tang Clan bastards aren't here now. And I’ve been thinking, the reason they reacted so sensitively is because they have something to hide. Otherwise, would they try to kill someone just for speaking a rumor? It’s not like we made up that story. No matter how vicious the Tang Clan is, they’re still a righteous sect. A righteous sect isn’t supposed to do things like that.”

The man across from him, who had almost been in a tough spot, poured his sharp resentment towards the Tang Clan members into his words. It was a plausible explanation, so the ears of the scarred-faced man and the loud-voiced man perked up. The loud-voiced man, who couldn't stand not knowing something once his curiosity was piqued, once again pressed for the rumor about the Tang Clan as if he had gotten a chance.

“So tell me. You guys seem to know the reason, but I was attacked without even knowing why.”

Unable to resist his urging, the man across from him began to speak. Before today’s incident, he would have just repeated what he had heard from others, but now, he embellished the rumor, filling each word with malice.

“This fellow is too timid to speak, so I’ll tell you. So, that rumor is…”

After that day, it goes without saying that the rumors about the Tang Clan in the Jianghu became even more vicious. They said that if you spoke of that matter, the Tang Clan would come to silence you. They said they would annihilate not only the person who spoke the rumor but also everyone who heard it. The rumor, with the new addition of a horror-story-like postscript, spread not only in Henan but also beyond Hubei to the entire Jianghu.

In a situation where rumors become true stories and true stories become reputation, the Tang Clan’s reputation plummeted and was dragged through the mud.

***

The place they moved to and faced each other was a wide, open clearing at the foot of a wild mountain outside the village. It seemed to be a place that one of the villagers was preparing for cultivation, as the smell of fresh tree sap came from the newly cut trees.

Munpyeong, who had surveyed the surroundings before the duel, felt a little sorry when he found a pile of tree stumps at the edge of the clearing.

How surprised would the innocent woodcutter be when he came to the clearing the next morning and found the gruesome traces of a battle? It was truly a terrible thing to defile an ordinary person’s workplace with human blood.

`I should try not to leave any traces if possible.`

Munpyeong was more worried about the unknown owner of the clearing than the opponent in front of him, so he made that decision.

There were three people spectating their duel. The three were the remaining two of the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan, no, the Three Venoms, and Cheonma.

The Three Venoms of the Tang Clan were all glaring at Munpyeong with faces that looked like they wanted to grind his bones and drink them. It was a good thing that Cheonma, whom they believed to be a ‘high-ranking person,’ was by their side; otherwise, a sword fight might have broken out before the duel even started.

“Let’s begin.”

The two men faced each other at a distance of five zhang. Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had put both his hands into the wide sleeves of his robe, glared sharply at Munpyeong from under his bamboo hat. Munpyeong grabbed the hilt of the broadsword at his waist and showed his white teeth to Tang Jeok-hyeong.

“Since we’ve both figured out each other’s identities, is there any need to wear a bamboo hat? It will narrow your vision and put you at a disadvantage, so why don’t you take it off, at least for the duel?”

Munpyeong pretended to be considerate and provoked Tang Jeok-hyeong. As he said, if he wore the bamboo hat, it might be advantageous for Munpyeong, but Munpyeong didn't want to give Tang Jeok-hyeong an excuse for why he lost. He knew full well that the man would gladly use any small excuse to justify himself, so why would he provide such a pretext?

Hearing his words, Tang Jeok-hyeong let out a cold sneer. Then, as if to show him, he took off his bamboo hat and revealed his face.

“Why would a proud disciple of the Tang Clan hide his identity in shame? I wore the bamboo hat not to hide my identity, but to avoid drawing attention.”

When he took off his bamboo hat, a viper-like face was revealed. But its appearance was quite different from before. Although he wasn't handsome, his facial features had at least been in the right place, but now, not only was one of his right ears missing, but half of his face was completely distorted. It was as if someone had ripped off the entire right side of his face.

Munpyeong, who had never thought Tang Jeok-hyeong would look like this, looked at him with surprised eyes. Even Cheonma, who seemed not to have expected this, let out a "hmm" and slowly examined Tang Jeok-hyeong’s face.

“It seems you’ve been through a lot. It’s unexpected that the great Green-Scaled Snake would have such a scar.”

Living in the Jianghu was not an easy thing, but the probability of a disciple from a prestigious family like Tang Jeok-hyeong suffering such an incident was not high.

“I only lost my face, but my brothers lost their lives. The very brothers you mocked. You don't have the basics of a warrior. To mock those who have nobly sacrificed their lives for a righteous cause. I don’t know what the etiquette of the battlefield is, but such an attitude can never be tolerated in the Jianghu.”

Despite his face being in that state, Tang Jeok-hyeong’s attitude of being a cut above Munpyeong was still the same. Munpyeong drew his sword from its scabbard and tilted his head as if he didn't understand.

“Wasn’t the reason the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan became the Three Venoms because of the incident in Kaiyang? Was there another reason I don't know about?”

“Of course it was because of the incident in Kaiyang. You, of all people, know best how we got involved in that matter, don’t you?”

“I’m saying this because I know it well. It sounds strange. Wasn’t the reason those two lost their lives to cover up what the Tang Clan did from the eyes of the world? Not only did they commit an act of inhumanity without hesitation, but they also sacrificed their own disciples. I was thinking that the ruthlessness of the Tang Clan is truly unmatched in the world.”

He spoke with such a calm and composed attitude that at first, he didn't understand what he was saying. But what Munpyeong had hurled in his face was a venomous taunt more humiliating than a curse.

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had received an unexpected insult, glared at Munpyeong with a distorted face, as if his face had been skinned alive. A thick killing intent rose from the shoulders of the other two men. The already tense atmosphere became so hot it seemed it would boil over.

“You bastard! You dare to mock the Tang Clan with that mouth of yours?!”

“I didn't mock; I stated a fact. Or does the Tang Clan call speaking an unpleasant truth 'mockery'?”

Munpyeong sneered at Tang Jeok-hyeong with a scathing tone. The pretense of Tang Jeok-hyeong, who acted as if he had made a huge sacrifice after losing only two people, was pathetic. They were all in it together, weren't they, sacrificing their own disciples to pull the wool over everyone's eyes? To try to cover up their own shame with the lives of their disciples was so petty it was unbelievable.

Not only the other young children who were sacrificed as offerings, but the things that the young Ja-ok had to go through still made his blood boil. To Munpyeong, the Tang Clan was no different from beasts in human skin. He found their hypocrisy so disgusting it made him want to vomit.

Unable to bear it any longer, Tang Jeok-hyeong took out his poisoned iron spikes and scattered them at Munpyeong. A whopping seven poisoned iron spikes were shot in different directions, attacking Munpyeong’s entire body.

Munpyeong used his movement technique to leap away. In a situation where he couldn't dodge forward, backward, or even upward, he used the Reverse Stream Flow technique to evade at an angle that was hard to comprehend by common sense. It was a technique he couldn't use often before due to a lack of internal energy, but now that his life-and-death point was open and his control over his true qi was free, it wasn't very difficult.

His choice to move in a semi-circular path, unlike a typical movement technique, was excellent. The hidden weapons grazed past him, missing by only about an inch. The poisoned iron spikes, having lost their target, plunged into the ground with a fearsome force.

Even though Cheonma had told him to show restraint, Tang Jeok-hyeong had been using killing moves from the start. Cheonma frowned in annoyance and glared at Tang Jeok-hyeong. Munpyeong coated the sword in his hand with sword qi and laughed brightly. After feeling the effect of his opened life-and-death point, his confidence had doubled, and his spirit seemed even more formidable than before.

“The Tang Clan always tries to kill to silence when they think they’re at a disadvantage. I almost fell for it once before, and to experience the same thing today… I didn’t know, but it seems that’s the family tradition?”

“Have you eaten a tiger’s liver? Do you expect to get away with talking like that? I’ll make sure every single one of your joints is separated, and you vomit your own intestines. You will bitterly regret the mistake you just made and beg for me to kill you.”

Furious, Tang Jeok-hyeong’s hair stood on end with anger. He threw away his hidden weapons, took out a whip from his waist, and struck at Munpyeong. When he unfurled the whip using his true qi, sharp hooks began to sprout from each segment of the whip. The thorns, structured to not let go once they bit into a person’s flesh like a goblin’s claw, gleamed with a dark blue light.

The poisoned whip, which now looked like a centipede with many thorns, quickly swept towards Munpyeong’s body. Unlike linear weapons like swords or sabers, a whip moves in a curve.

Realizing that his whole body would be torn apart if he didn't dodge in time, Munpyeong used the technique of the Golden Carp Leaping Over the Heavens to jump into the air. He leaped nearly two zhang in one go and broke out in a cold sweat at the movement of the whip that followed him to his feet.

`Golden Snake Whip Arts!`

As luck would have it, Tang Jeok-hyeong seemed to have learned the Golden Snake Whip Arts, which was said to be the most difficult to deal with among the Tang Clan’s whip techniques. If it weren't the Golden Snake Whip Arts, what other whip technique would move so nimbly like a venomous snake? The Golden Snake Whip Arts with a blue whip coated in poison. Munpyeong, having witnessed that technique, finally understood why Tang Jeok-hyeong’s nickname was the Green-Scaled Snake.

Munpyeong gritted his teeth and unleashed Green Water, No Shadow. Although it wasn't the famous Eight Great Forms of the Cloud Dragon, which was said to allow free movement in the air, Green Water, No Shadow could still change the body’s direction a couple of times in the air. Munpyeong, who moved through the air as if gliding, shot forward. His sword, coated in blue sword energy, stabbed at Tang Jeok-hyeong’s shoulder.

A whip was useful for attacking from a distance, but it had its disadvantages in protecting one’s own body. The weapon was long, making it slow to retract, and close-range strikes were impossible. Unable to immediately use the whip to attack Munpyeong, Tang Jeok-hyeong hastily scattered Soul-Severing Sand. He tried to block his opponent’s approach by scattering the fearsome poison sand, which was said to rot the flesh upon contact, in front of him.

As a thick cloud of poisonous smoke formed before his eyes, Munpyeong couldn't approach any further and turned in mid-air, falling to the ground. As if waiting, the poisoned whip came at his waist. The hooks, which would be impossible to remove without tearing the flesh once they were embedded, were just inches away. It was a moment of life and death.

*"Don’t help me!"*

Just as Cheonma, unable to watch any longer, was about to make a move, Munpyeong sent a telepathic message.

`Why? You asked for help earlier.`

Cheonma couldn't hide his displeasure at Munpyeong, who was as fickle as boiling stew, changing his mind back and forth, perhaps taking after him.

*"What are you trying to do?"*

*"As I said, if my life is truly in danger, then help me. One extra life is enough. I don't want to win even the duel with your power, Cult Leader."*

He looked to be in a tight spot, but the fact that he was diligently sending back telepathic messages meant he wasn't. Cheonma, whose mood hadn't improved, frowned but didn't interfere any further. It was because he understood roughly what Munpyeong was feeling.

Munpyeong, who had laid his body down with the Iron Plate Bridge technique, used the edge of his sword to strike the whip. Although his martial prowess was only at the peak level, the internal energy in his body was beyond that. He lacked the ability to handle it all and couldn't make it all his own, but since he had consumed the internal core of a Englightened master, in terms of sheer internal energy, it was comparable to a transcendent master. A peak master with his Ren and Du meridians open, and the internal energy of a transcendent master. There was no way that Tang Jeok-hyeong, a mere first-rate master, could withstand that force.

**Thwack!** A powerful explosion filled the clearing, as if to prove that the recent clash was not a collision of metal, but a clash of forces. The whip, struck by Munpyeong’s sword edge, sparked and was flung into the air.

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had almost lost his grip on the whip due to the strong recoil, desperately held onto the handle and gritted his teeth. His insides churned due to the shaken true qi. A faint trace of blood appeared on his hand gripping the whip.

`What is this?`

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had seen his opponent as his inferior, couldn't believe the current situation and his eyes widened. He had suffered such a great loss, yet his opponent seemed completely unscathed. Not only was he not at a loss, but he seemed to be planning to use this as an opportunity, as he was not stepping back but leaping forward, pouring out his sword energy.

“Because of you Tang family bastards!”

Munpyeong, who had pounced on Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was staggering back, unable to maintain his balance, like a hawk hunting its prey, gritted his teeth and swung his sword. He had aimed for the arm, but because he dodged, only the sleeve was cut.

From within Tang Jeok-hyeong’s torn sleeve, various hidden weapons and poisons that he had hidden flowed out and rolled on the ground.

“Do you know how many innocent people have died? What crime did the children of the orphanage commit? And what about the people on the pleasure boat?! Do you think only your blood is blood, and the blood of others is not?! Do you have tears to shed for yourselves, but not a single drop for others?!”

Munpyeong swung his sword again, aiming for the other arm, and Tang Jeok-hyeong’s remaining sleeve was also torn to shreds.

For someone who used hidden weapons, this was a fatal insult. A hidden weapon was originally a weapon that dominated the opponent from a distance, but to allow such close proximity and have even his sleeves cut was a greater shame than losing his life.

“At least repent. Realize that what you have done is a crime! If the deaths of just two of your relatives are so grievous to you, then remember the hundreds of young lives that died at your hands!”

Munpyeong pushed Tang Jeok-hyeong, whose face was flushed red with shame, hard and shouted. When he realized that his and Tang Jeok-hyeong’s positions, which had seemed so far apart, had been reversed. And when he realized that Tang Jeok-hyeong could no longer treat him carelessly, Munpyeong felt not happy, but rather displeased.

`Yes. That’s right. I was lucky.`

He was under the protection of the number one person in the world and had learned the Divine Art of the Heavenly Demon, which had stained the Jianghu with blood. On top of that, he had even obtained the internal core of the previous Heavenly Demon, so he had received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But among those who had been harmed by the Tang Clan, there were almost no one as lucky as Munpyeong. Not to mention those who had already lost their lives, even those who had survived after a hard-fought battle had to live their entire lives embracing a tragic and painful memory.

`What crime did Ja-ok commit against you?`

The image of the child’s eyes, like black mulberries, flashed in his mind, and Munpyeong’s heart filled with indignation. The life of a child not even ten years old was tragically arduous. After a series of such terrible experiences, the child had not only forgotten how to trust people but had also lost the ability to speak.

And yet, the Tang Clan had tried to kill even that pitiful child to silence her. Just because they were afraid that the crimes they had committed would be revealed to the outside world. Because they didn't want to be caught for what they had done to realize their desires.

“You’re persecuting the Tang Clan with a rumor from the Jianghu. You, of all people, know best that it’s not true!”

Tang Jeok-hyeong retorted to Munpyeong’s informal speech with his own. Bloodshot eyes appeared in both their eyes. The remaining two of the Three Venoms of the Tang Clan also twitched as if they wanted to join the fight, but they didn't dare to act rashly because of Cheonma, who was subtly exuding his aura.

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was barely blocking Munpyeong’s sword with his whip, breathed heavily, his clothes torn and stained with blood.

“I know best that it is true. Weren’t you the ones who carried out a kidnapping even within the Righteous Path Alliance, for fear that it would be revealed that the Tang Clan had been providing poppy to the Wusheng Cult? Didn’t you even send an assassin to kill that poor child? You’ve seen and heard everything, and you’re still going to lie in front of me?”

“What are you talking about? That can’t be. Our Tang Clan would never do such a thing!”

“If you really think so, then go ask Tang Chu-yang. Ask him why he went to the So Manor. Ask him why he gave them the poppy.”

“Nonsense!”

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who was being pushed back one-sidedly by Munpyeong, shouted frantically and swung his whip. The whip, which had disregarded defense and charged solely to kill the opponent, climbed up Munpyeong’s sword like a snake climbing a tree. Munpyeong poured his internal energy into his sword and used the technique of the Thousand-Pound Drop to block him. The sword became as heavy as a huge rock pressing down.

When he suppressed the force with his own force, the climbing whip could no longer resist and slid down the sword’s edge before stopping. Munpyeong applied more pressure on top of it.

The whip, made of dozens of segments, creaked under the thousand-pound pressure pouring down on it. The surprised Tang Jeok-hyeong tried to pull the whip out, but it was not easy to retreat as the thorns were interlocked. Munpyeong finally broke the segments of the whip one by one and then withdrew the internal energy he had been pouring out.

“Cough, cough.”

Dark red blood flowed from the mouth of Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had unintentionally engaged in a contest of internal energy. A mere first-rate master had to withstand the internal energy of a transcendent master, so he had suffered considerable internal injuries even during the short exchange.

He could no longer stand and staggered back, collapsing to the ground. The two Tang Clan members, their faces changing at the unexpected result, approached Tang Jeok-hyeong and supported him.

Tang Jeok-hyeong, pale as a sheet, glared at Munpyeong with eyes full of venom. Even though he looked like he was about to die at any moment, his eyes were still filled with a green poison.

“Is that true?”

Munpyeong, who had expected him to make another self-justifying statement, paused when Tang Jeok-hyeong asked a different question. Even as he coughed up black blood from his deep internal injuries, Tang Jeok-hyeong did not turn his gaze away and asked, showing his blood-soaked teeth.

“Everything you just said, is all of it really true?!”

“What are you talking about, Elder Brother? There’s no way such slander could be true. Our Tang Clan is a righteous sect. What would the Tang Clan gain from committing such a crime?”

“That’s right, Elder Brother. This is slander. Perhaps all this was made up by that Flower Fiend who holds a grudge from the past.”

The other two still had a strong faith in the Tang Clan. But Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had felt that his anger was a genuine emotion, not a fabrication, while facing Munpyeong, couldn’t help but be shaken.

Could that be true? Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had been having nightmares about that day every night since losing his brothers, glared at Munpyeong as if he were still in a nightmare.

`It can’t be. It’s not true!`

He even tried to steel his heart by vowing to himself, but it wasn't easy to regain a shaken faith. In his heart, doubt was already growing like a dark demon. The countless questions that had been unknowingly rising in his heart were now blooming like poisonous mushrooms and bursting their spores because of Munpyeong.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know either? What your family is doing?”

Their gazes met in mid-air. Munpyeong, who discovered a look of someone whose entire world had been turned upside down in Tang Jeok-hyeong’s earnest, honest eyes, finally realized that he might have misunderstood. Perhaps they too had been unaware of the higher-ups’ intentions. It was possible that they had been used without knowing anything, not that they had agreed to it.

Munpyeong remembered seeing such a sight on the battlefield. Soldiers who didn't know that they had already been abandoned by their superiors would realize the truth only at the brink of annihilation and die cursing.

“Can you provide evidence? Evidence that the Tang Clan, cough, that our Tang Clan, really did such a thing. Can you produce physical evidence that will convince us?”

“…Even if I produce evidence, will you be able to believe it?”

“Whether I believe it or not is my decision! Just answer me!”

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had scratched the ground until his nails came off, cried out at the top of his lungs. At his anguish, the other two Tang Clan members froze as if they were frozen.

Munpyeong, with a troubled expression unlike before, let out a deep sigh and shook his head. What more could he say to such a person? At his tragic appearance, his burning hatred quickly cooled.

“There is only one thing I can say to you. If you are really curious about that matter, go back to your clan and dig into Elder Tang Chu-yang’s background.”

It wasn't an opponent who would listen even if he explained everything in detail. Both Tang Jeok-hyeong and the other two Tang Clan members were people who would only believe something after seeing it with their own eyes. Knowing this, he told them only the most crucial part instead of saying everything. In fact, that was all Munpyeong knew about the Tang Clan’s actions, so there was nothing else he could say.

Munpyeong flicked his sword to shake off the last remnants of the whip and sheathed his saber. Looking at the opponent’s state, it seemed there was no need to lay another hand on him. He had been through a tougher time than he had intended when he first stepped forward, so it seemed okay to let go of the past grudges at this point.

“You soft-hearted fool. If a man draws his sword, he should at least cut off an arm or a leg. Why did you just come back after winning?”

When eliminating an enemy, one must remove the root of the problem. Cheonma, who lived by the motto of "cutting the grass and removing the roots," was not pleased with Munpyeong’s inadequate follow-up.

`He’s such a ruthless man.`

At Cheonma’s attitude, which seemed as if he would only be satisfied if he had personally cut Tang Jeok-hyeong’s neck with his sword, Munpyeong smiled bitterly and sent a telepathic message.

*"Looking at his state, it seems better to let him live. If they return to the Tang Clan as they are, there will surely be a dispute. There must be others in the Tang Clan who knew nothing, just like them. If those people find out about this, isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"*

Cheonma had leaked the Tang Clan’s secret to the Beggars' Sect to prevent the internal unity of the Orthodox Faction. Munpyeong, who had watched everything from the side, got a clue from that. Being with someone like Cheonma, he was learning a lot. Who would have thought that he could act so strategically?

Munpyeong felt a sense of proud self-satisfaction. He had defeated the renowned master of the Jianghu, the Green-Scaled Snake, single-handedly, and had even used him to instigate a dispute within the Tang Clan, so he felt like a plausible master himself.

*"Excuses."*

Although there was some merit to his words, Cheonma didn't believe them because he knew that Munpyeong couldn't have acted with such a thought from the beginning. He probably acted first and then attached a reason later.

Although his quick-wittedness had improved a lot, his inner thoughts were still clearly visible to Cheonma. Cheonma sneered coldly and turned his body. As he walked out of the clearing, Munpyeong quickly followed behind him.

“Elder Brother, are you going to let him go like this?”

Even though they had just been soundly beaten after underestimating their opponent, the two Tang Clan members, unable to contain their anger, urged Tang Jeok-hyeong anxiously.

If one person was not enough, two could attack, and if two were not enough, three could attack simultaneously. After all, their specialty was a joint attack formation. Unlike the two, who put forth a highly self-centered and practical point of view, Tang Jeok-hyeong only shook his head with a pale complexion.

“Let him be. That’s not what’s important right now.”

“The name of our Tang Clan has been dragged through the mud, and our two dead brothers have been insulted. What could be more important than this?”

“Oje is right, Elder Brother. Are you perhaps listening to what that man said?”

At Tang Jeok-hyeong’s unusual appearance, the other two Tang Clan members asked one after another. Tang Jeok-hyeong, who looked at the two with eyes glistening with poison, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. As a long streak of blood passed over the scar on his cheek, his face became as fearsome as a demon of misfortune.

“Think about it, my brothers. More than anything else, our brothers. The price of the blood of the two who died unjustly is important. Do you think the clan only abandoned them? We were also thrown away as sacrificial stones. If that man’s words are true, then all those who faced the geonyeja that day were abandoned pawns.”

What had decisively shocked Tang Jeok-hyeong was that very point. The fact that the Tang Clan had smuggled out poppy and given it to a group like the Wusheng Cult, or that the poppy had been used to kidnap children, was not important at all. What he was angry about was only the fact that he and his brothers had been abandoned.

A martial arts family was not connected by a simple master-disciple relationship like an ordinary sect. They were all family members connected by one bloodline. The fact that they could throw away the lives of their blood relatives in such a way was a shock to Tang Jeok-hyeong.

It would have been different if it were someone else, but they shouldn't have treated them that way. Who were they? The Five Venoms of the Tang Clan. The rising stars of the Tang Clan who would bring glory to the clan's name in the future. Not a branch family, but the main lineage. Moreover, he was the one who was on the list of candidates for the next head of the family. Why had the clan abandoned him without a moment’s hesitation?

`The one who plotted this was Elder Tang Chu-yang? Then this was the doing of my brother Jeok-myeong.`

A gleam of light flashed in Tang Jeok-hyeong’s eyes. Hearing Tang Chu-yang’s name, the face of his half-brother, who had the most powerful faction among those competing for the succession, flashed through his mind. Tang Chu-yang was a member of the faction that supported Jeok-myeong, and Tang Jeok-hyeong knew him well.

Tang Chu-yang, who had lost his prestige after failing in a clan matter long ago, was a person who would unhesitatingly handle even the dark matters that others wouldn't touch to regain his lost trust. A person like that could certainly do such a thing. Perhaps he had seen that as a golden opportunity to restore his reputation.

Realizing roughly how things had gone, a madness began to flow on Tang Jeok-hyeong’s face. The other two Tang Clan members, still not knowing the reason, looked at him with worried eyes.

“First, we return to the clan. We go back and dig into Tang Chu-yang’s background.”

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had already defined his opponent as an enemy, spoke without hesitation. The two, startled, looked at him, but Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had already made up his mind, did not budge.

“No, Elder Brother. What are you talking about?”

“Elder Tang Chu-yang is an elder of the clan. What are you trying to do?”

“It doesn’t matter. What if he is truly responsible for the blood of our brothers? Are the grudges of our brothers who died unjustly a trivial matter to you?”

“Elder Brother…”

“Let’s go back. Let’s go back and confirm whether what we heard is true or not. If it’s true, we will punish the true person responsible, and if not, we must kill that officer who dared to cause confusion with false information.”

Tang Jeok-hyeong clenched his two fists and made a chilling vow. When he used his dead brothers as a justification, the other two could no longer object and followed his will.

`People don’t change that easily.`

Cheonma, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation with his senses heightened, let out a bitter smile. The naive Munpyeong seemed to have believed them to be innocent victims after seeing Tang Jeok-hyeong’s reaction, but Cheonma had known from the beginning that the situation was not that simple.

That was how things were in the Jianghu. What was revealed on the surface was only a small part; inside, individual stories and reasons were entangled like a tangled mess.

Through Tang Jeok-hyeong’s reaction, Cheonma predicted that a new bloodbath would blow through the Tang Clan. Internal and external troubles. Not bad. It’s like blowing your nose without using your hands. Thinking of it as a fitting price for what the Tang Clan had done, Cheonma moved on.

Behind him, Munpyeong, still glancing around cautiously, followed with quick steps. Cheonma, extremely satisfied with the healthy weed that was growing vigorously, wore a deep smile on his lips.

`It would be fine if it covered the entire flowerbed, as long as it grows like this.`

Seeing him find his own confidence was a very good sight to see.