“You’re… You’re leaving me behind again?!”

Seol Lihyang cried out with a desperate voice, looking up at me.

As she tilted her head back, her bangs naturally parted to both sides. Pale skin peeked out between her black hair, making her expression all the more vivid.

Her eyes, normally sharp, drooped limply. At their corners, clear droplets welled up. Her lips were tightly sealed, as if suppressing something. But her breathing had grown slightly rough, betraying her composure.

She looked like she would burst into tears at the slightest touch. And as her cultivation deepened, the Yin energy she accumulated gave rise to a natural allure, creating a subtle, indescribable atmosphere around her.

A sight that would shake the heart of any man. But—

“Enough with the act. Get out so I can change.”

“Tch! You didn’t fall for it.”

With a click of her tongue, Seol Lihyang immediately dropped the act and returned to her usual self.

Yeah. It was a joke from the start. She probably thought her performance was flawless, and if it had been someone else, they might have fallen for it. But not me.

I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.

“You don’t usually complain about being left out. Didn’t you always say it’s better to avoid annoying things?”

“Well, that’s true. Even if I sat in on some meeting, I wouldn’t understand a thing they’re saying anyway.”

With a mischievous grin, she wiped away the forced tears and casually tidied up the hair she had deliberately let fall to look pitiful.

As I looked at her, I noticed something different.

“Hm? That accessory… I haven’t seen it before. Did you go out to the market and buy it?”

“Nope. I got it from someone I got close to recently.”

I blinked, trying to process what I just heard, but it didn’t quite register.

Seeing my confusion, Seol Lihyang smirked and puffed out her chest so I could see the ornament clearly.

Very different behavior from Seo Mun-Hwarin. Well, with her Yin-drenched constitution, it made sense.

It was just a fancy accessory attached to a plain martial robe, which should have looked mismatched. But perhaps because of how well she carried herself, it had a unique charm in its own way. Seol Lihyang continued speaking.

“You know how I had a string of sparring matches with some of the promising younger disciples from the Black Lotus Sect because of you?”

“Ah, you mean when you mercilessly beat down those kids who got overconfident after doing well in the Black Heaven Tournament?”

“Most of them were older than us, you know?! Anyway, after the sparring matches, a few of them came to talk to me and started asking all sorts of things.”

“Like what?”

“‘How did you get so strong at your age?’, ‘What sect are you from?’, ‘Who’s your master?’, ‘What’s your relationship with Cheon Hwi-da?’, ‘Can you teach me martial arts?’… stuff like that.”

Seol Lihyang shrugged. Having completely returned to her usual self, she began poking my arm for no reason as she continued.

“They were all girls, so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

Still, knowing they were female martial artists helped make sense of it.

At that age, girls tend to group together. Sometimes they even form cliques. It’s not unusual.

As they grow older and gain strength and status, those groups naturally dissolve—something that applies equally to men and women.

“But just so you know, I doubt they approached you with purely innocent intentions.”

“Of course not. Most of them were either half-abandoned by their clans or were desperate for martial progress and wanted to grab any clue they could.”

Why would someone who just lost in a sparring match willingly humble themselves?

Especially a martial artist from an unorthodox sect, known for their pride and arrogance.

They must’ve wanted something—connections, insights, anything they could get.

If they were content with mere crumbs, it wouldn’t be a problem. But if they started trying to take bites of flesh…

That would be a different matter.

Still, Seol Lihyang, who grew up surviving in the undercurrents of the Hao Clan, surely understood that.

She shrugged again and continued in a nonchalant tone.

“So I just took what I could from them and gave some light words of advice. I learned a bit from the Ice Palace, after all, so I handled it well enough.”

“It wasn’t exactly deep or insightful, but I guess they were just hungry for any kind of kindness. They loved it.”

“Huh… I see.”

The Ice Palace trained Seol Lihyang as its heir, giving her suitable teachings.

She had access to nearly all the sect’s martial arts, as well as most of their elixirs.

What she learned there about dealing with people was likely political etiquette—a ruler’s education.

So when she acted like a superior, and they responded with joy… they had effectively acknowledged her as such.

Come to think of it, the younger generation from the Black Lotus Sect may be young, but they were proper martial artists of the unorthodox path.

Naturally drawn to strength, willingly submitting to someone stronger. And if that person was kind when approached humbly, even better.

That’s right. Seol Lihyang, who hadn’t been here long, had already built a faction within the Black Lotus Sect and was even receiving tribute.

She probably wasn’t aware of it herself, but she was perfectly optimized for the unorthodox world.

I looked at her with a complicated expression and lightly patted the crown of her head.

“Anyway, I’ll be back later. Try not to get bored while I’m gone.”

“Got it. I think I had a tea date today… Yeah, one of the merchant girls said she brought snacks. I’ll go mooch off her!”

With that bold declaration of freeloading, Seol Lihyang left the room.

Once she was gone, I quickly changed clothes and stepped out, finding Tang Sowol and Seo Mun-Hwarin also ready.

Tang Sowol wasn’t a Flowering Stage martial artist, but she was here as the Tang Clan’s representative.

Seeing the two of them composed and calm, as if they had sorted out their thoughts, I gave a nod.

“Well then, shall we go hear what everyone else is thinking?”

After placing the final dish on the table, the Black Lotus Sect Leader dismissed all the servers and attendants, even the chefs who would normally replenish the food as needed.

He slowly looked around the room.

Black Lotus Sect Leader, Sama Yuryeon, Namgung Dowi, myself, Tang Sowol, and Seo Mun-Hwarin.

Everyone summoned had arrived. Confirming this, the Black Lotus Sect Leader dramatically cut a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth.

He looked more tired than usual, perhaps from dealing with the unrest in the sect.

“There’s no one watching, so eat and speak freely. That’s what this meeting is for.”

“In that case, I won’t hold back.”

I picked up some food and took a bite before speaking.

“Has the internal cleanup of the Black Lotus Sect been completed?”

“Yes. I made sure to beat down every last arrogant fool who dared to raise their head. Things are stable now.”

The Black Lotus Sect survives on the strength and skill of its leader. With doubts cast on that strength during the recent events, he must’ve personally reminded everyone.

Unlike me and the Sect Leader, who were stuffing our mouths with meat, Tang Sowol took a more refined approach, tasting bits at a time as she spoke.

“I received a reply from my father. While I still don’t have decision-making authority, I can relay the Tang Clan’s stance.”

“Perfect timing. And what about the Sword King?”

Namgung Dowi, who for some reason was neatly cutting all the already bite-sized meat into perfect squares, looked up.

“I’m against launching an attack on the Demonic Cult first. It’s too far, and we don’t know what preparations they’ve made. However, I agree that we must prepare for the Heavenly Demon. If needed, I’m open to cooperating with the Black Lotus Sect. But in that case, the standards of the Namgung Clan will be applied to the Black Lotus as well.”

“No need to worry. The Black Lotus Sect might be a gathering of unorthodox riffraff, but we’ve never crossed the line. If we had, we’d already be declared enemies of Murim, and the royal court would’ve come down on us. By the way, what about the Green Forest matter we discussed?”

“We already reached a conclusion—cooperate, as long as they don’t play tricks.”

“I just asked again to confirm. What about the rest of you? Let’s go over things one at a time.”

Everyone exchanged looks briefly before Tang Sowol spoke first.

“The Tang Clan will cooperate regarding the Green Forest.”

“And regarding the Heavenly Demon?”

“We’ll be working with the Murim Alliance for that, not the Black Lotus Sect.”

“Well, considering the Murim Alliance is still functioning, it’d look odd if the Tang Clan—recently dubbed the greatest clan under heaven—joined hands with the Black Lotus Sect.”

The Black Lotus Sect Leader nodded and turned to Seo Mun-Hwarin.

“What about the Seo Mun Clan?”

“This One still intends to rebuild the clan someday… but for now, I am a guest of the Tang Clan.”

She indirectly stated she would follow the Tang Clan’s decision, yet for some reason, she looked at me instead of Tang Sowol.

As attention turned to me, I was about to speak—but the Black Lotus Sect Leader raised his palm to stop me.

“Hold on a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Before that, there’s something I want to say, and something I want to hear.”

“I see…”

I had a vague idea of what was coming. As expected, the Black Lotus Sect Leader spoke, his eyes gleaming like a wounded beast.

“I climbed from the lowest depths to the peak of the unorthodox world. Do you know what that means?”

“It means you’re willing to discard pride whenever necessary.”

“As expected of the Sword Demon. That’s correct. This wasn’t my first loss. I’ve crawled through the dirt many times just to survive—and I probably will again.”

He said this without the slightest shame, a stark contrast to the orthodox factions who treat even temporary retreats as disgraceful.

“But it’s all for the sake of leaping forward—a step back to take two forward. I’ve never given up on reaching higher.”

“You seem the type.”

He seemed bold, but he could be petty. He seemed simple, but could be cunning. He had an eye for people but didn’t trust them easily.

These were things gossips often said about the man who founded the Black Lotus Sect.

But having observed him up close, I knew there was a much simpler explanation.

Ambition.

He always wanted to climb higher, to become someone greater.

Whether it was inborn, shaped by childhood, or due to something no one else knew—it didn’t matter.

The Black Lotus Sect Leader moved for ambition, and for that ambition, he was willing to shoulder any disgrace.

So when he spoke next, it was as a declaration.

“To me, the Heavenly Demon will eventually become a massive obstacle. No… calling him an obstacle doesn’t do it justice. He will be a towering cliff standing in my path.”

“You’re the leader of the Black Lotus Sect, and he’s the leader of the Demonic Cult. Naturally, a confrontation is inevitable.”

I didn’t know if the Heavenly Demon bore personal grudges against martial artists like other demons.

His tired expression made it more likely that he had already taken revenge during a past regression or that his thirst for vengeance had dulled.

Which is why I couldn’t understand his invasion of the Central Plains, or the rivers of blood he spilled.

Still, whatever his motives, the Heavenly Demon clearly followed the Demonic Cult’s doctrines.

He would raise his sword to destroy Murim.

I didn’t know what exactly the Black Lotus Sect Leader had seen in him, but he spoke with unwavering conviction.

“If he’s an unmovable wall, then we must break him down. I’ll prepare to take the Heavenly Demon down. Like the Sword King said, I won’t march into Xinjiang to strike first—but the moment he steps into the Central Plains, I’ll kill him where he stands.”

“That’s the most rational course.”

“Getting bigger isn’t always a good thing, after all.”

He shrugged lightly, but his tone grew serious again.

“And what comes next is even more important. To defeat the enemy, you must understand the enemy. I figured many of you were curious but hesitant to ask—so I’m asking now. This isn’t an interrogation, so don’t misunderstand.”

With that, the Black Lotus Sect Leader looked straight at me.

“Blood Flame Sword Demon. Are you…by any chance, acquainted with the Heavenly Demon from before?”

Well, someone was bound to ask.

I hadn’t expected it this soon, but I had always known a time would come when I had to talk about the Heavenly Demon.

Taking a breath, I carefully organized my thoughts, making sure not to trigger any mental restrictions.

Then, I opened my mouth.

“Yes. I knew him. To put it simply, he’s the one who took someone precious from me. He’s my mortal enemy.”

“Then…”

“But I’ll refrain from giving further details.”

“???”

Everyone at the table blinked blankly at my words.

So cold. But really, that was the best I could give.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep