Chapter 105: Cheon Yujeong (1)

“A letter from the Clan Head?”

I was inwardly quite flustered.

Jin Gun-ak had never sent a letter like this unless something truly serious was going on.

“Let me see it.”

Gu Chil cautiously handed it over.

I tore open the seal on the letter and began reading its contents.

As my expression grew increasingly stiff while I read through the message, Gu Chil, restless, asked,

“What did the Clan Head say?”

“He said I must not leave the Thousand-Day Pass under any circumstances until the next Exchange Ceremony. Actually, if possible, I should even skip the ceremony altogether.”

“W-What?!”

Gu Chil was stunned.

Jin Gun-ak, of all people, saying something like that?

“Hwan Ryung… Just what is the Heavenly Illusion Hwan Clan up to?”

The fact that he even offered to send elite members of the clan with me if I insisted on attending the Exchange Ceremony showed just how seriously Jin Gun-ak was taking the situation.

After I recited the contents of the letter, Gu Chil tilted his head.

“You’re saying this Hwan Ryung guy might try to attack you?”

“At least, that’s what the Clan Head thinks.”

“But why?”

“…Good question.”

Letting out a deep sigh, I burned the letter.

‘Wasn’t it said that when you can’t discern the cause of an incident, there’s usually a conspiracy unfolding somewhere beneath the surface?’

“The Clan Head mentioned he would make a separate request to the Pavilion Master of the Thousand-Day Pass, but he also said I should be extra cautious within the Pavilion itself.”

“Well, it is odd that a mere late-stage Qi Practitioner managed to shake off the Hwan Clan’s pursuit.”

If it were truly elite members of the Hwan Clan on his tail, even someone like Gu Chil would be risking his life.

‘An accomplice… an accomplice.’

Jin Gun-ak had explicitly mentioned the existence of an accomplice aiding Hwan Ryung in the letter.

He seemed nearly certain of that person’s existence…

‘But could there really be an accomplice? At a time like this?’

Given my grasp on the current situation, I couldn’t help but be skeptical.

‘The Heaven-Defying Society must be lying low right now. Palgun, the Yin-Yang Fist Demon, was exposed, and even Colorful Flower Lord, the Noble Player, met a tragic end.’

The remnants were being swept away helplessly.

Even if some high-ranking members of the Cult had allied with the Heaven-Defying Society, they would not be able to act so freely under these circumstances.

Which meant, in the end, what remained was…

“A staged incident?”

“Huh? A staged incident?”

“I’m saying the Heavenly Illusion Hwan Clan is fabricating this incident with some ulterior motive.”

“What would they be after?”

“Who knows? It’s impossible to say right now.”

At least for this incident, there didn’t seem to be any substantial link to the Heaven-Defying Society.

That’s what my instincts were screaming at me.

‘I guess I’ll figure this part out with time. Still, this has become a bit troublesome.’

I had planned to visit the Lesser Demon Hall a couple of times this month, but with how things were unfolding, it would be difficult to go out.

Even the Pavilion Master of the Thousand-Day Pass wouldn’t be able to allow outings under these circumstances.

‘If this really is a staged scheme by the Hwan Clan, maybe it’d be better for us to strike first.’

With the incident involving Ma Jinyoon overlapping with Hwan Ryung’s situation, my thoughts were growing increasingly tangled.

‘It’s highly likely that Hwan Ryung has been cast aside by his clan. The real question is, what are they trying to gain by using someone like him…?’

Organizing my thoughts, I called out to Gu Chil.

“Gu Chil.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Take Myeong-oh and monitor the vicinity of the Thousand-Day Pass. See if Hwan Ryung is really lurking around nearby.”

“What should we do if we find him?”

“You probably won’t be able to handle him with force. If I were the Hwan Clan Head, I would’ve stationed some guards near Hwan Ryung.”

“In that case, I’ll just snatch the information and bring it back.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Gu Chil disappeared again like a shadow.

***

The Flying Phantom Sword—Hwan Ryung.

“Grrr… grrraaah!”

In his past life, he was someone who’d carved out a position of his own within the Heavenly Illusion Hwan Clan.

“Jin… Yeo… Myung.”

Now, he had fallen to the level of a soul-lost man, his will completely subdued.

All because of one reason: he had tarnished the Hwan Clan’s honor during the Exchange Ceremony.

“We’ll be entering the Thousand-Day Pass shortly.”

Surrounding Hwan Ryung were numerous black-clad figures, their faces completely covered.

One of them, holding a lantern that emitted a peculiar aroma, asked,

“What about the security at the Pavilion?”

“We can deceive them perfectly. The problem is timing… The key is to synchronize with the ‘Queen’s’ arrival.”

“Good. We’ll begin as soon as we hear from ‘that side.’”

“Understood.”

The leader of the masked figures lifted the lantern and spread the incense.

To ordinary people, it would’ve been nothing more than a slightly odd smell—but combined with a special forbidden technique, it became a heinous sorcery capable of controlling a person’s mind.

“Ggggghraaaah!”

The moment he inhaled the scent, a power far beyond the late-stage Qi Practitioner level exploded from Hwan Ryung’s entire body.

***

“Haaaah!”

Ka-kang! Ka-ga-ga-gang!

Twin swords sparkled in a dazzling spray.

Sharper than before and striking at vital points with deadly intent.

It was Baek Sang-ah’s Heaven Wolf Twin-Star Sword Technique, now fully transformed by her descent into demonic madness.

“You don’t even plan to counterattack?!”

As Baek Sang-ah attacked me with a reckless abandon, as if she didn’t care if she lived or died, cold sweat broke across my brow as I shouted.

“This works better… for me!”

Chwarrrrrrk!

Her twin swords, which had been flurrying forward in a straight line, suddenly curved elegantly, shifting forms mid-motion.

I flinched slightly at the sudden change, but quickly adapted to the flow and blocked Baek Sang-ah’s strike.

Even that, however, had been a trap laid by Baek Sang-ah.

“Heaven-Piercing Strong Break!”

“Gahk!”

A double shift.

Baek Sang-ah, who had been dancing about wildly, suddenly withdrew her swords and delivered a powerful thrust!

I hurriedly raised my blade to block it, but the strike, infused with Sword Qi, was so precise that I couldn’t completely deflect it.

Kwaang!

In the end, I was sent flying across the training grounds.

“You okay, Master Jin~?”

Though many torches lit up the training ground, it was still the middle of the night.

Baek Sang-ah called out as she approached me.

“Don’t tell me you actually got hit?”

Having landed disgracefully, I clutched the back of my neck and got up.

“Guh… That’s going too far. Using Sword Qi in a simple spar is over the line.”

“Well, not a scratch on you, as expected. And yet you still complain.”

“That’s not the point, is it?”

Grumbling, Baek Sang-ah sheathed her swords.

“I’ve thought about this for a while, but I think you’re about two steps stronger than me.”

Even after reaching the peak level thanks to a fated opportunity, there were still varying levels within that realm.

“Well, I am the eldest son of the Jin Clan. In terms of talent, I’m definitely not inferior to you, my lady.”

“With that much talent, how’d you end up losing the heir position to your younger brother?”

“Cough! Cough!”

That one stung. I could only cover it up with a dry cough.

“Whew, in any case, good work today. You haven’t completely consolidated your realization yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

Like Sa Biyeon, Baek Sang-ah had also leaped over several barriers at once.

As a side effect, her vessel had overflowed—almost to the point of cracking.

To mend that vessel and help her consolidate her enlightenment, I had been facing off against her every night.

Her strikes, once easy to block, had recently become much more ferocious… In any case—

“With this strength, I could probably twist off my damned uncle’s arms. What a shame.”

“…As I’ve said before, my lady. You must never reveal your current level to the outside world.”

I scolded her with as stern an expression as I could muster.

“Ah, I know. There’s nothing to gain from being a needle poking out of the pouch.”

“Yes. You must not let your identity as the granddaughter of the Orthodox Alliance Leader be rebranded as a promising young martial artist of the Demonic Faction.”

No matter how cordial our current relations were with the Southern Baek Clan, the Heavenly Demon Cult would never leave a potentially dangerous sprout alive.

Considering her age and the fact that she’d already reached the peak level, people could easily anticipate she might surpass the Transformation Realm and reach the Manifestation Realm in the future.

If that happened, even the Black Gold Sa Clan, which had welcomed her as a guest, might attempt an assassination.

“Still, thanks to you sparring with me like this, I’ve been able to vent some of my frustration. That’s a relief.”

“Am I your emotional punching bag…?”

I pouted and grumbled, but deep down, I understood her feelings.

“No news from the Southern Baek Clan yet?”

“Yeah, I sent a detailed account of everything that happened through a secret line to my grandfather, but there’s still no reply.”

Baek Sang-ah grumbled in a slightly frustrated tone.

It seemed she hadn’t written anything crazy like that arranged marriage idea she’d once mentioned, but at the very least, there needed to be communication if they wanted to find a solution.

“I might really have to return to the martial world…”

Whether the Heavenly Demon Cult would allow that was uncertain, but just the fact that she said that much revealed how tangled her thoughts were.

Then, suddenly, Baek Sang-ah looked at me with a strangely earnest expression.

“Master Jin. If that time comes…”

Her words never reached the end.

“Grrr!”

“Huh?”

At the sound of a beast’s growl, both Baek Sang-ah and I stiffened.

“Was that an animal?”

“How could a beast get in here?”

This was the inner part of the training ground within the Thousand-Day Pass.

Maybe if it were near the outer areas, but the chances of a beast crawling all the way here were virtually nonexistent.

The Thousand-Day Pass itself was surrounded by a massive formation, after all.

Sure enough, what appeared before us wasn’t a beast.

The problem was that it was far more dangerous than any animal.

“Jin… Yeo… Myung!”

“…?!”

Huff! Huff!

A mysterious, monstrous figure exhaling steam all over his body.

His eyes, both sclera and pupils, were completely blood-red.

He held an extraordinary sword in his hand, glaring straight at us.

Despite that terrifying appearance, his face was all too familiar.

“Hwan Ryung?! What the hell is he doing here?!”

“Y-You know him?”

I didn’t answer.

My mind was spinning, trying to figure out why Hwan Ryung had suddenly appeared here.

‘How did he get through the outer forces and the formation? Is there really an accomplice?’

But above all…

‘Why me?’

Judging by his condition, Hwan Ryung was clearly not in his right mind.

And yet he was calling my name as if harboring a deep grudge.

“Was he always this petty and narrow-minded?!”

“Jin Yeo Myuuuuuuung!”

Boom!

Seemingly recognizing me, Hwan Ryung leaped at me with a roar.

“Step back. We don’t know who might be watching—don’t get involved under any circumstances.”

“O-Okay!”

At a glance, Hwan Ryung was clearly not normal.

Either his will had been subdued or he had fallen into Qi Deviation.

Either way, if I killed Hwan Ryung, things would get very complicated.

“Graaaagh!”

Hwan Ryung charged at me, releasing uncontrolled force from his entire body.

The intensity I felt from him now was almost at the peak level.

Compared to what I’d seen before, he was practically a different person.

‘Did he even unleash his Innate Qi?!’

I clenched my teeth. Whether it was the Hwan Clan or someone else, this was an extreme measure.

Hwaak!

From the sword in Hwan Ryung’s hand, a fog-like Sword Qi began to pour out, engulfing the surroundings.

That must be the sacred artifact he reportedly stole from the Heavenly Illusion Hwan Clan.

‘Phantom Soul Demonic Sword!’

The scale of the fog now was on a completely different level!

I calmly responded to Hwan Ryung’s onslaught.

‘Despite the spread, the precision of the fog is sorely lacking. At this level…!’

The Phantom Soul Demonic Sword only displayed its true power when overwhelming internal energy and highly refined concentration were combined.

At this level, I could easily block it with a basic defensive Qi technique.

‘Subdue him!’

Just as I was about to strike at Hwan Ryung’s pressure points—

Pop!

Hwan Ryung’s head flew off.

“…!?”

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