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In the dark forest…
“Gasp… Gasp…”
An old man was bleeding from a stab wound in his abdomen. With how he is bleeding right now, It wouldn’t be strange to just die.
Exhaling painful gasps, the old man looked at the white-haired middle-aged man standing in front of him with frightened eyes.
“Gasp… Gasp… why are you doing… this?”
Even though it was midsummer, the white-haired man was giving out a weird coldness from his body, and the energy from him overwhelmed the surroundings.
Then, with cold eyes, he asked,
“Where is it?”
“W-what are you talking about?”
The white-haired man smiled and gently stepped close to where the old man had staggered.
Crack!
The sound of the bones of the foot of the old man cracking was heard.
“Acck!”
The old man groaned in pain, to which the white-haired one spoke without a change in his expression.
“You don’t know what your clan has been hiding from generations?”
The old man’s face hardened hearing that question. His swaying eyes showed how shocked he was.
“I’ll help you make a choice.”
The white-haired man pulled something out of his arms, a jade ring.
“T-that!”
The old man’s eyes widened.
“There were quite a few in the Hyanga village, and your granddaughter is getting married soon, right?”
“You bastard! Aren’t you afraid of karma—cough!’
The old man yelled and coughed a handful of blood. It was natural for him to cough blood since he was stabbed.
Still, the white-haired man just calmly spoke.
“If I was afraid of that, I wouldn’t have done such things. With just one gesture of me, your family will be on their way to the underworld.”
The white-haired man raised his hand, which made a torch flicker from a distance. It was a signal.
The old man, who looked at it, spoke. To which the white-haired man’s eyes lit up as he achieved his goal.
“I-I told you, so let my family live….”
The sight of the old man begging made the white-haired one smile bitterly and say,
“Ah! I forgot. Your family isn’t in this world any longer.”
“You–bastard—cough!”
The old man screaming in anger seemed to have exhausted his life. He grabbed his chest as he suffered in pain and collapsed.
“I don’t need to get my hands dirty. Huh.”
Phat!
The white-haired man immediately left the forest with his work done. The old man, who was staring blankly, mumbled.
“…Dead… shouldn’t…. be woken….”
Hundred Thousand Mountains.
It is a place where numerous mountains are located. However, when people talk about it now, it isn’t for the mountains but for the Great Sky Demon Order.
It is the sacred site of the cult that unified the Murim. It was no exaggeration to say that this world was in the grasp of the Sky Demon Order. All the clans and minor clans absorbed into the Sky Demon Order were doing their best. Now, they were being supported as the state religion too.
In a small training hall in the cult…
Papak!
From the early morning, a violent pounding sound could be heard.
“My heart hurts, Young Lord!”
“Huh!”
Hearing the cry from the man with a scar on his back, the boy, who looked to be around 17 or 19 years old, moved back. But then, suddenly, the man kicked his chest.
Pak!
“Euk!”
The boy who was hit by the kick fell back, and blood dripped down his lips as if he had suffered minor internal wounds.
Shhh!
The boy, who was bewildered by it, said to the man with scars,
“E-Elder Baek. That was too much—”
“This is training.”
The scarred-man cut off the words of the dissatisfied boy.
“… Master Baek—”
“In here, it is teacher.”
“Yes, yes. Well, teacher. Still, I am the Young Lord of the clan. Aren’t we overdoing the training?”
The boy who was the Young Lord of the cult was Chun Woo-myung, the child who will become the next Lord of the Sky Demon Order.
In response to his words, the one called Baek shook his head.
“Lord will be rather strict about the training….”
“Not that, you haven’t taught me that kick right? If there was such a thing, you should have taught me!”
At those words, the teacher seemed proud. As the Young Lord, Chun Woo-myung wasn’t the kind to run away from his duties. For some reason, it felt like the child was sad whenever he wasn’t taught anything.
Then, he heard a muffled sound.
“Kuk. As expected of our Young Lord. Your progress in close combat is great.”
Chun Woo-myung turned back as he shouted with a bright face.
“Uncle Hu!”
“Young Lord.”
The man with long red hair was called Uncle Hu. It was Hu Bong.
Hu Bong bowed his head and greeted. At his appearance, the man called teacher Baek said,
“You need to call him—”
“You are really strict on everything. Elder Baek.”
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that, Hu Bong.”
“You must mean best subordinate, Baekgi.”
The man called Elder Baek was Baekgi. He was the Clan Leader of the Pure Kick clan, the 5th Elder of the Sky Demon Order, and a master for the Young Lord of the cult in close combat.
“Phew. No matter how old you are… no. Forget it.”
Baekgi decided to not say it out loud. At that, Hu Bong smiled and spoke to Chun Woo-myung.
“With your force, in a couple of years it wouldn’t be hard to defeat the Elder Baek. Hehe.”
“How many years?”
Chun Woo-myung frowned at the mention of years. He has been at this with Baekgi for two years already.
‘I am not confident in using the Sword Force of the Sky Demon….’
That was his honest opinion. At the age of 17, this gifted man passed the academy.
Even so, if all the people in the cult related to close combat were ranked, for sure, this young man would be in the top 20. Elder Baek thought that too.
‘King of Lightning.’
Baekgi was known to be the King of Lightning. He was one of the Six Swords of the Demon God Chun Yeowun, the best in Murim.
And right now, only Ko Wanghur was someone who could go against Baekgi with bare hands.
‘Phew. For name, I am the Young Lord of the cult, but it is so embarrassing.’
Chun Woo-myung was a Young Lord who had no confidence in defeating any of the Six Swords, even if he used the Sword Force of the Sky Demon. Of course, he was well aware that this wasn’t a matter of strength and weakness of martial arts.
The Sword Force of the Sky Demon is the best swordsmanship. Chun Yeowun, his father and the Lord, had the strength to cut down everyone and spread the Sword Force of the Sky Demon with even a leaf.
‘… he really cut it.’
For example, there was a time Chun Yeowun cut down a peak of a mountain using a branch. At that, Chun Woo-myung wondered if he could surpass his father’s limit.
“Enough. The training isn’t done yet. Get out.”
Baekgi decided to chase out Hu Bong, who smiled and said,
“What do I do? I came because of the Lord's Order.”
“…?”
“Father?”
“Yes. For Lord.”
“What’s the order?”
“Today is finally that day, Young Lord.”
“That day?”
Chun Woo-myung was puzzled at first and was soon in joy as he understood what Hu Bong was saying. It is finally the day he had been waiting for.
“At least!”
“Yes. It is that day, the day when this Hu Bong will accompany the Young Lord to the sanctuary.”
Three months had passed since his request. Finally, the day came when he could go and see the sanctuary where his past ancestors were. And this was an opportunity to go around the place. This was the day he had been waiting for.
Hu Bong smiled and said,
“Hurry up and go to the Lord.”
In the Sky Demon Order main training hall’s basement that was a place for the Lord…
The floor and walls were all made with sapphire to make it more potent than any training hall.
Well, the whole area was filled with sapphire.
Shhh!
Blurring afterimages moved there, constantly avoiding the Invisible Swords.
Chak!
The Invisible Swords followed the afterimages as if they were alive. And the afterimages, which barely managed to avoid it, suddenly flew back and to the center of the training hall.
Shhh!
“Hah!”
As the images darkened, the man who appeared moved his sword to the man who had his back to him. And a black line appeared in the air. There was a sharp sound along with the line and the sound of air being torn.
Crack!
Seeing that, the other man smiled. While the other’s back was still facing him, he lightly stepped on the floor.
Thud!
And soon, the space around distorted, and the black line was sucked in. At the same time, the man who used the sword bounced back.
“Ack!”
Bang!
The man slammed into the wall. He groaned at the pain, which felt like his entire body would break down, but how easily the sword was blocked was even more absurd.
‘I have always known, but he is such a monster.’
He bit his tongue and lifted his head while looking at the one walking toward him. The man has sharp eyes and fair skin.
Despite the many years, he still looked the same. He was Chun Yeowun, the Lord of the Sky Demon Order.
“You are just getting used to it. Still useful.”
At Chun Yeowun’s words, the man barely got up and said,
“Didn’t you stop it with just a single hand though? Ancestor.”
The man who called him ancestor was Chun Mu-seong, the descendant from the future.
“At your level, you won’t die so quickly.”
“Ugh…”
He was talking to Chun Yeowun, the man who never compliments others. Chun Mu-seong could imagine just how much strength was being controlled by Chun Yeowun to train him.
“I am not sure if the Supreme Sky Demon Sword will even work on the ancestor at all.”
Yes, that shocking name was said by Chun Mu-seong.
Supreme Sky Demon Sword technique.
It was the strongest sword created by their ancestor, Chun Ma. It was the only sword that could cut and destroy anything, even the immortal things.
Descendant Chun Mu-seong was finally able to learn it after nearly 19 years of hellish training from Chun Yeowun, who is the strongest.
“If in this in level, then you should be fine.”
“Really?”
Chun Mu-seong was skeptical, and it was natural. It was said that this was a technique that could stop anything with one slash—except Chun Yeowun. So, Chun Mu-seong wasn’t sure of his growth.
“If you are anxious, you can learn for another 10 years?”
“T-that…”
In an instant, Chun Mu-seong’s face turned pale. He was the one who spent 19 years here. And another 10 years of hellish training sounded like early death.
“If you aren’t confident in yourself, then learn more.”
Chun Yeowun, who said that, looked like a devil to Chun Mu-seong.
“Ah, no. Now that I think, this should be enough. I think the time has come!”
Chun Mu-seong refused by waving his hands.
Chun Yeowun smiled.
“If you change your mind, tell me. I will make you reach the level of the Blade God.”
At that, Chun Mu-seong thought.
‘… if ancestor says it, then it could be done.’
The Blade God was called the God of martial arts in his world. His heart was troubled when he thought of fighting beings that were respected.
However, these days, he doesn't feel that anymore. Maybe because he was battling with a more fearful entity each day.
“Well, I still have time to spare. Want another match?”
‘Shit!’
Chun Mu-seong’s face turned pale at the suggestion.
Knock!
Then came the knock on the door.
‘I will live!’
Chun Mu-seong hid his feelings and said,
“Ah… this is so sad, but I think someone is looking for Ancestor.”
Chun Yeowun shook his head as if he knew his descendant’s thoughts.
The man had gone through extremes and pushed his limit just to come to this level. He didn’t want to fight more.
“Come in.”
The door opened at Chun Yeowun’s voice.
The one who entered it was Marakim.
“Lord.”
“Did the Young Lord and Hu Bong arrive?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“A message from the capital.”
“From the Imperial City?”
After the unification of Murim, the Imperial Palace sent envoys to the Sky Demon Order. It was like a ritual event. However, it was once every six months; this one was three months earlier.
“Oh?”
Hu Bong and Chun Woo-myung were in the main room, inside more of the Sky Demon Order. They were puzzled at the appearance of three women waiting there for them.
Chun Woo-myung went to greet them.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
‘Woo-myung.’
She was a woman with long black hair and a beautiful smile.
She seemed to be in her mid-20s at her appearance, but it was Mun Ku, mother of Chun Woo-myung.
“Mother.”
“You came here without taking a bath?”
He indeed did run here with the dust still on him.
“He seems to be excited about it, sister.”
The silver-haired woman smiled at him. She was Wang Yeogun, the daughter of Wang Jin and the second wife of the Lord.
“Tell me about it, little sister.”
“No, second mother. I came in a hurry since this was important, and….well, I was a bit excited to—”
Grab!
“Ump!”
Before he could finish, one of the women grabbed his cheeks. She was a slim woman with blonde hair and golden eyes.
“It would be so nice if you could smile till your ears, but your mouth is being used only to speak. You. You are turning more like your father each day.”
“A-Aunt!”
Chun Woo-myung was flustered at it. This blonde beauty in front of him was the person who made his life difficult.
She was the Golden Gumiho. The woman everyone called as the unofficial third wife of the Lord since she never leaves his side.
She, too, wanted to be called that, but she didn’t get permission from Chun Yeowun, so she is just the aunt of the Young Lord.
“L-let me go.”
“No. I don’t want to. Call me mother and I will.”
At her naughty words, Chun Woo-myung was flustered.
“A-Aunt!”
Not knowing anything, he couldn’t disobey the orders of his father. As he was being stubborn, the Gumiho looked disappointed.
“You could have just called me mother. Tch.”
Mun Ku and Wang Yeogun smiled at her complaining. They knew this fox's love for Chun Yeowun wasn’t like theirs.
Hu Bong, who came in, asked Mun Ku with a puzzled face.
“Lady. Why are you waiting in here, without entering the main room?”
“It was said that the envoy of the Imperial Palace came.”
“Envoy? Didn’t they come three months ago?”
The Imperial family visited three months ago. So why again? To which Wang Yeogun answered,
“I asked Elder Huan on the way here and it is said that it had to do something with the Crown Prince.”