“Mm.”

A man with neatly swept-back, graying hair let out a low groan.

And four women were carefully kneading every part of his body. They worked so hard their bodies were soaked with sweat.

“Now this is more like it. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old, but my body really isn’t what it used to be.”

The voice that reverberated low was unbelievably heavy for such a lean frame.

SHIVER.

The women trembled all at once.

His voice was strange. It was a pleasant low tone, yet it felt like it was sharpening itself and gouging at the listener’s nerves.

As if the voice itself were a martial art, it was packed with murderous pressure—an aggressive aura embedded in sound.

“So the Gray Wolf Band just... evaporated like that?”

“Yes.”

In front of him, a middle-aged man in black robes bowed his head.

“They say it was wiped out. Not a single survivor.”

“Tch.”

The man clicked his tongue.

“They boasted they’d swept the beyond-the-frontier region for ten years. In the end, they were just bandits at the root, huh.”

The Gray Wolf Band wasn’t an ordinary bandit group. If they truly committed, they could easily wipe out most minor sects, and if they planned properly, even a Nine Great Sects–level powerhouse would have to accept some damage.

There was no reason to belittle their combat power like this.

But the man had the right to speak that way.

The middle-aged man glanced up at him.

The man’s eyes, looking down with a languid face, were utterly indifferent—so indifferent it was eerie, nothing like his aggressive voice.

Even now, it’s unbelievable.

WOOOOONG.

The Inner Qi packed in his own lower abdomen shrank on its own.

That Lord was right. He said only someone like the Cult’s Grand High Priest could face a powerhouse like this... Are all of the Thirteen Seats of the Sacred Heavens monsters like this?

He wasn’t releasing power. He wasn’t angry.

He had only made eye contact, and it felt like invisible chains were binding his limbs.

It was the oppression inherent to a human being, and the unconscious pressure of an absolute who had glimpsed the ultimate realm. An ordinary man without Inner Qi training wouldn’t be able to keep a sane mind just staying in the same place.

His existence itself is a disaster.

It was a realm he couldn’t even dream of reaching as he was now.

The middle-aged man spoke carefully.

“It’s true the Gray Wolf Band fell short of expectations, but the unit dispatched by the Alliance of the Martial World also seems to have been far from ordinary.”

“The Evil-Smiting Corps, was it?”

“More precisely, they say it was two units—the Demon-Sweeping Corps and the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

“Demon-Sweeping and Evil-Smiting. What an openly blatant name.”

A small spark of interest rose on the man’s face—Fighting King Yangcheon.

“And those Evil-Smiting Corps people. Didn’t they smash several ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Dark Path sects not too long ago?”

“Yes. The Crimson Demon Society was among them.”

“Crimson Demon Society...”

Yangcheon’s brow furrowed.

“They’re not even worth a single meal, but weren’t they said to be a bit burdensome for the kids to deal with?”

“Yes. Their martial arts aren’t strong, but they don’t care what it takes to kill their target. They use forbidden firearms, and they even accept commissions involving officials.”

“I like that.”

Yangcheon’s eyes glittered.

“They kill without caring who it is... They walk their own road without minding others. For that kind of group to go down so emptily—what a pity.”

The middle-aged man swallowed.

He hasn’t changed.

Yangcheon was dangerous.

The number one measure he used to judge people wasn’t martial arts or brains.

It was a line.

Those who could cross the line without hesitation—he cherished even if they lacked ability. But no matter how capable, if someone’s head was hard, he despised them.

That was why Yangcheon could become this strong, and why he could gather the Dark Path into something this large in such a short time.

“Either way, with the Gray Wolf Band in that state, those master-and-disciple bastards must be sweating bullets.”

The middle-aged man’s eyes flashed.

“They’ll probably hide again.”

Yangcheon gave a short laugh.

“I don’t know if they’re cautious or just scared. If you want to do big things, you have to know how to be bold when it’s time. That’s their problem.”

“......”

“Why? Because they’re people from your homeland, does it offend you?”

“How could it? The moment I vowed to serve you, Elder, my soul settled here.”

“Kahahaha! Nice words.”

Yangcheon burst into booming laughter.

KUUUURRRRMMMM.

The middle-aged man’s complexion went pale.

It wasn’t just him. The women massaging Yangcheon suddenly struggled to breathe—and then collapsed unconscious on the spot. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Such monstrous Inner Qi!

A brutal force rode on the sound of that laughter.

The perilous energy drilling into the ears broke the body’s balance and shook even the brain. It even made the building tremble, if only faintly.

WOOOOONG.

The middle-aged man hurriedly drew up his Inner Qi to protect his head and ears.

Yangcheon, who had already stopped laughing, looked down at him. He didn’t even spare a glance at the women collapsed on either side.

“Black Sheep.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“This morning, a letter like this arrived for me.”

SSSSRK.

Before anyone knew it, a red letter floated above Yangcheon’s palm.

The middle-aged man—Black Sheep—his eyes shook.

Void Seizing!

A realm where you used extreme Inner Qi to manipulate objects without touching them.

But Yangcheon seemed to have seen the end even of that realm. There was no sense at all of True Qi flow pushing through the air. It was as if he were moving the object with pure will.

A realm you could call supernatural without exaggeration. At that point, there was no reason to call him human.

WHOOOOM.

The red letter drifted and settled in front of Black Sheep.

Black Sheep bowed his head and opened it.

His eyes widened.

“Isn’t it interesting?”

“......!”

“There’s a saying that a hero who represents an era needs not only his own ability, but also the luck of the times and the blessing of people. If that’s true, then don’t I fit the conditions of a hero as well?”

A fierce heat flared in Black Sheep’s eyes.

“Do you intend to accept them?”

“Who knows? As you know, I don’t want to accept every stray dog and nobody. If they’re worth that much, like the rumors say, then I should keep them under my command.”

Yangcheon smiled.

“How about it? Will you test them yourself?”

Black Sheep lowered his head.

“I will depart at once.”

“Good.”

And so Black Sheep left.

Once Black Sheep vanished, the smile on Yangcheon’s face vanished with him.

“No matter what I do, he won’t become my man.”

In terms of ability, Black Sheep was unquestionably talent Yangcheon wanted under him.

But the man had no loyalty. He claimed he had severed ties with the Cult and come to Yangcheon, but Yangcheon knew that wasn’t true.

So he had deliberately shown an exaggerated display. Because Black Sheep was the Cult’s man. He would report Yangcheon’s temperament and ability to the Cult exactly as he saw them.

Yangcheon wanted to crush him to death with one fist, but it wasn’t time yet.

A languid light returned to Yangcheon’s face.

There’s no one I can truly trust.

It irritated his pride, this reality that he couldn’t show ease in front of someone he could kill with a single finger.

Still, Yangcheon believed it was worth enduring. A petty man clings to what’s right in front of his eyes, but a great man knows how to look to the future.

Even so... he was starting to get tired.

“Tch. This is the Dark Path’s problem. There are so few worth raising. If someone truly offered me his soul, I could give him everything.”

Yangcheon rose from his seat.

WOOOOOOONG.

The four unconscious women floated up into the air.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Yangcheon walked into the corridor, and the four women followed behind him.

*****

After resting enough, the group entered western Hunan.

The road there was far more comfortable than expected. They didn’t bother moving secretly, and they didn’t pay special attention to their surroundings.

More than that—Yeon Hojeong worked to keep the group’s mood bright. He joked with everyone often, and when needed, he even trained with them.

Ga Deoksang was the only one who saw through the intention hidden in Yeon Hojeong’s behavior.

So they look natural.

Exactly.

No matter what anyone said, Yeon Hojeong was the Left Palm of the group. When Yeon Hojeong kept things bright, the group’s mood naturally brightened too.

And that effort bore fruit—by the time they entered Hunan, even Tang Sang-a was smiling more often.

Ga Deoksang smiled.

He’s incredible.

Whether it was calculation or instinct.

Yeon Hojeong always knew exactly what role he needed to play in each mission.

Even if that role was simply laughing and joking, he performed it without strain. He was usually closer to quiet by nature, even if he teased around people he was close to—yet the face he showed now carried no sense of mismatch.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Huh?”

At Yeon Hojeong’s words, Ga Deoksang grinned.

“There’s a whole lot of handsome on it.”

“I know, Eldest Senior Brother.”

“Our third is too honest for his own good.”

“Haha!”

Before they knew it, the group had grown used to their forms of address.

It was a change pulled along by the atmosphere. At first it was awkward, but now they truly treated each other like sworn martial siblings.

“By the way—where is our martial uncle?”

Ga Deoksang’s eyes sparkled.

“Martial uncle” meant Pae Yul.

“Let’s see. There’s about two hundred li left ahead, so if we take it easy, we should be able to see him by tomorrow evening.”

“I want to see him sooner. Want to run a bit while we train?”

“Our third really does love training.”

Ga Deoksang spoke to Tang Sang-a and Je Gal Ahyeon.

“Want to run lightly to loosen up?”

“Yes, Eldest Senior Brother.”

“Let’s go.”

TWOOOOUUUNG!

Four men and women unfolded their movement arts in lively strides.

The weakest in martial arts among them was Je Gal Ahyeon. Even so, for her age, her martial arts were considerable—and when it came to movement arts, she was no worse than Tang Sang-a.

They alternated front and back as they broke through the official road, and by the time they had covered one hundred fifty li—

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.

It’s started.

He felt eyes sweeping over the group.

It was an extremely covert gaze. The stealth technique itself wasn’t much, but the way it watched—half-seeing, half-not—was uncanny.

It’s been a while.

A small smile rose on Yeon Hojeong’s face.

It was a smile that carried savagery and longing at the same time—slight tension and ease, layered together.

It’s really been a long time... since a gaze like this.

This wasn’t anything like someone tailing you in the Orthodox Path martial world.

Only now could Yeon Hojeong feel it in his bones.

He had entered that place he knew—filthy, soaked in grime—the world he’d spent half his life in.

He hadn’t felt a speck of longing for it all this time, but the moment he stepped back in, nostalgia wrapped around him like he’d returned home.

But nostalgia was nostalgia, and work was work.

“Martial sister.”

“Hm?”

Yeon Hojeong spoke calmly.

“There are bugs buzzing around us.”

Tang Sang-a’s eyes glittered.

“Really? I don’t feel anything.”

“I’m sensitive, you know. I’ll tell you the directions, so please clear them out.”

Tang Sang-a smiled.

“For our third, that’s nothing.”

She had perfectly blended into her role. If anything, she might be enjoying this situation the most.

A faint Killing Intent rose in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

“Shall we start from the rear?”

“Sure.”

“Left rear—behind the fourth pine. Right rear—the shadow beside the biggest rock.”

In that instant, Tang Sang-a’s hands moved like lightning.

PIPIPIPIPING! THUD-THUD-THUD!

Hidden weapons fired at a speed the eye couldn’t track, turning into a spray of blood.

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

And when Tang Sang-a saw that chill smile, a similar smile rose on her face.

“Excellent skill, Martial Sister.”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s begin in earnest. We can’t miss even one.”

“Don’t worry.”

PAPAPAPAPANG!

Daggers spread out like a net and covered all directions.