“Hmm?”

Dongpyeong, who had come out with a broom from early in the morning as usual, suddenly looked up at the sky.

“It’s winter.”

White snowflakes were announcing that winter had come to the world.

Dongpyeong tightened his fur coat and swept the last fallen leaves of the year that had piled up in front of the inn.

“It’s persistent, so persistent.”

On the first floor of the Jahong Inn, Yuha and Baekhwa were warming their bodies by sharing warm tea.

Two weeks had passed since Jin Sohyun had returned.

The world announced the end of autumn.

And winter had come.

“It’s snow.”

Yuha, as if she had also discovered the snow, looked outside with childlike eyes.

On the other hand, Baekhwa had a face that showed no interest.

And why not? For her, every day was a torment.

Of course, the reason for that was Jin Sohyun.

She had barely managed to find out Jin Sohyun’s whereabouts, but there was another problem.

“He hasn’t come down from his bed for two weeks… is that a human?”

At Baekhwa’s grumbling, Yuha just whispered and laughed.

“I can’t go on like this. I have to ask for sure when the Hao Sect Master is coming. Even when a mere Four Guests came, Honggang was in an uproar…”

Thanks to that, there were not just one or two courtesans and wanderers who had cried out that they would quit.

How hard it had been to persuade them.

It was when Baekhwa turned her body to the stairs to go up to the room where Jin Sohyun was.

“Haaam.”

Jin Sohyun, who was yawning as if his mouth would tear, came down the stairs.

“Hey!”

“Aigoo… your voice is so loud.”

“How long are you going to sleep! You said the Hao Sect Master was coming!”

“Won’t he be here soon?”

“What? You mean you don’t even know when he’s coming?”

As Baekhwa asked as if she was dumbfounded, Jin Sohyun laughed embarrassedly.

“Actually, I’m not even sure if he’ll come or not.”

“What did you say!?”

Jin Sohyun, who had lightly ignored Baekhwa’s sharp gaze that was shooting at him as if she was displeased, sat in an empty chair, and Yuha handed him a cup.

“Ah, thank you.”

“Wasn’t the person called the Hao Sect Master supposed to come?”

As Yuha asked with a soft voice, unlike Baekhwa, Jin Sohyun said, emptying his cup.

“I told him to meet me, but it’s the Hao Sect Master’s choice whether he shows up or not.”

“Aha.”

“What do you mean, aha! How much I’ve suffered because of you! You should have told me earlier if this was the case!”

“Don’t worry. The Hao Sect Master will come.”

“How do you know that? Even the branch lords have never seen the Hao Sect Master.”

Before Baekhwa’s words could end, the door of the Jahong Inn opened, and Beomgang appeared.

His hair was disheveled, as if he had run in a great hurry.

At the sight of Beomgang gasping for breath, Jin Sohyun put down his cup and stood up.

“It seems he’s here.”

***

The Cheonhwagak once again hung a sign that said it was closed for business and locked its doors.

The Cheonhwagak, where a guest had come, was quiet, unlike the best tavern in Honggang.

All the workers, except for the minimum number of people, had left the Cheonhwagak. In the Cheonru, the top floor of the quiet Cheonhwagak with no guests, two people faced each other.

“I’ve always wanted to meet you in person at least once.”

“Me too.”

“You are more… handsome than I thought. And young.”

“The same goes for you.”

The Hao Sect Master, whom he had actually met, looked quite young.

His black hair was tied up tightly, and his neat eyebrows and clean skin like porcelain made the Hao Sect Master look even younger.

His eyes, which were neither small nor large, stared at Jin Sohyun.

“Will you tell me the reason you invited me?”

“The Second Guest must have told you.”

“I wanted to hear it directly from your mouth.”

“If that’s the case, then.”

Jin Sohyun continued his words softly.

“Choose between the Hao Sect and the Heretic Path's Alliance. What to protect, and what to give up.”

“That’s an easy question for me. But rather, I want to ask. How do you plan to destroy the Hao Sect?”

Jin Sohyun stared at the Hao Sect Master’s face instead of answering.

It was to find out the true meaning behind the Hao Sect Master’s words.

And soon, the Hao Sect Master said.

“The Hao Sect is a symbol. It’s a group created by the lower class who are not recognized anywhere. Young Master Jin. Even after the Righteous-Demon War ended and the Ming Cult was destroyed, the heretic martial world did not disappear. Even if the Nine Sects One Gang, the Five Great Clans, and the Martial Alliance disappear, the righteous martial world will not disappear.”

Jin Sohyun seemed to know what the Hao Sect Master meant.

It meant that even if he killed the Hao Sect Master here and found and destroyed all the remaining remnants of the Hao Sect, the Hao Sect would not disappear.

The Hao Sect was not made up of walls, houses, and people.

Even if he found and killed all of the current Hao Sect, as long as the courtesans, thieves, waiters, and wanderers did not all disappear, the Hao Sect would not disappear.

Because they existed as a symbol.

Jin Sohyun’s head slowly moved up and down as if in agreement with his meaning.

“That may be so. But at least… as long as I’m alive, the symbol of the Hao Sect will not be revived.”

“…”

“Because I will shatter it again and again.”

The Hao Sect Master could not think that he was arrogant.

Jin Sohyun was a person with that ability.

The Third Guest was a master of the five-sword technique who could freely use five swords.

His Five-Path Cutting Wheel Sword Technique was so powerful that it was impossible to deal with, and the Third Guest’s martial arts skills that supported it were dazzlingly great.

Jin Sohyun had killed the Third Guest.

The Second Guest saw through the opponent’s movements and ravaged the enemy with an analytical ability close to foresight.

He was a wise and cautious person, and his martial arts were also outstanding, so he was a person who had killed many masters stronger than himself.

Jin Sohyun had half-killed the Second Guest.

If he sent all the masters that the Hao Sect had to kill Jin Sohyun.

Could he kill him?

The Hao Sect Master honestly couldn't be sure.

Rather, the days of making coffins for the sect members would only increase.

The Hao Sect Master, who had been contemplating for a long time, opened his mouth.

“What do you want from me?”

“Information sharing. And silence.”

“If it’s information…”

“I need information on Ma Seongun, who killed Bieunggaek. And also where the main body of the Heretic Path's Alliance is.”

“Do you plan to fight the Heretic Path's Alliance directly?”

“I won’t fight alone, but that’s the plan.”

“They are strong.”

“I know.”

There was no hesitation in his answer, and no retreat in his choice.

The Hao Sect Master couldn't help but be impressed.

Where did such an existence come from?

The more he looked, the more dazzling the existence of Jin Sohyun was, to the point where it was difficult to open his eyes properly.

‘I think I know why the Heretic Path's Alliance was so obsessed with this person.’

He could only know after seeing it himself.

What kind of existence Jin Sohyun was.

“It’s unexpected.”

“What is?”

“Actually, I thought Young Master Jin would use the Soul Seduction Art on me. Just as you did to Ok Myeon and the Third Guest.”

“I thought about that too, but then I wouldn't be able to silence the entire Hao Sect.”

The Hao Sect Master, who had nodded his head as if in agreement, smiled faintly.

“Wiso. That is my name.”

“Wiso.”

“Where is Ok Myeon? Is he still alive?”

“He’s alive.”

With a meaningful answer, Beomgang brought Ok Myeon.

“Ugh… ahhh…”

Ok Myeon was drooling and his eyes were wandering, unable to focus on one place.

Wiso, who was looking at him with a bitter expression, stroked Ok Myeon’s head.

“It’s a side effect of the Soul Seduction Art.”

“That bastard made my master, Bieunggaek, die.”

Wiso, who had learned that Bieunggaek was Jin Sohyun’s master, was rather surprised that he had kept Ok Myeon alive.

“Young Master Jin.”

“Hmm.”

“The Heretic Path's Alliance is strong. The leader, Ju Cheon, is even stronger. They have been preparing to take over the Central Plains for a very long time. I don’t know what kind of fights you’ve been in, but the fight with the Heretic Path's Alliance will be incomparable to the fights you’ve had so far.”

Wiso asked seriously.

“Can you do it?”

At the question that could perhaps decide the future direction of the martial world, Jin Sohyun opened his mouth.

***

Wiso, who had gotten into the carriage, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

—The Heretic Path's Alliance will disappear. Because I will make it so.

That one phrase, which seemed to have been said lightly.

Had moved Wiso’s heart.

Wiso asked Jin Sohyun before he left.

—Do you not suspect that I am the real Hao Sect Master?

—It doesn’t matter. Whether you are real or fake.

At his answer, Wiso was at a loss for words again.

“Anyway, as long as the will is conveyed… the path that person will walk is clear…”

Seeing Jin Sohyun moving forward without wavering, Wiso couldn't help but let out a laugh.

He was the one who had driven the Hao Sect to the brink and had killed the Third Guest.

That’s why Wiso held the hilt of the sword.

“Call in all the remaining Ghost Star: Phantom Guest.”

“As you command.”

“Ugh… ahh…”

The carriage carrying the mentally broken Ok Myeon and Wiso slipped out of Honggang.

***

“…”

The Nanchang branch of the Martial Alliance in Hubei Province.

Gu Jucheol and the martial artists who had arrived at the Nanchang branch, which was close to Mount Wudang, the main mountain of the Wudang Sect, which was called the best sword sect in the world, were at a loss for words and silently looked at the land where a terrible tragedy had occurred.

“Th-this is…”

Gu Yong stuttered.

Gu Jucheol closed his eyes tightly and then opened them.

“Look for survivors.”

The remaining martial artists, who had received Gu Jucheol’s order, split up in all directions and looked for survivors.

But on the land full of corpses, there was no one breathing.

“How long has it been?”

Gwak Myeong, who was checking the corpses, bit his lip.

“It’s difficult to accurately measure the time of death because all the moisture has been taken away.”

“Blood-Sucking Sword Demon…!”

Yeom Yoa frowned and clenched her fist tightly.

“My goodness! You mean this is all that bastard’s doing?”

The Fierce Tiger Iron Sword Squad leader, Peng Ohyun, had a hard time figuring out what to say at the terrible tragedy he had never seen before in his life.

At that moment, Namgung Seong’s shout was heard from a distance.

“It’s a survivor!”

At his shout, which was like a ray of hope, the martial artists gathered.

“It’s okay now. We are from the Martial Alliance.”

“M-Martial Alliance…”

The child that Namgung Seong had found in the collapsed debris was a girl who looked to be about ten years old.

The child, who had been trapped in the debris for a long time, soon fainted.

“Oh no!”

Namgung Seong and Namgung Seoru.

As Cheon Gasung and Cheon Yerang joined forces to clear the debris, Jong Ryeo'ak squeezed in and came out holding the child.

“Water!”

Gu Yong took out a water pouch from his bosom and let a little flow to wet the child’s lips.

While they were waiting for the child to come to her senses, Gu Jucheol, Gwak Myeong, Peng Ohyun, and Yeom Yoa slowly looked around to check what had happened at the Nanchang branch.

The number of corpses was a total of one hundred and twenty.

Regardless of gender, all the martial artists of the branch were dead, with their bodies dried up as if their blood had been taken away.

“It’s the work of one person.”

Gu Jucheol said after examining the wounds on the corpses.

“It’s the work of the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon.”

“Yes. That bastard alone killed all the martial artists here.”

“Here, it’s the Nanchang branch lord.”

Yeom Yoa, who had confirmed the identity of the Nanchang branch lord through his clothes and nameplate, looked down at the sunken face of the branch lord with a bitter face.

While the old martial artists of the martial world, including Gu Jucheol, could not hide their sorrow.

Gu Yong tore his hair and bit his lip.

“This damn…”

“This is not the time to blame yourself. We have to stop the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon as soon as possible.”

“I’m not doing this because I’m blaming myself.”

Gu Yong shook his head vigorously and then said to Gu Jucheol and the remaining martial artists with a trembling voice.

“The Blood-Sucking Sword Demon’s hunting method… has changed.”

(End of Chapter)