“Disciple of the Sword Saint...?”

“The Sword Saint?”

The Third Disciples stirred at the words. In the Blue Moon Sect, the name that was not just anyone’s but the Sword Saint’s carried staggering weight.

The man who ended the war with the Demon Cult, the World’s Greatest, the greatest of all ages.

An unprecedented warrior in the Blue Moon Sect’s history — no, in the history of the entire martial world.

The Sword Saint, Yoo Cheongil.

Though well over ten years had passed since his death, neither the Blue Moon Sect nor the Central Plains had forgotten him.

That was how great a warrior he was.

“The Sword Saint had... a disciple?”

The moment I declared myself the Sword Saint’s disciple, reactions flared white-hot.

Of course they did.

Yoo Cheongil had never taken a disciple in his life.

He had served as Alliance Leader and as Sect Master of the Blue Moon Sect, but apart from that, he never kept a direct disciple.

Because of that—

“He, his disciple? How does that—?”

“C-come to think of it...”

A young man looked at me and jolted as if he’d realized something.

“His eyes... those eyes... the Moon Eyes.”

“Gasp...!”

Blue-dyed pupils. He’d noticed I’d opened the Moon Eyes.

It seemed the Third Disciples weren’t fully grasping the situation.

The difference, meanwhile—

“The Second Disciples knew.”

The ones who entered with the Cheon siblings. They seemed to know who I was already.

Of course. Hence these reactions.

The big one in front — Hong Gyeong — had eyes trembling like mad. I looked into them and said,

“Are you hard of hearing? Or... was my voice too quiet?”

I tilted my head slightly and added,

“Second Disciple Hong Gyeong.”

“Y-yes—!”

He answered and startled himself, as if he hadn’t meant to speak that loud.

“I’ll ask again. Did you not understand me?”

“No... I... that is...”

“No?”

“...!”

I took a step, and he recoiled.

I had the mood by the throat. All I had to do was press.

I glanced around. Every Second Disciple who met my eye flinched. I let a thin smile ghost across my face.

“What a shambles. For Henan’s representative great house to have discipline this rotten — my master would weep blood.”

[Boy, your knack for trading on the dead is something else.]

Blood, who knows. Yoo Cheongil snorted, picking his nose.

“How far are you planning to drag our sect’s honor through the mud?”

I spoke with a twisted scowl, and at last there was movement.

They were deciding whether to do it or not.

They wavered.

Even with ample grounds, calling me a senior of the main line and treating me as such wouldn’t be easy.

I was aiming for that.

Push it through. Once I seize the mood, I use it—

“My apologies.”

I turned my head.

“I beg forgiveness for my disrespect to my martial uncle’s generation.”

Thump.

Cheon Hyein was on her knees, head bowed.

“Second Disciple Cheon Hyein pays respects to Martial Grand-Uncle.”

“...”

I narrowed my eyes as I confirmed it.

“Well, look at that.”

Not a flicker of hesitation. She rose from her chair and knelt to me without pause.

Seeing that, the Second Disciples all dropped to their knees.

The Third Disciples, catching the cue, followed suit.

In an instant, everyone in the dining hall was kneeling to me. I fixed my gaze on the crown of Cheon Hyein’s head.

“Clever.”

A decisive move without delay. It cut the flow.

I could have raised the grounds for my claim high and higher, but if Cheon Hyein moved like this, I couldn’t.

“She aimed for this.”

She had to know what she was doing.

Annoying to the utmost. I had to change course.

“...Rise.”

Sssk.

At my low words, everyone stood.

Ridiculous as it was, a little heat rose in me at the sight.

Was this the true taste of power? The childish thought flashed by.

“What you did was certainly discourteous, but given the circumstances, I won’t press the point.”

I switched back to polite speech. It wasn’t advantageous to keep sneering and pushing.

“So, when we meet next, let’s not have a repeat of this.”

I made myself an exit and started to move.

But—

“Martial Uncle.”

She stopped me. I glanced back; her head was still bowed, face hidden.

“According ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) to the rules, I have paid respects... but there’s a concern.”

“What is it?”

“Since it hasn’t been long since we first met our martial uncle... I fear some disciples may question your qualifications.”

“Qualifications?”

“Yes. Qualifications.”

I tipped my head.

“What qualifications are you talking about?”

“Whether you, Martial Uncle, can rightly call us your disciples. Those qualifications.”

“Ha.”

I let out a laugh. So—

“Are you asking whether the likes of me deserves to be called a senior?”

“It was a simple concern. If that displeased you... I apologize.”

Apology, my ass. She was scratching me on purpose.

You may have grounds, but do you have the strength to be called martial uncle? Cheon Hyein was asking, dressed in courtesy.

Eyes poured in from all sides.

Assenting eyes.

I felt them and swallowed the sting.

“I’ve heard other sects put great stock in matters like this.”

This sect, apparently, not so much.

“Well.”

If the strongest becomes Sect Master, we’re not talking about a sect that plays it normal.

“Just like a certain someone.”

Poetic talk of hoisting a blue moon, but filthy violent.

“If you want qualifications, I can show you as much as you like.”

I put a little weight on the slanted corner of my mouth.

A way to smile naturally.

“But.”

I matched gazes with her. A subtle provocation leaked from her.

“Only if you have the qualifications to see it.”

I said my piece and walked out.

All the way out, needles of gaze pinned my back.

****

Right after Bang Sungyeon stepped outside, the frozen mood held. No one dared speak.

Everyone was watching for a cue. One person’s cue.

Especially Cheon Eujin. He stared at his sister with trembling eyes.

Gulp.

He swallowed hard. His throat was so dry it went furry.

Then—

“Ha...”

Cheon Hyein let out a breath like a laugh. Everyone around her shuddered.

“Ha ha ha ha ha—!”

Whatever she found so funny, she laughed loud.

She laughed so hard tears beaded at the corners of her eyes.

“Ah... really...”

After a good while, she wiped the smile clean in an instant.

“Interesting... You have my attention.”

Moon Eyes flashed in a blank gaze. Seeing it, Cheon Eujin bit his lip in silence.

Danger.

When his sister wore those eyes, someone inevitably broke.

And in the most miserable way.

****

“Shit. Shit.”

I cursed the moment I stepped out of the dining hall. I couldn’t hold it in.

“She’s scary as hell.”

All that for a free meal? I’d have been better off going hungry.

[Hah. Funny brat.]

Yoo Cheongil chuckled at me.

[All that acting fierce and full of yourself, and the instant you step out you’re like this.]

“It’s not like I could grovel in there.”

Without, act like you have.

With, act like you don’t.

An iron rule when dealing with people.

Especially in a situation like that.

[And what changes when you act like you have?]

“Who knows.”

I didn’t know yet what would change. But—

“Now we see.”

I was sure something would.

That’s why I’d gone out of my way to provoke Cheon Hyein in the dining hall.

[Hmm.]

He sounded unconvinced, but that was all.

As always, it was the attitude of “go on then, let’s see.”

“The more I look, the more absurd you are.”

Who did he think I was juggling because of? And he had the gall to act like that?

“I swear I’ll exorcise you someday.”

A most fervent wish.

“...That aside, can I ask you something?”

[What.]

“Old man. Can you beat Lady Cheon?”

[Hmm?]

Unexpected, and he reacted oddly.

[Why ask that?]

“I figured I should know.”

From the feel of it, I needed to assess.

It felt like something was going to blow soon.

[Hmm.]

He thought for a moment.

[A month.]

He tossed out a timeframe out of nowhere.

“A month?”

[About that long without possessing you, and it would be manageable.]

I understood at that.

He’d said before. To possess for long, he had to refrain for a while.

Sounded like that period was a month.

“...A whole month?”

[Yes. Your body is so shabby, I’d need you at least at the First Stage.]

“Come on, I didn’t even use half that to thrash Little Azure Sword. You need a whole First Stage for her?”

[Heh.]

He laughed.

[Don’t compare that half-baked Namgung brat to that girl.]

Flat, final.

“...They’re that far apart?”

Even if she was one of the Seven.

You’re saying a late-stage prodigy like Little Azure Sword can’t even be compared to Moon Dancer?

“This complicates things.”

If something went sideways, my options were thin.

And from the look of things, something would pop soon. I had to line up a way before then.

“...Hmm.”

If that won’t do, think of another way. I was just about to decide that when—

[Well, it’s not like there’s no way at all.]

My ears perked.

“You have something?”

I asked, hopeful.

[Only impossible because you’re shabby now. Raise your level and the story changes, doesn’t it.]

Immediate disappointment.

“...If that were easy, I wouldn’t be living like this.”

As if getting stronger were as easy as eating.

“That’s the kind of thing you need an elixir for. Don’t take me for a fool.”

You couldn’t buy those with money.

“Not unless you raid some great clan’s vault...”

[I’ve got a stash I made in secret when I was alive. There should be some elixirs there.]

“Respected elder, I have always believed in you without a shadow of doubt.”

[...]

“As expected, elder — you had a plan all along? Truly admirable.”

[...Good lord... how can someone be this brazen and this honest.]

“I get that a lot. Compliment accepted.”

[That wasn’t a compliment.]

“Let’s go. Even if the end of the world is hell, I’m ready to walk it with you.”

No matter what trials awaited, I could overcome them.

“Elixi— I mean, with you, elder.”

[You just said elixir.]

“Let’s hurry. The elixirs are getting cold.”

[Elixirs don’t ‘get cold’... calm yourself. Your eyes have gone funny.]

He kept talking, but—

I wasn’t hearing it anymore.

My dear Elixir was waiting for me.