In the dark.

Three people gathered in a space so sealed not a speck of moonlight could penetrate. The thick scent of blood clung to the nostrils, filling the space.

One was the master, and two were slaves. Their positions were easily identifiable.

The young noble sat with his chin propped on his hand, while the other two lay prostrate on the flat ground three steps below him, bowing their heads deeply.

“⋯⋯You’re saying you’ve only just found it now?”

“Yes, my apologies. That cute thing, to think it had been circling around and hiding in nearby Jebuseong⋯⋯.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, at least you’ve found it now. Once we know the location, killing it is as easy as flipping a hand.”

The two old men raised their heads, their appearance grotesque. Their faces were so wrinkled and gaunt that they looked less like humans and more like something else.

As if corpses were moving.

Anyone with a bit of insight into the martial world would have been greatly surprised. The two elders were once renowned leaders of the Blood Sect, known respectively as the Blood Spider Matron (血蛛老婆) and the Slumber Assassin Patriarch (睡殺代父).

Despite their notorious reputations, they were high-ranking elders. Why then were they bending over backwards to show respect to a young noble?

The reason lay in a mysterious tome.

Thud.

The noble’s hand rested on the ominous book inscribed with the words ‘Demon Subjugation Divine Art’ (魔降神術). It was a compilation of the Blood Sect’s secret techniques and was considered a sacred treasure.

It also held the lifeline of the two old monsters who should have died long ago. Only with the profound zombie-controlling technique within the book could they continue to live without dying.

Their lives mortgaged, they had no choice but to bow their heads to a mere whelp.

From noble mtl dot come

The young noble had no foundation in the evil path, yet in just three years, he had built a formidable dark force. By absorbing the power of the Blood Spider Matron and the Slumber Assassin Patriarch, he faced no difficulties.

The noble frowned and scolded with annoyance,

“There have been bad rumors in Jebuseong. It’s fine to feed, but you were clearly told not to draw attention!”

“As autumn approaches, hunger strikes⋯⋯ my apologies.”

“To scold us for eating, it’s utterly heartbreaking and sorrowful. Are you going to take away the last pleasure of these old ones?”

“Just eat quietly. If I get caught, it’s the end for you too. You know that, right? Without this book, you’re dead!”

Veins throbbed in the noble’s eyes.

Slowly. A mirage-like red aura seeped from the evil book, swirling into the noble’s body. Seeing this, the two old monsters promptly bowed their heads.

They couldn’t let the noble catch them smiling.

His temperament was becoming increasingly violent, and his once clear intelligence was gradually clouding over. Influenced by the bloodlust that had penetrated to the marrow, he was slowly falling into depravity.

Thus, the one who initially advised surviving on the blood of pigs and chickens.

Now, wasn’t he the one who permitted the taking of human lives without restraint?

“Go, go and make sure to kill without any repercussions this time. Disappear from my sight immediately! I can’t stand the sight of that hideous face!”

“Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, if it’s difficult to face the mirror, I shall step aside. I will follow your orders.”

“Yes, yes, after I fulfill the command, I shall come to see you.”

Whoosh.

Like a candle being snuffed out, the figures of the two elders vanished.

The nobleman, pressing his forehead due to a throbbing headache, suppressed the rising anger for some unknown reason. After managing to force a smile, he left the secret chamber.

The completion of the Demonic Descent Great Method (天魔降神大法) was near. If only he could obtain the blood of his kin, it would be done. Then, once he acquired the power of the demonic…

“…”

Once he became strong, what was it that he wanted to do…?

—

“We must crush the noses of those who scorned the Nangong family!”

“But, isn’t it true that the Nangong family did something to deserve such disdain?”

“Yes, I admit it. But it’s not like we’ve been rampaging around like the Demon Sect, we’ve just been in seclusion, and the storm has passed us by! Everything is blamed on being a collaborator with the Demon Sect…”

Nangong Seung-ah, in the inn’s room, swung her fists wildly as she passionately argued. This was her response when Cheonghwi asked, ‘What will you do once you become strong?’

“What’s even more infuriating is that they’re trying to diminish the achievements of Nangong So. Capturing the Blood Sect, defeating the Demon Sect, they’re questioning whether it’s all been exaggerated or a farce.”

“That would be infuriating… But, you don’t call him ‘brother,’ do you?”

“That person never treated me like family anyway. But still, we’re from the same household… So, Cheonghwi, do you have something you want to do once you become strong?”

“Hmm.”

Realizing that strength was not important for pursuing one’s own will, he thought about returning to his clan to meet his elder brother.

Only then would he live without regrets.

So, if you ask if there’s a wish that requires strength…

“Ah, there is. I desperately want a kiss.”

“?!?!”

“If I win in the duel, they promised to give me one…”

“What, what shamelessness…!!”

Nangong Seung-ah quickly distanced herself from Cheonghwi. Seeing him flirt with girls, it was clear that this fake Taoist, pretending not to be, was indeed fond of women.

It was just that his love for martial arts balanced it out. But if he were to learn the art of seduction, it might lead to disaster.

Cheonghwi glanced at Nangong Seung-ah, who had run off into the distance, and then at Nangong Myeong, who was sound asleep on the bed, before rising from his seat and saying,

“I’ll go buy some food.”

“If you come back with buckwheat noodles and plum syrup again, expect to be hit with a steel tail.”

“If you swing that tail, I’ll counter with Earth Dragon’s Exit.”

“If you lower your stance with Earth Dragon’s Exit, then spin in the air and strike from above…”

The conversation naturally shifted to a sparring debate. Realizing this could go on for another 30 minutes, Cheonghwi used his trump card.

“My Earth Dragon’s Exit is as swift as lightning; I would have subdued you before you could even spin in the air, so I win.”

“Hey!!”

Cheonghwi closed the door and fled.

Three days had passed since he defeated the Imugi in the underground of Cheon Gyeongho. Nangong Myeong, who had taken the elixir, was still in a deep slumber, showing signs of recovery. It was better to bring him up to an inn room than to leave him in the cold cave.

He pondered how to swim with someone unconscious and asleep.

There was a suggestion to swim up while giving Nangong Myeong mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but that would be awkward no matter how it was done, so he found another way.

He butchered the Imugi’s corpse, salvaging an organ that could serve as an air sac.

In the midst of this, he completely forgot about the inner elixir.

He considered taking Nangong Myeong on a cart back to the Nangong household, but decided against it, fearing an attack en route could be truly dangerous.

Thus, he had to stay in Jebuseong until the other woke up.

For protection, they rented just one room. The innkeeper gave them a strange look when he heard three people would share one room, but it wasn’t the time to care about others’ stares.

“Sharing one room for three days straight, you must be quite vigorous. Is your wife’s back alright?”

“Mind your own business!”

He had heard such remarks from the jovial innkeeper, but it wasn’t the time to worry about such things!

Distracting himself could be disastrous if an assassin were to strike.

Cheonghwi tucked his money pouch inside his clothes and glanced around the street. He planned to enter a pleasing tavern and take out some dishes.

Originally, he intended to order buckwheat noodles with plum syrup, but Nangong Seung-ah, tired of having it three times in a row, had firmly warned him, so he had to choose something different today.

“…Dumplings?”

Dumplings.

As he peeked into a tavern with a delicious aroma, he saw steam billowing from the steamer. His mouth watered. This would surely satisfy Nangong Seung-ah.

When Cheonghwi raised his hand to call the waiter, the waiter tensed up, fearing the foreigner might speak in a barbaric tongue, but Cheonghwi spoke fluently in the central plains language.

“Ten dumplings, please. It’s to go, so no need for side dishes.”

“We’re short on dishes…”

“I’ve brought my own bag for the dumplings, so don’t worry.”

“Excuse me, it will take a little time. There’s an order ahead of you…”

Jeomsoi glanced over.

A man with a deeply pressed straw hat was sitting cross-legged, sipping green tea while waiting. But his lower face seemed so familiar that Cheonghwi twitched his eyebrows.

It was a goatee he felt he had seen somewhere before.

“…”

“…”

Thud. Thud.

As Cheonghwi approached, the middle-aged man in the straw hat flinched. If you looked closely, you could see a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

“Excuse me, sir. Do we perhaps know each other?”

“What, what are you talking about, no, sir. I, I’ve never seen you before…”

“Lift the hat for a second.”

“I, I have a scar on my face…”

Swish-!

The middle-aged man grabbed a sandbag from his bosom and flung it at Cheonghwi’s face, then knocked over a chair and scampered away.

Cheonghwi, who had been on guard, crouched down as soon as the man attempted to throw something, and the sandbag flew in a parabola, hitting the dumpling steamer directly.

“aaah!!”

The dumplings turned into desert dumplings, and amidst the chef’s screams, Cheonghwi chased after the middle-aged man on all fours.

There was no better technique for instant acceleration.

That man, he was definitely the fake Taoist invited by the Nangong family!

Crash!

After the fugitive and the pursuer vanished from the inn like a whirlwind, Jeomsoi stood still, stunned, looking at the chaos inside.

Soon, when the innkeeper arrives, he would have to explain how this mess happened.

‘When the middle-aged man in the straw hat scattered sand, ruining the dumplings, a well-dressed man chased after him on all fours like a dog, breaking a few chairs’… Would he believe such a story?

He would have to believe it…!

—

After about three minutes of pursuit, Cheonghwi toppled the fake Taoist and took the mount position. Then the fake Taoist clenched his eyes shut and immediately declared surrender.

“I, I surrender! I surrender! I, I was just told to do it! I am not guilty!”

“Even though I haven’t hit you yet… Can’t you just take a few hits and spill it?”

“Ugh! Ughhh!”

“Why are you already whining when I haven’t even hit you…”

In his face, I called him a swindler and picked a petty quarrel at the banquet. I intended to repay that grudge, but seeing him tremble like a frightened chick was pitiful.

Cheonghwi relaxed his fist and asked,

“Who are you?”

“…I, I am. Over there, I’m Kim Seo-pyeong, who wanders the world performing plays.”

“…Plays?”

“Yes, yes. I’m not a Taoist but a poor commoner who earns his living by acting… I’m not a martial artist, so please show mercy!”

Not a Taoist, but an actor. Didn’t Nangong invite him?

Cheonghwi calmly extracted information.

“How did you come to be at the Nangong household?”

“What would a fake Taoist do at a banquet? I was summoned to say auspicious things like ‘The heavens are aligned thus, and all will go well, and fortune will come’!”

“And the reason for slandering me?”

“That was, well… the employer’s orders. They said, ‘Do we need two Taoists? If you don’t drive that guy out, you won’t get a penny, so pick a fight however you can.’ So, I hastily did as told!”

“It was clumsy. You were short on time.”

Then, who employed you?

Cheonghwi pondered whether to voice that question for a long while. In the end, he decided to keep his mouth shut. He chose to leave it as a strong suspicion.

However, he checked one more thing.

“…Did they tell you to read a prophecy that ‘Nangong Myeong must not become the head of the family’?”

“……..”

“That’s enough. No need to say more… Let’s settle this grudge here.”

It was a ploy to frame him as a minion of the evil sect. Things turned out well, but had they gone awry, he could have faced severe torture or death.

But taking a life was not to Cheonghwi’s liking, so instead, he decided to take the man’s hair.

“Selvier said that the Red Magic Tower has an unusually high number of bald people. He said it’s all because of the heat. Scalp heat could be one of the causes of hair loss.”

“What, what…”

“And the magic contained in this scroll is precisely ‘Hair Loss Acceleration.’ It’s said to warm the scalp, and if there’s someone you want to curse, use this.”

“No, no, not that!!”

Ssshhrrrkk!

As the scroll tore, mystical magic power settled into the fake Taoist’s scalp. Cheonghwi stood up with a relieved face and left the place.

“It’s witchcraft, terrible witchcraft…!!”

Only the fake Taoist’s cry of having barely saved his life remained in the back alley.

—

“Have you eaten?”

“Ah.”

“…Steel Tail Strike!”

“Aack!”

Cheonghwi was hit by the tail.