A man was gazing up at the darkened sky.

At first glance, it looked like the night sky, but it was actually just past noon, broad daylight. That alone was enough to tell him that the sky was anything but normal.

As he stared blankly at that sky, a heavy thudding sound echoed in his ears.

Boom! Boom!

The sound, seemingly from somewhere nearby, reverberated around him. Just as he started to wonder what it was, he felt it—a presence approaching from the distance.

Sensing the weight of the presence, he turned his gaze in the direction of the sound.

There, he saw it.

Crack!

Someone was approaching, dragging a creature the size of a small hill with one hand. The beast was already dead, with its body torn and punctured, its bones poking out from beneath its skin. Whatever had done this was clear without needing further thought.

The man’s gaze shifted to the figure dragging the beast.

A man with dark green hair and a crooked grin. His massive physique and blood-stained jaw matched the madness in his eyes disturbingly well.

This man was known in the central plains as the "Green King." As the man watched the Green King approach, he asked,

"[Tang Daizhu, what are you doing?]"

"[Ah, Daizhu. It’s been a while.]"

The Green King responded with a smirk, to which the man frowned.

"[This is a gift. A beast that kept causing trouble—I thought you might like to take a look.]"

The man waved his hand dismissively.

Fwoosh!

The beast the Green King was holding burst into black flames, engulfing it instantly.

"[Tch.]"

The Green King clicked his tongue and extended his fist toward the flaming creature.

Boom! Crunch! Fwoom!

The force from his punch obliterated the beast entirely, leaving only ashes behind. It was a formidable display of sheer power.

"[I brought this all the way here, and this is how you repay my effort.]"

"[Get to the point.]"

"[Heh… Always the boring one, aren’t you.]"

Despite the Green King's words, the man showed no reaction. He merely stared at him with calm, violet eyes.

As the Green King continued to speak, the man’s gaze grew colder.

"[Did you hear that Cheonlah Heukmangdae was annihilated?]"

A flicker of emotion appeared in the man’s eyes at the Green King's statement.

He already knew. The Cheonlah Heukmangdae, a unit under Cheonma, had been destroyed in a single blow.

"[All of that by a single man, no less.]"

The one they called the "Blade Emperor" of the Peng family—Peng Woo-jin.

"[Isn’t it curious? I never thought that old man would lose to someone like that.]"

"[What are you trying to say, Tang Daizhu?]"

"[Nothing, just curious is all.]"

The Green King kept chuckling, but his laughter only seemed to irk the man further.

"[I wonder if it would have been possible without some help.]"

The man tilted his head, but before he could reply, the sky, which had been darkened, suddenly began to rumble. A vortex of black heat started swirling, as if something was boiling.

"[What are you insinuating?]"

"[Who knows.]"

"[Are you suggesting that I had a hand in the death of Pilduma, Daizhu of the Cheonlah Heukmangdae?]"

The Green King's comment implied that the man might have been involved in Pilduma’s death at Peng Woo-jin’s hands.

"[Not necessarily, but… Do you feel guilty?]"

"[…How amusing.]"

A crackling sound emanated from the man’s body, as the Green King’s eyes gleamed with madness.

"[Green King.]"

"[Speak.]"

"[I hear you’ve been saying you covet my position. Is it true?]"

The Green King's grin widened.

"[Who’s been running their mouth about that?]"

That was as good as a confession. The Green King coveted his position, and the man let out a shallow sigh.

"[The lord has been warning you not to engage in frivolous acts, yet here you are, blinded by petty ambition.]"

Under Cheonma's direct control were four divisions in total. The Green King was in charge of one of them, meaning he held a significant position within the Demonic Sect. However, he was unsatisfied.

Though the position directly beneath Cheonma, who was his master and the heavens above him, was unreachable, he wanted to rise as close as possible. From his perspective, the man standing before him was an obstacle.

The Demonic Sect had four divisions under Cheonma.

Each of them consisted of elite martial artists, killers capable of striking fear at first glance.

The Green King commanded the Nok Eui Bigyokdae.

Cheonlah Heukmangdae, the Gui Chal Geomdae, and the Nok Eui Bigyokdae, and the final division governed the rest.

The man before him was the leader of this final division, directly beneath the sect leader.

As the man stepped toward the Green King, his presence emanated a scorching heat.

"[So, you covet my position?]"

The Green King perceived the heavy emotion in the man’s deep violet eyes as a severe irritation.

With that stare fixed on the Green King, the man spoke.

"[Someone like you?]"

Hearing that, an aura of menace enveloped the Green King.

Though the Green King stood nearly two heads taller, the man’s presence didn’t waver in the slightest.

They stood face to face, and the man looked down at the Green King.

"[Kneel. Your gaze is far too high.]"

At those words, the Green King swelled his muscles, throwing a punch toward the man as black flames erupted from the man’s body, scattering in all directions.

In the aftermath of this battle, the Green King would lose an eye and become known as the one-eyed king. The southern peak, covered in trees, would be blasted in half, leaving it a barren wasteland.

 

******************

 

Just as I recalled those memories, I finally started to regain some awareness.

...Was it a dream?

Perhaps it was because I thought about that bastard right before falling asleep. I ended up recalling useless memories in my sleep.

It was a memory of the Green King, who was said to be somewhere in Sichuan.

‘Annoying.’

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory, so as soon as I woke up, I felt a vague sense of discomfort. Not quite a nightmare, but definitely not a good dream either.

I couldn’t just lie there forever, so I began to get up. That’s when I heard a faint whisper nearby.

“...Your cheek…”

“Or maybe…”

It was like I was slowly waking up, a hazy feeling. They were saying something, but I couldn’t make out the words. Forcing my ki into my sluggish body, I finally shook myself awake.

“Ugh…”

I rubbed my bleary eyes as I sat up.

There was a startled movement nearby, like someone had been surprised by my sudden rise.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed that the lap I had been lying on had changed owners.

I could have sworn it was Namgung Bi-ah’s lap I was resting on, but now Wi Seol-ah was sitting there.

‘Did she...?’

Come to think of it, did Wi Seol-ah mention coming with me? If she did, I must have forgotten. It didn’t seem like she told me directly.

For some reason, the fatigue wasn’t going away, even though I was running ki through my body. What was going on?

“Gongja-nim...?”

Wi Seol-ah called out to me with a concerned tone as she saw me swaying slightly. My vision was still blurry, but through it all, her brilliant golden eyes were as clear as ever.

“...Hoo.”

“Are you alright...?”

“You...”

Meeting her worried gaze, I asked the question that had been on my mind.

“...Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“...Are you okay with coming along?”

“Oh.”

My sudden question seemed to catch her off guard, and her eyes wavered.

It was an abrupt question to ask right after waking up, after all.

“Ah...”

Wi Seol-ah hesitated for a moment, looking into my eyes, and then gave me a gentle smile.

“I’m fine.”

That smile seemed almost too bright, perhaps an illusion in my half-awake state. But likely, it wasn’t.

“From now on... I’ve decided not to worry about things like that.”

Wi Seol-ah said with a smile, and I was about to respond when—

• If you’re awake, you should come out now. How long do you plan on resting?

The voice in my ear made me frown.

Paejon was calling for me, somehow knowing I’d woken up. Had that old ghost been watching me all along?

• Tsk, tsk. Now that you’re awake, hurry up and get out here. Already so smitten by female company, are we?

• ...I was about to come out anyway.

• Sure you were.

I sighed at Paejon’s mocking tone, lightly patted Wi Seol-ah’s hair, and stepped out of the carriage.

Night had fallen while I slept.

I had meant to take only a short nap, so how did I end up sleeping this long?

If I was going to sleep this much, I should have asked the others to wake me up.

‘...Where is this?’

I looked around with tired eyes.

The first thing I saw was a valley and a gravel field. Most of the carriages had stopped, so it seemed like we planned to camp here for the night.

Looking around wasn’t enough, so I tried to extend my ki to get a better sense of the surroundings, but it felt sluggish, spreading out much slower than usual.

‘What is this? Why is it like this?’

Just as I started to feel uneasy, Paejon’s voice echoed in my ear again.

• Don’t be alarmed. It’s to be expected, in a way.

• Expected?

• Yes, it’s the rebound from being forced into a state of muahjigyeong.

• Oh.

When I had fallen into that trance-like state during training, Paejon had mentioned that the Tu A Pa Cheon Gong had forced me into it.

So this was the backlash he’d talked about.

• I told you before. You accidentally reached a level you weren’t meant to.

It made sense now that I was exhausted, and my ki was out of control.

I glanced around, looking for Paejon, but my ki wasn’t reaching far enough to locate him, so I had to ask directly.

• ...Where are you?

• Head straight into the forest on your left.

I followed his instructions and walked in the direction he mentioned. There was a forest stretching out behind the valley. He must have meant that area.

The darkness was thick, so I lit a small flame on my fingertips to light my way.

But even then, the surroundings seemed unusually dark.

Was this also part of the backlash? Had my vision somehow darkened?

Thinking that, I kept walking and eventually found an open field, where Paejon was standing in the center.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Yes.”

“Heh... Judging by your expression, you must be miserable.”

“...I can manage.”

To be honest, it was tough, but not enough to stop my training.

Forcing myself to focus, I took a steadying breath.

“Your body seems ready, so I think it’s time to move on to the next stage of your training.”

His words made my eyes sharpen. Moving on to the next stage—this meant he was finally going to teach me the first form of the Tu A Pa Cheon Gong.

“I feel you’re ready, so I plan to teach you the first form of the Tu A Pa Cheon Gong. Do you have any objections?”

“None.”

This was what I had been grinding for all this time. If he was finally going to teach me, I would take it. There was no time to rest. Even as we headed for Sichuan, I had to use every moment I had.

“Good. Then—”

Paejon shrugged his shoulders, as if he was going to dive right in without any further explanation.

“Before that, there’s something you need to do.”

“Something I need to do...?”

What could that be?

Just as I was about to question him—

Sshhk—

A chilling sensation washed over me.

Just as I wondered what was happening, my vision suddenly shifted downwards. I saw the ground below.

And it was rushing up toward me fast.

Had I... been decapitated?

The disorienting sensation was about to be followed by my head crashing into the ground when—

“...Hah!”

Suddenly, I snapped back to reality.

I took a shaky breath and clutched my neck. Thankfully, it was still attached.

...Then, what was that sensation just now?

As cold sweat ran down my face, Paejon’s voice cut through the silence.

“I told you before about your biggest problem.”

Not fearing death. That was the issue, wasn’t it?

Not caring if my body broke. I remembered him saying it could be an asset, but it was overdone.

“Originally, I planned to take some time to correct your twisted moves, but a more suitable teacher happened to be nearby.”

“...What do you mean by that?”

“You just experienced death. Are you aware of that?”

“...!”

“You should know. You felt your neck being severed.”

Was that just now Paejon’s doing? Was it some kind of hallucination? Or maybe an illusion?

I couldn’t wrap my head around the situation when someone appeared behind Paejon.

When I saw who it was, I had to catch my breath.

It was the Dark King.

Why was he here?

Paejon, seeing my reaction, continued speaking.

“I hadn’t intended to use this method, but you seem to be more talented than I anticipated, so I couldn’t resist.”

“...Elder?”

“If I’m going to train a disciple, he has to be perfect. After all, you’re Paejon’s disciple.”

“Does this have anything to do with the Dark King being here...?”

“Of course. He’s going to assist with your training.”

The Dark King... helping with my training? That seemed absurd.

I frowned, looking for an explanation from Paejon, but he just smiled and continued.

“You have one task. From moonrise until dawn, you need to catch this guy. Just once.”

As soon as I heard it, I was stunned.

“You mean... the Dark King?”

“Yes, and you’ll continue until you succeed.”

Catch the Dark King? At night?

“It won’t be easy. He’ll be constantly coming for you.”

So he was giving me a chance.

Even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

I had been hoping to start training the Tu A Pa Cheon Gong right away, but now I had to play some bizarre game of tag?

It seemed the Dark King had agreed to this strange task as well.

Of course, he wouldn’t be here otherwise.

This meant I’d be playing tag at my age. With the King of Assassins, no less.

‘And that vision from earlier... what was that about?’

That vision of my neck falling—it had felt too real to be just a hallucination.

Paejon said it was an intended situation.

Could there be more to it?

Just as I kept pondering, Paejon moved slightly and spoke.

“Then good luck. I hope you finish quickly. There’s still much I need to teach you.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I’ve told you everything you need to know. The rest is up to you.”

Was he really going to just leave?

Watching him with a bewildered expression, he turned back to face me.

“Oh, there’s one last important request I forgot to mention.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t crumble.”

“What does that...”

Before I could demand an explanation, I couldn’t get any words out.

Thud—

Something pierced my heart.

“...!”

There was no pain. Just the taste of blood in my mouth, and my consciousness slipping away.

Through it all, I saw the one who had stabbed me.

It was the Dark King, staring down at me with cold eyes.

 

******************

 

Neigh!

Under the light of a crescent moon, a horse charged forward relentlessly through the night, its speed causing the carriage trailing behind it to sway violently.

“Ugh…”

Inside the carriage, a beautiful woman struggled to withstand the jolting ride. She gripped the window frame, covering her mouth with one delicate hand, her complexion so pale it was nearly blue.

Perhaps it was the first time Moyong Heea had been in such a rough carriage. Her stomach churned, and she could barely keep herself together.

“Could… could you slow down… ugh…”

In a pitiful voice, Moyong Heea pleaded, but the carriage only seemed to pick up speed.

‘I’m going to die...!’

Flashes of her life played through her mind, as if she were seeing her final moments. It wouldn’t have surprised her to die right here and now.

In the midst of her despair, instead of old memories, the face of a certain man surfaced in her mind, which she found amusing in a way. With her eyes tightly shut, she mentally reached out to him.

‘...Gongja-nim… it seems this is the end for me.’

As Moyong Heea slowly felt herself slipping away, the driver, her aunt, cheerfully called out from the front.

“Niece! Look out the window. The moon is beautiful tonight!”

“A-Auntie… please… slow down…”

“Hmm? What was that? Go faster? My niece knows how to enjoy life!”

“Oh…”

Maybe it was the request that spurred her on, but the woman at the reins just laughed heartily and drove even faster.

Unable to endure it any longer, Moyong Heea finally lost consciousness, though her aunt remained blissfully unaware, simply spurring the horse on with even more enthusiasm.