Seo-jun and Jang Geuk swiftly moved through Shanxi, covering ground as quickly as they could. However, as they were heading into battle, they couldn’t afford to exhaust themselves. So, as night fell, they prepared to set up camp.

Former bandit Jang Geuk quickly got everything ready, letting Seo-jun sit back and relax.

Crackling sounds filled the air as rabbit meat cooked over the campfire, its savory smell enticing. Jang Geuk, smiling broadly, handed a piece to Seo-jun.

“Meat tastes better when you’re camping out,” he remarked.

“Hell yeah!”

Seo-jun took a bite. The meat was bland, with a slightly gamey taste. He searched his pockets for salt, but there was none to be found. With no other choice, he chewed and swallowed the flavorless meat, causing Jang Geuk to burst into laughter.

“Not to your taste, my lord?”

“Lacks seasoning. And the meat isn’t evenly cooked.”

“Seasoning? Evenly?”

“No, it’s just... I grew up a bit pampered.”

“Is that so?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Seo-jun glared at Jang Geuk, who quickly waved his hands in defense.

“It’s just that anyone who saw you that day wouldn’t think so. Remember? When your arm sprouted back and you tore it off again… Still gives me chills.”

“Yes, yes. Truth is, I’m from the back alleys.”

Jang Geuk scratched his head, his eyes widening.

“And now you’re the son-in-law of the Namgung family... Incredible.”

“That’s thanks to Chun-bong.”

“I’ve heard plenty about Chun-bong, but never had the pleasure of meeting them.”

“Try anything funny, and you’ll get your head bashed in. Not a joke.”

“Oh, it doesn’t sound like one…”

“But I’d give you some leeway. After all, Chun-bong is famous, known as the ‘Unrivaled Ghost’...”

After an hour of Seo-jun singing Chun-bong’s praises, Jang Geuk awkwardly shifted the conversation.

“By the way, there’s something I was curious about with the Giant Spirit Technique.”

“Curious? It’s not that hard a technique.”

Jang Geuk’s face soured.

“Don’t measure the world by your standards, my lord. I’ve been called talented all my life, but next to you, I feel like a dumb kid.”

“Well, Chun-bong did say I have supreme talent...”

An hour later, Jang Geuk rolled his eyes again, listening to Seo-jun’s praise of Chun-bong.

‘What kind of person is this Chun-bong to have the lord so bewitched? Could it be some sort of sorcery?’

Jang Geuk, entertaining thoughts that would get his head bashed in, stood up. His mind still tingling from the latest lessons on the Giant Spirit Technique.

“Are you keeping watch again?”

“As a subordinate, I can’t let my lord do that.”

“I’m fine with it.”

“Haha! It’s no trouble for me to go a few nights without sleep.”

Seo-jun chuckled at his enthusiasm, laying down and spreading his coat. His eyes soon drifted toward the darkened night sky.

Suddenly, black-draped assassins emerged, knives gleaming. Jang Geuk stepped in front of Seo-jun, brandishing his blade.

Clang!

Sparks flew. Jang Geuk scowled and shouted.

“Come out, you worms!”

The forest trembled at the shout of a martial arts master. Birds scattered, and a gust of wind carried the sounds of rustling.

Snap!

Jang Geuk grabbed an arrow, finding a paper tied to its end.

“What’s this…?”

Unable to read, Jang Geuk handed the paper to Seo-jun with an embarrassed scratch of his head.

“Let me see.”

Seo-jun glanced at the note, still reclining.

“Well… It says to watch our necks. They call themselves the Black Lotus Sect. How polite.”

“I’ll go kill them all.”

“Thanks, have fun.”

Jang Geuk disappeared into the woods like a tiger on the prowl.

Seo-jun watched the flames and pondered.

‘This is tricky.’

His senses were highly attuned to the flow of energy, but the assassins’ movements were subtle, and he had only detected them at the last moment. Although he’d had enough time to react, it made him wonder about the skills of a truly elite assassin.

“Alright.”

An idea sparked in his mind. Seo-jun sat up, crossing his legs. He thought about the Sovereign Sword Form, imagining the viewpoint of a king looking down from the sky. That might cover everything.

He hadn’t yet mastered the Sovereign Sword Form, but he was proficient enough to integrate parts of it into his own martial arts.

He felt his body lift lightly as he harnessed his internal energy. A blue aura flickered around his half-closed eyes. He visualized the Sovereign’s gaze, and the Giant Spirit Technique merged with his spirit, bestowing a massive surge of power.

‘Overlooking the world, a sovereign ruling over all creation.’

He extended his energy, embodying the kingly form from the Sovereign Sword Form. Everything within his reach was clear, almost tangible.

It felt like another breakthrough.

‘To truly wield the Sovereign Sword Form, I’ll need to reach the Harmonious Stage.’

But even without full mastery, it wasn’t useless.

Assassins crept forward again. From above, Seo-jun’s awareness seized upon them.

‘Cease your movement.’

The assassins froze, surprise evident on their faces despite their trained stoicism. Seo-jun slowly waved his hand.

Whoosh!

A wave of blood splattered as assassins turned into mere sprays of blood. The few who survived and hid were quickly targeted.

Bang!

Energy bullets struck true, piercing through skulls.

The remaining assassins, few in number, were rooted in place. Seo-jun stood, drawing his sword and raising it high like a general commanding his army. Those who tried to flee were paralyzed, their leader’s gaze filled with fear as he saw Seo-jun as an unstoppable sovereign.

Realizing the hopelessness, he sneered at the thought of being taught a lesson by such a man.

At once, the world turned blue.

Seo-jun, breathing heavily, looked upon the devastation he’d caused. A scorched earth lay before him, the remnants of a once-verdant forest.

“Is this what father-in-law calls a basic attack?”

Ridiculous. This level of power would be enough to be called the best in the world.

He shook his head, gathering his belongings and finding a new spot to rest on the now-level ground.

•  

Jang Geuk returned from chasing the assassins.

“Missed a few.”

Seo-jun waved off his apology.

“That’s natural. They’re assassins specialized in hiding and escaping. The fact you only missed a few is impressive.”

Jang Geuk chuckled awkwardly.

Anyone who had seen the flattened, burnt forest would react the same.

Watching Seo-jun incinerate the field from afar, he’d felt pride and fear that such a man was his lord.

“Let’s rest well tonight and resume tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Jang Geuk saluted, bowing his head.

•  

Seo-jun shook his head at the nightly visitors.

‘How did they know I left the Namgung family?’

Strange. Only members of the Namgung family or the Murim Alliance should have that information. Maybe it leaked from a town they passed through, but that seemed unlikely.

‘Murim Alliance, perhaps? They’re suspicious.’

Seo-jun shrugged it off, discussing the assassins with Jang Geuk.

“Why send so many men?”

“Well, there are plenty of people in Zhongyuan.”

“True.”

He mused that Zhongyuan, vast and populated, could raise a hundred thousand-strong army without trouble. Even a million-strong army wouldn’t be strange here.

Seo-jun clicked his tongue and quickened his pace.

He’d never fought in a war, but he was beginning to feel its ominous atmosphere. Nearing Daedong, the heavy tension was palpable.

In the village, he saw burned buildings and confronted marauders, cutting down three groups already. Standing atop a hill, he gazed over a plain strewn with corpses.

Disgusted by the stench of death, he gathered fire in his hands.

He sent a ball of flame over the plain, reducing the bodies to ashes.

Watching the last remnants disappear, he sighed.

“What could they hope to gain from this?”

Seo-jun’s mind was heavy with the senselessness of war. He turned his steps towards the next destination.

“Let’s go ask them ourselves.”

So many lives reduced to ashes, their desires unfulfilled, victims of others’ greed. War may bring no comfort to the dead, but even less so to the living.

He moved forward, footsteps weighed down by grim thoughts.