Before putting anything into practice, it’s necessary to first test whether it works properly—
unless you’re the kind of person who enjoys watching everything go wrong because of unforeseen variables.

Seo-jun wasn’t one of those lunatics with such bizarre tastes.

So, while in the guise of Cheon Seo-jun, he knocked on the gates of the Namgung Clan’s villa.

“What brings you here?”

The gatekeeper greeted Seo-jun kindly.

For the Namgung Clan, arrogance would’ve been excused and expected, yet their courteous attitude was a testament to their standing as the Great Namgung Clan.

“That brute Pae Jin-gwang is inside, isn’t he?”

“Pardon?”

The gatekeeper’s eyes widened.

A person who casually referred to the Fist King like that couldn’t possibly be an ordinary man.

“I’ll relay your message for now.”

“Tell him to come out here before I beat him to a pulp.”

The gatekeeper, wearing a peculiar expression, gestured to a colleague. The colleague disappeared to deliver the message, and soon Pae Jin-gwang sauntered out, scratching his belly as he approached Seo-jun.

“And who might you be? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun strode boldly into the villa.

“Let’s talk inside.”

The gatekeepers moved to block him, but Pae Jin-gwang waved them off with a smirk.

“Leave him be. Let’s at least hear what he has to say.”

“Yes, sir!”

Pae Jin-gwang followed behind Seo-jun.

Seo-jun stopped in the middle of the spacious courtyard.

After surveying his surroundings, Seo-jun snapped his fingers, enveloping the area in a massive energy barrier.

“Oh?”

This wasn’t a skill one could easily pull off.

Pae Jin-gwang grinned, baring his teeth as he looked at Seo-jun.

“So, what is it? This isn’t my house, so don’t expect any hospitality.”

“Fist King.”

“What now?”

“Thousand Demon Sovereign, Ten Thousand Submission!”

With a shout, demonic energy erupted from Seo-jun’s entire body.

Its volume and density were extraordinary. The thick, pure aura of the energy made it clear he was a top-tier demonic master.

“What the…! This lunatic…!”

Pae Jin-gwang couldn’t help but be shocked.

No matter how deranged some demonic practitioners were, who would willingly crawl into a certain death trap?

The Yongbong Gathering was teeming with Supreme Masters. On top of that, they were within Shaolin’s territory, with the abbot on constant standby.

Attempting an assassination here would only result in a meaningless death unless one could kill in a single strike and escape instantly.

However, despite his shock, Pae Jin-gwang reacted immediately. His muscles tensed and released repeatedly, forming a perfect stance. His fist shot forward like a bowstring releasing an arrow.

Boom!

The punch tore through the air, distorting space as it flew toward Seo-jun.

Seo-jun smirked.

“How pathetic.”

He threw a punch to meet it head-on.

The rotation of his foot flowed through his waist and shoulders, transferring power into his fist. The demonic energy surged through his arm, amplified by the combined power of the Strength Demon Fist Technique and Soul-Reaping Power.

KABOOM—!!!

When their fists collided, the shockwaves rippled through the air, distorting space itself.

As space and time trembled, Pae Jin-gwang’s eyes widened.

“You…! How do you know the Strength Demon… wait, hold on.”

He broke off mid-sentence, deep in thought. His face twisted in realization.

The only people who knew the Strength Demon Fist Technique were himself and Lee Seo-jun. Hadn’t that guy recently been asking about the Reverse Technique?

It dawned on Pae Jin-gwang.

Ah, this bastard is Lee Seo-jun!

“Unbelievable… Fine, I’ll admit it. When it comes to insanity, you’re the best in the world!”

Pae Jin-gwang slapped his forehead in exasperation.

Seo-jun burst out laughing as he dissolved the Reverse Technique.

“Come on, I just wanted to see if it was noticeable or not.”

“It wasn’t at all, so don’t ever do that again. You lunatic. My heart nearly gave out.”

“Oh, for a man of muscles, you’re surprisingly faint-hearted.”

“…Come here, you punk.”

Pae Jin-gwang approached with long strides, making Seo-jun flinch and subtly step back.

“H-hey, let’s not do this. It’s awkward.”

“Tsk…”

Scratching his head, Pae Jin-gwang scanned the surroundings.

The aftermath of their clash was significant, but thankfully, Seo-jun’s barrier held firm, preventing the situation from escalating.

In other words, no one else had discovered the Reverse Technique.

“I can’t be the only one to suffer through this.”

“Excuse me?”

Pae Jin-gwang grinned mischievously.

“Let’s try it on someone else.”

“Oh…”

This could be fun.

Seo-jun nodded enthusiastically.

*

The next target was decided.

Leaving Chun-bong out of such a prank would have been downright disrespectful.

Just imagining her reaction made Seo-jun’s grin widen in anticipation.

“Here I go, old man.”

“Good. Do it just like you did with me.”

“Of course.”

Seo-jun, still wearing the guise of Cheon Seo-jun, flashed a devilish grin. Pae Jin-gwang gave him an approving thumbs-up before stepping into the shadows to observe.

Soon, Seo-jun stood outside Chun-bong’s door. Her presence was unmistakable inside the room.

He waited, timing his move.

One… two… three—now.

Bang!

Cheon Seo-jun kicked the door open.

“You there, girl! Where is Jin Gi-jaecheon?”

Inside, Chun-bong’s eyes went wide with surprise.

Even Seo-jun felt a chill at the sound of his own voice.

It was a tone so unlike his usual self that identifying him seemed nearly impossible.

His heart pounded with excitement.

Thump, thump.

How would she react?

Chun-bong’s lips began to move, and Seo-jun, keenly watching, immediately picked up her words.

“What are you doing? And where did you learn the Reverse Technique?”

“…Tch. So, she’s just crazy, huh?”

“What did you just say, you bastard?”

Chun-bong shot up from her seat and leaped at him.

Smack!

A direct flying dropkick.

Seo-jun was sent sprawling across the floor, rolling from the impact.

“Ow…!”

Lying on the ground, Seo-jun cautiously lifted his head.

“…Wait, how did you know?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Anyone can tell it’s you from the way you act.”

Seo-jun turned to glare at Pae Jin-gwang, still hidden nearby.

“Hey! She says it’s obvious!”

“Tsk… That’s impossible. Your Reverse Technique is nearly flawless.”

Emerging from the bushes, Pae Jin-gwang scratched his head in confusion.

Seo-jun muttered to himself as he stood up and dusted off his clothes.

“Flawless, my ass. Chun-bong figured it out right away.”

“You, old man, your observation skills are just pathetic.”

“No, I’m telling you, it’s perfect!”

Pae Jin-gwang protested earnestly, visibly upset.

Seo-jun’s Reverse Technique truly was a masterpiece.

Usually, flaws in such techniques were exposed when internal energy fluctuated or leaked outward, but Seo-jun showed no such signs.

“Let’s test it on a few more people.”

And so, the experiments continued.

The results?

No one else—neither Namgung Hyuk, Jang Geuk, Namgung Myung, nor even Namgung Su-a—was able to recognize Seo-jun.

“What the heck.”

Seo-jun gave Chun-bong an odd look, to which she lifted her chin smugly.

“I’ve been watching you for years. Of course I’d recognize you.”

It seemed Chun-bong had some sort of radar specifically for Seo-jun.

Seo-jun picked her up and twirled her around in excitement.

“Our Chun-bong is amazing!”

“Hmm, yes, I know.”

“Chun-bongie!”

“What?”

“Doot-da-dah!”

“Wooh-tah-dah!”

Watching this bizarre exchange, Pae Jin-gwang sighed deeply.

“Hmph. The future of the martial world looks bleak.”

A future where this guy became the best under the heavens?

Pae Jin-gwang couldn’t even imagine such a scenario without his brain rebelling against the thought.

*

The Yongbong Gathering wasn’t merely about martial competition.

After all, it was rare for representatives of the Sixteen Prestigious Clans to gather in one place. (Though smaller gatherings between certain factions were not uncommon.)

Naturally, the Yongbong Gathering served as both a martial arts tournament and a place for networking.

Namgung Myung, attending such an event, busied himself with greeting acquaintances and making new connections.

‘Socializing is important.’

The Namgung Clan, by tradition, paid little attention to such matters, prioritizing the sword above all else.

The belief was simple: if one reached the pinnacle of the martial world through the sword, social skills were unnecessary.

In that sense, Namgung Myung was an anomaly within his clan.

Wouldn’t it be easier to share the burden with allies rather than shoulder everything alone?

With that belief, he actively sought to build relationships.

And his naturally affable personality made the task effortless.

“How have you been, Lady Hwangbo? It feels like it’s been almost two years.”

“Oh, um… Namgung Myung…”

Hwangbo Hye-ji blushed and smiled demurely.

As Namgung Myung conversed with her, he glanced around at the steadily growing crowd.

‘There are more people than I expected.’

Seeing unfamiliar faces, it was clear something significant had drawn them here.

Namgung Myung had his suspicions.

‘It must be because of my brother.’

A Supreme Master making a dazzling first appearance.

No doubt, many were here to learn more about him.

And there was another topic of interest: the revival of the Gold Sword Clan.

Unsurprisingly, most of the conversations he overheard revolved around those two subjects.

“Surely, he must be a senior from the Gold Sword Clan?”

“I heard he’s a senior from the Namgung Clan. Apparently, he’s one of their elders.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Namgung folks are always so bold.”

“Still, isn’t the Gold Sword Clan’s successor supposed to be his disciple?”

“I wouldn’t know. Why don’t you ask Namgung Myung?”

“I already did.”

“And?”

“He said he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to share such information.”

Hearing this, Namgung Myung snapped back to attention, noticing Hwangbo Hye-ji fidgeting nervously.

When their eyes met, she smiled shyly and asked, “So, Namgung Myung, how have you been lately?”

“I’ve been focused on my training.”

“Oh…! I saw your sparring match! Your progress is remarkable…”

“Ha ha, thank you. And it seems you’ve made some progress yourself.”

“Well, yes… Though my mother still thinks I’m lacking…”

At her words, Namgung Myung smiled faintly.

“She’s still as strict as ever, I see.”

“No… It’s just that I’m not living up to her expectations…”

“If Lady Hwangbo’s achievements are considered lacking, there can’t be many in the martial world who’d meet that standard.”

It wasn’t flattery.

Hwangbo Hye-ji’s progress was genuinely impressive, surpassing not only her peers but the average among the Sixteen Prestigious Clans.

While he felt her mother’s standards were overly harsh, it wasn’t his place to comment on another family’s affairs.

Hwangbo Hye-ji smiled warmly at his comforting words.

“Thank you… even if it’s just words.”

_________


 

“So, they’ve been talking about me a lot?”
“Yes, Brother. It seems the impression you left was quite powerful.”

Namgung Myung gave a faint smile.

Seo-jun scratched his head as he looked at him.

“So, what? They just gathered around and talked about me?”
“Well, a lot has been happening. There was even a big fight at one point.”
“A fight? Why?”
“What do you expect when a group of young people gathers together?”
“Ah, a love quarrel?”

When Namgung Myung nodded, Seo-jun burst into laughter.

“Ah, youth. Good times.”
“…Most of them are older than you, Brother.”
“Ah, Myung. You can’t compare me to those so-called top-tier masters.”

Namgung Myung gave a strained smile, unsure how to respond.

Seo-jun, alongside Namgung Myung, entered Shaolin Temple once more.

What was there to say? Of course, it was for another meeting.

‘I already want to go home.’

He had absolutely no desire to attend, but he didn’t have much of a choice.

Didn’t the Abbot of Shaolin once say that martial artists communicate through martial arts?

Maybe this was a roundabout way of suggesting a sparring session with the Great General.

If he got the chance to beat that guy to a pulp in front of a crowd, there could be no greater joy.

Well, whatever. For now, he’d just attend the meeting and listen.

If he didn’t like what he heard, he could always complain afterward.

Whether the one lodging the complaint would be Lee Seo-jun or Baek Seo-jun, however, was anyone’s guess.