Bang!
Crash!
Hwangbo Cheok's body rolled violently across the floor, smashing all the surrounding furniture to pieces.
"Kkeugh...!"
When a massive body nearly eight cheok tall rolls helplessly on the ground.
The damage was no laughing matter.
Amidst the rolling, Hwangbo Cheok clutched his previously injured arm and let out a groan.
The arm he had injured in his fight with Guyangcheon last time had not yet properly healed.
"Heo-eup... Heok..."
Leaving Hwangbo Cheok gasping in pain behind him.
Guyangcheon grabbed one of the scattered chairs and sat down.
He crossed his legs casually and looked down at Hwangbo Cheok.
Hwangbo Cheok met Guyangcheon's gaze with trembling eyes.
"...How did you..."
"Is it strange that I'm here?"
The tilting of his head suited him perfectly.
Combined with the condescending gaze, the aura he exuded was of an entirely different class.
Hwangbo Cheok had to clench his teeth hard. It was because he instinctively felt himself avoiding that gaze.
How on earth did this guy find this place?
How?
Clang.
Beside Hwangbo Cheok, who was brimming with doubts.
Something dropped with a ttak and rolled over.
Seeing what the object was, Hwangbo Cheok had to suck in a breath.
'What on earth... How is this in his hands?'
The object was none other than the Hwangbo Family's seal.
It was slightly scorched, making it a bit different from its original appearance.
But it was definitely the Hwangbo Family's seal.
"Is it a familiar object?"
At Guyangcheon's casually thrown words, Hwangbo Cheok's back shivered.
But somehow, he had to try to manage his expression.
"...I don't know what you mean. How are you in possession of this?"
"You don't know what it is?"
"It's the seal of the Hwangbo Sect. I know it well."
"Yeah, the guy who brought the gift you sent me yesterday had it on him."
At Guyangcheon's words, cold sweat gathered damply on Hwangbo Cheok's back.
Those words meant...
'Did the Sixth Elder... get done in?'
For a moment, he thought the Sixth Elder might have been persuaded or tricked.
But he immediately corrected his thoughts.
'...The Sixth Elder is a martial artist who reached the Hwagyeong realm, isn't he?'
Even if he reached the Hwagyeong realm in his later years.
And he was given the Elder position as a reward for his efforts.
He had been active in the Central Plains under the Hwangbo Family's name for decades.
He was a martial artist who survived and endured in the darkest underworld of the Central Plains.
A martial artist who reached the Hwagyeong realm despite living the life of an assassin, where raising one's realm was notoriously difficult.
How could that happen?
Hwangbo Cheok slowly met Guyangcheon's gaze.
But he had to avert his eyes immediately.
When he faced the crimson glare peeking through that shadowed face.
An unknown fear surged up to his throat.
What on earth is this guy?
How does such a young bastard exude this kind of aura?
His mind went blank.
As he struggled to calm his trembling pupils.
Guyangcheon opened his mouth towards Hwangbo Cheok.
"I didn't think we were close enough to be exchanging gifts."
A voice that felt like it was stamping down on him.
In the ambiguous voice between a boy and a youth.
Thick killing intent oozed beneath the facade of calm and indifference.
This wasn't something he was deliberately emitting.
Hwangbo Cheok could tell it was an aura he possessed from the very beginning.
Struggling to ignore that gaze.
He moved his trembling Adam's apple.
"...I don't... know what you're talking about..."
"Tsk."
As Hwangbo Cheok feigned ignorance, Guyangcheon clicked his tongue shortly.
Smack!
"Kkeugh!"
Struck by the flying kick that followed, Hwangbo Cheok rolled across the floor once more, unable to dodge.
He hurriedly tried to get up, but.
Thud!
"Keok!"
Guyangcheon stomped on his chest, pinning Hwangbo Cheok's body down.
'...My inner qi... won't move?'
He instinctively tried to draw out his inner qi to resist.
But for some reason, his dantian was as hard as a rock, stiff and refusing to budge.
Did he block all the inner qi flowing through his body in just that short movement?
"Is it a characteristic of you bastards to play dumb at the drop of a hat? Why do you keep doing useless things."
"Kkeu-eugh..."
"Anyway, there's not a single normal bastard in these prestigious families. How do they all get more rotten as they go?"
It was a tone of voice that didn't even realize he himself was from a prestigious family.
Crrrrunch.
"Kkeureup...!"
With the pressure of the foot growing stronger, it felt like his chest would shatter.
Amidst the excruciating pain, Hwangbo Cheok looked past the barracks.
While Guyangcheon had been sneaking in here.
Despite the considerable amount of noise they were making.
No one was coming near the barracks.
'Is it a qi barrier...?'
It was highly likely he had deployed a qi barrier around the area to prevent the sound from escaping.
If not that.
'...He killed them all.'
He doubted he would go that far, but.
Judging by the look in his eyes and his aura, it was hard to be certain he hadn't.
To think he could emit such thick killing intent.
"Why did you do it?"
Guyangcheon asked.
It wasn't a question or a confirmation.
It was a question filled with certainty.
'Did the Sixth Elder really die?'
Did this guy really kill a martial artist at the Hwagyeong level?
While Hwangbo Cheok couldn't utter a single word.
Guyangcheon looked at him and continued speaking.
"It's not like this is the first or second time I've experienced something like this. But experiencing it again after a long time is a bit annoying." Tsk.
"Look at your face? What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"...How... can I make you spare my life?"
At Hwangbo Cheok's words, Guyangcheon's eyes widened slightly.
And a smile formed on his lips.
"You're not as stupid as I thought, huh?"
It was a face of satisfaction.
The malice contained in that smile felt so vivid that it felt like his airway was being choked.
What on earth.
'What on earth is this guy I'm facing?'
His mind, which had gone completely blank, was now gradually dyed black.
It goes without saying that the reason for this was fear.
Swoosh.
The foot stomping on his chest was lifted.
Only then could Hwangbo Cheok take a ragged breath.
"Keoheok... Heo-eok..."
As he finally exhaled and looked around.
Guyangcheon was sitting in the chair again.
"You don't seem as stupid as I thought, so why did you mess with me?"
"...Because you messed with this Hwangbo first."
"Listening to you talk now, it seems like you really are stupid."
"Do you... know who you're messing with right now?"
At Hwangbo Cheok's words, Guyangcheon let out a small scoff.
"You bastard. Then did you know who I was when you messed with me?"
Tsk.
"This is why you shouldn't have conversations with guys whose brains seem to be filled with muscle. Even I feel like my brain is rotting just listening to you."
Along with Guyangcheon's sigh, the inside of the barracks began to be crushed by a heavy aura.
Guyangcheon remained seated.
And Hwangbo Cheok tried to barely raise his body.
But the aura pressing down on him forced him to his knees.
How heavy was this aura?
It felt as if the inner qi throughout his entire body was trembling, suppressed by fear.
"Try to persuade me."
At the coldly piercing voice.
Hwangbo Cheok took a deep breath.
"As you said. I intend to kill you."
The killing intent contained in his voice.
Told him that those words were sincere.
How on earth?
If he kills a blood member of the Hwangbo Family in a place like this, how does he plan to resolve the aftermath?
Does that guy not know what will happen next?
Or does he have a way to take responsibility after causing such an incident?
Whatever it was, it was not a good situation for Hwangbo Cheok.
Because regardless, it was certain that his life was in danger.
If he killed the Sixth Elder, it meant that guy was a corresponding master.
If that was really true, it meant he was a monster.
Hwangbo Cheok belatedly realized that he had messed with the wrong person.
But it was already too late.
A drop of cold sweat rolled down his cheek.
Hwangbo Cheok swallowed dry saliva and looked at Guyangcheon.
For some reason, Guyangcheon briefly looked outside the barracks.
But he soon shifted his gaze back to Hwangbo Cheok.
Hwangbo Cheok held onto the hope that maybe someone had come outside.
But it didn't seem like it.
If someone had come from outside.
There was no way Guyangcheon would be reacting so indifferently.
In a situation where he was being driven further and further to the edge of a cliff.
Hwangbo Cheok thought.
'...Me, the next patriarch of the Hwangbo Family? Dying in a place like this?'
Of course, he hadn't yet received the position of Young Patriarch.
But seeing that the current patriarch's health was not good.
He could tell that the day he would take the position was not far off.
He had been counting the days, waiting only for that day.
He couldn't die in such a pathetic place.
"So try to persuade me. So that I might not have to kill you."
"...What do you want?"
"That's for you to figure out now."
Seeing him act like he would at least wait that long.
Hwangbo Cheok had to grit his teeth.
He had to find some other way out.
But he wondered what he could do in this situation.
Just when he thought that if he used all the inner qi in his body and miraculously escaped towards the Murim Alliance, maybe things would be okay.
"Hey."
"...!"
"Roll your petty tricks only that far. If you try to move even slightly, I'll pull your legs out first."
Not breaking them, but pulling them out.
Hwangbo Cheok was also quite foul-mouthed.
But this guy was on a whole other level.
Above all.
He was even more afraid because he could feel that those words were sincere.
"Can't make a decision?"
At those words spat out with a grin, Hwangbo Cheok couldn't say anything.
No, he tried to say something.
But his mouth was forced shut against his will.
'...What is this.'
Around the time his breathing grew ragged from panic.
"I thought I'd give you some options."
Guyangcheon's voice rang out, smiling radiantly.
Only after hearing those words did he realize.
Even though he told him to try and persuade him.
The guy had already decided what he wanted from the very beginning.
"First off, I'll ask."
Hwangbo Cheok regrets.
Himself, who didn't know his place for so long.
And the fact that he had to mess with Guyangcheon of all people.
"Between the Hwangbo Family and your life."
His own blunder in failing to properly recognize the demon before him.
"Which is more precious?"
Hwangbo Cheok would probably regret this until the moment his life ended.
A day passed.
Time became night.
I was walking slowly through the night forest.
The encounter with Hwangbo Cheok required me to use quite a bit of my qi.
So I could still feel fatigue lingering throughout my body.
But at this level, I could replenish it by refilling my inner qi again.
However, that wasn't what was important right now.
'Maybe I should have just killed him.'
Dusting off my hands as I walked back.
I recalled the previous events for a moment.
My original purpose in going there was to kill Hwangbo Cheok.
But I changed my mind halfway.
The reason was simple.
'...It's troublesome if I kill everyone just because I'm pissed off.'
Not only had I felt the killing intent contained within my body growing exceptionally thick lately.
But having also detected a change in my demonic qi.
It was right to somewhat restrain my actions tainted with madness.
'Because I can't live as a demonic practitioner until this life too.'
This was a hard-won opportunity.
If I kept going like this, I'd become a demonic practitioner without even realizing it.
Lately, I had been losing hesitation when it came to killing people.
'Not that I had much to begin with, though.'
This wasn't a story about laws or moral aspects.
If I was the type to care about such things, I wouldn't have done so in my past life.
And I wouldn't have burned people alive now.
I should be weighing the pros and cons and deciding who to kill and who not to kill.
This meant that the part of me acting recklessly, swayed by emotions, had grown thicker.
Looking at the actions Hwangbo Cheok took against me.
It was true that he was a guy I couldn't just leave alone.
But that didn't mean it was clear-cut to just kill him and dispose of him either.
'What happens if Hwangbo Cheok dies?'
There was also the intention to leave him be for the sake of Mukwon's revenge.
But the Hwangbo Family's lifeline wasn't very long.
I already knew that the current Hwangbo Patriarch's health was quite poor.
And because the moment Hwangbo Cheok took the patriarch's seat, their downfall was predetermined.
'In other words, killing Hwangbo Cheok now might actually be better, but...'
At that time, I saw the eyes of the person watching this place through the crack in the barracks' door.
It was Hwangbo Cheol-wi, watching his older brother kneeling before me.
'...Look at that.'
The reason I didn't do anything to Hwangbo Cheol-wi even though I felt his presence.
Was because the look in his eyes as he watched his brother was peculiar.
Hwangbo Cheol-wi watched quietly, and when our eyes met, he left the scene without a word.
I wondered if he might tell someone else.
But from the vibe, it didn't seem like he would.
Rather, he might come looking for me soon.
No, he definitely would.
I faced the rising moonlight and tilted my head.
It was because I felt that the space left by the demonic qi that had left my body was more hollow than I expected.
Before leaving Hwangbo Cheok.
I had placed a restriction on his body and injected demonic qi into it.
The amount of demonic qi injected into Hwangbo Cheok was larger than expected.
This would become a restriction and bind him.
This method wasn't much different from what the Heavenly Demon had done to others in the past.
'This isn't good, seriously.'
Thinking like that, I couldn't help my churning stomach.
It meant that I had become capable of doing.
What the Heavenly Demon used to do.
'...Not that I have that level of power.'
It's not at the level where his heart would explode and he'd die instantly from just speaking wrong.
The Heavenly Demon could make such a thing possible with just a flick of his hand.
But I had to release a massive amount of demonic qi and even place a restriction to make it possible.
'Putting aside how difficult it is... the fact that I can adjust it is the problem.'
Whether I let the demonic qi gnaw away at a martial artist's body.
Or like I did with Hwangbo Cheok, intertwine it with a restriction to limit their actions.
The fact that various methods of manipulating demonic qi had become possible.
That was the biggest problem right now.
I feel uneasy.
How did it come to this.
'Don't tell me. The higher my realm gets, it's evolving or something.'
That might be true.
The stronger my power gets.
If this incomprehensible power also grows stronger.
'That's some real bullshit.'
It meant that I might not even be able to get stronger easily, which was truly a fucking awful thing.
« +1 ”
...Ah.
I let out a tired sigh.
As I went on, not a single thing went the way I wanted, so I felt fucking exhausted.
"Yeah, that's all fine and all."
I spat out gruffly.
The things that happened to me.
I could let that slide.
But what is this situation right now?
This was something I absolutely couldn't understand.
The person next to me reacted to my mumbling.
A fragrant scent, as if she had sprayed something, tickled the tip of my nose.
But at the same time, a shallow coldness brushed past my throat.
Feeling the ticklish sensation, I asked my companion.
...
!....
...
"...Why are you here?"
"Yes?"
"I haven't seen you for days, so why are you suddenly here?"
Things were already complicated enough to kill me.
The black cat walking softly beside me with an expression that knew nothing was getting on my nerves.
The woman spoke to me.
"Didn't you hear?"
"No, I didn't."
"It seems Sir Yeolhyeopgeom didn't deliver the message. I wonder why? He's not the type to do that."
"...You."
At the woman's words, acting as if she had no idea, my face twisted violently.
Today was the day I was handling the last task on the front lines.
And the person I was supposed to go with had already been decided.
I should have already reported to the higher-ups that I'd be taking Gu Jeol-yeop and Mu-yeon with me.
"Ah, it seems there was some problem...!"
Tsk.
"I don't know what Sir Yeolhyeopgeom's circumstances are, but... it can't be helped, so wouldn't it be fine if I took his place?"
Why was this woman speaking so shamelessly?
Meanwhile, where did that bastard Mu-yeon run off to?
Leaving behind the entirely disagreeable situation.
I let out a deep sigh as I looked at the woman, who was smiling brightly as if she found this so enjoyable.
She must have clearly heard my sigh.
But a smile was still plastered on the woman's lips.
"Young Master Gu, if we're any later, the night might pass by. If that's what you're hoping for... I'm fine with that."
...I'm going crazy. Seriously.
Did she lose her mind in the middle of the night?
The woman, no, Moyong Hee-ah, kept spouting nothing but nonsense.
And I had to think about why the situation had come to this.