Woo-woo-woong.
The demonic qi within my body continued to churn without cease.
With it, the pain rose.
My body had been struggling to recover, but now that I was forcing it to draw upon its strength again, it was screaming in agony.
If I made even one wrong move, my recovery would be delayed even further.
But.
There was nothing I could do.
I looked at the old man facing me.
Even while seated, he possessed an imposing build.
Not only was his body huge, but the muscles packed onto it were truly tremendous.
If I had to compare him to someone, he was exactly like the First Elder. His bulk was on par with that old man.
From what I had heard, the Jegal Clan was a place that focused on things other than actual martial strength, such as setting up formations and mechanisms.
Who would have thought his martial prowess would be this high?
‘He feels like he’s far surpassed the Hwagyeong Realm.’
The elder I had killed at Wudang last time.
This old man looked far stronger than him.
He probably wasn’t on the level of the heads of the Nine Sects and One Union or the Four Great Families.
But I could feel a strength comparable to theirs.
‘That man….’
So he was the man surnamed Jegal who had said he would cause trouble in Henan this time.
Looking at the old man, I could only let out a hollow laugh.
I was surprised.
This time, I was genuinely surprised.
If I hadn’t been wearing my mask, he would probably have seen every bit of my expression.
‘Wow.’
Why was I surprised?
Because the old man’s martial prowess was far beyond my expectations? No.
Then was it because a member of the Jegal Clan appeared to be so strong? That wasn’t it either.
The reason was simple.
Because the old man was someone I knew.
I knew him very well, in fact.
I knew this old man extremely well.
‘That old man was a descendant of the Jegal Clan?’
The old man’s true identity was none other than—
The commander of the Cheonra Heukmangdae, a direct unit of the Heavenly Demon that had belonged to the Demonic Cult in my previous life.
‘Pilduma.’
That old man was Pilduma.
Pilduma was a master who wielded a blunt weapon.
I couldn’t remember his name. No, it didn’t matter anyway.
‘It must have been false as well.’
Whatever name he had used, it would have been an alias.
He was now leading the descendants of the fallen Jegal Clan.
His real name was obviously something like Jegal Whatever, so judging from that—
‘He had been using an alias even when he was active as a demonic cultivator.’
That was the most reasonable conclusion.
Moreover.
Seeing that he was now a descendant of the Jegal Clan allowed me to realize one thing.
‘No wonder.’
In the past, the Cheonra Heukmangdae had been both a direct unit of the Heavenly Demon and the unit most frequently handled by Cheon Yulang’a, Jegal Hyeok.
They were the ones who took full responsibility for guarding him whenever something happened to Jegal Hyeok.
It was for that reason that I had targeted the Cheonra Heukmangdae first when I went after Cheon Yulang’a.
I had always thought it strange that Cheon Yulang’a and the Cheonra Heukmangdae were involved in so many matters together.
‘Was it because they were both members of the Jegal family?’
It was only a supposition, but judging from the circumstances, I was half convinced.
‘If that’s true, then not only Jegal Hyeok, but the Heavenly Demon must have known about it as well.’
In any case, it didn’t matter.
I was merely surprised that Pilduma was a member of the Jegal family.
In fact, this was for the best.
The pieces of the story had finally fallen into place.
I hid my expression and spoke to Pilduma.
“Then I’ll call you Commander of the Cheonra.”
“…As you please.”
Thud.
As Pilduma spoke, he set something down in front of me.
It was a wine cup.
“I have no fine liquor with which to entertain a guest.”
I smiled faintly at Pilduma’s words.
He had quite a nerve. Offering liquor to someone who had suddenly barged in.
“I have no particular intention of drinking.”
“I see.”
He didn’t seem particularly concerned by my refusal.
Of course not.
‘That man is too busy probing me right now.’
Though he pretended to be calm, I could feel his gaze.
Pilduma was doing everything he could to figure out what kind of man I was.
Resting my chin on my hand, I calmly met his gaze.
Go ahead and look, if you can.
That was the intention behind my actions.
“…”
Upon realizing this, Pilduma shifted his gaze.
He had quickly understood that it was a meaningless endeavor.
‘Do you know how much this mask is worth?’
It was the strange artifact of the Yeon family that the Demon King had given me.
Unlike all the other worthless strange artifacts, this one was genuinely useful.
Not only did it make it impossible to see beneath the mask even by using internal energy, it also concealed my physical condition and realm.
For someone like me, whose face gave everything away whenever I lied, it was the perfect item.
As we silently exchanged gazes, Pilduma spoke to me first.
“I heard that you entered after disabling the formation. How did you do it?”
He had suddenly asked about the formation.
Well, it was understandable that he would be curious.
The formation spread around the area was obviously no ordinary formation.
It was laid out so subtly that it was there and yet not there.
And even if someone discovered it, it was so complex and intricate that it could not easily be dismantled.
I knew little about formations, but even I could tell that this was an extraordinary one.
It simply—
“It wasn’t bad for a pointless little prank.”
It just wasn’t much of a problem for me.
Ah.
‘Not me, but Seongyul.’
Seongyul had disabled the formation.
No, should I even call it disabling it? He had simply swept his sword through it, and that was the end of it.
In my previous life, several people had to spend a long time dismantling a single formation.
Seeing Seongyul deal with it so easily had made me wonder if it really could be that simple.
‘It was a good thing I brought him.’
Even knowing the location, I had been told that I wouldn’t be able to enter because of the formation.
There had been something amusing about that as well.
When I asked the Divine Physician how he knew the location despite having come here blindfolded, he had answered—
‘He said he had remembered every step he took and figured it out.’
In other words, he had memorized the entire path as he walked back and forth.
I suppose one needed a mind like that to become the greatest physician in the Central Plains.
In any case.
After hearing that, I brought Seongyul with me.
I remembered how he had dismantled a formation with his sword last time.
As expected, Seongyul had disabled this formation with ease.
Watching him, I had let out a hollow laugh.
‘This guy and that guy. Neither of them is likable.’
When I asked him how he had done it, Seongyul answered:
[Somehow, that place didn’t feel right.]
He had said the exact same thing.
It was enough to make my blood boil. This was why geniuses—
‘Come to think of it, there was someone like that in my previous life as well.’
Even Woo Hyeok had destroyed formations while saying things like how he could hear them.
In this life, Namgung Bi-ah would cut through formations while muttering about how they smelled strange or something.
Including Seongyul, all three of them were extraordinary geniuses.
‘Does that mean formations are ultimately a matter of talent as well?’
It was pointless to think about that now.
It was best to accept it and move on.
What mattered now was Pilduma’s reaction after hearing this.
The old man’s gaze was no joke.
Was it because I had dismissed his formation?
‘Of course it would be. It’s a formation of that caliber.’
What would have happened if I had gone out there and tried to dismantle it myself?
I didn’t want to imagine it.
How could I possibly solve something like that with my crude brain?
‘What if I had torn through it by force instead?’
That probably would have been possible.
However, I would have had to fully endure the backlash from forcibly disabling the formation as I entered.
I didn’t want to do that, which was why I had sent Seongyul.
So what was Pilduma thinking as he looked at me now?
Did he think I had disabled the formation in one stroke?
Or did he think I had forced my way through it?
‘Whatever the case.’
He would regard me as a formidable figure either way.
And that was exactly the reaction I wanted from Pilduma.
‘It seems to have worked.’
Judging from Pilduma’s reaction, he was busy trying to assess me because he couldn’t gauge my abilities.
Moreover, since he didn’t know how much strength I possessed, he was proceeding cautiously.
That was precisely the reaction I wanted from him.
As I continued to stare at Pilduma, he spoke.
“I have heard the rumors.”
I tilted my head at his words.
Rumors? What rumors was he talking about?
“The Heavenly Demon.”
My eyes widened slightly at Pilduma’s words.
“A man wearing a cracked white mask and black martial attire turned Wudang into a wasteland, or so I heard.”
I had thought the rumors had spread less widely than the things I had actually done.
But apparently, Pilduma had already received the information.
“When I first heard, I thought you must be an extraordinary individual.”
“And what do you think after seeing me in person?”
“…You are even more extraordinary than that.”
“Heh heh.”
It was excruciating to force out a laugh that didn’t suit me at all.
For reference, I had modeled the laugh after Pajeon’s.
“I do not know how you found this place or how you dealt with the formation… But the fact that you came here alone means you have business with me.”
“Didn’t I say so from the beginning? I came because I had business with you.”
“Then what business brings you all the way here?”
Pilduma reached a hand into the air.
Then—
Whoosh!
Something flew out of the distant darkness and landed in Pilduma’s hand.
It was a blunt weapon as large as his own body.
Boom!
He slammed the weapon down onto the floor.
It was a familiar weapon.
‘That’s the weapon Pilduma used.’
The blunt weapon he had used to smash the skulls of countless people.
Hadn’t it been made by mixing in ten-thousand-year-old cold iron?
‘It was merely a sturdy blunt weapon.’
But Pilduma wielding it had been no different from a yaksha.
“If this is not a proper conversation, then our next exchange will not be nearly this peaceful.”
“…”
It was a warning that he would engage me in battle if I said anything suspicious.
After hearing it, I began calculating.
What would happen if I fought Pilduma here?
‘What do you think will happen? I’ll lose decisively.’
My defeat was certain.
My body was nowhere near its best condition, and even if I fought him while fully recovered, defeating him would be difficult.
That was the sort of opponent Pilduma was.
However—
“Interesting.”
Woo-woo-woong!
“…!”
Even knowing that, I had no intention of backing down.
I opened my heart and let my energy flow out.
It still hurt.
But it didn’t matter.
Energy powerful enough to strain my physical body meant that I was releasing strength far beyond my current level.
The fighting intent Pilduma emitted was fierce.
But I would not be overwhelmed by that alone.
Crack.
As our energies intertwined, space warped.
I pressed forward without hesitation.
Bang!
My energy seized Pilduma’s and swallowed it, crushing it beneath itself.
The quality of Pilduma’s energy was higher, but I would never be pushed back in a contest of sheer quantity.
‘Do you have any idea how much I’ve consumed until now?’
Even after searching the entire Central Plains, there would be few people whose quantity of energy exceeded mine.
Unless I brought over my past self.
Someone like Pilduma could not possibly do it.
“Hoo…”
Pilduma, suddenly forced back in the clash of energy, let out a sigh.
He seemed to have suffered a slight internal injury.
“Commander of the Cheonra.”
I called out to Pilduma.
“I think well of you, so I’ll let it pass this once.”
I gathered the energy wavering in the air and threw it against the wall.
Kwaaaang!
A tremendous sound rang out from the direction of the invisible wall.
Ah, had I thrown it too hard?
“But don’t bare your fangs carelessly. There will not be a next time.”
“…”
Slowly.
The tension in Pilduma’s hand gripping the blunt weapon loosened slightly.
“I was discourteous.”
He took a step back.
Thank goodness. I had been wondering what I would do if he suddenly charged at me.
“Are you done with your little tricks? If you want, try some more.”
I put on a show of acting tough.
All the while, I was screaming internally for him not to do it.
“I merely wished to confirm whether you were truly the figure from the rumors.”
Pilduma had no intention of doing so. He did not move even in response to my provocation.
I sighed inwardly.
It felt as though I had weathered one crisis.
“Did you get the answer you wanted?”
“…”
Pilduma gave a slight nod.
“A person such as yourself… What in the world brings you to this place?”
The vicious battle of nerves had finally ended, and we were getting to the main point.
Things had gone well in the end, but I had to struggle to hide the cold sweat.
“I happen to have business to attend to here…”
I smiled at Pilduma with my eyes.
“I heard that someone was planning to cause trouble in Henan first, so I thought I’d come see his face.”
“…”
Pilduma’s brow furrowed at my words. I could see hostility seeping into his expression.
“Are you saying… that this territory belongs to you, and that I should not act as I please—”
“Wrong.”
It seemed dangerous to let him continue, so I cut him off in advance.
“Do whatever you want. I don’t care about such trivial matters.”
“And if I do?”
“But.”
I raised two fingers toward Pilduma.
“There are two things I need you to do.”
“What?”
“If you accomplish them, I will not care what sort of trouble you cause.”
Crack.
Perhaps he could no longer bear it. Pilduma’s body began to tremble.
I could feel his fighting intent slowly rising.
“Your confidence is admirable, but it seems you do not know where to draw the line.”
Grrrrrrr.
This was a martial aura of a different quality from before.
Apparently, he was truly showing his sincerity.
My fingertips trembled.
I discreetly hid them beneath my sleeve.
“Do you think I would still care about my life after being treated like this—!”
“You filthy ghost clinging to the aspirations of the past.”
He flinched.
At my words, Pilduma abruptly stopped.
“Your name was erased and your family fell into ruin, yet it seems your pointless pride could not be broken.”
“Y-you—!”
Pilduma was finally about to unleash his power at my words, but—
“Do you not wish to destroy the Alliance?”
He had no choice but to stop once more at my words.
Looking at Pilduma’s twisted face, I continued.
“I’m asking whether you don’t want to tear apart and rip to shreds those bastards who did the same to you.”
“…Even if you were not here, that would not be a problem.”
There was confidence in his voice.
I did not know what he was planning, but he was probably not preparing something ordinary.
‘He likely failed in my previous life, but things may be different now.’
The circumstances were far too different from back then.
More importantly, this was around the time when the Alliance Lord would be especially preoccupied.
The Wudang incident had occurred while preparations for the Martial Tournament were underway.
Now would be the perfect time to attack Henan.
However—
“Captain of the Tianluo.”
That was only if I were not there.
“Do you think what I am saying sounds like a request? Do not misunderstand me.”
“…!”
“I do not make requests.”
This was the important part.
I had to appear a little more relaxed, as though I did not care in the slightest about his martial aura.
“This is a test I am giving you.”
I had to convey with my entire body that the blunt weapon he was holding was nothing but a joke to me.
“If you cannot even pass this simple test, you will die here.”
Pilduma’s eyes widened at those words.
Seeing that, I had to wonder.
What?
It was not time for him to be surprised yet.
“If you fail, then not only will you be unable to take your revenge—”
“I see.”
?
He cut in before I had even finished my line.
I was utterly flustered inside.
I had not expected him to interrupt me.
But the bigger problem was what Pilduma said to me afterward.
“…Now that I hear you say that, I think I finally understand who you are.”
‘Oh, fuck.’
My heart sank at Pilduma’s words.
He figured it out? How?
I had to forcibly restrain myself from reaching up to check whether my mask had shifted.
If I did even that, I would truly be finished.
Where on earth had he figured it out?
If he really had, then this was a genuine crisis.
All kinds of thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant.
Without realizing it, I swallowed dryly.
“Someone who not only defeated a Wudang elder in a single strike, but can also display such a martial aura.”
Watching me, Pilduma spoke as though he had reached a firm conclusion.
In the meantime, I rolled my eyes around. I had already mapped out an escape route.
If things went south, I had to run immediately.
“I see. You are….”
At that moment—
“One of the Three Venerables who was said to have disappeared.”
“Hm?”
An insignificant trace of my natural voice slipped out before I could stop it at Pilduma’s words.
“Paejon Biju.”
His words were shocking enough to make that happen.
“You are indeed that person.”
“…”
He stared at me with astonished eyes, as though he had guessed correctly.
I turned away from my attempted escape and subtly settled into a stance.
Then I made my choice.
Choices always had to be made quickly.
“Heh.”
I let out a faint laugh and spoke to Pilduma.
“Your instincts are not bad.”
There was not the slightest hesitation in my voice.
I did not know what was going on.
But at this moment—
I decided to become Paejon for a while.