Inner sanctum of Baekgwiseong.
Sima Beonjeong looked up at Baek Sasin sitting on the throne at the top of the stairs, explaining the plans for the future.
"After destroying the Bifeng Merchant Group, we must snatch the trade with the Ice Palace. If we trade with the Ice Palace, other Saiwai..."
Rumble―
At that moment, the inner sanctum shook as if an earthquake had occurred, and dust fell.
At the faint sound of an explosion heard in the distance, Baek Sasin's eyes turned as cold as ice.
His pure white eyes fixed on Sima Beonjeong.
"It is noisy outside."
The voice slipping from between Baek Sasin's red lips was exceptionally chilling.
"I will report back as soon as I grasp the situation."
Sensing Baek Sasin's displeasure, Sima Beonjeong spoke urgently and stood up.
'Normally, he would have left the task to someone else and continued the conversation.'
Sima Beonjeong's expression was not good.
Because the Huashan Extermination Plan, which had been prepared for a long time, was repeatedly thwarted, Baek Sasin was now like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.
'After all the time I spent calming and appeasing the Castle Lord's temper...'
He hurriedly left the inner sanctum.
Creak―
On either side of the door guarding the inner sanctum stood two old men with their hands folded behind their backs, looking identical from head to toe as if they were twins.
Thud.
As soon as he came out and the door closed, Sima Beonjeong frowned and looked up.
"Elders."
Sima Beonjeong looked at the two unidentified old men whom Baek Sasin called the Heukbaek Salgui and moved his lips.
"Just in case, please be prepared for any eventuality."
The two did not react at all.
They merely stared into the empty void like guardian statues at a Buddhist shrine.
Swish―
However, thinking that was enough, Sima Beonjeong turned away.
'Since the two of you are guarding the door, this place should be fine...'
Ever since he first saw them, the two had been like that.
Cloudy eyes that made it impossible to tell what they were thinking, and actions and tones of voice that seemed to share each other's thoughts.
Even now, despite the commotion outside, they didn't show any interest.
From the beginning, their purpose was only one.
To guard the door.
Thud― Thud―
Walking away, Sima Beonjeong opened his mouth.
"What has happened?"
"...Someone has broken the main gate."
At the answer coming from the roof, a long wrinkle formed on Sima Beonjeong's forehead.
"Broken the main gate...?"
At the answer he hadn't even dreamed of, Sima Beonjeong's face stiffened.
"To dare attack this castle!"
Sima Beonjeong's voice sank low.
"Is it the Murim Alliance? Or the Bicheonhoe? If not, then another of the Yukhwangmun?"
"That is... just one person."
"One person?"
Sima Beonjeong's eyebrows twitched.
"Yet there's this much commotion?"
"He suddenly broke the main gate, so there was no time to respond."
"...You foolish bastards."
Sima Beonjeong glared.
"Hurry and grasp the situation."
"Understood."
With those words, a creaking sound was heard from the roof, and they disappeared.
"...Whoever this madman is, he must have a death wish."
His footsteps grew faster.
Now that he had grasped the situation, he had to resolve it.
Tap tap―
Before he knew it, his walk had turned into a sprint, and after passing through the long corridor, what he witnessed was a wall made of people.
"Who broke the main gate..."
"What's going on?"
"They say the main gate is broken?"
"Must be a seriously crazy bastard."
Listening to the words of the many martial artists who ran out due to the commotion, Sima Beonjeong moved his lips.
"What are you all doing?"
"Gasp!"
"Strategist!"
"I asked what you are doing."
"W-well, some bastard broke the castle's main gate..."
"What I am asking is why you are standing still when you see an intruder!"
At Sima Beonjeong's rebuke, the martial artists' faces turned pale and their eyes darted around.
"That's..."
"In the time you're talking, suppress the intruder!"
"Understood."
The martial artists who had been standing like a wall blocking the view hurriedly grasped their weapons and moved.
Soon, as they moved and the scenery became visible, Sima Beonjeong momentarily lost his words.
The main gate that had been guarding Baekgwiseong like an iron fortress was miserably smashed to pieces.
"To break the castle's main gate alone, a seriously crazy bastard has appear..."
Sima Beonjeong, who was speaking, flinched.
In front of the broken gate, a young man stood with a relaxed expression as if he didn't care about the large number of martial artists.
Staring blankly at the young man, Sima Beonjeong suddenly broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead.
'Hua... shan Sect?! Why the Huashan Sect? Don't tell me!'
Seeing the plum blossom pattern drawn on the daoist robe the young man was wearing, his face turned icy cold.
'Did the surprise attack fail again? If it failed even after sending the East Lord and South Lord along with the Baekgwi Squad, who on earth stopped it? That young man? Or someone else?'
As he recalled information in his head and repeatedly thought about it, his head began to heat up.
At that moment, the young man's lips parted.
"Hmm, around five hundred?"
It was a calm, small voice.
But it pierced clearly into the ears of Sima Beonjeong, who was at a considerable distance from the young man.
"Just as I heard."
Instantly, his body trembled.
Since he hadn't learned martial arts, he couldn't grasp how strong the opponent was, but his developed sense of smell was warning him.
Of the smell of death the young man exuded.
Sima Beonjeong hardened his eyes and said.
"...Call the North Lord and the Gwicham Squad."
* * *
Cheonhwi looked at the martial artists in front of him.
The moment the gate was broken, martial artists came out of that pure white castle like a swarm of ants.
At a glance, the number easily exceeded three hundred.
Yet not a single one opened their mouth. They were just glaring with their respective weapons in hand.
"A daoist of the Huashan Sect."
At that moment, along with a heavy voice, a white-haired old man stepped forward in front of the martial artists.
"Do you know what you have just done?"
"I broke the main gate."
"..."
At Cheonhwi's words, the faces of the old man and the martial artists turned coldly stiff, and killing intent bloomed.
A touch-and-go situation.
Swish―
Just in time, Hyeondo and Ha Woojin appeared, displaying elegant movement arts in the air.
"Were you trying to go alone?"
"Going alone is dangerous."
Without even looking at the two standing side by side, Cheonhwi spoke blandly.
"Whether we do this or that, clashing is all the same."
"You had more companions."
The old man's eyes narrowed as he glared at the two daoists who displayed astonishing movement arts.
"The Huashan Sect intends to even go to war with this castle... Zhongnan Sect?!"
His two eyes widened as he spoke.
"...The Huashan Sect and the Zhongnan Sect joining hands, is this all the Murim Alliance's scheme?"
The old man quickly scanned his surroundings.
If the Huashan Sect and the Zhongnan Sect had joined hands, it was hard to believe they would have come to Baekgwiseong with only those three.
Cheonhwi, who saw his head movement, smiled.
"Three is all there is."
"...Do you think I'd believe that?"
"If you don't want to believe it, don't."
Hyeondo and Ha Woojin held back a laugh.
The two, who had been tense, felt their tension unknowingly loosen at Cheonhwi's tone.
"The Huashan Sect doesn't do cowardly things like you lot."
"Neither does the Zhongnan Sect."
Along with their words, the two drew their swords.
The air sank heavily.
Tat!
The martial artists charged at once.
Spear, sword, saber, bizarre sickle, chain...
The ununiformed weapons were swung to reap the three's lives.
Swipe―
Cheonhwi lightly deflected the weapons aiming for his vital points and reached out his hand.
Boom! Boom!
With the sound of the air bursting, the uniform of the martial artist touched by his palm was torn.
"I'll take the left."
"I will take the right."
Feeling that being close would only interfere with each other's martial arts, Hyeondo and Ha Woojin scattered to either side.
"Well, you won't die."
Cheonhwi, who was looking at the two, stepped forward. Even so, he was sweeping away the rushing martial artists like autumn leaves.
Crack! Thud!
Cheonhwi's hands mercilessly pierced the abdomens of the Baekgwiseong martial artists, gradually reaping their lifelines.
One, two, three...
As the number of martial artists who charged in only to be struck down began to exceed fifty, no one was left standing.
"Gurgle―"
"Keuk―"
The martial artists who suffered deep internal injuries from the Gyeokgongjang curled up on the floor, clutching their stomachs and spitting out blood and vomit from their mouths.
"Ughhh."
"So noisy."
Cheonhwi trampled over those writhing and groaning, and stared at the quiet Baekgwiseong with an indifferent gaze.
"Aren't they coming all at once?"
Cheonhwi, who was glaring at those who still hadn't come out of Baekgwiseong, turned his eyes.
Hyeondo and Ha Woojin, who had fallen to either side, were showing their skills without holding back against the attacking martial artists.
Hyeondo's momentum, in particular, was fierce.
Hwaahk!
He immediately infused his sword with internal energy.
The thread-like internal energy tightly intertwined with the sword blade, invoking sword qi.
In an instant, his eyes flashed.
The internal energy of the Taeeul Mirigong, having reached the stage of Great Accomplishment, erupted as if understanding his heart enveloped in fury.
Swish― Swish―
Hyeondo's sword moved swiftly.
The sword, which had become so fast that it was hard to follow with the eyes, instantly began to create several afterimages, then split into dozens.
It was precisely Maehwajeomjeom.
Slash!
Instantly, the movements of the martial artists charging at Hyeondo stopped, and they collapsed.
"Today, I will finally avenge my youngest junior disciple."
Hyeondo looked down at the fallen martial artists and shot a gaze full of killing intent.
Along with that, he began to run amok.
Blood spurting from all directions.
Martial artists falling while screaming.
"With that face, doing that is quite intense."
Cheonhwi stared blankly at Hyeondo.
The sight of Hyeondo, with his fierce face, wielding a lethal sword mercilessly at his opponents in his fury, was like a Yaksha.
"Isn't it?"
Cheonhwi turned his head and asked.
The man who was about to launch a surprise attack at his defenseless appearance was flustered by Cheonhwi's sudden gaze, but he swung his chain anyway.
Whirl―
Cheonhwi's hand moved as he watched the man's attempt to wrap an iron chain around his neck.
"Heok!"
Seeing the swung iron chain caught in his hand, the man swallowed his breath.
Looking into the man's eyes filled with bewilderment, Cheonhwi smiled a chilling smile.
Clang!
When he applied force, the iron chain snapped.
He then infused internal energy into the half-severed iron chain in his hand and swung it.
With a cracking sound, the man's forearm was bent in a bizarre direction.
"Kuaaaak!"
Along with the scream.
Smash!
The man's face was smashed.
Cheonhwi threw away the iron chain covered in the man's brain matter and blood, and turned his head.
The martial artists who were trying to launch a surprise attack were frozen.
Then.
"...It seems there really are no more."
The white-haired old man revealed himself again.
"L-Lord Third!"
At the appearance of the old man who clenched his teeth, joy spread across the faces of the martial artists who were trying to launch a surprise attack.
"To actually try to raid Baekgwiseong with only three people, you're madmen."
The old man straightened his body and said.
Swipe―
Cheonhwi looked at the old man.
Behind him, thirty men spinning sickles attached to iron chains were radiating killing intent toward him.
The old man shouted at the martial artists who were looking at him with wandering eyes.
"You are in the way. If you don't want to get hurt lingering around, get lost."
"Y-yes, understood."
As they retreated as if fleeing at his shout, Cheonhwi's index finger slowly lifted.
Stab! Stab!
A gruesome sound was heard, and those who were fleeing fell forward powerlessly.
"What..."
The old man's face turned pale white.
'What did he do?'
At that moment, the index finger was pointed at the old man.
"...!"
The panicked old man shouted urgently.
"Kill that bastard!"
At the old man's command, they threw their sickles.
The moment the sickles, shot while sharply cutting the wind, reached close to Cheonhwi.
Swish―
Suddenly, Cheonhwi swayed and disappeared.
"I- Ihyeong Hwanwi?!"
As the old man exclaimed in horror.
Thud! Thud!
The subordinates next to him fell one by one.
"W-when..."
The old man casually turned his eyes and then looked at his palm, his face turning completely blue.
Crunch!
Cheonhwi, who crushed the old man's head in an instant, took a step toward Baekgwiseong.
"I guess I'll have to go myself."