Episode 18 – Three Flowers Gather at the Summit
Step…
Step…
Step…
This wasn’t a confined indoor space, but an open outdoor area, wide and spacious, where hundreds had gathered and breathed together. Yet Sado Hwan’s footsteps echoed louder than anything else.
At that sound, every gaze was drawn to him, pinned as if by force.
Though torches had been lit, the midnight darkness still lingered thick like fog.
And in the midst of it, Sado Hwan’s eyes glowed fiercely, like those of a tiger.
Gulp…
Pressed by his aura, the martial artists faltered. No one could even tell whether he was ally or enemy, yet his overwhelming presence alone made them hesitate.
Sado Hwan walked forward, unconcerned by anyone around him.
‘He’s… dangerous…!’
Seeing him, Yun Yeopja bit his lip. He was walking with his back to the Black Shadow Corps.
If it were typical Demon Cultists, they wouldn’t hesitate to strike down someone with their back turned, even if unarmed.
These were the kind of people who would wipe out an entire village just for being in the wrong place.
Yun Yeopja began spreading his inner energy throughout his body, ready to strike at any moment.
But then—
‘…?!’
The Black Shadow Corps didn’t move at all as Sado Hwan walked. As if struck by lightning, they remained completely still.
‘No way…’
In that moment, Yun Yeopja realized.
“Killing intent… that’s killing intent!”
He was unleashing such overwhelming bloodlust that it bound dozens of people at once.
There was no other explanation for why the Black Shadow Corps, who had moments ago looked ready to leap forward, now stood frozen.
Even more astonishing was Sado Hwan himself.
Killing intent is inner energy infused with pressure to suppress the opponent’s power. The stronger and wider the area of influence, the more inner energy and control it required.
And yet, look at Sado Hwan now.
He was unleashing killing intent while casually walking forward, alone. What’s more, it affected only the Black Shadow Corps, leaving the righteous martial artists entirely untouched—as gentle as a breeze.
A chill ran down Yun Yeopja’s spine.
He had thought of Sado Hwan as a master, someone calm and composed like the still waters of a vast lake. Since he couldn’t gauge his strength precisely, he had assumed him to be of equal or slightly lesser skill.
But how arrogant that assumption had been.
“He’s a truly formidable expert… leagues above me.”
Whether he knew what Yun Yeopja was thinking or not, Sado Hwan walked forward calmly and gripped his sword. With a casual tug, he pulled out the black blade that had been buried halfway into the ground as if plucking a radish.
Then he turned around.
“How dare you,”
Sado Hwan spoke, his voice low and seething.
“To roam the Martial World as you please, without orders.”
***
I dialed up the drama to the max.
I’d thrown Skybreaker Sword to make a scene, intensified my gaze to put on an intimidating front, and now everyone was locked on to my every move.
Even Yun Yeopja, and that snide Tang Siyuk, were standing there with their mouths agape.
See? Half of acting is the setup.
Time to wrap this up.
If I could use voice transmission, I could coordinate a smooth act, but since I can’t, I could only hope the dense Saweol picked up on what I was doing and ordered a retreat.
“How dare you roam the Martial World without orders (Who gave you permission to act out?)”
The members of the Black Shadow Corps flinched as our eyes met. From behind them, I heard gasps—Huh! Heup!—which probably meant they thought I’d intimidated them into retreating.
I continued.
“This sin deserves death (Do you wanna die?)”
I raised my sword forward. Thanks to the endless practice with Skybreaker all night, I could at least strike a somewhat natural pose.
“Return to your lands (Go hide yourselves). If you do, I’ll spare your petty lives (If you don’t wanna die).”
Before I even finished, a flustered voice shouted from behind.
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
It was Tang Siyuk.
“They’re lackeys of the Demon Cult! They must be annihilated on sight!”
Ugh, that damn cabbage grub just doesn’t know how to go with the flow.
Still pointing Skybreaker forward, I said,
“You can’t even sense their qi?”
“What?”
“One fully matured Peak expert. Five at First-rate approaching Peak. The rest all First-rate.”
A force strong enough to obliterate Baek Family Manor before tea water even boiled—not just in the time it takes to drink a cup.
Against second- and third-rate fighters from Taeryeong Prefecture, they’d cut through like straw dolls.
“If we fight them, more than half of you will die.”
“A little sacrifice is acceptable!”
“Spoken like a noble brat.”
“What?!”
“Look behind you. To your sides.”
Around Tang Siyuk stood the usual mix of second- and third-rate fighters gathered from Taeryeong Prefecture.
“They’re not from some prestigious family like you, born into luxury and trained in style. They survive the harsh Martial World relying only on their swords.”
“What?”
“And unlike you, when they die or get hurt, no one’s going to take care of their families.”
The atmosphere began to shift.
The martial artists, who moments ago had been fired up about destroying the Demon Cult, now showed signs of hesitation.
Empathy is the start of persuasion. I struck a nerve—reminding them they weren’t noble-born. And then brought up family. That was the clincher.
“You might gain glory and fame by killing them. But let me ask you this—who do you think will actually reap those rewards? The martial artists here? Or the Tang Clan and Kunlun?”
They began glancing at one another.
“And if you win here today, the Demon Cult will surely retaliate. Tang Clan? They’re in Sichuan, safe. Kunlun? The mighty Kunlun—would the Demon Cult dare strike them? No, their vengeance will fall on Taeryeong Prefecture.”
“That’s absurd nonsense.”
“Call it nonsense if you like.”
I let a faint, bitter smile show. As if I carried some painful past. I even turned slightly so Yun Yeopja could see better.
“But if that means I can save even one more life, I don’t care.”
Conflicted emotions crossed Yun Yeopja’s face.
He probably hated the Demon Cult because of what happened to his family. This was a rare chance for revenge. But if he pushed ahead, someone here would die.
Yun Yeopja’s two convictions—justice and vengeance. Between the two weights, the heavier one was, of course—
“Return, Demon Cult.”
Justice.
“Yun Yeopja!”
“Young Hero Kim is right. And this confrontation could spark an all-out war between orthodox and unorthodox sects.”
The words “war between orthodox and unorthodox” made Tang Siyuk flinch. A skirmish could ignite a wildfire across the entire Martial World.
Now the stage was set. The justification had been laid. This was exactly the outcome I had hoped for.
I turned back and declared,
“Return to Shingang Province, Demon Cult.”
And behind my back, I stealthily gestured toward my chest, waving frantically. Hoping they’d understand.
The Black Shadow Corps hesitated for a moment, then vanished in the blink of an eye.
“The Black Shadow Corps has retreated!”
“What does this mean?!”
The one who answered was one of the Qinghai Three Heroes. With a proud expression, he raised his weapon and shouted:
“The Demon Cult has withdrawn! We’ve won!”
With that declaration, the once-tense atmosphere shifted into one of celebration—and admiration for me.
“Who is that young hero?”
“He drove the Demon Cult away with sheer presence alone…!”
“His appearance and martial arts are extraordinary!”
“Could a new dragon have appeared in the Martial World?!”
Voices of awe erupted from the martial artists. This was exactly the scene I wanted, all set up by Tak Horak—elevating me as a hero of the Martial World while providing witnesses to prove I wasn’t a Demon Cultist.
If I earned a nickname here, it’d make traveling the Martial World that much easier.
I spun dramatically, sheathing Skybreaker in one clean motion. Even I thought it looked cool. The onlookers let out impressed gasps—Ooooh!—and I held back a grin.
[You’re getting good at flashy tricks.]
‘Hey, I practiced this one like crazy, okay?’
[Still… I’ll admit, you’re good at scheming.]
‘What do you mean scheming? This is strategy!’
[You a mind-reader or something? You see right through people.]
‘Basically, yeah.’
That’s just the result of working in sales. Sales is dealing with people. After dealing with enough weirdos, you naturally learn how to read human behavior. On top of that, I already knew everyone’s background from Return of the Murim, so winning hearts was easy.
Yun Yeopja approached. His expression was unusually clear and bright. With hands clasped in salute, he bowed deeply.
“I’ve learned something today, Young Hero.”
“What did I even do to deserve that?”
“No, truly. As a Daoist, I let vengeance cloud my judgment and failed to see the bigger picture…”
Suddenly, he trembled and quickly sat cross-legged. His body began to float into the air. Auspicious energy flowed from his nose and enveloped his body.
Wait a second. This… this is…?!
I shouted urgently.
“Everyone, silence!”
The martial artists, mid-celebration, covered their mouths at the sight of Yun Yeopja in meditation.
He was undergoing one of those level-up events that happen to wuxia protagonists all the time—growing stronger through sudden enlightenment. Sometimes it’s triggered just by seeing a rock on the roadside.
Irritating.
If this were a novel, Skybreaker would be the main character. But now Yun Yeopja, a side character, was leveling up because of one conversation.
Sure, I had my own lucky break—I’d mastered half of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. But I couldn’t grow through some random realization. I wasn’t a lifelong martial artist. If martial arts were math, I was barely doing addition and subtraction.
Still, it was good news. Yun Yeopja, now fully on my side, getting stronger meant a better shield for me when I left the Demon Cult and traveled the Martial World.
Yun Yeopja’s breakthrough reached its peak. The milky-white aura surrounding him shimmered brightly, forming three flower buds above his head. The buds then bloomed and dissolved into light particles.
“Three Flowers Gather at the Summit…!”
Someone whispered. It was that legendary phenomenon. The free circulation of qi—
“Transcendent Peak!”
This was the sign of one reaching the Transcendent Peak realm.
Yun Yeopja opened his eyes—flash!—his gaze sharp as a searchlight cutting through the night.
Then he drew his sword. The hazy aura that had once danced over the blade now condensed and solidified into a faint but distinct second edge along the sword—
Sword steel.
Still incomplete, but undeniably the mark of Transcendent Peak.
But then—
[Ugh…]
Skybreaker Sword groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
[I feel... stifled.]
“Stifled?”
I looked between Yun Yeopja’s sword steel and Skybreaker.
Ah… so that’s it.
[What kind of sorcery is this…?]
“I’ve got a guess. Let’s talk later.”
Just then, Yun Yeopja approached and grasped my hand. As his sword steel vanished, Skybreaker’s discomfort faded.
“Young Hero…”
His eyes radiated trust and gratitude. Naturally—he believed I was the one who guided him to enlightenment.
The surrounding martial artists stared in awe, eyes flicking between me and Yun Yeopja.
“Thank you, Young Hero! It was thanks to you that I gained this insight!”
“Congratulations on your great advancement!”
“It’s all because of Young Hero!”
Compliments poured in. I simply smiled sheepishly. Some people become Transcendent Peak from a single word, while others have to fight tooth and nail just to survive.
One martial artist suddenly shouted.
“Let’s hold a feast! The Demon Cult is repelled, a new star has risen in the Martial World, and Yun Yeopja has reached Transcendent Peak!”
“Yes! A celebration is in order!”
The heads of the Baek and Seo families joined in cheerfully.
“We’ll host the heroes of the Martial World!”
“I’ll bring out my finest wine!”
These doting fathers, who picked a fight with me earlier, had conveniently forgotten all about it.
I turned to Yun Yeopja.
“I’ll take my leave.”
“Ah!”
“I overused my qi and may have suffered some internal damage. I’d like to rest at the inn.”
“Then I’ll—”
“You can’t skip out, can you? You’re the main guest.”
I actually do like alcohol, but if I got drunk now, I might slip up and ruin my carefully crafted persona. Better to slip away quietly.
‘Besides, I’ve got Saweol and Tak Horak to deal with.’
Those two are dead.
Leaving the feast behind, I exited the Baek Family Manor.