Episode 08 – That Word Is a Right Reserved Only for the Strong
The powers of the martial world were largely divided into three major factions.
The orthodox sects, represented by the Murim Alliance, who cried out for justice and moral principle.
The unorthodox sects, represented by the Four Kings’ Citadel, who pursued utilitarian interests.
And lastly, the Heavenly Demon Cult, which revered only strength.
Originally, the Heavenly Demon Cult held such overwhelming influence throughout the martial world that its members could be found in both orthodox and unorthodox factions alike.
That was, until a hundred years ago, before the Fourth Heavenly Demon triggered the tragedy known as the “Heavenly Demon Blood Massacre”.
Since then, the Cult’s stronghold had been pushed further and further back, eventually settling in Xinjiang, the farthest borderland of the martial world.
Why was I thinking about all this?
‘I’m so bored I could die.’
It was because the constant carriage ride was driving me insane from boredom.
‘How much longer do we have to go?’
[At this speed, two more days.]
‘Ugh, this is so dull.’
[You really have no patience.]
Skybreaker Sword spoke as if it couldn’t believe I couldn’t endure even this.
But that was something only someone from this <Return of the Murim> world like Skybreaker Sword could say.
Coming from a modern world overflowing with stimulating things at every turn, adjusting to this endless view of trees through the carriage window wasn’t easy.
Sure, being in nature was healing—for a day or two. But this was already day four in the carriage.
I was starting to miss the NovelBins I used to read on the way home from work. Novels like Star Instructor Master Baek, the young master of the Baek clan…
Not that I missed going to work, of course.
“Division Leader.”
Just then, Saweol spoke from outside the carriage.
I quickly composed my voice and replied,
“What is it?”
“May we stop for a meal break?”
“Very well. Halt the carriage and reorganize the formation.”
‘Nice.’
[What does that “nice” mean?]
‘It just means good.’
[Tch, these monsters…]
I let out a small laugh. It was amusing yet pitiful how Skybreaker Sword kept calling me a monster in a world without monsters.
Unable to comprehend the situation where another being occupied its body, it had likely just labeled me a “monster” for its own sanity.
To be fair, this situation defied my own sense of logic as well.
If I hadn’t been a reader of NovelBins with some indirect exposure to this kind of scenario, I wouldn’t have accepted it either.
Anyway, this time I decided to get out of the carriage.
Up until now, unless absolutely necessary, I hadn’t stepped out. I even ate inside. That was to avoid meeting the Black Shadow Corps members as much as possible.
Even if my act had fooled them, long conversations or slips in behavior might spark suspicion.
But now, I couldn’t hold it in. From my lower back to my joints, there wasn’t a single part that didn’t ache.
“Hrrmph!”
I let out a grunt like a middle-aged man from the modern world as I stepped out, only to lock eyes with Saweol waiting outside.
In an instant—less than a second—I returned to Sado Hwan mode.
[Why don’t you just go around announcing you’ve swapped bodies?]
Skybreaker Sword mocked me, and I had no excuse. I’d let my guard down.
[Saweol is very sharp. If you keep making careless mistakes, she’ll notice something’s wrong just by your behavior.]
“Got it. I’ll be more careful.”
[Saweol is definitely…]
‘Definitely?’
[No, I’ll tell you when I’m sure.]
I wanted to press him on what he meant by that, but I couldn’t delay any further with Saweol still waiting.
A small folding table had been set up next to the carriage for me, and Saweol was preparing the food.
Once everything was ready and the other members had been dismissed, I accepted the food from Saweol and asked,
“Where are we currently located?”
“We’re about a day’s ride from Seonyeong, the capital of Qinghai Province.”
Being a fan of <Return of the Murim>, I recalled the map of the novel’s geography. Seonyeong was a critical hub where Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan provinces met.
“He must be heading straight into Sichuan.”
“That’s likely the case.”
Sichuan.
To modern people, it was known for spicy food like malatang, but to martial artists, it held a different meaning.
The Sichuan Tang Clan.
A colossal family powerful enough to be said to rule over Sichuan entirely.
They were known as masters of poison and hidden weapons, and their members were notorious for their psychotic aura of toxicity.
In <Return of the Murim>, there was even a saying in the martial world: “Avoid those with the Tang surname at all costs.”
But now, I couldn’t afford to heed that warning.
Dok So-gong’s goal was too obvious.
‘He’s planning to defect to the Tang Clan with the Cult’s treasure.’
He likely thought he could live comfortably with the Tang surname, flaunting his status. The Tang Clan was obsessed with poison, after all.
Of course, that was a foolish idea.
Dok So-gong hadn’t been in the Cult long and didn’t understand it well.
The Cult hunts down traitors to the ends of the earth.
But the bigger problem was the Tang Clan.
Thinking they’d keep their word just because they called themselves an orthodox faction was a mistake.
‘If anything, the Tang Clan is worse in terms of treachery.’
They’re a gathering of psychos. To hide the fact that they possessed a treasure from the Demonic Cult, they’d resort to the most effective method.
Annihilation.
That was something even briefly mentioned in the original novel.
‘We need to move before we get entangled with the Tang Clan…’
Just as they excelled in poison and hidden weapons, they were also top-tier in tracking.
If they discovered we were Cult members, things would truly get messy.
It might not escalate into a full-blown righteous-demonic war, but my life would be at risk.
I could be hunted before returning to the Cult. The Black Shadow Corps might be fine—but I wouldn’t be.
‘Though if the Heavenly Demon steps in later, he’ll just mow down the Tang Clan…’
Just thinking about the Heavenly Demon brought a strange mix of anxiety and comfort.
Sado Hwan had a very good relationship with the Heavenly Demon, so he could be the strongest backing imaginable.
But I wasn’t the real Sado Hwan. If someone like the Heavenly Demon, an absolute being, sensed any inconsistency in my behavior, it would all be over.
‘This is a test.’
That was one of the reasons I wasn’t returning to the Cult immediately.
Dok So-gong was the disciple of the Poison Demon. His estimated martial level was at the early stage of Peak.
It was said one Peak-level warrior could handle fifty first-rate fighters. So, while capturing him with the Black Shadow Corps wasn’t impossible, the real issue was his use of poison.
Poison could harm even those several levels stronger, and it was perfect for massacres. Even Saweol wouldn’t find him an easy opponent.
I had to be able to keep acting as Sado Hwan even against someone like him.
Only then could I act convincingly among the monsters back in the Cult.
[But what can you do against the disciple of the Poison Demon?]
“I have my plans. Have you ever seen Dok So-gong?”
[Twice. He seemed to dislike me.]
‘Well, makes sense. You are kind of annoying.’
[What?]
Skybreaker Sword was about to lose it, so I pressed down with my hand.
‘I meant that as a compliment.’
From appearances alone, there was no one better than Sado Hwan. Tall, handsome, great family, powerful martial arts.
Only his insides were lacking.
Anyway, after a meal of jerky and some unidentifiable soup, we set off again.
Two more days passed.
And finally, on a remote mountain trail, we encountered Dok So-gong.
***
I spotted him through the carriage window.
He was the perfect embodiment of the name Dok So-gong (“Poison Little Lord”).
Though said to be close to thirty, he looked no older than his early teens. Likely a side effect of the Poison Blood Demon Art inherited from the Poison Demon. Even the Poison Demon himself, though over eighty, appeared only in his early fifties.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Dok So-gong looked shocked upon seeing us.
And we, seeing him, frowned with disgust.
Corpses lay all around Dok So-gong.
They were gruesome.
Some had scratched their skin raw, drenched in blood. Others foamed at the mouth as if they’d suffocated.
I quickly circulated my inner energy. As it flowed through my body, the rising nausea subsided and I calmed down.
“Oh, these? Just some bandits. Not anymore though.”
He said it nonchalantly, munching on a candy.
“Anyway, who’s that noble person hiding in the carriage? You lot clearly look like Demonic Cult bastards.”
“You dare!”
Just from the voice, I could tell—it was Tak Horak.
“Do you even know who this man is!”
Under normal circumstances, hearing something like that would make me cringe. But maybe thanks to my inner energy?
I nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Even a strange sense of confidence welled up inside me. Perhaps this body naturally responded to such treatment.
“So, who is he?”
“This man is the—!”
Tak Horak was about to explain, but I cut him off by opening the carriage door.
As I stepped out, the smile on Dok So-gong’s face instantly froze.
“Sado Hwan……!”
He didn’t recognize the Black Shadow Corps, unfamiliar with the Cult, but he immediately recognized my face.
“Then you’re the Black Shadow Corps… This is a problem.”
He looked flustered in appearance, like a child, but inside he was no doubt calculating. The corpses around him revealed his true nature.
If I showed even the slightest opening, I’d be killed.
“Dok So-gong.”
I moved my inner energy.
My voice must be firm but not forced. What I needed now was composure.
The composure of one who considers someone like him beneath them.
From this moment, I am the strong.
“You stole and fled with the Cult’s treasure.”
“Cult’s treasure? Hah, don’t make me laugh.”
Dok So-gong’s face reddened as he retorted.
“I spent ten years waiting on that old man in the middle of nowhere. Then out of nowhere, he claims to be part of the Demonic Cult? What was I supposed to do, bow and go ‘Yes, Master’?”
Then he pulled something from his waist—a fan made of black feathers.
Flick, snap!
He opened the fan and fanned himself mockingly.
“This thing, the Black Crow Fan, is mine. Not the Demonic Cult’s! You people just left it rotting in a warehouse without even knowing how to use it.”
“That was only borrowed by the Poison Demon. It has always belonged to our Cult.”
“Ha!”
Dok So-gong sneered.
“How long do you think you can keep up that arrogant tone?”
“Insolent!”
Tak Horak, standing behind me, drew his spear.
“How dare you insult Division Leader Sado Hwan, the rightful heir of the Sado family and the master of the Black Shadow Corps!”
“Sado Hwan, Sado Hwan. I’ve heard the name plenty. High-ranking this, noble that. But no one’s actually seen him fight, have they?”
“What did you say?!”
“It’s suspicious. If he’s that strong, shouldn’t there be some proof? All I’ve seen is him serving some Heavenly Demon lady or whatever.”
“You dare—!”
Tak Horak bent forward to charge. And at that moment—
“Urgh?”
He stumbled, unable to even steady himself.
Not just him.
Almost simultaneously, all the Black Shadow Corps members faltered.
Saweol shouted urgently,
“Poison! Everyone, hold your breath!”
“Too late.”
Dok So-gong grinned as he raised the fan.
“This fan you’ve been searching for—the Black Crow Fan—can silently spread poison in a ten-zhang radius with just one wave. Did you think I’d come unprepared against Cult bastards?”
Snap! The fan opened again.
“You’re all infected with Dispersal Poison. It blocks the flow of your inner energy. Oh, and I also used Paralysis Poison just now. Without inner energy, you can’t resist it.”
At his words, I looked toward Saweol.
Unbelievable.
Her pale, flustered expression was just an act. Saweol was nearly at the Transcendent Peak level. Unless it were the Poison Demon himself, there was no way she’d be secretly poisoned by his disciple.
She must’ve detected the poison immediately and blocked it with her inner energy. She wasn’t poisoned.
And yet she was pretending to be?
Saweol was testing me.
To see if Sado Hwan had truly become strong—or if he was still faking it.
‘I accept your challenge.’
If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s acting. I’ll show you the difference between a half-baked impersonator and a true performer.
If I could bring Saweol to my side, dancing to this kind of tune was nothing.
Unaware of any of this, Dok So-gong babbled gleefully.
“You’re all my toys now. Heehee? If I kill the famous Sado Hwan of the Black Shadow Corps and put him on display, the value of this fan and my bounty will skyrocket, right?”
Wearing a wicked grin, Dok So-gong approached.
“Division Leader, get back!”
“Division Leader!”
The members shouted in desperation. Some, including Saweol, tried to move to protect me, but they appeared paralyzed.
Dok So-gong stood right before me now. Just an arm’s length away.
“I didn’t like you even the few times I saw you. That arrogant look in your eyes. The way you looked down on me!”
He had drawn a dagger. Slowly, as if savoring it, he brought it toward my eye.
“I’ll make sure you never open those eyes again.”
I opened my mouth.
Dispersal Poison only blocked the qi channels used to expel energy. It didn’t affect me at all. The elegant flow of inner energy within me made me feel almost intoxicated.
“Arrogance is not a word for the weak to use.”
“What?”
And in the next moment—
Slice—!
Skybreaker Sword drew smoothly and severed Dok So-gong’s arm.
Shock and horror filled Dok So-gong’s face.
“Those words—are a right reserved only for the strong.”