With a travel bundle slung over one shoulder, I walked precariously along the edge of Manjang Gorge. One misstep and I’d plummet straight into an abyss a thousand fathoms deep.

Behind me, the Four Villains and the White-Robed Scholar were following. As I kept my eyes on the drop below, the White-Robed Scholar asked,

“What are you looking for, Sect Leader?”

I ignored him and stared at a particular spot.

“There.”

The others followed my gaze downward. It was so far down, they clearly couldn’t tell what I was pointing at.

I unfastened my bundle and hurled it toward the spot I had in mind. Inside the bundle were random things—bamboo flasks of liquor, salt, spices, leftover jerky, and other odds and ends.

I lowered my voice.

“Listen carefully.”

A moment later, a faint splash echoed up.

The White-Robed Scholar muttered,

“I heard a splash.”

I looked back at the group and said,

“Perfect.”

The Lecher replied,

“What do you mean perfect? This is bad. This is very bad.”

“See you down there. Watch closely and do exactly as I do. Don’t make this harder than it is.”

As my companions’ expressions turned increasingly bizarre, I threw myself off Manjang Gorge.

In an instant, the wind wrapped around me as I plummeted, and the Lecher’s swearing grew fainter by the second.

To reduce wind resistance, I stretched my arms forward and aligned my body in a straight line.

If I hit the ground, that’d be the end of me—and the martial world.

But I had palm wind.

I visually tracked my landing point, adjusted my body weight midair, tumbled a few times, felt a wave of dizziness, and slammed full-body into a lake that suddenly appeared below.

Pffsh!

I sank deep—so deep I wondered if I’d get embedded into the lakebed. Then I swam up to the surface. Grabbing my bundle, I raised both arms and shouted toward the cliff,

“......I’m alive!”

Looking up, I saw the Four Villains and the White-Robed Scholar standing still, staring down at me. I couldn’t see their faces, but judging from their body language, they were definitely cursing me out.

I waved to mark my position and pointed to the lake.

Just then, the Sword Demon tossed his bundle and leapt off. He dropped straight down, vertical as a spear.

I hadn’t realized how insane it looked until I saw someone else do it.

“Damn, he’s lost his mind. He wants to die.”

The Sword Demon descended like a comet and struck the lake, sending up a mighty splash. I clapped and welcomed him.

“That’s our big brother.”

Next came the White-Robed Scholar. Unwilling to jump straight down, he stepped his way down the cliff, then turned and fell with an awkward twist. As he plummeted, he kicked the cliff face to slow his fall.

He insisted on making things difficult.

Meanwhile, the Ghost Demon hurled himself into the air, screaming the whole way. Of course, the Four Villains weren’t idiots—they all made it safely to the lake, with even the Lecher arriving unscathed.

A while later, we gathered at the lakeside and watched the White-Robed Scholar still struggling down.

Watching his stubborn descent, I muttered,

“What a nutcase. Look at him. What a stubborn bastard.”

The Four Villains chuckled as they observed him.

Eventually, the White-Robed Scholar seemed to snap. He vaulted himself down with some acrobatics and landed near us.

I greeted him with applause.

“You’ve worked hard.”

His expression was so ridiculous we all clapped in unison.

I dug a shallow pit with my foot and marked a spot for a brazier. Using branches and stones, I quickly fashioned a personal grill and told the others,

“Did you see that? Copy this exactly.”

After ordering them around, I stripped off my top and wrung out the water. I laid it near the fire and said to the Lecher,

“Light a fire in the center. We’ll need it.”

The White-Robed Scholar stood by silently for a while before asking,

“Where’s the elixir?”

While trimming some branches with a gleaming throwing knife from my tunic, I replied,

“I’ll catch it. Wait.”

“You’re going to catch the elixir?”

I looked at him.

“What’s wrong with this guy? Just make your damn grill already. Must’ve read too many books—can’t think straight.”

I finished fashioning a spear and headed for the lake. After letting the water settle, I started carving a second spear. Behind me, the Lecher lit the fire and scolded the White-Robed Scholar as they set up their own grills.

The water was so clear, I could see the fish moving below. I glanced over at the Ghost Demon while whittling.

“Set out the booze. Prep the seasoning. We’ll eat it with the jerky.”

He nodded.

“Got it.”

Since the Sword Demon was our eldest, I exempted him from chores.

Interestingly, the White-Robed Scholar was copying someone else’s grill but ended up making it better. He clearly had some craftsmanship.

With a spear in hand, I set out to prepare the so-called “elixir” for the Four Villains and the White-Robed Scholar.

Guess I felt like an ancient hunter. Truth is, I didn’t even know if the fish here were actually elixirs. But it was true the chill from the Moon Orchid had disappeared. If this fish had effects beyond a tonic, it counted as an elixir.

I threw ten spears and skewered seven large fish. One would’ve been enough for a meal, so I didn’t overdo it. I tossed the catch onto land and got out of the lake.

While I was fishing, the camp was perfectly prepared.

A bonfire in the center, individual grills all around it. I went around distributing the fish I’d caught.

Soon we had fish skewered and slowly roasting over the flames.

The White-Robed Scholar flipped his fish and asked,

“Is this really an elixir?”

“Have you tried it?”

“No.”

“Then shut up.”

I took a swig of my bamboo flask and cooked the fish over high heat.

“And we haven’t explored the other side of the lake yet. There’s likely hasuo growing there. Not your everyday wild root—it’s probably hundred-year hasuo. These fish are extremely yang in nature. Eat that and the root together, and it might overwhelm your system. So pace yourself.”

Everyone stared at their fish in silence.

“......Oh, and there’s a lot of poisonous plants around here. Don’t go eating random herbs.”

The White-Robed Scholar studied his fish and asked,

“Can I eat it now?”

I nodded, and he tapped the scales to peel them off, then took a bite of the white meat.

He chewed quietly, looking confused by the unfamiliar taste.

The Four Villains started eating too.

I’d crisped mine all the way through and just bit into it whole. All of us now looked like greasy-mouthed fools.

As we ate, a heat began to spread through our bellies. But maybe sensing something, no one touched their alcohol. They were afraid the elixir’s effects would be diluted. We didn’t need to say it—we all understood.

After finishing an entire fish, the White-Robed Scholar looked around at us.

“.......”

He looked like he wanted to meditate but wasn’t sure if it was safe.

I stared at him and asked,

“Worried about an ambush?”

He nodded.

“You all feel the same, don’t you?”

“There’s no way you can endure this without meditating.”

The White-Robed Scholar let out a sigh.

I looked at the Four Villains and said,

“Let’s do this. There’s no way outsiders would fall into this place. If they did, it’d be as loud as your fall. The real issue is that we don’t trust each other. If we skip meditation because of that, we’re just being idiots. We’ll go first. If the White-Robed Scholar kills us all, then so be it. Big brother, start.”

The Sword Demon glanced ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) at the White-Robed Scholar, then calmly sat and closed his eyes.

The Ghost Demon sighed at the White-Robed Scholar.

“This is the most anxious meditation I’ve ever done.”

He followed suit.

The Lecher looked at me.

“Are we really doing this?”

I nodded.

“If we wanted to kill each other, we should’ve fought up top. This is pathetic.”

“...Sigh.”

Still looking uneasy, the Lecher finally sat and began meditating.

I looked at the White-Robed Scholar.

“Who goes next?”

“You go first.”

I observed his expression, then crossed my legs and began the energy flow ritual. As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt like he was about to strike me with internal energy.

If we all died here because I misjudged, then I’d have no excuse.

No one can remain calm on the edge of life and death. The image of death kept dancing in my head, but I focused on meditation.

Having eaten such a potent yang-rich fish, I used the Hundred Battles Tenfold Technique to regulate my body.

Becoming stronger is this difficult.

Mistrusting someone this completely is this terrifying.

Overcoming the fear of death is this brutal.

Even though this was routine meditation, a bead of sweat rolled down my back. Truth is, I couldn’t completely trust him either.

While I was trying to focus, I heard the White-Robed Scholar sigh.

The camp fell into silence, broken only by the crackling fire and the sound of breathing.

Whether he started meditating or not, I couldn’t tell. Occasionally I just heard his sighs. As I concentrated on my energy flow, I found myself thinking of the Right Guardian and the Black-Clad Person.

Strangely, I couldn’t forget the look on their faces.

Was it really the Right Guardian’s best choice to leave us behind?

If he’d outpaced the White-Robed Scholar and arrived first, that meant his lightness skill was just as good. And if he startled the White-Robed Scholar enough to retreat, his internal power must’ve been formidable too.

I kept thinking of the Right Guardian’s expression.

Maybe his top priority wasn’t killing us...

But protecting the raw material for the Celestial Jade?

I couldn’t shake the suspicion that the two of them fought on the way.

They’re both demonic, after all. The Black-Clad Person must’ve followed knowingly, and the Right Guardian must’ve fled with full awareness.

Maybe that’s why my unease still lingered...

Lost in thought, I suddenly found myself surrounded.

In front of me stood the Cult Leader. To my right, the Right Guardian. The Black-Clad Person also appeared, and the twin generals I’d seen before joined the encirclement.

Even if I activated Zaha Divine Arts in full, this wouldn’t be an easy fight.

If this really happened, what would I do?

Unfortunately, knowing my own nature, I’d probably unleash Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance right then and there.

If I vanished, would Hao Clan survive?

Could Yoran grow into a proper martial artist?

Could the other Triads and Im Sobaek fend off the Cult Leader?

All signs pointed to no.

In this thought, I reformed my body torn apart by Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance and found myself trapped again.

‘As always, the only answer is to run.’

If I ran, the Sword Demon would regroup. The Ghost Demon would arrive. The Lecher would find an opening. The White-Robed Scholar would show up with that nasty expression. And eventually, Cheonak would join the battle.

In the end, I have to keep getting stronger.

No matter what, I need the strength to run to the ends of the earth.

Having completed the major cycle of the Hundred Battles Tenfold Technique, I slowly opened my eyes.

Hoo...

The other Four Villains were already awake and watching me.

I checked the White-Robed Scholar. He hadn’t started meditating—just stared at me.

I asked him,

“White Robes, what are you doing? Time’s wasting.”

He looked around and muttered,

“What kind of idiots all meditate at once in such a defenseless state? Are you done?”

We all nodded...

Only then did he sit cross-legged, close his eyes, and say,

“My turn. Stand guard.”

The energy swirling around him quieted, and his expression shifted to something like a man in deep sleep.

With all four of us in front of him, he finally entered meditation.

With nothing else to do, I glanced at the Four Villains’ faces, then back at the White-Robed Scholar. His obstinance had been so ridiculous all the way here, I couldn’t help myself—I spun my finger near my temple and mouthed,

“Lunatic...”

The Four Villains struggled not to laugh.

Holding my bamboo flask of Dugangju, I looked at them. The Sword Demon, Ghost Demon, and Lecher lifted theirs in response.

We exchanged glances that said everything—and silently took a sip together.

As the White-Robed Scholar entered meditation, tranquility returned to Manjang Gorge.