The Second Son, who had been staring at the Muga Dagger, said:

“Any last words?”

“Where would I even use last words?”

The Second Son looked at me and said:

“I’ll deliver the Haomun Master's last words to your acquaintances. Of course, after I kill you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his words.

“You dumb bastard. Asking pointless crap. Let me think a second. Ah, but before that, I’ll give you one thing—your side’s already lost. I’ve already nudged Cheonak’s heart a little.”

“......”

“That means whether you start a localized battle or launch a full-scale assault, you no longer have a way to seize the world. Lock yourself up and train martial arts all you want, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» but that’s what happens. Even if I die here or you go around spouting my last words, it won’t change the big picture.”

Lord Yang looked stunned.

“...You're one hell of a lunatic.”

The Second Son said with a rigid face:

“Is that so? I don’t quite understand what you mean by turning Cheonak’s heart. He was our enemy to begin with.”

“What the hell does the Cult Leader’s son know about the world?”

“Do you think Cheonak and Shin Gae can handle the Cult Leader? Quite some time has passed. Seems you’ve done your homework on the current state of things. But your perspective differs from ours.”

Strangely enough, this bastard only said what he wanted. Then again, I’m like that too, so it didn’t feel particularly strange.

I nodded.

“You’ll find out in time. I’ve been dashing around laying out the board quite nicely. But before that— you three are going to die here.”

Lord Yang asked:

“Master, why are you so delusional? I knew you were insane from before.”

“Lord Yang, you’ll see soon enough. Only the extremely lucky ones will survive. Ah, then I should leave my will too.”

I gave them my final words:

“Alive, I’m the Haomun Master. Dead, I’m the Crazy Demon. That’s who I am. That’s my will. You three got any last words? If so, speak. I’ll deliver them to the Cult Leader.”

Gwangmyeong Usa, who had been silent, smiled calmly and said:

“Master, based on the data we’ve gathered on you, it seems you’ve figured out the method of reversing heaven using yin and yang. But do you think you’re the only one in the world who knows it? Those who practiced that method of defying heaven were already slain by the Cult Leader in the past. Besides, the Cult Leader himself has studied it.”

“Is that so?”

“Shin Gae and Cheonak won’t be able to handle it either. Alive, you’re Haomun Master. Dead, you’re the Crazy Demon... so be it.”

Lord Yang smirked and said:

“Well then, shall we have some fun?”

The three of them stared at me like they thought it was enough.

I waited briefly to counter their opening move, but none of them made the first move. Only then did I realize that the three of them considered themselves equals. One was a war hero, one the Cult Leader’s son, and one a powerful authority in the Cult.

I looked at the Muga Dagger, then sent a blast of palm force toward Gwangmyeong Usa. It was strong enough to send me flying.

KWAANG!

Of course, I meant I was the one sent flying.

As the shockwave rippled out and Lord Yang and the Second Son backed off—

I shot backward at high speed, and in midair, I drew my sword and sliced through the neck of the fake Jomsoi who had turned the noodles into a sticky mess.

SPLURT!

Before the head even hit the ground, I rushed into the kitchen. As expected, the bodies of the original workers lay limp and discarded in a corner.

I slaughtered the few cultists waiting there with my wooden sword, blasted through the wall with a palm strike, and pressed forward. I had avenged the ruined noodles and the dead alike.

Given the situation—

I forgot about sleep, forgot about hunger.

They’d said they had surrounded the area on all sides, but once I got outside, cultists were rushing in from every direction.

Fortunately, the area was wide open, so escape was easy.

I wondered if I could make it into the top ten light-footwork masters in Jianghu. Even after putting away my wooden sword and sprinting full speed, Lord Yang, Gwangmyeong Usa, and the Second Son kept up easily.

I had a gut feeling that troops were probably stationed near Baek Eung-ji, so I ran the other way. It’d be better to take a long detour before heading toward Baek Eung-ji.

Since there was still quite some distance, even shouting with internal energy or using a thunderclap wouldn’t reach Baek Eung-ji. If the Four Villains joined up, the tide could turn, but there was no way to contact or request aid—so I just ran.

If I were lucky, someone would notice the Muga Dagger stuck in the table.

I focused on light footwork, but once I felt I still had strength to spare, I gave a shout:

“Save me!”

While leaping through the air and spinning around to check the chase behind me, I saw Lord Yang, Gwangmyeong Usa, and the Second Son leading the pack like a trio of generals. Behind them came Hong Mok-han and other mid-level officers, and behind them, waves of cultists.

No matter how crazy I was—

I wasn’t about to beat that trio in a fair fight. But running made me oddly euphoric, and it seemed there was little chance the Zaha Divine Art would kick in now. Why do I always feel so good when I’m fleeing? Maybe my senses are too sharp, because I could clearly hear Gwangmyeong Usa’s voice cutting through the wind:

“...Take your unit to Baek Eung-ji. If the Sword Demon tries to join up, enter Baek Eung-ji and massacre the civilians first. Go.”

“Yes, understood.”

Judging by the voice, it was Hong Mok-han replying.

Now Lord Yang’s voice was drawing closer:

“How long do you plan to keep running?”

I still had energy to spare, so I answered back:

“I take back my will. Forget that crap. I like one-on-one fights.”

“Fine. I’ll fight you one-on-one, so stop running.”

“Crazy bastard. Piss off.”

I was now familiar with the terrain around Baek Eung-ji. I ran toward the most desolate path possible. Part of the reason I felt so good while running was because my light footwork had improved beyond what it was in my previous life.

Now Gwangmyeong Usa’s voice reached me:

“Master, isn’t this the kind of location you wanted? It’s quiet. If you keep running, we’ll pull off troops to begin massacring civilians.”

I couldn’t help but snort.

“You pathetic bastard. Why live so pathetically petty?”

To keep from being rattled by his words, I figured I better run faster.

I leapt into the air, stepped forward with my left foot, and launched Dark Fragrance Drifting as if I were climbing a waterfall. Of course, I was fleeing. A dust waterfall exploded beneath my foot and surged like a wave, and I blasted forward using Dark Fragrance Drifting. It was the same move that had pierced through a raging waterfall in one shot. My whole body was wrapped in wind like I was using an immortal’s teleportation technique.

Here’s what I think—

You absolutely should never fight bastards like them head-on. It’s better to drag them around like a dog’s tail for three or four days. So I ran with everything I had. Once I widened the distance, I spun in the air again to check the chasing order. Baek Eung-ji was getting farther away, and the area was becoming more and more deserted, but I still shouted into the sky:

“...Save me!”

I swear, no one in history has shouted “save me” louder than I just did. Even I thought it was so thunderous it echoed even though there were no mountains nearby. Does your martial strength reach the point where even open plains echo?

I turned the cry into a simple melody and sang “Save me” the entire time I fled. Despite all the bluffing—being the Haomun Master, stabbing a dagger into a table, claiming I’d be the Crazy Demon in death—I had absolutely no intention of dying here.

For a brief moment, I felt genuinely grateful. Grateful that I had martial arts, internal energy, and light footwork fast enough to outrun even Gwangmyeong Usa, the Second Son, and Lord Yang.

I felt I could probably just dash straight to the Martial Alliance now.

But then Gwangmyeong Usa’s voice issued an order:

“Unit Leader Go, move east and you’ll reach Byeokcheon County. Slaughter everyone. Leave not even a dog alive.”

“We receive the command.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The moment I heard that, I stopped and turned around.

“......”

And the trio, as well as the entire cult force that had been chasing me, stopped too. The trio caught their breath, while the rest staggered and panted as they drew near.

I raised my right hand and said to Gwangmyeong Usa:

“I lost. I surrender. You people are evil beyond belief.”

They were the kind to follow through with that kind of order, so I was truly dumbfounded. Unfortunately, I also knew this terrain decently well—Byeokcheon County really wasn’t far from here.

Lord Yang stepped forward and said:

“Start by kneeling.”

At the word “kneel,” the thought occurred to me: I should soar instead. A thrill ran down my spine. If I meet Cheonak again, maybe I should bow properly at least once. The absence of a waterfall pouring down on my head felt so joyous and freeing. Thinking of Cheonak, I muttered:

“Senior, our training really was pretty damn cool.”

I lowered my stance, then released Dark Fragrance Drifting with all the force I had, enough to obliterate a waterfall.

‘Anyone who can jump higher than me—come and follow.’

As I soared into the sky, some reckless cultists followed me up—and I unleashed a barrage of Fiery Great Water Seals at them. At the same time, I applied the principle of weight balance that the White-Robed Scholar and Senior Shin Gae had taught me, absorbing the seal’s recoil with my body. So I was combining Dark Fragrance Drifting and the Fiery Great Water Seal to launch myself.

Wasn’t this good enough?

From a height I couldn’t reach alone, I gazed down at the cult’s forces.

Was I going to die here by my own Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance?

Without a second thought, I prepared the technique toward the cult army that had waited below. Honestly, I should’ve used a moderate version to avoid massive damage—but ever since I returned from the Iron Mountain Pavilion, my martial arts had deepened.

In midair, I held the taiji formed from Crimson Free-Wandering and Moonlight Cold Heart techniques. Just as I was about to complete Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance using the reversal method Gwangmyeong Usa had mentioned, I activated Hundred Battles Tenfold Technique from both thumbs.

CRACKLEEEEEEEE!

I let out a sigh.

“...Ah, save me.”

Turns out, the one who would kill the Haomun Master—was me. That’s the Crazy Demon for you.

I unleashed the three-colored Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance, formed from Crimson Free-Wandering, Moonlight Cold Heart, and Hundred Battles Tenfold Techniques, with every ounce of strength.

So what would become of me?

Though I’m not a disciple of Buddha, I couldn’t help but mutter:

“...Namu Amida Efffing Butsu.”

Good thing I didn’t actually hurl the Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance.

As it spun violently in the air, I dropped a half-beat too late and frantically made hand gestures, firing seal after seal of energy into the air. I hurled them forward, underfoot, everywhere—but it was all a hopeless struggle. There was no escaping the blast radius.

In that moment, I saw the cult army scattering like ants.

More than anything, the distinctively dressed trio were fleeing the fastest. Seeing Gwangmyeong Usa, Lord Yang, and the Second Son bolt from a single technique—damn, that felt rewarding.

Then I realized I had only two ways to survive.

For some reason, my fighting spirit kicked in, and I chose the riskier one.

I had to endure the aftermath of Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance with my own martial arts.

I extended my right hand, left hand supporting behind it.

The moment I thought I was going deaf—

I summoned all the techniques I knew, starting from my pinky. Wood Line, Flame Line, Thrust Line, Full Moon, Hundred Battles—all wrapped around my five fingers, and I countered the shapeless, silent shockwave with the Five-Colored Palm.

Suddenly, something reversed up my body and burst out of my mouth. I lost my sense of direction first, then hearing, then sight. I thought, if I fell unconscious, I’d shatter every bone in my body. So before blacking out, I wrapped my entire body in Moonlight Cold Heart. Since I’d used Absolute Solitude before, it wasn’t too hard.

When the hell will I ever grow up?

Right as I thought, “So the Crazy Demon ends up killing the Haomun Master after all,” I hit the ground and lost consciousness. I hovered between passing out and coming to from the pain.

Still, I must be a man of Il Yang County.

I kept my word.

When I finally stopped rolling, racked with agony, the clear sky came into view. If any of the trio had survived Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance, now would be the time for them to kill me.

I hadn’t maintained Absolute Solitude long enough, so my body hadn’t completely stiffened.

But I couldn’t move.

For some reason, I was immobile—but my damn mouth still worked.

“...Save me.”

Honestly, that’s for the best. If I can talk while lying on my back, maybe I can bring down the Cult from a sickbed. Maybe then my new nickname will be Reclining Crazy Demon.

In truth, my real last words were: “Save me.”

I couldn’t die like this.

I started by moving the parts of my body I could. I wiggled my fingers and toes, then checked if my neck was broken. As I breathed through my mouth, dust spurted out. I lifted my head slightly and saw I was half-buried in a crater. Looked like my body had made that pit when I crashed into the ground.

“......”

I forced my staggering body upright.

The horizon was strangely clean. After that kind of blast, there should’ve been corpses piled like mountains.

Part of me wanted to flee, but curiosity won out as always, so I walked forward. My body was weak, so I drew the wooden sword still intact at my waist.

When I reached the edge, I saw... there was no ground. Just crater after crater. It was as if the youngest disciple of Manjang Gorge had come to life before me.

It was unthinkably wide and unimaginably deep.

And shockingly, at the very far edge of it all—Gwangmyeong Usa sat cross-legged.

I didn’t see Lord Yang or the Second Son for now, but just seeing Gwangmyeong Usa sitting like that made my legs give out and I, too, sat cross-legged.

How the hell did he survive?

Did he react fast and use light footwork to escape? Or like me, did he use palm force to reduce the damage?

Fact is, the moment I dropped Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance, those three were already sprinting away.

“That bastard’s tough.”

Gwangmyeong Usa was looking at me, but didn’t seem intent on moving just yet. Judging from how wrecked I was, he seemed pretty messed up too.

I called out to him from afar.

“...Hey, Usa.”

“......”

“Are you contemplating your last words? How’s it feel, losing all your subordinates?”

He didn’t answer, which made it all the more hilarious—and I couldn’t help but snicker.