Yongmyeong, Elder Heo’s disciple, who had climbed into the carriage, bowed his head slightly toward the Cult Leader.

“Did you summon me, Cult Leader?”

The Cult Leader looked at Yongmyeong and nodded.

“Got any jerky?”

“Yes.”

Yongmyeong reached into his robe and pulled out some jerky wrapped in thin paper, offering it to the Cult Leader. The Cult Leader unwrapped the jerky and began chewing as he spoke.

“Did you also learn poison from Elder Heo?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you coat the jerky with any?”

Yongmyeong replied.

“Because you eat it sometimes, Cult Leader.”

The Cult Leader chewed the jerky as he responded.

“Elder Heo must have told you to kill me.”

“That’s correct. But you’d be quite disappointed if I assassinated you with poison.”

“A killer bothers with that kind of thing?”

“My master does.”

“And you?”

“Yes. It’s just something I learned long ago during training. Master himself never assassinated with poison either.”

The Cult Leader shook his head.

“For a long time, Elder Heo always carried poison-coated Il-sal.”

“I didn’t know that.”

The Cult Leader looked at Yongmyeong and said,

“I heard Blood Night Palace changed its name to Seonghwa Palace without reporting it. Are they asking to be killed now?”

Yongmyeong, startled, searched for the right words.

“......”

Come to think of it, the carriage was simply heading east. The Cult Leader hadn’t specified a destination.

Yongmyeong realized that depending on his answer, the carriage’s destination would be decided.

The Cult Leader continued chewing the jerky as he waited for Yongmyeong’s reply.

“I believe I’ve given you ample time to think.”

With both hands resting on his knees, Yongmyeong pondered repeatedly. If the Cult Leader gave the order to head to Blood Night Palace, that would be its end.

He finally opened his mouth.

“To my knowledge, it was changed at the suggestion of the Young Palace Mistress. Since it’s named after the Heaven-Annihilating Sacred Flame Divine Art, I don’t believe any other meaning was intended. If you give the order, I’ll go and question them myself.”

“You’re only Elder Heo’s disciple. Do you have the right to question a palace lord?”

Yongmyeong’s lips twitched before he answered.

“I am now your guard, Cult Leader.”

The Cult Leader stared deeply into Yongmyeong’s eyes.

“You’re saying an assassin who came to kill me is now a guard? A killer and a guard have different mindsets.”

Yongmyeong quickly responded.

“My apologies, Cult Leader. That was a slip of the tongue—an excuse I blurted out to deflect the situation.”

The Cult Leader nodded, prompting Yongmyeong to continue.

“In truth, the name change was suggested by the Haomun Lord. The name Seonghwa Palace was actually given by Young Palace Mistress Gyo-yeong.”

“Blood Night Palace and Seonghwa Palace. What’s the difference? They’re just names of an outer division group.”

Yongmyeong replied.

“‘Blood Night’ was the title of the previous previous Palace Lord, so it’s not fitting as an organizational name.”

“Why?”

“Because she was a tyrant. The General Law states that when demonic factions like Samaa or Waedo dominate the world and commit excesses, no matter how powerful they are, the cultists purify them with the Sacred Flame. So the name Seonghwa Palace is more appropriate for an outer division.”

The Cult Leader nodded slightly.

“You really know how to spin it. Quoting the General Law, are we. Still, you’re not wrong—Blood Night was a tyrant who abused power. That’s probably why the scholars ganged up and killed her.”

“Yes.”

The Cult Leader, looking at Yongmyeong, gave him a choice.

“An outer division moving independently without reporting is a violation of the General Law. Likewise, sacred items of the cult being held by non-cultists is a violation. So, will you go to Blood Night Palace to censure the Palace Lord, or will you, Elder Heo’s disciple, go to Baek Eung-ji and retrieve Il-sal? Choose.”

Yongmyeong widened his eyes and stared at the Cult Leader.

“......”

The Cult Leader spoke briefly.

“Shall I choose for you?”

“I will retrieve Il-sal from the Palace Lord.”

The Cult Leader looked at Yongmyeong.

“Can you retrieve it?”

“Hmm.”

“To my eyes, the Palace Lord was also taught by Elder Heo. In terms of seniority, Yongmyeong, you’d be Elder Heo’s final disciple. Which means the Palace Lord is your junior. From Elder Heo’s perspective, that’s how it would be.”

“Yes.”

“No matter how I think about it, that technique the Palace Lord uses seems like something Elder Heo spent a long time refining in his own way. Since you were taught by the same man, I doubt you didn’t grasp it too. If I know Elder Heo, he wouldn’t have taught martial arts to an idiot. I was hesitant to approve it in case you ended up using it within the cult someday. Did you name it?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

Yongmyeong replied.

“Ilwol Jise (Sun-Moon Terrain).”

“Sounds vague. What does it mean?”

“It refers to the terrain where the sun and moon fall simultaneously.”

“Not a killer’s technique, then.”

“No, it was developed to confront you, Cult Leader—or someone like you, at least.”

“Any martial art that can annihilate both ally and enemy together must be used with caution. And...”

“Yes.”

The Cult Leader stroked his chin and spoke to Yongmyeong.

“It’s too slow. Not suited for use against masters. Improve it.”

“Understood.”

Only after gathering his wits did Yongmyeong realize he was being sent to face the Haomun Lord. It was completely unexpected. The repeated insistence from Elder Heo to assassinate the Cult Leader if he strayed too far—Yongmyeong now understood that had been a vain and empty dream from the start.

The Cult Leader picked up the last piece of jerky and said to Yongmyeong,

“Tastes just like what Elder Heo used to make. Strange.”

But what was truly strange was Yongmyeong’s own heart. This was the only way the entire Blood Night Palace could survive. He let out a short sigh without realizing it—and, catching himself making another mistake, quickly opened his mouth.

“Cult Leader, regarding the Gwangmyeong Sword... are you planning to have the Left Guardians fight over it to determine its rightful owner?”

The Cult Leader nodded.

“Indeed.”

“Do you have a prediction for who will win?”

The Cult Leader shook his head.

“The completed Sword Demon is inherently unrivaled. The former Left Guardian has become just an ordinary swordsman, so it’s hard to predict.”

Yongmyeong asked curiously,

“Why is the Sword Demon considered unrivaled? Master once said something similar.”

The Cult Leader replied.

“It’s probably because the first wielder of the Gwangmyeong Sword was like that. The ancient Sword Demons would trap their enemies in a technique called the Demonic Sword Soul Battlefield and kill ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ them there. But if they fell into internal deviation within it, they couldn’t escape themselves and died. It’s a very old martial art. So old, it’s treated as something demonic.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“The Left Guardian originally has the authority to execute those who violate the General Law. The sword he wields is a sword of execution. The old Left Guardian seems to think he left the cult, but in truth, he hasn’t.”

Yongmyeong looked at the Cult Leader.

The Cult Leader continued with a smile.

“He’s still fulfilling his role as Left Guardian. He’s dealt with countless ghosts, hasn’t he?”

“That’s true.”

“If he doesn’t want to become a demon, he can just return the Gwangmyeong Sword. But I can’t read the Sword Demon’s heart.”

“Will wielding the Gwangmyeong Sword for a long time inevitably turn one into a demon?”

“A killer who executes—is that a good person? That position is meant for someone utterly cold-hearted.”

Yongmyeong nodded.

“Now that I think about it, the current Left Guardian is a cold person.”

The Cult Leader responded.

“That’s as far as he goes. If he aims for more, you’re to assassinate him. He kneels before your eyes, but acts like a king once your back is turned.”

“Why did you appoint such a man as Left Guardian?”

“Yongmyeong.”

“Yes.”

“It’s easier to kill someone when they’re close.”

Only then did Yongmyeong realize that the Cult Leader was his senior martial brother. This kind of logic aligned perfectly with the killer’s teachings of Elder Heo. At the same time, he couldn’t fully understand the Cult Leader’s thinking, which left him flustered. He even began to wonder whether the Cult Leader had chosen him as a successor, causing his heart to waver as it did with his own master.

Of course, this was also for the safety of Blood Night Palace.

Riding in the carriage with the Cult Leader, Yongmyeong finally began to understand why Elder Heo had left the cult.

There was no way to win against the Cult Leader.

***

When I drew the wooden sword—Il-sal—and began wiping the blade, Commander Geumho asked,

“Il-sal is a blade reserved for the cult’s top assassin. Why does the Lord of Haomun have it?”

“The man who was the top assassin gave it to me as a gift.”

“For what reason?”

I looked at Commander Geumho but couldn’t find an answer. No matter what I said, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d become the top assassin of the Demonic Cult.

Perhaps sensing my hesitation, Commander Geumho repeated himself.

“When the Cult Leader arrives, return it yourself. You don’t intend to become a cultist, do you?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Or earn the Cult Leader’s recognition as the Number One Killer directly.”

Commander Geumho burst into laughter, and only those of high status laughed along with him.

I stared at Il-sal’s blade and thought of Elder Heo. As I thought of him, I recalled one of his teachings for the first time in a long while:

...The most efficient moment when yin and yang meet is what we call Taeguk. To counter this, the demonic path long researched the Reversed Taeguk. In the end, when striving toward the highest point, everyone contemplates the same things. Whether it’s Dengbong Joguk or Talma, they’re just signposts posted near the path to completion.

If that’s the case, it means I’m still incomplete.

After all, I recently experienced Talma—what Elder Heo and my eldest brother refer to as escaping the demonic state.

Come to think of it, I’d forgotten this, but Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance began with Elder Heo’s martial teachings. It was a technique I conceived after repeatedly studying the book he gave me on the interaction of yin and yang. Considering Elder Heo’s origins, the roots of Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance lean toward the demonic path.

But I’m not someone who only wields Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance.

To externalize the clash of yin and yang is Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance.

To internalize yin and yang simultaneously is Zaha Divine Art.

That means within my body, Taeguk and Reversed Heaven alternate in succession. If one insists on calling Taeguk a Daoist martial teaching, then I am simultaneously practicing both Daoist and demonic martial arts.

That’s the nature of my current situation as well.

Outside the Zaha Guest House, the Demonic Cult has arrived.

Inside the Zaha Guest House, the Seven Killers of Yunnan remain alive. I haven’t immediately killed them—I’m observing.

Letting the living live... you could say that’s a bit Daoist.

While lost in these thoughts, I continued wiping the blade and reflecting on my life.

Internal energy and external energy.

Yin and yang.

Crazy Demon and Talma.

Demonic path and Daoist path, overlapping.

If I stretch the metaphor further—

I also carry the identities of both Jomsoi and the Lord of Haomun.

Suddenly, I thought of the Cult Leader—someone I consider my opposite.

I couldn’t guess his exact age, but he’s likely older than my eldest brother. Which means he’s practiced both yin and yang long before me. I don’t know when the Three Calamities had their first clash.

But only now, after deepening my martial realm, have I come to this realization...

Can Senior Shin Gae and Cheonak even handle the current Cult Leader?

If the Cult Leader also practiced Ilwol (Sun-Moon arts), then maybe those called the Three Calamities didn’t fail to kill him—they chose not to.

I looked at my eldest brother, lying on the wooden bench...

And thought—if the Cult Leader shows up here, the only outcomes awaiting me are defeat, escape, or death.

If I want to survive—

Of course, I’ll run.

Then afterward, I’ll combine internal and external energy, harmonize yin and yang, pursue the next stage beyond Crazy Demon and Talma, and interpret both demonic and Daoist teachings in my own way. Only then can both Jomsoi and the Lord of Haomun survive.

Because in the end, I’m not a good man by nature.

Some must die. Some must be spared. That’s the only way to accept both the demonic path and the Daoist path.

Life’s just that complicated.

The reason I changed my mind and decided I’d flee if the Cult Leader showed up—was, of course, the Three Calamities. If even the Leader of the Beggars' Sect and Cheonak together couldn’t kill the Cult Leader, then it means neither Im Sobaek nor my eldest brother could sever even one of his arms.

If there exists a being no one else in the world can face—

Then the only option is for me to become that being.

At the very least, I should witness the Cult Leader’s full power once in person.

Right now, clouds cover the sky—I can’t tell where he is.

I suddenly turned to the left.

Another wave of troops was approaching, dressed uniformly. The sun was rising, and the characters on the flags became visible.

“...Silver Dragon.”

Paired with Geumho (Golden Tiger), I knew it had to be the Demonic Cult. Likely from the outer division, hence their staggered arrival.

A man presumed to be the Silver Dragon Commander approached and spoke.

“...Message: The Cult Leader has visited Ilyang County. There, he met the young disciple Jang Yoran, successor to the Jade Blossom Palace’s legacy. From this point forward, all cultists, regardless of rank, are not to interfere with Ilyang County. Relay this to anyone who is unaware.”

The Silver Dragon Commander, having arrived in front of the Zaha Guest House, looked up at me.

“...Did you hear that, Haomun Lord?”

I nodded, and the Silver Dragon Commander said with a smirk,

“That’s all the reaction you have to the Cult Leader’s magnanimity?”

“Silver Dragon Commander, are you the Cult Leader?”

I looked down at him. He faltered for a moment before silently returning to his place.

Seriously...

A young disciple who inherited the legacy of Jade Blossom Palace...?

In my past life, that was probably the same reason the Lecher survived and became the Left Guardian.

The Cult Leader hadn’t even arrived, yet a heavy, uncomfortable weight settled in my chest.

It must be what they call pressure.

I looked absentmindedly at my eldest brother. He, too, seemed surprised—he was now sitting up on the bench, staring back at me.

We had nothing in particular to say to each other.