After hearing that the Cult Leader had passed through Ilyang County, I was a bit shocked. Resting my chin in my hand, I looked over the cultists.

The Cult Leader seems to be invincible.

He doesn’t mourn the loss of his subordinates, and even if his own children are killed somewhere, he doesn’t care. A man without weaknesses.

Then a thought struck me.

Wouldn’t he care more about his old comrades—like Elder Heo or the Sword Demon—than his subordinates or his children? Thinking back on the Cult Leader’s actions, the only time he seemed remotely human was when he came to see Elder Heo himself.

Everything else shows complete indifference.

Leaving Ilyang County alone was essentially the same as taking the entire region hostage. I sighed.

No matter how I considered it, there seemed no way to face him. So I emptied my mind for a moment.

Even the cultists before me—if given the order—would rush me without hesitation and die in the process.

'He's something else.'

Back in my previous life, I was confused when cultists followed me off the cliffs of Manjang Gorge. But now I understand. The Cult Leader must’ve been even more terrifying than that fall.

The Demonic Cult has plenty of flaws and shortcomings.

But the Cult Leader shows no such gaps.

Whether I hate him or not, I have to admit—he truly is a Great Master.

While I was watching the cultists, having discarded any thought of defeating the Cult Leader, an order came down. All the cultists reached into their robes and pulled something {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} out—paper-like.

It was jerky. They all started chewing.

Was this... breakfast?

I watched them eat. Even the top brass, like Commander Geumho, were no exception.

All of them, from the highest to the lowest, chewed jerky while staring at me. I didn’t think watching people eat would surprise me, but here we are.

Still resting my chin, I asked them,

“...You call that breakfast?”

No one replied.

When I looked toward the interior, I saw the Seven Killers of Yunnan preparing their own morning meal. I made eye contact with Flying Sword Ghost and asked,

“How much food is in the warehouse?”

Flying Sword Ghost answered,

“Enough for thirty to forty days for a few dozen people. You must’ve had a lot of laborers.”

I nodded and turned to Commander Geumho.

“Commander Geumho.”

“What is it?”

“Come in and take some rations.”

Commander Geumho paused his chewing and laughed.

“Ha ha ha.”

He looked at me as if I’d said something ridiculous.

“No need.”

“Why? Think it’s poisoned?”

“I don’t need your charity. You probably think we look pitiful chewing jerky, but don’t bother.”

“Then I’ll give you money. Buy food from Baek Eung-ji.”

This time, the cultists all burst into laughter. One of the Seven Killers of Yunnan turned to me and said,

“Lord, just let it go. That kind of talk doesn’t work here.”

“So even telling someone to eat doesn’t get through, huh?”

A moment later, Flying Sword Ghost approached holding a bowl with chopsticks stuck in it.

“Here. Eat this.”

The bowl was piled high with rice, topped with a few slices of meat and a bit of seasoning.

I looked at the food and asked,

“Poison?”

Flying Sword Ghost shouted,

“No!”

“Yeah, sure.”

He handed me the food and walked off. I grabbed the chopsticks and looked around as I began to eat. Seeing the bastards still chewing jerky, I couldn’t help myself.

“This is what a proper meal looks like. You dumbasses. Want some?”

“......”

The cultists, mouths full of jerky, drank water from their leather pouches and stared at me.

While chewing, I said,

“...Your Cult Leader is too damn impressive. There’s no way to deal with him.”

Commander Geumho answered,

“Lord, you sure took your time realizing that.”

As I ate, I began explaining Haomun to them.

“But it’s the Cult Leader who’s remarkable. Not you. And Haomun, the group I lead, is larger than your cult.”

“No way.”

“Sure, we’re weaker. But we have more people. Most of them haven’t even learned martial arts. Still, there are those in the Murim Alliance, in the Black Path, among scholars... Anyone here want to join Haomun?”

I raised the hand holding the chopsticks—then lowered it. No takers.

“I’ll tell you how to become one of us.”

Commander Geumho responded.

“No need.”

“You just need to want to be one. That’s it. No conditions, no rules, no approval. I’m the Sect Leader, but you don’t need my permission. If you see an old man pushing a cart and, instead of beating or killing him, you lend a hand—that’s enough. That’s all it takes to be Haomun. You don’t even have to abandon your loyalty to the Cult Leader. Simple, right?”

From behind, one of the Seven Killers of Yunnan asked,

“That’s really Haomun?”

I nodded.

“I’m the Sect Leader. Why would I lie?”

I scraped the bowl clean and set it down. Then someone called out and tossed me something.

“Lord.”

I caught it—it was a bottle of liquor. I asked,

“Poisoned?”

“Can’t you just shut up and drink it?”

“My mouth, my rules.”

“If you die from poison, the Sword Demon will kill us. Why would we poison you?”

I looked at the cultists and raised the bottle.

“...Anyone want some? No? Guess it’s just me.”

As I drank, I thought—if the Cult Leader orders the recovery of Ilsal, I’ll have no choice but to hand it over.

Ilyang County and Yoran have changed everything.

While drinking, I stared at the wooden sword Elder Heo had given me. If I think of it as something that was never mine, it doesn’t matter whether I have it or not. The people of Ilyang County are more important than a sword—because I am the sword.

I let go of my attachment to Ilsal quickly.

I asked Commander Geumho,

“This sword was a gift from Elder Heo. Was he really the top assassin in the cult?”

Commander Geumho nodded.

“Universally acknowledged. First Kill.”

“I got it directly from him. Do you really have grounds to reclaim it?”

“If the Cult Leader ordered it, it must be recovered. Technically, Elder Heo should’ve returned it when he retired. We’re long overdue. Plus, Blood Night Palace has been acting on its own. They’re likely to face punishment soon. If you don’t return Ilsal, it’ll make things worse for them.”

I nodded.

“So that’s the plan.”

It felt similar to taking Ilyang County hostage to pressure me.

So the Cult Leader had it all figured out. Then even keeping me and the Sword Demon alive must’ve served some purpose. I couldn’t be sure.

I asked Commander Geumho,

“Then aside from Elder Heo and the Guardians, Ilsal should go to the top assassin, right?”

He nodded.

“That’s what the General Law says.”

I held up Ilsal to the cultists.

“Then I’d prefer First Kill himself to take it. Someone who actually defeats me. But you keep whining about laws. Commander Geumho, come get it.”

As he started walking forward, another voice rang out—one that hadn’t spoken until now.

“Stop. Commander Geumho.”

Commander Eunyong had spoken.

But Commander Geumho ignored him and continued approaching.

“I’ll keep it safe and deliver it to the Cult Leader. Lord, hand it over.”

Suddenly, something flew in and slashed the ground in front of him. Sword energy—it carved a deep trench across his path.

Commander Eunyong spoke.

“I told you to stop.”

I leaned against the wall, resting my head on my right arm, watching them. I got along better with Commander Geumho, so I scolded Commander Eunyong.

“He said he’d keep it safe and give it to the Cult Leader. Why are you interfering? And how dare you draw your sword against a fellow Commander? You’re overstepping. Cultists, don’t fight among yourselves. That’s an order from the Haomun Sect Leader.”

Commander Geumho gave Commander Eunyong a dumbfounded look and said,

“Don’t draw your sword again.”

Commander Eunyong replied,

“Elder Heo was the Chief Commander of the cult. In his prime, he was stronger than even the Guardians. Second only to the Cult Leader. Ilsal must remain with the strongest.”

Commander Geumho responded,

“The Guardians have left. How do you propose we choose a second-in-command now? Stop being unreasonable.”

I stepped in.

“You foolish creatures, stop fighting. When I said ‘come and take it,’ I didn’t mean I was just handing it over. Whether you’re cultist or Haomun disciple, if you have any sense of honor, you should at least be stronger than me to deserve it. Elder Heo would agree, don’t you think?”

“......”

“Your creed is strength above all. Strange people like you are rare even in this world. Try being a little more honest. Elder Heo chose me as First Kill. If you want Ilsal, take it by strength. But from what I can tell, you two are weaker than the Four Heavenly Kings. I’ll allow you to come at me together.”

For the first time, Commander Geumho’s expression changed—his composure cracked. His eyes burned with fury.

I was a bit surprised.

It’s this hard to rattle a single Commander? Perhaps being shamed in front of subordinates was the real sting. Commander Eunyong, who seemed calmer, stepped forward.

“...You’ve said something unforgivable, Sect Leader.”

Seeing the provocation work, I stood from the wall.

“Leaders, this is what you should’ve done from the start. Sacrificing your subordinates is the method I hate most.”

My eldest brother, having finished eating, leapt onto the wall and sat cross-legged, clearly signaling he wouldn’t interfere.

I jumped down and thought,

'In the end, the fool is me.'

Commander Eunyong and Commander Geumho drew their weapons and charged simultaneously. I drew Ilsal and channeled internal energy. As their blades swung, sword winds burst forth.

So that’s why they were angry—they weren’t weak. Even if they belonged to the outer division, they had the air of true leaders.

So “Commander” must be a title within the cult hierarchy.

But I noticed my own movements were much smoother than before. My martial strength had definitely grown.

Close-up—

Commander Geumho wielded a standard longsword, while Commander Eunyong used a bizarre saber shaped like fish teeth. They didn’t seem close, but their teamwork was flawless.

Each time I parried the saber—

Commander Eunyong twisted it to disrupt my blade’s path, and Commander Geumho exploited the gap. But I didn’t even need anything beyond Makgunja to suppress them.

Because the Makgunja I wield now is on a different level.

I deflected both weapons with Ilsal, searching for a gap to land a pressure point technique. As seasoned warriors, they showed no immediate openings. After twenty or so exchanges, I matched strength with Commander Geumho and froze Commander Eunyong’s shoulder with cold energy.

Tak!

Commander Eunyong, now slower, swung his saber.

Commander Geumho, driven back, shouted and charged again. I tracked his sword path, parried, and injected cold energy into his chest.

Tak!

Then I kicked Commander Eunyong’s slowed lower body, throwing off his balance, and drove cold energy from Moonlight Cold Heart Technique into his chest again.

Even staggering, the two pitifully swung sword and saber. I stepped back, sheathed Ilsal, and watched.

Even as I backed away—

The two chased me, bodies stiffening, eyes locked on me.

“Wow...”

Their faces were worth seeing—shame and fury tangled together. I saw them exchange glances. Sensing danger, I saw them swing their blades—not at me, but at each other. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I instantly drew Ilsal with a kick, knocking their weapons into the air with a burst of sword energy.

Clang! Their blades spun and then stuck into the ground.

What shocked me came next. The two inhaled at the same time, raised one hand each, and struck their Heavenly Soul Points.

I rushed forward with Dark Fragrance Drifting and struck both with cold energy.

'Pak!'

Frozen mid-motion, both collapsed where they stood. I’d stopped their suicide, but I sighed deeply.

'What the hell is the Demonic Cult?'

The two Commanders trembled with pale faces, staring at me. The chill must’ve been coursing through their bodies. Tough bastards—taking it all without even circulating their energy.

I said to the two idiots who had jerky for breakfast,

“...That wasn’t your real strength, was it?”

“......”

“You need to eat properly to fight properly. Is the Cult Leader that terrifying? If he tells you to die, fine—die. But he hasn’t said anything yet. Killing yourselves now is defiance. If you’re going to die, do it with honor. What is this, a child’s tantrum?”

“......”

“This was a test to see who deserves Ilsal. You two failed. I’m better than you. Right? If a fool takes Ilsal, Elder Heo would be disappointed. That man served the cult for a hundred years. If he gave Ilsal to me, you should respect that.”

Commander Geumho looked at me.

“Kill us.”

I shook my head.

“Even if we’re on different sides, admiring a brave man is something people have always done. Stop telling me what to do.”

“......”

As I walked backward, I said,

“I became Sect Leader because I hate taking orders.”

I returned to the wall and sat beside my eldest brother, looking down at the two Commanders with their eyes shut. The cold had reached their chins and faces, the frost visibly creeping up. The fact that I’d grown stronger was obvious—even to the eye.

My eldest brother, still watching, looked at me.

“Third.”

“What?”

“Looks like you’ve broken through your heart demon.”

I nodded and looked at him.

“Don’t start flip-flopping now. I’m the Crazy Demon.”

He stared at me for a moment, expressionless—then for the first time, he cursed at me.

“Lunatic.”

“......”