Yoran and the returning Lecher both wore unusually serious expressions. On top of that, Yoran looked like she had been crying, which was absurd.

Come to think of it, she's the Lecher's disciple too. And judging by his grim face, it didn’t seem like nagging would work—so I let it go. Honestly, I had a good idea of what kind of conversation had taken place.

Even in the midst of it all, Yoran smiled when she saw Big Bro and me.

So I had no choice but to smile with her.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Just because."

"Yoran, come sit beside me."

"Yes, sir."

"The masters are planning to depart at dawn."

"Already?"

"When fighting in rugged mountains, you have to befriend the mountain in advance. If you want to win, you can’t rule out any means—knowing the terrain, the air, the wind, visibility, the environment—all of that matters."

"I’ll remember that. But is Mount Hua far from here?"

"It’s quite far, but for us it’s not too far."

"Because of Lightness Skill?"

Smiling, I asked Yoran,

"Right. Among the masters, who has the fastest lightness skill?"

"Third Master."

"That’s me. If you had to choose the most important martial art, what would it be?"

"Lightness Skill."

"And to improve your lightness skill?"

"Walk every day. Then run the places you used to walk. Then run them again while weighted. As your internal energy deepens, your body must adapt to the increased strength, so you have to repeat this constantly to get faster."

I nodded as Yoran recited exactly what I had taught her.

“...If you encounter an enemy with no chance of winning?"

"Use Lightness Skill to escape while planning a counterattack. That counterattack doesn’t need to happen right away."

"And if the opponent has deeper internal energy than you?"

"Avoid an internal energy battle. That’s why you must not neglect training with weapons."

Truthfully, there was no need to go deeper right now. There are times when weapons can’t bridge the gap in internal energy—but that’s not for today’s lesson. Anyway, Yoran remembered everything I had taught her.

She really is a smart disciple.

To be honest, I couldn’t even remember everything I had said to her. That makes me a master dumber than my disciple.

So I asked Yoran,

"What did I say is the most important thing?"

Yoran answered,

"You said surviving is more important than winning or losing."

"That’s right."

I nodded aimlessly again.

It felt like I’d taught her everything there is to teach. At the same time, it felt like the words I’d taught were now coming back to me.

Surviving is more important than winning or losing, most of the time. But in certain situations, a victory becomes more important than life itself.

Our journey to Mount Hua is one of those situations.

With Yoran beside me, I continuously expanded my thoughts, preparing for the confrontation with the Cult Leader.

My instincts told me...

This fight would be decided by mindset. I couldn’t explain why—I just always believed that both cause and result originate in the mind.

In a situation like this, martial arts were merely auxiliary.

During my time in Ilyang County, I frequently examined my own heart in order to defeat the Cult Leader in mindset.

The Lecher was watching the road ahead, and even Big Bro was unusually silent today. Strangely enough, the scenery of Ilyang County looked more beautiful and satisfying than ever before.

"Yoran."

"Yes?"

"The masters are going to hold a strategy meeting. You go in first. This will be our farewell."

Yoran stood up from her chair and looked at Big Bro, the Lecher, and me.

Her small eyes seemed like they were trying to memorize our faces. It was kind of amazing.

There are many difficult things in the world, but maintaining a calm and composed expression in front of a young disciple may be one of the hardest.

And yet, looking at my clever disciple, I couldn’t help but smile.

Standing properly, Yoran said,

"First Master, Third Master, Fourth Master. Please return safely."

"Got it."

"We’ll come back safe."

"Go to bed early. Sleeping from the Hour of the Rat to the Hour of the Hare allows for the fastest recovery in cultivation."

As Yoran went inside, the Lecher muttered,

"...Telling a young disciple about recovery, what nonsense. Anyway, what’s the strategy?"

I looked ahead and replied,

"There is none. What strategy?"

"I thought you were always a man with a plan."

"I have a plan. Training."

The Lecher turned to Big Bro and asked,

"Master, is that right?"

"It’s right. Let’s climb Mount Hua and train."

The Lecher looked at me and muttered as if complaining,

"...Lately you haven’t even been doing breathing exercises. You’re not even training with your sword. What are you even doing?"

I looked back at the Lecher.

"If all you do is obsess over getting stronger, you’re no different from the Cult Leader. We’ve already confirmed the gap between us. Trying to catch up through the same means could take years. While we’re still in Ilyang County, let’s live like normal people. Once we start up Mount Hua, think of yourself as a training monkey. Until then, live like a human. That’s what makes us different from the Cult Leader."

Just as I finished speaking, two carriages slowly approached from the front.

"......."

It had to be those same black carriages I’d seen before.

There was no way the Cult Leader had returned.

As I kept watching curiously, the two carriages stopped in front of the Zaha Inn. After a moment, one person got off and bowed to us.

When the man raised his head—

I was surprised to see an unexpected figure.

"Sambok."

It was Sambok, the guard of the Third Young Master.

"It’s been a while."

"What are you doing here?"

"I’ve prepared two carriages to escort you to Mount Hua. Since Mount Hua is vast and we don’t know where you’ll choose to stay, I’ll return after confirming the location. Then, on an appropriate day, the Cult Leader will depart as well."

I nodded.

"Thorough."

That meant we couldn’t head for Lotus Peak, where White-Faced Scholar, Mistress of Flowery Harmony, Lady Iron Fan, and Mistress of Fragrant Valley would be. I had planned to reunite with them there, but traveling with people from the Demonic Cult would only reveal their location.

"How is the Third Young Master?"

Sambok stared at me blankly.

"He’s alive."

"Hm?"

"After being struck by you the other day..."

"I hit him?"

"Yes."

I remembered fighting the Butcher, but not hitting the Third Young Master. Fortunately, Sambok helped refresh my memory.

"He's lost several teeth and has difficulty eating. He also suffered from energy deviation due to the emotional shock of defeat, but he’s slowly recovering now."

"How did you end up as our guide?"

"I received word that the Cult Master praised me... and ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) somehow, I got this assignment."

Looking around at us, Sambok asked,

"When would you like to depart? There’s no rush."

"Let’s leave at dawn."

"Understood."

In the short time I hadn’t seen him, Sambok looked like he’d aged ten years, which surprised me.

"Come rest with us."

"Yes, sir."

Sambok told the coachmen,

"You rest as well."

Then he approached us and bowed to Big Bro again.

"...Have you been well?"

Big Bro nodded and asked the question I had been wondering.

"Have you had a rough time? Your aura feels different."

"Yes, sir."

"Tell us about it."

"Our family head has gone missing, so the clan was in chaos."

When I heard “family head,” I told him the cause of the disappearance.

"If the family head was Hwan Guija, he died trying to ambush me."

"I actually knew. But since we couldn’t report it that way, we listed him as missing. The next head is the Third Young Master, who is bedridden. We made an official report to the cult, declared our withdrawal from the succession dispute, and negotiated to align the entire faction under the outer sect. That’s the summary."

If the Third Young Master’s maternal clan was absorbed into the outer sect, it was close to demotion.

Only then did I realize why Sambok had become so gaunt.

"Did you handle all that yourself? The reporting, the negotiations?"

"Yes. I thought bowing quickly was the only way to survive, so I moved fast. This is my first official assignment, so the clan has finally begun to feel relieved. The Third Young Master also said it was a good outcome."

It was a very matter-of-fact story, but I was quietly impressed.

Apparently, Sambok had single-handedly saved his entire clan. As soon as Big Bro grasped the situation, he told him,

"You’ve worked hard."

"Yes, sir."

After hesitating a moment, Sambok asked me,

"Clan Leader."

"Yeah?"

"Why did you challenge the Cult Leader?"

"Is he someone I shouldn’t challenge?"

"Yes."

"I disagree. He’s probably been bored, with no challengers."

"Hmm. On the way to Mount Hua, please keep thinking of how you might survive. Running far away is also an option."

"Why are you worrying about me?"

"Because your words changed my thinking. And that change saved the Third Young Master and our clan. So yes, I have reason to worry."

"No need to. By the way, does the cult know roughly who’s going up Mount Hua?"

Sambok nodded.

"Somewhat. I picked up a bit."

"List them."

"First, the missing family head was originally supposed to go. We listed him as dead or missing. Which means his maternal relatives’ top experts are participating. I heard Second Young Master was killed by the former Left Division Head. The former Right Division Head is joining as well. Do you know the common thread?"

"No idea."

"The Cult Leader is summoning those he wouldn’t care about even if they died. It’s a borrowed-knife tactic. People who were in hiding, on the sidelines, or waiting for opportunity—they’re being dragged in."

This was absurd...

The Cult Leader had effectively assigned us to take out his internal trash. And yet, being the kind of man who wouldn’t blink if the cleaners died made it even more absurd.

I looked at Big Bro.

"Did you expect this?"

"It’s so obvious, there’s no need to call it a prediction. The Cult Leader doesn’t see us as weak. He probably doesn’t have many elites left to bring, so it’s only natural he’s dragging along recluses and fence-sitters. Which means, apart from the Cult Leader, the strongest participant is already decided."

"Who is it?"

Sambok answered.

"The man called Ilmajo (First Demon Ancestor), formerly ranked number one—Eldest Grand Duke. He’s the maternal uncle of the Grand Duke. He was respected for not seeking power, but now that’s probably why he’s fallen out of favor."

I scoffed.

"So he accepted my challenge only to assign me a janitor’s job? Fine. I’ll clean house. See you at dawn."

"Yes, sir."

I got up first and went into the inn. If not tonight, we’d be sleeping in the carriage or camping out until we reached Mount Hua. Tonight was the only night I’d get a comfortable bed, so the wisest choice was to sleep without distraction.

***

At dawn, we departed Ilyang County as if fleeing.

We hadn’t committed any crimes, but for a young disciple, the absence of her master might as well be one.

We traveled silently along the dawn road in our carriages.

Sambok rode in the same carriage as me, while Big Bro and the Lecher rode in the other.

Leaving Ilyang County gave me a strange mix of feelings, and I didn’t feel like speaking. I leaned my head against the carriage wall and closed my eyes. I hadn’t gotten to see Moyong Baek or Cha Seongtae, but it couldn’t be helped. If any link remained, the Demonic Cult might exploit it. So not seeing them was ultimately better for them.

While I had my eyes closed, I heard Sambok speak.

"...Shall we eat while camping, or find a regular inn?"

"I like inns."

There was a moment of silence before Sambok asked,

"Why?"

"The food is different everywhere, and I like people-watching. I want to try unfamiliar dishes too. Stop at every inn on the way to Mount Hua. The mood of the food will gradually change as we go. Just think of it as a gourmet trip. I’ll cover all the food costs, even for the coachmen, so don’t worry."

Sambok didn’t respond, so I said nothing more either. I was slightly sleepy, but I couldn’t fully fall asleep—Sambok could still betray us.

After a long silent stretch of travel...

Sambok’s voice came again.

"...Clan Leader, are you asleep?"

"..."

"If you’d rather flee, I’ll escort you. The Western Plains would be good. The Great Desert wouldn’t be bad either. Since the Cult Leader ordered it, no one in the cult will touch Ilyang County."

I opened my eyes and studied Sambok’s expression.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, sir."

"What about the Third Young Master?"

"Unless he causes a serious incident, everyone there will survive now."

"You must know my personality by now—why are you making such an absurd offer?"

Sambok said,

"Because there’s no chance of winning against the Cult Leader. It’s not too late to train in a desolate place and challenge him later."

"Aren’t you part of the cult?"

"I am."

"Then why are you worrying about us?"

"Good question. You spared me before, so I’m responding now not as a cultist, but as a person."

I nodded.

"I’ll take the sentiment. But we’re going to Mount Hua."

Sambok looked out the window, then replied with a complicated expression.

"Understood."