Ju So-myeong, the chief steward of the Martial Pavilion, was running quickly along the mountain path, making his way out of Wuhan.
"If the Black Pearl shatters, it means I am dead."
After Hwa Yul-cheong had left for a great battle that would change his fate, the divine relic, the Black Pearl, had shattered.
He had never dreamed that their leader, Hwa Yul-cheong, would be defeated.
If his identity was revealed, then the fact that he was his subordinate would also be exposed.
‘Damn that Young Cult Master!’
This was all because of the Demon Sect's Young Cult Master.
When he hadn't noticed his presence in the hallway of the residence, when Hwa Yul-cheong had said the Young Cult Master knew about him, that was the chance.
He should have advised Hwa Yul-cheong to leave Wuhan for a while and return only after the Young Cult Master had left.
But the problem was that he had too much faith in Hwa Yul-cheong's skills.
‘I will kill him!’
Ju So-myeong vowed to avenge Hwa Yul-cheong.
He planned to report strongly to the organization that the Young Cult Master must be killed first.
Even as he ran along the deserted forest path, he surveyed his surroundings.
Considering the recent situation, the surveillance networks of the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect would be spread out like a spider's web.
If the two sides were sharing information, it would be impossible for anyone to escape Wuhan.
He could only hope that wasn't the case.
As he ran, he came to a stop.
Up ahead, he saw two people gathering herbs.
They had appearances that immediately caught the eye.
The older one was very short, and the younger one was a truly handsome young man with an herb pouch at his waist.
He was startled by how much their appearances stood out, but they were definitely herb gatherers.
They paid him no mind, looking only at the herbs in admiration.
"To find a Dark Blood Herb in a place like this! This is amazing."
"Wuhan is truly a treasure trove of poisonous herbs.”
"It's not a treasure trove that opens for just anyone."
"I was just lucky. Go on, dig it up."
"Is it really okay?"
Did he enjoy the feeling of digging for herbs? When the short man yielded the task of digging, the young man beamed with joy.
Watching them, Ju So-myeong moved aside and darted into the forest.
Their appearances were unusual, but they seemed to be real herb gatherers.
Still, there was no need to cross paths with them.
If they had turned their heads and seen him, he would have killed them on the spot.
They could have told anyone tracking him which way he went.
But they were completely absorbed in gathering herbs.
‘Consider yourselves lucky to be alive.’
He took a detour and emerged from the dense forest.
Then, he heard voices again.
"There's another one here!"
"This time, it's a Flower of Impermanence!"
The Flower of Impermanence was a poisonous herb as rare as the Dark Blood Herb.
The two were overjoyed, but Ju So-myeong's expression hardened completely.
He had definitely taken a different direction from them.
How could they have gotten here while he was cutting through the forest, just because they were skilled herb gatherers?
Just in case, Ju So-myeong turned around and ran back the way he came.
As he ran down a completely different path, a chill went down his spine.
They were there again, up ahead.
At this point, how could Ju So-myeong not understand the situation?
‘They are masters!’
True masters whose martial prowess was not even discernible at a glance.
Of course, they were the Poison King and the Demon Buddha.
"Is this really necessary?"
At the Poison King's question, the Demon Buddha looked at Ju So-myeong and replied.
"Still, giving him one chance shouldn't be so bad, right?"
"He looks stubborn."
Ju So-myeong knew.
He knew they were talking about him.
There was no need to even test their martial arts.
‘In that case?’
Without hesitation, Ju So-myeong pulled something from his sleeve.
What he pulled out and aimed at his own head was the counterfeit hidden weapon, Piercing Spike.
The very same Piercing Spike that was used when Hwa Yul-cheong pretended to be ambushed.
"You will get nothing from me."
His hand, aiming the Piercing Spike, trembled.
The thought that he might actually die terrified him.
On the other hand, the Poison King and the Demon Buddha just stared at him blankly.
The first to speak was the Demon Buddha.
"That's going to hurt."
The Demon Buddha gestured for him to aim a little lower.
"The bone is thickest there. If it gets stuck instead of piercing through, you'll die feeling the agony of your skull melting."
The Poison King, who was listening, added a word.
"The poison is subpar, so it'll hurt even more."
From their words, Ju So-myeong could tell.
The opponents were masters from the Demon Sect.
"You damn Demon Sect bastards! Do you think I'll be scared and talk just because of some dog-like threat? Take one step closer and I'll pull it!"
A moment of silence flowed.
The Demon Buddha and the Poison King no longer paid him any mind.
"Let's go down that ridge on our way back."
The direction the Demon Buddha pointed was a place they hadn't been, so the Poison King's face brightened up.
"Sounds good."
And just like that, the two of them left.
Ju So-myeong, left alone, was bewildered.
'They're letting me live? Really?'
But he soon figured out their intention.
'These bastards! They're planning to tail me and find out our location.'
That was a tactic that showed they knew nothing about him.
'Fools! Do they think I'll fall for such a shallow trick and obediently go back?'
They also knew nothing about the organization.
Even he didn't know where the organization was located.
He just left a message to make a report.
But there was something he didn't know.
He knew nothing about his opponents.
His feet wouldn't move.
'Why?'
Why wasn't his body moving?
That was the last conscious thought of the living Ju So-myeong.
Drip, drip, drip.
In an instant, his body melted away.
There was no pain, but there was also no trace left behind.
The carriage arrived at the residence where Geom Muyang was staying.
Gwak Ju got out of the carriage with a flushed face.
His heart pounded at the thought of finally seeing his sister.
Jin Ha-gun did not go inside but sent a subordinate to announce his arrival.
A moment later, Geom Muyang came out.
"Why didn't you come in?"
"My role ends here."
Jin Ha-gun didn't think of himself as the one who saved Gwak Ju.
It wasn't because the Wind Heaven Sect Leader and the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign had helped.
"The First Young Master saved this person."
Jin Ha-gun knew.
He knew that the task Geom Muyang had entrusted to him, to save Gwak Ju, was by no means an easy one.
That prideful man had bent his pride and made a request.
For the reason that the Demon Slaying Branch had a higher chance of saving this person.
It was at that moment that this person was saved.
He wouldn't have thought about this in the past, but he had changed after meeting Geom Mugeuk.
As he tried to see people for who they really were, he came to understand the person named Geom Muyang a little more deeply.
He now knew that sometimes, quietly enduring is harder than fighting at the forefront.
Geom Muyang looked at the appearance of Jin Ha-gun and the other Demon Slaying Branch warriors.
Their blood-soaked martial robes showed how hard they had fought.
What more needed to be said?
"Thank you. I will be sure to repay this debt later."
The two men faced each other and nodded once.
That was enough.
Because of this incident, their relationship would change from what it was before.
Jin Ha-gun left immediately.
He wanted to see his grandfather as soon as possible.
When Gwak Ju went inside, his sister Gwak Yeong was waiting there.
She had originally been at the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect's safehouse in Wuhan, but Jin Ha-gun had sent word that he had saved her brother, and she was brought here right away.
"Sis!"
He was so emotional, he wondered if there had ever been a time in his life he was this happy to see his sister.
Gwak Ju ran to Gwak Yeong.
"Gross, what are you doing!"
Gwak Yeong dodged the hug.
But her face was filled with a broad smile.
Gwak Ju first said the words he had resolved to say when he met his sister.
"I'm fine. I'm completely fine."
So it's okay for you to be fine, too.
At those words, Gwak Yeong's eyes reddened.
She was acting as if nothing was wrong, but he couldn't imagine how much she had worried about her brother.
She was someone who had even cast aside her honor as the Martial Alliance's youngest Iron Workshop artisan to save him.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine."
"But you're bleeding!"
"It's not my blood. The Demon Slaying Branch Master saved me."
He could never forget the kindness of the man who had taken care of him until the very end.
"Where is the Branch Master?"
"He already left."
Gwak Yeong looked disappointed.
She should have at least expressed her gratitude to the Demon Slaying Branch Master.
This was also one of the reasons Jin Ha-gun had left without coming inside.
So that all the thanks could be given to Geom Muyang.
So that Geom Muyang's efforts to save her would not be diminished.
Gwak Yeong walked over to Geom Muyang.
She knew.
She knew that the beginning of all this stemmed from her meeting with this First Young Master.
It had all started when he had traced the counterfeit weapon she had made.
Gwak Yeong bowed her head to Geom Muyang.
"Thank you."
Geom Muyang passed the credit to Jin Ha-gun, who was not present.
"The Demon Slaying Branch Master saved your brother, so there's no need to thank me."
Gwak Yeong knew.
She knew that without this Geom Muyang in the first place, her brother could never have been saved.
She, too, would have been used by them and eventually met her death.
"Now, return to the Martial Alliance with your brother."
At Geom Muyang's words, Gwak Yeong revealed her decision.
"I will follow you to the Divine Sect as well."
Gwak Ju was startled by his sister's sudden words.
Geom Muyang, on the other hand, was not surprised.
"I made a promise, didn't I? That I would make a weapon for you."
Then Geom Muyang said to her.
"There's no need for that. That's all in the past."
"Please let me keep my promise."
She had already made up her mind.
Gwak Yeong spoke to Gwak Ju, who was just watching.
"Why aren't you stopping me?"
He should at least know that this was a den of demonic practitioners.
Her brother was just watching.
"You've always made the right choices, Sis."
"You have to follow too, you know?"
Even though she was saying he would be joining the Demon Sect, Gwak Ju wasn't surprised.
"If you're going, I have to go too."
I can't let you go to that dangerous place alone, Sis.
Gwak Yeong's eyes trembled as she looked at her brother.
"Hey, you!"
"Yeah, I know you're grateful. Where else would you find a brother like this? I don't blame you for getting kidnapped because of me, and I'm cheerful now that I'm out. Right?"
Gwak Ju took after Gwak Yeong's bright personality.
Gwak Yeong spoke to Geom Muyang again.
"Please take us with you. We'll handle our own living expenses. We won't be a burden."
Geom Muyang gave her one last chance.
"If a war breaks out, the weapon you make will kill people you once knew."
Gwak Yeong had already hardened her heart.
"Then I'll have to go to the Demon Sect and make a lot of new acquaintances."
At her words, Geom Muyang wore a look of disbelief.
"To be honest, I'm looking for a way to save myself."
She conveyed her true feelings.
"I abandoned the honor of an Iron Workshop artisan and created a counterfeit weapon."
"The Martial Alliance will understand, given that your brother was kidnapped."
"Even so, I probably won't be able to become an artisan at the Martial Alliance's Iron Workshop again."
That was likely true.
No matter if it was for her brother's sake, they wouldn't accept someone who had made counterfeit hidden weapons as an artisan of the Martial Alliance's Iron Workshop.
"I can't go from making weapons used by the elites of the Martial Alliance to making hoes in the marketplace. I'm clinging on to this to save myself. I was even prepared to grab onto your trouser legs if you called me a selfish bitch."
Geom Muyang could see that her resolve was firm.
"You might have to start from the beginning."
"I don't think that'll be the case. My skills are too outstanding for that."
As she said that, she smiled sweetly.
Beside her, Gwak Ju clasped his hands together and bowed his head with an expression that said, ‘I apologize for my sister's shamelessness.’
"The Main Sect's Iron Workshop will be even harder for a woman's body to endure."
"You've never worked there, have you? It's tough for everyone there—men, women, artisans, and newcomers alike. No one has the energy left to harass others."
Geom Muyang's deliberation was not long.
It was a bond deep enough to be accepted.
"If you make a shoddy weapon, you'll get a scolding from me."
After saying that, Geom Muyang turned away.
"Thank you, thank you so much!"
Geom Muyang entered the building without looking back.
Only then did Gwak Yeong let out a sigh.
It was a sigh mixed with the relief of having received permission and anxiety about her new life.
Once they were alone, Gwak Ju asked her.
"I'll follow your decision, Sis, but..."
Gwak Ju's gaze turned towards Geom Muyang.
"Who is that person that you're so set on following?"
From the feeling he gave off, he didn't seem like an ordinary person.
How should she explain without startling her brother?
"That person is..."
As she was about to explain carefully, someone spoke from behind.
"He's my older brother."
When Gwak Yeong and Gwak Ju turned in surprise, Geom Mugeuk was walking in.
Gwak Yeong blinked for a moment.
'If he's the First Young Master's younger brother?'
Her eyes widened.
She already knew that the Second Young Master was the successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Before the shocked Gwak Yeong could say anything, Geom Mugeuk wrapped an arm around Gwak Ju's shoulder and acted like a tattling friend.
"My brother looks gentlemanly on the outside, doesn't he? But he has a foul temper, he's full of wicked ambition, and he's especially harsh to his younger brother. So when you get to the Main Sect, protect your sister well from my brother! Got it?"
After saying his piece, Geom Mugeuk went inside.
Gwak Yeong stood there blankly, having missed the chance to greet him properly.
Gwak Ju asked his sister again.
"What's with that guy? He only says what he wants to say..."
...
"Shh! Quiet! Shut up!"
His sister's hand, desperately covering his mouth, trembled.
Who on earth was he to make her so nervous?
"Who is he?"
Just then, another person appeared.
"Who do you think? He's a rotten little brother who talks bad about his older brother behind his back."
The person who appeared was someone who had no right to scold anyone for speaking ill of others behind their back.
It was none other than the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
"Is that all? He steals any precious items he sees, makes his subordinates suffer while he crosses his arms and just watches. He's a vicious leader. So you protect your sister from that guy! He's more dangerous!"
Gwak Ju had seen for himself how incredible the Wind Heaven Sect Leader was.
The image of him riding up the waves and soaring to the very top was still vivid in his mind.
Gwak Ju, completely frozen, answered in a loud voice.
"Yes! I'll keep that in mind."
Following behind the Wind Heaven Sect Leader, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign entered with him.
Gwak Ju bowed so low his waist almost touched the ground.
As he stayed bowed until they entered the building, Gwak Yeong, who was also bowing, asked her brother.
"Who is that person?"
Gwak Ju replied in a trembling voice.
"That person is..."
Just then, someone else appeared.
"A fool."
A person perfectly suited to their bowed line of sight walked past.
It was the Demon Buddha.
"A fool the likes of which the world has never seen. A fool who gives away his liver and gallbladder because he's a good person, who threw away all his wealth and glory."
They were words he could say because he was friends with the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
The Demon Buddha strode into the building.
Gwak Ju asked with a surprised expression.
"Who is that person?"
Someone answered his question.
Finally, the Poison King walked past them and said nonchalantly.
"They're all crazy people."
Seeing the surprised Gwak Ju, the Poison King added.
"So you protect your sister."
And with that, the Poison King also entered the building.
Gwak Ju blinked, trying to process what had just happened in a flash.
"So, let me get this straight. The person my sister wants to follow has a younger brother who talks bad about him behind his back. Right? But then there's a scary master who talks bad about that younger brother. He's the one who saved me. But then there's someone who calls that scary master a fool. But all these people are crazy. Did I hear all that right?"
Just as Gwak Yeong nodded, dark clouds gathered as if it were about to rain again, and the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Sis, where are we going?"