Thereafter, Bu Eunseol led the Nine Deaths Squad to villages devastated by landslides. They repaired damaged homes and distributed food. Though they brought ample supplies, the number of starving people was overwhelming. In the end, the Nine Deaths Squad warriors shared even their own rations with the common folk.
Though they went hungry themselves, they were robust martial artists with cultivated inner energy—fasting for a few days wouldn’t harm them significantly. More importantly, seeing the joy on the faces of the common folk as they ate filled the warriors with renewed vigor.
Watching children and elders regain strength from the food, the Nine Deaths Squad members felt as if they had gained years’ worth of refined inner energy. Their spirits overflowed with vitality.
“So that’s why the Lord told us to bring so much food,” Won Semun, Jo Namcheon, and Wi Cheongyeong said, smiling warmly as they watched children eagerly spoon up rice porridge.
Though they had eaten only dried rations and water for days, the satisfaction of helping others filled them with energy. Eventually, the Nine Deaths Squad completed repairs on the final village along the path to Thousand Blinding Winds. Thanks to their efforts, the dying common folk regained health, and the villages began to recover their vitality.
Whoosh.
A piercing sound cut through the air as dozens of warriors descended from the distance—the Heavenly Sword and his Divine Might Corps, having completely eradicated Thousand Blinding Winds.
“Hahaha! Completely gave up because we got here first, huh?” the Heavenly Sword mocked, sneering at the Nine Deaths Squad resting in the village. “What, setting up a stall here? Pathetic.”
With a smirk, he strode to the village center, addressing the people loudly. “Everyone! Rest easy now. I, the Heavenly Sword, have eliminated Thousand Blinding Winds!”
With a triumphant expression, he shouted again, “The vile Thousand Blinding Winds, who extorted money from this region, no longer exists!”
The village chief stepped forward, offering a calm expression of gratitude. “Thank you.”
“Hm?” The Heavenly Sword tilted his head, his smug smile faltering. After all the effort to destroy Thousand Blinding Winds, all he got was a simple “Thank you”?
“Our Martial Alliance—no, I, the Heavenly Sword—wiped out the Thousand Blinding Winds that was bleeding this village dry!” he pressed.
“Thank you, but…” The chief sighed deeply, looking at the Heavenly Sword with weary eyes. “This entire Yanhyun region was devastated by landslides, leaving the villages in ruins.”
“So?” the Heavenly Sword asked.
“We were starving and freezing,” the chief said, his expression hollow. “Whether it’s Thousand Blinding Winds or anything else, what does it matter when we’re already dying?”
Pointing to Bu Eunseol and the Nine Deaths Squad, he added loudly, “The ones who reached out to us in our time of need were these warriors.”
“That’s a bit ungrateful,” the Heavenly Sword said, forcing a smile despite his irritation. “Their help is trivial. What risks did they take?”
“…”
“We fought Thousand Blinding Winds—your tormentors for years—at the risk of our lives! Our lives! Understand?”
“It wasn’t for us,” the chief said, shaking his head weakly. “We never asked you to eliminate them.”
From the chief’s demeanor, it was clear he placed no value on Thousand Blinding Winds’s destruction, only appreciating the aid from Majeon warriors.
‘That bastard.’ The Heavenly Sword glared at Bu Eunseol, his eyes blazing. He finally realized he’d fallen into another trap. ‘He deliberately let me go ahead and helped the villagers!’ Fury boiled within him.
This time, determined not to lose credit to Bu Eunseol, he had rushed to Thousand Blinding Winds like a madman. Though he noticed the ruined villages along the way, dealing with Thousand Blinding Winds was his priority.
Some Divine Might Corps members had advised him otherwise. “Leader, shouldn’t we help the common folk before tackling Thousand Blinding Winds?”
The Heavenly Sword had cut them off. “Thousand Blinding Winds comes first. Don’t lose sight of our goal.”
Everything has an order of priority. Eliminating Thousand Blinding Winds was the most urgent task, yet the villagers treated it as irrelevant.
‘These ignorant commoners can’t see the forest for the trees,’ he thought bitterly.
But what he failed to grasp was that his past acclaim wasn’t just for defeating evil factions. It was for swiftly eliminating threats to the common folk’s survival, opening paths for them to live. His victories over the Black Wind Bandits and other villainous factions weren’t just for glory—they had directly aided those in immediate need.
He was highly skilled and intelligent, but he had no interest in addressing his flaws, and no one could force him to. Lacking Bu Eunseol’s depth of experience in the martial world and understanding of its ways, he was blinded by rivalry and had lost to Bu Eunseol once again.
***
The Oksoo Inn was bustling at noon, filled with a diverse crowd of patrons, leaving barely any room to move.
“Did you hear? Majeon’s heir has been doing a lot of good lately,” a man in blue robes said to a man with a goatee sitting across from him at the central table.
“You mean the Martial Soul Command Lord?” the goatee man replied, nodding.
The man in blue continued, “Not only did he wipe out evil factions harming the common folk, but he also repaired and restored all the villages in the Yanhyun region hit by landslides.”
“Yanhyun? Wasn’t that where the Martial Alliance’s famous… what’s his name, the Sword Venerable’s disciple, took down Thousand Blinding Winds?” the goatee man asked.
Smiling, he added, “I heard the Martial Soul Command Lord planned to deal with Thousand Blinding Winds first. But seeing the landslides in Yanhyun, he prioritized repairing the villages and distributing food.”
Shrugging as if it were his own deed, he said, “They say the Yanhyun villagers even built a shrine for the Martial Soul Command Lord.”
“But isn’t it ironic?” the man in blue laughed, nodding. “The righteous Martial Alliance, obsessed with bloodshed, took down Thousand Blinding Winds, while the demonic path, supposedly pursuing tyranny, saved the common folk?”
“Hey now,” the goatee man chided. “What does demonic or righteous matter when helping people? It’s just that Heavenly Sword or whatever—he’s lacking in character.”
Inside the Oksoo Inn’s banquet hall, about twenty warriors ate in silence, hearing the conversation outside. They were the Heavenly Sword and his Divine Might Corps, returning to the Martial Alliance.
Having eradicated Thousand Blinding Winds, a faction tormenting the common folk, they looked as if they were returning from committing a crime.
“…”
In a deathly silence, the corps members swallowed their food carefully, wary of the Heavenly Sword, who sat with a hardened expression, eyes glaring.
“Leader,” the second-in-command, Han Seong, said, unable to bear it. “Please eat something.”
“Hm?” The Heavenly Sword snapped out of his thoughts, waving a hand. “Don’t mind me. I’m just not hungry.”
Standing, he said, “I’m not in the mood for food. Take your time eating. I’ll be at the teahouse nearby.”
Han Seong looked surprised as the Heavenly Sword left casually. ‘He’s unaffected by those words?’ But glancing at the spot where the Heavenly Sword had sat, Han Seong shook his head. ‘No, he’s not.’
The floor bore vivid footprints, evidence of the Heavenly Sword unconsciously unleashing his energy in rage. Given his immense skill, such a lapse in control showed how furious he was.
‘This is worrying,’ Han Seong thought, sighing inwardly. The Heavenly Sword had arrived at the Martial Alliance, revealing his past deeds and quickly becoming a top-tier corps captain.
But to the seasoned warriors of the Alliance, his position seemed like luck gained from the Sword Venerable’s prestige and sudden fame.
‘It’s typical of prodigies,’ Han Seong mused.
A gifted individual under a great master often faces no obstacles, never experiencing setbacks. Their martial world exploits are mere tests of skill. He saw that the Heavenly Sword lacked experience with failure and had shallow knowledge of the martial world.
‘In contrast, the Martial Soul Command Lord of Majeon, a member of the Ten Demon Warriors, is said to have vast experience,’ Han Seong thought. While the Heavenly Sword had roamed discreetly, he was no match for the seasoned Demon Sect heir.
‘When we return to the Alliance, I must report to the Divine Might Leader,’ Han Seong resolved.
If this continued, the Heavenly Sword, a prodigy, would fall after facing setbacks. He needed to relinquish his high position and gain experience from the ground up.
‘There’s still time. No need to rush,’ Han Seong thought, eating with a lighter heart.
But how could he know? He would never get to report to the Alliance. Soon, he would give up on the Heavenly Sword entirely.
Papapak!
Suddenly, tiny hidden weapons rained into the banquet hall. Han Seong and the Divine Might Corps, all skilled masters, swiftly dodged or deflected them.
“Argh!” But the weapons’ power and cunning angles struck half the members.
“The weapons are poisoned!” a member shouted, seeing black blood flow from the wounds.
“Take the antidote!” Han Seong ordered.
The members quickly swallowed emergency antidotes, but the poison was so potent that standard remedies were ineffective.
Hiss.
A thick cloud of poisonous smoke poured into the hall.
‘A planned ambush!’ Han Seong realized. The enemy had known the Divine Might Corps would stop here and set a trap.
“Get out!” he shouted.
Boom!
The members smashed through the ceiling, leaping into the air. They spotted an assassin fleeing across the rooftops.
“Chase him!” Han Seong and the members pursued.
Boom!
The teahouse roof nearby shattered, and a white figure soared upward—it was the Heavenly Sword.
Swish!
With incredible speed, he chased the assassin, whose movement skills were formidable, leading the pursuers out of the village like a tail. Reaching a reed field on the outskirts, the assassin stopped, realizing he couldn’t outrun the Heavenly Sword.
The Heavenly Sword, Han Seong, and the Divine Might Corps quickly surrounded him.
“Don’t you need the antidote?” the assassin said in a grating voice, holding up a pouch. “Stop chasing, and I’ll give it to you and leave.”
Han Seong shouted sternly, “How can we trust it’s the antidote?”
Without answering, the assassin tossed a golden pill to Han Seong. “Test it.”
Han Seong caught it and fed it to an injured member. The member’s blackened complexion cleared, and the dark blood turned red.
“Leader, it’s the real antidote,” the member confirmed.
“…”
The Heavenly Sword ignored this, glaring at the assassin. ‘No way,’ Han Seong thought, eyes widening. Would he really let his men die just to kill the assassin?
“Captain!” Han Seong shouted.
The Heavenly Sword raised a hand to silence him, speaking with an odd glint in his eyes. “You’re not a real assassin from the Killing Sect. Where are you from?”
“No need to know,” the assassin replied coldly. “Take the antidote and stop chasing. Deal?”
“Haha,” the Heavenly Sword laughed mockingly. “You ambush my men, and now that you’re caught, you offer the antidote to be let go?”
“Decide,” the assassin said calmly. “Refuse, and I’ll destroy the antidote.”
“And if you do?” the Heavenly Sword asked.
“If not detoxified within an hour, your men’s inner energy will be severely diminished.”
“You,” the Heavenly Sword said, grinning. “Your movement and stance suggest you’re from the demonic path, aren’t you?”
“Just answer.”
“Aha! I get it. You’re one of his men. With that speed, you must be one of his trusted aides, right?”
“Your men’s lives don’t seem to matter to you,” the assassin sneered, channeling energy into the hand holding the pouch. Heat radiated, and the pouch began to burn, white smoke rising.
“Captain!” Han Seong shouted urgently, seeing the suffering members. “We need to detoxify them first.”
But the Heavenly Sword only glared at the assassin, eyes gleaming.
‘This lunatic!’ Han Seong’s anger surged. Despite being the Sword Venerable’s disciple, to them, he was a superior who appeared out of nowhere. He barely considered his men, always acting on his own whims.
“Captain!” Han Seong suppressed his rage, trying to persuade him again. “These men are your limbs.”
“If I yield to a demonic scoundrel’s threats, how can I call myself a leader of the Martial Alliance?” the Heavenly Sword retorted.
The assassin smirked. “Negotiations are over.”
He burned the antidote with a surge of energy.
Boom!
An explosion rocked the reed field, and thick smoke filled the air. The assassin vanished, and dozens of movements spread underground—he was using an earth-escape technique.
“You won’t get away!” the Heavenly Sword roared, swinging his greatsword at one of the movements.
Boom!
The ground overturned, revealing a pit with a man-sized metal contraption moving on its own. It wasn’t an earth-escape technique but a pre-dug tunnel system.
Rustle.
To catch the assassin, they’d have to unearth every movement.
“What are you staring at?” the Heavenly Sword yelled at Han Seong and the corps. “We need to catch him to get the antidote!”
Despite his thunderous shout, the members glared at him coldly. ‘This heartless bastard.’
High skill didn’t make a good leader. Even cherishing subordinates like one’s own body might not earn loyalty, yet the Heavenly Sword cared nothing for their struggles—a true lunatic.
“Can’t you hear? Aren’t you going to catch him?” he bellowed.
Reluctantly, the members chased the diverging movements.
Boom!
The Heavenly Sword’s sword strikes carved deep pits, but each revealed only large metal contraptions. The enemy had long ago dug tunnels and set up intricate mechanisms in the reed field as escape routes.
‘Bu Eunseol!’ Fire sparked in the Heavenly Sword’s eyes. Only Bu Eunseol could devise such a trap.
“Ugh,” Han Seong and the members groaned, their inner energy struggling to suppress the poison but reaching its limit.
“Don’t worry,” the Heavenly Sword said, abandoning the chase. He spoke casually to his men, “Did you think I acted without a plan?”
Placing a large hand on the poisoned members’ backs at the Daechu acupoint, he said, “Even without the antidote, I can expel the poison with my inner energy. No need to worry.”
He infused them with his formidable inner energy, purging the poison.
Spurt!
Each member spat out black blood as he injected his energy, expelling the poison instantly, just as he claimed.
Spurt!
As the last member coughed up black blood, the Heavenly Sword smiled and nodded. “See? All detoxified.”
He spread his arms, grinning brightly.
“…”
But the members only clasped their hands formally, none showing genuine gratitude.
‘So that’s it,’ the Heavenly Sword realized, instantly grasping Bu Eunseol’s scheme. He aimed to strip him of his leadership position, reduce him to a rogue martial artist, and then confront him directly—avoiding conflict with the Martial Alliance.
‘He’s systematically dismantling me from the inside. Thoroughly.’
The Heavenly Sword snorted. Fame and honor could be lost and regained. Calmly planning in his mind, he turned with a sneer.
‘Let’s see if it goes your way.’
But the usual easygoing smile he wore was gone.
