Mu Yu, who had come out of his office, stood there, facing the winter wind with his whole body.

The air that brushed against his cheek felt unsettling.

“An unusual wind is blowing.”

Where was this wind coming from?

Why was it making him so anxious?

The questions piled up, but the answers did not readily come to Mu Yu.

Just.

—Mu Yu.

—Your command, Alliance Leader.

—The time is ripening. Soon, the moment I have been waiting for so long will come.

Mu Yu, who had gone to the Four Kings Hall at the call of the Alliance Leader, had heard the Alliance Leader’s words that the time was coming.

‘Is chaos coming?’

Even for Mu Yu, who was the smartest in the Heretic Path's Alliance, it was almost impossible to figure out the intentions of the Alliance Leader he had served for a long time.

He loves and wants chaos.

Then what on earth was Ju Cheon waiting for?

Was he waiting for the right time?

“Phew. I can’t figure it out.”

Mu Yu tried to find the answer, but in the end, he couldn't.

While he was worrying.

Someone came to find him.

“Head of the sect.”

At the call of the assassin who was always dressed in black, Mu Yu said without even looking back.

“What is it?”

“Mangryang has returned.”

“Already?”

“But there is a problem.”

Mu Yu looked back.

The assassin bowed his head even deeper and continued.

“Mangryang… has returned alone.”

***

Mangryang.

The leader of the Hell Pit who looked down on all the Manggoe.

The king of the hungry ghosts who had pacified hell.

He was now prostrated in front of Mu Yu, trembling.

Mu Yu, at the sight that was hard to believe even though he was seeing it with his own two eyes, sighed and touched his forehead with his hand.

“Explain. What happened.”

“…”

“I said, explain!!”

At Mu Yu’s angry shout, Mangryang raised his head.

Mu Yu, who had read the fear in his eyes, seemed to know what had happened even without hearing it.

“Did you meet Jin Sohyun.”

Mangryang nodded his head.

“Were you defeated?”

Mangryang’s head nodded again.

Following that, Mangryang’s dried-up lips slowly opened.

“That… was not human.”

Mangryang’s plan was not wrong.

He had immediately figured out the reason for Jin Sohyun’s strength.

Fajing, the power of great force created by concentrating the power of the whole body in one point and exploding it in an instant.

Mangryang had noticed that the preparation and time required for Fajing were quite long, and he had pressed Jin Sohyun, waiting for the right time.

It was to take his neck at any time.

But.

The world did not go as Mangryang had thought.

Of course, Fajing had a very powerful force, but its weakness was also clear.

If the transmission of power was not smooth even a little, or if the power was not concentrated at the desired point and at the desired moment, Fajing would not exert its full power.

The Manggoe were so agile that they could react and dodge even a sliver of killing intent, and they did not know fear.

That’s why it seemed that Jin Sohyun had no time to unfold his Fajing.

Yes.

It had seemed so.

But Jin Sohyun was on a different level from other martial artists.

His Fajing speed was twice as fast as Ju Opal, who had trained in Fajing for 30 years.

Peong—!

By the time the sound of the air being torn was heard, several Manggoe had already been pierced by the flying sword and had died.

“Phew—!”

With a short deep breath, Jin Sohyun retrieved his flying sword and shot it forward.

This time too, the flying sword containing the mystery of Fajing surpassed the speed of sound and pierced the Manggoe.

‘This is not human power.’

Mangryang recalled.

The fear of loss he had felt for the first time since falling into the Hell Pit.

The fear of death that had come up to his throat had frozen Mangryang.

The grand plan to find Jin Sohyun’s opening and take his life had long since been forgotten.

In Mangryang’s mind, only the survival instinct to live was left.

“So… you ran away, leaving Jin Sohyun behind.”

“He could not be defeated.”

“…”

Mu Yu raised his hand and waved it lightly. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“Take him away.”

The assassins who had appeared from the darkness took the dazed Mangryang and went outside.

And right after that, Seolpyeong, who had been watching the departing Mangryang, came into the office.

“It was a failure.”

“Yes.”

Seolpyeong, who had entered the office, looking at Mu Yu’s face, and had sat on a chair, felt something strange in his expression.

“Did you… think it would fail?”

“Yes.”

At Mu Yu’s answer, Seolpyeong fell into even greater confusion.

“Aren’t the Manggoe the blades that you, Head of the sect, were preparing. Such a precious thing…”

“Are you asking why I used it on something that was sure to fail.”

Seolpyeong’s voice, whose inner thoughts had been exposed, softened slightly.

“That’s… right.”

“Anyway, the Manggoe were used to find out the level of the person named Jin Sohyun. It would have been the icing on the cake if I could have killed him.”

Mu Yu had at some point returned to his original expression.

Quiet and calm.

An indifferent face whose inner thoughts could not be read.

‘I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.’

Seolpyeong thought this and spread the scrolls he had brought on the desk so that Mu Yu could see them easily.

“These are the most recent news. The information delivery was a little late because the Hao Sect is gone.”

Mu Yu silently read the information that Seolpyeong had brought.

“Ma Seongun killed the Sword Saint and took her power, and then he killed the Ghost-Faced Revolutionary Sword…”

It was a surprising thing.

Who was the Sword Saint?

Wasn't she an absolute master who had reached the rank of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains?

The Sword Saint was killed by Ma Seongun, and as if that were not enough, even the Ghost-Faced Revolutionary Sword had died.

“Don’t tell me.”

Mu Yu, who had thought of something, shot up from his seat.

“Great Head of the sect?”

Mu Yu ignored Seolpyeong’s words calling him and ran out of the office.

His breath quickly became short from running with his unwell body, and his two knees screamed, but Mu Yu did not stop.

He just ran and ran.

The place he arrived at after running up the stairs was the Four Kings Hall.

It was the place where the Alliance Leader, Ju Cheon, was.

There, Ju Cheon greeted him without any sign of surprise, as if he had been waiting for Mu Yu to come.

“You’ve come, Great Head of the sect.”

Mu Yu approached Ju Cheon with a very low posture and bowed his head.

“I have a question that I dare to ask you, Alliance Leader.”

“They say a turbulent age creates a hero. Then what creates a turbulent age.”

Ju Cheon started talking without even hearing Mu Yu’s answer and walked leisurely.

“The answer is a hero.”

Ju Cheon came walking in front of Mu Yu, who had raised his head.

“As long as a hero does not exist, a turbulent age is not created. Do you know why?”

“If there is no hero, the war will end one-sidedly… so their existence is what creates a turbulent age.”

“That’s right.”

Ju Cheon clapped his hands once.

“The time is ripe, Mu Yu.”

“What you mean is…”

“A hero named Jin Sohyun has appeared in the righteous path, and a hero named Ma Seongun has appeared in the heretic path… so what should we prepare now.”

Mu Yu knew the answer to the question that the Alliance Leader had given.

“A turbulent age… it is.”

And he also knew what was needed for the answer.

“War.”

Only then.

Mu Yu finally understood Ju Cheon’s words that the time was ripe.

Ju Cheon had been waiting.

For the heroes to appear.

A turbulent age creates a hero.

Then what creates a turbulent age?

It is a hero that creates a turbulent age.

“As long as the martial world exists, this infinite cycle will not end. Since heroes have appeared in their respective places, now… it is our turn to create their stage.”

Ju Cheon placed his hand on Mu Yu’s shoulder and said with a more excited face than ever before.

“The time has come! Mu Yu!”

From his bosom, a seal in the shape of a snake, which symbolized the Heretic Path's Alliance, came out.

“Summon the Heretic Path Assembly.”

***

Jin Sohyun looked at Beomgang, who was lying in a hospital room as if he were dead, and then came outside.

The one who was waiting for Jin Sohyun was the Hao Sect Master, Wiso.

He was standing there as if he had known that this would happen.

The time Jin Sohyun had reunited with Wiso was when he was trying to find a doctor to treat Beomgang.

Wiso had appeared there like a picture, as if he had predicted the clash between Jin Sohyun and the Manggoe.

Wiso had guided them to a doctor, and Jin Sohyun had demanded an explanation from him.

“I need an explanation.”

“Of course.”

The man, who had nodded his head, offered a seat, but Jin Sohyun did not sit.

He was just staring at the man with an indifferent gaze whose inner thoughts could not be read.

“Explain, Hao Sect Master.”

Wiso, who was in front of Jin Sohyun, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief he had taken out from his bosom.

“It was I who created the fight between you, young master, and those monsters.”

It was something he had already known.

And now that he had gotten a confirmation.

Jin Sohyun could not find a reason to hold back.

Woooong—!!

A strong ki gathered in Jin Sohyun’s clenched right hand.

At the same time, the air vibrated.

As the atmosphere became heavy, the man who was standing behind Wiso reached for his sword hilt.

“First Guest.”

The First Guest, who had heard the call, bowed his head slightly with his hand on his sword hilt.

“Yes.”

“Stop.”

The First Guest hesitated for a moment but then took his hand off the sword hilt.

Even during that time, Jin Sohyun’s gaze did not leave Wiso.

‘He’s not paying any attention to me.’

The First Guest felt that Jin Sohyun did not even feel him as a threat.

‘Is it because he’s strong?’

He suddenly became curious.

How strong was the man named Jin Sohyun.

“Sect Master. Do you remember?”

At the First Guest’s words, Wiso quickly stood up from his seat.

“I can’t allow it.”

“What I received in exchange for cooperating with the Sect Master was.”

The First Guest’s gray eyes moved to Jin Sohyun.

“A promise to let me have the fight I want, just once. And now… is the time to keep that promise.”

The First Guest finally drew the sword he had been waiting for.

As the sword was drawn, a terrifying ki began to be released from the First Guest’s body.

At that, a man who had belatedly entered the room laughed awkwardly.

“If you’re going to fight, how about you fight outside?”

“Fourth Guest. Assist the Sect Master.”

“Are you really going to fight?”

“Yes.”

The First Guest nodded his head and threw his gaze outside.

“If you are a martial artist, then follow me out.”

Jin Sohyun silently came out with the First Guest.

And the place they arrived at was a quiet field a short distance from the doctor’s office.

“From now on, this fight has nothing to do with the Hao Sect. It is a fight for my own personal desire.”

“Do you like to fight?”

At Jin Sohyun’s question, the First Guest sneered.

“That’s right. I enjoy proving and confirming my strength. It’s also a part of the enjoyment to realize my own position by fighting against a strong person. Do you dislike fighting.”

“Yeah. It’s annoying.”

Jin Sohyun stared at the empty air with a bored gaze.

“Ah, it’s snowing.”

White snowflakes were falling.

And between them, a blade fell.

Kung—!!

“You’re fast.”

The First Guest’s blade cut through the empty air.

He had thought it was an unavoidable blow.

The First Guest, who had retrieved his sword, put it back in its scabbard and lowered his posture.

“Will you give me a chance to prove myself?”

Jin Sohyun took out a flying sword from his bosom.

“I have something I want to check anyway.”

“This place is your testing ground. I will gladly make this body your test subject.”

A joyful laugh burst from the First Guest’s lips.

Jin Sohyun, who had nodded his head, clenched the first flying sword and extended his left foot slightly forward.

‘He’s coming!’

The First Guest realized with a martial artist’s intuition.

That something would come soon.

That’s why he drew his sword.

“…”

The First Guest’s gaze went to his own waist.

His sword, which should have been there, was not there.

“What… did you do?”

“I haven’t named it yet.”

The First Guest looked behind him.

And there, five flying swords were embedded, and one of them had the First Guest’s scabbard embedded in it.

They were all flying swords he had never seen before.

The First Guest laughed in vain.

“Hehehe…”

He looked down at his empty hands and said bitterly.

“I was the only one who thought this was a fight.”

This was not a fight.

The First Guest had not seen Jin Sohyun’s flying sword.

And the reason he had survived was purely because of the mercy that Jin Sohyun had shown.

“I lost.”

Although he had not even exchanged a single blow.

The First Guest had been defeated.

(End of Chapter)