Chapter 104

Chapter 104
Myeol Saeng sat in a meditative posture in the middle of the Blood Cult’s primary chamber, guiding his internal energy through his meridians. A vivid aura resembling a scarlet viper wound tightly around his figure. With every dawn that arrived, this vermilion glow turned darker, and the serpentine shape gained a sharper, more tangible presence. Its detail was so startlingly distinct that observers would struggle to believe it was merely an external projection of martial qi.

Having already mastered the Ten Stars Great Success, could he already be breaching the threshold toward the Twelve Stars Great Success? The sinister, coiled serpent thrashing about his torso strongly pointed to that truth. A moment later, the crimson energy scattered with a sharp snap and surged straight into Myeol Saeng’s nose and mouth, being absorbed back into his physique.

As Myeol Saeng drew open his eyelids, he saw Jeok Pa-rap walking forward atop the scarlet floor runner.

Myeol Saeng stood, putting his hands together to offer a formal salute. “Have you arrived back safely, Master?”

“I have returned.”

Myeol Ji-ryun was nowhere behind Jeok Pa-rap.

“Where is Ji-ryun?”

“The Murim Alliance chose to prolong her stay.”

Myeol Saeng had already presumed such an outcome. They certainly would never have captured her in the first place had they intended to let her walk free without hassle. Nevertheless, he deliberately set his jaw before his elder, letting his voice carry a stern edge.

“You ought to have brought her back, no matter what measures were required.”

“I hold no defenses for my actions.”

Jeok Pa-rap’s humble surrender softened the edge in Myeol Saeng’s voice. “Did this stem from an arrangement with the Murim Alliance Lord?”

“It did not. Baek So-cheon stepped between us instead.”

“So you were unable to manage that lone young pup and simply retreated with nothing to show for it?”

Jeok Pa-rap gave a bitter chuckle at hearing him labeled a mere pup. Myeol Saeng recognized better than most how cunning and difficult Baek So-cheon was to handle. The comment was merely a convenient outlet for his irritation. He was well aware that reclaiming Myeol Ji-ryun was an uphill battle.

“Baek So-cheon put forth a stipulation. He demanded that we uphold Yeom Hwa-sin’s pledge to delay conflict for the span of one year.”

“And should Yeom Hwa-sin ignore that vow and begin the conflict anyway?”

“Then we will intervene. We must hold the line for this one year.”

“And if we fail to keep that agreement?”

“He made it clear he will execute Ji-ryun.”

Normally, such an ultimatum would provoke a fury, yet Myeol Saeng took a surprising turn. “In truth, that serves our interests.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Yeom Hwa-sin still holds a deep grudge against us regarding the Cheon-wae Won-go incident. This grant of time allows us to sever ties with the Black Heaven Alliance and establish our own leverage.”

The Black Heaven Alliance was in no position to discard them anyway. The entire outcome of the coming war hung on which faction the Blood Cult resolved to back.

“Very well. We will proceed under that plan.”

Myeol Saeng cast a curious glance. “Why do you agree with my view so effortlessly?”

“The leader of the Black Heaven Alliance was undoubtedly the one who betrayed our movements.”

Myeol Saeng clenched his teeth at Jeok Pa-rap’s deduction. “Just as I believed! That cur orchestrated this.”

“I failed to foresee that he would secretly alert the Murim Alliance. My judgment was flawed on this occasion.”

“Do not brood over it, Master. Given the years behind you, remaining this perceptive is already an impressive feat.”

The words carried no genuine flattery. He was bluntly insinuating that the old man’s faculties had deteriorated with age, leaving his vision clouded. Jeok Pa-rap felt the urge to snap back, but he lacked any justification to dispute it this time.

“Were you able to at least lay eyes on Ji-ryun?”

“I was not.”

“Then what victory did you actually secure out there?”

“Baek So-cheon will honor his promise.”

“You are trusting your assumptions again.”

“Be silent!” Jeok Pa-rap’s voice boomed across the room, causing Myeol Saeng to ease his stance. That was plenty. The elder would refrain from meddling in organizational governance for the foreseeable future. The old man needed to understand that advancing years yielded nothing more than growing greed and longer fingernails.

“Permit me to manage the cult’s affairs for the present.”

“As if you have ever done otherwise.” Jeok Pa-rap spun around and briskly exited the grand chamber.

Myeol Saeng stepped back to the hall’s center and took his seat once more to cycle his inner qi.

*If I can only take a single step past my current boundary…*

Dark thoughts that no sane martial artist should harbor drifted through his thoughts before he surrendered entirely to the churning crimson serpent within.

—

Every single martial artist under Bi-gak was assembled in one courtyard. Baek So-cheon stepped up onto the raised dais looming before them.

“Greetings to the Pavilion Lord!” The warriors of Bi-gak shouted with one collective voice.

Back when he had returned following his sudden demotion, the sentiment might have held hesitation, but currently, hardly anyone harbored resentment toward his ascent. Wang-ho in particular, having transferred from Bi-gak over to Hyun-cheon-dae, had been the foremost champion in fostering loyalty toward Baek So-cheon. Furthermore, his decisive clash against Yeom Sa-won had cemented that devotion completely.

“It is good to see every one of you. The former pavilion lord stepped aside due to personal circumstances, which allowed me to inherit this role purely out of fortune.”

His tone was unpretentious, yet the members of Bi-gak were exceptionally sharp-eared and attuned to the internal climate of the Murim. Baek So-cheon taking command could only signal that warfare was drawing near.

“Each of you has endured the horrors of battle. Similar to yourselves, I pray I never witness such bloodshed once more. I would far prefer to be remembered as the figure who averted a crisis rather than a warrior forged amidst the flames of combat.”

“Yes, Pavilion Lord!” The martial artists bellowed in agreement.

Baek So-cheon descended from the platform, looking directly into the eyes of every man and addressing each by his given name. He was familiar with every single warrior among them. Beyond just memorizing identities, he retained the personal circumstances of their lives.

“Your boy has grown quite a bit. Has he turned eight?”

“He has reached nine years, sir.”

“Has it been that long? Time passes swiftly.”

He held awareness of their households and the troubles weighing on them.

“Has your shoulder recovered entirely?”

“It has returned to full strength, Lord.”

They were deeply touched, along with feeling a slight pang of shame. They had once observed his endless string of demotions with pity, occasionally whispering critical words. Yet the members of Bi-gak understood the truth behind the Cheon-wae Won-go misunderstanding between Baek So-cheon and Ak So-gun. They sympathized with the circumstances binding both figures.

Having finished greeting everyone, he returned to the platform to offer his concluding instructions. “A final matter. You have all likely heard whispers regarding Hyun-cheon-dae. Our training from this moment forward will turn harsh beyond measure.”

“We are prepared!”

Rather than dreading it, they felt eager anticipation. Peers who had shared equal skill with them had returned from his tutelage as noticeably superior martial artists.

“It is my privilege to direct you all. Dismissed!”

The members of Hyun-cheon-dae integrated into Bi-gak without friction.

Every amenity within Bi-gak belonged to the absolute pinnacle of quality. The structures were peerless, the armaments and provisions were superior, and even the daily fare was remarkably luxurious.

Beon Saeng, having received his room assignment, scanned his surroundings in sheer amazement. There were no communal sleeping quarters; instead, every person possessed an independent space. The tidy chamber featured a comfortable sleeping mat, alongside a writing desk and a chair suited for reading. Radiant daylight bathed the entire interior.

Members could unwind here, dine within the compound, or return to their residences—the arrangements were remarkably accommodating. Warriors with families generally returned to their kin, whereas solitary men spent more time inside the quarters.

A familiar tone echoed from behind him. “Do you find the accommodations pleasing?”

Caught off guard, he spun around to witness Baek So-cheon standing there. “Commander—forgive me, Pavilion Lord!”

“Being here brings back memories of when I occupied this chamber.”

“You stayed in this exact room?”

“Indeed. It was the initial quarter granted to me when I first entered Bi-gak.”

“Did you intentionally designate this room for me?”

“I did not. I simply strolled by to indulge in past memories and discovered you here.”

“Incredible!”

“It seems destiny binds us in small ways.” Baek So-cheon walked inside and took a seat upon the edge of the bedding. “Do you recall your very first day?”

“As clearly as yesterday.”

He thought back to the oath he had taken to commit his existence entirely to the alliance. Whether that conviction had been wise or foolish, his spirit back then had burned solely for righteousness and honor. It was an innocence bordering on foolishness.

Baek So-cheon spoke aloud the guidance that Ban Yun-saeng had once imparted to him. “Do not expend your entire existence purely on conflict. If you allow yourself to do so, your years will evaporate like an empty reverie.”

“I will hold that in mind.” Beon Saeng spoke with firm conviction, though at twenty-six, he had yet to understand how swiftly the seasons slip past as one ages.

“Rest well.” Baek So-cheon took his leave.

Beon Saeng lowered himself into the very spot where the lord had just rested. In the distant future, the changing seasons would usher another youthful martial artist into this private chamber. Just as Baek So-cheon had offered him guidance this day, he would pass down the identical lesson. He quietly pledged to share these exact words with that future successor.

—

After distributing the revised training schedule developed from Hyun-cheon-dae to the forces of Bi-gak, Baek So-cheon threw his entire focus into his personal martial refinement.

To begin his breakthrough, he called upon Cheon-geuk.

“Lend me your assistance once more. A mere seven days will suffice.”

“Providing aid is not an issue, yet… will I truly offer any benefit? Your martial mastery has ascended once more.”

“Yours has advanced alongside mine.”

“That may be, but still…”

“I require a sparring partner of your caliber.”

The primary obstacle blocking Baek So-cheon was the imposing barrier of the sixth stance of the Thousand-Handed Asura God Sword. Their previous exchange of swift swordsmanship had pushed his comprehension forward immensely. Now that both of their realms had heightened, they could engage in practice at a higher tier.

“Why establish the span at precisely seven days?”

“That is the absolute threshold you can endure while battling without pause.”

Cheon-geuk’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “Seven continuous days of combat?”

“With intervals to cycle our qi through the evenings.”

“Then why constrain it to only seven days?”

“Because we will fight at maximum lethality from sunrise until dusk, just as we did previously.”

“May the heavens preserve me.”

She stood speechless. Their earlier duel had pushed their lives to the brink; she had taken a blade straight through her flesh back then. Maintaining such an exchange for seven uninterrupted days? The psychological burden alone, regardless of their internal energy recovery, would be staggering.

“Cast your worries aside. Both of us possess superior skill now, making it far more feasible than our previous clash.”

“How extended could you endure such intensity?”

“One hundred days, provided I rest my qi through the night.”

“That is the most absurd jest you have ever made.”

“I speak with utter gravity.”

“Ha… it is no mystery why Beon Saeng experiences such helpless dread in your presence.”

The further one ascends the peak of martial arts, the vaster the gulf between stages turns out to be. An increment gained near the bottom shares nothing in common with a single tier advanced at the summit. Despite being separated by merely three stages of martial realm, their stamina discrepancy translated to the difference between seven days and one hundred.

“I intend to train without respite for an entire hundred days.”

“I shall step in again once I have rested for seven days following our initial seven-day bout. Assuming you still need my presence.”

“I certainly will. Will you commit to it?”

“I will.”

“Then we will duel for seven days, allow you seven days of reprieve, and repeat the cycle.”

“And what will you do during the days I am resting?”

“I have already devised training to fill that void.”

“You truly have no intention of holding back.”

Baek So-cheon inclined his head. Facing threats from both the Black Heaven Alliance and the Blood Cult, he had expended every bit of cunning just to purchase this window of tranquility.

“Very well, count me in.”

“I am grateful.”

“You thank me? In truth, this sparring will benefit my cultivation far more.”

“Remain on guard.”

“I will.”

Together, they made their way toward the secluded training ground to begin actual combat.

The ferocity mirrored the danger of their past encounter. Yet this time, an element of ease accompanied the exchange. While their initial bout had unfolded like a frenzied trance, they now possessed enough mastery to retain mental clarity. They budgeted their inner qi carefully to sustain exchanges that could span through twilight.

Baek So-cheon deliberately replicated the precise patterns of their historic clash, intentionally targeting the exact angle where his sword had struck her before.

This time, she cleanly evaded it. In their former duel, she had believed that thrust was physically impossible to dodge, even with full foreknowledge.

Yet she evaded it!

It stood as living evidence that her martial path had genuinely ascended, proven under the pressure of life-or-death combat.

As they replayed the flow of that previous battle over and over, fresh variations began to emerge naturally. Yet despite her heightened strength, the exertion drained Cheon-geuk down to the marrow. Toward the end, she swung her weapon through a daze, focusing every shred of willpower solely on avoiding fatal errors.

The opening day drew to a close.

Cheon-geuk collapsed straight to the earth, entirely robbed of the energy to stand. Never before had she driven her flesh and spirit to such an extreme.

Baek So-cheon caught her by the arm, lifting her back onto her feet. “If you surrender to slumber right now, tomorrow will feel like torture. Cycle your qi.”

“Forget it, I am going to sleep right on the dirt.”

He forced her upright; immediately, she slumped limp against his shoulder like wet laundry. “Ah, this is comfortable. Just let me rest a moment…”

He held his shoulder still to support her weight. Before long, a faint murmur escaped her lips. “So-cheon.”

“Speak.”

“You must become overwhelmingly powerful… win every battle.” Her exhausted voice carried absolute sincerity.

“I will.”

She had already drifted into deep unconsciousness. For her own dignity, he leaned in and murmured beside her ear. “If you fall asleep in this state of exhaustion, you will snore terribly.”

Cheon-geuk’s eyes shot wide open, and she instantly wrenched herself away. Adopting a cross-legged position to cycle her inner qi, she hissed through her teeth. “Not a chance!”

She had no desire to snore in front of him.

Baek So-cheon watched her with a quiet smile. Past her silhouette, hosta blossoms swayed softly under the illumination of the moon. They seemed to match her presence naturally.

This bout of training carried the promise of great things to come.