“Haa... This air, this sunlight! It’s good to see you again, Mount Ten Thousand Demon Peaks!”
Tak Horak took deep, rapid breaths, his face full of excitement. He inhaled and exhaled repeatedly.
He had just completed three weeks of disciplinary confinement and stepped outside.
Unlike the stale, moldy air of the Disciplinary Hall, the fresh and clean air outside was exhilarating—especially since he didn’t have to wear that stuffy face covering anymore.
“Hmhm~”
Tak Horak couldn’t help but hum, feeling as if he owned the whole world.
“I haven’t completely mastered it yet, but I did gain a great opportunity.”
Thanks to Sado Hwan’s consideration, he had received personal instruction in one of the martial arts of the former Heavenly Demon, Do Il-gwang.
“He’s got a nasty temper, but still, it’s a technique from a previous Supreme Heavenly Demon.”
Of course, he’d fainted dozens of times during training—because Do Il-gwang exploded in rage, claiming Horak had not even a speck of talent. That alone had been enough to knock him out cold.
‘How did the Young Lord even withstand that presence, let alone overcome it?’
Still, the experience gave him insight into a new realm and helped him progress further in cultivation.
As a result, Tak Horak’s loyalty to Sado Hwan deepened day by day.
However, as soon as he stepped outside the Disciplinary Hall’s domain, a strange feeling washed over him.
He noticed a peculiar excitement in the faces of people from Magyeong.
Looking up, he saw sky lanterns floating in the air.
‘Should I report back to the Black Shadow Corps first?’
Although his position as Third Squad Leader had been temporarily suspended due to disciplinary action, he was still officially part of the Corps. Feeling he had been away from duty too long, Tak Horak headed to Black Shadow Pavilion before even returning home.
“Squad Leader!”
There, Tak Horak was met with an unusually chaotic atmosphere among the members of the Corps.
“You returned safely! Are you alright?”
“Thanks to the Young Lord’s care, I managed just fine.”
“The Young Lord…?”
Tak Horak noticed the soldier’s awkward expression when he mentioned Sado Hwan.
“Did something happen to the Young Lord? Don’t tell me…”
“I’m not sure if it’s something bad, exactly… but a lot has happened.”
“Yeah? Then how about we grab a drink and talk it over? With all those lanterns in the sky, it looks like there was some kind of big festival while I was gone.”
“Are you trying to get thrown back into the Disciplinary Hall for leaving your post again? That’s not a festival.”
“Then what is it?”
“A funeral.”
“A funeral? Whose?”
Tak Horak’s jaw dropped.
“It was the funeral of Sado Gwang, the Eldest Young Master of the Sado Clan.”
“The Eldest Young Master is dead? You serious?”
“Yes… and also…”
The soldier lowered his voice and looked around cautiously.
“The Young Lord has declared that he will take the position of Patriarch.”
“P-Patriarch…?”
“Yes. So things are in complete turmoil right now. Look around. There’s a flood of outsiders coming and going, and we don’t know what to do. Everyone’s agonizing over their next move.”
Only then did Tak Horak realize that the unease he had missed in his elation was very real. The Black Shadow Corps, typically silent and focused due to their role in assassination and tracking, was now abuzz.
Members were gathered in groups talking, and among them were people clearly not from the Corps.
“What do you mean, ‘what decision to make’?”
“Whether we support the Young Lord, of course.”
The soldier scratched his head as he answered.
“Even if he’s a Transcendent Peak master, the position of Patriarch isn’t something you gain through strength alone.”
The Sado Clan had now splintered into three factions:
1. The Patriarch Faction, led by Sado Muyul. Though it held legitimacy and justification, it had taken a critical blow with Sado Gwang’s fall. Its martial strength was also weak, as most of its experts were recruited externally and lacked cohesion.
2. The Elder Faction, led by First Elder Sado Gi, made up of Sado Clan purebloods. They claimed the elders must take charge to resolve the chaos.
3. And finally, the Black Shadow Lord’s Faction—Sado Hwan’s faction.
“But let’s be honest, the Young Lord may be powerful, but he hasn’t really shown much in terms of leadership or strategy. He wasn’t even interested in managing the Corps—that was all left to the deputy commander. So even within our ranks, opinions are split.”
“Fools.”
Tak Horak clicked his tongue.
“You followed him into the Martial World and still don’t understand the kind of leader the Young Lord is?”
“Huh?”
“He embodies the very essence of leadership. Never a wasted word, always treating his subordinates as if they were his own flesh. If that’s not a true leader, then who is?”
At that moment…
“So you’re saying you’ll side with him, huh?”
Tak Horak turned around.
A short but solid-looking man stood there—like a chunk of granite.
“Fifth Squad Leader?”
“Former Third Squad Leader Tak Horak. I heard you got sent to the Disciplinary Hall, but you’re still wandering around like a fool.”
“And you’re still flapping your mouth like always, Jinsoo.”
Sparks practically flew between the two.
They had always been rivals within the Black Shadow Corps, and now that they clashed again, their fellow members quickly circled around in anticipation.
The group quickly split into two camps.
The Corps had eight squads. The first four were trained by the original unit, while squads five through eight were newly formed under Sado Hwan’s command.
The newer recruits harbored strong resentment toward Sado Hwan.
This was because he’d founded the new units but holed up in his room rather than leading them. Many of the newcomers had joined to build merit and advance, only to be left idle.
Even during the recent expedition to the Martial World, only the original first four squads were taken along—leaving the rest behind once again.
“It’s hard enough to believe someone who never even trains in public is a Transcendent Peak master—and now he wants to become Patriarch? If he does, I’m leaving the Sado Clan. He’ll just shut himself in the same way again. Am I wrong?!”
Several members of the “new faction” nodded in agreement with Jinsoo.
“In the end, they’ll favor their own. The ones from the Second and Third Magyeong divisions will keep playing nobles together. Isn’t that why we weren’t taken to the Martial World—to keep us from gaining merit?”
“Exactly!”
“They won’t even tell us what happened there. It’s like we’re being deliberately excluded!”
Tak Horak, who normally would’ve turned red with rage and yelled at them, instead chuckled and calmly combined the three sections of his Tri-section Spear into one.
“What’s this? You want a duel? Sure, you’ve outranked me because of your record, but that’s just stats. Fine. Let’s settle this today—”
But Jinsoo couldn’t finish his sentence.
Vwooom!
A faint yet distinct spear energy gathered at the tip of Tak Horak’s weapon. It wasn’t fully refined, but it was definitely there.
Unlike the shimmering aura of a first-rate fighter, this was a concentrated, sharp energy.
“Spear energy...? You're saying you've reached Peak level?”
Tak Horak let the energy fade.
“I’ve only just found a clue. I can’t say I’m fully there yet.”
“How…”
“I get why you’re frustrated.”
He disassembled his spear as he continued.
“But know this—The Young Lord is never one to neglect his people. If he acts, there’s a reason. And if he doesn’t act, there’s a reason for that too. Look at me. The one you mocked as barely qualified to lead a squad… and now I wield spear energy.”
The eyes of those around them began to burn with strange intensity.
“All we need to do is trust and follow. Then you can become like this too.”
“...!”
Even Jinsoo fell silent.
In the Cult, strength reigns supreme.
Pursuing power was as natural as breathing.
“So, kuhum, just have faith.”
Tak Horak, now giving an impromptu speech, faintly resembled Sado Hwan himself.
And from that place, a shadow slipped away unnoticed.
***
Lately, I’d developed a strange habit.
Whenever I was alone, I’d blurt out commanding phrases like:
“You’ve come.”
I did it for one reason.
[......]
Skybreaker, still trapped in silence, no longer functioned as a proper early warning system.
As if lost in thought, it only spoke the bare minimum—and even then with a noticeable delay. I couldn’t even rely on it for sensing presences.
So, just in case, I’d gotten used to throwing out lines like “You’ve arrived,” or “Has the task been completed?” every five minutes or so.
“So, how’s the task?”
“As expected, I can’t fool you, Young Lord.”
Ah, crap.
A voice rang out, startling me.
Someone emerged from thin air like ink filling in empty space.
Clad in black mourning robes and a face covering—it was Saweol.
She still remained by my side for various reasons.
Honestly, I didn’t fully understand why she treated me so well. I thought she would’ve run off to find Seong Hwarang the moment she reached the Transcendent Peak realm.
“I thought I completely masked my presence… and yet you noticed. The gap between us is still overwhelming.”
That’s not it. I just didn’t want you to grow suspicious if I ignored you. That’s why I keep talking to myself.
“No need to flatter me.”
“Just giving my honest impression.”
Ever since reaching the Transcendent Peak, Saweol had changed.
She used to conceal her emotions entirely, but now she’d begun showing them—sometimes even voicing her thoughts. She’d gone from a passive follower of orders to someone with opinions.
“It looked like Squad Leader Tak was doing well, so I returned for now.”
“Is that so.”
Her eyes seemed like they wanted to ask something.
“What is it?”
“Was it all intentional?”
“What was?”
“Luring out Do Il-gwang, raising Tak’s cultivation to Peak level, and quelling the unrest within the Corps from the inside. Now that he’s effectively taken over the Corps, it strengthens your hold—so isn’t that like winning without lifting a finger?”
No.
“It was a coincidence.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
Ugh, this is so unfair. Everyone keeps raising me up based on their assumptions, but in truth, it’s all dumb luck. And even when I say so, no one believes me.
‘At least it’s helping me…’
“With that, you now effectively control five factions: Black Shadow Corps, Blackwater Division, Asura Hall, Crimson Flame Pavilion, and the Office of Death Affairs.”
“Seems like only the Corps gave me trouble.”
“May I speak honestly?”
“What is it?”
“Why did you openly declare your intent to take the Patriarch’s position in front of the current one? With your cultivation, you could’ve quietly maneuvered things and inherited it formally. Wasn’t that a mistake—alerting the enemy too early?”
This was probably the longest sentence I’d ever heard from her. But regardless—
“Because provoking them is exactly what I want.”
“You mean…”
“Yes. This clan doesn’t belong to the Patriarch. It belongs to Sado Gwang.”
I glanced at Skybreaker, then back to Saweol.
“If I stir the waters, his remaining forces will react.”
To crush the head of a fleeing snake—I had to rattle the grass.
Because I was certain Sado Gwang was still alive.
Saweol looked at me seriously and asked:
“Your plans don’t seem tied to power or the Patriarch’s title. Then… are you aiming for something beyond that?”
“Something beyond?”
“Your true desire isn’t becoming the Patriarch…”
Of course it isn’t. I’m planning to leave this world eventually.
All I want is peace and survival.
Just as I was about to clarify so she wouldn’t misunderstand—
“Young Lord! Young Lord!”
Sibi came rushing in from outside, panicked and flushed.
“What is it?”
“Y-you need to come out right now!”
“What’s going on?”
“T-the Supreme One! The Supreme One!”
“The Supreme One…?”
“A message has arrived for you—from the Heavenly Demon Palace!”