Chapter 4: The Two Walk Together

Master Hyunso Jinin's gaze was incredibly complex as he looked down at Damho. Damho's body was covered in a variety of unknown medicinal herbs, and tiny silver needles were inserted into his acupoints.

To save Damho, Master Hyunso Jinin had mobilized all the medical skills he knew. The same medical skills he had learned five years ago to save Damho were now being used again for the same purpose.

Master Hyunso Jinin reached out and stroked Damho's forehead.

"Hoya, never give up. Just as you've always done."

Damho was in a terribly broken state. If he hadn't been training his body all this time, even walking would have been impossible.

Master Hyungeom Jinin's prophecy had been confirmed.

"Is he trying to completely eliminate the chance for him to learn martial arts? That's really cruel, Brother Hyungeom."

To fully recover from such injuries, at least three years would be needed. Now was the optimal time for Damho to learn martial arts. If he wasted three years and his muscles and bones hardened, it would be impossible to achieve the highest accomplishment even if he learned martial arts.

In the end, Master Hyungeom Jinin had cleverly eliminated the chance for Damho to learn martial arts.

"But it won't go as you wish, Brother."

Master Hyunso Jinin reached out and took Damho's pulse. Then, he felt a faint energy.

Although Damho's body was terribly damaged, his internals had avoided fatal injuries.

"The Central Heavenly Heart Decision protected Damho's heart vessels. If not, he would have become a complete invalid. This must also be the will of the Prime Heavenly Ancestor. I will no longer resist the mandate of heaven."

The energy formed by the Central Heavenly Heart Decision was heavy and dull. But it was strong and tenacious. These characteristics had protected Damho's internals.

Right now, it was difficult to operate and remained in a dormant state, but once it achieved great success, it would be able to encompass all the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect.

"Just wait a little longer, Hoya. Your master will help you stand up."

After staring at Damho for a long time, Master Hyunso Jinin finally stood up. His face was filled with a determined light.

Master Hyunso Jinin went outside and looked up at the sky.

"Only when the boat is overturned can one see who can swim well."

People usually realize their abilities when they face a crisis.

Master Hyunso Jinin was confident that Damho would do the same.

"I'll be back soon."

Master Hyunso Jinin descended Mount Hwasan, which was still dark.

After walking for half a day, Master Hyunso Jinin arrived at Mount Samgong, which faced Mount Hwasan across a rugged valley.

Named Mount Samgong because it faced the main peaks of Mount Hwasan like three old men, the mountain was sharp and pointed, like a sword stuck upside down.

Master Hyunso Jinin climbed the place where no one could step foot. His body was soon soaked in sweat. He had lived his whole life as a scholar. His physical ability was less than that of ordinary people.

Not long after starting to climb, his legs became stiff and his breath quickened.

"Whew!"

Master Hyunso Jinin took a moment to catch his breath.

Although it was close to Mount Hwasan, it was a dangerous place that no one sought, and Master Hyunso Jinin hadn't visited this place for over thirty years.

The edge of the cliff was so dangerous that one could fall into an endless abyss with a slight misstep, so he had intentionally avoided coming here.

If it weren't for his disciple Damho, he wouldn't have come here.

When he stood at the edge of the cliff, his legs naturally trembled. Fear surged.

Master Hyunso Jinin let out a sigh.

"I've been studying how to control my mind for decades, but when I stand in front of a cliff, it's all useless. How foolish, Hyunso."

Then he realized.

"The courage to take a single step towards the cliff cannot be obtained from a book."

Master Hyunso Jinin closed his eyes. A moment later, when he opened his eyes again, his eyes were much calmer than before.

Master Hyunso Jinin took a step towards the dizzying ridge. Suppressing the fear that surged from deep within his heart, Master Hyunso Jinin forced his trembling legs to move.

Whoosh!

The wind blew along the ridge. For a moment, Master Hyunso Jinin's body swayed. But he managed to maintain his balance.

"Huff, huff!"

Fear surged, but Master Hyunso Jinin did not stop walking.

Not for himself, but for his disciple.

***

"Ugh!"

Damho groaned and opened his eyes. The first thing he heard was a familiar voice.

"Have you regained consciousness? That's a relief."

"Master?"

"Yes, it's your master, Hoya."

When he turned his head, he saw Master Hyunso Jinin looking at him. The face of his master, who seemed to have aged at least ten years since the last time he saw him, made Damho feel like his tears would burst out.

"Master."

"Yes!"

"I'm... sorry."

"Why are you sorry? What did you do wrong? You didn't do anything wrong. So, you don't need to be sorry."

Damho tried to sit up. But his limbs didn't have enough strength. Only then did Damho realize that he had been seriously injured in the duel with Sugyeong.

"Cough!"

Damho's eyes turned red. Even though he had been unconscious for a long time, he could tell how badly he was broken. With injuries like these, it would take several years just to recover his body, let alone learn martial arts.

Then Master Hyunso Jinin reached out and stroked Damho's head.

"Don't worry, Hoya."

"Master."

"The time to recover your body won't take as long as you think."

Master Hyunso Jinin helped Damho sit up. Only then did Damho notice that his body was covered in medicinal herbs. Without asking, he knew it was the work of his master, Master Hyunso Jinin.

After leaning Damho against the wall, Master Hyunso Jinin brought a large wooden box from the corner of the room. When he opened the box, dozens of red pills were revealed.

"What's this?"

"It's good for your body."

Master Hyunso Jinin took out one pill.

Damho's pupils shook for a moment. The reason was that Master Hyunso Jinin's hand, which took out the pill, was full of wounds.

"Master, that hand..."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

What could possibly cause wounds on the hands of his master, who had spent his life reading scriptures? The wounds must have been caused by searching Mount Hwasan for the medicinal herbs that were stuck all over his body.

His master's torn robe proved that fact. Surely, there were more severe wounds inside his clothes.

"Take it quickly."

"Master."

"Why, don't you trust your master's skills?"

Master Hyunso Jinin smiled kindly.

"It's not

that..."

"Then take it quickly."

"Yes!"

Without further questioning, Damho took the pill.

"Now, use the Central Heavenly Heart Decision to spread the medicinal effects."

As Damho nodded and began to circulate his energy, Master Hyunso Jinin collapsed onto the floor.

"Phew!"

A sigh naturally escaped his lips.

The pill Damho had taken was a spiritual elixir known as the Yang Pill. It was a secret recipe passed down among scholars, now almost forgotten.

Unlike the Plum Blossom Divine Pill, the ultimate elixir of the Hwasan Sect, which explosively increased one's energy in one go, the Yang Pill steadily increased one's energy and strengthened one's muscles and bones when taken.

To gather the herbs for the Yang Pill, Master Hyunso Jinin had spent three days scouring Mount Samgong. Although many of the ingredients were common, they grew in dangerous or remote places, requiring him to take risks.

Despite falling and tumbling several times, and even falling into a valley, Master Hyunso Jinin was able to gather all the herbs needed for the Yang Pill.

Even after gathering the herbs, Master Hyunso Jinin couldn't rest. Turning the herbs into the Yang Pill was not an easy task.

If the fire control was slightly off, days of hard work could turn into bubbles. The process of making the Yang Pill was extremely exhausting.

After several days and nights without proper sleep, he finally managed to make dozens of Yang Pills.

"If the Central Heavenly Heart Decision is like a furnace made of iron, then the Yang Pill is like dry firewood. When the dry firewood catches fire, the furnace will heat up."

Master Hyunso Jinin, who remembered countless martial arts scriptures as a scholar, had a deep understanding of martial arts. Although he couldn't demonstrate it physically, his understanding was not lacking. In fact, his understanding of martial arts even surpassed that of ordinary martial artists.

Master Hyunso Jinin sat with his arms crossed, watching Damho circulate his energy. Gradually, color returned to Damho's pale face. Although he wasn't recovering instantly, it seemed like he had passed the critical point.

Still, Master Hyunso Jinin couldn't completely relax and kept a close watch on Damho's condition. Hours passed, and time flowed endlessly.

Damho finished circulating his energy around dawn the next day.

"Huff!"

Damho opened his eyes, catching his breath.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was, of course, Master Hyunso Jinin. He had been watching over Damho all night.

"Master?"

"Are you okay?"

"I feel much better."

It wasn't just a comforting phrase. Before circulating his energy, even breathing was difficult, but now it was much easier.

"That's a relief."

"It's all thanks to you, Master."

"For the time being, continue taking the Yang Pill and circulating the Central Heavenly Heart Decision. You won't be able to train physically for a while anyway."

"I will do as you say."

Damho nodded.

Master Hyunso Jinin looked at Damho with a complicated expression. Damho also looked at Master Hyunso Jinin.

"I heard about it. You had a duel with Sugyeong?"

"Yes."

"Phew! Don't resent Sugyeong. It wasn't her intention."

"I know."

"Master Hyungeom has always been radical. He doesn't hesitate to make any sacrifice to achieve his goals."

"I think I understand."

"I apologize on his behalf."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Master."

"No, it's all my fault. If I had made a decision sooner, you wouldn't have had to go through this."

Master Hyunso Jinin looked out the window for a moment. Through the open window, he could see Mount Yeonhwa in the distance. Damho also looked out the window following his master.

The two of them, looking at Mount Yeonhwa, had similar expressions in their eyes.

After a while, Master Hyunso Jinin finally spoke.

"Hoya!"

"Yes, Master."

"I will help you. Let's create a martial art that suits you, just for you."

Damho's eyes trembled.

"Battering ram?"

"Yes! Like a battering ram, concentrate all your power at one point with terrifying speed. If you can do that, you can suppress change with simplicity. That's the solution I've come up with."

"..."

Damho was left speechless. It felt as if the fog in his mind had lifted.

A possibility he hadn't seen before began to emerge.

Hyunso Jinin's voice echoed.

"A martial technique like a battering ram breaking through a fortress wall, I'll call it 'Chungbo'."

"Chungbo..."

"It's a martial technique that you and I have to create from now on."

Hyunso Jinin's words left a deep resonance in Damho's heart.

***

Chungbo.

Creating a martial technique like a battering ram charging towards a fortress wall.

Once the topic was set, Hyunso Jinin and Damho immersed themselves with frightening intensity. Hyunso Jinin began to unravel the knowledge he had only known in his mind until now.

"There's a martial art known as 'Hyeolcheonjok' among the famous techniques in the martial world."

"Hyeolcheonjok?"

"It's the unique martial art of Woo Kyung-pae, the 'Iron Blood Demon', who ruled the martial world alone 120 years ago. It's said that one kick can turn the sky red with blood, boasting such a brutal power."

Woo Kyung-pae was among the top ten martial artists of his time, solely due to Hyeolcheonjok. However, he became a public enemy of the martial world due to his violent nature and causing problems indiscriminately.

Hundreds of martial artists set out to assassinate Woo Kyung-pae at the time. However, Woo Kyung-pae shook off their pursuit and disappeared without a trace.

He never reappeared in the world. Thus, he became a legend, and now, almost no one remembered the existence of Woo Kyung-pae.

"People simply thought that Woo Kyung-pae retired because he was disgusted with the martial world, but the reality was different. The top martial artist of the time, Sangcheonja of Hwasan Sword Line, stepped forward because he couldn't stand the damage to the martial world."

Sangcheonja was among the top ten martial artists like Woo Kyung-pae, and was more than capable of competing for the top spot with his swordsmanship.

Sangcheonja and Woo Kyung-pae fought day and night. The fight was so intense that it seemed to turn the world upside down, and in the end, Sangcheonja managed to defeat Woo Kyung-pae by a half-step.

"If Woo Kyung-pae hadn't exhausted his energy shaking off the pursuit of the martial artists, even Sangcheonja wouldn't have been able to suppress him. That's how strong Woo Kyung-pae was."

After killing Woo Kyung-pae, Sangcheonja intended to burn the secret manual containing Hyeolcheonjok. However, after examining Hyeolcheonjok, Sangcheonja had to change his mind.

"Although Hyeolcheonjok was misused by its owner, Woo Kyung-pae, the martial art itself was truly excellent. That's why Sangcheonja had his disciples memorize Hyeolcheonjok. It couldn't be kept publicly."

And so, Hyeolcheonjok has been passed down through the oral tradition of the disciples to this day.

"The 'Muyeongjok' of Shaolin is said to be able to deliver up to eighteen kicks while floating in the air. It's possible because it maximizes the exquisite distribution of inner energy and the mystery of the cycle. But Hyeolcheonjok is different. It aims to pulverize the opponent with a single blow, without considering the mystery of the cycle or the distribution of inner energy."

Damho stared at Hyunso Jinin.

He had never seen Hyunso Jinin so passionate in the five years they had been together.

"Hyeolcheonjok doesn't need flashy martial techniques. All you need is a sturdy leg to serve as a pillar. If you learn and explore Hyeolcheonjok, you will surely complete Chungbo."

"I understand."

Damho nodded.

He trusted his master. If he said it, there must be a good reason for it.

Hyunso Jinin's face was flushed. But there was not a hint of hesitation in teaching Damho Hyeolcheonjok.

The elder of Hwasan, Hyuncheon Jinin, had told him not to pass on the martial arts of Hwasan to Damho.

But Hyeolcheonjok was not a martial art of Hwasan. There was no reason to hesitate.

After hearing all about the basic form of Hyeolcheonjok and the operation of inner energy, Damho finally understood why Hyunso Jinin was so passionate.

Hyeolcheonjok didn't require any intricate movements. All it needed was a preparatory action to maximize destructive power. It was a martial art that even Damho, with his impaired leg, could fully execute.

The problem was that to execute Hyeolcheonjok, it required tremendous leg strength, explosive lung capacity, and precise operation of inner energy.

'Master.'

Damho felt a surge of respect for Hyunso Jinin.

It wasn't just about bringing out a martial art and learning it. It was a solution that took into account Damho's physical condition, his efforts so far, and his direction of development.

He could see how many days Hyunso Jinin had pondered for him, and how many sleepless nights he had spent.

After that, Hyunso Jinin continued to pour out the knowledge he knew. After hearing all the stories, Damho engaged in a heated debate with Hyunso Jinin.

The basis of everything was Chungbo, which Hyunso Jinin first mentioned.

Creating a martial technique like a battering ram, and the martial arts that go with it, was the task of the two.

The two engaged in heated debates day after day. It was common to stay up all night, and sometimes they didn't sleep for days.

Creating a new martial art was not an easy task even for lifelong practitioners. Let alone for a disciple who only knows theory and a young martial artist who only has recklessness, creating a martial art was almost impossible.

But the two had an advantage that others didn't. That was that they didn't know how to give up easily. And they were very persistent.

Neither Damho nor Hyunso Jinin were significant figures within Hwasan. Almost no one cared what they did. Thanks to that, Hyunso Jinin and Damho were able to test and create martial arts much more comfortably.

If Hyunso Jinin proposed a theoretical direction, it was Damho's job to verify it with his body.

If it weren't for the stable heart method of Jungcheon Simgyeol backing him up, he wouldn't have dared to try it.

Damho stopped his routine of climbing and descending Hwasan. It was because it could attract the attention of others. Instead, he started training in a special way.

Behind Hyunso Jinin's dwelling, there was a small open space and a large rock. The rock was

as big as a large boulder.

Hyunso Jinin drew a small circle on the rock at a position similar to Damho's eye level.

Damho quietly watched what Hyunso Jinin was doing.

Hyunso Jinin drew a straight line from the rock with the circle towards the open space.

A straight line was drawn on the ground, and Damho was placed at the end of it.

"This is your task from today."

"What should I do?"

"From here to that rock, you have to jump in one step and hit the circle with your fist."

"Master."

"I know it's almost impossible with your leg. But you have to do it."

At Hyunso Jinin's words, Damho nodded silently.

His left leg was slightly bent and twisted. Because of that, he couldn't exert proper force, and it was hard to gauge the correct direction.

This training was not just about strengthening his left leg.

Because his leg was twisted, Damho's body balance was greatly off. If he could complete this training safely, Damho's sense of balance would develop to the highest level.

"Start."

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, Damho followed Hyunso Jinin's instructions.

Thud!

He launched himself towards the rock.

"Ugh!"

Damho's face contorted.

He couldn't even make it a third of the way to the rock, let alone touch it with his fist. The worst part was that he had strayed far to the left of the line drawn by Hyunso Jinin.

Damho's hunched shoulders were shaking. His lungs were fully expanded, gasping for fresh air, and his heart was pounding as if it was about to burst. Damho clenched his trembling legs with both hands, trying to calm them down.

Once his breathing had somewhat stabilized, Damho lifted his head to look ahead. He saw the rock with the small circle drawn on it.

Every day, he ran towards the rock, again and again.

His goal was the small circle on the rock. He ran countless times to punch his fist into it.

At first, he couldn't even reach the rock, let alone touch the circle with his fist. He always veered far from the line drawn by Hyunso Jinin.

Running properly, running straight.

To do that, he had to accurately understand the condition of his body. He needed to know the angle of his twisted leg, the movement of his muscles when he kicked the ground, and the load they could bear.

It took him almost a month just to get the direction right. After that, he gradually increased the distance.

The real hell started then.

Kicking the ground with his twisted leg was excruciating. It felt as if his entire leg was twisting and his muscles were being torn apart.

Still, he gritted his teeth and ran. He tried to become numb to the pain. And then, at some point, he really couldn't feel the pain anymore. Or rather, it seemed like he had forgotten the pain.

It took him a month to increase the distance to one Zhang (about 3 meters), and another two months to double that. And today, Damho was finally able to punch his fist into the circle on the rock.

As evidence, blood was flowing from Damho's fist. His skin had been torn when it collided with the rock.

"Phew!"

Damho got up.

He had just climbed the first step he wanted. There were still countless steps left to climb. He couldn't afford to sit down and rest just because he had climbed one step.

Damho drew a line extending from the rock. The distance increased by another Zhang.

'Faster, more intensely.'

It wasn't enough to just touch the rock.

He had to be able to shatter the huge rock with a single blow, packing a powerful punch and inner energy.

Thud!

Damho launched himself towards the rock again.

Droplets of sweat he had shed in mid-air scattered.

Even when night fell, Damho couldn't rest.

He took the Yunyang Pill and practiced Jungcheon Simgyeol. His Dantian was filling up with inner energy day by day.

Next to Damho, who was practicing, was Hyunso Jinin.

In front of Hyunso Jinin, a book was spread out. It was a blank book with nothing written on it.

Hyunso Jinin began to move his brush over the blank book. The figure of a person performing martial arts and small characters were written on the previously blank page.

For the past four months, he had been discussing martial arts with Damho without a day off. As a result, they were able to establish a clear direction and concept.

It was the process of recording the results so far. He couldn't write even a single character carelessly.

It was a book for Damho. Even if he knew it in his head and had mastered it with his body, seeing it in writing was different.

"Phew!"

It was then. Damho, who had only been practicing until now, finally opened his eyes. A glimmer of light flickered and disappeared in his eyes.

It seemed he had finally realized the true use of Jungcheon Simgyeol.

The inner energy built up by Jungcheon Simgyeol was incredibly heavy. It was simple but profound, and profound but not slow.

If he hadn't received the help of the Yunyang Pill, he wouldn't have realized the true use of Jungcheon Simgyeol so quickly.

Damho now clearly understood why his master had him learn Jungcheon Simgyeol and Hyeolcheonjok.

The two martial arts were as natural as if they had been one from the beginning. If he combined the two martial arts he had learned and integrated them into the martial art he was creating now, it would have tremendous power.

Hyunso Jinin looked at Damho and smiled.

"Once you can put that heavy energy into your fist, no one will be able to stand in your way."

Damho bowed his head.

Hyunso Jinin was a beacon of light in his darkness, where he couldn't see even an inch ahead. Thanks to his guidance, he was able to find his direction and move forward.

"Take this book."

"What is this?"

"I've recorded the concepts we've established together. If you get stuck, look at this book and think carefully."

"Thank you."

Damho took the book that Hyunso Jinin handed him with both hands. There were still far more blank spaces than filled ones.

"We started together, but it's your job to complete it. How you develop it is entirely up to you."

"I will keep that in mind, Master."

After that, Damho and Hyunso Jinin continued to discuss the martial arts written in the book.

Damho talked about what he had felt while learning martial arts, and Hyunso Jinin used all his knowledge of martial arts to try to answer Damho's questions.

A smile appeared on Damho's lips.

He didn't know how much more difficult the path would be for the martial art that had just established its concept. But Damho was happy at this moment.

The moment he was with his master.

***

"Phew!"

Makgeung, the head courier of the Northern Route Courier Agency, wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead with his sleeve. Despite the lingering chill in the air, he was perspiring profusely under the intense sunlight.

"Spring isn't far off now. The flowers must already be blooming in the Central Plains," he mused, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Just then, a young courier rode up to his side. Lim Horyeong, a courier in his early thirties, was like a younger brother to Makgeung.

"Brother, you must be missing your wife already," he teased.

"Wouldn't you be the same? It's been seven months since we left on this courier journey. I'm dying to smell my wife's scent."

"I feel the same. I can't wait to get home and see my wife and children."

A wistful light flickered in Lim Horyeong's eyes. They had been on a long journey to the Western Regions. The Northern Route Merchant Group had pioneered the highest Western trade route, and they had embarked on this journey with high hopes.

Seven months might not seem long, but considering that a trip to the Western Regions typically took over a year, they had been in a hurry and had given their all. They had successfully opened a trade route with the Western Regions, and now all that was left was to soar even higher.

The two men looked back. Hundreds of people and numerous wagons were following them. These were the merchants belonging to the Northern Route Merchant Group and the couriers of the courier agency. Their faces were filled with smiles.

Their steps were light as they returned to the Central Plains, having reaped as much as they desired. Their current location was near the Lop Nur Lake in Xingjiang, not far from the Jade Gate Pass, the gateway to the Central Plains.

If they moved diligently, they could reach the Jade Gate Pass in ten days. From there, it would take another month to reach Hubuk, where the main group of the Northern Route Merchant Group was located. But they were almost back in the Central Plains, so their steps were light.

Makgeung asked, "Where is the group leader?"

"He's asleep in the wagon."

"He must be tired. He's been worrying so much."

"But he can rest easy now that we've achieved the results we wanted."

The leader of the Northern Route Merchant Group, Oh Seungkyung, was a disciple of the Mudo Faction, a prestigious family in Hubuk.

Trusting only the martial arts he learned from the Mudo Faction and his sword, he had started his merchant journey about thirty years ago. Since then, the Northern Route Merchant Group had become the best in Hubuk.

To protect the Northern Route Merchant Group, they established the Northern Route Courier Agency, with Makgeung as the chief.

"Brother, congratulations in advance."

"What are you talking about?"

"Once we return to Hubuk, you'll become the lord of the Northern Route Courier Agency, right? Congratulations in advance."

"Let's talk about that once we safely return."

Group leader Oh Seungkyung had declared that if this merchant journey was successful, he would give Makgeung the position of lord of the Northern Route Courier Agency. For Makgeung, who had started as a simple courier, this was an unimaginable honor.

"We're almost back in the Central Plains. What could possibly go wrong?"

Lim Horyeong laughed lightly, and Makgeung chuckled in response.

Just then...

Shriek!

Suddenly, a fierce sound of air being torn echoed through the air.

"Argh!"

A courier's scream followed.

Makgeung and Lim Horyeong's faces turned pale.

"What's going on?"

They quickly turned around. A courier who had been hit by an arrow and fallen from his horse came into view.

"An ambush? Who on earth..."

At that moment, figures clad in black robes appeared on the hill. There were over a hundred of them.

"Who the hell are you?"

Makgeung and Lim Horyeong drew their swords and shouted. Their faces were filled with tension. The aura emanating from the attackers was extraordinary.

Oh Seungkyung, who had been sleeping in the wagon, came out. He glared at the attackers and shouted.

"I am Oh Seungkyung, a disciple of the Mudo Faction and the leader of the Northern Route Merchant Group. Who are you to dare attack the Northern Route Merchant Group?"

Oh Seungkyung invoked the name of the Mudo Faction.

He tried to intimidate the enemies by mentioning the Mudo Faction, one of the nine great factions and the leader of the Five Peaks Sword Faction. However, the response he received thoroughly trampled on Oh Seungkyung's expectations.

The leader of the attackers smirked.

"What's so great about the Mudo Faction?"

"How dare you disrespect the Mudo Faction."

Oh Seungkyung's anger flared.

He could tolerate many things, but he couldn't stand anyone insulting his faction, the Mudo Faction.

The leader of the attackers approached where Oh Seungkyung and the others were standing.

"You're quite proud of the Mudo Faction. But even the great Mudo Faction didn't dare to breathe loudly when we were active."

"What?"

As Oh Seungkyung and Makgeung's faces filled with suspicion, the leader of the attackers threw off his black robe. The emblem clearly engraved on his chest was revealed.

A simple emblem depicting a roaring flame. The moment they saw it, the faces of Oh Seungkyung and the others changed drastically.

"That emblem... the Western Flame? Don't tell me you're from the Demon Sect?"

The Demon Sect, a group known to be the origin of all demons, was thought to have been destroyed twenty years ago.

At that time, the entire Central Plains had united to drive out the Demon Sect.

After three years of fierce battle, the Central Plains had finally managed to destroy the Demon Sect. But the damage inflicted on the Central Plains was enormous. Many factions lost their power or were destroyed, and countless people fell into ruin, still unable to recover from the aftermath.

The leader of the attackers smirked.

"Now you understand why we're not afraid of the Mudo Faction."

"Are you... really from the Demon Sect?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

The leader of the attackers gestured with his hand.

At that moment, the attackers who had been lined up behind him charged towards the Northern Route Merchant Group and the courier agency. And so, a one-sided massacre began.

Oh Seungkyung's face twisted in agony. He exchanged glances with Makgeung. They understood each other's thoughts without words.

Makgeung looked at Lim Horyeong.

"Horyeong."

"Yes! Chief."

"You must survive, no matter what."

"What are you talking about? I'll fight to the end."

"If they're really from the Demon Sect, we won't be able to survive. But someone has to survive and inform the Central Plains of their existence. The only one among us who has a chance of doing that is you. I'm counting on you, Horyeong."

"Damn it! Chief."

Lim Horyeong's face twisted in agony.

Oh Seungkyung and Mak

geung left Lim Horyeong behind and stepped towards the battlefield. Their faces were filled with grim determination.

That day, the Northern Route Merchant Group and the courier agency disappeared from the world.