ShadowVane

Once feared as the Crimson Storm, Jin Mu-won was the strongest martial artist of his era—until betrayal shattered his path and death consumed him atop a mountain of corpses. But fate had other plans.

Reborn as a boy in a peaceful village at the edge of the Murim world, Mu-won awakens in a new era—one of hidden sects, decaying traditions, and rising darkness. With his memories intact and a mysterious pendant bound to his soul, he uncovers a sealed legacy: forbidden arts, long-lost realms, and a power that should not exist.

Smart, handsome, brutal, and cunning, Jin Mu-won is no hero. He's a predator in a world of prey. As ancient seals break and enemies rise from the shadows, Mu-won begins a ruthless ascent—shattering bones, defying fate, and dragging the martial world into an era of chaos it cannot escape.

Because this time, the demon won’t stop at domination.

He wants everything.

Heavenly Demon Reborn: Chronicles of the One- in-Millennium Genius

Chapter 12: Crimson Fang vs. Jade Fang

The village of Stone Willow sat in uneasy silence. No birds sang. No children played. Only the wind moved, brushing through leaves and knocking on window shutters like an omen.

Seo Hana stood on her rooftop, eyes fixed on the trail leading out of the forest. She clutched a short dagger, her hands trembling. Behind her, several villagers had gathered with makeshift weapons—hoes, farming blades, even sticks sharpened with crude tools.

> "This is madness," whispered old man Baek. "We're not warriors…"

> "But he is," Hana replied. "And he stood for us."

The tension broke with the rumble of hooves.

Jade Tiger Sect elites had arrived.

Five mounted warriors clad in green-tinted armor rode through the village entrance, followed by a dozen foot soldiers in tight formation. At their front, a giant of a man dismounted slowly—Elder Tae Gwan himself.

He looked around once, eyes cold and unfeeling.

Tae Gwan's brow twitched. With a lazy wave of his hand, one soldier stepped forward and kicked in a nearby home's door. A woman screamed from within.

> "We will burn this place to the ground," Tae Gwan said calmly, "unless someone delivers him to me."

Blood sprayed the dirt like a blooming flower.

And Mu-won stepped from the shadows.

Hood drawn back. Blood qi simmering around him like heatwaves from hell. His eyes burned bright red.

> "Touch this village again, and I'll bury your sect with my own hands."

One of the elite warriors stepped forward, unsheathing a twin-curved saber.

The saber-wielding elite didn't even finish his sentence before his chest exploded in a spray of crimson. Mu-won stood behind him, fist dripping with blood.

He turned back to the others, breathing steady.

Tae Gwan's eyes narrowed. "Blood arts. Forbidden."

He stepped forward, removing his cloak. "Then die as a heretic."

> "True Core Realm," Mu-won thought. "I'm still too weak to match him directly."

Mu-won bit into his thumb, drawing blood, and slammed his palm to the earth.

Crimson Veil Array — Phase One: Blood Moon Bloom.

Rings of blood-red light exploded outward, blanketing the village square in a dome of distorted qi. Inside, Mu-won's speed increased, his power surged—but only his.

Everyone else felt their bodies slow. Their qi sluggish.

Even Tae Gwan paused for a heartbeat.

> "Blood-field formation?" he growled. "You little—"

Mu-won appeared before him and struck.

And for the first time in his life, Mu-won felt his hands match a True Core Realm master for a breath.

> Not yet... but I'm getting closer.

By the end of it, four more Jade Tiger Sect warriors lay dead.

Tae Gwan, bloodied but alive, retreated under the cover of shattered morale.

> "This isn't over," he spat. "You've declared war."

Mu-won stood over the village entrance, his aura pulsing with death.

> "I'm not declaring war," he said. "I'm finishing one your sect started."