A Worthless Gift
When did he—?!
The eldest of the White Wolf Five panicked as he realized Yoo-sung had slipped behind him.
Though mocked as a mere bandit, he was still a master of the Transcendental Realm.
Moreover, he prided himself on being the strongest among everyone gathered here, save for the Black and White Twin Blades and the Iron Flower. It was by no means an empty boast.
"Take this. It is a martial art that will make up for what you lack."
Six months ago, Pagun had summoned him in secret to bestow this single technique. The moment the eldest laid eyes on it, he knew its side effects would be severe.
"The choice is yours. You have proven your loyalty, so I merely offer it to you first."
From Pagun's words, the eldest had realized a crucial truth: if he refused, the technique would be passed down to his sworn brothers. At the same time, it was impossible for all of the White Wolf Five to learn it.
How insidious.
A chill ran down the eldest's spine as he saw through Pagun's hidden agenda. He had always known they might be discarded one day, so the betrayal itself did not shock him, but the method was entirely unexpected. Pagun did not intend to throw them all away; he clearly meant to let only one of the five survive.
The moment he realized this, the ambition he had harbored deep in his chest for so long reared its head.
If we must all die anyway, then I will be the one to survive.
After mastering the technique Pagun gave him, the eldest was reborn. Shattering the wall that had always blocked his path, he ascended to the upper ranks of the Transcendental Realm and made his decision. Once today passed, his sworn brothers would no longer walk under the same sky.
They had congratulated him on his rapid growth, but their eyes had been filled with suspicion. If they ever discovered that Pagun favored him alone, they would envy him, and eventually, try to kill him. He had to discard them first.
However, since they were still useful pawns, he wanted them to die a slightly more valuable death. For example, like right now.
That had been his plan.
Tap, tap.
Yoo-sung casually tapped him on the shoulder, a gesture that deeply wounded the eldest's pride.
"Arrogant bastard!"
"Yeah, I didn't expect much anyway," Yoo-sung replied indifferently.
Before the words could even fully leave Yoo-sung's mouth, the eldest launched a counterattack, but—
Thack!
"...!"
"Don't feel too wronged. You were going to die anyway. You... were already on the verge of death."
"What... do you mean by that?" the eldest muttered, his eyes gradually losing their light as a look of sheer bewilderment crossed his face.
Seeing that the man found it hard to believe, Yoo-sung decided to show a rare moment of kindness.
"The martial art you learned is a demonic art. And an incredibly crude, bottom-tier one at that."
"Bullshit..."
The eldest had known his technique was a demonic art. From the moment he began practicing it, the daily, gnawing thirst was impossible to ignore. However, he had believed it to be a highly advanced demonic art. His anger toward Yoo-sung, who was shattering that belief, did not fade easily. Is he trying to insult me even as I die?
"Hasn't your heart been aching lately? Finding it hard to breathe?"
"...!"
The eldest gasped in shock as Yoo-sung laid bare a secret no one else could possibly know.
"That's the side effect. At most, you would have died tonight."
"You... mother... fucker..."
Finally realizing the grim truth, the eldest drew his last breath, his eyes filled with bitter resentment.
Whoosh.
A gentle breeze swept by, bringing with it a heavy silence. Everyone watched in stunned disbelief as the eldest of the White Wolf Five fell dead at Yoo-sung's hands. The fiery heat of the battlefield, which had been burning so intensely just moments ago, turned ice-cold as if it had all been a lie.
"Now then, since I have the antidote, shall we have a little chat?"
Yoo-sung offered a bright smile that felt entirely out of place on a blood-soaked battlefield.
"What in the..."
Kwak Young and Yoon Ji-gang were utterly dumbfounded by Yoo-sung's display. It was astonishing enough that he had vanished only to suddenly reappear, subdue the eldest, and secure the antidote. However, their reactions differed: Kwak Young was blinded by jealousy and envy, while Yoon Ji-gang was shaken by Yoo-sung's formidable aura.
Yet, there was someone whose rage erupted before either of theirs could.
Swoosh!
A fierce blade energy from the Black Blade tore through the air toward Yoo-sung.
Boom!
Yoo-sung lightly evaded the strike, but the Black Blade was already leaping toward him.
"Hand over the antidote!"
Yoo-sung merely chuckled at the Black Blade's rage-filled shout.
[Get a grip, will you? Keep this up and you'll actually die.]
The Black Blade's brow furrowed at Yoo-sung's sudden telepathic transmission.
[Think about it. Why do you think that bastard sent you here in the first place?]
[How much do you know?] the Black Blade demanded, his tone growing calmer as he sensed the gravity of Yoo-sung's words.
[Probably a bit more than you think.]
[Arrogant brat. Do you truly think you can defeat us just because we've been poisoned?]
[If you insist on doing this the hard way, I won't stop you.]
Faced with Yoo-sung's relaxed provocation, the Black Blade hesitated, torn.
Just then, the White Blade intervened between the two.
[Do not let his useless chatter sway you. State your terms. What do you want?]
The White Blade was already seething with rage over Pagun's betrayal. The Black Blade felt the exact same way, but his wounded pride made it difficult for him to back down easily.
[I'll give you the antidote. In exchange, leave.]
The Black and White Twin Blades hesitated at Yoo-sung's demand.
We can just pretend to leave, can't we?
[Oh, right. That item you're looking for? I think Pagun took it and ran.]
"...!"
"Pagun, that son of a bitch!"
The Twin Blades glared at Yoo-sung with murderous fury, but Yoo-sung's grin only widened. Ultimately, accepting their defeat, they left the battlefield just as Yoo-sung wanted.
"Good work, everyone. I have the antidote here, so let's get this poison sorted out first."
"Thank you. You did well," Dang Hwa-young said, offering her gratitude. Yoo-sung simply smiled in response.
Once the Black and White Twin Blades departed, the battlefield was cleaned up in no time. Without them, there was no one left to hold back Dang Hwa-soo and Yoon Ji-gang. Shocked by the betrayal of the sworn brother they had trusted, the remaining members of the White Wolf Five collapsed powerlessly, fighting to their very last breaths.
"It seems the eldest acted alone," Dang Hwa-soo reported. "Excluding his body, the other four were all poisoned."
"What a ruthless bastard."
"Furthermore, the martial art the eldest practiced was a demonic art."
"So he plotted all of this just to keep everything for himself."
Having grasped the situation instantly, Dang Hwa-young let out a bitter laugh.
The world of martial arts was a cruel and heartless place—enough to tear apart the bond of the White Wolf Five, who had spent countless years together.
"It was likely Pagun's intention," Dang Hwa-soo added, quickly analyzing the situation. "Looking at how things turned out, it seems Pagun planned to discard the Black and White Twin Blades as well. We don't need to worry about him anymore."
The Black and White Twin Blades were renowned masters representing Sichuan. No matter how famous Pagun was, he paled in comparison to those two.
"No, we shouldn't judge so hastily. Do you think Pagun didn't know that?" Dang Hwa-young countered. Pagun was a cautious man, unlike typical bandits. There was no way he hadn't considered the possibility of failure. He was undoubtedly aiming for something else.
"Clean up the area and call for assistance nearby."
Without questioning Dang Hwa-young's judgment, Dang Hwa-soo moved quickly. Yoo-sung, who had been quietly watching the siblings' conversation, smiled as he met Dang Hwa-young's gaze.
"Something on your mind?"
"Where did you go earlier?" Dang Hwa-young asked. Even amidst the chaos, she clearly remembered Yoo-sung disappearing for a brief moment.
"There were some pests nearby trying to assassinate the White Wolf Five and the Twin Blades. I got delayed dealing with them first."
"And you found out about all this through them?"
"Exactly."
"You certainly make things look easy."
At Dang Hwa-young's suspicious look, Ho-sung bristled.
"Are you doubting my young master?"
"Of course not. I'm just telling him to be careful next time. The outcome was good, but even if we understand, those guys over there might think differently."
Just as Dang Hwa-young said, there had been hostile glares directed at Yoo-sung for some time now.
"I'll handle things for now, so just stay quiet."
"Will do."
The moment Yoo-sung agreed, Dang Hwa-young walked over to the members of Cheondo Gate. Yoon Ji-gang and Kwak Young, who had been glaring at Yoo-sung until then, quickly averted their eyes as she approached.
"Now then, shall we go as well?"
"Where to?"
"To him."
Yoo-sung walked toward Dogan Mabu, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath.
Damn it.
Dogan Mabu suppressed his anger, his eyes filled with bitterness. Although the antidote Yoo-sung provided had neutralized the poison, his bleak reality remained unchanged. The demonic art the eldest of the White Wolf Five had unleashed moments ago had undoubtedly come from Pagun's hands.
I knew he was a cunning bastard, but to think he would dabble in demonic arts...
Demonic arts were the one thing that must never be practiced in the current Jianghu. Before the rise of the Matian, demonic arts were merely shunned, but now they were deeply hated. Keeping one's distance and harboring pure hatred were entirely different matters.
The White Wolf Fortress is finished.
Faced with this harsh reality, Dogan Mabu could not hide his bitter sorrow. The realization that he had failed to uphold the will of the previous fortress master left him feeling utterly powerless—so much so that he wanted to abandon everything.
"Don't you want revenge?"
Yoo-sung approached him.
"...Are you truly a member of the Orthodox path?"
The moment Dogan Mabu looked at Yoo-sung, he felt a strange sense of aversion. Yoo-sung was the second son of the famous Heavenly Sword Academy. Its master, Do Sang-woon, had achieved the Hwayeong realm and was widely renowned for his unwavering virtue and noble character. Although rumors had once circulated that he practiced demonic arts, they had vanished like smoke once it was revealed that his wife's family was a branch of the Tang clan.
Learning that this second son was Yoo-sung, who had been missing for ten years, left him with a bizarre impression.
"Why? Do I seem strange?"
"Your methods resemble those of the Sado, and your insidious nature is no different from a demonic practitioner."
"Well, you're not wrong. That's just what happens when you roll around in this harsh world."
"What is it you want?"
Yoo-sung's smile widened at Dogan Mabu's blunt question.
"I will give you the chance to become stronger than you are now. However, you will no longer be a bandit."
"Even if I claim I am not a bandit, will the rest of the world see me any differently?" Dogan Mabu asked, ever the realist.
"I'll take care of that. Just make your decision."
Dogan Mabu pondered for a moment before realizing his hesitation was pointless.
"I don't care about anything else, but let me kill Pagun myself. Do that, and I will spend the rest of my days as your dog."
"I prefer active subordinates over dogs."
"Suit yourself."
And just like that, Yoo-sung accepted Dogan Mabu as his follower.
"...I wonder if this is really okay," Ho-sung muttered, watching the exchange with a hint of anxiety before shaking his head. It wasn't as if his worrying would change Yoo-sung's mind anyway. Since childhood, Yoo-sung was the type of person who always achieved whatever he set his mind to. His ten-year departure to roam the Jianghu was proof enough of that.
"I'm sure he has his reasons."
Hoping that was the case, Ho-sung finally allowed himself to rest.
"Absolutely not."
Having regained some of his composure after speaking with Dang Hwa-young, Yoon Ji-gang spoke firmly. He had agreed to assist in subjugating the demonic practitioners of the White Wolf Fortress. Naturally, Dogan Mabu was also on the subjugation list. Even though he knew Dogan Mabu was a victim in this, he was still a bandit of the White Wolf Fortress, after all.
"Who is to say he won't suddenly turn like the eldest of the White Wolf Five did?"
"That is indeed a valid point," Dang Hwa-young agreed with Yoon Ji-gang. Even if Dogan Mabu and Pagun were on bad terms, it was hard to trust him completely.
Dogan Mabu reacted calmly, having already anticipated this, while Yoo-sung remained perfectly relaxed.
"Let me ask you one thing. Speed is of the essence in this operation, isn't it?" Yoo-sung asked.
"..."
"...!"
Realizing why Yoo-sung had brought Dogan Mabu along, the two fell silent, utterly speechless.
"I have nothing to say to that," Dang Hwa-soo muttered, clicking his tongue as he alone saw through Yoo-sung's intent. Ho-sung felt the same way. Just as Dogan Mabu had said, Yoo-sung was distinctly different from typical Orthodox martial artists. But that was precisely why he liked him even more.
"Well then, let's go catch this Pagun bastard."
With Dogan Mabu now in their ranks, Yoo-sung and his companions set off to hunt down Pagun.