The Renaming of the Five Shadows
That was the name bestowed by the Heavenly Demon Cult: the Five Ghosts of the Seven Telegraphs.
According to the Demonic Sect’s teachings, the remaining five of the Nine Killing Stars had been given the name of the Four Gentlemen, but I had personally crafted a new one.
“Each of you has a personal name, but how should we address you as a whole?”
It was the question from Guk, the quietest among them.
“Well… a name that encompasses us all.”
We had gathered at the fork in the road.
I would continue northward, while my new subordinates would head south in these directions, splitting up for a month to operate independently.
I stroked the end of my chin and let the words trail off.
“I never thought of that. Of course… we can no longer call ourselves the Nine Killing Stars…”
[Is it acceptable to offer one opinion, Host?]
Mumyeong spoke in his usual calm voice.
“It’s fine. That works.”
I nodded.
Looking at the people waiting for my command, I spoke.
“It’s decided. From now on, you are the Sura Ogwi.”
They repeated their new names.
“Sura Ogwi… It’s a strange name.”
“At that time they called the five Guardians who led the Seven Telegraphs—the top elite unit of the old Heavenly Demon Cult—by that name. I didn’t know.”
Ran opened his mouth.
“Our lord has given us a name we didn’t even know from the glorious era of the Heavenly Demon Cult.”
“Who knows.”
I gave a short laugh and waved it off.
“Even a Demon of that age might have told us.”
The former Nine Killing Stars—and now the Sura Ogwi—were outstanding in individual skill, but they were equally renowned for coordinating their movements in group hunts.
Yet what was equally impressive was their stealth, infiltration, and information-gathering abilities.
“To prepare for hiding in the Central Plains, each of us has been trained to perfection in using at least four specific pseudonyms—face alteration from the very beginning, tone, appearance, and every manner of movement.”
With the hood of his cloak pushed back, Hwi swept his fingers across his face in a single fluid motion.
In that brief instant his features changed.
A common farmer’s face, tanned and flushed, with a broad nose.
Once more he swept his palm across his face, and it returned to his true appearance.
“Some call this face-changing.”
“Hwi, is the face I know your real one?”
Behind the hood he answered firmly.
“Only three people in the entire jianghu still clearly associate the name ‘Nine Killing Stars’ with identity and our true faces.
The first is our late master, the second is the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Lord, and the third—and only—is you, my lord Moyong Bi.”
I nodded.
“Good. Then we’re dismissed. Travel safely.”
-Rustle.
The five Demons cupped their fists in unison.
“When you reach the North Sea Ice Palace, please take care.”
“Our first official mission—make it count.”
“We’ll meet again at the agreed location in a month.”
The moment the words left my mouth, they melted into their own shadows and vanished.
Even though they simply dissolved right in front of us, I could not stop marveling at the way their very forms seemed to flow into the dark.
“The world is vast indeed. It sends a shiver down the spine.”
From the shadow trailing behind me, the black dog rose.
[It’s something only ignorant fools would believe—that one person could be outstanding in everything.]
The black dog trotted forward and spoke.
[I admire those stealth techniques, but you don’t need to learn anything like that. Just focus on what you do best, Host. Whether you’re using the power of the Heavenly Demon or practicing orthodox arts.]
“A jack-of-all-trades tool can’t even master one thing properly, or so they say.”
Mumyeong looked at me with a feigned look of surprise.
[Exactly. I like that example. You’ve definitely grown sharper with your words. Compared to the time when you couldn’t control your anger properly.]
I turned around.
“The advice that hit me the hardest was this: people simply live the life they’ve drawn for themselves. Nothing more…”
Mumyeong continued in his usual tone.
[And nothing less. After all, you’re my Host, so I figure you’ve felt it too. A line that can both give strength and chill the heart at times.]
When I first heard those words, I was walking past the secret cave of Yuk-bi-dong, a remnant of the White Lotus Demon Sect.
At Yuk-bi-dong I had pulled out the precious jade and gazed upon the mural that screamed in agony, falling into a state of panic.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
I quietly looked at the black dog walking beside me and said,
“Mumyeong, am I really moving forward with my life right now? Even if I have no family member cheering me on?”
Mumyeong gave a short sound.
He had always been like that.
A dry voice.
An emotionless voice.
One who placed survival first and, for that, would make any decision.
[It’s funny that I’m saying this.]
And at the same time he had always been right beside me.
[If anyone were to watch over the Host, whether parents or siblings… they would surely be proud of you. I’m stating it plainly.]
“Yes, that’s enough.”
I walked toward the bleak northern blizzard.
“…You said it, so that’s enough.”
My inner monologue scattered in the wind.
-Whoosh.
The bleak wind grew harsher as it blew northward.
As I climbed a little higher, time seemed to accelerate, as if the seasons were racing ahead. The world itself felt as though it was changing.
I was sure it had begun in late autumn, but now it felt like the cruelest winter.
My black robes fluttered as though they might tear.
The gust was enough to knock most people off their feet.
Yet through it all, the black dog and I—the black figure—advanced without faltering.
North Sea Ice Palace
It was a power located at the northernmost tip of the Central Plains.
I had no intention of reaching their main palace in the heart of the Central Plains.
Since what I wanted was a martial art they held little value for, there was probably no need to go to the main palace.
“Let me check first… According to the information…”
I took the map from my pouch and confirmed once more that I was on the right path.
-Crack, crackling…
With the black lightning, my foot sank deeper into the ground with each step.
I advanced forward despite the fierce wind.
“It’s even harsher than I thought. Not even heading toward the center of the North Sea Ice Palace, yet in this remote border it’s this cold.”
I muttered while staring at the shoes clinging to the frozen earth.
Mumyeong’s red eyes flared.
[The Neutral Evil Blood Sect boldly declares neutrality even in the four major factions. That must also be thanks to this natural environment.]
The initial trail was damp earth.
Every time my leather shoes stepped down, there came the sound of wet earth being trampled along with a moist rustle.
The path soon dried out completely.
After a while it turned into a solid, brittle trail that slowly froze with a cracking sound.
The air grew rough and hard to breathe, like ice forming on the ground.
-Whoosh!
A blizzard eventually began to blow.
It wasn’t snow, but the vision blurred and the surroundings dimmed.
Body temperature dropped sharply.
My clothes were far too thin to withstand the cold.
On top of that, the iron plates protecting my heart and vital organs were even more of a burden in this weather.
“Mumyeong.”
[I know.]
The black dog’s form collapsed downward.
Soon the Heavenly Demon Jade on my body and my dantian opened, and demonic energy began to circulate through me.
I sometimes struggled to control the dense energy and had even used steel-hardened blades that exploded from lack of refinement.
Yet learning to burn the even more refined energy to regulate body temperature was something I had never experienced.
-Uung…
-Chiiik…
Steam rose from my body.
The tips of my hands and feet, already frozen, thawed.
Like entering a hot spring in freezing weather, a warm sensation spread through my body, raising my core temperature.
-Chiiik, chiiik…
Ice began to form on the frozen earth, but around me it melted.
“It’s warm.”
I looked around.
The blizzard grew even fiercer.
The North Sea Ice Palace surely knew I had entered their territory.
Since I had no desire to provoke them as much as possible, I was also cautious about leaving any traces on the terrain.
Under the blizzard I saw a blue pine tree standing.
I stomped the ground.
-Tadadot!
Stepping on thinner-than-my-little-finger pine branches, I pushed upward.
I stamped hard at the very end.
The ashen sky was filled with blue wind.
My body rose like a black hawk.
After the instant of rising, the body fell with gravity intact.
-Kwoong.
With a thunderous roar I nodded.
“Exactly as planned.”
It was a long way, but I had seen the frozen lake and the light seeping from it.
[With the Patcheon Hyeolma Gunrimbo, you could cover that distance in one step. Why not?]
The black dog walking beside me asked with a puzzled expression.
I sighed.
“I really want to, but you know the Patcheon Hyeolma Gunrimbo is…”
[Ah, I understand.]
The Patcheon Hyeolma Gunrimbo, a remnant of the White Lotus Demon Sect, was not a simple footwork among all the arts I knew.
Its speed was fast, but each single step was closer to a full-power strike from a single martial art, and when executed the surroundings would crumble.
It was the Patcheon Hyeolma Gunrimbo that crushed everything roughly and barbarically without regard for anyone’s eyes.
If one used it to cover the distance in a single stride, any person in the Central Plains would see it not as a visit but as an invasion.
“It’s already too late, and besides, visiting formally after sunrise wouldn’t be a nuisance, right?”
In the end I decided to camp until sunrise.
I found a shallow cliff and slipped beneath it.
I swung the Chiljong Heukjusa Gap and dug a shallow pit.
-Puwok!
I drove my blade into a nearby tree.
With it still stuck, I twisted like peeling an apple and peeled away the bark, exposing the wood.
I used that as a roof.
I gathered damp branches.
I brought my fingers close.
-Ttaak.
The moment my fingers snapped, black lightning shot upward.
Once it caught fire, a single line of warm light appeared in the darkness.
“This should be enough to prepare for camping.”
Since I was already using my inner energy to maintain body temperature, blocking even the wind would be sufficient.
The heat radiating from my body combined with the bonfire’s warmth, and the small shelter facing the cliff gradually became pleasantly warm.
“Shall we begin?”
I sat on the ground facing the bonfire.
It was a technique I had always used without forgetting recently.
I formed a half-lotus position.
I would use the break to circulate my inner energy.
To be safe, I had Mumyeong scout the surroundings beforehand, but there was no life nearby.
“While martial arts can be a bit slippery, circulating inner energy without leaving traces should be fine.”
I closed my eyes.
I brought both hands together.
The thumbs and fingertips of both hands met in front of my navel.
-Kukung…
Patcheon Hyeolma Mugukgong.
This was the inner energy manual I had learned and could use—one that was, in a way, the only one of its kind.
Just before activating it, I suddenly asked Mumyeong about this journey.
“So, I still don’t fully understand… but through this North Sea Ice Palace journey, will free demonic qi usage in the Central Plains become possible?”
[You’ve already experienced the process of converting cold energy into demonic qi.]
Mumyeong cut in.
[Through this journey, the Host will be able to use demonic arts freely even in the Central Plains, free from anyone’s gaze.]