Do You Know About the Ruins?
On the way back from the Silver Tile Battlefield.
I pondered deeply.
What I had, and what I needed.
What I had was acting skill and information.
And what I needed was, of course...
Props.
For now, I could fool everyone around me. But even that would run dry eventually, and the truth would come out.
I'd felt it this time too.
The sound transmission Kwak Jeong had used.
Anyone at first-rate or above could project their internal energy outward, and layering sound onto it formed the basis of sound transmission. But this body of Sado Hwan's couldn't emit internal energy at all, making sound transmission impossible, naturally.
Well, sound transmission wasn't strictly essential. But if I had to impersonate a Super Peak master later and couldn't even use something as basic as that, cracks would form in my act. One crack might be fine, but if they kept widening, my whole pretense would shatter.
Could I just have some sudden epiphany one day and grow stronger? No chance.
I couldn't pull off a level-up event like Un Yeop Ja, awakening out of nowhere and unleashing gang qi or whatever. To survive in this brutal martial world, I had no choice but to seek other paths.
Oddities and treasure artifacts.
Whether it was a legendary sword like Pa Cheon or something else, I needed things that would make me safer. Most oddities and treasure artifacts were hidden away, but...
I know their locations.
As a veteran of Murim Return, how could I not? Sure, I hadn't seen them with my own eyes, but that still put me way ahead of having zero info.
Among them was one 'ruin' not far from Taeryeong County. 'Not far' meaning about a week's ride on horseback. Anyway, the treasure artifact there would be extremely useful in my current situation.
It was supposed to appear in the mid-to-late game of Murim Return, carried by some guy who stirred up endless trouble across the jianghu. So it was fair game for me to snag it first. Perks of being a possessor, right?
I'd planned to take it easy and grab it later...
Not having seen it myself meant high risk. I'd intended to prepare more thoroughly, wait until the spotlight on me dimmed, then mobilize the Black Shadow Corps and overwhelm it with numbers. But that wasn't happening now.
Sa Wol will start suspecting me.
She'd sense something off. I handled killing intent freely enough, but never drew my sword, and no sound transmission either.
Considering the lunatics lurking in the Divine Cult, pulling Sa Wol fully to my side was urgent too.
For all these reasons combined, I'd decided to go hunt that treasure artifact.
With that item, sound transmission solves itself naturally.
It wasn't originally meant for sound transmission, but whatever.
With my mind made up, I returned to the inn.
"...Why are you all like this here?"
Un Yeop Ja and Dang Si Hyeok were sprawled across the table, both pale as ghosts.
A Tang Clan warrior spoke with a troubled look.
"Well..."
His explanation left me utterly baffled.
"So you're saying you had a spicy food contest, got food poisoning, and that's why?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Isn't that something you can just fix with internal energy?"
Un Yeop Ja replied to my words.
"We can't do that. Using internal energy would mock the sanctity of the contest."
His voice was weak, but he spoke with grim resolve—it was so ridiculous I nearly laughed. Since when was scarfing spicy food a sacred duel?
"The Taoist is right, Brother. Whoever uses internal energy loses."
Dang Si Hyeok chimed in too.
I shook my head in disbelief. Apparently not just the cultists were crazy.
"Everyone, go back. I want to rest today. You lot, take your young master and leave. Taoist, you too."
"No can do."
"Absolutely not!"
They shouted almost in unison.
"The match isn't over yet."
"Right! This is just a short break!"
Then they flopped back onto the table.
Guess I really am the protagonist.
Otherwise, there'd be no way their intelligence got nerfed this hard...
Of course, it probably didn't start as a real spicy food showdown. They were likely just showing off their friendship with me. In the jianghu, friends counted as part of your faction. Having the young, enigmatic master Dongbang Geomryong as a buddy strengthened your power by even 1%.
Then the intelligence nerf(?) kicked in, and they forgot their original goal.
...This clinginess is a problem.
[What is?]
I was gonna assemble the Black Shadow Corps, but with these guys here, it'll get exposed.
For some reason, the Beggar Clan had tailed the Black Shadow Corps before. I'd shaken them off and vanished, but they weren't fully off my trail.
The Black Shadow Corps reeks too much of demonic qi.
Those who practiced demonic arts had a distinct aura. Righteous qi was pure, unorthodox qi was murky, and demonic qi was eerie.
Anyone else might miss it, but a Super Peak like Un Yeop Ja would notice. In my case, I practiced the king of demonic arts, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but couldn't emit it, so he didn't know.
For now, I quietly ordered Sa Wol to cancel the assembly. She nodded and headed downstairs.
"W-water..."
"Hey, drinking water means you lose."
"...Forget it. I won't lose."
Those idiots.
Wait, why not just bring these guys along?
The Black Shadow Corps were like my limbs, but operating freely in righteous faction territory was tricky. On the flip side, with Un Yeop Ja and Dang Si Hyeok, I could move openly. Next Kunlun Sword Chief and a top Tang Clan heir candidate? That's a powerhouse combo. The next generation's power centers, basically.
"..."
Of course, seeing them splayed out like that killed the idea.
No, bringing just them wouldn't cut it. I needed real aides.
First, Sa Wol.
A mature Peak realm expert, Sa Wol was adept at hiding herself. She practiced demonic arts, but I could pass it off as assassination techniques learned for bodyguard duty, given my high status. Actual assassination arts were often eerie and secretive anyway.
Still, numbers were short. For emergencies, one more...
Bit awkward, but Tak Horak.
Tak Horak, moping 24/7 since the Punishment Cave fiasco. He didn't practice demonic arts—family tradition. His clan was unique: not originally Divine Cult, but surrendered after the Heavenly Demon Blood Massacre 100 years ago. So his arts were distant from demonic ones. Though not demonic in style, he was cult through and through.
Those two would be perfect. Tak Horak wouldn't screw up if I kept him in check.
Now, how to lure these righteous greenhorns...
Try my luck?
"You two. I have something important to discuss. Can we postpone the contest?"
Their eyes sharpened at my words. Un Yeop Ja briefly closed and opened his eyes, circulating qi. A foul odor wafted out. Dang Si Hyeok chewed something from a poison pouch, his color returning.
So simple.
"You lot, step out for a bit."
"But—"
"Brother says so. Out."
Intelligence nerf over? Dang Si Hyeok moved sharp without prompting.
I broached it.
"Do you know about ruins?"
Dang Si Hyeok answered.
"Ruins? Of course. Every jianghu denizen knows. Trap-filled dens where you can snag oddities and treasure artifacts—and if you're lucky, supreme martial arts or spirit elixirs."
Basically, wuxia dungeons. That cave with the Soul Swap Great Law formation counted as one too.
"Right. A few years back, the deathbed saber of the Three Falls Saber Saint from 300 years ago surfaced, sparking a ruin frenzy."
"Ended with Haibei Paeng Clan claiming it after brutal fights. Ran into Paeng guys recently—strutting like peacocks."
"That's how valuable ruins are. Interested, young hero?"
I nodded.
"You know I have missions. One's scouting a ruin left by an eastern sage. Retrieve a treasure artifact from inside."
I didn't know whose, just the item inside.
"So, if you'll help with the expedition—"
"We'll help, Brother!"
"...That easy?"
"It's you asking. Right, Taoist?"
"I'll assist as well."
Un Yeop Ja nodded solemnly.
I was a bit thrown.
Ruins? Monster lairs luring people with treasures to devour them.
Martial artists transcended human limits—walking water, shattering rocks. Even they fell to ruin traps in droves.
Worst were people. Rivalries over ruins sparked clan wars, sect massacres routinely.
Even with a deathbed saber find, triple verification was standard, full-sect assaults the norm. In Murim Return's history, countless clans met extinction conquering ruins.
The Heavenly Demon Blood Massacre started over one too.
Ruin raids were never casual. Yet they agreed so quick? Without even details on which ruin.
Grateful, but their nerf was clearly ongoing.
"The ruin's on Soyangsan, about a week's ride from Taeryeong County."
"Classic. Know whose?"
"Not details. Just some sage's."
"Fine. Sages' ruins aren't vicious."
Some ruins were pure death traps, no treasure, just killers.
"When do we leave?"
To Un Yeop Ja's question, I said:
"Tonight. We depart immediately."
One week later.
Me, Sa Wol, Tak Horak.
Un Yeop Ja, Dang Si Hyeok, and a few Tang warriors.
After inevitably brushing past bandit hordes, we reached Soyangsan and the ruin.
The cave midway up the mountain with a bear-shaped rock, entrance cunningly veiled by dense foliage—easy to miss.
That was the ruin entrance.
Even I, with prior knowledge, backtracked twice before finding it.
But.
"Brother?"
Dang Si Hyeok said, face grim.
"Signs of people."
"People?"
"Looks like they entered the ruin."
No way—that guy already claimed it this early?
"We go in."
We entered the ruin.
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon