Chapter 7: Dok Ma's Disciple
Sa Wol couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The sword had moved on its own, as if swung by some invisible hand.
Anyone even slightly involved in the martial world would recognize it instantly.
The symbol of a true master: the Flying Sword.
The supreme realm where one wielded the blade solely through sheer will, without lifting a finger.
Flying Sword? From Sado Hwan?
And it wasn't some clumsy, amateur display either. Just watching it sheath itself was enough to see how natural, elegant, and refined it was.
She rubbed her eyes and looked again. It was unmistakably Sado Hwan's sword. This was utterly unbelievable.
No way.
Sado Hwan had the most cursed constitution imaginable.
He could accumulate qi endlessly, but releasing it was impossible.
A body that offered both infinite hope and utter despair. And because of that...
He's barely second-rate.
If you couldn't project your qi outward, second-rate was the harsh reality you'd be stuck at.
Yet here he was, suddenly manifesting the Flying Sword—the hallmark of the Super Peak realm.
Out of a million cultists, there are only about twenty Super Peak experts.
He, of all people—Sado Hwan—had stepped into a realm that let him dominate a region, the pinnacle any human body could realistically achieve.
And then it happened.
Sa Wol's gaze met Sado Hwan's calm, sunken eyes.
Chills—
The clichéd phrase about one's hackles rising hit her like never before.
Sado Hwan's eyes had always held a flicker of unease in one corner.
The anxiety of his true nature being exposed at any moment.
But now? What was this?
There wasn't the slightest twitch in Sado Hwan's eyes. Even through the dust cloud billowing up to obscure his view, his ferocious glare pierced through.
A tiger's eyes that made your body hair stand on end just from meeting them.
As if he were declaring to the world: I am strong.
It was a look she'd never seen in all the time since becoming his subordinate.
Gulp—
Sa Wol swallowed without realizing it.
Sado Hwan's been hiding his power all this time...?!
She'd served Sado Hwan faithfully since she was fifteen. Ten years now. And in those ten years, the Sado Hwan she'd observed had been genuinely weak.
What the hell happened? Did he have some fateful encounter in that cave?
The intense glare and aura from moments ago had faded, but his expression remained an inscrutable mask.
But what kind of encounter could turn a second-rate nobody into a Super Peak powerhouse overnight?
Sa Wol's confused thoughts were shattered by a booming voice.
"We greet the Division Leader!"
The Black Shadow Corps members dropped to one knee in unison, bowing deeply.
Sa Wol knelt a beat late.
Sado Hwan's heavy voice rang in her ears.
"What have you all been doing?"
"Division Leader!"
One of the bowed members lifted his head.
It was Third Platoon Leader Tak Horak.
True to his fierce loyalty, his face lit up like he'd found salvation upon seeing Sado Hwan alive.
His white teeth gleamed especially bright in the light.
"Are you alright? It's already been two days since you were buried alive!"
"Don't make a fuss. This is nothing."
"Was what I saw real, Division Leader? Did you really break out of that cave with a Flying Sword?"
Sado Hwan didn't answer, just stared silently at Tak Horak. Far from deterred, Tak Horak nodded in admiration.
"Well, anyone with eyes could see it. Congratulations on your great achievement, Division Leader!"
"Congratulations!"
Whether they cheered or not, Sado Hwan spoke as if rebuking them.
"Everyone, rise."
At his command, the members stood in perfect unison.
"Don't kneel so carelessly. There's only one we kneel to: His Excellency the Heavenly Demon."
Even after ascending to Super Peak, he showed no arrogance—humble, praising the Heavenly Demon. It was the ideal for any cultist.
The members' faces filled with emotion as they shouted in one voice.
"Loyal—!"
Meanwhile, Sa Wol grew even more confused by Sado Hwan's words.
The old Sado Hwan had been a nobody who strutted around like he was hot shit, pretending to be strong until he actually believed it.
She'd never once seen him praise the Heavenly Demon.
It was like the man had been replaced.
His expression still blank, Sado Hwan said,
"Vice Leader. You said it's been two days?"
Snapped from her deep thoughts, Sa Wol answered hurriedly.
"Y-yes. That's right."
Her voice cracked from the rush.
"......"
Sado Hwan looked down at her with eyes tinged in faint contempt.
Sa Wol bowed her head, biting her lip. She couldn't stop her ears from turning red.
Fortunately, Sado Hwan got straight to business.
"Time's short, then. Prepare horses and a carriage immediately."
"Aren't we... ahem, returning to the cult?"
"Why did we come to the Central Plains?"
Sa Wol answered Sado Hwan's question.
"To carry out the cult's mission."
"Exactly."
Sado Hwan declared,
"To complete the cult's mission, we head out to hunt down Dok Ma's disciple."
...It worked.
I inwardly patted my chest in relief.
Judging by the Black Shadow Corps' reactions, my act had landed perfectly.
Stoking their loyalty to the Heavenly Demon had scored extra points too.
Excluding the higher-ups, most rank-and-file cultists were basically Heavenly Demon fan clubs.
As long as I kept this up, my facade wouldn't crack. Sado Hwan wasn't the chatty type anyway, so I'd stick to the silent, brooding concept.
"The carriage is ready."
Sa Wol approached and said.
I nodded and boarded. She kept her head bowed until I was fully inside.
Looking down at the back of her lowered head felt pretty damn satisfying.
Her mind was probably a whirlwind of confusion right now, not knowing what to make of it.
The Sado Hwan she knew was a second-rate scrub, yet I'd just flashed the Flying Sword—the Super Peak symbol. Her head had to be throbbing.
Sa Wol needed more confusion like this. It was how I'd survive.
To her, anyone with the 'Sado' name was an enemy.
And I was the weakest of them.
Sure, there were safeguards, but if her eyes rolled back in rage, she'd come for me first, safeguards be damned.
She'd think trimming our numbers by one more wouldn't hurt.
But now? Even she couldn't tell if I was truly strong or weak.
She'd hesitate at least once before attacking.
That one hesitation could be my lifeline. I couldn't be more pleased.
Of course, eventually I'd turn her completely to my side. Sa Wol was the ultimate subordinate—intel, assassination, bodyguard, you name it.
Just procuring a carriage in this godforsaken wilderness showed her skills.
Anyway.
"Feels like I can finally breathe."
Lying back in the carriage felt like heaven. It jostled a bit, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
I'd never ridden one before, but it wasn't half bad—not even jealous of a Benz.
The reason for the carriage was simple.
I couldn't use lightness skill.
Lightness skill was basically martial arts focused on super-speed running over long distances.
So fast and enduring it'd make a marathoner weep in despair.
I couldn't draw out inner energy, so no true lightness skill, but as Sado Hwan, he'd at least fake it. Me? Not even that.
Hence the excuse of conserving stamina to get the carriage and horses.
I needed to learn lightness skill soon. Thank god for Pa Cheon.
[You really are a demon, aren't you?]
Out of nowhere?
I thought back inwardly.
Surprisingly, as long as I willed a conversation, Pa Cheon and I could talk mind-to-mind without others hearing. Fitting for a legendary sword.
Thankfully, not every random thought transmitted—only when I intended to communicate.
[How did you know we were off to hunt Dok Ma's disciple?]
...Right. You're a sword spirit, so you just know. Whatever.
Telling him this was a novel world and I knew from reading it would probably make even a sword faint.
Or not—swords don't faint, do they?
Come to think of it, something still doesn't add up... Why the hell did you go into that cave? You're not some invincible Super Peak master who could sweep everything.
[...I don't know. I just stepped out for a bit, and when I came to, I was in there.]
What about Sa Wol?
[I went alone.]
Guess you got nabbed by some expert.
[Maybe.]
The martial world was no place for complacency. Incidents could erupt anywhere, anytime.
Cultists, shunned by the jianghu, had to be extra cautious. Innocent families getting wiped out just for being cultists happened monthly.
I had even more reason to watch my back. Especially now that I couldn't even use Pa Cheon's sword qi anymore.
For now, let's focus on catching Dok Ma's disciple.
[Why obsess over Dok Ma's disciple? It has nothing to do with you.]
Your business is my business.
Pa Cheon went still, as if moved. Simple guy.
There was another reason, of course.
Dok Ma's disciple, Dok So Gong, was fleeing after allegedly stealing a cult treasure.
In the real world, you'd recover the item and send 'em to jail. But this was the bloody murim. Crimes meant paying with your life.
Either way, that treasure couldn't fall into anyone else's hands. It'd spark a massacre.
That's what I aimed to prevent.
Not out of some noble justice—only the powerful can afford that. From me, it'd just be posturing.
No, the real reason? That massacre would ignite war between the cult and the orthodox sects.
War meant deploying forces like the Black Shadow Corps, and I'd be 99% cannon fodder.
It was a must-do for my survival.
Plus.
That treasure he's got? I need it bad.
I could fake strength, sure. Just subtly draw Pa Cheon without touching it, and most would freak: "Flying Sword!" and tuck tail.
But it was still 2% short.
If someone charged anyway, I'd need to block at least one move.
What Dok So Gong carried was perfect for that 2%—just like Pa Cheon.
"Heh heh heh."
Pa Cheon grumbled, sounding displeased.
[...That's a sleazy laugh. In my voice, no less.]
Item power is king.
[Item what?]
It's a thing.
The carriage lurched forward at a brisk pace.
Pretending to be the Heavenly Demon