Faint Memories
Jeong Gwang had no intention of stepping inside the hall.
With several foes lurking in ambush, ready to pounce, why would he bother?
Brawling in tight spaces just wasn't his style.
Let's see here.
After circling the hall once and giving it a thorough look, Jeong Gwang drew Yunryonggeom.
Its sword-black blade emerged into the world, reflecting the sunlight.
"Hup."
As he channeled his inner energy into it, the blade erupted in brilliant golden light and sang out.
Wooong—
Jeong Gwang smiled at the pleasant vibration humming through his hand.
Then he swung Yunryonggeom.
Shaaaak—
Something sliced cleanly.
Jeong Gwang shifted his stance and repeated the motion.
Shaaaak— Shaaaak—
Before he knew it, he'd sheathed Yunryonggeom and stepped back.
This should do it.
Stopping his retreat, Jeong Gwang lifted one foot high, then stomped down hard.
Boom!
The ground shuddered in shock from the impact.
The tremor raced forward, shaking the hall.
Kkiiigiiik—
Several massive supporting pillars shifted.
Sliced at angles, they buckled sideways, and the hall—deprived of support—began to tilt slowly.
Ku-ku-ku-ku—
Soon enough, it collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Kwaaaang!
Ah. So damn loud.
A massive cloud of dust billowed out as the hall crumbled.
Some of it rushed toward Jeong Gwang, but he flicked his sleeve, dispersing it cleanly—he'd prepared for that.
More dust than I expected. Central Plains architecture really is different.
Comparing it to his past life's experiences, Jeong Gwang sidestepped casually.
Shweeeek—
A dagger coated in glistening poison grazed past his face.
And that was the signal.
Warriors burst from the collapsing hall, charging straight at Jeong Gwang.
"Whoa. Thanks a bunch."
Not sarcasm—genuine gratitude.
No more chasing enemies all over the place.
And these guys were way stronger than the last batch.
Their morale in tatters—it was mouthwatering.
"Dig in."
With heartfelt thanks, Jeong Gwang launched into motion.
Blistering midday sun or not, his form flickered like a ghost.
When a staff thrust at him, he drifted back as if pushed by the wind; when a blade slashed, he scattered like mist before its edge.
Of course, he wasn't just dodging.
A dazzling Golden Dragon burst from his waist.
Kwaaaah—
Unleashing a ferocious dragon's roar, it swept through the area.
Weapons, men—no distinction.
The Golden Dragon shredded everything threatening Jeong Gwang.
Terror filled the eyes of those who refused to retreat.
Their foe wasn't human.
It was a fiend incarnate.
"F-Fall back...! Gahk!"
A warrior trying to pull his men away watched his head sail into the air.
Still conscious, he gazed down at his decapitated body crumpling sideways.
D-Demon god...
That was it.
His soul scattered, denying him even the sight of his men's slaughter.
The same went for his subordinates.
Jeong Gwang's Golden Dragon cut them down swiftly.
Even in death, their unclosed eyes held only horror.
That horror spread to the living until one warrior finally screamed.
"D-Demon! It's a demon god!"
"Me?"
"Gah! Wh-When?!"
The warrior recoiled in shock.
Jeong Gwang, who'd been rampaging far off, was suddenly right in his face!
But Jeong Gwang was the truly stunned one.
A Sapa thug calling me evil? Come on.
What kind of nonsense was this?
Jeong Gwang had despised Sapa since his past life.
Even more than orthodox sects.
Okay, fine—the orthodox kids were pretty ridiculous too.
They treated both demonic and unorthodox paths as unforgivable abominations.
There's a clear difference, though.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult tempered their own souls to embrace demonic nature, building their demonic arts upon it.
Sure, a few... okay, quite a few lost their minds and committed atrocities along the way. But that's life, right?
Sapa, though? Different story.
They stole others' lives and souls with vile shortcuts to cultivate their arts.
Sang So-un was a prime example—the stench alone screamed evil.
Of course, Sapa has its exceptions.
Like Ok Girin and Jao.
If they'd carried the same foul aura as these guys, their relationship with him would be very different now.
Ah, not the time for this.
Jeong Gwang bisected the warrior at the waist, then swung Yunryonggeom at the incoming weapons.
Swoooosh—
Weapons and men cleaved apart in eerie silence.
"Gaaahk!"
"Keurk!"
Jeong Gwang danced his swordplay to the rhythm of screams erupting everywhere.
The radiant Golden Dragon frolicked through the air, toying with the warriors.
They met their ends shrieking in agony.
A one-sided massacre!
The surviving warriors stared at Jeong Gwang in horror.
Calmly perpetrating acts worthy of the greatest demon lord!
That composure terrified them more.
"N-No! No more!"
"Sniff... Demon god! We have to run!"
Losing all reason, the warriors fled in every direction.
Jeong Gwang's serene face twisted in annoyance.
"Man, seriously? And these are Sapa elites?"
Pure laziness on his part.
But he couldn't just let them go.
Jeong Gwang kicked abandoned weapons scattered around.
Shweeeek— Swoosh.
"Guk!"
A sword rocketed forward, skewering a fleeing warrior.
Bwoooong— Kwajik!
"Gaaaahk!"
Blades without points, like sabers and staffs, smashed the backs of heads.
"Ow. My foot hurts."
After repeating this a few times, no more targets remained.
Except five.
Rubbing his toes, Jeong Gwang nodded.
"Perfect timing."
Four elders and Sang So-un sat scattered around him.
Spaced evenly, they muttered incomprehensible chants.
"......ꠎꠐꠓꠜꠡꠁꠖꠅꠃ......"
"......ꠎꠐꠓꠜꠡꠁꠖꠅꠃ......"
"......ꠢꠀꠄꠄꠐ!"
"What're they saying? Some language?"
Jeong Gwang's eyes met Sang So-un's.
The obese man's tiny eyes gleamed with chilling light.
Killing intent and confidence.
"Ho. Hold on. Let me guess."
Jeong Gwang sheathed Yunryonggeom and counted off on his fingers.
"Cluttered energy flowing along the five elements..."
"......"
"Huh? Now it's reverse five elements, mixed with reverse eight trigrams? The sixty-four hexagrams shifting, yin-yang twisting..."
"......!"
"Fun. What's that spell called?"
Sang So-un's tiny eyes widened in fury.
Instead of answering, he completed the ritual with the four elders.
"......ꠢꠀꠄꠄꠐ!"
"Oh. Starting now?"
As Jeong Gwang grinned with interest, the world plunged into thick darkness.
And a new world emerged.
Glancing around briefly, Jeong Gwang drew a deep breath.
"Fweeeeew."
His lips curled slightly.
The familiar air of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Crisp as ever...
Almost rivaling Kunlun's.
But something's mixed in.
The scent of blood.
Recognizing it, the surrounding peaks transformed into people.
All familiar faces.
Subordinates from his past life approached, gripping blood-dripping weapons.
So that's it.
This wasn't Hebei—it was Xinjiang.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Jeong Gwang grinned and drew his sword.
Not Yunryonggeom.
The one he'd used just before turning thirty in his past life—his forty-third sword since birth.
That instant, the assault began.
Fearsome demonic arts targeted him.
Power levels that made Sima Lian's warriors look pathetic.
Jeong Gwang was thrilled, naturally.
Been ages since I played with guys on this level.
Infusing his sword with qi unleashed a torrent of black demonic energy.
He swung wildly, tearing through everything.
Flesh rent, bones shattered.
Screams pierced his ears; each breath drew in bloody mist.
Just like his days as the True Heavenly Demon.
No—exactly like them.
"Ow."
Pushing back foes and catching his breath, Jeong Gwang looked down.
A dagger buried to the hilt in his side.
He looked up to see the woman gripping it.
His maidservant from infancy, serving him for nearly twenty years in his past life.
She's pulling the same stunt here.
Chucking, Jeong Gwang threw a punch.
Thwack!
Her face caved in; she flew off without a scream.
Gazing at the blood on his fist, Jeong Gwang nodded.
Come to think of it, I punched her away back then too. Nostalgic.
Exactly like his past life.
But not entirely.
"Ugh. That actually stings."
A multicolored blade protruded from his chest.
Turning, Jeong Gwang's eyes widened.
"Huh? Wet nurse?"
His third wet nurse from his past life.
"You died protecting me. This doesn't suit you."
Silent, she drew a dagger.
And thrust it at his throat.
Sek—
Jeong Gwang snatched it and slit her throat.
A red line appeared, followed by a gush of blood.
"Cold."
He caught her puppet-like fall with both hands.
"Lie down for now. I'll bury you after."
Gently closing her vengeful eyes as he laid her down, they settled peacefully.
As if dreaming happily.
"There. That's more like my wet nurse."
Rising slowly, Jeong Gwang circulated his energy.
Darker-than-pitch demonic qi poured from his body.
I was gonna play around, but you're crossing the line?
As he swept toward the approaching foes, he paused.
Wait. Master said not to put off work.
Unthinkingly, he slammed his palm into the ground.
Kuwoong!
A massive crater formed amid the explosion.
"Sleep well, wet nurse."
He placed her in it, flicked his sleeve to cover her with earth.
Task complete, Jeong Gwang bared his teeth.
"Might as well kill you all while I'm here."
Darkness thick enough to devour the world surged from his sword.
As Jeong Gwang kicked off to launch himself—
The foes parted left and right as a man strode forward.
A smirking middle-aged man.
Jeong Gwang's face twisted in disbelief.
"Crazy bastard."
Seeing these nostalgic faces so vividly had been nice, but this soured it instantly.
His father showing up?
What kind of insane bullshit was this!
This pig crossed every line.
No time to brawl here.
Back to reality to lop off the pig's head first.
Especially since he couldn't stand his murderously smiling father's approach.
Not even worth my time, and he dares?
But he couldn't ignore him.
Jeong Gwang gathered not just inner energy, but demonic qi and killing intent.
His darkness-spewing sword belched black flames.
He imbued it with will.
A resolve to cleave anything—even this false world.
"Haat!"
Darkness soared skyward, raining black fire streams.
Wherever Jeong Gwang swung, the world split.
Kwajijik!
A new world opened.
The one from his present life.
Breaking the spell and returning, Jeong Gwang stretched.
"Ahh. Stiff."
Simultaneously, the four elders spewed blood and collapsed.
The spell's backlash had hit them hard.
"Kuhuk!"
"Kuhk... Kuhk."
After convulsing briefly, they went limp.
Jeong Gwang turned from the elders to glare at Sang So-un.
"Pig! You got these old guys killed!"
"......"
As Jeong Gwang said, Sang So-un had sensed the spell breaking, dispelled it, and retreated.
Forcing the four elders to bear the fallout alone—they'd died for it.
Jeong Gwang shook his head with a tsk as Sang So-un drew his weapon.
A long-bladed saber with nine rings on the back—Guhwando.
Its eerie energy marked it as no ordinary blade.
Seeing it, Jeong Gwang clapped.
"Ah, so that's the weapon you got from Iron Blood Manor. Looks decent."
"......!"
Sang So-un's eyes bulged; he muttered weakly.
"Now I get it."
"Get what?"
"That the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's demonic influence has already taken root in the Central Plains."
Jeong Gwang's eyes widened slightly.
What kind of lunatic reaches that conclusion?
Misreading his expression, Sang So-un nodded smugly.
"Who are you? One of the Left/Right Guardians?"
Sang So-un shuddered after speaking.
The Left and Right Guardians held the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's official second and third ranks!
True fiends under one and above all!
Jeong Gwang's eyes widened further.
Pure shock.
This pig thinks I'm just some mid-tier goon?!