The Demonic Path?
A man's head soared far into the sky. Even in death, his eyes remained wide open.
Cheok Bal-eon extended her hand, and the man's storage ring fell into her palm. Instead of inspecting it, she turned her gaze to Yeop Hyeon. He gripped his Spirit Water Sword, dripping with blood, exuding thick killing intent.
"Sword cultivator, what happened?"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"Plans have changed. We're heading to Jeoguk first!"
Right then, a dozen warriors leaped from three nearby cloud ships. All were Divine Fusion Realm experts.
The warriors swiftly boarded Yeop Hyeon's cloud ship, surrounding him and Cheok Bal-eon in an instant.
One man holding a long spear stepped forward and eyed Yeop Hyeon.
"Did you kill him?"
Yeop Hyeon turned to the young man.
"Got a problem with that?"
The man narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like you're from Jungto Sinju too. I'm O Jun, and I know some warriors from there—even a few heroes from Yo Yeolbang."
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon raised his sword, pointing far off.
"Scram!"
A cold glint flashed in the man's eyes.
"If you're going to humiliate me like this..."
Suddenly, Yeop Hyeon launched himself forward, swinging his sword.
The man reacted in shock, thrusting his spear ahead. Lightning erupted from the tip, engulfing the area.
Boom!
Spear met sword in a thunderous crash like a bolt from the heavens. A figure tore through the air, rebounding away.
It was the spear-wielding man.
He skidded back fifty zhang before halting. Half his spear had vanished, and blood trickled from his mouth.
He looked up at Yeop Hyeon, his eyes heavy with gravity.
As Yeop Hyeon moved to strike again, the man cried out desperately.
"W-wait! I get it. We'll leave, just like you said!"
With that, he spun and fled. His companions vanished from the cloud ship in a blink.
Yeop Hyeon didn't pursue. Reaching Jeoguk as fast as possible mattered more.
Jeoguk might be mighty in Qingzhou, but it paled against Jungto Sinju's forces.
They had to hurry.
The cloud ship veered toward Jeoguk.
Meanwhile, once Yeop Hyeon was gone, the fleeing warriors stopped. Their faces were uniformly grim.
O Jun, who had clashed with Yeop Hyeon, looked especially grave. The opponent's sword had shattered his thunder-infused spear—and nearly taken his life.
A companion beside him asked,
"Brother, who was that sword cultivator? Terrifying skill!"
"No idea. That power... only a Sword Lord could unleash it. But I've never heard of such a young Sword Lord from Jungto Sinju. Could he be from Qingzhou?"
The questioner shook his head.
"How could a sword cultivator like that come from tiny Qingzhou?"
"Why not? An Ranxiu's from Qingzhou too!"
An Ranxiu!
The warriors' faces hardened at her name.
No one in Jungto Sinju hadn't heard of her.
O Jun shook his head moments later.
"Whatever. Stay cautious. And you—investigate Qingzhou's geniuses in detail. Make sure we know who to avoid!"
Soon, O Jun's group vanished from the area.
Inside Yeop Hyeon's cloud ship.
Worry clouded Yeop Hyeon's face as he stood at the bow. Cheok Bal-eon tugged his sleeve gently.
"Hey, don't worry too much. We'll make it in time."
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"Hoping so."
Suddenly, he looked up at her.
"Soyo, are all Jungto Sinju forces that reckless?"
Cheok Bal-eon shook her head.
"Act like that in Jungto Sinju, and you'd vanish without a trace. Everyone there is no ordinary folk. Hogye Meng's eyes are always watching, so even the greediest can't run wild."
She caught her breath and continued.
"They're arrogant because they look down on Qingzhou. They see Qingzhou and Canglanzhou as barbarian lands. The martial civilization gap is huge. And with Qingzhou's Hogye Meng rep gone, they're even bolder."
"I see."
"I've heard of Hehuan Sect and Hwan So Gate too. Both influential in Jungto Sinju, but bad reputations. They kidnap women for cauldrons in cultivation—like demonic paths. They're a branch from the demonic path. Hogye Meng overlooks them if they don't go too far, since plenty of demonic cultivators lurk there."
'Demonic Path?!'
Yeop Hyeon's brow twitched.
"The Demonic Path really exists?"
"Of course! There's also Yao Path, even Ghost Path. Complicated stuff. Anyway, those Hehuan Sect and Hwan So Gate guys are scum—kill them on sight!"
"..."
The cloud ship sped toward Jeoguk.
En route, they passed many ships. Mostly mercenaries. Not all were strong, but some made even Yeop Hyeon tense.
All headed to Jeoguk.
A small nation, but its treasury held vast wealth.
Arrive late, and it'd all be gone. Urgency mounted.
The mercenaries sometimes fought nearby but left Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-eon alone.
Simple reason: As ships passed, Cheok Bal-eon waved and shouted,
"Hey! Here to rob? Look, I've got money!"
She flashed her storage ring weapon and a pile of jade-grade spirit stones.
No one took the bait.
Too suspicious.
Someone begging to be robbed was either a fool or overwhelmingly strong.
Cheok Bal-eon seemed a bit off, but after she smashed a Divine Fusion Realm expert into minced meat with her hammer, no one met her eyes.
Like an ant trap luring prey.
Frustrated with no bites, Cheok Bal-eon fumed.
Yeop Hyeon asked,
"Why not just attack them?"
She met his gaze.
"Dad said never strike first unless they touch me. And robbing first feels rude. But if they come at me, I can smash and take without guilt!"
Yeop Hyeon marveled at her casuistry—even for banditry.
But thinking it over, it made sense.
'Don't touch me, and I won't touch you.'
Yeop Hyeon robbed too, but never innocents without hostility.
Their mindsets aligned, in a way.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Yeop Hyeon's mind. He turned to her, shouting,
"Wait, that's wrong! You hit me once when I did nothing!"
"Did I?"
"Yeah!"
Cheok Bal-eon pondered, then said seriously,
"This needs deep discussion. With big things ahead, let's table it for later!"
"..."
Seeing him drop it, she sighed inwardly in relief.
True, she'd attacked him first without reason. But it was to stall for money—not kill. Her kill-or-spare taunt was to avoid seeming weak.
Endless training: Hesitate first, get despised.
The cloud ship raced on. Jeoguk drew near.
* * *
Jeoguk.
Suddenly, hordes of outsiders flooded the imperial city. Since their arrival, it never knew peace—robbery, murder, rape endless.
Each was mighty, wild as unbridled colts, rampaging freely.
Jeoguk didn't sit idle. Imperial Guards and elite Gold Crow Guards deployed to suppress the Jungto Sinju warriors.
But futile. Confined palace fights crippled soldiers' prowess.
And the invaders were no pushovers. Chaos engulfed the city. Some even openly assaulted it.
Inside the palace, a grand hall.
Cheok Bal-eon's face atop the dragon throne was darkly overcast.
An old man and old woman flanked her.
A black-robed man rushed in, kneeling.
"Your Highness! Jungto Sinju warriors surround the palace! North Gate's breached; South Gate won't hold half a shichen..."
"Your Highness!"
Another entered, voice urgent.
"Your Highness! Inside the city, Li Family, Yue Family, and Feng Family rebelled—they surround and attack the palace!"
Cheok Bal-eon clenched her fists. Worry filled her face.