The Ripple in the Rift
A vast lake stretched out, its waters meeting the horizon.
At first glance, its sheer expanse made it easy to mistake for the sea, but this was undeniably a lake.
It was Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Central Plains.
Fitting its immense size, Poyang Lake was dotted mostly with small skiffs and slightly larger fishing boats.
Yet, one could also occasionally spot luxurious tower ships, the kind usually seen only on the Yangtze River.
Given the opulence of these tower ships, boarding them was naturally a highly restricted privilege.
Only wealthy landowners, merchant barons, or the gentry—families who had amassed fortunes and wielded power over generations—could afford to travel on such vessels.
"Haha! Have a drink, my lord."
"Then you must accept a cup from me as well! Allow me to pour it for you!"
They clinked their cups, indulging in the refined arts and claiming they were "fishing for time," all while boasting of their wealth and leisure.
Their plump, grease-slicked faces shone, and their beards were stained with food.
Yet, thoroughly intoxicated, they laughed and made merry, entirely oblivious to their own unsightly appearance.
"Have you heard? I hear absolute chaos broke out in Tongseong County recently!"
Even for the gentry, landowners, and wealthy merchants, the affairs of the Jianghu could not be ignored.
There was no telling when or how those martial artists—who were essentially monkeys wielding swords—might run amok, so it was only natural for ordinary citizens to keep a watchful eye on them.
"Is that so? Isn't that where the Martial Alliance is? That massive coalition?"
"I heard that very alliance was completely annihilated. Rumors are rampant that they lost everything."
"The Martial Alliance? But aren't they the largest power in the Murim?"
"Who was it again... Jeok-something. Ahem, I forgot the name, but they say a man like a mad bull swept through the Martial Alliance's Tongseong branch all by himself."
"My word, isn't that a disaster? I heard the Martial Alliance belongs to the Orthodox factions and at least maintains some semblance of order..."
One of them, his face flushed red with drink, voiced his concern.
"Haha! What is there to worry about? No matter how much those bastards run wild, the moment the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Director of the Eastern Depot steps in, they'll run away like whipped dogs!"
Another man boasted grandly, as if he were a member of the imperial court himself.
"Ah, is that so?"
"Indeed. No matter how much those thugs babble about the Martial Alliance, they are utterly powerless before the majestic might of the Imperial Court."
"Oh! As expected of the Imperial Court!"
The gentry, who knew absolutely nothing about the Jianghu, drank and chatted again, completely indifferent to the truth of the matter.
"Those martial artists seem to do nothing but cause chaos every single day. It would be best to round them all up, throw them in prison, and teach them a lesson."
"It is only because His Imperial Majesty is merciful that they are left in peace..."
"I truly do not understand this 'non-interference between court and common land.' Do they think they live in some fictional world? Every inch of this land belongs to the Emperor."
"Bwahaha! That is why they call themselves people of the rivers and lakes. Foolish bastards!"
The noblemen laughed boisterously, mocking and ridiculing the martial artists.
Hearing their preposterous claims, even the guards protecting them clicked their tongues in secret.
If an Unorthodox martial artist had been nearby, these men would have had their heads lopped off on the spot for such reckless remarks.
After all, they were foolishly equating the division between Orthodox and Unorthodox with simple good and evil.
It's a miracle we're on a boat with no one else around.
...But none of them realized that the very subject of their conversation was right beside them.
Chomp, gulp!
"Wow, these bastards really packed some expensive and delicious stuff."
Delicious, absolutely delicious!
Jeok-un marveled repeatedly as he stuffed his mouth with food and wine he had pilfered from the banquet tables.
Jeok-un had made himself comfortable in a secluded, quiet corner of the tower ship.
Since the vessel carried many high-ranking figures, strict inspections were conducted before and after boarding. Yet, no one had noticed a thing.
They had no idea that Jeok-un had slipped aboard, nor that he had stolen the banquet food prepared by the chefs.
Jeok-un had boarded this ship for one reason.
Naturally, it wasn't just to gorge himself like this.
Crossing Poyang Lake in the tiny skiff he had used to reach Geukrak Island was a fool's errand.
That was why he had sneaked onto a large vessel like this tower ship.
It's definitely not because I got separated from that Jang fellow—my rowing slave, I mean.
From the battle with the Martial Alliance straight to the Black Hegemony Castle's Geukrak Island branch...
Because he had fought continuously without a single break, Jeok-un hadn't even had a moment to catch his breath.
Needless to say, he hadn't had time to eat either.
Thus, after successfully sneaking onto the tower ship, he was now satisfying his hunger as the vessel set sail.
After stuffing his face ravenously for a good while, Jeok-un finished his meal with a loud, satisfying belch.
"Whew, I feel alive again."
Part of him wanted to just lie down, stretch his legs, and fall into a peaceful sleep.
"Ugh, but I still have work to do."
Jeok-un muttered to himself as he stretched his stiff body and stood up.
Through the ship's window, the pitch-black surface of the water came into view.
It was hard to believe this was a lake.
No matter how he looked at it, it resembled the ocean.
Mother Nature truly is...
He felt a sense of awe wash over him.
Jeok-un silently gazed out at Poyang Lake.
Fed by the waters of the Gong River, Xin River, and Xiu River, it was indeed worthy of its title as the largest freshwater lake in the Central Plains.
Did Bai Juyi write a poem after watching the sunset here?
The reflected sunset warms the lakeshore and brightens it once more.
But now, it was the dead of night.
The sunset had long since vanished.
In its place hung a brilliantly bright full moon.
Then it wouldn't be the reflected sun, but the reflected moon.
Though the water below was as dark and black as a deep abyss, looking toward the distant shore revealed the brilliant moonlight shattering and shimmering across the ripples.
Poyang Lake.
This vast, sprawling lake—which had once hosted the massive naval battle that decided the founding of the Ming Dynasty—held countless secrets and legends.
No one else knows that a sacred relic lies dormant here.
Jeok-un intended to retrieve the relic as quickly as possible and return.
Even at this very moment, it was highly likely that either the Martial Alliance or Black Hegemony Castle was organizing a reclamation force to march on Tongseong County.
Thinking of this, Jeok-un unconsciously smacked his lips.
I hope they send someone stronger next time.
From Jeok-un's perspective, Dang Maeng and Seo Do-yeom had been far too easy.
Calling them "enemies" felt like an insult to the word.
So, he sincerely hoped that whoever came next would be much, much stronger.
Hummm—!
It was then.
"...!"
Whoosh!
Amidst the pitch-black surroundings, through the gaps of the rising and falling waves, something stimulated Jeok-un's senses.
Hum!
Hummmm!
At the same time, as if on cue, Il-cheon and Wol-ha inside his robes began to resonate.
"Right, I suppose you two are excited to see it too."
The corners of Jeok-un's mouth curled upward.
Deep within the dark, eerie waters in the middle of Poyang Lake, his relic lay dormant.
"Well, shall we go?"
Jeok-un lightly stretched his neck.
Swish!
Without a moment's hesitation, he threw himself into the center of the night lake.
Splash!
Splaaash!
A man had plunged into the water, but between the howling wind whipping past their ears and the loud churning of the tower ship cutting through the waves, no one noticed that Jeok-un had jumped.
The moment he entered the lake, Jeok-un held his breath and dove deep.
In the pitch-black night, he couldn't see an inch in front of him beneath the surface.
Yet, amidst the dark currents...
There it is.
Focusing his energy into his eyes, Jeok-un pushed through the fierce currents of the lake.
He could sense something faint in the distance.
Keeping his senses sharply honed, he swam directly toward that mysterious presence.
It's getting clearer the closer I get.
With every kick of his legs, the sensation grew sharper.
It was close.
Jeok-un was certain of it.
An ordinary person wouldn't be able to perceive it even if they looked right at it.
Only a martial artist of at least the Transformation Realm, pouring out their energy at full strength, would be able to detect this bizarre power.
Jeok-un felt himself drawing closer to something warped.
Right, is this my first time entering a Spatial Rift since my regression?
Obtaining Il-cheon and Wol-ha the first time had been straightforward.
They had simply been resting quietly at the bottom of the river.
However, not all of the sacred weapons waited so patiently for their master to appear.
Aside from Il-cheon and Wol-ha, the other weapons among the Patriarch's Seven Sacred Artifacts existed within warped spaces, just like the one ahead.
Yet, this was not a characteristic unique to the Patriarch's Seven Sacred Artifacts.
Divine relics, cursed objects, divine arts, demonic arts, spiritual beasts, and evil spirits...
Things so powerful that it was no exaggeration to say they shook the balance of heaven and earth literally warped the laws of the world.
They hid themselves by creating demonic realms—places that remained in the Jianghu as legends or terrifying ghost stories, but undeniably existed.
A place filled with all kinds of bizarre phenomena, entirely separate from the mortal world.
A Spatial Rift was the name of this phenomenon and space.
A habitat of disaster, yet a space of dazzling opportunity.
Though it was one of the most dangerous places under heaven, high risk brought high reward.
One could obtain miraculous encounters capable of shaking the world.
For this reason, martial artists, regardless of their strength, searched desperately for these rifts.
But there was a reason they were called miraculous encounters.
Nine times out of ten, it was a wild goose chase, and even when something was found, it was usually wildly exaggerated.
Of course, that doesn't apply to me.
After all, he had come here guided by the memories of his past life.
"Phew."
Reaching his destination, Jeok-un stopped swimming and quietly looked up through the water.
Right before his eyes...
Whoosh!
As if to justify the character for "tortoise" in the word "rift," a patch of space about the size of a wicker gate was warped like dozens of overlapping layers of heat haze, forming a pattern reminiscent of a tortoise shell.
But it was then.
Wait—
Jeok-un's expression, which had been filled with satisfaction as he examined the rift, suddenly shifted.
A look of bewilderment crossed his face.
Ssshh!
There were traces left behind, indicating that someone had already entered the rift.
This is impossible.
These traces should not exist.
Because...
In my past life, I was the very first to enter this place, and that wasn't supposed to happen for another five years.
Jeok-un had come here five years earlier than in his previous life.
Therefore, no one should have known about this place, and there certainly shouldn't have been any signs of entry.
In an instant, Jeok-un's eyes grew cold.
This could only mean one thing.
My actions after regressing have triggered some kind of variable.
A variable he did not know of—or rather, could not possibly have known.
There was only one way to resolve this.
I'll just have to go in and see who this uninvited guest is for myself.
Boom!
Jeok-un released a burst of energy from the Yongcheon acupoints on the soles of his feet, launching himself upward through the water.
And then...
Whoosh!
The rift churned wildly and swallowed Jeok-un whole.