A Storm on the Great River
The maw of a giant beast.
This was the thought that crossed Oh Chu-baek's mind whenever he descended into the underground passage.
Step, step.
This subterranean space beneath the floor of the family head's study was originally an emergency shelter built for escaping sudden enemy raids.
Because of its purpose, it was rarely used under normal circumstances. But now that its utility had completely changed, Oh Chu-baek found himself stepping into this shelter several times a day.
"Tsk. You're late."
As he reached his destination, a clicking tongue and a sharp reprimand greeted him.
Oh Chu-baek bowed deeply, showing the utmost respect to a man who was far younger than his youngest son.
"My deepest apologies."
He continued in a groveling tone.
"As my benefactor knows, I have been receiving constant reports regarding the fleet out on the trade run..."
"Hmph. Spare me your pathetic excuses. If you are late again, I will pluck out one of your eyes."
"...Yes. I shall engrave your words upon my bones."
Despite the gruesome threat, Oh Chu-baek showed no sign of humiliation.
One might wonder who would dare speak so insolently to the head of the Geumhwang Merchant Group, but considering the identity of the man before him, he had no choice.
The man before him.
No, Ho Baek-seon, the envoy of the Demonic Cult, was an absolute demon who possessed terrifying power.
Furthermore, Ho Baek-seon was not the only thing threatening his life.
Thrum.
A dreadful energy surged like venom within the depths of Oh Chu-baek's heart.
...Damn it, this is absurd. To think there was something even worse than a Gu poison.
During their first meeting, Ho Baek-seon had forcibly injected an unidentified power into Oh Chu-baek.
The cultists, including Ho Baek-seon, referred to this power as a "grace."
In reality, it is closer to a curse.
It was a power originating from the supreme being whom the Demonic Cult called the Heavenly Demon.
Those who received the seed of demonic energy he bestowed gained new power, but in return, they were branded with an inescapable mark.
Just like Gu poison, if they did not receive a fresh infusion of demonic energy at regular intervals, they would face an unavoidable death.
Since every member of the Demonic Cult was bound by such shackles, one could easily surmise just how mad of an organization they were.
Yet, this did not mean Oh Chu-baek regretted his choice or wished to flee.
The power of the Demonic Cult is immense. Now that we have lost the protection of the Murim Alliance, they are the only way for the Geumhwang Merchant Group and me to survive.
Having learned Ho Baek-seon's identity and glimpsed a fraction of the truths hidden by the Demonic Cult, Oh Chu-baek could immediately grasp the sheer scale and influence of the cult rooted in the shadows of the Jianghu.
They view not only the Murim Alliance, but even Sadocheon and the Black Hegemony Castle as trivial.
Oh Chu-baek lowered his gaze to the floor.
Before him lay a glimpse of the bizarre wonders and curses they possessed.
A complete map of the Central Plains was spread across the floor.
Candlesticks were placed at every major city and provincial capital across the Jianghu, and dozens of candles flickered atop them.
"No matter how many times I see it, the power of the Divine Cult is truly magnificent. To possess the information network to monitor all three major factions in 'real-time'..."
At Oh Chu-baek's heartfelt admiration, Ho Baek-seon cackled.
"Keke, this is an information network our Divine Cult has built over thousands of years. Of course it is hundreds of times better than your pathetic tricks with carrier pigeons."
"I am merely ashamed of my own inadequacy."
In short, the map on the floor represented the current status of the factions monitored by the Demonic Cult.
To think all of this is linked to the reports of spies infiltrated into the three major factions.
The candles were not just for show.
It was an information system completed through the cult's sorcery and grand arrays, allowing them to observe the movements of the three major factions in near real-time based on the state of the flames.
It functioned much like a system of beacon fires.
Even without knowing the specific details, simply recognizing in real-time that an anomaly had occurred gave them a massive advantage in responding.
"I express my gratitude to you once again, my benefactor. I have truly received an immeasurable favor..."
Oh Chu-baek offered his sincere gratitude.
This was not merely because of the grace Ho Baek-seon had forcibly injected into him.
It was because his situation and that of the Geumhwang Merchant Group had completely turned around thanks to Ho Baek-seon's assistance.
The Geumhwang Merchant Group, which had been like a candle in the wind after clashing with the Murim Alliance and being abandoned by Do Ye-cheon, saw its fortunes completely reversed as Ho Baek-seon covertly integrated the strength of his Ghost Spirit Squad into their ranks.
The warriors of the Ghost Spirit Squad disguised themselves as guards for the Geumhwang Merchant Group and accompanied all major trade expeditions.
They then used overwhelming force to silence prominent figures of the Orthodox factions who openly picked fights, as well as Unorthodox masters who sought to prey on the merchant group.
If such incidents had occurred only once or twice, they might have been dismissed as coincidences. But because it had happened several times already, martial artists and gossips alike began to whisper in surprise, wondering how the Geumhwang Merchant Group had hidden such power.
Naturally, rumors began to spread.
They whispered that the hidden martial force the Geumhwang Merchant Group kept in reserve for emergencies was astonishingly fierce and sharp.
The rumor spread like wildfire across a dry field.
And for good reason—everyone had been saying the Geumhwang Merchant Group was doomed beyond salvation, yet they had pulled off a miraculous resurrection.
"These are not empty words. If this trade run succeeds, the name of the Geumhwang Merchant Group will once again resound throughout the Central Plains, and we will easily amass a fortune."
"Hmm. And?"
As Ho Baek-seon tilted his head, prompting him to continue, Oh Chu-baek raised his voice with even greater passion.
"Is not all that wealth thanks to the grace bestowed upon me by the supreme Divine Demon? As your servant, it is only natural that I repay this favor. I wish to take this wealth, ascend the 100,000 Great Mountains with you, and pay my respects to the Divine Demon."
"Keke. Very well. Your attitude is quite commendable."
"The grace I have received is engraved in my very bones, so how could I do otherwise?"
Oh Chu-baek wagged his tongue like a born sycophant.
Once the trade run currently moving along the Yangtze River succeeds, leaving the Murim Alliance will turn out to be a blessing in disguise...!
It was just as Oh Chu-baek was indulging in his grand fantasies.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, an intense heat washed over his face.
"—!"
What?!
Startled, both Oh Chu-baek and Ho Baek-seon snapped their gazes downward. An anomaly was occurring on the map of the Central Plains.
Flared!
One of the candles on the candlesticks was burning furiously, spitting out an unnaturally large flame.
...He clearly said the candle would flicker if a report of an anomaly came from that region, but—
Crackle!
Anyone could see that this was far from normal.
Oh Chu-baek swallowed his rising dread and asked cautiously, "M-My benefactor... what on earth is happening?"
"..."
But Ho Baek-seon could not offer an answer.
...What is that?
He was even more bewildered than Oh Chu-baek. Since this information system had been established, Ho Baek-seon had never witnessed such a phenomenon.
Sizzle!
Finally, the abnormally burning candle melted down completely, and the flame died out.
The name of the region where the melted wax had pooled was revealed.
Zhijiang County
It was the very place where the Geumhwang Merchant Group's grand fleet was currently traveling.
The vast waters of the Yangtze River flowing through Zhijiang County.
Whoosh.
A grand fleet of dozens of ships sailed in a neat formation along the massive river, which was wide enough to rival the sea.
It was a majestic sight that naturally overwhelmed anyone who looked upon it.
Perhaps Cao Cao's warships heading to the fateful Battle of Red Cliffs in ancient times had looked like this.
However, because the scale was so jaw-droppingly massive, it also brought about certain problems.
"Bwahaha! Hurry up and pour me another cup!"
"Drinking on a ship is truly the best!"
The sailors aboard the vessels had inevitably grown lax.
It was only natural. Although pirates infested the rivers and lakes, they could only target fleets of a reasonable size. No pirate would dare challenge a grand fleet of this magnitude.
Safe in this knowledge, their discipline had crumbled.
Moreover, the men guarding the ships were not highly trained soldiers, but mostly rogue mercenaries hired with hefty sums by the Geumhwang Merchant Group to suppress any suspicion from the public.
Thus, the crew aboard the vanguard ship leading the fleet were all heavily intoxicated.
"Hic! Ah, that's good! N-Nothing beats drinking in the middle of the day..."
A rogue mercenary, his face flushed red with alcohol, stumbled across the deck.
Unable to keep his head straight, he muttered repeatedly to himself.
"A rogue of my caliber, the Golden Wave Blood Blade, should obviously be the leader of this expedition. Tsk..."
The mercenary had his reasons for grumbling.
He was quite experienced in the mercenary underworld. After all, most rogue mercenaries died before they could even earn a moniker.
Confident in his own reputation and skill, he had naturally expected to be appointed as the leader of this trade run.
Yet, the person the Geumhwang Merchant Group had put in charge was someone he had never even heard of.
Supposedly, they were a master from a martial force the merchant group had prepared in secret.
"Heh, they can eat my piss!"
Just as the mercenary unfastened his trousers to relieve himself toward the main fleet's ships—
"Huh...?"
Something caught his eye on the river ahead.
A person was standing on the surface of the water.
Did I drink too much...?
The mercenary rubbed his eyes vigorously.
He resolved to drink in moderation once he returned.
To think he was seeing hallucinations.
With that thought, the mercenary opened his eyes.
And then—
"Hieeeek...!"
Thud!
He tumbled backward onto the deck.
He hadn't even pulled up his trousers, leaving his unsightly lower half exposed.
A g-ghost...!
He hadn't misseen it.
The white-haired ghost, with hair as white as snow, whom he had spotted moments ago.
The ghost was standing tall right before his eyes.
Yes, standing.
Right on top of the rippling river.
T-This is impossible...
It was utterly impossible.
Even with the legendary Water-Gliding Technique used by supreme masters, they only kicked off the water's surface using their inner qi to run. They could never stand perfectly still like that.
To stand atop the Yangtze River, whose depth was unfathomable, would be impossible for anyone below the Life and Death Realm, transcending even the Profound Realm.
"U-Ugh..."
The mercenary wanted to scream and call his comrades.
But perhaps because he was too shocked, his voice wouldn't come out.
Just as he managed to clear his throat and prepare to bellow with all his might—
Whoosh.
A chilling wind swept across the river, sending a cold shiver down his neck.
Wh-What?!
At that moment, the white-haired ghost began to move.
Raising one foot high like a crane, he stomped down.
Boom!
He struck the Yangtze River.
A single stomp.
And the colossal, raging wave generated by that stomp—
Rumble!
Crash!
—swept over the vanguard ship of the grand fleet like a natural disaster.