The Baekri-Namgung Grudge
“What… is this…”
Hwa Wol could not properly comprehend the scene unfolding before her eyes. Eul Hwang-yeong, the Lord of the Demonic Cavalry, had been bisected by a single sword strike and met his death. Was such a thing even possible? He had been a master who had reached the Transcendent Peak Realm, a renowned warrior even within the Heavenly Demon Cult. Yet he had been slain by this unknown young man?
‘I… I have to run.’
With her reliable backer gone, Hwa Wol chose to flee on the spot. This was her chance, while the youth had yet to notice her presence. If she failed to escape now, something far worse than death would surely follow. But Hwa Wol did not know that Baekri Hyeong’s gaze had never once left her from the very beginning.
Shhhhhh.
“Kyaaah!”
Hwa Wol felt the sudden killing intent directed at her and collapsed on the spot. It had lasted but a single second. A chill ran through her entire body, and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness seized her limbs. Having never experienced such killing intent in her life, she crumbled without resistance.
Baekri Hyeong walked toward her with steady steps.
‘Move! Move, damn it!’
Hwa Wol was gripped by such intense terror that she wanted nothing more than to flee. Yet contrary to her desperate wish, her legs remained paralyzed and refused to budge. If she stayed here motionless, it would be the end. Perhaps dying would be preferable.
“So you intend to die?”
“..!”
“I won’t stop you. Go ahead and try.”
Baekri Hyeong’s voice, thick with killing intent, reached Hwa Wol as she steeled herself. The words were spoken casually, as though warning her that any attempt at suicide would only complicate matters. In the end, Hwa Wol abandoned all will and lowered her head.
Baekri Hyeong, who had merely watched her, closed his eyes and focused on suppressing his killing intent.
‘Stop. If you go any further, there will be no turning back. Return at once.’
Screeeeeech!
The Vermilion Bird, having unleashed its killing intent to the limit, refused to retreat. Perhaps it truly was the most willful of the Four Sacred Beasts. Yet Baekri Hyeong awakened the other sacred beasts and began suppressing the Vermilion Bird’s rebellion.
‘If you wish to claim me, you must devour your own kin. Do you truly believe that is possible?’
Upon hearing Baekri Hyeong’s warning, the Vermilion Bird gradually reined in its aura. With the Azure Dragon and White Tiger baring their fangs under the other sacred beasts’ awakening, even the Vermilion Bird could not overpower two fellow beasts to seize control of Baekri Hyeong. Most decisive of all was the presence of the Black Tortoise. That colossal, most savage existence lay dormant deep within Baekri Hyeong’s core, observing the other sacred beasts with the gaze of a spectator. That was the true form of the strongest. One who could rise at any moment to dominate everything, yet chose not to. With such a being behind him, seizing Baekri Hyeong’s body was nearly impossible.
The Vermilion Bird withdrew its ferocious aura and sank deep into the middle dantian where the Yellow Dragon Emperor Heaven Art resided. As it did, the fierce killing intent of the Vermilion Bird’s qi that had been consuming Baekri Hyeong’s body vanished, and his eyes returned to their original color. Of course, that did not mean Hwa Wol could forget the terrifying killing intent she had just experienced. Rather, she was struck with horror at the realization that he could freely control such immense killing intent.
“Now, are you ready to talk?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you speaking? Or do you enjoy being tortured?”
Baekri Hyeong released his voice modulation. In any case, Hwa Wol was someone he had to kill. The Hao Clan’s Anhui branch had likely already been infiltrated by the Demonic Cult. Killing Hwa Wol alone would not unravel everything, but the Hao Clan would probably launch a full-scale investigation into the Anhui branch. In doing so, their connection to the Demonic Cult would be partially exposed. Most crucially, once the Hao Clan obtained information about the Demonic Cult’s movements, it would reach the Four Heavenly Kings’ headquarters. Since the Demonic Cult concerned both the unorthodox and orthodox factions equally, the information would eventually reach the Murim Alliance as well.
“It seems you’re under some misconception. There is no lifeline here that can save you.”
“What… do you want from me?”
“The grudge between the Baekri Clan and the Namgung Clan. I want to know how it began.”
“Just for that!”
“To me, a wench who colluded with the Demonic Cult looks far more insignificant. Shall I kill you now?”
Baekri Hyeong’s chilling gaze pierced through Hwa Wol. She trembled violently, as though recalling the horrific killing intent from moments ago, and lowered her head deeply. Yes. When told to speak, she had no choice but to obey.
“If I speak… will you spare me?”
“Of course not. You will die no matter what.”
“Then what I say—”
“There is no reason? Why wouldn’t there be? I’m offering you the choice between dying slowly after having your limbs severed or dying painlessly.”
“..!”
“Choose. Whether you will die slowly, enduring pain no human can bear, or die comfortably.”
Hwa Wol let out a deep sigh, as though resigned after hearing Baekri Hyeong’s words. In truth, there was little information to extract from her. The Demonic Cult’s movements could be predicted based on future knowledge anyway. Listening to her might only force him to revise his plans. He had to push forward with certainty in the areas he was confident about. Others’ opinions had to be disregarded. After all, he had already lived through that era of turmoil.
Now it was time for Hwa Wol to choose. Whether to speak or remain silent. Having stimulated the primal fear inherent to all living beings, her decision was clear.
“I… will speak. But I need documents.”
“No need. The Hao Clan would hardly be unaware of the power struggle between the two clans. A branch leader would certainly possess basic information. Speak what you know.”
Obviously. She might be planning to contact the Demonic Cult under the pretense of retrieving documents. Rather than taking that risk, it was better to gather background knowledge and ask his father directly once he had grown stronger.
“First… do you know who the current Sword Sovereign—Baekri Hyeok, the clan head’s master is?”
“No. How would I know that?”
His father had hidden his past his entire life. More precisely, Baekri Hyeong had never asked, so the information had likely never been shared. Still, if asked whether he wanted to know who his father’s master was… the answer was obviously yes. Just what kind of master could elevate someone to the position of one of the Five Sovereigns of Murim?
“There are probably very few people in the world who know. Baekri Hyeok’s master is the Heavenly Sovereign.”
“The Heavenly Sovereign!”
Cheonjon Ak Biryang. A peerless master from the Shandong Ak Clan, widely regarded as the greatest among the Five Sovereigns of his era. The peculiar thing was that he had vanished from the martial world decades ago. His father had been the Heavenly Sovereign’s disciple?
“The Heavenly Sovereign is not a swordsman. However, it is said there is no martial art he cannot use.”
“The warriors of the Shandong Ak Clan each wielded different weapons.”
“Yes. And the Heavenly Sovereign was the greatest user of the saber in the current Murim, once called the Saber Ghost. Though the difference between sword and saber is considerable, Baekri Hyeok was also a genius. He absorbed the Heavenly Sovereign’s saber techniques into his swordsmanship and made a name for himself.”
“I see…”
Now the mystery was beginning to unravel. In his previous life, he had heard that the Heavenly Sovereign’s body had been discovered, though he never learned who found it or where. Even without witnessing the Heavenly Sovereign’s martial prowess firsthand, the Murim Alliance’s members had unanimously agreed: if the Heavenly Sovereign had participated in the Demonic Cult’s invasion at the peak of his power, he might have slain the Two Great Guardians of the Cult, if not the Heavenly Demon himself. Considering the martial might of the Two Great Guardians, the Heavenly Sovereign must have been an extraordinary expert. The problem was that the Heavenly Sovereign had been born roughly a hundred years ago.
“But wait. At the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Clan Head Baekri clearly…”
“He defeated Namgung Ak and rose to the seat of the Divine Dragon. That was before he received the Heavenly Sovereign’s teachings.”
“Then, could it be?”
“Yes. After receiving the Heavenly Sovereign’s teachings, Baekri Hyeok returned to the martial world vastly stronger. Namgung Ak, who had been expanding his influence with renewed vigor, faltered once more at that time.”
In short, from Namgung Ak’s perspective, Baekri Hyeok was a troublesome existence who dragged him down whenever he tried to rise. But that alone could not explain such deep-seated animosity. Just as Baekri Hyeong thought this, Hwa Wol spoke again.
“The problem began then. The Baekri Clan was not yet the massive force it is today. Numerous great powers of the Murim Alliance, including the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans, began pressuring him.”
“Ah…”
Baekri Hyeok had not been someone who stood above others from the beginning. But the environment had forced him into that position. Constantly under the scrutiny of countless people, he had no choice but to temper himself through relentless training.
“Under continuous pressure, Baekri Hyeok… eventually could no longer endure the injustice directed at him and raised his banner against the Murim Alliance. Alone.”