Into the Trap
What was the trap? After the opening matches of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering concluded in spectacular fashion, the inns both inside and outside the Murim Alliance were packed to the brim. No matter where one went, people were abuzz with talk of the gathering. Those sipping wine and speaking in loud voices created a chaotic atmosphere, yet no one resorted to using martial force. After all, this was the front yard of the Murim Alliance; any such misconduct would lead straight to capture.
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering has been entertaining from the very start. Especially the descendant of the Heavenly Venerable…!”
“Now, now. Ak Bicheon’s name is right there for all to see. Calling him a mere descendant is rather rude, don’t you think? He’s bound to earn the title of Divine Dragon someday!”
“Indeed. Compared to the other rising stars, Ak Bicheon’s martial prowess was on another level.”
Their greatest topic of conversation was, of course, Ak Bicheon, the descendant of the Heavenly Venerable. Through this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, he had proven himself worthy of that title. More precisely, the aura he emanated was on par with the elders of the great sects. As expected of the Shandong Ak Clan.
“But I’m curious. If Baekri Hyeong, the young master of the Baekri Clan, were to face Ak Bicheon, who would win?”
“I still think Ak Bicheon would emerge victorious. There are rumors that the young master of the Baekri Clan once matched a Peak Demon expert, but… they’re just rumors, aren’t they?”
“I agree. Of course, we’ll only know for certain after watching tomorrow’s match.”
Among all the names on their lips, Baekri Hyeong appeared most frequently. A year ago, during the Heavenly Demon Cult’s raid on the Baekri Clan, he had faced a Peak Demon expert and held out until Baekri Hyeok arrived, unscathed. Though most dismissed it as mere rumor, they knew the exaggerated tale had spread because of his absurd talent. After all, his father was Baekri Hyeok, the youngest in Murim history to earn the title of Sovereign.
“In any case, the next preliminary round should be worth watching.”
“This is just something I overheard, but… they say the descendant of the Strong Sovereign is also participating in this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“Even the descendant of the Strong Sovereign?! Then…”
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering could be seen as a proxy war among the Five Sovereigns of Murim.”
Hyeonhwan, who was participating in the preliminaries, could also be considered a descendant of one of the Five Sovereigns in a way. His master, Abbot Gongho, had been a disciple of the Buddhist Sovereign. In truth, the current Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was essentially a proxy battle between the Heavenly Venerable, the Strong Sovereign, the Sword Sovereign, and the Buddhist Sovereign.
“The Demon Sovereign belongs to the unorthodox side, so… this will truly be a feast for those who will become the pillars of the orthodox factions!”
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is definitely going to be far more exciting than the last one.”
“Enough talk! I’m buying drinks for everyone tonight!”
“Whoa! You mean that? If you run, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth!”
Whenever conversations dragged on, someone inevitably shouted that they would pay for the drinks. Thanks to them, the inn’s atmosphere grew even more heated—though that person, as always, failed to keep their word and fled without paying.
**********
“They were all truly remarkable…”
Myeong Hwarin walked alone through the night, recalling the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering she had witnessed that day. The fervor radiating from so many martial artists naturally stirred her excitement. Among them, the one who stood out most was Namgung Suryeon. At first, she had thought her rather eccentric, but watching her fight revealed a bold, unrestrained style paired with masterful control of tempo and rhythm. Since she was currently staying at the Baekri Clan residence after leaving the Namgung Clan, perhaps they could become friends.
In truth, she still could not understand why Baekri Hyeong took an interest in her. Very few knew that the last disciple of Ilsalmun possessed special eyes. Perhaps the Shandong Ak Clan? Of course, it was Myeong Hwarin herself who had first approached Baekri Hyeong to warn him about Mun Ho-sik’s suspicious behavior. The reason was the inexplicable coexistence of good and evil she had sensed within him. He was clearly hostile toward the Heavenly Demon Cult, so why did light and darkness dwell together inside him? Though puzzled, she found herself wanting to speak with him about the cult. As a result, Baekri Hyeong had begun paying attention to her. Whether that attention was genuine remained unclear, since they had not met again since.
“Haa… Will I be able to do well tomorrow…”
Fortunately, the preliminary match assigned to her did not feature any particularly famous sect members. She had only hoped to avoid Baekri Hyeong, yet she had been granted an even greater stroke of luck. Still, she refused to grow complacent. Every one of them was a rising star who had endured Seolbaekgeom’s lion’s roar before advancing to the preliminaries. Myeong Hwarin resolved to face them with everything she had.
At that moment, she stopped. A chilling, sinister aura brushed against her senses. It was the same energy she had felt from Mun Ho-sik, though slightly different—alien, yet unmistakably similar. It was not Mun Ho-sik himself.
‘The Heavenly Demon Cult… are they after me?’
Perhaps this was the work of the demonic practitioners working alongside Mun Ho-sik. Myeong Hwarin quickened her pace after a moment’s thought. Her chosen destination was the guest quarters where Baekri Hyeong was staying. If anyone could grasp the meaning behind the demonic practitioners following her, it would be him.
But contrary to her hopes, the demonic practitioners revealed themselves swiftly, blocking her path.
“Myeong Hwarin, the last disciple of Ilsalmun. You must die for the sake of our cult.”
“The cult… So you really are from the Heavenly Demon Cult.”
“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But you—”
“..!”
Thud. Before the lead demonic practitioner could finish speaking, a sword flew from somewhere and pierced his heart. Both the demonic practitioners and Myeong Hwarin turned in shock toward the direction the sword had come from. There stood Baekri Hyeong, his eyes cold as ice, looking down upon them.
“I knew this would happen. Typical of the Heavenly Demon Cult scum to move in the dead of night.”
“Shall we deal with them?”
“Yes. It’s troublesome, so handle them quietly, if you please.”
Upon closer inspection, Baekri Hyeong was not alone. A man stood behind him with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at the demonic practitioners with an aloof posture. It was Cheon Hwangyeol, the Young Lord of Sapaecheon.
“Scatter and surround them…!”
“Kill them all.”
At Cheon Hwangyeol’s command, the members of the Hegemony Unit emerged from the shadows. Only then did the demonic practitioners realize they had walked straight into a trap. They drew their swords in a desperate attempt to resist, but against the Hegemony Unit—Sapaecheon’s finest, most of whom had reached the Transcendent Peak Realm—their efforts were futile.
Thud! Thud! Thud! The area had already been sealed by a qi barrier erected by Cheon Hwangyeol and Baekri Hyeong to prevent any sound from escaping. The demonic practitioners were thoroughly crushed by the Hegemony Unit’s fists within that isolated space. After roughly one ke, the unit vanished back into the shadows. Baekri Hyeong approached the trembling Myeong Hwarin and reassured her.
“Do not worry. I told you to come near me in case something like this happened…”
“Young Master… Those people…?”
“Ah, they are individuals to whom I owe a great debt. I will explain the details another time. For now, you should rest.”
“Pardon?”
Thud. Baekri Hyeong swiftly struck her acupoints, paralyzing her body before tapping another to induce sleep. From this point onward, the conversation was not meant to be overheard.
“It seems the Heavenly Demon Cult’s raid has become a foregone conclusion. Will you inform the Murim Alliance?”
“…I need to think about it.”
“What?”
Cheon Hwangyeol tilted his head, as if Baekri Hyeong had said something absurd. Logically speaking, with this many demonic practitioners roaming near the Murim Alliance, not reporting it made no sense. What could he possibly be planning?
Meanwhile, Baekri Hyeong was lost in thought.
‘Most of the Sword Demon Sect’s demonic practitioners are here. That means the ones participating in the raid will be from the Sword Demon Sect… which implies their leader, Mun Tae-sik, will come personally.’
But the Heavenly Demon Cult was no fool. They would never bring only Peak Demon experts to the Murim Alliance while the Sword Sovereign was clearly present. If their goal was to buy time, they would at least bring a Transcendent Demon expert. In other words…
‘One Demon God, one sect leader, multiple Peak Demon experts, and Transcendent Peak and Peak Realm experts as well.’
The scale of the raid was larger than expected. Had they faced it without any prior knowledge, they would have suffered greatly. Perhaps, by meeting Mun Ho-sik and protecting Myeong Hwarin, Baekri Hyeong had found a way out after all.
“I will not report this incident.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. This way, the demonic practitioners targeting this one will remain on edge and stay quiet for a while. And…”
“And?”
“What if the ones who’ve come all this way get scared and run away before we even fight?”
As he spoke, Baekri Hyeong curled his lips into a cold smile. Come, then. We’ll see who the rat trapped in the jar really is—once we fight. Don’t you agree?