An Unexpected Transformation
Whoosh!
A thin flying dagger shot through the air.
Catching it deftly between his fingers, Ilyang smiled faintly.
"Our bald friend plays with dangerous toys, I see. I almost missed it."
"...!"
Ho Sam, the Ghost Cloud Guest, swallowed hard as he stared at the flying dagger that had stopped mere inches from his heart.
I-I couldn't even see it!
Gok Su, the Chief of the Blood Wolf Bandit Clan, was known by his moniker, the "Light-Flashing Flying Horse." It meant he was a master of lightfoot techniques who threw projectiles as fast as lightning.
Gok Su's eyes flickered with shock.
He caught that? From this distance?
It was at that exact moment that the expressions of Seol Bun and Gok Su shifted.
The smug confidence that had filled their faces vanished in an instant, replaced by an undeniable, suffocating tension.
They had finally realized that the child standing before them was, contrary to his appearance, an incredibly formidable master.
Then, Ilyang spoke, casually tossing the dagger into the air and catching it again.
"I have a small favor to ask of you two."
Seol Bun narrowed his eyes at the boy's irritatingly nonchalant attitude.
"Is it truly a favor? Or is it a threat?"
"You may interpret it however you wish."
The fat man, Chief Seol Bun of the Yeomwang Bandit Clan, cautiously caressed the hilt of the saber at his waist.
"And what do we receive in return if we grant this favor?"
Ilyang smiled thinly at the tense duo—the bald man and the fat man.
"I will graciously allow you to live."
"...Bullshit."
The curse slipped from the fat bandit chief's lips like an incantation. As if on cue, a streak of light shot like a serpent from the scabbard at his hip.
A blinding streak of saber qi erupts like a serpent from the scabbard, slicing through the air with peerless sharpness.
Simultaneously, twelve streaks of light erupted from the sleeves of the bald chief, Gok Su.
Twelve deadly flying daggers are unleashed in perfect unison, sealing off all avenues of escape.
The two peak masters moved in perfect, long-practiced unison, flanking Ilyang from both sides to deliver a fatal pincer attack.
Die!
They knew instinctively that they had to eliminate this brat first. And at this range, they believed even the greatest master would find it impossible to block a coordinated surprise attack.
Unfortunately for them, Ilyang was no ordinary master.
Clang-clang-clang!
The twelve flying daggers struck an invisible barrier and clattered harmlessly to the ground. A translucent shield had blocked them.
Shock flooded Seol Bun and Gok Su's eyes.
Body-Protecting Qi!
Body-Protecting Qi was the hallmark of a transcendent master. Could a child of his age truly be a transcendent master? Had he achieved rejuvenation through some miraculous breakthrough?
Slaaaash!
Yet Seol Bun gritted his teeth and poured every ounce of his strength into his strike. His blade, surging with crimson saber qi, did not stop. It tore through the partially shattered translucent shield, aiming straight for the crown of Ilyang's head.
This is it!
Seol Bun's eyes gleamed with savage delight. To slay a transcendent master in a surprise attack—the rewards would be astronomical.
But the truly shocking turn of events occurred at that exact millisecond.
Clang!
A figure materialized like a ghost from the shadows on the ground. It was Blood Jiangshi Number One. The corpse-pale man caught Seol Bun's blazing red blade with his bare hands.
"What in the absolute hell?!" Seol Bun shrieked.
His Moon Shadow Saber Technique was renowned for its peerless sharpness. To catch a blade coated in saber qi with bare hands was madness. Unless a human body was made of solid iron, such a feat should have been impossible.
Yet the impossible had unfolded right before his eyes. And that corpse-pale face...
"...A jiangshi! That's a Blood Jiangshi!"
Gok Su, the bald chief who had thrown the daggers, realized Number One's identity and leaped backward with a shriek. But as he did, dark silhouettes blocked his retreat.
"Y-you motherfuckers..."
Before they knew it, they were completely surrounded by Blood Jiangshis.
"Are you inclined to have a proper conversation now?" Ilyang asked.
"..."
When had they been surrounded? From the very beginning? Or during the clash?
No, that doesn't matter right now.
What did the timing matter? The only thing that mattered was whether they could escape. But to Gok Su, a master of lightfoot techniques, there was absolutely no way out.
[Seol, can we break through this?]
[Highly unlikely...]
Seol Bun replied weakly to Gok Su's telepathic message, his eyes darting around. They had been surrounded without sensing a single presence. Honestly, dealing with just one or two Blood Jiangshis would have been a monumental struggle.
But ten of them?
Trying to fight their way out of this would be committing suicide. The defiance slowly drained from Gok Su and Seol Bun's eyes.
"Sigh... Are you from the Mansi Sect? What do you want from us?"
They felt utterly cheated. Who could have guessed this brat was a necromancer from the Mansi Sect? Had they known, they would have been far more cooperative during the negotiations. Or they would have run away. A wave of bitter regret washed over them.
"Who said I was from the Mansi Sect?" Ilyang scoffed. "These were a gift."
"..."
A gift? From the notorious Mansi Sect? It sounded like utter nonsense, but Gok Su chose not to argue. Provoking the boy in this situation would be incredibly foolish. In the Murim, might made right.
"What is your... favor?"
"It is no longer a favor. It is an order."
"And? Is that order more important than your lives?"
Ilyang's cold gaze swept over Gok Su, who had previously snapped at Seol Bun. Feeling the chill of that stare, Gok Su swallowed hard and tried to maintain his composure.
"Ahem. Well, the situation has indeed changed quite a bit."
Just moments ago, there were no Blood Jiangshis in the negotiation. Now, there were ten. Naturally, the terms of the agreement had to change. Seol Bun and Gok Su nodded submissively, their expressions smoothing over.
"What is it that you desire, Young Master?"
Their tone had instantly shifted to one of deep respect.
Amused by their rapid adaptation, Ilyang gestured with his chin toward Sunghwa Island.
"I plan to build a structure here."
"...?"
Why bring that up now? The topic had taken a bizarre turn.
"And I need you two to help me."
"What do you mean by..."
Asking peak martial artists to help build a house? It was like using a legendary sword to slaughter a chicken. It made no sense to them.
"The scale of the building is quite massive, so I require a lot of manual labor."
"Ah."
Only then did Seol Bun and Gok Su begin to grasp the situation, and their faces soured instantly.
We are doomed.
The boy didn't just want their money. He wanted their sweat and blood. He was demanding the physical labor of their entire bandit clans, including the peak masters themselves. The problem was, they had neither the right nor the power to refuse. Furthermore...
"And I would also like to make use of the funds stored at your bases. I assume that is a fair price for all of your lives?"
"..."
They had run into a highwayman in broad daylight. The brat demanded their life savings as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And so, absurdly, the Gyolyong Bandit Clan, the Blood Wolf Bandit Clan, and the Yeomwang Bandit Clan—who once held sway over the Yangtze River—began to undergo an unexpected and monumental transformation.
Thump... Thump...
The three-tailed fox, a young beast with three fluffy tails, was currently dreaming.
The world within her dream was filled with mystical rainbows. Beyond the clouds that drifted beneath her feet sat a fox immortal with a breathtakingly seductive face.
"Welcome."
"This humble fox of the lower realm greets the great Lady Cheonho of the upper realm."
"Hoho. I told you, there is no need to be so formal every time."
"How could a mere junior dare to speak the great senior's name so lightly? Please, do not say such things."
"Very well. You are as polite as ever. But why have you been so scarce these past few days? I was dying of boredom waiting for you."
The three-tailed fox, still nameless and referred to only as "Hori," held her breath as she gazed at the Yokai Sovereign before her.
The Nine-Tailed Fox, the matriarch of all fox kind, was a legendary entity who had carved her name into myth over more than a thousand years. Hori did not possess the courage to utter a single lie in her presence.
"To be honest, until recently, I was captured by humans and was waiting for my inevitable death. Fortunately, I managed to break the seal they placed on me and escape."
"What? How did you end up in such a dreadful plight? Did I not warn you repeatedly to beware of those humans?"
Cheonho, the Nine-Tailed Fox, wiped the playful smile from her face. Her expression turned genuinely furious as she glared at the little fox. Oppressed by the divine energy radiating from the ancient sovereign, Hori trembled violently, gasping for air.
"Ah! My apologies. I went a bit too far, didn't I?"
Cheonho instantly withdrew her aura and spoke gently to the shivering, breathless little fox. "You must always be careful around humans. Individually, they are nothing. But when they band together, they can be quite terrifying. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes. I will be far more vigilant and cautious from now on, Senior."
"Good. At least you managed to escape safely. Then again, there are no creatures as careless as humans."
Hori hesitated for a moment before bowing her head so low it almost touched the ground.
"I did not escape solely by my own strength, Senior. Without outside help, I likely would never have been able to return to this Dream Garden Island."
"Outside help? Don't tell me there was another of our kind? Is there still another of our kin remaining in the lower realm? Is that it?"
Cheonho's eyes sparkled, her voice rising with excitement. Hori quickly corrected her.
"No, that is not it, Senior. It was a peculiar human. It was thanks to him that I was able to break the weakened seal and flee."
"A human? Why would a human help you? For what reason?"
"To be precise, he did not intend to help me... but that was the result. The reason seemed to be, as always, a dispute over money among themselves."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
"Yes. But... there was something very strange about that human."
"In what way?"
Hori looked up at the matriarch of her clan, the great Yokai Sovereign, and spoke cautiously.
"Judging by his lifespan, he should definitely be dead. Yet, for some reason, he is perfectly fine and moving about."
"Oh?"
An existence that defied its destined lifespan.
"He certainly sounds like an intriguing human. Could he have used the Great Soul-Shifting Art? I suppose there are still humans in the lower realm with enough spiritual power to pull off such a feat."
"Based on his behavior and attitude, I believe he could be quite useful for your plans, Senior. I was thinking of using what you taught me last time."
"What I taught you? The Demon Heart Sutra, and... what else was there?"
As Cheonho tilted her head in confusion, Hori smiled softly.
"You taught me the Hundred Arts of Joy. You said it was a technique that never failed against human men."
The Nine-Tailed Fox clapped her hands together. "Ah! Right! Yes, of course! That is an excellent idea. It is a charm technique that works flawlessly on any male."
"To be honest, surviving on my own is reaching its limit. I plan to turn that human into my puppet and use him as a shield to hide behind for a while."
"Splendid! The children of our clan are always so clever. What a bright little thing you are."
Hori wagged her three tails happily at the blatant praise from the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox.
"I shall see you next time, then. As I told you before, endure in the lower realm for now and watch for an opportunity to ascend. You are talented, so you will find your chance soon. Do not worry, I will do everything I can from here to help you prepare for your next awakening."
"Thank you as always, Senior."
"Now, run along. The Dream Garden Island is still unstable, and it seems to be shaking."
Indeed, the beautiful garden of clouds before her eyes was beginning to vibrate and tremble.
"Yes, I will take my leave now, Senior!"
Hori bid farewell to the Nine-Tailed Fox with utmost politeness before waking from her dream.
When she opened her eyes in reality, she was in a damp, dark cave. Hori lifted her nose slightly and took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the surrounding area.
And then...
"He hasn't gone very far."
She could accurately trace the scent of the human she had marked.
Thinking of casting the charm technique she had learned from the great Cheonho upon that little human, Hori took a light step forward.
Her three swaying tails stretched out like long afterimages, and a moment later, only a faint trace of warmth remained on the cave floor.