The Hunter and the Rat

"Master!"

"Young Master Joo!"

Even Shin Suran, who had witnessed his Taoist arts before, cried out in sheer horror at Seong-jin’s sudden action.

But the very next moment.

The Luju, with a sword driven through its throat, instantly lost its form. It collapsed, transforming into a common field rat.

"What kind of sorcery is this?"

"It’s black magic! That branch leader, O-gwi, used a transformation spell to put up a fake Luju!"

As the members of the Cheongwol Pavilion fell into a state of chaos, Seong-jin snatched another sword from a Hao-mun member who had collapsed nearby.

Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will not fear a hundred battles.

To know the enemy and know yourself is to be invincible in a hundred battles.

This adage held true even when hunting demons, but in the case of supernatural entities, the following phrase was actually more important:

Ignorant of the enemy and ignorant of oneself, you will suffer defeat in every battle.

If you do not know the enemy and do not know yourself, you will be in danger in every battle.

It didn't mean that simply knowing would lead to victory; it meant that if you didn't know, you were destined to lose.

The demonic arts used by monsters twisted the laws of the world. If you were transformed into a toad, even a master of the Diamond Body could be killed by a child throwing a stone.

To counter a power that warped the natural order, keeping a clear head wasn't enough. Only those who understood demons could face them. This was a problem that no amount of martial prowess could solve, and that was exactly why Seong-jin called himself a demon hunter, not a martial artist.

"I wondered why it smelled like a sewer when there was no plague. It seems the Hao-mun's storehouse is infested with rats."

The Eight Immortals of Mount Bongnae had treated Seong-jin like their own child, passing on everything they knew. The boy who had once pondered how to die had learned how to live. He became a disciple of the immortals, and their teachings were still deeply etched into his heart.

As the last immortal on this earth, Seong-jin was well-versed in all manner of spirits and demons.

"How did you see through my transformation?"

"I heard the Hao-mun makes up for their lack of martial power with information. Do you have to beg even that information from your enemies?"

At Seong-jin’s provocation, O-gwi ground his teeth and raised his sword.

"Tsk, the Hao-mun's martial arts may be lacking compared to the prestigious orthodox sects, but it's more than enough to deal with a brat like you!"

There were many people gathered here, but the only ones to be wary of were that girl who had subdued his subordinates with her bare hands and this boy in front of him who had seen through his transformation. As for the rest, he had nothing to fear even if they all attacked at once.

Swaak!

With that judgment, he swung his sword, and the blade Seong-jin was holding was sliced in half.

"This is..."

The pale metal glinted beneath the shadow of the eaves. A blue haze was rising from the sword O-gwi held.

Sword Qi.

The pinnacle of martial arts, where one draws the energy that fills the heavens and earth into the human body and hones it like a blade. It was the symbol of a first-rate master, and it had sliced through the steel sword like tofu.

"Are you surprised?"

O-gwi said, looking triumphant.

"This is the Sword Qi, the exclusive property of a first-rate master. Those who cannot manifest it cannot face a first-rate master, no matter how many of them there are. That is why in the martial world, one is only called a master when their martial achievement reaches the first-rate."

Before Sword Qi, even iron turned to tofu; a human body made of flesh and blood had no way to withstand it. That was why, before a first-rate master, those who had not reached that level were no different from bundles of straw.

"No matter what you believe in, you cannot face Sword Qi with your bare hands!"

O-gwi unleashed a flurry of sword strikes. Each time, Seong-jin stepped through his footwork to dodge the afterimages of the Sword Qi, but he could not help but be pushed back helplessly.

"Retreat, Master! You must not face Sword Qi with your bare hands!"

Even if he tried to aim for the side of the blade to avoid the edge, it was the same. That energy rising like a haze was just as sharp as the blade itself; trying to grab it was like reaching into a jar full of blades with bare hands.

"Kuh, if only I had the spear of the Shin Clan...!"

Shin Suran had reached the level of a Sword Qi merchant, fitting for a rising star who had intended to attend the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but as a spear user, she could only release her energy through the spear she was accustomed to. She could handle ordinary third-rate Hao-mun members with her bare hands, but she could not face a first-rate master like herself without her spear.

"Step back, Young Master Joo! You've caught the demon; the rest can be planned for another day!"

"That's right! You've revealed his atrocities to the world, now is the time to look after your own safety!"

As even So-hyang and Mr. Bang tried to stop him, Seong-jin, who had been continuously pushed back, felt his back hit the wall.

"Die! I will not let a single one of you who knows of my transformation spell leave alive!"

Even with the overwhelming advantage of Sword Qi, O-gwi did not rashly aim for vital points but instead cut off Seong-jin’s retreat, driving him into a corner. The fact that he didn't let his guard down until the end and unleashed sword strikes that left no room for counterattack proved that, regardless of his character, his skill was truly first-rate.

"You won't let me leave alive? Then I have no choice."

The moment Seong-jin stopped moving and took a breath, a silence fell as if time itself had frozen. In a single breath, the natural energy of the entire area was sucked into one person. The flow of energy surged, and the flow of the atmosphere was thrown into disarray, swayed by it. With one inhalation, the world was drawn in; with one exhalation, the world was expelled.

It was as if one were facing not a person, but a dense forest of trees. While everyone was captivated by the sensation of facing the great nature, Seong-jin, having taken the starting posture of a fist technique, beckoned to O-gwi with his hand.

"Come."

Fist energy, like a haze, was already rising from his hand.

"Fist Qi!"

"Young Master Joo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a first-rate master?"

Even as everyone was shocked, O-gwi, who was facing Seong-jin, calmly assessed the outcome.

'No matter how great a talent he is, he cannot have achieved the same level of internal energy as me at such a young age.'

Internal energy cultivation was a study of time. No matter how great a genius one was, in terms of the total amount of internal energy, they could not surpass practitioners who had trained for many years. It was only natural. Even if one created the most efficient ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠internal energy cultivation method, there was a limit to the energy existing in nature itself. Nature always circulated, so even in a dragon vein, energy did not accumulate infinitely in one place. Therefore, even a rising star of an orthodox sect who had trained in a famous sacred mountain could not surpass him, a veteran master, in the amount of internal energy.

"Good, take this!"

O-gwi pushed the internal energy he had pulled up from his Dantian into his sword and thrust it toward Seong-jin. If Seong-jin tried to block it, he would suffer from the difference in internal energy. If he dodged, all he had to do was swing it in the same thrusting posture. Unlike a normal blade, Sword Qi cut through the target without needing force, so simply touching it was an attack.

Whether he knew O-gwi’s intentions or not, Seong-jin reached out his hand and took the stance to receive the sword.

"Arrogant fool! Do you think you can catch my sword, you brat?"

And so, the moment the tip of the sword touched Seong-jin’s right hand.

"Uh...?"

The Sword Qi, infused generously with O-gwi’s internal energy, was caught in the grip of Seong-jin’s hand, which was wrapped in Fist Qi.

"How?"

For O-gwi, it was an inexplicable event. It was only natural, for he had no way of knowing that Seong-jin, who had grown up on Mount Bongnae—where thousand-year-old snow ginseng grew in a year and ten-thousand-year-old wild ginseng in ten, and where even ordinary animals became spiritual beings—had already attained the body and internal energy of an Immortal.

Following this, Seong-jin’s left palm, which had been waiting, approached O-gwi’s exposed chest.

Tu-ung!

With a sound like a drum being struck, O-gwi was sent flying, smashing through roof tiles and embedding himself into the roof of the pavilion.

"Kuh-luck!"

He vomited a basin-full of blood. O-gwi, whose internal organs had been turned to mush by Seong-jin’s palm technique, felt his Dantian collapsing and his internal energy scattering.

"Y-you, that martial art...!"

O-gwi’s voice was filled with astonishment.

"How can someone who isn't a beggar use the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms!"

The Beggar Sect, like the Hao-mun, collected information from all over the world, but they did not hide their identity. Unlike the Hao-mun, the Beggar Sect, which possessed absolute, legendary martial arts, acted proudly as beggars everywhere, never hiding themselves and criticizing the martial world. For the Hao-mun, who had to operate in the shadows—hiding their faces, hiding their names, and hiding their martial arts, except for a few personnel engaged in external activities—that was a target of jealousy.

"Even if I die here, the Hao-mun will not let you go. If it is revealed that someone who isn't a beggar has stolen and learned the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, you won't be safe either."

"Is that a threat?"

"Keuh-heuh-heuh, threats are for when there’s something to gain. This is a death sentence."

If this fact were revealed, Seong-jin would be hunted by two groups: the Hao-mun and the Beggar Sect. It was clear what would happen to a person hunted by two powers known for their information-gathering capabilities in the world. A net of heaven and earth.

"You will regret that you should have just died by my sword...!"

Even in the moment he sensed his death, O-gwi’s eyes were flashing with revenge. Seong-jin corrected O-gwi’s misunderstanding.

"It is not the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms."

"What...?"

"It is the Twenty-Eight Dragon Subduing Palms."

Lee Cheol-goi, who had achieved transcendence, had added the knowledge of the Immortals to the martial arts he had created during his human days, turning them into the martial arts of an Immortal. Thus, the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms had ten more forms added to become the Twenty-Eight Dragon Subduing Palms, and Seong-jin was the only one under the heavens who had inherited all twenty-eight forms.

"Twenty-Eight Dragon Subduing Palms...?"

"Who taught you the method of creating rat demons?"

"Heuh-heuh, I’m a dead man anyway, so neither torture nor threats will work. Do you think I’d tell you that?"

"I don't do torture. I didn't expect you to know anything in the first place."

Seong-jin replied and walked past O-gwi toward the field rat. Seeing that he didn't even think to hide the existence of his spell, O-gwi was nothing more than a low-level lackey who didn't even know the Bongsin Covenant. The culprit who had taught him the method of creating demons would not have left any traces of himself.

Catching demons was his task alone, so he could not, and must not, borrow the power of others. Watching Seong-jin’s back, O-gwi spoke as if he were dumbfounded.

"Are you going to let me live?"

"I am a demon hunter, so I have no interest in human affairs."

"Ha-hat, you stupid fool! No matter how great a talent you are, you won't have a long life if you act like that!"

O-gwi was unsure if he was really going to let him live, but as he saw Seong-jin not even paying attention to him, he gradually began to look excited. Perhaps he could live. Even if his Dantian was shattered, he had plenty of money hidden here and there ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠while living as a Hao-mun branch leader. With that money, it wouldn't be impossible to live in luxury elsewhere.

Just as O-gwi was looking for an opportunity to escape.

"The Luju is here!"

While Seong-jin was fighting O-gwi, Mr. Bang, who had gone to find the Luju, found Luju Ok Seol-hyang in the branch's underground prison. Found with all her fingernails pulled out, anyone could see that she had suffered harsh torture.

Seong-jin turned to the enraged crowd and said to O-gwi:

"So, I will leave the rest to human hands."

The affairs of demons to the demon hunter. The affairs of humans to humans.

What happened to O-gwi, surrounded by the enraged crowd, could not be found out even by the Hao-mun’s investigation.