“...Captain Ham Jangsik of the Gaebang is involved in this?”

“Yes.”

“Given Heavenly Commissioner’s disposition, it’s certain he’ll hold Ham Jangsik responsible. That will not end peacefully, and conflict with the Gaebang is highly likely. But the Sacred Cliffs Union didn’t intervene in this matter—only Heavenly Commissioner personally. If things proceed this way, the Gaebang’s grudge will be against Heavenly Commissioner alone. Is that correct?”

“Precisely.”

Baek Mujin of the Ihwageom Cheonjong was a well-known figure.

There was no way the Gaebang didn’t know he had entered Sacred Cliffs.

And not just Baek Mujin—four Harmonization-tier warriors specially dispatched from the Ihwageom Cheonjong had also arrived.

If they didn’t know this, it would be a much bigger problem. And further, if the Gaebang were somehow unaware that Sacred Cliffs Union members were conspiring with Baek Mujin to eliminate Unhwi...

That would be completely absurd.

The Gaebang’s eyes were everywhere.

Especially here in Sacred Cliffs—the Gaebang branch was enormous.

“...So you drew a line between me and the Sacred Cliffs Union.”

“In the worst-case scenario, the Sacred Cliffs Union could be erased. As I promised, I intend to protect your faction’s authority. And you know full well—that authority only holds while you're alive. Once you're dead, your influence fades, and someone else will claim it.”

“...”

“They say a man’s word is worth its weight in gold. I keep my promises. If that answers your question, then be on your way.”

Pung Muhwi shook his head.

In this moment, he was certain.

Seol Unhwi—

This was a man worth following.

His very nature was on a completely different level from Pung Muhwi’s.

Drawing his sheathed sword, Pung Muhwi laid it on the ground.

Unhwi looked at him with a puzzled expression just as the man knelt.

“What does this mean?”

“It is exactly what you think.”

Pung Muhwi raised his head and looked up at Unhwi.

“I’ll keep it short. I wish to remain by your side.”

“By mine?”

“I want to become your blade.”

Unhwi slowly stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

“I hold you in high regard.”

“...”

“More than anything, I believe you’re capable of making such a decision without being swept up in fleeting emotions.”

“I’m not acting on impulse.”

“Are you certain?”

“I’ve received your grace more times than I can count. More than that—you handed me the Wind God's Scripture as a guiding theme. Because of that, I experienced a profound awakening. Though I didn’t ascend to the Heaven-Person Scripture stage, I caught a clear glimpse of the path. As a martial artist, it’s only right to repay that kind of debt, is it not?”

There was no denying that.

“As a martial artist, I may currently be above you in cultivation. But I would never claim my measure as a man is equal to yours. Even in this very moment, you overwhelm me—both as a martial artist and as a human being. That’s why... I believe this is the best way for me to repay you.”

Unhwi thought for a moment, then quietly replied.

“It seems you’re resolute.”

“Yes. I am.”

Nodding, Unhwi handed the pipe of High-Grade Divine Ginseng Leaf to Pung Muhwi.

As if he’d been waiting, Pung Muhwi took the pipe and inhaled deeply.

The wounds he’d sustained during the battle with Nokwang still pulsed with pain, but as he smoked the Ginseng Leaf, the pain turned soothing—almost refreshing.

“They say modesty is a virtue. But sadly, excessive humility can be deceit.”

Pung Muhwi listened intently to Unhwi’s words, puffing steadily on the pipe.

“You were right—I’m exceptional. I’m well aware of my own worth. But the path I walk is a blood-soaked one. People around me may die along the way. # Nоvеlight # You could be one of them.”

“To die as a martial artist—that would be an honorable death, wouldn’t it?”

“An honorable death, yes. But no one actually wants to die young.”

“That’s true.”

“I’m telling you I’m only going to become more dangerous from here on.”

“...”

“Can you handle that?”

A smile slowly appeared on Pung Muhwi’s lips.

“Of course, Daein.”

Unhwi rose to his feet.

“Pung Muhwi, as of today—you are one of mine.”

Still kneeling, Pung Muhwi offered a formal clasped-fist bow.

“Thank you!”

“Then your first order: Hyangdan and Cheolseondang of the Sacred Cliffs Union have betrayed me. You are to annihilate both factions and absorb them into Punggeomgak. Can you do this?”

“Of course, Daein.”

“You have one month. Absorb them completely within that time...”

Unhwi paused, then spoke slowly.

“And prepare to enter Cheonryongjeon.”

“There are martial artists from Cheolseondang and Hyangdan within Cheonrakbu. What shall be done about them?”

“They crossed death’s threshold with us. It seems this conspiracy was carried out without their knowledge. Blaming them wouldn’t be just. So proceed with their survival in mind—but all judgment is yours to make. I’ll take responsibility.”

“Understood.”

Unhwi handed over ten High-Grade Ginseng Leaf Pipes and ten Divine Ginseng Pills from his robe, then walked away with Commander Seong.

There was still something left to do.

Among today’s spilled blood—

There needed to be beggar’s blood as well.

***

Unhwi’s proposal to Ham Jangsik had been genuinely tempting.

To rise above the Sacred Cliffs and take a seat that controlled all information in the Cheonimeng?

It was above all else a realistic offer.

No need to look far—just look at the scale of Sacred Cliffs. It was the largest, most resource-rich territory within the Cheonimeng, perfectly positioned. To rule it was to claim the very heart of the alliance.

There was a reason Heaven-Earth Apex-tier warriors had gathered here.

Unhwi’s domination of this place—and the fact that he had made the Sacred Cliffs Union kneel beneath him as Heavenly Commissioner—was an undeniable achievement.

Not something just anyone could accomplish. Within Cheonimeng, Unhwi’s status would soar.

No—had already soared.

Because of that, Maewidong, the acting Lord of Cheonimeng, would treat Unhwi with great importance. He would undoubtedly accept Unhwi’s proposal.

This wasn’t a dream—it was realpolitik.

And the very night that Ham Jangsik accepted Unhwi’s terms—

He received a visit from a man.

Baek Mujin of the Ihwageom Cheonjong.

Anyone who had a grasp of the situation would try to secure the information network early.

Baek Mujin was no different.

The difference was that Baek Mujin had been ordered—while Unhwi had made his own judgment and acted.

That was the real distinction.

Suddenly presented with two choices, Ham Jangsik ended up in a deep conversation with Baek Mujin—and began thinking like a Gaebang beggar, always looking for the best branch to grab onto.

The core question was this:

Could Baek Mujin give him what Unhwi had promised?

Unfortunately, Baek Mujin didn’t have the authority to say yes on the spot.

So he sent a Top-Grade Carrier Hawk to Jang Icheong.

Before the drinking ended, a reply arrived.

The Wondrous Sword Emperor, Jang Icheong, pledged his own name—he would take personal responsibility for Ham Jangsik and elevate him from the Fifth Ring to the Sixth Ring.

And right then, Ham Jangsik made his choice.

He would turn his back on Unhwi.

He looked up at the sky.

By now, the results were likely in.

From what he’d heard, Unhwi wasn’t going to be killed—just turned into a puppet.

A little ambiguous.

If the Gaebang had sent a few men to provide muscle, he might have been able to demand even more—but Baek Mujin had outright refused that.

Which meant one thing: confidence.

And that meant it would succeed.

Before long, a Second Ring member came running up like mad.

“D-Director!”

“Yes, speak. What’s the result—?”

“It failed!”

His mind blanked.

“...What... what did you say?”

“Baek Mujin failed. And... right now, Seol Unhwi and Seong Yangho are killing every beggar near Sacred Cliffs!”

He was speechless.

That bastard—

He really planned to go to war with the Gaebang?

“Fetch the Tagubong—no. Wait.”

A moment of clarity.

“...Tell all beggars. Withdraw.”

“Withdraw... sir?”

“Withdraw. Even if we try to retaliate, Seong Yangho is a Mythic-tier monster, and Seol Unhwi... at this point, cultivation ranks are meaningless. If Baek Mujin failed... that means Cheonrakbu and Pung Muhwi might already be on the move. Tell them to run.”

“...Understood.”

As the Second Ring member sprinted out, Ham Jangsik slowly sat back down.

***

The road to the Gaebang’s Sacred Cliffs Branch was soaked in blood.

Unhwi wasn’t a fool.

He’d never had much affection for the beggars of the Gaebang—but he’d respected them to a degree.

Even parasites, if they survived in the martial world, had skills.

But that was only true when they weren’t directly involved.

He had made a deal with Ham Jangsik. From that day forward, every beggar in Sacred Cliffs had become part of Unhwi’s operation.

And then—they’d stabbed him in the back.

There was no world in which Unhwi would let that slide.

He would punish. He would retaliate.

This was the martial world.

Here, staying silent after being betrayed was the same as painting a target on your own back.

And the martial world would never leave such a man alone. They would exploit him until he was bled dry—even in death.

To break that vicious cycle—

To prevent even a hint of being underestimated—

This was necessary.

Unhwi’s sword sliced across a First Ring beggar’s neck.

Slice—!

The head fell.

He continued walking.

Everywhere Unhwi passed, corpses of beggars lay strewn.

Messengers. Runners. Beggars who begged for their lives.

Unhwi didn’t spare a single one.

“H-Heavenly Commissioner...! I don’t know anyth—”

Slice.

Commander Seong’s dagger flashed from behind and took off the man’s head.

With that, the final beggar’s head hit the ground.

“All clear, young master.”

Commander Seong had killed even more than Unhwi.

If Unhwi killed ten—Commander Seong had killed at least fifty.

And that wasn’t all.

On the way here, over two hundred beggars had been slaughtered.

Barely half a sijin had passed since the massacre at Cheonryongjeon—yet here was another.

Few would view Seol Unhwi and Commander Seong favorably after this—but it didn’t matter.

He wasn’t concerned.

Respect was born of fear.

Unhwi would rule Sacred Cliffs through terror—and from that terror, respect would bloom.

He slowly slid his blood-stained sword into its scabbard and stepped before the door to the Branch Director’s Office of the Gaebang’s Sacred Cliffs Division.

Right on cue, Commander Seong kicked the door in.