Unwi nodded.

“...Doesn’t seem like you’re trying to exploit me using the palace as a shield, and you’re not the type to play around either... But if that promise isn’t upheld, I honestly don’t know what I’ll do.”

“You don’t know what you’ll do...? You really are a dumb bastard.”

“...What? This fucker, you’ve been yapping since earlier—”

“They say a gentleman does not argue with the ignorant when walking the path of the Dao.”

At Unwi’s cold words, Sim Munryong fell silent.

“But you’re not only ignorant of the Dao right now—you’re too stupid to even grasp the situation.”

“You little—”

“You say you want to find Mount Hua’s path, yet you don’t even understand your own position? Trying to pressure me with mere Spirit Ascension stage cultivation?”

Unwi’s gaze turned sharp.

“If I truly intended to kill you right now, you’d die right here. That’s reality.”

Sim Munryong’s expression changed. He instinctively understood that Unwi’s words were not a bluff.

It made no sense—but his instincts as a martial artist screamed it at him.

This illegitimate child, still in Three Flowers Gathering Purity, was exuding confidence that completely overwhelmed even a Spirit Ascension realm master in terms of raw presence.

It wasn’t some empty delusion.

It was instinct—nothing else could explain it.

“They say a gentleman knows himself and understands others. By that measure, you’re still just a petty man. If your master were the Head of Mount Hua, he would be ashamed of you as you are now.”

“...”

“And of course, if someone like you rebuilt Mount Hua, he’d be ashamed of that too. You who know nothing of respect, who lack even basic courtesy, and who don’t understand the very Dao of the Gentleman that made Mount Hua draw the sword in the first place—who are you raising your voice in front of?”

Sim Munryong flinched.

Call it aura. Or spirit.

This bastard... what the hell was he?

“Sim Munryong.”

“...Say it.”

“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”

“...How the hell would I know that?”

“I’m regretting my decision. Just a little.”

“....”

“If I end up any more disappointed in you—and decide I have no use for you anymore—know this. Merely hearing my name will make you tremble in fear.”

Unwi quietly turned and began walking.

His physique had grown slightly larger after undergoing his transformation.

Where once he had stood at six cheok, he now measured six cheok and two chon.

Sim Munryong stood at six cheok and three chon, a little taller—but for some reason, here and now, he seemed like the smaller one.

“This is your first and last warning.”

“...From you? You’re warning me?”

“Yes. Me, warning you.”

“....”

“I brought you along because I needed you. So just this once—I’ll overlook your disrespect. But.”

Unwi reached out and grabbed Sim Munryong by the collar. Sim blinked at the absurdity of it.

“You don’t even understand who’s holding the leash—and who’s giving the chance. It’s painful to witness that kind of ignorance. If you’ve got a brain, use it. I don’t know when your desire to restore Mount Hua became so twisted by your own petty emotions—but if I’m disappointed again, I’ll erase the name Mount Hua from this world with my own hands. Do you understand?”

“...Damn... This bastard. You’re worse than me.”

Releasing Sim’s collar, Unwi spoke again.

“I’ll start counting to a hundred. By then, bring me the bodies of the three Snow Mountain Black Bears responsible for this scene.”

Sim Munryong was dumbfounded.

He hadn’t known before seeing him in person, but this was the infamous Seol Unwi?

One of the most overlooked bloodlines in the Snow Mountain—but to think he was this formidable.

He still couldn’t grasp it. How had this guy casually dispersed the aura of a Spirit Ascension master?

And how had he taken a step forward under that weight?

If Sim Munryong were in his shoes, he might have pissed himself right then and there.

All of that aura had been concentrated on Unwi.

Yet even the tiny residual pressure—a single grain’s worth—was enough to drop Wonyang, a Five Dragon Blooming Star cultivator, to her knees. The coachman had fainted outright.

Unwi was incomprehensible.

Still—

“How do you know there are three bears?”

“The footprints are different sizes.”

“...”

“Since you’ve reached the Spirit Ascension stage, you should at least have the perception to notice that. Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”

“...You’re seriously a monster.”

“Call it what you want. Either way—we’re at twenty-two.”

Sim Munryong smirked.

Then, pointing at Unwi with his index finger, he said,

“You know... If you hadn’t said that stuff about Mount Hua’s spirit earlier, I’d have turned back to the central plains already.”

“Twenty-nine.”

“I’ve never thought about serving anyone. I doubt I ever will. But those words—man, they hit hard.”

“Thirty-five.”

“...I like you. Now I understand why that freak who attained the Peerless Heaven Manifestation was so desperate to take you as his disciple. You’ve got something. Really.”

“Forty-four.”

Sim raised his hand.

“Okay, okay, you twisted freak. That’s enough. I don’t need to go that far.”

The aura Sim Munryong had released earlier swept across the area.

That was more than enough.

Why had Unwi recommended him?

Why someone like Sim Munryong, who was currently just in the Spirit Ascension realm?

That reason was about to become clear.

Sim closed his eyes.

At that moment, the two swords at his waist unsheathed themselves and flew across the snowy landscape toward the opposite mountain.

A heartbeat later—

An ear-splitting roar, followed by the sound of earth shattering.

When Sim extended his hand, two bear corpses, their skulls pierced, rose into the air, impaled by the swords.

Sim Munryong.

His specialty was lightning-fast swordplay and swordsmanship that had reached a refined level.

Though currently in Spirit Ascension, he was just half a step from the Mythic Realm.

His talent could easily place him among the Five Martial Saints.

In his past life, Unwi had cut off Sim Munryong’s head himself—when the latter had already reached Peach Blossom Spirit Completion.

Unwi spoke.

“You said there were three.”

Sim Munryong snorted.

“I don’t kill cubs.”

Judging by the tracks, there had indeed been three bears.

One of them, though, was a cub—barely a year old at most.

And Sim had spared that one.

What crime could a child have committed?

“I told you—I don’t kill kids. And from the perspective of the gentleman’s Dao you were talking about, isn’t it right to spare the cub?”

Unwi silently gazed at him.

It was a difference in values.

Mount Hua in its prime had been a gathering of gentlemen. From that view, the cub was blameless.

But.

As Unwi had already said—he did not follow Mount Hua’s teachings, nor did he revere them.

Mount Hua had its path. And Unwi had his own.

“Wonyang.”

“...Yes.”

“Go and kill the cub.”

Unlike someone else, Wonyang showed no hesitation.

“Yes, my lord.”

She turned to dash off—then paused in place. She had to.

“That’s your way?”

It was Sim Munryong.

“Yeah, yeah—I get it. Disrespect, insolence, I’ve lived that way, talked that way, never shown proper regard. But still—this is wrong.”

He was serious.

“You spout off about the gentleman’s path—and now you want to kill an innocent cub? What crime has it committed?”

“Does it matter what crime?”

“...What?”

“Where do you think we are?”

“...The Snow Mountains.”

“Exactly. This is the Snow Mountains. And in the territory of the Snow Mountains, residents of the Snow Mountains were killed.”

“They were. But you—you who’re so quick on the uptake—don’t tell me you don’t realize what those bastards were doing?”

“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.”

“‘Maybe’? Don’t pretend. You know what Black Heaven Pills are, don’t you? Forbidden drugs. Eaten by those training in blood qi.”

Surprisingly, Sim Munryong was well-informed.

“To gather that many of them... They probably betrayed the Snow Mountains. And revenge against those bastards—”

“We don’t know what they did yet. Nothing’s been confirmed.”

“...You’re trying to cover the sky with your palm.”

“Why cover it at all? As I said—we don’t know for sure what they did. Maybe it was a few individuals acting out. Maybe the Yang Family changed their allegiance. The important part is this: This is the Snow Mountains. And people of the Snow Mountains were killed in their own land.”

“...”

“That part is beyond question. ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) No matter what crimes they may have committed—even if they secretly murdered hundreds or thousands—any incident in this territory falls under the responsibility of the Snow Palace.”

Sim Munryong had been serious. But now, so was Unwi.

“That’s the hierarchy. That’s responsibility. Judgment comes after that. Do you understand?”

“...You’re different.”

Unwi took it to mean he understood.

“Wonyang.”

“Yes.”

“Go and kill it.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Wonyang dashed off.

“And Sim Munryong.”

“...What now?”

“Is your tone always this awful? Can’t fix it?”

“Probably not.”

Unwi’s eyes started to cool again—until Sim Munryong, offering a rare concession, said,

“But—I admit you’re not like the rest. I can offer you a bit of respect.”

Unwi watched him a moment, then casually tossed his words.

“Load the two bear corpses onto the carriage.”

“...Me?”

“Would you rather I do it?”

“....”

“It’ll be good training for your swordsmanship. Actually, let me change that. Don’t load them—carry them yourself. All the way to Yangnyeong.”

“...All the way?”

Unwi nodded.

Goddamn. This bastard...

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Unwi turned silently and bent down, placing a hand on the coachman’s shoulder.

The man jerked awake, startled.

“Prepare to depart. We’re leaving immediately.”

“Y-yes, Lord Hyeon Seollin! Right away!”

Unwi was about to reenter the carriage when he turned his head. His gaze met Sim Munryong’s. The latter sighed deeply, then waved his hand toward the corpses.

Whoosh.

Massive flames erupted and consumed the bodies. Then, the two dead bears rose into the air.

“...I’m not following your orders. Just figured it’d help my training.”

With a faint smirk, Unwi stepped into the carriage—and before long, Wonyang returned. Her sword was stained with blood.

As she moved to board the carriage, Sim Munryong asked,

“Hey.”

“...Yes?”

“You were about to throw your sword at me earlier, weren’t you?”

“You know me well.”

“You think that would’ve hit me?”

“I don’t care. It would’ve shut your mouth.”

“....”

“That’s all that mattered.”

“What if you’d died?”

“Then I’d be dead.”

With that curt reply, Wonyang entered the carriage. Sim Munryong, staring at her in disbelief, muttered softly,

“...Not a single normal one among them.”