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**

I caught a beast.

I skinned it. While I could exchange it for basic necessities when I went down to the village, there was another reason too.

I looked up at the neatly stacked hides. It seemed like a lot to manage, but…

Now, I had the heat controlling and cold controlling abilities at my disposal.

With those two, I could manage the hides without any impurities.

The pile collected quite nicely in the makeshift hut I built. And in the same breath, the number of beings I’d killed had now exceeded a hundred.

The Sado Clan were tenacious. At the same time, there were many who valued their honor above their lives.

Those who called me Mu Pungsura without even knowing their own level rushed at me.

They brandished their swords right off the bat, so I split them in half. Their companions would inevitably return only with corpses in hand, horrified.

The fortunate part was that the number of challengers had been gradually decreasing.

Their levels were increasing day by day. However, that didn’t mean I could find a worthy adversary.

There was a master who came seeking revenge for his disciple, Hwa-gyeong, but…

He was ultimately just a freak trying to recruit me under the pretense of avenging his disciple.

When I split him in half, he vanished into nature without a word.

Three months.

In that time, I refined my powers.

I learned how to wield my overflowing strength. Now, I’ve even mastered the art of completely hiding like an ordinary person with nothing.

Not a single ounce of energy would leak out.

At the same time, I heard rumors that civilian conscription by the Sado Clan had decreased. It wasn’t just because of me; those inspired by me were popping up all across the Sado Clan.

Some began to rise, saying that the current situation was strange, and even as warriors of the Sapa, there was a limit, raising their swords. They spoke fervently about not abandoning their pride as warriors, even while uttering the name Mu Pungsura.

Perhaps there are righteous beings among the Sapa. I wasn’t particularly impressed by their movements.

I only realized that my time to act was drawing near.

At the same time, I managed to catch wind of Sua’s whereabouts.

The money taken from the slain warriors. Using that made me feel a bit uneasy, but the urgency of the situation took precedence.

I gathered everything and took it to a nearby information organization. In exchange, I was fortunate enough to find out that a group of female warriors had crossed into Shin-gang.

Crossing into Shin-gang must mean they safely reached the Demon Cult side.

And it was as if this news urged me to end my seclusion…

A man came to visit.

“…Mu Pungsura. I am Song Nam-cheon. I am the General of the Sado Clan.”

A familiar face.

The one who had crossed swords with me at that fortress.

“Help me.”

Naturally, I intended to refuse. There was no need to cross swords again now, and there was no reason for me to help him.

But then the man spoke of familiar matters.

“The true Master of the Sado Clan and the First Sword of the Sapa are being hunted.”

The First Sword of the Sapa, Heuk Dae-wun.

I recalled my brief connection with him. As I adjusted my grip on the sword, I glanced back.

Now, I could perfectly see two figures drifting in the air like ghosts.

Bai Ya and Black Pearl.

I asked them.

What do you think I should do?

They responded.

Shouldn’t you go to collect the remaining payment?

“…Ah.”

“Excuse me?”

The remaining payment.

That’s right.

The sword of Sua. I had agreed to receive it from him. Didn’t I exchange it for a spirit’s spirit bead?

So… I should go retrieve it.

I had committed a wrong. As a father, I disappeared without a word.

It would make an appropriate gift for our reunion. So, let’s go.

I had something to collect from the First Sword of the Sapa.

“Where is it?”

“…….? Wait a moment. This voice… it seems familiar…”

“We’re not close enough to reminisce about the old days.”

“……!”

Song Nam-cheon staggered back. He trembled, as if he’d seen something unbelievable.

“I-I’m sure you were dead…!”

“Long time no see, Song Nam-cheon.”

I removed my mask. I no longer needed to act as Mu Pungsura.

Instead, I wore a hat I had woven myself.

“Guide me to the First Sword of the Sapa.”

“…A-Are you really an immortal…?”

“This isn’t the time to be asking such things.”

I sighed at the ghost-like look in his eyes.

“Rather than being surprised that the dead have returned, shouldn’t we focus on the current situation where I must ask for help from an enemy?”

“…….”

“The fact that the true Master of the Sado Clan is being hunted means…there’s a false Master of the Sado Clan as well. Explain that first.”

“Are you… really going to help me? An enemy?”

“I’m not helping you.”

I thought of Heuk Dae-wun.

The man who had seemed so heavy.

“I’m helping the one who will collect the payment.”

…

Song Nam-cheon, the former General of the Sado Clan, explained his circumstances to me.

There were many lengthy explanations, but the answer was singular. He had escaped before dying.

“…I don’t know the true identity of the current Master of the Sado Clan exactly. But I’m certain it’s not her.”

Song Nam-cheon wiped his face.

“The true Master is currently on the run. The important thing is… she has been branded as a fake.”

“The Master of the Sado Clan doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who can be easily captured.”

“They say her condition is strange. Like she’s been poisoned. But… it is indeed her. Recognizing the lord is only natural for a subordinate! The current Master of the Sado Clan is definitely a fake!”

“Poisoned?”

Poison.

Suddenly, I thought of her.

Yeong-wol. She was the woman who had even poisoned the Heavenly Demon at the Demon Cult.

If she had poisoned the Master of the Sado Clan, it wouldn’t be entirely off the mark. A warrior who could even poison the Heavenly Demon wouldn’t have trouble poisoning the Master of the Sado Clan.

Then the current Master of the Sado Clan must…

Be related to Yeong-wol, or perhaps she herself is Yeong-wol.

“…….”

It’s tied to an unfinished mission. If I save the true Master of the Sado Clan, uncovering her identity might become much easier.

I felt sorry for Sua, but it seemed better to complete everything before returning. It was something I needed to do to collect the remaining payment.

“So? Where is she?”

“…The ones being hunted right now are… surrounded by the current Master of the Sado Clan under the heavenly net.”

“Heavenly net?”

That’s a familiar term. It’s the most infamous tactic of the Sapa.

No matter who the opponent is, they relentlessly pursue to exhaust them with sheer numbers. They aim to wear down their prey until they can completely devour them.

It’s guerrilla warfare. It wouldn’t be too far off to view it that way. But the important thing is that every single member in this heavenly net is undoubtedly a master.

It’s a hunt for the true Master of the Sado Clan. Even if the fake is poisoned, they would surely do their best because they know the true one’s prowess.

“…Mu Pungsura. The reason the Sado Clan hasn’t reacted to your turmoil is that everyone is chasing after the criminal self-proclaiming as the Master of the Sado Clan. It is safe to say that the top masters of the academy have all left for that place. Even if she’s in poor condition, she’s still the Master… she’s still managing to escape the pursuit.”

“But there must be limits.”

“That’s correct. The heavenly net surrounds them to a point they cannot escape before slowly tightening their grip. The pursuers are getting closer and closer. Apparently, they’re now unable to hide their traces.”

“…….”

To face the heavenly net filled with the top masters of the Sado Clan head-on.

It was a path I wouldn’t have dared to consider before. But now, I am different.

“Of course, I’ll join as well! I’ll surely be of help! So…!”

“Guide me.”

I stood up. After tidying up the house, I quickly swept my eyes over the stacked hides.

The quantity was enough to pile up high on one side of the warehouse. There was a reason I gathered this much.

“There are people named Yuk Nam-pyeong and Yuk Hae-won nearby.”

“What?”

“Send someone to inform them of our location. Tell them they can use the hides as they please.”

This would completely settle the debt of gratitude.

I tightened my black straw hat. With it pulled down deeply, I moved forward.

“Let’s go. To those who are being hunted.”

…

The first squad of the pursuers discovered extinguished firewood and dried blood nearby.

They’re close. The fake is nearby.

“Commander. What should we…”

“Don’t let your guard down. Keep moving forward.”

Even if the enemy is a fake, at least they have some skill.

Those who rushed in cluelessly all ended up slaughtered. Even the peak master of the clan was cut down.

At least they are capable. It’s appropriate to press them relentlessly but without haste.

The commander persistently tracked the traces. They discovered two men and women sitting on a rock and issued orders.

The masters rushed out immediately. Of course, they were cut down in an instant. But one managed to bury a sword in the enemy’s shoulder.

Another escape. But it’s fine. There are plenty of pawns to use.

What the commander desired was, after all, to take their heads in the end.

Until then, they just needed to keep chipping away at the enemy. We’ll force them into a corner rather than risking our own capable warriors.

As time passed, the pursuit teams took turns to keep the enemies endlessly pressured, leaving them no chance to rest.

The dried bloodstains increased. They seemed to be using some strange power that might momentarily recover from injuries, but it was evident they had clear limits.

The situations of rushing and pushing them back repeated. The more that happened, the more they seemed to struggle.

It felt like watching a beast slowly sink into a swamp. The commander, who had long been waiting for the decisive moment, drew his sword.

—Crash!!!

The blade of Yi-hyeong Ki buried itself into the enemy’s body. The fake Master of the Sado Clan coughed and ground his teeth.

“You bastard… Commander…! I am the real one…!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. The Master I know isn’t weak. With the real one right here, why would I listen to a fake?”

The commander suppressed the injured man who lunged at him. Pressing him down into the ground, he whispered.

“To be honest, it doesn’t matter to me whether you’re a fake or a real one. Whoever brings you in will be granted high favor from the current Master.”

“You bastard…!”

“So just give in. But you’re not. You’re the fake First Sword of the Sapa. You look just like him. If he’s a fake, then it stands to reason you must also be one. It’s merely killing a fake, which makes it somewhat less interesting…”

The commander raised his sword high.

“This is gonna be a flavor of its own. Watching someone with the same face flounder under me. I’ve been looking forward to distorting that rigid face. So perish, First Sword of the Sapa.”

He swung down.

With all his might.

—Crash!!!

The wave of energy erupted, causing the surroundings to ripple. The mountains and trees howled, and everything nearby trembled in fear.

But somehow…

The body beneath him remained unharmed.

The commander flinched. The sword he had swung down was unable to progress further due to something blocking it.

His full-force strike, the tip of the sword still enveloped in the blue energy, was nonetheless…

Blocked merely by a foot.

“Draw back your sword.”

A man appeared before my eyes.

With a mere foot, he had blocked Yi-hyeong Ki, speaking in an emotionless tone.

“Right now.”

 

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