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**

Reverse Heaven.

There was no reason I couldn’t talk about it.

It seemed that the very reason they were being pursued was related to it.

I summarized the information I knew and laid it all out. Throughout my explanation, Master of Sado Clan Gu Ok-gyeong, who had been groaning, nodded her head.

“A crazy group that only desires war…? What could possibly be their reason?”

“I don’t know the reason either. However, I do know that they have infiltrated various places within the martial world. Yeong-wol must also be in league with them.”

“…That b*tch.”

With a thick curse, the Master of Sado Clan rose from her seat. But the next moment, she stumbled and fell.

She didn’t seem to be in a normal state. I caught a whiff of a terrible smell that brushed past my nose.

It wasn’t a smell from not washing.

It was the smell of poison.

“You’ve been poisoned.”

“That b*tch is responsible for this. Ugh. Damn it. Just when it seems to have lessened, it comes rushing back… I can’t get rid of it completely. What kind of filthy trick has she pulled?”

Coughing, she spat out blood. Poison.

I asked the Cheongeop that had settled back inside me. It had evolved into my very own Cheongeop, completely different from the Heavenly Demon’s version.

A strange existence that brought me back to life.

Surely, it could also remove the poison.

“…….”

We exchanged short words. Now fully possessing its own consciousness, Cheongeop—aka, Gumang—whispered to me.

That is my Cheongeop.

That is my Gumang.

An existence that is both separate and one explained clearly to me. It was possible to remove the poison, but enduring it would be another story entirely.

I realized what that single statement meant.

It wouldn’t be a matter to resolve overnight.

The poison could be removed. However, if the attempt was made to remove it all at once, Master of Sado would definitely die.

Not because of the poison itself. But because she wouldn’t be able to withstand the pain of the Cheongeop during the healing process.

It was a pain that she couldn’t endure unless it was me. It wasn’t just pride—it was reality.

But…

Wouldn’t it be possible to remove it gradually?

In response to my question, Gumang nodded positively. I immediately drew the Cheongeop into my hands.

A black, swirling crimson aura. Since coming back from the dead, it had become genuinely unified, and I displayed it to the Master of Sado.

Naturally, she was taken aback.

“What is that?!”

“I can detoxify you, Master of Sado. However, it will come with immense pain.”

“…What?”

Now, applying the Cheongeop had become second nature.

Healing others was also now within the realm of possibility.

Master of Sado inspected the Cheongeop resting in my palm with a skeptical gaze. The First Sword of Sapa, Heuk Dae-wun, shook his head.

“…That poison is something even my martial arts can’t completely cure. I could only slightly alleviate the symptoms. It’s no ordinary poison.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Can I take it on?”

Master of Sado took a cautious step back.

“…You’re not planning to put that creepy thing inside me, are you?”

“That’s correct.”

“How can I trust you?”

She was right to doubt.

Trust was lacking. But it was also true that there was no other option.

I needed her help. If the heart of Sado Clan was indeed Jin Baek-cheon, things would definitely become complicated.

Yeong-wol would likely try to obstruct me using military forces. That man, Jin Baek-cheon, might even come after me in battle.

The more variables there were, the better it would be to eliminate them. Having Master of Sado as an ally would mean a solid assurance.

…So.

Honestly, I put it out there.

“I need to kill Yeong-wol.”

“…….”

“And behind him, there’s probably the warrior Jin Baek-cheon. That man once pushed me to the brink of death. He may be in better shape than before, but I can’t be sure of victory either. I’m currently in a state where I don’t even know where I stand…”

I reached out my hand to Master of Sado.

“I propose a deal, Master of Sado. I will do my utmost to heal you and help you return to where you originally were. In return… I would appreciate your assistance in bringing down Yeong-wol and Jin Baek-cheon.”

“…Is there any other reason?”

“There is none. That’s all. I’m not hiding anything, nor do I have a reason to. I came here solely to kill those two.”

Schemes and plots.

Such things weren’t really my style.

If there’s an issue, let’s break through it head-on.

“If I intended to kill you, I wouldn’t have saved you in the first place. If I meant to manipulate you, I would have drawn my sword immediately. But since I am neither of those, I am here merely to help you. For my sake.”

“…The last part is the one I like the most. For your own sake.”

Master of Sado sighed and took my outstretched hand.

“Do it. Heal me. If you mess up, I’ll kill you somehow… But if what you say is true and you can heal me, I’ll mobilize everything I have to assist you. And, uh, I’d like to change a condition of our deal.”

“What condition…?”

“I don’t mind you taking their heads after you kill them, but…”

Master of Sado chuckled.

“That’s my job. So I won’t yield on that. Got it?”

Killing is her prerogative.

I didn’t argue with that. I thought she had every right to do so.

“Understood.”

The deal was struck.

I immediately began healing her.

“Ughhhhh!!!!”

Just as expected, Master of Sado couldn’t withstand even a little of the treatment and soon rolled her eyes back.

Heuk Dae-wun’s face lost its color. Song Nam-cheon was also watching me with cold sweat running down his back.

But I didn’t mind. The most crucial power control was being managed by Gumang.

Devouring and healing to the point where the opponent wouldn’t die.

Afterward, I would let her rest.

I kept moving the hideout. Later, I even started digging holes directly into the walls.

The pursuers continued to close in. I could’ve killed them all, but Master of Sado didn’t want that.

“They’re still my subordinates. Killing them would just be biting off my own flesh.”

Perhaps thinking of Master of Sado’s position when she returned, I didn’t add anything to her words.

I also didn’t want to get used to killing people.

Time flew quickly. The Master of Sado, rolling her eyes back and fainting, slowly began to withstand the ordeal.

This didn’t mean she’d gotten used to the pain. It meant her condition had improved compared to before.

I even performed additional treatments on the First Sword of Sapa. He was showing signs of mild poisoning as well and was in pain because of it.

During the next two treatment sessions, Song Nam-cheon asked me.

“…Are you some kind of god?”

His short question held a lot of weight. So, I answered briefly.

“I’m human.”

Yeah.

I was still human.

Looking at me, the fiery temper of Master of Sado gradually calmed down. She cursed less and would now casually reach out her hand towards me.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“When are you gonna stop being polite? I mean, I’m not your subordinate or anything. Aren’t you stronger than me?”

“We won’t know until swords are crossed, will we?”

“Overly humble is just as bad as being arrogant.”

“I won’t be dropping the formalities…”

“Why not?”

“Because we’re not that close.”

“…What? Are you really saying that now?”

Master of Sado had a strange competitive spirit.

“Let’s see how long you keep up the honorifics.”

“……?”

She was becoming more playful. The more her condition improved, the more it happened.

I had thought she was only a venomous, bad-tempered woman, but it seemed that wasn’t entirely the case. She was treating someone she had opened up to without any barriers.

“Why don’t you ditch the Demon Cult and come join Sado Clan instead? Be my personal physician. It’ll be good. I’ll pay you well.”

“That’s a bit much.”

“Got some honey smeared on you from the Demon Cult?”

As I got used to this light banter, it became quite enjoyable. Maybe it felt even lighter than Ju Ryeongryeong.

A tone not fitting for a leader of a group. Maybe that’s the charm of being the Master of Sado. There was a strangely fitting feeling to it.

Before long, we had completely shaken off the pursuers. The training I received under Ilma helped, as did the fact that we had been moving swiftly.

The enemies still believed we were inside the encirclement and were digging through the terrain, but we had long since slipped out.

Wearing the invisibility cloak that Song Nam-cheon had prepared, we continued moving during the night…

At last, we arrived at quite a distance from Sado Clan. There, we could rest not in a tent but inside a building for the first time in a while.

“…Ah.”

The four of us, looking shabby, immediately washed away the fatigue of our journey.

The happiest one was obviously Master of Sado Gu Ok-gyeong.

Once the grime and dirt covering her stunning beauty was peeled away, there stood a captivating beauty who drew even more attention, despite wearing the invisibility cloak.

Having used Song Nam-cheon’s money to buy ointment for her hair, it now had a new sheen.

The emaciated state she was in during her poisoning was now a thing of the past. As her stamina and body gradually recovered, it was as if her original self was returning.

Gradually, the recovery was nearing its end. I stroked Gumang.

Thanks to you. All of this.

“You, you know.”

In the early night, a voice came from behind me as I gazed up at the moon.

I knew who it was without turning around. I remained silent until she sat beside me.

She, Gu Ok-gyeong, did the same. Even though she had spoken to me, we both continued to look up at the moon without further conversation.

The words that should have come out were delayed for a while.

“What position did you hold in the Demon Cult?”

“I was in a place called Pursuit Spirit Pavilion.”

“What do they do?”

“Do you know the Heavenly Eight Martial Artists?”

“I… do?”

“The one in charge there, Ilma (一魔), is the Lord of the Pursuit Spirit Pavilion.”

I slipped in a little boast. Gu Ok-gyeong blinked.

Her reaction broke through after a moment of delay.

“Ilma!? The Ilma of the Heavenly Eight Martial Artists was your superior?! Is that true?!”

“Uh? Yes… it is.”

“Really?! Is it really true?!”

“Why are you asking…?”

“He’s my benefactor!”

Gu Ok-gyeong burst out with excitement.

“I was almost raped by that bastard, the Martial Alliance Leader! But it was that person who saved me. It’s known that I escaped on my own, but he was the one who rescued me, you know?!”

“…Huh?”

Ilma came to the martial world?

This was the first I was hearing of it, and I tilted my head in confusion. Gu Ok-gyeong frowned.

“I’m telling you it’s true! Of course, it was just a coincidence… but the important part is that I owe that man a debt. But… aside from owing him, I’ve never met anyone as cool as him.”

“Did Ilma himself reveal his identity?”

“Would he? Of course, I investigated thoroughly. Anyway, based on the circumstances, it has to be him. How much money did I spend? To be serving someone like that as a superior? How is it? What’s he like up close?”

At this unexpected connection, I casually dropped what I knew.

“He’s the best martial artist.”

“Just as I thought?!”

“He’s fair and affectionate…”

“Uh-huh! Uh-huh!”

“He doesn’t falter in his duties and handles everything with perfect precision.”

“A man who’s an example to all… Ah… I guess my assumptions were spot on.”

After that, Gu Ok-gyeong kept asking me various things. I answered as appropriately as possible while making sure no internal information slipped out.

It felt really nice to know that someone appreciates my beloved Master.

I even thought that Gu Ok-gyeong and I clicked pretty well.

…

“Heuk Dae-wun.”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever seen Lianju so excitedly chatting away like that?”

The First Sword of Sapa, Heuk Dae-wun, looked at Gu Ok-gyeong, who was enthusiastically chattering away in a corner.

It was a sight he never saw even when she was laughing with Yeong-wol. It was as if she was sharing an unsharable memory with someone.

Heuk Dae-wun shook his head.

“I’ve never seen it.”

“…They strangely fit well together, don’t they?”

Heuk Dae-wun nodded slightly. What he felt for his master was loyal devotion.

It wasn’t anything else.

Watching their lively exchanges felt like seeing a father giving away his daughter to marriage, making Heuk Dae-wun awkwardly clear his throat.

“We’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.”

“That is true.”

The former General, Song Nam-cheon, turned to him.

“What are your thoughts on handling the situation?”

“First, we need to rally the military. Just charging in with Sado Clan would be an act of suicide. We must solidify our justification, then unite forces to oust the phony. That’s the proper order, in my opinion.”

“Do we have followers to stand with us?”

“I have hidden forces in reserve. But they won’t be enough. We have to use the hidden forces to quietly unite the scattered factions. So discreetly that the enemy doesn’t catch on. Very quietly.”

“Is that… possible?”

“Fortunately, I’ve heard of an intelligence organization operating in the area.”

Song Nam-cheon hinted.

“There’s a branch of the Sapa, which was supposedly exterminated, around here. They’ve been active since two years ago. How about contacting them to gather forces?”

 

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