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The King of Green Forest, Kwak Cheon-geuk, gripped his sword tightly.

He was definitely holding it. But he couldn’t make a careless strike.

If his opponent was indeed the Master of Sado Clan, she was a formidable warrior who had reached Hyun-kyung.

Though he, Huaxing, believed he was looking to surpass that realm, her strength was extraordinary, and he couldn’t reach out easily.

…But.

It wasn’t as if he had no hope at all.

Kwak Cheon-geuk thought of the poison tucked away in his robe. Immediately after he heard the news that the Cheonra Net was being smashed, he had grabbed the Poison Scented Blood Water.

Regardless of how powerful a master was, if they were merely touched by it, they’d turn into a handful of blood water. He had witnessed its power once. Even the greatest masters of Huaxing would fall prey to this extreme poison. And the same should hold true for those at Hyun-kyung.

Just once.

If he could just apply it properly, it would cause a terrible reaction in her body. As a master at Hyun-kyung, she would certainly attempt to defend herself, but her balance would definitely crumble. Then what followed would be straightforward.

He could plunge his blade into the wound. Infusing it with the Yi-hyeong Ki and making it explode from the inside, no matter how formidable the Master of Sado Clan, she’d roll on the ground.

And that would be it.

All over.

The key was knowing when and how to use it.

Kwak Cheon-geuk watched for the right moment. Without wavering at the trembling fingers of the Master, he focused on the tip of her sword.

He couldn’t afford to miss. He would only get one chance.

“What are you doing? Are you planning to stand there all day?”

“……”

He remained unfazed by her provocation.

Feeling the flow of the celestial qi.

In a state of concentration he had never experienced in his life, Kwak Cheon-geuk finally moved his foot.

In a flash, the surrounding scenery rushed by. The Yi-hyeong Ki burned to its utmost limit.

A massive green aura surged forth to strike the enemy. And alongside it…

The Poison Scented Blood Water, pulled out like lightning from his robes, rushed toward her.

“You little bitch!”

—Boom!!

Naturally, the sword was blocked. But simultaneously, the spread poison completely enveloped the Master of Sado.

With a noxious smell and splattering blood. Even if it didn’t kill her, it would incapacitate her.

As the blade scattered, Kwak Cheon-geuk rolled on the ground, his shoulder pierced. Yet he forced himself to rise to savor the pleasure that would come after the sharp pain.

Even if the opponent fell, he had no fantasies about being able to truly defeat her.

Simply put…

He was satisfied with the prospect of ruining that overconfident face.

“Ha ha! You pathetic bitch! How does it feel now? You boast so much, look at you…!”

“Ah. Damn.”

With the curse, Kwak Cheon-geuk rolled on the ground once more. This time, it was his right thigh.

A blow he couldn’t see clearly caused him to spit out blood.

“Wha…what?!”

Struggling to lift his gaze, he saw the Master of Sado, who should have been staggering and screaming, casually brushing off the poison.

And not just any poison. Extreme poison. The kind that had proven its potency by melting one of Huaxing’s masters.

Yet she was wiping it away as if she were simply cleaning off some dirt. Sniffing the air and wrinkling her nose.

“This bastard. I’ve already had a hell of a time with something like this, and now you want to bring back those filthy memories?”

—Crack!!

A foot launched into his abdomen. Kwak Cheon-geuk curled up.

Intense pain surged through him. But more pressing was the question.

“How… how are you… still standing after being hit by the Poison Scented Blood Water…?”

“It stings a bit, you bastard. But what can I do? My poison resistance has skyrocketed thanks to that damn potion!”

She swiped away the sticky poison.

“I thought you were hiding a trump card, but all you do is throw out some filth resembling you. Seriously, you’re in deep trouble.”

“…Wait a minute…”

Before he could finish, the sword gleamed.

Kwak Cheon-geuk let out a silent scream.

“Wait? We’re not at the point where we’d wait for each other, are we?”

. . .

The Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds.

A group symbolizing the Sado Clan.

News of its collapse spread swiftly. When a group that had announced they would capture Mu Pungsura fell apart instead, countless stories circulated among the people.

Some speculated that someone was backing Mu Pungsura.

Others reported seeing not one, but two individuals.

Even madmen proclaimed that they were not human but monsters.

What mattered was that a stronghold maintaining the Sado Clan had crumbled.

Yes.

What was important was…

That perhaps it had all collapsed because of just a single warrior.

“……”

Seated upon the throne, Yeong-wol nervously drummed her fingers on the chair. She had heard the sudden news of the Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds’ collapse. Although she had learned that a lone individual was chasing Mu Pungsura…

She hadn’t anticipated it would lead to this outcome.

“…What on earth…?”

Having one was already problematic. The notion that two could overcome such a massive force was absurd.

Above all, why on earth had that monster Mu Pungsura annihilated the Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds? What on earth was the reason?

Her head was spinning. First, she needed to capture the Master of Sado Clan, but there was no progress on that front…

Surely the person who should be inside the Cheonra Net had vanished into thin air, as if soaring to the sky. Everyone present was convinced they were hiding somewhere, yet even that seemed untrustworthy.

Gu Ok-gyeong. Where on earth could she be? Did she have accomplices? But even if she did, there’s no way they could slip away from the Cheonra Net.

Her body, in a precarious state from the outset.

Even if she had helpers, she surely couldn’t manage on her own. The more she used her internal energy, the worse it would get.

Still, if there was even a chance her helper had whisked her away completely…

“…The fleeing General?”

No. He didn’t have the strength. While he was indeed a master, he was still just at the Huaxing level. He couldn’t surpass that limit.

It was evident that there was a hole in the plan, but Yeong-wol could not ascertain where that hole had originated.

Gu Ok-gyeong. She was currently poisoned. So she could not possibly be Mu Pungsura. She was likely dying in real-time.

Then who exactly was Mu Pungsura? Was it truly just a hidden master venturing into the world? Simply someone who couldn’t bear to let civilians suffer at the hands of warriors?

Yeong-wol rubbed her face. For now… for now…

It was clear that she needed to push Mu Pungsura aside. With the Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds now destroyed, if left unchecked, the status of the Master of Sado Clan would be diminished.

She had to divert even a portion of her forces on the frontlines to trace that shadow. The council was pressuring her. They insisted that finding the fake Master of Sado Clan could wait, but she must prioritize dealing with Mu Pungsura.

Yet she couldn’t gauge how many troops she could afford to send. If the entire Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds had been swept away, it had to be a master at Hyun-kyung level…

To capture such a master, she would need to send a considerable number of troops. Naturally, those individuals must be masters themselves, strategically wearing them down and striking all at once in the worst-case scenario.

…But hadn’t the Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds already failed at that?

“…Mu Pungsura.”

Muttering the alias, Yeong-wol leaned back against the throne. Come to think of it, had the Black Forest Room fallen to him as well?

His influence had grown to a point where it couldn’t simply be overlooked. It was said that a group had formed to advocate and follow him.

“……”

For now…

For now, they needed to pursue him. They should disband the Cheonra Net that was chasing the Master of Sado Clan. She could be pursued later, but it was best to invest their efforts elsewhere for the moment. The council’s pressure required attention, so they could chase Gu Ok-gyeong later.

Everything had to move swiftly.

So that she could have her by her side even one day sooner.

Yet as Yeong-wol made her decision, she couldn’t shake a feeling of chills creeping down her neck.

It felt as though something was unfolding somewhere that she was unaware of.

But it was alright. She had one more card to play.

No master at Hyun-kyung could endure under her and ‘that’ combined…

“…If Jin Baek-cheon had been here, it might have been easier.”

Realizing she had unknowingly whispered the name of that traitor, Yeong-wol gasped.

What am I saying? Given his frequent aid, I’d rather die.

Eventually, Yeong-wol stood from the throne.

As everything flowed doubtfully, it was best to move directly.

Mu Pungsura. Whoever you are…

In the end, you’re going to die. By my hands.

. . .

I completely annihilated the Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds. It was only after slaying the very last individual that I sheathed my sword.

The smell of blood wafted in the air. Corpses littered the mountains and ground, while chunks of flesh caught on the fortifications attracted birds, feeding them their fill.

“I really went all the way. Ah! What a relief!”

Gu Ok-gyeong, stretching, clung to me.

“This should have caught the attention of the Master of Sado Clan. Mu Pungsura. How do you feel?”

“Not particularly.”

Neither good nor bad.

Feeling emotions while slaying beasts felt all the more strange.

I pulled out my water container and wet my face. After hastily wiping off the blood, I turned to Gu Ok-gyeong.

Her face was just as messy as mine. So, after taking water in my hands, I slowly wiped her face.

“Ugh…?”

“Stay still.”

If either of us were spotted like this by civilians, we would surely be treated like ghosts; the blood had stained even inside the masks.

It’s only natural to wash, but I initially performed emergency treatment. This much was needed to keep her face from being sticky.

As Gu Ok-gyeong quietly entrusted her face to my hands, she smirked. Once we finished the simple face wash, she lifted her arm and poked me in the side.

“Only the personal physician is allowed to touch the Master of Sado Clan’s face freely… you’re in big trouble. Does that mean you’re trying to get close to me?”

“Are you alright from when you were poisoned earlier?”

“You’ve gotten pretty good at dodging questions, huh? I’m fine. That was nothing. I told you before, it was hardly worth worrying about. I mostly redirected it with my energy, right? Trying to poison me face to face was pushing it way too far.”

Gu Ok-gyeong shook her hands off.

“The rendezvous is almost over; now I can disappear for a while. Until all preparations are complete. Now would be a good time to rest…”

“Master!”

General Song Nam-cheon.

He rushed toward her, calling from a distance as if he wanted to ask about the new developments.

“The Master of Sado Clan has officially declared her position! They have formed a punitive force to chase Mu Pungsura!”

“What’s with the ruckus? That was more than enough to be expected, wasn’t it?”

“One thing we didn’t anticipate got mixed in! The one supposed to lead the punitive force is…!”

Song Nam-cheon hurriedly inhaled.

“It’s the current Master of Sado Clan!”

“…What?”

Gu Ok-gyeong’s brows furrowed.

“…Well, look at that… the queen bee we need to catch pops out of the hive, doesn’t she…? This is a golden opportunity we can’t miss, right? Things should get easier now!”

 

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