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I glanced at the Sword Demon with a slightly surprised look. I had never anticipated such an event happening with him. So, I decided to carefully observe the movements of Blood Wolf Leader and assess the situation in the hall.

Blood Wolf Leader pointed his twin swords at the Sword Demon and said, “I’ll admit there’s talent emerging from that rural Henan area. But inviting me knowing I’m from the Fire Spirit sect? That’s just lacking in humility.”

“Heh, even if you’re from the Shadowless Alliance, you’re nowhere near the level of the Fire Spirit sect,” replied the Sword Demon.

Blood Wolf Leader’s eyes sharpened, then he lowered his swords slightly. “What do you want?”

“I want to talk to your lord. Relay that I’m interested in arranging a meeting.”

Blood Wolf Leader snorted at the Sword Demon’s words. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard!”

“Why is it funny?”

“Because your social status is different. Since you’ve become the leader of this riffraff, you think you’re on top of the world.”

Suddenly, Blood Wolf Leader yelled and launched his special technique at the back door. It was a quick move without any recoil, proving his martial arts proficiency. Plus, he appeared to be a peak expert capable of using mind control technique.

‘That guy is definitely an elder-level expert from the Fire Spirit sect!’

Even within the Han Clan in Luoyang, there were few experts like Blood Wolf Leader. Only a couple of people who were covertly guarding Han Baek-ryeong matched that level, meaning Blood Wolf Leader was comparable to the head of the Nine Great Sects. He must be a crucial member of the Fire Spirit sect!

While the Sword Demon and I were chasing Blood Wolf Leader, the experts of Shadowless Gate, who were already nearby, unleashed their net to block him.

“Stop right there!”

As five experts from Shadowless Gate charged at him, Blood Wolf Leader spun around, unleashing three deadly arcs of red sword energy, forcing them to desperately dodge. Facing that power directly would be a death sentence.

Breaking through the encirclement, Blood Wolf Leader slammed down with ground-impact technique, sending shockwaves through the air and shattering their formation.

What an incredible powerhouse! A person you might only encounter once in a lifetime!

But, I boldly stepped in front of him with my Soul Removal Technique, halting Blood Wolf Leader. He frowned and said, “I don’t like cutting kids!”

His twin swords came flying at my limbs before I could even finish my sentence, showing just how cold and ruthless he could be.

But I shot back, “Aren’t you more worried about your own neck?”

Clang!

“Cough!” In a mere moment, my simple attack had knocked his swords back, sending them crashing three feet away with a thunderous sound as he regained his balance on the ground, visibly trembling.

“What… what kind of martial arts is this? You can’t be from the Elder Council!”

He seemed to instinctively think of the Elder Council when referring to someone like me who’d mastered Half-Transition Master martial arts. I chuckled softly and replied, “I’m not going to kill you; why don’t you just listen to the Sword Demon?”

Blood Wolf Leader gritted his teeth. In the meantime, the Sword Demon had come up to surround him, and it seemed he realized that he was outmatched. He sighed after a moment and said, “… Fine.”

We returned to Shadowless Gate with Blood Wolf Leader in tow. The Sword Demon said to him, “Think seriously. I know you belong to the Fire Spirit sect and are in a position to speak directly with Dharma Guardian Han Baek-ryeong.”

“I don’t know how you figured it out, but you know a lot,” Blood Wolf Leader responded cautiously. “So you want me to set up a meeting for you with Dharma Guardian?”

“It’s not going to be a loss for you,” the Sword Demon said sharply. “Aren’t you here because Han Baek-ryeong was curious about my affairs? Instead of sneaking around, let’s just have a straightforward conversation between Shadowless Alliance and Fire Spirit sect.”

“Heh… She’s not part of this. Don’t make wild assumptions,” Blood Wolf Leader shot back, his eyes radiating killing intent.

A tense stand-off ensued between the Sword Demon and Blood Wolf Leader, but eventually, Blood Wolf Leader hesitated and said, “… Alright. I will hear you out.”

However, I knew he had no intentions of making this easy. “I have to warn you, we have no intention of opposing the Fire Spirit sect. If we did, we would have caught you as bait to gain more out of this, so keep that in mind,” I said quickly.

“Hmph, who trusts another in the martial world?” Blood Wolf Leader replied.

“Haha! You’re lacking the guts to tell Han Baek-ryeong what you really think,” the Sword Demon added, teasing him further.

Blood Wolf Leader ground his teeth. Despite the Sword Demon’s jabs, he knew that retaliation would bring about consequences for him, and certainly he understood the penalties of the martial world would more than likely not favor him.

After a pause, the Sword Demon wrapped up the conversation and released him. With the subordinates dismissed, he summoned me to a separate room and said, “Baek Woong. I’m sorry for pushing this plan unexpectedly.”

“It’s fine. I never anticipated bringing in Blood Wolf Leader,” I replied, meeting the Sword Demon’s gaze.

“You must have remembered that name list from my previous life—when I went to the cave with Han Jin-seong,” he continued.

“Yes, I certainly did,” I confessed.

“Indeed. That list became the foundation of today’s scheme,” he confirmed.

I listened, trying to piece everything together. Han Jin-seong’s words still echoed in my ears:

[I mentioned supporting your faction. This gold badge allows you to navigate through any battlefield under the Han Clan without restriction. Spend money as you need. With this badge, you can also command mercenary groups like Blood Wolf and Black Star, who are subordinates of the Han Clan.]

I recalled that at some point in my 17th life, I had received comprehensive support from Han Baek-ryeong, the lord of the Fire Spirit sect, to operate more freely. I had forgotten about it until now, but it seemed the Sword Demon was using that list as a strategy.

“This list contains over thirty prominent forces, including Blood Wolf and Black Star. All these are factions under the command of Han Jin-seong, the young master of the Han Clan. It’s clear that such an elite from the Fire Spirit sect would definitely hold a significant position,” he elaborated.

“So that’s why you invited Blood Wolf Leader,” I mused.

“Exactly. And his use of twin swords made this a perfect match,” the Sword Demon added.

I briefly contemplated Blood Wolf Leader again. “He definitely appeared to be at a peak expert level, likely an elder-level expert. It seems risky to turn someone like him to our side,” I remarked.

“Haha! I had it all planned out. It’s an ordeal we need to go through,” he replied confidently.

I inquired further, “What do you mean by that?”

“Blood Wolf Leader’s awkward invitation would aim to infiltrate and gather information on our Shadowless Alliance because we just crushed the Namgung Clan, one of the five great families. Naturally, they would be on high alert.”

Suddenly, everything made sense. I had been wondering how the Sword Demon planned to handle it, and now I realized he had clearly thought everything through. Truly the demeanor of a supreme being in the martial world.

“Now he’ll report back to Han Jin-seong, who can never keep quiet from Han Baek-ryeong. I see my meeting with her as a gamble,” he smiled.

“That seems dangerous,” I cautioned.

“Why so?”

“From my observations, while Han Baek-ryeong is certainly communicative, she’s also accustomed to using force. If things go south, it could turn perilous fast.”

It’s easy to converse with someone yielding and compliant, but that also opens up the risk of being underestimated. Yet, Han Baek-ryeong skillfully navigates through any proposals, always prepared to turn violent if necessary. Knowing this side of her, I realized that negotiating with her would be exceedingly risky.

The Sword Demon interjected, “Once she learns of the Namgung Clan’s fall, why do you think she would sit idle and simply observe our Shadowless Alliance?”

“Could it be that she’s attempting to keep things in check?” I wondered.

“No. While there is that possibility, I think it’s to nurture us for her long-term plans.”

Wait, what do you mean? My mind reeled as I looked at him in confusion as he chuckled softly.

“You’ll understand when you lead an organization later—managing more subordinate factions becomes a hassle the more they multiply. Even managing a single subordinate is a headache, let alone entire groups. Just imagine the Han Clan’s power managing countless subordinate forces and five great families!”

“Are you saying…?”

“Han Baek-ryeong desires our Shadowless Alliance to grow stronger. As we replace the Namgung Clan, she wants us to keep an eye on the other great families to prevent them from getting too arrogant, ultimately allowing us to influence the Nine Great Sects. Not only that, but she could integrate the five great families under our Shadowless Gate efficiently, allowing her to manage her forces without burden.”

It all clicked into place now. I had never thought about it this way. “Does Han Baek-ryeong even know about the Master of Shadowless Sword?”

“She probably knows ten out of ten. Though I try my best to keep that hidden, her information network is likely catching on.”

“That’s quite the problem. The current strength of Shadowless Alliance isn’t enough to contend with the Fire Spirit sect.”

I couldn’t help but worry. No matter how formidable the Sword Demon and the Master of Shadowless Sword are, we couldn’t compare against Han Baek-ryeong’s strength. Moreover, it wasn’t just her; the Fire Spirit sect had numerous skilled experts. Even maneuvering through their subordinate factions could spell trouble. For instance, Blood Wolf Leader—who I thought was just a mercenary band—turned out to be an undercover peak expert!

“Calm down. While looking into your memories through obsidian, I realized how extraordinary Han Baek-ryeong is,” the Sword Demon commented. “In conclusion, she rewards the capable appropriately.”

“Appropriate rewards?” I asked, incredulous.

“Indeed. Even when angered, she will weigh whether her opponent’s reasoning has merit. She hates incompetent individuals rather than those who provoke her. If capable, she can set her emotions aside as the leader of her faction.”

“Hmm…” I considered this perspective. It seemed like Han Baek-ryeong rarely lost control and went berserk.

The Sword Demon continued, “When she learns about the Namgung Clan’s defeat, she likely won’t intervene unless absolutely necessary. Such a strategic mind isn’t something you can easily engage with.”

“Great! This plan of yours… exists around great danger, doesn’t it?” I pressed.

“I also believe so. I think of this meeting with Han Baek-ryeong as my chance to infiltrate the Fire Spirit sect,” he said firmly.

This was becoming a tangled web of strategies! “Do you plan to draw her attention toward me for that?”

“Precisely. I want to conserve a path toward the Fire Spirit sect while revealing my own identity very little. When you’ve acquired sufficient strength, we will subordinate to her,” he affirmed.

As the enormity of his decisions washed over me, I felt the weight of what he was sacrificing in his pursuit of ultimate strength.

“If you decide to join the Fire Spirit sect, you will be forsaking your own path,” I murmured.

“It’s all or nothing; I can only turn my back to the ancient repository of martial arts that Shadowless Gate holds to embrace the Fire Spirit’s techniques. After all, the nature of the sword demands constant adaptation,” he replied.

“…But!” I began.

“I need to be more fluid, don’t I? For the sake of our covert operations, if I seek to gain their trust while keeping you safe from Han Baek-ryeong’s eyes, this is necessary.”

Facing this decision, I felt my heart heavy. The Sword Demon was risking it all—for my sake, and I couldn’t bear the thought of failing him. Knowing that the pride of a martial artist can’t be earned back if crushed, this was an immeasurable sacrifice on his part.

As tears streamed down my face, I thought, ‘I can never repay such a debt…’

‘But there’s only one answer.’

As the Sword Demon said, the only way to repay this was through ultimate victory. I would keep my will alive and carve out a path through this chaotic world!

No shortcuts; it was all about perseverance and relentless effort. After drying my eyes and wiping away my tears of regret, I bolted to the training grounds armed with a sword. Channeling my remaining sorrow into my internal power, I gritted my teeth and trained relentlessly.

There’s no time to waste on idle slumber!

 

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