Mun-Jae's eyes widened in disbelief. "You don't… know who I am? We grew up—"
He didn't finish.
Baek Mu-Gi moved a single step,One clean arc of his blade cut through the air—silent, final.
The Qi slash roared across the forest like a whip of pure pressure.Trees collapsed in waves. Roots were severed and Wind howled.
And Mun-Jae froze.
His mouth opened… but no words came out. He looked down.From his hip, upward—he was split.
Cleanly.
A red line appeared across his body… and everything slowed.
"The fact that I'm not even worth remembering," Mun-Jae whispered, trembling, "despite all my effort—what a shame… what a tragedy…"
Thud.
His body crumbled into two halves, crashing to the ground in silence.
The assassins from the Blood Blade Sect had already vanished, carrying off the injured Fifth Division. Nothing was left but fallen trees, scorched ground… and the scent of venom.
Swoosh.
Baek didn't turn. He felt the enormous presence behind him—like a big snake curling around his neck.
"Greetings," he said flatly, "Thousand Venoms Empress."
Cheondok Hwang stepped forward from the forest, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the destruction with mild distaste.The trees. The air. The shame.
She clicked her tongue.
"Tsk…One of my personal assassins… throwing a tantrum and attacking another squad in broad daylight. How disgraceful." She narrowed her eyes. "He's humiliated the entire Thousand Venoms Sect."
Baek didn't flinch. "If I remembered correctly I even asked you to leave the Fifth Division alone. So tell me—did you know he would do this? You watched, and said nothing."
She raised a brow. "Are you accusing me of treason, First Pillar dog?"
BOOM!
Their Qi surged.
The entire forest responded.The ground cracked. Trees buckled. The mist behind them split apart under pressure. Even the air was screaming.
But it passed quickly.
Cheondok sighed. "Tch. Take what's left of him. He's alive, isn't he?"
Baek bowed. "Thank you for your generosity. But next time you interfere like this—" his voice sharpened, "—even our lord won't stop what I'll do to you."
She scoffed. "All this for one brat? Who is he? What's his identity, Baek?"
Baek didn't answer.
That silence said more than words.
Cheondok's eyes narrowed. She smiled.
"I see. Keeping secrets from me, are you? Very well… I won't toy with him again."
Baek nodded once, then vanished.
Completely. No Qi. No trace. As if he'd never been there.
Cheondok stood in silence.
Even she couldn't track his movements.
"Tch. Blood Blade assassins really are another breed."
She turned her head slightly. Four masked figures knelt behind her like shadows.
"Investigate that boy," she said softly. "Everything. Background. Birthplace. Who trained him."
"As you command, master." They vanished.
Cheondok looked down at Mun-Jae's remains—two charred halves of ambition and jealousy.
She sighed, almost tenderly.
"Come now," she whispered. "You'll be a fine meal for the babies."
•••••
BLOOD BLADE SECT — Lord's Residence
Hyeolgeom Gunju stood from his lavish bed, the two women beside him unconscious from exhaustion. He pulled on his robes slowly, unfazed by their presence.
"Beak," he said, voice calm but firm, "report."
Beak Mu-Gi appeared kneeling, as if summoned from shadow. In his hands, he presented a small, charred case — inside was a half-burned pill.
"My lord. The pill."
Hyeolgeom Gunju walked forward and took it, examining the scorched edges. His eyes narrowed.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"The Thousand Venoms Empress's personal assassin attacked Mae-Bi and his squad during the mission," Beak said flatly. "This is what's left of the pill."
The air shifted.
A pulse of killing intent exploded from Hyeolgeom Gunju's body, instantly shattering the ornate furniture around them. The floor cracked. The walls shook. The women on the bed began to scream — choking, clutching their throats under the pressure of his presence.
Beak stayed kneeling, unfazed.
Hyeolgeom Gunju's voice was low. "That's the second time. First, my Third Division tried to kill the Fifth… now one of that bitch's rats burns my gift?"
He crushed the rest of the box in his hand… then smiled faintly and swallowed the ruined pill whole.
"Is my gift still alive?"
"Yes, my lord," Beak replied. "All survived… except one. A squad member named Dol-Gae was killed during the assault."
"I see. And Mae-Bi?"
Beak hesitated for a breath. "Still unconscious. But alive. His pulse indicates… a breakthrough. He's stepped into the Fourth Stage."
Silence.
Then—
Laughter. Dark, rich, and violent.
"That kid never ceases to amuse me," Hyeolgeom Gunju said, pacing. "Always breaking the rules. Always surviving. What a joy."
Beak said nothing.
The smile on the Blood Blade Lord's face sharpened.
"As for that snake of a woman… eliminate the Second Pillar. Burn her sect. Kill every last disciple."
Beak looked up. "You're giving the order… to erase the Thousand Venoms?"
"Yes." Hyeolgeom Gunju's voice was pure steel now. "This is an opportunity to get rid of her.That woman fed me poison when I was young, ah still remember how she Smiled as I screamed."
He chuckled again, stretching his arms like a man preparing for a feast.
"I wonder what face she'll make when I rip her heart out with my bare hands."
Beak vanished in silence.
Hyeolgeom Gunju turned back to the broken room, the suffocating women still gasping for breath.
He didn't even look at them.
"I suppose… the Demonic Sect will be noisy for a while."